With the January transfer window coming to a close at 11pm yesterday, I give my thoughts on the business done by each club in the Premier League. Please Note: The Russian and Chinese transfer windows are still open so there could still be a few more departures within the next month.
Arsenal
Players Loaned Out : 8
Total Spent : £100,000
Total Sold : £0
Net Profit : -£100,000
Arsenal, who currently occupy 2nd place in the league, had a very inactive January transfer window this year, with youngster Cohen Bramall being the only acquisition. The 20 year old left-back was signed from non-league side Hednesford Town, for a fee of £100,000. He showcased his talent in the Northern Premier League this season, showing a lack of fear in bursting down the left flank with plenty of pace, before producing some decent deliveries, exactly what the club are looking for in a full-back. His best moment is that clip where he bursts down the left hand side before assisting his teammate with a rabona cross, showing that he's got that little extra bit of flair in his game, something you need to play at the top level. He'll be playing in the under-23's for the remainder of this season, but next year, I'd like to think that he'd start to get opportunities in the first team, if he's showed signs of progression this year. It's got the potential to be a good signing, but, it all depends on whether he's given opportunities, if he isn't, he could just be one of those forgotten signings. You can't really complain about the players who were sent out on loan, as they all need first team football. However, the one I will highlight is Chuba Akpom's loan move to Brighton. Personally, I think this should be his last loan move, he's now 21 and never really had a good goalscoring record wherever he's gone, in fact the only goals in his professional career, were the 7 that he scored in 42 games at Hull City last year. If he doesn't impress at Brighton, then we should sell him, it's the harsh reality of football, if he's not setting the Championship alight, then he's not good enough to be at Arsenal. There was a rumour that we were going to sign Reus, but, that proved as per usual, to be a load of rubbish. The main that us Arsenal fans wanted was Ozil and most importantly Sanchez to sign new contracts, but I guess we'll have to wait till the end of the season to hear more about that. With how strong the squad is, I'm content with us not signing a superstar in this window. However, despite this being our strongest squad in a long while, the mentality is no different as proved by the Waford result last night, and that will be our downfall yet again.
Bournemouth
Departures : 2
Players Loaned Out : 10
Total Spent : Undisclosed
Total Sold : £3million
Net Profit : £3million
Despite sitting 14th in the table, Bournemouth had a relatively quiet window on the signing front, however, had some questionable departures. In fact, the only signing for the club, was 18 year old Aaron Ramsdale, from Sheffield United. He made two appearances for the Blades this season, showing his capabilities in their 6-0 win and 3-2 defeat in the FA Cup campaign. He's represented England at the U-18 and U-19 levels. It's clear he has talent, but it'll be a few years before we see him in the first team, hopefully he'll get to be their cup keeper next season. The Glenn Murray departure was the best move for both parties, I think he doesn't fit into Bournemouth's game too well as they rely on pace to get in behind the defence and to get £3million, was a great bit of business. However, the departure of Nathan Ake was a harsh blow, as it was out of their control. I feel like he won't feature too much at Chelsea and was progressing well at Bournemouth, so the recall doesn't make sense to me. They're clearing suffering without him, as they haven't won a game since he left, conceding 7 goals in 3 games. They did go in with an £18million bid at the end of deadline day, but it was too little, too late for this window. It's a transfer that is likely to be one of the biggest rumours of the summer, and, with Bournemouth likely to stay in the Premier League, there's every chance it will go through. Most of their loans are understandable, apart from the loan of Marc Wilson to West Brom. After losing Ake, Howe needs to keep hold of all his defenders in case of an injury crisis. It was probably the player who was pushing for this move, however, it's up to the club in these situations to put their best interests ahead of the players' and it would have made more sense at this time to keep him. Bournemouth had 23 days to find a replacement for Ake, and, I think they'll find themselves finish in a lower league position than expected, however, their squad should definitely be strong enough to avoid the relegation battle.
Burnley
Departures : 1
Players Loaned Out : 3
Total Spent : £13million
Total Sold : £1million
Net Profit : -£12million
9th place Burnley left it late in the window to splash the cash, with both of the players that they've paid for, coming in on deadline day. The most notable of these being the signing of left-wing back Robbie Brady for a club record fee, arguably the best signing of the window. He's a very underrated player in my opinion. What he'll offer Burnley, is not only solid defending (an area of his game that he's improved massively), but also he's a reliable attacking outlet. His pace allows him to terrorise any full-back in the division, whilst his crossing is pinpoint the majority of the time, which will be perfect for Barnes and Vokes in particular. He's also got a cracking left foot, he can let fly from 35 yards or even put a free-kick in the top corner. It's his decision making that lets him down though, if Sean Dyche can help him on this front, then Burnley really will be a team to be feared. They've also signed midfield duo, Ashley Westwood and Joey Barton. The prior, I've never really rated, he's not great but he's got some ability, maybe he'll take his game to the next level at Turf Moor, but personally, I think he'll just be a rotation option. Barton however, is a great signing. Burnley struggle away from home, mostly because they show their hosts too much respect. With Barton on the pitch, this will never happen, he'll lead by example, diving into every challenge, winning the ball back in key areas, and playing direct passes to turn defence into attack. He's already showed his worth with his game winning free-kick against Southampton, and if he can manage his temperament, then he could be vital to Burnley finishing in the top half this season. The only thing I'll say about their outgoings is that I don't understand why Kightly has only been loaned out, he's not getting any younger so just make whatever money you can off him now, as he's clearly not good enough any more to play at this level. Overall, they've done some good business in this window, whether the Westwood signing will work out though is up for debate.
Chelsea
Departures : 5
Players Loaned Out : 8
Total Spent : £0
Total Sold : £62million
Net Profit : £62million
As expected by many, there were no new arrivals at league leaders Chelsea, however, they did make a lot of money from departures. Before I discuss the outgoings though, I'll bring up the loan recall of Nathan Ake. As mentioned earlier, it makes little to no sense why they've brought him back. It's obvious that there was an option to recall in his loan contract, so unless he was going to play week in week out, I don't understand why they've hindered his development by bringing him back now. He made an appearance in the FA Cup against lesser opposition, but this barely helps him, his game was improving rapidly under Eddie Howe, he'd even added goals to his game. By recalling him, his progression will be little to nothing due to the fact that he's not getting consistent game time, and, I think it's an awful decision, that he, more than anyone else, will be disappointed by. Most notable departures were Oscar, who became the next big name to join the Chinese Super League for £60million, and Branislav Ivanovic, whose departure to Zenit was finalised today. You can't really argue with these, Oscar wasn't getting the game time that he wanted and the money he was offered in China was too much to turn down. Whereas, Ivanovic hasn't looked like the explosive right-back that took the Premier League by storm since Chelsea last won the league, so his departure, will surely be welcomed by many fans of the club. Other than that, it was Chelsea doing what they usually do with their stockpile of youngsters, sending them out on loan after loan, so there is no surprise in that department. Overall, I think their fans will be satisfied with this window, offloading some deadweight for decent money, and many will be of the belief that the squad is strong enough to see out the season, in which they are likely to win the league, especially after Arsenal bottled their chance to put pressure on last night.
Crystal Palace
Players Loaned In : 1
Players Loaned Out : 4
Total Spent : £39million
Total Sold : £0
Net Profit : -£39million
Crystal Palace left it late to make signings despite being in a fight for survival, however, I'm sure their fans will be quite impressed with who they've brought in. Their most notable addition to the squad was definitely the loan deal of Mamadou Sakho. The 26 year old failed to regain his place in the starting XI at parent club Liverpool after his ban for taking an illegal substance, but will get an opportunity to prove himself again, this time in a relegation fight. No doubt, he'll be in the first team. He'll add to Palace's attacking threat from set pieces as he's extremely dominant in the air, as well as doing his part to help secure more clean sheets, as he did become a solid defender during last season, however whether he'll come back in that form is unknown. They also bolstered their options at left-back with the signings of Jeffrey Schlupp from Leicester City and Patrick Van Aanholt from Sunderland, for fees reported to be an initial £9million and £14million respectively. Signing both of these players doesn't make too much sense due to the money paid for them, as the likelihood is that Schlupp will become unhappy with lack of football again as Van Aanholt will be the one starting. They both offer great pace, but what the former Sunderland man offers is goals aswell, which is crucial in a relegation fight. They also added to their midfield with the signing of Luka Milivojevic, whose experience of Champions League football should see him adjust to the Premier League quickly. Their loans out are all understandable as all of them need first team football. It's been a good window for Palace, and as long as these new signings live up to expectation, then I can't see them going down.
Everton
Players Loaned In : 1
Departures : 2
Players Loaned Out : 11
Total Spent : £34million
Total Sold : £9million
Net Profit : -£25million
What we've seen in this window from 7th place Everton, is the start of Koeman's rebuilding of this side. Bringing in Morgan Schneiderlin was a big step in the right direction and definitely worth the £20million. He's a brilliant player, can break up the play extremely well, as well as being able to turn defence into attack instantly with his excellent range of passing. As long as he gets consistent football, then I can see him rediscovering the form and ability he showed at Southampton and he'll end up being a perfect replacement for Gareth Barry and will slot in alongside Idrissa Gueye nicely, forming one of the league best midfield duos. They also brought in youngster Ademola Lookman, the youngster showed great composure and the clinical nature you need to make it at the top level on his debut, as he found the back of the net in the 4-0 win against Man City. Bringing in 19 year old Anton Donkor on loan, is clearly just a trial run as in my opinion, he'll just feature in the under-23 side this year and if he impresses, he'll be signed in the summer. The amount of high-profile players sent out on loan (Cleverly, Niasse, Deuloufeu), shows Koeman's intention to have a squad clear-out in the near future. I think this summer will be Everton's most active transfer window in the club's history, as Koeman will be building a squad capable of challenging for the top four. The future of this club is definitely bright as long as the Dutchman is in charge.
Hull City
Players Loaned In : 5
Departures : 3
Players Loaned Out : 6
Total Spent : £11.5million
Total Sold : £20.2million
Net Profit : £8.7million
It's been a busy month for Hull City, who currently sit bottom of the league after last night's result. Surprisingly there's some very impressive names who have joined in this window, the most notable being Andrea Ranocchia. The 28 year old centre-back has made 166 appearances for Inter Milan and offers great experience and knowledge to pass on to the younger members of the squad. He possesses great strength and aerial ability, however what he does lack is pace, so he will need one of his centre-back partners to drop in behind him when the attack is focused on him. It will take time on the training ground so that everyone knows their role and what position to drop into when he's being exposed, but if executed, it could prove crucial in reducing the goals conceded. They've also secured the loans of winger Lazar Markovic and forward Oumar Niasse, the latter has already found the back of the net. Markovic in particular will be welcoming this loan move as it gives him the opportunity to prove to Jurgen Klopp that he can do it in the Premier League. Their best permanent signing is definitely attacking midfielder Evandro, with the reuniting with his former boss being crucial to him signing. He offers a different option to this side, as if they need to change to an attacking mentality, he can come on for one of the centre-halfs and slot in behind the striking duo, overwhelming the opposistion. I don't understand why both Livermore and Snodgrass were allowed to leave the club. The latter was the top scorer and key man for Hull, whether he needed to ball on a plate for a centre-half from set-pieces, or score from a free-kick, he had that extra bit of talent that stood out in this team. They made good money off these players, but they haven't been replaced by the same calibre of player. Marco Silva may have made plenty of signings and the side may be playing much better, but this side doesn't have that cutting edge in the final third that you need to stay up.
Leicester City
Players Loaned In : 1
Departures : 2
Players Loaned Out : 3
Total Spent : £15million
Total Sold : £14.2million
Net Profit : -£800,000
The reigning champions, who have the worst record of any defending champion at this stage of the season as they sit in 16th place, were surprisingly very inactive in the transfer window. Their only permanent signing was 20 year old defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, another attempt from them at finding the next Kante, in order to aid their vulnerable defence, this one costing £15million. He's neither done great, nor poorly in his first two appearances for the club, but will need to adapt to the pace of the Premier League quickly, if he's to help the holders avoid a relegation fight. The loanee whom they brought in from Udinese is centre-back Molla Wague. The 25 year old has a bit of pace and is aerially very good. It's crucial that he listens to the advice of Morgan and Huth if he's to be a good defender in this league, if he impresses from now until the end of the season, I can definitely see Leicester signing him due to their current centre-half duo not having too many years left in them. You can't really argue with their departures, in fact, they did well to get the amount of money which they did for Schlupp and Hernandez. The main problem for Leicester is they've not cashed in on the unhappy man, Leonardo Ulloa, he said that he 'feels betrayed by Ranieri and the club', and I feel as though they missed a chance to get some good money off of him. I think that Leicester City need to go back to the style of play that worked so well for them last year, if they can find some form then they should survive this year.
Liverpool
Players Loaned Out : 4
Total Spent : £0
Total Sold : £7.5million
Net Profit : £7.5million
Jurgen Klopp is evidently happy with the strength in depth of his squad, as Liverpool made no signings in the transfer window. The only departure from the club was Tiago Ilori, who moved to Reading. They did well to get the money that they did for Ilori, and, that will definitely add to the bank for the summer spending. Fans won't have too many complaints of the loans out as all four of them were in need of first team football. The only argument being from fans who may feel the treatment of Sakho to be harsh. I think the problem for Liverpool is that they really needed a striker, with Sturridge not good enough and Origi inconsistent, the Reds will no doubt drop down the table and out of the top four.
Manchester City
Departures : 2
Players Loaned Out : 6
Total Spent : £27million
Total Sold : Undisclosed
Net Profit : -£27million
Man City's title race was boosted when their summer acquisition, Gabriel Jesus, came through. He impressed on his debut against Spurs, finding the back of the net, only to have it disallowed for offside. He looked like the real deal, was very direct and skillful, used the ball well and could prove to be the player Man City need to take them to the next level and it'll be interesting to see how he plays tonight. Their departures will be much heavier in the summer, with only two youngsters being sold, as I feel that Guardiola will have a mass clear-out of the dead-weight at the club, of which there is plenty. I think that having learned how hard the Premier League is from his first season, Pep will have a much different squad next year and that's when we will see them challenge for yet another title.
