Championship Chat: say Cellino at fault

James Dixon blasts Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino and the Watford players - and reviews the Championship deals in the transfer window.

The Sky Bet Championship is often overlooked for the glamour and glitz of the Premier League, but there's much to be celebrated in the second tier as we find out in this weekly Thursday column.
The race for promotion, and the bid to stay in the second tier, is likely to be as competitive as ever, as we examine all the key talking points from the weekend, and also take a look at what's to come in the matches ahead.
Feel free to let me know your thoughts in the story comment box, below, or follow me on Twitter here.
To see all the latest Championship goals, click here.
Manager merry-go-round in full speed

The signs of strain have already begun to emerge in the Championship, and last week the pressure came to a head.
With the closing transfer window in the background, some Championship bosses were being given a strong vote of confidence by the owners, while others were on the way out.
The league's ruthless nature re-emerged yet again as more managerial victims were claimed, for different reasons, as both Leeds and Watford were forced to begin the search for new men at the helm.
After a torturous 70 days in charge, Leeds owner Massimo Cellino finally put an end to what he must have thought would have been a low-risk and cheap experiment, with the sacking of head coach Dave Hockaday.
As Joe Urquhart wrote in last week's Championship Chat, the news comes as anything but a shock. The former Forest Green boss had become a dead man walking even before the humiliation of a 2-1 defeat to West Yorkshire rivals Bradford City in the League Cup.
Disregarding Hockaday's record and the performance of his team, I completely agree with Joe's argument last week that he simply wasn't fit for the task at Leeds, and would argue the blame lies solely at Cellino's door.
When a new owner takes over a club it is imperative that they get things right first time. Clearly Cellino has experience of running a club having been in charge of Serie A team Cagliari - running it in harmonious fashion is another matter entirely. He should have realised that ensuring the club has the right man to lead it is of the utmost importance.
As a Blackburn Rovers fan myself I've witnessed first-hand bungling new owners installing a yes-man instead of looking to experience and instilling confidence in the fans. The wrong initial decision can cost you the faith of loyal supporters and you lose them forever.
What Cellino hasn't accounted for is what would remain of his, and more importantly, the club's reputation after his doomed attempts with Hockaday came to an end.
What sort of manager would want to work under such conditions?
Former West Brom boss Steve Clarke is one of the favourites to take over the Yorkshire club, but why would he consider undoing all the hard work he has done in his career in a risky return to work which will see him involved in a power struggle where he will inevitably lose out.
Leeds United has a fantastic worldwide reputation and is one of the few Championship clubs that, with the right backing, could make a strong return to the Premier League. As it stands, it's hard to see past this season's struggles.

In contrast, Beppe Sannino's departure was much more difficult to predict with the club sat second in the table, just one point behind leaders Nottingham Forest.
Like Leeds, the Hornets also have Italian owners in the the Pozzo family. Run in a typically Italian model, former technical director Gianluca Nani was in charge of transfers while the head coach is responsible for the day-to-day matters with the squad.
As Keith Andrews revealed in his Football League blog this week, the timing of his departure was unexpected but could have been due to a restriction on his power.
But considering Sannino's experience in a long line of Italian clubs it's hard to believe the trouble emanated from his relationship with the technical director - in fact, as his parting statement from the club's website would suggest, he was happy with the squad that was assembled.
"I took over a very talented squad when I arrived - but they were boys in many ways," he said.
"I'm proud of what we have achieved and I have no doubt that the squad now, who look very much like men who know exactly what they must do, are very capable of getting promotion from this tough Championship league."
Rumours of discontent among the squad have been rife, with the unrest appearing to come to a head during the recent 2-0 victory at Rotherham when Lloyd Dyer ran halfway across the pitch after scoring a goal and shouted at the Watford bench, seemingly in the direction of his head coach.
On the back of an impressive start to the season, this must be one of the most disturbing instances where player power has been the main contribution to the downfall of a manager.
Despite the appointment of Oscar Garcia, who is a relatively experienced manager at Championship level, the departures of Sannino and Nani in such a short space of a time make me feel uneasy, and on the back of this wholesale change in approach could drastically backfire on the owners.
Mixed results in transfer window

With the departure of such high-profile managers, the closing of the summer transfer window became a mere distraction in comparison.
And after the initial big waves made earlier on in the transfer window that saw the Championship transfer record smashed with Ross McCormack's £11million move to Fulham, the league's clubs have been very measured in their dealings.
The west London club have endured by far the worst window based on their results so far, and Felix Magath has failed to address the lack of experience running through the core of the side.
Fulham apart, the rest of the relegated teams have done well, considering the circumstances, with both Cardiff and Norwich reducing their wage bills while keeping the majority of the squad together and bringing in some useful additions.
After initially being critical of Wigan's transfer activity, I've been impressed with their deadline day business. The Latics have made great use of James McArthur's £7million transfer fee to bring in three decent midfielders in Adam Forshaw, William Kvist and Emyr Huws, with Uwe Rosler also bringing in a much-needed forward, Andy Delort on deadline day.
Elsewhere, Stuart Pearce identified the lack of pace in his Nottingham Forest side when he took over the reins and has used the window expertly to transform the club into an impressive attacking outfit.
Britt Assombalonga and Michail Antonio have started the season in excellent form, however the signing of the season has to go to Charlton's Igor Vetokele.
The forward's five goals have moved Bob Peeters' side into sixth, which can't be underplayed after the Addicks finished 18th last season, with the Angolan international enjoying a flying start to the campaign following his move from Copenhagen in the summer.

