Liquid Football - A Slicker Football Blog

Diary? Who needs a diary?

Me. Apparently. After all due to my lack of foresight I will be unable to watch what will surely be one of the most defining and grandioso weekends in the English football calendar.

Instead of sitting down at Bert's Bar with a pint in one hand and semi-willing girlfriend in the other, eagerly anticipating Super-Uber-Duper-Gluber-Juper Sunday (or whatever Sky calls it these days), I will be rolling eggs down hills, and listening to my grandmother regale of many an Easter gone by. I find it hard to imagine greater hells.

That last sentence was perhaps a tad strong. I find it incredible easy to imagine greater hells. One such occassion being when I forgot that the Champions League Final was on the same night that I was meant to be judging some sodding school talent contest. This was made all the more worse that it was THAT final between Milan and Liverpool.

So, in order that I (and you dear reader) might avoid precious family meet-ups and meaningless social events with some sort of "illness" or "prior engagement", I've compiled a list of 8 dates that you absolutely cannot miss. If you take your football seriously, write these down in your diary. Now.

Sunday 23rd March - Chelsea v Arsenal / Man Utd v Liverpool
Grand Slam Sunday. Chelsea could turn the table on its head by leapfrogging Arsenal and potentially Man Utd in the space of a few hours.

Saturday 5th April - Arsenal v Liverpool
The 2nd of 3 back-to-back meetings between the two sides. So much at stake for both sides in the league as well as the previous game will make this a cracking encounter.

Tuesday 8th April - Liverpool v Arsenal
The key second leg should set up a tie with Chelsea for a place in the Champions League Final.

Sunday 13th April - Man Utd v Arsenal
Arsenal's final real test in the league. This could either seal their death, or seal the EPL title. The same scenario applies for the Red Devils...

Saturday 26th April - Chelsea v Man Utd
...except that this will be their final test. You can almost guarantee that the outcome of this game will have a seismic bearing on the outcome of the league.

Tuesday 29th / Wednesday 30th April - Man Utd v Barcelona
A speculative fixture, but if both teams progress against their quarter-final opponents as expected, mouths will water at the prospect of Europe's 2 most attractive football teams go head to head for a place in the CL final.

17th May - Portsmouth / West Brom v Barnsley / Cardiff
A chance to see one of the Big Four NOT lift the coveted FA Cup... and an opportunity for a Championship side to grab glory in a competition that has been full of upsets.

21st May - Chelsea v Barcelona
If the bookies are to be trusted, these two rivals will face each other again in Europe's premier soccer competition, but this time for the trophy itself. It could also be Liverpool v Man Utd, Chelsea v Roma, or perhaps Shalke v Fenerbahce. Any way, it'll be a cracking contest.

I think the main message here is keep every weekend free and most midweeks off. The run-in is going to be one of the greatest of all time.

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Premier League To Play Matches Abroad! One Slight Problem Though...

Here's the jist from BBC:

An additional round of Premier League fixtures, extending the season to 39 games, from January 2011

Four clubs to travel to one of five host cities, with two games taking place in each venue over a weekend

Cities would bid for the right to become a host, not for individual matches

Points earned from the games would count towards the final Premier League table

In this 'special' 39th game, lets say that Man Utd are drawn against Derby, and Arsenal have to face Man City. I can imagine that Derby, Arsenal and Man City will be peeved that they have to play significantly harder matches than Man Utd. It's a big impact pyschologically, and potentially points wise too.

The SPL received worldwide criticism after introducing the split in 2000. I see no reason why the EPL won't suffer the same fate.

In the end, it's all about the greedy fat cats at the Premier League wanting to get richer and bigger at the expense of the fans and integrity of English football.

Are you opposed to the propositions, or do you see it as an excellent opportunity for the EPL to grow? I'd like to hear your comments below.

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Fantasy Football - The Best Point For Pound Players... And The Worst

In the world of fantasy football, we'd all love to have the likes of Ronaldo, Fabregas, Drogba and Torres in our teams. But there's always that nasty transfer budget lurking around the next corner, waiting to pounce and tell you that you only have enough money left for Titus Bramble.

