It was always going to happen at some point – Barcelona is getting old. Xavi is now 33 years old, Dani Alves is now 30 and they recently had to part with the legendary Carlos Puyol. The ‘tiki-taka’ team of five years ago is certainly long gone, with new Barcelona manager Luis Enrique brought in to start the first stages of a transition.

A transition is something all footballing sides have to go through at some point in time, but with Barcelona it felt as though the players from five years ago would never face the fall.  Old age has crept up on the team however, which leads to a very different Barcelona outfit.

The setup is still the same, to take complete control of the ball and to attack precisely. Tika-taka hasn’t completely left Barcelona but it will never be the same as it was in its prime. Enrique deploys a 4-3-3 with both wingers switching sides constantly to keep the full backs alert. Sergio Busquets cleans up any hint of an attack through the middle with newly signed Ivan Rakitić used as a playmaker and Iniesta gliding through the defenses. The setup and quality of players is similar but will depend on promoting youth through their academies, hoping to unlock new gems and create a new era for Barcelona. This all sounds great for the future, but the real focus remains Lionel Messi and potentially why he should leave Barcelona to prolong his own career.

To even contemplate a Barcelona without Messi is hard to fathom, from the age of 20 he has destroyed La Liga opponents and claimed every club trophy on offer. However, with the club looking towards the future, perhaps it would be a shrewd move for the Argentinian to analyze other club options available to him.

When Cristiano Ronlado left Manchester United for Real Madrid in 2009 the Spanish side were certainly not the complete package they boast today. It could be argued at that time they were going through a transitional phase as they had a lot of potentially world-class players yet to reach the heights expected of them. Ronaldo was brought in as a player to build the team completely around, five years later and the club have won the Champions League and La Liga titles – transition complete.

Messi, in his current situation, is one goal behind Telmo Zarra in the all-time La Liga scoring charts. The little maestro will surpass that feat shortly and should be able to keep Ronaldo at bay, who is ninth on the list and 56 goals behind his counterpart.

So with that in mind, what more can Messi achieve in the league and with Barcelona? He could help the youth settle in and learn the new system that Barcelona are creating. However, for all of his traits, leadership isn’t one of his best abilities. A fresh challenge would appear the best outcome.

Barcelona would never sell Messi unless the Argentinian wanted to leave, so if he did the next stage would be who could afford him and what challenge could entice him to that league  club?

Here’s a list of potential suitors and reasons why they’d pay the money required to lure Messi.

Bayern Munich – currently one of the best teams in the world and being managed by Pep Guardiola could see Messi being interested in a move to be reunited with his old manager. Could be deployed on either side of the striker or just behind, with Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery is a trio that would send shockwaves through every team in Europe.

PSG – a team which have claimed in the past they could buy Messi if he was made available. However, the presence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic could cause problems, after the well-documented tension between the players when the Swedish international was with Barcelona. Messi would easily adapt to the side’s system and could basically play almost anywhere for the team, in an attacking sense. Would be able to provide the guile that the French outfit lack when competing for the Champions League crown.

Chelsea – a team which boasts wealth and could purchase just about any player in the world. Currently managed by Jose Mourinho could prove difficult for Messi to move due to Mourinho’s Real Madrid connections. However, if former teammate Cesc Fabregas can move to Chelsea, then there’s no reason why Messi cannot too. Would most likely be deployed on the right-hand side of an attacking trio with Diego Costa playing centrally and Eden Hazard on the left-hand side.

Manchester City – a team similar to Chelsea in that they can basically buy whoever they want with their endless supply of money. A team that generally throws their hat in the ring when a big-name player becomes available. Messi would be seen as the player to help engineer a genuine push for Champions League success.

Manchester United – may be somewhat of an outside chance to secure his services. Could purchase him if Barcelona were willing to accept cash plus player deal. Can be deployed anywhere in the team and would certainly help with the current problems that the team are experiencing. Only issue is that United appear a team going through a long transitional period.

There are options for Messi, but at 27 he would almost certainly be looking for a team who have a genuine, if not guaranteed chance of claiming silverware. Bayern Munich, PSG and Chelsea would be the prime candidates.

It’s an intriguing topic of conversation. Personally, if Messi were to leave Barcelona then it would be potentially damaging to his legacy that he has created with the Spanish giants. This season will be an acid test for the legendary attacker, if the club fails to win any silverware for the second year in succession. Will he jump ship or remain a Barcelona man? Watch this space.

Four games into the 2014/15 season, Aston Villa were the in-form team, starting the season with three wins and one draw that saw them moving up to an impressive second in the league. Of course, it was too early in the season to predict whether the form would last, but following six defeats in six games, the latest form has shown that the Villa of old has returned.

It begs the question whether Aston Villa needs to get relegated for their own good.

Under Paul Lambert, his Aston Villa side has finished in 15th position in 2012/13 and 16th in 2013/14.

It seems an awful long way from the three successive sixth-place finishes that Aston Villa achieved under manager Martin O’Neill from 2008-10.

Under Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner and Lambert, the philosophy within Aston Villa changed to buy young, hardworking players from the lower leagues for discounted prices and then turn them into good players, selling them for profit. Players like Matthew Lowton, Ashley Westwood and Jordan Bowery are examples of the types of players brought in.

But with poor results in his two full seasons, Lambert has seen little pressure placed on him by Lerner. The American owner understands the plan and is trying to give him enough time to allow it take bloom. But would relegation actually help Aston Villa in the long run?

Relegation is something no team ever wants, but when Newcastle was relegated in the 2008/09 season, there was a sense of them being able to start over again, getting rid of the dead wood and bringing in players who were willing to work harder for the team, as well as a new manager, having him start afresh with a new philosophy and a new way of playing. Newcastle were promoted back to the league and have looked like a new side compared to the one that were relegated.

I believe Paul Lambert is a talented manager, but the way Lerner wants the club run will only end in one way for the team and that is near the bottom, struggling for results. Sometimes the only way to progress is to take a step back, and if Villa were to get relegated this season, I believe it would be more beneficial for them in the long run.

“I want to be the best; I hope one day I can win the Ballon d’Or, maybe not now but if I work every day and take pleasure from my game then why not?”

Following his Player of the Season award at Chelsea, Eden Hazard was interviewed after the ceremony and was asked what his goals were in his career, he claimed that winning the Ballon d’Or was something he was hoping to get the privilege of receiving one day. Is this a realistic goal or just a dream for the young Belgium midfielder?

