Whoever wins the race for Romelu Lukakus signature will have picked up an absolute goal scoring machine, no doubt. Lukakus achievements to date have made him the most sought after player in Europe, with pretty much all of the big clubs acro s the continent at one stage or another trying to secure the 17 year olds services. While his club Anderlecht have said he is their player until at least the end of the season, the stories keep coming out about potential suitors for the striker who was top scorer in the Belgian First
Garrett Bradbury Jersey Division last season.Lukaku recently revealed that he would prefer a move to the Premier League, snubbing admirers Real Madrid. Of course I admire Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid is a great club, but I see England as more likely than Spain. Mourinho had confirmed Madrids interest in Lukaku, and Cristiano Ronaldo had described the Belgium international as really fantastic but Lukaku believes that he can improve faster in the Premier League.Within the Premier League, all of the new
Kris Boyd Jersey founded top 5 are confident the have a shot at bringing in the youngster, and Lukaku says he would be happy to wearing the kit off any off the clubs in the Premier Leagues elite group. Chelsea are his favourite team and also says there is Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City. These five are interesting teams. Tottenham are also a good club. As a young kid you dream of playing in every big team.A Belgium magazine this week announced this week that Manchester City had signed Lukaku and that he would arrive at City in the summer in a 18 million .move. The news only lasted 3 hours before it was confirmed premature, but City are very much one of the frontrunners to land the 17 year old. Manager Roberto Mancini has said that no deal will be struck this January, a view shared by all parties involved. However he hasnt ruled out a move, which in this modern day all but means there is in depth interest.Mancini said: Lukaku is a good player and he is young. Maybe something will happen in
Ryan Connelly Jersey the future but at this moment, no.. Manchester City would most likely be Anderlechts preferable choice for the Belgium international because
Tye Smith Jersey Citys mega rich owners are almost certain to place the highest bid. However Lukaku has to want to move to a club for the deal to be completed, so this dosent make City outright favourites to land the striker, but are probably on par with Chelsea.One of the things working against the Manchester blues though is the size of their squad, with Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko plus a host of other forwards (depending on the endle s comings and goings at City) all working to find themselves a place on the pitch. Lukaku will have to work hard to get himself onto the pitch, the only place he can be expected to improve.Chelsea are considered by some to be leading the race for Lukaku, who have alot of things that the player is
Janarius Robinson Jersey looking for. Chelsea is my favourite team. I have allways said it and I have never hidden it. But it is not because Chelsea is my favourite team that I have to go there.Also working in Chelseas favour is the fact that Lukakus role model Didier Drogba is at the club. I spoke to Drogba the day after my 17th birthday. I was with Vincent Kompany and the Belgium national team. He was speaking to Drogba and gave me the telephone. It was a very emotional moment. I asked him a thousand questions; How did you score that goal? What did you do in training? What is it like to play at Stamford Bridge? We spoke for about 20 minutes, half-an-hour. These opportunities dont come along very often in a lifetime and you have to make the most of these moments.Chelsea have said that they are looking for a forward, and Lukaku would perfectly fit the player their looking for. Young, with almost limitle s potential, however Chelsea are not known for developing players. The
Adam Thielen Jersey presence of Drogba, who also advised Lukaku to come to Chelsea in the phone call, said he would be willing to mentor the youngster until he took over his first team place.Look Out for Part Two Tomorrow!!!Interview on Goal.com
We all know the story of the Emperors new clothes, a man who was tricked into parading around naked, with everyone joining in the pretence that he indeed had clothes. Now before I go about bashing the Premier League, I want to be clear that I dont wish to bash the Premier League. It is a very good league what Im questioning is not its quality, but rather its self proclaimed superiority.Performance in EuropeOne of the major claims of the Premier League
Dalvin Cook T Shirts is how strong the English clubs are in Europe. Admittedly yes they consistently make it to the latter rounds of the competition, but there is also the fact that in the last ten years there have only been two English champions. I would also point to the consistency in the competition as an actual sign of weakne s when looking at the league itself. Including the 2004 season until the present day the Premier League has had seven different clubs finish in the Champions League positions, only four of them have managed it more than once. In
