EPL Talk » Gabriel Agbonlahor

Premier League Footballer of the Week, Gameweek 24

Jesse Chula — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:02:18 +0000

It was a weekend that was at times as smooth as a Guti backheel, as bleak as a cold stare from the lugubrious one and as heroic as a late winner off the head of a man who looks to save face for club and country. There was a relegation 6-pointer and a massive title implication match between old foes, all offering the best of the Barclays Premier League. There were of course quality performances all across England, Jozy Altidore energetically for Hull City setting up a goal and winning a penalty, Dirk Kuyt’s workmanlike performance at Anfield and Steven Fletcher’s fine piece of skill to slot home and equalize for Burnley against Chelsea. Before the second ever Premier League Footballer of the Week is awarded, here are a few more than worthy performances that shouldn’t go unnoticed.

Honorable Mention -

Jamie O’Hara, Portsmouth – His side came out on the short end of a 2-0 scoreline at Eastlands to Manchester City, but the on-loan midfielder from Spurs was beyond solid for Pompey. Portsmouth set up with a 4-3-3 with O’Hara starting on the left side of midfield. What impressed me about O’Hara was his ability to be defensive minded when he needed to be coupled with his ability to think forward when the opportunity presented itself. Pompey were unlucky not to take the lead in the first half as O’Hara’s low, well-struck shot took a deflection and should have found it’s way into Given’s goal. City cleared their line with O’Hara left to rue his luck. O’Hara rarely misplaced a pass the entire day, I counted one failed attempt in the second half to twenty plus successful forward passes. His 54th minute attempt on goal trickled just past the post, but was another low, well struck shot after some nifty 1, 2 passing that could have resulted in a goal.

O’Hara is calm on the ball and takes passes comfortably and with poise. His low shots, whether on target or not are a welcome relief from watching strikers continuously blast delusional shot after shot into row zed. Despite their luck, Portsmouth and specifically O’Hara saw out their shifts in a game that very well could have ended 2-2. O’Hara, the Pompey players and supporters deserve better than their current state of affairs.

Gabriel Agbonlahor, Aston Villa – The England striker scored both of his teams goals in a business as usual performance as Martin O’Neill’s men look to stay in reach of that coveted fourth spot. Villa are now 2 points off Tottenham who have multiple teams breathing down their back, but Villa stay close having played one less match. Agbonlahor was partnered up front with fellow Englishman Emile Heskey as both forward players looked to benefit from some quality service from Villa’s talented midfield. Agbonlahor did just that. In a first half four minute span, Gabby beat out Chris Smalling in the air to head home Villa’s opener. The Manchester United-bound Smalling failed to recognize Agbonlahor’s aerial prowess and was left rooted to the ground as Mark Schwarzer picked the ball out of the Fulham goal. Minutes later, in one of the weekend’s finest moments of individual skill, Agbonlahor spun circles around Brede Hangeland and curled an impressive shot around Schwarzer to claim all three points for Villa.

Premier League Footballer of the Week -

Wayne Rooney, Manchester United – Sharing the plaudits with a certain mysterious number 17 named Nani who played like a man possessed for United against Arsenal, Wayne Rooney was brilliant yet again for the Champions, leaving United fans chuffed at the outcome and wondering where these performances from Nani have been throughout the ‘09-’10 season. Rooney’s pace, fitness levels, striking ability, passing ability and all around desire to play football and win make Rooney a manager’s dream and he certainly carries the hopes and dreams of an entire nation on his shoulders for this summer’s World Cup.

In one of the best examples of effective counter-attacking football since Manchester United sliced Arsenal up in last season’s Champions League semi-final 2nd leg, United (Park to Rooney to Nani back to Rooney) produced a stunning, 13 second (36:10 to 36:23) gem of a goal to go up 2-0 on Arsenal. The quality of the goal itself was Rooney’s ability to burst forward to receive Nani’s ball into the box after passing to Nani in the first place.

After Rooney found Nani out wide on United’s right flank to start the counter attack, he then made up the 10-15 yards he was behind Nani. Nani then carried the ball over half the length of the pitch to find a bursting Rooney who was now 5 yards in front of Nani and two steps into Arsenal’s box where he met the ball with a hard, right footed shot into the back of the net. Simply stunning, breathtaking and if you blinked or looked down to sip your coffee, you’d have missed it.

Manchester United will consider a message sent to Chelsea as this season’s title race continues to gain steam. If Wayne Rooney can continue his current form, United will certainly have a say in this year’s race. Anxious eyes now look to the 3rd of April visit of Chelsea to Old Trafford for what could be a title decider as both clubs stay in top form.

