Field #1

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Danny Welbeck

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Musa OkWOnga

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We intervieW the

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england forWard on the changing role of the striker in the Modern gaMe

16 Match pReVIeWs -

the top foUr, soMe fans Might Be Worried. not Bizzle, thoUgh, he still thinks it’s theirs to lose.

FIelD this Weekend sees iMportant gaMes at Both 13 MOneyball?

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the top and BottoM of the taBle, Which May go soMeWay to deciding several clUBs fates

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Contact: info@fieldmatchday.com Founders: Dan Byrne & Paul Gleeson

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since the heyday of the

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Post: Spiel Publishing Ltd 26 Hope Street Liverpool L1 9BX

eVOlutIOn OF the stRIkeR tOny eVans

scOtt anthOny

Online: www.fieldmatchday.com @field_matchday

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Contributors: Scott Anthony @guardian_sport Matthew Comer @matthewcomer Will Daw @william_daw Tony Evans @TonyEvansTimes David Lynch @david_lynch88 Musa Okwonga @Okwonga Chris Rodenhurst @sketchybeast Well Made @Wellmadestudio

Designed by: Well Made Studio Published by: Spiel Publishing Ltd With Thanks: Lynne Robertson, Caz Small, Rob Edwards, Tom Roberts, MgMa Studio & The Church of London.

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Danny Welbeck a yOung stRIkeR at the DeFInIng pOInt OF hIs caReeR anD WIth all the attRIbutes tO succeeD In the changIng ROle OF the pReMIeR league FORWaRD.

Danny Welbeck is the most modern of attackers.

Apart from his hairstyle, which you might see rising from the coat-queue at a De La Soul gig, everything else about him is thoroughly up-to-date.

He’s not a mere striker - that is to say, someone who is only truly content beyond the shoulder of the last defender - he’s a forward. Welbeck can play anywhere across the front line, be that wide left, wide right or through the middle, and his link-up play is good enough that he could play as a conventional number ten if needed. At 22, he has a respectable strike-rate for England, having scored five goals in 16 games for the national side. During his short international career, he has already shown himself capable of hitting the target when it matters most, as with his spectacular back-heeled winner against Sweden at Euro 2012.

That goal showed Welbeck at his best; sharp, swift, intelligent movement, a dash of imagination, and excellent technique.

Welbeck also has very good defensive attributes. His speed and stamina are very useful when he is given a pressing brief to carry out.

This was seen most recently and most notably in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League tie against Real Madrid, when he was tasked with tracking Xabi Alonso. He was superb that evening,

not only disrupting Alonso’s supply of long cross field passes to Cristiano Ronaldo, but also rising highest to head home a corner and put his side ahead. It was as accomplished a performance as a young English forward has produced in the Santiago Bernabeu for several seasons. Moreover, such is Sir Alex Ferguson’s regard for Welbeck’s all-round play that he regularly starts ahead of Javier Hernandez, effectively a Mexican Filippo Inzaghi, who is arguably the most decisive finisher at Old Trafford.

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Danny Welbeck

“i like to be mobile. i have played on the wing so i like to drift and make space for my teammates. i don’t want to just score goals, i want to create chances for my team and hopefully i am. i can drop off, move wide, link up.”

Yet the chorus in praise of Welbeck is still somewhat hesitant at times. This is because, for all his many talents, the local-born forward – he grew up in Longsight, Manchester - is not a consistently sure finisher. The stark facts are that, this season,

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FIelD — Issue 01

Danny Welbeck

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Welbeck has only scored four times in eighteen starts; his header against Real Madrid broke a run of fifteen games without a goal. The prior occasion on which he hit the net came in a 4-2 victory over Stoke City at Old Trafford, a match where he combined with Robin van Persie and Wayne

“i don’t want to be a static centreforward who just sniffs out goals in the six-yard box. i see the game moving on, i need to have movement, be a player who can stretch defences.”

Rooney to brilliant effect. Stoke, who boasted one of Europe’s most unwelcoming defences, were thrillingly dismantled by the guile of these three, with Welbeck looking impressively comfortable in such elite company.

Watching him that afternoon against Stoke, as he made his swift and decisive way about his opponent’s back four, it was difficult to see why he has often struggled to score. After all, he is not a straightforward case. Last season for example, when his numbers in front of goal were similarly

“i grew up idolising the class of 1992; the guys i came through the ranks with took great inspiration from them. to suddenly be there sharing a pitch and a dressing-room with some of them is incredible.”

the time when he needed it most. Yet, as so often, Ferguson’s judgment proved far better than that of anxious fans. Van Persie has been masterful for most of this year, while Welbeck is still serving his apprenticeship.

