Something a little different... A beginners guide to all 32 NFL teams

With the football season in full swing, I have spent the last few days wondering what topic I could bestow my opinion upon, however if I'm honest I have felt that my heart has not really been in it. Indeed, I could have written about any number of things, from Klopp at Liverpool to Chelsea's poor form but in fact I have decided to try something a little different and talk about my second sporting love; American Football. However rather than try to explain the rules of this sport to the 100 people (most of which are English ) who will click on it, I have decided to provide a little information about each of the teams so that some of you who do not have a team ,can pick one. Also since at this moment in time I am quite ill, this blog will have very little literary content. Sorry

N.B. if you do want to understand the basic rules of NFL, watch this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/american-football/34418725

So lets look at the teams:

AFC East:

Miami Dolphins:

Coach: Dan Campbell

Starting QB: Ryan Tannehill

Last Season's Record: 8-8

Superbowl wins (appearances): 1972, 1973 (1971, 1982, 1984)

New York Jets:

Coach: Todd Bowles

Starting QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick

Last Season's Record: 4-12

Superbowl wins (appearances): 1968

Buffalo Bills:

Coach: Rex Ryan

Starting QB: Tyrod Taylor

Last Season's Record: 9-7

Superbowl wins (appearances): (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993)

New England Patriots:

Coach: Bill Belichick

Starting QB: Tom Brady

Last Season's Record: 12-4

Superbowl wins (appearances): 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014 (1985, 1996, 2007, 2011)

AFC North:

Cincinnati Bengals:

Coach: Marvin Lewis

Starting QB: Andy Dalton

Last Season's Record: 10-5-1

Superbowl wins (appearances): (1981, 1988)

Baltimore Ravens:

Coach: John Harbaugh

Starting QB: Joe Flacco

Last Season's Record: 10-6

Superbowl wins (appearances): 2000, 2012

Pittsburgh Steelers:

Coach: Mike Tomlin

Starting QB: Ben Roethlisberger

Last Season's Record: 11-5

Superbowl wins (appearances): 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 2005, 2008 (1995, 2010)

Cleveland Browns:

Coach: Mike Pettine

Starting QB: Josh McCown

Last Season's Record: 7-9

Superbowl wins (appearances): None

AFC South:

Indianapolis Colts:

Coach: Chuck Pagano

Starting QB: Andrew Luck

Last Season's Record: 11-5

Superbowl wins (appearances): 1970, 2006 (1968, 2009)

Houston Texans:

Coach: Bill O'Brien

Starting QB: Brian Hoyer

Last Season's Record: 9-7

Superbowl wins (appearances): None

Jacksonville Jaguars:

Coach: Gus Bradley

Starting QB: Blake Bortles

Last Season's Record: 3-13

Superbowl wins (appearances): None

Tennessee Titans:

Coach: Ken Whisenhunt

Starting QB: Marcus Mariota

Last Season's Record: 2-14

Superbowl wins (appearances): (1999)

AFC West:

San Diego Chargers:

Coach: Mike McCoy

Starting QB: Philip Rivers

Last Season's Record: 9-7

Superbowl wins (appearances): (1994)

Oakland Raiders:

Coach: Jack Del Rio

Starting QB: Derek Carr

Last Season's Record: 3-13

Superbowl wins (appearances): 1976, 1980, 1983 (1967, 2002)

Denver Broncos:

Coach: Gary Kubiak

Starting QB: Peyton Manning

Last Season's Record: 12-4

Superbowl wins (appearances): 1997, 1998 (1977, 1986, 1987, 1989, 2013)

Kansas City Chiefs:

Coach: Andy Reid

Starting QB: Alex Smith

Last Season's Record: 9-7

Superbowl wins (appearances): 1969 (1966)

NFC East:

Dallas Cowboys:

Coach: Jason Garrett

Starting QB: Brandon Weeden

Last Season's Record: 12-4

Superbowl wins (appearances): 1971, 1977, 1992, 1993, 1995 (1970, 1975, 1978)

Philadelphia Eagles:

Coach: Chip Kelly

Starting QB: Sam Bradford

Last Season's Record: 10-6

Superbowl wins (appearances): (1980, 2004)

