Tag Archives: Swansea

Introducing the new stars of the Premier League

Posted on August 29, 2012 | Leave a comment

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Chelsea’s new star man Eden Hazard celebrates his first goal for the club against Newcastle.

After months of anticipation, the start of the new Premier League season has certainly lived up to expectations. The shock results that lit up the previous campaign have already began to arrive, with West Brom toppling Liverpool, and Manchester United slipping to defeat against Everton. Some new signings have shone, while others are yet to prove their worth – here are some thoughts about how the summer arrivals have introduced themselves this season.

In terms of the sides expected to challenge at the top end of the table this season, Chelsea have been fastest out of the blocks with three convincing victories. Their Belgian summer signing Eden Hazard has already confounded his doubters, having been officially named man of the match in each of his three league appearances to date. Chelsea’s other two high profile signing haven’t had their chance to shine yet however, with Marko Marin sidelined through injury, and Oscar making only brief and uninspiring cameo appearances off the bench.

Manchester United on the other hand made two very high profile signings – the Japanese playmaker Shinji Kagawa, and the former Arsenal talisman Robin van Persie. The former has looked impressive in the midst of a lacklustre United midfield, while the Dutchman’s goal in his first start for the Red Devils was the best way to announce his arrival at Old Trafford.

However, the man who led the goalscoring charts last season has left Arsenal in a bad way. Their new signing Olivier Giroud, who joined from French champions Montpellier for a fee in excess of £10m, has looked nervous in front of goal, spurning chance upon chance. Lukas Podolski has looked just as unconvincing, with performances that even made Gervinho stand out in a toothless front three. However, Arsene Wenger can take encouragement from the performances of their new Spanish pocket-rocket, Santi Cazorla. The midfielder was the Gunners’ main creative outlet in both matches, and looks as if he will revel in the free role Wenger seems to have given him.

Liverpool also made some changes to their squad, with Fabio Borini and Joe Allen arriving from Roma and Swansea respectively. The former hasn’t quite found his feet in the Premier League as of yet, however the latter performed magnificently against Manchester City, helping to earn his side a 2-2 draw in a very tricky fixture.

Swansea’s new midfield man, Michu, has made an instant impact for the Jacks, netting three times already. He seems to be filling the void left by former loan signing Gylfi Sigurdsson as the creative spark in the middle of the park.

Fulham also look revitalised, having replaced the Berkshire-bound Pavel Pogrebnyak with Mladen Petric of Croatia – two goals in two games isn’t a bad way to introduce yourself at all. Meanwhile Pogrebnyak himself has become the focal point of Reading’s attack, scoring an impressive header during their 4-2 defeat at the hands of European champions Chelsea.

With only two days left in the transfer window, anything could happen. Will we be seeing any more of Europe’s top players in the Premier League? 

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3 new Premier League teams, how will they fare?

Posted on August 5, 2012 | 2 Comments
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Championship winners Reading celebrate their triumph, but will their fortunes be as fair this coming year? (Photo: Getty Images)

Reading, Southampton and West Ham all sealed their returns to the big time over a month ago, and will be hoping to emulate the successes of last season’s new boys Swansea and Norwich.

They each have had fairly large transfer kitties at their disposal, and have dipped into the market already. The common misconception is that upon getting promoted, spending too much money and changing the team excessively will result in relegation straight away. Reading’s 8th place finish in the 06/07 season proved that a promoted team could succeed in the Premier League with minimal alterations, however in the past ten years, the vast majority of first season survivors have spent in excess of £10 million on new signings.

Last season, two of the three newly promoted sides made wholesale changes, however those made by Norwich seemed to slip under the radar when compared to the high profile names that arrived at QPR. Most of the Canaries’ top performers were purchased last summer, for example Steve Morison, Anthony Pilkington and Kyle Naughton. Swansea were praised for their continuity, however the likes of Danny Graham, Michel Vorm and Steven Caulker were all pivotal to their success, having joined in the summer transfer window too. Without such influential players, would the two sides have fared as well as they did? Undoubtedly the addition of such quality players helped keep both sides afloat, and the Premier League new boys will surely look to these two sides as inspiration for next season.

