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The debate over Theo Walcott and Aaron Lennon is always open with both players competing for a place in the England team, but despite their similarities in playing style, they are viewed differently. Walcott’s rise to fame came from his big money move from Southampton to Arsenal and despite not making a debut for the Gunners, he was called up to the England squad for the 2006 World Cup. Since then there seems to be high praise for the occasions when Walcott is showing the potential that has been put on his head from a young age. However, across north London, Aaron Lennon has been generally consistent for Tottenham Hotspur but without the hype and hysteria. So, why is Lennon not seen in the same light as his England team mate?

Despite Peter Crouch scoring the only goal in Milan last week that saw Spurs victorious, it was Aaron Lennon’s electric pace, close ball control and pass that made the move. It reminded me of Theo Walcott’s run for Arsenal in the Champions League at Anfield a few seasons back. Maybe Lennon is just a victim of the fame game when it comes to judging both of these players fairly. He never had the big money move like Walcott despite being a teenage prodigy himself making his debut at 16 with Leeds United. But the £1 million move to Spurs in 2005 wasn’t a deal that raised eyebrows unlike Walcott’s big money move to the Emirates.

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Another contrast is man management. Lennon was signed under Martin Jol’s time at the club but was left out once Juande Ramos’ brief spell in charge started only for Harry Redknapp to show enough faith in the player to find his form again. Walcott however was signed by Arsene Wenger, a man known for nurturing young talent into reaching their full potential, so his progress has always been more highlighted. Whereas Lennon burst onto the scene without as much expectation and focus, but should this be the season where a serious comparison is made?

Especially looking at the England angle, who would you pick? For me it would come down to the formation of the team. I see Aaron Lennon as an out and out right winger who hugs the touchline and is able to beat the full back with his pace and trickery to put in a cross. Although Walcott has been groomed into this role at Arsenal, I believe his better position is playing in a forward role, either on the right or left side or down the middle with a target striker.

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Both players have pace in abundance but I think Lennon being 2 years older than Walcott, is the more complete player at the moment. His displays in the Premier League and Champions League have shown more maturity in his play in terms of decision making, whereas Walcott, who has looked stronger this season does seem to go missing during some games. I was quite disappointed in his performance against Barcelona in the Champions League. As an England fan myself, this debate only has a win/win scenario as I believe both can be important impact players for future tournaments.

The news that former Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos has moved to Fulham on a three-year deal will not come as a shock to most fans, but upon closer inspection, a move to Craven Cottage has the potential to be mutually beneficial for both parties.

The manager at the helm there, Roy Hodgson, for however much longer he will continue to occupy the position, with persistent rumours linking him with the vacant managerial job at Liverpool refusing to away, has forged a reputation in his time in West London in particular for revitalising out of form, journeyman defenders and turning them into solid Premiership quality players once more. The Swiss international will be hoping for more of the same treatment.

After all, few, if any critics would have recognised players such as Paul Konchesky, John Pantsil, Aaron Hughes, Chris Baird and Stephen Kelly as being of sufficient enough quality to sustain a respectable league campaign and excellent European adventure over the course of the season, especially one as long as Fulham’s eventually turned out to be.

Of course, the cornerstones of Fulham’s success at the back have been the reliability of Mark Schwarzer between the sticks and the assured presence of Brede Hangeland at the heart of the back four, but anyone whose played at the highest level of the game will tell you, that unless each player does their respective jobs, then the defensive line will fail at some juncture and to ignore the aforementioned players contributions would be extremely harsh and also a tad patronising. With 12 clean sheets to their name this season and the eighth best defence in the league by the stats at least, as a unit, they work extremely well together and a lot of that credit must go to Uncle Roy.

Senderos has had a mixed career, and although never considered a regular at Arsenal he still managed to muster 54 league starts in his six year stint as a first-team player there. The feeling always persisted that he was a solid enough player, good in the air and when on form, a capable centre half, but he lacked the sufficient quality to be a lasting success at the club and it always appeared as if he was punching above his weight so to speak by keeping such illustrious company.

Much like Titus Bramble’s career has been defined, Senderos is a player who is remembered more for his failings and shortcomings as opposed to his achievements and his strengths. The cumbersome style he possesses is not the easiest on the eye and Senderos does play as if a gaffe of monumental proportions is just waiting to happen right around the corner at any given moment. From a fan’s perspective at least, he doesn’t breed confidence, only unease.

