With Arsenal’s pre-season underway with the Barclays Asia Trophy in Singapore, and a squad full of big names such as Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Özil and new signing Petr Cech, as well as some talented youngsters; namely Gedion Zelalem, Chuba Akpom and Dan Crowley, it’s easy to forget some of the players who have not traveled. No, not Alexis Sanchez, David Ospina and Serge Gnabry who are on break after representing their nations in tournaments recently, or Thomas Rosicky  and Danny Welbeck who are currently injured. These forgotten men are two players coming off underwhelming loan spells – Yaya Sanogo and Joel Campbell, who is currently representing Costa Rica in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. They have both expressed their desires to make it at Arsenal, but judging off their most recent loan moves, have they sufficiently developed to do so?

French striker Yaya Sanogo joined Arsenal on July 1st 2013 on a free transfer after leaving French outfit Auxerre. Upon signing, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had this to say: “Sanogo is a good young signing for us. He has shown that he has potential with his recent performances for Auxerre and also for the France U/20 side. We are looking forward to Yaya joining us and continuing his promising development.” Now 22 years old, has Sanogo developed as the Arsenal manager would have hoped? Standing at 6’4”, the Frenchman is a quite imposing figure. His strengths are his strength, pace and work rate, which make him quite a handful for defenders, as his 2014 FA Cup Final cameo proved. His finishing, however, leaves a lot to be desired, as well as his dribbling. He joined Crystal Palace on loan in January and despite a promising start with a goal vs Southampton in the FA Cup, he failed to score in his other ten matches for the club. Sanogo’s highlights of his Arsenal career so far have been a goal in the Champions League in Arsenal’s victory over Borussia Dortmund in November of last year and a four goal haul in the 2014 edition of the Emirates Cup versus Benfica. He is yet to score his first goal in the Premier League for Arsenal in eleven appearances, albeit mostly off the bench. With Arsenal still searching for a striker to lead them to glory, Yaya Sanogo does not currently seem ready to be that.

23-year-old Costa Rican international Joel Campbell joined Arsenal on August 19th 2011 and was immediately loaned out to Lorient in the French Ligue 1 due to him failing to obtain a work permit. He had a quite promising debut season in Europe, scoring three times in 25 appearances from the wing. The following season, having still not received a work permit, he was loaned out once more, this time to La Liga side Real Betis. He ended the season with two goals in 28 appearances in a stronger league. Campbell was finally granted a work permit in 2013 but was once again loaned out. He joined Greek club Olympiakos, where he was able to play in the UEFA Champions League. That season he scored eleven goals in forty three appearances including a memorable strike from range versus Manchester United in the Champions League. The following season, after starring for Costa Rica at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Wenger made it known that Campbell would be part of his first team plans. While not a regular starter, he was given starts in both domestic cup competitions as well as some Premier League substitute appearances, in which he failed to impress. He was sent on loan to Villareal in January as a part of the deal which saw Arsenal purchase Brazilian defender Gabriel. With one goal in 22 appearances, and not many stand out performances, it is fair to say that Campbell did not put himself in good stead to challenge for a place at Arsenal when he returned. 

With Sanogo linked with a loan move to Ajax, he perhaps has one final opportunity to force his way into Wenger’s thoughts. With Olivier Giroud and Welbeck as Arsenal’s current first team strikers as well as the promising Akpom, he will have to dramatically improve in front of goal. Campbell, on the other hand is rumored to be close to a permanent switch to Real Sociedad. While he has shown glimpses of his talent on numerous occasions, he has not sufficiently impressed in his limited opportunities to seriously compete with those at Arsenal who play in his preferred position, such as Sanchez, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and at times, Jack Wilshere. 

With Petr Cech’s transfer to Arsenal nearing completion, the general consensus is that one of Arsenal’s first team goalkeepers, either Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina, will be departing the club because Cech is being purchased by Arsene Wenger to be a starter. However, due to Ospina’s sensational form in Copa America, should it be Ospina that deserves the start? And if so, what does this mean for Cech? And is Szczesny already a goner?

