Who deserves PFA Player of the year?

The nominations were released for PFA player of the year as we near the end of yet another Premier League season, here I look at who is most deserving of that prize.

6. Philippe Coutinho

The Liverpool man is sure to be delighted to get a nomination for such an award but in all reality a nomination is the best he can hope for. Its been a great season for the “Little Magician” who was Liverpool’s standout player of the year by a distance.

While its been a good season for him he has registered just 4 goal and 4 assists, these figures don't come near to some of the other attacking midfielders in the Premier League and for that reason he will have to be content with a nomination.

In the defence of the Brazilian he has not had much around him to assist and it has not been a good season for Liverpool as a team so to get a nomination is a real achievement. If he continues his form into next season who knows he could be a lead contender for the award but not this year.

5. Diego Costa

After his expensive move from Atletico in the summer Costa has been a real success and is fully deserving of his place on the list. With 19 goals this season he is the joint top scorer in the league.

His goals at the start of the season got the Chelsea train rolling towards the league title they are bang on track for. Having had such a great start to the season Costa will have expected to get his scoring figures into the high twenties but injuries have hampered that in the second half of the season.

This injured spell is ultimately what cost him a real chance of winning the Player of the Year but for his first campaign in England a nomination is nothing to be frowned upon.

4. David De Gea

Spanish keeper De Gea has been the star performer in an inconsistent Manchester United team this season and is a genuine contender to win the award.

With 10 clean sheets thus far its been a great season for the Spaniard who in the early parts of the season was United’s only source of optimism, his terrific performance against Liverpool at Old Trafford was a particular highlight.

Interest from Real Madrid is reportedly high in the shot stopper so if this is to be his last season, what a last season it has been.

3. Harry Kane

Kane is the only Englishman on the list after a remarkable rise to the top for Spurs. The joint top scorer in the Premier League on 19 goals Kane has led Spurs’ charge for the top four places, a charge that ultimately failed.

Kane was not as prolific in the first half of the season and because of this probably won't win the award, his second half of the season however really has been sensational and deserving of being considered for the award.

2. Alexis Sanchez

The second man brought in from La Liga last summer to make the list, Sanchez has been in great form for Arsenal and has been a key part in Arsenal’s recent run of form that has seen them surge into 2nd place.

Individually Sanchez has been marvellous, his goal against Liverpool recently was just one example of what he can offer and has offered for Wenger’s side this season. With 14 goals and 8 assists his stats have backed up his performances and put him well in contention for the prestigious award.

There was a spell where Sanchez went a bit quiet and thats why he is only 2nd in this list.

1. Eden Hazard

Chelsea winger Eden Hazard has been the Premier League’s most consistent player this season and is the key reason why Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea are top of the league right now. The Belgian has scored 12 goals and registered 8 assists this season so far.

Hazard has been a thorn in the side of defences throughout the country, his illusive running style is a joy to watch and warrants the recognition of the PFA Player of the Year award this season.

Worryingly for Chelsea the last three winners of this award have left their clubs the summer after so should Hazard win it will be interesting to see if Europe’s top clubs come in for the Belgian international.

Barcelona ready to dominate again

A 3-1 away win at PSG was the biggest indicator yet that Barcelona are once again ready to be Europe's elite team. Barca proved too strong for PSG and have all but guaranteed themselves a semi-final place and put themselves as favourites for the Champions League amongst bookies.

It was not so long ago Luis Enrique’s side lost at the Parc De Princes to PSG 3-2 in the group stages this season but a few months on and things have changed. Enrique looks to have gelled his side together very well and they are peaking just at the right time.

The PSG result was not the only sign that Barcelona were to be considered a real threat, their 2-1 win in El Clasico was of stark contrast to the performance that saw them lose 3-1 in the Santiago Bernabeu in October.

The way they brushed Manchester City aside in the round of 16 was yet another sign that this Barcelona team is ruthless and ready to challenge for top honours, keep in mind they made PSG, the side who knocked out Premier League runaway leaders Chelsea, look very poor.

While Guardiola continues to struggle to get his Bayern side to the remarkable level his former Barca side were at, the current Catalan side is beginning to believe they can once again reach that level. Of course at this moment in time they are nowhere near that level of dominance but indications are there that they can get there.

