Fernando Torres’ form has improved of late. He thrived in the Europa League, scoring 6 goals

Everyone in the country seems to have their own say on it, but no one has ever fully worked out the mystery. I’d like to offer my own evaluation as to why Fernando Torres has been such a flop at Chelsea.

For a start, I write this article after a decent run of form from the Spaniard. He scored in the Europa League final, he scored the winner on the last day of the season against Everton to secure third place for Chelsea, and has generally been looking like more of a goal threat. But still, it’s the sentence which has been uttered over a million times, he’s still a shadow of his former self.

Fernando Torres’ demise

The reasons behind the striker’s demise run far deeper than simply stating that he ‘lost confidence’, or that he couldn’t thrive whilst Didier Drogba was at the club. After all, Mateja Kežman, Hernán Crespo, Eiður Guðjohnsen and Andriy Shevchenko were all sidelined (or in Gudjohnsen’s case, moved into midfield) because of the big Ivorian’s dominance up front for the Blues. Is it coincidence? Or has Drogba’s presence really been the reason behind strikers failing at Chelsea?

It’s no coincidence that, with Didier Drogba at the club there was little chance of any other striker, even ones as good as Andriy Shevchenko and Fernando Torres succeeding at Chelsea. But it’s not simply because of Drogba’s presence. It’s because Didier Drogba suited Chelsea down to the ground. Much in the same way that Fernando Torres suited Liverpool down to the ground.

The influence of Didier Drogba

While it may strictly be true that a top striker, which Torres certainly is (or was at least), should have enough quality to adapt to any side’s way of playing, it’s not as easy as it sounds. The reality of the situation was this:

Didier Drogba proved to be the perfect striker for Chelsea

Chelsea realised that Drogba’s time was coming to an end, and they needed to replace him. But while Drogba seemed to be on his way out, Chelsea’s style of play certainly wasn’t. As we’ve seen since 2004, Chelsea have used their strikers in a very direct playing system. Chelsea’s front man is a lone striker with his back to goal. This mean he needs to possess the ability to hold the ball up, to head the ball, to overpower his defenders and to be able to turn and go on the attack at a moment’s notice. This was Drogba in a nutshell, but it isn’t Fernando Torres.

Torres’ game at Liverpool and Atlético Madrid was all about his explosiveness. He would run between the last line of defenders and look for through balls. He and Steven Gerrard formed a fantastic partnership doing just that. And that is the kind of striker Torres is, or was. He did not hold the ball up and he certainly didn’t play with his back to goal. Yet now Chelsea were demanding that he started doing so. They were not going to change their entire system to suit one player. So, Torres had to change, and change he did.

He bulked up, and in the process lost a bit of pace, but in his mind, it was worth sacrificing as, if he was to succeed at Chelsea, his power game had to be worked on and his explosive game was to be a thing of the past.

The changes Fernando has made to his game are slowly becoming evident, but it’s taken far too long. He’s now starting to win headers from goal kicks, he’s holding the ball up better too, but after two and a half years of bad press and low confidence, it’s fair to say that the damage was done. We mustn’t forget however that the Spaniard had a torrid 6 months prior to joining Chelsea.

Fernando Torres’ problems with injury

Injury problems had already begun to initialise Torres’ change in style. He relied so heavily on his explosiveness that it was plaguing him with injuries.

Injury troubles have forced Torres to change his game

Torres had to change or risk a career similar to that of Michael Owen, who also relied heavily of explosiveness and speed off the block. Owen’s career quickly went down the drain after he failed to stay fit and Torres potential faced a similar fate. He attempted to change his game but it didn’t work. He may have begun scoring again but it’s two years too late for Nando.

At the end of the day, it’s Chelsea who are the fools. They bought a striker who was not going to suit their style of play, and upon realising this, they spent fortunes changing the style in order to suit the failing striker. Chelsea have changed to a style which seemingly is supposed to suit Torres, but again it doesn’t really. The striker in Chelsea’s system now must almost operate as a midfielder. He must be able to drop off and link up the play, he must have the ability to go past defenders in tight spaces, and to get a shot away in the blink of an eye. This is not Fernando Torres either. While he may be seeing slightly more success in front of goal than before, Fernando still looks like something of a spare part in Chelsea’s team. Due to his quality as a footballer, Torres can get by in this new-look Chelsea, this fast paced, short-passing Chelsea, but no better than any other decent striker.

Chelsea will undoubtedly be bringing in a new striker in the summer, and the type of striker who would suit their system perfectly is Robert Lewandowski, and so too Radamel Falcao. These are strikers who have immense close control, who have the ability to beat a man, who can drop off and link up the play, who can score from almost anywhere, who have both pace and strength but do not heavily rely on one or the other. There is, therefore, a huge question mark over the future of Romelu Lukaku, who’s been on fire for West Brom. He seems to suit Chelsea’s old style of play. Will there be a place for him in this new-look Chelsea? We’ll have to wait and see.

Still a Champion

As for Torres, his career remains one of biggest mysteries in football history.

Fernando Torres has won it all with Spain

Torres went from exciting youngster at Atlético, to world class phenomenon at Liverpool, to washed up failure at Chelsea. But, considering the risks he faced of his career ending up being riddled by injury, perhaps Torres will still be pleased with how his career has gone.

While his time at Atlético and Liverpool might be fondly remembered as the time when he was one of the world’s top strikers, Torres won nothing. Of course, Torres has won much with Spain, but this is merely focusing on his club career. Maybe he’s quite happy to have sacrificed much of his footballing quality in order to get his hands on the FA Cup, the Europa League and of course, the Champions League.

He may have declined considerably, but he’s probably happier being the world class striker who declined in his late-20’s with a few medals to his name, than the world class striker whose career fizzled out in his late 20’s due to injury, without so much as a winners’ medal at club level, and would be left thinking ‘what if’. Of course, I don’t know what Fernando Torres makes of his career choice, but I’m sure he’ll one day look back at his days at Chelsea with fondness. He may not be the fearsome striker defenders would have nightmares about, but the memories of Chelsea’s European victories and so too their FA Cup triumph will live long in the memory of El Nino.

The post The Fernando Torres Mystery appeared first on Proven Quality.

André Villas-Boas remained quietly optimistic in his post-game interviews, vowing that Spurs will come back improved and stronger next season, all this just after breaking Tottenham’s greatest ever Premier League points Tally of 70 points; set in 2009/10. This determination speaks volumes to André’s management style, instilling a sense of battling valiance and fortitude not associated with Tottenham sides in recent history, while still maintaining the silky passing football which is considered the ‘Tottenham way’. The players have done an excellent job this season and with a bit of luck on the injury front, could very well have been celebrating a top 4 place. Here are my player ratings for each player of the Tottenham squad this season.

Goalkeepers

Hugo Lloris made the number one spot his own.

Hugo Lloris : After breaking into the Tottenham team following a deadline day move from Lyon, Lloris went on to have a fantastic season, proving to be the prototype sweeper-keeper in the process. The high line defensive system was much more efficient with Lloris in between the sticks and the French shot stopper kept a total of 9 clean sheets in the league.

VERDICT: 8/10

Brad Friedel : Friedel started off the season in as Spurs’ number 1 and did an adequate job for the most part. However his slow movement off his line meant he was detrimental to the high line system and it showed as Brad failed to keep a clean sheet in any of league games in which he played.

VERDICT: 5/10

Defenders

Kyle Walker : Struggled initially as the season began as his poor defensive positioning was exploited by opposition teams, he also found it particularly hard to defend stood-up crosses played from the left to his right flank often getting caught under the flight of the ball. That being said, Walker improved defensively as the season went on and was a constant threat in the attacking half, linking up well with Aaron Lennon on numerous occasions. His increased composure and defensive improvements over the season lead to Walker having a pretty good year, as opposed to what could have been if he continued on in his initial calamitous fashion.

