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Emmanuel Adebayor hopes he can begin a new chapter of his career at Real Madrid after a torrid spell with Manchester City.

The Togolese striker fell out of favour at Eastlands under the reign of Roberto Mancini, after being signed from Arsenal in a 25-million-pound deal under Mark Hughes, and has now agreed to a six month loan deal by Jose Mourinho as the Real boss looks to bolster his attacking stocks.

Real also have the option to buy Adebayor outright come the end of the season.

Aside from his inability to win a spot in the City starting line up, Adebayor is lucky to be alive after being injured by a terrorist attack on his country’s team bus at the African Cup of Nations 12 months ago – prompting his retirement from international football.

The 26-year-old said he wants a fresh start under Mourinho at the Bernabeu, and is keen to put the dramas of the last year behind him.

“After Arsenal, when I went to Man City, don’t get me wrong, it’s true that I had an up and down time, and I was nearly dead as well on the way to the African Nations Cup,” Adebayor said.

“I was a little bit traumatised by all those kinds of things and it was a very difficult moment for me. Last year started very badly, but 2011 started very well by signing a contract with Real Madrid.”

“Hopefully there’s a lot of good coming my way, so I have to praise God that I’m still alive and I get the chance to wear the white shirt of Real Madrid.”

“I’m very honoured and very, very happy to join this club. And for all that has happened over the last six months today I’m more comfortable, more relieved and I’m very happy.”

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“I’m a footballer and what I need is to play football, to be out there on the pitch.”

“The most important thing for me is to enjoy myself here and everybody is making me feel at home. I’m going to talk to the boss (Mourinho) to see how I can help the team win things.”

“I’m here to learn. Players never stop learning. I will learn and from then I will have to improve my game. I have to score goals, I have to create goals, I have to make things happen.”

Mario Mandzukic’s second half equaliser earned Croatia a well earned point against Italy in Poznan to leave Group C poised on a knife-edge.

Slaven Bilic’s side knew a win over the 2006 World Cup winners at the Municipal Stadium would confirm their passage to the quarter finals after their impressive win over the Republic of Ireland last Sunday. But they struggled to assert the same authority as they did in their opening game as the Italians took control of the game and took a deserved lead six minutes before half time courtesy of a glories Andrea Pirlo free-kick. But Mandzukic’s third goal of the tournament kept their hopes alive although they’ll have to beat Spain to be certain of a place in the last eight.

On the balance of play the performance of Cesare Prandelli’s side merited maximum points as they dominated from the outset with Mario Balotelli going close to breaking the deadlock inside three minutes. The Manchester City striker received Emanuele Giaccherini’s pass from the left before swivelling and firing just wide from 12-yards. Balotelli then had a shot blocked and Claudio Marchisio saw his blistering long-range strike shave the crossbar.

Stipe Pletikosa then had to be alert to thwart Balotelli and it took until the 20th minute for Croatia to give Gianluigi Buffon something to do in the Italian goal. Darijo Srna whipped a right wing cross into Nikica Jelavic and any touch would have taken it past Buffon who was able to safely prevent the ball from flashing across the penalty area. Marchisio was then denied twice by Pletikosa as Italy started to crank up the pressure in search of the opening goal.

It came in the 39th as Ivan Rakitic fouled Balotelli on the edge of the area. Pirlo stepped up to curl a wonderful rich-footed free kick over the Croatian wall from 20-yards and inside Pletikosa’s right hand post. Luka Modric went close to drawing his side level just after the break before a series of niggling fouls saw a stream of free kicks cool the games tempo. Italy soon got back into their groove and Balotelli again went close fizzing a shot just wide.

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Those missed chances came back to haunt the striker as Croatia took advantage of a rare sight of goal to level proceedings. Ivan Strinic’s pass was missed by Giorgio Chiellini allowing Mandzukic a clear sight of goal to control and finish confidently past Buffon. That seemed to lift Bilic’s side who finished the game stronger but couldn’t find the winning goal that would have taken them to the knock-out stage and leaves them having to beat the world champions to ensure their progression

Peru striker Paolo Guerrero believes his nation’s performances at the Copa America will boost their world status.Guerrero, in particular, hopes Peru’s record in the tournament can steer them towards an elusive spot at the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.

