Djibril Cisse reports for duty back in the Premier League this weekend with QPR

ARSENAL v BLACKBURN 13:00, The Emirates (Saturday)

Failure to win in four matches, including three defeats, has left Arsenal seventh in the table and five points off the Champions League places.  The visit of Blackburn, who they’ve generally beaten with ease at the Emirates, is therefore well-timed.  Steve Kean was left infuriated by his team’s inability to convert chances against Newcastle on Wednesday evening and Blackburn will probably need at least one goal to avoid defeat.

What to watch out for: Goals.  Although Blackburn did hold Arsenal to a goalless draw here last season, they have failed to keep a single clean sheet
this campaign.  They’ve outscored their relegation rivals though and the game up at Ewood Park between these two sides finished 4-3 in Rovers’ favour.

Possible line-ups:

Arsenal - Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Koscielny; Arteta, Ramsey, Song; Van Persie, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain

Blackburn – Robinson; Olsson, Givet, Dann, Lowe; Pedersen, Petrovic, Nzonzi, Hoilett; Dunn; Modeste

Recent form: Arsenal – DWLLLD; Blackburn – DWLWDL

Prediction: 3-1

NORWICH CITY v BOLTON WANDERERS 15:00, Carrow Road

Norwich’s six match unbeaten run in all competitions ended at Sunderland on Wednesday, but they’re still nicely placed at 11^th in the table, a position
relegation-threatened Bolton would love to be in.  Owen Coyle’s men have however improved lately, winning two of their last three away games and producing morale-boosting performances against Liverpool and Arsenal.

What to watch out for: Mark Davies.  The diminutive midfielder has impressed since becoming a regular starter for Bolton in recent months, to the extent that as far as survival hopes are concerned he’s arguably now the most important Davies at the club.

Possible line-ups:

Norwich – Ruddy; R Martin, Whitbread, Naughton, Ayala; Johnson, Surman, Pilkington, Hoolahan; Morison, Holt

Bolton – Bogdan; Steinsson, Knight, Ricketts, Wheater; Muamba, Eagles, Petrov, M. Davies, Reo-Coker; Ngog

Recent form: Norwich – LDWWDL; Bolton – LDWLWD

Prediction: 1-1

QUEENS PARK RANGERS v WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 15:00, Loftus Road

The arrival of Mark Hughes at Loftus Road has seen a definite improvement in QPR’s form.  Equally clear is that Hughes is intent on immediately stamping his own imprint on the team, as he looks for a win that could put the Hoops six points clear of the drop zone.  Statistics are damning for Mick McCarthy, with Wolves’ defeat at home to Liverpool in the week making it nine league games without a win and 21 games since they kept a clean sheet.  Another defeat might make his position untenable.

What to watch out for: Bobby Zamora should make his debut for the hoops.  Hughes knows how to get the best out of the England international and a partnership with Djibril Cisse can make a big difference to QPR’s attack.

Possible line-ups:

QPR – Kenny; Young, Taiwo, Ferdinand, Onuoha; Buzsaky, Barton, Mackie, Wright-Phillips; Cisse, Zamora

Wolves – Hennessey; Ward, Johnson, Berra, Foley; Edwards, Kightly, Frimpong, Jarvis; Fletcher, Doyle

Recent form: QPR – DLLWWD; Wolves – DDLDLL

Prediction: 2-2

STOKE CITY V SUNDERLAND 15:00, The Britannia Stadium

Sunderland’s dramatic improvement under Martin O’Neill has seen them overtake high-soaring Stoke in the table.  The Black Cats have
won six of their nine games under the Ulsterman and will be confident of inflicting a fourth home defeat of the season on the Potters.  Tony Pulis’ men may be distracted by their forthcoming Europa League double header with Valencia.

What to watch out for: James McClean.  The young Northern Irish midfielder has been as key a member of Sunderland’s renaissance as anyone.  He has good pace, skill and crossing ability.

Possible line-ups:

Stoke - Sorensen; Huth,Wilson, Shawcross, Wilkinson; Whitehead, Delap, Etherington, Palacios; Walters, Crouch

Sunderland - Mignolet; Bardsley,Turner, Richardson, O’Shea; Larsson, Gardner, Colback, McClean; Sessegnon; Campbell

Recent form: Stoke – DDWDLL; Sunderland – DWWLWW

Prediction: 1-2

WEST BROMWICH ALBION v SWANSEA CITY 15:00, The Hawthorns

The contrast between home and away form is nowhere more clearly marked than with these two sides.  Swansea have one of the strongest home records in the country but have managed just one away win.  West Brom’s situation is the opposite, with only two home wins compared to five on the road, so an even contest beckons.

What to watch out for: Although they’ve struggled outside of Wales, Swansea’s gradual improvement since the start of the season suggests they may enjoy themselves against an Albion side who’ve lost five of their last seven at the Hawthorns.

Possible line-ups:

West Brom– Foster; Olsson, Shorey, McAuley, Tamas; Morrison, Dorrans, Mulumbu; Tchoyi, Long, Odemwingie

Swansea – Vorm; Williams, Taylor, Caulker, Rangel; Britton, Sinclair, Dyer, Allen, Sigurdsson; Graham

Recent form: West Brom – DLLLWD; Swansea – DDWWLD

Prediction: 0-1

WIGAN ATHLETIC v EVERTON 15:00, The DW Stadium

Everton will be boosted by their triumph against the odds against league leaders Manchester City on Tuesday night, but Roberto Martinez would’ve been similarly encouraged by Wigan’s second half performance in defeat at Tottenham.  Wigan have kept hold of their key striker Hugo Rodallega, while Everton may struggle to replace Louis Saha until new boy Nikola Jelavic has bedded in.

What to watch out for: A low-scoring affair.  Only seven goals have been scored in their previous four meetings at Wigan and this season the teams have notched only 43 between them.

Possible line-ups:

Wigan – Al Habsi; Caldwell, Boyce, Stam, Figueroa; McCarthy, Gomez, McArthur, Beausejour; Moses, Rodallega

Everton– Howard; Hibbert, Baines, Heitinga, Neville; Gibson, Donovan, Drenthe, Cahill, Fellaini; Stracqualursi

Recent form: Wigan – LDLLLL; Everton – WLLDDW

Prediction: 0-0

MANCHESTER CITY v FULHAM 17:30, The Etihad Stadium

City have bounced back well from their rare defeats this season and will expect to boost their goal difference further with victory over Fulham, which will keep them top of the table.  Martin Jol’s West Londoners have been dealt two big blows this week with the sudden loss of Bobby Zamora to local rivals QPR and a hernia injury to Steve Sidwell.

What to watch out for: Fulham were the first team to take points off City this season and will sit back to try and frustrate their superior opponents and claim a point.  In the absence of a natural defensive midfielder it could prove difficult however.

Possible line-ups:

Man City – Hart; Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy; Milner, Barry, Nasri; Silva; Dzeko, Aguero

Fulham – Stockdale; Kelly, Riise, Hangeland, Senderos; Ruiz, Murphy, Duff, Frei; Dempsey, Johnson

Recent form: Man City – DLWWWL; Fulham – DDWLWD

Prediction: 2-0

NEWCASTLE UNITED v ASTON VILLA 13:30, St. James’ Park (Sunday)

Alan Pardew was justifiably delighted with his Newcastle charges following their two-nil win at Blackburn on Wednesday, being as it came on the back of a resounding defeat at Fulham and a cup exit at lower league Brighton.  The Magpies should be strengthened by the return of top scorer Demba Ba and his Senegalese strike partner Papiss Demba Cisse, but Yohann Cabaye is still suspended. Villa have largely been solid rather than spectacular this season, but
one defeat in six suggests they’ll be tough to beat.

What to watch out for: The return of Ba is something for the Toon Army to get genuinely excited about. With an unlikely fourth-placed finish not out of the question this match could see the start of an explosive Newcastle strike force between Ba and new boy Cisse.

Possible line-ups:

Newcastle - Krul; Coloccini, Santon, Simpson, Williamson; Guthrie, Ben Arfa, R Taylor, Gutierrez; Ba, Best

Villa – Given; Hutton, Warnock, Dunne, Cuellar; Ireland, N’Zogbia, Petrov, Clark ; Bent, Keane

Recent form: Villa – DWLDWD; Newcastle – WLWWLW

Prediction: 2-2

CHELSEA v MANCHESTER UNITED 16:00, Stamford Bridge (Sunday)

Chelsea have shored up defensively since their defeat at Old Trafford early in the season, but seemingly at the expense of creativity, with the Blues only scoring more than once in one of their last eight league games. Ashley Cole will miss out through suspension following his dismissal at Swansea in the week.  United just keep getting results, no matter which player happens to be out, and a win at Stamford Bridge would leave their title challenge in great shape going into the final third of the season.

What to watch out for: Wayne Rooney to return and get on the scoresheet.  Rooney often comes back strongly after a spell out the side and has scored on his last two visits to Stamford Bridge.

Possible line-ups:

Chelsea – Cech; Ivanovic, David Luiz, Bosingwa, Terry; Romeu, Malouda, Meireles; Torres, Mata, Sturridge

Man Utd – Lindegaard; Evra, Ferdinand, Evans, Smalling; Giggs, Park, Carrick, Valencia;Rooney, Hernandez

Recent form: Chelsea – DLWWDD; Man Utd – WLLWWW

Prediction: 1-1

LIVERPOOL v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 20:00, Anfield (Monday)

Liverpool will be looking to complete an exceptional new year hattrick by recording victory against each of the top three teams and in the process gain revenge for the four-nil thumping Tottenham dished out earlier in the season.  Luis Suarez’s return from his eight-match ban will only help their cause.  Spurs
meanwhile responded to claims they can’t handle the pressure of a title race with a comfortable win over Wigan in the week. A win at Anfield would make them impossible to disregard.