VERDICT: 6.5/10

Michael Dawson : Initially looked set to leave the club in the summer transfer window for QPR, Dawson fought hard for his place in the team and forced his way into the starting lineup. He was strong in the tackle and great in the air, winning 61% of his 130 aerial duels. He exhibited strong leadership qualities throughout the campaign as the club captain which rubbed off on other members of the squad. However, his lack of pace and mobility hampered him a few times towards the end of the season. Overall a very solid performer.

VERDICT: 7/10

Jan Vertonghen enjoyed a sensational first season with Spurs

Jan Vertonghen : The Belgian defender had an amazing campaign, proving to be one of the best defenders in the Premier League in what is only his first season in England. He won 100% of his tackles in 21 of his 31 league appearances which is staggering and boasted an overall tackle win percentage of 81%. He also moved forward with the ball at his feet with elegance, picking out lovely passes for the attacking players and scored 4 goals this season. His PFA team of the year selection was completely justified.

VERDICT: 9/10

Benoît Assou-Ekotto : Not the left back’s best season for Spurs, after coming back from injury – Assou-Ekotto often looked lost defensively, taking way too many risks in his positioning and displayed a tendency to over dribble in his own half. Provided little attacking impetus going forward and had by far the lowest pass% of all the Tottenham defenders with a disappointing 73%, summing up his wastefulness when in possession. A poor season by his standards.

VERDICT: 5/10

Steven Caulker : The young centre-half had a very good season, eased into the team by AVB and was often very useful against the more physical imposing sides with his aerial presence a good tool defensively and a weapon from attacking set-pieces. He was efficient in his defending, successful in 79% of his tackles and used the ball well, shown by his 90% passing accuracy. A good season for the promising young defender who will surely see more game time next season

VERDICT: 6.5/10

William Gallas : Inconsistency haunted the season of the ageing Frenchman. Performed reasonably well in some matches but was truly horrific in others. This level of inconsistency ultimately lead to him losing his starting berth and looks very likely to leave the club as his contract at the club ends in the summer.

VERDICT: 4/10

Kyle Naughton, one for the future

Kyle Naughton : The right back had a solid season, often required to deputise at left back due to injuries. Was good defensively, winning 76% of his tackles and was somewhat surprisingly good in the air, winning 67% of his areal duels. All round, a solid season which he should take confidence from.

VERDICT: 6/10

Younès Kaboul : The Frenchman came off an amazing season in 2011/2012 and looked set to be a key player this term. However he sustained a season ending knee injury in the first game of the season unfortunately.

VERDICT: N/A

Midfielders

Scott Parker : A tireless worker in the middle of the park for Spurs and got ‘stuck in’ in typical Scott Parker fashion. That aside, it has been a very poor season for Scotty, who now looks a shadow of his former self from last season. Too often we have seen Parker storming head down into a cul-de-sac of opposition players without the technical ability to wriggle his way out, resulting more often than not in a loss of possession. He has also seemed to have lost a yard of pace and mobility which has affected his ability to win the ball back as frequently as he used to.

VERDICT: 5/10

Sandro : Before what turned out to be a season ending injury half way through the season, Sandro was arguably Tottenham’s best performer. The Brazilian enforcer came on leaps and bounds, winning the ball back at a very efficient rate of 65%, incredible considering the areas of the pitch he won them in as well as the sheer volume of challenges. He also showcased his improved ball-playing ability, playing 22 key passes in 22 appearances, a rate of 1 created chance per game from his defensive midfield position. If it weren’t for injury forcing him to miss half the season, Sandro would most definitely be rated as one of the Tottenham’s’ top performers this season.

VERDICT: 6.5/10

Mousa Dembélé was a stand-out performer in the Spurs midfield

Mousa Dembélé : Brought in with the task of replacing Luka Modric and did just that. Dembélé had an excellent season as he evolved as a player into a dynamic box-to-box midfielder. The Belgian is class personified on the ball, completing 65% of his take-on dribbles, effortlessly gliding past opposition players. He is also an extremely accurate passer, completing 91% of his passes with 56.1% of those being forward and largely in the opponents final third. He has also shown how brilliant a ball winner he is boasting the best tackle win%, 84%, of any player to attempt 90 or more tackles in the Premier League this season. An excellent year for the playmaker and he should feel unlucky not to have made the PFA team of the Year.

VERDICT: 9/10

Tom Huddlestone : A largely frustrating season for Tom as he was resigned to the bench for much of it. Despite this fact, he hardly ever failed to make an impact when on the field of play. Exhibiting some excellent passing technique, Huddlestone has an average passing range of 26 meters which from a central midfield is very unique and a testament to the degree of difficulty in the passes he attempts to get his team into the final third quickly. Did very well in his time on the pitch.

VERDICT: 6.5/10

Gylfi Sigurðsson : Struggled early on in the season following his summer move from Hoffenheim. As a result, featured mostly from the bench until the last few months of the season in which he regularly featured from the start. He grew into his new left sided role as the season progressed and as a result all his 3 league goals arrived in 2013. Frequently showcased promising signs of his playmaking ability and is a young player with a big future.

VERDICT: 6/10

Lewis Holtby : He only arrived at the club in January and hasn’t had a lot of match time to make an impact but Holtby had a few very encouraging matches which I am sure he’ll build on. Organizes and links play well with clever passing and has an extremely high work rate. He managed to create 11 chances in 11 games; 7 of those appearances were off the bench, a rate of one chance created a game, getting two assists to his name in the process. Another young player with a bright future and his rating is based mostly off a lack of games.

VERDICT: 5/10

Aaron Lennon : Vastly improved from last season, Lennon has been an integral part of the Tottenham team this season. Terrifying Premier League defenses with his pace and dribbling, Lennon created a very impressive 66 chances from the wing, racking up 7 assists. He is making more incisive runs into the final third than ever before and creates space and time for his teammates around him. His unselfish nature also extends itself to the defensive side of the game providing excellent defensive cover for Kyle Walker time and time again. An excellent season for the nippy winger.

VERDICT: 8.5/10

Jake Livermore : Another player who has not had a lot of match time to have an impact, it remains to be seen how he will be utilized in the Spurs team. A decent all-round player though and could be a useful player in the future.

VERDICT: 4/10

Tom Carroll : Carroll only played 7 games this season but the youngster has shown he could have a very bright future. Blessed with great vision, Andre has used him almost exclusively as an emergency substitute to pick out passes in dangerous areas when the team are desperately chasing a goal. He plays 71% of his passes forwards at a completion rate of 84% which shows the attacking intent in his passing. A very promising youngster.

VERDICT: 4.5/10

Forwards

Clint Dempsey : The American has largely split opinion amongst the White Hart Lane faithful following his deadline day move from Fulham. He has struggled to play any one position consistently well, whether it be as a second striker (Number 10), or as an inside forward playing from the left, he has failed to set the world alight. That being said Dempsey has scored some very important goals in big matches, none bigger than his last gasp stoppage time equalizer to rescue a point at home against Manchester United, and has worked as hard as anyone when not in possession of the ball. In total he’s scored 7 league goals and grabbed 4 assists. Dempsey has not reached his performance levels of last season but has had a fairly decent season.

VERDICT: 6.5/10

Bale had an incredible season, striking fear into defences across the Premier League

Gareth Bale : A truly stellar campaign from the Welshman, morphing into one of the worlds very best players. After his move to a central position, Bale went onto become a prolific goal scorer, netting 21 league goals, 9 of which were from outside of the box; more than any other player in Europe. His match-winning strike against West Ham at Upton Park was my pick of the bunch, a truly scintillating goal. Bale has also proven to be a very good creative presence too, crafting out 75 chances in his 33 league appearances, picking up 4 assists. Simply put Bale has been incredible this season and shown his impressive versatility by switching between 3 or 4 different positions in a single match at times. An amazing season from Bale who is now one of the hottest properties in the world.

