Premier League 2013/2014 Preview

The fever of the Premier League is finally returning after three months. Without a shadow of a doubt this season will be different. How big can a change get when you realise that there will be no Sir Alex to lead out the Manchester United side, and also, the inevitable return of the Special One – Jose Mourinho. With massive changes at Chelsea, United, City etc. It will be a feisty encounter and fascinating no doubt, to see who takes the glory this time around.

Lets talk a bit about who will be facing who on the opening day of the Premier League 2013-14 season. Here are my thoughts on the possible outcomes and what players can make a name for themselves over the course of the new season.

Liverpool vs. Stoke

Stoke have done extremely well in the past couple of years to stay up and become a side which most of the teams fear because of how they play but that might change this year with a shift in the managerial position. Is it possibly the last chance for Mark Hughes to really make a name for himself? On the other hand, the real task for Liverpool would be to retain the services of the Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez. Rogers has done well to bring in good, solid young players and they can play a good role in the progress of the team. If Suarez stays, surely Champions League spot is not out of reach for them?

Prediction for the fixture: 2-0 to Liverpool.


Arsenal vs. Aston Villa

Aston Villa will need to come good this season. However, they did look to be enjoying their football towards the end of last season but they need a better start this time around. With Benteke staying for another year, it is a real advantage for them. Arsenal really need to break their bank in the remaining days of the transfer window as they have a real chance of making into the top-three this year. If they don’t, I see a real possibility of them them losing out on the fourth spot to Villas Boas’s Tottenham.

Prediction for the fixture: 2-1 to Arsenal.

Norwich vs. Everton

Everton had a very decent season last year, like they have had under Moyes most of the years but would a change in manager affect them? It remains yet to be seen. Martinez had a very odd season with the Latics but he did manage to win a trophy which was absolute crucial for him in landing the Everton job before seeing his side get relegated from the Premier League. Kone for them would be a player to watch out for as he will have better support at Goodison Park. Norwich on the other hand have done extremely well in the transfer market thus far and look like real competition. With the likes of Gary Hooper, Leroy Fer, and Ricky Van Wolfswinkel joining, I see them finishing in the top half of the table.

Prediction for this fixture: 2-1 to Norwich.

Sunderland vs. Fulham

Di Canio played an important role last season for the Black Cats in their quest to stay up. Under him, Sunderland looked like a better side. The wins against Newcastle and Tottenham boosted Di Canio’s reputation and fans started getting behind him even more. There is no doubt that he is looking like a fans favorite which is a good thing for the club after such a dodgy spell under Martin O’Neil. Fulham have a change in the ownership which can bring in massive overhaul hence it is difficult to analysis how they will perform but they have been, as expected, rather slow in the transfer market which will see them struggle this season as well. They need to get their away form back on track if they want a higher finish in the table.

Prediction for this fixture: 1-0 to Di Canio’s men.

West Brom vs. Southampton

Both teams are good competitors for this season but West Brom will suffer from the loss of Romelu Lukaku, who played a vital role in most their games and is now back at Stamford Bridge. Steve Clarke has done well thus far bringing in Nicolas Anelka, a former Premier League star, to play alongside Shane Long. Both combined can give trouble to the Saints' defense. Southampton are another team who are looking strong. They managed to renew the contract of Luke Shaw and in Rickie Lambert combining with Jay Rodriguez, they have good strength upfront. Gaston Ramirez was another unsung hero last year and he will also come good this time around. Expect good finish from both the sides when the season ends.

Prediction for this fixture: 2-2 draw.

West Ham vs. Cardiff

It is always difficult for any team to get promoted and cope with the calibre of the Premier League. It will be a very tough battle

for them this season to stay up. They are doing very well in the transfer market and recently they confirmed the signing of England international, Steven Caulker. West Ham on the other hand still have players who will look to be making a massive impact on the side, especially Jarvis and Carroll. The Hammers have also signed Stewart Downing, with his inclusion the fight for the top half will become even more interesting. As far as this fixture is concerned, Hammers will have the advantage of home soil and they will just nick it, in my opinion.

Prediction for this fixture: 2-1 to West Ham.

Swansea vs. Manchester United

Everybody assumed that Swansea wouldn't be able to cope after Brendan Rogers walked out the door but they proved everyone wrong and performed even better. They played lovely football which was pleasing on the eye, precise. They keep the possession incredibly well and they showed they are good enough to take on any team when they beat Chelsea in the Capital One Cup. With Michu sticking around and the likes of Wilfred Bony coming in, they look like a very decent side capable of great things. It’ll be interesting to see them play in Europe as well. Manchester United however look puzzled at the moment. Their transfer window has been a disaster thus far. If they really are looking to buy someone, they should act quickly but also make sure that they don’t lose out on Rooney, especially to Chelsea.

Prediction for the game: 2-2 draw.

Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham

When you gain promotion, you look to make instant statement and Crystal Palace would be looking to do the same but I believe they won’t have enough attacking power to upset the Tottenham side who look incredibly strong especially with the inclusion of Paulinho and Soldado. Villas Boas has made the right moves in the transfer window and when the season kicks off, he’ll be picking up all the rewards. They have a realistic chance of finishing fourth this season and I am tipping them off to do so if Wenger’s side fails to bring in quality players like Gustavo or Suarez.

Prediction for the game: 3-1 to Tottenham.

Chelsea vs. Hull City

Chelsea have done well against Hull City in recent years and it looks very unlikely for a Jose Mourinho side to surrender to a newly promoted team in his first home game. With Lukaku coming back to strengthen the forward line for Mourinho and the likes of Mata, Hazard and Oscar settling in, it looks all set for the Special One to work his charm and regain the title back. The inclusion of Schurrle and Van Ginkel will give the bench a stronger look, something which it has lacked in previous seasons.

Prediction for the game: 4-0 for the Blues.

Manchester City vs. Newcastle

After many additions to the Newcastle side last season, they still looked disjointed. Perhaps this is the season where Alan Pardew makes sure that his side gets off to a good start and replicate what they did two seasons back. Manchester City, with the managerial change and lots of spending look in good shape. They have brought in some quality players in the shape of Jovetic and Negredo who can go on and make a name for themselves. City will surely be fighting for the title with the squad they have. Dzeko and Negredo are the ones to watch in their side this season.

Prediction for the game: 2-1 to Manchester City.

There you have it people. Those were the opening fixtures of the Premier League 2013-14. I personally cannot wait till the season kicks off. It is going to be a fantastic one, impossible to call whoever is going to win the title and who is going down.

Written By: @1on1chance

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!

Summer 2013: Transfer Bargains

Forget the extortionately priced players, here's some players that clubs should really think about buying as they're available for very reasonable prices! The list is dominated by Premier League players with the exception of the Brazilian, Fred. Of course, we all have opinions and mine is just one of them so tell me in the comments below if you think anyone should be added to this list, or if you can think of any foreign players who deserve a place there!

Tomas Rosicky
Rosicky has been at Arsenal a while now and although has failed to grab many headlines, he has caught the eye at times. His time at Arsenal has been extremely disjointed due to many factors, mainly injury. However, Rosicky showed in his excellent performance away at West Brom last season that he still has something to offer. I think Rosicky could massively benefit from a different environment and he could improve a number of teams in the Premier League. He could be available at a very reasonable price too, probably less than £5m.


Andi Weimann

Weimann had a good season last time out and impressed many. Whilst slightly overshadowed by the heroics of Christian Benteke, Weimann did manage 12 goals in all comps. Although Villa would, I imagine, be quite reluctant to sell him, I think he would be a good option for a few clubs. Being just 21, he has plenty of time to improve and he definitely has potential. Based on this, I think he could be a good buy for a number of teams, especially considering he could probably be lured with a fee under £9m.

Marc Albrighton
Albrighton has been rather quiet since breaking onto the scene a few seasons ago. His progress has been hampered by injury and some poor form, however I still think he'd be a good purchase for quite a few teams. Still young, at the age of 23, Albrighton has potential and his crossing ability is excellent. Combined with the fact that he is somewhat slightly out of favour at Villa, he could be available for a very good price.

Fred

After an impressive Confederations Cup campaign with Brazil, Fred was given some considerable media spotlight and it came to light that he has a £1.7m release clause in his contract. He joined Fluminese in 2009 and has netted 59 goals in 87 appearances, a rather prolific record, even though it is in the Brazilian league. However, he has also performed on the international stage with 16 goals in 29 games. Although 29 years old, at £1.7m, Fred could be an excellent buy.

Momo Diame

Diame joined West Ham last summer on a free transfer from Wigan, a move that didn't really receive much attention, however since joining Diame has been brilliant for the Hammers and this led to a number of clubs chasing the midfielder. News then came about that there is a £3.5m release clause in his contract, making him available at a great price. Diame would be a player very useful for most teams.






Gary O'Neil
Not a player to grab headlines, but a solid player nonetheless. O'Neil works tirelessly every game chasing down opponents to win the ball back and start attacks. His work often goes unnoticed due to its laborious nature, however after turning down a new contract at West Ham, O'Neil is now a free agent and with vast experience from his time in the game, O'Neil could be perfect for one of the newly promoted teams. 



Yossi Benayoun
Benayoun was released by Chelsea this summer and is another free agent available. He enjoyed a short loan spell at West Ham this season and showed glimpses of the natural ability he possesses. Skillful and crafty, Benayoun adds some flair to teams with his creativity. I think he could benefit from settling down at a club and showing what he can do.




Scott Parker
Parker has struggled for games this season through a combination of injuries and competition within the Tottenham squad. As AVB looks to take Spurs to the next level, it is likely that Parker will become surplus to requirements at White Hart Lane and a fee as small as £2m could be enough to bring the former England midfielder to your club. An extremely underrated player in my opinion, Parker still has lots to offer to any team he plays for and I think he could definitely still hold his own in the Premier League.





