EPL 14/15 Key players

Hi everyone

It's been a few games into the season, maybe we can take a look at who are the clubs' key players

Arsenal

Most would say it will be Alex Sanchez? Not for me, I think Arsenal is doing well because of Aaron Ramsey instead. He is often the more silent contributor but majority of the crucial goals were scored by this man. I think he is also the man who got the most shot on goal. If he can stay injury free, Arsenal can have some glory in the days ahead.

Aston Villa

Not many would doubt us when we mention Gabriel Agbonlahor. With Benteke out injured, this name seemed to be a hot name to call upon. His goal against Liverpool recently ensured the bus parking tactic worked.

Burnley

They have scored just once in 5 games. Conceded 4 in the process. Not much to choose from, so Scott Arfield is the man to look out for, he has got quite a number shots on goal but burnley needs to train harder in shooting.

Chelsea

There are so much talent in this team that there is not just 1 man we are talking about here. However, this man Diego Costa is the killer. He did what Eto + Torres + Ba combined together last season. The question is, will he continue his good form?

Crystal Palace

The great escape from relegation last season was a miracle which also landed Tony Pulis as the manager of the year. However, he had departed before the season kicked off. Shocking. So who is the key player for Palace? Mile Jedinak and Jason Puncheon are my choices. Just look at the way they play and you will agree with me.

Everton

Well well well. Is Everton struggling? Alittle. But Mr Kevin Mirallas continue to show everyone why Everton finished above Man Utd last season. If he sits out, you can see Everton missing him like crazy

Hull City

It got to be their top scorer Jelavic right Stephen Quinn is worth mentioning too. In my opinion Quinn is the key player instead as Jelavic wont get any goal if not for Quinn.

Leicester City

Well, the person who saved them the points against Man Utd, Remember this name, Jose Ulloa. Leicester is proving to be a very strong team to beat.

Liverpool

Oh man, they missed Mr Suarez. But they have a trainee by the name of Raheem Sterling. His mazzy dribbling showed the fans he can fill the boots of Suarez? Maybe not yet, but he is surely the player to look out for. Both club and country.

Man City

For a team so strong, it is not possible to name 1 player. But we have seen this man, Sergio Aguero doing it again and again, putting the points into their bag.

Man Utd

Interesting to see so many players who don't mind not going to Champions league. For a moment, Man Utd were dead last. However, Mr Rooney and Di Maria are the men to watch. They have the quality to lift their team upwards.

Newcastle

Moussa Sissoko is the man. His tough tackling is what keeps the team together. Just a pity the team is struggling at the moment. They can buy back Carroll when he is fit.

QPR

I wanted to say none. But there is 1 by the name of Steven Caulker. He is the future of England at one time. If he can pick it up and lead the team, QPR might escape being relegated for the 2nd time in 3 yrs.

Southampton

Lallana, Lovren, Shaw all gone. So who? Up step Graziano Pelle. Another one to watch out for. Southampton had brought in some very wonderful signing this season, and not forgetting they had been tight at the back too.

Stoke City

Captain Ryan Shawcross is the man for Stoke for awhile now. His tough defending had made stoke a difficult ground to go. He will continue to be the man to watch.

Sunderland

For a long time,Sebastian Larsson had been a fringe player. Could this be his season to step it up? Already shown some great efforts and let's see.

Swansea

He left when his loan expired. Joined Spurs but the deal never made him a better player, so he returned to Swansea. Yes his name is Gylfi Sigurdsson. We all saw how his passes can tear the defense up. Definitely a key man.

Spurs

Adebayor? No. Lamela? Not really. But this defender Eric Dier. He can really put the strikers to shame dont he? If he can emulate Mr Bale, he can really make it big.

West Brom

If not Saido Berahino, then who?

West Ham

It has to be Steward Downing. He is the reason why the team is moving forward. Get that, haters.

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Heads up on the EPL (Part 3) - After 20 games

Previously, we had discussed on the top 10 teams in the EPL. Whether we are happy or not, there will be a tough fight at the top this season. As many as 8 teams can be in for the title chase this season. Today, i will be sharing my views on the bottom 10 of the EPL, in an continuation from the previous post.

Hull City 

Hull had done pretty well after 20 games, being a stronghold at home, their away form is letting them down. If they can pick up a couple more wins, they can surely be 1 of the top 10 teams. Coached by former Manchester United legend, Steve Bruce, This Hull City had been transformed from a relegation battle team to a mid-table team. 1 player stood out for them, Tom Huddlestone. The former Spurs midfielder had done pretty well for them. He reminded us of Scott Parker when he is of course now playing for Fulham.



They had recorded a big win against Fulham last week at home, something even the most faithful Tigerine fan would never dream of happening in the EPL. But that's a good win for them, however they fell away from home once again, losing to a injury-hit Liverpool. Consistently seemed to be lacking in Bruce's team, if they wants to break into the top half, they got to play as if every game is their relegation battle.

Stoke City 

No Tony Pullis, no problem. Mark Hughes ensures Stoke is not struggling in the bottom 3 by New Year's day. The stand-out players are Charlie Adam, Crouch and Assaidi. They certainly look familiar to the Liverpool fans once again. Assaidi, on loan from the Reds, is scoring important goals for Stoke and ensuring they maintain their mid-table form. Former players Adam and Crouch are showing they still got the finishing. Oh wait, don't forget the solid defense of Huth and Shawcross, together with their Amazing goal-scoring keeper Begovic.



