ultrafox1963

[ultrafox1963]

My forecast for the 2024-25 Premier League

1. Arsenal

2. Manchester City

3. Aston Villa

4. Manchester United

5. Liverpool

6. Tottenham Hotspur

7. Chelsea

8. Newcastle United

9. West Ham United

10. Crystal Palace

11. Brighton & Hove Albion

12. Everton

13. Brentford

14. Bournemouth

15. Fulham

16. Ipswich Town

17. Nottingham Forest

18. Wolverhampton Wanderers

19. Leicester City

20. Southampton

[ultrafox1963]

What lies in store for Leicester City as the 2024-25 season starts?

New signing Caleb Okoli – can he settle quickly at King Power Stadium? Leicester Voice editor Colin Hall spoke to the Foxes Trust about the prospects for Leicester City on the club’s return to the Premier League. FT: What changes (if any) to our playing style would you like our new manager to develop for our first season back in the Premier League? CH: Steve Cooper needs to find a system which…

[ultrafox1963]

King vacates throne after 17 years as a professional

The news that Andy King, one of the most distinguished players in Leicester City's history, is to retire as a player at the end of the current season, came as little surprise to members of the Blue Army.

Currently at Bristol City, the club of his boyhood affections, the 35-year-old Wales midfielder has made just 14 league appearances during the current campaign and it was clear he did not feature in the future plans of boss Liam Manning.

Fans and former managers alike have been quick to pay online tributes to a player whose remarkable achievements during his time at Leicester lifted him to legend status.

After being released from Chelsea’s academy at the age of 15, King found another route into professional football at what was then the Walkers Stadium. To say he made the most of that opportunity would be a huge understatement.

The first signs that his career would be far from the ordinary came when he helped City lift the Premier Academy League title in 2007, beating a Sunderland team that itself fielded several future Premier stars, including Jordan Henderson, who himself would enjoy a notable career with Liverpool and England.

At that time, few believed that the senior crown would ever join its junior counterpart in the Foxes’ trophy cabinet, particularly when City’s first team were relegated to League One the following year.  By that time, King had progressed into the senior squad, but made a limited impact during a tumultuous and troubled campaign.

However, under the auspices of new manager Nigel Pearson, King was able to play a key role in City’s revival, gaining a regular berth in a side which swept to the League One title at the first time of asking, and maintained its momentum after its return to the Championship. During this time, he also gained the first of his 50 caps for Wales, the country of his grandfather’s birth.

Despite Pearson’s departure in summer 2010, following a particularly cruel playoff exit at Cardiff, King’s progress continued under Sven-Goran Eriksson, in a campaign which saw him finish as City’s top scorer and earn a place in the Championship team of the season. However, the impact of a rapid turnover of players during this period eventually told on both the team and King himself, and a string of indifferent results in 2011-12 heralded the end of the Eriksson era at City.

Even Pearson’s return to Leicester could not stop King’s career from entering a prolonged period of stagnation, which was a contributory factor towards two further failed promotion campaigns.  By the time City finally returned to the top flight in 2014, he was no longer a regular first-team starter, though the demands of a gruelling season ensured he still played a key role within the squad.

Many media pundits, together with a section of City’s own fanbase, were less than convinced that the team as a whole, and King in particular, would be able to withstand the rigours of Premier League football.  Indeed, for the first three-quarters of the 2014-15 season, neither team nor player did much to dispel such doubts.

But a switch to a three-man midfield, reputedly at the insistence of veteran Argentine signing Esteban Cambiasso, helped to bring a dramatic improvement in form.  King rediscovered the goal touch which had appeared to desert him, and his late winner against West Ham, coupled with another strike against Swansea in the following home match, helped to provide the impetus for one of the most improbable escapes from relegation in Premier League history.

This proved to be merely the opening chapter for one of the most incredible fairytales in the history of sport, with City making light of the departures of both Cambiasso and Pearson to launch an unlikely - and ultimately successful - bid for the title. 

Although King often played second fiddle to the midfield duo of Danny Drinkwater and the hitherto-unheralded N’Golo Kanté, his deployment as an auxiliary midfielder to protect crucial leads during the closing stages of many City victories throughout this heroic campaign, proved one of many masterstrokes by the maestro Claudio Ranieri. 

