Michael Carrick: Simple but Effective

Since joining twitter last summer, one of the main things that have struck me from United fans is the split opinion on Michael Carrick. Apart from the odd “Where is Ravel Morrison” tweet, Michael Carrick always seems to spark debate with many obviously not being fans of his ‘simple but effective’ style.

Before I mean to go on, I am a Carrick fan. Back in the ’08 season I even had Carrick on the back of my shirt and I’ve always admired his composure on the ball and the ability to pick a short pass rather than the Scholesy sixty yard switch. I’ve always been someone that doesn’t go down the mainstream route of adoring Rooney/Ronaldo which is probably the reason why I support the lesser known players such as Carrick, Gabriel Obertan and even Kiko Macheda.

Carrick for me is a deep lying playmaker (sorry for the Football Manager terminology) that can pick a pass and can keep the move flowing, his ability to not be forced into playing the Hollywood ball I find an asset that some don’t admire. Now 30, this for Carrick isn’t a major issue due to his play style; he has started to gain some plaudits and in particularly from Sir Alex Ferguson who described Michael as “outstanding” after his in my opinion, man of the match performance against Swansea where Michael completed 92/96 passes.

Carrick is someone that also hasn’t been recognised in terms of International level with Michael collecting just twenty-two caps due to Gerrard and Lampard’s dominance which is odd because Carrick against European opposition is excellent. In a European game you normally end up with more time on the ball, something that suites Michael down to the ground. In the Premier League you’re hassled and are hunted in packs which could be a reason why Michael has started a large majority of Champions League games since his arrival.

One thing Michael lacks is aggression but in my view that could be solved with the people around him. Many suggest Michael passes just back-wards and side-wards, well; Michael has played 2.6x more forward passes than backwards + sideways combined. With that in mind, with a more tenacious midfielder beside him, Carrick could easily do the ‘Modric style’ job but from a deeper position/

Michael certainly isn’t any Iniesta or Xavi but I still think he has a place in the England team and certainly a place in the United team for years to come. His experience is invaluable for the likes of Cleverley and Pogba and his tactical knowledge is far superior to other members in the squad. Hopefully this hasn’t come across as a love letter to Michael Carrick but I do feel a little bit of recognition is in order.

Thanks for reading,

TFL.

Gabriel Obertan - Now on Tyneside

Admittedly my guilty pleasure within football, Gabriel Obertan’s move to Newcastle United has certainly given Gabby a platform for first team football but his raw talent was never enough to establish a first team place at Manchester United. Under new Newcastle manager Alan Pardew, Gabriel has established a first team place with fellow Frenchmen Hatem Ben Arfa now in a slightly more central role to accommodate Gabby.

His £3 million move to Tyneside was a shock for some United fans with many feeling a loan move being far more beneficial. Manchester United fans would probably struggle to think of many memories of Obertan’s short stay but for me, the goal against Bursaspor and the brief cameo against Wolfsburg typifies what Obertan can offer. His lighting pace and direct style is a threat for any full back (just ask Patrice Evra who struggled against him on Saturday.) One thing lacking from Obertan’s play is a final product, but saying that, his delivery for Demba Ba’s goal against Stoke showed that Obertan is clearly working on his game with Obertan earning some plaudits for a pleasant change. Another criticism has been Obertan’s balance, even I can’t figure why Obertan seems to spend a lot of time on his arse after running 30 metres.

Back in August I wrote a piece on Gabby and I wanted to outline some quotes that may now come slightly more applicable. I described Gabby as a “raw talent that needs fine tuning” which I certainly stand by today; his game is obviously improving as in a course of three months he has played thirteen times for Newcastle (including a nasty toe infection which left Gabby absent for several weeks) whereas in his two-year spell at Manchester United, he played just twenty-eight times which was mostly against measly opposition in the League Cup or on tour in places such as America where Gabby excelled at times.

