the tipsters

ARSENAL FOR LIFE

2010-02-28T22:01:00.001+08:00

The mocking laughter, the disbelieving faces, and the sarcastic pats on the back. Just another day in the life of an Arsenal fan who wears the shirt proudly to school/town the next day.

Some people have asked me why I do that. Why wear the shirt and invite mocking from people who might not have known that I'm an Arsenal fan? I could have hidden, but I must admit that I always felt defiant after defeat.

The 4-2 defeat at the City of Manchester Stadium, getting thumped by 3 goals without reply at home by a strong Chelsea side, going 2-0 down to Manchester United at home within 10 minutes in a major cup semi-final. Those were the strong teams.

Losing 2-1 to Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium last season, losing at the same place 3-1 this season, conceding a soft winner to Darren Bent's Sunderland. Teams we should not have lost to.

Some defeats saw us giving our all, some saw us going down without much of a fight at all. All were just as disappointing.

One thing never changed. The very next day, when it was time to pick a top from my wardrobe, my eyes would be drawn to my Arsenal shirts.

The red training top from 2008-2009 that my cousin got for me for my birthday.

The blue away shirt from 2002-2003 that Thierry Henry wore when he grabbed an incredible hat-trick in Rome. This was also the first football shirt I owned, and it was a gift from my mother.

The yellow-and-blue away shirt from 1988-1989 that Michael Thomas wore when he burst through the Liverpool defence in the final game of the season to score the second goal that would seal the league title that year. At Anfield too. This was a birthday gift from one of my best friends.

The current red-and-white that we are wearing. No history yet, as we haven't won anything in years, but I'm hopeful that this season might bring some long-awaited silverware. This was a birthday gift from my uncle, who's a lifelong Manchester United fan.

I would pick out a top as an act of defiance, pair it with a random pair of jeans, and go to school with my chest held high. The more people taunted and mocked me, the better I felt. The shirt, coupled with my belief that we would bounce back no matter what, was a show of defiance I felt I had to put up.

But last night served a timely reminder to me. It was never just a show of defiance.

I was genuinely proud to be an Arsenal fan.

That was why I never hesitated before pulling the shirt on, that was why I wore the shirts, however baggy and ill-fitting they were. Yes, they might not be the height of fashion. Yes, they might make me look fatter than I already am. And yes, they might not help in attracting any members of the opposite gender.

But after witnessing a match like last night's away game at the Britannia Stadium, it made me remember just why I'm such a proud fan of the Arsenal.

We had not won there since January 1982, and our last two visits there in recent years ended in crushing defeats. We were missing key players in every department of our team, and to top it all off, they scored from a long throw-in by Rory Delap barely 8 minutes into the match.

Now, there might be some who brand Stoke City as an anti-football side, what with their physical approach to the game, and scoring off long throw-ins. However, I don't think we should villainise them because every team should be allowed to play their own game, as long as it is within the laws of the game.

Back to the football match, and it was a familiar sight. Arsenal losing to Stoke City, because of a failure to deal with a Rory Delap throw-in. What happened after that was quite remarkable though.

First, we absolutely dominated the game after we conceded. An equaliser was inevitable, and duly arrived via the head of Nicklas Bendtner, the much-maligned Danish striker. Our continued dominance after the equaliser looked like it was going to bring a goal sooner rather than later, until a truly saddening incident on the field.

Young Aaron Ramsey, the bright Welsh prospect just 19 years of age, was the victim of a rash challenge from Ryan Shawcross, and ended up with a broken fibula and tibia, leaving his left leg snapped in two. If you are up for some truly grimace-inducing photos, check this out (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jASH0GEbp2k).

I don't think Ryan Shawcross meant it at all. It was probably an accident, and the fact that he burst into tears while leaving the field shows his intense remorse. But we had been here before, and the look on the faces of the Arsenal players showed that this injury was every bit as severe as the one Eduardo suffered at Birmingham two years ago.

That time, the team buckled under the pressure, giving up a 2-1 lead with seconds to go in the match, which led to our then-captain William Gallas throwing an almighty tantrum at the final whistle. None of that nonsense this time.

Gael Clichy, who gave up the penalty that led to Birmingham's last-gasp equaliser, was immense last night. He probed forcefully while attacking, and chased back like a man possessed whenever we lost the ball. For a man with his slight frame, his determination shone through when he headed a couple of Rory Delap throw-ins out of the penalty area.

He wasn't the only one. There were heroes all over the pitch.

Sol Campbell, 35 years old, led with experience from the back, and even burst into the opposition half trying to add urgency to our attacks.

Alex Song harried opponents from start to finish, and rather undeservedly got a yellow card for his hard work.

Cesc Fabregas never stopped running, never stopped passing. He provided two goals for Bendtner and Vermaelen, and had the poise and nerve to net the winning penalty in the 90th minute. And to top it all off, when Stoke's manager Tony Pulis tried to influence the referee to produce a yellow card late in the game, Fabregas ran towards Pulis holding his finger to his mouth, Shhh-ing him. He is everything I expect from a captain, and I would dearly love for him to lift the League trophy this year.

We could have let our heads drop after witnessing a team-mate break his leg and quite possibly never play football again, we could have used that as an excuse after yet another disappointing result, but we did not.

Instead, we battled back like men. We were not mere "babies", as Patrice Evra has suggested. We showed that we could stand up to physical play from our opponents. We fought hard, and got the result we deserved.

The huddle at the end showed what Arsenal Football Club was all about. We're not just a team that can pass circles around people, that can carve out intricate play patterns on the pitch. Last night, we played for each other, we played on for Aaron Ramsey, and now, we've got to keep that going on to the end of the season. We will win this for Aaron Ramsey.

Even if we do not win the title this season, I'm still proud of the players, proud of the manager, proud of my fellow fans, and proud to be an Arsenal fan. We've come back from 11-point and 9-point deficits on two separate occasions this season, and now we are just 3 points behind league leaders Chelsea.

Anything can happen from now till the end of the season, and we could end up losing all the remaining 10 games this season, but all that means will be that you will see me wearing an Arsenal shirt on 10 different Monday mornings. That will never change.

Arsenal For Life.

BURNLEY vs FULHAM (EPL)

2009-12-12T14:29:00.002+08:00

fulham are in good form, while burnley are slowly finding out that life in the top flight isn't exactly a bed of roses. i can't see burnley getting the 3 points here, and the best they can hope for is perhaps a draw.

Eddy's prediction: $10 on fulham or draw @ 1.44 = $14.40

MANCHESTER UNITED vs ASTON VILLA (EPL)

2009-12-12T14:16:00.002+08:00

aston villa have had a wretched record in games against manchester united, and last season's comeback win for united showed just how difficult it is for aston villa to even achieve a draw. however, last season's match was slightly different. manyoo's defence suffered despite being at full strength, and of course, there was cristiano ronaldo. villa play a competent counter-attacking game, and i think they should cause problems for united, who are undergoing a terrible defensive crisis. the one-goal handicap looks like a good one to take, as i don't see villa being beaten by two goals.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on aston villa +1 @ 2.075 = $10.38

MANCHESTER CITY v BURNLEY (EPL)

2009-11-07T09:12:00.001+08:00

another no-brainer. manchester city to win. once again, the margin of victory is hard to predict, but manchester city will definitely pick up all 3 points at home after a streak of draws.

Eddy's prediction: $10 on manchester city @ 1.33 = $13.30

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS v ARSENAL (EPL)

2009-11-07T09:09:00.002+08:00

i think this one's a no-brainer. arsenal to win. not sure if they can clear the handicap, but surely a win is almost certain.

Eddy's prediction: $10 on arsenal @ 1.36 = $13.60

MULTIPLIER OF THE WEEK (EPL)

2009-10-31T17:09:00.002+08:00

so here's a little multiplier for you punters out there to try.

arsenal vs tottenham (arsenal or draw @ 1.11)

fulham vs liverpool (fulham +1.5 @ 1.20)

manchester united vs blackburn (blackburn +3 @ 1.18)

portsmouth vs wigan (portsmouth +0.5/1 @ 1.19)

stoke vs wolverhampton (stoke or draw @ 1.20)

Eddy's prediction: $5 on above multiplier @ 2.24 = $11.22

BURNLEY vs HULL CITY (EPL)

2009-10-31T16:44:00.002+08:00

i reckon hull will be able to hold on for a draw, and jimmy bullard will probably feature and that's good news for hull, who are lacking inspiration at the moment.

roland's prediction: $5 on hull +0.5 @ 1.96 = $9.80

i agree with roland that hull should be able to hold on for a draw, against a burnley team whose bubble has well and truly burst, which is no surprise really. they are a very average side, and this is a battle between two teams that are surely gonna be relegated at the end of the season. however, i'll err on the side of caution, and go with a higher handicap, in case bullard doesn't play.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on hull +1 @ 1.405 = $7.03

MANCHESTER UNITED vs BLACKBURN (EPL)

2009-10-31T16:38:00.002+08:00

manyoo turned in one of their worst performances of the season against a depleted liverpool side last week, and deservedly emerged from the game with nothing in the bag. good news for them then, that the very next week, they face a blackburn team that was also smacked 5-0 by chelsea last week. on paper, this is a sure-win for united, but i don't think it's as clear-cut as that. manyoo will be missing vidic, ferdinand, neville and giggs, and that leaves them looking rather depleted, especially at the back. blackburn, on the other hand, welcome back david dunn from his virus, and i think he will cause some problems for united. i definitely do not see blackburn getting thumped, and as such, a 2-goal handicap is fantastic.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on blackburn +2 @ 1.875 = $9.38

bets this week

2009-10-31T07:43:00.003+08:00

sorry for the inactivity - been really busy!

hull city +0.5 @ 1.96

i reckon hull will be able to hold on for a draw, and jimmy bullard will probably feature and that's good news for hull, who are lacking inspiration at the moment.

stoke city -0.5 @ 1.94

after a trashing from portsmouth in midweek, i think stoke will bounce back with a win at the britannia where they are very strong.

sunderland -0.5 @ 2.06

sunderland looks good value because of their injury problems, but whether or not darren bent plays doesn't matter because kenwyne jones has also chipped in his fair share of goals, with only 2 less than bent. west ham have lacked cutting edge this season and i don't think they'll find their form in time for this match.

LIVERPOOL vs MANCHESTER UNITED (EPL)

2009-10-25T08:03:00.002+08:00

this is the big one. the fixture both sets of fans marked out on their calendars at the start of the season. liverpool come into this one after 4 consecutive losses, and can ill afford another. manchester united are in good form coming into this match at anfield, but this is exactly the sort of match where the form-book goes right out the window. liverpool will be desperate to avoid that 5th loss in a row, which would definitely mean goodbye to the title this year, and with home advantage, i can't see how liverpool will lose this match. whether gerrard or torres plays doesn't matter, the players will dig in to ensure at least a draw, so level ball should be safe.

Eddy's prediction: $10 on liverpool level ball @ 2.20 = $22.00

BLACKBURN vs BURNLEY (EPL)

2009-10-16T21:29:00.002+08:00

blackburn suffered a humiliating 6-2 defeat last time out at the emirates stadium, but they were unlucky in that they had both christopher samba and ryan nelsen out for that game, which meant that their defence was terribly makeshift. this time round, both of them are back, and i think blackburn can bounce back successfully from that horrible defeat, and thump burnley at ewood park.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on blackburn -0.5 @ 1.75 = $8.75

EPL MULTIPLIER

2009-10-16T21:22:00.003+08:00

here's a little multiplier you might wanna consider for the weekend.

arsenal v birmingham (arsenal win @ 1.16)

sunderland v liverpool (sunderland +1.5 @ 1.18)

everton v wolves (everton win or draw @ 1.10)

aston villa v chelsea (chelsea win or draw @ 1.16)

blackburn v burnley (blackburn +0.5 @ 1.15)

Eddy's prediction: $5 on above multiplier @ 2.00 = $10.00

EVERTON vs STOKE CITY (EPL)

2009-10-03T01:11:00.003+08:00

everton will be high in confidence after a superb display against BATE borisov during the midweek europa league clash. saha has been on form and he was rested and will be raring to go against stoke, who have found it difficult on their travels and have never won so far, and have scored only 4 goals in 7 games so far. bilyaletdinov looks like a great acquisition and pienaar's absence won't be felt, hell, no one even remembers arteta is missing out for everton. that's how good they are right now, and they will only get better. everton to win.

roland's prediction: $5 on everton win @ 1.50 = $7.50

BOLTON WANDERERS vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (EPL)

2009-10-03T01:03:00.003+08:00

spurs are having a great run, bouncing back from successive defeats against man utd and chelsea with 10 goals in the last 2 matches. bolton, who have been traditionally hard to beat at home, have surprisingly not won and i don't think they will be able to. bassong has proved to be a fine addition and harry redknapp has found a good balance to the team, and with robbie keane being able to bag 4 goals, you know that the team is on form. go for a spurs win, as i don't think bolton will be able to contain lennon and defoe.

roland's prediction: $5 on Spurs -0.5 @ 1.980 = $9.90

EPL MULTIPLIER

2009-10-02T22:54:00.004+08:00

after last week's success, here's a little multiplier you might wanna consider laying down a couple of bucks on.

hull v wigan (hull +1 @ 1.18)

burnley v birmingham (birmingham +1 @ 1.24)

chelsea v liverpool (chelsea +0.5/1 @ 1.13)

wolves v portsmouth (portsmouth +1.5 @ 1.18)

Eddy's prediction: $5 on above multiplier @ 1.95 = $9.75

RESULT: $5 became $7.87, because birmingham was voided (score 2-1)

MANCHESTER UNITED vs SUNDERLAND (EPL)

2009-10-02T22:46:00.002+08:00

manyoo are bang on form, having won their last god-knows-how-many games. they have won playing well, and they have won playing poorly, so the momentum is definitely with them. in a home game against steve bruce's sunderland, one would once again expect bruce, a fergie old boy, to do his former boss a favour, and lose this one. he has done it in the past, with wigan, and i think he'll do it again. however, an interesting point to note is that, it has never been a spanking for steve bruce's team. i suspect this is because the respect goes the other way as well, and fergie doesn't wanna humiliate his former players. as such, i'm going for sunderland on a good handicap, just in case they perform really well, and actually succeed in holding united.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on Sunderland +2 @ 1.60 = $8.00 (from bet365)

JURGEN MELZER vs GILLES SIMON (ATP THAI OPEN SEMI-FINALS)

2009-10-02T22:42:00.002+08:00

10th-ranked gilles simon is the favourite heading into this match, and i think that is a fair reflection. while gilles simon tends to choke once a tournament heads into the business end, his opponent this time is 44th-ranked jurgen melzer, who has had a terribly easy route so far. i fancy gilles simon to progress to the final this time, as his past 3 losses have come to players far more established than melzer, such as tsonga, djokovic, and ferrero.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on gilles simon to beat jurgen melzer @ 1.53 = $7.65

FIORENTINA vs LIVERPOOL (Champions League)

2009-09-29T16:22:00.002+08:00

Liverpool are without their injured Mascherano, who has been an immense figure in their midfield with the absence of Xavi Alonso. His absence will greatly impair Liverpool's ability. Furthermore, Liverpool have a crucial match at Stamford Bridge over the weekend, and another loss will cut them much further adrift from the title chase, so I think Rafa will be resting key players and playing fringe ones. As Liverpool have the weakest bench amongst the big 4, I don't think they can get a result from this game. Fiorentina have been showing very good performances at home and have won every single game so far, so I think backing Fiorentina for this game is the right choice.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Fiorentina +0.5 @ 1.960 = $9.80

EPL MULTIPLIER

2009-09-26T10:19:00.003+08:00

so here's a little multiplier you might wanna consider laying down a couple of bucks on.

fulham v arsenal (arsenal level ball @ 1.18)
liverpool v hull (liverpool win @ 1.14)
blackburn v aston villa (blackburn +1 @ 1.195)
sunderland v wolves (sunderland level ball @ 1.25)
stoke v manchester united (stoke +2 @ 1.28)

Eddy's prediction: $5 on above multiplier @ 2.57 = $12.85

RESULT: $5 became $10.05, because stoke was voided (score 0-2)

BLACKBURN vs ASTON VILLA (EPL)

2009-09-26T10:12:00.002+08:00

aston villa have a bit of a crisis going on in central midfield, with sidwell ruled out of this game. that leaves martin o'neill to count on either fabian delph (severely out of his depth in the premier league), or a very unhappy nigel reo-coker to partner stilian petrov in midfield. you don't need to be a genius to figure out that villa will struggle in midfield in this match. you will perhaps remember the last time they left sidwell out of the side, they played terribly and lost to wigan on the opening day. since then, they have won all their matches, but this sort of run has to stop somewhere, and i don't see allardyce losing yet another game.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on blackburn +0/0.5 @ 1.825 = $9.13 (from bet365)

BURNLEY vs SUNDERLAND (EPL)

2009-09-18T10:35:00.003+08:00

Burnley are actually a very weak squad, and they only beat Man Utd and Everton due to their promotion high and their home support. Their back to back losses against Chelsea and Liverpool, conceding 7 goals in the process, should have knocked the wind out of their sails. While Burnley are at home and will be tough to beat, I think they will be more courageous when facing Sunderland, leaving more holes in the defence to be exploited by the awesome partnership of Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Sunderland level ball @ 1.82 = $9.10

i totally agree with my fellow tipster, roland. i definitely do not see sunderland losing this one, so level ball is a fantastic bet to take. with darren bent in imperious form, the burnley defence, which isn't exactly mobile, will probably have a day to forget. also, burnley like to pass the ball around, but with cattermole and cana around, they're gonna find very little time on the ball, as the pair of them are INSANE.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on Sunderland level ball @ 1.82 = $9.10

ASTON VILLA vs PORTSMOUTH (EPL)

2009-09-18T10:23:00.002+08:00

Villa have overcome a bad start to their EPL campaign, notching 3 tough wins in succession against Liverpool away from home, Fulham, and their derby match against Birmingham City. Them being knocked out of Europe means that Martin O'Neill has a strengthened squad to concentrate on the league alone. The new partnership of Dunne and Collins have strengthened the back line immensely and I don't see how Aston Villa will drop points in this game, seeing as how Pompey are still collapsing quickly.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Aston Villa -1/1.5 @ 1.88 = $9.40

BLACKBURN vs WOLVES (EPL)

2009-09-12T12:35:00.003+08:00

Blackburn will welcome Ryan Nelsen back, who is an inspirational figure to the team with his tenacity and never-say-die attitude. 1 point from 3 games is definitely not enough for Big Sam's team and, while their striking options are pretty limited, they will be up against Mancienne who is still learning the ropes at the top level of English football. I think the strength and experience of either Jason Roberts or Benni McCarthy will prove crucial in exploiting the Wolves defence and Blackburn will post their first win of the season.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Blackburn -0.5 @ 1.870 = $9.35

MANCHESTER CITY vs ARSENAL (EPL)

2009-09-12T09:28:00.002+08:00

i think this is one of the clearest bets of the week. arsenal just lost two weeks ago, even though they played very well, while manchester city has been getting the results without looking very convincing. the thing about such unconvincing runs is that they have to end sometimes, and as such, i fancy arsenal on the level ball.

Eddy's Prediction: $10 on arsenal level ball @ 1.825 = $18.25

Agree with Eddy. Arsenal won't lose twice in a row, and while they aren't exactly king of comebacks from setbacks (the 2-1 loss to United), they will be facing a Bellamy-led City attack, which isn't the best that City can offer. City's strength has been their lack of goals conceded, but Arsenal is a team that can carve openings out of nothing and I expect Arsenal to at least draw, or win this one.

Roland's Prediction: $5 on Arsenal level ball @ 1.800 = $9.00

MANCHESTER UNITED vs ARSENAL (EPL)

2009-08-29T14:29:00.000+08:00

this is the big one. arsenal have been in good form since the start of the season, while manchester united have looked far from convincing, struggling for victory against birmingham, losing shamefully to burnley, and then looking totally toothless for one half against a poor wigan side. it is a tough one to predict, as both sides have their qualities, but i just feel that arsenal will not be thrashed as comprehensively as they were in the champions league last season. being at home, manchester united have a very good chance of winning this, despite being without rio ferdinand. i fancy arsenal to not lose though, as i just think manchester united's older legs will struggle to compete with the youthful exuberance of arsenal's play.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on arsenal +0.5 @ 1.715 = $8.58 (from bet365)

BOLTON WANDERERS vs LIVERPOOL (EPL)

2009-08-29T01:08:00.002+08:00

As a Man Utd fan, I am very tempted to place a bet on Bolton Wanderers as I hope Liverpool will lose 3 games in their first 4, but I doubt that will happen. Bolton have not been convincing in terms of finishing and I don't think they will be able to trouble Liverpool. Liverpool do have a very good record against Bolton, be it at the Reebok or at Anfield, and they seem to always score aplenty, so I think I will score when I place this bet on Liverpool. After all, they can't be THAT bad, right?

Roland's tip: $5 on Liverpool -1 @ 1.950 = $9.75

HULL vs BOLTON (EPL)

2009-08-22T09:52:00.002+08:00

Hull City started the season promisingly enough, showing lots of spirit in an unlucky 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. A large part of the performance was due to Stephen Hunt having a big impact on the side, and having scored both of Hull's goals already this season, Phil Brown can be reasonably pleased that his new signing has made an impact. However, tonight will be the first time Hunt comes up against a proper right-back in Gretar Steinsson, and i predict that he will have a tough time against one of the league's best old-fashioned right-backs. Bolton, despite their poor performance against Sunderland, do have a good set of hardworking players, and I fancy this to be enough to at least grab a point against a Hull City side that looks set for the drop this season.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on Bolton +0.5 @ 1.53 = $7.65

WIGAN ATHLETIC vs MANCHESTER UNITED (EPL)

2009-08-22T00:17:00.003+08:00

Well, everyone thinks that Manchester United are now suddenly an ordinary club with no ambition and no title winning credentials after their shock 1-0 loss to Burnley. Which is why this bet is so hard to resist. I don't think that Manchester United will drop points two games in a row, however notoriously slow to start the season they are. A 1 goal win will even the handicap, which is good anyway because no money is lost, and any more means a great return of 2.07. I fancy United to win anyway, because the Serbinator is back.

Roland's tip: $5 on Manchester United -1 @ 2.07 = $10.35

WEST HAM vs TOTTENHAM (EPL)

2009-08-22T00:02:00.002+08:00

Bad news for West Ham - Herita Ilunga is out for this match, which means that Jonathan Spector has to step in to cover at left back. I see him getting skinned many times by Aaron Lennon (good fantasy football pick I think!) and Spurs will win this match. Spurs finally look like the contenders that everyone thought they were when Martin Jol brought them to 5th for two consecutive seasons. After a nightmare with Juande Ramos, Harry Redknapp has rejuvenated them (also oweing to a huge transfer budget) and they look like a very strong side on their day. Bassong looks to have strengthened the Spurs defence and with Ledley King's return, I think Spurs can win this, especially when key men for West Ham like Behrami and Ashton are still out injured.

Roland's tip: $5 on Tottenham -0/0.5 @ 2.025 = $10.12

SUNDERLAND vs BLACKBURN (EPL)

2009-08-21T23:53:00.002+08:00

Sunderland will look to pick themselves up after getting beaten at home 1-3 by Chelsea, and they face considerably weaker opponents this time. Sunderland have a very solid side as they have a very strong midfield with Cana and Cattermole, which will dominate an injury-ridden Blackburn midfield that is missing Reid, Dunn and Emerton. I see Sunderland picking up 3 points here, even though they may have played a midweek game and be slightly fatigued, as it is at the stadium of light and Sunderland are very strong at home.

Roland's tip: $5 on Sunderland -0/0.5 @ 1.825 = $9.12

BIRMINGHAM vs PORTSMOUTH (EPL)

2009-08-19T15:14:00.002+08:00

Birmingham put up a very gutsy performance over the weekend against Manchester United, and I think this match will spark off another good performance from the blues at St Andrews. Christian Benitez looks likely to start and he showed off his pace on a couple of occasions, and he will definitely trouble a less than mobile Pompey defence. Pompey, on the other hand, turned in a lacklustre performance at Fratton Park - although admittedly they did create chances, but poor finishing let them down - and I don't see them getting anything out of this match. I fancy Birmingham to win this one.

Roland's tip: $5 on Birmingham -0/0.5 @ 1.775 = $8.87

MAN UTD vs BIRMINGHAM (EPL)

2009-08-15T13:02:00.002+08:00

I am a Manchester United fan and you should take this tip with a pinch of salt because my opinions will be biased.

United will win their 4th consecutive EPL title to ensure a record-breaking season, and will do this in style. While they do have cause for worry at the back with EVDS, Vidic, Rafael, Neville, Evans out, I doubt Birmingham will trouble the defence much because they will hardly get possession anyway. It's just like how Barcelona don't have top quality, world class defenders, but the sheer amount of possession they keep is a part of their defence, and expect to see that from Man Utd today. Alex Ferguson said that 3 months of anger will be unleashed on Birmingham City, and in front of Stretford End, I see lots of goals coming into this match.

