Derby County to miss out on promotion yet again?

Derby County are one of those teams that in recent years always seem to flirt with promotion via the play offs, but never manage to pull it off. Despite finishing in the play offs twice in the previous three seasons, they have failed to make it to the Premier League, and it looks like those hopes of a long awaited return to the Premier League will have to wait for a least one more season.

Yesterday Derby relieved Steve McClaren of his managerial duties once again, after a run of terrible results, picking up just six points from their last nine games. Notably poor results are the 4-3 home loss to Cardiff city and a 3-3 draw with Bristol City, both of whom were far worse off in the table at the time. Mathematically it is not impossible for Derby to still make the play offs, but these results have reduced their chances of doing this significantly. As always, when a team is doing poorly the manager gets the stick. We have seen already this season a number of harsh managerial dismissals, none more harsh than the sacking of Claudio Ranieri, but in the case of Derby, i think this was absolutely the right decision.

Steve McClaren hardly has a impressive track record. Despite doing well with Derby during his first spell in charge of them, his next managerial stint with Newcastle was nothing short of disastrous. McClaren lost 18 of his 31 games in charge of the Magpies, winning just 7. While not the manager when they were officially relegated, he played a major role in what happened, and proved he is not ready for a job in the Premier League. Clearly those in charge of Derby feel the same, not giving him to opportunity to see the season out and start again next campaign. This is hardly surprising, seeing as they looked odds on favorites to make the play offs this year, but now that dream is in tatters.

For me McClaren had to go and i feel many Rams fans feel the same. Gary Rowett now looks like the favorite to take over until at least the end of the season. Along with him comes Kevin Summerfield, who worked as Rowett's assistant at Burton Albion and Birmingham. Yet another frustrating year for those involved at Derby County.

Wales Euro 2016 Preview

This post can also be found on the Futbol Network: https://thefutbolnetwork.wordpress.com/2016/06/03/euro-2016-preview-wales-much-more-than-a-one-man-team/

It will be a momentous occasion when Wales kick off against Slovakia on June 11th, as it will have been almost 58 years since they participated in a major tournament. It has been a frustrating number of years for players and fans alike, but now Wales have made it, and there is a fresh sense of optimism in the air. You cannot talk about Wales without mentioning Gareth Bale, but this team has proved that it is more than that during qualification. They are a side that works hard, play with passion, and have the quality to compete with some of the best sides in the world, as shown by their famous 1-0 win over Belgium, who at the time were ranked as number one in the World.

Wales began qualifying with a 2-1 Bale-inspired win against Andorra, which included a fantastic free kick for the Welsh talisman. Following that, Wales went seven games unbeaten until a loss strangely saw them confirm automatic qualification. Three draws and four wins meant any result apart from a loss against Bosnia would see Wales officially qualify for Euro 2016. However, it was not Wales who determined their qualification themselves, but a Cyprus victory against Israel mean it was mathematically impossible for Israel to qualify. This saw Wales celebrate their place in Euro 2016 despite losing 2-0 to Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Wales defended excellently during qualification and it was a big part of reason why they were able to qualify. Wales played a back five for the majority of qualifying. Three of the five at the back are Premier League proven defenders, and have played at the same clubs together, although Davies has since moved from Swansea to Spurs, but Williams and Taylor play together regularly. As a unit they defend well and in numbers. So well in fact, that only England, Spain and Romania conceded fewer goals than the Welsh in qualifying. On the other hand, out of the teams across Europe that qualified, only Albania scored fewer goals than Wales, which of course is a cause for concern, but there is a very obvious goal threat within the squad.
Wales have the advantage of having a world class player in their ranks. Gareth Bale is one of the world’s finest players. He is a sensational player who has adapted well to life in Spain, and has recently won the Champions League with Real Madrid. Bale is a player who can win games on his own, and is deadly form set pieces.

