All posts by h79snht.top

The sort of language that is spewed out from the Premier League press office, often feels more akin to a pretentious, middle-management meeting than football talk. Phrases like ‘global brand’, ‘international outreach’ and ‘maximized profits’ all now feel relatively routine during broadcasts of our nation’s top football competition. And to a certain extent, that now reflects the business-orientated world that we currently live in.

But despite being reminded of how entertaining our ‘global’ league is every week and how many millions of homes it’s beamed into, does that really make it the best, as so many social commentators claim? Because whilst the Premier League may be top of the pops economically, it feels as if La Liga is what players view with the higher esteem.

First of all, it’s important to not let the blinds of national pride obscure an honest opinion on this one. Of course, people are rightly protective of our national pastime and take great pride in the enormous success of the Premier League. It is interwoven into the fabric of society and this season has showcased, more than ever, the level of almost unrivalled entertainment and drama. From Manchester United’s breathtaking 8-2 destruction of Arsenal, to the really quite unbelievable scenes at the Etihad last month, the Premier League has a strong case to dub itself the most entertaining league in Europe.

But entertaining doesn’t necessarily mean best. How you define what makes a football league reign supreme is relative subjective. But a generally accurate yardstick must be what that of the continent’s best footballers think. And the truth of it is that La Liga, for the moment anyway, has the edge.

Let’s take the current situation on face value. The three best players in the world, which for arguments sake is judged by the last Fifa Ballon d’Or vote, are Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta. All three of them ply their trade in La Liga. In fact, out of the latest FIFPro World XI, the Premier League’s sole representatives were Nemanja Vidic and Wayne Rooney.

Already, there are holes to pick in that argument. Of course Messi and Iniesta came through the Barca youth ranks. But Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t appear out of a hat in Madrid somewhere; he consciously chose to leave Manchester United and the Premier League, to go to La Liga. There will always be murmurings about the Spanish lifestyle and weather. But when was the last time any of the top English clubs truly lured one of Real Madrid or Barcelona’s best players over to the Premier League? It feels almost inconceivable that a player of equal importance to what Ronaldo was to United, would choose to up sticks and trade in Spain for England at the moment.

There can’t be any doubt that top European and International talent still want to come and ply their trade on these shores. But there is just an inescapable feeling of slight superiority that the two Spanish giants wield. One of the most precocious and ferociously courted transfers of last summer, was that of Chilean starlet, Alexis Sanchez. He had a que of admirers, and could well of earned goldmines more at Manchester City, who showed serious interest. Yet Barcelona and La Liga reigned supreme.

In fact in recent history, players from outside both the Premier League and La Liga, who have been amongst Europe’s most wanted, seem to of plumped for La Liga. Karim Benzema snubbed the Premier League, as Klaas-Jan Huntelaar did when he was hot property. The sort of money that would make a banker blush couldn’t turn Kaka’s head when City came calling, but he couldn’t resist the allure of the Beranabeu. And even within our top division, Javier Mascherano and Cesc Fabregas felt it was time to wave goodbye. It was hard to leave Alvaro Arbeloa out of that list, but jokes aside, the above list all bares the same hallmark. These were all players that were in their pomp and who’s stock was sky high when they left the Premier League- none of them were fading stars.

Even the most recent, star-studded addition to the Premier League seems to have come to England with one eye on the sangria and sunshine. As Eden Hazard revealed his reasoning behind heading to Stamford Bridge, he delighted fans by making sure everyone knew he rejected the overtures of Manchester United. But it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to make sense of what the young Belgium star seems to be alluring to here:

“The team is young and I have a better chance to play there (Chelsea). At 21, Real or Barça would have been more difficult for me. If I play well enough at Chelsea, I could win my place in the starting team. When they won the Champions League, I told myself: ‘Why not Chelsea?'”

It is undoubtedly reading between the lines, but whatever way you frame that statement, he isn’t quite giving the Spanish clubs the same elbow he gave Sir Alex Ferguson’s side. If Hazard comes good in West London, you wouldn’t be stupid to have a flutter on the ex-Lille man ending up in Spain in a few seasons.

