The more pressure that has come on, the more bold Villas-Boas’ statements have become, very much taking the Steve Kean approach of discussing next season in the hope that it will convince the senior management set-up that your job is safe.

Unfortunately for the Portuguese manager, who at Porto was very much regarded as a fine man-manager, the mutterings of the need for renewal seem to have alienated some of the most influential characters in the Chelsea dressing room and the sight of Chelsea lining-up in a crucial away Champions League fixture without John Terry, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard reveals a lot about the current future outlook for these figures if the reign of Villas-Boas extends past the summer.

Terry was unavailable through injury and there are many people, including Chelsea supporters who understand the growing feeling from the club’s manager that the likes of Cole and Lampard are no longer needed, but the problem is such that with the current squad, they are integral to the side’s hopes this season.

Maybe Chelsea’s first-choice midfield at the moment would not contain Lampard, but if the Napoli game demonstrated anything it is that it definitely requires a top-class holding-midfielder for the big games.

Lampard’s exclusion and Raul Meireles’ subsequent horror-show will be pointed to by the media, but the truth is that the England man would still not have solved the defensive midfield problem. The problem is not Villas-Boas’ philosophy, but instead the players he can call-upon in blue football kits to realise his tactical set-ups.

Chelsea have not moved on in any great fashion since the departure of Mourinho, four and a half years ago. The squad now looks aged and tired in comparison to some of the more vibrant sides of the Premier League and more importantly Europe.

Will Roman Abramovich have looked at the game with Napoli and seen yet another poor performance under his floundering wunderkind boss? Or, instead, will the Russian have looked at the squad in general and realised that there is some major renovation work required at Stamford Bridge this summer, whoever the manager may be?

Willian, Eden Hazard, Mario Gotze and Lucas Moura have all been touted as ‘almost certain’ to join Chelsea this summer, depending on which news outlet you choose. There may not be truth in the rumours, but as they say there is generally no smoke without fire. It is clear that Chelsea are looking at bringing in some new creative forces and they are not afraid of spending big.

In defence, in midfield and in attack; it is possible to point to every area of the Chelsea squad currently and say they must improve in order to win the league.

Whether Villas-Boas retains control or not is almost irrelevant at this point. It is now clear that whoever the man in charge may be, some tough decisions are going to have to be made this summer if the West London club are to challenge on all-fronts once more.

Christopher Atkins, Zapkam.

Rumours of a dressing-room rift are rife, with  a common belief that the senior players at Chelsea have not bought into the Villas-Boas ‘project’ as they have done with certain previous managers.

The current boss even conceded that there are players not yet sold by his scheme of things, but insisted the only persons backing he requires is the owner, Roman Abramovich.

Indeed, for the past few days, Villas-Boas has made it abundantly clear to anyone who will listen that he considers himself to have the full backing of the Russian – a man notorious for his short patience with managers at Chelsea.

“There’s been an obvious tendency for change to happen,” Villas-Boas said in his pre-match press conference.

“But from the messages [issued] by the club and the board in the recent past there’s a clear indication that there’s a change in the way we approach the projects for the future.

“The speculation is normal, given the cultural past of this football club, but you have to understand that there’s a different perspective now.

“We have great belief in what we will do next year, setting up a team to bring us the biggest amount of trophies we can have.

I’m really confident about next year. That doesn’t take any responsibility for what’s happening now but we had a three-year project to change not only the team but the culture and structure of the club.

There’s a lot we needed to do, a lot of plans, so that’s why I’m excited about the future. I have the full confidence of the owner, I am here to do my job. And my job is for this year and the next two years.”

Villas-Boas is clear; he has the owner’s approval. Yet, if the Portuguese is backed long-term, it threatens to be a summer of discontent and upheaval at Stamford Bridge as the ex-Porto boss looks to mould the squad in his desired image.

But, with a Champions League fixture with Napoli on Tuesday night, is Villas-Boas’ job as secure as he would like the media and thus, the public to believe.

Napoli showed in their group-stage encounters with Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Villarreal that their success in domestic football has been no fluke and will be looking forward to taking on an out-of-sorts Chelsea this week.

Would Abramovich really accept defeat at this stage of the competition, considering the club’s poor league position? History points to only one conclusion that can be drawn on that question.

