Chasing Promotion

McCarthy's Men On The Road To Security

2011-05-30T19:52:00.005+01:00

Mick McCarthy's Wolves side may owe a large part of their continued Premier League existence to Manchester United and Tottenham, whose victories on Survival Sunday condemned Blackpool and Birmingham to the dreaded drop, but their immediate future lies squarely in their grasp and looks remarkably promising for a side who just 8 days ago were less than 45 minutes from being relegated and seeing their 3 fierce Midlands rivals stay up at the same time.

On the recruitment side, Wolves seem unlikely to lose any of the key members of their settled and spirited squad over the summer. David Jones is one confirmed to be heading out of the club, but he has struggled with injury this season and would not be a natural starter ahead of David Edwards, Karl Henry, Nenad Milijas or Jamie O'Hara (should the latter's signature be secured as expected). Michael Mancienne's return to Chelsea, and rumoured subsequent transfer to Hamburg, should not unduly trouble McCarthy for the same reasons, although Mancienne's natural position of centre-back may nudge the Irishman to invest in that position as Jody Craddock's contract is shortly to expire. Marcus Hahnemann appears the other member of the usual matchday squad likely to depart, with his contract also up soon. His place could be swiftly filled by the likes of Tomasz Kuszczak, or perhaps Matt Gilks, who are tipped to depart their clubs shortly in search of regular Premier League starts and would provide strong competition for the current first choice stopper, Wayne Hennessey.

Of course, the funds available to capture replacements and additions may well depend on the whereabouts of recent England cap Matt Jarvis. After a fine first season in the top flight, which brought him a first international appearance in March, the former Gillingham winger has been eyed by Liverpool, possibly as a replacement for the out of form Joe Cole, and Aston Villa, should Ashley Young depart for a higher level. Wolves are generally well stocked in the wide areas, with Stephen Hunt, Michael Kightly and Adam Hammill supported by utility players Kevin Foley and Stephen Ward, but would miss the direct running and dangerous delivery of Jarvis. Moreover, given Jarvis' relative inexperience at the top level, Wolves might struggle to replace him with the funds generated by his sale, which would probably not greatly exceed those mooted in the O'Hara deal (around £5m). If Wolves can keep hold of the tricky winger, and replace David Jones with someone in the vein of Blackpool's David Vaughan, who appears Sunderland-bound, the playing staff alone should ensure a comfortable mid-table finish, particularly if Kevin Doyle and Steven Fletcher can stay on the pitch and in the goals.

One absolutely priceless quality that should make Wolves the envy of any top-flight outfit is their stability and honesty at management level. McCarthy himself is certainly not to everyone's tastes (just ask fellow Irishman Roy Keane for corroboration of that), but his fierce loyalty - which rarely, if ever, descends into blinkered vision - and forthrightness make him not only an engaging interviewee (like Ian Holloway, he is always good for a soundbite) but a fine motivator and man manager; in the intense final weeks of the season, I do not recall hearing a single word from any player against him or any other member of the staff, playing or otherwise. All of the noises coming out of the camp centred on team spirit and hard work, rather than on personal futures or petty feuds with teammates. McCarthy and his players are also fortunate in enjoying unwavering support from the men at the very top of the club, with owner Steve Morgan and chief executive Jez Moxey offering encouragement and solidarity rather than warnings and speculations. If we contrast this with the appalling behaviour of West Ham's board in the last weeks of their Premier League life, which seemed to predominantly concern individual performance at a time demanding togetherness, Wolves' survival and the demise of a team packed with England internationals becomes rather easier to comprehend.

Financially, Wolves are not in the straits that seem to have bogged the Hammers down for years; nor are they in the palatial domain of Europe's big hitters. Instead, they appear to inhabit a sort of happy middle ground that befits a proud community club, with investment being prudent (a phased expansion of Molineux is underway) rather than rashly spontaneous. Their promotion to the top flight at the end of the 2008/9 season naturally contributed hugely to the club's current financial stability, but Steve Morgan has never seemed unwilling to provide the cash for key players (Kevin Doyle and Steven Fletcher both cost the club more than £6m, while O'Hara should be around £5m); at the same time I do not recall any obvious wastefulness in terms of transfer fees. This judicious use of funds is emblematic of the sensible manner in which the club operates, and a sensible summer, featuring the retention of key players and staff and the replacement of departing squad members, should see this club well clear of the trapdoor when Survival Sunday looms into view again in about 12 months' time.