The Premier League probably isn’t loosing too much sleep over their supposed Spanish rivals. And this article isn’t trying to decipher who has the stronger league in terms of depth and entertainment. Because ultimately, the axis of La Liga is set between two, massive football clubs- the recent captures of Sergio Aguero and Juan Mata demonstrate this. Perhaps beneath the elite duo in Spain, La Liga teams walk in the shadows of their Premier League equivalents, at least in terms of attraction and allure.

But at the very top, the elite, the cream of world football- Spain’s top clubs has the edge over England’s. Because beneath the revenue figures, the brand talk, the styles of play and the number of goals, the world’s best footballers want to play in La Liga. The Barclays Premier League is a fantastic competition. But for the moment, it could be wise to lay off the P.R. spiel as when push comes to shove, it rings hollow.

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How do you feel about the perceived battle between the two leagues? Why are the top players favouring Spain? Or do you think that I am spouting rubbish? Let’s talk it out on Twitter, follow @samuel_antrobus and get involved with the discussion 

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Chelsea will be looking to continue their excellent form by taking all three points against Everton who are looking to bounce back from their Merseyside derby defeat to Liverpool a fortnight ago.

Andre Villas-Boas’ side have started the season in superb fashion especially on home soil and go into the game protecting a 100% record at Stamford Bridge. Early reservations that the 34-year-old former Porto coach would struggle have been washed away with the Portuguese native revitalising the Blues. The likes of Juan Mata, Raul Meireles and Daniel Sturridge have been tremendous thus far and their youthful vitality has seen Villas-Boas find the right blend with the senior members of the squad. Frank Lampard has benefitted the most from his management and talk of the England midfielder being past his best were quickly dismissed with four goals in the week before the international break. The 33-year-old struck in the Champions League away at Valencia before butting Bolton to the sword scoring a hat trick as Chelsea hit the next six times at the Reebok Stadium. One concern though remains around the defence with the Blues yet to keep a clean sheet in the league since the opening day and their record against Everton isn’t the best. The last five meetings in West London have ended in draws whilst they haven’t beaten David Moyes’ side since winning 1-0 back in 2008. With Fernando Torres still suspended Sturridge, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka will be fighting it out to start up front with the young Englishman the most likely having scored twice against Trotters two weeks ago.

As for the Toffee’s they’ve lost their last two and will be looking to avoid losing three games on the trot for the first time since November 2009. They will be boosted by the news that Jack Rodwell’s red card has been rescinded and he will be free to play in his 100th Everton game at Stamford Bridge. The England under-21 midfielder was harshly sent off for a robust challenge on Luis Suarez in the Merseyside derby which they lost 2-0. Scoring goals continues to be their achilles heel with Louis Saha and Tim Cahill looking short of confidence up front. The latter has failed to hit the net in 2011 but has a decent record against Chelsea so will fancy his chances of ending his barren run. Saha on the other hand has had his differences with Moyes already this season and despite patching them up age seems to be catching up on the 33-year-old Frenchman. They’ll need to start scoring on Saturday if they want to continue their impressive run against the Blues which has seen them remain unbeaten in the last six meetings.

Key Players

Juan Mata – What a signing the Spaniard has been with his £22 million move from Valencia already looking like shrewd business. Mata has injected a touch of class to the Chelsea midfield with his intelligent passing and movement making him difficult to mark. His ability to glide into space has given the Blues an extra dimension to their attack and they’ll be expecting more of the same from him on Saturday.

Leighton Baines – One of the more consistent players for Everton over the last few seasons the England left back performs key duties in both defence and attack. Likely to be up against the pacey Jose Boswinga and Ramires he’ll have to have his defensive hat on to cope with the duo. Given the chance to get forward his trusty left foot will be tasked with providing quality balls for Saha and Cahill to get on the end of and give the Toffee’s a fighting chance of claiming some much needed points.

