With his last minute strike against Sunderland, Gareth Bale hit a massive 21 goals this season in the Premier League for Spurs.

The former winger has benefited from his switch to a central position this season, but his last four goals have all come after being moved out to the right side of Spurs’ 4-2-3-1 formation. Whether this has been for the full 90 minutes or mid-match, he has profited from being moved out of the middle where the space has often become congested.

Gareth Bale is a much better player when he has the ball at his feet and can run at the opposition than he is with his back to goal. Teams that have faced Tottenham have figured this out and are deploying additional bodies in the centre accordingly. This has meant that when Bale has been switched to the right, he has had much more freedom and can face-up to goal.

Gareth Bale against Man City

The match may have finished with a comfortable Spurs victory, but the Citizens were looking solid at half time. A goal up and controlling the game through their use of Gareth Barry and Yaya Toure, the pair sat in front of their back four to break up the flow of the match.

In the first half, Gareth Bale saw plenty of the ball, but apart from a tame long-range shot, he was kept well away from goal by City’s deep central duo.

Gareth Bale passes received and shots, Spurs vs Man City 1st half.

In the second period, Andre Villas-Boas shifted to a 4-3-3. He brought Lewis Holtby on to play in the middle, Bale moved out to the right, whilst Clint Dempsey went across to his preferred position on the left.

This saw Gareth Bale get more space to work in now that he had escaped the attentions of Gareth Barry and Yaya Toure in the centre.

Having not previously received a pass even near the City box, he was now getting the ball much closer to, and even inside, the area. He was able to fire three shots from cutting inside from his starting position on the right.

Gareth Bale passes received and shots, Spurs vs Man City 2nd half.

The move opened up Spurs’ attack, but also the Citizen’s defence.

Bale got in behind Gael Clichy, as he crossed the ball for Clint Dempsey to equalise – the switch also benefited the American who was previously looking out of place on the right.

Gareth Bale creates from the right for Clint Dempsey.

Then he streaked through on to Tom Huddlestone’s pass, as he got in-behind Clichy once more.

Tom Huddlestone finds Gareth Bale streaking in-behind from the right.

Tottenham’s three goals in six minutes swung the match against Man CIty and were vital in keeping Spurs’ hopes of a Champions League place alive. Although Tottenham eventually failed to make it, they look a good bet to return to Europe’s elite competition next season. Andre Villas-Boas has the side going in the right direction and after an impressive first season, getting on them early with FREEbets.org.uk could well prove fruitful.

Gareth Bale against Wigan

Andre Villas-Boas continued with 4-3-3 a week later at the DW stadium. Gareth Bale and Clint Dempsey continued to flank the diminutive Jermain Defoe in the same front three that he finished the match with Man City.

Continuing on the right meant that the Welshman escaped the Wigan pair of McArthur and McCarthy who were playing in front of a re-jigged back four.

The switch to the right allowed him to move away from this pairing and receive the ball facing up to goal, rather than with his back to it. Whilst he was getting the ball wide on the right in the midfield zone, he was cutting inside and able to fire shots across goal. His out-to-in movement, playing as an inverted forward, also allowed him to get up in to the box to receive the ball.

Gareth Bale passes received and shots, Wigan vs Spurs.

He may have scored from a fortunate deflection as he blocked goalkeeper Joel Robles kick, but he was also on hand to deflect the equaliser in off Emerson Boyce. That made it two goals in two games when permanently moved out to the right.

Gareth Bale against Southampton

Gareth Bale was restored to his central role as a number ten, but once again ran in to congestion in the middle of the park. Steven Davis and Jack Cork occupied this zone for the Saints, with Cork given the task of tracking him. This forced Bale out of the centre and towards the left flank with play heavily going down this side.

After 60 minutes and with Spurs requiring the points, Andre Villas-Boas brought on Emmanuel Adebayor and moved Gareth Bale out to the right. The switch meant that he now escaped the attentions of Cork, but could also isolate himself one-on-one with full back Luke Shaw.

