F365 Half-Term Report

ARSENAL

Pick of the bunch: Robin van Persie, who is busy reminding us that had the Dutchman been fit for more than 15 Premier League games last season, the Gunners could well have regained the title. Those may be ifs and buts, but the plain facts are that van Persie has scored eight goals in 15 league appearances this season and stellar performances against Chelsea and Liverpool suggest that he is no flat-track bully.

We expected more from...Cesc Fabregas, who has too often looked ordinary this season. It's not that he's playing terribly, it's just that he's not playing terribly well - leaving room for suggestions that Euro 2008 on the back of a long season have left the Spaniard needing a break. Alternatively, the loss of Mathieu Flamini has taken away his defensive safety net and given him too much responsibility. Either way, becoming captain will not ease the burden.

So we were wrong about...Alex Song. He's no Flamini, Lassana Diarra or even Gilberto, but he has been thrust into action as Arsene Wenger belatedly acknowledged that he needed a no-nonsense defensive midfielder and responded with some decent though rarely eye-catching performances, until he successfully kept Steven Gerrard quiet against Liverpool.

ASTON VILLA

Pick of the bunch: There's significant competition from Martin Laursen, Brad Friedel and Gaby Agbonlahor, but tiny head and shoulders above the rest is Ashley Young, whose pace is devastating and set-piece delivery is deadly. Boss Martin O'Neill has been mentioning him in the same breath as Lionel Messi and though that might be slightly premature, it's certainly not the laughable claim it may have been a year ago.

We expected more from...Nicky Shorey. Touted as the best left-back outside the Big Four last season, Shorey has been found out at Villa, suffering the ignominy of being dropped in favour of a career right-back.

So we were wrong about...Luke Young. In all honesty, we thought Young was a jobbing right-back, so imagine our surprise when he has excelled even out of position. An England recall will surely follow.

BLACKBURN

Pick of the bunch: It's probably more a case of 'who hasn't disgraced themselves this season', and that 'honour' goes to Stephen Warnock, whose decent form (in defence and midfield) amongst the mire has apparently attracted interest from Spurs and Newcastle. Decent of course if you ignore the mauling he got against Wigan, but this is Blackburn - we can't be picky.

We expected more from...pretty much everyone but mostly Roque Santa Cruz. After 19 Premier League goals last season came summer talk of moves to more glamorous pastures and the Paraguayan has clearly had his head turned - probably towards Manchester. His expected January exit will not be mourned if it brings £20m.

So we were wrong about...Benni McCarthy. He certainly seemed to have shot his bolt last season with a severe case of second-season syndrome and he slipped to fifth-choice striker status under Paul Ince. But he was irresistible against Stoke and with Santa Cruz on his way, he could be the man to save Rovers from the drop.

BOLTON

Pick of the bunch: Some may say Matthew Taylor but Gary Cahill has been the rock on which the Trotters' impressive form has been built. Cahill gets points for leaving Villa rather than sitting on a bench and he has been rewarded by talk of an England call and the chance of being involved in an unlikely top-half finish.

We expected more from...Kevin Nolan. Gary Megson's preferred 4-5-1 formation should - in theory - free up Nolan to score more goals, just as he did in previous seasons under Sam Allardyce, when he twice broke the double-figure barrier. That hasn't really happened for Nolan, who has ostensibly stood still over the last two years. Where are those 'Nolan for England' calls now?

So we were wrong about...Johan Elmander. Well, maybe not entirely wrong but he's hardly been the massive flop that was predicted. His first touch can be woeful but he is capable of some moments of brilliant finishing and is working hard in the notoriously difficult lone striker role.

CHELSEA

Pick of the bunch: There are three strong candidates but Nic Anelka and Frank Lampard have been put in the shade by Jose Bosingwa on the grounds that it is his first season in English football and he has been easily the best right-back in the Premier League. Probably doesn't know what 'bedding-in period' even means.

We expected more from...Deco. Well, we didn't expect too much before the season, but those opening games set the bar high. An injury lay-off followed and the Deco that returns has been a passenger in the Chelsea midfield, sparking rumours of unrest amongst his teammates, who are reportedly not fooled by his moment of brilliance against Bolton.

So we were wrong about...Nic Anelka. Seen in the summer as a massive mistake by Chelsea, who appeared to be lumbered with a sulky, non-scoring striker. Just the 14 league goals later, there are a lot of words being eaten around now.