Bottom of South America’s 2010 World Cup qualifiers and absent from the finals since 1982, Peru lost 2-0 to Uruguay in the semi-finals of the Copa America on Tuesday after qualifying from a tight group and upsetting Colombia 2-0 in the quarter-finals.

“I think (Peru) have earned the respect of all South America,” Guerrero, 27, said.

“The job we’ve done is admirable and I’m very proud of the team,” the 27-year-old Hamburg SV striker said.

“With this Copa America I think Peruvian football will change, that all the players will want to be a part of the national team.”

Injury-plagued Peru were given little hope in the tournament but their successes in Argentina have brought optimism for the future.

“We’re looking forward to the… elimination series and everyone in Peru is enthusiastic. That will make us strong, I see a united squad and if it stays this way I think we can qualify (for the 2014 World Cup),” Guerrerosaid.

“We have the players, we have the capacity to reach the World Cup. This squad has only just got together and what we’ve done at the Copa America is already too much. I’m very optimistic.”

Guerrero said the architect of Peru’s change in attitude was their Uruguayan coach Sergio Markarian, who has instilled discipline and tactical order into the players since taking charge a year ago.

“Markarian is a student of the game. He talks a lot with the players… The whole coaching staff give us a lot, they motivate us,” he said.

“I always want to play (for Peru) until I’m carried off the pitch dead.”

Peru, Copa America winners in 1939 and 1975, will play Venezuela for third place on Saturday in La Plata.

Stoke have secured the services of Aston Villa striker John Carew on loan until the end of the season.

The 31-year-old has fallen out of favour at Villa Park since the Midlands club appointed Gerard Houllier as manager, starting just six games this season.

Carew was outspoken of Houllier earlier in the campaign, and the arrival of Darren Bent from Sunderland on Tuesday paved the way for the Norwegian’s departure.

The former Valencia and Lyon marksman had a medical at Stoke on Thursday and is expected to be included in the squad for their trip to Fulham on Saturday.

“This is a fantastic signing,” Stoke manager Tony Pulis said. “John’s record speaks for itself because he has scored goals at the highest level throughout his career.”

“As well as all the experience he has gained at international level, he has top played for some top, top clubs across Europe and performed in the Champion League for many seasons, including an appearance in the final for Valencia.”

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“On top of that, he was Aston Villa’s leading scorer last season with 17 goals, so we have acquired a striker with outstanding pedigree.”

Fact: Chelsea would not be the force they are now had they not been bestowed the sacred gift of a Russian Billionaire’s blank cheque book. Roman’s vast wallet has undoubtedly been the source for the most significant period of success in the club’s entire history, and yet he has still received his fair share of criticism along the way. With the promise of unlimited funds comes the expectation for instant results and with the growing realisation that Abramovich dictates the ruling over transfers, are the managers at the Bridge merely puppets in this oligarch’s theatre of dreams?

Shevchenko, Torres, De Bruyne and now Marin, just some of the names who have emerged from the shopping list of Roman Abramovich. His vice like grip on the Blue’s incoming transfer acquisitions must leave his managers feeling claustrophobic, as it is they who will harbour the responsibility to mould them into a triumphant outfit.

Jose Mourinho struck gold upon hearing that deals for Petr Cech and Arjen Robben had already been concluded before his arrival but he also had to welcome the likes of Mateja Kezman and Shaun Wright-Phillips. The Special One was fortunate enough to incorporate this invasion of new blood thanks to his man management skills and talents as a master tactician. Sadly though, not every manager shares similar attributes and have therefore struggled to succeed in Roman’s unconventional set-up. Will the Chelsea owner ever realise that you can have the best players in the world but without an inspirational manager, you’ll never have the best team.

There was always a certain unease about the tenure of Andre Villas-Boas at the club, who tried to implement the free flowing football of Barcelona into a team who were beginning to feel the strain from their aging legs. His frustrations visibly bubbled to the surface when he revealed he had nothing to do with the impending arrival of Genk winger Kevin De Bruyne.

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“You have to speak to the people from the club about that. It’s club policy. It’s not within my immediate projects. He’s a player the club has scouted for some time. I’m a manager who respects club policy.” (Daily Mail)

It strikes me as bizarre and somewhat unsettling that a manager may serve no purpose in the transfer policy of a major European club. Roman can be credited with trying to ensure future success but it hardly seems fair when he’s depleting funds from the transfer kitty on players the manager may not want or even need. Surely the main excitement of management stems from the opportunity to imprint your style and personality onto the team, and what better way to illustrate your credentials than by your dealings in the transfer market. You only have to cast your mind back to the catastrophic fallout between Mike Ashley, Dennis Wise and Kevin Keegan to understand that such a system simply cannot work. Can you imagine Sir Alex Ferguson, the most decorated man in Premier League history, enduring the humiliating process of playing individuals he himself did not purchase?

