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Many believe that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is desperate to see his club win the UEFA Champions League but is yet to see the Blues achieve that feat after coming so close on a number of occasions.

Here are three players who could help Chelsea finally win the Champions League…as long as they don’t suffer the likes of Tom Henning Øvrebø again:

Bastian Schweinsteiger: Has taken the role on as Germany’s engine during this World Cup along with Sami Khedira in the absence of former Chelsea man Michael Ballack.

The 25-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder has continued his impressive form from his club season (winning a league and cup double, with a Champions League final runners-up medal) into the World Cup and many believe that he would be the ideal replacement for Ballack at Stamford Bridge. Schweinsteiger is a versatile midfielder and could help fill the void left by the departures of Ballack, Juliano Belletti and Deco.

However, the Blues’ Russian owner will likely have to pay through the nose for the Munich man, it was rumoured Chelsea were willing to pay £25 million for the midfielder previously. But his performances may have increased his valuation after proving himself on the world’s stage as he has probably been the best midfielder at the World Cup.

Mesut Ozil: Another Germany international, the playmaker could be the creative force that the west London club could be crying out for after letting both Deco and Joe Cole leave the club.

The 21-year-old is in the last year of his contract with Werder Bremen so is likely to be moving on and many Chelsea fans believe he is a talent that is worth investing in. Everyone has seen his displays in South Africa, where he has emerged as a star in a new look Germany side, but he also had a good season at club level scoring 11 goals and making a dozen assists.

According to his comments he would be keen on a move to Chelsea:

“To the top players the Premier League is attractive. You look at what Manchester United and Chelsea have achieved over the last five years and you see it would be easy to be successful at two clubs like that.

“I see what Michael Ballack achieved at Chelsea and the quality of players he played with and the temptation becomes obvious.”

Fernando Torres: I was not originally going to include the 26-year-old Spaniard in this list, but I think Chelsea have a real opportunity to take the forward off of Liverpool’s hands.

Torres’ lacklustre displays won’t have inflated his valuation any more than it already is but we all know what he is capable of in the Premier League (72 goals in 116 appearances for Liverpool).

The Spain striker has declared that he is happy with the appointment of Roy Hodgson as Liverpool manager, but many argue that he is merely towing the party line and is disconcerted by the way the club is run.

Some believe that Torres is more likely to be underwhelmed by Rafael Benitez’s successor and his agent hasn’t ruled out the possibility that the striker may be leaving Liverpool:

“It is very likely that Fernando Torres will stay in the Premier League, but I cannot say that it will be with Liverpool. We are working on his future but right now you cannot guarantee that he will stay with the English club.”

Chelsea may be put off by the asking price for Torres as it is likely to be in the excess of £50m.

There are many other players that Chelsea could go for this summer, but in my opinion they need a top quality midfield engine, a playmaker and another forward. There are many other players the club are linked with such as Sergio Aguero, Raul Meireles, Thomas Muller, Kaka and Ramires.

Who do the Chelsea fans think the club should be signing this summer to take Carlo Ancelotti’s squad to the next level?

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Click on image below to see the Dutch babes at the World Cup

Under the ownership of NESV and John Henry, Liverpool have undertaken a massive and expensive rebuilding programme. The club are certainly on the up at the minute and Kenny Dalglish’s return to management after an 11-year absence from the game has gone as well as could be hoped by this point. However, in a recent interview, owner John Henry alluded to the fact that the club may have overpaid for some its talent – is this a theory that holds up upon closer inspection?

The genial Henry argued: “There was a lot of criticism in Boston that we weren’t going to spend money on the Red Sox after we did the LFC transaction. We spent something like $300m in the off-season in Boston, and then there was the fear we wouldn’t spend in Liverpool. It is really surprising, ironic, to be now accused of overspending. Usually owners are accused of the opposite.”

