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The talk of referees in football has never been a positive one, especially this season with Sir Alex Ferguson facing a 5-match ban for comments he made about match officials. But the men in black (or whatever colour they’re wearing these days) have a history in the game, without them football games would not be able to function and the rules they are using are in place to make the game better. A pioneer in football rules and refereeing is former English referee Ken Aston.

He is probably best remembered for being the referee during the infamous World Cup game between Italy and Chile in 1962 which was dubbed ‘The Battle of Santiago’ because of the large degree of violence and brawls during the game and credit to Aston for keeping the game playable for 90 minutes.

But Aston was more than just a top referee at that time, he was the man who invented the red and yellow card system after some confusion during a game between England and Argentina at the 1966 World Cup. England’s Jack Charlton had called the press office after the game after reading he had been cautioned by the German referee, baring this in mind Aston came up with the idea of a yellow (steady) and red (stop) card system after stopping at traffic lights. His idea meant that the cards could be universally used in games and break down language barriers. It was first used in the 1970 World Cup.

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His involvement in the game did not stop there as he was the first referee to use the black with white trim as a uniform which became standard attire for match officials. Previously, in 1947 he introduced bright yellow flags for linesman to use having previously used the colours of the home team.

He also introduced the idea of a substitute referee in 1966 in case the match official couldn’t continue. Other inventions were the number boards to announce substitutions and he proposed that the pressure of the football to be written into the laws of the game.

Ken Aston, who was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Indian Army during World War II, was FIFA’s Head of World Cup Referees for the 1966, 1970 and 1974 tournaments. His legacy lives on today, where the red and yellow card system is still used as an important part of keeping order in the game whilst keeping everyone informed about key decisions.

But, for those who’ve not seen any footage of that infamous ‘Battle of Santiago’ game, then check it out on the video clip below for some astonishing scenes during a World Cup game. And if you’re watching it with other people, you can inform them of how important the referee Ken Aston was to football.

One quote from Aston which I love was what he admitted after this game : “I wasn’t reffing a football match, I was acting as an umpire in military maneuvers.”

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For more lessons of Football History, follow me on Twitter @verbal_football

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The signing of Joe Cole on a free transfer from arch-rivals Chelsea, has filled Liverpool supporters with fresh hope and vigour. After a desperate season last year, the appointment of Roy Hodgson and recruitment of Cole gives Liverpool a huge burst of confidence amongst the fans and players. Days after Cole signed, Steven Gerrard committed himself to Liverpool; Hodgson will be hoping Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano do likewise, the latter however, appears to have his eyes on a move to Internazionale. Even if Mascherano was to leave, the Liverpool squad is looking strong, though a left back will need to be brought in before the start of the season. If one examines the likely first eleven, then Liverpool fans have good cause to be optimistic.

Pepe Reina is one of the standout goalkeepers in the league, and many would argue that he is in fact the best. Johnson, Carragher, Agger and an as yet unknown left back will form the backline, and despite being relatively solid, this is perhaps the weakest area of the Liverpool team. If Mascherano leaves Lucas could fill the gap in defensive midfield, whilst Alberto Aquilani may finally get a chance to prove his quality in the centre of the park. Gerrard may operate in central midfield or off the front man, and with his confidence restored, he may want to prove something after a tepid season last year. Joe Cole can add guile on the left or behind the strikers, whilst the hard-working Kuyt will probably keep his position on the right. If Torres can provide the spearhead, then this is a team that can easily challenge at the summit of the Premiership. Milan Jovanovic may also prove his worth up front if Hodgson opts to play two strikers or if Torres is injured. One player who could also make a difference, is the seemingly forgotten Ryan Babel.

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When he was bought by Liverpool from Ajax, Babel was one of the hottest prospects in European football. During the 2007 UEFA Under-21 Championship Babel was widely hailed as the best player in the tournament as part of the victorious Dutch side. Soon after the tournament Liverpool parted with £11.5 million to land the player. Despite performing superbly as a striker, Benitez decided to play Babel on the wing, a position where he seemed lost and was ineffectual. As the seasons progressed Babel played less and less until Benitez appeared to have no faith in the Dutchman whatsoever. However, with a new manager at the helm, and still only 23, Babel will have a fresh chance to play and perform to the potential he once displayed. If Hodgson can get Babel firing, along with Gerrard, Cole, Kuyt, Maxi Rodriguez, Torres and Jovanovic, Liverpool will have a potent attacking threat, and one with a good deal of depth and variance. Without Champions League football, Liverpool will be focussing virtually all their efforts on the league, and when one examines their team and manager, then the conclusion has to be that Liverpool can be a major contender in the forthcoming season. The cloud that continues to hang over Anfield is the ownership issue, and the fans will be hoping that this can be remedied sooner rather than later.