New York Giants:

Coach: Tom Coughlin

Starting QB: Eli Manning

Last Season's Record: 6-10

Superbowl wins (appearances): 1986, 1990, 2007, 2011 (2000)

Washington Redskins:

Coach: Jay Gruden

Starting QB: Kirk Cousins

Last Season's Record: 4-12

Superbowl wins (appearances): 1982, 1987, 1991 (1972, 1983)

NFC North:

Minnesota Vikings:

Coach: Mike Zimmer

Starting QB: Teddy Bridgewater

Last Season's Record: 7-9

Superbowl wins (appearances): (1969, 1973, 1974, 1976)

Green Bay Packers:

Coach: Mike McCarthy

Starting QB: Aaron Rodgers

Last Season's Record: 12-4

Superbowl wins (appearances): 1966, 1967, 1996, 2010 (1997)

Chicago Bears:

Coach: John Fox

Starting QB: Jay Cutler

Last Season's Record: 5-11

Superbowl wins (appearances): 1985 (2006)

Detroit Lions:

Coach: Jim Caldwell

Starting QB: Matt Stafford

Last Season's Record: 11-5

Superbowl wins (appearances): None

NFC South:

New Orleans Saints:

Coach: Sean Payton

Starting QB: Luke McCown

Last Season's Record: 7-9

Superbowl wins (appearances): 2009

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Coach: Lovie Smith

Starting QB: Jameis Winston

Last Season's Record: 2-14

Superbowl wins (appearances): 2002

Atlanta Falcons:

Coach: Dan Quinn

Starting QB: Matt Ryan

Last Season's Record: 6-10

Superbowl wins (appearances): (1998)

Carolina Panthers:

Coach: Ron Rivera

Starting QB: Cam Newton

Last Season's Record: 7-8-1

Superbowl wins (appearances): (2003)

NFC West:

Arizona Cardinals:

Coach: Bruce Arians

Starting QB: Carson Palmer

Last Season's Record: 11-5

Superbowl wins (appearances): (2008)

San Francisco 49ers:

Coach: Jim Tomsula

Starting QB: Colin Kaepernick

Last Season's Record: 8-8

Superbowl wins (appearances): 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994 (2012)

Seattle Seahawks:

Coach: Pete Carroll

Starting QB: Russell Wilson

Last Season's Record: 12-4

Superbowl wins (appearances): 2013 (2005, 2014)

St Louis Rams:

Coach: Jeff Fisher

Starting QB: Nick Foles

Last Season's Record: 6-10

Superbowl wins (appearances): 1999 (1979, 2001)

So there you have it, all 32 teams in the National Football League. In case you were wondering, my team is the Miami Dolphins.

Hope you enjoyed the post, thanks for reading, 

James

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Can Theo Walcott be Arsenal's number 1 striker?

Arsenal fans love to argue. And if they're not arguing about Wenger and his transfer policy then they are debating whether Englishman Theo Walcott should start up front or not. And as an Arsenal fan and someone who has watched him for many years I can say with certainty that he should definitely not be the starting striker, and in this article I will explain my reasoning behind this.

Firstly he isn't striker material. There is no question that he is fast, lightning fast, but his finishing isn't up to standard. Despite scoring today against Stoke, it stood out to me that he had missed two good chances beforehand. And in the fixture before, away at Newcastle, he similarly spurned some clear cut chances. Furthermore he lacks the strength needed to hold up the ball or to be a presence in the box from set-pieces and crosses. Finally he isn't adaptable enough, if Arsenal aren't playing balls in behind the defence then he is useless. This was proved in the Community Shield against Chelsea where he was ineffective and played out of the game by a disciplined back line.

His speed and agility mean he is much more effective when played as a winger, where he can cut inside and score, as shown today by his goal against Stoke.

However at this point many Arsenal fans would say that he has 11 goals in his last 11 Premier League starts and surely that sort of record is good enough to be the first team striker. However when you delve a little deeper, you can see that this stat is misleading.   