Because of this, we've compiled a list of the players who have the most points per million pounds, and so FF fans everywhere can become more economical, and realise that it's not really worth splashing out £15m on a certain Wayne Rooney (he made it to 196th on our list).

Points Per Million Pounds (PMP) were calcuted from the comprehensive Fantasy Football site, Squad God. It takes into account detailed stats such as shots on target and interceptions, as well as goals and clean sheets.

Economical Players

Player PMP
1. Martin Laursen 64.7
2. Sulley Muntari 50
3. Gael Clichy 47.4
4. Robert Green 39.5
5. Roque Santa Cruz 39.3
6. Vedran Corluka 38.2
7. Christopher Samba 37.3
8. Paul Scharner 37.2
9. Titus Bramble 37 (No, this is not a mistake)
10. George McCartney 36.4

And just for the hell of it, here are 10 players you should really stay clear of:

False Economy Players

1. Marc Edworthy -0.8
2. Fitz Hall -0.4
3. Radek Cerny -0.4
4. Colin Doyle -0.4
5. Moritz Volz -0.2
6. Shola Ameobi 0
7. Gary Neville 0 (will he ever be not injured?)
8. Julian Faubert 0
9. Valeri Bojinov 0
10. Jimmy Bullard 0

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Premier League Managers Mid-Term Report Card - Part II

Following up on Part I of our Managerial Report Card, we take a look at how well the coaches from Manchester City to Wigan Athletic have performed thus far.

Manchester City – Sven-Goran Eriksson
Position: 7th, but equal on points with 4th placed Liverpool, and have been 3rd for much of the season.
Use of Resources: Sven has spent a lot on unknown foreigners, but it has paid off for him, and in style, with Elano and Petrov being particularly effective.
Strengths: As with most Eriksson teams, Man City are solid down the middle, and have a committed defence. The Swede also has a very keen eye for a good overseas player.
Suggested Improvements: Sometimes, City have lacked the ability to deliver a killer blow to turn a draw into a victory.
Predicted Position: They should crawl out of their current slump in form and finish a strong 5th.
Overall Grade: A

Manchester United – Alex Ferguson
Position: 1st.
Use of Resources: Top of the table and playing some truly liquid football, you have to say that Fergie has got the most out of his squad.
Strengths: Building truly great teams time and time again. Clubs like Newcastle should follow Man Utd’s example of sticking with a manager.
Suggested Improvements: Very hard to pick out any, one criticism could be that would he have done so well without the millions available to him?
Predicted Position: 1st. Barring any slip-ups or Arsenal continuing strongly.
Overall Grade: A

Middlesbrough – Gareth Southgate
Position: 14th, but only 1 point from safety such is the tightness of the bottom half.
Use of Resources: He doesn’t have one of the strongest sides in the Premier League, so 14th is about where they should be.
Strengths: Getting results against teams near or below them.
Suggested Improvements: Boro need some consistency. One day they’ll be defeating Arsenal, the next they’ll be losing 3-0 to Brimingham.
Predicted Position: I can’t see Boro’ improving by the end of the season. 15th.
Overall Grade: C

Newcastle United – Sam Allardyce
Position: 11th, and 6 points behind West Ham in 10th.
Use of Resources: Sam used the money available to him, but was unable to get the best out of quality players such as Owen, Viduka, Smith and Barton.
Strengths: Allardyce was known for building strong teams with a good work ethic, but unfortunately this was not on display at Newcastle.
Suggested Improvements: Try to get your team to play with some cohesion and passion, and maybe you won’t get sacked after 8 months.
Predicted Position: 12th. I see Spurs leapfrogging them in the new year.
Overall Grade: F

