McLEISH GETS CHANCE TO SHOP

ALEX Mcliesh will be given up to 40 million to spend in the January transfer window after new owner Carson Yeung gave the Scot his full support.

Now Mcliesh can really push the club forward, and out of the shadow of local rivals Aston Villa according to Yeung. He said, “Birmingham can be as big as possible, we are competitors for Aston Villa.”

I was impressed how he didn’t start ranting and raving about winning trophies and champions league spots in the next few seasons. He seems more interested in seeing stability in the top flight and just reminding their neighbours (Villa) that there is another club in the city.

Yeung has a big gap to fill after buying out former owners David Gold and Sullivan, who were extremely dedicated to the club for 16 years. In this time City have tasted the premiership three times.

But can Mcleish bring the right players to City? His big money buy his season Christian Benitez has failed to impress yet, while Barry Ferguson doesn’t look too much better than when he was at Blackburn in the Premiership, despite starting every game this year.

City are missing someone who can score plus ten goals a season and some quality in the middle.
Although they have not started too badly, their games have been won or lost by a single boring dull goal.

Hopefully with cash on the table City will add some class to the team to entertain their truly dedicated fans, instead of leaving them ruing missed opportunities.

ONLINE SHOCCER

TODAY’S game between England and Ukraine is being shown online and viewers will be charged to watch it. Online company Kentaro, who bought the rights to the game after Setanta went bust will be streaming the game to viewers after failing to sell the match to ITV or the BBC. England fans have posted their anger online already, but some people are now saying this is the future way to watch football, but is it really?

The plus side is that we would be able to choose which premier league match we wanted, instead of watching the games Sky or ESPN broadcast. Also if every football match could be streamed people who support smaller clubs with no live TV coverage such as league two sides would be able to watch their side’s week in week out.

But is this really the root we want to take? I dislike watching sports on a small screen let alone on a laptop. What would happen to going to the pub to watch Manchester United v Chelsea only to find out their showing Burton Albion v Bristol Rovers? because the landlord is from Burton. Also if pubs were paying £10 per a match and were screening three or four would the have an entry fee to enter your local?

England fans have supported the team so much through this campaign. They have put less pressure on the team, got behind them all the way and packed Wembley out for all the qualifiers. But now we are told we have to spend extra money to watch our country play football. I personally think it’s a disgrace and leaving more fans out of pocket.

If England were still in the hunt for qualification this issue would not have surfaced for a long time and I would be happily sat in the pub with a pint, surrounded by hundreds of others doing the same.

Darren's Hopes Bented

THE England squad to face Ukraine and Belarus was announced last week and without the premierships 2nd top scorer. Yes Darren Bent will not be taking part in England's last two qualifiers this week.

Instead Mr Capello has opted for Gabby Agbonlahor, Emile Heskey, Carlton Cole, Peter Crouch and Wayne Rooney as his striking options. I couldn’t help thinking with Defoe injured Bents our only other player who is a natural goal scorer and would be a certainty for a call up.

I fail to understand how a player who has scored more goals than any other player of the same nationality and has started every league game this year can fail to be picked over a player such as Emile Heskey who has only started 3 games and failed to score. I’m not saying he should start For England or even that he’s proved he’s international quality, but as goals and form go he’s on fire at the moment. Surely any English striker who has scored all most a goal every game in the premiership should be picked for the national team, whoever they are.