All posts by h79snht.top

West Ham have made a statement of intent this transfer window that shows the rest of the footballing world that they mean to not only survive, but are striving to become a stable top 10 Premiership team with view of pushing for a European spot in the next few seasons.

Despite a tricky start to the season with two defeats and one win in three games, the mighty Hammers have come out all guns blazing in the transfer market which saw them sign nine new players.

When Sam Allardyce was appointed, he was given two things to achieve; get the Hammers promoted first time of asking, then keep them there while making sure they remain stable until they are due to move to the Olympic Stadium at the start of the 2016/2017 season. He has undoubtedly achieved this despite a lot of fans being unhappy with the style of football and some of the transfers he has made, namely Andy Carroll who signed injured and has had his appearances limited by injury ever since.

After last season’s poor showing in the Premier League, many fans were calling for the gaffer’s head because the team narrowly avoided relegation and played some very un-West Ham like football in the process with many believing that the club would be better off without Mr Allardyce at the helm for fear that it wouldn’t take much for the team to fall into the same dangerous pattern of poor runs and scrapping for survival. A crisis meeting was held by the directors of the club with certain changes put in place to ensure that the team would improve on results, style of football and the type of player recruited during the transfer window this summer; so an attacking coach was appointed in the shape of former player Teddy Sherringham and David Sullivan took charge of finding the right type of players to bring in during the summer’s spending on the understanding that the manger would play the new players in a new attacking and nice to watch system.

This has resulted in one of the best summer transfer windows that the Irons have seen in quite a few seasons now with a great mixture of young English talent, some great foreign imports and a few lower league gems all together vastly improved squad.

The likes of Kouyate ,Valencia, Zarate, Cresswell, Jenkinson, Poyet, Song, Sakho and Amalfitano have all been brought in and most of those are Sullivan signings, although I understand that Alex Song was pursued in secret by the manager for 6 weeks and he managed to pull it off just before the transfer window deadline, keeping it under wraps for most of the time to fend off competition from some of Europe’s bigger clubs. 

Hammers fans can expect a lot of good things to come from that group of players with Zarate already showing what he can do when given some space in front of goal with a 25 yard screamer against Palace on the second week of the season, Cresswell also showing that he is a very promising left back who has slotted in perfectly into the Premiership after coming up from Championship  club Ipswich, Poyet; the son of Gus Poyet also another Championship recruit from Charlton who won their player of the year award last season has shown some glimpses of good quality passing and confidence in the centre of midfield, Kouyate and Song are both really strong and talented defensive midfield players who will bring a lot of box to box play to the side, then you have World Cup star Valencia who scored all of his nation’s three goals in this summer’s competition.

Make no mistake, this Hammers team is a very big mixture or promising youth, great experience and vast amounts of talent that will give the opposition a lot to worry about and anything less than a top ten finish in May will be deemed a failure by the board. David Gold has also spoken about the summer’s spending saying “We have gone to the very limits. We have shown great ambition – it’s one of the best windows West Ham United Football club has ever achieved, this is not a squad built to survive – we are looking upwards and I hope we can even be thinking in terms of Europe for our last season at the Boleyn.” ( from his exclusive interview on Claret And Hugh)

If the manager gets his tactics right, and listens to the board, West Ham will have a great season, mark my words.

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Another great weekend of Premier League is upon us with some real corkers in store. Some of the games this weekend include, Liverpool v Hull, West Brom v Crystal Palace, QPR v Aston Villa, but the one that everyone will be watching is Manchester United v Chelsea.

Could United end Chelsea’s undefeated streak? Wll Balotelli finally score for Liverpool in the league? Find out here!

West Ham v Manchester City

Another early kick off for Manchester City as this time they travel to Upton Park to play West Ham. Last weekend the Citizens got a convincing 4-1 home win against Tottenham, but they struggled mid-week in the Champions League away against CSKA Moscow, picking up a 2-2 draw. The Hammers won’t be a walk over either as they have won three of their last four league games, which includes a win at home against Liverpool. City have kept a clean sheet in their last three matches against West Ham in all competitions, scoring 11 goals as well. Sam Allardyce’s side is much improved this season though, with Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia the real danger men to watch for the Hammers. City should walk away with the win.

