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Monday was the first day we saw Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard out on the training field (pictured left) after previously being absent from pre-season training. The lengthy absence has led some to speculate that the Liverpool captain’s injury may take longer to heal than initially thought and the Sunday Mirror even suggested he could miss the first two months of the season. The fact that he is back on the training pitch though suggest such reports are wide of the mark, and even if we look at quotes from Gerrard a month ago, it seems the recovery process is still on track:

“I’ve had time to get my body right, get my body strong. I’m still four or five weeks (speaking on June 22nd) away from playing a game but I believe I’ll come back in better physical condition than I’ve ever been. I want to come back with a bang, I want to have a big season.”

There have been suggestions that he could make his first appearance of the season against Valencia at Anfield on August 6th, and that would certainly tally with the comments he made back in June.

Still, such a timetable would mean that the Reds first fixture of the season against Sunderland on 13 August maybe out of the question for Gerrard to start. With the state of the art Sports Science and Medicine department at Liverpool now, I fully trust them to get Gerrard’s recovery right. We certainly don’t want him coming back too soon and suffering another injury.

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The fact is though, unlike the lack of depth which has hindered Liverpool in the past couple of seasons, the absence of Gerrard won’t be so acutely apparent as would have been the case in previous years. Although still an essential first team play, Kenny Dalglish’s side demonstrated in the last six months of last season that they can play attractive attacking football even without our talisman.

In addition, the Reds have added Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam to an already well stocked central midfield area, which also comprises Raul Meireles and Alberto Aquilani , which means his presence for the first few games will hopefully not be sorely missed.

Still, it would be great to see Stevie back in action as soon as possible, and with an important Premier League match away at Arsenal on August 20th, we would like to see him back sooner rather than later.

Although it must be said that Gerrard was not at his best when fit for some parts of last season, a lot of this may have been down to his groin problems. With these hopefully sorted out, we could see a return to some blistering form for the Reds captain, and if he can contribute to a midfield, with the likes of Downing, Adam and Henderson alongside him, it could be one of the most creative in the league, creating goal chances for the £57m strike force of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez . Get fit soon Steven!

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Read more of David’s articles at Live4Liverpool

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West Ham remain in deep relegation trouble at the foot of the Premier League after a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland.

Jordan Henderson's first league goal of the season for the Black Cats was enough to settle the contest in the 34th minute.

The newly-capped England midfielder finished brilliantly with his left foot after a delightful ball into the middle by Asamoah Gyan.

The result leaves the Hammers three points from safety at the foot of the table, while Sunderland may allow themselves to start thinking about a European place as they leapt into seventh.

Just behind Steve Bruce's men are West Brom who continued their impressive start to the season with a 3-1 win against fellow top-flight new boys Newcastle.

Cameroon midfielder Somen Tchoyi set the Baggies on their way in the 32nd minute before Peter Odemwingie netted a second-half double.

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Peter Lovenkrands turned in an injury-time consolation for the Magpies after Albion keeper Scott Carson could only manage to parry an effort from Andy Carroll.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

As a passionate Sunderland fan I normally look forward to the summer with added excitement. It’s a period that renews anticipation and this time around Martin O’Neill gets his first real chance to renovate his squad and push the club forward to the next level.

There’s a feeling that this is the club’s time to finally realise its potential but deep down I know that sentiment is more akin to a Stadium of Light PR sheet than my own expectations.

Sadly amidst all the hope that surrounds our new era, I find myself feeling an all too familiar sense of déjà vu. There’s been many a false dawn at Sunderland and as the years pass it becomes harder to assess why I would submit myself to so much pain and heartache when there’s so little my beloved club can achieve.

Like so many fans of a team stuck in the mid table pack, my best hope for a successful season is finishing in the top ten and possibly enjoying a cup run. It’s become acceptable to have these watered down ambitions and it stifles the giddy enthusiasm I once possessed.

Experts say this is the most competitive league in the world. Where else will relegation threatened Wigan Athletic overturn title chasing Manchester United? Any team can beat anyone on their day and the increasing regularity of shock results means the League has a more attractive flavour. This trend certainly helps motivate lesser teams to raise their game but just because Sunderland beat Manchester City with an epic last minute goal from Ji Dong-Won, doesn’t mean I expect them to suddenly challenge for the title.