However, while Bale is one of the main strengths of the squad, he equally uncovers a weakness in the side. Wales would not have made it to France without Bale. His presence is simply game changing, but there is clearly an over-reliance on him. The absence of Bale, through injury or suspension, could see Wales knocked out of their first tournament in over half a century sooner than expected. During qualifications, he scored seven of Wales’ 11 goals and in three friendlies where he was absent, Wales failed to win.
The Welsh also lack a true striker. Sam Vokes can play there, but is not exceptional. This is where much of the over-reliance on Bale stems from. While there are good players on the pitch such as Joe Allen, Jonathan Williams and Robson-Kanu who work hard, Wales lack a number nine who they can look for to hold up play. This could prove to be the downfall of Coleman’s side.

Group B will be a good test for Wales. England, the neighbours, are favourites to top the group with the general consensus being that Wales will finish second. However, Russia and Slovakia should not be underestimated and I really do believe it will be a close finish.
Wales start with Slovakia, who recently beat Germany 3-1 in a pre-tournament friendly, and had a solid qualifying campaign. They meet England on June 16th which promises to be a fantastic match and one which neither will want to lose due to points as well as pride. If Wales beat England, they can be confident of qualifying for the Round of 16. Finally, they face Russia which will be a tough final game, but one Wales feel they should win, as they simply have more quality.
Fortunately, if the worse should happen and Wales do come third, the expanded tournament means the best third-placed teams will go through too. Everyone is expecting Wales to get through this group, but I anticipate that they will really have to perform if they are to join England in the knockout stages.

There and Back Again For Cardiff City?

The 2012/13 season saw Cardiff City reach the Premier League for the first time in their history. The club was in a good place. They had a solid team that won the Championship title, managed by Malky Mackay, who was a very popular figure with the fans. Apart from the consistent controversy surrounding owner of the club, Vincent Tan, and his decision to change the home strip colour from blue to red, the club and its fans were looking forward to their first taste of Premier League football. That period seems like a very long time ago now given how much has changed. But are Cardiff about to return to the Premier League, just two years after their relegation from England's top flight?

Where did it all go wrong? Malky Mackay was given a big budget by Vincent Tan upon their arrival in the Premier League. Unfortunately, the money was not spent particularly effectively by the Scotsman, with only a couple of players, such as Gary Medel and Fraizer Campbell, making any significant impact. What was supposed to be a season for the club and its fans to enjoy, was overshadowed by the constant conflict between the owner and the fans. The changing of the kit colour and badge being the main source of this conflict. Despite issues off the pitch, the squad was performing admirably on it. Wins against the likes of Manchester City and big rivals Swansea, along with draws against Everton and Manchester United, saw the Cardiff faithful having real belief that the team could stay up. However, around Christmas time, Mackay was told, 'resign or be sacked' by Tan, after a run of poor results. It was only after Mackay left was it revealed about the racist texts, but that is a different story altogether. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was to be the new man in charge, but a change of manager did not change anything on the pitch. The second half of the season was far worse than the first. Picking up just ten points from the nineteen Premier League games Solskjaer was in charge of, saw the Bluebirds make an immediate return to the Championship.

The 2014/15 season saw the club change drastically. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked after just a few games. He, along with many of his lacklustre signings, headed out the door, and were soon forgotten about. Another change of manager was needed, someone who could bring stability to a club that looked to be in rapid decline. Russell Slade was Vincent Tan's personal choice for the role. The former Leyton Orient manager brought in some frankly fairly average players, but they did their job well. Tan also agreed to change the home kit colour back to blue and the badge was also changed back to having the bluebird as the main focal point on the crest. Cardiff finished in a very respectable 11th position in the Championship, which surprised quite a few fans due to how many players came in and out of the club. This season was used for rebuilding, and credit to Russell Slade, he steadied the sinking ship as best he could, and did an admirable job.

The current 2015/16 season could see Cardiff returning to England's top flight after just two years away from it. The season has, on the whole, been a positive step forward for the club. Slade has been under relentless pressure since accepting the Cardiff job. The fans expect big things at this club, to at least be challenging for a play off spot. Many doubted Slade was the man to take Cardiff back to the Premier League after a less than impressive first half of the season, but things have really picked up. Since the turn of the new year, Cardiff have lost just two of their 14 league games, which sees them currently occupy 7th position. The real question now, is whether they can maintain their good form, and deal with the pressure. Their last two games stand out to me. They play Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham. Both of these team are also chasing a play off spot. But if Slade and his players manage to pull this off, it will be a fantastic achievement.

