Category Uncategorized

Jermain Defoe might not harness Ledley King levels of idolization, although it’s fair to say he’s been one of the most popular players in and around White Hart Lane since his initial move from West Ham in 2004. As a fantastic goal scorer, a hard worker and a man who’s never had a bad word to say about the club, Defoe retains a really quite fond place in the hearts of many in N17.

But sometimes in football, faith and allegiance has more than a tendency to detach itself from reality. And whilst the Spurs fans relationship with Defoe is something of a marriage built on adulation, the coaching staff’s has too often felt like a marriage of convenience. There have been whispers that Defoe may be set to receive a new contract offer at Tottenham. The truth is though, however nice that contract may seem in principal, it’s not one that Defoe should be taking.

Because if the England striker really wants to leave his mark on the Premier League and he truly wants to continue harboring an international career, then he may have to depart White Hart Lane. With his 30th birthday approaching two months tomorrow, his next contract will be his last big one. Signing on the dotted line for Andre Villas-Boas’ brave new era may or may not bring success- but the chances are it won’t bring first-team football.

As Defoe netted for Spurs in their pre-season win over Watford in Sunday’s victory, it felt as if a bit of striking decorum had eased over White Hart Lane. Like several seasons gone by, the site of Defoe running riot in Spurs’ warm up games has hardly heralded cause for concern. A top goal scorer netting for his side in a top team; what’s there to worry about that?

For Spurs supporters of course, scratching under the surface reveals a rather heavily documented, but still equally concerning issue up front. Defoe is their only recognized striker at the club. His rival? A talented, but unproven 19-year-old in Harry Kane, who’s yet to play in the Premier League. Not too much competition for the England international, then.

Although things are going to change before the transfer window shuts. Regardless of how late Tottenham will leave it, and the other implications that brings, they will bring in at least one other centre forward. Whoever that is/they are, they’re competing with Defoe for one spot up front.

The Andre Villas-Boas system only caters for one striker. In his slick 4-2-3-1 set-up (of 4-3-3 at Porto), there is only ever one, out-and-out striker on the pitch. And ominously for Defoe, the style of that striker is pretty unconducive with how he likes to ply his trade. AVB likes the bigger, more mobile and adept frontman. Radamel Falcao, Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres (however much that may be ridiculed) all have more varied games than Defoe. They can hold the ball up, interweave with link up play and bring a physical presence to the fore. Being a great goalscorer isn’t enough in a 4-2-3-1- you have to have a more eclectic striking game.

For Jermain Defoe, that spells trouble. Defoe is a great striker, but he is something of a specialist one at that. If you set your game up around him, you could get 20 league goals plus out of him. His game is built around running at defenders, latching onto through balls and causing chaos, with the odd bit of poaching thrown in.

But whilst that style can see Defoe prosper immensely, there’s perhaps only so far that can take the team as a whole. Darren Bent doesn’t play in too much of a dissimilar style. But there’s no coincidence that the teams in which he always offers such a great goal return, always hit a glass ceiling in the league.

Defoe is perhaps the more naturally talented footballer than Darren Bent, but that point still stands. Whoever it is that Spurs bring in, you’d probably put a large amount of money on them starting in front of Defoe. It feels hard to see how that will change immensely during the season.

The problem for Defoe is that Spurs simply play better as a unit when he’s out the team. He can however, still play his part for Tottenham- just not necessarily in a role that will get him into the England team.

Tottenham Hotspur must have a Plan B and you can trace the problems of this as long ago as the back-end of 2010. Where as it was first Crouch and Van der Vaart, last term the first choice pairing was Adebayor and Van der Vaart. But whilst Spurs played better in the 4-4-1-1 set-up, the only way out for the Lilywhite’s under Redknapp seemed to be by whacking Defoe up front for the final moments and hoping for the best. He was underutilized last season and still got 17 goals in all competitions. He is a valuable asset and someone who can genuinely create something out of nothing.

But is that going to be enough for Defoe? The striker is beginning to enter some of the most critical years of his career. He should be now at his peak and as he enters his 30s in October, playing first team football must now be the most important thing. If that’s what he truly craves, then a prolonged stay at Tottenham is only a stay of execution.

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

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

It could be argued that even if Defoe craved a departure from White Hart Lane, Daniel Levy might not sanction it. Spurs are at risk of leaving themselves in a hole, such is their current dithering in the transfer market for various reasons. They’re not going to let the only recognized striker they have left on the books leave with less than a fortnight to go before the season starts.

