Ten things I would like to see in the world of football in 2012

A new year beckons and the following ten things are top of my football wishlist for 2012. Here's hoping:

1, England showing up for a major tournament

After an unmitigatedly diabolical performance at the 2010 World Cup and failure to qualify for Euro 2008, it has been some time since the England national team gave a respectable account of themselves at a major tournament. After qualifying unimpressively for Euro 2012 with a 2-2 draw away to Montenegro and with Wayne Rooney suspended for the first two group games expectations aren't exactly sky high this time around, but with a group containing Sweden, Ukraine and France, the Three Lions are certainly in with a chance. If Fabio Capello's men approach their games with confidence and tactical awareness, winning the group could be a launch pad to something far more memorable.

2, Barcelona retaining the Champions League title

Since the UEFA Champions League was rebranded from the European Cup in 1992, not a single team has successfully retained the title. In 2010, Barca were foiled by Jose Mourinho's Internazionale side in the semi-finals, but this time around the blaugrana could well prove unstoppable. Playing fast-paced precision passing football, Pep Guardiola's team are approaching universal popularity and if they can keep their magical number ten, Lionel Messi, fit then even Mourinho's expensively assembled Real Madrid outfit will struggle to stop them. The best team I've seen in my life time, if anyone deserves to retain the 'cup with big ears' it is them.

3, Tottenham qualifying for the Champions League at the expense of one of the old 'Big Four'

The old myth of the 'Big Four' (Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool if you really need to ask) being impossible to break into is all but dead now as first Tottenham Hotspur and then Manchester City clinched Champions League qualification, both times at the expense of Liverpool. In reality it was only for four seasons between 2005/06 and 2008/9 that the 'Big Four' dominated the Champions League positions (Everton finished in 4th back in 04/05) but many fans and pundits insisted that the 'Big Four' was a closed shop. Not so. This season, with City almost certain to finish in the top two, Spurs have a real chance to put the 'Big Four' to bed. With the squad they have at their disposal they really should do, and leave one of Arsenal or Chelsea joining Liverpool outside the promised land of the Champions League.

4, Wayne Rooney playing consistently

Wayne Rooney has been on the scene for nearly a decade now and while he remains undoubtedly one of the most talented players of his generation, he has never found the consistency that would see him rival Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the World Player of the Year stakes. Take this season for example, Rooney sits joint third in the top scorers list, behind only Robin Van Persie and Demba Ba. Yet before his brace at home to Wolves earlier this month, he hadn't scored for eight league games. The reason Messi and Ronaldo are hailed as by far the world's greatest is that in the past few seasons, they haven't even come close to that sort of goalless run. I even saw an article earlier this year referring to a Messi 'goal drought' of three games. If Rooney wants to be considered for the world award this time next year he needs to maintain his form for longer periods than he has ever done before.

5, A universally popular manager replacing Fabio Capello

Don Capello is due to bid farewell to the England camp after Euro 2012 and regardless of how the tournament goes, it will be time to bring in a new face. After the debacle of Steve McClaren's reign, and the opinion-splitting era of Sven-Goran Eriksson, it would be ideal to see a manager behind whom a nation of football fans could unite. Easier said than done of course. Harry Redknapp is odds on favourite with the bookies and while he would represent a popular choice, he may not want to leave his position at Spurs when things are going so well and there remains a possibility of him claiming a Premier League title in the next few years. Beyond Redknapp, names such as Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho have been touted, but despite their great track records, neither would be universally popular choices. Perhaps the FA face an impossible task to make a popular decision, and beyond Redknapp they may struggle.

6, Club owners to stop raising ticket prices

Ticket prices have been rocketing at clubs for years now and many fans have been priced out of the game. This season Chelsea raised their Champions League group stage ticket prices by £10 and while their attendance tumbled, they still made more money than last year. This attitude from club owners is frankly disgraceful and is happening all across the Premier League, with Arsenal recently becoming the first club to sell a normal (i.e non-executive box) ticket for more than £100. To take advantage of fans who have more money, and to disadvantage those who can't afford to come to matches anymore is not in the true spirit of football, which has built its worldwide empire on the foundations of inclusivity. With the likes of the Glazers at Manchester United and Abramovich at Chelsea hiking up prices every year, it is time somebody put a stop to this trend before football becomes a game for the rich only.

7, Manchester City to fail for at least one more year

Roberto Mancini has done a fantastic job at City since his appointment two years ago and has assembled an impressive team of superstars with the funds given to him by Sheikh Mansour. Yet while Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Edin Dzeko, Yaya Toure and co have played some exceptional football this season it would be nice to see, if only for one more year, that money can't quite buy you success that quickly. Admittedly it is already three and a half years since Mansour's takeover and City have built from a strong foundation of a large fan base and modern stadium. But after £550m of new signings their Champions League group stage failure this year shows there is still work to do. Still favourites in the title race, Mancini's men wouldn't be undeserving of the title, but if they were to miss out on the title for just one more season it may restore a bit of faith that money can't quite buy everything in football.

8, No more stories of racism in football

In the last few weeks the headlines have been dominated by the two-headed monster of the Luis Suarez and John Terry racism cases. Regardless of whether either of them really are guilty, the much bigger problem is that racism is even an issue at all in this day and age. The whole concept of abusing somebody because of their skin colour is dated, incredibly unintelligent and totally unacceptable. Racism should not be tolerated to any extent, not just in football, but in society in general, and once the Suarez and Terry cases have been put to bed it should never be allowed to rear its ugly head again. Racism is wrong, and needs stopping right now.

9, Sepp Blatter to be ousted from FIFA

Following on from my last point, Sepp Blatter's outrageous recent comments that racism can be settled with a simple handshake illustrate the idiocy of the man who is the biggest of big cheeses in football's hierarchy. The Swiss FIFA President's list of offences is lengthy and varied, ranging from false promises to sexist comments. After 13 years in the position he was farcically re-elected earlier this year after Mohamed Bin Hamman withdrew following his scandalous attempted bribing of CONCACAF officials. But Blatter has continued to offend and has failed to bring credibility to the governing body. He is due to serve until 2015, but if the rest of FIFA wants to really take the game forward, the figurehead needs changing much sooner.

10, Wigan Athletic to be relegated and replaced by a club that can fill their stadium

I have a lot of time for Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez, their owner Dave Whelan and several of their players such as Ali Al-Habsi and Victor Moses. However, one thing I do not have time for is seeing thousands of empty seats at Premier League stadiums. For this reason alone I think it is for the good of football that the Latics seven-year stint in the top flight finally comes to an end this season. The Premier League is a fantastically entertaining division of high quality football, and the more live spectators at stadiums the better. Wigan's constantly low attendances, even for the biggest matches, is a real shame. When there are teams like Nottingham Forest, Southampton and Leeds United toiling in the lower levels despite massive fan bases it seems a real waste that a club with so few supporters is mixing it in the top flight. Sorry Wigan, but it is time to go.

Villas-Boas takes on Ferguson in early season showdown

This weekend will see Andre Villas-Boas bring his Chelsea side to Old Trafford for arguably the most important game of the Premier League season so far. With the Blues trailing both Manchester United and Manchester City by two points already, a defeat would certainly put them at a huge disadvantage so early in the campaign. While United and City have got their campaigns off to flying starts, Chelsea have been a bit more subdued with not particularly convincing wins over West Brom, Norwich and Sunderland following on from a goalless draw at Stoke. However, Villas-Boas will see the showdown with Sir Alex Ferguson, a man 36 years his senior, as an ideal catalyst for his club's season.

It has been an odd quirk of the fixture list that many previous Chelsea managers have begun their reigns with games against the Red Devils. Claudio Ranieri began with a 3-3 draw at Old Trafford back in September 2000, Jose Mourinho won 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in August 2004, Avram Grant lost 2-0 just over three years later and Carlo Ancelotti won on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the 2009 Community Shield. Unlike his predecessors, Villas-Boas has had the advantage of a summer of preparation as well as four league fixtures and one Champions League game before taking his men to Manchester.

