Name : Stuart Armstrong
Age : 24
Nationality : Scottish
Position : Midfielder
Club : Celtic
Career Apps : 224
Career Goals : 32
Career so far : Dundee United (2010/15) - 150Apps/22Goals
Celtic (2015/Present) - 74Apps/10Goals
After being rumoured to be Scotland's next big thing when bursting onto the scene with Dundee United, Stuart Armstrong has taken his game to the next level this season, putting numerous clubs on high alert. He broke into the first team in November 2010 but failed to cement his place as a starter in his first two seasons but was praised for his contribution as an impact sub. He made his first European appearance in a 5-0 defeat in the Europa League qualifiers against Dynamo Moscow. The 2012/13 season was a breakthrough one for the midfielder as he was involved in 43 games and crucially started to add goals to his game alongside his fantastic assist record. In the next season and a half, he improved drastically adding 17goals to his career tally, an incredible increase for a player who had only managed to find the net 5 times in the previous two years. His phenomenal form didn't go unnoticed and he got the move to the side that all Scottish players aspire to play for right now, Celtic. He made an instant impact at the Scottish giants, scoring on his debut, assisting two on his second game and putting in a sensational performance in a 3-3 draw against Inter Milan in the Europa League. Last year, in his first full season, his stats didn't catch the eye of many but his consistency in midfield was really impressive and he cemented himself as one of the first names on the team sheet. This season so far he has scored 4 goals and is joint second with 4 assists in the league as he seems to have settled completely into this side. Technically he's a brilliant player, two-footed and can score from anywhere. He said he would love to play in England one day and after impressing in the group of death in the Champions League, there's a handful of clubs willing to take a chance on him.
Under The Radar #5 - 05/12/16
Age : 24
Nationality : English
Position : Striker
Club : Motherwell
Career Apps : 216
Career Goals : 75
Career so far : Stoke City (2009/12) - 3Apps/0Goals
Bradford City (2010) (Loan) - 11Apps/1Goal
Mansfield Town (2011) (Loan) - 4Apps/2Goals
Accrington Stanley (2011) (Loan) - 1App/0Goals
Alfreton Town (2012) (Loan) - 1App/0Goals
Northampton Town (2012/13) - 13Apps/1Goal
Nuneaton (2013-Loan) (2013/14) - 54Apps/18Goals
Wrexham (2014/15) - 49Apps/23Goals
Motherwell (2015/Present) - 55Apps/28Goals
It took Louis Moult a long time to find a club willing to take a chance on giving him a good run in the first team but after hovering around League Two and the National League, it seems he's found the right place for him. He was bright prospect at Stoke but, despite being involved three times at the start of the 2009/10 season, he was sent on loan to Bradford where he gained valuable experience and game time but failed to find form in front of goal. He then went to Mansfield and made an instant impact, bagging a brace on his debut. Just as he started to find his feet in the professional game, he suffered a back injury and was sent back to Stoke to recover. More unsuccessful loan spells followed and he found himself being released by his parent club in the summer of 2012. Northampton gave the Englishman a one-year contract following a successful trial. However, he only managed one goal in 13 games and was sent on loan to Nuneaton where despite only scoring once, manager Kevin Wilkin saw his talent and signed him for the Conference side the next season. Moult finally lived up to his potential, bagging 8 goals in his first 9 games and was instrumental in Nuneaton's early playoff charge however, manager Wilkin left for Wrexham and poor form saw Moult's 17 goals only put his side 13th. He rejoined his old manager at the Welsh side and was set the target to score 20 goals in the season, he didn't disappoint. After managing 23 in 49, he was offered a move to the SPL with Motherwell signing him for an undisclosed fee. He's never looked back since and has cemented himself as one of the best strikers in Scotland. He managed 18 goals in 42 in his first year, despite playing with a groin injury for half a year. After surgery, he's come back this season in the best form of his career with 10 goals in 13 games, including 4 in the derby against Hamilton and a brace against Celtic on Saturday. At 6ft, he's the complete package; good in the air, can beat a man with pace, his hold up play is superb and in front of goal, there's not many strikers as clinical as him. Dubbed as the 'SPL's Jamie Vardy', Moult seems to have finally found the club where he belongs and with his form this year, has the potential to lead this Motherwell side in their quest to dethrone Celtic.
