The Premier League is engulfed in an array of talent from nations spanning right across the globe. We’ve got petite playmakers, sublime strikers and domineering defenders but despite this, there are a select few players who perhaps enjoy unworthy praise.
You know the ones, the questionable fan’s hero, the managers’ favourite or the player who’s still trying to justify their enormous price tag. This carefully crafted XI therefore seeks to highlight thee individuals who, throughout this season at least, have failed to live up to expectations.
One things for sure, now that I’ve taken the time to topple these players off their pedestal, they’re bound to have a cracking game at the weekend. I’d get down the bookies if I were you.
Click on Hugo Rodallega to unveil the overrated XI
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Is there anyone I’ve overlooked? Perhaps you feel the need to stick up for your particular player. Send me your views via Twitter @theunusedsub
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Relegation to league one was confirmed on Saturday as we went down 2-0 to Doncaster Rovers in what was a truly awful game of football. Neither team were up for it and there seemed to be an acceptance among the players of the inevitable relegation which was a shame as it would have been nice to end the season showing that we still had fight left in us, but it wasn’t meant to be.
The discussion that has been going on among all Skyblue fans is who is at fault is is? There have been many who have openly criticised Andy Thorn and whilst I think he has made mistakes and I’m sure he would be the first to admit to them, relegation is not his fault.
He lost the core of the team in the summer and was only allowed to bring in minimal replacements which left us with a threadbare squad and forced us into bringing the youngsters into the first team. Then January came and went with no new arrivals and our top scorer leaving without being replaced. No squad in any division can afford to lose their two best strikers and not replace them.
Some will argue we brought in Cody McDonald in the summer but he is clearly no replacement for either Marlon or Lukas. He lacked experience above league two level and was always going to take time to settle. Andy Thorn is not the man to blame as in my opinion he has done all he possibly could for this club.
Hardly any blame seems to have been attributed to the players though which surprises me a little. Whilst it is clearly hard to criticise youngsters who have been on a learning curve all season and in my opinion have done the club proud, it shouldn’t be so hard to criticise the more experienced players. The players I am referring to are Gary McSheffery, Sammy Clingan and David Bell the three players who should have been the core of our midfield.
McSheffery has disappointed throughout and at times you really wouldn’t know he was supposed to be a Coventry lad. Personally I am beginning to think his legs have gone, he doesn’t seem to be able to run anymore and on current viewing I give him two maybe three seasons max before he considers or is forced into retirement. As for Clingan, he has been poor all season and one of the mistakes I think Thorn made was making him captain. He is clearly not a captain as he lacks any sort of passion, doesn’t lead by example and isn’t vocal enough on the pitch. He is also far too negative in his play and should be called ‘sideways’ sammy, far too many times in a game he passes sideways or backwards, very rarely does he pass forward. In terms of Bell I don’t think I have to say anything other than disappointing. I used to defend Bell a lot saying he had quality but he hasn’t shown it in a long time and I am now sick of his lacklustre performances on the pitch. I personally expect and hope that all three will leave this summer.
We clearly didn’t have a good enough squad of players this season to survive and on that basis we did deserve to go down. The blame for that has to lie with the owners SISU. From the beginning SISU have been a massive burden to this football club. Administration was on the cards and SISU ‘saved us’, in hindsight administration probably would have been better for the club and I never thought I would say that. SISU have consistently thrown empty promises at us supporters, from the beginning they promised to invest in the squad to challenge for promotion and to buy the Ricoh Arena and as you guessed it they did neither.
We are now at a point when they are even refusing to pay the rent on the Ricoh Arena and rumours have surfaced about SISU’s intention to liquidate the club in order to strip it of its last remaining assets. They have over the past year clearly been asset stripping the club, the clubs best players sold and not replaced and the remortgaging of the training ground. SISU have and still are treating the club purely as a business and whilst the business part of every football club is vital that is not what a football club is all about. It is about the football itself, the supporters, the community and the city as a whole. SISU are either too stupid to realise this or more likely don’t care about it and that is what is most heartbreaking about the whole situation. I am sure that when SISU took over they had good intentions but they clearly have no idea how football clubs work and for that reason have failed and should of cut their losses along time ago.
