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So after a rather drawn out affair in Monaco the draw for the Champions League 2010/11 has been made. We didn’t get any huge stories like we have in past seasons, Jose Mourinho did not return to Stamford Bridge or Inter Milan, but the draw has thrown up some interesting ties with Group G particularly standing out. So who will make it to the last 16, will there be heartbreak for English clubs?

Group A: Inter Milan, Werder Bremen, Tottenham, FC Twente

Holders Inter Milan are heavy favourites to emerge from this group in top position, and it will be a huge surprise if Rafael Benitez’ side do not make it to the next round. A trip to the Giuseppe Meazza is the kind of game Spurs fans have been waiting for and it will provide a tough test for Tottenham. The fight for second looks like a straight fight between Spurs and Werder Bremen, Spurs should have the edge on paper against a side who are not as strong as they have been in previous years, but the German side’s greater Bremen’s experience could just see them through. FC Twente were the Dutch champions last season but have lost Steve McClaren and are unlikely to make it, though they could pick up some crucial points at home.

Verdict: Inter and Werder Bremen. Europa League: Tottenham

Group B: Lyon, Benfica, Schalke, Hapoel Tel-Aviv

Lyon excelled in the Champions League last season but also lost their domestic title, finishing second to Marseille. Lyon are a good side and have also added French star Yoann Gourcuff to their ranks this summer, they should top the group. Second should prove an interesting battle between Benfica and Schalke. Schalke finished a second in Germany last year and will be a tough proposition at home, Portuguese champions Benfica have lost star winger Angel di Maria but still have that little bit more quality and experience than the German side. Israeli outfit Hapoel Tel-Aviv will be lucky to pick up a point.

Verdict: Lyon and Benfica. Europa League: Schalke

Group C: Manchester United, Valencia, Rangers, Bursaspor

Group C is quite an interesting one and could prove to be very competitive. Manchester United will be firm favourites to top the group but there could be a three way battle for second place. Valencia, despite the loss of David Villa and David Silva should have enough about them to qualify but Rangers will pose a threat at Ibrox and have strengthened this summer. Turkish champions Bursaspor are an unknown quantity, but they must be a decent side to finish above Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Besiktas, and they could prove to be a surprise bet.

Verdict: Man Utd and Valencia. Europa League: Bursaspor

Group D: Barcelona, Panathinaikos, FC Copenhagen, Rubin Kazan

With respect to the other teams this will be an extremely straight-forward group for Barcelona who barring a miracle will finish first. FC Copenhagen are probably the weakest side of the group, but the Danish champions could pick up some points at home. Panathinaikos and Rubin Kazan should be vying for second, Rubin Kazan won the Russian league for the second straight year last season and got a great win at Barcelona in the last Champions League campaign, but Greek champions Panathinaikos have greater experience and will be a threat.

Verdict: Barcelona and Rubin Kazan. Europa League: Panathinaikos.

Group E: Bayern Munich, AS Roma, Basel, CFR Cluj

This appears to be one of the less competitive groups and Bayern Munich and Roma will fancy their chances of progressing. Bayern are the more experienced side and have a bit more quality than Claudio Ranieri’s Roma, but the Italian side could do well this year. Champions of Switzerland and Romania respectively, Basel and Cluj will be battling for third with the Swiss side’s greater experience giving them the edge.

Verdict: Bayern Munich and Roma. Europa League: Basel

Group F: Chelsea, Marseille, Spartak Moscow, MSK Zilina

Chelsea should not have too much trouble negotiating their way out of Group F, and it will be a shock if they don’t finish first. Slovakian champions MSK Zilina have made it to the group stage for the first time in their history, and will just be happy to be there. Spartak Moscow will be a difficult place to go and at home Spartak will fancy their chances against almost anyone, away though will be a different prospect and French champions Marseille have better players, and they should make it to the last 16.

Verdict: Chelsea and Marseille. Europa League: Spartak Moscow

Group G: AC Milan, Real Madrid, Ajax, Auxerre

Group G is the most exciting with European giants Milan, Real Madrid and Ajax all going head to head. Real Madrid were the team everyone wanted to avoid in the second pot and their games against AC Milan will be the most highly anticipated of the group stage. With Jose Mourinho at the helm, Madrid will be looking to do much better than they have done in previous years. Ajax and Auxerre will be hard pressed to progress, but it should be an interesting battle between them for third place.

