Brave Boro Bow Out To Blues

Middlesbrough    0        Chelsea    2

                                                                                                       Ramires  50  Moses  73

With a daunting trip to Old Trafford awaiting the winners of last night’s FA cup tie between Middlesbrough and European Champions Chelsea , the  realistic chances of the of the trophy ending up on Teesside were unmistakably slim. 

Nevertheless, for fans and player alike, this was a night to relish and one which certainly brought the best out of the team and supporters.

On paper the 2-0 score line fails to reflect the heart and dedication that Boro put into the game, as Chelsea’s class and elegance finally broke through the barrier formed by the Championship side.

The game had a special feel caused by just under 28,000 fans; some understandably to watch Chelsea, packing out a vibrant Riverside.

The Boro side showed three changes from the side which lost to Millwall in the previous game. Kieron Dyer was cup tied, while Josh McEachran was ineligible to play against the side he is currently on loan from. Marvin Emnes also dropped to the bench, as Scott McDonald, Faris Haroun and Mustapha Carayol all started the game.

Without overdoing things Chelsea displayed a selection of their anticipated talent Fernando Torres, John Terry and Oscar the biggest names on show. Frank Lampard and Eden Hazard were sat in reserve on the substitute bench.

The atmosphere was buzzing from the start, but it was no surprise that the visitors started the brighter. Oscar and Victor Moses caught the eye early on; first the Brazilian Oscar had a powerful shot blocked by Andre Bikey. While the ever-present Moses gave full back George Friend plenty to think about in the opening exchanges.

However Boro weathered the early storm, and with twenty five minutes played,  created a chance of their own. Haroun did well to wriggle away two blue shirts before laying the ball back to Nicky Bailey, whose inviting cross was met by the  head of McDonald but drifted wide of the post.

Neither keeper had been overly busy, but in the Chelsea goal Petr Cech looked more than a little unsteady. His kicking was poor all night and Boro nearly capitalised six minutes from half time.

A clearance from the Blues keeper dropped nicely at the feet of Grant Leadbitter who quickly found Carayol on the left. The Boro winger darted at the Chelsea defence before cutting inside to unleash a bobbling shot. Cech failed to hold the effort, spilling the ball back into penalty area, fortunately for him right it fell into the path of Terry who cleared the danger.

The half time whistle was welcomed by a round of applause from the Boro fans, who clearly acknowledged the efforts of their side despite a lack of goal mouth action.

At the other end of the ground the Chelsea fans didn’t share the same admiration, but at the start of the second half the visitors found another gear.

Five minutes after the break the ball lingered in and around the Boro penalty area, before eventually falling to Ramires, who swept a curling shot beyond Jason Steele from the edge of the box. Replays showed a slight deflection of the shoulder of Torres nevertheless Boro’s task had now significantly grown.

The hosts continued to battle hard, but Chelsea weren’t taking any chances. With half an hour to go on came Hazard adding an extra thrust to the Blues attack, and his impact was almost instant.

Less than fifteen minutes after coming on Hazard made a menacing run towards the Boro goal. A neat one-two with Oscar cut several defenders out of the game, setting Hazard through on goal where he eluded Steele, coolly squaring the ball to Moses who tucked in Chelsea’s second. In terms of a team goal this was a good as any seen at this Riverside this season.

Boro introduced Ishmael Miller and after the goal Merouane Zemmama. Both added a bit more bite to Boro’s attack. Zemmama’s free kick forcing a rare save from Cech, before Miller connected with a fabulous long range pass from Rhys Williams, but the striker’s first time volley sailed over the bar.

Despite the result the fans largely appreciated the efforts of the Boro players who gave a decent account of themselves against strong opposition, but overall Chelsea just had that cutting edge.

The game was a welcome distraction from Boro’s woeful league form, but they can definitely take heart from this performance to re-launch their promotion campaign starting with another home game against table-topping Cardiff on Saturday.