Portsmouth – Harry Redknapp
Position: 9th, but with better home form should be higher.
Use of Resources: Hazza has assembled a strong, physical side that’s hard to break down. They should be scoring more though.
Strengths: Defence and outmuscling more technical sides.
Suggested Improvements: Getting a goal at home once in a while wouldn’t hurt.
Predicted Position: They’ll snap out of poor home form to overtake Blackburn by the end of the season. 8th.
Overall Grade: B+

Reading – Steve Coppell
Position: 13th. Relatively successful considering other teams who have suffered bad 2nd season syndrome.
Use of Resources: Has a weak squad compared to the rest of the EPL, so Coppell has done well to keep them this high.
Strengths: Steve is an excellent tactician, and is able to form a tightly-knit team.
Suggested Improvements: A lack of ambition, perhaps? He told his players last year not to go for a European place to avoid distraction this term.
Predicted Position: There’s no sign of Reading moving too much up or down, so they should stay around 13th.
Overall Grade: B-

Sunderland – Roy Keane
Position: 18th. After a solid start, life in the Premier League appears to have caught up with Keano’s side.
Use of Resources: With what is essentially a championship squad, anything above the relegation zone would be an achievement.
Strengths: Keane appears to have instilled a never-say-die attitude into Sunderland, with them scoring a few goals deep into injury time.
Suggested Improvements: Then again, the reason they have to score last minute goals is due to them conceding silly ones in the 1st place. There’s no point in having an £8 million ‘keeper if you can’t defend in the first place.
Predicted Position: Unless they start cutting out the mistakes, I can’t see them staying up. 19th.
Overall Grade: C

Tottenham Hotspur – Juande Ramos
Position: 12th. After a horror start to the season, Ramos has begun to turn the London club around.
Use of Resources: Given that people were talking about Spurs possibly beating Arsenal into 4th this season, 12th is slightly off expectations. But Ramos must be given time.
Strengths: Have a frightful attack consisting of the free-scoring Berbatov and Keane.
Suggested Improvements: However, they also have a frightfully awful defence. You don’t get into Europe by shipping 19 goals in 12 games.
Predicted Position: 10th. A squad of their quality should break into the top half of the table. Spurs also tend to be solid come the final few games.
Overall Grade: B-

West Ham United – Alan Curbishley
Position: 10th. Good away form but poor results at home equals mid-table.
Use of Resources: West Ham’s side is weaker than the teams above them, but stronger than the ones below, so 10th is about right.
Strengths: Playing away from home, and managing to resurrect his side from the dire position they were in last season.
Suggested Improvements: Just, get some points at home Curbs.
Predicted Position: I see them slipping down a place with Tottenham taking their place. 11th.
Overall Grade: B

Wigan Athletic – Steve Bruce
Position: 17th. Precariously above the relegation zone, but Steve Bruce will be happy if they’re there come May.
Use of Resources: Bruce has actually done a decent job with the squad he’s got. Wins over Spurs, Newcastle and Sunderland, as well as draws with Man City and Liverpool have propelled the Latics into safety... for now.
Strengths: Bruce’s team has a habit of grinding out results, an essential trait when in a relegation dogfight.
Suggested Improvements: With the team that Bruce has, it would be unfair to criticise given their recent run of relatively good results.
Predicted Position: 17th. If they keep up this good run, they’ll stay up.
Overall Grade: B+

Liquid Football’s Predicted Final League Table

1. Manchester United A
2. Arsenal A+
3. Chelsea B+
4. Liverpool C-
5. Manchester City A
6. Aston Villa B+
7. Everton A-
8. Portsmouth B+
9. Blackburn Rovers B-
10. Tottenham Hotspur B-
11. West Ham United B
12. Newcastle United F
13. Reading B-
14. Birmingham City B-
15. Middlesbrough C
16. Fulham ?
17. Wigan Athletic B+
18. Bolton Wanderers C+
19. Sunderland C
20. Derby County C

What do you think of the grades I’ve given out? Too harsh, too lenient, or spot on? And what about the final league table? Leave your comments below.