Roland's tip: $5 on Man Utd -1.5/2 @ 1.925 = $9.625

WOLVES vs WEST HAM (EPL)

2009-08-15T12:53:00.002+08:00

Wolves have a very strong squad this season and I definitely think they will be able to survive if their key players do not get injured. However, for this match, Chris Berra, Kevin Doyle, Iwulemo and Michael Kightly are all out. West Ham are also similarly injury-ravaged with Carlton Cole being their only fit striker, which means that they will be packing the midfield and probably play Luis Jimenez in a slightly advanced position. I think Wolves will definitely dominate the match, but West Ham are very well-drilled and will be able to cope.

Roland's tip: $5 on West Ham level ball @ 2.00 = $10.00

BOLTON vs SUNDERLAND (EPL)

2009-08-15T12:43:00.004+08:00

Bolton definitely have strengthened their backline with the loan of Paul Robinson and the signings of Sam Ricketts and Zat Knight. They've also added grit to their midfield with the signing of Sean Davis from Portsmouth. However, they have not addressed their most crucial problem that was plagueing them the previous season - attack. Hardly a side that scores goals, with Elmander only finding the net 5 times last season, I doubt Bolton can score against Sunderland, who sport a new look under new manager Steve Bruce. Lee Cattermole (who Steve Bruce will sign 5 times if possible) and Lorik Cana will marshall the midfield to great effect (they are very tenacious and aggressive holding midfielders) and a strike force of Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones just looks mouth-watering. Expect Sunderland to take the fight to Bolton, and I don't think Bolton will be able to cope with Sunderland, who will be looking to please their new manager and fight for places.

Roland's tip: $5 on Sunderland +0/0.5 @ 1.910 = $9.55

I have to agree with Roland here. Sunderland look very strong, and Steve Bruce has shown in the past few seasons with Wigan, that he is a very accomplished manager. In Cattermole and Cana, Sunderland boast the most destructive midfield seen in the league since Phil Neville was paired with Roy Keane whenever United played Arsenal. Darren Bent is a proven goal-scorer as well, and I think Sunderland shouldn't lose tonight against Bolton.

Eddy's tip: $5 on Sunderland +0.5 @ 1.62 = $8.10 (from bet365)

PORTSMOUTH vs FULHAM (EPL)

2009-08-15T12:31:00.003+08:00

Well.. I'm BACK!! All pumped up for this next season. And hopefully, I'll be spot on and we'll be making money!

Portsmouth have lost a lot of their big name players since last season - Defoe, Sol Campbell, Crouch, and Sean Davis. Replacing their losses are Frederic Piquionne on loan from Lyon (68 goals in 235 games, hardly a terrifying statistic, no?), Steve Finnan (over the hill, but still a decent defender), Aaron Mokoena (hardly played for Blackburn, and only gave fouls away) and Anthony Vanden Borre. I don't think Portsmouth have a good enough squad to cope right away, and they will also need time to gel. Fulham have, on the other hand, kept their entire starting lineup the same (which finished 7th last season) and are definitely high on confidence as they have been scoring bucketloads of goals in their pre-season preparations. I think Fulham is a safe bet for this match, and they will at least draw this, or even win it.

Roland's tip: $5 on Fulham level ball @ 1.950 = $9.75

I Know Arsenal Won't Buy Him, But Still I Will Suggest: Christopher Samba

2009-07-13T11:02:00.003+08:00

another article i wrote on bleacher report

I was invited to write an article as part of the series created by Deepak Israni, and as soon as I agreed to write the article, the first name that popped into my mind was Christopher Samba, the giant Blackburn defender.

Christopher Samba: Fact-File

Age: 25
Position: Centre-back / Emergency Striker
Current Club: Blackburn
National Team: Congo
Species: Monster

Christopher Samba is a brute of a defender, whose sole aim in life is to leave opposition strikers begging for mercy when they play against him.

Standing at 2.87 metres tall and bigger than Arnold Schwarzenegger in his "Terminator" days, he is so tough that even regular bullies like Kevin Davies and Emile Heskey have been reported to have crapped in their pants at the mention of his name.

It has also often been rumoured that the real reason for Duncan Ferguson's retirement and Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Spain was to avoid Christopher Samba.

His influence is not just limited to England.

It is so great that even the regular "Samba boys" from Brazil, have re-invented their playing style and are now focusing on heading, tackling and leaving strikers crumpled on the floor.

All this, just so they can live up to the great name of "Samba".

Alright, enough of the exaggeration.

His real height is 1.93m, and while that is already rather tall, he complements it with good timing, and also a fantastic desire to get to the ball ahead of the striker. His strength in the air, is frankly quite astounding, and all these attributes mean that he is an absolute monster.

And what does Arsenal need? Yes, an absolute monster in the air.

Arsene Wenger conceded that William Gallas and Kolo Toure did not form a good defensive partnership, not because they are poor defenders, but because they simply lacked aerial presence.

If Arsenal signed Samba, he could be paired with a pacy defender like Kolo Toure, to form a fantastic defensive partnership in the mould of Vidic and Ferdinand, or Skrtel and Carragher.

Christopher Samba to Arsenal: Pros and Cons

Pros:

Good timing in the tackle
Massive presence in the air
Great determination to beat the striker to the ball
Great determination to beat the striker
Very professional, willing to play emergency striker when Allardyce called for it
Plays for Blackburn, so would be relatively easier to tempt him over to the Emirates
Monstrous

Cons:

Can be a little slow on the turn
Can't pass to save his life
Might accidentally flatten Theo Walcott and Carlos Vela during training
Might scare Manuel Almunia

Conclusion:

Christopher Samba is the answer to Arsenal's defensive problems. Big and strong, he would ensure that Arsenal fans will not see a game like the ones against Stoke and Wigan again. His continued presence in the league will also cause more and more stars to leave English shores, meaning Arsenal's opponents in the league will be weakened. He should definitely be snapped up by Arsene Wenger, although as mentioned in the title, "I know Arsenal won't buy him".

Pity.

United's Key Weakness Now: Set Pieces

2009-07-11T10:08:00.002+08:00

Another BR article.

Enough has been said about how United will revert to the traditional 4-4-2, how Rooney won't be forced out of position, how United's strikers will start playing more centrally and be more direct.

So far, United have signed 3 players - a proven finisher in Owen, a raw talent in Obertan and a pacey traditional winger in Valencia. These signings were made to replenish the squad, after the loss of Ronaldo to Real Madrid and Tevez, most likely to Manchester City.

It is evident that the current United squad will not be as threatening at set pieces as they used to be.

The departures of Ronaldo and Tevez means that United have lost their proven direct free-kick takers.

I have always maintained that Ronaldo's free-kick have a similar conversion rate to Beckham's. True, Beckham's free-kicks look much more elegant, curling towards a corner, but they are often palmed away for a corner by goalkeepers.

Ronaldo's free-kick comprises of pure pace, power and venom. So what if it hits the wall half the time? Once it's on target, it will either be too powerful for the goalkeeper to save, or he will fist it into the path of one of United's lurking strikers.

Tevez is also a proven free-kick taker. Having taken a few for West Ham, before going down the pecking order after signing for United. He has scored some wonderful free-kicks over the years.

This threat from direct free-kicks will be sorely missed. Who are the other free-kick takers in United, you ask?

Hargreaves is a proven free-kick taker, but he is most effective when closer to goal. You won't see him taking free-kicks 40 yards away from goal. Also, his fitness is a very big question, and it's highly unlikely that he will feature in every match like Ronaldo did.

Giggs hasn't had a good free-kick in months, and with the amount of rotation that Ferguson will have for him, it is very unlikely that Giggs will always be there to take the free-kicks.

Wayne Rooney might be a good free-kick taker, as he did score a beautiful one on his debut against Fenerbache, but it's too early to tell.

I do know that Fabio has a great left foot and is also lethal from the dead ball situation as well, but he won't get to play much as Evra is such a complete left back.

In all, there are many contenders for Ronaldo's position as the free-kick taker, but only Rooney stands the greatest chance of being played every game, and hopefully his free-kick taking is up to par.

Another big loss would be Ronaldo's ability in the air. Without him, United's only proven goal threats from indirect free-kicks and corners are Vidic and Ferdinand.

Berbatov may be tall, at 1.88m, but he does not contain the aggression in the air that Vidic and Ronaldo bring. He does not have the spring in his legs that can elevate him sufficiently to head the ball cleanly. This is evident in his debut season, where Berbatov missed many clear headers and put them over the bar.

Ferdinand is hardly a dominant attacking force in the air. Having scored a paltry 6 goals in 208 games in the EPL for United, he definitely ranks below the likes of Hyypia, who has gotten 22 in 317 appearances for Liverpool.

Vidic is the only clear threat that is left in United from IFKs and corners. He is United's best chance of getting goals from these set pieces with the departure of Ronaldo.

Perhaps Manucho might be a possibility, but what chances does he have of starting ahead of Rooney, Berbatov and Owen?

What is clear to see is that the signings made will not be able to replace the set piece void that Ronaldo has left in the team.

Owen is a great finisher, but he does not have the height to compete in the air. Valencia is not known for his heading prowess, and Obertan may be 1 cm taller than Ronaldo, but he definitely does not look as athletic as Ronaldo is. Maybe, in time, Obertan can be groomed to be like Ronaldo. However, right now, its clear that there are no strong headers of the ball in the team.

Perhaps the mantra of the next season will be efficiency. Efficiency in putting away chances; efficiency in open play.

Because it is clear that United's current weakness is their strength at set pieces.

Why Michael Owen Is Right for Manchester United

2009-07-04T11:23:00.002+08:00

In the biggest surprise of the transfer season, Michael Owen is set to join Manchester United on a free transfer.

Having miraculously passed an initial medical on his knee and arrived at the training ground at Carrington, it seems like this isn't just a rumour.

Yes, Owen looks set to join United with a pay-as-you-play deal.

Many fans would scream in outrage, thinking that he would be a waste of space in the squad and would not be able to contribute much to the team.

Many people would claim that signing Owen is just like re-signing Louis Saha. He'll be perpetually injured, and just when he's getting a regular run of games, he'll get injured again.

Their claims are not unfounded. Over the past four seasons, he has made a meagre 58 Premier League starts due to his injury record. That is the number of appearances a first team player can make at United in just one season.

True, he has lost a yard of pace. True, he hasn't exactly set the Premier League alight at Newcastle. Who expects it from him, though, in a team that had no continuity and had many off the pitch problems?

Then there are those who will claim that he is unable to replace Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo. I agree, he definitely cannot replace the two. However, is he supposed to?

Owen brings with him guile and a lethal finish. He isn't as fast as he used to be, but get the ball into the box at his feet, and he will finish it off for you.

Tevez did bring energy to the team, but he was never a clinical finisher; 19 goals in 63 games for United is not a good record. In fact, Owen's scoring record at Newcastle is better than Tevez's, with 26 in 71.

Ronaldo is an irreplaceable player, so comparing Owen to him would be ludicrous. You don't compare the world player of the year to a player who has been dogged by injuries and an inconsistent run of games.

However, Owen has a point to prove next season, as it will probably be his last chance to get to the World Cup. He will be hungry, and he will be at his sharpest again.

A pay-as-you-play deal means that he won't be earning while sitting on the bench. Owen will need to perform, and he will, especially with the service that he will get from United's team.

Remember that Ferguson has done this before. He signed Teddy Sheringham when he was at a ripe old age of 31, and Sheringham contributed many crucial goals (31) in over 100 appearances, many coming off the bench. The most important was the last minute equaliser and then his deft flick-on onto Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's boots for the winner in the 1998-1999 Champions League final.

With Owen, United get a player who is willing to sit on the bench and come on after 60 minutes when the opposition defence is tired, or to come on to play off the shoulder of the defender when you need goals.

For a free transfer, this might be the shrewdest signing Ferguson has made this season, and he can use the 80 million pounds to capture players while already knowing that some of the scoring burden has been taken off Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov.

It promises to be very exciting indeed.

The Three Transfers Road to Improvement: Hull City

2009-06-26T17:14:00.001+08:00

another article i wrote on bleacher report

In the 17th part of my "Three Transfers" series, I take a look at Hull City, a team that started the season so well that a wretched run towards the end of the season still managed to keep them up.

Of course, Newcastle and Middlesbrough playing like they wanted to go down helped Hull's cause, but however it happened, what is important now is that Hull City have another season in the top flight to look forward to.

However, I think it has to be said that the current team, if left unstrengthened, will be around or inside the relegation spots again next season. As such, I think it is crucial that the Tigers strengthen for next season, and my suggestions for Phil Brown to mull over are as follows:

STRIKER

Hull City were one of the lowest scorers last season, managing only 39 goals for the entire campaign.

That Marlon King, who only spent half a season there, is the second-highest scorer with 5 goals, and Michael Turner, a defender, is the third-highest scorer with 4 goals, shows that the quality of the strikers probably leave much to be desired. Even with Fraizer Campbell's impending arrival at the club, at least one more striker is still needed.

As such, Phil Brown's interest in Michael Owen is completely understandable. However, with Owen expressing his reluctance to join Hull, perhaps other targets should be the focus for Brown.

I would suggest that Brown should try to sign Benjani Mwaruwari. With Roque Santa Cruz recently becoming the 176th striker on Manchester City's books, Benjani will surely find playing time really limited.

That he will not get much time on the pitch isn't an indication of his lack of quality though, it just so happens that there is talent like Robinho, Bellamy, Jo, Santa Cruz and Caicedo ahead of him in the pecking order.

As such, Hull would do well to sign Benjani, who is a decent goalscorer, but perhaps more importantly, he is a hardworking striker who never gives up a lost cause. This is a valuable mindset to have for any player playing for a relegation-threatened club, as the last thing you want is a team that gives up easily.

His strength and pace would also bring much more to the team than the likes of Daniel Cousin and Caleb Folan, who were clearly not good enough for the Premiership.

As mentioned above, considering that Benjani is probably surplus to requirements at the City of Manchester Stadium, Hull should be able to pick him up for a reasonable price, and Phil Brown should try to ensure it happens.

Alternatively, Phil Brown could go for Marlon Harewood.

Just like Benjani, Harewood is also not likely to see much first-team action next season, with John Carew, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Emile Heskey and sometimes even youngster Nathan Delfouneso preferred to him.

Harewood would be a good signing and definitely a first-teamer for Hull City though, as he has proven himself in the Premiership before, and even in his limited appearances for Villa, he has shown that he still has quality in him.

Strong and athletic, he will be a handful for most defences, and would definitely be a good signing for Hull City.

Just as in Benjani's case, a reasonable offer should do it for Martin O'Neill, as he is clearly deemed surplus to requirements.

CENTRAL MIDFIELDER

Hull's struggles last season were also in part down to the lack of ability to retain possession, especially in the central midfield area.

Sure, Jimmy Bullard will be back from injury, and I think he will be an integral part of Hull's team next season, but they definitely need at least one more midfielder in there, especially as George Boateng and Ian Ashbee are not getting any younger. In fact, Bullard himself isn't exactly Mr Indestructible.

Central midfielders in the Premier League (who would realistically want to play for a relegation-threatened team) do not come much better than Kevin Nolan.

A good goalscoring midfielder who never shies away from a challenge, Nolan is a seasoned campaigner in the English top flight, and would be a valuable addition to most Premier League teams.

His form might have suffered a little after his move to Newcastle, but to be fair, almost the entire team underperformed, which ultimately resulted in their relegation.

And it is their relegation which should open the door for a move to sign him, as Newcastle need to sell to keep afloat, and if Hull are serious about retaining their Premier League status, they should have no problem affording the transfer fee.

Phil Brown and Kevin Nolan have also worked together before at Bolton, so that might make the move a little easier to complete.

If Nolan rejects Hull, then Phil Brown should perhaps set his sights on Tom Huddlestone.

The former England U21 international has a superb passing range, and would be a great addition to Hull City.

The current Hull City team looks short of ideas when going forward, and if they had Huddlestone, they would certainly have a little more inspiration in their play.

He also has a good long shot on him, which could be important if Hull cannot find a way past packed defences.

With Harry Redknapp clearing out half the Tottenham squad, Hull might have a chance of getting their claws on a cultured, classy midfielder, and I think Phil Brown should try to get him if the price is right.

LEFT-BACK

While Andy Dawson might be a fan's favourite, having been voted Hull's player of the year in 2007, I feel that he is not good enough to play at the Premiership level.

Dawson is also not someone you would place money on in a sprint challenge, and with him being on the wrong side of 30, this problem will be heavily exploited by pacy wingers next season.

He is also the only specialist left-back at the club, which is obviously not ideal. As such, it would be wise for Phil Brown to try and sign someone to replace or provide back-up for Dawson.

I think Phil Brown should pull out all the stops to try and bring in Emanuel Pogatetz from Middlesbrough.

A player who "never gives less than 300%", as described by his former manager Steve McClaren, Pogatetz is one of the hardest of the "hard men" when it comes to the left-back position.

The Austrian captain might not be the best going forward, but he is very solid at the back, and will not let right-wingers pass him easily.

With Middlesbrough recently being relegated, Hull could take advantage of their situation and sign one of Boro's top players at a reasonable price.

If Hull cannot muster enough funds to finance the move for Pogatetz, Brown could look at bringing in Kieran Gibbs on loan from Arsenal.

While obviously not even half as solid as Pogatetz, Gibbs possesses excellent pace, which gets him out of trouble and makes up for his relative lack of defensive awareness.

Also, the above-mentioned pace will be very useful for Hull on the counter-attack, and should he be signed, I can see him being as exciting as Bernard Mendy on the opposite flank.

I think Arsenal would not mind letting Gibbs go on loan for a season, as Armand Traore is back from his spell at Portsmouth, and will take over as cover for Gael Clichy.

So that's it, those are my suggested signings for Hull City next season. If Brown manages to get these players, I'm sure Hull will not struggle as much next season.

The Three Transfers Road to Improvement: Sunderland

2009-06-24T17:17:00.002+08:00

another article i published on bleacher report.

In the 16th part of my "Three Transfers" series, I shall be taking a look at Sunderland, a club that lost Roy Keane halfway through the season, and ended up stumbling through the entire season to finally secure their top flight status at the end.

With Steve Bruce at the helm now, bigger and better things are expected at the Stadium of Light, and from what we saw with Bruce's Wigan, there is cause for optimism for the Sunderland faithful.

Of course, a new manager does not fix everything, and if they are to improve on this season, then Bruce will have to bring in a few new faces. Here are my suggestions on who should be brought in, and why.

STRIKER

With Djibril Cisse heading back to Marseille, Sunderland are left with David Connolly, David Healy, Michael Chopra, Daryl Murphy, and of course Kenwyne Jones as their striking options.

Of the five players listed above, only Kenwyne Jones is Premiership quality, and as such, a new striker should definitely be the priority for Steve Bruce.

Sunderland have been linked with Darren Bent in the tabloids, and for good reason, too.

Strong and fast, Bent would be the perfect complement for Kenwyne Jones' aerial prowess.

Last season showed that Jones and Cisse worked quite well together, so Bruce would do well to try and replicate it by getting a pacy forward like Bent in. In fact, it could even work better than Jones and Cisse, as Bent is a much more accomplished finisher than Cisse will ever be.

Harry Redknapp has made it clear that Bent would be allowed to leave this summer, and as such, a reasonable offer would probably be enough to secure his signature.

Alternatively, Steve Bruce could look to bring in Michael Owen.

Yes, he is not the same player he once was, as injuries have robbed him of his pace, but the guile and finishing instincts still remain, and he could definitely be a good addition to Sunderland's squad.

While not quite as speedy as Darren Bent anymore, Owen is a natural goalscorer and you never get enough of such players.

His contract runs out in the summer, and with little interest from the top clubs, Sunderland could pick up a good player for nothing. His wages might be high, but Sunderland could try to negotiate a contract based more on appearances, so that they are covered in case he suffers another one of those long-term injuries that have plagued his career.

To top it all off, he would be moving from Newcastle straight to Sunderland, which surely would not go down well with the Magpies at St James Park, but will probably delight the Sunderland fans.

CENTRE-BACK

Currently, Sunderland have Paul McShane, Calum Davenport, Danny Collins and Anton Ferdinand who can play in this position.

None of the above four players have looked very convincing last season, and additions are definitely needed to strengthen this very crucial area of the team.

As such, I would suggest that Steve Bruce go for Oguchi Onyewu, the giant American.

Onyewu stands at 1.96m tall, and is strong in the air, so on paper he would be a good partner for Anton Ferdinand, who is relatively more comfortable on the ground.

Although Onyewu has had an unsuccessful spell at Newcastle before, I think he has developed into a better player during his time at Standard Liege, and should definitely be considered as a potential signing for Sunderland.

Having already won two league championships with Standard, Onyewu would probably be open to a second chance in the English Premier League. Also, the EPL has effectively kicked out racism from the stadiums, which might be an important factor, considering he was the victim of a racist insult during a recent match against Anderlecht.

If Onyewu proves impossible to sign, then perhaps Steve Bruce could set his sights a little lower and go for Abdoulaye Meite.

Strong, quick, and good in the air, Meite would also be a good partner for Ferdinand.

However, he does show an occasional lack of concentration which can lead to disastrous consequences.

Nevertheless, he is a fine defender on his day, and is definitely better than the other options Sunderland possess.

RIGHT-WINGER

Two Sunderland players are capable of playing at right-wing, and they are Steed Malbranque and Carlos Edwards.

I think a lot was expected from Steed Malbranque when his signing was announced, but if performances from last season are anything to go by, he has not been a success, and with his age, he probably will not get much better.

Carlos Edwards is even worse off, as he has not looked like a Premiership player at any point in his Sunderland career.

As such, a right-winger would be a good addition to Sunderland's team.

Jermaine Pennant comes to mind as the obvious choice for the position, as he ticks all the right boxes when one thinks of a Premiership-standard right-winger.

He is quick, skillful, and has a very good cross on him. Steve Bruce is also known to be an admirer, as he brought him in when he was in charge of Birmingham. Pennant's best form of his career so far was also at the St. Andrews Stadium, so perhaps Steve Bruce knows how to get the most of out him.

His contract runs out at the end of the month, and Bruce would do very well to pick him up on a free transfer.

If money is not a problem for Sunderland, they could instead opt for Pedro Leon.

Leon plies his trade in Valladolid, and is being tipped for great things in future.

A very skillful player, Pedro Leon also has qualities that conventional right-wingers do not possess, such as a the vision to pick out a pass, and a decent long shot.

The drawback of signing a player from the Spanish league is the risk involved, because they might not be able to bring the same level of performance over. Josemi, Antonio Nunez and Mikel Alonso are just a few examples.

Also, being a key player in Valladolid, Sunderland might have to pay over the odds to get their man.

With Bruce being promised a decent transfer warchest this summer, there is more than just a small chance that he can tempt Pedro Leon to ditch the warmth of Spain for the bitter North-east weather.

So that's it. Those are my suggested signings for Steve Bruce's Sunderland next season. If they do get them, they won't even be close to the relegation zone.

The Three Transfers Road to Improvement: Blackburn

2009-06-23T09:57:00.001+08:00

another article i published on bleacher report

In the 15th part of my "Three Transfers" series, I look at Blackburn Rovers, a team that started the season with the hapless Paul Ince, but managed to turn their season around with the appointment of Sam Allardyce as manager.

With Sam Allardyce at the helm, Blackburn fans should not have to worry much about relegation.

He managed to keep Bolton in the top half of the table for a long period of time, and I think that goes to show his managerial ability, considering Bolton offered him very limited resources to work with.

With Blackburn, I reckon Big Sam's initial aim will be to ensure that they do not get sucked into the relegation battle at any point of time during the season.

If that is the case, then the squad definitely requires strengthening in a few areas, and they might consider the following players.

RIGHT-BACK

A number of players have been used in this position this season, namely Andre Ooijer, Danny Simpson, Zurab Khizanishvili, and even Keith Andrews.

Of those four names, only two (Ooijer and Simpson) can claim to be specialist right-backs, and both will not be at Ewood Park this season.

Ooijer has confirmed he will be heading back to PSV Eindhoven, while Simpson will return to Manchester United, his parent club.

Brett Emerton, the Australian midfielder, has shown that he can do very well in the right-back position, but his high energy is better utilised in midfield. Even if Allardyce does play him on the right side of defence, a right-back is still a highly necessary signing for them, given their lack of personnel who can play there.

As such, I would suggest that Blackburn make a new right-back their number one priority this summer, and they should look no further than to Habib Beye, the Senegalese international from Newcastle.

Solid in the tackle, and a decent option on the counter-attack, Beye would be the perfect answer for Blackburn's right-back woes.

Besides, with Newcastle recently being relegated, Beye would probably be available on a cut-price deal, as the Magpies need to sell their players to stay afloat.

Alternatively, Blackburn could try to go after Alan Hutton.

The Tottenham man is one of 37 right-backs at White Hart Lane, and might be allowed to go if the price is right.

Strong on the ball, and in the challenge, Hutton would also be a good addition to Ewood Park.

However, the drawback is that he is not quite as good when it comes to counter-attacking, and he would also definitely cost more than Beye.

STRIKER

With Roque Santa Cruz now at The City of Manchester Stadium, Blackburn will find themselves short of striking options in the coming season.