King thus became the first (and to date, the only) player in the Premier League era to win league winners’ medals at each of the top three levels. His goal against Everton in the final home game of the Premier title season provided particular delight for the City faithful.

He managed to continue this success at international level that summer, helping Wales to reach the semi-finals of the European Championships for the first time.

However, although he featured in the Foxes' run to the Champions League quarter-finals the following season, his career suffered a distinct downturn in the subsequent years. Increasingly marginalised at Leicester, King endured a series of unsuccessful loan spells at various clubs before finally leaving the King Power Stadium in 2020, though he still managed to set a record (later surpassed by Kasper Schmeichel) as the City player with the most international appearances.

But just as it appeared King would be lost to the game, Bristol City offered him the opportunity - which he eagerly took - to rebuild his career and realise further childhood ambitions. As a consequence, during the past three seasons, he has played a significant role in the consolidation of the Robins' status as a Championship club.

As he brings down the curtain on a distinguished playing career, King can look back with pride on his numerous achievements during the past 17 years. Not only has he lived the dream, he has played a full and active part in bringing others to life.

Many in the game, whether fans or colleagues, will wish him well in whatever he chooses to do in the future.

[ultrafox1963]

Five football managers in danger of the axe during 2024

1. Mikkel Arteta (Arsenal)

The Spaniard was given lavish funding during the summer to propel another push for the gunners' first Premier League title in two decades.

However, neither Kai Havertz nor Declan Rice have looked entirely convincing during their time at the Emirates, and three league defeats during December have brought rumblings of discontent within a notoriously twitchy fanbase.

Should Arteta again fall short - and a run in the Champions League may push his squad's workload beyond breaking point - such unease could spread to the Emirates boardroom, especially if the club is looking upwards at neighbours Tottenham in the final league standings.

2. Eddie Howe (Newcastle)

As the first manager since Sir Bobby Robson to guide the magpies into the Champions League, Howe fuelled hopes that he would be the man to restore the club's status as a northern powerhouse.

But his reputation has suffered a setback in recent weeks with a tame group-stage exit from that competition, together with indifferent domestic form.

Unless Howe can stop the slide back towards mid-table mediocrity, the patience of his club's Saudi owners may come under increasing strain.

3. Mauricio Pochettino (Chelsea)

Despite overseeing an extensive investment in players, the Argentine has yet to provide the results for which his owners would have hoped.

Although injuries to key players have disrupted the squad, other clubs have faced similar issues during the season and found ways to overcome them.

Pochettino may have to look to the cup competitions for salvation, to avoid becoming the latest addition to the Stamford Bridge scrapheap.

4. Brendan Rodgers (Celtic)

Following his ignominious exit from Leicester, the former Liverpool boss eagerly accepted the chance to recapture former glories in Scotland.

But his progress at Parkhead second time around has been far from smooth, overshadowed by both off-field disputes and European embarassments.

Although a recent victory over Rangers brought short-term respite, his rivals' resurgence, together with international call-ups causing serious damage to his squad, may well present Rodgers with challenges that prove beyond him.

5. Erik Ten Hag (Manchester United)

As with other managers in the post-Ferguson era, the Dutchman has found the Old Trafford hot seat a little too warm for comfort.

The progress made during his first season has been completely reversed by his inability to secure consistent performances from either senior players or the series of expensively-acquired duds recruited on his watch.

Unless his side produces a drastic improvement in form in the coming months, a summer exit appears inevitable.

[ultrafox1963]

My EFL Championship Predictions for 2023-24

Middlesbrough

Leeds United

Coventry City

Millwall

Ipswich Town

West Bromwich Albion

Southampton

Leicester City

Sunderland

Bristol City

Hull City

Norwich City

Watford

Preston North End

Birmingham City

Sheffield Wednesday

Huddersfield Town

Blackburn Rovers

Plymouth Argyle

Swansea City

Stoke City

Queens Park Rangers

Cardiff City

Rotherham United

[ultrafox1963]

My Champions League Power Rankings - April 2023

1. Manchester City

2. Real Madrid

3. Milan

4. Internazionale

[ultrafox1963]

My UEFA Champions League power rankings - March 2023

1. Real Madrid

2. Bayern Munich

3. Manchester City

4. Napoli

5. Benfica

6. Chelsea

7. Inter Milan

8. Milan

[ultrafox1963]

Balance of football power shifts in the East Midlands

Today, for the first time in the 21st century, Nottingham Forest will host neighbours Leicester City in a Premier League fixture on virtually equal terms.

