GERRARD IS FINISHED AND RODGERS NEEDS AN EXIT STRATEGY

At thirty-four years of age and with his abilities in rapid decline, it is about time for Steven Gerrard to accept a backup role at Liverpool. If not, manager Brendan Rodgers needs to come up with a way of removing him from his starting eleven.

D. Ray Morton, 25th September 2014.

Brendan Rodgers has done his best to incorporate Steven Gerrard into his vision of this new Liverpool but how long can it last now?

When Brendan Rodgers took over at Liverpool, he knew the time would come when two Anfield stalwarts, Jamier Carragher and Steven Gerrard, would have to walk off into the sunset. Carragher retired from the game gracefully, bowing out when he knew he would have no significant role in Rodgers' possession-based game. How could "Carra" excel as a ball-playing defender in a team run by the man who had previously made Swansea City the Premier League's surprise possession-bossing team? He weighed up his options and stepped aside and now enjoys his role as an analyst for Sky Sports.

With Steven Gerrard, Rodgers would not have it so easy. He changed the team's playing style opting for a more direct, counter-attacking game. This fell in line with what some of the players were used to under previous managers and it also appealed to the Liverpool faithful who prefer a rapid pass-and-move game above a more methodical "tiki-taka"-like approach. In order to do this, Rodgers deployed Gerrard in the deep-lying playmaker role, the "quarter-back" that sits in front of the defence, sweeps up and looks to set up attacks with long diagonal passes to pacey wingers.

For most of last season, it worked a charm. Liverpool racked up enough goals to ignore their leaky defence line and came very close to winning the Premier League title before finally being pipped by Manchester City. Of course, the key moment in this late collapse was the now infamous slip against Chelsea in which Gerrard hesitated in possession, fell and allowed Demba Ba the clearest of one-on-one opportunities. The Senegalese scored and Liverpool's title challenge was as good as dead.

The "slip", an image that may haunt Gerrard forever

This terrible moment for the Liverpool captain was followed by an equally terrible World Cup. Gerrard was ineffective as England finished bottom of their group. Unsurprisingly, he retired from the international game concentrating on keeping himself as fit as possible for Liverpool's current campaign. It has not started well. Liverpool have lost three times in the league already and the optimism brought about by their shock second place finish last time out has subsided. With Daniel Sturridge out injured and Luis Suárez shipped off to Barcelona, the Reds look more like contenders for a Europa League spot rather than getting in to the top four.

Rodgers has to decide when to cut the chord. Steven Gerrard is not the "evergreen" Ryan Giggs who managed to fool a lot of professionals into thinking they can play on until the age of forty. Giggs operated in a reduced role for years under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. He accepted that but chipped in with some important performances nevertheless. The feeling is not there that Gerrard can do a similar thing for Liverpool. Giggs always played in teams that had several stars, several match-winners. Even in his very prime, there was always two or three other players around him of equal, or possibly superior, talent. When Gerrard was at his very peak, aside from perhaps Fernando Torres, he was the star of the show and the man the Anfield crowd expected to change games. Those days are over.

Liverpool appear to have a lot of problems right now and as the season wears on, it will only get harder. Tougher games in the league, the domestic cups and the Champions League are ahead of them and only through rotating Gerrard and diminishing his key role can Liverpool manage to get through this season feeling they have done something productive.

PREMIER LEAGUE WRAP-UP AFTER WEEKEND 2

The English and Welsh Premier League is past its second weekend as title co-favourites Manchester City and Chelsea dominate whilst the supposedly revitalised Manchester United continue to falter.

 

D. Ray Morton, 26th August 2014.

Stevan Jovetic put in arguably his finest Premier league performance thus far last night as he scored twice to help Manchester City beat Liverpool 3-1 at the Etihad

The Good

Last night, Manchester City swept aside a defensively frail Liverpool side thanks to a fine brace from in-form Stevan Jovetic and another from substitute Sergio Agüero in an exciting clash at the Etihad. Liverpool scored one of their own through another sub, Rickie Lambert, but it was not enough to claw back against the defending champions. Jovetic's performance was particularly impressive demonstrating the pace and technique he had shown at his former club Fiorentina but was not seen much last campaign as he struggled with injuries. Edin Džeko is another luxurious forward option and with Álvaro Negredo yet to come back, one imagines goals should not be a problem for Manuel Pellegrini's team as the campaign wears on.

Tottenham are sitting pretty on top of the Premier League table thanks to a storming win against Queens Park Rangers at White Hart Lane. Mauricio Pochettino's men strolled to a 4-0 victory against former Spurs boss Harry Redknapp's newly-promoted relegation candidates. The manner of the victory was worth taking note of. Spurs pressed extremely well and managed to keep possession beautifully throughout. This was the brand of football the Tottenham faithful wished for last season but it never materialised under André Villas-Boas or the man who followed him, Tim Sherwood. Érik Lamela impressed again and the club record signing is starting to show signs that he will not continue to be the flop that he was last season. New recruit, Eric Dier looks like an early candidate for signing of the season. Pochettino is developing a collective confidence at Spurs and as long as their players continue to grasp his philosophy, they will push hard for a Champions League spot. 

Tottenham celebrate during their 4-0 thrashing of Queens Park Rangers

Speaking of Champions League spots, we move onto...

