Antonio Conte Needs Time !!!

So every Chelsea fan will be well aware that things are not right at the club at the moment. The team is losing and the players don't look anywhere near capable of challenging for the title. Something is missing from the team a spark a leader or even just a bit of luck. When you look at the players Conte has at his disposal it does make you question how far he can take this team. Diego Costa has started the season so well but he's the bright spark in a team that is seriously lacking cutting edge. When Hazard and Costa play well, Chelsea are scary but when Hazard or Costa doesn't play well Chelsea look disjointed and blunt in front of goal. Conte cannot rely on the form of two player’s to win him the title he needs 11 players all playing for the same cause and at the moment that isn't what we’re seeing at Chelsea.

So is it Conte's fault? To be quite Honest, no I don't think it is, it’s no one’s fault it’s football sometimes teams lose confidence and need a boost. He’s inherited a team that is really lacking fire power and confidence in defense. With John Terry out of the team Chelsea look fragile and even player's like Kante are starting to dip into bad form which after his heroics last season seems crazy. Willian, Hazard and Oscar are not creating enough and Diego Costa is feeding on scraps up top on his own. Overall the team look scared to loose yet not confident enough to win this is a long season and anything can happen. All I hope is Conte gets a season to put it right. It's not his team and he needs time to stamp his vision on the players we all saw what Conte did at the Euro's he got Italy playing as a unit and a team that refused to roll over. Plus I remember Conte as the man who took a dejected Juventus and turned them into the winning machine they are today he just needs time and his players to really show the league what he can do. If he can create the sort of atmosphere we saw at Italy or Juventus at Chelsea then I have no doubt Conte can make Chelsea a force again.

Thanks 

Samuel 

Paul Pogba The Man to Prove Critic's Wrong

So were over a month in to the new season and it hasn't taken long for fans all around the world to start having a go at Paul Pogba. His debut went so well but the Manchester Derby brought Jose his first defeat which was quickly followed by Last night’s Europa League defeat to Feyenoord. So what do we do when we lose we blame someone and who better to blame than the star of the team. It happens at every club Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar so Pogba is in good company but is it fair? quite simply no it's not Football is a team game a team effort and to label one player seems pretty unfair don't get me wrong if he was giving the ball away and scoring own goals then maybe it's fair, but the truth is Paul Pogba is trying so hard to impress you can see being the best and winning means so much to him and with that attitude it's only a matter of time till he proves all his doubters wrong. 

So what’s the problem and why is Paul Pogba getting attacked? Well the problem is various pundits have said he is lacking discipline and an actual position in which he can shine. Playing in the Deep lying role with Fellani means he has defensive responsibilities and playing in the No.10 role mean's outing Wayne Rooney which seems like he's captain isn't going to happen. Yes Pogba can sometimes leave the midfield open as he plays box to box but he can also unlock defences and control a game with his skill and aggression so quite frankly to say he can’t play in the deep lying role is crazy his influence is growing in the team still and once they all settle together Paul Pogba will dominate in most games.  

The funny thing is 3 games ago Paul Pogba was not the problem but the revolution of the Premier League it's only now that Man Utd have lost a couple of games that he is to blame and all of a sudden looks like an overpriced luxury. My Advice to Paul Pogba not that he needs it would be just relax ignore the critics and play you're game I've seen this lad when he was breaking through in the early days coming on against Leeds in the League cup I knew he was class then when I was 19 myself and I no he is class now. Keep it simple keep it high paced and keep it confident. For all those who want to talk Paul Pogba down in the words of Guillem Balague ‘It will be a feast of words come the end of the season'. Pogba will prove his critics wrong!

Thanks for reading and until next week take care.

Samuel 

New Season Time To Focus !!!

Hi everyone hope you're all well and I no it's been along time since I've been creating entries and sharing my thoughts on the football world. The last couple of months I've note really been on it with the blogs but I'm back now and ready to talk the beautiful game once again.