Super Sunday Preview - 21/01/17
Southampton vs Leicester City
Premier League holders Leicester City are still searching for their first away win of the season, and, will not face an easy task when they travel to Southampton. The visitors will be boosted by the fact that the Saints are likely to be without want-away centre-back Jose Fonte, however, the Foxes will still be missing ACON trio: Riyad Mahrez, Islam Slimani and Daniel Amartey. It seems like the hosts are finally suffering from losing their main bulk of talent this year as they currently sit in 13th, having suffered four consecutive defeats. Whereas, the holders have found retention of a title to be an impossible challenge, which has been in no small part down to their shocking away form (D3/L8), in comparison to last season when they won 11 times on their travels. The main problem for both these sides this season has been goals, Leicester average just over a goal per game, whereas, their opposition average just under a goal per game and in fact, haven't found the back of the net in their last two games. I wouldn't expect many goals in this fixture at all, with Mahrez and Slimani gone, the pressure is on Vardy to get the goals, but if Van Dijk marks him tightly, he'll be essentially useless. It's the width that's key for Southampton, Bertrand and Redmond being specific threats, however with Austin injured, it's up to Shane Long to step it up and get on the end of crosses, like he did in the FA Cup against Norwich. Claude Puel said that he expects a counterattacking style from their opponents so I expect their back line to drop deep when Leicester win the ball back, in order to stop the ball in behind and shorten the space in and around the box. It's likely to be a scrappy game of few chances and with how nonclinical these two sides are this season, the first goal is more than likely going to be the winner.
Predicted Southampton Starting XI
Forster
Bertrand, Yoshida, Van Dijk, Soares
Romeu, Clasie
Tadic, Ward-Prowse, Redmond
Long
Predicted Leicester City Starting XI
Schmeichel
Fuchs, Huth, Morgan, Simpson
Gray, Mendy, Drinkwater, Albrighton
Vardy, Musa
Score Prediction - Southampton 1:0 Leicester City
Arsenal vs Burnley
The Emirates Stadium plays host to what could be a very tense close game, as, 4th place Arsenal (Nothing new here), host 10th place Burnley. Earlier this season, the Gunners were very fortunate to get the win at Turf Moor, courtesy of a 94th minute winner from Laurent Koscielny. Burnley, just like Leicester City, are chasing their first win away from home this season, and, having brought in Joey Barton, they won't be as easy to run round in the middle of the park. Both sides welcome back a trio of players for this game, for Arsenal; Hector Bellerin, Kieran Gibbs and Francis Coquelin return, whereas, available for Burnley are; Dean Marney, Ashley Barnes and Johann Berg Gudmundsson. Both sides come into this fixture with relatively good form, with the hosts unbeaten in their previous four outings (W3/D1), and the visitors picking up three wins from their last four games. The important thing for the Gunners is to come out with the right mentality, too many times they've started slow recently, and have been very fortunate to not suffer more defeats because of it. They need to play for 90 minutes, how they played for the final half-hour at Bournemouth and if they do, this should be a relatively easy win for them, due to the quality in the team. For Burnley to win, they have to capitalise if Arsenal start slow, it's all about being clinical, they will get some chances, but they have to make them count. Koscielny and Mustafi are going to have to be wary of the runs in behind from Andre Gray, he'll no doubt be their biggest threat, and, will be after every flick on from Vokes, if Dyche opts to start with two up top. With these sides scoring 11 and 8 goals respectively in their last 5 games, there will no doubt be goals. How many there are, will depend on who scores first, if it's the visitors, then I expect this to be a classic, however, if the Gunners make the breakthrough, this will likely be a one-sided affair and will add more disappointment to Burnley's miserable away record. If Barton and Xhaka are both starting, it might be worth a bet on a red card or those two booked and Arsenal to win.
Predicted Arsenal Starting XI
Cech
Gibbs, Mustafi, Koscielny, Bellerin
Coquelin, Ramsey
Sanchez, Ozil, Iwobi
Giroud
Predicted Burnley Starting XI
Heaton
Ward, Mee, Keane, Lowton
Defour, Hendrick, Barton, Boyd
Gray, Vokes
Score Prediction - Arsenal 3:1 Burnley
Chelsea vs Hull City
Premier League leaders Chelsea will no doubt be favourites in Sunday's final game, but with new signings and a new manager, this would be a perfect game for the team to show their fans the progression that is being made. Hull were the first victims of Conte's three at the back system, and the confidence picked up here, inspired their run of 13 consecutive league victories. Everything is stacked against Hull City, based on form; Chelsea have won their last eight at home, whereas, Hull have lost their last eight on the road, Chelsea lost just one in their last ten games, Hull have only managed one win in the same period. With it now looking like Diego Costa will be staying, he is now available for this fixture, and I'm sure if he gets a goal or two, it'll appease the fans questioning his loyalty, club captain John Terry is back after his suspension but will likely be on the bench. For their visitors, top scorer Robert Snodgrass is a slight doubt with a muscle problem, however David Meyler, alongside a trio of new signings, Elabdellaoui, Evandro and Niasse are all available. Chelsea will no doubt dominate this game and when they're playing at their best, then it's just a matter of time before they score. The best chance for the visitors to make this game interesting is surely from set-pieces, players like Huddlestone and Dawson are great in the air and will no doubt cause the hosts' defence problems. As much as set-pieces are their strength, they are also their downfall, conceding 20 of their 45 goals from them. which is the most of any team in Europe's top five leagues. With two wins out of three under Marco Silva, confidence will be much higher in the Hull camp right now and Conte will have to make sure his side doesn't go into this game complacent and that they kill the game off early. The longer the game is level, the more confidence the underdogs will get and eventually they'll just play for the point and the space in the final third will reduce immensely. Ultimately though, I think the league leaders will have too much quality for Hull and will end up winning comfortably at the end.
Predicted Chelsea Starting XI
Courtois
Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill
Alonso, Fabregas, Kante, Moses
Hazard, Pedro
Costa
Predicted Hull City Starting XI
Jakupovic
Davies, Dawson, Maguire,
Robertson, Clucas, Huddlestone, Snodgrass, Elabdellaoui
Diomande, Hernandez
Score Prediction - Chelsea 4:1 Hull City
Arsenal Rant - We're getting worse! - 24/11/16
Unbeaten in 18 games in all competitions, 3 points off top of the league, qualified for the knockout stages of the CL, you'd think Arsenal fans would struggle to criticise the start to the season. But that's far from the case, as the saying goes, it's the 'same shit, different year.'
Six Pivotal Games that could determine who wins the Premier League! - 19/01/16
Manchester City vs Leicester City - February 6th
Arsenal vs Leicester City - February 13th
Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur - February 14th
Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal - March 5th
Manchester City vs Manchester United - March 19th
Manchester City vs Arsenal - May 7th
Who does your club need to sign in January - PL Bottom Half - 18/01/16 Everton
Central Midfielder
 |
| Will Hughes made his debut for Derby at the young age of 16 in a 3-2 defeat to Peterborough United |
Watford
Defensive Midfielder
 |
| Mario Suarez won 6 trophies in 5 seasons at Atletico \Madrid: Europa League 2011/12, UEFA Super Cup 2010 and 2012, Copa Del Rey 2011/12, La Liga 2013/14 and the Supercopa de Espana 2014. |
West Bromwich Albion
Centre-Back
 |
| 34 year old Veteran Defender Nemanja Vidic has won 18 trophies and picked up 22 individual awards during his illustrious career. |
Chelsea
Striker
 |
| Pato has been linked with a move to the Premier League every year since 2007, will he finally get his move? |
Bournemouth
Already Signed
Well the problem Eddie Howe really needed to address in this window was the striker problem but they've already addressed that with the signings of Juan Iturbe, Lewis Grabban and Benik Afobe, the latter showing his great finishing abilities on his debut against Norwich. Juan Iturbe is tipped to be the next Messi so there's no doubt that he'll be an exciting prospect to watch develop over the second half of the season. Lewis Grabban returned to Bournemouth for a fee of £7million showing how overpriced Premier League players can be and I'm sure this is why Eddie Howe has said he's worried with how much his club has spent. Although bringing in 3 exciting prospects is great, Eddie Howe will have a headache later in the season when he has Wilson as well as Murray asking for first team football but if they stay in the Premier League like I hope they will, I'm sure the manager will be glad to have the problem.
Norwich City
Striker
 |
| Naismith's only Premier League goals this season came in Everton's 3-1 win at home to Chelsea, he scored all 3. |
Newcastle United
Striker
 |
| Veteran Striker Peter Crouch has played for 10 clubs in his career, I'm sure an 11th wouldn't hurt? |
Swansea City
 |
| De Guzman helped Swansea win the League Cup in 2012/13 contributing 3 goals in 6 games |
Sunderland
Centre-Back
 |
| Lamine Kone has scored 7 goals in 124 appearances for Lorient. |
Aston Villa
Right-Back
 |
| Want-away right-back Mathieu Debuchy is desperate to leave the Gunners in this window after falling out of favour. |
Who does your club need to sign in January - PL Top Half - 17/01/16
Arsenal
Defensive Midfielder
 |
| Polish International Grzegorz Krychowiak |
Leicester City
Centre-Back
 |
| Fabian Schar clapping the Hoffenheim crowd |
Manchester City
Winger
 |
| Antoine Griezmann celebrating scoring for Atletico Madrid |
Tottenham Hotspur
Striker
 |
| Sandro Ramirez playing in the Champions League against Napoli |
West Ham United
Right Back
 |
| Versatile full-back Sam Byram has a choice between Everton, West Ham United and Newcastle United |
Manchester United
Striker
 |
| Colombian Carlos Bacca scored 14 goals over the last two Europa League Campaigns in order to help Sevilla win the title for consecutive seasons |
Stoke City
No One Required
Stoke aren't the complete package by any means however, they're certainly performing way above expectations this season and with players like Shaqiri, Arnautovic, Bojan and Joselu contributing goals regularly and a solid defence in front of one of the league's best keeper's in Jack Butland, there is nobody right now that would really improve Stoke drastically. Mark Hughes has already said he is content with his squad and I think he has good reason to be. You should expect to see some potential outgoing's from Stoke with Peter Crouch in particular falling out of favour however, I expect to see no one join the club in this window.
Crystal Palace
Striker
 |
| 31 year old Journeyman Adebayor has played for 6 clubs in his career winning only 1 trophy (Copa Del Rey 2010-11) |
Liverpool
Striker
 |
| Want-away striker Saido Berahino is likely to cost around £15-20million |
Southampton
Defensive Midfielder
 |
| 22 year old Stefano Sturaro made his name at Juventus in last year's Champions League when he stopped a goal-bound effort from James Rodriguez. |
Monday Night Football Preview - 12/12/15
Woody Predicts : Leicester City 3-1 Chelsea
Super Sunday Preview - 03/10/15
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
Trouble in the North East - 20/09/15
If you're a fan of Newcastle United or their rivals Sunderland, there are plenty of reasons to be worried about the season despite only six games being played.
Newcastle United
2/18 Points - 19th Place
3 goals scored - 9 conceded
Newcastle 2-2 Southampton
Swansea 2-0 Newcastle
Man United 0-0 Newcastle
Newcastle 4-1 Northampton
Newcastle 0-1 Arsenal
West Ham 2-0 Newcastle
Newcastle 1-2 Watford
We start with Newcastle United. When looking at their opening fixtures, you do have to admit that it was a hard start to the 2015/16 campaign but it's not the fact that they had 2 points from 15 that was worrying for me, it was the manor in which they were playing. They started the season so brightly with an impressive 2-2 draw with Southampton with a debut goal from Wijnaldum after an equaliser from Cisse. A good point to start McClaren's reign at Newcastle. Then a poor performance and a red card sentenced Newcastle to a poor 2-0 defeat at Swansea. One of the performances of the season so far was on showcase when Newcastle managed to pick up a well earned point at Old Trafford. Defensively they were outstanding and showed great determination when going forward on counter attacks and if Thauvin got a touch on the ball from Sissoko in the 90th minute then Newcastle could have picked up a vital win but they lacked the clinicalness. The Thauvin show was on as Newcastle eliminated League Two Northampton in an outstanding performance from the little Frenchman as he picked up a goal and three assists. Newcastle forward Mitrovic then continued to show a lack of discipline as he was sent off within 20 minutes as Newcastle lost again despite defending well. The last two defeats is where I've seen a massive problem with Newcastle as they lost 2-0 to West Ham and 2-1 to Watford yesterday.
Georginio Wijnaldum - £14.5million
Florian Thauvin - £13million
Aleksander Mitrovic - £13million
Chancel Mbemba - £8.5million
Ivan Toney - £250,000
Having seen their club spend almost £50million during the transfer window, Newcastle fans would have been hoping to see their big money signings have an instant impact on the Premier League. However, other than a debut goal for Wijnaldum, a great cup game for Thauvin against League Two opposition and a commanding performance against Man United, the new signings have struggled to have a consistent impact on the game. They are young and will get better with age, there is no doubt about that however, these players are not Premier League proven and that could be Newcastle's downfall this year. Why they didn't sign Charlie Austin instead of the hothead Mitrovic confuses me as with Austin, you know you're going to get 15-20 goals a season. There is a good chance that their signings will improve however, you have to question why the scouts weren't looking at more Premier League proven players as we've seen players like Gouffran and Cisse flop so I question why they did not bring in a player like Austin.
