Arsenal, the dark horses of the season.

7 games into the new season, teams are starting to enter the form that will carry them through the year. Some are languishing near the bottom, others and trotting along within mediocrity and the upper echelon teams are powering through. One of the teams which have impressed me the most is Arsenal. 4 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss is a very nice record to have at this point in the season. 15 goals scored and 7 conceded is a solid start, and whilst some of the teams they have played aren't exactly the best teams in the league, the bigger sides that they have faced haven't been dominant. Let's look at the start, begin as you mean to go on some would say, Arsene Wenger would agree after a 4-3 loss at home to Liverpool. Even though you gain no points from a win, offensively they looked full of quality and scored 3 very nice goals. The defence was the issue in this case. Improvement defensively followed by the next game with a dominant 0-0 draw against the reigning champions Leicester. Whilst no goals were scored, Wenger could sleep well knowing that his side wasn't in any danger of losing that match after Leicester could only manage a single shot on target across the whole 90 minutes. Improvement to defence, now the goals needed to make a return. A dominant 3-1 over Watford, a narrow 2-1 against Soton, 4-1 against a Hull side in disarray and the icing on top of the cake, a crushing 3-0 defeat of Chelsea.

What do these results say about Arsenal, though? A loss is never good to have on the board, along with a goalless draw and only just being able to grab a 2-1 win over a mediocre Southampton you might be thinking "Well how does this make them out as dark horses for the title?". Arsenal started last season with a less than impressive start. Losing to West Ham at home, drawing 0-0 to Liverpool at Home, as well as a loss to Chelsea and very narrow victories over Palace and Stoke damaged Arsenal's season way before it had even begun. Now however Arsenal have dismantled one of their biggest rivals and have been scoring for fun. Whilst I have taken notice of the usual mid-season stumble that Arsenal always experiences, I feel the signings have been adequate and some of the mistakes they have been making over the past few years look to be fixed or swept under the carpet at the very least.

Arsenal look like potential champions, not because of the way they can destroy their opponents but how they can grind out results against the teams who put 11 behind the ball and believe a point is as good as 3. In previous years, Arsenal has always been undone by those sort of teams and have found it impossible to grind out results consistently. Already twice this season both Southampton and Burnley have looked to hold out for a singular point against the London side and on both occasions they have managed to steal all 3 points away from their opponents. Whilst I understand that the Burnley result may have been down to an incredibly large slice of luck seeing as the goal shouldn't have stood, I want to remind you how many times the big teams have stolen all 3 points with lucky goals and unfair advantages. Manchester United are the best example we can use. How many occasions were there when we would speak the day after a United game and all gasp at how unlucky their opponents were to lose the game because of an offside goal or a shot that was ushered in with the player's hand. Luck plays a huge part in the game and most of the time, the luck falls on the side of the bigger sides.

I am definitely not saying Arsenal will ease to the league title this season, however, I am saying that with the right slice of luck they can do it. Man City only have to lose a handful of games, a bump in the road is assured on any side, as we saw with their last match in London. Arsenal simply has to make sure they have less bumps than their rivals. Is that possible? Of course, but Arsenal have always been well known for their bottling ability.

My Potential GB Squad for 2016

Will Team GB make a return to the Olympics in 2016?

In 2012, London hosted the Olympic games for the first time since 1948. As football is an Olympic sport, we were presented with an automatic place in the tournament due to London being the hosts. You would therefore think, that means an English Olympic squad would take part, that would be wrong. The Olympic committee looked upon London 2012 as an Olympic event for Great Britain, not England, therefore meaning a Team GB squad of players from Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland would have to be assembled.

There was stern opposition from the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish FA's as soon as this idea was proposed, but nevertheless went through and we witnessed the first Competitive appearance from Team GB in 52 years. I, as a Welshman, actually loved the prospect of Team GB. I had no fear that it would take away the integrity of any of the Home Nations' FA's and truly relished the opportunity to see Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy aswell as some of the English fringe players take part in a major tournament.

The issue of a Renewed Team GB has popped up again with the large possibility of one of the Home Nations' U-21 teams reaching the quarter finals of their respective tournaments (U-21 European Championships also are the European Qualifiers for the Olympics) and whilst this article may appear to be a little ahead of itself seeing as there is still a long way to go for Qualification, I have put together my ideal Team GB for the Rio 2016 Olympics, and just to clarify the rules, all players must have been born on or after January 1st 1993 with the exception of allowing 3 overage players.

Formation = 4-2-3-1

Goalkeeper - Craig Gordon

I use my first overage spot on my Goalkeeper, Craig Gordon being 32. I was very tempted to pick Jack Butland, who was in the 2012 squad, but felt his lack of football would of been a weakness for the squad. Gordon was a fantastic keeper back at Hearts and showed that skill at moments in his rocky spell with Sunderland. Back into Football with Celtic after two years out, he has shown he hasn't lost a single bit of his quality and has pulled off some sensational saves for the Scottish Giants, whose defence has looked an empty shell compared to last season and having a great goalkeeper has been more important than ever for them. 2012 position - Jack Butland.

Right Back - Eric Dier

Whilst at Spurs he has stated he would prefer to start plying his trade in the centre of the defence, I feel that the ability he showed for Sporting Lisbon and Spurs at right back has been amazing and in a position where the other options either haven't been playing enough or this isn't their natural positon, I feel the prospect could step up and help limit any supply from the right. Callum Chambers was my second option but I feel he has been shaky at Arsenal and has looked a bit lacking in confidence, whilst Dier looks like he is ready for anything, even against Diego Costa and Eden Hazard in the League Cup final.