Making his debut against Arsenal back in August, Obertan has since become a first team regular under Pardew’s new French revolution at the Sports Direct Arena. Already describing Newcastle as a “big club “when he joined, the fans haven’t got fully behind Gabby like others but when I heard a Gabriel Obertan song busted out against Stoke City, it was a proud moment for my ‘guilty pleasure.’ I must say, in all times I’ve sprung up a conversation on Obertan, he is always described as “that clown with a big head” so it is nice to see that the Newcastle fans are showing some passion towards him.

In the next few months it is paramount for Obertan to get a good run of games as he seems a player that thrives on confidence, only last week he said “confidence was quite high at the moment” a possible reason for a string of good performances? I’m not going to sit here and say Obertan has set the world on fire with Messi esque performances but it seems now he is contributing to the team and it is only a matter of time before Obertan gets his first goal for the club. Lets all hope it comes this weekend against Chelsea where Gabriel will really fancy himself against a ragged back-four with a home crowd roaring him and the rest of the Newcastle lads on.  

Thanks for reading,

 TFL

Frustrating.

Frustrating, the perfect word to describe Manchester United’s recent performances. The 1-1 draw to Newcastle earlier this afternoon outlined several issues that need to be addressed if there is any chance that United can win the league. Four points behind ‘noisy neighbours’ turned serious title challengers Manchester City, United’s free flowing game has taken a battering ironically after the 6-1 drubbing to City.

Since then, United have reacted well, especially defensively.  Since that game in late October, United have conceded just three in seven games (and one of them was a penalty I won’t get into.) This has mainly been down to the return of Nemanja Vidic who has certainly solidified the back four. A problem being is who will be the main centre back partnership? Having statistically the best goalkeeper in the league in David de Gea, the constant switch in the partnership in front of him is a leading factor into some shaky defensive performances. Saying that, when Vidic plays, United look at ease.

A major pitfall (according to many fans I hear the brunt of in the twitter world) is the lack of midfield authority. It isn’t like United don’t have creativity, only this afternoon United had 29! efforts on goal. I personally think we don’t need a Modric style player (even though I’d happily take Gotze) I think United need a midfield enforcer, someone who can break the play up with a bit of bite in midfield. This would free up the likes of Tom Cleverley and Michael Carrick who can disperse the ball out wide into Nani and Young who overall this season have looked threatening.

Many names have been chucked around but for me it would have to be Cheick Tiote from Newcastle. Even though small in frame, his tenacious style has certainly caught the eye. A possible problem is Tiote’s inability to stay out of the referee’s notebook. Collecting 14 yellow cards last season, Tiote is someone who doesn’t fuck about when it comes to challenges. Another problem will be Tiote probably won’t sign in January with the African Cup of Nations starting on the 21^st of January. Some positives? Tiote has openly admitted that he wants Champions League football and his price tag/wage demands wouldn’t be Sneijder esque.

As well as a new midfielder, a tinker into the back four is needed. Referring back to this afternoon, Gabriel Obertan gave Patrice Evra a run-around. Describing Evra as a “liability” earlier today, I certainly stand by that. Patrice on form can be the best left-back in the world but the thirty year old Frenchman hasn’t had the best of seasons. The modern day winger seems to be much more direct than in recent years, something Patrice can struggle with. Patrice’s pace is certainly a strength but recently he seems to have lost a yard (or maybe the wingers have just got equally as fast) meaning his positioning has to be spot on. Patrice is a typical modern full-back with arguably a more attacking emphasis to his play. Because of this, his positioning isn’t the greatest, normally leading to a winger launching themselves down the by-line, whipping in a half-decent cross which Vidic deals with. That doesn’t sound a massive travesty but he is the weak link in the current United side, not the central midfield.

Fabio can certainly fill the left-back role but isn’t that just like for like? I’d like to see a slightly more defensively minded full back. Someone who can still deal with a pacey winger but someone who can stay in position and not get caught ball watching. Left-back is a position that isn’t exactly filled with much talent but I’d like to see Fryers given a go. Fryers has impressed me in his few appearances and also, he can fill in at centre-back if called upon.