Their situation is made worse by Matt Derbyshire's desire to stay in Greece, where he has had a good spell on loan at Olympiakos.

As such, signing a striker should also be a priority for Sam Allardyce, and I think the ideal replacement for Santa Cruz would be Nikola Zigic.

Standing at 2.02m tall, Zigic is tailor-made for Sam Allardyce's long-ball style of play.

With Blackburn lacking in creativity in the middle of the park, Zigic's height would serve as an outlet for the rest of the team to punt long balls to, much like what they attempted to do with Christopher Samba at the tail-end of the season. Of course, Samba is no striker, so that was more of a failure than a success.

Zigic is surplus to requirements at Valencia, and with the club in some serious financial trouble, Allardyce certainly has the funds to prise him away from the Mestalla.

An alternative for Allardyce to consider would be Jo.

A reject at Manchester City, the Brazilian has shown in his loan spell at Everton that he still has what it takes to be a success in the Premiership.

Not only is he decent in the air, he is also quite a skilful player, and would be an asset to any team.

With the money from Roque Santa Cruz's move to Manchester City, Blackburn should be able to afford Jo.

CENTRAL DEFENDER

Blackburn currently boast one of the most intimidating central defensive partnerships in the Premier League, with Ryan Nelsen partnering Christopher Samba.

However, I still believe that this department requires one more central defender, as there is little cover beyond Nelsen and Samba.

Andre Ooijer and Aaron Mokoena have left, and they have been used as emergency cover in the past.

Zurab Khizanishvili has shown time and again that he is not good enough for the English Premier League, and as such, I think Blackburn should try to sign David Wheater from Middlesbrough.

A tall and imposing defender, Wheater was one of the shining lights in Boro's otherwise rather gloomy season.

A solid defender who never shies away from a challenge, Wheater is one of those defenders you wouldn't mind trusting your life with, and is probably exactly the type of defender Sam Allardyce loves.

With his addition, Allardyce would then have three quality central defenders, to cover for injuries and suspensions. Also, with Nelsen turning 32 this year, Wheater can be groomed as the long-term replacement for him.

Middlesbrough, like Newcastle, have to sell their prized assets to keep afloat, and despite insisting that they will not sell Wheater, they might find it hard to keep him if big offers come in.

If the Wheater deal does not materialise, then Allardyce could try to go after Nedum Onuoha from Manchester City.

Boasting superb pace and strength, Onuoha's athleticism would be a good complement for either Nelsen or Samba, as their only weakness is a lack of speed to deal with forwards who run at them.

With the new signings starting to pile in at the City of Manchester Stadium, Mark Hughes might allow Onuoha to leave for a reasonable fee.

So that's it - those are my recommended signings for Blackburn for next season. If they manage to get half of the targets listed above, relegation fears will not even enter the heads of the Ewood Park faithful.

The Three Transfers Road to Improvement: Portsmouth

2009-06-16T22:34:00.001+08:00

another article i published on bleacher report

In the 14th part of my "Three Transfers" series, I look at Portsmouth, a team that is in the middle of a takeover by billionaire Sulaiman Al-Fahim.

Some might remember him being involved in the takeover of Manchester City, and he made bold proclamations of who he was going to sign for City back then. As such, I think we can expect him to splash the cash now that he is in charge of Portsmouth.

Portsmouth have a fair few problems to fix. They started the season with high hopes, but without Lassana Diarra and Jermain Defoe, arguably their top two players, they lacked quality and ended up losing almost half of their fixtures.

I think the short-term aim of the club would be to get into the top half, and possibly a Europa League place with a little luck.

If that is Portsmouth's aim, then I believe strengthening is required in a few areas, and I shall address them now.

STRIKER

After Defoe's departure, goals have been in short supply for the south coast club. Scoring a measly 38 goals, which equates to just 1 a game, is not enough, especially when your defence is not exactly water-tight.

Currently, Portsmouth have Peter Crouch, Nwankwo Kanu, David Nugent, and John Utaka on their books.

Peter Crouch managed to find a little form heading into the tail-end of last season, but clearly he needs to have better partners if he is going to improve on his performances next season.

Nwankwo Kanu's future is still up in the air, but even if he signs, the 32-year-old will probably be used in a role off the bench.

John Utaka has been preferred on the right, instead of in his favoured role, probably because his finishing has left much to be desired.

As for David Nugent, I don't think he has enough quality to be playing in the Premier League, and should at most be restricted to a place on the bench.

As such, signing a new striker must be the priority for Portsmouth in the summer.

I would suggest that with their new-found money, they should go after Darren Bent.

While many criticise him for being a multi-million pound flop, it must be noted that Bent is not the one who put such a price-tag on his head, and it is a result of the crazy market conditions, which sees him valued at 16.5 million pounds.

Darren Bent would be perfect for Portsmouth, as he is pacy, and as such, would be a perfect complement for Peter Crouch.

Often, Crouch has been the lone striker up front for Pompey and has had to drift wide to pick up the ball in space. If Bent were to move to Pompey to partner Crouch, then Bent would be the one running into the channels, leaving Crouch in the middle, where is the most effective.

Also, Crouch can make use of his height to flick the ball on for Bent to chase, if the team decides to use the aerial route.

With Redknapp reportedly keen on offloading Bent, Pompey would definitely be able to afford him, and he would be the perfect signing.

If they are unable to get Bent, they could perhaps turn their sights to Obafemi Martins.

The Nigerian striker is blessed with superb paceand athleticism, and while his shooting is not the best, he would also be a good partner for Peter Crouch, in a classic "big man, small man" combination.

With Newcastle needing to sell players, especially those on insanely high wages, Martins would definitely be attainable as long as Portsmouth come up with a reasonable offer.

RIGHT-BACK

Well, Glen Johnson is certainly one of the best right-backs in the league, but unfortunately for Pompey, it is unlikely that he will stay much longer.

With reported interest from Liverpool and Chelsea, among other clubs, the promise of European football will probably be too big a draw for Glen Johnson to ignore.

Assuming he goes, this leaves a huge gap for Pompey to fill. I think they should look for someone similar—i.e. good with the ball at his feet, and bombs down the flank with aplomb.

The player who I think is most similar to Johnson is Gianni Zuiverloon from West Bromwich Albion.

Zuiverloon is never afraid to run down the flank with the ball, or in support of the right-winger, and is thus a valuable asset to have when trying to break down other teams.

Defensively, he is not the best, but he is still young, and his reading of the game will definitely improve as he gets more matches under his belt. Also, his pace gets him out of trouble most of the time, so it's not too huge a problem.

If Zuiverloon cannot be attained, then Portsmouth could try to get Lucas Neill on a free transfer.

His contract runs out at the end of the month, and it looks increasingly unlikely that he will stay at West Ham.

Lucas Neill is very different from Zuiverloon, as he is defensively very solid, but his attacking ability is probably not even half as good. He has loads of Premier League experience, though, and would be a quality addition to any of the other teams in the league, not just Portsmouth.

His status as a free agent just makes it much more appealing for Portsmouth, and with their money, they should be able to afford his wages.

At the end of the day, it depends on whether Portsmouth want a like-for-like replacement for Johnson in Zuiverloon, or they want defensive solidity in the shape of Neill.

LEFT-WINGER

Currently, Portsmouth have Jerome Thomas as their only natural left-winger. Over the course of the season, they have used Armand Traore and Niko Kranjcar here as well.

However, Armand Traore will return to Arsenal at the end of his loan spell, while Niko Kranjcar should be left in the middle, where he can use his play-making abilities fullest.

While Jerome Thomas is a useful player to have in the squad, he is probably not good enough for a team with aspirations of finishing in the top half.

As such, Portsmouth definitely need a new left-winger, and I think they should try to sign Tranquillo Barnetta from Bayer Leverkusen.

The Swiss international is a quick winger who enjoys running at defenders at full tilt, and should be a hit in the Premier League.

He is equally adept at using either of his feet, and is comfortable on either wing, which will be a huge bonus to Portsmouth.

With Bayer Leverkusen also not qualifying for Europe, Portsmouth might find it a little easier to tempt Barnetta to the south coast to ply his trade in the English Premier League.

If Barnetta proves to be too expensive, or is not willing to move to England, then perhaps Dmitry Torbinsky will be an interesting option.

He is just as quick and just as skilful as Barnetta, and also possesses an excellent cross.

The only drawback is that he is not quite as proficient with both his feet, and as such is sometimes forced to cut in by experienced defenders.

Torbinsky currently plays for Lokomotiv Moscow, and if Portsmouth were interested, I'm sure he would jump at the opportunity to play in the English Premier League.

So that's it. That's my take on who Portsmouth should splash the cash on in the summer.

Taking a step back from all the suggestions, key to their summer is also making sure their best players like Sean Davis sign new contracts, as 15 of the Pompey team are free agents come the end of the month.

If they manage to keep their best players, use their money wisely and strengthen well, they should be in the running for one of the European spots next season, and not fighting a relegation battle.

The Three Transfers Road to Improvement: Bolton Wanderers

2009-06-15T22:44:00.001+08:00

In the 13th part of my "Three Transfers" series, I shall be taking a look at Bolton Wanderers, a club which has finished just about where everyone expected them to, well clear of the relegation zones, yet nowhere near European football.

To be fair, credit must be given to them for finishing above the likes of Sunderland and Newcastle, clubs that are run on much higher budgets.

The solid, uncompromising style of Megson and his charges, also mean that every visitor to the Reebok Stadium is not given an easy ride.

However, if they are to ensure that they stay well clear of relegation next season, signings are definitely going to be needed, and here's three they can consider.

CENTRAL MIDFIELDER

This is a crucial area to strengthen. Bolton might look well-stocked here, despite Kevin Nolan's departure.

They have Gavin McCann, Fabrice Muamba, Mark Davies, Tamir Cohen, Joey O'Brien and Chris Basham on their books, which means six players for three central midfield spots.

On close examination, however, none of the six players are attacking midfielders. They are more "graft" than "craft", and that explains why Bolton seem to lack the necessary flair to turn draws into wins.

Bolton fans will remember the good ol' days when a certain Jay Jay Okocha lit up the Premier League with his tricks, flicks and free-kicks. Strangely for a player bursting at the seams with flair, a good long throw was also part of his arsenal.

Back then, Bolton were always in the top half of the table. That was due not only to their defensive solidity, but also because they had a player capable of turning a match on its head in Okocha.

As such, having already achieved their initial aim of stability after appointing Megson, I feel the top priority in the summer is to sign a flair player who can light up a game with moments of brilliance.

These players don't come cheap, and those willing to come to Bolton are probably in short supply in Europe.

Therefore, my first recommendation for this position is a player who plies his trade in Egypt for Al-Ahly.

That man is none other than the Egyptian Zinedine Zidane, Mohamed Abou Trika.

Playing in the hole behind the strikers, Abou Trika is a tricky player who uses his vision to set chances up for his team-mates. He also times his runs into the box to perfection, popping up with crucial goals for both club and country.

He boasts an approximate one goal in three games for either club or country, and has big-match experience as well, having won the African Cup of Nations twice, and the FIFA Club World Cup once.

In my opinion, he has all the attributes necessary to be a hit in the Premier League, and even though he is 31 this year, noone would think it if they watched him play.

If Megson finds it tough to sign him due to interest from other clubs, then he could perhaps set his sights on bringing Aaron Ramsey in on loan from Arsenal from next season.

Ramsey has found first-team opportunities for Arsenal limited, and perhaps a loan move to another Premier League side would be beneficial for all parties involved.

Bolton will get a player who creates opportunities for others with his silky passing skills and occasional driving runs, and being schooled the Arsenal way, there is no doubt that he will help Bolton to retain the ball in the final third, an area where they often lack inspiration and guile to prise open the opposition's defence.

RIGHT-WINGER

For the longest time, Kevin Davies has been used as a right-winger by his managers at Bolton. While it is obviously not his favoured position, Davies has been a model professional, and has never moaned about being played there.

This season, however, should prompt his boss, Gary Megson to rethink the wisdom of leaving Davies out on the right. Davies has shown this season that there is more to his game than just winning headers and leaving defenders with bloodied noses.

He proved to his doubters that he can actually score goals, as he scored twelve this season, which is a good tally considering he doesn't operate as an out-and-out striker.

Johan Elmander, who was deployed as the lone striker for many games, finished the season with a measly five goals, not a good return at all, for someone who cost 11 million pounds.

As such, Kevin Davies should be given a chance in his favoured position next season, but for that to happen, Bolton have to sign a right-winger.

My top recommendation for Bolton is David Odonkor.

Once one of the brightest prospects in world football, the German winger has been affected by injuries for the past couple of years.

However, he remains a good player, and his pace is quite frightening. If Megson can get him to perform to the best of his abilities, then Bolton have themselves a fantastic player.

With Real Betis getting relegated to the second division in Spain, Odonkor may well jump at the opportunity to play in the English Premier League.

If the deal doesn't go through, Bolton could sign Gary O'Neil from Middlesbrough.

A hardworking player, with decent technique, O'Neil would fit in with the rest of the Bolton squad, who scrap for each other and generally put up a good fight every week, no matter who the opposition is.

He possesses a good cross as well, which is important, as that will play to Bolton's strength in the air.

With Middlesbrough down in the Championship, Bolton could nip in and steal O'Neil for a reasonable price, as they will be forced to sell their prized assets in a bid to keep afloat financially.

STRIKER

Bolton have had a fair few strikers over the past couple of seasons, but none has really convinced. This remains one of their problems, scoring goals, and if they had someone who could regularly knock in as many goals as Anelka once did for them, they would definitely be higher up the table.

Also, the current strikers are all big and strong, but not very good on the ball. The exception to the rule is Ricardo Vaz Te, but he's the sort of striker who needs ten chances to even get the ball anywhere near the goal. His record reads 6 goals in 72 appearances, which is a measly tally, even for any other outfield position.

As such, I think Bolton have to invest in a good striker with pace and skill to bring them back to the top half of the English Premier League, and I think their best option is to pull out all the stops in an attempt to get Ricardo Oliveira.

Having just been relegated with Real Betis, Bolton can possibly get him if they are willing to break the bank, and go on a charm offensive.

Skilful and explosive, Ricardo Oliveira is like a poor man's Robinho, and would certainly enhance Bolton's firepower.

If Oliveira proves a step too far for them, then Bolton could perhaps set their sights considerably lower on Kevin Doyle.

Doyle is much less skilful and also not as quick as Oliveira, but he is certainly a much more realistic target for a club like Bolton, and they would not have to break the bank to finance a move for him.

Stuck with Reading in the Championship, and having lost his long-time manager Steve Coppell, Doyle would probably welcome a move back to the Premier League, and I think he would fit in well with the rest of the team.

So there you have it, those are my recommendations for Bolton to sign in the summer. If they can pull off a few of the signings here, they will become a better, and perhaps, just perhaps, a more entertaining team. Neutrals like me can only hope the latter part comes true.

Stop Overreacting, Ronaldo Leaving Doesn't Change United

2009-06-11T19:47:00.001+08:00

an article i wrote for bleacherreport.com

It is apt that United have finally chosen to sell Ronaldo on the back of a season which was based on defensive solidity and depth of squad.

Sure, much has been made of Ronaldo's 42 goal haul which won him the Ballon d'Or, where he single-handedly carried United through matches against the weaker teams in the EPL, during a period where Tevez and Rooney were misfiring.

Ronaldo has been a consistent source of goals. Scoring 18 goals in the EPL when he missed out on pre-season and was out for 12 weeks shows his quality.

However, if anything, season 08/09 was proof that even with the Portugese star misfiring, United's squad depth and defensive solidity carried them through, and that the formula on relying on Ronaldo does not always work.

Before anyone jumps onto my back, do know that I am a fan of CR7. He's magical on the ball and seems to have cut out his diving tendencies. I have often argued against people saying that he doesn't turn up in big matches, and always defended his whining on the field as a sign of passion and perfectionist mentality. I am sad to see him go, and I think he will be a massive loss to both the EPL and United, but I don't see that United will be considerably weakened with his departure.

It makes perfect economical sense that Ronaldo goes now. You have a global economic crisis, large debts in the club and suddenly there is an option to cash in on a £12 million buy, netting a £68 million profit. Assume wages of £120,000/week for his entire stay in United, that's only a cost of £38 million. You see an overall £30 million profit that Ronaldo has brought to United, not including the money won from competitions.

People often say that it is stupid to sell your best player; that Ronaldo is an irreplaceable talent; that we should look past his diving antics and judge him by what he brings onto the field. I know, I was a strong advocate for that, but this season has shown that he isn't the most irreplaceable person.

After all, United have always recovered from losing their best players. Roy Keane, Ruud van Nistelrooy, David Beckham, Eric Cantona, the list could go on.

Thus, an £80 million deal is a great price, and for the first time I agree that it is Ronaldo's time to go. He has won everything to be won in the English league, now it is time for him to live his dream.

United will definitely miss him, but quality will be added. Many signings can be made with £80 million pounds. Tevez can finally have a home (although he wants to leave), and names like Karim Benzema, Franck Ribery are touted as the incoming talents.

Whoever the replacement, do keep in mind that United have such a great squad, and his leaving won't have too much of an impact. It will just mean that other players take more shots, and not leaving the bulk of the shooting to Ronaldo. The goals won't dry up.

Owen Hargreaves' return in the next season will feel like a new signing. The £80 million pounds will be put to good use. The future is bright, with our upcoming talents in Anderson, Tosic, Fabio, Rafael, Macheda, Welbeck, and Gibson. United will collectively move on and go to greater heights.

And we shall applaud Ronaldo for his 6 great years of service and his many goals.

The Three Transfers Road to Improvement: Stoke City

2009-06-09T20:04:00.003+08:00

another article i wrote on bleacher report

In the 12th part of my "Three Transfers" series, I will be looking at Stoke City—a team widely expected to go straight back down to the Championship, but ended up finishing in mid-table.

Their form at the Britannia Stadium was fantastic as they were only beaten four times there. It was also at home that they saw off the likes of Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Manchester City.

And while they were not so good away from home, they did manage crucial victories over fellow relegation rivals like West Bromwich Albion and Hull City.

Perhaps the most enduring image of Stoke's season would be that of Rory Delap wiping the ball with his sleeves before launching a missile right into the six-yard box. That has won them a fair few points this season, getting them the goal that allowed them to defend stoutly for the rest of the game to grab a point or three.

If they are to succeed this season, they will need to strengthen their team, (especially in the attacking department) so that they can get a few more goals from alternative sources.

Here's a look at who I think Stoke should, and realistically, could sign.

RIGHT-WINGER

Currently, Liam Lawrence takes up the right midfield spot for Stoke. He has had a decent season for them, and should definitely be kept at Stoke for next season.

However, beyond Lawrence, there is no established right-winger at Stoke City.

This could be dangerous in case of injuries or suspensions, which would force them to field someone who does not favour playing on the right.

Leaving aside injuries and suspensions, my opinion is that Lawrence is better suited to playing in the middle as he has considerable play-making ability, and possesses a good long shot.

He is also not exactly fast or tricky, so a good left-back would be able to clamp down on him pretty easily.

To allow him to play through the middle, Stoke should sign a right-winger, and I think they should go after the signature of Kris Commons.

A tricky little winger who brings the ball up with pace, he has a good long shot on him, making him very difficult to mark as defenders don't know whether to back off him to avoid getting beaten, or to close him down to prevent the long shot.

Once linked with the likes of Newcastle and Wigan in January, Commons has disappeared off the radar a little in recent months, but he remains a quality player.

He would definitely add another dimension to Stoke's play.

If that move does not work out, then Stoke could try going for Commons's international teammate, James Morrison.

Also a winger capable of operating on both flanks, James Morrison has the added advantage of having played in the Premier League for a few seasons with Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion.

A slight problem with this is that West Brom does not need to sell, and, with their plans to bounce straight back up, would be unwilling to let go of one of their prized assets.

RIGHT-BACK

Andy Griffin and Andy Wilkinson have been played in this position this season, but for me, neither cuts it at Premiership level.

Both of them aren't terrific defenders and are terrible going forward as well.

Certainly this is an area that Stoke could improve in, and I suggest that they look to bring in Chris Gunter.

The Welsh international was touted as the next big thing in Welsh football, and performances on the pitch seemed to justify it as he was an integral part of the Cardiff side at such a young age.

A decent defender who can bring the ball up into attack, he will definitely be a good addition to Stoke City.

Tottenham has a little collection of right-backs down at White Hart Lane, and should be willing to let him go if the price is right.

If they regard him as part of the future, then Stoke would still do well to bring him in on loan for the season.

Alternatively, Stoke could target Lauren from Portsmouth. His uncompromising style and tough tackling should go down well with the Britannia faithful, while he also has the technical ability to provide some threat from the flanks.

Age is not on Lauren's side though, as he is 32 this year. However, he is still definitely more athletic than Andy Griffin and would be a good addition.

With Portsmouth being the latest club to be taken over by people with insane amounts of money, it can be assumed that players like Lauren will be allowed to leave for a relatively low price as they will look to sign more exciting talents.

STRIKER

Currently, the club has James Beattie, Mamady Sidibe, Richard Cresswell, Ricardo Fuller, and Dave Kitson as their striking options.

Of the four, only James Beattie and Ricardo Fuller can qualify as successes.

Dave Kitson was the club's record signing at the start of the season, but after failing to score a single goal he was shipped out on loan to Reading in January.

Stoke then moved to sign James Beattie, a move that was hugely successful. Kitson is not a bad player, but he just seemed unsuitable for the Stoke system, and I think his long-term future will not be at the Britannia Stadium.

Mamady Sidibe is a giant target-man for his teammates to punt long aimless balls to, but aside from that, he is really not good enough at Premiership level. Now that James Beattie has been brought in and used as a target-man, Sidibe is probably going to find his playing time reduced even more.

Richard Cresswell, like Sidibe, does not belong in the Premiership. And, if Stoke wants to guarantee safety next season, they definitely need someone better than Cresswell.

However, any recruitment in this department would need to be cheap and also of sufficient quality, as Stoke does not have loads of cash to squander on another Kitson-like signing.

As such, I would suggest they pick up Daniel Sturridge from Manchester City.

From his performances this season, it is clear that he is good enough to play in the Premiership as he combines pace with a good eye for goals.

Sturridge is a free agent, having rejected a new contract from Manchester City—probably because he will not be seeing much first-team action if he stays at the City of Manchester Stadium, which could hinder his development.

If Stoke does offer him the chance of guaranteed first-team football, then there is a chance that Sturridge would be persuaded to call Britannia Stadium his home for the next few years.

Alternatively, if Stoke has enough money, they could try bidding for Benjani Mwaruwari of Manchester City.

Strong and hardworking, he would be a good addition to the Stoke frontline.

He will probably be allowed to leave the City of Manchester Stadium as well, seeing that there are 436 strikers currently on their books.

So, that's my take on who Stoke City should go for in the summer.

And, if they somehow manage to secure the signatures of all the players mentioned above, they might even make it into the top half of the table next season!

The Three Transfers Road to Improvement: Wigan Athletic

2009-06-08T17:10:00.002+08:00

another article i wrote on bleacher report

In the eleventh edition of the "Three Transfers" series, the club under the spotlight is manager-less Wigan Athletic.

Having enjoyed a consistent season, Wigan has now lost Steve Bruce to Sunderland, and look like they might lose even more over the summer.

Paul Scharner has publicly stated that he would like a move in the summer. Antonio Valencia has not expressed interest in a move, but seems certain to go with many bigger clubs targetting him.

When the two of them leave there will be gaping holes in the Wigan team, which has already lost Wilson Palacios and Emile Heskey in January.

The gaps within the team will definitely have to be filled with quality players, and the only positive that can come out of this is that they are likely to get good money for Scharner and Valencia, which can then be re-invested into the side.

Who should they sign though?

Here's my take...

RIGHT-WINGER

A bit of a no-brainer.

If Antonio Valencia somehow ends up staying, then this will be an irrelevant suggestion.

However, I really do not see how the Ecuadorian will still be at the JJB Stadium come August and, for the purposes of this discussion, I will assume that he has been snapped up for a substantial amount of money.

Valencia is one of the best right-wingers in the English Premier League, and his successor will have some huge boots to fill. Looking internally, Wigan does have Daniel De Ridder.

However, it is unlikely that he will step up to Valencia's level, considering he was never a first-teamer in Birmingham or Wigan.

As such, the search for the right-winger must be taken out of the club. While I did mention that they would have substantial funds, convincing a player of a suitable quality to come to Wigan is not an easy task.

For example, David Bentley would probably be an awesome signing for them, and Wigan would be able to afford it with the funds from the sale of Valencia, but persuading him to come will be a real difficulty.

I think Wigan will end up having to set their sights lower, and I would recommend they go for Gary O'Neil.

One of the better performers in Middlesbrough's terrible season, O'Neil is a hardworking player who always gives his all for the club. This would tie in well with the rest of the Wigan squad who work hard for each other and never stop running.

Also, as Mario Melchiot is getting older, O'Neil's work-rate will also be useful in tracking back to help Melchiot with defensive duties.

With Middlesbrough getting relegated, Wigan will have no problems meeting any asking price, and I think O'Neil will have no problems joining Wigan.

