The start to the new season has gone from bad to worse for Aston Villa as they were dumped out of the Europa League qualification round for the second year in a row.

It has been a difficult month for Villa fans, which started with the resignation of Martin O’Neill, quickly followed by the departure of James Milner, and then the 6-0 drubbing at St James’ Park. Things went from bad to worse last night as the team was also knocked out of the Europa League by Rapid Vienna, following a 3-2 defeat at Villa Park.

It must have seemed like déjà vu for many Villa fans, as it was almost a year to the day when they were knocked out at the same stage of the competition, again by Rapid Vienna. Villa managed to regroup after that disappointed to finish 6^th in the Premier League, and make it to the FA Semi-Final and Carling Cup Final. Villa fans will be hoping for a similar response after last night’s defeat, however it will be a much more difficult task this time around.

Aston Villa owner, Randy Lerner, has yet to name a permanent replacement to Martin O’Neill. After last night’s display, and the performance against Newcastle, he might have stepped up the search this morning, however. Although caretaker boss, Kevin MacDonald, had a good start to his reign with a 3-0 win over West Ham on the opening day of the season, since then it has all been downhill for the former Liverpool player.

There are some doubts as to whether MacDonald actually wants the job on a full-time basis, and even more doubts as to whether Lerner has confidence in him. The problem that Lerner faces is that there are not too many suitable candidates out there at the moment. Mark Hughes would have been an obvious choice; however he is now at Fulham. Martin Jol has declared his loyalties to Ajax for another season, and one candidate who might be available, Bob Bradley, is untested at this level.

It is a really difficult time for all Villa fans, as their season could be over almost before it has started. If the right management team can be found, however, then there is still the chance of a good run in the domestic cups, and a solid premier league sixth of seventh finish. Whether this will be enough for fans and owner alike, is another matter.

So what’s your view Villa fans? Can Villa still have a successful season? Who should be named fulltime manager?

Highlights – Aston Villa v Rapid Vienna

Tottenham Hotspur have finally made it to the Promised Land of the Champions League group stages after beating Young Boys 4-0 at White Hart Lane last night.

Spurs overturned a 3-2 deficit to fend off the challenge of the Swiss team, Young Boys, winning 6-3 on aggregate over the two legs. There was a great atmosphere at the Lane last night, with a mixture of great excitement, and a few nerves, as failure to qualify to the group stages would have meant all the hard work manager Harry Redknapp and his players put in last season would have gone to waste.

Any nerves inside the stadium were eased early on, however, as Peter Crouch stooped to head home a looped Gareth Bale cross, inside six minutes. From then on Spurs looked comfortable, and without playing their best football they managed to score another 3 goals to ease into this afternoon’s draw in Monaco.

The second goal did have a degree of fortune attached to it, as Defoe clearly handled the ball before blasting it, left-footed, past the Young Boys goalkeeper. Defoe himself waited for a few seconds before celebrating the goal, as he expected the linesman to raise his flag. Peter Crouch made sure that this wasn’t the main talking point of the night, however, as he went on to secure his hat-trick, with two more goals in the second half.

Now all Spurs fans will be eagerly awaiting the draw for the group stages, when they could be drawn against the likes of Inter Milan or Barcelona. Qualification from their group should now be the aim for Harry Redknapp, and if they do manage to make it through to the knock-out rounds, then who knows how far they can go. Either way it has been nearly 50 years in the making, but now Spurs fans can finally look forward to some really big games at White Hart Lane in Europe this season.

So what’s your view Spurs fans? How far can your team go in the competition? Does Harry need to strengthen his squad before the transfer window closes to really compete on all fronts?

Highlights – Spurs v Young Boys

Spurs face their biggest game in nearly fifty years tonight as they attempt to overturn a 3-2 deficit to Young Boys. It’s now or never for Tottenham if they want to become one of Europe’s elite.

It’s a really big game for everyone associated with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, and the players must respond with a big performance tonight. Manager Harry Redknapp needs the funds and prestige that comes with Champions League football, so he can attract the class of player who can help his team challenge the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, and now Manchester City.

City have taken their spending to another level over the summer, and following an emphatic 3-0 over Liverpool they’re looking real contenders to at least finish in fourth place. There are now six teams in the Premier League who will all challenge for the top four places this season (Chelsea, United, City, Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool). Six doesn’t go into four and if Tottenham want to qualify for the Champions League again next season, and do well in this year’s competition, then Harry will need to strengthen his squad before the transfer window closes at the end of this month.

If Spurs overcome the Young Boys tonight Redknapp will surely be allowed to spend some of the guaranteed £25m windfall that will result, and his team does need strengthening in places. Although Tottenham have some good Premier League strikers in the likes of Crouch, Keane and Pavlyuchenko; it’s only really Jermaine Defoe who is guaranteed a starting line-up in Harry’s first choice team.