With that in mind, what’s constitutes realistic ambition for a mid table club?

For starters the Premier League has an obvious pecking order. Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea have dominated the last decade while Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have managed to break rank and edge ahead of Liverpool. Everton and Newcastle United have both made strides to follow but it remains to be seen if they can build on their occasional success. Still they’ve worked their way out of mid table so are perhaps the best inspiration for the teams below them.

That leaves the likes of Aston Villa, Fulham, Stoke City, Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion to battle over who finishes 9th to 14th. For the last few seasons these teams have been separated by a handful of points and often a win on the final day is the difference between them. Fans find it impossible to read anything into their final standings and any sense of achievement is soured because it’s such an underwhelming end to the campaign. These teams were good enough to avoid the relegation dogfight yet have nothing to play for.

Villa are Premier League mainstays but lately they’ve fallen from grace while the others have all managed to establish themselves since promotion. Fulham and Stoke have even tasted European football and are an excellent example for teams like Norwich City, QPR and Swansea City who will be looking to push on after survival but are happy just to remain in the league once more.

While it’s frustrating having nothing to play for, the bigger picture is your team progressively improving year on year so they can eventually break the mould. The problem is everyone is constantly improving so in order for teams to get better they must invest in superior players. This seems obvious but the best young talent is snapped up by the top sides while their ageing castoffs provide progressively deteriorating experience to the  lesser sides and end up leaving or retiring with little or no sell on value.

It’s a vicious cycle that’s tough to break and given that soon there will be no place for billionaire investors it’s hard to see how things will ever change. Newcastle showed last season it can be done but if they lose their best players this summer it will illustrate how difficult it is to sustain regular progression without peaking just outside the elite group. With a hint of jealousy I can begrudgingly admit they’ve made giant strides but if they can’t replicate this season’s success then what hope is there for the chasing pack?

As much as I would love Sunderland to be challenging for Europe, the recurring trend is we’re in small group of teams that are left with nothing to play for and end up taking pride in ruining the aspirations of others. After effectively relegating Wolves, Black Cats fans celebrated the culmination of our season by taunting heartbroken Manchester United supporters with The Poznan after City snatched the title.

Acting as rationally as possible, it’s bizarre for me to be disappointed by Sunderland establishing themselves in the top flight, enjoying a cup run and avoiding the threat of relegation. That constitutes improvement and is greatly appreciated after years of yo-yoing between the Premier League and Championship.

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It’s just saddening to have to accept that the only realistic place for my team is as perennial spoilers and not as genuine challengers.

Would you be happy if your team finished mid table? Do Sunderland have realistic expectations? Will Sunderland ever challenge for Europe?

Let me know your views and opinions by following me on twitter – Tweet me @Alex_Churcher

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Some things in life are just impossible to predict- the English weather, how many minutes away from relegation Wigan will be at the end of the season, what accent will the latest star of Coronation Street be using.

Arguably the most difficult thing to predict is the form of a certain Luis Carlos Almeida Da Cunha – or “Nani”, as he likes to be known.

Without a doubt one of the most exciting yet frustrating players I’ve ever seen in my 20 odd years of following United.

One minute Nani can be going past defenders with aplomb and sending an unstoppable shot into the back of the net, the next he’s turning himself inside out rolling around on the floor or knocking the overprice meat and potato pie out of someone’s hand in the third tier.

There’s a strong case to be made that Nani is actually United’s most naturally gifted player, yet there’s also one to be argued that with everyone fully he’s not even worthy of a starting place. It’s all a bit bizarre how such a gifted individual is still not guaranteed a starting place and even has some fans unconvinced of his worth to the Red cause.

I’m in the school of thought that Nani should start every game. even with Antonio Valencia fully fit, the arrival of Ashley Young and the temperament and energy of Ji Sung Park , I firmly believe you need the Portuguese winger in the side.

I understand that Nani can be annoyingly greedy, that he often shoots over 350 times a game without troubling the keeper, that at times he seems to be putting in a bid for an Academy Award -or at least a Bafta, with his theatrics, but there’s simply no denying that despite his faults, he is a match winner.