VERDICT: 10/10

Jermain Defoe : His season started off in a very promising fashion, scoring freely whilst looking to have adapted well to the lone striker role. As the season has progressed though, Jermain has endured a torrid time in front of goal, only netting 2 goals since the start of the calendar year. Defoe ended the season with just 11 league goals in 34 games, which is not good enough for a striker playing for one of the top sides in the league.

VERDICT: 5.5/10

Emmanuel Adebayor : A very poor season from Adebayor, scoring a total of 5 goals in the league – from a striker of his quality is just unacceptable. AVB has stated that Adebayor has played the majority of the season with a pain in his knee which may partly explain this uncharacteristic season. In the last 3 games of the campaign though Adebayor looked fitter, more mobile and contributed 2 of his 5 league goals in this period which may insinuate to the overcoming of this particular injury. All in all though an abysmal season for the target man.

VERDICT: 4/10

The post Tottenham Hotspur player ratings for the season appeared first on Proven Quality.

Right now, we’re slap bang in the middle of two World Cups. I must say that I find international football incredibly dull to watch, with the only three exceptions to this rule being if 1) there’s an interesting sub-plot (e.g. Messi vs. Ronaldo), 2) a large Arsenal contingent is present (e.g. France circa 2004), or if it’s during an international tournament. There are many reasons for my apathy towards internationals (especially mid-season ones), but the main point is that I don’t watch it all that often. That may well be an odd thing to say at this point of the article, given that I know what’s coming next (and you don’t…), but it’s just something to put out there.

Three years ago, I had the good fortune to go to three World Cup matches in South Africa – I’m going to try to keep it as unsentimental as possible, but the whole experience was phenomenal, even if the competition itself was pretty crap (the lead only changed hands twice in a match on one occasion, and that was in the 3rd/4th Place Play-off). In fact, I would say that I probably saw the 3 most exciting games of the whole thing – the aforementioned Play-off between Germany and Uruguay (3-2), Holland’s victory over Uruguay in the semi-final (also 3-2), and I also saw Lionel Messi’s Argentina side get humbled by the majesty of the German counterattacking machine (4-0).

The play-off, as I said, was statistically the most entertaining match of the tournament. As expected, neither side was at full pelt, and this led to the inevitable mistakes from both sides. Sublime goals from both sides made for spectacular viewing, as did the incessant booing of a certain Luis Suárez. Diego Forlán, arguably the best player in the tournament came close to sending it to extra time with the last kick of the game, but his free-kick rattled the crossbar. The semi-final wasn’t played with as much verve, and despite the quantity of goals, it was the quality of Van Bronkhorst’s goal that really made that game shine out for me.

Germany have building a squad with a potent mix of youth and experience

But in terms of entertainment, nothing came close to matching the German’s dismantling one of the favourites (Argentina), who had also collected 9 points from their group. It should have been a really tight game – Germany had Muller’d England in the previous round, but Argentina would surely provide stiffer opponents. Defoe, Upson, Milner and Barry vs. Di Maria, Tevez, Aguero and Messi. You get my point. Germany weren’t being ruled out, but it seemed destined that this would be Messi’s moment of glory, and that he would make this game his own. In reality, nothing was further from the truth. Messi, who was being managed my Diego Maradona at the time, merged into the backdrop of the game, thanks largely to the dynamic duo of Khedira and Schweinsteiger who marked him out of the game. Di Maria came close, but the tone for the match was set when Muller scored in the 3rd minute of the game. Klose added two, and Friedrich got another one to add to his collection. It was wonderful to watch, and finally people started to take note of this young German side.

This leads me nicely onto the main part of this article – who will win the 2014 World Cup, hosted in Brazil? Germany is the name on everybody’s lips at the moment, so it seems only logical to start there.

German football has had a massive facelift since Euro 2000, when they were disappointingly dumped out of the competition after the group stages. When, a year later, England beat them 5-1 in Munich, the country went into meltdown. Emergency talks were held, and it was decided that a new brand of football would have to be utilised in order to compete for international honours in the future. Whilst an honourable 2nd place at the 2002 World Cup went some way to repair the damage, history repeated itself in 2004, and they were sent home after the group stages. The rebuilding process had to start there and then.

However, they’ve been careful with how they’ve gone about it, and nothing has been done in a hurry. Players are selected on form, not reputation, and there are some stalwarts (e.g. Miroslav Klose) that have been around long enough to guide the younger generation through. Clearly, when looking at results at past tournaments, this has worked – runners up in Euro 2008, they made the semi-finals at both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, as well as at Euro 2012. Each time, they were beaten by the eventual winner. Is this success? Or are they just bottlers?

You’d have thought that the players there know how to win things. In goal, they have arguably the best goalkeeper in the world in Manuel Neuer, and in front of him, any two centre-backs from Mertesacker, Hummels, Badstuber, Hoewedes or Boateng. On the left side of defence, Marcel Schmelzer has come in to good effect, and in Philip Lahm, they have arguably the best right back in the world. Khedira and Schweinsteiger are the first choice central midfielders, but there is competition from Gündoğan, as well as both of the Bender brothers (Lars and Sven). Their strongest position is undoubtedly the attacking midfield option. Should Loew want to, Schweinsteiger could be deployed further forwards, but this leaves one less space – they already have Ozil, Götze, Reus, Podolski, Kroos, Muller and Schurrle. And whilst Mario Gomez is getting older (and getting less playing time), Podolski/Schurrle could play up front, as could the evergreen Klose, or even the 32 year old Cacau. Not a bad team, if you ask me.

However, they’re not certain to win it – if they were, there would be little point in religiously following the World Cup like we all inevitably will. One can’t look past the current European and World champions, Spain. So much has been said about Spanish football over the years, particularly the tika-taka philosophy that Pep Guardiola employed so effectively throughout his years as Barcelona manager…although, a season at the helm of Bayern Munich could well see him strengthen Germany’s position too.

Spain have won every major prize in international football, but is their star on the wane?

The Spanish side consists mainly of Barcelona players, although Casillas should maintain his place in the side, as should Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso. Right back is a bit of a problem, but Arbeloa will probably play there, and if not then Ramos can slide over. Ingio Martinez may get a call up, but a lot depends on his form at Real Sociedad, as well as the form of other more established players – Del Bosque doesn’t tend to look at form, and picks on reputation (hence no Michu, or even Arteta, in recent squads); in my eyes, it’s always risky. There are worries about Xavi’s injury troubles, and so Cesc Fàbregas may be thrust into his role, although Javi Martínez may be able to do so too. Thiago, Fabregas’ successor at Barcelona, should make the squad, but once again, the most competition lies in the play-maker role (wide or central). For a start, there’s the Premier League trio of Mata, Silva and Cazorla. Then, Iniesta and Isco are up there – for an alternative option, one could look at the likes of Jesus Navas, Koke and Pedro, whilst Jose Antonio Reyes could even be in line for a shock recall.

Up front, David Villa’s lost his Goal-den Touch, as has Fernando Torres – the once formidable pairing looks set to be broken up, and whilst Del Bosque operated with a ‘False 9’, an out and out striker could be someone like Soldado, Negredo or Llorente. Should the Barcelona youngster Delofeu make a significant impact at the Camp Nou next season, then he could also be in with a shout. It’s certainly not a bad team, but one wonders whether their golden generation is finally on the way out, and lots more teams have begun to work them out recently.

Whilst the main bulk of the Spanish national side comes from Barcelona, they’re missing the one key ingredient – Lionel Messi. Surely his Argentina side can’t win the World Cup at the Maracana? Well, if you’re Brazilian, you’ll be relieved to hear that the chances of that are fairly slim. Yes, they’ve got Messi, but their defence won’t be strong enough to see out an entire World Cup campaign. Di Maria, Aguero, Tevez and Pastore all look good in attack, but Mascherano’s the only defensive player of note, and he’ll be 30 by the time of the finals in Brazil. If it’s any solace, then Messi will surely beat his main competitor, Ronaldo in terms of how far each team goes. Of course, as is always the case, the draw will make huge differences, but without an out and out goalscorer to help Ronaldo, Portugal could struggle. Nelson Oliviera could be the next Helder Postiga, but you can’t rely on someone so unproven. Moutinho, Danny and others have never really fulfilled potential, and their defence is shakier than the San Andreas Fault Line (weird analogy, sorry!).