  

Sir Alex has already instigated that they’ll be no signings this January and I fully expect that to be the case. A positive to take out of the first few months of the season is that we are within touching distance with the strongest part of the season still to come. Also, City now have a tough few games what’ll be a massive test for the newcomers in terms of title ‘winners.’ We certainly have the squad to win the Premier League but we do need City to slip up, which will happen. They won’t go the season unbeaten (famous last words.) United certainly have the ability to retain the title but with this new lack of ruthlessness in front of goal and a knack of picking up injuries when things are going well, it’ll be slightly more difficult than what we all thought in mid September. If recent performances are to go by, United still can grind out results. Can City win when their backs are against the wall? We’ll find out by May.

Thanks for reading,

TFL.

Euro 2012: Qualified but Mentally Defeated

After securing qualification in a heated Montenegro last week, you’d think us England fans would be delighted. Wayne Rooney again took the headlines from a spirited first-half performance. His petulance and quite frankly immaturity were all to be seen, but the signs were they’re beforehand Fabio, weren’t they?

The sudden reality of losing our star player as well as seeing the opponents in front of us have given England a reality check. The days of expecting to win every game and whitewash the opposition is no more. I think the best club comparison is Newcastle. The fans are fantastic; the players have ability but can’t produce on the big stage. The expectation is huge but with no chemistry, they can’t deliever.

Moving on from a dreary introduction, how can we line-up without the talisman that is Wayne Rooney? Is a quarter-final penalty shootout heartbreak a success story this time? Time will tell. Building for Rio 2014 should also be prominent in Fabio’s mind. What better time to introduce the likes of Cleverley, Jones, Wilshere and Smalling into tournament football.

Starting off with the goalkeeper, is there anyone else than Joe Hart? I wouldn’t say Joe is a great keeper, I’d say he is very over-rated but in terms of England goalkeepers, he has the potential to be one of the best ever. I’m sure David Stockdale will get his annual England call-up for a holiday abroad and hopefully Ben Foster will renter the England fray.

Moving onto right-back where competition is stiff. A Manchester United legend in Gary Neville used to patrol the right-back slot and safe to say another United player will take over. Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are both firm favourites to take over. Personally. I’d love to see Micah Richards get the place and move both Smalling and Jones into the central defence. (This is mainly due to my personal grudge over John Terry. Sorry John, but I think you and Rio have now past it on the international scene.)

Two positions done, 9 to go. Like the goalkeeper, the left-back role is dominated by one player. With over 90 caps with England, Ashley is one of the few “experienced” players that could last another tournament or two. If injured, the next best bet will be fellow international Leighton Baines. Interestingly enough, I’d like to see how Kyle Walker would get on at left-back as I don’t think he’ll make the cut at his preferred right-back.

 Now the centre-backs. Previously I’ve already stated my desire for Smalling and Jones to dictate them roles. Fabio may stay with Cahill and Terry but Montenegro did expose the vulnerability of the defence. In times like this, we need a leader. Can anyone still respect John Terry after his past? Saying that, can a 19 year old lad from Blackburn gain the respect? In my opinion, I’d give the captaincy to one of the two defensive midfielders in this 4-2-3-1 formation.

My captain would be the unsung hero in Scott Parker. Playing on the right of the two defensive midfielders, Scott has the ability and the attitude to lead the team to Poland/Ukraine. I’d play him alongside Wilshere (if fit.) If Wilshere is still having injury problems, Gareth Barry can always fill in after some consistent performances this year. Another name that could make it is Owen Hargreaves; depending on appearances and like Jack, can he keep fit?


On the right of the three would for me be Adam Johnson. AJ doesn’t seem to fit with the Fabio regime. Capello prefers Downing as his left-footed winger. Theo Walcott also starts games on the right but we’ll get to him later. A problem with AJ is that he won’t play week in week out for Manchester City. An England international really wants to be playing most weeks if not, every week of the season.

