Dream 2012 team

It’s been a fascinating 12 months in the premier league with great individual and team performances, none more so than Manchester City in the last game of the 2011/2012 season to clinch the title. We’ve seen youngsters step up to the mark, while tried and tested players have gone to all new heights.

At the Britannia Stadium I have seen some of the best players in the world visit the home of Stoke City, my club of choice, and here is my dream XI of 2012.

Goalkeeper

Asmir Begovic (Stoke City)

The Bosnian has been in tremendous form in 2012, stripping the number one jersey away from Thomas Sorenson and making it his own. The 25 year old supports his two centre backs solidly. He is strong in the air when balls come into the box and is confident with his feet and has pulled off some spectacular saves, leading to one of the tightest defences in the league. He has started to attract the attention of clubs at the top end of the league, and it will be really important for Stoke and Tony Pulis to keep hold of Begovic if we are to fight for a top half finish.

Denfence

Right Back – Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City)

Zabaleta in my opinion is the complete full back. He is strong going forward, like most are nowadays, but he is a reliable defender as well, making him by far the best in the league. The Argentine goes about his business in the right way with little fuss, while being a leader on the pitch, helping Manchester City to their first title in 44 years.

Centre Back-Vincent Kompany Captain (Manchester City)

City’s captain was fantastic in their league winning campaign; a real rock and  leader for Roberto Mancini. He started this season a bit slower than the heights he set at the start of the year, but is starting to attain them now. The Belgian international won the player of the season award for the 2011/2012 campaign, showing how strong he was at the beginning of 2012.

Centre Back- Ryan Shawcross (Stoke City)

Shawcross is a real defender, puts his body on the line for his side and leads by example at the Britannia. He reads the ball well in the air and on the deck, while tackling hard but fair. It was a tight decision between him and teammate Robert Huth to partner Kompany, but in the light of the defensive display against Southampton, Shawcross is my man. Huth looked totally lost in the first half without his mate (suspended) in a usually water tight defence. The 25 year old’s hard work in 2012 was rewarded with an England cap, and he will keep improving as he plays more at the top level. Pulis and Peter Coates will be hoping their captain puts pen to paper on the six year contract they are offering, as he is a vital cog in the team.

Left Back- Leighton Baines (Everton)

Baines is part of one of the strongest left sides in the premier league, playing behind Steven Pienaar. The 28 year old has been tremendous in the last calender year, with consistent performances going forward and backwards. I watched him this season at the Britannia Stadium and he was rock solid and deserves all the attention he is getting during the transfer window.

Midfield

Right Midfield- Leon Osman (Everton)

I believe Osman is one of the most underrated players in the league, and he  has been exceptional in 2012, picking up his first England cap. The one club man is a real work horse, with the quality and touch that you need at the top level. With the range of passing he possesses, he is a real threat in the opposition’s half.

Centre Midlfield- Juan Mata (Chelsea)

Mata made the team just in front of Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla, because he has been performing at the highest high level for 12 months not just this season. Mata with his tremendous skill on the ball, creates chances for his side that other players wouldn’t see. He is the best player in the league in the role he plays for Chelsea and has added goals to his effective performances towards the latter end of the year, having a major say in most games.

Centre Midfield- Marouane Fellaini (Everton)

Fellaini has had a tremendous 2012 and has reached even greater heights in the current season than he did in the last. He can play any role in the middle of midfield while going up top at times too. He has one of the best touches I have seen especially taking the ball out of the air with his chest. His outstanding performance in 2012 would be against Manchester United on the opening day of the 2012/2013 season, helping his Everton side pick up three points.

Left Midfield- Gareth Bale (Tottenham)

Bale has turned himself into one of the best left sided players in the world, and he has been outstanding in 2012. With pace, trickery and vision, right backs fear the Welshman and its not surprising that the likes of Real Madrid are sniffing around the 23 year old. He is not only a danger going forward with the ball, but he can spot danger through his not so effective years at left back. This season alone Bale has 10 goals and four assists in the Premier League, showing why he is the best winger in the league.