Loic Remy
Loic Remy was one of the gems in QPR's dire season. His half season goals haul wasn't quite enough to keep the R's up, but his ability was still evident. With the Hoops' relegation, it is likely that Remy could be available for a very reasonable fee as QPR look to offload some of their monumental wage bill. Perhaps not quite the cheapest player on the list, but still good value for money in my opinion.

Adel Taarabt

Taarabt fell rather out of favour at QPR this season but still showed his class when involved in the first team. Taarabt is a tricky player to manage with a questionable attitude, however his ability is far from questionable. Taarabt is always capable of summoning something special and can change games. QPR are said to favour a loan move away from the club for Taarabt but a small fee could tempt the London club to sell outright.


Who else do you think deserves to be on the list? Tell us in the comments section below!

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!

Jozy Altidore - Scout Report

At the time of writing, rumours are rife that Sunderland have completed the signing of 23-year-old striker Jozy Altidore. The Daily Express recently reported that Sunderland had reached an agreement with Altidore's club, AZ Alkmaar and now, Alkmaar have officially confirmed this on their website. With his transfer to Sunderland, fans will undoubtedly be desperate to know more about the young American striker after only seeing him for a short spell during his loan to Hull City.



Jozy Altidore is a 23-year-old American striker who stands at 6 ft 1, whilst boasting 60 caps for the US Mens National Team. He began at New York Red Bulls in 2006 as a 16-year-old before he moved to Spanish side, Villarreal in 2008. It wasn't a particularly productive transfer for Villarreal as Altidore would go on to endure three loan spells for Xerez, Hull City and Bursaspor. Fans may remember him from his loan spell at Hull where he could only notch 1 goal in 28 appearances. After the succession of loan spells, Altidore moved to Dutch side AZ Alkmaar where he has since settled and found goals and first team football in abundance with 38 goals in 67 games. During this rather turbulent period of Altidore's career, he gradually progressed through the various levels of the National Team until he made his debut for the official squad in 2007. 

Here's something you probably didn't know about Altidore: He is second cousin to American actor Wayne Brady!

So onto his style of play: Altidore is a powerful forward with a good eye for goal and is someone who links up with his team-mates well. He creates his own chances a lot of the time through combinations with other players and isn't your typical goal poacher, always netting tap-ins. A very composed finisher in front of goal, Altidore is capable of receiving the ball under pressure before calmly slotting home in a confident fashion. Upon watching some footage of Altidore, you'd struggle not to notice that he is very fond of a good old fashioned one-two and this simply underlines his ability to act as an outlet for his team, who can hold the ball up well. This shows he is not just about goals but that he brings a lot more to the team, a valuable asset that many clubs are crying out for as football evolves in the modern day era.

To round off, Altidore looks to be a sound signing for Sunderland and with the Daily Mail reporting the fee to be £6m I think this could be a decent bit of business from Paolo Di Canio. Altidore is still only 23 years of age and I think Di Canio will be able to nurture his talents and turn him into a top striker. Whilst his impact might not be felt immediately, I think once he settles, the goals will come.

Of course, things can change at any time so you shouldn't believe the gossip until you see a picture of him with the shirt! 

If you liked this scout report then please do leave a comment below, I'd love some feedback! I'd also like to know what Sunderland fans think about their new signing!

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!

Why Alan Pardew Should Be Sacked

Rewind back to the summer of 2012 when the magpies defied all expectations and finished 5th, fans were going into that transfer window full of expectations. The lure of Europa League and a team full of young ambitious players gave Newcastle the perfect platform to kick on and buy some players who could take the team to the next level. However, the club found themselves fighting for their Premier League status until the 37th game of the season when they beat an already relegated QPR side. 

Here we try and argue why Alan Pardew should be fired as manager:


Injuries/ loss of form to squad
In my opinion, Alan Pardew has probably the most talented Newcastle squad seen since they qualified for the Champions League back in 2003. A team full of technical, international class players including Yohan Cabaye, Hatem Ben Arfa, Tim Krul and Papiss Cisse could all play for most Premier League sides. Pardew used this excuse too readily during the season, constantly pointing to the fact Newcastle had players missing. The manager needed to do more in terms of motivation in order to bring out the best in the players he had to work with, instead of complaining of the ones he didn’t have available.

Questionable Tactics
Pardew’s choice of long ball tactics, his apparent refusal to play players in their correct positions and consistently picking his “favourite” players have all come under scrutiny this season. He seemed to have cracked a perfect formula for a free-flowing magpies side towards the end of the 2011/12 season, fielding a fluid 4-3-3 with playmaker Yohan Cabaye supplying service to the skilful front three of Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse and Hatem Ben Arfa. However Ba became disillusioned with playing wide left of the front trio and demanded to play centrally, forcing Cisse out of his number nine position. Pardew, instead of refusing to give into Ba’s demands, reverted the team’s formation to a rigid 4-4-2 with Ba partnering Cisse upfront. It quickly became apparent they couldn’t play together and Newcastle’s style of the play suffered. Surprisingly, figures revealed Newcastle attempted the most long balls in the whole of the Premier League, beating Stoke City by over 300 balls. With flair players such as Hatem Ben Arfa, Yoan Gouffran and Yohan Cabaye this direct style clearly does not fit in the players Alan Pardew has at his disposal. Demba Ba even took a swipe at Pardew for his tactics just before he left for Chelsea in January, saying the team’s new style of play had “damaged our league position”.