Ten Premier League Players To Watch In 2010

Jesse Chula — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:07:10 +0000

A new decade, a new year, and 10 players I’ll be keeping a watchful eye on for one reason or another in 2010. We all know Drogba, Rooney, Torres, Defoe and the lot will get their 20+ goals and single handily place their teammates on their shoulders and march onwards. But what about the role players that could make or break their clubs championship winning run, help their club break into the top 4, or save their club from relegation and a year in the Championship?

Lest we not forget the players on the brink of earning a ticket to South Africa. Most of, if not all of the 32 nations competing in the World Cup Finals have their starting eleven solidified, but there’s still a few valuable bench spots left open for those fringe internationals that will have a few short months to prove their worth and make the trip of a lifetime.Without further ado, I’ll attempt to explain why I’ll be watching these 10 Premier League players and what’s at stake for them in 2010.

Joe Hart – Birmingham City, Goalkeeper – The Good – In my opinion and on current form, I believe Hart to be England’s #1. A regular for the U21’s, Hart has been called up by Don Fabio a few times but has only seen limited action. On loan at City (Birmingham) from City (Manchester) Hart recently displayed arguably the performance of the year in goal at home in a 0-0 draw with league leaders Chelsea. A major contributing factor in Birmingham City’s current 8th place position. Strong, commanding and solid in goal. The Bad – Age and experience. Will need more top-flight matches under his belt to break into the senior England squad. Will need to prove he can sustain top form over the course of a 38 game Premier League season. Must also maintain his current run of form to be noticed by Capello. What to Watch For – A ticket to South Africa.

Gabriel Agbonlahor – Aston Villa, Forward – The Good – Incredible pace, strength and he’s a goal scorer (he recently scored the winner at Old Trafford). Villa have been flirting with a top four finish for a few years now with Agbonlahor contributing his pace and goal-scoring abilities to a team largely made up of English players. The Bad – Currently carrying a heavy work load for Villa – risks burn out and also like Hart, still young and in need of more experience. Also has a slight tendency to disappear from big matches from time to time. What to Watch For – Slim chance of making South Africa, so more important to Agbonlahor and Villa fans, a top four finish.

Eduardo da Silva – Arsenal, Striker – The Good – The Brazilian-born Croatian is a natural goal scorer. He could be the difference between Arsenal winning the title and simply finishing 3rd. At his best, Eduardo is easily a 20+ goal a season scorer. The Bad – much talked about (and I’m sure still remembered by Eduardo himself) horrific leg injury from 02/2008. Eduardo still hasn’t returned to top goal scoring form since the comeback. What to Watch For – The league title. If Eduardo can regain his predatory instincts in front of goal, the high-flying Gunners have just as good a shot at the title this year as any team. Arsenal will need a fit striker to help relieve some of the burden on Cesc Fabregas if they are to stay in the hunt before the return of Robin van Persie.

Dimitar Berbatov – Manchester United, Striker – The Good – Silky-smooth passer, proven goal-scorer (all time leading goal scorer for Bulgaria), creative player that when on his best can score three goals or set up three goals just as easily. The Bad – £23.40 million price tag that in all honestly hasn’t been paid off just quite yet for United. Often criticized for his lack of pace, movement and effort, the languid striker has work to do and goals to still score for United. What to Watch For – Manchester United’s fourth league title in a row. Like Arsenal, United will need another proven goal scorer if they are to finish top. Berbatov could risk losing his spot to Michael Owen if Owen starts scoring regularly for United.

Jozy Altidore – Hull City, Striker – The Good – the 20-year old American striker has a physique like a bull, he’s strong with the ball at his feet and has pace. He’s definitely headed to South Africa as long as he’s fit. He’s scored meaningful goals for the United States, but will want to start scoring goals for Hull City to stay playing. The Bad – Altidore is currently on loan to Hull City from Spanish side Villarreal where he didn’t impress. Villarreal loaned him to Xerez in the Spanish Segunda where he suffered a minor toenail injury never actually making an appearance for Xerez. Jozy needs to fit in at club level quickly. Although he’s only just 20, he won’t want to be continually shipped back and forth to different clubs and never settle. What to Watch For – Hull City face a tough relegation fight and Altidore could be the bit of pace and quality they’ll need to get a scrappy goal or win a penalty (like he did against Manchester United recently). Will also want to prove to United States teammate Clint Dempsey (Fulham) that he too belongs in the Premier League.