In football goals win games so if you can't find the back of the net, you're not going to have a good season. For a side averaging 0.5 goals per game so far this season, alarm bells must have started to ring. Striker Papiss Cisse is yet to score since the opening day of the season and showed his lack of confidence in yesterday's match against Watford as he missed 2 good chance and was subbed off for De Jong at half time, a striker who also has had an awful start to the season. Right-back Daryl Janmaat has ironically been Newcastle's best player going forward in the last two games and almost managed to get a brace yesterday. This is why they needed to bring in QPR forward Charlie Austin. There's no movement up front really and although Austin isn't the quickest, he proved last year he had an eye for goal and maybe Newcastle manager Steve McClaren will sign him in January and hope for a revival in the second half of the season. Unless Perez, Cisse or De Jong can get their shooting boots on then I don't see goals coming any time soon especially with Chelsea and Man City next in the league.
Premier League all time top goalscorer and Newcastle legend Alan Shearer was very critical of Newcastle's defending and I personally think that it all comes down to a lack of leadership. Coloccini, as a captain, has to lead from the back and set an example to his fellow defenders. This season at times and last season he has not been putting in a captain's performance. Similar to John Terry, a lack of pace is the problem with Coloccini however, Terry is a leader of men and you can see this in his play. He'll make sure he has cover from his centre-back partner and will rarely leave himself exposed. In contrast, Coloccini is leaving himself exposed way too much and that comes down to a lack of communication in most parts and what you saw in the Watford second goal yesterday was nothing other than pathetic. Coloccini was backing away from striker Troy Deeney rather than showing the desire to close his man down and stop the ball in behind and to back away 7 yards from Deeney showed no desire, no courage, no work ethic and he set a very bad example for his team. If your captain, your leading centre-back isn't willing to try hard for the team, why should other players feel as though they have to try and that is the attitude which I see from Newcastle.
They brought in a manager in Steve McClaren who lacks Premier League experience however having had 7 jobs in multiple countries and having been England manager, his experience in multiple jobs could prove that he is the right man for the job however, his experience in the Championship could prove more vital to Newcastle because that where they are headed right now with the way they are playing. It is as though the players need to have their wages threatened or something like that as they are showing no desire to play for the shirt and it's a shame to see this happen to a great club like Newcastle and hopefully they can improve.
Sunderland
2/18 Points 20th Place
6 goals scored - 13 conceded
Leicester 4-2 Sunderland
Sunderland 1-3 Norwich
Sunderland 1-1 Swansea
Sunderland 6-3 Exeter
Aston Villa 2-2 Sunderland
Sunderland 0-1 Tottenham
Bournemouth 2-0 Sunderland
Sunderland seem to have their own method of surviving in the Premier League which they've shown in past years : Start off poorly, sack manager, hire new manager, find some form out of nowhere, stay up in the final few games, repeat. You have to feel sorry for Sunderland fans after having to put up with this in recent years and maybe they thought this season would be different....unfortunately not the case. This is the third season in a row that Sunderland haven't won any of their first six and it's not as though they've had as hard of a run as rivals Newcastle either. Leicester showed how good they were and how poor Sunderland are defensively as they put 4 past the North East side. Then a performance which saw some fans boo their own club just two games into the season as they were outplayed by new-boys Norwich. The next 3 games saw Sunderland get their first two points of the season and win the fitness battle against League Two side Exeter City who deserve credit for their battling and for how well they played on that night. However, just as you may have thought Sunderland were improving as they only lost 1-0 to Tottenham, they put in a lifeless performance yesterday against Bournemouth as they suffered a 2-0 defeat.
Jeremain Lens - £12.5million
Fabio Borini - £9.5million
DeAndre Yedlin - Loan
Ola Toivonen - Loan
Yann M'Vila - Loan
Younes Kaboul - £3million
Adam Matthews - £2.2million
Sebastian Coates - £2million
Santiago Vergini - £2million
Sunderland fans saw their club spend just over £30million this summer and they must be thinking: Did we just spend £30million for the sake of it? What has changed for the amount of money that we've spent? The answer, nothing. Nothing at all. Despite spending that much money, Sunderland show no difference in their game. Yes they have goals in them, we all know that, with Defoe, Borini and Lens they will get goals this season, they just lose the midfield battle and they're defenders seem asleep half the time. They bring in Kaboul, who had some great games for Tottenham and Coates, who could be a great defender however, they just seem to have no communication. They've had over a month of games and even more training sessions so there should be no excuse why their is hardly any chemistry between the two. Lens has been good and he showed that in the goal against Villa however, they need him to track back more and help out his defence more. Another worrying thing for Sunderland fans was what manager Dick Advocaat said about transfer deadline day signing DeAndre Yedlin 'I don't know a lot about the player'. This is not what you want to hear from your manager, this gives the impression that the manager has a lack of control over the signings and departures from the club and maybe the hierarchy at Sunderland is what needs to be looked closely at.
You ask people what's important for a football team to have and show on a consistent basis and the majority will say, good teamwork, the desire to win and play for the shirt and showing a good level of discipline. Unfortunately Sunderland are lacking in all of these aspects. This picture sums up the teamwork aspect. After conceding, you need your captain to help rally the side together however in this photo, the captain Lee Cattermole shows a defeatist attitude, an attitude which is clearly contagious at Sunderland as you can see Cattermole's team mate behind him is clearly showing the same attitude. The desire is clearly not their from the majority of the senior players. It must be frustrating to watch as a fan of the club in particular, especially when you can see this lack of desire within the second game of the season when they showed no work ethic in defending or tracking back as it's as though the players think if a player goes past them, it's not their responsibility to get back and work hard for their team. The discipline at Sunderland has been shocking, 2 penalties conceded in the league in 6 games is unacceptable, 19 yellows and 1 red is just as bad. The players don't seem to care, including hothead midfielder and captain Lee Cattermole.
In all honesty, Sunderland may just need to play their younger players in order to teach the more experienced players to up their game. I remember watching the Norwich game, 21 year old Duncan Watmore came on and he showed the desire of a player who wants to wear the shirt and it was infectious on the crowd as it got those remaining in the stadium on their feet applauding and when he scored, it was as though Sunderland realised they can play well. The senior players at the club can learn a thing or two from this young man on how to get the crowd going by showing desire to play for the club. However, like I said with the Newcastle team, the manager should really threaten their wages or something like that because they seem to think they can get away with not trying.
Overall I believe that Sunderland won't have the luck which they've had in recent years which has kept them up and they will go down this season and if Newcastle players don't wake up and start playing football to their maximum potential, the same fate will be met by them. I don't wish relegation on any club, as a football fan that's been through it twice, it's a horrible feeling but if the players think that they can go out and play half-hearted and not give their all for 90 minutes is shocking and they deserve to be relegated if they're not willing to try. People pay a lot of money to watch their team at all levels so for players to think they can go out on the pitch and not show effort is disgraceful. The only positive any of these teams can really take is that Newcastle fans can enjoy being above Sunderland.
It will be interesting to see how these two react to their poor start to the year and when they play on October 25th, it's sure to be an interesting spectacle or if they continue as bad a bore 0-0 draw is probably on the cards.
Thanks for Reading!
PL Transfer Window Round-Up - Part 4/4 - 15/09/15
Swansea City
Players Departed : 4
Players Loaned Out : 5
Total Spent : £9.55million
Total Sold : £0.5million
Total Net Spend : £9.05million
To start the final part of this story, we discuss the work of the Premier League's lowest spenders, Swansea City. After losing Bony to Man City, we all were expecting Swansea City to go in for a replacement and with the money they got for Bony, you'd have thought they'd have spent more however Swansea stuck to their policy on not spending too much money on players which I have a lot of respect for. They've replaced Bony by bringing 3 strikers during the window: Eder, Andre Ayew and Oliver McBurnie. The latter on this list is a player you should expect to see in the U-21 league and to go out on loan to further his development as he is only 19 years old. It feels like Eder has been around forever to me anyway however at only 27, he could hit his prime in the Premier League this season and the target man will enjoy playing alongside the lightning fast wingers that Swansea possess. I don't think he's completely match fit as of yet so I'd expect to see him feature off the bench this season unless Ayew or Gomis pick up an injury. Andre Ayew has taken the Premier League by storm so far and he's one of the top two summer signings this year in my opinion as he's already notched up 3 goals and an assist in his first 4 games for Swansea including a goal at Stamford Bridge against last years champions and a goal and an assist in the 2-1 win against Manchester United which saw him pick up the Premier League Player of the Month in August. The remarkable thing is, he was signed on a free transfer proving that you don't need to spend £50million to bring in the best players which is proved by the fact that Ayew and Gomis have 7 goals between them in 4 games despite costing £0. They also signed up 3 goalkeepers in Tremmel, Vickers and Nordfelt however I don't think you'll see any of these take Fabianski's place any time soon and Vickers and Tremmel are likely to go on loan or play in the U-21 development league in order to progress. The other signing they made was Franck Tabanou from St Etienne for £3.5million and is more likely to fill in at left back if Taylor gets injured. The departure of Nathan Dyer on loan is questionable due to his talent which he put on showcase for Leicester on Sunday however if Swansea's wide men pick up injuries then they may miss Dyer. Overall, Swansea have really strengthened in two departments only however the back up they have in particular is fairly good and they have made one of the two top signings of the summer in Andre Ayew and I can see them being in a fight for the Europa League place come the end of the season if they perform against the smaller teams the way they do against the big ones.
Woody's Rating - 9/10
Tottenham
Players Departed : 14
Players Loaned Out : 6
Total Spent : £49.3million
Total Sold : £44.03million
Total Net Spend : £5.27million
It was a window where Spurs manage Mauricio Pochettino has clearly tried to reshape his squad and get rid of players that clearly don't match the philosophy in which he wants his team to follow which is shown by the 14 departures from the club. I felt they needed to sign another striker to ease pressure on Harry Kane and two were brought in to the club. These were Heung-Min Son and Clinton N'Jie who were their most expensive purchases of the window costing the club £18million and £12million respectively. Son is someone I've seen play quite a few times and I think he'll be an exciting player to watch in the Premier League. He's very quick and his dribbling is very good and I'd expect him to score around 10-15 goals this season as well as getting a handful of assists. After 8 goals in 33 appearances for Lyon last year N'Jie proved that he could perform at the top level in France however, I don't think he'll be able to force his way into the first team this season and I'd expect him to play in the cups and come off the bench frequently throughout this season as he adjusts to the English game. The other 3 players signed are all defenders and I think this was vital for Spurs to strengthen their defence after they've lost players like Kaboul and Dawson. Toby Alderwiereld arrived from Atletico Madrid for £11.5million after impressing on loan at Southampton last season and he could line up at centre-back with Kevin Wimmer who was ranked as the 7th best defender in the Bundesliga last season by German magazine Kicker as he help FC Koln stay in the German top flight. Their final signing was one of the best right-backs in the Premier League last season in Kieran Trippier from Burnley for only £3.5million. The English defender had more successful crosses than any other player in the league last season and if he continues this for Spurs, he'll be crucial in making goal scoring much easier for lone striker Harry Kane. The Spurs manager has focused on getting rid of players signed by prior manager's to him at the club with players like Soldado, Paulinho, Capoue and Holtby all being deemed surplus to requirements which I believe is the best thing that Pochettino could have done. Overall, I'm impressed with how Pochettino worked hard to get in talented players like Alderwiereld and Son and with how well he's got rid of old players who didn't perform at the club however performances haven't been great on the pitch and he'll be hoping his new signings can turn the club's fortunes around.
Woody's rating - 8/10
Watford
Players Loaned In : 3
Players Departed : 4
Players Loaned Out : 8
Total Spent : £27.4million
Total Sold : £3.6million
Total Net Spend : £23.8million
Watford spent the most money of the newly promoted clubs and bringing in 15 players in total is not something I think was too good as bringing in too many players can have a negative effect on squad morale as players can feel as though they are being replaced. They spent £6million on Capoue from Tottenham well purchasing both Jurado and Vydra for the same amount. Capoue could prove to be a great signing as although he didn't have the best time at Tottenham, he does have the quality to play in the Premier League and maybe playing for a lower club may help him play better as he may feel as though he is a star man at the club. Jurado has played for some great clubs in his career including Spanish giants Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid therefore his experience and ability to score goals from midfield will be invaluable to the club, similarly Vydra has Premier League experience having played for West Brom and he can be a match winner on his day and hopefully he can step up his game this year and help Deeney and Ighalo keep Watford from dropping back down to the Championship. Berghuis, Behrami and Holebas were signed for a combined £9.4million. Berghuis is a 23 year old winger who scored 19 goals during his time at AZ and looks to be improving so if he continue his development at Watford then they could have a very talented player on the cards for the future. Holebas has European experience having played in the Europa and Champions League whilst at Olympiakos where he won 6 trophies in 4 years so his experience could be passed on to the younger players at the club and he could prove to be a rock at the back and help Watford stay in games against the bigger clubs in the league. This is the second spell in the Premier League for Swiss International Behrami who was at West Ham from 2008-2011 therefore similar to Holebas, it'll be his job to help younger players settle in the Premier League and he'll also have to protect the defence alongside Capoue as they both are very similar players, tall, strong and powerful when going forward. They also got Miguel Britos and Sebastian Prodl, two very experienced players alongside Nyom and Arlauskis. Nyom has been consistent this season and looks like a good buy but with the other three players I feel like the manager has tried to get too much back up and although they're experienced, I question their quality. The same can be said about Oluare and Guediora who came from Club Brugge and Crystal Palace respectively and I believe they will be more of a back up to the first team. The loans of Ake, Diamanti and Ibarbo are great pieces of business however and I can see all three of them fitting in to the first team. All three are tipped as hot prospects for the future and this is their chance this season to prove themselves as hopefully they'll help the experienced players keep the London club in the league. I agree with the departures and loaning out other than the selling of Forestieri who did well for them last year however to get £3million for him was good business. Overall, the loanees which they've brought in are very good but I feel like they've signed too many players and although this will benefit them if they get a lot of injuries, many of their players will struggle to adjust to the Premier League.