With money at their disposal, the three sides have looked to bolster their squad with young, hungry players, and also those with experience in the top flight. There’s a whole month left of the summer window, however all three sides have significantly strengthened themselves.

Champions Reading have acted quickly to secure the services of a number of Premier League quality free agents, Pavel Pogrebnyak and Danny Guthrie to name two, whilst also recruiting promising talents from the Championship such as Adrian Mariappa and Chris Gunter. They put together a scintillating run of form towards the end of last season to steal the title, and they’ll need to carry that momentum over into the approaching season. They showed defensive resilience and counter-attacking ability last season, two crucial traits a team requires if they wish to survive in the English top flight. Brian McDermott has also guided his Royals side to victories over Premier League sides Liverpool, Everton and West Brom in the cups in recent years, and certainly knows how to motivate his players for such important matches. Few players jump out at you from the Reading squad list, however their ability to function as a team shouldn’t be underestimated – a mistake Premier League sides made the last time the Berkshire club won promotion.

On the other hand, Southampton’s two major signings of the window so far have been promising Englishmen from the Championship – out of contract Nathaniel Clyne from Crystal Palace, and £7m rated Jay Rodriguez from Burnley. Both players could be instrumental in their battle for survival next season, the same goes for ex-Rangers midfielder Steven Davis who they picked up on a free transfer following the tragic financial collapse of his previous club. New signings aside, there are two players in the Southampton team who oozed quality in the Championship, and look capable of excelling in the top flight – creative midfielder Adam Lallana and talismanic striker Rickie Lambert unlocked many a tight back-line last season and will look to do the same again this time around. They are central to the way the Saints perform, and Premier League defenders would be foolish to ignore the threat they will provide. Their credentials for survival look fairly solid; however they could do with strengthening their defence further as they looked fragile at the back towards the end of last season.

West Ham on the other hand will have their sights set higher than merely surviving relegation. If their attempts to bring towering Liverpool forward Andy Carroll to the club on loan are successful, he will surely become the focal point of their attack. Sam Allardyce is often criticised for his preferred long ball style of play, and the Hammers did play some decent passing football at times last term, however the over-the-top approach could be exactly what they need in the Premier League – it’s worked for Stoke City numerous times, and during Allardyce’s stints at Bolton and Blackburn. They boast an impressive amount of attacking firepower, with the likes of Carlton Cole, John Carew, Nicky Maynard and Ricardo Vaz Te already fighting over first team berths. Mark Noble and Kevin Nolan both have Premier League pedigree, while Mohamed Diame looks to be a bargain signing on a free transfer. Additionally, the acquisition of James Collins from Aston Villa means that he looks likely to partner the promising James Tomkins in the centre of defence, which looks solid on paper. The Hammers could well be aiming higher than the other two clubs, but they must ensure that they stay up primarily, as another shock relegation would rattle the club massively.

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What next for Euro 2012 stars?

Posted on July 12, 2012 | Leave a comment

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Robert Lewandowski impressed for Poland and is attracting interest from Premier League sides. (Photo: Getty Images)

Poland and Ukraine provided football fans immense entertainment this summer, and also provided the scout of footballs biggest clubs some new names for their shortlists. Many lesser-known players made names for themselves – here are a few that caught my eye, and a look into where they might be playing their football next season following a transfer window bound to be full of exciting moves.

Alan Dzagoev, Russia, CSKA Moscow

The tricky attacking midfielder caught the eye of the public after netting two quality goals on the tournament’s opening day. He was subject to strong interest from Arsenal and Tottenham, who were reportedly lining up £10m bids to contend with Inter Milan and Juventus for his signature, however his club have told him that he won’t be allowed to leave this summer.

Michael Krohn-Dehli, Denmark, Brondby

The Danish winger looked dangerous during the group stages and scored a vital goal against Holland to give them the win. Last season he plied his trade in his domestic league, however he has expressed an interest in joining former Denmark legend Michael Laudrup at Swansea. The club are believed to be eager to secure his services, and it’s likely he will be playing in South Wales next year.

