The richest game in football kicks off today with West Ham United against Blackpool, live from Wembley. The winner will play in the Premier League next season. The loser will remain in the nPower Championship.

Here’s a preview of the match, which — for viewers in the United States — will be shown live on FOX Soccer at 10am ET.

Blackpool team: Gilks, Eardley, Baptiste, Evatt, Crainey, Ferguson, Dobbie, Angel, Ince, Matt Phillips, Kevin Phillips.

West Ham team: Green, Demel, Taylor, Reid, Tomkins, Noble, Nolan, O’Neil, Collison, Vaz Te, Cole.

Before, during and after the Championship Play-off Final, post your rants, raves, questions and observations in the comments section below.

May the best team win.

It is often said that for a Football League player or a fan of a Football League side in England, there is no worse a footballing fate than being on the losing side in a Championship Play-Off Final. After 46 league games, the excitement of winning a two-legged semi-final and the anticipation of a trip to Wembley, it must be difficult to take when the chance of mixing it with some of Europe’s elite sides disappears at the last possible stage. Especially at the end of an arduous and draining campaign!

Unfortunately this cruel fate is one that the players of either Blackpool or West Ham United will have to endure on Saturday. But with both sides having featured in the Premier League last season, you feel they will need no extra motivation to get back to English football’s promised land and secure the financial windfall that comes with winning what has been dubbed as “Football’s Richest Game”.

The two teams that are involved this season are particularly contrasting in their approach to the game and their style of play.

Under Ian Holloway, Blackpool has responded excellently to their relegation from the Premier League last season. Many of their fans feared it would be a long time before Blackpool were challenging at the top of the Championship again after selling star players like Charlie Adam, David Vaughan and DJ Campbell. But after some sensible rebuilding, Holloway’s men finished fifth in the Championship and are now consequentially one game away from returning to the top flight. The Tangerine army descending on Wembley will no doubt be confident of a victory after their 3-2 win in the 2010 final against Cardiff as well as a seven game unbeaten run to finish the season. Blackpool will be welcome back to the Premier League, as their style of football and adventurous nature was applauded and well respected in all quarters.

Whilst you could argue Blackpool have overachieved this season, the same could not be said for Sam Allardyce and his West Ham side. With Allardyce’s experience of getting sides promoted and arguably the best squad in the league at his disposal, automatic promotion was expected by the Hammers fans. Although Allardyce can still provide West Ham with a route back to the Premier League, it means that the pressure on his side will be enormous come Saturday afternoon. A defeat could result in catastrophic consequences for Big Sam, who is already viewed with mixed opinions at Upton Park as it is. He will be confident that his players have enough experience in these types of games to see the Hammers through and to reward their loyal supporters with a victory under the Wembley arch. Whilst Allardyce has been labelled as a long ball merchant by many, his West Ham side have played some excellent football so far this season, a style of play the Hammers fans would love to see more of in the Premier League next season.

If past meetings this season are any kind of barometer for the final then Blackpool fans should probably skip this section. West Ham won both meetings in the league campaign this season, after netting four times twice in 4-0 and 4-1 wins and Bloomfield Road and Upton Park respectively.

Route to the Final:

West Ham:
Cardiff City 0-2 West Ham (Collison 9’, 41’)
West Ham 3-0 Cardiff City (Nolan 15’, Vaz Te 40’, Maynard 90’)

Blackpool:
Blackpool 1-0 Birmingham (Davies (OG) 45’)
Birmingham 2-2 Blackpool (Zigic 64’, Davies 73’; Dobbie 45’, Phillips 48’)

Likely Line Ups:

West Ham:
Green, Demel, Tomkins, Reid, Taylor, Noble, Nolan, O’Neill, Collison, Vaz Te, Cole

Blackpool:
Gilks, Crainey, Eardley, Evatt, Baptiste, Ferguson, M Phillips, Angel, Taylor-Fletcher, Dobbie, Ince

Key Players:

Mark Noble:
Noble is West Ham through an through and he’ll be keen to fire his beloved club back to the top flight. Noble himself has been in excellent form this campaign and his creativity and vision have provided strikers such as Carlton Cole and Ricardo Vaz Te with a plethora of chances throughout. His influence will be key as West Ham look to break down The Seasiders defensive ranks.