Player Ratings

Jason Steele   6- Wasn’t given a heap of saves to make, not much he could have done about either goal

George Friend   7- Looked like Moses could be a threat early on but, he then kept him quiet for long spells of the game  

Andre Bikey   6- Was having a solid game but had to be replaced after 35 minutes with due to injury

Steven McManus   6.5- Solid performance at the back    

Nicky Bailey   7- Got forward when he could from right back, sometimes had the help out in middfield

Faris Haroun   7- Gave plenty of energy on the right, where he caused most of Chelsea’s problems      

Grant Leadbitter   7- Worked incredible hard first half, began to tire after the break but never gave up 

Rhys Williams (C)   6- Still adapting to midfield role after returning from injury

Mustapha Carayol   6- Had Boro’s only shot on target in first half, but failed to test the full back as often as he would have liked

Curtis Main   6.5- Replaced after an hour worked hard but struggled to have massive impact on the game

Scott McDonald   7- Little to feed off upfront, but linked up well with midfield, honest hard working performance

Subs

Seb Hines   6- Replaced Bikey in first half, decent performance could be needed on Saturday

Ishmael Miller   6.5- Added a physical threat up front, looked Boro’s most likely player to score

Meroune Zemmama – Came on for last 15 minutes, gave fresh legs free kick tested Cech late on  

My Boro Man Of The Match: Grant Leadbitter

Boro Fail To Tame Lions

Middlesbrough   1           Millwall   2

                             Main  75                                            Friend (og)  25   Woolford  39

When Middlesbrough went nine games unbeaten through October and November it seemed they couldn’t put a foot wrong “the best team in the Championship” said some.

Back then a home tie against Millwall would have been a routine victory, fortunately for them the Boro side since January has been a mere shadow of the one before New Year.

The frustration goes on for Boro boss Tony Mowbray

A 2-1 victory more than flattered Kenny Jacket’s side who entered the match off the back of five successive league defeats, and spent a large majority of it on the back foot. Yet Boro lacked a sense of ambition against a team of this stature, whose mood was rock bottom, really they were there for the taking.

The never ending injury problems have forced Tony Mowbray to chop and change his squad over the past week; however the starting eleven only showed two changes from the side which drew 0-0 with Burnley in mid-week. Richard Smallwood and Andy Halliday dropped out and replaced by Curtis Main and Kieron Dyer. Millwall made five changes from the side that was embarrassedly thrashed 5-1 at home to Peterborough.

Boro retained the early possession, but after a couple of minutes it became clear that they were playing with no apparent wingers. Captain Rhys Williams along with Grant Leadbitter and Josh McEachran sat deep in midfield; the trio had only recorded one goal between them all season.

Passes from the hosts continuously went sideways or back, partly due to Millwall’s defensive set up, but let’s not forget that this was a side that had lost their last five and previously conceded five to the team bottom of the league. Boro weren’t exactly cutting them open.

The visitors had barley entered the Boro half in the opening twenty five minutes, but that soon changed in the most unforgiving fashion. After winning free kick deep inside the Boro half Millwall’s James Hendry whipped a teasing ball into the heart of the penalty area where several heads failed to make contact, until George Friend made an unfortunate connection steering the ball past his own keeper.

Even before the goal the atmosphere was subdued, Boro had failed to test Millwall keeper David Forde. Leadbitter then flashed a long range effort wide before Friend’s cross was  unconvincingly dropped by Forde, fortunately for the visitors the ball didn’t drop to any Boro players and was cleared.

Just when it looked as like Boro had steadied themselves, they suddenly had a mountain to climb. Leadbitter lost possession in the opposition half and Millwall were quick to counter.

Benik Afobe received the ball before he burst through the Boro defence leaving Andre Bikey and Friend for dead, his shot was well saved by Jason Steele but the Boro keeper could only parry the ball into the path of Martyn Woolford who tucked the ball away and doubled the Lions lead.

At half time Mowbray made a double substitution, as Dyer and Williams made way for the more offensive Ishmael Miller and Mustapha Carayol.

After the break Boro appeared to have more purpose about them. On the left Friend was beginning to cause more problems for the opposition.