We as supporters have made our feelings clear and now that relegation has been confirmed so have the manger and some of the playing squad. Comments have come out of the club from Tim Fisher who for me has been harshly criticised by some fans. He is not a member of SISU and I personally think he is trying to work with the clubs best interests at heart, although he probably is part of the problem to some extent. He has almost been a scapegoat for SISU, someone with a face for the fans to criticise.
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For me he is another person like Thorn who is working with his hands tied and I think he like all of us has been lied to by SISU. We as a club are in for a nervy few weeks, maybe months. They have ran the club into the ground and it now looks like they are going to try to put it out of existence altogether. Relegation whilst being heartbreaking is the least of our worries and as hard as that was to take, not having a club at all is not even worth thinking about.
Junior Hoilett has emerged as one of the Premier League’s hottest commodities at the moment following an impressive season with Blackburn Rovers.
He scored a hatful of goals and formed an effective partnership with Yakubu that at times caused panic in opposition defences. Nevertheless this potent front pairing could not save Rovers from the drop, their fate sealed with just one game left to play.
With this in mind, it seems inevitable that the Canadian will leave the Championship-bound Lancashire club this summer; although, whatever had been the outcome at Blackburn it seems Hoilett’s future still may have been away from Ewood Park.
He has accumulated many admirers including Arsene Wenger, and has now, according to the Metro, caught the attention of Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp. Spurs have provided some great performances this season (give or take a few months) but it is my belief that the young man’s development would be better served at the Emirates. And here’s why.
Whatever you may say or think about Mr Wenger, his ability to identify and nurture gifted young players is undeniable; Fabregas, Van Persie, Clichy, Wilshere, Walcott and most recently England Euro 2012 squad member, Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain – the list seems endless.
During his long tenure as a manager, Wenger has plucked an incredible number of youthful undeveloped talented players from relative obscurity; a good proportion of which have gone on to become international stars, and in some cases, world-class legends of the game namely one Thierry Henry, who had a bitterly disappointing single season at Serie A side Juventus as a winger before coming to Arsenal.
On the other hand, Harry Redknapp at Tottenham has a preference in the main for bringing in established players and does not have the reputation of a manager, like Arsene, for progressing youth players from within.
In Spurs’ first game of the 2011/2012 season, of the 16 man squad selected, only two, Andros Townsend and Jake Livermore had progressed through the ranks of the Tottenham youth academy. In stark contrast, Arsenal’s team included no less than 5 former youth players and this statistic excludes players such as Alex Song, Carl Jenkinson, Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott who were all brought to the club at a tender age but did not feautre in the Arsenal academy sides.
Although Hoilett isn’t a youth player he is still young, and at the age of 21 has a while to go before he reaches his prime and the peak of his footballing ability. With Wenger’s experience and preference in developing young players (maybe feeling he can mould and adapt the younger players to his footballing philosophy better than the more experienced footballer – you know what they say about teaching old dogs new tricks), Hoilett would have a better chance of achieving the status his potential suggests he could well reach in the not too distant future.
There will be no shortage of top class competition for this talented youngster, he has a plethora of pace and an abundance of skill, can play in a number of positions including through the middle or on either flank.
Furthermore if he continues to progress, his value will increase and since he is out of contract at the moment, any sell on fee would generate a tidy profit; although I am just speculating, this aspect might be the main attraction for Spurs more-so than Arsenal.
One more thing to take into consideration. At Arsenal, there is only really one striker certain of playing every week, that player of course is Dutch superstar Robin Van Persie. The opportunity would therefore exist for the Canadian to take that second available forward position, should Wenger decide to experiment with that formation of course; equally Hoilett has shown his ability to play out wide should Wenger choose to deploy him as one of a three man strike force (two wide players and one central striker).
