Tomáš Řepka is a target for lazy punditry and journalism; we are all to eager to spout off the stereotypical views that accompany such players; myself included.

‘Peter Crouch has great feet for a big lad’ is another line that is often trotted out by fans and pundits – amazed that someone who makes a totem pole look like matchstick can actually possess skill, technique and can pass the ball futher than ten yards.

Crouch’s current team Stoke City are often lambasted for their style of play, yet no one lavishes praise when they score goals without the aid of a 50 yard throw or an aimless hoof up field.

The 5-0 FA Cup semi-final win over Bolton is a glaring example, Kenwyne Jones scored a wonderful goal but yet people focused on how Bolton collapsed and failed to turn up for the big occasion. No praise for Tony Pulis, Kenwyne Jones or Stoke City.

Anyway, I digress. It’s not uncommon to see Tomáš Řepka stomping about the pitch with his perma-stubble and intimidating frown, berating anyone within a 20 yard radius and naturally assume the guy is an animal with no place on the pitch.

I was reading an interview with Tomáš Řepka today on isport.cz and found myself re-evaluating my opinion on the 38 year-old defender. Řepka gave the impression of a wounded player, deeply hurt by the way he was treated at a club he had given 10 years loyal service.

“It certainly is not pleasant, especially at such a large club, as the Spartans. I think this is happening in a lot of clubs, Sparta is no exception. Of course, this is me, sorry. I’ve said before, in a way I approach this meeting and did not deserve.” Said Řepka when quizzed about how the management handled his exit negotiations.

Despite the anger he may feel in the way things have panned out it seems that he holds no grudge “I would love to return back there [Sparta] one day…” I was impressed with how Řepka came across, very humble and thankful to Ceske Budějovice for giving him the opportunity to continue his playing career in the Gambrinus Liga.

“The offer from Budějovice was honest, fast. You could talk with them, we found common ground. Mainly it was concrete, no stretching. I like that. It was fair to both sides” Řepka added.

It’s all too easy to associate Řepka with his ill-discipline and countless red cards but lets not forget the cultured defender that graced Serie A in a Fiorentina shirt during the late 90’s; the West Ham cult hero who stayed with the side despite being relegated in 2003 and the Sparta Prague captain who won four Gambrinus Liga titles and three Czech Cups.

Who knows, he might just save Ceske Budějovice from relegation and add another chapter to his already unpredictable career.

The snarling centre back Tomas Repka has also left the club, which immediately makes the place feel a lot more welcoming, I should even imagine the grass at Letna has a more vibrant colour about it.

It’s bizarre to think of a team top of the league would sack their general manager and overhaul the coaching team. But that’s exactly what was needed at Sparta, a change of direction, fresh faces and a new impetus. Even Pavel Srníček has arrived as goal keeping coach and everyone loves Pavel Srníček right?

Jaroslav Hřebík answered Sparta’s call to return as general manager, despite it ruining his wifes plans for a vacation (recent interview with isport.cz) “I do not think it was a shock for many people [returning to Sparta]. The shock was so just for my wife as we had three paid holidays!”

Whilst Hřebík is keen to be seen as easy going and offers a more relaxed approach to interviews he also conveys a serious coach who knows how to setup a successful team.

Hřebík was the brains behind the last great Sparta side back in 2001, everyone in the country at the time will remember the epic battle with Real Madrid, losing 3-2 was unjust but there was no shame in losing the best team in Europe. That Real side went on to win the Champions League that season and boasted the likes of Zidane, Morientes, Salgado, Raul, Casillas etc.

Sparta’s winter training has also taken a different path this season. Instead of the arduous mountain training most Czech sides like to employ Hrebik and his coaching team have opted for more practical sessions, involving ball work and tactics, something which the players seem to appreciate “We train an interesting way. Everything we do with the ball. It’s better than running in the snow somewhere in the woods. We are footballers, not endurance runners, it’s a pleasant change,” said Marek Holek after their friendly 2-1 victory over Střížkov.

Personally, I never understood the point of mountain training for footballers, unless they are trying to shed the excess weight piled on over Christmas but I can’t imagine carp to be that high in fat? Surely working on tactics and working together as a team on the training pitch is more productive.

Coach Martin Hasek explained that the team have been experimenting with different systems and style of play over the winter break. “We tried a couple of elements, but not just remake everything. We were trying to push opponents out of our half to hold twenty meters, which we sometimes managed better, sometimes worse.”