Centre Forward- Luis Suarez (Liverpool)

Suarez never fails to be in the papers either for his football or his actions, but it is the football that is most spectacular. He is the main player at Liverpool and the Anfield side would be in huge trouble if it wasn’t for the Uruguayan. He scores all kinds of goals with his feet and head, from all angles and distances, but also has the ability and vision to set chances up. He has been chosen over Swansea’s Michu, because he has the better all round game.

Centre Forward- Robin van Persie (Manchester United)

RVP has been my stand out player of 2012, scoring 30 league goals last season for Arsenal and already bagged 16 goals for Manchester United this campaign. The Dutchman has the ability to score from anywhere on the pitch anyway he wants, but also  has the ability to create chances with six assists in the current season. RVP has been in stunning form throughout the whole of 2012 both Arsenal and Manchester United’s 2012/2013 seasons would have been a lot different if he hadn’t made the switch to Old Trafford.

How your club stands at Christmas

With the January transfer window just around the corner and reaching the half way point of the season on boxing day, here are my assessments of the teams in the Premier League so far.

Arsenal

It must be so frustrating for the fans at the Emirates watching their side play so inconsistently. At times you wonder how they aren’t challenging the two Manchester clubs at the top of the table and are playing blistering football; but their problem is they follow it up  with a terrible performance and you can’t see them achieving a top four finish. This has shown in the results, beating Southampton and Tottenham, putting six and five past their respective defences, then failing to to find the net against Swansea and Norwich in defeats. With Theo Walcott’s future still undecided, Arsene Wenger will be in the market for an out and out striker, after the loss of Robin Van Persie in the summer. The real bright spark for the Gunners is their summer purchase, Santi Cazorla and the return of Jack Wilshere;  Wenger will be hoping they can boss games and tear midfields apart in the second half of the season.

Aston Villa

Paul Lambert’s young side struggled at the start of the season, only picking up nine points from the first 10 games, but things have started to look a little brighter as late, apart from the Chelsea game. Its the lack of goals that has really hurt Villa scoring only 15 but Christian Benteke is coming into form going into the busy period over Christmas and New Year, which will be pivotal in their season and chances staying in the league, the 22 year old will only get better over the campaign. My fear for them is the inexperience in the squad, if things go against them and they get dragged into a relegation battle they might not have the nerve and know-how to cope. Even though they’re languishing near the dreaded drop zone, I think they have enough quality in the side to reach safety.

Chelsea

Its been a stressful season for the European champions after a very bright start and becoming some people’s favourites for the title. They gained 22 points out of a possible 24 in the first eight games, but have only picked up one win in their next eight league fixtures, resulting in Roberto Di Matteo losing his job. At the start of the season Juan Mata, Edin Hazard and Oscar were breathtaking, defences couldn’t get near them as they took control of the game.This disappeared for a long period of time but the thrashing they inflicted on Villa will give them all confidence and Chelsea will look to get back to the heights, standards and results they set at the start of the season. Rafa Benitez will have to do business in January and a centre back and striker are a must as cover or replacement for David Luiz and Fernando Torres. If I were Petr Cech, John Terry or Garry Cahill I would have no trust in Luiz as you don’t know what he is going to do next and would want someone else along side me. A third place finish is what they will be looking for now, but if they get back into the amazing form we saw earlier on they may push the Manchester clubs.

Everton

This season has all the signs of a very successful one for David Moyes’ men. Usually slow starters they have got off to a flier sitting in fourth, Marouane Fellaini taking charge of games Goodison Park from the centre of midfield. They also possess one of the best left sides in the league with Leighton Baines and Steven Piennaar, while on the opposite side Leon Osman gets on with his job with little fuss. They will be hoping that Nikica Jelavic will get back to what he does best, especially over the busy festive period. With only two defeats in the league so far and the tradition that Everton always hit top form after Christmas, a top four question is a serious possibility for a solid footballing side.

