4 Reasons Why The Manchester Derby Is a Must Watch

 It is one of the most hotly-anticipated fixtures in the Premier League because it has defined the title race in recent years and has always been a game riddled with animosity, the Manchester Derby, doesn’t require any hype.

In saying that though, this Sunday’s game should be one of the most absorbing derbies in recent seasons.

Here are 4 reasons why:

The Defensive Woes

This season both defences have buckled when opposing teams have piled pressure on them. United have managed only 2 clean sheets in 9 after a bucket load of centre-back pairings have been tried and tested by Van Gaal. The ‘senior’ centre-backs haven’t roused confidence with most of them spending more time on the physio’s table than on the pitch and haveappeared jittery against mediocre opposition. Manchester City haven’t fared any better, they’ve notched up only 2 clean sheets as well. City’s £32million signing Mangala hasn’t adapted to Premier League life quickly, leaving them in the same dilemma as last year, who is the best partner forKompany in defence.  With both teams having defensive woes, it could be goals galore and a matter of which team can outscore the other, almost FIFA-esque this Sunday.

Midfield Battle

Of late, it has been a foregone conclusion in midfield with City outrunning United’s midfield with powerhouses likeYaya Toure up against physically weaker and susceptible central midfielders like Cleverley and Fletcher. This year has a different feel with United’s new midfield recruits. Blind hasbeen an underrated addition, he is deceivingly strong and provides them with the much needed composure.  Herrera is the engine whose passing range and unerring energy givesthem the potential to come up trumps in a midfield clash. Fellaini controlled the midfield against Chelsea; he almost single-handedly restrained Fabregas and Matic, no mean feat.  Yaya Toure has been unusually tame this season, 1 goal in 7 games, no assists and 3 yellow cards. He hasn’t quite bossed a game in the same vein as last year. This Sunday’s midfield contest will be an intriguing one because it will be more evenly contested in the middle and the outcome of this battle is utterly unpredictable.

     

Tactical Encounter

The managers are going to be pivotal in influencing the contest both in the way they line-up their teams and the way they make substitutions during the game. Van Gaal has shown his tactical fluidity already switching from 3-5-2, a 4-4-2 diamond and a 4-2-3-1 come 4-3-3 against Chelsea. I feel VanGaal again will pack the midfield, play Fellaini again as he did an immaculate job against Chelsea and perhaps only play one striker. It will be interesting to see how changes the line up from the Chelsea game with Rooney, Valencia, Herrera and Evans all potentially fit again. Pellegrini has a fixation with a 4-4-2 with two wingers and two genuine strikers. However it always as if Silva is wasted wide left and it is a formation which can be undone on the counter, evident in West Ham’s victory against them on Saturday. The 4-2-3-1 formation worked brilliantly against Spurs and it is the formation which in my eyes best utilises the killer combination of Silva and aguero. Two of the more tactically astute managers in the league head-to-head will make for fascinating viewing.

                      

                    

World Class Hotshots

This season, it seems there is an even bigger A-List cast of players on show. With Manchester United signing Falcao and Di Maria in the summer, this game really is the Premier League equivalent of El Clasico. Ballon d’Or nominee Di Maria has blessed the league with his jet-heeled pace and outrageous skill scoring 3 goals and creating 4 assists already this season. On the opposition, Aguero has been on fire with a sensational goal-scoring return this season of 9 goals in 7 games.  In addition to the Argentinian duo, other superstars such as Dzeko and Rooney are sure to add flair to an already widely-anticipated matchup. If all the star players fire it will be an electrifying end-to-end game but regardless of whether they will fire or not, them being up against each other will be a sight to behold.

By Hesham Bilal-Hafiz (@hesham786)

Does The Captaincy Give Wayne Rooney An Undeserved Starting Place?

Before the Leicester City game, Louis Van Gaal disheartened Juan Mata admirers like myself when he said that he 'wasn't so satisfied with Rooney as a striker and Mata as a midfielder' in reference to the QPR game. This instantaneously made me think of two things, firstly that Van Gaal doesn't see Wayne Rooney's Man United future as a striker and secondly Van Gaal didn't or perhaps doesn't rate Juan Mata as Number 10. This exemplifies that LVG envisages Rooney's best position as a midfielder in that creative number 10 role meaning our Spanish sensation's favoured position will be occupied by a player who's place in the starting XI is definitive. Yes that means Juan Mata would become second choice centre-attacking midfielder warming the bench or that he has to play an unfamiliar role in another position. Not good news for Juan Mata enthusiasts.  The question is, even though it seems an inevitability that Rooney will steal Mata's starting berth, does Rooney deserve to play in that position ahead of Mata?

Firstly I'd like to point out that Wayne Rooney is a surprisingly shrewd man. From a player that tweeted "mine tackle was bad" and utters the words "Yeh, of course" with annoying repetitiveness during TV interviews, you wouldn't guess Wayne Rooney was a smart man. Yet he is deceivingly cunning as he has showed he knows how to manipulate Manchester United to suit his best interests.  

Back in 2010 Rooney asked the club to leave and was seemingly headed for a move to the noisy neighbours for financial incentives and the allure of a big money project but due to Sir Alex's unquenchable determination to win Premier League, he was given increased wages and persuaded to stay. On the back of a 27 goal season in 2011/12, Sir Alex wanted to make a major statement in the transfer window as well as give Wayne Rooney serious competition and did so in the shape of Robin Van Persie. In that 2012/13 season, Rooney only played 22 league games, and only scored 12 goals as he was pushed into a number 10 role that he didn't want to play in. The end of that season in 2013 when asked whether he was becoming a midfielder Rooney categorically said "In the years to come, that might be somewhere I could play, but, right now, I'm definitely a centre-forward" and described it with a role he is "very comfortable with" hence didn't like being pushed deep with the arrival of Van Persie. After flirting with a move away to the likes of Chelsea and PSG, Wayne Rooney was given a £300,000 a week contract and played last season as a conventional striker, as he wished. In fairness to him in a poor season for the club, he did have an impressive season with 17 goals and 10 assists in 27 games playing where he wanted. Nevertheless after wanting to leave the club twice, somewhat paradoxically he has earned himself substantial pay rises making him Manchester United's highest earner.

