A player long linked with a move to the Premier League, rumours have surfaced in recent weeks that suggest Emenike is attracting interest from Arsenal and Tottenham. Despite only transferring to the Turkish giants last summer, speculation around the 27 year old refuses to go away. The forward, considered one of the Super Eagles‘ star players, is expected to start once again against Argentina this afternoon.
Emenike has cemented his position in manager Stephen Keshi’s starting eleven in recent years. After several seasons languishing in South African football, Turkish side Karabukspor gambled on the forward and he hasn’t looked back since. The Nigerian has thrived since moving into European football and has been on the move several more times, with a two year spell at Spartak Moscow sandwiched by stints at current club Fenerbahce.
Arriving at the World Cup, much as expected of Emenike but it took until the second match of the tournament for the 27 year old to get going. Conspicuous by his absence against Iran, the forward posed a constant menace to the Bosnian and Herzegovinian defence who simply couldn’t handle the 27 year old’s dangerous combination of pace and power. Emenike supplied the cross in that game for the Peter Odemwingie’s winner.
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Despite his stature, the forward is more than capable of occupying the wide roles as well as the central striking duties. The 27 year old clearly loves to run with the ball at his feet, so far averaging 5.5 dribbles per game at the World Cup. In 23 starts at Fenerbahce this season, the Nigerian managed a healthy return of 12 goals.
Having only recently re-signed with the Turkish giants, the rumoured price tag will likely prove a serious stumbling block for any side interested in the forward. At the age of 27 too, Arsenal and Tottenham will probably conclude that there are better alternatives on the market. But if Emenike continues to impress rather than frustrate with Nigeria this summer, it wouldn’t be a surprise if a move to the Premier League presented itself sooner rather than later.
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defender Jan Vertonghen has admitted that his side must start Premier League games better if they want to finish in the top four this season.
The north Londoners were beaten 4-2 by Chelsea on Saturday at White Hart Lane, with the Blues going into half-time 1-0 up.
The Belgian international has stated that it has been the case that Andre Villas-Boas’ men have started poorly on a number of occasions this term, and that they must come out of the blocks running from now on.
“At home we seem to play better after half-time. We need to think about how to put two strong halves together,” he confessed to The Sun after the Chelsea defeat.
Vertonghen also came to the defence of under-fire defensive partner William Gallas, who found the going tough against the current Premier League leaders on Saturday.
“William is our captain and an important player.
“He always wants the best for me, even though we are both centre-backs. I really appreciate him,” he concluded.
Andre Villas-Boas has also admitted that his side are disappointed after losing a 2-1 lead, but that they would bounce back with positive results in the near future.
“Everyone is disappointed because we wanted to go nearer to the top and this was a good chance to bring them down, but we have 30 more games ahead of us and we have to be focused and ready for them,” he told the club’s official website.
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“We have to bounce back from adversity and improve our results again.”
Joe Cole has revealed it was difficult turning down his old manager Harry Redknapp at QPR before opting to sign for West Ham.
Cole, 31, completed his move from Liverpool to Upton Park on Friday morning, signing an 18-month contract with Sam Allardyce’s side.
The former England international midfielder broke onto the Premier League scene at West Ham under Redknapp, who handed him his debut in the top flight, aged just 17, after spending four years at the club’s youth academy.
And Cole had the chance to reunite with Redknapp at a struggling QPR side during this January transfer window, but while he admits he owes a lot to Redknapp, he says he could not resist the opportunity to return to his boyhood club.
“That was the hardest thing for me,” Cole explained to London 24, “because Harry gave me my first chance and I will be forever indebted to him, but there was too much here at West Ham for me to say no.
“The only hard thing was turning down Harry because I love him and I would not be the player I was if it wasn’t for him.”
Hammers boss Sam Allardyce feels the former Chelsea man can now push on at Upton Park and force his way back into the England set-up.
But Cole, who has 56 caps for his country, is concentrating on regaining form for West Ham first.
“I need to get playing first, and probably will need three or four matches to get back to top level,” he said.
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“I will always harbour those ambitions because I love playing for my country, but it will be down to performance.”
Arsenal’s crucial 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at the weekend came courtesy of a double from summer signing Santi Cazorla, which will have gone a long way to helping the club keep their hopes of clinching a top four place alive after a terrible week which saw them all but crash out of two cup competitions, but should he be contributing in such a fashion on a much more consistent basis?
Back-to-back defeats saw the Gunners crash out of the FA Cup to Blackburn at home despite dominating the game and lose in midweek to Bayern Munich 3-1 in the Champions League which puts their chances of qualification for the next round in some serious doubt, so in terms of maintaining their fragile confidence during a pivotal time as they chase a top four place, even though the win was in a nervy manner, the result was more important than the performance against Paul Lambert’s relegation strugglers.
The two goals took Cazorla’s tally to a healthy 11 for the season from 27 games in the league, but as perhaps the team’s most standout performer in terms of natural talent, aside from Jack Wilshere, you are often left with the sense that he should still be doing a lot more than his six assists testify. He could best be described as more of a decorator than a dictater of play, and is he simply a consequence of his environment that requires more help for him to truly flourish?
