Will Premier League Team "F" be Fabulous or Flops?

If you were with us for the Team “E” post, you will remember that they were possibly the weakest squad in this series of alphabetic Premier League teams (essentially squads made up entirely of players with surnames of a particular letter of the alphabet). I am not sure I would label team “F” as fantastic but they certainly look an improvement (on paper at least) over team “E”.

Let’s have a look at the starting eleven.

Goalkeeper: Fabianski (Arsenal)

Defenders: Flanagan (Liverpool), Ferdinand (Man United), Fonte (Southampton), Fabio (Cardiff City)

Midfielders: Flamini (Arsenal), Fernandinho (Man City), Fer (Norwich City), Fellaini (Man Utd) Darren Fletcher (Man Utd)

Forward: Steven Fletcher (Sunderland)

Squad Members/Reserves: Friedel (Spurs), Fryers (Spurs), Faye (Hull City), Fryatt (Hull City), Fox (Norwich)

With a lack of strikers in this category, we have once again opted for a 4-5-1 formation. If all of them play to their potential though, it’s a pretty tasty midfield! In fact there isn’t an awful lot more depth to this squad than there was for Team “E” but at least there are a handful of substitutes to just about keep the squad fresh.

I have opted for Fabianski in goal. Friedel would be another solid choice but he is 42 now so I have opted for the younger goalkeeper.

Rio Ferdinand (I still don’t understand why he isn’t featuring more often under David Moyes) and Jose Fonte are the two centre backs - No spring chickens but entirely capable with bags of experience. The full backs are Jon Flanagan of Liverpool who is enjoying a good run in the side at present and Fabio who hasn’t really fulfilled his potential yet but a recent move to Cardiff City might kick start his career.

The midfield five is strong. Flamini can sit just in front of the defensive unit and provide valuable cover whilst also using his ball winning skills in midfield. Fernandinho, after an unconvincing start at the Etihad Stadium has now won the fans and critics around with his busy and effective performances. Fellaini and Fletcher are two of the misfiring Manchester United midfielders but if form returns are both classy midfielders. Leroy Fer meanwhile has enjoyed a solid start to his Norwich career in a season of struggle for The Canaries.

The lone striker is Steven Fletcher who enjoyed a more productive season last time and is struggling for game time but he is our only available striker in this category.

What do you think of the line-up?

Football Alphabet - Managers Moyes, Mourinho, Meulensteen and Mackay do Battle

The battles at the top and bottom of the Premier League are starting to take shape now that we are 15 games into the current season and I have picked out a quartet of managers with names beginning with "M" that may well be contesting some of those vital league positions.

Moyes versus Mourinho

This battle may yet develop into the close contest many thought it would be at the start of the season but thanks to Manchester United’s dreadful (by their own standards) start to the season, David Moyes is struggling a bit and United are already playing catch up. Jose Mourinho, despite a much healthier league position and return of points, hasn't had it all his own way either. Just when Chelsea look like they are really hitting their stride and playing great football, they throw in a lazy draw or unlikely defeat and at the time of writing, remain 5 points behind early pacesetters Arsenal.

However, there is still plenty of time for the Moyes v Mourinho battle to take shape, if not this season, then over the coming seasons. Both managers are adapting to a new environment (albeit Mourinho is a little more familiar with his) and really have their hands full in attempting to deliver silverware for their expectant supporters this year. Most pundits believe that the league season is already over for Man United (who sit 13 points off the top of the table) and although there is an almighty gap to make up, history tells that they don’t often “get going” until January anyway. Most pundits also believe that they need to buy 3 or 4 world class players in the January transfer window.

Mackay versus Meulensteen

At the time of writing there is only 1 point and 2 league positions separating Fulham and Cardiff City (1 point better off), so although new Fulham boss Rene Meulensteen is fresh to the fray, this battle is already in full swing. Fulham, frankly have had a dreadful start to the campaign and although many believe Martin Jol is a highly competent manager, the body language from both him and his team had been very, very poor in the month prior to Jol’s unfortunate but inevitable sacking. Fulham have already shown considerably more fight in Meulensteen’s first 2 games in charge and are perhaps unlucky to only have 3 points to show for their efforts.

Cardiff City have only 1 win in their last 9 games and despite some impressive performances (a win against Man City and a draw with Man United), the Welsh team now seem to be finding the Premier League as tough as they might have expected when they got promoted. Malky Malkay (perfect initials for this episode) hasn't just had to contend with getting his team to perform on the pitch but also issues behind the scenes, with a chairman who although undoubtedly has put money into the club, very much has his own way of doing things.

