Roy Hodgson has declared West Bromwich Albion safe from relegation after his side came from behind to edge Aston Villa 2-1 on Saturday.An own goal from Abdoulaye Meite put Villa ahead early in the Midlands derby, but Peter Odemwingie proved the hero once more with an equaliser – his 14th goal of the campaign – on the hour.

Things quickly turned sour for West Brom as Paul Scharner was sent packing with a second caution, but Youssouf Mulumbu found the net with six minutes remaining to hand the Baggies their first win over Villa since 1985.

West Brom leapfrog their Midlands rivals into 11th place on the table with 43 points, having taken 16 in nine matches since Hodgson was installed as manager.

Asked if their latest success meant safety for another season, Hodgson told Sky Sports: “Oh yes, I don’t think there is any doubt about that.”

“I don’t know what the other results were today but I really can’t see us going down on 43 points with a good goal difference.”

“I would say, even if it’s not mathematical, as far as I’m concerned it’s as good as done.”

“I’m very, very pleased. We started the game without three of our important regular players (Chris Brunt, Steven Reid and Jerome Thomas).”

“We then lost Gonzalo Jara to injury and we tried to keep in the game, which I thought we did reasonably well and then no sooner had we battled our way to an equaliser, we were down to 10 men.”

“We had to show a lot of fighting spirit, a lot of determination and also quite a lot of tactical discipline to keep them out and amazingly score a second goal, which was the winner.”

Villa caretaker manager Gary McAllister said his players were taking the result hard, having fought themselves into a winnable position early and again after Scharner’s dismissal.

“I’ve got to say there are a lot of disappointed players in that dressing room and they know,” said McAllister, who is in charge for the rest of the season while Gerard Houllier recovers from a heart scare.

“There are a lot of experienced players, a lot of international footballers. There are a few international captains, so they’re all disappointed.”

“They have been done by a sucker punch looking for three points and now we’re leaving here with nothing. It’s hard to take against a local rival.”

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has been warned about his future behaviour after making comments about referee Howard Webb.The Scot made comments about Webb ahead of his team’s crucial 2-1 English Premier League win over Chelsea on May 8.

The Football Association (FA) said on Tuesday that Ferguson had broken the rule that forbids manager’s from talking about referees prior to a match.

“It was a minor breach but a breach nevertheless,” an FA statement said.

The chairman of the commission said Ferguson’s minor breach should act as a warning to all managers.

“This rule was brought in at the start of the 2009/10 season and this was reiterated formally to all clubs again on 21 October 2010,” the chairman said.

“This is a clear breach of the rule and it is the first such a matter has been placed in front of a commission.”

“As a result of this charge, the commission were aware of other occasions where pre-match comments were made by other managers.”

“In this case, it was considered to be a minor breach and it should be taken as a warning to all managers in the future that any such breach, even positive comments, are likely to result in a charge by the FA.”

United clinched their 19th league title with a 1-1 draw at Blackburn on Saturday, but it was the win over Chelsea on May 8 that put them well-clear in the title race.

Ferguson had made comments about Webb two days before the game, but was not critical of the official.

“We are getting the best referee. There is no doubt about that,” Ferguson said in the lead-up to the Chelsea clash.

“But (getting a bad decision) is definitely our big fear.”

Ferguson also received a five-game touchline ban and 30,000-pound fine for criticism of referee Martin Atkinson earlier in the year.

With big decisions set to be made over the summer regarding the futures of Liverpool’s players, I am especially interested in seeing what happens to both David Ngog and Dani Pacheco. Even though he is still considered a young player with potential, it is fair to say that David Ngog has largely been disappointing during his time at Liverpool. Pacheco hasn’t exactly been superb on the rare occasions he has featured but at least with him you can say that he hasn’t been given enough opportunities to show his potential.

I’m always wary whenever Liverpool sell a relatively young player because you never know what level they will eventually reach in their career. Over the years we’ve seen plenty of examples of players being let go by clubs for not developing fast enough only to fulfil their potential elsewhere, hence why a team should always be extra careful when choosing to sell a youngster.

In the case of David Ngog I strongly believe he would benefit from a season-long loan to another Premier League club. He’s actually not that bad a player but seems to be affected by low confidence at times which therefore leads to inconsistent performances. When you consider that he finished this season as one of Liverpool’s top scorers with 8 goals (5 of which were from the Europa League) then you definitely can’t refer to him as a flop.