Whilst the football ‘hipsters’ are cottoning onto the idea/fantasy that Belgium may well do well should they qualify for 2014 (Courtois, Kompany, Vertonghen, Vermaelen, Witsel, Fellaini, Dembele, Hazard, Defour, Mirallas, Benteke, Lukaku…arguably better than their Dutch neighbours?), I think that the dark horses of 2014 will be France. Lloris looks set to remain as the goalkeeper, and their defence on paper could well match Germany’s – Rafael Varane has impressed hugely this year for Real Madrid, and Laurent Koscielny has been superb at the heart of Arsenal’s defence this year; competition arises from Adil Rami, Yanga-M’Biwa and Sakho, which shows the clear strength in depth. Sagna’s dip in form could prove costly, but in Debuchy they have a more than apt replacement – Clichy, Evra and Cissokho will fight it out for the left back berth.

On paper, France have an excellent team but can they put shambolic performances at recent tournaments behind them?

In midfield, Yohan Cabaye is almost certainly guaranteed a place, alongside Mavuba, Capoue, Gonalons or even M’Vila – Diarra would be an outside call, but this is somewhat unlikely, as is the return of the injury-plagued Abou Diaby. Established stars of the world game in Ribery and Nasri will provide the creativity, but help will come from Valbuena, Ben Arfa or Menez (for more, see my article on Yoann Gourcuff). Up front, Karim Benzema, having missed the 2010 débâcle, will be keen to lead the line, whilst Olivier Giroud and Bafetimbi Gomis will provide the back up. Personally, I’d like to see Jeremie Aliadiere in the squad after his fantastic displays for Lorient this season, but I don’t pick the squads. This is all without two players who could be key for them in the future, Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle) and M’baye Niang (AC Milan). With everyone fit, France have the potential to go all the way. It’s just a question of whether collectively they have the temperament.

The English media love to hype up England’s chances, but do they have a realistic chance?

Every year, England are touted as possible winners…and every year (bar 1966, of course), the Barmy Army come home empty handed. A lot has been said on the topic of why we tend to fail on the biggest stage, and unfortunately I can’t see the trend being bucked in Brazil. England don’t tend to do too well in warmer climates, and the squad looks thin, to say the least. Even with Gary Neville dictating some of the tactical play, against some teams England can look distinctly one dimensional – there are still the rugged players of yesteryear, Gerrard and Lampard spring to mind there. But there’s suddenly an influx of more creative players, and certainly more technically able players – Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jack Wilshere, Tom Cleverly etc. Phil Jones fits into the school of ‘run into the opposition’, but he could well also play a part. The left back slot is one that’s contentious, with Baines possibly edging Cole out (an honourable mention goes to Kieran Gibbs here, but I don’t want to come across as too pro-Arsenal!). Ross Barkley’s an interesting one – I’m a massive fan of his, I just wonder whether he needs to move away from Everton to really give himself the best opportunity on the international stage.

And that’s that in terms of potential World Cup 2014 winners! Oh, but it’s not. There’s just one more, right at the bottom of the barrel, who could, maybe, stand a chance of winning the World Cup…Brazil. Of course – the hosts, the record holders for most World Cup wins, for decades the best team in the world. Don’t let their low world ranking fool you (this is because they’ve not played any in any FIFA competitive games recently, which count much more than friendlies). This Brazil side could well fulfil their destiny, and bring the World Cup back to Brazil.

They haven’t performed to high standards in recent World Cups, but Brazil’s history and host status has made them a favourite with the bookies

Whilst they’ve always been known for their attacking prowess and flair, it’s been a long time since their defensive stability has been their strongest unit. Julio Cesar and Diego Lopez will strive to become the number 1, but in front of them, there is Thiago Silva (in my eyes the best CB in the world), and then one of Dante, Dede and David Luiz. Luiz’s transformation into a deep lying midfielder could see him keep a place in the side there, but I think that it’ll be the man dubbed Dede-ckenbauer who plays alongside Silva. Marcelo and Dani Alves seem natural choices for the wing back positions.

In the holding role, Liverpool’s Lucas faces competition from Paulinho, Sandro and Casemeiro, and the aforementioned Luiz. The other Chelsea Brazilians, Ramires and Oscar should make the squad, but playing time will be limited, with the likes of Ganso, Lucas Moura, Hernanes, Fernandinho, Diego and who knows, maybe even Kaka and Ronaldinho all vying for a spot in the coveted Selecao. Hulk’s form in Russia hasn’t been great, but he should make the squad, as should the reborn Alexandre Pato, but Leandro Damião may keep him out of the starting XI.

And then there’s the star of this crop of players…Andre Santos…or not. Neymar could well be the man to lead his country to World Cup glory – that’s not to say that Brazil are a one man team, far from it. It just happens that every World Cup winner has a special talent, and Neymar is this. I think that staying in Brazil until after 2014 would be a wise move for his career, but naturally, in order to fully flourish, the long protracted move to Europe will need to happen.

So there it is (for real now). Personally, I’d say it’s between Brazil and Germany, although unfortunately, the bookies agree with me! Behind them, France could prove to be a handful, and Spain will have that special something.

(At the time of publication of this article, Brazil are 7/2 favourites followed by Spain and Argentina at 5/1 and Germany at 6/1. Belgium are at 20/1, while England are at 22/1 and France are out at 33/1. All odds sourced from bet365.)

The post Looking ahead to the 2014 World Cup appeared first on Proven Quality.

Spurs took a little while to get going but were level on twenty minutes through a slightly fortunate but instinctive goal from Clint Dempsey. Scott Parker’s through ball was cut out by Stoke defender Marc Wilson, but unbeknown to the Irishman his goalkeeper Asmir Begovic had raced off his line to clear the ball himself. Wilson’s clearance fell straight to Dempsey and with Begovic in no man’s land, the American’s first time effort floated into Stoke’s empty net.

The momentum of the game swung massively in Tottenham’s favour early in the second half when Charlie Adam was sent off for two bookable offences. The Scotland international was dismissed following two poorly timed challenges on Jan Vertonghen. As Adam made the walk to the dressing room both Stoke City players and supporters knew they were going to be under pressure for the rest of the game.

Tottenham pressed and were eventually rewarded with a second goal on 82 minutes when Emmanuel Adebayor slotted home the winner from Clint Dempsey’s low cross, after Gareth Bale’s pass from outside the box was deflected into the American’s path.

So it all comes down to this Sunday. After thirty seven games of football, the final qualifying berth for next seasons Champions League will be decided by the final ninety or so minutes of this season.

As I write this Arsenal have just beaten Wigan Athletic 4-1, which means The Gunners will be heading into the final game of the season a single point ahead of Spurs.

However, all is not lost. Arsenal travel to Newcastle United on the final day and the locals will be demanding that their team finish what has been a very disappointing season, with a victory, whilst Tottenham entertain Sunderland at White Hart Lane.

From a Spurs perspective Newcastle’s victory away at Queens Park Rangers last Sunday was less than ideal, as the win ensured ‘The Toon’ will be playing top flight football next season. The one benefit of Arsenal’s victory against Wigan this evening is that it condemns this season’s FA Cup winners to relegation, meaning Sunderland are safe and the pressure is off.

As a result of their Premier League status being preserved for another season, Paolo Di Canio may decide to experiment with his squad. One thing is for certain, left back Danny Rose will definitely be unavailable as he is ineligible to play against his parent club. If Di Canio chooses to name his strongest eleven however, the final game of the season could be a lot tougher than the home supporters had hoped.

