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Uefa’s financial fair play legislation has arrived. The limit on spending will come into effect for the 2013/14 campaign but the monitoring of teams has begun. Over the next two seasons clubs will not be allowed a total loss greater than €45 million and UEFA reserve the right to ban them from European club competitions should they overspend.

At face value, this seems like an excellent idea. The inflation of debt and spending is undoubtedly one of biggest problems of the modern game and it is high time rules were implemented. However, whether or not Uefa’s rules improve the game may be difficult to assess for several more seasons. Many people are sceptical as to whether this will in any way help the poorer clubs close the gap on Europe’s wealthiest. Whilst this would be an admirable result, it is not the point. The point is quite simply to stop clubs spending what they don’t have, to force them to live by their means.

A concern is that Uefa’s financial control will push Europe’s largest clubs towards forming their own breakaway league. At the moment there is little cause to worry.

For a start, the legislation is not as restrictive as many think. First of all, youth development, training facilities and stadiums are amongst the expenses that are not included. Second, if a club sign a player for £40 million on a four-year contract, this will amount to £10 million per year as the fee is spread over his contract, this means that the big clubs will still get to spend big money. Third, if a club can show that it’s on the field improvement is triggering off the field growth, their entry into European competition may be considered with more leniency.

These instances of flexibility and consideration show that Uefa has attempted to get this right. The intention is not to stifle clubs, just to protect them from their own recklessness. It should not be deemed a sufficient intrusion to prompt a revolution. (For those clubs that fear it may serve to level the the playing field, a quick look at Manchester City’s sponsorship deal will remind them of the gulf that exists and show them how it can be maintained.)

A breakaway European league is always talked about as though it is an imminent possibility but it would be a huge risk for the clubs involved. The sacrifice of teams’ domestic leagues and their dominance within them is something that requires careful consideration. Uefa’s attempts to slow down the crazy inflation of football debt should not serve as a trigger. Attempting to reel in the bank loans should, in theory, be welcomed. If, however, several years down the line the profits of the top clubs are affected, then a revolution would definitely be on the cards.

Would you want a breakaway league? Leave your views below…

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Birmingham manager Alex McLeish hailed man mountain Nikola Zigic for his influence in his side’s Carling Cup semi-final win over West Ham.

While the towering Serb did not score in City’s come-from-behind 3-1 victory at St Andrews in extra-time to win 4-3 on aggregate, the Scottish manager saved special praise for the English Premier League’s tallest player after he was substituted on at half-time for Matt Derbyshire.

“I said if you get a chance to cross the ball do it, put it in the box with big Zigic in there. It was his most effective game for us and when he plays like that he can be very difficult indeed to handle,” McLeish told Sky Sports.

“I was probably more relaxed than I have been in recent weeks in the (English) Premier League. I don’t know why, but I did have a calm about me,” he said.

“I just had to trust the players and the players had to trust each other. We tried our best in the first half but we huffed and puffed without really troubling them. Zigic made the difference.”

McLeish was beaming with pride at Birmingham’s fight back, and is now anticipating a chance at winning City’s first piece of silverware since they won the Third Division in 1994/95 and their first major trophy since claiming the League Cup in 1963.

“I will have enormous pride leading the side out at Wembley. I have been involved in a lot of semi-finals and have got to finals in Scotland in my career, so to come to England and get to Wembley is a dream come true,” he said.

West Ham manager Avram Grant was disappointed with his side’s defence on set pieces, as they crumbled from a two-goal aggregate lead to lose in extra-time.

“They started with a lot of long balls and we didn’t deal with it so well, that was the difference,” the under-fire manager said.

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“I am not happy that we are not in the final. I think we did well in the Carling Cup. In this game, in the first half we were good but unfortunately we are not going to Wembley.”

“I think the players played good and we are not playing like a team at the bottom. We need to defend better from set-pieces.”

