Top 3 & Worst 3 Performers of the Week and Goal of the Week: EPL 14/15 Week 7

Week 7 has passed a week ago and here The Writer offers his view on the key performers and performances of the week that are worth mentioned. The award goes to...

Top 3 Performers of the Week

Gold Medal (1st): David de Gea

This is the easiest decision for The Writer. Seeing him play against Everton and reading all appraisals he got from all corner of the football world, he has to receive this award. He saved an important penalty from Leighton Baines, he saved a shot from Leon Osman and he saved a thunderous shot from Bryan Oviedo in the dying minutes. How is that for a full throttle performance? It has to be him.

Silver Medal (2nd): Andrew Robertson

Whoever is yet to know Andrew Robertson, sure have to do it now. He is up there with the best new upcoming leftback in EPL, joining the likes of Aaron Creswell and Sebastian Pocognolli. He was outstanding in bombing forward from the back to the left wing and his crosses were dangerous everytime. He got an assist in the match against Crystal Palace but it was his performance at leftback that really caught the eye and now Hull have two dangerous wingbacks at both right and left in Robertson and El Mohammady.

Bronze Medal (3rd): Adam Lallana

This 3^rd place is actually more suitable to be awarded to Jordan Henderson as he scored a goal and made an assist. But no one can question Lallana’s improvement in the match against West Brom. The Writer really liked the way Lallana dribbled the ball in that match and his goal (his first for Liverpool), was really an eye-pleasing goal. This guy is so good with both feet and his left footed strike was just as precise as his right foot.  

 

Worst 3 Performers of the Week

Rubbish (1st): Harry Redknap

This week has more winners in the likes of managers rather than players like previously. And the winner of the worst performer for this week 7 goes to Harry Redknap of QPR. Harry was lucky last season where he nearly failed to guide QPR into the EPL from the Sky Bet Championship. This season he showed again that he may not be the right manager to lead QPR into the success that the chairman, Tony Fernandes and the fans really want. Another loss to West Ham brought QPR into the bottom of the league. The jury is out for Redknapp.  

Scrapped Paper (2nd): Dejan Lovren

A 20 Million signing. A huge amount but yet to prove his worth. Liverpool still concedes goals for fun like last season and the decision to remove Daniel Agger and replacing him with Lovren looks like a wrong decision now. In the game against West Brom, Lovren conceded a penalty by tackling Saido Berahino in the danger area. And in another moment, he had a header miscommunication with Martin Skrtel at Liverpool’s 6 yard box which nearly cost Liverpool a win. He looked clumsy at times and yet to gel with any of his centre back pairing so far.

Reject Paper (3rd): Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho

This is another surprise choice. They were involved in a shoving in the middle of the match between their respective clubs. Rumors said that Mourinho provoked Wenger and this lead to Wenger losing control and decided to shove his counterpart. A man of high patience like Wenger is seldom lost his temper and that shows us how bad Mourinho is actually. Mourinho has a great coaching ability but his moral often let him down.  

Goal of the Week

The best goal of this week 7 goes to Yaya Toure. There were many more outstanding goals scored during this week, but that so called ‘common goal’ by Yaya was just up there with the very best. If looked into the way he scored it, no one can sense any danger before he struck the ball. He just dribbled the ball against the Aston Villa defenders and then seconds later, he pulled the trigger with his left foot (his weaker foot) and then bang, it was a goal. The timing of the goal was also perfect as ManCity was into more than 80^th minutes in the game and they really need a goal to win the match.  

Sprinter to Footballer?

Usain Bolt, the fastest man on earth, voiced his desire to be a footballer once he retires from athletic. His preferred choice would be his favorite club, Manchester United. But he seems more suitable joining Bolton. Because the name Bolt-on. Whatever it is, football is not just about speed and ball kicking. You have to have football brain and talent obviously. 

Football Manager

The most addictive game. Football Manager. Enough said.

P/S: Football Manager 2015 will be out on 7th November 2014

Legends against Poverty

The Writer is blessed enough to see these football legends played in their prime a few years back. So to see them gathered once again to show their football performance was unbelievable. If this was a club team at any time of the few years back, it maybe a complete and a perfect team. These legends in the picture were posing for a charity match under the United Nations Development Program. Readers surely remembered them. If not, most of their names. Long live the legends!