Verdict: Real Madrid and AC Milan. Europa League: Ajax

Group H: Arsenal, Shakhtar Donetsk, SC Braga, Partizan Belgrade

Arsenal face some long away trips to Eastern Europe, and the game in Donetsk will be a difficult one. However the Gunners should prove too strong overall and should win the group. The quest to qualify second will be a straight fight between Shakhtar and Braga. Braga finished an impressive second in the Portuguese league last year and knocked out Celtic and Sevilla in the knockout stages. Ukrainian champions Shakhtar meanwhile, are experienced European competitors and their Brazilian contingent gives attacking flair. Serbian champions Partizan Belgrade will be the whipping boys of the group.

Verdict: Arsenal and Shakhtar Donetsk. Europa League: Braga.

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The Premier League, for as far back as I can remember, appears to be going through a real dearth in terms of the overall quality and standard of the league. Now, more than ever before, games are won by the collective as opposed to individual moments of brilliance. After attending the Merseyside Derby at the weekend and seeing first-hand the teething problems that Liverpool’s central midfield partnership of Charlie Adam and Lucas are going through, it brought one thing to mind – who can lay claim to having the best central midfield partnership in the Premier League?

Man Utd this season have started with all attacking bluster, yet they still retain a degree of frailty at the back. This is in part due to the forward-thinking attitudes of the likes of Anderson and Tom Cleverley. Both make similar runs at the same time and as such, they leave the Utd back line exposed. Darren Fletcher has come back and done reasonably well, but as yet no real ‘partnership’ has emerged as such.

Man City can certainly lay a strong claim. They predominantly operate with a midfield triumvirate of Yaya Youre, Gareth Barry and Nigel De Jong. Toure is given a free role to attack the opposition, but De Jong and Barry usually sit in front of the back four and keep it simple. While there may be an understanding positionally, it’s rare that they dominate the opposition. They’re decent, but little more than a platform for their supremely talented forward line to build upon.

Chelsea are still going through a change in style and formation under new manager Andre Villas-Boas. He appears to chop and change depending on the opposition, which in turn makes a mockery of the media circus surrounding Frank Lampard. Ramires has shone brightly on occasion so far this term, but he still looks to be lacking a settled partner.

Liverpool are still most certainly a side in transition too, struggling between the sublime and the abject. Inconsistency has dogged Dalglish’s charges this season and while Lucas could most definitely be said to be one of the finest central midfielders in the league, easily the most improved, I still have my reservations about Adam. On no more than 3 separate occasions during the Derby match alone did I catch Lucas shaking his head in disbelief at another attempted Hollywood pass by Adam, when a simple 5 yard-ball was comfortably the best option available – The Scot clearly infuriates the Brazilian.

Newcastle have begun the season in excellent form and not enough credit can go to manager Alan Pardew for the superb job he’s done under difficult circumstances. Step forward our first major contender – Cheik Tiote and Yohan Cabaye. The pairing have dovetailed excellently despite their ‘partnership’ being in its’ relative infancy.

For the first time in a long while, the Newcastle defence is not the joke that keeps on giving. A lot of credit must go to Tiote for the job he’s done patrolling the space just in front of the back four. His ferocious tackling ability, while it may over step the mark at times leading to the Ivory Coast international currently in possession of a terrible disciplinary record, is exactly what the side needs.

Cabaye has adjusted to the English league fantastically well. Many were surprised that Newcastle were able to lure Cabaye away from current Lique 1 champions Lille, in what many saw as a sideways move at best for the French international, with Cabaye missing out on Lille’s Champions League adventure. However, he offers them real drive from the centre of midfield and excellent delivery from dead balls. Joey Barton who, I hear you cry? They’re certainly my nomination for best midfield partnership.

Spurs can also lay a strong claim. Scott Parker has settled into the Spurs midfield alongside Luka Modric excellently. So in tune are they with each other’s game, that they are the only side in the Premier League to complete more than 600 passes in two separate fixtures this season (Wigan and Liverpool).

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Parker keeps it simple and plays the short, easy passes and Modric is granted the platform and freedom to express himself. The greatest compliment that you can pay them is that Redknapp’s overdue return to 4-4-2 has gone relatively smoothly and now it’s Van Der Vaart that’s struggling to secure a place in the starting eleven, with the Dutchman having to be shoehorned into the side on the right of midfield – a tactical switch that is fraught with danger, as Arsenal’s goal on Sunday clearly served to highlight. A close runner-up in my eyes.

