We’re in to the business end of the season and both Aston Villa and QPR appear to finally be doing the business in the Premier League having won their respective fixtures last weekend.
It’s a real relegation six-pointer at Villa Park this afternoon, though, and nothing less than three points is a must for both sides as relegation looms dangerously over them.
The last three top-flight meetings between them have ended in score draws, while QPR go in search of a third consecutive win in the Premier League for the first time since March 1995 and Villa haven’t won consecutive league matches for 67 outings.
QPR: Cesar, Samba, Hill, Park, Jenas, Remy, Bosingwa, Fabio, Zamora, Townsend, Mbia
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It seems years ago now, well in fact it was years ago, but Kieran Richardson’s loan move to West Brom back in 2005 proved to be one of the most genius pieces of Premier League business in the history of the competition. The former Manchester United youngster was in lethal form and at times appeared to be keeping the Baggies up single-handed. At the end of the season, West Brom avoided relegation with much of the plaudits going to their young loan signing.
The English top flight is littered with youngsters just waiting for a first-team opportunity and the chance to make a difference at a smaller club in order to stake a claim for a first team spot back at their parent club.
We don’t have room to tell you all of them, so here is a collection of the Top 15 Premier League youngsters that clubs should consider loaning in January that would be beneficial to both parties.
So click on Tom Carroll and see if any of our starlets catch your eye
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It’s easy to come away from Arsenal’s win at Liverpool with a lot of optimism for the near future. It’s also easy to paint over any good work done by the club this summer with a black brush due to the high-profile departures. But so far, it’s hard not to find some form of understanding with Arsene Wenger’s thinking going into the season.
The obvious area to address was how the club would replace Robin van Persie’s 30 league goals from last season. Considering that Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski have come in from other countries and may need some time to adapt, it might be a fair assessment to say the club have moved sideways rather than forward. If, however, van Persie had remained at the club this season, Arsenal would look a much stronger side with ambitions that could match those further up the league table.
It’s not that Giroud or Podolski are bad players, but where’s the depth? Where’s the cushion to fall back on when your new recruits don’t hit the ground running? It was also brought up recently that Arsenal are in fact in the same position as they were last season with regards to their strikers; if Giroud is injured or out of action for any length of time, do the club really want to rely on Marouane Chamakh?
But I think it’s interesting to see that Arsene Wenger is making the most of the resources he has to him, both in terms of cash and playing personnel.
Santi Cazorla’s signing this summer was a masterstroke. It hardly needed the match away at Liverpool to tell that this is one of the most technically gifted and creative midfielders in all of Europe. But instead of raising the question as to why other big clubs didn’t go after him, rather look to the excellent eye for a bargain by the Arsenal manager. While clubs in the Premier league are looking for reinforcements in England, Wenger has found a real magician in a foreign league for a bargain price. I don’t think anyone could argue that Cazorla isn’t good enough for any club in the world. His versatility, calmness in the midfield and status in European football is such an incredible boost to Arsenal.
The loss of Alex Song certainly prompted many to expect an arrival of a similar player on transfer deadline day, and it would be foolish to suggest there wasn’t some degree of disappointment in Arsenal’s failure to strengthen or replace in that area. But what has been really pleasing to see is Arsenal’s lack of reliance on a genuine holding or defensive midfielder. Sure, I recently flagged up that area as a position of weakness even with Song in the team, but the combination of Mikel Arteta and Cazorla really add something different.
While trying very hard not to get carried away, Arsenal’s midfield—whether you want to include Diaby as the consistent third in the midfield trio—look to use their strength of awareness, ball retention and calmness under pressure to combat the loss of an Alex Song figure in the side.
I made the point recently that Arsenal looked like they were attacking with 11 players but defending with only 10. It was clear that Alex Song’s desire to get further up the pitch left a huge gap in the midfield for the opposition to exploit. Now, it seems like there is a real hunger from these current midfield players to help one another out and take up their defensive responsibilities. It would, however, be foolish to assume this Arsenal team could sail through the season without a real defensive midfielder. But it does appear that Wenger has a lot of faith in Francis Coquelin to fill in that role where needed, while Diaby—provided he can stay fit—will feature in the bigger and much more open games.