With Defoe likely to be sidelined over the coming weeks, as he has a much overdue operation on a troublesome groin, Harry will want to bring in at least one top quality striker who can help elevate his team into Europe’s elite. He will only be able to do this if he has the funding and guaranteed Champions League football this season. If Spurs fail tonight, then they will struggle to sign a big name striker, like Luis Suarez or Luis Fabiano who they have both been linked with. They would also then be entered into the Europa League, which could prove an unwanted distraction in their fight for fourth place in the Premier League.

The bar for Champions League qualification has been raised considerably over the summer. If Spurs really want to cement themselves as one of the top four teams in England then they must win tonight and qualify for the group stages. Failure to do so could mean it’s a while before they get another crack at the Champions League.

Liverpool may have faced trickier European ties down the years, but last night’s victory against Rabotnicki was a good start to the 2010-11 season. An inexperienced Reds side was spearheaded by Frenchman David Ngog who scored a brace to secure the 2-0 victory.

However, Liverpool’s season proper begins on August 15th with a tough Premier League opener against Arsenal at Anfield, followed by an away tie at Manchester City. Starts to the season don’t get much tougher than that and Liverpool will have an early opportunity to demonstrate whether they can once again be considered as top four contenders.

It is only really by the results on the pitch that we will fully be able to judge whether Liverpool are back on the right track, but if the current climate at Anfield is anything to go by, it looks as if Hodgson has made a more than solid start to his Anfield managerial career. Even prior to last night’s Europa League tie, Hodgson seemed to have brought some much needed reassurance to Anfield, following a very unsettling 2009-10 campaign. Players and fans alike seem to be impressed by both his appointment and his subsequent actions.

His most important initial project was to keep his two star players at Anfield, a task which looked near on impossible in June. But now with captain Steven Gerrard confirmed to be staying and Fernando Torres looking increasingly likely to follow suit (see here), Hodgson seems to have pulled off a minor miracle.

On the transfer front, Hodgson managed to persuade Joe Cole to leave London behind him and the opportunity to play Champions Legaue football with Arsenal or Spurs to head to the north-west. More big names will have to follow however. Milan Jovanovic had in principle already agreed to join Liverpool prior to Hodgson’s appointment, and if he can adapt to the pace of English football, could be one of the surprises of the upcoming season. The 29 year old Serb was widely considered as Standard Liege’s best player and was for long courted by Real Madrid. On this front, Hodgson skills will be tested in terms of integrating a talented continental player into the side, an area that predecessors Rafael Benitez and Gerard Houllier both failed on. Up and coming defensive talent Danny Wilson has also been added (see here) as Hodgson tries to build a more British squad.

Liverpool have been linked with the likes of Juventus defensive midfielder Christian Poulsen and various left backs throughout the last few weeks as Hodgson searches for replacements for the likes of Javier Mascherano and the inconsistent Fabio Aurelio and Emiliano Insua, who are also on their way out. A solid replacement for Mascherano in particular will be important if Liverpool are not to suffer another ‘Xabi Alonso effect’

Overall Hodgson has done much to give Liverpool fans a more optimistic outlook towards this season. He will be given time, in the Anfield tradition, to build his team and follow through on his vision for Liverpool Football Club as they aim to show that the 2009-10 season was a mere blip and not a sign of long term decline.

Highlights – Rabotnicki v Liverpool

Mark Hughes has been confirmed as the new manager of Premier League Fulham FC, signing a two-year contract with the club.

Hughes, 46, has had successful spells in charge of Wales, Blackburn Rovers, and to some extent Manchester City. Many pundits thought Hughes was unlucky to be relieved of his duties at the City of Manchester Stadium at the end of last year, and he will be keen to prove his abilities as a manager again at Craven Cottage.

He does face a really difficult task, however, as the last two years at Fulham have been two of the most successful years in the club’s history. Last season Roy Hodgson led the West London club to the final of the Europa League, and finished 12th in the Premier League, which is no mean feat given the budget available to him.

Hughes will be given significant transfer funds to help him continue this success; with £20m reportedly available to strength the squad before the start of the Premier League season in two weeks.

His first job will be to try and persuade Australian goalkeeper, Mark Schwartzer, to stay at the club. This is likely to be an impossible task, however, as the 37-year-old has his heart set on playing Champions League football, and a transfer to Arsenal appears imminent.

So what’s your view Fulham fans? Is Mark Hughes the right man for the job?

Mark Hughes has been confirmed as the new manager of Fulham FC, and it’s reported that he has a transfer kitty of £20m to spend before the Premier League transfer window shuts at the end of August. So who will he buy?

Hughes was always going to be linked with a move for Craig Bellamy, mainly because he has managed him on a number of occasions and has signed him twice already, when in charge of Blackburn and Manchester City. Bellamy would be a good option for Fulham, however Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is also a big admirer of the player, and will also bid for his services. It’s likely that the lure of Champions League football will be enough for Bellamy to choose White Hart Line over Craven Cottage.

Stephan Ireland is another Manchester City player who Hughes may look to sign, and he could have more success with this transfer target. Ireland will be allowed to leave the City of Manchester Stadium before the start of the season, and Hughes is likely to make a bid for the player next week. A fee of around £8m could be enough to secure his signature.

