But who else tops the rankings in this most thrilling of seasons?

We asked Opta to provide us with the top 10 performers across 10 different categories from defence through to attack. While there are some clear anomalies - Blackburn's Mauro Formica being the third most successful tackler, for example - the statistics do offer some interesting insights, with the value of Swansea's players particularly revealing.

So, although you might have decided who the best players of the season are, here we present an alternative view of the season's top goal takers, goal makers and goal stoppers.

Goal takers

Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has only made five Premier League starts this season, but he is the division's sharpest shooter, based on minutes per goal.

Of course, a lack of action favours him and others when the impact is measured in this manner. Even Newcastle's Papiss Cisse, who joined Alan Pardew's side in January, may have struggled to keep up his incredible goal scoring form over the whole season.

When it comes to shooting accuracy, or shots on target, Aston Villa's Darren Bent is top of the pile. Injury may prevent him from taking part at the European Championship, but other likely England starters Ashley Young and Frank Lampard have underlined their value this season.

Goal makers

Only one Englishman features in the Premier League's top 10 chance makers, and Fulham's Danny Murphy is unlikely to be selected in Roy Hodgson's Euro 2012 squad.

But Manchester United's Michael Carrick and Gareth Barry both feature in the season's most frequent passers of the ball, while in this category, four of the top 10 are Swansea players.

Only Swansea midfielder Leon Britton pips Paul Scholes as the most accurate passer of the season, while his team-mates Mark Gower and Joe Allen are prominent when it comes to crossing and dribbling success. If you hadn't heard of Norwich midfielder David Fox, you have now.

Goal stoppers

The resolute displays from Brendan Rodgers' team are again highlighting in defence. Not only is Williams the most frequent passer in the top flight, he has made the most blocks.

While that category may favour those teams who have to defend more often, Manchester City centre-back Joleon Lescott proves that his tackling success has been a cornerstone for the league's meanest defence.

He and fellow centre-back Vincent Kompany have played their part in making goalkeeper Joe Hart's job that little bit easier.

Without a single international to see his players in action under his stewardship, the current West Brom manager must choose who to take to Euro 2012 and will announce his choices next Wednesday.

In goal, the selection of Joe Hart would appear obvious but across the whole team there are several decisions to be made, not least who will start in the absence of Wayne Rooney for the games against France and Sweden.

Here former England internationals including Gary Lineker, Chris Waddle and Danny Mills give their thoughts on who will make the trip to Poland and Ukraine.

In the build-up to the 2010 World Cup, there was a worry over who England's number one was. This time, it is more a question of whether there is a capable deputy. Joe Hart has been a model of consistency for Manchester City, keeping the most clean sheets in the Premier League and has firmly established himself between the posts for his country.

But beyond the 25-year-old, there is a dearth of keepers performing well in the Premier League. West Brom's Ben Foster, who ended his international career prematurely, could be tempted out of retirement by his former boss Hodgson.

Elsewhere there is West Ham's Robert Green, who could be back in the top flight next season, and former West Brom stopper Scott Carson, who finished mid-table with Turkish club Bursaspor.

Former Scotland centre-back and Match of the Day pundit Alan Hansen says: "Along with Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart is probably the only other player in the squad at his peak." The question remains who the two deputies will be, but Foster could provide welcome competition.

Defence

The big question in the heart of England's defence is whether John Terry and Rio Ferdinand can play together given Terry's pending court case concerning alleged racial abuse of Ferdinand's brother, Anton.

Aside from that, is either of the pair actually the best option for England? Gary Cahill has impressed for Chelsea, although has a hamstring problem, while Manchester City's Joleon Lescott has the highest percentage of tackles won in the Premier League among those four candidates. Lescott also impressed when he played alongside Phil Jagielka when England beat Spain 1-0 at Wembley last November.

"You've got issues in the defence," says former England right-back Danny Mills. "John Terry has been great at times. He's obviously got a lot on his plate at the moment but has come back and has shown a bit of form. Take the Barcelona sending off out of the equation and he has been playing pretty well.

"Ferdinand has been in and out through injury but, for me, Joleon Lescott is not an international defender. I don't know whether he's been playing that well."

In comparison, England's left-back options are relatively trouble free with Leighton Baines the obvious deputy for Ashley Cole.

But at right-back there is an interesting three-way tussle between Liverpool's Glen Johnson, Tottenham's Kyle Walker and Manchester City's Micah Richards.

Mills adds: "At right-back, there are some good candidates but who has been playing well enough to say 'that's my spot'? Glen Johnson has his faults, Micah Richards has not been playing enough football, and while Kyle Walker is fantastic going forward, I'm not sure he's ready to defend in those sort of pressure situations in a tournament."

Manchester United pair Phil Jones and Chris Smalling may be useful as utility players.

Midfield

What combination Hodgson chooses in midfield will be intriguing, but it is fairly safe to say that as far as central positions go, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Scott Parker and Gareth Barry will all make the trip to Poland and Ukraine.

In wider positions, former England boss Fabio Capello preferred Arsenal's Theo Walcott and Manchester United's Ashley Young, while Chelsea's Daniel Sturridge impressed in the recent defeat by the Netherlands at Wembley, and there have also been calls for Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to be picked.

"Sturridge has something about him," says former England striker Gary Lineker. "But the fact is that Arsene Wenger very rarely picks Oxlade-Chamberlain, so why would England?"

Former England winger Chris Waddle disagrees. "Oxlade-Chamberlain should go. When he has played in midfield or on the wing, he has looked threatening and his crossing is good."

He may not have played the same number of Premier League games as his contemporaries but Oxlade-Chamberlain's cross completion is superior, and his dribble completion easily beats Walcott, Young, Stewart Downing and James Milner.

Calls for Paul Scholes to return to the fray seem far-fetched after he made less of an impact against some of the Premier League's better teams recently.

Attack

Darren Bent's injury and Rooney's suspension for the first two games at the European Championship has opened the door for another striker to make an impression.

The forward already doing that is Andy Carroll, who played a key part in getting Liverpool to the FA Cup final, and, once he was introduced as a substitute against Chelsea at Wembley, he turned the game's momentum.

Manchester United's Danny Welbeck has a better shooting accuracy and pass completion than Rooney in the Premier League this season, while Peter Crouch is the leading scorer among his challengers, but has not played for his country since the defeat by France in November 2010.
Bobby Zamora was a crucial player in Fulham's run to the 2010 Europa League final under Hodgson but has struggled for goals since joining QPR in January.

"Crouch has a great record and tends to score against poorer teams and we have a couple in our group," says Lineker. "The question is: do England want to change the way they play? He holds it up well, but he's not going to give you much in behind the opposition defence.

"The interesting thing is that Roy is generally a 4-4-2 man but England have been playing 4-3-3 recently to a relative degree of success. And when you have hardly any strikers to choose from, especially for the first two games when you can't pick Rooney, maybe it's easier to have just one and then have Ashley Young, Theo Walcott types on either side.

"Daniel Sturridge is in with a shout, too, so you might want to play that way rather than having two strikers."

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And yet in securing the services of Roy Hodgson, the national governing body has opted for an elder statesman, similar in some ways to previous England boss Fabio Capello.

While Hodgson has not won as much silverware as the Italian, his coaching experience is without question and - unlike Capello - he takes charge of England with experience at international level, including a World Cup in 1994.