Villas-Boas has demonstrated a stubborn streak and without doubt has the confidence to succeed at a big club, but it is open for debate whether the bravado shown has any physical backing at this moment in time.

Chelsea’s spent millions demand success. Villas-Boas knows that his appointment was designed to bring precisely that and therefore that a season without cause for celebration only has one likely outcome for those in charge at the Bridge.

Christopher Atkins, Zapkam.

There have been complaints about the club’s stubborn attitude towards spending money for some time now and doubts were compounded last summer when the club saw the departure of key figures Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy. The last twenty-four hours of the summer transfer window did see some activity with regards to finding replacements, but it was a case of too little too late for the North London side.

This slide in Arsenal’s fortunes is no recent phenomenon. In recent seasons Thierry Henry, Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, William Gallas, Mathieu Flamini and Alexander Hleb have all departed from the Emirates, without ever being properly replaced in some cases.

The club is famed for its youth development under Wenger and rightfully so. Over the year’s Arsenal have scoured the world for some fine young talents and moulded them into top-flight footballers. It is an admirable quality, but at times there is also a need for a greater balance and diversity in the composition of a team. Unfortunately, when Arsenal have tried to add experience to the team in recent times (Squillaci, Park Chu Young and Mertesacker spring to mind…), the signings have not always been of the desired quality.

There are still some fine footballers at the club, although with the side’s current aversion to winning it remains to be seen how long they will stick around. However, besides striker Robin Van Persie, the vast majority of these very talented players need to really to engage in a period of self-evaluation after the season so far, with the likes of Theo Walcott, Andrey Arshavin and Johan Djourou in particular needing to take stock of what they want to achieve and put some extra effort in.

Wenger himself has already commented on the hardships he has faced this season and the fact he has considered his future, with clear signs emerging that his Arsenal project is disintegrating. Warning signs of clumsy defending from those in red football kits and a tendency to lose winnable games have move beyond the stage where they are worrying, to the point were they have for the past twelve months become comical. Not so much as individual incidents, but more as an enduring pattern that shows no signs of rectification.

There are always positives that can be taken and the emergence of Emmanuel Frimpong, Ryo Miyaichi and Francis Coquelin are all encouraging, but the attitude of the club needs to change from the top down. There is no longer a culture of winning in the side and no experienced heads to break that trend. It could well be a tumultuous summer in the Holloway area of London, as Arsenal must act soon to stop the rot.

Christopher Atkins, Zapkam.

Ten points is the margin that currently separates the all-conquering Barcelona from Real Madrid at the summit of the La Liga table, a margin that is not easily recoverable given the leaders current ability to brush aside any given opposition with almost inconceivable ease. The defence may leak goals, but the forward-line is an irresistible force-of-nature, with Portuguese hotshot Cristiano Ronaldo the chief protagonist.

Barcelona may have emerged victorious over their Castillan opponents in the Spanish Super Cup, the Copa del Rey and the opening league meeting of the season, but there is little doubt that they have at times been pushed to the very limits of their brilliance by José Mourinho’s side. However, when tested by the gruelling slog of a league season, the Catalans have wilted in the face of Madrid’s power, with the comparative depths of the playing squads a decisive factor.

It has been said for several years now that the Barcelona squad has been too small to challenge on all fronts and yet, time-after-time they have pushed the likes of Xavi and Lionel Messi to the limits of exhaustion and come up trumps. Yet, this is no ordinary season, as the phenomenal results of the team from Madrid have simply not allowed Barcelona the slip-ups they could once afford.

A lot of faith has been placed upon the much-vaunted La Masia youth academy and its products, so many of whom have emerged into the first-team fold in recent years. This campaign has seen the likes of Sergi Roberto, Isaac Cuenca and Cristian Tello join the fold, but for all their clear talents, it is too much to ask these players to guide Barcelona to league success in the absence of first-team stars and the pressure has told.

Home-form has not been the issue for Pep Guardiola’s side, with the partisan crowd and expansive playing suface of the Camp Nou playing host to ten victories from eleven attempts for the team in famous red-and-blue football kits, but away from home it has been a difficult season for Barça. Four wins from eleven in the face of compact defences, baying supporters and dodgy referees has seen the champions lose ground on Madrid all season, an issue demonstrated by the fact that only four of Lionel Messi’s 23 league goals have come outside of the Camp Nou this season.