In his 27 league outings to date this campaign, the diminutive Spaniard has created 65 chances, completed 87% of his passes and hit the target with 53% of his shots. In what can only be described as an altogether deeper-lying role than he performed while he was in Spain, firstly with Villarreal and then Malaga, not to mention the Spanish national side, Cazorla has nominally played out wide as part of a four-man midfield or as one member of a three-pronged attack from either the left or right flank, but Wenger has him sitting deeper and trying to get on the ball more and effect play.
Nevertheless, against top quality opposition this season, Cazorla has flitted in and out of games far too much for what that role demands and he can often be found playing well within himself, failing to get the tempo going to the sort required to see Arsenal at their best. This is not some youngster we are talking about either, but a 28-year-old, experienced professional with over 40 caps at international level.
It may be a somewhat casual comparison to make, simply because they are all from the same country and are seen as creative fore-bearers for their respective sides, with a heavy emphasis on them to instigate moves, but when you highlight the impact that both Juan Mata and David Silva have had in the past, Cazorla comes up short, even if in terms of natural ability he is comparable and is he simply the latest in a long line of mentally fragile big money buys from Wenger?
In his second season in England, Mata, four years Cazorla’s junior and in equally as inconsistent a side in Chelsea, has managed to create 64 chances in 25 league appearances, assisting nine goals in the league, 22 across all competitions and taking his goal return to 17 for the campaign, 10 of which have come in the league.
Meanwhile, 27-year-old Silva was absolutely integral in helping Manchester City to the league title last season and despite battling with injuries this season, and never quite getting up to full speed, symptomatic of the rest of Roberto Mancini’s side in that respect, he has still managed to create 73 chances for his team-mates in 24 games, with seven assists.
When Silva plays well, so do City and the same can be said of Mata at Chelsea but there must be a worry that Cazorla’s influence is somewhat more fleeting, even if it can still occasionally hit the same heady heights. It’s been suggested that both Silva and Mata are capable of making the step up in the future to one of the big two in Spain, Barcelona and Real Madrid, whereas when Cazorla was available in the summer, neither really pursued his signature, despite his outstanding season at Malaga, which speaks volumes of the standing he is held in and he noticeably dropped off in form and struggled after the international break earlier on in the season.
Alongside his double against Villa, his winner against Sunderland showed that Cazorla is starting to understand the responsibility he must take on within the side. They are under increasing pressure to secure that top four place for a 17th successive season or run the risk undoing all of their progress off the pitch by being unable to compete for the best players in the summer when Financial Fair Play is introduced from their platform of the Europa League. It is absolutely pivotal for their long-term plan that they make fourth this term.
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From a purely statistical standpoint, Cazorla has had an exceptional first season in the Premier League, but as one of the senior heads of the side, he needs to maintain his undoubted influence across the ninety minutes, particularly in games of importance, because when he does get himself more involved, he is a match-winner and he can’t let himself, like so many of his team-mates, wilt under the pressure. It may be demanding to ask more of a clearly excellent player, but he has an extra gear, the sort that neither summer signings Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski possess, and the technical ability to win games on his own, which he is finally starting to show, albeit intermittently.
As he adapts more to the demands of the top flight, the fans in turn need to demand more of a player capable of becoming their talisman. Wenger may be best served pushing him further forward so that he can do more damage in the final third as the season goes down to the wire, but the extent to which he maintains his form will determine, perhaps more than any other individual player in the Arsenal squad, whether they are ultimately successful in their quest for a top four spot this season.
Perhaps still overcoming the loss of Luis Suarez, Liverpool have endured a difficult start to the 2014/15 campaign.
Indeed, they’re currently 14th in the Premier League following defeats to Manchester City, Aston Villa and West Ham, whilst the Reds’ Champions League ambitions took a hit last night as they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat, courtesy of FC Basel.
Brendan Rodgers is struggling to find the formula and the new signings are yet to fill Suarez’ almighty void as a collective. It could take another spending spree in January for the Anfield boss to rescue his club’s season.
And just in case B-Rod is short on a few ideas, here’s FIVE super-signings that could get Liverpool back on track.
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GONZALO HIGUAIN
Liverpool signed two strikers this summer but Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli are both struggling to adapt to Anfield life, netting just one Premier League goal between them in Daniel Sturridge’s injury absence.
According to the tabloids, Brendan Rodgers is convinced he needs another front-man and has resultantly targeted Napoli star Gonzalo Higuain:
The Argentina international is rarely discussed as a member of Europe’s striking elite but he left Real Madrid with a fantastic goal-record and has maintained that proficiency in Serie A:
Here’s a look at the striker’s Top Ten goals for the European Champions:
The 26 year-old is yet to get off the mark domestically this season but he’s remained an integral component in build-up play, as shown below:
This assist against Sassuolo last weekend particularly stood out:
Higuain would certainly add further quality to Liverpool’s forward line, and The Express claim Napoli are already lining up a replacement in Porto striker Jackson Martinez.
Potential transfer fee:£30million-£40million
PACO ALCACER
A significantly cheaper alternative to Gonzalo Higuain could come in the form of La Liga trailblazer Paco Alcacer, commonly mooted as a target for Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs:
The 21 year-old striker has been in lethal form so far this season, as shown below:
And that proficiency in front of goal has earned Alcacer a place in the Spain set up, with Vincente del Bosque using the international break to grant the Valencia starlet his competitive debut.
Here’s a look at the young front-man in action:
Alcacer’s contract includes a £15million release clause, leading one Spanish publication to dub him ‘the bargain of Europe’.