His time at Fluminese told Arsene Wenger he was going to be a star, his time with Levante says otherwise. Wellington Silva’s off field antics have overshadowed the Brazilian’s time in Spain, but then again he’s only made a handful of substitute appearances in his time at Levante. When he left Fluminese his Brazilian manager Muricy Ramalho said of him:

“I am very unsatisfied with him. He misses training, arrives late, argues with his father, this has nothing to do with Fluminese. He needs to become a player because right now he still isn’t one.”

At the time Arsenal presumed that the young strikers problems stemmed out of his poor relationship with his manager, just as van Persie’s problems did when he was at Feyenoord. However now it appears that there is a deeper problem that needs to be addressed. Last season reports of an unhealthy penchant for the local pizzeria and an obsession with Twitter were cited as the reason for Wellington’s lack of playing time and little seems to have changed. At first it was put down to problems for the Brazilian in settling in to life on a new continent but Levante manager Luis Garcia insisted that everything has been done to help the Brazilian feel at home. Garcia said:

“I want him to be more professional in his behaviour. Arsenal want us to work and help him and not only in terms of football. We’ve drawn up a programme for him and I want more time spent with his team-mates to help him settle and with the different language. He does have a problem settling in, being lonely. It’s important that he has someone to help and guide him.”

That was last year and despite Levante having a new manager the situation hasn’t improved. One difference this year is the improved form of Levante and it is understandable that because Wellington hasn’t been part of that team that has done so well it would be hard for Juan Ignacio Martinez to pick him. However reports suggest that even if the team wasn’t doing so well there still wouldn’t be a place for the starlet in the team. Wellington compounded the situation recently with an outburst on Twitter claiming he was ‘fed up’ of having to wait for his chance in the first team. His unquestionable talent gives the troubled youngster cause to believe that he should warrant a place in the starting eleven but he is yet to learn how to conduct himself in his private life.

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Work permit issues mean it is unlikely that Wellington will return to Arsenal in January with the FA having reneged on their initial promise to allow a ‘special talent’ work permit for the Brazilian. However there is supposed to be interest from clubs in Greece, France and Brazil. Wenger however will have to look hard for the right solution to the youngsters problems as if they are not solved soon Wenger may begin to regret the £3.5m he spent on the player.

It is by no means the end of the road for the eighteen year old, he has a long way to go before he is a Jermain Pennant type figure in north London but Wenger will be worried nonetheless. It would be easy to blame his problems on adaptation to life in a new country but Wellington has been out of Brazil for almost two years now and shows no sign of progression. If you take another example, someone like Joel Campbell then you can see the difference. Joel came straight from Costa Rica to France were he is on loan at Lorient. Campbell settled in almost immediately and become an important part of the Ligue 1 outfit. He’s even picked up his already scintillating form for his country scoring a brilliant goal against the world champions Spain in Costa Rica’s recent friendly.

So is it time for the Arsenal manager to start getting worried about Wellington? Not yet. Problems will arise if Wellington goes out on loan somewhere else and still can’t get in the team. Ultimately all that needs to happen is for the Brazilian to play enough games somewhere for his British work permit to be granted then under the stewardship of Wenger himself the Brazilian will surely be on the path to progression. This is no definitive method for nurturing young talent; all youngsters have different mental and technical requirements. However if anyone can get the best out of Wellington Silva then surely it is Wenger.

For more Arsenal news follow me on Twitter @H_Mackay

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Tottenham’s achievements in the Champions League this season have been a joy for me to see at every level. Not only am I delighted to see my old club dining at the top table with Europe’s elite, playing a fearless brand of attacking football, but also for my old boss Harry Redknapp to be picking his wits against some of the top managers in Europe. The transformation he has made at the football club is incredible and he fully deserves the plaudits that come his way.

Like I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, football has a habit of pigeonholing you. While many saw me as little more than a tough tackling defender, the perception of Harry prior to his arrival at White Hart Lane was that he was a small time manager unable to cut it at a big club. In the last three years he has proved all those doubters wrong with his exploits at Tottenham, so much so that he is odds on to be the new England manager when Fabio Capello departs. Everyone that has worked with him won’t be surprised at his success; it is just a shame it took the rest of the media a long time to work it out.