Hazard’s first season in the Premier League was a fantastic one, scoring 14 and assisting seven which saw the young winger stamp his ability on the league. His brilliant start was awarded by being voted the PFA young player of the year which also boasts the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Cesc Fabregas down the years.

The Ballon d’Or is the biggest individual honour a player can receive in his career – it is given to the best player of that season whether it be put down to goals scored, how many trophies were won or how important a player is to the team (Fabio Cannavaro for example). In this current era, to become the best you must be above Ronaldo (current holder) or Lionel Messi (won it four years in a row), so how does Hazard compare to these two?

So far this season Hazard’s statistics are as follows:

The predicted total is the number of goals and assists the player currently has to games played. Times it by the amount of games he could play (41 games) to get the end result. Hazard has a goals/assists per game ratio of 0.4 – times that by 41 and it equals 18.2 goals/assists.

Hazard last season had a combined total of 21 goals/assists so he must perform better to increase his tally. For a 23-year-old winger, however these stats are still representative of a class player, but when you compare them to Ronaldo and Messi they’re significantly disproportionate.

87 goals/assists is a number which sounds ridiculous if you’re playing a computer game on easy for a whole season but yes, if Ronaldo were to continue his form throughout and play every possible game in the league and Champions League he would reach 87 goals/assists. With Messi just behind him with 73 goals/assists, it shows that Hazard is no where near the Ballon d’Or from a statistical sense.

Apart from this season, I looked at the goals and assists each player had last season in a ‘big game’. Arguments can be held over the definition of a ‘big game’ but I have chosen matches which:

• The player played against a team in the top six
• The player played against a team vying for the Champions League

Even though Messi scored against Ajax home and away last season that doesn’t make the cut, and even though Ronaldo scored a hat-trick away to Galatasaray last season that also doesn’t make it. I’m looking for matches which had the most impact on where they finished or how difficult it would have been to progress. This is how it follows:

With Barcelona being knocked out so soon in the Champions League and Ronaldo picking up an injury during the season, Hazard had the most games to prove himself and unfortunately did the worst out of the three. This may come across as harsh as he’s only 23, playing in just his second season for Chelsea, but if you claim you want to win the biggest prize in football you need to prove that it can be done. By the age of 23 both Messi and Ronaldo had won the Ballon D’or, which shows that Hazard seems a fair way off the pace.

So what does Hazard need to do to become the best player in the World?

The answer is to perform at the highest level in the biggest games of that season. Ronaldo and Messi last season were arguably similar in terms of ability but what edged Ronaldo ahead of Messi was the World Cup play-off tie against Sweden. Ronaldo scored all four goals in the home and away matches to push Portugal through, that game defined Ronaldo for the season as being truly the best player of that year. Hazard under performed at the World Cup in Brazil but avoided criticism much of the press, as Belgium reached the next World Cup.

Hazard still has time on his side, and one of the best managers in the world, Jose Mourinho guiding him along the way. To compare himself to Ronaldo and Messi results in a futile conversation as these two players are head and shoulders above almost everyone at the moment – Luis Suarez is a part of the conversation.  With Ronaldo hitting 30 and Messi currently playing in a transitional Barcelona, it could represent Hazard’s best opportunity to place propel himself onto a similar level as the two footballing greats.

Fulham sacked manager Felix Magath today, with the club sitting at the bottom of the Championship table with just one point to its name for the 2014/15 season.

The sacking has come on the back of a 5-3 loss away to Nottingham Forest. In the midweek match, the Cottagers came back from being 2-0 down to go ahead 3-2 to ultimately losing the lead again and losing in the eight goal thriller. Post match, Felix Magath labeled the season as a disaster.

“It is a catastrophe. I have never had that before in my career and I am very sorry for our fans. I ask for patience from the fans. I have no doubt we can get up the table.”

Magath said last night that he felt his own job was safe and that he had a great relationship with Shahid Khan, Fulham’s owner:

Khan clearly did not agree with the situation and sacked Magath after just eight months in charge. A statement from Khan confirms that under-21 coach Kit Symons has been appointed as Caretaker Manager, while the club will be looking for a new manager immediately.

“This is an unfortunate but necessary change,” Khan said. “I am doing what I feel is right and needed for Fulham Football Club, for today as well as tomorrow.

“I thank our supporters for standing by us during these most difficult of times on the pitch, and promise better days ahead.”

Felix Magath’s appointment came off the back of two management sackings with Martin Jol and René Meulensteen deemed not good enough, but Magath — a former Germany player — was seen as the man to keep Fulham in the Premier League and to create a future for the club. With little progress shown in the Premier League, questions were raised whether Magath was to walk away from Fulham. He decided not to and relegation followed.

After being relegated, Fulham released 16 players (including loans). And with 8 players coming in, it was never going to be easy for the team to hit the ground running. Eyes were raised when Fulham paid £11 million for Leeds United’s Ross McCormack as it was an incredible amount of money for a Championship player.

The start of the season has been awful, not winning a single game and drawing once (against Cardiff) has seen the London-based side bottom of the table. With the players Felix Magath has at his disposal it is clearly not good enough.

Chris Hughton, Tim Sherwood and Neil Lennon have been mentioned already but they will surely be looking for a Premiership club, which leaves Fulham staring at a bleak future in an unforgiving league.

In a game of two halves at Goodison Park, Everton took a 2-0 lead into the break only for Arsenal to score two goals to finish the match 2-2. Here are the player ratings:

Everton

Tim Howard – 5

Didn’t have a lot to do with only three shots on target against him but conceding two goals does ask the question if he could have done more.

Seamus Coleman – 6

First half, the Irish full back played brilliantly and was rewarded with a goal to give Everton the lead. Second half, he faded and made mistakes. No pressure on Cazorla for the cross, which gave Arsenal their first goal.

Sylvain Distin – 6

Was strong and disciplined, like he always has been in his career. Was weak against Giroud for the equalizer, which ultimately lost Everton all three points.

Phil Jagielka – 6

Similar to Distin in the way he played today, was strong and controlled the back four well. Missed the header, which resulted in Giroud scoring, which again was similar to Distin.

Leighton Baines – 6

Had a somewhat quiet game by his standards. Was involved in the build-up to Everton’s first goal and had points in the game where he delivered well.

Gareth Barry – 7

Very good game for the central defensive midfielder. Kept the Arsenal midfield quiet for most of the game, which is not an easy thing to do. Assisted for Coleman’s first goal with a brilliant cross.

James McCarthy – 6

Had a quiet game, kept the game ticking throughout but didn’t do a lot to influence the game. His role in the team is to keep it simple and he did that very well. He just needed to put more of a stamp on the game when Everton were holding on to the lead.