Yet it’s easy to forget that whilst obviously not in the class of say a club like Arsenal, before his negligible contribution on loan at Everton where he failed to break into the side, he does possess a pretty good pedigree. He boasts 39 international caps for his native Switzerland’s national side, he enjoyed a season long loan to Italian giants AC Milan last season, he boasts an FA Cup winners medal and he also captained the under 17 Swiss side to the UEFA European Championship back in 2002, a record not to be sniffed at for any player no matter how ungainly.

The move could represent a laying of the groundwork for a possible departure of defensive stalwart Hangeland though and with Hodgson drawing particular close attention to Senderos’ “great aerial presence at both ends of the field” it could be argued that he’s been brought in as a straight like-for-like swap for the much sought after Hangeland.

If the big Norwegian (although as a matter of fact for all you trivia fans out there, he did happen to be born in Houston, Texas in the US) does happen to stay at the club beyond this summer’s transfer window, then it’s unlikely that Senderos will be anything more than a replacement for the departing Chris Smalling and will be used in reserve behind the steady eddy partnership of Hughes and Hangeland that has worked so well in the past.

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It’s clear for all to see that at the age of 25, Senderos’ career has stalled somewhat and that he hasn’t developed into the dominant centre half Arsene Wenger thought he might one day turn into when he emplaced so much trust in him when Senderos faced burst upon the scene, but in the capable hands of Roy Hodgson at least, I wouldn’t rule out a comeback of Lazarus-style proportions by this time next year such is the head honcho’s previous track record for saving lost causes and Fulham fans can welcome another addition to their rag tag bunch of misfits down at the Cottage.

Written By James McManus

Summer is never an easy time for Leeds United fans. Ever since their relegation from the Premier League, the first team squad has proved easy pickings for the vultures preying on United’s precarious financial situation. Even now, with the club on a secure financial footing, the sale of the best players is still necessary to keep Leeds above board. In the last couple of seasons, the likes of Jermaine Beckford, Max Gradel, Bradley Johnson and Jonny Howson have all moved on to pastures new. This summer, it was the turn of captain and talisman Robert Snodgrass to desert the ship, joining Leeds’s apparent parent club Norwich for a fee of £3 million.

Snodgrass’s departure, along with the failed takeover bid has caused a certain level of despondency among the supporters. The takeover in itself is a joke, indeed news regarding its progress had been sparse all summer, before word got through that the bid had fallen through. Although it is reportedly back on, the club still remains in the hands of Ken Bates going into the new season, a situation that everyone connected with the club had hoped would not be the case. The lack of development on the takeover almost caused Neil Warnock to walk away, which would have left Leeds seriously struggling.

It’s not all doom and gloom though and in fairness to Warnock, he’s pulled out his usual trick and worked wonders on a limited budget. The sale of Snodgrass, and also Adam Clayton and Andy Lonergan funded an entire squad revamp that ensures almost the entire first team will be different personnel to last season. Paddy Kenny has been reunited with his favourite manager to play between the sticks and this is a positive sign given his form in the 2010/11 Championship season when QPR got promoted. Lee Peltier, Jason Pearce and Adam Drury have all arrived to form a new back four with youngster Tom Lees who was the pick of Leeds’s side last season. Defence was the main area where the Whites suffered last season, conceding goals with a worrying regularity, but Warnock appears to have addressed this problem and you’d be surprised to see Leeds as shaky at the back again next season.

Even in the days of Jonny Howson and Bradley Johnson, Leeds always looked lightweight through the middle of the park, but the arrival of Jamaican enforcer Rodolph Austin has ensured this won’t be the case in 2012/13 and he is fast on his way to achieving cult hero status at Elland Road. David Norris and Paul Green appear shrewd purchases on paper and Luke Varney’s performances in pre-season and the Capital One Cup suggests he will have a big part to play down the left hand side. The question marks remain up front. Ross McCormack’s future is still up in the air with his contract due up in a year, but the player has suggested he wants to stay at Elland Road and the fans certainly want last year’s top marksman to lead the line in the coming campaign. Luciano Becchio will start up front, but he looked short of form and fitness last season and needs to recapture his previous best to remind everyone of why he’s so revered around these parts of West Yorkshire.

You’d expect Warnock to make a couple of new additions before August ends, the squad still lacks depth, especially up front, while a touch of stardust ala Robert Snodgrass is needed to challenge at the top. The wildcard signing of maverick El-Hadji Diouf could prove to be a masterstroke in this department, but the fans haven’t exactly warmed to him while nobody knows whether Diouf’s temperament will last five minutes, let alone a whole season. The opening game against Wolves will be an interesting test of Leeds’s promotion credentials, especially against a side just relegated from the Premier League. The next home game sees Blackburn travel to Elland Road as well, so Warnock has to negate a tough start to get the Whites on track.

