Rising stars who can be hot properties after Euro 2012

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With Euro 2012 around the corner and international squads being announced, managers around the world and scouts from top clubs will be on the lookout for the next big thing in football. Ahead of the competition, here's a look at some of the talent that could be hot property in this summer's transfer market. Christian Eriksen: The Ajax and Denmark playmaker has already been tipped as the next big thing in Europe and a number of clubs such as Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are already vying for his signature. The 20-year-old has everything required in an advanced playmaker and if he proves it on this stage then surely he will be hot property. Eriksen won't come cheap, though; Ajax will at least want 25 million pounds for their sensation. Mario Gotze: This Borussia Dortmund star has taken everyone by storm. Just 20, he has already helped....

Time for Arsenal to pull up their socks

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Arsenal suffered a hugely damaging defeat away to relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers that threw the race for the last two English Premier League spots and berths for the Champions League wide open. Was it a shock defeat or has the blip always been just around the corner for the Gunners? After a 2-1 defeat, Arsenal have let slip their advantage over their city rivals, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, their closest challengers for these last two spots. Though Arsenal are still firm favourites for the third place, they can't afford any more blips in the remaining seven matches. Arsenal are five points ahead of Chelsea, but Spurs went level with them after they beat Swansea at White Hart Lane on Sunday. Arsenal's phenomenal run over the last one and a half months will count for nothing unless Champions League football is secured. After this shocking defeat, players need to re-focus....

Champions League: Exciting times ahead

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With the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals upon us, there are many intriguing matchups. AC Milan vs Barcelona will be the match to look forward to for the next round. The other three quarterfinals are: APOEL vs Real Madrid, surely a dream match for APOEL fans and players. They have nothing to lose against the Spanish league leaders and will be out to enjoy every minute of both set of ties. The remaining two are Marseille vs Bayern Munich and Benfica vs Chelsea. After a shocking exit of both the Manchester clubs in the group stages, it was down to Arsenal and Chelsea to carry Premier League hopes in the round of 16. Arsenal came agonizingly close to overturning an embarrassing 4-0 deficit against AC Milan but their 3-0 win at the Emirates was not enough to make progress. After Napoli thrashed Chelsea in the first leg in Italy,....

In sacking Villas-Boas, Chelsea show lack of guts

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It cost Roman Abramovich around 28 million Pounds to sack Carlo Ancelotti and hire Andrew Villas-Boas. Seven months later, history has repeated itself at Stamford Bridge. Abramovich's appointment and sacking of the young Portugese manager of Chelsea has cost a whopping 50 million Pounds. Hiring a 33-year-old with only a year of top club experience was an extremely a gutsy decision and it suggested that the Chelsea boss would give Villas-Boas his backing and look beyond the next set of trophies. It appeared Abramovich was looking down the road, long-term. However, his sacking of Villas-Boas has showed the world that Chelsea's owner lacks guts and is unwilling to look beyond immediate success. The biggest reason that comes to mind is the player power in Chelsea's dressing room. That needs to end if the club wants to remain at the top in England and Europe. It was evident that....

Who really wants the fourth spot in the EPL?

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Did anyone have a better weekend than Arsene Wenger? After being thrashed 4-0 at the hands of Milan in the Champions League, Arsenal boss Wenger was looking for a response. If the nightmare in Italy was Arsenal's "worst night in Europe", the limp display at Sunderland was another pathetic show in the FA Cup which resulted in their elimination from the Cup which they won some seven year back. And after 35 minutes against Tottenham Hotspur it looked as though the Gunners were surely done and dusted, trailing 2-0. One was forced to think that there will be no Champions League matches at The Emirates next season but Robin Van Persie and Theo Walcott had some other ideas. Much has been said about Arsenal lacking mental strength and how they need a squad overhaul but what we saw at The Emirates was outstanding if you are an Arsenal....

Man United vs. Liverpool: It's all about rivalry

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The Manchester United-Liverpool rivalry is legendary among football enthusiasts. The fixture is, put simply, one of the most iconic club matches in world football. And it is watched as avidly in India as it is in Manchester. The two biggest team of the English football are separated by a little more than thirty miles across the North West of England, but they share 37 league titles (19 to Manchester United and 18 to Liverpool), eight Champions League trophies (five to Liverpool and three for the Red Devils) and 18 FA cup trophies (11 to United and seven to the Reds). Without a shadow of a doubt, they are the most successful, biggest and supported clubs in England. Over the past seven months not even a single day has gone by when the Red Devils' supporters have not reminded the Scousers that they are now the most successful club....

El Clasico: the fight for the World's best club

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It would be deja vu all over again in regards to Saturday's clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona. After all, the much-awaited weekend's El Clasico is the seventh to take place in 2011. The previous games spread amongst La Liga, the Champions League, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup have for the most part served up some awful football, nasty tackles, accusations of racism, bitterness, conspiracy theories and even an eye poke. One thing is assured: the TRPs of any channel showcasing El Clasico - or perhaps more aptly, 'Hell Clasico' - are sure to rocket through the roof. People have been constantly reminded that Real Madrid vs Barcelona is more than just a football game. It is considered to be the best contest on the football field. This game is an event which no longer grabs the attention of all of Spain; the match....

Step aside Barca, it's 'Real' time for glory

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Step aside Barcelona, your time at the top is surely going to be over this season. You are getting too predictable and people are getting bored of your tiki-taka. No, I am not a Madrid fan here and neither do I have anything against Barcelona. However, it's for the good of Spanish football that there should be a changing of the guard. On Saturday, one thing that every neutral fan would have enjoyed is watching Barcelona lose and Madrid going clear at the top by six healthy points. With El Clasico in the corner, a win at home for Madrid will mean that surely one hand is on the trophy, and with not even half of the season gone by, nine points will be surely a huge gap at the top. With Barcelona looking beatable this season and Madrid going from strength to strength under Jose Mourinho in....

Ferguson's fairy tale at Man Utd

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When Sir Alex Ferguson first arrived at Manchester United in 1986, it was a very different club, one tempered by low morale and struggling performances. Now, 12 English Premier League titles, two Champions League medals, five FA Cups and a host of iconic players later, the man known as Fergie is arguably is one of the most successful managers in football history. On Sunday, November 6, Ferguson completes 25 years as the manager of Manchester United. Where do I even begin writing a tribute to a person who has been in charge for 25 years when I've been alive for 26? Fergie has always been compared to Sir Matt Busby - though many United fans will argue as to who was the better manager - and surely my vote will go to Fergie as I was not even born when Sir Matt started to write the United golden era....

Manchester United: Never write them off!

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Fifteen years ago this month, United lost 5-0 to Newcastle. Can you guess which of those two teams have dominated Premier League titles since? In 1995-96, Tottenham Hotspur thrashed United 4-1 and any prize for guessing who has been the better team since then. Back in 1996, they promptly lost 6-3 to Southampton, and were turned over by Arsenal. In 1999, Chelsea ripped apart United 5-0 and we all know who had the last laugh in all those years. Well the coincidence between all these drubbings are that Red Devils went on to win the league at the end of the season. Well I have to mention this because lots of people seem keen to pinpoint to me that Sunday's 6-1 battering at Old Trafford as the moment City ended United's years of dominance. I guess people love reading too much into things, drawing conclusions. Well the conclusion....