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Premier League Managers Mid-Term Report Card - Part I

So, we’re exactly half-way through the Premier League season, and it has been a tight and thoroughly exciting affair.

We’ve seen the maturing of young stars such as Fabregas and the return of old ones like Shevchenko. Man Utd stuttered and then blossomed to lead the way, with the impressive Arsenal just behind, while others like Newcastle and Tottenham have greatly underachieved. Some great games have been played (4-4 draw between Chelsea and Villa springs to mind), and some dour ones too (Fulham vs Newcastle anybody?).

But what about the managers? Have they used their resources available to their best ability? How well have they spent in the transfer market? And do they have the steel and nerve essential to survive and thrive in one of the world’s hardest leagues? Here is Part I of Liquid Football’s mid-term Premier League report card:

Arsenal – Arsene Wenger
Position: 1st place pretty much since the beginning of the season. No room for improvement here.
Use of Resources: Wenger has some fantastic talent at his disposal, and given how they all work together to create wonderful synergy and free-flowing football is testament to the Frenchman’s ability to get the most out of his players.
Strengths: Getting the most out of his team, sticking by his players and giving youngsters a chance. French youngsters but still.
Suggested Improvements: Arsene needs to cut out the hypocrisy and 2-facedness . Saying that the English national team needs an English coach before praising Capello’s appointment seems slightly odd.
Predicted Position: 2nd at the very least.
Overall Grade: A+

Aston Villa – Martin O’Neill
Position: A respectable 7th, Villa’s form will see them challenging for a UEFA cup place.
Use of Resources: O’Neill has a solid squad, and manages to utilise them into a tight unit that is hard to break down. Seems to get the best out of his ex-Celtic underlings.
Strengths: Signing relatively quality players such as Carson, Bouma and Carew on the cheap, as well as slowly building a team over time rather than rushing into the market with chequebooks blazing. Deadpan humour during interviews makes him a favourite with the press too.
Suggested Improvements: On the other hand however, O’Neill perhaps needs to be more ambitious in the transfer market more often. If Lerner is willing to pay, this may be the chance to push Villa forward to more successful territory. Then again, look what happened to Leeds...
Predicted Position: With Everton decimated for the African Cup of Nations, they should leapfrog them for a UEFA cup spot and 6th.
Overall Grade: B+

Birmingham City – Alex McLeish
Position: 16th, although under the form of McLeish they could have been about 14th. Good considering staying up is the main priority.
Use of Resources: McLeish has adapted quickly to his new surroundings and has been able to get the Blues playing some solid stuff. However, the recent defeat to Huddersfield in the FA Cup leaves a nasty stain on this report.
Strengths: From his time with Scotland, McLeish’s ability to take a group of players, gel them and have them playing attractive football is evident. Whether or not he can replicate that with Birmingham remains to be seen.
Suggested Improvements: McLeish left hastily his national team when the opportunity for more money arose, so can his loyalty be questioned?
Predicted Position: Lower mid-table, I’ll take a stab at 14th.
Overall Grade: B-

Blackburn Rovers – Mark Hughes
Position: A good start to the season saw them rise high, but form has dipped and so has their position to 9th. But still in touching distance of UEFA places.
Use of Resources: The front pairing of Santa Cruz and McCarthy has worked a dream from Hughes, and Sparky has managed to use his team’s physical side to good effect.
Strengths: Tells it how it is, you get the feeling that his no-nonsense attitude transfers well to his players. Has managed to turn Bentley into one of the brightest young talents in the Premier League.
Suggested Improvements: He really needs to learn the offside rule. Now. It’s not hard Sparky. If he touches the ball he’s active. If he doesn’t he’s not. Stop moaning.
Predicted Position: Pompey’s home form should return, so I don’t see them reaching any higher than their current position of 9th.
Overall Grade: B-