Kevin Nolan:
Nolan was Allardyce’s main signing this season and they have worked together at Bolton and Newcastle in the past too. Nolan has been the Hammers leader throughout the campaign and his knack of grabbing crucial goals could see West Ham through in what will be a tense ninety minutes. Blackpool will have to track his runs and stay alert from set pieces if they are to nullify the threat he poses.

Barry Ferguson:
After the departure of Charlie Adam, Ian Holloway looked to Barry Ferguson to fill the gap left in their midfield and he has filled the role left by Adam. Ferguson is cool under pressure, good on the ball and strong in the tackle, providing a steadying influence on the Blackpool midfield this season. His role will be key in a congested midfield, with both sides likely to play three players in the middle of the park.

Matty Phillips:
The emergence of Phillips has been a bonus for Blackpool this season. Whilst he did show glimpses of his potential during Blackpool’s Premier League campaign, he flourished in the side after a elongated spell in the first XI. He scored what eventually turned out to be the winner in the Semi Final against Birmingham and with him and former Liverpool man Tom Ince on either flank, the Seasiders best attacking options could from the wide areas.

Verdict:
I think West Ham will come through in this one. They have a lot of experience throughout their squad and pace and power all over the team. I think their more direct style will pose problems for the Blackpool back four and Noble and Collison should be able to get a grip on the midfield. West Ham have also been excellent defensively under Allardyce, so I think Blackpool will find it hard to break them down.

Prediction:
West Ham 2-0 Blackpool

TV:
For viewers in the United States, the game will be shown live on FOX Soccer at 10am ET.

Poll:

Millions of viewers around the world tuned into the final moments of the Premier League season last Sunday, resulting in ecstasy for some, agony for others and astonishment from all. But whether you’re a lifelong supporter or newly hooked to the game, that awestruck feeling swiftly gave way to the existentially terrifying question, “now what?”

The season provides a comforting rhythm for a fan’s life. Come what may, there’s always a match to look forward to at the weekend. The season’s end is the cold turkey comedown, and it can get as ugly as Renton’s experience in Trainspotting.

In America, many NFL fans greet the Super Bowl with a sense of melancholy, for they know that the game will be their last hit of action for many a moon. Thankfully, there is no yawning chasm of an offseason for soccer supporters to cross; for like on the pitch, the action never stops.

So while the schedule may slacken slightly ahead of Euro 2012, here are some upcoming matches sure to sate the appetite.

Football League Promotion Play-Off Finals

1. Saturday, May 19th, 10AM EST. Blackpool v. West Ham United
Start your Champions League Final day with this cracker of a contest from Wembley to decide the last promotion spot to the Premier League. Both clubs sunk down together following the 2010-11 season. West Ham, under Big Sam Allardyce, is desperate to rejoin the Premier League, especially since their ambitious gambit to move into the Olympic Stadium still hangs in the balance. Should the move happen, it’s hard to imagine Championship fixtures against the likes of Barnsley and Burnley filling the joint up. The Championship is like a freshmen dorm, it’s a total blast but no one wants to stay for more than a year, which is why the do-or-die play-off final is usually a must-watch. The winner will join Reading and Southampton at the big boys’ table this fall. No word yet on whether reputed Hammer supporter President Obama has asked White House staff to hold his calls so that he may blow bubbles in peace during the match.

2. Saturday, May 26th, 10AM EST, Sheffield United v. Huddersfield Town
A week later, Wembley hosts the League One play-off final. The Blades will be looking to join rivals Sheffield Wednesday in promotion and bring the Steel City Derby, one of England’s fiercest, to the Championship next season. Huddersfield Town eliminated perennially unpopular MK Dons in the semi-final, and in a wonderful gesture, its chairman will bicycle the 180 miles to Wembley before the match to raise money so that 1,000 children can get tickets.