If Welbeck is to acquire the scoring touch, then he has some of the best possible peers.

However, although Welbeck may well mature into a prolific forward, he should ensure that he does so before long. The lesson of this season for Manchester United has been that firepower, in this modern area of flying full-backs and high defensive lines, is the key to a sustained championship challenge. Van Persie’s first term for them has been remarkable, but the excessive reliance upon him cannot continue long, either in the Premier League or Europe. For the sake of his team, therefore,

on training as part of the Man Utd strike force: “shooting practice is quality. every ball is in the corner and as one of the young players you want to match that and prove you belong.”

Welbeck – for all his modern virtues – needs to develop some old-fashioned ruthlessness. He has the potential to be the truly complete forward: he must merely now graduate from finishing school.

low, he managed vital strikes against Manchester City (in the FA Cup), and Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal (in the Premier League). When Robin van Persie was bought last summer, there was a widespread fear among Manchester United supporters that the Dutchman would inhibit Welbeck’s development, taking the central role from him at

Written by Musa Okwonga Photography by Matthew Comer Cover in association with Nike

FIelD — Issue 01

Danny Welbeck

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Evolution of the Striker then & nOW: OVeR tIMe, the ROle OF the stRIkeR has changeD DRastIcally. WheRe Once hulkIng taRget Men ReIgneD supReMe We nOW see sleIght, athletIc stRIkeRs takIng theIR place. seVeRal FactORs haVe causeD thIs change as tOny eVans explaIns.

For much of the game’s history, receiving the ball with your back to goal in the opposition half was tantamount to football suicide. Defenders would dive through from behind, taking man first and then ball in a clatter of studs, torn flesh and leather. It meant attacking evolved out wide. The way to avoid being kicked up in the air by an unseen opponent was to turn things around, literally.

The job of a forward was to get defenders facing their own goal and out of their comfort zone. The best way to do this was run at them, get beyond a full back and send the back four running towards their own goal. If this could be achieved, the people who were going to get hit from behind were defenders.

So, for the first two-thirds of the game’s history, the winger was key to attacking success.

If he hit the byline, he could pull it back to the centre forward.

The traditional striker – the likes of Dixie Dean and Nat Lofthouse – now held all the aces.

They were as ruthless, rugged and nasty as the defenders but in attacking crosses they had the momentum. They could crash through the back line, creating carnage as well as goals. They were the icons of the game. Men wanted to be like them, women drooled over them. They reeked of masculinity and glamour. They were football’s John Waynes: unreconstructed and unapologetic. When their successors were given the benefit of protection from the defensive brutes in the late 1980s and early 1990s, they must have thought that

FIelD — Issue 01

eVOlutIOn OF the stRIkeR

Who knew when they clamped down on the tackle from behind that its knock-on effect would be to kill the traditional striker? Making the big centre forward a protected species was a key factor in making the hulking hit-man extinct.

Men wanted to be like them, women drooled over them. they reeked of masculinity and glamour. they were football’s John Waynes: unreconstructed and unapologetic.

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the golden age of the centre forward was about to begin and the game was theirs for keeps.

Instead, it created a new kind of striker, one comfortable with his back to goal, secure in the knowledge they would not be clattered and eager to twist and turn in central areas against defenders

freed from the tyranny of the ankleraking tackle, anyone can play up front – as long as they have the talent.

deprived of their ability to tackle. Power was no longer the key to a centre forward’s performance.

Strength and presence came to be less effective than squirming nippiness in central roles. The traditional virtues of the winger – pace, the ability to beat a man with a trick – were transferred infield. With the tackle from behind a thing of the past, an attacker was given a crucial split-second to turn and take control. Defenders were forced onto the back foot.

The big men who lacked mobility and touch were suddenly exposed. They could not play with their back to goal. They were more comfortable in the days when they were getting whacked.

The lighter ball changed things, too. It took

By the 1980s, however, the lightweight ball offered even the most spindly-legged wimp the opportunity to shoot from distance.

real power to generate pace in the age of heavy case balls. Men with legs like tree trunks were at the top of the game’s evolutionary ladder. By the 1980s, however, the lightweight ball offered even the most spindly-legged wimp the opportunity to shoot from distance. Wingers began to cut in and loose off shots from midway inside the opposition’s

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half. Goal of the month started being dominated by dipping, swerving strikes from outside the area.