The full back’s first intervention was a low cross which found Carayol at the far post, the winger cut inside onto his favoured left foot bringing a decent save from Forde low to his left.

Boro continued to push forward, but in doing so left spaces at the back. Afobe, who was Millwall’s only real threat, made another menacing run into the Boro box, but dragged his shot across goal with no team mates to finish the move.

With fifteen minutes to go Boro’s pressure finally brought a reward. Once again Friend bombed forward down the left, his cross eluded the keeper and fell on a plate for Main who tapped the ball into an empty net from unmissable range.

That sparked some belief back into the stadium, setting up a tense finish, where the momentum was firmly with Boro. Millwall, desperate to hang on, did their best to slow down proceedings. Constant time wasting, mostly from keeper Forde, went unpunished as the referee began to lose control of the game.

The closing minutes were all one way traffic, with Boro desperately hoping for one last chance. If Mowbray could have picked one player for that chance to fall to, Curtis Main would have probably been top of the list. With five minutes to go the ball dropped to the young forward inside the penalty area, but this time he fired his volley wide.

There was still time for some late controversy with the last kick of the game. Boro thought they had snatched a last gasp equaliser when Carayol’s cross from the left was flicked past the keeper by substitute Scott McDonald. With the booming goal music, the fans launched out of their seats only for celebrations to be cut short by the linesman’s flag waved rightly for offside.

This was a game where on paper Boro should have walked away with the points against a side with little quality on a bad run of form. The result sees Mowbray’s side drop out of the top six for the first time since October. Four points out of a possible twenty four since the turn of the year means the alarm bells are starting to ring with the promotion dream ever fading.

Boro now turn their attention to the FA cup a rare glamour tie with European champions Chelsea could either turn a repelling tide or end in an embarrassing disaster, in a hunt to rediscover the early season form.  

Player Ratings

Jason Steele   6.5- Not much to do and couldn’t do much about either goal

George Friend   7-  Threat going forward in second half, unfortunate to concede own goal

Steven McManus   7- Solid when called upon at centre half on first home appearance of the season

Andre Bikey   6.5- Struggled with pace of Afobe, tried to erg team forward in second half   

Nicky Bailey   6.5- Adapted well to unfamiliar position of right back

Rhys Williams (C)   5- Replaced at half time, struggled to have a big impact on the game in midfield  

Josh McEachran   5.5- Took up deep role in midfield, began to move forward in second half where he was more effective

Grant Leadbitter   5.5- Numerous corner’s were caught by the goal keeper, turned down chances to shoot   

Kieron Dyer   5- Also replaced at half time never looked like troubling the height of Shitu and Osborne at the back

Marvin Emnes   6- Tried to get involved but was given little to feed off  

Curtis Main   7- Another hard working performance rewarded with a goal, had a chance to equalise though

Subs

Mustapha Carayol   6- Probably should have started the game pace added width and pace in second half

Ishmael Miller   6- Another who may have expected to started gave a physical presence against the towering centre backs

Scott McDonald   6- Great to see him back from injury, worked hard after coming on unlucky to have last minute goal ruled out

My Boro Man Of The Match George Friend  

Boro Are Back The Main Way

Middlesbrough   1      Leeds 0   

                                                  Main  81

In the absence of Newcastle and Sunderland, Leeds are as close to a rivalry Middlesbrough get these days. Just the sort of game needed to revive Boro from their mid-season slump.

From Neil Warnock’s touch line antics to a referee who proved to be even more unpopular than the Leeds boss at full time, the feisty affair certainly didn’t lack any passion.

Curtis Main celebrates the winning goal  over  rivals Leeds

For eighty-one minutes the result lay on a knife edge, the visitors arguably edging the first half, Boro defiantly dominating the second. Up to that point both sides held regrets. Leeds striker Ross McCormack will have nightmares over not converting a golden chance before the break, while after it Boro pounded the Leeds goal but were unrewarded.

The scene was set, after missing four months of football through injury this was the overdue opportunity for Curtis Main. With nine minutes to go Ishmael Miller’s teasing cross was well met by his fellow striker who looped his header over Leeds keeper Paddy Kenny sending the home supporters ecstatic.