Cup Finals

3. Scottish FA Cup Final, Saturday May 19th, 10 AM EST, Hearts v. Hibs.
Break out the bovril, a major Scottish match not involving Celtic or ‘Gers! The Edinburgh derby gets the limelight for a change and with silverware on the line to boot, in this case, the oldest awarded football trophy in the world.

4. Coppa Italia Final, Sunday May 20th, 2:45 EST, Juventus v. Napoli.
Juventus, unbeaten in Serie A this season with departing legend Alessandro Del Piero, goes for the domestic double against Napoli, who provided an entertaining run in the Champions League with their star Edinson Cavani.

5. Copa del Rey, Friday, May 25th, 4PM EST, Athletic Bilbao v. Barcelona.
Barca’s endured one bummer after another this season. Lapped by Real Madrid in La Liga. Chopped down by Chelsea in the Champions League. And finally, mastermind Pep Guardiola’s resignation. They’ll try to scrape some solace from the season in the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao. Bilbao, vanquishers of Manchester United back in March, will be equally hungry for glory after their 3-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in the Europa League final.

International Friendlies

6. Saturday, May 26th, 2:45 EST, Norway v. England.
Roy Hodgson’s first test comes away against Scandinavian competition in advance of their Euro 2012 group stage match against Sweden. For better or worse, England may be turning away from a generation of players who will look back on Sven-Goran Eriksson’s reign as a golden age. Veterans such as John Terry, Wayne Rooney, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Jermain Defoe and captain Steven Gerrard remain from the squad that played in the 4-1 loss to Germany at the 2010 World Cup. But plenty of opportunity should exist for Andy Carroll, Danny Welbeck, Theo Walcott, Phil Jones, Joe Hart, and Ashley Young to make the squad their own. After Norway, England next face a tough Belgium side featuring Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany and Marouane Felliani. Should England come out flat in the first half in Oslo, Hodgson can look to Mike Bassett for half-time speech inspiration.

7. Saturday, May 26th, 12PM EST, Spain v. Serbia.
Tiki-Taka Mark III? Euro and World Cup defending champion Spain begin their summer charge against 2010 World Cup participants Serbia in always neutral Switzerland. Looking ahead to the Euros, will Juan Mata and David Silva be able to replicate their Premier League performances? Will Fernando Torres’ recent good run cause a twitch in Vincente Del Bosque’s mustache as he prepares his final squad list?

8. Saturday, May 26th 8PM EST, USA v. Scotland and Wednesday, May 30th 8PM EST, USA v. Brazil.
Jurgen Klinsmann’s evolving squad takes on Scotland and Brazil at the massive homes of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Redskins, respectively. The U.S. needs the stiff competition that the two football heritage rich nations will provide as CONCACAF matches aren’t enough. The U.S.’ World Cup qualifying matches later in the year come against the likes of Guatemala and Antigua.

MLS

Bonus: Big games abound over the next few weeks. Seattle and Vancouver renew their Cascadia Cup rivalry this Saturday night at the gorgeously redone BC Place. That same night, Montreal, off to a surprisingly decent start in its first season, welcomes New York to the Big O, evoking memories of old Mets-Expos games. Next Saturday, Houston hosts struggling L.A. Galaxy at their fantastic new downtown ground. With the big European leagues done, the abundance of great stadiums across the land, and growing rivalries, there’s no excuse to not attend an MLS match this summer if you live near a club.

Explosive new video has been released revealed today showing Blackburn manager Steve Kean calling current West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce a “F***ing crook.”

The video was filmed without Steve Kean’s knowledge at a bar in Hong Kong during Blackburn’s pre-season Premier League Asia Trophy tournament last summer.

