How Arsenal Can Capitalize on the Fabregas Funds

Rumours have been rife around the Emirates about how Arsene Wenger will recover from the loss of their former talismanic midfielder Cesc Fabregas. Thus far Wenger has been very reluctant to splash the cash and rather invest in youth, something he's already started doing again this season with the signing of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Southampton.

However the pressing issues at Arsenal aren't to do with their lack of young prospects coming through the ranks but a weak defence and filling the holes left by Fabregas and the presumably soon ex-Gunner Samir Nasri.

Wenger has been quoted in the media to be "willing to spend £40m", so with that war chest what talent could be brought to North London to reignite Arsenal's title ambitions?

First of all let's look at each position to see where the strengthening needs to take place (we'll also make the assumption that Nasri will be leaving too);

Goalkeepers

Wojciech Szczesny Lukasz Fabianski, Manuel Almunia

The goalkeeping situation at Arsenal has been a problem for the past couple of seasons, constantly rotating their number 1, with neither candidate really staking their clause for a regular starting spot between the sticks.

Manuel Almunia is seemingly at the bottom of the pecking order for the position, and despite a promising 14 appearences in the 2010/11 season for Fabianski, a shoulder injury ruled him out for the second half of the season. Where Fabianski left off, Szczesny picked up.


Since being given that chance, the young Pole became the goalkeeper with the most appearences for last season and at only 21 years old, not only has he been the most promising candidate but he has his best years ahead of him, so he could really grow into the position.

Requirement Rating: *** - although Szcezsny hasn't been pushed to the limits, he has the potential and promise to maintain his spot and with a fit Fabianski waiting in the wings, the goalkeeping scenario should be safe enough.

Centre Backs

Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny, Sebastien Squillaci, Johan Djourou

After the near entire season without defensive rock Thomas Vermaelen in the team, Arsenal's weakness in the centre of defence was severely punished. The signing of Squillaci from Sevilla proved to be ineffective, and Laurent Koscielny has burned hot and cold with excellent performances against Barcelona and awful mistakes in the Carling Cup final in his repertoire.

Djourou has been consistent enough in the position, but he still lacks the quality required if Arsenal intend to contend for the title.

Requirement Rating: ***** - an absolute must, the mention of a "strong English backbone" has been mentioned enough, but it may well be the answer.

Full Backs

Bacary Sagna, Carl Jenkinson, Kieran Gibbs, Armand Traore, Thomas Vermaelen

Whilst Bacary Sagna has the right back role as his own, it is the departure of Gael Clichy to Manchester City which throws the full back position into disarray. The attacking prowess that Sagna and Clichy provided previously was effective, and Clichy's ability has obviously been noticed by Mancini et al.

Kieran Gibbs has been earmarked to step into the void left by Clichy and if previous performances are anything to go by then Gibbs could be up to the task. His previous string of good performances earned him a call up to the England squad and this run was only cut short by a metatarsal injury.

Thomas Vermaelen is also a strong contender for the position of left back. He often played this position whilst at Ajax and even though he would provide less of an attacking threat down the wings, it would give Arsenal a further physical presence in the back four.

The youngsters waiting in the wings come in the form of new signing Jenkinson and Armand Traore. According to some Arsenal fans I know, apart from the glorious own goal he scored, Jenkinson had shown some promise at right back and Wenger normally has a good eye for the younger signings. Traore comes back to North London from his loan spell at Juventus too where he should've gained some valuable experience.

Requirement Rating: *** - Sagna has right back all covered and Gibbs could well take left back as his own too. With the possiblility of Vermaelen also covering left back, other areas should take more precedence.

Centre Midfield

Abou Diaby, Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky, Aaron Ramsey, Alex Song, Emmanuel Frimpong, Henri Lansbury

The departure of Fabregas and (presumably) Nasri has left Arsenal's central midfield lacking a true attacking threat. Whilst Nasri was often deployed on the wing, it was in Fabregas' role where he truly shined, with both of these options now ruled unavailable there is a distinct lack of creativity in the team.

Diaby, Song and Wilshere all provide a good defensive role but it's the reliance on Ramsey and the formerly out of favour Tomas Rosicky that the creativity is really needed from, and it's the Welshman who I think could step into Fabregas' boots from the current array of options. He has shown glimmers of promise from a young age since joining Arsenal, albeit not as young as Fabregas was, but he is in the same kind of mould as the Spaniard - good with his feet and excellent vision for a pass.

Finally there are the youngsters, Frimpong and Lansbury, neither of which I've seen to a great extent except for Lansbury at his time with Norwich and Watford. What does concern me about Lansbury is his constant lack of making it to the first team, maybe spending a little too much time out on loan which may indicate that Wenger isn't hugely confident of the now almost 21 year old.

Requirement Rating: ***** - to have players of the calibre of Fabregas and Nasri leave without replacement would be unthinkable.

Wingers

Theo Walcott, Gervinho, Andrei Arshavin, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ryo Miyaichi

Arsenal are often devastating on the wing and have improved their options after the signing of Ivory Coast international Gervinho from Lille this season. Not only Gervinho, but young English prospect Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was added to the ranks and Ryo "exceptional talent" Miyaichi has also earned his work permit to play for the Gunners.

Walcott will no doubt have a big season this year, with Arshavin blowing hot and cold, it will more often than not be Walcott and Gervinho on the wings. Experience wise, there may be a certain lack of strength in depth, but Oxlade-Chamberlain will certainly want to prove he's worth his price tag and Miyaichi looks to be a true talent.

Requirement Rating: **** - one world class signing wouldn't go a miss, but it would be unwise to spend a large chunk of the budget in this area of the team.

Strikers

Robin van Persie, Marouane Chamakh, Nicklas Bendtner, Joel Campbell

Finally we come to the front line, the centre forwards. Robin van Persie will continue to be a key player for Arsenal, now taking the captains armband too, but his sheer efficiency in front of goal is a true asset to any team. However it is the Dutchman's fitness and proneness to injury that will be the most important.

Marouane Chamakh failed to set the Premier League alight last year in his debut season but he seems like the first choice backup, so to speak, for van Persie with Nicklas Bendtner looking elsewhere for his football as of late.

New signing Joel Campbell may not be hitting the first team squad straight away, but will certainly be an option in the future for Wenger.

Requirement Rating: *** - van Persie will be the key man up front, it's whether his backups are up to the job which begs the question of whether money should be spent here.

The Potential Signings

So, who will Wenger decide to splash the cash on? With his latest quote to the media, we'll put the available budget at around £40m (give or take a few million here and there). With Wenger's warchest on show, a bountiful of names have been bandied about.

Obviously the main emphasis has been on Arsenal's problem area - the defence. Gary Cahill, Chris Samba and Phil Jagielka have been leading the way in the rumour wars. England internationals Cahill and Jagielka would certainly be the most expensive options, with both Bolton and Everton being unlikely to lose some of their star players. However the expected £15m-£18m that these players would generate, teams like Bolton and Everton who have little to spend could not only reinvest the money into new players but into the club too. Samba has been linked to Arsenal for quite a while now too. The marauding Blackburn defender would be the perfect physical presence that is lacking in Arsenal's backline and for the expected £10m-£12m, he would be a cheaper option than the aforementioned English players. If Blackburn were to part with Samba though, their odds for relegation could well drop further...