Whilst the future looks promising for Sparta, some things just remain a constant here in Prague as Slavia failed to score and lost 1-0 in a friendly today to Druha Liga side Sezimovo Usti. Ho-hum. Business as usual then.

Bílek started his tenure with a forgettable pair of defeats against UAE and Azerbaijan in November 2009, it was a reminder of how far the Czechs had fallen. They were ranked 2nd in the FIFA rankings in 2006 but they couldn’t even muster second place in this three team tournament held in the Middle East.

It took five attempts before Bílek tasted his first win as boss; a 4-2 victory over the USA was then followed up with a morale boosting 4-1 victory over Latvia. A welcoming result just before the European Championship qualifying campaign that was to get underway.

Spain, Scotland, Lithuania and Liechtenstein were drawn alongside the Czechs in a five team qualifying group. A home match against Lithuania would be up first for Bílek, a winnable game it would seem, but an insipid attacking display and a Milan Baros missed penalty would see the Czechs defeated 1-0.

Next up was a home tie with Scotland and a double header with Leichtenstein, nine points needed and surprisingly nine points were obtained. I was at the Scotland game here in Prague, and while the Czechs won the game 1-0 they were far from convincing. The stadium emptying 4-6-0 tactics employed by Scotland manager Craig Levein was a monumental mistake, the Czechs were there for the taking but Levein came to Prague looking to defend for 90 minutes and a nick a point.

The performances under Bílek were not easy on the eye and sometimes painful to watch. I got the impression Bílek was just steering the ship as opposed to choosing the crew and the destination. It felt like the squad needed an injection of new talent and energy to reinvigorate the side or a new leader who could motivate and inspire the current bunch.

The Kirin Cup in Japan saw the Czechs take on Peru and Japan in a small three team friendly tournament, which actually turned out to be a significant milestone, despite all three games ending 0-0 draws with the entertainment value of a public information film. Debuts were given to Václav Pilař and Theo Gebre Selaisse, who had been arguably been the best performers in the Czech league over the last 12 months and fully deserved their call up.

Despite their low key performances against Japan and Peru, Bílek was confident of improvements “I was wondering how we would play without some of our regular players such as Tomas Rosicky. But our youngsters worked hard today and we should be a good team by the autumn.”

The next qualifying game was a chance for Scotland to exact some revenge and possibly start the game with a recognized striker. But before the Czechs travelled to Hampden Park, Bílek tried his best to destabilize the team by fielding a horribly compact and unorganized 4-2-2-2 system in a friendly game in Norway. The Czechs were humped 3-0 in what can only be described as the worst performance by Czech team in well over a decade.

Following the Norwegian debacle the media and public were calling for Bílek to resign, 9 out of 10 people wanted to see the back of Bílek before the Scotland qualifier came around on September 3rd. But Bílek survived and managed to take a point from Scotland to keep their rivals at arms-length.

Bílek’s autumn prediction was actually starting to look realistic as they followed up the Scotland draw by putting four past Ukraine during a friendly in Prague – it was the first time I saw a smile on the usual stony faced Czech coach.

With the results of subsequent qualification games following a predictable pattern it meant the Czechs need to win in Lithuania to seal the play-off spot. I must admit I wasn’t sure which team would turn up, but sure enough the Czechs cruised past Lithuania 4-1 and Bílek seemed to have found a settled team.

The playoffs saw the Czechs take on an erratic Montenegro, who were a shadow of the side that had started the campaign with 3 wins and a draw. Recent defeats against Wales and Switzerland had dampened their hopes of making next summer’s tournament.

The Czechs and Bílek secured qualification with a 3-0 aggregate win over Montenegro, wonderful goals from Václav Pilař and Petr Jiráček were a sign of the new Czech side which is emerging. Not to mention the marauding right back Theo Gebre Selassie, who seems to improve with every game.

Captain Tomas Rosicky is also playing with a freedom of years gone by, but as good as the Czechs were in seeing off Montenegro, the game against Norway still weighs heavy on the mind, you would hope it’s a mistake that is not to be repeated.

While Bílek and his staff deserve credit for qualifying for Euro 2012, the campaign itself was far from convincing and was aided by the inability of teams around them rather than a scintillating run of form. It remains to be seen whether Michal Bílek is a lucky manager or a shrewd one. Well, he gets one more throw of the dice in Poland and Ukraine next summer.