I'm Looking to blog every Thursday so please follow and let me no any subjects you would like me to raise or talk about, football in general is my passion so it doesn't need to be Premier League based it can be anywhere in the world.

This season I want to get a lot more conversation going on my blogs and I really want to create a blog that can get people talking about the drama of this season. So every Thursday I plan to drop a new piece on a recent story or rumor or just even an opinion. I also want to drop a game predictor so every weekend I'll Pick the Top game and do a Prediction on the score and outcome I might even look at turning this into a Vlog feature to mix it up a bit?
I plan to start this from next week on wards so keep an eye out for that.

Thanks everyone and remember let me no you're thoughts in the comments below.

Thanks

Samuel

Cristiano Ronaldo Proves He's A Born Leader

The Euro's are over and Portugal are the kings of Europe for the First time. I've really enjoyed this summers tournament and it's been fantastic to watch and celebrate. That being said with the Tournament over we now prepare for the new season of domestic football and I'll be back blogging every step of the way.

Now back to the main point of this blog. Euro 2016 has seen the rise of many players profiles but the most surprising was the rise of Cristiano Ronaldo as a leader yes we no he's one of the best in the world and even one of the greatest ever but during the course of this Tournament he rose above that and went from a great player to a great leader and trust me there is a big difference.

Portugal started this tournament with not much hype surrounding them, we all no they are a good team but they never seemed to have quite enough to do the job. This year though there was a slight difference they had a team mixed with experience and youth, players like Gomes and Sanches excited and players like Pepe and Moutinho kept everyone calm. It's a good mix plus add a world class player like Cristiano Ronaldo and you always have chance.

But how did he become this leader ? Cristiano Ronaldo has always been seen as arrogant and selfish his drive to win mistaken for a inflated ego but the truth is Cristiano Ronaldo just wants to win at all costs. He didn't start the tournament well and Portugal drew to both Iceland and Austria with Cristiano Ronaldo missing a penalty, was this the beginning of the end for the legend ? No not at all because when Portugal needed him most he showed up and dragged them through to the next round with a great game against Hungry. After that his performances were of a high level and in the semi final he scored and set up a goal as Portugal won 2-0. On the road to the final Ronaldo was causing all sorts of controversy off the pitch his statement about Iceland doing nothing in the Tournament almost over-shadowed the fact his team drew a game they was expected to win and lets not forget when he threw a microphone in the river in the build up to the semi final some see these actions as childish and foolish however in my opinion I see them as brilliant Roanldo was playing a game and he played it well. He knows his team is full of young talented players and playing at a euro's brings huge pressure so what better way to deflect that pressure from the youngsters than make it the Roanldo show. Top managers do this all the time they make some huge statement to steal the attention and pressure from there players Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho mastered this so you can guess where he learnt it from. Plus lets not forget in the quarter final he calmed Moutinho and gave him the talking to he needed to face the penalty shoot out this was the first sign of his true leadership abilities.

The road to the final may of been full of Controversy but the final it self was when Ronaldo really stepped up and led his team to glory. It started with tears and fear as the man himself got injured and after desperately trying to carry on he had to depart after 25mins it was awful to see a player so determined lose to something he could not control. Though this was not the end for Ronaldo after receiving treatment he came back out at the start of extra time and patrolled the sidelines like a Wolf barking orders to the pact and giving them the belief they needed to continue the fight at times it was like watching Sir Alex Ferguson as he even did the famous watch tap as he encouraged his team past the line and to the final whistle and this is when the tears returned but this time they were tears of joy. Ronaldo may not of won the game they way people expected him to but he still played a big part in carrying his team over the line and on that day not only did Portugal win there first national trophy but also a leader was born.

Siiiiiiiiiiiiii

Zlatan Ibrahimovic To Manchester United ?

