The Possible XI On The Move

In this blog piece I will be picking the XI that I believe will be on the move this Summer.  All of the players picked aren't out of contract so fees will need to be agreed if any managers are reading this!

Goalkeeper - Paul Robinson (32) - Blackburn Rovers

Despite being unable to stop Blackburn slip through the trap door, Robinson was one of the bright sparks in an otherwise drab season for the Lancashire side.  A number of impressive performances saw the former England international tipped for a recall to the side despite him announcing his international retirement in 2007.  The Rovers captain will have no shortage of offers after his impressive two seasons at Ewood Park and, even at the ripe old age of 32, being a goalkeeper, he will have a number of years left in him yet. QPR, West Brom, West Ham are believed to be interested in the former Leeds and Tottenham stopper.   My money is on West Ham though, especially after confirming that Robert Green will leave the club and with Robinson having worked with Sam Allardyce at Blackburn before Steve Kean's appointment. 

Right back - Chris Gunter (22) - Nottingham Forest

The Welshman hasn't quite lived up to the billing since bursting onto the scene as a 16 year old with Cardiff City.  His potential led to a number of clubs bidding for the youngster with Tottenham winning the race for his signature.  Soon later however, he joined Nottingham Forest on loan before signing a permanent deal with the Reds for a fee of around £1.75m.  Having been at the City Ground for three season's now, the 22 year old full back has impressed greatly and was part of the Forest side, under Billy Davies that reached two successive play offs.  However, this season has seen Forest struggle and, amidst a couple of financial issues, the club may be forced to cash in on their prized asset.  A number of clubs including Swansea City and Norwich City are sniffing around Gunter who may even opt to join Reading to team up once again with former team-mate Garath McCleary who joined the Royals from Forest last month.  Surely he won't do the cardinal sin and be an ex-Bluebird that joins Swansea?!

Centre back - Richard Keogh (25) - Coventry City

In Richard Keogh's ast two years at Coventry City, he has won the Player of the Year award both times.  Relegated in a disappointing season for Coventry which saw them fall into League 1, the defender looks to be on the move.  A large number of clubs such as Cardiff City, Burnley, Ipswich Town, Leeds United and a former club Bristol City are interested meaning that Keogh will probably see a move back to the Championship sooner rather than later.  Figures between £750,000 - £1m have been banded about for the ex-Carlisle defender which shows he has the quality for the higher league.  At 25, he's a good age to get better as well as having plenty of experience.  Will be a good capture for whatever Championship club he does indeed join.

Centre back - Kyle McFadzean (25) - Crawley Town

Being a Crawley fan, of course I'm going to be ever so slightly bias but, I truly believe that "Fadz" will be playing Championship football soon (hopefully with the mighty Reds!).  Since joining from then Blue Square North side Alfreton Town in 2010, he has been an absolute colossus at the back and I have no doubt he can play at a higher level.  Plenty of clubs have been looking at the former Sheffield United trainee with Peterborough making a £1.9m bid for Kyle and Tyrone Barnett (Who eventually joined the Posh) in January.  Previously the likes of Millwall, Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday have sent scouts down to the Broadfield Stadium however, with promotion success in the two seasons he has spent in West Sussex, hopefully McFadzean will see his future at Crawley.  Expect plenty of offers to be laid on the table but hopefully he will stay (please)!

Left back - Leighton Baines (27) - Everton

The long term Ashley Cole backup has been a consistent performer for Everton since joining from Wigan Athletic five years ago. The 27 year old actually began his career in the Everton youth ranks (As did Phil Jagielka) before joining for a fee of £6m.  With Everton being renowned for not having a lot of money to spend on players, clubs are circling to bring the Scouser away from Goodison Park.  Recently, Manchester United (looking for a long term successor for the 32 year old Patrice Evra) and German giants Bayern Munich are looking to add Baines to their ranks.  Baines has now started to add a few more goals to his game now and is a free kick specialist which may add to a nice figure that the Toffees could command.  Expect a fee of £10m upwards to be enough to sway a move for the attacking left back.

Right midfield - Robert Snodgrass (24) - Leeds United

Robert Snodgrass has been a top class performer for Leeds for the last four seasons now since joining from Livingston in 2008.  The left footed attacker has tormented numerous Championship sides since his arrival being a key figure in goals scored by the Yorkshire club.  Proven at a higher level after performing against the likes of Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal in FA Cup ties, Snodgrass will be looking to test himself in the Premier League after playing over 150 times for the club.  Expect Norwich City to make a bid to bring Snodgrass to Carrow Road to join former team mates Bradley Johnson and Johnny Howson in the City midfield but West Ham and West Brom are also looking at signing the Scotland International star.  Personally, I think he will go to Norwich.

