[Top 5] Players of the Year 2012/13: The Wingers/Attacking Midfielders

Next, the Top 5 Wingers and Attacking Midfielders of Premier League Season 2012-13!

Click here for my article, on football-talk.co.uk

Photo: 2.bp.blogspot.com

PFA Player of the Year: My Top 5

A Dutchman, a Uruguayan, a Welshman, an Englishman, a Spaniard, and a Belgian.
Who will win the PFA Player of the Year?

Check out my list on football-talk.co.uk!

Photo: football365.com

[Videos] Top 5: Crazy Red Cards Featuring Van Persie, Hazard & More

Sendings off; sometimes necessary, sometimes not so much...and sometimes, downright crazy! Peruse my Top 5 crazy red cards in the EPL on football-talk.co.uk for a chuckle!

Pic: vogulsoccermastery.com

Spotlight on Rafa: How Chelsea Have Performed Under the ‘Dead Man Walking’

 

 

Following Chelsea’s nail-biting victory against Arsenal on Sunday, Rafa Benitez now has 17 matches as boss under his hefty belt following his appointment as ‘interim’ manager at the end of November. With tension in and around Stamford Bridge showing little signs of abating, can Benitez hold up the stats and argue to have been harshly treated by the Chelsea faithful so far?

 

Upon taking the role, Benitez knew that expectations could be whittled down to read: ‘Challenge for all honours whilst guiding us into the top three, and get the best out of Fernando Torres’.

 

With the fans refusing to back the man charged with rescuing their season, it was only ever going to be the results that would change opinions.

 

Under the Spaniard, Chelsea’s season can fairly be compared to a ‘Big Drop Tower’ rollercoaster ride from the fairgrounds. Reaching lofty heights in one spell, only to come sliding dramatically down the next; Chelsea’s puzzling inconsistency is far from what is expected.

 

 

 

Scoreless draws at home to Manchester City and then Fulham saw Benitez’s start to life in blue begin with a nervous shuffle rather than a sprint. A catastrophic meltdown against West Ham saw only an increase of the Chelsea fans’ enmity, and the 16^th minute of every game was now an homage to the fallen Roberto Di Matteo. Benitez’s presence on the bench was seen with as much dissension as a slug on a crisp lettuce leaf.

 

 

 

Yet there was hope of a revival after the 6-1 crushing of Nordsjaelland in the Champions league, with Torres on the score sheet, even though other results saw Chelsea crash out of the competition. Yet with the ignominy of becoming the first holders to relinquish their prize in the group stages, coupled with losing the World Club Championship final against an average Corinthians unit; Benitez’s Chelsea CV was looking worse and worse with each passing week.

 

Minor resurgences are wholly common during this season for the Blues. The 8-0 demolition of Aston Villa, coupled with big wins away against Southampton and Leeds in the cup gave fans real optimism. But they proved to be false dawns with results such as last week’s 2-2 draw at home to Southampton, a bitter pill considering that they held a two goal lead at the break.

 

 

 

This almost malignant ability to disappoint has been a feature of the teams sent out by Benitez since November. Their sometimes sublime football is too often complemented by a lack of fight and staying power. This is not aided by Fernando Torres’ absolutely perplexing attitude/application/fortitude when leading the line for Chelsea.

 

Torres’ previous performances this season can be summed up by kindly saying he continues to show flashes of his former self, but Sunday’s game against Arsenal proved once more that he is so far away from being that top Premier League striker that we are fast forgetting.

 

 

 

Wandering tragically around the pitch like a man looking for his lost cat, his contributions were limited to passing the ball behind teammates, and sometimes out of play; once overrunning a promising attack into the grateful arms of Szczesny, and skewing a volley so badly wide that fans were probably wishing it was even Gary Cahill who had had the chance, but he was behind the Spaniard, dismally holding his head in his hands. It was another poor show from the once feared striker, one that will fill his boss with frustration.

 

Benitez’s answer must be the ‘stop-gap’ striker, Demba Ba. The electric Senegalese front-man’s goal-threat cannot even be compared to the now jar-headed Torres. With 3 goals in his first 5 games, it doesn’t take a genius to know that his inclusion in the starting eleven is fast becoming essential.

 

As it has been quite vociferously put over the past few months, Benitez is keeping the chair warm for the next permanent manager. There is no real chance of his ‘Interim’ status changing at the end of the season, unlike his predecessor. The man to take over the helm will not be Pep Guardiola, who agreed to join German giants Bayern Munich last week. There is a growing rumour of Jose Mourinho’s possible reappointment, which would certainly quell the unrest amongst the poisonous masses on the King’s Road.

