The season would have been wasted for the young Dutch striker at Arsenal's reserves, whilst he is not quite ready yet for the first team.  Barazite, 18, will hope to become a success at Derby County following in the foot steps of former Arsenal player Arturo Lupoli  who had a very successful spell at Derby County before leaving for Fiorentina.  Barazite is one of the hottest properties at Arsenal, but only now will the Arsenal coaching staff be able to assess him as to what level he has reached and what he can do on a regular basis. 

Paul Jewel is extremely happy  to have reached agreement with Arsenal over Barazite and admitted talking to Arsene Wenger about several players during the summer. Amongst those they talked about would have been Traore, Lansbury and Randall.  We will have to wait ands see if Lansbury joins Barazite at Derby. Another player at the crossroad is Jay Simpson who had a great season at Millwall last season, but will struggle to breathrough to the first team this season.  Another year on loan beckons for the young striker.

That said, we also have a long way to go. After a good first half performance with a hatful of chances and a first league goal for Nicky Maynard, it really looked like an easy win. But Derby in the second half were a different team, and the City boys seemed to have spent all their reserves of skill, flair and panache. The Derby goal came from a real howler by Lee Johnson, which will give his many critics enough ammunition to keep them going until next season (at least). Such a shame. Only time will tell whether this season's Derby turn out to be a good team to have won a point from, or whether they end up doing as badly they did last season in the Premiership - who knows, the point they won at Ashton Gate on Saturday may turn out to be their only one this season...

It felt rather strange seeing the people who sit in our bit of the Dolman Stand for the first time since our triumph against Palarse in the playoff semi-final, and very little talk of the Wembley let-down, but it was great to be back, and all good fun. Brendan particularly enjoyed abusing Nathan Ellington for being ex-Rovers, and Robbie Savage for being... well, just Robbie Savage.

SIMBORA DE OURO?

Sabedoria glútea. Você pergunta e ela responde:

Placar do jogo Sport x Botafogo: 2x0

SPORT DE PRIMEIRA – ESPÍRITO OLÍMPICO? AQUI NÃO!

Joanna Maranhão declarou dia desses em Macau, durante a aclimatação para os jogos de Pequim, sua felicidade pelo Sport ultrapassar o Náutico na tábua de classificação do brasileirão e da sua sincera torcida pelo fim da fase ruim lá nos lados do Imundão do Arruda, pelo bem do futebol pernambucano. Fair Play? Espírito olímpico? Aqui não, Maranhão! Tricobarbismo crônico aqui não! Pensando pequeno assim você não chega nem nas finais.

E não chegou mesmo.

SARNA DE TERCEIRA – BREVE, DE QUARTA

No Arruda, Santa cai diante do Icasa-CE

Dos 9 pontos ainda a disputar na competição, o Santa precisa de pelo menos 7 para passar de fase ou garantir sua vaga na Série C do ano que vem. Tá perto... de cair! =D

BARBIE DE QUATRO – EM BRIGA DE MARIDO E MULHER, NINGUÉM...

Com a chegada de Fernandes, Sangaletti deixa o Náutico

É babado!

FRASE DA SEMANA

"Já estou acostumado a isso, quando o time não vai bem ou quando algo não satisfaz a todos, um sempre é escolhido para Cristo. Torcedor é assim mesmo... Passei por esta mesma situação no São Paulo, no Palmeiras e até na Ponte Preta, mas sei que vou dar a volta por cima."

Roger, atacante rubro-negro, acostumado com a pressão dos torcedores. Pelo visto a ruindade é recorrente.

VOCÊ QUIS DIZER: Carlinhos Bala.

Teria relação com a atual fase do jogador?

Contribuição de Raíza Bruscky.

AS MONTAGENS MAIS INCRÍVEIS DO MUNDO

Muahahahahahahahahaha!

ACABÔ! URRUUUUURGHHHHU!

Vi no Blog do Bloc e agora você vê por aqui.

A torcida tricolor ultimamente não tem vivido muitas alegrias. Correndo risco de inaugurar a Série D no ano que vem e afundar de vez na lama sórdida dos humilhados, o Santinha lembra muito o Derby County. Com uma campanha medíocre e ótimas médias de público a torcida inglesa sempre demonstrou sua paixão pelo clube, a ponto de criar o “Lets Pretend We Scored A Goal”, ou “Vamos fingir que marcamos um gol”, durante uma lapada frente o Aston Villa (6x0). Tá na hora da sarninha copiar:

"Bife! Bife! Bife! Bife!"