Centre midfield - Peter Whittingham (27) - Cardiff City

Similarly to Snodgrass, Peter Whittingham has been tearing up the Championship for a number of years after joining Cardiff from Aston Villa five years ago. After a large number of play-off defeats when the going gets tough for Cardiff, Whittingham maybe tempted away from the Welsh.  Every Summer sees the 27 year old linked with a move away from Wales and this Summer, at his age he may have to move to better his career. West Ham had a bid turned down for the midlander in January, they are rumoured to be interested again as are Reading, West Brom and Fulham.  A move back to the Premier League looks to finally be on the cards for Whittingham.

Centre midfield - Gylfi Sigurdsson (22) - Hoffenheim

The former Reading star has had a terrific last six months.  Joining Swansea on loan in January he impressed greatly during his time in south Wales with the Swans being keen to make his stay a permanent one.  With the deal looking close, manager Brendan Rodgers joined Liverpool and the speculated £6.8m deal seemed to be put on hold.  With Rodgers' new team ready to pounce and Reading's new owners ready to splash the cash to bring the Icelandic back to the Madejski Stadium.  The three way tussle is likely to hot up for the signature of the talented goalscoring midfielder.  Where will he go? I reckon he will join Liverpool.... Now I have said this, he will probably just stay in Germany with Hoffenheim!

Left midfield - Nick Powell (18) - Crewe Alexandra

Nick Powell is another prospect to have come from the Crewe Alexandra Academy.  The Crewe-born teenager came off the same conveyor belt as Danny Murphy, Dean Ashton, Rob Hulse and Luke Varney and Powell is one that Crewe believe will be their best ever Academy player.  Having seen him first hand twice last season you could see the quality that he has even at his young age.  Manchester United and Chelsea are just two of the clubs bidding to pull him away from Gresty Road with United rumoured to have offered Crewe a whopping £4m for the player.  Scouts flocked to Wembley to watch the youngster in the play-off Final between Crewe and Cheltenham and saw Powell score a wonder goal in a 2-0 win for The Alex that sealed promotion to League 1.  If he does join one of the big boys, expect to see him back in the Football League on loan at around Championship or League 1 level.

Striker - Edin Dzeko (26) - Manchester City

Unbelievably, it seems that Manchester City are willing to let the big man leave the club.  In a season where City gained Premier League success, Dzeko chipped in with 21 goals; including the important second goal on the final game of the season against QPR.  Bought for a whopping £27m from Wolfsburg in January 2011, it now looks as if the striker may be heading back to Germany with Bayern Munich interested.  Other clubs looking into signing the forward include Juventus and big spending PSG with Carlo Ancelotti keen on him.  It took him a while to get going but he eventually found his feet in the Premier League and adds another dimension to City's play and a valuable option from the bench if or when needed.  In fact, an interesting statistic from the season just gone, of all the Premier League players who made 20+ appearances, only Wayne Rooney and Mario Balotelli had a better minutes per goal rate than Dzeko (106.9).

Striker - Grant Holt (31) - Norwich City

Finally we come to the final member of the starting XI.  If anything, Grant Holt seems the most likely of the lot to leave his club.  A contractual disagreement between him, his agent and the Norwich City people that sort out the contracts meant that Holt submitted an unsuccessful transfer request.  With two years left to run on his contract and Holt seemingly signalling his intentions to leave Carrow Road it looks as if he will go.  With a superb first Premier League season under his belt which saw the former Nottingham Forest forward hit 17 goals in all competitions he has attracted a number of admirers.  Rumour has it that the likes of West Ham have lodged bids for him although, it is looking increasingly likely that Holt will join his former Canaries manager Paul Lambert at Aston Villa.  Expect a fee of around £6m - £7.5m to be agreed some time soon with Holt's Norwich career in disarray.

The Subs bench:

Matt Phillips (21) - Blackpool (Winger/Striker)

Clint Dempsey (29) - Fulham (Attacking Midfielder)

Eunan O'Kane (21) - Torquay United (Midfielder)

Sam Baldock (23) - West Ham (Striker)

Fraser Forster (24) - Newcastle United (Goalkeeper)

Separating the men from the boys

It's that time of year again.  The business end of the season or, as some call it, "squeeky bum time".  It won't be long until teams will embrace the joy of a promotion or a league win and those teams not so lucky having the heartbreak of goal difference away from success or relegation.


Here, I am going to do a series of the ups and the downs in the four tiers of the English game.  Who's winning things and who's crying on the pitch at the end of the campaign.

I'll begin with the Premier League.