Verdict: 3-1

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Chelsea hit their stride in their last outing, hitting 5 past Blackburn in a 5-1 victory. Chelsea covered a total of 123.8km in that game, with evergreen midfielder Frank Lampard covering 12.3km, second only to Raul Meireles with 13.1km Lampard’s hat trick moved him up 87 places in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index to 10th overall, and the 2nd highest ranking English midfielder after Ashley Young. He now joins Gabriel Agbonlahor as the joint 4th top scorer in the Barclays Premier League and is the highest scoring midfielder. Lampard has also won 57% of tackles and contributed two assists Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka are Everton’s top ranked players in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index in 91st and 92nd place respectively. Baines has won 77% of tackles so far this season while Jagielka is still yet to lose a tackle all season Baines has also contributed to his side’s attack, putting in 15 crosses so far this season

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Referees are coming under increasing levels of scrutiny lately, with their every decision second guessed by fans of the game. One way in which match officials receive high levels abuse is through a, perceived, favouring of the top sides, becoming almost afraid to give decisions against the ‘big boys’ due the media backlash they may receive.

It’s a frustrating state of affairs, with fans knowing that their side will be in for a tough day when venturing to the fortresses of Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and the Etihad, not just through the quality of opposition, but the way in which referees act during the occasion.

Just ask Mick McCarthy, who during his spell at Wolves saw Frank Lampard’s lunge on Adam Hammill deemed to be a yellow card offense. Just a matter of weeks before Nenad Milijas had received his marching orders for a tackle, which on later viewing appeared to be fair, leading to an even greater sense of injustice. The Chelsea man received a caution for the challenge, which shows the referee had noted the event, but deemed it to have been a minor offense. Although this is hypothetical, if the challenge had of been committed by a player such as Karl Henry, the likelihood of escaping without seeing red would have been far reduced. Even Andre Villas-Boas admitted after the game that his midfielder had been lucky:

“What I would say is that Peter Walton decided on a criteria and established that criteria for the rest of the game. Five minutes into the game there was a situation for a yellow card and he decided not to give it.” Villas-Boas said in his post match press conference.

“I know the challenge might have been over the top but I think Peter conceded that Frank is not that type of player to be sent off, to lose his head over a challenge. I would congratulate his decision and his criteria-making during the game. What I normally don’t accept, particularly in the Queens Park Rangers game is establishing a criteria and then not sticking to it.”

Although the decision may have been based on Lampard’s reputation, a flimsy excuse, it does hint at a fear factor for referees when it comes to making big calls against the top-sides. The media circus surrounding the ‘better’ clubs in England is huge, with each game they partake in gaining mass media coverage and analysis on television networks across the globe. The comments of these managers as a result gain increased importance, with their arguments being transmitted to a wide audience. Peter Walton may have been aware of the comments made by AVB after the QPR clash, in which he criticised the officials, and in a bid to stay out of the spotlight could have backed out of the decision.

There are more and more examples of this throughout the Premier League, with the cliché of never getting a decision at Old Trafford. Although they are not the only home team to benefit from such a helping hand, the claim is to some degree valid. If an incorrect decision however meets United at a ground such as Carrow Road, the media frenzy would usurp that of say Grant Holt being denied a penalty kick in front of the Stretford End.

Managers increasingly influence referees, with half time ‘chats’ becoming a frequent occurrence. This trend is one that can only have a negative effect on the game, with officials expected to perform in an unbiased fashion. Any influence during the interval compromises this, with a niggling ‘should I give this decision?’ in the back of their mind after a conversation with a manger with a large reputation.

Although decisions do sometimes go against the established powerhouses and in favour of the minnow’s it’s hard to argue that it occurs enough to be considered fair. A decision such as a red or yellow card, or penalty kick can be the difference between European qualification and mid-table obscurity, and even worse relegation and safety. To have this come down to the influence of reputation and status is a wrong which needs to be addressed through giving match officials greater space to do their job.

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The power of the media and coaches opinions within that realm are not fair on officials, who have one of the toughest jobs of all in the world of football. Correct decisions seem to slip under the radar, while the slightest error is lambasted, with hurtful comments and criticism rife. The only way to improve refereeing is be to lay off the officials slightly; who are operating under the media magnifying glass, where on mistake can ruin a reputation.

What are your thoughts? Comment @Alex_Hams on Twitter and have your say

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Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has revealed Michael Dawson's devastation at the knee and ankle injuries picked up while playing for England.

Spurs have confirmed that their central defender is facing up to eight weeks on the sidelines after he had to be stretchered from the pitch during England's Euro 2012 qualifier against Bulgaria at Wembley on Friday evening.

Dawson will now miss a significant portion of the Premier League season and also the start of the north London club's inaugural Champions League campaign.