Fast forward a year, a week ago, he said in an interview quite honestly "I'm happy to play out wide; I can do a job there and I can do a job up front. I'm not the player I was...I feel like I've progressed my game." and "I'm a a cleverer player now and know when to run into the box and when not to." Now he clearly doesn't see himself as an out-an-out striker and hence we can infer that he sees himself as more of a midfield man now. It maybe a pessimistic view, but it appears as soon as Radamel Falcao signed, he's decided he doesn't have the attributes anymore to be a striker and has converted to more of a midfielder. I can't help but feel that having seen his competition for striking positions are Radamel Falcao and Robin Van Persie, two of the best centre-forwards in world football, he has decided that Mata is the easiest player to displace in order to keep his own place in the team.

 It is absolutely astonishing how Wayne Rooney has manipulated the club to his benefit, when he's asked to leave he has seemed to get the pay rises he's craved for and when he's inquired to play in a certain position he gets his demand. I've been a big fan of Rooney over the years, he has been a great servant to the club in terms of the goals and assists he has supplied in his career, but perhaps unfairly he has been treated like aloof royalty. It seems as if this trend is going to continue. Van Gaal has given him the Captain's armband as he has proven to be the hardest worker in training and fits the bill in terms a player who has longevity at the club. Before the Leicester game, Van Gaal has said the only two certainties in his team are the captain and the keeper meaning Wayne Rooney is one undebatable name on the team sheet. However this armband may be a hindrance more than a help to the team's cause because Rooney's guaranteed starting berth will be detrimental to the career of Juan Mata.

People say that Juan Mata is the superior number 10 but stats don't make it that clear cut. In fact the two are very closely matched. In 2011/12, it is unfair to compare Rooney (27 goals and 5 assists) to Mata as one played as a striker and the other as a number 10, but in terms of playmakers, only David Silva got more goals and assists combined (6 goals +17 assists) than Juan Mata in the Premier League (6 goals + 13 assists).

The best season to compare them is 2012/13, this is the season where both the Spaniard and United skipper played in that central attacking midfield role for their respective teams. In that season for Chelsea, Juan Mata scored 12 goals and notched up 12 assists and Wayne Rooney knocked in 12 goals whilst supplying 10 assists. That season, Mata created more clear cut chances (14 to 9) and made more key passes (2.7 to 1.8) but Rooney had a better shot accuracy (40.7% to 34.3%) and a better clear cut chance conversion rate (50% to 33.3%). Rooney has strengths in terms of shooting and finishing that Mata doesn't possess whilst Mata has some creative capabilities that his United counterpart lacks. They balance each other out. 

Their current form makes them equally inseparable. 

In their last 10 Premier League games: 

- Wayne Rooney has scored 8 goals and got 2 assists playing both up front and behind the striker. 
- Juan Mata has scored 8 goals and got 1 assist playing solely in the number 10 position.

If you're being pernickety you could say that Mata's stats read better as he played only as a midfielder whilst Rooney has been played further forward more consistently but I think both sets of stats make for impressive reading. Both players are excellent in the number 10 role so whoever plays there fans should be happy, some people wrongly label Rooney unworthy of playing there after playing poor in his last few games (even though stats suggest otherwise). These players bring almost identical amounts of goals and assists so it's only their style of play which differentiates them. Rooney plays more with power and tries to ping the cross-field passes whilst Mata plays with finesse and caresses the ball with delicate through balls. 


 In an ideal world, Juan Mata and Wayne Rooney would be rotated on form and performance which I feel would be the only fair way to distinguish who deserves to play the following game. Or perhaps even Van Persie can be in the rotation mix and rotating him would allow Rooney to play further forward in some games allowing Mata to slot in the number 10 position on occasions. Unfortunately we don't live in an ideal world and Wayne Rooney has a privileged position as captain so rotation with him and Mata is very unrealistic. The way I see it, Wayne Rooney doesn't deserve to play consistently ahead of Juan Mata... but Juan Mata doesn't deserve to play consistently over Wayne Rooney either. It is a contradictory dilemma that cannot be resolved without some fans being left disappointed either way.

 One thing that is sure is that Wayne Rooney has been given an upper hand in the number 10 position with the captain's armband however I don't think it doesn't gives him an undeserved place in the team because he has proven time and time again, he offers a lot in that centre attacking midfield role. It is only unfair that the captaincy seemingly excludes him from being rotated regardless of whether he performs badly in a game. I just hope Juan Mata doesn't become a castaway like Shinji Kagawa eventually became and plays a pivotal role this season with Van Gaal miraculously finding a solution to this head-scratching predicament.

By Hesham Bilal-Hafiz (@hesham786)

How Will Angel Di Maria Fit In At Manchester United?

Angel has become a Devil and yet the major talking point from fans isn't the fact United are finally about to land a 'marquee name' it's the question on how will Di Maria fit in at Manchester United with the plethora of attacking outlets at United's disposal.

Whether the reason for his departure is because of the arrival of Colombian sensation James Rodriguez’s pushing Di Maria to a bench-warming spot or because of a grudge with President Florentino Pérez, Real Madrid’s loss is without a doubt Man United’s gain. Los Blancos fans clearly think very highly of the Argentine unlike the Real Madrid’s hierarchy, 83.5% of a poll of 16,688 Madridistas were against the deal and thought that their club needed to keep Di Maria in the Spanish AS paper this week. Even though Real Madrid fanatics can be subjective in their praise, it is a clear that Angel Di Maria is valuable asset to a team but the question is whether Di Maria is really someone United need and how he’d fit in the team. 