Indeed, the January window could witness a continent-spanning bidding war for Alcacer’s services, and Liverpool would be wise to get in the action. But Los Che plan to bump up their prodigy’s buy-out fee to a borderline-insane £40million.
Potential transfer fee:£15million – if Alcacer’s release clause is raised, he’ll be staying with Valencia.
SAMI KHEDIRA
Steven Gerrard has struggled at the anchor of midfield this season and in truth, the Liverpool captain has always lacked the discipline – with and without the ball – for that role.
The Reds need another holding option and according to the tabloids, that could be Real Madrid enforcer Sami Khedira:
A Champions League and World Cup winner, the 27 year-old is considered to be one of the leading midfielders in world football. Here’s a look at the Germany international in action:
A player of such quality may seem outside Liverpool’s reach right now following their subdued start to the season, but Khedira is yet to extend his current contract at the Bernabeu, which expires in the summer.
Carlo Ancelotti claimed in August that the 6 foot 3 midfielder’s future wasn’t in doubt. But he’s made just two substitute outings so far this season and unless Los Blancos secure new terms for Khedira, Liverpool – and his many other suitors – will test their resolve in January.
Potential transfer fee: £9million-£15million.
VICTOR VALDES
Simon Mignolet’s performances have come under criticism of late – Gary Neville and Steve McManaman even found holes to pick in his attempt to save Phil Jagielka’s wonder-strike at the weekend:
Indeed, the Belgium international certainly seems out of his depth on occasion and Liverpool’s qualification into next season’s Champions League could well depend on better performances between the sticks.
With that in mind, rumours speculating goalkeeper Victor Valdes could be on his way to Anfield are not hard to find:
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The 32 year-old is currently a free agent after leaving Barcelona in the summer, where he amassed six La Liga titles and three Champions League titles as the Catalans’ No.1. Here’s a collection of the Spain international’s best ever saves:
Currently in search of employment, Liverpool can offer the former Nou Camp shot-stopper a contract at any time. But he left Barcelona with an ACL injury and will likely be some way off match fitness.
EZEQUIEL LAVEZZI
Another January signing that would significantly bolster Liverpool’s firepower is Argentina international Ezequeil Lavezzi, linked with an Anfield switch by a number of online sources:
The 29 year-old was a potent performer at former club Napoli and has likewise provided an important contribution to the Parisians’ escapades over the last two seasons, as detailed below:
But he’s reportedly fallen out of favour with Laurent Blanc this season, having started just two Ligue 1 fixtures out of a possible five. Resultantly, it’s believed Lavezzi is eying a move away in January.
Capable of playing out-wide or centrally, boasting stereotypical south American flair and famed for his industriousness of the ball, the PSG forward could well be the natural replacement to Luis Suarez Liverpool struggled to find this summer. Here’s a look at Lavezzi in action:
His contract expires in 2016 too, so January would be a wise time for PSG to sell before the former Serie A star’s value begins to depreciate.
Ipswich Town yet again failed to put in a good performance when fellow strugglers Peterborough United came to Portman Road on Saturday.
If the Tractor Boys were playing against a better side then it could have been another thrashing but thankfully the visitors were just as poor as the home team.
I have no idea what the Ipswich defence were doing when Lee Tomlin broke into the box. No matter how many times I watch the goal I can’t work out how they managed to let Tomlin have so much space to shoot. Ipswich did not even have a shot on target in the first half and if it wasn’t for Peterborough’s equally poor play then Ipswich would have never got back into the game. Perhaps the away side will feel like they could have won the game as Mick McCarthy’s side never looked like winning it.
Peterborough are mine and probably everyone else’s favorites to be relegated. The fact that Ipswich looked second best to a team destined for League One worries me greatly.
We can perhaps forgive the team for getting thumped by teams like Leicester, Blackpool and Crystal Palace because they are decent sides, but when they get showed up by the divisions weaker sides we have to draw the line and say that it is completely unacceptable.
You have to look at the likes of Lee Martin and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas who get paid above average wages for those at Championship level and think what do they do to deserve those wages? Of course it is unfair to just single out two players but they are two prime examples of players that look like they don’t even care about their careers, let alone Ipswich’s league position.
Thankfully, Lee Martin’s contract is up in the summer so he will either be leaving or he will be signing a new contract on lower wages. I know a lot of fans think he has the potential to set the Championship alight but personally I would not have a problem with the club letting him go, even if it is for nothing. Yes he did win us a penalty and yes he may have the occasional good run of form once a season where he looks like one of our best players, but that is not really enough to justify having him around. With a bit more consistency I would consider him an average player at this level but nothing more than that. Most of the time he looks uninterested and it is a shame that he is letting what talent he has go to waste.
In fairness the same could be said for Jay Emmanuel-Thomas as the tricky winger has been far from his best this season. JET has always lacked consistency and even more importantly lacked composure in the final third of the pitch. It is exciting to see the former Arsenal player’s fancy footwork, weaving in and out of defenders to break into the box, but his inability to provide a decent cross or shot really lets him down.
Sometimes you get the impression that JET is really fired up for the game and defenders panic any time he gets near them. However once the winger knows he has a regular place in the team he starts to slack off, losing his enthusiasm and flair. Recently he has started on the bench and looks more up for games when he eventually does come on but why should we keep a highly paid player at the club who can never maintain a regular starting role?