 

 

 

Harry Redknapp said on the eve of his QPR side’s 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge, “You’d have to be a real dope to mess it up with that group of players”. While we all must think the same, Benitez probably knows he cannot actually win with his group of players, or to put it better, he cannot succeed, not in the long run.

 

The win over Arsenal has once more thrown up the dream of recovery; but Chelsea’s rehabilitation still has quite a way to go, and Benitez and Torres’ inevitable departure may just be the medicine.

 

Links and Photos: Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, Evening Standard, hullcc.gov.uk, jamaica-gleaner.com, BBC Sport

Lampard Caught Up in the Circle of Life, as Chelsea Begin to Shed their Skin

Rafael Benitez, it seems, has drunk deeply from the poisoned chalice – one that he willingly poured himself. Quoted on Tuesday as the harbinger of the end of the Chelsea ‘old guard’, his words have been met with derision and a bitter resentment that all but sums up his time in the hot seat so far.

"Everyone knows the legends have been here and what they have achieved but you have to see new players coming in. It's part of life.” Benitez said on the eve of yet another damning defeat to Swansea in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday, “You have to think about the future and move forward, bring in new players and try, at the same time, to bring the best out of those you have.”

These words will ring truest with Frank Lampard, who has seen his status as ‘untouchable legend’ take a dramatic turn for the worse. He now has the air of a man out to prove a point, not that his is a point that needs proving. A glittering career, littered with as many personal and team accolades that could be attained; Lampard has become one of the finest examples of the beautiful game in living memory. His recent exploits have seen him lead Chelsea to glory in Europe’s premier stage, and continue over into the new season with similar swashbuckling roles.

How then, ask the multitude of fans, players and pundits alike, can Chelsea justify not offering their living legend, who is on the verge of becoming their top ever goal-scorer (from midfield), a new contract?

Perhaps Benitez should have delved into the quote books, and presented such a statement as one Harold Wilson, ex-Prime Minister, delivered - “He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.”

 

It has been said ever since Carlo Ancelotti’s departure in 2011 that Chelsea are a team in transition. Transition is not an overnight sensation; it is a carefully constructed beast, with a multitude of cogs and parts, physical, and emotional. And this process is still young at the London club, even though the seeds have been well and truly sown for all to see. The aged front line of Malouda, Drogba and Anelka has been successfully phased out, and in its place, a vibrant, youthful and clinical array of stars are now terrorising defenders all over the country.

 

Clubs that look to revolutionise their playing style, and construct a new-look team, often start building from the back. But this is not the case at Chelsea. With some claiming that Chelsea won last season’s Champions league purely on the merits of their unbreachable defence (as well as a bit of luck), it seems that the backline is not in need of an overhaul. It is rather their attack that has seen an influx of new talent. Now all that’s left to address, logically, is their midfield.

Already with Ramires and now a reshuffled David Luiz, they have two young, vivacious Brazilian destroyers; one much akin to a terrier, the other a rabid sheepdog. So where does a 34 year old Lampard, so tuned to the old Chelsea playing style, fit into this new machine?

Take the case of Alessandro Del Piero. A stalwart if ever there was one, his 19 year dynasty was brought to an abrupt end as Juventus saw an opening for change. Fans of the ‘Old Lady’ were beside themselves with grief and anger at the news. None could fathom why the board had decided to dispense with their hero, a hero who had followed them down to Serie B following the 2006 match fixing scandal, and then led them to an undefeated 2011 top flight championship.

At 37, and his contract drawing to a close, it was time for a new era to begin. His work was done, in the eyes of the Juventus hierarchy. And have Juventus suffered in his absence? Not a bit. Oozing fast, exciting football, dark horses for the Champions league, and holding a five point lead in Serie A, Juventus are a team that have successfully completed a full footballing cycle. Del Piero’s exit was inevitable, despite the obvious melancholy. Change is often necessary, but correct timing and handling of it is even more vital.

Benitez understands this, saying “They (Chelsea’s older players) were so successful that now everybody can see only the players who won, but you have to see the new players coming and maybe winning in the future. It is difficult."

In Juan Mata, Eden Hazard, and Oscar, Chelsea have laid down the blueprints for a new system. The overpowering triumvirate of Lampard, Essien and Makelele that brought about so much success for the Blues is almost but a loving memory. Their power and physicality, with Drogba and Michael Ballack also fitting the bill, defined an era for Chelsea.

 Now, armed with a new array of weapons, Chelsea’s minute trio are looking to usher in a new decade of dominance – which leaves Frank Lampard a beloved relic of times gone by.