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In contrast at Tottenham, there are already a number of forwards vying for a starting position and in Bale and Lennon, there is two stalwart wingers that Hoilett would certainly struggle to dislodge. Admittedly the futures of Adebayor and Louis Saha are uncertain but this still leaves Junior Hoilett’s chances of Premier League starts in the balance should he decide his future lies at White Hart Lane.
Arsenal defender Johan Djourou has stated that he has no intention of leaving the club, amid rumours that he is set for a move this summer.
The Swiss defender played a bit-part role for the Gunners in 2011-12, and as such has been linked with a switch to Italian team Napoli during the transfer window.
However, Djourou has revealed that he has no plans to leave the Emirates Stadium despite not being guaranteed regular first-team football.
“I just want to deny what has been in the press about my transfer. It isn’t true at all,” Mirror Football report the versatile defender as saying.
“I have been at Arsenal for 10 years now and I am always committed.”
Meanwhile, the north London club are thought to be closing in on the capture of Montpellier forward Olivier Giroud.
The France international has been in Arsene Wenger’s gaze, and as such the Emirates club are believed to have met the player’s release clause.
With speculation of an impending move, the Ligue 1 champions’ coach Rene Girard has confirmed that a move could well be on the cards.
“Arsenal are very interested and Giroud wants to play in England.
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“If Arsene Wenger agrees with the president Louis Nicollin, he will sign for them.”
Franciszek Smuda admits his Poland side struggled to deal with the pressure of hosting the opening game of Euro 2012 but is hoping to build on their draw with a win over Group A leaders Russia.
Poland began the tournament on home soil with an enthralling 1-1 draw with Greece that saw both sides have a man sent off and head coach Smuda acknowledges his players were overawed by the occasion.
“The pressure for the opening game was really huge because we thought we had to win. We didn’t want to fail. We want to win but we don’t want to lose.” He said in his pre-match press conference.
“We know we have one point and because of this we will have a chance until the very end.
After watching the Russians trample over the Czech Republic, Smuda emphasised the need for his players to remain focused on the task in hand and ignore the other game in Group A.
We have to play our way but we have to be more organised in the event that we lose possession.
“We cannot worry about this (the other game). We can only think about our fixture. Any result is acceptable for us in this match – except a defeat.”
Russia boss Dick Advocaat is hoping his side can build on their comprehensive 4-1 triumph over the Czech’s on Friday and book an early spot in the quarter finals.
He’s likely to start with Aleksandr Kerzhakov in attack on Tuesday despite the striker setting a new European Championship record after wasting seven opportunities in their opening game.
The 29-year-old Zenit St Petersburg forward dismissed rumours that he would be dropped in favour of Roman Pavlyuchenko and challenged his teammates to provide that all important second win that will keep them in pole position.
“If we keep on winning, I don’t care how many goals I score, or if I even score at all. It will be a tough encounter because Poland will be at home,” Kerzhakov said.
“They drew their opening match against Greece and I am sure they were after a better result, so in order to qualify for the knockout stages, they need to win and will be doing everything to do that.”
Team News
Wojciech Szczesny is banned after being sent off against Greece but apart from that Smuda has a fully fit squad to choose from with Przemyslaw Tyton likely to start after saving the penalty conceded by his teammate.
Aleksandr Anyukov should be fit to take his place in the starting lineup after coming through training unscathed.
Key Players
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Robert Lewandowski
All eyes were on the Borussia Dortmund striker after an impressive season in Germany and he didn’t disappoint scoring the first goal of the tournament with a superb header. His approach play and unselfish work as the lone striker gives Poland a real threat in attack but he’ll need to be at his best to get the better of a stern Russian rearguard.
