10 biggest things in football in 2013

So, 2013 is at an end. I take a look back at the biggest things to happen in the sport over the past 12 months.

10 - Mona¢o and P$G buying everybody

There's talk today of PSG launching a bid for Lionel Messi, arguably the best player in the world (but more about him later) which would be quite sensational if they could somehow pull it off. But PSG now have rivals in the money game, that being Monaco, who flexed their financial muscles this summer with moves for Falcao, James Rodriguez, Joao Moutinho and, er, Ricardo Carvalho. The French league will be an interesting one to watch in 2014 to see which one of these will come out on top. Watch out for PSG in the Champions League too.

9 - What do AVB, Roberto Mancini and Nigel Adkins have in common?

Well, the answer is they were all fired in 2013 by Premier League clubs as the managerial merry go round reached new levels. FOUR managers have been sacked this month alone, with Martin Jol, Steve Clarke, Andre Feather Boas and Malky Mackay being told that their time is up. In all, 13 of the 23 clubs that have graced the Premier League in 2013 have changed their managers this year, an increase on the 10 in 2012. Of those clubs, Sunderland are the only one to have changed their manager twice, with Martin O'Neill being replaced by Paolo Di Canio, who was in turn replaced by Gus Poyet. I would expect more of the same in 2014.

8 - Ronaldo vs Messi, part 4858990

So, for the 44th year running, the battle for individual supremacy between a Portuguese man and an Argentinian man continues. However the Portuguese one did better this year, unlike previous years, where the Argentinian fella has held the bragging rights. So will Mr Blatter and the rest of the world recognise that this year, Ronaldo has been much better than Messi? I hope so, because he deserves it as I have said previously. The battle will continue into 2014, with both sure to play big parts in Brazil at the World Cup. The rivalry rages on.

7 - Arsenal spent some money (lol wut)

In September this year, Mesut Ozil joined Arsenal, just in case you weren't aware. And with that, a new title challenger was born. This year, Arsenal ended the Premier League on top of the table, and their £42.5 million purchase of the German international has made teams realise that they can compete, and Arsenal have realised themselves that they can compete. Being an Arsenal fan, Ozil is the man I worship, but I do also worship Ji Dong-Won, so that doesn't mean a lot. But the man has undoubted talent, can he help Arsenal maintain their title challenge? We'll find out next year.

6 - Manchester became red again

Not because someone set it on fire, but because Manchester United reclaimed the title from their neighbours, Roberto and Manuel who moved in just down the road a few years ago. The acquisition of Robin van Persie in 2012 certainly helped United to yet another title, with the Dutchman becoming the league's top scorer for a second year running. The partnership of RVP and our kid Wayne certainly paid off for Sir Alex, who departed Old Trafford with more silverware to his name. Can they win it in 2014? We'll see, but David Moyes will have to do something special.

5 - Tread caerphilly, the Welsh are coming

Yes, 2013 was the year of the Welsh clubs in England. Swansea won the League Cup, Cardiff were finally promoted to the Premier League as champions of the Championship, and Newport were promoted into the Football League following a play off final with fellow Welsh team Wrexham. All in all, they did alright. Swansea of course are now participating in Europe, and Cardiff are enjoying (in the loosest sense of the word) Premier League life. 2013 was a breakthrough year for the Welsh clubs, but can they match it in 2014?

4 - More Welsh stuff

Gareth Bale to be precise. In 2013, he became the most expensive footballer ever as he moved to Real Madrid from Tottenham for a whopping £85 million, eclipsing Cristiano Ronaldo's deal to the same team by £5 million. There were question marks as to whether or not the move would actually go ahead (it did) and whether he could live up to the price tag and expectation (he has). He scored on his debut, he's playing Champions League football, and has a great lifestyle; is there anything Gareth Bale doesn't have going for him? *cough* Ballon D'Or *cough*

3 - The Germans invade, but in a good way

The 2013 Champions League final at Wembley was contested by two German clubs, called Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. The first one won 2-1, and lifted this shiny trophy. They recently added another shiny trophy (the Club World Cup) to cement their reputation as the greatest club side in the world. The two sides demonstrated their superiority in the semi finals, as Bayern demolished Barcelona 7-0 over two legs, and Dortmund beat Real Madrid 4-3 over two legs, winning the first one 4-1. 2014 looks to be another solid year for the Germans, but can their national side win the World Cup? They may well do so.