Park may graft like no one else, Valencia may be the best crosser and Young may have a proven Premier League pedigree but none of them are capable of getting hold of the ball and making something out of nothing quite as well as Nani is.

The question is who do you drop at Nani’s expense? Has Sir Alex spent £16 million on Young just for him to keep Michael Owen warm on the bench? I doubt it. Can United really afford to leave out a player like Valencia who seems to bring out the best in Wayne Rooney and has the pace and strength of a Grand National winner? Probably not. Then there’s the big game player that is Mr Park. Dropping Park is arguably the most likely option -unless its a big game, but that still leaves no room for Nani.

With Young and Valencia on the wings Nani would seemingly be relegated to a substitute role, unless of course Ferguson moved him to a more central role.

“But wait! Nani’s always been winger!” I hear you cry, “how can we move him into the middle?”

Well thanks for asking, allow me to elucidate my hypothesis. Nani has shown time and time again, thatr despite his ability for using both feet, when it comes to his left he much prefers shooting with it than he does crossing -although I now you could argue he prefers shooting to crossing with any foot but I’m sure you get my point.

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If Nani was deployed in the centre of the park, he could still run at defenders, he could still latch onto through balls like he did last season, from a similar position- Bolton away, City at home, yet he’d also have the wide man as an option to lay the ball off to.

The other argument would be that in Wayne Rooney, United already have an attacking player that can occupy the role just behind the striker. I’m not disputing this what I’m suggesting is that United employ a formation that can accomodate both.

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By having say Chicharito up top then Rooney and Nani behind him with Darren Fletcher, Park, Anderson, or Michael Carrick, in front of the back four, then Young and Valencia on the wings United may well be able to have their cake and eat it.

I know that may seem a little gung-ho having five attacking players in the same line-up, not to mention the fact you’d also miss out on playing a certain Mr Ryan Giggs but let me ask you this, is the suggested line up all that different from what we saw at times last season? Carrick and Giggs with Rooney off Chicharito and Park and Valencia out wide was used on several occasions. Admittedly Park does a lot more grafting than Nani ever would but then again Nani’s more likely to put teams on the backfoot. giving United a ‘attack is the best form of defence’ type edge.

This is all conjecture of course, the whole experiment could be a disaster of epic proportion leading all sorts of catasrophies and the imminent disbanding of the club. Or would it? Why not give it a try against City in the charity, sorry Community Shield? If it doesnt work its not the end of the world and if it does, then maybe we can unleash it again against West Brom and really take the season by storm.

Have I gone in off the deep end or is there a small island of sense in my ocean of dribble? Feel free to comment suggest and abuse below.

Read more of Justin’s articles at Red Flag Flying High

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The Mackems have certainly responded well to that rather embarrassing derby defeat at St James Park and coming off that win over Chelsea confidence won’t have been any higher this season.

Unbeaten at home, solid at the back, a hard-working midfield and now they have two quality strikers, Everton have a tough task to come away from the Stadium of Light with anything, despite the good run they’ve been on lately.

Fingers crossed Steve Bruce will start with Asamoah Gyan and Darren Bent up front, if the English striker is passed fit, rather than packing out his midfield. The Toffees have had the best of things between these two in recent times but Sunderland are on a roll and look a good bet at 8/5.

Bolton manager Owen Coyle has stated that he would not be surprised if Fabrice Muamba returned to Premier League action, but knows the midfielder has a long recovery ahead of him.

The former England under-21 star collapsed in an FA Cup clash against Tottenham last month, and was rushed to hospital after having a cardiac arrest.

Muamba was recently released from care, and Coyle has saluted his player’s bravery.

“Given what a fighter he is, it wouldn’t surprise me if Fabrice comes back,” he told The Sun.

“But I’ve got to stress he still needs that time with his family unit.

“For me, it’s about Fabrice getting better and if that progress continues to a level where he comes back and starts playing football, then great.

“But I’ve never broached the subject because it wasn’t appropriate as far as I was concerned at this stage,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

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Real Madrid defender Ricardo Carvalho has been ruled out of Portugal’s Euro 2012 qualifier with Norway on Saturday.Carvalho, 33, picked up a back injury during training earlier this week which leaves coach Paulo Bento without his best centre back for the game at the Estadio da Luz, but he said the team would be able to cover the loss.