Gareth Bale passes received 0-60 minutes (left) and 61-90 minutes (right).

The move would prove pivotal, as Bale received the ball on the right in 1v1 coverage.

Lewis Holtby ran Jack Cork towards goal, allowing the Welshman to drive inside on his left foot towards the middle. With defenders now closing, he fired an unstoppable shot past goalkeeper Artur Boruc.

Gareth Bale cuts inside from the right to unleash a left-footed thunderbolt.

The switch to move Gareth Bale to the right had once again paid dividends with another” massive win” in Tottenham’s chase for a Champions League place.

Gareth Bale against Sunderland

Spurs’ match with Sunderland on the weekend saw Bale once again start in the centre, but in the first half, he often altered positions with Aaron Lennon and Clint Dempsey. With the Black Cats sitting deeper, the Welshman saw little of the ball; his most notable highlight was being hauled down by Sebastien Larsson, and then be booked for diving.

After the interval, Andre Villas-Boas switched Bale back to a permanent role on the right. The Welshman saw more of the ball and got further up the pitch. Seven of his nine shots at goal came after the move, as he was able to cut inside on to his trusty left foot.

Gareth Bale passes received and shots, Spurs vs Sunderland 2nd half.

That included his winning goal, which had a similar look to his strike in the previous home match with Southampton.

Bale was able to isolate Adam Mitchell one-on-one this time and with Jack Colback slow to help, he cut inside and released another thunderbolt in to the top corner.

Gareth Bale isolates Adam Mitchell 1v1 this time.

The goal would once more win the game and add more fuel to the argument that Gareth Bale might just be better playing as an inverted winger on the right.

Is Gareth Bale better on the right for Spurs?

Gareth Bale has done well as a number ten, but with teams now wise of how to play him here, he has shown increasingly good form on the right.

In the games where he has played on the right, it has worked. Bale has been able to cut inside on to his trusty left foot and get shots away, very much in the manner that Andre Villas-Boas used Hulk for at Porto. The goals have flowed, very much as they did for the Brazilian.

Playing Gareth Bale on the right may just be the answer to Spurs’ recent problems of width. It may also be the solution against teams who are looking to crowd him out in the centre.

Is Gareth Bale better on the right for Spurs? | Football Follower

When watching Premier League matches, it can appear that some teams are more wasteful than others when it comes to taking their chances.

This, for many sides, can be the difference between taking all three points in a match or simply none at all.

So, just who has been the most wasteful team in front of goal in the Premier League this season?

Who creates the chances?

First off we need to look at which teams are fashioning the most chances in their Premier League matches.

According to OPTA, Liverpool have lead the way this season, creating a scoring chance every 5 minutes, with Spurs just behind at every 5.2 minutes.

Man City come in next (5.4 mins), followed by Everton (5.6 mins), Chelsea (5.7 mins), Arsenal (6 mins) and then surprisingly Man Utd (6.3 mins).

Strugglers Southampton (7 minutes) also generate a fair few chances, as do a recently improved Newcastle side.

At the other end of the scale, Reading have been creating the fewest opportunities, with counter-attacking Stoke and Norwich just above them. Creating chances is only the first step when identifying how wasteful a team is though.

Accurate shooters

Whilst frequency has a part to do with how wasteful a team can be in front of goal, accuracy also has a large part to play.

Top sellers of tickets for the Premier League, Man Utd, may only be sixth in creating scoring chances, but the secret to their success this season has been their accurate shooting.

Spurs were second in generating opportunities and they have also been on point when it comes to hitting the target with their efforts

Fulham, who were fourteenth in generating chances are the third most accurate side. Whilst Man City also feature highly again, as do Chelsea and Arsenal.

Liverpool were creating the most chances, but have been the least accurate. An initial sign that they may be the most wasteful side in the Premier League, but we have more factors to consider first.