As mentioned, when players with the quality of Fabregas and Nasri leave, there should be at least one direct replacement for them. Brazillian Jadson was the first name to rocket up the rumour charts. The Shakhtar Donetsk player looks to be in the mould of Nasri in his central role - quick, handy with his feet and knows where the back of the net is. For a fee of around £10m, Jadson could well be heading to London. Another player who would be a worthy replacement is Mathieu Valbuena. Valbuena would add more creativity to the squad than Jadson, however I imagine Marseille would also demand a much higher fee than the £10m we'd expect Shakhtar to ask for their Brazilian. Finally there is the more long term target of Juan Mata. Mata is a much more attacking option, playing either on the wing or just behind the striker, but the stumbling block for the move could be Valencia's ever rising valuation of the player - now currently sitting at a cool £26m.

Another winger that has been linked is Eden Hazard. The Belgian has turned a lot of heads in his impressive season for Lille last season, and a move to Arsenal would also see him link up again with former team mate Gervinho. The lure of linking back up with the Ivorian could prove to be handy in getting their man but to spend a large chunk of the budget on a winger and ignore the main areas that need strengthening.

A surprising lack of strikers have been linked with the club after their intentions to spend were revealed, with the only often mentioned target being Peter Odemwingie who has told the media he would only move to a top 4 club if he was to leave West Brom. Despite a fantastic debut season, at 30 years of age, Odemwingie would be under high pressure to maintain the form he displayed last season as he would be entering the twilight of his career.

How the Money Should Be Spent

If we were in Wenger's shoes, the £40m would probably be spent a little like this;

Christopher Samba - £12m
Jadson - £10m
Gary Cahill - £18m

Why these signings? Arsenal need a strong presence at the back, with both Samba and Cahill they'll achieve this in the centre, but shifting Vermaelen to left back would add even further extra grit to the back line. Jadson will also provide Arsenal with the goal threat from midfield. I feel that Ramsey is also capable of stepping into the Fabregas role. We have to remember that Fabregas was not instantly great, and developed into the player he was. With patience, Ramsey could follow a similar path, but he has a superb read of the game already at such a young age.

The lure of players like Hazard and Mata will be appealing for fans however with there is an abundance of talent and potential in the Arsenal ranks on the wings already. If players like Hazard or Mata were to sign, the development of Miyaichi or Chamberlain could be seriously hampered.

Desert Island Games #1: Andrew Drayton

Desert Island Games makes it's anticipated debut with Arsenal fan Andrew Drayton (a.k.a. AviDGooner) giving his three unforgettable games. Andrew has taken a novel approach by categorising his games, splitting them up into a game he's been to, a game he's seen live on TV and finally a game for the neutrals.

So without further adieu, take it away Andrew;

Game I’ve Been At

Tottenham Hotspur 0 Arsenal 5

December 23^rd 1978


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLkrRdTB8K4[/youtube]


I only went to this game because an uncle, who we were staying with for Christmas, thought it would be a laugh for his 12-year-old nephew to attend, standing underneath the then notorious shelf. In the days when they took the laces out of your DM boots, (I kid you not), the atmosphere was on the shocking side of electric.

The dark overcoats and jackets of almost everyone around me punctured only by the halo of sky directly above me shroud my memories of the game. I did though get to the front of the crowd to actually watch the match through the navy blue wire fence prevalent in the bad old days.

My memory of the game is the bright red shirts of my heroes set against the slate grey sky and foreboding background provided by the fans.

The image that I can close my eyes now and picture and will forever stay is watching Liam Brady curl it up around and in past the despairing dive of whoever they had in goal. A glorious, glorious moment.

Game I Saw Live on TV

Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1 (aet)

F.A Cup Final 1971


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulR_vwwfKhA[/youtube]

Now there are a million Arsenal Fans out here who’s default choice for this would be the ‘Up for grabs now’ game in 1989. And I can obviously see why.

But for me the ’71 Cup Final is the one. I was, at the time, a nominal Arsenal supporter influenced by the family around me and from occasional glimpses on The Big Match.

This was the first ever game that I saw from start to finish on TV and provided the very threads of Arsenal DNA that still run through me today. The inherent hope of a young boy crystallised by a longhaired man lying flat on his back.

Every goal I scored after this (all in the school playground), for as long as I can remember ended this way.

It is why, for me every Arsenal away kit should be yellow.

A hero born, a team adopted, the path of my life now pre-ordained.

The Game from a Neutrals Point of View

Liverpool 4 Newcastle United 3

3^rd April 1996


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwCDYc-r3iI[/youtube]

The first one.

Pretty much the perfect game for the neutral supporter.

At the start I sort of wanted Newcastle to win, (everyone’s favourite second team and all that). 1-1 after 10 mins, 2-1 Newcastle after 15 and the pace, performance and pulsating action meant that in the end it didn’t matter who won – just keep playing like this for hours please.

In the end a winner in injury time and the slumped forlorn figure of Keegan rounded off the best game of football that I didn’t really care about.

And it beggars belief that we all sat in front of the box next time around reminiscing on the action from last time - and it happened again!

Over the past few years we've seen an influx of "premium" priced English players being transferred around the Premier League. We've gotten used to seeing an Andy Carroll go for the price of 5 Javier Hernandez's, a James Milner transfer fee equating to just over 3 Rafael van der Vaart transfer fee's and so forth.

[caption id="attachment_704" align="aligncenter" width="460" caption="Bargain Baggie: Peter Odemwingie was a steal at £1m."][/caption]

Of course, a transfer fee does not dictate the quality of the player, often there is a positive correlation between the two but it is not directly indicative. Players like Peter Odemwingie, signing for a mere £1m for West Brom was a much more efficient player last season than the much more expensive Mario Balotelli, signing for Manchester City for around £24m. There are countless other examples but many examples can be found comparing a cheaper foreign equivalent of an overpriced English player.

