A Man In Form....And My Stalker

Seeing as I am no where near being a celebrity or a public figure,I never thought there will come a time that I will be stalked. Yes, quite shockingly I am being followed everywhere I go and even when I sit to do some stalking of my own.I am being followed around by some guy,always in a white shirt and making funny faces.I would call the police but I am not sure if they will take me seriously,let alone believe me because of who my stalker is........well I'll tell you who he is...its Gareth Bale.
 
Every newspaper,football magazine,electronic billboard has his face on and I can't help but feel he is looking at me all the time.I am probably paranoid but seeing that all I read and do is football orientated...the man is everywhere now but he definitely does deserve it.

 
So putting my paranoia away,Gareth Bale is the most improved player of the season,he was player of the year 2 seasons ago but is developing into a word that is used too loosely these days. He is evolving into a world class player. He has his highest ever tally in the premier league of 15 goals and has scored 8 in his last six games for Tottenham. He has developed his style of play which allows him drift from the wings to the middle,his stunning free kick against Lyon shows practice may become perfect in the free kick area and like most great players,his goals are a level above ordinary.Age on his side and injury free,Gareth Bale, if he keeps his form may join the class of the likes of Messi and Ronaldo but as is said,form is temporary but class is permanent. He's on form at the moment,form like how he almost retired Maicon in the champions league 2 seasons ago but a world class player,great player....not yet...let him manage to get past Rafael of Man United first.

 
I write this piece to tell everyone to calm down,not because of all the talk and comparisons of Bale with Ronaldo or Messi but with to say that with all his greatness, Bale is still not in the top ten most influential player for their team in Europe. He has scored important goals for his club and is definitely the  key player but Tottenham is not a one man team. Did some research and will give you the top 10 influential players for their teams in Europe,in terms of goals
 
 Players Teams most rely on for goals

   Player                            Goals for player/Goals for team. Percentage

 1.Lionel messi(Barcelona)            38/82    46.3%
 2.Sascha Molders(Augsburg)       9/20      45%
 3.Zlatan Ibrahimovic(PSG)            22/49    44.9%
 4.Radamel Falcao(A Madrid)        21/48    43.8%
 5.Christian Benteke(A.Villa)          11/26    42.3%
 6.Antonio di Natalie(Udinese)       14/35    40%
 7.Aritz Aduriz(Athletico bilbao)      12/30    40%
 8.vedad Ibisevic(Stuttgart)            10/25    40%
 9.Helder Postiga(Real Zaragoza)  10/25    40%
 10.Michu(Swansea)                       15/37    39.5%
 
Well as u can see, Mr Bale isn't in the top ten but as I have said before,statistics are like mini skirts,show plenty but not the main point. And if u notice,that list doesn't even have Cristiano Ronaldo, Robin van Persie or Luis Suarez on it.Players that u could say have been arguably better than Bale this season. I just thought i would take the shine off Mr Bale as he's everywhere,stalking me and all. Well my suggestion,give him time before he is measured against great players and great,I do not use lightly.

 
I just realized Mr. Bale will be everywhere for a long time now especially as the north London derby approaches but with his form now,I hope he ends up being everywhere if and when form turns to class
 
In more words to come..Sabi Boi

The Contenders

The premier league has always been the home for some amazing talents. After watching the Tottenham West Ham game and witnessing the shear brilliance of Gareth Bale, I began to ask myself if there really any other player in the premiership that has had a better season than Bale. To be very honest it felt like de ja vu like watching Ronaldo playing with a mask on. I decided to come up with a little list of my own of players that have had a season as good as that of Gareth Bale.

1)    Gareth Bale

Villas-Boas even called for him to be named Premier League Player of the year after his match winning display against West ham. Bale, who has now scored 8 goals in just 6 games also received praise from West ham’s coach Big Sam who confessed that he was the difference between the two team during the match. Bale for me is simply an all round player. He is defensively sound, Great in the midfield and just breath taking in attack and who knows he might also make a very good goal keeper. Lol

Bale is without any doubt the player that has contributed the most to his football team.  Scoring consistently and somehow coming up with a better goal each time. Notwithstanding some other players have also made significant contributions to their teams and deserve to be on the list of contenders.