What to watch out for: Liverpool have struggled to break down well organised, unadventurous opposition at Anfield this season, but against teams who have a go, like Spurs, they tend to flourish.  Expect a fast, feisty occasion, with a fairly even score.

Possible line-ups:

Liverpool – Reina; Johnson, Jose Enrique, Agger, Skrtel; Gerrard, Henderson, Downing, Adam; Suarez, Carroll

Tottenham – Friedel; Kaboul, King, Walker, Assou-Ekotto; Bale, Parker, Modric, Kranjcar; Adebayor, Van der Vaart

Recent form: Liverpool – DWLDLW; Tottenham – DWWDLW

Prediction: 2-2

Albion at The House of Commons

Brighton & Hove Albion’s charitable arm has mirrored the club’s success on the pitch expanding its reach and making great strides in improving the community in Sussex and beyond. Albion in the Community travelled to Parliament to celebrate last week, as Alex Lawson reports.

Officials at Brighton could be forgiven for being relatively unimpressed by the hallowed halls of Westminster in visiting the House of Commons last week. Anyone who has visited the club’s new stadium will attest the rip-roaring atmosphere that ripples over the local valley is up to anything that Prime Minister’s Questions can offer, even in its most fierce debates of national importance.

The club is on the up on and off the pitch. Albion in the Community (AITC) communications manager Dan Tester believes his 150-strong staff are “not just providers, but a synthesis of expertise who reach out to all sections of the population”, something recognised when Brighton scooped the Community Club of the Year in 2009.

“With the community at the heart of all we do, there are few that offer such a wide variety of social initiatives, including disability, education, health, social inclusion, international, environment and sports participation programmes,” explained Dan.

AITC estimates it has directly benefited 47,821 people in Brighton and Hove, Sussex and across the world and worked with more than 400 partners during the last year.

The club’s on-field success, rising to tenth in the Championship and coming up as League One winners last year, has raised awareness of AITC’s work. The charity has been showcasing its work on matchday via its big screen and in the programme, as well as increased local news attention.

Gully Day Out

The club’s Want to Work programme is delivering. Last week, 16 beneficiaries from the Brighton Job Centre completed an Exercise Studies Level 1 qualification at the stadium with classroom sessions and IT tuition key to the teaching.

AITC has also enabled a student from Brighton University to participate in the delivery of the course to assist in their own teaching qualification, and three beneficiaries completed a one-day introduction to work.

Last week’s visit to parliament represented a significant milestone in the charity’s history. Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas, employees of stadium sponsor American Express, Albion representatives Ken Brown and Martin Perry, University of Brighton representatives, local dignitaries, and business leaders joined the Football League Trust’s Lord Mawhinney and the Professional Footballers’ Association’s Dave Palmer alongside 50 AITC staff. The organisation will be pleased with the stage to put across its message for the county in which it operates.

Albion life president and AITC chairman Dick Knight presented a history of the scheme and its importance to the people of Sussex, while Caroline Lucas presented an overview of the breadth of AITC’s reach and the crucial role it plays in its community.

She said: “The reception was an excellent opportunity for the charity to talk to MPs, business leaders and other guests about its success with initiatives such as the disability programme and adult education schemes.”

However, AITC also recognises the potential it holds to use the power of football to help in other countries. AITC delivers health-related coaching projects to some of the most deprived communities around the world.

The organisation will set its performance against strict objectives at home and abroad.

Dan added: “At a local level, our long term vision has been for everyone, regardless of whether they live, work, visit or study in Sussex, to take pride in this community and how they can help AITC continue to improve it. We present the question: ‘what does it mean to be a part of Sussex?’”

The exact answer to this may remain hanging in the air but on the evidence of AITC’s work it is something to be proud of.

QPR boss Mark Hughes is no fan of the pre-match handshake

Last weekend the Football Association agreed to dispense with the pre-match handshake in the Queens Park Rangers against Chelsea cup game because the Rangers players didn’t want to shake John Terry’s hand, and both clubs had asked that the ritual should not go ahead.

If you’ve been living in a hole in the ground for the last few months you may have missed the fact that the England skipper has been charged with racially abusing Anton Ferdinand – a charge Terry vehemently denies – and the QPR players agreed to show their support for their team-mate.

There followed much questioning of the FA decision, but faced with an entire team choosing to ignore the skipper of the opposition, there appeared little point in proceeding with the custom.

This Sunday the situation will again rear its head if Rio Ferdinand plays for Manchester United in their game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The Premier League have indicated the pre-match handshake will go ahead so will Rio choose to rebuff his fellow England centre-half’s outstretched hand in support of his brother?

No doubt cameras will be trained on the event, as they would have been at Loftus Road last week.

On Monday, Liverpool’s Luis Suarez will return from his ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra, and his second game back a week tomorrow is the small matter of a game against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

It appears highly unlikely Evra will be pressing the flesh with the Uruguayan, and his team-mates may feel the need to show their support.

If the United team refuse to shake Suarez’s hand, or indeed if the ritual is dispensed with a second time, then a precedent will certainly have been set which would appear to spell the end of this cornerstone of the FA’s Respect campaign.

QPR boss, Mark Hughes, for one thinks that would be no bad thing. Speaking about the decision not to go ahead with it in last Saturday’s FA Cup fourth round game he said: “It was absolutely the correct decision.

“There was so much tension hinging on such a brief moment in time, it was clouding the issue – the FA Cup tie.

“The fact we took it out of the equation was the right thing to do. There were discussions yesterday (Friday). We had a meeting as a management and players last night. Chelsea had their views and we all came to the same decision.”

Hughes confirmed some of his players were anxious to support Ferdinand if the defender had opted not to acknowledge Terry’s hand.

“It could well have been an issue,” added Hughes. “Players have to make their own decision. Anton was the guy who had to make his own decision whether to shake JT’s hand.

“Obviously, with the group I’ve got, they wanted to support their team-mate as well. So take it out of the equation.

“Why give handshakes if they’re not done with integrity? If they’re not right, why do them at all? They’re an irritation. I don’t know who dreamed it up, or why people think it’s vitally important that people do this. Why not do it like in the good old days when the captains just greet in the centre circle.”

Hughes is not alone in wanting to see the end of a ritual introduced by the FA at the Community Shield Final three-and-a-half years ago as the cornerstone of their Respect campaign.

It’s been part of the Premier League package since 2004, but events last weekend and over the following few months could see it fall by the wayside.

The question is will anyone mourn its passing?

You’ve got 20 seconds to name as many players or coaches of Asian origin currently plying their trade in Europe’s elite leagues. That includes countries the size of India and China.

Not so easy, is it?

In the wake of the Asian Football Awards at Wembley last week, Footy Matters has explored why there aren’t more players from an Asian background performing at the highest level in world football.

This is where we introduce Judan Ali, a former Arsenal trainee who knows only too well the previous difficulties faced by Asian footballers trying to break into the English game.

Born and raised in East London, Judan featured in an Arsenal youth side that included Ray Parlour and Paul Merson. However, when it became clear that he would not fulfil his long-term dream of a career in football with the Gunners, Judan picked up the phone in order to raise awareness of his ability.

This is where the difficulties arose. Looking back to the late 1980s and early 1990s, Judan takes up his story.

He said: “I was failing miserably to attract the attention of decision makers at clubs up and down England. I had to make up different aliases just to be given a trial by clubs. If I used my real name I rarely received a response. If I did, it was often a no.

“I never had any problem getting a trial with a different name. I must have had between 50 and 60 trials spanning over 2 years but my background would end up counting against me.

“As a result of my determination to leave school in pursuit of a career in footbalI, I had to leave home when I was 15 because my chosen path was never going to be accepted by my family. My family were under the impression that Arsenal had provided me with accommodation just to ease their concerns for my safety. I slept rough because of football.

“My commitment was first class. I had the self belief, discipline, diet, skill and technical ability needed to be a footballer but the stumbling block was my name and appearance.”

What followed was a stint in Spain with Murcia, before a return to England to begin his pursuit of a serious career in coaching.

Already with a proven successful track record in coaching internationally, Judan is now widely acknowledged as a potential future national team coach of the England set up or Britain’s first Asian Premier League football manager.

Bollywood  made a movie about Judan’s experiences of trying to carve out a career as a professional football, Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal with John Abraham, Bollywood’s answer to Tom Cruise, playing Judan in the flick.

Twenty years on from Judan’s problems, have things changed for a young Asian hopeful trying to make a living from football? Here, Judan discusses a recent training session that he ran.

“I put on a workshop at a professional football club recently which was marketed by the club on the back of my name. A lot of Asian parents around the same age as me brought their kids. They told me they only bothered to allow the children to attend because I had put on the session.

“Because the parents or guardians received the same treatment as me back when they were teenagers, that perception has stuck. Whether it be in business, football or any other form of employment, the colour of your skin shouldn’t come into it is your ability on merit that matters”.

So what, if anything, can be done to see the number of Asian footballers who rub shoulders with the best in the world increase?

“The parents are the main obstacle because the perception has well and truly stuck,” explained Judan. “Parents must change that perception and see that it is not how it once was within society.

“Whilst racism and prejudices seem to crop up now and again from the odd football match at the top level, it is our duty as parents, individuals and adults to set an example that there isn’t room for racism in football or in society as a whole”.

“The Football Association are currently sponsoring me with my coaching badges and I fully praise the FA for recognising this and this is proof that football in England is moving in the right direction and has come a long way from my early attempts to become a professional footballer in England
over 20 years ago.

“I guarantee if that support had been around 20 years ago when I was coming through, there would be floods of Asians playing in the top league.

“Children need role models to look up to in a sort of ambassadorial way. I’d be happy to do that sort of thing. I knew what it took.

“It is not about colour or race. It is about ability. Hopefully in five to ten years time things will be different and we’ll see the first British Asians in top flight football.”

