Well this season is just getting harder and harder to predict. Having just absorbed last week’s action Game Week 15 is here and no doubt will throw up plenty more surprises.

The Premier League weekend kicks off Saturday lunchtime at Villa Park. Two wounded team’s line up looking to bounce back from disappointing results. The majority of Villa’s midfield is currently residing in the treatment room. Step forward Barry Bannan and Stephen Ireland, Bannan (4.5) has performed well so far and Ireland (5.9) is eager to get his Aston Villa career up and running. Arsenal are still sitting pretty in third, despite apparently being in crisis, it’s a crisis that 17 other Premier League sides would be delighted to find themselves in. Robin Van Persie (9.5) will be looking to get his season up and running this weekend. Cesc Fabregas will be out for two weeks after picking up a hamstring injury against Braga. But Arsenal still have a wealth of talent to call upon in the absence of their inspirational skipper.

West Ham host Wigan in the basement battle of the weekend. It’s a must win game, both teams will be hoping their match winners will see them through a nervy encounter. Carlton Cole (5.8) has voiced his frustration at the lack of quality balls into the box. Now would be the ideal time to give the Hammers front man the service he craves. Wigan will miss star striker Hugo Rodellega (Suspension) but have the continually impressive Charles N’Zogbia (5.7).

Top of the table Chelsea are struggling too and face a long trip to St James Park this game week. The last time Chelsea lost two league games on the bounce everything was in black and white. They visit a Newcastle side who can’t quite decide whether to score five or concede five every week. My head say’s it all adds up to a dull no score draw But my heart is saying goals so get Andy Carroll (6.1) in your starting XI, John Terry is still absent from the Blues back line and the boy Carroll is guaranteed to give any defence a rough ride.

Sundays late game see’s Tottenham host Liverpool. Spurs cruised past Werder Bremen and into the last 16 of the Champions league Wednesday night. There can be no excuse of tiredness come Sunday, Harry Redknapp’s side had time to stop and feed the ducks on their midweek walk in the park. Jermain Defoe (8.6) is fit again and looks desperate to make up for lost time. If you have the funds available snap him up, he’ll be back in the goals sooner rather than later. Rafael Van Der Vaart (8.5) looks certain to feature after missing out in midweek. Liverpool are starting to turn the corner, but their form on the road is horrendous and they look likely to head home empty handed.

Final mention goes to Johan Elmander (6.3), Kevin Davies (6.5) and Chung-Yong Lee (5.3), I tipped them to be in the points last week and they didn’t disappoint. A home tie against Blackpool this weekend almost guarantees another return from them and hopefully, they will again keep my final shreds of credibility intact for a little while longer.

That’s your lot for this week. If you feel like joining in the fun then join the EPL League by visiting: http://fantasy.premierleague.com/ the code you need to join is 13413-5300

2006 was a disaster for England’s much vaunted strikers in so many ways it was depressing. It was clearly Sven Goran-Eriksson’s nadir as the England supremo as his eccentric choices left England woefully short of options. Michael Owen was so off the pace as to be redundant and his World Cup collapse when he ruptured his cruciate ligament against Sweden. Wayne Rooney’s frustration blew up in the Quarter-Final when he was sent off for stamping on a sensitive are of Ricardo Carvalho and Peter Crouch tried his best but simply couldn’t carry the teams striking options. As for Walcott, he may as well have stayed at home.

Fast forward 4 years and things despite the odd injury scare here and there are much rosier for Fabio Capello. Wayne Rooney is in the form of his life, Jermaine Defoe has made himself a crucial member of the squad, Peter Crouch’s reputation is more positive and certain players are jostling for the remaining squad places. The question is, who will make up the 5 strikers that Capello should choose as his options up front.

There’s no point discussing Rooney and Defoe. They’re on that plane unless something incredibly cruel happens but the 3 other positions are a free for all. Certain players over the last 18 months have made cases to be included but some will face the cruelest cut of all and miss out on a chance of going to South Africa. It’s those strikers I’m focusing on and deciding just who should join the first two names I’ve mentioned.

Yet, I have to say that it is some relief that Michael Owen is injured. Surely I can’t be the only person who was sick of his constant bleating in the media week after week. Capello rightly judged Owen to be damaged goods and whilst no-one can doubt up to 2005 he was one of the Premier strikers in world football, he is no where near the level he was. Capello knows that Owen simply cannot cope with the demands of top level football anymore, which is a shame.

Owen will probably never add to his goal tally for England, which currently stands at 40 and it is a sad way for his career at international level to finish. It looked for years as if he would smash Bobby Charlton’s record, but that achievement looks set to become Wayne Rooney’s mantle. With Owens absence, the stage looks set for someone to come in from the left field but surely the highest scoring English striker in the Premiership, Darren Bent.

With 24 league goals this season for Sunderland and pace to burn, Bent should be a shoe-in but something just seems to rub people up the wrong way with him. In any other country, Bent would probably be in the squad without doubt. He reminds me of Mario Gomez, the German striker, who scores goals for fun in the Bundesliga but has yet to find that form at international level and his goals have all come against lower rated international sides.