Fulham

Too many goals will have been conceded for Martin Jol’s liking, having the joint second worst defence in the league conceding 33 goals. It is crucial that Jol gets captain Brede Hangeland to sign a new contract as he is instrumental to the denfence at Craven Cottage; he would be a huge loss if he left in January and would leave Fulham in a mess. Dimitar Berbatov was an important signing in the summer and without the addition of the Bulgarian, Fulham would have been closer to the relegation zone than they are now, which is only five points clear. If they can get Bryan Ruiz fit and and playing to his potential form alongside Berbatov they will start to climb the table and move away from the drop zone.

Liverpool

Its going to be another disappointing season for the Kop with an almost certain finish outside the top four. Luis Suarez has led the way for Liverpool with 11 goals and has the quality that a Liverpool player should have, but there just isn’t enough around him that can receive the same plaudit. Raheem Sterling has been a real revelation and has impressed at Anfield along with Jon Jo Shelvey. The problem at Anfield is the lack of strength in depth, but Brendon Rodgers has already done something about this and will have the services of Daniel Sturridge when the window opens, but more business will have to be done. Unless things improve rapidly Liverpool will be in the Europa League again next season.

Manchester City

The champions are yet to hit the dizzy heights they achieved last year but will be just four points behind Manchester United on Christmas day.  They’ve lost less games than United losing just one which was against their great rivals, but they have lacked that killer instinct this season and have drawn too many. City have the second strongest defence in the league and Matija Nastasic seems to be just the fit alongside captain Vincent Kompany and it is an important partnership in their defence of the title. At the other end of the pitch the top three or four, depending on how many Roberto Mancini plays,  look like they are starting to click in the last couple of matches with the addition of Carlos Tevez to the starting 11, which will scare Sir Alex Ferguson and teams they come up against. Money will more than likely be spent to strengthen the already star studded squad, and we know from last season that four points can be turned around by City.

Manchester United

Sitting top of the table they will be favourites to lift the title, but they will have to improve at the back if they are to hold off City. They have conceded too many sloppy goals for a team that wants to be champions and Sir Alex will be looking to put this right going into the transfer window. Ferguson still hasn’t found his first choice keeper which won’t be helping matters at the back, but Patrice Evra hasn’t lived up to his usual high standards and Jonny Evans doesn’t strike me as a commanding centre back. The strikers have got the defence out of trouble most of the time, being the deadliest forward line in the league, finding the net 44 times. Robin Van Persie has been inspirational after his move from Arsenal and has become an instant favourite with the fans. If they can sort their difficulties out at the back they will be hard to catch at the top.

Newcastle

It has been a disappointing first half of the season for the Toon after last seasons heroics. Too many players haven’t played to the same level as they did last year, two of them being the very influential Cheik Tiote and Papiss Cisse. The one player that has continued his form from last season is Demba Ba keeping Newcastle going with the 11 league goals he has netted so far and boss Alan Pardew will be desperate to keep hold of the Senegal forward.

Norwich City

After picking up just three points from the first seven games, things have really taken off at Carrow Road. They aren’t huge scorers but are well organised, which a side like Norwich have to be to stay in the Premier league. They will have to be careful not to concede too many goals, having let in four or more goals in four matches so far this season, they need caution not to get into bad habits as confidence will soon disappear.

Queens Park Rangers

With the change of manager things have begun to pick up, but its going to be a real battle to stay in the league. They have the joint worst forward line and the fifth worst defence, which doesn’t add up to a good season. The bright light that will excite Harry Redknapp is Adel Taarabt who tore Fulham apart and they have quality in the side with the likes of Esteban Granero, Djibril Cisse and Stephane Mbia but at present they don’t look like they can put it all together. Money will surely be spent in January and they have the best possible manager to get them out of trouble, but I can’t see it happening.