What we have seen in that time is a Chelsea team undergoing transition. Finally the likes of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and John Terry don't quite seem guaranteed their place in the team. A new regime is in the making at Stamford Bridge and Juan Mata, Danny Sturridge and David Luiz look to be at the heart of it. Fernando Torres is still a far cry from the confident, free-scoring forward seen in his early Liverpool days but his two assists against Bayer Leverkusen this week offered promise that he may soon be finding the back of the net himself. While results so far are yet to be spectacular, Villas-Boas would appear to have the Pensioners on the right track.

As for their opposition, the Red Devils have gone goal-crazy with what is very much a new-look team. With Paul Scholes, Edwin Van der Sar, Gary Neville, John O'Shea and Wes Brown all gone, and the likes of Michael Carrick, Dimitar Berbatov, Park Ji-Sung and Ryan Giggs so far playing peripheral roles, a new era seems to have dawned at Old Trafford. With Wayne Rooney, Nani and Anderson cast in the new role of 'senior players' and Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, David de Gea and the now injured duo of Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck adding much youthful zest to the team, it is a far cry from the squad that some people foolishly labelled too old at the start of last season.

United fans would be foolish themselves to get over-confident though, as is exemplified by the end result of Chelsea's similar flying start to last season. Ferguson will be determined not to let the same thing happen to his team and will realise the importance of this Sunday's game, even though it is so early in the season. A draw would not be disastrous for either team, but a win for United could really increase their already substantial momentum, and a win for the away team could mark an early twist in a title race which many are identifying as the 'battle of Manchester'.

Key battles across the pitch will include the duo of Rooney and Javier Hernandez taking on Chelsea's centre-backs, presumably Terry and Luiz, although Branislav Ivanovic and Alex are also in contention. Hernandez's pace and Rooney's guile punished Chelsea in the three defeats they suffered at the hands of United late on last season. Mata will be looking to continue his early strong form and might fancy his chances against United full-backs Patrice Evra and Smalling. The experience of Evra could be vital in shackling the Spaniard and Sturridge, who may well be played wide as well. In the centre of the park Anderson and Carrick (although Fletcher is also vying for a place) will look to Rooney to help them combat Chelsea's midfield trio, likely to be Ramires, Lampard and Raul Meireles. This is a big game for Lampard who has been doubted, perhaps unfairly, by many pundits this season.

But the most important factor could well be the plight of Torres against United's centre-backs. With old foe Nemanja Vidic out injured, the ex-Atletico Madrid man is likely to face Rio Ferdinand (rested in mid-week) and either Jonny Evans or Jones. The forward has shone in front of the Old Trafford crowd before in his Liverpool days, and if he can capitalise on Ferdinand's slight loss of pace, Evans occasional rash decision-making or Jones' inexperience, he could well put his career back on track and make himself a Chelsea hero. If Ferdinand's experience combined with his youthful defensive partner successfully contain the Spain international, then United would have a great opportunity to show the Premier League that this season they really mean business.

Where's the belief?

I was at Wembley Stadium last night to witness what, on paper, was a home victory which puts Fabio Capello's England squad to within touching distance of Euro 2012. However, the conclusion I drew was that England are as far away as ever from reaching the semi-finals of a major tournament for the first time since 1996, let alone winning one for the first time since 1966.

In truth, the Three Lions were lucky to escape with all three points as Wales striker Robert Earnshaw missed a golden opportunity to equalise with 14 minutes of the game remaining and for large spells of the game Gary Speed's men were equal to the hosts. While Ashley Young's first half strike proved enough to win the game, that was the only shot on target from a team who looked nowhere near as confident as a home team, top of the qualification group and facing a team ranked 117th in the world, should do.

Individual performances were, on the whole, acceptable. There wasn't a single player who you could point out as having had a particularly awful game. The problem was that the team seemed to be stricken by an epidemic of indifference. Not one of the eleven players on the pitch seemed intent on making the difference that would have killed off the game long before Earnshaw could make the 75,000+ England fans in the crowd exhale a sigh of extreme relief.

In terms of personnel, Capello seems to have at his disposal a highly competent, competitive squad - Wayne Rooney is certainly the man to lead the line (although he could excel in a deeper role) and Stewart Downing, Ashley Young, Theo Walcott and James Milner have all the attributes to support him in the attack. Scott Parker and Gareth Barry, despite the latter's detractors, make a very good screening duo in midfield and the emergence of Chris Smalling at right-back, as well as Gary Cahill and Phil Jones as central options seem to complement an already efficient defence. The formation issues of the World Cup, where Capello stuck to a 4-4-2 system despite popular demand seem to be over. A successful 4-2-3-1 has been deployed (as in Bulgaria) , as well as a 4-3-3, and the afore-mentioned midfielders along with Frank Lampard (still an important squad member, though much more efficient in a midfield three), Jack Wilshere and Steven Gerrard seem to understand what is required of both systems.

Yet England still are nowhere near reaching the calibre of Spain, Holland or Germany. Or even France, Italy and Portugal for that matter. The missing ingredient seems to be belief. Especially at Wembley. The booing of the team, or individual players such as Lampard and Ashley Cole has been well documented in the past and this could well have nurtured an element of fear when the Three Lions turn up at home. Before Young's goal against Wales, Capello's men appeared to be very uncertain of how to push on and impose themselves on their opposition. When they failed to increase their lead early in the second half, they reverted to this unsure attitude. Barry, in the deepest midfield role seemed the only assured presence on the ball, and that was largely because the Welsh were content to sit off him and defend deep. When the visitors did launch attacks, England dealt with them, but not with complete certainty. Some more accurate finishing from Speed's team could have seen a very different result. It was the first home win at Wembley in a year, and the four intervening fixtures had all displayed this uncertainty from England.

Elsewhere last night, world champions Spain beat Liechtenstein 6-0 at home. That is to be expected, but Liechtenstein are only two places lower than the Welsh in the world rankings and England should really be racking up that kind of scoreline, and an accompanying assured performance against this sort of team if they have any aspirations of success next summer. England's players are more talented than that of many countries, as exemplified by their many successes at club level, but if they are to push on and do the country pride in Poland and Ukraine next year, they are going to have to play with the confidence to attack teams and score goals. Anaemic performances like this win over Wales, last year's draw with Montenegro, and the first half of the Switzerland draw in June will result in an early farewell from Eastern Europe and the start of a long daunting road to Brazil 2014.

Arsene's Gunners finally call the cavalry

Following on from my article on Arsenal's situation back on the 12th August, I thought it was only right to give my opinion on Arsene Wenger's eventual business in the transfer window and the games that have taken place since.

Firstly, it has to be said that the club came through what was their most important challenge, defeating Udinese to qualify for the Champions League, impressively. Udinese showed themselves to be a very good team across the two legs, but when it mattered most, in the second half of the second leg, Wojciech Szczesny, Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott all proved that the Gunners still have some big characters in their team.

However, it was the league matches that meant the alarm bells were constantly ringing for the Emirates faithful. A dire 0-0 draw with Newcastle followed by an even worse 0-2 home defeat to Liverpool were bad enough, but the panic button was finally hit with an unbelievable 8-2 drubbing at the hands of Manchester United.

Arsenal's biggest defeat in 115 years really did force Wenger into action in the transfer market, and in my opinion he has bought wisely. Three weeks ago I wrote that he needed to add a goalkeeper, two defenders, one midfielder and another forward to the squad, all of which need to be experienced and not youth players.

Apart from the goalkeeper (and to be fair Szczesny looks like he could make the grade), Wenger had done all this and more, bringing in not one, but two midfielders. Per Mertesacker at 26, Andre Santos at 28, Mikel Arteta at 29, Yossi Benayoun at 31 and Park Chu-Young at 26 are all experienced professionals, and just what Wenger's squad was in desperate need of.