A decade? Watch this space.

Roman Pavlyuchenko

As the January transfer window interminably squelched towards a damp squib finale, Russia has seen some big names (literally) arrive for some big transfer fees. The Russian window doesn’t even close until February 24 so with Arshavin and Tevez still in limbo, who knows what will happen next.

LOKOMOTIV MOSCOW

Done Deals:

Roman Pavlyuchenko has swapped one metropolis for another with his move from Tottenham Hotspur to Lokomotiv Moscow in a £7.9million deal. “Super Pav” returns to the capital where he bagged 89 goals in 141 appearances for city-rivals Spartak. An enigmatic but talented player when he feels valued, this should prove a shrewd move for Loko. He arrives alongside Andrei Eschenko from Volga, Russia U-21 midfielder Maksim Grigoryev, and Belarus international defender Jan Tigorev.

Rumoured:

Sky Sports suggested that the Railwaymen are lining up a surprise £3million bid for Celtic’s Anthony Stokes. The 23-year-old striker’s Republic of Ireland team-mate, Aiden MacGeady, made the move from Glasgow to Moscow back in summer 2010.

Lukas Podolski’s agent has denied reports that he’s met with Lokomotiv officials but has confirmed that there’s Russian interest – apparently a move to Moscow from Koln has been agreed for the summer, presumably so that Podolski remains ‘on the radar’ for the German national team before the Euros?

DYNAMO MOSCOW

Done Deals:

The most eye-catching deals thus far have been clinched by the Policemen who landed Balazs Dzsudzsak from Anzhi for £16.7million on a four-year deal. The Hungarian winger only joined Anzhi last July but injury prevented him bedding in. Potentially a really good signing, provided it doesn’t upset the rhythm of an in-form side and Dynamo really can afford it.

Dynamo’s second statement of intent was the capture of Rubin Kazan’s captain, Cristian Noboa, for £7million. Taking two of their rivals’ top men suggests Dynamo are looking to push-on from their strong finish to 2011.

Rumoured:

Sevilla’s Diego Perotti had been linked but any deal looks unlikely now Dynamo have paid out for Dzsudzsak.

ZENIT ST. PETERSBURG

Done Deals:

The current league-leaders have only managed to recall youngster Maksim Kanunnikov from loan at Tom Tomsk but are linked with a host of names.

Rumoured:

Intriguingly, Sports.ru have linked Celtic’s other striker, Gary Hooper, to Zenit as well as CSKA Moscow. Surely just rumour-mongering at its most playful?

Andrey Arshavin, Arsenal’s maligned midfield enigma, has also been strongly linked back to his boyhood club, which he left after winning the UEFA Cup in 2008. “He is a quality player,” claimed Zenit boss Luciano Spalletti. “I have the greatest respect for him as a player. People in St. Petersburg value him even more.” Like Pavlyuchenko, this move would also be good all-round, not least as it might mean football fans could once again enjoy a rejuvenated Arshavin, one of Russia’s biggest talents for a generation.

Zenit have also been mooted to have offered a swap-deal, including Alessandro Rosina, for Fiorentina attacking-midfielder Juan Manuel Vargas – who had been linked with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United.

After a move to Chelsea failed to materialise, the St Petersburg side have been linked with Shakhtar Donetsk’s Brazillian play-maker Willian. Juventus’ out-of-favour winger, Milos Krasic, has also been on their radar. The Juventus man’s agent, Vlado Borozan, saying: “It is a possibility that he will return to the Russian league, where he spent some of the best years of his career.”

Fellow Juve man, defender Leonardo Bonucci, has also been touted as has Lokomotiv Moscow’s Denis Glushakov, whom the Railwaymen must fight tooth and nail to keep after some great displays in midfield for a resurgent Loko this season. Ominously for Loko,  David Pizarro – who’s now gone to Manchester City – was earmarked as the fall-back should a move for Glushakov fall through, leaving Zenit with only Glushakov to aim for.

CSKA MOSCOW

Done Deals:

Vagner Love, the Brazilian striker who plundered 117 goals in 244 appearances has completed his protracted move to Flamengo for £9million. While CSKA will miss his goals, they won’t miss his many disappearing acts to Brazil.

One player the Armymen won’t be missing is Keisuke Honda after his transfer to Lazio collapsed and he’ll be lining-up alongside new recruit, Pontus Wernbloom, the Swedish international midfielder (and Lukas Podolski look-alike) signed from PSV Eindhoven for £2.6million.

VVV-Venlo forward Ahmed Musa, 19, has agreed terms. CSKA have recently brought in a clutch of good African players, most notably Seydou Doumbia, and if he can get anywhere near emulating the Ivorian, Musa will go far. Perhaps mist importantly of all, though, CSKA have managed to hold on to Doumbia himself (at least until the summer).

Lastly, 22-year-old South Korean midfielder, Kim In-Sung, has been bought from Gangneung City.

Rumoured:

As well as being linked to Celtic’s star striker, Gary Hooper, CSKA were rumoured by Sports.ru to have lodged a bid for Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper, Heurelho Gomes. The Armymen had apparently wanted Gomes as cover for Igor Akinfeev, who’s sidelined for the next six months, but the Brazilian rejected the offer on financial grounds. While CSKA have lost sub keeper, Vladimir Gabulov to Anzhi, the failure to land Gomes may prove a bullet dodged.

Elsewhere, the Armymen are also reportedly chasing Cesena midfielder Marco Parolo but will have to battle Real Madrid.

SPARTAK MOSCOW

Done Deals:

Completing the exodus of Russian talent from the Barclays Premier League is Diniyar Bilyaletdinov who joins Spartak, from Everton, for £5million. It should prove a decent acquisition for Valeriy Karpin provided Bilyaletdinov (like Pavlyuchenko) thrives on a regular first-team place.

Rumoured:

Racing Santander apparently covet Georgian prodigy Jano Ananidze, either on loan or on a permanent basis. The former would surely be a better deal for Spartak as Jano is one of the RPL’s more exciting prospects.

RUBIN KAZAN

Done Deals:

Confusion has reigned as manager Kurban Berdiev was first rumoured to have resigned from his post after 11 years, then that was refuted, confirmed and finally refused by the club. A disagreement with new president Dmitry Samarenkin, over the dismissal of the head of Rubin’s youth academy Ivan Danilyants, was reportedly behind the affair. For my money, perhaps the selling of club captain Noboa was done over Berdiev’s head, sparking the fall-out. Either way, it’s arguably more important that Rubin keep the shrewd, pragmatic, Berdiev than any player.

In other business, Rubin have signed 23-year-old Iran international goalkeeper Alireza Haghighi from Persepolis, becoming the RPL’s first Iranian. Igor Lebedenko has left the club for Terek Grozny.

Rumoured:

Sport-Express have the Kazan club chasing APOEL Nicosia’s Macedonian striker Ivan Trickovski. Last year Trickovski was voted Macedonia’s best player playing abroad and Berdiev, should he stay, has a history of bringing the best out of his modest signings – see Bibras Nathko.

ANZHI MAKHACHKALA

Done Deals:

Russia’s new nouveau-riche have done more selling than buying thus far, with Vladimir Gabulov, in from CSKA, their only signing of stature, while Dzsudzsak has left for Dynamo and Diego Tardelli for Al-Gharafa of Qatar.

Rumoured:

So Anzhi have amassed a warchest of some £22million – plus whatever sugar daddy Kerimov wishes to spend. As such, Anzhi have been linked to Andrei Arshavin and Carlos Tevez. Either would be great signings for the Dagestani side with Tevez, a potential marquee signing for the RPL following Samuel Eto’o’s seismic move last year, and with moves elsewhere for Tevez breaking down with alarming regularity, he may yet make up for moving even further from Argentina with a monster contract.

But one move certainly not happening was a somewhat less glamourous one for El-Hadji Diouf. “Even in our worst nightmares we wouldn’t want to see this player at our club,” said Anzhi advisor German Tkachenko.

DOWN THE BOTTOM

Beyond the top seven transfer-activity has been quiet. Partly as Amkar Perm’s accounts have been frozen and Volga Nizhny Novgorod are under a transfer embargoe due to unpaid debts.

Tom Tomsk had also been placed under embargo until as recently as Monday when Gazprom and Rosneft came to their financial rescue after Vladimir Putin called on businesses to invest in the Siberian club. Incredibly, this is the second time Putin has saved the club who found themselves in similar financial dire straits three seasons ago.

In other news, Tamas Priskin has moved to Alania Vladikavkaz in Russia’s second-tier after his contract with Ipswich was terminated.

Shinji Kagawa scored twice for Dortmund

All the top four won and a draw between the fifth and sixth-placed sides sees Bayern, Dortmund, Schalke and Monchengladbach pulling away from the rest in the Champions League race.

DORTMUND 3 HOFFENHEIM 1

Borussia Dortmund are really starting to play like the side that won the championship last season. They ripped Hoffenheim, a side with no recognised out-and-out striker at the club, to ribbons. That is despite still having Mario Gӧtze out injured.

Shinji Kagawa grabbed two of the three goals, with Kevin Groβkruetz also on target. Dortmund switched off after the third goal to allow Fabian Johnson to score a consolation but there was never any realistic hope of the visitors finding a way back into the game.

BAYERN MUNICH 2 WOLFSBURG 0

While Dortmund were dealing with Hoffenheim comfortably, co-leaders Bayern Munich had a game of attack versus defence going on against Wolfsburg. By half-time, Mario Gomez scored only to see his effort disallowed, and he also missed a sitter, while Franck Ribery should have had a penalty. By the hour mark, it looked like the Wolves might even succeed and get a point.

But they allowed Gomez the opportunity to rifle the ball home after failing to clear a free-kick and the game was up. Needing to create something of their own, Wolfsburg looked unable to step it up a gear and in injury time, Ribery added a second to kill off the game.