Rough tackling are often known for this Stoke side,direct long balls up front are also part of their routine. However, it seems that the goals didn't came from long ball but from a winger who dribbled and got his chance. We all known what happened to QPR when Hughes were in-charged, however during the 1st season Hughes will normally do enough to save his job. It's always in the 2nd or 3rd season where Hughes will lose it. So how long can he withstand this time round?

Swansea 

With Michu out, Swansea had found it hard to break down their opponent's defense. Up step Bony, the stand-in striker who had been above average. Scored 6 goals and assisted 1, he might be over-shadowed by their new Signing Jonjo Shelvey. Scored 3 provided 3, he is doing a good job at the Liberty Stadium. I tip him to shine even more and he might have a place in England in the future.



Will Swansea move up or down in the remaining fixtures? Well, with Michu back, they have a good chance. Laudrup is a good manager. Most importantly, their passing football is nice to watch.

West Brom 

West Brom had always been a team performance rather than individual. They have got some under-rated players in their team. with the sacking of Steve Clark, not sure if it was a correct decision though. 1 player seemed to stood out for me, his name is Chris Brunt. Who? If you are not a baggies fan, you might not know him. But he had assisted 5 goals this season. With a team of such quality, one might ask if they are in a correct position? They should remain this spot if they continue their form.


Norwich 

Time is running out for the former Newcastle Manager Chris Hughton. He needs to act fast or he will be the next one out. Norwich seemed to be flirting with Relegation this season. After being defeated and destroyed by Luis Suarez these few seasons, Ruddy might thought earning a call-up to England might not be a good choice. With Uruguay drawn with England in the group stage.



The stand-out players for the Cannaries will be Gary Hooper and Nathan Redmond. When they are not playing, we know what happened to Norwich. This January transfer, Norwich might not have enough money to get a key signing and that might even cost them a place in the EPL come May. Although currently 15th place, they are definitely a candidate for relegation if they continue their poor form.

Fulham 

King Berbatov's Fulham had seen their long-suffering manager Martin Jol was finally sacked. In came former Manchester Utd coach René Meulensteen. His experience with Man Utd might proved to be essential as Fulham seemed to be on the right track? No. They were humiliated by Hull City 6-0. Fulham just dont have the hunger to win games, with their team on the decline due to their aging squad. They had been in and out of the relegation zone this season and they could be 1 of the hot favorite for the drop if they lose Berbatov in this transfer window.



However, their coach and staffing section had been great. With former QPR coach Ray Wilkins appointed as the Assistant Coach and former Charlton manager Curbishley appointed as technical director. They should avoid the drop if the coaching staff can impart some skills to the players.

Cardiff

Cardiff had been making the headlines recently, starting with Malky Mackay saying if the Board refuses to make money available come Jan 14, they will have to consider investing only when they reach Championship next season. This outraged the club owner, Vincent Tan, a Malaysian tycoon. He instructed Mackay it's either he resign or he will face the sack. Mackay rebutted back saying he will never walk out of Cardiff on his own accord. The Cardiff fans sang their hearts out showing their support for Mackay but he was eventually replaced by the rumoured new manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.



On pitch, Jordon Mutch had made great headlines with his fantastic match winners. However, it seems Cardiff is like another QPR in the EPL. Will they eventually finish to avoid the drop? It's still too early but they are also a candidate for the drop.

Crystal Palace 

Palace waited a long time before regaining their place in the EPL. Will they make an U-turn back to the championship immediately? Marouane Chamakh the forgotten former Arsenal man seemed to be up for a fight to make them Palace stay at the top league. But do Palace have the quality to maintain their top flight status? I don't think so. Looking at their form, they don't seemed convincing. Looking at their squad, i am not convinced too. It will take a massive effort to bring them to former glory once again. With a start at the championship most certain.



West Ham United 

Oh dear, what is West Ham doing at number 19th? They should be in the mid-table for their quality. Maybe they are missing Andy Carroll, their big money signing who is still out injured. Maybe they don't have a back-up striker. Maybe their Captain Nolan got sent off too often. Too many maybes in their team and no wonder they are 19th.



Big Sam Allayce will need to look into the piggy bank and see if there are any money left to get a few players to propel them forward. If they can't get out of the relegation zone by Mid Feb, it will certainly cost Big Sam his job. I am still certain the Hammers can bail themselves out of trouble come May.

Sunderland

Gus Poyet side had suprised many by winning games in recent days. He is facing a uphill task. Out went the win-less Di Canio.

Poyet had transformed this team into a never say die team. Quality wise, Adam Johnson and Steven Fletcher is still their leading men. 1 quick the other unpredictable.

However, Sunderland had proven in history that they can finish the league with minimum points, finish last and be relegated. Will this year be any different? Certainly a drop candidate, but their luck seemed to be changing. It will take a massive effort to save themselves.

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Heads up on the EPL (Part 2) - After 15 games

Hi Everyone

In our previous post on the start of this season's EPL actions, we had introduced the transfers done by all the EPL teams. Today, i will be giving you an update on the top 10 teams after 15 games and whether their KPI had been met or not. This article will also feature some of my personal views on the teams.

Lets begin with

1) Arsenal

Prior to the game against Everton tonight, Arsenal sits on top of the EPL table with 34 points with 14 games played. After their 1st game of the season which resulted in a defeat against Aston Villa, they had gone to the next 9 games undefeated, collecting 25 out of the possible 27 points. Amazing feat. After their defeat against Man U, they had gone on to collect 3 out of 3 victories.

So, they had an exodus in their squad at the start of season, this had indeed made them even tighter as an unit together. Even when their bid for Liverpool's Ace man didn't materialised. They have Giroud, Ozil, Ramsey etc etc etc... so many talents.

