On day three of cleaning out my garage, I found a pleasant surprise in a 1962 collection of 25 cards entitled “Football Clubs and Badges” from a company named Lamberts Of Norwich.

The cards were included in packets of tea from Lamberts. Each card features an English club with the club’s name, football kit, crest and kit colors, which are all beautifully designed. During the 1961-62 season, there were 22 clubs in the top flight. In the 61-62 season, Ipswich won the title, while Everton won it the season after.

The quality of the cards is exceptional. Click on the above image to get a larger view of the front of the cards to see the detail. It’s interesting to note how plain the Manchester United crest looks, how intricate the one is for Ipswich, the odd character emblazoned on the Nottingham Forest card (a forester, which is one of Nottingham Forest’s many nicknames), and the sad looking cockerel of Tottenham.

You’ll notice that there’s no Liverpool. The Reds were in the second division in the 61-62 season. And how about the surprise inclusion of Colchester United, who were in the Fourth Division at the time. Each of the cards contains a short history of the club, and the back of Colchester’s card mentions how their best season was in 1956-57 when they finished third. I can only presume that Colchester was included in the set of 25 cards because of its proximity to Norwich.

Eagle-eyed readers may notice that there are only 24 cards featured. The one that’s missing, which I do have, is the one for Luton Town.

See any other interesting observations about the cards? Share them in the comments section below.

No this is not the rundown of a 1989 comedy crime caper featuring Chevy Chase, but a 2011/12 one man rescue mission starring a Scotsman on International exile to earn his side a third consecutive draw.

As the final moments of another year ebbed away, the ‘Battle of the Wanderers’ commenced at the Reebok Stadium as Bolton Wanderers hosted fellow Premier League strugglers with the same sporting suffix Wolverhampton. The commonly coined ‘six pointer’ saw two sides underachieving in the eyes of their supporters with two managers at the helm who were very much operating on borrowed time.

Bolton Wanderers began the tie propping up the rest as a result of the shock three points that Blackburn Rovers had collected from a visit to Old Trafford earlier in the day and started with David N’gog up front in place of their talismanic striker Kevin Davies, whilst former Wolves and England youth talent Mark Davies started as a wide right midfielder.  The visitors who remained in 17th position, teetering ominously close to the drop zone buoyed by their heroic efforts at the Emirates Stadium four days ago began with a significantly altered approach, which brings us to the dreaded segment much earlier on in the piece than expected. . . .

The Magical Mystical Mind-boggling world of Mick McCarthy

Yes it’s that time again when we delve into the ever changing non-descript baffling vortex that is the mind of Wolves manager Mick McCarthy. Mick’s questionable tactical, selection and instructional decisions have been an ever present of the season so far and sure enough Mick did not disappoint once more as he altered his side considerably once more for the away game on New Years Eve. Feast your selves on the forthcoming decisions which are so illogically comical that it begs the question, what’s going on Mick?

• Heading into the game on Saturday Wolves had two changes forced upon them with Ronald Zubar injured and Nenad Milijas so appallingly suspended after a disappointing lack of morality from the game’s governing body. Nevertheless, in true McCarthy fashion, instead of making just the two changes so as not to disrupt a team that battled so valiantly at Arsenal… he made five!
• This is where it gets interesting. Richard Stearman was somewhat aggrievedly yet understandably brought in to replace Zubar at right back, but central attacking midfielder Milijas was replaced by . . . left full back George Elokobi.
• Wolves now began the game with an unnecessary  50% differential from the back four that kept Van Persie and co at bay leaving their fans puzzled as the team sheet was announced as they attempted to figure out who was playing where. Whereas most sides have certain players for certain position, for the gold and black faithful it really is anybody’s guess! The midfield quartet featured two wingers, a left back and their ever present anchor-man. It appeared that so as to accommodate him by any means necessary, Stephen Ward would start in his 7th different position since joining the club beginning the game alongside Henry in centre midfield due to Elokobi’s inclusion in the defence. Wolves fans must have thought they had crossed over into the twilight zone at some point on their journey north, as Ward who has finally made the left back position his own for club AND country was now thrust into the centre of midfield where he had NEVER played before, whilst Wolves had not one but two genuine central midfielders in Dave Edwards and Adlene Guedioura on the bench!
• Adam Hammill was also forced to watch from the side lines once more as another sensible introduction to the midfield was overlooked.
• Youngster Anthony Forde who was a shock inclusion to make his professional debut in the previous game returned to the wilderness and was nowhere to be seen posing the question as to why he was thrown into the firing line at Arsenal at all if not to begin a reign in the match day squad.
• Sylvan Ebanks-Blake also returned alongside Fletcher up front in the only viable selection decision made on the day.

Nevertheless, as the New Year chorus suggest auld acquaintance should be forgot – let’s give it a chance, perhaps Mick’s crazy shake-up of the starting 11 would prove to be a master stroke. . . . or maybe not, as it were.

As predicted and foreseen by many of his paying public, Wolves’ first half performance was as disjointed and non-descript as their original team sheet. The Elokobi/Ward ‘switcharoo’ which was last deployed in a humbling 3-0 home loss to Queens Park Rangers was equally as ineffective as its previous effort as Wolves struggled for any fluency and craft in their play – something which given the fact that the team was largely made up of players out of position or devoid of match practice, stands to perfect reason.

As the home side the onus inevitably was on Bolton. In front of an impatient audience whose faith was lessening by the minute after a staggering 10 home losses in 11 games, the lilywhite Wanderers were faced with a do or die situation against Wolves. This being said if pressure and expectation was present, it did not show in the opening exchanges. While the visitors resorted to the infamous ‘Hennessey hoof’ tactic and struggled to put together any sort of noteworthy attack, Bolton stuck to their task and seemed determined to pass their way into the Wolves third of the field. With a game loaded with players who’s battling qualities far outweighs their footballing ability; the likes of Henry, Hunt, Reo-Coker, Muamba, Stearman and Steinsson – it promised to be and for the most part played out as a cagey and tense affair that was far from aesthetically pleasing.