Reading

Its basically a championship side that are trying to cut it with the big boys and its not going to plan. They have the worst defence in the league conceding 37 goals and it is plain to see why they have let so many in with the defending on show against Arsenal. The team sit bottom with just one win and have been beaten on their travels eight times, picking up just two points on the road, which has to be a real worry. Brian McDermott has got a tough job on his hands and needs money to spend throughout the side to stand a chance of staying up this season.

Southampton

After a poor start they have given themselves a strong chance of survival. With just four points from 10 games they were the people’s favourites to go straight back down, but a recent good run has lifted them out of the bottom three on goal difference. Jose Fonte’s new deal is an excellent move for the club as he plays and important role in the Saints defence, which can be a bit leaky. Southampton fans will be looking to Rickie Lambert, the clubs top goal scorer with six and Adam Lallana for inspiration and both players have the quality to guide the club to safety but it will be a difficult task.

Stoke City

The Potters are having another strong season in the Premier League, and they have to thank to the dedication that goes on behind closed doors with the defensive work they do. Ryan Shrawcross, Robert Huth and goalkeeper Asmir Begovic have been outstanding at the Britannia Stadium, conceding just three goals at home and 13 all together, leading to the Potters having the best defence record in England. The one area that will worry Tony Pulis is the lack of goals that his side are scoring as the number of 0-0 draws mount up to five. With the likes of Steven N’Zonzi, Charlie Adam and Peter Crouch in the Stoke attack you wouldn’t think scoring would be a problem but they are failing to find the back of the net with alarming regularity. Pulis will hopefully welcome back Michael Owen in the festive period after injury and with Marc Wilson out with a broken leg a left back wouldn’t go a miss.

Sunderland

The Black Cats aren’t living up to the quality that they have at their disposal this season, sitting 15th. The problem that they have at the moment is starting games slowly, going behind in seven of the last 12 games and with the lack of goals they have scored, it isn’t a great way of trying to win games of football.You would think with Steven Fletcher, Stephane Sessegnon and Adam Johnson to name a few they would have scored more than 19 goals in 18 games, and O’Neil will have to sort it out if they are to move up the league into a position where the fans believe they should be, if not a relegation battle could be on the cards.

Swansea City

They have a lot to be proud of this season, with the fighting grit of Ashley Williams and Chico, to the goal scoring threat of Michu. They have shown that they have the quality to play football against the so called big boys, and are not afraid of mixing it up against Manchester United. Michu has been one of the buys of the summer with his 12 league goals, and the quality they possess in midfield is astonishing for a team only in their second season in the Premier League, especially considering how little money they have spent. A solid mid table finish is likely at the Liberty Stadium.

Tottenham

After losing the first game of the season Spurs have put themselves in a strong position to finish in the top four. They have adapted well to life without Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaar with the addition of Mousa Dembele and things will get even better with Scott Parker coming back from injury. Jermaine Defoe has shown why he is a top class striker, after having few opportunities last season he has hit the back of then net nine times in the league in this campaign. They have a quantity of attacking flair at their disposal, including Gareth Bale, but they are also strong at the back with Jan Vertonghen leading the way. Anything other than a top four finish will be disappointing for Spurs’ fans now.

West Brom

The Baggies have a solid mid-table side and I would think they will fall from the seventh place that they currently hold, but there is usually a shock team in and around the Europa League position at the end of the season. They were always expected to be strong in attack; with quality such as Shane Long Romelu Lukaku and Zoltan Gera goals were always going to be scored, but the strength of their defence is what has shocked me, only conceding seven at home. At the moment they are possibly over achieving but there will be a top half finish for the Baggies.

West Ham

The biggest problem at Upton Park is the growing injury list. If Sam Allardyce could field his first 11 he would have a mid table side, but at the moment he will be fearing entering a relegation battle and as a result has banned full contact training. The start of the season was so promising and it could all be ruined by their bad luck.  Mohamed Diamme who has recently been added to the injury list had been in great form for the Hammers, making things happen in the middle of the park. Allardyce will have to spend more money than he really wants to in the new year due to having so many players unavailable.