Sunderland have a very experienced back four, marshalled by ex-Manchester United defender John O’Shea. In midfield the defence are protected by Alfred N’Diaye and Jack Colback. James McClean, Sebastian Larsson give Sunderland width, and the talented Adam Johnson will operate in a free role behind the striker, most likely to be Danny Graham.

With the exception of their long term absentees, Tottenham should be at full strength for their final game of the season. I would expect André Villas-Boas to start the game with two holding midfielders, most probably Scott Parker and, if fit, Mousa Dembélé, sitting in front of the back four. AVB will also most probably start with a lone striker, with Gareth Bale playing in a free role just behind. I also expect if Arsenal are either drawing or losing, and Tottenham aren’t winning, for AVB to really go all out for the victory. This will be a risky strategy to employ but it’s the final game of the season and we have to win.

Spurs have done their bit and given their supporters a season to remember, regardless of what happens on Sunday. At the start of the season all the pundits were talking about how strong both Arsenal and Chelsea were looking and how Tottenham were likely to struggle following the departure of Harry Redknapp. André Villas-Boas has done a fantastic job in his first season at White Hart Lane and I for one hope he remains Tottenham Hotspur manager for many years to come.

In finishing, and for one last time this season… COME ON YOU SPURS!!

The post Can Tottenham Get Top Four? Spurs vs. Sunderland preview appeared first on Proven Quality.

The eyes of the footballing world will be fixed on David Moyes and Old Trafford as United come to terms with life after Fergie. But in the midst of all of this, an extremely significant managerial change is going somewhat unnoticed. Had David Moyes left Everton at a different time, it would have been a huge story for football.

While dwarfed by Fergie’s reign at United, Moyes’ eleven year spell at Everton is a highly commendable achievement. Not only that, but he managed to establish his Everton side firmly as a Europa League/Champions League challenging team. To see such consistency and longevity from a manager is hard to come by. Managerial stability is rare in today’s game, and Moyes’ reign was one of the longest in English football. People who are so focused and interested in how Man United will fare next season many will forget to wonder how Everton are going to fare after Moyes.

Moyes’ departure will forever live in the shadow of Ferguson’s. Everton’s recuperation and fresh start will forever live in the shadow of United’s, and in many ways that’s a great shame. Perhaps Everton’s ordeal to cope post Moyes will slip under the radar, but if anything, it will be as fascinating to watch as United’s.

Moyes had an excellent record of bringing through youth

There’s no doubt that David Moyes did a terrific job with Everton, however, after a few years of finishing just outside the top four, there was always the question lingering of whether Moyes had taken Everton as far as he was ever going to. It was hard to consider Everton moving in another direction due to the fact that Moyes had done a brilliant job at Goodison Park, but if the club wanted to make that next step into an established Champions League side, maybe Moyes was not way to go about achieving it.

Unable to sack him, they now have an opportunity to change things up. You might argue that change is unnecessary and generally pretty risky, but these risks have to be taken into account if you are ever to challenge for silverware in 21st century football. Challenging for silverware was perhaps the one thing missing from Moyes’ very respectable tenure at Everton. The closest he came was an FA Cup final loss in 2009. While it is undeniable that Moyes was a huge success with Everton, was it really possible for them to go any further under his guidance?

Everton’s next managerial appointment will be crucial. Moyes famously succeeded with Everton with next to no transfer budget season after season. He wisely sought after cheap players whom he saw unearthed talent within and helped them to fulfil their playing potential. Fellaini, Lescott, Baines, Arteta, Cahill, Jagielka are but a few of the names David Moyes took from insignificance to cult-hero status at Goodison. Added to this the immense success of the youth system – Everton produced a fine set of young players from their academy year upon year, which obviously meant no money spent on transfers but it also kept wages low. Moyes also famously put faith in ‘older’ players. Phil Neville’s transition from unneeded fullback at Man United to inspirational Everton captain and hero is very impressive. Tony Hibbert is another Evertonian who has been a mainstay, and a successful one under Moyes. Tim Howard has flourished at Everton and Sylvan Distin is the most capped non-British player in Premier League history.

Basically, Moyes has developed and maintained and extremely well-run club, something which should come in handy at Man United. The question is, will Moyes’ replacement be able to continue running the club this way?

Everton, and in particular Bill Kenwright will have work to do to find a suitable replacement to Moyes

Most managers would prefer to have a bit of money to play with, something which Everton don’t have in excess. And how do you find money to spend if you don’t have any? You sell players. Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines are two of the most sought after players in the Premier League at the moment. Will the new boss be tempted to cash in on one or indeed both of them in order to generate some funding for transfers of his own? Only time will tell.

However, if Everton do end up selling arguably their two best players, they run the severe risk of declining as a club. We will then find out if it was indeed Moyes’ efficient and well-oiled way of running a club cheaply which kept Everton pushing for 4th year upon year. Times are a-changing for Everton, not just Man United, and we could become so focused on the goings on at Old Trafford next season that we risk missing what happens to Everton entirely.

Alan Curbishley famously turned Charlton Athletic into an established mid-table side during his 15 year reign there. And after resigning in 2006, Charlton, who were never particularly relegation battlers suddenly declined and were relegated not long after Curbishley’s departure. The unsettling of a project and a style which had been in place for so long ended up being Charlton’s downfall and since their relegation in 2007, they haven’t once come close to promotion to the Premier League once more.

Of course I’m not suggesting that with Moyes leaving, Everton are destined for the Championship, far from it. But we may see the true extent of Moyes’ work at Everton should his replacement fail to keep the Blues pushing for a Champions League place.

In some ways though, this lack of attention Everton are likely to get due to the focus on United will be good for the new man in charge, whoever he may be. The less focus, the better; there is less pressure that way. But just as we are about to dawn on a brand new adventure for Manchester United, let’s not forget that there is a just as significant change going on at Everton – at least that’s what the blue half of Liverpool would argue, and while it may slip under the radar somewhat next season, I know I’ll be keeping one watchful eye on the cloudy future of what has been one of the most consistent clubs in the Premier League in the last few seasons.

Roll on 2013/14.

The post What Next For Everton? appeared first on Proven Quality.

As much as it pains Evertonians, there isn’t a blue soul out there that would seriously begrudge him this move. During his 11 years at the helm at Goodison, he took an ageing side battling relegation year-in, year-out, to a younger team that can, and has, battled for the top four. He’s managed on a severely tight budget, pulled out gems such as Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill for minuscule fees, and had Everton playing their best football in years.

If it wasn’t for a certain Pierluigi Collina ruining an evening in Spain in August 2005, things may have been different; more money would probably have been available, and the 2005/2006 season was deeply affected by the defeat in the Champions League. Even then, Moyes has taken the Blues to eight top-seven finishes in his eleven full seasons in charge, including two fifth-placed finishes, one in 2008/2009 where Everton were affected by a number of serious injuries to key players like Arteta, Yakubu and Jagielka.

But the alarm bells have been ringing for a while. Moyes never closed the door on an exit from Everton this season, consistently stating that he’ll “take a look at where we are at the end of the season”. It seems unreal that everything would fall into place as easily as this; could it be possible that Moyes had heard something from United earlier in the season, and then waited to see if the situation would be manufactured?

Possibly, and probably. But again, it would be impossible for any Evertonian in their right mind to have anything but good things to say about Moyes, after everything he has done for the club. The one thing he never got, though, that he so desperately deserved, was a medal and a trophy. On a few occasions it has been close; the FA Cup final defeat in 2009, semi-final defeats in the FA Cup and League Cup in 2012 and 2008, but it was never achieved. A shame really, as for all his endeavours as Everton manager, it would have capped everything off perfectly.