Woody's Rating - 5/10
West Bromwich Albion
Players Loaned In : 1
Players Departed : 12
Total Spent : £32.5million
Total Sold : £5million
Total Net Spend : £27.5million
The main talking point at West Brom during the window was concerning the future of the young English striker Saido Berahino. He eventually stayed at the club but said a day after that he'll never play for the Midlands club again whilst the current Chairman remains in charge however I do think he'll play for them and do well for them this season. Rondon was signed from Zenit for £12million and many believed that he would be the replacement for Berahino however, it looks like he'll be his strike partner. Rondon got an incredible assist against Chelsea and looked like a really good player in that game and if he can continue that kind of form then I'm sure he'll become a fan favourite at the Baggies. They strengthened up their defence with the purchases of James Chester and Jonny Evans for a combined £16million showing Pulis's aspirations to improve his side defensively. Attackers Rickie Lambert and James McClean cost a combined £4.5million and will have to contribute a good amount of goals if West Brom are to avoid the drop this season. Lambert has been brought in to be more of a back up player in my opinion however on his day he can threaten any defence in the Premier League and he is a master of free-kicks and penalties. Their final permanent signing was Anders Lindegaard from Man United. The keeper never managed to break through the ranks at United and will be hoping for a better chance at West Brom however, I think it'll take injuries to the other keepers for that to happen. Finally they loaned in Serge Gnabry at Arsenal and I think this will be a great place for Serge to further his development as he will more than likely be able to hold down a place in the starting XI. Two departures that I question are Mulumbu and Lescott. In my opinion Mulumbu is an outstanding player on his day and a real powerhouse and I believe that he will be missed as he does his job at protecting the back four very well so to let him go on a free is questionable in my opinion. Joleon Lescott is a leader and a Premier League winner. He's been around the Premier League for countless years and his experience is invaluable to West Brom and I thought he would have been at the club for another year at least however the fact that Villa are the club he supports, it would have taken a lot money to keep him at the club therefore I can understand more why he departed. Overall, West Brom have done well in the window bringing in two promising centre-backs, two proven strikers and two promising you wingers and if these players play to their full potential, the Baggies could have a solid season.
Woody's Rating - 8/10
West Ham United
Players Loaned In : 4
Players Departed : 8
Players Loaned Out : 3
Total Spent : £33.9million
Total Sold : £7million
Total Net Spent : £26.9million
The final club in the league to discuss are West Ham United. The Hammers signed Dimitri Payet who has been one of the top two signings alongside Andre Ayew. The attacking midfielder has taken the league by storm and has threatened in every game he's played and has managed to score 3 goals in 5 games including a brace last night in a man of the match performance. He did cost £10.7million but if he continues playing like this then he'll prove that he was worth every penny. In my opinion he could get into any of the starting XI's in the Premier League therefore making the fact that Bilic convinced him to sign for the Hammers, who are a mid-table club, an incredible achievement. Ogbonna is a modern centre-back similar to Southampton's Van Dijk and I think this benefits the passing play that West Ham play under their new manager. They bolstered their attacking options further with the additions with Antonio joining from Forest and I said in a previous story what he will bring to West Ham and I think he's good enough to get in their first team and I'd say he'll be a similar player to Montero for Swansea. They also added Jelavic from Hull for £3million and I think he'll be back up to Sakho, Valencia and Carroll. Obiang was brought in to help strengthen the midfield and he's done a great job in the games he's played so far and Randolph has been brought in to replace the injured Adrian for the time being and he seems to be improving. Loanees Song and Jenkinson were here last year and they are consistent performers and they know the squad well so integrating them back in wouldn't be a problem. Moses has come on a season long loan for the Hammers and he proved last night how well he fits this side when going on an outstanding run in the lead up to second Payet goal. Lanzini is not a player I'm too familiar with but after a good performance against Liverpool where he got a goal and an assist making me think that he could be a good fit for this team. Before they brought in Antonio I was questioning why they sold Downing after he was great last year but maybe Downing wanted to return to an old club but anyway they've brought in great replacements. Overall, West Ham have brought in some top quality players in Payet and Antonio in particular and I think Bilic has set his club up for West Ham's best season in a long time and I think they'll be in the fight for the Europa League places.
Woody's Rating - 9/10
PL Transfer Round-Up - Part 3/4 - 14/09/15
Newcastle United
Players Departed : 7
Players Loaned Out : 7
Total Spent : £49.25million
Total Sold : £3.23million
Net Spend : £46.02million
Surprisingly Newcastle had the second highest net spend in the summer window, behind Man City alone. With 3 signings costing over £10million, Newcastle fans will be hoping that their new men can help turn the club's fortunes around after a disappointing end to last years' campaign. New manager Steve McClaren started the summer by bringing in Giorgio Wijnaldum to the club for a fee of £14.5million and the attacking midfielder showed his worth by scoring a great header on his debut. The Dutch player has been tipped for greatness in recent years due to his creativity and quality of passes in the final third. However something he will clearly have to work on is how well he plays off the ball in dropping deeper to collect the ball and working forward in ball retention. However due to the quality which the Dutchman clearly possesses, this has been a great signing for Newcastle and he will surely be crucial to Newcastle's success in big games. Florian Thauvin and Aleksandar Mitrovic were signed for a fee of £13million each. Thauvin had a big impact in the Capital One Cup win against Northampton and that has really opened Newcastle's fans eyes on how well their new man can play on his day. He's young so he might take a little while to adjust to the pace of the Premier League however when he does adapt, he will be crucial to Newcastle's midfield. Mitrovic however, will need to cut out the amount of silly fouls he's made after getting booked within 5 minutes of coming off the bench in his first 2 games and then picking up a red card against Arsenal will not be acceptable at Newcastle. Fans love to see players work hard to win the ball back however they don't want to see their side reduced to 10 men often so Mitrovic just needs to find a balance between trying to win the ball back and just going in for reckless challenges. If he finds that balance then hopefully he will be a star for Newcastle as long as he can produce the quality of goals that got him this transfer. Mbemba could be the best bit of business from Newcastle this summer as it will strengthen up the department in which they are weakest, their defence. They were so poor defensively for most of last year and the partnership of Coloccini and Williamson just wasn't working and already Mbemba looks to have improved the central defence. It seems to have improved Coloccini's game as well and they could form a great partnership and help Newcastle to a comfortable position this year. Their final purchase was a bit of surprise as they bought in Ivan Toney from Northampton for a fee of £250,000. They 19 year old striker impressed for Northampton last year getting 10 goals in all competitions. I wouldn't expect him to feature in the league this year and he'll probably go back out on loan in order to gain experience. Their loans out are all understandable and I think you'll see Adam Armstrong in the first team next year if he continues to play as well as he has in the start of this campaign. The Jonas Gutierrez story was one that pleased football fans everywhere, he survived testicular cancer, got dropped from the team, brought back in and scored the winner on the final day of the season to keep Newcastle up. He was never technically the greatest footballer and Newcastle fans would admit that however he was a fighter and you could see his passion for the club when he celebrated that goal. Therefore releasing him in my opinion was not the right thing to do and I was gutted personally to see him leave and hopefully he has success at new club Deportivo. Overall, Newcastle have done some good business and have acquired some quality players and hopefully this will see them have better success this year and help them battle for a top half finish.
Woody's Rating - 7/10
Norwich City
Players Loaned In : 3
Players Departed : 3
Players Loaned Out : 7
Total Spent : £10million
Total Sold : £0.1million
Total Net Spend : £9.9million
Norwich City return the Premier League with the youngest manager this season and Alex Neil looks as though he's more than capable of coping with the pressures of managing a Premier League club. They haven't been too active in the window which is probably a good thing as it shows the players that he trusts in their ability to keep the club in the league. £7million signing Robbie Brady is the stand out acquisition for Norwich as he was arguably Hull's stand out player last season. Left-back Brady has improved his defensive game and going forward, he can be one of the hardest players to defend against and his crosses are very threatening to defences which will help bolster Norwich's attacking options. Dorrans and Mulumbu were bought in for a combined £3million and they were signed to strengthen Norwich's midfield. They both have a lot of premier league experience therefore could could be pivotal in helping Norwich's younger players in adjusting to the Premier League. They are not the best technical players however they are strong, no nonsense players who have proved over the years that their best ability is breaking up play and then picking the pass to the creative players and hopefully they can do a good job for Norwich City. Keeper Jake Kean has been brought in on a free transfer and I think we'll only see him feature in the cup competitions rather than the league but I do believe that right now he is being tutored by John Ruddy who will help improve his game in order to take over from John effectively if he gets injured. Loaning in Matt Jarvis and Andre Wisdom in particular was very good business as Jarvis is a proven Premier League quality player and on his day, he can be unstoppable and he's already proved what he can do with a goal against Bournemouth on Saturday. Wisdom is improving in the Premier League and he had a good year at West Brom last year and moving to Norwich will be very good for him as he will be in the first team very often therefore he can develop more. Mbokani will be more of a back up in my opinion and if he makes good of opportunities off the bench then maybe he will help Norwich in staying up. The departures from the club are understandable and I think the two loanees you need to look out for are Jacob and Josh Murphy and I do believe that they'll be two stars for the future that will come into the team within the next few years. Overall, Alex Neil has done a good job in my opinion during the summer window by not being drawn into buying a whole new starting XI and he clearly trusts in his players to keep them in the league this year.
Woody's Rating - 8/10
Southampton
Players Loaned In : 2
Players Departed : 9
Players Loaned Out : 3
Total Spent : £36.7million
Total Sold : £37.5million
Total Net Spend : -£0.8million
Next we discuss Southampton, who were the only team to make a profit during this window. I feel sorry for the fans as yet again they've seen some of their best players leave the club for the second year in succession and hopefully they can cope despite suffering these losses. They've strengthened the midfield with the addition of Clasie and Romeu for £8million and £5million respectively. Clasie is someone I believe Koeman would have looked at in great detail due to them both being Dutch. I wouldn't expect to see him contribute in the goals department too much as he's only notched up 10 goals in 188 games in his career however he's been labelled as the 'Dutch Xavi' therefore giving the impression that he'll be instrumental to the style of play that Koeman expects to see from his side. Oriol Romeu is a different type of midfielder, he's similar to Francis Coquelin as he looks to break up play and play the ball forward to his fellow midfielders. Both of these will help fill the gap left by the departure of Schneiderlin and although they don't have the quality of the Frenchman as of yet, they will surely improve as they get older. To solve defensive problems, Van Dijk, Caulker and Cedric have been brought in. Virgil Van Dijk is what you can describe as a modern defender, he looks better going forward at times then at actually defending. He's a free-kick specialist so if Southampton get a free-kick on the edge of the box, odds are that Van Dijk will smash it in. Caulker is more traditional, good in the air, strong and looks to get the ball clear before all else and his sense of urgency when defending could be crucial to keeping Southampton clean sheets this year. Cedric has been brought in with a very difficult task, replacing Nathaniel Clyne. He doesn't look as good at defending as Clyne did however going forward they are very similar and I think the Saints will benefit from this purchase. If he works on the defensive side of his game then he could become invaluable to Southampton. Cuco Martina is another right-back who could help fill the gap left by Clyne's departure however I think he'll be more of a backup player and will feature more if Cedric picks up an injury. Juanmi was acquired for £5million from Malaga and is an interesting purchase as he only managed 8 goals in 35 appearances last year however Koeman must clearly see potential in the young man and will hope to improve the forward as he gets older. Finally they loaned in keeper Stekelenburg from Fulham as he is there to fill in the injured Fraser Forster. Southampton had suffered in recent years in losing their best players and this year proved to be no different as they lost Clyne to Liverpool and Schneiderlin to Man United for £12.5million and £25million respectively. They do make a lot of money from these two players however their aren't many top quality players like these two that will drop down out of the Champions League clubs. Overall, it's yet another hard transfer window for Southampton fans as they've seen two more top quality players leave the club however with the young players they've brought in, it looks like Koeman is planning for the future.
Woody's Rating - 7/10
Stoke City
Players Loaned In : 1
Players Departed : 7
Total Spent : £21.1million
Total Sold : £18million
Total Net Spend : £3.1million
Mark Hughes has done an excellent job this year in bringing in the players he has and this is shown by the fact that Stoke City now have 5 Champions League winners in their squad, 2 of which arrived in this window. We start with one of these, Xherdan Shaqiri in a move that shocked me as well as many others. He's played with some of the best players in the world at Inter Milan and Bayern Munich and won the Champions League with the latter, therefore his experience will be invaluable. £12million for a player like Shaqiri is a steal and hopefully he will lead Stoke to their best ever finish as on his day, he is unplayable. He'll be instrumental to Stoke's style of play of running down the wing and crossing it in to players like Crouch will be easy for a player with the quality of Xherdan to perform week in and week out and don't be surprised if he tops the assists chart and reaches double figures on the goal scoring front also. Ibrahim Afellay was the other Champions League winner to join the club this summer and the most surprising thing about this transfer is that Barcelona gave him to Stoke on a free transfer. He's a flamboyant winger who possesses all the tricks and dribbling capabilities which you would expect from a Barcelona youngster and if he can develop his game further at Stoke, he can be one of the best players the Premier League has seen. Glen Johnson, Shay Given and Sergio Molina on a free transfer. The first two are vastly experienced and have been brought in order to help players like Molina and Afellay adapt to life in the Premier League. Molina comes from Real Madrid so you know he's clearly got the ability to go far in the game therefore could prove to be a great signing for The Potters. £9.1million was spent in bringing in Joselu, Wollscheid and Haugaard in to the club. Joselu has been brought in to help out with the goalscoring but is more likely to come off the bench rather than starting. Wollscheid has been brought in to replace Robert Huth and I think it's a good signing as at only 24, he has played against some top quality players in the Bundesliga so should be prepared for the threat of players in the Premier League. Finally Haugaard may just be a back up keeper and I don't see him replacing Butland in the league. Blackpool youngsters Waddington and Telford have joined the Premier League clubs but I expect to see them feature in the reserves as they continue their development. They lost Asmir Begovic to Chelsea however Jack Butland has started to play phenomenal in between the sticks however the departure of Steven N'Zonzi has hurt them. It's left the back four exposed and without a replacement in the CDM department, Stoke may be overwhelmed on the defensive front. Overall, Stoke seem to be building a real footballing squad and the days of aerial and set piece threats seem to be going and they seem to be adapting to a more technical style of play and I think it'll take a little time for them to adapt therefore it is understandable to see Stoke near the bottom at this point in time however, once the transitional period is over, I would expect to see them rise to a mid-table finish.
