Can Dembele, Dejagah and Dzeko Propel Team "D" Up the League?

Throughout the series so far, teams have tended to line up with either a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 system, so team D is certainly a first, with a 4-5-1 system seeming like the best option given the availability of players under this “D” category. Let’s have a look.

Goalkeeper: De Gea (Man Utd)

Defenders: Debuchy (Newcastle Utd), Michael Dawson (Spurs), Ben Davies (Swansea City), Demichelis (Man City)

Midfielders: Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur), David Luiz (Chelsea), De Guzman (Swansea City), Downing (West Ham Utd), Dejagah (Fulham)

Forwards: Dzeko (Man City)

Squad Players/Reserves: Dummet (Newcastle), Delph (Aston Villa), Demel, Diame & Diarra (West Ham), Curtis Davies (Hull City), Dann, Delaney & Dikgacoi (Crystal Palace) Do Prado (Southampton), Duff (Fulham), Deulofeu (Everton)

As with team “C”, David de Gea is really the only available choice in the goalkeeping position and I am not going to complain, despite Manchester United’s poor form this season, de Gea has certainly now established himself as number one at Old Trafford and at still only 23 is becoming a very capable goalkeeper.

In the full back positions, we have the highly rated Debuchy of Newcastle and the equally highly rated Ben Davies of Swansea. In the centre we have the steady Michael Dawson and perhaps the most controversial choice in this team, Demichelis of Man City. Others may opt for Demel or Curtis Davies but I stick by my choice.

Now then, the 5 midfielders in this 4-5-1. Dembele would probably walk into at least 18 of the Premier League midfield units, so is a strong choice here. Perhaps the same could be said of David Luiz, although some might prefer to play him as a defender. Stewart Downing on his day (although he does seem to be having fewer of them) can be terrific and can supply a steady stream of crosses into the box. De Guzman is also creative and gets from box to box well, while Dejagah has been one of the few bright lights for struggling Fulham this season. Dejagah is also possibly the only Iranian international to be playing regular Premier League football.

The lone striker then is Edin Dzeko. I would imagine that Dzeko has one of the best Premier League strike rates (goals per game time) in recent years. He has 38 goals in 98 league appearances for Man City with many of those appearances being as a late substitute. One goal in every 2.5 matches is relatively decent in normal circumstances but taking his game time into account, it’s nothing short of prolific. Dzeko is probably the only out and out striker in the team “D” squad with perhaps only Deulofeu offering any challenge for the position.

I think that this team pretty much picks itself, what do you think?

Team "S" Takes its Place in the Premier League Alphabet and has more than a Hint of Liverpool

An abundance of “S” named players has made this the first of my alphabet teams where I have really struggled (with the exception of the strikers) to pick a first choice 11. The quality left on the bench or as squad players is ridiculous, especially in the attacking midfield and forward departments.

So, let’s have a look at the team.

Goalkeeper – Szczesny (Arsenal)

Defenders – Shawcross (Stoke City), Sakho (Liverpool), Skrtel, (Liverpool), Shaw (Southampton) Santon (Newcastle United)

Midfielders – Silva (Manchester City), Sidwell (Fulham), Sigurdsson (Tottenham Hotspur)

Forwards – Suarez (Liverpool), Sturridge (Liverpool)

Subs and Squad Players – Stekelenberg (Fulham), Smalling (Man United), Senderos (Fulham), Stones (Everton), Sagna (Arsenal), Schneiderlin (Southampton), Shelvey (Swansea City), Sissoko (Newcastle United), Snodgrass (Norwich City), Schurlle (Chelsea), Sagbo (Hull City), Sterling (Liverpool), Sessegnon (West Bromwich Albion), Soldado (Spurs)

Choice of goalkeeper was fairly straightforward and there probably won’t be any arguments there, although Stekelenberg and indeed Speroni are waiting in the wings if Szczesny has a wobbly spell.

Some of the other teams in this series have looked a bit weak at the back so I have opted for a 5-3-2 formation here to emphasise the strength in defence. Both Luke Shaw and Davide Santon (who can play on both sides) are very attack minded full backs so can easily supplement the midfield when called upon. Sakho, Shawcross and Skrtel provide plenty of power and strength in the central positions and offer a significant threat from set pieces.

