My thoughts on important football topics; Messi or Ronaldo?!

How long does Van Gaal have left?

  Hello! Welcome back to another post into My Premier League Thoughts, this weekend Premier League football abandoned us and welcomed in the FA Cup, leaving me the opportunity to discuss some important football debates and invite you into my views on some issues.

  I will like to put forward my arguments into the issues:

• Does Louis Van Gaal deserve more time as the man in charge of Manchester United?
• Who's better; Messi or Ronaldo?

  Also, alongside the debates I'd like to give my prediction on the Capital One Cup Final, between Liverpool and Manchester City; two of my personal biggest rivals!

  My opinions on the biggest shocks of the season so far! And i'd like to propose an idea for a midweek blog post on a hobby of mine, Football Manager 2016.

  Before I begin, I would like to, again, thank you ever so much for all the wonderful support. I love interacting with all my readers and you're feedback is gratefully welcomed. It's fantastic how much support I have which makes my blogs fun to write and something I love to do!

    Louis Van Gaal

  Louis Van Gaal. The clock is ticking and the fans are loosing patience with the Dutch man, fans includes myself, as a Manchester United fan. 5th in the Premier League is not a position the Red Devil fans expect to see Man United filling, the demands are high due to our incredible history much of it directed by the genius Sir Alex Ferguson. Maybe that's a problem however, we hang onto our glory years too much, its time to move on now. We've had the greatest success, we lead the way for most Premier League titles and have won many domestic cups such as the FA Cup and Capital One Cup as its known now, not to mention arguably the biggest accolade available to club teams, the Champions League.

  The past, doesn't have to stay 'the past' however, Manchester United are still considered one of the largest teams in England, if not the world. The manager though, is an essential aspect of any team, whether they are battling out at the highest point in the English league or are simply just a Sunday League team, filled with potential, the manager has to be strong and a leader. He must be able to see the full potential of the whole team, as well as the strengths of his individual players. I think a manager must have the ability to bring an extra something to his team, maybe he has to step up and be the 12th man or maybe he has to unique, bringing a different prospective on the way football should be played. This is often one of the great things about football and is the reason Tiki-Taka, target-men and skills have been introduced into the beautiful game. The thing about Van Gaal, he doesn't seem to have any ideas that suit the players he has.

  The philosophy Louis attempted to implement into the Manchester United set-up didn't work out clearly. Sideways, backwards passing, with not much attacking emphasis wasn't pleasing the fans, but also didn't get the results needed. Games the team should not only be winning, but comfortably winning, would seem like an endless boring 90 minutes. People I knew and myself included were not looking forward to watching the team play and would even not watch the match on TV.

  Is Van Gaal entirely to blame? I mean look at the players in the United team. Players like Wayne Rooney, Memphis and Juan Mata, attacking players who for much of the season have had limited if any contribution. Since the turn of the year, Wayne Rooney has been on incredible form, much to my delight, but is it enough. Where is all that potential Memphis possesses? I agree with the thought of players needing time to find their feet and pick up from a big transfer but fans get impatient and need to start see the player performing. The defence of Man United has been fantastic, there's something Van Gaal is getting right on the training ground. Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have been players of the season in my eyes, both putting in tremendous performances every week. They are both great leaders and are tough tackling saving the team on plenty of occasions.

  Louis did extremely well in keeping hold of David De Gea, some what a miracle but he stayed and it has proved to be a pivotal factor of the team. Like last season, the Spaniard has made some world-class saves, in particularly in the game against Chelsea. 

  On topic though, do we need to be in the window for a new manager? In my opinion we have to be at least weighing up the options available. Manchester City secured Pep Guardiola which many people see to be a major boost to Man City's title challenge even this early. Whereas, on the other side of Manchester, with Van Gaal in charge, we have no fear factor. That's one of the biggest reasons we don't achieve I think. Links to Jose Mourinho, aka 'The Special One', has been heavily rumoured, for much of recent times. With him being available due to leaving Chelsea, and apparently interested in being the boss of the Manchester United team, should we be chasing in on the opportunity to have Jose at Old Trafford. It's evident Mourinho has an aluminous history of winning titles and allowing players to play attacking and with freedom, this could be what Manchester United are desperate for.

  In summary, I'm hoping for a bit of a mix up in the ranks at Old Trafford, Van Gaal has had enough time now, and what has he done for us?  No titles, no real threat, and out of Champions League football. I feel bad for Van Gaal in some respects as I feel what he was trying to introduce to Manchester United had potential, we cut out the amount of goals we conceded but failed on the attacking front. Unfortunately, for anti-Van Gaal supporters, every time the Dutch manager has had pressure piled onto him by the media and more importantly not winning games, he seems to produce a run of football games filled with freedom, attacking intent and GOALS, this keeps him as the boss as the pressure is relieved slightly and the days extend for the man.

  Let me know how you feel on this subject, Man United fan or not, how long do you think Van Gaal has left? Will he be at Old Trafford come the beginning of the next season or will he be sacked/resign before it then?

Messi vs. Ronaldo

  Possibly, the most heated debate on the planet! The argument that triumphs over the debate of the existence of God, its Messi vs. Ronaldo, who's the better player?

  Facts! Facts indicate lots about a player, and on the goal scoring front, there's no argument Ronaldo is the better player. Out-scoring Messi, with an all-time amount of 525 goals in 778 appearances! However, Messi is younger, and is not a million miles away with 488 goals under his belt, from playing 618 games. The goals the players score are both breath-taking in numbers and the quality of the goals they score. Messi has a signature finish where he slightly lifts the ball over the goalkeeper, dinking it past him into the back of the net, a technique I not only adore but a way to score that looks insane. Ronaldo is best know for his free kick ability, the memorable one he scored vs. Portsmouth whilst with Manchester United is an iconic shot I'll never forgot. He also has a idol of a right foot, which possesses so much power and accuracy that is just hard not to like.

  It is argued Messi has the better partners accompanying in strike, with both Suarez and Neymar, and maybe this is the reason Messi owns the assist numbers, with 167 assists to Ronaldo's 156, although CR7 can't complain in this section as I think he has world-class alongside him too, in the form of Bale and Benzema. It is often pointed out that Ronaldo is the more selfish of the two geniuses and this was evident when Gareth Bale had a falling out with his Portuguese companion over the amount of times Ronaldo refused to pass the ball to the Welsh man.