EVERTON

Pick of the bunch: Phil Jagielka. Started the season in midfield and looked thoroughly out of his depth, but since moving back to central defence in partnership with Joseph Yobo he has been phenomenal, particularly in successive 1-0 wins against Bolton and Fulham. In a season when Joleon Lescott has disappointed, is Fabio picking the wrong Everton defender?

We expected more from...Lescott but also Mikel Arteta, who was comfortable in most people's lists of best XIs outside the Big Four, but the Spaniard has been underwhelming this season. There's still the danger from set-pieces but Toffees have come to expect more creativity from open play.

So we were wrong about...Marouane Fellaini. It looked like a panic buy from David Moyes on the final day of the transfer window and certainly the Belgian's early appearances did nothing to dispel the notion that he was far from Premier League material. But in recent weeks, there have been signs that his ridiculous height and hair are drawing attention away from a decent if not breathtaking footballer.

FULHAM

Pick of the bunch: The heart says Jimmy Bullard but the head says Brede Hangeland, who has been ridiculously good in the heart of a Cottagers' defence that is amongst the meanest in the league. Europe's top clubs are sending their scouts to Craven Cottage, and you can bet your life it's not for a curly-haired Seventies throwback.

We expected more from...It's tempting to say Andy Johnson, but who truly expected him to score a hatful? Instead the spotlight turns to Zoltan Gera, who has been somewhat left behind in the great Fulham revolution, with Clint Dempsey more often preferred on the left of midfield. Probably not what one of the Championship's most creative players expected when he jumped the West Brom ship for Fulham.

So we were wrong about...the whole team. Hands up who thought Fulham would be in the top half of the table at the turn of the year. Even Roy Hodgson has his hands in his pockets.

HULL CITY

Pick of the bunch: It has to be that man Geovanni, the summer's best free transfer by far. The Brazilian is not only a massive goal threat operating behind a lone frontman, but has learnt how to put in a shift under Phil Brown, who has proved he learned a thing or two about unlikely transfer swwops from Sam Allardyce at Bolton.

We expected more from...Let's face it, nobody. Expectations were low.

So we were wrong about...Marlon King. We make no apologies for writing pre-season that Hull had a paucity of attacking talent and cited the Wigan loanee as an example of a Championship striker, erm, punching above his weight. Five goals may not seem like a great return, but that's roughly four goals more than we suspected.

LIVERPOOL

Pick of the bunch: While Fernando Torres has been injured and Steven Gerrard somewhat below par, pressure has grown on the Liverpool defence to at least keep it tight. Captain of that ship is Jamie Carragher, who has been almost perfect this season, with particular credit due for his performance at Stamford Bridge, where he almost always excels.

WHAT? HELLO.... XABI ALONSO EASILY OUR PLAYER OF THE SEASON

We expected more from...Some might argue he's not had the opportunities, but it's been up to Ryan Babel to press his claims when he does come off the bench, and there has been little to suggest that he should displace Albert Riera. This was supposed to be the season he came of age...we're still waiting.

So we were wrong about...Dirk Kuyt, though to be fair we have been on the Dutchman's bandwagon for some time now. Like Emile Heskey, Kuyt is an easy player to denigrate but five Premier League goals from a midfield position and more miles covered that just about any other player are the only answers he needs to provide.

MANCHESTER CITY

Pick of the bunch: When things were going well for Manchester City, there was one man at the heart of everything creative - and it wasn't always Robinho. When things started to go badly, there was one man who appeared to be working his bollocks off. That man is Stephen Ireland. If only the rest of the team could say the same.

We expected more from...Richard Dunne and Micah Richards. They were supposed to be the best central defensive partnership outside of the very top echelons of the game. But they have looked too often this season like bumbling idiots and a January move for Matty Upson looks more and more likely by the day.

So we were wrong about...Robinho. In all honesty we thought he would be horrendous. We thought he would be arrogant, lazy and frankly too Bertie Big Bollocks for the Premier League. Instead he promptly scored six goals in his first six games and looked irresistible. It's early days but the Brazilian looks like as sound an investment as £30m can buy. Now they just have to buy a striker worthy of playing alongside him.[b]

MANCHESTER UNITED

Pick of the bunch: Cristiano Ronaldo may have the goals but they've come against the likes of Stoke, West Brom and Blackburn. So instead we'll plump for Michael Carrick, whose performances in the heart of the United midfield have earned him an England recall and consigned the probably quite miffed Anderson to the bench.

