The race for Premier League football

All English clubs aspire to one day reach the Premier League, but with the Championship getting more and more competitive each season, the task of achieving that goal has become increasingly tougher.

Teams that get relegated from the Premier League - most recently Burnley, Portsmouth and Hull - are often considered among the favourites to gain instant promotion back into the top flight. But even the teams that came up from League One – Leeds, Norwich and Millwall – cannot be written off as serious top-six contenders as the 2010/11 campaign continues to be filled with excitement.

You could arguably make a case for the majority of the teams in the Championship regarding promotion. I initially predicted QPR, Cardiff and Swansea to go up and, although I’m going to stick to my guns on that one, there are several other teams worth considering.

MY PROMOTION CONTENDERS

QPR – Leaders QPR have suffered back-to-back league defeats to Watford and Leeds, but that is unlikely to stop them from being in the mix for promotion at the end of the season. Before the recent 3-1 home defeat by Watford, the London club had gone 19 league games without defeat and if they can recapture that kind of form they will be hard to stop. With the experience of Neil Warnock and the sheer genius of Adel Taarabt, along with plenty more talent in the squad, this should be their year!

CARDIFF – The Welsh club came within 90 minutes of securing Premier League football last season, but a 3-2 defeat by Blackpool left them stuck in the Championship. The Bluebirds will be hoping this is their final season in England’s second tier but, after four league games without a win, they need to recover quickly to get their promotion bid back on track. With the talented attacking trio of Jay Bothroyd, Craig Bellamy and Michael Chopra in their ranks, I believe the goals will soon be flowing again and Dave Jones’ side are definitely still serious title challengers.

SWANSEA – The Swans had one of the best defensive records in the Championship last season, but their lack of goals ultimately cost them as they missed out on a place in the 2009/10 play-offs by just one point. After losing two managers in as many seasons the Welsh club could maybe be forgiven for sliding down the table and taking time to rebuild. But under new manager Brendan Rogers, who was appointed in July 2010, the Swans continue to pose a big threat and lie up in fourth place. Summer signing Scott Sinclair has been a revelation at the Liberty Stadium this season and the prospect of two Welsh clubs being in the Premier League next season cannot be ruled out.

LEEDS – Usually when a team earns promotion the remit for the following campaign is simply to avoid relegation or possibly achieve a mid-table finish. But second-placed Leeds must be considered serious contenders for promotion this season. The division itself is getting more and more competitive each year, so no team can really be ignored, but there seems to be something extra special about Leeds. Simon Grayson’s men have lost six of their 22 league games this season and are coping remarkably well without the services of star striker Jermaine Beckford, who moved to Everton over the summer. Luciano Becchio, Jonny Howson, Robert Snodgrass and Kasper Schmeichel are just four examples of the wealth of talent in the United squad and the Yorkshire side will push the likes of QPR, Cardiff and Swansea all the way this season.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST – After reaching the play-off semi final last season, Forest have yet to really hit top gear and currently lie 8^th in the table. Forest are the only side to remain unbeaten at home in the Championship this season, while Lewis McGugan has been one of their best performers with several great goals to his name already in 2010.  But the Reds need more of their big name players to step up to the plate on a regular basis if they are to be considered serious promotion contenders. Billy Davies’ men are just four points off the play-off places and I believe they will recapture their best form soon as they continue to fight for a place in the Premier League.

A FEW MORE…

Fifth-placed Norwich have enjoyed an impressive first-half to the season and are likely to be in and around the play-off places at the end of the campain. Derby and Coventry have surprised many people and are performing remarkably well, but whether the duo can maintain their good form for the entire campaign is a different matter.

AND NOT FORGETTING…

Burnley will be looking for an instant return to the Championship, but may just fall short this campaign due to their struggling away form. Despite not having much depth in their squad, Portsmouth could yet find themselves in the mix having shown much better form in recent weeks. I’d love to see my hometown club Bristol City gain promotion but, although the play-offs are still possible for the Robins, a top-half finish is a more realistic goal.  Several other sides including Reading, Doncaster, Leicester and Millwall, all have a chance to still make their case for promotion. But with only three teams going up, many of the sides are going to have to get used to the second tier of English football for a little while longer.