If that deal doesn't materialise, Wigan could opt to sign Jermaine Pennant. Once a bright prospect, Pennant has lost his way somewhat, stumbling from one club to another.

Despite his misbehaviour and supposedly poor attitude, there is no doubting his quality.

A pacey right-winger who whips in delicious crosses for the strikers, his technical ability will be much appreciated in Wigan, and he is a more like-for-like replacement for Valencia than O'Neil is.

Liverpool does not need Pennant anymore and would be keen to release him, so the Latics could find themselves picking up a bargain. If they can get Pennant to concentrate on football, then they will not miss Valencia that much.

STRIKER

Hugo Rodallega, Henri Camara, and Marlon King are the only recognised forwards left in Wigan. Henri Camara and Marlon King are not good enough currently to hold down a first-team spot, which is why they were allowed to go on loan in the first place.

With Rodallega impressing, Wigan still needs to sign one more established striker, and I think that their first priority should be to tie Mido down to a permanent deal.

He has impressed for them and was particularly effective against Arsenal as he proved to be a real bully in the air.

On the floor, his technique also serves him well, so he cannot be accused of being a one-dimensional footballer. Just like Jermaine Pennant, if Wigan can make him concentrate on playing football, then they have themselves a good player.

He would also be another cheap signing as Middlesbrough will definitely let him go to reduce wage bills now that they are in the Championship.

Another possible signing who would fit at Wigan is Bafetimbi Gomis.

Once the subject of much transfer speculation regarding the top clubs of Europe, the goals have dried up a little in the previous season, (nine goals as opposed to 16 in 07/08) and his name hasn't been bandied around as frequently recently.

He is still a quality striker and his physical attributes should make him a good fit in the Premier League. Wigan could stand to benefit if none of the top clubs show an interest as they will have enough money to prise him away.

Gomis has also publicly declared that he needs to be playing in a better league, and he might be persuaded to come to England where his idol, Didier Drogba, plies his trade.

CENTRE-BACK

Titus Bramble and Emmerson Boyce have forged a terrific partnership in the centre of the Wigan defence. In particular, Titus Bramble has been outstanding and his performances this season should have convinced anyone, who still isn't convinced, that he is a very good defender.

Deservedly, he was voted the club's player of the season by the fans and the media, and Wigan can look forward to another good season from him.

However, with Paul Scharner insisting on leaving, there is no cover beyond Bramble and Boyce and surely that is unacceptable for any Premier League club.

There are two options that Wigan can take.

They can bring in a better defender to replace Boyce and then use Boyce as cover for both centre-back and right-back, or they could bring in someone of a lower quality to act as cover.

For the first option, I would suggest they buy Sebastien Bassong.

A quick and solid defender, Bassong would be an improvement over Boyce who is also solid, but is probably made to look good by Bramble.

Bassong has expressed his desire to play for a Premier League club and certainly will not stay at Newcastle following their relegation.

Wigan has got a good chance of signing him, and they should.

If Wigan looks to bring in cover, they could try signing Alexander Diamond from Aberdeen. A defender who plays with his heart on his sleeve, Diamond would be a good addition to Wigan.

He is strong in the air and, while not the fastest on the deck, his determination pushes him to make an extra effort to get to the ball before the strikers.

He is a good defender and is definitely near or at Premiership quality already, despite his young age.

However, it remains to be seen if he is good enough to displace Boyce from the side and, should he be signed, would remain as cover at first.

So, those are my suggestions for Wigan to sign in the summer.

Should Roberto Martinez really take over Wigan, he will have to turn on the charm to persuade quality players to ply their trade at the JJB.

A few of the above players would certainly help!

The Three-Transfers Road to Improvement: Manchester City

2009-06-05T23:49:00.001+08:00

another article i wrote on bleacher report

At the halfway mark of my series, I look at the team that finished 10th in the league—Manchester City. Ideally, City would have wanted to finish in the European spots, but I'm sure that for a first season, the management and most fans would not be too disappointed with 10th place.

However, I think some players' performances would perhaps be a source of disappointment to the fans, and I will be addressing them in this article.

City definitely need to strengthen in the summer to push themselves into the European spots. Central midfield would have been one of the areas I would have focused on, but with the signing of Gareth Barry, that position is now good to go. The other positions that definitely require strengthening are...

CENTRE-BACK

On paper, this department is well stocked. Richard Dunne, Micah Richards, Vincent Kompany, and Nedum Onuoha have been used here, and all have performed well for City at a certain point of their careers.

However, for two of the above, their best has not been seen for the whole of season 2008/2009. I am referring to Dunne and Richards.

While Richards is still young and can perhaps improve with the appropriate guidance, Dunne looks to be past his prime.

For a player who already had the pace of a 129-year-old tortoise with three broken legs prior to the start of the season, he seems to have lost a yard of pace in the past year, and that has made him less effective as a defender.

For City to progress in the league, replacing Dunne is crucial. A top-class defender should be added to the ranks so that he can guide the likes of Richards and Onuoha along and aid them in their development to become first-choice centre-backs in future.

I would suggest Manchester City sign Porto's Bruno Alves. He is similar to Dunne in that he is a good defender and is very strong, and thus would be well-suited to the English Premier League. While not exactly boasting Theo Walcott's pace, he is definitely faster than Dunne.

More importantly for City, Alves would bring with him a wealth of European experience, which would be useful when they finally qualify for European competitions.

Money should not be a problem for City, and Hughes should be able to convince Alves to take up a new challenge, having won enough championships with Porto.

Should Alves prove to be impossible to tempt over, then Hughes can use his ex-Blackburn connections to go for Christopher Samba.

The giant Blackburn defender has shown that he is a real warrior, and with the current City side being accused of lacking a solid spine, the signing of Samba would definitely go some way to changing that view.

I don't think I even need to assess whether it's possible to prise Samba away from Ewood Park.

RIGHT-WINGER

Currently, Shaun Wright-Phillips occupies this position. While he is definitely good enough for a team trying to qualify for Europe, his replacements, Kelvin Etuhu and Darius Vassell, who have been used there in the past, are definitely not.

As such, a right-winger should also be one of the top priorities on Mark Hughes' shopping list.

One of the best right-wingers in the Premier League currently is Antonio Valencia. He definitely will not be remaining at Wigan for next season, and it has been reported that Real Madrid tabled a bid for him a few weeks back. However, if that deal does not materialise, then I think City have a good chance of signing him.

They are certainly a club on their way up and would present him with an opportunity to play with better players. Money is not a problem for them, and any deal would probably benefit Wigan, Antonio Valencia, and Manchester City.

If Valencia is snapped up by another club, then City could perhaps set their sights on Joaquin from Valencia—the club, not the player.

Valencia missed out on the UEFA Champions League, and Joaquin might well decide that it is time for a new challenge and become part of this huge project going on in Manchester.

Since joining Valencia, Joaquin has not reproduced his Real Betis form but still remains a quality player. A tricky winger who likes to reduce opposition left-backs to mere spectators on the pitch, Joaquin would be a fantastic acquisition if he can find his form again.

With Valencia reportedly in financial trouble, they might be willing to cash in on Joaquin, and Manchester City will definitely have the ability to match any asking price.

STRIKER

It may seem strange that I am pushing for Man City to sign a striker, despite them having nine players who can play there. They are Robinho, Craig Bellamy, Valeri Bojinov, Felipe Caicedo, Ched Evans, Benjani Mwaruwari, Daniel Sturridge, Jo, and Darius Vassell.

Of the nine, Sturridge has rejected a new contract and looks likely to leave. Vassell is clearly not good enough for a club with City's ambition. Caicedo and Evans could potentially come good, but City need to be in Europe quick and cannot rely on them for goals. Jo cannot get along with Mark Hughes and will probably be shipped out.

Robinho, Bellamy, and Bojinov are the only strikers who seem to be able to match the ambitions of the club. However, Robinho's best position is on the left wing, where he can cut in with great effect, while Bellamy and Bojinov seem to play best with a big guy partnering them, as they are unlikely to win many headers.

Their pace would be best utilised if they had someone big to flick the ball on for them to chase.

For that reason, I think Manchester City should try to sign Roque Santa Cruz. Strong in the air, good on the floor, he would be the perfect partner for players like Robinho and Bellamy.

Besides, we have all witnessed the fantastic understanding between Barry and John Carew at Aston Villa in the season just past, and should Mark Hughes sign his former employee, then they could perhaps try to replicate that, as Santa Cruz definitely possesses the necessary attributes to be the "Carew" for Manchester City.

Another possible target would be Pavel Pogrebnyak. Tall and strong, Pogrebnyak also boasts an excellent goal-scoring record in Russian and European football. He has been tipped to be the next big thing in Russian football for the longest time, and City might want to take a chance on him.

I say "take a chance," because there is no guarantee a player signed from a foreign league will be a success.

So those are my suggestions for Manchester City to sign in the summer. With the backing of some of the richest people in the world, they will be favourites to land any player they are interested in.

However, they might have to persuade the top-class players to come to a club where they do not already have Champions League football, and that will not be an easy task.

The Three-Transfers Road to Improvement: West Ham

2009-06-04T12:06:00.003+08:00

another article i wrote on bleacher report

This is the ninth instalment of my "Three Transfers" series, and today we shall take a look at Gianfranco Zola's West Ham.

Tipped to do badly under a rookie manager, West Ham have exceeded all expectations to finish in ninth spot in the league. That this was achieved without their star striker Dean Ashton, who was ruled out for the entire season through injury, makes the achievement even more admirable.

West Ham also had to sell another of their prized assets, Craig Bellamy, in January, so to achieve a top-half finish is really quite something.

However, I think that there are a few areas that West Ham could definitely strengthen, and I will discuss them in this article.

CENTRE-BACK

Without doubt, this area has to be strengthened. Currently, the players who can play there are Matthew Upson, Lucas Neill, James Collins, James Tomkins, Daniel Gabbidon and Jonathan Spector.

Of the six players listed above, only three can be considered to be good defenders. I am referring to Matthew Upson, Lucas Neill, and James Tomkins.

Matthew Upson's quality is undoubted. Strong in the air, good on the floor, he is one of the best defenders in the league.

James Tomkins has shown in the matches he has played, that he has the potential to become a good player, and as such, should remain at the club.

Lucas Neill is also a fine player, but unfortunately for West Ham, his contract is running out soon, and having recently rejected a new contract, he might not be a Hammer for much longer.

As the centre of defence is crucial to any team's chances of success, I think West Ham need to focus their summer spending in this department, by making a centre-back their top priority.

A possible target would be David Wheater from Middlesbrough. A commanding presence in the air, Wheater looks like he has the potential to be even better than Matthew Upson. With Boro relegated to the Championship, they might not be able to stand in the way of a move for Wheater from a Premiership club.

Another possible signing is Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra. He recently helped Rangers to pip Celtic to the domestic double, and is a quality defender. Not one to ever shy away from a challenge, Bougherra would definitely be a good partner for Upson. The problem here is that Rangers are in the UEFA Champions League next season, so it might be a little difficult to entice him to come to West Ham.

RIGHT-BACK

This season, Behrami, Neill, and Spector have been used in this position.

Behrami has performed well, but to me, his best position is right-wing, as he does not have the defensive awareness necessary to be a good right-back.

Lucas Neill, as mentioned above, is a fine player, but his contract runs out, and might not be there much longer.

Jonathan Spector is a decent player, but is not first-team material for a team that is chasing European football.

As such, a right-back is someone West Ham should be looking to sign.

In my opinion, the ideal right-back for West Ham is Gianni Zuiverloon. An explosive player with exhilarating pace, Zuiverloon seems tailor-made for West Ham's brand of slick, attacking football.

Valon Behrami did well at right-back, mainly because of his explosive pace, which also helped to cover some of his defensive deficiencies. With the signing of Zuiverloon, it will be like putting Behrami at right-back, except this time, the defending is better. An added advantage of this move would be the freeing up of Valon Behrami to play in his favoured wing position.

Unlike Newcastle and Middlesbrough, West Bromwich Albion probably do not need to sell all of their players, but they will struggle to hang on to Zuiverloon should an offer from West Ham come in.

LEFT-WINGER

Currently, the only natural left-winger in the team is Luis Boa Morte, who has never lived up to his transfer fee. He promised much with his arrival, but in reality, he has never put in a good performance since becoming a Hammer.

Junior Stanislas, Jack Collison and Savio Nsereko have also been used there this season. However, none of them are natural wingers, and besides, they are still young and relatively inexperienced, so they should be given time to improve themselves before being played in the first team regularly.

As such, I would suggest that West Ham attempt to sign Jonas Gutierrez. He loves to run with the ball down either wing, and has shown a tendency to cut in, and would be well-placed to do that on the left wing. The Argentine international would bring energy and flair to West Ham, qualities that Gianfranco Zola would definitely admire.

Once again, coming from a relegated club, Gutierrez would definitely be allowed to leave, as his wages are on the high side, and Newcastle aren't exactly rolling around in truckloads of cash.

Another suggestion for their problem left-wing area is Stephen Hunt from Reading. With manager Steve Coppell having left the Madejski Stadium, I expect to see quite a few players leaving Reading in the summer.

Hunt would be a good addition to West Ham, as they are a hardworking side that attack with flair, and Hunt definitely has the attributes to succeed there. He never stops running, and is able to come up with the occasional moment of quality to excite the fans. He would probably come a little cheaper than Jonas Gutierrez as well, although there is quite a clear gap in class.

So that's it - my suggestions for Zola next season. As an Arsenal fan, I can appreciate teams that like to pass the ball around with flair, and I hope whoever West Ham sign, they can continue playing with the same flair they did this season.

The Three-Transfers Road to Improvement: Tottenham

2009-06-03T10:15:00.001+08:00

Another article i wrote on bleacher report

This is the eighth part of my "Three Transfers" series, and the focus is now on Tottenham Hotspur, the geographical arch-rivals of Arsenal.

I say "geographical," because they have never really challenged Arsenal in the league since Wenger's arrival. The closest they came to finishing above Arsenal was a few seasons back, when the chef I paid cooked up a heartwarming (and stomach-upsetting) meal of rat faeces pasta for the Spurs players, and they went on to lose their last game meekly to West Ham.

On paper, Spurs have a squad that should be finishing higher than the eighth position they ended up in. They got off to a torrid start this season, and at one point, there was even talk of relegation. Of course, that was never going to happen, but certainly, looking at the squad, I can see a few areas where they could improve.

LEFT-BACK

Gareth Bale and Benoit Assou-Ekotto are both good going forward, but crucially, both do not have the required defensive awareness (at least not yet), to succeed in the top flight as a first-choice left-back for a team chasing European football.

This is definitely the weakest link in the Spurs team, and if Redknapp does not fix this in the summer, the Tottenham defence will continue to look shaky and flimsy next season.

In my opinion, Spurs should go for a no-nonsense type of defender, as their attacking options are good enough to create chances, so their defenders should just stick to the most basic task of defending.

Someone in the mould of Hermann Hreidarsson would be good, but obviously the man from Iceland is too old to be considered as a potential signing.

A realistic target would be Stephen Warnock from Blackburn Rovers. He is a reliable defender, and while going forward is not his strongest point, stabilising the defence is far more important for the Spurs team to succeed.

With European football unlikely to arrive at Ewood Park in the near future, a chance to move to the capital, and a higher possibility of featuring in European football, could appeal to Warnock. Wages will definitely be much higher as well, so all that remains is whether Blackburn will sell.

Tottenham apparently need to sell before they can buy, but with Harry Redknapp looking keen to clear out most of the squad, I am pretty sure they can raise enough money to prise Warnock away from the clutches of the walrus-lookalike "Big Sam" Allardyce.

CENTRAL MIDFIELDER

As mentioned above, Tottenham's best season was quite some time back, when Michael Carrick was still at White Hart Lane. This is no coincidence.

He was like a conductor, orchestrating the moves in the middle of the park. He rarely ever lost the ball, and could see passes that the other midfielders currently there can't.

Wilson Palacios is a fantastic battler, and will never shy away from a challenge, but he cannot be relied upon as the creative hub of a team.

Similarly, Jenas and Zokora will give you non-stop running and energy, but they lack the vision to start moves the way Carrick did.

Perhaps a case can be made for Tom Huddlestone, who has the vision and the technique to spray the balls around, but unfortunately, he has been largely inconsistent, and cannot be relied on week in, week out.

One option is to move Luka Modric into the middle, with two midfielders in Palacios and Jenas behind him to do the dirty work. Modric possesses everything you need in a creative midfielder, and I think he would be a huge hit in the centre of midfield, floating around creating opportunities for his teammates.

That would leave a hole on the left wing though, with Modric currently being played there quite often. This will be addressed in the next position that I will talk about.

Meanwhile, in terms of possibly signing a central midfielder, I think Spurs could target Rafael Van der Vaart. Disgruntled at the lack of first-team opportunities at Real Madrid, Van der Vaart could well jump at the opportunity of joining a club as glamorous as Spurs.

He could perhaps see himself as the man to lead Spurs back to Europe, and if that's the case, then Tottenham will be very lucky indeed.

LEFT-WINGER

Currently, Modric occupies the position most of the time, with Gareth Bale and David Bentley also taking up that spot.

David Bentley has proven that he is definitely not suited to playing on the left wing, as he has struggled to have any influence in games when started there.

Gareth Bale has a good left foot on him, and as he does not seem to be very good defensively, playing him at left midfield seems quite wise. However, he is still young and inexperienced playing there, so should not be a first-team option.

Tottenham have been linked with Stewart Downing for ages, so they might be in for him again this summer.

However, there are two problems with this.

One, Stewart Downing is ruled out with injury 'til the January transfer window, so Spurs might want to wait till January to make their move.

Two, Downing's best attribute is his pin-point delivery. Who in the Spurs front-line is equipped to take advantage of that though?

Pavlyuchenko is probably the only one who can claim to be good in the air, and even then, he isn't the best. Let's not even try to imagine Robbie Keane or Jermain Defoe beating Christopher Samba to a header.

So, I think Spurs should try to sign Martin Petrov. He would be perfect for them, as he would run down the left flank, beat a man, and provide good cut-backs for the strikers.

Alternatively, he can put his left foot to good effect and take long shots. He is an explosive player, and Tottenham would be frightening to defend against with Aaron Lennon and Martin Petrov on the flanks.

If Spurs cannot get Petrov, they could try getting Royston Drenthe from Real Madrid. Unused and unhappy, Drenthe would possibly arrive on a cut-price deal, and he has the advantage of being versatile, as he has featured at left-back and central midfield before.

Being an Arsenal fan, I dearly hope that Spurs will not sign any of the players listed above, as it would undoubtedly strengthen them. Here's hoping they end up signing Mikael Silvestre and Abou Diaby instead! For £100 million too!

The Three-Transfers Road to Improvement: Fulham

2009-06-01T20:03:00.003+08:00

another article i wrote on bleacher report

In the seventh part of my "Three Transfers" series, I will be taking a look at Roy Hodgson's Fulham. Narrowly escaping relegation last year, Fulham have achieved a level of consistency in the league this season, that has seen them finish in seventh place, which is really, the highest they could realistically aim for, given their limited resources.

As with the Everton article, it might be difficult to strengthen this side, as they look solid in most positions, and money isn't exactly available in truckloads. Here's where I feel improvements can be made.

LEFT-WINGER

Currently, American Clint Dempsey is being played out of position at left wing. He has been doing a decent job out there, with his tremendous work-rate, and knack of getting into good goal-scoring positions.

However, I think Fulham would be better served if they had someone who can naturally take the ball down the wings and deliver good crosses like Simon Davies on the right. With Dempsey in the team, Fulham sometimes lack width, and that forces Paul Konchesky to push up in support, leaving the defence rather exposed to a quick counter-attack.

With the other option in the squad being Julian Gray, who has only made one appearance for Fulham, clearly, a natural left-winger should be near the top of Roy Hodgson's summer shopping list.

Ideally, I think Fulham should pull out all the stops in a bid to acquire Martin Petrov from Manchester City. Since he returned from injury, appearances have been few and far between, and it is still unclear if that is because he is rusty, or because he is no longer an integral part of the team.

In any case, with Manchester City probably going to buy 269 players this summer, Martin Petrov might be viewed as dispensable, and if so, Fulham would really improve their squad with the addition of an explosive and exciting player like Petrov.

If that deal doesn't work out, Fulham could set their sights a little lower and perhaps try to sign Chris Brunt. He has a good left foot, a bit of pace, and most importantly, is a hardworking creative player. Creative players are seldom hardworking, so he is a bit of a rare find.

CENTRAL MIDFIELDER

The Fulham squad has a fair few of players in this position. Danny Murphy, Dickson Etuhu, Olivier Dacourt, and Andranik Teymourian. Out of the four players listed above, Olivier Dacourt looks like he is past his prime, while Andranik is perhaps good enough to be a substitute, but is certainly not first-team material in a side playing in European competition.

Dickson Etuhu has done well this season, adding energy and bite to a midfield that has lost Jimmy Bullard. Danny Murphy has been outstanding as usual, as the creative hub of the team, and so his place in the team should still be reserved for him, despite him being on the wrong side of thirty.

With the demands of European football next season, it would be unwise and unrealistic to rely on Murphy and Etuhu to play every three days. As such, Fulham will probably have to shop for a central midfielder to share the minutes on the pitch with the other midfielders.

With Middlesbrough being relegated, Fulham could do with one of either Didier Digard or Julio Arca. Arca is the more versatile of the two, having played at left back and left wing earlier in his career, and thus is the Argentine equivalent of Gareth Barry. Didier Digard is a combative midfielder who is able to pick out a pass, and I think if he remained fit, Middlesbrough would not have gone down. That they had to play Matthew Bates in the centre of midfield really spoke volumes about their lack of quality in midfield, and it was no surprise that they went down.

Both of them are likely to be available for a low price, as Boro will definitely have to reduce their wage bills by selling their top earners. Personally, I think Arca will be the better signing, because of his versatility, and also because he is more inventive, meaning Fulham do not have to rely on Danny Murphy to create chances.

STRIKER

While Fulham have more than a few strikers, with Zamora, Johnson, Kamara and Nevland fighting for two spots, none of them can be considered as good enough for a top six team.

In particular, Bobby Zamora has come in for criticism this season, after registering a paltry two goals for his side in an entire season. Sure, his hold-up play may be excellent, but he has also registered only two assists all season. So he's not a creator, and he certainly isn't a scorer, but yet he's in the first team as a striker. Hold-up play is important to a team, but wouldn't it be better if Fulham got someone who can do both (ie hold up play, and score more than two goals a season)?

For that, I suggest Fulham consider taking Mark Viduka to Craven Cottage. Still good despite his age, he holds up the ball excellently as well, and unlike Zamora, he does not take 52 million chances before finding the net. He is very clinical, and with his contract surely not going to be renewed by Newcastle who are struggling to keep afloat, Fulham could nip in and pinch Viduka away on a free transfer.

If that move doesn't materialise, Fulham could go for Mido. This will be a bit of a gamble, considering Mido is a striker who seems to perform based on his mood, and has been known to have an attitude problem. On his day though, he is unbeatable in the air, and has very good technique, making him a very difficult striker to mark. With Boro being relegated, I'm sure Southgate will be willing to let him go.

Another Egyptian also springs to mind when thinking of strikers. Amr Zaki was in fantastic form for Wigan at the start of the season, and although that fizzled out after mid-season, he is undoubtedly a good player. With Steve Bruce unwilling to make the loan deal permanent, Hodgson could perhaps take a gamble on Amr Zaki to be the man who will get him the goals.

Having done admirably to reach the Europa League, Fulham will have to be wary of letting their European commitments distract them too much from the domestic league. A deep squad will definitely help, so I think Hodgson has to address the depth of his squad as well. If Fulham somehow manage to secure the signatures of the players listed above, I think they could be next season's Aston Villa, ie threatening to break into the top four.

The Three-Transfers Road to Improvement: Everton

2009-05-29T15:15:00.001+08:00

another article i wrote on bleacher report

In the 6th part of my "Three Transfers" series, I will be looking at Everton, a club that performed admirably well this season, despite a period where they lost all their strikers to injury.

Looking at their squad, if everyone is fully fit, they don't really need any major additions. David Moyes has done an excellent job of putting together a nice blend of brain and brawn in the side, and their performances this season have seen them finish fifth in the table, and also get to the FA Cup Final, quite a feat for what is supposedly a "small club", as described by Rafa Benitez.

It will be a tough task to think of three transfers that would improve Everton, given the quality in their ranks, and also their budget, but here's where I feel improvements can still be made.

RIGHT-BACK

Tony Hibbert has been a loyal servant for Everton since he joined the Toffees eight years ago. While he is a solid right-back, he is not much of an offensive threat, and this is something where Everton should look to improve on.

On the left, Leighton Baines bombs down the wing on the overlap regularly, and whips in some fantastic crosses. Now, imagine if Everton could replicate that on the right. I think with the ability in the air that Everton possesses, they could get a fair few more goals, if they had a right-back who could attack well.

Of course, as Everton's game is based on solidity at the back and in midfield, a potential signing must also not be defensively crap, so that rules out somebody like Justin Hoyte.