Prediction: West Ham 1-2 Manchester City

Liverpool v Hull

Liverpool have got off to a poor start to the season considering their aspirations from last season. Last weekend, they just scraped out a 3-2 win against QPR, but mid-week in the Champions League, they lost 3-0 to a much more superior Real Madrid side. Despite his problems mid-week, Mario Balotelli is expected to start and The Reds need the Italian to start finding goals to move the team back up the table to where they want to be. Hull have only managed to keep two clean sheets this season so there might not be a better opportunity for the striker. Liverpool’s defence will have to keep tabs on The Tigers’ Abel Hernandez, who has scored twice in Hull’s last three league fixtures. This should be a close game with the home team just nicking it.

Prediction: Liverpool 3-2 Hull

Southampton v Stoke

High flyers Southampton host Stoke this weekend. Saints manager Ronald Koeman may want to name the same side which thrashed Sunderland 8-0 in their last fixture. Stoke have won two of their last three, which sees them sitting in mid-table, though they have won just once on the road in the league this season. The Potters are also undefeated in their last six matches against the Saints in all competitions, but with the current form of the home side there’s really only one winner in this tie.

Prediction: Southampton 3-0 Stoke

Sunderland v Arsenal

Sunderland manager Gus Poyet is likely to issue out a bunch of changes to his side after they were thrashed 8-0 by Southampton last time out. Vito Mannone’s spot in the team is under pressure after his performance last time out, with Costel Pantilimon on standby. Arsenal comeinto this fixture on a high after producing a comeback and win performance against Anderlecht mid-week in the Champions League. The Gunners still have problems at the back, and will want to eliminate any kind of 89th minute comeback in this fixture by getting and keeping the lead. Calum Chambers returns from suspension that kept him out last week, but Jack Wilshere is suspended. Arsenal have won their last three matches against Sunderland in all competitions and should pick up the win here as well.

Prediction: Sunderland 1-3 Arsenal

West Brom v Crystal Palace

After nearly picking up all three points against Manchester United on Monday, West Brom will have supreme confidence entering this fixture against Crystal Palace. The Eagles have lost just one of their last six visits to the Hawthorns, but only have one away league win to their name this season. Manager Neil Warnock will be out to secure a positive result as they look to secure their position in England’s top flight. The Baggies have form on their side and with the way their striker Saido Berahino is currently playing, they should win this game.

Prediction: West Brom 3-0 Crystal Palace

Swansea v Leicester

After a good start to the season, Swansea have failed to win a game in the league since the end of August when they beat West Brom 3-0 at home. What has gone wrong is not obvious and it is likely manager Garry Monk could make a few changes to the usual team, but they should be able to turn things around against Leicester this weekend. Leicester have lost twice and drawn once since their surprising 5-3 win over Manchester United in September. They have also only managed to score one away goal all season so this should be a nice easy win for The Swans.

Prediction: Swansea 3-0 Leicester

Burnley v Everton

Burnley are still searching for their first win this season as they welcome Everton to Turf Moor this weekend. After a slow start to the season, The Toffees look to be back at their best after a 3-0 victory against Aston Villa last time out. They’ll be aiming to win again this weekend as they look to climb back up the table, and will be thankful Seamus Coleman, James McCarthy and Ross Barkley have returned to help. Everton’s defence is improving and they should be able to hold out any attack by The Clarets.

Prediction: Burnley 0-3 Everton

Tottenham v Newcastle

Neither one of these sides are in the place in the league they want to be in. Tottenham sit in ninth, outside the European spots, whilst Newcastle is in a relegation spot in 18th. Spurs have been playing well in Europe as they won 5-1 over Asteras, and will be looking to bring this form to the league. Newcastle come off their first win of the season against Leicester last time out and will be hoping winning ways continue. The Magpies have failed to win their last nine away fixtures in the league, so Spurs should bag a victory in this game.

Prediction: Tottenham 2-0 Newcastle

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Manchester United v Chelsea

Manchester United hosts the undefeated Chelsea at Old Trafford for one of the most anticipated games of the weekend. The Pensioners’ star man Diego Costa is out and Loic Remy could be out as well, meaning Dider Drogba could play up front. Filipe Luis will make his first Premier League start at left-back, replacing the suspended Cesar Azpilicueta. Wayne Rooney is still out on suspension, and is the only major absentee at present for United. With problems at the back, you would expect Chelsea to be all over United on the score sheet, but without Diego Costa it might be a struggle. The Red Devils have also been too open in the midfield, so Cesc Fabregas, Oscar and Eden Hazard could have a field day with the ball. Chelsea will be looking to win to extend their lead at the top of the table, but United will be grabbing this game with both hands to move their way back to a Champions League spot. Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao will come alive in this game and win it for United in one of the most exciting games of the weekend.