Reading, Aston Villa and Stoke were not creating chances and also find themselves at the foot of the accuracy table as well, not a good combination, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are wasteful.

Everton and Southampton are the other sides that see a big fall off from creating plenty of chances compared to being accurate.

Premier League goal converters

Goal conversion is also a valuable factor to consider when looking at the most wasteful teams in front of goal.

Man Utd lead the way once again, with their accurate shooting turning in to goals, but Reading surprisingly sneak in to second.

Chelsea and Arsenal are once again up there; proving that creating chances and being accurate pays off. Fulham’s accurate shooting is also testament to their good conversion of chances in to goals.

Man City were creating chances and being accurate with their shots, but their mid table goal conversion is one of the reasons behind their inability to sustain a title challenge this season.

Liverpool are also in the middle of the pack, but this is due to their wayward shooting. If they could turn this around, their goal conversion would be considerably higher.

At the other end, bottom club QPR have the worst goal conversion, which is a big reason behind their struggles this season. Another inaccurate side, West Ham, also have struggled to turn chances in to goals, as have Stoke and Norwich.

More surprisingly, Everton are once again a faller after creating chances, but being less accurate when it comes to hitting the target.

The biggest drop though is Spurs who are creating chances and being accurate, but just not converting that in to goals. Their strikers have failed to fire with consistency for large parts of the season and this is reflected in their poor goal conversion.

Who is the most wasteful team in the Premier League?

Spurs have to be the most wasteful team in the Premier League this season. Fans who buy football tickets for the Lilywhites see their team creating the second highest number of chances. They also see them hit the target with regularity, but fail to turn these chances in to goals.

Who is the Premier League’s most wasteful team in front of goal? | Football Follower

This guest post is by Mark of Spurs Fanatic

After sitting out much of the summer and a chunk of the season so far, Saturday saw Scott Parker get his first significant shift in the Premier League. A week on from starting against Coventry in the FA Cup, Parker’s timely return came unfortunately when Sandro had to depart.

Parker played for 65 minutes in the midfield alongside Moussa Dembele and showed some of the steal we saw last season, but also some signs that he can adapt to what AVB wants this.

Some things don’t change

Last season, Scott Parker was in Harry Redknapp’s side for his terrier like qualities to hunt the ball down, win it back and then move it to a playmaker in Modric, van der Vaart or Bale.

Andre Villas-Boas also requires this from his central midfield duo and against QPR, although he only played 65 minutes, Scott Parker looked a solid defensive force.

Our number eight was buzzing around with his usual high-energy game, making a perfect five out of five tackles and a whopping eight interceptions.

Scott Parker was excellent at recovering the ball against QPR.

The nature of the new coach’s pressing game can be seen from the location of his challenges. Not only are three of his five tackles in the opposition half, but he also intercepts the ball up around halfway and in to QPR territory.

AVB requires Scott Parker to be more forward thinking

But it’s not just the tenacious defensive side that Scott Parker needs to bring if he’s to play for Andre Villas-Boas. The manager also requires that his midfielders can move forward and instigate attacks.

That is what the new manager is all about, quick transitions. When the opposition play is broken down through pressing or a challenge, the ball is swiftly moved forward and the midfielders have to be part of this.

Sandro has had to adapt his game this season to prove that he is more than a defensive machine. The Brazilian’s swashbuckling style may see him win 3.3 tackles per game and make 3.6 interceptions, but his 23 chances created is more than double his tally last term. Under Harry Redknapp, Sandro was creating a chance every 133 minutes on pitch, this season he is creating an opportunity for a teammate every 81 minutes.

This has led to Sandro providing a goal and two assists already this term, whereas he didn’t register in either category in the last campaign.

The early signs that Scott Parker can also adapt to this new role have been promising. Although we failed to break down a stubborn QPR side, Parker stepped in as Sandro limped off and looked to move the ball quickly in transition after winning it back.

