Hazard ball boy incident has been massively blown out of proportion

In my many years of watching football, I can't recall an incident as bizarre and baffling as the one involving Eden Hazard on Wednesday night. I'm sure you've all seen the footage, Hazard kicked the ball boy at a time when Chelsea were frustrated and in urgent need of the ball, after the ball boy was blatantly time wasting.

The term "kicked" is a highly suggestive term and connotes the entirely wrong images. It suggests that Hazard, in a fit of rage whacked the ball boy as hard as he possibly could. That is in no way the case. The only reason Hazard swung his foot back was to get the ball out of the ball boy's body which covered the ball in an attempt to waste time. I myself have played in games with friends where the goalkeeper has had both hands on the ball and in an attempt to score a cheap goal players have kicked the ball out of his realm. Childish behaviour, I know, but this is all Hazard wanted to do. Get the ball. He didn't mean to kick the boy (if he even did) surely anyone speaking honestly would realise and appreciate this?

A 22 year old footballer kicking a ball "boy" is also misleading. The term "boy" connotes he was about twelve or thirteen years old, but in reality the "boy" is seventeen. He knew exactly what he was doing, Hazard didn't attack some innocent kid, which is the way some people are referring to the situation as. The ball boy was purposefully wasting time, as his tweet sent earlier in the day read "#needed for time wasting". The ball boy covered the ball with his body, it was obvious that he was attempting to waste time. After the kick, the boy was clearly exaggerating the severity of his injury, you could see it in his face. He obviously felt some pain, but there can't have been much damage.

Don't get me wrong, Hazard deserves some blame. It was foolish to kick a ball boy; it's foolish to kick anyone on a football pitch, especially with the cameras which are seemingly able to pick up everything that occurs on the field of play. Ultimately, Hazard made an immature, unnecessary, and spare of the moment decision that backfired, and resulted in him receiving a red card. I cannot blame or criticise the referee's decision either. It is extremely rare that a player gets involved in a physical altercation and with only his assistants to offer contrary opinions. In the end, a red card was probably appropriate as Hazard did physically assault someone, albeit not intentionally. Any more punishment of Hazard would be unnecessary, with the exception of perhaps a verbal telling off by the FA.

To conclude, I believe this entire incident has been blown out of proportion on a ridiculously large scale. Hazard did in no way mean to hurt the boy; in fact I don’t think he even meant to touch the boy at all. He wanted the ball, and did what was required to get it. Admittedly, Hazard crossed the line and should have been calmer rather than kicking or trying to physically force the ball out of the boy’s control. I agree sending Hazard off was the appropriate decision from referee Chris Foy, but some of the reaction to the incident has been utterly ridiculous. The boy was not in much pain, but people are acting as if it was a kick on the scale of Eric Cantona’s Kung-Fu kick in a Manchester United game away to Crystal Palace. Now that was reprehensible. To suggest more punishment and branding Hazard a ‘’thug’’ as some tabloid newspapers have is laughable, he has apologised and I hope this is the end of this particular fiasco.  

Nuri Sahin returning to Dortmund

Cast your mind back two years ago. Borussia Dortmund were beginning to run away with the Bundesliga title and Nuri Sahin was one of their key architects. Alongside current Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kagawa, Borussia Dortmund possessed one of Europe's most fearsome midfields. After helping Dortmund to secure their seventh German league title, Sahin left Germany to realise his dream move to the mighty Real Madrid. And then it all went downhill...

I for one, felt Sahin would adapt quickly to La Liga's more pass based style of football and that he would soon develop his skills to become the very best he could be with the side from the Spanish capital. After all, the likes of Mesut Özil and Sami Khedira had both made the switch from Bundesliga to Real Madrid in La Liga with success.

Sadly for Sahin, his potential to succeed at Madrid took an early blow. An ongoing injury led to Sahin having to wait until early November to make his debut for his new club, and with Madrid's midfield that regularly included Xabi Alonso, Sami Khedira, Mesut Özil, Angel Di Maria, Jose Callejon and of course Cristiano Ronaldo, it would always be an uphill task for Sahin if he wanted to become an established member of the first team. After some not particularly impressive performances, Sahin finally scored his first goal for Madrid in December, against SD Ponferradina in the copa del rey, a goal which many expected to kick start some form. Unfortunately for Sahin, he never could shake off his various niggling injuries and he ended the 2011-12 season with a measly ten appearances.

