The racism row between Luis Suárez and Patrice Evra boiled over during the tie, played between two of England’s most successful and historical clubs, marring the event into nothing more than a childish playground spat.

Luis Suárez snubs opportunity to shake Patrice Evra's hand, following a long-drawn racism saga

And it’s just this environment, the playground, which I fear will feel the full brunt of the actions placed by two of the Premier League’s finest footballers – case in point, during the handshake at Villa Park, before Manchester City’s match against Aston Villa.

This saw the host’s mascot, a young boy, snub the opportunity to shake the hand of his young counterpart before City’s 1-0 win, highlighting just how big a role that footballers serve to their young, adoring fans – and the extent of the damage the long-standing dispute has caused the youth that succumb to the day-to-day nature of English football.

You can clearly see in this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXmCdyjMG-U, the young lad disregard his City-supporting counterpart during the opening to the match, a sign that just because they play at the top level, and have everything they wish for in life – they can’t act in a way that badly represents how human beings should act.

Of course, this includes both sides of the argument. Neither Suárez nor Evra succumbed to such racial abuse of each other, something that not only The FA are looking to kick out of the game – but society as a whole – but you should also not react in the way that Evra did following the full time whistle; circling Suárez whilst lauding the win in front of his own fans.

Since the 2-1 win for the Red Devils, the away club have moved to apologise to Manchester United and Patrice Evra, after Suárez refused to shake Evra’s hand before yesterday’s tie. This led to anger from Sir Alex Ferguson, who said: ‘Suarez is a disgrace to Liverpool Football Club.

‘That player should not be allowed to play for Liverpool again. The history that club has got,and he does that today. It could have caused a riot. I was really disappointed in that guy. For a club with their history, I’d get rid of him, I really would.’

However, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish once again stood by the Uruguayan striker, pouring cold water on the pre-match actions. He said: ‘I didn’t know that Luis refused to shake Evra’s hand. I’ll have to take your word for it. I didn’t see it. I wasn’t out there. But it’s contrary to what I was told.

Dalglish was also quick to add his views on those looking to lay blame for the high-tempered match at the door of Luis Suárez, stating: ‘I think you are very severe and bang out of order to blame Luis Suárez for anything that happened out there… Listen, we’re not in it for handshakes.’

Evra spots Suárez at full time, and reminds him of the final score - unprofessional, and has lost his credibility

Following the match, which saw Suárez grab a late consolation after two goals from Wayne Rooney, an apology was sent from Suárez to the Premier League champions – which told of his apology, following a discussion with his manager.

The statement said: ‘I have spoken with the manager since the game at Old Trafford and I realise I got things wrong. I’ve not only let him down, but also the club and what it stands for and I’m sorry. I made a mistake and I regret what happened. I should have shaken Patrice Evra’s hand before the game and I want to apologise for my actions.’

This apology was soon-after recognised by Manchester United, who added their thanks to their divisional rivals, stating on the club’s official website: ‘Manchester United thanks Liverpool for the apologies issued following Saturday’s game.

‘Everyone at Old Trafford wants to move on from this. The history of our two great clubs is one of success and rivalry unparalleled in British football. That should be the focus in the future of all those who love the clubs.’

Footballers have just as much responsibility – if not more so, than policemen and women, doctors, nurses and the armed forces; to act responsibly and set an acceptable example for the nation’s children – if those they look up to can’t educate them from right or wrong, who can?

Later that evening, Fabio Capello held a meeting with The Football Association regarding their ongoing bust-up, following the association’s decision to strip John Terry of the England captaincy, following his alleged racial abuse towards Anton Ferdinand.

Harry Redknapp (above) has been made favourite to succeed Fabio Capello as the next England manager.

This meeting led with the 65-year-old Italian feeling that he could no longer work alongside David Bernstein and the rest of The FA, leaving him with no choice but to leave his position as national team manager, looking to pastures new back in Italy.

This has led Redknapp to become the outright favourite to take the England job, with many believing that he should be the natural successor – given The FAct he is British, successful and has made his feelings known of wanting the job for a number of years.

However, I do not believe he should be given the job, given his track record with English players. During his time with Portsmouth, he was largely signing overseas international players on high wages, which then led the club to their first FA Cup final since 1939, winning 1-0 against Cardiff City. The squad on that day consisted of 16 players (including substitutes), of which only five were English.

Glen Johnson is the only player currently plying his trade within the national side, whilst David James, Sol Campbell, Jamie Ashdown and David Nugent made up the rest of the British contingent. Sean Davis, Linvoy Primus and Martin Cranie were also working within the Portsmouth squad at that time, but failed to make The FA Cup final through injury and suspension.

Excluding Primus, the remaining two were soon-after phased out of first team opportunities by Redknapp – who himself left just six months later – taking Jermain Defoe (who had signed for Portsmouth in January 2008), with him to White Hart Lane; however, Defoe has been starved of first team opportunities of late.