Let's look at the list of players that have been called up to the England international squad within the past 12 months that cost their clubs at least £10,000,000 (these are the total fees, so include add-ons, bonuses, etc.):

Player	Club	Fee	Date
Ashley Cole	Chelsea	£25,000,000	2006
Rio Ferdinand	Manchester United	£29,100,000	2002
Glen Johnson	Liverpool	£17,500,000	2009
Joleon Lescott	Manchester City	£22,000,000	2009
Frank Lampard	Chelsea	£11,000,000	2001
Gareth Barry	Manchester City	£12,000,000	2009
Stewart Downing	Liverpoool	£20,000,000	2011
Michael Carrick	Manchester United	£18,600,000	2006
James Milner	Manchester City	£26,000,000	2010
Theo Walcott	Arsenal	£12,000,000	2006
Ashley Young	Manchester United	£15,000,000	2011
Jordan Henderson	Liverpool	£20,000,000	2011
Andy Carroll	Liverpool	£35,000,000	2011
Wayne Rooney	Manchester United	£25,600,000	2004
Jermaine Defoe	Tottenham Hotspur	£15,750,000	2009
Peter Crouch	Tottenham Hotspur	£10,000,000	2009
Darren Bent	Aston Villa	£24,000,000	2011
Jermaine Defoe	Tottenham Hotspur	£15,750,000	2009
	Total	£354,300,000

A whopping £354,300,000 for just 18 players – that’s just short of £20,000,000 per player. Now there are often big money moves in the world of football, the top 4 highest transfer fees have occurred within the past 24 months too – £80,000,000 on Cristiano Ronaldo, £56,500,000 for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, £55,000,000 for Kaka and £50,000,000 for Fernando Torres but it is English players who appear most in the list of large transfers within this period.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the 4 aforementioned players have proven themselves over the years, whereas some of the recent large English transfer deals do not share this sentiment.

Andy Carroll’s £35,000,000 to Liverpool came after a very good first half of the season – let’s remember that he was playing his trade in the Championship the previous year and was offered out to various clubs for around £1m at around that time.

[caption id="attachment_705" align="aligncenter" width="460" caption="Unproven?: Henderson's big money move to Liverpool has come under fire."][/caption]

Another player which meets this criteria is another Liverpool signing – Jordan Henderson for £20,000,000 from Sunderland. Henderson had a near full season at just the age of 19 in 2009/10 for Sunderland and continued this into the following season with a string of performances that showed promise. However, few would’ve suggested that he would’ve been leaving the North East club for such a large figure come the end of last season.

There’s no doubt these players have promising futures ahead of them and often risks like this can pay off, but if these players were not English there would be a significant difference in the transfer fee paid. One prime example would be Javier Hernandez – a promising striker, farily unproven, but signed for a mere £7,000,000 – would this have been the case if he was English?

It’s worth arguing the fact that players like Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney and Ashley Cole would’ve commanded as large a fee as any other player of their quality when bought. It is only recently that English players have consistently commanded the larger fee’s, but what has brought on this sudden influx?

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1. Home-grown player rules

As of the 2010/11 season, the home-grown player rule was enforced on the Premier League. This rule states that there must be at least 8 home grown players declared in the 25-man squad for the season, any less than 8 players would lead in a deduction to the 25-man squad. 8 players roughly equates to a third of the squad, which is not a huge amount, but if UEFA and Michel Platini have their way there is no doubt that this number will rise.

Premier League teams have always been able to attract foreign talent as it is one of the most established leagues in the world but with the requirement of English players, the big spenders have been forced to cast their scouting nets more locally. Other clubs are aware of this and we have your standard GCSE taught example of supply and demand.

[caption id="attachment_706" align="aligncenter" width="460" caption="Home-grown: Walcott was one of only two English players for Arsenal between 2006 - 08 seasons."][/caption]

Previously, Arsenal used to be the club who were ridiculed for having so few English players, for example in the 2006/07 & 2007/08 season they started just two English players in their league matches - Justin Hoyte and Theo Walcott. This figure has steadily grown over the years since with more youth products making their way through the ranks at the Emirates but the lack of an "English backbone" that was present in their invincible's team is still one of Arsenal's main criticisms.

However, Arsenal also employ a tactic of buying young that can be used to get around the home-grown rule over time. If a player has been with the squad for at least 3 years before their 21st birthday then this gives them the status of "home-grown" - something that Cesc Fabregas qualifies for. A workaround, but not an instant fix.

This is no doubt the key reason that English players command a more expensive fee than foreigners, because they are essential, but other factors could also contribute to their fees.

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2. Settling In

Another factor can be how well a player settles. It may not add £10m onto a transfer fee, but if a club can be reassured that a player will instantly settle to his surroundings then his talent and morale will be unaffected plus for younger players there should be no hindrance on their development.

With English players they have already experienced the style of play of the Premier League and they are always within a reasonable commute of their nearest and dearest.

Therefore the "settling in" factor can be split into 2 sub-sections;

a) On the pitch

"He wouldn't cut it in the Premier League" - a quote often heard by old school British fans of the game, often attributed to skilful, foreign players (and often with a hint of jealousy). As clichéd as it is, there is a valid point there. Take your Andrei Shevchenko's, your Diego Forlan's or your Juan Sebastian Veron's. These are players who had immense talent at their previous clubs - they didn't simply lose this talent when they started plying their trade in the Premier League.

Whether it's the pace of the game, the physicality or even the occasional volatile behaviour of the fans which make a player not perform up to scratch, they can all have an affect.

We all probably know what happened to those three aforementioned players after leaving the Premier League, but let's remind ourselves. Shevchenko moved back to his home country after Chelsea and is near on retaining an expected 1 goal in 2 game ratio for Dynamo Kyiv - the club where he started his career, arguably at home and settled.



[caption id="attachment_708" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="Happy at Home: Veron's move back to Argentina is proof that players excel when settled"][/caption]

Juan Sebastian Veron also returned to his first club, Estudiantes, and has reaffirmed critics and fans alike of his talismanic abilities in midfield. Once again, at home and settled.

Finally, Diego Forlan moved to Villarreal after his stint at Manchester United and since he's moved to Atlético Madrid. He also did alright at the last World Cup too - Golden Ball winner and joint top scorer, not bad for someone who "can't cut it in the Premier League" eh? Granted, Diego Forlan is not at his first club, Independiente, or back at home in Uruguay but you can't deny the fact that he's settled in Spain.

b) Off the pitch

Despite popular opinion, football players are people too. They have wives, they have children, they have private lives - if any of these things are put into disharmony then the subsequent affect on their morale can cause problems on the pitch.

[caption id="attachment_709" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="Unsettled: Tevez has made it public that he wants to be closer to home."][/caption]

The key example of this theory is Carlos Tevez. Tevez has been in the Premier League for almost 5 years now after his shock move to West Ham and subsequent transfers to both sides of Manchester. In his fleeting visit to East London I can't recall him complaining about his surroundings but it did take him time to adapt to the British game (not to the point where I would've placed him in category a) though).

It was only until Tevez's move to Manchester that the off pitch drama began. Tevez has been consistently linked away from Manchester City since around December 2010 where he voiced his concerns about the distance he has from his family and would prefer to be closer to his home country of Argentina.

This is an understandable burden that you would not wish upon anyone, but sometimes the passionate football fan forgets that their idols in the pitch have lives outside of football and problems in their private lives suddenly become a case of disrespecting the club. Fans grow anxious, the player wants away, and madness ensues. All credit where credit is due to Tevez however, as he has maintained his talent on the pitch fantastically, for a person who obviously does not want to be in England.

