Sentry Duty
Straight back, eyes front,
you know the drill.
Watch for enemies while
the boys sleep
in burrowed barracks.
Scan the shimmering skyline,
swivelling on the spot.
Royal Meerkat Regiment.
But I’m skilled, sleek, quick,
equipped and ready to take it
to snakes that invade
hard earned territory, which
many died gloriously to gain.
Desert warfare.
I’m on watch,
beta squad.
The routine is as endless
as the stretching sands
but my hands are tied
the position. I want missions,
the thrill of the attack,
to die in combat.
Coupe de grace.
Rations offer worm
and grasshopper,
a delicacy round here.
Brown and tan camo
are the colours of my clan
but out here there’s no medals
just sand and pebbles.
Trooping the colours.
To elude leopards and lions,
keep eyes on the horizon
and if you see one, call out,
then retreat, admit defeat,
until morning.
Tactical withdrawal.
Tottenham
Season round-up
After their 4th place finish last season, fans of Tottenham may be disappointed at their failure to make the Champions League again this year. That said, in an ever competitive Premier League, Tottenham have still had an impressive season and must strive to keep the likes of Luka Modric, Rafael Van Der Vaart and Gareth Bale. The distraction of the Champions League may have affected their domestic performances and Tottenham fans will hope they can aim for a top four finish next season.
Key-player
Rafael Van Der Vaart – Has been Tottenham’s best player this season and the exact kind of player they needed to take them to the next level. He finished the season as the clubs top scorer, with 13 goals and 9 assists. People are questioning whether he will stay after the club failed to qualify for the Champions League but he has quashed those rumours, insisting he is happy at White Hart Lane.
Honourable Mentions
Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Huerelho Gomes
Key signings
William Gallas, Free, Arsenal – Has played very well since his move from bitter rivals, Arsenal. He has appeared in 31 of Tottenham’s league appearances and played without the attitude he sometimes showed at Arsenal.
Sandro, £6 Million, Internacional – Has been more suited to Tottenham’s European campaign than the league, coping with pace better. He featured more in the final run in of the season and scored 1 goal in the 1-2 defeat to Chelsea.
Stipe Pletikosa, Loan, Spartak Moscow – The Croatian number one has failed to make an appearance for Tottenham, coming in behind Gomes and Carlo Cudicini.
Rafael Van Der Vaart, £8 Million, Real Madrid – See above.
Bongani Khumalo, £1.5 Million, Supersport Utd – Hasn’t featured this season.
Steven Pienaar, £3 Million, Everton – Has barely featured since his move from Everton but has shown he is a skillful player, like he did at Goodison Park.
William Gallas
Next Season?
Keeping Harry Redknapp away from Chelsea, as well as maintaining the services Modric, Bale and Van Der Vaart are essential. Spurs have been linked with Ben Foster, Scott Parker, Pablo Daniel Osvaldo and Ipswich’s teenage sensation Conor Wickham and with these acquisitions, Spurs will look to make the top 4 again next season.
Conor Wickham
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West Brom
Season round-up
Roberto Di Matteo’s sacking seemed strong at first, but West Brom have been a different side since Roy Hogdson took over from him in February. There Premier League survival was guaranteed before the final day of the season thanks to their squad, most notably Chris Brunt and Peter Odemwinge.
Key-player
Peter Odemwinge – Odemwinge was by far West Brom’s best player this season and scored 15 goals, along with 9 assists. West Brom may have a tricky task keeping hold of him over the summer but this will be essential if they hope to maintain their Premier League status next season.
Honourable Mentions
Chris Brunt, Youssouf Mulumbu, Jerome Thomas
Key signings
Gabriel Tamas, £800k, Auxerre – Was in the starting line-up in every game but one under Di Matteo, but has not featured as heavily under Hodgson.
Steven Reid, Free, Blackburn – Has had a torrid time with injuries over the last few seasons and his 1 goal and 6 assists were a credit to him as he managed 23 appearances for The Baggies.