Wigan

They are used to being in the position they find themselves in and are the masters of the great escape. They have got some talented players in the squad but it seems things are going against them at the moment. James McArthur is a real bright spark for Roberto Martinez and he will be looking towards the 25 year old to dominate the midfield while Ali Al Habsi continues to shine in goal. I feel they have enough to stay up for another term and Al Habsi is one of the strongest keepers in the league, which will give Wigan a lot of confidence.

http://threeandin.com/2012/12/24/how-your-club-stands-at-christmas/

The Top 10 Breathtaking Players Who ‘Defined’ The Premier League

We have seen some of the best players in the world applying their trade over the last 20 years in the Premier League and here are my top 10 breathtaking players to grace these shores.

Peter Schmeichel: I’m going to start in a bit of a different direction, and have a goalkeeper in the list. Schmeichel is one of the best keepers the world has ever seen, pulling off saves most keepers wouldn’t dream of making, while scoring the odd goal at the other end. In his eight years at Old Trafford he won the Premier League five times, three FA Cups, one League Cup and the Champions League in 1999 and he played a key part in all of these successes. The save that sticks out in my mind is the penalty save in the FA cup semi final replay in 1999 against Dennis Bergkamp in the final minutes of the game to take it into extra time. The great Dane still holds the record for clean sheets to game ratio, with a clean sheet every 2.38 games and was elected into the English football Hall of Fame in 2003.

Ryan Giggs: The Welshman has played in every season of the Premier League, and is the only person to score in each. Giggs made his debut for United in 1991 in the old division one, and has terrified full backs for nearly two decades down the left, with his blistering pace and dazzling skills. He has become the most decorated player in English football, winning the league an astonishing 12 times. Even though his role has changed over recent seasons he still plays an integral role at Old Trafford. The goal that I can still see in my mind comes in the same game as Schmeichel’s save. He picked the ball up on the half way line took on a number of Arsenal defenders then blasted it past David Seaman into the roof of the net.

Gianfranco Zola: The little maestro has to be on of the most professional footballers this country has seen. With his tricks and flicks defenders had trouble getting on top of the Italian, but he could also score some spectacular goals setting Stamford Bridge alive. He spent seven years at Chelsea, and has been voted the club’s greatest player, receiving 60% of the votes on Chelsea’s official website.

David Ginola: The Frenchman is one of the most technically gifted players there has been, taking on players at will. He was at his best on Tyneside , he could not only take players on but score with both feet, which isn’t a certainty, even with the best players in the world.   He wasn’t just a tricky winger, he had the build to look after himself, in a very physical league.

Dennis Bergkamp: He has already been mentioned for missing a penalty, but his first touch was out of this world. He could bring any ball under his command and with his vision was a real master around the 18 yard box. He seemed to have more time on the ball than those around him, while having a real eye for goal, scoring some tremendous goals from all angles, one of the best coming against Newcastle. With his back to goal he flicked it over his shoulder and around the back of  Nicos Dabizas before slotting it home in one movement.

Thierry Henry: He arrived at Highbury as a winger but Arsene Wenger quickly transformed him into one of the most feared strikers the English game has seen. He could glide past defenders at will, with sheer pace and real skill, defenders didn’t stand a chance and he seemed able to find the back of the net from most parts of the pitch, with all kinds of shots. He became a club legend at Highbury, being part of the Invincibles scoring a total of 228 goals for Arsenal.

Christiano Ronaldo: He arrived at Old Trafford at the age of 18 and set the place on fire at once. From the very start fans could see he had incredible skill, but what came next was staggering. The amount of goals that the Portuguese scored  is really impressive and in the 2007/2008 season he scored 42 goals in all competitions. In 2008 he became the first United player since George Best in 1968 to win the Ballon d’Or and in January 2009 was United’s first player to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award. He is one of the cleanest strikers of the ball there has been, with a killer free kick. His credentials were shown when he became the world’s most expensive player moving to Real Madrid for £80 million.