During the 2014/15 season, Cech showed his quality in the few opportunities he was given, keeping 5 clean sheets in 7 matches as Thibaut Courtois overtook him for the Chelsea starting goalkeeper spot. At 33, Cech is in the prime of his goalkeeping career and is definitely an excellent short term fix for the goalkeeping conundrum the Gunners have experienced for the last nine years.

Ospina joined the club at the beginning of last season from Nice and started Arsenal’s final 18 matches of the Barclays Premier League season. He kept 8 clean sheets and was generally solid, barring a few sloppy moments such as his performance versus Monaco in the UEFA Champions League. While he may be relatively short for a ‘keeper at 6ft, Ospina was by no means bullied in the air in his first season in England. In fact, according to the Squawka comparison matrix, he made 51 catches, more than Cech and Szczesny, at an average of 2.83 catches per match.

Ospina is also a very good shot stopper, making more saves than Cech and Szczesny with 35. Perhaps the finest display of his shot stopping abilities this year was versus Argentina in the Copa America on Friday night, where he pulled off an amazing double save to deny Sergio Aguero and Lionel Messi. While Ospina never produced any stellar performances like that for Arsenal, he brought consistency in between the sticks, which they had lacked earlier in the season. With Cech arriving, the 26 year old may opt to search elsewhere for first team football and has recently been linked with Turkish club Fenerbache.

Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny had been Arsenal’s first choice keeper from the 2010/11 season when he broke into the first team at 20 years old. He had always shown promise and was described by Arsene Wenger as Arsenal’s future number 1 while on loan at Brentford earlier in his career.

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Five years later, it is fair to say that things have not gone exactly as Szczesny would have hoped. After a great 2013/2014 season that saw him keep 16 Premier League clean sheets and sharing the Golden Glove award with his soon to be teammate Petr Cech, the following season was a disappointment. Injuries in the first half of the season meant that Szczesny had to play in front of a makeshift back four and he suffered as a result. After a horrid performance away at Southampton in which he made two errors that resulted in goals, he was fined for smoking in the changing room and lost his starting spot to David Ospina. Szczesny is often criticized for his overconfidence, which is often times his downfall. He is, however, unlike Ospina, an imposing presence at 6’ 5” and can command his box when he is on form. A perfect example of this is the FA Cup final versus Aston Villa in which he was flawless. His inconsistency is the reason why his future at Arsenal is uncertain as he certainly possesses the ability.

Whoever decides to stay as Petr Cech’s understudy, whether it is Szczesny or Ospina, certainly has time to reclaim the number one spot at the Emirates. They will have the Capital One Cup and FA Cup to impress and work their way back into Arsene Wenger’s thoughts.

Being homegrown and apparently willing to remain at the club, Szczesny seems more likely to remain.

By wanting to be number one no matter what club, Ospina seems to be the more ambitious player. For a club that aims to challenge for the title next season, would Szczesny be reliable enough if Cech is unavailable or would Ospina be the safer option? Both are good keepers capable of being worthy challengers for Cech. Both can also improve during Cech’s tenure at Arsenal. With both at a similar stage in their careers; mid-twenties and regular internationals, the question is, who is worth keeping? This is the Arsenal manager’s first tough decision of the summer transfer window as he seeks to assemble a title winning squad. How he handles the situation could have an impact on Arsenal’s season.

With World Cup 2014 rapidly approaching, there have been some players who are not regulars for their national teams who have impressed this season and have set their respective leagues alight. The reason for them not being regulars for their nations vary from their age or simply due to the quality that their national teams already possess. With the form these players have been displaying this season, it is hard to believe that their national coaches can continue to overlook them, as they may help these nations in winning the ultimate prize, the World Cup.

Here are 4 world-class players who warrant places on their national team in this summer’s World Cup:

1. Spain: Thiago Alcantara

Spain, the world champions, have won an impressive 3 international competitions in a row: Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, and Euro 2012. They won these titles with identical squads, which has added to the squad chemistry and is one of the reasons why they are so good.