IT’S NOT OVER JUST YET…

There are only five points between seventh-placed Reading and Sheffield United, who are down in 20^th, so nothing can be taken for granted. There is still plenty to play for and it will be exciting to see which three teams will join the Premier League next season.

Whoever gets promoted cannot be taken lightly!  Blackpool have already shown this year that teams coming up into the top flight should not be underestimated!

How quickly can Chelsea recover from the Blues?

Champions Chelsea started the season at a blistering pace, scoring 17 goals in their first four Premier League games and conceding just one in the process. Even the 1-0 defeat at Manchester City in September seemed like just a mere blip as Chelsea attempted to retain the title.

Unfortunately for Chelsea, although great news for Arsenal and Manchester United supporters, the final two months of 2010 saw Carlo Ancelotti’s men go through an unusually sticky patch. The 1-1 draw at Tottenham was the Blues’ third consecutive league draw and meant they slumped down to fourth and missed out on the chance to return to the top of the table. The usually reliable Didier Drogba, who came off the bench to net the equaliser, missed a late penalty at White Hart lane to ensure that the Chelsea have taken just six points from their last seven league games.

The last victory came with a 1-0 triumph over Fulham on November 10 but, shortly after, assistant manager Ray Wilkins was surprisingly sacked and Chelsea’s season began to take a downward spiral. Chelsea face title rivals Manchester United and Arsenal in their next two games and, if they don’t halt their slump soon, their hopes of retaining the Premier League trophy could rapidly fade away.

Chelsea can never be underestimated and they will no doubt bounce back. A point off the top of the table in December is certainly not a crisis, but these are certainly worrying times for Ancelotti’s men. As an avid Gooner, I hope Chelsea's blip continues long into the season, but we cannot let our guard down and can never rule them out of the title race regardless of how the next few weeks unfold. Key duo John Terry and Frank Lampard have recently returned to action, so you can expect Chelsea to up their game and get back to their best in the near future!

Chelsea will need to go all out for a win against Manchester United in their next league encounter and home advantage could prove decisive at Stamford Bridge. History is on the Blues' side ahead of the game at Arsenal on December 27 but the Gunners will be out to prove that they should be treated as serious title challengers for the rest of the season.

A great fortnight of Premier League action is to be expected and whoever is top of the pile at the start of 2011 will have a strong foothold on the title.  But nothing can ever be taken for granted in the top flight of English football as Chelsea have found out in recent weeks.

I believe Chelsea will recover from their dip in form…but let’s hope it’s not for another few weeks!

Are football managers given enough time?

Hughton may not be the biggest name in football management, but his sacking by Newcastle is an absolute disgrace.

A 3-1 defeat at West Brom and the recent 5-1 drubbing by Bolton were unacceptable, but when you put it in the context of the Magpies’ season as a whole it is definitely not a reason for him to be given the boot.

When Newcastle dropped down into the Championship, the future looked bleak for the club. But Hughton lifted the spirits of the players and guided them to the Championship title. Expectations of teams coming up from the Championship are not usually very high but, after a defeat at Manchester United, Hughton guided the team to a 6-0 home win over Aston Villa.

Although some of the later results have been very poor, victory at Arsenal and a 1-1 draw with champions Chelsea, are proof of Hughton’s credentials. The fans seem to have a lot of respect for the 51-year-old and many have already started venting their anger at the decision.

But Hughton’s job has been under scrutiny of late despite the fact that Newcastle sit 11^th in the Premier League.  When you consider how the last few years have been for the club that is a remarkable achievement. In October, Newcastle thumped bitter rivals Sunderland 5-1 before claiming a win at Arsenal, what more could Hughton have done?! Sacking the manager will only deflate the players.  Are the board really looking at the best long-term interests of the club?

Managers are sacked too quickly these days as people’s expectations spiral out of control. Just look at Notts County – Craig Short was sacked back in October after less than five months in charge at Meadow Lane.  Although the league position wasn’t great, County were also not too far of the play-off positions. For a side that had just earned promotion into League One surely beating the drop or a mid-table finish is a realistic expectation, not another instant promotion. That takes time….but unfortunately that is hard to come by in football these days.