There is no doubt Ngog has some good attributes such as his speed and height, which can be incorporated into his game more if he gets more playing time. That playing time however, should be at another club on loan next season. It really is a win-win situation sending Ngog out on loan. Firstly, it frees up space in the squad for us to get a readymade understudy to support Carroll, Suarez and Kuyt up front. Secondly, if he ends up having a good campaign for his new club, we can then have him back the following season knowing that we can rely on him as a good source for goals. Thirdly, if he doesn’t have the greatest season while on loan we can definitely still sell him for a good profit (although I wouldn’t quite expect us to get the £8 million which has been put on his head).

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Dani Pacheco hasn’t ever been given a run in the first team the way that Ngog has, but looking at his technical ability, you would have expected him to have featured more by now. Pacheco has demonstrated that he possesses great skill, creativity and a decent eye for goal and it came as no surprise to any of us that his brief loan spell at Norwich was deemed a success.

Much like I suggested for David Ngog , I believe Dani Pacheco would benefit hugely from a season-long loan to another Premier League team. However, I would equally love to see him given as much game time as Ngog has received over the last couple of seasons. Ngog has been given many chances in our first team but now looks like he needs a loan somewhere else, whereas Pacheco has already had an impressive loan spell but hasn’t had a lot of chances to show what he can do for us.

In an ideal world, I’m hoping Ngog has a blinder of a season while on loan at another Premiership club, while Pacheco can take his place as one of our back up options in the forwards department. In terms of potential, I have high hopes especially for Dani Pacheco and believe that at the very least, he could go on to be on a level similar to that of Luis Garcia . If he manages to achieve his full potential however, I’m hopeful that he’ll break into the Spanish squad in future and become an important figure at Anfield.

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I truly believe that both David Ngog and Dani Pacheco will eventually fulfil their potential and go on to become well respected players. I just hope that by the time they reach these levels, they aren’t plying their trades at other clubs and leaving us wondering regretfully about what could have been.

Read more of Mark Wilson’s articles at Live4Liverpool

Talk about a difficult task. Naming the best composite XI to have played Premier League football is incredibly complicated and an inevitably divisive issue. I have tried to create a side that have achieved excellence through longevity and, on the whole, all eleven players have an outstanding array of moments and performances to fall back on.

Inevitably, when drawing up a side of this nature, there will be very good players bound to miss out. I apologise in advance to Messrs Schmeichel, Vieira, Bergkamp, Fowler, Cole, van Nistelrooy and Scholes but I was unable to find a place for any of you in my team, despite convincing cases presented by each.

I’m sure my list will provoke debate and in some places, derision, but wouldn’t this sort of thing be boring if we all agreed on the occupants? Let me know who you would have included here instead and who is lucky to have made the cut. And to Jody Morris, sorry mate I’m going to have to give you your £50 back – I couldn’t quite squeeze you in!

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Click on the image below to see the Greatest Premier League XI

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Deep breath. Go on – let me have it. Who have I left out? Was Luke Chadwick unlucky to miss out on a slot in midfield or was Massimo Taibi a shoo-in in goal? Find me on Twitter and let me know.

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Compiled By Cameron Sharpe

Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed that the summer spending has stopped at Old Trafford; therefore ruling out a possible move for Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder. The Scot is clearly happy with his lot and firmly believes that his squad is good enough to retain the Premier League title and challenge Barcelona for the Champions League.

In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that include Villas-Boas defends Chelsea squad; Aston Villa boss demands his stars move to Birmingham, while Arsenal look to hijack Lukaku deal.

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Ferguson – No more spending – Sky Sports

Bin Hammam: Life ban from football is Blatter’s ‘revenge’ – Guardian

Villas-Boas defends Chelsea squad –Guardian

QPR will not sell Taarabt – Guardian

Fiszman was real reason Arsenal did so well, says Adams – Independent

Arsenal set to hijack Chelsea’s Lukaku deal – Mirror

Manchester City defender Richards: I’ll be England exile until Capello goes – Daily Mail

Villa boss demands his stars move to Birmingham –Mirror

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Fergie: Tevez told me he was going to retire in 2013 – People

Liverpool make move for Wigan starlet Rodallega – People

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Sir Alex Ferguson conceded that Manchester City are now a thorn in United’s side and represent a huge threat in their pursuit to win honours. It is a huge change in attitude from the Scot and highlights the giant steps that City made last season.