Alan Dzagoev
Tipped as one of Europe’s up and coming young stars the 21-year-old CSKA Moscow midfielder was terrific against the Czech Republic scoring twice and running the show from midfield. His clever passing and driving runs from midfield provide a real goal threat and Russia will be expecting him to build on a superb first game.
Leadership skills are tough to acquire, especially within a group of peers. It comes naturally to the fortunate minority but for others, their voice can be lost in a cacophony of opinion that is just too strong to overcome.Andre Villas-Boas was just 33 when he took charge at Stamford Bridge last season, an unusual youthful exuberance that is so rarely associated with Premier League managers had befallen Chelsea when appointing the Portuguese prodigy. Coming off the back of one of the most successful single seasons ever witnessed by a relatively unknown manager, the Portuguese appointment at Chelsea was met with great expectation. However, less than impressive results combined with an apparent loss of respect within the changing room bought an end to his short tenure in London. His managerial style that combined statistical analysis with introducing younger players to the team did not go down as expected at Stamford Bridge, especially with the much admired senior members of the squad like Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard. With the man they were taking orders from comparatively similar in age, it seemed as though AVB’s voice wandered the corridors at Cobham, failing to find an adhering ear.So what can be done to halt a similar situation unfolding at White Hart Lane, the location of the Portuguese new employers? Does AVB need to adapt his man management skills to the Premier League, where almost all 20 squads contain a healthy dose of egocentricity. Or will the Spurs dressing room be more forgiving of the unorthodox style of the young coaches managerial approach?One concern that may loom over Spurs if the imminent new season begins with disappointment is the absolute contrast of managerial style between Villas-Boas and his predecessor Harry Redknapp. The Englishman allowed the players a relatively free reign, with training ground discussions and match analysis taking a back seat behind player expression on the pitch. Believing that footballers should be treated as people not machine like commodities, Redknapp had very few members in his team of analysts. In stark contrast, new man Villas-Boas has a wealth of statisticians, nutritionists and psychologists who assist him and his team in preparation for match day. The 34-year old tends to shy away from tested training methods that promote technical repetition and instead focuses on situational aspects that have more relevance when in-game. This enormous transition may shake some players into realisation, with peak fitness levels a prerequisite for Villas-Boas’ system to work effectively. No longer will they have free reign on the pitch, the regimented new style that will become entrenched at White Hart Lane will see to that. They must adapt, and fast.What may prove a blessing for Spurs is the pace and style of play at the club has been very offensive-minded and exciting for a number of years, something that the new man prides himself on. Villas-Boas will not necessarily need to rip up the team sheet in order to apply his theories to the club. Spurs are blessed with pace out wide and in Gareth Bale, have one of the most exciting offensive players in Europe.Keeping hold of want away players may be the challenge for AVB. His time at Chelsea indicates that he may not have the dominating voice that is required to put a footballer in his place. If Luka Modric stated his desire to leave so fervently in Redknapp’s tenure, surely he will not be too concerned about any sharp words from a man who was seemingly second in command at his previous job. Still, lessons learnt from his time at Stamford Bridge may have sharpened the Portuguese man management skills and the baptism of fire that he received may have made him a wiser, stronger, more determined manager.There is little doubt that every club may have a fraction of egocentric players in the changing room and Spurs are no different. However, not all of the blame for Chelsea poor form whilst under Villas-Boas’ wing can fall at the players feet. Immature decisions made by the young manager, regardless of dressing room divide, condemned him early on. His refusal to bring on more experienced players when they were so vitally needed indicates an arrogance that was less Jose Mourinho and more Jacques Santini. He must find a healthy balance between demanding respect without disparaging a team that has seemed content for the last few years.AVB now knows that this test will make or break him. Capture the dressing room and excite the fans and he will flourish as he did when managing in his native country. However, a repeat of the fault lines that divided the Chelsea team under his tenure could consign the young Portuguese prodigy to an early exit and an irreparable relationship with the Premier League.[ad_pod id=’dfp-mpu’ align=’right’]
Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo is ready to sell a number of his fringe players before the start of the season, The Sun report.
