What a season

The 2009-10 Premier League season has been one with so much drama and excitement which ended with Chelsea winning the title and Portsmouth, Burnley and Hull doomed with relegation.

I thought it was only right that I posted what I believe has been the team of the season.

GK – Joe Hart

Joe has had a great season on loan at Birmingham and has gone from a squad member at Manchester City to now a member of Fabio Capello’s world cup squad. Countless quality performances and outstanding an outstanding shot stopper.

RB – Branislav Ivanovic

Started the season as a bench warmer at Stamford Bridge but after an early season injury to Jose Bosingwa, Ivanovic was given a chance in the starting eleven and did not let his Chelsea team mates down as they won the league.

CB – Richard Dunne

After being forced out at Manchester City, Dunne has found a new home at Aston Villa and put in many man of the match performances while forming a formidable partnership with
James Collins.

CB – Thomas Vermaelan

Question marks were raised when Arsene Wenger splashed the cash on the tough tackling Belgium defender however he has had a great first season while proving he has a gial for eye with some priceless goals.

LB – Patrice Evra

Consistent as always and has shown he is just as important as an attacking player just as much as a defensive player.

RM – James Milner

Although he has played much of the season in the heart of Villa’s midfield, he has shown his diversity as he has played many games on the wing. This really has been his breakthrough season due to his consistent quality performances.

CM – Cesc Fabregas

After sitting out much of last season through injury, this season proved to be a great season for the Spanish playmaker. Providing many pivotal goals and countless assists he had to be a dead cert in team of the year.

CM – Frank Lampard

Once again the engine in the Chelsea midfield and while scoring over 20 league goals, his performances can only be described as brilliant as he helped his side to their third Premiership title.

LM – Florent Malouda

After spending two seasons warming the bench at Stamford Bridge, this season Malouda showed the form that led him to being one of the top midfielders in France as he hit double figures in goals.

FW – Wayne Rooney

In my opinion, Wayne has been player of the season. Been in scintillating form and showed he can feel the boots left by Cristiano Ronaldo as he smashed in 26 league goals and many world class performances.

FW – Didier Drogba

Has been at the forefront of Chelsea’s title challenge as the golden boot winner scored 29 league goals even though he was away at the African cup of nations for four weeks.

There you have it! My team of the season. If there are any selections you do not agree with then please feel free to comment and explain who you believe should be in the team of the year.

Chris Brown returns

Last year Chris Brown did his first tour in the UK which could only be described as amazing. However, since then his life and reputation has changed due to being found guilty of attacking ex-girlfriend Rihanna.

Nobody heard any new music from Chris for sometime however with his third album, Graffiti, released a few months back, he is ready to come back to the UK to amaze his loyal fans.

This will not be a tour like his hugely successful ‘Exclusive’ tour from 2009 but Brown had described this tour as a “thankyou” to all his fans that have stood by him while he has had to go through all his ordeals and now explains how he is a better person.

It will only include four dates which are the 9th June at the O2 academy theatre in Glasgow, 10th June at Birmingham’s O2 academy theatre, 11th June at Manchester Apollo before rounding it off on the 13th June in London at Hammersmith Apollo.

Chris Brown is an amazing performer and already at his tender age some people compare his performance abilities to the legend Michael Jackson. He will perform hits from all three of his albums and one thing for sure is these four dates are not to be missed.

If you want tickets then go to http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Chris-Brown-tickets/artist/767701 and follow the guide into which concert date you want to see.

Here is Chris Brown’s latest single – Crawl.

Capello names his squad

After Fabio Capello named his provisional 30-man squad for this summer’s World Cup in South Africa there has been some strong views voiced as there are a few surprise inclusions and notable exclusions.

Here is a recap on the squad we hope lead us to victory;

Goalkeepers

Rob Green – in my opinion England’s number one and should be handed the gloves in South Africa

Joe Hart – had a great season on loan at Birmingham and this inclusion shows Capello is a man of his word when he says he will include in form players.

David James – would have been a fool not to take him, purely for the 39 year olds big match experience.

Defenders

Rio Ferdinand -skipper of the side but his starting place really is in doubt due to his persistent back injury.

John Terry – a true leader and after leading Chelsea to Premiership glory he will be hungry to deliver the same to his country.

Ledley King – raised eyebrows about this selection due to him not being able to train but on his day some say the most gifted English defender.

Jamie Carragher – retired from international football in 2007 but has made a dramatic u-turn and answered Fabio’s SOS call.

Michael Dawson –this inclusion really did please me as he has had a great season with Tottenham and has showed why he deserves his seat on the plane.