Leeds job not for all says Gary Rowett

Gary Rowett explains why some managers may be put off the Leeds job and reveals why he has given up watching YouTube clips of foreign players.

Burton Albion followed up their Capital One Cup win over QPR with a 2-1 victory at Mansfield on Saturday that took them top of the Sky Bet League Two table.
In the third edition of his exclusive new weekly column for TEAMtalk, as part of our Football League Focus every Thursday, Gary reveals he was able to enjoy a remarkably stress-free transfer deadline day on Monday - and also gives his thoughts on the situation at Leeds United, who are looking for a new manager after sacking David Hockaday.
Van Gaal needs time: Last week, Gary explained why Louis van Gaal needs time at Manchester United and why 3-5-2 can work well.
Transfers explained: In his first column, after a transfer row led to the exit of Tony Pulis, Gary discussed how business is done at League Two level.
Life's a beach

The interesting thing about this last week has been the tranquillity of it.
Normally you're scratching around like crazy on the last day of the window but our approach was not to panic or feel like we had to bring someone in because that's what the fans want on deadline day, everyone wants to see two or three new signings.
But after planning all summer, to feel like you have to do lots of business on the last day is daft.
I can understand some of the top clubs, where the market is slightly different, waiting until that last day when better deals can be struck depending on other clubs getting players at the last minute which dictates which players are available.
But transfer deadline days don't have as much of an effect in the lower leagues. You look at how many permanent deals were done and there weren't that many at our level.
I actually spent transfer deadline day sat on a beach with Cornwall with my family. I decided to take a slightly different route to transfer deadline day!
If business needed to be done I had my phone, but fortunately for us it went to plan and was quite a relaxing day.
I've been in the position where you feel like you've got to get someone in or a couple of bodies in, and I'm not suggesting I always planned to escape on transfer deadline day, but I didn't feel the need to be in the office making 4,000 phone calls.
Loans important in League Two

The one bit of business we did do on the last day was making Stuart Beavon's loan deal permanent but that was something we'd worked on previously and was by no means a last-minute deal.
It was an excellent move by us, though, because it meant that not only have we secured a fantastic player on a long-term basis but also that we've freed up an emergency loan place for when the window opens in a week's time.
We've only got two players on loan at the club at the moment, and with our squad as it is we just felt it was right to let deadline day pass and wait for a week, for when we already have our targets.
There's always a bit of a snowball effect on the back of the players brought in by the bigger clubs but also the Financial Fair Play rules and Premier League 25-man squads.
All of that means that more players of better quality get pushed down the divisions. There's been a big improvement in the quality of football at the top end of League Two and bottom end of League One as a result.
We've certainly targeted players, League One footballers and Championship footballers, that have become surplus to requirements and are looking for a new challenge further down.
We've tried to do that without compromising our key indicators for players - our preference is for young players that have played at a higher level and have got that hunger and desire to get back there.
There are a lot of players coming down from the top level but it's about finding the right ones that we feel are not going to view playing in League Two as a come down.
It's very easy to fill your side with lots of good players but the key word I always use is synergy. We always look for that little bit of synergy between the players, their characters, and what they all want to achieve.
If you look at the likes of Adam McGurk and Lucas Atkins, they are both 25 and have played in League One but come down to League Two because we've sold them the ambition of the club.
If the character of the player is right and you do enough homework - and those two are classic cases - you know they will give their heart and soul to whichever club they play for.
Foreign market a minefield
Even though we had a quiet end to the window, I was offered players left, right and centre, but I've started to limit the trawling through YouTube watching clips of foreign players you've got to work out.
There are that many foreign players available, that many players keen to come over to this country, that sometimes if you're not careful you end up watching a whole day's worth of clips of empty stadiums.
If you're going to sit through hours of footage a week on the basis that you might find a good player every two years, does that become a waste of time?
Also, these clips can make any player look good. If you watch me in training now at 40 years old I'm sure you might find three or four clips that make me slightly enticing to someone.
I'd probably be stood still and without the ball but I'm sure I could look good enough for someone to take me on trial.
The other problem is that you have no idea about their character unless you get them over, and nine times out of 10 you've got to share some of the cost of getting them over.
Then, if you want to sign them, even if you can get them for minimal wage, you've then got to find accommodation. We haven't got a club house where we can just put people in so you have to consider either renting somewhere for the player or putting them in a hotel, which is obviously very costly.
So it's becoming more and more difficult to take a player from the foreign market that you don't know anything about and turning that into a professional contract.
It is very easy to be bogged down by calls for trials but at this level you have to focus on your immediate market, which is Under-21 games that are fairly local, and players you already know about.
Big job ahead for next Leeds boss

I've spoken to quite a lot of people who've worked with Dave Hockaday or know him, and they've all said he's a very good coach, they've all extolled his virtues as a coach.
Still, I'm sure most people were slightly surprised that he got the Leeds job in the summer because you assume they will go for a high-profile manager that has managed at a high level, like most Championship clubs do.
Leeds is a big club, they want success there and they want it quite quickly, so I wasn't surprised that Dave lost his job after what I had read in the press.
But I'm sure he would have understood the situation at Leeds when he was given the opportunity to manage the club, and I'm sure he doesn't regret having a go.
It's a difficult scenario for anyone going into the job next, and as a manager you have to understand the environment you're walking into.
It's a very continental approach to running a football club, but there is no right or wrong way. More and more clubs are going down the same route.
If you're joining a club that has got a director of football, and transfers are not your remit, then you have to accept that and you have to coach the team as well as you can.
But I think the vast proportion of managers, and I would be one of them, would certainly prefer to have an opinion on transfers. You would like to push your philosophy and the way that your team plays otherwise you're just coaching a team.
For some people that's fine and something they would enjoy doing without the pressures of actually having to be the manager in some ways.
The problem is that you're going to be judged on the success of the team, and it might not be all down to you.