Alessandro Diamanti – West Ham United, Attacking Midfielder/Forward – The Good – The Italian applied his trade in the lower divisions of Italian football before impressing in 2008-09 with Livorno scoring 20 goals and assisting in their promotion to Serie A. The Bad – the 26 year old is new to English football and won’t have a comfortable settling in period as the Hammers have struggled in the first half of the 2009-10 season. What to Watch For – West Ham will need Diamanti’s experience in a gritty, grind-it-out type of match they’re sure to see as they, like Hull City, look set for a relegation dog fight.

Darren Bent - Sunderland, Striker – The Good – On current form, Bent cannot stop scoring goals for Sunderland putting in 13 this season thus far and while he’s at it, seems to have formed a pretty formidable strike force with Kenwyne Jones. He’s strong, a big target and has natural finishing abilities. The Bad – Sunderland’s recent dip in form could cause England boss Fabio Capello to not take notice. In Bent’s most recent call up – an international friendly with Brazil – he failed to impress in an abysmal England attack resulting in a 1-0 loss. What to Watch For – A ticket to South Africa. If Bent stays fit and continues to bang in goals for club, Capello will have no choice but to call him up. Bent is on pace to score 25+ goals this season.

Maynor Figueroa – Wigan, Defender – If you haven’t seen Figueroa’s goal v. Stoke City from his own half, check it out here. The Honduran’s absence was a large contributing factor to Wigan conceding 9 goals v Tottenham at White Hart Lane recently. The Bad – No offense to them, but Wigan seem to be one of the most unglamorous clubs to play for in the Premier League. Although they’ve been in the top-flight now since 2005, Wigan look set for mid-table mediocrity as long as they stay up. What to Watch For – Figueroa will represent his country in South Africa this summer and Wigan have no shot at a top four finish, so Figueroa will look to make a big summer move to a top four club.

Rafael da Silva – Manchester United, Right back – The Good – A Dani Alves type Brazilian defender who loves to bomb forward in attack, Rafael is a burst of pace and a hard tackle waiting to happen. With Gary Neville facing inevitable retirement sometime in the near future, Rafael could claim the starting right back spot for United. The Bad – Rafael could also be a yellow card or red card waiting to happen. His youth is equal parts positive and negative as he can run all day, but he needs to mature as a footballer and hasn’t proved beyond a reasonable doubt he can cope with the demands of United’s crowded fixture list year after year. What to Watch For – Unsure if Rafael has a shot at representing the loaded Brazil in the World Cup. More important for Rafael at this point is his contribution to a depleted United back line. With injuries continuing to pile up at Old Trafford, Rafael has a chance to be a major contributor as United look to claim their fourth straight title.

Nigel de Jong – Manchester City, Defensive midfielder – The Good – The Dutch international has quietly been incredibly effective for City this season as they look to become the new kid on the big 4 block. de Jong suffered a semi slow start to his career at Eastlands, he’s since claimed his midfield position with solid performance after solid performance as the holder in midfield. The Bad – Knee injury kept him out of World Cup 2006. He’s been a regular in the Dutch side ever since and baring match fitness will represent Holland this summer. What to Watch For – Possible top four finish. His spot with Holland confirmed, de Jong will prove a huge factor in helping City break the top four this year. City’s back line has barely looked stable this season in most matches. With de Jong at his best protecting City’s back line, City will have no problem banging in goals with their potent attack force.

There you have it, 10 players to definitely keep your eye on this year. Most of them won’t score 20 goals or be voted player of the year, but their small contributions week in week out for their respected clubs will go a long way in deciding the fate of their season and possibly their country at the World Cup Finals.

Aston Villa Defeat Man United On A Spectacular Day in the Premier League

The Gaffer — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:26:38 +0000

There have been very few if any boring Premier League weekends so far this season, and this Saturday was another example of why this is one of the most entertaining leagues in the world. Here are my observations from the Saturday games I’ve watched thus far:

Stoke City v Wigan Athletic

When ESPN2 looked at the fixture list and saw Stoke City versus Wigan Athletic on a Saturday morning in December, they probably weren’t too excited just like many of you, the readers. However, the game turned into an extremely entertaining match with goals galore, plenty of controversy (the penalty decision, and the resulting save from Rodallega) and a wonderful climax to the game with Wigan piling on the pressure but unable to get the winner. The game ended 2-2, but what a way to begin the Premier League weekend!