So anyone who’s interested in football and has access to a digital device would have heard the news that Jose Mourinho is now the new manager of Manchester United. It’s all very exciting times for Manchester United fans and it could still get even better as the only man with an ego on the level of the self-proclaimed ‘Special one’ is reportedly close to joining his former coach at the Theatre of dreams. Yes that’s right Zlatan Ibrahimovic is being touted to be Jose’s first signing as Manchester United manager. This is a fantastic deal for Manchester United if they can pull it off Zlatan is a born winner and just as importantly a born goal scorer something Manchester United have been begging for, let’s not forget Manchester United lost out to Manchester City on goal difference in the race for the champions league plus they recorded their lowest goal tally in the league for 26 years. So goals are needed and who better to bring them than a players who scored 38 goals alone in the league this season.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an outgoing character to say the least this is the man that when asked what he got his wife for her birthdays he replied ‘Nothing she has Zlatan’ but don’t let his jovial persona fool you as he’s born leader and arguably one of the main reasons PSG grew so strong on the European stage so quickly. Let’s not forget this is a player that has won 13 league titles only Ryan Giggs can boast as many so Manchester United would be getting a player who knows how to win and has a real hunger for success, to make the deal even more appealing he’s out of contract. You can bet you’re bottom dollar he will demand huge wages but he’ll also sign for free so arguably it’s a low risk high reward scenario.

Overall there’s always going to be pro’s and con’s for every signing and who’s knows how each one will turn out. However one thing we can guarantee with Zlatan is if he does find his way to the Theatre of dreams there will be fireworks and there will be goals.


Thanks and let me no what you think in the comments below

Samuel

Juventus Make Hi5tory !!!

So it's been awhile since I wrote about Serie A but I'm writing this blog because Juventus have secured there 5th league title in a row and boy is it a sweet victory for everyone involved at the club.
It's been a long eventful season but Juventus turned around a terrible start and ended up on top of the pile once again. Now they just need to focus on the Copa Italia and the dream of a double will be complete.



How did the season unfold ? Well this season has been one of ups and downs and it started in the worst fashion possible. After losing the core of great players that helped them win 4 leagues in a row Juventus had the task of replacing Tevez , Vidal and the legendary Pirlo Players like Pogba and Pereyra had to show they could perform without there world class teammates beside them. It's been a tough task but like everything in life things move on and people evolve and Pogba did just that he was given the legendary number 10 and had the task of being the attacking linchpin of the mighty Juventus at first it appeared to be to much of a weight to bare and his performance were not up to scratch there was even a bizarre moment where he appeared to write a number 6 on the back of his shirt some saying this was his why of trying to forget the pressure the No'10 shirt brings others seeing it as a form of disrespect to the clubs most famous number. It was certainly a tough time for Pogba but by the time Christmas came around he found his rhythm and his form and was back to his best and once again he was leading the team to victory with his mix of power flair and individual brilliance.

Diamonds are formed under pressure and that certainly seemed to be true of one man in the Juventus team Step Forward Paulo Dybala now before the season I spoke of how I believed Paulo Dybala could be the future of Juventus (check link below) and this season he certainly showed us how great that future could be. With the pressure of a big price tag and the responsibility of replacing his fellow countryman Tevez, Dybala had a lot of expectation on his shoulders but as I said diamonds are made under pressure and Dybala certainly proved his worth scoring 20 goals in 43 appearances  a remarkable record for such a young striker in his first season at a big club.

Overall it's been a great season for Juventus even with there bad start they stuck together and pulled through it as a team. New leaders were found and new stars took the mantle and together they made Hi5tory. Though I've spent most of this review praising Pogba and Dybala it's important to remember every team is built on a strong foundation players that are legends through and through players that live and breathe Juventus players like Buffon , Chiellini , Bonucci and Marchisio who without none of this would be possible payers who when they retire will forever be remembered as legends among men.

Thanks

Samuel

The Dybala Link
http://samuelmezenga.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/paulo-dybala-heir-to-tevezs-throne.html

Thankyou Sir Bobby Charlton

So today at Old Trafford The great Sir Bobby Charlton will be honoured with the south stand being named in his honour and today I want just say Thankyou to a player that has given so much to the club I love.