KOLN 1 SCHALKE 4

So, after two of the co-leaders had won, it was over to Schalke to keep up the pace. At half-time they were losing to a goal from Lukas Podolski. In fact Podolski should have had two, missing a gilt-edged chance to double the lead. Even when Ciprian Marica equalised on the hour mark, the home side were having the better of the chances.

Championship contenders step it up when they need to though and that is precisely what Schalke did in the last twenty minutes. Klaas-Jan Hunterlaar hit the post with Marica scoring from the rebound to give Schalke the lead, then Miso Brecko gave away a penalty, getting himself sent-off in the process. Hunterlaar slotted that one home and at 3-1, the game was up. Marco Hӧger then pounced to add a fourth and give the scoreline a very unfair tint.

STUTTGART 0 BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH 3

So, as surprise packages Mӧnchengladbach prepared for the late Sunday game, they knew they needed to end a run of 17 years without a win in Stuttgart to keep pace with the top three. A Mike Hanke header gave them the lead at the break but they had goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to thank for two terrific saves.

The Stuttgart boss rolled the dice by throwing on super-sub Shinji Okazaki but it did not have the desired effect in what was quite a dull second period. The later it got, the more men Stuttgart threw forward and they were eventually caught out and Marco Reus took advantage to seal the victory. Stuttgart looked deflated and Igor de Camargo took advantage to add a third.

WERDER BREMEN 1 BAYER LEVERKUSEN1

The battle between the ‘best of the rest’ would appear to have probably been a three point banker for the visitors due to Bremen having a terrible record against the top seven this term, losing every game.

As it was, the game came down to three moments, all the responsibility of Bremen players. Claudio Pizarro found himself space to hit a left foot shot to put Bremen one up. Second, Tim Wiese raced out of his goal to claim a cross he was never going to reach; Stefan Reinartz accepted the gift, 1-1. Finally, Markus Rosenburg had a chance to win the game for the home side, hit the post, a point apiece.

AUGSBURG 2 KAISERSLAUTERN 2

After that debilitating late defeat last week to Freiburg, Augsburg needed to come away with some points in this one and when the Kaiserslautern wall broke apart in the fifth minute to allow Marcel de Jong to slot home, three points seemed to be heading their way.

However, the hosts somehow managed to let this season’s lowest scorers hit back either side of the break, with defender Florian Dick scoring twice. On top of that, Augsburg had the woodwork and keeper, Simon Jentzsch, to thank for the visitors scoring just twice.

At the other end, Sascha Mӧlders missed two opportunities to put the ball in the empty net, so he was substituted for Stephan Hain, who took just 15 seconds to equalise. That was not the end of the drama though as the visitors should have had a late penalty for a foul by Daniel Brinkmann that was waved away by the referee.

MAINZ 3 FREIBURG 1

After everything coming off last week, Christian Streich got a taste of Bundesliga reality with his side being as good as out of the game after just six minutes.

First, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting found a huge hole in the disjointed new look Freiburg defence and slotted home. Then Adam Szalai took advantage of the slightest touch from Diagne Fallou to get a penalty – Fallou was sent off and Eugen Polanski converted from the spot. Choupo-Moting added a third just after the 15 minute mark and at that point most Freiburg fans probably would have taken the 3-0 as a rout looked on.

Through desperation defending and a large amount of luck, Mainz failed to add any more goals and Pavel Krmas was able to grab one at the other end to make the scoreline look slightly better on the visitors.

HERTHA BERLIN 1 HAMBURG 2

Relieving Markus Babbel of his duties due to the fact that he had announced his intentions to leave at the end of the season may have made sense, but it is now backfiring big time on the side from the capital. Two games without him and two defeats meaning relegation is now a real possibility.

From the moment Roman Hubnik had a goal correctly disallowed for offside they offered nothing. Hamburg raced into a 2-0 lead with goals from Marcell Jansen and Mladen Petric to show that their own relegation worries may be over. The only hope for Hertha came through a late goal out of nothing from Pierre-Michel Lasogga.

HANNOVER 1 NURNBURG 0

We mentioned last week how Hannover lacked strength in depth in attack, and despite winning this game with an excellent team goal finished off by Mohammed Abdellaoue, it was apparent again. It was a first win in eight for the hosts though, which keeps them just off the Europa League pack and the signing of Mame Biram Diouf should add depth to the Hannover attack.

It was another frustrating day on the road for Barcelona, as they lost more ground on Real Madrid, while Valencia’s poor 2012 continued with yet more late drama in Santander.

VILLARREAL 0-0 BARCELONA

Barcelona may look back on this season and know it was their poor away form that cost them the title. The deficit on Real Madrid increased to seven points after this latest away-day failure, with five draws to Real’s one detailing exactly what has gone wrong, despite their imperious results at Camp Nou.

They were reduced to few chances by a resurgent Villarreal team, who didn’t deserve to lose. Barca will rue Cesc Fabregas’ shot that came off the bar, but yet they will be more rueful of an uninspired performance that saw them not create enough chances to warrant an important victory.

REAL MADRID 3-1 REAL ZARAGOZA

Real in turn will reflect on a successful weekend that saw them open a significant gap between themselves and their Catalan rivals, but will know that only playing the hapless bottom club prevented them from suffering a worse result.

They had to come from behind against a team who had only managed 14 goals in 19 games prior to this contest, with Angel Lafita giving Zaragoza the lead after 11 minutes. Kaka at least ensured Real went into the break on level terms, before a 10 minute blaze at the start of the second half ensured Real at least got the result they required, as Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Özil got the important goals.

RACING SANTANDER 2-2 VALENCIA

Valencia have not got up to speed since the New Year began, only three points gathered from their four games so far, ensuring that any talk of a title challenge has been blown completely out of the water, and holding on to third place has become far more of a concern with a string of teams starting to close the gap.

They had an early blow when Racing took the lead through Adrian Gonzalez after just two minutes. A second half double from the oft-forgotten Aritz Aduriz had given Valencia hope of ending their 2012 slump, but late drama proved their undoing once again, as Bernardo Espinosa brought Racing back to parity with just two minutes remaining, leaving Valencia now closer to 18^th placed Villarreal than Real Madrid.

OSASUNA 0-1 ATLETICO MADRID

Another side suffering 2012 troubles are Osasuna, whose brief sojourn of threatening the top four has come to an abrupt end, slipping down to tenth as they became the latest victim to the Simeone revolution at Atletico.

It’s three wins on the bounce now for Atletico, as they have enjoyed an unbeaten start to 2012, and are not only playing well, but able to grind out results when otherwise struggling.

This Monday night fixture saw Atletico struggle to break down the Osasuna disciplined defence, but Diego Godin, often criticised as proof of previous money wasted after a string of poor performances, popped up five minutes before half-time to snatch the only goal and lift Atletico up to seventh and bring them to within two points of fourth-placed Levante.

ESPANYOL 1-0 MALLORCA

However, it is Espanyol who lead the way in the hunt to displace Levante from their surprise position, as they pulled level on points with fourth place, with a big thank you to Dudu Aouate, the Mallorca keeper having a game from hell.

Firstly the unfortunate Israeli collided with one of his own defenders to give Vladimir Weiss the simple task of touching the ball into an empty net for the only goal of the game. However, Aouate’s nightmare game was not yet over, as he saw red four minutes into the second half, after a misjudged rush out of the area saw him commit a professional foul and essentially end any hope Mallorca had of mounting a comeback.

RAYO VALLECANO 2-3 ATHLETIC BILBAO

A fantastic rollercoaster of a match saw Athletic claim another win to keep their hopes of playing Champions League football alive and kicking, cementing their position in sixth.

In-form striker Michu had given Rayo an early lead, as he netted after 11 minutes, but within 15 minutes, Rayo found themselves trailing, thanks to a Fernando Llorente double, with the burly striker having rediscovered his form this year.

That lead itself was to only last four minutes though, as Rayo restored parity through Alejandro Arribas, ensuring four goals in the opening 30 minutes of the game. But Athletic were not to be denied victory at the Vallecas, as Llorente completed his hat-trick after 68 minutes.

LEVANTE 1-2 GETAFE

Levante’s grip on fourth is finally slipping away, but they still sit there despite suffering yet another defeat, with Getafe’s great recent form continuing apace to lift them well clear of the relegation zone.

Goals in either half from Dani Guiza and Diego Castro gave Getafe a lead that Levante couldn’t pull back, with their consolation coming from a Ruben Suarez penalty in stoppage time, after Albert Lopo had been sent off for handling the ball on the line. Getafe as a result move up to ninth in the table, and while they remain just seven points off the relegation zone, they could also point to a mere four point gap between themselves and fourth place.

MALAGA 2-1 SEVILLA

Both sides had been out of sorts lately, with both in dire need of a win to restore their flagging European dreams. It was Malaga who achieved a morale-boosting victory, with all three goals achieved within the opening 20 minutes of the match.

Weligton’s opener for Malaga was soon cancelled out by Antonio Luna, but parity was short-lived, as Sebastian Fernandez ensured Malaga were back in front after 19 minutes. Sevilla were denied a second half equaliser as the game failed to see any further goals, although there was incident, as Isco picked up two bookings in five minutes to give Malaga the tough task of holding on to their lead for 15 minutes with ten men.

REAL SOCIEDAD 5-1 SPORTING GIJON

Sporting Gijon now boast the worst defensive record in Spain, as this thumping saw them overtake Zaragoza in the goals conceded column. Sociedad on the other hand took a big leap in their bid for safety, as they secured their biggest win since returning to the top flight.

David Zurutuza set them on their way with two goals in the opening three minutes to set the scene, although La Real were not to get on the scoresheet again until the 76^th minutes, with Sporting having pulled a goal back through Miguel De Las Cuevas.