Eric Cantona: He could have been put in a list of the most arrogant players to play in the Premier League with his trademark celebration arms aloft centre stage, but he had the skill and quality to back it up. He was a genius on the pitch, lifting the game with his presence while bringing others into the game. He played a central role in Manchester United transforming into a championship winning side, claiming the league title three times in his four and a half seasons at Old Trafford. There were his downsides, leading to him being banned for eight months but on his return he helped his side over turn Newcastle to win the 1995/1996 league.

Paolo Di Canio: Nothing was impossible for the eccentric Italian and he would try nearly anything, which was shown with his scissor kick volley against Wimbledon. He to was highly strung like Cantona and you weren’t quite sure what was going to happen next with him, but you can’t deny that he was an incredible talent, with incredible skill.

Matt Le Tissier: The one club man spent his whole career at his boyhood team Southampton, despite offers from “bigger clubs” and gained the nickname Le God by the fans at The Dell. Between January 1994 and May 1995 he scored an impressive 45 goals in 64 games and won the Match Of The Day Goal of the Season award for his 40 yard lob against friend and Blackburn keeper Tim Flowers. He became the first midfielder to score 100 goals in the Premier League and is well known for his penalty record, converting 47 out of 48. Barcalona’s Xavi can be quoted of saying: “His talent was simply out of the norm. He could simply dribble past seven or eight players but without speed-he just walked past them. For me he was sensational.”

There are a few that didn’t make the list that are in the Premier League still like David Silva, Santi Cazorla and Robin Van Persie but I think you need to make a real mark on the league over a number of years, but they have real potential and may have made the list on another day.

There are also players from the past that came very close with the likes of David Beckham, Alan Shearer  and Michael Owen being a few.

http://threeandin.com/2012/12/09/the-top-10-breathtaking-players-who-defined-the-premier-league/

The Jury still out on Zaha

Sir Alex Ferguson is lining up a move to capture Crystal Palace winger Wilfred Zaha in January.

Despite a number of clubs chasing the signature of the 20 year old, Manchester United are reported to be willing to do ‘what it takes’ to get Zaha at Old Trafford, which could mean splashing out £20 million, according to the Daily Mail.

The other two clubs that are rumored to be interested are North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham, which could be an added attraction as London has been his home since the age of four after moving from Ivory Coast.

Zaha was recommended to Ferguson by his son and Peterborough manager Darren after the newly capped England international made such an impression in Palace’s 2-1 win over Posh.

Ferguson is hoping, if he claims the signature of Zaha, he will play in a similar fashion to that of Cristiano Ronaldo and we all know the impact he made on the premier league.

Robin Van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez, must be licking their lips at the prospect of Zaha pulling on the United shirt, with pace, skill and  vision down either wing they will be looking for goals. Obviously Ronaldo’s level will be hard to reach for Zaha, but with Nani in contractual dispute, he could be the ideal player for United. You only have to look at the impact Raheem Stirling has made at Liverpool this season, pace and raw talent, with a mature head is very influential at the top level.

It is no surprise that Sir Alex has an invested interest in the tricky winger. Since selling Ronaldo in 2009 to Real Madrid, United have bought Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia, whilst already possessing the services of Nani, who are all fast skillful wingers and Zaha fits that pedigree well.

The United manager knows what kind of damage the youngster can do against top class players first hand, as Zaha played an integral role in Palace’s shock win over United in the league Cup quarter final last season.

The only question left to answer is whether  Zaha can live up to the hype and pressure of playing for one of the biggest clubs in world football, but the 2o year old went a long way in answering that, with his brief England appearance against Sweden.

The only thing left for Ferguson to do is meet Zaha and Palace’s demands. Which could, in the circumstances with the predicted frenzy of interest, be quite high.

Read more; http://www.footballtransfertavern.com/2012/11/premiership/the-jury-still-out-on-zaha