Name – Katie
Whittemore
Twitter -
@ItsBizNews
Club –
Nottingham Forest
Fact – I can
tie a cherry stalk into a knot with my tongue. Serious skill.
Pet Hate –
Players who have over inflated ego’s and biased FA decisions.
I’ve
supported Forest ever since my Uncle took me along to a match V Charlton when I
was younger, the passion of the fans, the atmosphere in the stadium, they were
my team. Being a Forest fan is never boring and never easy, last season alone
had every up and down a club could possibly go through. A pre-season take over
by the Al Hasawi family left little time for transfers, however the came thick
and fast and we began the season with almost a new squad, a new manager, all
with very little preparation. Things were going ok, nothing to shout about
(apart from THAT Leeds result) then over Christmas our fortunes changed, we
were cursed with Alex Mcleish. Thankfully he saw sense and resigned, cue the
return of King Billy, a fantastic run saw us competing on the last day of the
season for a play-off place. Seated next to the away Leicester fans it
certainly wasn’t a let down (apart from the result). Now as the new season
approaches we have a more stable foundation, a pre-season where our team have
had a chance to gel and some fantastic signing rumoured. Bring it on!
Name – Will
Moorcroft
Twitter -
@willtm10
Club – Stoke
City
Fact - I was
on picked out in the crowd by the TV cameras during the 2011 FA Cup Final,
standing up and still cheering despite the fact Stoke were 1-0 down to Man City
and it was the 91st minute, so we had no chance!
Pet Hate -
people who support a team without decent reason or logic - in other words
‘Glory Hunters’
MY local team
is Stoke City - I am a lifelong fan - and over the past 5 seasons I have
enjoyed watching us become established in the Premier League. What hasn’t been
so enjoyable at times though is the dull nature of ‘Survival Football’ utilised
by Tony Pulis, so with all respect to him for what he’s done at Stoke
(promotion, FA Cup final, Europa League run), it was perhaps the right decision
to bring in a manager to take the club further forward. Step forward Mark
Hughes.
Two years
ago, how many Stokies would have thought that we would be signing a Dutch
international or a Spanish U-21? Well we have now, and while both Erik Pieters
and Marc Muniesa are defenders, for me it shows how Hughes wants to add flare
and movement to our usual 6” brick wall we called a defence, and how he is
looking to improve the team’s style so that we are no longer a hoof-ball, rugby
team, but a more tika-taka style team that can hold the ball and play more
fluently - reports from the team’s pre-season tour of the USA have been
positive in this manner...
With the imminent
arrival of a new striker, reported to be either Benfica’s Nelson Oliveira or
Hannover’s former Manchester United striker Mame Biram Diouf, Hughes also looks
set to try and combat our long-standing problem of not scoring enough goals,
and if he can do that, I should hope that a top-half finish is achievable,
which would certainly change the mind of the sceptics who called for his
sacking the day after he was appointed!
Name – Lee
Gormley
Twitter -
@LeeGormley
Club –
Manchester United
Fact - in
2009 I was at Manchester United’s Carling Cup fixture at Derby and while I was
walking through the car park I randomly bumped into a certain Mr Teddy
Sheringham whom I had a quick chat with and got a photo!
Pet Hate - !
My biggest pet hate in the football world is the constant playacting by world
class players when they get the slightest of knocks. Compared to other sports
like Rugby or GAA games, football really isn’t that physical.
Manchester
United’s summer transfer activity has been almost obsolete with the fans still
waiting on the arrival of a ‘big name’ and especially a player who can play in
that key midfield position. Big names such as Thiago Alacantra and Kevin
Strootman have been linked with the club over the past few months only for
these players to eventually join Bayern Munich and AS Roma respectively. The
most recent player to be linked with a move to Old Trafford has been former
Arsenal midfielder and current Barcelona playmaker Cesc Fabregas. A move seems
to be highly unlikely at the moment meaning the Red Devils are still in
possession of that familiar gap in their midfield.