In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that include Lampard relaxed over United’s outlay; Arsene Wenger has a substantial transfer budget, while Tottenham weigh up a cut price bid for Adebayor.

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Lampard relaxed over United’s spending – Guardian

Ferguson: ‘City are a thorn in our flesh’ – Daily Telegraph

I want Chelsea to be untouchable! Villas-Boas aims for European glory – Daily Mail

Wenger has ‘substantial’ transfer budget – Guardian

Robson faces Dispatches backlash – Daily Telegraph

Cabaye joins Barton and Ranger after being denied visa for Magpies’ US tour – Daily Mail

Toon ’n Toffees have Long shot – Sun

Cole happy to fight for his place at Liverpool after sorry first season – Daily Mail

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Boa closes in on Hammer Parker – Sun

Tottenham lining up cut-price bid for Adebayor – Mirror

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Newcastle United’s decision to place Joey Barton on the transfer list has plunged the club into fresh turmoil but for the rest of the Premier League, Barton’s availability on a free transfer is a potential bargain.

Barton’s decision to follow teammate Jose Enrique’s lead and criticise the club’s owners on Twitter enraged the bosses at St James’ Park so much that the midfielder has been made available on a free transfer even though he has a year left on his current deal.

If Barton does leave, would Newcastle’s Premier League rivals be getting a good deal by snapping up the 28-year-old on a free? Barton will always come with a warning for managers after a career more notable for his bad behaviour than his achievements on the pitch. Barton’s reputation means any move he makes would be greeted by some caution from fans but if he could replicate his form for Newcastle last season, every top tier manager should be looking at Barton this summer.

Since joining from Manchester City in June 2007, Barton has made 79 league appearances for the club. Last season was his most productive in the famous black and white stripes when Barton made a total of 35 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals and making nine assists. His performances in Newcastle’s midfield earned him rave reviews and it was his combative and productive displays in games like the 4-4 draw with Arsenal (where he scored twice) that make him so in demand.

Interestingly Arsenal are one of many clubs linked with the player since the news of his Newcastle exit was announced. Others include Tottenham, Aston Villa and Stoke with a few other European clubs reportedly sniffing around the midfielder. But what would these clubs be getting if they decided to try and sign Barton?

Most importantly on the pitch they would be investing in a leader, whether you like Barton or not, he is an effective combative performer in the Premier League and has shown he can create and score goals as well. For a club like Arsenal he would add that much needed steel in their midfield and last season showed that under the right guidance, Barton can finally let his football do the talking. The fact that he is available on a free means that clubs with a limited budget would only have any wage demands as a potential stumbling block.

Unfortunately Barton comes with baggage and whilst Newcastle’s decision to let their best player leave on a free is bemusing, his decision to criticise his employers on Twitter highlights the unpredictable side to Barton. Off the pitch he has faced time in jail and been in altercations with fellow teammates whilst on the pitch Barton’s behavior has lead to FA charges and red cards.

Despite his bad boy persona and troubled history, every Premier League manager should take the time to consider signing one of the league’s best performers last season on a free. But managers beware, despite his undoubted talents on the pitch, signing Joey Barton will always be a risk.

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Would Barton be a good signing for another Premier League team? If you want to read more of my bite size, 140 character views and thoughts follow me on Twitter @jennyk5

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As the dust has finally settled, after a huge summer of transfer spending supporters are left to reflect on their club’s performance in the summer months. Peter Storey came out this morning and suggested that Arsene Wenger had lost the plot and his last minute transfer activity was merely papering over the cracks at the Emirates. Whether that is true or not remains to be seen, but to the neutral it does appear that Arsenal made some decent signings on deadline day.

A whopping €521.95m was spent by Premier League clubs this summer and I have set out what I see to be the most significant 10 signings of the summer. I haven’t included loan signings or free transfers within my list, as they hardly represent much of a financial gamble.

Click on Yohan Cabaye to unveil the list

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List compiled by Escapini at the excllent Transfer Tavern

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Niall Quinn is a surprise contender to replace Garry Cook at Manchester City. Quinn has been undertaking a similar role at Sunderland and City is hopeful they’ll be able to attract him back to the club where he arguably made his name. Whether Quinn will be tempted remains to be seen, given the large amount of work he has already put in at the Stadium of Light.