He was also getting up the field and attempting to play in more attacking balls to the forwards. If we look at his passing chart from the game and compare it to his one against QPR at Loftus Road for Harry Redknapp we can see the difference in styles.

Last season, Scott Parker does the bulk of his work with the ball in and around the centre circle. The area he covers is very central and defined. In terms of his passing, he does try a through ball from a deep midfield position, which is unsuccessful. He also makes a couple of passes down the inside right channel along the side of the area.

Scott Parker playing for Harry Redknapp against QPR last season.

If we compare that game to Saturday’s match, we can see first of all how much more ground he covers, as he moves the ball more directly out to the left and right. Andre Villas-Boas likes the team to switch the point of the attack more quickly than Harry Redknapp.

We can also see Scott Parker attempting a number of more direct through passes in to the penalty area or to the edge of the box. This is again from Andre Villas-Boas’ preference for a more direct style.

Scott Parker plays more aggressive passes under AVB.

He attempts six more passes in this match against QPR than he did in last season’s clash playing under Harry Redknapp. In that game, as you can see above, 47% of his passes were forward and 35% square. This time 60% of his passes are forward and only 14% are square, indicating a shift towards a more vertical passing game under the new coach.

Can Scott Parker change his game for Spurs?

The early signs that Scott Parker can change to what Andre Villas-Boas requires from his central midfielders are promising.

Parker has played a more attack-minded role when at Charlton, Newcastle and in his last season with West Ham where he scored five times, whilst also adding three assists.

If we look at a couple of those games from his last campaign with the Hammers, we can see how Parker could succeed where he has to move the ball with more purpose.

Scott Parker covered more ground and played aggressive passes for West Ham.

In both matches he covers a great deal of ground and gets forward, which is much more than last season at Spurs for Harry Redknapp. That’s not to say he wasn’t excellent in the terrier type role that Redknapp wanted him for. It was just that playing attacking passes and moving up the field wasn’t needed from him. That was left to the creative talents of Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart.

In both of those matches for the Hammers, he is also a lot more aggressive in his play with the ball. He looks to move it wide on the diagonal to his wingers, whilst also hitting passes down the channels towards or in to the penalty area.

It is these types of purposeful forward balls that he is going to have to play more of, if he is going to succeed in a quick transition game.

Sandro has had to adapt this season for the new manager and has been a revelation. Scott Parker will also have to alter his game if he is to succeed under Andre Villas-Boas, but it’s not as if he hasn’t played a more purposeful style before.

We may just get to see a bit more of the attacking side of Scott Parker this campaign.

Spurs Fanatic is a blog that analyses the Tottenham team, formation and players. You can read more of their Spurs Blog here or follow Spurs Fanatic on Twitter.

Can Scott Parker change his game for Spurs? | Football Follower

Although in recent times the top football clubs have found many other sources of income, shirt sponsorship deals are still a major source of money for most of them. This means that the clubs are always looking for better deals and – although it often takes second place to transfer rumours – there is always speculation about deals floating around. One such rumour suggests that a club would represent a real prize for any potential sponsor, could be set for a new team-up with what many gamblers claim is the UK mobile casino, Jackpot City.

If this does turn out to be true, it will be the latest in a number of recent instances of gambling sites sponsoring Premier League teams – which is not surprising. After all, alongside football, gambling is one of the forms of entertainment which has not just survived the digital revolution, but thrived. Much of this is down to the development of online gambling options such as the Jackpot City one, and thus it would seem to make sense for these two expanding industries to find ways of joining forces.

Furthermore, football and gambling have always been linked to some extent, as many supporters enjoy sports betting, while horse racing and casino games like poker have often been used by the players to unwind. Sites like Jackpot City have already recognised that football supporters who enjoy sports betting would also probably enjoy casino games – especially ones that have been given a football flavour – and this has driven the development of slots games like Shoot which are found at the Jackpot City site.