We expected more from...Let's face it, £30.75m should buy you more than goals in romps against Premier League newcomers. Which makes it curious why the signing of Dimitar Berbatov has not fallen under the same scrutiny as that of Robbie Keane by Liverpool. Berbatov has been very occasionally brilliant but too often superfluous in a red shirt, looking very far from the 'missing piece of the jigsaw' expected by Sir Alex.

So we were wrong about...Rafael but only in that we assumed he wouldn't make any impact at all this season, and here he is well on his way to being eligible for a Premier League medal if United take the title. Already looks the finished product and is forcing Gary Neville towards the retirement home. Or Blackburn. He already is far superior than Cafu, easily.

MIDDLESBROUGH

Pick of the bunch: You know you're doing something right when you're linked with a January move to Chelsea, and Tuncay Sanli has certainly turned heads this season. The Turk has that rare mix of application and inspiration, though his finishing does leave a little to be desired. Keeping both Afonso Alves and Mido on the bench.

We expected more from...Afonso Alves had excuses at the back end of last season when he failed to deliver on Boro's £12.7m investment, but what's his explanation now for a haul of just three league goals? He may be a supreme finisher but unless he starts grafting, he will be stranded on the bench alongside Mido.

So we were wrong about...Ross Turnbull. After the departure of Mark Schwarzer, it seemed inexplicable that Boro did not move for Scott Carson or another keeper. But Gareth Southgate had faith in Turnbull, and although the 'goals against' column does not look the healthiest, that disguises the fact that Turnbull has made more saves than any other Premier League keeper.

NEWCASTLE UNITED

Pick of the bunch: Jonas Gutierrez. He was "the most impressive Premier League debutant" (according to Alan Hansen) on the opening day of the season at Old Trafford and his absence through injury coincided with Newcastle's worst spell of the season. Now back to full fitness, he was instrumental in victories over Portsmouth and Tottenham.

We expected more from...Geremi. With Newcastle in something of a pickle, you would expect your experienced men to keep their heads and lead the team into battle. But Geremi has been conspicuous in his anonymity and looked poor against Stoke in a game which should have suited his physical style. That performance cost him his place as Danny Guthrie and Nicky Butt established themselves as the midfield axis.

So we were wrong about...Sébastien Bassong. His first few Newcastle appearances looked shaky in the extreme, possibly because he was often played out of position at left-back. But a central-defensive partnership with Fabricio Coloccini has done the almost impossible in Newcastle - made them very hard to beat.

PORTSMOUTH

Pick of the bunch: Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch. Difficult to seperate them because they come as a package. Enjoy them while you can, Pompey fans, because it seems unlikely that both will still be in situ by the end of January. Just imagine how good they'd be with a decent midfield behind them...

We expected more from...The whole Pompey defence. One of the meanest in the Premier League in recent seasons, you might have expected Tony Adams' promotion to the big chair might have tightened things further. But maybe Big Tone has taken his eyes off the back four because the likes of Sol Campbell, Sylvain Distin and Hermann Hreidarsson have looked lumbering at times.

So we were wrong about...Nadir Belhadj. Nobody really noticed when the left-sided Algerian joined on loan from Lens, but he has probably been Pompey's most impressive player outside of the front two. He has scored one stunning goal and done enough to convince Tony Adams to offer him a permanent deal.

STOKE CITY

Pick of the bunch: It's too easy to say Rory Delap and probably too sensible to say Thomas Sorensen, so we're opting for Ricardo Fuller( ), Stoke's Mr Skilful who has added a touch of class to Tony Pulis' team of giants. Not that Fuller's not a giant too, but he didn't need that height to score one of the goals of the season against Villa.

We expected more from...Liam Lawrence[, who promptly fell over his dog. :lol!

So we were wrong about...Stoke full stop. We all thought they'd be rock bottom by now. It seems we'll have to wait until after Christmas.

SUNDERLAND

Pick of the bunch: To be honest it looked a little mental to us when Spurs allowed Steed Malbranque to go and it still looks a little mental when you look at Malbranque's record in a struggling side: Nine assists is more than any other player in the Premier League. And that goal against Hull was pretty special too.