Super Sunday Preview - 03/10/16
Sunday 4th October has the potential to be the best day of football so far this year with great rivalries and top 2 face-offs across multiple countries. I share my predictions on who will be victorious in the main games on what will no doubt be a SUPER Sunday.
Charlton Athletic vs Fulham - Kick Off : 12:00
Woody Predicts : Charlton Athletic 2-1 Fulham
Hamilton Academical vs Celtic - Kick Off : 12:30
New Douglas Park plays host to a thrilling tie where 4th place Hamilton face a difficult yet achievable task when they host 2nd place Celtic. The reigning champions find themselves in an unfamiliar 2nd due to the form of Aberdeen and they will be hoping to not drop anymore points this year as they aim for another title. Hamilton will be delighted with their start under their new manager following the departure of Alex Neil towards the end of last season. Hamilton come into this game with confidence having picked up two successive wins and with Celtic's current inconsistency they could make it three on the bounce. Accies midfielder Darian MacKinnon is pushing for a return to the starting XI after missing the Kilmarnock win whereas Danny Redmond and Micheal Devlin remain sidelined. Celtic defender Efe Ambrose misses the game with suspension and they also are likely to be without another defender in Joso Simunovic due to a twisted ankle and experienced midfielder Charlie Mulgrew remains on the sidelines. With Ronny Deila clearly working on his defence following the departures of Virgil Van Dijk and Jason Denayer and with another two defenders currently out, Hamilton have a chance to cause them real problems in this department of the game. Ali Crawford is the player to watch and he will be hoping to add to his 3 goals this season and he will have confidence due to the defensive woes at Celtic. Celtic need their bigger player to find some consistency and up their performances if they are going to get a result. The Hamilton defence will have a tough ask as they have to keep clinical finisher Leigh Griffiths, who has 11 goals already this season, out the game.
Woody Predicts : Hamilton Academical 1-1 Celtic
Everton vs Liverpool - Kick Off : 13:30
Goodison Park hosts the 225th Merseyside Derby and the first post-Steven Gerrard one. Everton come into this game in a solid 5th position whereas Liverpool find themselves down in 9th with manager Brendan Rodgers under increasing pressure. The home team come into this game unbeaten in their last four and having picked up a superb 3-2 win away at West Brom having been 2-0 down. The visitors come into this game having drawn 1-1 against FC Sion in the Europa League and are unbeaten in three in all competitions. Everton could have both John Stones and Seamus Coleman back from their respective knee and hamstring injuries in what will be a massive boost for the home side however, Roberto Martinez is unlikely to have Muhamed Besic available and winger Kevin Mirallas is suspended. For Liverpool, Christian Benteke could return if he passes the late fitness assessment having missed the last three games with a hamstring injury but Rodgers will not have Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson and Dejan Lovren as all remain sidelined. Everton have failed to win in the last nine attempts against Liverpool and will be hoping to end that winless run tomorrow and have only won 1 of the last 17 league meetings between these sides which came at Goodison Park in October 2010. There hasn't been a red card in this fixture in December 2011 so maybe that run will end as this fixture has seen more red cards than any other. Despite being unbeaten in four, Martinez's side have failed to record back to back wins since April. Liverpool have only won one of their last 8 games where they've drawn three and lost four. The dangermen for Liverpool are Phillipe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge. Sturridge has six goals in his last eight games against their rivals. Coutinho has arguably been Liverpool's best player this season and the number 10 will be a constant danger if he gets into the pockets between the two defensive midfielders and the back four. I'd expect to see Martinez tell McCarthy to man mark Coutinho and keep him out the game. For Everton, they will look to Lukaku and Barkley to lead them to victory. It seems like it's Barkley's breakout year this season as he has looked in fine form so far this season and could score from range at any time whereas the powerful and pacey Lukaku will be a constant threat to the Liverpool defence and will be key to the success of the Everton side this season and I think he'll grab a goal or two.Woody Predicts : Everton 2-1 Liverpool