Woody's rating - 8/10
Sunderland
Players Loaned In : 3
Players Departed : 3
Players Loaned Out : 3
Total Spent : £31.45million
Total Sold : £9million
Total Net Spend : £22.45million
Sunderland will be hoping to change their fortunes this year and stay mid-table however after a slow start to the Premier League yet again for Sunderland, it could be another relegation fight. The majority of their money was spent bolstering their attacking options with the purchases of Jeremain Lens and Fabio Borini for £12.5million and £9.75million respectively. Lens has shown already what he can do with his pace and skills being showcased to the Sunderland fans on a few occasions. The Sunderland fans know what they're getting with Fabio Borini as he notched up 10 goals in 40 appearances 2 years ago so fans will be hoping they will get more of the same. The other 4 signings are all defenders costing a combined £9.2million, these are: Centre-backs, Kaboul, Coates and Vergini and left-back Matthews from Celtic. This is in the hope that Sunderland won't leak in as many goals as they have in recent years. Kaboul and Matthews will be key in defence this year as they are both quality players on their day and I feel like Kaboul is that leading figure which Sunderland have been missing. Matthews proved his worth in his consistency at Celtic and Sunderland fans will be hoping he can rediscover this kind of form at their club. On the contrary, I think Vergini and Coates aren't great signings as they are fairly inconsistent and can be dodgy defenders on their day so I don't think they are great signings. Yedlin, Toivonen and M'Vila have been brought in on loan and all of them could get into the first team. M'Vila is a similar player to Kouyate for West Ham in the position they play and the way they can be unstoppable when they drive forward and I'd expect to see him take Cattermole's place in the side as the Englishman has had a shocking start to the year. Selling Wickham is not ideal for Sunderland as he can score goals when he's playing well however I'm sure the young striker would have like to play for another club as he aims to further his development. Other than that the other departures and loans are understandable, especially Giaccherini who failed to live up to expectations. Overall, Sunderland have signed some solid players however on the pitch, performances are yet again not being achieved and it looks like history will repeat itself yet again at Sunderland where it will take their manager to lose his job and for the threat of relegation to sink in for their players to try again but hopefully I'm wrong.
Woody's rating - 6/10
PL Transfer Round-Up - Part 2/4 - 03/09/15
Everton
Players Departed : 5
Players Loaned Out : 3
Total Spent : £13.95million
Total Sold : £1million
Net Spend : £12.95million
The best piece of business that Everton pulled off this season wasn't in bringing a player or getting rid of someone, it was in keeping centre-back John Stones at the club. The English defender was heavily linked with a move to Premier League holders Chelsea however Bill Kenwright and Roberto Martinez held their own and kept Stones at the club. The Toffee's have mainly bolstered their attacking options with the signings of Deulofeu, Cleverley and Lennon. Deulofeu and Lennon will be threatening out wide and their pace will make them able to torment full-backs in order to get good service into Lukaku so you can see why they've been signed. Cleverley has been given a chance to prove himself at Everton and reignite his career. It is clear from his first few games that he has settled in at the club already and if he continues improving, I think he'll become a key part of Everton's team. Youngster David Henen has been signed for just £0.2million from Olympiakos however he is expected to feature in the U-21's mainly as he learns the English game and I wouldn't be surprised if he only featured in some cup games this year. Mason Holgate has also signed from Barnsley and I think Everton will be hoping that Holgate's progression will be similar to John Stones's and that's why they've signed him however he will also most likely only feature in the U-21's this year. Finally Everton signed Ramiro Funes Mori for £9.5million as they were low on centre-backs. I've never seen him play so I'm not sure how good he is however he will have to step his game up in order to break into the first team as Jagielka and Stones are performing very well together at this point in time. I agree with most of the departures and loans that Everton have done during this summer apart from letting Sylvain Distin depart on a free. If they got money for the reliable French defender then I'd understand but to let him to go on a free seems a bit odd to me as he was always a reliable consistent performer if Everton needed cover in defence. Other than that though, I'd be satisfied as an Everton fan with the business that has happened however fans do seem to be losing patience with the Everton hierarchy and if they don't make some big money signings in January or next summer then I can see Everton fans getting more frustrated. They've started the season with some injuries defensively including Leighton Baines which is a big loss and if they lose more like him through injury then lack of cover may hinder their league progress this season. They'll be hoping that Barkley and Lukaku are on top form this season in order to lead them into a top half table finish.
Woody's Rating - 7/10
Leicester City
Players Loaned In : 1
Players Departed : 8
Players Loaned Out : 8
Total Spent : £26.7million
Total Sold : £6.5million
Net Spend : £20.2million
Leicester City have been the biggest surprise of the season so far as they find themselves in 3rd place after 4 games. Their teamwork has been absolutely outstanding and by not making too many signings, Ranieri is clearing trying to keep the squad relatively small in order for morale to be high as players will not feel as they are being replaced. They've not only been impressive on the pitch with how they've played but have also been impressive off the pitch in their transfers. Striker Shinji Okazaki looks like a great talent as he's one of those players that never stops running and he managed to open his account with a goal in the win away at West Ham and if he continues this form, he and Jamie Vardy could be a goalscoring threat against any team this season. The £5million signing of Gokhan Inler from Napoli has the potential to be one of the signings of the season as he is a perfect replacement for Esteban Cambiasso. I would expect to see Inler sit in front of the back four and be pivotal to Leicester's defensive side of the game with his ability to break up play. Defensively signing Robert Huth is a decent signing as his strength and aerial abilities can help keep the best strikers at bay and also N'Golo Kante and Yohan Benalouane have been signed to increase squad depth as this Leicester side is beginning to rapidly grow in quality. Managing to get Christian Fuchs on a free from Schalke was another great bit of business from Leicester as they are getting a very consistent performer without spending anything. Managing to bring in Dyer on loan was a great acquisition for the Foxes as it adds another bit of pace to their attacking game and hopefully it will help improve the competition for places at the club. The players that they've loaned out are mainly the youth so I think Ranieri is given them a chance to prove themselves in the first team at other clubs in order for them to have a chance to break into the first team next season. You can understand why they've got rid of players like Nugent and Wood as I think they'll struggle to break into an ever improving Leicester side so to get £6.5million for them both combined was a good job. Overall, if you're a fan of the club then you can be happy with the experience players that they've purchased during the summer and if the players can continue playing this well as a team then you can expect a top half finish from your team this year.
Woody's Rating - 9/10
Liverpool
Players Sold : 8
Players Loaned Out : 13
Total Spent : £78.4million
Total Sold : £68.05million
Net Spend : £10.35million
Liverpool were able to splash the cash again this season after the big money departure of Raheem Sterling however, the big question asked of Rodgers this summer was how is he going to replace Steven Gerrard. The answer seems to have come in the form of James Milner and he has impressed in the Liverpool midfield already and looks like he can lead from that midfield while Jordan Henderson is injured. Liverpool needed a striker this season and they got their man for £32.5million when they signed Christian Benteke from Aston Villa. The powerful Belgian looks like he'll be worth the money as he has already managed to open his account with a controversial goal at home to Bournemouth. With his good hold up play, aerial ability and his outstanding link up play with Coutinho, Benteke looks like he will be a great signing. Full-backs Nathaniel Clyne and Joe Gomez were brought in to strengthen Liverpool's defence and with Clyne being so consistent for Southampton last season, you knew that Liverpool had made a good buy. There were question marks about the signing of Joe Gomez but after his performance at the Emirates, he proved his worth to the team and has silenced any critics. Roberto Firmino was signed for £29million from Hoffenheim and I think Liverpool may have overpaid a little bit for this one. He's looked okay in his first few performances but we'll need to find form soon as the fans will be hoping he proves why he cost their club so much money. Ings has been brought in from Burnley after proving himself last year and if Benteke gets injured, I think Ings will then get the chance to prove himself, if not then it may be a long season on the bench for Danny Ings. Youngsters Allan and Awoniyi were signed but I'd expect them to go on loan or stay in the U-21's for this year as they learn the English game. Getting rid of Sterling was a great move for Liverpool this window as he was clearly unhappy at the club. They needed to get rid of players like: Johnson, Borini, Lambert and Aspas as I feel as though they weren't good enough for the Liverpool team and they did well to make a good bit of money of these players. Losing Steven Gerrard was terrible for Liverpool and they won't ever to be able to replace him as a player like Gerrard is unique and I do question why Rodgers wouldn't keep him as I think Gerrard still has the quality to play in Liverpool's first team and I would have liked to see him end his career there however it wasn't meant to be but who knows Liverpool fans, maybe one day Gerrard will be manager and will lead you to glory. Overall, it's been another window where Liverpool have splashed the cash however this year I think that Brendan Rodgers has spent his money smarter and has really improved his squad this year and if Liverpool can play as well as Palace and Leicester are playing as a team then they will be a force to be reckoned with and could achieve Champions League qualification this year.
Woody's Rating - 9/10
Manchester City
Players Departed : 9
Players Loaned Out : 5
Total Spent : £153.5million
Total Sold : £29.05million
Net Spend : £124.45million
I'm sure you won't be surprised to see that Manchester City have yet again spent a ridiculous amount of money and that they spent the most money and had the highest net spend in the Premier League. Kevin De Bruyne was the most expensive signing for them as he cost them£54.5million from Wolfsburg. After leading the assist charts in all competitions for last season, you can understand why he warranted such a high fee and with Raheem Sterling being English, that seems to make him worth £49million due to the need to have home grown players in the squad. I do think Sterling is a good player but to cost £49million is ridiculous money for a player that wasn't extremely impressive in my opinion. However this season, he has looked rather impressive especially in his link-up play with Kolarov and Silva on the left hand side and I believe that he will be a great player for City in the upcoming years. Nicolas Otamendi was signed for a fee of £33million and if he plays as well for City as he did for Valencia then City will have one of the world's best centre-back pairings at their disposal in Kompany and Otamendi. These three signings have strengthened Man City massively as they all add a lot to the team, Otamendi will be a massive help defensively and going forward, De Bruyne and Sterling will no doubt add and create countless goals to an ever strengthening City squad. Patrick Roberts costing £12million at the age of 18 is pretty ridiculous and again I believe it's because he's a home-grown player. He made 20 appearance for Fulham last year and failed to find the net however did manage 3 assists and looked very promising going forward and after impressing for England youth teams, it's clear that he's a talent but I'm still not convinced he'll be good enough for City and it would have been better for him to stay at Fulham and improve more before making this move. Fabian Delph was signed in controversial style from Villa and I feel like he won't feature too much this season for City as I think Toure and Fernandinho will be City's first choice players and unless they get injured then I wouldn't expect Delph to feature too much. Youngsters Unal and Faupara were also signed but they're likely to play in the U-21's in order to settle in at the club. There are no surprises in the players that left City in all honesty however I would argue that Dzeko is good enough to get into their team due to his strong performances throughout his City career and I think he's one of the most underrated strikers in the world, Overall, City have strengthened their squad yet again and I think the title is theirs to lose this season however with the amount that they've spent, it makes me question whether financial fair play even exists.