Thus clearly there is already a great deal of crossover potential between gambling and football making the comparative lack of high profile casino sponsors of top clubs quite surprising. If the deal with Jackpot City proved to be true it probably wouldn’t be the last such link-up to take place, and even if it doesn’t it is probably only a matter of time until we see more crossovers between these two industries.

Is Jackpot City set to be the next sponsor for the premiership? | Football Follower

The Europa League group stages draw to a close on Thursday with many spots still up for grabs in the knockout phase. Twenty-four teams will advance from the twelve groups, to be joined by eight from the Champions League to make up the last thirty-two. As such, the Europa League betting for final round of matches throws up some ties with excellent value.

Young Boys and Liverpool are neck and neck on seven points behind Anzhi who have all but qualified in Group A. The improving Swiss side host the Russians and are good value for the win at 11/8, while Liverpool travel to Udinese and a draw which is available at 11/4 is a decent bet.

Europa League Group E sees a three way shoot out for the top-two qualifying spots. Stuttgart are in third, but host bottom side Molde, who they should beat comfortably.

As the German side hold the tiebreaker with both Steaua and FC Copenhagen above them, it means that the Danes have to win and the Romanians require at least a draw from their pivotal clash.

Steaua won 1-0 in Bucharest, so a loss here and they could be out if Copenhagen score more than one. The draw at 11/4 seems like a good bet with qualification hanging in the balance for both teams.

In Europa League group G, its down to a straight shoot out to qualify between Videoton and FC Basel. Both teams face tricky away trips, but while the Swiss side travel to group leaders Genk, the Hungarians go to bottom side Sporting. Videoton at 9/2 may just be some decent value having beaten their Portuguese hosts 3-0 in Hungary.

Tottenham and Panathinaikos meet at White Hart Lane to decide who will join Lazio in the Europa League knockout stages. The match in Athens finished Panathinaikos 1 Spurs 1, but Tottenham were much the better side throughout the 90 minutes.

The English club controlled possession and outshot their hosts on the night, only to concede a late equaliser. They are 1/4 to win here, but to be winning at half time and full time at 5/6 may be a better bet.

It’s certainly going to be an exciting final night of action in the Europa League!

Europa League group stages go down to the wire | Football Follower

Marouane Fellaini was more of a midfield stopper than offensive battering ram last season whilst Everton had Tim Cahill in the line-up.

Towards the end of their last Premier League campaign, Cahill was struggling with injury. Marouane Fellaini was moved in to his position in the hole behind Nikica Jelavic and it paid dividends straight away.

His first match as the advanced midfielder in David Moyes’ 4-4-1-1 system saw him score in the 4-4 draw at Old Trafford to dent Man Utd’s title hopes. With Cahill’s move to New York, it looks as if Marouane Fellaini will be Everton’s new man in the hole this season, just as highlighted in my fantasy football tips guide.

The 1.94m Belgian was causing grief to Man Utd once again, as Everton got their season off to a flying start with a 1-0 win over the Red Devils.

Marouane Fellaini playing with Tim Cahill

Last season, with Tim Cahill sitting in the advanced midfield role in David Moyes’ 4-4-4-1-1 system, Marouane Fellaini had to settle for a deeper central role. This saw him as a ball winner and facilitator of play for the Everton midfield.

If we look at a match from last season when both were in the line-up against Spurs, we can see how Tim Cahill is the focus for long balls from the back.

Tim Cahill is the focus for long balls.

Marouane Fellaini only receives two long passes to take advantage of his aerial ability, as Everton utilise his movement in the middle of the park and good ground passing.

He receives the ball just three times in the box and none of these passes are crosses where he can use his height.

Marouane Fellaini is utilised deeper in the formation.

If we also look at Everton’s 2-0 home win over Chelsea, we can see the same thing happening. Tim Cahill is the focus for long kicks by Tim Howard and the defence, whilst Marouane Fellaini operates deep within the midfield.

Tim Cahill is the focus for long balls in his advanced role in Everton’s 4-4-1-1 system.

