English football is a graveyard as much as it is a stage for promising talent. The pressure to pick up points is fixed at such an extreme setting that one slip-up, costly error or howler in front of goal can cast a player to the reserves, resigned never to see the light of day again.
If players can be dubbed egotistical nightmares then so can managers, who are often guilty of player preference or holding a grudge way beyond all realms of comprehension. With this in mind I have collated the top 15 players who can only dream of playing a cameo role in the Premier League this season.
Click on Alan Hutton to get the ball rolling
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is ready to add Atletico Madrid striker Adrian Lopez to his squad in January according to the Daily Mail.
The Gunners are expected to send scouts over to Spain this weekend to watch the Spanish striker take on Real Sociedad and it is thought that £15million should be enough to lure the player and club into a deal.
Adrian has gone under the radar in the Spanish capital as team mate Radamel Falcao is taking all of the plaudits but after making two international appearances this year; not an easy feat in the Spanish squad; the 24-year-olds impact is starting to grow.
Adrian spent his best years at Deportivo La Coruna but he isn’t the out and out goalscorer that Wenger is perhaps craving after losing Robin van Persie.
With the money from the Dutchman’s sale still available, Wenger may be tempted with a more expensive deal for Fernando Llorente or Stevan Jovetic but Adrian is definitely on the Gunners’ radar.
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Queens Park Rangers centre back Ryan Nelsen has sympathy for his manager Mark Hughes as Rangers are still looking for their first Premier League win of the season, as reported by talkSPORT.
Nelsen only arrived in the summer, but he claims that Hughes has done everything possible to prepare his team for matches; it’s just the players that keep letting him down.
“It’s got to be so frustrating for the manager,” Nelsen told talkSPORT.
“In preparing for games, he does the maximum he can with what he can control. It’s up to us players to stop throwing curve balls in the way we have been. I feel very sorry for him.
“We’ve shot ourselves in the foot numerous times – whether it’s sendings-off, conceding soft goals, even some of the injuries we’ve had. Getting the same team out on more than one occasion will help and we can get some consistency.”
“The owners and the board have seen what Mark and his staff have done behind the scenes with the infrastructure,” he added.
“It’s a proper Premier League club now, which not everybody can see. It’s changed dramatically from a year ago, which from the stories I hear was pretty shambolic.
“Unfortunately the results haven’t backed that up but [owner Tony Fernandes], the board and the players see the hard work that’s been put in.”
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Arsene Wenger has warned Arsenal fans not to expect lavish spending in the coming transfer windows, despite the club agreeing a bumper £150m sponsorship deal.
Fly Emirates are the North Londoners’ main backers, having previously secured naming rights to the Premier League team’s stadium and a place as the main shirt sponsor.
This deal has now been extended, and improved, in a financially rewarding move for the Gunners.
Fans of the club want larger investment in playing staff after seeing star names such as Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabragas leave due, in part, to Wenger’s strict salary limits.
However, the Frenchman has warned supporters not to expect any marquee signings in the near future:
“If we get that amount of money from sponsors it is not charity, it is because the sponsors feel that we act in the right way and with the right values. “ He is quoted by The Metro.
“It is down to us to spend the money in the right way.”
The likes of Lukas Podolski, Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud arrived during the summer for large fees, but most of the investment was offset by the sales of van Persie and other first-team squad members.
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Followers of the Emirates Stadium-based outfit have become increasingly frustrated in recent years, suggesting that Wenger’s cautious approach with the chequebook has made Arsenal a ‘selling’ club.
Fabregas, Alex Song and Thierry Henry have left to join Barcelona in recent times, whilst a number of other stars have also departed in search of greater financial rewards.
You’d have thought it’d be quite the task to render a fans’ player of the season as something of a forgotten man, but such has been the hullaballoo that has encapsulated Tottenham Hotspur since the summer, Scott Parker seems to be just that.
Be it managerial change, tactical upheaval or the evolving face of the first XI, it’s felt at times this season that there’s been so much going on at White Hart Lane, that Parker’s absence through injury has been somewhat overlooked.
But with the news that the ex-West Ham man is potentially less than two weeks away from full fitness, Andre Villas-Boas’ side are set to receive a real shot in the arm and a huge boost ahead of the congested festive fixture list.