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3. The Fans

The final source of the "English Premium" can be attributed to the fans and the expectation of the manager. The majority of fans that will come to each home and away game for a Premier League club will be based in or around the club's home city or town. Subsequently that means that they will most likely be English (with the exception of Swansea City, of course). Therefore as a proud Englishman would prefer to see your team be a key source to the national squad, or possibly have the majority of the squad being born and bred in the city or town? This is a  huge generalisation but one which does have some validity for the run of the mill football fan.

Once again linking to Arsenal; fans and pundits alike criticise the Gunners squad for having a severe lack of British players which has materialised rumours of the club looking to buy British players such as Gary Cahill, Roger Johnson or Scott Dann - suggestions which the fans also echo.

[caption id="attachment_710" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="True Red: Neville is the perfect example of a local club hero."][/caption]

Fans also idolise the local lads in a team. Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Alan Shearer, Gary Neville, the list goes on - but all will remain close to the hearts of their local teams that they played for.

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So with so many potential contributors to the rising fees of English players, does it justify their price tags? We can only speculate, because English or not, a football player can only justify their price tag on the field.

Introducing: Desert Island Games

"...Ah, nothing better than a long relaxing break out in the tropics, all paid for, luxury awaits. But there's a problem, in true LOST style you've been stranded on a distant desert island that mysteriously has a working television, thank god you remembered your Desert Island Games..."

Desert Island Games is a new regular feature we intend to publish where you, the fans, pick 3 games from football history that would keep you sane whilst stranded on a Desert Island.

Whether it's a landmark game for your club, an important international match or a high scoring thriller - we want to know what games you would choose. If you're interested in contributing to our new feature then drop a mail to info@thetwelfthman.co.uk!

Championship Finale; Canaries Soar, Bluebirds Fall and Rangers Kept on the Edge

The 2010/11 Championship season has been a fiercely contested affair but the end is nigh. Norwich confirmed their back-to-back promotion to bring the Canaries back into the Premier League at the expense of Cardiff after their lacklustre performance against Middlesbrough on the same evening. Whilst QPR have been crowned as champions... for now.

QPR - Quiet Point Reduction or worse?

[caption id="attachment_620" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="Faurlin: Could the third party ownership of the Argentine throw QPR's campaign into disrepute?"][/caption]

Rangers will be on a knife edge until their FA hearing on May 3rd where they will find out if a points deduction will be enforced on them and what difference that will make to the league. The Alejandro Faurlin fiasco has thrown Neil Warnock's side into a debacle that the manager was once on the other side of after Carlos Tevez, then of West Ham, helped Warnock's Sheffield United side get relegated from the Premier League. Warnock could taste a bitter irony if QPR are given a heavy point deduction, but what are the options for the FA?

Currently they are 5 points clear of Norwich and 9 points clear of 3rd placed Cardiff so a deduction of 10 points or more (due to their superior goal difference to Cardiff) would see them drop from 1st place to 3rd and dramatically dipped into the play-offs.

But will the FA dish out such a harsh penalty with such consequences? The only other case this season involving ineligible players was between Hereford United and Torquay United down in League Two but the clubs were given a small point reduction of 3 and 1 respectively. However the ineligible players in this case were discovered and dealt with over a 1 game period, not the full season like Faurlin's case.

39 - that is the number of games that Faurlin has had some part to play in this season for QPR, plus in the past few months it has been revealed that he was under third party ownership for the entire 09/10 season during his time in London. There is no doubt that this is a more severe case of registration-related breaking of rules than the aforementioned case in League Two. What the FA will do? Only time will tell.

Norwich do "The Lambert Walk" up the leagues

[caption id="attachment_621" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="Glaswegian Glory: Lambert joins a host of Glaswegian managers in the Premier League after his success at Norwich."][/caption]

Paul Lambert has done a fantastic job at his time at Carrow Road, achieving back to back promotions from League One to the Premier League in an impressive two seasons at the helm of the East Anglia club.

Norwich re-adapted to Championship football almost instantly when they returned to the league this season, integrating new signings such as John Ruddy, Andrew Crofts and Simeon Jackson into the squad seamlessly alongside key members of the League One winning season.

Their easy on the eye style and ability to never let go of a game, scoring in injury time no less than 12 times this season, has been key to Lambert's path to promotion, congratulations to the Canaries.

The Play-Off Fracas; who will play who?

[caption id="attachment_622" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="Play-Off Permutations: Who will end up victorious in play-off glory?"][/caption]

That just leaves the play-off's to be decided on game 46 in the Championship. Cardiff, Swansea and Reading have confirmed their places whereas Nottingham Forest will have Leeds on their trail if they slip up at the last hurdle, however a 6 goal difference between them will have to see Leeds humiliate QPR or Forest being humiliated by Crystal Palace - suggesting that Forest should have the final position in the bag.

Cardiff were held back from the automatic promotion chase after a 3-0 loss to mid-table Middlesbrough on Bank Holiday Monday. Despite being unbeaten in the past 8 games, the capital club seemed to crumble under the pressure of requiring a win to keep the chase alive, conceding the 3 goals within 20 minutes. Dave Jones will be hoping that last year's play-off experience will act as a benefit for his players and not hang as a bad omen over the squad.

Even though their play-off position is secured, Swansea will be on the heels of South Wales rivals Cardiff for 3rd spot, which will be theirs if they secure a win at home against relegated Sheffield United and Cardiff fail to win away at Burnley. In a highly unlikely scenario, if the FA decide to place a 10 point penalty on QPR then the race for automatic promotion will be blown wide open yet again with all three teams being involved. What is for sure is that 3rd place will give Swansea a tie against 6th, most likely to be Nottingham Forest, which they may favour to a tie against Brendan Rodgers' former team Reading.

However Forest are in top form at the moment with on-loan striker Kris Boyd finding his goalscoring boots and the fans will be hoping that he'll be extending on his current 5 in 5 record. Forest were in contention for an automatic place before Christmas but after a torrid time in the league they dropped out of the play-off spots completely. Could this final surge back into contention give them the momentum, similarly to Blackpool last season, for the play-off games?

One team that may be concerned coming into the play-off run-in, despite confirming their place in the final fixtures, is Reading. Their form has hit a blip at the wrong time of the season, gaining only 2 from 9 in the past 3 games, they will not want this bad run to continue and will be looking toward top goalscorer Shane Long et al to fire them back into form in their final game against Derby at the Madejski.

So until QPR find out the results of their hearing on May 3rd and the referee blows the final whistle at around 4.45 pm on May 7th it is down to the players on the pitch to decide who will play who.

Will London suffer a Welsh invasion?

[caption id="attachment_623" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="War of Wales: The Swansea-Cardiff rivalry could come to a prestigious head at Wembley."][/caption]

Lastly, the fixture that the neutrals will love but the fans will not - Swansea City vs Cardiff City may well rear it's head for the third time this season but this time the stakes could not be higher. It's only possible for these two clubs to meet in the final and if they end up triumphant in the semi-finals then it'll be a reality.

Asides from it being a logistical nightmare for the policing of 80,000 fans at each others necks on the same lines of transport to the capital, it could go down as one of the most heated play-off finals in history.