Boro were minutes away from releasing their burden which had followed them through five successive league defeats; however it came with a hint of sourness. In quick succession Main was handed two yellow cards by referee Keith Stroud, to the disgust of the home fans who made their feelings heard.

Tony Mowbray made five changes from the side pitifully beaten by Barnsley on Saturday. Main along with Jonathan Woodgate, Stuart Parnaby, Faris Haroun and Josh McEachran all started the game. While Lukas Jutkiewitz, Emmanuel Ledesma and Nicky Bailey dropped to the bench. Kieron Dyer and Seb Hines missed out completely.  Leeds were unchanged from the side that drew 2-2 with Wolves.

Boro’s switch back to the traditional 4-4-2 formation, created an open match in the early stages. However it was the visitors who threatened to open the scoring, David Norris’ first effort from outside the box whistled past the post; his second from a similar position forced a decent save from keeper Jason Steele.  

With just over 2,000 Leeds fans the whole occasion was poised, ready to explode into life. It was triggered ten minutes in a late challenge from Leeds captain Lee Peltier on Mustapha Carayol which brought a reaction from both players and fans. Peltier was booked for the original challenge along with Andre Bikey who got involved in the aftermath.

A quieter spell followed, as the game settled down but it was the visitors who suddenly calved the games first opening. Rhys Williams was dispossessed in midfield and Leeds abruptly broke toward the Boro goal.

Steve Morrison led the attack before picking out strike partner McCormack in the centre. For the second successive game Steele slipped, leaving the goal gaping surely this was 1-0. However the striker dithered allowing ex-Leeds defender Woodgate to position himself on the line and block the shot.

The next big chance fell Boro’s way,  right on the stroke of half time McEacran threaded a delightful   pass through to the on running Haroun. Leeds keeper Paddy Kenny came rushing out from his goal giving the Belgium midfielder little time, Haroun went for power but Kenny matched it blocking the shot.

Boro began the second half with a higher tempo, looking the team most likely break the dead lock. Leeds did their best to prevent Boro’s intensity; numerous challenges from the visitors went unpunished to the disbelief of Tony Mowbray and the Boro bench.

To make matters worse Carayol was later booked for a minor coming together with a Leeds player the referee was starting to show a lack of consistency, now becoming an unpopular figure to the home fans.

Although a point would have been respectable, Boro were desperate for all three. With twenty minutes to go Grant Leadbitter  placed a dangerous free kick inches past the post, as Boro began to show more intent.

Then came a bombardment towards the Leeds goal, a shot from Leadbitter was parried into a crowded penalty area by Kenny. The loose ball could have ended up anywhere but eventfully found the gloves of the thankful keeper, as he held McEachran’s diving header.

The fans waited anxiously as the game headed towards a frustrating draw. But then came the break through, a strong run from substitute Miller was followed by a curling cross towards Main. At full stretch he jumped well, looping his header over Kenny across the goal, causing a majority of the stadium to erupt. The dejected Leeds fans fell silent.

Just minutes after becoming the hero, Main’s night to remember took an unwelcomed turn. In as many minutes he received two harsh bookings the first for kicking the ball away in frustration, the second for an accidental hand ball. As he left the pitch he received a standing ovation from the home fans, the referee on the other hand was given an echo of boos.

In the dying minutes Boro were forced to hang on, as Leeds threw everything to try and salvage a point. A stunning save from Steele denied Habib Habibou a close range header, but Boro stood firm to record their first win of 2013. What a night to do it.  

