Author: Liam_Richner

Manuel Pellegrini’s first competitive match in charge of Manchester City seemed more like an exhibition match than a league fixture. Newcastle United just simply weren’t at the races and the new ticky-tacky football Pellegrini is hoping to bring to the Etihad has shown the nation just how good City look for the upcoming season; debutants Jesus Navas and Fernandinho looked comfortable although the Newcastle opposition failed to test them, and for Alan Pardew I fear another tough season ahead.

Manchester City’s play in the opening minutes was very reminiscent of that of Chelsea yesterday against Hull City; a somewhat new era, new attacking philosophy.

It only took the team in blue six minutes to find the net, with David Silva cooly heading his rebound effort over Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul. The Manchester City storm was difficult for Newcastle to withstand and City could have had three goals by 12 minutes. After two penalty claims were turned down by referee Andre Mariner, Newcastle slowly fought back bravely and after clever footwork by Hatem Ben Arfa, the Toon army had a goal disallowed for offside as Gouffran strayed a yard offside when the ball was played through.

However, Manchester city grabbed the deserved second goal their play was destined for as Sergio Aguero opened his account for the season with a well placed shot into the far left corner of the net. More and more chances came and went for Edin Dzeko who may wonder tonight how he didn’t score a goal in what was a very one sided first half and ultimately a one sided match.

The half ended with Newcastle local lad Steven Taylor getting needlessly sent off for a tussle with Sergio Aguero, condemning Newcastle to a nightmare opening half of the season.

The second half began as the first had ended; City on the front foot, and again Dzeko was denied by a smart save by Krul, no doubt Newcastle’s best player of the night, but only a minute later Yaya Toure made it three by unleashing a wonderful free kick into the top left corner. That was it. Game over and yet still forty plus minutes to play. From here on in it was going to be a long remainder of the match for the travelling team and fans.

Man City carried on pushing for more, and Gael Clichy came close to a fourth but his effort was blocked. The beautiful passing was consistent throughout the evening, and Newcastle failed to create any opportunity of sort in the second half. The only downside to the City performance was the injury picked up by instrumental leader Vincent Kompany, although Chelsea and Manchester United will hope it’s a long time on the sidelines for the City captain.

This however didn’t affect Manchester City and there football; Pablo Zabeleta’s through ball was dummied by Edin Dzeko and Samir Nasri ran onto the loose ball and calmly slotted the ball into the net for Manchester City’s fourth of the evening. With still no sign of Manchester City holding back like Chelsea yesterday; Edin Dzeko’s hunt for a goal went on and his header on 79 minutes went just over the crossbar, furthermore frustrating the Bosnian.

City fans welcomed another new signing Alvaro Negredo to the Etihad with ten minutes remaining; and the summer signing nearly had his name up in lights as he thought he had given City a fifth but he was judged offside wrongly by the linesman.  Dzeko was humorously yet again denied by Krul late on, perhaps new boots for the Bosnian international as he hopes to break his goal scoring duck at Cardiff on Sunday.

In South Wales, a young English footballer became a man and an exciting prospect for the forthcoming season after an impressive performance on the opening weekend of the Premier League season. This player I am describing is of course Danny Welbeck.

The youngster had a good season last year; however the goals did dry up for the United striker, only one goal in twenty seven appearances in the league. He played deep for United and England last year and maybe that was his downfall as he provided the team he was playing for with strength, quality and power but no goals, and for strikers, goals is what makes them tick, makes them confident in their play and obviously gives them the big bucks and mega contracts, such as Michu and Lambert, who earned themselves improved contracts after impressive goal rates last term.

However this week we have seen a rejuvenated Danny Welbeck who seems more direct in his play, making more runs into the box and creating more goal scoring opportunities for himself. For England in midweek, Welbeck may not have had many opportunities but he made runs into the box that put him in the position to have a shot if the ball came to him, whereas last season he would have dropped off.

But yesterday Danny was rewarded for the new look English international, his persistence led to his first goal of the day as he ran into the space in the six yard box to tap in the ball after Valencia slid the ball into his wake. Then at the end of the game, Welbeck was put through by unsettled strike partner Wayne Rooney and the youngster confidently lobed the stranded Swansea goalkeeper Vorm to score a second, surpassing his goal record from last season in just 90 minutes of the current campaign.

After this performance, United and England fans should be confident that this could be the breakthrough season which turns Danny Welbeck from a talented youngster into possibly the next big thing up top for England in Rio next summer (if we get there) and United in the Champions League and for years to come for both.