  Both players being in the same league helps to analysis but even in the major Champions League competition the Barcelona and Real Madrid wonder players are neck and neck in terms of performances and goal tallies. Both have played an astonishing amount of games in the competition, something people dream of doing just once, but likewise the players have scored wonderful amounts of goals with Messi hitting the net 80 times but Ronaldo betters it with 90 goals.

  Despite the reliability of facts and their uses, players can not be fully determined on facts alone. The greatest player in the world must possess more than just amazing facts. But what determines the better player between these two? Both have the ability to create that one piece of magic to win a game, both have the ability to prevailed in huge games and both players are masters of the game.

  One of the key reasons I think Ronaldo has a slight advantage over Messi, is the fact Ronaldo has played in the Premier League. Ronaldo has shown he can deal with football in a different climate, with teams that harder to break down due to their stubbornness, particularly indicating Stoke City, which lots being said about the famous 'Cold, Windy night in Stoke' could Messi carry his amazing talent into games like this? Surely, its just a petty excuse but factors like this can become vital. Knowing from experience, I would much rather play on a cool, clear day, than a freezing, rainy morning, I feel like I not only perform better but feel like I want to be involved with play, which i'm sure applies for professionals too, whether it should or not with the amount of money they are played to preform is a different matter.

  I don't think there is any real way to separate the players, they are virtually neck and neck on stats, and both play at their best each week. The best of the two players just comes down to personal opinion and will continue to be a heated debate amongst the footballing community. Personally, I think Neymar, deserves to be included. Perhaps controversial, but I think the performances he achieves as well as the flair he possesses and goal scoring ability he has makes him a contender. But if Neymar can be included, it allows there to be debates for many other players to also be involved.

  Let me know who you think is better, is it the famous number 7, Ronaldo or the silky Barcelona player Lionel Messi? Maybe you think there's another world-class talent? 

Biggest shocks this season! - Capital One Cup contenders

  There has been an incredible number of shocks in football this season, from Leicester City mounting a title challenge in the Premier League to Liverpool reaching the final of a domestic competition.

  The biggest shock is obviously Leicester challenging for the title, nobody expected them to be anywhere near where they are now at the beginning of the season and are within a real scout of securing the trophy. However, this shock I have already discussed in previous blog posts, check them out to read the full stories.

  The main shocks i'd like to discuss are more player related. English players in the Premier League particularly have been exciting and are definitely upping their games to hopefully secure a ticket to the European Championships this summer. Players like Jamie Vardy, Dele Alli, Ross Barkley and Jesse Lingard have been in exciting form this campaign and with them being at a youthful stage of their career, it is a joy to watch these talents play so well.

  Another shock, maybe not to some, is the fact Liverpool have reached the final of the Capital One Cup. Realistically, who would have thought Liverpool would have been in an incredible situation to secure some silverware at the beginning of the season? Jurgen Klopp was a fantastic capture by the Liverpool club but with the players they have and the spirit they were in under Brenden Rodgers, I don't expect any Liverpool fan to foresee his team taking a trip to Wembley to hopefully leave with a trophy. Lot's of injuries could have disrupted the team but they rallied on and found themselves in a great position, maybe deservedly due to the resilience and inspiring performances shown by some unlikely character; Joe Allen particularly. Although, do Liverpool have enough about them to overcome a tough Manchester City, will Pellegrini have fire in his belly to want the trophy more than his opposition due to him leaving in the summer? I don't see t and for that reason I predict Manchester City to come away champions of the Capital One Cup. As painful as it is to say it, but neither team are ideal winners in the eyes of a Manchester United fan, but I do think its City's trophy to loose so therefore I would predict a strong 3-1 win fot the Citizens at Wembley.

Weekend post - Football Manager?

  The final thing for this week is a proposal of a weekend post containing a career on football manager I will undertake. I am very passionate about the game and look to implement some personal factors into my blogs. Football Manager allows me to do this. The game for those who don't know, is a simulation game where you take control of a football team and hope to guide them to some kind of success. The game is something I am pretty obsessed about and something I would love to share with people.

  If this is something my readers would like to see me post, let me know which team I should look to overtake to start with. From there I can discuss with you the best signing and what we want to achieve from playing with the chosen team. I am open to any suggestions, from the Premier League to the lower English teams or I am even daring enough to take on something unknown and manage a team away from England. Tell me suggestion and I can get that started as soon as possible.

 

  Thank you so much for reading, I love to write these blogs knowing they are highly thought of by an enormous amount of people. Be sure to read previous posts and to let me know you're thoughts through social media and comments. Again, suggestions on the Football Manager career will be welcomed and until the next post, see you later!!

   Lee Harwood.

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Bradford City Vs. Southend United

   Good evening, 

  I'm here at the Coral Windows Stadium this evening for the SkyBet League 1 clash between Bradford City and Southend United. 

  It's a cold, clear night here in Bradford at this 7:45pm kick off, where Bradford are hoping to continue from their emphatic 4-0 victory over Petersborough in their last game. 

  Bradford kicked the game off, shooting towards the away fans from Southend to start the game. 

  

  The opening 5 minutes saw Bradford dominating possession, Lee Evans in the centre of midfield was a key player in particular, filling in the gaps to cut out Southend passes and dropping into positions to allow Bradford to retain possession. 

  The Bantams pressed Southend well, forcing the ball to stay inside Southend's half. Fantastic pressure from Wes Thomas and James Hanson allowed Bradford to retain the ball almost as soon as they lost it, keeping Bradford on the front foot. Southend were struggling to the commanding home side, pumping the ball long with no availe as Reece Burke and Nathan Clarke were superior in the air and wouldn't allow the ball to drop from the air. 

  The approach play and build up from Bradford, I thought was great to watch, they play it patient but with a purpose. The passes they play going forward have a purpose and they are always looking to exploit the wings and work a way to float a ball into the towering James Hanson. The only problem I noticed with Bradford on the attack is their decision making and first touch on the edge of the area. You can hear the crowd screaming for the players to have a shot and you have to agree because the attackers often look to take the ball too far and it ends up breaking away from them. 