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME ALL STARS STARTING LINE-UP

 

GK - Antonios Nikopolidis (Greece)

DF - Michel Salgado (Spain), Fernando Hierro (Spain), Fabio Cannavaro (Italy), Paolo Maldini (Italy)

MF - Luis Figo (Portugal), Zinedine Zidane (France), Gennaro Gattuso (Italy), Pavel Nedved (Czech Republic)

CF - Ronaldo (Brazil), Davor Suker (Croatia)

Football Cum Martial Art

Remember this movie? A long time ago. But its contents were enough to make all laugh everytime we remember them. The movie is called Shaolin Soccer. It starred Stephen Chow as the main actor. The movie combined comedy with martial art and outrageous football skills. The Writer really likes this movie as it not just manage to make people laugh but also having a bunch of moral values. Please see this if you haven't.

Special Kid

This kid is special. At least in his DNA. His name is Benjamin Aguero. His father is yes, the Argentine football superstar, Sergio Aguero. His godfather is also a football great, if not, among the greatest footballers in the world which is none other than Lionel Messi. And more impressively, his grandfather is the Argentine football legend, Diego Maradona. His mother, the daughter of Maradona married Aguero. Too many football DNA in his blood and even in his surrounding. One must wonder whether this kid can follow his seniors' football careers. Only time can tell. At least he has got name and the basis to succeed in football. The only way to prove it is his dedication to football and more importantly whether he really wants to be a footballer too.

Top 3 & Worst 3 Performers of the Week and Goal of the Week: EPL 14/15 Week 6

Week 6 has just passed and here The Writer offers his view on the key performers and performances of the week that are worth mentioned. The award goes to...

Top 3 Performers of the Week

Gold Medal (1st): Yannick Bolasie

Whoever is yet to know Yannick Bolasie, sure have to do it now. He is better than Wilfried Zaha, definitely. Manchester United should actually buy him rather than Zaha last year. Bolasie is as quick as Zaha but his style and skills are a way above Zaha. In the match against Leicester, he showed those speed, style, and skills in abundance. Even in front of Leicester’s goal post. He got composure too. Opposition defenders were tricked by his movement all day and he was the main reason why Leicester cannot continue their impressive winning form.

Silver Medal (2nd): Willian

Much has been said about Diego Costa’s 8^th goal of the season against Aston Villa. But the one who’s star shined the most in that match was Willian the Brazilian. He showed in this match on why Mourinho always love him rather than Mo Salah. Willian is a not typical flashy Brazilian but he worked hard for the team. Nevertheless, he can attack brilliantly too. He scored a goal and got an assist in a game where Chelsea dominated for majority of the time.  

Bronze Medal (3rd): Mario Balotelli

This choice is surely not other people’s preference. But The Writer cannot resist to pick Balotelli. Yes he did not score any goal. However his game play was absolute class. He also was very willing to chase the ball all over the pitch and he was the cause of Gerrard getting a free-kick to score. People should be more relax on him on this evidence. He is improving and he also slowly changes his attitude. Brendan Rodgers should actually not risking Balotelli in a tense derby game like this, but Balotelli manage to control his temper admirably. At least for the time being.

  

Worst 3 Performers of the Week

Rubbish (1st): Wayne Rooney

Player who got a red card will always be considered to receive the worst performer of the week award. And Rooney more than deserved this rubbish award. How can you kick someone and then declared it as an overacted foot trip? He deserved his 3 match ban too.

Scrapped Paper (2nd): Eliaquim Mangala

Mangala should know by now that there is never an easy game in the English Premier League. A top class performance last week against Chelsea was followed by this bad one against Hull City. Maybe he forgot to train as hard as he did last week. An own goal and a foul for opposition penalty was too bad for a player of his potential.

Reject Paper (3rd): Sean Dyche

This is a surprise choice. For the first time, a manager is on the list of worst performer. But Sean Dyche cannot feel sorry for himself. His Burnley was beaten comfortably by West Brom and they still have not managed a win for the new season. Worst part is they have the most difficult barren spell of scoring goals. Dyche needs to pressure his strikers to start scoring. If not, Burnley will go down relegated easily.

Goal of the Week

The best goal of this week 6 goes to Charlie Austin. And also Graziano Pelle. Yes, we have two winners for this week. Both goals were beautiful and they were both made in the same match. It is very difficult for The Writer to choose which is better. The goal scored by Austin was absolute high in technicality. The way he quickly took 2 steps in just a short time to shoot the ball was brilliant, and the ball was not even dropped to the floor. It was a striker’s dream goal. The goal scored by Pelle was also good in term of technicality. Whoever can score a bicycle kick goal can be considered a good striker. It was a difficult goal but striker like Pelle made it so simple. And yet so beautiful.