Ajax vs PSV Eindhoven - Kick Off : 13:30
Woody Predicts : Ajax 2-1 PSV Eindhoven
Swansea City vs Tottenham Hotspur - Kick Off : 16:00
Woody Predicts : Swansea City 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Arsenal vs Manchester United - Kick Off : 16:00
The Emirates Stadium hosts potentially the game of the day depending on who you support. Van Gaal's United side come to the Emirates having won 3 on the bounce which sees them top of the league whereas the hosts came back from the 2-0 defeat away at Chelsea by picking up an impressive 5-2 win away at Leicester. However in midweek, these sides had mixed fortunes in the Champions League with Arsenal losing yet again as Olympiakos picked up a 3-2 win at the Emirates to shock Arsenal whereas United defeated Wolfsburg 2-1 in an average performance. Arsenal are without Laurent Koscielny and Mathieu Flamini due to a hamstring injury and Mikel Arteta will miss the fixture due to a dead leg. The visitors have Michael Carrick back whereas fellow midfielder Ander Herrera is a doubt for the game. Manchester United are unbeaten in their last four visits to Arsenal (Won 2, Drawn 2). United have never gone five games unbeaten at Arsenal in the Premier League era so that could be a boost for Arsenal however, the Gunners worst Premier League win percentage is against Manchester United at 24%. United have kept four clean sheets so far this season and have looked good at the back this year and Arsenal need a home win as they've only had two in their last last seven games and one this season. Manchester United's dangermen are Anthony Martial and Juan Mata. Mata played one of the best passes I've ever seen when he set up the winning goal for Chris Smalling against Wolfsburg and Anthony Martial has made a huge impact scoring 4 goals in 5 games and Jamie Redknapp recently said that he is 'the best 19 year old since Lionel Messi'. I'm not sure if he'll ever be as good as Messi but with his pace, power and clinical finishing as well as his understanding of the game shows that he will go far and it would of been nice to see him come to Arsenal rather than Man United. Chris Smalling has played well recently and looks to be becoming a great leader for Manchester United which is probably why they have kept so many clean sheets this year. Wayne Rooney goal last weekend may have helped him grow in confidence and he could grab a goal at the Emirates. Arsenal's dangermen are Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott. Sanchez got a hat trick last weekend and scored in mid week against Olympiakos and he looks like the player he was last season and he is the most likely player to score for the Gunners. Walcott has scored 12 goals in his last 13 league starts however I wouldn't be surprised if Giroud started in order to emulate what Gomis and Ayew did by bullying Daley Blind but I'm sure Walcott would also be able to do the same. Santi Cazorla has more Premier League assists then anyone else since his debut in August 2013 with 32 and I expect Man United's midfielder to try to close down the little Spaniard to stop him playing key passes.
Woody Predicts : Arsenal 3-2 Manchester United
Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund - Kick Off : 16:30
Woody Predicts : Bayern Munich 3-3 Borussia Dortmund
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid - Kick Off : 19:30
Woody Predicts : Atletico Madrid 1-3 Real Madrid
AC Milan vs Napoli - Kick Off : 19:45
Woody Predicts : AC Milan 1-2 Napoli
Paris Saint-Germain vs Marseille - Kick Off : 20:00
Woody Predicts : Paris Saint-Germain 4-2 Marseille
Celta Vigo - A team on the rise! - 21/09/15
We're four games into the 2015/16 La Liga season and already there is a surprise on the cards for this year. Five teams are still yet to lose including the predictable few in Valencia, Real Madrid and Barcelona and also Villarreal, however it's Celta Vigo who have surprised most people with their fine start and today I look at what they can achieve this year.