Prediction: Manchester United 3-1 Chelsea

QPR v Aston Villa

Despite a defeat last time out against Liverpool, QPR should be confident they can come away with at least a point against Aston Villa. They caused The Reds real problems and could have won the game if it wasn’t for their two own goals. Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert will be worried as his side has scored none and conceded 11 in their last four matches. However, these games were against Everton, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Arsenal. They’ll be looking to rekindle their form from the start of the season, but a draw is on the cards for this game.

Prediction: QPR 2-2 Aston Villa

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Spurs have endured a topsy turvy 2014, with the fallout of the Andre Villas-Boas saga, Tim Sherwood’s gilet, Gareth Bale £100m-gate and ‘Mo PO’s’ early reign all major issues at White Hart Lane.

We’ve been following everything all the way through during 2014, sharing the good and bad times with Spurs fans… so here are five of the very best articles to look back at.

Tottenham’s dream midfield next season

Some have gone and others have emerged, but this midfield may well have a been a good one at ‘The Lane’.

Tottenham’s sixth-place finish is about right when wage bills are taken into account in the Premier League, but some at the club will feel disappointed that the £100million spent last summer couldn’t produce a title charge or at least a sustained challenge on one of the top four places.

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Are Spurs showing early signs of a top four team?

Things are clicking into place at Spurs right now, and we called it way back in August…

Last year’s mammoth summer of spending was seen to be the prelude to Tottenham once again claiming a spot in the top four of the Premier League and securing Champions League football.

It was the expectation laid at the door of Andre Villas-Boas by Daniel Levy, even with knowledge of Gareth Bale’s impending sale to Real Madrid. The arrivals, at least two of them tipped as stars of the future, were deemed enough to offset the Welshman’s departure and provide the quality throughout to see Spurs become a Champions League club again.

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Five players who could follow Danny Welbeck to Tottenham

‘Dat Guy’ is now an Arsenal player, but Spurs came close to landing the striker. Here are five others who were on their radar at the time…

Danny Welbeck may be well liked at Manchester United due to his hard work and versatility, but the forward has not developed much over the past few seasons, seeing players like Daniel Sturridge move well ahead of him in becoming a 20-goal-a-season striker.

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The three transfer ins and outs at Tottenham this January

January is around the corner, so let’s look back at the problems and questions facing Spurs last time around…

The January window is well under way, and Premier League clubs will be using the opportunity to tinker and tailor their squads mid-season, bringing in fresh recruits and also trimming the fat in the process.

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One of the clubs expected to put the winter transfer market to good use is Tottenham Hotspur, much in need of some reinvigoration after a slow start to the season that’s seen them languish in mid-table, costing Andre Villas-Boas his job.

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Should Tottenham bring back this former ace?

Still an option for Spurs, here’s the good and bad factors to consider for this deal…

Many great England strikers have graced English football. Alan Shearer, Andy Cole, Michael Owen, Teddy Sheringham, Jimmy Greaves and Geoff Hurst just to name a few. Scoring a vast number of goals in the best league in the world will have people saying our name for many years. Greaves and Hurst are prime examples of this. One striker in this generation that has always guaranteed goals at any level is Jermain Defoe.

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Smoking is medically proven to stunt your growth – something Jack Wilshere should bear in mind, after a picture of him holding a shisha pipe was posted on Instagram last week.

There’s not a lot the Arsenal starlet can do about his slender 5 foot 8 frame at 23 years of age, barring limb transplant surgery with Peter Crouch. His development as a footballer however, has continually stifled since first exploding onto the Premier League scene as a teenager – we’re still waiting for him to mature into the world-class central midfielder he’s often heralded to become – so maybe it’s time to invest in some nicorette.

Wilshere’s professionalism, attitude to training or rehabilitation from injury has never come into question, but his recent smoking incident, now the third photograph to reach the public of him submitting to the unhealthy habit, is enough to add to the myth of a player not taking things too seriously – hanging out in trendy nightclubs to watch the Superbowl, Shisha pipes and gorgeous blondes en masse, rather than sitting at home with his leg up, waiting for his recently-operated-upon ankle to heal.

