The "Young Don" Ashley Young

This season I am predicting that a 23 yr old midfielder will take the premiereship by storm and he will not be from Portugal. Instead he will hail from jolly old England and go by the name of Ashley Young. The end of last season saw Young make a transition from a quick paced left wing midfielder with an affinity for dribbles and stepovers down the sidelines to a ghosting attacking forward that supplied his fellow forwards with awe inspiring crosses and took deadly shots on goal. As he grown into his new role more goals came in for Aston Villa and they continued in this pre-seasons Inter Toto Cup where Young performed an impressive run into the box before hitting the ball into the back of the net with a mesmerising shot. The talented midfielder will be the key figure in setting up Aston Villa's attack in the upcoming season that sees them competing in the UEFA Cup.

Research on Young has informed me that he is of Jamaican descent, and I am sad that he decided to play for the English senior team. With that being said Young hails from Stevenage England and is the product of Watford Football Club where he spent 7 yrs. He was originally a member of the Academy but was released due to a lack of performance and worked his way back in favour with the club. During his time in Watford he made 98 appearances in the Senior team and scored 19 times. This included a goal on his debut as a substitute. During his time at the club he began to develop into a midfielder that created assists. In 2005/06 season he a substantial role in Watford's promotion to the Premiereship. That season he scored 15 goals in 40 appearances. This display attracted attention from clubs in the Premiereship. Watford rejected a number of offers from other clubs during this period. In January of 07 they finally gave up and sold him to Aston Villa for an estimated 9 million pd. He then made his presence felt at the club by scoring on his debut against New Castle.

It was not until his first full season that manager Martin O'Neill began to see Young's true potential. Last season he provided 17 assists and 8 goals. Most of his goals came at the end of the season when O,Neill gave him the freedom to move around the attacking space. He then transformed into player similar to Cristiano Ronaldo creating a "grey" area between midfield and forward. He seems to have grown into this role and is embracing it full heartedly. This should provide Villa with increased attacking options. During the first part of the season his game was quite predictable, despite difficult to contain. He would move along the left wing beating defenders with his pace and ball control and then crossing the ball into the box. This changed in the latter part of the season. Instead of staying on the left he began to move all about creating openings. He also started to take more shots on goal. Young also is also effective in dead ball situations. He has provided precise free kicks directly at goal or supplied into the box and also takes most left side corners for Villa. As a result of his relentless work Young was voted into the 07/08 team of the year. I believe that this year should see even more improvement of this promising young talent.

The New Season is upon us....EPL 08/09 Preview prt 1

The new season is finally within grasp, and fans all over the world will now turn their attention to confronting their rivals about who will be the champions this season. Last season I witnessed probably the most exciting season ever in top flight English Football as top teams Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United battled each other valiantly while covet top prize in England and Europe, while promising teams such as Portsmouth, Aston Villa and Manchester City tried to push their way into the top of the table. In the end Manchester United proved to be victors capturing both the BPL title and the Champions League under the stewardship of their prolific manager Sir Alex Ferguson and his brilliant midfield master Cristiano Ronaldo. If that was not enough, this summer saw a large movement of world stars coming into the Premiereship with rumours of more on the their way. I expect this season to be the most exciting, as the English game continues to evolve everytime players enter the pitch. I shall now give a little review of what could be expected in the following season.

First of we shall start with the Champions Manchester United. Manchester United had quite a summer break. United's most valuable player decided to disturb his clubs intentions of retaining their titles by publically mentioning that he would accomodate a transfer to Spanish giants Real Madrid. After months of speculation the midfielder finally agreed to stay with the club for at least on more season. This should be good news for his manager, however Ronaldo is expected to miss the first two to three months of the season due to recovery from surgery performed on his ankle. Since Ronaldo was the club's leading scorer last season, the team will now have to find a solution. The obvious option seems to be striker Tevez, who was the second highest goal scorer for the club. Young winger Nani will also see himself with more starting time and will also have to provide goals. In regards to defense Manchester United should be in top form with their outstanding partnership duo Ferdinand and Vidic, as well as the welcoming return of veterans, captain Gary Neville and Silvestre.

