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Preston North End were relegated from the Championship after losing 1-0 to Cardiff on Monday, while QPR are yet to be officially promoted.Peter Whittingham scored the winner for visitors Cardiff just five minutes into the match at Deepdale.

With Phil Brown’s team unable to muster a response, they are consigned to life in League One next season.

QPR are yet to secure automatic promotion after a late equaliser from David Amoo helped Hull City to a 1-1 draw at Loftus Road. Wayne Routledge opened the scoring for QPR in the ninth minute.

With two rounds remaining, the league leaders remain favourites to capture the title and secure automatic promotion, but they must wait to celebrate after Norwich snatched a last-gasp 3-2 win at home to Derby County.

Simeon Jackson was the hero for the hosts at Carrow Road, netting a hat-trick, including a 96th-minute winner, after Derby had twice fought back to 2-2.

The win means Norwich stay second, five points behind QPR and one point ahead of third-placed Cardiff.

Nottingham Forest retain sixth place and the final playoff berth with a 3-2 win away to Bristol City.

Luke Chambers scored the winner for Forest on 71 minutes after City came back from 2-0 down to level.

Billy Davies’ team are two points clear of seventh-placed Millwall, who beat Scunthorpe 2-1 away from home.

Burnley are level on points with Millwall, but slipped to eighth after they could only draw 1-1 at home to Portsmouth.

Leeds United’s playoff hopes suffered another blow with a 1-0 defeat away to Crystal Palace.

Leeds are now down to ninth, three points off sixth place.

At the opposite end of the table, Scunthorpe are yet to be relegated, but their defeat against Millwall leaves them six points off safety.

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And, with a goal difference vastly inferior to the teams above them, they will need a miracle in the final two matches to escape relegation.

Sheffield United won an unlikely 3-2 victory away to promotion-chasing Reading to climb to 22nd, but they too are six points from safety and highly unlikely to stay up.

The defeat sees Reading slip to fifth, with Swansea City replacing them in fourth following a 4-1 win over Ipswich Town.

In other matches, Doncaster Rovers drew 2-2 at Barnsley, Leicester beat Watford 4-2 at home and Coventry went down 2-1 at Middlesbrough.

When Arsene Wenger bemoaned the physical treatment that was dished out to his players I remember thinking (like many others I’m sure) that he should just give it a rest and accept that tackles are a part and parcel of the game and injuries can sometimes be an unfortunate consequence of this; however not being an Arsenal fan I wasn’t looking closely to the treatment his players were getting in any great detail. I have now realised what the French manager was on about and it is not because I have suddenly changed allegiance, or spent any great time focusing on the Red side of North London, but witnessing the treatment Gareth Bale gets on a weekly basis. The Tottenham winger finally got nailed good and proper and has subsequently been ruled him out to until pre-season at least.

It has been a rollercoaster ride for Bale since his heroics in the Inter Milan tie and his life has changed beyond recognition. Off the pitch he receives high praise; however on it he has now become a marked man where he has at least two or three players following his every move. The clear message is to stop Bale and you stop Tottenham and the hatchet men out there are doing a fine job to injure one of the game’s brightest talents; they’ll tell you otherwise of course, but anyone who watches closely will tell you different. I think Gareth Bale has spent most of his time jumping over tackles than he has dribbling or crossing the ball and he has to learn quickly from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo on how to bypass these given that the Portuguese winger faced similar treatment week in, week out, when he was at United.

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I know a lot of you believe it is an overreaction perhaps and I should wake up to the fact it is a man’s game, but I know the difference between a hard wholehearted tackle and a dangerous one. Thierry Henry once commented that Ledley King was the best defender in England due to the fact he was the only player who could tackle him cleanly and didn’t have to take his legs to get the ball.

Gareth Bale has been kicked all over. A kick in his lower back against Everton that subsequently ruled him out for weeks prior to his recent return; challenges from behind and plenty of tackles similar to the one that finally took him out on White Hart Lane on Saturday have been a regular sight unfortunately in the past few weeks. It is a shame that the FA and football authorities can’t take retrospective action on these players for their reckless actions that have no place in the game.

I know people may sight that hard tackling has always been in the fabric of English football and while I accept that is true, you also have to take into account that things like pitches and the boots have changed therefore there isn’t any give in the pitch for players feet and their studs or blades tend to get caught in the turf therefore heightening the chance of injury, as we have seen so many times in the past few years with double leg breaks, dislocations and in some cases compound fractures (injuries that were few and far between in the old days). Players need to be protected by the powers that be, or otherwise as Fergie has suggested before certain players will be kicked out of the English game for good.