Out of all the top four divisions in English football; the championship is by far the toughest. Last season was by far the closet, with the race to avoid the drop intense throughout the campaign, whereas the race for the Premier League grow closer and closer between Watford and Hull city, with the Tigers gaining the second automatic promotion place with champions Cardiff. The play-offs again produced pulse raising action with Watford defeating Leicester and Crystal Palace beating bitter rivals Brighton and Hove Albion in the two semi finals, it was the Eagles and veteran striker Kevin Phillips who found themselves in dreamland and in the Premier League. So how does this season’s Championship look? Here is my prediction…

Champions: Queens Park Rangers

Under prestigious manager Harry Redknapp, a strong favourite for the England job last summer, and the quality of the squad which the hoops have managed to contain since the drop of the Premier League last season, QPR should claim the title. QPR have managed to keep hold of Julio Caesar, Brazil’s no.1 goalkeeper, although talks are ongoing about a possible move to Italy. The experience of players such as Shaun Derry and Bobby Zamora should help benefit the younger players. Last time QPR were in the championship, Adel Taarabt was voted player of the season and was instrumental in the hoops gaining promotion, he could be key this season as well. I just think the QPR squad is too strong for this division, and promotion must be the target, even making the play offs would be a disappointment.

Automatic Promotion: Bolton Wanderers

Last season Bolton seemed to have a relegation hangover and before you knew it they were just above the relegation zone, dismissing former boss Owen Coyle and replacing him with a young upcoming manger Dougie Freedman, who had done a marvellous job at previous club Crystal Palace. The team started to then play some decent football and almost made last season’s play offs with a remarkable end of season run. The team seem to have stuck together, and although the loss of long serving striker Kelvin Davies may be a hinder to their promotion campaign, I think this team has the spirit and belief they can be successful in this league and return to the Premier League after a two year absence. Freedman got the side playing again, players like Chris Eagles and David Ngog were starting to score the goals and put in man of match performances, and I wouldn’t rule them out of promotion.

Play-Offs: Reading, Wigan Athletic, Nottingham Forest, Leeds United

Two of these sides came down with QPR last season, Reading and Wigan. But both sides have good managers for this division, Nigel Atkins led Southampton to the big time a couple of seasons ago and knows what it takes to get a side up. Coyle led Bolton to an FA Cup final, a competition Wigan won last term. The fact Wigan are in Europe this season does mean I haven’t put them up automatically because usually teams struggle domestically playing continentally. But Wigan have signed quality players this summer and still hold key players from last season like Callum Mcmanaman and Shaun Maloney.  Forest and Leeds are two sides which have the fan base of Premier league clubs. They too have managers capable of promotion. Billy Davies returned to Forest last season and guided them to 8 straight wins in 8 games, nearly making the play offs, with no funds though it may be tight but i think they will make it. Leeds have a championship winning manager in Brian McDermott. He can get his Leeds side playing like he had former employers Reading playing, then I think they will make the top six.

Relegation: Yeovil Town, Barnsley, Doncaster Rovers

Yes I have selected two of the promoted sides, but for Yeovil and Doncaster I just don’t see them making the cut. They haven’t got the squads to be able to stay in a division so strong. It’s a long season, and for these sides under managers that haven’t made it out as Championship managers it’s going to be a tough 10 months. Barnsley each year somehow manage to avoid the drop, it’s a matter of time before they go down. I think it will be this year, they have had to sell some more key players which helped them stay up last term, and its going to have to be another great escape for Barnsley.

Although I have mentioned a handful of sides, you can’t rule out the others, every team has a chance of making the top six, and many may have to look over their shoulders as the season progresses but that’s the Championship, 10 months of mental and physical hell, how exciting…

David Moyes revealed today in a press conference that Manchester United have made a second bid to lure Cesc Fabregas away from the clutches of his childhood club FC Barcelona.  The bid is around £30m, and this is seen as a rather reasonable bid, according to the Man United boss. But, is the Spanish international and former Arsenal captain the true key signing that this Manchester United team need; is he the right player to make United more competitive in the middle of the park, are there alternative players in the same price bracket or already in the squad?