The first thing to take from this table is that he has only started 11 Premier League games in around 21 months, which shows a lack of consistency and an injury issue. Secondly most of his starts (bar four) are at home and all but two of the eleven were against teams that wouldn't be considered title contenders. Furthermore while he has scored 11 in 11, 7 of them came in just three matches, two of which were not "big" matches and the one that was ended in defeat. The one result that stands out in this table is the hat-trick against West Brom however it is crucial to note that this game was one that essentially meant nothing with 3rd place secured for Arsenal and West Brom safe in the Premier League.

Whilst he shows flashes of brilliance, I think a number of factors such as the expectation of not only Arsenal fans but the England fans as well has caused a sort of hysteria to build around Walcott when he rarely shines. A prime example of this for me is when he scored a hat-trick away at Croatia in 2008. As soon as this happened, a wave of excitement built and, while he didn't really build on it, for the next few years this hat-trick was used as a some sort of excuse when his ability was questioned or he underperformed. And even now, when a fan or pundit dares to question Theo, the Arsenal "faithful" will descend on social media with a barrage of fifa-fuelled, seemingly patriotic statements about his great "pace" and Thierry Henry like characteristics. The latter is a praise that he does not deserve. In fact it is counter-productive to compare him to Henry because he hasn't shown that ability and therefore the pressure that comparison brings is unwarranted. 

Now I'm not saying Walcott isn't a good player, he is. Indeed he is a useful weapon in the Arsenal squad especially from the bench where his quickness and incisive runs can cut apart a weary defence. However I am saying that he is not the great player that many think he is. Maybe this is a result of the price paid for him at such a young age and the potential that seemingly represented but nevertheless the idea that he is the answer to Arsenal's striker problem is simply ridiculous. I think in fact that Wenger knows this as he is reluctant to start Walcott upfront and hence he only does so to appease the fans in low-risk games.

In summary, whilst Walcott may be able to produce on occasion, he lacks the consistency, strength, composure and natural positioning to be the first team forward, and no amount of "Theo" chants will change that.

Thanks for reading,

James

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My Premier League 2015-16 Predictions

So as we near the start of the 2015-16 Premier League season, I have decided to put my neck on the line and put down my predictions for next seasons standings in May. Of course the transfer window is not yet shut and so my predictions are based on what I have seen and read at this point, it could all change over the next month but I wanted to get some predictions out before the first fixtures.

20th- Watford- At the foot of the table, I think will be Watford. With successful manager Slavisa Jokanovic gone and former Getafe manager Quique Flores coming in to replace him, the team will not be the one that came 2nd in the Championship last year and while they have brought in some exciting new players such as Ettiene Capoue from Spurs and Valon Behrami from Hamburg, the team will take a while to gel and in a fast paced league such as this, all relegation threatened teams need a good start if they want to stay away from the dreaded drop zone. However there are some exciting prospects. Troy Deeney finally getting his Premier League opportunity will be fascinating and Austrian international Sebastien Prodl should help bulk up a Watford defence that conceded 50 goals in the Championship. Overall though, I think that Watford will sit rock bottom come May.

19th- Norwich- Just above Watford I think will be Norwich. With Play-off winning wonder-manager Alex Neil and some previous Premier League experience, there was potential for a good returning Premier League campaign.However with Dorrans and Mulumbu from West Brom the only notable additions to a young side, the club looks set to yo-yo back down to the Championship. One interesting observation will be if Nathan Redmond can live up to his big potential and come up with the goods in the top flight. On balance though, I think that Norwich lack the top players needed to stay up this season.

18th- Sunderland- Completing the relegated teams this year I think will be Sunderland. Whilst the return of Dick Advocaat will bring some dearly needed stability , the great escape that Sunderland are used to , may be impossible this year. I think the league is as close as it's ever been meaning every team needed to secure its transfer targets in order to rise up the league. Sunderland haven't done this. Although they have shored up the defence with the signings of Adam Matthews and Sebastian Coates, they have to inject some real quality into the midfield and the losing of crucial midfield target Wijnaldum to big rivals Newcastle could turn out to be decisive in the long-term.