2)    Michu

Michu is one player arsenal fans wouldn’t  forget in a hurry.  Michu is probably one of the signings of the season at £2million from Rayo Vallecano with 15 goals in 25 games for Swansea. He also contributed to Swanseas Capital One Cup final thrashing of Bradford. With some matches still to go I believe Michu still has a whole lot to offer Swansea this season and certainly makes it into my list of contenders.

3)    Juan Mata

Mata has been nothing but outstanding for Chelsea this season with 17 goals and a whole lot of assists. Mata has been a pillar in the Chelsea team. He has contributed the most of any player this season in the Chelsea team.

Although, the Spaniard would have to be in top form to be able to inspire this Chelsea team to a top four finish and with the incoherent Torres still the target man Mata has a mountain to climb but who knows miracles still happen right?. Juan Mata has definitely earned a spot in the list of contenders.

4)    Luis Suarez

With 25 goals already this season Suarez has really showed how good he can get this season. I really don’t know where Liverpool would be without the Uruguayan Striker.

Suarez has certainly given a whole lot to Liverpool this season. Personally I am not a big fan of the Suarez for a host of reasons but the boy knows how to score goals and win games so he definitely is a contender on my list this season.

5) Robin van Persie

As painful as it is I think Wenger sold the Premier league title the moment he sold Robin Van Persie to Manchester United not that he had much of a choice either. The Dutchman has been firing on all cylinders with 19 goals in 27 games and also being the premier league top scorer this list wouldn’t be complete without him.

He has been instrumental in united 12-point lead on top of the Premier League table.

If this scintillating form continues he definitely has what it takes to be the premier league player of the season. United could still end up with the treble and it could be a dream debut season for the Dutchman.

These are the players that in my opinion have stood out this season so far.

What do you think?

Well till next time Remain True 2 the Beautiful Game!!!!

The London Spirit

I had a bet with a chelsea fan(a typical one) for N5000 that arsenal would finish above their london rivals come the end of the season. To be fair it was a bet agreed on at the beginning of the season when I saw enough to believe arsenal were better than the other 2 teams; however, naturally my belief has wavered as d season has gone on due to the inconsistency we've shown so far. As I write this piece, arsenal are 2 points behind chelsea, and 4 behind spurs...so to say the least, I still have a fighting chance.

So the question is, who has the best shot at being the highest placed london side in the league.

Let's start with the lowest ranked of the 3.

ARSENAL
PROS
.They are having a similar season to the last one, and can draw some confidence in the way they stormed(well...dragged) their way to make third position.
. They have 2 or 3 players who can carry the team along wen things are not going their way
.They've qualified for the last 16 champions league spots
.On paper(atleast) they have the most likely team to last the distance

CONS
.They have been more inconsistent than usual
.They've had too many 'fringe' players this season
.Champions league is not an entitlement for arsenal...note to le' prof
.An unstable backline
.An unorthodox holding player

CHELSEA

Next up is our blue contingents

PROS
. Of the three, they probably have the biggest strength in depth
They have a wealth of experience in vital areas needed at this time of the season
.They too have quite a few potential match winners
.They have also been consistent participants in the champions league for a while now

CONS
. They have rafa benitez as a coach, and he could be tactically inept sometimes in the premiership
.They have torres..(Enough said)
.They have not been the usual reliable team we've come to know over the past years
.Again there are no guarantees..a 100% must be given in every gme

SPURS

And finally,the lillies(jus had to stress that)

PROS
.They are currently in third position
.They have gareth bale,who is apparently as good as messi and ronaldo(no comment)
.They have probably playing some of the best football in the league..just behind swansea
.They have 11 games to hold on to that position

CONS
.They have just gareth ble(please refer to the PROS...its not the sme thing)
.They have been almost consistently missing out on champions league spot after being in convincing positions
.They have the least strength in depth
.They meet Arsenal on sunday

So there we have it; arguments for and against each of the london sides fighting for the champions league spots. No matter whatever you want to make of it, ill be secretly hoping and praying that ill be N5000.00 richer in may...and remember its not about the money,but the satisfaction of tellin my chelsea fans,'I told you so'.
Till next time....