Bisi Johnson Jersey Spain there have been nine, with six of them managing it more than once. In Italy there have been ten, with six of them managing it more than once. In Germany there have been eight, with five managing it more than once; bear in mind that Germany is allocated once le s place than the other leagues. Now I dont like to use stats too much when making a point as football is very subjective and contextual, but the aforementioned qualification histories are an indication that the other leagues have plenty of teams capable of finishing in the top four. This means that it is hard for these leagues to do consistently well in Europe because it is various teams each year. The Premier League clubs however have been able to monopolise their places in the league, meaning they can spend money based on future revenues. A lack of competition to their position means they can focus more on the Champions League. I would also argue that the Champions League performance is not an indication of the strength of a league. Were Porto the best team in Europe in 2004? Were UTD the second best team in Europe last year? As a Liverpool fan I will happily admit
Jeff Gladney Jersey we werent the best team in Europe in 2005. Tottenham may have knocked out Milan last season, meaning many English fans questioned the quality of Serie A. Those who watch Serie A though will know that the tie came at a time when Milan were misfiring in the league. Most of their good play was going through Ca sano, who of course was unavailable for selection in Europe. I have no doubt in my mind that Milan are a far better team than Spurs, but that is knockout football, the best team doesnt always win.Unpredictability
Another big boast of the Premier League is the unpredictability of it all, well as already indicated by the top four finishing positions of the last seven years or so the league has actually been fairly predictable. Premier League promoters at the moment look down upon La Liga and often claim There are only two teams in Spain well this may be somewhat true at present. The last time a team that wasnt Barcelona or Real Madrid won the title was Valencia in 2004. Coincidently the last time a team that wasnt Man UTD or Chelsea lifted the Premier League was also 2004. If Premier League supporters place so much emphasis on unpredictability then the Bundesliga should be held in higher regard, there is a misconception in England that Munich
Randall Cunningham Jersey dominate the German league. While they are the team that are consistently challenging at the top, they do not win the title as often as you may think. Premier League fans are often treated to surprise results, which are made out by pundits and fans to be a unique feature of the Premier League and a sign of how strong the lower teams are. I am here to burst a slight bubble with a few examples showing they do occur elsewhere as well. Newly promoted Cesenas opening fixtures were Roma and Milan last season; they drew with Roma and beat Milan. Newly promoted Hercules had the audacity to beat Barcelona at the Nou Camp, and newly promoted Kaiserslautern beat Bayern Munich.EntertainingFinally we come to what I deem the most absurd boast of the Premier League, and that is the line The most entertaining and exciting. The reason I believe it is absurd is because entertainment and excitement are completely subjective. I would suggest that in terms of quality there
Jim Marshall Jersey isnt really that much between the top four leagues in Europe at the moment. They are no better or worse than each other merely different, and so preference comes down to personal taste. The Premier League is physical, fast paced, but far le s technical than the other leagues. La Liga is a reasonable pace but there is more emphasis on tactics and technique rather than pace, power, and fitne s. Serie A is similar to Spain except the build ups are slower but more technical, and the defences are certainly stronger. The Bundesliga is a blend of all three and is perhaps most similar to the Premier League, but does boast great home grown talent and thus the competitivene s of the league is le s based on revenues. A couple of good youth products and a good manager can have a ma sive impact in the Bundesliga. In my opinion the Premier League has had its worst season for some time; there was a real sense of mediocrity. UTD won the title without ever getting out of
Troy Dye Jersey third gear, whilst Milan, Dortmund, and Barcelona played fantastic stuff for the majority of their campaigns.It seems the Premier League can do no wrong in the eye of its beholders. And even if it isnt fully convinced of its own boasts, if it just keeps saying the lines with enough conviction, no one will question it. Luckily for the Premier League the majority of English fans seem happy to judge other leagues without actually watching them, and relying on a few one off games in the Champions League to form their opinions.
Manchester United forward Wayne
Minnesota Vikings Home Office Rooney has sensationally performed a shock U-turn and signed a new five-year contract at Old Trafford.Despite confirming his intentions to leave the Carrington club only two days ago, the England international has moved to end speculation of big-
D.J. Wonnum Jersey money moves away from United, and has signed on the dotted line in a deal worth an apparent 200,000 per week.Rooney had spoken of his dismay at Uniteds squad strength and ambitions, as well as the clubs failure to purchase big-name stars, such as Mersut Ozil.The news rules out a transfer to rivals Manchester City, who were reportedly ready to pounce and offer up to 250,
Minnesota Vikings Jackets 000 per week for Rooney to move acro s Manchester.