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Like I mentioned before, these two players are not the only ones failing to pull their weight but they summarise the kind of players that are at Ipswich. If they don’t even care about their own careers then the club has no chance of getting the best out of them. January can’t come soon enough, hopefully McCarthy will get the money to bring some real footballers into the club.
As Steve Davis approaches the anniversary of his first year in charge of Crewe Alexandra, the 47 year old manager will sit down in front of an audience of fans this coming Friday to answer questions in a rather refreshing interaction between supporters and management. Likely to be the agenda will be the future of the club, potential transfer targets, the use of the money garnered from sales of Nick Powell and Ashley Westwood in the summer and Davis’ longevity in the face of reported interest in his services from Burnley.
Burnley have seemingly avoided Davis, opting for ex-Watford man Sean Dyche, but as loyalty becomes an increasingly deteriorating commodity in football, the future of the young manager remains a pertinent question following a hugely impressive first year dabble in league management; 10 defeats in 44 games is the record and one that will post his name on the shortlists of clubs with a vacancy to fill, just as long as it takes him to put pen to paper on his proposed new deal.
An offer of a fresh 18 month contract for the talented manager is yet to be signed despite Davis’ vocal claims that he wishes to remain in South Cheshire and speculation will remain until it is all cleared up. Supporters are likely to bring that up on Friday evening as Davis, who hopes to, in his words, “take Crewe as far as he can take them” begins to face queries on that particular plan as the Alex begin to stall on the pitch.
Friday’s grilling will occur on the eve of an FA Cup tie with Wycombe Wanderers at Gresty Road which, if nothing else, offers a chance for Crewe to gain confidence from a welcome distraction from league duty. Consistency however, has been a huge issue so one would expect a result to be another false dawn following yet another disappointing defeat, this time at home to Yeovil, in the aftermath of a promising home win over Swindon Town. Crewe have failed to register back-to-back league victories this season that has yielded 6 defeats, 5 draws and 4 wins, an erratic run of results that appears echelons away from last season’s 20 match unbeaten run that ensured promotion. Such stuttering form provides a macrocosm for Davis away from Friday’s Q and A as he faces questions on the field and has yet to find answers.
Any optimism built from Tuesday’s unexpected victory over Swindon was quickly and effectively extinguished by a clever Yeovil outfit that embodied Gary Johnson’s wealth of experience of lower league football. A frustrated Steve Davis accused the Glovers of reverting to physical, long ball play, but such assessment would have been harsh to a team that utilised two clever, quick wingers, Keanu Marsh-Brown outstanding on the right hand side, and proved a strong counter-attacking outfit.
Yeovil passed the ball well in-fact, around a midfield that struggled to get to grips with possession. In the absence of the injured Abdul Osman, Ollie Turton toiled in a performance reflective of his inexperience while Luke Murphy also struggled to make his mark on the game, unfortunately failing to build on his excellent performance on Tuesday night.
The warning signs were there before Byron Webster swept home from a corner for the game’s only goal, Paddy Madden headed a cross from Sam Foley into the net only to see it ruled out for offside as Yeovil prevented the Alex from getting the ball down to play their natural passing game. Byron Moore and Chuks Aneke were denied by Marek Stech but they were both weak efforts as Crewe’s attack too often petered out with minimal effect.
Mathias Pogba endeavoured up front alone but appeared isolated in his struggles to hold the ball up. Davis rightly bemoaned the absences of Ajay Leitch-Smith and Max Clayton in attack but would have expected a more telling contribution from the likes of Aneke, a casual player becoming far too much of a luxury and Michael West, who in the manager’s post-match words, was completely off the pace. The winger was withdrawn in the latter stages for Brendan Daniels as Crewe improved, but it was all to late as Yeovil’s rearguard action forced the home side to run out of ideas and deservedly returned back to Somerset with a relatively comfortable three points.
Crewe will argue misfortune at times where the ball just didn’t fall kindly, but the harsh reality was that the tally of chances, two Aneke shots and a half-volley from Pogba that cleared the bar the most notable, were counted on one hand. Davis, by reports, cut an angry figure after the whistle sounded, locking his players up for an elongated period before verbally dressing down the referee’s assessor. A more calculated, calmer view was offered later in which he vowed to look at changing personnel and bringing players in which is clearly needed in a week that will bring a lot of Qs the manager’s way. It is up to him, as he tries to prove his loyalty in the run up to the one-year mark of a mightily successful reign so far, to find the As.
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With nearly half of the season gone already in the top flight, every team is readying itself for the busy and potentially decisive festive period, which can often make or break any European hopes any respective club may secretly harbour. But with both the Manchester clubs seemingly assured of Champions League football again next term, what about the other hopefuls, such as Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, Everton, Newcastle and Arsenal? Let’s take a look and assess their chances.
Last season, Chelsea’s success by triumphing in the most unlikely of circumstances saw them clinch the final qualifying place despite only finishing 6th in the Premier League, cruelly relegating Tottenham to the Europa League. After all, as Liverpool fans experienced after their shock success back in 2005, it’s difficult to call it the ‘Champions League’ when it doesn’t have the defending champions in it and along with Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United, England had its four representatives, who, by and large, most people would have predicted prior to the season beginning, even if the route was somewhat convoluted this time around. This season, though, the race for a top four place looks wide open and several teams stand a reasonably good chance of gatecrashing the party.