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FootballFanCast.com WORLD Exclusive, Robbie Savage Face in a baby Scan

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Liverpool’s midfielder Alberto Aquilani’s future has come under some doubt according to the player’s agent. The Italian star has been on loan at Juventus this season, but the first-option that the Italian giants had to sign the 27 year old expired on Sunday. It is believed that Juve are refusing to meet the asking price set by the Reds, opening the door for other clubs to pursue him. But could a return to the Reds be on the cards?

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has previously said that he would take Aquilani back into the fold – but no decision has yet been made. It should be noted that Roy Hodgson was the manager when Aquilana made the loan switch to Juventus – so the Italian may get a new lease of life under the new manager. The player himself may also feel that he has something to prove to Liverpool fans, because after making a £20m switch to Anfield from Roma, injuries and lack of fitness severely hindered that solitary season at Liverpool.

That all being said it appears that the player’s first choice would be to remain in his homeland and his agent Franco Zavaglia stated “Aquilana is a Liverpool player and will possibly return to England, but it is clear, that if there was an opportunity to stay in Italy he’d stay here.”

A strange statement in a way because the player is only currently on loan – so surely as things stands he will definitely return to Liverpool. Liverpool may have initially intended the loan to be with a view to a permanent transfer – but that situation seems to have fallen through. And if Liverpool continues to demand a high price for the player then he may have little choice but to return to England. Furthermore, Kenny Dalglish may decide that Aquilani is exactly the sort of player he needs in his midfield – but will have to ensure he is suited to Premier League football bearing in mind he has so far failed to impress. So should Liverpool give Aquilani the opportunity to return and prove his ability or accept that it would be better to sell him to an Italian club?

Follow me on Twitter and join in on the debate.

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Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic had nothing but praise for Barcelona after they won the Champions League on Saturday.Vidic’s side were torn apart by Barcelona, who were simply on a different level to their opponents as they ran out 3-1 winners thanks to goals from Pedro, Lionel Messi and David Villa.

“I think if you look at it we have never played a team in the past like Barcelona, they played good football and deserved to win,” Vidic told ITV after the match.

“We tried to press high and in some parts of the game we did well. The goals we lost, we didn’t do what we have to do to close their players down. When they have time on the ball they can make the final pass and that is what they did.”

Vidic’s defensive partner, Rio Ferdinand agreed with Vidic that they were outplayed and outclassed by the Spanish champions.

“We gave it a better shot this time than last time (in Rome in 2009), we had a couple of opportunities,” Ferdinand told Sky Sports.

“We got back in it at 1-1 and thought we could come back and win but it wasn’t to be, we have to give them credit.”

“A couple of the goals were preventable but you have to give credit where it’s due. They’ve got a system they work to and did it well. We had a game plan we thought could beat them, but wasn’t to be.”

The match marked the last appearance of goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar’s career, with the 40-year-old bowing out on a sour note.

“(I played) one game too many I think, it is not nice to lose of course. They had the better chances and we made one or two mistakes and they punish you,” van der Sar told ITV.

“They are very good, you have to try and score the first goal and we didn’t do that. It is not always a given, I thank everyone for the memories.”

So last night, I renewed my season ticket for next year’s Premier League campaign.

It hurts to see your side crash and burn in such a devastating manner, but it’s even more difficult to accept that the club have decided to boost ticket prices, again, despite such another disappointing season, in terms of silverware and league position.

Despite being such a dedicated supporter of The Arsenal, it’s always hard paying such a big chunk of cash right here, right now. Unfortunately, it’s a drug and I’m addicted to it. And is there a cure? Definitely not for me!

Anyway, it’s done. It’s paid for. I would moan, but my complaints would only be echoes of what every Gooner on the planet is saying at the moment. Certainly, it’s a topic that doesn’t need any explanation or opinion from me.

Moans and groans aside, we can now turn our heads to next season and begin to start looking forward to “an active transfer window” – those are the words of Arsene Wenger.

A few of my Arsenal friends have suggested to me that we could drop towards mid-table, IF we don’t have a successful transfer window.

I agree with this, to an extent.

I understand that we need to buy a number of quality players that will deliver for us when we need them to, at both ends of the pitch.

Alternatively, I also appreciate that we need to flog a few of our under-achieving individuals. Players who we’ve held onto for a number of years now, should be encouraged to find a new club.