Just prior to the Euro 2012 final, Jordi Alba completed his move from Valencia to Barcelona; marking the occasion with an outstanding effort in front of goal against Italy. The left-sided attacker joins Barcelona as the most recent La Masia graduate who got away, only to return to the nest a number of years later. It’s no doubt an expensive (and perhaps frustrating) exercise for Barcelona to undertake, but their signings have been smart and important for the future successes of the club.

Gerard Pique returned home following a quiet spell in England: A talented centre-back who maybe struggled with a combination of limited playing time and the demands of the Premier League. At the time, it was the weighing up of whether Pique or Manchester United’s other young centre-back Jonny Evans would remain at the club. Likely with a degree of regret (certainly in hindsight) Alex Ferguson allowed Pique to rejoin Barcelona for a small fee.

Pique’s lack of matches in England was of little concern to new manager Pep Guardiola. The youngster combined exceptionally well with veteran centre-back Carles Puyol and formed the bedrock of a stubborn but hugely gifted defensive line. His participation in Barcelona’s rise to world dominance has been greatly important due to his footballing education in the club’s La Masia academy. Not only was Pique blossoming into one of Europe’s leading defenders, he also possessed the technique and composure to involve himself in Barcelona’s passing game. His late goal against Inter Milan in the 2010 Champions League semifinal was an excellent display of his ability in unfamiliar territory.

In much the same way, Jordi Alba will add significantly to Barcelona’s game for many years. His game is much more similar to that of right-sided attacker Dani Alves: A quick, wonderfully talented attacker who sometimes doubles up as a full-back. Former Valencia manager Unai Emery’s decision to rotate the left-back and left-wing spot between Jeremy Matieu and Jordi Alba allowed Barcelona’s new signing to play a significant role in Valencia’s attack, while still having the insurance of the Frenchman in defence.

Alba’s performances for Spain this summer is no great surprise; he’s been producing them on a consistent basis with Valencia. But again, his education and ability to slip so effortlessly into Spain’s first XI would have been a significant bonus in bringing him back to the Nou Camp. His contract at Valencia would have expired next season, but Barcelona were clearly motivated to act quickly ahead of a chasing pack with much more financial power.

Although the Catalans are playing this expensive game after many of their players find admirers around Europe, the issue of buying back their former graduates is not exclusive to them. Real Madrid have also gone about similar business over the years in re-acquiring Alvaro Negredo and Esteban Granero, among others. But Real Madrid and Barcelona noticeably carry out a different transfer policy, one which suits their club’s philosophy on the pitch.

A superstar is never unwelcome at the Nou Camp, but for the most part in recent years, Barcelona genuinely have created their own superstars. The purchase of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to enhance the club’s attack turned out to be a failed attempt. The Swedish international simply could not integrate into a team where there is no single defined star. Arguably Lionel Messi holds that position, but his numbers are the only thing that separates him from the rest of his team mates.

Much like their business to ensure former players and people familiar with the club take up roles in the hierarchy, Barcelona go about their transfer dealings in a similar way. It allows the club to remain successful over the long term without sacrificing the playing philosophy that was introduced by Johan Cruyff.

In the same way that Cesc Fabregas so effortlessly made himself a part of Barcelona’s game on the pitch, Jordi Alba will undoubtedly have a similar impact. Fabregas, who has had to adapt to different roles in the Barcelona team, instantly rediscovered the on-field connection with Lionel Messi that the two had in their La Masia days. His performances dropped off later in the season, as did the rest of the team’s, but his flurry of goals in his first few months proved that Barcelona bringing in Pique a few season’s earlier was no one hit wonder.

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The way Jordi Alba found himself so far up the field and receiving a perfect pass from Xavi seemed the best way to mark his transfer to Barcelona. An expensive transfer considering his origins with the club, but absolutely a necessary one.

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This week Liverpool’s incredibly generous and unquestioning owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) stated that ‘it would be a major disappointment’ if the team failed to qualify for the Champions League in the forthcoming season. Is it fair of them to expect this level of success from Kenny Dalglish so soon?