Should he be there? Yes, he should and I don’t feel he’s had a fair crack of the whip internationally. He deserves a chance to go to South Africa this summer and you have to wonder just where Sunderland would have finished this season without his goals. Of the target men that Capello seems to use, Emile Heskey, Carlton Cole and Peter Crouch have all had difficult seasons but Crouch has continued to perform for England when he has had the opportunity. That alone should subside any fears that his absence from the Tottenham starting line up may have and I’ll be amazed if he isn’t one of the picks up front.

Cole has been involved in a dreadfully difficult season at West Ham United and he is not alone at Upton Park in seeing his form suffer. Heskey has meanwhile seen his form go up and down as Aston Villa have continued to prove that they are back as a consistent challenge at the upper end of the table. Heskey does so much for his team mates that I’m sick of trying to explain why strikers don’t have to score goals to be good.

It’s not been the easiest season for his team mate Gabriel Agbonlahor either, but Villa are still chasing down 4th place in Premiership. For all his pace, he’s still too wildly inconsistent for me at league level never mind international level. I wouldn’t take him if I had a fit Darren Bent to choose.

Of the other two options, both would usually be laughed out of hand, but this season has seen both of them receive praise that has been short throughout their careers. Firstly, Bobby Zamora has had the season of his life at Fulham and has been touted as a possible option for England but he seems to have been patched up more than the 6 million dollar man over the last few weeks. He apparently needs an operation but Fulham have delayed surgery until the England World Cup squad has been announced. I’m sorry Bobby, but I just think there are better options available.

The other choice, may make you laugh, but I think it’s a disgrace he’s never been picked for England. Bolton Wanderers fans will tell you just how good this lad has been for years, but Kevin Davies is so underrated it’s become something of a joke. Yes, he perhaps doesn’t score as many goals as he should but his work rate, strength and technical ability are consistently overlooked. If Crouch wasn’t fit to play, he’d be my first reserve.

So the five strikers I’d take are, Wayne Rooney, Jermaine Defoe, Peter Crouch, Darren Bent and Emile Heskey. What do you think? Who would your choices be? Please leave me your comments as usual.

As we near the end of what has been and still is an exciting season in the EPL, the various gongs and awards are being given out. As usual, they create plenty of controversy, particularly in the case of Ryan Giggs, who was named Footballer of the Year despite only starting 12 league games this season.

The fact is that these awards always go to those players who enjoy plenty of column inches. Cristiano Ronaldo, for example, has had a quiet season by his standards and I would be willing to bet he wouldn’t even be in most Man Utd fans’ top three for their player of the season. At most clubs, the marquee name often does not pick up the fans’ award. It’s the left back who’s been dependable all season, or the hard-working centre midfielder.

In the Premier League there are always players who have been excellent yet are never considered for the big awards because they play for a less fashionable club, or perhaps because of the belief that you must play for a team likely to win a trophy to be taken seriously. That is rubbish, of course, so in honour of these players, I present my No-Big-Four-Allowed EPL Team of the Season:

Goalkeeper: Shay Given – Man City

When people talk Newcastle it’s normally about strikers. Or Joey Barton. Or the behind the scenes shenanigans. But for years their best player was Shay. Not the biggest keeper you’ll ever see, but there aren’t many safer goalies around. Now he’s run away from the circus to join Man City where he’s being just as brilliant. Apologies to Mark Schwarzer and Tim Howard who just miss out.

Right Back: Glen Johnson – Portsmouth

An exceptional talent at West Ham and a decent start at Chelsea soon gave way to a few years of struggle for Johnson. This season he seems to have grown up. His performances have improved, he has played with greater responsibility and under Paul Hart he has shown willingness to adapt to a new role further up the pitch. The England right back slot was up for grabs a few months ago. Now he’s nailed it.

Left Back: Herita Ilunga – West Ham

The rumour was that when Alan Curbishley lost George McCartney to Sunderland his solution was to sign Ben Thatcher. Relations with his Board continued to dwindle. Ilunga came in on loan from Toulouse and has been superb all season for Zola, part of a defence that looks extremely tight, especially since the arrival of coach Steve Clarke.

Centre Back: Brede Hangeland – Fulham

The 27-year-old Norwegian cost Roy Hodgson just £2.5m this time last year. Arsene Wenger must be sick because this is exactly the sort of dominating giant he needs at the heart of his porous defence. Hangeland has been outstanding in a mean Fulham back five that has conceded just 28 goals in 34 games this season.

Centre Back: Phil Jagielka – Everton

Poor Jags. He had the stones to step up and take a crucial penalty against Man Utd in the FA Cup semi-final after missing one in a previous UEFA Cup tie. He scored. If anyone deserved that glory it was him. Always a solid player, now, like so many at Everton, Jagielka has progressed enormously under David Moyes. It was sad news to see that an injury will keep him out of the Cup Final.  Being in this prestigious team of the season will be little consolation.