---

E caso você queira me ajudar a parir esta coluna semanalmente, mande sua foto tosca, montagem, desenho no paint, link com vídeo ou qualquer material interessante (ou não) para o e-mail da equipe De Primeira: sportdeprimeira@gmail.com.

This season Forest are stronger and look much more organised but high profile players like Lewis McGugan and Guy Moussi probably won't be risked against the most loved football league club, Morecambe.

Forest are likely to field a side with a mixture of youth and experience. Ian Breckin looks set to start, as does Emile Sinclair who came late on against Reading.

Tyson, Garner, Cole and Anderson will not play for Forest due to injury.

Sammy McIlroy's Morecambe inlude ex Forest donkey and Chesterfield legend Barry 'coffe cup' Roche. Also Rene Howe, a striker who scored loads for Rochdale last season, is set to start against Forest.

Likely Forest line up - Smith,Chambers,Bencherif,Breckin,Moloney,Reid,Thornhill,Byrne,McCleary,Sinclair
Newbold

Also watchout tonight for Derby County vs Lincoln City, come on Lincoln City!
Leeds vs Chester is live on sky sports.

Also please take the time to register to our new forum, www.taylorcloughforum.tk, thanks!

Marcus Tudgay got the first goal of the season as Sheffield Wednesday hammered Owen Coyle's Burnley 4-2 at Hillsborough. Akpo Sodje grabbed a brace before Tudgay got himself another. Martin Paterson got one for Burnley.

The days early kick off saw Birmingham host Kevin Blackwell's Sheffield United. The game, which was televised on sky, was lacking quality throughout but sub Kevin Phillips won the game for Birmingham in the last minute to give Brum a 1-0 win.

It was a bad start to the season for rivals Derby County, as they lost 0-1 to newly promoted Doncaster Rovers.

The other promoted side Swansea City lost 2-0 away to Charlton, Hudson and Gray with the goals at the Valley.

Wolves drew 2-2 away at Plymouth, Vokes equalised for Wolves late on.

Ipswich suprisingly lost at home to Preston, 1-2 the final score.  QPR beat Barnsley 2-1 and Coventry beat Norwich at home 2-0.

Blackpool just missed out on a draw as Bristol City grabbed a last minute winner via Brooker to give City a 0-1 win.

Crystal Palace drew 0-0 with Watford and Cardiff just beat Southampton 2-1 at Ninian Park.

Did you go to any of today's games? How do you feel about the results? Let us know by leaving a comment!

The 27 year old Indonesian currently plays for Persija Jakarta, and has played all of his career in the Asian leagues whilst other impressive Indonesian talent Kurniawan tried his luck in Italy with Sampdoria temporarily.

Derby are supposedly preparing a £300,000 offer for Pamungkas, who has already been linked with a move this summer to Australian side Perth Glory.

Pamungkas has over 45 caps for Indonesia bagging 23 goals. Bambang's agent in Europe, Anthony van Dalen, had previously revealed that several clubs in Europe are ready to give the player a try out.

Should Derby sign Pamungkas, it is believed that they are ready to benefit a huge amount commercially as many regard Pamungkas as one of the best players to come from Indonesia.

------

Manstab juga nih Om Bambang... Sayang beritanya dah rada basi, April kemaren, dan belum ada kelanjutannya. Padahal klo Bambang jadi ke Derby, dijamin gw daftar jadi Derbymania dan dukung Derby jadi juara premiership. Berhubung gw belum punya jagoan di liga inggris.

*diambil dari www.eyefootball.com .

Courtesy BBC SPORTS

Nothing excites a football fan over the summer months quite as much as a few new faces.

I have always enjoyed turning up for a pre-season fixture to take a look at the summer signings. The fact that you can never really conclude anything about a player in a pedestrian and more or less completely meaningless game against some local amateur outfit takes a back seat while you try to wrestle with the big questions.

Are they any good? Has the gaffer finally found the missing piece of the jigsaw? Does this guy ever kick the ball with his left foot? How on earth did the manager find someone from the second tier of the Belgian league?

Come to think of it, summer signings probably don't do any harm to season ticket sales and a constant flow of transfer speculation keeps the local paper ticking over during the fallow summer weeks.