The classic goal of yesteryear – the byline pullback and driving, six-yard-box finish – became a thing of the past.

The balloon-like ball had another effect. It is less easy to control when crossing. It is designed for shooters, not suppliers. Service for big centre forwards dropped off.

It is no surprise that Alan Shearer was a huge success in the 1990s. Most people misjudged him as a traditional striker but Shearer was ahead of the evolutionary curve. Although superb in the air, he was not tall. He had a surprisingly low centre of gravity and was a master of controlling the ball with his back to goal on the edge of the area to make a yard of space to get off the shot.

He straddled the divide between the old ways and new.

Freedom from the tackle from behind has allowed unlikely types to roam around the edge of the penalty area. Diego Maradona, with his physique, was an aberration in the 1980s. He needed almost supernatural strength to operate in that part of the field, such was the ferocity of the tackling. Now Lionel Messi dances around the same regions with impunity. Freed from the tyranny of the ankle-raking tackle, anyone can play up front – as long as they have the talent.

The big men became surplus to needs, undone by the changes to the game. We miss them but it’s hard to mourn too much. Football is increasingly about skill rather than reckless brute force.

That said, once in a while it’d be nice to see a giant of a man tower above a penalty area, scattering defenders as he powers a cross from the byline into the net. It was the most testosterone-driven, tooth-loosening thrill in football. Its physicality was as raw as a knockout punch. We will not see its like again.

Written by Tony Evans Illustration by Will Daw

eVOlutIOn OF the stRIkeR

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Moneyball?

In the battle tO aVOID the DROp QpR V WIgan Is a pRIMe exaMple OF the RelegatIOn sIx-pOInteR. yet DespIte WIgan beIng an establIsheD pReMIeR league teaM they aRe cast as the unDeRDOgs WhIlst QpR take the Mantle OF bIg-spenDIng FaVOuRItes. scOtt anthOny explaIns Why thIs shOulDn’t necessaRIly be the case.

The struggle for Premier League survival rarely does subtle; Premier League paupers versus big spenders, Davids against Goliaths, plucky squads with spirit getting in the faces of preening stars; QPR at home to Wigan Athletic is no exception.

Big money QPR signings such as Loïc Rémy and Christopher Samba, funded by the club’s multimillionaire Malaysian backer Tony Fernandes, mean that Wigan will be tossed the jerseys of the plucky underdogs squaring up to the big time Charlies of Loftus Road. But this is the wrong way to look at the fixture. It’s pure pantomime.

It’s simply not true.

Despite the widespread chuntering prompted by Callum McManaman’s dreadful tackle on Massadio Haldara, there is much to like about the current Wigan side. Especially about the manager Roberto Martinez, about the type of football they play, and about the players they have resurrected, unearthed, and brought on in the past few years.

But while Wigan have assumed the mantle of loveable escapologists that once drew neutral fans to teams like Charlton Athletic and Coventry City, it’s a misleading image. The story of the Latics rise to established Premier League outfit is not one of tenacity and against-the-odds triumph.

They should be nobody’s idea of an underdog.

In fact, Wigan are in many ways are the ultimate anti-Wimbledon. Their story is of an ambitious, aggressive and lavishly bankrolled lower league club recruiting what were big name coaches such as John Deehan, Bruce Rioch and Steve Bruce.

These big name coaches were then given absurd means to rapidly buy their way to success. Fail and they were equally rapidly dispensed with. To give you a flavour of the club’s ascent, in 2002 Paul Jewell’s side cruised to what is now the League One title after signing Nathan Ellington for the stonking sum of £1.2 million. Although watched by an average of just 7,000 fans, this was the most

FIelD — Issue 01

MOneyball?

Wigan are in many ways are the ultimate anti-Wimbledon. their story is of an ambitious, aggressive and lavishly bankrolled lower league club recruiting big name coaches.

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successful side in the club’s history, and is illustrative of how a team whose historical rivals are Northern Premier League side Chorley, and who did not play in the Football League until 1978, rose from the fourth tier to the Premier League in ten years.

He many have cut back his spending in the last few seasons, but Wigan remain financially dependent on Dave Whelan, the businessman who oversaw the expansion of JJB Sports in the 80s and 90s. This is the same Dave Whelan only very recently deposed from the top of the Sunday Times Sport Rich List, after many years of trying,

by David Beckham.

dave Whelan is not quite as outlandishly rich as fernandes but the biggest difference between them might be that the air asia boss cannot hide behind the demeanour of a salt-of-the-earth englishman.