Pompey fans’ favourite Matthew Taylor was also given similar treatment to Davis, O’Neil and Cranie – finding himself out of the first-team fold, leaving him with little choice than to look elsewhere to ply his trade – leaving for Bolton Wanderers.

England striker Wayne Rooney, and his Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand have backed Redknapp for the post, with Rooney tweeting: ‘Gutted Capello has quit. Good guy and top coach. Got to be English to replace him. Harry Redknapp for me.’

Ferdinand was also quick to add comment, stating: ‘I think we need an English manager now, we don’t need anything else lost in translation….Harry Redknapp would be my choice by a distance’. Of course, reputation in a job like this is everything – and if he has the full backing of the squad – I, and anyone, would be foolish to go against their views.

However that is a big word, is ‘reputation’, something that Redknapp has in abundance – both good, and bad. Many of his former players have said nice things about Harry, including former-England manager Sven Goran Eriksson, who told BBC Sport: ‘I think Redknapp will be a very, very good choice.

‘He’s English; he knows his football .He is doing a great job with Tottenham and has done a great job with every team he’s had in the past’. Great words for ol’ ‘Arry, from a man who has been in the hot seat that many are already assigning him to.

But with the good always comes the bad, as many players have stated regarding being ‘frozen out’ of first-team plans at a club, because he wasn’t one of ‘Harry’s lads’. This sentiment was echoed by former-Spurs striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, who recently moved to Lokomotiv Moscow following a lack of chances at Tottenham.

He said: ‘I don’t know whether Redknapp is telling the truth when he says he doesn’t want to lose me. I guess he is not telling the truth. Redknapp says I’m not playing because my pre-season wasn’t good. I can’t understand that.

‘Something must change. I must play in order not to miss Euro 2012, and there is a danger of missing such an important tournament.’

With this in mind, I firmly believe that The FA should look a little closer to home when appointing the next manager – ahead of this summer’s European Championships. And how much closer to home can you get, than appointing a football manager, who is well regarded, and has been working within the national side since 2007? Step forward, Stuart Pearce.

Stuart 'Psycho' Pearce - my favourite for the England vacancy, following a five-year stint with the under-21 squad

Nicknamed ‘Psycho’ for antics during his playing days, Pearce has been handed the chance to manage his country in their upcoming tie against Holland on Feburary 29 – and I believe he encases everything that we need at the moment – installation of pride and passion within the side, knowing that every game is like a battlefield, and that you’re going on to defend the reputation of your country.

Pearce would offer this – reaching the final of the Under-21 European Championships in 2009 – the nation’s first competitive final since 1966 – when the full squad famously beat West Germany 4-2 at Wembley Stadium.

This entails why I believe Stuart Pearce is the right man for the job. It would allow natural progression – so to not disturb Redknapp in his post at Tottenham Hotspur – and show reward for a man who has continually dealt with everything thrown at him in his job, offering him the chance to move from the under-21 squad, to working with the full team – who already know and respect him – on a full time basis.

However, I do appreciate why Redknapp has been backed for the role. During his managerial career he has been largely successful – winning The FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008 as well the Carling Cup with Spurs in 2009 and a shot at the Champions League.

Redknapp has transformed his current club, since the day he took over in December 2008. Juandé Ramos’ stint at the club prior to ‘Arry’s arrival was less than fruitful, guiding them to the foot of the table. Redknapp was then appointed as his successor, following a successful stint back at Pompey.

He then guided Spurs up the table, and into the Carling Cup final – where they lost out on penalties to Manchester United. The club finished the season in eighth place, a great testament to Redknapp’s managerial ability.

However, less than 24-hours after the verdict of Redknapp’s trial and, as he stated, after ‘five years of torrid abuse for me and my family’, should Redknapp take a well-deserved break from the spotlight?

Earlier this week, I wrote an article about the treatment of Liverpool’s Luis Suárez, as well as Chelsea and England captain John Terry following their allegations of racist abuse towards Patrice Evra and Anton Ferdinand respectively, with my personal view that the pair have been unfairly judged before any evidence has been proven.

John Terry was also branded a 'racist', after an altercation with Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand.

Today, I re-iterate this point, but not only this, put to you one of equality. In days where those of mixed race, colour, sexuality, personal belief or place of origin should be treated just the same as their friends and colleagues – I fail to see the Football Association’s logic.

How is it possible that Luis Suárez can be handed an eight-match ban as well as a £40,000 fine for his ‘alleged’ and unproven racial ‘assault’ of Patrice Evra, yet the Manchester United left-back receives nothing, despite his racial retaliation against the Uruguayan forward? The French full-back was rumoured to have told Suárez ‘Don’t touch me, you South American’.