One player whose performances at club level warrant a place in the squad for the World Cup is Thiago Alcantara. The quality Spain possesses in midfield is well documented. With world class central midfielders such as Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Javi Martinez and Xabi Alonso as definite contenders for starting spots and almost certain to go to the World Cup, Thiago may have to compete with Atletico Madrid’s Koke and Mario Suarez; Real Madrid’s Isco; and Manchester City’s Javi Garcia for the final spot as a central midfield player. While it may help Thiago that players such as Andres Iniesta, Santi Cazorla, David Silva, Jesus Navas and Pedro operate in wide areas for Spain and Cesc Fabregas may play up front as a false nine, the competition he faces is still of high quality.

Thiago’s performances for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and Champions League have been consistently top class and he has been a vital cog in the Bavarian machine. Perhaps the highlight of his season was when he broke two records during Bayern’s 5-0 win over Frankfurt, having 185 touches and making 159 passes. The Italian-born Spanish player, of Brazilian descent, has truly come of age this season and deserves a place in Spain’s squad in their quest to retain the World Cup.

2. Brazil: Roberto Firmino

Brazil must be considered heavy favorites along with Spain for the 2014 World Cup despite being ranked 6th in the world rankings. While the fact that they are the hosts makes them favorites, they also play very good football and have improved since the last World Cup. They intend to prove that their Confederations Cup win versus Spain, in the final, was no fluke. While Scolari has stated that he already knows his 23 man squad, there are uncapped players whose performances have made them deserving of a place.

One of these is Roberto Firmino. The Hoffenheim playmaker has exploded onto the scene this season with a series of great performances in the Bundesliga; scoring some great goals and dazzling viewers with sublime pieces of skill. An attacking midfield position in the Brazilian national team may be the hardest to earn. Oscar of Chelsea almost surely has the starting berth and players such as Lucas, Bernard and William are players who Scolari seems to favor. Firmino’s performances this season make him more than deserving of a World Cup spot. But with Scolari opting not to select him for the warm up friendlies before the World Cup, a first call up to the host’s squad seems unlikely for the player who has scored 14 and assisted 10 in the Bundesliga this season. Luckily, he is only 22 years of age and can establish himself as a part of the Brazil national team set up in the future.

3. Germany: Andre Hahn

With 3 World Cup victories, 4 time runners-up and 4 times third place, Germany are one of the most consistent nations in the World Cup. Germany will be hoping to win their first World Cup since 1990 this year. A player who could very well help them achieve this is one virtually unknown outside the Bundesliga.

Andre Hahn is a 23 year old winger who signed for FC Augsburg in January 2013 from Kickers Offenbach, in the third tier in Germany. His pace and finishing are his greatest assets and are the reasons why he has scored 10 goals and assisted 5. While he has not received any caps for Germany as yet, he was called up for their recent friendly versus Chile, showing how impressive his performances have been this season. Hahn is currently having a better individual season than some of the regulars in his position for Germany, such as Julian Draxler and Andre Schurrle. While this may not necessarily result in him displacing them for a World Cup spot, it will certainly have Joachim Low seriously consider having him on the plane to Brazil to help Germany remove their “perennial underachievers” tag.

4. Italy: Ciro Immobile

While ranked only 9th in the world, the Euro 2012 finalists usually save their best form for major tournaments, the last World Cup aside. The strikeforce of Italy is certainly not bad with the likes of Mario Balotelli, Pablo Osvaldo, Mattia Destro and Alberto Gillardino. But out of all these names, perhaps the one most deserving of a World Cup spot is the least known.

Ciro Immobile, 24 years old, of Torino has scored 20 goals in 30 Serie A matches this season and is currently at the top of the Serie A scoring charts. Italy coach Cesar Prandelli has recently revealed that he has 18 names in mind for his World Cup squad. Only Prandelli himself knows whether or not Immobile is in this 18 or if he must prove himself more to earn a place in the last 5. His form, however, warrants a place and if he keeps this up he may very well, and should, be at the World Cup in Brazil and help Italy challenge for their 5th World Cup title.