It is true that in the league table of ginormous global wealth Dave Whelan is not quite as outlandishly rich as Fernandes but the biggest difference between them might be that the Air Asia boss cannot hide behind the demeanour of a salt-of-the-earth Englishman. Fernandes dispenses kindly platitudes to young Hoops fans on Twitter, whilst Whelan scoffed that McManaman’s tackle was ‘clean as a whistle.’

When Harry Redknapp said keeping QPR up was the toughest job he had ever been given, many journalists sneered. Maybe it’s because of Fernandes’ much-flaunted backing, maybe it’s down to the memory of Rodney Marsh in 67, maybe it’s because they’re Londoners; he’s found it difficult to sell the idea that it is QPR who are at a disadvantage. But they really are.

While QPR may have been owned by some extremely rich people, it’s less clear that their cash found its way in to the team until relatively recently. Indeed, the lynchpins of the team that

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Neil Warnock triumphantly led into the Premier League just two seasons ago included Paddy Kenny, Shaun Derry and Heidar Helguson. It had taken 20 managers 15 years to return the club to the top flight, and it was achieved on the back of the efforts of a solid core of journeymen, and indeed, journeymen’s journeymen.

Over the past ten years QPR’s spending has been modest and since returning to the Premier League 18 months ago their squad of solid Championship pros has performed consistently poorly.

The recent splurging of cash at QPR by Mark Hughes and Harry Redknapp is a total misdirection – spread that investment over the last decade and it’s evident that the club’s transfer dealings have been in proportion (in the logic of a footballing world that is crazily out-of-proportion) to the size of the club. Wigan Athletic on the other hand have been in the Premier League for eight straight seasons following more than a decade of gargantuan investment from Dave Whelan. This investment, coupled with better-than-average management, has given the club a kind of compound interest of self-sustaining success that has allowed Whelan to ease off the pedal of ultra profligate spending. That QPR bought Loïc Rémy and Christopher Samba in January doesn’t suddenly make it a fair fight.

Redknapp’s assessment was not just kidology; Wigan should not be anyone’s idea of an underdog, QPR have it all to do.

Written by Scott Anthony Illustration by Chris Rodenhurst

MOneyball?

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Reading v Southampton 6.4.13 — kIck OFF 12:45 — MaDejskI staDIuM

This time last season, Reading’s 3-1 victory over Southampton proved pivotal in deciding the Championship. That day, Nigel Adkins could not have imagined that less than a year on he would be in charge of the opposition.

It’s been a turbulent few weeks in Berkshire since the club’s owner, Anton Zingarevich, moved to sack Brian McDermott; ostensibly because he felt he wasn’t spending enough money. Adkin’s will be able to sympathise with his predecessor, though, having himself been sacked from Southampton weeks earlier and replaced by the former Espanyol manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Upon taking control at Reading, today’s fixture will have stood at as the one to work towards for Adkin’s. With Arsenal having put five and seven goals past Reading in recent fixtures, it was perhaps no surprise that they conceded four last weekend in a 4-1 defeat.

Despite early mutterings of unrest, Pochettino seems to be slowly endearing himself to Southampton fans. Last Saturday’s 2-1 defeat of Chelsea combined with their swashbuckling performance against Liverpool has lifted the club to 12th in the league and comfortably away from the relegation zone, for the moment.

Ahead of today’s match, Adkin’s will be impressing the importance to his players of picking up points. Failure to do so will surely signal the end of Reading’s brief venture back into the Premier League. He must also decide whether to stick with the same 4-5-1 formation he used last weekend or look to bring super-sub Adam Le Fondre back into the fold.

Pochettino will be much more comfortable in his team selection. With Lambert the top scoring Englishman in the league and Jay Rodriguez starting to show the form that persuaded the club to spend seven million to sign him, its going to be a tough afternoon for Reading’s defenders.

FIelD — Issue 01

ReaDIng V sOuthaMptOn

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Norwich v Swansea 6.4.13 — kIck OFF 15:00 — caRROW ROaD

As with Birmingham in 2011, Swansea have fallen into the post-cup slump that often accompanies teams who have won the League Cup and guaranteed their place in Europe. Safe from relegation and with Laudrup’s future confirmed, there seems little for the club to play for. Despite this, Laudrup will be eager to ensure malaise doesn’t set in as the Swans head west to face Norwich.