Some of the revealing quotes from Steve Kean include:

“I worked my balls off for [Sam Allardyce], and then he had a go at me, so f**k him.”

When asked why Sam Allardyce had been sacked as Blackburn Rovers manager, Kean replied “Just because he’s a f***ing crook”

Steve Kean also talks about how much he rated Phil Jones as a defender and how the Blackburn academy (and presumably Sam Allardyce) didn’t see his talent. Kean later went on to discuss how Blackburn would win the Carling Cup, and finish in the top half of the league.

Blackburn Rovers was relegated from the Premier League last week. Unfortunately, the disclosure of this video isn’t going to help Blackburn’s PR efforts which have been a disaster in the last week after the letter from executive Paul Hunt was leaked.

H/T 101 Great Goals.

West Ham United is one step away from playing in the Championship play-off final. With a 2-0 win in the first leg, the Hammers can almost taste a trip to Wembley, but they’ll need to play cautiously against a Cardiff City side who will be fighting as hard as they can for a chance to play in the Premier League.

Could we see Sam Allardyce back in the Premier League? West Ham United supporters will certainly be hoping for a win today on this Bank Holiday Monday. The match kicks off at 11.30am ET/4:30pm BST. Viewers in the United States can watch it live on FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Soccer 2Go.

During and after today’s Championship play-off semi-final second leg, post your questions, rants, raves and remarks in the comments section below.

In the 20 years that I’ve followed the Premier League, this season has been the most unique for me. In previous years, I watched the league with an unbiased lens, able to dish out criticism and laud players and teams with praise without letting club bias get in the way. But this year has been different for me because my team, Swansea City, are in the top league.

It’s completely changed the way I go into a Premier League weekend. I still try to watch as many games as I can, almost all of them live, but my weekend schedule now revolves around when Swansea City kicks off their weekly match.

The other thing it’s changed is that it has given me a unique perspective regarding which teams are the best and worst in the league. The easy way to find this out is by looking at the league table, but that’s not always a good barometer of how good a team is, or whether they’re punching above or below their weight. For example, I’ve had the chance to watch every single club in the Premier League play Swansea this season. Based on those performances, it has given me a different perspective on each team that I wouldn’t have had in previous seasons. Previously, I would seen one team against another, but it would have been more at random. With Swansea, I’ve had a chance to see each opponent play against a level playing field, i.e. the Swans.

So what have I learned by watching each team?

Arsenal: Arsene Wenger’s side has faced Swansea twice this season and, not surprisingly, they’ve been a Jekyll and Hyde team in both games. In January, Swansea beat them 3-2 at the Liberty Stadium, but Arsenal showed flashes of brilliance, particularly from Robin van Persie. When the teams played in September, Arsenal was again inconsistent in the 90 minutes, flattering to deceive at times and only winning 1-0 after a mistake from Swansea goalkeeper Michel Vorm. But there were moments in that match where Arsenal was in total control. Arsenal is too inconsistent throughout seasons, and even in matches.

Aston Villa: Ugly, too defensive, lacking creativity and a dire side to watch. And that’s the positives for Aston Villa. Defender Alan Hutton is an animal who shouldn’t be playing at this level, while the sooner Alex McLeish gets the sack, the better it’ll be for Villa fans. Swansea drew Villa earlier in the season 0-0 in a game that no one wanted to play. At Villa Park, Swansea comfortably beat Aston Villa 2-0 in January at Villa Park.

Blackburn: Just like Arsenal, Blackburn is far too inconsistent. At times they look like they’re relegated. But there have been flashes of brilliance throughout the season such as their 4-2 win over Swansea in December. Personally, I think Rovers have pretty much given up but maybe it’s that inconsistency that’s just plaguing them now.

Bolton: Without a shadow of a doubt, Bolton has been the worst team that Swansea has faced all season. They were absolutely pathetic when they lost 3-1 against Swansea in October. And I haven’t seen much reason to believe in Bolton since then. I would be very shocked if the Trotters find a way to stay up this season. How Owen Coyle still has a job, I do not know.