The opening half hour did not produce much to excite either set of supporters, and was for the most part a drab affair devoid of any real quality or guile. There was however a moment which separated itself from the overall rigidity of the mid-season relegation battle – that being a goal for Bolton Wanderers. Sam Ricketts who began the game at left back in favour of the old Wolves foe Paul Robinson, went unchallenged down Wolves’ right flank and was awarded far too much time to shift inside onto his stronger foot and curl the ball beautifully into the far corner from outside of the area to relieve some of the tension in the arena. Wolves supporters will not be encouraged by their teams loose marking and inability to close the shot down, a lesson that they have apparently still not learned even after conceding in this way on numerous occasions this season.

The away side’s only chance of any note came largely out of the blue when a speculative 30 yard effort from Stephen Ward hit the frame of the goal and rebounded agonisingly inches out of the reach of an onrushing Steven Fletcher on 33 minutes.

As Wolves rattled the woodwork at one end, Bolton advanced and a clever ball over the top split the non-existent Wolves defence open as Fabrice Muamba moved unnoticed between Stearman and Johnson before handling the ball in his attempt to control it with a clear run at goal ahead of him. Richard Stearman’s frailties at  fullback upon his return to the side were becoming all too apparent as he was left exposed once more but Martin Petrov on Bolton’s left flank whose cross was met on the half volley by Ivan Klasnic but the shot went into the floor and looped up into Hennessey’s arms in the final action of an altogether uninspiring first half.

After wasting 45 minutes with a system that by and large I’m not even sure that McCarthy thought would work, the Wolves boss came back down to earth and resorted to something like the plan ‘A’ he should have gone with all along. Elokobi was removed after another soul destroying one half of football, Ward went to left back where he belongs and David Edwards was introduced to provide some much needed stability to the Wolves midfield. One presumes that because this change was already in waiting so early if anything had gone wrong, that Mick McCarthy’s true faith was with the system that he put in place for an important second half.

So with the balance and sanity returned to the visitors setup, thus followed the inevitable change in fortunes. As the visitors began the second half looking much more like a team with focus and direction, they found joy from the wings in the form of Matt Jarvis who began to test the resolve of Steinsson with a few vintage advances shifting inside and out before making his move. It was from their likely outset that Wolves drew level. Four minutes into the second half, Jarvis whipped in a free kick right footed from the left flank with such precision that it bypassed everyone in the penalty area and found the head of Stephen Fletcher no more than two yards out to level the scores. The goal was largely down to the quality of delivery from Jarvis however it was no surprise to see Fletcher’s name on the score sheet for the eighth time this season using his poachers instinct to get into a position from which he could not fail. It was Fletcher to the rescue once more for Wolves who without his priceless contributions could be out of sight by this stage.

With frustration creeping in during the early stages of the second period, Bolton responded well to the upturn in the visitor’s fortune. Wolves afforded their opponents too much joy once more down from their right side with neither Hunt, Henry nor Edwards offering much cover for Stearman who was clearly struggling on his recall to the side. Sam Ricketts avoided the three aforementioned amigos on that side but his cross was blocked in time by a Wolves centre half and soon after Petrov was afforded too much time to deliver a driven cross which was diverted for a corner at a vital moment by the improving Roger Johnson. Stearman who began the season as a makeshift full back must be feeling the heat since the impressive re-emergence of Zubar and the return to fitness of Kevin Foley who was on the bench for the first time this season. The former England under 21 international did himself no favours on 68 minutes as he turned on the ball naively before losing it halfway up the pitch needing Roger Johnson to rescue the cause again with two decisive headers from crosses deep into his penalty area. No doubt Johnson’s recent impressive displays will go some way to justifying his hefty pre season price tag and repay a chunk of it following a shaky start to his Wolves career.

The home side introduced Turkish International Tuncay to further their attacking efforts whilst Wolves were forced into what they hope will be nothing more than a precautionary measure by replacing Fletcher with Kevin Doyle as their goal scoring hero was walking with some noticeable discomfort.

As the shackles were loosened as the second half wore on, both sides had just cause to believe they could steal a victory from the contest. Gretar Steinsson headed powerfully into the ground from a corner which was palmed away impressively by Wolves other hero of the hour Wayne Hennessey, whilst his Welsh international team mate volleyed tamely wide at the other end after a poor clearing header from the Chelsea-bound Gary Cahill.

Kevin Davies, a player who historically causes Wolves trouble was introduced for the home side whilst the appearance of Kevin Foley was a welcome sight for Wolves fans which disguised their justified concern that the semi-fit right back who hadn’t kicked a ball all season was now preferred as a right winger over a 100% fit Adam Hammill who naturally plays that position and whose opportunities seem to be growing increasingly and frustratingly limited as he approaches one year at the club. His fleeting appearances have often sparked a change in the game for Wolves as the energy and flair he brings to the team is something different from the ‘putting a shift in’ style of which we are accustomed to, although it seems way down the list of McCarthy’s priorities.

The final ten minutes belonged almost entirely to the away side, much to the dismay of the home fans who in essence have much more to be concerned about than their opposite numbers. Stephen Hunt delivered his first telling cross of the day after 80 minutes after typical persistence on the right flank, the cross found his former Reading team mate and goal-shy Kevin Doyles who’s header from point blank range was straight at Jaaskeleinen. Moments later a mix up between Gary Cahill and his keeper exposed the chink in the armoury of the prospective England Euro 2012 star as Ebanks-Blake stole in from behind and forced a corner for Wolves from which Stephen Ward headed wide from only 6 yards out.