The Bad

 

Another disappointing weekend for Manchester United. This was the side that was supposed to pull up its pants this season, attack the top four spots and maybe even make a run for the title. Instead, two weeks in, they look like a shambles. Louis van Gaal's three at the back continues to struggle and their 1-1 away draw to Sunderland was lucky if anything as the Black Cats played the better football. Marcos Rojo and Ángel Di Maria (a reported €80m record signing) are set to come in soon and the other major clubs will get stuck into their European campaigns but big questions are being asked already. Is three at the back the way forward in a league that predominantly features lone striker formations? Will doubts creep in? Will the new players bed in or become expensive failures? Right now it is looking grim. Even if they continue to throw their money around and go after further targets before 1st September, such a rapidly slapped together XI could struggle some more. Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Rojo and Di Maria are all fine players but are not the types to run things on their own.

Di Maria in at Manchester United but that is no guarantee of immediate success

We have already mentioned Liverpool but did not mention the signing of Mario Balotelli. At €20m, it represents a potential bargain but the entire deal is somewhat puzzling. AC Milan were very quick to show him the door despite not having that many great strikers at San Siro already. Filippo Inzaghi became disillusioned with his presence and felt he was a poisonous presence in the dressing room. Brendan Rodgers has dealt with some bad boys in the past but "Super Mario" brings that to a whole new level. Even if he behaves himself off the pitch, he can be a right nuisance on the pitch when things do not go his way. Last season at Milan, he tended to sulk and move around very little if he felt the team was not playing well. Such arrogance, laziness, whatever you will call it, could simply not be accepted under the glaring cameras and the loud-mouthed reactions of the Premier League machine. Balotelli brings his best in patches. That is what he has done throughout his whole career. He may score a free-kick or two but do not expect a Luis Suárez replacement.

Adam Lallana, Mario Balotelli and Kenny Dalglish all happy...before Liverpool proceeded to get thumped by Manchester City

Results

Saturday

Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle

Chelsea 2-0 Leicester (D. Costa, E. Hazard)

Crystal Palace 1-3 West Ham (Chamakh; Zaraté, Downing, C. Cole)

Southampton 0-0 West Brom

Swansea 1-0 Burnley (N. Dyer)

Everton 2-2 Arsenal (Coleman, Naismith; Ramsey, Giroud)

Sunday

Hull City 1-1 Stoke City (Jelavic; Shawcross)

Tottenham 4-0 QPR (Chadli 2, Dier, Adebayor)

Sunderland 1-1 Manchester United (Rodwell; Mata)

Monday

Manchester City 3-1 Liverpool (Jovetic 2, Agüero; Lambert)

MARCOS ROJO: MAN UTD'S NECESSARY PANIC BUY

Manchester United are about to seal a deal for Sporting Lisbon's Argentine left-back, Marcos Rojo, in a forced late window signing due to their shortcomings in defence. At €20m, this represents a gamble but it is an understandable one.

D. Ray Morton, 19th August 2014.

 

Argentina's Marcos Rojo is set to join Manchester United for a fee of €20m from Sporting Lisbon in the coming days

The English Premier League kicked off this weekend and it turned out that most of the top teams started their campaigns with wins. North London duo Arsenal and Tottenham both picked up victories against Crystal Palace and West Ham respectively though Everton were held by newly-promoted Leicester on Saturday. Sunday saw Liverpool and Manchester City get past Southampton and Newcastle whilst Chelsea beat Burnley on the road last night. Prior to all of these results, however, Manchester United started off the season with a miserable 1-2 humbling in their own backyard at the hands of Swansea City. The performance was poor from start to finish apart from a brief spell in which they had equalised yet Gylfi Siggurðson put them to the sword with a finely worked winner. United's performance still had that Moyesian feeling about it. Weak in front of their home fans, a lack of fight demonstrated.

They lined up in a 3-5-2 formation as expected based on their pre-season. The back three drew red flags before a ball was even kicked. Tyler Blackett, a débutante, started alongside Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. The three had the task of marking Swansea's lone striker, Wilfried Bony, meaning that there was an unnecessary amount of cover in an area the Swans did not intend to dominate. Instead, United's midfield had a man less and the visitors were able to pick them apart through efficiency of central possession. They broke in unison and found it relatively easy to pick off Louis van Gaal's men. In desperation, they changed to something along the lines of a 4-4-2 in the second half but this meant that Ashley Young would have to play at left-back, an experiment which should never be repeated. The fecal matter unleashed by the overflying bird into his mouth, as captured by the Vines of social media enthusiasts, was nearly fitting.

Manchester United's new manager was left stumped by their poor performance against Swansea City and may get more annoyed if the club do not secure some vital transfer targets before the window slams shut on August 31st

Van Gaal must be pretty frustrated at the lack of transfer activity coming from the club. Ed Woodward appears to be in charge of such matters and, like last summer, he is proving to be out of his depth. This is a man who is good at negotiating corporate sponsorship deals, not signing top level talent from around Europe and the rest of the world. Only Ander Herrera, who failed to impress on Saturday, and the injured Luke Shaw have arrived. This is set to change with only eleven more days of transfer window time left. Argentina's World Cup silver medallist Marcos Rojo is being lined up, a desperate reinforcement for a rickety back-line. With key targets like Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels and Ajax's Daley Blind missed, it is imperative that they get players of any reasonable standard in quickly.