It is a scenario which, less than a year ago, appeared beyond the wildest fantasies of even the most fervent of trees.

While the Foxes were revelling in their second European tour in as many seasons, Forest languished in the middle reaches of the Championship, as they had done so often throughout the previous two decades.

But last February's FA Cup clash between the sides proved to be a catalyst for a remarkable transformation.

As Cup holders, fielding a host of experienced internationals, City expected to progress with some comfort against spirited but limited opposition.

Such complacency, though, was ruthlessly dispelled as the hosts, amid frenzied scenes not witnessed in West Bridgford in many years, swept to a 4-1 victory in front of the BBC cameras.

This success gave Steve Cooper's side confidence and belief which would serve them for the rest of the season and beyond.

With the ever-nostalgic fanbase convinced that a return to past glories was imminent, Forest embarked on a run that not only saw them reach the promotion playoffs, but also - albeit with some highly benevolent refereeing decisions - prevail in them.

The club's owner, controversial Greek billionaire Evangelos Marinakis, embarked on a lavish summer spending spree, buying more than TWENTY players at a cost of over £150m in order to ensure his side made a positive impact in Forest's first Premier season since 1999.

Hopes within the fanbase that the trees would take the league by storm proved to be ill-founded, as Forest endured a series of hidings on visits to Manchester City, Arsenal and Leicester.

On their home turf, though, they have been a different proposition, with victories over West Ham and Liverpool helping to lift them out of the relegation zone.

In addition, Cooper has guided them to the semi-finals of the League Cup.

Meanwhile, the Foxes' tribulations have continued since last season's surrender of their much-coveted trophy.

Brendan Rodgers' side - once feared by the strongest teams in the land - went through the whole of 2022 without a single victory against a side in the league's top half.

A brief resurgence before the World Cup was halted by a heavy home defeat by Newcastle, since which further losses have left several fellow strugglers looming large in the rear view mirror.

Defeat today will plunge City into a relegation dogfight for which the club, in its present state of turmoil, does not appear - mentally, physically or financially - capable of withstanding.

And such an outcome would provide further evidence that the status of regional powerhouse - held with such distinction by City during the past decade - is now moving back northwards along the A46.

[ultrafox1963]

Piqué calls time on Camp Nou playing career

Barcelona and Spain legend Gerard Piqué, a multiple world champion, has announced that Saturday's home game against Almeria will be his last for the club.

The centre-back, who has been locked in a pay dispute with the club hierarchy for several months, has become a Barça icon during his 14-year medal-laden stint at Camp Nou.

However, having been reduced to fringe status in the squad during the current season, Piqué has now decided to focus full-time on his extensive business portfolio.

His decision to leave, at a time and in a manner of his choosing, reflects both his strength of character and his desire to avoid the fate of several of his former team-mates, whose departures from Camp Nou took place in rather more ignominious fashion.

A native of Barcelona, Piqué quickly attracted the attention of Barça's renowned La Masia academy during his youth. But he shocked the club in 2004 when opting for a move to England with Manchester United.

He did not exactly take Old Trafford by storm, making only a handful of first-team appearances in his first two years there. However, a successful loan spell back in Spain with Zaragoza allowed him to gain valuable experience in La Liga.

Upon his return to United, Piqué's promise was more evident during a season that saw him collect three winners' medals, including his first in the Champions League. Within days, though, Barça offered him the chance to return to Catalonia, which he eagerly accepted.

This move was quickly vindicated, as his breakthrough into the first team enabled him to play a leading role in Barça's 2008-09 treble-winning campaign. Further success followed at national level as he featured in Spain's victories in both the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship.

Alongside such luminaries as Xavi (later his manager), Andrès Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, Piqué helped to ensure that the decade that followed would be the most successful in Barça history.