In Guardiola’s best seasons he played with a front three of Eto’o, Henry and Messi. This was the best strikeforce in Europe and Luis Enrique looks to have recreated a similarly prolific force. Neymar and Suarez who were both on the scoresheet against PSG now accompany Messi and are at this moment the most feared attack in Europe.

Naturally expectations were high for Enrique this season as they are every season with Barcelona but after taking over from Tato Martino who finished trophiless last season the fans want instant success and Enrique looks set to deliver it.

Barcelona currently lead La Liga which they last won under Tito Vilanova in the 2012/13 season and are strong favourites to win the Copa Del Rey with main rivals Real and Atletico out of the equation.

Champions League glory is top of most wish lists and on current form they look best placed to do it, 2010/11 was the last season Barcelona were crowned champions of Europe, far too long ago for a club of their stature and they will be looking to eradicate that this season.

photo credit: LFS_13335 via photopin (license)

Yaya Toure represents everything wrong with City

A 4-2 battering at the hands of United in the Manchester derby has really highlighted the problems in this ageing Manchester City team. No player epitomizes those problems any more than thirty-one-year-old central midfielder Yaya Toure who was a shadow of his former self.

A fast start by City was undone by some poor defending and a bit of luck regarding the offside flag for United but nonetheless after thirty minutes they found themselves a goal down. The response to going behind was embarrassing from a City point of view, they showed no character and the disinterest shown by the likes of Yaya Toure was simply unacceptable.

Toure continued what has been a poor season for him today with another disappointing performance in which his effort was minimum. Thus far in the Premier League Toure has 8 goals and a single assist, last season he finished with 20 goals and 9 assists. What a difference that is.

The second goal for United was a clear indicator that Yaya Toure just wasn't interested in the derby, after losing the ball in United’s half City’s players, notably Toure, laboured back after the ball and left plenty of space for United which they exploited. Toure has been a poster boy this season for overpaid players who go a hide when things get tough.

It is always a problem with teams trying to find the drive to go again after winning the season before, that ambition is hard to replicate as City have shown. It’s not only City, few teams can keep up such a high level of performance, Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United were the most recent example of a team who continually strive to be the best, they however had a few rare breeds in Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes et al who knew nothing but how to win.

The blame doesn’t rest solely with Toure for this poor season, other players such as Vincent Kompany have been well below par this season, even fan favourite Zabaleta has failed to recapture his once great form.

City now really do need a big summer revamp and fortunately for them they are not short of money to do that. One of the biggest changes may well be the manager with it looking increasingly unlikely Pellegrini will keep his job especially given the ruthlessness of the City owners. The main thing needed in this side is youth and maybe to say goodbye to the likes of Yaya Toure would benefit both the player and the club.

Pardew proving himself

Since Alan Pardew’s somewhat surprising move from Newcastle to the club he once played for Crystal Palace he has proven what a quality manager he is. His magnificent record has even seen him force his way into the running for manager of the year.

His record since taking over at Crystal Palace is nothing short of amazing,  in his eleven Premier League games in charge, Palace have won 7, drawn 1 and lost 3. That’s a win percentage of 64%, picking up 22 points from a possible 33 in his time in charge.

Pardew has turned the struggling side from relegation battlers to a comfortable mid-table side, upon taken over the Selhurst Park based side were 18th with just 16 points, while Newcastle who he left were in 10th on 26 points. Eyebrows were raised when Newcastle were willing to let Pardew go so easily and they've been made regret that decision.

Fast forward to now and after 30 games, Crystal Palace have moved up to 12th place 1 point ahead of Newcastle in 13th who have struggled under Pardew’s short term replacement John Carver.

This spell as Crystal Palace manager is once again proving Pardew’s credentials as one of the top English managers. It may be a distant memory now but when Brendan Rodgers was given the Liverpool job, one of his fellow candidates was the then Newcastle manager Pardew.

The decision by the Newcastle board to leave Pardew go is questionable, Pardew did not have the greatest relationship with the fans and that ultimately led to him being so easy to see walk away. To say he was underappreciated would be fair, in his time as Newcastle boss they've been inconsistent but never in danger of the drop, who can forget the season he led them to a 5th placed finish.

Sure Newcastle fans expect to be competing for European positions every season but realistically that just isn't possible at this moment in time.