Of course, he was referring as much to the Boston Red Sox’s expenditure as Liverpool’s, but the creeping suspicion that the owner may feel that the club have failed to achieve value for money is something that has seeped through to the terraces.

Since January last season the club have spent £112.8m on transfers while recouping £77.95m, giving a net spend (for all you Rafa Benitez fans out there) of just £34.85m. It’s difficult to argue against the fact that the quality of the squad has increased. There is more strength in depth and competition for places. The result has seen Liverpool slowly but surely climb up the table and become a force to be reckoned with once again.

A lot has been made of Sporting Director Damien Comolli’s role at the club and his preference for the Moneyball system of using statistics to back up the club’s scouting network system with regards to purchasing players.

The big elephant in the room with this theory has been the poor performances of Andy Carroll who cost the princely sum of £35m. Comolli stated that Carroll’s price was somewhat irrelevant as the club were always prepared to pay £15m less than whatever Torres was eventually sold to Chelsea for. However, this does seem a tad disingenuous, because if Liverpool had sold Torres, for say, £25m, Newcastle would have flat out refused to sell Carroll for £10m.

Comolli argues that: “The whole principle is about creating value, and managing to find a player in the market who is underestimated financially compared to his stats.”

Taking a look at Liverpool’s purchases since this policy was implemented and it is fair to say that there is a mish-mash of bargains, gambles on future potential and those that appear to be justifying their price tag. About par with any other football club, then. Let’s take a closer look at the individuals.

Jose Enrique has solved Liverpool’s long-running problem at left-back since the departure of John Arne Riise at a cost of just £6m and Luis Suarez has been magnificent since his £22.8m move from Ajax – making a mockery of the those that questioned whether he’d be able to make the transition from the Eredvisie to the Premier League smoothly.

Charlie Adam looks to be a decent squad member and at £8m, he certainly delivers an end product in terms of goals and assists, but with just one-year left on his deal and at a relegated club, you’d have hoped Liverpool could have got him for fractionally cheaper. Still, while people, myself included, may have their reservations on whether he has the sufficient quality to take Liverpool forward, he looks to be a favourite of Dalglish’s in his new-look Liverpool side this season.

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Stewart Downing is simply not worth £20m, though. There’s no other way around it. He lacks the pace to truly trouble a top quality full-back and his delivery can range from the fantastic to the feeble. Liverpool have certainly overpaid with him, but to be fair, Villa’s price estimation was driven up largely because of the earlier departure of Ashley Young in the same transfer window – a player Liverpool are said to have prioritised over Downing and subsequently missed out on.

Jordan Henderson remains a player that divides the opinion of not only Liverpool fans but even those with just a casual interest in football. He’s cost £16m up front with potential add-ons of £4m. For a 21 year-old that’s versatile, pacy and intelligent, that doesn’t appear to be too far off the mark.

Henderson is hampered not by his price tag, but of other people’s preconceptions about him. He’s a subtle player with great vision and decent distribution. When you factor in the English premium, the price, while obviously over the top considering his relative inexperience, isn’t as far as, say, Downing’s is for me personally. He’s simply not the match-winning mini-Gerrard the media have often made him out to be, but that shouldn’t detract from the player he currently is and could be.

Carroll is the truly troubling one, though. Admittedly, he has been hampered by injuries since his arrival, but the side are in danger of leaving him behind. In his absence, Luis Suarez has struck up a good understanding with the rest of his new team mates and they appear to operate best in a fluid 4-5-1 formation without the Geordie front man.

While it is still far too early to label Carroll a flop, considering the circumstances, he does look to be rather leggy and a lot easier to bully off the ball than he did in his Newcastle pomp. He represents a pressing concern, particularly given the huge outlay on him,  but there is still plenty of time for him to come good.

Sebastien Coates arrives with a burgeoning reputation within the game following his exploits with Uruguay in their successful bid to win the Copa America. He will take time to settle and adjust to the pace of the league, but so long as people are patient with him, at £6m, his potential is enormous.