Rojo is of a fine standard it should be pointed out. Whether that standard meets the touted €20m transfer fee is another question. Though he was seen as a potential weak link in Argentina's starting XI in Brazil, he had a very good tournament scoring a goal in the process. He is also coming off the back of his best ever domestic season with Sporting Lisbon where he made twenty-five appearances and scored four goals in the Portuguese top flight. He was deployed as a left-back in Alejandro Sabella's side but United fans should be aware that the 1.86cm defender can also play as a centre-half giving some much-needed versatility.

This move is a gamble but a necessary one and there may be a few more within the next week and a half of this transfer window. United have got the money and are ready and willing to pay a bit over the odds for numbers in their squad. Selling clubs know that they are desperate and this is far from an ideal start of the Louis van Gaal era. There are other areas where they need strengthening, central midfield being the obvious one still, and it should be fascinating to see if the Old Trafford club spend a fortune on getting a legitimate world star in before Sky Sports News' Jim White calls an end to transfer proceedings come midnight on August 31st.

POCHETTINO'S START AT TOTTENHAM GOES UNDER THE RADAR

Mauricio Pochettino's reign as Tottenham's new manager has been very low key so far. With the club needing to sell in order to buy new talent, much work is needed in the month ahead for them to be a top four-challenging team.

 

D. Ray Morton, 20th July 2014.

Mauricio Pochettino has kept a low profile as Tottenham manager but will need to make strides in the transfer market if they are to challenge for those lucrative Champions League places

When Tim Sherwood's tenure as Tottenham boss ran down towards the end of last season, three candidates emerged to be the club's next permanent manager: Frank de Boer, Louis van Gaal and Mauricio Pochettino. All three were interested in the job at different stages but Daniel Levy and the Tottenham board opted for the latter based on his stellar work at Southampton. De Boer remains at Ajax Amsterdam and Louis van Gaal was handed the Manchester United reins boosted by having a fine World Cup guiding the Dutch national team to bronze medals. Some United fans are even talking about challenging for the Premier League title. One wonders whether such optimism would be at White Hart Lane had van Gaal gone there, keep in mind that Spurs did finish five points ahead of the Red Devils last season.

It is fair to say that Pochettino has operated under the radar so far. His goal is to finish in the top four but he must rebuild a flawed squad and also has a lengthy Europa League campaign ahead of him, something which Manchester United do not need to worry themselves with. To assemble this squad, he needs to sell to buy. Levy will not allow the free spending which backfired for the club last summer after the sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid. Ben Davies, Swansea's capable left-back, will likely be their first signing of the summer for a fee of around €12.75m funded by the sale of Jake Livermore to Hull City for €10m.

Ben Davies (foreground) could be Tottenham's first signing of the summer

The real conundrum is, who to sell and who to keep. Jan Vertonghen, Hugo Lloris and Érik Lamela are their three most in-demand players but the club really need to keep the first two as they are key members of the first-team squad. Lamela is young, Argentine like Pochettino and has potential but had an awful first season at White Hart Lane troubled by injuries and homesickness. The option is there to offload him or try and rekindle the abilities he demonstrated in Italy with Roma. Then there is a list of squad members who can easily be disposed with should Spurs be able to attract buyers: Paulinho, Roberto Soldado, Emmanuel Adebayor, Lewis Holtby, Kyle Naughton, Andros Townsend, Michael Dawson, Gylfi Sigurðsson and Sandro can all leave if suitable offers come in. Getting rid of a good few of those should raise a decent enough kitty to reinvest in the squad.

Some movement in the market is now crucial as desperation can rear its ugly head if business is left too late. No doubt technical director, Franco Baldini, is busy behind the scenes trying to close deals and the sooner they get done, the better. With North London rivals Arsenal having already signed one of the stars of the World Cup in Alexis Sánchez, Tottenham will have make a few moves in order to build a bit of much-needed belief around the club.

MAN UTD DREAMING BIG BUT WILL THEY GET THEIR GUYS?

Manchester United have already secured two new signings this transfer window and intend to sign more. Will they do better than last summer's mess?

 

Real Madrid's Argetine winger Ángel di Maria is one of Manchester United's main transfer targets but they will have to compete against the megabucks of Paris St. Germain and the draw of Champions League football

D. Ray Morton, 15th July 2014.

Last summer's transfer window was nothing but an unmitigated disaster for Manchester United. David Moyes made many mistakes in his reign as the boss at Old Trafford but Ed Woodward's fumbling in the transfer market did not exactly give him the best platform for a good start. This summer, with new manager Louis van Gaal in place, United cannot afford to screw things up again and spend another season without Champions League football. Their targets are lofty and they will need to be shrewd in order to get the right players at the right prices.

Several names are being bandied around at the moment. These include Real Madrid's Ángel di Maria, Juventus' Arturo Vidal and Borussia Dortmund duo Marco Reus and Mats Hummels. They have already signed Luke Shaw from Southampton and Ander Herrera from Athletic Bilbao. Two good, albeit expensive, acquisitions. Vidal and di Maria are only outside possibilities right now. The Juve midfielder is in no rush to leave Turin though he accepts that he will probably leave there at some point unless the club make a serious challenge at winning the Champions League. Di Maria is unsettled at Real Madrid but Paris St. Germain are sniffing around which could leave United incapable of matching the wages on offer in the French capital. Hummels had a great World Cup for Germany but Barcelona are rumoured to be hot on his trail.