Red Devil fans being cynical with a new expensive signing is no surprise given the fact that star signings in the past have been bought but haven’t been deployed effectively in the team for their potential to be fulfilled.  A prime example is Juan Sebastian Veron, who was a flop considering the extortionate fee paid in the market at the time, with a paltry return of 17 goals and 2 assists in 82 appearances for the club. Flash-forward a decade or so and players like Kagawa and Mata were bought with fantastic records at previous top clubs yet they were initially played on the wing when they in the past have excelled in the number 10 position and they struggled to adapt to the Manchester United team initially. So the club does notoriously have a reputation for buying players for the sake of appeasing fans with big money moves with disregard to how they’d fit into the United system but this time should be different.


The biggest misconception from many football fans is that Angel Di Maria is an out-an-out winger in the ilk of an Arjen Robben, whilst the Argentine has many similar qualities, he has never played consistently as a winger in a front 3 in his career. I think his swashbuckling style of play which will give him the tag of a ‘winger’ but the common misunderstanding means that many overlook that Di Maria has most impressed when playing tucked in a midfield, into a deeper and more central role often deployed in a midfield 3. At Benfica he played wing-back initially, then developed into a marauding winger and then he was most effective when he was in a midfield diamond opposite the holding midfielder Ramires. The position he thrived in at Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho’s 4-2-3-1 formation was a narrow wide role on either flank to ensure that the likes Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil could flourish in their favoured positions. Last season was his best season as a footballer and with the arrival of Gareth Bale, Di Maria’s position was cemented as a left-sided central midfielder in a midfield 3 of Xabi Alonso and Luka Modric. From that deeper position he became a midfield maestro managing to be the main source of ammunition for a deadly attack as he got 17 assists – the top assist-maker in La Liga for the season – and chipped in with 4 goals in 27 league appearances for Los Blancos. He was absolutely critical for Real Madrid in their pursuit for ‘La Decima’ too as he managed to rack up 5 assists and score 3 goals in 9 games whilst being pivotal in the Champions League final winning the Man of the Match award.

Di Maria has been played as a winger, wing-back, central midfielder and as a no. 10 in the space of a few years highlighting that he is an incredibly versatile, team player. His jet-heeled pace coupled with his superb dribbling ability makes him a deadly asset to any team. It’s not just these ‘winger’ attributes that make him just what Man United need, he has the capacity to make killer passes at will, providing much needed dynamism and pace to a lacklustre midfield which has shown in the early games to be painfully slow in their build up. One thing that people don’t appreciate enough from Di Maria is his tireless energy; his work rate is commendable because he is not afraid to do his defensive duties whenever necessary.

 With the nickname El Fideo meaning ‘The Noodle’ due to his slim, gangly physique, he is hardly a player that will fly into tackles like a midfield enforcer of the likes of a Arturo Vidal or a Nigel De Jong but he is one that likes to persistently hassle attackers with his presence, hurrying them into making mistakes; like a bluebottle fly whizzing around constantly annoying people near it. At Real, one minute he was in a ferociously quick attack and then the next minute he was indefatigably tracking back helping his defenders – something that Van Gaal will truly appreciate given the abysmal defensive performances this season thus far.

If Van Gaal persists with the 3-4-1-2, Di Maria could be played in the left central midfield spot, meaning he would be playing alongside Herrera in the middle. Playing them both may work against lesser sides but against the big guns would come unstuck defensively hence would require a genuine holding midfielder instead of one of them to break up play for a perfect balance. If there should be an injury to Van Persie, Falcao or Rooney, or even if he wanted to rest one of his strikers, Di Maria could seamlessly slot in as one of the two forwards in the way that Arjen Robben did for Holland at the World Cup – he has the capacity to emulate Robben’s successful transformation. Louis Van Gaal admitted that he is playing 3-4-1-2 because “It fits in more players” prior to the Sunderland game, hence I believe that Van Gaal is trying to accommodate Van Persie, Rooney and Mata – his 3 most important commodities – to play in their best positions. There are growing impressions that this formation doesn’t play to the strengths of others because for this formation to work effectively it requires 3 centre-backs who are comfortable in possession, can pass and have exquisite spatial awareness but unfortunately I don’t think Manchester United have 3 that tick all the boxes for this demanding role. Now with the addition of powerhouse attacker Radamel Falcao, I think a change of formation is a matter of time.

I believe the acquisition of Di Maria will allow Van Gaal to change his formation single-handedly to one that will be better suited to more of the players at Man United, possibly reverting to a 4-3-3 or a similar formation. We’ve seen at the World Cup that Louis Van Gaal is one of the most tactically flexible managers out there, adjusting his approach dependent on the opposition in front of him, playing 4-3-3, 4-3-1-2, 3-4-3, 3-5-2 and 4-2-3-1 at various stages of the competition hence a tactical change is very much a possibility. Di Maria could prosper playing in the left side of a midfield 3 in the 4-3-3 formation, but the best system in my view would be a 4-3-1-2 which would encompass the majority of the attacking quartet of Mata, Rooney, Van Persie and Falcao brilliantly whilst getting the best out of El Fideo. The lack of quality of United’s centre-backs would become less apparent in a back 4, because they wouldn’t have to spend as much time on the ball meaning it would be a system they’d be most accustomed to and the overall demands of a being in a back 4 is less onerous than the requirements in a back 3.  The conundrum for Louis Van Gaal would be how to incorporate Adnan Januzaj and Juan Mata but if he is having headaches because as he has so many options to use in his team, then it’s a good dilemma to have. Manchester City and Chelsea have incredible squad depth and their bench is full of players that would start in most other teams, the likes of Aguero, Fernandinho, Willian and Felipe Luis were all benchwarmers last week just epitomising how much quality they have throughout the squad. Man United can only dream of a dilemma like this, hence the fact that Red Devil fans are moaning whether Van Gaal can accommodate all his top players in an 11 is a short-sighted approach, as a season progresses, a squad of 20-22 with quality throughout is a recipe for Premier League success. 