Suárez claims that the racial term that he used against Evra was one that his team-mates used for him during the clash 1-1 draw between Manchester United and Liverpool in October. Although an obviously an unacceptable racist term was used, twice, in this confrontation – it strikes me on just how politically incorrect The FA actually are – despite trying to promote themselves as an anti-racist organisation.

I have been discussing this topic for many days with friends, colleagues and followers on Twitter, many of which have raised an interesting point in the debate: ‘If the average man who has lived in Great Britain all of his life does not know what is and isn’t acceptable, how can someone who has been in the country just under a year?’.

I completely agree with this statement. Many times have I heard people accused of being a ‘racist’, for referring to someone as ‘black’, ‘white’, or ‘coloured’. Where is the line? What can or can we not say in modern society, to avoid being labelled as a man or woman of prejudice? There’s no strict guidelines within the public domain, so how can there be in professional sport?

This whole thing, to me, screams of The FA looking to make their stamp in the debate, however have left themselves in the middle of a race-fuelled war – banning a player with no evidence, truly putting an end to the term ‘Innocent until proven guilty’.

Many have called Suárez’ actions ‘ignorant’, however I’m fully behind the player on this. If he’s playing a football match and Evra’s colleagues are referring to him as a ‘negro’, he’s going to think that’s acceptable to refer to the player under the same steam. Obviously, in a world where our society is over-cautious on racism, The FA have acted in a way to punish Suárez with being a ‘racist’, an image that will now probably stick with the Liverpool talisman for his duration in English football.

A mock-up photo, highlighting that Terry's reputation has now been damaged because of allegations, rather than evidence.

But for me, this is a completely unacceptable action for English football’s governing body to take, punishing a player that clearly was unaware of this country’s views towards racism – and I fully support him and Liverpool Football Club with their efforts in appealing the player’s heavy ban. I do not condone racism, nor do I feel it is acceptable to use terms such as those used by BOTH Suárez AND Evra, but I do feel some leniency is needed with such a delicate subject.

Similarly, my blog this week also centres itself around the world of referees in the modern game, and how they are treated by fans, players, the media and their own organisation. Today, on Sky Sports News I watched an article about the standard of refereeing in Scotland, a report which looked to make journalists ‘aware of the rules of the game’, before commenting upon them in post-match analysis – being over-critical of match officials.

I completely agree with this statement, and fully stand by The SFA’s move to make sure journalists and pundits are understanding of the rules of the game before making opinions. However, during this feature I saw a piece of footage in a Chelsea match, where a player had gone down in the box – with the assorted media given yellow and red cards to vote on what they saw the judgement ‘should’ have been.

Out of around 20 assorted journalists, just two voted for the red card, while the remaining went for the yellow card. This is an opinion, and should be left at that – however the spokesperson at the meeting replied with ‘well, at least two of you were listening’, despite the footage clearly showing the player going away from goal, with at least four opposing defenders around him.

Referees are put on the spot every week - but they're just humans, and should be treated as equally as you or I.

Despite this, again, this was the spokes-person’s opinion – which is the point of my article here. Football is famously a game of opinions and debate, and the treatment of referees in our games, for me, is poor. What I believe has been lost during the years is the notion that match officials are ‘only human’, and that mistakes can be made.

With so many different interpretations of the law of the game, it seems that referees are left with an impossible task, expected to make split-second decisions that even television cameras struggle to make light of after minutes of ‘expert’ analysis. For me, this should be treated exactly the same as the racism debate, as referees are put on the spot and victimised week in week out for playing major parts in matches, however it seems abuse of match officials by players and supporters go unpunished week in, week out.

If someone ran up to me in my work place, swearing and gesturing at me for making an error, that’d be a sackable offence – why does sport continually get away with breaking society’s rules, just because their occupation in a predominantly in the public eye?

Liverpool’s Luis Suárez, as well as Chelsea and England captain John Terry have been fined for making racist remarks against Patrice Evra and Anton Ferdinand respectively, sanctions that both clubs have backed their players against.

It is unknown what Suárez had said to Evra, however a statement released by the Football Association stated that the player had ‘included a reference to Mr. Evra’s colour’. Suárez has also claimed publicly that ‘I called him something his team-mates call him and even they were surprised by his reaction.’

Luis Suárez banned for eight matches and fined £40,000 for 'alleged racial abuse' of Patrice Evra.

Suárez has been handed an eight-match ban by the Premier League, ruling him out of key matches in the club’s season, including the visit to Manchester City on 3 January 2012. The Uruguayan striker was also handed a £40,000 fine for his remarks against the Frenchman.

Terry, however, is set to be prosecuted for a ‘racially aggravated public order offence’, following his comments made to Queens Park Rangers defender Ferdinand – with the England skipper set to face trial on 1 February 2012. It is thought that if Terry is found guilty of such remarks, he will only face a fine of £2,500 – with no hint of a match ban yet.

This move has caused a stir amongst the football world, with many feeling that English football’s governing body were too quick to act on the situation.