Chu-Young is captain of a successful South Korea team and has taken the number 9 shirt at Arsenal, while he is no prolific goalscorer he has the potential to be a great foil for van Persie. Arteta and Benayoun have both performed in the Premier League well for years. The concerns would be that Arteta has been injury prone during his time at Everton and Benayoun has just come off the back of an injury-hindered season at Chelsea. However, if both can stay fit then the young Arsenal midfield of Alex Song, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey will have some experienced midfield team-mates to look up to and learn from. At the back, arguably where Arsenal needed strengthening the most, Santos and Mertesacker look to be just what was required. The former has won trophies with Flamengo, Corinthians and Fenerbahce as well as caps for Brazil, while the latter has amassed an impressive 75 caps for the ever-consistent German national team.

While the Arsenal squad is still by no means capable of winning the Premier League title, it now looks competitive enough to challenge Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur for 4th place, and I would in fact reinstate them as my favourites for the position. In the immediate aftermath of the massacre at Old Trafford, I believed without serious strengthening, they would struggle to even make 6th place. However, while Wenger certainly left it very late, he has strengthened the squad sufficiently, with not just talent, but experience. The club certainly still have a number of issues to overcome, including the indiscipline which has seen three red cards in as many league games this season, and a steelier style of play may be required to get the team through certain away fixtures. Mertesacker, for one, should be able to help in that department.

Elsewhere in the transfer market, Chelsea's late move for Raul Meireles, in addition to the signing of Juan Mata may well see them challenge the Manchester duo for the title after all, although their squad still appears to be one very much in transition. It may well be the 2012-13 season when we see Andre Villas-Boas really show off his ability as a manager.

At the other end of the table, some shrewd signings from QPR certainly make them a much stronger team and the additions of Shaun Wright-Phillips, Anton Ferdinand, Joey Barton amongst others would certainly give them a better chance of survival than had previously been expected.

Fulham were also active on deadline day with the additions of Bryan Ruiz and Zdenek Grygera which should see them pushing for a top-half finish.

It will be interesting to see how Nicklas Bendtner settles in at Sunderland after a spell in North London which has never matched the size of his ego. Stoke City will also be hoping their additions of Peter Crouch, Wilson Palacios and Cameron Jerome see them finish comfortably in the top half, all three players would appear to fit Tony Pulis' style of play.

Tottenham did well to sign Scott Parker and Emmanuel Adebayor, but their biggest victory was in keeping Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart, all of whom had been linked with moves away last season and throughout the summer. Whether they can hold on to Modric, in particular, longer than January may well depend on their league form between now and then. A repeat of the 5-1 home defeat to Manchester City will definitely not be on Harry Redknapp's agenda.

Is it nearly game over for Arsene Wenger?

Could the impending departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri symbolise the end for Arsene Wenger? The Arsenal manager went on record last month stating that if the Gunners did sell the want-away duo then they could not be classified as a 'big club' as 'big clubs' usually hold on to their star players. So with both players apparently on their way on the eve of the new Premier League season, should Wenger concede defeat in terms of his position as Arsenal manager?

The fans, while still admiring his past achievements, are seriously questioning his ongoing reluctance to spend in the transfer market. Six seasons without any trophies, or even second-place league finishes, do not make good reading for a club that wowed the country by going a season unbeaten as recently as 2003-04.

What is perhaps most worrying for the club is the repetition of the past few seasons. Each year Wenger promises improvement, claiming his players are maturing, yet each year the club get knocked out of all the cup competitions and trail off in their league campaigns, resulting in a succession of third and fourth placed finishes. Wenger has stated that he is happy as long as the club finishes in a Champions League position, but for the first time this season, that no longer looks a certainty. With the rise of Manchester City to third place last season, and the greater experience within the squads of both champions Manchester United and Chelsea, Arsenal would appear to be embroiled in a scrap for fourth with Merseyside giants Liverpool and local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

It appears to many that Wenger's players have lost faith in him. The preference of Gael Clichy and Nasri to join City in a bid to win trophies is telling, and the impending loss of captain Fabregas to Barcelona will certainly have a large effect. While all three of those players are young in football terms, they were three of the most experienced heads in Wenger's increasingly fragile looking squad. While Kieran Gibbs, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey are all in place to fill the boots of the departing trio, the major effect will be to make an already too-young team even younger. Wenger's biggest failure in recent years has been failing to bring in experienced players in key positions. The majority of Arsenal's players are under 25, and the older ones, such as Andrey Arshavin, Tomas Rosicky and Sebastien Squillaci have not been central to the team over the past couple of seasons. Robin van Persie is set to step into the role of captain, and while he certainly has the quality and experience, his injury problems will always be a worry.

There is admittedly more than two weeks of the transfer window left to go, but Wenger has yet to bring in the defenders and goalkeeper that the club so desperately need. After seeing Manuel Almunia, Lukasz Fabianski and the young Wojciech Szczesny all make mistakes over the last couple of years, it is remarkable that he has not addressed the situation with the signing of a proven number one. The return from injury of Thomas Vermaelen should be a boost, but should his fitness fail him, the likes of Laurent Koscielny and Johan Djourou do not look like Premier League winning standard. Elsewhere in the team, Theo Walcott still needs to prove both his fitness and his talent in what is now his sixth season at the Emirates Stadium. Jack Wilshere's debut season was incredible, but it is surely too much to expect the 19-year-old to carry the midfield to success so soon. Gervinho (a rare signing over £10m) should be an exciting option for the attack but he is unproven at the highest level and could well go down the route of Marouane Chamakh and Nicklas Bendtner, becoming a bit-party player.

If Wenger has any intention of finishing in the top four this season, let alone being involved in the title race, he needs to make some major moves in the final days of this summer transfer window. At least one goalkeeper, two defenders, a midfielder and another forward are surely needed for the club to compete with United, City and Chelsea. And not 17-year-olds plucked from Gabon or Switzerland but established, trophy-winning professionals. Anything less than that and I fear that Stan Kroenke and the Arsenal board may have to finally bring the curtain down on Wenger's 16 year reign in North London.

Bent must seize England opportunity before Carroll catches him

With a year to go until the Euro 2012 Championships in Poland and Ukraine, one man determined to be in England's starting line-up come the tournament is Aston Villa's 27-year-old striker Darren Bent. The former Ipswich, Charlton, Spurs and Sunderland forward has finally been given a chance with the national team and is beginning to prove his worth with three goals in his last three appearances, all of which were away from home.

This weekend's home match against Switzerland is an ideal chance for Bent to really force his way into Fabio Capello's first choice XI with Wayne Rooney suspened and both Jermain Defoe and Andy Carroll sidelined with injury. If the Villa man can get on the scoresheet at Wembley then he will take some shifting from the Three Lions set-up.

Bent has split opinion over the years, and was unfortunate enough to miss out on the final squad for both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups despite finishing as the Premier League's highest scoring Englishman in the 05/06 season and just two goals behind Rooney with 24 in 09/10. A less-than-satisfactory stint at Tottenham where Bent didn't see eye-to-eye with Harry Redknapp marked the low point of the London-born striker's career but since then he has gone from strength to strength at both Sunderland and Villa and has won over many football fans with his unparalleled scoring consistency.

In the Premier League, Bent has been at the right end of the top-scorers chart every season since he burst onto the scene and has developed a knack of scoring against the big teams on a regular basis. His goal-poacher's instinct is superior to that of Defoe, Crouch et al and with the manager's faith he is well placed to kick on and fulfill his dream of being 'England's number nine at a major tournament'. The major threat to this however, is the emergence of Carroll, Liverpool's £35m January signing.

If Carroll has a successful season at Anfield next year then Bent's England place could well be in jeopardy. With Rooney seemingly guaranteed a place in the side regardless of form or formation, there is only one striking berth to play for. Carroll is obviously lacking Bent's experience and his finishing prowess is not quite the same yet, but the pony-tailed Geordie possesses strength and a much-more explosive game than anybody else at England's disposal. Liverpool's new number nine had a great first half to the season with Newcastle United and has shown promise under Kenny Dalglish despite injuries curtailing his season.