Bolton Wanderers – Gary Megson
Position: 14th
Use of Resources: Megson has done brilliantly to take a down-hearted, underperforming and frankly rubbish team out of the relegation zone. The question is, will Bolton be able to stay out of danger?
Strengths: Motivating and organising. Wanderers appear to have a bit of get up and go about them, and even managed to hold Bayern Munich to a 2-2 draw in Germany. No mean feat.
Suggested Improvements: When they lose Anelka (sorry, if), they’ll have a serious hole up front. Megson needs to get a quality striker in, and fast.
Predicted Position: Bolton have stuttered recently after the honeymoon period, and I can only see them going down come the business end of the season. 18th.
Overall Grade: C+

Chelsea – Avram Grant
Position: 3rd. Has admirably steadied the Stamford Ship after Jose’s departure, and has set his sights on the top 2.
Use of Resources: With the talent available to him at Chelsea, Grant has done well, but should really be aiming to be top. Room for improvement.
Strengths: Contrary to his dour expression and exterior, ‘The Normal One’ has rejuvenated Chelsea with some free-flowing attacking football as well as being solid at the back. Seems to also excel at silencing critics who gave him no hope before he was given a chance (I’ll hold my hands up here).
Suggested Improvements: Needs to tell his players to calm down when decisions go against them. The behaviour of some of his squad has at times been unacceptable and unprofessional. Results against other members of the big 4 have let him down also.
Predicted Position: They’ll be 3rd at least, but at the most as well barring a massive slip up from Arsenal or Man Utd.
Overall Grade: B+

Derby County – Paul Jewell
Position: 20th. Rock bottom and not getting out fast enough. Hardly Jewell’s fault considering he’s only been in the job for a month.
Use of Resources: To be honest, the quality of Derby’s players is not enough to survive in the Premier League. Therefore, Jewell can be forgiven for not improving results of late.
Strengths: Very good when it comes to relegation scraps, saving Wigan and Bradford from the drop previously. He has made some positive signings already this month (Robert, Savage and perhaps Carroll) but time will tell if this is enough to save them.
Suggested Improvements: Derby need to stop conceding last minute goals, get a central defensive partnership who can defend, and some passing skills wouldn’t go amiss.
Predicted Position: Sorry Paul, I can’t see your team reaching 10 points by the end of the season, let alone making up 10 points.
Overall Grade: C

Everton – David Moyes
Position: 6th. Just goes to show what can happen when you stick with a manager.
Use of Resources: Defensively, Moyes has done very well to create a solid unit comprising of players not many other teams would bother to sign. The same goes for his midfield, but up front only Yakubu really takes the eye.
Strengths: Building a team over time, and making it clear what he wants from each man. Has an eye for a good youngster/signing.
Suggested Improvements: Find players that are good but not African! Everton won’t possess the same quality without Yobo, Yakubu and Pienaar.
Predicted Position: I see them slipping down a place to Aston Villa. 7th.
Overall Grade: A-

Fulham – Roy Hodgson
Position: 19th, although more Sanchez’s fault really.
Use of Resources: Hard to tell, given that he’s only been in charge for 2 games.
Strengths: Again hard to tell. From past experience it’s clear that he can make a solid unit from pretty much any side.
Suggested Improvements: Again from looking at his previous clubs, attacking and scoring goals doesn’t appear to be Hodgson’s forte.
Predicted Position: 16th. Hodgson’s vast experience with all sorts of footballing situations should guide Fulham to safety.
Overall Grade: ?

Liverpool – Rafael Benitez
Position: 4th
Use of Resources: Not too sharp. With the amount that Rafa spent over the summer and the huge squad available to him, Liverpool should be higher than 5th. Full stop.
Strengths: Playing well in Europe suits Benitez’s continental style of play, and the Spanish signings that he’s made seem to play well under him.
Suggested Improvements: A bit more bite and consistency needed, and less spats with the owners would probably help inter-club relationships... and the odds that he’ll be still be manager come the end of the season.
Predicted Position: Liverpool will overtake Man City, but may not find the consistency required to get past Chelsea. 4th.
Overall Grade: C-

What do you think of the grades I’ve given out? Too harsh, too lenient, or spot on? Leave your comments below.