Wolves continued to tighten their grip on the game as a poor corner from Jarvis was headed conspicuously towards his own goal by Tuncay and Mark Davies spared the home side with a goal line clearance before the best chance of the game fell to Wolves. Blake’s cleverly disguised ball between two defenders sent Kevin Doyle through one on one with the Bolton keeper. Unfortunately for Wolves Doyle could do nothing to dispel his recent misfiring tag as he rounded the Finnish stopper but took too much time and the once promising attack petered out.

The full time whistle was met with increasing indifference from the home fans who will see a solitary point at home against a team that have not travelled well since August to be nowhere near acceptable.  The result served only to heighten the pressure on manager Owen Coyle who was the darling of the club not so long ago when he first arrived and appeared to be leading the club in the right direction.  Whilst the majority of people not connected to Bolton Wanderers football club (discounting Burnley fans) will feel for the Scotsman who has been luckless recently as the club failed to replace important players like Johan Elmander and have also had to deal with harsh lengthy injuries to key components such as Stuart Holden and Lee Chung Yong, their own supporters are far from convinced by the efforts of the man in the hot seat.

For Wolves the picture is much rosier as we creep into a New Year. Although they could won the game against Bolton, they took two points from two away games on the bounce which if nothing else shows that the character and resolve is on the up even if the performances are still a long way from convincing. Their second half performance in a much more staple 4-4-2 system was encouraging so to it is the fact that Stephen Fletcher is the reliable goal threat that will prove so important for the remainder of the season if his injury woes remain at bay. As has been well documented, the general consensus with the initial team selection was one of bemusement. For every good decision McCarthy makes he often has two or three strange ones to follow suit, this is something which is evidently costing Wolves no matter what anyone says in his defence. Those who questioned the original team sheet were wholly justified by the inept first half performance of the team, and it goes without saying that Mick needs to wise up and realise that simplicity is the key to success rather than trying to over complicate with players out of position and little idea of what is expected of them. One point of note is the wholesome improvement by the Wolves defence especially by centre backs Roger Johnson and Christophe Berra who have been superb in the previous two road games and look to have received their ‘kick up the arse’ with a positive effect.

While many Bolton fans will suggest that this point is as good as a loss and expect the final nails to be introduced into Owen Coyle’s managerial coffin, they can look forward to an extended break between this game and their next trip to Everton in which the majority presume the only Cahill that will be present will be ‘Tim’. Wolves face the possibility of playing against Gary Cahill twice in three days as they play host to Chelsea on Monday. Much like last season, an early January meeting against a Chelsea side very much on the ropes could be the perfect time to play the Premier League giants as Wolves will need to take the increasingly improved defensive performances of the past two games and double it if they are to prevent an Andre Vilas-Boas backlash.

Here is what the Premier League clubs are wishing for in 2012:

Arsenal: Gunner fans are wishing that scoring machine Robin van Persie continues his torrid streak.

Aston Villa: That Alex McLeish has a method to his “managerial tactic” madness.

Blackburn: Steve Kean is renting and not buying.

Bolton: Club officials are wishing the F.A. will bring in two more clubs into the Premier League in hopes that Bolton won’t be relegated.

Chelsea: Andre Villas-Boas decides on the correct starting eleven for his club so that they can make another run at the title.

Everton: That Landon Donovan can breathe some fresh air into the Toffees offensive attack.

Fulham: Hopefully Martin Jol can unite his squad to make another run at a Europa spot next season.

Liverpool: Luis Suarez starts to be known for his play and not for his antics.

Manchester City: That the club continues their blistering pace.

Manchester United: Alex Ferguson uses his genius to figure out the midfield problems.

Newcastle: Demba Ba decides to stay with the club through the January transfer window.

Norwich City: That the club can continue their steady pace and enjoy a second season in the first division.

QPR: The Rangers magically figure out how to score more goals at Loftus Road.

Stoke City: To make sure that an away trip to Britannia Stadium remains a difficult test for opposing clubs.

Sunderland:  That the likes of Sebastian Larsson and Nicklas Bendtner give the Black Cats an offensive identity.

Swansea City: The Super Swans wish that Michel Vorm continues his ridiculous form at goalie.

Tottenham: That the Spurs finish in the top four and qualify for next year’s Champions League.

West Brom: The Baggies wish that Shane Long and Chris Brunt can continue to inspire their teammates in hopes of finishing in the top half of the table.

Wigan: That Victor Moses keeps playing with flair and goalie Ali Al Habsi remains one of the best keepers in the league.

Wolverhampton: Wolves wish that Bolton, Blackburn, and Wigan remain below them in the Premier League table.

Note: Readers can follow Matt on Twitter @thehackreport

‘WHO ARE YA?’ is a new weekly feature on EPL Talk that profiles players who have been capped for England and fallen from grace and players who never really reached their full potential, with the help of some anecdotes .Feel free to give some feedback on the article and your memories of the player. If you’ve got any ideas for players for me to do in the future just mention them in the comments box.

This player won his one and only England cap in 2002 but never lived up to his full potential.

So this week we take a look at Michael Ricketts.

Background: Ricketts started his club career at Walsall in 1996 and stayed there 4 years until 2000 scoring 15 times for the club.

In the summer of 2000 he was snapped up by Sam Allardyce at Bolton Wanderers, then in Division One (Championship), for a nominal fee of £400,000. He played a huge part in getting the Trotters promoted into the Premier League scoring 24 goals leading to promotion via the Play-Offs with a win over Preston in the Final.

He took the Premier League by storm with 15 goals from August to January including a memorable winner against Manchester United at Old Trafford.  Due to this great run of form and England’s manager being the ever experimental Sven Goran-Eriksson he received a call up for England’s friendly against the Netherlands in February 2002. At the time Sam Allardyce likened him to Ruud Van Nistelrooy but unfortunately he had little impact on the game playing only 45 minutes. After this game though Ricketts was unable to score again in the same season for Bolton.