Perhaps most detrimental of all, it highlights the limits his career has reached thus far, in comparison to what was expected of him upon his first full campaign in the Arsenal first team aged just 19. Indeed, Wilshere was billed as a talent worthy of Barcelona’s legendary midfield, the future of the England national team and his generation’s answer to Paul Gascoigne.

We’re still waiting for any of those prophecies to prove remotely accurate, and instead of glowing endorsements of the midfielder in Premier League match reports, the only column inches he’s filled recently revolve around boozy nights out and his lust for Mayfairs.

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Of course, his injury problems cannot be overlooked; the Three Lions star is now enduring his ninth long-term sideline bout in the space of just six seasons. Whether that’s a consequence of misfortune, Arsenal’s ever-scrutinised training methods or simply his limited physicality isn’t a debate to be had right now – but even the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi would struggle to improve their games during such disruptive periods of prolonged absence.

That being said, the disparity of talent between Wilshere and Arsenal’s other midfielders is becoming increasingly noticeable. Compared to the indisputable world-class qualities of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, or the impact Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla have had over the last 18 months, the England midfielder is lagging some way behind.

He’s enjoyed stellar displays for both club and country and moments of divine aesthetic quality, such as his supporting role in that unforgettable goal against Norwich last season, yet they pepper a career of ordinary performances that barely exceed the norm, despite the hype continually surrounding the midfielder.

During his seven Premier League outings this term for example, he’s averaged less than one created chance per match, 0.8; an inexcusable return for a player who represented Arsenal’s youth squad predominantly as a No.10. Averages of 0.8 tackles and 0.3 interceptions per match are equally troubling, as is a pass completion rate of just 83%.

Those trademark central runs at opposition defences remain Wilshere’s defining gift as a footballer, commanding great technical talent and even greater self confidence, but the rest of his game hasn’t spanned particularly further; the England international’s showing no holistic improvement in output, defensive discipline or understanding of his particular role – although that seems to change far too frequently for him to ever successfully comprehend.

A few years ago, this wasn’t a big deal – Wilshere had his whole career ahead of him to iron out the creases and find his consistency. But now 23, crocked at the ankle and croaking on fags, time to realise his fullest potential is quickly escaping him, like tobacco smoke drifting and disappearing into the night sky.

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In essence, his smoking habits aren’t the issue – although Arsene Wenger has warned Wilshere to improve his lifestyle. He won’t be the first or the last footballer to enjoy smoking; Wilshere’s mistake, once again, was getting caught doing it.

Rather, it’s the manner in which these stories are beginning to say more about his career than the actual football, highlighting how, by in large, the England midfielder is still at the same level he was five or six years ago. He might be lighting up Mayfairs and shisha bongs, but Wilshere hasn’t lit up the Emirates pitch since he was a teenager.

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It was all going rather well for Tottenham Hotspur just a few weeks ago.

Right in the mix for a top-four finish, through to the knockout stages of Europa League, and preparing for a Wembley cup final. Not to mention two fantastic league victories over Chelsea and Arsenal with England’s brightest youngster Harry Kane at the forefront. Fans dared to believe this could be their year after a number of near misses. But we have been here before.

In typical Tottenham fashion, their season is on the verge of unravelling into another campaign that yet again looks to be ending in further disappointment. Last weekend’s dismal display at Old Trafford highlighted everything that we have come to expect from Spurs in recent years; they build themselves up into a great position only to fall at the final hurdle when it really matters.

They were outclassed, out battled and ultimately outplayed by a resurgent Manchester United side in what was a vital game in the race for Champions League qualification. Spurs had the opportunity to draw level on points with United and pile the pressure on a side who had struggled for performances for much of the season.

The ease in which the home side were able to take all three points was alarmingly worrying for Spurs fans. The game was over before half-time, and in truth, they never even put up a fight.

A poor performance was summed up by some costly defensive errors, and their lack of spark and leadership looked a real worry. Phil Jones came closest to troubling David de Gea in the United goal, which tells you all you need to know about how bad they were on the day.

Sunday’s defeat leaves them down in seventh place, and despite a gap of just six points to the top four, it’s hard to see Spurs having enough to turn it around, even with nine games remaining. Their defeat to Chelsea in the League Cup final was a disappointment, and although they played fairly well, they never looked like repeating their impressive 5-3 victory over Jose Mourinho’s side on New Year’s Day.