Come January, they should add 1 or 2 strong players to their team and they will probably secure a top 4 finish at the very least. As for their title bid, its been a very long while since they added anything to their trophies cabinet. Will this finally be their year? 1 thing for sure, they had exceeded everyone's expectation for them. Well done Gunners.

2) Liverpool

Liverpool had been a sleeping giant all these years. This season we had seen some of the best football from them. Last season after 15 games they have only collected 19 points and stayed at 11th of the table. This term, they are staying at the 2nd of the table. Definitely impressed many of the Anfield faithfuls.

So will they poise as a major threat to the other big teams as title contender? The Christmas fixtures may well determine their fate.

However it will all depends on this man, Luis Suarez. Amazing 14 goals in 10 games, amazing strike rate that many EPL teams add their total goals together cant be compared to. Came back from his biting suspension, Suarez had once terrorised many of the EPL defenders and Keepers. Together with his striking partner, Daniel Sturridge; they had combined 23 league goals!

Lets take a look at their signings, Mignolet (aka Mi No Let) had been outstanding. The goals that were conceded wasnt really his fault. He had even saved a penalty on his debut. He made many fans forgotten that Reina was even on loan. Kolo Toure on the other hand had his ups and downs, but overall he needs to speak lesser and perform better. Sakho is a great addition, but his tackles can be quite dangerous. Aspas and Alberto had not been the best signings for LFC, neither could loan signings Moses nor Cissoko claim a regular starting place.

Overall, their target is always the top 4 finish, which this season should just be their season. If not, Mr Suarez will definitely leave. Any better than that(top 4) will be a good bonus to Liverpool.

3) Chelsea

This looks like a Chelsea season when we learnt that Mourinho had returned as Chelsea's manager.
They had their ups and downs this season. On par with Liverpool on goal difference, addition to some on pitch controversies involving Chelsea players.

Generally, this seemed to be a slow start to the London Blues. The problem with Chelsea seemed to be inconsistency that they dearly hope to put a stop to.

Their strikers : Torres, Ba, Schurrie and Eto'o can't seem to hit the back of the net often enough. Meaning their midfield is stepping up to score on behalf. Hazard, Oscars and Lamps are the Trio who tops the scoring charts for Chelsea. If the strikers can't score on a regular basis, this will be a problem for Chelsea.

Despite Mourinho mentioned no one will leave and no 1 will come in come January, this Chelsea side don't seemed to have many options to claim games.

The leak came when they lost to Stoke. If they wishes to take the title from their rivals, they need to strengthen their strikers' strike rate or get someone in who can fit the bill. However, since they are still in the top 4 so far, their make or break will come in after their hectic Christmas and new year schedule.

4) Manchester City

At the start of the season, Man C's Chairman expects the team to win every single trophies available to them. I would agree that they have the potential to do it, but with 1 twist; if only all of their games were played at home.

They are the only team in the EPL that had won all of their home matches this season. But away from home? 2 Wins, 2 Draws and 4 Losses.

They had scored amazing 29 goals at home, conceding only 2. Their top scorer Aguero should claim some credit but Man C looks like a good team, with lots of goals flowing in from everyone.

One person that was dropped was Joe Hart. The current England number 1 finally paid the price for his constant errors in goal. Will he pick himself up and claim back his spot? I bet he is praying his understudy fails so he can be recalled. World cup is coming, if he is not playing for club, i will be sure he wont play for country. The signings had been great, namely Fernandino, Jesus Navas, Negredo and Jovetic. But i think the manager will want to bring in some more players in January to ensure a good fight to the title.

If Man C can take their home form to their away games, they will be a good team to claim the title. Too early to say if they can claim the spot their own. With many teams behind them knocking on their door.

5) Everton

Everton had always been a silent dark horse throughout. When Moyes went out, Martinez took over. I had always thought he is a good manager, so when he is given a bigger team like Everton to manage, he will ensure he does his best to lead the team to glory. He was rumored to replace King Kenny at Liverpool before LFC revealed Brenden Rodgers as their choice.

Everton had transformed into a tough nut to crack, beating teams such as Man Utd (whom also bought Fellani from Everton for 27.5m), Chelsea and Newcastle. Also to note, they had drew with Liverpool and Spurs. They are also the team that had lost the least. Only once to Man C.

If there is a team that did far better than expectations, Everton gets my vote. However, they will need to retain the service of Baines. Already sold Fellani to Man Utd, their midfield is like having a hole to be filled. If Baines were to leave, their position might really decline.

6) Tottenham Hotspur

There is no bale to bail them out this season. In-came Paulino and Soldado, with the latter quite a failure. He had only scored from the spot? It cost Spurs 30m euros. Wow, if that isn't termed a flop, i don't know what else is.

Do AVB knows who are his best team? All i can say is, Spurs are 6th because of good luck. If they goes on this way, their luck will eventually runs out and they will pay the price for it.

I don't think they will finish in the top 4 this season. Though early but they just don't have the quality. Lots of attacking but they need a better striker to convert the possessions and chances into goals.

I think you guys missed me

Come January, AVB might invest further to bring more glory to the team with the surplus from Bale sales. Until then, let's continue to watch them.

7) Newcastle United

Newcastle had gone to places and secured big results, most famously against Man Utd last night. They had exceeded much expectations for them and they seemed to be another difficult team to beat. Also to note is they had beaten Spurs and Chelsea too in their journey.

Every season they had produced some good strikers who eventually be sold off. 1st was Andy Carroll, then there were Ba and Cisse. Now Remy. Remy joined from the relegated QPR and Newcastle is happy to get him here.