With no wins in their last three games, Swansea’s captain Ashley Williams has expressed concern about the clubs current form. Norwich, on the other hand, are without a victory in their last four games, since a last minute winner versus Everton in February.

December’s meeting between these two sides provided the neutral with a spectacle rich in free flowing football and haphazard defending as Norwich defeated Swansea 4-3 at the Liberty Stadium. That day Robert Snodgrass gave the Swans a lesson in how to deliver from set pieces as he claimed two assist and a goal from a free kick.

Another player who stood out that day was Michu, who has gone from strength to strength throughout his debut season in the Premier

League. Despite defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, he claimed his 20th goal of an outstanding campaign.

After a defeat against fellow strugglers Wigan last weekend, Chris Houghton will be expecting a much improved performance this time around. Although with Holt and new signing Becchio struggling for form he may have to rely again on Snodgrass’s delivery from set pieces to breach the Swansea backline.

Swansea, meanwhile, will look to arrest their recent run of form and finish the season on a high. Aside from Neil Taylor who has been missing for most of the season, they will arrive at Carrow Road with an almost fully fit squad and a determination to win.

FIelD — Issue 01

nORWIch V sWansea

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Stoke City v Aston Villa 6.4.13 — kIck OFF 15:00 — bRItannIa staDIuM

For the first time in his tenure, there have been murmurings of unrest at the Britannia regarding the future of Tony Pulis. For Paul Lambert, today’s fixture is another of immense importance as Aston Villa look to continue their quest to avoid relegation.

As two of the league’s founding members, there is no shortage of history between these two teams. Villa will be hoping for a repeat of their first ever meeting in 1888 when they ran out comfortable 5-1 winners.

December’s meeting was an altogether more dour affair, with neither club in particularly sparkling form going forward they ground out a 0-0 draw at Villa Park. Since then, though, Villa’s performances and indeed strike force has improved immeasurably, with first Benteke and then Weimann improving their form in front of goal. Even Gabriel Agbonlahor has shown signs of reviving the form that once won him three England caps; he was a nuisance to Liverpool last week and his knockdown set up a typically clinical Benteke finish.

It may be Stoke’s eagerness to play the ball in the air that has left some fans voicing their dissatisfaction at the clubs recent results. Some will argue that Pulis’s pragmatic approach has helped the club ensure another season in the Premier

League whilst others will feel its holding the club back, especially when you consider their outlay on players.

After last weekend’s defeat to Everton, a match Pulis rightly felt they should have come away from with at least a point, victory here is essential; defeat would leave Stoke just one point ahead of Villa and mired in an unwanted relegation battle. Villa will see this game an important step towards avoiding relegation, perhaps even more important than their 3-2 victory over QPR. With both teams heading into the weekend with full squads to choose from, its more than likely that this match will be decided by who can put up the staunchest defence. Stoke are quite rightly praised for their defensive solidity and up until Christmas they boasted one of the meanest in Europe. Since then, though, they’ve looked slightly more fragile; something Lambert, Villa and Benteke will have noted keenly.

FIelD — Issue 01

stOke cIty V astOn VIlla

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WBA v Arsenal 6.4.13 — kIck OFF 15:00 — the haWthORns

West Brom welcome Arsenal to The Hawthorns, safe in the knowledge that their Premier League status is secured for another season. Whilst Arsenal will be slightly less enthused; struggling to catch Tottenham Hotspur in fourth place and ensure Champions League football at the Emirates for a 16th consecutive season.

Wenger must also face the prospect of playing West Brom without the presence of two of his more industrious and mobile midfielders with Wilshere injured and Diaby out until at least 2014 judging by the severity of his recent injury.

When the sides met in December, Arsenal ran out comfortable 2-0 winners thanks to two calmly taken penalties from Arteta, one of which was thanks to a dubious decision to penalise Steven Reid for a foul on Santi Cazorla. This time around, Steve Clarke will be hoping his players can keep it tighter at the back and frustrate the Arsenal front line who have started to find their form recently, especially Gervinho who now has two goals in two games.

After last weeks disappointing 3-1 defeat to West Ham and the bizarre dismissal of midfielder Mulumbu, Clarke has been keen to stress the importance of performing as well in their final seven games as they did at the start of the season.

Wenger, who may also still be without Walcott, will

be hoping his front three of Podolski, Gervinho and Giroud can start where they left off against Reading. And with Santi Cazorla pulling the strings in behind, West Brom will have to be at their best to prevent an Arsenal away win.