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But their exit at the hands of Fiorentina in the Europa League was even more frustrating. Spurs had emerged as genuine contenders to lift the trophy and it looked to offer the best opportunity of qualifying for the Champions League. But after Roberto Soldado had spurned a wonderful opportunity to open the scoring in the return leg with the tie level at 1-1, Spurs were sent crashing out after two dreadful errors from their centre-half pairing ended up costing them dearly.

It appears their exploits in Europe may now be catching up with the players as we approach the final stages of the league season, with the number of games Spurs have had a contributing factor to the sides dip in form. A fair point, but considering the number of talented players at their disposal, a squad the size and quality of the one at Tottenham should be able to compete in numerous competitions for as long as necessary without tiring.

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Despite the negativity surrounding their performance last weekend, there is still much to be positive about for Spurs fans. A relatively young side looks set for a bright future providing they can hold onto their star players, and they will only improve with each game.

But the manager has a big job on his hands over the next few weeks to ensure his side don’t see their season fizzle out in the latter stages once again. They’ve got themselves into a bad habit over recent seasons and in order to make it to the next level; this habit needs to be broken.

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Whilst so far managing to hold onto that all important top-four spot this season, 2014/15 has somewhat unexpectedly been a campaign to forget for Manchester United and Louis van Gaal. Things just haven’t worked out as smoothly as many of the Old Trafford faithful were initially hoping for.

On the whole, the series of high-profile signings made throughout the summer have failed to live up to their potential thus far, the manager is still seemingly unaware of what his best XI really should consist of – and as has been well documented within the wider footballing community of late – the Red Devils are quickly being referred to as a ‘long-ball’ team, who are all too often relying on the somewhat tainted services of Marouane Fellaini.

With such a dramatic turn of events taking place this season, just what is 2015/16 ultimately going to hold for Manchester United in their course to regain their undisputed top-spot in the Premier League?

Are they a club on the verge of greatness with a solid plan that should see the team through this turbulent period of their history, or have Manchester United simply lost their ‘Midas touch’, and are now no more than a ticking time bomb waiting to implode? The future for the Red Devils looks tricky at best…

What must first be remembered within this whole debate however, is the fact that Old Trafford was never going to be the same place after Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure. His legacy at the club was one of the strongest English football has ever seen, yet as all things must come to pass eventually, something just had to give in the wake of his emotional end in the United dug-out.

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The Scot didn’t exactly leave the squad in the best shape possible, though. Despite winning the Premier League with many players who have since been deemed to be not good enough, Ferguson departed Manchester United with a great deal of dead wood in the ranks, several ageing stars who simply haven’t been able to do the business for their subsequent managers, and a general feeling of uncertainty as to which direction the club is actually heading in.

As a result of such a notion, Louis van Gaal – and David Moyes before him, for that matter – have been tasked to weave through the mess at Old Trafford with varying results. The club simply lack it’s once untouchable and highly intimidating status that used to come so naturally.

Having said that however, Manchester United simply haven’t helped their own cause a great deal throughout this season either. OK, the experimental appointment of David Moyes was scrapped at the end of last year with a view to change it up for the 2014/15 campaign, but such a fairy-tale like turnaround in fortunes simply hasn’t happened whatsoever.

The boardroom staff at Old Trafford tried to turn their club into Europe’s next Galacticos big spender – and as a result of blowing and obscene amount of wages on a lack-lustre Radamel Falcao, watching Angel Di Maria fail to even come close to his £59million valuation, and spending nearly as much on Luke Shaw as what Arsenal managed to negotiate for a certain Alexis Sanchez – the results have simply been somewhat of an embarrassment so far.

Falcao’s latest stint with the U21 squad highlights what a mess the club are really in. No one, from the fans, coaches, chairman and players themselves, seem to know what is really going on behind the scenes at this once formidable Premier League establishment. Those who stay put and those who are forcibly moved on from the club in the run up to next season simply remain anyone’s guess at the moment – and that degree of uncertainty really doesn’t shine Manchester United in the best possible light.

If the Red Devils can successfully land themselves safe passage to the ever illustrious Champions League next season though –Manchester United and Louis van Gaal may just about be able to cover their losses, and gloss over what has been a ultimately disappointing campaign throughout the course of this season – even if the club’s once untouchable reputation nevertheless takes a hit.