No Country For Young Dane As Van Gets In Gear

2011-01-24T00:33:00.000Z

A few weeks ago I would have seriously recommended to Arsene Wenger - if I had somehow come across the opportunity to gain his ear - that he give consideration to putting mercurial forward Robin van Persie up for sale at the end of the current season. Far too prone to injury, I would have said. Incapable of providing much more than half a season of productive performances, he would have heard. And far too given to wasting the straightforward opportunities that ought to be the bread and butter for any self-respecting target man, I would have forced him to accept, while admitting myself that he remains tremendously technically gifted. The combination of his age - at 27 he can be termed experienced, yet still has five years ahead of him - and his undoubted, uncommon flair ought to result in a healthy list of willing takers and a tidy sum to be invested in the next round of youngsters.

Hindsight is a great luxury, and as a faithful lover of the beautiful game I am more than happy to admit that my judgment was somewhat premature. The Dutch forward seems newly focused on his craft and far more determined to add the end product to Arsenal's dreamy passing football, as evidenced by his return of five goals in two Premier League appearances. The fully fit van Persie on show in Saturday's easy victory over Wigan augmented the style of his more junior colleagues with steel, brushing off the setback of a woeful penalty (which failed to extend the outstanding Oman shotstopper in the besieged Wigan goal, Ali Al Habsi) by completing his hat-trick in the closing minutes of the game. The van Persie of previous seasons, or indeed the summer's World Cup, would have struggled to atone for his error in this most fitting manner.

Van Persie's decisive return to form, though welcome for his manager, teammates and Gunners fans, does however strengthen the case for the departure of the Dutch star's far more misfiring colleague, Danish international Nicklas Bendtner. At 23, Bendtner forms part of the generation carefully nurtured over the last five or so years by Wenger, but one would be hard pressed to identify another member of this group who makes less of a contribution to its success and reputation. Bendtner's mediocre goal return and often poor attitude, along with an almost incomprehensibly high opinion of his own abilities, marks him out as the black sheep of the flock. I venture that it is time for Wenger to usher him through the Emirates exit door, although the price tag of £15million quoted in a recent article on skysports.com seems terribly over-inflated.

Bendtner and van Persie have very little in common, apart from their propensity to fluff a concerning number of relatively easy chances. The Dutchman does at least have an impressive collection of technically masterful strikes with which to distract his detractors from this shortcoming. More importantly, he fits rather better into Wenger's current system than the one dimensional Bendtner; as a second striker, he is more in tune with the fluid, flowing midfielders Fabregas and Nasri, the architects of the majority of Arsenal's best work in recent weeks. The return of Marouane Chamakh after a short break will also allow Arsenal to concoct a potentially devastating front three, comprising the efficient Moroccan with the creative van Persie and the lightning bolt that is Theo Walcott. Once completed by Fabregas, Nasri and Song/Wilshere, Wenger could effectively forget about his eternally underwhelming defence, as few teams would back themselves to out-create and out-score such a front six.

As a Red Devil first and a football writer second, I cannot see Arsenal overhauling United this season, though second is certainly within reach, as is an end to the endlessly-referenced trophy drought. The sale of Bendtner, in either the current transfer window or that of this summer, will create a space in the squad for a fresh and exciting young talent (for what other sort of player do Arsenal seek out these days), and the resultant funds would, one hopes, be spent rather than hoarded or frittered away on central defenders. Feyernoord's Luc Castaignos or Anderlecht's Romelu Lukaku, regularly linked with a switch to the Emirates, would fit the bill and might, just might, help to secure the long-awaited major trophy that, on paper at least, is long overdue an appearance in the red half of North London.

Defining Weeks Approach For Roy's Reds

2010-08-09T23:40:00.002+01:00

The Premiership campaign is rightfully regarded as the ultimate long haul, particularly when compared to the relative short hops that make up some of its European counterparts (most of which enjoy the much-vaunted Christmas break). As such, any suggestion that the opening weeks of the new season, thankfully about to break upon us (depending on the location from which you are consuming this prose of course), represent an exceptionally pivotal period in the medium-term fortunes of one's chosen club could be regarded as foolhardy or ill-thought through. However, for Merseyside's much-maligned Red contingent, the next month or so really has the potential to set the scene for Liverpool's attempts to heave themselves from the dirge that was 2009/10 and back into England's elite.

Great changes are afoot at the head of the club, and their significance simply cannot go underestimated. A rare moment of bright thinking was evident in the decision to axe the cold Benitez at the beginning of June, and he was replaced by everyone's favourite gangster-impersonator, Roy Hodgson, inside a month. Hodgson's miraculous exploits as Fulham boss have received more than enough column inches, but nevertheless it is extremely difficult to begrudge the London-born adventurer his first (and most likely single) stint at one of England's most prestigious names - even for a lifelong Red Devil like yours truly. Roy's endeavours at Anfield are unlikely to be of the fantastical quality of those on the banks of the Thames, and certainly should not need to be, but some saintliness may yet be required; this will concern his patience.

