I still can't quite believe that FIFA have arranged international friendlies in the same week that most countries are starting to get their domestic competitions under way.

It's crazy to have them so early in the season, and the governing body should have known better. Most of the players have only just returned from their holidays following the World Cup.

The players are already tired, and with the clubs trying to prepare for the new season, this will certainly put an extra strain on them.

Managers are likely to hold their players back, which could cause more club v country rows, and it is getting out of hand. FIFA should be thinking about helping the clubs, they need to be better organised, they should arrange the dates for after the season starts and I think then they could benefit from this.

With the transfer window still open for another couple of weeks most clubs in Europe are still trying to fill their rosters, and in the case of the new quota of players for the English Premier League, Manchester City will be the biggest team to be affected by the changes.

It still amazes me how much clubs are willing to fork out for average players. The pay these guys ridiculous amounts of money, and a lot of them aren't really worth what the clubs are paying.

Not that I begrudge the players, they are there making a living, but if you look at the English players for example, most of them are being paid outlandish money and don't perform. Just look at the World Cup.

For me, a player needs to be playing and performing week in, week out to be paid that amount of money.

A team like City, they are spending for the sake of spending to win the title, and you can't win the league on a regular basis like that. You need some sort of idea, a plan for the future, not because you spend all sorts of money.

There even looking at Mario Balotelli from Inter Milan, but he wants $200,000 a week! The question they should be asking is, how many goals did you scored last year? Can you do what Drogba has done for Chelsea?, because for his demands, and his performance last year, I wouldn't even look at him. He didn't even play in the Champions League final

Maybe they can go off of the Chelsea mold, money does help in the big leagues but you also must have the right quality, and some players from parts of the world won't be able to adapt to the English and the same goes for English players.

One smart bit of business is Liverpool signing Joe Cole. He is a great player and it is a good move for him, at this juncture of his career he needs to be playing and not sitting on the bench at Chelsea and collecting money.

At this stage of his career it is all about playing and being productive, so when the next England team is selected he is included.

Arsenal fans will also be happy this weekend with the news that Cesc Fabregas has come out with his decision to stay at Arsenal, although I'm sure it was a tough decision to make.

It is not easy to make that decision on the fly, but a team like Arsenal needs him, and until they find a player like him to replace him, they will need to keep hold of him. He is a very good player for them, and he does the right things for them, and they will need him if they are to make any sort of run at any title this year.