Woody's Rating - 9/10
Manchester United
Players Departed : 13
Players Loaned Out : 6
Total Spent : £108.1million
Total Sold : £74.49million
Net Spend : £33.61million
Part Two ends with the most side with the most League Titles, Manchester United. The major story at United, similar to Everton, was about a player who neither joined or left which was keeper David De Gea. He was linked with Real Madrid all summer which resulted to him being dropped from United's squads for the Premier League as of yet leading to a complete loss of respect between him and the manager being reported. Despite this, due to documents being sent into the Spanish FA 28 minutes late, this transfer did not go through which led to both clubs blaming each other and a fall out between two of the heavyweight clubs in the world. I think this works out better for Madrid however as they'll more than likely offer De Gea a contract in January and get him on a free in the summer meaning United will miss out on getting a lot of money for the sensational Spanish keeper. Van Gaal clearly meant business this window spending the 2nd highest amount and ending with the 3rd highest net spend. They spent their most money on teenager Anthony Martial when they spent £36million on him therefore making him the most expensive teenager in history however with add ons this transfer could rise to a huge £58million. Man United were in desperate need for a striker however I think they went to the extreme with the amount they spent on the young man and this transfer, similar to Chelsea's centre-back signings, is a panic buy in my opinion. This is backed up by the fact that he has only scored 15 goals in 72 appearances in his career so although being tipped to be the next Thierry Henry, I think this young lad isn't ready for the Premier League and won't be the answer to Manchester United's attacking problems. Memphis Depay was great for PSV last year and since joining the Red Devils I've been impressed by him, especially going forward. Despite this, he hasn't really been doing great in the Premier League as of yet but I do think he'll start firing goals in similar to what Ronaldo did at Manchester United and that it'll just take him a few more games before he shines. Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger have been brought in for a combined £31.5million to strengthen United in the central midfield and help out Carrick and so far the rotation between the 3 as well as the performances have been very good. They also acquired the services of two players from the Serie A, Matteo Darmian from Torino for £12.7million and Sergio Romero from Sampdoria on a free. Darmian has had a solid start to the Premier League so far and if the young man continues performing the same way then I'm sure he'll become a fan favourite at Old Trafford and Romero started the Premier League with 3 consecutive clean sheets however at Swansea last weekend, he could have arguably done better with both goals and United fans will be hoping to see the return of De Gea. Their final signing was 17 year old Regan Poole from Newport County. Having impressed at the Welsh League 2 club, Poole was rewarded with a move to Manchester United for an initial fee of £100,000 however with add-ons, this could potentially rise to £400,000 and the young man is likely to feature in the academy squad. The major departure from the club was Angel Di Maria. After being tipped to do so well at United, Di Maria failed to adjust to the Premier League and struggled to have a major impact like fans hoped and this led to him joining French champions PSG for £44.3million and hopefully he can find more success there. I personally think Di Maria is a world class player and should have been given one more year and I think if he was given that then he would have had a great season so Van Gaal acted rashly in my opinion. I feel the same way with Hernandez, he proved his worth with his goals at Madrid last year and if Van Gaal kept him then he could have played Hernandez ST Rooney CAM Depay LAM and Mata CAM which I believe would have been the best option for the club. If Rooney gets injured and Martial fails to live up to expectations than he'll regret getting rid of Hernandez. Other than that I can understand why United have sold them players and loaned out the youngsters in order to get first team football. However one loan I don't agree with is sending Januzaj to Borussia Dortmund as I feel the youngster proved that he deserves to be part of the attacking four due to his performances, especially at Villa Park. Overall, I think United have done well to get the defensive options but I think they've made a panic buy on Martial and done a bad job in getting rid of Januzaj, Hernandez and Di Maria. I don't believe their signings will get them into the title race and with Van Gaal's ruthlessness with his players, in my opinion I don't believe United will ever win the league again as long as Louis Van Gaal is manager.
Woody's Rating - 5/10
PL Transfer Round-Up - Part 1/4 - 02/09/15
With the transfer window coming to a close at 6pm yesterday, I review all of the business done by each Premier Club and rate how well I think they handled themselves in this transfer period.
Arsenal
Players Departed : 5
Players Loaned Out : 12
Total Spent : £10million
Total Sold : £1.8million
Net Spend : £8.2million
We start with Arsenal. Having finished 3rd last season and won the FA Cup for the second year in succession, there was a lot of optimism about this season from the fans and players alike. Many people were tipping Arsenal to win the league this year and with Arsene Wenger signing experienced goalkeeper Petr Cech from Chelsea early on in the summer, many Arsenal fans including me believed that Wenger would then go and purchase a proven striker and defensive midfielder in order to help lower the pressure on Olivier Giroud and strengthen the midfield pairing in front of the back-line. The Gunners were linked with Benzema, Cavani and Lewandowski in particular and due to being linked with these strikers so early on, many fans believed that we would sign one of these players however as the clock ticked down, Arsene Wenger didn't manage to bring in anyone. As disappointed as I was yesterday with not bringing in a striker and a CDM, I think if clubs were reluctant to sell their big players to Arsenal then it's probably better to wait to sign these high quality players then to just splash the cash on a random player. Wenger will no doubt get some stick from a portion of fans for only bringing in Cech however the best thing for Arsenal fans to do is to trust that he will bring in the players in the near future. Most of the players Arsenal have sent out on loan seems relatively good business due to it giving players a great chance to prove themselves and the players Arsenal have sold or released are reasonable. In offloading players whether it be selling or loaning, Arsenal have done very well and signing a keeper as great as Petr Cech was remarkable business however by not signing a striker and a CDM, Arsenal may have hurt their chances for the title this campaign if they're hit by many injuries however if these injuries are avoided then they could still find themselves winning the league this year.
Woody's rating - 6/10
Aston Villa
Players Loaned In : 1
Players Departed : 10
Players Loaned Out : 5
Total Spent : £54.3million
Total Sold : £45million
Net Spend : £8.3million
I think that Aston Villa fans can be happy with the majority of signings Tim Sherwood has made this summer however, they will be disappointed to see arguably their two best players last season Christian Benteke and Fabian Delph leave the club. The departure of those two saw Villa make a massive £40.5 million + bonuses and this money was relatively well spent by Sherwood. Scott Sinclair was very impressive on loan last season so managing to sign him on a permanent deal was a fantastic purchase especially for only £2.5 million. The Villa manager has put his faith in young foreign talent such as: Jordan Ayew, Jordan Amavi, Jordan Veretout, Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore which cost him a combined £41.1 million therefore Sherwood will be hoping that these players can adjust to the Premier League quickly. The youngsters will be helped by the signings of the experienced players Joleon Lescott and Micah Richards who will have to help out the young lads who have just joined this league. Due to their experience, I would argue that these two players are Villa's best signings as they will lead by example on and off the pitch. Due to the high number of departures from Villa Park this summer, we can clearly see that Tim Sherwood has been given the opportunity to remake the Villa squad and replace them with players which suit his philosophy. Villa have done good business in bringing in so many players in order to replace the two main men that departed in the summer and as long as these youngsters can quickly adapt to the Premier League, Villa should comfortably stay up this year. I think it'll be 2 years before we see most of these youngsters reach their full potential so until then, their fans will probably see their club in the mid-table fight.
Woody's Rating - 7/10
Bournemouth
Players Loaned In : 4
Players Departed : 7
Players Loaned Out : 4
Total Spent : £21.5million
Total Sold : £0
Net Spend : £21.5million
Premier League new-boys Bournemouth have performed well in their maiden season so far and have looked promising going forward, which is a testament to the good signings which Eddie Howe has made. The young manager is doing the right thing in sticking by the majority of players that won them the Championship last season which will keep squad morale high however if these players struggle then Howe has this covered by the great signings that he has made. Bournemouth fans can be happy with the mix of experience and youth they have in their squad and also with how cheap they've got most of their players for. The attacking signings of Gradel, Murray, Tomlin and King show real promise to bring goals in partnership with Callum Wilson who already has 4 goals. Defensively they have also made some great signings in getting Tyrone Mings who unfortunately suffered an horrific injury against Leicester and getting Sylvain Distin in on a free transfer was a remarkable piece of business as he can help lead from the back and can really help the younger players settle in at the club due to his experience. The loanees that they have are pretty decent, the best of which being Atsu from Chelsea who could potentially be one of the most effective players at this club with how quick he is causing him to be a nightmare for defenders. The other loanees however are probably more likely to be back-up for the first team and we'll probably only see them play if there are injuries. The majority of the players they've permanently let go or loaned I can agree with however I would have liked to see them hold on to Brett Pitman and Ryan Fraser as I feel like they would have a lot to offer in the Premier League so hopefully when Fraser comes back from his loan at Ipswich, he will play a part in the Bournemouth's campaign. Other than this I think their business has been relatively good and will set them up for a successful campaign.
Woody's rating - 7/10
Chelsea
Players Loaned In : 1
Players Departed : 6
Players Loaned Out : 33
Total Spent : £66.15million
Total Sold : £34.05million
Net Spend : £32.10million
Next we discuss last years champions Chelsea have done in this window. I usually expect Mourinho to make great signings but other than the signing of Pedro and Begovic, I wasn't actually too impressed by the Champions' business in this window. Signing Pedro for just over £20million was a fantastic buy on Chelsea's part especially as everyone thought he'd be on his way to Manchester United. He proved his worth on his debut as he scored and set up Costa in Chelsea's win away at West Brom. Begovic is too good of a keeper to be a number 2 in my opinion and I was disappointed to see him leave Stoke and he proved his worth against Man City when he made 3 world class saves in the first 20 minutes however they did end up losing that game 3-0. Hopefully Begovic's performance in that game will prove to Mourinho that he deserves a place in the first team and that he can be just as good as Courtois on his day. Chelsea's defence has been poor so far this season and I expected to see them sign a world class centre-back however they failed to get John Stones and Marquinhos so ended up signing Djilobodgi and Hector, the latter has gone back to Reading on loan for the rest of the season. Djilobodgi won the 2nd most aerial duels in Ligue 1 last season however I'm not sure how he'll deal with the pressure that comes with being at the reigning champions. Michael Hector is great for Reading, he's quick and strong and good in the air but does that make him good enough for Chelsea's defence next season, I'm really not sure. Signing these two players came as a complete surprise to me and with all due respect to the two players I don't expect them to feature much in the Chelsea first team as I believe that they are 'panic buys'. They needed centre-backs and these were two that they could get on the cheap so they went for it. Baba Rahman was signed for £17.7million and if he has a similar start to his Premier League career as Darmian for United, he should be a good signing. Nathan and Danilo Pantic signed for £4.5million and £1.25million respectively are on loan at Vitesse so you won't see them this season and I also wouldn't expect £6.3million signing Kennedy to feature in the first team much other than the odd league game and the cup. They also bought in Radamel Falcao, a player who is extremely lacking confidence and for a striker that is not what you want. I would have liked to see Chelsea bring in a world-class consistent striker to challenge Costa for the first-team place rather than a Falcao who has struggled to find form since his bad injury at the end of his Atletico Madrid career. They have loaned out a huge number of players some of which will not be playing for the club again as they will have an option to buy at the end of their loan. Cech was inevitably going to leave Chelsea as like Begovic, he is too good to be a second choice keeper. Overall, Chelsea fans may be questionable of their defensive signings but will be happy with the acquisitions of Pedro and Begovic and in all honesty, they'll mainly be relying on the players that won them the league last season to lead them to it again in my opinion.
Woody's Rating - 6/10
Crystal Palace
Players Loaned In : 1
Players Departed : 9
Players Loaned Out : 5
Total Spent : £25.5million
Total Sold : £4million
Net Spend : £21.5million
To finish Part One, I talk about one of the few sides who have taken the Premier League by surprise this season. This team has already earned my praise due to the way they play and with the signings that they've made this season, Palace haven't failed to impress again. In one of the signings of the summer, Crystal Palace made the signing of Yohan Cabaye from PSG as Pardew finds himself reunited with his player from Newcastle. £13million is a steal for what Cabaye brings to the Palace side and he's showed his worth by performing to a high standard in every game he's played so far. As Pardew and many other have said, Yohan is a quality player that could get into any of the top teams so for Palace to persuade the Frenchman to join them was fantastic business and they're starting to get their value for money with his performances so far. They made 3 acquisitions in the striker department as well with the purchases of Bakary Sako, Connor Wickham and the loaning of Patrick Bamford. Bakary Sako has already become a fan favourite at Palace after scoring on his full debut at home to Aston Villa and then more impressively picking up a goal and setting up the winner as Palace shocked the last years champions and became only the second team to beat Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge. If he continues like this, I'm sure he'll be leading the line at Palace for years to come. Wickham came close to helping Palace upset one of the giants in the Premier League when during the game at home to Arsenal his shot hit the post when the score was 1-1 and if that went in, maybe Palace would have won the game. If he continues performing like this then there is no doubt that like Sako he will become a fan favourite in no time. Patrick Bamford was very impressive on loan at Middlesbrough last year and was voted the best player in the Championship and has been rewarded by Pardew as the manager has given Bamford the chance to prove himself at the highest level. I think Bamford won't feature as much as he did last season however I'd expect to see him in the cup and he'll get the odd Premier League fixture and if he starts finding the net consistently then who knows, this could be the year that Patrick Bamford makes a name for himself. Finally goalkeeper Alex McCarthy was signed for £4.5million after he proved his worth when making a few appearances for QPR last year and for their U-21's. He's started every Premier League game so far this season for Palace and is in inspired form having made some incredible saves against the top teams so far and if he continues playing as well as he is Palace may have an incredible keeper on their hands who could prove to be invaluable to them. With the attacking players that they have signed it is unsurprising to see Glenn Murray leave and to get £4million for him was good business by Pardew. Other than that, all other departures are understandable and I think it shows Pardew's intent to make this club his own and if you're a Palace fan I think you have a lot to look forward to in the future of your club as it seems like Steve Parish and Alan Pardew have formed a great respect for each other meaning that you could be signing more players with the quality of Cabaye in the future.
Woody's Rating - 9/10
Can Crystal Palace Qualify for Europe this season? - 31/08/15
It's been a dream start to the 2015/16 Premier League season as they find themselves in 2nd place as we head in to the international break. After pulling off the biggest upset of this weekend when they were victorious at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, I discuss whether they have the potential to make it into a European competition.
Points : 9
Results : Norwich 1-3 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace 1-2 Arsenal
Crystal Palace 4-1 Shrewsbury Town
Crystal Palace 2-1 Aston Villa
Chelsea 1-2 Crystal Palace
Fixtures : Manchester City (H)
Tottenham (A)
Charlton (H)
Watford (A)
Having looked at their results alone, what you can see from Crystal Palace is two things: goals and consistency, both at home and away. Both of these qualities are going to be needed if they are to challenge for places in Europe this year and it's good to see that they've started this season by demonstrating that they have these qualities. However these are not the only things that see a team into Europe so let's go more in depth and discuss what else will help Palace have a season to remember.
The Manager's experience
Threat from out wide
Games against the top teams
Teamwork
Everything looks to be going great for Crystal Palace so far this season and with the good relationship between manager Alan Pardew and Chairman Steve Parish and how well Alan Pardew is respected by both fans and players alike, it seems like it's going to be a very successful year for Crystal Palace and I hope they qualify for a European competition and prove to the top clubs around the world that money does not buy success!