It would be expected than Manchester United would continue to hold their place in the top 3 throughout the season. The club has managed to retian its players thus providing stability.One problem may however hinder the champions. They will have to start the season without a number of their proven goal scorers since Ronaldo is injured, Rooney has been diagnosed with a virus and Nani out on suspension. Tenacious midfielder Anderson is also away on Olympic duty, so Sir Alex will have to resort to experienced fringe players or unproven youth to fill this void. There are also rumours that Tottenham marksman Berbatov could be moving to Old Trafford, however it would seem that Man Utd are now concerned with acquiring the full ownership to Tevez and this may reduce their spending intentions. Players to watch this season are Tevez, Rooney, Nani, Ferdinand and Vidic. Will Tevez continue to develop into Manchester United's main attacking option? Will Rooney begin to live up to his full potential?Will Nani become more disciplined and develop into a top player like Ronaldo and will Ferdinand/Vidic continue to destroy incoming attacks with their partnerships.

Next we focus on runners up to the BPL and CL Chelsea. Alot has happened in the summer for Chelsea. The end of last season saw the club firing manager Avram Grant and then placing World Cup winner and former manager of Portugal Pelipe Scolari. Chelsea also signed CL Champion, Deco from Barcalona and defensive wing player Bosingwa. The team also has so far managed to fight off attempts of other teams luring their stars Lampard and Drogba away from the team and are presently looking to add Brazilian forward Robinho to their line up. It seems that finally there are exciting times at the bridge. The team has grown a reputation of playing lacklustre football and this could change with Scolari at the helm. Scolari's teams in the past have been known for their flair and entertainment. Scolari also brings confidence and sustainability to the players on the team. He has already proven that he can manage teams to success and is respected by players all around the world. This was something his predecessor could not achieve since he was simply a "rookie" asked to lead veterans. Scolari now has the painful decision of choosing a starting squad out of Chelsea's many options.

The inception of Portuguese attack minded players and perhaps a Brazilian could be just the type of football Chelsea own Abromvich hopes to see this season. The future looks pretty bright for the Blues since the team has a mixture of youth and experience that should keep them as major contenders during the season. Good news in the preseason has come with the re-emergence of Anelka's goal scoring. Scolari now has the option of two proven goal scorers and may be able to bring back Shevchenko his glory. Wright Phillips may also finally see some much needed time on the pitch, since he is a player that has pace and should suit Scolari's style of play. Essien may also find himself more up the pitch than before, probably increasing his goal tally. A number of the players are Portuguese and this should make transitions of strategies easier for the manager. Players to watch are Drogba, Anelka, Wright Phillips, Ballack and Lampard. Since Scolari has positioned Anelka into his more suited central role, it how much goals will the partnership between him and Ivorian Drogba produce? Will Wright Phillips finally have a regular starting berth and provide the attack line with high paced runs and shots on goal? How will Scolari utilize these two midfield veterans to the best of his advantage.

In third place we have Arsenal helmed by French manager Arsene Wenger. This summer Arsenal saw a number of players leave the club while new faces entered. Gone are goal keeper Lehmann, attacking wizard Hleb and defensive midfielders Gilberto and Flamini. In their place Wenger has decided to sign French midfielder Samir Nasri, Welsh international Aaron Ramsey and French Portoguese Bischoff. Wenger also recalled Mexican prodigy Carlos Vela from long term loan duties in Spain. Wenger also decided to promote reserve players such as promising Jack Wilshere and Gavin Hoyte to the first team. With this lineup Arsenal should continue to remain in the top 3rd throughout the season. Arsenal despite its young age have six experienced players in their starting lineup (Toure, Gallas, Fabregas, Robin Van Persie, Senderos and Clichy). These players along with an impressive line up of mid experience and youth talent should continue to provide Arsenal with impressive ball control that the team is reknowned for. The club has increased in depth during the summer and should be able to bolster injury scares along the season. With the likes of Togo International Adebayor, Dutch forward Robin Van Persie, defenders Sagna, Clichy and Troare all committing to long terms to the club the future is very bright. This season should open with a fit attacking partnership of goal scoring phenomenons Adebayor and Van Persie up front, with mesmerising pace provided down the wing by young Englishman Theo Walcott.