WINNERS/TOP 4

The big ongoing battle at the top has been, for a long time Manchester United v Manchester City.  Roberto Mancini's side seemed to have had the upper hand for the majority of the season, but, after the away defeat at Swansea, United capitalised and, at this moment in time are 4 points clear of their neighbours.

City's home form was the real catalyst behind their successful campaign (Recently going a whole calendar year winning EVERY home league match they played).  However, away from home they have looked rather shaky with draws against Fulham and West Brom along with defeats at Sunderland and Everton.

United on the other hand seem to have really pushed on since their 6-1 home mauling by City way back in October 2011 and, as the pundits regularly say "get better during the second half of the season".  By the looks of things, the Red Devils have the easier run in too.

Where City really did cock it up was losing Joleon Lescott and the influential skipper Vincent Kompany due to suspensions and injuries and having to call upon the mistake-prone Stefan Savic at the back, a number of his mistakes have led to opposition goals.

Savic has hasn't had the best of times

The early promise shown by Edin Dzeko seemed to have faded away a while ago and for some reason, Mancini decides that his best forward Sergio Aguero is only good enough for the bench some weeks.

United haven't looked brilliant all season but, as you normally see with Fergie's side they win any way they can, even without the presence of Nemanja Vidic for the majority of the season and relying on the not so good Jonny Evans (How he has the audacity to pick up a wage I don't know).

So, prediction time..... For me, United will be the ones celebrating yet another title success - City, and in the words of Anne Robinson on The Weakest Link, will be left with nothing apart from a runners up spot after bowing out of every other competition.

The other two spots for Champions League places next season I believe will fall to Arsenal and Spurs finishing in 3rd and 4th respectively.

The Harry Redknapp saga has come at just the wrong time for Spurs who were going great guns before the court case and the England job talk came around.  They'll still be top 4 but I reckon Arsenal will pip them to third.

Arsenal to finish third... after their dreadful start you would have been joking if you'd said that back in September time.  Their reliant Robin is obviously the main reason for their "decent" season, weighing in with 37 goals in all competitions and being involved in 67% of Arsenal's goals all season.  He seems to have got over his different range of injuries now which begs the question "Just how many goals would he have got in his Gunners career if he had stayed fit the whole time?!"

VAN THE MAN: Has had a memorable season

RELEGATION

It's tight down there! Three of Blackburn, Bolton, QPR, Wigan and Wolves will be Championship sides next season in mine and many's opinion.

Firstly, Blackburn.  They really have come on leaps and bounds recently and, admittedly I was one of the "Kean Out Brigade" despite not even being a Rovers fan!  He's shown he's a tough nut to crack and despite the abuse and hatred coming from the Ewood Park stands he hasn't been broken and has got his team winning now which ultimately stopped the boo boys.  His purchase of 38  28 year old Yakubu in the Summer has been a real masterstroke with the big man weighing in with his fair share of goals helping his side move clear of the bottom 3.  Kean was once an idiot, but now, for me, is an absolute legend!  Blackburn will be SAFE.

Kean has turned Rovers' fortunes around

Next up are Bolton, who similarly to Blackburn began awfully but gradually Owen Coyle has turned their fortunes around.  Due to the events that happened at Whit Hart Lane last week to Fabrice Muamba, Wanderers will be focusing on his health at the moment rather than the next game but I'm sure, with the players they have they will be alright by the end of the season.

Now to who I think will finish in the bottom three; QPR, Wolves and Wigan Athletic.

I'm a huge fan of Roberto Martinez, in fact, many are huge fans of Roberto Martinez; he's just a genuine, nice guy but I feel that the time has come for them to finally, finally get relegated down to the Championship.  Over the last few years they have been very lucky at the tail end of the season - Last season saw Charles N'Zogbia almost single handedly keep them up and if it wasn't for a Hugo Rodallega goal against Stoke on the last day they would have gone down.  Playing well at the moment but I just feel there's not enough in the tank for them.  They'll battle though, that's for sure.

Next is Wolves who, for me made a wrong move in replacing Mick McCarthy as manager.  Plenty of experience in the type of situation they are in at the moment and instead of replacing him with a proven manager they appointed Terry Connor.  They just look like a demoralised team, low on confidence along with having a captain who turns up to training drunk.  Conceding goals for fun and having an in-ability to score goals doesn't bode well for the Molineux club.

Its been that type of season for Wolves under Connor (L) and McCarthy (R)

And, finally, to QPR.  It gets on my nerves when people say that a team is too good to go down... We've seen it in the past with Newcastle and West Ham getting relegated over the last two years and I fear QPR could be that type of club.  Mark Hughes hasn't had the impact that everyone was expecting and, if your team have discipline problems then it isn't the best of starts.