One is considered to be one of the best young managers in world football, having managed FC Porto, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur despite being only thirty-six years of age. The other has won the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers as a player and has been a coach at Tottenham since 2008. It is strange how, the first manager referred to, is unemployed, having been sacked by Spurs and replaced by his former assistant Tim Sherwood. This is not the first time that AVB has been relieved of his duties as a manager of a Premier League team, as he was sacked by Chelsea in 2012. While many may agree that his sacking had a positive impact on Chelsea as they won the Champions League that year, was his sacking by Daniel Levy warranted?

AVB’s record in the league up to his sacking was 8 wins, 3 draws and 5 losses. Sherwood’s record so far is 8 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses. It is fair to say that Sherwood’s record is better as he has notched up the same amount of wins as AVB in four less matches. That alone may be enough to convince many that Spurs are better under Sherwood. They certainly are playing better, as they have moved from a 50% win percentage to an impressive 66% win percentage, but why?

After the world record transfer of Gareth Bale from Tottenham to Real Madrid, AVB had around £85m to compensate for the loss of Bale. He used this money to buy midfielders Christian Eriksen, Etienne Capoue and Paulinho, defender Vlad Chiriches, winger Nacer Chadli and forward Roberto Soldado. Despite the plethora of creative and attacking talent acquired in addition to those they had before, Spurs only scored 15 goals in 16 matches. Under Sherwood, Tottenham have scored 22 goals in the 12 league matches. Perhaps the biggest reason for this is the return of Emmanuel Adebayor to the starting line-up after only featuring once under AVB. Adebayor has scored 8 goals in 13 matches this season while Soldado has 6 in 23, with only 2 being from open play. So it seems that something as seemingly simple as player selection has played a major role in the Lilywhites’ improvement under Sherwood.

Along with the inclusion of Adebayor, Sherwood has changed Spurs this season by altering their formation and playing style. Spurs have adopted a 4-4-2 formation under Sherwood and the players seem more comfortable playing in this system with its direct approach as opposed to the more patient approach that was used in AVB’s 4-5-1 system. Spurs have scored more than 2 goals in a league game 4 times this season, all under Sherwood. It seems every comparison somehow leads back to goal scoring, which is understandable, as goals win games. AVB’s team were all too poor in that aspect, as in his final match, a 5-0 hammering at home from Liverpool. Luis Suarez’s two goals put him on the same amount of goals as the entire Tottenham squad, despite playing 5 less matches.

It must not be forgotten that just last season, AVB led Spurs to their record points total, despite finishing 5th. Some may say that this was due to the performances of a certain Gareth Bale and they may have a point. But, as it relates to this season, the sacking of AVB and the subsequent hiring of Tim Sherwood was justified.

For the latest Tottenham news, analysis and opinion, visit the Tottenham Hotspur team page.

Despite being the most successful manager in the history of FC Barcelona, there are those who consider the current Bayern Munich manager to be overrated. Guardiola won thirteen trophies in four years as manager of FC Barcelona, including two UEFA Champions League titles, beating English powerhouse Manchester United in 2009 and once more in 2011. Guardiola is the youngest UEFA Champions League winning coach in history and won six trophies in 2009, winning all competitions his team took part in. He has achieved, so far in his relatively short managerial career, more than managers whose careers have spanned over twenty years. Regardless of his list of achievements, Guardiola is accused of simply being a man in the right place at the right time.

Critics of Guardiola critics argue that he simply inherits squads filled with great players, firstly at FC Barcelona and now the European Champions, Bayern Munich. While Pep can be considered to be fortunate to be able to manage two of the biggest football clubs in the world, he fully deserves all the plaudits he has received.