For Bent to cement his position within both the supporters' hearts and Capello's mind it is vital that he maintains his scoring form, as his style of play means his other contributions are minimal (although he does hold the ball up better than he is given credit for). The Switzerland qualifier is an ideal opportunity for Bent and with a friendly against Holland in August and two more qualifiers in early September, he certainly should have ample opportunity to make his mark. His talent for goalscoring is unquestionable, but if he can't win over the fans and manager then he may find himself going the same way as Andy Cole and Les Ferdinand, ranked second and fifth respectively in the list of all-time Premier League top scorers, but who could only muster a paltry 32 England caps and 6 goals between them. Now must be Darren's time to shine.

My Premier League team of the season 2010-11

The following is my team of the season, they are not necessarily the best players in the Premier League, but simply the ones who have impressed me the most. I’ve decided to do an entire 25-man squad to get as many players involved as possible, but obviously the focus is on the starting XI. Yes, they play a 3-5-2, it probably wouldn’t be applicable in real life, but hey, it’s my team! The following may raise a few eyebrows...

Goalkeeper: Joe Hart

Roberto Mancini’s decision to drop the experienced Shay Given in favour of the young Englishman has been well and truly vindicated. City’s number 25 marshalled the joint best defence in the league this season and won the Golden Glove award for most clean sheets. Still only 24, the man could be England’s number one for the next decade and a half.

Defender: Brede Hangeland

The giant Fulham centre-back has been nothing short of sensational this season. The former Copenhagen man weighed in with six goals from centre-back and made an incredible 424 clearances in the league this year, the second highest number in the whole division. Fulham’s eighth place finish was due in no small part to the Norwegian, and their place in the Europa League via the fair play table will be a worthy reward.

Defender: Rio Ferdinand

His Manchester United captain and defensive partner Nemanja Vidic has been raking in the majority of the plaudits, but the role of Ferdinand in United’s title charge should not be under-estimated. Missing through injury during United’s February/March rough patch (defeats at Wolves, Chelsea and Liverpool), his return could not have come soon enough and his calmness on the ball and incredible positional sense were vital to United’s steady end of season form. The main difference between Ferdinand and Vidic is the former’s sense of calm. A real character off the pitch, as Twitter users will know, the Peckham-born centre-back almost never puts a foot wrong in matches, giving away fouls and getting booked less often than United get beaten at Old Trafford.

Defender: Leighton Baines

One of only two outfield players to play every minute of every match this season, Everton’s left-back and free-kick specialist is putting pressure on Ashley Cole for his England spot. Eleven assists, many from set-pieces, were not all the ex-Wigan player had to offer as he weighed in with five league goals and claimed the Everton players’ player of the year award. Solid defensively, Baines has been linked with a move to German giants Bayern Munich this summer. Should he leave, it will be a big blow for David Moyes’ men.

Midfielder: Nani

The Portuguese winger ( and occasional dramatist) has admittedly been forced out of the team by Antonio Valencia in recent weeks, and since his Jamie Carragher-induced injury at Anfield hasn’t quite been the same player as he was until then. But he makes this team on the basis that for the first seven months of the season he carried Manchester United when the likes of Wayne Rooney were simply not performing. With eighteen assists to his name, he deservedly claimed the United players’ player of the year award and was unlucky to miss out on the PFA shortlist. Creating some true moments of magic in the Autumn and Winter, if it wasn’t for him United may well have gone the same way as Chelsea during the cold months.

Midfielder: Charlie Adam

Blackpool’s captain was the main reason the Seasiders managed to stay out of the relegation zone until so late in the season. The Scotsman put in an outrageous number of outstanding performances throughout the season weighing in with goals, assists and a fantastic range of passes. It was hard to believe that at 25 this was his first ever Premier league season. Blackpool were lucky to hold onto him during the January transfer window, but with Ian Holloway’s men heading back to the Championship, there is no doubt that the midfield magician will be seeking a move to a bigger club.

Midfielder: Yaya Toure

After playing as a defensive midfielder during his years at Barcelona, the younger brother of Kolo has come into his own as an attacking midfielder in England. Big, strong, with a powerful shot and great stamina, the Ivorian was the key force in Manchester City’s first trophy winning campaign for 35 years and he will be right at home in the Champions League next season. Showed he is a big game player with winning goals in both the FA Cup semi-final and final at Wembley.

Midfielder: Jack Wilshere

The young Arsenal midfielder played more minutes than any of his team-mates this season and looks well placed to develop into the ‘English Xavi’ as has been touted by many involved in the game. Still 19, the Englishman was certainly the biggest positive in what was an otherwise disappointing season for his club. Incredible passing ability and a tenacity that has been lacking in recent Arsenal midfields will ensure that Wilshere is integral in England’s Euro 2012 campaign next year. If he could add a few more goals to his game then the diminutive midfielder will be on the road to greatness.

Midfielder: Rafael van der Vaart

When Tottenham Hotspur signed the Dutchman from Real Madrid for a cut-price £8m on transfer deadline day last summer, little did the White Hart Lane faithful know how great his debut season would be for the Lilywhites. 15 goals, many of which were spectacular, and a fantastic understanding with Peter Crouch were key factors in Spurs early season form and success in Europe. If it wasn’t for injury to the Dutchman, as well as team-mate Gareth Bale, Harry Redknapp’s squad may well have caught Arsenal and achieved Champions League football again next season. Holding on to van der Vaart next season is vital to Spurs’ prospects.

Striker: Peter Odemwingie

The Nigerian forward has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water. After racist Russian fans disgracefully waved a banner with a picture of a banana on it and the words ‘Thank you West Brom’ on his sale to the Hawthorns’ club, the pacy striker successfully put the ill-taste behind him and broke a club record by netting fifteen Premier League goals. The only footballer to win the player of the month award twice this season, his consistency was vital to the Baggies’ rise up the table under Roy Hodgson. A natural goalscorer with pace to burn, it’s a shame that it is only now, at 29, that he has arrived in England.

Striker: Robin van Persie

The most prolific goalscorer of the season, averaging a goal every 98.2 minutes (ahead of Manchester United duo Dimitar Berbatov [110.5] and Javier Hernandez [114.3]) the Arsenal forward was in imperious form from New Year’s Day onwards. He in fact equalled Cristiano Ronaldo and Alan Shearer’s record of 18 goals from that point, and would undoubtedly have scored many more had he been fit for the first part of the season. Setting a record of his own by scoring in nine consecutive away games, the Dutchman deserved much better from his team-mates who simply couldn’t match his standards when it came to the crunch.

SUBS:

Edwin van der Sar

A true phenomenon, even at the age of 40, van der Sar will be sorely missed by everybody at Old Trafford.

Vincent Kompany

The converted defensive midfielder was a true rock at centre-back for City this year despite a fair few changes to his defensive colleagues, inspirational at times.

Cheik Tiote

A fantastic acquisition for Newcastle United, Tiote’s game is all about getting stuck in, but he can pass well too and, just ask Arsenal fans, can hit a very very good volley.

Florent Malouda

Arguably not as good as last season but Chelsea’s French winger finished as their top scorer and created plenty of chances, notably in their defeat at Birmingham City in November, where his team-mates let him down badly.

Luka Modric

Spurs certainly don’t lack creativity these days and that owes a lot to the clever play of the Croatian playmaker. Like van der Vaart he is vital to Spurs’ prospects next season.

Carlos Tevez

The Manchester City captain has been fantastic this season, scoring some truly wonderful goals and is only kept out of the starting XI by his disappointing non-committal attitude.

Dimitar Berbatov

The stylish forward finished top scorer along with Tevez and would have scored plenty more if Sir Alex Ferguson could figure out a way of shoe-horning him into the team alongside Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez. A class act.