While Tottenham’s season has had more than a touch of the stop-start’s about it, Parker’s has term has of course so far, been rendered non-existent. The 32-year-old headed off after his superb debut season in N17 to the European Championship’s in Poland and Ukraine, already nursing a relatively delicate Achilles problem.
Following a fortnight of running his body into the ground for Roy Hodgson’s side, the problem had unsurprisingly failed to heal. While no one is ever going to criticize Parker for heading into Euro 2012 in the knowledge he may well have faced injury trouble ahead, the decision to delay surgery well into August certainly raised a few eyebrows.
Of course, the outlook for the Tottenham Hotspur midfield in August looked an awful lot different from the stuttering engine room that supporters have witnessed in recent weeks. The talk before the term began, was whether Parker would indeed even get into Andre Villas-Boas’ side. The school of thought was that with the emerging Sandro ready to step up to the plate in North London, and a glitzy replacement for Luka Modric in the form of say, a Joao Moutinho, there may not be any immediate need for Parker in midfield.
Needless to say, things haven’t quite turned out that way.
The mercurial Mousa Dembele’s arrival into the Spurs midfield has looked a superb acquisition – when he’s played, that is. The Belgian’s hip injury has left Spurs looking woefully exposed in central midfield. The midfield pairing of Sandro and Tom Huddlestone has predictably lacked much in the way of creativity, something that Parker himself may not have been likely to help with.
Yet that’s not all they’ve lacked, either. For all the technical qualities and tactical intelligence that Andre Villas-Boas has looked to build his team around, one attribute he can’t look to implement in Spurs’ shiny new Enfield training HQ, is that of leadership. Tottenham have felt as if they’ve lacked that sprinkling of grit, steel and determination that, even though it was hardly in abundance, they boasted last season.
Ledley King wasn’t the most vocal of captains, but he was a born leader by example. He retired during the summer. Rafael van der Vaart wasn’t a player who ever led Tottenham out of the tunnel in the Premier League, but he was a winner, a man who never shied away from a battle. He’s now plying his trade for Hamburg.
With Michael Dawson relegated to the bench for much of this term and Scott Parker sidelined through injury, that’s left only William Gallas as any form of leader within this Spurs side – and while he’s a decent organizer of a defense (when he’s in form, that is), he doesn’t feel like a natural captain.
Spurs are crying out for a leader or a figurehead to help find their form and drag this developing side back up into form ahead of the New Year’s fixture list. In football, as in every other walk of life, timing is everything. Enter Scott Parker.
Would the fielding of Parker helped prevent the late goals conceded against the likes of West Brom, Norwich and Manchester City? It’s difficult to say either way, but you can’t help but feel he could have helped prevent the air of inevitability that lingered around all three of those fixtures.
As well as the classic Parker trait of putting the body on the line and the last ditch tackles to save his team, most importantly, he gets the basics right. Be it the simple pass under pressure or the clearance out the box when danger’s looming, Parker’s decision making is second to none. Tottenham’s on the other hand, has often been suspect at best this season. In terms of defending a lead especially, Scott Parker is a superb asset to have in your side.
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The England man’s return to the fore will come just after the return of Dembele’s, a man who Parker is technically now in competition for one of Villas-Boas’ two holding roles. Of course, Sandro’s superb displays this season would suggest that when fit, both the Brazilian and Dembele are sure starters. But it doesn’t have to be as clear-cut as that.
Given the monumental effort Sandro has put in for Spurs this season, at some point, AVB is going to have to give him something resembling a rest. But even then, while fans have witnessed first-hand the effects of playing a set of intrinsically defensive midfielders in the holding pair, Sandro’s attacking instincts are an underrated commodity.
Giving him a shot at the Dembele role besides Parker might seem unorthodox, but it could free up their influential Belgian to play higher up the pitch. Something of a wild card, yes, but it merely represents another option to Villas-Boas – something he’s not had many of since the season began.
But however you frame it, Scott Parker’s return to fitness represents a massive boost to this Tottenham Hotspur side. Supporters have underestimated the impact the Englishman could have once before, when quiet moans of disagreement were uttered upon his arrival in N17. He finished the term as player of the year. Don’t be surprised to see him produce a similar response this year.
The recent reports linking Luis Suarez to Atletico Madrid may have appeared surprising at first, but eyebrows would have been raised only briefly once you were reminded that the Spanish side have won two of the last three Europa League/Uefa Cups and are more than likely to be playing Champions League football next season.