The last few years for Cardiff City fans have consisted of a mixture of celebrations and disappointment. The team that has been created by Russell Slade during his time here has become difficult to beat, works hard and have really started to gel together well. So well in fact, that they may well be on their way to a return to the Premier League. COYB!

From Championship to Premier League



This article can also be found on the Futbol Network: https://thefutbolnetwork.wordpress.com/2016/02/15/from-championship-to-premier-league-who-will-gain-promotion-this-season/

The Championship is an extremely competitive league. A whole host of Championship clubs nowadays have massive budgets, meaning they are able to buy a higher calibre of player. This has undoubtabley improved the quality of the league, but has also heaped pressure on the managers of the wealthier clubs. The pressure on themselves and the players to get in to the Premier League is bigger than ever. Although there are many in the hunt for a promotion place, only three can move up. Despite there being many teams within the league who could make it, I believe Hull, Burnley and Middlesbrough, will make it this year.

Hull are currently clear favourites for the Championship title, and rightly so. They simply have the strongest squad in the league. They have lots of Premier League players within their ranks, Robert Snodgrass, Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore to name a few. Steve Bruce has managed to keep hold of key players, such as the ones already mentioned, as well as Mo Diame and Abel Hernandez, who have been crucial to their success in this campaign. Despite losing a couple of important characters, such as Robbie Brady and James Chester, these two were sold for a combined worth of about £15 million, which is sure to help them in the long run if they do make it back in to the Premier League, as they will have a substantial amount of money to spend. While, the players certainly do deserve their praise for performing so well this season, we must not forget about Steve Bruce. Many teams drop down from the Premier League and assume that they are going to go straight back up, but in reality, very few accomplish this. Teams such as Cardiff and Fulham have had poor seasons after being relegated. Both Cardiff and Fulham had foreign managers at the time who had no experience of the Championship, resulting in them being complacent, and subsequently being sacked. However, Steve Bruce has a wealth of experience in both the Premier League and Championship, so it is no surprise that he is well on his way to returning Hull to the Premiership at the first time of asking. If Hull do not finish the 2015/16 season as Champions, I will be very surprised.

Middlesbrough also have strengthened their squad this season with big money signings. Stewart Downing, a fan favourite, made a return to the Riverside in the summer from West Ham, along with David Nugent from Leicester, who despite never being that impressive, does provide Premier League experience. The two players costing Boro a combined worth of around £9.5 million. However, their biggest transfer of the season came in January, signing Jordan Rhodes from fellow Championship side Blackburn, for a staggering £9 million. This is a huge statement of intent from Boro, showing they are willing to splash the cash if it helps them reach the Premier League. They also brought in Richie De Laet from Leicester on loan until the end of the season, but defensively, they have been very solid this campaign. In fact they have the best defence in the league, conceding just 16 goals all season. We will get to really see what they are made of when they play their last 4 games of the season. In those games they play Birmingham, Brighton, Burnley and Ipswich, all of which are currently chasing a play off spot. Even though those games seem the most difficult, there are no easy games in the Championship, and lots could change between now and May. Boro do currently have 2 games in hand, meaning if those 2 games in hand end up in victories, they will be top of the pile, but that of course is easier said than done. Middlesbrough also play Hull in a few weeks time which should be an excellent game. Although its very tight at the top, and will continue to be so until the final day of the season, I think Hull and Middlesbrough have enough to make it in to the automatic promotion places.