On paper at least, Fulham seem to have the more creative squad and are perhaps better equipped to survive, but Cardiff will battle, make no mistake about that and the Mackay v Meulensteen battle may well turn out to be a more interesting contest than the one involving Moyes and Mourinho.

Premier League Football Alphabet - The "K" Team

After the relatively successful experiment last time out of compiling a functional team of current premier league football players whose last names begin with the letter “J”, I thought I would try it again with the letter “K”. Off the top of my head, I was struggling but I think I found enough players to probably form a better team than team “J”.

Think of the past and names such as Keegan, Kennedy, Klinsmann, Keane, King, Kanu and Kuyt have all graced the top flight of English football, but what of the current “K” team?

How they line up:

Goalkeeper – Krul (Newcastle United)

Defenders – Koscielny (Arsenal), Kompany (Man City), Kolorov (Man City), Kaboul (Spurs)

Midfield – Kasami (Fulham), Kagawa (Man Utd), Karagounis (Fulham), Kacaniklic (Fulham)

Forwards – Kone (Everton), Kozak (Aston Villa)

Subs: Kane, Kim, Ki, Kebe

There wasn't much in the way of available substitutes for team “J” but the “K” team has strength in depth for starters.

This defensive unit is truly impressive although one of those centre backs is going to have fill in at right back in order to play a flat back four. You could play a 3 at the back and push Kolorov into midfield so there is flexibility too.

The midfield is perhaps a little but Fulham heavy – so perhaps Kebe (Crystal Palace) in for Karagounis (since he is getting on a bit) might work a bit better. An in form (his Borussia Dortmund days) Kagawa adds a touch of class to a team that is full of seasoned internationals but is perhaps erring on the side of solid rather than spectacular.

The front two perhaps indicate that the long, aerial ball might better suit this team but you could probably swap out the currently injured Kone for Tottenham’s Harry Kane if you wanted a bit more guile.

I personally thing that this “K” team could certainly hold its own in the Premier League with plenty of 1-0 victories and draws away from home. Put them head to head against team “J” and there is only one winner – what do you think?

Premier League Football Alphabet - "H" for Hull City, Hazard, Hernandez and Half Time

Johnny Howson deserves a mention in this part of the alphabet simply because he scored the winning goal for Norwich City today in their 1-0 victory at Stoke City. The win takes the Canaries onto 7 points from 6 games and 15^th position in the Premier League table at this early stage of the season.

Hull City – The Tigers took 3 seasons to fight their way back into the Premier League after their relegation in May 2010. Although they have tasted defeat twice in 6 games (away to Chelsea and away to Man City) it’s been a hugely impressive start to the season, with not only 3 league wins under their belts but also progression through 2 rounds of the League Cup. From the moment that new signings Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore were introduced after an hour (already 2-0 behind) of their opening day defeat at Stamford Bridge, Hull have played some terrific football.

Steve Bruce has assembled a decent looking squad and you would think that if they keep picking up points against teams that are supposedly meant to finish in the lower reaches of the table, then Premier League safety will be assured. A note of warning, however, in 2008-09 the Tigers enjoyed a similarly excellent start to the season and only escaped relegation on the last day of the season.

Eden Hazard – It’s fair to say that Hazard had a terrific first season in the Premier League with Chelsea, weighing in with 9 goals and 11 assists and a host of man of the match performances. It’s probably also fair to say that the skilful Belgian hasn't yet come to life under new manager Jose Mourinho. It’s early days though and there is plenty of time yet for Hazard to begin tormenting defenders once again. For a player that is still only 22 and with 38 international caps already won, we have yet to see the very best of this talented winger.

Javier Hernandez – Chicharito is rated very highly by just about everyone in football and in his first 3 seasons at Manchester United he averaged very close to a goal every 2 games. The problem for Hernandez may well be Man United. With Wayne Rooney, Robin Van Persie and others as attacking red devils, his starting opportunities are always going to be limited. This season could be the most important of his career; he is 25 now and should be approaching his most productive years as a footballer. The Mexican international (35 goals in 53 appearances) needs either a sustained run in the United team or to look for pastures new (possibly even as early as January) because even though he will never be a doubt for the Mexico World Cup squad (should they qualify) in Brazil 2014, he will want his fitness and form to be in good order. Watch this space!

Half Time is very important in any Premier League match. If you are at a game, these are the very precious 15 minutes when you get to stamp the feeling back into your feet, get a hot drink and get the smart phone out to scan the rest of the half time scores. It’s also the time to dream that you can get back into a match that you are losing convincingly, if only the manager well reshuffle the pack or the time to panic if you have dominated the first half and only have a 1 goal lead. It’s also usually the time when your club tries to outdo itself with some particularly bad half time entertainment!

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.