Any team looking to raise their profile in Europe, and backed with a large sum of expendable cash, would be looking to players like Suarez. Considering Liverpool’s current position in English football and their chances of Champions League football next season being slim to none, wouldn’t a move to the Vicente Calderon be seen as a step up for the Uruguayan?
Atletico’s reported interest should be taken as seriously as Chelsea’s relentless pursuit of Falcao. Any sale of the Colombian hit man will bring in a profit, even from the 40 million euros they paid Porto for his services last year. And with Atletico’s history of replacing big names with other’s of similar stature (Diego Forlan for Fernando Torres, Radamel Falcao for Sergio Aguero), should a move for Suarez be seen as totally unrealistic?
That’s not to suggest Liverpool will even entertain the idea of moving on their star player. At the moment, it’s hard to think of a more important and influential figure at any other club in the Premier League. Were it not for Suarez, Liverpool would certainly be hovering just above or even in the relegation zone. For that, his price is certainly more than the reported £40 million.
But for most sections of supporters up and down the country, it has become fashionable to boo Suarez. His reputation certainly warrants it, but it seems as though English football has always needed a pantomime villain, from Cristiano Ronaldo to Liverpool’s striker now. The most pleasing aspect for Liverpool, however, is that Suarez has been able to remain productive and at the height of his game even with the constant taunts and boos. You’ve only got to wonder how much more effective the player would be with a stronger cast around him.
The debate as to whether Suarez was a great goal scorer or a scorer of great goals was one which raised the heat in the Soccer Saturday studio. The player has indeed missed a great deal of chances this season, and Liverpool certainly would have been higher up the league table had the player converted a greater percentage of his opportunities in front of goal. Regardless, it shouldn’t take away from what an outstanding player he is and can be when he’s at his most dangerous. Even with a Liverpool side who at times can look lifeless and well below par, Suarez is able to emerge from the disappointment of his surrounding teammates and produce moments of threatening brilliance.
Followers of La Liga would undoubtedly love to see what the Uruguayan can offer in Spain. It’s a league where the high-profile attackers are favoured and protected far more than in England, and there’s no question that his style of play would be a perfect marriage for the greater level of technical quality on offer in Spanish football.
But the question as to whether the player would be driven out of England due to his reputation is one that might not hold much water—at the very least, it shouldn’t be something in the mind of a player who has so far battled well against the sea of hate of English football fans.
Ronaldo was never driven out of England, rather it was a desire to play for Real Madrid which forced Manchester United to part with the forward. For Suarez, maybe similar circumstances could see him swap Anfield for La Liga.
But while his role in English football is important—again, he’s a player who people love to hate—the Premier League should be striving to retain players of his ability. His reputation for diving shouldn’t be one of the primary go-to references whenever something negative needs to be said about the player. This nonsense idea that it’s a ‘continental’ or ‘foreign’ trait needs to be done away with. Look to the many British players who continue to use this act of deception on an almost weekly basis, and try not to use Suarez’s face as a the slogan for all that as wrong with football in this country.
The incident with Patrice Evra is a disappointing knock on an excellent player’s reputation, but it doesn’t hide the fact that almost any club in England would love to have the opportunity of securing his services for a fee similar to what Liverpool paid for him in January of last year.
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From Atletico’s point of view, it only seems natural to go after a player like Suarez; someone who could go some way to replicating the success and goals that Falcao has thus far brought Los Colchoneros. With the money available to them following the hypothetical sale of Falcao (and that’s how it should be seen for now), the Liverpool owners may be only too willing to cash in and bring in a sum that Atletico may be willing to pay.
However, even with Liverpool’s need to climb up to their previous standing in the Premier League, Suarez has shown 100 per cent commitment to the club. When it’s been easy to express a desire to move away, he’s remained loyal to the club and continues to put in performances of the highest standard.
For now, the Premier League should continue to enjoy the footballing side of one of the best imports in recent years. It will, however, be a damn shame if the spite of English football pushes the player out the door. Suarez has kept a cool head thus far, but how many more months of taunts will it take until he finally decides he’s had enough?
Tottenham are said to be considering a serious approach for Ajax playmaker Christian Eriksen in the January transfer window, the London Evening Standard understand.
Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas is a huge admirer of the much coveted Denmark international and has been alerted to his possible availability after he declined to sign a new contract in Holland.