Why are English Youngsters Behind the Rest of the World?

Whilst listening to the Chappers Premier League Podcast, guest panelist John Salako pointed out that the lack of great players being produced from England can be attributed to the lack of players that make it out of the country. A fair point considering that England are one of the few countries who have a near 100% rate of players playing their trade in their native country for the national squad. But why do English players rarely leave the United Kingdom?

[caption id="attachment_531" align="aligncenter" width="216" caption="Rare Exports: Hughes and Lineker were part of a generation of British players that did make it abroad"][/caption]

If we were to go back to the 20th century, having British players playing abroad was a common sight. Mark Hughes and Gary Lineker at Barcelona, Kevin Keegan at Hamburg, John Charles at Juventus, Chris Waddle at Marseille, many great British players had spells abroad. However returning to the 21st century and seeing a British or, more to the point, English player abroad is a rare occurence.

The most notable players who have left the country include;

Player	Club	Season(s)	Appearences	Goals
Steve McManaman	Real Madrid	1999 - 2003	94	8
Stan Collymore	Real Oviedo	2001	3	0
Jay Bothroyd	Perugia	2003 - 04	28	5
David Beckham	Real Madrid	2003 - 07	116	13
Michael Owen	Real Madrid	2004-05	36	13
David Beckham	LA Galaxy	2007 - present	48	9
David Beckham	AC Milan	2009 - 10	29	2
Jermaine Pennant	Real Zaragoza	2009 - 10	25	0
Darius Vassell	Ankaragucu	2009 - 10	22	4
Matt Derbyshire	Olympiakos	2009 - present	19	6

Eight English players, who have played some part in the national squad or U21 squad, not a fantastic figure to display how much foreign clubs are attracted to English talent.

One thing you have to take into consideration with this argument is, how strong is your native league to other leagues in the world? The Premier League obviously ranks highly, along with La Liga, the Bundesliga and Serie A. It is also worth noting that the Spanish, German and Italian national squads also feature a vast  majority of players playing in the native league but this statistic is completely redundant when you compare the success of those teams to the recent success, or lack thereof, of the English squad.

[caption id="attachment_530" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="Extortionate: Andy Carroll's £35m move proved how expensive young English talent can be to foreign clubs"][/caption]

The most likely reason that foreign teams do not buy English players is their ridiculously inflated price tags. The latest player to enter this world of mad figures is Andy Carroll with his recent £35m move from Newcastle to Liverpool. The transfer market is a buyers market with Liverpool needing a replacement for Fernando Torres and Newcastle negotiated fantastically to get that figure. However, comparing this deal to other players that have been bought around the continent, the pricing was obscenely high. However, is it purely because we want to keep English players in England? And will pay top dollar to do so?

What Salako suggested in the aforementioned podcast, to improve the quality and talent of our young players, is to get them playing abroad - to experience different styles of play, different tactics and probably more game time too. I whole-heartedly agree with his sentiments, but another aspect (which was also briefly mentioned in the same podcast) was the introduction of more competitive reserve leagues.

Referring back to two of the other, more successful, countries who dominantly have their national team playing in their native country; Germany and Spain. Both the third level and second level of the league pyramid, respectively, have reserve teams playing within the league, with obvious restrictions. In Germany, reserve teams can go no further than the third tier and Spanish reserve teams can not be in the same league as their first team counterparts (not too sure what would happen if, for example Barcelona get relegated to the Segunda and Barcelona B are competing in the Segunda, Germany's implementation is certainly more sensible).

If the English league were to incorporate a similar system it certainly would be interesting, and how they would integrate into the already huge league pyramid was also be a bit tricky. On the other hand, why not just use affiliated teams more to their potential? If a reserve team was to compete in a competitive first team league, they're oppositions would be the same if not worse to players being loaned out to Football League teams. In theory, this argument makes is totally feasible but how do we explain the way that the Spanish and German giants of Barcelona and Bayern Munich use the system so well to develop their youth talent?

[caption id="attachment_528" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Feeder: Royal Antwerp have made the most of their links to Manchester United in the past"][/caption]

One system, combining the the aspects of gaining experience abroad and an affiliate system is simple - foreign feeder teams. Manchester United have exploited this excellently with Royal Antwerp. Players such as Jonny Evans, John O'Shea and Frazier Campbell all joined Antwerp at some period throughout their career. However not many other teams spring to mind instantly who take advantage of such schemes within the English leagues.

And lastly, but probably most importantly, is the lack of quality coaching in England. Foreign experience may widen a players scope on the game but nothing can replace being taught at a high level. The severe lack of coaches was outlined last year when figures shown that England have 10% or less of the number of UEFA B, A or Pro coaches in comparison to their European neighbours Germany, Italy or Spain.

These figures have caused the FA to take action in the youth development department, with Gareth Southgate being recently appointed as the "Head of Elite Development" and will work alongside Sir Trevor Brooking. What will come of his appointment is yet to be seen, but after an unsuccessful World Cup bid and "falling out" with the current FIFA regime putting another bid in doubt for the foreseeable future, the FA will surely have to have this issue as their key development in years to come.

[caption id="attachment_529" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="Hope: Jack Wilshere has proven there is hope for England's youth system (Source: Action Images)"][/caption]

To end on a lighter note, it's not all doom and gloom for England's youngsters. The recent "generation" of players coming through the ranks such as Jack Wilshere, Andy Carroll, Kyle Walker, Jordan Henderson and Chris Smalling are all receiving call ups to the first team squad sooner than expected in their careers. Plus, the newest batch of players within the U21 squad; Josh McEachran, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Connor Wickham are all showing bags of potential.

Picklive Game of the Week: Arsenal v Barcelona

[caption id="attachment_105" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Get involved: Join Picklive today and become part of the Five Minute Fantasy Football revolution"][/caption]

Picklive's 'Five Minute Fantasy Football' game has been revolutionsing the way that football fanatics in the UK can watch live sport, and thanks to a newly established relationship with The Twelfth Man , it could do the same for you too. The game is a thrilling cross between fantasy football games and in-play betting, and allows punters to compete in real-time for cash prizes during televised matches.

If you are watching tonight's action this evening then why not sign up before and during the match to get three free games. Contestants then select a team of three players who accumulate points for all of their actions on the pitch; including passes, tackles, interceptions and shots. The three teams  that earn the most points in each five minute spell are guaranteed a cash prize.

So just as you thought that the tension around Arsenal v Barcelona could not get any more palpable, Picklive - in association with The Twelfth Man - introduces another realm of excitement and emotion into the already potent mix present in live football.

Tonight's live game is possibly the most mouthwatering yet to appear on Picklive's roster, with Arsenal taking on Pep Guardiola's imperious Barcelona side. Both sides favouring fast and flowing football, and place a premium on ball retention, which is bound to be a incredibly high scoring game in Picklive terms.