“One option less but it does not alter anything regarding our way of playing and the game plan we have,” Bento said.

“We will not be making any types of alterations because of the fact that Ricardo cannot play.”

Even without Carvahlo, there is still plenty of class in the Portugal team, with Manchester United winger Nani and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo in the squad.

Portugal drew their Group H opener with Cyprus and lost away against Norway but they can move top of the group with a win over the unbeaten Norwegians at home on Saturday.

“They have a team which have good defence and consistency, who still have not lost at this stage in the group, and for this reason occupy first place,” Bento said.

“But tomorrow we have an opportunity to win at home, to reach first place and make them lose for the first time at this stage of the qualifiers.”

Widely regarded as one of England’s finest young talents, and already labelled as ‘the next Steven Gerrard’, Liverpool fans are expecting great things from Jonjo Shelvey. And with every glimpse the Anfield faithful get of the youngster, the air of optimism continues to grow. It is now seemingly only a matter of time before he is holding down a regular first team place. But the question on Liverpool’s fans lips is why not already?

At the tender age of eighteen, Shelvey looks like a great prospect for both Liverpool and England, and though admittedly not ready for the international stage just yet, he could step up to Liverpool’s first team in the near future, particularly given their current predicament. After exactly a quarter of the Premier League season gone, Liverpool are floundering in the relegation zone, and aside from one game, have shown a lack of creativity, movement, and energy, with the main perpetrators being his central midfield competition, Lucas and Christian Poulsen; for this reason there couldn’t be a better time for Shelvey to be pushing for some first team action.

His display away at Napoli was his most recent and most impressive display to date. To play so comfortably, arguably giving a man of the match performance, in such a hostile atmosphere without the experience Gerrard, Torres and Cole to help him along the way suggests he is as thick skinned and determined as he is technically capable. No Liverpool fans are suggesting he is an immediate solution to their problems, but the youthful vitality and promise Shelvey has in such abundance may go some way in lifting spirits on the terraces as well as on the pitch. Without the late summer addition of Raul Miereles, it would be hard to imagine any reason for Shelvey’s absence.

However, Liverpool fans may well have to wait some time before they see Shelvey playing regularly in a red shirt if, that is, Roy Hodgson does enough to keep himself in a job at Anfield for an extended period of time. The reason being that historically, Hodgson has put his trust in age and experience; Fulham’s average age was just below 30 throughout his tenure at Craven Cottage, and from being just over 24 last season; Liverpool’s average age is now just under 28. Although this is fine when getting results, a mix of youth and experience has often proved to be the healthiest option, however, it is difficult to envisage Hodgson ever adopting this stance. Emiliano Insua, and Kristian Nemeth have been loaned out and sold respectively at the age of twenty, whilst Daniel Agger, even at 25, isn’t getting a sniff of first team football. Lucas and Ngog are the youngest players that can be classed as first teamers, though this is more through necessity than choice. Arguably, the reason Shelvey got ninety minutes under his belt against Napoli was to ensure the so called ‘big’, and experienced, players were well rested for Blackburn at home, a potentially career defining game for Hodgson.

So, Shelvey may have to wait a year or two to establish himself in the first team, or even wait for a new manager to be put in place at Anfield, but there is a feeling amongst Liverpool fans that, whoever is in charge, it won’t be long until Jonjo gives them no choice but to play him.

It seems like a lifetime ago that the fixture between Arsenal and Manchester United was the undisputed highlight of the Premier League calendar. Two titans in English football led by their respective talisman, it was Keane versus Vieira and it was always an enthralling spectacle.

Both players epitomised the box-to-box midfielder role, acting as the heartbeat of their exceptional teams. Their unrivalled passion and tenacity was equalled by their technique on the ball, always looking to break up play and ignite the next attacking move. Since both players have hung up their boots and slipped into their suits, we’re yet to witness the next thrilling rivalry. I find myself asking, where are the modern day midfield generals?

In spite of Keane’s absence Sir Alex Ferguson has continued to deliver success at the gates of Old Trafford. His midfield is a fine blend of experience and youthful exuberance but he is yet to acquire a worthy successor to his beloved Irishman. With the Red Devils somewhat stuttering in their season run-in, it strikes me that a player with Keane’s mentality and influence would help see United over the line.