Craig Bellamy could just prove to be the bargain of the entire transfer window. Adaptable to several different roles and formations, his spirit and pace are a great asset to have in the armoury.

John Henry is indeed correct, it is strange for a club to be criticised for over-spending. No other club in the Premier League would ever be accused of something so cynical. When you analyse the team’s squad since the NESV came into ownership of the club, then it has without question improved significantly.

On the issue of whether the club has overpaid, purely on a transfer by transfer basis, like any club, they have for some players and haven’t for others. Carroll and Downing remain the two players that I’d personally be keeping an eye on although others will contest Henderson should be in there too.

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Buying players based on solely on potential is an inherently risky business. With the new rules coming into force about the number of home-grown and English players eligible for each Premier League club’s 25-man squad, the change in emphasis is understandable.

NESV have a long-term ambition for the club, which includes speculating on potential. Not every transfer will come off and they will overpay for some in the process, just like they have done so already. But as with every rebuilding process, mistakes will be made, but what is most important is patience and the belief that they’ll get more things right than wrong. So far, Comolli and Dalglish appear to have subscribed to this view.

You can follow me on Twitter @JamesMcManus1

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Tottenham and Milan got the knock-out phase of the Champions League underway in style on Tuesday night. AC Milan, by reputation alone, deserve giant status in football terms and Harry Redknapp certainly didn’t underestimate his rivals. Despite knowing full way that the Rossoneri are an aging side who are nowhere near living up to the Milan legend, his Spurs side produced a performance which, in European football terms, was as spot on as he could have possibly got it. Then there’s the small case of Arsenal v Barcelona, which didn’t fail to live up to its billing and featured a number of ‘great’ players.

But do these type of players deserve to be called ‘great’ just yet? Yes, Tottenham delivered a polished performance, but considering the type of players and teams who have graced our screens come Champions League time down the years where do the likes of Aaron Lennon and Luka Modric stand? What about Lionel Messi? There’s no doubt he will become one of the greats, but can we really say it yet?

I’ve compiled my best of the Champions League starting eleven. It’s debateable, sure. But I’ve chosen to go with players who have lasted the test of time playing at the pinnacle of club football and those who have delivered something memorable. Feel free to argue the case of a ‘great’ player left out of the all-time 11.

Click on the trophy below to see the The Greatest Champions League XI of all time

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Birmingham City defender Liam Ridgewell insists Premier League survival has to be the club's top priority despite their ninth-place finish last term.

The Blues performed admirably on their return to the top-flight following their promotion from the Championship at the end of the 2008/09 season and they have recently bolstered their squad by adding Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster and Valencia striker Nikola Zigic.

Manager Alex McLeish was allowed to spend £6million on each player, but Ridgewell, who signed a new three-year deal at St Andrew's this week, is still looking on the cautious side.

Speaking to reporters, he said:"I was pleased to sign on the dotted line and get the contract done and dusted.

"The ninth-placed finish came into play (when extending his contract) and I want to be at a successful club and this club is driving on.

"But survival will be the main thing next season. After doing so well last season people will be wondering how we are going to do – but our aim is to stay in this league and hopefully push on from that ninth place.

"There have been some good signings. Ben is a world class keeper and coming from Manchester United he is a good acquisition for us.

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"Filling in Joe's (Hart) boots will be hard for anyone in the world. Ben will come in well and get into the running of things. I think he will be brilliant for us.

"The big man coming in up front (Zigic) gives us something different in that department."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

It was a messy divorce, one fraught with backwards bickering and confusion. Fabio Capello and the English Football Association could not agree over who had control over the kids: when the FA sent John Terry to the naughty step, it was the last straw for Fabio. They hadn’t agreed to that. Now, like an aggrieved ex-husband fuelled by an ego-boosting new love and perhaps a drop of whiskey, Fabio has slammed his old flame for compromising his authority. It reeks of bitterness.