He will also be able to get his ideas across in a more communicative manner than the former AC Milan and Real Madrid manager, who struggled to learn the English language. That will be a crucial factor according to former Blackburn and Scotland striker Kevin Gallacher, who played under Hodgson at Ewood Park.

"I personally think it will discipline the players a bit more and make them a bit more mentally stronger. You only have four or five days to work with players to get your points across, but the players will understand him. He makes things very simple, but he does make you think."

 

A reliance on a specific system may fill the shortage in confidence suffered by the players that puzzled Capello during his reign.

But the biggest question, with Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp in mind and a track record which includes fallow periods at Inter Milan and Liverpool, is whether Hodgson is a galvaniser of good players rather than a motivator of top-level ones?

His successes at club level in Sweden, the Swiss and Finland national teams, and more recently with Fulham and West Brom, point to a manager who can create a framework where players know their jobs and can complete them with distinction.

When more liberty or creativity is needed by players who perform best free from the shackles, however, will the 64-year-old allow them that privilege?

Gallacher says in his experience, Hodgson never curbed attacking players' instincts. But former Swiss and Liverpool defender Stephane Henchoz, who also played under Hodgson with Switzerland, says there is a question mark over his handling of big-name players.

"He was manager at Inter Milan and at Liverpool, two big clubs, and he didn't have massive success," the 37-year-old said. "But one thing I'm sure about is he knows the English mentality, which is very important. As a foreign manager they don't really know how to deal with English players, you have to know the English mentality and so for Roy it's a big plus."

Much of the answer will also boil down to what England need and who is available as they approach Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine this summer.

Capello qualified for the 2010 World Cup and the European Championship with a group of players, who were largely disciplined and, once he figured out a system which was less rigid, swift on the counter attack. Now it is hoped that Hodgson can do a similar job in moulding a collection of promising talents with some of the more senior figures in the squad.

The Italian took a whole qualifying campaign and a tournament to realise that England played better with two holding midfielders, allowing a front four to flourish, and it must be hoped that Hodgson continues in a similar manner rather than falling back on a trusted 4-4-2, which has become largely outdated and outplayed in international football.

 

Former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland defender Mark Lawrenson regards Hodgson as more of a "counter-attacking coach than defensive" and believes he has enough experience to recognise where England's strengths are

"If you look at West Brom, he played two up front which not many teams do with Peter Odemwingie and Shane Long. He's also played 4-5-1 or 4-3-3," Match of the Day pundit Lawrenson said.

"He's been around Europe and he's managed in all different countries, and these really experienced boys in their 60s have played every formation known to man. It doesn't really matter what he used at Liverpool or Fulham or Inter Milan or West Brom.

"I know he's missing the first two games but I don't think that Roy has had the opportunity to manage somebody like Wayne Rooney for a long time. When these guys get to manage the top teams, then you adjust the way you play accordingly.

"Hodgson is a very intelligent football man and he would recognise that the Manchester United striker is such a top player that he will set the team up to get the best out of him."

Without the suspended Rooney for the first two games and a hanging doubt over the injured Darren Bent, there is a hole in England's frontline that needs filling. That could open the door for one of Hodgson's favourites at Fulham, Bobby Zamora. Others, like Stoke boss Tony Pulis, have vouched for the inclusion of Peter Crouch, who has 22 goals in 42 games for his country.

There may also be a clue to Hodgson's take on the long-term should he select some of the more exciting young players such as Danny Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

With the likes of that trio, Rooney, Ashley Young and Theo Walcott there is plenty to choose from to add flair to any defensive organisation.

And in giving those players a clear structure to work from, Hodgson may just offer them the guidance they need in what will be a tough group against France, Sweden and Ukraine.

The new England manager has forged a reputation in getting the best out of good rather than top teams and in domestic terms, it could be argued that England are more Fulham than Tottenham anyway.

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Ignoring the Community Shield, previous encounters this season have involved a man being sent off, with Jonny Evans seeing red in City's 6-1 rout at Old Trafford and Vincent Kompany dismissed during United's 3-2 FA Cup victory across town.

Both punishments had an adverse effect on the respective games, although City did stage a fight-back in the second half of the third-round cup tie following their skipper's first-half departure.

So with City three points behind United and needing the win far more than their neighbours, how will managers Roberto Mancini and Sir Alex Ferguson prepare their teams ahead of the potentially historic derby?

Former United midfielder Nicky Butt and ex-City striker Uwe Rosler assess the key contests on the pitch and explain where they think the game will be won and lost.

Of both team's back fours, United's looks the more vulnerable. Having conceded four goals against Everton last Sunday, questions have re-appeared about the form of Rafael, Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans and Patrice Evra.

That is harsh, according to Butt, on a defence which has the best record in the Premier League for clean sheets (18) and is second only to City in terms of goals conceded (32 to City's 27).

But up against the top-flight's leading scorers they will have a far sterner test in contrast to their previous seven games which have all been against teams in the bottom half of the table. Mancini has also hinted he might recall Mario Balotelli, scorer of two goals in the 6-1 victory.

"The defence has been outstanding over the last few months," Butt says. "It wasn't great against Everton but I think that was down to not defending as a unit rather than the individual players. They showed some weakness there but also naivety in the way they did not shut up shop.

"City strikers Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez are top-class players but when you are a top player, like all the Manchester United defence and midfield are, you thrive on playing against better players."

Rosler believes City's attacking options are enough to win the game but says: "The key to it is that City keep their nerve. Everybody connected with Manchester City knows there is enough quality in the team and enough experience there, and it's all about bringing those thoughts to the match."

The midfield battle

City's FA Cup semi-final victory over United last season came when Mancini chose to let Yaya Toure off the leash and play him in a five-man midfield behind Balotelli. And in the rousing Old Trafford victory this term Mancini struck a fine balance by pairing Balotelli and Aguero up front, with James Milner adding defensive cover in wide midfield areas.

Part of City's success in that encounter was how Milner and David Silva were more willing than United's wide men to cross the pitch to overload opposite wings, thereby creating an extra man in midfield without sacrificing an attacker.

But against Everton, United winger Nani showed he can pop up in danger areas across the pitch and Butt says the Portuguese underlined his status as a big game player in that game and will keep his place.

The question now is whether the City boss will go a step further and maintain a recent midfield of Toure, Gareth Barry, Silva and Samir Nasri.

Needing a win, it is certainly the most attacking option but recent history between the two teams would suggest the Italian might be more cautious to begin with. And if that is the case, will Ferguson also attempt to bolster central areas by asking Wayne Rooney to play a deeper role?

"I'm concerned about the United midfield being outnumbered," Butt says. "City are very strong in there and I think United will have to match up with them."

Mancini will have studied the Everton draw when the Toffees' five-man midfield swarmed around Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes. However, the City boss will be wary of United's threats, too.

Winger Antonio Valencia, who did not play at Old Trafford last time, and Scholes have been catalysts for United in their run of 12 wins in the last 15 league games.

United's attack versus City's defence

As solid as City look when skipper Kompany is in the side, he and his fellow defenders will have to be on top form to deal with the twin threat of Danny Welbeck and Rooney.

According to former United right-back Gary Neville, against Everton the pair were reminiscent of former strikers Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole in their pomp. The England duo have registered 35 goals and eight assists between them in the Premier League this season to go with the three they scored against City in January's FA Cup win.

Butt says the pair are "forming a great partnership" yet Rosler thinks City have enough quality to deal with them and believes it is his former team's destiny to win the title.