Elsewhere in the papers Rooney and Walcott give Capello injury worries; Moyes accuses Kompany, while Alan Hutton is happy to be a wanted man again.

Furious Moyes accuses Kompany of deliberately hurting Cahill – Mirror

Niall Quinn is a surprise contender to replace Garry Cook at Man City – People

Rooney and Walcott injury worries for Capello – Daily Telegraph

AC Milan to make a January swoop for Spurs star – Mirror

Theo Walcott: Still haunted by trophy-hunter ambitions – Independent

I’m in for the long haul at QPR, insists new owner Fernandes – Daily Mail

Chelsea, Manchester City and United in £30m battle for Everton starlet Barkley – Daily Mail

Arsenal and Liverpool face fight for Valencia star – Mirror

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Hutton happy to be a wanted man again – Independent

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After a match and usually followed by a trip to pub, football supporters often spend time visiting club forums, sites and unofficial message boards to debate the fortunes of their club in the company of their fellow supporters. However this sort of freedom of expression has come under threat from the powerful clubs who want to clamp down on any dissent towards them or anything that they think may harm their chances of success.

Just this weekend we have seen a high profile case where Neil Warnock criticised a QPR fan after details of his team selection ahead of Saturday’s 1-1 home draw against Blackburn were posted on a fans forum website on Friday afternoon. Warnock made his feelings towards the perpetrator known as he believed that such a leak was giving a potential advantage to their opponents.

The information was sensitive and I can understand why he wouldn’t want it being leaked to the press and ultimately to Blackburn but to suggest that Steve Kean was going to spend time scouring messages boards looking for team news seems very unrealistic and indeed he said after the game that he had not seen the message about the team news on the QPR forum. It is also very clear that the person responsible did not mean to harm the clubs’ chances by posting the information on a public board but in truth what is more concerning for Warnock and what he should be focusing on is that one of his players is willing to release information like this into the public domain despite the fact that it is obviously confidential information.

The QPR manager certainly has a reputation of blaming others for his teams’ hardships but even for him it seems harsh to have a go at a loyal fan who probably thought he was providing a service to his fellow fans in this instantaneous world we live in. It is not like the team news was of the utmost importance either as Campbell has only started one game this season and it wasn’t that surprising to see the irrepressible Taarabt on the bench.

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It appears that some football managers and clubs have never quite got the hang of the internet with all its free speech. The days of a few hundred copies of a fanzine have been replaced with a website that has potential audience of millions and this caused some draconian over reaction aimed less at protecting a team’s good name and instead trying to creating a climate of fear that will cause fans to falter before sounding off or even offering an different view.

Football message boards and forums can be compared to your local pub as you can meet your friends there to relax, say what you feel like and next day people will struggle to remember what was actually said. Like any pub it is sometimes quiet so you leave and there is the odd time when a fight breaks out but after a while it all calms down again. Any strangers are immediately treated with suspicion until they prove they are friendly and are then welcomed in by the regulars. However imagine how you feel if you walk into your local pub and it has been taken over by a huge multinational breweries. If you or any of the regulars mention about the new furnishings, loud quiz machines, or over-priced flat beer you’ll be thrown and banned for life. Any discussions about contentious issues are banned to prevent liable action against the pub.

Only a few years ago a major Sheffield Wednesday message board was threatened with legal action by their club after the site published ‘damaging posts against the club, its chairman and directors’. The club told the owners of the site that they were taking action to “to protect the honesty and integrity of its directors and employees” despite them removing the supposedly offensive posts. The action was dropped when the owners of the message board apologised but it just shows what these owners are capable of in trying to prevent fans having any kind of freedom of speech.

The QPR story is somewhat a storm in a teacup with Warnock looking to distract attention away from a poor performance against a struggling Blackburn side but it has highlighted the sort of problems football fans face over freedom of speech. What Neil needs to remember is that supporters love to have their say about their club, whether that is on national or local media, online or even in the pub and of course for 90 minutes every match-day when they can just about shout any abuse at their players and managers. That’s the real freedom of expression Mr Warnock and don’t forgot the fans are the people who will still be around long after you have left the club.

Follow me on twitter @aidanmccartney for more discussion about free speech in the beautiful game.

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