None of today's matches are necessarily must-see; but if you must watch some football, here's what we recommend:

Saturday, Jan 21

England, Norwich-Chelsea (7:30amET ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN3.com): Norwich (and Swansea) have attracted attention as newly-promoted sides that have fought their way into the top half the table.

None of today's matches are necessarily must-see; but if you must watch some football, here's what we recommend:

Saturday, Jan 21

Chelsea's new Catalonian Makélelé?

England, Norwich-Chelsea (7:30amET ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN3.com): Norwich (and Swansea) have attracted attention as newly-promoted sides that have fought their way into the top half the table.

Yesterday, we took Twitter by storm with our #PreemptiveChelseaStatement hashtag as we pondered what might happen if Chelsea put out a statement to defend John Terry in a similar vein to Liverpool's Luis Suarez statement. 1. Some of John Terry's favourite mistresses are black. 2. John Terry once co-refereed a football match with Uriah Rennie.

Terry and Cole recreate a scene from 'Blades of Glory'

For many years - too many to mention - Tottenham simply could not beat Chelsea. Yes, there was the 5-1 victory at White Hart Lane in the 2002 League Cup semi-final, when everything clicked an even Sergei Rebrov scored, but in the Premier League up until 2006, it just would not happen for Spurs.

French great Zinedine Zidane and Brazilian icon Ronaldo put on their annual Match Against Poverty event Tuesday, taking on a team of Hamburg SV All-Stars in Germany, and the legend-laden squad did not disappoint.

Ronaldo scored as part of his team's 5-4 victory, with proceeds from the event going toward combating poverty in the Horn of Africa.

Former Charlton and West Ham manager Alan Curbishley believes England have failed to utlise the talents of midfielder Scott Parker during his career.
The 31-year-old has only just begun to play for England regular after winning his first four caps while with four different clubs across eight years.

It has been reported, and especially after AVB has reportedly told six of our first team squad that they are free to leave the club, that Paris St Germain are more than interested in Salomon Kalou.
Kalou as we all know has failed to hold down a regular first team spot ever since he has been at Chelsea really if you think about it.

(Photo: Paul Rudderow)

Editor's note: At the end of the 2010 season, we posted a series of raves "Raves" about some of our favorite Philadelphia players. They need not be the team's best players, but they're guys and gals we like. Over the next two weeks, we continue the series again with some of the PSP contributors favorite players of 2011.

After watching his two performances for Chelsea this season where he has started and played the full games, I think we have all realised that we have found an absolute gem in Oriol Romeu. Brave enough to leave Barcelona and come over here when he realised that life would be difficult with Mascherano and Busquets ahead of him, he has really made a big impression here in just two games.

1. Niko Kranjcar is not Claude Makelele

When I walked into White Hart Lane and discovered that we were playing Niko Kranjcar alongside Luka Modric, it was instantly obvious that we would lose. I like Kranjcar, but the only positions I want to see him play in for Spurs are out on the left, or possibly in the Van der Vaart position behind a lone striker.

Romelu Lukaku's transfer to Chelsea may not quite be a done deal. That hasn't stopped the mammoth Belgian teenager from participating in training at Cobham, however.

No need to worry about that one falling through then. It looks as if just the particulars need to be sorted before he officially becomes a member of the club.

Romelu Lukaku's transfer to Chelsea may not quite be a done deal. That hasn't stopped the mammoth Belgian teenager from participating in training at Cobham, however.

No need to worry about that one falling through then. It looks as if just the particulars need to be sorted before he officially becomes a member of the club.

With news of Michael Essien, there has been numerous reports that Chelsea and especially AVB will turn their attention to ex-Chelsea player Scott Parker. Now I am not so sure this has any truth in it at the moment but it could be something that could evolve into a realistic target for the club.

Every data point (pass, cross, offside, out of play etc) mapped in these two hemispheres (one for each half) between Man Utd and Barca in the Champions League finals.

Simon Kuper's fascinating article in the FT about how the data revolution is slowly changing the face of soccer. There might be a time when quants will emerge from their gray shadows and take their rightful place on the cover of Four Four Two.

Alisher Usmanov has been talking to the News of the World and he has some interesting things to say about the Gunners, especially the Arsenal board.

He says that Arsene Wenger has to be given the funds needed to transform the squad saying:

"There is a widely-held view among most commentators and one that I agree with that the club needs to stiffen the defensive spine of the team, with a dominant keeper, strong centre-halves and a powerful defensive midfielder in the mould of Claude Makelele.

First name on the Barcelona team sheet? Messi. Xavi. Sergio Busquets.

As Sergio Busquets clutched the World Cup in his hands on the 11th July 2010, a footballing fast-track journey started only 22 months ago, was complete. In less than two seasons, the 21-year old had broke into the Barcelona First Team, cemented his place, been called up to the Spain squad, and lifted the World Cup.

Claude Makelele has had a pop at Jose Mourinho for his time at Chelsea although he does acknowledge he is a winner. He said:

"He is a born winner, he knows how to use you and get the best from you, from this point of view he is a great coach.
The problem is when he leaves you out.

Claudio Ranieri talking to the Official Chelsea Website, remembers being called "The Tinkerman" and talks of how now more than ever, it has become more and more apparent in football.
He said:

'In Italy we are used to moving tactically and change system in every match, Do you remember?

Glory days. They'll pass you by. Have they skipped beyond our Bison?

Past it?

Claude Makelele left. I cried. Shortly thereafter, I granted Michael Essien personal favorite status a rank reserved for only a select few. Be humbled, Mike.

Lately, however, as the Ghanaian's formed has waned so too has the love affair.

By Chris Wright

A week or so after proclaiming him to be the future of English football, the best young player in the known universe, the new (but slower) Claude Makelele and the saviour of everything that is good and holy, England manager Fabio Capello has ladled yet more crushing expectation onto Jack Wilshere's young shoulders by directly comparing him to some of the greatest players to have ever graced the game.

By Chris Wright

With 33-year-old Emile Heskey out of the running, 25-year-old Wayne Rooney gradually being found out as the hod carrier he really is, and 21-year-old Theo Walcott seemingly fated to be stuck in 'excited puppy in a waxed hallway' mode for the rest of his career, it's high time for England's next messianic saviour to be identified, burdened accordingly, then smeared into a fine paste under the weight of a nation's monolithically self-important footballing pretensions.

This evening I saw a spate of headlines after England coach Fabio Capello shared a meal with some journalists. It seems most of the talk was about England's future i.e. Jack Wilshere.

Interestingly, Capello wants to play young Jack in front of his back four.

I want to put him in this position in front of the back four.