Rooney stated: I said on Wednesday the managers a genius and its his belief and support that convinced me to stay.He added, Im
Dakota Dozier Jersey delighted to sign another deal at United. Ive spoken to the manager and the owners and theyve convinced me this is where I belong
Mason Cole Jersey .I am signing a new deal in the absolute belief that the management, coaching staff, board and owners are totally committed to making sure United maintains its proud winning history which is the reason I joined the club in the first place.I am sure
Harrison Smith T Shirts the fans over the last week have felt let down by what they have read and seen.Rooney is currently on holiday in Dubai, nursing an ankle injury he picked up in training.Video taken from www.bbc.co.uk/sport
Leicester City moved up to 10thplacewith a 4-2winover Kenny Jacketts Millwall. The game was full of incidents, with mi sed penalties, red cards and goals galore; however it was the Foxes who picked up the vital win as they ended Millwalls nine match unbeaten run.Steve Morison mi sed a early first half penalty for the away side, before Lloyd Dyer capitalized on that mi sed opportunity to put Leicester ahead.Millwalls James Henry scored a minute later, but thenYakubu pounced for his 2nd goal in as many games,the Foxes made it 3-1 before the break as Sol
Russell Wilson T Shirts Bambaturned the ballhome from close range.Jack Smith pulled a goal back from the penalty spot, beforeBamba scored his 2nd goal of the game.
Sven Goran Erik sons side now moves up to 10th place, level on points with Millwall who are ninth. Leicester are now only four places
Ryan Neal Jersey away from East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest, and are still unbeaten at home in the League since Erik son took charge.Leicester City fielded on loan centre-backBen Mee; however only two minutes into his debut he gave away a penalty after tripping Theo Robinson in the penalty box.On form striker Steve Morison stepped up to the task, but his penalty flew harmle sly over the bar, pacy winger Lloyd Dyer opened the scoring on seven minutes as a neat ball from Andy King was finished
Seattle Seahawks Accessories off by the former Milton Keynes Man.A minute later the Foxes squandered there lead, as a brilliant curling effort from James Henry found the top left hand corner of the net. Leicester did take the lead again on 21 minutes, as great footwork by Yakubu was neatly finished off by the Nigerian international,as he scored his second goal in as many games.Sven Goran Erik sons side shouldhave made it3
Drew Lock Jersey -1, as Lloyd Dyer yet again testedMillwall goalkeeper David Forde. They did however make it 3-1as Sol Bamba converted home a scrappy goal; the centre backcelebrated with the crowd which of course warranted him witha yellow card.Into the second half andMillwalls new signing Darren Purse nearly got his debut off to the perfect start, a free kick caused chaos in the Leicester penalty area; howeverPurse saw a free range header go inches over the cro sbar.With about half an hour to go, Leicester City were denied a stonewall penalty.Darius Va sell used his pace to move into the box, before David Forde hauled him down but the referee waved away theprotests.From the initial play Lloyd Dyer saw his shot blocked by Darren Purse, theLeicester players protested again for a handball but the referee was having none of it.Minutes later the referee was in the action again, Ben Mee supposedly
Tyler Ott Jersey clipped Chris Hacketts ankles as another penalty to the away side was awarded.Midfielder Jack Smith calmly tucked the penalty away tomake the game 3-2; however minutesafter Millwalls goal they were soon down to ten men, on loancentre back Jens Berthal Askou was sent-off for a two footed challenge on Yakubu.Leicester City wrapped the game up on 73 minutes, as
Seattle Seahawks Kids Jersey Bamba scored his 2nd goal of the game as hes looping effort deflected in off the post.The East Midlands side dominated the closing stages of play as Yakubu and Andy King both hadshots blocked. The full time whistle went as agame of high dramadramatically finished in a 4-2 scoreline.After the game Sven Goran Erik son said, We are obviously delighted with the result and the performance. I said we could be judged in January and I feel that we are on course, but there is a long way to go.