Everyone talks about Warnock’s reputation in winning promotions, indeed they seem to be his speciality. You have to wonder whether this could be a bridge too far even for his magical abilities as Leeds seem to be behind their promotion rivals in terms of ambition and spending power. However, the current Leeds squad now has more than a passing resemblance to the one Warnock assembled at QPR two years ago, with plenty of grit and determination amongst a sprinkling of quality on display at the club. Automatic promotion may be out of the Whites’ grasp, but you’d hope for a playoff challenge at the very least. Warnock famously told Nigel Clough when his Derby side won 2-0 at Elland Road ‘you’ll never see a Neil Warnock or a Leeds United side play like this again’ and you can only hope he’s right!

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Harry Redknapp has attacked the chanting supporters made in the North London derby. The Tottenham boss cannot believe some of the bile that comes out of their mouths and questions the mentality of fans who make up and sing these offensive chants. Emmanuel Adebayor and Arsene Wenger were mainly the target of the abuse that Harry believes has no place in modern football.

Elsewhere in the news Manchester City set to question Carlos Tevez; Hodgson backing Shane Long to impress, while Adel Taarabt leaves QPR at half time.

Capello names England squad

Manchester City set to question Tevez

Lampard answers critics with hat-trick

Taarabt leaves QPR at half time

Hodgson backing Long to impress at West Brom

Redknapp slams chanting fans

Everton to appeal Rodwell red

Jol happy with first Fulham win

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John confirms Manchester United and Arsenal’s interest

Tottenham need to stump up €20m to secure deal

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Santos missed the chance to go to the top of the Campeonato Paulista on Saturday after they were held to a 1-1 draw at Santo Andre.

Adilson Batista’s side could have gone ahead of leaders Palmeiras, who are not in action until Sunday, but they faced a spirited outfit who entered the game with five draws from six matches.

Defender Marcelo Godri gave Santo Andre the lead after just five minutes, delighting the Estadio Municipal Paulo Machado de Carvalho crowd in Sao Paulo.

But with their talented side, Santos always possessed a threat in front of goal and managed an equaliser on the stroke of half-time thanks to former Manchester United midfielder Rodrigo Possebon.

Neither side could manage a winner in a tight second half, with Santos ruing their missed opportunity to go top.

In other matches, Noroeste came from behind to thump Mogi Mirim 4-1, thanks to a Jose Carlos double.

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Ze Roberto gave Mogi Mirim a 21st-minute lead but Carlos’ brace and goals to Aleilson and Diego capped a memorable victory.

Anselmo Ramon’s 94th-minute equaliser saw Oeste claim a point in their 1-1 draw away at Americana.

Fulham have made a £4.5 million bid for Wolves winger Matt Jarvis, according to The Telegraph.

The Molineux club were relegated from the Premier League last season and now face a battle to hold onto their best players.

Martin Jol is eager to strengthen his contingent this summer, and has lodged the bid with the Midlands club.

As yet there has been no news on whether the offer has been accepted or refused, but it is believed that Wolves are eager to recoup closer to the £10 million mark for Jarvis, who has been capped by England on one occasion.

Meanwhile, Jol has also identified Huddersfield striker Jordan Rhodes as a possible transfer target and will make an enquiry over the Scotland international in coming days.

The attacker has caught the attention of several Premier League clubs in recent times after a stellar goalscoring record in the lower leagues, but Fulham face competition from Blackburn to sign the £6 million-rated forward.

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By Gareth McKnight

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It has certainly been a tough summer in the transfer market to date at White Hart Lane. Tottenham look less than an attractive option due to their non-involvement in the Champions League and because of their strict wage budget prevents them competing with clubs like Man City for world class players.

However it seems that Daniel Levy is about to lift the gloom of the summer by securing the services of two former Arsenal players with midfielder Lassana Diarra set to sign from Real Madrid and controversial striker Emmanuel Adebayor joining on a season-long loan from Manchester City.

At their current clubs both players have been described as expensive perennial underperformers but there is little doubt they would both be quality signings for Spurs and I think they could even make them into genuine contenders for the top four place alongside Liverpool and Arsenal.