Without a new
signing to bolster the midfield position United are still a formidable team of
course, having won their 20th league title last season under the now
retired Sir Alex Ferguson. Ferguson’s fellow countryman David Moyes has since
taken over the biggest job in world football and he will begin the title
defence against Swansea on Premier League opening day which is the 17th
of August.
The title
winning squad which includes Sir Alex Ferguson’s last ever signing as manager,
Wilfred Zaha, will be fully expected to be in the hunt for the title next
season no matter how much money is spent on new players in this transfer
window. Personally I believe the winning mentality is still at the club and
always will be there no matter who is in charge. United, Manchester City and
Chelsea have all had recent big changes regarding managers and players meaning
the upcoming season will be harder to predict than ever. Although I still think
Manchester United will go on and regain the Premier League trophy possibly in
one of the closest ever finishes to a Premier League season.
Name – Andrew
Dalton
Twitter
– @lufcstats
Club – Leeds
United
Fact – I was
on Live and Kicking back in 2001, doing a football quiz, called Have you
got the balls, finished 3 out of 18!
Pet Hate -
The way the broadcast Media run football! Gone are the days of 9 games
kicking off at 3pm on Saturday! As a Leeds fan I wander why we bring out a
fixture list, as by the time the season kicks off at least 5 or 6 games
will have been moved!
My first game
was when we beat Chelsea 3-0 at Elland Road in April 1992, when a
certain Frenchman scored what proved to be the goal of the season! I
have experienced many ups and down following Leeds, in my lifetime we
have reached both the semi finals of the UEFA Cup and the
Champions League, suffered 2 relegations in 2004 from the Prem and in 2007
from the Championship, had 3 seasons in League 1, one promotion and 2 play
off final defeats! My all time highlight supporting Leeds would be the 3-0
win over Deportivo La Coruna in the Champions League quarter-final 1st leg
at Elland Road. My all time low light, would be the play off final defeat to
Doncaster in 2008, I really did think we would beat them. I don't think I
have ever felt so low after Leeds game! After the season we had had
with the -15 points, it felt like the script would have the perfect
ending! Also in my time I reckon I have seen over 300 players in 20 years
pull on the White Shirt!
Name - Conor
Willis
Twitter -
@CWillis7
Club -
Southampton
Fact: I stuck
a toy car wheel up my nose when I was little.
Pet hate -
Being out sung at a football match. There's nothing worse than the opposition
crowd being louder than you.
Southampton
have made a steady start to pre season and have spent two weeks in Spain and
Austria for another 6 days. We've signed Dejan Lovren, a towering central
defender from Lyon believed to have cost around £8million. He will certainly
provide competition between the defenders we already have and should ideally
walk straight into the starting eleven. We have also bought in Victor Wanyama,
a strong holding midfielder from Celtic. He has put in noticeable performances
against the likes of Xavi and Iniesta against Barcelona in the Champions League
last year and will fit in nicely next to Schneiderlin who won many plaudits
himself last year.
I believe
with another signing or two we can really push on from last seasons 14th place
finish and get into the top 10. That has to be the aim this year. We've got the
squad to do it, we have the right approach to games to do it and we have to
correct attitude and belief to do it so I don't see why we can't!
Name - Joe
Williamson
Twitter -
@jmwilliamson23
Club - Leeds united
Fact - I used to live across the road from
Luke Varney
Pet hate -
Diving and Football pundits
Leeds United,
have had a fairly unspectacular off season in the form of transfers and on the
pitch performance, but off the pitch is where the drama has and continues to
unfold, where there has been heavy speculation linking Leeds United to a big
money link up with energy giants, red bull. In my opinion, the investment from
red bull could help make Leeds a force to be reckoned with in the championship,
this extra investment could provide the funds for transfers which will make the
club a realistic challenger for promotion. If the added funds allow McDermott
to bring in the players he wants like his rumoured interest in Adam le Fondre,
then Leeds United will obviously benefit from a link up with red bull. If this
deal will be of the best interest of the club, and it’s all to do with the
level of involvement with red bull and what changes they want for their money,
it needs to be looked at seriously.