Steven Pienaar – N/A

Only played eight minutes before injury ended his game early.

Kevin Mirallas – 7

Always looked a threat whenever he had the ball. His pace was devastating and had Arsenal by the scruff of their neck. Did tire towards the end but did enough throughout to cause problems.

Romelu Lukaku – 7

Was deployed on the right wing as he did against Arsenal in the 3-0 victory last season. Played very well first, setting up Naismith for the second goal. Was strong and played smart. Fitness was an issue towards the end before he was substituted.

Steven Naismith – 8 (Man of the match)

The Scottish player was asked to be the point of the attack and he did very well. Coming in deep to collect the ball, the Arsenal defenders were unable to stop him. Endless in his running and scored Everton’s second goal after great work from Lukaku.

Substitutes:

Leon Osman – 6

Coming on for Pienaar, he was very sloppy when distributing the ball. Already having McCarthey on the pitch that does the same role as Osman saw him look lost at times.

Aiden McGeady – N/A

Had little of the ball in the fifteen minutes he was on the pitch.

Christian Atsu – N/A

Only played five minutes.

Arsenal

Wojciech Szczęsny – 5

Similar to Howard’s performance where he had little to do, Everton only had two shots on target with both shots resulting in goals. Could have done more in both goals especially the Naismith shot that went through his legs.

Mathieu Debuchy- 7

Had a solid game. With Ozil unwilling to track back and help, the right back did cause him to get overrun at times. Did the basics very well. With more games under his belt with his new team, he will demand more from his wingers for support.

Calum Chambers – 5

The young centre back had his work cut out for him today. Too eager to win the ball back led to silly fouls and a yellow card. Sliding in recklessly against Lukaku saw the Belgian striker skip past him leading to a goal. Will need to learn from this performance.

Per Mertesacker – 4

Not a great game for the World Cup winner, looking slower than he usually does and clearly lacking in match fitness. Mertesacker is at his best when he can sit deep and read the play in front of him, trying too hard to win the ball back saw him looking foolish. Picked up a yellow card and will want to forget about this performance quickly.

Nacho Monreal – 6

Was very quiet in the game. He started to show promise as the game drawn out. Doing the basics throughout the match, he didn’t do a lot to make a difference in the game except for a pivotal moment where he chased the ball near the corner flag to sail the cross into the box for Giroud to head home the equalizer.

Aaron Ramsey – 6

Poor game by his standards but still got the goal that gave Arsenal hope. Passing and shooting was sloppy throughout and if it wasn’t for his goal, it would have been one of his worst performances in recent months.

Jack Wilshere – 5

Trying too much saw the English midfielder substituted for Cazorla. Trying to add speed when attacking is a great trait to have but when other midfielders aren’t on the same wavelength, it will cause mistakes. Got yellow carded for a bad challenge on Barry.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 6

Similar to Wilshere, trying too much saw his efforts as wasteful. Had two decent chances in the first half which went wide, he will be disappointed he didn’t at least work the goalkeeper. Was substituted for Campbell after fading in the second half.

Mathieu Flamini – 7

Typical performance for the French midfielder. Was strong and vocal throughout the game. Got little support when Everton attacked but dealt with it very well.

Mesut Özil – 4

Whether he is lacking match fitness or is out of form, Ozil had a very poor game. Was played out on the wing and looked lost for the majority of the match. Gave little support for Debuchy when Everton attacked.

Alexis Sánchez – 4

Was only given the first half before being substituted. Given the role as striker, we saw him lack any influence on the match. Not knowing whether to come deep to receive the ball or stay up top resulted in Arsenal creating little in the first half.

Substitutes:

Olivier Giroud – 7

The game changed when the French striker came on. Knowing how to play the role of striker when coming on for Sanchez saw Arsenal have an outlet upfront. Should have scored more than the one he did but with the goal resulting in points being saved for Arsenal, he can only be seen as a influence.

Santi Cazorla – 7

Only having fifteen minutes to make an impact, he assisted for one goal and put more control into Arsenal’s midfield. Was typical in the way he plays and will want to start the next game.

Joel Campbell – N/A

Had little of the ball in the fifteen minutes he was on.

With the likes of James Rodriguez, Antoine Griezmann, Mario Mandzukic and Toni Kroos headlining the Spanish transfer market activity, many players have been signed which have gone under the radar.

Let’s have a look at the top three under rated signings in La Liga so far this summer.

3. Guillermo Ochoa (Malaga, free transfer)

The Mexican goalkeeper was an unsigned agent going into the 2014 World Cup, having been released from French side AC Ajaccio, after his former side suffered relegation. Ochoa used the World Cup as a platform for clubs to acquire his services. The inspired shot-stopper conceded only three goals in four matches, keeping two clean sheets – one of which was against host nation Brazil. His fine tournament saw the Mexican earn his right to join Malaga. With departing custodian Willy Caballero joining Manchester City this season, the 29-year-old will have a strong chance of claiming the No. 1 position between the sticks.

2. Shkodran Mustafi (Valencia, €8 million)

The German centre-back has had a lackluster career so far, despite his immense potential. He joined joined Everton as a teenager in 2009 and was tipped to produce big things. Three years later and without any appearances for the Merseyside club the defender then found his way to Italy where he joined Serie A club Sampdoria. Finally, a break-through campaign last term saw him receive a call-up to the Germany squad for the 2014 World Cup. However, injury to his thigh against Algeria saw his tournament cut short. His rise to prominence of late was enough for Valencia to warrant signing him for €8 million. At 22, it appears a considerably small fee for a player who has only just begun to show glimpses of his worth.

1.  Alfreð Finnbogason (Real Sociedad, €8 million)

Which player finished third in Europe’s Golden Boot last season? If you were to answer with Icelandic striker Alfreð Finnbogason then you would be correct. Scoring an incredible 29 goals last season saw him trail behind the likes of dynamic duo Luis Suarez and Cristiano Ronaldo. Playing his football for Dutch side SC Heerenveen for the past two seasons has seen his goal record go unnoticed – scoring a formidable 53 goals in 65 games. A move to Real Sociedad is a shrewd career choice, having earned 21 caps at the age of 25 for Iceland and taken Dutch soccer by storm. His new employers will participate in Europa League competition, which will allow Finnbogason the chance to make a real name for himself.

With Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the latest Community Shield, people in the soccer world are now starting to see the Gunners as a contender to win the Premier League title this season. Claiming the top spot is within their grasp if they keep their players fit. But does winning the Community Shield actually mean anything towards the actual season ahead?