Dodgy team selections
Pardew has also angered fans by playing his “favourite” players, which seem to be Jonas Gutierrez and Cheick Tiote. It’s not a secret both of these players have struggled for form all season, however Gutierrez still made 34 appearances in the league, with a return of just one goal. Being a winger it is his duty to score and provide opportunities for teammates, and his lack of product in the final third should have been a justifiable reason to drop him. Defensive midfielder Tiote’s rash tackling cost Newcastle a win in the Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland, getting himself sent off with the score at 1-0. Tiote’s disciplinary record is poor to say the least, averaging a yellow card once every two games. Many fans believe he has turned into a liability and a rest from the first team could have possibly helped Tiote reign in his aggressive streak.

Unimaginative set pieces
Corner kicks last season were nothing short of woeful, with Newcastle going over a whopping 300 corners since scoring from one. Pardew has blamed the lack of height in his team, even though his tactics focus on playing a number of long balls. The predictability of the corner taking is something which seriously needs addressing in pre-season. Free kicks inside the opposition half have also been poor bar a few goals from midfielder Yohan Cabaye.

Embarrassing comments in the media
 A number of quotes from Pardew have landed him in trouble this season, none more so than claiming after the Stoke City match back in March that his side’s safety was “assured”, before back tracking on those comments after the 6-0 home drubbing against Liverpool. He also criticised Arsenal in 2006 for not fielding an English player, claiming they were “losing the soul of British football”. Pardew currently has 8 french players in his team whilst selling a number of British based players in the process. In addition, Pardew even had the audacity to suggest Mike Ashley had “underachieved as an owner of a football club”.

History repeating itself?
Pardew’s managerial record has an unwanted similarity – his second season in charge ends up with him getting the sack. He took over Charlton in 2006 in the Premier League when they were virtually relegated, and was assigned the task of trying to get the club out of the Championship at the first attempt. However he didn’t last long during his second season and left Charlton after a 5-2 defeat at home to Sheffield United. Pardew moved onto West Ham where he got them promoted to the Premier League and to the FA cup final, but was again dismissed just a little over 2 years in charge. Southampton was a similar story, discovering early success in the form of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy but ultimately lost his job the year after. So what does Pardew seem to do wrong in his second season? Various fans from each respective club believe his tactics get “found out” by opposition teams, therefore allowing them to predict easier how his team is going to play. Others suggest Pardew’s teams play too defensively if they take a 1-0 lead in a match, instead of looking for a second the kill the game off.

In Conclusion
All the stats from last season only point to one possible outcome – Alan Pardew should lose his job. Only two away wins all season plus humiliating home defeats to Liverpool and bitter rivals Sunderland, not many people could argue if Pardew was removed from his post. However, owner Mike Ashley has made it clear he likes to employ people he knows personally. It would not be unfair to suggest Pardew did not get the job on the basis of his CV, as it was revealed that he often goes to casinos with Ashley, highlighting the nature of their friendship. Another one of Ashley’s buddies Joe Kinnear was controversially appointed as director of football last week, which could see him take over as manager if Pardew has a poor start to the season. The majority of fans would like to see a new man in charge, but with Kinnear now looking as the most likely replacement, who is probably more unpopular than Pardew, sticking with the manager seems the only viable option.


Written By: Matt Lawson
                     (@MattLenLawson)

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Fredy Guarin - Scout Report

At the time of writing, Tottenham have just been linked with Inter Milan's Fredy Guarin and as he isn't too well known by many, I've decided to put together another scout report for fans to find out a bit more about him.

Guarin is a Colombian midfielder currently plying his trade over in Italy for Inter Milan, however he started off at Colombian side Envigado. After enjoying loan spells at Boca Juniors and Saint  Etienne, he joined French club Saint Etienne permanently in 2007. He forced his way into the team and before long was moving again, this time to Portuguese side FC Porto. He stayed at Porto for 4 years, becoming an especially prominent figure in his final season there. After making 63 league appearances for Porto he went on loan to Inter Milan before joining permanently in May 2012. Since joining Inter he's impressed many and has been a regular in the squad ever since. 


So onto his style of play: The 26-year-old normally plays in centre midfield, however he can also operate out wide too. Guarin is an excellent ball winner and is tenacious in the tackle. He wears his heart on his sleeve and plays with passion but also has a tendency to roll around after being fouled to get an opponent booked, something no one likes. Despite this he is an impressive midfield force who's both comfortable on the ball and intelligent too. Guarin carries a powerful shot and can finish well. Although central midfielders are not normally known for pace, Guarin is pretty quick and can go past people, a particularly valuable asset when he finds himself in a wide position. 