It seemed inevitable that Sahin would be spending the 2012-13 season at a different club, and that different club turned out to be Liverpool on loan. After a decent start to life at the Anfield club that included two goals away at West Bromwich Albion in the capital one cup, Sahin slowly grew further and further out of favour under manager Brendan Rodgers. The final straw in my mind was Sahin's lack of involvement over the Christmas period and against lowly Mansfield town in the FA cup. At Real Madrid he had Mesut Özil, Angel Di Maria and Xabi Alonso (amongst others) in front of him in the pecking order, at Liverpool he had Jordan Henderson, Jonjo Shelvey and Joe Allen (again amongst others) in front of him.

Things are now looking up for Sahin. His move to Borussia Dortmund may well have rejuvenated his career, and being back at Signal Iduna Park could offer something extra to Dortmund's ailing Bundesliga title campaign, which looks to have Bayern Munich's name on it already. In my opinion, Dortmund need more depth and organisation in central midfield and Sahin could provide that, as long he can replicate the confidence and desire he showed while in his previous stint with the German club. Mario Götze has done a fantastic job of creating chances for star striker Robert Lewandowski and left winger Marco Reus. The addition of Sahin will only add to Dortmund's midfield options but I can't see him being able to overtake the electrifying Mario Götze. Ultimately, I believe Sahin's potential success at Dortmund relies on him being able to get in the right mindset. If he forgets his issues of his time in both Madrid and Liverpool, he could well yet become one of Europe's most exciting players again. 

Demba Ba possibly joining Chelsea

Due to the departure of Daniel Sturridge to Liverpool, Chelsea currently only have one striker, that being Fernando Torres, so the blues need a new one. Now, it looks like the new man will be Demba Ba from Newcastle for £7 million.

So what does this mean for Chelsea? Well, at 27, Ba is a fair bit older than other recent Chelsea signings who are closer to 19 than 27, so this is very much a "hear and now" signing. The deal, to me, strongly resembles the £15 million deal which brought journeyman striker Nicholas Anelka to Chelsea from Bolton in January 2008. Proven centre forward moving to Chelsea at a time when the London club are chasing the title and suffering from a shortage of strikers. Although Ba and Anelka are different players, Anelka did just fine at Chelsea and didn't take much time in settling in.

Ba has had a tremendous season so far, having scored an impressive 13 goals in all competitions. He proved just how talented and well-rounded he is on Saturday with two goals against Arsenal (one of which may be given as an own goal by Jack Wilshere). The Senegalese striker is always a threat, being able to score with his head as well as with his feet. He is often on the end of long distance passes and crosses, so he is always a menace for opposition defences. Ba will receive plenty of the ball from the likes of Oscar, Hazard, Moses and Mata, probably more than what he received from Simpson, Obertan, Cabaye and Ben Arfa at Newcastle. His almost two years of premier league experience (the first six months of which were spent with West Ham before they got relegated) will mean Ba shouldn't face any "settling in" issues. To be honest, I see no real reason why Ba shouldn't score goals in the blue of Chelsea.

So does the sale of Daniel Sturridge for £12 million and the signing of Demba Ba for £7 million result in a "good bit of business" for Chelsea? Personally, I think Chelsea were wrong to sell Sturridge as he provides another option, and gets many chances, despite not taking them regularly enough. However, I believe Ba is more reliable and trustworthy in front of goal, despite not having the longevity that Sturridge has who is 23, four years younger than Ba. But, a profit of £5 million means I think Chelsea have done right. For what it's worth, I still think Chelsea need a striker, even on loan, as I think Lukaku should finish his loan spell at West Brom.

To conclude, I am feeling very confident about how well Ba can do for Chelsea. As I mentioned previously, there is no real reason to doubt Ba's potential to score vast numbers of goals. As well as goals, he will provide industry, great movement and another option away from the highly unpredictable and sometimes frustrating Fernando Torres. It’s a thumbs up for this deal from me. 

WORLD FOOTBALL'S TOP 5 STRIKERS

The number “nine” is arguably the most famous and iconic number in football. The “fox in the box”, the goal scorer who gets on the end of things and in many cases, the key player in a team.

So with Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Andres Iniesta being often debated as “the best” players in the world, who is the world’s best centre forward?

5. Sergio Agüero

When news broke of Manchester City signing Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Agüero for a huge £38 million, many proclaimed that he would struggle and take a while to settle in, if ever. But two goals on his debut against Swansea, 30 goals in the 2011/12 season as whole, and a Premier League title winning goal later, Agüero is considered as one of Europe’s greatest and most feared strikers.

He is extremely difficult to track and play against, meaning he can never be ignored. Even in Manchester City’s poor champions league campaign this season, Agüero has caused problems.

He’s already somewhat of a legend amongst some City fans and he’s showing no signs of slowing down.