2012 position - Ryan Bertrand.

Centre Back - John Stones

Roberto Martinez has thrown this man into the starting lineup at the start of the season after the rich vein of form he showed in the latter stages of the premier league last season. This faith in the 20 year old has payed off as even though Evertons season has been far from exciting, their defending has not at all been their issue and John Stones' performances are something the Evertonians can be happy with. Preferred to Distin to partner Jagielka, he has shown he has the potential to be a future England stalwart and would not look out of place with the squad now. 2012 position - James Tomkins.

Centre Back - Ashley Williams

I am using another of my overage positions for my second Centre Back and also my captain. I think with the defence I wanted not just someone who can sit further back from Stones but is also a defined leader in his position, Williams being the captain for Wales and Swansea. He has been a key player for the Swans this season, being a true covering defender as he mops up balls into the box and clears them away, covering for the rest of his team. A team full of youngsters is bound to make errors and to have a defender like Williams, who is linked with a move to Liverpool, in the back will be essential or the young team. 2012 position - Micah Richards

Left Back -  Ben Davies

The player who most would think of here would definitely be Luke Shaw, fits the age gap and has a lot of potential to be an England great, but his move to Manchester has hindered him and his form has not impressed anyone, so he wouldn't really warrant a place here. Ben Davies however has made a move to Spurs from Swansea, and at the risk of being called Bias, is Wales' answer to Shaw, except his move has allowed him to grow more and showcase his ability. His first few appearances for Tottenham were shaky at best but he has grown into his role and many have questioned why he is playing second string to Danny Rose. Alongside Williams there is already a jelled partnership on the left and his ability to cross the ball will help with the attacks. 2012 position - Neil Taylor

Centre Mid - Will Hughes

Dipping into the Championship is no doubt a risk, but his ability he has shown not just for Derby, where he is a key player in their team at the age of just 19, but also for the U-21s's has been magnificent. For me he would be the more roaming playmaker of the two CM's and would try to create the plays from finding space around the pitch and filling in for other players. No doubt does this kid have talent but he also has a very mature look on the game and whilst I could understand why someone may use an overage spot in the centre of the park, I feel Hughes is mature enough to come into a side like this and showcase why people believe he will be a future England star on the level of Gerrard and Lampard. 2012 position - Aaron Ramsey

Centre Mid - Nathaniel Chalobah

Another Championship lad, on loan from Chelsea, Nathaniel Chalobah shocked the Championship fans with his combating displays for Watford, Middlesborough, Forest and now Reading. His main role is a defensive Box to Box, and with his stamina and strength you would have no questions why, being able to go the full 90 minutes at 100% is amazing for this lad and not only can he win the ball with some perfect tackles but he is well known for his ability to smash shots towards the goal and cause havoc in the opposition box. Burnley amazed me with the lack of football they gave him but their loss is Readings gain after they acquired the 20 year old on loan and he has already impressed the royals with one of his stunning long shots as well as his tireless performances. 2012 position - Joe Allen.

Left Wing - Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling has really stepped up since the start of the new year, whilst he struggled in the first half of the season, he has reiterated his push for national team caps and has managed to go from appearing off the bench under Dalglish to a key player for Brendan Rodgers. Similar to that of the following Winger Ryan Gauld, he is unpredictable, whilst he is more keen to cut in and draw defenders away from supporting strikers he has a better scoring record than the Scot on the right and would be able to work fluidly with the player I have planned to play in the Centre role. 2012 position - Scott Sinclair.

Right Wing - Ryan Gauld
The young Scot is only our second player from North of the border, but my god does his potential ability warrant a place in this side. In 2014 he made a move to Sporting Lisbon after 2 years with Dundee United's first team, and the performances he put in there deserved him a 3 million Euro move to the Portuguese capital. Whilst questions will be asked about the lack of first team football, for their B team Gauld has impressed like he did in Dundee with threatening runs from the left where you're never sure if he will carry on out wide or leave you for dead with his quick instinct cutting in. Gauld has promise and has already been compared to Scottish Greats like Dalglish and even the Northern Irish legend George Best. 2012 position - Craig Bellamy.

Centre Attacking Mid - Gareth Bale
I don't really think there is much doubt why he is in the squad, even if he is not performing to his best in Madrid at the moment, he is still performing better than most. His ability and skill would be a cherished commodity for an Olympics squad. Accommodating him was the hardest part, his natural position on a pitch is the left side, which is currently being used by Raheem Sterling, then when playing for Madrid he is on the opposite flank, again being occupied by another one of my players. Whilst Raheem Sterling can play in the centre role, I feel he is best equipped for the wing. Bale showed his ability for Tottenham in his last season in England playing in the hole and really just running about the pitch and filling space, a role he has filled for Wales too. At times he can carry any squad on his own, which we saw in the copa del rey final last season, and at times you would need him to do the same for this team. You would have no doubts that he could though. 2012 position - Ryan Giggs

Striker - Harry Kane
If this squad does come about, Harry Kane no doubt has to go to the Olympics, even if he goes to the Euro's too. I can understand that may risk him being worn down but for me if I was being unrestricted in my choice, I wouldn't have to make any hard decisions here. As soon as the idea of this squad came into my mind, he was one of the first in. The form he has been in has been so much more than the spurts of form you saw from players like Januzaj or Wickham from last season, he has just played well, if he hasn't scored he has created the attacks, he is just a good player. Even if the goals dry up, he still plays well for the whole team, an unselfish striker that still scores... how refreshing. Whilst he has only just truly burst onto the scene of the Premier league, he has been decent with loan moves to Orient and Millwall as well as in the English youth teams and with 26 goals in all appearances this season, he is too much of a talent to leave behind. 2012 position - Daniel Sturridge