Swirling around the club - if the news outlets are to be believed - at the time of writing are several consortia, all with the goal of buying out Liverpool's hated American owners (are there any other sort in English football at present). It would appear that the outfit headed by Yahya Kirdi, a Canadian-based Syrian, is in pole position and plans to tie up the deal by the start of Liverpool's domestic campaign on Sunday afternoon. This clearly leaves plenty of time for Chinese tycoon Kenny Huang, and to a lesser extent the third-placed Sahara Group of India, to jostle behind Kirdi, casting in promise and counter-promise, in the run up to the big day.

What is most important here is not the identity of the bidder, nor which succeeds; it seems moderately likely that Kirdi's consortium will win the day. No, it is the timing which fascinates most. Hodgson himself has suggested that any transfer funds potentially available to him would not manifest themselves in time for well-considered player recruitment ahead of the transfer deadline on September 1st. This would lead to the possibly damaging situation of Hodgson having a hole slowly burning in his pocket until January, while the gossip columns feed off Liverpool's increased spending power and existing squad members begin to feel the squeeze. There are plenty of players in the squad who have a great deal to prove in the coming campaign, even with some of the deadwood having been chopped away already, and the availability of resource to strengthen a squad under heavy pressure from the get-go is sure to make the likes of Babel, Aquilani and Insua look nervously over their shoulders, straight into the sage eyes of the plotting Hodgson.

Such an explosive situation could be afforded an early spark or two by the opening fixtures of the season, and the fixture computer seems to have it in for the Merseysiders this time around. The Reds face Arsenal first up, before visiting Man City eight days later and their arch-rivals United three games later. In 6 league games against these opponents last season, Liverpool secured 5 points from a possible 18, and only 1 from 9 available in 2010. Moreover, Liverpool's clash with City is sandwiched by a tricky looking Europa League play-off with Turkish side Trabzonspor. The Turks finished fifth in the Super Lig last season and won two domestic cup competitions; the tie also sees Liverpool travel to Turkey for the second leg just three days after facing City and less than 48 hours before a clash with promoted West Brom at Anfield.

Given the frenetic start to the season, Roy will be grateful that his current roster appears fairly settled and in slightly better shape than those who disappointed under Benitez in finishing seventh last time out. Troublesome Spaniard Albert Riera has been jettisoned, with Milan Jovanovic coming in on a free transfer (a deal ironically initiated by Benitez in a surprising appreciation of good value). Yossi Benayoun was sold to Chelsea, with the consistent Israeli being replaced with another free transfer in the form of the gifted playmaker Joe Cole, who has reportedly looked sharp in pre-season. These moves give Liverpool's front line a more direct aspect, although it remains to be seen if either will be able to force themselves ahead of the ever-dependable Dutch workhorse Dirk Kuyt. Roy still lacks potent youth in the most advanced positions, and neither Jovanovic nor Cole will do much to lower the team's average age. But more is expected of David N'Gog, who fired the Reds past Rabotnicki in the Europa League, and of course the infuriating Ryan Babel.

In defence Liverpool should remain solid; they claim to possess the league's top stopper in Jose Reina, although this is certainly a matter of opinion, and the centre-backs remain, with the addition of the versatile and promising Danny Wilson, who was snapped up from Rangers by Hodgson on July 21. Wilson has drawn comparisons with Alan Hansen, and at just 18 looks like a marvellous investment who could, alongside Dan Agger, form the heart of the back four for many years. In midfield, the seemingly Inter-bound Javier Mascherano may be replaced by Juve's Danish holding midfielder Christian Poulsen, while Hodgson also seems to be toying with a deeper role for the talismanic Gerrard. There is no question that Gerrard can excel in this position, in the same way that Paul Scholes does for Manchester United, but with added drive owing to his fewer years.

Most Liverpool fans, I imagine, would simply have been happy to start the season in the knowledge that Fernando Torres would be putting on the famous Nine again. With this commitment secured just last week, many minds were set at ease, and the Spanish hit-man would surely receive the largest cheer, drowning out any mutterings about his World Cup failings, of all the returning players if he made the squad for this Sunday's curtain-raiser. But this rapturous welcome will soon give way to a whole host of questions, the answers to which have barely been hinted at here. Liverpool have a daunting array of obstacles to overcome if they are even to remain ahead of Moyes' boys, and only then can they make eyes at the logjam that threatens to develop in front of them, where City's overspilling coffers, a Drogba-powered Chelsea and a fired-up United, fronted by a smiling Mexican, all stand in their path.