In my opinion Sir Bobby Charlton represents everything that is great about Manchester United he is one of those players that personifies what the club is all about. In 1958 on Febuary the 6th Sir Bobby Charlton was involved in the Munich air disaster and was one of few players to survive. On that day Machester United suffered one of there if not the darkest day in there history with the young up and coming team dubbed the Busby Babes being torn apart due to this awful tragedy. This team was on route to win its 3rd league title in a row and many believe this was one of the greatest teams to have been however disaster took it on a different path. Involved in the disaster was Sir Bobby Charlton after breaking into the team in 1956 aged 19 he worked his way in the first 11 however after the Munich Disaster 2 years later he was one of few to survive and now had the responsibility to lead this new team which had suffered so much loss.

However Sir Bobby Charlton was not one to be beaten easily and he and Sir Matt Busby went onto build a team that would eventually regain its dominance winning 2 league titles and an Fa Cup and 10 years after the disaster that ripped the team apart Sir Bobby Charlton went on to win the Europen cup. plus let's not forget he was a huge part of the 1966 World Cup winning team.
This is a player that has not let anything stop him achieving his goals he never gave up no matter what was thrown at him he rose from disaster with Manchester United and led the team to the ultimate success. The attitude we see today from Manchester United the never say die attitude the way we battle for every game until the very end and the belief that not matter what happens we will come back to the top stems from this Manchester United team and the legend himself Sir Bobby Charlton. We will never forget those who lost there life's in the Munich disaster and Sir Bobby
Charlton we could never thank you enough for what you have done for this club.

Renato Sanches My Wild Card To Set Euro 2016 On Fire

So the International friendlies are over and we're back to the Domestic season however before we get stuck into to the exciting climax of domestic football I have a prediction to make. Now I no over the last few days we've seen the hype on players like Harry Kane , Kante , Payet and most notably Dele Alli explode to a new level and don't get me wrong I'm sure all these player's will have a great Euro tournament however there's a player who in my mind might just be the wild card of the whole event a player who could really stamp his name on world football.

His name ? Renato Sanches a lot of you probably recognize the name as he has been linked with Man Utd for a huge fee of around  40 Million but don't let the random paper talk put you off as this is a player that seriously has a lot of potential. At 18 years old this box to box midfielder has already made 18 appearances for Benfica this season and scored 2 goals one being an absolute screamer from around 30 yards out. Renato is already looking a real asset in midfield his ability to control the tempo of a game and his all action style has already earned him a call up to the Portugal senior team were again he impressed. Not going unnoticed in the game Renanto has earned praise from Portugal legend Rui Costa and Athletico Madrid Manager Diego Simeone.

So is it to early for the Euro's ? Well in my opinion no it's not if anything it maybe what Portugal need.Remember Euro 2004 when a certain Cristiano Ronaldo broke on to the scene ? With the legendary Luis Figo on his way out of the team Ronaldo gave the fans something to be excited about and I'm wondering if maybe at Euro 2016 we may be seeing a similar thing. With Ronaldo now the wise old legend and the reliable goal machine up front and Renato the new exciting prospect in midfield coming through the ranks maybe this could be the year Portugal go one step further with a little more than just Ronaldo in the artillery. Maybe this time Ronaldo will have a player next to him that can excite and damage the opposition as much as he can and make his job a little easier.

Overall this is just my prediction and I would love to hear who you are backing to be a big hit this Euro 2016 let me no in the comments.

Thanks

Samuel

Manchester United it's time to rebuild

Hi Everyone it's been a while since my last entry but I'm back now and ready to start blogging regularly once again.
So anyone that watched Manchester United last night would of seen the struggles they faced not just against a good opposition like Liverpool but the struggle just to play as a team. As a Man Utd fan this is worrying and I think a lot of you fellow fans will agree it's time for change. Now don't worry this isn't some get Van Gaal out rant as the blame doesn't just fall on him there's a bad chemistry at Utd and things need to change. Now obviously you're going to read lots of reports and rumors and who know's what will happen ? But for now I'm going to give you my views on what should change. And in my opinion it boils down to 3 things.