The Newcastle midfield are a closely knitted group of players, covering for each other and delivering the ball for their star striker. Another contributor is Tim Krul, who had kept his team safe at the back. Keeping 5 clean sheets which is 1/3 of their season so far.

They will need to continue looking for ways to improve or else the teams below them will eventually catch them.

8) Southampton

Another surprise package up in the top half of the table. Southampton had exceeded everyone's expectations to be in top 4 at some point. So what is their secret? Look at their team, Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Jay Rodriguez and Clyne the four Englishmen were the reason.

All 4 had been in great form this season, not afraid of any of their opponent. They had stayed undefeated against Man U, Man C, Liverpool. And also picked up maximum points against the smaller clubs. Therefore they are where they are currently.

Expect them to slip up to the mid-table once fatigue sets in. But whatever the case, this had already been a successful season for them.

9) Manchester United

Sorry Man Utd fans, you need to scroll down to find your team here. We have all been through ups and downs, but i think not many Utd fans had ever seen their team suffering like this. The worst start to their season since the longest time. Very quickly you can see some of their fans turning against their club, pointing fingers at the Manager, players or even the referee.

There used to be a time when winning at Old Trafford for away teams were so difficult, it was a fortress. This season, their away form is better than their home.

Definitely the worst team we had ever seen from Man Utd. Moyes, the chosen one had tried not to rock the boat. Not getting too many new signings and didn't allow any 1st team player to leave during the summer.

This is the same team that had won the league last season. Now clearly struggling. Moyes appeared to be very different from Sir Alex.If the team loses 1 home game, Sir Alex will vent his frustration on the players, appeared to have boot thrown at Beckham at one time. So they wont want to lose the 2nd game in a row. Moyes probably didn't did what Sir Alex did. Probably sat down with the players and tell them to do a better job next round. Surely Man Utd players do not like his style of coaching, hence they lost again.

No late drama in the Newcastle or Everton's game. It seemed something is missing for Man Utd.

I expect a major acquisition from Moyes in the Jan transfer window. And if he still don't perform, bye bye to him. A center back seemed to be on top of his list. An attacking midfielder is also required. The problem will probably be the Board not willing to let him take charge till then. The stakes are too high for him to fail. No other manager will envy his current position.

10) Aston Villa

Started the season with a big bang. Winning over current leaders Arsenal, went on a few good games along the way and ends up at number 10.

It had been quite a joy watching Villa this season. They had been fighting for every ball, not giving the opponent a breather. Their pressing tactic had worked against some of the clubs. They had Christian Benteke to thank for at the beginning of the season, now it's more like a team play.

Similar to United, their away form is better than their home. They had only lost once away from home but had lost on 4 occasions at their home soil. If they can continue their fighting spirit, they will do well. But whether they can climb further up the table, it will be interesting to see who they managed to get come January.

That's all for now. In the next part of their series, i will be giving an update for teams in the 11th to 20th places. Stay tuned.

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Farewell my friend - Adrian Dhanaraj, Singapore ex international soccer player

Received a news that one of my secondary school classmate, Mr Adrian Dhanaraj had passed away last night.

Adrian was only 29 when he left us.

A recap of his soccer career

in 2002/2003, he 1st got into the Young Lions team and he was a regular player for the 1st team. He went on to represent a string of other clubs including SAFFC, Geylang United and Gombak United.

He had also earned 2 caps for Singapore.

Adrian was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph nodes. He had fought a good fight against the cancer, it is indeed Singapore's loss that a talented footballer had left us.

Back in school, he was always the soccer captain, deciding who to play and who should be benched. He's always cracking jokes on the side but when it comes to playing football, he is just amazing. He can dribble the ball pass 5 players and get the ball to the back of the net. It is no surprise that he eventually played football full-time.

Was also glad to see him commentating on the Lion City Cup and offered his views on EPL news as a football pundit organised by MioTv.

Rest in Peace my friend.

Everyone who knows you will know you had been a warrior all your life.

His wake will be held at the Singapore Casket, level 5 from 2pm onwards today, with the funeral scheduled for tomorrow.

In remembrance.

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Heads up on EPL 13/14 (Part 1)

Welcome to the pre-season small talk on the English Premier League 2013/2014.

In this part of the pre-season article, we will be discussing on the current transfer by the 20 teams.

Starting with

Arsenal

In: Yaya Sanogo Auxerre Free

Out:

Francis Coquelin SC Freiburg Loan

Johan Djourou Hamburg SV Loan

Vito Mannone Sunderland Undisclosed

Kyle Ebecilio  Twente Enschede Undisclosed

Denilson São Paulo Free

Sanchez Watt Colchester United Free

André Santos Flamengo Undisclosed

Sebastien Squillaci Bastia Free

Joel Campbell Olympiakos Loan

Chuks Aneke Crewe Loan

Martin Angha 1. FC Nürnberg Free

Kyle Ebecilio  Twente Enschede Undisclosed

Andrei Arshavin Zenit St Petersburg Free

JD: From the paper, it seemed to me that Arsenal has been weakened. Sold 5 1st team players, mostly for free, loan out a couple more players, including 1 1st team player. Wow. So with Wenger refusing to spend, will this Arsenal team finally go down and out of the top 4? Or will this work for their favor?

The transfer deadline is still 1 month away. Hence there is still a good chance that Wenger can steal Suarez over.