Bolton Wanderers v Manchester City

Playing against Bolton Wanderers was never going to be an easy fixture for Manchester City, but a game against such a physical and direct team such as Wanderers was always going to be a perfect test for City to see if they can win the tough games as well as the glamorous ones.
The Wanderers versus City game reminded me of the Stoke against Wigan game from earlier in the morning. Lots of goals, lots of controversy and highly entertaining. Bolton’s opening goal was contentious when a deflected pass came into the path of Tamir Cohen who knocked the ball into the goal despite being in an offside position. Should the goal have counted or not? Cohen was obviously offside but does the deflected pass put Cohen onside? With a highly contentious decision like this, I rely on the co-commentator to share his expertise and definitively say whether the goal should have been disallowed or not. However, co-commentator Dean Sturridge seemed as unsure as I was over the rule and gave a half-hearted response about Cohen being in an offside position.
Controversy reared its ugly head later in the game when Craig Bellamy was fouled by Paul Robinson but Bellamy received a yellow card from referee Mark Clattenburg for diving. It was Bellamy’s second yellow card in the game, so he was sent off.
Overall, what a classic game this was between Bolton and Manchester City. Both teams battled hard. Carlos “Captain Caveman” Tevez, yet again, was exceptional with two brilliant and timely goals. But fair play to Bolton. If they continue playing like this week-in week-out, then they thoroughly deserve to stay in the Premier League and football supporters should get off Gary Megson’s back. For City, it’s another draw but this was a game that they could have easily lost. City should their tough side today by coming back three times after being behind and thoroughly deserved the one point.

Chelsea v Everton

Before I began watching the second half the Manchester United versus Aston Villa game, I was able to watch the highlights of the Chelsea against Everton match. And incredibly, this was another match that ended in a pulsating draw. American soccer haters who don’t know any better often are dumbfounded by how games that end in draws can be entertaining. Americans are bred to see winners and losers in their sports, but to me a draw is often more entertaining and pleasing than seeing a win.

Manchester United v Aston Villa

The third entertaining match I was fortunate to watch in a row Saturday was Manchester United against Aston Villa. Martin O’Neill’s side have to be commended for going for the jugular against Man United and trying to get all three points. The side consistently floated in tons of dangerous crosses into the middle of the United penalty area to put pressure on the weakened United back four with Wes Brown replacing the position normally held by Rio Ferdinand and/or Jonny Evans, and Fletcher stepping in as right back instead of the usual Gary Neville and/or Rafael Da Silva. And by half-time Villa was deservedly 1-0 ahead after a picture-perfect header from Gabriel Agbonlahor.
In the second half, it was quintessential Aston Villa at their best. They defended heroically and threw themselves at every United attempted shot on goal. Plus, they played their typical counter-attacking football which helped Villa ensure there were always enough players back in defense and midfield to prevent United from having clear-cut chances on goal. Whatever you say about Aston Villa, they’re always a hard-working side and never give up. They’re always pressuring the other team as soon as they get the ball and ended up keeping Man United at bay time after time.
And let’s not forget about Brad Friedel who didn’t have a lot to do on the day, but when it counted the most, he made an incredible save from Dimitar Berbatov’s goalbound shot near the end of the game.
Rather than criticize Manchester United (and yes Wayne Rooney had an off day), the full credit needs to go to the Aston Villa players and manager Martin O’Neill for a textbook performance against a dangerous Manchester United side. When Villa needed to hold up the ball and keep possession, they did. Congratulations on a well-deserved 1-0 win.

What are your thoughts from this incredible day in the Premier League? Were there matches that I missed that also were just as entertaining as the ones mentioned above? Did you think United had a “bad day in the office” or were Villa simply better? Click the comments link below to share your feedback and opinions.

Lethargic and Disjointed But Liverpool Can’t Panic

Paul Bestall — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:58:19 +0000

The unfortunate downside of modern technology means that any armchair fan can now comment on any team without actually seeing the game. As I type this, I’m listening to Radio 5 and Liverpool “fans” are calling for the head of Benitez. “The worst display I’ve ever seen from a Liverpool team” shouts one fan who obviously missed the F.A. Cup defeat to Barnsley and league defeats to Bradford, Barnsley and Watford too.