But an emphatic victory was secured in the final 15, as Gorka Elustondo, Mikel Aranburu and Antoine Griezmann all found the net to pile the pressure on struggling Sporting manager, Manuel Preciado.

REAL BETIS 1-2 GRANADA

Granada started off a new era with a win, as new coach Abel Resino ensured he takes charge of a side outside of the relegation zone. A bright start saw them go into the break two goals to the good, as Odion Ighalo and Carlos Martins breached the Betis defences.

A goal with ten minutes to go from Jonathan Pereira made their position a lot less comfortable, but they held on to give Resino an opening victory that he hopes will be one of many. Or enough to survive.

Malky Mackay is focused on automatic promotion

With nearly a full set of Championship midweek fixtures, it is the clash between second placed Southampton and Cardiff, in third, which catches the eye. Leeds host Birmingham with both sides hopeful of getting into the top six while Coventry could climb off the bottom with three points at Blackpool. There’s also the small matter of a grudge match at Selhurst Park as Brighton visit Palace.

There were two games played at the weekend – Reading strengthened their play-off place with a win over Bristol Cityand Portsmouth beat Peterborough 3-0 to leapfrog Posh into 16^th. With clubs likely to be busy today in the transfer market, some players in our possible line-ups may be elsewhere come kick off.

BARNSLEY v DERBY 19.45, Oakwell (Tuesday)

Keith Hill has moved fast to replace the injured Jakob Butterfield and departed Danny Drinkwater with two Premier League loanees in the shape of Michael Tonge and Korey Smith. A disappointing defeat to Millwall last time out has not put a dampener on what has been a good season for the Tykes thus far.

Unbeaten in the league in six including five wins and only one goal conceded, the Rams go into this match in confident form – another win could see them on the edge of the play-off places. Goalkeeper Frankie Fielding has been in sparkling form and the England U21 player will be eager to continue in this vein.

What to watch out for:

Michael Tonge has endured a frustrating spell at Stoke and the energetic goalscoring midfielder will be itching to get his career back on track.

Possible line-ups:

Barnsley – Steele, Hassell, Foster, McNulty, McEverly, Addison, Tonge, Perkins, Smith, Gray, Vaz Te

Derby – Fielding, Brayford, Roberts, Barker, Shackell, Bryson, Bailey, Green, Ward, Ball, Robinson

Recent form: Barnsley – LLWLWL; Derby– WWWWWD

Prediction: 1-1

BLACKPOOL v COVENTRY 20.00, Bloomfield Road

After an inconsistent run, Blackpool are now unbeaten in three. Ian Holloway has signed forward Roman Bednar in his quest to find the run of form needed to establish the Tangerines in the play-off places – one of the pre-season favourites for promotion have not looked like firm challengers to date.

A shock 3-1 win over Middlesbrough boosted Andy Thorn’s side, but the Sky Blues remain six points from safety. Alex Nimely scored a brace in that match on debut and Coventry will be hoping he has the goals in him to help keep them in the Championship.

What to watch out for:

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Possible line-ups:

Blackpool – Gilkes, Cathcart, Crainey, Evatt, Baptiste, Sylvestre, Basham, Phillips, Fleck, Taylor-Fletcher, Bednar

Coventry – Murphy, Keogh, Craine, Hreidarsson, Christie, Clingan, Thomas, Deegan, McSheffrey, Platt, Nimely

Recent form: Blackpool – DWLWDW; Coventry – WLWLLW

Prediction: 3-1

CRYSTAL PALACE v BRIGHTON 20.00, Selhurst Park

With the League Cup adventure now over, Palace find themselves cut adrift of the play-offs in mid-table. They have exceeded the expectations of most this season and a game against bitter rivals Brighton could be just the tonic to reignite the Eagles’ season.

Fresh from a win over Newcastle in the FA Cup, Gus Poyet will be eager for his side to retain their motivation for the clash that means more to Albion fans than any other. Despite £3million man Craig Mackail-Smith misfiring, Brighton know a win could jump them up to seventh.

What to watch out for:

Will they play or will they go? Palace youngsters Nathanial Clyne and Wilfred Zaha have attracted a lot of Premier League interest, it will be interesting to see if they take to the field here.

Possible line-ups:

Palace – Speroni, Clyne, McShane, Gardner, Moxey, Jedinak, Wright, Zaha, Ambrose, Scannell, Murray

Brighton – Brezovan, El-Abd, Greer, Dunk, Calderon, Sparrow, Bridcutt, Forster-Caskey, Barnes, Buckley, Macail-Smith

Recent form: Palace – WLWLDL; Brighton – LLLWWW

Prediction: 1-0

HULL v DONCASTER 19.45, KC Stadium

Three wins on the trot for the Tigers after suffering three consecutive defeats; Nicky Barmby continues his impressive start to managerial life. Roberts, Brady and Koren have been the creative drive forHull, carving out opportunities for themselves and others to help the side attain a top six place.

Donny failed to take advantage of their six pointer against Bristol City and remain rooted in the bottom three, four points from safety. The sale of Billy Sharp to Southampton is a major blow to Dean Saunders and their fortunes will depend on their ability to replace him.

What to watch out for:

Agent Willie Mackay has been helping Doncaster bring in a number of players in recent months – expect him to be active again before 11pm tonight!

Possible line-ups:

Hull – Mannone, Rosenior, Dawson, Chester, Hobbs, McKenna, Stewart, Evans, Koren, McLean, Brady

Doncaster – Button, O’Connor, Hird, Spurr, Lockwood, Oster, Stock, Gillett, Hayter, Diouf, Bagayoko

Recent form: Hull – LLLWWW; Doncaster – WLLWDL

Prediction: 1-0

IPSWICH v WEST HAM 19.45, Portman Road

The Tractor Boys sit just above the safety line and face a tough test if they are to stop the gap to the trapdoor being narrowed. Speculation abounds that Paul Jewell is working on bringing in up to four players to strengthen his squad as he aims to reverse this season’s fortunes.

League leaders West Ham are the best travellers in the division and go into this game knowing they could open up a six point gap at the top. Three wins on the bounce and a rumoured £7million bid made for a striker, it seems the Hammers are doing all they can to return to the top flight at the first attempt.

What to watch out for:

Sam Baldock is back to full fitness and if he can regain his pre-injury spark, he will be a handful to the home side’s defence.

Possible line-ups:

Ipswich – McCarthy, Cresswell, St Leger, Sonko, Smith, Edwards, Drury, Emmanuel-Thomas, Martin, Hyam, Scotland

West Ham – Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Reid, McCartney, Nolan, Noble, Collison, Diop, Cole, Baldock

Recent form: West Ham – WDLWWW; Ipswich –DLLLDL

Prediction: 1-3

LEEDS v BIRMINGHAM 19.45, Elland Road

Simon Grayson will be keen to steer Leeds into the top six with a win over Birmingham, despite losing key player Jonny Howson. Fabian Delph has returned to the club and will be lining up for the second time in an attempt to re-ignite his promising career. After three straight defeats, the Whites are now undefeated in three.

Like the hosts, a win could lift Birmingham into the play-off places on the back of nine points from nine and eleven goals scored in the process. Their defence is the third best in the division and to this end, Chris Hughton will be desperate to keep hold of wanted man Laim Ridgewell after losing exciting midfielder Jean Beausejour.

What to watch out for:

Birmingham have three big forwards in their ranks – King, Wood and the giant Zigic – expect lots of diagonal balls into the box.

Possible line-ups:

Birmingham – Myhill, Spector, Caldwell, Davies, Ridgewell, Burke, Fahey, Gomis, Elliot, King, Zigic

Leeds – Lonergan, Thompson, Lees, White, O’Dea, Brown, Clayton, Pugh, Townsend, Snodgrass, McCormack

Recent form: Leeds – LLLWDW; Birmingham – DDLWWW

Prediction: 1-1

MILLWALL v WATFORD 19.45, New Den

Millwall responded to the 6-0 home thrashing by Birmingham with an excellent win at Barnsley, but Kenny Jackett’s side are still too close to the relegation zone for comfort – the Lions only have a five point cushion. Striker Darius Henderson is now back in favour and back in form.

Like the hosts, Watford are close enough to the drop zone to be peaking over their shoulders with just one win in six. A more immediate concern than that match for manager Sean Dyche is whether the Hornets will be able to keep hold of striker Marvin Sordell and defender Adrian Mariappa who have both been linked with deadline day moves.

What to watch out for:

Liam Trotter is the energetic midfielder who makes Millwall tick and drives them forward – he is the key man Watford will have to nullify to get three points.

Possible line-ups:

Millwall – Forde, Smith, Ward, Robinson, Lowry, Trotter, Feeney, Abdou, Bouazza, Kane, Henderson

Watford – Loach, Hodson, Dickinson, Mariappa, Nosworthy, Yeates, Buaben, Hogg, Eustace, Deeney, Sordell

Recent form: Millwall – LWLLLW; Watford – DDWLLL

Prediction: 0-0

NOTTINGHAM FOREST v BURNLEY 19.45, City Ground

Forest go into this game with the knowledge that even a win will not see them climb out of the relegation zone, such is their current predicament. They scored just their second goal in 10 games in the defeat to West Ham and their lack of goals will be compounded by the loss of colossal central defender Wes Morgan, who has joined Leicester City.

Burnley have found a run of consistent form, in no shortage of thanks to the goals of Jay Rodriguez, Martin Paterson and Charlie Austin. The variety of their attack coupled with a more organised defence including the permanent signings of Kieran Tripper and Ben Mee from Manchester City, the Clarets are placed to take advantage if any team ahead of them slips up.

What to watch out for:

The managers – Steve Cotterill is very active is his technical area whereas Eddie Howe is a more passive observer. Their contrasting styles will be an interesting watch.