Rest of the squad:

Javier Hernandez, Samir Nasri, Kevin Nolan, Charles N’Zogbia, Nemanja Vidic, Branislav Ivanovicand Robert Huth. All these players have put in outstanding performances for their respective clubs and could easily have made the starting XI. Plenty more exceptional players didn’t even make the 25-man cut. All in all, a vintage season for the Premier League with outstanding performances from players at both ends of the final table.

The ultimate big game player: Park Ji Sung

In the fifteen years or so that I have been following the beautiful game, I cannot recall a single player who has been tailor-made for the big occasion quite like Park Ji-Sung. The South Korean midfielder is an anomaly, an enigma, and a one-off at Manchester United. In a bog-standard Premier League match, against the likes of Blackburn Rovers or Fulham, Park is not necessarily guaranteed to be involved in the starting line-up or even be on the bench, regardless of his fitness. Yet when it comes to the biggest matches of the season, the 30-year-old is always one of the first names on the team sheet.

An incredible work ethic and tactical awareness are the strengths of Park’s game, not to mention his incredible stamina, and while he is by no means a natural goalscorer, he has a knack of grabbing goals in the biggest of games, as Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool could all testify. While the more skilful and maverick-like Nani has won United’s player’s player of the year award this season, it is likely that in Saturday’s Champions League final the Portuguese will find himself amongst the substitutes. Antonio Valencia has returned from a broken leg and hit the ground running in the last few weeks of the season, seemingly making the right-wing berth his own. While Nani can also play on the left, he is not as effective there and there is almost definitely no shifting the South Korean for an occasion such as Saturday.

What Park gives that Nani can’t is the defensive cover for Patrice Evra (his best friend at the club) that the Frenchman is almost certain to need, given that Pedro, Dani Alves and Lionel Messi will all be working the right flank for Barcelona. His willingness to track back is one thing but his attacking prowess can be seriously undervalued. The former South Korea captain (he retired from the national team after the Asian Cup in January which saw him miss a large chunk of United’s Premier League campaign) has displayed an array of different goals in his time at United, including a diving header against Liverpool last season, a mazy last-minute run and powerful finish against Wolves this season and some precise shooting like against Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-final second leg.

But it is only in the last couple of seasons that Park has truly been appreciated for what he brings to Sir Alex Ferguson’s team. It has been six years since he first signed from PSV Eindhoven for what now seems a very cheap £4million. He had moved to Holland in 2003 to join his former national team coach Guus Hiddink, with whom he had burst onto the world scene as a vibrant 21-year-old in the South Korea team that made the World Cup semi-finals on home soil. A fan’s favourite at the Philips Stadion, it took him a while to settle at Old Trafford (an early joke was that his first touch was so bad, his second touch would be a sliding tackle) but these days a game does not go by without the Stretford End singing his name. Apart from his first season he has never made more than 40 appearances in all competitions, partially due to injury and international duty, but he is now undoubtedly a key member of the United squad. If the Red Devils are to overcome Pep Guardiola’s mighty Barcelona team at Wembley this weekend, then the boy from Seoul is bound to be central to their success.

The agony and the ecstasy: Just another year in the Premier League

After what has been a truly remarkable season, the Premier League finally came to an end on Sunday May 22^nd with a mixture of emotions for different clubs across the country. The joy of Manchester United, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic was in stark contrast to the despair felt by Birmingham City, Blackpool and the tame end of season performances from Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Looking at the league as a whole, it seems the bottom teams are getting closer to the established big clubs, as is exemplified by a gap of just 41 points between champions and relegation zone, as opposed to 56 points last season. While Manchester United were undoubtedly worthy victors, finishing nine points clear of last year’s winners Chelsea, their well-documented struggles away from home go to prove just how competitive the Premier League really is. Many have claimed that Sir Alex Ferguson’s current team are by no means vintage, but the squad that claimed the record-breaking nineteenth title will certainly be remembered at Old Trafford for many a year. The strength in depth of United has been proven across the season perhaps best exemplified by the first half of the season, being led impressively by Dimitar Berbatov (20 goals) and Nani (18 assists) while Wayne Rooney was out of sorts and Antonio Valencia was injured, before the latter two stormed back into form and essentially benched the former duo for the business end of the campaign. The acquisition of Javier Hernandez was also vital to the title victory, as were sterling performances from veterans Ryan Giggs and Edwin van der Sar and a rock-solid defence marshalled by Barclays player of the year Nemanja Vidic.

A season that started so brightly for Chelsea, with back-to-back 6-0 victories ended on a sour note with popular Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti being sacked despite winning the double only twelve months ago. In truth, it was obvious he had lost the trust of Roman Abramovich earlier this season when assistant coach Ray Wilkins was dismissed against the Italian’s will and the club embarked on a dismal run of just 11 points from 11 games. With big name players such as Didier Drogba almost certain to leave in the summer, a new manager may have to oversee a transitional period for Chelsea. Whether the £50m spent on Fernando Torres will ever be considered money well spent is certainly a question that needs answering.

Manchester City will be thrilled with their late season surge which saw them leapfrog Arsenal and seal a guaranteed place in the Champions League group phase next season. With a budget to die for, a Yaya Toure-inspired FA Cup victory in the bag and a very good squad already in place, the Citizens will certainly be expected to challenge for the title next season, with or without want-away captain Carlos Tevez. Whether the same can be said of Arsenal is not so sure. A truly dreadful end to the season saw them drop out of contention for the title and they now face the prospect of a tricky Champions League qualifier in August. With the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri possibly eyeing a move in the summer, Arsene Wenger surely needs to listen to the public and sign some experienced players as well as a new goalkeeper and proven defenders. However, the Frenchman has never been one to bend to popular belief and Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool will be eyeing the Gunners’ top four position next season.

Spurs and the Anfield club have been two of the most interesting stories of the season, with the former impressing in Europe only to falter badly in the league before a late revival secured the debatable prize of Europa League football next season and the latter unbelievably flirting with relegation under Roy Hodgson before the return of ‘King’ Kenny Dalglish sparked an impressive return to form in the Spring. Tottenham will be looking to hold on to star trio Gareth Bale, Rafa van der Vaart and Luka Modric over the summer and will certainly fancy their chances of challenging for Champions League football if they can do so – like their North London rivals they are expected to be looking for goalkeeping and defensive reinforcements too. The return of Kop icon Dalglish was one of the most amazing stories of the season, coupled with the acquisition of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll which looks to have ushered in a new era at Anfield. There seems to have been a long overdue change in dynamics for a team which was reliant on Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres for such a long time. With Dalglish tied down to a contract and money apparently available, the Kop faithful will be expecting at least a top four finish next season.

The teams to finish mid-table represent a contrast of emotions with Everton and Aston Villa probably disappointed that poor starts to the season left them with too much ground to make up to challenge for Europe, opposed by Fulham and Sunderland happy to be there. West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United will both be pleased with their debut seasons back in the top flight, and both chairmen will feel vindicated that their somewhat-controversial mid-season managerial changes paid off. In Peter Odemwingie the Baggies have unearthed a natural goalscorer and the Toon have seen both Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan step up their game this year. Stoke City and Bolton Wanderers were both distracted by extensive FA Cup runs and may be slightly disappointed that they failed to make the top half in the end, although the fans will no doubt be happy that they avoided the drama of the relegation scrap.

That can’t be said of West Ham United, who were quite simply the worst team in the Premier League this season. The apparent non-management of Avram Grant, whose days as a Premier League manager seem unlikely to return, coupled with some poor signings and terrible injury problems left the Hammers rock bottom and facing the prospect of Championship life next season. Not even the admirable Football Writer’s Player of the Year Scott Parker could save the day, and he missed the crucial run-in with injury. Both Blackpool and Birmingham City will feel hard done by in joining the Upton Park outfit in the second tier. Ian Holloway’s men played a brand of attacking football rarely seen from a newly promoted side and scored the same amount of goals as fifth placed Spurs, yet their defence was never good enough to stay up and despite a memorable double over Liverpool, they were sent back to the Championship after an eventful final day match at Old Trafford. Birmingham City fans may be in a state of shock for a long time after seeing their Carling Cup winners fold and lose their place amongst England’s elite. The St Andrews faithful will now have the unusual combination of Europa League and Championship football next season and they will surely lose many of their best players.