"The boy is absolutely devastated. It is a massive blow for him and the club," Redknapp told the Sunday Mirror.

"I'd like to say something positive about the situation, but other than we initially thought it was a lot worse and he could be out for the season, what can I say?

"We have no idea what is going to take longer to heal, his ankle or his knee. But we are talking months, not weeks.

"It couldn't have come at a worse time for us with crucial games coming thick and fast.

"I'm gutted for him at a time when he has quite rightly been given a chance to stake a claim for regular first-team football for England.

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"As for Spurs, words fail me. He is the heartbeat and soul of this club.

"But thank God I went and got William Gallas on a free transfer. It's looking an even better deal now."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

This must be what all that fuss was about in the first place. John Obi Mikel’s £16m move from Lyn Oslo to Chelsea, via a Manchester United contract, was an ugly affair. Both clubs fought hard for a player who was clearly one of the world’s top talents. At the under-20 World Cup just before the deal, only Leo Messi had impressed more than the hulking Nigerian, and Frank Arnesen fought vehemently to secure his services. Managing to split the opinions of his own fans, and PL audiences in general, Mikel is starting to show why there was such a battle in the first place.

As an attacking midfielder for his country (pretty unbelievable considering some of his efforts on goal), Mikel was the youth team’s long term answer to Jay-Jay Okocha’s retirement. As with almost everything Mourinho touched at Chelsea during his time in West London, there were more defensive matters to be dealt with first: thus dictator, became destroyer. Mourinho already had Lampard and Essien, and Makelele was just about entering the twilight of his position-defining career; Mikel’s stature, married with neat touches on the ball, made him the ideal candidate to become chief bouncer at the door of Chelsea’s backline.

Before Stamford Bridge was recording score lines more suited for under-11 games, negativity was the main accusation to make of the outfit, and Mikel, without the rampant box to box play of Essien, was becoming the scapegoat: still excellent at his primary role, it was considered there were too many sideways passes, not enough impetus to drive the team on from deep. Under Ancelotti, and now especially that Essien has returned to partner him, rather than the mechanic Michael Ballack, that role has evolved into a more creative, positive duty.

At 6”3” his aerial ability has never been in question, and his strength is there for all to see. But it is his passing (direction more so than quality) that has seen the biggest transformation. Just under 40% of his passes now go forward, more than double the rate of last season, and what is more, his completion rate of 73.1% is more than other player in the league so far this season.

The adaptability between himself and Essien allows for greater fluidity in the middle of this Chelsea side. There is still the considerable weight to throw around as the league’s heaviest squad, but there is an extra vibrancy to accompany this virility. When Lampard returns to the fold, it will be a formidable threesome, and arguably the most potent combination of defence and attack in the league.

Mikel is not the only big improvement in the PL this season: Nani continues to grow (how much so? We will discuss tomorrow), Elmander suddenly looks like an international striker, Vincent Kompany has gone about his business commandingly while the big names around him grab the headlines, and United’s aloof Bulgarian is reminding everyone just how good he was at White Hart Lane. But you get the feeling with that list that they were simply underperforming, while Mikel was doing what had been drilled in to him, rather than the natural game he was used to, at the expense of his own reputation.

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The fact that Michael Essien is already adding goals to his game makes it look as though Mikel will forever stay in the shade of his teammates’ limelight, and perhaps that is where is happiest. Any Chelsea fans that were somewhat perplexed by their nullifier, will now be witness to the fact that it was he that was being nullified. Given the license of expression, Mikel is now really proving, if it wasn’t known to already, that it was money well spent.

Get updates on my articles by following me on twitter.

The price of Premier League players is going through the roof! First Chelsea and now Manchester City have pushed the price of top footballers up to an extraordinary level, with Roberto Mancini’s latest signing Edin Dzeko costing City the small sum of £27 million and a price of £18 million being quoted in Aston Villa’s pursuit of Sunderland striker Darren Bent. But how much are certain Premier League players really worth? A new fantasy football game – Player Manager – lets you decide just that!

Player Manager is a pay-to-play game and could be described as a cross between fantasy football and eBay. Just like online auction sites, you get to bid for the players that you want in your team through a fully-automated auction. This adds an interesting angle to the standard game of fantasy football. While you’ll be used to having to pay top dollar for players like Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney, in Player Manager the price of each player is market driven. So if your fantasy football competitors bid high for a player, then you’ll have to bid even higher, while staying within your budget, to secure them in your team – resource allocation as always is key.