Feeling nervous about the Czech Republic play off  clash with Montenegro? Well, Irish nerves are also jangling as they look to end their playoff misery, Richard Flynn previews their crucial clash with Estonia.

The European Championships in West Germany in 1988 was the last to feature a Republic of Ireland side. The one nil win over England courtesy of a Ray Houghton header in the first group game is still talked about and indeed celebrated in Ireland. The ‘who put the ball in the English net’ tee shirt went on to be a best seller. But a subsequent draw with the then Soviet Union and a loss to the Netherlands sent the Irish crashing out in the first round.

Twenty three years on and a two legged tie with relative minnows Estonia represents a real opportunity for the Republic to feature in next summer’s championships.  After finishing second in a group in which an average Russian side emerged top meant that the Republic weren’t feared by many by the time the play off draw came around.

Estonia, ranked 59 in the latest FIFA world rankings were the plum draw for any side and so when former Polish manager Zbigniew Boniek pulled the Estonians out of the pot to play Ireland, FAI Chief Executive John Delaney couldn’t refrain from laughing. The cries of Trapattoni being a lucky manager grew louder. The Estonians seemed nonplussed by it all.

This game is as much a last chance saloon for an ageing squad as it is for their evergreen manager. For players of the ilk of Given, Keane, Dunne and Duff these championships mark a likely last crack at a major tournament. Each have given immense and unwavering support to the green jersey for over a decade.  Dunne in fact played some of his best football in this qualifying campaign, almost singlehandedly pulling a draw out of Moscow when the Irish goal was peppered all night long. Trapattoni has been in the position just over three years now and after failure to reach the world cup in 2010, via a controversial playoff loss to France; this is seen by most as the 72 year old Italians time to deliver and justify his generous €2 million annual salary.

Trapattoni has split the Irish public down the middle. His supporters will point to a team who is hard to beat, indicated by just 8 losses from 39 games under his tenure. His detractors will latch on to the unattractive brand of football played under the Italian and his unwillingness to introduce younger players in to the fold. Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy are two young players in particular who haven’t found favour with Trapattoni.

He is nothing if not stubborn and there isn’t much guesswork needed when it comes to his team sheets. Trapattoni has found his formula, a strong back four supported by two holding midfielders, two wide players usually in the shape of Duff and McGeady with Robbie Keane leading the line supported by Kevin Doyle. Creative flair doesn’t poll high in the lexicon of ‘Il Trap’. Being Italian, perhaps surprise on the part of the Irish public should be reserved. There is a genuine anger amongst some fans however that players like Coleman who offers flair aren’t being given a chance.

Friday nights first leg in Tallinn (20:45 CET) sees John O Shea and Shane Long miss out through injury with Kevin Doyle suspended. The job of replacing Doyle will fall to either Jonathan Walters or Simon Cox with Stephen Kelly likely to get the nod to replace O Shea. Both Cox and Walters impressed in the final qualifying game against Armenia, albeit Walters only featuring late on as a substitution.

The Estonians who have never qualified for a World Cup or European Championships will leave nothing in reserve over the two legs. Head coach Tarmo Ruutli reports no fresh injury concerns ahead of Friday nights clash. Midfielder Konstantin Vassiljev (pictured left) looks the obvious danger man with 5 goals alone in the qualifying stages. Their players are assembled from lesser leagues all over Europe with midfielder Lindpere plying his trade with the New York Red Bulls in the MLS.  Having emerged second in their group, a point ahead of Serbia, they have to be given respect but the Republic should have enough over the two legs to claim their first European Championships berth since 1988.

The bookies make the Republic strong favourites to qualify but a play off record of one win in the last six will leave many Irish supporters nervous nonetheless. For the players in the twilight of their careers qualification would represent a fitting send off. Failure to do so will be seen as a major disappointment for a squad of this maturity. It will also signal the end of Trapattoni’s reign as Irish manager, most likely. High stakes then.

Former Sparta Prague player and manager František Straka is doing his utmost to win over the Slavia Prague fans, his side has now won 3 games on the bounce – which was unheard of under former management. Czech champions Viktoria Plzen were their latest victims at Eden; the 2-1 victory could prove pivotal in winning over the red and white Ultras.

Straka has a reputation for being a bit of a nut job so it was no surprise when he accepted the manager’s role at Slavia, his interviews can be as enthusiastic and flamboyant as his dress sense but now it looks like he is translating this entertainment onto the pitch.