  Bradford broke the deadlock, a wonderfully hit freekick from Tony McMahon sailed into the top corner from the whole of 25 yards out; leaving Daniel Bentley in Southend's goal no chance! 

  The goal was no more than what Bradford deserved, their dominance and attacking intent had almost paid off a few times leading to the goal.

  The referee, Ross Joyce, was the antagonist in the eyes of the Bradford City supports, boo's and ironic cheers rang out from the stands because some of the decisions he was making were, as you would say, doubtful. There were times when a through ball would go through for Thomas to chase but he would be having his shirt pulled only for the referee not to notice. The only incidents the referee seemed to blow his whistle for were when players would take too long taking their throw ins, it seemed strange to me.

  Southend provided little if anything in terms of shots on goal, whereas Bradford were causing Southend's defence real problems. Tony McMahon provided fantastic service from corners consistently, which were often met by the Bradford City players but the ball just seemed to fly over.

  James Hanson, almost got his name on the scoresheet when the ball fell kindly to him on the edge of the area. However, the tall English man just leant back too much and the shot ballooned over the crossbar.

  The smell of pies and peas, floated through the stands at half time, were Bradford were a goal up, and looked a commanding and in control of the game through the first half.

 

 Bradford and Southend came out from their halftime team talks unchanged and ready to begin the final 45 minutes. 

  Lee Evans continued his first half form with another solid secondhalf performance. 

  Bradford again were on the front foot but couldn't concour their final pass. Through balls just had a little too much on them or would send Hanson wide of the goal. 

  Southend thought they had a chance, the shot from the edge of the box saved well by Ben Williams, only for the linesman to raise the flag for offside.

  Much of the action was endured in the centre of the field, where the Bradford players found space and played nice football between themselves, making Southend work for it. 

  The first substitution of the game came from Bradford who brought Wes Thomas off for Steven Davis.

  Some crafty work in the corner from James Hanson allowed him to find Kyel Reid, who's whipped ball to the far post picked out a team mate, sliding in his shot cannoned back off Bentley and out for a corner. The corner, again beautifully delivered, was attacked by Hanson but his header into the bottom corner wasn't going to beat the keeper.

  The supporters of Bradford City showed great sportsmanship when ex-Bantam Will Atkinson was substituted, he received a standing ovation after playing at the Coral Windows for the first time since his transfer in 2013.

  2-0 Bradford City! Yet another inch-perfect delivery from McMahon from the corner, that danger man James Hanson rose tallest to powerfully head the ball into the net, creating a roar from the fans. Hanson is a fan favourite at Bradford City due to his incredible service over the years.

  The Bradford fans were in fine voice, chants of 'We Want Five' encouraged the  home side who were putting on a fantastic performance.

  The Bradford midfield of Lee Evans and Josh Cullen were controlling the play, their workfare was admirable. Discipline, concentration and vision the two central players had it all on the night and torn Southend to pieces. They were both up and down the field all game, defending when the team was under pressure, which in all honesty was very often, and providing an option in attack. Very well played from too exception players.

  Southend United had a rare shot on target when they won a freekick, 20 yards away from goal. The shot was driven in well but Williams held it tight to his chest. 

  Kyel Reid having dribbled the ball well towards the corner won a freekick, right in the edge of the 18 yard box. The ball was played shirt to Evans, whose shot rose and kept on rising over the bar.

  At the end of 90 minutes the fourth official, Ricky Wootton indicated an addition of 5 minutes. 

  Bradford decided to make a change, number 7, Mark Marshall came on for Reid. The Bradford fans showed their appreciation for the work Reid had put in. He fully deserved it as he had a fantastic game.

  Bradford sat deep for the added time, looking to see the game out. Southend resorted to looking to go route one and pump the ball into Bradford City's box, however they stood strong clearing everything Southend threw at them.

  The final substitution for Bradford saw goalscorer and man of the match Tony McMahon be replaced by Billy Knott for the final seconds. 

  Full time was met by a large cheer from the Bradford supports who applauded their team for their valiant effort and much needed 3 points. 

  

  Personally, I enjoyed the game. I thought Bradford were very in control and played confidently. They deserved their solid 2-0 win, they attacked with purpose and attacking intent.

  Lee Evans, was commanding in midfield and worked very hard to ensure he created opportunities and stopped Southend playing football. He was fantastic to watch and man of the match for me. 

  It was a fantastic experience and the atmosphere inside the stadium was of a high quality, with the Bradford supporters showing tremendous support for their team on a cold midweek night. 

  Thank you for reading. 

       Lee Harwood.

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That's what you call a Super Sunday!

Was There Love For The Top 4 On Valentines Day?

  Hello again, welcome back to the latest post into My Premier League Thoughts and in this post I will be addressing how I thought the weekend went in the world's greatest league.

  The footballing action never disappoints and this weekend was no exception, also I must point out what a good weekend it was for English players, particularly for them getting on the score sheet. Everything from strong individual performances to impressive team displays, football was at its finest.

 The points I will be analysing include:

• The emphatic Liverpool win over Aston Villa.
• Titles contenders going head to head - Arsenal Vs. Leicester City
• My top 3 players of the weekend
• All the fixtures looked over
• News!

  To kick things off I'd just like to point out that I will have another post this week, discussing both live games I experience, where I see Leeds United at home to Middlesbrough and the mighty Bradford City go up against Southend United. Its been a fantastic opportunity and I can't wait to share it. But for now, it's on with the Premier League:

Top Fixtures 

Aston Villa 0 - 6 Liverpool

 Wow! Liverpool winning by 6 goals looks like a good result but realistically is it? The Aston Villa team they came up against is arguably one of the worst Premier League sides since Derby were in the top flight. Liverpool deserve credit for the win, with 6 goals all by different scorers, it shows they did something right. 