The fact that so many of the top sides are currently in a period that they would term as ‘transition’ means for the first time in recent memory, there could be two places up for grabs in the top four, with only Sir Alex Ferguson’s and Roberto Mancini’s sides good enough to string a consistent run of form together at the moment, despite their obvious deficiencies and each and every challenger has gone through a period of rotten form already.
Chelsea currently sit in third in the league table at the moment, but a ten-point gap has slowly but surely opened up behind United and they’ve slipped well off the pace, long before the deeply unpopular Rafa Benitez ever stepped through the door at Stamford Bridge. The team’s blistering start was unexpected, yet they lack leaders throughout the team aside from the traditional and much-maligned ‘old guard’ and they look brittle at the back when put under any sort of pressure.
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They became the first defending champions to crash out at the first hurdle in mid-week despite hammering Nordsjaelland 6-1 at home, with the damage already done under Di Matteo and the disappointing 2-2 draw at home to Juventus proving costly. They are currently on a run of seven games without a win in the Premier League and the struggles of Fernando Torres up front refuse to go away, with the spectre of Falcao looming large. Nevertheless, the sheer amount of quality that they have within the squad should mean they are there or thereabouts by the end of the term and they always retain the ability to strengthen heavily in January should they need to, and you suspect they just might to try this route to success again in the hope of reviving a flagging campaign.
Arsenal produced a stunning comeback in form towards the back end of last season from February onwards, overhauling a huge lead that their north London rivals Tottenham had on them in the process on their way to third place, but a repeat performance looks unlikely at best at the moment. They’ve qualified for the Champions League during the past 15 consecutive seasons under Arsene Wenger, a tremendous run which he deserves credit for, but without someone like Robin van Persie to lead the line, they look short of not only confidence, but quality in several key areas and they look unlikely to extend it to 16 seasons in a row this year.
My tip for the top four this season was Tottenham and I’ll stand by that given the progress the team is currently making under Andre Villas-Boas, particularly given the sheer pace of change at the club over the past few months. While they are a flawed outfit, prone to capitulation, they look capable of stringing together a run of results more than most of their rivals for a top four spot. It’s imperative that they keep Moussa Dembele fit, though, for without him, they lack energy and conviction in the middle of the park, while they could also do with a new centre-half in January, but they finally appear to be hitting their stride and look set to make the top four for the second season running for my money.
Another team with an outside chance of making the grade is Everton, who happen to be going through their own patch of sticky form right at this minute, which has seen them draw seven of their last nine league games, winning just one. After a fantastic start, the traditional slow-starters have seemingly gone about their season in reverse and there’s a sense that they’ve failed to capitalise when the going has been good to establish themselves while others around them have floundered. They are still just three points off the pace and Tottenham in fourth place, but draws against the likes of QPR, Norwich and Wigan, not to mention the late equaliser they conceded against Fulham and their recent defeat to Reading could come back to haunt them further down the line. They are only one Marouane Fellaini injury away from their hopes being ended, and while they remain a solid, organised and increasingly attractive outfit to watch, their inability to grind out results and keep clean sheets could cost them dearly.
Their Merseyside rivals Liverpool are another team deemed with an outside chance of making the top four this season under new boss Brendan Rodgers and there’s evidence that slowly but surely they are adjusting to their new style of play with some success. They currently sit in 11th, but just seven points behind Tottenham in a tightly-congested table and their recent nine-game unbeaten run pointed to progress being made. The dampening of expectations around Anfield this summer, coupled with the fact that they are relying heavily on inexperienced youth players and are overly-reliant on Luis Suarez means they are not the best organised to make the step up required. The return of Lucas Leiva from injury should see them finish in the top eight, possibly even top six, and the club’s fans would have taken that at the start of the season; they are building towards a genuine challenge within a couple of years, but for the moment, it may have come too early for them and they need to remain realistic.
Finally, we move over to Newcastle, a side that’s failed to live up to expectations under Alan Pardew this season and one which is struggling with their own variant of second-season syndrome. With such a small squad, every injury and suspension has been keenly felt, while the lack of investment in the summer was tantamount to gross negligence; a needless tightening of the purse strings at the precise time when they needed to be loosened. The balancing act of European and Premier League football has proven too much to handle for them this season and they look set for a campaign of mid-table obscurity, which is a deeply disappointing follow-up performance to their fantastic breakthrough last year.
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If I had to stick my neck out on the line and predict the top four by May, coincidentally, it would look exactly the same as it does now, with Chelsea and Tottenham joining the sure-fire bets of United and City. The increasingly competitive nature of the top flight has made predicting the Champions League spots harder to predict than ever, with Swansea and West Brom also worthy of a mention after their early season form, but over the course of a long campaign, the teams with the most money will gradually edge ahead, with Arsenal’s decline creating the conditions for which another club can now steal a spot.
It’s far from sown up yet and Everton still stand the best shot out of all the remaining contenders if you ask me, but it’ll prove exceedingly difficult for the likes of Newcastle and Liverpool to come back after their slow starts. Clinching a top four spot is still considered the Holy Grail in England, with Arsene Wenger even ranking it above winning the League Cup, but with 23 games of the campaign left and such an open race, it promises to deliver a few twists and turns yet – the flawed nature of all the usual suspects practically guarantees it.