Barcelona have a Copa del Rey final to come, but with all due respect to the historic competition, the season would be deemed a failure if this was the only triumph. That is if they beat Athletic first. Thus, attention turns to Europe and a Champions League last-16 tie with Bayer Leverkusen that marks the next-step on the road to what for Barcelona fans is an expected final in Munich on 19th May.

The league title race is of course not over, but in the cold light of day success looks a remote possibility now for the reigning Spanish and European Champions. Thus, as could be seen by team selection this weekend, maximum attention will be given to the Champions League as Barcelona attempt to become the first team to retain the cup in its current format. But right now, somewhere in the bellows of the Santiago Bernabeu, it is not hard to imagine a certain Portuguese manager plotting his revenge for the perceived injustices of the past eighteen months.

Christopher Atkins, Zapkam

Tottenham dismissed Newcastle with ease on Saturday evening, with a convincing display and 5-0 victory than consolidates their status as the third best team in the country this season. The strike pair of Louis Saha and Emmanuel Adebayor were outstanding on their first outing in tandem, but it was in midfield that the game was won and lost. Scott Parker will undoubtedly draw plaudits for his performance, but once more it was the Croatian Luka Modric who controlled proceedings. Chelsea amongst others have made enquiries for the player, which is little surprise as there are few better deep-lying playmakers in the world game at present. The diminutive midfielder made ninety-nine passes, with the impressive factor not the completion rate (an impressive 86%), but more the maturity shown when deciding upon the desired pace of the game. When required, Modric was the first to slow the game down and reestablish Spurs control on proceedings.

2. Aston Villa are lacking in every department

Since the autumn period of Martin O’Neill’s tenure at Villa Park, it has been excruciatingly clear that Aston Villa have been regressing as a squad in all areas of the pitch. O’Neill was initially backed financially and succeeding in achieving three consecutive 6th place finishes. But, when the money dried up, the Northern Irishman was out the door in an instant and since, barring a flurry on Darren Bent and John Makoun last January, the purse-strings have remained tied. A lot of blame is being attributed to Alec McCleish for the substandard nature of Aston Villa’s recent performances, but it is clear that they no longer have a squad to compete in the top-half of the table. A profit of £17 million has been made on this year’s transfer dealings, but the loss of personnel have left the squad bereft of quality in every outfield department.

3. Wolves defending verges on shambolic

When Wolves signed Roger Johnson, it was heralded as a masterstroke after the defender’s impressive spell at Birmingham, but it has not been so easy at Molineux. The Wolverhampton defence has conceded 49 goals this season, the fourth worst record in the league and worryingly, the team have been caught out time-after-time failing to complete the simplest of defensive tasks. A failure to clear the ball, poor marking from crosses and a lack of pressure on the ball have been recurring themes for Wolves this campaign and were exposed deeply against West Brom. Also, when it comes to goalkeeper Wayne Hennessy there is no middle ground. He is either excellent, or abject in his performance – a worrying trait for a top flight keeper.

4. David Moyes’ January signings should pull Everton into the top-half

There is little doubt that if Harry Redknapp should leave Tottenham in the summer, David Moyes’ name will be right at the top of the list of potential replacements. What the Scot manages to achieve with a limited budget year-after-year is nigh on extraordinary and this January, the club’s transfer dealings have once more impressed. The loan signings of Steven Pienaar and Landon Donovan have added much-needed quality to the Everton attack, at minimal cost, which was clear to see in Saturday’s victory over Chelsea. Moyes has a habit of pulling off big results against the league’s top teams and once more those in blue football kits didn’t disappoint. If Nikita Jelovic can transfer his goal return to the Premier League, then the Toffees should have little problem securing a top-half finish.

Christopher Atkins, Zapkam.

With England, the goals have not flowed as freely on the major championship stage, but at club level Rooney has saved some of his best performances for derby fixtures, away European games and of course, last season’s Champions League final.

As a high-profile professional footballer, Rooney has faced scrutiny throughout his career and has justifiably been criticised in the past for his actions on and off the pitch. Yet, for all the rough patches, Rooney has invariably delivered when the pressure has been on.