Keshi replaces Vincent Enyeama with David Obiazor

The El-Kanemi goalkeeper becomes the latest fresh invitee to the Super Eagles for the Afcon qualifier against Congo on Saturday after Enyeama’s last minute withdrawal

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has invited El-Kanemi goalkeeper David Obiazor for the 2015 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo on Saturday after permission from captain Vincent Enyeama.
"We have been monitoring the Nigerian league and we see that the keeper of Elkanemi is a talent that is why we want to give him a trial. We will see how it turns out when he comes to camp,” Keshi said.
The other goalkeepers called up by Keshi are Austin Ejide and Chigozie Agbim.
Ejide is expected to captain the Nigeria team as they begin their defence of their Afcon title won in South Africa last year.

Ronaldo sees United future

Cristiano Ronaldo is 'happy' at Real Madrid but admits that returning to Manchester United is part of his plans for the future.

The current holder of the prestigious Ballon d’Or is tied to a long-term contract at Santiago Bernabeu and has every intention of honouring that agreement.
Talk of a second spell at Old Trafford refuses to go away, though, with Ronaldo’s profile having rocketed during six successful years in England between 2003 and 2009.
That stint delivered eight major trophies, including three Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League crown.
Ronaldo has never sought to hide his affection for United since packing his bags for Spain and maintains that an emotional homecoming is a distinct possibility.
The 29-year-old forward told the Sportmasta: “I love Manchester; everyone knows that – I have said it many times. Manchester is in my heart. I left many good friends there, the supporters are amazing and I wish I can come back one day.
“I am happy here in Real Madrid and have four more years, but in the future you never know because they treated me unbelievably there.
“I really did love being at Manchester United.
“Believe me, they will be a good team again. I’m sure of it. It is a great club.”
United have endured their struggles of late, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement having left a gaping hole at the heart of the club that is yet to be suitably filled.
Ronaldo is, however, convinced that better times lie ahead, with new boss Louis van Gaal having spent big over the summer to bring exciting match-winning talent to the Theatre of Dreams.
“This can happen. Bad moments and good moments,” said Ronaldo.
“Manchester is passing through a bad moment. Last year it was a horrible season and this year they haven’t started well either.
“But I do think they did well to buy (Angel) Di Maria and (Radamel) Falcao. I think the team will be much better. I want to see them better because it is such a fantastic club and they deserve to be better.
“Falcao is a very good signing. He is a very good player.”

Erico: Enyeama’s absence a wake-up call

Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Joe Erico has admitted that the absence of Vincent Enyeama in Saturday’s African Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo is an opportunity for other Super Eagles goalkeeper to prove their worth.
Enyeama has been granted leave for the two opening matches of the 2015 Afcon qualifiers on September 6 and 10 due to family reasons.
Erico popularly called Jogo Bonito during his active footballing days pointed out other the absence of the Lille custodian will only help other goalkeepers in the national team justify their invitation.
"Enyeama’s absence is never a disadvantage.  The other goalkeepers should come on board because they have been working together along,” Erico told Sportmasta.
"I don’t see anything wrong in his absence because I think it should be an opportunity for other goalkeepers to show what they can do.
"And as for the game on Saturday, all the Eagles need to do is to ensure maximum victory but mind you, they will have to play very well because a win at home is very vital baring in mind that the  Congolese are not pushovers.
He also said Stephen Keshi’s decision to lead Nigeria against Congo and South Africa despite not having his contract issue sorted out will have no negative implication on the performance of the team on Saturday.
"Keshi is still doing his job. His future as Nigeria is not an issue here because he is serving his fatherland.
"Against Congo, I don’t see that causing any distraction because I’m very optimistic that at the end of the day, things will be sorted out in his favour,” he concluded.

Tino's Toon offer

Former striker Tino Asprilla has offered his services to Newcastle, while Jay Spearing is being investigated by Bolton after a trip to Ibiza.

• Wayne Rooney admits England must improve in all areas if they want to get their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign off to a good start in Switzerland on Monday.
• England's soggy display against Norway proved a turn-off to television viewers with audience figures showing almost four million more people chose to watch the Great British Bake-Off than Roy Hodgson's men labour to victory.
• Fulham boss Felix Magath admits he could lose his battle to keep Patrick Roberts if a Champions League club make a bid for him.
• Harry Redknapp has accused some of England's players of not caring about the team.
• Joel Campbell's agent has vented his frustration after Arsene Wenger chose to keep the winger at Emirates Stadium.

• Premier League Top Goalscorer 14/15 - Win Outright: Diego Costa 2/1

• Argentina boss Gerardo Martino described Manchester United new boy Angel Di Maria as one of the top five players in the world.
• Pablo Zabaleta limped out of Argentina's friendly win in Germany in a worrying development for Manchester City fans.
• Unwanted duo Scott Sinclair and Matija Nastasic have been included in Manchester City's Premier League squad, along with John Guidetti.

• Kolo Toure believes he will be given the chance to impress Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers this season despite sliding down the pecking order.
• Everton legend Graeme Sharp has praised the aerial ability of forward Steven Naismith.

• Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has bought the rights to rename Rangers' Ibrox Stadium for just £1.
• Tino Asprilla has offered Alan Pardew the opportunity to add him to the Newcastle backroom team as "striker coach".
• Newcastle are ready to circulate Jonas Gutierrez's name when the Football League loan window opens next week.
• Resolving the future of Connor Wickham is now at the top of Lee Congerton's Sunderland to-do list.