Once again Crystal Palace have reaped the benefits of a mid-season managerial change with Tony Pulis doing a similar job to Pardew towards the end of last season. This summer however they will be hoping to keep hold of Alan Pardew, something they couldn't manage with Pulis.

Liverpool simply not good enough

A 4-1 defeat to Arsenal effectively ended any hope Liverpool had of finishing in the top four putting them 7 points behind 4th placed Manchester City who also have a game in hand. Their great run of thirteen games unbeaten which saw them surge into contention for the Champions League places ended against Man United and the Arsenal defeat looks to be the final nail in the coffin.

The two games have shown that Brendan Rodgers’ side simply are not good enough to compete with their top four rivals. Upon looking at the team sheets before the Arsenal game there was a sense of inevitability that Arsenal would have too much for the Reds. Arsenal starting eleven contained Ozil, Sanchez and Cazorla, three top quality players. Compare that to the Liverpool side’s stars, Couthino, Sterling and Henderson, good players but not of the same quality.

Against Man United it was more of the same, Van Gaal’s side contained the likes of Rooney, Mata and Herrera, players a class above what Rodgers has at his disposal. It was always going to be a struggle without the class of Suarez but few predicted a struggle of this magnitude, of course the injuries to Sturridge and Gerrard’s decline have been factors in the poor season but the harsh reality is this Liverpool side does not have good enough players to compete at the top.

Would any current Liverpool players make it into their rivals starting teams, Couthino maybe on his day would creep into starting place but would Chelsea pick him over Oscar? or would Arsenal pick him over Ozil? both are unlikely. Jordan Henderson has been one of Liverpool’s star men this term, he is a good consistent player but he wouldn't be considered a top top player. Sturridge is probably the one player who would get into most teams but his injury prone nature means he doesn't get to show his class all that often.

Rodgers’ transfer dealings in the recent past haven't been good, its hard to say any of his summer signings have been an overriding success. Can has been good but not great while Markovic, Lallana and Moreno have been inconsistent in their performances. If Liverpool want to compete at the top of the Premier League they must add quality to their team instead of taking risks on unknown players who show some potential.

Liverpool are currently missing a star player or two, last year we saw with Suarez how the team was built around him and how effective that was. Just look at Chelsea who play around Hazard or Rooney for United who is the centre of most of their plays. Currently in the squad there is no player good enough to warrant the team being centred around them and thats where Liverpool are lacking.

It may have seemed that Rodgers had turned things around after a disastrous start to the season but the past two weeks have shown that Liverpool just don't have the players to compete with their rivals.

United can’t afford to get complacent

Van Gaal’s United return to action this weekend after the international break with a tricky home tie against Aston Villa. After superb performances and results against Spurs and Liverpool, United cant afford to take their eye off the ball.

The International break could not have come at a worse time for United, being on such good form but they will look to get straight back to winning ways when Tim Sherwood and his side visit Old Trafford. Villa have been unpredictable as of late following up their 4-0 away win at Sunderland with a home defeat to Swansea. Van Gaal’s side will fully expect to brush Villa aside and consolodate their place in the top four.

Prior to the Liverpool game questions remained whether the Spurs victory was just a fluke, the 2-1 win at Anfield certainly proved this was no fluke and that maybe Van Gaal has finally found a winning system. The Anfield performance was probably the best we’ve seen under Van Gaal and has filled both the fans and players with confidence that it wont be long until they are back at the top.

The star of the show in United’s triumph over Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool was little Spaniard Juan Mata who scored both goals in an all round great individual performance. Mata, who has struggled so far under Van Gaal, will now be hoping to push on and recapture the form he experienced at former club Chelsea. Mata has a total of 7 goals and registered 3 assists in nineteen starts and six substitute appearences in the Premier League. A stat he will be looking to improve in the remainder of the season.

Finally nine months into his career Van Gaal is beginning to get it right and at just the right time. A win against Villa is imperative to their top four chances with a Manchester derby up next and away games with Chelsea and Everton to follow. The Manchester side currenty sit 5 points clear of 5th place Liverpool and the Champions League places still remain the goal for Van Gaal this season.

Many Positives for ROI after Poland game

The Boys in Green's qualification hopes are still alive

A draw at home against Poland wouldn't usually be greeted with huge cheers and celebrations but after scoring an injury time equaliser courtesy of Shane Long that 1 point feels like 3 for Martin O'Neill's Republic of Ireland side.