Boaz Myhill, £1.5 Million, Hull – Only played 6 games this season, as backup to Scott Carson, conceding 13 goals along the way.
Nicky Shorey, Undisc. Aston Villa – Appeared in 28 games this season, after a disappointing time at Villa and has been a mainstay of the West Brom defence.
Peter Odemwinge, £2.5 Million, Lokomotiv Moscow – See above.
Somen Tchoyi, Undisc. Red Bull Salzburg – Tchoyi has managed 6 goals in the few appearances he has made, including a hat-trick on the final day of the season against Newcastle.
Marc-Antoine Fortune, Undisc. Celtic – Has not been among the goals as much has he may have hoped thanks to the form of Odemwinge. Fortune only managed 2 goals despite appearing in 29 games this season.
Paul Scharner, Free, Wigan – Featured in all but 2 games this season and notched up 4 goals. The versatile midfielder has been in good form since his move from Wigan.
Carlos Vela, Loan, Arsenal – Managed 2 goals in the 8 appearances he made, mainly from the bench. May return to West Brom as his future at Arsenal is still uncertain.
Somen Tchoyi
Next Season?
Will hope to play with the same form they have started with under Hodgson and keeping Odemwinge may be difficult. They have been linked with Fulham stiker Andy Johnson as well as a return for former goalkeeper, Tomasz Kuszczak. Leicester City’s Welsh midfielder, Andy King has also been linked with The Baggies.
Tomasz Kuszczak
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West Ham
Season round-up
West Ham’s decision to stand by Avram Grant, despite the results going against him, were the reason for their relegation. With a team that possesses such depth and quality, fans will be at a loss to explain how they’ve ended up in the Championship. The interference from David Gold and David Sullivan has not helped team morale and their promotion back to Premier League is not a guarantee without investment and making sure top players stay at Upton Park.
Key-player
Scott Parker – Parker will be remembered for one of the only players who played with the determination to attempt to keep West Ham in the topflight. It is therefore, unsurprising that he is wanted by a whole host of Premiership clubs, including Liverpool and Tottenham. Having finally established himself in the England team you can be Parker will want to stay playing at the top level to maintain his position.
Honourable Mentions
Robert Green, Frederic Piquionne, Carlton Cole
Key signings
Thomas Hitzlsperger, Free, Lazio – Was injured early on in preseason but has played every minute of every game since his return at the end of February. Since then he has managed 2 goals and 4 assists. Maybe if he had been available earlier in season, West Ham’s fate may have been different.
Pablo Barrera, £4 Million, Pumas – Featured frequently from the bench early in the season, however hasn’t played since mid-January.
Frederic Piquionne, £1 Million, Lyon – Has been relegated with two clubs in two in years but his displays for West Ham and Portsmouth have not justified this, as he has played well. He chipped in with 6 goals and 5 assists but this wasn’t enough to save The Hammers from relegation.
Tal Ben-Haim, Loan, Portsmouth – Ben-Haim played nearly every minute of the 8 games he has played this season but hasn’t turned out in the claret and blue since January.
Winston Reid, £4 Million, FC Midtjylland – The New Zealand international has only played 7 games for The Hammers but missed a big chunk of the season through injury.
Victor Obinna, Loan, Inter Milan – Obinna’s performances have been good but his goal return has not been impressive, getting on the scoresheet only 3 times all season, providing 5 assists. Had West Ham not been relegated there may have been a chance he would return to Upton Park next season, but will now return to the San Siro.
Lars Jacobsen, Free, Everton – After two seasons at Goodison Park where he failed to break into the first team, Jacobsen has been a regular starter for West Ham, playing 24 games.
Robbie Keane, Loan, Tottenham – Didn’t make much of an impact at Upton Park, despite scoring 2 goals he will be mostly remembered for the sitter he missed against Birmingham, which could have given them a vital 3 points.