1. Management

Yes I no this is obvious and I no it's a very generic answer to just sack the manager but unfortunately I believe we have no other choice Louis Van Gaal has done his best and for whatever reason it just hasn't worked there's no doubting he's a class manager but it's clear to see he can't turn this team around. Once the end of the season arrives I think LVG needs to leave and Jose Mourinho needs to come in. Don't get me wrong Jose is a big risk but he's also a class manager that now has something to prove and what better way to prove yourself then to stop a falling giant and get them to stand tall once again. It won't be an easy job and he will have to adapt to the clubs beliefs for example giving youth a chance but if he did join and did settle well there's no telling how far he could take the club who know's he may even find a place were he will stay more than 3 years ?

2. Rebuilding the core 


Growing up watching Man Utd there was always one common theme through out every team and that was they had a strong core of players. Players that the rest of the squad would look up to and when backs were against the wall they would pull through and do what needed to be done. Looking at this squad I don't see that but there is potential there, there are leaders in the making within the squad. If Jose does come in he needs to build a new core and for me there's Five players to build around De Gea,Smalling,Shaw,Martial and Rashford these five players in my opinion possess quality above the rest of there teammates and if you built a team around them to compliment there talents there's no limit to the potential these players have. It's obvious that Man Utd need to have a clear out in the squad and also buy some new talent but there are some players in the youth team that should be given the chance for example Fosu Mensah and Verela these are players that should be given a chance to earn there spot in the first team. Overall the squad needs rebuilding but with the right manager and vision this team could be great once again throwing money at it wont work it will take time and patience.

3. Rebuilding the clubs Identity

This one is tough and will take a lot more time than the other two steps but arguably it's the most important. Man Utd  have lost there identity they've lost there way, growing up Man utd were feared they was respected and when they was losing 1-0 in the 90th minute you just knew they would find away to turn it around. These days teams smell weakness they believe they can beat us and as a team we don't do anything to make them doubt it. Next season Man Utd need to get there fear factor back they need to be ruthless and start showing teams they're a team not to be messed with. There style of play needs to go back to how it was back in the day you knew Man Utd were going to pile pressure on you'r goal and you knew they would attack from the wings down the center anyway they could to get that goal. The last three years have seen them fall off the track but they still have chance to recover and next season needs to be the first step to that recovery.

So those are the three steps I believe Man Utd need to take to get back on top what do you think ? let me no in the comment below

Thanks

Zouma My Bet For Next Chelsea Captain

So this weekend we got the big news that John Terry is gone ! He's leaving Chelsea at the end of the season and in his words 'there will be no Fairy tale ending' for a player who has given his all for the Chelsea blue. Now don't get me wrong John Terry is a very controversial person he's made headlines  all of his career with his antic's on and off the field but let's not ignore the fact that he is still one of the greatest center back this country has produced in my opinion he's up there with the Bobby Moore's the Tony Adam's and the Rio Ferdinand's. The fans will always be grateful and don't be surprised to see him back at Chelsea at some point weather it be in coaching our even management. That being said Terry's departure leaves the captaincy available and now the question is who will replace him ?

Well I have a player in mind a player I believe to be the perfect replacement Kurt Zouma now I no what you're thinking there's Fabregas there's Matic there's Ivanovic even Courtois why would they give it Zouma ? But in my opinion they would be foolish not to. Chelsea are not afraid to give the captaincy to Young players John Terry was 23 when he was given the armband by Jose Mourinho and he went on to lead one of the meanest defenses so it wouldn't be the first time Chelsea took the risk of giving it to a young player.

This Chelsea team is under a big transition in the last 2 years they have lost Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba Petr Cech and now they face losing John Terry so there in need of stability and order. now don't get me wrong there are players there who are more senior than Zouma but there players like Hazard Fabregas Ivanovic player who during this season the fans turned on lets no forget Diego Costa who is as unpredictable as a fire work a great player none the less but would he lead as a good captain ? In My opinion Zouma offers a security and standard of class and also gives you a great player to build a team around and a start a new generation. He's raw just like Terry was when he started but if given the chance I think he could go on to be the newest superstar for Chelsea.