17th- West Brom- Just surviving in my opinion will be West Brom. Despite a real lack of additions, I believe that if they can keep the strikeforce of Ideye and Berahino, and Foster stays fit, then under the guidance of defensive guru Tony Pulis, the Baggies will have just enough to stay up. It will be interesting to see if James McClean has a good second stint in the Premier League after time away at Wigan.

16th- Bournemouth- Of all the promoted teams I think that it will be only AFC Bournemouth that survive this season. With Artur Boruc, Tyrone Mings, Christian Atsu and Sylvain Distin, Eddie Howe has strengthened with some exciting signings that add to an already impressive side of last year that featured Harry Arter, Matt Ritchie and Callum Wilson. The latter of those has scored 41 goals in 82 appearances and it is worth watching the 23 year-old striker this year to see if he can be this season's Charlie Austin. One worry for Bournemouth is a lack of top flight experience but I think that the hard-working spirit of the team will come through and grind out results just like Stoke did in 2008-09.

15th- Aston Villa- Last years beaten cup finalists will suffer through the loss of club captain Fabian Delph and star striker Christian Benteke, however with impressive manager Tim Sherwood at the helm, I think that Aston Villa can start to improve on their league form. The addition of Micah Richards should help add experience to a young side and Idrissa Gueye, who arrives for £9m from Lille, could prove to be a strong Centre Mid. The development of Jack Grealish will be pivotal to any success.

14th- Leicester City- With the controversial yet ultimately expected departure of Nigel Pearson, the club loses a sense of familiarity and a man who guided them to safety, whoever the fans will appreciate the lack of controversy now surrounding the manager. Former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri replaces him and whilst he has an impressive CV, it is yet to be seen how he adapts. The signings of Christian Fuchs, Shinji Okazaki and Robert Huth will strengthen the side however the loss of Legendary midfielder and Leicester's player of the season, Esteban Cambiasso, will hurt the fans and dressing room alike. All in all though, I think Leicester have the means to achieve exactly what they did last season however the lack of stability will halt any further progress.

13th- Newcastle- With uninspired manager John Carver gone, Newcastle can finally start to push forward as a club and look to the future. Despite the fans grim outlook, the signings of Wijnaldum and Mitrovic look to be promising additions and if they can gel well, then the Newcastle side should be able to look for a top half finish. However with a sense of conflict shrouding the club at all times, it seems unlikely that they can do any more than mid-table mediocrity.

12th- Crystal Palace- Alan Pardew guided Palace to 10th in the League and with Yohan Cabaye in the side, I think this year that Crystal Palace will once again see no threat from relegation. With a fortress of a home ground and a very quick attacking team, the Eagles should be able to once again mount a top-half challenge.However the defence still needs some improvement for me to be convinced that Palace can maintain that top-half finish.

11th- Everton- After a disappointing season which saw a tired Everton side unsuccessfully try to juggle Europa League and the Premier League, the Toffees will be looking to press on and reach for the heights they reached in the 2013-14 season. Gerard Deulofeu returns from Barcelona, however this team on a permanent basis, and with him he brings an attacking style and some much needed flair. However unless Lukaku starts to hit form and Howard gets back to his best, I can't see Everton back up in the top half due to the progress the other teams have made.

10th- Stoke- The top-half begins with Stoke who under Mark Hughes are now a well-oiled attacking unit rather than a thuggish long ball team. This has gained them the respect that they deserve and with former Barcelona men Bojan and Ibrahim Afellay on the wings, Stoke should once again be in the top-half. However the departure of star keeper Asmir Begovic to Chelsea will hit hard and despite the arrival of veteran Shay Given, it will be up to young Englishman Jack Butland to step up to the plate. In time I think he will reach his potential but this season may require fans to have some patience as young Butland makes a big step in his career.

9th- Swansea- Garry Monk took the Welsh side to 8th place last year despite the departure of Wilfried Bony in January, and this speaks volumes to his managerial capabilities. And with some astute signings such as Andre Ayew and Eder (who I have written about previously) the Swans should once again be able to hit the same heights. However will they be able to repeat some remarkable results such as doubles over Arsenal and Manchester United? Only time will tell.