Substitute shout outs
Whilst these following five players didn't make it into my starting 11 I would say that with their performances they deserve a place in the squad too, I won't go into depth but after looking into their stats or what they could bring, these five would be my bench;
Goal Keeper - Jack Butland

Right Back - Callum Chambers
Centre Mid - James Ward-Prowse
Right Wing - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Striker - Saido Berahino

And finally the manager, this is nearly as important as the players, with young players that you would have in this squad you need a strong man manager who knows how to bring youngsters into squads and get the most out of their talent. Last time around we had the Ex-England U-21's manager Stuart Pierce, I disagreed with this choice as I felt he struggled with the U-21's anyways but I think I would go along a similar path this time around, and by that I mean Gareth Southgate. He has been doing exceptionally well with the U-21's team and if the reason that there is an Olympic football side is because the English U-21's made it to that stage then wouldn't you allow the man who got them there to take the British side over.

The Plight of Black managers

The Football Manager, the man who picks the team, dictates the style of football and sometimes is even the face of the club. However controversy has reared its ugly head once more with the question, where are the black managers in top flight football? Or even more so, where are the black managers in football all together? Off the top of your head how many black managers can you name currently with a team and without? Because before I searched into it I thought that there would be at least one in each level of English football. Alarmingly, I was completely wrong. 

At the start of last season there were only 5 black managers employed out of the 92 opportunities within the top 4 flights in England. The main question however, is why? Why are there so few black managers in England? Recent statements from Ex-England defender Sol Campbell would have you believe that the issue is that the owners of clubs and the suits at the FA are racist and have an agenda against black players and black managers. On the other hand the FA have released a statement arguing that the main issue is that the few black managers that are in the game are simply not good enough at their jobs, neither sides really add up or have enough evidence to back their points.

If we look at the argument that the world of football is racist then we need evidence on this and how do we do this? We look at cases of racism in football, and just for this articles sake I am only looking at racism within English football. Looking at racism cases within English football, the situation has improved hugely over the past 10 years. Previously racism in English football was really handled let alone looked into. Now however as soon as a racist complaint is placed, an investigation is started, this was not the case when players like Stan Collymore and Garth Crooks were abused by fellow players and their own fans. Ten years ago, Millwall were the first club to be punished for racial abuse coming from their fans, which led to radical change in how racism from the fans was handled, as shown in 2009 when John Euell was abused from a Stoke fan whilst he was on the substitutes bench. The fan was dragged out of the ground, banned for life from the Britannia and fined. In the wake of the incident managers came in to back the decision, Harry Redknapp even came in and stated "That is disgusting, there's no place for that in the game. Surely we can't have that sort of behaviour now? Anyone who does it should be put in prison, not banned from football. Stick them where they belong, in the nut-house. It's wrong." Ten years previous and people would barely turn their heads, the way racism is handled has come leaps and bounds and that is why I struggle to agree with Sol's view that racism is the key part in the lack of Black Managers.

However this doesn't mean that racism has no part in the decisions. Due to the older age of most owners, racism was most likely the normality when they were in their youth, and have grown up around it. This is not an excuse, it is a whole new world and just because it used to be like that does not mean it is acceptable today. Some owners who have those tendencies will most likely refuse to look into hiring a black manager, and whilst previously this may have gone under the radar, now that the issue is under the microscope, we are starting to see that potentially teams could be looking past black managers due to the boardroom. This leads me to a potential solution. In Gridiron, or American Football, there is a rule known as the Rooney Rule. The rule states that if there is a vacancy within a coaching team at least one black coach has to be interviewed for the opportunity, a similar rule has been put forward by members of the FA as way of beating this covert racism. Whilst at first glance this looks like a good idea, by allowing this opportunity for Black managers to be interviewed for more club roles when before they may have been overlooked may cause more black people to become involved. However there are two key flaws to this rule. Keiron Dyer and Titus Bramble have before expressed disapproval of allowing black managers this free chance at any job interview just because they are black, Titus went on to say "At the moment, I think the Rooney Rule is a disgrace, I think it’s disgraceful that someone might be shortlisted for the job just because of their skin colour. You could say it’s just as bad being given a job because of your skin colour as it is not being given a job. My skin colour certainly wasn’t a problem for Ipswich at any stage, either as a player or a coach. I think they have employed me because of what I’ve achieved in my career as a player."Even if the Rooney rule is implemented, who do you interview for the roles at clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool? Could you really see Chris Hughton honestly being interviewed for the role at Chelsea and having a chance when he compares his CV to the other managers brought in for interviews? Linking back to the statement from Kieron Dyer, If the Rooney rule is in place, is there a really a point in going to an interview which you are only getting because of your skin colour, and not your managerial honours? All fair points.

Flipping the coin now and moving on from the race issue, the other side feel that skin colour never was or has been the issue. Instead the issue is the lack of managerial examples to show off to the younger black males who might want to become managers at the end of their careers or from the start. I am just going to come out with this now, I struggle to agree with this point, whilst I can understand the idea that because there is a lack of black managers, it means that black people might struggle to have someone in the occupation they can relate to who has been successful. When I ask myself which managers do I look up to, I think of José Mourinho, Mark Hughes and Glenn Hoddle, I struggle to think of a black manager I could see as being successful, only Chris Hughton falls into that category for me. This doesn't mean that the lack of interest from the black community is the reason why there is such few black managers, but in my opinion, it all comes back to a lack of support at grassroots and entry levels. The FA are no longer in the position where they can shrug off the calls for more black managers, Greg Dyke already tried this and has been crucified for trying to say there is no issue. Once again the pathetic attempt the FA has in Grass roots football appears, and in my opinion is the reason why there are only 2 Black managers currently employed in the top four flights of English football. The FA needs to encourage young black men or retiring footballers to take their coaching badges, I am not saying give them an easier ride, management is a tough career, but there needs to be much more encouragement in place to get the black community into management and not just out on the playing field.