There’s no doubt that they are still very good footballers. I’m confident that we’ll recieve multiple offers from clubs from all around the world. But we have got to understand that the players just aren’t good enough, if we are going to bring back the glory days.

I’ll admit that I am probably a little too generous when it comes to giving players chances. But even I will state that it’s clear to pick out the players in our side, who should be nudged towards a move away from North London – unless Denilson wants to make the short trip up the Seven Sisters to Tottenham?

Jokes aside (and hatred…. oh, and bias too!), every one of them has had a decent moment somewhere down the line. Although it’s obvious to see that the time is up for some of them, we’ll always remember them for their commitment to the cause.

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Naturally, I’ll wish them all good luck for the future. There’s no doubt about that. But I’ll always remain adamant that these kind of players moving away from Arsenal is an obvious step forward for the club.

I’ll pray that we all have an enjoyable transfer window, with many new faces coming in that will strengthen our side, in our bid to become a dominant force in world football once again.

Read more of Mike Harvey’s articles at Arsenal Insider

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A staggering 123 players were released by Premier League clubs at the end of this season in order to trim their wage bills, or to make room in their 25 man squads for next season. In amongst the players released are World Cup, Premier League and FA Cup winners, players who have played for Inter Milan and Barcelona, as well as those who have valuable Champions League experience.

With the newly promoted clubs looking to add much needed Premier League experience to their squads the players won’t be short of contract offers, with many still able to offer something to the already established Premier League teams as well.

Like all football fans out there, I love making up unrealistic ‘dream teams’, and this is my ‘Out of contract All-Stars’.

Click on John Carew to see the free agents’ who made my XI

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Cardiff City have signed Scottish striker Kenny Miller from Turkish club Bursaspor for an estimated one million pounds.Miller, 31, played for the likes of Rangers, Celtic, Wolves and Derby but returns to the UK after a year in Turkey where he only managed five goals in 15 games.

Cardiff manager Malky Mackay told reporters: “We’ve agreed the fee, we’ve agreed his terms and the medical has been passed.”

“He’s been training with us and he has gone up this weekend to collect some stuff and bring his family down.”

The Bluebirds also appear to be on the verge of signing young French forward Rudy Gestede, who has already impressed for his country’s Under-19 side.

“We are doing the medical with him at the moment and he should sign on Monday,” Mackay said.

QPR have signed Wales international defender Danny Gabbidon on a one-year contract.

The 31-year-old centre-half made 113 appearances in six years at Upton Park.

Gabbidon had been training with the Hoops and played in three friendlies on the club’s recent tour of Cornwall.

He becomes manager Neil Warnock’s third pre-season signing after Jay Bothroyd and his former team-mate Kieron Dyer.

“I’m delighted to be here,” Gabbidon told the club’s website.

“It’s a good club. Hopefully I can learn more about it in the coming weeks.”

“I had a good week with the lads in Cornwall and I’m pleased to have signed.”

It would seem an almost offensive question at first that the greatest manager in the history of the game would fail to address the most important issue.

After all three major summer signings, over £50 million spent plus the recall of two important loanees and a promise they won’t be going out again this season, is hardly letting the grass grow under your feet.

Yet let’s ask ourselves one fundamental question: Are we now better equipped to beat Barcelona?

I’d argue not.

This Summer I’ve praised Sir Alex for making the side strong enough to mount another successful title challenge as I truly believe we’ve got the strongest squad in the Premier League.

Yet that shouldn’t detract from the two tonne white elephant still sitting firmly in the room: how are United going to beat Barcelona?

Last season in the Champions League final it was glaringly obvious we were at least one midfield enforcer short of really being able to give the Catalan side a game.

Never mind the “Fletcher was injured” argument or “Carrick had an off day” or even the “Anderson should’ve started” point. The fact is United as in Rome two years previously simply didn’t have the tenacious though tackling terrier to try and break down the Barca play and mix it up a bit.

Ji Sung Park tried his best but simply ended up running himself knackered after half an hour.

With all the rumours surrounding Samir Nasri or Wesley Sneijder, the smart money is that we won’t be buying a player like that even if we do make one more big name signing.

You could argue that Sneijder is that good a player that he will move us a step closer to Barcelona’s level, regardless of the fact he’s an attacking midfielder rather than a defensive or box-to-box one.

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All this is academic of course unless had signed Sneijder but at the time of writing we aint.