Everton certainly have the talent at their disposal, but with Moyes often forced to plump for a striker-less 6-4-0 or 4-5-1 formation, it leaves the players little time to settle into the same position. There may be potential further down the line in a Jack Rodwell/Marouane Fellaini partnership, with the Belgian mightily impressive in the Derby and Rodwell desperately unlucky to even be given a card by the ridiculously out of his depth Martin Atkinson. Ross Barkley also looks quite the talent to keep an eye on too.

Arsenal’s central midfield has been one that’s gone through a degree of upheaval over the last few months. Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere showed on occasion last term that Arsene Wenger may already have found his replacements for Fabregas and Nasri, but they’ll have to wait until February now with Wilshere out for the long haul.

A crisis of confidence has affected Alex Song’s game just when he was beginning to emerge as a player of great quality and Arteta will require a bedding-in period. One bright spark of their defeat to Spurs, though, was the performance of young Francois Coquelin and a bright future awaits him.

Casting my eyes around the rest of the league, the only other side that catches my eye is Swansea – with the likes of Mark Gower, Joe Allen and Leon Britton’s impressing for their ability to keep the ball under pressure.

There are of course other midfielders that stick out as being exceptional – Wigan’s James McCarthy, returning Bolton man Stuart Holden, Joey Barton at QPR, Aaron Ramsey at Arsenal and Danny Murphy at Fulham – but whether they are part of a ‘partnership’ yet remains to be seen.

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Much in the same way as there appears to be a lack of genuine out and out strike partnerships in the league at the moment, the lack of central midfield partnerships is notable. Newcastle’s Tiote and Cabaye, for the time being, hold the mantle for me, although Parker and Modric look to have more potential going forward. It’ll be interesting to see whether Newcastle can continue their rich vein of form throughout the campaign, because if they can, a lot of it will be down to their dynamic duo Tiote and Cabaye.

Which pairing gets your vote?

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As we approach the business end of the season, Tottenham’s ambition of finishing in the top four reamins in the balance. Obviously there are many things to do with the club that will be will or won’t happen depending on Tottenham’s potential achievement of 4th place. The calibre of player linked with Tottenham might be lessened if they do not play Champions League football. For example, Edison Cavani is unlikely to move to a club unless they play in the Champions League. Should Tottenham come fifth, it is also likely that Bale and Van der Vaart will be linked with a move away from Tottenham. There will also be some criticism from some people of Harry Redknapp if he fails to build on his fourth place of last year. I don’t look foward to any of those things happening.

After watching Rory McIlroy so painfully crash out of the Masters last night, I can’t help but be in a pessimistic mood. So, as a nervous Spurs fan I want to point out five things that will happen next year and will occur regardless of where Tottenham finish in the Premier League…

1. Kyle Walker. Aston Villa’s Kyle Walker is one of the best young right-backs around. But he is still a Tottenham player. Next season he will be back at White Hart Lane and I for one am very excited about his return. Hutton’s defensive weaknesses have been exploited this year and I expect Walker, along with Corluka, to fill the space at right-back.

2. Fringe Players will leave. With Kyle Walker coming back, I expect Hutton to leave this summer but so will a whole host of other players. Robbie Keane, David Bentley and possibly Kranjcar and Pavlyuchenko could all be sold, even if Tottenham do not get Champions League football. Their new clubs and the amount of money Tottenham recieve, plus the question of whether Tottenham should keep such players, will be something for the fans to take an interest in as the squad is, to use Daniel Levy’s words, ‘stream-lined’.

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3. Rumour mill linkage. If players leave, new players will be bought. Some players might not want to come to White Hart lane if we do not achieve 4th place, but this will not stop the press from linking Tottenham with every player under the sun. Spurs, will contine the hunt for a top striker, there is no doubt there, but two at max. However, I expect as many as 30 names to be linked with Tottenham over the summer months from Roberto Soldado to Michel Salgado.

4. Stadium plans. I can’t remember how many times I must have said this in the last few months, but this story will carry on for the next few seasons. Tottenham will never be able to match the revenue of the other top clubs with a 36,000 capacity stadium. That is what White Hart Lane is. The plans for a move / development have still not been finalised and considering the financial importance of a new stadium, I expect Daniel Levy to be very busy this summer with such plans. Expect development here.