The real elation on the final day of the season was found at Molineux where a thrilling 3-2 win for Blackburn over Wolves turned out to be enough for both to survive and Mick McCarthy in particular will be delighted with a job well done in maintaining his team’s survival. Home victories over the league’s final top three as well as a win at Anfield showed the character of McCarthy’s men and they have certainly played better football than many have given them credit for. Blackburn’s new Indian owners may try to forget that they claimed a ‘top five finish’ was achievable this season and just be grateful that the rookie manager Steve Kean managed to keep them in the Premier League. They will surely be looking to bring in more players and a more experienced manager in the summer though. The other team who went into the last day of the season looking to survive was Wigan Athletic, who yet again upset the odds by beating Stoke away for their seventh consecutive season in the top flight. They are, in fact, the only club never to have been relegated and Roberto Martinez certainly seems to be running the club well.

So after plenty of controversy, foul language, dodgy transfers, Ian Holloway quotes, incredible goals, a record-breaking number of hat-tricks, a second team breaking into the big four in two years and a team of relegated cup-winners, the Premier League is over. The start of the next campaign, on the 13^th August, couldn’t come soon enough.

A landmark occasion for City, who should now push on to more success.

The 14th May 2011 was a landmark day in the history of English football. Yes, Manchester United claimed their 19th title to overtake their greatest rivals Liverpool in the list of all time title victories, but 180 miles south at Wembley Stadium, Manchester City took what could turn out to be a much more significant step.

By beating Stoke City 1-0 to claim the FA Cup which, I'm sure you've all heard by now, was their first trophy in three and a half decades, the Citizens may well have kick-started a new era of success at Eastlands. It has been nearly three years since Sheikh Mansour turned up with his billions and while success hasn't exactly been instant, the club deserve credit where it is due. Yes, they might have been rash in sacking Mark Hughes (albeit he had been at the club some time already), but given time Roberto Mancini is beginning to show exactly what he can do. The Italian has taken much criticism for his defensive style of football but with Champions League football for next season also obtained last week, his tactics appear to be vindicated.

City have spent a lot of money on signings, but on the whole their squad is now looking very well rounded. A series of egos including Robinho, Craig Bellamy and Emmanuel Adebayor have been shown the door, and whilst Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez remain, the squad now appears to be much more together. They have blended the youthful talent of Joe Hart, Micah Richards and Adam Johnson with the experience of Gareth Barry, Joleon Lescott and Tevez. Yaya Toure has been a revelation, especially in the second half of the season, where he has won over many of the doubters (including myself) playing in a more attacking midfield position. While he lacks the guile and creativity of a true Trequartista, his strength, stamina and eye for goal have proved invaluable. For much of the season it appeared that City were overly reliant on Tevez, their top scorer, but with the Argentine injured at the tail-end of the season they have rallied and pushed on to claim a top-four finish and this elusive first trophy. The likes of David Silva, Vincent Kompany and Nigel de Jong have all proved to be shrewd signings and are doing the business when it counts. If Edin Dzeko can rediscover his Wolfsburg form next season, he could really add another dimension to the squad, and it is expected he will be joined by several more new additions in the summer.

City's local rivals United turned a real corner by claiming the 1990 FA Cup with a replay victory over Crystal Palace which began their dominance over the majority of the past twenty years. It is now looking possible for City to emulate them, or at least usurp Chelsea and Arsenal and become United's main title challengers in the foreseeable future. The first trophy is often the hardest to win, and when you haven't won for a while, succeeding in big matches such as Finals and semi-finals becomes harder and harder (just ask Arsenal fans). With the winning mentality now in place, and the funds to bolster their squad no end, City will really fancy their chances next season and they are already only at 10/1 odds to win the Champions League at the first time of asking.

While that is surely a step too far, it is certainly possible for Mancini's men to progress well in their debut season in Europe's top club competition. Tottenham Hotspur's progress to the quarter-finals this season is testament to that fact, and with Mancini seemingly a more tactically-aware manager than Spurs' Harry Redknapp, they may well be more suited to the competition. Having said that, Mancini failed to do well with Internazionale in the Champions League, so he still has much to prove at this level. Under Roman Abramovich's ownership Chelsea have spent millions trying to claim the greatest of club prizes and fallen short, so the size of the task at hand should not be underestimated by Mansour and his board.

But City are in a very good position to build on their squad now. They arguably need to strengthen in the full-back positions, and they may have to replace Tevez if he decides to leave like he has been threatening to for a while, but the age of the squad is about right for them to develop together. Kolo Toure's ban hasn't hit them as hard as some may have expected, and his return to action would be a welcome boost. But if Mancini keeps making the right decisions, as he did by dropping Shay Given for Hart, and by playing Yaya Toure in front of de Jong and Barry, the Premier League may well enter a new era of Manchester-based dominance.

Torres isn't working but there's a bigger problem at Chelsea

What on earth has happened to Chelsea F.C over the past few months? Last night in the Champions League quarter-final with Manchester United, they seemed a shadow of the side that emphatically won the double last season and were coasting at the top of the Premier League up until November 2010. Devoid of the attacking threat which saw them break goal-scoring records last season at a canter, the Blues seem to be lacking something, despite having largely the same personnel.

Clearly, the one major difference in personnel is Fernando Torres, more on his arrival later, but Chelsea's dramatic change in fortunes happened a fair while before El Nino turned up at Stamford Bridge. Ironically it was Torres himself, while a Liverpool player, that kicked off the Blues' horrendous run of form when his brace at Anfield consigned Chelsea to a 2-0 defeat. They edged out Fulham 1-0 at home in the next fixture but could then only manage one win in the next ten, in a run which included losing 3-0 at home to Sunderland and going down 1-0 to Wolves at Molineux. So what exactly went so wrong?

Firstly, there were a few injuries to contend with. With John Terry and Alex not ever present, a weakness in Chelsea's squad was exposed. Last summer Ricardo Carvalho and Juliano Belletti were sold and not replaced. With Frank Lampard missing, the decisions to offload Michael Ballack, Deco and Joe Cole and only bring in Ramires and the now-injured Yossi Benayoun perhaps didn't look like completely sound squad management. But this aside, the Chelsea players should have had more than enough firepower to win many of the games they were floundering in.

At St Andrews in late November, Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda laboured hard all game long but lacked the killer instinct of last season as Chelsea went down 1-0 to a side battling relegation. Terry was back soon enough, Branislav Ivanovic has stepped up to the plate and David Luiz has since been brought in to strengthen the defence but that doesn't really seem to be the problem. After all, Carlo Ancelotti's team boast the best defensive record in the division having let in just 25 goals in 30 matches. It is the ability to score match-winning goals that appears to have eluded Chesea.

Last season's Golden Boot winner Drogba only has eleven league goals to his name this year, that's one less than Newcastle midfielder Kevin Nolan, yet he remains the Blues' top scorer. Lampard's lengthy injury absence certainly deprived the team of goals, and the likes of Nicolas Anelka, Ramires, Michael Essien and Yuri Zhirkov haven't been weighing in with as many goals as players in their respective positions could do. Ancelotti proved last season that he has what it takes to manage in England, with a great double success, but his track record in Italy was inconsistent to say the least. Two Champions League successes with Milan were coupled with only one Serie A title across eight seasons at the San Siro. Is it down to the manager that the club are struggling? Potentially.