Capello's Headaches Only Just Beginning

2010-05-31T13:58:00.002+01:00

Casual followers of the England football team and their quest for global glory might have you believe that the passing of Sunday May 30th also indicated the end of the unenviable difficulties faced by the supreme leader, Fabio Capello. Yesterday saw the completion of the pre-selection encounters, which were navigated without any serious injury alarms, with Capello's declaration that he had now finalised the make-up of the 23-strong squad that will depart for the Rainbow Nation later this week following closely behind. However, those with their attention firmly focused on the constant rumblings and murmurings emanating from the England camp and its hangers-on know full well that the many problems besetting the Italian coach are only now thrusting themselves into the spotlight.

The most pressing concern, of course, must be whether Capello is set to cut the right players from his initial 30. Put another way, there are far more than 7 players who have shown themselves to be wholly undeserving of a place on the grandest stage. It would not be an exaggeration to claim that the defence and midfield as entire units have been spectacularly poor during the preparatory fixtures, though I do not include the goalkeepers in this, as the almost inevitable selection of all three appears to have given them a confidence that is sorely lacking in even the cream of the outfield crop. Lampard and Gerrard have put in reasonable performances, without threatening to come close to the standards expected at their respective clubs, but the supporting cast have been sloppy in possession and unimaginative in their creation. James Milner looked particularly out of sorts against Mexico, while Michael Carrick and Tom Huddlestone passed in a fashion more befitting of David Brent than David Beckham.

In defence, Rio Ferdinand and John Terry looked nervous in a rare appearance together at the heart of the back four against Japan, while Ledley King was average at best against the Mexican livewires, even if he did not deserve all of the criticism heaped upon his shoulders in the post-match analysis. It would be extremely harsh on Michael Dawson if he were not handed a place on the plane, as his failure to appear so far has merely highlighted how much England could do with his committed displays and calmness on the ball. Leighton Baines was awful against Mexico, Glen Johnson almost as poor against Japan, with Ashley Cole's contribution yesterday providing welcome respite.

The poor fare on show last week has opened the door to Capello's fringe players, and I would suggest that Capello's selection ought to reflect this in all departments, apart from at the head of the team. Darren Bent continues to prove that he cannot translate his Premiership exploits into international stardom, so the four forwards are pretty much nailed on. Only one of Lennon and Walcott will be picked, most likely the former after some toothless displays from the latter. Expect to see Joe Cole and Adam Johnson sneak into the 23, if only because they offer a rather more cultured brand of playmaking than the often predictable running of the aforementioned London-based fliers. Shaun Wright-Phillips is also likely to be dropped after a poor season, though he was lively enough against the Japanese.

England's struggles in the middle of the park against livelier opponents also served to remind observers of the one major injury doubt plaguing Capello's mind, the ever-impressive Gareth Barry. The 29 year old has matured into one of the most important players in the England squad, benefitting hugely from the glass knees of Owen Hargreaves and forcing himself onto the England teamsheet at every opportunity. The England boss has confessed that the City man is a crucial member of the side, with his nature as a true box-to-box player blessed with a certain versatility and a dynamic left foot elevating him far above the likes of Carrick and Huddlestone, who, though better passes and strikers of the ball, are too often one-dimensional in their play and lack the pace to worry the more technical midfielders that the top international opponents can boast. His failure to recover from ankle ligament damage (Capello has said that he must be fit for Algeria and Slovenia if he is to be selected) could prove terminal to England's chances of making the latter stages of the tournament.

Capello's final problem lies rather further east than our considerations thus far, in the minds of the Inter Milan president, Massimo Moratti. Stripped of the Nerazzurri's prize asset - the Special One having taken his prodigious talent to the Bernabeu - Moratti has decided that the newly-crowned European champions need the greatest footballing mind available for the defence of their Treble. With Pep Guardiola unlikely to turn his back on the dream job of managing the marvellous Catalans, who have recently added the brilliant hitman David Villa to their title-winning squad, Capello is seen as the man for the post, and a less-than-impressive start to the tournament could see the pressure to ditch England and head back to Italy mount. It would be a considerable surprise if the mind-games do not increase in their frequency and intensity as the World Cup gets underway, particularly if we consider the possible benefits to Italy's own chances in their own title defence. The Italians are currently enjoying their usual role as dark horses, despite their 2006 triumph.