4. Robert Lewandowski

After a few good years, the last two have proven to be “breakout” years for Robert Lewandowski. With Borussia Dortmund winning the Bundesliga in 2010/11 and then in 2011/12, fans all over the world have realised just how good Robert Lewandowski is.

A huge 30 goals in all competitions led to many suspecting that the 24 year old Pole would be leaving Dortmund eventually, especially considering the fact he’s already scored 14 goals in 23 games so far this season.

However, Dortmund are one of the most heavily supported clubs in Europe so they won’t give him up easily.

3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

At the age of 31, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has arguably been better than ever in 2012. Switching from AC Milan to PSG in the summer transfer window made some believe Zlatan was slowly but surely beginning to step away from Europe’s top leagues, and that next year he’d be going to the USA or China.

But Zlatan, who won the goal of the tournament at Euro 2012 after a stunning effort against France for Sweden, has been prolific in France, forming a formidable PSG attack with Jeremy Menez, Javier Pastore and Ezequiel Lavezzi.

Some even claimed his spectacular goal against England in a friendly in November was the best goal ever scored, that’s something we’ll have to see about, but one things for sure, no one can question Zlatan’s “world class” tag after this year.

2. Robin Van Persie

Last season while with Arsenal, Robin Van Persie scored a magnificent 30 goals in the Premier League, helping the gunners to a third place spot which seemed unlikely after a catastrophic start.

Despite the Dutchman struggling at Euro 2012, Manchester United were willing to pay out £24 million in August, a decision that has worked out brilliantly so far. Van Persie has continued where he led off at Utd, having scored 15 goals in 21 games for the Red Devils so far.

Possessing arguably the most technically clinical and accurate left foot in the world, and able to score from anywhere, Van Persie is quite possibly the deadliest striker on the planet.

1. Radamel Falcao

In the past 12 months, Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao has taken himself from being a highly rated and dangerous striker, to the most feared (at least in my opinion) on the entire planet. The Colombian Falcao is the sort of player that can single-handedly destroy any defence in the world, as proven by his exploits against Chelsea in the UEFA super cup back in August.

Falcao’s goals in the 2012/13 season have pushed Atletico Madrid into the giddy heights of La Liga’s top three, alongside traditional heavyweights rivals Real Madrid and current leaders Barcelona.

Many are predicting that Falcao will soon be joining Chelsea, Manchester City or even Real Madrid, and it’s easy to see why as when at his best, Falcao is truly unstoppable.

Frank Lampard: Is his time at Chelsea coming to an end?

English football has seen few players as talented and effective as Frank Lampard. Since joining Chelsea in 2001, Lampard has slowly become somewhat of an institution at Chelsea. However, this season rumours surrounding Lampard’s future have been more rampant than ever with many expecting Lampard to leave the blues soon. So is it time for Lampard to move on or does he have a few more years left?

Unquestionably, Lampard has been a huge factor in Chelsea’s success over the last eleven years, with the central midfielder joining the club while it was on the up, but nowhere near the dizzy heights that they have reached in the past few years. Lampard cost Chelsea £11 million to sign from West Ham, and it seems incredible to think now, but at the time many were unsure about whether Lampard was worth the fee. However, after it initially took him a while to settle in, Lampard began to prove he was worth every penny.

The arrival of Roman Abramovich in 2003 could have potentially left Lampard in turmoil with the likes of Juan Sebastian Veron, Geremi, Joe Cole, Claude Makelele and Scott Parker all threatening to take Lampard’s place. Instead, Lampard began to massively improve, especially from a goalscoring perspective. The 2003/04 season was the first of nine seasons (and counting) where Lampard’s goal tally finished in double figures. Without doubt, Lampard was one of Chelsea’s key players in their back to back league title wins of 2005 and 2006. His excellence for Chelsea was honoured with Lampard only losing out to Ronaldinho in the 2005 Ballon D’Or.

The following seasons have seen yet more success for the Chelsea and England man, with Lampard continuing to be an integral part of Chelsea’s team. With Lampard approaching one decade as a Chelsea player many began referring to Lampard, Petr Cech, John Terry and Didier Drogba as the ‘’backbone’’ of Chelsea’s squad despite various managers arriving and then leaving. Lampard has been an ideal servant for any club showing loyalty, quality and consistency. He achieved legend status at Stamford Bridge many years ago.

So with Lampard getting injured more and more regularly and with the likes of Oscar, Eden Hazard, Victor Moses and Juan Mata constantly improving, is it time for Lampard to move on? To be honest, he has had better days, but I think that Lampard should stay at Chelsea for a short while longer at least, and maybe try to adapt his way of playing to prolong his career at the top level, much like Francesco Totti and Ryan Giggs have. The younger players at Chelsea could and should look at Lampard for guidance and inspiration, something a lot of them appear to need. Ultimately, the decision goes to Lampard, but I think he deserves some more time at the top level. LA Galaxy may have something to say about that however, especially now that Beckham has gone. 