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The circus that is Newcastle United rolled to Leicester over the weekend and once again put on a show to leave fans up and down the nation laughing. The Magpies’ slumped to an eighth successive loss against the Foxes, leaving them worrying close to the relegation zone with just three games to go.

In truth it would take a minor miracle for the sides directly below the black and white-clad outfit to be sucked into the second tier, and it’s likely that they will indeed remain a Premier League sides, which may add further to the anger at St. James’ Park.

Manager John Carver directed blame at Mike Williamson for his red card at Leicester on Saturday, accusing him of getting sent off on purpose to avoid a relegation scrap. Such a bold statement is bizarre in the modern game, but we think it’s not the players who should be on the rack, and instead there are more fundamental problems at Newcastle… and here are FIVE of them.

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John Carver simply isn’t up to the job

The number of fans underwhelmed by Carver’s appointment told the story. Alan Pardew – love him or hate him – was at least experienced, but his former assistant had little in the way of a proven track record, and was of course around during the failings that had annoyed Magpies supporters. And sure enough, Carver’s tenure has bordered on being disastrous so far, with the North East side now stuck in an eight-game losing run, which shows no sign of ending. Relegation is a genuine threat, but can Newcastle’s players really look over the dugout and take on board what their boss is saying? Arguably they should, but his lack of experience and record at the top level is sure to leave at least a few disillusioned.

Mike Ashley is ruining the club

The Sports Direct branding everywhere and the chase of profits, Newcastle are no longer an outfit geared towards success on the field. Ashley is the major force behind this shift at St James’ Park, with the club now feeling a little soulless as the pursuit of glory is swapped for keeping the owner cash rich. Okay, Newcastle were hardly picking up silverware regularly before Ashley and have enjoyed their best season in recent memory – 2011-12 – under his regime, but with any sense of optimism on the field swiftly kicked into touch now, it’s hard to get on board.

Best players are routinely sold from around them

Tying in with the Ashley profit stance, Newcastle’s best players are routinely being sold off. Demba Ba and Yohan Cabaye are, perhaps, the best examples in recent times, with the midfielder and striker two of the better talents to have passed through Tyneside in recent times. It would be no surprise to see the likes of Moussa Sissoko or Ayoze Perez shifted out should decent offers come in, while youngsters such as Rolando Aarons may be sold should their promise translate to impressive showings.

European qualification frowned upon

Where can Newcastle go? Title challenges are too far away, the top four is near impossible to break into and the Europa League is a burden… Well that’s how it appears. Newcastle’s shameful FA Cup showing last term hinted at a worrying eagerness to avoid playing in Europe’s second club competition, after the 2012/13 season saw the Magpies’ performances dip domestically. There’s no proof to such speculation, but if the Europa League is being talked down at the club, why would the players be inclined to try over the latter months of a campaign?

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Stepping stone club

This one does perhaps hint at a little blame being out at the players’ feet, but if Newcastle are being billed as a ‘stepping stone’ club, which they appear to be nowadays, can stars really be expected to give it all for the shirt? After all, they’re only using the North East as a shop window to earn a bigger move.

Across all leagues, there’s always one player in a team who puts in so much effort, only for it to go unnoticed. Like at Real Madrid it’s anyone who isn’t Cristiano Ronaldo. Each team in the Premier League’s top four is no different. Here are Chelsea, Arsenal, City and United unsung heroes of the season.

For the newly-crowned champions it has to be Cesar Azpilicueta. With such a consistent defence, it is easy to overlook just how good they are. And Azpilicueta was somewhat overlooked in regards to the Team of the Year. Gary Neville has spoken very highly of Cesar, saying he is “as near to perfect as possible when it comes to defending; he’s immaculate.” Azpilicueta has been consistently good all season; and definitely one of the best defenders in the Premier League.

At Manchester City, Joe Hart has made a few mistakes this season, and seemingly gone down in estimation, despite all the good he has also done. In terms of goalkeeping, he has not received enough credit for some outstanding saves. It’s harder for him to get a look in with the likes of David De Gea – who has earned points for his team when they have struggled, especially without a solid back line in front of him. He has also been outdone by Thibaut Courtois, who has had a dream debut season in the Premier League and of course Fraser Forster, who has plenty of clean sheets to his name this season. But Hart does step up when his side need it most. Despite getting knocked out of the Champions League, in their final game, against Barcelona, Hart was magnificent – but that doesn’t catch a readers attention in the same way. Putting in the performance he did against a side of that calibre shows how good he truly is.