Possible line-ups:

Forest – Camp, Lynch, Cunningham, Moloney, Gunter, McCleary, McGugan, Greening, Moussi, Harewood, Tudgay

Burnley – Grant, Trippier, Duff, Edgar, Mee, McCann, Wallace, Marney, Treacy, Rodriguez, Paterson

Recent form: Nottingham Forest – LDLLWLL; Burnley – WWWLWD

Prediction: 1-2

SOUTHAMPTON v CARDIFF 19.45, St. Mary’s

With just two wins in the last eight matches, Nigel Adkins will have some concerns about his side’s ability to maintain the promotion charge which for so long looked like it was unstoppable. A win here would open up a welcome gap to third place but could still leave them off top spot.

Malky Mackay will be working hard to maintain the energy created from reaching the League Cup final to enable his side to get the three points needed to leapfrog the Saints into second place and lay down a marker for the rest of the season.

What to watch out for:

The midfield battle – both teams play five in midfield and control in this area will be key. While Saints rely on Lallana to join the front man, Cardiff use their wide players close to Miller – which of the two set-ups will come up on top?

Possible line-ups:

Southampton – Davis, Richardson, Fonte, Fox, Hooiveld, Schneiderlin, Hammond, Cork, Guly, Lallana, Lambert

Cardiff – Marshall, McNaughton, Hudson, Turner, Taylor, Kiss, Gunnarsson, Conway, Cowie, Whittingham, Miller

Recent form: Southampton – DWLLWL; Cardiff – LDWWDW

Prediction: 2-2

LEICESTER v MIDDLESBROUGH 19.45, KP Stadium (Wednesday)

An excellent win at promotion hopefuls Southampton could be the tonic the Foxes have needed, given they are yet to find their feet under Nigel Pearson. Midfielder Neil Danns, signed but not regularly used by Sven-Goran Eriksson, has become a vital cog in Pearson’s side – his energy and stamina being appreciated by the Leicester faithful.

Boro have suffered three losses in a row and just as they began to close in on the top two, they have started to stutter and know a defeat could see them out of the top six altogether. They will take heart from having the second best away record in the division as they aim to get their season back on track.

What to watch out for:

Nathan Delfouneso, on loan from Aston Villa, will be eager to impress as he continues his short loan spell at Leicester.

Possible line-ups:

Leicester – Schmeichel, Peltier, Mills, St. Ledger, Konchesky, Drinkwater, Wellens, Danns, Gallagher, Nugent, Delfouneso

Middlesbrough– Steele, McMahon, Hoyte, Bennett, Williams, Bates, Smallwood, Zemmama, Haroun, McDonald, Jutkiewicz

Recent form: Middlesbrough– WWDLLL; Leicester – LDLWLW

Prediction: 1-1

Chris Samba appears desperate to leave Blackburn

You could be forgiven for forgetting that today is Transfer Deadline Day. Apart from Carlos Tevez and his agent doing their utmost to carve out a deal anywhere from South America to East London, there has been very little action on the transfer front. After a summer of massive moves, this seemingly is the winter of being content with your lot.

However, perhaps rather depressingly, Transfer Deadline Day is as hotly anticipated as FA Cup Final day, and there’s always the possibility of some late action to get the pulses of Premier League fans racing.

Twelve months after the purchase of Fernando Torres, will Chelsea prove their clout once more with a ludicrous bid for Mesut Özil? Will Dimitar Berbatov be rescued from the obscurity of the United bench? Following the fashion for returning old boys, will Kenny Dalglish dust off his hot pants and give himself a player/manager contract?

Well, we don’t know. But by thunder, that won’t stop us having a guess. Here’s a run-down of what might happen in the hours between now and 11pm.

And, as we’re doing this in alphabetical order, we start with Arsenal. Speculation is always rife about who Arsene Wenger should sign. When the entire country was screaming at him through megaphones to sign Eden Hazard and Gary Cahill, he signed Per Mertesacker and Mikel Arteta.

So, with the opinion that he should snap up Chris Samba reverberating around North London, will there be any noise coming from the phone in Samba’s agent’s office? Well if Wenger’s stubbornness is anything to go by, then no.

Also, there have been whispers about a possible loan deal for Kaka. Out of favour at Real Madrid, maybe the Brazilian could help Arsenal’s campaign for Champions League qualification.

Also at Arsenal, Andriy Arshavin is seemingly doing his best to manufacture a move away, having turned in a glut of awful performances. Unsurprisingly, there has been no interest. While the Gunners need an out and out left winger, they will probably have to offload the Russian first. Unlikely to happen.

At Aston Villa, it’s business as usual – they’re doing no business. Randy Lerner is notoriously miserly when it comes to transfers, preferring to bring players through the youth system. Add to that the fact that Alex McLeish can’t sign a decent player for buttons, and it’s not hard to see why Villa will be quiet today. There have been a few gentle rumours of a late bid for Hugo Rodallega, but don’t hold your breath Villa fans.

Third from bottom Blackburn need all the help they can get, and with the financial clout of Venky’s behind them, they should be throwing cash around like a drunken billionaire baby in Monte Carlo. But they’re not. With club captain Chris Samba saying Venky’s don’t understand English football, and handing in a transfer request, things look bleak for Rovers. Despite Steve Kean saying that he was looking to bring in four new faces, all remains quiet. Still, of all the teams that might do some late business today, Rovers are prime candidates.

Bolton are another team staring down the barrel, but rather than sit around playing solitaire, manager Owen Coyle is pursuing a number of players. Crystal Palace’s wunderkid Wilfried Zaha is apparently top of the list, with a loan deal for Arsenal’s Ryo Miyaichi also possible. With Tim Ream (await endless The Only Way Is Essex jokes) coming in from New York Bulls, Coyle has done some decent business. Whether he can tie up both the Zaha and the Miyaichi deals by midnight remains to be seen.

It wouldn’t be Transfer Deadline Day without Chelsea popping up and doing some business, and this week is no different. Belgian attacking midfielder Kevin de Bruyne is apparently on the verge of signing, but Blues fans will have to wait a while to see him play, as he’ll be loaned back to Genk for the remainder of the season. Another deal is unlikely but always possible.

Everton, meanwhile, never really get caught up in the whole deadline day frenzy. Reluctant to spend money at the best of times, usually there is about as much chance of David Moyes doing business as there is of John Terry and Luiz Suarez being named Let’s Kick Racism Out Of Football’s Men Of The Year. However, Moyes is apparently keen to bring either Kevin Doyle or Nikica Jelavic to Goodison by close of play. Where they’re getting the money from is anybody’s guess, but it seems pretty certain that somebody will be signing for the Toffees today.

Fulham probably need to sort out their defence before they go spending money on strikers, but word has it that they are in for Dortmund’s Lucas Barrios. While of course it’s all speculation, Barrios would constitute a massive signing for Fulham. Nicknamed the Panther thanks to his ruthless proficiency in the box, Barrios could transform Fulham’s fortunes this season. One to watch closely.

Having spent what must have felt like billions over the summer and got a pretty shoddy rag tag bunch of misfits in return, Liverpool’s owners may be loath to spend any more money. They could probably do with a wide man though, and Wolves’s Matt Jarvis is a name that’s constantly linked with bigger clubs. It’s unlikely that Wolves would let him go cheaply however – they’ve got a new stadium to pay for – and the Reds may feel they could get a better deal elsewhere. Still, if they’ll pay £35million for Carroll…

If the loss of Vincent Kompany proved anything, it’s that Stefan Savic, while he may be a decent prospect, isn’t ready for first team football yet. With enough money to buy the moon and paint it blue, Manchester City’s options are endless. Who would bet against a last-minute bid for a seasoned centre half who’s got one year left in his legs? Walter Samuel anyone?

Manchester United – De Rossi, Sneijder, Rodwell, Cavani, Gaitan. United have been linked with them all. Whether Sir Alex will shell out for them, however, is another matter, but with City just edging them in the league, he may well be tempted. All quiet so far today, and any United fans awaiting a signing might be left disappointed.

Newcastle’s signing of Papiss Demba Cisse may turn out to be the best deal of this window. In prolific form for Freiburg, once he returns from action with Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations, he could set the league on fire. As far as deadline day deals go, there has been talk of a late bid for the linked-with-everyone Chris Samba, as well as interest in Steven Pienaar and Tim Cahill. With Mike Ashley at the helm, quite literally anything could happen. Worth keeping an eye on.

In East Anglia, it’s been a quiet window for Norwich, with most of the talk being about Steve Morison moving on. Were he to move, it would spark a chain reaction much like musical chairs, in which clubs sign strikers to replace ones they’ve lost until one club sits rather forlornly on the floor at midnight and begins to weep because it wasn’t quick enough. Could be the catalyst for all sorts of late mayhem.

QPR spent big and spent well in the summer, and may well fancy a late foray into the market. Having already signed Nedum Onuoha and with a very crowded dressing room, they would need to let a few players go in order to bring anybody in, and this may well see another chain reaction of late signings. Of all the QPR rumours, easily the most bizarre is their apparent interest in Djibril Cisse.

Stoke also spent a lot of money in the summer, and chairman Peter Coates isn’t the type to throw good money after bad. With another good season underway and decent team spirit, it seems unlikely that the Potters will make any late moves.

Mama Diouf, Michael Owen and Kevin Davies have all been touted as possible signings for Martin O’Neill’s Sunderland. With Diouf moving to Hannover, and Bolton apparently reluctant to let Davies go, it would seem Owen is in the hotseat for a return to the North East. It’s hard to see why they would want him, but far be it from me to question O’Neill. Despite Owen Coyle’s insistence to the contrary, a big enough bid could see them land Davies, and this seems the safer bet. Could go right to the wire.