Player Ratings

Jason Steele   7- Another clumsy slip in the first half, but recovered to make some crucial saves

George Friend   7.5- A much more solid performance than the weekend, had to adjust to centre back for the last 25 minutes after Woodgate was replaced

Jonathan Woodgate   8- Immense at the back until subbed after 65 minutes, brilliant block on the line keep the scores level in the first half

Andre Bikey   8.5- Stood up to the physical battle of Leeds, strong and firm at the back

Stuart Parnaby   7.5- Very solid performance made a real case to start more regularly

Faris Haroun   6.5- Worked hard and did his bit for the team on the right

Grant Leadbitter   7.5- After a few unconvincing performances tonight he was back near his best with an honest hard working performance

Rhys Williams (C)   7- Started in centre midfield defended well, a bit indecisive in the final third       

Josh McEachran   6.5- At times looked out of sort on the right, has looked better in the centre this season. Quiet at times but had ability to play the killer pass

Mustapha Carayol   7.5- Pace caused a threat upfront and on the wing, but began to tire towards the end

Curtis Main   8.5- Worked his socks off all night and was rewarded with the winning goal, very unfortunate to be send off

Subs

Andy Haliday   6.5- Replaced Woodgate with 25 minutes to go showed plenty of desire crunching tackle of Diouf, brought big applause from the crowed

Ismael Miller   6.5- came on with 15 minutes to play, gave fresh and a different dimension upfront, great cross for the goal

Nicky Bailey- Brought on for the last couple of minutes to see out the game and secure the midfield

My Boro Man Of The Match: Curtis Main  

The Pain Continues

Middlesbrough   2         Barnsley   3

                                Carayol  50   Main  62                           O'Brian  6  Golbourne  69  

                                                                                                             Scotland  76

Winless in 2013 it’s fair to say this isn’t the proudest time to be a Boro fan, a run of five successive league defeats have caused a continuing drift away from the automatic promotion places, a worrying reminder of last season’s disappointment.

The visit of Barnsley didn’t propose much glamour, which was reflected by a crowd barely over 15,000; however the result was vital to stop to the New Year’s rot eating away at Boro’s campaign.

Barnsley sub Jason Scotland celebrates the winning goal

Subsequent to a first half of little excitement, the second provided various ebbs and flows, but ultimately it was to be another afternoon of frustration for Tony Mowbray and the supporters, as the hosts squandered their lead during another lacklustre performance.

After last week’s embarrassment away at Ipswich, the Boro line up showed three changes from the trip to Portman Road. Jonathan Woodgate, Faris Haroun and Marvin Emnes all dropped out.

 Seb Hines and Nicky Bailey replaced them while along with Mustpa Carayol, who made his long awaited return following a four months absence through injury. Barnsley were unchanged from their victory over Blackpool last weekend.

To a stranger the early atmosphere would have told everything about Boro’s current form. There was a cagey nervous atmosphere as the fans were unsure what to expect. Many still hoped for a strong reaction from their team, a rediscovery of the winning formula, but those thoughts were dashed with just six minutes on the clock.

George Friend found himself out of position, as Barnsley’s Jim O’Brian took possession on the right. The winger cut inside attempting a shot, which took a cruel deflection off the outstretched leg of Friend, before looping over Boro keeper Jason Steele who was left stranded.

The tormenting celebrations of the goal scorer in front of the home supporters only rubbed salt in the already painful wounds. The fans belief in their side was sinking lower and lower.

What followed was by no means the greatest spectacle, and it became apparent just how far off the targeted Premier League standards Boro currently are. Carayol’s pace down the left hand side gave some hope of an opening, but the visitors predictably doubled up on the player who looked their only threat.

Boro’s deep line along with Barnsley’s dull but effective tactics, created no real chances of note. Andre Bikey’s 30 yard effort forced the only genuine save from Tykes keeper Luke Steele although his opposite number Jason had been given just as little.

For the first time at the Riverside this season boos welcomed the half time whistle, as the fans made it clear this is not the football they had paid to see.

At half time Mowbray made a bold move in replacing Lukas Jutkiewitz, with twenty year old Curtis Main, another player who has just missed four months of football with injury, the change a like for like switch up front.

Clearly targeted by the Barnsley players Carayol was on the end of some heavy fouls, after the game restarted. But the Gambian’s determination eventfully paid off when Ledesma threaded a teasing ball through the defence. Carayol always had the pace on the final defender and even though his original shot was saved by the keeper the rebound couldn’t be missed.