Capello has stated on many occasions that he is bound by the terms of his severance package not to speak of his time with England, yet his latest tirade reveals the extent of the animosity which lingered between coach and employer. In speaking out against the FA, Capello has shown himself to be a resentful and brooding individual, one who has displayed a lack of respect not only to his former employer, but to the English game itself.

It is understandable that Capello would have been, in his words, ‘pissed off’ by having little say over the stripping of John Terry’s captaincy. He had been at the world’s top clubs, undoubtedly enjoying strict control over all on-field aspects. Picking the captain of an entire nation is a huge call, and one which Capello would have seen as integral to his role. Taking it away would have made him feel vacant, helpless, undervalued. But Capello also failed the grasp the volatile sensitivity of the matter and the potentially damaging consequences at stake. It was a matter that stretched far beyond football, into the very heart of English society. With his inability to fully comprehend the seriousness of the situation, Capello automatically vetoed his right to any future moral high ground against the FA.

Despite John Terry’s recent acquittal, the fact remains that the national time simply could not have had a man facing criminal proceedings in a court of law on racial charges as a representative of England. It would have been misguided, irrational and ultimately callous, a message to the watching world that England as a nation is one which tolerates discriminative behaviour. Perhaps for Capello the matter was one confined to 100 yards of luscious green grass; the FA, however, had to uphold themselves as ambassadors of an entire nation. The Football Association may have been wrong on many previous occasions, but this was a righteous decision. If Capello is still unable to fathom this fact despite a number of months in which to ponder over the intricacies of the case, there is clearly a deeper discontent wrapped up inside his latest outburst.

Capello’s comments this time around were tinged with spite. They were not said in the heat of the moment. They were calculated and with the benefit of nearly half a year’s leisurely hindsight, but still blinded by self-loathing. The bigger picture still remains blurry for Fabio. It was an issue of morality, of responsibility and ethics, not the tiresome authority circus that Capello seems intent on turning it into to. If after all these months Capello is still unable to master some of awareness of the wider implications, then perhaps he was not the right man for the job.

There was also a feeling of juvenility to Capello’s assertion that England would have been better off at Euro 2012 with him at the helm. Besides being a questionable statement, it is also the kind of behaviour you would expect from someone a quarter of Capello’s age. A fair assessment? Possibly, though it is impossible to accurately speculate. Capello would still have faced the same problems as Roy Hodgson: a depleted, inexperienced and limited squad. Though evidently displaying more advanced tactical nous than Hodgson during his reign, it is unlikely that Capello could have conjured up anything more than the cautious display we saw against Italy in the same circumstances. If Fabio was trying to stir up a whiff of envy, regret or of what might have been, it has fallen fairly short. They are the pompous comments of a man with unresolved issues.

Upon taking his £7.8million a year contract with the Russian Football Federation, Capello had the chance to at last move on from his grubby break-up with the FA and lay any ghosts to rest. Instead, he used it as a platform to air his grievances and prove himself to be a bitter individual engorged by a sense of self-pity. Roy Hodgson may not have the bluster of Capello, but he does retain a much needed sense of humility. Capello could learn from that. Perhaps we are better off without him.

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What do you make of Fabio Capello’s recent outburst? I’d love to hear from you @acherrie1

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You only have to look at the way Manchester United have started this season to recognise the impact great young players can have on a team. However, not all are good enough to play straight away in the first team. Perhaps they are better off in staying at their first club for a little bit longer before making their big move.

Spurs youngster John Bostock could well fall into this category. Since making his move from Crystal Palace in 2008, the 19-year-old has struggled to make an impact. He hasn’t made a single league appearance for Spurs. He has had loan spells at Hull City and Brentford. It’s easy to say now but in hindsight, he would have been much better off to stay at Crystal Palace for a few more years to continue his development.