A possible signing Everton could go for is Habib Beye. A solid full-back, with the ability to go forward when required, I think Beye would be perfect for Everton. With Newcastle relegated, he would also not be too expensive, and this is important for Everton, as they do not have the luxury of splashing cash around, unlike some other team in blue (no, not Sunderland when they play away).

If the Beye deal doesn't materialise, another right-back they could go for is Alan Hutton. He is not first choice at Spurs, and might welcome the chance to play in Europe.

STRIKER

On paper, Everton are quite well-stocked here. Yakubu and Saha are the established names, and competition is in the form of Victor Anichebe and James Vaughan.

However, Saha cannot be counted on to finish a season without major injury, as he is made from the same mould as other footballers/hospital VIP card-holders like Tomas Rosicky and Darren Anderton.

Yakubu has been missing for a large part of this season, while Victor Anichebe and James Vaughan are nothing more than pure potential, and they aren't ready to make the step up to the first team week in, week out yet.

Having qualified for Europe, I think Everton should look to strengthen their team, and if possible, bring in a different kind of player to Saha and Yakubu.

I think Everton could send out a real statement of intent to the other teams in the league by signing Javier Saviola. The little Argentine is only 28 years old, but has been reduced to a bit-part role at the Santiago Bernabeu. With his pace and goalscoring instincts, I think he would be the perfect partner for someone like Yakubu. He also brings with him European experience, having won the UEFA Cup with Sevilla, and played in the Champions League with Barcelona and Real Madrid in the past. This European experience could be crucial in the Europa League next season.

WINGER

Currently, the wingers at Everton are Pienaar, Osman, Arteta and Van der Meyde. Van der Meyde has been out of favour, and seldom gets any first-team action. That leaves three players for two spots on the left and right wing. However, given that Arteta has had a stellar season operating in the middle of the park, perhaps, he should stay there, where his playmaking skills can be put to best use.

So with Pienaar manning the left flank, and Osman on the right flank, Everton has played very well this season. However, with the demands of European football next season, Everton could perhaps do better if they had more players to rotate.

David Bentley has been touted as a possible transfer by some media sources, but I think he would not fit into Everton, as the team is based on hard work and hard running, and everyone fighting for each other. I just do not believe David Bentley is the sort who will put club before self, and as such, I think he should not even be considered.

Ideally, Everton would want a winger who can operate on both flanks, as it will be easier to rotate, and I think the perfect player for Everton is Sanli Tuncay. Blessed with technique, he is also a willing worker and always puts the team before himself. He was one of the bright sparks in what was a poor season for Middlesbrough, which ultimately resulted in relegation.

Signing him might not be that easy, even though Boro have been relegated, as there is definitely going to be a whole host of clubs going after his signature.

If Everton cannot get Tuncay, then they could perhaps turn their attentions to Chris Brunt. One of the stand-out performers from a West Brom team that often entertained despite losing, Brunt has a good left foot on him. That, coupled with his high work-rate, would make him quite a good signing for Everton. I can already picture Brunt's delicious left-foot crosses being headed home emphatically by the likes of Cahill and Fellaini.

The signings that Everton will make in the close-season really depend on the budget offered to David Moyes. Hopefully, for Everton fans, the Europa League, which has promised higher revenue for clubs, will provide Moyes with the financial injection to improve the team. Whatever it is, they are my favourite club from Merseyside, and I hope they will make the right signings for next season.

Barcelona Vs Manchester United: Don't Expect a Free-Flowing Game

2009-05-26T12:40:00.001+08:00

An article I posted on bleacherreport.com!

I've read many predictions where people have said that it would be a thrilling Champions League final, with a huge scoreline due to both teams having great attacking talents.

I do recall reading the exact same things last year, during the semi-final when United met Barca. It ended with only 1 goal separating both teams after 180 minutes of football.

No, it won't be a free-flowing game. United will stifle Barca's attack and look to break, and I expect many fouls to be commited by United's midfield trio. I do think that it will be a United win after 90 minutes of football, though, and here's why.

Lineups

I fancy United to line up with a 4-5-1 again, as they have done all season in the Champions League. It's a great counterattacking formation which tore Arsenal apart 3-1.

United: Van der Sar - O'Shea - Vidic - Ferdinand - Evra - Park - Carrick - Anderson - Giggs - Rooney - Ronaldo

Barcelona shouldn't change from their 4-3-3 formation, which is very similar to the 4-5-1 if you think about it, just that the 2 wingers push up further to become attackers.

Barcelona: Valdes - Puyol - Pique - Caceres - Keita - Toure - Xavi - Iniesta - Messi - Eto'o - Henry

Injuries and Suspensions

Darren Fletcher is suspended for United, and Owen Hargreaves is still injured. Other than that, Alex Ferguson has a full squad to choose from.

For Barca, Alves and Abidal are both suspended. Milito and Marquez are also out injured, and the 4 could actually make an entire first team defence. Iniesta and Henry are doubts, but I think they will play in the end.

I feel that United's loss is greater than Barcelona's, as Fletcher and HArgreaves are the players that United need in matches like this. The energy they bring to the game is tremendous and they will be crucial in stifling Barcelona's attacking talents.

Barcelona's losses through injuries and suspensions won't impact the game much, as I see them defending from the front and keeping a lot of the ball. After all, Abidal and Alves aren't very good defenders anyway.

However, it will be where United look to profit as both centre-backs are inexperienced and rather slow.

Defence

I have predicted Pique and Caceres to start in the middle, and Puyol out on the right and Keita on the left.

On paper, it's an even weaker defence than the normal Barcelona defence. However, it won't matter much, as they won't be doing much defending.

Their weaknesses would be that Pique and Caceres are both slow and inexperienced. Also, Puyol isn't much of a right back, and Keita is more suited to being in midfield.

In a nutshell, the Barca defence aren't a compact unit and haven't had many games together, so United will look to put pressure on the defence by bypassing the midfield and getting the ball out quickly to the likes of Rooney, Ronaldo and Park, who can then take on the defenders 1 on 1.

For United, Vidic and Ferdinand will start in central defence, O'Shea out on the right and Evra on the left.

Vidic and Ferdinand need no further praises. Vidic has been outstanding and Ferdinand is one of the best readers of the game.

O'Shea has put in many great performances in defence, whether left or right. He has hardly put a foot wrong this season and is a vastly underrated squad player.

Evra has shown that his weakest matchup is against a touchline hugging winger like Lennon. Messi isn't such a player as he likes to cut in and drift in.

Had Alves been available, I would fear for United's left side, as he serves the overlapping role very well. However, Puyol will play in his stead and can't offer much in terms of attack, so Evra should not have much trouble shadowing Messi towards the centre of the pitch.

Barcelona's main threat would be from Henry and Iniesta doubling up against O'Shea. O'Shea isn't a fast player and has trouble against tricky attackers - Iniesta and Henry fit the bill perfectly.

Midfield

Toure, Xavi and Iniesta will complete the midfield for Barcelona.

Iniesta is definitely the main threat as he can dribble, pick a pass, and shoot from distance.

Xavi is one of the central midfielders in today's game and is a great passer of the ball. He doesn't get forward often, but sits behind as an outlet for the attacking players to pass to when they are pressured.

Toure is the ballwinner for the midfield trio, and he adds a very physical presence to the midfield. He can tackle well and break up attacks, and will be crucial in stopping the few counter-attacks from United.

Have I mentioned their work rate? Barcelona's work rate is fantastic and will close down United's midfield in the blink of an eye, which means Carrick, Anderson and Giggs will have to be at their best.

For purposes of comparison, I shall only look at the central midfield of United.

Giggs will play like Iniesta, beating the man and linking up play from midfield. He has played this role to perfection before, single-handedly beating Chelsea in the Premier League.

Carrick will play the Xavi role, sitting slightly deeper and offering options to the wingers and strikers when they are pressured. His passing is also excellent, but what United will see more of is his reading of the game and making interceptions as Barcelona look to get the ball to their front trio.

Anderson will play like Toure, winning the ball and engaging the midfield in a physical battle. His energy is invaluable and his ball winning will be crucial in stifling Barcelona's attack.

The midfield battle will be very exciting and I expect both sets of midfielders to be fouled a lot when both sets of midfielders close each other down very quickly.

I would give Barcelona the edge because they have players in their peak playing there, but United's midfield isn't too bad too. Unfortunately, for the most part, they will be playing it long and we will only be able to see their defensive qualities on show.

Attack

Messi, Henry and Eto'o. They have scored 71 goals between them in the La Liga. Which means they have outscored the entire United team in the EPL, who have only managed 68 goals.

However, stats don't tell the entire story, as teams in the EPL tend to set up shop more. Teams in the La Liga prefer to attack and go down valiantly with a fight.

Don't take away anything from Messi, Henry and Eto'o though. When on form, they are pretty much unstoppable. However, I think United have the defensive capabilities to stop them, as they will make it a 6v3.

For the most part of the game, it will be Ferdinand + Vidic against Eto'o, O'Shea + Park against Henry and Evra + Rooney against Messi.

I forsee Barcelona not getting much joy down the flanks and resort to passing the ball into the centre of the park, and Eto'o not touching the ball much at all.

United's defence and midfield will be very close together, which means the space in between for Barcelona to exploit will be lessened. This will nullify Henry and Messi's darting runs into the field.

Should they lose the ball, United will launch into counter-attacking mode, and will make up the ground in the classic EPL style - fast paced football.

That will be where Ronaldo, Rooney and Park have the most joy.

3 passes from this trio resulted in a goal against Arsenal, right from their own penalty box.

United will look to counter-attack with devastating effect, especially against the slow defenders that Barcelona have.

However, don't expect too much counter-attacking football, as Barcelona are very adept at keeping possession.

How the match will go

I expect a Barcelona vs Chelsea part 2, where Barcelona had 70% of the possession and Chelsea broke forward in numbers when they had possession.

We all know how Barcelona will play, they will pass it short and get it to their front trio, who will try to work the opening or to lay off to their attacking midfielders/overlapping wing backs.

However, United look well equipped to stifle the Barcelona attack, and I doubt they will get many shots on target, if any at all.

Remember, Chelsea still had the best chances of the match when it was Drogba against Marquez and Pique. This time, it's Caceres and Pique against Ronaldo, who is definitely excelling in the lone forward position.

United will look to play it long to both wings and isolate the Barcelona full backs. Rooney has done very well in the left wing position, and Park is a vastly underrated player.

If anything, Barcelona's full backs will be joining the attack more often than not, giving space for Rooney and Park to run into when United counter-attack.

And with the 4-3-3 formation, Barcelona's midfield will be rather compact in the middle of the field, and they won't be able to track back to help their full-backs.

I fancy Barcelona to have around 60-65% of the possession, and United to have a few brief spells of dominance. However, they won't be too adventurous and will always have the numbers back.

Instead, United's chances will come from the break, and it will be from one of those breaks where United score the winning goal in the Champions League final. After that, it will be a defensive masterclass where United totally stifle Barcelona's attack.

There you go, I'm predicting a 1-0 victory for United.

I just hope I'm right like the last time.

The Three-Transfers Road to Improvement: Aston Villa

2009-05-25T20:04:00.000+08:00

another piece i wrote on bleacherreport

In my fifth article of the series, I look at Aston Villa.

Aston Villa have had a better season than expected. They were in fourth spot for a long time, before Arsenal finally got their act together and Villa started dropping like a stone.

It must be emphasised, though, that Arsenal reclaiming fourth spot was as much due to the quality of Wenger's men, as it was to the lack of resources O'Neill could call upon.While the first team did brilliantly, the squad was too thin to cope with injuries, fatigue, and loss of form.

As such, I will now look at where Villa could possibly strengthen to improve next season.

Left-Winger

Currently, Ashley Young is setting the league alight with his performances on the left wing. He is widely regarded as one of the best left-sided English players, and his good form has led to call-ups to the national team by Fabio Capello.

However, Villa were lucky that Ashley Young did not have a long injury lay-off at any point this season. Young had a period of games when he wasn't at his best, and it was in these games that Villa looked quite ordinary. Being such an important player for his team, it is rather surprising that Martin O'Neill does not have good backup for him.

James Milner can probably do a good job there as well, but he is the first-choice right-winger, so shifting him to the left, would mean sticking someone else in on the right.

As such, I think finding a good quality backup for Ashley Young is important for Martin O'Neill in the summer.

The top man he should look for, in my opinion, is Aiden McGeady. The Celtic man possesses similar skills to Ashley Young, and would be an ideal replacement. Villa thrive on the counter-attack, and McGeady is someone who can break at pace with the ball.

With only Milner and Young at the club as proper wingers, McGeady could be part of a trio being rotated to play in the two wing spots to ensure freshness and also to cover for injuries or suspensions.

He is not a favourite of Gordon Strachan as well, so perhaps Celtic will be willing to do business with Villa.

If McGeady proves too expensive, then Martin O'Neill could sign Adam Johnson, the promising youngster from Middlesbrough, who will probably be available on the cheap, now that Boro have to sell players to raise money after being relegated.

With his wing-play and trickery on the flanks, he would be a good backup for Young. The only draw-back is his relative inexperience which means he can only be a backup, and will not be able to play in the first team as often to relieve some of the burden on Young and Milner.

Centre-Back

When Martin Laursen announced his retirement, Martin O'Neill must have lost a few more hairs on the top of his head. Villa's loss of form started with Laursen's injury, and they have not looked as solid at the back without the presence of the lion-hearted Dane in the middle of their defence.

Needless to say, Aston Villa must look to replace him. The replacements were given time to prove their worth in Laursen's absence, but none of them really convinced and Aston Villa went on a wretched run of form while he was on the sidelines.

I think Villa need someone who can command the air as well as Laursen did, while also bringing a truckload of experience to the team, to help organise the defence.

I think Villa could certainly do with Ryan Nelsen, the rock at the heart of Blackburn's defence. He is suitably experienced, and unbelievably solid, and with his no-nonsense defending I'm sure the players ahead of him will attack with confidence, knowing they have a reliable defence to win the ball back should they lose it.

The problem is Sam Allardyce might not want to sell him, as Nelsen is clearly the type of no-nonsense defender that Big Sam likes to work with. As such, Randy Lerner is going to have to give O'Neill the money necessary to take Nelsen away, as I can see the Kiwi captain being absolutely immense for Villa.

Should that move not materialise, I think Villa could try to bring David Wheater of Middlesbrough in. This move will be much simpler, for the reasons explained above.

He will provide a commanding presence in the air, and though not quite as experienced as Nelsen, he looks like he could potentially be a very good defender, so is definitely worth taking on.

Right-Back

One of the reasons for Villa's dramatic downfall, was the lack of a backup right-back. Once Luke Young was moved to the left, Reo-Coker or Gardner was trusted at right-back, and neither excelled. Reo-Coker, in particular, has had some terrible performances in that position.

As such, I think they need a backup right-back. I say "backup", because I think Luke Young is good enough to hold down a first team spot, as he has impressed me with his determination and defensive qualities.

For a backup, the person must be really young, or really old, as anyone in between would certainly not want to be stuck on the Villa bench waiting for Luke Young to get injured.

I think the best possible signing is Belletti from Chelsea. With Chelsea showing less need for him as the season progressed, Villa could definitely get him for a reasonable fee, and I think he would be a good signing.

While Luke Young is a solid defender, Belletti could be useful to try and break down stubborn defences, as he provides an additional attacking threat from the back. His versatility would also be useful, as he can provide cover for the midfield.

More importantly, with Villa in Europe again next season, Belletti will be able to share his experience, having been there and done that, winning the Champions League with Barcelona four years ago.

With that all said, frankly, Villa were not far away from the top four this season. If they had a deeper squad, they would be much closer to Arsenal than they finished. So, if Randy Lerner is able to provide O'Neill with the cash to splash, Villa could be looking at a different European competition come the end of next season.

The Three-Transfers Road to Improvement: Arsenal

2009-05-24T07:41:00.003+08:00

an article i wrote on bleacherreport

In this fourth part of the series on how clubs in the Barclays Premier League could strengthen their side ahead of the '09/'10 season, I look at what many term as the greatest club in the world. Yes, I will be looking at Arsenal (alright, alright, I admit that the "many" refer to Arsenal fans).

After what has been a largely unsuccessful season, where we were out of the title race before it even started, got spanked by Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League, and lost meekly to Chelsea in the FA Cup, improvements are a must for Arsenal.

Anybody who thinks this side are good enough to win the title next season, probably also think they have a chance at getting together with Angelina Jolie, Megan Fox, Jessica Alba, and of course Adebayor's favourite girl, Beyonce Knowles. All at the same time. In the same room. On the same bed. Wearing...OK, I digress.

Basically, major improvements are needed for Arsenal, but I will try my best to highlight the three most important areas to strengthen.

STRIKER

With Adebayor sulking around in London like Nicolas Anelka did years ago, I think it's time that he moved on. He used to be an unpolished striker who worked his socks off and thus gained the admiration of some of the fans.

Then, a goal-laden season finally rewarded him for all his hard work, and it seemed at one point of time, that Adebayor would be the one that we could rely on for goals.

Unfortunately, the work ethic that endeared him to the Arsenal support has now left him, and he seems the most unenthusiastic and unmotivated on the pitch. That is not easy, considering he shares the pitch with Abou "my style's like Berbatov, I just don't have half the amount of skill" Diaby.

As such, he has to go. Who will replace him though? Here's a few suggestions.

Roque Santa Cruz has been something of a success in the league. Adding an aerial presence for Blackburn, he has also been a calm finisher when the chances present themselves to him, and on top of that, he's a willing chaser.

The problem with him is his injury record, and with the Arsenal physios already dealing with permanent resident Tomas Rosicknote, Santa Cruz might not be the best signing, despite his quality and his desire to leave Blackburn.

Also, Mark Hughes has been known to be a keen admirer, and with the Manchester City bosses (who reportedly just renovated their homes and used 20-pound notes as wallpaper) financing any move, Arsenal might not be able to win a bidding war if it happens.

As such, I would suggest we go for a Manchester City cast-off who I think would be perfect for us—Jo.

Out of favour at Manchester City, he has proven to be very useful for the Toffees, during his loan spell at Goodison Park. He adds a physical presence to the side, and has good skill to get him out of tricky situations.

That is an impressive combination that few strikers can boast of. His hold-up play is excellent, and his finishing is quite good, definitely on par with Adebayor's or even better.

In terms of availability, I think it would not be a problem at all, as Mark Hughes does not get on with him, and with the club boasting 15 world-class players in each position, they should be quite willing to sell him.

Given that we have a limited transfer budget, and the bulk of it should be spent in other areas which I will elaborate on later, I think Jo would be the perfect signing for us.

CENTRAL MIDFIELDER

Currently, we play Cesc Fabregas + either one of Song, Diaby, or Denilson here.

Of the three players after Fabregas (I will do Diaby a favour and count him as a player for the purposes of this article), I think Song and Denilson have shown a lot of potential, but perhaps it is unrealistic to expect them to step right into the first team of a club chasing titles at such a young age.

In fact, I think even Fabregas needs someone experienced in at the club, to help shoulder the burden of running the midfield. There are a few candidates, and I will take a look at them now.

First up is Xabi Alonso. We were close to signing him this season, we didn't - he went on to have an outstanding season at the heart of Liverpool's midfield, we went on to do battle with mighty Aston Villa for FOURTH spot.

I think he is the player we should look to sign again, as he will take the creative burden off Fabregas, and he is also willing to sit in his own half to provide the extra body in defence when necessary. The problem is that having seen him excel this season, would Rafa Benitez still want to let him go?

Well, if he refuses to sell Alonso, we could then look at another one of our supposed targets, Gareth Barry. What I like about this transfer is that, it not only would strengthen us, it would also weaken Aston Villa.

Barry would also add some much-added energy to the Arsenal midfield, something that Diaby could never provide even if his life depended on it.

I think Gareth Barry would be an ideal signing for us, but if the price goes too high, as it probably will, considering Martin O'Neill would not want to let him go, we can perhaps consider Fernando Gago, who is himself an accomplished passer of the ball, and also not afraid to put in a challenge.

With Real Madrid going through major changes at the moment, we might also be able to pinch him on the cheap.

CENTRE-BACK

Lastly, we look at the position that desperately needs reinforcements. This is an area of our team which is practically crying out for help, arms flailing in the air as it realises that its ship is going down, and the life-buoy it was given has holes all over. Here, we have William Gallas, Kolo Toure, Philippe Senderos, Johan Djourou, and Alex Song.

Alex Song's best position is still in midfield, in my opinion, so that leaves us with four players. Djourou is too young and inexperienced to hold down a first-team spot for me, and so we are down to three realistic options.

William Gallas, since being stripped of his captaincy, has, to his credit, improved a lot. To be fair, we really missed him in the recent cup games, and had he been around, I'm sure we would have put up a tougher fight. However, he does have some bad history already, and I don't believe he will stay at Arsenal.

Kolo Toure looks a shadow of his former self. His decision-making was never top-notch, but in the past, his pace made up for it. Now, his pace is not as devastating as it used to be, and his decision-making seems to be getting worse.

Philippe Senderos looked to have a lot of potential, and I still think he is a good player, so he should stay, in my opinion. I also hope that Paolo Maldini has been giving him tips on how to defend, and also look good while doing it. OK, that's pushing it a little, poor Senderos would never look good doing anything.

Of course, you might have wondered why I left Silvestre out of this discussion. My answer to that is I am actually wondering why you actually had to wonder why I left Silvestre out of this discussion.

We need to stop getting bullied at the back, like we were against Stoke. Remember that game? It was truly dreadful.

I think we could really do well with Daniel Agger. Not Rafa's favourite player, Agger has declared his intention to leave to secure first-team football before. He is strong in the air, yet is a good distributor of the ball, and possesses one hell of a long shot.

He would be the perfect signing for our defence, but once again, Rafa Benitez might not want to strengthen a rival by selling Agger to us.

As such, we might have to look elsewhere in the league, and I think we could certainly use the physical presence of Christopher Samba in our defence.

An absolute monster in the air, Samba would be the solution to our problem of getting bullied by physical (big, rough, ugly, talentless) strikers like Kevin Davies, Kevin Davies, and did I mention Kevin Davies?

Being a Blackburn player probably also means that if we really want him, we can get him, as Sam Allardyce is not the kind of manager you would reject Arsenal for.

If we can get big Christopher Samba, I think he would forge a very decent partnership with Kolo Toure or Johan Djouorou, as Samba will clear the aerial threats, while Toure can mop up behind him.

If Senderos has somehow become very strong and defensively sound after a season at AC Milan, then we could perhaps try and pinch Sebastian Bassong from Newcastle, as he looks like a William Gallas in the making. The ability, not the big talk and the crying on the pitch.

So that's it. If Arsenal commit the summer transfer window to signing players in these departments, or even get the exact players I've talked about in this article, then I would be a very very happy man indeed, and perhaps we won't be out of the title race by September.

The Three-Transfers Road To Improvement: Chelsea

2009-05-24T07:37:00.002+08:00

another article i wrote on bleacherreport

So, in this third part of my 20-part look at the three transfers that could improve each team in the Barclays Premier League, I look at Chelsea, a team that started the season with a huge bang, but after that, let water into their ammunition, misfired a little, and finally revived themselves with the arrival of Guus Hiddink.

Chelsea has demonstrated this season that they are capable of matching the best in the business when they have everyone available and united.

Hiddink’s arrival seemed to unite the Blues on and off the pitch, and the players were worthy winners over Liverpool and came within seconds of seeing off Barcelona in the Champions League.

So who do Chelsea need to sign in the summer? Looking at their team-sheet, they look strong in almost every department, but I can see a few areas where they could look to strengthen.

CENTRAL MIDFIELDER

Michael Essien showed when he returned from injury just what Chelsea missed, adding energy and bite to their midfield. He is one of the best central midfielders in the world, and that is no exaggeration. He defends doggedly when needed, but at the flick of a switch, he brings the ball into the opponent’s half, adding drive and urgency to the attack.

Frank Lampard has enjoyed one of his best seasons in a Chelsea shirt in my opinion. How he achieves such consistency week in, week out, (without getting injured too) is beyond me, but he is indispensable to the Chelsea midfield, along with Michael Essien.

Which brings us to the remainder of the central midfielders. Michael Ballack, John Obi Mikel, and Belletti, who has been used there this season.

Ballack is not getting any younger, and I think he has not brought his international form to Chelsea since he signed for them, which is a real pity, as he is a midfield general for Germany.

Mikel has not been anything special and, while he does add industry to the side, he is poor offensively, and Chelsea could do much better than the Nigerian international.

Belletti has done a very good job for Chelsea this season, but he too, is going to be eligible for senior citizen rebates soon, and as such, cannot be factored in as an option for next season.

Having listed their options in the middle of the park, I think Chelsea need to add one more player to replace Ballack, who has not been the success that most people, including myself, predicted he would be.

That man is Andrea Pirlo.

Manchester United have won the title three times in a row, and to me, one of the biggest reasons for that is the calm midfield play of Michael Carrick.

While not the biggest headline-grabber in the Manchester ranks, there is no doubting that Carrick’s simple distribution of the ball has been the launch-pad for many United attacks.

With Carlo Ancelotti coming in, the Pirlo, Kaka, and Pato rumours have been flying around Stamford Bridge and it is likely that one or more will come in.