The 20-year-old’s contract will expire at the end of next season and the Eredivisie giants are now pondering whether to cash in and sell him now rather than let him run down his current deal and leave on a free transfer.
It’s believed that Eriksen’s future was discussed in the summer while the two clubs finalised Jan Vertonghen’s move to White Hart Lane and, although Ajax were unwilling to let him leave at the time, circumstances have changed with reports suggesting a £20million will be enough to prise him away from the Amsterdam Arena.
Despite a usually frugal approach in the winter window Tottenham are prepared to put their cheque book through its paces in the New Year as Villas-Boas looks to strengthen his squad along with his chances of leading the club back into the Champions League this season and keeping Gareth Bale in North London.
Shakhtar Donetsk striker Willian remains a prominent name on his transfer wish list, but the Portuguese coach may have to wait until the summer as the Ukrainian outfit believe keeping the 24-year-old Brazilian international significantly boosts their chances of winning Europe’s elite club competition.
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Javier Hernandez believes he can still improve, and is happy to fight for his place in the Manchester United team after being left out of Sundays win over Liverpool.
The 24-year-old Mexican striker was overlooked for the 2-1 Premier League victory, which may have come as a surprise due to his excellent contribution over United’s busy festive period of fixtures, scoring three times in two starts.
However he has expressed his desire to improve and fight for his place in Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, telling the clubs official website, “I’m not saying I’m the perfect player.”
“I am always looking to improve my game, whether that’s my play outside the box or also inside it.
“I still think there is work for me to do. But the reason I want to improve is so that I can help the team.
“It’s not just that I want to score more goals. It’s a group sport and so I want to do what I can to help the team get the right results every week,” he said.
Hernandez arrived at Old Trafford in 2010 and enjoyed a hugely successful debut season scoring 20 goals in all competitions for the Red Devils.
His second season however wasn’t so spectacular due to a number of injuries and the form of England international Danny Welbeck.
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So far this campaign, he has scored eight league goals in just under seven games worth of football, with Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney being Ferguson’s first choice strike pairing.
For all the various reasons that existed within Tottenham Hotspur’s decision to sell Rafael van der Vaart last summer, regardless of what the Dutchman could do on the pitch, supporters simply didn’t want to see him leave North London.
Of course, the now Hamburg-man’s eclectic range of attacking skills was always likely to leave a gaping hole in this Spurs side, but it was in his passion, his desire and the way that he played the game, that supporters were really loathsome to see him head for the exit door.
Although while it may be very early days within the Tottenham career of one Lewis Holtby, there’s a sneaking suspicion that not only has the club managed to replace the No10-like presence it’s been missing since Van der Vaart left the club – they may have also found a new fan favourite, too.
With Holtby only three games into his Spurs career, it’d be premature to label him as much more than an incredibly promising talent within Andre Villas-Boas’ side. In both the games against Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion, the young German changed the game with his bursts of sharp movements and incisive one and two-touch passing.
But it was within his home debut during the weekend’s 2-1 victory against Newcastle United, that supporters were really given a taste of what Holtby’s made of.
His process to acclimatization within this league won’t happen overnight and although he perhaps wasn’t firing on all cylinders against Alan Pardew’s side, the home crowd was treated to a magnificent display of effort from the 22-year-old. Holtby’s work ethic was there for all to see and the former Schalke-man ran his socks off before being replaced by Emmanuel Adebayor for the last 20 minutes.
Certainly, for all his wonderful goals in a Spurs shirt, Van der Vaart wasn’t exactly renowned for his tireless shifts on a matchday. If nothing else, Holtby offers a little more graft in attack for Villas-Boas’ side.
But every team needs a bit of character and since Van der Vaart departed, who can’t help that with him went a little bit of this team’s heart and aggression. It’s not an observation that all may agree with, nor is it one that would seem visibly apparent to the neutral.
But during your London derbies and your fixtures against the league’s biggest teams, Van der Vaart was always the man the White Hart Lane support would look to for a spot of inspiration and a dashing of passion. When he scored, he’d celebrate every goal as if it was his last and subsequently, you have to go as far back as perhaps David Ginola to find the last time supporters celebrated a foreign import in quite the same way.