So far this campaign, the 26-year old has notched 17 goals in 22 games in the Premier League and 21 in 28 across all competitions. In the era of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, these numbers are often overlooked, but for the Premier League it is on a par with anything the latter managed in his time in the red football kit of Manchester United.

However, it is the breakdown of these goals that is truly outstanding. Team-mate Javier Hernandez understandably receives a lot of credit for the timing and importance of his goals, but the weight of goals Rooney has scored against United’s title-rivals says much for the player’s big-match temperament.

A hat-trick against Arsenal, three in two games against Chelsea, braces against Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as a solitary goal against Spurs; Rooney has consistently delivered this season against the Red Devils’ biggest title-rivals.

Much was made of a loss-of-form in the October-November period, which saw Rooney endure a spell of eight goalless games for his club, coinciding with a run of poor results for the team.

There is a case that Rooney’s form affected the team and also, inversely that the team’s poor form dented Rooney’s scoring chances. But, it must also be added that during the period in question, Rooney played four games in a midfield role, limiting his attacking threat.

However, there is another factor in Rooney’s resurgence of the past two months. Antonio Valencia.

At the start of the campaign, the talk was about the dynamic, passing style of play promoted by the Manchester United midfield of Nani, Anderson, Tom Cleverley and Ashley Young. But, with sustained spells on the sidelines for all except Nani, the momentum was not continued past the season’s opening weeks.

Not to worry for Sir Alex Ferguson, as by late November he was fully ready to unleash a fully recovered Antonio Valencia on the Premier League. As recently discussed, the Ecuadorian is as important to this Manchester United side as any other player, amassing nine assists in thirteen Premier League starts.

The Valencia-Rooney axis first showed signs of what was to come in the 2009-10 season, when Rooney netted 34 times for his club, largely thanks to the assists of the hard-working winger. Thus, it is little surprise that since Valencia’s introduction this campaign, Rooney has been firing once more.

Whoever does eventually take the reigns as England manager will no doubt have watched with glee the partnership that Rooney has sprung-up with the increasingly important Danny Welbeck in recent months. Welbeck stretches the play for United in a way that neither Hernandez, or Dimitar Berbatov can manage, whilst linking effectively with the build-up play.

There is a long way to go in this season’s Premier League title race and no-one on either side of Manchester will be counting their chickens yet. But, when Sir Alex Ferguson sits down on Sunday to reflect on the weekend’s events, he can do so content in the knowledge that in Rooney he has the man for the big occasion.

Christopher Atkins, Zapkam

Although the tournament officially kicked-off last month, with what would have been seen as qualification rounds elsewhere, now is the turn of the group-stages and time for the heavyweights to enter the battlefield.

The competition is so broad that it is hard to pick out a ‘favourite’ for the title, although there are several candidates who would consider anything less than a semi-final place a disappointing result.

Leading the way will be last year’s champions Santos and their leading light, Neymar. Having ended an almost 50 year wait for a third Copa Libertadores title in 2011, the Mohican-sporting youngster and his side will be aiming to match the 1962/63 sides achievement of back-to-back titles. That side notably included the mastery of Pelé, now it is Neymar’s turn to attempt to match his idol’s feats in the record-books.

Santos were the Libertadores champions last year, but to many the best team on the continent in 2011 were the Chilean champions of the Copa Sudamericana, Universidad de Chile.

‘La U’ won plaudits from across the continent for their vibrant, high-pressing style of play that brought success to Chile in an international competition for the first time since Colo Colo won the Copa Libertadores in 1991. Universidad have lost three of their star-names over the summer, but this was a team built more on the philosophy of boss Jorge Sampaoli than individual talents.

Besides those two, there will be a host of ‘giants’ from Brazil and Argentina who every year feel it is their right to succeed in this competition. Leading the way on this front will be respective national champions, Corinthians and Boca Juniors.

Corinthians won the Brasileirão last year through a mixture of individual talent and a disciplined team effort. The heroes of the side were not the big names signed from abroad, but instead the likes of Ralf, Paulinho and Leandro Castan – three players who represent the hard-working nature of this side. Add to that the flair of Alex in midfield, the pace of Émerson Sheik and the finishing of Liédson and it is easy to see how they succeeded.