Short of signing for Arsenal, Jermain Defoe is always going to be thought of fondly at White Hart Lane. Spurs won’t want to let him go and he could still have an important role to play at the club. The question is whether that role is one that’s going to be enough to satisfy Defoe- and the answer isn’t necessarily one anyone may want to hear.

How do you see Jermain Defoe’s role at the club next season? A genuine future or no more than a bit-part fixture? Let me know how you see it going on Twitter: for all the Spurs talk, follow @samuel_antrobus and bat me your views.

[ad_pod id=’dfp-mpu’ align=’right’]

A common line that has begun to tag itself to any transfer conducted by Manchester City is that whoever they are signing is ‘going there for the money.’ Now I’m not disputing that players are attracted to the riches that come with pulling on the sky blue of City but I honestly don’t think that money is the primary motivation for the players who have decided to join City in the window.

Watching City splash HUGE amounts of cash on individuals has become common practice in the transfer window ever since the Abu Dhabi group bought the club in 2008. Fans, managers, players and agents have come to accept that they will never be able to compete with City’s financial muscle. But one term that always seems to linger at the end of every big transfer made by the club is that the player they are signing is only interested in the money going into his bank account at the end of each month. Like I said, I’m not going to disagree with the fact players are interested in earning the highest wage possible. A football career lasts for 15-20 years at best and it’s no shock that players will make a move to better themselves financially in the future. But to suggest that money is the primary motive to make a move to Man City is foolish and naïve.

In the window just gone Samir Nasri and Sergio Agüero both signed for City in a double deal that cost the club almost £70 million in transfer fees not to mention they’ll both be earning just under £200,000-a-week at the Etihad Stadium. Nasri was instantly labelled as ‘greedy’ and a ‘sell-out’ and was only joining City because they were offering to treble the wage he was on at Arsenal. The manner of his departure stung Gunners fans and many others in the country. The same wasn’t said for Agüero though who was glorified by both the press and fans. Why?

[ad_pod id=’unruly’ align=’right’]

Probably because he didn’t leave Atletico Madrid in acrimonious circumstances. But surely he is after the riches City are offering? In my opinion both moved to City for the money but also to be given the chance to actually challenge for trophies. It’s not like either of them are bursting at the seams with medals. In fact Nasri has NEVER picked up a winners’ medal during his time in England whilst Agüero only has the Europa League and Super Cup to show after five years playing for Atletico. Despite both being labelled world class they’ve won hardly anything in their short careers. Therein lies my point. Both players see City as a viable avenue to triumphing in cup competitions.

The duo left clubs who are in a state of decline and firmly out of the Champions League picture. Players of their undoubted calibre need to be testing themselves against the best players in the world. If someone came to me and said Nasri and Agüero lacked ambition I’d laugh straight back in their face. Any world class player that looks at City at this current time will will see a club who are prepared to spend the money necessary to make them capable of holding their own against the best. That is something they both see and who can blame them for wanting to join a club brimming with aspirations like that? Whilst there a few players at Manchester City who’s sole purpose is to earn money I’m not afraid to say that a vast majority of the current crop see this club as a sleeping giant ready to win leagues and cups. David Silva, Edin Dzeko, Vincent Kompany and even Joleon Lescott joined the Citizens to win trophies. Obviously I don’t condone what clubs are paying players these days but to say that Nasri and Agüero are joining City solely because of the number of zero’s on their monthly cheque is absurd. Even Gael Clichy, who left Arsenal on a free to join City, has an eagerness to win trophies, improve himself as a player and pick up a tasty wage, which is something he’ll do at the club.

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

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Many fans hold a grudge against City, which is driven by jealously. The same old lines of ‘they’re trying to buy the title’ or ‘there should be a cap on their spending’ are continually bandied about. However would you complain if your club had resources like that? I’m guessing no. Players see City as a means to both money and silverware – not one or the other. Lets just accept it, move on and enjoy watching the football they play. Admittedly it is delicious at the moment, don’t you agree?

[ad_pod id=’qs-1′ align=’center’]

At the weekend the FA Cup 4th round treated us to a couple of shocks, most notably Leyton Orient beating Championship high flyers Swansea and non-league Crawley defeating Torquay to set up a fairy tale tie with Manchester United at Old Trafford in the 5th round. There also looked to be a shock on the cards at St Andrew’s as Coventry City raced into a 2-0 lead against Birmingham City, only for the Blues to stage a comeback and secure a 3-2 victory.