"Looking from a manager's point of view, when I see the management working with a group of players and guiding the club, you see a natural progression via the style of play, the results and where they are over the whole season," he says.

"Everybody else thought it was over, but I always said from the beginning of the season that this year is our year. For some reason I believe in destiny.

"When Everton came back to get a draw against United, that was the opener for us. Now we have to make sure we use that second chance. Everybody is prepared and knows what is at stake. I can't just wait for the game to start on Monday."

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Their battle on the wing was a key feature of the game as Chelsea attempted to narrow the Catalans' attacking options and funnel them towards the centre of the pitch.

The versatile Brazilian will have an even bigger role in the return leg when Pep Guardiola's team will look to exploit the wider Nou Camp pitch, and it was no surprise Ramires was given a day off for the Premier League draw at Arsenal on Saturday.
Frank Lampard, Raul Meireles, Didier Drogba and Barcelona's Xavi were the only players to cover more ground than Ramires at Stamford Bridge, but he will have to be more disciplined on Tuesday.

Each time Barcelona gravitated towards the left in that game, a quick switch to the Brazilian on the right meant left-back Gael Clichy was up against his opposite full-back - leaving the Arsenal back four stretched.

And, after such a sterling and compact display by Chelsea's defenders in the first leg, they will not want to spread their players as the hosts aim to find the narrow holes in the middle of the pitch en route to goal.

Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin said Roberto di Matteo's tactical plan was close to a "masterclass", but the 1-0 scoreline was as much down to Barcelona's poor finishing as it was the Londoners' approach.

"It worked a treat and the space behind Alves even led to the goal," Nevin said. "It will be more difficult going to Barcelona, but I think people have lost the fear of Barcelona, they still have massive respect, but they know they have weaknesses."

In planting three disciplined midfielders in front of the back four to deny Barcelona space, the biggest benefit was watching Lionel Messi withdraw deeper and narrower in order to pick up the ball.

It was a similar ploy to one used by Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid in recent El Clasico encounters, with centre-back Sergio Ramos taking the eye in Saturday's 2-1 win at the Nou Camp by quickly bursting from defence to confront Messi when the Argentine squeezed past the midfield block.

Forcing Messi high up the pitch played a vital part in Chelsea's goal, too, as Lampard's tackle on Barca's top scorer led to Drogba's solitary strike.

But in recent games against AC Milan, in the last round of the Champions League, Chelsea and Real Madrid you can see how the areas in which the Argentine operates have been clipped.

Concentrating on space rather than the ball was part of Chelsea's strategy as Fernando Torres, a watching substitute for the first leg, revealed this week.

"Many teams who play Barcelona think you have to steal the ball from them, but I don't think that's possible," the Spanish forward said.

"You have to use different weapons against them. If you want to steal the ball, you won't manage it and you'll get tired, and then create more space for your opponent."

Real Madrid, Inter - under Mourinho - and now Chelsea have had success with this ploy and it has drawn criticism as "anti-football" in some quarters.

But if a manager opts to go toe-to-toe with one of the best sides in football history, allowing Messi time and space to play his quickfire one-twos in front of the penalty box, there is likely to be one winner.

Defending is as much a part of football as attacking and, although Chelsea rode their luck at times, their team-work and dedication to a game plan was equally as impressive as some of Barcelona's attacking showings of the past.

There is still room for improvement in Chelsea's game and, in watching the Real victory on Saturday, where Sami Khedira scored a scrappy opening goal after Barcelona failed to clear a corner, Nevin says the spirits of the Chelsea players will be lifted.

"They have John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill and Drogba, who are far better in the air than anything Barcelona have got," the Scot added.

"Chelsea did go a bit Stoke City in the first leg, with Ivanovic throwing the ball long on several occasions, but it led to chances in the first half."

Whatever your views on those tactics, what cannot be faulted is the spirit and concentration shown by Di Matteo's team.

And with Barcelona beaten twice in the space of four days, were there signs on Saturday as they trudged off the soaking Nou Camp turf that perhaps they have lost a touch of their self-belief?

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Roared on by 7,000 travelling supporters, Athletic's thrilling 3-2 victory in the last 16 Europa League tie leaves Sir Alex Ferguson's side needing to score at least twice in order to progress. And apart from the 6-1 defeat inflicted by Manchester City earlier this season, it is hard to recall a recent game where the Red Devils have been so outclassed.

As former Valencia and Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez told the Football Focus Forum this week: "I was talking with some former Athletic players and they were telling me that maybe United didn't realise how strong and how good Athletic could be."

And only a number of outstanding saves by Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea, plus some clinical Wayne Rooney finishing on an otherwise poor night for the England striker, mean that this tie is still in any sort of balance.

Even though Ferguson said afterwards he had expected Athletic to be "very aggressive in terms of their attacking and pressing the ball", his team - without Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes and Danny Welbeck - struggled to contain their opponents and as the Scot admitted they were not helped by some poor defending.

Athletic seemed to take Manchester United by surprise in the first leg at Old Trafford

Indeed, Athletic's performance was reminiscent of another outfit which has been a thorn in Manchester United's side in recent seasons: Barcelona.

That should come as no surprise given that Barca boss Pep Guardiola regards former Argentina and Chile coach Bielsa as a mentor.

Bielsa, 56, who has been linked with jobs at the Nou Camp and Chelsea, is known in Spain as 'El Loco'. But the way he has imposed his methods on a team previously regarded as one of the most direct in Spain since he took over in the summer has come as a pleasant surprise.

The Argentine coach's young Athletic team came within a whisker of beating Guardiola's team earlier in the season and will face the Catalans in the Copa del Rey final. They are also in hot pursuit of a place in next season's Champions League.

True, Bielsa's team may not have the same calibre of players as Barca, but with six players aged 22 years or under starting against United, they are a team which is only going to develop.

"Our simple ethos is this: we try and win the ball back as quickly as possible from our opponents as far up the field as we can," Bielsa told me. "And by that I mean everyone is involved in regaining the ball, from the forwards through to anyone else.

"Then once we have the ball, we try and find a way of getting forward as quickly as possible, in a vertical direction if you like. But we don't get frustrated if we can't get it forward immediately, we aim to be comfortable on the ball, and if it's not a case of going forward straight away, we keep it."

Sounds simple doesn't it? But it is a formula that Manchester United struggled with and they will need to get a grip on the midfield battle when they travel to the Basque country on Thursday.

As notable as Athletic's pressing was, it was their attacking talents that lit up Old Trafford and it will be a brave person who predicts they will not score again at the Estadio San Mamés. For large parts of the game in Manchester, they effectively played with four strikers with Oscar de Marcos (10) supporting lone forward Fernando Llorente (9), as Iker Muniain (19) and Markel Susaeta (14) provided the width.

And there were several occasions, in keeping with Bielsa's previous methods, when the trio of midfield anchor Ander Iturraspe (8) and centre-backs Javi Martinez (24) and Mikel San Jose (6), were the only Athletic players not to be stationed along the United penalty area. It said something about the balance of the game that United were the counterattacking team with only 42% of the possession.

De Marcos, 22, and Muniain, 19, were exceptional, with both deserving of their goals, but Iturraspe was a dream to watch at times. He hounded Rooney to the extent that he was almost wearing the United striker's socks by the end, and he was always on hand to receive the ball while threading passes wide to build attacks. It was some performance.

It allowed Martinez, normally a midfielder, to venture forward causing yet more problems for the already overrun Ryan Giggs and Phil Jones in the centre of United's midfield.