The central role is for the forgotten man; Steven Gerrard. Returning to action against Brighton, the road to full recovery for Steve is nearly complete. We will get a better understanding on where Steve is against Man United this weekend. As well as Steve, we also have another experienced pro in Frank Lampard and the up and coming Tom Cleverley who is yet to play for England.

Another impressive performance against Montenegro has surely set Ashley Young a certain start on the left-hand side of the three. Cutting in on his favoured right is an additional threat. Another reason on why I would like AJ on the right.

So, who replaces Wayne? Darren Bent will be the man to probably fit the bill but I’d like to see Theo Walcott play down the middle. Theo has openly admitted to wanting to play in a more central role and there’s no better chance to test this out in the friendly’s v Spain and Portugal. Other contenders could be Daniel Sturridge, Jermaine Defoe and even Michael Owen. For extra height, Andy Carroll and Peter Crouch are also options.

If you’re too lazy to read that, here is my line-up.

Hart
Richards/Johnson – Smalling/Terry – Jones – Cole/Walker/Baines
Parker – Wilshere/Barry
A Johnson/Downing – Gerrard/Lampard/Cleverley – Young
Walcott/Bent

Fifa 12 Review or Fifa 13 Preview? – VP and Clubs Part 1

With Fifa 12 having such a broad nature about it, I’ve decided not to necessarily review the whole game in one solid piece. The title also indicates that this isn’t just me reviewing the game; I also want to put across what I’d like to see in future FIFA’s. I’ve had the game for a few weeks now and I feel it’s time to talk about some major and minor issues the game has. Hopefully I can send this to a other well known ‘reviewers’ as well as some EA guys as I know Romily Broad loves to read some community articles etc.

I thought I’d start with someone that hasn’t been mentioned at all. I’ve looked around and seen nothing about the whole VP system. Virtual Pro is a massive feature for me but it also seems quite an untapped market for FIFA players. I’m a big fan of the clubs mode which really ties into the VP system; I’m only 50% through this year but the tedious, repetitive nature has now got to me.

I wasn’t expecting anything drastically different but only a few extra accomplishments and oh... pants for my goalkeeper. That it? As stated before, I know they haven’t gone down this particular route this year so I’m going to chuck a few ideas out there that can revolutionise FIFA 13.  

Lets start with the traits. As you are fully aware, they’re no new traits this year which has really got to me. A major disappointment is only three goalkeeping traits. I generally feel this can be massively updated. If you’re an acrobatic keeper, I’d love some type of special punch trait or something that would really identify you as an acrobatic keeper. The traits should really blend with the play style of your pro. I’d like to see the ability to push the ball around the post (I know you can do this but with an acrobatic keeper; the trait could give that extra incentive for the pro to dive that little further.)

If you’re defensive midfielder I’d like to see a crunching tackle trait or even take engine and move them to the traits section. This could completely eradicate pointless ones like long throw and fancy passes. Flair can easily be both fancy passes/flicks rolled into one. The long throw is useless in the game. In real life the long throw for Stoke is massively effective. So why not in Fifa can I have custom throw-ins? I’d like one of my guys in front of the keeper; so he can’t just run out and collect the ball. Rory Delap has a mixture of flat and floating deliveries... why can’t that be implemented?

I’ve not really gone into major detail about what specific traits I’d like to see, if you want me to carry on with that then I’ll put in another article. Staying with VP, I’ll move onto clubs. I know that it was all about the servers this year and connection improvements (still hasn’t been totally fixed, seem to get lag in certain games, not my connection, may be an issue with the frame rate?) but there always seems to be something missing.