Where it all went wrong: In the January transfer window of 2003 Middlesbrough splashed out £3.5 million on the 6 foot 3 inch striker.  Leaving Bolton with a record of 37 goals in 98 games Middlesbrough just wasn’t the right club for Ricketts with the striker failing to recapture his form, hitting the back of the net just 3 times.  At the North-East club he developed a reputation of being a big timer and the striker said this to The Sun earlier this year in reflection of his move to Boro:

“People can say what they want but I didn’t feel like that. I just wanted a new challenge. I was disappointed when a possible move to Spurs fell through but Middlesbrough came in and was still a big opportunity for me — like Andy’s is at Liverpool.

“I suppose I was the hottest young striker around at the time but Boro had a completely different style to the way Bolton played.

“I was used to being one of the main men but at Boro they didn’t play through me.

“Then I got injured the following pre-season, did my Achilles and was out for three months. Any player will tell you how hard it is to catch up after that. I got quite depressed.

June 2004 saw a move to Championship Leeds on a free transfer for the striker. Yet again though Ricketts did not impress scoring only once for them in the League Cup against Swindon. The two years he spent at Leeds included loan spells with Stoke, Cardiff and Burnley in which he only mustered 7 goals.

Southend brought in the striker in 2006 with Ricketts playing only twice for the Essex side. At the end of the season he was released for being overweight.

Subsequent spells short term spells at Preston and Oldham were ultimately fruitless with again Ricketts’ fitness and weight hampering his chances.  After a loan spell at Walsall he returned to the Bescot Stadium permanently with a move in July 2008. Ricketts didn’t do badly for the Saddlers averaging a goal every 3 games.

August 14 2009 saw a move to Ricketts’ 11th club, Tranmere Rovers. As per usual his time there did not go as planned with the striker scoring only once and having his contract terminated on the 21 January 2010.

Earlier this year Ricketts was in the news again. Not for a move to another club but due to his charge of common assault on his girlfriend that resulted in a 12 month community order and a £200 fine.

Ricketts was seen as the next big English striker in 2002 after an impressive 15 goals in the 2001-2002 season. Since that England appearance though Ricketts never found his form again and has become a Football League journeyman famed for his weight problems. However Ricketts doesn’t think the England cap was the turning point in his career with him saying this to the Sun:

“People say England was the start of the decline but I don’t agree. I was proud to play for my country and will always be grateful for it.”

It isn’t exactly halfway through the season, but all of the clubs are 18 games into their 2011-12 campaign except for Everton and Tottenham (both are 17 games in) who have to make up their first round fixture due to the London Riots. One of the things I like to follow throughout the Premier League season is the unspoken (or lightly spoken) regional battle between the Premier League clubs of Greater Manchester and Greater London. With all due respect to the Midlands region and the country of Wales, the most polarizing clubs of the Premier League, save Liverpool, call one of these two regions home. I will share the numbers and dissect the region’s clubs and compare them. At the end, I will share my opinion of which side is winning the battle so far.

This battle is only being analyzed from the Premiership’s perspective not the from the perspective of European football. However, I will mention that in my opinion, London has already won that particular battle considering that both of the London’s representatives (Chelsea and Arsenal) have moved to the knockout rounds. Both of Manchester’s representatives (City and United) have been eliminated in the group stage. So let’s begin by introducing the two sides’ representatives in the Premiership. I will list their overall records and records against the clubs in Manchester. I was thinking about adding Blackburn to even out the two regional sides at five, though I know Blackburn is close to Greater Manchester but not in it. However, Blackburn doesn’t have much to offer so I elected against it.

London:

Club (overall record; won/drawn/lost) (record vs. Manchester)

• Arsenal (10/3/5) (2/0/2)
• Chelsea (10/4/4) (2/1/1)
• Tottenham Hotspur (12/2/3) (1/0/3)
• Fulham (4/7/7) (2/1/1)
• Queens Park Rangers (4/5/9) (0/0/4)

Manchester:

Club (overall record; on/drawn/lost) (record vs. London)

• Manchester City (14/3/1) (3/1/1)
• Manchester United (14/3/1) (5/0/0)
• Bolton Wanderers (4/0/14) (1/0/4)
• Wigan Athletic (3/5/10) (1/1/3)

London has achieved 23 points against Manchester sides and Manchester has achieved 32 points against clubs from London. From looking at the records for Manchester, this is clear who is carrying the banner for Manchester. The teams from London are all solid and all of them can not only stay in the Premiership but finish in the top half. Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs are vying for the Champions League spots and I think still have a say in who will be the Champions this year.

I will briefly expound on each club and give my say to where they will end up.

London:

Arsenal: 

I am an Arsenal supporter and I was back in my usual pessimistic disposition at the beginning of the season when they were floundering.  However, I really think Arsene Wenger’s  desperation signings especially Mikel Arteta have brought an experienced man in the center of the pitch similar to what Scott Parker has brought to Tottenham. He’s not Cesc Fabregas nor did most of the Arsenal faithful (well the sane portion) expect him to directly fill the role. He distributes the ball efficiently and effectively in essence letting Arsenal still play their style but he won’t really get on the end of things. I’m not going to say that he isn’t brilliant because in my opinion he is. However, brilliance isn’t always in the form of Messi, Ronaldo, Totti and Rooney. Mertesacker is a big man who can control the air and can be a solid defender to partner with the rock known as the “Verminator” (Thomas Vermaelen). The last thing but certainly not the least which has giving the Gunners new life. RVP. What can I say about him? 16 goals in 18 games. Nothing more needs to be said really. I predict that Arsenal will finish 3rd due to Tottenham’s eventual period of tapering off. I think Chelsea will have plenty more peaks and valleys due to the conundrum that is Fernando Torres.