You would be mad not to pick either Xavi or Wilshere in your side, as these are the focal points through which both teams direct their play. In fact the Catalan is just about the greatest player ever to feature on Picklive, amassing record score after record score - and on occassions out passing the opposition on his own.

So if you want to add more excitement into the mix during tonight's game, then click here to sign up. In 10 seconds you could be winning cash from other fans whilst watching the match unfold.

Arsenal v Barcelona: ITV 1 7:45 K/O

Acceptable in the 90′s: Kits

Acceptable in the 90's is a new regular feature we'll be running where we'll be reminiscing about everything football in the glorious era of the 1990's.  First on the agenda is the kits.

Where the 1980s saw the introduction of sponsors to kits in the English game, the 90's set the bar high for unique designs. Kit manufacturers decided to opt for a myriad of geometric shapes and as many colours as they could fit on a palette. Even the teams who would normally opt for the single colour on their strips would have contrasted stripes, accents or even a faded image of your home stadium.

This creative notion could be attributed to the advent of the beginning of "the modern game".  Revenue's were starting to escalate with the introduction of Sky's live broadcasting and media exposure of the game, stadia were modernised to become fully seated, transfer fee's were becoming higher than ever so why should the kit manufacturers remain in the past too?

Although the kits in the 90's were more colourful than any other era, it was only in 1992, when the Premier League was created, that not only referees were allowed black kits. Manchester United jumped straight on this opportunity but the colourful trend dominated the decade.

Shirts like Scunthorpe's 1996/97 away shirt wouldn't be seen out of place at an acid-infused rave, whereas Arsenal's 1991/93 away kit involved so many triangles it would even give Pythagoras a headache.

But were these kits a burden to the period? Alex Ferguson might debate they were after he blamed United's 1995/96 camouflaging second strip for their loss against Southampton however to the fans they are one of the many fantastic aspects that we loved about 90's football.

So without further adieu, here is The Twelfth Man's top selection of football kits of the 90's;


[slideshow]

Goals Galore at London Road

Records were broken in the Premier League this weekend, an astounding 41 goals were scored during the day's action on Saturday 5th February, and it is goals that today's article focuses on.

However it isn't just in the Premier League where the goals are flying in, London Road has also been the scene of many big score-lines. You can go as far back as the 1960-61 season where Peterborough managed a record that still remains today - 134 goals in a season in the old Fourth Division - but they have started to make a name for themselves yet again as a consistent goal scoring side in recent years.

The late Keith Alexander revived the trend for the Posh in the 2006/07 League Two season with some impressive 4+ goal home wins against Bristol Rovers, Accrington and Torquay. Darren Ferguson took the helm in January 2007 where his reign began with a stutter, picking up the pieces from the end of Alexander's run of six straight defeats. He had to wait 4 games for a win (against former team Wrexham) but then the goals started flowing once more, finishing the season in 10th but also notching up the most home goals in the league with 48.

[caption id="attachment_422" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="Deadly Duo: The McLean/Mackail-Smith partnership was a big part of the free scoring Peterborough regime."][/caption]

It was in the 2007/08 season where Peterborough won promotion into League One where they really started to find their goalscoring feet. Their three most efficient forwards; George Boyd, Aaron McLean and Craig Mackail-Smith could not stop hitting the back of the net with 78 goals between them in all competitions. Notable scorelines included a 7 goal drubbing of Brentford and an even more astounding 8 (EIGHT) - 2 win over Accrington. You know their big results when you need a worded description on the vidi-printer. Yet again they managed to take the title of most goals scored at home with 46 proving that London Road was quick becoming the place for goals.

Pessimism was not favoured in the following season which saw the team gain promotion yet again, defying what was expected of the League One new boys. Although not achieving a third successive most home goals record, the trifecta of Boyd, McLean and Mackail-Smith were efficient as ever with 57 goals between them in all competitions.

[caption id="attachment_423" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Flying Scotsman: Boyd was an interest for fellow Scot, Billy Davies, but remained a Posh player."][/caption]

The Championship was where Ferguson suffered his demise, with the second successive promotion proving too much for Peterborough, finishing the 2009/10 season in 24th place and leaving the club just 2 months into the season. In terms of goalscoring, the aforementioned trio of forwards only managing 31 goals in all competitions between them however there were glimmers of the hope within the three. George Boyd's talent was obvious to Billy Davies et al, finishing the season on loan at Nottingham Forest but returning back to his parent club after a deal was not negotiated. One notable game for the club came at home against Cardiff coming back from a 4-0 deficit to level the game at 4-4.

The 2010/11 season saw Peterborough back in League One and the big results have been coming in thicker and faster than ever. Not even the sale of striker Aaron McLean to Hull for a record £1.3 million has stopped the goal train at London Road. 70% (7 in 10) of Peterborough's home wins in the league so far have resulted in the home side scoring at least 4 goals. With 19 games remaining, they have already scored 45 goals at home - more than any other team in the whole Football League and Premier League thus far.

[caption id="attachment_417" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="Familiar Faces: Ferguson's existing relationships with the Peterborough players can only add to their aspirations."][/caption]

What is the secret to their attacking prowess? It's a tried and tested formula with familiar players leading the front line consistently and with Darren Ferguson returning to the club the familiarity can only further flourish. Peterborough also appear to be very effective on the break, with players like Boyd, Mackail-Smith and new signings Lee Tomlin and Wolves loanee Nathaniel Mendez-Laing all possessing plenty of pace to burn. George Boyd, for me, is the catalyst for the goals though. I'm very surprised Forest didn't pick him up after his loan spell or that any other clubs haven't swooped for him. He is a very technically gifted player with a mean left foot for not only scoring but creating chances too.

Even though the defence may be leaky, with these high scoring affairs more often than not involving the opposing team getting on the scoresheet too, the entertainment at London Road is must be stellar. I would love to see my own team, Swansea, scoring in abundance like the Posh do, but I'm not sure whether my heart could take the drama of such events after being lulled into a defensive, no score, Paulo Sousa induced coma from last season - it'd certainly be different.

League One is a very tightly contested league this year, Brighton have taken a firm grasp of the top spot, but the play-off and automatic places could be open to any of the top 8 with no clear favourites. If Peterbrough can continue they're free scoring ways throughout the rest of the season under Ferguson's second tenure at London Road then there is no reason why they may not find themselves too surprised to be back in the Championship next season.

South Wales Derby: Straight from the Jack’s Mouth

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="90" caption="@thetimmorgan: Apparently more man than Action Man."][/caption]

One of the most heated rivalries in British football is ready to re-ignite for the second time this season on Sunday when Cardiff make the short trip down the M4 to play Swansea at The Liberty Stadium.

The derby guarantees a great football match, not only for home and away fans, but for the neutral too and the stakes will be high with Swansea looking to do the "South Wales double" in the 82-year history of the feud.

So, instead of harping on about the facts, stats and history of the match, we thought we'd go straight to the fans. Representing the North Stand will be Mr. Picklive himself, Tim Morgan. He's taken a break from his duties at Picklive to answer a few questions about his derby memories and the prospects for Swansea and Cardiff in the future.