8th- Southampton- The miraculous defiance of doom sayers by Southampton last year left fans and pundits alike stunned, after many predicted the Saints would struggle after losing so many players. This season Koeman has less talk of relegation around him, however the sale of big names has continued with Clyne and Alderweireld being snapped up after an impressive season for the Saints' defence. And although Juanmi and Soares have been brought in , the burden of European football may prove too much , making anything more than a repeat of last season, near-impossible. But when it comes to Southampton, impossible is nothing.

7th- Liverpool- Now we move on to the big guns and this one may prove controversial. This has been a summer of change at Liverpool. In the departure lounge there is Steven Gerrard who has gone to LA and Raheem Sterling who has got his move to Man City. Coming in are attacking options Firmino, Benteke, Ings and Milner whilst Clyne, Bogdan and Gomez have been brought in to provide some much needed protection. However without a big name to replace Suarez and attacking threat Sterling gone, the team may again struggle for goals. This combined with a lack of the Gerrard aura and the time needed for the side to gel, makes me think that this year Liverpool may struggle to hit the heights that the fans expect. It will be interesting to see how Ibe does in the absence of Sterling.

6th- West Ham- This one is my shock prediction. West Ham go into their final season at Upton Park and they go into it with a new manager. Big Sam is gone and in his place is former player Slaven Bilic. With him he brings the prospect of attractive football which Hammers fans have been crying out for. He has wasted no time in bringing in players, with exciting winger Dimitri Payet joining from Marseille for around £11m, powerful midfielder Pedro Obiang joining from Sampdoria and towering centre-back Angelo Ogbonna arriving from Juventus. Deadwood such as Stewart Downing has also been cleared out. These three add to an already strong squad and I think that if they gel quickly then West Ham could be pressing for a place in the Champions League.

5th- Spurs- With Toby Alderweireld, Kieran Trippier and Kevin Vimmer joining, Spurs are strengthening their back line whilst maintaining a quick, exciting front-line that features England's golden boy Harry Kane. After a hugely impressive season, Spurs fans will be hoping Kane can once again lead the line with bags of goals. If he can then with Chadli, Eriksen and to a lesser extent Lamela starting to really develop into really good players then Spurs will be a dangerous outfit that will not be far off of the Champions League places.

4th- Man City- Manuel Pellegrini has managed to keep his job and this summer has splashed out £49m on Raheem Sterling and £8m on Fabian Delph in order to make the Citizens title contenders once more. However despite these signings increasing City's home-grown quota, they actually seem to be some uninspired signings, and without the promised big name additions like Pogba and De Bruyne, this summer has not been that successful. Delph could struggle to get matches and Sterling is under immense amounts of pressure to live up to his price tag. Also with City still lacking some world class defenders I can't see City keeping up with the other front runners especially if injuries strike Aguero, who now only has Bony to cover him.

3rd- Chelsea- The champions have had a quiet summer, bringing in only a back up keeper in Begovic and a back up striker in Falcao who himself is a gamble given his poor form last season. The departure of Cech is one that upset many of the Blues' faithful and may hinder them in the long run. Additionally with Drogba leaving, some of the dressing room experience has left in a time where the pressure will be more than ever, as Chelsea look to defend their Premier League title of last year. If injuries and form go their way then they will win the title but in my opinion they are lacking at the back and don't have sufficient cover for Costa if his hamstring causes him problems. But never count out Mourinho.

2nd- Arsenal- FA Cup winners Arsenal are being touted as title favourites by many this season and their pre-season victories have indeed been impressive. Shrewd manager Arsene Wenger has opted to stick with his squad with only goalkeeper Petr Cech joining from London rivals Chelsea. Many see this as the missing piece of the puzzle and given the Community Season victory over Chelsea, they may be right however in my opinion unless the Gunners bring in a top quality striker such as Benzema or Cavani then they lack the firepower to win the Premier League title. If Ozil and Sanchez can reach the world class levels we've seen before and the others can stay fit then maybe Wenger will be lifting the Premier League trophy come May but in my eyes, Arsenal are just not quite at that level yet.