The new players that have arrived are mostly midfield players. It seems that the manager realized that last season injuries to a number of his midfielders were one of the main reasons the team began to drop precious points. With the inception of Nasri, Ramsey and Bischoff he now has a number of options in this department. He is also expecting the contribution of once fringe players Diaby and Denilson to play a more extensive role in the upcoming season. The arrival of Carlos Vela is also great news. The young Mexican has grown a reputation to cause havoc on defenses in Spain and can play either on the wing or upfront. So far in the pre-season he has shown huge potential playing as a striker and has scored a number of impressive goals. Samir Nasir and Ramsey respectively have also exihibited impressive pre-season displays, the former fitting in with the team almost seamingly taking Hleb's vacant position and taking shots on goal. Players to watch Diaby/Denilson, Gallas, Adebayor, Nasri and Walcott. Will Diaby or Denilson fill the void left in defensive midfield by Flamini? Will Gallas lead the young players in a manner that will see them champions at the end of the season. Will Ade continue to develop into a goal scoring monster feared by defenses? Will Nasri adopt to the English game as fluently as his countryman Sagna? Will Walcott take on the responsibility of wearing Henry's number and bloom into the player Wenger destines him to be?

Dreaming of a new era..Tottenham under Ramos

The new English Premiere League season is upon us and with it comes hopes and expectations of clubs that fall below the top 4. This year one particular club from London aims to break through the ceiling and become a true contender for English domination. This club is Tottenham Hotspur under the tutelage of Spanish manager, Juande Ramos. Ramos has created quite a reputation of winning silverware from his days in Spain in charge of Sevilla FC. There Ramos took his team to the UEFA Cup in his first season in charge and then managed to retain the title the following season. He also managed to lead Sevilla to a 3rd place position in the La Liga and win the Copa Del Rey against Getafe. His achievements attracted Tottenham after they parted ways with their former manager Martin Jol after a disappointing start to the 07/08 season.

Ramos made his way to England in October to take over Tottenham and made drastic changes that lead the team to win the Carling Cup. Ramos however made it clear that he was not impressed with the lineup he inherited and informed his board that he intended to overhaul the existing team in the summer transfer window. Ramos kept his word and this summer a number of players exited the club, while Ramos signed new players from around the globe. With the transfer window not quite closed Ramos still seems to be skillfully weaving his way bringing in players into the club. Over the past two months Tottenham has seen new faces such as Croatian playmaker Modric, Mexican prodigy Dos Santos, Brazilian goal stopper Gomez and heir to David Beckhams English role David Bentley. Ramos also gave a number of Tottenham players the exit, such as marksman Robbie Keane, defender Chimbonda and goal keeper Robinson. Existing players were also given more responsibilities, such as striker Darren Bent, defender Gareth Bale and midfield duo Aaron Lennon and Jermaine Jenas. If the preseason is anything to judge future performances for the Spurs, then it could be said that Ramos has improved the squad with his transfer strategies. Tottenham has had an impressive pre-season so far with new and old players contributing to a number of goals against Championship teams and German opposition.

It seems Ramos has done alot of good in the summer. He has weeded out all the sub par players in the current roster and has replaced them with potential and quality. At the same time he has put his faith in existing members of the squad. The best example of his faith in an existing player, is English forward Darren Bent. Bent was signed by former manager Martin Jol for over 9 million pds and failed to impress with the Spurs. His signing became the laughing stock of media jokes and many felt that Bent would have been one of the first players Ramos would have given a pink slip. Instead of giving Bent the exit, Ramos has allowed starting striker Robbie Keane to leave the club, and has given Bent his place. This move may have been coerced since it is alleged that Liverpool and Keane partnered in forcing Tottenham into the transfer. However this does not stop Ramos from finding a suitable replacement outside the current squad since he has has been granted the necessary funds to revamp the team. Bent has rewarded his managers faith in him with an impressive preseason display where he has scored 4 goals in one match against Championship side Norwich and has scored consecutively in over 4 games. If he continues to perform at this level when the season starts, Keane will not be missed.