The secret to Harry Redknapp’s success is ultimately down to his man-management of individual players. It is clichéd term but he has the uncanny knack of making you feel 10ft tall and capable of beating anyone, which rubs off collectively and makes you feel motivated as one. He wasn’t afraid to tear a strip off you should you need it and he didn’t hold back with anyone. I remember I was having an absolute stinker against Manchester United and the more I tried to resolve things the worse I got and I remember Harry’s own special way of getting me back on track “Oi Razor, get warmed up, you are coming off in a minute” – needless to say it got the desired response from me. Redknapp just knew which buttons to press with players and that is why he is so successful in bringing the best out in them.

Harry’s other great strength is his ability to unite the whole football club. From the players right down to the tea lady, it is a fun place to go and work. Training can often be a chore at times but Harry always makes it an enjoyable experience. Even if you have had a bad result at the weekend, Harry would be even more upbeat to ensure that your heads didn’t drop and you wouldn’t dwell on it. I have played under managers, who would remain moody, or hold grudges against individuals following a bad result and their negativity would rub off on the rest of the team. Redknapp is the complete polar opposite as he understands that morale and confidence is just as significant in succeeding, as raw footballing ability. I bet those Tottenham players were as nervous as hell at half time against Milan, but you can guarantee that Harry will have defused that with a few choice words to ensure that the team went out and finished the job in hand. I have read journos in many papers this weekend claiming that Spurs beating Milan ranks as Harry’s finest hour as a football manager and while I’m not certain of that, it certainly proved to his doubters that Redknapp is a top class football manager who has what it takes to mix it with the best in Europe. Those who have played under him always knew that at the right club Harry could do it and it appears that the rest of the football fraternity is finally waking up to it as well.

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Former Tottenham, Liverpool and West Ham defender Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock is one of the great characters of English football. Razor has the same no-nonsense attitude off the pitch as he did on it.

Uncompromising, controversial and outspoken, read more of Razor’s thoughts in his weekly column

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It’s an event that comes by once every four years so we can be forgiven for wanting something memorable immediately. I know it’s premature and that the best teams haven’t played yet but my impatience has led to a little disappointment at these early stages of the World Cup in South Africa.

The opening game couldn’t have started any better for the home nation as an incisive break and thunderous strike from Siphiwe Tshbalala led to the opening goal of the World Cup. But the hope for goals and more open matches was quickly quashed by a largely forgettable match between Uruguay and France. The only thing more frustrating than watching a group of talented players not perform is when their body language conveys a lack of ambition. Why Ribery is regarded by many to be in the upper most echelon of football talents is lost on me. This was yet another match of his that left me wondering just how he built this reputation. France looked disjointed and Uruguay looked to be relying on Forlan to produce anything near a goal.

Park Ji Sung scored a lovely goal to sink a very poor Greece side. And the less said about Slovenia-Algeria the better. My criticism about Slovenia and Algeria isn’t that I expected high quality from teams who don’t possess the players, but I did expect a proactive desire to win considering the draw between USA and England. Their encounter probably encapsulates the opening days of the World Cup, where a more conservative approach has prevailed and the desire not to lose has outweighed any need to win.

Watching Holland-Denmark at the moment is another disappointing match that should be far more entertaining. An own goal has gifted the Dutch the lead in an otherwise dire performance from both teams. It is only Germany who have created a stir (and to a lesser extent Argentina, who could have scored a handful of goals if not for some inspired goalkeeping) by hitting four goals past Australia.

Finally, the issue of the vuvzelas. I don’t have too much of a problem with the noise except that it lessens the atmosphere of hearing a crowd’s voice. And had the games until now provided more entertainment perhaps the plastic horns wouldn’t be discussed so widely. Though far too early, after looking forward to an event for so long the quality of matches has certainly failed to live up to expectations. Hopefully by the end of the week after the likes of Spain, Portugal, Brazil and Italy have played and the veritable need to win matches comes into the fold, the quality of football will increase and produce some memorable moments.

If you enjoyed ths, you can follow me on Twitter

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Over the last week and a half we witnessed a star-laden Manchester side snatch a dramatic last-gasp victory in the Champions League, and then follow it up by inflicting a crushing defeat at the home of their bitter cross-city neighbours.