Swansea have been very quiet this window, haven’t they? Anybody think they’ve been too quiet? As the board have rewarded Brendan Rodgers’ sterling work with a new contract, maybe they’ll back him further with a bit of spending money. A centre half and a striker would be top of his wishlist, and in the summer there was talk of Kris Commons signing from Celtic. It’s one of the more unlikely potential moves this window, but you never know…

With Spurs boss Harry Redknapp’s time taken up with court proceedings, it’s unclear how much time he has to devote to signing new players. Still, rumours are rife that he’d like to take either Steve Morison from Norwich, or Andy Carroll from Liverpool – if he can offload Roman Pavlyuchenko. The Russian would make a good signing for all manner of clubs – Everton, Stoke, Fulham – but to get rid of one player and sign another in one day is notoriously fraught with problems. If anyone can do it, though, it’s ‘Arry.

West Brom are reportedly in for FC Twente striker Emir Bajrami, and talks seem to be progressing. This seems one of the safer bets of the day. Does this spell the end of Long, Odemwingie, Bednar or Fortune at West Brom? Only time will tell.

Wigan are in dire need of some fresh blood, and quickly. Bizarrely, however, manager Roberto Martinez has said that while Victor Moses and James McCarthy are not for sale, Hugo Rodallega might be allowed to leave. To allow your best player to leave without bringing in a fresh face defies all logic, and so it’s possible that Martinez has something going on under the radar. Definitely worth watching.

With Wolves playing some pretty uninspired football and sitting second from bottom, they are another team in real need of some fresh faces. While many Wolves fans wanted the first fresh face to be in the manager’s position, Mick McCarthy finds himself still in work. If Everton’s interest in Kevin Doyle pays off, either Leon Best or Nicky Maynard could be subject to Wolves bids. Meanwhile, McCarthy has said their reported interest in Nathaniel Clyne is unfounded.

So, there you have it. While nobody would say this is the most exciting deadline day in the history of the World, there are a few interesting possibilities. Now sit back and watch it all unfold.

Robin van Persie sealed Arsenal's comeback with two second-half spot kicks

Two goals from Robin van Persie helped the Gunners turn around a 2-0 half-time deficit and take his seasonal tally up to 25.

When Arsenal went in at half-time two goals down against Aston Villa, it seemed as if they would need a miracle to claw their way back and win the game. Luckily for the Gunners, this is exactly what captain Van Persie has been dealing in this season.

So reliable has his goalscoring been for Arsenal, it is now more surprising if the Dutchman doesn’t score. It was two spot kicks yesterday that sealed an unlikely turnaround for Arsenal to see them through to the last 16 and a trip to either Sunderland or Middlesbrough.

It may well be testament to Arsene Wenger’s half-time team talk that an Arsenal side who had conceded two goals – to a Richard Dunne header and a Darren Bent strike – in the first 45 minutes found themselves in front within 15 minutes of the restart. In an ironic twist, Villa’s goalscorers both quickly turned from heroes to Villans in conceding penalties; Dunne for a foul on Aaron Ramsey and Bent for what can only be described as a striker’s tackle on Laurent Koscielny.

When faced with two important penalties in quick succession Van Persie is exactly the kind of man you want to rely on, and the on-fire striker duly stepped forward and despatched both with confidence. Sandwiched between his two conversions was a fortuitous strike from Theo Walcott, and together these were enough to ensure Arsenal completed what was the most remarkable result of the weekend.

If Arsenal were responsible for the most marked difference between halves, Liverpool take the title for the biggest change week-to-week. The Reds managed to wash memories of last week’s abject performance in losing to Bolton with victories over Manchester City in midweek and then Manchester United this weekend – adding fuel to the fire of those that suggest they are a team who perform best only when faced with ‘top’ teams.

In a game in which both teams and supporters were under intense scrutiny following Luis Suarez’s ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra, the football itself often failed to live up to its billing. With the game poised at 1-1 following first-half goals from Daniel Agger and Ji-Sung Park, it was Evra – the target of continued booing from the partisan Anfield crowd – who allowed Dirk Kuyt to latch onto Andy Carroll’s flick on and fire past David de Gea.

His celebration in front of the Kop re-iterated his importance to a Liverpool team who have struggled for goals, and fans of the Reds will be hoping that rumours of Kuyt’s imminent departure from Anfield are unfounded.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the weekend was League Two leaders Crawley Town’s victory over Championship side Hull, a solitary Matt Tubbs second half finish proving enough to see them through to their second successive fifth-round berth following last year’s match at Old Trafford.. This year it is Stoke who await them.

There was a shock, too, on the south coast as Brighton ran out 1-0 victors over a Newcastle side that is riding high in the Premier League. It took an unfortunate deflected own goal from Mike Williamson to seal their victory, as the Seagulls punished the Magpies for wasteful finishing – Newcastle clearly missing top scorer Demba Ba.

Elsewhere, Fraizer Campbell marked his return to action after 18 months out injured with the equaliser for Sunderland in their derby against Middlesbrough, forcing a replay at the Riverside.

Continuing their recent resurgence, Bolton emerged as 2-1 victors over Swansea City thanks to goals from Darren Pratley and Chris Eagles, having fallen behind to Luke Moore’s opener for the Swans. Stoke, too, solidified the Premier League dominance of the weekend with a two-goal victory over Derby County.

John Terry managed to avoid further controversy in leading his Chelsea team to a 1-0 win away to west London neighbours QPR, a Juan Mata penalty sealing the victory midway through the second half. Over in north London, Tottenham beat Watford 1-0 thanks to a long-range effort from Rafael van der Vaart, continuing the weekend’s theme of Dutch players scoring crucial goals for Premier League teams.

Blackpool’s Kevin Phillips grabbed a last-minute penalty to force a replay with Sheffield Wednesday, while city counterparts United were demolished 4-0 at the hands of a resurgent Birmingham City.

Neither Millwall nor Southampton could manage a second goal as each side had to settle for a 1-1 draw at the New Den, whilst Jermaine Beckford netted twice to see Leicester to a 2-0 win over Paulo di Canio’s Swindon side.

There were also wins for Norwich, Stevenage and Everton leaving Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool as the big guns still left in the competition.

Ferguson and Dalglish clashed in the third round of the competition last season - Liverpool will be looking for revenge

Another sumptuous feast of cup action can be expected this weekend, as we look forward to the fourth round. Although again dominated by a clash of the big boys in the case of Liverpool versus Manchester United, there are still 16 lower league teams left in the competition all plotting a route to the fifth round at least. Here are eight games to watch out for:

WATFORD v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 19:45, Vicarage Road (Friday)

The Fourth Round kicks off with a sort of derby, certainly as far as many of the supporters of the two clubs – whose boundaries overlap – are concerned. Watford have endured a disappointing season in the Championship and their 4-2 defeat of Bradford in the last round was their only spot of joy amid a spell of three league defeats. To make matters worse, they’ve won only one of their last ten FA Cup matches against Premier League opponents.

Even more ominous for the Hornets, Spurs have lost only one of their last 33 against lower league clubs. In contrast to Watford they are of course having their best season in well over 20 years, but in the wake of their last two league results and increasing injuries, some pundits are predicting a stall. Still, Harry Redknapp should be able to end a challenging week for him personally with a victory.

Possible line-ups:

Watford – Loach; Dickinson, Mariappa, Doyley, Nosworthy, Eustace, Yeats, Forsyth, Hogg, Deeney, Sordell

Tottenham – Cudicini, Bassong, Dawson, Walker, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Kranjcar, Rose, Livermore, Pavlyuchenko, Defoe

Recent form: Watford - DWLWLL; Tottenham – DWWWDL

Prediction: 0-2

QUEENS PARK RANGERS v CHELSEA 12:00, Loftus Road (Saturday)

In all likelihood whatever the outcome of this early kick-off the main post-match talking points will revolve around the reacquaintance of Anton Ferdinand and John Terry for the first time since the October game in which the latter is alleged to have racially abused the former.

Terry will largely have evaded the English press this week thanks to Chelsea’s midwinter training break in Majorca, but he’ll be sure to receive a ‘warm’ welcome when he steps out in front of the QPR fans. Thankfully, a joint statement from the clubs has warned that any discriminatory chanting will not be tolerated.

Mark Hughes will be preparing his team for his first west London derby as QPR manager. The Welshmen will do very well to equal the 1-0 win predecessor Neil Warnock achieved in the aforementioned game, although that was a struggle even with a two-man advantage for over half the match. Gary Cahill should make his Chelsea debut.

Possible line-ups:

QPR – Myhill; Murphy, Caldwell, Ridgewell, Davies, Burke, N’Daw, Beausejour, Fahey, King, Zigic

Chelsea – Cech; Cole, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Romeu, Ramires, Meireles, Torres, Mata, Sturridge

Recent form: QPR – ; Chelsea – DLWWWD

Prediction: 0-1

LIVERPOOL v MANCHESTER UNITED 12:45, Anfield

If Manchester United are to win the FA Cup this season for the first time in eight years they will have to do it the hard way. They could never have imagined that in order to simply make the fifth round they’d have to beat both their fiercest rivals on their own patches.

Nevertheless if there was ever a side that thrives on the big occasion it is United under Sir Alex Ferguson and having seen off City in the last round they’ll be confident of defeating their rivals from Merseyside in this one, even though stricken by injuries.

Liverpool have the slight disadvantage of only having played on Wednesday, but the buzz derived from making the Carling Cup final coupled with the excitement and anticipation centred around any game with United should mean their energy is not found wanting. They will also want revenge for going out the competition to United last season in Kenny Dalglish’s first match as returning manager.