Another midfielder being linked with the Club is Steve Sidwell, who is surplus to requirements at Villa Park. Sidwell would be available for about £4m and he would bring some bite into the Fulham midfield. If Hughes is successful with his bid for Ireland, however, Sidwell may move down his list of transfer targets.

Replacing Mark Schwarzer could be the first task Hughes is faced with, as the 37-year-old Australian’s move to Arsenal now appears imminent. West Ham might be open to offers of around £6m for Robert Green, although a move for David James, on a free transfer, could also be on the cards as Celtic have dropped their interest in the England International.

Robbie Keane was linked with a move to the club when it looked like Martin Jol was going to take up the post of manager. Hughes will want to strengthen his attacking options, and if Bellamy joins Spurs then you could see Keane complete Fulham’s summer spending. He would be available for around £8m and the plucky Irishman could prove a big hit at Craven Cottage.

So what’s your view Fulham fans? Who would you like to see Hughes sign?

Roy Hodgson now appears more confident of persuading Fernando Torres to stay at Liverpool after the Spanish striker revealed to him that his heart is set on remaining at Anfield.

It’s thought that in private discussions between Hodgson and Torres, the Spaniard has pledged his future to the club for at least one more season, despite his desperation to continue playing Champions League football.

Chelsea and Manchester City are keen to bring Torres to their respective clubs, however it appears that they will have to wait at least one more year to try and do so. This will be music to most Liverpool fans ears; however until Torres gets back from holiday and makes it public knowledge, they won’t be counting their chickens.

If Hodgson does manage to persuade Torres to stay then it will be like a new signing for the club. Many pundits felt it was inevitable Torres would leave over the summer. They may have failed to appreciate the bond Torres has with the club and fans, however, and this may just be enough for him to give it one more season, at least.

What’s your view? Will Torres be staying at Anfield?

After Martin Jol left Fulham FC in the lurch by deciding to remain manager of Ajax at the eleventh hour, Mark Hughes is now the obvious choice to take over at Fulham.

With only 2 weeks to go until the start of the season, the Fulham Board really need to name their new manager, and fast. It’s been reported today that Mark Hughes will be the man they go for, and he is an obvious choice for a number of reasons.

Hughes was unlucky to be given the boot at the City of Manchester Stadium last year, and he is probably the best candidate for the Fulham post because of his experience, the fact that he can start straight away, and the fact that he will not cost Fulham anything in compensation.

Hughes has had successful spells in charge of Wales, Blackburn and, to a certain extent, Manchester City. It’s thought that he could be confirmed as manager before the weekend, which would give him some time to work with the players before the season kicks off, at least.

Another name linked with the job is former England Manager Sven Goran Eriksson, however I’m not sure many Fulham fans are relishing the prospect of him being in charge for their opening match away to Bolton, two weeks on Saturday.

The main stumbling block to the Hughes deal, however, is the turbulent relationship that he has with former City CEO, and current Fulham CEO, Alistair Mackintosh. Not surprisingly Mackintosh favours Eriksson, but it’s thought he is willing to bury the hatchet with Hughes, in the best interests of the Club.

So what’s your view? Is Hughes the best man for the job?

Manchester City and Chelsea are leading the race alongside Real Madrid to sign the highly rated defender David Luiz from Benfica.

City have been following Luiz closely for some time, whilst Chelsea have shown serious interest in his team mate Ramires (see here) and are thought to be keen bolster their defence ahead of the new season. However, it is thought that Luiz’s preferred destination is the Spanish capital, where he would like to link up with fellow countryman Kaka.

The twenty 23 year-old Brazilian was in great form last season helping Benfica to their first Portuguese league title in five years. The Lisbon based club have set a price tag of £33 million for the central defender, who can also play left back.

No doubt a talented and up and coming player (check out the skill on the video below), Luiz would bolster the squads of both Chelsea and Man City. However, the two Premiership clubs would be unwise to offer any where near the price tag of £33 million for a player without any international caps (Luiz has in fact just been called up for the national side for a friendly against the US).

What’s your view? Would you happily see the likes of Luiz at Stamford Bridge/City of Manchester stadium next season? How much is he really worth?

Highlights – David Luiz piece of skill against FC Porto

Manchester United and Arsenal are set to battle it out to sign German World Cup star Mesut Ozil for a fee of just £10m.

As Ozil only has one year left on his contract, he could be allowed to leave Werder Bremen for as little as £10m this summer. At this price Ozil could be the bargain of the summer, with Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger going head-to-head in an attempt to persuade Ozil to sign for their respective clubs.

England fans will remember how Ozil skipped past Gareth Barry to set up Germany’s third goal in the 4-1 victory against Fabio Capello’s men. Other great performances in the World Cup, against Australia and Ghana, made Ozil one of the players of the tournament.

Following such a good World Cup it’s no surprise to see other big clubs in Europe also interested in the player. It’s thought that Ozil would prefer a move to the Premier League, however, as he is likely to be more of a bit-part player at the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid.

So what’s your view? Could Ozil be the bargain of the summer? To help you make up your mind, view the video clips of him in action below.