If one were to illustrate this scenario just four years ago, it would have been almost unthinkable to ascribe said sequence of events to Manchester City.

However, 48 months and nearly £500m worth of player acquisition later, the previously unimaginable has occurred, with City now leading their long-time tormentors by five points and favoured by the bookmakers to win the Premier League.

Sir Alex Ferguson has of course overseen challenges to United’s domestic dominance in the Premier League era. Both Arsenal and Chelsea have been seen off, but it remains to be seen whether the United dynasty will be able to withstand the threat posed by City.

City manager Roberto Mancini has experience of masterminding a major European city power shift before. Prior to his arrival in the black and blue half of the San Siro, Internazionale had failed to win Serie A in 15 years, with Milan claiming six Scudetti in that same period.

While the consequences of Calciopoli undeniably diminished the potency of rivals Juventus and Milan, Mancini successfully steered Inter to three straight Serie A titles, replicating the feat achieved by Fabio Capello’s early ’90s Milan side.

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Mancini himself has not hidden his admiration of his United counterpart – he described Ferguson as a “teacher” prior to Sunday’s derby match – and it appears that the Italian may even be modelling his approach on that of the Scotsman.

No longer the epitome of functionality and caution, Roberto Mancini’s side sparkle and shine, with their vibrant mix of direct and intricate football bearing more than a passing resemblance to the style synonymous with United under Ferguson.

In David Silva City possess the Premier League’s outstanding player, an individual blessed with a deftness of touch, vision and movement that is without compare on these shores. Old Trafford has played host to several of the Premier League’s definitively exceptional players before – five of the last ten PFA Players of the Year have been United players – but now the mantle of the league’s finest can be found at the Etihad Stadium.

Like their Old Trafford rivals, City have also shown the capacity to dig deep in the face of adversity. A draw at home to Villarreal last week would almost certainly have curtailed City’s hopes of advancing to the next stage of the Champions League, but their persistence, inventiveness and ability to pierce a resolute Villarreal defence bore all the familiar trademarks of Manchester United in Europe’s elite competition.

Mancini’s handling of Carlos Tevez, as well as other dissenting players such as Emmanuel Adebayor and Craig Bellamy, has shown that the Italian possesses a ruthless streak and an unwillingness to work with those who refuse to read from the same page as him. But the way in which he deals with Mario Balotelli also suggests he is capable of nurturing and extracting the best from an enigmatic maverick too.

Given the enduring nature of Ferguson’s success, it would be foolish to prematurely declare a definitive shift of power in English football, especially before the halfway stage of the Premier League season.

However, City’s ominously strong start suggests that they are finally capable of emerging from United’s shadow. And even more worryingly for United, it seems as though City are taking inspiration from the very template that brought such unprecedented glory to Old Trafford.

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Follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/zarifrasul

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A new study at the University of Portsmouth has revealed that there may be a link between the clothes managers wear and the performances of their teams on the pitch.

The results seemed to suggest that managers who wear suits on matchdays, and tracksuits on the training pitch, gain more respect from their players and subsequently they want to perform better.

This isn’t just a load of old nonsense, by the way! It’s been published in the International Journal of Sport Psychology. I did Psychology at A-Level, but we didn’t do anything this interesting. It was all about Freud and some bloke called Oedipus who wanted to have sex with his mother or something. But this is psychology that actually matters!

Dr. Richard Thelwell, the clever man behind it all, believes ‘a coach in a suit suggests strategic prowress which is obviously ideal for a match. In our study, coaches wearing a suit were preceived as being more strategically competent than those wearing sporting attire.’

The study took 97 men and women and asked them to observe and give reactions to photos of four different coaches; A thin coach dressed in a tracksuit, a fat coach dressed in a tracksuit, a thin coach dressed in a suit and a fat coach dressed in a suit. I’m not sure who they used in their photos but they could have gone with;

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Thin Tracksuit: Tony Pulis, Fat Tracksuit: Steve Bruce, Thin Suit: Arsene Wenger, Fat Suit: Martin Lawrence in Big Momma’s House. (Only joking!) Avram Grant.

The study found that the large coach in the suit, was considered to have the lowest ability to motivate, develop technique and strategy and build character. Which sounds about right for Avram! Reports coming from the West Ham camp suggest that when the team turned it around against West Brom last week, it was more to do with the motivating words of captain Scott Parker rather than Grant. Witness other large, suit-wearing managers like Carlo Ancelotti and Roy Hodgson failing spectacuarly to motivate their players.