Firstly, fantastic job with the new AI. Brilliant. The only shame is hardly anyone uses an ANY in clubs, something that IMO needs to be addressed. Leaving the defensive work to the computer and bashing A for the ball is pointless and rather annoying to play against. So, I’d like to see either any be a position that HAS to be used. Or, it doesn’t have to be used if 1. Both CB roles are filled and 2. If it is 11 v 11 (obviously.)

I’d like the progressive nature of my club to be noticed. If I’m a 2k point club and I have an away game at the O Dromo, I want to know I’m in for a hard game. For this to happen, I’d like to see real players being able to be bought at set levels. I know they’re 1000’s of players and Fifa and this could be a tedious programme of what players to pick but I’ll give you an example.

Lets use the UT coins system. You’ve hit level 10 as a club. As a reward, you can select one or 2 players but obviously in return for your coins. This would also fix people constantly re-starting new clubs (something people that play it ‘competitively’ can get ratty about.) Lets make this clear, I’m not saying you can get Messi for your club straight away.

If you’re a team who has played a massive amount of games, have a terrific stadium, won a massive amount of games and have won cups along the way, that is something that would appeal to the likes of Lionel Messi. Being part of a club is all about managing it but with clubs, it is just playing games and after a while, becomes very repetitive. If you don’t want to go down the real players’ route, the AI could upgrade (like they’ve hit their potential in career mode.)

 

Another thing I’d like to see introduced is custom kits and badges. The whole point of clubs is to start a new club right with your mates? Why am I restricted to choosing kits that other clubs use? I know this has been on a wish list for a while now and hopefully it can be added. As well as custom kits, do I dare say custom stadiums? (maybe I’m dreaming now.)

 

Before I go, what about Ultimate Team clubs? That is a discussion for another time.

Thanks for reading!

Appsolutely Mayhem

This article isn’t about the basics of the Web App failure, if you don’t know anything about the Fifa 12 Ultimate Team Web App, you may as well not read the rest of this. Firstly, I want to put this in a positive light so I’ll start with a negative first, better to end on a positive, isn’t it?

After being a loyal customer for all these years now, I’m going to defend EA as I can honestly I’ve overall had an enjoyable experience playing EA Sports games, there may have been moments where I didn’t enjoy it but I can honestly say I’ve never said the words “EA IS JUST S***.” (Something a few of the community love to say.)

The only negative I will point out is the irony on how the EA Servers will be reliable this year. We all know there have been problems but with the lack of new features for the online modes, and first impressions indicate that the servers won’t be in tip-top shape, doubts are creeping in. I’m not a server expert but surely the game servers are different to the ones on the app, I’m sure someone will correct me on that and can elaborate on the server issue. A positive from this is that the Fifa community is clearly growing as well as the amount of people working on the game.

You may say people are doing a bad job but put yourself in their shoes, can you do what they do? No, I don’t think the majority can. Without them, Fifa wouldn’t be what it is today (waits for sarcastic comments about how “S***” it is,) the awards Fifa get speaks for itself and to doubt the staff, the people who work for your entertainment is just idiotic. If you can prove that you can do better, hand in your CV to them and see how far it gets you.

I’ve been seeking many more questions than answers so I found myself using the EA forums again. The only answer I got was the average age of a Fifa player must be about 9. This takes me back to the Fifa community is clearly growing, well I don’t necessarily see that being solely being from the game being as good as it is. I’m not going to name names but I am going to blame some of the Youtube Stars for this. You know who they are, who do that type of thing, some are great and have a great understanding, and the others are simply jumping on the bandwagon, bringing their clueless, immature subscribers with them.

Now I move onto how we can fix the predicament we’re in. Firstly, I think bringing some of the more mature Fifa community (some of the bloggers like FifaSoccerBlog etc) more control. Not necessarily saying they should make the game but I feel they could bring a whole new dimension to Fifa as they know what we want. I know some of them are “gamechangers” but they could do more if allowed?

