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Bolton manager Owen Coyle has insisted that Daniel Sturridge’s absence will not have a huge bearing on Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Stoke.The in-form striker has been forced to sit out the Wembley encounter because of the terms of his loan contract.

The 21-year-old has scored six goals in eight games since joining the Reebok outfit on loan from Chelsea at the end of January.

But as Coyle’s side face the biggest game of their season at Wembley, they will have to make do without the former Manchester City man.

Coyle, however, is not worried by the absence of his most lethal attacking force.

“(We’ll replace Sturridge) as we’ve done before. Daniel joined us in January and he’s done terrific in the games he’s played,” he said.

“But Daniel wasn’t there at Wigan when we won, he wasn’t there at Fulham when we won, he wasn’t there at Birmingham when we scored three goals away from home again.”

“So whoever comes in to replace Daniel will be a quality player and we have to make sure that we’re at our best.”

Having smashed three goals past West Ham United last weekend, Bolton enter the game high on confidence and Coyle believes it is imperative his side reach England’s greatest cup showpiece if they are to progress.

“I think very much so (we’re on high confidence), it was not only a valuable three points (against West Ham) that put us in a very nice position in the league but the performance was of a very high standard,” he said.

“That’s what we’ll need again and I’ve said it everybody, we want to go and certainly give everything because 15 months ago when we took over we were favourites for relegation in the bottom three.”

“We managed to obviously progress that and, having spent little or no money, we’ve managed to progress this year and that’s what we have to do.”

As well as Sturridge, Coyle will be without Stuart Holden, Sean Davis and Sam Ricketts but Mark Davies (ankle) is expected to return.

Bitter rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona will lock horns for the second time in less than a week as they fight for the the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.Saturday’s La Liga encounter between the arch rivals ended in a 1-1 draw, with stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo each converting from the penalty spot for their respective teams.

Madrid, who were handed an 5-0 thrashing at the Camp Nou in November’s league match, deployed a defensively sound approach in Madrid as they looked to stifle Barcelona’s possession play.

But Jose Mourinho’s men will need to open up take the game to the Catalans if they want to claim their first Spanish Cup since 1993.

Mourinho, who was criticised by some for his negative tactics against the defending League and Cup champions, is expected to bring German playmaker Mesut Oezil back into the XI as he looks to pierce through the defensively sound Barca rear guard.

Oezil’s re-introduction, however, could see French striker Karim Benzema relegated to the bench.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who has traditionally struggled to get into his stride against Barcelona, should be buoyed by his maiden goal against Pep Guardiola’s men and is expected to be the focal point in attack.

Their opponents, who are widely expected to claim their third consecutive La Liga crown, again had the majority of possession against Real on Saturday.

Barcelona completed 817 passes while their opponents could only muster 278 attempted passes, while they were also winners last time the two sides met in the final of the same competition at the Estadio Mestalla.

Pep Guardiola is rumoured to be considering resting first-choice goalkeeper Victor Valdes – who was saved by the woodwork on Saturday when Ronaldo’s dipping freekick rattled the post – in the Cup final, looking ahead to the upcoming Champions League semi-final legs with Real.

Barca captain Carles Puyol was stretchered off against Madrid and remains a doubt for the clash, meaning Gerard Pique will likely partner Gabriel Milito at the back.

David James has tipped Manchester City to make legends of themselves by winning the FA Cup final against Stoke on Saturday.The four-time FA Cup winners last won the trophy in 1969 and have not won any silverware since gaining promotion to the Premier League in 2002.

Former City goalkeeper James has played in four FA Cup finals, winning the competition with Portsmouth in 2008.

And James believes the current crop of City players will do themselves and their fans proud at Wembley on Saturday.

“I think Stoke will give Manchester City a very good game but I think Manchester City will be better than Stoke on the day,” James said.

“I was told today that it is Stoke’s first FA Cup final so whoever wins, there will be some sort of history created for either team or for both teams. It will be a very entertaining match.”

“Winning the FA Cup will be Manchester City’s first bit of silverware in 36 years I think.”

“So they have an opportunity to make themselves legends in Manchester. The FA Cup, arguably the best domestic trophy to be won in the world, is a pretty good one to have on your resume.”

Alex McLeish will remain in charge of Birmingham next season, but is expected to orchestrate an immediate return to the Premier League.Birmingham were relegated on Sunday after two seasons in the English Premier League, despite winning the Carling Cup in February.

Scotsman McLeish oversaw the club’s automatic promotion to the top flight in 2009 after taking the club to second place in the Championship.

And it appears the former Rangers and Scotland boss must repeat that achievement if he is to survive beyond the next campaign.

“The board regrets yesterday’s result and subsequent relegation and feels that supporters, who have continued to back us magnificently, have been let down,” Acting Chairman Peter Pannu said in a statement.

“The club can confirm that manager Alex McLeish’s job is safe but that the board will expect him to lead the side back to the Barclays Premier League in the 2011/12 season.”