As I said, it’s important not to get carried away with this Arsenal side following their impressive win at Anfield, but it is clear that the squad is short of a few bodies. Attacking and at both full-back positions could prove to be a problem going forward: Arsenal are never far from a long term injury to a key player.
But Steve Bould has arguably been one of the signings of the season, as the new assistant manager has surely played an enormous role in helping the club to three league clean sheets in a row—two of which featured the third choice keeper.
It’s more of a frustration that the club didn’t do what they could to ensure this team could challenge for the title this season. But away from that, the versatility of a few members in the squad—namely Cazorla, Podolski, Gervinho and Oxlade-Chamberlain—leave this Arsenal team deceptively strong.
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Key members have departed the club this summer, but at least Wenger has completed some very exciting and clever moves during the window.
Piers Morgan set the bait and Chelsea fans were all too ready to bite. The controversial Twitter user’s post on Eden Hazard prior to kick off last night drew an angry tirade of criticism from a number of supporters.
While many users focused on the inclusion of Fernando Torres, Morgan decided to concentrate his attention upon the midfielder who has only recently been named the PFA Young Player of the Year. Despite having tweeted a tongue-in-cheek criticism of the Belgian before, Morgan’s latest comments on Hazard still managed to generate the desired response.
Overrated or not, Hazard was ultimately powerless to prevent Chelsea from exiting the Champions League at the semi final stage last night.
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West Ham have been given a boost in their bid to sign a central midfielder as target Dejan Stankovic has been released by Inter Milan, as reported by Sky Sports.
The Hammers were rejected by Italy international Massimo Ambrosini this week who has joined Fiorentina but boss Sam Allardyce is keen to tie down Stankovic on a one year deal.
The Serbia international has seen his time at Inter disrupted by injuries but the 34 year old still won five Serie A titles and one Champions League medal.
West Ham midfielder Gary O’Neill rejected a new contract at the club and so the Hammers are keen to plug the gap on the middle of the park before turning focus on signing another striker.
“I don’t know if I can find the right words to say goodbye and to thank you properly for everything you have given me, your affection, your trust and your honesty,” wrote Stankovic in a letter to fans on Inter’s official website.
“The last ten years have been the best of my life. I have grown both as a man and, with immense joy, as a footballer.”
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Kieron Dyer has praised manager Mark Hughes for believing in him after finally making a successful Premier League appearance for Queens Park Rangers.
The England international had made only three appearances for the London club with none of them lasting longer than 30 minutes.
Yet on Sunday the 33-year-old completed 87 minutes against Tottenham Hotspur and reminded everyone of the qualities he possesses which have helped him to 33 England caps, during an injury plagued career. Speaking to The Independent Dyer said: “I played 60 minutes in midweek and 90 today, so I’m getting minutes under my belt.
“I haven’t missed a training session this season and been available for every game so things are going great for me. I haven’t played regularly for four years, so hopefully, I’m still classed as a 28-year-old and not a 33-year-old.”
The former Newcastle United man saw his season finished in just seven minutes last term, getting injured in that time period during QPR’s opening day defeat to Bolton Wanderers.
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“At the start of last season it was just a freak injury when my studs got caught in the ground and my foot gave way. Since the new staff came in, the manager and the medical team have been brilliant with me,” he added.
Tuesday will see Kenny Jackett celebrate five years in charge of Millwall. How ironic that he will celebrate it away at the club he spent his playing career, Watford too.
Jackett joined Millwall with the club in a dire situation, in the dregs of League One and seemingly heading to League Two, and if they went down, they weren’t coming back for a long time.
Jacket’s first game was away to Altrincham in the F.A Cup and looking at the team we have now compared to that game is astonishing. The likes on Marcus Bignot, Ahmet Brkovic and Will Hoskins. Now we have Liam Trotter, Darius Henderson and James Henry.
The Lions stayed up by the skin of their teeth that season, it was now Jackett’s time, make the team his own.
He certainly did that!
