Don Fabio announced his England international squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Belarus over the weekend.

Among the 23-man squad are four Chelsea players: defenders John Terry, Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge as well as midfielder Frank Lampard. For some reason, there was no room for Joe Cole, fresh off scoring at the weekend against Aston Villa.

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1. Bring back Martin Jol and Sam Allardyce Hamburg are currently top of the Bundesliga under Martin Jol. Spurs are currently bottom of the Premier League under Juande Ramos. Newcastle's league position when Sam Allardyce was "left by mustual consent": 11th. Newcastle's league position today: 19th. 2. Click to continue reading...

"It's all too beautiful", the Small Faces reminded me on Sunday when Ji-Sung Park scored his 18th minute goal.

I've had a bit of a pop at him over the last few days and I'm not afraid to say that I loved Mr Park for a few minutes on Sunday. Just a few minutes, mind you. I still think he doesn't deserve a place in the starting line-up but he WILL win me round if he keeps scoring important goals.

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But Park is starting. Swings and roundabouts.

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Obi, Joe Cole, Deco Ballack, Lampard, Malouda, Anelka. Subs: Cudicini, Drogba, Ballack, Bridge, Kalou, Alex, Belletti.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Fletcher, Hargreaves, Scholes, Park, Berbatov, Rooney.

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Soccerword's Premiership Team of the Week - 04

We're going with a 3-4-3 formation for this week's team:

Goalkeeper: Manuel Almunia (Arsenal)

Defenders: Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Kolo Toure (Arsenal)

Midfielders: Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Mikel Arteta (Everton), Tim Cahill (Everton), Chris Brunt (West Brom)

Forwards: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal), Marlon King (Hull City), Jermain Defoe (Portsmouth)

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I'm not an Arsenal fan. I'm not French. I'm not even a former Arsene Wenger pupil. But dammit, he's spot on when he talks about negotiation tricks and the lack of any genuine complaint from Tottenham's end on their players being tapped up. The Arsenal manager (referring to the Chelsea-Ashley Cole-Arsenal saga): "We faced that problem once and [. Click to continue reading...

Every so often a footballer comes along and changes the way we think about WAGs and callous promiscuity. Ashley Cole tried his hand using self-humiliation, and we ran with it for a bit. Jermain Defoe dedicated most of 2007 to the pursuit of blow-up chests and fire-damaged faces. Now though, an unlikely contender has stepped up and shown these amateurs how it's done. Click to continue reading...

Admit it. There are some players in the Premier League who get under your skin. The type of players you love to hate. But who are they and why do you hate them so much? Names of players who often get fans irate include: Ashley Cole (Chelsea) John Terry (Chelsea) Frank Lampard (Chelsea) El Hadji Diouf (Sunderland) Lee Bowyer (West Ham [. Click to continue reading...

A motley collection of ageing not so indomitable three lions didn't roar too loudly.Milan Baros (off Ashley Cole) put the Czech Republic ahead.Wes Brown equalised by putting his head to a Beckham corner .Jankulovski put the Czechs in front again with a great free-kick. Joe Cole managed a scappy equaliser in the 90th minute.

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From link man to left midfielder, they will find a way to squeeze Steven Gerrard into this England team somehow.

They shoehorn the Liverpool midfielder into the side and encourage him to slide up and down the greasy pole that has become England's left midfield. Poor blighter.

Too good to leave out and too flexible to hold down his own position, he was stationed out there again last night. Click to continue reading...

And the first player to transfer from Manchester United to Arsenal in 34 years is...Mikaël Silvestre.

Who on Earth saw that coming? We do make our transfers quiet, I'll give you that.

He's not our normal style of signing. He's 31. He's a defender. He's French. (Okay, that one negates the other ones.

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• Well, I had it wrong earlier when I said Gareth Barry would be on the left and Steven Gerrard in the middle. The two were reversed to start, though Gerrard ended up drifting inside anyway. Ashley Cole and Wes Brown, the left and right backs, respectively, both needed to get forward and provide [. Click to continue reading...