Aston Villa

In:

Antonio Luna Rodriguez Sevilla FC Undisclosed

Jores Okore FC Nordsjaelland Undisclosed

Leandro Bacuna FC Groningen Undisclosed

Nicklas Helenius Jensen AaB Undisclosed

Jed Steer Norwich City Undisclosed

Out:

Eric Lichaj Birmingham City Free

Jean Makoun Stade Rennes Undisclosed

JD: Aston Villa fans, If i were you, I don't know whether i should be happy or stay the same this season. Looking at the players they bought, sorry but i know none of them. Thankfully, Villa is keeping their star players too. Not a fantastic window so far.

Cardiff City

In:

John Brayford Derby County Undisclosed

Simon Moore Brentford Undisclosed

Steven Caulker Tottenham Undisclosed

Andreas Cornelius Cpenhagen Undisclosed

Out:

Ben Nugent Brentford Loan

JD: Newly promoted Cardiff had shown some commitment that they want to stay here. Biggest signing of the 4 would surely be Caulker. Not too bad a player at spurs, once thought to be one of the bright young star of Spurs, he had left for regular football.

Exit wise, only 1 left. Hopefully they will do more before the window closes.

Chelsea

In:

Mark Schwarzer Fulham Free

Marco van Ginkel Vitesse Arnhem Undisclosed

Andre Schurrie Bayern Leverkusen Undisclosed

Cristian Cuevas O'Higgins

Out:

Milan Lalkovic Walsall Loan

Daniel Pappoe Colchester United Loan

Jeffrey Bruma PSV Eindhoven Undisclosed

Oriol Romeu Valencia Loan

Billy Clifford Yeovil Town Loan

Patrick Van Aanholt Vitesse Arnhem Loan

Sam Walker Colchester United Loan

Thibaut Courtois Atletico Madrid Loan

George Saville Brentford Loan

Todd Kane Blackburn Rovers Loan

Marko Marin Sevilla Loan

JD: Same old brand new coach, "the special one" is back. We all know how he transformed the former Chelsea to the amazing team sometime ago. However, that Chelsea era is coming to an end. Players have aged and some had hung up their boots or left the team.

Mourinho is doing what he does best. Looking at the players he had bought, the message is clear to the fans, this team is dangerously strong and deserved the EPL title once again.

Lots of exodus this season, many on loan to lower end team, hoping for more regular football and impress Mourinho and his assistants.

Worthy to mention is probably poor Marko Marin, who had not proved himself well and now loaned to Sevilla.

Crystal Palace

In:

Elliot Grandin Unattached Free

Jerome Thomas Unattached Free

Dwight Gayle Peterborough United Undisclosed

Stephen Dobbie Brighton & Hove Albion Undisclosed

Campana Sevilla Undisclosed

Out:

Alex Marrow Blackburn Rovers Undisclosed

Jason Banton Milton Keynes Loan

Ryan Inniss Chenltenham Loan

JD: The last time when Palace was in the EPL, they didn't have the quality to stay there. Now they are back, are they stronger? Looking at the players they bought, they are hoping they can beat the drop and that's their aim this season. However, there isn't much quality in this new signings yet.

Everton

In:

Gerard Deulofeu Barcelona Loan

Joel Robles Atletico Madrid Undisclosed

Antolín Alcaraz Wigan Athletic Free

Arouna Koné Wigan Athletic Undisclosed

Out:

Jake Bidwell Brentford Undisclosed

Conor McAleny Brentford Loan

JD: With a change of boss, Everton got some players which followed Martinez to Goodison Park. It will be an uphill task to keep some of their best players too. With Everton former boss looking closely at the duo Baines and Fellani.

If this is the case, not difficult to see Everton dropping places

Fulham

In:

Maarten Stekelenburg AS Roma Undisclosed

Ange Freddy Plumain Lens Free

Fernando Amorebieta Athletic Bilbao Free

Derek Boateng Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Free

Out:

Ryan Williams Oxford United Loan

Mark Schwarzer Chelsea Free

Dan Burn Birmingham City Loan

Alex Smith Swindon Town Free

JD: In the close season, i have mentioned there is a need for Fulham to inject new blood into the team. They have indeed done that. A good new number 1 keeper was signed to replace the outgoing Schwarzer. However, the rest of the players signed so far are not as good as him.

Hull

In:

Corry Evans Blackburn Undisclosed

Steve Harper Unattached Free

Allan McGregor Besiktas Undisclosed

Maynor Figueroa Wigan Athletic Free

Ahmed Elmohamady Sunderland £2,000,000

Curtis Davies Birmingham City Undisclosed

Danny Graham Sunderland Loan

Yannick Sagbo Evian Thonon Gaillard undisclosed

Out:

Jack Hobbs Forest Loan

Mark Oxley Oldham Athletic Loan

Tom Cairney Blackburn Lan

Corry Evans Blackburn Undisclosed

JD: Welcome back Hull City, the 3rd promoted team. They have shown the most potential to stay in the top flight with the recent recruits. Some of the players have been playing regularly for EPL teams. If they can click well, we might see Hull finish better than expected.

Liverpool

In:

Kolo Touré Manchester City Free

Iago Aspas Celta Vigo Undisclosed

Luis Alberto Sevilla FC Undisclosed

Simon Mignolet Sunderland Undisclosed

Out:

Suso Almeria Loan

Michael Ngoo Yeovil Town Loan

Jonjo Shelvey Swansea City £5,000,000

Henoc Mukendi Patrick Thistle Loan

Krisztian Adorjan FC Groningen Loan

Conor Coady Sheffield United Loan

Jack Robinson Blackpool Loan

Pepe Reina Napoli Loan

Peter Gulacsi Sv Salzburg Free

Danny Wilson Hearts Free

Andy Carroll West Ham Undisclosed

JD: The reds had decided to cash in on their misfire player, Jonjo Shelvey. Out go the 35m signing too. This time they made another loss of 20m. Lots of surprises in the team as Pepe Reina, their number 1 keeper since 2006 were sent packing to Napoli to join Rafa, the man who signed him back in Liverpool.