The club's history
Segunda Division : Winners - 1935/36, 1981/82 and 1991/92
Runners-Up - 1968/69, 1975/76, 2004/05 and 2011/12
Copa Del Rey : Runners-Up - 1947/48, 1993/94 and 2000/01
European Titles
Intertoto Cup : Winners - 2000
Celta Vigo are a club who have enjoyed success in their history however have failed to ever make a mark in the country's top division. They recently spent 5 seasons between 2007-12 in the second division and since returning have not looked back since. Having obtained an average of 10th place in the league within their 49 completed seasons, they really have cemented their place as a mid-table team in this league. With this being their 50th season in the league, they'll be hoping to improve on their best placing of 4th, a position they've only achieved twice in their history, and although we are only 4 games in, to have achieved 10 points already is the form of a top four team and hopefully they can keep it up. On their return to La Liga they struggled to a 17th place finish however in the last two years they finished 9th and 8th respectively and look to be pushing forward under new manager Eduardo Berizzo.
Season So Far - 2015/16
10/12 Points - 4th Position
10 goals scored - 5 conceded
Levante 1-2 Celta Vigo
Celta Vigo 3-0 Rayo Vallecano
Celta Vigo 3-3 Las Palmas
Sevilla 1-2 Celta Vigo
Upcoming Fixtures
Celta Vigo vs Barcelona
Eibar vs Celta Vigo
Celta Vigo vs Getafe
Villarreal vs Celta Vigo
Celta Vigo vs Real Madrid
Avg Possession Per Game : 64.7%
Avg Passing Accuracy Per Game : 86.2%
Avg Shots Per Game : 16.5
Avg Shots On Target Per Game : 7.5
Top Goalscorer : Nolito - 4 Goals
Although you can argue that three of their four games this season have been against teams who haven't won any of their first four games, when playing against sides who are struggling, you have to take advantage and get points from these games and Celta Vigo have done that. There are no easy games in football as anyone can beat anyone and Celta Vigo are proving this as they've already beaten last year's Europa League Champions Sevilla. Looking at their first four games, one of the most notable things about them, is the fact that they've won away at two very good teams in Levante and Sevilla. Two words you use to describe the team's start to the season is Adaptability and Consistency. They started the season playing a 4-3-3 formation and it worked as they picked up 2 wins to start the campaign, however after drawing 3-3 against Las Palmas, the manager changed the formation to a 4-2-3-1 for the game against Sevilla. Whether this was to counter Sevilla's 4-2-3-1 usage or whether it's the formation he now wants to play with, I'm not sure but the admirable thing is that the players stepped up in a big game and adapted to their new positions very well. For a side with no world-class notable players in their side, they are proving, similar to Leicester City, that playing as a team and showing desire and passion to play for the team is what wins matches. The average possession of 64.7% is phenomenal and shows that they can hold the ball well and dictate the pace of the game, especially away from home. Similarly a passing accuracy of 86.2% is phenomenal but they are not just holding the ball up and passing it around the middle of the park, they are using it well and attacking team which is shown by their average shots of almost 17 and almost half of these are on target which shows the confidence and ability of the forward players. Celta Vigo have benefited from teams picking up red cards against them and I think that's their game plan. They keep the ball in order to frustrate their opposition and hit them when they are tiring and it's working perfectly so far this season. Attacking midfielder Nolito was signed in 2013 and has played well for the club but this season, he has taken his game to the next level and with 4 goals in as many games, Celta Vigo fans owe him many thanks for their success so far this season. Striker Iago Aspas struggled at Liverpool but has found his way at Celta Vigo and with former Man City striker John Guidetti as his competition, he will have to be on top of his game to keep his place. They proved last weekend that they can beat big teams as they outplayed the under-performing Sevilla and it was a perfect test for their players as on Wednesday night they host Barcelona and it doesn't get easier after that as within the next 5 games, they play three out of the four teams who are also yet to lose as they go away to Villarreal and host Real Madrid and they will have to prove that they are a team to be feared by getting a result in these games.