During Abramovich’s residence in West London, the club has undergone five summers in a state of limbo, whereby they have been in the process of changing managers. This is vital period in the footballer calendar when the wheels begin to turn on contract negotiations, agent discussions and the identification of summer transfer targets. If Chelsea do not afford this luxury to their manager then who exactly is in charge? I disapproved of Roberto Di Matteo’s classification as merely a puppet upon his appointment as interim manager, but the quote below suggests Di Matteo is happy to play second fiddle, at least while his future remains under consideration.

“When the time is right in the summer, the people at the club will make the decisions that are right for the club.” (Daily Mail)

Perhaps Roman is right to dictate where his money goes, after all the chairman will presumably outlast the manager and should therefore take control of the future direction of the club. However, how can Abramovich expect to attract his desired world-class candidate if he will not afford him to chance to prove himself in the transfer market?

The world of football exists purely in the present, despite fans clinging on to past achievements or looking ahead to a potentially bright future. If targets are unfulfilled then you’ll find yourself heading for the exit door even if you haven’t been anywhere near the transfer window. This raises one key question, how can any manager steer Chelsea to success with Roman’s hands still firmly on the wheel.

Join me on Twitter @theunusedsub where I’ve spent all day drooling over that Papiss Cisse wonder strike from Wednesday night.

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Arsenal’s Invincibles were simply the best footballing team I can remember watching. There were many defining characteristics of the team that won the 2003-2004 Premier League season without losing a game. The steel of Kolo Toure and Sol Campbell at centre back, the flair of Freddie Ljungberg, Robert Pires and Dennis Bergkamp, the goal threat of Thierry Henry but arguably the most key component was captain supreme Patrick Vieira.

From the centre of midfield Vieira led the Arsenal team to one of their greatest ever achievements and his honours list is one few players can match. A World Cup and European Championships winner with France, Vieira also won seven domestic titles and five FA Cups. It is a record that is fitting to one of the Premier League’s greatest ever players.

Despite ending his career with Manchester City after retiring this summer at 35-years-old, Vieira will always be remembered most fondly for his time at Arsenal. Vieira was a combative box-to-box midfielder who could tackle and then break forward with grace and technique in Arsenal’s blistering attacks, he was the perfect leader and player for Arsene Wenger’s successful regime.

His last act in an Arsenal shirt was to score the winning penalty kick in the 2005 FA Cup, it was the perfect ending for Vieira as he moved on to Italy but was it an exit too soon for Arsenal?

The £13.75million deal to Juventus ended Vieira’s nine-year stay at Arsenal and now with transfer fees being splashed out with so much ease, £13.75million sounds like a bargain for a player of Vieira’s influence and success. But the midfielder was sold at the age of 29, an age where Arsenal had got the best out of their captain and this was deemed the right time to cash in while they could still get a reasonable fee.

But I don’t believe Vieira left too soon. Wenger was right to look to freshen up his team in 2005 after they lost their Premier League title to Chelsea. Yes Vieira could have lasted another year or two with Wenger but the real problem wasn’t the departure of Vieira but the fact Arsenal never properly replaced him. Cesc Fabregas was on the fringes of Arsenal’s squad when Vieira was still around and whilst Fabregas has developed into one of the finest midfielders in the world, he lacks the presence that Vieira oozed every time he stepped onto a football pitch.

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Alongside Fabregas in the centre of midfield Wenger has looked to replace the tough-tackling of Vieira. Alex Song and Denilson are the most defensive minded midfielders but they lack the commitment of Vieira. Arsenal’s current star Jack Wilshere has the potential to emulate his predecessors as Arsenal’s midfield general and finally fill the gap left behind by Vieira. Wilshere also possess the bite that gave Vieira the edge in those tight midfield areas.

But you can’t solely blame the departure of Vieira and Arsenal’s lack of replacement for their decline from the top of the Premier League pyramid. Arsenal’s Invincibles were led and skippered by Vieira but it was very much a team effort, something Wenger needs to find again this summer.