Liverpool Football Club released a statement shortly after the verdict was given, fully backing their player. The club have moved to the defence of their front man, stating: ‘Liverpool Football Club is very surprised and disappointed with the decision of the Football Association Commission to find Luis Suarez guilty of the charges against him.

We find it extraordinary that Luis can be found guilty on the word of Patrice Evra alone when no-one else on the field of play – including Evra’s own Manchester United team-mates and all the match officials – heard the alleged conversation between the two players in a crowded Kop goalmouth while a corner kick was about to be taken.’

The club were also quick to point out that although the nature of the comment remains unknown, Evra himself admitted that Suárez was not a racist. The statement reads: ‘It is key to note that Patrice Evra himself in his written statement in this case said ‘I don’t think that Luis Suarez is racist’. The FA in their opening remarks accepted that Luis Suarez was not racist.

‘It appears to us that the FA were determined to bring charges against Luis Suarez, even before interviewing him at the beginning of November. Nothing we have heard in the course of the hearing has changed our view that Luis Suarez is innocent of the charges brought against him and we will provide Luis with whatever support he now needs to clear his name.

We would also like to know when the FA intend to charge Patrice Evra with making abusive remarks to an opponent after he admitted himself in his evidence to insulting Luis Suarez in Spanish in the most objectionable of terms. Luis, to his credit, actually told the FA he had not heard the insult.’

These two bans have caused a domino effect within football, not just for the playing staff, but also fans’ supporters on match-day. There has been many cases of racial abuse within the sport from the stands, most high-profile from Spanish fans’ during England’s visit in 2004.

England internationals were racially abused during a match against Spain in Madrid, in 2004.

Tottenham Hotspur were the first club to speak out on racism at football matches, following the pair’s respective punishments, releasing a statement on the club’s official website. This statement reads:

‘A reminder to all fans, both home and away, that foul, abusive, homophobic or racist language will not be tolerated at White Hart Lane. The Club will take action against anyone heard using such language.

‘Stewards will again wear head-cams at Thursday night’s match against Chelsea and will adopt a zero-tolerance policy. Once again, we call upon our fans to behave in a manner which does not bring the Club into disrepute and of which we can be proud.’

For me, this has been an incredible decision from The FA, who I believe have jumped too quickly on the situation – and who have left themselves open to scrutiny by acting with no solid evidence of either racial slur.

It is believed that ‘nobody except the players involved’ had heard comments between Suárez and Evra, similarly the case with John Terry, however with racial discrimination high in football’s agenda in the modern day, it seems to me like the governing body were looking to make an example out of two high-profile footballers, both with no history of racism – an effort from the top, looking to send a clear message out to its members.

Football has come a long way in the past twenty years, with the likes of Cyril Regis and Chris Kamara being targeted for racial reasons, with both having bananas thrown at them during matches by both sets of supporters, in a time when racial tolerance was at an all-time low. The league and organisations such as ‘Kick It Out’ have made immense strides over this time in breaking down race barriers, I just hope that this evening’s announcements aren’t going to ruin their efforts.

This, for me, also goes within the stands. While I do not condone racial, sexist nor homophobic chanting at football grounds, if you’re going to sit a steward next to the fans with cameras filming everything, where’s the privacy law? Who has given permission for those fans to be filmed during matches?

As a Pompey fan, the amount of teams that visit Fratton Park singing ‘Does your boyfriend know your here?’, or ‘Do you take it up the a*se?’ isn’t an issue – in fact, most of the fans’ that sit around me find it funny, as it’s part and parcel of football. If you start dictating what fans’ can and can’t sing, you might as well give them a list of songs they’re allowed to sing and if they deviate, kick them out.

Football is not a choir, nor is racism acceptable in the modern game. The FA have a lot of questions to answer for, as well as football club’s stance on the situation. Spurs’ knee-jerk reaction is over the top as far as I’m concerned. I just hope other clubs don’t follow suit, and finally kill off fan participation at football matches – something that has already began to die out since the introduction of all-seater stadiums.

Npower Championship 2011/2012 - Just 50 days away. Are you ready?

Relegated from the Premier League last season, West Ham United, Birmingham City and Blackpool will all be looking to bounce back at the first time of asking. Sam Allardyce’s move to Upton Park will look kindly on the club’s chances of promotion, however Alex McLeish’s move to Aston Villa has left Birmingham City looking for a new boss.

Newly-promoted Brighton and Hove Albion, Southampton and Peterborough United will also be looking to stay in the division, spending big to keep their ambitions alive, with the Posh potentially looking at yet another back-to-back promotion.

All odds are based on promotion chances, and have been provided by Bet365.

West Ham United (6/4 to be promoted):

No shock relegation last season for the Hammers, who will be buoyed with the signing of Kevin Nolan from Newcastle United. The midfielder was integral to the Toon’s promotion back to the top flight in 2010, scoring 18 goals in 48 appearances for the North-East outfit.

