COLE CAN'T BE TOO CLEVER IN CHELSEA CONTRACT TALKSAshley Cole may feel he holds the aces in new contract talks with Chelsea. But he should be careful. Yeah, with his contract running down, he can commit to a PSG or Real Madrid from January 1, but if he really wants to stay, he shouldn't be trying to paint Chelsea into a corner. There's still a few cards up their sleeve. Blues chiefs will point to the FFP as one huge reason why they can't go crazy over Cole's new deal. Then there's his age and also the emergence of Ryan Bertrand. Cole won't have it all his own way when negotiations get to the pointy end in the coming weeks.

WILL BENCH TIME INFLUENCE WALCOTT THINKING?Speaking of Bosmans, what about Theo Walcott's situation at Arsenal? Is he really going to commit to a new contract when he was benched at Liverpool last week? There is talk Arsene Wenger has assured Walcott he will get his chance at striker this season - but for the player's camp, where's the evidence? If Walcott does decide against a move abroad, Wenger will still have until June to convince him to stay. But with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City all circling, Walcott's head is sure to turned - especially if he keeps being overlooked for Arsenal's biggest games.

VADIS MAY'VE TALKED HIS WAY OUT OF EVERTON MOVEVadis Odjidja-Ofoe is unhappy with Everton. But he may've jumped the gun. Everton have the full support of the FA and Premier League over their loan agreement with Club Brugge. It's just FIFA which have blocked it. Now they're exploring "all available options" to see if they can still get the deal over the line. But after Odjidja-Ofoe blamed Everton for dithering last week, will David Moyes now be having second thoughts about introducing the midfielder to his locker room?

ASHWORTH EXIT MASSIVE LOSS FOR ALBIONDan Ashworth's departure will be a massive blow for West Bromwich Albion. From Tony Mowbray to Roberto Di Matteo, to Roy Hodgson and now Steve Clarke, Ashworth has been the one constant and allowed the club to maintain a consistency in transfer policy and youth development. For all the criticism for the role of technical director, Ashworth is the best example of how it can work in England. Only last week he discussed how Albion had followed new signing Goran Popov for three years. When his move to Stoke collapsed, Ashworth was able to move with confidence thanks to the extensive background work the club had done. At Academy level, results are also showing with Sir Trevor Brooking identifying Saido Berahino and George Thorne as ones for the future. Ashworth's departure for the FA will leave chairman Jeremy Peace with a massive void to fill.

YESIL MASSIVE TRANSFER COUP FOR REDSSamed Yesil slipped in quietly at Liverpool in the final days of the summer market. And then introduced himself to English fans with two goals and a starring performance in Germany U19's victory last week. At Bayer Leverkusen, they were convinced they had a worldbeater on their hands - he just needed to wait for his body to mature. Some in Germany see Yesil as the best out-and-out centre-forward they've produced since Mario Gomez. For a million quid, Liverpool have pulled off a real coup.

ENGLAND U19 STARLETS GETTING CLUB CHANCEWith international week comes the inevitable complaints from the usual sources about a lack of playing opportunities for English players. But even the biggest moaner must be impressed by the make-up of Noel Blake's England U19 squad this week. Eight are involved in first team football this season, with Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Nathan Redmond (Birmingham City) and James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) all mainstays. Nick Powell (Manchester United) and Adam Morgan (Liverpool) are also in there along with West Ham United defender Danny Potts, who has flirted with the USA this year.

SHELVEY NEEDS TO PLAYJonjo Shelvey's form warrants a bigger opportunity at Liverpool. It was disappointing to see him make way for Nuri Sahin against Arsenal. When he did come on, he offered the Reds some real snap and drive in midfield - which they had been hopelessly missing for much of the game. The performance for England U21s in Azerbaijan shouldn't be a surprise, the Essex lad is really coming into his own. But he needs to play.