The rollercoaster of the Premier League

The games in the Premier League are about to come thick and fast as we once again enter the manic Christmas period. But it wouldn't be wrong to sit back and admire the brilliance of the Premier League this season. Who would have thought we'd be looking at a top three of Liverpool, Arsenal and City on Christmas day, with Chelsea and Everton level in 4th spot.

Suarez has been the driving force in Liverpool's title pursuit.

We knew Fergie retiring would shake things up a bit, especially with The Special One returning, but to have only eight points separating the top eight teams is incredible. In the Spanish, German and Italian leagues there is at least a twenty point gap between those places. We've had some crazy sackings too. No one could have predicted AVB would be gone before he'd even touched his Christmas dinner, and they're only six points behind leaders Liverpool. Steve Clarke and Martin Jol have also lost their jobs, and Malky Mackay was on the verge of going too, but for a huge u-turn from owner Vincent Tan.

AVB's sacking shocked most of the Premier League.

City have been ruthless at home, smashing six in against both North London sides, yet their away form has been abysmal. As for the other side of Manchester, United lost home games to West Brom, Newcastle and Everton. Recent form has pulled them back into the mix however. United have cut a twelve point deficit to eight points. Everton have been a revelation under Roberto Martinez, giving a great argument to finish in the top four and who imagined Arsenal would be joint top after their shocking 3-1 home defeat to Villa on the opening day.

Everton have been in fine form under Roberto Martinez.

The relegation battle is just as close, with eights points dividing Fulham down in 19th to Stoke City in the top half of the table. Defending standards have arguably gone down as the top four have already notched in 158 goals between them this season. It is surely City's to lose, if they can get their away form sorted out, they could become unstoppable. You get the feeling the footballing God's are still giving Liverpool and Arsenal fans hope, how long can they keep this up for? For now, lets just admire this season on how phenomenal it has been, and long may that continue.

The rise and rise of Southampton football club

Southampton fans were in uproar last January, after the club harshly sacked Nigel Adkins. The Saints had a vision of where they wanted to take the team and although a risk had to be taken, it has certainly paid off. Only three seasons ago, Southampton sat in League 1. Today they're three points off the top of the Premier League. It's fair to say no one could have predicted the rise and rise of Southampton, except maybe the hierarchy inside the club themselves.

Huge credit has to be given to Nigel Adkins. Consecutive promotions speaks for itself, and although I feel Adkins deserved the opportunity to keep his team in the Premier League, it cannot be denied that bringing in Mauricio Pochettino was nothing short of genius. Pochettino revolutionised the playing style at Southampton and he was able to do this with the players he had. This has nothing to do with talent, it's about working hard as a team. You could see from the first game, they were quick out of the blocks. They put pressure on their opponents and played a higher defensive line making the opponent realise that they weren't in for an easy game. It's all about building from the back and intimidating and unsettling the opponent. Pochettino emphasises the importance of possession and prefers a 4-2-3-1 formation which is quickly becoming the most common formation in the Premier League.

Southampton's manager hadn't made any signings but managed to get the best out of what he had and finishing 14th at the end of the season proved that. The work Southampton put in off the ball is what made the difference, and eventually you get your rewards on the ball. The summer of 2013 meant the transfer window was open and Pochettino could bring in some players with more quality in hope of taking the club further forward. He spent well, signing two key players who have become very important. Dejan Lovren arrived from Roma for £8.5 million and has been solid in their back four. Southampton have one of the best defensive records in Europe having only conceded five goals in the league this season. The next signing was Victor Wanyama from Celtic for £12.5 million. Another player with European experience who quickly established a great understanding with his midfield partner Schneiderlin. The Saints also signed the much needed back up striker Dani Osvaldo for £15 million. After paying that price he should be playing regularly in the first team but Rickie Lambert, the classic English centre forward has prevented that from happening.

Southampton are flying at the moment. Their hard work is paying off and I believe they'll be playing in Europe next season because they have the quality and the work rate. Another great feature of Pochettino is his faith shown in young English talent such as Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez. Their form has been rewarded with call-ups to England and are surely dreaming of playing at the world cup. Everything is looking bright for Southampton, my only concern is they haven't played many of the big clubs this season. They could be exposed by the super quality that some of those teams posses. Whatever the outcome, the progress from Southampton has been immense and it's exciting to see where they'll finish come May.

Sorry Arsene, it's too late!

"Spend, spend spend!" That was the cry from the Arsenal faithful last Saturday. The Gooners, went into their Premier League campaign without a single signing. Having just scraped top four last season, you can understand their anger. The top three clubs had all changed manager, and the fans believed with Arsene Wenger's stability, they could sign a few players, and push on. If you don't add to your squad, whether it be a marque player, or to add strength in depth, you get left behind. It's essential to evolve as a club, this is exactly what isn't happening at Arsenal. For eight years, they've gone without a trophy, and in recent years, they've been getting that final Champions League spot by the sheer width of a goalpost. It was one point last season, after a nervy battle at St James' Park on the last day of the season.

I watched the Villa game at the Emirates, and Arsenal were totally overrun in midfield. They played three in the middle, Wilshere, Ramsey and Rosicky. For a start these players are too similar, it's like playing with three centre backs.What happened to the likes of Petit and Vieira. They would power their way through the middle of the park. Villa knew that if they got at Arsenal and put them under pressure, they could take control of the match. A lot of you argue Arsenal were unlucky to concede two penalties, and go down to ten men. The truth is, Villa got into those situations, by taking control of the midfield. Arsenal became a real mess at the back because they couldn't deal with the counter attacks. Being on the back foot and making rash decisions, was ultimately the cause of Arsenal's problems. Don't blame the ref or Aston Villa.