But the stratospheric levels that both he and the club reached under Pep Guardiola (and later, briefly, Luis Enriqué) could not be sustained. A series of frustrating exits from the Champions League, in which defensive frailties were regularly exploited, sparked fears that Piqué's powers had started to wane.

To adapt his club's famous phrase, he has long seen himself as "more than a footballer". He has built an extensive business empire, including stakes in two lower-league clubs and tennis's Davis Cup, while his long-standing relationship with global pop star Shakira - the mother of his two children - enhanced his celebrity status even further.

Furthermore, as a regular, often outspoken advocate of independence for Catalonia, Piqué has hinted at a potential future career in politics.

In view of the diverse range of activities in which he became involved, it is perhaps little surprise that his form became more erratic. But he remains popular with the Barça fanbase, which may well have been a factor in the club indulging him more than was prudent in recent years.

Piqué is now about to hang up his boots for the final time. But this will not mean his association with his hometown club will cease.

Few in Catalonia will be surprised if he returns to Camp Nou in some capacity in the future - maybe even as Barça president.

[ultrafox1963]

English Football League - My Predictions For The 2022-23 Season

Championship

Champions: Norwich

Promoted: Middlesbrough, Coventry

Play-offs: Sheffield United, Burnley, West Bromwich Albion

Relegated: Blackpool, Rotherham, Birmingham

League 1

Champions: Sheffield Wednesday

Promoted: Plymouth, Portsmouth

Play-offs: Ipswich, Peterborough, Derby

Relegated: Morecambe, Forest Green, Cheltenham, Port Vale

League 2

Champions: Northampton

Promoted: Mansfield, Swindon, Bradford

Play-offs: Stockport, Tranmere, Doncaster

Relegated: Barrow, Stevenage

[ultrafox1963]

Chelsea vs Leicester - 19 May 2022. Sun sets on the Abramovich era at Stamford Bridge

[ultrafox1963]

LEICESTER EURO DREAMS EXPIRE IN ROME

An early header by Roma striker Tammy Abraham in the second leg of the Europa Conference League semi-final proved enough to send his side to the first-ever final of the competition, as – yet again – Leicester City fans were left cursing their side's chronic inability to defend set pieces.

Everything the Blue Army feared at the Stadio Olimpico duly came to pass, as the combined effects of a hostile home crowd, Jose Mourinho's notorious dark arts (perfected over decades) and indifferent (at best) performances by match officials were too much for City to overcome.

But the pitifully poor policing and stewarding of the event, which saw exchanges of missiles between rival groups of fans before, during and after the match, should be the subject of a UEFA investigation.

Had the result been different, there is every likelihood that many travelling Foxes could have been seriously injured or even killed. The level of protection offered to us by the host club was woefully and scandalously inadequate, with this correspondent the subject of attacks with both fireworks and flying bottles.

The home side spent several hours before kick-off whipping their fans into a frenzy, no doubt well aware of how often their visitors have wilted on previous occasions, at home and abroad, this season. Sadly, these efforts duly reaped their reward, with too many City players once again failing to do themselves justice.

Even so, had the visitors been awarded a penalty in the opening minutes, when Wesley Fofana was clearly wrestled to the ground to stop him reaching a James Maddison corner, the outcome might still have proved more positive for the Foxes.

Instead, Serbian referee Srdjan Jovanovic set the tone for the evening by rejecting City appeals, and with the VAR refusing to intervene - indeed, he was not to do so at any stage of the game - memories of previous improper behaviour by Italian clubs in the later stages of European competitions were brought to mind.

Roma mounted a series of early attacks in response, and a dubiously-awarded free-kick saw Pellegrini bring Kasper Schmeichel into action with a fierce-struck attempt that the City captain managed to turn over the bar.

The breakthrough, though, came shortly afterwards, as the home side forced a corner from which Pellegrini found the head of Abraham who gave Schmeichel no chance.

As too often during this campaign – and indeed in previous ones – the keeper was far too passive in dealing with set pieces, especially as the senior authority in defence. It beggars belief that the management and coaching team appear to have made no effort whatsoever to correct this vulnerability, more befitting of a Sunday pub team than a club in contention for European honours.