The club will have to look for more attacking options, however, with Demba Ba’s stay at Upton Park over – moving to Newcastle United, leaving West Ham United with just Frédéric Piquionne, Zavon Hines, Frank Nouble and Freddie Sears to choose from up front – with it thought that Carlton Cole is looking for a return to a Premier League club.

Abdoulaye Faye also joined the side recently, in a free transfer, bringing new manager Sam Allardyce closer with another one of his former-Bolton Wanderers players. A strong defender who has had limited opportunity in the top flight – will be eager to prove his worth at this stage of his career.

I can see this side being up and around the top echelons of the league, but think they will fall just short of an automatic promotion spot. They have good players at this level, and an abundance of youth in their side will do their chances no harm – but think the Championship could be too physical for the likes of Julien Faubert.

My prediction: 3rd place.

Leicester City (15/8 to be promoted):

Leicester City were unlucky to miss out on a play off position last season, and will be looking to go up automatically this term. Sven-Goran Eriksson may be looking to bolster another goalkeeper to his ranks, with it announced that Portuguese stopper Ricardo would not have his contract renewed at the Walkers Stadium.

Loanees Aiyegbeni Yakubu and Diomansy Kamara have been linked with a loan-return to the club from Everton and Fulham respectively, with the pair proving their attributes last term, with the pair scoring 13 goals between them.

Youngster Jack Hobbs has been linked with a move to Hull City, with it likely that Eriksson will do everything in his power to keep Hobbs at the club. I can see Leicester being challengers this season, but similarly to West Ham United, falling short come the last few games.

My prediction: 6th place.

Birmingham City (5/2 to be promoted):

The club have had wide-spread media attention recently, following former manager Alex McLeish’s move to fierce rivals Aston Villa. This move has angered all associated with the club, with court cases threatened as to tapping up for the manager, who won the League Cup before being relegated with the Blues last season.

Having released a number of top players, including Sebastien Larsson and Lee Bowyer being released and Scott Dann reportedly close to moving to Stoke City, the future isn’t so bright for the club’s supporters.

Many of the first team have been linked to follow McLeish’s betrayal and join Aston Villa, with big names such as Scott Carson and Roger Johnson hinted at wanting to re-join the Scot, who they hold in high regard following last season’s cup success.

Former-Newcastle United manager Chris Hughton is heavily linked with the manger’s job at St Andrews, and will be looking to add to his portfolio following clinching the Npower Championship title in his maiden managerial season.

Birmingham City still have a lot of quality players, and with the signing of Marlon King adding to their striking options, they will be a strong force throughout the season. Given the correct manager, they could even go up with more silverware to add to their collection.

Should Hughton join the club, I would back them heavily to win the league, returning to the top flight at the first time of asking.

My prediction: 1st place.

Nottingham Forest (4/1 to be promoted):

New manager Steve McClaren has insisted that he has nothing to prove after being dumped by England, but he will be looking to revitalise Nottingham Forest’s promotion push this coming season, bettering the feats of exiting manager Billy Davies. The club countered Davies’ claims that he had no financial backing, but with a reported £20million offered to the former-boss, McClaren will be rubbing his hands at the prospect of his war-chest this transfer window.

Forest were unlucky not to gain promotion last season, beaten by Swansea City in the play-off semi final, who then went on to beat Reading at Wembley, making themselves the first Welsh club in history to play in England’s top flight.

With McClaren’s track record in no doubt with success at FC Twente, fans’ of Forest will be eagerly anticipating this season, however with unlimited funds at Wolfsburg providing no success for the former-Middlesbrough boss, it will be impossible to predict the manager’s tenure at the club, however I can see them going up automatically, given the quality of Lewis McGugan, Robert Earnshaw and Wes Morgan, pending transfers.

My prediction: 2nd place.

Leeds United (5/1 to be promoted):

Leeds United were also unlucky to miss out on a play-off spot last season, finishing just short despite a win at league winners Queens Park Rangers, due to Nottingham Forest’s result going against the Yorkshire club.

With the season opener away at new-boys Southampton, Simon Grayson’s side face an uphill task with the South-Coast club on a high following their promotion last season. However, the likes of Max Gradel, Robert Snodgrass and Luciano Becchio should have enough fire-power to lead the club to success this season.

Bradley Johnson is set to sign for Norwich City, now of the Premier League, while Neil Kilkenny has welcomed a move to divisional rivals Hull City. However, the club still have the likes of starlet Jonny Howson and Lloyd Sam, but will need to build on their squad if they wish to better last season and make it back to the Premier League.

I can see Leeds United having a good season, and with just a few good signings I feel they could have enough to at least amount to a play-off place finish. Eric Lichaj has admitted his desire to return to the club for another season, which will no doubt be music to the manager’s ears.

My prediction: 5th place.