2 - End it like Beckham

David Beckham retired this year. A global icon, he was, and continues to be, one of the game's most recognised faces, and one of its biggest stars. He ended his career with yet another title at PSG, adding to his titles in England, Spain and the USA. A gentleman until the end of his playing career, he donated his wages at PSG to a local children's charity, a gesture commended by the vast majority of people. Of course, he can't stay away from football, and plans to launch a new franchise/team in Miami to give something back to the game. Good luck Becks.

1 - Fergie time up

The biggest event to happen in football this year was the retirement of the most successful manager in British football, Sir Alex Ferguson. He won absolutely everything with Manchester United (apart from the UEFA Cup, what a failure) and is regarded by many as the greatest manager of all time. He finished his managerial career with a remarkable 5-5 draw with West Brom, but more importantly with the title as Manchester United won their 13th Premier League crown to cap off a wonderful managerial career that started at Firs Park, East Stirling and ended at Old Trafford, Manchester. A true giant of sport.

Vincent Tan is a bad man, a very bad man

Malky Mackay could walk into any job that he wants to after the job he did with Cardiff. He led them into the Premier League after years of being so close to securing promotion, and then broke their transfer record 3 times to meet the expectations of the Premier League. He did quite well with the players he bought into the club, the only problem being that he spent Vincent Tan's money.

We all know that Mackay was hoping to bring a few more players in in January, which Tan reacted angrily to, and you won't like him when he's angry, as we have seen today. What Tan doesn't seem to realise is that this business is football, and it's completely different to any other business or sport in the world, and he has to recognise that. One question I have is why did he pick Cardiff in the first place? Perhaps he knew people on the board. I don't know. But it is something that is becoming normality in football, the influx of foreign owners, which works in some cases (John Henry at Liverpool for example). What Brendan Rodgers and John Henry have done at Liverpool is laid out a blueprint for the club for however many years and are sticking with it. The key factor here is communication. Now, I would presume that Mackay and Tan have had conversations previously outlining a vision with Cardiff that they agreed on. The problem with Cardiff was the involvement of the media, in which Tan publicly stated that he would allow Mackay £25 million to spend on new players after they won promotion to the Premier League. Cardiff spent £32 million in the summer. I don't think that was the final straw, but it contributed to it, purely because it was £7 million over the budget that Tan promised Mackay. Tan, being a businessman, likes to set budgets and deadlines and whatnot, but in football, that should be done by the manager of the club and not the owner. Mackay was perfectly within his right to say that he wanted more funds to sign players in January in order to maintain their Premier League status because he was the manager of Cardiff City. Tan was obviously reluctant to do so and sacked him. That was the final straw. Maybe the £25 million was meant to cover the entire season? Who knows. But if Tan can set budgets via talking to the media and speak with Mackay that way, why can't Mackay do exactly the same thing? Tan knows nothing about football.

With the foreign owners and goal-line technology modernising the game, one thing that football clubs pride themselves on is tradition. If you want to become an owner of a football club, here's a tip - don't change your club's colours. Especially if that colour is in the nickname of the club. You just don't do that. Ever since that day fans have been protesting, and they have been right to do so. It just shouldn't be happening. Vincent Tan has ruined all of Malky Mackay's hard work, as well as the rest of the staff with his control of the club. Who would want to work under him after the way this has been played out in the media? Surely no one would actually volunteer for the job? I mean, they are a Premier League club, which is a big draw for anybody, but after seeing what has happened to Malky Mackay then surely the favourites for the post must be put off by it. Mackay on the other hand can have a fresh start somewhere else with sane owners who will actually hold meetings and communicate with their manager. The question is, will he go straight back into management immediately? West Brom will more than likely offer him the job, or will he wait for a bigger job to come by, because he could easily get it. He has shone at Cardiff and at Watford before that, and his job was extraordinary given the circumstances that he had to work under.

Oh, and Vincent Tan is a wanker.

