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 mid-July in the summer transfer window of 2011. England international Stewart Downing has just come off the back of a superb Barclays Premier League season, in which he played all 38 games for Aston Villa, notching up seven goals and nine assists in the process. A model of form and consistency, a £20million transfer to Liverpool beckoned in a move that seemed overpriced, but perhaps sure to pay dividends.
What a difference a year makes. Over twelve months on, the fate and fortunes of both player and club have taken several tumultuous bumps along the way. A term of bludgeoning underachievement and extraordinary mediocrity has seen Brendan Rodgers ushered in to start a new era. But while the club look to be turning the page, it is Downing that seems to be stuck in the last chapter.
But despite the woes that the ex-Middlesbrough man is enduring and the seemingly endless amount of negative press that he receives, there’s still the capacity to breathe new life into his faltering Anfield dream. It’s time for Downing to go back to basics and rediscover the kind of form that saw him build his reputation at Villa Park.
As the book was closed on the short-lived second coming of Kenny Dalglish in Merseyside, there seemed to be several defining elements that have come to serve as some kind of motif. The image of Dalglish standing with a brooding Andy Carroll after divulging £35million particularly sticks out, as does the now unsavory incident with the Luis Suarez t-shirts of support. But perhaps the one with the most longetivity, has been the enduring image of Downing himself.
Nobody should ever read too much into statistics, but with Downing, the temptations have always seemed a little too much to resist. His figures for the Premier League season 2011-12 read: played 36, scored zero, assisted zero. Even though Downing notched up a couple of goals in the FA Cup, was denied by the post and bar on more than one occasion and still grafted hard for his side, the stats tell a very damning story indeed. For some, the abysmal end product from such an overinflated acquisition represents a fitting tribute to all that’s been wrong on Anfield over the last two years.
And it’s been a hard stigma to shake. As last season rumbled on, it felt as if his lack of attributable contribution to the team became a sinister stick to hit him with and as such, both his game and his confidence seemed to go to pieces. Liverpool fans could atone for his difficult period of form, but what did become hard to accept, was his inability to even harness the bread and butter of his game. Despite anything else, supporters expected Downing to produce his trademark consistent delivery, even if other parts of his game weren’t all there. At times, he struggled even to produce that.
But as the Fenway Sports Group called time on Dalglish’s reign as manager, you could have mistaken Downing for thinking that a fresh direction of management could bring him a change of fortunes. Yet the appointment of Brendan Rodgers has looked ominous for his prospects.
The Ulsterman’s preferred style of play in his 4-3-3 set-up doesn’t particularly cater for a traditional winger in the mould of a Downing. They must have more of a cutting edge to their game – a higher level of craft, a real sense of tactical awareness and an unremitting work rate. So far this term, Rodgers has preferred the duo of Fabio Borini and the excellent Raheem Sterling as his widemen and as the side have began to forge their own identity, Downing has been left in the cold.
Worse more, after a couple of frustrating appearences against West Brom in the Capital One Cup and Young Boys in the Europa League, Downing has come in for a degree of critique from his new manager.
Speaking last week, Rodgers warned his winger that he must work harder if he wants to remain a Liverpool player:
“The big challenge for him now is that commitment to the cause to fight, because he has the qualities. He has a wonderful left foot but what is important is that it is more than talent.
“Talent alone is not enough. You have to work hard, you have to fight for the shirt. We have seen that in a number of the young players and if you don’t do that then longer-term you won’t be here. It is as simple as that really.”
Rodgers comments represent perhaps the first public wake-up call to his faltering winger. The ex-Swansea man isn’t afraid to give younger players who he feels are talented enough and hungry enough, the opportunity to play under his stewardship. The message was loud and clear and it’s now or never for Downing if he wants to give it a go.
But there is still a chance to turn his fortunes around and Rodgers seemingly offered an olive branch to Downing in his concession that he’d be willing to give him a chance at left-back. And if he does, it’s one that the ex-Boro man has to seize with both hands.
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Because the basics of the game, the talents on which his success have been built around, can still be an asset to this team. That trademark swinging delivery from the left and his cultured left foot can do damage from anywhere on the pitch and a switch to full-back wouldn’t change it. He is disciplined enough to do it, as Rodgers pointed to during his stint there in Middlesbrough’s 2006 Uefa cup run. A renewed exhibition of his talents could see him persuade Rodgers to even reinstate him higher up the pitch.
But he has to make his move now. Liverpool are metamorphosing at rate of knots now under Rodgers and he won’t have any qualms about leaving Downing behind if he has to. Life has been tough for him in his first season and the expectation has been something he’s never previously experienced. But if he gets his chance, it’s time to go back to basics and step up to the plate. If not, he could be staring at a January exit.
Does Downing have a future at Anfield? Follow @samuel_antrobus on Twitter and let me know if Rodgers is right to contemplate a move to full-back for the ex-Middlesbrough man.
Manchester United maintained their six point lead at the top of the Premier League with an easy win over Sunderland at Old Trafford.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s men have led the table at Christmas in each of the last three seasons and showed no mercy in dispatching the relegation threatened Black Cats to secure their place at the top of the tree this year.
Martin O’Neill, who saw his side beat Reading on home turf on Tuesday, will be dreading the hectic festive period after recoding just three victories in their last 25 games and sit just a point above the relegation zone.
There were no surprises when United took a deserved lead in the 16th minute. Ashley Young tormented Carlos Cuellar and Sebastian Larsson on the left before his cross deflected off former Red Devil John O’Shea and fell to Robin Van Persie, who controlled and finished with aplomb.
It was game over three minutes later as Tom Cleverley doubled the home sides advantage, exchanging passes with Michael Carrick and bending a sumptuous effort past Simon Mignolet from just inside the penalty area.
Wayne Rooney could have made it three before half time with a volley that flashed wide of the target before the visitors sparked into life with James McClean testing David De Gea with a low shot.
Substitute Conor Wickham forced another save out of De Gea, as did a deflected McClean strike, but any hopes of a comeback were ended just before the hour mark when Van Persie tiptoed into the box and squared for Rooney to tap in.
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Despite that goal settling the contest Sunderland continued to search for a consolation and were finally rewarded when United old boy Fraizer Campbell rose to head home Stephane Sessegnon’s cross in the 72nd minute.
Wickham came close to setting up a tense finish but was thwarted by De Gea again as Ferguson’s charges made it five top-flight wins on the trot.
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.
Raheem Sterling’s electrifying Premier League debut against Manchester City conjured one of the most incredible atmospheres ever witnessed at Anfield. His pace, trickery and desire to impress raised fans to their feet as he dominated proceedings down the left flank, teasing the country with a glimpse of his much publicised potential.
The emergence of Sterling has disguised a somewhat indifferent start to Liverpool’s season, much in the same way that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain gave Arsenal fans a glimmer of hope last year. The importance of gifting youngsters the opportunity to shine is an incredible undervalued managerial trait, especially as it seems to raise morale drastically and inspire the experienced professionals to raise their own standards.
With this in mind I have collated a collection of talented individuals who should be awarded the creative freedom to strut their stuff in front of an enthusiastic audience. If little else it will further disprove Alan Hansen’s theory that “you can’t win anything with kids”
Click on Suso below to reveal the top ten
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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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