The skinny manager in the tracksuit, was seen as being the best for technical and character building, and was equal best for motivating players. Again, Tony Pulis and David Moyes are both managers who regularly wear tracksuits and have built teams that (whilst not being strategically brilliant) have had a resiliant attitude and motivated players. Check out Phil Neville’s reaction to scoring the winning penalty against Chelsea on Staurday. If that wasn’t a well motivated player, I don’t know what is.

Finally, the lean manager wearing a suit was considered by the participants as having the best skills as a strategist. And this skill was the most respected. Think of it, as the cool chess-playing intellectual. Managers like Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger fall into this category, but strangely it doesn’t seem to have applied to Alan Shearer’s time in charge at Newcastle, where he was often seen sporting a snazzy grey number! (I wore one just like it to my University Leaver’s Ball as a tribute. Shame the ball came around one week after we got relegated!)

Clearly, there’s some truth in this study. If you look at the top 5 clubs in the league, all of them are managed by men in suits instead of tracksuits. But the harder-working, less-glamorous yet undeniably successful teams like Everton and Sunderland are led by what are known in the industry as ‘tracksuit gaffers.’ Naturally, there are exceptions to every rule. Iain Dowie anybody??

So what’s the science?? Well, Dr. Thelwell believes that athletes (like everyone else) make snap decisions about people on first sight. So before a manager has even opened his mouth to give the pre-match team talk, his players are judging him. The impression he gives in that moment, dictates the performance of the player on the pitch. For example, the tough little Scot in his Everton tracksuit gives an impression of stern resiliance, whilst fatty in the ill-fitting suit looks like a sweaty used car-salesman instead of a football manager.

I think the evidence speaks for itself, and Dr. Thelwell’s study gives us a terrific insight into the psychology of your average Premiership footballer. Manager’s take note! A sharp suit on matchday will make those players respect you more….but you might want to lose a few pounds first!

What do you think about how your club’s manager dresses? Could he turn up naked for all you care, or is his attire the reason you’re doing so crap in the league? That’s what the comment box is for! Debate is free…hell, it’s your right! So knock yourself out!

Now taking reservations for suit measurements @petermagpie.com on Twitter!

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England coach Fabio Capello has revealed his torment of losing captain Rio Ferdinand to injury during the squad's first day of training at their base in South Africa.

The Manchester United defender damaged knee ligaments after an innocuous collision with team-mate Emile Heskey on Friday and he was rushed to a nearby hospital for tests.

After undergoing a scan, the extent of his injury was determined and he will be missing for around six weeks, meaning he will miss the showpiece and Capello has admitted it was big blow for all concerned.

He said:"It was a tackle and then there was big pain. He put his feet in the grass with Heskey and then he moved.

"The other players were upset. They stopped training. All the players who are here with me are important. But he is one of the starting players, the captain, a leader.

"It couldn't have been much worse on my first day. It is obviously bad news and everyone with the squad is very disappointed and sorry for Rio.

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"It was an accidental injury in training, but had nothing to do with the pitch. It is the curse of the captain."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has stated that he was proud of his team after their 2-1 win over Wigan at the DW Stadium on Saturday, and feels that the side he picked was close to his first choice starting XI.

First-half goals from Rafael van der Vaart and Gareth Bale gave the visitors the three points, in what was their third consecutive league win.

Despite a number of players still on the injured list, Redknapp believes he fielded a top team.

“There’s players missing, but that’s not far away from our best team. I’m not saying it’s our best team, but there’s enough good players in there to make it very difficult to dislodge them out of our best team,” he told Sky Sports.

“We’re very, very strong and I think we’ve got the makings of a really good side. We lost Jermain Defoe, who was ill overnight and had a high temperature. We had to get a driver to drive him back to London to get him home.

“Sandro came back today alongside Scott Parker and I liked the look of that combination in there. It gave us some strength and I think we’re looking strong,” he stated.

The White Hart Lane outfit dominated the first half, which Redknapp was pleased about, but felt that they could have performed better in the second period.

“It was complete domination first half really and we could’ve been at least four-up.

“We absolutely controlled the game from the start to the finish of the half, and then we did exactly what I told them at half-time not to do, and that was to get sloppy and give a sloppy goal away because they needed a lift.