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A-Goal Celebreation Explained... Finally

BBC lifts the lid on the A Goal celebration (about bloody time too). Apparently it's to do with raising awareness of an initiative, called 'A-Star', to create job opportunities for kids and youngsters through sport and activities.

And nothing to do with standing for awful (in Bramble's case).

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The African Exodus... Who Will Suffer?

The African Cup of Nations kicks off in a couple of weeks’ time, sparking a mass evacuation of some of England’s top Premier League talent. So which club will be worst affected by the ‘most poorly timed competition of the year’? We assess each leaving player’s value using our own 5 star rating system, and what the total effect will be on each Premier League club.

5 Star Rating:

5 stars – Vital to the team. Irreplaceable.
4 stars– First team player. Has an able deputy.
3 stars – Bench player. Usually brought on during a game.
2 stars – Bench player. Not used very often.
1 star – Not in the squad. Won’t be missed at all.

The Teams:

Arsenal

Emmanuel Eboue – 4 stars
Kolo Toure – 5 stars
Alexandre Song – 2 stars
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Total – 11 stars

Arsenal have solid back up in the form of Rosicky for Eboue, who looked off form against Burnley, however Toure will be sorely missed. Senderos is a solid back up, but does not have the same defensive qualities as the Ivorian. As a whole they should still be able to function as a free-flowing attacking machine.

Birmingham City

Richard Kingson – 2 stars
Radhi Jaidi – 3 stars
Mehdi Nafti – 4 stars
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Total – 9 stars

Birmingham will only seriously miss Nafti out their 3 Africans, having put in some good performances for City this season. However, they should have enough midfield cover to cope with his loss.

Blackburn Rovers

Aaron Mokoena – 3 stars
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Total – 3 stars

Only one gone for Blackburn, they should be able to cope fine with their current 1st team.

Bolton Wanderers

Abdoulaye Meite – 4 stars
El Hadji Diouf – 5 stars
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Total – 9 stars

Only 2 players gone for Bolton, but 2 massive players at that. Meite has been a rock in front of the back 4 for the Wanderer’s so their already fragile defence will be even more exposed. And with the absence of arguable their most creative player in Diouf, they could be in real trouble upfront as well.

Chelsea

Michael Essien – 5 stars
Didier Drogba – 5 stars
Salomon Kalou – 4 stars
Jon Obi Mikel – 4 stars
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Total – 18 stars

Chelsea could be in trouble. The best striker in the Premier league, his back up, arguably the best defensive midfielder in England and a talented young midfielder have all jetted off, leaving huge gaps of world class quality throughout the team. It appears as if the African Cup of Nations has come at just the wrong time for Chelsea’s title push.

Everton

Joseph Yobo – 4 stars
Yakubu Aiyegbeni – 5 stars
Victor Anichebe – 3 stars
Steven Pienaar – 4 stars
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Total – 16 stars

Everton will be in a similar boat to Chelsea, missing 3 1st team players, notably their best defender in Yobo, their best striker in Yakubu, and one of their more dynamic midfielders in Pienaar. Expect Everton to suffer a dip in their otherwise excellent form.

Fulham

Diomansy Kamara – 3 stars
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Total – 3 stars

Fulham should be fine with David Healy and Hammeur Bouazza up front.

Liverpool

Momo Sissoko – 2 stars
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Total – 2 stars

If anything, the Malian’s departure will allow space on the bench for someone with greater quality.

Middlesbrough

Mohamed Shawky – 1 star
Mido – 1 star
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Total – 2 stars

In Boro’s case, what ain’t used... ain’t missed.

Newcastle United

Obafemi Martins – 5 stars
Geremi – 4 stars
Habib Beye – 4 stars
Abdoulaye Faye – 2 stars
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Total – 15 stars

What Big Sam would not have wanted. His captain and top striker to be absent for 3 weeks while the club plummets down the Premier League table faster than it takes for St. James’ Park to exit. Can Owen step up to the plate in his striking partner’s absence?