I have watched Cesc since he moved to Arsenal in 2004. As a football fanatic, I loved to sit and watch every match of the day possible over the season, and each time Arsenal were on I always remember watching a very young Spaniard tip toe his way through defences, and pin passes through the defence for the attacker to spring on to, some of his passes were like sticking needle through a thread, they were immaculate. Cesc Fabregas is a very good passer of a ball, but so is Michael Carrick, very rarely did you see Carrick give away the ball last season, he was very consistent and that’s why Sir Alex also chose him in his starting eleven in nearly every game last season.

Since returning to Barcelona, he has found himself playing in a far more attacking position, and quite noticeably as a “non-striker” in a forward role in Euro 2012 for Spain. This has enhanced his play moving forward and scoring goals, but in a Catalonian shirt, he has struggled to make a impact as he did at Arsenal, he hasn’t bonded with the fans like he had in London, but like I have said,  he has gained more attacking ability in his game, he can run at players and score goals much more easily then he could at Arsenal, but again Shinji Kagawa can do this, another current United player, who if he hadn’t been injured for so long last season,  could have made much more of an impact, I think Kagawa is a star player who will become a United favourite.

Cesc does though have leadership qualities which the united midfielders lack at the moment; he has captained Arsenal, guiding them to the Champions League every season, although not to a trophy. His leadership skills and experience could help make the young Tom Cleverley and Nick Powell’s become even greater prospects. He knows how to win the big matches in both the league and the Champions League. But is £30m for his services really needed?

Yes, yes they are. Although it seems like he has the same capabilities as current Manchester United midfielders, Cesc Fabregas has that leadership quality that can help the Man United team. He is strong, both on and off the ball; he can pass the ball so perfectly, and score goals. One thing I am looking forward to if this transfer happens is the reuniting of Fabregas and Robin Van Persie, these two bonded at Arsenal and they both benefited from each other, they were like key partnerships such as Rooney and Ronaldo, Gerrard and Torres, Lampard and Drogba. These two could seriously lead a Man United charge to a successive defence of their Premier league crown should Fabregas sign for the red devils.

You know United are keen on this deal to happen, as the Chief Executive had flown to Manchester from Sydney to make this move happen, and for the case of the Premier league title race, I hope the move happens too.

Over the summer Luis Suarez has been a subject which has surrounded the transfer saga since the end of last season. He has been constantly hinting exiting through the Anfield doors, but where could the Uruguayan go? Here are the three destinations which he has been linked too and how i think he could fit into any of these sides.

Real Madrid

One of the first clubs showing interest in the striker were Spanish giants Real Madrid. The team from the Spanish capital look to have Gonzalo Higuain leaving the Bernabeu and Suarez would be a perfect replacement. I believe that a partnership with Karim Benzema could materialise into one of the most deadly in Europe, as well as working with superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. The problem that the troublesome talisman has is the Spanish media, who I think are much fiercer then the British press as proven in the Jose Mourinho saga near the end of his reign at Madrid. If Luis Suarez decided to let’s say bite a player or apparently racially abuse a player then the Spanish press would surround him like a herd of seagulls around you at the beach. Apart from the press, I could see Suarez fitting into the Madrid culture. The Spanish are like secret South Americans in my eyes, and for Luis a new experience in a new country would probably benefit him.

Arsenal

When I heard about Arsenal being interested in signing Suarez, I completely laughed it off at first, but after hearing a £30m bid had been rejected by Liverpool, then I knew this was a deadly serious offer, but I can’t see someone, who has only come out and said in the media of the love he has for Liverpool, that he would jump ship to join Arsenal. It’s like crossing the black pearl and moving onto the Flying Dutchman, a similar craft with a little more fire power. Arsenal have got some money to spend after the sells they have had in the previous few seasons and have the bargaining chip of the Champions League in their possession.  So watch this space people.

PSG

The newly crowned French ligue 1 champions have been linked with top striker Edison Cavani, but I feel this move may not happen, and therefore Suarez would make a good replacement target for the team from Paris. He, like at Madrid, could create a scary monster consisting of Himself, Zlatan Imbrahimovic and Lucas. I do question though if he would actually enjoy playing in France. The league itself isn’t as competitive as the ones in England and Spain. PSG have so much money that they can metaphorically buy the league away from rival clubs. Suarez may prefer to join a team that isn’t so backed financially.

However, I personally believe Suarez will start the new season on August 17^th in a Liverpool shirt. He has been told he isn’t for sale and that Liverpool wants to keep without doubt their best player. He makes stuff happen at Anfield, he is loved by his fans up north and I do think that Liverpool will bring the best out of him both as a player and a professional sportsman.