To round off, although Guarin hasn't been too heavily linked with Spurs yet, it is rumoured there is interest, however don't expect a deal just yet as we all know there are only few rumours that actually come to fruition. It has been reported that Inter rejected an initial bid from Spurs and are waiting for an offer of £21m. If Guarin does go to Spurs then I think he will be a very solid addition to their squad. Reports are suggesting that they're looking to replace Scott Parker and perhaps he is the man they've got their eye on to do that. I certainly think he would add a lot to their team, however I'm not sure he'd be a game changer and you'd see an instant effect. A good signing but not someone to get over excited about. I think Spurs fans would much rather keep a certain Gareth Bale at the expense of him and many other transfer targets!

If the scout report wasn't enough for you then have a look at some footage of the Colombian in action, here's a video:

If you enjoyed this scout report then please do leave a comment, I'd love some feedback!

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!

La Liga Team of the Season - 2012/2013

As an enormous La Liga enthusiast, I (@TheTacticsRoom on Twitter) have thoroughly enjoyed the league season. Some of the world’s finest players ply their trade in Spain, and this is my selection of the players who have impressed me the most over the course of the year.

Thibaut Courtois – The young Belgian on loan from Chelsea has had a phenomenal season. Atletico Madrid conceded the lowest amount of goals in La Liga by some margin (31 in total, 9 less than the 2nd best defence), and some world class performances have seen Courtois cement his position as the best young goalkeeper in the world. With 20 clean sheets and the Ricardo Zamora Trophy (an award given to the keeper with the best minutes per goal conceded) to his name, his fantastic season fully justifies his place in this team.

Jordi Alba – Originally a wide midfielder whilst at Valencia, Jordi Alba’s game has adapted in recent times and this has led to him being deployed in a full back role. Impressive performances for Los Ches earned him a place in the Spain squad for Euro 2012, as well as a move to Barcelona – and the marauding left back has had a fine season. Filipe Luis was another consideration for this position, but Alba just edged it in the end for me.

Diego Godin – Like any fantastic defence, Atletico’s impressive record is a combination of efforts between the goalkeeper and the backline. All four of their regular defenders had fine seasons, but only the Uruguayan finds a place inside this team alongside Courtois. Diego Godin is an important player in how he brings the ball forward from defence and carries it into midfield, but his defensive capabilities have been his key asset this year. Completely justifies this spot.


Inigo Martinez – Spain’s finest young emerging centre back, Inigo Martnez has been a key member of Real Sociedad’s Champions League qualifying side. Composed on the ball, very technically gifted and a fantastic reader of the game, he is also capable of scoring a goal or two (4 this year in fact, a fantastic return from a centre half). It’s no surprise that he’s being linked with a move to the Bernabeu or the Nou Camp from San Sebastian after such an impressive season - this 22 year old has a huge future ahead of him.


Carlos Martinez – Inigo’s namesake & Real Sociedad team mate Carlos is another member of Philippe Montanier’s side who has impressed this season. A right back who is comfortable at both ends of the pitch, Martinez has 4 assists to his name this year. His concentration and reading of the game are a huge part of his contribution at the other end of the pitch however, helping La Real to secure the 4th best defensive record in the league.


Benat Etxebarria – Real Betis finished 7th in La Liga this year, and the leader of their orchestra is this man – Benat. A very creative and economic passer of the ball, he has been vital for their success, impressing many people in the finest season of his career so far. His performances were rewarded with a place in Spain’s preliminary squad for the Confederations Cup – and though he ultimately didn’t make the cut, in a country with such a fine selection of midfielders he has stood out. It was a very successful campaign in all for the 26 year old regista.


Asier Illaramendi – Another member of Real Sociedad’s team, Asier Illaramendi has been one of my stand-out performers in La Liga this year. His links with La Real and exquisite range of passing has unsurprisingly drawn comparisons with Xabi Alonso for his style of play, but he also provides a greater willingness to defend, press and tackle – excelling in the volante role and dictating the flow of the team. The plaudits and recognition are slowly starting to come in for Illaramendi following this season, and he made an absolutely vital contribution to their excellent year.



Cristiano Ronaldo – Jose Mourinho may have described his final year in charge of Real Madrid as ‘the worst of his career’, but the Portuguese winger has had a phenomenal season once again. Mourinho’s use of him (and Di Maria) as a very direct inside forward has been rewarded highly time and time again, demonstrated by his total of 34 goals in La Liga. Ever dependable as usual, his inclusion is of no surprise.





Mesut Ozil – The next member of this team is, in my opinion, the best trequartista in modern football. The German attacking midfielder, Mesut Ozil, is quite possibly my favourite player to watch in the world right now – and this season he has once again exemplified his talents on a huge stage. He has been a key member of the team this season, scoring 9 goals and providing 14 assists (the 2nd highest in La Liga), and is often the key in linking up Real Madrid’s fluid attacking play. Like his Real team mate Ronaldo, he deserves this place.

Carlos Vela – The fourth and final Real Sociedad player in this team (which really emphasises how good they have been) is Carlos Vela. A relatively quiet spell at Arsenal saw him sold to La Real in the summer of 2012 (after a previous loan spell) and regular appearances have really helped the Mexican develop as a player. He’s played predominantly off the right wing this year, coming inside onto the splendid left foot he possesses. His 14 goals show off his finishing abilities, with 9 assists to compliment his scoring record – a fantastic return from him.