Angel Di Maria isn’t an unnecessary panic buy; he’s a buy that will panic Premier League defenders. Only Lionel Messi (57) has more assists than Di Maria (49) in the last four years in La Liga, El Fideo is the 3rd top assist-maker from any European league since 2011 which is amazing considering most have been from midfield rather than as a forward. Di Maria is one of the most versatile attacking players in the world, he will excel in whatever midfield or attacking role he will be given at bringing the excitement back to Man United’s midfield. United fans shouldn’t be concerned where he plays or whether he will fit in because he will thrive on the wings and centrally, they should feel delighted that Angel is now a Devil.

By Hesham Bilal-Hafiz (@hesham786)

The Promoted Teams - Which Player Can Keep Them Up?

GUEST POST: I believe I needed to do a post on which player will impress coming from the Championship this year and which players are crucial to the promoted teams' survival. I feel like I'm not an expert on The Championship, so I invited my friend Dan, who's an avid Blackburn fan and regular Championship follower to write this article.

The wait is almost over. The Premier League is just days away, it comes as a welcome relief to the football fans all over the world that have been longing to watch the most competitive league in Europe exhibit it's footballing drama all over again. It's gained the tag as being one of the most competitive in the world for several reasons. One because the title race is never clear cut or a clear two horse race like other top European leagues, the race for the Premier League and top 4 is one of the most enthralling things annually for football fans all over the world because of it's sheer unpredictability. The second reason is because in this league, the quality is so high throughout that no team is unbeatable (or very rarely like Arsenal's invincibles), on any given day a team challenging for the title can be beaten by a team tipped to get relegated. It is this volatility that gives promoted teams the hope that they could steer themselves to Premier League safety in their first season and avoid the drop. This challenge is one that the promoted clubs and their fans relish as being back in the top flight after years in the Championship will feel incredibly special. This year all 3 of these teams will face a massive task to beat the drop first season back because of the ever-improving teams they'll be in the dog fight with. I feel the players mentioned in this post will be the crucial difference between the elation of staying in the Premier League for a second season or facing the heartbreak of instant relegation.

Leicester 

Last year’s SkyBet Championship winners have had plenty to celebrate recently after leading and dominating the league for what seemed like the whole season wrapped up the title in impressive style amazingly with 6 games spare. This promotion, like many promoted sides, was a project in the making with several years of planning. After the heartbreak of the dramatic play-off semi-final defeat against Watford last May, Leicester rejuvenated their team, not letting the heartbreak get the better of them and consequently found themselves in 1^st place after 28 of the 46 games and never looked back. 

David Nugent: The former Portsmouth frontman struck up a formidable partnership with fellow striker Jamie Vardy. He netted 20 out of the pairs' 36 goals they scored and as a partnership they notched up 28 last season (in which Nugent got 12 assists), meaning that Nugent was directly involved in almost half of Leicester’s goals scored in the league. This shows that Nugent played an absolutely vital role in the title winning season and is pivotal to the team's success, although only having a years’ worth of premiership experience under his belt to date, he can have a big say on the Foxes’ final league position come May. If he can continue his Championship form it is no wonder that the bookies have Leicester as the favourites out of the promoted teams to avoid the drop. 

Danny Drinkwater: Statistically, last season was Drinkwater’s best season, notching 8 goals and 4 assists which is an impressive return from central midfield, he found himself a

regular feature in Leicester’s first XI.

His season earned praise from Football League pundits culminating in him deservedly winning  a place in the Championship Team of the Year and won Leicester City Player of the Season. Central midfielders often go under the radar as they do the unglamorous work, but they are arguably the most important players in a team as they are pivotal in both defence and attack hence if given regular starts again, Drinkwater could play a very influential role in the attempt to keep Leicester up. 

Personally I fear Leicester may struggle in the Premier league, as there is a lack of quality and experience throughout their squad and as a result with inevitable injuries and absences they may find it hard to keep up with some of the more experienced sides in the division. In saying that however, you definitely cannot automatically rule out a side that completely dominated the second tier of English football for a year.

Burnley

Without a doubt, the surprise package of the 2013/2014 Championship season was Burnley. The 4^th favourites from the bookies for relegation last August, they stunned many by having a fantastic run of form early on, which was sustained through the season and ensured that the Clarets only faced defeat five times over the whole season. The disciplined defence and hardworking midfield was only outshone by the dynamic strike force of Danny Ings and Sam Vokes. With 41 goals between them, they were statistically the 2^nd best duo in England, behind Suarez and Sturridge - a very impressive feat.

Danny Ings: Despite only being his first season playing regularly in the striker role, Ings proved he was more than capable of playing centrally by netting 26 times in all competitions. His blistering pace proved hard for championship defences to keep up with, and with more supply next season he could be the man to keep Burnley up. He has the potential to emulate the likes of Rickie Lambert, a prolific striker in the football league who steps up his game to perform consistently in the Top Flight. 

Kieron Trippier: With 14 assists (the joint top assists) in the league as a right back, Trippier showed his tremendous ability last season. Although played at right back he gets forward, marauding up and down the right wing whenever he can. Despite his outstanding attacking exploits, he is defensively astute as well as he averaged 7 defensive actions per game with a 53% pass completion rate. Could be a potential England right-back if he impresses in the Premier League, definitely would be a good coup for fantasy football managers too.

If Dyche can get his team as well organised and effective as last season along with the steady supply of assists by Trippier along with the frequent goals of the potent 'Vings' partnership, there’s every chance that the Lancashire minnows can beat the drop, however, a few injuries to players could be detrimental to their aspirations and would in all probability mean a repeat of the 2009/2010 season and swift return to the Championship. No matter how they fare, I believe like Blackpool were in the Premier League, they will be an entertaining team to watch, playing a fearless brand of football.

QPR

A team with premier league talent on paper, QPR always seemed likely to have a short stay in the Championship. Unbeaten in the first 11 games, it looked as if they would walk the league at finish at top spot, but more and more losses appeared throughout the season and QPR became unpredictable, looking premier league standard one week and struggling against some of the weaker teams in the league. There’s no doubt that the Hoops have quality throughout their ranks, however their aging squad is now another year older and questions have to be asked whether players such as Richard Dunne, Robert Green and Bobby Zamora can still perform at the same level they used to.

