Can the "B" Team Raise its Game to Compete at Premier League Level?

If you have been following this series, you will know how it works. We select a single letter from the alphabet (in this case “B”) and try to pick a first 11 and hopefully some squad members too, selected entirely from players whose surnames begin with that letter and who currently ply their trade in the English Premier League.

Team B turns out to be surprisingly strong, let’s take a look.

Goalkeeper – Begovic (Stoke City)

Defenders – Baines (Everton), Wes Brown (Sunderland), Bacuna (Aston Villa), Bardsley (Sunderland)

Midfield – Ben Arfa, Gareth Barry, Ross Barkley, Chris Brunt (West Brom)

Forwards – Benteke (Aston Villa), Bony (Swansea City)

Subs and squad players – Boruc (Southampton), Buttner (Man United), Bruce (Hull City), Bennett (Norwich), Briggs (Fulham), Baker (Aston Villa), Britton (Swansea), Bentaleb (Spurs), Bannan (Crystal Palace), Bent (Fulham), Bellamy (Cardiff City), Berahino (West Brom), Demba Ba (Chelsea), Borini (Sunderland), Bendtner (Arsenal)

Perhaps the most noticeable thing about team B is the strength on the bench, particularly in forward positions. The manager could effectively start with a different strike force every week and still be a threat.

This is an all-round solid team rather than being particularly spectacular, although the strength and power of Benteke and Bony is likely to cause any defence some problems. Midfield has a nice blend of experience, hard graft, vision and skill, although the 4 starters shouldn't have too much trouble holding down their positions.

So, what do you think? How do you think the A Team would fair against this B Team?

Football Alphabet - "I" Ivanovic and Ibe to the Premier League Rescue

Just a brief instalment for the letter "I" and without Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic and Liverpool’s Jordan Ibe it would have been even briefer!

Branislav Ivanovic – The Serbian defender is now in his now in his 7^th season with Chelsea (although he failed to make an appearance in his first season). Despite not always being a regular in the starting 11, Ivanovic has chalked up in excess of 220 appearances for the Stamford Bridge outfit. In the last couple of seasons in particular, he has been a favourite for fantasy football managers, thanks to his knack for popping in the opponents penalty area and scoring goals at a decent rate (for a defender at least).

He can play at right full back or in the centre of defence and seems to find himself in a different role each time Chelsea appoint a new manager! Ivanovic has 64 caps for his country and was of course the recipient of the Luis Suarez “bite” which led to the Uruguayan’s 8 game ban.

Jordan Ibe – No disrespect to Jordan here, but had there been a larger abundance of current “I” named players or teams in the Premier League, then the Liverpool FC winger probably wouldn't have made this list. He’s in though, so let’s have a quick look.

With just one Premier League appearance so far (in the last game of last season) the former Wycombe Wanderers player has time on his side. He is still only 17 years old and has frequently been on the Liverpool substitute’s bench so far this season, without yet making an appearance. So, Jordan Ibe is officially in my Premier League football alphabet and is certainly a name to keep an eye on in the coming seasons.

Football Alphabet Premier League - "G" for Giggs, Giroud, Giaccherini and Gedo

It really should be against the law to go through an alphabet of the Premier League and not mention Ryan Giggs and that’s why Mr Premier League himself is first up in our foray into the letter “G”.

Ryan Giggs is probably the only player that will be mentioned in this whole series that actually pre-dates the beginning of the Premier League, making his league debut for Manchester United in March of 1991 (the Premier League kicked off at the start of the 1992 -1993 season). In the twenty plus years since that debut, Giggs has ended up with a league winners medal on no less than 13 occasions! In November 2013 he will be 40 years old and has already featured in 3 of the first 4 games of the current season. The Welshman is the only player to have scored in every season (114 league goals total) of the Premier League’s existence so far and has never been sent off for his club. I don’t think any genuine football fan would begrudge this player his place in this alphabet.

Olivier Giroud has a goal per game (4) at the start of this new season and one would think he is well on the way to smashing past the 11 goals he scored in the league last season. Signed on the back of a very impressive season for Montpellier (21 league goals) in 2011-2012, Giroud initially struggled to make his mark in English football. However, he seems to have settled and with the likes of Mesut Ozil, Santi Carzorla, Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey to feed him the ball, you sense it could be a bumper season for the French international.

Emanuele Giaccherini is one of the (it feels like hundreds) new signings at Sunderland this season. With 15 caps for Italy and 40 appearances for Juventus, on paper at least the player has plenty of pedigree. There are so many new players at the Stadium of Light, however, that it may be a tough season to be thrown into English football. At least he will be able to understand his manager’s frantic gesticulating on the touchline!