So what will the Premier League champions change for the return leg?

For a start, Ferguson is likely to begin with a formation that better matches the Spaniards by using three central midfielders. When he did this in the second half at Old Trafford - helped by the introduction of Carrick - the team had more success in closing gaps that appeared before the break.

He will also have noticed that with Athletic full-backs pushing way up the pitch to maintain their width, United did have some success in the spaces behind them. Ashley Young began brightly on the right, but Nani may be preferred to Park Ji-sung, who had a relatively quiet evening.

More than anything, Ferguson will realise that his players will have to match the incredible work-rate that Athletic showed in the first leg. And they will have to cut out the sloppy passing that often gifted the ball back to their opponents.

Athletic will be wary of United's response, with last season's Champions League finalists likely to field a stronger side if they want to remain in the competition, but that will depend on how important Ferguson considers the Europa League now.

One thing is for certain: with such a youthful team determined to finish the tie off and build on a season of real promise, there is little chance of Los Leones (the Lions) sitting on their lead.

"We always go out to attack our opponents and go for victory," Bielsa said. "Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but we won't alter the style of play we have."

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Inevitable, after Scholes came out of retirement to remind us he is still one of England's best midfielders? Or a very shrewd bit of man-management?

Before we plough into what difference Scholes has already made to Manchester United since coming out of retirement in January, it is worth clarifying that Redknapp has distanced himself from the England manager's job and might not even take it. Then, there is whether Scholes himself wants to deal with England circus again.

Having retired from England duty after Euro 2004 after being played out of position, the now 37-year-old did hint regret at not taking up former England boss Fabio Capello's offer to play at the 2010 World Cup. He was contacted by Capello's assistant Franco Baldini and only given hours to make a decision before the England squad was named.

But by calling for Scholes to travel to Poland and Ukraine four months before the tournament starts, Redknapp has already succeeded in giving Scholes plenty of thinking time no matter whether the Spurs manager changes jobs or not.

It may be stretching it to call it an audition, and ex-England defender Gary Pallister is in the camp that believes his former Manchester United team-mate will not come out of international retirement.

But he does think Scholes' ability to dictate a game could offer England an added dimension just as he has at Old Trafford this season. And he thinks Redknapp could be the man to tempt him.

"International football suits Scholes down to a tee," Pallister says. "If you give the ball away you can wait a hell of a long time to get it back and the one thing he gives you is control of the ball. He doesn't give it away too often and I'm sure he would be a plus, but I don't think it's going to happen.

"If Harry Redknapp got the England job and said to him, 'listen, Scholesy I want you to be a pivotal part of this European Championship' then it might sway him but my gut feeling is it won't happen.

"Scholes is probably right in just concentrating on Manchester United and hopefully getting another season out of himself next year. I think he's made his mind up once about it and it would be very much a surprise if he was to turn around now."

Scholes, of course, has already performed a U-turn on a par with his legendary poise on the ball. Not even his own team-mates were fully aware when he jumped off the team bus in the FA Cup tie against Manchester City in January, having quit the game at the end of last season.

But after a few games to find his full range of passing, it is as if he has never been away. We are not talking of a vintage Scholes from eight years ago, but the way he is again the fulcrum of the team may just be the difference between United winning the title or not.

Scholes came into the side when fellow midfielders Tom Cleverley and Anderson were out injured, and comparing the six Premier League games he has appeared in this season with the 20 where he was absent, Manchester United's win percentage has jumped from 70% to 83%.

It is perhaps obvious that average possession, passes per game and overall pass completion have improved for Sir Alex Ferguson's team since Scholes' return. But it is his ability to restore some semblance of order towards the end of pivotal games that has been more noticeable.

Two recent conversations with colleagues suggest that Scholes's value is still misunderstood. One said after Scholes racked up another set of pass completion statistics close to 90% that he could do the same if he also executed so many 10 yard passes. The other said Scholes didn't have the legs for international football. Both miss the point entirely.

When people talk about his range of passing, they focus on his ability to ping the ball 50 yards to a team-mate's big toe. But what is also impressive, and perhaps more crucial, is his pass selection. By playing, quick, short and often first-time passes, Scholes has a rare quality in English football which allows him to control the pace of the game. That is why is he so revered in Spain, by the likes of Barcelona midfielder Xavi.

Scholes recognises when to settle on the ball rather than going on the attack immediately, which can be the case with other English midfielders once they have won possession.

Equally, his technique, awareness and experience mean that he is often the first person fellow midfielders and defenders look for, as can be seen from the passes from Scholes and to him in the recent league win over Liverpool.

Team-mates know that if they pass to him, the ball will stick, no matter what pressure he or the team is under as the game reaches a critical stage. In football terms, Scholes is the cure for the English disease: giving the ball away.

In January, he was brought on at Arsenal as United snatched a late winner and two of the three goals his team scored in the 3-3 fightback at Chelsea came when Scholes had been introduced past the hour mark. In the FA Cup tie at Liverpool, he was withdrawn and United slipped to a late defeat.

Having already reached his trademark 90% pass completion rate of the previous four seasons, and having been tackled once every 95 minutes this season, Scholes is once again the pivot of the team. That could prove the decisive quality as the title race comes to the boil.

"He's one of the best midfielders that England has ever produced so he has brought back control and a rhythm to the team," Pallister adds. "He's a player that everyone has a lot of confidence in as well so that gives the team a huge lift.

"Players of his age can make a difference. If you've been through title run-ins before, you know how you are going to handle the nerves when it comes down to the final few games. United have got plenty of players in their ranks who have done that whereas City are yet to find out about themselves in that kind of situation."

Scholes' role in guiding his younger team-mates to another potential top-flight honour may also give the new England boss something to think about with a crop of under-21 players starting to feed into the senior squad.

Scott Parker, Gareth Barry and, if he is fit in time, Jack Wilshere may be ahead in the queue for the deep lying midfielder, but can they get a grip on the game or spark fear into the opposition like Scholes?

There were times in the 3-2 defeat by the Netherlands on Wednesday when England's midfield was lacking someone to link play quickly with first time passes or hit wide men early. The ginger prince could yet be the perfect person to introduce from the bench just when England need it most.

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Suarez served an eight-match ban for racially abusing Evra in the previous Premier League encounter between these two north-west rivals in October, and the Liverpool striker is back in the side in time to face the United defender in the return fixture.

The prelude to this already competitive encounter was the 2-1 victory by Kenny Dalglish's side over United in the FA Cup at Anfield last month, where Evra was booed and Suarez was absent.

After completing his suspension, the Uruguayan subsequently made his return to the Liverpool side as they drew 0-0 with Tottenham last Monday.

Now it is time for the final performance of the season between these two teams, and once the baggage surrounding the match is stripped away, there are some signs that Liverpool could put a serious dent in Manchester United's title ambitions, while chasing fourth spot themselves.

"As a professional footballer or a manager, the minute you start thinking about anything other than the job in hand then you've got problems.

"To win a game of this magnitude against your biggest rivals gives you a real impetus and momentum at a crucial time of the season, while if you get beaten it is a real setback. That's why it's such a big game. Both managers will be enforcing that message in the dressing room: if we get a result in this match it can be a springboard for the rest of the season."

Although there have been a surprisingly high number of goals in games between the top teams this season, Liverpool have remained far less spectacular. While struggling in front of goal at times this season, they have also improved in defence.