“We’d have won the League last season if it wasn’t for Benitez, sack him now” shouts another fan who seems to have forgotten Liverpool broke the record for the most points by a runner up in the Premiership last year. “We need a world class midfielder to replace Alonso, Rafa spend the money!!” So much for the reports Liverpool are skint eh? It reminds me of a time listening to a football phone in here in Sheffield, Wednesday had just lost, caller rings up. “Wednesday are rubbish, sack the manager.” “Have you been to the game?” asks the host. “No” comes the reply, “I’ve just seen the score on Sky Sports News”.

I’m stunned by the level of ire I’m hearing being aimed towards him, I never thought I’d get to a point where I’d be defending Rafa Benitez but seriously who really wants the manager sacked 3 games in to a season? Did I miss something or are Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa the worst teams the Premiership has ever seen? No, didn’t think so. Liverpool have lost to two very good teams. I know they only lost two games last season, but come on let’s be reasonable here. They’ve not lost to Scunthorpe and Norwich City have they?

It’s interesting to note that on the day of the Stoke City game last week, the rumours returned regarding Benitez’s position at Anfield and the fact he was contemplating walking away from the club. This is a story that will not go away and has dogged him since 2007. Someone keeps fanning the rumours and it certainly can’t have a stabilising effect on the team or the club.

Tonight Liverpool were poor, the first 20 minutes apart but Aston Villa were superb. They got a goal and never let Liverpool settle, typical of how Martin O’Neill likes to set his teams up away from home. They like to soak up pressure and attack on the break, using the pace they’ve got in the team. With Carragher and Skrtel still struggling with head injuries, Lucas showing a lack of invention. Mascherano oddly was then forced to push forward, leaving the back four exposed.

It played straight into Villa’s hands. Young and Agbonlahor looked someway back to the form that pushed Villa up the table last season. Reo-Coker was immense, chasing, harassing and fighting for every 50-50 ball. Friedel seemed unpassable. Villa deserved the win.

The thing with knee jerk reactions like this is that people simply go “Sack the manager” without considering who’d replace them. So sack Benitez, who do you replace him with? Would anyone come with the financial situation as seemingly dire as it is behind the scenes? Clearly there is no money to spend, the signing of Kyrgiakos smacks of bargain hunting, especially after all the speculation linking Liverpool with Hull’s Michael Turner.

Benitez hasn’t become a bad manager in 3 months and Liverpool haven’t become a bad team. They’re just trying to find some form with key personnel struggling with injuries, nothing more, nothing less. They need to pick themselves up, dust themselves down and concentrate on Saturdays match at Bolton.Liverpool could have stolen a win on the opening day, but should have been 3-0 down by half time. Stoke were ripped apart time and again.

I don’t think anyone is going to run away with the league this season and Liverpool’s key situation could be the lack of African players come January. Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City all have big players that will be going to Angola and that will be a tough month for those three teams, regardless of squad size and financial muscle. The Premiership is never won in August and the kneejerk fans need to remember that.

England Under 21’s Should Be Proud Win Or Lose Tonight

Paul Bestall — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:51:48 +0000

Fresh from giving England fans palpitations after Fridays semi-final win against host nation Sweden, England’s young lions have a chance to win some silverware for the junior lions for the first time since 1993. England Under 18’s triumphed that year, riding a week long wave of growing optimism and support to beat Turkey 1-0 in front of 25,000 fans in Nottingham. Tonight’s Under-21 final pits England against its greatest rivals of the modern era, Germany, in a repeat of the final Group A game.

England of course, will be missing three players. Joe Hart has failed in an appeal to get his second booking recinded after shadow boxing one of the Swedish players in the penalty shoot out. Agbonlahor also picked up a second booking and Campbell was sent off in extra time after receiving two bookings. Normally, that would be a big blow for any side, but with Theo Walcott desperate to finally get his tournament going, and a straight choice between Scott Loach or the very highly rated Joe Lewis, Pearce has the talent to fill the gaps.

It also seems to put a bit of a mockery on the claims that English youth football is suffering due to the influx of foriegn players. Pearce has led this side to the semi finals of the last two tournaments, with players such as Mark Noble, Gabriel Agbonlahor, James Milner and Theo Walcott at his disposal. These are not just players desperately thrown in to fill gaps, these are quality players, with plenty of Premiership experience between them.

Can they win tonight? Of course they can, the reserve team drew with the German side a week ago, so they will have not given anything away to their opponents. I’ve also seen that the Germans have changed their kit to red tonight to give them a psychological advantage which oddly means they’ve completely forgotten about Englands 5-1 destruction of Germany in Munich in September 2001. That night, the Senior side tried the same trick to stop England wearing red, but ultimately it blew up in their faces.