But with the Football League starting on Saturday, just what has been the best bit of business during the summer?
I'm not talking necessarily about the most expensive or high-profile - it could be a wise old head on a free transfer or a real gem unearthed from non-league. What I'm looking for is the most inspired signing of the summer, the player who could make the difference between success and failure.

I'm not going to pretend for a moment that I'm familiar with every decent transfer - that is where you lot come in - but here are a few contenders for your consideration.

Derby County, not surprisingly, have been very busy and I think the striking partnership of Rob Hulse (£1.75m from Sheffield United) and Nathan Ellington (season-long loan from Watford) could be the best in the Championship.

Ellington was terrible last season but the word is that he is desperate to prove his knockers wrong while Rams boss Paul Jewell certainly knows how to get the best out of him. Hulse is a talented footballer but has different attributes to the pacy and athletic Ellington and they should complement each other. Defender Alan Stubbs also looks a good acquisition.

Freddy Eastwood's move from Southend to Wolves really didn't work out but he should be a decent acquisition for Coventry, while Arturo Lupoli, once of Arsenal, is an intriguing loan signing for Norwich from Italian side Fiorentina.

Nicky Maynard is an intelligent footballer, with good awareness in and around the box. If Bristol City were a touch predictable towards the end of last season then he should add a new dimension to their game, though at £2.25m from Crewe he did not come cheap.

A couple of veterans worth keeping an eye on are striker Andy Cole and midfielder Lee Carsley. Cole has moved to his home-town club of Nottingham Forest and the 36-year-old wants his final season as a player to end in promotion. A big ask. Carsley has joined Birmingham on a free transfer from Everton. He was a regular last season and I think he could prove to be a brilliant signing. The fact he has been made captain in the absence of Damien Johnson hints at the impact he has already had.

Several teams have looked to shore up their defences. They might not grab headlines but Mark Hudson (Palace to Charlton) and Kaspars Gorkss (Blackpool to QPR) could prove to be important and much-needed captures.

Leeds are desperate to win promotion to the Championship and reports suggest that midfielder Andy Robinson is set to play an important role. Argentine Luciano Becchio remains an unknown quantity but the striker has spent time with Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Mallorca (though last season he played in Spain's third tier with Merida).

Derby County and Crystal Palace fans no doubt remember Marco Reich, the German forward who is back in English football with Walsall having joined from Kickers Offenbach. He was quality last time he was here and in League One he should have plenty to offer.

David Livermore was very consistent at Millwall but after joining Leeds in July 2006 the midfielder was sold by the Yorkshire club to Hull less than two weeks later. The Tigers loaned him to Oldham last season but after signing for Brighton permanently in July, I expect him to have real presence for the Seagulls.

A colleague of mine is adamant that the signing of the summer in League One is Kieran Lee, who has joined Oldham from Man Utd. I've never seen him play - have you? As a full-back/midfielder he certainly provides options for Latics boss John Sheridan.

Liverpool central defender Jack Hobbs is hoping to gain valuable first-team experience on a season-long loan at Leicester from Liverpool. The Foxes have also brought in defender Michael Morrison from Cambridge United. Manager Nigel Pearson is a former centre-half and both could blossom under his tutelage.

Huddersfield boss Stan Ternent, a wily old operator, has gone for experience with the likes of Chris Lucketti (Sheffield United) and Keigan Parker (Blackpool). Watch out for an improved showing from the Terriers.

In League Two, Lincoln boss Peter Jackson has also gone for experience, bringing in the likes of Frank Sinclair and Stefan Oakes.

Most deals at this level have been either free transfers or season-long loans but one move that caught the eye was Shrewsbury shelling out a club record £170,000 for Forest striker Grant Holt. He didn't really deliver at Forest but has been prolific through pre-season and will be determined to deliver at his new club.

New boys Exeter have plumped for experience in striker Marcus Stewart. The 35-year-old has made more than 500 league appearances and should bring plenty of knowledge, though his scoring record at previous club Yeovil was far from spectacular.

But one of the best deals in League Two has surely got to be Notts County signing defender Michael Johnson on a permanent contract. He made a huge difference after arriving at Meadow Lane on loan last season and remains an impressive and consistent performer.

But how many potentially sensational signings have I missed and how many of the ones listed above do you think will make a big impression over the coming months?

