The £35 million transfer of Andy Carroll seems to have started something of a trend when it comes to what myself and many others would describe as paying over the odds for young home grown talent, with three big money moves for England's supposed future stars being completed already in the forms of Phil Jones, Ashely Young and Jordan Henderson.
Chelsea Football Club have undoubtedly enjoyed the best spell in their history the past few years, since Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought The Blues back in the summer of 2003. Yet all of this success hasn't prompted the instatement of a long term manager, with the newest man to fill the managerial hot seat at Stamford Bridge, Andres Villas-Boas, being the seventh since the Russian took over.
For the past few seasons Cardiff City have been many people's favourites to reach the promised land that is the Premier League, yet time and time again they have seemingly run out of steam towards the end of the campaign and failed to deal with the pressure of the play-offs…
The 2010/11 season is officially over, which means the rumours can begin. Some will be, and have already been, outrageous, some will last all summer long and be resolved with seconds to go when deadline day rolls around, and some will just come out of nowhere.
Prior to the continuing debacle that is FIFA, this article was originally going to solely concentrate on me having been at Wembley on Monday afternoon/evening. Instead I'll reflect upon what was an entertaining, and at times pulsating Championship play-off final, before looking at the elephant in the room that is Sepp Blatter.