Gary O’Neill, £2 Million, Middlesbrough – Performed well in his performances with the Hammers until an ankle injury put him out for the remainder of the season.
Demba Ba, Undisc. Hoffenheim – Has been a fantastic signing, scoring 7 goals that were unfortunately, too little too late. Sunderland have reportedly made an approach for the player already and it looks unlikely he will stay at Upton Park.
Wayne Bridge, Loan, Man City – Bridge has performed in all but one game since his arrival at West Ham. It remains to be seen whether he will make the drop to play in the Championship or return to Man City, where I assume he will be transferred.
Demba Ba
Nest Season?
Promotion back to the Premiership is not impossible especially with the array of talent available at Upton Park. Sullivan and Gold need to hire a good manager and stay out of the team affairs. With Wayne Bridge, Robbie Keane, Victor Obinna, Tal Ben-Haim all returning to their parent clubs, Hitzlsperger, Ba, Green, Upson and Parker all likely to leave and with Benni McCarthy already released, West Ham will need to invest if they wish to return to the Premier League. Newcastle’s Danny Simpson and Cardiff’s Jay Bothroyd are being sounded out as new additions to Upton Park.
Jay Bothroyd
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Wigan Athletic
Season round-ups
Wigan managed a last day escape, thanks to a 1-0 victory at Stoke, thanks to Hugo Rodallega. Chairman Dave Whelan stood by Roberto Martinez and it was a gamble that paid off, as Wigan survived the drop. Vital wins against relegation rivals West Ham, Birmingham and Blackpool, as well as Charles N’Zogbia’s form, which saw him finish the season as top scorer, were all key to Wigan’s survival.
Key-player
Charles N’Zogbia – Finished the season as top scorer and was instrumental in the victories over The Lactics relegation opponents. 4 vital goals in 3 games at the tail end of the season helped secure Wigan’s Premier League status.
Honourable Mentions
Hugo Rodallega, Ali Al-Habsi, Antolin Alcaraz
Key signings
James McArthur, £1 Million, Hamilton – McArthur mainly featured as a substitute in his first season at the DW Stadium, making 18 appearances altogether.
Mauro Boselli, £6 Million, Estudiantes – Despite his hefty price-tag, he was a complete failure for the Lactics and his since moved to Genoa on loan.
Ali Al-Habsi, Loan, Bolton – Was a very important factor behind Wigan’s survival and they will look to make his loan move permanent over the summer. Al Habsi successfully pushed Mike Pollitt and Chris Kirkland out of the first team.
Antolin Alcaraz, Free, Club Brugge – Was a strong performer all season, scoring a single goal. Alcaraz was named as Wigan’s captain for a number of games.
Ronnie Stam, £3 Million, FC Twente – Played in every single game until February, but has only featured once since then. He scored his first goal for the club in the 1-1 draw with Bolton.
Steven Caldwell, Free, Burnley – He only appeared in 9 games for Wigan this season, reuniting with his brother Gary, in the heart of the Wigan defence.
Tom Cleverley, Loan, Man Utd – Cleverley looks an exciting prospect and has already been told he will be staying at Old Trafford next season. He finished his first season in the Premiership scoring 4 goals.
Franco Di Santo, Undisc. Chelsea – The giant striker only scored one goal, adding 3 assists. Wigan will hope he can provide more firepower for them next season.
Adrian Lopez, Free, Unattached – Only made a single appearance in the 0-1 loss with Man City.
Connor Sammon, Undisc. Kilmarnock – The youngster played in 7 games since his move and his only goal came in the vital 3-2 victory over West Ham.
Tom Cleverley
Next Season?
With Dave Whelan targeting a top 10 finish next season, he will have to invest in the team next season. While there won’t be megabucks to spend, Martinez has been shrewd in the transfer market in the past and will hope to unearth some gems. Middlesbrough’s Julio Arca has been suggested as a possible target, as well as Coventry goalkeeper, Keiren Westwood.