  Daniel Sturridge came back from injuries and scored after only 14 minutes on the clock when he found space in between 2 defenders, Okore and Lescott in the box and headed the ball in from Coutinho's cross. I love Daniel Sturridge, even as a Manchester United fan, I think Sturridge is an incredible goal scorer. It seems he scores every time he plays, and as an England fan I hope he is fit for the Euro's. Him and Vardy partnering in strike could be lethal and see us getting far in the competition. There has been rumours that Jurgen Klopp is loosing patience with the striker due to his injury problems, which is frustrating for the manager and fans alike. But he's risking loosing a fantastic talent, if in fact the rumours are true. Personally, I hope Manchester United would look at Sturridge and try to secure a deal, which would obviously be almost impossible with him coming from bitter rivals Liverpool, but if Man United offered good money, could Liverpool turn it down? As for Manchester United, it could be a risk but if Sturridge was to get on top of his injuries and string some games together, who knows? Although, it could be just me who see's this through my admiration for the player.

  Back to game and it was 2-0 by another English player; James Milner. After Liverpool were awarded a freekick to the side of the net, Milner looked to swing the ball into a dangerous area were the ball would only need the slightest of touch to carry it into the goal. Milner scored however, a mixture of dreadful defending to not head the ball away, bad judgement from the goalkeeper, who realistically should do much better in the situation by taking command and catching the ball, but also the deliver from the Liverpool man was spot on. He put enough pace on the ball and directed it on target incase it didn't get a touch, which is exactly what happened and he profited from it.

  Emre Can put his name on the scoresheet when he struck the ball from all of 20 yards into the bottom corner. It was a neat finish which sent the goalkeeper the wrong way and slotted in to make it 3-0 after 15 minutes into the second half. Substitute Divock Origi,got through on goal and calmly slotted home. The Belgium got a treat for Valentines Day during his celebration when he found himself receiving a sloppy snog from a fan after he had ran into the crowd. The passionate fan, showed his love for the player with an eerily long kiss, when he was lucky enough to be in more than just touching distance.

  Defender Nathaniel Clyne added a 5th for Liverpool after a driving run saw his initial effort saved, but he was on hand to sweep up when a follow up shot was only half saved by the Aston Villa keeper Bunn, and all Clyne had to do was poke it into an empty net. The rout ended with Kolo Toure heading a corner in after he was left unmarked and he became the 6th different goal scorer in the game, which saw Liverpool move to within 2 point of top 6.

  I know Liverpool did well, obviously they went riot and scored 6 but Aston Villa are terrible right now. I think even my Sunday League team would beat them! Clearly, moral is down and the players are not preforming at their best, but that's not an excuse in the Premier League, evidently playing like that gets you in the relegation zone. I think its too late for Villa to save themselves now and the Championship looks like where they'll be next season but if they don't buck their ideas up and start playing as a team again, we may not see them back in the Premier League again for some time because the Championship isn't merciful and the teams won't be intimated by playing a team like Aston Villa.  

Arsenal 2 - 1 Leicester City

 

  Firstly, what a game! Each week Leicester prove their worth of being in the top 4 in the table, however they were desperately unlucky this weekend as they lost the game due to a dramatic 90+5 minute goal from Danny Welbeck.

  Leicester deserve credit for how they took the game to Arsenal, they didn't sit back and invite the pressure but played with the ball and looked to create chances and have possession. The opening 10 minutes saw both teams have chances but the first real clear cut chance fell to Vardy. A ball in from Marc Albrighton found Jamie Vardy in the box but his header was well saved by Cech.

  It's a joy to watch a team such as Leicester, because with them not having much to loose as its a miracle that they have found themselves in the position they are in at this stage, the pressure isn't on them. I agree, the pressure was all on Arsenal in this game, it was down to them to get the win and close the gap on Leicester. This allows Leicester City players to be brave when attacking and allows their key players to express themselves in a way that players from other top 4 teams aren't able to because of high expectations on them.

  Praise must be emphasised for this Leicester team which took the lead through Jamie Vardy on the brink of half time. They were awarded for their constant pressure in the final 10 minutes of the half with a penalty when Nacho Monreal conceded the spot kick after bringing down Vardy. He handled the pressure well, if he felt any at all, and confidently dispatched the kick from 12 yards into the bottom right corner sending Petr Cech the wrong way. I never had a doubt of Jamie Vardy missing from the spot, not after the season he's enduring. The Englishman must have his name booked in the England squad list for the Euro's in France because the striker is a natural goal scorer and will poach the goals for us in the summer, hopefully. We had frequently seen players have good seasons and not show up for England in tournament, but Jamie Vardy has something different about him and I see England being successful with the Leicester striker leading the line or even better partnering up with Daniel Sturridge if he can manage to keep himself injury free. 

  At half time Leicester were a goal up and looking in a great position to see out the second half and claim the 3 points.

  Danny Simpson made Leicester's task of holding onto the win much harder than it needed to be when he was shown a second yellow card by referee Martin Atkinson. Persistent fouls after the break saw him pick up the first yellow but obviously he didn't see that as a warning and perhaps out of a lack of discipline or his passion was dominant but Simpson saw red following another foul.

  Despite going a man down I thought the reaction of the Leicester players was a positive one. Mahrez had to be replaced to allow Marcin Wasilewski to come on and fill in the defensive numbers. But Leicester continued to look to play the ball forward and release Vardy to one on one opportunities.  

  Misery and doubt crept into Leicester players minds when on the 70th minute Theo Walcott managed to squeeze Giroud's headed pass in between Schmicheal and his near post and level the scoring. It was a cute finish from a tight angle but Theo possesses the ability to score them types of goals when he gets into the position. Arsenal needed the goal and when it wasn't looking like it was going to come up popped Walcott to provide the belief that Arsenal could steal the points.

  Leicester, after conceding, looked as though they had set up to try and gain the point and keep some distance between themselves and 2nd place. However the final 10 minutes of the game came with a bombarding of attempts from Arsenal. Chances fell and were missed from the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud, and the whole Emirates Stadium held their breath when it looked as though Per Mertesaker was certain to head the ball in from just 6 yards out but the tall defender didn't manage to get enough on the ball to steer it into the corner.

  It was looking bleak for Arsenal and as though a valiant Leicester had done enough to secure the point. However, Danny Welbeck thought otherwise and rose tallest to get the faintest touch on a whipped freekick from Mesut Ozil to guide the ball passed the goalkeeper. The home supporters lifted the roof with the winner coming in the 95th minute. Back from injury and only on the field for 7 minutes, English man Danny Welbeck had won the game for Arsenal.