Overall I really do believe in Zouma as the next captain he's fast strong calm and a great player in the making Chelsea need to invest in there new star he represent's a new start for Chelsea and I Believe if given the chance he could thrive and be a legend in the making.

Let me no what you think in the comments below who do you want as the next captain ?

Thanks

Samuel

Edison Cavani's Big Decision

Hi Everyone how are we all ? So lately I've been doing a lot of Premier League based stories but today I want to focus on someone away from the Premier League. Today I want to talk about Edison Cavani a player I really admire and rate very highly. Every transfer window we hear of Cavani's desire to move away from PSG and every year it turns out to be nothing but talk.This year though could be his biggest window ever !

The Situation at PSG has changed with the arrival of Angel Di Maria meaning Cavani at the minute is not guaranteed a starting 11 spot he's always had to be in the shadow of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and play Left wing rather than his preferred striker role but now with Di Maria he's now got someone else to fight the limelight for. At the age of 28 and close to turning 29 Cavani has a huge decisions to make does he stay at PSG  and take over from Zlatan or does he leave and go and make a name for himself else were ?



In My opinion there's no doubting the ability that Cavani has and in my opinion he is one of the best strikers in the world. Too long has he gone unnoticed  in a team were he is not given the respect he deserves. I believe Cavani needs to leave and start his own legacy somewhere new at the age of 28 he is coming into his prime and at any other club bar maybe Barca and Madrid he could go from Sitting in the shadow of big names to being the big name. Lets no forget this is a player that at Napoli when played as the main striker scored 104 goals in a 138 games this is a striker right unheard of in the Italian league and was a huge achievement plus even at PSG were he is played out on the left he has still managed 69 goals in a 120 games again a record that can not be ignored. It's time Cavani moved on and set down his own legacy this is a player that has the ability to win you titles with his pace and deadly finish now he needs a team that will give him the respect and platform he deserves.
I'm not sure were Cavani will go maybe that's a blog entry I could do closer to the summer as I don't think he will move mid season But either way I think over these next couple of season if he moves we could see him reclaim the hype he once had.

What do you think how highly do you rate Edison Cavani ? Let me no in the comments below

Thanks


Samuel

Man Utds Window Of Opportunity For Lukaku

So Its 2016 and with the beginning of the year comes the winter transfer window. So get ready it could be an epic. Don't get me wrong the first 8 days have been a little slow but there's still a long way to go and still a lot of teams that in my opinion need to do some business. This season we have seen teams exceed expectation and also fail to meet expectation. You could argue most of the teams in the Premier League need to do some business but today were going to focus on Man Utd.

It's been a very random season for Man Utd filled with ups and downs we've seen them reach the top of the league in November and then by the end of December be 7th in the league but through out it all there's been one consistent theme they need a striker and they need one quickly as Rooney and Martial are there only senior strikers.

So who can they go for ?

Well all season we've seen them linked with the likes of Edison Cavani , Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Harry Kane all fantastic strikers who would add a great threat to the Utd attack but are they achievable ? and how much would you have to pay ? This of course is something we can't really state as fact but we can be sure they would cost a fortune.

As great as the mentioned above strikers are in my opinion the striker I would go for is Romelu Lukaku ? You're probably thinking why ? Well Lukaku is a player that like Harry Kane know's the Premier League and is also used to being played as a lone striker and the focal point of a 4-5-1 formation. He's big strong pacey and most importantly got a fantastic eye for goal.In my opinion he is one of the best up and coming target men in the game and has the potential to go on and achieve similar success to his idol Didier Drogba. Don't get me wrong he will cost a lot of money and he still has a lot of room left to grow but he's got what it takes to be one of the best and with the right team and opportunity we could see him becoming one of the Premier Leagues greats.

What do you think who should Man Utd sign let me no in the comments below

Thanks