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First and foremost, Holtby is always going to be judged on what he contributes with the ball at his feet, not his theatrics once the ball has gone in the back of the net. But in his short time at Spurs he’s endeared himself to supporters simply by showing that Van der Vaart-like youthful enthusiasm for the game. When Gareth Bale fired Spurs ahead against West Bromwich Albion recently, Holtby could be seen hunched over the advertising hoardings screaming as if he was part of the travelling party at the Hawthorns. It might not seem like much, but you can’t help but feel sometimes there isn’t enough of that within this Spurs side.
And as we approach the looming North London derby next month, it seems poignant that the recent comparisons between Holtby and Van der Vaart have taken such prominence in recent weeks.
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It would be foolish to claim that the Dutchman breathed new life into the first fixture that Tottenham fans look for when the list is released, but Van der Vaart did all he could to make that game his own during his stay in N17. His goal record against the Gunners certainly helped endear himself to the fans, but it was the little things, too, that made such a difference.
Be it putting his finger to his mouth in a silencing motion in front of the away support or simply not being afraid to fly into a meaty tackle, Van der Vaart came alive during his North London derbies and you got the impression he knew what it meant to the fans. Within Holtby, you get the feeling he’s not a million miles away in character.
Most importantly, Lewis Holtby needs to be producing the goods within matches, before he can think about endearing himself to fans in the same way Van Der Vaart did. After all, the Dutchman’s popularity with fans stemmed from the fact he was a superb footballer with a wonderful habit of scoring big goals in important matches. Holtby may play in a similar position, but as more of an architect than a goalscorer, we might not see him wheel away in celebration quite as many times as what Van der Vaart did.
But with two London derbies coming up in successive league games, Holtby has the chance to show us what he’s made of in handling the pressure cooker that both matches will bring. There will only ever be one Rafael van der Vaart, but should Lewis Holtby play with even half of the heart, style and passion that Van der Vaart brought to N17, then you can expect the current adulation thrown his way to last a very long time to come.
Summary: Aston Villa scored twice in the final three minutes to earn a rare away victory that lifts them out of the relegation zone and increases Stoke’s own relegation worries. Gabriel Agbonlahor fired Villa into the lead early onand they lead until Michael Kightly levelled with 10 minutes left. But in a frantic finale to the game Matthew Lowton restored the visitors’ lead with a brilliant goal before Christan Benteke wrapped up the win in stoppage time.
Stoke City 1-3 Aston Villa: Key moments
Two minutes: Stoke have a penalty shout turned down by referee Mark Clattenburg after Jon Walters’ cross appears to strike the arm of Aston Villa defender Nathan Baker.
Nine minutes: GOAL! Lowton combines with Jordan Bowery down the right flank and picks out Agbonlahor, who rolls the ball into the net at the second attempt after his intial effort is blocked.
Thirty minutes: Villa threaten again and Weinmann is a post widths away from doubling his sides advantage. Some neat build-up play sees the ball find its way to the Austrian attacker only for his low side-footed effort to rebound back off the woodwork.
HALF TIME
Eightieth minute: EQUALISER! Salvation for Stoke as substitute Kightly slams home from 12-yards after being played through by fellow sub Charlie Adam following his exchange with Walters.
Eighty seventh minute: GOAL! It’s heartbreak for the home supporters as Lowton puts Villa back into the lead with a contender for Goal of the Season. Bringing a cleared corner under control with his chest the defender hammers a stunning 30-yard volley past Asmir Begovic and into the top corner.
Ninetieth minute:GOAL! Thats the game wrapped up for Villa. As Stoke push forward in search of an equaliser Benteke springs clear and profits from the gaping holes at the back and finish past Begovic and ensure Paul Lambert’s men will end the day outside the bottom three.
Good day for….Matthew Lowton: It was an excellent afternoon for young full back as he capped off a solid defensive performance with a wonder strike that effectively won the game for Villa.
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Bad day for….Matthew Etherington: By contrast this was one to forget for the veteran winger who was hauled off at half time following an under-par first 45 minutes.
Tony Pulis said…”It is important we stay in the Premier League. We need a point a game and it is important the lads stay confident. We have United, Tottenham, Norwich at home and then tough games away from home too. We have played well away so it is a good test for everyone at the football club now.”
Paul Lambert said…”It was thoroughly deserved. We looked terrific from the off. I thought we defended really strongly and football-wise I thought we were excellent. Every time we went forward I thought we looked threatening.”