Capello has an opportunity to send some of these many issues into retreat with a bold and imaginative announcement on Tuesday, and England must hope that as few of his remaining dilemmas as possible are not of his own making. Inter's interest will not go away, regardless of Capello's proclamations of dedication to his adopted cause, but the dearth of confidence on the pitch is a problem that the hugely-respected chief can, and must, rectify if the golden generation is to finally gleam as all are sure it can.

Diamond In The Rough Gives Redknapp Plenty To Ponder

2010-04-07T00:44:00.002+01:00

Ask any Portsmouth fan to nominate their low points from the current campaign, and the list would most likely fill a tome the size of a standard Tolstoy novel. A list of positives, on the other hand, could be detailed on one hand with three digits to spare: a run to the FA Cup semi-final (which has included a victory over hated Southampton), and the consistently fine form of midfielder Jamie O'Hara, on loan from this weekend's cup opponents Tottenham Hotspur. However, with the season drawing to a conclusion and Pompey all but certain to slip into the Championship, O'Hara will no doubt be allowing his thoughts to wander to his future, particularly with his absence from Portsmouth's biggest game of the season guaranteed by the terms of the loan.

Regular first-team football - not that Portsmouth could lay claim to any sort of regularity this season - has seen the young Englishman blossom into an all-action player capable of being classified using that most wonderful of descriptions, the 'complete midfielder'. Tenacious in his defensive play and with an engine more suited to an endurance racer than a 23 year old sportsman, O'Hara also possesses a dreamy left foot that provides deliveries capable of arousing the admiration of some of the league's premier left-footed players (Aston Villa's Stewart Downing and Man City's Adam Johnson are those that I primarily have in mind). Surprisingly, O'Hara has only contributed 4 assists in the league this season - to go with his 2 strikes - but in this regard he is still Portsmouth's most productive player in the current campaign.

One would - perhaps not unreasonably - expect Harry Redknapp to be rubbing his hands in gleeful anticipation at being able to include O'Hara in his Spurs squad in the near future. After all, while Redknapp is blessed with numerous talented midfielders, none can boast the mix of characteristics enjoyed by the Portsmouth star. Bentley, Modric, Huddlestone and Kranjcar are all capable of a pinpoint delivery and a 30 yard screamer, while Palacios is one of the Premier League's finest exponents of tough tackling and breaking up opposition attacks. Of these though, only Palacios could legitimately be described as approaching the status of the complete midfielder, and his work rarely includes assaulting the opposition goal in any case. Forgotten man Jermaine Jenas - currently keeping Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King company at the physio's - is well past his days of aspiring to be North London's answer to Steven Gerrard.

Strangely, however, wily Redknapp appears to have other ideas. The Spurs boss has not exactly been shouting O'Hara's praises from the rooftop, and recently irritated the youngster by refusing Portsmouth permission to include him in their threadbare squad for the weekend's FA Cup clash. This latter was perhaps in response to O'Hara's (possibly unwise) statement that he would not be supporting Tottenham in their quarter-final against Fulham, as he wished to prolong his own run in the competition; nevertheless, it would take a brave man to back Portsmouth against the top-four chasers even with O'Hara in the side, and the experience of a major semi-final could only be beneficial to the player's growth, so the harm in permitting his involvement would probably not be significant.

One must hope that both parties are able to see past these petty squabbles, as Harry's injury-prone midfield would certainly benefit from the presence of O'Hara. This would be an even more pertinent issue if European football was added to the fixture list when hostilities resume in August. The current campaign has proved that the young midfielder can impose himself on matches at the top level, and any short-sightedness on Redknapp's part would no doubt be swiftly punished by a Premier League rival. There will be no shortage of offers when O'Hara's loan expires next month, but the jugdment of the Tottenham management would require serious questioning if any were allowed to make headway.

Hull's Desperate Act Destined To Doom Troubled Tigers

2010-03-21T23:26:00.002Z

If ever confirmation were needed that Hull's hasty managerial change was a recognition of their impending relegation, it arrived during Saturday's edition of erstwhile highlights programme, Match of the Day. Iain Dowie's first appearance of the season as a post-match interviewee was accompanied by the highly-revealing label of 'Football Management Consultant', which to the mind of your wondering blogger was setting a precedent in its use.

Is this to mean that the humble and occasionally heroic 'Caretaker Manager' is no more? I very much doubt that, and would be disappointed if such a situation came to pass. Rather, the classification of Dowie as a 'Football Management Consultant' seems, to me at least, to indicate an exercise in damage limitation and, without question, costcutting. Put simply, Iain Dowie's task is not that of Avram Grant, who will be inspiring his noble and wronged warriors to a series of mighty yet futile triumphs in order to show football's colossal audience that Portsmouth are more than a laughing stock; it is to ease Hull back into Championship life with as little gut-wrenching upheaval as possible.