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It might seem to outsiders that Celtic’s league campaign was business as usual in Glasgow but the Hoops actually had one of the best league campaigns in Scottish football history, racking up an incredible 99 points and 102 goals. This is in contrast to last season when they only managed 79 points.
While improving on domestic league consistency was one of Neil Lennon’s stated aims at the start of the season many fans were left disappointed when Lennon’s men were dumped out of both the Scottish Cup and League Cup. The fans live in a microcosm of football where anything less than a double is frowned upon.
It was a disappointing season in Europe too after failing to recreate those special nights in 2012/13 on their way to qualifying for the UEFA Champions League knockout stages.
In this roller coaster of a season, we count down on who fired the Bhoys to glory and who left the Celtic support scratching their heads in frustration.
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21. Derk Boerrigter
Appearances (Sub): 8 (15)
Goals: 1
Yellow Cards: 0
Red Cards: 0
Derk Boerrigter arrived last Summer from Ajax as one of Neil Lennon’s key signings ahead of another tilt at the UEFA Champions League. Quoted as costing anywhere between £1m and £3m, most Celtic fans wish he’d stayed on the injury tables in Amsterdam than using the ones in Glasgow.
Having a notorious injury record in his home country, he arrived claiming to the Scottish press he was no ‘sick note’ only to be sidelined by injury a day after that interview.
Appearances were few and far between after and when he did play he didn’t look like he had much to offer the Scottish Champions domestically, never mind in Europe.
20. Amido Balde
Appearances (Sub): 3 (21)
Goals: 3
Yellow Cards: 0
Red Cards: 0
Another Summer signing last year, Amido Balde has not shown any of the promise he did in the Portuguese Primeira Liga the season prior.
The description of ‘raw’ Neil Lennon used to describe the striker on his arrival proved to be accurate, he is by no means the finished product.
Despite scoring 3 goals coming off the bench, it perhaps says it all that the highlight of his season was a goal in a Turkish friendly tournament during the Winter break. Will we see more of that or will he leave quietly in a loan deal back to Portugal?
19. Beram Kayal
Appearances (Sub): 13 (7)
Goals: 1
Yellow Cards: 3
Red Cards: 0
Once touted as the next big thing in the Celtic midfield, it’s been a few years since the Israeli truly excited the fans in the stands in Glasgow.
Struggling to cement his place in the side over the emerging Nir Biton or unnatural midfielder Charlie Mulgrew has led to speculation that this season might be his last in green and white.
If it is, he at least left with one memorable goal in the Champions League this season, his goal allowing victory over Ajax in the group stages.
18. Liam Henderson
Appearances (Sub): 4 (4)
Goals: 1
Yellow Cards: 1
Red Cards: 0
Liam Henderson would likely be much higher in this list had his cameo this season not been so late in the day. A product of Celtic’s state of the art Lennoxtown facility, the 18 year old has impressed fans and pundits North of the border even this early in his career.
His crowning moment was undoubtedly the assured finish that sent Celtic on their way to clinching the title against Partick Thistle, his first senior goal.
It’ll be interesting to see if he can lay a marker down as someone Neil Lennon can turn to on a regular basis next season. One to watch.
17. Darnell Fisher
Appearances (Sub): 10 (3)
Goals: 0
Yellow Cards: 2
Red Cards: 0
Another youth that broke through the ranks this season was 20 year old Darnell Fisher. After injuries to Mikael Lustig and Adam Matthews, Neil Lennon trusted the young Englishman enough to step up and become a starting right back.
He didn’t disappoint, his pace and eye for a cross evident in the 10 league starts he made. It’s only because of the quality of the likes of Lustig and Matthews that he didn’t feature more.
There’s been reports he’s out of contract this Summer and wherever he plays next season be it at Celtic or back in England, he definitely has a bright career ahead of him.
16. Teemu Pukki
Appearances (Sub): 16 (16)
Goals: 7
Yellow Cards: 2
Red Cards: 0
Teemu Pukki arrived from the Bundesliga last Summer as arguably Celtic’s biggest signing. The Finn has had a difficult time with glimpses of quality usually drowned out by runs of mediocre outings.
Neil Lennon has stuck with the striker though, perhaps feeling that his lack of impact this season is down to adapting to life in Scotland and a lack of confidence more than his ability.
He divides Celtic fans with many writing him off already and many thinking he’s shown enough to at least have another chance next season. It looks likely he’ll get that chance regardless of their views and there’s a good chance he can been Celtic’s most improved player next campaign.
15. Georgios Samaras
Appearances (Sub): 23 (10)
Goals: 10
Yellow Cards: 6
Red Cards: 0
Ah Georgios. The enigma. The flamboyant. The frustrating. No player in recent years has had a more interesting journey at Celtic Park than the big Greek. Once derided, then worshipped, his last season in a Celtic shirt seemed to be a summary of his previous 5.
With his contract up it seems certain he’ll leave but he managed to score on his last appearance against Dundee United. He burst into tears, the emotional moment proving that Celtic will always be in his heart and that he too will always be in the hearts of Celtic fans.
If only he was more consistent, he could have been a Celtic superstar.
14. Stefan Johansen
Appearances (Sub): 14 (3)
Goals: 2
Yellow Cards: 4
Red Cards: 0
Stefan Johansen has only been at Celtic since the end of January but has already become an integral member of the Celtic squad.