Lassana Diarra, a man once touted as the next Claude Makelele, is a talented utility midfielder who could anchor the Spurs midfield, creating plenty of space for the attacking players like Bale, Lennon and Van Der Vaart to exploit. Diarra, who won the Premier League and Carling Cup during his time at Chelsea, is a solid footballer who is known for his hard work but is also capable of fitting in at right-back if needed. The 26-year-old is rumoured to be leaving the Santiago Bernabeu after falling out of favour with Jose Mourinho who is prepared to make a £14m loss on the player, having paid £20m to Portsmouth for him in 2008.

Having excelled under Harry Redknapp during his time at Fratton Park, Diarra is keen to reunite with his former manager at the Lane. With Wilson Palacios set to complete his transfer to Stoke City and the excellent Sandro out injured until the end of October, Diarra would be given a chance in his favoured role as a defensive midfielder. Recruiting a player who actually played 39 times for Real Madrid last season for only £6 million would be another masterstroke by Daniel Levy following on from van der Vaart’s signing a year ago, especially with club only having Europa League to offer the French international.

Emmanuel Adebayor is an established Premier League striker who was excellent during his time at Arsenal, netting 62 times in just 142 games but he struggled last year at current club Manchester City after falling down the pecking order. He spent time on loan with Diarra at Real Madrid last season and Spurs fans will surely remember him after he all but ended their dreams of Champions League glory with two goals in their 4-0 quarter-final first leg defeat.

The Togolese front man has his critics but he again demonstrated his worth on-loan at Real Madrid and the powerful striker is a proven goal-scorer whose arrival would surely signal the end for beanpole striker Peter Crouch at Spurs. I think Adebayor would be a good fit at Spurs and that he could develop an exciting partnership with van der Vaart, the sort which hasn’t been seen at White Hart Lane since Berbatov left.

By signing players who have Champions League experience, Spurs are certainly showing their transfer hand and while I think they probably still need to strengthen further in transfer window, they definitely would have a stronger team if they can agree these captures. Replacing Palacios with Diarra and Crouch with Adebayor is good business and it also hoped that bringing players of their reputation may go some way in convincing Modric that he should stay at White Hart Lane, although Chelsea’s purchase of Juan Mata may have already achieved this.

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If Tottenham fans can get over the fact that they both used to play at that other club in North London, these signings could turn a summer of gloom into one of a season of hope. If they are confirmed in the next week the squad actually looks stronger than two years ago when the side achieved a top four finish and as a result I think Spurs will become genuine contenders for a Champions League place. More bad news for Arsenal.

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Goalkeeper Paul Rachubka is hoping to retain his place in the Blackpool side for the visit of his former club Manchester United on Tuesday.

The American-born stopper made his first league appearance in more than 12 months when he replaced the injured Richard Kingson at Bloomfield Road on Saturday.

The Seasiders were beaten 2-1 by Sunderland and Rachubka pulled off a number of fine saves in the 30 minutes he was on the field.

“Richard had eight stitches in his head which isn’t nice and you don’t wish that on anybody but it doesn’t look good,” Rachubka, 29, said on the club website.

“It’s 10 years now since I played for United and I’ve been here, there and everywhere since but this is what I aimed to come back to with Blackpool in the Premier League, something I genuinely believed we could do when I first joined.”

“I haven’t thought about United because I’ve been so focused on getting myself fit but there’s a chance I could play and if I do then I genuinely believe we can beat them.”

“On our day we’ve seen that we can do that, we’ve beaten Liverpool before and we score goals, we get around sides and we’ve got a chance,” the keeper added.

“I went through a range of emotions when Richard went down; I went out for a warm-up and went through the routine and hoping he’s alright.”

“Unfortunately he wasn’t and I got my chance but you don’t really get time to think about it, you just go straight out there and go for it.”

“I wasn’t nervous, I love playing at Bloomfield Road, that’s where I work, it’s my stage and I love to perform on it.”

If manager Ian Holloway continues with Rachubka, the ‘keeper will face a United side keen to add to their already impressive 22-game unbeaten run.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson has challenged his strikers to follow Dimitar Berbatov’s path to 20 goals this season.

Berbatov’s third hat-trick of the campaign in Saturday’s 5-0 win over Birmingham took the Bulgarian to 18 goals, all but one of which have been scored in the Premier League.

Javier Hernandez and Nani are the closest to Berbatov with nine and eight respectively while Wayne Rooney is stuck on three, two of which came from the penalty spot.

“Dimitar is getting up towards that 20-goal mark, which is going to be important for us,” said Ferguson.

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“It does put a certain brand mark on the team and hopefully we will get another one to that level too. Once you do that you know it is a substantial season.”