West Brom's start to the season: can they keep it up?

For years, West Brom were known as the premier league's "boing boing club" with reference to the fact they always seemed to get relegated and then swiftly get promoted. They only managed to end this unwanted track record with a respectable 11th place finish in the 2010-11 season, in a season which started with Roberto Di Matteo in charge, but finished with Roy Hodgson as manager. In Roy Hodgson's one and only full season in charge of the Baggies, the 2011-12 season, his side made a small improvement, finishing 10th.

However, under the guidance of new manager Steve Clarke, West Brom have made vast and highly significant improvements. One of the best elements of West Brom's team last season was their defence. The centre backs Olsson and McCauley meant West Brom were always tough to beat, while Youssouf Mulumbu grafted in midfield. But Clarke has looked at these solid areas, and made advances on them. There is more width, more attacking options and more shape to the West Brom side.

The results speak for themselves in some ways. They have beaten Liverpool, Chelsea, Southampton and Everton to name a few. The win over Liverpool was probably the most impressive of these victories as they demolished the reds 3-0 on the season's opening day. Offensively, they possess many threats, all providing something slightly different. Peter Odemwingie is a typical goal scorer, always on the end of things, Shane Long uses his energy and pace to stretch defences, on loan striker Romelu Lukaku uses his brute strength to outmuscle defenders, and Swedish striker Markus Rosenberg offers yet another goal scoring threat. Just like last season, there is a heavy reliance on the attacking midfielders such as James Morrison, Graham Dorrans and Chris Brunt. In short, based on the evidence of the past five months, Steve Clarke has made West Brom better in most ways, slightly better in some ways, considerably better in others.

So to answer the question in the title, how far can West Brom go?

Well, if they continue with their high fitness levels and tactical shape, they could well do what Newcastle did last season and force a surprise Europa league place. However, in the past two games, cracks have appeared. Teams have begun exposing West Brom spacious defence and as the Baggies have started attacking teams more, therefore meaning West Brom's centre backs have to track back more, and something they are not really used to. However, Steve Clarke has shown plenty of tactical brilliance to give West Brom fans plenty of optimism for the season ahead. 

Fiorentina: how far can they go?

At the start of the summer, hopes for Fiorentina were relatively low. A disappointing 2011/12 season finished with them in 13th place and many of their fans feeling frustrated. Their season was hardly ideal, after manager Sinisa Mihajlovic was sacked in November, and replaced by Delio Rossi who steered them, well more like dragged them to a place in mid table mediocrity with a 13^th place finish.

Fans of the Florence based club were hardly filled with excitement heading into this season. With big named players who helped them qualify for the prestigious champions league regularly in the mid to late 2000's such as Alberto Gilardino and former Chelsea man Adrian Mutu now long gone, few felt Fiorentina had enough world class players to push the club into Europe again. However, the actions of the owner over the summer showed the club weren't willing to accept another mid table finish.

Over the summer, in came; Borja Valero from Villarreal, Alberto Aquilani from Liverpool, Emiliano Viviano on loan from Palermo and David Pizarro from AS Roma to name but a few. However, arguably the most positive news of the summer for Fiorentina was the news that the previous season's breakout star Stefan Jovetic would be staying despite rumoured interest from most notably Manchester City.

The season began well for Fiorentina, as they got impressive wins against, amongst others, Udinese, Catania and Lazio, and famously a 3-1 win against AC Milan at the San Siro. So what is it about them this season that wasn't there last season? Well of course the investment has helped. Borja Valero has been influential in central midfield, having played in all twelve of the club's games so far this season, as has on loan goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano. Their defensive organisation has improved massively from last season, with the side having conceded a mere 9 goals in 12 games, significantly more impressive when you consider Fiorentina have played Internazionale, AC Milan, Juventus and Napoli already this season. As expected, Stefan Jovetic has been an integral part of the success enjoyed by the club this season. His guile, energy and trickery have helped him to six goals this season, a record that will only lead to more speculation in January or the summer over his future.

As long as they can keep Jovetic, I am confident that Fiorentina can remain in the top six, or even four, as they are now. With the new signings settling in well and the squad looking settled and confident, Fiorentina are the sort of side that look like they can defeat anyone on their day. Another huge advantage that Fiorentina have is the fact that they are not in any form of European competition unlike their rivals at the top of the table.  They could well be a team to watch for the remainder of the season.