Portsmouth

Sulley Muntari – 4 stars
Nwankwo Kanu – 3 stars
John Utaka – 4 stars
Papa Bouba Diop – 4 stars
Djimi Traore – 1 star
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Total – 16 stars

Take away 3 of your most powerful and forceful midfielders, and you’ll be left with not much physical element to your side. Pompey thrive on this, and so could for once get out muscled in the middle of the park, perhaps costing them control of games.

Reading

Emerse Fae – 2 stars
Andre Bikey – 2 stars
Ibrahima Sonko – 4 stars
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Total – 8 stars

In truth, the Royals will only miss Sonko, and he’ll be adequately replaced during his tenure away. Don’t expect much change at Reading.

Sunderland

Dickson Etuhu – 4 stars
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Total – 4 stars

Roy Keane could have done with the Nigerian’s solid performances in the middle for Sunderland during this crucial winter period, but with the Irishman looking to strengthen across his whole team this January, he will hope to find an ideal replacement.

Tottenham Hotspur

Didier Zokora – 3 stars
Hossam Ghaly – (-1) stars
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Total – 2 points

Zokora faded out of the picture for a few games under new boss Ramos, but was drafted in for the last 2 and performed admirably. However the marauding Tom Huddlestone should provide ample foil. As for Ghaly, he gets negative stars, as the team would probably train better anyway without his petulant attitude.

West Ham United

John Pantsil – 2 stars
Henri Camara – 2 stars
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Total – 4 stars

Neither player has made any sort of impact at Upton park this season, so don’t expect Alan ‘Curbs’ Curbishley to be seeing them off at Heathrow airport with a bunch of flowers and a ‘Come Home Soon’ card.

The End Result?

Arsenal’s slight weakness at the back could see Manchester Utd leapfrog them. Chelsea should be caught by Liverpool due to the loss of Drogba and Essien, while Everton may slip down the table with Villa and Blackburn leapfrogging them before the end of the tournament arrives.

Pompey’s lack of goals at home won’t be helped by a decimated midfield, and Bolton could sneak into the relegation zone without 2 of their key players. As for Sam Allardyce and Newcastle, expect the odds to be slashed on him being handed his P45 come February.

What do you think will happen to the teams suffering from their African-born players? Will they drop or stand firm? And do you agree or disagree with the ratings given above? Feel free to leave your comments below.

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Spaniards Playing For England?!?

Peroxide addict and Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia recently sent out a 'pick me!' call to new England manager Fabio Capello, as the Spaniard will be eligible to play for England in a year's time.

For those of you unaware, if you are uncapped by your country and have played in country B for 5 years, then you are able to play for country B.

I know that foreign managers appear to have been the flavour of the month for quite some time... but foreign players? I don't think I even need to begin explaining why this is so wrong.

While it is unlikely that international teams will consist of predominantly foreigners in the near future, we take a look at a 5 players that Capello could call up to the England squad if he felt that the English boys weren't pulling their weight...

1. Gael Clichy - Arsenal
The French left back has been a member of Arsene Wenger's team for 4 years now, so in just one year's time could be the ideal back-up for the injury-prone Ashley Cole.

2. Carlo Cudicini - Chelsea
The 'Italian Stallion' has been second to Petr Cech for quite some time, but when called upon still delivers the confident performances that he once did a few years back. 7 years in England with no caps for Italy, could he be called upon to answer England's goalkeeping 'crisis'?

3. Mikel Arteta - Everton
"Arteta for England" is a chant that can be heard from Goodison Park these days, and now wonder considering the Spaniard's blistering form this season. Having spent a total of 4 years in the UK so far, he would make a welcome addition to the England midfield.

4. Sylvian Distin - Portsmouth
A marauding, physical and powerful centre-back, the Frenchman has been one of the main reasons that Pompey have been so watertight this year. With him and Sol Campbell combining well at the back, what forwards would fancy taking them on at an international level?