The Red Devils will be disappointed to have missed out on another German, Toni Kroos, who is on his way to Real Madrid. The lure of the Champions League holders is currently too great for the United to compete with. Arjen Robben, one of van Gaal's World Cup stars, also dismissed the possibility of a return to the Premier League. Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward appears to be operating much like he did last year. Targets are being identified publicly and this may not be the best way to conduct business. It did not work with Moyes but at least van Gaal has international appeal and a world class managerial C.V.

United cannot afford another summer of embarrassment and they already have a lot to do in terms of sales. Van Gaal will evaluate his new squad and will surely cut out some of the dead wood. The likes of Marouane Fellaini, Nani and Ashley Young, amongst others, are in line to get the axe. The next six weeks are going to be hectic and clubs will be aware of United's "war chest" of a transfer kitty and their desperation to sign. This will result in paying considerably more for their targets. It should be an interesting window from here on in.

BREAKING NEWS: MOYES INVESTIGATED OVER ASSAULT CLAIMS!

D. Ray Morton, 22nd May 2014.

Is this the face of a violent criminal?

BREAKING NEWS:

It has been reported that Lancashire police are investigating former Manchester United manager David Moyes on allegations of an assault in a wine bar.

The 51 year-old Scot was recently sacked from his role as United manager after a nightmare season which saw the side finish seventh in the Premier League.

The victim is thought to be a 23 year-old male. "The Emporium", Clitheroe, Lancashire was the scene of the reported crime.

More information on this shocking news is sure to follow.

VAN GAAL WILL BRING NECESSARY EGO TO UNITED

D. Ray Morton, 16th May 2014.

Van Gaal will not join Manchester United to win a popularity contest

It has not been made official yet but Manchester United are set to announce outgoing Netherlands national manager Louis van Gaal as their next permanent boss. Interim manager Ryan Giggs is likely to be offered an assistant manager's role but is also likely to be a member of the playing staff for one last season. The move follows what has been a tumultuous season for the Manchester club having seen their status as defending Premier League champions ripped from their grasps and having to suffer the indignity of a seventh-place finish after David Moyes' disastrous reign in charge.

Van Gaal's media handling style is very different to Moyes'. He will not be intimidated by hard questions and prefers to put the interviewer on the spot rather than fall victim like a deer in the headlights as Moyes looked last season. His arrogance is well known but his knowledge of the game is formidable and deserves respect. When he eventually walks into that Old Trafford dressing room for the first time, senior players will be well aware of the fact that van Gaal has swept up many trophies throughout his managerial career.

Though he has had success at Ajax, AZ Alkmaar, Bayern Munich and is in charge of the Dutch national team for a second spell, perhaps United fans will look at his two stints as Barcelona manager to see the best and worst of the man known as the "Iron Tulip". Taking charge of the Catalan club between 1997-2000, van Gaal brought about a return to beautiful possession football which had been lost under previous coach Bobby Robson.

Under his tenure, Barcelona stayed true to their aesthetic playing style although they, somewhat like rivals Real Madrid, decided to splash large amounts of cash at the same time. A drove of former Ajax players were hauled in as well as smart signings like Rivaldo and Luis Figo, two players who went on to win the Balon d'Or largely thanks to their blossoming under van Gaal. Young players were given a chance too. Perhaps the likes of Carles Puyol and Xavi Hernandez may never have become the world class players they became without van Gaal's guiding hand.

Luis Figo became a world renowned superstar under LVG at Barca

There were clashes with big personalities too, however, and do not be surprised if he falls out with a few stars next season. Van Gaal believes in the efforts of the collective, total football where everyone chips in with a shift. United will be expected to play 4-3-3, pressing high up the pitch maintaining a very sharp level of fitness, something Moyes struggled with. Anyone who does not put in the effort will be kicked to the curb. He had notorious clashes with Hristo Stoichkov early on in his Barca reign and later with Rivaldo who he felt had lost his positional discipline which, in turn, hurt the team.

Other, arguably more humble, players have great praise for van Gaal's methods, however, and realising his vision and what he demands are what will benefit United next season. Xavi and Andres Iniesta have nothing but compliments towards the towering Dutchman, two great players known for appreciating the value of teamwork.

Transfer targets have been identified. Luke Shaw is sure to come and van Gaal has named Roma's Kevin Strootman, Dortmund's Mats Hummels and Bayern's Toni Kroos as three players he would like to see the club approach as he takes care of the World Cup where the Netherlands find themselves in a tough group with defending champions Spain, dark horses Chile and, whipping boys but potential banana skin, Australia. Choosing a club captain could also be a conundrum. Van Gaal is a fan of Robin van Persie's and may snub the club's promise to make Wayne Rooney the on-field man in charge.

Roma's Kevin Strootman has been named as a key target for van Gaal's vision of United

So should van Gaal immediately command the respect of the dressing room and secure some key signings, there's no reason why United cannot shoot straight into a title challenge in the coming campaign. LVG, for the most part, dominated La Liga when he was in charge at Barca (apart from that badly-conceived second spell in 2002-03) routinely trumping Madrid to the league title with games to spare. Should United's squad gravitate towards his methods, it's not long before the Old Trafford faithful sees success again. City, Liverpool and Chelsea, watch out!