That said, this is a West Brom team who are much more confident in their own ability and in Shane Long and Romelu Lukaku they boast one of the league’s best striker partnerships. In Long they have a terrier-like striker who will chase down defender all day, whilst Lukaku remains one of Europe’s best young strikers, whether Chelsea believe it or not.

FIelD — Issue 01

Wba V aRsenal

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Liverpool v West Ham United 7.4.13 — 13:30 — anFIelD

With Andy Carroll not available to play against his parent club it will be left to Joe Cole to represent the Liverpool alumni at Anfield. Sunday’s lunchtime kick off will represent a stern test for Brendan Rodgers’ resurgent Liverpool side as they come up against an experienced West Ham team looking to rediscover their form.

The last time these two sides met in December, Joe Cole was on the scoresheet for Liverpool as they defeated the home side 3-2 at Upton Park, as was another former West Ham graduate Glen Johnson.

Allardyce will be at pains to point out that to stand a chance at Anfield, his team must improve at the back. Conceding three against Liverpool is becoming somewhat of a bad habit for West Ham as they’ve allowed the Reds to rack up three goals against them in five of their last six encounters.

One occasion they’ll want to forget is the 2006 FA Cup final where after going two nil up they allowed Liverpool back into the game, ultimately losing in a penalty shoot out.

Liverpool find themselves in great goalscoring form heading into this fixture, with Luis Suarez showing the consistency in front of goal that he displayed at Ajax and Daniel Sturridge fitting in seamlessly at the club since his January move from Chelsea. Rodgers will be hoping as well that new

signing Coutinho maintains the great start he’s had since arriving from Inter Milan.

Despite Carroll’s absence, Sam Allardyce will be looking for a strong performance from West Ham to help arrest a dip in form that has seen them go from European contenders to looking nervously over their shoulders towards the relegation places.

Much of West Ham’s play will rely on the form of Kevin Nolan, who was so clinical early on in the season but has struggled to find consistency of late.

FIelD — Issue 01

lIVeRpOOl V West haM unIteD

how many goals did don hutchinson score in his time at liverpool and West ham? tweet answers @field_matchday

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Tottenham Hotspur v Everton 7.4.13 — kIck OFF 14:05 — WhIte haRt lane

In years gone by, Tottenham vs Everton was often a playoff to decide who would take the mantle of the best of the rest. Long considered excellent teams but not quite good enough to breach the traditional big four of Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea. However, after years of underperforming and having to sell on their best players, Tottenham have finally stepped out of the shadow of their North London rivals and can now be considered as genuine contenders in the battle for fourth place. Everton, meanwhile, continue to challenge but without the resources or strength in depth to maintain a genuine push for fourth, ultimately seemed doomed to failure.

Against Everton last December Tottenham struggled, with goals from Steven Pienaar and Nikica Jelavic condemning them to a 2-1 defeat .

At White Hart Lane, though, they’ll be a very different proposition and in Gareth Bale they boast one of Europe’s in-form players.

Although staggeringly inconsistent for periods this season, Everton will still pose Tottenham a threat and could yet retain a slim hope of catching them in the league. Despite being six points behind at the time of writing, Everton have a game in hand and victory over Tottenham at White Hart Lane will give them genuine aspirations of clinching a Champions League place.

Andres Villas-Boas will be keen to avoid that happening, especially after a season without Champions League football. Missing out again could well lead to an exodus of their top players, something he is well aware of. Speaking after last week’s impressive victory over Swansea, which came off the back of two defeats in the league, Villas-Boas was quick to praise the contribution of the whole team and in particular another stellar performance from Bale.

With both teams coming back into form at an important stage in this season, Sunday’s match may well come down to who can stop the oppositions most influential players. Tottenham will be relieved that Fellaini will still be absent as he sits out the last game of a suspension, Everton though, can expect no such good luck as Tottenham welcome them to the Lane with all of their key players fit and available.

FIelD — Issue 01

tOttenhaM hOtspuR V eVeRtOn

Which two current premier league clubs has gareth Bale yet to score against? tweet answers @field_matchday

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Chelsea v Sunderland 7.4.13 — kIck OFF 15:00 — staMFORD bRIDge

When Sunderland arrive at Stamford Bridge on Sunday they do so knowing that they’re coming up against a Chelsea team who have just completed four matches in eight days. The first of those ended in a defeat at the hands of Southampton before a rousing FA Cup victory over Manchester United on Monday.