Playing with Palace would have given him grounding and a much better chance of playing first team football. Although it’s very hard to turn down the overtures of a club like Spurs, there is a lot to be gained out of playing regular first team football at a young age. There’s the experience you gain from it and also the more somebody plays, the more he will grow in confidence.

Had Bostock been playing consistent first team football for the past three years, barring any injury he might have picked up, he would have arguably developed much more than he has at Spurs. The proof will come in how long it takes for his career to launch from here, if it all.

The short term gains of a move will always be much more prominent in the mind of a young player. For example, by leaving for a bigger club, they will earn more money and their profile as a player will be raised significantly. There is also the opportunity to work with better players and potentially better coaching staff. The standard of facilities would also feature somewhere in a player’s thoughts. From the clubs point of view, they will want to integrate into their way of playing as soon as possible. Look at the style possessed by all of the players who come out of Barcelona’s La Masia.

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You have to wonder whether it is worth players moving from the perceived smaller club when in all likelihood they will just get sent out on loan or play reserve team football. Players would be much better off playing in competitive lower leagues with their club. The Championship and League One are good platforms for a young player to excel.

Perhaps it is now the modern way to move when you’re young to give you more time to progress at your next club. However, Connor Wickham is a player who made a big move this summer to the Premier League. He might well have benefited from another year in the Football League.

Wickham has made an inauspicious start to his career on Wearside. At the age of 18, he would surely have been better off continuing to learn his trade in the Championship, a league where he scored 13 goals in 65 appearances in total. That is not the greatest record for a striker but who’s to say he wouldn’t have improved that this season with Ipswich. Instead he moves to Sunderland for £8 million and expected to be one of their main goal scoring outlets. The pressure on him will only increase with the departure of Asamoah Gyan to the UAE.

It begs the question whether players are being advised by the right people. Agents don’t seem to have the best interests of their client’s playing career at hand. They seem to focus on what will make the most financial sense to them and the player. There is no doubt that Connor Wickham will earn significantly more at Sunderland this year then he would have at Ipswich. It might not have hurt him so much to say he’d like to stay at Ipswich for another season to develop further.

Maybe there is a fear factor for players like Wickham. If they turn down the move now, will they ever get the chance again? That comes down to how confident they are in their ability. The more confident players are able to turn down the overtures in the knowledge they will continue to impress.

It’s not necessarily the same with young players abroad. Borussia Dortmund’s Mario Gӧtze has already signalled his intentions that he wants to stay in Germany for another year. Under the stewardship of Jurgen Klopp who has manufactured a team with many great young prospects, that cannot be a bad thing for Gӧtze.

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It is understandable how players see the bright lights of clubs like Manchester United and immediately want to join them. However, in terms of a player’s career, they would perhaps be better off to stick it out at their club for a little while longer, learning their trade and playing regularly even if it is at a lower level.

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Alessandro Del Piero is determined to stay at Juventus and is waiting to be offered a new contract, according to his brother and agent.

Del Piero, 36, has amassed club records in appearances and goals since joining the Old Lady in 1993, but he is yet to be officially told his contract will be extended beyond its June expiry.

The veteran striker was initially non-committal over his future at the Stadio Olimpico but has since indicated he would prefer to stay at the club he joined from Padova as an 18-year-old.

Now that the January transfer window has closed, Del Piero is hoping Juve will reward him with a contract extension into the 2011/12 season.

“We’ve waited until the transfer window closed because it was right to give Juventus the serenity needed at this stage of the season,” Stefano Del Piero, the player’s agent and brother, told Ansa.

“There will soon be a number of exploratory meetings and in the first we will be told by Juventus what their intentions are.”

“Alessandro has decided that he wants to stay, but it will depend on the club to define how that will happen.”

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“If Juventus don’t intend to continue with Alessandro then we would be disappointed, but we would take note of that fact with mutual respect.”

It is believed Juve are keen to offer their club legend a pay-as-you-play extension over the next season, with a clause allowing Del Piero to become a future club director at the Old Lady.