Coventry City’s second goal, a towering Richard Wood header from a Gary McSheffrey corner in the 26th minute, saw the Championship team establish a two goal lead before the Sky Blues were overpowered by their Premier League opposition. As Wood powered his header past Birmingham City goalkeeper Kevin Doyle, FootballFanCast.com was featured on the electronic advertising boards behind the goal as St Andrew’s.

See for yourself on the 36th second of the video below as FootballFanCast.com scores in the 4th round of the greatest cup competition in the world, the FA Cup!

Swansea are believed to be ready to open contract talks with skilful attacker Scott Sinclair, as his current deal starts to run down The Sun reports.

The speedy winger has been a part of the Welsh side’s promotion to the Premier League and successful first season in the top-flight, but is now entering the last year of his deal at the Liberty Stadium.

With a number of other Premier League rivals thought to be monitoring Sinclair’s situation and the appointment of new boss Michael Laudrup, talks between the club and player are thought to be ready to commence in the near future.

Swans chairman Huw Jenkins has admitted that his side are not keen to let any of their players’ contract run too close to their expiry date.

“The times are gone where we can leave a player going into the last year of their contract,” he confessed.

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

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

By Gareth McKnight

[ad_pod id=’inblog’ align=’left’]

After a busy transfer period for many Premier League clubs, several managers will be looking to complete any unfinished business in time for the start of the new season this weekend. For a number of players, their future with their clubs remains to be resolved, and with 123 players being released from their clubs earlier in the window, a large number of these remain free agents going into the new campaign. While many will be eager to stay and fight for a place at their club, it seems their managers may have already decided their fate.

I have put together a Premier League ‘Unwanted’ XI, made up of players who are either free agents that have been unsuccessful in finding a new club, or are still attached to their clubs but look unlikely to feature much, if at all, in the coming season. This XI is best suited to a 4-3-3 formation, and between them hold a wealth of Premier League experience. At the peak of their careers this side may well have stood a chance in the Premier League, but for many of this XI their careers have gradually deteriorated in recent years, and it is therefore perhaps less surprising to see that other clubs have shown such a lack of interest.

Click on Bentley below to see the Prem’s Unwanted XI

[divider]

It is often said in football that English managers and coaches are not given the same opportunities as those from other countries. You will read in the tabloids (and often in the more respected papers as well) that these foreigners are taking jobs that our own are more than capable of filling with the same level of style, panache and experience. However, given a lot of what we’ve seen going on in football – and to a greater extent the press (let’s not underestimate how much they affect opinions) – I would argue that it is the foreign managers that are under more pressure and scrutiny and handed less time to prove themselves.

At the heart of this attitude, there is a desire to see the best that English football has to offer at the ‘top table’; in the top jobs. But this comes very close to xenophobia in some situations and leaves a very sour taste in the mouth. The simple fact of the matter is: foreign coaches are preferred simply because they are better. People may point to the likes of Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, and Martin O’Neill but let’s not kid ourselves; these men are ‘foreign’. Sure, they may live on the same island and speak (for the most part) the same language but they originate from completely separate nations; they are not English so by definition, they are foreigners. Sadly for Englishmen, they too are better than anything we can offer.

The press (and, I’m sure, more than a few people that read this article) will argue til they are blue in the face that English managers are as good as any other. That they are just not given the opportunities their foreign counterparts are but this is nonsense. Top jobs are awarded on merit, not nationality. Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal – three of the group known traditionally as the ‘Big Four’, have employed all of their recent managers (Avram Grant aside) on their track record and reputations, not based on their vicinity to the club’s ground. Any top English managers around at the time will have been considered, not overlooked. Take our own club as an example: we had a track record of employing exclusively from the British Isles. Before Gerard Houllier, we had Roy Evans, before him Graeme Souness and Kenny Dalglish. After Dalglish, Souness and Evans performed poorly, at best. Houllier, once given the opportunity to manage alone, performed near miracles in his first few years, repaying the faith of the club’s owners in its first coach from the continent. Benitez later went on to build on Houllier’s successes and performed actual miracles. Likewise, the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal had always stayed loyal to British coaches but once they turned to the continent they both experienced the best periods in each club’s history.