Chelsea:

Andre Villas-Boas has had to downplay the whole “Second Coming of Mourinho” for a little while but I think his biggest issue is how can he get Fernando Torres to kick into Liverpool form. They are still a bit erratic in my view but the one very bright light for Chelsea is Daniel Sturridge. If he can continue his form and Lampard doesn’t fade off his good run of form as well. They can achieve a firm hold of 4th because I think AVB may have found a offensive solution for this team.

Tottenham Hotspur:

As an Arsenal supporter, it may be quite fitting for me to go on a scathing verbal attack on a sorry excuse for a Premiership club called Tottenham Hotspur. However, I must commend Harry Redknapp despite his vice grip hold on Luka Modric. I also believe Spurs made the most important signing in the League this August by signing Scott Parker. He has been immense for them and I think he really lets Modric and Van der Vaart shine without worry considering Parker will hold the midfield for you. Another important signing was Brad Friedel. The American is an improvement over the erratic, mistake-prone Gomes. Tottenham has always been a team who would have these great runs of form then they drop into a rut usually towards the end of the season. While I don’t think they will drop into that ditch. They will drop a few points and that will give Chelsea and Arsenal the opportunity to pounce. I predict a 5th place finish for them.

Fulham:

Fulham doesn’t have much to offer. They do enough to maintain to middle of the pack finish and stay in the League. I do think they were on an upswing with Mark Hughes who I thought really could have made something more out of them. I do not think Martin Jol is the right man for the job but he’s there. I do think Fulham can make a top half finish if Jol finds away to incorporate Zamora and get him on form. Another key man is Clint Dempsey. He is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League and Arsenal did inquire about him but Fulham’s price was too high. Dempsey who is Fulham’s all time leading scorer in the Premier League already has 6 goals to his name and I think he can achieve a 15 goal season and secure Fulham a spot in the top half. I predict 7th place for them.

QPR:

I think that they have the pieces to achieve a respectable finish as well. I do think that they need to bolster the defense in this January window. They bolstered the offensive side of things yet they still are below average in scoring. I do wonder if Neil Warnock is the answer for them. I think he deserved to manage the side in the Premier League considering he got them there but I do think that if they continue their less than ideal form. Will Warnock stay with the club let alone avoid relegation? I predict that they will stay up and finish the bottom half around 13th.

Manchester:

Manchester City:

Sir Alex’s “noisy neighbors” are making plenty of noise this year especially at Old Trafford (that was a joy to watch). They score goals and concede very little. Their squad depth is quite deep with a rainbow of personalities. It’s amazing what a blank check can do for you. Silva and Yaya Toure are outstanding. Dzeko is on a good run of form. Kompany really commands the back line and Hart is as consistent as they come in goal. Mario Balotelli, why always you? I don’t know. They truly are a team, I enjoy watching. I predict the Premier League trophy to be raised by Vincent Kompany as Manchester City win the League and the city of Manchester is finally its rightful color according to my City supporting friends. That color is Blue.

Manchester United:

Sir Alex’s side has experienced total jubilation and total dejection. The Red Devils have been excellent this season save for a couple matches. They will give City a very stiff challenge in not only the league but in the FA Cup as well. It will be fun to observe the Manchester Derby in the Etihad Stadium. I predict Man U to place 2nd and to give themselves a chance to redeem themselves in the Champions League next season.

Bolton Wanderers:

A team who I believed was doomed from the start and they were lucky to avoid relegation last season. I do think that they were unlucky to have lost Stuart Holden again  who I thought could have definitely help save the season for them. Ivan Klasnic and Chris Eagles have come good for them on the offensive end but their defense is atrocious. They have so far conceded the most goals in the Premiership with 41. I don’t see Coyle’s style of play while mildly attractive going anywhere for them. I predict that they will be relegated by finishing in their current spot of 19th and Coyle gets sacked.

Wigan Athletic: 

The ‘Latics are a tough one to predict because I’ve been predicting them to end their one and only top flight spell for the last couple of years. I have obviously been wrong. They do have a magician at the touchline in Roberto Martinez though his job to stay in the  Premiership has been made quite harder due to the departure of Charles N’Zogbia. They still have a young side who can be quite vibrant in their play. I like James McCarthy, Antolin Alcaraz, Franco Di Santo, Jordi Gomez a lot. You have a decent keeper in Al-Habsi with other serviceable players like Conor Sammon and Gary Caldwell. Hugo Rodallega is a very good player who is one of the few reasons Wigan have lasted as long as they have. I predict Wigan to stay up for one more year and finish in 17th.

Conclusion:

While Manchester are fighting at the top and bottom of the table. I think London right now has an advantage and the teams are better collectively. In my opinion, London is winning this battle this year. I don’t put much stock into regional rivalries but it’s something interesting to think about. If I had to choose which regional team I barrack for

it would definitely be Team London. Who do you support? London, Manchester, the Midlands, even perhaps Wales (I haven’t forgotten about Swansea).  Do you think it even matters? All feedback to my questions or to the article itself is appreciated.

Premier League veteran footballer Gary Speed is dead, aged 42. The former Bolton Wanderers, Everton, Leeds United and Sheffield United footballer, who most recently held the post as Wales national team manager, apparently committed suicide at his home overnight, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Speed, who made 677 league appearances, was capped by his country 85 times (the most caps for an outfield player for Wales). He will be remembered for his wonderful left foot which helped Leeds United win the First Division in 1992. But he will perhaps be best remembered for being such a pivotal player in Bolton’s rise under manager Sam Allardyce. He helped the Trotters reach sixth place in 2005 and qualify for the UEFA Cup where they reached the last 32. At Bolton, Speed became the first Premier League player to make 500 club appearances.