Midfield was a really tricky puzzle to solve and there are sure to be plenty of disagreements over the selection here. Anyway, David Silva simply had to be in as one of the best creative midfielders in the Premier League. Steve Sidwell, who can score a goal two is really picked for his tenacity in the tackle and ball winning ability, while Gylfi Sigurdsson, who isn't a regular in the Spurs team, offers plenty of craft and invention and is great at striking the ball from distance.

The SAS partnership of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge just had to lead the line. Even as a non- Liverpool fan it’s impossible to play any of the other strikers ahead of them. Mind you, there are plenty of options for impact substitutions and if injuries play their part.

So, what do you think? Who would you have played in midfield? Would you have played a different formation? How does the team compare to the "J" team or the "R" team?

Premier League Football Alphabet - Norwich, Negredo, Ozil and Oscar

Some letters of the alphabet lend themselves better to this Premier League football series than others. “N” and “O” might be slight on quantity but there is plenty of quality to make up for it.

N

Norwich City are the only team to fit into this particular chapter and despite 3 wins in their last 5 games (they won only 2 of the first 10) this could be another season of struggle for the Canaries. Those recent wins have taken Norwich up to 14^th (at the time of writing) with 17 points from 15 games and they have 4 points between themselves and the bottom 3. In the summer, Grant Holt was sold to Wigan and in came 3 new strikers in Gary Hooper, Johan Elmander and Ricky van Wolfswinkel. These 3 new arrivals all came with good pedigree and hopes were high that the goals would flow and this might keep Norwich away from the relegation scrap. Van Wolfswinkel picked up an injury, Elmander has yet to score a league goal and Hooper after a slow start is now showing signs of promise with 3 goals in his last 5 appearances.

In their next 10 league matches, the Canaries only face 2 of what might be considered top 6 sides (Man United and Everton), so this will be an absolutely crucial period in which points must be won. If you look at their last 4 fixtures of the season, it’s not difficult to envision a zero return from them – Liverpool and Arsenal at home, Manchester United and Chelsea away! So, where will Chris Hughton’s team finish this season? For me, they will avoid the drop – but only just.

Manchester City brought in 4 or 5 big name signings in the summer and so far it is only Alvaro Negredo that seems to have really justified the cash outlay. He has 6 goals to his name already and in recent weeks has been linking up well with Sergio Aguero (who admittedly has been hogging the limelight with his prolific goal scoring) and it seems that the manager has settled on these two as the best partnership for now. Negredo scored goals throughout his time in Spain’s La Liga and has a record of almost 1 goal every 2 games for the national side – although he is not used with any particular frequency. I think the Premier League will see a lot more goals from this Spanish International.

O

Arsenal bought Mesut Ozil at the end of the transfer window and despite only one league defeat at the time, there was a certain doom and gloom surrounding Arsene Wenger and the Emirates Stadium. It’s a signing that has quite literally transformed the atmosphere around the Gunners. They are playing great football, sit clear at the top of the Premier League and have a number of players in terrific form, including Ozil. The German international has brought a confidence to Arsenal that hasn’t really been present since losing Van Persie and perhaps even Fabregas before that.

Another two “O” players definitely worth a mention here are a Brazilian and an Argentinian Italian. Chelsea’s Oscar has been terrific so far this season. He was good in spells last year but now looks like he has truly settled in England and is really showing his qualities. Dani Osvaldo was certainly a big signing for a club the size of Southampton. He was a regular goal scorer in both the Spanish and Italian leagues before joining the Saints. Osvaldo has had a relatively slow start to his career on the South Coast but fans who saw his goal against Man City recently will begin rubbing their hands in anticipation of the kind of player they now have at their club.

10 Things that Could Happen in the Premier League this Season

Number 1 on my list was going to read: “Paolo Di Canio could get the sack before the season is out.” Now, I am neither fortune teller or rocket scientist, I think the writing was on the wall for this one but it does mean I have to think of something extra for this list!

1. Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku could end up as this season’s Premier League top scorer – for Everton! His impressive Toffees debut resulted in his first goal of the season but with Leighton Baines supplying the ammunition, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lukaku score more than the 17 he got last season whilst on loan at West Brom.