Their Manager and Potential Star Signing
Clubs Managed : 3 and 1 assistant
Chile (Assistant) - 2007-2010
Estudiantes LP - 2011
O'Higgins - 2012-2014
Celta Vigo - May 19th 2014 - Present
Potential Star Player : John Guidetti
Nationality : Swedish
Age : 23
Arrived from Manchester City on a free transfer
Clubs : 2008 - IF Brommapojkarna - 2 appearances/0 goals
2010/11 - Manchester City - 1 appearance/0 goals
2010 - IF Brommapojkarna - 8 appearances/3 goals (Loan)
2010/11 - Burnley - 5 appearances/1 goal (Loan)
2011/12 - Feyenoord - 23 appearances/20 goals (Loan)
2013/14 - Stoke City - 6 appearances/0 goals (Loan)
2014/15 - Celtic - 35 appearances/15 goals (Loan)
Former player Eduardo Berizzo was hired at the end of the 2013/14 season to replace Luis Enrique who was Barcelona bound. The ex centre-back made 101 appearances between 2001-2005 scoring 4 goals. He was a vital part of the defence which got Celta Vigo into the Champions League for the first time in their history and became a fan favourite at the club so I'm sure that hiring him as manager was a popular decision. After being the Assistant manager for Chile he moved on to his first managerial job in the top league in Argentina and after a year, he stayed in South America as he moved to the Chilean Premier Division managing O'Higgins where he enjoyed great success. He led them to their first ever league title in the 2013/14 season whilst also leading them to domestic cup success in the same year. He's still a relatively new manager but after leading Celta Vigo to an 8th place finish in his first year in charge, it looks rather promising for the 12th best rated club in Spanish League history. For a former centre-back, he seems to have used his defensive experience to help out his own defenders as last year they conceded only 44 goals in comparison to the 54 and 52 goals they conceded in 2 years prior. They haven't had a positive goal difference since they returned to La Liga 4 years ago however this season they've already scored double the amount they conceded so things look promising for them so far this season. The positives for their new manager is that already this season he's been able to change the position of the players and the formation of the team and still get results as it looks like the players are happy to play for their manager this season and that is what all successful teams need. John Guidetti is a player with great potential and we've known that for years however he suffered from some injuries in his career which limited his chances of playing for Manchester City. He proved his worth when at Feyenoord whilst playing under the current Southampton manager Ronald Koeman when he scored 20 in 23 including back to back hat-tricks, one of which was against Ajax in a 6-3 win. After this game, he was described by Koeman as 'phenomenal'. He struggled for fitness after that loan and saw himself unselected for any Man City games. He spent last year with Celtic where he scored 15 goals in 35 games in all competitions and it was here where he picked up his first two trophies in his career as Celtic won the Scottish Premiership and the Scottish League Cup. In the summer he enjoyed great success with Sweden's U-21's in the U-21 European Championship as Sweden were victorious. Guidetti also managed to pick up the Bronze boot after scoring 2 goals. He hasn't started in the league yet this season and has failed to find the net in four sub appearances but I feel as though as soon as he gets his first goal for the club, he'll go on and get more and more goals and help lead the club to glory this year. He seems to have joined a club on the rise and has shown great maturity in joining a club where he will get first team football rather than just being on the bench, all he needs is that first goal and hopefully he'll get that soon.
What can they achieve?
Be sure to watch Celta Vigo vs Barcelona at 7:45 on Sky Sports 2 on Wednesday to see if they can potentially defy the odds and upset Spanish giants Barcelona.
Messi or Ronaldo - My view on the debate! - 24/08/15
Today I share my opinion on the most talked about topic in world football - who is the best player in the world, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?
