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The fall & rise of Scott Parker

8 years ago, a 23 year old Parker made a £10m move to Chelsea, fresh from being taken over by Roman Abramovic. At the time Parker was one of the biggest prospects in English football. 128 appearances for Charlton having made his debut as a teenager, and a solitary appearance for England made him hot property. 

However, 15 appearances in one solitary season at Stamford Bridge brought him out of the spotlight, and then a distinctly average spell at Newcastle put him to the backs of most fan’s minds.

However, In 2007, Parker joined West Ham for a reported £7.5m and despite an injury hit first couple of seasons, flourished throughout the 09/10 and 10/11 seasons. Parker was cast back into the International scene, becoming something of a regular in the central midfield whilst Gerrard was injured and Lampard off form. However Parker could do nothing about West Ham’s relegation and had to move in order to fulfill his potential.

Parker joined Tottenham and has definitely been one of the signings of the season so far at £5.5m. Parker has been heralded for his workman like performances in the middle for Tottenham and the calming influence he has on the team. A possible England captain candidate too after John Terry’s removal?

All in all, Parker’s career has been a series of ups and downs, hopefully now at Tottenham he has found a club he can perform well at consistently for a good few years more.

@therealbenwells

The best signing so far this season?

So far, who do you guys think has been the premier league’s best signing? I guess we can count out Andy Carroll and Fernando Torres already. 

These two guys are my favourite signings of the season, message me with yours!

1. Craig Bellamy (Man City - Liverpool, Free Transfer)

Unwanted at City, Bellamy decided to leave on a free in the summer and Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish instantly snapped him up. Despite now being 32 and relatively injury prone there is no doubting Bellamy’s ability. 6 goals in 18 league games this season from a wing role is very impressive. But it has been Bellamy’s work rate and passion that has enthralled Liverpool fans this season.

2. Demba Ba (West Ham - Newcastle, Free Transfer)

What can i say about this guy that already hasnt been said? 12 games for West Ham at the end of the last season yielded 7 goals, a very impressive return. But having joined Newcastle on a free, Ba has notched 16 goals in 20 league appearances. His tall frame and big physique make him an ideal target man for Newcastle, and fans are saying that he is the better version of former striker Andy Carroll. Thing about Ba is though, he is also very pacy and has an extraordinary finish. Top clubs will definitely come knocking for him, 23 premier league goals in 32 appearances overall isnt exactly going to go unnoticed is it?

@therealbenwells

Breaking News: Fabio Capello has resigned as England boss. Not 100% sure why, but it must be due to the whole John Terry scandal? Very unprofessional on Capello’s part with the Euros fast approaching.

Time For Neymar To Move To Europe?

As we all know by now, Neymar is arguably the world’s hottest prospect right now. Valued by current club Santos upwards of £40m, along with fellow Brazilian International Ganso, he is South America’s hottest new star.

40 league goals in 85 games is not a bad record at all for a player who is not an out & out striker but instead a striker in the mould of the likes of Luis Suarez and Robinho who likes to play off another man up front. He is the golden boy of Santos, and so far the club has resisted interest from Real Madrid, Chelsea and Man City for his signature. How much longer though can Santos hold out?

The reason i believe it is time for Neymar to try himself in Europe is because he is now an established team member at both Santos and Brazil. Also, having just turned 20, his teenage years are behind him and really he only has a year left of being called a ‘wonderkid’ before he has to establish himself as a full fledged footballer. 

He has not made the mistake of many other South Americans moving to Europe too early in their career and simply fizzled out. Robinho is a big example, moving to Madrid at a young age after one full season in Brazil and he arguably is only half the player he was 7 years ago. Lucas Piazon at Chelsea may possibly have made the same mistake too. 

I believe however that if Neymar moves to Europe now, he will always be a first team regular whatever team he joins, and maybe in a few years be as good if not better than Lionel Messi. I believe he has the talent, it’s just whether any manager wants to take the risk of bringing him over to Europe right now, or in a few years time.

@therealbenwells

Craig Bellamy is a legend 

Read his interview with The Mirror about life outside of football here > http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Liverpool-exclusive-Craig-Bellamy-interview-on-Gary-Speed-anger-issues-charity-work-that-changed-his-life-and-lots-more-article859473.html

Top 5 Over-rated players

1. Gareth Barry - Manchester City

Barry is a good player, don’t get me wrong, but to hype him up like many others have is a bit over the top. I used to think he was a quality player with a good range of passes and solid defensively. But i think he has been a bit off form the last couple of years and any talk of him becoming England captain should be rubbished. 

2. Theo Walcott - Arsenal

What was once the future of English football is now a bit part player for the national side, and inconsistent for his club Arsenal. I always thought Walcott would turn good, but unfortunately his ability level seems much the same as it was three or four years ago. Still there is rarely an end product and despite so far having a good season for Arsenal in terms of goals and assists, Walcott is a long way from the finished article.