That sparked some life back into the stadium, as Boro suddenly increased the pace of the game. Twelve minutes later things looked a lot brighter for the home fans and the half time decision looked to have been rewarded.

Hines took possession deep inside the opposition half before a well weighted ball to Williams created a chance. A low cross from the Boro skipper was glanced towards goal by the ever-present Carayol, the parried save from the keeper fell nicely into the path of Main who headed into an empty net and it seemed as if Boro had turned the corner.

However focus would be needed to see the game out something Boro always appear to have a lack of. Six minutes later the work was undone, a long Rory Delap throw deep into the Boro penalty area was half punched away from Steele, but  the ball was bundled back towards goal, no one cleared it, and Scott Golbourne was gifted a simple tap-in to level things up.

If that mistake wasn’t bad enough it was nothing compared to what followed, a back pass from Hines to his goalkeeper was half-heartedly chanced by Chris O’Grady. However the Barnsley player was allowed a chance due to a slip from Jason Steele. The Boro keeper scurried to grab to ball to prevent a goal but in doing so conceded a free kick inside the area for the original back pass.

The Boro players flooded their penalty area in attempt to block the shot; however when the ball was laid off for Jason Scotland his strike only took another deflection, which again flew into the Boro net.

A point would have been disappointing, but now it would have been more than welcomed. Leadbitter’s long range effort had to be firmly turned away from the Barnsley keeper, but when George Friend’s header sailed over the bar in the dying minutes, it was confirmed as another afternoon of frustration.

 In their fight against relegation the celebrations of the Barnsley fans and players at full time told the story.They wanted it more and they got it.   

Player Ratings

Jason Steele   5.5- Has been the most consistent player of the season but after barely anything to do in the first half, a crucial slip lead to Barnsley’s winner

Rhys Williams (C)   5.5- A Centre half who continues to be played at right back when Parnaby is on the bench

Andre Bikey   6- Erratic in defence, tried to run forward but sometimes lost the ball in dangerous areas  

Seb Hines   5.5- Started the move for the second Boro goal, but played Steele into trouble for the third goal      

George Friend   5.5- Got caught out for the first goal, and overall didn’t look the talented player we have seen this season

Emmanuel Ledesma   5.5- Played a great ball to set up the second goal, but was overall a little sloppy with passes

Nicky Bailey   6.5- Broke up the play in midfield but difficult when other midfielders were also sitting so deep  

Grant Leadbitter   5.5- Seemed to continuously pass backwards, not much ambition to get forward

Kieron Dyer   5- Had very little impact on the game on his home debut

Mustapha Carayol   7.5- The only real threat Boro had on his first start for 5 months, The defenders struggled to cope with his pace and he even got on the score sheet  

Lukas Jutkiewitz   5.5- Replaced at half time struggled with little support upfront

Subs

Curtis Main   6.5- Bold substitute but defiantly had a positive effect on the game, looked keen to do well and got on the score sheet.   

My Boro Man Of The Match: Mustapha Carayol

                                                                                                                                      

My Top 10 Summer Signings

With the January transfer window now at an end clubs will hope their new additions will play an important role in their respective league targets. Those aiming for a title or other silverware may only need a minor improvement at this mid-point in the season, while at the other end of the table some face perilous danger of the dreaded drop and quickly need to improve their side.

With the vast amount of money involved in today’s game any move is a gamble, some a lot more than others. In five months we will probably discover whether the transfers of the past month have been a stroke of brilliance or pricey disappointment.

Looking back at the summer window here’s my top 10 of the players I think have made the biggest impact in the Premier League the since their moves in August.

10. Mousa Dembélé              Fulham to Tottenham £15 Million

The energetic midfielder has played a big part in the heart of the Spurs midfield since his London switch from Fulham to Tottenham. In the absence of Scott Parker at the start of the season the Belgium international formed a successful partnership with fellow midfielder Sandro. Despite only scoring one goal (on his debut against Norwich) Dembélé offers creativity going forward along with seeing out his defensive duties.