2. Someone other than Man City, Man United and Chelsea could win the Premier League this season! Most pundits are still plumping for one of those 3 but with Ozil, Ramsey and Giroud firing on all cylinders, Arsenal have a chance. Spurs fans must also be wondering (albeit it silently for now) just how far their new team can go. For a team that is still gelling, they have been mightily impressive so far. The London derby with Chelsea this coming week may give us further clues.

3. Paolo Di Canio might not be the only Premier League manager to lose his job this season. By my reckoning, by the time last season had come to a close, no fewer than 7 Premier League managers had paid the ultimate price (Mark Hughes, Nigel Adkins, Brian McDermott, Roberto Di Matteo, Roberto Mancini, Tony Pulis and Martin O’Neill). Di Canio has already gone, so who else could be in danger this season? Ian Holloway? Chris Hughton? Alan Pardew? Martin Jol? Jose Mourinho? The new Sunderland manager?

4. This could be the closest title race for years. Okay so Man City sneaking past United on goal difference a couple of seasons back was pretty close but those two were miles ahead of the rest. This season could see a 4 or even 5 horse race. (see number 2 above)

5. Leighton Baines could finish the season playing for another club. Man United will be favourites to land the left back in the January transfer window but after such a scintillating start, other clubs could come knocking too. If Baines does leave, it might seriously scupper the chances of number 1 (see above) happening.

6. Manchester United could finish outside the top 4! Although teams in the lower reaches of the table would still covet most of United’s squad, the Red Devil’s failure to significantly strengthen in the summer could signal their lowest finish for ages!

7. Another one for Lukaku here – The Belgian could score more goals than the current Chelsea front-line combined! Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba might yet come good but you can’t help sensing that it’s Chelsea’s midfielders that will weigh in with the majority of Blues goals this season.

8. A Welsh player could win Player of the Year for the second time in a row! Gareth Bale has gone to pastures new, but if he can keep his current form going who could rule out a chance of Aaron Ramsey succeeding the ex Spurs player?

9. Tom Huddlestone could cut his hair! Apparently, the Hull City midfielder has vowed not to give it the chop until he scores a Premier League goal. Whilst his appearances were restricted for Spurs last season, if he can avoid injury, there has to be a very good chance he could burst the net this season.

10. Stoke City could become the next Arsenal! Mark Hughes has them playing a totally different style of football and who knows, with a few more quality additions in January, the transformation from “lump it forward” to “knock it around very nicely” might be complete!

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.

D for Dembele, De Bruyne and Dzeko - Premier League Football Alphabet 2013/2014

At the time of writing, we have seen all but two of this year’s Premier League teams in action, with Manchester City and Newcastle United in action tonight. We are working our way through the alphabet and have reached the letter "D". Slim pickings I am afraid but there are still a few exciting players we can talk about.

Mousa Dembele is now in his second season with Spurs and he will hope to be as influential in the Tottenham midfield as he was last season and perhaps even more so, now that the landscape is changing around him. With Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore and Clint Dempsey already departed and Scott Parker likely to follow suit, Dembele will now be accompanied in the centre of the field by the likes of Brazilian playmaker Paulinho and Etienne Capoue. The Belgian is big and strong and gets through an enormous amount of work but Spurs fans will be hoping he can weigh in with more goals, especially if Gareth Bale leaves the club.

Another Belgian, another midfielder and another great player - Kevin De Bruyne is not a new Chelsea signing but he might as well be given that his first season was spent out on loan at Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga. It seems that Jose Mourinho likes the look of him and after notching 10 goals for the German side last season, it seems the Blues have yet another goal scoring midfielder on their hands.  He is still only 22 and already has 3 goals for the Belgian national team and his place in the Chelsea starting line up for the opening day victory against Hull City might have a few Fantasy Football managers checking out his value.

Edin Dzeko is a goal scorer. He struck 66 times in 111 appearances for Wolfsburg and so far has 30 in 76 appearances for Man City. That’s almost 1 in 2 for City and many of those appearances came from the subs bench, so his goals per on field minutes will be very high. Carlos Tevez has departed but Negredo and Jovetic have arrived, whilst Sergio Aguero is still at The Etihad Stadium so the competition for places is stronger than ever for a starting place in the starting City eleven. If new City boss, Manuel Pellegrini gives the Bosnian striker more pitch time, he could score an absolute hat full this season.