Lionel Messi – What can be said about this man which hasn’t already been said before? He scored a stunning total of 46 goals (including a run of 21 consecutive games in which he scored) in 32 league games, breaking all kinds of records along the way – in a year that was disrupted by injuries as well! It was impossible to leave the Argentinian out of this team, especially after playing such a key role in Barcelona reclaiming the title from Real Madrid. My player of the season.

Subs:

Willy Caballero – Malaga finished La Liga in 6th place and had the 5th best defensive record in Spain, many thanks to their goalkeeper Willy Caballero. Also played a big role in their excellent Champions League run, where they arguably deserved to qualify for the semi-finals. He put in some fine performances.

Martin Demichelis –The veteran Argentinian centre back is another Malaga player who’s impressed this year. His lack of pace and mobility occasionally leaves him exposed, but a world class reading of the game and positioning makes up for this. Almost eclipsed Diego Godin for a place in the starting XI.

Andres Iniesta – One of the finest midfielders of this generation, Andres Iniesta provided the highest amount of assists (16) in La Liga and was hugely important for Barcelona’s title win. As we’ve come to expect from the magician, it was another remarkable season as always for him
.
Isco – A player who reminds me of Andres Iniesta with his gliding style and immense dribbling, this kid is one of the biggest prospects in world football. He has really stepped up to the world stage this season, running midfields and impressing in European competition. Greatness awaits.

Piti – Rayo Vallecano are the team operating on the lowest budget in La Liga, and a 9th place finish by Paco Jemez’s side represented a huge achievement. As captain of this team and the leading scorer with 18 goals (drawn 6th highest in the league), it would have been extremely harsh leave the 32 year old Piti out of this XI.

Ruben Castro – Drawn with Piti as the 6th highest scorer in La Liga, Ruben Castro is Real Betis’ second player in this team. The Verdiblancos’ star striker was very important in their 7th place finish, a very good season for Pepe Mel and his players.

Falcao – The third striker on the bench is arguably the finest natural centre forward in the world right now. His 28 goal return was hugely important in a fantastic season for Atletico Madrid, helping them to 3rd and a Copa Del Rey title. Unfortunately he has played his last game for Atletico and it is a big shame that he’s leaving La Liga, but an impressive season nonetheless for the Colombian.

So - it’s been yet another fine season in La Liga, and we’ve been rewarded with some top class displays from some of the world’s greatest players – and the above 11 players (18 including subs) have been the ones who have impressed me the most over the course of the year.

Thanks for reading this article, I hope you enjoyed it. If you want to read some more of my opinions then please follow me on Twitter. My username is, as previously stated, @TheTacticsRoom. https://twitter.com/TheTacticsRoom

Henrikh Mkhitaryan - Scout Report

After lengthy speculation over a move to Liverpool, Mkhitaryan has decided to join Champions League and Bundesliga runners-up, Borussia Dortmund, so here's a quick scout report on their newest signing.

At 24, Mkhitaryan is currently contracted to Shakhtar Donetsk but he began at Armenian side, Pyunik FC, making his debut there at the age of just 17. In his last season at the club he notched 11 goals in 10 games. This record caught the eye of Ukranian side Metalurh Donetsk at the end of the 2009 season. It was quite a successful move for him as he scored 14 goals in his first season and this tally included a debut strike. His next club would be Ukranian giants Shakhtar Donestk who he joined in 2010 for around 5.7m euros. This season he managed the top scorers award in the league and has attracted interest from a number of clubs around Europe.


So onto his style of play. He likes to be played as a central player and prefers to be just behind the striker, or in an attacking midfield position. His movement is extremely impressive as he times his runs perfectly and creates space for his team mates. Pat Nevin has been quoted as saying he has a similar ability to Frank Lampard in that he arrives at the right place at the right time frequently and this is definitely one of his main assets, indicating he is a very intelligent player. Mkhitaryan also possesses an excellent long range shot and strikes the ball with incredible power. At the same time he is also a clinical finisher and his deft touches in front of goal are good too. He is a very composed finisher and even in tight situations finds the corners and calmly sticks the ball in there. At times he does like to drop deep, however this is an excellent quality of his as he holds onto the ball brilliantly before releasing to a team mate. 

To round off, Mkhitaryan looks a great signing for Dortmund. At 24 he still has time to improve and is already showing mental maturity indicating he could go even further. In my opinion, I think he'll be a big hit at Dortmund and could possibly remind fans of Shinji Kagawa as his goals from midfield are in abundance. 

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Premier League Review 2012/2013 (Part 2)

Whilst it may not have been as exciting as last year, I'm sure you'll all agree that this season has still been extremely entertaining. Although there wasn't a huge amount of final day drama, there were some big scores throughout the season, one which won't be remembered for good defending! In this article I'll be going through the next 5 teams in the league with the following ones coming in the next instalments. I've also managed to get a few comments from a fan of the respective clubs to see what they thought.