 

As with Drogba, now with Lampard, and maybe even Ashley Cole and John Terry in the near future, sacrifices are part and parcel of change. We must praise Chelsea’s willingness at attempting to change an entire team’s heart and soul, rather than lambast them for the inevitable casualties that ensue.

We are looking at a situation not unlike a cocoon hatching into a butterfly; as the hunt for young blood continues to transform Chelsea from their rock solid foundations, into a beautiful, free flowing footballing entity.

However, Chelsea fans will pray Roman and his millions ultimately forge something natural and prevalent, taking their beloved club away from the Frankenstein-esque muddle that Benitez oversaw against Swansea.

Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights. ~Pauline R. Kezer

Links and Pictures: BBC Sport, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, Youtube, www.dawncompk.files.wordpress.com, www.taipeitimes.com, The Daily Mail, www.english.gazzetta.it

The new Garden of Eden: The world looks up and takes notice as Belgium emerge from the shadow of their illustrious neighbours

It wasn’t very long ago that Belgium were considered relative minnows on the international stage. Stuck in a state of turmoil, with a thin squad of average players and a record that would have most managers shiver at the thought, the future looked bleak. But this is no longer the case. After comfortably ousting Wales, 2-0, on Saturday in their World Cup qualifier, we can see a real maturity and patience growing within their team. Couple this with their outstanding first eleven, and a larger squad size; it could be said that we are witnessing the birth of a European superpower.

When one thinks of the great footballing nations of the world, the mind reels off the obvious: Brazil, Germany, Spain, England, and France to name a few. Modern football has been shaped by these national powerhouses, and it seems that those in the elite will never fall from grace. Every generation brings a new crop of outstanding players and, with the right manager at the helm, these nations always challenge for the top honours. This is even translated into club football, with the leagues of England, Italy, Spain and Germany striding above the rest.

A player will emerge from the smaller nations every once in a while, players with such outstanding ability, that the world looks on and almost pities their doomed exploits on the international stage. George Weah for Liberia and Gheorghe Hagi from Romania are such examples of world class talent coming from nations not generally known for producing high calibre players. What is happening in Belgium however is potentially unprecedented on a footballing level; and with the squad at their disposal, their stock will only continue to rise.

Thibaut Courtios, the young goalkeeper signed by Chelsea in 2011, cemented himself as Athletico Madrid’s no. 1 in their Europa Cup winning side last year. In defence they have the captain of Manchester City, Vincent Kompany; as well as Arsenal’s superb centre-back and skipper, Thomas Vermaelen, and Tottenham’s solid new signing Jan Vertonghen.

The midfield is packed full of young, exciting talent, with the mercurial Eden Hazard the stand out player. With Marouane Fellaini, who has started the Premier league season brilliantly (much to the dismay of Manchester Utd, who fell prey to a Fellaini master-class on the first day), Axel Witsel, signed for £32 million by Zenit St Petersburg, Tottenham’s new recruit Moussa Dembele, and Chelsea’s Kevin De Bruyne, Belgium are well stocked in almost every area.

 

In the way of strikers, Romelu Lukaku is something of a celebrity for the Belgians, having had a reality TV show made during his rise to fame with Anderlecht. Dubbed as ‘the new Drogba’, he has struggled to make an impact at Chelsea, but he is only 19 years old, and he looks a formidable prospect. He has already played 17 times for his country, scoring 3 times.

What is even more impressive is that these players are all under 26. 

 

There is a feeling of real optimism in the Belgian public, with tickets being sold out within a few hours for the next home game against Croatia. While it can be said that greater emphasis has been placed on the development on the youth setups by Belgian clubs, most fans and journalists are putting their apparent ‘golden generation’ of players down to a matter of luck, more than judgement. It is this unexpected rebirth that makes Belgium such a mouth-watering, footballing prospect.

Following Belgium’s victory over Wales, the players are refusing to be swept along with the hype. Manager Marc Wilmots said, "We've done nothing yet. There was no sense of elation among the players. Everyone is focused on the next match against Croatia." A programmed response for the throng of journalists who clamoured to the match, looking for further on the Belgian revolution, but it is clear is that Belgium are looking to finally announce themselves on the World stage, and in a big way.

By tgatehouse

Links: Youtube (superpingouin2,SneisenProductionHD,gangsecreto,VeXuRaZHD,Derek Cosh,TV966,LennyFootball,cwdcomps,ImZippeee,Dasrollbrett263), BBC Sport

Pictures: www.thebelgianwaffle.co.uk, www.footballframe.wordpress.com