• Soccer Management Worldwide still hoping to strike a deal to buy Birmingham.
• Kieran Richardson is enjoying working under Roy Keane again at Aston Villa after admitting that the Irishman saved his career from spiralling out of control.
• Wolves manager Kenny Jackett says an emotional return to Watford was never on the cards.
• Despite overseeing one of the more successful transfer windows for West Brom, Jeremy Peace has called for the deadline to be brought forward to the start of the season.
• England Under-21 boss Gareth Southgate has backed West Brom coach Alan Irvine to bring the best out of Saido Berahino.

• Kenny Jackett insists he is at Wolves for the long haul as he was nominated for Championship Manager of the Month.
• Midfielder Graham Dorrans has given West Brom another injury scare ahead of their Premier League game at home to Everton.

• Stoke's Oussama Assaidi says he is ready to be eased straight into Mark Hughes's first-team plans after recovering from back-to-back serious knee injuries.

• Tim Sherwood believes Tottenham's failure to sign another striker during the transfer window could cost them a top-four finish.
• West Ham fans have clubbed together to pay a fine given to a pitch invader who took a free kick during the team's clash with Tottenham last month.

• Fulham defender Tim Hoogland has told supporters to trust Felix Magath's judgment in the market.
• Fernando Torres knew the writing was on the wall for him at Chelsea the moment Diego Costa arrived at Stamford Bridge.

• Gylfi Sigurdsson is urging Swansea City to keep up the pace after their flying start to the new Premier League season.
• Danny Gabbidon has been called into the Wales squad for Tuesday's Euro 2016 qualifier against Andorra after Sam Ricketts withdrew through injury.
• Joe Allen has admitted it is no surprise to see Swansea flying high under Garry Monk

• Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic's remarkable long-range goal against Southampton last season has earned a place in the Guinness World Records book.
• Southampton spent almost as much money in the latest transfer window as they did in the previous four combined - yet the club still turned a profit in the market this summer.

• Hull defender Alex Bruce has withdrawn from the Northern Ireland squad to face Hungary on Sunday, with his wife due to give birth to their second child.

• Casper Sloth looks "as bright as a button" will be a real asset to Leeds, says Neil Redfearn

• Esteban Cambiasso is already having an impact at Leicester, midfielder Danny Drinkwater has revealed.

• Burnley manager Sean Dyche has been reassured that he will have money to strengthen his squad in January.
• New Blackburn goalkeeper Jason Steele admits the chance to compete with and train alongside his childhood hero Paul Robinson was too good to turn down.

• Bolton have launched an internal investigation after photos of captain Jay Spearing on holiday in Ibiza emerged on social networking sites.
• Reports in the US suggest former Wanderers skipper Zat Knight is speaking with MLS side Colorado Rapids.

• Celtic and Scotland keeper Craig Gordon is bracing himself for what could be the most testing month of his career.
• Virgil van Dijk is on course to make his international debut - despite having to leave Holland's training base for the birth of his first daughter.
• Celtic are expecting to learn the fate of an appeal to sanction the loan signing of John Guidetti from Manchester City.
• Rangers defender Darren McGregor insists he is happy to keep playing at right-back but sees his future with the club at centre-half.

Mistakes that Keshi cannot afford to repeat with Nigeria

After all the drama that followed the Super Eagles’ elimination from the second round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Stephen Keshi looks set to continue as Nigeria boss.

For many, the Big Boss remains the best choice for the job as a result of his impressive first stint with the team. There is a sense that the former defender has unfinished business with a crop of players that he has cultivated and developed.

In truth, such an opinion is not by any means misplaced, as the former Togo national team coach had succeeded in transforming the fortunes of a team once considered by their own supporters as being unworthy to bear the 'Super Eagles' nickname. Taunts of ‘Super Chickens’ have become much rarer under Keshi.

Who, among Nigeria fans could easily forget that memorable evening when a little-known Sunday Mba poked the ball home to hand his compatriots the continental trophy and give Nigeria her first major trophy in over 19 years?

Similarly, at this year's World Cup in Brazil, Keshi equalled Dutchman Clemens Westerhof's Last-16 feat, repeating the team’s greatest-ever showing in 1994 and 1998. This achievement placed Keshi side-by-side with a man considered by many as the national team's best coach to date.

Keshi might have earned himself a place in the hearts of many Nigerian football fans, but this does not by any means indicate that his success with the team was not affected by his few shortcomings and mistakes both technically and tactically.

If the 52 year old wants progress, certain errors must be avoided.


The manager's decisions are often hard to understand for fans

Throughout Keshi's three year stay with the Super Eagles, he has often made the mistake of not wanting to let go of some under-performing players. Simultaneously, he often refused to give other players a chance to prove themselves, often supporting this decision with the excuse of wanting to maintain team unity and understanding.

He persisted in sticking with the same faces match after match during the qualifying stage of the 2013 AFCON and only invited new players when the tournament was on the horizon.

Little wonder the team struggled to find rhythm in their first three matches at the competition.

Both Ikechukwu Uche and Ezekiel Imoh were overlooked for the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil despite having scored more goals together than three of the strikers that Keshi took to the tournament.

Ramon Azeez was only drafted into the team few months to the World Cup regardless of the fact that he was already an integral part of La Liga side Almeria for over three months before the Super Eagles’ last match in 2013.