Well its that time of the week again, the weekend, which can mean only one thing, two days of football to enjoy! Thus far the Championship has been an exciting ride and many pundits who had predicted great things for certain sides have been proven wrong, particularly in the case of Leicester and Ipswich whom occupy places far below the expectations. The counter to this of
Jordyn Brooks Jersey course is the excellent form shown by the three promoted sides who currently all reside in the top six, with Southampton sitting atop the pile with a 100% record. Derby have also surprised many who saw them as mid-table fodder at best. As such having a cursory glance at the fixtures, it would seem that this weekend is filled with some incredibly intriguing games and may yet prove to be a pivotal one in terms of how certain sides will fair
Russell Wilson Hoodies Sweatshirts this season.Many pundits have stated that the pick of the weekend matches in the Championship is the titanic tu sle between Nottingham Forest and West Ham. West Ham seem to have settled into life in the division well and will probably be relieved to still be within touching distance of their goal of automatic promotion; whilst Forest have underachieved thus far with only 5 points taken from a po sible 12. As such both sides will see getting the full 3 points as a must today as in both cases it can propel the winner closer to a playoff or even automatic promotion spot. West Ham seem to have a bit of form going for them coming into the clash as they have picked up 7 points from their last three games and will be confident of improving that tally, whilst Forest will likely have drawn strength from their comeback against local rivals Leicester last weekend combined with a good win
Ryan Neal Jersey away to Doncaster in their previous game. As such both sides will probably feel that fate is on their side and will edge them to victory, I however am going to be bold and say that I see Forest nicking this one by a goal, especially as West Ham may still be frail from dropping points in their draw against Leeds.This brings me nicely onto another match in the Championship which although featuring two sides place lower down in the table, could yet still take top billing from the above game for game of the weekend; that being the clash between Ipswich and Leeds. Both sides fans will have started the season with high hopes, certainly in the case of Leeds who were probably unlucky to mi s out on a play-off berth last season. However in reality neither
Seattle Seahawks Pet Gear side has made what can be regarded as a bright start compared to the expectations for them with the hosts languishing in 20th and Leeds sitting 13th and 3 points from the play offs. As such both teams will be fighting to clinch as many points as po sible as quickly as po sible to ensure they close the gap with the top six and stay in contention for a spot there. Paul Jewell could be seen as a master of managing in this division seeing as he has masterminded the promotions of both Bradford and Wigan to the top flight in previous years and even more so when you
Will Dissly Jersey consider that both sides were not exactly fancied to make the leap. Simon Grayson too has a good pedigree and will hope to build upon it this season with a concerted push on the play-offs. I suspect this match will end up being a draw but I have a strong feeling it could be one of the more entertaining draws of the weekend and certainly one in which both sides will leave everything on the pitch.Looking at some other stand out matches for the weekend, Southampton face what looks like a tricky game away to Leicester but when you consider the Foxes home form and position in the table Southampton could yet walk away with all the spoils in this one. Brighton and Peterborough will renew acquaintances from last season with both sides looking to bolster their strong positions in the division and Doncaster seem to have a golden opportunity to pick up points
Tyler Ott Jersey against a Bristol City side who seem shaky.
PREDICTIONSBrighton 2 Peterborough 1Crystal Palace 2 Blackpool 2Derby 3 Burnley 1Doncaster 1 Bristol City 1Hull 2 Reading 0Ipswich 1 Leeds 1Leicester 1 Southampton 2Middlesbrough 2 Coventry 1Millwall 1 Barnsley 1Nottingham Forest 1 West Ham 0Portsmouth 2 Cardiff 2Watford 0 Birmingham 1Thanks for reading and Ill be back in time for the next round of fixtures.
This appears to be one of the closest Premier League title races in years with five teams considered
Tanner Muse Jersey to be vying for top spot come May. Is this a case that the smaller clubs in the league are closing the gap on the bigger ones, or is it a reflection of the way English football is heading?Only 13 points separate the top five teams at the end of January, compared to La Liga where the same number of points only covers the top 3 clubs. This season is already regarded by some as one of the most exciting in Premier League history and many are anticipating the race for the title going right down to thewire.One of the reasons for this is the fact that Manchester City and Tottenham have vastly improved recently. Spurs won the battle for 4th place last season, just pipping city to the finish line after a 1-0 win over them at Eastlands at the back end of last season. Tottenham have since kicked on in Europe and flew through the Champions League group stages, finishing top of their group. However their league form has dipped at times this season, perhaps due to European commitments. Manchester City have continued to spend big in an attempt to emulate Chelsea in recent years.Of course these two teams have taken advantage of a Liverpool side, hugely in decline
Kyle Fuller Jersey , slipping down the league. Once part of the so called Big 4 in England, Liverpool now face a huge task to rebuild the clubsreputation on the pitch.