We expected more from...El-Hadji Diouf. Questionable character he might be, but he has always been a decent footballer, and should have excelled at Sunderland. Instead he has offered the square root of bugger all and the club will be happy to take Blackburn's money in January.

So we were wrong about...Kieran Richardson, who has become a very passable central midfielder under Ricky Sbragia. It's still difficult to believe that United held onto him for so long, but he has found his place in the middle of what should be a mid-table side.

TOTTENHAM

Pick of the bunch: In all honesty, there's been no outstanding performer but in the absence of any real alternatives we opt for Jonathan Woodgate, who had about 17 different central defensive partners under Juande Ramos and has been steady away under Harry Redknapp. By no means perfect, but the best of an average bunch.

We expected more from...Roman Pavlyuchenko. For £14m you expect more than distinctly ordinary. It looks like his head is still in Moscow. Lord knows where his shooting boots are.

So we were wrong about...Aaron Lennon, who had looked like a busted flush last season. But given a regular spot on the right of Tottenham's midfield has seen the confidence come back to the little fella. He's no Ashley Young but he's no Wayne Routledge either.

WEST BROM

Pick of the bunch: Make that 'pick of a bad bunch' with Jonathan Greening getting the nod for his bloody hard work and leadership in the face of the Baggies' very poor form. Excellent against Portsmouth in the draw that ended a long run of defeats, he is a true captain.

We expected more from...Borja Valero, who cost a club-record £4.7m and has delivered very little - looking way too lightweight for a Premier League relegation battle. You have to admire Tony Mowbray's belief in playing attractive football, but this fella looks the wrong man for the job.

So we were wrong about...Roman Bednar, who looked the very definition of a Championship striker but has scored five goals in the Premier League, causing all sorts of problems to Manchester City's defence in a rare Baggies' victory. Now he just needs a partner.

WEST HAM

Pick of the bunch: Creating more goals than any other West Ham player this season despite missing half of it through injury (the half where the Hammers couldn't score for toffee) is Mark Noble. Now back from injury, he impressed against Chelsea and then Villa to prove he is not overawed by the best opposition. Arsene Wenger is reportedly an admirer - will he move in January?

We expected more from...An Italian international striker really should be able to get a game for West Ham but David Di Michele was so woeful against Manchester United in October that he has been restricted to a few minutes here and there ever since. Scored two goals against Newcastle, but this was Chris Hughton's Newcastle. Will head back to Italy in January.

So we were wrong about...Carlton Cole, who scored three goals in their first seven games for West Ham when anybody who had followed football for more than five minutes thought he was a total waste of space. Has seemingly now forgotten where the goal is in recent weeks, but he caused Chelsea enough trouble to suggest that he may possibly, maybe be a Premier League striker.

WIGAN

Pick of the bunch: It remains to be seen whether he will finish the season as he started it, but eight goals in 11 games made Amr Zaki the autumn sensation(but not winter!!!), with hard work allied with strength and supreme finishing making Steve Bruce look like a genius for pursuing him across Egypt.


We expected more from...One of Birmingham's diamonds amongst the dirt last season, Olivier Kapo looked like the perfect answer to Wigan's left-sided problems, with Jason Koumas never quite delivering on his promise. But perhaps it's a curse because, as Bruce himself says, "Olivier would be the first to admit that he has disappointed, especially at home."

So we were wrong about...Well, not so much us as Gareth Southgate, who was wrong about Lee Cattermole - what Boro wouldn't do for a solid central midfielder instead of the seemingly out-of-his-depth Didier Digard and the as-yet-unproven Mo Shawky. And Cattermole has been just that - solid alongside Wilson Palacios in a side that should stay well clear of relegation.

Ade wrote: Amr Zaki the autumn sensation(but not winter!!!)

Their comments on us show they are somewhat clueless..anyone who had seen Turnbull knew there was a hell of a lot of potential there..I said he could be very good 2 or 3 years ago. Even Frank Tavern telling me he was shit didnt make me reconsider, if anything, it made me stronger.

Also they're completely wrong about Afonso, "he's a good finisher but he needs to graft"..erm, no. His finishing has been shit, what hasnt been in question is his willingness to put in a shift.

Lennon's been our best player by a country mile this season.

Bentley's been the biggest disappointment by the same distance. Gomes has saved himself (and showed plenty of character) through his performances in the past 5-6 weeks.

The "we expected more from" award should probably go to Gareth Bale.