When I covered the topic of promotion favourites last time, I weighed up the chances or Birmingham, Queens Park Rangers and Reading. This time, I'll be running the rule over Derby County, Crystal Palace and Sheffield United. All of whom will fancy their chances of mixing it with the Premier League big boys next season.

First up, let's talk Derby. After last years Premier League horror show, I would say that things can only get better, but in all honesty - that simply isn't true. There is every chance that the losing mentality they have picked up could continue this season. A bad run of form during August and Paul Jewell will start feeling the pressure. They must start well.

So far in pre-season it has been a mixed bag for the Rams. Despite victories over Rushden, Mansfield Town and Burton Albion, they have been held by both Oldham Athletic and Rotherham United. Inconsistent, but at least they are getting out of the losing habit. The main reason you may wish to back Derby though is the amount of signings they have made. They have brought some real quality in.

Because the list is so long, I'll just name the ones who I believe will have a big impact on their season - Kris Commons, Rob Hulse, Nathan Ellington and Martin Albrechsten. All top quality Championship players. If they aren't at least occupying a play-off spot come May I will be very surprised.

Next up is Crystal Palace. Before I talk about their chances of promotion, let's get one thing straight. I have never liked Crystal Palace and I have never liked Neil Warnock, so forgive me if I am a little negative when weighing up their chances for this season!

I am being completely honest though when I say I don't think they have what it takes to win promotion. Yes, they could push for the play-offs, but so could a lot of teams. They have a very young side, but with Ben Watson and Clinton Morrison on there way out of the club they are losing two key performers. Warnock has a habit of getting the best out of what he has got, but there is no doubt in my mind that they would be remarkably over achieving if they made it to the Premier League.

The final team I am focusing on today is Sheffield United. In the first of a new addition to my blogs for this site, they are involved in my Friday Football Betting Tip. I believe they will win promotion to the Premier League. After a poor start last season they surged when Kevin Blackwell took charge and they almost made the play-offs.

One of the main reasons I am suggesting that you back them for promotion is the signings they have made. They haven't been the biggest spenders, but I think they have done some excellent business. Making the move to the Blades is Matthew Spring, David Cotterill and Darius Henderson. These are all good signings in my view and add to a squad that already contains James Beattie, Billy Sharp, Jonathan Stead and Michael Tounge. They also have Gary Speed and Ugo Ehiogu to add some experience to the squad. These are the type of characters you need if you are to win promotion.

You will make some decent money backing the Sheffield United now as there are plenty of teams who are favoured above them in the Championship promotion odds. So stick some money on Sheffield United - that's my Friday tip.

Next time I will cast an eye over those who are going to be flirting with relegation to League One. I'll try to avoid mentioning Norwich in this category but it might not be practical!

Hunt is well known in Britain, because he used to run Nissan's UK division. That in itself is not so remarkable, but the fact that he perpetrated one of the biggest tax frauds ever uncovered is something that people tend to remember. His partner in crime, Nissan boss Octav Botnar, fled to Switzerland when they were caught in 1991. He avoided trial and eventually reached a settlement with the revenue, but Hunt served 4 years in prison.

Here is what the QPR website Boardroom Blues has to say about the loan their club secured from ABC:

It was to enable us to come out of administration and comply with Football League regulations, said executive director David Davies.

That was back in May 2002. QPR said at the time that the League would not allow us to start the 2002/3 season in administration. And so the death by a thousand cuts began.

Four years into the 10 year loan QPR has already paid, in interest alone, the sum of £4m. We pay the interest monthly, so we have to find £83,333 each month.

It is a 10-year loan at 10% annual interest. This means we have to pay £1m in interest each year, and then repay the lump sum of £10m at the end of the 10 years as well.

According to Davies, the loan was arranged by the administrator Ray Hocking of BDO Stoy Hayward and the lender was an acquaintance of Hocking's.

The loan is secured against QPR's ground which means that if we don't keep up with the repayments the lender can force the sale of Loftus Road to get his money back. The identity of the lender, given that he has the power to make QPR homeless, is therefore vitally important.