Boca, for their part, spent money to secure the Apertura championship in Argentina, ending a three-year weight. The ageing, but prodigiously talented Juan Roman Riquelme is still the heartbeat of the side, but the midfield has been strengthened with the arrival of left-sided Walter Erviti. A strong, rounded side, Boca are one to watch for the title.

Besides the champions, the likes of Fluminense, Internacional, Flamengo and Vasco da Gama from Brazil will all fancy their chances in the competition, but must rectify some of the Brazilian game’s recent shortcomings against South American opponents. In terms of Argentina, Velez Sarsfield will also consider their chances to be good, after a semi-final appearance last year.

It is clear that when you throw into the mix challengers from the likes of Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay, there is a real unpredictability emerging. Uruguayans Peñarol were finalists last year, whilst the likes of Universidad Catolica can pull-off a shock on their day.

Stay tuned over the next few months as the action hots up and follow it all on Zapkam.

Christopher Atkins, Zapkam.

Mike Ashley has faced fierce criticism in his time at St James’s Park, but it appears he is doing something right as Newcastle continue to challenge in the upper echelons of the Premier League table. Much has been made of the club’s impressive scouting network and the work of Graham Carr, as they continue to find talented players at reasonable prices. Today saw the debut of the latest player to pull-on the much-vaunted Newcastle number nine football shirt, Papiss Demba Cissé. The Senegalese marked his debut with a fine goal and showed signs that his partnership with free-scoring Demba Ba could be fruitful for the club.

2. Rafael da Silva is developing nicely at right-back

There were so many talking points in Chelsea’s fixture with Manchester United that it would be impossible to cover all of them. Yet, one player whose contribution will no doubt be overlooked in the post-match analysis is full-back Rafael, who once again showed his development at full-back. Physically strong, the Brazilian defender made light work of opponent Florent Malouda, making nine of his twelve tackles successfully, more than anyone else on the pitch. United have been limited at right-back this season, but if the Brazilian can stay fit they may well have their answer.

3. QPR must take their chances

Queens Park Rangers are being sucked into an avoidable relegation battle, having lost more points (15) from winning positions than anyone else in the league. Having thrown away a 2-0 lead against Aston Villa midweek, the R’s lost to a thoroughly disappointing Wolves side following the first-half dismissal of Djibril Cissé. There are promising signs for Rangers’ fans in the form of Adel Taarabt, as well as new-boys Cissé and Bobby Zamora, but they must tighten up at the back when they have games in winnable positions.

4. Arsenal are electrifying when they take their chances

It must be taken into account that they were up against a very poor, ten-man Blackburn team, but there is no denying Arsenal’s immense quality when it comes to carving through opponents. Theo Walcott has created a large number of assists this season, even if his finishing could be improved, and has formed a deadly partnership with Robin Van Persie that sees the Dutchman leading the scoring charts. This week, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to the fore, Arsenal took their chances, but they must ensure it becomes a regular occurrence, rather than slipping back to the wasteful finishing that they have become associated with.

5. O’Neill’s Sunderland are a force to be reckoned with

There is often a case of beginner’s luck with good form under a new manager, but Sunderland’s streak under Martin O’Neill has now seen them earn 22 of a possible 30 points – form that would see them challenging for a title over a whole season. That of course is a long way off, but O’Neill has harnessed the talented squad he took-over and quickly formed a formidable unit. Raw left-midfielder James McClean has been a breath of fresh air down the flank, whilst Stephane Sessegnon in midfield is showing himself to be one of the Premier League’s best attacking midfielders. It is also pleasing to see Fraizer Campbell back scoring after his long-term injury woes, a plus for O’Neill’s side in the absence of Niklas Bendtner.

Christopher Atkins, Zapkam.

As the old expression goes, ‘the league table doesn’t lie’. We are now in February, more than halfway through the season and Tottenham lie in 3rd place in the Premier League.

It would be easy to say that this is only a temporary, elevated status for Harry Redknapp’s side, but in all honesty few can argue with their current position. Spurs are the third best team in the country and by a distance.

Seven points clear of Chelsea, eleven points clear of Liverpool and twelve points clear of fierce rivals Arsenal, these are not margins formed by luck at this stage in the season. Tottenham are only five points off the summit of the league and whether you count them as title contenders or not, they are still closer to the top two than they are to fourth placed Chelsea. Impressive stuff.