Should Pirlo arrive, I think he can perform a “Carrick role" for Chelsea. Essien will do the dirty work for him, while Lampard will join the attack as he usually does, with devastating effect.

RIGHT-WINGER

Currently, Chelsea alternate between Anelka and Kalou for this role. As such, they sometimes suffer from a lack of width.

Even when Joe Cole is back, he is not a natural right-winger and all three of the aforementioned players have the tendency to drift inside, relying on Bosingwa to provide the width. However, with Bosingwa charging up the flanks repeatedly, this can sometimes leave Chelsea’s defence exposed.

As such, I think Chelsea need a right-winger, someone who can stick to the flanks, run with the ball at pace, and deliver good balls in.

The man they should look to is David Bentley. He has good technique, decent pace, and definitely has the core ability to be a top-class addition to Chelsea.

Of late, he has not been favoured by Harry Redknapp, probably because of his huge ego, but I think his ego will be kept in check when he’s stuffed into a dressing room where everybody else is bigger than him.

He will also be available for a low price, as Harry Redknapp prefers Aaron Lennon to him, and will probably ship him off in the summer.

If David Bentley is deemed too big a risk to take, considering his supposed attitude problem, they could perhaps poach Ashley Young, who has proven to be one of the top wingers in the league. Of course, he would command a much higher fee as he is one of the key men at Aston Villa and Martin O’Neill would not want to let go of him.

LEFT-WINGER

Left wing is definitely a department that Chelsea needs to strengthen. Currently, they have Florent Malouda as the only true left winger.

Joe Cole used to play there, but he isn’t your typical left-winger. Malouda has found form recently, but for a large part of his Chelsea career, was average. As such, I think Chelsea could do with someone more consistent than him on their left wing.

I would suggest they try and take Franck Ribery from Bayern Munich. He has electrifying pace, is not afraid of taking defenders on, and has supreme technique.

With his addition, I think Chelsea could really stretch their opposition and they should go all out to sign him. Money has never been a problem for the Blues, and Bayern Munich will definitely let go of their star man if the price is right.

Ribery will also realise that he has to move away from Bayern as the club is playing in an inferior league, and I am sure he will relish the challenge of plying his trade in the English Premier League.

Having said all this, I sincerely hope that Chelsea will not sign any of the above-mentioned people, as I am an Arsenal fan, and if they added these players to their team, they would be near unstoppable.

The Three-Transfers Road to Improvement: Liverpool

2009-05-19T08:12:00.001+08:00

another article i published on bleacherreport

So, in this second part of my 20-part look at the three transfers that could improve each team in the Barclays Premier League, I look at Liverpool, a team that promised so much, but delivered nothing at the end of the day.

Looking at the Liverpool team now, there seems to be an over-reliance on Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. Even Rafa Benitez, the walking encyclopaedia of facts has admitted this indirectly, stating that they would have won the title if Gerrard and Torres had started together more often.

Obviously then, the quality of the replacements is an issue here, and if Liverpool had the options upfront that Manchester United had, I am sure they would have had a better chance of winning the title.

STRIKER

Fernando Torres is a world-beater when he’s fit and on form. However, this season, Liverpool have dominated matches without killing their opponents off on numerous occasions, and the absence of Torres might be pointed to as the cause of that.

As such, it is definitely vital for Liverpool to sign back-up for their talented Spanish striker. It will not be easy to find someone who is good enough to step in, and yet be willing to sit around on the bench waiting for opportunities. Andriy Voronin certainly was not happy sitting on the bench at Liverpool, and it does not look like he has a future at Anfield anymore.

Looking around at who might be available, I can think of two players Liverpool could sign and who would be willing to wait for their chance.

The first is Michael Owen. Yes, Michael “Look Ma, I’m at Newcastle and picking up wages to get injured” Owen. He used to be one of the most-feared strikers in the world, but then injuries robbed him of his pace, and he became less effective.

However, he still possesses a good finish, and is still capable of making good runs. Steven Gerrard has forged a brilliant partnership with Fernando Torres of late, but way before his arrival, Gerrard seemed to have a similar understanding with little Mickey Owen.

With his contract running out, Liverpool would be able to get him on a free, and that would be outstanding business for a man who still has something to offer.

The second player is somebody who has not really played as a striker in his career, but who I think is incredibly versatile, and with a little bit of training, could be a fantastic striker.

That man is Salomon Kalou. He is incredibly quick and skilful, and while he might not finish as well as Michael Owen, he is more versatile, and can be played anywhere across the front three.

Dirk Kuyt might be an excellent defensive right-winger, but against teams that compact their defence, Kuyt is not the best option to pry open the defence. Kalou could be used in such situations, and I think he will be an excellent addition to Liverpool’s attack.

If Ancelotti does come to Chelsea, I think he will bring along with him some players, and look to clear out some of the existing players at Stamford Bridge, and so Kalou will not be too expensive, as he is not an integral part of their squad.

LEFT-BACK

Andrea Dossena, Fabio Aurelio and Emiliano Insua. Three names that will hardly leave right-wingers quaking in their boots. To be fair, Aurelio has demonstrated his worth to the team at set-pieces and with his crossing ability.

Insua has also shown in his few appearances this season, that he is one for the future, as he looked very promising. Dossena—well the less said, the better. Aside from scoring goals to put the icing on the cake, he is generally useless.

So, Dossena should really be shipped on in the summer. That leaves Aurelio and Insua as the left-backs for Liverpool. I think Aurelio’s time at Anfield is also up, as he is not solid enough defensively.

With Insua still relatively inexperienced, Liverpool need someone who can step in there right now and do a solid job on the left side of their defence, and teach young Insua a thing or two.

I can think of no one better to bring solidity in that department than Gabriel Heinze. He was a Liverpool target a few years back, if you remember, but Ferguson blocked the transfer from happening, and in the end he went to Real Madrid.

Now, I do not think Ferguson blocked the transfer just because Liverpool were huge rivals. He blocked it because he knew how much that would strengthen Liverpool. Ferguson let Silvestre go to another rival team because he knew that Silvestre would not strengthen Arsenal at all.

With Florentino Perez possibly becoming president of Real Madrid again, there will be a raft of changes in the Spanish capital, and I am sure Heinze would be one of those that will be allowed to leave, as Perez, if you remember, does not really see defence as being important to a team’s success.

Heinze would be seen as a destroyer, much like Makelele when he was at Real Madrid, and will be allowed to move on.

RIGHT-BACK

In this department, Liverpool have Arbeloa and Degen. Carragher is also capable of playing there, but that would be moving him away from his favourite and best position at centre-back.

Arbeloa reminds me of John O’Shea, in that he plays anywhere across the back, but is not brilliant at any of the positions. As such, he should not be holding down a first-team spot.

Degen has not played much, if at all, this season, and you would imagine that he will be rather rusty when he comes back, and as such, cannot be relied on as a first-team option. Besides, having watched him play on a number of occasions, he does not look like a world-beater in any way whatsoever.

I think Liverpool need a right-back, and they should look no further than Glen Johnson. He has matured beyond recognition this season, and is one of the few bright spots in what has been a poor season for Portsmouth.

Once known as an adventurous full-back who did not have the word “defend” in his dictionary, Johnson has obviously been working hard on the training ground, and looks a much more complete full-back this season.

With Dirk Kuyt, as mentioned above, being a defensive winger, Johnson’s ability to bomb forward will be very useful, as he can go on the overlap to support the Liverpool attack, and let Kuyt drift inside to add an extra body in the box, whether it is to win a header, or just to pick up the pieces.

With Portsmouth not qualifying for Europe next season, I am sure Liverpool will be able to attract Glen Johnson to the club, and they should pull out all the stops to get him.

So that’s it.

If Liverpool strengthen in these three areas, I think they would be a much more complete team, and would look to be challenging once again.

And that, Rafa, is a FACT.

HAHAHA

2009-05-17T14:35:00.001+08:00

The 3-Signings Road To Improvement: Manchester United

2009-05-13T20:54:00.004+08:00

another article i wrote on bleacherreport.com

This is the first article of a new series that I am embarking on. The "3-Signings Road to Improvement" series will feature an article on each club in the Barclays Premier League, talking about their shortcomings, and how perhaps three new signings, once this season is over, can push them to achieve greater things next season.

I will write the articles based on league position as of today, and as such I will start with current champions of England, Europe, and the world (not exactly a great achievement, but I'll mention it nonetheless), Manchester United.

With the team doing well on all fronts, Sir Alex Ferguson might be tempted to change little, and he'd be right. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, as the old saying goes.

However, I do see a few signings that could yet improve United, and make them virtually unstoppable.

RIGHT-BACK

For me, a major weak area for them is their right-back spot. Gary Neville and Wes Brown have been the specialists there in recent seasons and both have had seasons to forget.

Gary Neville wasn't exactly Mr. Reliable to begin with, and unlike Giggs, who like a fine bottle of wine seems to get better as he ages, Neville would be better off being compared to a bottle of milk that is three years past its expiration date.

Wes Brown had a decent season until he was ruled out through injury, but even in his best form, I do not see him as world-class. And with the resources United has, I think they could certainly do better than have Wes Brown at right-back.

"What about Rafael?" I hear United fans screaming away. He is definitely a very talented youngster, but I think he lacks the experience to command a first-team spot just yet.

He has been repeatedly exposed by players with more experience, and was given a torrid time by Robinho and Martin Petrov in the Manchester derby. I think he will be fantastic in a few years' time, but meanwhile they need someone else to show him the ropes.

As such, I suggest the first area to strengthen United will be at right-back. Sergio Ramos might be the ideal option, but there is no guarantee he would want to leave Real Madrid and the idol status he enjoys in Spain; plus, he would be really expensive if he is given the green light to go.

Besides, as explained above, i think Rafael Da Silva will be an absolutely cracking player in a couple of seasons, so getting Sergio Ramos would stifle his development.

Instead, I would suggest United go for someone much cheaper, but still very reliable.

That man is Habib Beye. He is suitably experienced, has shown great fighting spirit despite being part of the Grand Tyneside Circus, and will probably be available on the cheap should Newcastle go down. Even if they do stay up, I don't think Newcastle can deny a player the chance of playing for United.

STRIKER

With Tevez looking like he is leaving Old Trafford. Sir Alex might need a striker. I say "might," because he does have Fraizer Campbell and Manucho returning from their spells at Tottenham and Hull respectively, while Danny Welbeck and Frederico Macheda have impressed with the limited chances they have had.

That might not be enough for Sir Alex and Manchester United though, who might want a little more experience as they will look to challenge on all fronts again.

Benzema's name has been tossed around the tabloids for the last 43 transfer windows, and this summer will be no different. I think he would fit in at Old Trafford, but it remains to be seen if he will accept being a bench player like Tevez.

I think Manchester United would be better off going for Roque Santa Cruz.

If Ronaldo leaves at the end of the season, then his aerial ability at set pieces will be missed. Benzema won't be the solution to that, but Santa Cruz definitely will.

Also, I think Santa Cruz's predatory instincts are better than Benzema's, and he has the added advantage of being tried and tested at Premiership level already. He will definitely come cheaper than Benzema, and the lure of Europe should mean that he will not mind playing second fiddle to Rooney and Berbatov.

WINGER

Definitely, the need for a winger hinges solely on Ronaldo's decision at the end of the season. Should he go, a player of his calibre will definitely have to be replaced; and I think right now, there is only one player who could even come close to being an adequate replacement, and that is Franck Ribery.

Should Sir Alex want him, he would definitely be available if a substantial transfer fee is offered. Ribery will definitely not want to be stuck at an under-achieving Bayern, and should they fail to qualify for the Champions League, then there is absolutely no doubt that he will go.

However, there is a chance that Sir Alex might not go like-for-like. He might be tempted to replace Ronaldo with Kaka, and I think this might actually be a better buy, as Kaka can finish, something Ribery is not as good at.

Ronaldo's goals have been vital for United in recent seasons, so the player brought in must be capable of scoring as well.

Kaka has said before that he would welcome a new challenge, and the fact that he actually considered a move to Manchester City means he is definitely open to departing the San Siro should a good offer come up. And should Manchester United come knocking, I have no doubt he will go to Old Trafford.

So that's it.

Basically, for United, nothing much really has to be done. After all, they did get to wherever they are with this team.

A lot depends on whether Ronaldo stays or goes. Whatever it is, expect them to be contenders again next season.

Manchester United vs Arsenal: Advantage United

2009-04-29T13:43:00.003+08:00

I remember eating my words when Arsenal dominated United at the Emirates. With basically no strikers available except Bendtner, who clearly isn't a good enough player for Arsenal, I had predicted United to win comfortably at the Emirates, only to be shot down by a Nasri brace and a masterclass Arsenal performance. This time, however, it is different, as not everyone expects Arsenal to lose. Arsenal's rejuvenation in the league has been remarkable and I don't think there will be any underestimating of Arsenal in Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

Injuries:
United have a full squad to choose from, with the exception of recently injured Gary Neville and the always injured Hargreaves. Which means Wes Brown, Rafael, and O'Shea are back for this match. This is an added bonus for United, as the Right Back position has been a weakness in the defensive 4 this whole season. Nasri totally owned Gary Neville with his tricks and pace, which was part of the reason why Arsenal had a field day at the Emirates. With no-nonsense Wes Brown, pacey Rafael or clumsy-but-effective O'Shea, United have enough reinforcements at the Right Back area.

Arsenal, however, have a lot of players missing for this match. Arshavin has been a great player since signing for Arsenal and they will miss his creativity and dribbling ability against United. Gallas and Clichy are still out injured for the Arsenal defence, and they also have chronically ill Robin van Persie and Rosicky out. That list is essentially a list of 5 first team players, so Arsenal are considerably weakened. Add to the fact that Gibbs and Silvestre are doubts (but I reckon they'll play in the end), Arsenal have an immense weakness in their defence, and United will look to profit there.

Line-up Predictions:
I fancy United to line up with a 4-5-1, and Arsenal might do the same. United have been using the 4-5-1 consistently in the Champions League and the usefulness of the extra midfield cover for the defense shows in the stats - United have kept the most clean sheets in the competition, a grand total of 7, and boast the best defensive record having conceded only 5 goals. I think Arsenal will do likewise, line up with a 4-5-1 and look to counter-attack with pace as it is at Old Trafford, much like how they played against Liverpool at Anfield.

United: Van der Sar - O'Shea - Ferdinand - Vidic - Evra - Carrick - Ronaldo - Giggs - Fletcher - Rooney - Berbatov

Arsenal: Almunia - Sagna - Djourou - Toure - Gibbs - Song - Walcott - Fabregas - Denilson - Nasri - Adebayor

Goalkeepers:
Little or none seperates both goalkeepers. Both have excellent shot stopping abilities and good reflexes. Van der Sar has recovered from his lack of confidence that has plagued him for the past 2 seasons. Now he's claiming crosses well again and showing everyone why he used to be considered a world class goalkeeper. He will be crucial for United to read the game and act as a sweeper, as will Almunia's shot stopping be for Arsenal. Van der Sar definitely has more experience than Almunia and that will play a part in the pressure-cooker environment of the Semis.

Defenders:
Sagna, Djourou, Toure, Gibbs. They aren't exactly the best defenders. Gibbs is young and inexperienced and it showed when he played against Liverpool. Dirk Kuyt and Arbeloa combined well on the right flank and peppered the Arsenal penalty box with crosses. A rash clearance while under pressure led to Liverpool going 2-1 up. While pacey, Gibbs will have a tough time against Ronaldo and the overlapping O'Shea, unless he turns out to be the second coming of Santon. Sagna is a solid player going forward, but he isn't as good defensively. He relies more on his pace to get back rather than defensive reading of the game, and does occasionally get caught out while being high up the pitch. Djourou and Toure are average and not world class. In a nutshell, the Arsenal defence is very shaky at the moment and United will look to exploit that.

United, on the other hand, have the meanest defence in the competition, if not the world. Aside from the problematic right back spot, which O'Shea has filled in decently, the rest of the defence is just filled with awesome. Vidic and Ferdinand have formed a partnership that have can thwart any attacking lineup, while Evra has been solid this entire season (other than against Aaron Lennon). Add to the fact that United can bring on Rafael, who has looked like a great prospect, or Wes Brown, who was alongside Fletcher as my MOM in the match against Barca last season, or Jonny Evans as defensive cover. United definitely have the edge in terms of quality of defenders.

Central Midfield:
Denilson, Song and Fabregas does not ooze class and confidence. Denilson is far from the finished product and for all his combativeness, he is not an accomplished passer of the ball, or a great tackler. Song is prone to his moments of ball-watching and laziness. Fabregas will be Arsenal's main threat from the midfield, and his great passing ability can unlock any defence. United will have to watch out for him as he has been employed in a more advanced role, like the Gerrard role for Liverpool, and he scored a brace through that over the weekend.

United, on the other hand, will probably play Fletcher, Carrick and Giggs. Perhaps Scholes in place of Carrick. Or maybe Anderson instead of Fletcher. Whatever the permutation, there is class in the midfield for United. Fletcher has featured steadily for the first team and he has put in some great performances in the heart of midfield. He has great energy and is decent going forward as well, not to mention that he is THE big game player. Carrick has grown well into his defensive midfielder role and provides great defensive cover, along with great through balls from midfield. As for the PFA player of the year, well, he single handedly destroyed the Chelsea midfield the famous 3-0 win this season. His ability to beat a man and then pick a pass will definitely be crucial to unlocking the Arsenal defence, as Arsenal will try to crowd out the middle of the park to prevent United from passing the ball to the front trio. One thing that might undo United would be their lack of pace in midfield, and that should be Arsenal's main focal point should both Scholes and Giggs start. I still give the edge to United and think that United have the better midfield and should be able to boss the match.

Wingers:
Nasri and Walcott both possess an abundance of pace and great dribbling ability. Nasri is able to wriggle out of tight spots well, while Walcott has blistering pace and can go past defenders with ease. They will definitely be key men for Arsenal. However, Nasri is not an old-school touchline hugging winger, and I doubt he will torment O'Shea much. He sometimes has a tendency to cut in and, against United, will be moving into a very crowded midfield. I don't fancy Nasri to have much of an impact against United. Walcott is THE man to watch. Aaron Lennon skinned Evra many times and the right side was a hugely profitable area for Spurs. For Arsenal to get something out of the match, Walcott must have a great game.

Ronaldo and Rooney should occupy both Right and Left wing spots. Ronaldo to terrorise Gibbs, and Rooney to provide some defensive cover for Evra. As seen from the match against Spurs, Rooney and Evra together were able to totally stifle Aaron Lennon in the second half. Rooney also has the ability to cut in and shoot, or put in a cross from the left, or exchange positions with Giggs midway through the attack, or swap play with his brilliant cross field passing. Rooney is a dangerous player to have anywhere on the pitch and he is on a confident streak right now after his virtuoso display against Spurs. Ronaldo, against Gibbs, is a total mismatch. Frankly, I don't rate Gibbs and I think Ronaldo will have a field day. I do expect Nasri to track back often to crowd Ronaldo out, which is why I think Nasri will have 0 impact on the game. I do expect Gibbs to get caught out 1 on 1 against Ronaldo a few times during the match, and that is where United will look to score from.

Strikers:
Adebayor has not hit his heights from the previous seasons. Previously, his work ethic and determination endeared him to Arsenal fans. Now, he looks much lazier and less motivated to play for Arsenal, probably because of the contract saga. He can be a handful for defenders to handle, but I think Vidic will be competent in handling him, as Adebayor does not possess much trickery. What he relies on are strength, jumping ability and pace, all of which the United duo of Vidic and Ferdinand have too.

Berbatov is a different type of player from Adebayor. He is a link man between midfield and attack and likes dropping deep to set up play. He is the league's assist leader and has gotten 9 goals for United, so whoever doubts his quality can kiss my ass. He was instrumental against Spurs in the build up play with his first touch and close control and was involved in both the second and third goals. He is a player who can win a match through a moment of brilliance, and will be the perfect forward to unlock a stubborn Arsenal defence.

Experience:
The United team are definitely more experienced than Arsenal. Without a doubt, experience plays a key factor in this match as knock-out competitions call for a level head and patience, and you only get that through experience. Against a full house crowd at Old Trafford, playing in the Semi Finals of the most prestigious European cup tournament, I fancy some of the Arsenal players to let their nerves get to them and make mistakes. United, after all, are playing on home soil and have felt it all before, and the home crowd will definitely spur them on. My prediction is that Arsenal will not be able to get much accurate passing going together and there will be long spells of United possession.

Strength of bench:
Arsenal have no game changers in their substitutes. Fabianski, Bendtner, Eboue and Diaby are the closest to being first teamers and they have not done enough to prove their quality. Whether they are game changers is an entirely different matter. Would you send on Vela if you knew you needed a goal? His quality is undoubted, but I have doubts about his composure in front of goal. Look at how Bojan missed a golden opportunity in the dying seconds of the match against Chelsea.

United have quality in abundance on their bench. Tevez can be brought on to change a match completely, as we witnessed in the game against Spurs over the weekend. Scholes can be brought on to unlock the meanest of defences, while Anderson and Park can be brought on to provide energy in the midfield area. Evans and Brown and Rafael are great defensive options to have. United definitely have more strength in depth and definitely have the advantage here.

Conclusion:
I certainly believe that United are the better team overall. Especially when Arsenal are missing match winners like van Persie, who can be very lethal from set pieces. The United defence is huge and should be able to cope aerially against Arsenal from set pieces, and I think Ronaldo's presence in the air might be very effective against Arsenal's defenders. I think that the match will be a tight affair and very cagey in the first half, but we'll see a very open second half. Almunia will probably be the busier of both keepers and I think United will head to the Emirates with a 1-0 lead after a moment of brilliance from one of United's many matchwinners.

Why It Will Be an All-English Final In The Champions League Again

2009-04-27T17:02:00.003+08:00

published this at bleacherreport.com

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3 of the remaining 4 teams left in the UEFA Champions League hail from the English Premier League. One finals spot is guaranteed to be filled by an English team, as Arsenal take on the holders, Manchester United.

Chelsea vs Barcelona is the tie that will decide if an all-English final repeats itself this time around. Although most people on the streets believe that Barcelona will dump Chelsea in the semi-finals en route to the final, my opinion is that Chelsea are the stronger team, and will progress. Here's why:

Goalkeeper:

A no-contest here. Let's just put it this way. Petr Cech is a world-class goalkeeper who was going through a crisis of confidence. One fantastic penalty save from Mark Noble at the weekend would have done wonders for his confidence, and that is bad news for Barcelona.

Victor Valdes. He has to be the worst goalkeeper playing for a top 5 side in Europe, ever. He is unreliable, not particularly agile, and his distribution isn't exactly great either. He actually had the cheek to ask for his wages to be similar to that of the other superstars in Barcelona. If I were Guardiola, I'd insist Victor Valdes be put on a pay-as-you-play deal, and I mean Valdes has to pay Barcelona to play, not the other way round. THAT, is how low I rate him.

Defence:

Barcelona's defence is far from water-tight. Their best defender, Carles Puyol is an overrated player who runs around like a headless chicken. Daniel Alves has fantastic ability with the ball, but is not the best defensively. Eric Abidal is average at best. I think Kalou and Malouda will relish the space offered to them by the full-backs, who will undoubtedly push up in support of the attack. Also, Didier Drogba is in good form, and I do not see how Barcelona's centre-backs can handle him.

Chelsea's defence, on the other hand, is made of sterner stuff. Do not be fooled by the 4-4 draw with Liverpool. That was a game against a team that had no choice but to attack from the off. The absence of Ashley Cole is over-emphasised, I feel. With Messi on the right wing, a right-footed defender is better in one-on-ones with Messi, as the brilliant Argentine has a fondness for cutting in repeatedly. The problem with Chelsea's defence is that John Terry and Alex are not the quickest on earth, something that Eto'o and Henry will look to profit from.

Midfield:

Xavi is a fantastic midfield playmaker, and I think he is one of, if not the best in that position currently. He is joined by Iniesta and Toure/Keita, which is a very good midfield. Toure/Keita are not brilliant, but they just provide the extra body back in defence, and when dealing with counter-attacks.

Chelsea have a brilliant answer to that in midfield though, and it is ME. No, not myself, but Michael Essien. Essien was brilliant in nullifying Gerrard in the previous round, and he will look to repeat his performance against Xavi. Essien is joined by Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack in midfield. Lampard will be pulling the strings from midfield, and I think he will have an easy time against Yaya Toure, who really isn't that good. Michael Ballack clearly does not bring his German international form to Chelsea, but he will be useful in the set-pieces, as Chelsea will look to profit from those, considering Barcelona do not really have an aerial presence, and Chelsea have it in abundance.

Attack:

Messi, Eto'o, Henry. The trio are magical when on song, and I don't mean Rigobert Song. Everyone's magical when playing against Rigobert Song. Back to the topic though, Chelsea might have a problem dealing with the pace of the three musketeers, and their chances lie in stopping the supply from midfield, further highlighting what a key role Essien will play in this game.

Didier Drogba. Frankly, there is no way to stop him. Even if Barcelona cut off the supply on the ground, there is no way they can stop a long ball punted towards him, and there is even less they can do to prevent Chelsea taking advantage of set pieces. Besides, they do have ex-Real Madrid man Nicolas Anelka to bring on, should they require more firepower.