In all honesty, any one of about 6 teams could manage to fight their way in to the Premier League through the play offs. But for me, Burnley have the edge over everyone else. Crucial totheir success this season has been down to Sean Dyche keeping the majority of the players that were part of the squad that were relegated in the 2014/15 season. Despite losing prolific striker Danny Ings to Liverpool, they have managed to perform well in the Championship. The signing of Andre Gray has been an excellent decision. He is a quick, nippy striker, who has scored 33% of all their goals in the league. He cost Burnley £9 million pounds, but if he continues this kind of goal scoring form, it will have been well worth it. They also have another proven Championship goal scorer in their ranks, in the form of Welsh international, Sam Vokes, who provides serious aerial threat, as he showed recently in the FA Cup against Arsenal. Joey Barton is Sean Dyche's most recent recruit, and although he may not be the most likeable of footballers, he is a solid, consistent midfielder who contributes a lot, despite the occasional booking. A rather overlooked player for Burnley is Tom Heaton. The English goalkeeper performed admirably in their 2014/15 Premier League campaign, and impressed at his previous clubs of Cardiff and Bristol City, so I am glad to see him consistently featuring for Burnley, a team who are seriously pushing for a place in England's top flight. Sean Dyche has an experienced bunch of players who I think are ready to have another go at the Premier League. This year, it is really tough to call who will make it through the play offs, but assuming Hull and Middlesbrough occupy first and second place, I think Burnley have enough to make it through.

Hull, Middlesbrough and Burnley are all undoubtabley strong Championship sides. I would be very surprised if Hull do not manage to claim the Championship title and if Middlesbrough do not make second place, but as for Burnley, it is more ambiguous. The likes of Derby, Birmingham and Brighton have all impressed so far this year, and are sure to push the league leaders all the way to the final day. The Championship is a notoriously competitive league with no easy games, and it may be said a lot but it does not stop being less true, anything could happen between now and the end of the season.





Premier League 2015/16 Relegation predictions

This post can also be found on The Futbol Network- https://thefutbolnetwork.wordpress.com/2016/02/02/1559/


Aston Villa. What a sorry state this club is in at the moment. They currently lie rock bottom of the Barclays Premier League, with just two wins to their name, and have not showed any signs of significant improvement under their new manager Remi Garde. Last season Tim Sherwood managed to re-invigorate the Villa side and guided them to safety. This season was thought to be the season where they would push on and challenge for a mid-table position. However, after losing arguably their two key attacking players in the form of Benteke and Delph, transferring to Liverpool and Manchester City respectively, they simply look lacklustre going forward. They have scored the least amount of goals out of any team in the league, which is not surprising given their league position. Their defence has not been performing that much better either. Having said this, they have been fortunate to retain the services of Brad Guzan, or the situation they find themselves in could be a whole lot worse. I feel the main problem here has been that the signings they have made, have not made adequate replacements for the personnel they have lost. For example, Rudy Gestede who admittedly did well for Blackburn, could not even manage a first team spot at his previous club Cardiff City, so I found it rather surprising when he managed to fashion a move to Aston Villa. So what does all this mean for Villa? They are currently ten points from safety and in all honesty, look like they will certainly be playing Championship football next season. However, that has been said before about the likes of Sunderland and Leicester in recent years. So who knows, maybe this Villa side will be able to emulate their heroics.

Newcastle have been a poor side for a number of seasons now and have shown no real signs of improvement that suggests they deserve to stay in England's top flight. Despite changing their manager, once again, and investing millions in players in an attempt to strengthen their squad, the Magpies have been poor so far this season. This could be a very important January transfer window for them. They have already shown that they are determined to stay in this league through the signings of Shelvey and Townsend, each player estimated to have been purchased for around £12m. This may seem like a lot of money, but if these signings help them avoid the drop, it will all be worth it. They have also been linked with Loic Remy, to bolster their goal scoring options. Their summer signings such as Mbemba and Mitrovic to name a few, while undoubtabley talented, are not Premier league proven, and I feel that is what this Newcastle side is lacking. Appointing Steve McClaren as manager was also a questionable decision as he is not someone with a wealth of premier league experience, and has struggled this season. We have seen moments of real fight and determination from his side such as their 3-3 draw with Man United recently. They are in the best position of the three teams here, being just two points away from safety. They play Aston Villa on the penultimate weekend of the season, which could be a huge game for both clubs.