Theodor Gebre Selassie, Czech Republic, Slovan Liberec

Another player who was playing in his homeland last term, Gebre Selassie became the first coloured player to pull on the Czech Republic shirt, and his performances certainly did him justice. Teams in the lower half of the Premier League were interested; however he has signed for German side Werder Bremen, and will join fellow Czech stars Petr Jiracek and Vaclav Pilar in the Bundesliga.

Mario Mandzukic, Croatia, Wolfsburg

Mandzukic scored some impressive goals despite Croatia being placed in a difficult group involving the two eventual finalists, and deservedly has earned himself a move to German giants Bayern Munich. It will be interesting to see whether or not he can dislodge Gomez from the starting eleven and become a regular for them, as he was probably the better of the two Marios in Poland/Ukraine.

Jordi Alba, Spain, Valencia

The marauding left back just about pipped Portugal’s Fabio Coentrao to the left back spot in the Team of the Tournament, scoring a fantastic goal in the final against the Italians. The ex-Barcelona youth product only earned his first cap in September of last year, and has come a long way since then, earning a return to his previous club as a replacement for Eric Abidal.

Robert Lewandowski, Poland, Borussia Dortmund

Four of England’s largest clubs are keen on securing the signature of Polish talisman Lewandowski, who has won successive Bundesliga titles with Borussia Dortmund in the previous two years. Chelsea and Tottenham are both reportedly interested, however Arsenal and Manchester United are extremely eager to add him to their squad, and he could well be playing in red next season.

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Club by club – Barclays Premier League 2011/12

Posted on May 17, 2012 | 6 Comments

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Manchester City lift their first ever Premier League trophy. (Photo: Getty Images)

The 2011/12 season has been debatably the best one yet in the Barclays Premier League, with countless twists and turns throughout, and Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City side ultimately lifting the trophy. Here I will analyse each club’s fortunes over the course of the season, and name their season’s hero on the pitch, and their most disappointing player.

Arsenal (3rd) – Star Man: Robin van Persie – Flop of the Year: Park Chu-Young

Despite missing midfield maestro Jack Wilshere for the duration of the season through injury, Robin van Persie’s goals lifted out of a few dips in form and helped them to secure a spot in the Champions League group stages. They will need to keep van Persie this summer and strengthen in key areas if they want to challenge the two Manchester clubs next term – the early signing of Lukas Podolski suggests that Wenger won’t be afraid to dip his toes into the water during the transfer window.

Aston Villa (16th) – Star Man: Barry Bannan – Flop of the Year: Charles N’Zogbia

A dreadful season for the Midlands club which saw Alex McLeish sacked the day after the final game. Charles N’Zogbia was signed to replace Ashley Young who left for United, however the French winger offered precious little in the way of goals and assists. The injury to Darren Bent proved to be devastating, and Agbonlahor couldn’t fill the goalscoring void left by him.

Blackburn Rovers (19th, relegated) – Star Man: Junior Hoilett – Flop of the Year: Simon Vuckevic

The arrival of new owners brought a sense of optimism, however their promises of becoming a club capable of contending in Europe were broken within weeks, as Blackburn struggled in the relegation zone for most of the season. Two men shone for the Rovers however – Canadian winger Junior Hoilett, and robust forward Yakubu – who netted 17 times despite his team’s misfortunes.

Bolton Wanderers (18th, relegated) – Star Man: Kevin Davies – Flop of the Year: Marvin Sordell

A poor season in terms of results was overshadowed by a traumatic event, as Fabrice Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest during their cup match against Tottenham. The absences of Chung-Yong Lee and Stuart Holden through long term injuries left them without their main creative outlets, and they produced little for the fans to cheer about throughout the season. However, all involved with the sport are delighted that Muamba is on the road to recovery, his wellbeing far more important than Bolton’s failures this season. Such an incident really does put football into perspective – it certainly isn’t a matter of life and death.