??? Well, I had it wrong earlier when I said Gareth Barry would be on the left and Steven Gerrard in the middle. The two were reversed to start, though Gerrard ended up drifting inside anyway. Ashley Cole and Wes Brown, the left and right backs, respectively, both needed to get forward and provide [. Click to continue reading...

• Well, I had it wrong earlier when I said Gareth Barry would be on the left and Steven Gerrard in the middle. The two were reversed to start, though Gerrard ended up drifting inside anyway. Ashley Cole and Wes Brown, the left and right backs, respectively, both needed to get forward and provide some necessary width to the team. Click to continue reading...

Who is the top left-back in the Premier League? Here are statistics from the four standout left-backs of 2007/08. They should come as no surprise to our readers. Clichy, Cole and Evra have cemented themselves as among the best players in their position in the world, while Warnock has grown in his ability and is finally starting to become recognized as a competent player. Click to continue reading...

Soccerword's Premiership Team of the Week - 01

Goalkeeper: Shay Given, Newcastle

Defenders: Jose Bosingwa (Chelsea), Vedran Corlucka (Man City), Andre Ooijer (Blackburn), David Wheater (Middlesbrough)

Midfielders: Mikel Arteta (Everton), Deco (Chelsea), Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle), Samir Nasri (Arsenal)

Strikers: Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), Dean Ashton (West Ham)

Honorable Mention: Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), David Dunn (Blackburn), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Julian Faubert (West Ham), Darren Fletcher (Man United), Obafemi Martins (Newcastle), Fernando Torres (Liverpool)

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So much for settling in.

Uncle Phil set Stamford Bridge ablaze on his debut, guiding Chelsea to a superlative 4-0 win over Portsmouth in the Premiership curtain raiser for both clubs. First-half Goals from Joe Cole, Nicolas Anelka and Frank Lampard insured three points for the Blues, while Deco's out-of-nothing scorcher in the 89th minute capped a memorable performance one which will have put the rest of the league, including Fergie's boys, on notice.

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Peter Crouch has been axed from the England squad for the friendly game against Czech Republic on Wednesday. The Portsmouth striker was an almost certainty to take the injured Dean Ashton's place in the 23-man squad, however Fabio Capello has decided to call up Emile Heskey instead.

Paul Robinson has surprisingly been included in the squad whilst Ashley Young also misses out. Click to continue reading...

This one's for you, Ashley Cole. And Poland. Refs who aren't on the payroll of Italian teams have a rough job, as it's not one most people brimming with sanity would take. When they're perfect, it's nothing more than the basic expectation. When they're wrong, it's armageddon. So damnit, the English FA wants them the [. Click to continue reading...

Adidas are launching the new Chelsea Third Kit less than two weeks in to the new Premier League on the 28th August. The bright yellow kit modeled by defender Ashley Cole incorporates ClimaCool to keep the athletes at their peak by keeping them dry and at a comfortable temperature. The new ForMotion technology uses designs [. Click to continue reading...

Arsenal just came out with a list of best 50 players in club history voted by fans.

Thierry "Titi' Henry , presently employed by Barca, is the best player followed by two retirees, Dennis Bergkamp and Tony Adams.

In the top 50 list there is not one single current Arsenal player.

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Sky Sports News is now reporting Chelsea full-back Wayne Bridge has agreed a new four-year contract to stay at Stamford Bridge. The England international joined the Blues in 2003 from Southampton and has made 130 appearances for the club. Though he is considered the back-up to Ashley Cole on the left, Bridge insists he is happy to [. Click to continue reading...

Newcastle United are thought to be keen on a loan move for Liverpool's promising full-back, Emiliano Insua.

The Argentine was kept at Anfield for this coming season supposedly under express orders from manager Rafael Benitez, but the Toon are still hopeful of securing his services, if only for a year on loan. Click to continue reading...

Chelsea are preparing bids for Brazilian duo Ronaldinho and Robinho while The Blues' full back Wayne Bridge looks set for a move to Pompey.Ronaldinho has been the subject of one of the biggest transfer sagas this summer as AC Milan, Man City and now Chelsea are all trying to capture the unsettled Brazilian. Click to continue reading...