Since Arsene Wenger’s arrival in North London way back in 1996, the wise old Frenchman has always singled out youth as an important fixture in his plans. Always one to think long-term, Wenger has more recently seen the rise to prominence of Jack Wilshere, Wojciech Szczesny and Emmanuel Frimpong and did not hesitate to throw them into the limelight over recent years. With Arsenal youngsters gaining more invaluable experience than most with playing time in the league and numerous cup competitions including none other than the Champions League, it is no wonder that a few precocious talents have really gone on to forge successful careers.

At times, Wenger has received widespread criticism for his narrow minded approach in blooding youngsters amidst a lack of experience and guidance. Arsenal sceptics will again point to the Alan Hansen cliché that ‘you can’t win anything with kids’, but you can’t underestimate how good a job Wenger conducts in overseeing the development of youth and failing a decent career at Arsenal, moving his products successfully onto pastures new. With young professionals Nico Yennaris, Oguzhan Ozyakup and Chuks Aneke making their senior bows this term, there remains substantial evidence that the Arsenal youth system is as strong as ever. Let us take a look at the top ten talents waiting to emerge from the clubs London Colney set up.

Click on Jon Toral to unveil the top 10

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This season marks the return to the Premier League for Queens Park Rangers after a fifteen-year absence from the top flight of English football. QPR were one of the founding members of the Premier League back in 1992, but after three relatively successful seasons, Ray Wilkins was unable to steer his side clear of the drop in 1996 as QPR were relegated to Division One. Various financial troubles and off-field issues began to dominate the headlines at Loftus Road as QPR struggled to mount a substantial challenge to get back in to the Premier League. Last seasons, Neil Warnock led his side to the Championship league title and automatic promotion back to the Premier League and everybody involved with the club will be desperate for QPR to remain in the top flight after such a long period in the lower divisions.

While QPR have managed to earn their place back in Premier League, there are a number of ‘old boys’ who have not been so fortunate following their relegation from the division, and I’d like to know which of these we have missed the most?

Nottingham Forest:

After sixteen years of top flight football in which Nottingham Forest had won a league title and two European Cups, Brian Clough’s side were relegated from the newly formed Premier League in 1993. In an eighteen-year spell in charge of Forest, Clough established himself as one of the great managers of English football, and Forest as one of the great sides. After a season in Division One, Forest returned to the Premier League only to be relegated again in 1997. Dave Bassett earned the club promotion back to the top flight in ’98, however they finished bottom for the third time in seven seasons, and have failed to win promotion to the Premier League ever since.

The closest Forest have come to a return to the top flight was in 2003, when they finished sixth in the league, and lost their play-off semi-final to Sheffield United. In 2005, the club were relegated to League One, and became the first former European cup winners to suffer relegation to the third tier of domestic football. In 2008, Forest returned to the Championship and are currently managed by former England boss Steve McClaren. Having established themselves as one of the best clubs in the country, Forest have been unable to mount any real challenge for a place in the Premier League since 1999.

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Sheffield Wednesday:

Sheffield Wednesday earned promotion from the First Division in 1992, booking their place in the newly formed Premier League for the following season. Wednesday’s debut season in the top-flight saw them finish seventh in the league, though they were also both FA Cup and League Cup finalists the same year. In the following years, Wednesday established themselves as a Premier League side, and finished consecutive seasons around the mid-table. In 1998, The Owls suffered a disastrous season including an 8-0 hammering at the hands of Newcastle, and Wednesday were relegated to Divison One at the end of the campaign.

In 2003, Wednesday were relegated again to the third tier of English football, however they did win promotion back to the Championship in 2005 After a period that saw frequent changes in the managerial post at Hillsborough, Sheffield Wednesday are still generally found towards the lower end of the Championship league table. The club have never come close to winning promotion back to the Premier League, and after a relatively successful six-year spell in the top flight between ’92 and ’98, many expected this side to return almost immediately to the Premier League.