"CRYSTAL" PULIS MASTERMINDS LIVERPOOL COLLAPSE

D. Ray Morton, 6th May 2014.

 Dwight Gayle reels away in celebration after scoring Crystal Palace's late equaliser

The travelling Liverpool fans belted out "we're going to win the league" around Selhurst Park last night after their side had taken a commanding three goal lead against Crystal Palace. This happened before Tony Pulis' team completed the shock comeback of the season in order to crush any last hope of the Premier League title going to Merseyside. Perhaps the opportunity had already been blown but this 3-3 draw was one of the final nails in the coffin. They can still, mathematically, win the league but Manchester City would have to fail spectacularly with only Aston Villa and West Ham to play, both at the Etihad.

A true fall apart, some have described last night's action as "Istanbul in reverse". Cruising to the point where the foot was mildly off the pedal in terms of finishing, the visiting fans yelled "attack, attack, attack!" in anticipation of another high-scoring, dominant victory. Tony Pulis had other ideas, however. A good manager will still have a game plan when his side are trailing by two goals going into the last twenty minutes but rarely can a boss change things when three behind. Pulis saw a weakness in Liverpool's defence and his impact sub, Dwight Gayle, was deployed to devastating effect. The ex-Arsenal youth player, who had to drop down to non-league football at one stage, ripped The Reds' defence apart with his pace and bagged a superb brace to crush Liverpool's spirit.

Pulis deserves massive credit and should probably be awarded the Manager of the Year prize which had been booked for Brendan Rodgers had he been able to secure a long-awaited but unlikely league title win. With nothing to work with resources-wise, Pulis has turned this Palace side into one of the most stubborn in the Premier League, a complete transformation from the Ian Holloway-led relegation candidates that started out the season.

Long-ball Stoke jokes are out of fashion as Pulis demonstrates his managerial chops at Palace

Luis Suarez had to cover his face after the final whistle as captain Steven Gerrard put his arm around him and shoved cameramen away as he attempted to console the Uruguayan. Only weeks earlier, Gerrard had been kissing cameras, so optimistic was the mood around the club. We can't tell whether Suarez was even crying beneath the veil of his jersey. He could have just as easily been laughing hysterically in irony, incredulous that Liverpool could concede so many after he and strike partner Daniel Sturridge ripped apart opposition defences with their combined 52 league goals this term.

This entire whirlwind of events has left audiences puzzled, neutrals unsure how to take it all in. A month or two ago, Liverpool had become many fans' (Manchester United and Everton followers excluded) second team with their dazzling displays of attacking football. Now their defending has become so farcical that it's hard to respect their almost suicidal insistence on only attempting to outscore their opponents. The positivity has soured and hope went from cockiness to what is currently despair. On the whole, however, Liverpool should still consider this season a success looking at their improvement in league position. They would have happily taken second place when asked at the start of the campaign.

What happens next season is intriguing. Having missed out on the title, Suarez will be more tempted than ever should Real Madrid come knocking. It's a once in a lifetime chance to play at the world's most successful club and it will be very hard to keep him. The received fee could be astronomical and that would allow Brendan Rodgers to invest in some real defenders and a Suarez replacement. Someone like Juventus' Carlos Tevez would be ideal should he become available. The restructuring need not be dramatic but it will need to take place with the possibility of a resurgent Man United competing with and against City, Chelsea and Arsenal next season.

NEXT SEASON'S PREMIER LEAGUE MANAGERIAL MERRY-GO-ROUND

D. Ray Morton, 29th April 2014.

After initially flirting with Tottenham, Louis van Gaal is likely to be the next Man Utd manager

 

With the season winding down, speculation is mounting amongst several Premier League clubs as to who will take charge next season. Many teams want drastic change and only a handful of clubs have their managers pinned down, their respective boards pleased with their level of performance: Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool, Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City and Roberto Martinez at Everton. Mark Hughes at Stoke, Steve Bruce at Hull City and Tony Pulis at Crystal Palace are also secure. At every other club, however, there could very easily be change.

Mauricio Pochettino could be just the man for Tottenham next season

Looking higher up the table, Tottenham, Manchester United for certain and even Arsenal could be looking to recruit. Spurs are very likely to replace Tim Sherwood and with Louis van Gaal now nearly certain to move to Old Trafford, the North London club will have to look at other targets. Southampton's Mauricio Pochettino or Ajax's Frank de Boer are two names linked to the job. United are very close to signing van Gaal but it should be interesting to see where Ryan Giggs fits into all of this. Arsene Wenger will probably stay on at Arsenal although it looked as if he might have left had they failed to secure a Champions League spot.

Frank de Boer is also in high demand but might hold out for a very high profile job e.g. Barcelona

Further down the table, the likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle United must really take a long, hard look at their current managers and ask if they're good enough. Newcastle have been on a miserable run having lost their last six league games and really ought to get rid of Alan Pardew who already humiliated himself by attempting to headbutt David Meyler earlier on in the season to earn himself a lengthy touchline ban. Paul Lambert is struggling at Villa Park and it appears as if he's at a loss when it comes to finding a way to improve their form.

Paul Lambert seems completely out of ideas at Aston Villa

The relegation dog-fight will mean chopping and changing managers as three teams will have to face a step down to the Championship. It's hard to imagine Pepe Mel sticking around at West Brom, Felix Magath remaining at Fulham or even Ole Gunnar Solskjaer being at Cardiff City next season seeing as they're as practically relegated now.