The loss of Paul Scholes and Edwin Van der Sar is a massive blow no matter what they’re ages but in terms of beating Barcelona it may actually be Owen Hargreaves’s departure which is the most telling.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not claiming that the curly haired one is a better player than Scholes that would be ridiculous. What I’m saying is he’s the one midfielder who, had he regained his fitness- admittedly a big ‘if’ then he could have been ideal for the task of getting in Barca’s faces.

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Buying players simply to beat one team may seem a little daft to some, but let’s face some simple facts, if United really want to win the Champions League then sooner or later we’re going to have to beat Barcelona and my concern is that problem doesn’t really seem to have been addressed this Summer.

Whenever the subject of beating Barcelona comes up with many of the Reds I’ve spoken to, the general consensus seems to be that United would need to be on form and simply hope the Spaniards had a bad day at the office.

That’s like expecting the Daily Star to have newsworthy story on the only day you buy it, call me a cynic but I think United’s chances of wrestling the Champions League from Barcelona, look about as likely as they did last season.

Read more of Justin’s articles at the excellent Red Flag Flying High

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Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has sanctioned the departure of surplus strikers Craig Bellamy and Emmanuel Adebayor.Mancini has a wealth of attacking options to choose from for the season ahead, as new signing Sergio Aguero is set to vie with Mario Balotelli and Eden Dzeko for a place in City’s forward line.

Want-away Argentine Carlos Tevez could yet feature in Mancini’s plans next season, with the Italian coach welcoming the depth of talent at his disposal.

“When Carlos comes back to training on Thursday we will have four strikers fighting for the shirts,” Mancini said.

“That’s good for us. When you are playing in four competitions, we need that competition, we need those players.”

“Players fighting for the shirt is a good thing.”

Forward Craig Bellamy spent last season on loan at Cardiff and could be set to join Scottish Premier League club Celtic under a similar arrangement.

“It is possible that there have been conversations about Craig Bellamy between us and Celtic,” Mancini said.

“I met Craig two days ago at Carrington. I spoke with him for 10 minutes. It was a friendly conversation – everything was normal.”

“He told me something I want to keep to myself. What I said two days ago was that if Celtic want Craig, he is a good player and I think he can go.”

“He is a good striker and needs to be playing. Celtic are a good team. I would let him go on loan, because Craig deserves to play and he deserved to play for a good team. If they want him, sure.”

Another out of favour striker, Togolese Emmanuel Adebayor, was loaned to Real Madrid for the second half of 2010/11.

Mancini is happy for the former Arsenal man to join Real on a permanent deal, but it remains to be seen if the Spanish giants are interested in acquiring the 27-year-old.

“He wants to go to Real Madrid and if they want to take him, they can. We have four top strikers and it is really difficult,” Mancini said.

“Manu is a good striker. We can’t carry six strikers. He needs to play and I would be happy for him to go back to Real Madrid.”

“I hope he can go back there. It is like with Craig. We have a lot of strikers, but I can’t play six in the same strikers.”

“It’s important we find a good solution for them. I understand their situations.”

Wales manager Gary Speed has stated that his side has no fear ahead of the Euro 2012 qualifier against England on Tuesday night, and will travel to Wembley full of confidence.

The home side go into the game as favourites, and are currently topping Group G, with Wales bottom of the five team pool.

Despite this, a 2-1 win over Montenegro on Friday night has boosted the Celtic nation’s belief, and Speed has revealed that his player’s are looking forward to the game.

“There’s certainly no fear. We know it’s going to be tough but what a great opportunity – to go there and play against one of the best teams in the world and try and put on a good show,” he told Sky Sports News

“We accept that it’s going to be tough but also we’re really looking forward to it.”

The former Newcastle midfielder was full of praise for his team’s opponents, but is focussing on the task at hand.

“I think you’ve got to go there with belief. I think if you go there already beaten it makes it easy for the opposition. We’re going there in a positive frame of mind.

“They’ll cause us problems, no doubt about that. But we’re confident and we believe in the way we play so you never know, we might nick a result.

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“We’re just concerned about ourselves. England are by far the best team in the group and will qualify comfortably, but hopefully for our sake it won’t be tomorrow night,” he continued.

Wales will be without new Liverpool signing Craig Bellamy, as the veteran forward is suspended, and Speed knows his absence will be a blow.

“Obviously it’s a blow. It’s a massive blow to lose someone like Craig. In the past it’s cost us when we’ve missed big players. The aim is for it not to hurt us as much as it has in the past,” he concluded.