Secondly, I wouldn’t give a release day to the app. Sounds strange I know but the problem was the amount of people that tried to get on the app, so why don’t they just make sure it is 100% complete before release? Gamechangers could get exclusive access and give their feedback, increasing the chances of an app being released on time. The initial rush of people on there won’t be as high but the news the app being open would spread like wildfire, just a suggestion.

Lastly, to complete the trinity of renovations, I would also charge. This may sound again stupid but to get rid of the idiots, charge a small sum. If you have the season ticket then you can get it for free, it’s just another way to get rid of the immaturity and probably a fair bit of the scams that involve UT. I’m not going to mention how I’d improve the app anymore; you’re probably thinking “what an idiot.”

I now move onto on what I’d do in the next few days before release. Starting with the daily gifts, I’d scrap the bid tokens. All web app users should be given 100 bid tokens from the start; the gifts should be the mini packs or a small amount of coins, nothing major but a nice addition. Talking about packs, I’d also reduce the price of them until release. This is only due to the amount of players on the market and also, it is another incentive to use the app.

Putting both together, I know it is a free app and the moaning is completely idiotic but it would nice if we could get maybe a bit of a prize for being patient about the delay. I’m going to suggest an extra free players pack but take away the free daily gifts. My initial thoughts is that would be a good idea but again, someone will probably correct me.

Overall, I’m honestly not fussed on the state of the web app; I’m more bothered about the community. I actually hate using the word community but you kind of have to in this situation. I hope you’ve enjoyed my suggestions as well as a positive way of looking at things.

 

Thanks for reading,

Brad Harper.

Reflecting - Deadline Day.

The window may be shut but there’s still time to reflect on yesterday’s events. Don’t expect this to be the usual stereotypical blog, there will be grammatical errors, this is me reflecting on yesterday and to do that, I don’t want to ‘fine tune’ the article afterwards, so, lets begin with the start of the day.

As a Manchester United fan, I’m going to start off with my own particular club, if you don’t want to read about Sneijder, skip the next few paragraphs. The word I’d use on the possibility of the deal for me was optimistic. The twitter rumour mill was in full flow with mainly, a split opinion. Some say the deal was on, and others said it was off, as simple as that. With the deal being “dead” I was surprised when Sky Sports News (who I’ll get onto later) said they had “exciting news for Manchester United fans.”

Twitter went into turmoil, we were all on the edge of our seats, and even the neutrals were slightly excited. SSN are usually very good when it comes to transfers, knowing deals and normally confirming the deals on the programme.  This has changed this year. Twitter has simply ruined SSN, even though the confirmation and the reliability of SSN is so much greater than twitter, they narrow down the good from the crap, but this year, SSN fell for the crap.

Now, time to rant. Why the hell are you giving us this “exciting news” if you don’t even know it yourself? It took you 3 hours just say “there’s nothing new on Wesley Sneijder” Why? Why did it take that long, that’s pathetic. You gave so many false hope yesterday, including me, for what? I later found out it was the “excitable presenters fault” erm, no it wasn’t. You fell for a twitter rumour, you announced it to the viewers, you built it up “will Wesley Sneijder come to Manchester United, or not coming up next.” Those were the words of Hayley McQueen, one of the presenters. I’m not blaming her, someone should of told them that they’re not 100% sure that this is concrete information, she was in the loop as much as anyone.

I can fully accept you got it wrong, it happens, you even fell for a fake Stewart Downing twitter account over James Milner, and again, nothing happened after that. Surely, if you’ve given false (quite major) information, you should apologise, live on TV. No, they didn’t do that, they just kept badgering on about Cameron Jerome to Stoke, which they announced about an hour earlier.  I, as well as others, were pissed off and quite frankly have received quite a lame excuse back, an apology would be nice.

Sneijder didn’t come but they were other signings and I don’t want to bother you about the saga anymore, that’s the last of it from me, I promise. Now, I don’t want to talk in a very analytical view on each clubs signings, so, I’ll just mention a few. Firstly, Arsenal.

