With the season fast approaching fans of Newcastle United will be wondering how their team will cope back in the top flight after a season away.

Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood did a fantastic job stabilising the club and leading them to promotion at the first attempt but have they got enough quality at their disposal to keep the ‘Toon Army’ in the Premier League. Personally I believe they do. The additions of Sol Campbell and Dan Gosling strengthen a squad which is already full of experienced Premier League players. Although a lot of these players underperformed the last time the club were in the Premiership they will be keen to put things right. Players like Alan Smith and Kevin Nolan are experienced professionals and will not want to suffer the heartache of relegation again. Add to that the quality of players like Jonás Gutiérrez and I can’t help but feel Newcastle will be ok.

The one area of the team that would concern me is their strike force. Ameobi, Carroll and Best are all relatively unproven at this level and I would not bet on any of them scoring more than 12 league goals during the season. Newcastle fans can relax though as I think there are three teams who will struggle more than them this campaign. Everyone on Tyneside will then hope that the club push on and establish themselves as one of the country’s top sides again. Do you think Newcastle have enough to survive?

Sven-Goran Eriksson sparked an apparent revolution at Notts County in July. With Tord Grip and mysterious financial backing, he set off to dazzle the Football League like one of his secretaries. He signed legacy kid Kasper Schmeichel. He lured former England stalwart Sol Campbell with £60,000 per week till age 40 and a path into coaching.

Promotion seemed inevitable. A hasty vault from League Two to the Premier League seemed quite plausible. The fervor didn’t last long.

Sol Campbell, as is customary for him in uncomfortable situations, left after just five weeks and one appearance. Blinded by the Elizabeths, he hadn’t realized the extent of the project.

“Perhaps things are not happening as quickly as he thought they might, but this is a five-year project, not a five-week project. We can’t just become a Premier League club overnight.”

“That is how it is. If he doesn’t want to play here, we don’t want him here.”

The star is gone, and now there is trouble with the top, as the new ownership may struggle with the stringent “Fit and Proper Person’s Test.”

Russell King is a senior representative for Qadbak, the consortium that bought Notts County.

King fabricated the theft of his Aston Martin in 1991, to claim the £600,000 insurance fee, while his company, Zodiac Toys, was in massive debt. He was sentenced to two years in Prison.

He had assets frozen in Jersey, £1.9m, after defaulting on debts to Channel Islands-based Close Finance. King and Nathan Willett, who negotiated with Sven, have links to the Belgravia Group, currently facing criminal charges.

Authorities could not care less about moderate human rights violations, but dishonesty, fraud and financial impropriety will cause trouble, as it affects the league itself.

We’ve yet to see how the chaos will affect Notts County on the pitch. They looked like a juggernaut in early August, beating Bradford and Macclesfield by a combined 9-0. Though, they have been less impressive since, winning only two of their last six. Given summer expectations, eighth place must be disappointing.

Notts County’s fate is uncertain. The only certain thing is that Sven-Goran Eriksson has no shame. As long as someone keeps writing the checks, he will be there to cash them.

The sight of Ledley King pulling up when Didier Drogba was running towards the Tottenham goal in Sunday’s London derby left me with a resigned feeling of deja vu. Even on one leg, a training regime of swimming twice a week and the frailties of the midfield formation that wasn’t working, King was keeping Drogba quiet. That was the key turning point of the match for me, regardless of the legitimacy of the penalty claim.

Since King fractured his metatarsal in a Premier League back in April 2006, missing the World Cup, he has had no luck with injuries at all. Yet it’s nothing new, in the 9 seasons since he became a first team mainstay, King has played in over 30 league games in only two seasons, 2001-02 and 2004-05. Tottenham fans still regard him as one of the best of the last 20 years to play at the Lane and his staus as club captain from 2005 to 2009 recognises his contribution, on and off the field of play.