Under Benitez, Chelsea remain very much a Jekyll and Hyde team. Capable of brilliance one week and utter ineptitude the next. Before welcoming Sunderland, Chelsea must also face Rubin Kazan in the Europa League and although the priority remains ensuring involvement in next season’s Champions League, you can’t help but feel Benitez would love to leave Chelsea with a European title to his name.

As well as the continuing drama at Stamford Bridge, Sunderland have done their own bit to ensure this fixture does not go by quietly by appointing the former Swindon manager Paolo Di Canio. Whilst at Swindon, Di Canio gained a reputation as much for his eccentric managerial style as the results he achieved at the club. It will be interesting to see how his confrontational style transcends the divisions and whether he can have the same impact at Sunderland as he did at Swindon.

With Martin O’Neill gone, Steven Fletcher and Lee Cattermole injured and a new, untested manager in charge, Sunderland fans have every right to be sceptical about their teams chances. More worryingly, perhaps, is the clubs gradual slide towards the relegation zone which now sees them sit just one point above the drop zone.

Benitez’s primary concern will be ensuring his players fitness leading up to today’s game. But with a full roster of players available and only Ashley Cole and Gary Cahill real injury concerns, he will be confident that a push for a top four finish can be achieved alongside Europa League and FA Cup success.

FIelD — Issue 01

chelsea V sunDeRlanD

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Newcastle v Fulham 7.4.13 — kIck OFF 15:00 — st jaMes’ paRk

Despite a recent run of good form post-January, Newcastle still find themselves just three points above the drop zone and by no means assured of avoiding relegation. Fulham, meanwhile, find themselves safely in mid-table; neither under threat of going down or of pushing the teams above them for a European finish.

Pardew moved quickly in the January transfer window to rectify the weaknesses in his squad, signing the brilliant Moussa Sissoko, the much vaunted Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and the quick striker Yoan Gouffran to replace Chelsea-bound Demba Ba. His boldness was rewarded as they quickly arrested a slump that had seen them slide perilously close to the relegation zone. A win at home to Fulham today and Sunderland next weekend would go someway to easing fans fears that they might be in for a repeat of the 08/09 season.

Unlike Pardew, Martin Jol has no such concerns. Despite losing Moussa Dembele, one of their most influential players early in the season, to Tottenham Fulham have never looked in danger of troubling the relegation zone. With Dimitar Berbatov upfront, they also boast one of the leagues best players. And although his languid style of play may sometimes frustrate, he’s capable of brilliance like few others.

After last weekend’s 4-0 reversal to Manchester City, Pardew will be looking for a reaction from his players first of all in their midweek game against Benfica in the Europa League. Although not a priority, now that they’ve reached this late stage in the competition Pardew will surely sense a first trophy for Newcastle since the 1969 Fairs Cup is a real possibility.

Newcastle’s involvement in Europe midweek may be telling, especially considering their continued injury concerns. With Tiote and Ben Arfa both injured, they will be without two of last season’s start performers. In defence they’re also likely to miss Santon, Coloccini and Debuchy. Fulham, on the other hand, will arrive at Stamford Bridge with an almost fully fit squad, with the only real concerns over the fitness of Bryan Ruiz upfront.

FIelD — Issue 01

neWcastle V FulhaM

Bobby robson managed both fulham and newcastle. name the clubs he managed in between his stints with both clubs. tweet answers @field_matchday

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QPR v Wigan Athletic 7.4.13 — kIck OFF 16:10 — lOFtus ROaD

On Sunday perennial relegation candidates Wigan will arrive at Loftus Road to face QPR, confident they can summon another miraculous lateseason run of form to escape dropping into the Championship.

For QPR, this season was meant to be the turning point. After a summer of lavish spending on big name players such as Julio Cesar, Jose Bosingwa and Esteban Granero there was a buzz of optimism around the club; talk was not of relegation but of looking to cement their place in the top tier.

Wigan, meanwhile, started the season well.

With Martinez continuing to play three at the back - a tactic he employed towards the end of last season with brilliant results - the hope was that the team could kick on and improve on last seasons 15th place finish. Yet, as is so often the case with the Latics, they were weakened before the season really began as Victor Moses was sold to Chelsea.

In December, two goals from James McCarthy denied QPR taking all three points at the DW Stadium after they’d taken the lead through the now departed Ryan Nelsen and Djibril Cisse in one of Harry Redknapp’s first games in charge.