Cristiano Ronaldo MUST win the Ballon D'Or

So, the three candidates for the Ballon D'Or were announced today, and they were exactly who everyone thought they would be. Franck Ribery, who helped Bayern to the Champions League and Bundesliga titles, Lionel Messi because he's been a good boy this year for Sepp "Santa Claus" Blatter, and the favourite to displace Messi of his crown, Cristiano Ronaldo. 

I could sit here and list Ronaldo's stats from 2013 as the reason why he has to win the most coveted individual prize in football. To be fair, they are pretty damn good. He has 25 goals in 18 Real Madrid appearances this season alone, and with 10 goals in 9 internationals for Portugal in 2013, 8 of which have come since the start of the new season, surely he's the only real candidate for the trophy? For me, he possesses something that Messi and Ribery lack in order to be one of the greatest, and that is arrogance. He knows he's good; you can tell from the constant 'calm down' celebration that he does. But he uses his arrogance in the right way. For example, he could have been a right little rapscallion against Manchester United in the Champions League when he scored at Old Trafford, but showed respect to the club and manager that essentially got him to where he is today, and a lot of respect has to go to him for that alone. Take note Mr van Persie.

Now for why the other two can't win the Ballon D'Or. Let's start with Franck Ribery shall we? Sure, he's won the Champions League and the Bundesliga in 2013 (he also won the DFB-Pokal but who cares). But so have the majority of Bayern's current squad. What has he done that makes FIFA think he's one of the top three players in the world this year? He was never a stand out in the Bayern side for me, and to be franckly honest (see what I did there), he shouldn't be in the top three. I think Zlatan Ibrahimovic has had a better individual year than Franck Ribery. If it was a team competition, then Bayern would be in there, of course, but it isn't. He hasn't even been a stand out player for France who laboured to qualification for Brazil next year.

Lionel Messi. Winner of the last four Ballon D'Or awards. Surely not a fifth on the trot? Surely? Well, no. The fact of the matter is, it is judged by who has had the better year, not who the better player is. And Cristiano Ronaldo has had a much better year than Lionel Messi. I know he's been hit with injuries and so on, but he has failed to live up to his incredible standards that he set in the 2011-12 season when he hit 50 goals in La Liga alone. He got 46 last season, in five less games, so did perhaps deserve the title on those occasions. But he's not done a lot internationally for me in the past year. He's scored 20 goals in his last 20 internationals, which is wonderful, but Ronaldo's performance against Sweden alone should win him the Ballon D'Or. To single-handedly take your team into the World Cup finals is an incredible achievement, but the way he did is was simply astonishing. Is Lionel Messi declining as a footballer? What a stupid question I've just asked there. Of course not, he's just had bad luck that's all.

Let us finish by admiring Cristiano Ronaldo and why he has to win the trophy. He's proved himself not only in Spain, but in England too in two of the toughest leagues in the world. Has Messi? No. Has Ribery? No. He was the world record transfer until some Welsh bloke came along and stole that from him. Did that faze him? You bet it didn't. And finally, he has more goals than he does games for Real Madrid. 226 goals in 217 games in all competitions. Give him a sticker. Or the Ballon D'Or.

The United Conundrum

Obviously United's season hasn't been as great as it should have been so far, but a win over Arsenal on Sunday provided some relief to a shaky start going into the international break. Rooney and van Persie look like they're starting to hit the form that won them the title last year, and talented players such as Adnan Januzaj are being given game time. But why was United's start to the season so poor?

For me, it is because of the transition from Sir Alex Ferguson to David Moyes, and as always with a new manager at a new club, especially when the previous manager has been there for 26 years, it will take time to implement their ideologies on the team. Moyes, for me, still doesn't know his first choice XI. The acquisition of Fellaini didn't really help him with that; bringing in a player that he knows well to a squad with talent in abundance, and the fact that he brings a different style of play and approach to United's game. Moyes seems to have deployed Fellaini in a much more defensive position in contrast to where he played under him at Everton, almost being a second striker.I feel that Moyes when he first came to the club was rubbing his hands with glee with the players at his disposal, before realising that a) he actually has to manage them - there are more likely to be players with egos at a bigger club like Manchester United, purely because they're at a big club and b) he has to select an XI - this will only lead to disappointment and unhappiness from the players that are deemed not good enough to start a game for Manchester United by their own manager, something which Moyes has already received criticism for (think Kagawa, Hernandez) and tried to rectify, without sufficient success.