Matthew Upson – has struggled for form this season but always done a job for Capello when asked of.

Glen Johnson – England’s number one right back and is a sure starter in South Africa.

Ashley Cole – had a turbulent season on and off the pitch but on his day in my opinion is the best left back in the world.

Leighton Baines – had another impressive season with Everton and deserves his place.

Stephen Warnock – impressed since his summer move to Aston Villa however is down the pecking order to play in South Africa.

Midfielders

Stephen Gerrard – had a tough season at Liverpool but is now ready to deliver in South Africa.

Frank Lampard – another great season in which he scored over 20 league goals. Hopefully he can pop up with a few this summer.

Gareth Barry – faces a race to be fit for the World Cup as he sustained ankle ligament damage right at the end of the season.

James Milner – winner of young player of the season and in my opinion could make a name for himself in world football this summer.

Aaron Lennon – was having his best season yet until injury struck. Had to go though for his blistering pace and improved end product.

Theo Walcott – only 16 at the last World Cup yet has matured as a player and could finally be ready to shine.

Adam Johnson – notably the surprise inclusion in Capello’s squad but has been in great form since his January move to Manchester City.

Joe Cole – has not been in the England set up for 12 months but in my opinion had to go due to his big match experience and ability to turn a game on it’s head.

Tom Huddlestone – a surprise inclusion however has had a great season with Tottenham but surely won’t be a starter in South Africa?

Scott Parker – this inclusion pleased me the most as his form has been outstanding and he has stood out in a struggling West Ham side. In my opinion should be a starter.

Michael Carrick – a player that has proven quality yet has struggled for form and some say he is lucky to be in the squad.

Sean Wright-Phillips – has pace that would trouble the best defenders however not been a regular for his club and has struggled for form.

Forwards

Wayne Rooney – no doubt he is the England talisman and all of our hopes will be on his very broad shoulders.

Peter Crouch – had another solid season and had to be included due to his fantastic international record. Let’s hope we get to see the robot in South Africa.

Jermaine Defoe – in my opinion the most clinical England finisher and would be an asset to any squad.

Emile Heskey – certainly has his doubters but Capello really does rate him due to his ability to improve the game of others.

Darren Bent – this inclusion was the ‘will he won’t he’ one as he has banged in over 20 league goals for Sunderland and this seemed too much for Capello to ignore.

So there you have it. The guide to the England squad for this summer’s World Cup but the drama will not stop there as I am sure there will be fitness worries and injury doubts over the coming weeks.

To keep up to date with any World Cup gossip then go to www.skysports.com/football

UK VS USA

For many years our friends from across the pond dominated the hip-hop music scene, with our talent merely looked upon as inadequate. UK up and coming stars just didn’t compare with the young talent in the states such as Bow Wow, Lil’ Wayne and many more.

However, Dizzee Rascal set the standard a couple of years back and then out of nowhere UK talent has surfaced in its numbers and looks ready to battle their counterparts from the states.

Talent such as N-Dubz, Chipmunk and Tinie Tempah have all had number one hits in the past year and even those from America are taking notice as the so called ‘grime’ scene has become far more temporary.




So remember this summer when you are listening to your American artists, and think are our guys actually better?

Whether its N-Dubz with “Playing with Fire” or Tinie Tempah with “Frisky”...just remember UK rap is on the up and ready to take over.

£100,000,000 finale

The sport of football have many huge spectacles each year like the F.A cup final and the Champions League final. Then there are the extra special matches like the World Cup final however it is debatable that one of the most important matches in the football calendar is the play-off final to make that dream jump from the Championship to the Premier League.

Why is it so important you might ask? Well this match on its own is worth around £100 million pounds to the winner and offers them a one way ticket to the promise land that is the premier league. It is the biggest and best competitive division in world football and this is why the play-off final is such a spectacle worldwide.

One thing that is for certain is next year the Premiership will have a brand new team entering the division that have never been there before as the play-off final will be a straight battle between Cardiff City and Blackpool. Both teams have earned their right to be in the final as they both came through gruelling semi-final contests.

Blackpool beat the much fancied Nottingham Forest 5-4 on aggregate, and this included a very impressive 4-3 win away at the City Ground in which Forest were unbeaten in 20 matches.
Cardiff were involved in a much closer contest in which it took penalties to decide the outcome of their match with Leicester City after it was all square at 3-3 after two legs.

One thing for sure is this match is one not to be missed so make sure you watch it,

Saturday 22nd May – 15.00
Blackpool vs Cardiff City
Sky Sports 1

Rap legend in the making?