  I couldn't believe it when Welbeck stole the game for Arsenal, although to be honest it had been coming in the final quarter of the game. The win for Arsenal alters the table drastically coming into this final run. I hope that its only a minor speed bump for Leicester and they can move on from this game with their heads up looking for a win in their next game because its not over yet and they are still top of the league at the end of the day. Its Leicester who are in the best position for the title but with Arsenal clinching the 3 points, it could prove vital for Arsenal or even Tottenham or Manchester City to come in and claim the title. Personally, I hope Leicester end the season with the silverware, they deserve it and it would be fantastic to be able to recall the time Leicester won the league.

Top 3 Players

Imbula

  Imbula had a solid game from centre midfield for Stoke, in the commanding 3-1 away to Bournemouth. After opening the scoring after 9 minutes with a scorching pop shot volley from outside the area, he endured the rest of the game, dominating the middle of the park. The 18.3 million pound Frenchman, swept past Boruc in goal and set the game for Stoke.

  I rate Imbula's fantastic performance at an 8/10 due to him encouraging the win.

 

Pedro

   

The Chelsea player scored a brace in a large 5-1 win for the Blues against Newcastle. The player showed awareness al game which was evident in his first goal when he capitalised on a poor pass by Newcastle's Aarons, which saw him through on goal before placing the ball nicely into the corner out of reach of the goalkeeper. Pedro deserves Player of the Weekend as he stood out in the Chelsea win, I rate him a 9/10 for his great game.

Eriksen

Eriksen was just one of the eleven I could have picked from the might Spurs team who prevailed against Manchester City. For a second week running, Mousa Dembele had a commanding game in midfield and Danny Rose put in a tremendous amount of effort, however I went with Eriksen because he scored the vital winning goal to help Tottenham on their quest for the title, also it was his birthday. Because of how crucial the goal could prove to be for Tottenham I give Eriksen a 10/10 for creating the dramatic, entertaining ending to the season.   

All The Fixtures!

Sunderland 2 - 1 Manchester United

Sunderland came out of this game with the 3 points thanks to goals from Khazri and an own goal by De Gea and dampen Man United's hopes of top 4. Martial equalised with a tidy finish after Mata had his effort parried but the early lead and late goal won it for Sunderland. As a Man United fan I was gutted as I thought we'd been on good form to have confidence in order to win but despite tons of chances it would be Sunderland's day.

Bournemouth 1 - 3 Stoke

A memorable strike from Imbula and a quick fire double from Afellay and Joselu after the break was enough to ensure Matt Ritchie's goal was just a consolation. The win ended Stoke's recent poor run of form and was much needed. Stoke dominated the game and had enough chances to win by 4 or 5.

Crystal Palace 1 - 2 Watford

A Troy Deeney penalty put Watford a goal in front, when he converted the controversial penalty, a low on confidence Palace side found an equaliser through Adebayor, but t was Watford who would come out victorious when Deeney slotted in his 2nd of the game and 9th of the season to down Palace and encourage Watfordat the tail end of the season.

Everton 0 - 1 West Brom

I was surprized to see Everton loose this one but West Brom narrowly took the 3 points through Rondon's 14th minute goal. It secured West Brom's 2nd win of 2016 but was arguably undeserved looking at the stats. With Everton having 76% possession and 34 attempts on goal, West Brom proved to be the more clinical team to claim the points.

Norwich 2 - 2 West Ham

Norwich will be disappointed to let a 2 goal lead slip to draw 2-2 with West Ham who put on a fantastic comeback with 2 goals in as many minutes. Robbie Brady and Wes Hoolahan put Norwich into what seemed like a comfortable lead but Payet started the comeback ad Noble ended it with his equalising goal coming on the 76th minute. Neither team had enough in them to steal the win but I think a draw best reflected the game.

Swansea 0 - 1 Southampton

Shane Long scored the only goal when he headed home a cross from Steven Davis. A relatively stale first half came into life in the final moments when both teams had a notable chance but both attempts saw the ball fly over the crossbar. Southampton became increasingly the better of the sides in the second half and Long got the goal they deserved to move them within a point of Manchester United and send Swansea close enough to see the drop zone.

Chelsea 5 - 1 Newcastle United

Chelsea were in fine form at home to Newcastle and were 3 goals to the good inside 20 minutes thanks to neat finishes after purposeful passing. With Costa, Willian and Pedro already on the scoresheet, Pedro was to add his second in the second half and Traore put a goal in when he came off the bench. Townsend ended the scoring with a Newcastle consolation but the Chelsea team is starting to look more like we are accustomed to seeing after their recent form.

Manchester City 1 - 2 Tottenham

Tottenham helped their surge to the top spot by beating fellow contenders Man City. Joe Hart attempted to put Harry Kane off when he stepped up to take the penalty Tottenham were awarded but Kane kept his cool to smash the ball down the middle. The entertaining game had end to end action but substitute Iheanacho was to get Man City on level terms with a powerful shot from a low cross. But birthday boy Christian Eriksen would seal the points for Tottenham on the 83rd minute and show that Spurs were a serious title challenger.

NEWS!

Much of the footballing news has been centred around Adam Johnson and his situation involving pleading guilty to charges of grooming a 15 year old girl. The player was sacked by Sunderland and is facing jail time. Im not saying what he has done is right because obviously it is disgusting but if the photo flying round social media of the girl he is associated with is the actual person, how was he to know she was 15? To me she looks at least 19! That's still not right for Johnson to be with a girl that young but if he met her on a night out, possible near a club, he'd have assumed she was older than 15. The full story of how they initially met is unknown but I see why he could have been in this mess. Still I don't reason with him and deem him innocent but I don't see why he would do what he has when he's got a girlfriend who is as good-looking as she is!

Lionel Messi has also been creating headlines with his genius penalty. With him being on 299 La Liga goals he had the chance to break the 300 mark from the spot, but unselfishly he played the ball to the side and allowed Suarez to run on and seal his hat trick. Stroke of genius or disrespectful, I certainly am on the side of genius! I definitely know one CR7 who wouldn't have been quite as generous!