The problem with many fantasy football games is that the majority of players end up with similar teams and just a few small differences here and there. The £100 million cap results in the usual suspects being snapped up for between £10 and £12 million. However, Player Manager rips up the fantasy football rule book in this regard, as in each league each footballer can only be signed to one team.

This means that the players in demand go for much more, with the likes of Carlos Tevez, Nani and Didier Drogba going for around £25 million on average (around one quarter of your budget) or even more in a double gameweek. So if you really want a specific player, you’ll have to pay a lot for them, which often means you having to pay over the odds for some footballers. It’s left to you to weigh up just how much you’re willing to pay for a player and whether they’ll prove to be of value for money and give you a decent points return.

Just like Premier League managers, you should be on the lookout for a bargain, too! Last weekend for example, Kevin Nolan was bought by fantasy football managers for an average of £1.6 million, which is an absolute steal for the Newcastle midfielder who scored his 10th Premier League goal of the season against Sunderland. At the other end of the spectrum Cesc Fabregas, Lampard and Drogba all went for over £20 million without picking up big points, so you don’t always get what you pay for!

Like many fantasy football games, in Player Manager you’re given a war chest of £100 million to spend. Your job is to pick a squad of players, putting your high priority targets at the top of the list. Then you have to select how much you’re willing to spend on each player, bearing in mind that if your maximum bid for a player is £50 million, that’s what you’ll have to pay if someone else bids £49 million, but you’ll only have to pay half that if no-one bids more than £24 million. The auction takes place shortly before the first match of the week, so then you can see who you’ve successfully bid for and what the make-up of your team is.

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One excellent feature that Player Manager has is that you can generate multiple teams from your list of players to play across different leagues, with it costing £1 per team to play. Also, it takes the same amount of time and effort to generate multiple teams as it does to generate one! This means that you might successfully bid for Carlos Tevez in one league, but miss out on him in another. Before kick-off you can check who’s in your team and then cheer them on as you watch your profit change in real-time depending on the success of your various teams.

After your first week you may have had great success so will only want to tweak your list of players. On the other hand you might have had a complete disaster and want to completely overhaul your squad of players, or at least how much you’re willing to pay for them. That’s the unique thing about Player Manager, as not only do you bid for your players, but you also determine how much of your budget you’re willing to fork out on them. This means that bargain hunting is just as important as out-bidding your fellow managers for Premier League stars. So sign up to Player Manager and get bidding!

Gareth Bale has called Charlie Adam a coward, after the Liverpool man injured him in a pre-season friendly.

The Tottenham winger had to be withdrawn from a friendly fixture between the sides in the United States, in the second instance of the Scottish midfielder injuring the Welsh attacker in the last year.

Bale is reluctant to accept Adam’s apology and admits that he is in a lot of pain.

“From what I’ve seen of him on pitch, I think he’s a bit of a coward,” Bale told reporters after the incident.

“I was surprised to see a challenge like that in a friendly. We’re all over here to build our fitness and get a good workout and what he did as over the top, to be honest.

“But some people are like that and it’s just wrong.

“My ankle is sore – very, very sore. We’ll have to wait and see how it goes. I’ll probably have to have a scan.

“There are pictures on the internet of what he did before when he snapped all my ankle ligaments. I was out for three months that time and one player told me he went out to do the same thing to me again.

“Seriously, I haven’t ever done anything to him. He’s obviously come for me twice now – and he’s got me twice.

“I would have understood it had it been a slightly mis-timed tackle, even though it was just a friendly. But the ball was 10 yards past him already and was nowhere near him when he came through my ankle.

“When someone makes a very bad tackle on you in a game you expect him to come up and apologise. But I’ve had no apology from him and I don’t really want one from him to be honest.

“That’s what kind of person he is like. He’s done it before, so I’m not going to accept his apology.

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“All I want to do is play my game and play it the right way. It’s flattering when players try to take you out in a game but when it threatens your career, it becomes more serious than that.