Straka played over 200 games for Sparta Prague in the 1980’s and even managed the side for a brief spell in 2004. Given this employment history the fans backlash was always inevitable when he was given the job but the extreme brevity of the abuse has been sickening at times.

Infact, his first match in charge saw him flanked by two bodyguards in the away dugout at Zizkov such was the protection needed. Banners such as “Straka R.I.P.” have been displayed at Eden along with his hometown and house being targeted with graffiti and other vitriol.

Finding successful examples of managers trading one half of the city for another are few and far between. You can make a case that George Graham had success at Spurs (after previously managing North London neighbours Arsenal). – he led Spurs to their first trophy in 8 years with a League Cup win in 1999,  but still remained vastly unpopular with the Spurs fans. Eventually the board at Spurs (ENIC) run out of patience with Graham and relieved him of his duties just two years into the job.

Writing about managers receiving abuse invariably leads me to Harry Redknapp, the wheeler dealer himself made a shock switch from Portsmouth to bitter rivals Southampton in 2004 after he fell out with the board at Pompey. Both sets of fans were angered by the switch, especially the Southampton fans as he ended their sides 27 year stay in the Premier League with relegation in 2005.

Just months after leaving Southampton he returned to Portsmouth in December 2005 and went on to win the FA Cup in 2008 and was awarded the freedom of Portsmouth – more likely for his exploits in relegating neighbours Southampton than the FA Cup win itself. But despite the unlikely FA Cup success, some of the Pompey fans never forgave Redknapp for managing their most hated rivals.

František Straka is in the same boat, he might have won the battle yesterday with victory over Plzen but he is far from winning the war with the Slavia fans. As soon as Slavia incur their next bad result the fans will be calling for ex Sparta manager’s head.

Which is a shame, as a Slavia fan myself (since 2009) I would love to see Straka become a success at Eden and silence his critics. I may well be in the minority but I am enjoying his garish outfits and animated celebrations, watching Slavia scoring goals is also a novelty right now and long may it continue.

Victory over Sparta Prague on March 31 would be a BIG step in the right direction for Straka, but winning over the hardcore and loyal fans will remain a near on impossible job; just ask Harry Redknapp and George Graham.

The recent home match against PSV saw the Vitesse Ultras unveil a giant 60ft banner paying homage to their new found goal machine who they have named Daddy Cool (after the Boney M song). It was an impressive sight and shows exactly how highly he is revered by the Vitesse fans despite only joining the club at the start of the year. Fittingly, Bony responded by netting the equalizer in a 1-1 draw against PSV.

Vitesse Arnhem paid Sparta Prague just over 4m Euros for the Ivorian front man in January 2011 in a deal which appeased both clubs. Sparta banked a sizeable amount for a player who had outgrown the Czech league and Vitesse were able to spend their new found wealth on a talented, instinctive striker.

Bony was hampered by injuries when he arrived in the Netherlands, his first game was 4 weeks after the ink had dried on his contract. Needless to say he scored on his debut in a 2-0 home victory over De Graafschap, he then went on to score three goals in his first four games.
Being able to adapt so quickly shows the measure of his talent and ability, joining a club halfway through the season is always difficult but Bony looks at ease with his team mates and has settled far quicker than many would have expected. Vitesse finished last season in a modest 15th place in the Eredivisie but ambitious chairman Merab Jordania claims his side will win the Dutch league by 2013.

Jordania’s takeover of Vitesse in August 2010 raised a few eyebrows in the Netherlands, the new chairman has a colourful past but he also has very deep pockets and is spending his money wisely by recruiting young, hungry players and by building a team around Bony Wilfried.

October was a fine month for Bony as he weighed in with four goals and was named Vitesse player of the month, the team’s last defeat came on 10th September as they continue to climb the league and backup Jordania’s claim about winning the title by 2013.

Such is the impact made by Bony that rival fans are joking that Vitesse are cheating by playing the 22 year old striker, 8 goals in 10 games already this season shows the improvement he has made since leaving the Czech Republic.

Inevitably, Europes top sides are beginning to sit up and take notice and the vultures are beginning to circle with rumours that Vitesse have already knocked back a monstrous bid from CSKA Moscow and more recently Newcastle have been linked with an 8m Euro bid (an insult if its true).