The Community Shield is a match where the winner of the Premier League faces the F.A Cup winner of the previous season. Normally seen as a warm-up to the actual season, the trophy (or Shield) lacks prestige and even though it’s a trophy to add to the cabinet, it’s not exactly a victory to shout from the rooftops.

With Arsenal’s convincing winning against Premier League champions Manchester City, it has some people seeing the result as a sign of things to come. But is that an accurate observation based on the track record of Community Shield victors from the last 20 years?

Let’s take a look.

As can be seen, the signs aren’t that promising for Arsenal. The winner of the Shield then went on to win the league only six times. That represents 30% of the teams winning the Premier League after lofting the Community Shield above their heads.

Interestingly, there have only been three occasions where the winner finished outside the top four showing that if you win the game it usually guarantees a relatively good season.

With it being ten years since Arsenal last won the league, fans can either look positively or negatively at the 30% conversion rate from a Community Shield to a Premier League trophy. Is it in the stars for the Gunners this season?

MORE — For more Gunners news, read the Arsenal team page.

“Tika-Taka is dead.”

The phrase was used a lot during the Spaniard’s World Cup campaign. Finishing third in the group, conceding seven and scoring just four left people mourning the style of play called tiki-taka. The style of play is seen as an art-form for the technical lovers of soccer, the short and precise passing, creating space and knowing your surroundings had the soccer enthusiasts worshipping the way they play. However, not everyone saw that style of play to be entertaining; keeping the ball for long periods of play without actually progressing up the pitch is seen as monotonous.

Tiki-taka, in the simplistic terms, means keeping the ball for long periods of time, then waiting for the right time to strike on the opponent; keep the ball, score and repeat. The complex way to explain is that each player has to create a triangle with whomever has the ball, creating triangles throughout the pitch creates multiple options for the player with the ball and is easier to receive it back or go forward; when you have multiple options to push forward it creates more chances which eventually wins matches. Barcelona and Spain are the main users of this tactical way of playing, which have led to a World Cup and European title for Spain and for Barcelona. They won just about everything you can within soccer, multiple times.

However when Barcelona lost the Copa Del Ray final to Real Madrid, followed by coming second to Atletico Madrid and finally losing in the quarter finals to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, questions started to emerge about whether their style has seen better days and whether the new era of soccer should come through: counter attack.

The way Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid (both Champions League finalists) played last season was the style of counter attack; deploying either a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 the way of playing was to have a solid back line and use the pace in the midfield and wings to destroy their opponent. Both teams beat Barcelona during the 2013/14 season proving there is a way to best tiki-taka.

Spain in the World Cup was a similar story; Holland and Chile both deployed counter attacking tactics against Spain and played brilliantly against the former champion. Like a boxer, both Chile and Holland were underdogs and kept their defense strong until a combination of hits to the champion knocked them off balance; the champion is down but certainly not out.

The reason why tiki-taka did not reign supreme in the World Cup was down to a few things: fatigue was an issue for Spain, the starting eleven against Holland had played a collective total of 465 games, averaging 42 games each. Compare that to Holland (419, averaging 38), Chile (328, averaging 29) and Australia (305, averaging 27) it’s clear to see that no matter what style of soccer you play, you will get tired if you play too much. Eight players in the starting eleven played over 40 games (Cassilas lowered the average down dramatically, playing only 24 times) for their club side, Holland had five, Chile had 3 and Australia had just one, the goalkeeper. Playing that many games will tire out any player, regardless of who you are.

Another issue was the injuries to players suffered throughout the past season; Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Diego Costa and Andreas Iniesta all suffered injuries during their club’s seasons, with their eye on the World Cup plus fatigue and lack of match fitness will cause any team to break down.

Barcelona’s downfall last season could be blamed on fatigue, but more importantly that their style of play had been “found out”, being one of the most advertised team over the past five years will take a toll; teams will adapt to how the best team in the World play and try to stop it. It seems as though counter attacking is a weakness of tiki-taka, the high line they play causes players with pace to make problems at the back, adding to the fact a make shift partnership of Mascherano and Pique was used a lot of last season causing cracks to appear.

The future is bright for the two teams, former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola and his team Bayern Munich implemented the way Barcelona and Spain play last season. The result was winning the league in a record amount of time (seven games to spare) and winning the DFB Pokal shows that the style of play is the right way to play.

A combination of fatigue and injuries had people celebrate the death of tiki-taka, claiming the new era of soccer is here to take over but it turns out that tiki-taka isn’t dead. It was just sleeping.

The eagerly awaited FIFA 15 video game was recently announced at this year Electronic Entertainment Expo, also known as E3. The convention held in Los Angeles showed the newest games and devices to be released to the public in the coming months.

The last FIFA game, FIFA 14, was seen more as a FIFA 13.5 with the primary focus towards the Ultimate Team function (a part of the game where you can purchase players from any League and make a team of your choosing). The FIFA development team seemed to ignore what was needed fixing — dribbling and shooting.

The problem with last year’s game was that the players felt too similar, whether you were playing with Cristiano Ronaldo or Antonio Valencia, it felt as if the players didn’t have any personality traits. This year they have seemed to focus on these issues.

According to EA Sports, it claims FIFA 15 will “leave defenders for dust” and “use the ball like the world’s best footballers,” adding “Players [will] move realistically with athleticism, improved balance and closer control, giving greater responsiveness and personality to your favorite stars. Run Touch Dribbling will let you keep the ball in a sprint or when looking for an opening in close-touch situations. Iconic players like Leo Messi will dribble and move like they do in real life. The movement of the ball in FIFA 15 changes the game. You’ll see accurate spin, curl and flight of the football as it moves realistically after each contact. Experience authentic ball physics while dribbling, passing, taking a touch or blocking a shot.”

EA claims FIFA 15 will have improve the realism of the actual game, something which was needed. Players who had pace were primary exploited on the game, while wingers who weren’t gifted with pace were deemed useless which leftt the game with people playing the same players uninteresting.

With EA also looking to make the gameplay more realistic, they’ve touched upon certain players having traits like they do in real life. Lionel Messi, for example is very difficult to play with for the fact the style he plays in real life is hard to translate into a video game format. Messi’s famous skill set of close dribbling and explosive pace seemed almost impossible to implement in a video game. However, EA is looking change that in order to improve on the realism of the game. FIFA enthusiasts can look forward to playing as their favourite player like never before.

FIFA 15 is scheduled to be released in September 2014.

Here’s the new trailer that goes into more details regarding some of the new features:

Mobile app users, watch the video here.