Ironic, therefore, how it seems that his departure has really been sealed since the humiliating defeat to Wigan in the FA Cup, two months ago to this day. That was the day when everything fell apart. It seemed as if Fellaini would be swiftly out of the door, suggestions even arose that Moyes would resign immediately. What a chance that was to win a trophy, further emphasised by the semi-final draw which would’ve have put us against Millwall, and following that, a final against Manchester City, against whom Moyes’ record is incredible; one defeat against them since 2007.

Maybe surprising, therefore, that Manchester United have opted for a man with as little as a Division 2 promotion with Preston North End on his CV. Especially when the likes of José Mourinho and Jürgen Klopp are available. In reality, though, is there really a better candidate? He has the perfect attributes to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson; fiery, tactically efficient, and possibly most important for next season, the edge over Manchester City.

For Everton, though, life has to go on. The club was formed in 1878, not 2002. Things have to change, and Bill Kenwright shouldn’t be scared to make a bold appointment, like he did when making the relatively unknown Moyes manager, despite battling relegation from the Premier League over eleven years ago.

It seems that Roberto Martinez is the favourite so far, ignoring whatever Dave Whelan has to say on the matter. However, to take a chance on someone like Alan Stubbs, who has a very good record with the Everton Under-21s, and even more significantly has blue blood pumping through his veins, would not be the worst thing. Neil Lennon though, would be suicide; the last thing Everton need at the moment is to become as hated as the team across Stanley Park.

For David Moyes, next season brings the prospect of Champions’ League football and a challenge to defend Sir Alex Ferguson’s title. For Everton, who knows?

The post The End of an Era appeared first on Proven Quality.

In his first post for Proven Quality, Will Godley takes a look at potential recruitment targets for the new Manchester United manager – raids on his old club for Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines aside.

İlkay Gündoğan – Borussia Dortmund and Germany

Position: Midfielder
Age: 22

İlkay Gündoğan has been in sensational form for Dortmund and will face Bayern Munich in the Champions League final

With Anderson on his way out of the club and Paul Scholes now finally set to retire, it would appear that Manchester United need more midfield reinforcement this summer if they are to retain their Premier League crown and to make a proper challenge for the Champions League next season.

The club are in need of an exciting playmaker that can not only pass but start attacks and dribble at defences. With this thought in mind I have come to the conclusion that Dortmund and Germany midfield maestro and one of this season’s outstanding Champions League performers Ilkay Gundogan, is the man the Red Devils need in the middle of the park.

Furthermore having played with Shinji Kagawa in midfield at Dortmund for two title winning seasons, it would be interesting to see if they could reignite that previously formidable partnership and if the Japanese playmaker could rediscover his form from the Bundesliga for the English champions with his former team-mate alongside him.

Having lead Borussia Dortmund to two Bundesliga titles in a row over the likes of Bayern Munich, Gundogan took little of the credit despite magnificent displays consistently throughout the seasons. Instead, players like Kagawa and Götze received all the plaudits, which was harsh on such a consistent performer. But not to be outdone this season he has upped his game to a whole new dimension as he has spear-headed the Ruhr-based club to the Champions League final at Wembley, putting in some masterful performances along the way.

What would he bring to the team?

The German international would bring a style of defensive pressing, quick ball distribution and an eye for the magnificent pass that the Premier League has never before seen. If he and Carrick could play alongside each other with Kagawa further advanced then Manchester United would have, hands down, the best midfield in the Premier League.

Also Gundogan would bring a sophistication and vision that would not just help United prosper domestically but also in Europe. It is after all, players like him that have played a huge part in the rise of German football in recent years and if we can, English sides should try and capture some of the players that are leading this new found dominance in European football to come from the Bundesliga.

Robert Lewandowski – Borussia Dortmund and Poland

Position: Forward
Age: 24

Robert Lewandowski is highly tipped for a move to Bayern, but if Dortmund are forced to sell, surely they would prefer to sell to a foreign club.

If we look at the current Manchester United side, their attack is probably their strongest attribute and therefore the least important area that the club will be looking to strengthen this summer. Although there is an exception, as one of Europe’s inform strikers has declared his intentions of leaving his current side Borussia Dortmund. This man is of course Robert Lewandowski.

However, United will have a real battle on their hands to be able to secure the Poles services, as German runaway leaders Bayern Munich are rumoured to be his favoured destination following strong interest from the Bavarians. On the other hand, having already agreed to sell one of their star players to Munich already this summer in Mario Götze, Dortmund would surely prefer Lewandowski to move abroad, therefore making Manchester United the favourites despite rumoured recent interest from Real Madrid.

With the likes of Robin van Persie, Chicharito, Rooney and Welbeck already at the club, there will surely not be another striker being brought in without one of the current squad being shown the Old Trafford door. Bearing that in mind, despite 3 years of good service Chicharito will have to be the man to move on for me, and could possibly be offered as a swap-deal for Lewandowski to persuade the Ruhr-based club to sell their star man to United. Wayne Rooney is also strongly rumoured to be leaving the club after having handed a second transfer request in two years to departed manager Sir Alex Ferguson, a possible attacking departure which would leave Manchester United with big boots to fill.

What would he bring to the team?

Having won the golden boot in the Bundesliga last season and scored a hatful of goals in only his 2^nd Champions League season this term, the main thing Robert Lewandowski would bring to any team is goals, goals and more goals. His superb finishing, brilliant link-up play and eye for goal has helped make him one of the most formidable strikers around, and if United were fortunate enough to secure his signature he could not only score around 30 goals each season but lay on plenty to his team-mates as well.

Gareth Bale – Tottenham Hotspur and Waleshim

Position: Winger
Age: 23

Bale is one of the most sought-after players in Europe, but Tottenham will be hoping to keep him.

Having torn apart the Manchester United defence during Tottenham’s 3-2 win at Old Trafford earlier in the season, United are more than aware of the threat that the Welshman possesses. Having become the first man in to have ever won an individual awards treble of PFA player of the year, PFA young player of the year and Football Writers’ player of the year, Gareth Bale has been recognised as the clear stand-out player in English football this season.

Real Madrid are currently the favourites to secure Bale’s signature and with comparisons being made to Cristiano Ronaldo, United realise that convincing Gareth Bale to join the English champions is going to be a massive ask. However with the Premier League already in the bag and a virtually guaranteed starting place at one of the world’s best clubs due to the winger crisis at Old Trafford, Bale may be persuaded to stay in a league he is already more than comfortable in.

Watchers of the Premier League will be fully aware of the Spurs winger’s talents, having torn apart defences all around the nation for most of the season. Many have also said that the North-London club have been something of a one man team, due to his brilliant solo goals and high percentage of the side’s goals. True or not Tottenham Hotspur will be desperately hoping to hang onto their star asset!

What would he bring to the team?

Gareth Bale would for me would be the final piece in the jigsaw at Old Trafford and should be transfer target number one as he has the same ability that previous United great Cristiano Ronaldo possessed; that of being able to turn a game on it’s head and produce a match winning moment from seemingly nowhere.

He would also bring blistering pace and skill to the currently depleted United flanks and much more of a threat from free-kicks due to his near-perfect ‘knuckleball’ technique that we have seen on many occasions this season to the utter horror of goalkeepers but to the pure amazement of Spurs fans.

Furthermore the Welshman would bring a spark to United and an extra addition of pure quality that I felt deserted the Red Devils in the Champions League last 16 tie vs Real Madrid. Also, working with former Welsh counterpart and legend of the game Ryan Giggs would be extremely helpful for Bale as a model of how to treat your body and behave on and off the pitch.

Kurt Zouma  – St Etienne and France

Position: Defender
Age: 18

AS Saint-Étienne defender Kurt Zouma has become a highly coveted prospect following excellent performances in Ligue 1

Despite the progression of the Manchester United defence as this season has gone on, there is no doubt that it could still be strengthened further with it also becoming obvious that despite young talents such as Phil Jones and Chris Smalling, the United centre-back partnership that stars veterans Ferdinand and Vidic could do with more young competition despite Johnny Evans making a strong case to break them up in the background.