Newcastle United vs Arsenal Review - 29/08/15
HT - Newcastle United 0-0 Arsenal
FT - Newcastle United 0-1 Arsenal
What we can learn from this game is that Newcastle have proved again how good they are defensively as they were unlucky to lose this game in the way the goal went in however they caused their own problems due to their lack of discipline and if their to have a good season this year their players are going to have to keep their heads for the full 90 mins. When Mitrovic returns from suspension, he's going to have to be more cautious when going into tackles however he should continue getting stuck in but he just needs to learn when to go in for a tackle and when to not but that all comes from experience and he'll learn from his mistake today. For Arsenal, with their lack of clinicalness in the final third shows that a striker is needed and fans will be hoping that Wenger will be dipping into the transfer market and signing a clinical finisher as Arsenal will need one if they're to challenge for the title this season. Arsenal played better today however they are still capable of doing so much better and hopefully they'll send their game to the next level soon.
Should John Stones join Chelsea? - 26/08/15
The likelihood of John Stones moving to reigning champions of Chelsea has increased rapidly in the past week and with the young English centre-back handing in a transfer request yesterday, I discuss whether I think moving to the champions is the right move for Stones at this point in time.
Benefits of Joining Chelsea
If the 21 year old England international decides to join last year's Premier League champions, there will be so much for the young man to learn. His first benefit of joining Chelsea is that he will have the chance to play in the Champions League against the best teams in the world. After establishing himself as one of England's top young talents, he would now get to prove himself against the world class players. To be competitive in the Champions League, you have to play to your highest standard consistently as every game is a must win. If Chelsea come up against Barcelona or Real Madrid, who are arguably the best teams in the world at this point in time, it would be interesting to see how Stones performs against the highest goalscoring trio in history in the form of Messi, Suarez and Neymar or how he could handle the physical presence of Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo. Nights like those are ones that bring the best out of players and if one arrives, hopefully Stones would be ready.
Another benefit for Stones if he joins Chelsea would be that he is joining a squad with a winning mentality. Having won both the Capital One Cup and the Premier League last year, Chelsea looked unbeatable at times and showed their quality on numerous occasions during the 2014-15 campaign. Winning trophies boosts a squad's morale to new heights and as you can see in the picture to the left, the passion to win titles at Chelsea Football Club is at an all time high. If Stones joins the Premier League holders, I'm sure from the moment he steps in to the dressing room on a match day that he will discover how determined the players are in the top teams to win titles and hopefully this will motivate the English defender to take his game to the next level and as long as he puts in 100% every game, the fans and players alike will get behind him and help encourage him to continue progressing.
The biggest benefit in my opinion for John Stones if he does move to Chelsea would be that he gets to work alongside these two men. Captain John Terry has had his critics over his long successful career at Chelsea however he has proven over the years that as a centre-back you don't need to be the fastest to be one of the greatest centre-backs in the world. It's been a difficult year for Terry so far but if Stones signs, I am highly sure that Mourinho would order his captain to take youngster John Stones under his wing and teach him how to improve. The amount of experience Terry has and his knowledge of reading the game is phenomenal and if Stones listens to his mentor and learns from him, I believe John Stones could potentially grow up to be one of the greatest centre-backs to have ever graced the game. Manager Jose Mourinho is a tactical genius when it comes to winning titles and he's proved that wherever he has managed and he clearly feels that John Stones would be the perfect addition to his winning formula at Chelsea when captain John Terry steps down. Stones will benefit from Mourinho as Terry did as he will be taught how nurtured by Mourinho for the next few years in order to avoid any bad injuries and when he's ready he will be played consistently, similarly to how Terry was treated. Mourinho proved last season that he could get his side to defend extremely well whilst taking their chances at the other end and I think it's clear to see that he believes that Stones would be instrumental to the club's success. When Terry returns from his suspension I think we are most likely going to see him and Stones forming a solid partnership in what may be Terry's last year in the first team, however this all relies on Chelsea concluding a deal before the deadline passes.
Negatives of Joining Chelsea
One reason I'm against John Stones joining Chelsea is that I'm unsure if he can handle the pressure of being a big money signing. With Chelsea lining up a £40million bid for Stones which I believe Everton will accept due to the quality of players they could potentially bring in with that money, could Stones handle the pressure that comes with being worth that much money? Even clinical finisher Fernando Torres struggled with that as he flopped at Chelsea due to a lack of goals. Stones wouldn't have the pressure of scoring goals every game on his shoulders so he has it easier than Torres in that department however with that much money being potentially spent on a defender, many fans would be expecting the 21 year old to be a rock at the back from day one despite his age due to his transfer fee. He'd also have to cope with the pressure from the fans if he makes mistakes in big games and it will take a strong mind to keep his head when his own fans get on his back.
The only other negative in my opinion of him joining the holders would be that he may not get as much game time as he would at Everton. With the high competition for places at top teams, Stones would have be perform consistently to a high standard whilst remaining mentally and physically strong in order to keep his place in the starting XI. There would be no time for Stones to rest during the season as Mourinho believes that hard work brings success therefore the 21 year old would have to show great work ethic to help his fellow team mates in every game. As a young centre-back he will be expected to stay fit throughout the year and he will be expected to improve his aerial side of the game in order to contribute goals from set pieces to this ever-strengthening Chelsea side.
Why stay at Everton?
Despite handing in a transfer request therefore leaving Bill Kenwright and Roberto Martinez in an awkward situation, there is every chance he could stay at Everton. Everton have been adamant to keep hold of the Englishman due to lack of cover in the centre-back position and although it's reported that Chelsea are going to bid £40million, with time in the transfer window dwindling down, opportunities to bring in player won't be great so they may hold on to him and reject his transfer request. For Stones, staying at Everton would mean he would be almost guaranteed a place in the starting XI meaning he would be able to gain more experience and improve his game without having the pressure on his shoulders to win trophies.
My opinion on the transfer
I think John Stones will move to Chelsea and I think the move will really help to improve his game as working under Mourinho and being advised by John Terry would do wonders for his career. However with time running out in this window, I think Everton will hold on to Stones for this window unless they accept a bid in the coming days however in my opinion they will be more open to a bid from Chelsea in January when they will have more time to bring in a replacement. However anything can happen in football so we could see the move completed before the summer transfer window closes on September 1st.
Are Liverpool title contenders? - 25/08/15
Position : 3rd
Games Played : 3
Points : 7
Results :
Stoke City 0-1 Liverpool
Stoke City 0-1 Liverpool
Liverpool 1-0 Bournemouth
Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool
Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool
Next 5 fixtures :
Liverpool vs West Ham United
Liverpool vs West Ham United
Manchester United vs Liverpool
Liverpool vs Norwich
Liverpool vs Aston Villa
Everton vs Liverpool
Liverpool kicked off the season away at Stoke (where they ended last season's campaign with a 6-1 defeat) however this season they managed to get their revenge as they managed to record a 1-0 win. Despite not playing to their full potential, Liverpool defended well and managed to keep the Stoke attackers at bay. New signings Milner, Gomez and Clyne looked solid especially James Milner as it looks like he could form a solid partnership with fellow Englishman Jordan Henderson. It looked like the game was going to end in a 0-0 draw but in the 86th minute, the little Brazilian magician Coutinho surged forward to the edge of the Stoke box before launching a stunning strike into the back of the net. Christian Benteke struggled to get involved in the game as the Stoke defence were clearly well drilled on how to keep the powerful Belgian out of the game and fellow new signing Roberto Firmino came on late on in the game so didn't really have an effect on the game however he did show off his impressive work rate, a similar trait possessed by South American footballers. Overall it wasn't the best performance from a new look Liverpool side however they got the 3 points and in a competitive league where every point matters, it was an ideal start to the season.
Yet another unconvincing victory for Liverpool but a victory nonetheless saw the Reds continue their 100% start to the 2015/16 season. Liverpool's £32.5million signing opened his account but the main talking point about this game was the manner in which Benteke scored. Jordan Henderson sent in a whipped in-swinging cross to the far post on 26 minutes and despite being in a clear offside position, Philippe Coutinho made a clear attempt to play the ball which put off Bournemouth's keeper Artur Boruc meaning he was in a poor position when the ball fell to Benteke who poked the loose ball home. Bournemouth will feel robbed as in the 5th Tommy Elphick's header was disallowed as the referee felt that the centre-back fouled Dejan Lovren but in my opinion, Lovren was out jumped and out strengthed by his opponent. Bournemouth held most of the possession and had created a good few chances, most notable of these was Matt Ritchie hitting the post however Liverpool weathered the storm and held on to secure their second 1-0 win in a row. Philippe Coutinho was outstanding again and he was a clear man of the match for me as every chance Liverpool had came from the work of the flamboyant Brazilian. Christian Benteke was absolutely outstanding in this game in my opinion as his work rate was phenomenal when chasing down loose balls, he showed great strength against the Bournemouth defence, both aerially and in his hold up play and finally his link up play with Coutinho was very good and they look like they are forming a strong partnership. The problem for Liverpool in this game was that captain Jordan Henderson has picked up an injury so they'll be hoping for his return to be imminent.
Benteke's chance in the picture to the left summed up Liverpool's performance last night, agonisingly close but not enough. The reds dominated the first half and yet again Philippe Coutinho was instrumental in the midfield and attacking front as he hit the bar twice in a first half where Liverpool played their best football of the season. Yet another decision went Liverpool's way however as Cazorla played a splitting ball through the stagnant Liverpool defence to find the on-rushing Aaron Ramsey who found the net expertly from a tight angle only to be denied by a wrong offside decision however this made Liverpool up their game as they pushed for the all important opening goal. Their best chance fell to striker Benteke after Firmino played the ball across the six-yard box to the onrushing Belgian who really should have scored however he was denied by an unreal save by Arsenal keeper Petr Cech. Arsenal grew in confidence in the second half and it took a very solid defensive performance from Liverpool to keep the score level. This was arguably the best defensive performance I have seen from Martin Skrtel who stepped and led the Liverpool back line in style. Both full-backs looked promising for Liverpool both going forward and defensively and 18 year old Joe Gomez held his own superbly against one of the hardest teams to play away against in the league. When Arsenal did break through the Liverpool defence, their keeper Simon Mignolet was in inspired form and kept his side in the game to achieve his third consecutive clean sheet this season.
What Liverpool have shown us so far this season is that they can get results even when they aren't performing at their best. More importantly they've done this away from home twice already this season and the main trait of Champions is to win when you're not at your best and if Liverpool can continue doing just that then there is no reason they can't win their first Premier League title. When you look at their next 5 games, they have 3 must win home games against mid-table teams and 2 of their hardest away games this season as they travel to Old Trafford and Goodison Park, the homes of their biggest rivals in England. If they play as well as they did in the first half at Arsenal last night for the whole 90 minutes then there is no reason that they can't pick up maximum points from these games as long as they are clinical. Liverpool will be relying on the goals from Benteke and Danny Ings when he is played and the strikers will certainly be helped if Liverpool's best player Philippe Coutinho can keep in current form and avoid injury and if he achieves this, he can lead the Reds to glory this year. Henderson, Milner and Can are going to need to be consistently strong in midfield battles especially when they play against midfielders like Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Matic, Toure, Fernandinho and many more. In defence they need Clyne and Gomez to be as strong defensively as they are going forward and if Skrtel and Lovren keep fit, they could be just as hard to play against as Cahill and Terry were last year. This is a big season for Simon Mignolet as he needs to prove just how good he is and with more performances like his one last night, the number of critics he has is sure to drop. If Daniel Sturridge ever returns from injury and can return to his goalscoring form of when he was playing alongside Luis Suarez, Liverpool could threaten against almost every team they play. If Liverpool achieve all of this, there is no reason why they can't win the league this season.
Addressing the Wayne Rooney problem! - 23/08/15
This season Wayne Rooney has not looked to his usual standards and is still struggling to find the net despite making 4 appearances already.
During the Sir Alex Ferguson era, United could always count on Rooney to make goals out of anything. Rooney arguably played at his best for United when he was alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, the partnership between them was phenomenal and a joy to watch every weekend. Ronaldo would run through teams and then lay the ball off to Rooney who put away almost every chance he got. However after Ronaldo left United for Real Madrid, questions were asked whether the English forward could perform without the help of Ronaldo and he answered his critics in phenomenal style by, in his first year without Ronaldo, managing to score 34 goals in 44 appearances. 
Rooney went on to score a total of 100 goals in all competitions without Ronaldo until Sir Alex Ferguson retired at the end of the 2012-13 season. This proved to everyone the Rooney could perform as a solo striker and that United could rely on him to make a goal out of nothing, just like he did against Manchester City, therefore now he's playing up front on his again, this can't be the reason he is playing so poor. Van Gaal has United playing a 4-2-3-1 formation at this point in time with Rooney leading the line up front however against Aston Villa, the clinical finisher only managed to have one touch in the opposition area and that came in the 90th minute of the game.
For a striker as good as Wayne Rooney and for the quality of players he has supplying the ball to him, there is no reason why he shouldn't be threatening the opposition consistently throughout the game. Yesterday against Newcastle, Van Gaal brought on Javier Hernandez and pushed Rooney back into the number 10 role that he's had success playing in before, especially when playing alongside Robin Van Persie. Maybe that's the problem for Rooney, maybe he has become accustomed to playing as the number 10 so when his new manager has been playing him up front on his own, Rooney has struggled as he is now the main focus point for the centre backs that he is playing against. This is bad for the Englishman as he is most effective when he manages to get into little pockets of space in which he can take his time to fire a shot on goal or pick out a runner and spread the play to them. In my opinion Van Gaal needs to change his attacking four so that he has Depay at LAM, Rooney at CAM, Mata at RAM and he needs to try playing Hernandez at ST. I think that this will help Rooney as Hernandez and Depay will make runs in behind the defence which will allow space for Rooney to take more time on the ball and if Van Gaal does this then hopefully Wayne Rooney will rediscover his goalscoring form. Hopefully this happens soon for him as he will play a pivotal part in how successful Manchester United are this season and when he's on form, Wayne Rooney is a joy to watch.