The average Premier League managerial reign is about 18 months these days so this constant replacing of managers is something we have to get used to. The days of stability are gone and three year contracts are the style of the time now. Short-term projects with precise goals seem to be the way forward. The farce that was Manchester United and David Moyes' season should act as a warning for clubs not to tie untested managers down to long-term deals. May the merry-go-round continue.

HAVE LIVERPOOL BLOWN THEIR BIG CHANCE?

D. Ray Morton, 27th April 2014.

 Demba Ba scores Chelsea's opener capitalising on Gerrard's mistake

Sunday's Premier League action saw Chelsea defeat Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield as Manchester City later put two past Crystal Palace on their travels to add yet another twist to this incredible title race.  City have three remaining matches and barring an unlikely turnaround of their goal difference advantage, a trifecta of victories will hand them the championship crown.

Manchester City's destiny is now in their own hands
 

Liverpool's horror afternoon was largely due to the poor performance of their captain, Steven Gerrard, whose erroneous slip cost them Demba Ba's opener. Chelsea sat very deep with the second string side Jose Mourinho had warned he would field in order to rest players for their second leg Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid in mid-week. The underdog mind game comment worked a treat.

 

 Captain Gerrard's performance was poor at the time they needed him the most

Gerrard's game was panicked and he wasted possession several times with speculative long shots. Reds' talismanic striker Luis Suarez struggled to make an impact and was marshalled effectively by rookie defender Tomas Kalac.  Daniel Sturridge couldn't find spaces and his dismal showing lead to Chelsea's second when substitute Fernando Torres combined with Willian on the counter who walked it into an empty goal.

Willian had all the time in the world after he broke free with Torres during a late counter attack
 

Liverpool will take part in the Champions League next season and it should be interesting to see how they will deal with the busier schedule. Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal are used to that situation but Brendan Rodgers' squad will have to be strengthened in the summer. Mourinho's Chelsea will be very strong as soon as they sign a world class striker, most likely Atletico's Diego Costa. City will spend too. Manchester United, Tottenham and Everton will also do their best to improve.
 

The chance of winning a title for Liverpool doesn't come along too often and there is now a sinking feeling about this season and that maybe the talk of it being their year had been too premature.

SOCCERSTASH PREMIER LEAGUE WORST XI

D. Day Morton, 24th April 2014.

Yesterday, we looked at the Premier League's top performers for the 2013/14 season with Liverpool dominating the line-up with four players. Indeed, your club's form has a lot to do with picking up recognition just as it does when receiving criticism. The criteria here is a little vague. Several factors are at play. Expectations have not been met of the players selected. There have been disastrous performers for small clubs but this is to be expected. There have also been horror seasons with long injury lay-offs, the reason the likes of Tottenham record signing, Eric Lamela, didn't make the team for example. Here is the worst XI of the Premier League season and why...

Goalkeeper: Maarten Stekelenburg (Fulham)

Fulham have had a nightmare campaign with managerial changes and inconsistent form galore and find themselves battling for survival near the end of the table when a couple of seasons ago they had been a useful mid-table club. Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg hasn't exactly helped. When he arrived from Roma in the summer, eyebrows were raised and some suspected Fulham may have made a great little signing for a player who at one time showed potential and was even the Netherlands' No. 1 choice stopper once. His form turned out to be pitiful however, making mistakes and displaying no real confidence. Current Fulham boss Felix Magath has dropped the Dutchman in favour of David Stockdale which tells you everything about how low Stekelenburg's star has plummeted.

Right-back: Chris Smalling (Manchester United)

Gangly and immobile, like a large desert cactus plant

Manchester United, as we all know by now, have been painful to watch this season unless you are amongst the many fans who take joy in their demise. Their lack of ideas and cohesion are epitomised by Chris Smalling's season who has been used as a right-back more often than not. He clearly doesn't seem suited to the position and this is reflected by his inability to get past players or pick out the right pass. Also, he always seems to appear nervous! At one point, he looked like one of Roy Hodgson's favourites and seemed to have a place in the World Cup squad saved for him. Surely, there will be second thoughts now.

Centre-backs

Michael Dawson (Tottenham)

Whoever at Tottenham decided to sell Steven Caulker to Cardiff City and keep Michael Dawson instead should have egg on his face right now. From the start of the season, when Spurs have had to use the former England international, they've struggled. His distinct lack of pace is suicidal in the high defence line that was introduced by ex-manager André Villas Boas. Time and time again he got caught out, notably in matches against Liverpool and Manchester City, two thrashings that ended AVB's spell in charge. Dawson was at the heart of the calamity and has no business in the North Londoners' first team squad next term, nice guy or not.

Fernando Amorebieta (Fulham)

Dubbed the modern day "Butcher of Bilbao" before arriving in the Premier League, Amorebieta was known as a tough but competent centre half who you would image could do a decent job in the more physical English game. Instead, he's been flat-out awful for a struggling Fulham side. Many defenders down the end of the table could be picked on and maybe there have been players equally as bad but Amorebieta was at one point touted for more glory than being the 1.91m relegation-struggling whipping post that he has become.

