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Played four, lost four and conceded twelve. This does not just represent West Ham’s worst start to a Premier League season but their worst start to a league campaign ever. Defensive frailties were in evidence again as the Hammers succumbed to the might of a Chelsea side which did not leave second gear, losing 3-1 at home. In the match day programme David Sullivan revealed the scale of the club’s debts in case anyone had forgotten. On the touchline, Avram Grant appeared forlorn and weary in what has already become an onerous campaign. But the Israeli said, “If you saw the level we played, it’s not a team for relegation.” Is Grant accurate in his analysis and what can be gleamed from this defeat?

Red…Yellow…Green…Shoot

Chelsea took the lead within two minutes as Michael Essien scored with an unmarked header from Didier Drogba’s corner. Poor marking was to blame but Robert Green was at fault for their second goal. Drogba struck a low free-kick straight at Green but the former Norwich keeper fumbled and Matthew Upson pounced on the loose ball. Rather than kicking the ball out for a throw-in, the England defender struck it against Salomon Kalou and the rebound looped into West Ham’s net. Upson should have reacted better but the focus was on Green’s ineffective handling. On Radio FiveLive the summariser, Pat Nevin said many teams will be looking to fire low shots at Green which awkwardly bounce at the last second. This will plausibly form the basis of many opposition team talks whilst his erratic form continues.

Scott Parker is worth every penny

The talismanic midfielder signed a new contract last week, keeping him at Upton Park until 2014. His wages have been enhanced and are believed to be somewhere in the region of £65,000 and £70,000 per week. This does not seem to tally with Sullivan’s talk of financial austerity. However, considering the relatively high wages of Benni McCarthy and Frederic Piquionne it is difficult to begrudge Parker of his increased pay packet. He scored a sumptuous volley from the edge of the box as the ball fell to him from Petr Cech’s punched clearance. He shaped to leather the ball but intelligently opted to carefully lift it over the traffic and into the far corner. It was a moment of exceptional quality from the former Newcastle captain who will be looking to boost his goal haul this season.

Obinna will be Cole’s striking partner

Victor Obinna made his debut on loan from Inter Milan against Chelsea, playing alongside Carlton Cole. Intermittently the two combined well as the Nigerian gave an impressive performance, regularly finding space in the opposition penalty area. He had two excellent opportunities in the first half, firstly receiving a chipped pass from Cole and volleying wide. The pacy forward then cut into the box from the left wing and unleashed a powerful right footed shot which curled narrowly beyond the far post. Considering the strength of the opponents, who had not conceded a league goal since April, it was an impressive performance. He showed elusive movement, strength, energy and speed. These characteristics will surely see him prosper in the PL.

Communication Problems

Two more players had league debuts for West Ham on Saturday, Lars Jacobson and the former Chelsea centre-back Tal Ben Haim. The side’s captain is a mainstay in central defence but has been paired with James Tomkins, Danny Gabbidon and Winston Reid this season with Manuel da Costa yet to return. These frequent changes are not breeding defensive meanness or effective relationships. The marking for the first goal was woeful and a driving run from Essien allowed him to score his second and Chelsea’s third as he met Paulo Ferreira’s cross under no pressure. The Israeli defender did seem comfortable at times and made a few impressive forward runs. Jacobson impressed in segments but arguably afforded too much room for Kalou and the rampaging Ashley Cole. Upon signing for the Hammers, the Danish international said he would relish their style of play and managed to get forward, make over-lapping runs and deliver teasing crosses.

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West Ham have their strongest squad in recent years

This was a claim made by Upson during their unbeaten pre-season campaign. A miserable start to the season should not obscure this view which carries some weight. Kieron Dyer came off the bench while other wide players, Pablo Barrera and Julien Faubert were unused substitutes. Junior Stanislas and Benni McCarthy did not even make the bench, displaying the range of options available to Grant. The quality of these players can be debated but it is critical that a manager has choices which have been lacking at the Boleyn in past years. With Jack Collison and Zavon Hines still to return from knee injuries, expect the team to get stronger as the season progresses.

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Roberto Mancini has stated that Liverpool have made mistakes over their handling of the Luis Suarez racial abuse incident, but feels the Reds’ striker is not a racist.

The Uruguay international has been given an eight-match ban from the FA after he was found guilty of insulting Manchester United defender Patrice Evra due to his ethnicity.

The Anfield club have been widely criticised due to their unrelenting support of Suarez, and an incident of racism against Oldham defender Tom Adeyemi by a club fan.

The Manchester City boss has stated that things can happen in the heat of the moment, but must be apologised for in the aftermath.

“I think that sometimes it can happen on the pitch, a situation like this. It is important to apologise for what you did,” he told The Telegraph.