If it’s just shirt sponsorship, then it’s definitely a positive move for
Leeds United. If they want more
like the rumoured stadium name change, then it should be seriously considered
if this is the right move, as Leeds United, by changing their name of Elland
Road will be selling part of their history and heritage and I think many fans
would agree with me that this would not benefit the club.
There has
been 3 transfers which are Noel Hunt and Matt Smith on free transfers and Luke
Murphy for £1 million. Noel Hunt has been in a promotion winning team with
McDermott before at Reading and has experience of scoring goals at this level
and on a free transfer it is a worthwhile transfer. Matt Smith is best known
for his FA cup exploits of last season with Oldham, but is unproven at
championship level. He is a strong
target man and could be seen as a replacement for the departed Luciano Becchio
to Norwich last January. Personally, I think Matt Smith will have a good season
and surprise a lot of people. The last signing raised a few eyebrows purely
because for the first time in a long time the club spent a million pounds on a
player. Luke Murphy has a lot of potential and impressed a lot of people at
Crewe last year with his performances and it will be interesting to see how he
performs at a higher level. My predictions for Leeds this year is 6th
place, just scraping a playoff place. I believe Brian McDermott is a good
manager and with a full summer behind him with the squad will get the team
playing like he wants them too and similar to the way Reading played when they
gained promotion. Keeping hold of players such as Ross McCormack and Sam Byram
will be crucial to the clubs promotion challenge. Leeds need to break their current mould of selling their
best players if they are to return to the top flight.
Name – Finn
Vijayakar
Twitter –
@FinnVijayakar
Club – QPR
Fact – I went
to the iconic city V Qpr game, I left a 2-2!
Pet Hate -
Football players spitting everywhere. Diving and the lack of teams that play
with two out and out strikers.
I have had a
season ticket with my dad at QPR since I can remember. The past couple of
seasons have been more than frustrating for me, what with QPR signing a load of
mercenaries and being relegated from the premier league. QPR are currently
favourites to gain promotion to the premier league next season and even though
I support QPR, I honestly don't see why, we've sold one of our only players who
actually plays for the shirt in Jamie Mackie, to fellow promotion candidates
Nottingham Forest and we are likely to have only two fit strikers for our
opening game of the season against Sheffield Wednesday. With Remy having a rape
charge hanging over his head and Zamora with his dodgy hip, Andy Johnson looks
our best bet this season. It is clear Redknapp wants to bring in more players
but he has found it difficult so far having lost out on Gary Hooper to Norwich.
QPR have made three signings so far this summer in Danny Simpson, Richard Dunne
and Karl Henry. Simpson and Henry seem to be solid signings but I am not so
sure about Dunne who has looked unfit in pre-season. I hope Harry Redknapp can
get in a few more signings and get QPR back to where they belong this season.
It's going to be tough but as an Rs fan you have to be prepared for
anything!
Name – Nathan
Spafford
Twitter -
@Nathanspafford
Club –
Manchester United
Fact – I once
walked right into Micah Richards with a crate of WKD’s on the concourse at
Manchester Arena.
Pet Hate –
When fans are so hypocritical about everything for example when their own
player dives its acceptable.
Hi guys, my
name is Nathan Spafford, 21 years of age and I live in the glorious football
loaded Manchester and am a United fan through and through. I haven't always
been a football fan though, my Grandad got me into it when I was pretty young
(against the will of my parents) and I am now a die-hard football fan. My love
for this beautiful game grows larger by the year and hopefully this year,
joining this fantastic project, will be the first step into a career in
football. I do have interest in other sports however, formula one being my
other love. So yeah, that's about it for now. Hopefully I can bring you some of
my rather interesting insight and point of views of the world football, and
maybe a bit of humour too. Cheers guys!
Name - Chris
Twitter -
@chrish5244
Club -
Sheffield Wednesday
Fact - I
once served H from Steps some trainers when I used to work in a menswear shop.
I know, I could have saved the world from Steps there and then.
Pet
hate - The disconnection between players/clubs and the supporters. This may be
inevitable as the game has become more of a "product" with all it's
riches but I feel the fans are often disregarded especially by some of the top
clubs.