Darren Fletcher has the potential to fill Roy’s shoes but his unfortunate illness looks like keeping him out of action for the foreseeable future and whilst Ferguson has moulded Michael Carrick into a deeper, more defensively minded player, he lacks a certain doggedness and drive in his style of play. Both Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are seasoned professionals who undoubtedly exert a big influence at the club but neither possesses Keane’s tackling credentials, especially Scholes. Perhaps this is why Ferguson appears intent on retaining the services of young starlet Paul Pogba, who certainly shares plenty of the same physical and playing attributes of his French counterpart.

Speaking of Vieira, Arsenal have suffered a contrasting fortune since his departure from the club in 2005. His importance to the team that dominated a decade ago is highlighted by the fact that the Gunners are yet to win a trophy since his exodus. Of course it would be incredibly naive of me to suggest that this is the sole reason for the clubs barren spell but it’s worth noting that Arsenal no longer boast the same calibre of leaders in their current squad.

Wenger has seemingly already installed Vieira’s replacement in the team with the Cameroonian crusader Alex Song. However, Song has come under criticism this season for a number of below par and error prone performances and lines up behind Robin Van Persie in terms of authority and importance to the team.

Arsenal fans won’t welcome this next point but in my eyes Scott Parker is the closest example to Vieira and Keane’s prestige we have currently playing in the Premier League. Parker is a leader of men, a one-man band type of player whose performances nearly singlehandedly saved West Ham from the drop last season. His battling defensive traits are matched in equal measures by his marauding runs forward and it came as no surprise to me that he was installed as the new England captain.

Looking elsewhere in the Premier League, many Liverpool fans will champion Steven Gerrard as the best box-to-box midfielder in the country. Whilst there’s no disputing his significance at the Anfield club, I believe his best position is further up the pitch akin to his role just behind Torres under Rafa Benitez. Charlie Adam was certainly the architect during his time at Blackpool and perhaps once he returns from injury he can move out from underneath Xabi Alonso’s shadow and dispel his tag as a ‘big fish in a small pond’.

A quick glance into my crystal ball and I can only really see one candidate capable of mimicking the accomplishments of both Vieira and Keane. Everton’s Jack Rodwell is a technically gifted individual who also has a gritty edge to his game; perhaps this is why Sir Alex has made no secret of his affection for the player and is constantly linked with a move the moment each transfer window swings open.

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Perhaps football has become too rigid in its definitions, with players being instructed to have either an attacking or defensive playing philosophy. Whatever the reason, I’m left thinking that football’s greatest rivalries will suffer somewhat until two prominent figures lock horns once more.

Come and find me on Twitter @theunusedsub where I’m trying to decide who has it worse, Vieira for having to put up with a horde of young egos at Manchester City or Keane for having to stand so close to Adrian Chiles every week. 

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They may have missed a Champions League berth for next season but Juventus manager Luigi Delneri has been satisfied with his side’s Serie A campaign.Champions League football has been a regular commodity at Juventus in the past, but the only European action the Bianconeri will see next season is if they can overhaul a three-point gap on Roma in sixth and grab a Europa League berth.

Despite currently sitting in seventh and failing to live up to their lofty pre-season ambitions, Delneri believes this campaign has been a successful one.

“We have done some good things this season, as don’t forget we are the team with the least defeats behind Milan and Inter,” he said.

“It’s true we drew many games as well, but three draws or three wins cannot change the judgment on an overall campaign’s work. It would be banal.”

“We have completely rebuilt the squad that we started with in July and big changes do lead to big difficulties. People said I’d find it difficult to lead a group of champions, but that was not the case and I’m happy with the rapport we’ve forged.”

Juventus face 14th-placed Parma on Sunday, but will have to make do without a handful of key players.

Midfielders Milos Krasic and Claudio Marchisio are suspended, Leandro Rinaudo, Momo Sissoko, Fabio Quagliarella, Vincenzo Iaquinta and Zdenek Grygera have already been ruled out and there are major doubts over Alberto Aquilani and Armand Traore.

But Delneri remains confident his side will be able to gain the important three points.

“Having Aquilani would be important as an extra alternative to use during the game, but we’ve done everything we had to in order to face Parma with the right spark,” he said.