Charlie Austin: A premier league opportunity was almost sealed last summer, but after failing his medical at Hull, the former Burnley and Swindon town man found himself in for another season in England’s Second division. Despite injuries along the way, Austin managed to net 17 goals in the league, equating to over a quarter of QPR’s final goal total, showing that the risk made by Redknapp to secure the services of the 25 year old is one that has seemed to pay off. His goal record makes for an impressive read as he averages just over a goal every two games at both league 1 and championship and I believe now is the time for the striker to make the next step up, and if he can stay injury free, he will be a real asset to his team. 

David Hoilett: Although not a player that finds himself in the starting line-up consistently, “Junior” is a player that can turn a game around. After moving through the youth system at Blackburn Rovers, Hoilett enjoyed regular first team action for the Lancashire giants over two seasons in the premier league. However, since joining QPR in the summer of 2012, things haven’t worked out quite as well as the Canadian might have planned with the majority of his appearances coming from the subs bench. With 10 direct goal contributions last season (4 goals and 6 assists), I feel that Hoilett still has more to offer to the premier league, as his quick feet and darting runs would cause even the best full backs some problems, as shown during his spell at Blackburn. 

QPR must learn from their mistakes of two seasons ago, and if they do, relegation should not be a worry as Redknapp’s team has unquestionable talent, and a lower mid-table finish should be within the reach of the Hoops.

These players have shown that they are more than capable in the second division, but I believe this is the right time in these players’ respective careers to step up and try and prove themselves at the top level. 

Written by Dan Mayer (@danmayer_) and edited by Hesham Bilal-Hafiz (@hesham786)

Which Teams are Going To Be The Surprise Packages of The PL Season?

For those who religiously follow the Premier League every year, one discernible trend is that a team or two in each season surprise the footballing audience and exceed all expectations in terms of how they play, the results they fork out and the position in which they ultimately finish. On a European level there is a similar pattern annually where teams emerge from some of the best leagues in the world and impress us football fanatics unexpectedly by playing football that can only be described as eye-candy. These teams in Europe become the 'hipster' teams that most football fans in the world (bar the teams' rival fans) develop a soft spot for on top of the team they support, almost like adopting a pet in addition to the one you've adored and cherished from childhood. Recent 'hipster' teams include the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Athletico Madrid, who have appealed to many aficionados in the past few years, emerging as two of the Europe's elite playing some of the most attractive football you're ever likely to see being played with players like Reus, Lewandowski, Hummels, Costa and Koke etc making a name for themselves globally in the process. 

Last year in the Premier League, Southampton were the stand out surprise team in the league, playing a tika-taka like passing game under Mauricio Pochettino with the help of youthful exuberance in the shape of the likes of Luke Shaw and Nathenial Clyne - they took the Premier League audience by storm. The previous season of 2012/13 was their first season back in the Premier League and they managed a very respectable 14th placed finish but in the 2013/14 season, they upped their game tremendously and dazzled their way to an 8th place finish behind the then reigning champions Manchester United. The way they played was even more impressive, with the likes of Lallana, Rodriguez and Lambert, Southampton gave us England fans some hope that we as a nation are capable of pulling off a tika-taka, fast-paced, high energy passing game like those awfully good Spaniards. Getting results against Liverpool, Man United and Man City along the way, continually endorsing a refreshing brand of fearless football in the process, The Saints were marching all the way into the Top 4 in the first half of the season demonstrating how impressive they really were. 

So which teams are going to be the surprise packages of this year's Premier League season? 

 One team that could have a change of fortunes from a season which left their faithful craving for more, is Newcastle United. Last season, Newcastle despite finishing a respectable 10th, The Magpies didn't 'wow' their fans because their season was littered with some dismal performances. The 3-0 home loss to bitter rivals Sunderland was a hard pill for Magpies' fans to swallow and there was a stage in the season where Newcastle incredibly suffered 6 consecutive defeats up against the likes of Swansea and stoke. This summer with all of the marquee signings made by the likes of Real Madrid and Chelsea, Newcastle's transfer business has slipped under the radar, there are no stand out names but Newcastle have had one of the most astute windows by any team this summer in my eyes. The acquisition of Siem De Jong was an intelligent one, he can bring back to the Newcastle midfield and attack the dynamism they lost with the sale of Cabaye as he has a superb range of passing and shooting abilities which he has displayed at Ajax, despite the slightly underwhelming stats of 7 goals in 19 games. He can play in central midfield, in the hole or even up front  and it is this versatility on top of his high work-rate which in my opinion will make him an asset to the team wherever he is played. They also signed Daryl Janmaat, a right-back, who will seamlessly slot into the position left by Mathieu Debuchy, as he showed exactly what he's capable of in Brazil marauding up and down the right hand side with great energy, he was pivotal to the success of Louis Van Gaal's Holland. The signing of Emmanuel Riviere is an exciting one, again even though his record isn't eye-catching with 13 goals in 36 games last year, he was one of the most highly rated prospects in Ligue 1 and finished Monaco's top scorer ahead of Falcao and James Rodriguez. His blistering pace and swagger up front will be an exciting prospects for Magpie fans, compared to Thierry Henry, he will be wanting to prove himself capable of scoring consistently to live up to the hype he has created for himself. Arguably the most exciting signing is Remy Cabella from Montepellier, he got 14 goals and 5 assists whilst creating 81 chances on the way in the league last season - an impressive return for an attacking midfielder.

He was on the radar of Manchester United and Arsenal last season just showing what kind of an impression he was making in European football, he's the type of player fans pay to see, someone who loves to dribble and unleash his box of tricks on defenders. Cabella resembles Magpie legend David Ginola's stylistically with his dynamism and creativity, in fact he has the potential to be one of the players of the Premier League season if he adapts to the English league. This summer on top of bringing in exciting new talent they've got rid of deadwood like Marveaux and S. Ameobi, I think if the new players can integrate well and gel quickly, it's going to be season where Newcastle could push up the table by challenging for Top 8 and impress us with some stylish football. 