In late January, just when it seemed like Chelsea were finding goalscoring form again, with 4-0 and 4-2 successes at Bolton and Sunderland respectively, the £50m signing of Torres threw a spanner into the works. Whether it was Ancelotti's choice of signing, or as widely believed, the choice of owner Roman Abramovich is somewhat irrelevant as either way, there was another striker to incorporate into the team. And so far it hasn't worked at all. On Torres' debut, as fate would have it, against Liverpool, he was deployed alongside Drogba, with Anelka playing as a trequartista ahead of a midfield three. This hasn't been seen since, as Ancelotti has toyed with various combinations of a front two, including leaving both Drogba and Anelka on the bench and starting Torres with Salomon Kalou. But no matter what he seems to do, it isn't quite working with Torres. Chelsea's most convincing recent result was the 2-0 victory over Manchester City, but they laboured until Torres and Kalou were replaced by Drogba and Anelka. Chelsea have played a 4-3-3 for most of their recent successes, and Anelka is adaptable enough to play in a wide role. With Torres involved, Ancelotti has been forced to play with two up front each game and it simply isn't working for a team content playing a different formation.

But as I've explained, Chelsea were struggling before Torres joined the club, and my view is that it is down to a major imbalance in the squad. Chelsea seem to have too many experienced players in their starting line-up and not enough youthful energy to learn from and complement the older players. Terry, Ashley Cole, Lampard, Drogba, Anelka, Cech, Essien and Malouda have all been on the scene for a number of years and are very much of the same generation. If you look at the fantastic team that won the Premier League for the first time under Jose Mourinho there was some experience in the shape of Claude Makelele but the likes of Lampard, Terry, Damien Duff, Joe Cole, Drogba and Carvalho were all in their mid-twenties. A few youngsters like Arjen Robben and Glen Johnson complemented this. If you look at Arsenal's 'invincibles' side of 2003/04 they had a similar age spread from the older players (Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires), the mid-range (Thierry Henry, Freddie Ljungberg) and a couple of youngsters (Kolo Toure, Jose Reyes). To keep a squad competitive and fresh, there should be this spread of ages, and it is something that the current Chelsea squad doesn't quite have right. Unless a heroic performance at Old Trafford next week can salvage their season, then there will need to be a major overhaul at Stamford Bridge this summer to usher in a new era of success. Whether Ancelotti will still be there to oversee things remains to be seen...

The Super Six: Who should win Player of the Year?

For those of you who may have missed it in all the Champions League and Wayne Rooney swearing furore, the shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year awards was leaked yesterday. The six men nominated are Charlie Adam, Gareth Bale, Samir Nasri, Scott Parker, Carlos Tevez and Nemanja Vidic. Nani, Rafael Van Der Vaart and Dimitar Berbatov may all feel aggrieved to be omitted from this list, but the six who have been included are certainly worthy candidates. Here is my verdict on the men in contention:

Charlie Adam

The Scotsman has been a revelation for Blackpool in his first Premier League season. Incredible technique and creativity is his forte and he has been racking up both goals and assists all year long. He scored a free-kick in the play-off Final which sealed the Tangerines' promotion to the top flight and never looked back from there. A class act, the 25-year-old may be late on the Premier League scene but he is certainly here to stay.

Why could he win it?

He has been the talisman of Ian Holloway's lovable side who have confounded the critics for much of the season. Adam played a key role in the victory at Anfield in the Autumn which has been one of the memorable moments of this Premier League campaign. He has bought something different to the Premier League, a creative attacking midfielder of a different ilk to most of his contemporaries.

What might count against him?

Blackpool have been struggling of late, and may well still be heading back to the Championship. He also put in a transfer request in the January transfer window, in a bid to secure a move to Liverpool. The move fell through, but a mid-season transfer request always taints a player's image to some extent.

Gareth Bale

The Spurs winger finished last season on top form and carried that forward into his club's debut season in the Champions League. Launching his season with a stunning volley at the Britannia Stadium, Bale's crowning glory were his twin performances against Internazionale in the Champions League group stage. A hat-trick of the highest quality (recreated incredibly here http://www.runofplay.com/s/17571/) at the San Siro, followed up by a top showing in the return at White Hart Lane had the whole of Europe waxing lyrical about the Welshman. The no.3 has started to improve his goal output as well and has been linked with a mega-bucks move away from Tottenham.

Why could he win it?

Everyone has been talking about him all season long. His pace and athleticism, coupled with a new found killer instinct seem to have set him well on his way to global stardom. Two top performances against the European Champions certainly put him in good stead.

What might count against him?

He has suffered with injury problems since the turn of the year which have ruled him out of several big matches. Also, his biggest showings were in Europe and not the Premier League, which is what the Player of the Year award is really based on. Perhaps not his year but the 21-year-old certainly has time on his hands.

Samir Nasri

The Frenchman has developed into Arsenal's best player this season, after a couple of years adapting to English football. A player blessed with incredible technique, speed and a powerful shot, Nasri terrorised defences throughout the Autumn and Winter. The snood-wearing winger was largely responsible for keeping Arsenal in title contention during the injury-enforced absences of Cesc Fabregas and Robin Van Persie and after being left out of France's World Cup squad is now seen as a key player for Les Bleus.

Why could he win it?

Arguably the most skillful of all the players on the list, Nasri has performed for a team near the very top of the table. His development in his three years at the Emirates Stadium has been impressive and Arsene Wenger's faith in him has paid off this year.

What might count against him?

Arsenal have been knocked out of all three cup competitions and are faltering badly in the league. Nasri's form does seem to have tailed off since February and he may not have done quite enough to warrant beating some of his more consistent competitors.

Scott Parker

The West Ham United captain has come into his own this season and if the Hammers manage to stay up it will be largely down to him. He originally burst onto the scene as a talented youngster at Charlton before an ill-fated stint at Chelsea and a mixed spell at Newcastle meant that his career to date has been strangely unfulfilled. The 30-year-old has become the heartbeat of his club side though, and reportedly bought his team-mates to tears with a rousing team-talk at half-time when 3-0 down to West Brom in February. His team turned the game round to claim a 3-3 draw and the box-to-box midfielder raked in the plaudits.

Why could he win it?

Parker's energetic and passionate style of play has seen him win over much of the media and fans have been singing his praises all season. A recent England call-up and decent performance against Wales also stand him in good stead in the run-up to the awards.

What might count against him?

He is playing for a team very much at the wrong end of the table, and has only really kicked on since the halfway mark of the season. In the first half of the campaign West Ham looked to be almost relegation certainties when Parker wasn't firing on all cylinders and he hasn't quite got the superstar qualities of some of his competitors.

Carlos Tevez

The Argentine striker has literally carried Manchester City this season. His energetic running and tireless appetite for goals has seen him become without a doubt City's key player and he is currently the bookies' favourite to end the season as Premier League top scorer (he has one less than Dimitar Berbatov but is likely to play more games). Tevez brings a rare combination of energy, strength, skill and shooting ability which make him the sort of player every team appreciates.

Why could he win it?

The diminutive forward has been exceptional this season, and without him, Manchester City would likely be much lower than third in the table. He brings goals and a cutting edge that the Sky Blues seem to lack when he is absent (Exhibit A being the Chelsea away game a few weeks ago). Undoubtedly a heroic player.

What might count against him?

Like Charlie Adam, a mid-season transfer request did him no favours in terms of winning over fans. Has been involved in controversies in the past, both with his transfer to West Ham and his departure from Manchester United to join their city rivals. Perhaps not the most likable personality in the world but will be a strong contender.

Nemanja Vidic

Appointed captain at the start of the season by Sir Alex Ferguson, the United centre-back has been back to his best for most of this season, following a slight lapse in the last campaign. A few important headed goals early in the season helped, but his main contribution has been marshalling a defence which has missed the continually injured Rio Ferdinand. The Serbian brings a never-say-die attitude, fantastic aerial ability and great positional awareness to his team and has become undoubtedly United's most important defensive asset.

Why could he win it?

With his club looking very comfortable in the title race, and still in contention on two other fronts, Vidic could prove to be the Red Devils' most inspired captain since Roy Keane. Vidic has won high praise over the last few years and featured on this shortlist back in 2008/09 as well. Certainly in with a chance.

What might count against him?