Two days later, Arsene Wenger made a £10 million bid for Yohan Cabaye. This looks like a manager in panic mode. If he really rated Cabaye, why not put in a bid for him at the start of July? You don't wait until you've been turned over in the Premier League. Lets be realistic here, Arsenal needed to make about four or five signings this summer to advance as a club. We're talking key players, not teenagers or going backwards, by bringing in ex players like Flamini. They've done too little now and it's too late. Every club around them has strengthened and added to their squad. With four days to go of the transfer window, it will be interesting to see who Wenger brings in. The problem is, even if he makes a signing or two, it's not enough and we know it won't be who he wants. All of his previous targets have turned Arsenal down and the club is becoming a laughing stock. How is every possible target slipping away?

Napoli, Marseille and Borussia Dortmund, have been drawn into Arsenal's Champions League group this season. I can't see them qualifying, with Premier League games to deal with at the weekend. Their squad isn't big enough to play a big game, twice a week. They're going to go out and they're not getting top four this season. Wenger and the board have become an embarrassment and it's time for them to go. It's just one big downward spiral and until Arsenal stop paying into the pockets of the owners, it isn't going to change.

The trauma of the transfer window

1st of July has come and gone, but the situation with most clubs remains the same and we're all aware that conclusions won't be reached until the window shuts, on September the 2nd. Rumours are written daily on Twitter and in the media, with many newspapers contradicting each other as different journalists have different ideas on what will sell their paper. 

For the fans, it's once again a stressful summer, being left in the dark and not knowing whether your manager is going to strengthen the team and hold on to key players. The likes of Manchester City have gone quietly about their business and Liverpool seem to have made some shrewd signings, but the strain still remains as Liverpool fans ponder whether their main man Luis Suarez will remain at the club. However West Ham United and Norwich City have done well to seal Gary Hooper and Andy Carroll, Fulham grabbed Adel Taarabt on loan, whilst Newcastle United also acquired French international Loic Remy. 

Arsenal have again failed to sign anyone worth mentioning. Meanwhile their North London rivals have spent well, bringing in a much needed striker and adding to their midfield, but can they hold on to Gareth Bale?  Manchester United haven't addressed their issues, most notably in midfield, although managed to finalise some business in January for Wilfried Zaha. As a United fan I know that's not enough, and the troubles mount as Wayne Rooney wants out, with Chelsea knocking on the door. 

Having said that, there's less than four weeks to go until Jim White goes into overdrive on sky sports for deadline day, and you do feel things are about to move pretty quickly. You believe one transfer could trigger a domino effect. Bale going to Madrid could be astronomic. Levy would be mad to refuse a world record £85 million fee, and the plot thickens when you find out Cristiano Ronaldo has refused to sign a new deal since last October. Can Real Madrid pay such wages and does this tempt Manchester United? This could also potentially free up Wayne Rooney. 

The transfer window is simply one big merry-go-round, and no club is jumping off until September the 2nd. I hope Suarez and Rooney stay at their clubs, I think they owe the fans and should respect their contracts. Although Liverpool need to understand that Suarez probably wants European football, whilst Wayne Rooney is playing for the 20th time league Champions. Why would he want to leave? Arsenal desperately need to spend, otherwise they'll be fighting for top four again and they know it. Spurs and Liverpool have strengthened, but time will tell if they've spent well. As for the top three, City are ready and United are the champions, Mourinho is back and the next four weeks could be crucial in deciding the race for the title.

Young players and their potential

Obtaining the right balance in a football squad is essential. You need experience, star quality as well as an injection of youth. The same applies for the likes of an orchestra. It would be a disaster to use eight pianists and no guitarists. That's not to say buying success isn't possible. Of course, you can purchase all the ingredients you need for a top side, but in terms of longevity, I'd argue that this only works in a positive way for a limited amount of time.

Very few people are able to look at the bigger picture. How many people do you know who would admit to avoiding youth and sell youth because they aren't good enough? Furthermore they'd opt to pick the top players at the time and limit any forms of rotation. Look at the sudden decrease in development within Micah Richards and Josh McEachran compared to Jack Wilshere, because they're not being played enough. Only a year ago the majority of fans said David De Gea was poor and were willing to sell him. Not long ago, Jonny Evans was never going to be good enough.

(Getting the right balance.)

The biggest example occurred in 2004. A player actually said Rooney and Ronaldo weren't good enough, and he wasn't willing to wait for the finished article. We're currently seeing the same unbelievable opinions with the likes of Jones, Cleverley and Welbeck. If you look at Borussia Dortmund. Their team began on youth and low wages. These are the foundations of a successful club. They're now in the Champion League final. That's not to say you can't have experience, it's all about having the right balance.

My point is, there are very few people that have faith in youth and can identify potential. They'll pick on players and say he isn't good enough, because they're not looking at the final product. The likes of these would go guns blazing in the transfer market. Players don't just develop over night. Of course some are naturally gifted and flourish from the word go. Most players don't reach their peak until their late 20's, that speaks volumes. Yes experience is important too and certain transfers are also vital but we need to remind ourselves, how are we going to produce the stars of tomorrow, if we don't fulfill the potential in young players today.