The chronic knee injury which now plagues him was caused ironically, in a training ground clash during the summer of 2006. Since then King has managed to play in only 52 League games from a possible 120 matches. It seems a cruel twist of fate that King could have been a consistently recognised player for his country, as the spat between Capello and Redknapp earlier this year showed.

As much as his injury problems have affected his playing career, Capello rightly recognises King as one of England’s best 3 centre halves and a fantastic defensive midfielder at both club and international level. What makes King’s continued appearances more astounding is the fact that his knee is inoperable. His problem is he has no cartilage in the affected knee, so he plays games with bone rubbing on bone.

At 28, it’s an incredible risk to put himself through so much on a weekly basis simply to play football. Why does he do it? After each game the knee swells up, making it impossible for him to play more than once every 6 or 7 days. The stress that must be putting on his body must be incredible. The trouble is, because he now can’t train, other area’s of his body are beginning to show signs of wear and tear. The injury to his right hamstring on Sunday seemed to just happen. He wasn’t in full flow, he wasn’t stretching, it simply went on him.

I can honestly say that King is one of my favorite players and one of the best centre halves that we’ve had at Tottenham since I actually knew anything about the game. Yes, I still rate Campbell and yet King perhaps harks back to early time in what drives him to keep going. I see so much of Gary Mabbutt’s attitude in the way King puts his health on the line for the shirt, the fans and the club.I find it astounding, I really do that he cares enough to keep going like he does.

Mabbutt, if you were unaware, is a diabetic and had to inject himself four times a day, check his blood sugar levels before, during and after games and always keep his insulin kit with him at all times. To think he played over 600 professional matches and appeared 16 times for England gives you some idea of the spirit that drove Mabbutt onward.Despite being diagnosed at 17, he continued to play, train and work diabetes in to his football routine and got to the top level of his sport regardless of how easy it could have been to give up.

Whilst King’s condition is nowhere near as serious, it gives some idea of the mental strength that he must summon every time he steps out on a pitch for Spurs. I just hope that he can keep going without causing himself permanent injury in later life. At the end of the day, it’s only football and Ledley already has a place in the hearts of the Tottenham faithful.

When the final whistle went and those West Ham fans who’d spent most of Saturdays game against Chelsea abusing former old boys, Frank Lampard and John Terry, had disappeared to the pubs around and about, I bet they never thought they’d ever see either player back at Upton Park that soon. Obviously they were unaware that both players have agreed in principle to play for West Ham in a testimonial match for the Hammers’ academy director, Tony Carr as a celebration of his 36 years working for West Ham.

Now the West Ham fans have to swallow their pride after Saturday and think about how their actions toward those two former players reflects on Tony Carr’s night. Here’s a guy who’s given years of service to West Ham United and brought through countless players since he took over the role as Director Of Youth Development in 1973.There’s no doubt if Chelsea had played anywhere that weekend, they’d have got a lot of stick, especially Lampard and Terry and the chants weren’t that bad in the context of some of the things that are sung at football matches.

Yet, Lampard hasn’t helped himself before, with some comments about how his time was at West Ham, that he didn’t enjoy it as well, his family was badly treated by the club, he also said in a Chelsea supporters meeting he’d love to score the goal that sent West Ham down as well as the allegation that when he broke his leg playing for West Ham, some fans were cheering. I’d hate to think that was true, in fact I find it very hard to believe that West Ham fans would do that at all.So the abuse he got on Saturday was to be expected really.

People forget that Lampard has a history of slating West Ham whenever he seems to be interviewed but to say Lampard had a tough week last week would be an understatement, with the anniversary of his mothers death, an on air argument with a sad little shock jock and then the gauntlet of abuse he ran at Upton Park.

West Ham fans didn’t sing anything about his mother, but they did about the rant with the DJ and splitting up with his girlfriend, Terry got the same about his mother’s shopping indiscretion. That’s what happens at football matches, away players get rude songs sang at them, always have done, always will do. Some of the criticism the West Ham fans have received seems to be rather calculated in my opinion and I don;t think the stick they got was any worse than they would have received at Arsenal, Tottenham and Fulham.