This season, I feel the biggest change of playing style will come in the shape of Stoke City and their reputation of being a hoof ball, rugby team will be forgotten. For years under Tony Pulis, Stoke City were renowned for being a team that solely bullied and muscled teams with their height and physicality with disregard for actually playing football. However that stereotype of being an 'anti-football' team will change, as we've seen glimpses of last season under Mark Hughes, Stoke are in the process of adopting a fast-flowing passing game with tactical fluidity. Teams always need to adapt to times, even Barcelona's seemingly unstoppable tika-taka game came under serious question and scrutiny when the Barcelona team were embarrassed 7-1 on aggregate by Bayern Munich a couple of seasons back. With the new signings and new philosophy installed by Hughes, Stoke are certainly going to surprise a few in the manner in which they'll stroke the ball around on the floor. Stoke's main issue last season was the distinct lack of goals scored, with just a meagre 45 in the league, they managed only 2 more than 17th-placed West Bromwich Albion and still somehow managed a 9th place finish. Now they may well have solved that problem with the signing of Bojan Krkic - a former Barcelona number 9 who's arrival at the Britannia has bought excitement and optimism amongst The Potters' fans.

Even though his career has stagnated in recent times with 26 goals in 104 games for Ajax after just 4 in 24 appearances for Barcleona, he was once hyped as the best young players from the Barcelona academy making his Champions League debut aged 17 and he's still only 23, hence with the right management he could definitely flourish in the Premier League. He's already shown signs of being one of the buys of the summer dazzling in pre-season with 3 goals in 3 games, he could be the bargain of the window at £3m, because his trickery and pace can definitely trouble defences on a consistent basis and fill the goals void for Stoke City. Mame Biram Diouf is another signing in addition Bojan that will bolster Stoke in attack, with a more potent goal-scoring record with 25 goals in 57 games for Hannover will be wanting to prove United fans wrong in the league after he was considered a flop at Old Trafford. Diouf and Bojan are comfortable on the ball, their presence in front of goal will help the creative sparks Arnautovic, Odemwingie and Ireland floruish and their additions will help Stoke adapt quickly to the new fast-paced attacking game that Mark Hughes wants Stoke to endorse whilst simultaneously making it a philosophy that works at the club. The pragmatic signings of Premier League veterans Steve Sidwell and Phil Bardseley will strengthen the squad further. It's a new era at the Britannia, with a drastic change in style of play and the ambition to push into the Europa League positions, Stoke City have the potential to be a surprise package for football fans this upcoming season.

Like Crystal Palace showed last season, promoted teams can shock both the Premier League stalwarts and fans alike by looking incredibly comfortable in the top flight after 8 years in the Championship. Palace finished a very impressive 11th in their first season back in the Premier League, we could something similar with Queens Park Rangers. The last time we saw QPR in the Premier League, their club was marred with controversy and misdemeanor with ill-discipline on the pitch in the shape of a mountain of red cards and had players who were excessively high paid but poorly motivated. Looking back retrospectively, if the players like Samba, Granero, Mbia and Cesar were actually motivated and cared to work hard for QPR, they wouldn't have dropped to the Championship because the quality was there but their desire wasn't. This season they have the same manager with bags of Premier League experience Harry Redknapp but the big difference is that this team can actually be called a team because there is unity in this squad now after the owner Tony Fernandes shipped out many of the foreign exports who were clearly playing for money and not QPR. This time, they've made some more astute signings that could really propel the QPR team to Premier League safety.

The signing of Steven Caulker could be one of the most important made by any Premier League team this season, Caulker last season was one of the best centre-backs in the league and was highly underrated as he was strong, comfortable on the ball and brilliant in the air providing several headed goals for Cardiff. Rio Ferdinand, who has been arguably one of the centre-backs of the last decade in the Premier League still has fuel left in the tank, his acquisition on a free transfer maybe a smart one as he and Caulker will form a very solid partnership at the back. Jordon Mutch is another signing that will improve QPR's squad in the midfield, as he showed with Cardiff last year in the Premier League with 7 goals and 5 assists from the middle of the park. Mauricio Isla is a fantastic coup for The R's on loan, he is a very versatile player with great pace, most likely he will be deployed as a right wing-back for QPR like has played with Chile and Juventus. Isla was very impressive at the World Cup for Chile and his signing alongside the other defensive signings suggest that Redknapp will play the adventurous 3-5-2 formation this season. I feel Charlie Austin is going to be another Rickie Lambert, a striker that has scored a bucket load of goals in the lower leagues and  then comes to the Premier League and continues to be a deadly striker scoring goals aplenty. Rickie Lambert scored a bundle of goals for the likes of Rochdale and Bristol Rovers in League 1 and 2 and has since netted 28 in 2 seasons for Southampton. Austin was playing non-league football for Poole Town 5 years ago, now he's going to play in the Premier League, last season in the Championship he was on fire scoring 17 in 31 games. I think we will see another fairytale like story with Austin netting many times for QPR with his physicality and strength being adept for Premier League football. Him and Remy behind he tricky Junior Hoillet could be quite a strikeforce if they can stay fit and motivated, with the combination of pace, power and trickery they have the potential to fire QPR up the league table with consummate ease. With an attack that has goals in them and a defence that looks solid, QPR could surprise many bookmakers and fans by not only staying up but by finishing in the comfort of the Premier League mid-table. 

Whether these teams do become the surprise packages of the season or not, one thing is for sure, with the amount of quality throughout the Premier League outside of the 'big guns', I believe we can still label the Premier League as the most exciting, competitive league in World Football. 

By Hesham Bilal-Hafiz (@hesham786)

Who Has The Best Squad Depth in the Premier League?