Happy Monday.....

I really can't remember how old I was but at a certain age I started believing that how you spend the first day of the year determines the rest of the year. So seeing as I had a terrible week(last week),I have decided to extend that belief to the start of the week. Yes,I know they say the week starts on Sunday but mine starts on Monday...so..Happy Monday everybody,I hope you have a very good week,lots of joy and all(hopefully you will wish me same).
 
I used the weekend to try and forget the week but that didn't work to well....so I took the usual option of drowning my sorrows with football...and these  are the things that caught my attention the most....
 
Get your fixtures-championship fixtures.

 
Many thought and perhaps still think that Harry Redknapp has the mysterious powers to save QPR but there's no magic or power that will help them. Yes they played Man United and probably a loss was expected and I know they have only lost 2 in 9 games but how many have they won? 11 games left in the season and nothing less than 7 wins will keep them up..7 wins...hahahahaha.....no disrespect just laughing because I remember when I fought with Mike Tyson and knocked him out in 3 rounds...if u believe that then u believe QPR will stay up...championship bound without a doubt.
 
Really,what was Odewinge thinking?

 
The biggest transfer story of the January transfer window was the transfer that didn't happen.Odewinge tried to force a move from West Brom to QPR...we all know how that turned out. He was ready to leave a team that is almost guaranteed premier league status for next season to a team that has championship written all over.....a key player for the Albion and very well respected and he was ready to throw all that a way for what?I know there will be different opinions on this matter and a lot pointing towards money but I would really like to know what he was thinking. Well the fans let him know how they felt when he was substituted into the game with their massive boos but fans can be fickle because he almost scored and there was a massive arRggggggh...he has some making up to do..
 
Curriculum vitae presentation and maybe a touch of hysteria.
 
This actually happened during last week but I thought I should include it as it was fun to listen to...Mancini says he is the best manager in England ..hahahaha(rolling on the floor)he said in the last 15 months,he won the FA cup,the league and community shield and nobody has a better record than him....did he say that from the pressure he is feeling being 12 points behind United ,champions league exit, rumors that his job is on the line or he is speaking fact?well the league isn't over and he can still win the FA cup so we will see.

Arsene Wenger in his explosive pre-conference said he has won 4 fa cups,and they(the press) should mention who else has done it...CV....and went on to say how he will be missed when he is gone.I certainly think Wenger is a very good manager and has a good football philosophy,he is Arsenal's best  manager to date but would you say he is great? But as Mourinho once said,I have to be looked at as a great manager,you people say Wenger is great but he hasn't even won the champions league....
 
Benitez unofficial resignation..

Yes we all know the key word to Benitez being the manager of chelsea is the emphasis laid on 'interim'. Other than the fact that the fans have not taken to him,I don't really think he has made his mark on the team. Sunday's loss to Man City is a major blow especially as they have Tottenham and Arsenal fighting for a champions league spot and it will automatically remove the rumor that Rafa might stay on as manager.I honestly didn't remember that Torres was still at chelsea...aww well.
 
Capital One Cup.

Swansea became the first welsh team to win this domestic cup and will probably be the only welsh team to win it for a long long time.It was a good game for the neutral and certainly wonderful for the swansea fans but was a very bad day for Bradford city fans. They saw their team concede 5 goals,the same team that took out wigan,arsenal and aston villa. A win would have completed the fairy tale.maybe someday..the best part was when swansea was awarded a penalty and nathan dyer,who was on a hatrick wanted to take the penalty but Jonathan de Guzman held onto the ball and refused his teammate a hatrick...wonderful...was good to see an under dog final,it keeps the dream alive for everybody else that doesn't play in the premier league...

Well I got to start my day with a very warm,sorry hot cup of tea...my Monday is starting very cold but hope to find some warmth...

In more words to come Sabi Boi