“Sometimes on the pitch you can do something you don’t want to do, because you are nervous, you don’t think on the pitch. I don’t think Suarez is a racist. I think he made a mistake, probably, yes.

“Everyone can make a mistake sometimes, everyone. It is impossible that we are always perfect. It is important to say ‘I am sorry, I made a mistake, I apologise for this’ and accept the charge.

“Everything was said to me during my 20 years as a player, but I understand. I didn’t cry for this on the pitch because, I repeat, I have my opinion that on the pitch everything can happen because you don’t think, because you are tired, because you are stupid, you are young, for many reasons,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Juventus boss Luigi Delneri was left fuming after his side threw away a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at home against Catania on Saturday.Two first-half goals from Alessandro Del Piero put Juventus comfortably ahead at the break, but Catania fought back with strikes from Alejandro Gomez and Lodi – from a free kick on the stroke of full-time – to secure a crucial point in their battle to avoid the drop.

Delneri, whose side are in seventh place and three points short of a Europa League berth with four games to play, was furious by the performance of his men and referee Mauro Bergonzi, who allowed five minutes of stoppage time.

“I am angry with everything, not just with Juventus’ performance, but also with the serious mistakes we made in the second half and the mistakes in the game’s finale due to high tension and due to errors from the referee,” Delneri said.

“At the end he did so many things he (Bergonzi) shouldn’t have done.”

“There was a series of quite complicated factors – the injury time, their free kick from (Felipe) Melo’s foul that wasn’t a foul, because it would have been impossible not to use that arm.”

“A more serious foul by (Pablo Martin) Ledesma was not seen from a Del Piero free kick, so to tell the truth I think he made quite strange decisions.”

“I’m not saying he did that on purpose, but if you are a referee you should behave as a referee otherwise it would be better to change profession. You should have a logic in what you see.”

Many Derby County fans would have been disappointed with the exit of striker Rob Hulse. The well-travelled striker has won promotion twice in his career and has been a purchase for teams who were promoted without his services. Now at Championship table-toppers Queens Park Rangers, he will hope to make it three promotions and have a second crack at the Premier League.

Indeed, the first game of the season showed some promise for Derby, who so far under Nigel Clough’s reign have had to endure a transitional period with a massive squad overhaul in the past 20 months in order to create a more manageable wage bill.

Clough, who left Burton Albion after 10 years of service, now faces a new challenge: to revive the fortunes of Derby and once again turn them into Premier League contenders.

An opening-weekend win at Leeds (the opener, scored by former Elland Road favourite Rob Hulse, was his last goal and appearance for the club) would have given fans early hope. The combination of Paul Green, Kris Commons and Hulse was particularly impressive. The latter of course was a key focal point to this attack and, as many Football League defenders will be aware, is more than a mere battering ram.

However, since the opening weekend of the Championship Hulse has been injured and Derby have had to endure two defeats and a draw at home to QPR. Such has been the extent of the injury list at Pride Park that former Exeter defender Dean Moxey has been used as a makeshift striker in variations of 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 formations.

Before discussing the importance of Rob Hulse’s departure to QPR, there are a number of factors that need to be considered. Hulse is now 30; although still more than capable at that age, he missed 16 games last season and has only played one so far in the current campaign. More crucial to the decision to sell Hulse was that the money on offer was too good to turn down for a striker with only nine months left on his contract, points highlighted by Derby executive chairman Tom Glick.

Hulse has been the top scorer for the Rams for the two previous seasons, chipping in with 28 league goals in his last three campaigns, and his departure will no doubt harm the Derby’s chances of promotion. In addition, Clough may have to re-think tactics; Dean Moxey cannot be relied upon for an entire season, and naturally as a defender he will not match Hulse’s prolific goal-scoring rate.

The departure of the 6ft 2in striker will not aid Derby’s aspirations this season, but the Midlands club are in no hurry.

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While Derby are in the middle of a five-year plan to reach the Premier League, 30-year-old Hulse’s aspirations for top-flight football are more immediate; and under new manager Neil Warnock who would bet against it happening this year.

Written By Carl Noyce

A football fan always becomes excited by a big name signing or a new look team taking shape at their club, but there is one new addition that always creates a unique buzz around a stadium. I am obviously talking about the introduction of a youngster from the youth academy that you have heard a lot about but have not really seen him play. The under 18’s and the reserve’s have become easy work for him and he is compared to a former legend at the club depending on what position he plays. The cheer that he receives when he comes on from the bench is unrivalled and when he notches that first professional goal, he seems to share the moment with thousands of fans who already adore the 17-year-old.