Liverpool
If you were to sum up Liverpool's season in one word then in my opinion it should definitely be 'inconsistent'. At times, Liverpool have looked extremely impressive and brushed teams aside with ease such as Swansea and Fulham. However, for as many times as they've been able to do that, they've also succumbed to a really disappointing result against a lesser team, putting in a very mediocre performance. 

Rodgers was left short-changed at the start of the season when he put all his eggs in one basket to sign Fulham's Clint Dempsey and the American snubbed him for Spurs. This left him with a lack of attacking options and when Borini sustained an injury, the only striker they had was Suarez. The situation was made most evident when they travelled to Upton Park and because Luis Suarez was suspended, had to play Jonjo Shelvey up front due to having no recognised strikers available!

Despite a slightly disappointing season where they finished below rivals Everton, the future looks very bright for the Reds. In Rodgers they have an intelligent and considerate manager who has built a very solid base for the future. He bought in Sturridge and Coutinho in January, both being young and exciting players, especially Coutinho. If Rodgers has a bit of money to spend to replace Carra and possible offload Downing then I think Liverpool can challenge for the top 4 next season. 

I got in touch with Liverpool page @LFCFansCorner on twitter to see what they thought about Liverpool's season: 

"This season has had some highs and lows. At the start of the season we were poor, but we've been improving every game. Since the arrivals of Sturridge and Coutinho we've played so much better. We haven't been revolving around Suarez too much, meaning everyone's playing to their best ability. Rodgers' philosophy is starting to plan out. This season hasn't been a failure, but it was disappointing, not getting Europe and Everton finishing above us is painful, but anyone can see the improvement."

Manchester City

It was a difficult season for City as they feebly defended their Premier League title. Manchester United were better than them in every way this season and I'm sure the fans will be disappointed their team didn't put up more of a fight. Mancini didn't add too much to his squad and they seemed to lack fight. Whereas when Manchester United went behind they came back and grabbed at least a draw, city tamely surrendered very differently to this, like away to Southampton.

Aguero had a few injuries and they missed him, however I think it was more of a case of their top players not performing to the levels they're capable of. Joe Hart had his worse season for a while and made numerous mistakes. Kompany wasn't as efficient as usual and also let the odd mistake into his game. Also, Toure and Silva were nowhere near last season and whilst they did pull out a few good performances, they couldn't hit the levels of performance they achieved in the title-winning season. City simply missed their big players.

This poor title challenge was met with an embarrassing defeat in the FA Cup final to soon to be relegated Wigan, a defeat that summed up their season really. With Mancini gone, it looks like Manuel Pellegrini will be the man to take over. City need to spend in the Summer and it looks like they will after so far being linked with more top players than you could think of!

I got in touch on twitter with City fan @DisguisedPass to see what he thought about City's season:

"Another season where the phrase 'typical City' returned. It was a season in which City failed to retain their Premier League title, coupled with the Fa Cup final loss to Wigan. If you had said 10 years ago, City would have finished 2nd and got to an Fa Cup final, I think I may have bit your hand off. But in the manner that we lost that game and how we defended our title, it can only be viewed as a disappointment.

Some of our players were not consistent enough and there was only really Zabaleta who I would say had a fantastic season. We were too predictable in our play and didn't strengthen with good signings.

 I for one didn't wish for Mancini to go, but he has and we must move on. Hopefully we bring in some quality signings and can go on to have a successful season, which would of course entail on winning back that Premier League title."

Manchester United
The season ended in triumph for United and rightly so in my opinion, they were easily the best team in the league in my opinion. Whilst their defence wasn't exactly brilliant, they came roaring back after conceding and nearly always got a result. Coupled with their inherent ability to hold on to a lead, even when not playing well, they ran out winners with a few games to spare. 

The only disappointment would be that they didn't pick up any other silverware. After tumbling out the Champions League to Real Madrid and being knocked out the League and FA Cups by Chelsea, they left the competitions empty-handed.

The end of the season was met with some sadness as it saw the retirement of 2 United legends in Paul Scholes and Sir Alex Ferguson. This meant a new manager was to be appointed and he came in the form of David Moyes. Next season will be an interesting one for spectators to see if Moyes can carry on the glory years. 

I got in touch on twitter with Manchester United fan @Ronandinho_ to see what he thought about United's season:

"Manchester United 2012-2013. Where do I start? With the 93rd minute title winning Aguero goal still stuck in United fans heads, this seasons number one priority was to recapture the Premier League title, which would be their 13th. United added Shinji Kagawa to the Squad last summer, a move that had United fans licking their lips. But this was overshadowed when on the 15th August 2012 the club confirmed the arrival of Robin van Persie. A move that shook the Premier League, especially fans of both United and Arsenal. 

United led the Premier League for the majority of the Season, but the gap really began to stretch around November - December time. City began to lose games and drop silly points, whilst United kept on grinding out title winning 1/2-0's. United looked uncatchable, but the horrors of last season still remained in the majority of the fans' minds. They refused to say it was won until it was mathematically won.  