“If we could’ve started the first 10 minutes as we played in the first half it would’ve been game over,” he concluded.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has stated that he was proud of his team after their 2-1 win over Wigan at the DW Stadium on Saturday, and feels that the side he picked was close to his first choice starting XI.

First-half goals from Rafael van der Vaart and Gareth Bale gave the visitors the three points, in what was their third consecutive league win.

Despite a number of players still on the injured list, Redknapp believes he fielded a top team.

“There’s players missing, but that’s not far away from our best team. I’m not saying it’s our best team, but there’s enough good players in there to make it very difficult to dislodge them out of our best team,” he told Sky Sports.

“We’re very, very strong and I think we’ve got the makings of a really good side. We lost Jermain Defoe, who was ill overnight and had a high temperature. We had to get a driver to drive him back to London to get him home.

“Sandro came back today alongside Scott Parker and I liked the look of that combination in there. It gave us some strength and I think we’re looking strong,” he stated.

The White Hart Lane outfit dominated the first half, which Redknapp was pleased about, but felt that they could have performed better in the second period.

“It was complete domination first half really and we could’ve been at least four-up.

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“We absolutely controlled the game from the start to the finish of the half, and then we did exactly what I told them at half-time not to do, and that was to get sloppy and give a sloppy goal away because they needed a lift.

“If we could’ve started the first 10 minutes as we played in the first half it would’ve been game over,” he concluded.

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Alberto Aquilani – With Raul Meireles’s great recent run of form, much less has been said about the Italian midfielder. Although a quality midfield player who would add depth to the team, would Aqua’s return be a good thing considering he may not always get in the side? His return has become more likely in recent weeks though as Juve continue to be reluctant about paying the €12million that Liverpool are demanding for the player. According to the Italian press, Juventus want to pay less as they feel they have contributed a great deal of money already by paying the 26 year old’s wages in full from the start of the season. With the Reds now on a secure financial footing though, you can bet FSG will hold out for the €12million demanded or otherwise he could be back in the Red of Liverpool next season.

On the pitch, things are not going so well for his Juventus side. Since we last visited him, Aquilani has played in two 2-1 losses to Udinese and Palermo where he was substituted in both before the end of the match. The “Old Lady” returned to winning ways last weekend though as they beat Cagliari 3-1 with Luca Toni scoring the third (shown below). Juventus now lie 8th in the table, 11 points behind league leaders AC Milan.

David Amoo – Liverpool reserve winger has joined League One side MK Dons on a month’s loan. In the three games since his arrival, Amoo has only appeared as a substitute in the 2-2 draw with Leyton Orient. He came on to play as a striker for Lewis Guy in the second half. Stephen Gleeson and Sean O’Hanlon scored the goals for the Dons in the match. Last weekend, Amoo was an unused sub as MK Dons drew 2-2 with Sheffield Wednesday leaving the side 7th in the table, 9 points behind leaders Brighton. Let’s hope Amoo gets some more game time before the end of his loan spell.

Nathan Eccleston – The young striker is having an equally frustrating time as Amoo and has struggled to get a place in the Charlton side since his arrival on loan in January. Again he got off to a great start to his loan spell after scoring as a sub on his home debut against Plymouth Argyle in a 2-0 win. He has subsequently been used as an 88th and 80th minute substitute against Colchester and Yeovil respectively in 1-0 wins for the Addicks. New signing Bradley Wright-Phillips scored the only goal of the game against Yeovil last weekend and Charlton now lie 5th in the table with 44 points.

Emiliano Insua – After appearing in Galatasaray’s 1-0 home win against Sivasspor as a second half sub, the Argentine full back started the match against second placed Bursapor the following week. Goals from Kenny Miller and Wederson however, gave Bursaspor a 2-0 win. The 22 year old did not play in the 4-2 victory against Eskisehirspor on Sunday which left Galatasaray 7th in the table, a full 15 points behind the leaders.

Stephen Darby – After returning back to Notts County on loan in January, the right back continues to start regularly for the Nottingham club. He has started the last 3 matches for Paul Ince’s side with all three games ending in a 1-1 draw. Speculation has grown that the player will join County permanently at the end of the season. Notts County Assistant Manager Alex Rae has hinted that Darby may join the club in the Summer:

“He’s still got another year to go with Liverpool. In terms of where we go we’ll have to look at it in the summer. How he does between now and then will be a factor.”

County currently lie in 19th position in League One with 32 points.

Read more of David’s articles at the excellent ‘Live4Liverpool’

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