9. Júlio César                               Inter Milan to QPR

QPR’s wretched season could have been even worse if it wasn’t for the Brazilian shot stopper. In 2009 he was voted the third best keeper in the world, so his move from Italian giants Inter Milan to a much less established premier league side came as something of a shock. His four clean sheets this season haven’t been easy, playing with a side that for most part have looked out of their depth. Despite his high wages he still provides excellent cover between the sticks.

8. Eden Hazard                      Lille to Chelsea £32 Million

This signing was Roman Abramovich’s way of saying that Chelsea can compete with the wealth and recent power of Manchester City. Hazard’s decision to join the London club rather than the Premier league champions was surely down to Chelsea’s champion league triumph last season. His drive to go forward creating and scoring goals have made him a valuable asset for the Blues, and despite his recent trouble with a ball boy (in my opinion he did nothing wrong) Hazard, only 22, has the potential to be a world class player.        

7. Steven Pienaar             Tottenham to Everton £3.5 Million

After two years with little success at Tottenham, Pienaar returned to Everton on a loan last January. An impressive spell and first team football led to a permanent deal in the summer. The South African winger has shown why Everton fans love him. This season his partnership with Leighton Baines on Everton’s left flank have caused many problems for Premier league oppositions, both players keen to drive forward and create opportunities .

6. Romelu Lukaku                 Chelsea to West Brom Loan

At only 19 Lukaku barely got a look in the Chelsea team last season, after a £13 million move to Stanford Bridge in 2011. However following a loan move to the Hawthorns Lukaku has helped West Brom to a successful start, steering well clear of the drop zone. The Belgium striker has netted 9 goals in 21 games for the Baggies due to his pace, power and desire to score goals. A great deal for West Brom.

5. Santi Cazola                     Malaga to Arsenal £15 Million

When Robin Van Persie left to join rivals Manchester United, it looked like Arsenal were no longer a major force, a team who sold their best players. However the signing of Cazola showed there was still ambition in the club, the Spanish international is a perfect fit for Arsène Wenger’s style of football. Along with Jack Wilshere and Mikel Arteta, Cazola is part of one of the best midfields in the league their quick passing philosophy is very easy on the eye but is it good enough to give Arsenal  a top four finish?

4. Dimitar Berbatov        Manchester United to Fulham £4 Million

Spending most of his time on the Man United subs bench, it’s fair to say Berbatov’s talents were largely wasted last season. But a subsequent to move to Fulham for the 32 year old Bulgarian he has shown what a prolific goal scorer he still is. His work rate can be questioned at times but Berbatov’s clinical finishing has made him Fulham’s clear top scorer with 8 goals in the first half of season.     

3. Christian Benteke                      Genk to Aston Villa £7 Million

At the start of the season I tipped Villa to go down and if it wasn’t for Benteke I think they would have been as good as gone by now. In a young side without much Premier league experience Benteke has found the net 8 times in important situations. His strength and ability to hold the ball up have kept Darren Bent out of the team and although Villa still have a huge fight to stay up Beteke’s goals will give them  a fighting chance.

2. Robin Van Persie                      Arsenal to Manchester United £24 Million

Sir Alex Ferguson was guaranteed a world class goal scorer when he brought out the cheque book to sign Van Persie last summer. His 18 goals from 24 appearances in the league means he is currently the Prem’s leading goal scorer, and providing he stays clear of injury he is likely to stay there. His partnership with Wayne Rooney has surely formed the deadliest strike force in the world. With Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernández on the beach United aren’t exactly short of backup.

1. Michu                                        Rayo Vallecano to Swansea £2 Million

It’s amazing how this striker slipped under the radar of so many clubs, his £2 Million price tag has now more than tripled thanks to 13 goals which makes Michu the league’s fourth highest scorer. In December his late double gave the Swans an astonishing victory over Arsenal at the Emirates. Subsequently he helped earn his side a Wembley cup final in the Capital One scoring against Chelsea in the first leg of the semi-final. The Spaniard has certainly set himself very high standards for the first half of the season, but whether he can continue this form remains to be seen?

Agree or Disagree?