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The Twelfth Man: When was your first derby game?

Tim Morgan: A 1-1 draw at the Vetch in 1989. The most memorable game was my first visit to Ninian Park on a Monday night in January 1993. It was a glorious 2-1 extra time win for the Swans, a memorable bus journey home and a tremendous night out in Swansea afterwards. Me and the other lads that went were giving it the big one about that night for a couple of weeks afterwards.

TTM: Have you been to any other games that come close to the atmosphere at the South Wales Derby?

TM: Hmm the one that sticks in my head was Scotland vs England in Glasgow in 1999. I used to live in Birmingham and hung around with a bunch of Blues fans. We all applied for tickets and I was the only one that came out of the ballot so I went up on my own. Glasgow is a hostile place for England to play and the atmosphere was similar to Swans Vs Cardiff but it was weird for me because I was standing in the England end and a part of me was hoping Scotland would equalise (England won courtesy of two Paul Scoles goals - what a player he is).

TTM: With your busy schedule dishing out cash left, right and centre on Picklive, will you be making the trip to the homeland?

TM: I'm in Pontardawe as we speak but sadly I'm going back to London tomorrow morning  - there is a big pile of cash stacked up on my desk and I've got to give it away to lucky Picklive winners before it ceases to be legal tender.

TTM: Out of the Cardiff squad, who would you love to see don the white shirt?

TM: Aaron Ramsey - he's perfect for the 'Swansea City Way'.

TTM: Who do you think will be the most important players in the match?

TM: You have to say that Cardiff's attacking lineup is terrifying. If Ramsey can get the better of Prats and Leon and dictate the pace of the game then we could be 3 down by half time. If he can't then we've got pace to get around their full-backs. Scott Sinclair is lightening and Nathan Dyer is the most under-rated player in the Championship. Luke Moore is looking more likely to score his first goal with every passing minute. If I have to choose one person I will leave you with this Swansea Valley mantra, "when Nathan Dyer plays well, the Swans play well".

TM: After the loss of Martinez and Sousa, do you think Swansea have the right manager now in Brendan Rodgers?

TM: Yes its unbelievable how well we're doing with our wage structure and transfer budget. When you throw into the mix the fact that we've had three managers in three seasons its nothing short of a miracle. Martinez created a style of play in the lower leagues that has since been copied with great success by Blackpool, Doncaster and Brighton. Rodgers is the man to take this on to the next level. Credit should go to the Chairman as he's the one constant in all of this (and Huw if you're reading this I will make the trip down on Sunday if I can sit next to you. We're covering the game on Picklive so you can play along on my iPhone, I'll even slip an extra bonus in your account for doing such a good job with the Swans).

TTM: With Cardiff and Swansea both performing very well in the domestic league, do you think it's a good sign for the future of the Welsh national squad?

TM: It's fantastic. Fans of both clubs should be united in their gratitude to each other for that. Ash Williams, Adam Matthews, Jazz Richards, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen, Craig Bellamy, Joe Ledley (actually not Joe Ledley) - a stellar list of local talent. England in the 90s were net beneficiaries of the work being done with Man United's youth system and I hope we have a similar knock-on effect from the high standards being achieved at Swansea and Cardiff.

TTM: Will we see two Welsh teams in the Premier League next year?

TM: No but we'll see two Welsh teams in the playoffs...

TTM: And finally, the toughie - the double over Cardiff or promotion to the Premier League?

TM: I can take or leave the premier league but I'd like to be try it for a season while I'm young and able to go to the matches so let's go for promotion.

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Don't forget, Picklive is the most modern take on football betting, breeding fantasy football with betting.  Join up here and be part of la Revolución!

We Literally Need a Replacement, Richard.

January is normally the month that is dominated by the transfer window in terms of football, however with the recent sexism row at Sky, it's had to settle with second place.

Typically, I was expecting to be writing an article about a pending multi million pound move of <insert player here> to <insert team here... probably Manchester City> which would be a waste of money/worth it's weight in gold [delete as appropriate] but I certainly didn't expect to be speculating over who will be taking the leading seats for Sky's football coverage.

So after the stream of videos being leaked about Gray's chauvinistic tendencies and Keys' live publicity funeral on talkSPORT we are left with two empty seats at one of the world's biggest sports channels.  Sky are hardly scraping the barrel for cash, so the may not necessarily internally recruit for the position, but there are also a lot of prospective applicants within the company too.

Who will be 'cut' out to be the new Keys?

Ben Shepherd (Best Odds*: Evens)

Shepherd has recently joined Sky to present their Champions League shows during midweek, this could be the chance of a lifetime for him if he manages to jump to Sky Sports' flagship show in his first year at the company.  However, I think this will be his hindrance - would the Sky exec's want to rush him straight into the role?  He is a well known presenter after all... albeit not in sport.

Jeff Stelling (5/2)

Stelling has already proven himself to be an esteemed presenter who has an excellent chemistry with all the members of the Soccer Saturday crew.  He combines a good mixture of humour, knowledge and passion for the game but will his other commitments hinder him from taking the position? Would Sky want to risk losing the "unbelievable, Jeff" (unless Kammy comes with him of course) moments by moving him from Soccer Saturday to Super Sunday and Monday Night Football?

David Jones (7/2)

Jones has risen up through the ranks at Sky, starting as a pitch side reporter for the Premier League games, he moved to become a presenter for Sky Sports News and regularly hosts the prime time reports for the channel.  He also takes the presenter role for any Football League games, so he has experience already.

Ed Chamberlain (10/1)

Chamberlain, like Jones, started off as a presenter for Sky Sports News and has worked his way up the chain landing a role as the  host of the midweek Soccer Special programmes.  Like Stelling, he has experience interacting with the crew but always does seem like the "midweek replacement".

Gabby Logan (12/1)

Logan would certainly be a very interesting choice, appointing a woman to take over from a man who was fired for being sexist? It makes a lot of sense.  She is already hosting the BBC's equivalent of Sky's Soccer Saturday, in the form of Final Score and is a renowned presenter within entertainment and sport.  She has the CV for it, she would prove that Sky are not a "sexist company" but would it all seem a  bit forced?

James Richardson (20/1)

The absolute outsider, but if Sky want to go in a different direction then Richardson would be the answer.  Renowned as a charismatic presenter who has a fantastic knowledge of the game and has vast experience in the hosting role after the success of Football Italia and the Football Weekly podcast via The Guardian.  But would Richardson take the role?

* - correct as of 27th January 2011.

Who will bring the colour back to Gray's old seat?

Jamie Redknapp (Best Odds*: 8/13)

Redknapp has been nurtured into this role and it almost seems a given that he'll be taking the lead pundit role from Gray.  He's been one of the secondary pundits alongside a mixture of relative guest pundits relevant to the covered match for the past couple of seasons and has cemented his position in the television booth at the matches.  Jamie does literally have some odd interpretations of the word 'literally' but we've all grown to love it, right?