Dalglish's side have the worst chance conversion rate in the Premier League, but they have kept 10 clean sheets. And while they are unbeaten at Anfield, they have taken significant scalps away from home this term, beating Chelsea twice, Manchester City in the Carling Cup and Arsenal.

Despite their frailties in front of goal, Liverpool have earned some some significant results in Suarez absence's with a counter-attacking system where Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt have flanked Andy Carroll.

Their goalscoring has actually improved while the former Ajax striker has been sidelined, rising slightly from an average of 1.12 goals per game to 1.29 goals per game. Signs, too, that Carroll might be starting to turn the corner after just five goals this season, leave Dalglish with a dilemma for the Old Trafford trip.

"I thought Suarez would start against Tottenham but he's been out since Boxing Day and when you have been out for that length of time it's like starting your season again," Hansen adds.

"Your sharpness and match fitness will be lacking, so Dalglish might well start him on the bench. Dalglish's tactics will probably be cautious to begin with and bringing Suarez on later in the game might fall into line with that approach."

Hansen believes that neither Dalglish nor Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will leave out either Suarez or Evra for anything other than footballing reasons.

And despite his former team's problems in front of goal, Hansen says he is not too worried given that the defence is more solid than it has been for the last two seasons.

"The back four and the goalkeeper are always the cornerstone of a good side and it's certainly more important to get that right than anything else because that gives you the foundation to build on," he says.

"Even when Suarez was playing brilliantly at the start of the season his goal ratio wasn't brilliant. The keepers kept on making saves and he kept hitting the post and the bar, but sooner or later that will turn.

"What Liverpool really need is to turn somebody over by four or five goals and that might give them the impetus or momentum to get better at home."

That is unlikely to happen on Saturday at Old Trafford, but hands up who saw Manchester City's 6-1 win over United coming? A high-scoring game might not suit all, but it would certainly return football matters to the top of the agenda after a difficult period for both clubs.

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Taking a tour around the 330-acre site last week, it looks as if the Football Association will be able to boast one of the leading national football centres in the world, but you also have to wonder what position English football would be in had the facility opened as originally planned in 2004.

How much better would a 25-year-old England regular be, having first trained at St George's Park as a 17-year-old? And what influence would a coach attending courses there have had on a five-year-old now in the throes of junior football?

The FA's director of elite development Gareth Southgate says it is "pretty pointless" to speculate about where we could be. Like a seasoned pro he is focusing on the future, and in the coming months youth football in England is set to undergo some fundamental and exciting changes.

The elite turf has been laid next to an indoor pitch, with both mirroring the dimensions of Wembley.

Set in the rolling Staffordshire countryside, it will feature 12 pitches allowing England teams of all ages to train in close quarters, complete with a sports science centre, enormous spa and gym facilities, and a 282-room hotel which includes an England wing. Walking around the site, the plastering is done, the bathrooms are in and we even got to step inside the manager's room ('Harry's suite,' one builder joked).

As you stroll deeper into the complex it becomes more impressive. The elite pitch, which mirrors the dimensions of Wembley, has already had its turf laid next to an indoor pitch which has a unique bubble roof. Between them is a running track for warm-ups and rehabilitation and, on a crisp day as the site was bathed in winter sunshine, it was an inspiring glimpse of the future.

With 400 builders on site, it has come a long way since work began on 31 January 2011, the same day that Southgate was appointed. And both are making their mark on English football at the same time as the professional game takes on its biggest overhaul since club academies and centres of excellence were first proposed in 1997.

The introduction of the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP), due to begin next season, will re-shape the football landscape by independently grading academies. And it will have as much effect as the FA's plans to delay 11v11 matches until under-13s level, the concentration on qualifications specifically geared to coaching youngsters or the new philosophy for teaching players.

Although there are many understandable concerns, former England defender Southgate believes this period marks a sea change as England's major football bodies begin finally to point in the same direction.

"At the moment it is one of the first times in many years that those bodies are sat around the table together trying to improve things for the better," the 41-year-old says.

Of course, there are many unresolved issues within the EPPP, not least how clubs will be graded among the four academy categories, and it will be a huge story in coming months.

I want to leave aside problems surrounding reduced transfer fees for the moment, as they have already been discussed in length elsewhere. Yes, there are many valid worries about the welfare of clubs' academy systems and whether it will lead to some closing down. That is a bleak picture.

But the fact remains that without this evolution, the desire to pit "best against best" would have remained elusive. For too long, the academy system has allowed teams with top quality players to be diluted by those of a lesser standard and something needed to change.

After years of clubs winning the club-versus-country battle, it seems that the future of English football is finally finding a higher place on the agenda.

It is not all rosy in Southgate's garden, though. The former Middlesbrough, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace defender accepts that the FA's influence over youth development is limited and in an ideal world the national association would be running youth football in its entirety via a number of regional centres. But he believes the FA can still play a crucial part.

"The Premier League are running the academy system with the Football League and that's a history I don't understand," he says. "We have to keep helping coaches and be a voice that they can turn to for help, and the types of courses and events we run at St George's Park will aid that."

However, with the clubs exerting their own way of playing, how much can the FA really influence English coaches with its own philosophy of producing technically competent and decisive players who can play a short-passing game?

"Individual clubs will have their own nuances on philosophies, but it is clear that the clubs at the top of the Premier League and in the Champions League all play a passing game," Southgate adds.

"They all play good quality football, they all have, and are looking for, players who are comfortable in possession of the ball throughout the team, so if you look at elite clubs in our country, that philosophy is actually there."

Whether that is the same for clubs like Stoke is another question.

The end result of all this should be that the cream rises to the top and, in that, there should be a tangible benefit to England football teams. But it does place a huge responsibility on the clubs and they have understandably put their interests ahead of the country's.

One thing is for sure: once St George's Park finally welcomes English players and coaches to the Staffordshire countryside, the FA will have the best evidence it can muster that it is addressing the problems which have plagued English football for so long.

"In any business there are no guarantees of results," Southgate says. "But if we don't build St George's Park, if we don't change the way that we coach kids, and if we don't change the formats of the game for youngsters then we are doing everybody a disservice."

Are we now entering a phase where the professional game and the FA can be trusted to work together to address English football's biggest issue?

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There are more important aspects than winning the ball which players need to learn, such as keeping it in the first place. In fact, speaking to several people, it is not something that is widely coached as a prerogative. But, like Match of the Day pundit Lee Dixon, many supporters value the skill judging by the warm applause that is often heard in grounds up and down the country for a well-timed challenge.

The tackling debate has reached new heights recently because, while most would agree that dangerous tackles have no place in the game, the lines have been blurred as to what constitutes a fair one. While that grey area exists, there are legitimate concerns about whether tackling might be eradicated altogether.

This was illustrated in the case of Everton's Jack Rodwell when he was sent off for taking the ball before he connected with Liverpool's Luis Suarez in the Merseyside derby at the start of October.

Since then, Wolves' Nenad Milijas was sent off for appearing to touch the ball before he clattered Mikel Arteta, Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany saw red for a two-footed tackle on Nani, although he appeared to take the ball, while Liverpool's Glen Johnson was not penalised for a similar challenge on City's Joleon Lescott.

Calls for consistency have been loud and vocal, although Dixon rightly believes that can only come within a game as different referees will have different opinions.

And the former Arsenal right-back thinks the situation would be made far clearer if two-footed tackles were banned outright, but he says players have a part to play too.