With the transfer not done yet, there could be more outgoing players than incoming, considering that Liverpool did not qualify for europe this term, they need to cut on the wages. Downing, Skrtel, Spearing and Assaidi all seemed to be on transfer list. My guess will be at least half will go.

The new recruits seemed average on paper. Migolet was signed to replace Reina. Whether he will bring Liverpool to the Champions league will need to be proven. If he had done so well, i dont see why Sunderland was 17th out of 20 teams last term. He kept clean sheets in all their friendly matches, but their opponents were pretty friendly to them too.

Kolo Toure was signed to replace the retired Carragher. Aspas seemed promising but Luis Alberto seemed to be average.

So, i think everyone is sick of this name now, Luis Suarez. Will he finally go or will he be left to rot on the bench?

Manchester City

In:

Fernandinho Shakhtar Donetsk Undisclosed

Jesús Navas Sevilla FC Undisclosed

Álvaro Negredo  Sevilla FC Undisclosed

Stevan Jovetic Fiorentina Undisclosed

Out:

Jeremy Helan Sheffield Wednesday Undisclosed

Karim Rekik PSV Eindhoven Loan

Kolo Touré Liverpool Free

Carlos Tevez Juventus £12,000,000

Maicon AS Roma Undisclosed

Wayne Bridge Reading Free

Ryan McGiven Hibernian Free

Omar Elabdellaoui TSV Eintracht Braunschweig Undisclosed

JD: Of all the 20 teams purchases, Man City's seemed to be the most impressive so far. 4 top players added. However many left them too. 1 name seemed to stand out, Carlos Tevez.

Besides Suarez, he seemed to attract the most attention, known for his bad temper and good skills, his departure would certainly be a sweet thing. He had once gone AWOL and wanted to end his career. Now Man C finally decided to cash in on him and gave away some players. It seemed to me places in the team are more and more difficult to get.

So will this new team win all the trophies as set by the chairman?

Manchester United

In:

Guillermo Varela Peñarol Undisclosed

Out:

Michele Fornasier Sampdoria Free

Reece James Carlisle United Loan

Luke McCullough Doncaster Rovers Loan

Ryan Tunnicliffe Ipswich Town Loan

Sean McGinty Sheffield United Free

JD: With Sir Alex Ferguson finally retires from managerial position, we see how Moyes managed his legacy team. 1st issue, Rooney wants out. 2ndly,the players think they know more than him. 3rd, his team records in the pre-season friendly sucks.

As usual, there isnt much changes to the team. No big names leaving, but the transfer window is still open. They have been told they can sign a top player with x amount of money. X = unlimited.

Not much to mention since nothing much was done so far. However, if this team dont perform, someone might face the sack.

Newcastle United

In:

Loïc Remy QPR Undisclosed

Olivier Kemen Metz Undisclosed

Out:

James Perch Wigan Athletic Undisclosed

Danny Simpson Queens Park Rangers Free

Michael Richardson Accrington Stanley Loan

Mehdi Abeid Panathinaikos Loan

Shane Ferguson Birmingham City Loan

James Tavernier Shrewsbury Town Loan

JD: Ok, not too bad, got a good striker from QPR. Out go a whole string of players. So Pardew thinks this squad is good enough? Let's see.

Norwich

In:

Leroy Fer Twente Enschede Undisclosed

Martin Olsson Blackburn Rovers Undisclosed

Carlo Nash Unattached Free

Nathan Redmond Birmingham City Undisclosed

Gary Hooper Celtic Undisclosed

Javier Garrido Lazio Undisclosed

Ricky van Wolfswinkel Sporting Lisbon Undisclosed

Out:

Simeon Jackson TSV Eintracht Braunschweig Free

Grant Holt Wigan Athletic Undisclosed

Leon Barnett Wigan Undisclosed

Andrew Surman Bournemouth Loan

Declan Rudd Preston North End Loan

Marc Tiernet Bolton

Chris Martin Derby Undisclosed

James Vaughan Huddersfield Undisclosed

JD: Wow! Such a busy busy window for Norwich! So far already 7 in 8 out!! Holt finally left them for Championship side Wigan, while the rest of the players who left were not that prominent.

The players who signed for them this season seems decent. With this new team, I am sure they will do better than the previous season. Wolfwinkel, Hooper and Garrido seemed to be good signing for the team. They might just make it into the top half of the table.

Southampton

In:

Victor Wanyama Celtic Undisclosed

Dejan Lovren Lyon Undisclosed

Out:

Vegard Forren Molde Undisclosed

Sam Hoskins Yeovil Town Free

Richard Chaplow Millwall Free

JD: Having escaped relegation, Saints is having a rather quiet window. Having snatched Forren from Liverpool last season, they have realised not everything you looted is good. Out he go after one season.

Wanyama is the signing of the season for them. I expect him to do well and lead the team with Gaston.

Stoke City

In:

Marc Muniesa Barcelona B Free

Erik Pieters PSV Eindhoven £3,000,000

Out:

Matthew Upson Brighton & Hove Albion Free

Dean Whitehead Middlesbrough Free

JD: Stoke is also having a quiet window so far. Except that they have lost their influential manager. Will this stoke team do better without their former manager? Only time will tell. Their current signing doesnt seemed to prove us wrong.