Of course, the thing that usually instigates this discussion is an English manager getting the sack and recently a press favourite – Sam Allardyce – was sacked by Blackburn. An unbiased mind would look at all the facts and see that he underachieved and had them playing some of the ugliest football around. The media see it as an indictment of these crazy and impatient foreigners that won’t give the English a chance. Yet, if you look at the coverage of Roberto Mancini and Carlo Ancelotti’s situations in recent months you can’t help but notice a distinctly different attitude; there is almost a delicious glee to the way the media report on how Ancelotti appears to have lost control of the club and how Mancini can’t keep his players or the owners happy. The press seems to have little faith in these two men, despite sharing 4 Serie A’s, 5 Coppa Italias and 2 Champions League’s. That kind of track record should buy both these men more time. If they have one bad season, they should at least be given another to rectify the situation but they won’t. The tabloids won’t allow it while there is a chance that one of their favourites might get a crack at one of these jobs.

[divider]

[divider]

Even England manager Fabio Capello has lost the press, after England’s ‘finest’ once again failed to turn up at a World Cup. It seems that the claims that ‘if this man can’t make England World Cup winners, then we’ll know the problem is with the players’ has swiftly been forgotten. It seems that his track record of 7 Serie A titles, 2 La Ligas and a Champions League now mean nothing; he didn’t win the World Cup with a bunch of overrated prima donnas so his 30+ year managerial career counts for nothing. If you take a look at the man touted to potentially – eventually – replace all three then you see either a symptom of the problem, or an example of the problem itself: Harry Redknapp. Years of self-promotion and press-promotion have made him what he is today: an arrogant, smarmy, self-impressed under-achiever. Some people forget but this man has been in management over 30 years. In that time, he has won an FA Cup. He has also qualified for the Champions League once. Oh, he has also seen several of the clubs he’s managed relegated too. Yet, he is the best we have to offer and the press would have you believe he is the best in the country.

Similarly (and where I get to the point of how this affects Liverpool), Roy Hodgson can seemingly do no wrong. Nothing is ever his fault; every defeat is met with excuses and buck-passing. Liverpool fans have been getting criticised all season long for wanting Roy Hodgson sacked. After the team’s 8th league defeat of the season on Wednesday, the ground was resounding with boos, all of them directed at one man: the manager. There are few left that think he should be given a bit more time. These few are the press and they will happily see Liverpool run into the ground before they will change their opinion of the man. This is what we’re up against.

What scares me most is that once Hodgson finally does go, the press will again be pushing for an Englishman to be given a chance, and I’m sure the likes of Allardyce and Redknapp will be mentioned. I know who my choice will be and he has been hounded by the press ever since he made it clear he wouldn’t be towing their line; he is a prime example of how foreign managers are given much less time to turn a situation around, despite his previous record. He is currently on holiday on Merseyside, so he’s within a stone’s throw of the ground as well. However, should he be overlooked if and when the top job in the country again becomes available, I will still prefer a foreign manager, and unless the whole culture of English managers (and the quality of them) changes sometime soon, I always will.

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

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Read more of David Tyrer articles at Live4Liverpool

[divider]

[divider]

Holy Crap – it’s live fantasy football! Become part of Chelsea v Aston Villa and play Picklive for FREE Watch and bet live – spices up any game!

After capturing the signature of Shinji Kagawa, Manchester United are now focussed on bringing Luka Modric and Leighton Baines to Old Trafford according to Mirror Football.

The Red Devils are motivated to wrangle the Premier League title back from cross-town rivals Manchester City, with a deal to bring the Japanese star to England thought to be the first in a busy summer transfer window.

Modric is thought to be next on the agenda, as United continue their search for a new central midfield playmaker to replace Paul Scholes in the long run.

With Tottenham missing out on the Champions League, the north London club may well be struggling to hold onto their best players, with the Croatia international eager to play in Europe’s top tournament.

Meanwhile, Baines has been earmarked as a potential player to rival Patrice Evra at left-back, and with Everton struggling financially they may have to part with the England defender.

It is believed that Baines will be available for around the £12-£15 million mark, however Modric would cost considerably more as Tottenham look to hang on to their star man.

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

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

By Gareth McKnight

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]

Alberto Aquilani could be line for a move back to Serie A with Fiorentina interested, according to Goal.com.

Bought as a replacement for Xabi Alonso, Aquilani has endured a torrid time at Anfield since signing for £20 million in 2009 but is now way down the pecking order.

He spent last season on loan at Juventus and his performances in Italy have caught the attention of Fiorentina boss Siniša Mihajlović.