West Ham United has confirmed the deal to bring twenty four year old defender, Cheikhou Kouyaté to the club for seven million pounds on a four year deal. The former Anderlecht player has expressed his desire to play in England and will get his opportunity to do so in Upton Park.

The 6’4″ defender can play either center back or defensive midfielder, and the Hammers will likely try use him as cover for Mohamed Diamé who has had injury problems in the past. West Ham’s manager Sam Allardyce will also be looking to create competition in the center back position with Winston Reid and James Tomkins looking to continue being a formidable partnership. Thus it will be up to Kouyaté to force his way in if he plays on the backline.

Kouyaté’s heading and passing ability are his strong points, being very composed on the ball and able to play from the back, this could be the direction Sam Allardyce is looking for with his tactics and choice of play heavily criticized after last season.

It’s West Ham’s second signing this summer with Argentinian striker Mauro Zárate joining the club in May. Cheikhou Kouyaté is relishing his opportunity in playing in the Premier League:

“I know a few players who were also at the club, Carlos Tevez, Demba Ba, Andy Carroll, who was obviously here last season. West Ham are a team who are known and who are going to help me to progress. West Ham was the ideal club for me, because as a kid I dreamed of playing in the Premier League and now it is here that my dream has been realized.”

The defender started his career at Senegal’s ASC Yeggo in 2006, he then moved FC Brussels in the youth set-up where he rose into the senior team. The 19-year-old then left FC Brussels as his former employers did not pay him three months of wage and subsequently moved to Anderlecht where he enjoyed success, winning the Pro League last season via the play-off system they use. Leaving West Ham does show ambitions as Anderlecht are usual Champions League recipients, never leaving the group stages however they tend to be the whipping boys of the group, suffering five defeats in Group C last season, Kouyaté will see this move as one which will be in the right direction.

Having five international appearances to his name, West Ham United have obtained a player who has his sights on the top and could be thrown straight into the fire with the team facing Tottenham Hotspur at home on the opening day of the season; it may be the perfect chance to show the West Ham faithful why he deserves to be playing in one of the best leagues in the World.

The Ivory Coast’s 2-1 victory against Japan has the team edging closer to the second round for the first time in their World Cup history but Les Elephants should look towards Colombia with caution. Attacking with too much emphasis could cause goals from Columbia’s James Rodriguez, Juan Guillermo Cuadrado and Victor Ibarbo. Teofilo Gutierrez will hold the ball well and bring other players in for attack.

Ivory Coast should look to bring back Kolo Toure, who suffered from a malaria infection replacing Dider Zokora as he offers leadership qualities and has played regularly this season for Liverpool. The rest of the defense played well against Japan and both full backs have pace to offer which should shut down the Colombians main attacking strength.

Against Japan, they deployed a 4-3-3 system, focusing on the pace of Gervinho and Salomon Kalou pushing down the wings and delivering crosses towards Wilfred Bony to use his height to his advantage, however it wasn’t until Didier Drogba came on that Ivory Coast really had any effect against them.

I believe they will start with the same formation against Japan but should look towards a 4-2-3-1 formation with Yaya Toure and Cheik Tiote sitting back and holding off the Colombians powerful attack with the option of Kalou in the center attacking midfield role and Max Gradel starting on the right wing. The pace they set will cause Colombia to be more cautious when pushing forward. They should start with Wilfred Bony and have Drogba as an impact substitute as it’s a fantastic option to have.

It will be a tight affair with neither team wanting to lose so we may not see many chances, the match will likely be won by whomever sets the best defense and Ivory Coast can take confidence from their deep and impactful bench who will give them more options to finish the game.

Colombia will feature a similar setup to the opening 3-0 victory over Greece.

Ivory Coast

Columbia

Brazilian manager Luiz Felipe Scolari may have to impose a change to Brazil’s starting line-up against Mexico this Tuesday after his striker Hulk limped out of training on Sunday.

Hulk, whose real name is Givanildo Vieira de Souza, was seen limping away after scoring a goal. After receiving treatment, he was deemed unable to continue and now leaves Scolari with a selection dilemma.

Twenty seven year old Hulk has been a key player for Brazil’s team, being deployed on the right side. He is given the role to cut in whenever and deliver his fierce strikes. His performance against Croatia in the World Cup opening game was lackluster however, being subbed for Shakhtar Doneskt star Bernard, 21. The youngster will be looking to start after replacing the Zenit St Petersburg star.

Another player who will be pushing to start is Chelsea winger Willian. The 25 year old, who has featured for Brazil seven times, had a very impressive season for Chelsea, reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. He played a key part in the team, being deployed to both attack and defense. He can be trusted in a role to do both jobs very well.

Although Luiz Scolari has options to replace Hulk if needed, it certainly is an unfortunate problem to have so soon in the tournament.

There are 347 players involved against 43 countries in a club that no one wants to be a part of. It’s the pinnacle of any player’s career but to be branded in such a club is seen as laughable rather than admirable. 52 goals have been scored between them, with five hat-tricks and five braces collected; there is however only one number which is significant. That is ‘The 1 cap wonders club.’

Matthew Jarvis, David Nugent, Dean Ashton, Anthony Gardener and Lee Hendrie are just a few selected names on the long list which makes up the players who have only had one appearance for England, but why do they only get the one game to prove themselves?

Let’s start from the very beginning; Charles John Morice born on 27^th May 1850 in Kensington, London was the very first player to only have one appearance for England and then never to return. He played for the Barnes Rugby Football Club (founded in 1862, and rumored to be the oldest football club ever) and his position was forward. He got his chance to show his international ability against Scotland in what was the first ever international match; Charles Morice was 22 at the time and played the whole game. The match ended 0-0 and the English committee (which were then the management) decided that they saw more than enough from Charles that game and never picked him again, making him the very first ever one cap wonder.

Fast forward to 2014; 164 years later, Jon Flanagan plays against Ecuador in a World Cup friendly, he came on as a substitute, replacing injured midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the 64^th minute. The game ended 2-2, with Rickie Lambert and Wayne Rooney getting the goals for England. Although he is only 21 and has a lot of promise, Jon Flanagan becomes the latest player to feature in the one cap wonder club.

So why are these players only given one game to decide if they’re international quality or not? The answer is usually they are picked when inform and have the press behind that certain player to play for England. It is however the unfortunate truth that England listen to the media regarding who they should and should not play. The most recent player to be picked based on media influence was Jay Bothroyd. Around the time of him being chosen to play in his only appearance against France, he was playing for Cardiff City FC who were then in the Championship. After starting the season well the media poised the question, ‘why can’t Championship players play for England?’ After the lackluster 18 minute performance against France in which they lost 2-1, actions spoke louder than words and proved that listening to the media isn’t always the best way of choosing players.