I’m sure the majority of  West Ham fans that attend Tony Carr’s testimonial remember it’s a celebration of someone that has brought through the calibre of  Joe Cole, Lampard, Carrick, The Ferdinand brothers, Glen Johnson, Mark Noble,Tony Cottee, Paul Ince and the latest batch of Collinson, Tomkins, Sears and Stanislas. Let’s hope the minority don’t spoil a celebration of a man who would bleed claret and blue if you cut him, a more humble and proud Hammers fan you’d be hard pressed to find. Save all your singing for the next time you play Chelsea and give them the stick you feel they deserve, just don’t overstep the mark or spoil Tony Carr’s night.

Until late October, Portsmouth seemed destined for a mid-table season. After a rough August start against Chelsea and Man United, the trophy-winning club won four out of seven matches, looking frisky once again. Then Harry Redknapp left for the Tottenham and the seam exploded. Tony Adams had no perceivable managerial skill. Financial problems forced the sale of Defoe and Diarra. Fortune followed the clubs geography and they currently sit in 15^th place, just three points above water.

Form: Portsmouth have not played particularly well, winning just two out of eight and losing four. Though, all of the losses were to clubs in the top half of the table, and Pompey did hang with Liverpool and Chelsea. Had they been lucky they could have picked up a few more points. They scored a big victory over Everton. Jumping back on track isn’t inconceivable.

Schedule: Pompey have a rather benign squeaky bum journey ahead. They host Arsenal and travel away to Old Trafford, but the rest of the matches are winnable. West Brom, Bolton and Sunderland come to Fratton Park. Portsmouth play Hull City, Newcastle, Blackburn and Wigan away. They also have the game in hand, although it will be against a Manchester United team probably sorted by that point, so it will be irrelevant. If Portsmouth can pull things together, their schedule won’t stop them.

Injuries: Health could hinder Portsmouth a little bit. They need Crouch’s thigh injury to heal completely. He has 11 goals. No one else on the team has more than three. He’s essential. They also need Pennant and Traore back fit as well to provide some creativity in midfield.

Prognosis: Based on their ability, Portsmouth should not be in this position. On paper, they have decent, often above average, talent at every position. They have experience. Many of those players tasted success in the FA Cup last season. The team’s performance should reflect that. Tony Adams deserves the blame. Portsmouth has presumed leaders like Sol Campbell and David James. They should stay up.

Tuesday and Wednesday bring a full slate of Premier League action to us as the reverse fixtures of the opening weekend are played. Tonight I’ll preview Tuesday’s action, tomorrow night I’ll preview Wednesday’s action. Remember all times are Eastern.

Portsmouth v Chelsea (2:45 pm live on Fox Soccer Channel). Portsmouth have had plenty of time to prepare for Chelsea after having a ten day break. Pompey will have seen Chelsea barely scrape by Juventus and Wigan Athletic. They will have heard Guus Hiddink say that Chelsea need to find a killer instinct. The last three Chelsea performances have proven that they can be had in the second half. The question is can Portsmouth take advantage? I don’t think so, but not for a lack of trying. Portsmouth 0 Chelsea 1

West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal (2:45 pm live on Setanta Xtra. On Setanta Sports 5:00 pm). The two sides who probably at present have the most in common. Plenty of ‘pretty passing’, but no goals to show for it. Arsenal have certainly had their chances, West Bromwich Albion not so much. Both sides are desperate for points for their own individual reason. The one thing that Arsenal have going for them is the fact West Brom leave massive gaps at the back. I just don’t think they can exploit them. Yes until Arsenal can prove they can score goal for two consecutive matches, my prediction for their matches set themselves. West Bromwich Albion 0 Arsenal 0

Liverpool v Sunderland (3:00 pm live on Setanta Sports). Liverpool will be without Fernando Torres  and Alvaro Arbeloa, but will be looking to respond after their horrific performance against Middlesbrough. Sunderland have had plenty of time to prepare for Liverpool, but right now I don’t think it matters much. Liverpool will be looking to take out their bad performance against Boro on somebody, Sunderland will get to face the brunt of that revenge. This one won’t be pretty. Liverpool 3 Sunderland 0

Other Stories
So the story that seems to be getting the most legs tonight is Guus Hididnk’s pledge that he will chase Manchester United until the end of the season for the title. Well he’s right in one thing, it’ll be an uphill battle. As a Chelsea fan, I know this title race is over. There will be no repeat of what happened last season.