But is English football as good as it once was? Although the Premier League is widely considered the most exciting in
Seattle Seahawks Men Jersey the world, it appears to be some way behind the technical levels of its Europeanrivals. After Englands disastrous World Cup campaign in South Africa last summer, should we be looking at domestic football for the answer?The stand out club in this case is of course Barcelona. They are a side made up predominantly of Spanish players, a number of which are involved with the national squad. The style of play is also common at club and international level. They focus on pa sing and moving, technical ability over size and strength, speed of thought over speed of foot. The national team is prospering in the era of technical superiority. Spain are both European and World Champions, and it isnt hard to see why.With so many foreign imports, it appears the English national side is suffering because of the Premier Leagues desire to be the most marketable. So has this finally caught up on Englands big clubs? Is this why teams like Tottenham and Man City are now seen as viable contenders for the title? The worlds biggest players dont seem to
Will Dissly Jersey be attracted to Englands bigger clubs any more. Cristiano Ronaldo, in hisquest to become the worlds biggest player, left Manchester United to go to Real Madrid. He felt La Liga gave him the best opportunity to showcase his talents without being kicked off the pitch. Even
Seattle Seahawks Jackets withinEngland, the big clubs are finding it hard to attract players. This has been seen in this transfer window with Steven Pienaar choosing to join Spurs over Chelsea, unthinkable only a couple of years ago!The decline in the English game was seen in no greater way than when FIFA named their annual World XI. Not one English player or even English based player was named in the side. It was unsurprisinglydominated by Barcelona (who had 6 players) and Italian treble winners Inter Milan (3). Real Madrid provided the other 2. The Ballon dOr nominees for the best player in the world were all provided by Barcelona, Andres Iniesta and Xavi, both Spanish internationals, were beaten to the award by Lionel Me si.That is not to say the Premier League cant re-discover what made it the force it is today, but at the moment, it is hard to look past La Liga and the Spanish national side as the benchmark for footballingstandards. Barcelona encapsulate perfectly what Spanish football is about, and this link between club style of play and international style of play is something the Premier League must
Derrick Coleman Jersey strive to developif they are to reach the same heights that Spain are experiencing right now.
Last season, which marked AC Milans 18th Scudetto, could signal the impending conclusion of
Seattle Seahawks Jersey the usual two team domination, which has been in place since the Caciopoli scandal. Under Walter Mazzarri, Napoli made a superb effort at breaking the stranglehold of the Milan teams but a lack of momentum at the end of the season resulted in a third place finish.The San Paolo, home of Napoli, witne sed a revival ofun-paralleled quality. In August of 2004 Napoli were declared bankrupt. Local film producer Aurelio De Laurentiis refounded the club and under his auspices the team made a triumphant return to the Italian top league in 2007. The magnificently impre sive forward line of Hamsik, Lavezzi and Cavani, who alone scored 26 in the league last season, have been driving force behind their return to Champions League football and the major catalyst of optimism. The Partenopei are confident that soon they will take back the Serie A title that has eluded them since the days of El Diego.Milan havent rested on their laurels since their Serie A conquest last season. Taye Taiwo and Philippe Mexes were captured on free transfers, with the hope of bolstering a defence that looked shaky at times last season, especially in Europe. Creative force Alberto Aquilani has settled well at the Giuseppe Meazza on loan from Liverpool while last seasons top scorer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, was purchased from Barcelona on a permanent basis.On the opening day of the new season, Milan were held to a2-2 draw at home by fellow challengers Lazio, while Napoli comfortably defeated relegation fodder, Cesena, 3-1. In midweek both teams were unable to take all three points in their respective Champions League fixtures. Napoli showed great counter attacking awarene s when they held Manchester City to a 1-1
Michael Dickson Jersey draw at the Etihad Arena. Milan, on the other hand, were lucky to escape with a 2-2 draw at the Camp Nou when a 92nd minute Thiago Silva header was enough toearn a point against Barcelona.