Marouane Fellaini is let off the leash at Old Trafford

With Tim Cahill coming back from injury, the Australian was only fit to be a substitute at Old Trafford. As a result, David Moyes moved Marouane Fellaini in to the advance role behind Nikica Jelavic.

Everton went for Fellaini, as they barraged the Man Utd defence with long balls, as the Belgian receives a whopping 59 passes in the match. He scores from a Tony Hibbert cross, highlighted by the yellow line.

Marouane Fellaini becomes the focal point for long balls.

Receiving all these long passes allows him to win the ball and knock it down for the likes of Steven Pienaar and Leon Osman to instigate attacks. Fellaini not only scored a goal in the game, but also created one for Pienaar.

Marouane Fellaini can set up Everton attacks by winning knock-downs.

Marouane Fellaini does it again at Goodison

David Moyes definitely learned from what Everton did to Man Utd at Old Trafford last season. The Scot rolled out the same line-up with Darron Gibson and Phil Neville at the base of his midfield and made Marouane Fellaini the focus of the attack.

The Belgian again receives a massive 53 passes, again being the focus for kicks from Tim Howard and crosses in to the box.

He scores again, this time from a Darron Gibson corner as he out-jumps Michael Carrick, highlighted by the yellow line.

Marouane Fellaini is the focus for long balls and crosses, scoring from a corner.

His dominance of high balls also allows him to bring the other midfielders in to play, especially by winning 3 knock downs to create chances in the box.

He wasn’t just winning high balls though, he was also utilising his good range of ground passing to become a duel threat in the middle of the park.

Marouane Fellaini wins the knock-downs, but can also pass.

Marouane Fellaini has given us glimpses of his attacking prowess in seasons past. In the 2008/9 season, he deputised for Tim Cahill when the Australian was out injured and he netted 8 goals throughout the campaign.

He gave David Moyes more food for thought when he played behind Nikica Jelavic last season, as Everton came back for a 4-4 draw at Old Trafford.

This campaign, with Tim Cahill having moved on, Marouane Fellaini will be the new focal point for winning the aerial duels and arriving for late headers in the box. He will also be able to use his good range of ground passing further up the pitch to probe balls for Nikica Jelavic.

The midfield move of Marouane Fellaini gets more from him and benefits the Everton team. He is most definitely going to be a handful for opposition defences this season.

How a midfield move gets more from Marouane Fellaini at Everton | Football Follower

Blackburn Rovers may not have had a good season last year, but Junior Hoilett certainly did.

The Canadian born Hoilett struck seven goals and added five assists, as he had his best Premier League season since arriving on these shores in 2007.

His contract at Blackburn ran out this summer and QPR snapped up the Ewood ace.

Hoilett will not only bring his speed, dribbling and eye for a goal to Mark Hughes’ side, but more importantly, he will bring his versatility.

Junior Hoilett showed last season at Blackburn the he is very capable playing out wide, but he can also play more centrally off of a traditional number nine.

Junior Hoilett out wide

Junior Hoilett spent much of his time at Blackburn playing out wide on the left. The Canadian provided plenty of width for Steve Kean’s side, utilising his speed and dribbling to go past opposition fullbacks.

If we take a look at some of his performances using Stats Zone we can see that Blackburn like to get him the ball out wide, midway inside the opposition half.

When Blackburn travelled to Norwich, Rovers went with a 4-4-1-1 formation. Mauro Formica played in a number ten role off of Yakubu operating as a traditional number nine.

Junior Hoilett was out on the left in the formation and Rovers heavily utilised this side to attack, making 43% of their forays forward down his side.

Blackburn attack heavily down the left through Junior Hoilett

When he is out wide, Rovers like to get the ball to Junior Hoilett midway inside the opposition half so that he has space to go at the opposition full back. The Canadian receives the ball consistently in this area, rarely in behind the opposition fullback and only occasionally comes inside.

Junior Hoilett receives the ball frequently out wide, midway inside the Norwich half.

