Manchester United and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves has been out of action for around a year and a half now with a knee injury. There have been hopes he could return, Hargreaves was pencilled in for a November return before the season kicked off, needless to say that didn’t happen.

When November came and went Hargreaves was apparently in line for a January return to action, again that didn’t happen. He has now been withdrawn from Manchester United’s Champions League squad and there are real fears he may not play again this season.
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Popularity: 2% [?]

Angry Queens Park Rangers fans started protesting because of all that’s been going on in the club for the past two years. Since the new owners, Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone arrived, many things have changed at Loftus Road stadium in the West London, but the most important thing didn’t – the club are still without results.

After losing to Scunthorpe United at home this weekend (0:1), angry fans surrounded Briatore and Ecclestone demanding the explanation for the club’s terrible policy and complete discontinuity on the manager’s bench, as well as in the transfer policy. Fourth defeat in the last six league games saw experienced manager Paul hart sacked after only 28 days on the bench and this is only the tip of the ice berg of problems in popular Hoops squad.
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Popularity: 2% [?]

Everton manager David Moyes is perhaps one of the best managers in the league and his hard work at Goodison Park often goes unnoticed. Despite a relatively small budget Moyes regularly ensures European football at Everton but this season they struggled at the beginning and some were even suggesting they could be involved in the relegation scrap.

Injuries have had a big part to play in Everton’s under-performing but the squad is starting to return to full fitness. Spanish midfield star Mikel Arteta returned as a late substitute in their win over Sunderland on Wednesday and his return could be vital. Arteta, as far as I’m concerned, is the best player in the Everton line-up and his absence has really been felt in the blue half of Merseyside – his return could well prove vital for Moyes’ hopes for the season.
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Popularity: 3% [?]

Bolton’s new boss Owen Coyle could hardly have been handed a trickier first fixture with his new club – a home tie against an in-form Arsenal side. The Gunners ran out deserved 2-0 winners but there were some encouraging signs to take away from the home side’s display.

Under previous boss Gary Megson Bolton offered very little in attack and were a very one-dimensional side. The Wanderers played route-one football, set-pieces seemed to be the only way they knew how to score (16 of 26 goals so far from dead ball situations) but against Arsenal there were plenty of chances from open play. Indeed, if Matt Taylor or Ivan Klasnic had been a little more clinical the score-line could have been very different.
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Popularity: 6% [?]

Over the past couple of seasons one striker has really shone out in the Bundesliga – Wolfsburg’s Bosnian international Edin Dzeko.

Dzeko is a big imposing striker whose physical presence is a problem for defenders trying to mark him, but he is also blessed with some near skills. In some respects he reminds me a little of Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, which isn’t a bad thing at all. At Wolfsburg his goals per game ratio is around one in two, which is a very impressive statistic and he formed a great partnership with strike partner Grafite during the last campaign.
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Popularity: 11% [?]

Manchester City’s new manager Roberto Mancini has wasted no time in setting some pretty high targets for his new club. City’s former boss Mark Hughes said after his dismissal that a top-six finish was his target for the season, he claimed the club’s owners agreed with him. The Italian new-boy has other ideas, he wants a top four finish this season – followed by the league title next time.

“At this moment my target is the top four,” explained the former Inter Milan. “Next season we want to win the Premier League.”

So now we must ask the following questions, 1) Can City finish in the top four this season? And 2) can they take the title next season?
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Popularity: 14% [?]