Ahead of the match the atmosphere around the San Paolo was palpable as over 50,000 Napoli faithful were eager to discover if they could right the wrongs of last season and overcome AC Milan, a team they lost to convincingly both home and away.Mazzarri said before the game that he wanted Napoli to play with the same style that was produced in the second half of the game at the Etihad but when the game kicked off they looked unable to link two simple pa ses together, losing po se sion.In the early stages both teams look incapable of breaking down the defences, with a lot of the work being done in the centre of the
Seattle Seahawks Sleepwear Underwear park. Milan looked to take control: attacking down the wings, penetrating, trying to find any gaps in the defence that could lead to the significant first goal and it only took 12 minutes for one of those cro ses to take effect, as a Ca sano cro s was met with a beautiful diving header from Aquilani to make it 1-0. Mazzarri could only look on as the dominance of the Ro soneri was too much for his nervy defence.Napoli showed fantastic resilience as Milan failed to keep their lead, gifting a free kick that was whipped into the box. The ball went into a crowd of players before landing at the feet of Cavani, stood on the corner of the six yard box unopposed, who volleyed it into the corner of the net to make it level again.Milan looked to get back their advantage and pushed hard for a second. Despite this, it was Napoli who created the first opportunity after the break and in a beautifully crafted counter attacking move; Cavani was unlucky not to get his second. He was the prevalent threat to the Milan defence, making incisive runs and linking well with Lavezzi to cut through the sturdy Milan backline.
John Reid Jersey Meanwhile Antonio Ca sano, under pre sure to earn a starting place in the AC team, looked off the pace.Napoli, despite using the whole width of the pitch to huge effect, were restricted to long shots. It seemed after the early flurry of goals that both teams were eager to rectify their defensive mistakes by keeping things shut at the back.That lasted until the 35th minute. Walter Gargano used his wicked pace to break away from Van Bommel and with three attacking options, pushed it out to Cavani who crashed the ball past Abbiati to make it 2-1. Napoli were making the most of the pace difference between their midfielders and the older but more experiences Milan midfielders, Seedorf and Van Bommel. The much younger Aquilani almost made it even, but a brilliant save by De Sanctis kept the Campania side in front as they tried to see out the final minutes before half time.When half time eventually came it was still the San Paolo favourites who were ahead. Milan had dominated the po se sion but they lacked the creative spark to make space and get their second. Napoli, on the other hand, used whatever po se sion they had wonderfully, making slick pa ses, well timed runs and Cavani looked confident pushing past the gritty Milan defence.Napoli came out of the blocks better in the second half and in the 50th minute a cro s came into the box, deflected off the heel of a Milan player and into the path of Cavani who hit it home to get his hatrick. The obviously ecstatic Cavani ran off to the crowds to celebrate what looked like a historic night at the San Paolo.Pato, who had done nothing in the first half, became increasingly aggre sive and in an attempt to get a penalty, threw himself to the floor. It was not to be though. The referee spotted his dive
Chris Carson Jersey and hereceived a yellow for his antics. While Cavani was playing majestically it was obvious that the Milan duo of Pato and Ca sano were becoming frustrated by the lack of creativity and support.Nesta was also unsatisfied and after a challenge by Aronica, which made contact, jumped to his feet and pushed his challenger to the ground and he was lucky escape with a yellow. After that the game went to slow period
Marshawn Lynch T Shirts for over twenty minutes. Few opportunities were created but never came to fruition and both sides were gifted set pieces but couldnt capitalise on them.Cavani had a weak attempt which went wide and Napoli almost suffered on the counter attack when Abbiati booted it downfield but Pato couldnt finish it. In the final minutes Milan carved out a few opportunities, a cro s that ran in front of goal the pick of the bunch, but again lacked the final touch to pinch one back. It was a poor second half but that really didnt matter to the San Paolo crowd who were jubilant when the final whistle echoed around the stadium.Milan will be disappointed with their performance. They were slow to cope with the counter attack and it cost them in the end. Their biggest problem though was their inability to create chances. They looked lethargic when attacking at times and after the first goal found it difficult to break down the Napoli defence.The value of the result cant be understated for Napoli. Despite looking like a challenger last season, they were unable to beat either