Sunderland currently sit second from bottom in the table and are in real trouble. However, with Sam Allardyce at the helm, who has never been relegated from the Premier League, they have a fighting chance. Like their rivals, this could prove to be a vital transfer window for them too. Selling their starting goalkeeper to Watford in form of Pantillimon was an odd choice. They have brought in Dame N'Doye, a forward who featured a few times for Hull when they were in Premier League, and Lamine Kone from French side Lorient to give them more options at the back. It really is not surprising that they have signed a defender, as they currently have the worst defensive record in the league, conceding an average of two goals per game. The signings that were brought in during the summer have also been more of a hindrance. Jermaine Lens has failed to impress scoring just three goals and picking up a red card along the way. If anyone is going to keep the Black Cats up this season it is going to be Jermaine Defoe. He has proved himself for a number of clubs across the years and his experience may prove to be invaluable if Sunderland can repeat their amazing escape from relegation in the 2013/14 season. They have a seriously difficult February coming up, playing the likes of Liverpool and both Manchester clubs. They also play Watford on the last day of the season, but by then it may be too late.

If any of the three are to avoid relegation I think it will be Newcastle. They have invested heavily and seem to always just about stay in the league. If they do stay up I would expect a club such as Bournemouth or Norwich, to take their place. It may seem very optimistic to predict that no newly promoted side will go down, but I think Watford Norwich and Bournemouth have all done exceptionally well, especially Bournemouth who at the start of the season, were outright favourites to make an immediate return to the Championship. This years Premier League is as hard to call at the bottom as it is at the top. But I cannot see Aston Villa, Newcastle or Sunderland staying in England's top flight any longer.



Troubling times for Newcastle and Sunderland

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          Sunderland currently sit in 19th spot in the Premier League table with a meagre 3 points so far. The only reason they are not bottom of the pile is because of their North East rivals, Newcastle, being on a worse goal difference. It is worrying times for both clubs as this is not just a rough patch for them, this has been going on for a few seasons now, and the fans are fed up. If something does not change quickly, both sides could be facing the drop this season, and after watching them play, it is clear to see why this is a realistic possibility.

          Despite Dick Advocaat guiding Sunderland to safety towards the end of last season, he did not start the new season with them at all well, and as a result has now left his managerial position at the Stadium of Light. This change had to be made sooner rather than later. The final nail in the coffin for the Dutchman was their most recent result where they let a two goal lead slip at home to West Ham. If they are to stay up this season, they cannot be so wasteful. However, with the news that Sam Allardyce has now been appointed as Sunderland's new manager, they may have a great chance of staying up. He has never had a team relegated from the Premier League and was the obvious choice. This is sure to add even more spice to the derby days between these two, with Allardyce being a former manager of Newcastle. The black cats must be more solid defensively if they want to stay up this season and are in need of a leader at the back. Kaboul was brought in to give the back line more experience and pace, but he is yet to impress. Coates has also performed poorly when he has played. But who knows, maybe under Allardyce, they will iron out these deficiencies and concede far fewer goals. They lack depth and most importantly, quality in midfield. Although in fairness, at least they have a character that will get stuck in, in the form of Lee Cattermole. They also have a proven Premier league goal scorer in Jermain Defoe who won them one of the derbies last season with a magnificent strike. If anyone is going to provide the goals to keep Sunderland up, it will be him. Big Sam has a real challenge on his hands here, but they now have a much better chance of remaining in the league with him at the helm.

         
          Newcastle have already proved that they are able to compete with top teams in this league. They drew with Chelsea and Manchester United, while only narrowly losing 1-0 to Arsenal. On the other hand they have also had some tragic results such as being knocked out of the League Cup by Sheffield Wednesday at home, and being thrashed 6-1 away to Manchester City. The main problem with the Newcastle squad at the moment is the lack of proven Premier League players they possess. I shall not name all of their summer signings, but the majority are players that have good potential, but have not had the experience of a relegation battle, which is something that Newcastle may well be involved in come April time. Players that will certainly give them a good chance of staying up this season are the likes of Tim Krul, Tiote and in particular Janmaat who has given them a lot going forward despite playing full back. I have focused on the issues on the pitch as opposed to off it, as that could take a long time. All I shall say is that something needs to be sorted out soon. This conflict has been going on for far too long between the fans and the owner Mike Ashley. Newcastle are undoubtabley a big club, and have much higher ambitions than just scraping survival. Maybe this is a job too far for Steve McClaren but only time will tell.