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Southampton:

When the Premier League was formed in 1992, Southampton had already established themselves as a top-flight team having played in the division since 1978. During a 13-year spell in the Premier League, Southampton went through various managerial phases, and the likes of Matt Le Tissier among others had helped to prove that the club could compete in the top tier of English football. Like Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton generally ended their campaigns around the middle of the table, but in 2005 newly appointed manager Harry Redknapp was unable to save the Saints from relegation, thus ending 27 successive seasons of top flight football for the club.

In their first season in the Championship, Southampton looked to be in danger of their second relegation in as many years, however a turn in form in the latter period of the season helped the club to safety. Such safety was short-lived, and despite reaching the play-off semi-finals in 2007, Southampton were relegated to League One in 2009. In May 2011, the club achieved promotion back into the Championship, and currently sit second after five games in to the new campaign. Having established themselves as Premier League regulars, nobody could have anticipated the effect that relegation had on the club, and only now do the Saints look at all likely to challenge for promotion back to the top-flight.

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Leeds United:

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Leeds United were the last side to win the First Division championship, before the Premier League era began in 1992. However, in the season that followed the defending champions narrowly avoided relegation. Leeds looked to improve the following year, and began to build a team capable of breaking in to the top European competitions. In 1998, David O’Leary was appointed manager at Elland Road, and brought in both Jonathan Woodgate and Alan Smith to join up with the likes of Harry Kewelll and Jimmy Floyd Hasselabaink already at the club, as Leeds finished fourth and then third in consecutive seasons, qualifying for the Champions League in 2000. After a successful run that ended in a semi-final defeat to Valencia, Leeds were faced with a number of financial difficulties and forced to sell some of their top players, including Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Keane, and Robbie Fowler.

Leeds never really managed to discover the kind of form required in the Premier League after the sale of these key players, and despite rebuilding a side including the promising young talent of James Milner and Aaron Lennon, Leeds were eventually relegated to the Championship in 2004. In 2006, Leeds lost the play-off final at the hands of Watford, and things went from bad to worse as the club were relegated again the following season, after voluntarily entering administration in 2007. After three consecutive seasons in which Leeds reached the play-offs, Simon Grayson guided Leeds back to the Championship in 2010, and his side narrowly missed out on the play-offs last season. Leeds are renowned for their passionate fans and there is an air optimism around Elland Road this year, and a sense that promotion back to the Premier League may not be too far away.

Which of these Premier League ‘old boys’ do you think we have missed the most? Do you expect any of them to be back any time soon? Let me know either below or @sixthofficial on Twitter!

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Blackpool boss Ian Holloway is standing by his pledge to resign if his team was fined for fielding a weakened side against Aston Villa in November.

Holloway made 10 changes for the match, in which Blackpool were only denied a draw by a last-minute James Collins goal giving Villa a 3-2 win.

After the game Holloway declared he would offer his resignation if the club was fined.

“If I got fined for picking a weakened team I would resign – I would pack it in,” Holloway said, arguing he should be entitled to pick whatever team he chooses from his 25-man squad.

Now 47-year-old Holloway, who guided Blackpool to promotion from the Championship last term, insists he will stand by the threat he made.

“He (the chairman) will be getting my resignation because that is how strongly I feel,” Holloway told the Blackpool Gazette. “It is up to him whether he chooses to take it.”

“I don’t know who I am working for. I have done the best job I could for this club and have tried to win every single game, including the game at Aston Villa.”

Blackpool Chairman Karl Oyston said he would not accept Holloway’s offer to stand down from his position.

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“I absolutely would not accept his resignation and I would fight to the death to keep him in his post,” Oyston said. “He has done fantastically well and deserves to manage at this level for ever.”

“It would be absolutely ridiculous if Ian felt compelled to resign because of what is an unjust decision and he shouldn’t compound that by stopping doing what he is doing so well.”