Of course the crucial thing here is not to put too much pressure on the side and the players if they can win tonight. England Under 21’s had a golden period in the early 1980’s, winning the competition twice in a row, 1982 and 1984. Those players perhaps didn’t move onwards as much apart from Trevor Steven and Mark Hateley perhaps but Howard Gayle, Paul Walsh and Mel Sterland never really made the step up.

There’s no doubt that the England Under 21’s side have shown that their are some positives for the future of English football, despite the doomongers and pessimists that worry constantly about the lack of English players at the Big 4. Of course we’d like to see more English talent given a chance, but Manchester United have always championed English talent, Liverpool have 2 or 3 outstanding prospects coming through also.

Pearce will be looking to bring the trophy home tonight from Malmo and improve his fast rising reputation in the England set up. His passion and pride for his country can never be questioned and before the team leave the dressing rooms tonight, Pearce will instill them just what winning this tournament will mean for these players.

The PFA Player Of The Year Shortlists Are A Joke

Paul Bestall — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:42:48 +0000

If today’s PFA Player of the Year shortlist shows us anything, announcing the player of the year with almost 6 weeks of the season left looks a stupid decision. With only Steven Gerrard not from Manchester United on the six player shortlist, it just shows how quickly things in football can change. What if Frank Lampards goals fire Chelsea to a treble this season? What if Arsenal win the Champions League? Could Manchester United miss out on the Premiership, F.A. Cup and Champions League yet have a player win the PFA award?

Has Edwin Van Der Saar really been the best Premiership goalkeeper this season? Surely Mark Schwarzer’s contribution for Fulham has been more important between the sticks, as perhaps Shay Given at Newcastle and Manchester City this season can claim too. Manchester United could play a snowman in goal sometimes and no-one would notice.

Liverpool have now only got one chance of silverware after Wednesdays classic Champions League Quarter Final say Chelsea edge them out, with Lampard once again dragging the Blues through. Lampard has now scored 19 goals in all competitions, 2 less than Gerrard and Ronaldo but has set up more goals for his team mates than those two put together.Ferdinand has been superb all season, Vidic has seen his form drift away since February.

I don’t understand why the PFA awards have to be announced so soon and the voting to be concluded before all the major trophies are handed out. Last season, it was obvious that Ronaldo was head and shoulders ahead of anyone else, won all the domestic player awards and then failed to deliver once again for Portugal, spent all Summer flirting with Real Madrid and then missed the beginning of the season through injury and still won the World Player of The Year Award.

This year, there is no stand out candidate, but for Lampard to be omitted is beyond a joke. During the final weeks of Scolari’s reign at Stamford Bridge, Lampard carried them single handed it seemed to try and keep them in as many competitions as possible, showing guts and determination throughout the chaos that seemed to be going on all around him. Are professional players that daft that they couldn’t see that?

The Young Player of the Year award seems even more ludicrous, only 3 of the candidates have truly played well all season. Ireland, Rafael and Lennon have been head and shoulders above the other 3 candidates, with Ireland being the stand out nomination. Of the other 3, Agbonlahor has scored 3 goals since Christmas, has Jonny Evans been that good all season and Ashley Young has been so inconsistent as to be almost laughable to be included in the final six.

How two Aston Villa players could be included when they’ve won 3 games out of their last 15 matches makes me think that the nominations must have been done on New Years Eve because Villa have fallen away so far and are in danger of finishing 6th when they had a good chance of finishing 3rd. Are there so few young players kicking around? Where’s Jack Rodwell? Mark Noble and Jack Collinson from West Ham have both had excellent seasons yet don’t feature at all.

Hopefully Ferdinand and Ireland will win the awards, but the nominations themselves just don’t make any sense at all. It’s time to move them to the end of the season when it actually matters.

Stephen Ireland Deserves The Young Player Of The Year Award

Paul Bestall — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:05:27 +0000

Why are they bothering having a Young Player Of The Year vote this season is beyond me as Stephen Ireland is head and shoulders above every other candidate playing in the Premiership this season. Ireland has been in magnificent form since the season started and with everything going on at Manchester City on and off the pitch, has been a wonderfully consistent performer for the City.

Ireland has really begun to show the consistency his early appearances promised when he made his breakthrough back in the 2005-2006 season and this season he has been in exceptionally form in City’s midfield. It also seems that Ireland has managed to put his very ill advised lies of September 2007 behind him and begun to concentrate on playing football.