The draw now leaves Ireland in 4th place in Group D after five games, 3 points behind group leaders and last nights opponents Poland and 2 behind both Germany and Scotland. Although a draw was not a brilliant result, it was far better than a defeat that would have left the Republic of Ireland 6 points adrift of leaders Poland and 3 back from 2nd and 3rd place.

Group D

		Home			Away			Total
Teams	P	W	D	L	W	D	L	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
Poland	5	1	1	0	2	1	0	3	2	0	16	3	13	11
Germany	5	2	1	0	1	0	1	3	1	1	9	4	5	10
Scotland	5	3	0	0	0	1	1	3	1	1	11	5	6	10
Republic of Ireland	5	1	1	0	1	1	1	2	2	1	11	4	7	8
Georgia	5	0	0	3	1	0	1	1	0	4	4	9	-5	3
Gibraltar	5	0	0	2	0	0	3	0	0	5	1	27	-26	0

Source: Uefa.com 

The performance of the team could be split into two periods, the first half hour of the game was a train wreck, Ireland were unable to get the ball down and pass it instead opting for hopeless long balls time and time again to no avail. A Robbie Brady mistake then led to Poland opening the scoring with  a rasping strike from former Wolves man Peszko.

As poor as O’Neill’s side were in this half hour, the next 60 minutes almost made up for that. The intensity they played with and commitment shown by every player was admirable and eventually led to Shane Long nabbing a late goal to grab a well deserved point, you could argue they deserved to win but a point was satisfactory in the circumstances it came.

Shane Long no doubt made a claim for a starting place in upcoming matches but the real star of the show was Wes Hoolahan. The Norwich man when playing more centrally was the difference, his willingness to attack and ability to pick out a pass stood out above Ireland’s other midfield players and he now must have nailed down a spot in the starting eleven for the next few internationals.

As creative as Hoolahan was the two men behind him, McCarthy and Whelan, offered very little going forward. Whelan, at times, seems almost afraid to play the ball forward instead opting to play it around at the back to the frustration of many while McCarthy who did make more of an impact in the latter stages seemed disinterested at times.

The positives from the game however must outweigh the negatives. The Republic made table toppers Poland look very average for 60 minutes, The system used in the second half with Walters moving up-front alongside Keane and Hoolahan playing more centrally reaped dividends, opening the possibility of O’Neill implementing that tactic for the rest of the campaign.

Most importantly, after the game the chances of qualifying are still intact and with the huge confidence that comes with a late goal, Ireland have every chance of qualifying from the group and making it to France next year.

Tough fixtures still remain in the campaign with the return game against Poland in Warsaw still to come and the visits of group rivals Scotland and Germany to the Aviva. Qualification is made that bit easier however with the best third place team (currently Scotland) gaining automatic qualification along with the top two. Should the Republic of Ireland finish in third but not be the best placed they will be entered into the playoffs, so theres still a lot to play for.

Remaining Fixtures;
June 13 ROI vs Scotland
Sep 4 Gibraltar vs ROI
Sep 7 ROI vs Georgia
Oct 8 ROI vs Germany
Oct 11 Poland vs ROI

Perfect game for Kane debut

Kane in action for the England U21's

All the talk in the build up to England’s Euro 2016 qualifier with Lithuania has been whether or not Harry Kane would be given the nod by manager Roy Hodgson to make his first senior international cap. With the news of Sturridge’s injury it now looks increasingly more likely the Spurs man will be thrown straight into the starting line up and he couldn't have asked for a better game to begin his international career.

It is always a big moment when representing your country for the first time, often an overwhelming experience that may impact on a players performance but in this case a home game against Lithuania is almost the perfect stage to begin an International career. Lithuania are no walkovers but in truth they are along way off the quality this English side posses and for a striker like Kane it is a great opportunity to get off the mark for his country as he can expect many chances against a weak defence and in the form he is in you would expect him to take these chances.

The Sturridge injury has made a Kane starting berth all the more likely but even before the injury, based on club form Kane is more deserving of a place in the starting 11 than Sturridge. Sturridge is only finding his feet after a lengthy absence whereas the young Spurs man is just off the back of scoring a Premier League hat-trick and is now level on goals with Diego Costa on 19 as the Premier League’s top scorer. These internationals also offer Kane a chance to overtake Sturridge as the key striker in the long term. Sturridge’s injury-prone nature makes him likely to miss a lot of games so if Kane can hit the ground running he could become Hodgson’s first choice.