Gedo (Mohamed Nagy) rounds off our look at this section of the Premier League alphabet and he is a player that at the time of writing has yet to feature for Hull City in the top division. With 17 goals in 33 appearances for the Egyptian national team, Steve Bruce will be hoping he can do something similar for the Tigers. On the 16^th September 2013 it was confirmed that the club had received all of the relevant paperwork to allow Gedo to begin his Premier League career.

Premier League Football Alphabet – F for Fulham, Fellaini, Fletcher and Fernandinho

Fulham have started the new season in typical Fulham style – unpredictable and inconsistent with signs of both promise and concern. 4 games in, they have 2 defeats, a victory and a draw.

Comparing the new squad to last season’s you would certainly say it’s looking stronger this time out, with Scott Parker and Adel Taraabt added to the midfield offering both defensive and attacking options. Up front, Darren Bent has been added to the already useful Berbatov, Ruiz and Rodellega but the challenge will be to get Bent on the pitch for long enough to strike up what could be a very useful partnership with the skilful Berbatov. If Fulham can get that duo firing on all cylinders, there could be plenty of goals to follow.

New goalkeeper, Maarten Stekelenburg, should prove to be a useful replacement for the now departed Mark Schwarzer but he was injured on his debut and hasn’t featured since. Elsad Zverotic and Fernando Amborebieta have been brought in to add some more experience and cover to an already experienced (ageing?) defensive unit. Overall, however, the new signings look promising and if manager Martin Jol can encourage the best out of them, then Fulham should have a relatively comfortable season – but a lot will depend on this team “gelling”.

Fellaini – Marouane Fellaini secured his much expected move to Old Trafford on deadline day and became Manchester United’s sole summer signing and there are great expectations from the 25 year old Belgian who cost the Red Devils in excess of £27 million. His last 2 seasons at Everton were probably the player’s best and if he can take that sort of form to his new club then United might finally have that dynamic midfielder they have been craving.

Fletcher – Steven Fletcher, from early season evidence, will have a real struggle on his hands this year along with the rest of his Sunderland team. Granted, it’s far too early to make sweeping judgements but manager Paolo Di Canio doesn’t yet seem to have a grip on this radically altered Black Cats squad. With just 1 point from 4 games it already looks like a long, hard season ahead. Fletcher’s goals (if he gets enough game time) will be just as crucial as they were last season.

Fernandinho (or Fernando Luiz Rosa) started the first 3 league games for Manchester City this season but was left out of the starting 11 for their 0-0 draw with Stoke City. In Negredo, Navas, Jovetic and Demichelis, there are plenty of potential new stars in the City squad and it might be difficult for Fernandinho to make an impact. At 28, the Brazilian only has 5 international caps, which suggests there are a whole host of Brazilian midfielders ahead of him in the cue for a place in the World Cup 2014 squad in Rio. With Yaya Toure, Nasri, Navas and David Silva all laying claims to a starting position, perhaps the Brazilian (who cost City £30 million by the way) might be more of a “cup” player this season.

Premier League Football Alphabet 2013/2014 – E for Everton

It’s an important season for Everton. In fact, that might be an understatement, it’s a massive season for Everton and all those associated with the Goodison Park club. After 11 years of hard work and quality service, David Moyes left his managerial post to take on the biggest job in English football as manager of Manchester United. In stepped former Wigan Athletic manager, Roberto Martinez – highly respected but somewhat unproven at the very top levels of the game. In his final season at Wigan, Martinez led the Latics to FA Cup Glory but also relegation from the Premier League.

So, there is a change at the top and new ideas to not only bring in but to bed in. There are some new players too and one might argue that despite the loss of hugely influential Belgian, Marouane Fellaini (who followed his old boss to Old Trafford) on transfer deadline day, they did manage to hold onto (some would say even more influential) Leighton Baines. The Toffees also managed to secure the services of midfield duo James McCarthy and Gareth Barry as well as striker Romelu Lukaku. Many expected Lukaku (dubbed by some as the new Didier Drogba) to feature heavily for Chelsea this season after his 17 goals for West Brom last time out and an impressive pre season for Chelsea, so his signature (even on a season long loan) could be highly significant. It does perhaps leave Arouna Kone wondering what he might have to do to become a first team starter.

How high can Everton finish? Before the transfer window closed, many may have settled for mid table solidity in the first season under a new manager, but with those new additions, perhaps there will now be hope of something a little better. After the first 3 games, the Toffees defence looks as solid as ever but with just 2 goals scored, the Goodison faithful will be pinning a lot on Lukaku getting on the end of those delicious crosses from Baines.