Sunderland

In:

Emanuele Giaccherini Juventus Undisclosed

El-Hadj Ba Le Havre AC Undisclosed

Jozy Altidore AZ Alkmaar Undisclosed

Vito Mannone Arsenal Undisclosed

David Moberg Karlsson IFK Undisclosed

Cabral FC Basel Free

Mobido Diakite Lazio Free

Valentin Roberge Maritimo Free

Duncan Watmore Altrincham Undisclosed

Out:

Matthew Kilgallon Blackburn Rovers Free

Danny Graham Hull Loan

Alfred Ndiaye Eskisehirspor K Loan

Jordan Pickford Burton Albion Loan

Simon Mignolet Liverpool Undisclosed

Ahmed Elmohamady Hull £2,000,000

JD: 9 in 6 out. They should be the most busy team in this summer. Out go their 1st choice keeper, their talented Danny Graham. In came a whole string of unknown players, maybe only Mannone is a familiar face.

Maybe it's not the quantity but the quality i guess?

Swansea City

In:

Jernade Meade Free Agent Free

Wilfried Bony Vitesse Arnhem £12,000,000

Jonjo Shelvey Liverpool £5,000,000

Pozuelo Real Betis Undisclosed

Jordi Amat Espanyol £2,500,000

Jose Ruiz Herrera Canas Real Betis Free

Joanthan De Guzman Villarrel Loan

Out:

Kyle Bartley Birmingham City Loan

Alan Tate Yeovil Town Loan

Kemy Agustien Brighton Free

Gwion Edwards St Johnstone Loan

David Cornell St Mirren Loan

Mark Gower Charlton Free

JD: Another team with a busy summer. Swansea is not a team who will make wholesale changes, this season, they have recruited Shelvey, De Guzman and Bony. Will they fit nicely into the passing team? Or can they finally secure their good goal scoring form with Michu staying?

Tottenham Hotspur

In:

Roberto Soldado Valencia €30,000,000

Paulinho Corinthians £17,000,000

Nacer Chadli Twente Enschede Undisclosed

Out:

Clint Dempsey Seattle Sounders FC Undisclosed

Grant Hall Swindon Town Loan

Massimo Luongo Swindon Town Loan

Jack Barthram Swindon Town Free

John Bostock Toronto FC Loan

Tomislav Gomelt Doncaster Rovers Loan

Adam Smith Derby County Loan

Steven Caulker Cardiff Undisclosed

Bongani Khumalo Doncaster Rovers Loan

Alex Pritchard Swindon Loan

Ryan Mason Swindon Loan

JD: Exodus seemed to be the word for Spurs, who had loan and sold lots of players. Dempsey who had played just 1 good season had left them for good. Caulker had also left them. Interesting to see 4 spurs players joining Swindon on loan.

Will Bale force his way out to join Cristiano Ronaldo at Real?

I have to say it will be a successful window for them, having already gotten Soldado and Paulinho. Their future looks promising if Bale stays.

West Brom

In:

Diego Lugano PSG Free

Goran Popov Dynamo Kiev Loan

Nicolas Anelka Juventus Free

Out:

Marc-Antoine Fortune Wigan Athletic Free

Gonzalo Jara Nottingham Forest Free

Scott Allan Birmingham City Loan

JD: Anelka is back. This time with West Brom. Anelka had several spells with EPL teams, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man C, Bolton Chesea and now West Brom. Is this his final destination before he hang up his boots?

Other signings seemed normal. West Brom had been very stable in recent years. Will Anelka propel them forward or will they finally fall?

West Ham United

In:

Adrián San Miguel del Castillo Real Betis Free

Danny Whitehead Stockport County Undisclosed

Andrew Carroll Liverpool Undisclosed

Razvan Dinca Rat Shakhtar Donetsk Free

Out:

Robert Hall Bolton Wanderers Free

Frederic Piquionne Portland Timbers Free

JD: Last but not least, we saw Andrew Carroll finally arriving at West Ham. With Piquionne leaving on a free too.

West Ham was rumored to have bid for Downing turned down by the player, who have vowed to keep his place at Anfield. Big Sam would make too many changes to his team and i think they will not surprise too many of us with a mid-table finish.

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Drama mama EPL 12/13 (Part 3)

For the 1st and 2nd part of this series, we have discussed on the pros and cons of the top and mid table teams. Today, we will be sharing on the strugglers of the EPL, and unfortunately for 3 of them, it means they will start their new season in the Champions League Championship (A lower tier league than the EPL).

	P	W	D	L	GD	PTS
Man Utd	38	28	5	5	43	89
Man City	38	23	9	6	32	78
Chelsea	38	22	9	7	36	75
Arsenal	38	21	10	7	35	73
Tottenham	38	21	9	8	20	72
Everton	38	16	15	7	15	63
Liverpool	38	16	13	9	28	61
West Brom	38	14	7	17	-4	49
Swansea	38	11	13	14	-4	46
West Ham	38	12	10	16	-8	46
Norwich	38	10	14	14	-17	44
Fulham	38	11	10	17	-10	43
Stoke	38	9	15	14	-11	42
Southampton	38	9	14	15	-11	41
Aston Villa	38	10	11	17	-22	41
Newcastle	38	11	8	19	-23	41
Sunderland	38	9	12	17	-13	39
Wigan	38	9	9	20	-26	36
Reading	38	6	10	22	-30	28
QPR	38	4	13	21	-30	25

14) Southampton - Southampton started their season brightly. Although they were rooted to the bottom of the league early in the season, they have shown plenty of fighting spirit. Many of their games were lost only in the dying minutes of the game. That includes a defeat against the eventual winners, Man Utd.