When Dalglish replaced the world weary Woy Hodgson as Liverpool manager on the 8th January this year, the side sat 12th in the league, four points above the relegation zone. Nobody really believed they would sink further, (it seemed hard to imagine they could get any worse) but then the idea had been for Hodgson to halt the slide at 7th not push them on down.

Dalglish succeeded in restoring a passion and identity to the side that had been noticeably absent under Hodgson and the side’s improved form and the impact of Luis Suarez in particular were enough for Liverpool to finish the season with a sense of optimism. The squad still looked unimpressive though, after a very messy 2010 calendar year there were too many expensive flops and inexperienced youngsters to consider this a side capable of competing for the Champions League.

Now Dalglish has spent, and he has spent a lot. It is natural that FSG’s backing should come at a price and with pressures so high and patience so thin at the top of the Premier League, their expectations are unsurprisingly high. FSG would have been considered mad if they’d spent all this money and then set their sights on Europa League qualification!

If Dalglish spends yet more money in strengthening Liverpool’s defence, which he should as they’ve conceded 15 goals in 5 friendlies, then he can have little grounds for complaint. His problem will not lie in the owner’s ambitious but justified expectations but with the actual task ahead, knocking out one of the current top four. Based on Arsenal’s dramatic decline at the end of last season, they would seem like the team to beat however their consistency in top four finishes is phenomenal, (a straight run since 1997 now). Dalglish will not only have to hope they pick up from how they finished last season, he will also have to ensure that his side gels incredibly quickly.

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FSG have set Kenny Dalglish a tough target but they have given him a huge amount of help in reaching it. Liverpool’s considerable spending this year has already put pressure on them to achieve Champions League qualification, with or without FSG saying it explicitly. It is only right to start the season with great expectations.

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Tuesday’s clash between Wigan and Aston Villa shapes as a crunch match for both sides as they continue to fight for Premier League survival.

Wigan sit 18th on the table after Saturday’s 3-0 loss to Arsenal, but are just three points behind 16th-place Villa, who moved out of the relegation zone with an upset 1-0 win over Manchester City.

A win for either side at the DW Stadium on Tuesday would secure a valuable three points while dealing a blow to the survival hopes of the loser, and Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi said his side are facing a defining period in their campaign.

“We now have 15 games left of the season, and the next three games are going to be massive for us, with Aston Villa, West Brom and Blackburn coming up,” said Al Habsi.

“These three games I think are going to shape our season, and we have to concentrate and do ourselves justice.”

“Tomorrow’s game is huge. One point isn’t good enough against Villa – we need to be picking up all three and we’ll need everyone – the players and the fans – pulling in the same direction to do that.”

The loss against Arsenal extended Wigan’s winless run to five matches in the Premier League, but they have been beaten just once in their last eight outings at the DW Stadium.

Manager Roberto Martinez will have a near-full squad to choose from, with only midfielders Tom Cleverley and Viktor Moses unavailable.

Villa will need to overcome their poor form on the road if they are to claim their seventh win of the season on Tuesday.

Gerard Houllier’s side have won just one league game on the road this season, but will be full of confidence after they snapped a five game winless streak with their victory over Manchester City.

Record signing Darren Bent scored the only goal of the match on Saturday, but the 18-million-pound man predicted there were plenty more to come.

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“It was a fantastic feeling to score the goal. For a striker, there really is no better feeling in the world than seeing that ball fly into the back of the net,” Bent said.

“Hopefully they’ll be many more games like this to come.”

Villa also have a short injury list, with the absence of Stephen Ireland the only real concern for Houllier.

Danny Welbeck endured a mixed afternoon as Arsenal beat Southampton 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday but he did end the game as the match-winner.

The England international, valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, netted two goals, including the late winner as the Gunners turned up the heat on Chelsea in the race for fifth by beating Mark Hughes’ struggling Saints.

However, he should really have been leaving the Emirates Stadium with the match ball but he missed a glaring opportunity with the scores level at 2-2 which looked as if it might prove costly at the time.

That was not to be the case as the former Manchester United forward made up for his earlier blunder by powering him a header with just minutes remaining, to cap a largely impressive afternoon only marred by that shocking miss.

