Isn't it comforting to know that while we are all concerned about our jobs, struggling to keep up with tax rises or to get sufficient credit to build a small business or buy a decent house, the lunatics and egomaniacs in charge of many of our beloved football clubs remain completely oblivious and continue to find more outrageous ways of spending obscene amounts of cash that, in many cases, they don't even have. £50 million for a player who has done nothing but sulk for the best part of a year. £35 million for an injured player with just a few months' experience of Premier League football and who is more likely to see the inside of a prison cell this year than to get his hands on a trophy. At least Liverpool's owners waited until they could secure a replacement before letting Fernando Torres depart for Chelsea, but Mike Ashley was so desperate to get his hands on the ridiculous sum of money waved in front of him for Andy Carroll's services that he neglected to address the inevitable question of who exactly is going to replace him. No doubt Ashley and Pardew's favourite casino is already installing a larger safe to cope with the wads of cash coming its way, but the day is coming ever nearer when one of the larger clubs finds themselves unable to sustain that sort of expenditure any more and has to close down. I can't wait.

Following a busy midweek of League action, we have another round of fixtures this weekend starting at Villa Park:

1) Aston Villa v Fulham: Villa's apparent resurrection came to a crashing halt within a minute at Old Trafford on Tuesday, but there are still distinct signs that they will be able to comfortably reach mid-table and see off any lingering worries about being drawn into a relegation battle. This fixture is an ideal one for Villa to get straight back on the road to recovery as notoriously poor travellers, Fulham, haven't won a League match at Villa Park since 1973, and have managed to score just three goals in their last nine League visits. Nobody has scored fewer away goals than Fulham this season, and I can't see past a home win here.

2) Everton v Blackpool: Four consecutive defeats have finally alerted Blackpool fans to the real danger of immediate relegation back to the Championship, but their away record still gives them some hope for this match. Only Man.City and Arsenal have registered more away victories than the Tangerines, but I think it's fair to say that Blackpool have had rather more fortune in gaining one or two of those wins, and the best they can hope for here may be a score draw.

3) Man.City v West Brom: Despite a thoroughly encouraging start to life back in the top flight, West Brom have now recorded only one win and one draw in their last eight League matches and find themselves just three points above the relegation zone. They conceded four times on their last visit to Eastlands and I fear they may suffer a similar fate on Saturday.

4) Newcastle v Arsenal: How Newcastle may regret not having signed a striker in January, particularly now that Shola Ameobi's injury at Craven Cottage has left the inexperienced Nile Ranger as their first choice striker. They also have a poor recent record at home to Arsenal, with just one win in their last eleven attempts in League and Cup, and memories are still fresh of a 4-0 thumping in the League Cup last October. Away win.

5) Stoke v Sunderland: Two sides set for mid-table security who were both put in their place by more fashionable clubs in midweek. For two relatively well-matched clubs, there has been a remarkable lack of draws in this fixture reccently, with none having been registered at Stoke in the last thirteen meetings since 1984. That may be about to change on Saturday. 

6) Tottenham v Bolton: A battling performance at Ewood Park on Wednesday gained Spurs their first win in four League matches, and they will be looking forward to welcoming a Bolton side who have lost their last five on the road. Wanderers have also lost five of their last six visits to White Hart Lane and can be fancied to make that six from seven this weekend.

7) Wigan v Blackburn: No other side in the Premier League can match Wigan's pathetic two home wins this season, and indeed they haven't celebrated a win anywhere this year. Blackburn's results can only be described as satisfactory since Steve Kean took over, but they have certainly progressed in terms of style. However, this may not be the sort of match in which they are allowed to display their new-found footballing freedom, and a stalemate may well be the outcome.

8) Wolves v Man.United: 29 matches unbeaten for United in the League now, and they should comfortably make it 30 with a victory on Saturday.

9) West Ham v Birmingham: An early chance for West Ham to avenge their League Cup semi-final defeat, but more importantly, this match represents the distinct possibility of overtaking City and escaping the bottom three. City have won only once in their last eleven visits to Upton Park, and the recent goalscoring exploits of Victor Obinna, who you may remember was sent off the last time the sides met in East London, will give them further cause for concern. I can't see Birmingham winning on Sunday, but they may be able to scrape a valuable point.

10) Chelsea v Liverpool: Fernando Torres's ill-advised comments on signing for Chelsea should ensure an ugly atmosphere at Stamford Bridge, but one which may only serve to spur him on to show his true form. Regular readers of this column will be aware of just how much I detest players who choose which managers to give their best efforts for, and in Drogba and Torres, Chelsea now boast two of the principal culprits of that unwelcome trait, but they should still be able to see off their visitors, who have lost eight of their twelve away League matches so far.

Two suggestions for you this week. A winning £10 treble on Man.City, Arsenal and Leicester would return £39.72 at Paddy Power, but for the more adventurous among you, try adding Raith and Annan to create a fivefold that could boost your potential return to an impressive £109.24 with the same firm.

Good luck!