Hodgson has preferred to play one man up front in his time as England boss but this game offers the chance to try two up front with Rooney and Kane the obvious choices. Rooney has been deployed as an attacking midfielder frequently for the Three Lions but after his performances up top for United recently he has made a claim to play in his favourite position at International level. Kane could miss out if Hodgson continues with the one man up front and puts Rooney in that position although a game against Lithuania seems a great opportunity to trial a partnership between Kane and Rooney, a partnership that on paper looks formidable.

Roy Hodgson may well decide tonight is not the right time for Kane to begin his international career, regardless the experience of being amongst the squad will benefit the 22-year-old greatly and he can expect to play a big role in Hodgson’s plans in the near future should he keep up his great club form.

Harry Arter ready to make his International mark

Arter has been in great form for Bournemouth this season

Amongst some of the names getting a call up to Martin O’Neill’s side for the first time there was a first ever call up to an Irish squad for 25-year-old Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter, who has been rewarded for his fantastic league form that has helped his side to occupy the top spot in the Championship. An international call-up is a big step for the London born player, who qualifies to play for the Republic of Ireland through his Grandmother, a step up he both deserves and is ready for.

It hasn't been an easy ride for Arter to get to this point, after starting his career at Charlton an ankle injury saw his career there cut short and then opted to rebuild his career starting at non league Woking, a move that ultimately paid off. In 2010 Eddie Howe decided to take a risk and bring the then 20-year-old to his League one Bournemouth side, a move that has been worth the risk for Howe and Bournemouth with Arter now a mainstay in the Cherries midfield as they look to gain promotion to the Premier League.

This season Arter has been fantastic, in his 40 appearances in all competitions Arter has scored 8 and assisted 3 goals from his central midfield role. He is the definition of a box to box midfielder known for his good defensive play but also most recently he has hit the headlines for two cracking finishes in his past two games. He comes into the International squad in a great vein of form after a man of the match performance against promotion rivals Middlesbrough, a game in which he scored one of the aforementioned crackers as Eddie Howe’s side recorded a 3-0 win.

Martin O’Neill has a real dilemma on his hands when considering whether or not to throw Arter straight into the team in such a big game against Poland. It is unlikely that O’Neill would take the gamble and give him his debut in such a vital game but in the long term Arter could well be a long term solution to the Republic of Ireland’s midfield mediocracy. In the qualifying campaign so far the only central midfield player who has registered goal was Wes Hoolahan who was playing in a more attacking role when he scored a goal. Arter has proven in the Championship this season that he can get a goal and could be exactly what this Irish set-up needs.

Another feature of the Republic of Ireland’s current midfield options is they are very defensively minded, James McCarthy, Glen Whelan, Jeff Hendrick and David Meyler are all very much holding midfield players and although Gibson and Quinn do offer something going forward they are yet to register a goal and have not been overly impressive in their games so far this campaign. James McCarthy when fit is the best midfielder in the Irish squad and with his tendency to stay deep, Harry Arter, being the box to box midfielder he is, could well be the perfect partner for the Everton man.

A big problem for the Republic of Ireland in the campaign so far has been retaining the ball, Darron Gibson is the midfield player with the most passes completed for the Republic with 95. Compare that with group rivals Germany, their top midfielder Toni Kroos has completed 410 passes and compared to this weekends opponents Poland, Grzegorz Krychowiak has completed 224 passes both dwarfing Darron Gibson’s figure. The absence of top midfielder James McCarthy due to injury may reflect the poor passing stats but they are still very worrying. Harry Arter happens to be Bournemouth’s top passer with the highest amount of completed passes for his side in the Championship this season. Arter really seems to be the answer to all the Republic of Ireland’s midfield shortcomings.

The chances of Arter getting the nod on Sunday are short but the Bournemouth man can have a big impact for the Republic in the the rest of the qualifying campaign and beyond that.

Stats from:
http://www.squawka.com/teams/bournemouth/stats#performance-score#football-league-championship#season-2014/2015#127#all-matches#1-39#by-match
and
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/qualifiers/season=2016/statistics/round=2000446/players/kind=distribution/index.html#order=2desc