Premier League: Can you name the starting XIs for each league side in 2012-13?


 

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John Stones: Is the Everton starlet good enough for Chelsea?

If you are a dedicated follower of the Premier League, you will have seen that the last few days the news has been dominated with Chelsea’s interest for John Stones leading to a war of words between managers Roberto Martinez and Jose Mourinho.

Would it work for Chelsea, though? Should Everton let him go for the incredible amount of money that the Blues are bidding?

 
What would he offer Chelsea?

Since being acquired as David Moyes’ last signing for what now seems like a bargain 3 million fee, he since then has proven himself to be a fantastic footballing centre-back who likes to build from the back; something I think Roberto Martinez has had a hand in.

He is tall and uses those long legs of his to time his slide tackles and usually comes out with the upper hand. He is reasonably quick, has great positioning and is also a good header of the ball but will not get you many goals in a season. However, with Chelsea’s strikeforce that should not be a problem.

But being completely honest, I cannot see why Chelsea would need him at this point of time and he would probably be loaned out to gain necessary gametime.

 
What would Everton do?

Well, the question is: Is the reportedly extravagant money that Chelsea are willing to throw around for possibly the biggest talent in English football enough for Everton to accept?

Chelsea have claimed that they are ready to break the record for an English defender for John Stones, presently held by Rio Ferdinand, who he does have a lot of similarities with.

Everton NEED to sign a centre back even if Stones were to stay, so if Stones does decide to leave I think a large chunk of that money would be thrown towards a few centre-backs; starters and backups.

 
What should Stones do?

If I was Stones, I would not leave for Chelsea at this moment in time. With John Terry having had possibly his best season ever last season and forming a fantastic partnership with Gary Cahill, I cannot see Stones breaking through the side.

Don’t forget that Kurt Zouma was very impressive last season and that is another player Stones would have to battle with for a first team spot.

He also has a very good partnership with Phil Jagielka going on and I think if he stays for one more season, he will be helping Everton by possibly earning them more money from any transfer and will have more chances of breaking into the Chelsea side if he continues to progress and improve markedly as he’s been doing.

 
What do I think should happen?

It is a tough situation with Everton fans. They don’t have a problem with the huge fee, but the problem is not having a ready-made replacement and having to rely on the board and Roberto Martinez to make some signings in quite a short space of time, which could possibly force the gaffer into starting the season with a youth player at the back.

I do understand Chelsea wanting to buy Stones and I do understand that they want to break the bank for him, as I do see him as possibly one of the best defenders in the world in a few years time.

 
What do I think will happen?

I think Everton will reject the offers Chelsea are submitting and I do not think any increase they make in their bid will convince the club to sell such a highly-regarded prospect.

But if they were to accept, I think Stones would leave to join Chelsea. Sadly, the money and ambition at Chelsea plus the chance of working for Mourinho would be too much to turn down.
I do think that if the transfer were to happen that Stones would be warming the bench for the most of his debut season, unless Gary Cahill or John Terry sustain an injury and even then he would probably have to rotate with Kurt Zouma.

I think Everton need to sign players as quickly as possible. There were rumours of Jonny Evans coming to Goodison about a week ago which then turned out to be false, but however I do believe he would be one of the signings Roberto Martinez would make to fill the void left by Stones if he were to depart.

 

Written by Jamie De Geir

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FIFA 16: Man City’s Top 10 Best Players in the latest FIFA edition

FIFA 16 will bring back a lot of classic game plays. That means playing with Manchester City in Career Mode should be attractive once again or at least, if you’re playing with another club, tempting to acquire their players.

If you do have an affinity for the Citizens or their players, below is a list of top City players to ease your selection process.

 

Stevan Jovetić – 82

Jovetic is close to signing for Inter Milan according to BBC, but until then he still makes Man City’s Top 10 Players in FIFA 16.

 

Pablo Zabaleta – 83

The Argentinian right back was successful for both club and country last season. His side finished second in the Premier League and he personally managed to reach the Copa America final with his national side.

He is one of the most versatile right-backs in FIFA 16.

 

Edin Džeko – 83

Man City’s second choice striker scored some crucial goals for the club when Aguero was absent. At one point in the season, he scored in three consecutive games making him a reliable forward to have in your side.

He is the most popular player among Western European FIFA gamers.

 

Samir Nasri – 83

The former Arsenal midfielder was out injured for most of the season. However, he played vital role in some matches when he returned. His rating has decreased by only one point despite having a poor season.

 

Joe Hart – 83

The English goalkeeper made some really stunning saves last season. He has been consistent in FIFA for three straight years with an overall rating of 83.