Sol Campbell feels that clubs that continue to see racial abuse towards players should see points deductions. That’s a start.

Brad Friedel is comparing Aston Villa’s remaining schedule as ‘11 cup finals‘. Talk about strong talk for a side just looking to get into the Champions League.

Cristiano Ronaldo is saying that Chris Foy wrongly booked him for diving in the Carling Cup Final. From my eyes watching the game, it sure looked like he got it right.

Speaking of the Carling Cup Final, Ben Foster will not have any action taken against him after it was revealed he used his video iPod to watch Tottenham players take penalties during the break between extra time and penalties.

And finally, David James warns there is still plenty of work to do in order for Portsmouth to avoid the drop.

Sunday’s big game in the Premier League will be an intriguing affair featuring Tottenham Hotspur against Portsmouth at 11am ET/4pm GMT. Intriguing because it sees Spurs manager Harry Redknapp and striker Jermain Defoe up against their former club. Only three points separate both teams, and based on current form both clubs could be in for a relegation dogfight between now and the end of the season.

The other intriguing subplot is that this will be the first match between both clubs since the time Sol Campbell was the recipient of homophobic abuse from Tottenham fans. Following an investigation into the September 28th incident, eleven football fans were charged.

It’s not surprising then that officials from both clubs are concerned about misbehavior from both sets of fans this Sunday.

What I find interesting about the whole situation is that during the past two seasons Tottenham Hotspur have offered home and away supporters the ability to text or e-mail safety concerns to the club, so they can immediately investigate the situation.

Here’s how it works:

If a football fan witnesses anyone at White Hart Lane using foul, abusive or racist language, they can text 07766 553 225 or email the club at safety@tottenhamhotspur.com. The messages go directly to the control room at White Hart Lane. The club then can communicate with the fan to find out which area of the ground the incident is happening in, and the control room can view the area of concern on CCTV and deal with the matter.

Tottenham Hotspur should be applauded for using the latest in technology to help eradicate the problem of discrimination. Without being able to use mobile phones, football supporters would have to contact a steward to report the problem, but then that risks them being seen and being the subject of abuse or being physically threatened.

Let’s hope Sunday’s match happens without any incidents off the pitch spoiling the game.

After plenty of speculation, it’s finally happened. Just hours after AC Milan said that Kaka wasn’t for sale, the newswires went crazy over the fact Manchester City has indeed opened talks to purchase the star player, and the figures are simply staggering. The 100 million euro purchase price, yes it’s there. Kaka’s salary, well enough to make everyone in football blush. That number, two hundred eighty thousand pounds a week.

I’ve been waiting for this moment the second Robinho was purchased under the wire back in early September. This was the type of transfer we were promised, and now it looks like they are going after fulfilling that obligation. While it’s hard for me, or anyone for that fact, to put their head around that amount of money,  I think this signal of intent gives us all one big message; get ready, we ain’t seen nothing yet.

Just like what happened after Roman starting splashing the cash after buying Chelsea, Manchester City are looking to raise the stakes in the transfer market. With the economy the way it is today, even teams of worldwide regard would have a difficult time saying no to having 100 million euros in their back pocket. How many different players could they buy with that money? How much of their debt could they help clear up with that money? These are all questions that clubs have to start looking at more closely.

From all I can gather, it’s up to AC Milan to say no. Kaka isn’t a fool and would sign up for that kinda cash. The only thing I think stopping AC Milan saying no to this move, is their thinking about the Pandora’s box this would open up.