1st- Man Utd- Louis Van Gaal promised a summer of big spending and he hasn't dissapointed. With Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sergio Romero and Matteo Darmian joining so far with more arrivals expected, the Red Devils are building an impressive squad full of flair, experience and world class talent. They still need one more world class striker, as Falcao and Van Persie have departed, in my opinion and if De Gea leaves they will need to fill that void, but seeing how LVG has managed business so far, I'm sure we're in for some more arrivals. With this great squad being led by an immense manager, Manchester United are my early season title favourites.

But there's still a whole month of drama to unfold in the transfer window and i'll be summing it alll up when the dust settles, right here on my blog.

Thanks for reading,

James
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Signing Profile- Eder

Signing Profile- Eder

On June 28th, Swansea confirmed the signing of Bissau-Guinean born,Portuguese striker Eder. The reported fee was £5 million and the 27 year old signed a three-year deal after joining from SC Braga.

Before playing for Braga, Eder played for Oliveira Hospital in 2006 scoring 7 goals in 26 games, before playing 42 times for playing 42 times for Tourizense scoring 11 goals. However by the Summer of 2012 Eder was an Academica player. He made his debut on the 24th August 2008 and during his tenure at the club he scored 12 goals in 83 appearances. During the 2011-12 season he scored 5 goals in 16 appearances and helped Academica to their first Portuguese Cup since 1939. However he only featured in the early rounds of the cup as the end of his Academica career turned sour with Eder being suspended for failing to turn up for training. This may have come down to an increasing interest in him and indeed it lead to his departure.

In the summer of 2012 Eder joined Braga on a four-year deal. He made his debut on September 2nd 2012, and went on to score 26 goals in 60 appearances. Notable events in his Braga career include scoring against FC Porto in a Braga win in the Fifth Round of the 2012-13 Portuguese Cup. He had a good first half of the 2012-13 season however suffered a ligament tear in early March, causing him to miss the rest of the season. Braga won the Portuguese League Cup in Eder's first season. Last season his Braga side reached the Portuguese Cup final, playing Sporting. Eder opened the scoring, with a penalty given away by new Southampton signing but then Sporting player  Cedric Soares who was subsequently sent off. However Braga went on to lose after a 2-2 draw led to a penalty shoot-out where Eder missed a penalty. This would be his last Braga appearance.

During his time at Braga, he choose to play for Portugal. Since his debut as a substitute for Helder Postiga, against Azerbaijan on September 11th 2012, Eder has played 18 times for Portugal and scored once, in his latest cap, a 1-0 win over Italy in June 2015. He was called up for the 2014 Portugal World Cup squad and featured as a sub in two of Portugal's three games.

Eder joins Swansea in his prime. At 27 years old, the 6ft 3in striker is at the peak of his powers. He will give Swansea a new attacking edge with his speed and strength. His prowess in the air and good positioning will make him a danger in the box and alongside Bafetimbi Gomis, Swansea now will hope to be able to fill the gap left by Wilfried Bony's departure.

Which signing should I profile next?

Thanks for reading,
James

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2014-15 Germany, England and Spain Season Recap

I'm still busy with revision and all at the moment but I thought I'd do a very brief post, recapping how the three top leagues in Europe ended after a thrilling season of football.

N.B. The Europa League teams may not be correct depending on the Domestic Cup results, I've listed the teams from 5th to 7th for consistency.

1. Bundesliga- Germany

Party Time- Bayern Celebrate another Bundesliga title

Champions- Bayern Munich
Champions League Qualification-  Wolfsburg, Mochengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen
Europa League Qualification- Augsburg, Schalke and Borussia Dortmund
Relegated- Freiburg and Paderborn, Hamburg will play in a Relegation Play-Off

Golden Boot-Meier of Frankfurt

Top Scorer- Alexander Meier- Eintracht Frankfurt-19 Goals
Most Assists- Kevin De Bruyne- Wolfsburg- 20 Assists            
Most Clean Sheets- Manuel Neuer- Bayern Munich- 18 Clean Sheets

