The Loan Zone (By VELA)

(The following article is just the views of the writer and not necessarily of the Blog owner or anyine else.)

Well, in the season 2009-2010....Chelsea have had some promising young players on loan. The dilemma now is, whether they should get back to Chelsea or continue their loan spells.

The players currently out on loan are;
(1)Slobodan Rajković (on loan at Twente)
(2)Franco Di Santo (on loan at Blackburn Rovers)
(3)Scott Sinclair (on loan at Wigan Athletic)
(4)Michael Mancienne (on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers)
(5)Miroslav Stoch (on loan at Twente)
(6)Ben Gordon (on loan at Tranmere Rovers)
(7)Ryan Bertrand (on loan at Reading)
(8)Jack Cork (on loan at Burnley)

Players like Slobodan Rajković, Franco Di Santo, Scott Sinclair and Ben Gordon should be sent on loan in the Championship. This thought doesn't come from me thinking that they can't cut the grade in EPL...but I think so beacuse in Championship, the teams tend to have players of lesser quality. Which makes it easier for the guys on loan to start more matches, which will help build their confidence and grow their game.

Slobodan Rajković has played 21 games for Twente and also scored a goal (at the time of writing this) which isn't a bad thing. He is 6ft 3in tall, and very good in the air. Such qualities are always welcomed in a defender and if he goes out on loan in England...we'll know where he actually stands.

Franco Di Santo has played 21 times for Blackburn and scored a solitary goal. Same as Slobodan Rajković, he needs more game time and also start every match. He'll only get better from here.

Scott Sinclair and Ben Gordon are also bright prospects. Ben Gordon might get back to the club, but Scott Sinclair is a very good prospect for wing play and he really can make it big if he gets to play more. He's played 17 times for Wigan and score one goal.

Miroslav Stoch. The hot prospect in Holland. The jewel in the crown of Twente, is a Chelsea player on a season long loan there. A player who can play on both the wings, he's been a revelation since he shifted his base on a temporary basis to Holland. He's score 9 goals in 31 appearances for Twente. He prefers playing on the left, and based upon Malouda's stunning form....he will become second choice if he returns to Chelsea. If his patience levels are high and he doesn't expect to play every game, Malouda can be his perfect teacher. But if he prefers for more play time, I think it's time he tried his hand in EPL. A loan deal for a few months to a club like Wolves or Stoke or Newcastle or West Brom (teams which use wing play) will do him good.

Jack Cork. A young midfield master. He should probably stay back at Chelsea next season and learn off from the aging Lampard. None better to teach him than Lampsy. Given Carlo's ability to mould young players (like Kaka and Pato at Milan) he might develop more, now that he had a spell at an EPL club, Burley. And he's impressed whenever he took the field. A hard tackler, he'll be a kid to watch.

Ryan Bertrand. A good Left Back. Our club's filled with good LBs now, strangely. We got Ashley, Yuri and Patrick Van Aanholt. And this fella Ryan....currently on loan at Reading. A large chunk of reading avaoding relegation and almost in contention for the play offs goes to the Reading defence, where Ryan is stationed on the left. Great defensively and improving vastly with attacking play, he is one to look out for the future. Another season on loan will do the kid a lot of favour, as he himself said in an interview. True. In a team like our's where Yuri, an international, plays second fiddle to Ashley it's difficult for him to get chances on a regular basis.

Mancienne. Well, he can be called a younger version of Juliano Belleti, who himself is set to leave the club in the summer on a free transfer. England U-21 international. 6 ft 1/2 in. Versatile. He can play as a Center Back, Right Back and also as a CDM. In his recent loan spell at Wolves, he shifted from CB and played at CDM for majority of the campaign. he has been a good shield for the back for of wolves and his manager Mick admitted his liking for the versatility of Mancienne. With Essien having the ability to play anywhere in the midfield and Mikel improving as a CDM coupled with Belleti's departure, Mancienne might just as well be a second choice CDM. Just a thought. He ought to get back to Chelsea after an year's experience in the top flight.

(Comments from you readers will be gladly welcomed.)

Twist of ankle, twist of fate (By VELA)

JUST one twist of the ankle can turn Manchester United's season upside down. If only Sir Alex Ferguson can wield as much power with a wave of his hand. If Wayne Rooney's crocked, then Man United's trophy hopes are rocked. Hard.

Can anyone really see the Red Devils marching on to the English Premiership or Champions League title without their most influential player of the season?

Can Man United keep up their goal-scoring rate without their most prolific goal-getter?

The laborious team performance against Bayern Munich is a timely warning. The Bayern coach said before the first leg quarter-final, that Man Utd depend majorly on Rooney. Their second highest goal scorer was one 'Mr.Own-Goal'...well atleast before Berbaflop scored two against Bolton.

It is not how good you can play, but how well you raise your game when the chips are down that can determine success or failure. It also highlights the importance of Rooney to Man United, after an awkward landing saw him limp off the field. Not only are the Man United fans sweating over his fitness, the whole of England are also praying hard for their talisman to recover in time for the World Cup in South Africa.

The race against time is on.

Without Rooney in attack, the Red Devils look all at sea.

Michael Owen (hamstring) and Danny Welbeck (knee) have been ruled out for the season.

Youngsters Mame Biram Diouf and Federico Macheda could crumble under the intense pressure.

That leaves Dimitar Berbatov, who is hardly a ready-made replacement. Red Devils faithful are justifying saying Berbatov scored thrice as many goals this season as he did last season. Really? 30 million for a efcombined goall tally of almost 20 goals in two seasons? If it was some 30 million striker Chelsea had bought, people and the press would have come calling on our backs saying Roman is throwing cash and that we are just a rich club without a desire to play football.

Heck! Malouda has scored 11 and Lampard has scored a phenomenal 17.

Compare both club's second choice strikers. (Anelka is not exactly second choice, but for the debate...let him be one.)
Anelka has scored 9 and Berbatov 12. Assists wise, Anelka has 9 to his name and Berba has 6. Anelka has more than expertly held his cool during the absence of Drogba. Look at the time during African Cup of Nations. Or more recently, the 7-1 demolition of Aston Villa.

Man United haven't looked so lost since the immediate aftermath of Cristiano's Ronaldo's departure.

Gosh, even Tevez is banging in goals for fun. One must imagine SAF's thoughts, and regrets, over not keeping hold of him.

Saha, who was let off by SAF because he was 'past his playing days', now has 13 goals to his name.

If that doesn't make Man United a one-man team, what does?