Coach:

Guus Hiddink. He has a good record in knock-out competitions, and is very good with tactics. The 3-1 win at Anfield was a superb achievement, for which he must take some credit.

Pep Guardiola is inexperienced, and with him, you get the feeling that the team is making his job easier. He hasn't actually made any radical tactical changes to the side he inherited, and it is yet to be seen if he can respond in-game to different situations.

To sum this up, I think Chelsea's hopes lie with Michael Essien, Frank Lampard, and Michael Ballack winning the midfield battle. Barcelona are not capable of playing direct football, as their forward line is not equipped to do that, so stopping Xavi and Iniesta will be the way to go for Chelsea. I think this is exactly what will happen over two legs, and Chelsea will progress.

Eddy's prediction: $10 on Chelsea to progress @ 2.30 = $23.00, from bet365

Why Manchester United Will Qualify For UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals

2009-04-13T19:56:00.005+08:00

another article i published on bleacherreport.com
Please visit the above link, take part in the poll, leave a comment, whatever. if you really like it, you can add it to your favourites...anw, enjoy.

As the United defence went AWOL in the dying stages of the first leg against Porto to allow Mariano to equalise, just minutes after Carlos Tevez looked to have secured victory, the Old Trafford faithful went silent.

At 2-1, the tie was very much in the balance, considering that Porto had one away goal. A 1-0 back in Portugal would send them through. So, for the game to eventually finish 2-2 must count as a mini-disaster. The result leaves Manchester United realistically needing a win over at the intimidating Estadio do Dragao. A 2-2 draw would prolong the tie, and send it into extra-time and possibly penalties. Anything higher than a 2-2 would also see Manchester United progress.

As Porto has recorded wins this season over the likes of Fenerbahce and Arsenal, and also managed to keep a clean sheet against Atletico Madrid, who have quite an array of attacking options, most neutrals might think that Porto have a great chance of qualifying for the semi-finals. After all, they just need to shut up shop at the back, like they did against Atletico, and hold on for the final whistle, right?

Easier said than done. Manchester United will take some stopping. Porto are faced with a little bit of a dilemma here. Should they look to defend, Manchester United will eventually score. Here's why:

1) Helton

Occasionally brilliant, often bumbling. A goalkeeper cut from the same mould that produced Heurelho Gomes, Fabien Barthez, and of course, Massimo Taibi, Helton is hardly a keeper you would rely on to keep clean sheets. While he can hardly be blamed for the two goals conceded by Porto in the first leg, one needs only to look at the previous round of matches, where he let a Forlan shot coming straight at him spill into goal. Suspect when coming for crosses, and quite awful decision-making means that he is the weakest link in the Porto line-up, and I am sure Sir Alex Ferguson will be instructing his men to shoot on sight.

2) The Porto defence

While not exactly poor defenders, they are rather slow. In the first leg, Manchester United did not test them fully, as they were pegged back by some brilliant Porto attacks. Now, with Manchester United needing to go all-out from the whistle, they will be stretched to the limit. I predict they will struggle in the face of lightning-quick Manchester United counter-attacks.

3) Cristiano Ronaldo

He will be a star in this match. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, he was rested for the league game against Sunderland, and as such, should be fresh and raring to go for this one. Second, Ronaldo thrives whenever people boo him. His best seasons in England have come after the infamous incident in the 2006 World Cup where he got England favourite Wayne Rooney sent off, and that of course meant he became an object of hate back in England and at every away ground. This being the stomping ground of his former club Sporting Lisbon's rivals, he is going to be roundly abused by Porto fans. And he will perform.

4) Dimitar Berbatov

The brilliant Bulgarian is back, and I think he has been missed. He provides all sorts of opportunities for his teammates with his quick thinking and vision, much like how Bergkamp used to be the brains for Arsenal. Tevez and Rooney will provide the legs, but should Porto look to shut up shop, Dimitar Berbatov will be there to pick the lock all night long.

So that means Porto cannot look to defend from the first whistle. However, should they adopt an attacking approach, they will be torn to bits on the counter. It is a lose-lose situation for Porto, and I cannot see Manchester United getting knocked out here. Porto no longer have the element of surprise now, as Sir Alex Ferguson will not need to tell his men about the dangers of Porto's attackers. Without underestimating their opponents as they did in the first leg, and possibly without the air of complacency hanging over Old Trafford, I think Manchester United are clear favourites to advance.

I'm going to put my money where my mouth is, so if you fancy lining your pockets with a little extra money, consider a little flutter on Manchester United to advance to the semi-finals, which is priced at 1.90 at bet365.

Eddy's prediction: $10 on Manchester United to advance to the semi-finals @ 1.90 = $19.00

Why a Tough Midfielder Is Really The Last Thing Arsenal Needs

2009-04-04T08:06:00.004+08:00

Another article I published on bleacherreport.com. Here's the link

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/150389-why-a-tough-midfielder-is-really-the-last-thing-arsenal-needs

Go and take part in the poll or leave a comment to get your views across!

Why a Tough Midfielder Is Really The Last Thing Arsenal Needs

I'm sure you've heard it all before. Arsenal's midfield lacks bite. Arsene Wenger never replaced Gilberto, Flamini and Vieira, and as such, there is a gaping hole in the midfield that needs to be filled with a tough-tackling, gritty player.

Is there much truth to the above statements though? My opinion is that while a tough-tackling midfielder would fit into most teams, this is a type of player that Arsenal does not really need.

Judging by performances from this season and last, Arsenal has two big problems. One of them is that they cannot unlock teams that play all 11 men behind the ball and scrap for a draw as if their lives depended on it. The other problem is that they tend to be bullied aerially, especially in defence.

The first problem can be solved in two ways. The first way is the Arsenal way, that is, find more creativity, somehow, either by buying a new player, or promoting someone from the reserves. By introducing a new threat that teams are not quite sure how to prepare for, this increases the number of goalscoring chances, and in turn, the number of goals. Our struggles were clear this season, when they failed to get chances against the likes of Fulham, Wigan, Sunderland, and many more. It is no coincidence that Arshavin's arrival has sparked Arsenal back into form, as he has opened defences up with his unpredictable running and passing.

The second way is to bypass the packed defence by lumping the ball into the area, and hoping a big man up front wins the ball in the air. I think this is a style totally unsuitable for Arsenal, as they do not have the personnel required for this.

So, assuming Arsenal go by the first way, which is to find more creativity within the team, a tough midfielder is really the last thing Arsenal needs. As of now, Wenger usually plays Adebayor/Bendtner as one of the striking pair, and both of them don't really add to the creativity department. That leaves Van Persie, Arshavin, Fabregas and Denilson as the sources of creativity. Should Arsenal get a tough midfielder, then this reduces their creativity, as Denilson is the likely one to be replaced. In most of their games, they are knocking on their opponents' door for the duration of the 90 minutes, and their opponents rarely venture forward, so I do not see any use for a defensive midfielder to shore up the defence.

The other problem Arsenal has is at the defensive end. They tend to be bullied aerially, as evidenced against Stoke City and any other team with tall players. This is obviously a problem with the centre-backs, who are both not tall enough to cope with such a threat. Gallas and Toure are both good covering defenders, but they desperately need someone who can win more battles in the air.

Once again, it's difficult to see how having a tough-tackling midfielder will help here, as teams often bypass Arsenal's midfield by thumping it straight up to their burly strikers.

I think what Arsenal really need is a centre-back tall enough to improve their aerial presence at the back, and I honestly do believe that is the final piece of the jigsaw to make them a regular contender for top-spot in the coming seasons.

HULL CITY TO BE RELEGATED?

2009-03-29T21:03:00.007+08:00

Hull City started the 08/09 season so promisingly. Victories at White Hart Lane and more notably, the Emirates Stadium underlined the fact that they were a force to be reckoned with.

Unfortunately for them, the word "were" is the most important word in that sentence. Once flying high in the league, they have now won 1 of their last 13 games. If that isn't relegation form, I don't know what is.

Their desperation can also be seen from their manager Phil Brown apparently clutching at straws after their recent FA Cup defeat to Arsenal, trying to deflect attention from his team. He accused Cesc Fabregas of spitting at his assistant manager (a claim which has not been backed up by any solid proof), and said that Arsene Wenger refused to shake his hand in the two league fixtures prior to the FA Cup encounter. The latter of the claims has since been proven to be false, as video footage of the two matches clearly show Wenger and Brown exchanging handshakes at the final whistle.

Although Hull City seem to be well-positioned in the league, safe in 13th place, a closer inspection of the table will reveal that they are actually only 4 points from the relegation zone. With 40 points being usually enough to guarantee safety, Hull City should be safe if they can get at least 7 points from their remaining 8 matches. However, that is a very big "if". Here's why:

April 4th
Hull City vs Portsmouth

Portsmouth are themselves not out of relegation trouble. With 32 points and a game in hand over the other relegation candidates, they need the points as much as Hull do. The big difference is that Portsmouth are on their way up, while Hull are in free-fall. Man-for-man, Hull are no match for Pompey. Peter Crouch, Glen Johnson and Sean Davis are all playing very well at the moment, and their performance against Everton last week certainly shows they are up for the battles. Even with home advantage, the most I can see Hull getting is one point.

Prediction: 1 point

April 11th
Middlesbrough vs Hull City

Another relegation candidate. Middlesbrough have to win their home games to try and stay in the Premier League, and home games do not come much easier than against Hull City. This is a crucial match, as anything other than a Boro win will see the likes of Plymouth and Crystal Palace visiting the Riverside Stadium next season. I fancy Boro to win here, but the best Hull can manage away from home is a point.

Prediction: 1 point

April 18th
Sunderland vs Hull City

Another away game, another relegation candidate. Sunderland are right below Hull, and with home advantage, the situation again looks bleak for Hull City. With Kenwyne Jones back to full fitness, Sunderland have a decent strikeforce of Djibril Cisse supporting Kenwyne Jones. This should be bad news for a defence that is the second-worst in the league, letting in 52 goals in 30 games. I fancy Sunderland to pick up a home win here.

Prediction: 0 points

April 25th
Hull City vs Liverpool

Is any analysis really needed here? Liverpool need the points to push Manchester United to the wire. The 2-2 draw back at Anfield will also mean Liverpool are likely to take Hull seriously this time. 3 points for the Reds.

Prediction: 0 points

May 2nd
Aston Villa vs Hull City

Aston Villa have way too much quality and pace for Hull City to handle. The midfield of Barry, Petrov and Sidwell will totally overwhelm whatever combination Phil Brown can think of. Away from home as well, Hull City don't have a ghost of a chance.

Prediction: 0 points

May 9th
Hull City vs Stoke City

Another relegation candidate. This time, being at home, Hull City will be thinking of getting a win, and will probably look to attack Stoke. However, Stoke City just seem to be made of sterner stuff than Hull, and will definitely make use of the long throws to unsettle a leaky backline and an unconvincing goalkeeper. I do not see Stoke getting beaten here.

Prediction: 1 point

May 16th
Bolton Wanderers vs Hull City

Usually, this would be a walk in the park for Bolton, who do seem to be distancing themselves from the other relegation candidates with some of their players being on fire at the right time. Kevin Davies is the 2nd-highest English scorer in the league, and Bolton just seem to be pulling themselves together at the right time. By May 16th though, Bolton might already be safe, and if complacency creeps into their game, Hull City might sneak a point.

Prediction: 1 point

May 24th
Hull City vs Manchester United

This match depends on whether the title has already been sewn up. If it hasn't, then Hull City will be on the end of a heavy beating, as there is no way Manchester United will let Hull City prevent them from a title. If it has been sewn up, then Hull City might well sneak a draw, but will it be enough?

Prediction: 1 point

Total tally: 5 points + 33 points = 38 points

Overall, I certainly do not see Hull getting enough points to stay up, and I think they will go down. You can count them unlucky, as Jimmy Bullard would have added steel and creativity to their midfield, but then he got injured for the rest of the season shortly after signing for them. The truth is, though, that their team is just not good enough to stay up. Their performances early on in the season were probably possible because opposing teams had not viewed them as a threat, and their confidence spurred them on to victory after victory. Once the league's teams sat up and took notice, they began to get outplayed regularly.

To end this off, I recommend you consider a punt on Hull City to get relegated. Odds for this to happen are very good, at 3.75 at bet365.

Eddy's prediction: $10 on Hull City to get relegated at 3.75 = $37.50

another article that i also published on bleacherreport.com

The Best 11 Outside The Big Four in England (08/09)

2009-03-26T21:01:00.025+08:00

another article i published on bleacherreport.com...

Most fantasy 11s are made up of huge stars playing for top teams. This season, many of the smaller clubs have upset the members of the top 4, with the hardest hit being Arsenal.

For a while, it looked like Arsenal might have let Aston Villa grab 4th spot ahead of them. Even though it looks unlikely now, I think the rest of the 16 teams have been generally competitive and most teams would have at least one player that would make this list, which is basically a dream team comprising players who ply their trade for English teams outside the top 4.

Being the nearest challengers to Arsenal, Aston Villa and Everton will definitely have players featuring in this lineup, but I've looked at every club and picked out the top-performing players, then made some really tough decisions, and this is what I've come up with.

Goalkeeper: Chris Kirkland (Wigan)

Chris Kirkland has been dogged by injuries since he joined Liverpool back in 2001. Right now, fully at home after a similar injury-plagued spell at West Brom, he has once again proven himself to be an excellent shot-stopper. His quick reflexes and towering frame have proven vital in Wigan's push up the table this season. They are now knocking on the door of Europe, and it would be just reward for an excellent season for Kirkland. Wigan fans, just pray he doesn't get injured again.

Notable mentions:
Robert Green (West Ham)
Brad Friedel (Aston Villa)

Right-back: Glen Johnson (Portsmouth)

Glen Johnson has been one of the few bright spots in a bad season for portsmouth. having kicked off the season with an array of talent at harry redknapp's disposal, the team now has had its heart ripped out with the departures of redknapp, lassana diarra, and jermain defoe. however, glen johnson has been an ever-present in a portsmouth team currently battling relegation. his defending used to be questioned, but it has improved considerably this season. offensively, he has scored a few absolute crackers this season, and has 3 goals to his name already. if portsmouth are to retain their status as a premier league team, glen johnson is going to be key.

Notable mentions:
John Pantsil (Fulham)
Habib Beye (Newcastle)

Centre-back: Phil Jagielka (Everton)

Jagielka has been an absolute rock for Everton this season. Strong in the air, reasonable pace, but most importantly, a strong desire to keep the ball far away from his goal. Never one to shy away from a challenge, yet one who always plays hard but fair. I haven't seen Jagielka intentionally go out to hurt anyone, and that's exactly why he isn't just a superb defender, he is a perfect role model for kids out there who want to know how to play football, or in fact any other sport. Determination to win, but above all, sportsmanship. His partnership with Lescott/Yobo is the one of the reasons why Everton are right up there with Arsenal and Aston Villa.

Notable mentions:
Titus Bramble (Wigan)
Matthew Upson (West Ham)

Centre-back - Brede Hangeland (Fulham)

Brede Hangeland, the giant Norwegian defender, has been an integral part of Fulham's back four this season. The fact that Aaron Hughes actually looks like a decent defender is probably down to Hangeland being absolutely dominant in the air. With his height and natural aerial prowess, he has repelled most teams that still try the aerial route against Fulham. On the offensive end, he might not have scored many - just the one in fact, this season, but it was a vital goal that gave them all 3 points against arsenal at craven cottage. If he keeps up this form, I will not be surprised if bigger clubs come knocking at the end of the season.

Notable mentions:
Jonathan Woodgate (Tottenham)
Michael Turner (Hull City)

Left-back - Joleon Lescott (Everton)

Lescott is picked at left-back, even though he has spent half the season in this position, and the other half at centre-back. Although he is a very competent left-back, I think his selection is more down to the lack of good options from the other clubs. To be fair to him, he has once again delivered the goods for Everton. Though a little panicky at times, he can never be accused of lacking commitment, as he harries and chases attackers ruthlessly once they get near his goal. His physique also allows him to muscle wingers off the ball fairly. He has also picked up 4 goals this season, which is a decent return for a defender.

Notable mentions:
Leighton Baines (Everton)
Maynor Figueroa (Wigan)

Right-winger - Stephen Ireland (Manchester City)

This was a tough choice. I had to fit Stephen Ireland into the team, considering how good he has been for Manchester City this season. With the spotlight on Robinho and other supposedly "bigger" stars, the graduate from City's Academy has won his place in the first 11 with a series of good performances, that have yielded him 7 goals and 7 assists already this season. That's some feat, considering City are useless away from home. With an eye both for a goal and a pass, he has been an integral part of City's attack, and despite not being an orthodox right-winger, his switching with Shaun Wright-Phillips has given City more options when they attack.

Notable mentions:
Aaron Lennon (Tottenham)
Valon Behrami (West Ham)

Central Midfielder - Gareth Barry (Aston Villa)

Having been placed in various positions from the start of his career, ranging from left-back to centre-back, then left-wing to central midfield, it's safe to say Barry has found his true home in the middle of the park. As comfortable in defence as he is spraying probing passes around the field, Gareth Barry is Mr Aston Villa. It's hard to imagine a Villa side without him, which is why Villa fans should count their blessings that the move to Liverpool never materialised. With 4 goals and a number of assists to his name, his return is decent, but it's his unseen work that makes me pick him in this lineup. The decoy runs, the tracking back, the sheer effect of having him on the field. These cannot be seen from statistics, which is why they often don't tell the full story. He would be an excellent addition to other top clubs, such as Arsenal or Liverpool, and I hope he gets to experience Champions League football before he retires.

Notable mentions:
Sean Davis (Portsmouth)
Scott Parker (West Ham)

Central Midfielder - Mikel Arteta (Everton)

Mikel Arteta. What can I say? This man is a magician with the ball. His close control is excellent, his set pieces are almost always spot-on, and his passing range is among the top ten in the league. With him in the middle of the park, most of Everton's play went through him, and why not? He is to Everton, what Fabregas is to Arsenal, what Barry is to Aston Villa. With him on the field, the team look dangerous. Without him, Everton are a bunch of scrappers, although I must admit Everton are very good at that too. It is a real shame that he has to miss the rest of the season, as I think had he been around, Everton might be even closer to 4th place.

Notable mentions:
Danny Murphy (Fulham)
Luka Modric (Tottenham)

Left-winger - Ashley Young (Aston Villa)

Who else could it be really? When he was first signed for 8 million pounds from Watford, more than a few eyebrows were raised. However, he has been absolutely superb for Aston Villa for the past two seasons. Week in week out, we see Ashley Young tormenting defenders down the wings with his blend of pace and trickery. As if that wasn't enough, his set-piece delivery is good as well, opting to bend the ball into the danger zones at pace, causing opposing defences all sorts of problems. He has 5 goals already this season, which is a decent return for a player who spends much of his time hugging the touchline. At a tender age of 24, I foresee a bright future for the talented Mr Young.

Notable mentions:
Steven Pienaar (Everton)
Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle)

Striker - Carlton Cole (West Ham)

One of the reasons for West Ham's revival under Gianfranco Zola has been the form of Carlton Cole. Strong and fast, Carlton Cole has always had the attributes to be a good striker in the Premier League. However, he hasn't exactly set the league alight until this season. With 9 goals and 3 assists to his name, on top of some superb performances, even Fabio Capello has been impressed, and has called him up to the England squad this season. When Bellamy left, many predicted West Ham would go through a slump in form, but Carlton Cole has managed to forge an effective partnership with David Di Michele as well, ensuring that West Ham haven't really missed the Welshman that much.

Notable mentions:
Peter Crouch (Portsmouth)
Kenwyne Jones (Sunderland)

Support Striker - Tim Cahill (Everton)

Forced into this position by injuries to Moyes's side, Tim Cahill has proved to be a revelation up front. Not only is he a scorer of goals, he is a scorer of vital goals. His leap in the penalty area is unreal, and it gives him the opportunity to get his head to the ball, considering his disadvantage when it comes to height against usually taller opponents. He times his runs perfectly as well, and as he usually comes from a less advanced position, it makes it very difficult for defenders to track him. By the time they realise he's unmarked, it's way too late, as he wheels away to the corner flag, and punches it in glee. It's fair to say that without him, Everton would be nowhere near the top 5 this season, and it's often in matches where he doesn't play, that Everton end up drawing or losing. His collaboration with Fellaini upfront was a tactical surprise that worked a treat, and I'm not sure Everton are really better off with Jo up front.

Notable mentions:
Craig Bellamy (Manchester City)
Sanli Tuncay (Middlesbrough)

Can Arsenal Finally End Four Year Trophy Drought?

2009-03-25T19:42:00.003+08:00

right, i suddenly had the urge to write about arsenal. so i went to bleacher report and submitted an article. here it is.

Can Arsenal Finally End Four Year Trophy Drought?

by Eddy Hirono (Contributor)

The last time Arsenal won anything at all, it was a scarcely-deserved penalty-shootout triumph over Manchester United, who have gone on after that to win rather more trophies, and that is an understatement.

The images should still be clear in the minds of Arsenal fans. The commanding figure of Patrick Vieira positioning the ball on the spot, taking a deep breath, and then slamming it into the back of the net to clinch the FA Cup. We did not deserve it, not after registering one shot on target throughout 120 minutes of football. However, the winning mentality came through, and we did it.

Unfortunately, since then, Arsenal have won nothing. The closest we've come was a League Cup Final against Chelsea a couple of years back, and last season's spectacular late-season collapse after starting so well in the league.

So the big question remains. Can Arsenal actually break their long drought and bring back a trophy, any trophy to the Emirates faithful this year?

With Arsenal 10 points off the top in the English Premier League, it is highly unlikely that we will pose any threat. So, the spotlight is firmly focused on the FA Cup, and the UEFA Champions League.

In the FA Cup, Arsenal have a semi-final against the mighty Blues of Chelsea. This will not be easy by any stretch of the imagination. Many might point to Arsenal's impressive 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge for proof of Arsenal's ability to beat Chelsea. However, let's not be fooled by that result. It was achieved without a very important player for the Blues, Didier Drogba.

The Ivory Coast international terrorises defenders across Europe, but he has a real liking for bullying Arsenal centre-backs. He single-handedly won the League Cup for Chelsea with two goals after Theo Walcott had opened the scoring for Arsenal.

In the league, he has scored winners against us on more than one occasion. The problem is, as much as Gallas and Toure are able defenders, they lack the physique that Drogba possesses to challenge him effectively in the air.

For Arsenal to get past Chelsea, they have to look to Arshavin. Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink will know all about the talent of the Russian, and will definitely detail players to mark him tightly. This will play straight into Arsenal's hands, as they can utilise the superior movement of the other players to create problems for Chelsea.

If they do reach the final, Manchester United or Everton await them. Once again, it's not easy. However, Arsenal tend to thrive against teams that attack them. This season our losses have mostly been to teams that defended as if their lives depended on getting a result (Hull, Fulham, Stoke, etc).

Assuming we do get Manchester United in the final, I honestly do fancy our chances. Manchester United are not unbeatable. Should Ferguson play Giggs/Scholes/Neville, then Arsenal will rip them apart with a fast, attacking game. Even one of their best players this season, Nemanja Vidic, has shown in recent matches that he is human after all, and perhaps more crucially, a lack of pace on the turn, something that can be exploited by the likes of Theo Walcott and Samir Nasri.

So that's for the FA Cup. The UEFA Champions League is no easier. First up, we face Villarreal. Arguably, this is an easy tie, as Villarreal are one of the weakest teams left in the competition. With crafty players such as Santi Cazorla, Robert Pires, Nihat Kahveci, and Giuseppe Rossi in the side, one can never rule them out though. Nevertheless, I am confident we will overcome the Spanish obstacle.

It is in the semi-finals where we face Manchester United or Porto. As mentioned above, I do fancy Arsenal to pip Manchester United should it come down to this. And if we actually face Porto, I'm supremely confident that they will not pose us any problems whatsoever.

In the finals, if we can get there, we will face Barcelona/Bayern/Chelsea/Liverpool. None are easy, but I think having got to the final, we should fancy our chances. With Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott back, who's to say Arsenal can't do it?

I have a feeling this is going to be a special season for Arsenal fans. I hope it's not just the Arsenal fan in me speaking.

and that's the end of the article. of course this being thetipsters.blogspot.com after all, here's my tip.

$5 on arsenal to win champions league @ 9.00 = $45.00
$5 on arsenal to win fa cup @ 4.00 = $20.00

odds taken from bet365

more hyundai ads

2009-03-16T20:04:00.004+08:00

ok building on roland's post about the hyundai ad. did u see the new ad for the hyundai avante?

basically, there's a race and there are tons of competitors trailing behind a breakaway leader. now the leader does a usain bolt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzSpPaCIG0g) and starts slowing down on purpose before the finishing line. well, at this point none of us quite know why the guy is doing this. but within a matter of seconds, it becomes clear.

perched on top of the no.2 spot, is the prize for coming in second, and it is a....

yep, u guessed it. it is a stunning korean beauty of a car, a car oozing sophistication and cutting-edge technology. it is the HYUNDAI AVANTE.

well, i don't want to come across as knocking the car. it is a solid family car, which is good for budget-conscious people. however, for people to fight for second place just because they want an AVANTE, is frankly quite ridiculous and unrealistic.

and the ad isn't even an original idea! that's what makes this ad truly dreadful. the concept of finishing second to get a more "desirable" prize was first popularised by the wonderful iranian film "children of heaven". the antics before the man reaches the finishing line are in my opinion, inspired by the usain bolt spoof i linked to above. all in all, a poor advertisement.

before i go off though, tip of the day.

west ham v west brom.

a tough tie to call, but i think west brom will be gripped by relegation fears, and might be able to nick a draw at upton park, against all odds.