Some at the FA have also stated that the lack of black managers is due to the lack of managerial ability from the ones we see in the public eye. Originally I scoffed at this point, but upon second looking, it has merit to the argument. Looking into the win percentages of the 5 managers in charge of clubs last year, and as well as this adding Keith Curle, current Carlisle manager, to the mix I have seen that none of these managers, except Chris Hughton, have had a win rate of more than 50% at any club, the closest being Keith Curle with 45%. Anything below 40% as an average when you add all their win percentages at each of their clubs up is below average, bordering on poor. Only Chris Hughton and Chris Powell have 40% or more. On paper this point then makes sense, if black people are looking at black managers who are struggling to be successful, why would they want to be a manager, too bad the FA are not telling us everything. Most of these managers have taken on poor teams who they need to rebuild which will therefore mean they are prepared to lose more than win, Paul ince being at Blackpool meant he had to build a squad around his son Tom Ince. Keith Curle has had to rejuvenate an out of form Carlisle side and bounce back to league one and even Chris Hughton has spent most of his career at teams he has had to fix, most famously guiding Birmingham to 4th in the championship in 2011-12 season as well as a narrowly missing out on a round of 32 place by one point in the Europa League. So by the FA saying because they stats are bad, they aren't giving you the whole picture, and more importantly are trying to make sure they don't have to fork more out on Grass roots management.

I feel that the issue comes from the entry level, any person can do their coaching badges, any person can get involved in football, but the main problem is there is a lack of encouragement from the FA, as well as from groups like Kick it out and Players association to lead retiring black players onto management. If the current black managers also put their eggs into the same basket they could easily start a movement to help black men to move into a career in football management. For now it looks like we have to stick with Keith Curle and Chris Powell as our black managers, the FA have launched a committee to find the solution for what luck that may do and has already pledged to help black managers into jobs, but if this means implementing a rooney rule like they have proposed, does that really help? Finally I think we have to really look out into Europe and see managers like Frank Rijkaard, Patrick Kluivert, Ruud Gullit, Jean Tigana and Claude Makelelé and realise they are making the steps to improve the place of black managers, so to does the FA, racism will always play a some sort of part in this issue, but it is the FA's Job to make sure we get around that.

Thanks for reading everyone, leave a comment if you have your own opinion and don't be afraid to share with others.

The bright future for Welsh football. (&England)

If you ask anyone who knows me well, they will tell you my most dreaded time in the season are International breaks. Why? Because it means Cardiff lose some key players, but mainly because it means I have to watch Wales perform very awkwardly again, trying to argue with everyone that Wales are not a one man team until I am blue in the face is the norm for me at the start of an International break, and to make matters worse, when we perform well against a side, due to our Inconsistency I never know how well we will perform in the next fixture. It is truly heartbreaking because once again Wales have themselves a international gem.

I have learned that when it comes to Wales however I should stay pessimistic with our gems, as my Grandfather wisely said 'Harry we have always had one outstanding international star, all the way back to our last World cup with John Charles, after came John Toshack, then Ian Rush, then Giggs and now Bale. Stay calm lad'  but you know what, this is wrong. I study the teams and yes Giggs was our outstanding star before but he had plenty of support. John Hartson was a class striker, and alongside Simon Davies, Craig Bellamy and Gary Speed all in their prime. So why didn't we qualify for Euro 2004 in the qualifiers in 2003, well other than the sheer fact Russia had a player who was pumped so full of drugs, that he nearly turned into Bane and promised to slay the Batman. We were nervous. Other than Giggs (and Arguably Hartson) these lads had never really had the nations spotlight on them and the pressure was way to much. 

So why do I feel so confident now that the Wales squad can take it to that next level and qualify for our first major tournament since the World Cup in 1958? Pressure, that's what. This team has so many more players who have played under pressure. Bale has had the pressure as worlds most expensive player, Ramsey has had the pressure of having to prove he is still just as good as he was before he was injured, Ashley Williams took Swansea through to a Capital one cup final. The list goes on, but not only that, the potential of this squad in terms of not just psychical but technical ability is through the roof. 

I truly believe that when Wales opened it's answer to St Georges park with Dragon park last year, the U-21's improved dramatically. Lads like Ben Davies, Johnathan Williams, Emyr Huws and Lloyd Isgrove have prospered from the specialist center in Newport, and if they can perform anyway they have performed for the U-21 side, they can easily make it in to main squad. Ben Davies and Williams have all grab a handful of first team caps already and it looks only a matter of time before they manage to really make themselves constant call ups. However it is not just the future youth that I am excited about, but also the current crop of stars and how we are attracting more English players with Welsh availability to swap over the river Severn. James Chester was one of the outstanding defenders playing for Hull this season, alongside Curtis Davies, it managed to turn the head of the Welsh FA, supposedly when Coleman offered him a call up, he didn't think twice. 4 years ago and people probably would have turned their noes' up at Wales. This is very promising to also see that Coleman is Analyzing our main weakness of the center back spot. If we can back up our immense midfield with a stronger back 4 it means we can really move on to worrying about where the goals come from. 