Despite Hope Akpan and Kenneth Otigba, for example, impressing regularly for their clubs during the 2013/2014 season, both players were not called up to the national team for any of the World Cup qualifiers or friendlies. Instead, Keshi opted to go with familiar faces, even though some areas of the team obviously needed reinforcements.

While Algeria successfully processed the nationality switches of several players who have proved pivotal to their success, Keshi demonstrated a reluctance to cast his net deep into the diaspora. As fans watch Reuben Gabriel, once again, let an opposition attacker pass him by, people can’t help wondering whether there are better options out there.

There are!


Reuben Gabriel | Becoming a symbol of Keshi's stubbornness

Moving forward, Keshi must make the most of the resources at his disposal and ensure that the Super Eagles consistently use their best players for competitive matches.

Secondly, it is important that Keshi begins to make the most of friendly matches and starts to treat them as an important aspect of the team’s preparation.

At both the Championship of African Nations and the African Nations Cup, Keshi's teams started poorly but managed to gel and find their shape during the course of the competition.

This trend could easily be traced to gaffer's failure to effectively utilise the numerous friendlies and tournament qualification matches to arrive at his best possible formation and tactics.

It was a similar story at the World Cup, where the team looked lacklustre during their 0-0 opening draw with minnows Iran. The Super Eagles’ uninspiring performance in this game came as little surprise following their disappointing friendly showings against Scotland, Greece and the United States.

If he can begin to see the error of his ways and make amends, then there is no reason why Keshi cannot guide Nigeria to the African title in Morocco in 2015. Retain the title, and Keshi could comfortably call himself the Super Eagles’ greatest-ever coach.

If he continues to repeat the mistakes of his reign to date, however, then Nigeria may well be heading to North Africa in hope, rather than expectation.

Arsenal's Carvalho move fails

Arsenal failed to land William Carvalho on Deadline Day, QPR still want Jermain Defoe and Man United will sign Kevin Strootman in January

• QPR midfielder Joey Barton is set to be offered a new contract despite the signing of Sandro.
• Benfica and Joel Campbell's agent are fuming at Arsenal after a deadline-day move fell through.
• New England captain Wayne Rooney has been "awful" for Manchester United this season and should be dropped, says former Red Devils defender Paul Parker.

• Jermain Defoe to sign for before 3rd February 2015. Click here to bet.

• Manchester United are lining up a move for Roma's Netherlands midfielder Kevin Strootman.
• Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi claims Argentina winger Angel Di Maria wanted to join the Ligue 1 club before his move to Manchester United.
• Chelsea will look to secure the long-term future of Thibaut Courtois this month, with the club eager to conclude discussions over a new contract.
• Robin van Persie has rubbished claims that his knee problems prompted Manchester United to sign Radamel Falcao.
• Wayne Rooney says the signing of Radamel Falcao is a statement of Manchester United's intent but admitted he does not know his role in the team.
• Barcelona have stood firm in their defiance that Liverpool only received £65million for the sale of Luis Suarez.

• Liverpool have agreed personal terms on a one-year deal with 32-year-old former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes.
• QPR have not given up on former England forward Jermain Defoe and will make another bid in January.
• Manchester United have agreed a deal with Ajax to sign teenage prodigy Timothy Fosu-Mensah.
• Arsenal offered Sporting Libson £12.5m AND Joel Campbell for William Carvalho on deadline day.

• Micah Richards rejected an improved contract at Manchester City in an effort to revive his career in Serie A at Fiorentina.
• French winger Hatem Ben Arfa is likely to have played his last game for Newcastle United after joining Hull City on loan.

• Manchester United's transfer spending could continue in January, with Roma's Kevin Strootman a likely target.

• Jack Wilshere urged England team-mate Danny Welbeck to snub Tottenham in favour of a move to Arsenal.
• Tom Cleverley 'begged' Paul Lambert for a second chance to join Aston Villa on deadline day.
• Tottenham will make a fresh move for Southampton forward Jay Rodriguez in January.
• Liverpool striker Fabio Borini's demands scuppered a move to Queens Park Rangers.

• Queens Park Rangers will try again to sign Toronto FC striker Jermain Defoe in January.

• Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has two games to save his job at St James' Park.

• Manchester United are trying to fast-track Radamel Falcao's clearance so the striker can face QPR on September 14.
• Fabio Borini faces being frozen out at Liverpool after failing to move on deadline day.
• Huddersfield are set to confirm the appointment of Chris Powell as manager today.

Am not feeling pressure says Van Gaal

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal insists he has no regrets about taking the job at Old Trafford this summer.

The 63-year-old looked certain to take charge at Tottenham before the call came from United.
Van Gaal has endured a miserable start at United as his team have picked up just two points from their opening three league games and were thrashed 4-0 in the Capital One Cup by League One MK Dons.
But the former Bayern Munich coach claims he expected the task at Old Trafford to be a tough one when he accepted the post.
And Van Gaal is adamant he was never going to refuse the United job because of the club’s prestige.
"No, I don't regret taking this job," he told the Daily Mirror. "Yes, it is a massive job I have taken on at Manchester United. I realise that.
"And the situation is not worse than I thought - I knew what I would find on my plate.
"I could have opted for an easier job. If I had gone to Tottenham, the job would not have been as enormous as here at United.
"I could have easily gone to Spurs. But I chose the biggest challenge of all the jobs in football. And I really wanted to join the number one club in the country, not Tottenham.
"Financially, Tottenham was kind of as attractive as Man United. But, in my eyes, Man United is still the number one club in England, Tottenham really is not."
Van Gaal will be hoping he is given more time than predecessor David Moyes, who was dismissed just 11 months after replacing Sir Alex Ferguson as United failed to qualify for the Champions League last season.
The Dutchman has been impressed with the backing of the United board, as his poor start at Munich led to a crisis meeting with Bayern’s president Uli Hoeness.
Van Gaal said: "My start at Bayern was just as bad as my start with Manchester United. But the big difference was that at Bayern I had already been called in for a major showdown with Uli Hoeness, who wanted an explanation.
"And what have United done? They have just bought more players for me. They kept buying players.
"They are supporting me. That is a sign of trust in the manager. I feel that. I feel their trust and belief in my ability.
"It is not just a matter of believing in my football philosophy, but in me as a person too.
"Do I get worried when I look at the league table now? Come off it. That means nothing. We have only just started.
"And the facts are that I have never let any clubs down. I have won things. I have given those clubs success. And that is exactly what I will do here at United."