How the Republic Of Ireland must be wishing he would return from his self imposed exile to add his beautiful range of passing and eye for important goals to a lacklustre midfield. To say Trapattoni and Brady rate the young midfielder would be an understatement but he has so far refused any attempts to re-introduce him back into the international fold. It’s a situation I can’t really understand when a player simply refuses to play for his country at such a young age, but that shouldn’t detract from his performances this season.

I hope he does return to International football soon though, it would be a shame for such a footballing talent to not garner the international career and caps his talent deserves, but ultimately only Ireland can make the decision to wear the emerald shirt once more. Let’s hope that Shay Given joining Manchester City will perhaps lead Ireland to make himself available for the next international squad in June. When you’re in a qualifying group with Italy and Bulgaria, you need your best players available, Ireland easily finds himself at the top table quality wise for his country. Yet I don’t suppose Mark Hughes will be that sad to see him staying fresh for Manchester City, as they attempt to topple SV Hamburg in the UEFA Cup next week.

He’s been head and shoulders above any of his potential rivals for the Young Player Of The Year award and for me, one of the best midfielders regardless of age this season. It would have been easy for Ireland to hide this season as City got linked with virtually every player in Europe, but his game seems to have gone from strength to strength since Abu Dhabi United bought the club. The constant linking of his employers to top quality players seems to have become a driving force behind his play. He was always a great passer of the ball, but now he makes more bursts into the box and his eye for goal has really sharpened up. His set piece deliver is consistently dangerous, his link play, eye catching. For a man of 22, he sometimes shows dazzling maturity with the ball at his feet.

I can’t see any other young player coming close to him this season, Ashley Young has fallen away as has his team mate Gabriel Agbonlahor, Theo Walcott has missed too much of the season, Aaron Lennon whilst good, has yet to deliver consistent form over a seasons length.Ireland has been immense this season and deserves to be the first Irishman to win the Young Player of the Year award and the first Manchester City player to win it since Peter Barnes in 1975-1976. It’s richly deserved.

Villa’s Poor Form Should Give England Fans Pause

Richard Whittall — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:42:47 +0000

Title race back on, blah blah blah, Aston Villa torn apart like a dingo on a newborn, yada yada yada, England expects ahead of international week—wait just one minute there, pal.

It would be safe to say that Villa is a sort of stand-in England B side in the Premier League, at least according to the English press in light of Capello’s on again/off again preference for the once-potent duo of Agbonlahor and Young. So while Sunday’s thrashing of Villa by Liverpool is good news for Gerrard’s form heading into internationals this weekend, it gives the lie to recent claims that England has achieved some measure of depth in the senior squad.

Villa were very poor, and while O’Neill’s decision to field a more open 4-4-2 at Anfield has taken much of the blame, the form of Heskey, Young, and Gareth Barry certainly didn’t help the cause. O’Neill even seems to have lost some measure of faith in the latter—he’s already said he’s open to letting Barry go wherever he wishes at the end of the season.

But beyond their current league woes, Villa are at risk of losing out to “mostly-foreign” Arsenal in Champions League qualification for next season. The CL would have given Villa’s English players invaluable experience playing the best teams and players in club football’s most important knockout competition, surely decent preparation for South Africa 2010.

The case might be made that England is strong enough with out its younger players or its aging but still useful internationals. At the moment, Steven Gerrard is worth ten Gareth Barrys. But Gerrard, like Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney, has missed big tournaments to injury before (Euro 2004). If England is to expect any measure of success in South Africa next year, it will need a strong group of second strings. Villa’s current slide in form will not help toward that end.

Can Aston Villa Win The Premier League?

The Gaffer — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 13:40:42 +0000

It was early in the second half against Arsenal when all seemed lost for Aston Villa. The team looked shell-shocked after Abou Diaby scored a wonderful team-effort goal that seemingly took both Aston Villa and their fans out of the game. After that second goal went in, I thought to myself that the remainder of the second half would be a perfect test to see whether Villa were Big Four material or not.

That answer was a resounding yes.

Gareth Barry’s superbly taken penalty kick and then Zat Knight’s injury time equalizer were just the tonic that neutral football fans needed for a Boxing Day classic. Just as Aston Villa pulled out an incredible triumph away at Everton several weeks ago, Villa showed their never-say-die attitude once again.

And that was the second half. Their first half performance was even more awe-inspiring except they couldn’t get the find the back of the net. The creativity and speed that Aston Villa demonstrated were incredible. Gabriel Agbonlahor continues to improve. Ashley Young is always dependable down the left wing. And James Milnar, although he lacks the pace and confidence he once had, can still deliver a dangerous cross from the right wing.