Berbatov has now equalled Ruud van Nistelrooy’s feat during the 2002-03 title winning campaign by scoring three hat-tricks in a season.

The 29-year-old is also closing in on the five Alan Shearer scored in 1995-96, which remains a Premier League record, even if he is unlikely to match the seven Denis Law scored for United in all competitions during the 1963-64 campaign.

“Dimitar is realising his ability,” said Ferguson. “The other players sense it too. They are playing their part in playing with him. He has special qualities. I think we are using them.”

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has stated that he expects key forward Luis Suarez to sign a new contract this summer.

The Uruguay international has been a controversial figure since moving to Merseyside from Ajax in January 2011, but has shown some exhilarating performances on the pitch also.

Due to the media frenzy that brewed up over his racist remarks to Patrice Evra the South American has been linked with a transfer abroad, with Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus said to be keen.

Despite this the Northern Irish coach expects Suarez to prolong his stay at Anfield.

“I have had a good conversation with Luis over the phone,” Rodgers told the club’s official website.

“From the outset, he has seemed a really good guy. He loves the city and the passion.

“We have exchanged lots of texts. He sent me a text on the first morning, wishing me good luck.

“He has really bought into what we are trying to do.

“He was really excited about how we played at Swansea last year. He is really keen and looking forward to playing in a similar sort of model.

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“There has been good dialogue (on a contract). I would hope going forward that we can close that out,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

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Pre-season is nearing its anticipated climax and with only one game remaining, it has been an interesting period and one which has bettered our knowledge of the squad as a whole. All of our friendly games so far have reminded Liverpool FC fans of the strengths and weaknesses of the current crop of players and what is potentially needed to rectify this before the window slams shut at the end of the month.

First and foremost, the one aspect that has been the most alarming factor of pre-season; the sloppiness and vulnerability of our defence. It is no secret that Liverpool have somehow managed to concede three goals in each and every one of their five friendlies so far. Conceding three goals has been no co-incidence either as it has been worryingly evident that some of our defenders just aren’t up to scratch and reinforcements are sorely needed.

Jamie Carragher and Soto Kyrgiakos, regardless of their individual abilities at the heart of the defence, are not getting any younger. Hopefully, Daniel Agger is getting fitter and gaining more endurance but there are no guarantees that Kenny Dalglish will get a full season out of the Dane. For me, Martin Skrtel has too many mistakes in his locker so a centre-back has definitely got to be brought in. I am not going to name any particular names as there has been too many linked with Liverpool already but we are in desperate need of a dominant figure to slot in at central defence, whether it be permanently or in a rotation policy.

During pre-season our midfield has looked impressive. All three new signings of Charlie Adam , Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing have stood out and all look like the type of player any supporter would like to see in their team. Downing provides Liverpool with the direct width we have been crying out for over the past decade and both Adam and Henderson look to be able to provide the creativity any team thrives on. Even some of the fringe players such as Alberto Aquilani and Joe Cole have excelled although I expect to see the midfield trimmed down before the transfer window shuts with the likes of Christian Poulsen , Aquilani and possibly Cole following Milan Jovanovic out the doors of Anfield to clear up some much needed funds. I fully expect Kenny to concentrate on defensive recruitment and feel as though all the midfield signings have been done for this particular window.

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As for our forwards, during pre-season, we have only seen Carroll, gog and Kuyt used. In my honest opinion, Kuyt has been disappointing. The Dutchman has been his usual enterprising self but hasn’t offered a lot up front. If he is to be used as a third-choice striker then great, he will provide us with important goals but as a winger he is ineffective. Carroll has looked fitter with each game and we all know how much of a threat the England striker can be. Carroll also managed to grab a goal against Valerenga which will do wonders for his confidence. I still believe, if there is money available once a centre back and left back have been signed, that we need to bring in another striker, preferably to replace the frustrating David Ngog . The Frenchman scores the odd goal but is wasteful in possession and offers very little as an attacking force.

Finally, one last note regarding new goalkeeper Alexander Doni and his performances in pre-season; the Brazilian has not shown anything particularly outstanding and it looks as though Liverpool FC’s annual search for a back-up ‘keeper willing to sit on the bench and watch Pepe Reina will continue at the end of next season too.

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Let’s hope the squad continues to gel and the new signings continue to impress as we finish our pre-season preparations against Valencia at Anfield on Saturday and then it’s the big kick-off. We await the arrival of Sunderland and are all looking for King Kenny and his men to start the season on a high with three points against the Black Cats.

Read more of Elliot Tunstall’s articles at Live4Liverpool