1. Will Hughes (Derby County)
2012/13 has been a real breakthrough season for the 18 year-old with over 30 appearances and a couple of goals to his name. The central midfielder has maturity beyond his years and whenever I have seen him his decision making and composure on the ball have impressed me. A real all-rounder he has a turn of pace not normally associated with players of his position meaning he combines the technique to pick a pass with the athletic ability to go past a man. He already has caps …

There is no doubt that since Man City have been taken over by the Middle East they have inflated the game financially. That wasn’t the aim. The aim was to attract the best players to play for them in order to win everything. Unfortunately the only way to do that is to spend big money and offer even bigger wages. To be honest this type of mad spending has diluted the game as a spectacle for fans and distanced elite players from the real world into the untouchables.
Money as we …

Inter Milan’s chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Europa League, suffered a meteoric blow, as they suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur.
An in-form Gareth Bale made sure that he did just enough, to show Inter Milan the exit door. Inter Milan are slowly moving towards, what you call a decline. After being one of the most successful clubs in, not only Italy, but the entire Europe, Inter suffered to make their mark over the past two seasons. The decline has come as a shock …

Aston Villa, Q.P.R., Norwich, Spurs and now Liverpool haven’t learnt the main lesson seen in the FA CUP year after year; taking lower league opposition lightly may lead to a “Giant-killing”.
Either by not playing their full teams, giving youth a chance, not taking their opportunities in front of goal or other excuses the teams used in their post-match interviews, it is simple, they underestimated how good their opponents actually were and has led to their ball not being in the draw for the next round; they only have themselves to …

Josh O`Keefe scored his third goal in three consecutive games  and a strike by top scorer Ryan Bowman secured a scrappy encounter at Holker Street, which struggled for long periods for chances that were few and far between for both sides.
Hereford Manager Martin Foyle felt before the game that this would be a hard game for his side, after their Monday efforts in the FA Cup against Cheltenham Town. Both teams brought in debutants for the game, Neill Byrne put into the defence for Barrow and for Hereford a debut …

Gary Speed and Robert Enke are the most notable footballing tragedies to hit the footballing sphere. Suffering from underlying depression that not even their families noticed. Both tragically committed suicide.
It’s almost been a year since Gary Speed took his own life, with Robert Enke’s death coming to 3 years now but as the footballing world still comes to terms after what happened, we as fans, officials, Chairmen and managers still are oblivious to how some suffer in silence. A day before Speed committed suicide, he was on Football Focus. I …

Rafael Benitez was unveiled as Chelsea‘s Interim Manager yesterday, a day after the quick but yet painful sacking of Roberto Di Matteo. Roman Abramovic doesn’t waste time in getting his man, or sacking his man in this case. I believe, as a Chelsea fan and a football fan, that Abramovich has had his eye on a prospective long-term manager since the Champions League win in Munich.
Fernando Torres was a goal-scoring machine at Liverpool. Scratch that. He was a goal-scoring monster. Frightening defences so much they’d have nightmares. Along with Xabi Alonso and Steven …

After watching Celtic’s historic defeat of Barcelona on TV  the Quito derby was always going to be an anti-climax. The atmosphere in Celtic Park couldn’t have been more different from Ecuador’s national stadium.
                                                                                      
The Deportivo Quito’s supporters outnumbered the Nacional” hinchas” by at least double but both of the …

Arsenal have made an impressive start to the season, picking up nine points in five games. It may not seem like on overly impressive points total, but it’s not that which is unusual. Usually their defensive displays are rather dismal, however this season they have been one of the best teams in the league defensively without buying any new defenders. They have also made some brilliant signings like Santi Cazorla and Lukas Podolski, which has really bolstered their attack. They have also bought Olivier Giroud, who, despite not playing up …

With the much needed 4-2 win for Hereford United on Saturday at Edgar Street, there were two players that stood out, one from each side with one similarity.

Harry Pell for The Bulls and Michael Gash for Cambridge, both played major parts for their respective teams in that game, but it wasn’t too long ago both players thought their futures at their clubs might well have been over.

Harry Pell controlled the midfield at the weekend, but things were very different last season.
On the 22nd March 2012, the then Hereford boss Richard …