Strootman next on LVG wishlist

Man United's summer spending looks set to continue into January, with Roma star Kevin Strootman understood to be Louis van Gaal's main target.

Having spent over £150million on new recruits as part of his Old Trafford rebuilding mission, Louis van Gaal continues to consider targets for the coming transfer windows, with Strootman understood to be one of his main ones.
Many of the morning's national newspapers claim that Strootman could join the club in the January transfer window, provided the two clubs can agree a fee of around £30million.
The Roma midfielder was a key part of van Gaal's Netherlands World Cup squad for the summer, before an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury in March put paid to his hopes.
The injury forced van Gaal to reconsider his playing system with the Dutch, before he finally settled on the 3-5-2 formation which dominated the tournament, and which he has since began to utilise at United.
Van Gaal has long been an admirer of Strootman, and has previously discussed the chances of signing him at Old Trafford.
"Strootman I can judge, but he has been injured for more than six months," van Gaal told reporters in late July.
"We have to wait and see how he comes back. It's not so easy to come back out of an injury, so we'll wait and see."
However, Roma, who Strootman joined from PSV for around £13.5million in July 2013, have demanded a stunning £79million fee for the Dutchman.
Strootman would be the latest in a long line of big signing at Old Trafford.
The spending began with two deals in two days, as first Ander Herrera (Athletic Bilbao, £29m) then Luke Shaw (Southampton, £27m) came through the door.
A month followed before the next addition, but Marcos Rojo (Sporting Lisbon, £16m) finally joined in August, before the British transfer record fee was broken with the purchase of Real Madrid's Angel Di Maria (£59.7m).
Transfer deadline day proved to be busier, as Falcao (Monaco, loan) and van Gaal and Strootman's Dutch compatriot Daley Blind (Ajax, £14m) completed a hectic summer.
United currently sit 14th in the table, with van Gaal still waiting for his first competitive win as manager heading into the international break.

Ronaldo's veiled dig at Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo's apparent sly dig at Lionel Messi and Man United's Luke Shaw hitting back at his critics feature in the latest Sportmasta Likes.

Sportmasta Likes is our new blog focused on the lighter side of football that we will update every time we see something that makes us smile.
Whether it's with a great goal, unbelievable save, incredible miss, amusing Tweet, hilarious quote or genius chant, we want to remind you that football really isn't that bad...no matter how badly your team is doing.
While we here at Sportmasta Towers constantly have our eye on the beautiful game, we also want you to get involved, so get sending in your video clips, pictures and links - and you might just get featured on the blog.

Monaco 'regret' Falcao's Man Utd move

The Champions League hopefuls are disappointed with the departure of their star player, but claim they had no other option but to allow him to leave

Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev has admitted that the Ligue 1 outfit would have preferred to hold on to Radamel Falcao, but they felt it would have been wrong to deny the Colombia international his transfer to Manchester United.

The prolific attacker joined Monaco from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2013, but his impact was limited in his first season at the Stade Louis II side due to a serious knee injury sustained in January this year.

Irrespective of his recent fitness woes, Falcao was consistently linked with a move away from Monaco this summer and he eventually signed a one-year loan deal with United on Monday.

"I regret Falcao's departure, particularly for our fans," Vasilyev told reporters.

"However, we felt that from the moment the player had expressed his desire to join Manchester United, it would have been wrong to block his transfer."

The 28-year-old, who missed this summer's World Cup in Brazil due to his knee injury, netted 11 goals in 20 Ligue 1 appearances for Monaco in 2013-14.

Arsenal, Liverpool & Juventus wanted Falcao too, reveals father

Radamel Falcao's father has revealed that Juventus, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City also attempted to sign the Manchester United striker this summer.

The Colombia international eventually left Monaco for United on deadline day of the summer transfer window, but Falcao's father Radamel Garcia has claimed that Louis van Gaal's side faced stiff competition from a number of European top teams.

"Juventus, Manchester City and Liverpool all wanted him as well, and even Arsenal made a late approach," he told Sportmasta. "Fortunately, he has now joined Manchester United. They are a great team."

The 28-year-old was also heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid, but the Santiago Bernabeu side eventually opted against signing the prolific striker.

"Real Madrid? When you have money and go to the market to buy a shirt or pants, you have to decide whether you buy them now or not. Real Madrid eventually opted not to do so and there's not much you can do about that.

"Plus I got the feeling that there were quite a few conditions if they wanted to sign him. We have to accept how things went.

"We are very grateful that Manchester United came along. United are England's most important team and one of the strongest economic powers in football."

Welbeck taunts Man Utd: Arsenal a club on the up

Danny Welbeck has taken a parting shot at Manchester United by describing Arsenal as a team on the up.