5. Tottenham will only get better. Sandro is 22, Bale is 21, Kaboul is 25. All three of these players are gifted and I expect them to improve next year on their performances this season. Even Gareth Bale. Younes Kaboul is a late developer and I think he will become a towering centre-back over the next few seasons. Sandro has shown at times that he is a player of brilliant quality and, as he finds his feet at Tottenham, will go from strength to strength. If you add Huddlestone, 24, and Lennon, 23, there is plenty to be optimistic about at White Hart Lane.

There is still a case for Tottenham to be optimistic. Before I get too carried away with taking positives out of a negative situation it must be said that there is still plenty to play for this season. Should Manchester City lose at Liverpool the battle for fourth is still very much open. There are some big games coming up, including a showdown against Man City. It will be difficult for Tottenham but they still have a chance.

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp has urged Manchester City outcast Craig Bellamy not to turn his back on the Premier League.

Bellamy has been linked with a possible move to join hometown club Cardiff City, but Redknapp believes that the 31- year-old would be making a mistake if he headed back to South Wales.

He told reporters:"Good luck to Cardiff, but it would be a waste of an outstanding player. He should stay in the Premier League for sure.

"He's a Premier League player – a top Premier League player in my opinion.

"I think someone's going to have to end up buying him probably, unless Manchester City do decide to end up loaning him to a club like Fulham.

"I couldn't see them loaning him to someone like us."

Meanwhile, Redknapp has confirmed that Croatia goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa is training with the club, with a loan move from Spartak Moscow on the cards.

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He added:"He's with us for a week or so, just to see how he is. If he's fine and he's okay, he'll join us.

"He'll give us good competition and good cover in that position."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Fernando Torres has stated that there is no truth in the rumours linking him with a move away from Chelsea in the January transfer window, and feels the British media should give him more respect.

The Spain international has been in poor form since joining the Stamford Bridge club from Liverpool for £50 million back at the start of 2011, and is out of favour with Blues’ boss Andre Villas Boas.

Despite a reduction in time on the pitch and concerns by Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque over his form, Torres has vowed to stand and fight.

“When I read something in the Spanish press, I think it could be true. When I read it in the English press, I know that it’s a lie,” the forward told Canal+ Liga TV.

“It’s true that Vicente Del Bosque is worried about me and my form for Chelsea. It’s up to me to go back to being the striker I was before.

“If I go back to how I was a few years ago, I will again play an important role in the Spanish national team.

“I am going to try to be very humble and get back into the Chelsea starting line-up. My form has not been good but I am world and European champion and I deserve more respect.

“It’s hard being on the bench but I respect the players who are playing. I’m going to support the team and get back in,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Fiorentina’s Alberto Gilardino has revealed frustration over his side’s slow start in this season’s Serie A, but is hopeful of a strong finish.Fiorentina are in ninth place in the Italian top flight, nine points adrift of a Europa League berth for next season, but are unbeaten in their last five league games.

Gilardino believes a turbulent end to Fiorentina’s last campaign, which saw the departure of manager Cesare Prandelli to take over the Italian national squad, and the absence of key personnel have been the reasons behind their inconsistency.

Montenegrin striker Stevan Jovetic has been unable to play after suffering a severe knee injury, and Adrian Mutu also missed a large part of the season after a club-imposed ban in the wake of his doping ban.

“Fiorentina definitely has had various problems this year, both physical and structural, many players couldn’t play for various periods, essential players that would have been able to make a difference,” Gilardino said.

“We definitely didn’t do what we wanted to do and what we said we wanted to do at the beginning of the season.”

“Anyway we will try to do our best in this last part of the championship, seeing as many injured players are back.”

“Of course a player like me found the first half of the championship difficult, because I wasn’t flanked by players who could make the difference and, as I’ve said, Fiorentina suffered from the fact that various players were injured.”

Gilardino is looking forward to playing for Italy in Tuesday’s friendly against the Ukraine in Kiev, and believes such matches are important to try out new players and tactical formations.

“Playing for the national team it’s always an honour for me and I’m always excited and proud to wear the jersey of the national team,” he said.

“Tomorrow it will be a tough game, even if it’s a friendly match. We know we need to play these kind of matches with the right attitude and we really want to play well.”

“I don’t know which line-up the manager will choose, I think he will try to make everyone play a bit, so maybe even those who didn’t play the other night will have the chance to play tomorrow night. Everyone is determined and focused on playing well.”

Aston Villa and England striker Emile Heskey has announced his retirement from international football.