It is always harder being a defender as the strikers tend to get more of the limelight and pick up these accolades. Also Vidic's temperament has been suspect, getting needlessly sent off at Stamford Bridge last month and conceding a silly penalty against West Ham last weekend.

My choice:

For me, it has to be Carlos Tevez. The Man City striker has been the driving force behind his club's rise up the table, despite all the other multi-million pound signings. He has scored goals and put in man of the match performances consistently and probably deserves the recognition for this. Charlie Adam would be a close second as he has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water and brings a different quality rarely seen in British midfielders. Bale, Parker and Nasri haven't performed across the whole season and Vidic hasn't quite been at the highest level in some crucial games. Personally I am very surprised that Nani wasn't included as he has been astonishing for Manchester United this season, with 16 assists (5 more than anyone else) and 9 goals (the same as Adam and Nasri). But even if he was, 'Carlitos' would probably deserve the accolade due to his incredible work ethic, raw talent and number of goals. There hasn't been a clear-cut winner like in previous years (think Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry in the past) but the Premier League certainly still has some top class players and remains the most exciting league in the world.

Rooney is a troubled man, but we need to get off his back

Since bursting onto the scene as a lively sixteen-year-old and curling a fantastic winning goal past the Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman at Goodison Park in 2002, Wayne Mark Rooney has seldom been out of the spotlight. But recently it has been more and more for all the wrong reasons. Blessed with a natural talent that saw him (somewhat stupidly) dubbed the 'White Pele' at a young age, the then-Everton youngster first courted controversy when it transpired he had been visiting prostitutes in Liverpool, one of whom was in fact a grandmother.

Securing a big-money move to Manchester United in 2004, the young striker seemed to curb his temper over the following years, and a few flash-points aside (red cards at World Cup 2006 and against Villarreal in the Champions League) seemed to have grown into a focussed professional footballer. Come early 2010 and Rooney was being touted as arguably the world's best player as he had finally began to score goals for fun and was on course to land the PFA Player of the Year award. But since then it has all gone wrong.

As has been well documented, an ankle injury picked up in the Champions League tie against Bayern Munich saw him embark on a run where he failed to score a goal for Manchester United in open play for eight long months. But that's only the half of it. Firstly, he flopped badly at the World Cup, and vented his anger at the fans into the TV camera (sound familiar?). Then it was discovered he had cheated on his wife while she was pregnant, with a prostitute (familiar again?). Then, arguably worst of all, there was the 'transfer request' saga. In October, seemingly out of the blue, Rooney released a statement expressing his desire to leave Manchester United citing the club’s 'lack of ambition' as his reason.

For a United player to do such a thing, and seemingly risk the wrath of Sir Alex Ferguson, was unprecedented and seemed unbelievable. OK, Cristiano Ronaldo had said he would like to play for Real Madrid long before he left, but that was different, he wasn't questioning the club. To say that about the Red Devils, champions in three of the previous four seasons, European champions as recently as 2008, and still firmly in the title race at the time (now firmly in the lead) was bizarre to say the least. Regardless, Ferguson and Chief Executive David Gill successfully convinced the forward to stay and sign a new deal, but he had alienated himself from the fans and was clearly unhappy off the field.

In the few months since, Rooney has gradually clawed his way back to top form, with a wonder goal against Manchester City and most recently a hat-trick at West Ham confirming this. And it was after this hat-trick that his latest controversial moment hit the headlines. The Scouse striker 'celebrated' his third goal by shouting into the television camera and a couple of swear words were picked up by the microphone. He is now facing a two-match ban, at a crucial time of the season, from the FA.

Now, let's look at this objectively. Rooney has sworn into a TV camera. The real issue here is the TV camera part. Swearing is done on the football pitch, in the stands, in the pubs, in offices, at home, almost anywhere in the world these days, and it is certainly not seen as a punishable offence. Tasteless? Perhaps. 'Uncouth'? Yes. But worthy of a serious punishment? Certainly not. So what is the difference between simply swearing at someone and swearing into the TV camera? Not a lot, I would argue. Others may believe that it is wrong because he is swearing directly at the audience of the game, but whether Rooney meant that is hard to tell. He came out and apologised afterwards, insisting it 'wasn't aimed at anyone in particular'.

It is clear by now that Rooney is a very angry, frustrated man. He has received much abuse and aggravation from both the fans and the media in recent times, in my opinion rightfully so. But on Saturday, he had pulled off a top class performance in a vital Premier League game, and his outburst was simply a natural release in the heat of a very emotional moment. Football is all about passion. There is a reason it is the most popular sport in the world, there is a reason that more newspapers, websites and forums are devoted to it than any other sport. People care about football, and when people care about things, they often swear in excitement, or frustration. For a star player to face a ban for swearing at a camera, when it is the first time he has done so (yes he shouted at the camera in the World Cup, but he didn't swear then) seems a disproportionate punishment. A stern warning, with the knowledge that any repeat offence could bring a ban, would be more than enough.

The FA need to get their priorities right, Rooney would have been much more deserving of a ban a few weeks ago when he elbowed a Wigan Athletic player in the face. Physical violence is far more of a crime than uttering a few swear words into a camera which, let's face it, we've all heard before. The proximity of the camera to Rooney also didn't help, and perhaps that is something that the FA and TV broadcasters should consider. Football is a passionate game, and that goes hand-in-hand with swearing. OK, Rooney undoubtedly has a bad attitude, and he certainly needs to look at himself and try to manage his public image better. But the man had scored a hat-trick in a key game against a background of abuse, intense criticism and pressure. Rooney is a wonderful talent and I fear that if he isn't cut some slack soon, then his mental health, and career, may be damaged beyond repair.

A Humble Proposal

The international friendly has surely become the least exciting type of match in world football. With nothing on the line, players pulling out with dubious injuries and little credit given to teams even if they win big, what is the point in continuing with them? It can be argued that it is necessary to play these games for managers to experiment and work with their squads, who only compete in about six or seven competitive games a year. But I propose a solution.

Between the last two major international tournaments (Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010), England played in twenty matches. Exactly half of these were friendlies. Now imagine if pre-season for clubs contained as many games as the competitive season. It would be seen as ludicrous and fans would show very little interest in the number of uncompetitive games. But what can we do about it? Well, it could be quite simple. Expand the qualification groups for the major tournaments and play more competitive games!

UEFA has 53 member nations. This could split quite easily into five groups of nine and one group of eight. That would leave 16 (or 14) competitive fixtures between tournaments and, maintaining the current number of international match days (which is always subject to change anyway), would be perfectly feasible. Depending on qualification places available (currently 14 or 15 for Euros depending on number of hosts and 13 for the World Cup), the top two could qualify with third place teams going into a play-off tournament, or qualifying based on the best group records. This would also have the effect of ensuring more top teams meet each other in competitive matches outside of just the major tournaments. Furthermore, the matches against the smaller nations would still give managers the opportunity to experiment with their line-ups, while still having the healthy pressure of three points being at stake.

With at least four match days to spare, friendlies could still survive, and would in fact become a more worthwhile start/end of qualification test against teams from different confederations. The friendlies against the likes of Brazil and Argentina, and even teams like Australia or Ghana are always more likely to capture the imagination than the likes of last week’s Denmark vs England match-up.

With the common consensus that top flight club football is of as good, if not better standard than international football, the idea of ‘blooding’ new players in friendlies is rendered useless. If a player is in their national squad, specifically the England squad, they should be prepared to compete for qualification and tournaments. Competing in more vital qualification games would do well to instil the competitive spirit that is so vital to succeed in the big tournaments. Playing so many low intensity friendlies, it is no surprise that teams such as England often flop when the pressure is on. I don’t think it is a coincidence that all five South American teams negotiated the group stage in South Africa, considering they played eighteen (in Uruguay’s case twenty) competitive matches in qualification. Friendlies have become an unnecessary hindrance for most fans of football, and it is high time the authorities did something about it. In the now infamous words of Ian Holloway, ‘FIFA, UEFA, you’re wrong!’