But it is not always a fairytale ending when youngsters are thrown in at the deep end; unable to make an impact in men’s football and after all the hype they are loaned out to a side two divisions below and seem to be forgotten just as quickly as they were introduced. Admittedly the pressure on any professional footballer is high and some newcomers can’t handle that but sometimes they simply aren’t good enough. Everyone will have a player at their club that has not lived up to their hype as a youngster so here are the top ten youngsters who haven’t fulfilled their hype.

Click on Freddie Sears to unveil the top 10

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Have I missed one out from your club? Let me know on Twitter: @Brad_Pinard

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Chelsea are 1-0 down at home to Manchester United in the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final, and with twenty minutes to go, Carlo Ancelotti decides to substitute 33 year-old Didier Drogba, who has scored one goal in his last eleven games for the Blues. A hum of disappointment quickly surrounds Stamford Bridge, not because the home supporters are uninspired by Nicolas Anelka’s introduction (although the Frenchman hasn’t scored since February), but because their new £50million ‘hero’ remains on the pitch for the remainder of the match, eventually completing 617 minutes without a goal for his new club.

Chelsea fans are not known for their patience, and their chairman is always quick to point out when something is wrong, but is it now time for Fernando Torres to realise he made a big mistake in forcing through his Liverpool exit, especially considering the different directions both clubs are now heading in?

Allow me to start by clearing up one issue – Fernando Torres is not a similar case to that of Andriy Shevchenko. Torres’ Chelsea displays are not a result of failing to adapt to the style or rigours of the Premier League – the Spaniard scored 75 goals in 126 games for Liverpool during his first full three seasons in England, and spearheaded Spain’s attack during successful European Championship and World Cup campaigns whilst a Liverpool player.

However, almost exactly 12 months ago, Torres revealed that he felt daunted by the prospect of an extended career in England based on the continual demands of Premier League football. “This is my third season and I’m still amazed to see Gerrard, Rooney and Lampard, players who have been here a long time, still playing at such a high level and with such impressive rhythm because the English league really wears down a player. I just can’t imagine what state I’ll be in within five or six years if I continue to play here – it could easily give me problems when I stop playing. The physical level is superior to all other countries.”

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Torres announced these concerns following a knee operation which he never fully recovered from before joining his Spanish team-mates in South Africa last summer. He had actually scored 18 goals in 22 League games for Liverpool before the operation, but his performances and evident fitness concerns at the World Cup delayed his move to Stamford Bridge until January. It was thought that Torres would leave Anfield last August following Liverpool’s failed bid to qualify for the Champions League, but the striker committed to Roy Hodgson’s vision, which in hindsight was an egregious decision.

Torres then faced a fitness struggle in the midst of a rancorous ownership and managerial transition and was not the only high-profile Liverpool player to express doubts about the future of the Merseyside club. Pepe Reina has been broadcasting almost monthly updates on his contract situation since the start of the season, and it looks more than likely that he will depart this summer given that Liverpool have yet again failed to infiltrate the top 4.

In January of this year, Liverpool sacked their second manager in 6 months and Torres was only starting to regain his form sporadically between injury spells. Meanwhile, Chelsea had been two months in to a sequence that saw them drop down the Premier League table after their worst run of results for 15 years. These factors, in addition to Torres’ two goals against the Blues in November, convinced Roman Abramovich to renew his interest in the forward and he spent £50million to secure his services. Although he has yet to convert for his new club, Torres is beginning to demonstrate his class gradually and was unfortunate not to score against United in last week’s first leg.

Torres does not legitimately fit in to the categories of Michael Owen, who began his career exceptionally and struggled to improve over time, or Andriy Shevchenko, who dominated Europe until the age of 29 when he should have been hitting his prime but instead rapidly regressed. Torres is of the same mould as Samuel Eto’o, a striker who has delivered explosive goal-scoring form consistently throughout his career.

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The Cameroonian is almost exactly three years older than Torres, and three years ago found himself in a similar position to the Spaniard. He had scored 19 goals for Barcelona during an injury-plagued season and was unsettled by a change of manager at the Nou Camp, as Pep Guardiola had announced his intentions to neglect the striker. He stayed, and in fact scored 39 goals in Guardiola’s first season as Barca completed a European treble, but was sold that summer to Inter. Apparently not good enough to remain with the European champions, Eto’o led Inter to Champions League glory the following season, which is something Abramovich might have considered when signing the cheque for Torres. Abramovich’s craving for Champions League supremacy is well known, and Torres could conceivably be the man to lead Chelsea to a European Final, if not this season, then next.

Support Torres by following Josh Sheridan on Twitter

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Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has admitted that he would be interested in succeeding John Toshack as manager of the Wales national team.

The 36-year-old is the favourite to take charge when Toshack steps aside and is confident that he can combine that job with his continuing playing career with the Red Devils.

He told the Daily Telegraph:"If you go into management, the big job is to be in charge of your country and I'm no different in terms of thinking like that.