Chelsea (6th) – Star Man: Juan Mata – Flop of the Year: David Luiz

Chelsea’s fortunes were varying. In the league, they slipped out of the European places with manager Andre Villas-Boas getting the sack, however they beat Liverpool in the FA Cup final, and will face Bayern Munich in the final of the Champions League under the temporary stewardship of Roberto Di Matteo – a game they must win to participate in the competition next year. Juan Mata had a successful first season at the Bridge, and Drogba showed his worth with some crucial goals towards the end of the campaign.

Everton (7th) – Star Man: Marouane Fellaini – Flop of the Year: Tim Cahill

David Moyes continues to deliver on Merseyside despite being given little financial backing. Smart acquisitions such as Nikica Jelavic, and the return of Steven Pienaar on loan, bolstered the team’s creative options and helped them to finish above their local rivals Liverpool. Their star player of recent years Tim Cahill had little luck this term however, failing to live up to expectations in front of goal.

Fulham (9th) – Star Man: Clint Dempsey – Flop of the Year: Bryan Ruiz

The appointment of Martin Jol boosted Fulham, and star performances from their talismanic forward Clint Dempsey drove them up the table – there will surely be interest in him this summer, and Fulham will need to replace him or they’ll face a struggle next year. Pavel Pogrebnyak’s scoring record since joining in January was another highlight, while high profile signing Bryan Ruiz failed to live up to expectations, showing merely a few flashes of brilliance in a very inconsistent season for him.

Liverpool (8th) – Star Man: Martin Skrtel – Flop of the Year: Stewart Downing

Despite their Carling Cup victory and FA Cup final appearance, this season was disappointing for Liverpool, mainly because of individuals failing to perform. Expensive and relatively new signings Andy Carroll, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing all failed to impress, with Downing managing neither a goal nor an assist in the league despite featuring a lot this season. On top of this, Luis Suarez was a constant figure of controversy and his wrongdoings surely had adverse effects on his team’s season.

Manchester City (1st) – Star Man: Vincent Kompany – Flop of the Year: Aleksandar Kolarov

All of the investment has finally paid off for Sheikh Mansour – his City side have at last lifted the Premier League trophy. It most likely set him back around a billion pounds to achieve, but neither he nor anyone associated with the Sky Blues will care about that. Sergio Aguero’s last gasp goal on the final day of the season snatched the title from the hands of their local rivals in the most dramatic of manners. Defensive warrior and captain Vincent Kompany deserves a lot of credit for their terrific season, his goal was the difference when the two sides met a few weeks earlier.

Manchester United (2nd) – Star Man: Antonio Valencia – Flop of the Year: Javier Hernandez

Pipped to the title by City on the final day, United endured a rare trophyless season this year. However their points total would have been sufficient to win the league in a typical term, and fans should be proud of their team’s achievements. Their highlight was undoubtedly inflicting an 8-2 defeat over Arsenal at Old Trafford, however the 6-1 home defeat to Manchester City was surely a low point for the supporters. Paul Scholes’s return from retirement sparked new life into an uninspiring side midway through the season, but it wasn’t enough to retain the title.

Newcastle United (5th) – Star Man: Tim Krul – Flop of the Year: Gabriel Obertan

Alan Pardew led his Magpies to an excellent 5th placed finish this season, and they were in contention for a Champions League spot even on the final day. The signing of Demba Ba proved to be a masterstroke in the first half of the season, and Pardew brought in another Senegalese forward, Papiss Cisse, from Freiburg in January. He picked up where Ba had left off, finding the net 13 times in his 14 league appearances, including a wonder strike against Chelsea.. Goalkeeper Tim Krul deserves a mention, being the star of their extremely resilient defence early on in the season.

Norwich City (13th) – Star Man: Grant Holt – Flop of the Year: James Vaughan

The Canaries were widely tipped to struggle this season, however they impressed fans and neutrals alike in finishing 13th. Paul Lambert’s men relied heavily on their aerial presence, with the majority of their goals being headers from the likes of Grant Holt and Steve Morison, and midfielder Anthony Pilkington made the step up from League One Huddersfield to net 8 times this season. They will be hoping that ‘second season syndrome’ doesn’t haunt them next season, and that they can establish themselves in the Premier League for years to come.