The lender is believed by many QPR fans to be one Michael Hunt, whose identity was first revealed in a posting on the www.qprnet.com messageboard in March 2003

The ABC corporation also had involvement at Derby County. David Conn, who in a better world would be running the Football Association, wrote an excellent article about Hunt's modus operandi, which does closely match the highly evasive and secretive strategy hitherto employed by Goeff Sheard. This excerpt comes from the brilliant QPR Report blog:

In October 2003, Derby County, relegated after six seasons in the Premier League and, under their former owner Lionel Pickering, sagging beneath pounds 31m debts, were suddenly put into receivership. The club and their ground were sold to a newly formed company, Sharmine Limited, and new directors were unveiled: Jeremy Keith, a 'business doctor' specialising in financially failing businesses, who had briefly been involved at Portsmouth FC before they went into administration in 1998; Steven Harding, an advertising executive, and a perhaps unlikely figure as the new chairman of Derby: John Sleightholme, a barrister and the deputy coroner for North Yorkshire.

At the time the directors said they would not reveal who owned the club, a stance they have maintained ever since. A month later, it emerged that the pounds 15m finance for their takeover had come from the same ABC Corporation, registered in Panama City.Sleightholme had been previously involved in a venture with a former Scottish players' agent, Murdo MacKay, who, a few months later, joined Derby as the club's director of football.

MacKay's own business career is somewhat chequered; he was a Fifa-registered players' agent for what he described as 11 'unblemished' years, but one of his companies, Inside Soccer Recruitment, which had a high-profile launch in 2001 and was backed by the former Rangers and England centre-back Terry Butcher among others, went bust just 18 months later, owing a large tax bill and leaving creditors, including a furious Butcher, unpaid.

From 1993 to 1996, MacKay was made personally bankrupt after the failure of another recruitment agency, MMK Associates, when 19 creditors, ranging from the Inland Revenue to a furniture loan company, were left owed pounds 157,659. MacKay has, however, said he has put that behind him and is applying his knowledge of football to reviving Derby's fortunes.

Last month, Sharmine Limited, which owns Derby, finally revealed who its owners are, but that only opened into a new layer of opaque anonymity in yet more tax havens: two of its shareholders are registered as companies in Belize, the other in the British Virgin Islands.Sources close to the deals, however, confirmed to me this week that Michael Hunt is the ultimate source of the ABC cash.

He is understood to operate a family trust registered in Switzerland, whose size, the sources said, runs into 'nine figures'. A lawyer in Basle, Dr Hans Georg Hinderling, has represented ABC Corporation in their dealings with QPR.QPR's current board, chaired by lifelong Rangers fan Bill Power, who took the club over last year, has since been scathing about the ABC loan it inherited: 'It is scandalous,' Power told me, 'that we've been saddled with this debt, from a Panama corporation of all places, at such an outrageous interest rate.

This is extremely worrying for Sheffield Wednesday fans, because of the appalling terms of the loans QPR took from ABC and because of the massive debt Derby are saddled with. Secretive Swiss Trusts do not appear to be good for football clubs, so why should Sheard's trust be any different?

It's pretty obvious going by my overt (if rather weak and predictable) digs that I too am in the 'hate to hate' camp. I don't want to dislike the chap but after his defection I can't help myself...and I imagine the vast majority of Forest fans are the same. On that most excellent day back in early May he seemed as overjoyed as the rest of us, he never made a secret of his long running affection for Forest and it made the occasion all the more special knowing that the Forest fans in the ground weren't just consigned to the stands...thanks to the likes of Commons, Bennett and Wilson (and lax security come the end) they were making the dream a reality on the pitch too. I thought that there was no way he could leave after that, he'd stuck with us through the bad times and there was no question in my mind that he'd sign a new deal straight away...but he never did.

What happened next is well documented and much maligned but after a summer of promising transfer activity and the possibility of more to come you'd think we'd have all got over it by now...though a quick browse of almost any Forest forum would tell you otherwise.

The perpetual ill feeling isn't exactly helped by the fact that he's 'Mr July' on this years official Forest calender. I've so far restrained from scribbling profanity all over his considerable girth in case my grandmother pops around to visit over the course of the month but others haven't exhibited such self control. The bitterness is going to take more than a few months to even come close to evaporating and until then the debate over the ethics of his move to Derby will keep dragging on.

There's two distinct camps, those that think he's a traitorous, money grabbing whelk who's sold his soul for a bit of extra cash...and those that think he was well within his rights to take the increased wage, even if it meant signing for the "that lot". And thus, a war between hearts and minds takes place on a battlefield devoid of any sense of objectivity. Barrages of unwritten laws are met with volleys of hypothetical dilemmas and in the end it turns out both sides are so entrenched in their own viewpoints that absolutely no ground was won or lost and therefore ending a vociferous debate with an underwhelming stalemate.