The Stamford Bridge side have been on a spending spree this summer, with Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Marko Marin already joining and a number of other new faces expected.
However, the Italian manager has stated that Florent Malouda could well be heading out the door, as he looks to trim down his contingent.
“Florent is back with us now and I will have a talk with him this week,” Di Matteo confessed.
“We cannot name more than 25 players in the squad so we will have to make some decisions. Pre-season gives me a great opportunity to look at the new players and see how they develop.
“The final decision on who will go and who will stay will be made at the beginning of August,” he concluded.
Meanwhile it is believed that Yossi Benayoun and Gael Kakuta will also been shown the door from the west London club.
Young Belgian duo Romelu Lukaku and De Bruyne are also facing loan deals as first-team opportunities are expected to be limited.
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Jonjo Shelvey is surely up there with the most frustrating players in the Premier League. Unquestionably talented, yet not consistent or disciplined enough to even hold down a guaranteed starting spot in a Newcastle side that has spent the season fighting off relegation.
But when the England international’s in the mood, he can have a telling impact on any given game, which is exactly what happened on Sunday as his free kick into the box was flicked on twice and eventually found an unmarked Matt Ritchie, who drilled past David De Gea for the only goal of the afternoon as the Magpies recorded a shock 1-0 win over the Premier League’s second-place side.
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We all know about Shelvey’s technical ability, which was evident in his delivery into United’s box, but what was most impressive about the 25-year-old’s performance was how he showed real effort off the ball as well, making the most tackles and the second-most interceptions of any Newcastle player, alongside completing the most passes and having the most touches.
Amid a disturbing dearth of quality in England’s engine room, Shelvey has a real chance of making England’s World Cup squad if he can consistently replicate this level of performance – and most importantly, industriousness of the ball – between now and at the end of the season.
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But do you think the six-cap international will be included in Southgate’s squad? Let us know by voting below…
Manchester City and David Silva have failed to come to an agreement over a contract extension due to the player’s wage demands, The Daily Mail state.
The Spanish playmaker has been a key man for the Etihad Stadium outfit since moving from Valencia two years ago, and now has two years remaining on his current deal with the Premier League champions.
As such Roberto Mancini is eager to tie his talented attacking midfielder down to a new deal, and discussion have been ongoing.
However, Silva is eager to be paid the same as the top earners at the club, with Yaya Toure and Carlos Tevez both earning in the £200,000 a week bracket.
However, with Fifa’s Financial Fairplay regulations starting to take an effect on the game, City are reluctant to increase Silva’s wages so much and as such a deal is now in jeopardy.
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Andre Villas-Boas will go in search for his first league victory as Tottenham manager when his side travel to the Madjeski to take on Reading this Sunday.
The Spurs boss has endured a frustrating start to the season, losing 2-1 to Newcastle on the opening day before consecutive 1-1 home draws against West Brom and Norwich respectivley.
Despite the £12million signing of Hugo Lloris, Brad Friedel is expected to keep his place between the sticks, whilst other new signings Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele could make their first starts.
Dembele particularly impressed on his debut, coming off the bench to score a cracker against Norwich.
Reading have had to wait longer than most to make a return to Premier League action, after their last scheduled match at Sunderland was postponed due to wet conditions.
Their last Premier League outing was in fact the 4-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge, in which Brian McDermott’s side felt unfortunate to come away with nothing.
Adam Federicci, who made a mistake in that match as well as during the opening day fixture against Stoke City, is likely to continue in goal.
Brian Mcdermott must decide whether to name the same side that pushed Chelsea so close, or revert back to 4-4-2, with Pavel Pogrebnyak likely to be partnered by Adam Le Fondre up front.
Jimmy Kebe is out with injury, whilst Chris Gunter is likely to feature against his former club.
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Prediction: Reading 1-1 Tottenham
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