Left-back: Kyle Naughton (Tottenham)

This should have been Kyle Naughton's breakthrough season at Tottenham but rather than growing as a player thanks to more opportunities in the first team, he's been found out as an incompetent choice whether playing either at right or left-back. In truth, his Spurs team-mate Danny Rose wouldn't be too far off this XI as well but Naughton's performances were littered with more defensive blunders. Spurs, it could be pointed out, left themselves in this mess by loaning out Benoit Assou-Ekotto and not finding a real replacement. Shifting Jan Vertonghen into that position didn't seem to work and they were left with a glaring weak area typified by Naughton's woes.

Right-midfield: Ashley Young (Manchester United)

Ashley Young attempts his trademark Olympic high dive

No-one likes a diver, especially in the English game. Some players have a reputation as divers, Jurgen Klinsmann, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suárez etc. but at least those players could redeem themselves by displaying other valuable characteristics. What Ashley Young does is far more insulting. When entering the penalty area, not only does he exaggerate the force of defenders' challenges, he seems to try and hook the opponent's feet around his own in an attempt to simulate a clumsy trip in order to win a spot-kick. It has worked at times but post-match replays, analysis and the general unpopularity of Young has ensured that referees will think twice before he goes down again. Also, 2 goals and only 1 assist from 18 league games at a club the stature of Manchester United's is simply not good enough. Boo-urns!

Central midfielders

Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United)

Not many of these wigs seen around Old Trafford any more

Nearly everybody who reads this article probably expected the lanky Belgian's named to be included. Not only has Fellaini been one of the worst players in the Premier League this season, he's also probably been the worst signing. Picked up for €5m more than he would've cost a month previously, the €33m man has suffered a catastrophic first campaign at Manchester United which means, barring a miraculous revival of some kind, he'll never be trusted by the Old Trafford fans again. The early season excuse was that he had been playing through a wrist injury which stifled his mobility. Once operated on and recovered, however, his form failed to pick up and United fans scratched their collective head trying to figure out what on Earth does this towering dandelion of a midfielder bring.

Mohamed Diamé (West Ham United)

About a year ago, Mohamed Diamé was talked about as one the Premier League's hottest midfield properties. He seemed to have everything you need in a defensive midfielder, power and positional sense. Arsenal and Tottenham were reported as two teams who were sniffing him out. He hasn't advanced from there however and if anything he's declined as West Ham have struggled to impress the neutrals with their rather bland and sometimes all-out scatterbrained approach. Diamé's form has suffered and it didn't help that Sam Allardyce sometimes even played him out on the left, somewhere he's clearly not comfortable in. There have been plenty of poor midfielders in the top flight this season but Diamé shouldn't have been one of them. More was expected of him.

Left-midfield: Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa)

Aston Villa have found themselves in that lower quagmire of dull teams that have failed to capture peoples' imagination in the Premier League over the past season. At this stage, they're still not safe and stand a chance of getting sucked into the relegation vacuum. It doesn't really help when you have to rely on the likes of complacent campaigners like Gabi Agbonlahor. He broke onto the scene with promise some years ago and is still only 27 but plays like a man in the twilight of his career happy to accept his pay cheque. Ranked according the player ratings system at WhoScored.com, he is Aston Villa's lowest performing regular player with a dismal average of 6.56 out of ten from 27 appearances. Massively disappointing.

Strikers

Roberto Soldado (Tottenham)

Before the signing of Eric Lamela (who doesn't make this list because he hasn't played enough), Roberto Soldado was temporarily Tottenham's record signing. With the sale of Gareth Bale, Spurs decided to go on a spending spree and Soldado became one of the scapegoats in a season where the club have fallen below expectations. The Spanish striker has struggled to adapt to a game where crosses aren't drilled in to his feet. Early on, with left-footer Andros Townsend on the right and right-footer Gylfi Sigurdsson on the other side, Soldado was insufficiently supplied and couldn't find a way to get into games. Once Tim Sherwood came into power, Emmanuel Adebayor was favoured and the ex-Valencia hit man found himself warming the bench. Sure, he scored a few penalties here and there but a lot more was required of such a pricey signing.

Ricky van Wolfswinkel (Norwich)

RVW, as no-one refers to him due to his all-round woes, was signed by Norwich for a club record €10m from Sporting Lisbon. The Dutchman has proved to be a waste of money as the Norfolk club battle for top flight survival. In 24 matches, he has only scored once and provided one assist. A paltry amount for a striker expected to net consistently as he done in his career up until that point. His passing, aerial ability and finishing have all been brought into question and should Norwich go down, it's likely van Wolfswinkel will be shipped off as he's one of the club's highest, and most unworthy, earners.

You can find our Premier League BEST TEAM OF THE SEASON here

SOCCERSTASH PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM OF THE SEASON

D. Ray Morton, 23rd April 2014.

Goalkeeper: David De Gea (Manchester United)

In what was a disastrous season for the Red Devils, goalkeeper David De Gea stood out amongst David Moyes' underachievers. The Spanish goalkeeper has enjoyed solid form throughout the campaign and has eliminated mistakes from his game that haunted him on occasions last season. Such is Spain's strength in depth in the goalkeeping department, De Gea might not make the World Cup squad despite the long-term injury to Barcelona stopper, Victor Valdés. He will have to compete with Real Madrid duo Iker Casillas, Diego López and Napoli's Pepe Reina for a place.