Graeme Souness (9/2)

Souness, like Redknapp, is a regular in the studio for Sky's live matches.  As an esteemed an experienced ex-pro and manager, he comes with all the right credentials to give the interesting and inspired views for the thinking points of the matches, hence his re-appearances on the show.  But when you think of Souness, do you think Sky presenter? Or do you think ex-pro/manager who gives his thoughts on Sky?

Chris Kamara (10/1)

Kamara and Stelling, the "dream team" of Soccer Saturday, could they make the move to Super Sunday and Monday Night Football in a way that people would not just be hoping Chris spurts out the word "unbelievable" followed by his colleagues Christian name?  There is more to Kamara than the token catchphrases we've grown to love, though.  He's the host of Sky's Goals on Sunday and comes across in a much more professional way on the Sunday programme in comparison to his pitch side demeanour on Soccer Saturday.

Ron Atkinson (250/1)

...Nah, scrub that thought.

* - correct as of 27th January 2011.

So from the potential candidates, whom I have only just brushed upon, there is plenty of competition both within and outside Sky. Certainly more candidates for the punditry position, but it once Gray's successor is made, will he be the new partner to Martin Tyler? Or just merely a studio pundit? A lot of questions, soon to be resolved.

Swans Not Firing on All Cylinders

The 2010/11 season has sparked a thought into many Premier League and Championship fan's minds - could this be the season that see's a Welsh side promoted to the Premier League?

Cardiff City have certainly come the closest in the past two seasons, in 2008/09 narrowly missing out on the final play-off position after an unpredicted 1-0 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday on the final day of the season, whereas they were pipped to the near £90 million post by Ian Holloway's superb Blackpool side last season.

[caption id="attachment_347" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="Rodgers: The Ulsterman has made a very promising start at Swansea"][/caption]

However, this season it seems apparent that Brendan Rodgers' Swansea side will certainly be in the mix-up come the end of the season.  Last season the Swans suffered a similar fate to that of their South Wales neighbours, by throwing away an almost certain play-off spot due to a terrible run of form at the tail-end of the season.  One significant factor in this bad form - their lack to score goals.

In the 2009/10 season under Paulo Sousa, Swansea had 2nd meanest defence in the league, conceding only two goals less than league winners Newcastle but also only managed to score 40 goals - the lowest in the league.  Fast forward to the start of the current season and Sousa was recruited by Leicester (who's reign lasted a measly 3 months) which paved the way for former-Reading, Watford and Chelsea youth team boss Brendan Rodgers to take the helm at the Liberty Stadium.

Rodgers suffered a bumpy start, losing 2-0 to ex-Premier League Hull on the opening day of the season, but began to show potential in a 4-0 win against Preston followed by a string of good results later in the season including 1-0 wins over Burnley and local rivals Cardiff.  Currently they sit in 4th position, comfortably in the play-off places and only off the automatic promotion spot by goal difference.

Whilst the Swans fans are extremely happy with their progress in the league, they fear an old enemy in the form of lacking a clinical goalscorer will be their demise.  They will be eased by the fact that Swansea are only 9 goals off meeting their number goals scored last season, but the points they have lost out on due to the lack of a out-and-out goalscorer does not bear thinking about.

Home results such as the 1-0 loss to Bristol City, the 2-1 loss to Portsmouth and the 1-1 draw to Millwall are all games the Swans felt they could've won if they had a player with an eye for goal.

Rodgers has attempted to solve the striker solution with various players.  Frank Nouble was recruited from West Ham, scoring 1 goal in 6 appearances before being recalled by the Hammers.  Marvin Emnes joined on a months loan from Middlesbrough, proving reasonably successful with 2 goals in 4 games (including a South Wales Derby winner) but was recalled by new Boro boss Tony Mowbray after his impressive spell.  Recently Rodgers has resorted to looking down the leagues for a short-term solution, bringing in Welsh international Jermaine Easter from MK Dons on loan-deadline day - a move that was not met with optimism by the fans after being linked with bigger names such as Carlos Vela, Daniel Sturridge and Eidur Gudjohnsen.  Recently Easter has returned to his parent club after a disappointing spell with only 1 goal in six appearances.

[caption id="attachment_345" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="Sinclair: Leading the way for the Swans [Empics Sport"]"][/caption]

It is one of Rodgers' signings that has provided goals for Swansea though, ex-Chelsea player Scott Sinclair has provided the Premier League-esque flair and willingness to the squad, contributing 14 goals in all competitions thus far.  But the squad can't rely on the England Under 21 star for all their goals.  The total of goals scored by other attacking players Darren Pratley (6), Stephen Dobbie (4) and Craig Beattie (3) don't even equal the number of goals scored by Sinclair.

The fans at the Liberty will no doubt be yearning for another player in the mould of ex-Swansea players Jason Scotland or Lee Trundle both achieved a 1-in-2 goalscoring ratio during their time in South Wales.

[caption id="attachment_346" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Moore: Will it be Moore the merrier in South Wales?"][/caption]

However, they will be hoping that Rodgers' eye for talent has shone once again after the club bought striker Luke Moore for an undisclosed fee from Premier League side West Bromwich Albion.  Moore was bought by WBA for £3 million from neighbours Aston Villa in the summer of 2008 and climbed up the ranks with players such as Gabriel Agbonlahor at Villa.

Rodgers' is slowly clearing the deadwood in the Swansea side, loaning out inefficent striker Gorka Pintado to Cypriot side AEK Larnaca, terminating the contract of holding midfielder Jordi Lopez by mutual consent, casting doubt on the future of winger Cedric van der Gun and giving no involvement to Finnish striker Shefki Kuqi who recently returned from a loan deal at Derby.

Surely these cuts would be suggesting that the Swans are not finished in this transfer window, with fans keeping their fingers crossed for more attacking players to join the ranks at the Liberty Stadium.  Thus far they have been linked with out of favor Stoke players Eidur Gudjohnsen and Tom Soares in addition to Southampton attacker Jason Puncheon who recently had a very successful, goal-scoring spell at Millwall.  But with the recent long-term injury to captain Garry Monk, Rodgers' will also be casting his eye on a short-term replacement in the back four, with names like Chelsea youngster Patrick van Aanholt and promising Motherwell defender Mark Reynolds on the shortlist.

Swansea have already established themselves as one of the top teams in the division, if not by position, by the style of play they implement.  By combining this reputation with the fantastic knowledge of youth players in the Premier League from Rodgers' tenure at Chelsea and some diamonds in the rough are sure to be found.

For example, Scott Sinclair was always going to be an unknown quantity in a full season in the first-team due to only having played at most half a season at numerous different clubs, but has shone under the manager's guidance and confidence in the player.  The fans can only hope that this would be the case with new recruit Luke Moore, as Rodgers' looks to bring out the best in another young prospect who has yet to fulfil his potential.

With just over two weeks remaining in the window, only time will tell if Moore is the solution to another potential goalscoring problem at the Liberty, or maybe it will be another signing who becomes the catalyst for the Swans' promotion bid.