Right Midfield: Antonio Valencia

You have to sympathise with Wigan. Every time they discover a decent player (Palacios, Chimbonda) or rediscover an underappreciated talent (Heskey) it’s only a matter of time before they’re nabbed by a bigger club. Or by Spurs. Wigan fans must be wondering what colour shirt Valencia will be wearing next season. Steve Bruce rates him almost as highly as Cristiano Ronaldo.

Left Midfield: Ashley Young – Aston Villa

Ash should, of course, have been given more of a chance in the England squad, although his form in the last third of the season has not been as electric as the first two-thirds. Reached a zenith in December with those two goals away at Everton in a thrilling game that resulted in Martin O’Neill branding him a genius.

Centre Midfield: Stephen Ireland – Man City

Now it starts becoming really difficult. There are great central midfielders all over the shop in the Premier League these days. But I really like Stephen Ireland. Limitless stamina, he manages to be unselfish yet still score plenty of goals himself (13 in all competitions this season). A real talent and only 22 years old.

Centre Midfield: Gareth Barry – Aston Villa

It’s an obvious one, I know, but he deserves it. The chaos surrounding his transfer to Liverpool last summer was upsetting for Villa fans, but eventually he stayed and had the professionalism to get on with his job. You couldn’t say that about every footballer in the land.

Striker: Carlton Cole – West Ham

It’s been a low scoring year for strikers in the Premier League. With a few games left, Ronaldo has scored the most with 17 and Anelka is the only other player to reach 15. Until his injury, however, Carlton Cole was in the form of his life, proving plenty of doubters wrong and helping Zola to turn around West Ham’s fortunes. He even grabbed himself an England cap. Next season will be a big one for him.

Striker: Djibril Cisse – Sunderland

This was a real struggle. I almost stuck Tim Cahill up front as he was excellent there for Everton and Robinho has a case too, but I think his overall form has been too patchy. Robbie Keane had a tough time at Liverpool, Defoe has been injured a lot, Benni McCarthy has blown hot and cold, I like Tuncay but he hasn’t scored enough goals and Agbonlahor’s form has fallen away at times. Old warhorse Kevin Davies has had a tremendous season, but for me Djibril Cisse just about gets the nod, if only to have some variety in hairstyles in the team.

So there we have it. My No-Big-Four-Allowed EPL Team of the Season. Would it challenge the top four? I’d like to think so. Take your pick from David Moyes or Martin O’Neill to lead them into battle and I think you’d see some silverware. Please feel free to let me know where I’ve gone horribly wrong…

At just over 6 feet 4, it is hard to imagine West Ham’s target man Carlton Cole easily fitting under anything.  But in recent weeks Cole and his West Ham team mates, under the guidance of first year manager, Gianfranco Zola have been quietly putting in some solid performances and getting results that has seen them become established once again as a solid top flight team.  With recent headlines focused around the ongoing soap opera at Anfield, Spurs re-purchasing half of their old squad, and Man United’s ominous hold on all things silver; the recent displays from the Hammers have hardly been noticed.

They are arguably (along with Villa) only second to Man United in terms of current form having gone unbeaten in their last 6 league matches – 8 with the FA Cup thrown into the mix.  Of those games, they have won 4 of 6 in the league and 6 of 8 overall.  The club has climbed to 8th place in the table and is currently 4 points better than the clutch of teams from ninth to bottom that are separated by only 7 points.  The Hammers will also likely fancy their chances of advancing to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup when they take on Middlesbrough at Upton Park a week from Saturday.

Of course, the season has not exactly been all roses for Zola’s men.  Early in the campaign, fans were disillusioned with the displays under former manager Alan Curbishley who found himself in a battle with the board over the transfer policy.  Add the collapse of the club sponsor and the ongoing financial turmoil surrounding the ownership, and the outlook was grim for the Irons.  Although the appointment of Zola in early September was a popular choice and provided an initial spark, the performances on the field did not really improve.  Two initial wins against Newcastle and Fulham were followed by a disastrous run of just 1 win in the next 12 that left the club as serious relegation candidates.

A 4-1 win at Fratton Park on Boxing Day seemed to ignite the team and since then the form has taken an about turn.  In a tightly packed bottom half of the table West Ham have ascended the division led, in part, by the great form of striker Carlton Cole.  Starting with the match at Portsmouth, Cole hit the net in five consecutive games tying the club record held by Tony Cottee, and bringing his tally up to eight on the season in the process.

While the transfer window did see several players, most notably Craig Bellamy, hit the exit door there was some positive transfer news at Upton Park with the purchase of German Under-20 forward Savio Nsereko from Brescia.  This move at least showed some continued ambition and represented a re-investment of a large of portion of the Bellamy sale back into the squad.

This weekend Manchester United pay a visit and, while on current form Ferguson’s team look unstoppable, West Ham will look to continue their recent home record against the Champions, having won the previous two corresponding fixtures at Upton Park.  Considering where the team found itself in mid-November most West Ham fans must be elated at the current position.  They are on course for a top ten finish and have every chance of making a deep FA Cup run.  Up front, if Cole continues to produce, Fabio Capello could do worse elsewhere in considering the Hammer’s big front man for a try out in the full England squad.  As Cole prepares for his 150th career league appearence, it’s not likely he will stay under the radar for much longer.