Agony-Relegated Paderborn 

2. Liga BBVA- Spain

Champions- Barcelona

Champions-Barcelona

Back in Europe- Valencia

Champions League Qualification- Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Valencia 
Europa League Qualification- Sevilla, Villareal and Athletic Bilbao
Relegated- Eibar, Almeria and Cordoba
Top Scorer-Cristiano Ronaldo-Real Madrid- 48 Goals
Most Assists- Lionel Messi-Barcelona-18 Assists
Most Clean Sheets- Claudio Bravo-23 Clean Sheets

Elite- Messi and Ronaldo

All Smiles-Premier League Champions Chelsea

3. Premier League-England

Champions- Chelsea
Champions League Qualification- Man City, Arsenal and Man Utd 
Europa League Qualification- Tottenham, Liverpool and Southampton
Relegated- Hull, Burnley and QPR
Top Scorer-Sergio Aguero-Man City-26 Goals
Most Assists- Cesc Fabregas-Chelsea-18 Assists

Back to the Championship-QPR

Most Clean Sheets- Joe Hart- Man City-14 Clean Sheets

Safe Hands-Joe Hart

Sorry for this post being so brief but i'll be back to regular, written articles after my exams, which end June 17th.

Thanks for reading,

James
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January Transfer Window- Key Ins and Outs for every team in the BPL.

Now that the January Transfer Window has shut, I thought I'd give my picks as the key arrival and departure for each of the 20 Premier League Teams. Lets go...

N.B. All fees included are the best estimates I could get.

Arsenal

Gabriel

Key Arrival: Gabriel Paulista from Villareal for £11.2m

The 24 year old Brazilian CB will provide good cover at CB for Koscielny and Mertesacker. Language barrier could be an issue. 

Key Departure: Lukas Podolski to Inter Milan on Loan

The German forward's terrific shot and goalscoring prowess will be missed if injuries arise. However he returns at the end of the season where his position will be re-evaluatedme

Aston Villa

Former Valencia man Carles Gil

Key Arrival: Carles Gil from Valencia for £3.2m

The Spanish winger brings flair to a Villa team that is in desperate need of attacking options. Proved already he can score goals with an Fa Cup strike vs. Bournemouth

Key Departure: Darren Bent to Derby on Loan

Evidence at how quickly fortunes can turn in football.


 Burnley

Keane in action for Burnley

Key Arrival: Michael Keane from Man Utd for £3m

A loan deal made permanent. Good youth prospect.

Key Departure: None

Burnley kept all their players as they look to survive in the Premier League.




Chelsea

Cuadrado

Key Arrival: Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina for £26.8m

A lightning quick Colombian winger that will be another threat in a supremely strong Chelsea side.May take time to settle in and make the big step up from Fiorentina to Chelsea.

Key Departure: Andre Schurrle to Wolfsburg for £24m

Never secured a first team place. Good impact sub but Chelsea have done well to receive such a large fee for him.

Crystal Palace

Zaha

Key Arrival: Wilfired Zaha from Man Utd for £6m

Loved at the Palace but never could breakthrough at Man Utd. He'll be glad to have had his loan made permanent so he can return to first team football. Loss of money for United.

Key Departure: Stuart O'Keefe to Cardiff for £950,000

Not a big sale but he looked like a promising player for the future. Cardiff will be happy to have him.

Everton

Aaron Lennon (looking happy)

Key Arrival: Aaron Lennon from Tottenham on Loan

Quick English winger provides a little more speed for a tired Everton side. He didn't look happy in the pictures but he'll be pleased to get back playing regular football.

Key Departure: Samuel Eto'o to Sampdoria for Free

The legendary African striker didn't enjoy not being first choice at Goodison and will be glad to leave.

Hull City

Dame N'Doye

Key Arrival: Dame N'Doye from Lokomotiv Moscow for £3m

Steve Bruce brings in another powerful striker as he looks to score his way up the table. Could be another Abel Hernandez.

Key Departure: Tom Ince to Derby on Loan

He'll be glad to get some first team experience. Not currently living up to the past hype.


Leicester City

Record Signing Kramaric

Key Arrival: Andrej Kramaric from Rijeka for £9.5m

Record signing for Leicester. 23 year old Croatian striker was wanted by big European clubs so Leicester have done well to get him. Big gamble, he could be next Ayoze or the next Kostas Mitroglou.