Keiren Westwood
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Wolverhampton Wanderers
Season round-up
Mick McCarthy’s men survived the drop on the last day of the season and Wolves will look to pick up points against their rivals next season. While they managed to beat Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Man Utd, it was against their performances against other relegation candidates where they failed to pick up points and this ultimately led to their final league position.
Key-player
Matt Jarvis – Had a great season at Molineux, playing in all but 1 game. Jarvis served his teammates with 8 assists and 4 goals. He also received his first England call-up and there is speculation to whether he will be playing for Wolves next season, with Liverpool reportedly interested.
Honourable Mentions
Steven Fletcher, Kevin Doyle, Kevin Foley
Key signings
Michael Mancienne, Loan, Chelsea – Made a decent start to the season until he was struck down with a knee injury. He was fit again for the title run in but made some significant errors, including gifting Sebastian Larsson a goal, denying Wolves 3 vital points in their 1-1 draw with Birmingham.
Jelle Van Damme, £2.5 Million, Anderlecht – Scored a goal in one of his 6 appearances but failed to settle and returned to his native Belgium, signing for Standard Liege.
Steven Fletcher, £6.5 Million, Burnley – Fletcher led Wolves’ scoring charts this season, despite mainly appearing from the bench. With 10 goals and 3 assists Fletcher will hope to continue his good form next season.
Stephen Mouyokolo, £2.5 Million, Hull – Only made 4 appearances since his arrival from Hull.
Adlene Guedioura, £2 Million, Charleroi – Scored 1 goal in the 10 appearances he made this season.
Geoffrey Mujangi Bia, Loan, Charleroi – Only made 1 appearance, in which he created an assist in the 3-4 defeat to Man City.
Jamie O’Hara, Loan, Tottenham – Has played in all but 1 game since his arrival from Tottenham, getting on the score sheet 3 times, including a crucial goal on the final day of the season. O’Hara has stated his desire to make his loan deal permanent this summer.
Adam Hammill, £500k, Barnsley – The youngster has been impressive since his arrival from Barnsley and has been a creative force in the Wolves midfield.
Jamie O'Hara
Next Season?
Mick McCarthy will hope to improve his side’s fortunes next season, while keeping hold of Matt Jarvis and making Jamie O’Hara’s move permanent. Millwall’s Steve Morison has been suggested as a possible transfer target, as is John Carew.
John Carew
Man City
Season round-up
Roberto Mancini’s side started the season with high expectations, having spent a considerable amount of cash in preseason. With a final position of 3rd and an FA Cup to their name, they will consider this season as a success, despite their style of play often being judged as too conservative. While the high-ups have suggested they will be curbing their spending, Mancini insists the Citizens require more money to challenge for the top honours. City finished the season with victories over Chelsea, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham and will look to beat the other big teams next season, if they expect to climb the table next season.
Key-player
Carlos Tevez – The Argentinian has been Man City’s talisman this season, leading the Premier League scoring charts (alongside Manchester United rival, Dimitar Berbatov) with 21 goals, as well as 6 assists. Despite his impressive form, Tevez requested a transfer during the January window, stating he was unhappy at the club. Despite this request being later withdrawn, speculation still lingers over Tevez’s future, with the Argentine being linked with Inter Milan, Real Madrid and home team club, Boca Juniors.
Honourable Mentions
Joe Hart, Yaya Toure, David Silva
Key signings
James Milner, £26 Million, Aston Villa – Milner had a successful first season at Eastlands, performing better than Gareth Barry, Vincent Kompany and Nigel De Jong. While he only scored 1 goal, he laid on 7, appearing in all but 4 games in the entire season.
Yaya Toure, £28 Million, Barcelona – Toure was a rock in City’s midfield this season and contributed with 6 goals and 6 assists in the league. He will, however be most fondly remembered for his goals in the FA Cup Final and semi-final.