So who's right? Whilst I myself can offer no definitive answer to this conundrum I'm afraid I lean towards the 'traitorous whelk' camp. I purposely omitted the "money grabbing" aspect when stating my overall alignment because I don't really begrudge him that. Football is a short career after all and it can be ended in a flash, players like David Busst know that only too well. Fair enough at the top of the tree you have the offensively rich and pampered stars who earn enough in a single year to live off for the rest of their days but as you descend down the ladder you can begin to sympathise with the 'grab what you can' approach.

But if I'm not bothered about him wanting to make more money why I am still annoyed at him going to Derby? Because he had other offers, that's why. Lets face it, when it became known that he didn't even want to know what we'd offer him it was reasonable to suspect that he was after a bit more cash, it was also reasonable to suspect that the clubs rumoured to be interested, one of which being Wolves, were prepared to give him a rather tidy pay increase. Yet despite all this interest from teams prepared to send inflated salaries his way...he still chose Derby and that's what stings the most.

But what's the big deal? It's not like he merited the tag of "Forest's star man" that the media lazily gifted him with, certainly not in recent times. We could easily get a more consistently effective replacement in for lower wages...isn't the constant bad feeling about the whole situation somewhat irrational?

Perhaps so, but rationality is rarely prevalent in football these days. Thanks for the memories Kris but you're certainly not due a heroes welcome on your return...if you're not "injured" for the occasion that is...

The highly-promising 24-year-old goalkeeper, who had such a tough time with injuries last season, was one of the standouts of United's 1-0 victory yesterday, keeping a clean sheet as the Red Devils edged Orlando Pirates in a pre-season match in South Africa.

"I still believe Ben will be England's goalkeeper for the next few years," Ferguson was quoted as saying by Sky Sports News after the match.

"We did not expect him to get fit so quickly last season and I did not include him in our European squad.

"When I saw his performance against Derby there was maybe some regret on my part.

"The ability he has he is going to be challenging for a first-team place next season. That can only be good news for England.

"With an experienced goalkeeper like David James coming back in the squad it tells you there is an opportunity for someone like Ben."

Foster joined the defending champions from Stoke City and spending two seasons on loan to Watford before suffering a serious injury from which he has only recently fully recovered.

"It will be difficult for Ben only because he is in competition with one of the best goalkeepers of all time," said Ferguson on the competition he faces with current # 1 Edwin van der Sar.

"Edwin is a man of great experience and consistency and has looked after himself so well.

"He can play until he is 40. Ben is 24, so can play for the next 14 to 15 years. There is no need for the boy to panic. His time will come."

Football fans in Poland have been drooling over the possible transfers of Ebi Smolarek, Roger Guerreiro and Artur Boruc but perhaps the biggest 'Polish' move this summer may be the transfer of Przemysław Kaźmierczak from Portuguese giants FC Porto to English side Derby County.

This would be the second Polish player in recent times to play for the 'Rams' following Grzegorz Rasiak who became a hero with the club after scoring eighteen goals in his first season in England.

26-year-old 'Kaz', as he is known in Portugal, is set to arrive in Derby for a season-long loan which may well end in a permanent deal after the twelve months are up. Derby County, one of England's oldest clubs, were relegated from England's top division last year and are investing heavily in a bid to return to the top flight. Kaz would be their tenth new signing of the summer.

Derby County manager Paul Jewell has described Kaz in glowing terms: "Kaz has a terrific pedigree. He has experienced Champions League football and international football, as well as playing for Porto, one of the biggest clubs in Europe. He is a left-footed central midfielder who can certainly play but at the same time is very strong and very physical. I think he is perfectly suited for English football. This is a very good deal for Derby County and a signing that I think may well prove to be a great piece of business."

With Derby County gearing up for success, ten new signings (and a possible two more to come), over 20,000 season-ticket holders and Premiership experience, Kaźmierczak, and not Smolarek, Guerreiro and Boruc, may be the Polish footballer playing abroad to watch next season.
Raf Uzar & Derby County

Monday 30th June 2008: On Monday, we opened the voting for Best Analysis, potential transfer target Martin Albrechtsen decided to leave West Brom for Derby, and somebody called Peter Cullum revealed that he wanted to invest £20m in the Canaries.

