My Premier League Wish List...

Five players i would love to see strutting there stuff on a saturday afternoon in a stadium near you!

Lionel Messi - Obvious isn't it, but how can you start a list like this without mentioning the greatest player of our generation. Domestically Messi has won it all, two champions league titles, four la liga titles, one coppa del ray all at the ripe old age of 23. The last two seasons at Barcelona have yielded 85 goals and 32 assists in 104 appearances, in anyone's book thats world class. But its not the stats that get you jumping out of your seat for a player like Messi, its the way he does it. Blistering acceleration, a low centre of gravity and exceptional ball control mean that Messi is almost impossible to stop in full flight. I think this video of Messi as a 14 year old says more than words ever could...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI8GC6bqnpM

Xavi Hernandez (above) - Xavi has been and continues to be the most complete footballer in the world. The driving force behind Spain's Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010 triumphs, he has it all and would be a joy to watch in the EPL. Xavi has lit up every major competition in the world game over the past two years. What is most interesting is that he is a player which English clubs do not seem to be able to develop. He plays in an almost quarterback role, distributing perfect pass after perfect pass, gliding up the field and then producing the killer assist. The chances of Xavi ever playing in the ELP is very slim, but with Manchester City's endless pot of gold you can never say never...

Sergio Aguero (above) - The Atlético Madrid frontman is renowned around Spain for his quick-feet, finishing ability and close ball control, making him a fans favorite at the Vicente Calderón at the ripe old age of 21. Although Aguero struggled to make an impact at the recent World Cup dont be fooled into thinking this man is not one of the worlds best footballers, he is and will be even better in the future. With Aguero plying his trade at Atlético Madrid the chances are he could be on the move within the next 2 years, with the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea all chasing his signature.

Danielle De Rossi - A tough tackling central midfielder in the mould of Roy Keane no less, De Rossi is renowned for his physical approach and powerful midfield displayers. Whilst being a very tough character De Rossi is also blessed with a fantastic passing ability and a wonderfully powerful shot, regularly scoring up to ten goals a season for his club, AS Roma. This wonderfully cheesy video from youtube should show all you need to know about De Rossi;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdzsxCOZWWM

Ronaldo (above) - Okay i know he is past it now, but he really is the one that got away for the ELP. In his peak he was the best around, holds the world record for most goals scored in World Cup matches and overcame 5 knee operations to play for some of Europe's biggest clubs, but none from England. Ronaldo had it all, with his best years generally regarded as having occurred before his first knee injury, during his time at PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona and early years at Inter Milan. He was literally the perfect striker, pace and power, wonderful finishing ability, great strength and majestic in the air as well as wonderful ball control. He was Alan Shearer, Teddy Sheringham, Ryan Giggs, Andy Cole and Paul Gascoigne rolled into one. He is now still (apparently) playing in Brazil for Corinthians of Sao Paulo, although anything more than one game a month in considered to be stretching it. One last video link from youtube displays what the EPL missed out on;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iXOMPo7cEI

Great Expectations

By our Master in charge of Rugby Union Sam Forbes:

Sam speaking to Martin Johnson earlier this week

When England’s beloved Red Rose stands arm in arm against the Haka on Saturday afternoon, Twickenham as ever will expect a dramatic upset...

I put a question upon you: How many other countries in the World, apart from England, have a consistently competitive team in all major sports? I’m sure I will hear a resounding ‘none’. Our cricket team are holders of the ashes, we finished second in the medal tables in this summer’s Commonwealth Games, our rugby team were finalists in the last two World Cups, and our football team... Well I don’t need to go into that. With competitiveness comes expectation, and with expectation comes pressure, and this is exactly what has affected our rugby team since that glorious evening back in 2003.

Since that day, the England management have issued out no less than 75 new caps. In my view this is ridiculous. If one takes a look at The All Blacks, since the World Cup in 2003, they have built their team around a core eight players in all key positions- Woodcock, Mealamu, Thorne, McCaw, Carter, Nonu, Rokocoko and Muliaina. This has helped them maintain a consistency in team management- selection, and therefore a consitenecy in results. In contrast to this, the England selection team has not settled for these same values. The cause for this perhaps is the constant pressure from the fans, therefore causing the management to panic and make drastic changes. A perfect example of this is Matt Tait, in my view one of the most talented players in world rugby, yet after one UNLUCKY (not bad) game, Andy Robinson was pressured into dropping him. If the pressure was eased and the expectation was not so much, perhaps it would have been a different story for Tait and equally England since 2003. 

It seems now that Johnson and his staff have settled on a ‘core’ team, with the likes of Sheriden, Moody, Easter, Youngs, Ashton and Foden. The talent is certainly there and I hope that if we lose to New Zealand on Saturday (and i believe we will), Johnson does not feel pressured into making changes for Australia the following Saturday. After all, in 105 years, we have only beaten the All Blacks six times. 

So, back to the original point, Twickenham will expect an upset as always. However I ask otherwise of you, I ask you to not to have great expectations as it will inevitably end in bitter disappointment. Believe in the team we have, ease the pressure and perhaps something great might happen in the coming weeks at Fortress Twickenham.


Comments welcome...