The likes of David Forde and Jimmy Abdou were brought in, plus James Henry on loan. These players excelled, Millwall were big by name in the division, but not by finance, Forde and Abdou were major signings for the team and they were both free transfers, a masterstroke by Kenny. They may have lost in the Play-Off final that season, but Jackett was still in the building process.
Kenny pulled off some shrewd business yet again, Jack Smith, Liam Trotter and Darren Ward all brought in on frees, then came the pivotal signing, Steve Morison, a punt from non-league that came off in a big way!
Yet again the Lions were on a small budget, their rumored transfer budget for the summer of 2009 was 75K. Kenny was a miracle worker once again in the transfer market.
Many expected the Lions to struggle, but narrowly missing out on the Play-Offs was the spirited final finish, this was down to a great passion and togetherness, oh, and Steve Morison.
But then came Kenny’s biggest challenge.
Morison left for the gravy train of the Premier League and Norwich City, leaving ‘Wall with about 20 goals missing from their side. Jackett made some mistakes but they were rectified in January, the signings of Shane Lowry and Andy Keogh, plus the signing of Harry Kane on loan kept the Lions up, and Keogh only cost 200k from Premier League Wolves….
After a 6-0 defeat to Birmingham City last season, the Lions were applauded off the field. This was a turning point, the fans trusted Kenny, and we knew he could do it.
Jackett is the seventh-longest serving manager in English football, and no wonder. He’s played to the strengths of the club, built a strong powerful team, and look at the players, Darius Henderson, proven goalscorer, free. Liam Trotter, Premier League potential, free. Danny Shittu, a real ‘wall rock at the back, free.
Need I go on?
Kenny is the most underrated manager in the division, he got a team from the bottom six of League One to the outskirts of the Play-Offs to the Premier League, he’s never mentioned for jobs, he’s seen as unfashionable by other clubs, I don’t mind, an underrated club and manager get along very well, its hard to imagine KJ manage another club despite his previous success at helping turn Swansea into the attractive club they are today.
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One thing that has already stood out for me with Kenny is his professionalism. Millwall fans found out Jackett’s father died a couple days after the Play-Off final, when in real fact, he sadly passed away in April, he only told a few of his coaching staff but not the players, until after the final whistle at Wembley, for some reason this just always stuck out in my mind.
In a time of managers chopping and changing Kenny is a shining light in Championship football.
Lets raise a glass to five years to Kenny, here’s to many more!
Despite a miserable few years for Liverpool, Brendon Rodgers is confident the club can finish in the top four this season and return to Champions League football.
The former Swansea boss can’t wait to get going, but fully understand the pressure that the Liverpool job brings with it.
“I’ve said right from the off I want to make us as competitive as we can possibly be,” The Liverpool boss told Sky Sports.
“The challenge at the top of the table is greater than ever. Now there are seven or eight teams involved but the top four is certainly not something we’ll shy away from.
“It’s where a club of this status wants to be but it’s always easier said than done and the reality over the past three seasons or so hasn’t been that.
“Our job is to try to push on. There has been a lot of work done over the last few years to try to get the club back into the top echelons of the league so we are hoping to do that.”
“There has been a lot of change and a lot of work going on and of course every manager wants patience but the reality of football means that’s not the way it works,” he added.
“The challenges are great and the pressures at this level are great.
“There is a long way to go for us. We will be better next year than we are this year because there will have been more time to work with the players and they will have adapted more to my methods.
“But all we can do is retain our focus and concentration to improve how we play and, more importantly, to be effective.
“A system or style is not very good if you’re not winning games. You have to win matches.
“Your principles are based on the players you have and hopefully over the next number of years we will be able to bring in certain types which allow us to play a certain way.
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“Until that moment comes the players are working tirelessly and relentlessly to improve their game and get results and at this early stage it is very promising for them.”
Raheem Sterling has his supporters. In part it’s owed to the general lack of hope for England going into this World Cup, while the rest is made up from the continued shameless hyping of young players.
What isn’t being taken into account as we near England’s first game against Italy is tactics – and if there are a few mutterings of such a concept, they’re being kept quiet and well away from the majority opinion.
