It's the start of a New Year, so where better to start than the problems at Portsmouth? They look like dominating the headlines for a bit, so Matt Dickinson at the Times has his thoughts, and they are not positive.

Leeds United reappear on our radar this weekend when they travel to Old Trafford in the FA Cup third round — just in time to remind Portsmouth how far a club can fall when “living the dream” turns into a nightmare.

At least Portsmouth got to enjoy the FA Cup triumph of 2008 — Leeds’s disastrous overreaching under Peter Ridsdale’s chairmanship did not bring a single piece of silverware — but Portsmouth fans might willingly trade in those Wembley memories this morning for a little reassurance that their club are not on an unstoppable slide.

Portsmouth are not yet Leeds Mk II, but they appear to have the potential given their debts, which are estimated at £60 million, and the failure of the present ownership, who have revealed their names but little else, to prove their wealth and their willingness to use it to stop the club’s descent.

A bit of transparency from the owners may not soothe fan concerns, quite the opposite, but it would be infinitely preferable to the daily bad-news bulletins that have become such a drain on the morale of fans, players and Avram Grant, the manager, and his staff.

Also on the 2010 bandwagon, Sam Wallace has highlighted five of the best young players to watch throughout the year. We'll give you one and you can read the rest at the Independent.

Connor Wickham; Ipswich Town. Only when he turns 17 in March will Wickham be able to sign his first professional deal and you can be assured that Ipswich will move heaven and earth to make sure their latest great academy product signs on the dotted line.

Players like Wickham only come along once in a generation and once he has signed his first professional deal it will surely only be a matter of time before Ipswich cash in. All the big clubs have been watching this 6ft 3in centre-forward who already looks like a man, and plays like a man, even if legally he is only a kid.