More recently, Speed was national team manager of Wales where he helped his country to its best run of recent form after wins against Switzerland (home), Bulgaria (away) and Norway (home).

Gary Speed’s impact on football and Wales, especially, was immense. When EPL Talk interviewed Craig Bellamy this past summer, the Welsh forward admitted that Gary Speed was the only reason why the Liverpool striker was not retiring from the international game. Speed, who was a player’s man, was incredibly well-respected within the Premier League. It’s a tragedy that he is no longer with us.

His death will add a somber mood to this morning’s Premier League match between Swansea City and Aston Villa (8:30am ET/1:30pm GMT kickoff).

We’re almost a third of the year through the 2011-12 Premier League season, and already several summer signings have stood out as comparatively bargain buys. Which clubs have done their best homework to find the bargains who are producing the goods? Read below to find out.

1. Demba Ba – Newcastle United – Free

The man who arrived from relegated West Ham on a free. In 10 league appearances, the Senegalese striker has already managed 8 goals and currently is the fifth highest scorer in the league and in doing so has helped Newcastle climb the table into third place. Ba was West Ham’s top scorer in the league last season despite only arriving in January, and looks certain to keep up his goal scoring habit. He seems to have formed a decent partnership with Leon Best. Demba Out of the two strikers, Ba has received most of the praise having already bagged two hat tricks this season.

2. Michel Vorm – Swansea City – £1.5m

Arriving from Dutch side Utrecht, eyebrows were raised when Michel Vorm was chosen as Dorus de Vries’ replacement. How wrong people turned out to be. The Dutch keeper has made save after save to help keep Swansea in games and hasfew turned out to be the difference in a few games for the Swansea. This man has taken the Premier League by storm and has produced world class saves game after game. The Swans have kept the most amount of clean sheets this season and some of that credit has to go down to Vorm. He’s done a wonderful job in between the sticks.

3. Joey Barton – Queens Park Rangers – Free

Barton arrived from Newcastle after QPR announced their new owner. Barton is known for his flaring temper but we’ve started to see a new Barton emerge, one who sits in the centre of midfield, constantly looking to play balls forward as well as foreseeing the opportunity to make a tackle when needed. Joey was handed the armband for his debut and has since acted like a real leader.

4. Scott Parker – Tottenham Hotspur – £5m

After Tottenham finished fifth last season, they made no intention of keeping quiet what they were aiming to accomplish for this season: Champions League football. And by doing so, they introduced FWA player of the year Scott Parker to the Lane. The workhorse began quickly muscling his way past opponents and sliding in to retain possession. Parker quickly seized upon a first team place and looks to be a regular in Harry Redknapp’s side. Another bright spark to have emerged from West Ham’s disappointing Premier League season, Parker looks to be able to play the right ball and make the perfect timed tackle Spurs have been missing for years.

5. Yohan Cabaye – Newcastle United – £4.3m

Yohan Cabaye orchestrated everything positive for Lille as they re-clinched Ligue 1 last season. The Frenchman was bought to do that exact same job for the Toon Army. He looks to be a real threat from dead ball situations and has a real eye for goal as well as being able to pick out a pass. Cabaye loves to get on the ball and looks calm and confident when in possession. He’s also a good tackler. Lots of question marks were raised when Cabaye replaced Kevin Nolan, but those question marks have quickly been answered with deft touches, quality free kicks and perfect passes.

6. Sebastian Larsson – Sunderland – Free

The former Arsenal man, who helped relegated Birmingham to a Carling Cup trophy, joined Sunderland on a free transfer. He was quick to settle in, and scored on his debut with an amazing acrobatic effort at Anfield. Larsson was handed the number seven shirt and was labeled the best free kick taker in the Premier League by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger after he scored two free kicks in just under a month. Known as being a dead ball specialist, Larsson has contributed massively to Sunderland’s season so far and looks to be a key figure for the Black Cats.

7. Danny Graham – Swansea City – £3.5m

After finishing in the Championship team of the year and being voted Watford’s player of the season, Danny Graham swapped England for Wales when he joined Swansea. He took some time to get the ball rolling but now looks a regular for club. With 4 goals in his last 5 games, you wouldn’t bet against him achieving great feats at Swansea. He is playing as a lone striker at the moment with Sinclair and Dyer cutting in from out wide. Graham has a cool head in front of goal and is one of those strikers that always ends up in the right place at the right time.

8. Gervinho – Arsenal – £10.7m

Gervinho was signed very early on in the summer arriving from Lille having helped them to a Ligue 1 title, so with Nasri out of the door, Gervinho stepped right up to the mark and has been constantly producing goals and assists for the Gunners. He has so far scored two and set up four. He loves to cut inside on his favoured right hand side but can take his man to the by-line and whip in a ball across the deck for Van Persie and others to attack. The former Lille winger has really taken the Premier League by storm and if he keeps on like this his price tag will look like a steal, especially in today’s markets.

9. Chris Eagles – Bolton Wanderers – £3m

Tyrone Mears and Chris Eagles were bought together for a joint fee of around £3 million by Owen Coyle. Mears unfortunately broke his leg, but Eagles stuck around, played hard and has been one of the very few bright sparks for Bolton following their bad start to the season. Eagles has notched up three goals and four assists in his short time at Bolton and looks to be a bright future for the former Man United player.

10. Jose Enrique – Liverpool – £6m

Big spenders Liverpool needed a left back in the summer. The club spent big in the transfer window but didn’t need to when it came to Jose Enrique. The full back quickly slotted in and has become a regular starter in that position. He is extremely fit and is constantly racing up and down the left flank, trying to supply the strikers with crosses and the wingers with support. He was  named man of the match for his first start and hasn’t let the Liverpool side down to date. He is fast, agile, has a good first touch and looks a real steal at £6 million.