They are currently fifth in the league. Five points off leaders Arsenal, something which, at this stage of the season, isn't too bad for United. Obviously they would have hoped for better, but David Moyes was a notoriously slow starter during his years at Everton. They have managed to string together an unbeaten run of 8 games in all competitions, even if they didn't quite get the performances to match. It's what won them the title last year, being able to get a result without playing at 100%. It's slowly but surely coming together for United, fans just have to be patient.

What would really get fans on side would be a big arrival in January. This may have implications with trying to fit them into the eleven, and then the knock-on effect of unhappy players because they aren't getting game time, but if Moyes is really feeling the pressure of the Old Trafford hot seat, then a big name, big game player arriving in January can only aid him, surely? Just don't buy a tall man with an afro for £27.5 million on the final day David, yeah?

Arsenal's Title Credentials

After becoming the first English side to win in the Westfalenstadion on Wednesday night, Arsenal are certainly impressing the majority of pundits, but not enough that they believe they can win the league. The north London side have a five point cushion at the top of the table after Saturday's 2-0 win over Liverpool. So why CAN'T they win the league?

It's been a while since they've won anything - bordering on nine years. It's been tough for their fans; trust me, I am one. But Wayne Rooney's comments earlier in the week were spot on. They've been in the top two in March in the past and faded away when it reaqlly mattered. I worry that this could happen again, especially if injuries start to mount up like they have done in previous years. Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mathieu Flamini and Lukas Podolski are all currently sidelined as it is, and if Olivier Giroud were to join them on the treatment table, it would leave them with Nicklas Bendtner and Ju Young Park as their only fit recognised strikers, a worrying thought for Arsenal fans.

But if we look positively, the signing of Mesut Ozil seems to have given Arsenal impetus in the opening weeks of the season, and the fact that they've splashed out £42.5 million to capture him shows that they are ready to compete in the transfer market, as well as on the pitch. The fact that they are performing week in week out on the field fills the players with confidence too, and the recent victory against Norwich, espcially Jack Wilshere's exquisite finish emphasises the confidence flowing through them at present. Add to that the fact that they are the only team to score in every Premier League game so far this season, then you've got a recipe for success, surely?

We move back to the question, can they feasibly win the league? They don't have the best squad, that's for certain, but they do currently have the best form. The real question is can they maintain it? We'll find out at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Martin Jol ft. Chris Hughton - Under Pressure

Martin Jol and Chris Hughton are the Premier League's version of Queen and David Bowie - they're under pressure. After Norwich's 7-0 mauling by Manchester City and Fulham's 3-1 home defeat by the other half of Manchester, the two bosses must be fearing for their jobs after the results left Norwich 18th and Fulham 15th in the table. I examine who is under the most pressure and what needs to be done to help both clubs climb the standings.

Firstly, Norwich City and Chris Hughton, who find themselves in the relegation zone as it stands. Two wins from ten games, both by a goal to nil, isn't the response anybody connected with the club wanted after the outlay of money in the summer on players like Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Gary Hooper to try and spearhead the side to a top half finish. This big spending is what has put Hughton under pressure, and in my opinion, rightly so. I know that Hooper isn't at 100% fitness and van Wolfswinkel is currently injured, but that shouldn't be any excuse. Norwich won 3-2 at the Etihad last season, and there were only five changes to the side that lost 7-0 today - Turner, Bassong, Olsson, Fer and Hooper in for Bennett, Snodgrass, Garrido, Hoolahan and the departed Grant Holt. So what has changed? A lack of confidence? Are there differences? For me, it's bemusing, and the fact that it's unclear what it is causing this downturn in form is the reason why Hughton has to go. It's time for change at Norwich, signalled with the intake of new players, and now a change of manager is due. What Chris Hughton will do is keep looking at the positives - they are the only side that has beaten Southampton in the league this season - but that cannot last for long. 