Queens Park Rangers (17th) – Star Man: Clint Hill – Flop of the Year: Shaun Wright-Phillips

The newly promoted London side were hoping for a dream start to a new era under Tony Fernandes’s ownership, however their big spending reaped little rewards – acquisitions such as Shaun Wright-Phillips, Luke Young and Joey Barton looked to strengthen the squad hugely, however they seemed to disrupt the winning mentality which helped them to the Championship title the previous year. Perhaps they would have had more success had they stuck with that side, instead of making drastic changes as they did.

Stoke City (14th) – Star Man: Jonathan Walters – Flop of the Year: Wilson Palacios

A mixed season for Stoke – they started well, with a typically excellent defensive record at home, and were very resilient. However their lack of goals, only 36 all season, prevented them from finishing higher than they did. No team scored fewer times this term than the Potters, and despite the summer signing of Peter Crouch, they lacked firepower throughout the season. Pulis will need to dip into the transfer market and acquire at least one new attacking player if he wants his side to improve on this season’s relatively poor showing.

Sunderland (13th) – Star Man: Stephane Sessegnon – Flop of the Year: Ahmed Elmohamady

After an awful start to the season under Steve Bruce, Martin O’Neill took the reins at Sunderland and guided them to a respectable 13th. He turned to Stephane Sessegnon as the answer to their lack of cutting edge and deployed him as a lone striker, despite him being regarded as an attacking midfielder; however he produced the goods for them in the second half of the season. O’Neill also took a gamble on young Irish winger James McClean in January, who showed his flair and creativityin abundance, netting 4 times in the process.

Swansea City (11th) – Star Man: Michel Vorm – Flop of the Year: Wayne Routledge

The first Welsh team to participate in the Premier League did their nation proud this term, playing their attractive brand of football, and picking up excellent results in the process. Danny Graham was prolific, having been top scorer in the Championship for Watford in the previous season. However the man who kept Swansea going in the final months was the Icelandic midfielder on loan from Hoffenheim, Gylfi Sigurdsson. His creativity and set-piece ability was crucial for the Jacks in the latter stages of their season.

Tottenham Hotspur (4th) – Star Man: Scott Parker – Flop of the Year: Steven Pienaar

Spurs started the season with great promise, and maintained their place in 3rd for numerous weeks on end. At times they looked like they could genuinely challenge the Manchester clubs for the title, however the speculation surrounding Harry Redknapp’s future unsettled everyone at the club, and they slipped behind Arsenal in the table and were made to settle for fourth. On the bright side, they have  a chance of playing Champions League football once again next year, and Redknapp will remain at the helm with Roy Hodgson named as England manager.

West Bromwich Albion (10th) – Star Man: Youssouf Mulumbu – Flop of the Year: Paul Scharner

The Baggies managed a hugely impressive top half finish under the stewardship of Roy Hodgson, and their counter-attacking brand of football produced some impressive results. The centre-back pairing of Olsson and McAuley with Ben Foster between the sticks was as sturdy as West Brom fans have seen at their club in recent years. Unfortunately for them, Hodgson has left to coach the English national side, so there may be changed to the way the team operates next season depending on who replaces him.

Wigan Athletic (15th) – Star Man: Victor Moses – Flop of the Year: Hugo Rodallega

A few weeks before the end of the season, Martinez’s side looked destined to end their seven  year stay in the top tier. However a masterful change of tactics, which saw the Spaniard deploy a 3-4-3 formation with wing backs, saw them rise out of the relegation places. Victories over Arsenal, United, Liverpool and Newcastle all within the space of just over a month, ensured the side from Greater Manchester would once again play in the Premier League next season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (20th, relegated) – Star Man: Steven Fletcher – Flop of the Year: Roger Johnson

Wolves’s season can be summed up pretty well by the affairs of their marquee signing, Roger Johnson, this season. He signed for a fee of around £7m in the summer, failed to impress on the pitch, and was left out in the cold after turning up to a training session drunk. Manager Mick McCarthy was sacked, and things only became worse from there. They failed to appoint any one of the managers they had targeted, and Terry Connor stepped up from his coaching role to lead the side. There was to be no fairy tale ending for Connor, and Wolves finished bottom.

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