Glamour is not a word that will be used to describe Bolton’s clash with Stoke on Sunday but nevertheless it is still an incredibly important to both sides and could well be significant to how they fare this season. Based on league standings, which admittedly is something you never base a prediction on in the Premier League, you would expect a win for Stoke but Bolton are desperate for a win and their first home points of the season but Stoke also have to try and resolve their problem of losing league games after they have played, normally very well, in the Europa League on a Thursday night.

Bolton, much like Stoke are always said to have been a long ball team. However with Owen Coyle, who was at one point tipped for the Arsenal manager berth earlier on in the season, have been trying to play more expansive football but with the long term injuries to Stuart Holden and Chung-Yong Lee it has been harder for Bolton to play well through the midfield.  With front man Kevin Davies, an England international lest we forget, they do sometimes want to knock it long with the majority of midfield creativity coming through the impetuous Martin Petrov.

Coyle is actually under serious pressure and I believe if Bolton don’t get anything out of this game then he could no longer be in a job on Monday morning. This is controversial I know but not much focus has been on Coyle with the majority of pressure being on Steve Kean instead. And this could be the time that the Bolton board decide enough is enough with no Premier League managers being sacked so far this season (and moving into an international break of two weeks). The Trotters are pointless at home this season and even though they have played Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City, this is not good enough after nearly three months of the season so a win or at least a draw is desperately needed.

It is well documented that the downturn in Bolton’s form has really been caused by their FA Cup semi-final loss to Stoke and as that game was significant in both Bolton and Stoke’s seasons so is this game.  If Bolton lose this game, which is one that they do have a great chance of winning, then they could find it hard to recover and could inevitably lose their manager but a win could give them the lift and momentum they need to recapture the form of some parts of last season, where relegation was never a real possibility.

Despite looking strong in mid-table, this game is vital for Stoke too in proving their credentials of being able to find the right mix between playing in the Europa League and the Premier League. They have lost all three of their previous games on a Sunday after their Europa League games to Sunderland, Swansea and Arsenal. This game is vital for them and Tony Pulis to show that this season the Europa League, which they are doing well in and is clearly of high importance to them, is not going to have too much of a detrimental effect on their league form.

Another reason that makes for an interesting game is Stoke’s style of play and which Stoke turn up. Everyone know about Stoke and their throw-ins but as someone pointed out in a previous post about Stoke, “Will someone not say Stoke are a physical side in an article,” and I do agree to an extent that Stoke aren’t always a very physical side.

They are a physically big side, but who isn’t with Huth, Shawcross and Crouch et al in your team. The thing with Stoke is though, that they only play with a physical style when they feel they can use it and sometimes bully teams into submission. As we saw against Newcastle on Monday night, the long throws and goalmouth scrambles didn’t really work for Stoke, apart from the awarding of the penalty of course. Also against Israeli outfit Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday Stoke did play well with slick passing moves and width provided by wingers Jermaine Pennant and Matthew Etherington with full back Shotton also looking rather good, with an useful long throw-in to boot. However Stoke did use their classic mode of long throw followed by goal against Tel Aviv in the reverse fixture at the Britannia Stadium as the Maccabi defence could just not handle the power of Crouch and Jerome up front.

It will probably be hard for Stoke against Bolton to use their physicality as the Bolton centre backs Cahill and Wheater, as well as tough tackling left back Robinson, are all physically strong and good in the air meaning it could be up to Etherington and Pennant on the wings to create chances as the Bolton backline doesn’t exactly ooze pace. The fact that like Bolton, Stoke do lack a cutting edge in the centre of midfield with the Delap and Whelan really being the weak link in the team, means that this game is not going to be won in the centre of midfield which is an area where lots of games in the EPL are won. If Stoke can sort this area out then they will probably not find it as difficult to manage playing at home and in Europe.

So even though this game may not appeal to the masses, or even to the neutral, it is an absolutely huge game for both sides involved and is likely to be a major point in both the winner’s and loser’s season.

Two second half goals in the space of two minutes were enough for Arsenal to seal their place in the Carling Cup’s final eight against a wasteful Bolton side. This was Arsenal’s seventh win in eight games – a stat that may surprise many, but shows that Arsenal are on the road to recovery. Although for Wenger, the Carling Cup is all about giving the youth players a chance, Arsenal still needed the experienced Arshavin to send them through to the quarter finals. He produced a fine performance last night, his best for a long time in an Arsenal shirt. It was his two moments of class that made the difference in this game as his club continued to build momentum.

Having Thomas Vermaelen back in the starting line up was a boost for Arsenal and their fans, and Yossi Benayoun, Sebastien Squillaci and Andrey Arshavin were the other regular starters to give a guiding hand to the likes of debutant Nico Yennaris and teenagers Francis Coquelin, Ignasi Miquel, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Emmanuel Frimpong. Arsenal began with purpose, but the side’s in-experience was evident. Oxlade-Chamberlain was eager to build on his previous performance’s for the club, but he was not at his best on Tuesday night, and despite his enthusiasm, was clearly exposed, which may now quieten those who were calling for him to start ahead of Walcott.

It was a slow first half for Arsenal, with their only real chance of note coming when Benayoun teed up skipper Thomas Vermaelen from a free kick and his powerful strike from 25 yards was beaten out by Bogdan. Bolton however, had settled into the game well and began to threaten. Darren Pratley hit a 25 yard pile driver that stung the palms of Fabianski. The Chelsea loanee Gael Kakuta, playing on the right, then twisted an angle when faced with Ignasi Miquel and hit a low shot which Fabianski got down smartly to save. When half time came, most were distinctly underwhelmed by the game, and it was difficult to see where Arsenal’s breakthrough would come from.