He also set up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s equaliser after Shane Long had put the visitors 1-0 up in the first half and showed impressive all-round play coming in off the left flank.

He showed his strength in the air not just by nodding home the winning goal but by coming out on top in four aerial duels throughout the afternoon.

Meanwhile, his link-up play was also impressive with an 82 per cent passing accuracy which allowed Arsene Wenger’s men to build momentum as they roared forward in search of the win.

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Welbeck is right on the fringes of the England World Cup squad and more performances like this can’t do his chances of going to Russia with the Three Lions any harm at all.

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Arsene Wenger showed a lack of respect and took Monaco lightly according to the Ligue 1 side’s boss Leonardo Jardim, who has torn into the Frenchman following his side’s Champions League victory over Arsenal.

The Mediterranean outfit held on for an away goals win over their Premier League opponents last night, with the Londoners’ 2-0 triumph in the Stade Louis II not enough to overturn the 3-1 scoreline from the first leg.

After the game Wenger was critical of Monaco – whom he used to manage – claiming that Jardim’s side, who failed to register a shot on target in their home ground, did not deserve their spot in the last eight of the competition.

WANT MORE? >> Arsenal transfer news | Latest transfer news

And Jardim has hit back at his defeated opponent, claiming that he’s shown a lack of respect:

“It’s true in first leg when I wanted to shake a hand, Wenger didn’t thank me and shake my hand. So this time even though Monaco did everything for Arsenal, I decided not to thank him,” he is quoted by The Metro.

When asked if he felt Wenger had been disrespectful, the Monaco boss replied: “I think so and right now we’re celebrating and we think that Arsenal maybe didn’t show all the respect that they should have in the first leg.”

Arsenal were heavy favourites to overcome Monaco when drawn against the Principality side, who are only in their second season back in the top tier of French football.

The Red and Whites are also the lowest scoring team in the hat for the quarter-finals, and Jardim feels that Wenger was cocky and took victory against his side for granted:

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“Arsenal were very happy to play Monaco as we were supposed to be one of the weakest teams. All the teams in the last 16 wanted to play against Monaco. Maybe Arsenal thought they had qualified already.”

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Villa have done well over the years to maintain their ever-present Premier League status, especially considering they’ve endured a couple of difficult relegation battles in their history.

Last year proved tough watching at Villa Park though as they narrowly avoided the drop under Alex McLeish in what was possibly the worst season in the club’s history. This season hasn’t been much better and another relegation battle is before them.

Given the chance, Villa’s fans would probably name last year’s starting XI as the worst to ever take to the field wearing the claret and blue, but looking back over the years, some names stand out that would be enough to make everyone in the Holte End shed a little tear.

Here is the worst XI signings made by Villa during the Premier League era:

Click on Villa Park below to see the Aston Villa Worst Transfer XI

It has been two weeks since Manchester United last played – and qualified for the semi-finals of the FA Cup with an underwhelming 2-0 win against Brighton – and much of the news agenda since then has been dominated by Jose Mourinho’s approach.

He has come out swinging in the time since United’s Champions League defeat against Sevilla. It was an abject failure against a side with inferior resources and Mourinho was rightly criticised.

He has not reacted well and has taken aim at his own club’s fans, his players – namely Luke Shaw – and United’s history in an attempt to preserve his reputation and explain away the defeat.

Even making the last four of the FA Cup didn’t sate the Portuguese manager and there is little doubt that there is tension between himself and the Old Trafford fanbase right now.

For that reason, his team selection for Saturday afternoon’s match was always likely to grab more than its fair share of attention and the United fans are not happy at all. We’ve taken a closer look at the best of the reaction…

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In one the January transfer window’s most surprising twists thus far, Everton forward Samuel Eto’o looks set to leave Goodison Park this month for Serie A side Sampdoria.

The three-time Champions League winner only joined the Toffees on a free transfer from Chelsea in the summer, but has now passed a medical with the Italian outfit and is expected to complete a deal within the next few days.