This time around both managers will be desperate to avoid a similar result as they reach the business end of the season and look to pull away from the relegation zone.

With both Loic Remy and Arouna Kone in good form ahead of the game, the result may hinge on those at the other end of the field in defence.

With Christopher Samba showing the form that persuaded Redknapp to spend £12.5 million on him and Julio Cesar proving why he’s rated amongst the best keepers in the world, Wigan may have it all to do.

FIelD — Issue 01

QpR V WIgan athletIc

don givens, who scored 101 goals in his Qpr career, represented which international side? tweet answers @field_matchday

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29

Lethal Bizzle the gRIMe staR talks abOut hIs latest sIngle, the clOthIng label he Runs WIth eMManuel FRIMpOng anD the FutuRe FOR aRsenal.

“Wenger... He’s a great guy, he’s done so much for the club but we need a new manager.” The season has been as tough for Bizzle as for any Arsenal fan and our interview had inevitably opened with a discussion of what can be done to reverse the slide. When not pondering the future for Arsenal, Lethal Bizzle has been at the forefront of grime’s transformation from a niche of London’s underground music scene to a mainstay of popular culture. Grime’s continued growth has seen him collaborate with artists from Gallows and Pete Doherty to fellow grime supremo’s JME, Kano and most recently Wiley.

“Grime has changed dramatically. I think the audience has got bigger and it’s given us more freedom to do different collaborations, include different sounds and build a career out of it. When I first started [releasing Pow!] that was the pinnacle of the success, there wasn’t a blueprint for how far we could take it. I never thought that 10 years later we would still be here with massive crowds and touring around the world. It feels like it’s here to stay, I don’t think it’s going anywhere.”

FIelD — Issue 01

A downside to a greater profile is the negative publicity grime receives. Bizzle’s disappointment at this is clear and he sees an unfairness in the negative media attention.

“It’s just ignorance from the government, the police. I’ve been to football matches, I’ve been to boxing matches and I’ve seen things happen there that don’t really get highlighted. But when it comes to urban music, if anything happens it gets blown out of proportion; it’s the music’s fault.”

Bizzle is also known to football fans as co-founder (with his cousin, Emmanuel Frimpong) of clothing label Dench.

“Music is my bread and butter and with Manny [Frimpong] it’s football. Dench is just a bonus, a bit of fun.

It’s something that happened on the side and there’s a big demand for it. We’ve created this whole dench way of life and it’s weird because it’s just how we talk and how we are.”

lethal bIzzle

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Frimpong’s loan to Fulham has taken Bizzle, a lifelong Arsenal fan & Emirates regular, to Craven Cottage this season. Watching his cousin and a love of watching Dimitar Berbatov have overcome an indifference towards the team. Fulham though (despite the best efforts of the Craven Cottage hospitality menus - apparently they are “really, really good”) have not turned his head and his footballing loyalties are still with Arsenal. The Gunner’s stuttering form has led him to question the team’s direction and whether it is time for Wenger to leave:

With only seven rounds of games left, it remains to see whether Bizzle’s confidence is well placed.

Much may depend not on how Tottenham perform but on whether Arsenal can overcome their inconsistency.

Lethal Bizzle’s new single ‘They Got It Wrong’ ( feat. Wiley) is released on 21st April through Stay Dench Records.

“I think he should be involved in the club in some degree but I don’t think he should be the manager next season if I’m being totally honest. I think it’s time for some changes. We need a revamp, a freshen up.

I don’t know if he’d resign but I think now is the time for someone to come in and freshen things up because our team is not good enough. We’re not challenging for the Premier League, the Champions League is a long way off as well, so unless he goes out and starts buying the players that are going to make a difference...we need to spend real money to challenge. I look at Manchester City, Chelsea and think ‘how many Arsenal players would get into that team?’ you’re talking Wilshere or Cazorla.”

With their team disappointing and Spurs showing promise, many Arsenal fans must be looking nervously at the league table and pondering the end of their North London supremacy. Bizzle, though, seems unconcerned: “I’m not worried about Spurs! The last few seasons they’ve always had a head start but they always run out of steam. Last year they had a bigger lead than they do this year and the panic is starting to happen with them. They think ‘Oh my God we’re going to finish ahead of Arsenal’ and then bottle it. It’s fate, Spurs are just not meant to be above Arsenal.”

FIelD — Issue 01

Interview by David Lynch at Bido Lito arranged

by Shoot Music Promotions.

lethal bIzzle