“The board will take stock of what went wrong this season despite Carson Yeung’s promised injection of 40 million pounds in funds – not 80 million as the media wrongly assumed – and will closely discuss and implement appropriate procedures to ensure a speedy return to the top flight.”

“Finally a word for our terrific supporters, who are no doubt feeling the pain today like everyone else connected with the club.”

“We thank you for your tremendous backing – something we are confident we will still have moving forward as we embark on looking to make an immediate return to the Barclays Premier League.”

West Ham United boss Avram Grant insists his team can still avoid relegation from the Premier League with a result at Wigan on Sunday.The bottom-placed Hammers need at least a point to mathematically remain in the relegation fight, but not even a victory would move them out of the bottom three ahead of the last day of the season.

Grant said his team needed to stay focused as long as it remained possible to escape dropping to the Championship.

“In my experience in football, nothing is over until it is over,” he said.

“It’s happened to me in the past. I was not in this situation of relegation fighting but I was at the top where the situation was not only dependant on us.”

“Sometimes we didn’t think about it. We didn’t think about what we needed to do and we missed it. I don’t want to miss this chance and we will do what we need to do and that’s all.”

The Israeli boss admitted the mood was not great in the dressing room following the 1-1 draw with Blackburn on Saturday, just the second point they have collected from their last seven games.

But Grant said the players were concentrating on their trip to 19th-placed Wigan, a team they can leapfrog with a win.

“I’ve heard this so many times this year but I think, to be honest, we need to do what is dependent on us, which is to win against a very difficult team at their home,” Grant said.

“If we do not do it, we will not have any chance.”

“We need to do it and then we need to hope for other results.”

If West Ham get a result at DW Stadium, they will also need to produce at home to Sunderland on the last day of the season to have any hope of avoiding the drop.

With Liverpool reportedly interested in Blackburn Rovers ’ centre back Phil Jones , I thought it maybe a good idea to look hypothetically at which centre back partnership would be best for the Reds if the 19 year old did in fact arrive this summer:

Carragher & Skrtel – This partnership has been solid for the most part since King Kenny arrived as manager. While Jamie had his injury problems last season, Skrtel has played every minute of every Premier League match, with his form improving as the campaign went on. A concern for me with the pairing is that they encourage the backline to play too deep when they play because of their lack of pace, and they also lack the ability to pass out from the back; a quality essential to Dalglish’s pass and move philosophy.

Carragher & Agger – A cornerstone of Liverpool’s Champions League final run in 2007, the pairing has had limited game time together in recent seasons due to injuries to both players. While the Dane is the most gifted player on the ball, allowing an additional midfield option when bringing the ball forward, Carra compliments his footballing centre half partner, with his organisation and communication and no-nonsense defending. With the number of injuries to Agger and the fact that Carragher is now 33, it means this partnership could not be seen to be a long term solution for Liverpool’s centre back issues.

Agger & Skrtel – This pairing is definitely one of my favourites for a variety of reasons. For starters, Skrtel really needs somebody alongside him, such as Agger or Carragher, who can be decisive and authoritative. I think it is fair to say that the Slovakian is not the best organiser at the back and he kind of needs somebody alongside him who can communicate well, and ensure he is in the right place at the right time. Skrtel’s aerial ability combined with Agger’s passing range means the pairing compliment each other very well.

Agger & Jones – So how would this pairing fair? Very well in my opinion for both have decent pace but most importantly both can pass the ball out from the back. No doubt Kenny has been looking at Jones primarily because of his capabilities with the ball at feet. The 19 year old can play in central midfield too, and has played very well when asked to play there, and added on to the fact he has very good aerial ability, like the Skrtel/Agger partnership, they should work well together.

Jones & Skrtel – Another partnership I don’t see many problems with other than the fact they maybe a lack of leadership or organisation if they played together. As I have said already, I believe Skrtel always needs a guiding hand when playing in defence and I am unsure that at 19 years of age whether Jones will be authoritative enough yet to organise the backline.

Jones & Carragher – This pairing probably would have the greatest potential for next season if Agger is unfit. Jones will learn a hell of a lot playing alongside Carra in the centre of defence, and it would be great for our vice captain to be able to give the next generation any pearls of wisdom he can provide. In addition, Jones has the ability to pass the ball out from the defence, complimenting Carra’s no-nonsense style.

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For me, each pairing has its merits if we did purchase Phil Jones . Which would you go for?

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Tottenham winger Niko Kranjcar has become the second Croatian to be linked with a move away from White Hart Lane this summer, according to The Sun.

Manager Harry Redknapp first brought the 26-year old to England with Portsmouth in 2006 where he won the FA Cup. He then joined compatriots Luka Modric and Vedran Corluka at Spurs in September 2009 after the clubs agreed a fee in the region of £2.5 million.

However, Kranjcar’s first team opportunities have become limited of late following the fine form of Modric, Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon and the January signing of Steven Pienaar from Everton. Having made just 51 appearances in 2 seasons at the club, the ex-Hajduk Split man could be on his way out of the club with Dinamo Kiev preparing a bid for the player who has scored 10 goals for Spurs.