At FC Barcelona, he did not conquer the footballing world by just taking Frank Rijkaard’s team and throwing them on the pitch. Pep knew what he wanted to do and how to achieve it. He had to make changes and he did. Upon being appointed, Guardiola made it known that superstars such as Deco, Samuel Eto’o and former world player of the year Ronaldinho, among others, were not part of his plans for the upcoming season. Eto’o ended up remaining at the club for one more season while Deco and Ronaldinho left to join Chelsea and AC Milan respectively. Guardiola brought in players who became key components of his success at FC Barcelona such as Dani Alves, Seydou Keita and Gerard Pique. He also promoted Sergio Busquets and Pedro Rodriguez from Barcelona B, who also played key roles in his tenure. This is a trait of an excellent manager, creating his ideal squad for success and making no hesitation in making significant changes to a good squad for the good of the club even if it is at the expense of fan favorites.

The identity that he gives his teams is another admirable trait that Pep possesses. The brand of football that he employs is of equal importance to Guardiola’s legacy as his thirteen trophy haul at FC Barcelona. Guardiola’s FC Barcelona team redefined the “beautiful game” and he has his current team, Bayern Munich, aiming to play the same style of football.

According to Bayern legend Lothar Matthaus, “tiki-taka has already reached Bavaria.” “Tiki-taka” is a strategy where numerous short passes are completed by the team, causing the team utilizing the strategy to dominate ball possession. There is a large amount of ground covered when using “tiki-taka”. It played a huge part in FC Barcelona’s success under Guardiola and in playing his way; And now his Bayern team is in a stronger position than they were at this point last season.

Critics of Guardiola believe that he is not a good man-manager, citing Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s views on him as proof. Ibrahimovic, in his autobiography, said of Pep:

“Guardiola is a fantastic coach. But as a human? He is a coward. He is no man.”

Coming from perhaps the most egotistical footballer in the world, those words carry very little weight. Ibrahimovic’s words can be interpreted as jealousy due to the fact that he was not the star at FC Barcelona, as he was at previous clubs. Bayern president Uli Hoeness seemed to believe the same. Speaking regarding Ibrahimovic’s comments, Hoeness said:

“I think Ibrahimovic is an aggrieved prima donna who has not coped well with his departure from Barcelona.”

In terms of his man-management abilities, Guardiola is adept at getting the best out of his players. Managing a team of world class footballers is not an easy task. Just look at how Frank Rijkaard struggled to get the best out of a team that included stars such as Deco, Ronaldinho and Eto’o. Before FC Barcelona appointed Pep Guardiola, they looked to be simply a group of excellent individuals, rather than a great team. Guardiola’s man-management abilities enabled him to have a tactically organized unit, a great one at that. He stifled all egos for the good of the team, and that team succeeded. It is the same story at Bayern. No player believes that they are bigger than the team, and they are doing well.

At 42 years old, Pep Guardiola is young compared to other managers. It may just be too early for him to be classified as a truly legendary manager, but if he continues in this fashion he may very well be looked on as one of the greats, sooner or later.

In the past, defensive midfielders were widely considered to be the midfielders who did the “dirty work.” Defensive midfielders were and still are underrated and appreciated. They are generally viewed as aggressive, wild and cynical; which, of course, many are. However, they also possess other traits. While a defensive midfielders’ primary role is to shield the defense and goalkeeper, they are also required to begin their teams’ attacks immediately after breaking down the attack of the opposition.

So far, in the 2013/2014 season, there have been stand out players in the holding midfield role in Europe. Some perform in the traditional role of a defensive midfielder while there are those who have redefined the role. Top teams have top players in this role. For example, take a look at the current top teams in the major European Leagues such as Arsenal F.C, Barcelona, Juventus and the current European Champions, Bayern Munich. The players currently playing in the defensive midfield role for these teams are Mathieu Flamini, Sergio Busquets, Arturo Vidal and Philipp Lahm respectively.

In September of 2012, when referring to his squad, Arsene Wenger stated that “there are no defensive midfield players at the moment.” So it was no surprise that Arsenal were in the market for a traditional, tough tackling midfielder to partner Mikel Arteta at the heart of his team. What did come as a surprise, however, was who he signed. In August 2013, after training with the squad to maintain fitness, Mathieu Flamini signed for Arsenal for the second time. While the signing was not met with the same excitement as the £42m signing of German superstar Mesut Özil, his impact cannot be overstated. Flamini performs in the traditional role of a defensive midfielder; he sits in front of the defense and sticks out a leg or both whenever necessary in order to protect the back line. Flamini is always on the move to nullify an attack by the opposition. He is also a leader, always shouting in order to keep the defense organized. Flamini is the type of player Arsenal has missed ever since the departure of, well, Flamini. He stated that he had “unfinished business” at Arsenal and with the way he has begun his second spell at the Gunners, he may well finally finish what he started.