Having watched many promising young defenders across Europe, I have come to the conclusion that the man needed is St Etienne and France’s Kurt Zouma, who at 18 already has a lot of admirers as well as a full France cap on the horizon.

Having becoming a crucial first team player for the Ligue 1 outfit, the Red Devils have been previously linked with this precocious talent. He will not come cheap, however St Etienne need the money and with another young star Aubameyang set to move on also, a fee in the region of £15m would probably seal the deal.

What would he bring to the team?

Kurt Zouma would bring a composure and coolness as well as confidence in his defensive abilities to go with superb raw talent. He would also push his way into the United defence within the next two years for me, as he has been given the right footballing education at St Etienne. I believe that he could soon become one of the world’s best and most accomplished defenders!

What did you think of Will’s picks for Manchester United this transfer window? Do you agree or disagree, or think he has missed a player? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to follow us on twitter and like us on facebook.

The post Manchester United’s summer wish list – 4 players David Moyes should look to sign appeared first on Proven Quality.

Spurs started the game brightly but fell behind to a 10th minute header from Oscar, who reacted very quickly to nod home Gary Cahill’s glancing header from a Juan Mata corner, though Michael Dawson was poorly positioned and lost his marker. Spurs levelled things on twenty six minute through the very impressive Emmanuel Adebayor, who picked up the ball in his own half and ran at Chelsea’s defenders before bending a sumptuous effort into the top right hand corner. A lot must be said of the supporting run made by Aaron Lennon, which drew the attention of a couple of the Chelsea defenders and allowed Adebayor the space he needed to draw Tottenham level.

Chelsea regained the lead on thirty nine minutes through another of their Brazilian contingent, Ramires. Good work from Fernando Torres on the right flank created a gap between Jan Vertonghen and Michal Dawson in the Tottenham defence, which Ramires exploited by running onto the Spaniards through ball and dinking it over the advancing Hugo Lloris and into the Spurs net.

Chelsea started brightly again in the second half and had Ramires not lost his footing at the vital moment, Chelsea would’ve been 3-1 ahead and the game would have effectively been over. The hosts missed further chances through Fernando Torres, Juan Mata and Eden Hazard before Gylfi Sigurđsson drew Tottenham level for a second time in the 80th minute. Spurs’ second was a very well worked goal. Benoȋt Assou-Ekotto fed the ball to Adebayor in the area and his back-heel found the Icelandic international who curled the ball around Petr Čech and into the Chelsea net.

The final ten minutes of the game were quite frantic as both sides went looking for the goal that would surely secure all three points. The best chance of the final ten minutes was a free-kick awarded to Spurs in the 90th minute, which was just outside the Chelsea box. Following a lot of hype from the television commentators, Gareth Bale stepped up and…. Curled the ball straight into the arms of Petr Čech. The game finished 2-2 and Spurs left the field with the knowledge that their Champions league destiny was no longer in their own hands.

In an interview following the game Tottenham head coach André Villas-Boas asked fans to keep the faith, which they should. Although Spurs sit fifth in the table they can still mathematically finish third. It’s a big ask, lets be honest, but they have to give it their best shot. There are two matches remaining, away to Stoke and home to Sunderland. Tottenham need to do their bit and take maximum points from these two games. Who knows for sure that both Arsenal and Chelsea will take maximum points from their remaining fixtures? I know I’m being extremely optimistic, as I always am when it comes to my beloved Spurs, but I should be optimistic, as should every Spurs fan. There is still something to play for, a prize that could take us to the next level and turn us into genuine title contenders.

Spurs will need to find a way past a muscular Stoke side

Next up for Spurs is a tricky trip to the Britannia Stadium to take on a Stoke City side that are undefeated in their last three outings. The Potters will provide a very stern test for Tottenham with their robust style of football. You can expect Stoke to put Spurs under pressure from the off with their direct style of football, although they do also have some players that can play.

In Asmir Begović, Stoke have one of the Premier leagues most sought after goalkeepers. Stoke play with a flat back four which usually consists of Ryan Shotton, Robert Huth, captain Ryan Shawcross and Marc Wilson. The defence are protected by central midfielders Steven N’Zonzi and Dean Whitehead. The midfield is completed by the creative Charlie Adam and energetic Jonathan Walters. The front two will usually comprise of two from Peter Crouch, Cameron Jerome and Kenwyne Jones.

It will be interesting to see how André Villas-Boas approaches this game. I will be particularly intrigued to see where he plays Gareth Bale. I was impressed with the 4-2-3-1 formation ‘AVB’ employed against Chelsea and wouldn’t be against seeing the same starting eleven on Sunday, especially if we’re guaranteed another decent shift from Adebayor. I would like to see Spurs move the ball around at pace against Stoke and get the ball out to Bale and Lennon at every opportunity to really stretch the home side. If Tom Huddlestone starts I’d like to see him making forward runs to support Adebayor in the box, with Lewis Holtby pulling back to ensure Tottenham keep their shape. If things aren’t going their way, André Villa-Boas can always call on the services of Jermain Defoe, Clint Dempsey or Gylfi Sigurđsson.

Sunday represents a game for Spurs which is quite honestly win or bust!

COME ON YOU SPURS!!

The post Can Tottenham Get Top Four? Stoke City Vs Spurs preview appeared first on Proven Quality.

Spurs currently sit 5th place in the table, a point behind Arsenal with two crucial league games against Stoke and Sunderland coming up. André Villas-Boas introduced Lewis Holtby and Emmanuel Adebayor into the starting line up and set up in a 4-3-3 system, designed to stop the surging runs of Ramires as well as keeping the attacking trio of Oscar, Mata and Hazard in close proximity of a high energy Spurs player; all in an attempt to disrupt their slick short passing game and frequent positional changes. These tactics yielded both positive and negative results for Spurs, but what exactly did we learn about AVB’s men?

Brilliant Adebayor

The big front man has endured a torrid time in front of goal this season and Wednesday night saw him score only his 4th league goal of the season, a truly abysmal tally. That being said, Adebayor looked to have regained the confidence which he exhibited on a game-to-game basis last term. Ade showcased excellent link up play and technique, effortlessly holding off the Chelsea defence who just couldn’t live with his physical presence. On top of supplying a delightful back-heel flick assist for Sigurdsson’s goal in the second half, the highpoint of Emmanuel Adebayor’s fine performance was undoubtedly his stunning 25-yard strike in the first half which left Petr Cech utterly helpless.

Holtby’s passes vs Chelsea (via Squawka.com) Build up to Adebayor’s goal vs Chelsea

As Spurs broke at pace from their own half, Aaron Lennon made a clever run around the back of Adebayor in order to take Azpilicueta away and open up a shooting lane for Adebayor. This worked well and it left Gary Cahill isolated 1 vs 1 with Adebayor who decided not to challenge the striker and instead chose to back off into his own box, to ill-effect. Cahill’s failure to halt the run of Adebayor meant that Petr Cech could not buy himself the extra seconds he needed to set himself to attempt to stop the shot and the rest as they say is history, 1-1, game on!

Lewis Holtby the midfield general

A performance that seems to have flown under the radar a bit is that of German international Lewis Holtby. He played as the most advanced player in the midfield trio of himself, Parker and Huddlestone, in an organisational ball circulation role. His job was to link play to all areas of the pitch, bridging the gap between midfield and attack. The most impressive part of Holtby’s performance was his ability to use his football intangibles to dictate the nature of his passing.

Holtby’s passes vs Chelsea (via Squawka.com)

As the game wore on he noticed the increasing influence of Adebayor down the left wing and attempted to feed him the ball to feet as quickly as possible. He also realised Gareth Bale’s ongoing struggle to collect up the ball in dangerous shooting positions and so tried to pick him out as early as possible with diagonal passes out to the right wing, recognising that Spurs required their star man to kick into gear and affect the game. Although Holtby only completed 75% of his passes, this was mainly down to him trying desperately to get Tottenham back in to the game. His ability to read the play around him was an encouraging sign though and he was unlucky to be withdrawn by his manager on the 70th minute.