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A fee in the region of £6 million is thought to be enough to tempt Tottenham into selling the player. Werder Bremen and Celtic reportedly moved for the player in January with the Scottish club keen to sign the player on loan but were unable to agree terms. Neil Lennon’s side could be tempted to move for the player again whilst Wolfsburg have also reportedly registered an interest in the player.

Stewart Downing has completed his move to Liverpool from English Premier League rivals Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee.The 26-year-old midfielder, capped 27 times for England, was the subject of two failed bids from the Anfield club before a fee reported to be 20 million pounds was settled on earlier this week.

Having agreed personal terms and completed a medical, the 26-year-old becomes Liverpool’s fourth signing alongside Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Alexander Doni, who arrived at Anfield earlier on Friday.

“It’s a great feeling and I’m very happy to be here. It’s been a long time coming and I’ve had to wait a few weeks, but I’m really pleased to be here,” Downing told Liverpool’s official website.

“With the tradition, the manager and the players they have here, there was a big temptation to come here and once I knew of their interest, there was only one place I wanted to go.”

“It will be a great feeling to run out at Anfield. It’s always nice to come and play here. The atmosphere is always great and the fans are brilliant.”

“When I wanted to come to Liverpool, it was the first thing I thought of – playing at Anfield in front of those great fans. I’m really looking forward to it.”

A thirst for silverware was also a key motivator for the winger, who becomes Aston Villa’s second high-profile departure of the close season after Ashley Young’s move to Manchester United.

“It would be nice to win something. I’m sure that’s the same objective for everyone, not just me personally,” Downing said.

“My aim is to be in the team, to play well and give something back because the manager has pushed the boat out to get me here, so hopefully I can give him something back.”

The length of Downing’s new contract has not been announced but has been described by Liverpool as a ‘long-term deal’.

Downing moved from Middlesbrough to Aston Villa in 2009 for a fee of around 12 million pounds.

Despite playing second fiddle to Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez for large parts of the year, Dimitar Berbatov still rattled in 20 Premier League goals last season.

The Bulgarian striker was on fire, when he made it onto the pitch, and started to repay some of the large fee that Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United spent on him.

There were some rumours over the summer that Berbatov may be leaving Old Trafford, but they didn’t materialise and the 30 year old will be central to the Red Devils’ title challenge this season.

Here is Berbatov on his way to America for Manchester United’s pre-season friendlies, living up to his name as Mr Cool!

Can you come up with a funny caption for this picture?

Leave your suggestions below…

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Last season Stockport County and Lincoln City were the two unfortunate teams that dropped out of the Football League and are starting the new season facing the prospect of playing the likes of Alfreton Town in the Blue Square Conference. Once again there looks to be a fierce fight at the bottom of the 92 to try to avoid relegation this year.

Every season Macclesfield Town seem to defy the odds and the pre-season predictions to remain in the league despite having a small fan base and very limited budget. However this year they have lost their goal scorer in Tyronne Barnett who has left for Crawley and they will need to find someone who can replace his goals if they want to survive.

Another team who should fear for their future as a league club are Plymouth Argyle. The Pilgrims could be in real trouble during the upcoming campaign with a season of turmoil predicted on and off the pitch. If they go into administration again and suffer a points deduction, as they did last year, I can see them finishing near the bottom of the pile. Although I think their fans will be just happy to see their club survive with all that is going on off the pitch.

Other teams that will need to look over their shoulder for the new campaign include Barnet who are one of the perennial strugglers in League Two and only stayed up with a win on the last day of last season after looking doomed with only a few games to go. Under new manager Lawrie Sanchez they look to be a better prospect this season and Izale McLeod’s goals could fire them to safety and ensure the side stay in the league again.

Morecombe are among the favourites for the drop and look a good bet to lose their league status. After sacking Sammy McIIroy just before the end of the season they appointed the in-experienced Jim Bentley as player-manager who will need to fix last season’s leaky defence and find someone who can score enough goals to keep the Layers up. Consolidation will be the aim but it could be a tricky objective.

At the end of last season the future for Cheltenham Town was not looking good after losing top goal scorer Wesley Thomas and losing eight of their last twelve games. However a few decent looking summer signigns have given their fans renewed optimism and although they will probably be in the bottom half, they should have enough to survive.

Hereford with Jamie Pitman at the helm have strengthened the existing side and they should be capable of a mid-table finish. However after only winning two of their last 13 games they will need to improve dramatically to continue their stay in the football league.

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Burton Albion only just avoided relegation back to the non-league last season and it appears that another season of struggle could be in store for the Brewers. Paul Pechisolido has been able to use his contacts to bring in some much need quality but they could be still in for another long campaign.

Everybody involved in the football community were delighted to see AFC Wimbledon back in the football league. They have finished in the top-half of the table in every season they have played but this could be the year they finish in the lower half of the table. Anything above the relegation zone will be considered a success for the Dons and I think although they could struggle, they have enough momentum and class to survive.