Rafael is making fools out of a lot of damn people except one

L-r d wrote:Rafael is making fools out of a lot of damn people except two

So we were wrong about...Well, not so much us as Gareth Southgate, who was wrong about Lee Cattermole - what Boro wouldn't do for a solid central midfielder instead of the seemingly out-of-his-depth Didier Digard and the as-yet-unproven Mo Shawky. And Cattermole has been just that - solid alongside Wilson Palacios in a side that should stay well clear of relegation.

Sorry?

Probably one of our best performers this season..who the f@ck wrote this drivel? Sarah Winterburn or whatever her name is? Digard has been excellent, good passer of the ball, strong, good tackler..nice long distance shot on him. Ofcourse having Cattermole would've been nice too, though im sure his drinking was a big element of why Gareth let him go.

Is the writer aware that just in the last 2 weeks Cattermole has been banned from every put in Stockton, Yarm, Billingham and some other places..

Has Rafael nailed down that RB spot for himself yet?

borocooper wrote:So we were wrong about...Well, not so much us as Gareth Southgate, who was wrong about Lee Cattermole - what Boro wouldn't do for a solid central midfielder instead of the seemingly out-of-his-depth Didier Digard and the as-yet-unproven Mo Shawky. And Cattermole has been just that - solid alongside Wilson Palacios in a side that should stay well clear of relegation.

Sorry?

Probably one of our best performers this season..who the f@ck wrote this drivel? Sarah Winterburn or whatever her name is? Digard has been excellent, good passer of the ball, strong, good tackler..nice long distance shot on him. Ofcourse having Cattermole would've been nice too, though im sure his drinking was a big element of why Gareth let him go.

Is the writer aware that just in the last 2 weeks Cattermole has been banned from every put in Stockton, Yarm, Billingham and some other places..

Sarah Winterburn



- Name: Sarah Winterburn.
- Position: Tough-tackling centre-half.
- Local Pub: Marsh United Bowling Club (27 girl steps away).
- Favourite Footy Fact: Only four clubs have won three successive titles: Liverpool, Arsenal, ManYoo and the mighty Huddersfield Town.

Was she the one that wrote it?

I would not be surprised in the slightest..she's abso-fucking-lutely the most clueless writer ever.

She should pair up with that useless commentator woman from MOTD and form some sort of useless bitches united

borocooper wrote:So we were wrong about...Well, not so much us as Gareth Southgate, who was wrong about Lee Cattermole - what Boro wouldn't do for a solid central midfielder instead of the seemingly out-of-his-depth Didier Digard and the as-yet-unproven Mo Shawky. And Cattermole has been just that - solid alongside Wilson Palacios in a side that should stay well clear of relegation.

Sorry?

Probably one of our best performers this season..who the f@ck wrote this drivel? Sarah Winterburn or whatever her name is? Digard has been excellent, good passer of the ball, strong, good tackler..nice long distance shot on him. Ofcourse having Cattermole would've been nice too, though im sure his drinking was a big element of why Gareth let him go.

Is the writer aware that just in the last 2 weeks Cattermole has been banned from every put in Stockton, Yarm, Billingham and some other places..

Yeh, I thought that when I saw it too. Whenever I've seen Digard Ive thought that he's been very impressive. I assumed that I must have missed a few games where he'd been poor but clearly not!

This is possibly the worst article to come out of F365 in years! It makes their weekly winners and losers articles look like first class journalism

See what they look like:

http://www.football365.com/credits/0,17734,9699,00.html

Ade wrote:Has Rafael nailed down that RB spot for himself yet?

Of course he will not start every game. But he is the num 1 right back at the club even at just 18 in his first season.

Ade wrote:


ASTON VILLA

Pick of the bunch: There's significant competition from Martin Laursen, Brad Friedel and Gaby Agbonlahor, but tiny head and shoulders above the rest is Ashley Young, whose pace is devastating and set-piece delivery is deadly. Boss Martin O'Neill has been mentioning him in the same breath as Lionel Messi and though that might be slightly premature, it's certainly not the laughable claim it may have been a year ago.

Messiah wrote:

Ade wrote:


ASTON VILLA

Pick of the bunch: There's significant competition from Martin Laursen, Brad Friedel and Gaby Agbonlahor, but tiny head and shoulders above the rest is Ashley Young, whose pace is devastating and set-piece delivery is deadly. Boss Martin O'Neill has been mentioning him in the same breath as Lionel Messi and though that might be slightly premature, it's certainly not the laughable claim it may have been a year ago.