Chelsea: Swansea have played Chelsea home and away this season, and the games against the Blues give a good indication of the club’s status. Earlier in the season, Chelsea was unstoppable when they beat Swansea 4-1 in September. Torres scored, and Villas-Boas side were purring. But when Chelsea came to South Wales in January, the Blues were awful. Nathan Dyer made Ashley Cole look mediocre, and Chelsea was very fortunate to get a 1-1 draw after an injury time own goal rescued a point for Chelsea.

Everton: Swansea changed tactics and played a very defensive game against Everton at Goodison Park in December. The strategy backfired when Everton scored to make it 1-0, and Swansea then were unable to break down this physically and mentally tough Everton side.

Fulham: Out of all of the teams that Swansea has played this season, the toughest opponent has been Fulham. Even though Swansea beat the Cottagers 2-0 in Wales, it was a closely fought match that Fulham could have easily won. I’m not looking forward to Swansea’s visit to Craven Cottage next week.

Liverpool: The biggest observation for me from this 0-0 game was the way that Swansea often outplayed Liverpool in their passing game. Liverpool has a strong team of excellent footballers, but they don’t play that well together as a team. They’re definitely the unfinished article.

Manchester City: The sheer depth of Manchester City’s squad is something that is awesome. Against Manchester City in August, Swansea gave an excellent account of themselves in the first 20 minutes. But when City brought Sergio Aguero on in the second half, that automatically raised City several different levels above Swansea — to a level that is completely out of reach for even the hardest working side. That was a clear indication to me that the Premier League is really two leagues in one.

Manchester United: This is one of the weakest Manchester United side in several seasons, but give them half a chance and they’re absolutely clinical in front of goal. This is the type of United side who continue to patiently wait for their opponents to make mistakes, and soon as they do, they pounce on the weaknesses. Not surprisingly, United beat Swansea 1-0 in September after a rare mistake at the back by Brendan Rodgers’s team.

Newcastle United: When Swansea went up to St James’s Park to grab a 0-0 draw against Newcastle in December, it was an indication that any side, including Newcastle, can have a bad day at “the office” every once in a while. Newcastle lacked that bite in front of goal in a game where Swansea went for the nil-nil draw and achieved their goal.

Norwich City: The home and away victories by Norwich against Swansea this season illustrate how hard the Canaries work under manager Paul Lambert. The side absolutely did their homework before both matches to isolate Swansea’s weaknesses, and then executed their plans to perfection. Norwich is the side that I wish Swansea was more like especially the way they have more than one way of playing depending on who the opposition is (Swansea plays one style, and only one style).

QPR: Swansea played Queens Park Rangers in December when Neil Warnock was still in charge, and I wasn’t impressed. I’m still convinced the only reason the match ended 1-1 was because of Warnock’s constant bickering at the referee, which — perhaps — was the reason the ref didn’t award Swansea a penalty later in the game after QPR blatantly fouled Danny Graham in the box. I wasn’t impressed by QPR that day, and I’m still not.

Stoke City: Stoke City is the type of team that Swansea does not like playing against. The 2-0 win for the Potters in February was a result of hard work, discipline and punishing Swansea’s weaknesses. No matter whether you like Stoke’s style or not, it can work. Instead of playing their own way, they tend to nullify opposition teams and eke out wins. It reminds me of the Bolton of old under Sam Allardyce. Not pretty, but effective.

Sunderland: A tale of two teams. Earlier in the season under Steve Bruce, Swansea should have beaten the Black Cats but the Swans were going through their stage of not being able to score. Thus, the match ended nil-nil. When Swansea traveled to play against Martin O’Neill’s Sunderland in January, Swansea was again the better side but tactically Sunderland played much more wisely under O’Neill and scored two incredible goals to win 2-0.