With a promising start
Dk Metcalf Hoodies Sweatshirts to the competition this year Angola definitely have some players to look out for. In my opinion there are three main men who you should keep an eye on during the competition. My three players are Manucho, Andre Macanga and Mateus. Lets have a look at each player in turn:ManuchoAngolas main man so far in this competition with three of their four goals currently from the opening two matches. He is setting an example for his teammates to step up their game to have a chance of going through to the quarters. He is Angolas target man and has good upper body strength to bustle past opposition players. He is also pretty pacey which he showed for his first goal against Sudan. He has good experience for being part of succe sful teams such as Manchester United and
Will Dissly Jersey he can pa s on what he has learned to the rest of the squad. With goals few and far between,
Kenneth Walker III Jersey Angola are relying on him to produce any goals they do score and so far he has stepped up to the plate. So far hes been Angolas most consistent performer and will look to add to his goal tally on Monday against Cte DIvoire.Andre Macanga
Angolas captain and leader on the pitch who holds bags of experience when it comes to playing for his country in these competitions. He is currently based in Kuwait but unlike Manucho he hasnt played in big European teams. He has so far called for calm from the side despite their decent start to this tournament. He is a defensive midfielder or defender and cant have been pleased with the sides defending against
Rasheem Green Jersey Sudan. Angola will look to him to lead from the back against Cte DIvoire on Monday.MateusA forward who has managed to grab the other goal which Angola has scored in this years competition. He grabbed their first in this competition against Burkina Faso in a hard fought victory. Mateus has received le
Jake Curhan Jersey s recognition than Manucho as he hasnt been firing on all cylinders. He has been a key player for C.D Nacional in their qualification in the Uefa Europa League. A potent threat which Angola may look to use from the bench on Monday. Like Manucho he has good strength
Gabe Jackson Jersey and a good level of pace when attacking on the counter.These three players will be crucial in Monday nights showdown for top spot of Group B. A win for Angola would see them finish in top spot with a very respectable seven points.Angola's fans have faith in their side
Every year during the pre-season phase of the football calendar there appears the same old debate who will win the league this year? Pundits, fans, bookmakers, and managers alike continually discu s this topic at length, citing their reasons behind why Manchester United would overcome Chelsea, or how Manchester Citys extravagant spending could lead them to glory for the first time in forty two years? In Marouane Chamakh had Arsenal finally found the goal-getter they needed to fire them to the title, or would it be their North London rivals Spurs who built on the succe s of last years campaign, having added the quality of Rafael Van der Vaart to their ranks.It seemed back in the months of July and August as though the title race was shaping up to be fiercely competitive, with more teams than ever having the potential to go all the way. Now that we are over a third of the way through the season it appears that this prediction was correct, the five aforementioned teams are separated by just six points, with all considered to still be very much in
Poona Ford Jersey the hunt for the Premier League Crown. Therefore, with twenty three games of the Barclays Premier League still to go this season who does have the edge?Manchester United ExperienceCurrently sitting atop of the pile, the Red Devils have been picking up results so far this season, without playing particularly well compared to their own high standards. The 7-1 demolition of a usually tough Blackburn side could represent the turning point though. United are renowned for their ability to kick on and start a formidable run of victories in the second half of the season, which usually sees them very much in contention for the title. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson has won the Premier League no le s than eleven times, and his experience will be vital in attempting to steer his relatively
Kyle Fuller Jersey young side to a twelfth succe s. Ferguson is the master of blending young, raw talent in the forms of Chicharito and Rafael for example, with the experience of players such as Giggs and Scholes. In addition the Scotsman now has a refreshed Wayne Rooney to call upon, whilst the diminutive Bulgarian Dimitar Berbatovs confidence can only have improved having bagged five this weekend.
