English Premier League Review: The Top 10 Surprising Talents of 2010/11
The current EPL season has been one of the most competitive and exciting in recent memory. Even with the usual suspects at the top of the table, the usual big four have seen serious pushes from Manchester City and Tottenham in recent months.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, we may see one of the closest relegation battles in league history with only eight points separating 10th place Stoke City from current bottom-feeder West Ham.
Now more than halfway through the current league schedule, we can establish what new faces (some old) have helped keep the league as exciting as ever. Some have been around the league for a while and have finally reached top form, while others are new to the top flight and have quickly found their footing in one of the most rigorous football leagues in the world.
Note: The players are listed in no particular order.
10. Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez
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Hernandez is the best signing Sir Alex Ferguson has made since the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo. He has surprised not only the United faithful, but also the league as a whole with how quickly he has adapted to the English game. He has incredible pace and goal-scoring ability, while being able to play with either Berbatov or Rooney up top makes him an incredible asset to his team.
Hernandez has already drawn comparison to United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the new United super-sub with some clutch goal-scoring off the bench, but with every goal scored it makes it harder and harder for Ferguson to keep him out of the starting line-up.
9. Stuart Holden
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With the exception of Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard, there aren't too many Americans getting consistent time on the pitch in the Premier League at the moment. Holden, though, has been firing on all cylinders right out of the gate this season.
With only a few years of MLS experience to his name, Holden made a questionable transition to Bolton during last years winter transfer window. A leg injury hampered his first few months in the league, but he has established himself as a first-team regular during the current campaign on a team featuring quite a few more experienced midfielders. He possesses great vision, positioning and astute control over the ball, making him a player to watch for years to come.
8. Raul Meireles
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Liverpool was hoping for a quick rebound under Roy Hodgson after the departure of Rafa Benitez, but several bad signings and mediocre team performances later lead to his hasty departure last month. Lucky for Liverpool fans, he left them with Raul Meireles.
Meireles has been one of the few bright spots for Liverpool this year with one great performance after another. The fact that he has scored quite a few clutch goals has helped, too. Meireles is another player to quickly adapt to the English game and will probably make a quite a few more Best XIs as the season grinds on.
7. Danny Welbeck
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Steve Bruce would like nothing more than to make Welbeck a permanent feature at the Stadium of Light, but Sir Alex Ferguson will feel hard-pressed to let a player with so much potential go.
With attacking options crowded at Manchester United, Welbeck was loaned to Sunderland for the season in order to gain valuable first-team experience at the Premier League level. He got off to a slow start, but exploded in November with one solid start ofter another. A leg injury against Aston Villa last month put a temporary stop on his consistent contribution to Sunderland's standing in the top half of the table at the moment.
His ability to play out wide or up top makes him a versatile attacking player for Sunderland at the moment. With Darren Bent making a shock switch to Aston VIlla last month and Frazier Campell struggling with a nagging injury himself, Welbeck's return to first team action will be greatly anticipated.
6. Vincent Kompany
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Manchester City has not been afraid to make a big purchase here and there since Abu Dahbi United Group took over in 2008. One of the first signings under the new ownership regime was Kompany, who has turned out to be one of the best investments by the club so far.
While much bigger signings like Robinho and Emmanuel Adebayor have already moved on, Kompany has stuck it out and become a rock in defense this season. He bounced between a holding position in midfield and acting as cover at center back during his first two seasons with the club, but has formed a good partnership with Kolo Toure in front of star keeper Joe Hart during the current campaign.
Such consistency in defense is key to City's challenge for both domestic and European trophies. Kompany maintaining his current form will be even more important than the big-money signings at the other end of the pitch.
5. Stewart Downing
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Aston Villa made one of the big splashes during the recent transfer period with the shock signing of Darren Bent from Sunderland to shore up the lack of a proper goal-scoring threat up top. Downing was making up for the goal drought up top with several key performances amongst a crop of midfielders that have been hampered by injuries this season.
Downing leads Aston Villa in both goals and appearances this season. He can play anywhere across the midfield, which has helped Villa survive the aforementioned injury crisis, but his strengths in pace, crossing and free kick scenarios has made him one Villa best signings in recent years.
With the addition of Bent and the return of several key players from injury, Downing and company will be looking to secure a top half finish for a team whose season is on the rebound.
4. Andrew Carroll
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Newcastle made a quick return to the Premier League this season after one season down below in the Championship. Andy Carroll was key to their dramatic rise back up to the top flight with 19 (17 league) goals during his first full campaign as Newcastle's number one hit man.
Carroll continued his goal-scoring form over to the current campaign, helping Newcastle dispel any chances of making a quick exit from the Premier League. His consistent performances not only got the attention of Fabio Capello to earn his first call up to the senior national side for England, but also the attention of the top clubs around Europe.
In the end, it was Liverpool who broke the transfer record (over £35 million) for an English player to acquire his services after the loss of Fernando Torres to Chelsea. Carroll, currently recovering from injury, will be key to forming a potent strikeforce with fellow new signing Luis Suarez for a Liverpool side looking to salvage a disappointing season.
3. Gareth Bale
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Tottenham have made a serious push at the top four this season, two points clear of cross-town rivals Chelsea for the coveted, and final Champions League spot. One of the biggest reasons for their upturn in form has been the emergence of the left-footed Bale.
Signed from Southampton back in 2007, Bale struggled to live up to expectations at the North London side. He lost his position to Benoit Assou-Ekotto at left back for most of the 2009 season, but emerged as a dangerous attacking force near the end of the season when his manager (Harry Redknapp) chose to start deploying him at left wing.
Always dangerous during dead-ball scenarios, Bale's added pace and dribbling ability has aided him in becoming one of the best wingers in the game. Tottenham will be hard-pressed to retain his services with teams all over Europe now scouting the young winger. Most notably, Manchester United has apparently made him their top priority during this summer's upcoming transfer window.
2. Ben Foster
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Most of the current crop of starting keepers in the Premier League are all quite well-established and experienced, the exception being Birmingham City's Ben Foster. Finding chances limited due to experienced keeper Edwin van der Sar and struggling when given the rare opportunity to perform, Foster chose the switch from Manchester United to Birmingham in order to gain more first team experience
It was by no means an easy transition, nor a step down. He would be taking over from Joe Hart, whose stellar performance in net for Birmingham the previous season caused parent club, Manchester City, to retain the on-loaned player for their current campaign.
Foster, though, has performed well above expectations. The team is not as defensively sound as they were the previous season, but that is more due to the season-ending injury to veteran defender Scott Dann and poor midfield play, than the loss of Hart. His consistent performances between the posts for Birmingham has made up for shaky defending and his club currently possessing one of the worst goal-scoring offenses in the league.
1. Charlie Adam
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Blackpool has been one of the biggest surprises in top flight football in recent history. When it comes to their exciting performances on the pitch, you can bet that their Scottish midfielder Charlie Adam will be pulling the strings.
Struggling to establish a regular first team place for Scottish side, Rangers, Adam was loaned to newly promoted Championship side Blackpool in 2008. He made his move permanent the following season and was the guiding figure to their shock promotion to the Premier League for the 2010/11 season with an amazing free kick goal against Cardiff in the playoff final.
Without Adam, there is no way that Blackpool would be where they are today. He may have the best left foot in the league. His ability to score from any spot on the field (the corner included) as well as being an incredibly accurate and creative passer, makes him one of the most coveted players in the league. It is all but certain that he will move on during the next transfer window, with Liverpool the favorites to secure his signature this summer.