Martin Jol at Fulham for me is under even more pressure. 3 wins from 10 games - all against teams below them in the table - isn't good enough for a team like Fulham, especially with the squad they've got. It's indisputable that they've got some top quality players, Dimitar Berbatov, Maarten Stekelenburg, Scott Parker to name a few; it's not like they've bought poorly in the summer, because they haven't. Whether it's a question of the players not gelling together yet is a talking point, but in some cases it could be due to the work rate of some of their players, most notably Berbatov and Adel Taarabt, who can both do incredible things when they've got the ball, but without it, their commitment is not good enough for a Premier League side. Their defence has also been questioned by some people in the media, suggesting that they simply haven't been good enough so far this season. It's not like they lack a leader, because they have that in Brede Hangeland, and plenty of Premier League experience with the presence of Phillipe Senderos and Keiran Richardson in the back four, as well as Sascha Riether, who impressed so many last season. Add to that Fernando Amorebieta, a rock at the heart of the Athletic Bilbao defence for 8 years prior to his summer move, the back line is solid. The only thing it can be is a lack of resilience, a lack of strength being shown, and it's being reflected on the rest of the team. This is the first real test of Shahid Khan's tenure as Fulham's owner - does he stick with Jol, or twist and adopt a fresh approach? Personally, I think it has to be the latter of those.

But who can replace Hughton and Jol? Well, there is Tony Pulis, or, as always, Alan Curbishley. Maybe they pluck a Pochettino from somewhere, or someone pulling up trees in a lower league - maybe Sean Dyche or Eddie Howe? Who knows, only time will tell.

The Januzaj Effect

I was fortunate enough to be at Old Trafford on Saturday for Manchester United's 3-2 victory over Stoke City in what was a great game to watch from my perspective, but a frustrating one for both Mark Hughes and David Moyes. Stoke were the better team, not by much, but deserved in my opinion to win the game and were robbed of a victory. The one thing that changed the game was the introduction of Adnan Januzaj. I was one that was sceptical of him not justifying the media hype after his impressive display against Sunderland, but he gave United the impetus that they desperately needed. He came on for Nani who had the worst game I've ever seen an individual have, and was booed off by the majority of the 75,274 strong crowd. The cacophony of boos suddenly erupted into cheers when his replacement, Adnan Januzaj, was announced over the tannoy. 

He provided United with a different approach. Sure, he may not have scored any of the goals, or even assisted any of them. But what he did do was run directly at the Stoke players and didn't hesitate, something Nani was guilty of for his involvement in the game, and usually made the right decision. He managed to get both Stephen Ireland and Wilson Palacios booked for fouls against him, showing his obvious threat. The rest of the United players were given a lift every time he touched the ball, and looked like they wanted to win the game. 

The one thing United lacked throughout the game however was leadership. You could tell that the lack of Ferdinand and Vidic played a big part defensively, especially for the first Stoke goal. Patrice Evra for me isn't the most vocal of captains or leaders, but I can understand why he has been tasked with captaining the side, because Moyes feels that his side needs their captain to be a defender to organise. But Evra isn't the answer. It has to be Vidic or Ferdinand. A team of Manchester United's calibre cannot afford to make as many mistakes as they have been in recent games, especially at home. Sort it out Moyes.

Can Belgium win the World Cup?

Probably not. But they're there. So they have got as much chance as anybody, and with the squad that they possess, they do have a fantastic chance. I do however have two concerns: they aren't ready, and the defence. I'll explain these further.

Firstly, it's their first major tournament for 12 years. Can they feasibly challenge for the trophy even though they've been off of the tournament scene for so long? I don't think they can. They've got an incredibly talented squad, there's no doubting that, but an incredibly young one at that. Daniel van Buyten and Timmy Simons were the only two men above 30 in the last Belgium squad, and they're on their last legs at 35 and 36 years of age respectively. For me, they don't have that blend of youth and experience. You could argue that players like Vincent Kompany and Eden Hazard have experience at the top level, but not on the international stage, that's my doubt. 

Secondly, the defence for me is their weak point. I know they have players like Kompany, Vertonghen and Vermaelen, but it's the only position for me that they don't have sufficient strength in depth. They have the choice of two incredible goalkeepers in Mignolet and Courtois who they can rotate to their heart's content. But not in defence. Kompany, Vermaelen, van Buyten and Vertonghen is probably their strongest back four, whilst Alderweireld and Lombaerts make for decent backups. However, I have two more problems here. One: injury prone. Kompany and Vermaelen in particular have been known to pick up an injury, and that worries me because of their lack of strength in depth. Two: not enough game time. van Buyten, Vermaelen and Alderweireld in particular are currently finding themselves out of the first team picture for their respective clubs, which can surely only hinder their chances of even making the squad, and permitting that they do board the plane to Brazil, hinder Belgium's chances of mounting a serious challenge.