Tuesday 1st July 2008: Tuesday was the day that voting for Best Match Previews/Reports opened, Thomas Rooney believed we face a crucial few weeks in the club's history, Gary Doherty signed a new contract at Carrow Road and we looked back at a classic Aston Villa goalkeeper shirt.

Wednesday 2nd July 2008: On Wednesday voting for Best Column opened and Barry Skipper gave his solution to the Cullum situation - only it doesn't seem to solve anything.

Thursday 3rd July 2008: Thursday was when you could vote for Best Site Design, and it was revealed that two experienced transfer targets could also be headed elsewhere.

Friday 4th July 2008: On Friday you could vote for Best Overall Site, Peter Ridsdale awarded himself £500k, Peter Cullum's PR machine kicked into overdrive again and Thomas Rooney just wants to get on with the new season.

Saturday 5th July 2008: On Saturday we remembered another classic goalkeeper kit and it was confirmed that Andy Cole had signed for Forest.

Sunday 6th July 2008: On Sunday former Newcastle manager revealed that he believed Joey Barton could commit suicide if Newcastle sack him, and I asked for a few facts on the Peter Cullum/takeover situation.

Meanwhile a more recent academy graduate seemingly has clubs fighting to secure his services. Ritchie Jones' contract with United officially expired yesterday and, as reported here last week, Swindon have offered him the chance to spend pre-season with them. The Wiltshire side face competition for the midfielder's signing though, with Burnley, Tranmere Rovers and Hearts of the SPL all showing interest.

West Brom defender Martin Albrechtsen has agreed to sign for Derby County, according to BBC Radio Derby.

It was thought that the 28-year old Danish international was on Glenn Roeder's list of targets for the coming season, but he has seemingly decided that his future lies in the sunny chimes of Derby. Rams boss Paul Jewell:

A deal has been agreed. He's a Bosman and a good signing for us. He can play at right-back and at left-back, he has good pace and he will give us even more competition for the centre-half position.

Oh well, another one bites the dust.

Note: All ties will be played on the weekend of the 11th August 2008
 


Round 1 Carling Cup Draw:

Preston North End vs. Chesterfield
Chester City vs. Leeds United
Leicester City vs. Stockport County
Sheffield United vs. Port Vale
Grimsby Town vs. Tranmere Rovers
Crewe Alexandra vs. Barnsley
Hartlepool United vs. Scunthorpe United
Derby County vs. Lincoln City
Notts County vs. Doncaster Rovers
Sheffield Wednesday vs. Rotherham United
Shrewsbury Town vs. Carlisle United
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Accrington Stanley
Bury vs. Burnley
Rochdale vs. Oldham Athletic
Nottingham Forest vs. Morecambe
Huddersfield Town vs. Bradford City
Macclesfield Town vs. Blackpool
Walsall vs. Darlington
Coventry City vs. Aldershot Town
Milton Keynes Dons vs. Norwich City
Wycombe Wanderers vs. Birmingham City
Brighton vs. Barnet
Gillingham vs. Colchester United
Southend vs. Cheltenham Town
Swansea City vs. Brentford
Luton Town vs. Plymouth Argyle
Exeter City vs. Southampton
Watford vs. Bristol Rovers
Bournemouth vs. Cardiff City
Bristol City vs. Peterborough United
Charlton Athletic vs. Yeovil Town
Millwall vs. Northampton Town
Swindon Town vs. Queens Park Rangers
Crystal Palace vs. Hereford United
Dagenham and Redbridge vs. Reading
Ipswich Town vs. Leyton Orient

I haven't done a Top 10 for quite a while, so here's a quick list of ten things that'll probably happen between now and when the season starts in August...

- City to continue missing out on players who look for all the world to be our targets, only to be told "we didn't want him anyway".

- The media continuing to talk-up Spain's chances of winning Euro 2008 until it all goes wrong in the semi-final.

- John Motson and Mark Lawrenson flirting like a couple of lovestruck teenagers. And Mottty saying "Now then" before every other sentence.

- Ipswich Town being linked with big-name signings that never quite come off.

- QPR and Derby signing anyone and everyone that becomes available.

- Somebody will proclaim this to be "Liverpool's" year. Steven Gerrard probably.

- Manchester United and Ronaldo bickering about Cristiano Ronaldo.