A lot of the time, players are picked because they’re young and started the season well so are given a chance to see if they can make the step up to international level. Joey Barton was 24 when he played against Spain whilst Lee Bowyer and David Dunn were 25 and 22 respectively when they played against Portugal in their only appearances. To be only given one match, and in most cases these players came on from the bench, proving themselves in such a short time is very unfair.

The latest list of players to have joined the club could change the outlook for future England players. Steven Caulker, Jonjo Shelvey and Jack Butland are just a few names who have played just the once for England, but with their call-ups being two years ago (Caulker and Shelvey vs Sweden 2012 and Butland vs Italy 2012) with all three players being very young at the time, a lot has changed. All three players have since moved from the team they played for when featuring for England and have improved greatly. With a lot of the older players falling out of favor or reaching retirement, England may have no other choice but to recall them in the future.

From Morice to Flanagan we have had plenty of players test their skills against other countries trying to stake a claim into why they should be playing for their country, but failing to do so they should look back on their only appearance and be proud to be a part of a club that millions would do just about anything to be in.

L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling has been under heavy scrutiny following his recorded conversation with associate V. Stiviano where he was quoted as saying “(It) bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people.” Protests within the NBA followed, fans brought signs to the games showing their support towards the Clippers and their disproval towards Donald Sterling.

Within days, NBA commissioner Adam Silver held a press conference confirming that Donald Sterling would be banned for life from the NBA and fined $2.5 million, the maximum fine permissible under the league bylaws. The Golden State Warriors were due to play the Clippers hours after Silver announced the sanctions and had the punishment been more lenient for Sterling, Stephen Curry claimed the game would have never happened. “It would have been our only chance to make a statement in front of the biggest audience that we weren’t going to accept anything but the maximum punishment,” Curry said, “We would deal with the consequences later but we were not going to play.” Fortunately, the maximum punishment was given for Donald Sterling and a message was sent to everyone around the league.

The situation draws parallels to recent racism rows in England. In October 2011, John Terry was also under the spotlight after being accused of racially abusing then QPR defender Anton Ferdinand. Although John Terry claimed he never said anything racist towards Ferdinand and was cleared by Westminster Magistrates’ Court, The FA decided they found enough evidence to declare John Terry guilty and handed him a punishment. The punishment: A fine of £220,000 and a four match ban.

Compared to the NBA response, this punishment was laughable. It took the NBA days to come to a conclusion and they punished Sterling immediately. Terry’s case went on for ten months until a decision was made and the punishment was lenient.

The same thing could be said of the Luis Suarez case, as he was deemed to have racially insulted Manchester United defender Patrice Evra. The comments were made on the 15th of October with the punishment being made in December. Suarez was found guilty and given a fine of £40,000 and an eight match ban. Again the punishment wasn’t close to that of the NBA against Sterling.

Recently in Spain, Barcelona star Dani Alves had a banana thrown at him by a ‘fan’ as he went to take a corner. His witty response towards the action was to eat the banana and continue to take the corner. Thousands responded on social media to support Alves, with his Barcelona teammate Neymar posting a picture of himself and his son eating a banana with the hashtag of ‘We Are All Monkeys.’ Many others within football and outside the sport have come out with photos similar to support the fight against racism. It was later determined that the incident was a PR campaign.

However, these situations serve to draw more light to how prevalent racism still is in soccer. When it comes down to it, the Football Association and FIFA have not done enough to remove racism out of soccer. ‘Kick It Out’ and ‘Show Racism The Red Card’ are just few of the many campaign groups within soccer with their goal of trying to stop racism but with FIFA’s refusal of giving maximum bans towards players and lack of support towards the one who are abused it feels as if unless the players stand up against it, no one will.

What the NBA and Adam Silver have done is one small step to a massive goal, banning an owner of a club and giving him the maximum fine sends a strong message that racism will not be tolerated in sport. Actions like these are the only way to remove such overt racism from the game.

“This Coupe de la Ligue was very important; we owed it to ourselves to shine in one of the domestic cups.”

The comments of Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc after their 2-1 victory over Olympique Lyonnais in the League Cup final. I was at the game to witness the final and the state in which French football is currently standing, unfortunately it’s not a state worth boasting.

Having purchased a trip to Paris four months prior to the final, I didn’t have a clue that I would be one of the lucky eighty-one thousand spectators in the Stade De France that night. Once I realized that the cup final landed on the day of my trip, I immediately applied for tickets. After waiting just thirty minutes in a queue of hopefuls, I was sent an e-mail confirming our tickets to the final.

I’ve been to tournament matches before, including a semi-final in Wembley, but never to a foreign final. I was very interested to see if comparisons could be made between the two countries, how the fans conduct themselves for the game, and how the reactions are during the game.

Purchasing the tickets had told me how different things would be from the beginning. Getting a ticket for a semi-final in the F.A Cup often means waiting in long lines. It is considerably different from just going onto the Stade De France website and selecting ‘purchase tickets.’ The laid back attitude would follow all the way to the end, which in my opinion is a better way of watching the game.

I left for the train at 6pm, trying to get there as early as possible to soak in the atmosphere. We arrived at the station twenty minutes later and left the train to enter a festival-like-area. This area had dance music blaring from the speakers and both sets of fans were talking and enjoying themselves. Could you imagine that happening in the UK? Both fans getting together and enjoying each other’s company. Just the mere suggestion of it is laughable. Police were of course on standby if any trouble were to happen, but the last thing anyone wanted was trouble. Everyone had purchased their ticket to enjoy the day, not just to watch football.

After enjoying a couple of beers (€4 for small, €7 for large) we headed to the stadium. I was stopped halfway through by a policeman asking for our tickets, he wanted to see if we were in the Lyon or PSG end. Having no idea where we were going, I joked with the policeman saying ‘we don’t know what fans we are, were from the UK’. The policeman then allowed himself to smile at the joke and said we were PSG fans and we headed straight in.

Stade De France is a beautiful stadium, you could sit anywhere in the stadium and be able to watch the game perfectly. The festival theme continued its way inside the stadium, where if it were not for the posters outside the stadium you would not know a football match was going to be played. Two DJ’s were battling against each other, one was a PSG fan and the other was a Lyon fan. The two DJ’s played music to see who could create the loudest noise inside the stadium, it ended as a draw.