Jerome Boateng, £10 Million, Hamburg – Has featured intermittently for the Citizens and question marks are already beginning to be raised about his future, with a move to Bayern Munich a possibility. Injury ended Boateng’s season in February and he has not played since.
Davis Silva, £24 Million, Valencia – Silva has been one of City’s most consistent performers this season and has dazzled crowds with his performances on the wing. Silva finished an impressive first season with 4 goals and 9 assists.
Aleksandar Kolarov, £17 Million, Lazio – Kolarov has had an indifferent season at Eastlands and a few are questioning whether he is good enough to play at the top level. City may be looking for a new left back next season and this suggests Kolarov may be on his way out.
Mario Balotelli, £23 Million, Inter – Love him or hate him, Balotelli’s skill is undeniable. His body language suggests he is not entirely happy at City and he has openly admitted he prefers Italy to the UK. He has been used sparingly by Roberto Mancini but still finished the season with 6 goals.
Edin Dzeko, £17 Million, Wolfsburg – Since his arrival from Germany, the Bosnian striker has featured in all but 1 game, only managing a single goal. I’m convinced with a preseason behind him, he will be as clinical in England as he was in Germany.
Mario Balotelli
Next Season?
Despite the insistence of financial restraint, I expect Man City to heavily explore the transfer market this summer. I think it will be important to clear their books of the players they won’t be keeping; Bellamy, Adebayor, Bridge and Santa Cruz will leave and they will possibly look to shift Boateng and Kolarov if better players become available. I feel they will spend big this summer and bring in some marquee signings, with Alexis Sanchez, Leighton Baines and Wesley Sneijder all being touted as potential arrivals.
Alexis Sanchez
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Man Utd
Season round-up
Despite finishing as Champions and Sir Alex Ferguson’s insistencies that his squad is not weaker than previous seasons, it does appear that Man Utd are currently a team in transition. They finished the season winning only five games away from Old Trafford. People may say that the title was handed to them by the form of other teams but at the end of the day, the finished top after 38 games and that’s all that matters. Since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo many expected them to suffer, but I feel they are playing as more of a team than ever before and look forward to see how they progress next season.
Key-player
Nani – Nani has improved dramatically since Ronaldo left for Madrid and this season, he was at his best by far. He finished the season with 9 goals and an incredible 18 assists, showing he is more of a team player than people give him credit for. While there are rumours of a move to Inter Milan, I can’t see the Red Devils allowing Nani to move any time soon.
Honourable Mentions
Dimitar Berbatov, Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney
Key signings
Chris Smalling, £10 Million, Fulham – Due to injuries to Rio Ferdinand and the poor form of Jonny Evans, Smalling had a chance to cement a first to spot and has looked strong. He made 16 appearances altogether, most of them as a starter and even aided the team with an assist.
Javier Hernandez, £6 Million, Guadalajara – Has been an absolute revelation since his arrival from Mexico and has scored crucial goals time and time again. He has adapted to the English game quickly, despite his small stature and has dislodged leading scorer, Dimitar Berbatov from his first team spot.
Bebe, £7.4 Million, Vitoria Guimaraes – Only appeared in 2 league games and hasn’t yet acclimatized to the English game. I will reserve judgement on him as he still young but he has to up his game or may face an exit from Old Trafford in the future.
Anders Lindegaard, £3.5 Million, Aalesunds – Hasn’t featured in the league yet.
Javier Hernandez
Next Season?
Man Utd have a strong spine to their team but need to strengthen positions as players look toward retirement. With Edwin Van Der Sar’s imminent retirement, a new goalkeeper is a must and Atletico’s David De Gea has been earmarked as his successor. With Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs in the twilight of their careers, Wesley Sniejder has been touted as a potential signing, along with Luke Young, Gareth Bale and Luka Modric.
David De Gea
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Newcastle United
Season round-up
It’s been a strange season at St. James’ Park. With the departure of popular manager, Chris Hughton and then the sale of Andy Carroll, without signing a replacement, Newcastle’s season may have ended a lot worse than their 12th place finish. Newcastle’s finest performances of the season were over rivals Sunderland, where they ran out 5-1 and the entertaining 4-4 draw with Arsenal.