Swansea City: Obviously we haven’t played ourselves, but the Swans have given an extremely good account of themselves throughout the season. They’ve learnt a lot, and the best indication of that may be this Sunday when they play Manchester City at the Liberty Stadium. As you may recall, Manchester City were Swansea’s first opponents in the league this season. Let’s see how they’ve progressed since that 4-0 demolition.

Tottenham Hotspur: Swansea had to work incredibly hard to earn a 1-1 draw in December against a Tottenham side that has talent shining throughout the pitch. I, for one, am not looking forward to the return leg at White Hart Lane in April!

West Brom: Roy Hodgson’s side is another hard working team, although they do have their weaknesses. WBA is one of the few teams this season that Swansea was able to do the double against, winning 2-1 and 3-0. But West Brom is the type of team that Swansea loves to play against — a team that likes to play football and isn’t negative. Perhaps the Baggies need to develop a tougher side to their team, just as Swansea does?

Wigan Athletic: Roberto Martinez’s side is not as bad as their league table position implies. In both games against Swansea this season, Wigan has given a good account of themselves. In August, Swansea was lucky to draw 0-0 after Vorm saved a penalty. Last week, Wigan had a couple of golden chances to score but failed to beat Vorm. Overall, what Wigan lacks is that killer instinct in the last third of the field.

Wolves: I’m really looking forward to playing Wolves at the Liberty Stadium later this season for a little bit of payback after the way that Swansea capitulated against Wolves earlier in the season during the 2-2 draw. Wolves is a side that can’t play football well, but they have a few players who can turn nothing into something. Footballers such as Kevin Doyle, Steven Fletcher and Jamie O’Hara. They have a few of the right players in place, but need a complete overhaul in the summer and a new footballing philosophy in terms of how they play. That is, if they avoid relegation.

EXCLUSIVE: EPL Talk sat down with Manchester City striker/winger Craig Bellamy recently to get his views on a variety of topics including what it was like to play under managers Mark Hughes and Gary Speed, as well as what it felt like to score those memorable goals for Liverpool against Barcelona and for Manchester City against Man United.

The Welsh striker was in Orlando, Florida last week to coach children at the 2011 Disney Soccer Academy. Organized by Midwest Soccer Academy, youngsters travelled from across America to attend the two one-week coaching clinics. The children received coaching advice from several Premier League stars in addition to Bellamy such as Chris Samba, Paul Robinson and Aaron Hughes.

During the exclusive interview with Bellamy, EPL Talk Podcast co-host Kartik Krishnaiyer discussed several topics.

To listen to the entire audio interview, click the player above. Or, subscribe to the EPL Talk Podcast on iTunes.

It’s that time of the season for reflection, to look back on the 2010-11 Premier League season and to determine which players, if any, you would like to see leave your club in the summer. The saying goes that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. And that’s definitely true in soccer where a player who couldn’t hit the target at one club goes on to become a star elsewhere.

But sometimes it’s worth getting rid of a player who is at his highest value so that the club can then go out and buy two or three players with that money. Fernando Torres’s move from Liverpool to Chelsea is a perfect example of that, where ‘Pool were able to get Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll.

So, take a minute and reflect on your club’s season, and then share your suggestions in the comments below of who you’d like to see depart your club this summer.

Here’s my list of players who I think would leave their respective clubs:

Arsenal:
Andrei Arshavin (he’s lost his mojo and needs to return to Eastern Europe)
Manuel Almunia (he deserves first-team football week-in week-out somewhere else)
Nicklas Bendtner (he’s not good enough to be at Arsenal)

Aston Villa:
Ashley Young (time to sell the player for as much money as possible)
Emile Heskey (time to return to the Championship)

Birmingham City:
Alexander Hleb (did not live up to his potential)
Michel (it’s time for a permanent transfer away from St. Andrews)

Blackburn Rovers:
Michel Salgado (doesn’t have the pace for the Premier League)

Blackpool:
Marlon Harewood (he’s not good enough to play in the Premier League)
Matt Gilks (if Blackpool stays up, they need a more qualified first-team goalkeeper)