When Joe Ledley moved to Crystal Palace many worried that Celtic’s midfield would regress further after the departure of Victor Wanyama last Summer. The Norwegian eased those fears impacting with a series of man of the match performances and posing the question “Joe who?” in the minds of the Celtic fans.
If Celtic are to compete in Europe next season, Johansen will be a massive part of that. It was shrewd business to capture the Norwegian player of the year for only £2m or so. Is he the next big talent coming out of Glasgow? Time will tell.
13. Leigh Griffiths
Appearances (Sub): 11 (3)
Goals: 7
Yellow Cards: 3
Red Cards: 0
Griffiths arrived at Celtic Park in January and it’s fair to say the reaction of the fans amounted more to “Really?” than “Wow!”.
However, it was always clear the Edinburgh lad was going to bang in goals and bang them in hard.
He has proved that to be true and now looks like Celtic’s next great hope for goals after Gary Hooper moved down South.
There are serious question marks about his attitude and behaviour off the field and the greatest barrier to having a successful career in Glasgow looks to be the man himself.
If he sorts that out, there’s no stopping him.
12. Nir Biton
Appearances (Subs): 11 (9)
Goals: 0
Yellow Cards: 0
Red Cards: 1
The pick of last year’s Summer signings is this man, Israeli Nir Biton. The internationalist had a fine season in the Hoops, slotting deep into the midfield.
He didn’t find a regular position in the side until December but when he did, he made his mark, performing consistently well into February on Celtic’s long winning run in the league.
Had he not received a groin injury he probably would have made another 8-10 appearances. Regardless he looks destined to feature heavily next season and will be key in giving the side defensive steel in Europe.
11. Adam Matthews
Appearances (Sub): 26 (4)
Goals: 1
Yellow Cards: 3
Red Cards: 0
Adam Matthews is one of the best young wing backs in Britain. I’m firmly a believer that he could be a fine English Premier League player at a mid table side.
The Welshman had a frustrating season by his standards, unable to shake off niggling injuries throughout.
When he did play he excelled with excellent tackling, blistering pace and the eye for an end product. It looks likely he’s staying at Celtic for another Summer and at 22, still has plenty of time to improve and improve. If I was an English club I’d be very interested.
10. James Forrest
Appearances (Sub): 21 (6)
Goals: 7
Yellow Cards: 1
Red Cards: 0
Forrest is another player who hasn’t managed to hit the heights of his ability due to injury this season. This is something which is starting to become regular with the 22 year old and there are concerns within the Celtic support that injuries might define his Celtic career.
However, his impact this season, especially in its early stages cannot be denied. He was the man who sent Celtic into the Champions League group stages with his crucial last minute winner seeing off Shakther Karagandy in the playoffs.
Also scoring in the group stages vs Ajax, there’s no denying James Forrest still has a bright future ahead of him. Next season could be a massive one for him, can he realise the potential he’s shown for years now?
9. Mikael Lustig
Appearances (Subs): 23 (7)
Goals: 2
Yellow Cards: 2
Red Cards: 0
Mikael Lustig is a machine, a Terminator. Relentless, unstoppable, conquering. Seeing him cover Celtic’s right flank is a joy. You could spend 90 minutes watching him alone.
He would have been a player of the year contender had he not bowed out of the season in December for surgery. Up to that point he was a key player in Europe and absolutely demolishing all opponents domestically. The fact he keeps the fantastic Adam Matthews out of the team more often than not speaks volumes. Celtic are blessed to have two right backs of such quality.
He also scored a goal of the season contender away to Hearts in the Scottish Cup that was the pick of a 7 goal haul that should be youtube’d right now.
8. Charlie Mulgrew
Appearances (Subs): 37 (3)
Goals: 6
Yellow Cards: 9
Red Cards: 0
The utility man. It’s easy to overlook Charlie Mulgrew’s impact on Celtic because he performs a number of roles. This season it has been mostly in midfield. Football purists might sneer at a central defender stepping into the middle of the park but he hasn’t looked out of place.
Perhaps in Europe Celtic need a more dynamic performer, such as the previously mentioned Johansen but domestically Charlie has excelled sitting deep and spreading passes across the park.
He suits Celtic and Celtic suit him, with his set piece capability also a big danger for the opposition it looks like Neil Lennon will rely on him in years to come.
7. Emilio Izaguirre
Appearances (Subs): 46 (0)
Goals: 0
Yellow Cards: 8
Red Cards: 0
Lustig and Matthews on the right, Izaguirre on the left. He lives up to their standards and then some. The 2011 player of the year recaptured the form of his debut season in Scotland to have one of his best campaigns yet.
Skilful, intelligent and quick, he’s probably more of an asset in attack than defence. This is highlighted with 9 assists, third in the squad behind Stokes and Commons.
He recently gave an interview stressing how happy he and his family were in Glasgow so it looks like those big money moves talked about a few years ago may never come to fruition. If he keeps playing like he has this season, that’ll keep the Celtic Park faithful very happy indeed.
6. Scott Brown
Appearances (Subs): 49 (0)
Goals: 4
Yellow Cards: 8
Red Cards: 1
The captain and leader of Celtic had a fine season in the Hoops. When Brown arrived at Celtic there were some who balked at his £4m price tag, a stick used to beat him for a number of years.