The 27-year-old has also impressed on Liverpool’s Far East tour but Kenny Dalglish has already strengthened his midfield this summer and considers the Italian surplus to requirements.

His agent Franco Zavaglia said he and his client were waiting on a firm offer before moving forward.

Zavaglia said: “Anything can happen. We’ll wait and see if there is anything concrete. Alberto has an important contract and Fiorentina are moving within certain parameters.

“I don’t know if the move is possible, but with time something could happen.”

The Viola are eager to end his Anfield nightmare and bring him back to his homeland.

The Reds will only let him leave if a permanent deal can be agreed after his loan spell in Turin didn’t materialise into the permanent transfer most expected.

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

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Aquilani is picking up £70,000-a-week and Liverpool want that off the wage bill as soon as possible as they look to continue their own summer recruitment drive.

It is no surprise that after Manchester United’s disastrous display in the Carling Cup quarter final this week, that the Old Trafford club have come in for a rough ride. Headlines have declared the youngsters not good enough and even some of the old guard including the likes of Viv Anderson and Lou Macari, have had their say. Sir Alex Ferguson was obviously fuming at the performance, but will be the first to demand there to be no knee-jerk reaction. But should he be concerned about the quality of United’s next generation?

Talking to MUTV, Viv Anderson quite simply declared United’s youngsters “not up to the tasks that everyone thinks they are”. Quite a statement to make on the clubs own television channel. In his defence, judging by the defeat at Upton Park, he’s right. But the youngsters aren’t the only ones: Darren Fletcher was unusually poor, John O’Shea was wasteful going forward and anonymous defensively, whilst Ryan Giggs did his best to remind everyone that it was his 37th birthday not so long ago.

What stood out more from a United fans point of view was the fact that these senior players did little to appease the trouble the younger players were having. Fair enough, the defence were given a torrid time against Carlton Cole, but you would expect a central midfield partnership of Fletcher and Anderson to be able to keep quiet a full-back come playmaker like Jonathan Spector. So let’s not be so hasty to pile all the blame on the likes of Johnny Evans, Chris Smalling and Fabio.

When put all together, Fergie’s kids have a long way to go before they can safely call themselves the next generation. However when playing alongside Rio Ferdinand or Nemanja Vidic, Chris Smalling has looked more than comfortable, whilst with a decent run of games, which would mean staying injury free, you’d expect Fabio to mature the way his brother, Rafael, has done.

[divider]

Fergie is obviously a fan of Gabriel Obertan and it’s fair to say the potential is there. Bebe on the other hand; well, we will have to wait and see. £7 million on an unknown quantity was a gamble, and Ferguson doesn’t like to be wrong. Expect to see more from him despite the last horrific 45 minutes of football the Portuguese forward played.

What will always go against the next generation at United is that they will always be compared to crop of talent which once came through the ranks and dominated all before them. Admittedly, they don’t match the quality of a young David Beckham, Paul Scholes or Ryan Giggs, but let;s be honest not many footballers do.

The kids will be given a second chance. Ferguson, in all his wisdom will call it a ‘learning curve,’ whilst behind closed doors I’m sure the players won’t be allowed to forget in a hurry what happened against West Ham. Luckily for them, though, the United manager puts a lot of faith in his younger players and would not agree with what the likes of Viv Anderson have had to say.

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

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The warning signs are there for Ferguson that maybe some of his prospects would already class themselves good enough to stroll into a place like Upton Park and demand the win. The laboured way in which they played on Tuesday illustrated that they just weren’t up for it; an attitude not welcome at a club like Manchester United.

Be that as it may, his reaction won’t be to go selling players in January just off the back of one defeat. The result and performance was nothing short of embarrassing for Ferguson but they have a lot to learn. The reason why his young-guns will still be at Old Trafford until next summer at least is because he has faith in their ability, and who are we to argue with him? Not good enough? I’d say the future still looks bright at Old Trafford.

Holy Crap – its live fantasy football! Become part of the West Brom v Newcastle match on Sunday and play Picklive for FREE Watch and bet live – spices up any game!

With the League One season drawing to a close this Saturday, FootballFanCast’s Aidan McCartney chooses his unsung XI- the players who have looked the part over the last season but were not recognised at the Official Football League awards.

When the League One PFA Team of the Year was announced in April there was some surprise that players from only four of the League One teams were in the side chosen by fellow professionals. Perhaps this was down to the fact that the players voted in early February which meant it wasn’t a fair representation of the season of a whole.