Harry Redknapp is continuing his pursuit of faltering English stars as he sets his sights on Chelsea left-back Wayne Bridge. With Jermain Defoe signed last season and Sol Campbell the season before, Wayne Bridge could be yet another Englishman to join Peter Crouch at Portsmouth. Bridge is out of Chelsea's first team plans as he has fallen well behind Ashley Cole in the pecking order. Click to continue reading...

10 Headlines you would like to see tomorrow morning but probably won't:

"Blatter sacked as he is carried off screaming by half a dozen men in white coats"

"Leicester City fans have been victims of hypnosis and have woken to find their team's relagation was all a terrible dream"

"Capello says introducing women to the England team is the key to success"

"Ashley Cole comes out of the closet and declares undying love for John Terry"

"All speculation ended as Cristiano Renaldo makes up his mind"

"Peter Crouch really is a robot"

"Fergie in shock resignation as he heads off to rescue Leicester City"

"It's a miracle. Click to continue reading...

There are so many rumors swirling about regarding Chelsea and the moves that Felipe Scolari will be making. Who will leave and who will go? Its the source of some of the biggest rumors floating throughout Europe. One minute Frank Lampard is staying, the next he is going to Inter Milan. The same with Didier Drogba. Click to continue reading...

Congratulations to Cheryl Cole because today she was voted the UK's favourite fantasy body in a YouGov poll. Now, I'm not really sure who or what YouGov is, but they seem to do some sterling work really tackling the hard-hitting issues that affect a lot of our lives. Also, just what exactly does ‘favourite fantasy body' mean? Click to continue reading...

Looks like Andrei Arshavin is being lined up as the new Golden Boy at Chelsea. It's no secret that the Russian facepuller/playmaker - twice brilliant and once rubbish at Euro 2008 - wants out of Zenit St Petersburg and into one of the big leagues. The expected destination was Barcelona, but seems Roman Abramovih has swooped [. Click to continue reading...

Barcelona have increased their efforts to sign Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor with a £24 million bid. Arsenal, just as Arsene Wenger suggested, seem to be doing everything in their power to keep their prized asset as they promptly rejected this fresh bid. Adebayor, however, seems to have plans of his own as he was quoted telling News of the World this:

"Barcelona have made a good financial offer and there is also the chance to play alongside great players.

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It looks as if throwing up on your lover, especially one that isn't your wife, in the middle of naughtiness isn't as bad as you'd think. Cashley's wife, Cheryl seemed to have severed ties with her hubby following his infamous erotic night on the town in January. Now it appears the two have reconciled after they were seen together on Cheryl's 25th birthday night.

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Liverpool are hoping to finally complete the signing of Udinese full-back Andrea Dossena next week, with the transfer fee reported in some quarters to be 7m. Is Dossena good enough to be categorised in the same bracket as Gael Clichy, Patrice Evra or Ashley Cole / Wayne Bridge? From all accounts, Dossena has the technical ability [. Click to continue reading...

Half of me is looking forward to settling on the couch tonight to watch the Yanks run out against Spain. Cold beer in hand, I'll have the opportunity to watch Clint Dempsey and the boys prove to themselves -- and everyone else, me included -- that they're not as bad as last week's 2-0 drubbing at the hands of England suggests. Click to continue reading...

My heart bleeds it really does, it couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke than JT, a man who shows respect to officials week in week out, a man who never tries to cynically cripple his opponents with dirty off the ball antics. Just think of poor Ashley Cole too, another Champions League final defeat, there is no justice in the world. Click to continue reading...

The sports pages are brimming with gloriously over-the-top stories (is there a big match on or something?), The Sun have a headline that simply says: "BLUNATIC" whilst the Daily Mail bellows: "MAD MAK: Cole injury doubt after 'red card' tackle by team-mate in training" The headlines are very melodramatic, but all you have to do is look at [. Click to continue reading...