Many football fans look at the first team line-ups and naively judge them solely on what they see from the 11 names on the team sheet. However, if one does like to judge a team on paper before assessing them on the pitch, a football team's quality and potential for success should be judged on their squad as a whole. Whether a team is chasing the Premier League title, wanting to challenge for Top 4 or even wanting to avoid the dreaded Premier League relegation, quality squad depth is essential for a successful Premier League campaign. The owners of a team may make a high quality first team for his club but if the team doesn't have sufficient quality outside of the first XI, that team would struggle to be consistently successful through a Premier League campaign in my eyes.

 11 players is nowhere near enough to withstand the physical demands of a Premier League season. A large squad with quality throughout is particularly essential for those teams who finished in the Top 6 last season (and Hull), as they have to cope with European games on top of the domestic competitions in England i.e. Capital One Cup and the FA Cup. Even teams not in European competitions still have to play in the aforementioned domestic cup competitions, so I believe good squad depth is an indispensable part of a successful formula.

 Why is it so crucial? Injuries are an inevitability, last season Stoke suffered the least from injuries with but still suffered from 555 days worth of player injuries, in contrast Arsenal suffered the most with injuries from players which amounted to an incredible 1716 days of absence from players. When injuries are rife, the bench strength becomes incredibly important, as your second or third choice player in the position of the injured player may need to play in crunch games. Player absences may be for suspensions, bans or perhaps international competitions like the African Cup of Nations, whatever the reason if you have confidence in the replacement of a first team player in the squad, you can be confident of doing well in a Premier League season, likewise if you're suspicious that the replacement may not be good enough for the Premier League then your team in all probability will suffer in the first-teamer's absence. 

It is clear to see from all the top European teams in World Football now, not taking transfer speculation into account or injuries, have widespread quality in their ranks which extend beyond their first team. 

A prime example is Real Madrid. They have arguably the strongest line-up in the World with the additions of World Cup stars James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos, in my view now on paper they have the best team in Europe. 

 Even with the dream-team like First XI, Real Madrid have a second team that has individuals who would walk into most teams in European football. It seems an injustice to call it a second team. If any of the first team players got injured, the replacements are of such quality that they wouldn't weaken that much if at all with player absences. This is a model all top European teams should aspire to emulate in terms of widespread squad quality but unfortunately for most teams, they won't be able to match up to the financial power of Los Blancos but still this should be the idealistic aim for most teams. 

Let's see how the top teams in England compare. The best squads in England often do end up winning the Premier League and the squads with mediocre talent on their benches are often the ones being relegated, as simple as that. 

These are Chelsea's two teams:  Man for man, I think Chelsea have the strongest squad in the Premier League. With the additions of Costa, Courtois, Fabregas and F.Luis, Chelsea in my opinion have the best first team on paper with all departments looking potent.
Even though the first team looks very strong, their second choice team shows that they have an incredible amount of quality squad depth. The 2 central-defenders in reserve may not be household names but Zouma and Ake are 2 of the most promising young CBs in the country. They are are strong powerhouses, comfortable on the ball that could walk into Chelsea's team after the looming Terry retirement. Meanwhile the likes of Ivanovic and Cech possibly being second-string players seems an injustice as Ivanovic and Cech are Chelsea veterans who have bossed the Premier League in the last few years and are still brilliant players in their own right. Ramires, Mikel and Van Ginkel are great players to have warming the bench, all 3 could slot in the team in Fabregas / Matic absence and wouldn't weaken the team drastically. Drogba and Torres will provide Chelsea with strong options from the bench from a forward perspective. Schurrle has had a brilliant World Cup being an impact sub for Germany and Salah impressed late last season hence they both could have regular first-team action, but the Chelsea squad has that much competition for places that they could be second-string / bench-warmers.  

The squad which comes closest, perhaps just matching Chelsea for brilliant squad depth is reigning Premier League Champions - Manchester City.
City fans may disagree with the first XI and say that Kolarov should start ahead of Clichy, Dzeko / Jovetic ahead of Negredo or even Nastasic ahead of Demichelis.  

The fact that this sort of debate happens just shows the quality City have in their squad. The first team is obviously very strong as it is the team that made Etihad a fortress on the way to winning Premier League title no.2. Nevertheless the signings of Malaga's Willy Caballero, Fernando and Bacary Sagna have improved the squad depth considerably. Sagna could easily rotate with Zabeleta as he's proven to be one of the most consistent right-backs in the league meanwhile Caballero was one of the stand out keepers outside of the top 3 in La Liga yet he's set to be a back up to Joe Hart. Fernando, whilst not being a signing to wow masses of fans, he is a good, pragmatic back up to Yaya Toure / Fernandinho should they be injured even though their absence would be greatly missed. Dzeko, Navas and Milner saw plenty of first team action last season, Dzeko was City's second top goalscorer of the season with 26 goals in all competitions and Jovetic has looked impressive whenever he has had game time. Hence with 4 quality strikers in their ranks and 2 wingers that would slip seamlessly into the first team in Nasri or Silva's absence - City much like Chelsea have impressive squad depth which makes them serious title contenders again now with an even stronger squad.

Arsenal have made 4 good signings this summer adding to a team that spent 128 days on the top of the table last season, they are the dark horses for the title this year. I've said it before I'll say it again, I think Alexis Sanchez is the signing of the summer, hence I think because of him Arsenal will be reinvigorated and mount another title challenge.  

The first team line up may look different in reality because of the plethora of midfielders at Arsenal's disposal it is difficult to guess what would consistently be a first choice XI. The Arsenal first XI does look very strong, the front 6 look like a potent combination. Quick wing-backs who are astute defensively, an ever improving goalie in Szczesny and a dependable centre-back duo make this Arsenal team look very strong on paper. If I was Arsene Wenger I'd be tempted to play Alexis Sanchez up front as a False 9 whilst playing someone like Oxlade-Chamberlain on the wing in place of Giroud - to make it one of the fastest front 3's in the league that could be too hot for PL defences to handle. In terms of midfield options, I definitely believe Arsenal have the strongest squad depth in the league. Arsenal's front 6 in their 'second team' can't be classed as second-string at all, they all can interchange with the 6 in the first team as they are of such consistent quality. They have plenty of good attacking options not even on the 'second team' such as Joel Campbell who had a fantastic World Cup with Costa Rica, Serge Gnabry who showed great promise last summer and Yaya Sanogo who unbelievably scored 4 goals today vs Benfica. Chambers and Ospina make for strong back ups in the right-back and goalkeeping positions. However what maybe Arsenal's downfall is because of the lack of quality in their other defensive positions. With Vermaelen seemingly heading for the exit door, Arsenal need another CB or two to strengthen their squad to a level of the likes of Man City, Djourou and Monreal don't fill fans with confidence either as potential replacements if a few of their first team defenders got injured so there is some work to do for Arsenal to be consistent force in the league and in Europe. 