"You're never going to take the debate out of the game entirely, and you shouldn't have to, but I just think players have a responsibility to not make tackles like that and it would be pretty black and white if any two-footed tackles were a straight red card," he says.

"I was a tough tackling full-back and in the past I've made some strong tackles from behind and the side, but in 22 years of playing I never made a two-footed tackle. I don't understand the need to jump in with both feet.

"Players kind of know the situation already but if they took the ambiguous nature out of the law it would clarify it and make it easier for referees."

Dixon has genuine worries that football is travelling down a road where tackling might be banned - and you can see his point.

If a player can be penalised for winning the ball but it is deemed to be too forceful, then there has already been a massive shift compared to when he was playing and where does it lead?

Recently, Real Madrid and Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso said he could not understand the fascination with tackling in this country.

The former Liverpool player claims it is a last resort, and good defenders will concur, but it is interesting to note that a higher percentage of straight red cards in the Premier League are handed out in the middle third of the pitch, suggesting that players are lunging in where perhaps they do not need to.

Interestingly, too, the number of tackles made per game in the Premier League is actually falling, and this season there have been fewer tackles in the English top flight than in Spain, France, Germany and Italy.

That seems like good news, but it also worth recognising that generally speaking defending is well appreciated in this country, even if it is not always immediately evident.

It also underlines that for every young player who models himself on the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, with creativity always being encouraged first, there is also room for those who rely on other instincts such as reading the game or timing.

Dixon says: "When I was playing, Dennis Bergkamp could make good decisions on where to pass the ball and even seeing the pass in the first place, because he was a better player than me. But when it comes to tackling I probably made better decisions about when to close the ball down and when to make the tackle.

"I'm not saying I was a better player than Dennis by any means, but everyone has different assets that they can bring to a team."

Tackling should not be taught before other more important skills like a good first touch or the value of possession. Players should not resort to two-footed lunges either.

While football retains its competitiveness, and players are eager to prevent dribbles, passes or goals, there is always room for a well-timed tackle and with the speed football is played at some of them may be forceful.

So what was a good tackle in the past now draws sanction, and for that reason you have to wonder what effect it will have on football's future, positively or negatively.

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Last season, a record £225m was spent overall with Fernando Torres's £50m move from Liverpool to Chelsea helping fund the Reds' purchases of £35m Andy Carroll and £22.7m Luis Suarez.

The Uruguayan striker has easily been the most successful buy from that trio, his eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra apart, and the three goals scored by Torres and Carroll combined summed up the rest of their seasons at their new employers.

In fact, if you add in Chelsea's £21.3m capture of David Luiz, the two clubs forked out a combined £129m last January yet moved up three Premier League places between them.

This not only goes to show that the mid-season transfer window is a seller's market, but also that the real benefit in this period might actually be for clubs at the other end of the table.

Suarez, Donovan and Richardson have helped their respective clubs after signing in January

So even if last season, signings like Daniel Sturridge at Bolton and Demba Ba at West Ham only helped their respective teams to initial success before a slide in form, there is plenty to encourage managers as they attempt to bolster their troops and tweak their tactics for the relegation battle ahead.

Wigan have become the benchmark for Premier League survival since being promoted to the top tier in 2005, so much so that current boss Roberto Martinez calls this period the "window of hope".

However, his experience tells him there are specific criteria for what constitutes a good signing during the most competitive time of the year.

"The benefits of the window are that sometimes you know exactly what you need because in January you have a clear idea of where the squad is and what the levels of performance are," he says.

"But the hard part is that, whatever you look for, it is very difficult to find because it's too expensive and clubs are not willing to let players go.

"That means you need to go into markets abroad and bringing in a player in January means that the adaptation period is going to be six to eight weeks and that's probably too long. So you need to bring in players who already have some Premier League experience and that has a real cost.

"It's great for the media and the fans; it's a window of hope. When things are not going well, you think that everything is going to be solved and it is a key moment in the season. In the same way, you have to be realistic that you get good value for money and I don't think you normally can."

Carroll and Torres struggled individually, but even Sturridge and Ba had a limited impact last season

Martinez cites Gary Caldwell as a player who had a big impact when he joined Wigan in January 2010, based on his winning mentality while at Celtic and his knowledge of the British game.

But the Spanish boss also believes Bolivian forward Marcelo Moreno gave a boost to the side the same season thanks to his European experience, and even the signing of Crystal Palace youngster Victor Moses was well-timed as it gave him a period to adapt to the top tier before embarking on a full campaign. It may also mean Wigan pipped a few rivals to his signature.

Moses, 21, has taken time to blossom in the Premier League, but he is not the only one in that bracket. Manchester City spent £27m last season on Edin Dzeko and only following a full pre-season has the price tag begun to look justified.

QPR striker DJ Campbell, who made the leap from League One Brentford to Premier League Birmingham in January 2006 and twice went on loan to Blackpool, says moving in mid-season makes it difficult to adjust.

"When you join in the summer, you've got time to put in a full pre-season and time to get to know the lads," he says. "You also have time to know how the gaffer works and how he wants everyone to play rather than arriving in January and finding out for yourself. So it takes a few games to get into the swing of things.

"It's difficult, especially sometimes when you don't know anyone at the club, but you are a professional and you've just got to handle it as best you can. The other thing to say is that when I joined Birmingham, it was the first time I'd ever played in the Premier League so my adrenaline got me through a lot of things."

Campbell currently finds himself on the other side, his place at QPR seemingly under threat now boss Mark Hughes has been appointed after Neil Warnock's sacking and with the loan signing of Manchester United forward Federico Macheda increasing competition for places.

But rather than see it as a knockback, Campbell, who has been out for two months with a metatarsal injury, believes it is only a good sign as the club tries to avoid the relegation zone.

Speaking before Warnock was fired, he adds: "The situation that we're in at the minute is not good so we welcome players in because we need them. New faces at this time will help.

"When I was at Birmingham, we were struggling a bit at the time and I was fortunate enough to be able to come in and the players welcomed it. You don't look at it like they are trying to pinch your position, it's a team game, so the better players that come in, the better we get."

The loan market has its critics but with the competition to sign players and the elevation of prices as high as it ever has been, it is becoming an increasingly sensible option for cash-strapped clubs.

Uefa's Financial Fair Play initiative also means that the elite end of the Premier League is unlikely to spend as extravagantly as it did last term.

So even if top-flight bosses complain about calls from agents and reporters stalking them when they arrive at training, they will realise that the window of opportunity is all important.

With a new domestic and overseas television deal in the offing and debts to be paid off, the significance of a club's Premier League status is worth a few sleepless nights.

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Bolton boss Owen Coyle is widely respected, but when he highlighted his team's mistakes after the 2-1 defeat by Aston Villa last Saturday it showed a manager who wanted to provoke a response having seemingly tried everything to turn his side's fortunes around.

The 45-year-old Scot is renowned for his infectious enthusiasm, although even that must be wearing a little thin after losing 12 out of 15 Premier League games this season to leave his side bottom of the table.

Only two teams have suffered a worse start to a top-flight season, and among just nine sides to have lost 12 or more times after 15 games, only one has avoided relegation.

Many observers have noted that Bolton lack the firepower that Chelsea loanee Daniel Sturridge and the now departed Johan Elmander gave them last season.

However, while it is true that nine of the team's 20 goals this season came in two wins over QPR and Stoke, they are scoring at a rate that has dropped only marginally, from 1.4 goals per game last term to 1.3 this.