Thank you for the support you've been giving me lately! Its been incredible, I will be uploading again this week, so stay tuned. Let me know your opinions on the fixtures and whether you think Messi was a genius or disrespectful? I love to interact so message me on any of my social media sites. Until next time, bye for now...

Lee Harwood

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Top Facts From The Weekend...

What a weekend, yet again!

  Welcome back to my blog! The Premier League has again been incredible, with lot's of results that have affected the league table in mesmerising ways! 

  But before we get into the action I would like to discuss with you a few topics. One of them being a new layout. Based off the fantastic feedback, I have planned a new way to set out my blog post to make it much more personal and interesting rather than just a simple report but with the reports on the games coming in a much more entertaining and personal way. So I hope you like that.

  The next thing i'd like to propose is an additional post during midweek, providing there is no weekday Premier League fixtures. This post however is something I want to leave up to my blog readers. Suggest to me through any of my social media sites or through e-mail another topic you'd like me to discuss, if there is one. This could be anything from my football games with my teams on a Saturday and Sunday or it could even be my experiences and how I do playing Football Manager 2016, which I absolutely love. Let me know and I will attempt to get it uploaded during the week.

  The final thing is live games I will be attending in a couple of weeks. Due to the fantastic support on my blog, I have been invited to attend a Bradford City game against Southend United on the 16th of February. I am privileged to have the opportunity to watch the game from the comfort of the press box and I would be willing to blog the match if that's something you'd like to read as an alternative to the premier league.

  Likewise, I have kindly been granted a ticket to be part of the atmosphere in the Championship clash between Leeds United and Middlesbrough on the 15th of February. Again, I would be able to blog this game like the Bradford City match, as long as it would be something that would be accepted on the blog.

  However, I these opportunities have only fallen my way thanks to the tremendous support on my blog and for that I couldn't thank you enough. I enjoy interacting with my readers and so if you have an idea of something I could discuss in a future blog, or if the games I am going to be attending in the coming weeks are something you'd like to see just let me know.

  But for this edition I will be discussing my top points from the weekend dating 6-7th February 2016. The post will include:

• Top 2 Fixtures...
• Top 3 Players...
• My thoughts on the rest of the results...
• Run-down of the latest news!

TOP 2 FIXTURES!

Manchester City 1 - 3 Leicester City

 Is there anywhere else I could possibly begin but with the master class shown by the wonderful Leicester City at the Etihad.  It is becoming increasingly difficult to argue reasons why Leicester are not favourites, let alone candidates for this seasons title! Each week people say 'This week they'll loose' but they prove everybody wrong every time. With this enormous result against fellow title challengers, I think Leicester have proved themselves worthy and I have found myself willing them to do well and wanting them to actually win the league because what an achievement it would be.

  I hear a lot that Leicester are basically a 2 man team, but how can they be. Yeah, Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy have been stand out players with the goals and assists which have boosted the team right to the top of the league but you can't take any credit away from any other Leicester player.

  In the game against Manchester City, another valuable Leicester player stepped up for them and provided them with an encouraging early lead, the player being solid centre back Robert Huth. It was a perfect start for The Foxes. The Algerian winger, Mahrez whipped an inviting ball into the 6 yard area, where it was scrambled in by Huth. I thought it was poor defending from the Manchester City players. Huth should have been recognised as a danger despite being a centre back, it didn't look as though any of the players had taken charge to organise the defence and make sure everyone was focussed and this is what allowed Robert Huth to bundle the ball into the net, Leicester will take the early advantage.

  What I find fascinating with Leicester is their courage and adventurous play style, which Ranieri deserves credit for. Even when they came up against a tough opponent they attack and don't sit back inviting the pressure but look to pile it on their opponents regardless of who they are which is a joy to watch.

  Kante, in the Leicester midfield, I think has been a gem for the team. The player is proving to be a commanding player and I think if he keeps up the performances he has put in this season, he will be a world beater in a few years to come. Kante really reminds me of a Yaya Toure or even Patrick Viera kind of player. His strong physicality and ability to dictate the play makes him an incredible player.

  Every action was from the away side, their persistence and disciplined defence had kept Manchester City players quiet and the fans alike, with the travelling Leicester fans drowning out the Man City supports, and so they should do as Leicester went into halftime on the front foot.

  Leicester City went 2 goals up, just 3 minutes into the second half, and like they had managed to begin the game, started the second half fantastically well. The goal, scored by Mahrez, I thought was superb. It was a beautifully struck shot that slammed past Joe Hart, leaving him a spectator to the goal. Kante, got the assist after beating 2 City players but Mahrez's strike, if you haven't already I suggest you take a look at. It was the type of goal I would dream of scoring in a Sunday game never mind at the Etihad against giants Manchester City.  

  As a Manchester United fan, I love to see Manchester City loose, but to be dominated by both players and fans alike was fantastic. The game saw a record attendance at the Etihad, were 54,693 supports witnessed the game, but id have given anything to be in the stands with the Leicester fans. Their support was truly impressive to sound out the shell-shocked City fans and the chants the fans were singing were the funniest, as they mocked the home fans with chants like 'Can we play you every week' and 'We're staying up' what a fantastic set of fans, and they have a good sense of humour too.

  Huth, popped up again for Leicester City, adding to the jubilant fans awesome away day when he made it 3-0 to Leicester. His well timed looping header left Hart with no chance and secured the points to send Leicester SIX points clear at the top of the table. Who'd have thought it, but its well deserved. You can't argue with the dominance shown by Claudio Ranieri's team to basically ease past Man City.

  Unfortunately, for Leicester they couldn't hold on to a clean sheet, as the Argentina striker Sergio Aguero struck a late consolation for the Manchester team. His header into the bottom corner gave something for the City fans to have a shout about but it was short lived when the full time whistle went just a couple of moments later and they realised they had suffered a 3-1 defeat, which see's them slip 6 points behind Leicester. 

  It's been a great season for the Foxes up until this point, and I hope they can continue it until the final day. It would fantastic as a neutral to see them lift the title come the final day as they deserve it. Also with Leicester ending their campaign against Chelsea at the bridge, it would be special for Claudio Ranieri as he would lift the trophy at a stadium of a team he used to manage, so I think there is extra incentive for him there.