The 32-year-old's last appearance for his country was when he came on as a late substitute for Jermain Defoe in the calamitous 4-1 defeat to Germany in the last-16 of this summer's World Cup.

Heskey made his England debut against Hungary more than 11 years ago and scored seven goals in 62 appearances for his country.

He found the net in the famous 5-1 win against Germany in September 2001 but was criticised for his poor scoring record at international level.

On announcing his decision, Heskey said:"I have enjoyed every moment of my England career and worn the shirt with pride when selected. I would like to thank every manager I have played under, everyone at the FA and the fans for all their support over the years.

"I wish the management team and the playing squad all the best for the future."

Heskey was also part of the England squad at the 2002 World Cup as well as the 2000 and 2004 European Championships.

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He set up Steven Gerrard's goal in the 1-1 draw against the USA in South Africa and also started the match against Algeria but was dropped for the final group game against Slovenia, which England won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Defoe.

At club level, Heskey played for Leicester City, Liverpool, Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic before joining Villa.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Despite Martin O’Neill being the odds on bookies favourite to take the Sunderland post, it is another respected out of work manager who the Sunderland Echo say is having an interview with the board – including Short and Quinn today – and is their preferred candidate to take the job.

Hughes’ most recent club was Fulham, whom he left as he felt they ‘could not match his ambition’, yet in Sunderland, he sees a club who can do exactly this, and have money to spend as well. As a manger, Hughes did well at both Wales Blackburn and was deeply unlucky not to be given more time at Manchester City, and is seen as the man who can halt the alarming slump Sunderland have been on.

BBC Sport say that the board also feel that Hughes is the man to bring the players together and will be able to integrate the players who arrived in the summer, and finally get the players working together and gelling as a team.  It is not surprising that they think this of a man who is so renowned for his man management skills, and has the backing of defender Michael Grey, who also played under Sparky at Blackburn calling him ‘a perfect fit for the club right now.’

With a whole host of high profile quality candidates linked to the post not to mention being desperate to get back into management, Hughes will be hoping that the board really do feel he is the man to bring a club who have only won twice this season forward.

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Alex McLeish said Birmingham can credit their Carling Cup heroics for their poor performance at home to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.The Scottish boss had no doubt his side’s last-gasp 2-1 victory over Arsenal at Wembley last Sunday saw them underperform against fellow relegation-threatened club West Brom, as Roy Hodgson’s men coasted to a 3-1 victory at St Andrew’s Ground.”I believe that entirely. (We made) a lot of changes made to the team, a lot of tiredness if I’m making excuses for my players,” McLeish told Sky Sports.”To lose five or six (players), enforced, was a big hurdle. But I thought some of our play was second rate. I would have liked to see better performances.”McLeish lamented Birmingham’s amateurish defence, but said shipping three goals was partly down to an extensive injury list disrupting his side’s starting 11.”(It was) schoolboy defending in the second half. The goals were lamentable. I’m angry with the defending but there were a lot of changes. It really disrupted us,” he said.Albion boss Roy Hodgson said there were no individual standouts in his side as they moved out of the relegation zone with the victory.”For me, as boring as it may sound and as much as a cliche as it may appear to be, I thought it was a very good performance all round,” the former Fulham and Liverpool manager told Sky Sports.”It’s always the players who score the goals or who do the spectacular things that catch the eye but I thought there were some very good defensive performances from the back players and some sterling work from the two central midfield players.”

Robin van Persie has defended the Netherlands' heavily-criticised attempts to neutralise Spain in the World Cup final.

The Arsenal striker and his international team-mates have been widely condemned for a heavy-handed approach to a match they lost 1-0 in Johannesburg.

Referee Howard Webb showed 14 yellow cards – nine of which were to the Dutch – while defender John Heitinga was sent off in extra time.

Van Persie himself was booked in the 15th minute of an ill-tempered match but has leapt to the defence of coach Bert van Marwijk and the tactics he employed.

"People criticised us for our playing style," he said."It was not as pretty as it used to be with Holland.

"But my question is: Getting results and reaching the final or playing the beautiful game and getting knocked out in the first round – which would you choose?

"I know how difficult it can be to play wonderful football and not get the result you want. I see it at Arsenal more than I want to.

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"When we play the likes of Bolton and Blackburn we dominate the game, we play attacking football and they score from a lousy throw-in or an odd corner kick.

"The criticism Holland got in the World Cup I recognise from what we get at Arsenal. It was a final. You don't give up without a fight, do you?"Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email