When he did come inside though, his only shot of the game whistled in to the top corner of the Norwich goal.

Junior Hoilett fires a goal from cutting inside from the left wing.

A few weeks later against Wigan, Blackburn again lined up in a 4-4-1-1 formation with David Dunn this time playing in the number ten role off Yakubu.

Rovers had Junior Hoilett out on the left and this flank was once more the focus of their attack 37% of the time.

Blackburn attack Wigan down the left through Junior Hoilett.

The Canadian again looks to receive the ball out wide, midway inside the opposition half so he can attack the full back. He rarely comes inside looking to pick up the ball more centrally.

Junior Hoilett receives the ball in that pocket midway in the Wigan half.

When he did come inside though, he is able to score from a Morten Gamst Pedersen cross after a controversial corner with Yakubu.

Junior Hoilett scores from a central area against Wigan.

Junior Hoilett playing off a central striker

At the start of March, Blackburn were struggling in the table and Steve Kean moved Junior Hoilett inside to play off of Yakubu as a second striker.

The move paid immediate dividends with the Canadian scoring three goals in his first two games at the position, highlighting his versatility in the formation.

In his first game playing off Yakubu away to Wolves, we can immediately see the balance he brought to the Blackburn attack. Rovers still focus on the left side 38% of the time, but now they utilise the right 32% of the time.

The main reason is that Junior Hoilett is now free to influence the play on both sides, giving the formation better balance.

Junior Hoilett operates from a central area and gives Blackburn more balance to its attack sides.

The play of Hoilett and Blackburn is now less predictable and he receives the ball more often than before, on both sides of the pitch and also more in the box.

Junior Hoilett now has freedom to roam.

The result is two goals, both scored in to the right hand side of the goal, almost on the same line.

Junior Hoilett finds the net twice.

In Blackburn’s next match they faced Sunderland and Junior Hoilett was again heavily involved, able to influence the play from his new central role.

Blackburn again had a much better balance to their formation, still favouring the left side 37% of the time to attack, but now going 29% down the right to keep the defence honest.

Blackburn have a better balance to their attack sides and formation.

Junior Hoilett is again given the freedom to pick up the ball in central areas and to move out left and right.

Junior Hoilett can move out to both sides of the pitch from his central role.

He gets four shots away in the match, which are again from an area to the left side of the box. One effort finds the net to right hand corner of the goal once more.

Junior Hoilett scores in the right corner from 1 of his 4 efforts.

How Mark Hughes might utilise Junior Hoilett at QPR

QPR started off the season playing a 4-4-2 or a 4-5-1 formation under manager Neil Warnock.

Since Mark Hughes arrived at Loftus Road, he has utilised his version of 4-3-3 and also experimented with a five-man midfield in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-4-1 formation.

QPR have an abundance of strikers right now with Bobby Zamora, Heidar Helguson, Andrew Johnson, Djibril Cisse, Jamie Mackie, Tommy Smith and DJ Campbell. In Adel Taarabt, they also have a very attack-minded player who can operate from the left or the middle of the park.

If Mark Hughes opts to go 4-3-3 then it will be difficult to see Junior Hoilett replacing Adel Taarabt on the left side of the front three if the manager wants to push the Moroccan forward. Hoilett could provide competition for Jamie Mackie for the right-sided role though, to create a front three of Taarabt, Zamora or Cisse and Hoilett.

Another option open to Hughes would be to bring Taarabt inside in to the central role of the three midfielders and to utilise Hoilett on the left. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him do this in order to take advantage of Taarabt’s driving runs and range of passing from a central area. It would also allow QPR to add a real dimension of speed to its formation.

If Hughes decides to go with a five-man midfield, whether it be 4-1-4-1 or 4-2-3-1, then Junior Hoilett could be deployed out on the left with Taarabt central or vice versa. Taarabt would be a better choice to play in the middle, but the two can switch positions in order to give defenders something else to think about. As we have seen at Blackburn, Hoilett can operate off of a central striker in a five-man midfield or out wide on the wing.