Comparisons have already been made between Bony and fellow countryman Didier Drogba and given the links between Jordania and Abramovich (Chelsea loaned Czech youngster Tomas Kalas to Vitesse) it wouldn’t surprise me to see Bony playing in the blue of Chelsea in years to come.

I honestly believe and hope that Bony will be terrorizing defences in the Eredivisie for a while yet, the club is just starting to build something special and Bony remains integral to that and leading Vitesse into Europe has to be the goal this season and maybe the ambitious chairman might just be right with his 2013 prediction.

Players like Benoit Pedrett, Andres D’Alessandro and Ricardo Quaresma are prime examples of talented players who moved too soon in their careers and ended up not fulfilling their potential. It would be a crying shame if Bony Wilfired was mentioned in the same breath as these footballers.

With goals a plenty in this seasons Gambrinus Liga Chris Boothroyd analyses the attacking traits shown by the leagues top sides. For every Dukla Prague there is always a Viktoria Žižkov…

Over the past weekend Plzeň walked through the Hradec Králové defence, then a day later Mlada Boleslav sauntered through the normally unreachable Sparta’s back-line. On Sunday fans of the Gambrinus Liga were treated to fourteen goals over three games. Sadly free-scoring Jablonec failed to add to their tally of goals as they succumbed to a defeat against a stuttering Teplice side, but their record of 32 goals in twelve league games is not to be taken lightly.

Mark made a case that there have been numerous defensive errors recently such as the sight of two Hradec defenders running into each other which was as comical as it was a horrendous scene (if you’re a coach the defence or are a Hradec fan). But while there has been a fair share of calamitous defending the Gambrinus Liga has been the home to a lot of attacking football and attacking football will determine who finishes where in the table this season. Let’s have a look at the two recently promoted clubs to the Czech top flight for example.

Dukla have been one of the most interesting teams to watch this year. They came up as rather dominant champions and have continued to play their attacking brand of football. Luboš Kozel sends out Dukla in a 4-3-3, and it isn’t really one of those 4-5-1/4-3-3 hybrids that shift between the two formations depending on attacking or defensive phases.

Their squad is full of attacking talent with Lietava, Berger and Svatonsky providing problems for every back-line that they’ve been pitted against and their midfield harbours the veteran Patrik Gedeon who amply fulfils a role similar to Horvath at Plzeň whilst Marek Hanousek bounds from box-to-box showing that he is probably destined for bigger and better things in the year to come.

In the twelve games so far this season Dukla have shown that they aren’t afraid to attack anybody as they showcased sharing six goals with Plzeň back in August, though they ultimately lost.

Alternatively Žižkov play rather rigidly, more concerned with trying to keep it tight and take advantage through counter-attacks than being expansive and trying to force the advantage. The majority of their defeats have come by the odd goal, but they have been substantially beaten four times, generally picking up a consolation when the damage had been done. In short they are scoring goals at the wrong time. They defend before they attack whilst Dukla attack before they defend.

Keeping things tight at the back is only one part of the formula needed for success in any league in the world. The other bit needed is goals and there are plenty of those to be had in the Gambrinus Liga. They say that attack is the best form of defence and that is the case this season. Every team who clicks going forwards are more than likely to win the game. David Lafata has fired Jablonec into commanding positions and his presence was sorely missed against Teplice yesterday, Leo Kweuke’s absence and then poor performance against Boleslav have coincided with two defeats for Sparta.

These are cases of teams missing key components of their play, but Slavia for all their pretty build up couldn’t hit the proverbial barn-door under Michal Petrous and fell to bad result after bad result as Pospech and Blažek kept spurning chances and consequently placing unneeded pressure on the rest of the team.

Plzeň themselves put in a horribly disjointed attacking performance against Sparta who ran out comfortable winners that day so it isn’t just a case of needing to rely on one man to do carry the team, it’s the reliance on the men towards the top of the formation to do their jobs in creating and scoring.

The league will be won and lost in how well teams perform going forwards. Don’t forget if you’re the one’s attacking then the onus is on the opposition to prevent that and mistakes, bad tactical decisions and mismatches become all the more obvious.

For every bit of skill that takes the game beyond the reach of another team, they too will equally contribute to their own downfall due to the pressure they are placed under.If you attack and attack well in the Gambrinus Liga then you can reap its rewards.

Now it was the turn of Hradlec Králové and Sparta Prague to show the English a master class in how not to defend. Friday night saw Hradec Králové travel to Viktoria Plzeň, not the easiest of games, especially for a side who have forgotten to score, let alone defend.