Raheem Sterling deserves to be at this World Cup following the excellent half-season he had with Liverpool. He’s earned the right to be part of Roy Hodgson’s squad, but let’s not mistake a merited place for entitlement into a starting XI.
The 19-year-old has been picked for his form with Liverpool; we don’t know what he’ll be like at a major international tournament – the biggest in fact, due to its setting. What would be a positive is Sterling going out and justifying his place in the team, justifying all those who are demanding his inclusion in the XI to face Italy.
Sterling is an exciting player. Forget what he can do against opposition players, he’s the type of player who lifts supporters. He’s quickly become a symbol of hope for a nation who don’t really have much to lean on in the build up to this tournament. Wayne Rooney? Most are now disillusioned and unconvinced.
But what if Sterling comes up short? What if he falls flat and becomes yet another built-up England player to disappoint on the big stage? I’m not hoping for any of that, which is why I don’t see the point in all the commotion. Isn’t it enough that Hodgson has picked Sterling in a youth-heavy squad? If he makes it onto the pitch in Manaus, either starting or as a sub, it will be because the coach has been suitably convinced himself that Sterling should be involved.
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So let’s do away with the hype and exclamations of youthful exuberance. Let Sterling’s performances do the talking. It’s easy to forget that this is a player who doesn’t have a full season of high-level consistency under his belt. He did well this past season from Christmas up until the end of the campaign, and also for brief spells under Kenny Dalglish. There’s been nothing sustained over a period of 38 games yet.
For the player himself, this is an unbelievable opportunity to prove that he belongs, that he wasn’t just riding the feel-good wave at Anfield last season. I don’t doubt his talents. I am, however, sceptical and a little wary of the responsibility being forced Sterling’s way. Youth and naivety will do a lot for the nerves, but the clamour for his inclusion won’t be lost on the 19-year-old, and with it the responsibility becomes real and the weight that much heavier. This tournament will be good preparation for the next for the younger members of the squad, but is it wise to lay so much at the feet of young players?
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For now, Sterling is an option for England and Hodgson. He’s an option because his skills and talent haven’t been refined to the point where he’s an established star. He’s an option, unlike the big names in the Spain team, or the way Brazil are leaning on Neymar for inspiration. Sterling is an option because England don’t have a defined way of playing; despite his reputation for the conservative, we’re not entirely sure how Hodgson will set his team up in Brazil. England aren’t a team who can dominate others, so shifting tactical focus game by game makes sense.
Above all, this is an exciting opportunity for a youngster to play at a World Cup in Brazil – and I think many have forgotten that. Fans should ride alongside Sterling in the event he enjoys a positive tournament, but the key should be in letting him find his feet in an unfamiliar international environment.
Arsenal were sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League not long ago but we now enter March with them four points adrift and only in second place because teams below them have games in hand.
Arsene Wenger will no doubt blame Stoke’s physicality and the referee for his teams defeat today, but the Gunners failed to threaten the Stoke goal enough to cause real problems.
But why have Arsenal slipped? Has the pressure grown on them? Are the fans demanding too much? Let’s take a look.
Lack of January transfer business
Wenger is renowned for keeping his hands in his pockets during the transfer window but surely this January was the time to spend.
Top of the table, still in the Champions League and FA Cup – why not go out and buy some quality?
A striker was a must and their reliance on Olivier Giroud is evident, but another centre back and a winger would have been nice too – Only one man to blame here surely?
Losing their bottle
Today proved that Arsenal have not got the same steel as Chelsea and Manchester City when it comes to battling for a scrappy result. Arsenal don’t seem to do scrappy. Unfortunately for them you cannot win every Premier League game playing free flowing football and their lack of adaptability in pressure games has been their undoing.
Supporter’s expectation
A group of Gunners fans were calling for Arsene Wenger’s head after an opening day defeat to Aston Villa, but after the signing of Mesut Ozil that quickly died down. Again the fans made their feelings clear when Arsenal were booed off after drawing at home to champions Manchester United last month – so surely they need to lower their expectations? The Gunners fans celebrated finishing fourth like they had won the Champions League last season so what has changed?
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