I firmly believe the player’s must sometimes take more of the blame than the manager, but you don’t see them getting contracts cancelled after a few defeats. Football is just becoming more and more crazy.  Hughton should not be too downbeat…the sacking is not a reflection of his ability, but more about a football club’s board being fickle. I just hope he gets another chance soon!

Are we Gunner win the 2010/11 Premier League title?

People often question whether Arsenal have the strength in depth to win the Premier League title again.

After we threw away a two goal lead against bitter rivals Spurs and then lost to Braga things didn’t look good.  It looked like it could be another season that started so promising but ultimately ended without a trophy.  But after back-to-back league wins against Aston Villa and Fulham, along with some moments of magic from Samir Nasri, my beloved Arsenal now sit proudly at the top of the table.

Several of the neutral fans have big doubts as to whether we can keep up the pace at the top, but the answer should become a lot clearer by the end of 2010. We have to start improving our results against our other title rivals, but maybe the trip to face Manchester United at Old Trafford a week on Monday is coming at the perfect time for us.

United have yet to lose in the league this season and Arsenal have not tasted victory in any of their last three games at Old Trafford. But we will travel to the Theatre of Dreams knowing a win would see us sitting at the top of the table regardless of how Chelsea get on against Spurs. It is going to be a difficult encounter but, if we can show a little extra belief and be less wasteful up front, a three-point haul is well within reach.

The visit of Chelsea is also looming later in December, so it is going to be a massive few weeks for the club and a true test of our title credentials. I wouldn’t like to predict how many points we can amass from these two key games, but one thing the Gunners can guarantee is drama…lets just hope it’s at the right end!

The magic of the FA Cup

For Premier League sides, and to some extent Championship teams, the third round of the FA Cup is simply the first stepping stone towards Wembley. But for many of the lower league sides left in the competition it is the chance of a big tie and to experience the real magic of the FA Cup.  During Sunday’s FA Cup draw my main focus was on seeing who Arsenal would get – a home tie against Leeds - but I also had half an eye on my local team Lincoln and the non league sides still left in the competition.

ARSENAL VS LEEDS
All Premier League ties can be arguably more exciting…you just have to look at the only one in the third round - Manchester United vs Liverpool – to see why. But when my beloved Gunners were drawn against Simon Grayson’s Leeds, I was still left feeling upbeat. Leeds are now back in England’s second tier and, although Arsenal are the favourites, it may well be a nail biting encounter.

The Championship club has a fantastic following, who will turn up in large numbers at the Emirates, and they will be looking to repeat the heroics that saw them knock Manchester United out of last year’s competition. We certainly should not underestimate the opposition as anything can happen in the FA Cup but, providing we don’t get complacent, I believe we’ll come out on top.

THE MAGIC OF THE FA CUP
While the likes of Manchester United vs Liverpool, Arsenal vs Leeds and Sven Goran Eriksson’s Leicester vs Manchester City cannot be ignored, the third round is a chance for teams from the lower divisions to try and claim an FA Cup giant-killing.

Six non-league sides –Dover, Crawley, York, Luton, Droylsden and FC United of Manchester - remain in the competition, although the latter three still have a Second Round replay to negotiate first.
FC United of Manchester, from the Evo-Stik Premier Division, were seven minutes away from cementing their place in the third round when Mauricio Taricco netted to force a replay for League One leaders Brighton.

Everyone, except for Manchester United fans, will be cheering the non-league side on in the replay as they look to earn a home tie against 2008 winners Portsmouth. FC United are unlikely to progress too far in the competition but the possibility, however slim, of a fourth round meeting with nemesis Manchester United could prove enough motivation to help them beat Brighton and Pompey. But, regardless of how far they get, their cup journey to date has already encapsulated what this prestigious competition is all about.  It takes a little bit of magic for non-league sides to knock out their football league opponents and the minnows from Manchester produced just that to knock out and take Brighton to a replay.

THE FINAL WORD
When Manchester United opted not to defend the trophy in the 1999-2000 season in order to compete in the World Team Championship, some people questioned whether the FA Cup had maybe lost it’s magic.
But with top-flight teams often contesting the Final and the minnows still producing memorable moments in the early rounds, the magic of the FA Cup is here to stay!