Player Focus: Lacklustre Lukaku in Need of a Rest
by Martin Laurence
at Wednesday, Oct 15 2014 17:30
The shocking news that footballers are prone to tiredness was leaked this week as Raheem Sterling was criticised by some for admitting fatigue to national team boss Roy Hodgson.The issue of players burning out, particularly at such a young age, is a serious one. How often does 'the next big thing' a...
Player Focus: Fernandinho Not Offering Enough Protection to City's Title Defence
by Martin Laurence
at Tuesday, Oct 14 2014 11:17
Five points adrift of table-toppers Chelsea, it's fair to say that Manchester City's start to the season has been a little sluggish, despite holding the second spot in the league going into the international break.Their forwards have begun the season well enough, with Dzeko, Jovetic and Aguero notch...
Player Focus: 5 Players Worthy of First International Call
by Martin Laurence
at Wednesday, Oct 8 2014 10:29
It seems to be getting harder and harder to get excited about an international break nowadays and this week's domestic football hiatus looks likely to be no different.England have a double header with San Marino and Estonia, Spain with Slovakia and Luxembourg and Italy with Azerbaijan and Malta over...
Player Focus: Palace Profit as Bolasie Battles to Keep Zaha at Bay
by Martin Laurence
at Thursday, Oct 2 2014 14:20
It's fair to say that Neil Warnock's return to Selhurst Park was met with some disappointment from the Palace fans, with the outspoken manager having never really proven himself at Premier League level.Four games since his appointment the Eagles remain unbeaten in the league in Warnock's second spel...
Player Focus: Young French Left-Backs Lighting Up Ligue 1
by Martin Laurence
at Tuesday, Sep 30 2014 14:23
It's been a curious start to the Ligue 1 season and there has been a curious trend in terms of the top performers thus far. Of the 20 highest rated players 6 are left-backs at present, including the top two in France's top-flight. The fact that all six are French and four are aged 23 or under will c...
Match Report: Integration of the Lone Striker Sets Chelsea and Villa Apart
by Martin Laurence
at Sunday, Sep 28 2014 12:01
Chelsea continued their strong start to this Premier League season with what was a relatively routine and predictable victory against an Aston Villa side whose lofty standing in the table was never likely to last long.Jose Mourinho's side took an early lead at Stamford Bridge, scoring inside the 7th...
Team Focus: Toffees Coming Unstuck Due to Age & Depth of Defence
by Martin Laurence
at Thursday, Sep 25 2014 17:40
After another disappointing showing in cup defeat to Swansea on Tuesday night Roberto Martinez claimed that his defence was something we (Everton) need to address. It's been a tough start to the season for a side that were previously built upon a solid backbone that were extremely hard to break down...
Team Focus: Sevilla's Surprisingly Bright Start to Life After Rakitic
by Martin Laurence
at Tuesday, Sep 23 2014 17:50
This summer it was the transfer of a certain Luis Suarez that stole the headlines early on in the transfer window. His arrival at Camp Nou was supplemented by the signing of Ivan Rakitic, with the Croatian's departure from Europa League victors Sevilla expected to hit Unai Emery's side hard.In allow...
Team Focus: Baggies' Fans Not Getting Enough Boing for Their Buck
by Martin Laurence
at Friday, Sep 19 2014 12:51
It's early days, and worth noting that as many as five Premier League sides are yet to record a win after the opening four fixtures, but there's real concern amidst West Brom fans right now. Labelled a yo-yo club for years, the Midlands outfit have avoided the drop over the past 4 seasons with the B...
Match Report: Wilshere Stars in the Thick of Arsenal-City Scrap
by Martin Laurence
at Sunday, Sep 14 2014 10:17
It was a case of the good outweighing the bad and the ugly from Jack Wilshere, as he starred in a blood and thunder draw with reigning champions City at the Emirates.The intensity of the game certainly appeared to get to the England international for moments of the first half in particular, with the...