Right-back: Séamus Coleman (Everton)

Irish international Séamus Coleman has been the stand-out right-back in this season's Premier League. The 25 year-old from Killybegs has helped Roberto Martínez' Everton in their quest to become genuine Champions League qualification contenders with his direct running, endless stamina and constant overlaps down the right side. Coleman might even be good enough to earn a move to one of the bigger clubs though he would probably be wise to stay put seeing as he's excelling in his current role.

Centre-backs

John Terry (Chelsea)

John Terry has enjoyed something of a revival this year after struggling the year before giving many the impression that his best days as a player were behind him. Under José Mourinho, however, Terry has enjoyed a storming campaign forming a mean defensive partnership with England international, Gary Cahill. Retired from international football so he can recover fully come summer, Terry might well have another season or two left in him performing at the very highest level.

Martin Škrtel (Liverpool)

Maybe a surprise selection for some (the aforementioned Cahill or Manchester City's Vincent Kompany would be popular picks), we decided to put Slovakian defender Martin Škrtel in this XI because of his vital contribution to Liverpool's title charge thanks to his seven league goals. 2013/14 wasn't exactly the year of the centre-back with many high-scoring results, so Škrtel's inclusion here is as logical as anyone else's.

Martin Škrtel, our surprise inclusion perhaps

 Left-back: César Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

César Azpilicueta has been a revelation for Chelsea this season. Favoured by José Mourinho at left-back over Ashley Cole throughout the campaign, the 24 year-old Spaniard has done very well to dislodge a player who many considered to be one of the best left-backs of the past decade. Azpilicueta covers ground very well, can defend and doesn't look uncomfortable out on the left despite being naturally right-footed. An honourable mention in this position goes to Southampton's Luke Shaw who may very well steal poor, bearded Ashley's World Cup plane ticket.

Deep-lying midfield playmaker: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

With that subheading, it could only be Steven Gerrard. Brendan Rodgers has totally altered the former attacking midfielder's playing style so that he now takes the role of an American Football-style quarterback, sitting in front of his defence picking out long passes and dictating the tempo from deep. It is a remarkable turnaround for a player who appeared to be falling into decline before Rodgers' arrival on Merseyside. Gerrard has been colossal for Liverpool and may finally get rewarded with that precious first Premier League winners' medal that has eluded his otherwise glittering trophy cabinet.

Advanced midfielders

Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)

Though Aaron Ramsey has missed a good chunk of the season with a thigh injury, the statistics for when he does play don't lie. Arsenal have been a far, far better team when the Welshman is available for selection. His goals and assists have been a joy to watch (9 goals and 8 assists in 18 starts) and now he's truly overtaken Jack Wilshere as Arsenal's great home-grown hope. His recent goal against Hull City was simply staggering. Receiving the ball with a Cruyff-like turn, he advances in possession, picks out a team mate and makes a beeline towards the opposition's penalty area where he finds himself in the perfect position to score. A pure footballing goal of the season candidate for sure.

David Silva (Manchester City)

The diminutive Spaniard's inclusion in this season's team of the year might not be everyone's cup of tea. Indeed, many people would opt for his giant marauding team mate, Yaya Touré, but despite Manchester City's late league challenge capitulation, David Silva has been immense. In 24 games, he has 7 goals, 9 assists, a pass completion rate of 88% and 3 man of the match awards to his name. Silva has been subtly awesome and deserves a place in the Spanish starting XI during the World Cup. Unfortunately however, playing outside of Spain's Liga BBVA, he's more likely to find himself warming the bench as a squad member.

Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

The Belgian winger has really found his feet this season and has started to look like the world class player Chelsea were supposed to have purchased in the summer of 2012. Hazard's first season was decent, though not awe-inspiring. This year, however, José Mourinho has really gotten the best out of him and in order to do so, he had to do away with one of their key players in Juan Mata who was shipped off to Manchester United in January. Hazard has all the attributes to be a modern great. He has strength, mental composure and the ability to move at pace with the ball seemingly stuck to his feet. If Chelsea's title push hadn't fallen apart (still mathematically possible, I know), Hazard wouldn't just be on this team, he'd probably be named player of the season.

Strikers

Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)

Sturridge gets into this team by default because his Liverpool strike partnership with Luis Suárez has been simply devastating. The 24 year-old England international has scored 20 times in 24 starts and has also chipped in with 7 assists. The fluidity of his dribbling is notable. He often gets the better of defenders when it doesn't look like he has anywhere to go and he must surely be Roy Hodgson's No. 1 choice striker with Wayne Rooney's recent slump in form. Manchester City's Sergio Agüero came very close to taking his spot here but we've opted for Sturridge because he's played that little bit more and is likely to win the title. Statistically, the Argentine has been more lethal but he needs to keep those dodgy hamstrings in check.

Luis Suárez (Liverpool)

The most obvious name on the team sheet. Suárez hasn't just been great this season, he's been a monster! The stats spell it out: 30 games, 30 goals, 12 assists and a mind-blowing 14 man of the match awards. Not only is this the Uruguayan's best ever season, it might be anyone's best ever season in the modern Premier League era. Such scoring feats haven't been seen since the days of Dixie Dean in the pre-war years when football was effectively a different sport. Securing the league title, finishing as EPL top goalscorer and player of the year is more than enough incentive for Suárez to stay and continue building this project despite the flirtatious gaze of Real Madrid.

You can find our Premier League WORST TEAM OF THE SEASON here