Reading (4/1 to be promoted):

The Royals lost out to Swansea City in the play-off final last season, and will be looking to take the experience in good stead as the new season approaches.

Should they hold on to key-players Jimmy Kebe, Shane Long and Matthew Mills, the club will have a good chance of reaching the play-offs once again, however the lure of Premier League football may be too good for the before-mentioned stars, who will be looking to play in football’s elite division.

Young goalkeeper Alex McCarthy will be looking to play more this season, filling in for Adam Federici on a number of occasions in last season’s FA Cup campaign. Noel Hunt will be also looking to prove that he’s not the only striker at the club worthy of a top-flight move, however will need to improve on his ratio of scoring one goal every six games last term.

I think Reading have a good chance in the league this season, despite a number of top teams joining the fold. I can see them finishing in a decent play-off position.

My prediction: 4th place.

Cardiff City (11/2 to be promoted):

New manager Malky Mackay will be looking to impose his strong work ethic on his new club this season, following the sacking of Dave Jones after another failed promotion attempt. Star striker Michael Chopra was allowed to join Ipswich Town, leaving the club short in the attacking department.

Jay Bothroyd’s contract is also up at the club, with the striker mulling over his options whilst on holiday before the pre-season period begins. The pair’s exit leaves Mackay with just Jon Parkin and Nathanial Jarvis to choose from, unless he can persuade Arsenal youngster Jay Emmanuel-Thomas to rejoin the Bluebirds for another loan spell.

It will be a tough season for Cardiff and their new manager, especially with a large number of transfers already completed by clubs around them, however Mackay is a strong character and will not take the season lightly, so expect a combative but attacking set-up.

I can see Cardiff making a late charge for the play-offs, however think that they will fall just short. Potentially this season should be written off to rebuild, with a new manager and ultimately, a number of new players joining the club.

My prediction: 7th place.

The rest of the league:

I can see it being a good season for Portsmouth, who have recently undergone a takeover with Convers Sports Initiatives, giving them a good chance of improving their squad ahead of the season. However, I feel that he takeover has come too late for the side, who have missed out on a number of targets during the transfer window, leaving Steve Cotterill with just nine first team players following the signing of Ipswich captain David Norris.

Blackpool will also be strong candidates following relegation last season. Charlie Adam set the top flight alight last term, and should he continue his good form in this campaign, fans’ of the club could have another dramatic season on their hands. They may be joined by the likes of Burnley, Hull City and Ipswich in the promotion race.

Peterborough United’s attacking philosophy will no doubt be on offer again this season, with Darren Ferguson’s profile taking no dents since returning to the club. I think they will offer too much to be relegation candidates, as long as they can hold on to striker George Boyd, and talisman Craig Mackail-Smith.

However, at the other end of the table it is a different story. A season of struggle is expected for the newly promoted clubs, and I think Southampton, Derby, Crystal Palace and Millwall will all struggle to make an impact this season, however I can’t see past Doncaster Rovers being right in the mix for the drop to Npower League One.

Here’s how I think the season will finish:

1 -Birmingham City
2 -Nottingham Forest
3 -West Ham United
4 – Reading
5 – Leeds United
6 – Leicester City
7 – Cardiff City
8 – Portsmouth
9 – Blackpool
10 – Burnley
11 -Hull City
12 – Ipswich Town
13 – Middlesbrough
14 – Peterborough United
15 – Watford
16 – Coventry City
17 – Bristol City
18 – Brighton and Hove Albion
19 – Barnsley
20 – Peterborough United
21 – Crystal Palace
22 – Doncaster Rovers
23 – Derby County
24 -Southampton (Well, what did you expect?)

Follow me – @DanBrett90

Many had tipped Barcelona to be favourites for the tie, despite their opponents gracing the Wembley turf on many occasions previously.

Barca’s fans’ poured into the stadium hours before kickoff, looking to catch a glimpse of their side, even over-excitedly cheering the officials exiting the tunnel – mistaking them for their heroes.

Pedro opened the scoring for the Spaniards, a cool strike down to the right of Edwin Van Der Sar in his final professional appearance.

Talismanic Wayne Rooney then gave United a glimmer of hope, with a good one-two followed up by a rasping shot past Victor Valdes.

Lionel Messi then regained Barca’s lead, soon followed up by a stunning 20-yard curler from David Villa giving his side a comfortable lead.

Michael Carrick was substituted midway through the second half, seemingly glad to see the back of Xavi and Iniesta, the duo giving him a torrid night.

Sir Alex Ferguson also cast an angry figure, with the Scot bellowing anxious instruction to his side from as early as the 15th minute.

Nani was also brought on to change his sides fortunes, however just minutes later Villa’s strike ended hopes of the Champions League finding it’s way to the offices of Old Trafford.

Noble Steed needs to do better.