One Arsenal player who could do with some more credit in Arsenal is Santi Cazorla. His work rate is incredible and although rumours have circulated that he could be on his way out, Arsenal would be losing such a good player. But with the season Alexis Sanchez has had, and how he has stole the headlines, Cazorla’s efforts have not been as praised as highly as they should have been. While the media try to promote the talents of the likes of Philippe Coutinho, they are massively overlooking one of the best midfielders in the league.

Manchester United’s Michael Carrick has made his whole side tick. His experience has been crucial for Manchester United; something that is only being picked up now as he is not currently playing. Their win rate with Carrick is significantly better this season: they win 72% of their games when he is involved, and win only 37% of their games when he is not. He may not have that many goals to his name for the season, but it is the work he does behind those goals that truly matters. Singing his praises when he isn’t there is not the same, and it becoming clear that he is vital to their successes.

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An international cap at just the age of 18 with an impressive physical presence for such a young man, big things were expected from Micah Richards.

He made his first team debut for Man City at just 17-years-of-age and became the youngest defender to ever be called up for England duty, but fast forward 10 years and Richards has not reached anywhere near the levels that were expected of him.

He did win the Premier League at as a Sky Blue in the 2011/12 season and was fairly involved in that campaign, playing 29 times, however, in his last three seasons at City he played just nine league matches, and since 2012 Richards has not be called up to the England squad.

It has been a real decline for the Birmingham-born defender, and it could be put down to a couple of things… with injuries being key. In an interview with City TV he said that the fitness issues held him back.

“I didn’t ever expect to do what I have done, but with my injuries I think I was hampered a lot. I think I could have achieved a lot more.

“I think my best years are ahead of me. It is sad to be leaving at this time.”

In some ways City’s loss could be Villa’s gain, as Richards is only 27 and surely does have his “best years” ahead of him still. He already has over 100 Premier League appearances under his belt, and usually for a player like the former City man, Villa would of had to pay some sort of fee.

Instead getting a player of his age and experience on a free could prove to be a bit of inspired business from the Villains’ board, as Richards has all the attributes to be a solid defender for the Midlanders for a few seasons yet.

Richards is fully capable at centre-back or at right-back – he is comfortable in both positions – and has the necessary physical attributes to dominate attackers in both areas.

He is uncompromising, he is strong, quick, massively athletic and is capable of going forward well down the right flank, too. The complete package is good and Villa can expect to see the best of the defender if he can put his injury woes behind him. Something he himself admits: “I do believe that, when I am 100% fit and firing, I am a very good player. My problem over the last couple of years has been picking up injuries and getting that consistency of playing.”

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Born in Birmingham, Richards has made his return to the Midlands and it could be said that his career has made a real U-turn in many ways.

Nevertheless, he may feel that he could still be at a top four club and maybe he shouldn’t have ended up at Villa, but Richards does look like the sort of player that does not shirk a challenge and will relish the chance to prove himself all over again… and he might just do it.

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Liverpool may consider using Simon Mignolet in a swap deal to sign Roma goalkeeper Alisson, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

What’s the story?

The Merseyside outfit have already made a splash in the January transfer market by signing defender Virgil van Dijk from Southampton for a reported £75m figure.

It seems that the club are still not satisfied with their defensive attributes as they are now reportedly targeting a new goalkeeper.

Gazzetta dello Sport claims that the Premier League outfit are interested in Roma shot-stopper Alisson, who took over as first choice this season.

The report adds that Liverpool could be open to sending current number one Mignolet to the Serie A club to help sweeten the deal.

Is Alisson better than Liverpool’s current pair?

Mignolet has been the club’s first choice since his switch from Sunderland in 2013, but he has never been able to win over the fans.

The Belgian has made a number of blunders during his time at Anfield, and even though he has the top jersey, there is little confidence in him from the supporters.

Liverpool’s number two Loris Karius has also struggled to impress and does not look close to challenging Mignolet for a spot in the first XI.

Alisson is an attractive prospect for the Premier League outfit given that he has kept the most clean sheets in Serie A so far this season.

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The 25-year-old has often been described as a ball-playing keeper, which would suit Liverpool’s style.