The visitors held out reasonably well for an hour, conceding just one goal but on 60 minutes the fun really began. Under no real pressure two Hradec defenders both went for the ball and ended up missing both and striking each other, leaving Marek Bakos clear on goal to make it 2-0 to Plzeň. Five minutes later Milan Petržela scored a contender for goal of the season, as he waltzed through the Hradec defense with consummate ease to roll the ball home for 3-0.

A defensive collapse is not complete without an own goal and a delicate chip to further embarrass the keeper and that’s what we got. The unfortunate named Milan Fukal tried to clear the ball off the line but ended up poking home Plzeňs fourth goal and Marek Bakos grabbed his second of the game with a cheeky finish to make it 5-0.  You can view the highlights here unless of course you are a Hradec Králové fan.

To be fair, Hradec Králové won’t be the last team to have their pants pulled down by Viktoria Plzeň who are beginning to hit their stride in the league. With fans suggesting they are playing better football now than last season’s championship winning side, but that doesn’t excuse some of the Hradec defending.

On to the League leaders and universally hated Sparta Prague were looking to extend their lead at the top of the table. But back to back 3-0 home defeats against Slovan Liberec and now Mlada Boleslav have left everyone questioning the Spartans defensive capabilities. It’s not just the defeats which will hurt the ego of Martin Hasek and his team, but the manner of which they were torn apart by slick counter attacking will be a major concern.

Sparta had a full strength side out yesterday who should have been buoyed by the return of Leonard Kweuke, but instead they lacked any kind of spark and their defence was guilty of ball watching for the games entirety. A nice one touch passing move from Boleslav saw Kulic make it one nil to the visitors, there wasn’t a single Sparta player picking him up.

One player who wouldn’t stand for this defending would be exiled Spartan dinosaur Tomas Repka, he might be a destructive influence inside the dressing room but I wouldn’t want to play alongside him if we conceded a goal. His hard tackling and ability to scare opposing forwards shitless would have stemmed some of the attacking threat from Boleslav.

But this current Sparta defence was pulled apart like a ragdoll as they gave Boleslav the freedom of Letna. The ever impressive Jan Chramrosta added a second goal and Tulic wrapped things up 3-0 as the Sparta defenders were left to contemplate getting slapped 3-0 for the second consecutive home game.

I am sure that there will be another chapter on the “How not to defend” book this afternoon, as the confidence shredded Slavia Prague travel to Slovacko.

The Spartans also play a very direct and aggressive style of football, relaying on the passing of abilities of Matejovsky and brute strength of Leonard Kweuke. But maybe now they have a 10 point lead at the top of the Gambrinus Liga they might start to entertain as well as bulldozer teams off the pitch.

Naturally Sparta Prague has the strongest squad in the league, and it’s not a real surprise they sit top of the league. Main rivals Viktoria Plzen are having difficulty stretching their squad over domestic and European duties, and bitter neighbours Slavia Prague are in a massive hole right now. The nearest challengers appear to be Jablonec and Bohemians 1905 but I expect their challenger to fade away by spring time.

Sparta coach Martin Hasek is gradually forcing out the older generation of players and integrating a new youthful look about the team. Repka, Blažek and Sionko have all found their playing time restricted and players like Svenger, Krejci, Husbauer and Kadlec are  becoming the new face of Sparta Prague.

In the recent 3-0 victory over Pribram Kadlec scored his first league goal in 11 months and was named man of the match “It was a pleasant surprise for me; I guess I got it for the first half. Because after the break it was not so good, I was quickly running out of power” said Kadlec after the game.

Let’s not forget about Leonard Kweuke, in the Cameroonian Sparta have the best striker in the league. In terms of talent and ability Kweuke is literally head and shoulders about the rest in the Czech Republic. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him leave in the January transfer window should Sparta receive a sizeable offer.

But, this shouldn’t affect their chances of winning the league, Sparta should be so far ahead at the top of the league, the nearest challengers will need binoculars to see them. It could also work as a positive in terms of the style of play, no longer will they be looking to lump forward to the big man but maybe they will adopt a more attractive passing game?

But knowing Sparta, they probably have another 6ft+ African monster of a striker on their wish list ready to replace the inevitable departure of Kweuke. Just as long as there isn’t another Tomas Repka waiting in the wings, then Sparta may just become a bit more likable.