Virtually
impossible to try and second guess the Championship. It's often said it's the
tightest and toughest league and
I wouldn't
argue with that. Owls fans will be hoping for a play-off place again this
season but so will most other championship sides! As we saw from last season,
relegation contenders can become promotion contenders with 2 or 3 wins. This
season is a big one for Dave Jones at Wednesday, make or break. The style of
football will continue to be scrutinised and with the signing of 6ft 6 striker
Atdhe Nuhiu from Rapid Vienna it would seem there will be a few more long
ball's this season. How much the fans will like this will obviously depend on
whether we are winning games or not! With yet another take over rumour now
being reported things are far from certain at Hillsborough but as owls fans
know this is the norm!
Name
- Daniel Feliciano
Twitter -
@dmf180593
Club -
Manchester United
Fact
- I know the squad number of every Premier League first team player off the top
of my head, happy to be tested on it too! (Based on 12/13 season, prior to new
signings)
Pet
Hate - When fans use the logic "he scored more goals, he's better!"
Brought
up in London, I've supported Manchester United my entire life thanks to my
dad. He took me to watch matches
all the time, and I remember going to Highbury with him and having to sit in
the Arsenal stand and watch United get beaten 3-0, while I sat in the stand and
cried (aged about 7). I remember being allowed to stay up late in 1999 to watch
*that* final, watching my dad cry with joy when the final whistle blew. I love
Manchester United.
This
season is a big year for us. With Sir Alex going and us winning the league by
11pts last year it does makes you
wonder what Moyes will do with the squad. He's need to be seen to be trying to
make his own stamp on the squad, however do you meddle with a squad that won
the league so comfortably? The answer should be yes. Despite winning the
league, there were obvious weaknesses in the side. Central midfield is an
issue, regardless of recent success. We need a midfielder alongside Carrick who
can help to control the game but is used to the physicality of the Premier
League. Fabregas/Fellaini would be my choice, as they both fit the bill. If
Rooney goes, we don't necessarily need a striker, but another winger certainly
wouldn't go amiss.
I
still expect Manchester United to win the league this season, although it will
be a much more tightly contested affair. I also think Moyes will bring the FA
Cup back to Old Trafford, but I do think we'll struggle in Europe this year.
Name – Haydn
Gleed
Twitter –
@haydngleed
Club –
Cardiff City
Fact – When I
was living in Glasgow, for a time I worked in the ticket office at Ibrox, home
of Glasgow Rangers. I met many of the players as they would come in and get
their complimentary tickets, and I’ll be honest, the majority of them weren’t
particularly pleasant.
Pet Hate – Diving
or trying to con the referee to gain an advantage. In my mind, and I’m not sure
if I used to watch football through innocent kids blinkers, but it seems this
is only something that has come into the game since the Premier League has
started in 1992.
On the 24th
June I went to Forest Green to watch our first pre-season game, and I have to
say I came away both excited and concerned. Excited because I think our
midfield, although not top 4 quality, will stack up to the majority of the
Premier League. Peter Whittingham and Kimbo could be surprise packages as the
men to pull the strings in midfield. Jordan Mutch and Don Cowie will be our
battering rams in the middle, and on the wings we have pace and trickery in
Craig Noone and Craig Conway also experience and no how from Craig Bellamy and
Tommy Smith. I’m also excited by the potential, and the key word is potential
of Nicky Maynard or Frazer Campbell playing with our new HUGE
striker Andreas Cornelius.
My only
concern is our defence. I love Mark Hudson and Ben Turner, but they are not the
fastest defenders you’ll ever see, and in the Premiership they will be found
out. We need a younger, stable defender, who will be able to mask the lack of
pace of our central defenders. As I write this, there is well over a month
before the end of the transfer window, so I’m not panicking at the moment, but
if the 1st September comes around and all we have bought is
midfielders and strikers, I will be very concerned! The fact the final score
against Forest Green was a 4-3 win says it all. Magnificent on attack, unstable
in defence.