Title odds 15/8Chelsea First elevenDespite the fact that they lie second in the table at present, Ladbrokes have Chelsea as the favourites to win the title this year. Such odds are indicative of the strength and quality of Ancelottis side, which is widely regarded as having the best starting 11 in the league when all are fit. The problem for the blues is that all eleven have very rarely been fit this season, with the two biggest lo ses being England duo Frank Lampard and Captain John Terry. The two are expected to be back in time for the visit of Everton this weekend, although the damage could already have been done in recent weeks, with Chelsea failing to gain a win in their last three league games
John Mitchell Jersey . We all know that Chelsea will be there come May, as they are too good not to be challenging, however they will have to return to winning ways quickly, to ensure that they dont lose too much ground on their rivals.Title odds 11/8 (Favourites)Arsenal Beautiful footballWengers men are consistently praised for the way they play the beautiful game, and often maligned for their inability to tough it out against certain sides in the division. Arsenal fans would have been full of hope going into the North London derby, with the prospect of returning to the top of the Premier League if they gained a victory at home over Spurs. The result of course did not go to plan, and Arsenal could very well have begun to question their credentials having slumped to a fourth home league defeat of the season. The 4-2 victory away at Aston Villa however, illustrated that they are serious about trying to win the league for the first time since their last triumph in 2003/04. Wenger has got them playing their usual attractive football, but they must up their game against the other title contenders if they are to succeed in realising their ambitions this season.Title odds 9/2Manchester City Endle s ResourcesThe turnaround in the last three or four years
DK Metcalf Jersey at Eastlands has been incredible in terms of both speed and magnitude, even by football standards. Players like Rolando Bianchi, Darius Va sell, and Dietmar Hamann have moved on, to be replaced with stars in the forms of Carlos Tevez, David Silva and Kolo Toure. The resources available to the club were the main reason pundits tipped City to do well this season, and having spent 300 million over the last three seasons to build a title challenging side we can see why this was the case. Many have been surprised by how quickly the current team has gelled though, a fact which is outlined by Citys current position in the league. The signs are that it can only get better for Mancinis men, and with potential further additions in January, expect to see the blue half of Manchester closing the gap on their red cousins in the near future.Title odds 9/1Tottenham Hotspur Strength and DepthAs is endle sly but correctly pointed out at present, it is an exciting
Ugo Amadi Jersey time to be a Tottenham fan. A first Champions League campaign is going extremely well, they lie in fifth place in the Premier League, and having recently recorded their first victory over bitter rivals Arsenal in too long, all is going well for manager Harry Redknapp. He clearly believes the side have the ability to win the title, if only they would
Charles Cross Jersey believe it themselves. This optimism appears to be backed up by recent performances, particularly the spirited comeback against Liverpool at White Hart Lane yesterday. An interesting point to observe was the substitutions that occurred as a result of injuries suffered by Rafael Van der Vaart and Younes Kaboul in the first half. Spurs were able to summon Jermain Defoe and Sebastian Ba song to replace them, two players which it is fair to say would make many Premier League sides starting line-ups. The White Hart Lane outfit have at their disposal a wide array of talent, which provides cover and competition for places throughout the team. This is of course excluding the current lengthy injury list, which includes potential first choice centre backs Michael Dawson and Ledley King, alongside ever improving central midfielder Tom Huddlestone. With such quality available Redknapp is correct to be optimistic about the rest of the season, where the long hard slog that is the Premier League could perhaps prove to be an advantage to his side.Title odds 33/1JACK DEAMER
The attack lost. The defense utterly appalling. 17th. Arsenal. Currently entering into a downward spiral that at at the present doesnt look like the usual blemish on The Gunners average season. Arsenal were always going to have to improve to finish above Spurs and Liverpool again this season. Unfortunately Arsene Wengers transfer policy has been left behind in
Kaden Elliss Jersey the modern football money game. You simply cannot sell two out of your three genuine world cla s, top 50 players and replace them with unproven ten million pound signings, and still expect to improve on last seasons performance.Arsenal have suffered a horrendous start to the season. Theres really no way around it. Inter Milan have seen a similar start andGian Piero Gasperini has been sacked after five games. Wenger
Jordan Miller Jersey needs to be put on the same train if Arsenal are to turn their season around into a respectable one.This was a team that
Zack Baun Jersey finished fourth last season. Even though we are only five games into the season, Arsenal are in 17th because there have been 16 better teams. Usually I prefer for a coach to stay, but in this case Wenger surely has to go. The sooner the better. This was a manger that is the only manager to ever have an unbeaten Premier League season. Since then hes been forgiven for 3rd and 4th place finishes because he was said to be building his team. He was getting there in creating a quality team. And then he
Drew Brees Jersey sold the nucleus of it to competitors.Arsenal: Down but not just yet outWith the squad Arsenal have, even if Alex Ferguson or Jose Mourinho came in it would be unreasonable to expect him to salvage a Champions League spot because both Spurs and Liverpool have better squads and are better sides. But if Wenger and his beautiful football ideals go
Mark Ingram II Jersey , a new manager would have the opportunity to bring some pride back to The Emirates. But a new manger needs a summer to transfer market to rescue a squad back to its former glory. Almost to the point that the time between now and May could be completely wasted, apart from maybe the further development of a couple of young players. Jack Wilshire and Aaron Ramsey the main benefactors from Nasri and Fabregas departures to Manchester City and Barcelona respectively.
At
Pete Werner Jersey the moment there seems to be no obvious candidates to replace Wenger although when a good one does than can guide Arsenal to a title challenge at least, they really should snap him up. And give him money to do something with.Want to hear more from Matt?