Their real difficulties have come in defence - the worst in the Premier League - but centre-back Gary Cahill probably already knew that. His form has mirrored Bolton's decline at their end of the pitch and, while a summer spent having his head turned by other clubs can perhaps explain some his displays, there is no such excuse for the defence overall.

"Our problem is not in scoring goals, [it's that] we're shipping too many," said Coyle after the Villa defeat. "It's not because of wonder strikes or anything else. We need to defend better."

Where Coyle's men conceded 1.5 goals a game last season, this term it has ballooned to an average of 2.4 and they are especially vulnerable to goals that originate from wide areas.

In fact, the figures make pretty grim reading. Bolton top the Premier League charts for the most goals conceded from crosses (10) - double the number of Wigan and five times more than Swansea.

They also lead the way when it comes to letting in goals from corners, and the eight they have shipped in this manner is twice as many as Blackburn or Wigan, four times the number of Wolves and eight times more than West Brom.

Over a third of the 36 goals they have conceded are from set-pieces, too, so there are clear areas where they have let themselves down.

Injuries have undoubtedly played their part, with long-term absentees Stuart Holden and Lee Chung-yong clearly missed in a thin squad.

But the way defender Sam Ricketts described Coyle's positivity this week on BBC Radio 5 live showed that despite the club's parlous state, the training ground has not been engulfed by doom and gloom.

That attitude can only extend so far, though, and the manner in which they have conceded goals does raise questions about their preparation.

Skipper Kevin Davies said that prior to the defeat by Villa the team had been working on team shape and set-pieces yet once they allowed Marc Albrighton to convert Gabriel Agbonlahor's cross and Stiliyan Petrov to fire in from 25 yards, confidence fell away.

Indeed, the way Petrov's shot clipped Cahill before finding the corner of the net almost summed up the bad fortune that seems to have settled over the Reebok Stadium.

But complaints about bad luck will not wash with Coyle, and if he is providing the framework to address the team's problems and they are still letting him down, then perhaps you can understand his frustration towards them.

Ultimately, though, he is responsible for the players he sends out. They will now need to show the "guts and desire" Coyle is looking for while improving their concentration if they are to provide any festive cheer for their fans.

Two bad results against Fulham and Blackburn and the Christmas turkey might not taste so juicy.

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Ewood Park has not been a happy place for a while and the latest demonstrations involved fans wearing yellow T-shirts, emblazoned with "100% Rovers, 0% Kean, Venky's", in protest at their beleaguered boss, and the club's Indian owners.

Before the 4-2 victory, in which Yakubu scored four times to lift Blackburn off the bottom of the Premier League table, Kean had presided over six top-flight wins in the 34 games he has been in charge.

So perhaps some of the frustration after a poor run of results was understandable, but on Saturday on a wet and cold afternoon, Blackburn won their second game of the season, and still they booed.

Their argument is that they are fully behind the team, not those in charge, but when Yakubu scored a fantastic first goal to give Rovers the lead, the cheers were tarnished by boos when the Nigerian ran over to celebrate with his manager on the touchline.

At that point you had to question who they were booing.

Blackburn boss Steve Kean and Yakubu celebrate the first goal against Swansea

Was it Kean? Well, yes, but he didn't exactly beckon his leading marksman towards him. Was it Yakubu? Probably not. Yet, can he be blamed for wanting to bond with his boss after such a tough week?

The evident union between the player and the manager underlines the fact that one cannot exist without the other and whatever the fans' gripes, their clearly-defined agenda is bound to spill over and affect the players.

And they must take huge credit for overcoming a Swansea side full of élan, amongst such a cloud of negativity. It was understandably perplexing for the ever-optimistic Kean afterwards.

"I was thinking that the supporters support the club and they want it to progress and win and climb the table," he said. "So I'd be very surprised if they didn't want the team to win and didn't want the team to get out of the relegation zone the same as me and the players.

"We don't want to be in the position we're in but we've made a massive step to get out of the shadows of the places we have been in, and I hope that the number of people that protest gets smaller and smaller as the results come in.

"I don't know how many are outside protesting, but I would imagine there are not 20,000. I would like the majority to maybe be vocal and say to the protesters, 'give the lads a chance'.

"We've got a lot of young players in the team and it can certainly affect them if there's a little bit of negativity aimed when you're ahead or when you're playing well, so I hope they can bear that in mind."

The problem for Kean is that protesters want the same things as the Scot, they just don't want him to be in a position to make them happen.

But if Blackburn go on to put a run together in the upcoming games against Sunderland, West Brom and Bolton, will the fans' attitudes change?

One of the myriad of complaints is that Kean has not established a firm tactical plan for his team, much in the way that his former Reading colleague Brendan Rodgers has done at Swansea.

Only four points separate the two teams now, but the plight of the respective managers could not be more contrasting.

Kean is under pressure, has fans baying for his blood and must travel to India to discuss plans with the owners, whereas Rodgers has breezed into the Premier League with a team which is winning plaudits for its passing-based style.

There is no doubt they played the more eye-catching football on Saturday and Leroy Lita's goal came after a superb passing move, but Blackburn created more chances and had a striker who has now racked up 10 goals in 12 appearances this term.

Which team will still be in the Premier League next season?

Whatever happens to Swansea, Rodgers is not about to change his methods. When I asked him if he wished his side scored more ugly goals he said: "If you are referring to would we would be happy to play like Blackburn? No chance.

"Would I resort to smashing the ball into the box from their halfway line onwards and look for a scramble every time there is a free-kick? Then no, I wouldn't. But, at times, we do score those types of goals.

"I'm very pleased with the way we have adapted to the Premier League. I've had it since I was a young coach and when you play like ourselves, you have to defend that right of the game on how to play and I will continue to do that."

Kean rejected Rodgers' accusations that Blackburn are one-dimensional. "I would take exception to that. When it's on to pass it, we pass it," he said. "If you have a type of delivery and you have very good players on set-plays, which we have, we are not embarrassed about the fact that we will try and exploit that.

"I like the way Swansea play, I think they knock it about very well. But we think we mix the game up. I don't think you can have somebody signed from Barcelona in Ruben Rochina, or a Mauro Formica, or a Junior Hoilett and play long ball, second ball.

"When we get a free-kick against a team that is possibly slightly smaller than you, and you have Chris Samba, Scott Dann and Gael Givet, you try to exploit that. We feel like we play when it's on to play and if we get a set-play we are not going to play it on the deck, we are going to play it in the air."

On the evidence of Saturday's victory, where two of Blackburn's goals came from set-pieces, Kean's point is a valid one.

One thing is for sure, however, Blackburn's tactics or performances will not be helped by the continued anger from some supporters, especially if some boo in the midst of celebrating a goal.

After the same number of games this term, it is a starkly different picture. The Black Cats are fifth from bottom following their injury-time defeat by fellow strugglers Wigan last Saturday, and it was enough for manager Steve Bruce to be sacked after what owner Ellis Short called a "trying start to the season".

Results were not good enough, Short said. But the strange thing is that when you analyse many of Sunderland's performances this season, they have not been playing that badly.

They have improved their shots on target, their pass completion and their crossing, while they have conceded only two more goals than at the same stage last season. In fact, only the top seven teams have a better goal difference than them.

 

Where it really mattered, though, Sunderland fell short. In the top flight, the Black Cats have won only three times in front of their home fans in 2011, and a poor injury record and a vast influx of new players taking their time to bed in have not helped either.