With kick-off time approaching, the stadium filled up rather quickly. The stadium had provided each fan with a flag of the team you were supporting and a pair of clappers (inflatable tubes in which you hit to create a ‘clapping’ sound). Prior to kick-off we were asked to wave the flags in order to create an atmosphere. The result looked brilliant on the screen opposite us and got everyone inside the ground ready for what could be, a brilliant match. What we got didn’t replicate the buzz we delivered.

Lyon had previously beaten PSG on the Sunday before the final. The result doesn’t falter PSG’s title chances, PSG is currently leading the table by seven points with a game in hand. The league match could have been seen as the warm-up to the final, was more of a warm down for the PSG team. Due to the injury on PSG’s talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic. I was very interested to see what Edison Cavani could do as the focal point of attack and within three minutes in he answered my questions. Brazilian full back Maxwell passed it to Ezequiel Lavezzi, who sent the ball back to him with a brilliant back heel. Maxwell then adventured into the area before chipping the ball over the Lyon keeper Anthony Lopez, giving Cavani the simplest of finishes by tapping it into an empty net.

The stadium erupted with the cries of  ‘goal, goal, goal, goal’, the early lead felt as if it was already game over. In the 31^st minute, Lucas Moura brilliantly took down a Thiago Silva pass in the area where he was then brought down by the helpless Lyon keeper. The foul looked outside the box, but PSG was given a penalty by the referee. A yellow card was given to the keeper, and he was then given the task of saving Cavani’s penalty. Lopez dived the correct way but wasn’t able to get near the brilliant penalty.

When it was whistled for half time, we left our seats and headed to get something to drink. I stood back and watched the fans reactions to the half, it felt as if what had happened was normal and that they were going through the motions to a guaranteed victory. People were on their phones, smoking by the sides of the arena, and acting as if they didn’t just watch the first half to a final, but the first half to a game they already knew the ending to.

The second half went underway with both sets of fans singing, creating a brilliant atmosphere for a dull game of football. In the 55th minute, Lyon struck back with a brilliant shot outside the area by French international, Alexandre Lacazette. Silence hit the PSG fans, where the party atmosphere turned into frustration. In truth, PSG didn’t need to worry after the goal went in, as they were still very much in control of the match.

After Lyon scored I expected a nervy end to the game with Lyon pressuring PSG to make a mistake which would lead to an equalizer. What occurred was the very opposite, it seemed as if Lyon didn’t want to concede another goal and they continued to sit back as they had all game. That strategy was never going to cause PSG any serious problems. I have always considered Lyon a big team in France, they currently are in fifth and 25 points behind the leaders PSG. What I didn’t consider is how far teams have fallen and the current quality of French football.

In the past four seasons, four different teams have won Ligue 1: Olympique de Marseille (2010), Lille OSC (2011), Montpellier HSC (2012), Paris Saint-Germain (2013). Their current positions are as followed:

Olympique de Marseille – 6

Lille OSC – 3

Montpellier HSC – 14

Paris Saint-Germain – 1

Two seasons ago, Montpellier had won Ligue 1; they now lie in 14th and six points above the relegation zone. It shows the unpredictably of the league which is a great thing in football, but also the quality of it.

When the final whistle was blown, after a lackluster final match. I stood up and applauded the newly crowned French League Cup champions. Although the match wasn’t as competitive as I hoped it would be. Seeing the passion of the fans at full time and how the players celebrated. It was a memory which will last in my mind for a very long time.

“We are sons of the Dream Team, trying to emulate them,” — a quote used from Pep Guardiola in 2009 to describe the Barcelona team he took over from Frank Rijkaard a year before. The quote was directed towards the ‘dream team’ Johan Cruyff had created in his stint of the club. Guardiola was primarily used as a defensive midfielder; beginning his career for Barcelona ‘B,’ he clocked 59 appearances for the team until Cryuff added the final piece to his brilliant jigsaw and stepped back and viewed what he had created, the dream team.

Guardiola appeared for Barcelona 366 times in the eleven years he had played for the famous club, collecting 6 la Liga trophies, 2 Copa Del Reys and one European cup, giving Barcelona’s first of four victories in the famous competition. Never contributing much to the attacking side of Barcelona, he became a pivot for the midfield and proved his worth for the club becoming the captain of Cruyffs team. He then left Barcelona in 2001 and retired in 2006 while playing for Mexican side Dorados.

The retirement didn’t last long however, as in 2007 he was appointed Barcelona ‘B’ manager and guided them to promotion from Tercera División, the fourth level of Spanish football to Segunda División B in his first season in charge. The following season, he was then promoted to Barcelona FC, a decision which at first wasn’t looked upon greatly. Barcelona at the time were viewed as a team that needed to be reconstructed, a team that had too many celebrities and not enough footballers. The Catalan newspaper El Mundo Deportivo reported that Jose Mourinho was to become the next Barcelona manager quoting that the now Chelsea manager “explained the main lines of his football project. He even handed Barcelona vice president Marc Ingla and sports director Txiki Begiristain a DVD that contained a more complete analysis and his view on the team and the players.”

But that wasn’t to be, and Guardiola was chosen as the successor to Rijkaard and given the task of turning Barcelona from headlining the gossip pages to headlining the sports pages. Guardiola had imposed new rules on the team such as creating a dining room for the players so they could all eat together, and whenever they were training, the public and press could not follow, making the training sessions private to only the players. Fines were introduced to the club; being late to training resulted in a €6,000 fine and missing a team breakfast would result in a €500 punishment. Guardiola wanted a togetherness of the players but also a professional attitude.

His first season in charge saw the team win the treble and subsequently become the first ever Spanish side to do so. He then followed that with a record of 14 trophies in four seasons and has made him the most successful coach in Barcelona’s history.

After the 2011/12 season, Guardiola needed a deserved break from football, having put the amount of effort he did in Barcelona he left, leaving Vito Vilanova in charge of the team he had changed into world’s most talked about to the world’s greatest.

After a season out, he decided to take over the treble winning side of Bayern Munich, replacing Jupp Heynckes as manager.

On March 25, 2014, Bayern Munich beat Hertha Berlin 3-1 and wins the Bundesliga in the quickest recorded time with an incredible seven games to spare. In the five seasons he has been a manager, Guardiola has picked up an incredible 17 trophies but why is he still being doubted by the press and public?

The issue many people have about the former Barcelona player is that he only takes over teams that are already great. One article published “He stated in a press conference he was excited to coach in a different country, a new league, and to build a new squad to win trophies. Oh, oh wait – this team has already won every trophy they can.”