Yet, over the course of the next month, their claims to a top three spot will truly be tested. Away trips to Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United lie in wait for the North Londoners, before a visit to Chelsea at the end of March. These are the trips that will decide Tottenham’s ultimate league position.

Earlier in the season, Tottenham annihilated Liverpool 4-0 at White Hart Lane, with the visitors reduced to nine-men in the face of the Spurs onslaught. It was perhaps the lowest point of Liverpool’s season on-the-pitch, that being until last month’s 3-1 collapse away at Bolton.

Kenny Dalglish’s side have been unpredictable this campaign, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. But, more often than not, they have been no better than mediocre – a worrying sign for the Anfield faithful. This season’s lavish signings have not lived up to their price-tags and the side has appeared disjointed, particularly in the absence of Luis Suárez, who they welcome back on Monday.

The match represents an opportunity for Tottenham to silence the doubters. If there was ever a time to really take Liverpool on at Anfield it is now, with the Reds only winning four of eleven home matches this season (although none have been lost). A win and it is almost inconceivable Liverpool can catch them this season; a defeat and it is back on the table.

It will be in midfield that the match is won and lost, an area where Tottenham have all the necessary assets to really take on those in red football kits. With Lucas Leiva still absent, it is an area of vulnerability for the home-side if the likes of Scott Parker, Luka Modric and Rafael Van der Vaart can dictate play, as they did so successfully at White Hart Lane.

It is in games like this that the best teams lay down a marker, particularly ahead of a tough run of fixtures in the coming weeks. Tottenham wish to be treated as title contenders and their league position justifies their claims, but now they must go out and back them up on Monday night.

Christopher Atkins, Zapkam.

One of the features of deadline day is undoubtedly Harry Redknapp, who never ceases to amaze with the candid nature in which he informs reporters of his transfer targets, his views on others’ targets and seemingly any player who pops into his head. His favourite method of interview is undoubtedly the in-car piece to camera, which of course was totally off-the-cuff as he drives home with all the prospective deals dead-in-the-water, or so we are meant to think.

This year we thought we would be disappointed, with an ongoing court case and Tottenham’s evening fixture meaning there would be no in-car interviews this year. But, Harry is not a man to disappoint when there is a camera around and post-match delivered one of his trademark honest interviews, where Tottenham’s transfer plans were laid bare.

As ever, it was an entertaining last hour for Spurs, who seem unable to grasp that they have a whole month in which they are able to make their desired moves in the transfer market. In fact, this month’s activity was perhaps the most bemusing in their recent history – a case of finalising deals for the sake of finalising deals. In the final hours of the window, Roman Pavlyuchenko headed for the exit door, only for Louis Saha to meet him on the way in, with the same applying for the departing Sebastian Bassong, who was immediately replaced by Ryan Nelson. Steven Pienaar also made a late dash to Everton on-loan to round-off Tottenham’s activity, which appears to be an exercise in cost-cutting ahead of potential summer activity.

Another club in the action were Queens Park Rangers who provided the biggest stories of the deadline day, in the captures of Bobby Zamora and Djibril Cissé. Having already splashed out on Taye Taiwo, Samba Diakité and Nedum Onuoha, the R’s have really spent some cash this transfer window in an attempt to assure Premier League survival after a worrying end to the first half of the season. Now Rangers fans have a new much-hyped strike partnership to cheer in the hope of ending the clubs woes in-front of goal.

Everton fans also finished the day in high spirits with Steven Pienaar’s addition compounded by the arrival of Rangers’ much discussed goal-scorer Nikica Jelovic. With the club able to keep hold of their prized assets, it represents a better month of activity than most recent transfer windows for those in blue football kits. For once they even outspent Manchester City, whose only activity was the loan signing of Chilean David Pizarro, in an attempt to add creativity from deep in the midfield.

For many sides, it was more a question of investing in the future. Manchester United brought in Swiss defender Frederic Veseli from neighbours City, whilst Chelsea looked to Belgium for £7 million midfielder Kevin de Bruyne.

Arsenal followed a route used by the likes of Jack Wilshere and Daniel Sturridge in loaning young Japanese prospect Ryo Miyaichi to Bolton, where he will be joined by £3 million youngster Marvin Sordell who joins from Watford.

Christopher Atkins, Zapkam.