They do however have an exceptional midfield and strike force that will have to play to the best of their ability. 'The Afro Brothers' - Marouane Felliani and Axel Witsel - in the centre of midfield allow for players such as Hazard, Chadli, Mertens and de Bruyne to supply the ammunition for Lukaku and Benteke who will surely be vying with one another for that starting berth. And I've not even mentioned Mousa Dembele. Or Kevin Mirallas. Bring on Brazil.

Pros and cons of: Rickie Lambert for England

After England's drab 0-0 in Ukraine yesterday, question marks have been raised about Rickie Lambert's ability to lead the line for England. I weigh up the pros and cons of selection the Southampton forward.

PRO: He's in form

It always bugs me when a player is called up purely on their reputation. Take James Milner for example. Yet to start a game for Manchester City this season, but Roy Hodgson insists on selecting him for his squad, and playing him too. Andros Townsend would have been a better choice to play, being more direct and, bringing it back to the title, in form. Lambert's performed admirably during Southampton's current tenure in the Premier League and faces his biggest task this season, to be able to compete with other quality strikers for a place in the team after his side's acquisition of Roma and Italy striker Dani Osvaldo/Johnny Depp for a club record fee. His battle is made even greater considering that Mauricio Pochettino has previously worked with Osvaldo at Espanyol, and is therefore likely to favour him to Lambert, but with Lambert being in form, he can continue to lead the Southampton line. Maybe not the England line, except when it's against Moldova. At home.

CON: He's too old

Rickie Lambert is 31 years of age. I know there are older players in the England setup, ie Gerrard and Lampard, but 31 is quite old to suddenly break into the England team. Can he do a job? Yes, yes he can but he doesn't have the pace that other strikers like Danny Welbeck and Danny Sturridge have, and he's no Wayne Rooney, but then again, nobody is. Let's say that there are no injuries in the England camp. The four strikers that I would pick, permitting that they are playing regularly, would be Rooney (27), Sturridge (24), Welbeck (22) and Defoe (30). Despite Defoe being the elder statesmen of the four, Rooney is the most experienced at international level. All of their international careers started very early on in their lives, with Rooney earning his first cap at 17, and Defoe when he was 21. Some strikers in recent years have only managed one cap after being selected late on in their careers, most notably Kevin Davies and Bobby Zamora, and who could forget Jay Bothroyd. Maybe Lambert can buck the trend.

PRO: He brings more qualities to the team

He can pick out a pass like it's nobody's business. He can hold the ball up too. And most importantly, he can score. 2 in 3 for England so far only begins to tell the story of his qualities. His penalty record is phenomenal. 32 from 32 for Southampton so far, something England badly need in a tournament, is a convincing penalty taker, and that's what Lambert is. He's used to playing as the prominent striker at Southampton, so can hold the ball up and bring his team-mates into play, but doing it when the pressure's really on at international level is a different ball game. Andy Carroll can do the same thing for England and West Ham, has more experience, and is younger too. But Rickie Lambert has a cooler name. And a better range of passing, which could prove to be vital in his quest for selection.

CON: He plays for Southampton

I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with that. I rate Southampton's chances this season, they're my dark horse. However, the pattern has been down the years that England will only pick players that play for Manchester United and City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Everton and Liverpool, basically the big teams, and Everton. Just look at Adam Johnson. An England regular whilst at Manchester City, regardless of if was playing or not, before moving to Sunderland in search of first team football, and hasn't figured in the England team since his move. Peter Crouch said that he still hopes to regain his place in the England team as a Stoke City player. Good luck with that Pete mate. It'll be interesting to see what happens with Stewart Downing after his move to Upton Park, because his England career has been on the back-burners for a year or so. Lambert will have to have a similar or even better campaign than last year to try and claim a place in the World Cup squad, permitting that we qualify. I mean, he was the only outfield player in the squad to play Moldova and Ukraine that didn't play for the clubs mentioned above. Sort it out Roy. Lambert for England?