When he left Barcelona, people believed he left because it needed rebuilding and that he was uninterested in starting again, if failing to do so his managerial credentials would be in doubt, so he left until a new challenge came along, the challenge was to take over former treble winning side, Bayern Munich and turn them from incredible to… Exactly, there is no way to improve a team that has already won everything, the only thing you can do is take over the ship and keep it steady, in which he has done so.

But has Guardiola improved Bayern Munich? So far this season he has managed 43 games winning 37 times, drawing 4 times and has lost just twice, giving him a win percentage of 86%. In Jupp Heynckes final season in charge of Munich he managed 54 games winning 46, drawing 5 and lost just 3 times, giving him a win percentage of 85%. A progress has been made, but only slight.

Former players under Guardiola have come out against him and questioned his managerial style. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a former player under Guardiola, questioned why he chose to join Bayern Munich:

“Why did he opt for Munich? Because the team functions without him. It’s a complete team. He bought new players, but he does not need them. It was a smart move by Guardiola, because nothing can go wrong in Munich. He will have success.”

Ibrahimovic has also claimed the Munich manager is a ‘coward’ and pushed him out to the wing because Messi wanted to be striker. ‘He wanted to play in the middle (Messi), not on the wing, so the system changed from 4-3-3 to 4-5-1. I was sacrificed and no longer had the freedom on the pitch I need to succeed.’ You could argue that making Messi into the main striker was the best decision of his career but you need to keep the team together and changing the team to support one player doesn’t help.

Chelsea striker Samuel Eto’o has also come out and questioned how Guardiola man managed the player:

“Guardiola has never had the courage to say things in front of me. He passed by the players. Xavi told me they wanted me to stay but I had to talk to Pep. I say ‘never, if you do not respect me, I do not respect you’.”

Although Guardiola did handle both situations poorly based on what the players have said, there is a pattern showing. Guardiola shut out the problem players of the team, having sold Deco and Ronaldinho the season he was put in charge, players like Eto’o and Ibrahimovic are still problems within clubs, they are both very outspoken and that always causes controversy.

Guardiola had banned press to attend any training sessions Barcelona had, making the team not feel like celebrities but just what they are, footballers. Celebrity footballers like Ibrahimovic could never handle that situation properly; they are self-confident players and like to speak to the press. Guardiola obviously knew this from the beginning and began to faze them out of the club which has led to such backlash. An interesting point to note, no Barcelona player currently playing for the club has come out against the manager, coincidence?

A complaint the press have about Guardiola is that he only takes over a team which are already great, that simple isn’t true. Barcelona under Rijkaard was a shambles when he took over, they had not won the league in two seasons and the team needed to be rebuilt, Guardiola took over the team and they won the treble for the first time in their history in his first season, that doesn’t happen by chance, only a truly great manager could possibly do that.

Why should Guardiola take over a ‘smaller’ side to prove his worth? When you’re managing at the top stages every year to then suddenly drop to prove how great you truly are is a pointless exercise. The press don’t question Lionel Messi’s ability as a footballer even though he has only played for Barcelona, one of the biggest clubs in the world. If you have made it at the top, you want to stay at the top.

One year ago, Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 at Anfield for the Reds first win against a team above them in the table that season. They finished the season in seventh, twelve points off the coveted fourth spot and twenty-eight points off the champions Manchester United.

Now, after Saturday’s emphatic 6-3 away victory against Cardiff City, Liverpool sit second in the table, just four points behind Chelsea while Brendan Rodgers’ side have one game in hand.

The Anfield side have made a dramatic improvement this season. And with their progression continuing to skyrocket, could Liverpool really win the Premier League title this season?

It seems a strange question to ask, but with Liverpool boasting the two most feared strikers in the Premier League in Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge and having not lost a match since going down 2-1 at Chelsea in December, they are in title winning form. Liverpool have dropped points on ten occasions this season, having suffered five draws and five defeats. While they may not be up to scratch with last year’s United side, do they have enough to take the league this season?

If they do win the league, Suarez and Sturridge will have much to say about it. This year they have scored a total of 47 goals in the league, outscoring sixteen teams in the Premier League, including the likes of Tottenham, Everton, and Manchester United. The team has combined for 82 goals so far this season, six more than Manchester City and 20 goals ahead of Chelsea. With this amount of goals, it is obvious that the team should be pushing for the title.

So what can stop Liverpool from winning the title they’ve desperately wanted back since 1992? They have to have belief within the team; Steven Gerrard came out after the victory at Southampton saying, “We’ve certainly got a chance of competing. You’ve got to believe and have confidence.” We also heard the manager speak to their title chances after their 3-2 win at Fulham saying, “We’ve shown enough times we’re a very good side. We’re chasing and there are other teams still ahead of us, so we’ll need some of them to drop points, but we know we still have City and Chelsea to play at home.”

So with the manager and captain claiming Liverpool can win the title, what can stop them? The answer is themselves.

With their attacking mind-set, there will be many more goals given up defensively. Liverpool has conceded 38 goals this season, good for seventh in the table, among the likes of Newcastle and Hull. Looking at last season’s United side, who gave up only 31 goals and scored 68, it shows that a solid defence will allow you to pick up points wherever you go. However, this season’s Liverpool have seemingly re-written the book, playing with the philosophy of ‘you score one, we will score two’ and judging by the results thus far, it seems to be working.

Additionally, after Gerrard made his comments about belief within the side, he added, “The only thing that goes against us a little bit is our lack of experience. But if we keep performing like we have then we’ve got a chance.”

Experience is massive when it comes to winning trophies, and it is often a great asset to have players who have been in that situation and know how to handle the pressure when it comes. In the current side, Liverpool are lacking compared to some of their rivals.

Amongst Liverpool’s first eleven who played against Southampton, the players had won a combined 32 trophies in their career. And only eight of these trophies were for winning their respective league. This is compared to Chelsea, who have 53 trophies to boast between them, 12 of which were winning titles in their respective division, including Premier League winners. The average amount of trophies each player has won comes to 5, two more than the Liverpool average.

Experience also comes down to age. Coming into the season, the average age of the Chelsea team was 27 years, compared to Liverpool’s average of 25.4 years. While this bodes well for Liverpool’s potential in the future, the gap in age would seemingly give Chelsea a bit of an advantage in the present in terms of experience and keeping a level head.

In the end, Chelsea’s experience could shine through and prove pivotal towards the end of the campaign, but with the belief within Liverpool at an all-time high since 2008/09 and a potent strike force to go along with that belief, Liverpool will only have themselves to blame if they aren’t lifting the title in May.

For more Liverpool news, analysis and opinion, visit the Liverpool team page.