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The last trophy that Arsenal won was the 2005 FA Cup, another achievement inspired by Vieira. The midfielder left 55 days later after lifting the trophy and Arsenal have missed the influential midfielder’s presence ever since.

If you want to read more of my bite size, 160 character views and thoughts follow me on Twitter @jennyk5

With another year almost up, and a new one on the way, we can officially enter the ‘assessment’ period. Who has impressed this year? Who is likely to kick on in 2011 and grab some headlines? The Premier League is full of talented young players and the aim of this list is to determine the cream of the crop. All players included are 21 or under (with one exception) and have already managed to impress in some way this season. It’s heartening to see that this list is so populated by young British talent. Given the furore that currently accompanies the state of the England team, the amount of young English talent in the Premier League can only bode well for the future. But this isn’t a list of young British talent – this is a celebration of young talented players from every origin currently playing in the Premier League. Without further ado, I present you with the top ten young Premier League prospects for 2011.

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CLICK THE PICTURE BELOW TO VIEW THE TOP 10!

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For more football debate and opinion follow me on Twitter: @ThePerfectPass

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If you ask most Stoke fans to name their five favourite Potters players from the last twenty years, one of the more frequent names will be Ricardo Fuller. The Jamaican striker will go down in Potters folklore as one of the most popular players ever to wear the red and white. However, it is sad to say, but this could very much be the last season we could be seeing Ric at the Britannia Stadium.

The poultry £500,000 was paid for his services to take him from Southampton back in 2006, could be described as Pulis best ever piece of business. Fuller epitomises the rise of the club. Under the guidance of Pulis, he and the other miss-fits the manager had assembled realised their potential and fired the club into the Premier League. Fuller, however, was arguably the most important link. His 16 league goals that season don’t pay testament to his impact. His lethal combination of strength, speed and cool finishing made him the most feared striker in the Championship. He also had a trick or two.

The 32 year-old could be best defined as an undiscovered genius and would have played at a far higher level if it wasn’t for a long-term knee problem and his attitude. His Stoke years have been by far the best of his career, while previously managers recognised his talent, they couldn’t quite extract the most of it, and all the baggage that comes with Fuller usually guaranteed him a swift exit, a terrible waste of a superb talent.

Tony Pulis, however, isn’t an ordinary manager. He is prepared to put with all the baggage Fuller brings and all the problems he poses. Few other managers would have kept faith with him after some of the stunts he has pulled in his time at the Britannia. As long as he did it on the pitch it was less of a problem.

He isn’t a natural goal scorer, despite him being the clubs top marksman for four successive years. But he did have a knack for scoring extraordinary goals. Just type into YouTube the goals against Wolves back in 2008, his solo effort against Aston Villa in our first ever Premier League home match is one of my most favourite memories as a Stoke fan, and his one away at West Ham isn’t bad either. He could pull something out of nothing when we most needed it, a piece of skill, a clever pass or even surging run. Fuller was unpredictable, and that’s why the crowd love him. Even today, if we were losing, Fuller could still do a job. He still strikes fear into defenders, even if he is in decline.

People often suggest that it was Rory Delap’s throws that are the main reason Stoke still exist in this division, but we couldn’t still be here without Fuller. Whether he could step up and be counted in our first Premier League season was pivotal to our survival. And of course he did, he finished with double figures in the league. Without those goals Stoke wouldn’t be here. For those two seasons, the promotion campaign and the first season, Ricardo Fuller will always be one of my heroes.

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Sadly, over the past two years the club and player have been going in different directions. Stoke are growing, improving every season. Fuller is getting older and retirement looms. He probably couldn’t last into his mid-30’s due to his chronic knee , which is so bad that he rarely takes part in full training to protect it. He has gone into decline now he is a little bit slower, much less potent and not quite the genius he was. His contract runs out in the summer, and if he isn’t offered another one and does leave after six years, I would just like to thank him, because without him we wouldn’t be where we are today.

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Fifa may allow the 2022 World Cup games to be played over three periods of 30 minutes it has been claimed. Worries over the temperature at games in the tournament in Qatar have led to Arup Associates being hired to look at ways of reducing the impact of heat exhaustion on players, and a director has claimed the format of the game could be changed.