The arrival of the Mexican teenager Giovanni Dos Santos also seems to be a positive one. Gio is a product of Barcalona's prolific youth academy and was hailed as the heir to Ronaldinho in Spain. Last year he saw himself playing a more substantial role in Barcalona's first team due to injuries to key players. It was believed that this season he would have galvanized his position in Barca's first team. The football world was shocked to hear that the young Mexican decided to move to England and sign with the Spurs. Giovanni's signing allows Ramos to have a number of options in the attacking area. Gio's versatility allows his manager to utilize him either as a striker or an attacking midfielder. He is a proven playmaker that is able to distribute the ball to the striker or position himself for a shot on goal. Ramos already has a number of playmakers in his squad such as Modric, Jenas and new signing Bentley, so Giovanni could see himself in striker role, or supporting striker role. Dos Santos should provide to be a handful to defenders in any position he is placed on the pitch.

This season movement up the pitch and servicing should not be a problem for Tottenham. Ramos has signed and retained a number of talented midfielders. The two new players brought in are Luka Modric and David Bentley. Modric was Ramos first summer signing and he could soon turn out to be the steal of the transfer window, with a going price of just 10 million pds. Juande was shrewd enough to capture the budding midfielder before his appearance in the Euro 08 competition, which would have certainly increased his transfer fee. Modric brings potential and youth to the club. The young Croatian has earned a reputation of his smooth control in midfield. If he is able to adjust to the English game he should be able to regulate the tempo of the Spurs attack. The next midfield purshase Ramos made has already proven that he has the ability to perform in the EPL. This player is David Bentley and he should provide the Spurs with precision long passing and top quality free kicks. Last season while playing for Blackburn Rovers, Bentley was among those that topped the league in assists and gave David Beckham a fight to retain his starting position on the English squad.

Jenas and Lennon are the two promising young midfielders retained by Ramos. Both players are in their early 20's Jenas plays in the center of the pitch and is tall, strong and has the ability to move forward and score goals. Jenas has also improved under Ramos tutelage which has found him being called up for the English senior squad. Aaron is a midfielder that plies his trade on the wing. He is short and quick and is able to bring the ball quickly up the pitch to service the strikers. These two along with retained midfielder Huddlestone should be able to make positive contributions to the side.

It seems that where Ramos falls short is in defense. Ramos has not signed any new defenders so far. His main signing in the defensive part of the pitch has been Brazilian goal keeper Gomez. Ramos felt that the goal keeper he inherited from Jol, Paul Robinson was not effective and sent him off to Blackburn Rovers. His solution is former PSV goalkeeper Heurelho Gomez who is expected to keep the ball from entering the back of the net. Other than the goal keeper he has decided to keep his present defenders. This could be the achilles heel for Tottenham. Last season the team conceded a large number of goals. Ramos main central defenders King and Woodgate, while extremely effective are prone to injuries throughout their careers and spend most their time off the pitch. The positive in defense is the return of the young Gareth Bale, who missed out most of last season due to injuries. The young defender has grown a reputation of going up the pitch on the wing and scoring impressive free kicks. It should be interesting to see if Ramos can achieve to recreate the success he brought to Sevilla with this promising lineup.

The Future Before Us...Jack Wilshere

Ironically the future of English Football lies in Arsenal. His name is Jack Wilshere and guess what? He is only 16 yrs old. This promising midfielder was so impressive in the gunners preseason games that Wenger has awarded him with a first team position. The professor was so impressed with the young English man he has decided to give the "kid" the number 19 jersey to own. This number was presently vacated by the legendary midfielder Gilberto Silva. Jack is a product of Arsenal's youth academy. He joined the Academy in 2001 at the age of 9 and continued up the ranks continuing to impress. This season Arsene decided to put him on trial in the preseason as he looked for more options for his first team line up, the rest is history.

Wilshere is a midfielder that can play on both wings or in the center. Currently Wenger has placed him on the wing. He has high football intelligence, good strength, pace and dribbling skills. He seems to display the presence of a veteran despite only just entering the first team squad. One feels a sense of anticipation everytime he touches the ball. He has scored three goals in the pre-season including a brilliant control and shot on German powerhouse Stuttgart against Arsenal's legendary goal keeper Lehmann. Jack also showed his more physical gerth against veteran players Nedved and Salgado, showing the world that he will not stand to be placed in to the "light weight" category. I am looking forward to seeing this young man development in the following weeks under the close tutelage of Arsene Wenger.