Key Departure: Tom Hooper to Scunthorpe on Loan

I don't know who that is but I'm sure Scunthorpe do.

Liverpool

Sturridge set for return

Key Arrival: None

Rodgers clearly content with current squad despite being 17 points behind league leaders Chelsea. Return of Daniel Sturridge will be key.

Key Departure: Oussama Assiadi to Al Ahli for £4.7m

Never made an impact for Liverpool. Went on loan to Stoke, was a flop and will only ever be remembered for 5* skills on Fifa.

Man City

Bony

Key Arrival: Wilfried Bony from Swansea for £28m

The Ivorian striker cost a large fee but comes with Premier League experience. Hard to see him getting much first team action with the likes of Aguero and Dzeko around.

Key Departure: Matija Nastasic to Schalke on Loan

Another player who looked to have huge potential but isn't showing it. A loan move could kick-start his career.


Man Utd

Victor Valdes

Key Arrival: Victor Valdes from Free Agent for Free

Great deal to get the former Barcelona keeper on a free. Could be a sign of De Gea leaving at the end of the season.

Key Departure: Wilfried Zaha to Crystal Palace for £6m

(See Crystal Palace Section)

Newcastle

New Gaffer Carver

Key Arrival: None

Managerial confusion meant the eventual choice John Carver had no time to make signings.

Key Departure: Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa to Roma for £5.2m

Loan deal made permanent, never was a big player for Newcastle.

QPR

Zarate

Key Arrival: Mauro Zarate from West Ham on Loan

Little Argentinian didn't get much of a chance at the Hammers and will relish the chance to prove himself. But will the new QPR boss pick him? Time will tell.

Key Departure: Jordan Mutch to Cardiff for £5.8m

Good defensive midfielder. Didn't think QPR would sell but it seems that for that price, they were willing to let him leave.

Southampton

Bertrand in Saints colours

Key Arrival: Ryan Bertrand from Chelsea for £10m

Loan deal made permanent. Big part of a solid Saints back line and a crucial signing for the coming years.

Key Departure: Jack Cork to Swansea for £3m

Good solid Central Midfielder that will benefit Swansea greatly. Surprised to see the Saints sell him.

Stoke

German Wollsheid

Key Arrival: Philipp Wollscheid from Bayer Leverkusen on Loan

Strong German CB. Fits in well with Stoke's playing style.

Key Departure: Ryan Shotton to Derby for £1m

Another player going to Derby as they make a strong promotion push. Utility player, won't be missed by too many Stoke fans. Except George.

Sunderland

Defoe in -Altidore out

Key Arrival and Departure : Jermain Defoe from Toronto FC for £6.5m+ Jozy Altidore- the fee is very sketchy on this deal

Experienced English striker who will score Premier League goals. Sunderland fans will be happy to see the back of Altidore who had a torrid time at the Stadium of Light.

Swansea

Kyle Naughton

Key Arrival: Kyle Naughton from Tottenham for £5m

English full back will strengthen the options for the back four at the Welsh club however £5m seems high for a player that was not lived up to the billing.

Key Departure: Wilfried Bony to Man City for £28m
(See Man City Section)

Tottenham

Dele Alli-Hot Prospect?

Key Arrival: Dele Alli from MK Dons for £5m

Young English Midfielder who can score goals. Loaned back to MK Dons until next season. One for the future.

Key Departure: Kyle Naughton to Swansea for £5m

(See Swansea Section)

West Brom

McManaman

Key Arrival: Callum McManaman from Wigan for £4.7m

Player with Premier League experience. Nothing special, will do a job for the team.

Key Departure: Luke Daniels to Scunthorpe for Undisclosed- Couldn't find the fee

Again Scunthorpe signing a player I don't really know.

West Ham

Doneil Henry

Key Arrival: Doneil Henry from Apollon Limassol for £1m

Canadian Centre Back recommended by Ryan Nelson. Time will tell how he settles in, if he plays and if he's any good.

Key Departure: Mauro Zarate to QPR on Loan

(See QPR Section)

Thanks for reading,

James
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