 It was all set up for United to win it on home soil the following day. United were quick out of the blocks and scored early with that's right; Robin van Persie who followed up with 2 more to complete a title winning hat trick. United lifted number twenty and thoughts quickly switched to number twenty one. That was of course, until the 8th May, when the whole of football was shaken, Sir Alex Ferguson was retiring at the end of the Season, ending his 27 year reign at the club on a high. 

In summary; Comebacks, Drama, Robin van Persie, Revenge, Twenty, Champions, Sir Alex. "

Newcastle
A very disappointing season for Newcastle, it was incredible to see such a turn around from a side who challenged for the top 4 last year. I don't think anyone predicted such a difference from last campaign. One of the frustrations from the fans was the lack of investment in the Summer as they failed to bring in any big signings. Their biggest move was for Ajax's Vurnon Anita for £6.7m who didn't really have much of an impact.

It was like watching a different team and in my opinion it was a demise similar to that of Manchester City's as it was in part down to their star players from the season before not performing to their full capacity, with the exception of Cabaye in my opinion. 

November was when they really began to disappoint as they picked up 1 point from a possible 15 in fixtures that weren't overly difficult. Having overseen this, Pardew bought in heavily in the January window in what will be known as a French revolution due to the number of French players purchased. After the window, things looked slightly better in February as they managed to beat Chelsea and Southampton. This success was short lived and they returned to their poor form, slipping up to Swansea and Wigan before suffering an embarrassing derby defeat to Sunderland and a thumping at home to Liverpool. 

Next season, something has got to be looked at, whatever problems they had need to be sorted and improvements need to be made. However, the players now they can perform from the impressive season they had so I think they could easily get in the top 10 if they rediscover that form.

I got in touch on twitter with Newcastle fan @SacredNumber10 to see what he thought about Newcastle's season:

"As a Newcastle fan, I am disappointed with season we just had. Finishing 5th and then 16th in the space of a season is a disgrace. Some poor performances this season including Wigan and Sunderland have shown that it hasn't been our best performances. Also, some players haven't been up to standard such as Cisse and Gutierrez in my opinion. Injuries have been a key factor also having 1400+ injuries."

Norwich
Despite a nice 11th placed finish, Norwich's season wasn't as smooth as it seems. Towards the end of the campaign they became embroiled in the annual relegation battle. They began the season with a new manager in Chris Hughton after Paul Lambert left for Villa Park and things looked fairly good, in my opinion, they'd brought in a solid replacement. They couldn't have started the season much worse after being on the end of a 5-0 thumping from Fulham on the opening day.


They had to wait until October to get their first win in the league and even that came in a surprising manner after they defeated Arsenal at Carrow Road. An excellent result, made more impressive by the fact it followed two thumpings from Liverpool and Chelsea. They quietly ticked along, picking up a result here and there before claiming their next scalp in United. 

As the season began to come to a close and the battle to stay up became tighter, Norwich began to find themselves amongst the pack of teams who were dangerously peering over the edge into the relegation zone, constantly looking over their shoulder rather than looking up the table. So a rather average season for Norwich who will be happy they stayed relatively clear of relegation and didn't suffer from second season syndrome, but on the other hand will be disappointed they couldn't make much progress on last season. Despite finishing a place higher than last time out, I'm sure the Canaries will be wanting more from their team next year.

I got in touch on twitter with Norwich fan @NCFCRumours1902 to see what he thought about Norwich's season:

"Overall, this season was a season of highs and lows. Starting short of strikers with our pre-season "inform" striker James Vaughan on loan. Things didn't get any better as we slumped to a 5-0 defeat, first game of the season against Fulham. Things then failed to get any better again as we took just 3 points from our next 6 matches. But then we hit form, going 11 games unbeaten in the premier league with Man Utd and Arsenal being the stand out wins in that period. But again. From the start of January - the end of March we only picked up 13 points despite signing Luciano Becchio and Kei Kamara on loan. (Although we did failed to sign Gary Hooper on numerous occasions). 

With these Results we were stuck right in the middle of a relegation dogfight, as the other bottom teams started to pick up points. This left us with 2 games left and needing 3 points to guarantee PL football. West brom (home) and Man City (away). Luckily, we performed brilliantly and beat west brom 4-0, leaving us safe and comfortable with a game to go. Again, we came put on top show away at Man City beating them 3-2 with a great solo goal by Johnny Howson helping us finish 11th. 

Despite some lows we ended up finishing 1 place higher than the previous season! Now the future is looking very bright for us as we have signed Ricky Van Wolfswinkel for £8.5m and Javier Garrido for an undisclosed fee. With us finishing 11th, it means we ended up getting £7.5m for our finish. With the money left over from January and our summer budget we are being linked with various big money moves. This should be a very interesting summer and I'm really looking forward to next season!"

So that rounds up part 2 of the overview, if you liked it then please leave a comment, would love to know what you think. Thanks to everyone who gave their comments for each team, be sure to give them a follow on twitter!

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Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!