My guide to Premier League Survival - 22/08/15
For clubs promoted to the Premier League, surviving has always been a hard ask due to the major difference in the financial situation of clubs at the top of the Premiership in contrast to clubs at the top of the Championship. Out of the 30 clubs who have achieved promotion to the top flight in the last 10 years, 40% of these have suffered relegation within their first season. These clubs clearly don't have the money to buy the world's top players but I believe there are a number of things a recently promoted club can do to survive. Here are my 3 tips that I believe Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich must follow to stay up this year.
Tip 1 : Spend Wisely
Last season, QPR showed a perfect example of what you shouldn't do with your money. They brought in 12 player including 4 loans and 8 permanent transfers, those of which cost them a combined £36.5million, the 9th highest spending club in the Premier League. Although many of their signings were Premier League proven, none of them really proved themselves and QPR ended up finishing bottom of the league. When you sign as many players as QPR did, you risk starting the season slow as the new squad takes time to gel together and when you spend that much, you also risk overspending on some players. The best thing that a club can do when signing players for the premier league is to give your manager a maximum budget to work with and with that money, make sure you bring in a mix of experienced players like Bournemouth did bringing in Sylvain Distin and you also have to make good use of loaning players from bigger clubs. If clubs spend their money efficiently on a mix of youth and experience and can also keep some money for the January transfer window, there is no reason why the clubs that came up this season can't remain in the top flight.
Tip 2 : Play a style of football that suits your team
Tip 3 : Finish the season in top form
Be sure to comment who you think will go down this season and follow for updates when a new story is published, Thanks for reading!
Meet the youngster who could break into the first team this season! - 21/08/15
Reece Oxford
Nationality : English
Position : Central Defender/Defensive Midfielder
Height : 6ft 3in
First Team Appearances : 5
First Team goals : 0
The 16 year old made his competitive debut in the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round against FC Lusitanos and therefore became West Ham's youngest ever player. When the Hammers travelled to the Emirates Stadium on the opening day of the season, this young man was the surprise inclusion in the starting XI. In the premier league, as a young player, you have to make a good impression when you are given a chance in the first team and Reece did exactly that as he played a pivotal part in West Ham's shock 2-0 win. The young Englishman had a phenomenal game and managed to keep Mesut Ozil from having any influence on the game. The youngster looked strong when going in for a tackle and when the ball was at his feet, he looked as comfortable as anyone else on the pitch. You can see why Slaven Bilic has given this youngster a chance so far this season and if he keeps performing to a high standard, I'd expect to see him at one of the Premier League heavyweights within a few years. The important thing for Reece now is to keep a level head and not think to himself that he's made it as being arrogant will hinder his progression in the future. If he carries on improving his game, Reece Oxford could turn out to be one of England's key players in the future.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Nationality : English
Position : Midfielder
Height : 6ft 3in
First Team Appearances : 4
First Team Goals : 0
The 19 year old could be linking up with Reece Oxford one day in the England senior squad but in the mean time, he will have to rack up more appearances at Chelsea in order to show his full potential. He made his professional debut in Chelsea's UEFA Champions League tie last December against Sporting Lisbon but had to wait until January 31st to make his Premier League debut in a 1-1 draw against Manchester City. On May 10th Ruben showcased his true talent when he played the first 60 minutes against Liverpool, the youngster's passing was incredible this game as he achieved a 100% pass completion rate. Despite showing positives last season, he received criticism from his manager Jose Mourinho who went on to say that Loftus-Cheek 'doesn't press, doesn't have intensity and he's waiting for everyone else to recover the ball.' For the youngster to make it into the first team, he will have to prove to his manager that he doesn't think he's the star of the show. Arrogance gets you nowhere in this game and Mourinho knows that so I'm sure he will be hoping the young man proves him wrong. This young man really has the potential to make it far and if Chelsea don't purchase a midfield partner for Matic, it would do them no harm to give Loftus-Cheek more game time.
Kelechi Iheanacho
Nationality : Nigerian
Position : Striker
Height : 6ft 1in
First Team Appearances : 0
First Team Goals : 0
The 18 year old Nigerian has only featured in pre season for Man City and youth levels since joining the club despite being impressive in almost every game he plays. In July 2015, Kelechi was included in the Man City squad for the pre-season tour of Australia where he set up Sterling's first goal for the club and scored the winner against Italian club Roma. The youngster is one of Africa's hottest prospects for the future and he showed this when playing in the 2013 African U-17 Championship where he scored 6 and assisted 7 goals as Nigeria finished as runners up. He proved against Roma that he can perform to a high standard against quality sides so I hope Manuel Pellegrini rewards the young man with his first senior appearance for the club. With Dzeko departing for Roma, the Nigerian striker has found himself on the bench for the first two games of the season so there is a high chance that he could find himself getting some game time during this campaign and if Aguero picks up an injury, this could be the season that he makes a name for himself.
Alex Pritchard
Nationality : English
Position : Winger/Attacking Midfielder
Height : 5ft 7.5in
First Team Appearances : 1
First Team Goals : 0
The English midfielder performed to an extremely high standard last season and was pivotal to Brentford's making the Playoffs last season. The 22 year old notched up an impressive 12 goals and 7 assists and was one of the most exciting players to watch in the Championship last season. With the 4-2-3-1 formation that Tottenham use, Pritchard will be hoping to break into one of those three positions behind Harry Kane and after his performances last season, I believe he has every opportunity of breaking into the first team this season and with Spurs' bad start to year, Alex Pritchard could be brought in and if he plays like he did last season, he has every chance of holding down a first team place.
Andreas Pereira
Nationality : Brazilian
Position : Midfielder
Height : 5ft 10in
First Team Appearances : 2
First Team Goals : 0
The flamboyant Brazilian midfielder made his senior debut against MK Dons in United's 4-0 defeat in the League Cup last season and he made his Premier League debut against Tottenham on March 15th in a 3-0 win. The youngster impressed in the U-21's last season in particular and his efforts were rewarded by him being voted as Man United's U-21 Player of the Season. If he keeps impressing at this level I believe he will get his chance to play for the first team again. The positive news for Andreas is that Louis Van Gaal is renowned for bringing through young talent and making them into superstars which he did with Ajax in particular. If he is given a chance to prove himself it will probably be in the Capital One Cup and if he performs well in those games, I wouldn't be surprised if he breaks into the first team this season. The tricky Brazilian is known for outstanding pace and athleticism, he can also score from distance which he proved when scoring a curled effort against Burnley in the 2013/14 FA Youth Cup.
Jarrod Bowen
Nationality : English
Position : Striker
Height : 5ft 11in
First Team Appearances : 0
First Team Goals : 0
Now this player may be one you've never heard of as he's not a well known player as of yet. The young striker made his first appearance for my local club Hereford United (now Hereford FC) on February 24th 2014 and went on to make 8 appearances for the Bulls in which he found the back of the net once however was unfortunate to have not scored more. His goal, however, was one of the most important of the season as Hereford needed to win both of their final games of the season to have a chance of staying up and in the first of these against Alfreton Town, Bowen scored the winner in a 3-2 win. Hereford United did stay up but Jarrod was signed by Hull City and has since moved up the ranks and now plays for the U-21 side. In the U-21's Pre-season tour of Spain, he scored the winning goal in their final game and then scored a brace on his return to Edgar Street against phoenix club Hereford FC. The striker took his chances well and it was clear to see how he had improved following his first year at Hull. The 18 year old looked sharp and clinical in front of goal and showed his understanding of the game had improved as his runs were well timed and he was a constant threat to the defence. With the improvements that he has made, I believe there is a good chance that if Hull's strikers pick up any injuries, the young man could step up and perform to the best of his abilities, however with that being said I think a loan move may be the more likely option for Steve Bruce to take. As we approach the 3rd fixtures of the season, here are my thoughts on this weekend's games.
Premier League Weekend Preview - 20/08/15
Manchester United vs Newcastle United
Woody Predicts : Manchester United 3:1 Newcastle United
Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa
Palace fans will be hoping for their team to play just like they did on Sunday against Premier League heavyweights Arsenal where they were unlucky to not get anything from the game. However what the visitors showed at home to Manchester United was an outstanding work ethic. I think Villa will start the game with Gustede instead of Jordan Ayew, who's struggled in his first two games. This should give Villa a great opportunity to score as Gestede's heading ability will give his midfielders the option to play long balls to the striker and send in crosses to their target man. Both teams are likely to play the same way in sending the ball out wide and floating crosses in for their strikers, however I think with the quality of Palace's wingers' in Bolasie and Zaha and the creativity of Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, Palace will probably edge this game.
Woody Predicts : Crystal Palace 2:1 Aston Villa
Leicester City vs Tottenham
Woody Predicts : Leicester City 2:1 Tottenham
Norwich City vs Stoke City
Woody Predicts : Norwich City 2-2 Stoke City
Sunderland vs Swansea City
Woody Predicts : Sunderland 0-3 Swansea City
West Ham United vs Bournemouth
Woody Predicts : West Ham United 2-1 Bournemouth
West Bromwich Albion vs Chelsea
Woody Predicts : West Bromwich Albion 1-3 Chelsea
Everton vs Manchester City
Woody Predicts : Everton 1-1 Manchester City
Watford vs Southampton
Woody Predicts : Watford 1-2 Southampton
Arsenal vs Liverpool
Woody Predicts : Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool
Who do Arsenal need to sign to win the Premier League this season? - 18/08/15
Like many other Arsenal fans, I was highly optimistic about this season and believed we had our best chance since the invincibles of winning the league. However, after being outplayed by West Ham on the opening day and not performing at our best against Crystal Palace last weekend, I believe we are still a few signings short of retaining the premier league.
Karim Benzema
Career Appearances : 449
Career Goals : 214
The Frenchman is renowned for his goalscoring expertise and is seen as the signing that Arsenal have to make. After consistently reaching 20+ goals in the last 5 years, Benzema could be the man to lead the line in Arsenal's attack and would potentially help improve Ozil's performances due to their link up play in the past. Arsene Wenger has been given the green light from the board to sign the Frenchman for a fee in the region of £50million and with Benitez's idea to play Cristiano Ronaldo as striker next year, this move seems highly possible. However, with time running out to bring Benzema in, Arsenal fans will be hoping that a fee is agreed rather soon.
Grzegorz Krychowiak
Career Appearances : 203
Career Goals : 16
The Polish international was instrumental in Sevilla's 4th place finish last season and their Europa League success for which he was rewarded with a place in the La Liga Team of the Season. Despite Coquelin's fantastic performances in the second half of last season, what he showed on Sunday away at Palace was that he can be too rash at times as he was lucky not to be sent off. The Polish defensive midfielder made 82 tackles last campaign (3rd highest in the league) and his reading of the game was equally impressive as he managed to rack up 97 interceptions in 32 games. Where Krychowiak excels however is in his aerial battle success rate of 73% where he won 109 aerial duels. This would make him a vital addition to an Arsenal squad that had conceded a total of 13 headed goals last campaign. With a £22million bid currently being considered for the Polish international, I believe that this is a signing that Arsenal must make because Francis Coquelin has the potential to pick up a fair few suspensions during the 2015/16 campaign.
I do not believe that Arsenal will need to purchase another centre back, however if one does end up getting severely injured, I would like to see Wenger dip into the January transfer market.
Overall if Wenger brings in these two players, I do believe that Arsenal can mount a serious title challenge this season.
Can Leicester City finish in the top half this season? - 18/08/15
Leicester City
Position : 2nd
Points : 6
Results : Leicester City 4-2 Sunderland
West Ham United 1-2 Leicester City
Top players so far : Riyad Mahrez & Jamie Vardy
Next Fixtures : Tottenham (H)
Bournemouth (A)
Aston Villa (H)
Stoke City (A)
Arsenal (H)
After the great escape last year under Nigel Pearson where Leicester won 7 of their last 9 games to retain the right to play in the Premier League, no one would have predicted Leicester to continue their winning mentality under their new experienced boss Claudio Ranieri. Leicester kicked off the new campaign with a commanding performance at home to a stuttering Sunderland. The home fans may have been optimistic for the new season but I'm not sure even they would be expecting to be 3 goals to the good with only 25 minutes on the clock courtesy of a Jamie Vardy header and a brace from Riyad Mahrez. Mark Albrighton added a fourth to restore Leicester's 3 goal advantage before a goal by fletcher gave Sunderland a glimmer of hope, however Leicester defended well and held on for a vital three points to start the season. Going to the Boleyn Ground and getting a result was predicted a near impossible ask following West Ham's impressive 2-0 victory away at Arsenal. Ranieri's side showed no signs of stopping their sensational form with a amazing victory. Mahrez added another goal to his tally bringing him one goal shy of his tally for the campaign last season in only two games. New signing Shinji Okazaki managed to get himself on the score sheet showing a great level of determination to manage to find the back of the net. Leicester were fortunate to still have 10 men when Kasper Schmeichel was not shown a red card for a clear foul on the on-rushing Diafra Sakho. Leicester created more chances in the second half but failed to score and did concede a screamer, courtesy of the Hammer's new boy Dimitri Payet. However Leicester held on to maintain a 100% record with a strong goal difference. If Leicester's defence can stay compact and try concede less goals against the lower clubs in the league and can continue this good form in their next few games, they could find themselves in mid-table or even the top 8 places at a push. Leicester's charge for a top 10 finish will certainly be helped by the addition of Claudio Ranieri as manager. I do give credit to Nigel Pearson for the job he did last year to keep Leicester up and to see him depart Leicester was a huge shock, however Leicester did a great job in getting a manager who has managed some of the most renowned clubs in the world. If they can continue their great goalscoring form which they've started the season with, they should be able to threaten the defences of most teams this season with the creativity of Mahrez, the work rate of Vardy and the finishing of all the attacking players, Leicester could be a force to be reckoned with this season.
Woody's Prediction : 10th
No comments:
Post a Comment