Former Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini, who is a co-presenter on BBC Radio Newcastle, believes the team has been lacking the same kind of approach that saw them tear Chelsea to shreds at Stamford Bridge last November.

"That's the trouble with us - not enough wins," said Gabbiadini, speaking before Bruce was sacked. "Our goal difference is excellent compared to everybody else around us, and we seem to be doing very well in games up to a certain point, but we just can't seem to kill games off.

"If you look at the squad we haven't got enough players with that killer instinct. As an ex-striker I was someone who probably gave the ball away too much at times, because I was always trying to take the man on and trying to turn into dangerous areas, but Sunderland have not got enough players who do that."

Sunderland were almost spoilt for strikers last season, whereas this term they have had to rely on Connor Wickham, Stephane Sessegnon and the on-loan Nicklas Bendtner.

Decent acquisitions all of them, but Bendtner is not known for scoring as regularly as Bent, Wickham is making his debut season in the Premier League and Sessegnon is more of a forward who works between the opposition midfield and defence.

Bruce was not helped by a recent injury to Wickham suffered against Manchester United, just as it looked like all three were beginning to gel. Yet Gabbiadini, who scored 74 goals in 157 appearances for the Black Cats, believes that Bendtner needs to be more involved in areas where he can make a difference.

"I know there are people who said that Bent didn't score that many goals last year and the team have scored more goals from different positions, but he was a very good target man," added Gabbiadini.

 

"People used to say differently, but he makes very intelligent runs and holds the ball up and brings others into play. He also plays the 18-yard box as well, which sounds obvious, but look at Bendtner in comparison.

"He's a great footballer, but I watched him on Saturday and he spent most of his time outside the width of the 18-yard box. As a striker I was always taught that when things aren't going too well for you, just play the width of the penalty box and even narrower sometimes if you want to get in on the action.

"He's an intelligent footballer, and he's actually done very well for us, but at the moment and with our injury record over the last two seasons, we haven't got anyone to support him."

That may be helped by the return of Fraizer Campbell, who is due to return from a knee injury in the coming weeks. And before the crushing defeat by Wigan, where Wes Brown's mistake helped Franco di Santo to score an injury-time winner, Sunderland were actually four games unbeaten at home.

How much spending power the incoming manager will have is unclear - Bruce made 10 signings in the summer.

With the likes of Brown, John O'Shea, Sebastian Larsson and Craig Gardner among them, there is some undoubted quality to enable the club to return to winning ways. But Gabbiadini believes fans should be realistic about the club's ambitions.

"Sunderland finished 10th last season, but that doesn't mean you are going to be 10th every season," he said. "This is the first time we've been in top flight for five consecutive seasons since the 1980s.

"Until we can become a club who can move onto the next level we have to take it on the chin. I'm not saying we have to be fighting relegation every year but we have had two seasons where it's been quite comfortable.

"We've signed a lot of players who are a decent age and hopefully will all be at the club for a few years so, if we can get it right, it looks promising for the future."

If the new manager can mould Bruce's buys into a more ruthless outfit, then Sunderland can look forward to re-establishing themselves where most fans think a club of their size belongs.

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Based on the book by Michael Lewis, the film centres on three baseball players being plucked out of relative obscurity by Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane.

Using a complex statistics system, he drafted in a player with a strange pitching action, one who was seen as over the hill and another who was renowned for his off-field antics rather than his aptitude on the park.

They were seen as cast-offs by other teams but Beane, played by Brad Pitt, used the sabermetrics theories documented in a series of books by Bill James to capitalise on values other franchises ignored.

In doing so, he cast aside traditional scouting opinions, causing controversy. Nevertheless, his approach was a success, Beane's side closing the gap between his cash-strapped outfit and richer franchises.

Beane embarked on his radical approach in 2002. Since then the use of statistics has become commonplace across sport. However, that does not mean the Moneyball approach can be easily applied outside baseball.

In essence, Beane focused on on-base percentage - the number of times the player makes it to first base by whatever means - instead of more traditional or eye-catching batting statistics like home runs or batting average.

In football terms, it is like valuing shots on target or cross completion over headline statistics like goals scored and assists.

Yet there are several problems in trying to distil all football's permutations into one or two key statistics. The game's fluidity and the fact teams score their goals in different ways are just two stumbling blocks.

What works for Arsenal does not necessarily work for Stoke, but that does not stop all 20 Premier League clubs and 23 out of 24 Championship sides trying to gain an advantage by using data from performance analysts ProZone and Amisco.

While yet to crystallise a team's fortunes to the extent of the Oakland A's, it is clear that a reliance on physical and technical data now plays an integral part in many professional clubs, from signings right down to the youth teams.

- The number of touches
- Goals and, importantly, goal difference
- Shots and, importantly, shots on target
- Total passes and, importantly, forwards' passes percentage success
- High-intensity* distance covered without possession *(5.5 m/s)

Surprising insights from last season's data show Wigan's Hugo Rodallega hit the second most shots on target, while Leighton Baines was the Premier League's most successful crosser.

So what is the true value to football of statistics?

ProZone and Amisco arranged a viewing of Moneyball this week to highlight how similar principles worked in football.

Former England boss Steve McClaren was among the audience.

"For me it is the best coaching tool that I have in my bag," said McClaren, who was one of the first to use ProZone's services when he was a coach at Derby under manager Jim Smith and took it with him when he joined Manchester United in 1999.

"Performance analysis allows me to get as much information as I can on that player in that game or in training, and it helps me to coach and develop players. So from that perspective it has been very important.

"The only thing I would say is that there is so much information available now it's really deciphering what is relevant. The key thing for me is: what actually wins football matches?

"Give me the statistics that win football matches, whether that's shots on goal, outrunning opponents, especially in high-intensity sprints, or whether that's winning challenges."

Throughout Moneyball, Beane has little contact with his players and avoids watching games in person. But after a horrid start to the 2002 season, where the staff and players openly question his methods, the team's fortunes begin to improve once he starts speaking to his valued assets.

McClaren said: "What showed in the film was that he took all that information, he brought the players in on that information but at the end of the day he still had to coach.

"You see the turnaround, compared to when there was a resistance from the manager Art Howe which obviously transmitted to the players. That's why they didn't perform.

"Once Beane interacted with the players and started coaching, the relevancy of the statistics became apparent and then the team started to improve.

"You can get bogged down by the information and just having that information is not enough. You still have to coach and still have to have the conviction in your ability."

Liverpool are an interesting case in all of this, with the club's director of football Damien Comolli known to be an advocate of using statistics to back up his choices in the transfer market.

And owner John W Henry, who also owns the Boston Red Sox, was clearly a fan of Beane's methods as he offered him a record-breaking contract, which he turned down. James is a senior advisor at Fenway Park, too.

Of the many signings that Comolli oversaw in 2011, it is the contrasting fortunes of £22.8m Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez and £35m English forward Andy Carroll that have drawn most scrutiny.

It shows that, for all the statistics used to bring a successful team together, there are just as many social and psychological factors which play their part.

You can also discuss more tactical issues and follow me on Twitter]]> Alistair Magowan - BBC Sport https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/thefootballtacticsblog/2011/11/how_statistics_shaped_a_hollyw.html https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/thefootballtacticsblog/2011/11/how_statistics_shaped_a_hollyw.html Football Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:45:46 +0000