3. Gareth Bale - Tottenham Hotspur

Right, before you all get on me saying ‘He’s quality’ etc. I think Bale is an excellent player. A really good winger and a real handful for any full backs who come up against him. But for Redknapp to value him at around £90m is ludicrous. Redknapp also said he was on par with Messi in terms of skill level, and i have to say no one in the world is on par with Messi in terms of skill level. Bale is a quality player and will be for years to come, but i believe a lot of fans overrate him due to a couple of world class performances against Inter last year.

4. Steward Downing - Liverpool

When Liverpool signed him i thought ‘perfect, a player who can cross and can supply Andy Carroll with the service he has been lacking’. Then i saw the price. £20m for a 27 year old who has never really lived up to his billing as a youngster is a lot to pay. I gave him a chance of course but so far he has rarely delivered, just one assist is all Downing has to show for this season when he should be getting so many more. Whether it is a lack of form or a player on the downward spiral, Downing was never worth the £20m Liverpool paid for him and never will be.

5. Wayne Rooney - Manchester United

Controversial one this is, i know. Before i start let me say i really do think Rooney is an exceptional player, those magic moments where he can turn a game round in a second are the hallmarks of a great player. But, the emphasis England put on him to be our ‘saviour’ is too much. Ever since Beckham retired from Internationals, we have been looking for a player with the same aura as him and Rooney was the logical choice. However, other than the one great season at United when he was unstoppable, i do not think Rooney has fully delivered on the promise that was said of him. Dont get me wrong, he is a world class forward and can only get better, but for England to place all their hope on him would be extremely foolish.

@therealbenwells

Just a bit of news now:

Harry Redknapp and Milan Mandaric have been cleared of all tax evasion charges. Thoughts on this? Redknapp still for England manager?

Anonymous asked: Im loving the blog man, too bad your a liverpool fan. Just wondering if you agree with JT losing the England captaincy and who you think should be England captain for the Euro's? I personally believe that it should be Scott Parker

Haha sorry about that mate, im trying not to let the bias come through. Ah well i did a blog about that a few days ago, i rate parker dont get me wrong, but i think he is still a bit inexperienced internationally so i would give it to Gerrard. This isnt me being a typical Liverpool fan, its just he has led the team before, very experienced player and he is not likely to get in any more trouble off the field. Thoughts?

My top 5 under-rated players in the Premier League

1. Ryan Taylor - Newcastle

This guy plays as a RB for Newcastle, most of you have probably heard of him but i think he is very very under rated. When he joined Wigan a few years back he was one of the biggest prospects in the country and only a bad injury stopped him from playing as much as he would like. Newcastle have revitalised him and now he is a pacey defender, in the same mould of Liverpool’s Jose Enrique another former Newcastle man. Oh and he can hit a pretty vicious long shot too, belting in free kicks more often than not for his side.

2. Clint Dempsey - Fulham

Ok, ok so he is not massively under rated any more, but for his first few seasons at Fulham he got no where near the amount of credit he deserved. It is only this season people are really realising his full range of talents. He joined Fulham from MLS after the 2006 World Cup and in the six seasons since he is averaging nearly 10 league goals a year, as well as many assists and did i mention he is an absolute workhorse? Dempsey is a team player and can play anywhere from CM to CF. If he was playing for United he would be worth upwards of £15m but because he is at Fulham he is valued no where near as highly.

3. Steven Fletcher - Wolves

Never has Fletcher really got the credit he deserved, even at his time in Burnley. Ok so he is not exactly prolific, 8 goals at Burnley 2 years ago, and then 10 for Wolves last year. This year he is currently on 9 but it is not his goals that get him on this list. Fletcher is such a hard player to deal with if you are the opposing team, his strength, movement and aerial ability make him a real handful. We have seen this with Fletcher scoring against many of the top teams this year. I guarantee he will not be at Wolves long, he is the type of striker all big sides like in their team, i would be willing to put a bet on United signing him when they finally get rid of Berbatov.

4. Martin Kelly - Liverpool

Whilst Kyle Walker and Micah Richards have been the players heralded as England’s next RB, Martin Kelly has been quietly improving on his game. The Liverpool born player is very tall, good in the air and surprisingly quick for his frame. He does not look like your average wing back, and yet for the 20 odd league games i have seen him play there he has looked at home. His crossing is also a good side of his game, regularly picking out men in the middle. Fabio Capello has already sung his praises, coming to a match recently specifically to take a look at the 21 year old. Although he may never be England’s first choice RB, im sure he will become a regular for Liverpool.

5. Wes Hoolahan - Norwich City

The Republic of Ireland international has really progressed since joining Norwich 4 years ago from then league one side Blackpool. He has featured in 132 games for Norwich scoring 25 goals, and was a key reason as to why Norwich got promoted last season. Hoolahan’s main strength is his dribbling and ability to find other players in good positions, and so far this season he has been one Norwich player that has really stood out for me, as well as Steve Morison and Russell Martin. At 29, it is maybe too late for a big move for Hoolahan but i really think he will be a key cog in Norwich’s midfield for years to come.