With England’s domestic clubs playing ten months of the year, fighting for either promotion, survival or the chance of winning their respective league, an inch can make all of the difference to whether your side escape relegation, or suffer demotion into a ‘lesser’ division.

The before-mentioned link highlights to us just how important even a yard can matter, with a number of shock changes to the final league standings, highlighting the importance of taking your chances, or face suffering the consequences.

In the Premier League, had all of the shots that had struck the woodwork been scored, the final league table would have been a different story – starting with the top four. Arsenal, a club who have not won a major trophy in six years, would have won the Premier League, closely followed by Chelsea – with this season’s champions in a lowly third place.

The story is no different in the relegation spots, too. Blackpool, although relegated on the last day of the 2010-2011 season, would have finished bottom of the league, with fellow relegated side Birmingham City and Newcastle United – who finished in an impressive 12th place following promotion the season before.

West Ham United, the club entrusted with the honour of bottom spot this season, would have finished in 13th – impressive for a club who only amassed 43 goals all season, the third worst in the league. The Hammers also won the title of lowest chances to goal ratio, at just 10%. Liverpool would have also claimed a Champions’ League place, with Manchester City just three points behind in fifth.

The width of the post also affected the Npower Championship, with the 2010/2011 runners up Norwich City only reaching a play-off place, with Welsh side Swansea City claiming automatic promotion. Queens Park Rangers, however, would still have won the league, with a comfortable four-point margin.

Nottingham Forest would have missed out on a play-off place, surrendering their opportunity to Leeds United, who narrowly missed out on the chance to rejoin the Premier League last season. Derby County would have also been relegated to Npower League One, with Preston North End surviving on a healthy 47 points, five points above the drop zone.

These findings not only point out just how wasteful sides can be, but also how much an opportunity can cost a side. For example, in this instance Arsenal could have won their first Premier League title since 2004, but due to reasons heavily-raised in the media, they can only amass a fourth-place finish.

Individual players can also change games, and this was the case at Newcastle United. Their midfielder, Joey Barton, created the most goalscoring chances (41) from set pieces last season, assisting goals from the same method.

My heart goes out to Sunderland’s Steed Malbranque, however. Having totalled an impressive 44 shots on goal last season, the Belgian-born Frenchman failed to score all season. Not such a trusty steed, eh? Fernando Torres also only managed three shots on target in his 14 Chelsea appearances this season, averaging out at nearly £3.6million per shot. Good form, Fernando!

Taking your chances is vital at any level of professional, semi-professional or grass roots football. So, for a club such as Arsenal, preferring to score goals built on long build-up play rather than going for an ‘easier’ shot, it makes me wonder just what they could achieve if they had more about them than just pretty passing and fancy flicks.

Still, Liverpool must be glad they have Dirk ‘one yard’ Kuyt. It must be hard to miss the target from a yard away from goal, let alone hit the woodwork.

Sebastian Larsson: Surprise release by Birmingham City - one to watch during the transfer window.

The price paid by Britain’s biggest club is undoubtedly set to rise, with Lille striker Gervinho linked with both Arsenal and Liverpool, as well as the likes of manager-less Chelsea looking to reclaim the Premier League title, under the stewardship of a yet-unnamed boss.

Bookies have slashed the odds on Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp joining their London rivals, however the wheeler-dealer has claimed this to be untrue. He said: ‘Well I have got a great job at Tottenham, things are going well for me. I have had a couple of great years it couldn’t have gone better for me there.

‘I haven’t heard anything from Chelsea that’s for sure, no one has ever mentioned Chelsea to me. It’s not the first I have heard of it, someone said to me today your name got mentioned on TV, well I said I’ve never heard nothing at all so it’s all news to me.’

Former boss Carlo Ancelotti has also confirmed of his desire to stay in England, echoed by former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez, who has also claimed that he would like to return to the Premier League, a place where he spent six years managing the Reds.

One club that could attract Benitez may be Aston Villa, a club that is currently under the stewardship of Gerard Houllier. Many fans’ are disgruntled with Houllier’s tactics and treatment of the club’s top stars, so I wouldn’t hesitate to put money on Benitez being attract by a club that have underachieved of late, but could achieve great things under the correct guidance.

Today, Villa announced that midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker and forward John Carew have been released by the Midlands club, with a host of youngsters also let go, giving them the chance to make their name at other clubs.

Rivals Birmingham City have also released a host of big names, including Kevin Phillips and Lee Bowyer, as well as highly-rated midfielder Sebastian Larsson, a player who could have easily attracted a good price for the relegated club.

Newly promoted sides Queens Park Rangers and Norwich City will be on the look out for talent as they prepare for their season against some of the world’s top sides, with the latter today signing former-Everton striker James Vaughan, who spent much of last season on loan at Crystal Palace.

Norwich have also been linked with a sensational move for Bayern Munich striker Miroslav Klose, however any deal for the German international has been rebuffed by manager Paul Lambert. The manager doubts Klose’s work-rate, and feels that he could do better in the market.