Dowie should by now be acutely aware of how to work to a strict budget, having helmed Oldham, QPR and Coventry City in a management career that has rarely approached anything resembling glamour. As such, he could well be a useful cog in the refinancing machine that will be kicking in over the close season - chairman Adam Pearson this week suggested that the wage bill will have to be halved (as a first measure) in the event of relegation. Salary considerations have been, I would suggest, uppermost in the thought process of the Hull board when implementing the change in management; with Hull's higher earners likely to be moved on once the drop is concerned, the presence of Dowie, who has spent much of his recent career in the Championship (as well as being part of the management team at Newcastle at the end of last season when the Magpies suffered a similar situation to that now facing Hull), ought to help convince those whose wages are a more significant drain on the salary budget that they would be best served elsewhere.

Furthermore, I would suggest that we may interpret Dowie's stated aim of a more aesthetically pleasing brand of football as being part of the transition to life in a lesser tier. The eight games that remain for Hull will pass in much less time than it takes to bring football both attractive and effective to the KC Stadium. Roberto Martinez's bewilderingly inconsistent Wigan are a fine example of the trials that must be faced in pursuit of such a brand of play, while Bolton's Owen Coyle has recently admitted that results must precede - for now at least - the pleasing passing style that his previous teams have demonstrated. Intricate and vibrant passages of football will help to secure buyers for Hull's more technically gifted players (the likes of Geovanni, Jimmy Bullard and Stephen Hunt), who are unlikely to relish the hectic nature of Championship football having become accustomed to life at the top table, where guile and flamboyance are richly rewarded.

Iain Dowie, then, appears to have been charged with a sinking ship whereby the assets must be safely stowed in the lifeboats without too many being severely damaged. It must be particularly frustrating to have as one's remit a planned decline, and one would perhaps feel sorrier for him if his work was recognised with a permanent contract than if the opposite were the case, as he would have to suffer working with a team whose best players he had previously shepherded to better homes. While it could be a sensible choice for the club's board (the alternative being further disruption and confusion), such decisions are not perhaps to be expected, given that this is a club who are currently paying two managers for work that neither is really carrying out.

Fabulous Fellaini Keeps Everton Upwardly Mobile

2010-01-17T23:26:00.002Z

Everton's excellent victory over Manchester City on Saturday was not the surprise result that City's recent form would suggest, as the slow trickle of stars returning from injury has renewed confidence among David Moyes' warriors. Even less of a shock was the marvellous display of Marouane Fellaini, who has started to make the £15m the Toffees shelled out for his services look like a remarkable bargain.

With the likes of Aiyegbeni Yakubu and James Vaughan recovered from long spells on the sidelines, and the loan capture of United States international forward Landon Donovan, Fellaini has been moved from the role of emergency forward to his preferred position as a holding midfielder, and is dominating the centre of the park with growing regularity. As Moyes fully appreciates, the giant Belgian has all the attributes necessary in the makeup of a box-to-box midfielder. For one, Fellaini's tough tackling and combative nature couple perfectly with the long limbs and impressive stamina in a highly destructive force that masterfully shields the injury-prone Everton back line.

Of course, a key reason for his deployment further up the field when necessary is the fact that Fellaini has the creative skills to rival his more compact team-mates. Fellaini's passing is crisp and precise, and the Belgian clearly has an eye for goal, with 12 strikes in his short career on Merseyside. The enormous afro frequently sported by Fellaini naturally makes him an obvious target for Everton's set-pieces, and the ability in the air that he is noted for makes the midfielder a daunting opponent regardless of the area of the pitch that he is occupying.

Fellaini's return in recent weeks to his favoured position in the centre of midfield should ensure that the rest of Everton's midfield continues to blossom. Indeed, the tricky and industrious artists that the Toffees can boast will need the security that Fellaini provides if they are to continue to drive Everton towards their struggling Red rivals. The ever-reliable Cahill and Osman, the increasingly-influential Steven Pienaar and the promising Diniyar Bilyaletdinov will surely feel far freer to express themselves when armed with the knowledge that behind them lies a veritable wrecking ball of a man, capable of covering several yards with one stride and robbing opposition forwards (that's you, Craig Bellamy) with a nonchalant trick or a crunching challenge.

If Everton's second half of the season is a fruitful one, it will no doubt owe just as much to the power and poise of the colossal Fellaini as to the goals of Louis Saha, the returns of key duo Phil Jagielka and Mikel Arteta, and the tricky running of Pienaar. It is not difficult to imagine February's Merseyside derby being decided in the engine room, and it would take a brave man to back Lucas and Mascherano against Fellaini if he maintains the performance levels that earned him the Man of the Match award against Carlos Tevez, Shay Given and Martin Petrov.