As a bit of a break of me sitting here and fangirling over the idea that Wales, if they perform in the qualifiers, could be off to France 2016. Let us look at England's future. Now someone would ask why I, as a Wales supporter, would care about the future of England and you know what, to some extent I don't. Let me rephrase that, the England supporters most likely will not grow with the team and therefore I have no care for them. The actual team however I am so interested in. After what was a complete disaster of a World Cup, England are at a crossroads of sorts. They can do a repeat of after the last World cup, shake it up a little bit with a few players being dropped but once again sticking with those big names who don't really perform, or they can wipe the slate clean and start a new similar to that of Germany after 2006, a new process was made for the national team... And look what that did for them. I personally believe that Wales and England are in similar positions just at different stages, Wales have the upcoming talent to qualify for a major tournament just need them to play together now, and the same for England, they can make it to the further stages of the tournaments just need to use some of that exciting talent over the big names, who get into those squads because of the shirt sales.

England have to take the approach of now or never, they should look at these qualifiers of the chance to really now start pushing the likes of Shaw, Barkley, Sterling (especially Sterling) and also not just those lads but some like Nathaniel Clyne from Southampton, who was magnificent this season as Southampton right back, much better than Johnson. As well as him Caulker needs to be played, forget the fact he played for Cardiff, this isn't my bias here, the man is a rock. He stood out every game for Cardiff, not only can he defend but he can score too. Of course you must keep the experience in their but some of them just can't be getting a look in because they have the name of Gerrard, Lampard and Rooney, they need to perform like the others because they surely don't make up for a lack of club form on the International stage.

Wales too need to learn that just because they played in the squad under Mark Hughes and the squad under Toshack, The Gabbidons, the Ricketts and the Edwards, doesn't mean they deserve a free pass into the squad just because years ago they were our best. We have much stronger players now and if they want to make it into a squad we need to start being much more elitist for, they need to earn it. By elitist I mean, we can't keeping picking players who don't play in the upper echelons of the Championship and above, unless they are the big youngsters who are on loan, it doesn't give us any hope if the management feel our best center back is in League one.

I guess, as a conclusion, I should apologise for a misleading title. I should be saying a bright future for England and Wales if they make the right move and play the youth. England could easily become one of the strongest nations in Europe if they let these young talents to bloom by playing them together now, allowing them to gel, just like Spain and Germany did, and then when they are in their primes, they know how to play off each other. The same goes for Wales, we have the gems that we have always had, our generations Giggs', Speed's and Bellamy's are Bale, Ramsey and Davies, we just need the rest of the youth who show promise, the chance to work together and who knows? Maybe in 2016 Wales could be joining England in France...

No Promises. 

Spindlers list May 4th

Goalkeeper - Hugo Lloris

Lloris may have conceded two at the weekend but he stopped that game from becoming a massacre for Tottenham, he was easily their best player on the pitch, which explained how poorly the team played. I understand a player was sent off against the hammers but still, you would expect a team with players like Tottenham to still hold some of their own. Instead they relied heavily on their keeper to actually keep them in the game and the goals he conceded he didn't really have any chance keeping out of the net, the own goal was unfortunate and the free kick was awesome, but Lloris should  be proud of his performance. Especially if he is looking for a summer move this year, that performance will have boosted his chances for that.

Right back - Bacary Sagna

How many full backs can you look at in this country and feel completely and utterly safe with in your defence? There isn't many, but Bacary Sagna is definitely one of those dependable defenders. What makes me pull my hair out though is that Arsenal haven't given him a new contract yet, with a player of his ability they should be more negotiable no matter what. Yeah he is 31 but still the man can carry your defence whenever he is on form and against West Brom he was on the best form of his season. He rarely wastes possession and he managed to look like he was playing against a Sunday league team this weekend. Wenger needs to delve deep into that pocket otherwise he is going to be left wanting at the back next season.

Centre back - John O'Shea

John O'shea returned to Old Trafford with a monkey on his back after previous lack lustre performances against the red Devils. This game he managed to get that monkey to leave him alone, he was an absolute rock in Sunderland's less than convincing defence and made Manchester United take half chances, whilst they could have gotten back into the game, the chances they took were never convincing enough to look like a wasted opportunity, John O'Shea made that happen and on that form walks into my team of the week.

Centre back - Michael Turner

A man of the match performance the the centre back means he gets a place in my list. He was great against Chelsea, potentially ending any chance they had of winning the title now. Turner will have every reason to be proud of his game, going to Stamford Bridge he bossed the Norwich backline and was more vocal than his keeper, which is insanity for me to see that a Keeper like Ruddy isn't bossing about his defence. If they can defend like this until the end of season then they might be able to keep their Premier league experience alive.

 Left back - Luke Shaw

So Luke Shaw gets back into my side for a second weekend in a row. I was thinking of putting either Whittaker or Pieters into this position for this weekend, but then during my stat hunt I found out that Luke Shaw had another awesome weekend for the saints, he was great getting forward and trying to make an attack against the Swans but was even better at getting back. Previously I feared that he was lacking on the defensive side but was great getting forward and was similar to that of Leighton Baines, showing the England future of left backs would be an attacking one, however over the past few weeks Shaw has showed his defensive capabilities are just as good as most Left backs years in front of him, but Cole could definitely help him improve in Brazil, if they are both on the plane.