$5 on west brom +0.5/1 @ 1.83 then. that's my prediction!

good luck and good night folks

cheers,
eddy

P.S. do yourself a favour and check this clip out. truly funny. i love simon from leicester. the presenter's reaction after that was just fantastic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgovSQv1SXM&NR=1

Random rants

2009-03-13T13:10:00.002+08:00

Look at what's happening. Germany - 17 year old shoots 15 dead. US - 28 year old kills 10 while setting his mom on fire. Singapore - 9 NUS students streak across hall. And they're expelled from the hall. Wow. To put things into perspective, many colleges have traditions like the naked mile. This was the naked 50metres. We're clearly too sheltered and immature as a society when it comes down to these things. Ohh Asian mindset. World class, my ass.

On a side note, I hate the Hyundai advertisement. If anything, it has made me swear not to buy a Hyundai care anymore. "Why are you smiling? Oh, I see, you drive a Hyundai." It's even more retarded than Rafa signing Robbie Keane. The person who came up with that advertisement should just shoot himself, please.

Eddy I have 3 posts in a row now u better post more beeetch.

Champions League!

2009-03-10T23:34:00.000+08:00

Liverpool -0/0.5
Chelsea level

GO GO GO!

Our work sucks so we haven't been able to update :(

Random post

2009-02-17T17:33:00.000+08:00

Killing zombies after work is therapeutic.

21 years young.

2009-02-15T15:32:00.011+08:00

so i turned 21 five days ago on the 10th of February, but it wasn't till valentine's yday that i really felt the birthday mood, as the whole family went down to spring court for my birthday party.

the food was good, and a particular highlight was the suckling pig. it was DELICIOUS. the skin was crispy and made a satisfying crunching sound when i chewed it. the meat was tender, juicy
and not too salty. anyway...

WARNING: SUPER UN-GLAM PICS COMING UP.

the star of the show...the suckling pig.

some really really terrible pics of me. the baby in the last photo is my baby nephew. fortunately for me, he hasn't reached suckling pig-eating age yet, so i got more than my fair share of pork.

my birthday cake was wonderful. it was a 9-inch baked alaska filled with coconut ice-cream from island creamery. wonderfully smooth and as always, DELICIOUS.

some other pics from the party...

family photo

my mum, my grandma, my nephew and i

my mum, my cousin mavis, with her ocs boyfriend kelvin, and i

lastly, my mum, my nephew and i.

all in all, a good way to celebrate my birthday.

besides the angpaos, i received two presents yday. two people both remembered the same thing about me, and very nearly bought the same thing.

first, i received an arsenal training top. brilliant, i thought. it's close to an arsenal shirt, and i would love to have an arsenal shirt.

then, i received this. an arsenal home shirt. hahahaha. ah well. it's fantastic to finally have an arsenal home shirt. my only other one is the blue away strip for 2001/2002. which is fantastic. BTW, the background for the pic is my wondefully cute bedsheet, which has pictures of zebras, tortoises and tigers sleeping under their respective blankets. LOVE the bedsheet, it's my second-favourite, after one other animal-related one, which has a noah's ark-ish theme, with two of each animal on it. ok i'm digressing, and you probably didn't need to know that.

happy birthday to me, and i hope for arsenal to win the fa cup, uefa champions league and achieve at least 3rd place in the table. i'm realistic enough to say that the title is probably beyond us now.

p.s please suggest what name and number i should get for the back of my arsenal home shirt? fiona xie's would be nice, but i think you all know what i really mean. suggestions on the tagboard please...

eddy

as for today's tip. i say everyone please go for everton level ball. gareth barry is suspended, and i think everton will want revenge for the last time villa beat them on their own patch.

Eddy's prediction: $10 on everton level ball @ 1.72 = $17.20

A NEW ERA FOR THE TIPSTERS...

2009-02-08T20:20:00.002+08:00

well. as regular readers will know, we have been a source for fantastic tips and generally good football talk for the past 248 years. it does seem a long time, and i think it's time to step into a new era for us here, at the tipsters.

from now on, we will be shifting the focus of our blog a wee bit, to not 100% betting, as it has been since day one. we will now let regular readers learn a little bit more about the two of us. i mean, you have probably been thinking who the heck are eddy and roland right? well, as of now, we will treat this more as a personal blog, so if you're interested in our fantastic, fun-filled, fabulous lives, then tune in. if you are not, and you are in it just for the money, then do check back from time to time, as we will continue posting tips right here, on this fantastic website.

as for our dear ol' friends, who have felt a little strange coming to our blog and reading about football all the time, it will soon be very different!

a new era it may be, but we look forward to everyone's continued support of our blog!

LONG LIVE THE TIPSTERS.

tipster eddy

BLACKBURN vs ASTON VILLA (EPL)

2009-02-07T17:40:00.003+08:00

well, martin o'neill has come out and stated that his side are better at playing away from home, which is obvious, really. his team plays well on the break, utilising the pace of players like young and agbonlahor very well. tonight, however, they miss the services of nigel reo-coker, and i think this might be advantageous for blackburn. new signing el-hadji diouf will look to re-ignite his career at blackburn, and sam allardyce will ensure it happens. aston villa have been playing well, but more importantly, lady luck has apparently forgotten her orders to take turns at various clubs. instead, it has been reported that she actually fell asleep during villa's 0-0 with manchester united at villa park. she is so fast asleep that she is still there, in a corner of the stadium. the effect of this, of course, is that aston villa have been really lucky in a really long run of matches. well, i hope she has packed her bags and moved over to the emirates, and i think aston villa might finally lose here.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on blackburn level ball @ 2.05 = $10.25

WIGAN vs FULHAM (EPL)

2009-02-07T11:24:00.002+08:00

well, both teams are on form here. wigan come into this game on the back of 2 draws against better opposition - liverpool and aston villa - and were very strong against man shitty and man utd where they lost 1-0 rather unluckily. fulham posted a 10 game lossless streak and have won 3 in their last 5, albeit against lesser opposition like kettering town, sheffield wednesday and portsmouth (tony adams sucks). wigan have the quality to win this and new signing n'zogbia will be looking to impress in front of the home crowd. just a fun fact: zaki has scored more than both fulham's strikers combined. go figure.

roland's prediction: $5 on wigan -0.5 @ 2.060 = $10.30

WEST BROM vs NEWCASTLE (EPL)

2009-02-07T11:16:00.002+08:00

after the 5-0 loss to manchester united, west brom bounced back strongly and secured a 2-2 draw against hull at the kc stadium. i expect west brom to take this game as newcastle are a totally depleted side, and their most consistent player, gutierrez, is suspended for this match. it seems like everyone in the squad has lost confidence in joe kinnear and their body language on the pitch isn't exactly inspiring, while west brom will play their guts out as they expected to be in this position and have a good team spirit. i think west brom should win here as they will show more desire than newcastle.

roland's prediction: $5 on west brom -0/0.5 @ 1.950 = $9.75

SUNDERLAND vs STOKE CITY (EPL)

2009-02-07T11:08:00.002+08:00

stoke have never ever won away from home, whereas sunderland are very strong at the stadium of light. sunderland have brought in davenport and ben haim for defensive cover and both have the quality to help strengthen their defence. with rory delap out for stoke, it's quite hard to see how stoke can get the goal since they have been deadly from his throw ins. i think that a strike force of jones cisse is probably 500 times better than fuller beattie, so sunderland will win here.

roland's prediction: $5 on sunderland -0.5 @ 1.81 = $9.05

HOFFENHEIM vs COTTBUS (GERMAN BUNDESLIGA)

2009-01-31T19:15:00.002+08:00

hoffenheim will be looking to take advantage of bayern's slip last night, and could not have asked for a better fixture. cottbus at home. usually, cottbus will be easy meat, but hoffenheim will be missing their key players tonight. vedad ibisevic is out for the rest of the season, while carlos eduardo is injured. this will greatly handicap their offence, and with their defence not being their strongest point, i fancy cottbus on the handicap here.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on cottbus +1 @ 2.15 = $10.75

STOKE CITY vs MANCHESTER CITY (EPL)

2009-01-31T18:31:00.002+08:00

frankly, this is a very tough match to call. the gulf in quality here is huge, but stoke seems very strong at home, while manchester city are poor away. however, that, i feel was the man city of old, and i do believe the new man city should be better than that, with the signings of de jong, bridge, and belamy. i believe that the pace of robinho and bellamy will tear stoke apart, but with comical defending at the back, man city could also let stoke back in. as such, i am not too confident of a win for city. i do, however, believe they will score first.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on manchester city to score first @ 1.80 = $9.00

NEWCASTLE vs SUNDERLAND (EPL)

2009-01-31T02:11:00.003+08:00

Joey Barton and Owen are injured, bringing their injury list to a grand total of 12 players. Martins, Ameobi, Viduka and Owen out means Carroll and Xisco upfront, both who haven't shown that they are EPL quality. NZogbia, Guthrie and Joey Barton out means that they have to play Kevin Nolan and Nicky Butt in the centre of midfield, a 1) not too mobile and 2) not too creative pairing. I don't see how Newcastle are going to get goals in this match and I think Sunderland's confident run will get them at least a draw out of this match.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Sunderland level ball @ 2.06 = $10.30

i disagree. i feel that newcastle's signing of kevin nolan is a fantastic one, as he has all the battling qualities needed to keep them up this season. they haven't won for quite a while, and surely, at home, against sunderland, they should be good enough to at least draw this.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Newcastle level ball @ 1.84 = $9.20

FULHAM vs PORTSMOUTH (EPL)

2009-01-31T02:06:00.002+08:00

1) Fulham are strong at home. Brede Hangeland is a giant and will be able to deal with Peter Crouch.
2) Portsmouth have key players like Kranjcar out injured and Belhadj out suspended, and they will be missing the creativity of these 2 down the left flank.
1+2=3) Fulham will win at home against a Pompey side that haven't been convincing with Tony Adams taking charge of a sinking ship ever since Harry Redknapp left.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Fulham -0.5 @ 2.04 = $10.20

BOLTON vs TOTTENHAM (EPL)

2009-01-31T01:01:00.003+08:00

Spurs come into this match on the back of a morale boosting 3-1 thumping of Stoke, where they showed the class that everyone thought they would have at the start of this season. Luka Modric has been getting better and seems to be more comfortable with the EPL after his bad start to the campaign, which was worsened by an injury. New signing Palacios will start and add grit and determination to the midfield, which Spurs have sorely lacked when away from home, and the partnership of Defoe Pavlyuchenko should be able to trouble Bolton's defence. Bolton have lost Kevin Nolan and he is a key man for them, so I don't see them winning this match.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Spurs level ball @ 1.87 = $9.35

tottenham have a great chance to post back-to-back wins, which hasn't happened for as long as i can remember. this is a bolton side which will be low on confidence after giving up a two-goal lead to blackburn, of all teams. i think the gulf in quality will tell in this game, and i firmly believe that tottenham can push bolton all the way.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on spurs level ball @ 1.87 = $9.35

Roland's prediction: $5 on Spurs level ball @ 1.87 = $9.35

WEST HAM vs HULL CITY (EPL)

2009-01-28T22:07:00.002+08:00

west ham have been in fine form of late, but now with bellamy gone, i don't see them packing enough punch to hold their current good position in the table. hull city have been on a run that is too bad, even for their shitty standards. now that they have strengthened, i think they have a good chance of getting a result at upton park. kevin kilbane and jimmy bullard will add bite and energy to their midfield, while upfront, daniel cousin and manucho look like they could forge a useful partnership.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on hull city +0.5/1 @ 1.89 = $9.45

SINGAPORE vs JORDAN (ASIAN CUP QUALIFIERS)

2009-01-28T19:05:00.001+08:00

singapore were whacked 6-0 by iran last time out, but only after we were reduced to ten men. the thing about singapore is, we are very good at holding other teams, and i do believe that at home, we can be counted upon to at least not concede. and if we can do that, then level ball looks a good bet as we might just sneak a goal. singapore will want to show the fans that they are worth supporting, and this is a must-win game.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on singapore level @ 2.15 = $10.75

MALAGA vs ATLETICO MADRID (SPANISH LA LIGA)

2009-01-25T11:53:00.002+08:00

atletico have not won their last 3, while malaga are unbeaten in 8 of their last 9. surely there's something wrong with the stats you see above, and i think atletico will look to put it right, by picking up an away win at malaga.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on atletico level @ 1.775 = $8.875

BOLOGNA vs AC MILAN (ITALIAN SERIE A)

2009-01-25T11:39:00.002+08:00

ac milan have been poor away from home, while bologna have hit some form in recent games, and have gone unbeaten in the last 9. i don't think there's a better time to back ac milan to break the unbeaten run by bologna, and i think they might even win by more than one. beckham's arrival means that the milan midfield, while old, now has some bodies willing to put in the hard work, which is crucial in away matches.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on milan -0.5/1 @ 1.92 = $9.60

AZ ALKMAAR vs DE GRAAFSCHAP (DUTCH EREDIVISIE)

2009-01-25T01:54:00.002+08:00

az alkmaar are tops in the eredivisie, and deservedly so. they play a fluid attacking game and it has gotten them the results this season. they have won their last 7 though, and i think they are due a bad result. de graafschap should no longer be considered whipping boys, as they have secured the signing of ben sahar on loan, and he has shown in recent friendlies that he is looking sharp and will add some potency up front. i think they will nick a goal, and that means the handicap for them is worth taking.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on de graafschap +2 @ 1.85 = $9.25

MANCHESTER UNITED vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (FA CUP)

2009-01-24T09:10:00.004+08:00

tottenham boss harry redknapp has claimed he will send the weakest team possible to old trafford, but really, i think he's just bluffing. he will probably give a chance to some reserves, but he will want them to show some fight. just like arsenal's carling cup boys, they know this is their chance to impress and they will want to at least force a replay. as for manchester united, they are also missing a fair number of first-teamers. eckersley, fabio, and james chester have been added to the squad, which really shows how strong united are gonna be tonight. in a tough match to call, i reckon tottenham will just have that bit more quality, and should be able to overcome the handicap.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on tottenham +1/1.5 @ 2.11 = $10.55

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS vs MIDDLESBROUGH (FA CUP)

2009-01-24T08:36:00.003+08:00

every season, middlesbrough appear to be struggling in the league, but yet for many seasons, they also appear to stumble their way through round after round of the FA Cup. They barely beat Barrow in the 3rd round, and now they face much tougher opposition in the form of wolves at the molineux. no easy task for boro, and the task is complicated by their injury crisis, which leaves them down to the bare bones. pogatetz, arca, digard and walker are all out. mido is a wigan player now, so they're a little short up front as well. it all points to it being VERY VERY bad for middlesbrough, and that's exactly why i think boro are worth backing on level ball. yup, u read right. boro do well when least expected, and from what i'm seeing, the money everywhere is on wolves. i think boro could actually do well in this one, considering richard stearman is out for wolves as well.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on boro level @ 2.07 = $10.35

KILMARNOCK vs HEARTS (SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP)

2009-01-17T15:51:00.001+08:00

nothing much to say here, except this...surely hearts can't lose AGAIN?

Eddy's prediction: $5 on hearts level @ 1.95 = $9.75

BOLTON vs MAN UTD (EPL)

2009-01-17T09:55:00.003+08:00

One of Premier League's worst attacks versus the Premier League's best defence, I don't think there can be any other conclusion here - United win. Man Utd's last goal conceded was against Arsenal and they have been unbeaten since then, bar a disappointing outing to Pride Park. I don't think they will slip up against Bolton, who have been bad offensively and have lost all 7 games against the current top 5 teams in the league. Cristiano Ronaldo has been steadily improving since his ankle surgery and this match couldn't be at a better timing as he loves to score against Bolton - 6 goals in 6 matches against the Trotters. Rooney's injury means that Tevez will start upfront and he is dying to prove his worth and we saw that against Wigan where he ran his socks off and showed some glimpses of his previous best. I think United will win here, especially since Bolton captain Kevin Nolan is still suspended for this match.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Man Utd -1/1.5 @ 2.120 = $10.60

rooney is injured, and the ref isn't about to award united another soft penalty like the last time, so that's two main weapons out for united. to tell the truth, bolton looked like they were matching united until rob styles gave an inexplicable penalty for ronaldo being felled by j lloyd samuel's good tackle. rooney has also made a habit of scoring against bolton, so his loss will be felt. add that to tevez's constant whining and slight injury, and you can see united looking a little toothless. besides, they were pushed all the way by a battling wigan, and they can expect more of the same from a side that will be fresh after having a midweek break. fabrice muamba is comparable to wilson palacios in his combative nature, and with gary cahill back, bolton are not about to roll over and die, especially after losing 5 of their last 6. i honestly do not see how bolton will lose by more than 1 here, so they have to be my choice for tonight.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on bolton +1/1.5 @ 1.78 = $8.90

SUNDERLAND vs ASTON VILLA (EPL)

2009-01-17T09:44:00.003+08:00

Villa have gone unbeaten in their last 10 domestic games, their last league loss coming against Middlesbrough in November. They are definitely high on confidence and have the "luck of Champions" - playing badly but still winning games with 1 moment of inspiration. Sunderland are a decent side, but I think Villa's defensive partnership of Davies and Laursen should be able to hold off Cisse and Kenwyne Jones, especially since Sunderland's most creative midfielder so far, Steed Malbranque, is out suspended. Villa are adept at playing away from home as it forces their opponent to come out and attack them, hence making them able to counter attack with the pace of Agbonlahor and Young, and this shows as they have won 7 of their 10 away games. I think Villa's form has been too good and Sunderland will probably lose this one, despite dominating.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Villa -0/0.5 @ 1.975 = $9.87

Villa have gone unbeaten in their last 10 domestic games, their last league loss coming against Middlesbrough in November. interesting, cos middlesbrough are rivals with sunderland and newcastle. boro and newcastle have already beaten aston villa this season, when the villans were backed all the way. a villa win in this game seems too obvious to be true, given that influential steed malbranque is out for the red and whites. kieran richardson is available though, and he is quickly becoming a hit with the fans, given his good performances ever since roy keane left. i think sunderland will have enough in them to force at least a draw in this one. djibril cisse is unmarkable on his day, and he has been linking up well with kenwyne jones. sunderland should be backed here. villa's run HAS to stop.

Eddy's prediction: $10 on sunderland +0/0.5 @ 1.925 = $19.25

MANCHESTER CITY vs WIGAN (EPL)

2009-01-17T09:32:00.002+08:00

Wigan have had a very good run, a string of decent wins have catapulted them to 7th place, before they met Man Utd and finally lost. They did, however, play really well and deserved at least a draw and would have if not for the heroics of Vidic. Man Shitty have gone from spectacular (5-1 against Hull) to awful (losing 3-0 to Nottingham Forest), and Mark Hughes will have to change that to keep his job. The form team here is definitely Wigan, especially since Man City have their best performer so far, Ireland, suspended for this match. However, I think that City have to end their bad run that has left dangerously close to the relegation zone, and this match is their best chance as Robinho is back and it is at home, where they have been scoring truckloads of goals. I think that Wayne Bridge will be more than capable of handling Valencia's pace and trickery and City will win this one.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Man City -0.5 @ 2.050 = $10.25

BLACKBURN vs NEWCASTLE (EPL)

2009-01-17T09:20:00.002+08:00

Blackburn have been shit all season, but they look a rejuvenated side under Big Sam. Newcastle, on the other hand, have been doing decently well under Kinnear but a recent injury crisis has coincided with a rather bad run for them - 3 losses and 2 draws in the last 5. I fancy Blackburn to win this one because Newcastle have a terrible record away from home, winning only 1 out of 10 games played away. Add this on to the fact that their top strikers, Ameobi Martins and Smith, are all injured, I don't fancy Newcastle to score at Ewood Park. Blackburn look to have Santa Cruz back but the front duo of McCarthy and Roberts has been working well and I think Blackburn will win this one, especially since they have been well rested and have had 2 weeks to prepare for this match due to their previous league match being cancelled.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Blackburn -0.5 @ 2.00 = $10.00

BARCELONA vs ATLETICO MADRID (SPANISH KING's CUP)

2009-01-14T16:56:00.004+08:00

barcelona won in the first leg convincingly with a lionel messi hat-trick. atletico madrid have looked out of sorts in their recent games, losing to valencia, barcelona, and bilbao on the bounce. i feel they will be looking to at least restore some pride and confidence at the nou camp, and as such, i believe they will fight to the end. as for barcelona, they have a commanding lead, and will probably not be too fussed with adding gloss to the aggregate scoreline. as such, i think atletico have a great chance of grabbing at least a draw here.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on atletico madrid +0.5/1 @ 2.040 = $10.20

ATLETICO MADRID vs ATHLETIC BILBAO (LA LIGA)

2009-01-11T14:48:00.002+08:00

bilbao are unbeaten in five, but they now face a trip to the vicente calderon stadium, and i think the most they can hope for is a point. atletico, however, will relish the visit of easier opponents after facing valencia and barcelona in their past 2 games. i can see atletico getting their title challenge back on track with a convincing win over bilbao.

Eddy's prediction: $10 on atletico madrid -0.5/1 @ 1.80 = $18.00

WIGAN vs TOTTENHAM (EPL)

2009-01-11T11:16:00.000+08:00

wigan have all their big guns back, ie the likes of zaki, heskey and kirkland. they are in great form in the league, while tottenham's bright start has fizzled out somewhat. however, i feel that tottenham will be boosted by the signing of defoe and i think he will lead tottenham to victory here, in a match i do not see them losing.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on tottenham level @ 2.07 = $10.35

ASTON VILLA vs WEST BROMWICH ALBION (EPL)

2009-01-10T08:49:00.002+08:00

aston villa look set to welcome gareth barry and luke young back from injury. they are unbeaten in too many games for me to remember, while west brom have had a mini-revival of their own in recent times. on paper this looks pretty straight-forward, as villa should win this at a canter. however, it looks a little too simple in my opinion. west brom will have confidence from a good run, while aston villa, at home, might be over-confident against a relegation battler. also, arsenal went to villa park and almost got a win, by playing intricate, nice passing football. west brom play a similar style, just not quite with the same calibre of players, but i fancy them to be able to keep it tight.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on west brom +1/1.5 @ 2.01 = $10.05

QUEENS PARK RANGERS vs COVENTRY (COCA-COLA CHAMPIONSHIP)

2009-01-10T08:46:00.002+08:00

qpr look set to start wayne routledge against coventry. routledge was once a bright prospect of english football, but has faded somewhat after failing to get games at the clubs he went to, like spurs and villa. however, at qpr, he's likely to be the main man and this will clearly be a boost to qpr's hopes of promotion. coventry have been on a small winning run, but i don't see it continuing against a good rangers side.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on qpr -0.5 @ 1.90 = $9.50

BURNLEY vs SWANSEA CITY (COCA-COLA CHAMPIONSHIP)

2009-01-10T08:32:00.002+08:00

swansea have drawn their last 8 league matches and another one would see them set a league record for consecutive draws. i don't see it as a particularly glorious record to hold, so i don't think the swansea players will be going all out to draw this game. burnley have been playing good football in the championship, and kevin mcdonald is set to start tonight's game due to joey gudjonsson's injury. kevin mcdonald is a tricky little customer, and i think his introduction to the starting 11 will provide more creativity in between the strikers and the midfield. that is key to unlocking swansea and condemning them to a loss.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on burnley -0.5 @ 2.09 = $10.45

CHARLTON ATHLETIC vs NOTTINGHAM FOREST (COCA-COLA CHAMPIONSHIP)

2009-01-10T08:21:00.004+08:00

on paper, it looks like nottingham forest are definitely capable of overcoming charlton athletic, even away from home. however, nottingham forest are gunning for their 4th away win IN A ROW. can u imagine forest doing that? i sure as hell can't. also, charlton have not won for 17 games. as u know, i believe all streaks come to an end, and as such, i think charlton are great value to back on level ball.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on charlton level @ 1.77 = $8.85

BLACKPOOL vs BIRMINGHAM (COCA-COLA CHAMPIONSHIP)

2009-01-10T08:14:00.002+08:00

blackpool have done well in their last 4 matches for a team of their quality, drawing all 4 of them, although their opponents included table-topping wolves and potential banana skins like forest and wednesday. now they come up against a birmingham side chasing promotion. kevin phillips and james mcfadden have recovered from injury and virus respectively, while they will also be boosted by the loan signings of speedy personnel in hameur bouazza and scott sinclair. being an away match, i see this injection of pace being crucial, and i think birmingham can hit blackpool on the break.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on birmingham -0/0.5 @ 1.81 = $9.05

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