Key-player
Kevin Nolan – Nolan, Newcastle’s captain, was an ever-present feature in Newcastle’s midfield throughout the season, missing only 8 games. He aided the Magpies cause with 12 goals, finishing as their top scorer. He was criticized for congratulating Andy Carroll on his move to Liverpool but has reaffirmed himself in Newcastle fans eyes, with a number of top quality performances.
Honourable Mentions
Joey Barton, Jonas Gutierrez, Jose Enrique
Key signings
Cheik Tiote, Undisc. FC Twente – Played very well in his first season in England and has already attracted interested from Arsenal and several other clubs. His only goal of the season was his memorable strike against Arsenal, bringing the score to 4-4. His discipline has caused him to miss a few games as he picked up 14 yellow cards through the season.
Dan Gosling, Free, Everton – Gosling has been unfortunate with injury and only played for 1 minute of the entire season.
James Perch, Undisc. Nottingham Forest – Started the first 8 games of the season but suffered an injury which limited him to only 5 more appearances through the season.
Sol Campbell, Free, Arsenal – Only made 7 appearances for the Magpies as he struggled for fitness and form and has since been released.
Hatem Ben Arfa, £6 Million, Marseille – Looked impressive in his first 4 games until a broken leg suffered at the hands of Nigel De Jong. He managed a goal in this time which was clearly enough to persuade Newcastle to make his initial loan move permanent.
Stephen Ireland, Loan, Man City – Only managed 2 appearances and will return to Villa at the end of the season.
Shefki Kuqi, Free, Unattached – Was signed after the sale of Andy Carroll to bolster Newcastle’s attacking options. Made 6 appearances all from the bench and has since been released.
Hatem Ben Arfa
Next Season?
Newcastle will look to consolidate after their return to the Premiership last year. Alan Pardew will hope Mike Ashley will make some of the Andy Carroll money available to invest in some of their weaker areas, a centre-back and a quality striker will need to be looked at. Former player, Charles N’Zogbia has been touted for a return to St. James' Park, as well as Brazilian striker, Adriano who is currently without a club and would be available on a free transfer. Relegated Birmingham’s Sebastian Larsson is also linked.
Adriano
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Stoke City
Season round-up
The Potters had a good season under Tony Pulis and have quickly established themselves as a strong Premiership side, after their 3rd season at the top level. They have qualified for the Europa League after their FA Cup exploits and will look to bring better players to complement their already combative squad. Their midfield was especially impressive and Jermaine Pennant and Matty Etherington have provided creative outlets for their strikers, with Rory Delap and Glenn Whelan also playing well.
Key-player
Robert Huth – The strong defender played nearly all Stokes games this season and only missed 3, due to injury and suspension. He also managed 6 goals, an impressive return for a centre back as well as 3 assists.
Honourable Mentions
Matty Etherington, Kenwyne Jones, Jonathan Walters
Key singings
Jonathan Walters, £2.75 Million, Ipswich – Walters has featured in all but one of the Potters games this season and finished the season with 6 goals and 3 assists. Stoke fans will be pleased with Walters performances over the season.
Carlo Nash, Free, Everton – Nash is the third choice keeper, behind Asmir Begovic and Thomas Sorensen and hasn’t featured.
Kenwnye Jones, £8 Million, Sunderland – With 9 goals, Jones finished as Stokes top scores and featured in all but 4 games. Jones’ form has impressed Stoke fans with his high work ethic and ability.
Eidur Gudjohnsen, Free, Monaco – Only made four appearances for Stoke and has since moved to Fulham on loan. Gudjohnsen did not score a single goal all season.
Jermaine Pennant, £2.8 Million, Real Zaragoza – Has silenced many critics this season with his impressive performances, which saw him score 3 and create 7. Stoke made his initial loan move permanent in January after his exciting form.