United are yet to win a competitive game under Louis van Gaal as they look to improve upon last season's seventh-place finish as the Gunners reached the Champions League for a 17th consecutive season.

Arsene Wenger parted with €20 million to bring Welbeck to the Emirates Stadium after he was deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford, and the striker is now eyeing silverware at the FA Cup winners.

When asked if Arsenal are a team on the up, Welbeck told the club's official website: "Yeah definitely. They've done well in recent years and last year we got the FA Cup and I feel like it's time where we could really push on and try and challenge for the Premier League title.

"I've got one medal and it's something that I really want to add to."

Welbeck is confident he made the right decision to leave Old Trafford for the Emirates Stadium and is keen to "move on" as he begin the next chapter of his career.

He continued: "I've been at United ever since I was a little boy and I had a great time there.

"I just think this is the next stage of my development - to come to Arsenal, to really show people what I can do as a footballer and hopefully get to the place where I want to be.

"Things move on in life and I think you've really got to make the right decision in the situation that you're in at that moment in time. I really do believe that coming to Arsenal is the right decision."

Di Maria preferred us, says PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi

Paris St Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi believes Angel di Maria wanted to move to his club - and not Manchester United - from Real Madrid in the summer transfer window.

The Argentina international sealed a move to Old Trafford for a record British fee of almost £60m last week.
Al-Khelaifi reckons the only reason the 26-year-old did not move to the Parc des Princes was because PSG could not agree a fee with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.
"For two or three weeks I discussed this issue with my friend Florentino Perez, the president of Real Madrid," Al-Khelaifi said.
"We met twice, we made an offer, but we did not agree on the price. For me it was too expensive. It has nothing to do with Financial Fair Play. The player wanted to come to Paris, but this was not possible."
The French side have invested hugely in players over the past couple of years, signing the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Luiz.
Al-Khelaifi claimed Financial Fair Play (FFP) was not a fair rule and said his club would meet with UEFA to urge them to reconsider it.
"We want to respect the rules of UEFA," he said. "But we must discuss it again in October with them to try to change the rules.
"This is very important because Financial Fair Play is not fair. It is sometimes difficult to understand, but in the end, the big clubs are big clubs and small clubs remain small. It not only represents the interests of PSG. If new investors can not invest in football, they will invest in Formula One."
PSG, along with Premier League champions Manchester City, were handed a heavy fine in May for breaching FFP regulations.

Transfer club to club gallery

West Ham 7/10: Zarate, Cresswell and Kouyate could prove to be bargains but £15m Valencia is a big risk. Song provides added experience, too.

Club-by-club transfer verdicts

Chelsea, Hull and Liverpool have reason to celebrate, but Arsenal, Man United and Newcastle struggled. Join us as we give you the rundown on each club.

bryan robson (Manchester United): I'm not sure Man United deserves a 7/10. If you take each new signing individually, I'm very happy with who we brought in. Rojo has looked solid for club and country over the past year, as have Blind. Herrera enjoyed a great spell for Athletic, a great pre-season and gave clear indications as to why he was a priority target. Shaw has amazing potential and could be the next 1st choice for England on LB for years to come. Di Maria and Falcao... well. Just World Class. However, if you look at the big picture, we've let Ferdinand, Vidic and Evra go all at once. 3 Players who've been an integral part of the United defense for years. Something that drastic leaves gaps, and the 150 mio. spent on transfers hasn't really done much to close them. Shaw primarily LB. Rojo's primarily LB. Blind's primarily LB or DMC. You'd think that 150 mio. could get you at least one solid replacement in central defense and I fear we're going to suffer if Smalling, Jones and Evans can't live up to whatever expectations Van Gaal appear to place on them. All in all, you can't be too unhappy as a United fan, though. Man, it's gonna be interesting to see what our new attacking line can do! Good season everyone!

Editor Comments : I was tempted to go lower, but then it's difficult when you look at the players that have come in. Falcao, Di Maria and, as I've said, Blind are brilliant signings in particular, but they are predominantly in positions that didn't need strengthening. Defence and midfield are big worries, but you've just signed Falcao and Di Maria! Steady.

03/09/14 10:47am

sekitto (Liverpool): I am happy with liverpool's transfer activity..after last season it was really important we addressed our small squad and i must say ian ayre done a wonderful job in signing most of our targets...i liked the moreno deal because we didnt panic and sevilla blinked first.Balotelli...Good signing

Editor Comments : I agree, Liverpool have done very well this window. However, the defence still looks shaky. Not as bad as last season, as Lovren, Moreno and Manquillo are improvements, but there's still a weakness.

03/09/14 10:43am

a-g (Chelsea): Out: Ba £4.7m, Lukaku £28m, Luiz £50m, Lampard free (big contract off books), Eto'o free, Torres free (big contract off books), Cole (big contract off books). In: Diego Costa £32m, Fabregas £27m, Luis £18m, Remy £10.5m, Courtois free (loan return), Drogba free. Net spend: £87.5m - £82.5m = -£5m. (However more likely a break even when wages are taken into account. Says it all no?

03/09/14 11:10am

welshdai (Arsenal): Chelsea have done amazingly well this transfer window. Still can't believe they sold Luiz for £50 Mil.

Editor Comments : One of the best windows I can remember from any club. Every problem has been addressed, they have enough players to field two incredibly strong starting XIs, the wage bill has been cut and they've possibly even worked at a profit all summer. Steady.