Out of all of the attributes that Aston Villa possess, their biggest differentiator compared to other Premier League teams is their team spirit. This is a team with no egos. Their fitness levels are tremendous. And they’re led by a manager who, as you can clearly see, cares for his players. Martin O’Neill is the type of manager who resembles a headmaster. A man who is proud of his pupils. A man who is commited to success.

To me, right now, there’s no other team in the Premier League who embodies the team spirit as well as Aston Villa. As long as they can keep that together and get the results they need against lesser opposition when they might let their guard down, they have a tremendous opportunity to not only break the top four but to, good gracious, make a push for the Premier League title.

The only concern I have about Aston Villa is their lack of strength on their bench. But, as shown against Arsenal and in several other games this season, Villa played the entire 90 minutes without making a single substitution. Villa has already been hurt by the injury to striker John Carew. More injuries should be anticipated but if Villa can sign a player or two in the January transfer window, they should have the safety cushion they need to make a serious pursuit for the top four and even the title. Call me daft, but I can see it happening.

Tottenham 1-2 Aston Villa: Don’t Blame The Loss On Scapegoat Gomes

The Gaffer — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 05:58:23 +0000

In British newspaper match reports of Aston Villa’s 2-1 away win against Tottenham Hotspur, almost all of the stories lead with sentences similar to this one found in The Sun: “Calamity keeper Heurelho Gomes messed up to leave Spurs rooted at the foot of the table.”

True, yes, but it doesn’t provide a complete accurate picture of what really happened last night at White Hart Lane.

All of the blame should be placed on the players at Tottenham Hotspur, not on the shoulders of Gomes. One blunder by Gomes was the difference in this game, but the scoreline could have easily been 4-1 or even 5-1 to Aston Villa. Spurs were that awful.

The three things most missing from Tottenham are desire, confidence and rhythm. They’re not hungry to win. They look lacklustre when going in for 50/50 balls. They look beaten, partly due to a lack of confidence. And lastly, they’re having a lot of difficulty establishing a rhythm. Three or four passes in a row were a rarity for Spurs last night. Plus, the team weren’t getting into open spaces to provide options for Spurs players to pass to.

Spurs were completely outclassed by Aston Villa who were by far the better team last night. Villa had a much easier time creating goalscoring chances while it seemed like rocket science for Spurs. It was a fantastic team performance by Villa, who passed the ball around with ease and lots of one-touch passes. Plus, Villa had a lot more pace down the wings with Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor in tremendous form. Gareth Barry was incredible, too. In fact, it’s not fair to the rest of the team to single out just Barry, Young and Agbonlahor. The entire team performance was amazing. If they continue playing like this, they’ll soon be in the top three.

Most football supporters ignore the league tables for the first few weeks of the season. But, after four games, it’s no surprise that Tottenham are bottom. Juande Ramos has a ton of work to do with this team, but the first thing he needs to get them to do is to play with desire. Right now, they look like a confused team with no leader. Jonathan Woodgate was their captain last night, but he’s no John Terry. Spurs needs someone who can command respect and fear. Someone who can single handly change a game by taking control and setting an example for a team to play better.

Luka Modric still hasn’t come to grips with the English game and is making far too many mistakes. Debutant Roman Pavlyuchenko showed glimpses of brilliance but Villa’s defenders did a terrific job of limiting his chances in and around the penalty area.

Don’t forget that the one goal that Spurs scored in this game was a fluke rebound off Darren Bent. The striker had a terrible game with few clearcut chances, but when he did get a chance, he couldn’t score.

Also don’t forget that while the headlines victimize Gomes as the culprit who “lost” Spurs the game, it was Gomes who pulled off several herculean saves to prevent Villa from scoring.

In response to the defeat, Ramos told BBC Sport that “I’m not going to carry out an assessment after one game. Hopefully with calmness and experience we’ll get a positive result.”

To me, Ramos’s response is as passive as his Spurs team. This was another woeful performance from Tottenham. The third of the season thus far (the exception being against Chelsea where they played at a much higher level).

At this rate, with Ramos’s laissez faire atmosphere, Tottenham could be in for a very long season. After playing Wisla Krakow in the UEFA Cup on Thursday, they face a must-win match at home against Wigan on Sunday followed by a trip to Fratton Park to play Portsmouth the week after. Six points from the next two Premier League matches is a must for Juande Ramos. Otherwise, the Tottenham fans will start to turn on him.