A Season Too Soon For Sunderland?

2009-12-13T23:25:00.002Z

Apologies for the time that has elapsed since my last post - a break that even the politicians would find gratuitous. Let's get down to business sharpish: can Steve Bruce's Sunderland haul themselves into the top 8, the domain of the sides with real aspirations? Many of the club's playing and coaching staff are on record as expressing disappointment that they currently lie 10th after a highly promising start to the campaign. But are they labouring under delusions of grandeur, or can they really be considered as serious contenders in the chase for a Europa League place?

Certainly Steve Bruce has assembled a squad containing genuine talent. A fully fit roster possesses pace, power, refinement and commitment, and many excellent signings were made over the summer. Lee Cattermole and Lorik Cana are particular highlights - dynamic, passionate midfielders more than capable of holding their own against any other central midfield pairing in the league. Michael Turner continues to shine at centre-half and cannot be too far away from an England call up, despite the rude health of the pool in that department, and able backup exists in John Mensah and Paulo da Silva, full internationals who have displayed much competence thus far.

Then there is Darren Bent, who under Bruce now possesses two crucial ingredients that make up the productive athlete: confidence and regular opportunities. Bent has always been a fine finisher - unhelpful comments from Harry Redknapp notwithstanding - and playing every week has allowed him to more than pay off his significant transfer fee before Christmas. Bruce has also benefitted from the much improved fitness of Andy Reid, who now has the energy and desire to match his undoubted technical ability, and the rapid progress of Jordan Henderson, a homegrown talent who has acquitted himself marvellously when covering for the injured Cattermole in recent weeks. The youngster is now more than capable of making the XI on merit.

Sunderland, then, have the players to push for a place in the top half of the table at the very least. Two obstacles, though, currently stand in their path. The first is their away form: barring an excellent point at Old Trafford, the Black Cats have generally been below-par on the road, and their performances contrast vastly with those seen at the Stadium of Light, where both Arsenal and Liverpool have been dispatched. Bruce's recent demands that Sunderland adopt the mentality of Manchester United when on their travels express a fine sentiment but will require a great deal more time in order to bear fruit.

The second obstacle is the reality that Sunderland were certainly not the only club over the summer to back their ambitions with the cheque book. Aston Villa, Spurs and Everton all invested heavily over the summer, and then of course there is Man City. All four harbour realistic expectations of a top seven finish, and at present only Everton are below the Cats. To the mix we can also add Fulham and Stoke, both of whom seem capable of replicating last season's fine results, and a dark horse by the name of Birmingham City. A Sunderland side unable to travel well cannot be expected to finish ahead of many of their rivals, and would be well within their rights to be feeling Blue if Alex McLeish's surprise package manage to keep hold of their current 8th place.

On paper Sunderland look a solid bet for a top half finish, but having used up much of their quota of luck during 'Balloongate', Bruce's boys must strive to reproduce their home performances on the road if they are to convince owner Ellis Short to keep stumping up the cash and attracting real talent to Wearside.

Campbell's Departure Indicative Of The Times

2009-09-24T16:16:00.003+01:00

Sol Campbell's hasty departure from League Two Notts County - five weeks into a lucrative five year contract - is a sad but unsurprising reminder that the modern footballer by and large deserves his reputation as a self-centred mercenary, unable to comprehend the eternal notion that the club is bigger than any player, especially one well past his best and with a history of bottling it.

Wednesday saw the astonishing about-turn fly onto the front pages of the nation's news sources, and the immediate reaction was one of disappointment (from County's perspective), tempered with the rapid realisation that the former England international really wasn't worth the 'hassle' - as Spurs chief Harry Redknapp chose to put it - and especially not the £45,000 weekly salary that he was reported to be receiving from the club's wealthy but mysterious owners. Campbell played a single game for the ambitious County outfit - a 2-1 defeat to Morecambe.

Today on skysports.com, director of football Sven-Goran Eriksson confirmed that Campbell had decided the club's long-term project was not one he could adapt to, and questioned the centre back's motives, claiming that Campbell had had five weeks in which to familiarise himself with the various facets of the programme. Let us interpret this in the way which is probably intended: Campbell simply couldn't be bothered to wait for County's climb to click into gear, and attempted to mask this with an excuse that attempted - poorly - to call into doubt the foundations of the five-year plan.