While many may not view him as anything special, Sergio Busquets has been one of the best players in Europe over the last four years. Breaking into Barcelona’s first team in 2008 after coming through the ranks, Busquets has amassed 16 major titles, including two UEFA Champions League titles. Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque stated “If I were a player, I would like to be like Busquets,” simply summing up his importance to not only his club but country. Busquets has redefined the role of the defensive midfielder. Rather than being strictly a tackler, Busquets is also the player who most attacks seem to go through. He is always available for a pass and when he is on the ball, he is excellent at retaining possession and he always makes the right choice when he distributes. He is adept in pacing the game, knowing whether to perform a quick pass to his midfield partners; often Xavi, Iniesta or Fabregas, spread the play by passing to overlapping full backs or pass directly to the danger man, Lionel Messi. There are those who believe that Busquets’ role in Barcelona’s midfield is simplified due to the players around him. If it was easy, then Barcelona would play the same with another player in this role. Well, they don’t. Barcelona are not the same with Alex Song in Busquets’ role. No one can replace Busquets at Barcelona. Busquets, due to his style of play, attracts many fouls, which has resulted in him being branded as a “diver”. While there have been instances of him diving, he is still a brilliant and criminally underrated footballer.

Arturo Vidal signed for Juventus in 2011 for €10m. That now seems like a massive bargain. Vidal is not a traditional defensive midfielder but more of a box to box midfield player. He does everything — tackle, distribute, assist and score. Partnering Pirlo in the middle of the pitch, Vidal may just be more important to Juventus than his experienced teammate. According to whoscored.com, Vidal averages 4 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game in Serie A and 5.4 tackles with 1.4 interceptions in the Champions League. Vidal has also completed 84.3 percent of his passes in Serie A this season. He has also scored 30 goals for Juventus, making him the top scorer since he has arrived, along with that he has 17 assists. Vidal’s driving runs from midfield coupled with his willingness to track back when not in possession make him the ultimate midfield player. Is he the most complete midfield player in Europe? The fact that Vidal defends, creates and finishes with equal levels of effectiveness makes him a strong candidate. One thing that is for sure is that he would improve any team in the world.

Why would any manager play the best full back in the world as a defensive midfielder? That’s because Philipp Lahm, along with being the best full back, is an overall world class footballer. When Pep Guardiola moved Lahm from right back to defensive midfield, questions for his decision were only natural. This team won the treble last year with Lahm at right back, why fix what is not broken? While the double pivot of Javi Martinez and Bastian Schweinsteiger was brilliant last year, it was not what Guardiola wanted. He wanted to utilize only a single defensive midfielder and in Lahm, Guardiola found his man. Lahm has been described as “the most intelligent player I’ve ever coached” by Guardiola, a valuable trait in this role. The Bayern manager, in an interview with adidas, shared his reason for Lahm’s position change:

“He understands the game. Not all players do. A lot of players understand his position. Philipp can play in all positions. Football is a game where people move and you have to decide in one second what’s going on in your position as well as all around the field, and what he decides in that moment is right.”

Lahm plays the same role for Bayern that Busquets plays for Barcelona. Like Busquets, Lahm is the least likely player on the field to make an error. He makes the correct decision constantly and this allows Bastian Schweinsteiger to operate further up the pitch with more freedom. Whether or not the switch from full back to defensive midfield is a permanent one, Lahm seems comfortable in both positions.

Defensive midfield has, is and may always be an underrated position in football. What they do shall never be looked at in the same class as a goal or assist. But, ask yourself this, would the top teams in the major European Leagues be top without their defensive midfielders? I don’t believe so.