Pellegrini continued to cause problems for the City defence, forcing Schmeichel into another save. At the other end, attacks were sporadic, with Jamie Vardy unable to make any impact on the well-organised home rearguard.

Brendan Rodgers switched to a 3-5-2 formation at the interval, withdrawing both Ademola Lookman and Harvey Barnes and introducing Daniel Amartey and Kelechi Iheanacho. However the changes did little to lift City's fortunes, as the hosts continued to exert an iron grip on the game.

With frustrations building in the stands, a section of visiting fans engaged in pitched battles with Roma stewards, prompting the intervention of baton-wielding riot police. Surreally, the beer-seller who had been serving other City supporters in the gangway a matter of yards from these disturbances, continued with his activities as if nothing was happening.

As the game meandered towards what seemed an inevitable conclusion, the Foxes finally roused themselves into an effort on target, but Maddison's effort was comfortably saved by Rui Patricio, as was a similar strike by Iheanacho shortly afterwards.

There was no surprise in seeing the hosts taking every opportunity to wind the clock down, wasting time, exaggerating every challenge and making a series of lengthy late substitutions. Mourinho may not be the all-conquering managerial force he once was, but he ensured his extensive experience of big occasions was made to count here.

Nevertheless, City had a number of setpiece opportunities in the closing stages, but Maddison – perhaps less than fully fit – was unable to make use of any of them. Indeed, Roma came close to extending their lead, when a long-range strike by Oliveira almost cost Schmeichel off guard before being fumbled behind.

The final whistle was greeted by jubilant scenes in most areas of the stadium, with home celebrations understandably prolonged, as sadly was the goading by Roma supporters in the section adjoining the away corner.

It was well past midnight local time, over an hour since the game's conclusion, when the City hordes, by now somewhat bedraggled, were finally allowed to leave the stadium, and even then, this action was accompanied by skirmishes with police.

Although some bemoaned – and not without reason - the quality of refereeing during the game, the reality was – as the bulk of travelling fans acknowledged - that Roma were the better side over the two legs. Mourinho's side showed greater hunger, desire and intensity, as well as making home advantage tell in a way City had been unable to do in the first leg.

As for the Foxes, the remaining league games will reveal how much faith this squad retains in the manager. They may also determine the extent of the changes that will be needed this summer if the club is to return to European competition – at whatever level – in the foreseeable future.

[ultrafox1963]

My Top 20 Footballers of 2021

Part 3 Nos. 3 - 1

3 Kyllian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain and France)

The global prodigy who took the 2018 World Cup by storm topped the Ligue 1 scoring charts for the third time, but was denied by Manchester City at the semi-final stage of the Champions League, and his miss in a penalty shootout against Switzerland saw France make a tame exit from the European Championships.

But the Nations League in October saw him approach the peak of his talents, as he played a key role in stirring comebacks against Belgium and Spain which saw his country clinch a tournament for which it had been cast as outsiders.

Barring injury, he will be the spearhead of attempts to defend the global crown in Qatar, but in the meantime, he and his fellow galacticos at PSG will focus efforts on securing the holy grail of a first-ever Champions League.

2 Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Argentina)

This year saw one of the greatest icons in the history of world sport involved in the addition of several extra chapters to an already-illustrious and heavily storied career. Although he was unable to stem continual decline at Camp Nou, he nevertheless finished the 2020-21 season as top of both La Liga's scoring and assists chart, as well as guiding Barca through a particularly dramatic Copa Del Rey campaign which culminated in yet another winners' medal being added to his collection.

With his club engulfed in financial turmoil, he jetted back to South America to lead his country in a tournament relocated from Argentina to Brazil in contentious circumstances. Despite being afflicted by injury in the latter stages, he guided the side to a long-awaited and much-cherished victory, securing Argentina's first Copa America crown since 1993.

Fate, though, decreed he would have little time to savour his success, as Barca's budget problems forced to consider - and process - the unthinkable, a move away from Camp Nou. The Qatari owners of PSG, seeking a talisman to lead their ongoing vanity project, were only too keen to offer him a new challenge.