“It’s unsportsmanlike and I don’t think any player should be like that,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

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Even though Preston slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Bramall Lane, it would be fair to say that Preston gave their best performance since Westley took charge as manager just over a month ago. At a place where only two teams have won all seaon, we were only seven minutes from escaping with what would have been a very valuable point. We even went 1-0 up after Thorsten Stuckmann saved Ched Evans’ weak penalty and Graham Cummins scored his first goal for the club with a magnificent header in the 38th minute to spark mad scenes in the away end. However Evans was to make amends by first equalising just before half time and then settling the contest with a volley with time running out.

It was also a very different Preston team than what people have been used to seeing over the years. Many a time I have bemoaned how players haven’t got stuck in and have let players run at us, but at Sheffield United, the home of one of the most attacking teams in the league and we stopped them from playing. Even Adam Barton, someone who has rarely made a challenge in his entire career, was disrupting play and causing United problems. From a Preston perspective it was great to see our team standing up to the opposition and not letting them walk all over us. It is also ironic how Sheffield United fans were quick to lambast Preston for the way we played and the Mirror reported that our style of football was more suited to rugby league than it was to football

Personally I take this criticism with a pinch of salt; people say now that they lost a lot of respect for us since Westley took over and turned us into a very physical team who aren’t afraid to get in the faces of the opposition (and the ref in some cases). But it was being the ‘nice’ guys that were one of the reasons why we were relegated. Too often teams just walked all over us and took an easy 3 points which is probably why fans liked us because they saw us as an easy 3 points. It is no coincidence that Davies’ play off teams also had a similar physical side to what Westley is instilling in the players at the moment and if Westley had similar success to Davies then I will be very happy. If we can keep on improving between now and the end of the season then perhaps the play offs aren’t out of reach just yet, but how ironic that it is Westley’s former club Stevenage who currently hold 6th place. What the situation will be when Westley returns to Stevenage on Easter Monday in 12 games time remains to be seen and I’m sure Westley himself will be aware of the irony if Preston can indeed pip Stevenage to the final play off spot before the end of the season.

By Preston North End blogger Sean Marshall. You can read more of his work on his personal blog. 

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Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has admitted that Steven Gerrard is making good progress in his bid to return to fitness, but has not put a date on the midfielder’s potential return.

The England international has had a torrid time with injuries this year, with an ankle infection his current ailment.

Despite admitting that Gerrard was moving in the right direction, the Scottish coach is unsure when he will be able to select his captain again.

“Steven is progressing brilliantly,” he told the club’s official website.

“There is nothing that’s been a disappointment other than he’s not been available for selection.

“He’ll be available as and when he’s over what he’s got but everything’s going really well. We couldn’t ask for more or any greater news from him.

“No. When he’s ready,” he stated when asked if he knew when Gerrard would play again.

One piece of positive news for The Reds however is the return to fitness of Jamie Carragher, and Dalglish has confirmed that the veteran defender should make himself available for selection this weekend.

“Carra is training. He’s got rid of his calf injury so he’s fit and available for selection,” he concluded.

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Liverpool face a tough two weeks, with an away fixture against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday next for the Merseysiders.

By Gareth McKnight

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Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has demanded an apology from Manchester United defender Patrice Evra, as the race feud between the two players continues.

The Uruguay international was accused of making racist remarks to the veteran full back in the 1-1 draw between the Premier League heavyweights last month.

The FA have pledged to investigate the claims but as yet there has been no fallout from the governing body, and Suarez wants an apology.

“The FA will have to clear it up with him, because there is no proof at all that I have said anything racist. I didn’t say anything like that to him,” Suarez told Mirror Football.

“There were two parts of the discussion, one in English, one in Spanish. I did not insult him, it was just a way of expressing myself. I called him something his team-mates in Manchester call him and even they were surprised by his reaction.

“There are things that happen in football, all in the moment, that leaves one feeling bad. Now we have to wait to see this issue decided and then the Manchester player and I will have to clear things up. Depending on who ends up in the wrong, one of us will have to apologise,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Suarez has won the Liverpool player of the month award for October, making it three months in a row that the South American has been awarded the accolade.

“It’s a bit of a surprise because to win it three months running makes me almost feel a bit embarrassed.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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“But as long as people realise I’m just doing my job and I’m working hard for the team, then that’s great,” he finished.

By Gareth McKnight

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