Possible line-ups:

Liverpool – Reina; Jose Enrique, Coates, Carragher, Kelly; Gerrard, Maxi, Downing, Adam, Carroll, Bellamy

Man United – De Gea; Ferdinand, Evans, Smalling, Fabio, Anderson, Giggs, Park, Valencia, Berbatov, Hernandez

Recent form: Liverpool – LWWDLD; Man United – WLLWWW

Prediction: 2-2

DERBY COUNTY v STOKE CITY 15:00, Pride Park

So solid have Derby been in recent weeks they will fancy their chances of nicking a narrow win in this Midlands derby. Nigel Clough’s men have kept four clean sheets in a row and lost just twice in their last ten games.

Stoke never make games easy for their opponents though and in their last game against lower league opposition – Gillingham away in the third round – they won comfortably despite going a goal down early on. Tony Pulis would love a return trip to Wembley following last season’s final defeat, but may be less focused on the cup this year with a tasty Europa League date with Valencia coming up.

Although Clough’s prerogative will be to make the Championship play-offs, Derby may still find more of an appetite for this game, which could favour them.

Possible line-ups:

Derby – Fielding; Brayford, Roberts, Barker, Shackell, Bryson, Bailey, Green, Ward, Robinson, Ball

Stoke – Begovic; Huth, Wilson, Shawcross, Woodgate, Pennant, Whitehead, Delap, Shotton, Crouch, Jerome

Recent form: Derby – WWWWWD; Stoke – DDWWDL

Prediction: 2-1

HULL CITY v CRAWLEY TOWN 15:00, The KC Stadium

Crawley will have to work very hard to match their achievement of reaching the fifth round last year. However, the West Sussex side, one of only two League Two sides left in the competition, did put out a Bristol City team that had won their last two in the third round and their relative success in the competition recently means they shouldn’t be underestimated.

Possible line-ups:

Hull – Mannone; Rosenior, Dawson, Chester, Hobbs, McKenna, Stewart, Evans, Koren, McLean, Brady

Crawley – Shearer; Howell, Mills, McFadzean, Davis, Torres, Hunt, Bulman, Neilson, Tubbs, Barnett

Recent form: Hull – LLLWWW; Crawley – LWDWDD

Prediction: 2-1

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION v NEWCASTLE UNITED 17:15, The Amex Stadium

If you were to judge by Brighton’s third round defeat of non-league Wrexham, which required a replay and penalties, you wouldn’t give them much of a chance in this match, but of course the FA Cup being what it is anything can happen. Conversely, Brighton’s cultured playing style under Gus Poyet could in fact thrive against top tier opposition.

Goalkeeper Peter Brezovan was their penalty-saving hero against the Welsh side, he’ll expect to be busy against a Newcastle team who always look capable of scoring.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew is probably still wondering how his men managed to concede five at Fulham last week after a first half they’d dominated. He’ll be looking for them to bounce back with a solid win.

Possible line-ups:

Brighton – Brezovan; Greer, Dunk, El-Abd, Calderon, Navarro, Sparrow, Bridcutt, Barnes, Buckley, Mackail-Smith

Newcastle – Krul; Coloccini, Simpson, Williamson, R. Taylor, Cabaye, Guthrie, Ben Arfa, Gutierrez, Best, Shola Ameobi

Recent form: Brighton – LWDWDW; Newcastle – WLWWWL

Prediction: 1-2

SUNDERLAND v MIDDLESBROUGH 13:30, The Stadium of Light (Sunday)

Sunday’s first match showcases the first Wear-Tees derby for three years. Such is the juggernaut Sunderland have become under Martin O’Neill it would be a major shock if the result was anything but a comfortable home win. The Black Cats breezed past Peterborough in the last round, while Dutchman Marvin Emnes was Boro’s hero with the only goal against spirited Shrewsbury.

Regrettably missing for Boro will be Julio Arca, who spent six years at Sunderland, following his dismissal at Coventry last weekend. Tony Mowbray’s boys have had a downturn of form in the Championship recently, losing their last three matches, so it’s hard to see an upset here.

Possible line-ups:

Sunderland – Mignolet; Bardsley, Brown, Richardson, O’Shea, Cattermole, Larsson, Gardner, McClean, Wickham, Sessegnon

Middlesbrough – Coyne, Hoyte, Bennett, Bates, Williams, Thomson, Robson, Smallwood, Haroun, McDonald, Emnes

Recent form: Sunderland – DWWWLW; Middlesbrough - WDLWLL

Prediction: 3-1

ARSENAL v ASTON VILLA 16:00, The Emirates

Arsenal will be hoping to have Thierry Henry available again after he missed out last weekend against Manchester United due to injury. Another goal to add to his matchwinner in the last round against Leeds wouldn’t go amiss either. The fans, meanwhile, will be equally optimistic that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain gets another start after his scintillating display last week was cut short much to their derision.

Villa raced into a three-goal lead in the third round at Bristol Rovers, but were made to sweat when the home side fought to within a missed penalty of 3-2 with momentum in their favour, and Alex McLeish’s men can’t afford such complacency here. Robbie Keane has had as instant an impact for them as Henry has for Arsenal, and it could be a final FA Cup appearance for one of the America-based duo.

Possible line-ups:

Arsenal – Almunia; Vermaelen, Squillaci, Miquel, Yennaris, Rosicky, Ramsey, Song, Henry, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arshavin

Villa – Guzan; Hutton, Warnock, Dunne, Collins, Agbonlahor, Albrighton, Petrov, Clark, Bent, Keane

Recent form: Arsenal – WLWDWL; Villa – DWLWDW

Prediction: 2-1

ELSEWHERE:

The lowest ranked team left in the competition are Paolo Di Canio’s Swindon, from League Two, who face a not especially glamorous trip to Leicester. There are all Premier League clashes between Everton and Fulham, on Friday night, and Bolton and Swansea and West Brom and Norwich on Saturday.

The remaining games include Sheffield Wednesday against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road, Birmingham travelling to Sheffield United, and an all-Championship encounter between Millwall and Southampton.

Finally, there will be at least one League One outfit in the fifth round, as Stevenage entertain Notts County.

Humanitarian charity Parikrma is educating children in India and using football to get its message to private industry and government alike. Alex Lawson travelled to Bangalore to discover how the organisation has achieved its seven-year search for a ground, staged its first Champions League event and how Blackburn owners Venky’s could help football in India.

The Parikrma Humanity Foundation is not simply about improving the lives of children that pass through its four schools, but to create a model that will help improve the lives of families nationwide. Walking into one of the foundation’s carefully decorated schools in a backstreet in Bangalore, it is easy to see the organisation carries enough passion and endeavour within its walls to create something bigger.

Bangalore, India’s Silicon Valley, has seen explosive growth with the world’s largest IT firms employing more than one million people. Sadly, just 10 per cent of those people come through the “outdated and moribund” state schooling system which sees the majority of kids drop out before the age of 16 and just nine per cent go on to college.

The poor are being left out of India’s economic growth engine, claimed Vivek Raju a founder member of Parikrma which is headed up by chief executive, hospitality magnate, and former Woman Entrepreneur of the Year, Shukla Bose, working alongside Kalpana Singh and Manab Bose.

“Parikrma was created with a simple question – ‘can any child, even the poorest from the slums of urban India, access the best opportunities and live a full and happy life?’,” said Raju, who has 15 years of marketing experience with the likes of Levis.

Parikrma, founded in 2003, now has four centres teaching 1,300 children from 53 slum communities and five orphanages. Watching Raju tour us round the modest school is a real pleasure, the classrooms are adorned with tributes to the school’s brightest stars and their work. At the desks, the kids are polite, enthusiastic and brimming with a visible desire to succeed. The centres benefit from philanthropic donations such as secondhand computers from IT businesses. But perhaps one of the charity’s most important pieces of real estate has recently been added – its football ground.

The charity has created a United Parikrma Football programme at three age groups headed by a B-license coach from the Asian Football Confederation who also oversees the club’s athletics and Taekwondo activities.

After seven years of scraping together practice sessions at facilities a tenth the size of a football field, Parikrma opened a new ground to complement its central coaching programme launched last year, and now train kids four times a week. Having carved out a good reputation at inter-school and national level, winning Coca-Cola sponsored tournaments, the club turned organiser in creating the inaugural Parikrma Champions League, drawing together the best teams in the city for 48 matches over five days last year.

Raju said: “We found that there was no one tournament that got all the best teams of the city to play with each other. We wanted to give our children exposure to high level of football and determine who the real champion was. For the first time, the teams walked out through a tunnel onto the astro-turf, a matter of great excitement for the children who said they felt like ‘professionals’.”

Former Indian national team captain Baichung Bhutia attended the finals to give away the honours and plans for this year’s tournament are underway.

Parikrma team with former Indian captain Baichung Bhutia

Individually a number of Parikrma’s best players have become stars at state level, and one player, Tong Mong, has gone on to play for the Indian Bank team in the Super League, one league below the Indian Premier League.

Raju believes sport is integral to the development of the children at the charity. He said: “On the field, only ability and passion count. Social and other man-made divisions are rendered irrelevant. Today, the opportunities to pursue one’s interest and ability in sport is great and talent and passion are all that are needed for a child in poverty to break that cycle once and for all.”

He also argues that India’s growing presence in international football – via the likes of  Blackburn Rovers’ sponsor Venky’s and new FIFA-built academies – and football’s increasing popularity in the country offer opportunity.

“The time is ripe for children from poor backgrounds to make use of this,” said Raju. “These children come with great determination to play to their best and football, given it’s easy accessibility and low cost, provides them with that outlet to express themselves.”

Parikrma’s overarching goal is to ensure 90 per cent of its children go to college to study subjects like engineering, medicine, art, hotel management, science and nursing.

In footballing terms, its goals are equally ambitious, taking the team to victory in the national schools tournament, the Subroto Cup and aiming to “institutionalise excellence”.

As Raju beams over children learning to tell the time it is apparent that this excellence is going to come through nurture, careful teaching and a passion that knows no bounds.