Cristiano Ronaldo
Age : 30
Position : Forward
Nationality : Portuguese
Clubs : 3
Career Appearances : 624
Career goals : 436
International Appearances : 120
International Goals : 55
Cristiano Ronaldo may have had to give playing football as when he was 15 years old, he was diagnosed with a racing heart. Luckily the operation, in which a laser was used to cauterise the area of his heart which was causing the problem, was a success and a young Ronaldo returned to training just a few days later. Ronaldo was linked with a number of clubs, however in the Summer of 2003, Ronaldo caught the attention of the great Sir Alex Ferguson when United suffered a 3-1 defeat to Sporting Lisbon. It is reported that the United players were so impressed with Ronaldo's performance that they urged the manager to sign him and before the 2003-04 season began, he became Manchester United's first ever Portuguese player when he signed for £12.24million. At Manchester United, Ronaldo caught the eye of every player, pundit, fan and manager as he improved season after season. During his time at the Red Devils, the Portuguese forward scored 118 goals in 292 appearances. His partnership with Wayne Rooney was incredible and as a pairing, they helped lead Manchester United to : 3 Premier Leagues, 2 League Cups and the FA Cup, Champions League, Community Shield and the Club World Cup on one occasion. For me personally, Ronaldo was a joy to watch in the Premier League and it was a shame to see him depart United (although it wasn't a shame when you're an Arsenal fan). One thing I despised about Ronaldo when he was at United was his diving, especially when he dived in cup matches against lower tier sides, it wasn't needed and I'm glad he's now cut it out of his game to a certain extent. He moved to Real Madrid for a record fee of £80million. Since joining Real Madrid, Ronaldo has been on phenomenal form every year as he's scored 313 goals in 301 appearances. That is an absolutely outstanding record. Ronaldo has the pace and strength to take on any full back and centre back and he is determined to score goals in every single game. He's arguably the best free-kick taker in the world and you'd bet on him to score almost every one he takes. However one thing Ronaldo needs to work on is his teamwork, he needs to realise that he's not the only player at Real Madrid so if someone else scores, he should encourage them. He needs to realise he's at the age now where the young player's coming into the first team at Real Madrid aspire to be like him so he has to be a good role model and the best thing that he can do is improve his teamwork. If he does this, there's no reason he can't win his 4th Ballon d'Or.
Lionel Messi
Age : 28
Position : Forward
Nationality : Argentinian
Clubs : 1
Career Appearances : 518
Career Goals : 426
International Appearances : 103
International Goals : 46
Similar to Ronaldo, Messi may have never been able to play football due to clubs refusing to pay his medical bills after he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency at an age of 11. Fortunately for Messi, Barcelona were willing to pay his medical fees on the condition that Messi moved to Spain. He accepted the condition and he and his dad made the move to live in Spain. The magical forward moved his way through the ranks at Barcelona and made his debut for the first team on September 27th against Udinese in the Champions League. The season later, Messi established himself as a first team player as he scored 14 goals in 26 appearance the tricky little Argentinian only got better as he's notched up 415 goals in 486 appearances. He's been repeatedly played through the middle for Barcelona in the 4-3-3 formation and has been able to link up with every single player he's played with. Henry, Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Pedro, David Villa and more recently Neymar and Suarez have had the pleasure and reaped the rewards of playing with one of the most clinical yet unselfish players to have ever graced the beautiful game. The most impressive thing about Messi is that although he can score from anywhere and take on every player without even looking at the ball, it's as though the ball is glued to his feet as his ball control is on another level, but the most impressive thing about Messi is that he's always looking for his team mates and this is proven as he has achieved more than 10 assists in his last 8 seasons. This is the swinging factor in making him better than Cristiano Ronaldo as Messi plays for his team whereas Ronaldo plays for himself. He's had an incredible career winning 52 Individual awards including 4 Ballon D'or and and 6 different team awards including 4 Champions League. He is a magical player capable of scoring goals out of nothing which is a key feature of the World's best player and in my opinion, Magical Messi is the best player to have ever graced the beautiful game.
No comments:
Post a Comment