"At the moment it is difficult, because I still have commitments as a player, but I always use the Mark Hughes situation as an example.

"One minute he is playing for Wales and in the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers, then the next thing you know, he is managing his country.

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Everton midfielder Tim Cahill has admitted that his side have had a tough run of fixtures in the last two months, but is confident that his team will come good and finish well in the Premier League.

Games against both Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Chelsea have seen The Toffees struggle for points in recent times, and a two-match winning streak was put to an end by defeat to Stoke on Sunday.

Despite the Merseysiders not maybe living up to their fans’ high expectations for the team, Cahill is not worried about the rest of the season.

“The run of games was always going to be difficult,” The Australia international told Press Association Sport.

“You can see how well teams like Swansea have stepped up but it is such a long season and there is still 30 games to go. I’m pretty sure there is going to be loads more to talk about from now until the end of the season.

“For me and the club it is about being consistent and maintaining that and trying to see where we finish.

“We nearly always come good all the time so it is more about taking it one game at a time and making sure we stay focused on what it important and that is basically getting results – whether it is a draw or a win.

“With our squad and the team we have got we are doing pretty well,” he concluded.

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Everton are currently in 10th place in the Premier League standings, but their fixture list does not get any easier as they travel to the Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal on Saturday.

By Gareth McKnight

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A late winner for Levan Kobiashvili helped Georgia defeat Croatia 1-0 in Euro 2012 qualifying on Saturday, while Israel beat Latvia.Group F leaders Croatia controlled the first half at the Lokomotivi Stadium in Tbilisi and might have taken the lead through a Dejan Lovren header 26 minutes in.

Sevilla midfielder Ivan Rakitic had a shot saved by Georgia goalkeeper Nukri Revishvili, who also denied Nikola Kalinic.

Out-of-favour Tottenham man Niko Kranjcar went close early in the second half, before Kobiashvili had Georgia’s first real chance of the match.

Visitors Croatia continued to dominate, with Ivan Perisic the next man to threaten.

But the breakthrough never arrived.

Volga Nizhny Novgorod forward Otar Martsvaladze enjoyed a rare chance for the hosts but saw his shot saved by Croatia goalkeeper Vedran Runje.

The match appeared destined for a draw before Martsvaladze played in Kobiashvili in the 90th minute, and the Hertha Berlin midfielder smashed home a shot from just inside the area.

Georgia, who are now unbeaten in 10 matches under manager Temuri Ketsbaia, move into third place with six points.

Croatia remain top with 10 points, ahead of Greece.

Elsewhere in Group F, Israel defeated Latvia 2-1 at home.

Racing Genk forward Elyaniv Barda put Israel ahead after 16 minutes at the Ramat Gan Stadium.

Defender Kaspars Gorkss of Queens Park Rangers levelled for Latvia just after the hour mark, but Celtic midfielder Baram Kayal restored Israel’s lead with what proved to be the winner nine minutes from time.

Israel are now fourth, level on points with fifth-placed Latvia but ahead courtesy of a superior goal difference.

When Alex McLeish announced he hoped his contract would soon be tied up, Birmingham fans must have breathed a heavy sigh of relief. That relief however must now be turning into a state of concern as with three days until the season starts, no deal has been done.

The Scottish tactician guided Blues’ to their best ever finish last season and endeared himself to the St Andrews crowds with the 12 game unbeaten run that saw him collect the Manager of the Month award for December.

His importance to Birmingham next season is unquestionable so why is it taking so long?

Perhaps the issue may surround transfer targets as whilst McLeish continues to express a desire to add to his squad, the board may not be willing to fund such activities with Big Eck’s future still up in the air.

Blues fans’ may begin to wonder whether the board are willing to meet McLeish’s wage demands now he has proved his worth as a Premier League manager but it wouldn’t really be too much to ask to increase his pay packet. It is reported that the Blues’ chief earns around £750,000 a year which is pittance in comparison to some managers in the league.

Securing the manager’s future would also send out the right message to any potential recruits, safe in the knowledge they are joining a stable club with ambition in abundance which was typified by their trip to the Far East to promote the club.

Nikola Zigic has revealed that McLeish was a huge part in him joining the club from Valencia and if players of his ilk are to continue to enhance the squad he has to stay put.

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“I like the way he works, I am extremely confident in playing for him and as a person I think I will get on well with him,” said the Serbian frontman (Birmingham Mail)

If the contract saga continues to rumble on for whatever reason, other clubs will start to sniff around. Fulham had him on their list of candidates if a deal with former Manchester City manager Mark Hughes could not be struck and he is a 33/1 bet to become the new manager at Villa Park.

The links with other clubs are probably justified considering the length of time between McLeish saying he wanted the contract to be “nailed” before the new season and the stark reality of just how close that time is.