Centre mid - Sebastian Larsson
Sebastian Larsson was actually great against Manchester United, he put in a strong shift against the deflated champions, starting the play which created his goal and managed to help Sunderland in the midfield, creating most of their attack. In a game which needed every one of the black cats' players to give 110% for the whole 90 minutes and Larsson was the model player for that game. I have accused him of being a lazy player who lacks passion for Sunderland but it looks like when it mattered he really cared in helping his team stay up, and also the goal was superbly taken by the Swede, who is fighting to not only keep his place in the Sunderland squad but needs to prove his point to the Sweden coach too.

Centre mid - Ross Barkley
That goal was not the only reason he is in my team of the week, but it was a big point to help me place him in the 11 this week. I felt that Robert Martinez making him one of Everton's key players this season was a piece of managerial genius, he has become one of the best young talents in this country this season and people wouldn't even bat an eyelid about him last season when he was struggling to even pass the ball correctly. He managed to beat nine players against City and his goal was one of the best I have seen this season from any player, having him in any side is good to have.

Centre mid - Stephen Ireland
Stephen Ireland has been the new image of a more attacking free flowing Stoke and his performance against Fulham was fantastic. His passing was something that we haven't even seen from Ozil this year, it was pinpoint when it needed to be and the through balls were put into the best positions, but he was also great at stopping the little attempts Fulham had at getting into Stokes half. I really like Ireland as a player and he necessarily hasn't been given the chances he deserved ever since he left Manchester City but under Mark Hughes he has been a new Player and next season if he can carry on this form and what is most likely going to be a stronger Stoke side then he could end up being in this section a lot more.

Right Wing - Marko Arnautovic
Marko Arnautovic is a moody, risky and crazy footballer. Spending any some of money on him would be a huge risk and Stoke managed to get him so easily due to him falling out with pretty much everyone at Werder Bremen, but you know what he isn't? A bad footballer. He was their best player on the pitch this weekend and probably was the main reason Stoke scored their first 3 goals. Having a hand in the opener, an assist on the assist mainly, then set up Assaidi's goal and smashing one in himself, he was amazing against relegated Fulham and appears to have finally find his form in the Premier league.

Left Wing - Oussama Assaidi
Assaidi played so well against Fulham, he dropped off the radar a bit since his scintillating form at the start of the season, but against Fulham he looks like he is getting back into it. His goal showed great partnership with Arnautovic, and the fact that all three of the faces that represent new Stoke got into my side is showing how convincing Mark Hughes' tactics are becoming. Assaidi was on fire and whilst his goal scoring threat didn't look to great, but his all around playmaking was fantastic and played a hand in the first and last goals.

Striker - Dwight Gayle
Only picking him because he managed to beat Liverpool with those two great goals... Well no that is a lie but it does also make me happier to pick him in the line up, but his performance was great, this position was so hard for me to pick. Initially I was between Dzeko, Weimann, Giroud, Gayle and Caroll, but took Caroll and Giroud out due to the lack of goals from one and the lack of all around play from the other. Then I lost interest in Dzeko because of his lack of ability this weekend to make his own goals relying on passes from his playmakers. Then it was between Weimann and Gayle, I liked Weimann against Hull and feel that he played really well but necessarily I looked at who they were playing at the end of the day and Hull do not compare to Liverpool at this stage of the season. Gayle scored two great goals against the champions elect and probably ruined Liverpool's chance of winning a title this season and this showed how far this kid can go if he keeps playing.

Captain -This week I am picking my captain, Bacary Sagna, was strong under pressure. Not just for himself but also for his defensive line and kept the other members from slipping up especially against a West Brom side which was desperate for points.

Manager of the Week - Sam Allardyce
Sorted out his squad so that they could take advantage of the sending off and they were convincing against Tottenham, they didn't have any real stand out players but managed to band together and get another Derby win for the third time this season.

The rising tide of Dual Nationals

More and more over the past ten years players who have two nationalities swap allegiancesto gain an International career or more so, have a potentially more successful one. In nations like America, France and even England players who have citizenship in that country decided against playing for a nation which may have been where they were born to play for somewhere which has a chance of playing in larger tournaments or even gain more International awards. The three players above in the image are all examples of Dual Nationals, Julian Green on the left played for all of the German junior teams but decided to play for his place of birth and recently gained his first cap for the US in a "friendly" against Mexico. Diego Costa is Brazilian born and raised but has played in Spain long enough to earn himself Spanish citizenship as well as a call up to Del Bosque's squad due to his lack of competitive caps for Brazil. Raheem Sterling should have been a Reggae Boy as they are affectionately known in Jamaica, being born in Kingston made Jamaicans feel he was their new upcoming star, until he snubbed the place of his birth for a England call up instead. Is this a fair rule? or does the ability to play for two nations due to some line of heritage ruin the chances of nations building up their young talent?

Firstly If I cover the positive sides to the policy and then I'll explain the negatives it allows you to look at it and decided whether or no the policy is for your liking. The main advantage of Dual Nationals is for smaller nations in the soccer world are able to gain some foreign talent that may not be good enough for their own home side but are definitely good enough for their new adopted home. The way it generally works for youth set ups in national teams is that the FA's create grass roots systems and therefore the better the system, in theory, the better the players they create but in some nations they cannot afford to create and develop these talents or even to implement a system itself therefore have to rely on foreigners gaining citizenship and playing for their national side or that their young talents go and develop abroad and the FA then have fingers crossed that they don't lose that talent to the national team where they went to develop. For instance this sort of situation has happened in the example of Eduardo and Croatia. Eduardo supposedly had no hope in hell in breaking into the Brazilian national team due to him playing for Dinamo Zagreb and other Croatian teams. Eventually he played there for long enough and earned the ability to declare Croatian Citizenship, jumping at the chance he took up the offer and was called up to national team, becoming quite a stalwart in the call ups for National side. The same situation had also happened within the USA on multiple occasions for their national team.