“There is a moderate risk of heat injury to the players between 24C-29C but if you go above that you have high and extreme risk of injury, ‘ Michael Beavon told delegates at the Qatar Infrastructure Conference in London.

“The one thing FIFA do say, although it is for guidance, is if it’s 32C they will stop a match and play three 30-minute thirds rather than two 45-minute halves. The reason would be to re-hydrate the players before they could carry on playing. That of course would play havoc with TV schedules and those kind of things. The commitment from Qatar was to provide conditions in the moderate band, so that matches would go ahead and be played as normal,” he concluded.

A Fifa spokesman has been quick to distance the organisation from these claims however.

“This possibility has not been discussed. In any case, this would require a change in the Laws of the Game, and therefore would have to be analysed and approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in the first place,” he stated.

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This week the Scottish FA announced that they are putting a plan in place which would see Irish referees officiate Scottish league games this weekend. The action comes in response to the expected strike of Scotland’s grade one referees which will affect around 20 games in their Premier League and First Division. But what has caused such extreme action and how has it come to this?

The Scottish Referee’s Union agreed unanimously to strike in response to fears for their personal safety and the amount of criticism that they have received in recent months.

The pivotal moment in this saga relates to a moment on the 17th October when referee Dougie McDonald awarded Celtic a penalty against Dundee United, and then changed his mind. The decision wasn’t questioned. “The committee reached a unanimous view that the overturning of the original decision was correct” said the SFA in a statement. But what caused problems was the way that McDonald reported the incident to Celtic manager Neil Lennon after the game. McDonald claimed after the match that he was encouraged to over-turn the decision on the advice of his assistant Steven Craven who had called him over to discuss the incident. However the event was investigated further by the Scottish Football Association after linesman Steven Craven resigned from his post as a result of how the incident was handled.

In a press conference, SFA chief executive Stewart Regan announced that when McDonald gave his account of the events to the FA during the investigation his story had changed. Rather than being called over and encouraged to change his mind, McDonald went to speak to Craven ‘unprompted’ to ask whether or not he thought Dundee United’s goalkeeper has touched the ball. In regards to McDonald’s altered account of events, Regan said: “If you want to mark it down as a lie, mark it down as a lie.”

While the decision didn’t change the outcome of the game (Celtic went on to win anyway) the whole affair has left a sour taste in the mouths of Scottish football fans and has brought into question the integrity of officials. This had led to Scottish MPs calling for referee’s to declare their footballing alliances in order to protect the authority of the referee.

Aside from their game against Dundee United, Celtic have had a large part to play in the refereeing controversy. After their 3-1 Old Firm defeat, Celtic were angered that Rangers were awarded a penalty and that Lee McCulloch wasn’t sent off. As a result Celtic wrote to the Scottish FA asking for referee Willie Collum to explain his decisions, and reportedly this isn’t the first time the FA has received such a letter from Celtic. Amid all the fuss, referee Collum received threatening phone calls at his family home. But as former Scottish referee Kenny Clark explained, Celtic’s enquiries only act to damage refereeing integrity further: “If a decision is given in Celtic’s favour, people will inevitably say that’s because Celtic have been making complaints. Should a decision be made against Celtic, again they will say that’s because of the complaints Celtic have been making. It puts the match officials into something of a no-win situation.”

But of course it isn’t only Celtic who are putting referees under pressure, and it’s the increasing level of criticism and threats to themselves and their families that have caused the decision to strike. The Scottish Senior Referee’s Association announced: “statements questioning honesty and integrity have been aimed across refereeing in general and have led to an unprecedented level of abuse and genuine concerns for safety and for the ability to carry out normal family and business commitments.”

Refereeing modern football is increasingly difficult and Hamilton manager Billy Reid has voiced his concerns over the the pressure referee’s are under: “I feel for him (McDonald), but they do make mistakes. Maybe refs do that too many times, but it’s maybe due to the pressure they’re now being put under. I think it has to calm down a little for the sake of everybody.” – but of course it is easier to call for calm when it’s not your team on the wrong end of this decision.

Whether or not the strike will improve the working conditions of referees is debatable. Referee’s shouldn’t be sheltered from criticism, but the levels that it has reached is indefensible. But then it should also be remembered that the jobs of players and managers rest on the decisions of officials, and in these situations emotions and passion will be running high. There is no way that pressure in football can be relieved, and as a result referees will remain under the same scrutiny as before.

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