It’s clear by now, at least to me, that ‘Broony’ has paid back that fee with his contributions. The making of him was becoming club captain and every year since he has improved.
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The team are noticeably sluggish and lacking without him in the team. It may be that his presence has more of an effect on the team than his ability as a footballer. This was highlighted in the Champions League campaign, his red card against Barcelona ruling him out for a number of crucial games, Celtic didn’t look like the same team.
5. Efe Ambrose
Appearances (Subs): 51 (1)
Goals: 3
Yellow Cards: 5
Red Cards: 0
Nobody made more appearances this season than the somersaulting Nigerian Efe Ambrose. This is a testament to his consistency and the partnership he has formed with the imperious Virgil van Dijk.
That’s 2 standout seasons he has had now and looks like being a fixture in the Celtic defence for years to come.
Heading to the World Cup with African champions Nigeria, he also has one of the best celebrations in football. If he scores in Brazil expect the celebration to be better than the goal.
4. Anthony Stokes
Appearances (Subs): 40 (4)
Goals: 21
Yellow Cards: 4
Red Cards: 1
When Gary Hooper left last Summer there were many wondering where the goals would come from. Anthony Stokes had a difficult year the season prior and many doubted he could step up and be counted.
He hit back with possibly his best season as a Celtic player. He matched his overall goal tally of 2011/12, 19 coming in the league, and pitched in with 11 assists.
After recently signing a new contract and with his Griffiths partnership looking tasty the next step for the Irishman is being effective in Europe. Can he bring his form onto the big stage? The jury is out on that one but with his determination you wouldn’t put it past him.
3. Fraser Forster
Appearances (Subs): 51 (0)
Goals: 0
Yellow Cards: 1
Red Cards: 0
La Gran Muralla, The Great Wall, that’s what the Spanish press call him after his exploits in the Champions League. A pretty good nickname to have as a goalkeeper and he lived up to it this season.
The big Englishman broke all sorts of records this season, ones that have stood for decades and decades. He quite literally became a part of Celtic and Scottish football history.
He eventually made it to 1,256 minutes of football without conceding when a Jonny Hayes goal, unstoppable by anyone’s standards, whistled past him up in Aberdeen.
Should Joe Hart make his inevitable mistake in Brazil (I’m Scottish OK), then England have a goalkeeper in Forster that is ready to take on the best and excel, he’s done it already many times.
Will he move on this Summer? It seems likely. If he does he’s leaving big boots to fill both in size and stature.
2. Virgil van Dijk
Appearances (Subs): 45 (2)
Goals: 5
Yellow Cards: 4
Red Cards: 1
The credit for Celtic’s clean sheet record this season can’t all go to Forster. This man arguably had as big a part to play.
The Hoops waited near on a decade for a player as good as this in the centre of defence. It’s a position that eluded Celtic scouts for years until they found Ambrose and then they found van Dijk.
Strong, confident, skilful, strong, strong, strong. There’s no getting away that van Dijk is destined for leagues bigger than the Scottish Premiership. He scores goals too… volleys, headers, free kicks.
Need I go on? He is the best footballer in Scotland by a distance, but one man had a bigger part to play this season…
1. Kris Commons
Appearances (Subs): 44 (4)
Goals: 32
Yellow Cards: 4
Red Cards: 0
Kris Commons had his best season as a Celtic player, his best season as a footballer and likely one which will never be repeated in his career such was its standard.
Scoring an incredible 32 goals from midfield is the marquee stat that highlights that. It doesn’t tell the whole story though because he created and contributed to a lot more of Celtic’s goals and generally was the man that kept the Hoops ticking all year.
Yes Stokes hit 21 but it was Commons who filled the considerable hole left by Gary Hooper. His goal against Karagandy in the Champions League playoff was voted goal of the season by the Celtic fans and he picked up the club and the PFA Player Of The Year awards.
He’s an incredible performer and one again who is vital if Celtic can become competitive in Europe again. Can Celtic use him in the right way that allows him to bang them in against top level opposition?
Liverpool hero Ray Houghton believes that his old club will make in two top four finishes on the spin this season despite losing Luis Suarez.
The Reds secured a long awaited return to European football’s top table last term as they finished second after mounting a shock title push.
Although dreams of a first ever Premier League crown were crushed late on at Anfield, few have denied that 2013/14 was a success on the red half of Merseyside as the club made sure that the new season will be the first one since 2009/10 that they feature in the Champions League.
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Since then they’ve lost talismanic striker Suarez – who hit 31 league goals during the last campaign – but almost £100m has been reinvested in top talent such as Lazar Markovic, Dejan Lovren and Adam Lallana.
Some have suggested that with Manchester United looking to bounce back Liverpool may fall out of the top four, but Houghton has faith in his old club:
“Yes, for me they will (finish in the top four).” He told talkSPORT.
“They may be below Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal and Man United in the bookies’ eyes, but I don’t see it that way at all.
“They’ve got a much stronger squad than last season. Sure, they’re just missing a key ingredient in Luis Suarez, but they’ll still be very competitive.
“I think it’ll be less about how many goals Liverpool can score – we all know what the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Rickie Lambert can do – and more about how they can defend over the course of 38 games.
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“Liverpool have bought well this summer, the signing of centre-back Dejan Lovren from Southampton in particular, and they needed to because they need more depth for the Champions League.
“But the bottom line is they need to defend better, that’s where they were found out last season.”