Bolton:
No changes necessary

Chelsea:
Fernando Torres (Chelsea’s only hope is for a Spanish club to come in for Torres, but who can afford him?)
Mikel (too inconsistent; Chelsea needs a more creative midfielder)

Everton:
Jack Rodwell (it’s time for Everton to cash in on this player so they can get much-needed transfer funds)
Jermaine Beckford (frustrating player with natural talent who has been unable to translate that into many goals)

Fulham:
Danny Murphy (time for the midfielder to hang up his boots, or take a step down the league)
Eidur Gudjohnsen (hasn’t been able to fit in with any of the clubs he’s moved to since Barcelona)

Liverpool:
Paul Konchesky (time for him to go back to Fulham or another club where he can get first-team football)
Joe Cole (don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Joe)
Milan Jovanovic (didn’t fit in at Liverpool at all)

Manchester City:
James Milner (time for him to go back to a Newcastle or similar club where he’s guaranteed a starting place each week)
Shay Given (the Irish goalkeeper deserves to be starting each week in the Premier League; time to move on)

Manchester United:
Owen Hargreaves (time to retire)
Dimitar Berbatov (needs to move to a club where he can play week-in week-out)
Gabriel Obertan (not good enough for Manchester United)

Newcastle United:
Sol Campbell (time for him to retire or move down the ladder)

Stoke:
No changes

Sunderland:
Cristian Riveros (not good enough for this level)

Tottenham:
Heurelho Gomes (not consistent enough at this level for Spurs)
Rafael van der Vaart (the footballer, no matter how brilliant he is, doesn’t fit into this Spurs squad)
Jermain Defoe (needs to move on to a club where he can play every game)
Roman Pavlyuchenko (we love your spirit, but you’re simply not good enough, Roman)
Ledley King (time to hang up your boots, son)
Jonathan Woodgate (you too mate)

West Brom:
No changes

West Ham:
Scott Parker (needs Premier League football to advance his England career)
Carlton Cole (needs to start with a fresh new perspective at a different club where he can regain his form)
Frederic Piquionne (deserves to be playing at a higher level)

Wigan:
Charles N’Zogbia (time to cash in on a superlative player who should fetch a high transfer fee)

Wolves:
Marcus Hahnemann (a transfer back to Major League Soccer to finish his career would be the ideal decision)

Share your suggestions in the comments section below of who you think should leave your club. And if you disagree with the suggestions listed above, tell me why below.

Avram, You're The Man.

West Ham United have sacked Avram Grant in the immediate aftermath of their relegation from the Premier League. Grant was sacked after West Ham’s 3-2 defeat against Wigan Athletic. According to The Guardian, he was told he was dismissed while in the players’ tunnel after the loss to Wigan.

After previously managing Chelsea, Portsmouth and most recently West Ham United, it’ll be interesting to see if another English club will give the Israeli a chance. Whether they do or not, the reality is that West Ham United will be playing Championship football next season. And that many of their current players, including Scott Parker, Demba Ba, Robbie Keane, Matthew Upson and Frederic Piquionne, won’t be playing for the Hammers next season.

The challenge for co-owners Gold and Sullivan will be finding a manager who is willing to take charge of a Championship side. Someone like Alan Curbishley or Martin O’Neill could fit the bill, but both men would prefer to manage a Premier League side. Slaven Bilic has been mentioned but he’s focused on getting Croatia qualified for the Euro 2012 tournament. Who else is out there that you think would be a good fit for the West Ham manager position?

Hi all EPL Talk readers,

Join me at 2:30 PM ET for a live blog of the seven matches being played this afternoon, highlighted by the Arsenal v Manchester City match on ESPN2. Other matches include:

Aston Villa v Sunderland
Newcastle v West Ham
Wolves v Chelsea
Blackburn v Liverpool
Bolton v Wigan
Everton v Spurs