03/09/14 10:41am

dsnapiri (Liverpool): It can't be all has done better than worse in the transfer window. A scale from 1 to 10 should be used to it's fullest. I think Manchester deserve a 5 or a 6, and Chelsea (and probably Hull as well) deserve the 10, but surely west brom, burnley and stoke can't pretend to have had a "good" window if they know they're going to struggle all season.

Editor Comments : Burnley have done the best they possibly could in my opinion with their restrictions, while West Brom's business is a huge risk. For Stoke, they've bought very well and barely spent, and I sincerely doubt they'll be battling relegation. Steady.

03/09/14 10:31am

silvaguero (Manchester City): Wow.. Its amazing.. Southampton loose nearly all their star players. You give em 7.5? We are missing only a handful of players from the team that won the league just over a year ago. We had a def mid, Falcao, Di Maria, and 3 defenders, who all featured in the world cup! And we struggled.. so you give us a 7?? Liverpool get 8.5?? The bought Lallana, Lambert, and Lovren (And obvious others), but if that is great business by them, then why was it great business of Southampton to get rid? I think you don't understand your own article! Its transfer verdicts not who has better team. Utd will still struggle because they haven't gelled yet. But the transfer verdict... has got to be 9 or 10. My favourite is giving us an 8 for doing bugger all! I hate Manure, but their window was probably one of the most amazing I've seen. Shaw, Herrera , TBD, but Rojo, Blind, Di Maria, Falcao??

Editor Comments : Southampton may have lost their star players, but they've replaced them very well and all for a huge profit. Liverpool have also spent very well. Look at their squad last season and it was threadbare. This season, they've added true quality as well as a mix of youth, and the squad looks so much stronger. As I've said, City's main transfer remit was to tie their main players down to long-term deals, which they did. Mangala and Fernando will also strengthen them. Finally, United have signed some truly world class players, but they have barely solved any of their weaknesses from last season. The defence and midfield needed massive reinforcements, and while I think Blind will actually prove to be their best signing, they haven't done enough there. Steady.

03/09/14 10:11am

lfc x 5 (Liverpool): Fair enough but what has Mignolet got to do with Liverpool's transfer verdict?

Editor Comments : I feel that Mignolet and Johnson - if he's a starter - are now Liverpool's only weaknesses in defence. He's a great shot-stopper, but far too mistake-prone; similar to Reina. Hopefully Valdes comes in, as is reported. Steady.

03/09/14 9:59am

forever hoops (Queens Park Rangers): 5.5/10? We signed two Chilean internationals and a Dutch international who were very impressive at the WC (and all under 27), one of the best holding midfielders in the league (Sandro), one of the best young goalkeepers in the country (McCarthy) kept hold of the enigmatic Taarabt (a matchwinner on his day), and brought in the aforementioned (and highly (impressive) Caulker. I'm all for varying opinions, but this is just nonsense.....we have had on of the best transfer windows of any newly promoted club in the history of the PL. Why you have chosen to focus on the signing of Krancjar (who has obviously only been brought in as a squad player) instead of our other highly impressive acquisition's is beyond me. Losing Remy will hurt, but how you can rate us any lower than an 8 is really a mystery.

Editor Comments : As you infer, there are bound to be varying opinions here. However, I can't help but feel that Harry Redknapp hasn't learned from his mistakes last time around. Rio Ferdinand is a huge gamble, even on a free. The likes of Fer and Mutch are good players, but are they any better than what you already had? Sandro is a fine player on his day, but that is getting rarer and rarer as injuries take their toll. Again, will Isla play? McCarthy and Caulker are your best buys, but they are inexperienced at this level so, again, are gambles. I'd be happy to be proven wrong! Steady.

03/09/14 9:56am

drunkenmaster (Arsenal): "Wellbeck will surely fail to cover a goal shortage." How prophetic of the main stream media - seems a lot of ex-pros disagree. Arsenal's problem will be at the other end - not scoring goals.

Editor Comments : As I've said, defence and attack needed big reinforcements. Wenger has opened himself up to huge criticism after a promising start to the summer by not prioritising those positions. Steady.

Man Utd must drop ‘awful’ Rooney, says Paul Parker

Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker says Wayne Rooney should be dropped, claiming his performances have been “awful” so far this season.

The England international has just one goal for United tso far this season with the Red Devils yet to win a competitive game, having lost once and drawn twice in the Premier League and been knocked out of the League Cup by MK Dons.

Rooney - named club captain by Van Gaal this summer - will now face competition for his place from new signing Radamel Falcao, who arrived on loan from Monaco on deadline day, and Parker says Rooney does not deserve to start.

“Wayne Rooney has been awful. There he was at Burnley this weekend, supposedly captaining the team - but I saw a player interested only in himself, doing nothing to try and lift his game or inspire his team-mates,” he wrote in his Yahoo! Sport blog.

“The only thing in any way remarkable about his performance is that he collects €375,000 a week to play that badly.

“Once Van Persie is fully-fit again, Rooney must be the person to be dropped from United's new attacking line-up: for me, it'll be RVP and Falcao every time.

“And though there's lots of talk about him playing in the hole behind that front two, I think that'd be a huge mistake - why would you have Rooney there when Juan Mata or Angel Di Maria would do the job so much better?”

Parker also insists that Van Gaal would not be afraid to drop Rooney, despite having made him club captain, following his appointment as manager at Old Trafford.

“That'll leave Van Gaal with a big call to make: dropping Wayne Rooney,” he added.

“He's always shown in his career that he's not afraid of the big decisions; he showed it most recently with his goalkeeper substitution for the shoot-out at the World Cup, and he'll have to show it once again because the way things are looking there will be no place for Rooney in that starting line-up soon.”