 

Jesus Navas – 83

Rumored to be unsettled at Manchester, Navas was not a Manuel Pellegrini favorite last season. Despite that, he still has FIFA rating of 83.

He possesses stunning pace, which is why he is popular among most FUT players.

 

Yaya Toure- 85

The veteran midfielder is a beast in FIFA 16. With an 88 physical and 87 in passing, he makes the perfect central defending/attacking midfielder. He is also cheap, which makes him popular among new FUT players.

 

Vincent Kompany – 86

Kompany was not always available for City last season due to injury, but he was an absolute beast when he played. City conceded only 12 goals when the Belgian was available.

He is popular among cheap squad builders in FUT.

 

David Silva – 88

The Spaniard was very helpful for the Citizens last season. He made the most number of assists for the team and also scored some crucial goals. Silva is no doubt one of the most traded players in FIFA 16.

 

Sergio Aguero – 88

Aguero was the Premier League Golden Boot winner last season. He set a record for most consecutive goals in the last 5 years. He was out injured for more than two months, which just emphasizes his superb ability to find the back of the net.

He is very expensive in FUT 16 and Career Mode as he has a potential rating of 92.

 

Written by Charchit Dahal

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AC Milan: What have the Rossoneri done in the market to mount a title challenge?

Who have AC Milan bought so far?

With a heavy reliance on Jeremy Menez who was the top scorer last season on 16 goals – the club have reinforced the attacking department. They have all but signed Carlos Bacca and officially purchased Luiz Adriano from Porto – these forwards have a reported combined transfer fee of 38 million Euros.

I think purchasing these two strikers shows a great statement of intent to climb back to the top of Italian football. Both are proven European goal scorers and were sought after by many leading clubs across Europe – they should certainly add some firepower.

Another notable signing is Andrea Bertolacci. Milan signed the 24-year-old midfielder from AS Roma this summer for a hefty 20 million Euros. Bertolacci impressed during his loan stint at Genoa last season, scoring seven goals and registering eight assists.

Signing Bertolacci should inject much-needed creativity into Milan’s midfield. He can play from a central or advanced position, a deeper playmaker or No.10. It’s refreshing to see a young Italian player move to clubs in Serie A for such a fee, in fact, it’s always refreshing to see big clubs like AC Milan investing in home grown players - It can only be a positive for the national team.

A couple of other midfielders who have come into Siniša Mihajlović’s side are Mauri (free from Parma) and Simone Verdi from Torino.

Mauri could prove to be a shroud signing should he be given the opportunity to perform, he was a bright light from Parma’s disastrous campaign last year.

 

Where do they need to strengthen?

CEO Adriano Galliani’s focus should now turn to reinforcing the defence. Last season, the side shipped an astonishing 50 goals.

Here is a list of AC Milan’s defenders; Mattia De Sciglio (full back), Philippe Mexès (centre back), Cristián Zapata (centre back), Ignazio Abate (full back), Gabriel Paletta (centre back) Luca Antonelli (full back), Alex (centre back), Christian Zaccardo (full back).

From that selection, I think Ignazio Abate, Luca Antonelli and Gabriel Paletta are worth keeping.

Mattia De Sciglio is yet to live up to his full potential and would benefit with a loan away to a smaller club in a less pressured environment. Philippe Mexes is a loose cannon and should have been sold a long time ago – but bizarrely, the club offered him a one-year contract extension.

Cristian Zapata is not good enough tactically, his positioning at times last season was woeful. Alex hasn’t convinced me, he was great at Chelsea – downhill ever since he left for PSG. Christian Zaccardo is 34 and inconsistent.

The club need to sign a couple of centre backs and a couple of full backs, but realistically, that will not happen this summer. But hopefully for the rossoneri fans, a world-class defender will come in.

Stars such as Mats Hummels or Diego Godin would be excellent, but with no Champions League football, there is virtually no chance.

 

So, who are realistic purchases?

The club has been linked with Roma’s defender Alessio Romagnoli, who had an outstanding season on loan at Sampdoria. Milan submitted a bid of 25 million Euros this month, which was rejected as Roma demanded more.

It’s unsure whether the club will submit a higher bid, but at 20-years of age, he could be the answer to Milan future defence.

Another defender linked with the club was Monaco’s Aymen Abdennour. He is highly sought after this summer following an impressive Champions League campaign last term.

I think he would be a brilliant acquisition, but the purchase of the Tunisian centre back was ruled out because the club cannot fit any more non-European Union players into their team following the acquisition of Carlos Bacca and Luiz Adriano. Such a shame.

There is still a long way to go in the transfer market, but it’s best to act fast with pre-season now well underway - the defence should be the priority.

 

Written by Serie A Writer

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