The PFA Team of the Year: Ben Hamer (Charlton), Jack Hunt (Huddersfield Town), Michael Morrison (Charlton), Harry Maguire (Sheffield United), Rhoys Wiggins (Charlton), Johnnie Jackson (Charlton), Stephen Quinn (Sheffield United), Stephen Gleeson (MK Dons), Darren Potter (MK Dons), Jordan Rhodes (Huddersfield Town), Ched Evans (Sheffield United).

However these are the players that have stood out for me this season but have not been given the credit I think they deserve, in a 3-4-3 formation, with only two players from the same team:

David Martin (MK Dons)                         

Martin has been an essential part of the Dons’ achieving a play-off place once again with an impressive 16 clean sheets over the course of the season. He pulled off crucial saves to earn his side important points on their way to a fifth place finish.

Danny Batth (Sheffield Wednesday)

The young Wolves loanee formed a formidable part of the Wednesday’ defence that kept 16 clean sheets on their way to automatic promotion. The centre-back looks very capable of playing in a higher tier of football and may well get his chance at Molineux next season.

Andy Butler (Walsall)

It’s not been the best of seasons for Walsall but from a personal perspective one man has been heads and shoulders above his teammates. Player of the Year at the Saddlers for the consecutive season, Butler has once again been a reliable force at the back as well as offering a constant threat at set-pieces, chipping in with five valuable goals to help his side remain in League One for another year.

Chris Solly (Charlton Athletic)

The 21-year-old homegrown defender has taken his chance at the Valley with both hands, notching up an impressive 48 appearances for the League One Champions. Quality going forward and consistently solid in defence, he is probably the best right back in League One and will now get the chance to show off his considerable talents in the Championship next term.

Alan Judge (Notts County)

The 23-year-old midfielder has been the driving force in County’s failed play-off challenge this season. Featuring in 43 of their 46 games, scoring eight goals and with 12 assists to his name, Judge was the stand out performer as the Magpies just missed out on a place in the top six.

Michael Bostwick (Stevenage FC)

The industrious midfielder has been an outstanding performer in the heart of Stevenage’s midfield, playing a central role in their remarkable sixth place finish. He looks capable of playing at a higher level and has attracted interest from a whole host of Championship clubs after his excellent season.

Jose Semedo (Sheffield Wednesday)

The Portuguese midfielder-enforcer has been immense for Wednesday after arriving from Charlton last year. The 27-year-old has been an ever-present during their successful league campaign and was recently rewarded with the club’s Player of the Year award for his fine debut season at Hillsborough.

Kevin McDonald (Sheffield United)

Former Burnley man, McDonald was snapped up on a free transfer in the summer and has been a significant figure in the Blades’ promotion challenge proving himself to be one of the most effective operators in League One. His strength, excellent range of passing and ability to change a game has made him one of the Blades’ most important players as they reached the League One play-off final.

Yann Kermongant (Charlton Athletic)

The 29-year-old Frenchman has had quite an impact in his debut season at the Valley after arriving from Leicester City last summer. His aptitude in the air and obvious talent on the ball made him a lynchpin in attack for the rampaging Addicks as they trampled all below them on their way to the title. Celtic had showed interest in January and Powell will now be determined to keep him at the club during the long summer months.

Stuart Beavon (Wycombe Wanderers)

Scoring 25 goals in a season is some achievement, doing it for a side that finished in the bottom four is something else. Expect to see 27-year-old goal-machine Beavon playing at a higher level of football next season despite Wycombe’s relegation back to League Two.

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

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Lee Miller (Carlisle United)

The big Scottish centre-forward was the main man behind Carlisle’s unsuccessful play-off charge finishing the season with an impressive total of 15 goals and 11 assists. His considerable influence on Greg Abbot’s side was felt when he missed the last few matches of the season through injury and the Cumbrians fell out of the play-off positions with four defeats in the last five games.

Manager of the Year:

Danny Wilson (Sheffield United)

Under pressure from the start due his past links with Wednesday, Wilson deserves a lot of credit for guiding the Blades’ to the League One play-off final on Saturday. The Bramall Lane outfit have scored the most goals in the league but it still ultimately wasn’t enough to see them beat Wednesday to second place.  Wilson now has a second chance to help his side secure promotion back to the Championship to cap a memorable first season in charge.

Let me know if you think I have missed anyone who deserves a place in the team and you can follow me on Twitter @aidanmccartney

[ad_pod id=’writer-2′ align=’right’]