Another advantage would be relating to a players career, if they have the opportunity to make it onto the international stage with their adopted home for the team they are playing with, it can further their playing career and make them a better player. What I am trying to get across is the situation that imagine a player has the eligibility to play England in this case, but has no real chance of making it into the International side, meaning that his career maybe held back from it's true potential. Then he gets a notification from his agent or that nations FA that he is now eligible to play for their side if he takes up citizenry in that nation, let's say Canada in this case. It would lead up to the situation that if he becomes a constant player in the Canadian national team and shows his class on the bigger stage, no matter who he plays for, scouts will notice this and could lead to said player moving from Montreal to a European side like Marseille perhaps. Nadir Belhadj was born in France and was playing for small teams within the French League system until he was called up to the Algeria squad, after a few appearances for the winger in the North African side, he earned himself a transfer to the recently bought out Portsmouth side with their new supposed bags of cash, he had a fairly memorable time in Portsmouth managing to convince Pompey fans he was worth the 4 million spent on him.

It's not all good however, like I stated before, some nations young stars go abroad to further their development meaning that when they gain eventual citizenship it allows them to abandon their home nation to play for a team with more chances at winning a major tournament. When the young players travel away from home to experience the academies within bigger footballing nations, or more economically well off ones, it means they spend most of their young lives abroad, and potentially gaining the ability to declare citizenship in that nation. When they get the chance to show themselves off in that league or for a team it might garner interest from that adopted nations FA, and for many young players the opportunity is too good to turn down if it is for a bigger nation, leaving that smaller side left without their rising star and still in the thick of it in terms of growth. My favourite example of this is Raheem Sterling, the youngster was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He at first declared his aim to play for the Reggae Boyz and make them a stronger side, however when he broke into the Liverpool first team he gained a lot of attention from the English FA. Eventually, due to his gained citizenship, he was offered a call up from the English national side to play against Sweden in a friendly, leaving Jamaica without what was supposed to be their next big star. 

I feel personally that with the recent acquisition by Spain of Diego Costa, that the International stage is also becoming some sort of business, because it allows national teams to acquire stars as long as they have played long enough in that nations leagues. It doesn't feel right for me to see that players feel that it is simply fine to drop the nation that they are born in and might even be good enough to get into the national side, in some cases walk into the team, but because of the potential to play at a major tournament they go and abandon the team. I feel especially with nations like Spain also getting in on the act even though they have plenty of talent in their national pool shows that it is definitely becoming a situation of exploiting the rules of FIFA, for instance a few years back England were even thinking about offering Mikel Arteta a call up due to his passing ability, but that just wouldn't be right seeing the talent that England have playing for their teams in the Premier League. Also however I see the Diego Costa situation one of insanity, Costa is a world class player, he is definitely good enough to get into the Brazil squad, Scolari was even planning on making him his star at the upcoming World Cup and yet he turns his back on them to play for the World Champions, we don't know the reasoning behind Costa's defection, but according to the Brazilian footballing federation his decision was based off of the offer the Spanish put forward to him regarding financial awards for his appearances, which is an issue for multiple players.

For me, I feel I have no issue with the Nationals who change their citizenship in the case that they have no chance in playing for their home nation, that being of the case of Danny Cadamarteri for Gibraltar or Steven Beitashour for Iran. Both players have heritage for their nations and it feels right that they have the opportunity to play for them because of them having family from these nations but in the case of Diego Costa or Jerome Boateng, it feels wrong that they turn their back on their home countries for the fact that maybe they can reap more rewards for their International career and whilst I have no issues with players wanting the urge to win everything they can for their national side, but personally I feel in certain cases they are getting rid of all the hard work that should come with International call ups and is a short cut to success.

I'd love to hear your views and if you disagree, tell me why?

Spindlers list April 27th

Okay So I am definitely going to make this a sure fire thing, making sure It is a weekly supplement sort of deal. 

Goalkeeper -  Ben Foster

Ben gets the go ahead for me between the sticks, I feel this season has been a roller-coaster for West Brom fans, and really probably believed that they should have built on the success they had last season. I disagreed with the decision to sack Steve Clarke and don't really like Pepe Mel, because for every Pochettino there is a Mel. However, Foster was a stand out performer this weekend for West Brom. West Ham had more possession and Foster kept the 3 points for his side, he dominated his box and kept the back line in place with his great goalkeeping ability. It could have gone to Schwarzer for his performance against Liverpool, but I feel that some of Liverpool's efforts were way to easy for the keeper, especially multiple of Gerrard's efforts. 

Right Back -  Caesar Azpilicueta
Easy choice for me this weekend, last time I did this feature I found it easy to give Seamus Coleman the nod two times in a row, but his performance against Southampton was, let's say, less than convincing for me to even consider really giving him the hat trick of appearances in my team of the week. I nearly thought about giving it to his Southampton counter part Nathaniel Clyne, and I was adamant it was going to be him... Until I sat down watched those casual 90 minutes at Anfield this weekend. Azpilicueta, or Dave as he is affectionately by Chelsea fans, had a star performance in the full back position. José moved Ivanovic into the Centre Back role against Liverpool and put the young Spaniard out onto his more comfortable natural position of right back, and boy did it pay off helping Chelsea to a 2-0 win and blowing this title race sky high.