Clearyl he isn't as good. But its hardly laughable either. He's been phenomenal this season and its hardly surprising that he's attracted interest from a club like Real Madrid. He plays in a similar position to Messi and has been as important to Villa, as Messi has to Barca.

L-r d wrote:

Ade wrote:Has Rafael nailed down that RB spot for himself yet?

Of course he will not start every game. But he is the num 1 right back at the club even at just 18 in his first season.

Who has played the most games at RB this season...

Rafael, Neville or Tango???

Ade wrote:

L-r d wrote:

Ade wrote:Has Rafael nailed down that RB spot for himself yet?

Of course he will not start every game. But he is the num 1 right back at the club even at just 18 in his first season.

Who has played the most games at RB this season...

Rafael, Neville or Tango???

Rafael

The only thing about Young is that I've never really see him play well against the top four. He was awful against Arsenal the other day.

L-r d wrote:

Ade wrote:

L-r d wrote:

Ade wrote:Has Rafael nailed down that RB spot for himself yet?

Of course he will not start every game. But he is the num 1 right back at the club even at just 18 in his first season.

Who has played the most games at RB this season...

Rafael, Neville or Tango???

Rafael

How many has he played then, compared to say Neville? You must know surely.

He's played a lot more than Neville ade.

Ade wrote:

L-r d wrote:

Ade wrote:

L-r d wrote:

Ade wrote:Has Rafael nailed down that RB spot for himself yet?

Of course he will not start every game. But he is the num 1 right back at the club even at just 18 in his first season.

Who has played the most games at RB this season...

Rafael, Neville or Tango???

Rafael

How many has he played then, compared to say Neville? You must know surely.

Appearances

Rafael
Premier League: 5 (2)
League Cup: 3
Champions League: 2 (1)
Other Matches: 1
Total: 11 (3)

Neville
Premier League: 5 (2)
League Cup: 2*
Champions League: 3
Other Matches: 3 (1)
Total: 13 (3)

Goals

Rafael
Premier League: 1

------------------------------------------------

Other Matches = Charity Shield, Super Cup, Club World Cup

*The two League Cup games that Neville started were at CB.

Well I couldn't give two hoots about the Carling Cup.

But yeah I was pretty sure they(Rafu and that tosser) played near enough the same amount of matches but 100% sure.

Surely if he was the number 1 RB at United as someone here mentioned he would play more games than Neville. As with most No.1's, his place in the team so be more or less near gauranteed. It will be interesting to see if old man Neville plays againist Chelsea or will it be Rafudinho.

WHAT DO YOU THINK BATMAN-L-COCK...

who will start v Chelsea

Neville shouldnt even be considered I dont think. It should be the chocolate orange or Rafu.

One of the reasons Fulham have done well is that all their signings have been one of the following:

BRITISH: eg AJ, Zamora, Konchesky

SCANDANAVIAN: eg Hangelaand, Andraesen, Nevland

FOREIGNERS SIGNED FROM ENGLISH TEAMS: Paintsil, Etuhu, Gera, Schwarzer


They won't have any communication issues a la Pavlyuchenko and they know that Paintsil, Gera etc have already lived here a while so they will have no trouble settling here (that will never be a prob for Scandanavians + they learn English from a very young age)

They have also taken advantage of the fact that Curbishley didn't like Paintsil, who is very good, and therefore didn't play him which is why he was so underpriced - same for Konchesky.

These 2 may have defensive deficiencies but they are very good footballing full backs who can overlap a narrow midfield which is made up of ball players like Murphy, Bullard, Davies and this is why they keep posession well away from home as Khadmas mentioned.

This takes a lot of pressure of the back 5 who are very reliable anyway.

And they signed a top defender in Hangeland...if Wenger had a clue he would have signed him by now.

Yep, Wengers clueless

Gera has been underwhelming to say the least though, and Etuhu doesn't even get a sniff. Their signings haven't been to dissimilar from previous seasons from what I can tell.

Hangelaand has obviously been a find and like you point out Schwarzer has made a difference too; but more importantly I feel Hodgson has turned them into a well drilled unit. They are robust, industrious and difficult to beat. They are currently a team playing with confidence too which hasn't always been the case with them.

Schwarzer is up there with the very best keepers in this country, always has been.