Although his impact on Ligue 1 has been rather more muted to date than many anticipated, he still seems set to collect yet another league winners' medal, as well as feature prominently in both the Champions League and World Cup during 2022.

1 Youri Tielemans (Leicester City and Belgium)

On May 15th 2021, after 63 minutes of a tense and close-fought FA Cup Final, a midfielder wrote his name into club and competition folklore with one of the most stunning strikes ever witnessed at Wembley.

His goal sparked joyous scenes among the fans fortunate enough to witness it in person, as well as the many more confined by Covid-enforced restrictions to watch it on TV. It proved enough to win the trophy, the first in Leicester's 137-year history. and thus brought glory where, previously, there had existed only disappointment and despair.

He was thus responsible for not only the most memorable sporting moment of the year, but of that of many lifetimes. Although he was unable to reach such heights at either the European Championships or Nations League, and frequently seemed fatigued by the intense playing schedule he endured during the year, his role in achieving what was previously considered impossible will earn him the gratitude of Foxes for generations to come.

For that reason, he deserves the top spot in my list of top footballers of the year.

[ultrafox1963]

My 20 Greatest Footballers of 2021 Part 2 - Nos. 10-4

10 Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City and Denmark)

To say the veteran shotstopper had an eventful year would be a considerable understatement. He made the most of his chances to shine on the grandest of stages, most notably at the FA Cup Final and subsequently at the European Championships. But a series of errors in Premier League fixtures denied him and his club the return to the Champions League they craved, and his position as club skipper will continue to be closely scrutinised in the coming months.

9 Phil Foden (Manchester City and England)

Another year of stellar progress for the young attacker saw him collect two further winners' medals at club level, though continental crowns narrowly eluded him and his respective teams.

The most creative English talent since Paul Gascoigne and Wayne Rooney, he must take care to avoid the lifestyle issues which blighted both their careers. If he is able to do this, future glories at the highest levels could await him.

8 Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus and Italy)

Following his club's lowest finish in Serie A for over a decade, critics voiced concern that the career of the wily Italian defender had now entered its final phase. He proved them wrong in no uncertain terms, producing a number of inspired displays to help secure the Azzurri's first continental crown since 1968. His deployment of the dark arts, particularly in the final against England, was not to everyone's tastes, but others chose to note his dedication, leadership skills and his formidable mental strength.

7 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City and Belgium)

In a team full of supremely gifted talents, the experienced midfielder proved the most influential factor in the recapture of the Premier League trophy. Unfortunately, injuries at crucial stages meant that he was unable to play a major role in either of the two main international tournaments in which he appeared, or to give his club its much-coveted first Champions League. He will look to exert a greater influence at the highest levels in the coming year.

6 N'Golo Kante (Chelsea and France)

After a barren 2020, the dimunitive midfielder collected yet another major honour, with a series of commanding displays in the Champions League helping his club to overcome a series of formidable challengers and emerge triumphant as underdogs in the final.

The arrival of Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge helped him to recover a spark from his game which had been in danger of fading, though ongoing knee trouble ensured his absence from France's Nations League success.

5 Mo Salah (Liverpool and Egypt)

By some distance the most prolific Premier League striker of the calendar year, the tricky winger recovered from an indifferent start to the year, helping his club to clinch a Champions League spot on the final day of the 2020=21 season, and then to top a tricky-looking group in style.

His country will look to him to lead their challenge in both the African Cup of Nations early in the New Year and in the latter stages of World Cup qualifying.

4 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich and Poland)

The veteran striker's continuing exploits in front of goal saw him break several Bundesliga scoring records and led to him being widely touted as a Ballon d'Or recipient. However, his absence through injury from the Champions League quarter-final proved pivotal to his club's dethronement, while a series of indifferent displays at the Euros did not portray him in a favourable light. Nevertheless, he will seek to make a powerful impact for both club and country in the year ahead.

Part 3 (Nos. 3-1) will appear at 7 pm on Friday 31 December)

[ultrafox1963]

My Top 20 Footballers of 2021

Note: All of the players on this list are male - I don't watch enough of the women's game to make an informed judgement on its participants. For the same reason, no player outside Europe has been considered.