Looking at Manchester United's squad exemplifies the desperate need for new additions. Man United characteristically have always had brilliant squad depth, a fundamental reason why they've 13 Premier League titles. After the catastrophe of last season, Vidic, Ferdinand and Evra all have left the club and Giggs has put up his playing playing boots. 

This of course left a hole in the squad that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. This first team may look different at the start of the season, Fletcher likely to be first choice CM with Carrick's injury alongside Herrera and Young has been very impressive in the wing back position in pre-season hence may become the automatic starter in that position ahead of Valencia or Shaw. The first team itself does look quite impressive with RVP, Rooney and Mata making up one of the best attacking 3 in the Premier League. Herrera and Shaw will add much needed pace and exuberance to a team which was lifeless at times last season. I think Herrera will be one of the surprises of the league and will impress greatly from central midfield as his passing distribution, tackling ability and speed coupled with his goal-scoring credentials will make him a real asset to the Premier League. I think the only department United are sufficiently strong in, is the attack, especially so because Van Gaal has made wingers into forwards. An attack supply of Van Persie, Rooney, Welbeck, Hernandez, Zaha, Nani, W.Keane and J. Wilson is full of world class talent and very talented youngsters. Unfortunately though, other departments are in serious need for reinforcements. One of the most striking weaknesses is the United defence, only 3 recognised first team defenders is concerning, but the concern isn't necessarily because of lack of quality as all 3 have shown at times to be very capable defenders, it's because all 3 are seriously injury-prone. Man United's 2 back up CBs are young and promising but I'm not sure if they could be PL regulars just yet - therefore one or two high quality central defensive signings with some experience and maturity are a must this window for United to be competing for the title this season. The centre of midfield is another serious concern. Carrick injured and Fellaini seemingly heading to Napoli, United have only 3 recognised CM options in Herrera, Fletcher and Cleverley. Kagawa is going to be converted into a "no.6 or no.8" (CM) in the words of LVG to make it 4, but United are in clear need of a strong, powerful perhaps defensive-minded central midfielder therefore it is clear The Red Devils are in need of some quality reinforcements to get the squad back to the level of quality it needs to challenge for the title again.

With Liverpool it's quite a strange one analysing the quality of their squad depth because they've made several signings aimed at improving their squad and they have definitely improved the squad but the team still doesn't look like it's become much stronger at all.

Liverpool's team was left with a whirlpool of hole when Suarez that I feel hasn't been filled adequately. The CB partner for Lovren isn't set in stone and could be Agger, Skrtel or Sakho as none are stand out candidates, perhaps highlighting their weakness in that area. Lovren is an addition who will definitely sure up the defence and make it more solid which will be music to Liverpool fans' ears as it was their defensive frailties which was a prime reason why they fell short of the title last year. Nevertheless I still don't think the first team is as strong as the team that looked like genuine title-contenders throughout last season. Lallana is a quality signing, I rate him highly and believe he is the best signing Liverpool have made thus far and he will dazzle interchanging with Liverpool's skilful attacking midfielders. The bottom line is though Lallana replaces Suarez in the first team and that in my eyes means the flood of goals scored last season will dry up massively. In Liverpool's second string of players I struggle to see masses of goals in the front 4, if I were a Liverpool fan (never going to happen) I'd be very worried that my team has Sturridge, Lambert and Borini as my strikers going into the Premier League season. The expectation on Sturridge's shoulders to score goals will be massive and considering he is injury prone, suffering from a hamstring injury as I write this, to have Lambert as the sole back-up would make most Liverpool fans anxious. Therefore it is clear, the position Liverpool need reinforcing most importantly is up front. They need to find a strike partner for Sturridge capable of scoring 20+ goals in the league every season (easier said than done) because Suarez's absence will hit Liverpool hard. I think Can and Allen are decent enough back ups to Gerrard and Henderson but I feel Liverpool are missing a Matic-like figure, an out-and-out ball-winner to give the midfield some steel. A better quality LB to compete with Enrique wouldn't go amiss either, so all in all I think Liverpool still have some way go to compete at the very top of the league consistently again with a 4th place battle more likely.

Last season Manchester City by far had the strongest squad in the league and won the title for a second time. Similarly last year Chelsea's squad lacked quality depth in the striker department leaving them to finish short of the top spot at times struggling to score in the crunch moments of the season i.e Sunderland at home and Palace away, 2 fixtures which cost Mourinho Premier League success again. This season however, Chelsea in my opinion have the strongest squad in the league with most departments covered. Whether they convert the squad depth into a title winning formula depends on how fast the new players gel and get accustomed to the Premier League - if they gel fast, they'll win it, if they don't, it's anyone's title to win. City and Arsenal are two teams that could certainly win it with the strength in depth they have too. United, I think are one or two signings away from a title-challenging team, but in saying that, if no further signings are made and United can keep the injury list small, Van Gaal's teams can never be ruled out. His wining mentality driving a rejuvenated team means that cynics ruling out a United title win completely would be foolish. Liverpool are slightly short of a title-challenge team thus far, the team looks like it could be short of goals after Suarez's departure, signings are a must in order to emulate last season's challenge. 

All in all, it is clear though, that a team which has widespread quality in it's ranks beyond the first team can be confident of Premier League success. 

By Hesham Bilal-Hafiz (@hesham786)