Sometimes, of course, impatience can be a virtue (this at any rate was the thinking behind the recent Samsung mobile phone advert); the qualification is that it must be expressed in the right way. That is, we can admire a singleness of focus in a sportsperson if they are able to channel this into dedication and commitment on and off the field. But when it is manifested as the individual's express belief that he is being let down or in some way betrayed by those around him, then it is much more difficult to call up some appreciation for his situation. Moreover, crossing one's management invariably ends badly; we need only recall the decline of David Beckham after his departure from Manchester United, or more recently the pariah status enjoyed by Nigel Reo-Coker after his training ground tussle with Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill.

A player who can use his frustration as a motivation for redoubled efforts on the training ground and increased application in the opportunities that he does get merits encouragement. But Campbell's early ditching of the project at Notts County, apparently because the facilities at Notts County do not rival those at Arsenal or Portsmouth, merely marks him out as a deserving recipient of further terrace ridicule. Sadly, it seems that we will have to wait until January before we can indulge in such behaviour. At least it gives us plenty of time to prepare our best material...

The Big Four: Will 2009/10 see the status quo maintained?

2009-09-21T15:30:00.000+01:00

The weekend's Premier League fixtures gave the global audience the chance to see how the season's early frontrunners are shaping up, with the mania of the summer transfer window having died down and the fixture schedule beginning to bite as the cup competitions get into gear. Unfortunately for the fans of the pretenders to the crown shared by Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, the latest round of games gave a clear indication that the Big Four will be resisting expansion, until 2010 at least.

The Big Four all helped themselves to 3 goals or more, and that was after all four got off to a winning start in the Champions League, though not necessarily convincingly. Moreover, the quartet's most promising challengers were among the sides to be leaking goals, with Spurs shipping 3 at Stamford Bridge and Manchester City conceding 4 in a classic derby with United. Consolation may be sought in the fact that away fixtures at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge may be considered the toughest games of the domestic season, but the problems facing City and Spurs lie in a crucial, but familiar, area.

That area is the defence. White Hart Lane is notorious for being the home of many a defensive clanger, and 'Arry's efforts to consign defensive unreliability to the past will not be helped by possessing three horribly injury-prone central defenders. Woodgate and King in particular; though both fine footballers, they are all too often to be found in the treatment room, rather than the Tottenham penalty area. Michael Dawson showed signs of improvement last season but remains inconsistent, while Sebastian Bassong has started well and was fortunate to escape serious injury after a nasty fall against Chelsea. In the full-back positions, first choices Vedran Corluka and Benoit Assou-Ekotto are solid but hardly excellent, while back ups Alan Hutton and Gareth Bale are both average at best as defenders, though good attacking weapons. It comes as little surprise to learn that Spurs have not kept a clean sheet in their first 6 Premiership games.

City started the season in fine defensive form, but like Spurs have shipped 6 goals in their last two games - games played against members of the Big Four. Clean sheets in the earlier clashes suggest that their backline is in finer fettle than their North London compatriots, even if those games were against Blackburn, Portsmouth and Wolves. Indeed, their problems are less serious than those facing Redknapp; captain Kolo Toure seems more focused than in his last days at The Emirates, while Shay Given remains magnificent between the sticks. The jury remains out on Joleon Lescott, who was unimpressive against United. Perhaps the price tag is weighing him down, but he is still a weaker defender than his previous defensive partner, the colossal Phil Jagielka. City rely on Given to bail them out with worrying regularity - though he regularly proves equal to the task - and may miss Toure when he joins a number of Chelsea stars (and suspended hotshot Emmanuel Adebayor) at the African Cup of Nations in January.

Apologies for neglecting fans of last season's fifth and sixth placed sides, Everton and Aston Villa. I personally cannot see either overhauling Spurs and City, so this may be the battle for seventh. Villa are coming into form after a poor start to the season, having made some good additions to their backline and seen John Carew return to fitness. The rapid trio of Milner, Young and Agbonlahor have plenty of goals in them, and they look a good bet for seventh, especially as they have already completed their European commitments for the season. Everton have yet to settle into their stride, and still miss the talismanic Mikel Arteta, but the return of Nigerian frontman Yakubu from injury will ease the burden on the likes of Cahill and Saha (who himself is surely due another injury). Everton are well stocked in defence and midfield, and when Jagielka returns they should be strong. Expect a season-long struggle for seventh, with both pushing hard at City and Spurs above them.

But, barring further extravagant strengthening in January from City, I cannot see the Big Four being broken up this season, even though three of the pretenders have no European distractions. Regarding the order of the Big Four, I find it difficult to look past Chelsea and United for first and second, with Arsenal and Liverpool in hot pursuit. Not sure about the order yet, but I do know that January will go a long way to determining it...