Centre Back -  Branislav "The wall" Ivanovic  
This guy was an absolute monster against Liverpool, he stopped anything or anyone that came towards him, Mourinho was supposedly forced to play a weaker side against Liverpool and moved Branislav back into his natural position in the centre of the defence and no one got a look in for Liverpool, they may have had the complete control of the possession game, but they were not on control of the game, Chelsea did the controlling and stop Liverpool, and Ivanovic had Suarez and Sterling in his pocket for the game. Whilst watching the game my brother, a Liverpool supporter, called Ivanovic the Wall, so that's where that came from.

Centre Back -  Younes Kaboul
Well then, if Kaboul had performed like this more often this season, then they may have been much higher up in the table. A good defence is just as important as a good attack and Tottenham didn't really have either for a team that is in that part of the table, but if Kaboul had put in more shifts like that they most likely will have been able to grind out a few more wins. Against Stoke he handled anything that they were able to throw at him, and probably to me looked like one of the best defenders in the Premier league with a performance like that. Kabouls season has been marred by injuries and fitness struggles so it is kind of understandable why he hasn't been able to get to his top gear this season but if he can finish this season on form like this, whoever is Spurs' manager next season will definitely have to look at Kaboul with some serious intent.

Left Back -  Luke Shaw
This was actually such a hard decision for me, I was going to go with Ashley Cole originally but then read an article about Luke Shaw after the Chelsea game and it threw my decision right out the window. It took me so long to decide who I was going to put here, I personally love Cole and feel that he is still England's first choice left back but Luke Shaw is definitely the man to replace him when that time comes for Cole to leave the England scene, and maybe the Chelsea side too. It took me picking down every single statistic that both players added to the game and it went down to the wire. Eventually I picked Shaw, his defensive statistics were not as high as Ashley's but he was able to help Southampton get forward to and whilst I realise Chelsea played a counter attacking game at Anfield, Cole still didn't really help the team move forward, Shaw was up there and was crossing balls in like he was a winger himself.

Right Mid -  Steven Davis
Another Southampton Lad but this time on the right side. Steven Davis against Everton was immense, he played fantastically well. He was up and down the pitch and was a true midfielder, he was putting in the shift of his Career and I bet Pochettino couldn't of been happier with him to put that performance in against a team fighting for fourth. Whilst he did miss a glorious chance to kill off the game, he was still awesome when getting forward, showing that not only can he cross the ball but he is just as capable when he cuts in and has to use his weak foot, if he can put in consistent performances like that every other week, I am sure he might move up a level in the Premier league elite sooner or later.

Centre Mid -  Yaya Toure
Case closed.
Yaya Toure is easily the best African player playing Football at this moment and he is hitting some serious form right at the best time for Man City. His game against Crystal Palace was amazing, he dominated the Palace midfielders and his goal was something I could only dream of my team doing, ever. The ball to Dzeko was just as good as his goal too, the ball was perfectly timed to the Bosnian striker who got his head on it. Yaya could be in contention to be my captain in this side and if he puts up another performance like this against Everton next week, then I am sure the title is theirs.

Centre Mid -  Nemanja Matic
Yaya Toure is my attacking talent in the centre of the field and I was planning to have a less powerful attacking midfielder in there with him in the form of fellow Welshman Aaron Ramsey, but maybe it is best in terms of tactics to have a defensive outlet in my midfield and this is where Serbian Matic comes in. The defence for Chelsea was a key factor in their win against the Kop, but amazingly enough on multiple occasion the ball didn't even reach the back four because of one man. Nemanja Matic was not only able to stop the opposing team attacking the Chelsea goal, he was a black hole too, sucking in any loose balls and sending his team onto the counter. He easily walks into my side.

Left Mid -  Ashkan Dejagah 
The midfielder came off the bench and helped Fulham to what was supposedly going to be another 3 points in their relegation battle, but Hull really pulled their fingers out and managed to get a share of the points. This was in no fault Dejagah's, this lad has been on fine form and he looked really menacing to Hull as soon as he got onto the pitch, and maybe if Fulhams heads hadn't dropped after Hull's first had gone in they may have pushed on to get another to close the game out, but Dejagah was awesome for the Cottagers and has managed to carry on his rich goal scoring form under former boss Felix Magath.

Centre Forward - Wayne Rooney
Rooney was pivotal in them beating Norwich, this game meant a lot to both sides. Norwich needed something to stay up, and Manchester United needed it to finish on a high and maybe if they can carry on like this Manchester United fans will be full of hope for the season to come. Rooney played amazingly in creating goals for the side and was unplayable, especially with his goal, it was a wonderful strike. In this role he is awesome and not only scores but creates the goals for whatever side he plays in, and for this weekend he definitely fits into my side. 

Striker - Connor Wickham
Well where did this come from? I felt that Poyet bringing him back from loan was a desperate move to find a goal or two, instead he has been given five goals and they look like they just might carry on coming. It pains me to say, and trust me this really hurts, that his performance against Cardiff was unstoppable, his goal was great and he was a menace to the Welsh Sides defence. I don't believe he now merits a place on the plane to Brazil like some Idiots are saying, but he definitely merits a place in this side and might even be cementing himself a starting spot next season for the black cats, Premier League or not.

Finally I have decided I am going to add a Captain and a manager to the side for each feature from now on, my Captain for this week is going to be Branislav Ivanovic. Like I said I would have given it to Yaya but I feel Ivanovic was just as good as Yaya this week and if he had been given the freedom too might even have been able to get a goal knowing his ability.

My Manager is the Special one himself, some bitter Liverpool fans are saying that what he did wasn't tactics, but the fact he has the ability to force his team to close down the opposition and make his defence tighter than a... well you know what I mean, shows he not only can play pure Counter attacking football but can also play that disgusting ugly tight defence football which he showed against Liverpool.