Chelsea 1 - 1 Manchester United

 Manchester United are a team I obviously enjoy discussing with them being my favourite team. So with that being a slight factor for me writing up on them, it was also a clash of giants. Traditionally, this has been one of the games in the season every fan would want to watch. The fixture has seen plenty of action from high scoring games, to individual rivals and controversial red cards (*cough cough* David Luiz)  All these factors result in the game being a fantastic contest which is often heated and passionately contested amongst the fans.

 I had high hopes for my team coming into the game. Positive results of late against Derby and Stoke could drive the team forward to getting a good result. But what is more potent going to Stamford Bridge is Louis Van Gaal's reaction to the fan's demands. The team has been looking more confidant and playing with more attacking freedom and purpose in the previous 2 games than in the games we've had the endure since the lucky 1-0 win over Tottenham on the opening weekend.

  I wouldn't consider myself a starry-eyed fan. Id say i understand how football should be played on a basic standard, because there is much more to managing then what the fans see. But I know that Manchester United are an attacking team and should be very capable at pressing teams for the full 90 minutes and should be beating teams comfortably, rather than scraping through, picking up draws. 

  Many of my friends are Manchester United fans, and they feel that Van Gaal doesn't deserve to be the United manager anymore and are excited about the rumours surrounding Jose Mourinho with the Red Devils. I have the opposite view on this statement, I believe Van Gaal does warrant more time. I'm not blind and have noticed mistakes like the lose of Javier Hernandez, it is very upsetting and disappointing that Van Gaal didn't see what a wonderful talent the Mexican possessed and now I bet he is kicking himself at what he let go. Nobody is perfect though, everybody makes mistakes and despite the loss of a fan favourite, Van Gaal could deliver success at United. His 'philosophy' didn't quite work out the way he wanted, the intent was there, cut out the amount of goals conceded, but with that came no attacking play from Man United, however in the recent games approaching the Chelsea encounter the tables had turned and we were outing 3 past teams and scoring in the first half.

  The game against Chelsea started very promising too, as we began by not sitting back, not sideways passing but actually looking to go forward with the ball, look for the wizard, Martial on the wing and attack Chelsea's goal. Within, 15 minutes we'd forced 2 saves out of Courtois in the Chelsea goal.

  Can I just point out Chris Smalling! What a player. Ive mentioned him in a previous post but he proves each week what a fantastic defender he is turning out to be! Along with David De Gea, who had a solid game, points have been won just from the solid defence we have.

  A positive first 45 minutes ending 0-0, but there were positives to take for both teams. Manchester United started brighter, but Chelsea woke up and put heavy pressure on the United defence. Both teams were cancelling each other out well. As a fan, it was actually enjoying to watch and I had butterflies every time both teams attacked because they possessed so much firepower with Wayne Rooney and Diego Costa being on top form for their respected teams.

  53 minutes into the game, Jesse Lingard had a really good chance saved by Courtois. Lingard attempted to place the ball into the bottom corner with a curling effort from the edge of the area, but a strong gloved hand prevented United taking the lead. As a striker I felt Lingard had done enough to score but if I had been in his situation blasting it as hard as I could along the ground maybe could have seen a more successful result? The 'keeper didn't have much vision on the ball and the Chelsea defence had backed off, leaving the Manchester United player a great opportunity which unfortunately he didn't take.

  The screams from Kurt Zouma were a significant measure of his pain. It is unusual that you hear the shouts from players through the TV but Zouma had really hurt himself jumping for a ball. The Chelsea defender had landed awkwardly, which resulted in a broken leg. The long delay in the game, suggested it was bad and even the stretcher had to be used to carry the player off the field. It is ahuge blow for the young defender and I hope he recovers well as he could have a promising future ahead of him as he has already shown at his young age the ability to command the back four and defend confidently.  

  Just after the hour mark though, Lingard would put the Red Devils a goal infront. Martial drilled the ball in from wide of the 18 yard box, Rooney tee'd it up and Ligard on a swivel turn, rippled the top corner of the net. I thought it was a high class goal, inch perfectly placed into the net. It was much deserved by United, as they had looked threatening all game and finally managed to beat the Belgium goalkeeper.

  There is no argument, in my opinion, that David De Gea is the best goalkeeper in the Premier League. The saves the Spaniard pulls off are worldclass. Resulting from a corner being only half cleared, Ivanovic sweetly struck a volley, which was rifling into the top corner, only for De Gea to pull out an incredible stop. And again with not long left, Costa managed to get through on goal, but the brave De Gea, got down well and kept the 3 points looking likely for Manchester United. That's why I believe he is the greatest, the fact he can win the team points, as a goalkeeper suggests a lot about his talent.

  But to the grief of every Manchester United fan, and the joy of the Chelsea supports, Chelsea would equalise. Diego Costa, scoring on his first appearance against the Red Devils. I think he got desperately lucky with the goal however. Cameron Borthwick-Jackson just lacking in experience was caught playing the Chelsea forward onside, Costa turned being unmarked and was sliding tackled fantastically well by Borthwick-Jackson, but unfortunately the challenge didn't have enough on it to take the ball out of play but instead created an easier angle for the finish as De Gea had gone to ground to prevent the initial effort.

  Despite only coming away with the single point, as a Man United fan there were plenty of positives to take away from the draw. The attacking intent and playing with a purpose was particularly deserves applauding. As for Chelsea, they should be relieved to even get 1 point from that game as they were outplayed for much of it. I would also like to ask if anyone saw Hazard? no me neither...

BEST 3 PLAYERS! 

1.

Ross Barkley

  Ross Barkley put in a dominating performance for Everton against Stoke City, in his team's comfortable 3-0 win. The England man was involved in plenty of Everton's attacking play, dictated the tempo and showed great work-rate. His discipline helped Everton overcome Stoke who are difficult to beat on their home turf.

 I rate Ross Barkley's weekend performance a 9/10!

                                                                           2. 

Mousa Dembele

Mousa Dembele ensured Tottenham's commanding win over Watford. The midfielder played a stand out performance, for a Spur's team that won 1-0. The midfielder not only played a nice ball to Alli who set up the only goal of the game but kept the teams structure throughout the game and won key battles in the midfield to resolve any pressure Watford possessed.