          How are these two clubs going to get out of the situation they are in ? In some ways attack is the best form of defence. Leicester are living proof of this. Last season everyone had them as favourites to go down and looked dead and buried by February. But they came out and attacked teams, resulting in them getting the points they needed to remain in the Premier League. This is surely the style they must adopt. Sunderland have even done it before in the 2013/14, making a fantastic surge to safety, beating the likes of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and thrashed Cardiff to ensure they did not make the drop to the Championship. I am really looking forward to seeing how the season unfolds for these two clubs. Hopefully things can improve for them as they are both big clubs, not to mention the derby between the two sides each season which is full of passion and excitement. Both managers have a big task ahead.

Arsene able to, 'Break clubs transfer record'.

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          Arsene Wenger has been given the go ahead to, 'break the clubs transfer record,' this summer according their director Lord Harris. For many years Arsenal fans have been wanting top class signings but more often than not, they have not splashed their cash, resulting in a number of players brought to the club who are not at the standard required to play for a top four team in England. Players that come to mind here are the likes of Johan Djourou, Andrey Arshavin and Nicklas Bendtner to name a few. However, with this new found freedom given to Arsene Wenger, they could build a title contending squad.
          Arsenal were a classy side in the 2014/15 season. Finishing third in the Premier league is no mean feat, but finishing either third or fourth has become second nature now, and the fans are getting increasingly restless. But, with this news of a lot of money there to be spent, they could bring in a great deal of talent. For as long as I can remember Arsenal have been linked with Arturo Vidal, but have now missed their chance on getting a world class midfielder, pipped to the post by Bayern who agreed a fee for the Chilean on July 23rd. They have needed a commanding midfielder for some time now, but now also have to rule out Sami Khedira due to his recent move to Juventus. Their current midfield is technically excellent, with Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla. This has been said multiple times before, but it is true, they lack a Patrick Viera style midfielder, a box to box player who is strong and powerful. For all their technical class, none of their current midfielders provide this.

          Arsenal also must look at striking options over the summer period. With news that Alexis Sanchez will miss at least a few games at the start of the season, responsibility will land on either Walcott or Giroud to find then net. While both players have shown quality, neither have been consistent. The Gunners have been linked with Karim Benzema and he seems like the only really good option left, given that Jackson Martinez made his move to Atleticio earlier in the summer. However, with rumours that Edin Dzeko could leave Manchester City this transfer window, could he make an unlikely move to the Emirates?
          In terms of the defensive end of the field, Arsenal have had a number of defensive frailties over recent seasons; whether it be the manager's tactics or individual error. Having said that, they were much more organised and the defence was solid last season. Debuchy from Newcastle was a good purchase and when called upon, Nacho Monreal performed admirably at centre back, which is not his natural position. The problem they have had with defenders, is that they have not had enough of them. If one or two were injured, the side was severely weakened due to their lack of defenders to call upon, should such an event happen. I thought Laurent Koscielny had improved a lot last season, but you cannot help but think how much they would benefit from a Hummels or Boateng sitting at the heart of their defence.

          While there may be need for recruitment in other areas of the field, there is certainly no need for any more when it comes to goalkeepers. Petr Cech is one of the worlds best, not to mention the backup they have in the form of Wojciech Szczęsny and Ospina. Cech was an excellent buy, and the first step in what has the potential to be a title contending team.
          Arsenal clearly have a lot of work to do if they are to really compete with the teams around them. Chelsea were almost flawless last season and would take a huge push to really challenge them for the title. There is also no doubt that Manchester City will strengthen even more than they already have as well. With all three teams having huge budgets to spend, it could make for some very interesting transfers across the rest of the summer.