PART 1 - NOS. 20 -11

20 Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona, Atletico Madrid & France)

Although he played a crucial role in Barcelona's Copa del Rey triumph in 2021, the World Cup-winning forward never seemed fully at ease during his time at Camp Nou. However, his return to Atletico sparked a resurgence in form and he featured heavily as France clinched the Nations League crown.

19 Marcus Rashford (Manchester United & England)

In football terms, this was a frustrating year for the young Mancunian, who suffered shootout agony at both club and national level. However, he deserves recognition for his efforts in raising social awareness within the community, particularly through his campaign on free school meals.

18 Wesley Fofana (Leicester City)

This young French defender made light of his high price tag with a series of assured displays which helped his club clinch the FA Cup for the first time in its history. His progress was cruelly halted by serious injury in a summer friendly, but a full recovery may well earn him a place at the 2022 World Cup.

17 Pedri Gonzalez (Barcelona & Spain)

The latest product of his club's acclaimed La Masia academy, this teenage midfielder regularly showed a maturity way beyond his years in accomplished displays at both the European Championships and the Olympics. Now under the auspices of Xavi at Camp Nou, he can be expected to develop further during the years ahead.

16 Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea and Germany)

This combative defender, a favourite of the Stamford Bridge faithful, flourished since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel as head coach early in the year. He was a key member of the defence that took the club to the Champions League crown, though speculation persists that he will move elsewhere when his contract expires next summer.

15 Mason Mount (Chelsea and England)

Another important figure in his club's European triumph, this midfielder won the fans' player of the year award. He also fought off a series of contenders for the role of playmaker at national level, and will be a vital component in England's bid for success at Qatar 2022.

14 Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City and Nigeria)

A last-minute winner in an FA Cup tie against Brighton in February sparked an astonishing renaissance of a hitherto-peripheral figure at the King Power Stadium. A scoring spree followed, which saw him overtake Jamie Vardy as City's top scorer for the season and fire the side towards eventual glory at Wembley.

13 Emi Martinez (Aston Villa and Argentina)

Having made the breakthrough at Premier League level following several years as an Arsenal understudy, this often-unheralded goalkeeper proceeded to establish himself as his country's first choice. Although he was inevitably overshadowed by more illustrious team-mates, his series of clean sheets were instrumental in clinching the Copa America in Brazil.

12 Luis Suarez (Atletico Madrid and Uruguay)

Having been released by Barcelona in the most excruciating of circumstances, the veteran marksman proved rumours of his demise at the highest levels of La Liga were very much exaggerated. With 21 goals, including winners in the last two games of the season, he duly became a Spanish title-winner for the fifth time since his move from Liverpool in 2014.

11 Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus, Manchester United and Portugal)

Although the maestro has continued to set scoring records at both Champions League and international levels, his role in the dismissal of two club managers is a sign that this will not be regarded as a vintage year for him. However, the reaction to his return to Old Trafford in August left no doubt that he remains a leading box-office figure in the sport.

[ultrafox1963]

MY PREDICTED PREMIER LEAGUE POSITIONS FOR 2021-22

1 Manchester City

2 Liverpool

3 Chelsea

4 Manchester United

______________________

5 Arsenal

6 Leicester City

7 Tottenham Hotspur

8 Aston Villa

9 West Ham United

10 Leeds United

11 Everton

12 Newcastle United

13 Brighton and Hove Albion

14 Wolverhampton Wanderers

15 Norwich City

16 Southampton

17 Burnley

__________________________

18 Crystal Palace

19 Watford

20 Brentford

[ultrafox1963]

MY FOOTBALL LEAGUE PREDICTIONS FOR 2021-22

Championship

Bournemouth

Sheffield United

QPR

Cardiff

Fulham

Millwall

WBA

Swansea

Bristol City

Preston

Nottingham Forest

Luton

Middlesbrough

Stoke

Blackburn

Reading

Birmingham

Barnsley

Coventry

Hull

Peterborough

Huddersfield

Blackpool

Derby

League One

Promoted: Rotherham, Bolton, Wycombe.

Relegated: Accrington, Crewe, Cheltenham, Morecambe.

League Two

Promoted: Bradford City, Tranmere, Exeter, Carlisle.

Relegated: Scunthorpe, Swindon.