Marc Wilson, Undisc. Portsmouth – Started slowly but has played every minute of every game since February and will look to establish himself next season in Stokes creative midfield.
John Carew, Loan, Aston Villa - While Carew only scored one goal since his loan move from Aston Villa, his performances may have done enough to secure a permanent move to the Britannia Stadium.
Jermaine Pennant
Next Season?
Stoke have played very well this season and may look to consolidate the squad they already have during the summer transfer window. John Carew’s loan move may be made permanent and they have also been linked with his Villa teammate, Stephen Warnock. Leeds striker Robert Snodgrass has also been suggested as a transfer target.
Stephen Warnock
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Sunderland
Season round-up
Despite a wonderful start to the season, that included a memorable 3-0 at Stamford Bridge, The Black Cats end of season form almost saw them drawn into a relegation battle. After losing both Kenwyne Jones and Darren Bent, as well as injuries to Frazier Campbell and Craig Gordon, Sunderland were missing key members of their squad at vital times of the season. Sunderland finished in 10th position but will look to maintain their early season form over 38 games next year.
Key-player
Jordan Henderson – The local boy played in all but one game this season and scored 3 goals, adding to the cause with 5 assists. It was his determination and ability that has endeared him to the Stadium of Light faithful and with Man Utd reportedly interested, they may face difficulties keeping hold of him next season.
Honourable Mentions
Phillip Bardsley, Asamoah Gyan, Ahmed Elmohamady
Key signings
Titus Bramble, £1 Million, Wigan – Played well in the 23 games he featured in, looking solid. His season was ended in early April due to injury and will already be looking forward to next season.
Cristian Riveros, Undisc. Cruz Azul – Scored one goal in the fleeting appearances he has made as he struggles to adapt to the English game.
Simon Mignolet, £2 Million, Sint Truidense – Played more games than most expected due to the injuries suffered by Craig Gordon and has looked a solid keeper. Gordon may struggle to regain his first team spot next season.
Ahmed Elmohamady, Loan, ENPPI – Has adapted quickly to the English game and looks a very good player. While he hasn’t found the score sheet this season, he has contributed with 3 assists and looks threatening on the wing. Sunderland are rumoured to be interested in making his loan move permanent next season.
Marcos Angeleri, £2 Million, Estudiantes – Has only made 2 appearances for Sunderland this season and suffered a knee injury in January that put him out for the season. He will be looking to make a bigger impact for the Black Cats next season.
Danny Welbeck, Loan, Man Utd – Played very well at the start of the season but was ruled out with a hamstring injury in April. Welbeck was inspiring during the 3-0 victory over Chelsea and added to his teams cause with 6 goals and one assist.
John Mensah, Loan, Lyon – Featured fairly heavily in Sunderland’s end-of-season run-in, but was ruled out by injury and has been told he will not be returning to the Stadium of Light next season.
Asamoah Gyan, £13 Million, Rennes – Finished the season as Sunderland’s top scorer with 10 league goals and 5 assists. Sunderland will hope to keep him at the Stadium of Light with interest from Spain and Italy.
Sulley Muntari, Loan, Inter Milan – Featured fairly heavily in Sunderland’s final season run-in, but was ruled out by injury and has been told he will not be returning to the Stadium of Light next season.
Stephane Sessegnon, £6 Million, PSG – Was an instant success at the Stadium of Light with his vital goals and assists. He featured in every game since his signing from Paris St. Germain, starting all but one game.
Danny Welbeck
Next Season?
The Black Cats have been linked with a number of players who they feel can bolster their squad in order to try to maintain the form they showed in glimpses this season. A permanent move for Danny Welbeck has been already been ruled out by Sir Alex Ferguson, but moves for David Vaughan, Sebastian Larsson and Charles N’Zogbia are all potential, as well as move for highly-rated Loreint striker Kevin Gameiro.
Kevin Gameiro