Super-sub Sigurdsson produces the goods

Introduced early on in the second half for Aaron Lennon, Gylfi Sigurðsson made an immediate and telling impact on the game. He injected a real attacking impetuous into Tottenham’s play in the second half, playing simple yet effective passes to play his way out of danger on a number of occasions whilst asking questions of the Chelsea defence with clever turns and direct dribbling from the left hand side. The Icelander’s most important contribution though came in the 80th minute when he received a delightful flick from Adebayor and sent a well struck shot accurately into the bottom right corner, ultimately rescuing a point for Spurs.

Build up to Sigurdsson goal vs Chelsea

Sigurdsson has really grown into this left sided role, although not his natural position, he has shown excellent ability to come inside a strike for goal or play a clever pass for a team-mate. Moreover, this gives AVB a legitimately viable option out on the left whenever Bale is required to play elsewhere; centrally or on the right wing.

The negatives

There were some underlying issues which undermined this Tottenham performance. Spur’s poor organisation from corners and free kicks was apparent, the lacklustre marking and positioning resulted in Oscar capitalising at the back post with the simplest of headers, giving Chelsea the initial lead which could have been easily avoided.

Build up to Oscar goal vs Spurs; key match ups from the Mata corner.

With more concentration and better positioning, Tottenham would not have conceded such a poor goal, something AVB would have been very disappointed with. Dawson was caught under the flight of the ball and unable to challenge Cahill in the air, whilst Parker was caught ball-watching and let Oscar run freely to the back post to meet the ball.
Chelsea’s second goal however was well executed, as the movement of Oscar and Ramires sliced open the heart of the Tottenham defence, allowing Fernando Torres to play a through pass which took a poorly positioned Assou-Ekotto and Vertonghen out of the game. The most worrying aspect of this goal from a Tottenham point of view would most definitely be Scott Parker.

Build up to Ramires goal vs Spurs

Caught ball watching for both Chelsea goals and without the legs to track the run of Ramires; his main duty in the side, Parker endured yet another poor evening, further fuelling the questions surrounding his selection in the side. He continues to play solely due to the lack of alternatives Andre Villas Boas has at his disposal, mainly because of the long term injury to Brazilian midfielder Sandro. Dawson’s lack of mobility reared its head ugly head in Chelsea’s second goal also, unable to come across and cover his central defensive partner Vertonghen quickly enough to stop the shot from Ramires. Quite worrying for a team that employs a high line defensive system.

The Spurs go marching on

On top of all these aspects to Wednesday night’s encounter with his old side Chelsea, Villas-Boas will feel very proud of his players for putting up the fight that they did, especially when trailing the lead on two occasions. The team have been showing resilience unlike the Tottenham of old, now frequently scoring late goals as opposed to conceding them. It’s clear AVB wants and needs more players at his disposal, with no better example than his forced reliance upon Scott Parker in midfield, but with 2 games to go to make the top 4, Andre must make do with what he’s got and claim a top 4 place, possibly breaking Tottenham greatest ever Premier League points tally of 70 points in the process.

The post Chelsea vs Tottenham: The keys to the London derby draw for Spurs. appeared first on Proven Quality.

I was sitting at home relaxing after my early morning fishing adventures (I caught nothing) and noticed that it had just gone 5pm. There had been no notifications from my phone regarding Spurs’ game against Southampton. 5:05pm, 5:10pm, still nothing. I naturally assumed that Spurs had only managed a goalless draw at home to Southampton, a result that all but ended our dreams of Champions league qualification for next season, especially if Arsenal beat Queens Park Rangers in the late kick off and Chelsea beat Manchester United on Sunday. It was only when checking my betting coupon (I didn’t win) that I noticed the Spurs game was still going on, as kick off had been delayed by thirty minutes. Hope had been restored. I shared the opinion of goalkeeper Hugo Lloris; if we failed to take maximum points against the Saints, it was game over, and had it not been for the genius of Gareth Bale, and the tactical tinkering of André Villas-Boas, it would’ve been.

The game itself was very poor from a Tottenham Hotspur perspective, and from the highlights I saw on Match of the Day, Southampton were extremely unlucky not to come away from White Hart Lane with a point. I don’t think there could’ve been too many arguments if the visitors had taken all three. Southampton had the best of the chances in the first half, with Nathaniel Clyne missing a glorious chance to put the Saints 1-0, dragging his shot wide of Lloris’ far post after being put through on goal with a lovely chip pass from Rickie Lambert. Lambert also struck the post with free kick, whilst the best Spurs could conjure up was a snap shot from Jermain Defoe which went just wide.

Southampton also had the first clear chance of the second half when Captain Adam Lallana flicked the ball over Michael Dawson, which created the midfielder some space, but he lost his footing at the vital moment and the ball end up harmlessly in the arms of Tottenham’s French goalkeeper. As the half wore on Tottenham finally began to apply some pressure, with Emmanuel Adebayor creating an opening for Clint Dempsey, but the American fired over.

Then came the goal. Kyle Walker fed the ball to Gareth Bale, who was now operating on the right hand side of midfield, the third positional change of the afternoon for the Welshman. Upon receiving the ball Bale ran infield, and for the first time in the game he wasn’t instantly closed down by a Southampton defender. Bale continued his run across the box before firing the ball past Artur Boruc in the visitors’ goal. White Hart Lane erupted in delight, as did André Villas-Boas, as once again his tactical tinkering had made a difference. Spurs held on for the win to set up a crunch game with Chelsea this coming Wednesday.

Will Gareth Bale again make the difference for Tottenham?

Chelsea claimed a 1-0 win at Old Trafford on Sunday courtesy of 87th minute own goal from Manchester United’s Phil Jones. That win meant that Chelsea reclaimed third place from Arsenal, who had leap-frogged them less than twenty-four hours earlier following their own 1-0 victory away at Queens Park Rangers. Heading in to Wednesday’s showdown at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have 68 points, Arsenal 67, and Spurs, in fifth, have 65. Arsenal have played a game more that both Chelsea and Spurs. A Chelsea victory will all but secure them a third place finish and direct entry into next season’s Champions league group phase. A draw doesn’t really change anything and a Spurs victory, which would be their first away at Chelsea since 1990, would move them above Arsenal into fourth.

Mousa Dembélé suffered what appeared to be pulled hamstring against Southampton on the weekend and is a major doubt for the Chelsea game, which is a massive blow. Along with the Belgian midfield machine, Spurs are likely to be without William Gallas and long term absentees Younès Kaboul and Sandro. Chelsea are waiting on the fitness of Eden Hazard and John Mikel Obi, who both sat out the victory against Manchester United, and Oriol Romeu is definitely out.

The game on Wednesday will undoubtedly be a nervy affair, and could well be decided by one goal. Chelsea’s confidence will be high given their recent form and progression to the Europa league final. Many will back them for the win, especially when you throw in Tottenham’s Premier league record at Stamford Bridge.

In my opinion Tottenham are going to have to be at their very best to obtain the result they need, and I believe that they’ll only achieve this if the keep a clean sheet. Spurs cannot approach the game thinking just give the ball to Gareth Bale. Other players are going to have to step up and be counted. It’s also important that André Villas-Boas approaches this game as if it is any other and not get sucked in by all the talk regarding his short spell at Chelsea eighteen months ago.

I genuinely have no idea where I’d put my money if I was betting on this game. My head says it’ll be a draw, but my heart says Tottenham are going to do what needs to be done. I have to follow my heart.

COME ON YOU SPURS!!!

The post Can Tottenham Get Top Four? Chelsea Vs Spurs preview appeared first on Proven Quality.