Speaking to fans before, and after the deadline, it seems a flash of realism has struck them. Losing such key figureheads in their previous side has seriously dampened the mood at Arsenal, and everyone knew they’d be busy. For me, they didn’t sign enough, they never were as Wenger left it too late. Arsenal haven’t got a top 4 squad anymore, replacing Fabregas and Nasri was always going to be hard but Arteta can’t fill both players roles, they struggled for goals before he arrived, now, it’ll be even harder. They may have more experienced leaders on the pitch but with these players, a new philosophy of play is in order. Mertesacker is a great signing, he’ll deal with the physical side of the Premier League, standing at 6ft 6, and it’ll be key how he and Vermaelen link together, and they could be a fantastic defensive partnership. Also, they brought in Santos, a left back who similarly to Clichy, is a bit suspect at the back. I think Arsenal fans shouldn’t expect an immediate good performance from the player but in time, he could be a great addition to the side, especially going forward.

Staying with the major clubs, we move onto Chelsea. I seem to get a lot of flak from their support so I’ll keep this short, why do I get flack? I just say it how it is, they aren’t as good as they once were, will struggle this year to beat the Manchester clubs. Meireles, really, that it? Mata is going to be a fantastic player, and in time, will bring out the best of Torres once again but only Meireles, they needed more, especially at the back, where they’ve looked suspect for several games now. They key to Chelsea is that they’ve got lucky, they’ve got 7 points in 3 games and they need to take that as a positive. A problem they will face is that teams will now feel they can take something from Stamford Bridge, they won’t just sit 11 behind the ball; I expect their home record not to be as great as it once was.

Moving onto to Stoke, one of the big spenders on deadline day. Personally, now, I feel they could do some real damage in the Premier League. The acquisition of Wilson Palacios is one of the signings of the summer, they’ve also strengthened at the back, increasing their strength in depth, something Arsenal, who I spoke about earlier, haven’t done. Stoke haven’t necessarily replaced players, they’ve just strengthen the side, in different areas. As well as Palacios and Jerome, they also brought Peter Crouch. The England international’s career has been on hold for a while, with Peter trying to revive his England career, I’m sure he’ll get plenty of chance at Stoke, expecting some big things from him this year.

Finally, I move onto new boys QPR. After a recent takeover, the signing of Joey Barton was the sign of things to come and deadline day didn’t disappoint the QPR faithful. Shaun Wright-Phillips was hotly tipped to join the London club and was again, one of the signings of the summer. As well as the tricky winger, they’ve also reassured the back four with the additions of Luke Young and Anton Ferdinand. The signings they’ve made may take them away from relegation but what will be interesting is how the ego’s of the club cope with the manager, if they clash, there’s always the risk of a backlash.

The last few days may of set the future for your clubs season but you can’t forget there’s still another chance in January to finalise your squad. The key from now to then is to keep players fit, it could be an even longer few months if your captain or key player gets injured, as well as that, winning games normally helps, doesn’t it?

 Signing of the Summer: Shay Given
Biggest Winner: Stoke
Biggest Loser: Everton
Biggest Disappointment: Tottenham
Biggest Twat: Owen Hargreaves

 

Thanks for reading the blog and also following me over the course of the summer, I, for one, will be staying on twitter and finally I can talk about football again. For me, I started Twitter with literally no “inside knowledge” of the game, just a passion and a decent understanding of Football. Over the last few weeks, I’ve spoken to some journalist and agents etc which has really helped. I want to become a Sports Journalist and this blog has slowly helped me along the way. I’m not ITK and never claimed to be so, if you followed me thinking I was going to give you some big exclusive, you followed the wrong guy.

Maybe in January, if I’m still talking to the right people as well as getting to know even more, I might have a few bits of information for you, but that’s the beauty of twitter, isn’t it?

Expect plenty of blogs in the future and I hope you’ve taken the time to read through this one, I’ve been “thefootylad” and I hope you’ve had a great summer.

Thanks for reading,

TFL.