  Dembele gets a 8/10 rating for his solid efforts in the centre of the team.

3.

Robert Huth

It was difficult to pick out one individual from the wonderful team that overcame Manchester City at the Etihad. But with a brace as a defender and a commanding centre back performance too Robert Huth deserves a mention in player of the week. His goals won Leicester the game and put them 6 points clear.

For that reason I give Robert Huth a 10/10 and stand by the fact that he is fully deserving of it.

Full Fixtures Reaction!

Manchester City 1 - 3 Leicester City

- As ive discussed, it was a fantastic result which see's Leicester clear of Man City by 6 points. I personally, don't see this result as a shock either. It proves how worthy Leicester are of leading the pack and could prove an important result for them in coming weeks.

For Manchester City, it was a bitter defeat, a game they would have been nervous for but anticipated a win after current form. However it just goes to show money isn't everything, with the team that Leicester won with only costing £22.5 million.

Aston Villa 2 - 0 Norwich

- It may be too early to say every game is a cup final for Aston Villa, but 3 points against Norwich who have been playing well of late, will be not only a real confidence booster but a huge booster to their hopes of survival. Norwich will be disappointed to have lost but could we see a late great escape? I wouldn't put it past Aston Villa to do so.

Liverpool 2 - 2 Sunderland

- 8 minutes of gloom for Liverpool fans who not only saw their supports deplete but their 2 goal advantage too. What looked to be a cruising 2-0 win, ended 2-2 after goals from Johnson and inform Defoe pegged Liverpool back to only earn a single point. The supporters already unhappy with ticket prices, will have been left miserable after hearing the result, but are they to blame? Had they have stayed would it have given Liverpool the extra push to close up the game? Maybe, but I don't blame them for what they did, if it gets across the important message that 'Football is nothing without supporters' then good on them!

Newcastle United 1 - 0 West Brom

- Newcastle managed to climb out of the relegation zone thanks to a 32nd minute strike from Mitrovic. The narrow win was deserved after West Brom failed to even test Rob Elliot in the Newcastle net. However it was good to Saido Berahino back playing as I highly rate the young player who seems to not be having the best time at West Brom since being unsettled by Tottenham rumours. Newcastle played well, they just needed more goals and it would have been a much more representative score line.

Stoke City 0 - 3 Everton

- Everton again managing to comfortably put a side an opponent. Lukaku added to his terrific season in front of goal adding to his season tally from the penalty spot extending his record to 20 goals in all compitions. Unbeaten in 7 games, Everton managed to get back into the top half of the Premier League table, Coleman sealed a 2nd goal for Everton when he headed in Cleverley's cross, Cleverley played very well in this game I must point out. Just before the break Everton added a third to seal the points through Arron Lennon, a player enjoying his football at the moment. Stoke booed their team after an uninspiring, lacklustre performance by the whole team.

Swansea 1 - 1 Crystal Palace

- Swansea were held at home to Scott Dann's 5th goal of the season. Still missing Yannick Bolasie through injury, Palace looked in for a tough afternoon when Sigurdsson scored a lovely freekick, curling the ball over the wall and into the bottom corner. Swansea dominated much of the game up until the break. But Crystal Palace came out strong with Alan Pardew's words ringing in their ears and within 3 minutes were level thanks to Dann's header. The locked sides pressed each other but neither could find a breakthrough goal and the game finished honours even.

Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 0  Watford

- Tottenham played a possessive, confident game against a Watford side who have been impressive this season. However, Watford had no luck in this game as they were dominated by Spurs. The Tottenham midfield had a solid game and their defence maintained their prestige record they have this season. Dele Alli, again involved in the goals, this time assisting Trippier who found the net to score the only goal and encourage Tottenham on their quest for a top 4 position and Champions League football.

Southampton 1 - 0 West Ham United

- Yoshida put the Saints ahead within 10 minutes to set the tone for the game. The game was toughly contested even after Southampton were reduced to 10 men following an ugly challenge from Victor Wanyama. West Ham only really applied pressure in the final quarter of the game but Southampton held out to seal 3 points.

Bournemouth 0 - 2 Arsenal

- Bournemouth were stunned by 2 quick-fire goals from Arsenal players Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mesut Ozil who scored in the 23rd and 24th minute respectively. Ozil whose been on fine form this season racking up the assists for his team found himself on the score sheet. There were strong shouts fro Mathieu Flamini to be shown a straight red after a reckless two-footed challenge on 8 minutes but was shown a yellow by the referee. Cech did well to keep out efforts from Bournemouth but it wasn't their day and arsenal walked away with the win.

Chelsea 1 - 1 Manchester United

- Chelsea survived defeat when Costa equalised the scoring in the 90+1 minute of the game. Manchester United played an attacking, purposeful game where they created a plethora of chances but were unable to take advantage, that was until Jesse Lingard swivelled and smashed the ball into the top corner putting United in the lead. A horrendous injury to Kurt Zouma who broke his leg resulted in 6 added minutes in which Chelsea, after applying pressure for the latter stages, stole a point.

News!

Recently, Manchester City have attained the services of high profile manager Pep Guardiola, who will bring a different perspective to the premier league. I think the manager transfer is an exciting one that will stoke the fires in other teams as they are fully aware of the capability Guardiola possesses. Its not a cause to panic however, there's been suggestions that Manchester United have become the smaller team in Manchester because of the manager signing, but which side of Manchester hold 20 titles, that's right United, so we have no need to worry.

In other news, Liverpool fans have been making a stand against ticket prices. Abandoning their sides game in the 77th minute was a clear indication of their dismay at the cost to see their side play in the Premier League. Alan Shearer notable agreed with the fans going as far as to say the 'fans should be rewarded' and I agree with both parties. It is extremely pricey to watch your team play a top flight game. The new TV deal should be enough to allow clubs to lower ticket prices and I think it would be beneficial as the atmosphere inside the stadium is what really counts.  

I hope you enjoyed this post, thank you again for the enormous amount of support, I cant believe how incredible you've been and I cant say thank you enough for the opportunities you're providing me. Again, let me know on what I should include in future content and if the Leeds United and Bradford City games are something youd like to see. Thanks again and until the next one, goodbye for now!

Lee Harwood

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