Everton have struggled for form this season however so replacing the 33 year-old, who scored three Premier League goals for the Merseysiders, is now imperative. It’ll have to be done on a budget too – the Eto’o deal is reportedly worth just £1.5million.

With that in mind, we’ve listed FIVE cut-price replacements for the Cameroon legend.

EMMANUEL EMENIKE

Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike has been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur this month, but with the reports seemingly coming from his agent rather than north London, it’s likely the Toffees can muscle in on any potential deal.

Returns of 14 in 40 for the Turkish club and seven in 28 for the Nigerian national team may be rather ordinary, but the 27 year-old is blessed with all the pace, power and directness one could want in a Premier League striker.

A decent back-up to Romelu Lukaku, the tabloids claim the Super Eagles striker is available for around £8million this month, which should be just within Everton’s financial reach.

JONATHAN SORIANO

Once tipped to set La Liga ablaze during his prolific tenure with Espanyol B and Spain’s U21 squad, netting eight goals in just four appearances for La Rojita way back in 2005, Jonathan Soriano is a former prodigy that never quite made the grade at top level.

At the age of 29 however, the Spanish striker’s career is amid an intriguing renaissance, leaving Barcelona B in summer 2012 with 55 goals in 80 appearances and since going on to claim an incredible 112 goals in 126 outings for current club Red Bull Salzburg.

Currently enjoying the best form of his career – 30 goals in 30 appearances, including seven in the Europa League – the 5 foot 11 front-man, blessed with great technical ability and natural pedigree, could be worth a punt this month.

According to a summer report from Newcastle publication The Journal, the Austrian outfit could sell for as little as £2million.

MUNIR EL HADDADI

Barcelona youngster Gerard Deulofeu excelled on loan at Goodison Park last season, so why not launch a loan swoop for another member of the Catalan crop in Munir El Haddadi?

The 19 year-old stood in for suspended striker Luis Suarez at the start of the season and, despite only netting once in 16 outings for Barcelona’s first string, impressed in his cameo capacity, demonstrating his blend of pace, creativity and skill.

There’s already been plenty of speculation suggesting the 5 foot 9 forward could be farmed out this month, with The Express mooting Arsenal and Chelsea as potential loan destinations back in December.

Both clubs are relatively well endowed up front however and Everton can offer El Haddadi considerably more game-time. Head coach Luis Enrique, however, has recently announced his intentions to use the young striker on sparing occasions throughout the campaign.

ANTHONY MODESTE

You might remember Anthony Modeste from his brief spell at Blackburn Rovers, making five appearances in 2012 as the Ewood Park outfit plummeted out of the Premier League.

He failed to register a goal in England but has since gone on to prove his worth in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga, netting 15 times during a single campaign with Bastia and 14 times in 32 appearances amid an 18 month stay with Hoffenheim.

That includes four goals in just seven starts this year and, in addition to firepower, the 26 year-old offers a physically imposing 6 foot 1 frame that should serve him well in the Premiership – especially in Everton’s customary lone striker role.

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Modeste’s consistent form over the last few years has reportedly attracted attention from Swansea and West Ham this season according to the Daily Mail, but rated at just £5million, he should be within Everton’s budget too.

EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR

Perhaps not an obvious suggestion, considering Tottenham’s Emmanuel Adebayor has left virtually every club he’s played for in the Premier League on rather sour terms – particularly Arsenal and Manchester City – and looks set to leave White Hart Lane in a similar manner.

But the Togo international’s goal record has remained consistent throughout his career in England, with 96 in 225 top flight outings – including eleven goals last year- and in terms of physique and style, shares many traits with Everton’s first choice striker, Romelu Lukaku.

Furthermore, the Lilywhites will be pleased just to get Adebayor off the wage bill at this moment in time and would likely accept nominal offers for the 30 year-old.

Whether Everton, Spurs or in fact, anybody in the world, could convince the 6 foot 3 striker to walk away from his £100k per-week contract however, not set to expire until 2016, remains to be seen.