Ten minutes into the second half, and Arsenal’s home Carling Cup record was under serious threat. Frimpong was caught in possession on the edge of the area by his academy predecessor Fabrice Muamba. He fed Ivan Klasnic into left of the area, who in turn, cut the ball back for Muamba who poked the ball into the roof of the net. But this was when Arshavin took the game into his own hands, and inspired the comeback. The Russian revelled in the central role and six minutes after Bolton’s goal, he showed his skill when carrying the ball into the opposition’s penalty area. With Knight and Davies declining, he shot low into the net and equalised for Arsenal. His determination continued and three minutes later he helped put Arsenal in front, waiting intelligently before slipping the ball through to Park, who scored his first goal since his summer move from Monaco with a curled finish from 10 yards.

The hosts had to hang on to keep their lead and were extremely fortunate not to concede a penalty after Cahill was felled by Frimpong. Owen Coyle rightly said after the game that ‘you will not see a clearer penalty’. Bolton upped the intensity which the Arsenal players were not used to. Fabianski made a strong save late on to deny Klasnic from close range after the striker had brushed past Squillaci. Klasnic should then have equalised two minutes from time, after he scooped the ball over the bar from seven yards. Wenger admitted after the match: “We were tested and the more experienced players took charge of the game, especially Arshavin, Park and [Yossi] Benayoun. They made the difference.”

Although there is a lot room for improvement in Arsenal’s young players, there were many plus points to take away from their performance. Arshavin headlined the evening and his talent was what won the game for Arsenal. Bolton and Owen Coyle will be disappointed, as they could and should have dispatched one of their many chances to earn a replay. Wenger will be pleased and Arsenal, who are improving in every match, will be wanting to win the Carling Cup after the drama of last season’s final.

Bolton are indeed in 20th position in the Premier League, but maybe it’s not as bad as it seems after a quick glance at the Barclays Premier League table seven games into the 2011-12 season. Looking back at the results thus far, gameweek 1 had Bolton Wanderers going to Loftus Road to face Queens Park Rangers. Traveling to a newly promoted club is not an ideal start to the season as we’ve seen in previous years but Bolton crashed QPR’s party and made a statement with a 4-0 victory.

What followed was a home match against big boys Manchester City, a trip to Anfield to play Liverpool, a home match against defending champions Manchester United, a home game against Norwich City, a trip to the Emirates against an albeit struggling Arsenal and finally a home match against Chelsea. Norwich City aside, Bolton played five of the top six teams from last season. There was the red card by Ivan Klasnic at home against Norwich City in a moment of madness that, despite being 2-0 down at the time, really ended any hope of a result in that game.

Though with a goal difference of -12 and just 3 points at the basement of the table, those being from gameweek 1, there may be a bit of a need to worry but before there are calls for Owen Coyle’s head one must put into perspective the opponents Bolton Wanderers have had thus far in the campaign. Chelsea and Manchester United put 5 past Bolton, Arsenal and Manchester City both put past 3 and Norwich 2, all with Bolton scoring just 4 in just 5 games, not exactly promising.

There was the transfer period where many clubs, notably Tottenham Hotspur, were chasing Bolton’s prize jewel Gary Cahill. The loss of Johan Elmander, who had his best season in a Bolton shirt, scoring 10 goals and providing some moments of brilliance, could play a key part. So too could the loss of Chelsea youngster Daniel Sturridge, who is making a case for a first team regular spot in the Chelsea team at the moment despite the best efforts of Owen Coyle to secure Sturridge on loan for another year. Matthew Taylor left to West Ham, though his presence was not exactly what it was before and Tamir Cohen only made a handful of appearances for them.

Bolton brought in two players Owen Coyle managed at Burnley in Chris Eagles and Tyrone Mears, Tuncay and Dedryck Boyata on loan, as well as Nigel Reo-Coker and Darren Pratley on free transfers. While David N’Gog looks to replace what Elmander and Sturridge did last season, it’s not an easy task for the youngster. Kevin Davies is aging, though is still a presence and questions have to be asked of certain players the likes of Gretar Steinsson, who have been vulnerable this year. Zat Knight did show some fire in his substitute appearance against Chelsea and the second half performance was certainly an improvement but nonetheless the score read 5-1 at the end of the match.

I think the loss of form and overall feel of Bolton Wanderers can be attributed to the long-term injuries of two key players — their creative outlets, Stuart Holden and Lee Chung-Yong. With the devastating news that Holden will be out a further six months after already enduring a long six month lay-off before returning for just one match, and Lee Chung-Yong being out until at least the early months of 2012, Bolton have some players that need to step up before this “mini-crisis” turns into a full-blown crisis. So let’s take a look at the upcoming fixtures up to the new year for Bolton and see just how they might fare against teams not in the top six last year.

• Wigan (A)
• Sunderland (H)
• Swansea (A)
• Stoke (H)
• West Brom (A)
• Everton (H)
• Tottenham (A)
• Aston Villa (H)
• Fulham (A)
• Blackburn (A)
• Newcastle (H)
• Wolverhampton (H)

Stoke City travel to Israel for a Europa League game before the game against Bolton and Stoke have not fared well thus far with games that come the weekend after Europa League games, which is not uncommon for teams in their first European travels. Aside from the visit to White Hart Lane against Tottenham Hotspur, the rest of the games look promising if Bolton can get things organized. Before you know it Bolton have a good run going before they start the new year. But of course there will be bumps along the way. The Sunderland over Chelsea type results you always encounter, which is why we love the game so much, so don’t write Bolton off just yet.

What do you think about the upcoming fixtures for Bolton? Do you think Bolton are a victim of a tough schedule and things will even out? Will they do a reverse Hull City? A 14th placed finish last season was disappointing after a run of five losses to end the season. Bolton were in 8th and even as high as 6th before this miserable run of form.