As an avid music fan, I often find myself inspired by different artists. One artist who I have known about for some time is Canadian rapper Drake, yet it is only now that his talents are being recognised in this country. After hitting the music scene in 2007, I realised the talent this man had and his ability to make the lyrics he raps about feel believable.

Drake’s debut album wasn’t released though until February 2009 in which he had two smash hits in America, “Successful” and “Best I ever had.”

Yet it is only now in the UK that people are noticing the talent this man has and there is now a real craving for his much anticipated new album “Thank me later” which is due for release on June 15th. Drake has already released “Over” from his new album which was a major success but I actually prefer his new single “Find your love” which is set to be released later this month.

It is still too early in his career to comment on his future but he is rising to fame extremely quickly and I think he will be around the hip-hop scene for many years to come. Some say a rap legend in the making, what do you guys think?

Here is Drake’s new video “Find your love” which is yet to be released in the UK yet, remember where you heard it first!

Zola shown the door

After weeks of uncertainty surrounding Gianfraco Zola's future as West Ham manager, his fate was finally sealed this week as he was sacked by hammers owners, David Sullivan and David Gold.

It has been a very stressful and turbulent season on and off the pitch at Upton Park and ever since Zola questioned the new owners motives in criticising the team, his job has been under threat. Although Gianfranco guided West Ham to Premier League safety by 5 clear points, it seems that his face never quite fitted with Sullivan and Gold's future plans for the Irons.

Although Zola grew increasingly frustrated with life at Upton Park under the owners he always spoke of his desire to stay. However, his emotions were for all to see when he revealed he found out that the club had put in a bid for midfielder Graham Dorrans from a national newspaper. These events proved to be the turning point as Zola called for clear the air talks with Sullivan and Gold. However, the clear the air talks Sullivan and Gold wanted might not have been the talks Zola wanted as they relieved him of his duties just two days after the season finished.

It is now time though at Upton Park for life after Zola and the speculation surrounding who will replace the Italian has been on the tips of many tongues. It would seem the three front runners are Portsmouth manager Avram Grant, Croatia coach and ex West ham defender Slaven Bilic and ex Manchester City manager Mark Hughes. Keep up to date with the latest betting odds on who will take over the reigns at West Ham at www.skybet.com.

Tony Carr - A Night To Remember

West Ham rolled back the years last night as most of the ex and current youth players took part in academy chief, Tony Carr’s testimonial. England stars such as Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole all took part…however the Chelsea stars were on strict orders that they could not take part in the match itself due to the crunch title decider on Sunday.

A West Ham XI ran out 5-1 winners against the Academy All-Stars, however it was a night in which it was the Italian veterans that drew the plaudits as West Ham legend, Paulo Di Canio, dazzled fans with a ‘man of the match’ performance and Hammers manager, Gianfranco Zola, showed he still has the class that won him the respect from football fans all over the world.

Overall, it was a fitting night to the man of the hour, Tony Carr, a man who has given 37 years of service to West Ham and a man who is respected all throughout football. Even Sir Alex Ferguson paid his tributes and showed his respect by allowing England skipper, Rio Ferdinand, to take part even though he has troublesome injury problems at this crucial time of the season.

A question I would like to leave you with though is would England have a chance of winning this year’s World Cup without Tony Carr as he has brought through seven members of the current squad?

While studying at university, I also have a part time job at my local Tesco’s. As a store, we often receive complaints from customers who are not satisfied with the attitude and commitment shown by members of staff. Personally, I feel I am a hard working and helpful member of the Tesco team so I felt I would ask two regular customers, Jane Harding and Sally Geary, how they found the staff during their recent shopping experience.

JM- Hi Jane and Sally, thank you for taking time out to talk to me today. How did you find the attitude of the staff during your last visit to Tesco’s?

JH- Well, I do not really ever find many problems with staff however there are a few members that if I needed help I don’t think I would ask them due to the vibe they give off when working.

SG- Yes I agree with Jane. Some members of staff are much more approachable with their body language. Little things like smiling when they walk past us really does make a difference.

JM- So finally, what advice do you have for the staff here at Tesco’s in regards to being more approachable?

JH- Well little things like working with a smile and actually making the customer feel like they are bothered about their shopping experience.

SG- Yes I agree, making the customer feel like they are always their to help even if help is not needed. It is very important to give off a vibe that they really do want to help in any way possible.

JM- Thank you very much ladies for your help today. Overall I feel this has been positive and I will be sure to voice your concerns and opinions to people higher up then myself at Tesco.