- Ronaldinho snubbing Manchester City at the last minute to sign for his old mate Big Phil at Chelsea.

- A new away kit. Always an exciting day when a new kit is revealed.

Have I missed anything? Send me your suggestions by either leaving a comment, or to the usual email address...

Then imagine if you will my dismay when I read through the BBC Gossip page yesterday to see this little nugget of information:

QPR want to sign West Brom striker Kevin Phillips and Wolves forward Freddy Eastwood. (Daily Mirror)

Now's the time to exclusively reveal to the world my real list of 10 players I wouldn't be too upset to see arrive at Carrow Road...

1. Titus Bramble (Wigan Athletic).
2. Peter Thorne (Bradford City).
3. Andy Hughes (Leeds United).
4. Julien Brellier (FC Sion).
5. Ryan Jarvis (released).
6. Rossi Jarvis (released).
7. Pablo Counago (Ipswich Town).
8. Roy Race (Melchester Rovers)
9. Dougall MacDougall (erm, someone like Ross County)
10. Anyone from Derby County.

That'll fool 'em...

1. Manchester United (1st)

As I expected. The best team in the league. With Ronaldo on their side they simply scored too many goals!

2. Chelsea (2nd)

Not quite good enough, although they nearly made a shock comeback after beating United at the end of the season!

3. Arsenal (4th)

Looked less of a threat towards the end of the season. They need a bit more experience in their side.

4. Liverpool (3rd)

Still not quite good enough. Torres was one of the best players in the league though.

5. Everton (11th)

Ok, so I was way out on this one. David Moyes proved just how good a manager he is, even if he does look like a skull as Dave keeps telling me!

6. Aston Villa (9th)

The money and the manager have paid off for Villa. Just managing to secure an Intertoto spot with a solid season. O'Niel has the potential to take them even further.

7. Blackburn Rovers (7th)

I was gutted to get this one right in the end. 7th place, despite being three higher than the previous season, leaves Rovers out of Europe. What an achievement for a small town club to finish 7th though, a real testament to the manager. Santa Cruz is signing of the season!

8. Portsmouth (8th)

The FA Cup winners secured a Uefa spot with their Wembley victory and it was a good season for Harry Redknapp's man, exactly how I predicted!

9. Manchester City (17th)

A solid start and City looked like challenging higher up, however the wheels fell off a little but City can be proud of their top half finish. Their owner will disagree with me though...

10. West Ham United (13th)

Not much in the way of expectations and something of a nothing season for the Irons. A safe season for the previous seasons relegation scrappers who can look forward to progressing next year.

11. Tottenham Hotspurs (5th)

Surprised everyone with their shocking start to the season but finished comfortable in mid table. Winning the League Cup gives them European football as well... The jammy s***s...

12. Newcastle United (6th)

I expected Fat Sam to work wonders at St. James and it didn't happen. Although I do feel that the Magpies excitable board booted him out a bit rashly, Keegan came in and eventually turned things round. Next season is massive for Newcastle.

13. Middlesbrough (14th)

Possibly the most boring team in the world. Nothing exciting ever happens for Middlesbrough Football Club. Another season of midtable mediocrity and I'm sure there is more to come!

14. Wigan Athletic (15th)

Survived a relegation scrap quite comfortably in the end. I think they may struggle next season. Steve Bruce, despite being a whining git, did the job at the JJB.

15. Sunderland (10th)

I though Roy Keane would steer Sunderland to a more succesful first season. In the end, step one is consolidation and it's time for them to build for a better second season.

16. Bolton Wanderers (18th)

Up until the closing moments of the season I was spot on with my bottom three. Bolton managed to escape, but great things need to be done for the Trotters to survive much longer.

17. Fulham (19th)

What a turnaround. As I said with Bolton I had this one spot on as well. Roy Hodgson showed just how good a manager he can be as he pulled off the great escape for Fulham.

18. Reading (12th)

Gutting for the Madejski faithful as they suffered heartbreak right at the end. Steve Coppell will be sought after and I can't see him hanging around. Things look bleak for Reading now.

19. Birmingham City (16th)

Looked as if they were doing ok until right at the death. A 4-1 win over my beloved Rovers wasn't enough for them and the fans blamed the board... I'd say the team had more to do with it to be honest.

20. Derby County (20th)

Crap. Good riddance.