Some history for Southampton, they were always the EPL strugglers back in the 90s. However, they were never down, until their Legendary striker, Matt Le Tissier decided to hang up his boots. So they finally came back to the EPL, i hope they do stay for awhile longer, with their nickname Saints, it should be quite interested to see if they can continue staying in the EPL like how they did during Le Tissier's time.

Looking at their team, 2 players stood out for me, 1 of them is Nathaniel Clyne the full back anf the other Gaston Ramirez. Both of these players are playing in a team smaller than their ability. Clyne got the potential to represent England some day. Already got his 1st EPL goal and 3 assists in the process, this kid got potential to be the next Glen Johnson. Ramirez on the other hand, snub his Uruguary team mate Luis Suarez and Liverpool to join Southampton. It did caught many people by surprised. So did he chose a better team? Well, league position wise no. But in terms of potential of playing regular football, maybe Saints is a better team to be in. This looks like a stepping stone to his better future though.

I dont expect them to do much better in the following season though. Saints got to get their act together if they hope to stay in the EPL for another season. Poor defence had caused them dearly.


15) Aston Villa - The Villian fans had been a poor group in recent years. They had been suffering with their team for all these years. Gone were the days where they were fighting for Europe.

Looking at the team line up, there are some good players worth mentioning though. Christian Benteke, Marc Albrighton, Charles N Zogbia, Ciaran Clark  and Andreas Weimann. These players looks like a good bunch of players who can change a game. Moreover, their head coach is Paul Lambert, the man who brought Norwich City back to the EPL and flying high.

Villa almost got the drop if not for their last minute good form in the EPL. The above mentioned players would be thinking if they wishes to stick by their beloved team or move on to a better prospect future. Benteke and Weimann had already been linked to bigger teams and it looks set that they will lose Benteke. Scorer of 19 goals, Benteke is what every manager wants on their team.

Lambert will need to reorganise his team in the following season if they wishes to move up the EPL table.

16) Newcastle - Back in the 90s, Newcastle United holds one of the best attack in the EPL, deadly finishing from the strikers such as Les Ferdinand and Alan Shearer, led the team to be in the top half of every season. Since then, Newcastle's ride in the EPL had been a roller coaster one. Last season's 6th place from the table, shocked many fans around the world. The likes of Demba Ba and Demba Papiss Cisse are deadly. However, it seems like the duo cannot play together.

When Cisse scores, Ba did not. When Ba scores, Cisse would not. So is there a mismatch? After the sale of Ba to Chelsea after Ba's clause was triggered, Cisse did not seem to score more. In fact, the departed Ba scored more than Cisse. Only managed 8 goals in the Premier League, Cisse had indeed let the fans down.

However, Newcastle still held on to Ben Arfa and Cabaye. They looks like the reason why Newcastle will continue playing in the EPL next season. But enough will be enough, the Board need to invest in a better lot of players in order to challenge for the next season. Money earned from Andy Carroll sale had not been used to purchase a world class striker. If they dont buck up, it wont be surprising to see Newcastle returning to the Championship just like how they did a few seasons ago.

17) Sunderland - The appointment of Paolo Di Canio seems to be a good one. Who could have forgotten about the push on Paul Alcock (referee who sent Di Canio off)? Di Canio is a villian for sure, he done what nobody expected him to do. But the Sunderland under him seems to have a slight improvement, as the black cats refused to take relegation in their books.

Looking at the team sheet, only Steven Fletcher seems to stand out from the rest. But that's not enough for sure. Yes Sunderland is an united team, not having any star player or any kind, but if Sunderland wants to avoid the same fate as Reading and Wigan, they need a massive change.

18) Wigan - The Latics are down. Finally. They had been playing at the Top flight for quite a number of seasons now. The departed Roberto Martinez would not be apologetic about the way he managed the team.

So what went wrong for Wigan? Nothing very much actually, they did much of the stuff correctly, they even won a cup! All i can say is tough luck, their inconsistancy cost them their place in the EPL next season.

So will they return ? Yes, maybe. If they can keep Callum McManaman.

19) Reading - When i was watching how Reading played in the Premier League, i cant help to think, man, this team will definitely be relegated come end of season. No big names, no good manager, no money, no great attacking football, no ambition.

The dream for EPL is over Reading. In fact they did worst than their last stay in the EPL. Please, dont ever come back if this is your style of playing. Stay in the Championship.

20) QPR - The only thing QPR did right is to keep their name as Queens Park Rangers. They got a nice name i would say. Tony Fernandez, i am sorry but the bunch of players you recruited in are a waste of money.

So who caused QPR to be relegated? Every QPR fan will agree with me, Mark Hughes. He bought supposingly good players like Julio Cesar, Robert Green, Bosingwa, M bia, Samba , Park and Remy. Also loan a few others in, but the combination is a failure. His tactic is just simply not good enough.

Come his successor, Harry Redknapp. He had helped Portsmouth escaped relegated some time ago. He had helped Spurs reached CL for the 1st time. He was once touted as the next England Manager. But his magical touch cannot save QPR in their relegation.

Many players will start handling in their transfer request, with players such as Bosingwa laughing in the tunnel on their final game of the season following their relegation, one must be thinking, man this team got some problem?

QPR would find it difficult to return to the EPL with the tempo of the Championship extremely difficult now. It will be a matter of time before some bigger team approach Redknapp and leave QPR in the dead.

That's all for the 3 parts review of the Drama Mama EPL season as the curtain comes to a close.

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