He told Sky Sports: ‘The lad’s 30-odd now, he’s played in front of 80,000 people. He isn’t going to come to Norwich and put his shoulder to the wheel, that’s me being totally honest.

‘I don’t think I’m going to get somebody like that, I’ll get lads that are hungry and want to drive the club on.’

Another of the Canaries’ transfer targets, Liam Trotter of Millwall, has handed in a transfer request. With an offer for the midfielder thought to be around £2million, the chance to join the East Anglia outfit and play Premier League football could be too good to turn down.

Another of the Premier League’s relegated clubs, West Ham United, will be hoping to cash in on the likes of Scott Parker, Robert Green and Demba Ba during the window, in an attempt to reclaim some money into the club so dangerously on the edge of administration.

The Hammers had previously released statements from co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold, stating that relegation to the Npower Championship could cost the club up to £40m, a fee that can only feasibly be recouped with the sales of the club’s talismanic stars.

Avram Grant sacked following relegation from Premier League today.

The news broke just a couple of hours after the club’s relegation was confirmed, following a last-minute 3-2 defeat at Wigan Athletic, with the club’s hierarchy using a ‘borrowed room’ at the DW Stadium to break the news to the Israeli.

Grant’s tenure at the club has been a torrid affair, having been in the relegation zone since the start of the season. This has incurred an up-hill task for Avram from the off, with many fans’ ridiculing him in the process – a wonder for me why he hadn’t walked much earlier.

Having been appointed by new chiefs David Gold, David Sullivan and Karen Brady, the trio formerly of Birmingham City, it was forecast that any poor form would be ridiculed, with previous comments from former-Birmingham manager Steve Bruce highlighting their involvement in half time and full time team talks.

I would personally welcome Grant back to Portsmouth with open arms, his efforts felt enormously by the Pompey fans’ and his style would be welcomed, given the chance to mould the club in his vision, especially now all of the administration farce is out of the way.

Grant took his management position on June 3 2010, following relegation the previous season with South Coast club Portsmouth. He joined the club following the sacking of Gianfranco Zola, who saved the club from the drop the previous season – however was unable to repeat the Italian’s accomplishment at the club, sending the Hammers back to the Championship for the first time since 2005.

Prospective owner Vladimir Antonov seemingly showing what he'd like to do to Chainrai and Kushnir.

A statement on the CSI facebook page today read: “The acquisition of Portsmouth Russian businessman Vladimir Antonov and its control by CSI is on the verge of collapse.

“CSI and its shareholders have passed the so-called «fit and proper test» English Football League and have provided all the necessary evidence of their own stable of Finance position, but the real owners of Portsmouth Levi Kushnir and Bali Chanray decided once again to change the terms of the deal and asked for an additional 3 million pounds a preliminary agreement (about 10% to the price originally agreed upon). CSI and Vladimir Antonov, refused to review the conditions and ready to get out of the deal, reports sports.ru.”

The deal was previously believed to have been finalised this week, with all parties passing the FA’s ‘Fit and Proper Persons’ Test’ and due diligence, with Antonov flying into the country this week to put pen to paper, allowing his firm to take full control of the South Coast side.

CSI’s interest was first flagged up also on the social networking site, after owners Antonov and Roman Dubov both announced Portsmouth to be their ‘favoured clubs’, before reports of interest had been leaked into the press, following a failed takeover at Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers.

This comes as another blow to Pompey, who had previous ‘interest’ from 21-year-old Tom Lever and Rob Lloyd, however both deals failed to materialise, following what has been a torrid few years of false-takeovers, false-owners and lacking investment.

This news came shortly after Portsmouth took a point at Turf Moor, after a 1-1 draw with Burnley. David Nugent had put his side on their way to victory in early in the second half, however Chris Eagles equalised for the hosts, picking up a vital point on their quest to make the play offs. Nugent nearly won the game for Pompey with three minutes to go, however was unable to beat Brian Jensen.

Brett’s Babble:

The time is now. We simply cannot afford to sit on our hands any more and allow the current regime to ruin the club of any chance to rebuild over the summer. I’m not one who has previously stated the need to protest, however have been present at those that have taken place, but enough is enough.

We only have one more home game before the summer, which although has been labelled as ‘Fans’ Day’, could be the perfect setting to allow Portsmouth and its supporters to have the last word on the season, in a game that will already have much press coverage with the Sky cameras rolling in, with Norwich looking likely to be promoted to the Premier League, or at least, make the play offs.

It will take a big effort and a lot of organising, however the protest against Al Faraj and Storrie was a complete success. The last protest was also a success in getting the message across, however one on a much grander scale is needed, fully showing the support for the club but also for those prospectively taking charge.

They need to realise what they’re buying into is more than just a football club and slabs of concrete in Fratton – they need to realise the true support we have down here, and that we won’t take these matters lightly.