Other Stories
The injury list starts to grow ahead of this weekend’s matches. Dietmar Hamann will be out for 3 months with a ruptured ligament in his toe (umm wow that’s a long time to be out for a toe ligament). And on the same day Patrice Evra dedicated Manchester United’s win over Chelsea to the FA, we find out he’ll be out three weeks with a foot injury. Rio Ferdinand will more than likely be out another week due to his back.

Speaking of Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson just needs to let this one go. Who cares that there was an Arsenal fan on the panel looking over the Patrice Evra case.

I wonder how much Jose Mourinho loved seeing Chelsea’s performance after his damning verdict of them Tuesday.

I don’t know if Carlos Tevez should be taking career advice from Diego Maradona. He thinks it would be wise for Tevez to get away from Manchester United.

Rafa is denying reports that he and the ownership is again at odds, this time over signing a new contract.  He’s saying the final details are being worked out.

The police are to be commended after finding 11 classless morons who were busted for the racial chants towards Sol Campbell earlier in the year. I hope they never see the inside of a football ground again. What’s even sadder is the age of some of these people.

Why are Tottenham fans still so unforgiving toward Hossam Ghaly is a mystery to me, but Friday night left me even more perplexed as to why the Egyptian is still disliked so much still at White Hart Lane. There were 12 minutes to go on Friday night and Ghaly seemed set to be sent on by Harry Redknapp to add a bit more steel to midfield and help close the game out against Wigan Athletic. As he stood up, a fair amount of booing and jeering began to echo around the stadium, Ghaly looked stunned, Redknapp horrified and a couple of minutes later, Ghaly was sat back down, tracksuit top now zipped up and looking beyond crestfallen. The day after, Facebook groups and petitions began to appear, all appealing for forgiveness towards the midfielder and the club have acknowledged hundreds of letters and phone-calls sending Hossam their best wishes and sympathy for the events.

Let’s be honest, to still be giving the lad stick nearly 2 years after he threw his shirt down in a fit of pique is pathetic and I don’t understand the boo boys at all. The shirt throwing incident happened against Blackburn Rovers in May 2007 and saw Ghaly substituted for tactical reasons after actually coming as a substitute in the first half for the injured Steed Malbranque. Spurs were desperately pushing for 5th place and Martin Jol made the decision to increase Tottenham’s attacking potential, Ghaly didn’t agree and as he reached the touchline, threw his shirt down and stormed down the tunnel. Three days after the incident, Ghaly issued a public apology and offered to redeem himself by his performances on the park for Tottenham, but he’s never been close to the squad until Friday night.

Now I know football’s a passionate game, but surely this is getting a bit stupid when someone makes a mistake, apologies and yet two years later, people still castigate him. After the Sol Campbell debacle at Portsmouth earlier this season, the last thing Tottenham fans need right now is more abuse aimed at a player which can quickly be leapt upon by morons using the situation to vent more than their displeasure at Ghaly’s treatment of the shirt. Look at the Campbell issue; fine vent your displeasure at him for leaving Tottenham for Arsenal, but racial and homophobic abuse? For any moron to racial abuse players as a so called Tottenham fan makes a complete mockery of the clubs history, squad, integration and location. Tottenham fans and players are a multicultural bunch from all creeds, races and areas. These are the people that will jump on the Ghaly situation to use for their own twisted agenda’s.

Hasn’t this gone on quite long enough? I can understand the treatment given out to players who cause injury on and off the pitch, who walk out to go to other clubs just for the money and who simply don’t try when they’re out on the pitch, but Ghaly realised he made a mistake, apologised and yet still for some it’s not enough. It’s a sad indictment of an extremely vocal minority of Tottenham fans that they cannot find it in themselves to let the situation die down and allow the lad a chance to show us some of the form he’d given in the 2006-2007 season. It’s time to forgive and forget Spurs fans and give Ghaly the opportunity to make it up to us on the pitch.