Bottom 3 for me:

18. QPR
19. Wigan Athletic
20. Wolves

Has the tide turned in Manchester?

Sunday 23rd October 2011. This is the date that Manchester City fans will remember for the rest of their lives. The day they mauled their arch rivals Manchester United 6-1, at Old Trafford - United's heaviest defeat since 1955.

Safe trip back to London

As much as the result was impressive, many people were instead asking the question Have the sky blues taken over from their city rivals?


One look at the squads of both sides and you feel that the answer is yes. Dimitar Berbatov, Wayne Rooney  Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck are United's four main men in the striking department whereas City have numerous top class strikers to choose from in Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko, Mario Balotelli and until January at least, Carlos Tevez.  The City midfield has an array of talent too - Samir Nasri, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Adam Johnson, Nigel De Jong, James Milner and Gareth Barry are the regulars that Italian gaffer Roberto Mancini tinkers with whereas United, under Sir Alex Ferguson seem to have much less of an influence in the middle of the park since the retirement of Paul Scholes.

Scholes was key to the United midfield

The central midfield options of Anderson, Tom Cleverley, Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher and Darron Gibson shows you that United certainly lack quality in that department and teams could, similarly like City and David Silva did on Sunday simply play their way through the middle of United's midfield.  There is no ball winner or Roy Keane like hardman in the middle. Anderson always flatters to deceive, Cleverley is an up and coming youngster, Carrick is not worls class, Fletcher... how has he won everything he's won? Should be playing for an average Premier League team such as QPR, Everton or everbody's second favourite team; Fulham.

At the back United, without Nemanja Vidic look extremely vulnerable.  In my view, Rio Ferdinand's best days are behind him. Its alright being rated 86 overall on Fifa 12 but in real life, sadly for Rio he is not up to the standard.  Speaking of not being up to standard I move on to Jonny Evans who seems to have been around for years but a quick look tells me the Northern Irishman is still only 23 years old. Evans always seemed dodgy to me and had another poor game for the Red Devils on Sunday with "Super Mario" Balotelli tormenting him, turning him and then getting Evans to bring him down which ultimately saw the former Sunderland loanee sent off.  As well as Evans you have two youngsters in there in Chris "Did you know he used to play for Maidstone" Smalling and Phil Jones - I do wish the commentators would stop going on about Smalling's past   I must have been told he played for a local Kent side about 2,028 times now. Jones is decent though and I feel he will be a regular England player in a year or two. Patrice Evra has also been a consistent performer over the years.

Smalling played for Maidstone dontchaknow!

Finally, the goalkeeper. David De Gea arrived with most United fans going on about just how great this bearded Spaniard is.  As far as I have seen De Gea flaps at crosses, doesn't save the easier shots and gets nutmegged a lot.  Yes, he maybe decent in the future but at this moment in time isn't that good in my opinion.  Maybe Sir Alex should give Kuszczak a go?

United can't believe their luck... Karma...

City on the other hand have a real leader in the Belgian stopper Vincent Kompany and ex-Everton player Jolean Lescott who I have to admit I have never been a massive fan of but he has had a terrific start to the season it has to be said.  At right back, Micah Richards is the man bombing forward to help City attack.  Richards should be in the England team in my view. Always seems to give his all but for some reason Capello overlooks him... having said that this is Capello we are talking about here... City also have two good left backs to choose from in Aleksander Kolarov and Gael Clichy - Both are very very attacking.

Goalkeeper Joe Hart is a reliable man to have inbetween the posts. 24 years old and still has a lot of time on his side. Excellent keeper who pulls of some top class saves but you do feel he has a mistake in him.

David Silva wheels away in delight after netting

So, on the pitch City have the advantage.

Off the pitch, money helps of course but you also need to buy the correct players. For the first time since the Sheikh factor was introduced, City seemed to play as a real "Team" on Sunday and looked brilliant.  If things aren't going well then I'm sure Mancini can sign a few decent players.  With Tevez probably on his way to the Manchester Airport Departures Lounge in January, City are likely to go out and get another forward when the transfer window re-opend. I know just the player, a young Argentine who plays in La Liga, decent prospect, quick, good brain, scores a few goals and seems to have a good attitude... thats it, Gonzalo Higuain!

United. Well, for starters they do need a central midfield hardman in there, being the Football Manager scout that I am, they could probably get someone like Roma's Danielle De Rossi fairly cheap. Another centre back and maybe another keeper should be top of Fergie's wishlist.

Has the pendulum swung in City's favour?  Yes! 6-1 is a rout no matter what team you are.  Add to the fact its against a team that are top of the league and away to your arch rivals show City mean business!