5. Steed Malbranque - Spurs
6 years in England and not a single French cap makes the pacy winger eligible for England duty. Steed, named after John Steed from 'The Avengers' (no, seriously), was voted the 45th greatest ever foreign player to play in Premiership by the English population, so would many people be against a call-up?

What do you reckon? Would you like to see any of these players play for England? Or should the rules be changed to stop this kind of thing? Leave your comments below.

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Aaron Lennon - Goal of the Weekend

Never mind Tim Cahill's point blank yet thunderous overhead kick, this sweet volley from Lennon after some neat control from Berbatov (check out the Ronaldinho 'not-looking' pass) is our pick of the weekend's goals. Goal at 0:24.

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Liquid Bet of the Week - Tyneside Derby Special

Newcastle's technical superiority should be matched by the home advantage of Sunderland. A fiery encounter should lead to a high-scoring draw as both defences have been leaky of late.

The Bet: Sunderland 2-2 Newcastle - 14/1

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Shelved Premier League XI

Gilberto Silva today said that, despite not being a regular starter this season, he remains happy at Arsenal and has no intentions to leave.

If at the start of the season you told me that Flamini would be keeping one of the best holding midfielders out of the Gunners' first team, I would have told you that you were as talented with your feet as Romario.

But Flamini, like many other young and upcoming players in the EPL, has performed consistently well thus far, keeping out his older, more experienced teammate.

So what other players have been warming the bench rather than running gracefully across the football pitch, contrary to what their hefty wage packets, honours and large transfer fees may otherwise suggest? Here's our take on the best of the unused this season:

GK - Carlo Cudicini
Carlo, the Italian stallion, used to be one of the Prem's best shot-stoppers. After the arrival of a young 'keeper by the name of Petr Cech, the only thing Cudicini now stops is the cold from biting in while warming the bench.

DF - Wayne Bridge
Will he ever get a regular game at Stamford Bridge? One of England's most talented defenders, the answer is most likely 'no' due to the arrival of Juliano Belletti.

DF - Linvoy Primus
A mainstay of the Pompey defence last season, but injury coupled with the solid partnership of Campbell and Distin has kept him out thus far.

DF - Robert Huth
Having had surgery performed on his ankle this summer, Robert Huth has been gradually working his way back up to full fitness. Will he be able to form a solid back pairing with Jonathan Woodgate? Time will tell.

MF - Andy van der Meyde
His time at Everton has hardly been a success. Failing to turn up for training sessions, rumours of alcoholism and bust-ups with the manager have severely limited the Dutchman's chances of playing for Everton this season. Shame for a man who was a first choice for Holland during Euro 2004.

MF - Jimmy Bullard
Poor old Jimmy Bullard. Likes his fishing, just as well he has a hobby that takes up most of his days, seeing as how he hasn't played since dislocating his knee against Newcastle last September. Ouch.

MF - Gilberto Silva
Amazingly, the Premier League's Most Improved Player 07/08 (TM) Mathieu Flamini has kept out the Brazilian midfield maestro.

MF - Michael Ballack
He is injured, but will he be playing regularly alongside Lampard when he returns? £135,000 a week for a man who basically just turns up at Stamford Bridge to watch games seems a bit steep to me.

MF - Maceo Rigters
Performed brilliantly at the U21 European Champions for Holland, ending up in the competition's team of the tournament. Secured a dream move to Blackburn, however has found first team chances limited due to the exploits of McCarthy and Santa Cruz.

ST - Peter Crouch
We could have put anyone in Liverpool's team on here given Rafa's rotating, but Crouchinho gets the nod due to his excellent strike rate, yet inability to get a regular start. Hopefully some recent excellent performances will help him back into the side.

ST - David Nugent
Turning up at a club, missing easy chances, and then having a naked mobile picture of your, ahem, 'tackle' posted on the Internet is hardly the way to impress your new employers. Don't expect the promising striker to get in ahead of Benjani, Utaka or Kanu.

Did we miss anyone? Feel free to comment below.

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