What isn’t sure just yet is how Mark Hughes will deploy his new Canadian signing this coming season. What is sure is that Junior Hoilett provides him with plenty of options due to his versatility to play out wide or off a central striker. This is the start of a big season for QPR!

What Junior Hoilett brings to QPR | Football Follower

Rooney, van Persie, Aguero, Mata, Bale all on the same team… Fantasy Football is back!

But you can’t afford all of them with your budget, so which star performers do you want and who will be the bargain players who score big?

With the new season just a few weeks a way and the Official Premier League game launched you can select the team of your dreams. With that, i’ve been putting the finishing touches to this season’s Fantasy Football Tips Guide 2012.

The guide, as always, is my personal and statistical analysis on all the teams and players in the Premier League and this season it is bigger and better than ever.

It takes all of the information that you read on the website to produce an all-in-one hints and tips manual that will allow you to put together an awesome team.

From Arsenal through to Wigan, the guide reviews and rates each team’s players and gives you tips on who will be the standout performers. Not just the star players, but also the bargains that slip through the net that you wished you’d brought when they were cheaper.

So if you’re looking to beat your mates or top your office super league, then my Fantasy Football Tips Guide 2012 will give you the edge.

Which players are primed for a breakout season? Who are the bargain buys? Which players have under-performed and are ready to bounce back?

It’s all contained in my personal 38-page guide to the new season, which you can download instantly now.

Get a head start on the competition and download your copy for just £2.50 by entering the discount code ‘earlybird‘ (normal price will be £5 after 17th August).

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Be ready for the new season!

Fantasy Football Tips Guide now available | Football Follower

Andre Santos arrived at Arsenal at the end of the transfer Window last summer in a £6.2 million deal from Fenerbahce.

The 29-year old Brazilian was in and out of the line-up with injuries last term, but scored twice for the Gunners in the Premier League.

His two goals apart though, Andre Santos has shown plenty of signs in his limited appearances that he is ready for a breakout season at Arsenal.

Andre Santos can shoot

Andre Santos may have only started ten Premier League matches for Arsenal last term, but he has shown he has an eye for a shot at goal.

The Brazilian left back in his time on pitch was taking a shot more frequently than any of his fellow defenders, including Thomas Vermaelen. He was also getting a shot away more frequently than Mikel Arteta, Alex Song and Thomas Rosicky amongst Arsenal’s midfielders.

Of the Gunners’ main starting eleven last season, only Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey and Gervinho were more frequent shooters than Andre Santos.

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Andre Santos only played 1012 minutes in the Premier League last season, but if he is able to stay healthy, he will provide Arsenal with an extra source of attack this term.

Amongst all Premier League defenders last season who had at least ten starts, only Aleksander Kolorov was a more frequent shooter (every 51 mins) than Andre Santos.

His accuracy needs to be worked on, as he is the least accurate of the Gunners’ top seven most frequent shooters, but he will improve on his two goals of last season.

Both his efforts that found the back of the net were fired from coming infield from his left-sided position, at a level straight up from the corner of the six yard box.

Andre Santos found the net twice for Arsenal from areas straight out from the left corner of the six yard box.

Andre Santos can create chances

Andre Santos has also shown in his limited appearances for Arsenal that he can create chances as well.

In his minutes on pitch in the Premier League, the Brazilian was the Gunners’ most frequent creator of chances from defence. He didn’t register an assist, but Arsenal only recorded four helpers from their main back four all season.

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If Andre Santos can start more than ten games next season, he should become their main source of chance creation from the back.

Amongst all Premier League defenders who started more than ten games last term, Andre Santos ranked sixth best in minutes per chance created. Only Leighton Baines, Ryan Taylor, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Pablo Zabaleta and Aleksander Kolorov created opportunities more often than Andre Santos.

Andre Santos can play defensively

Andre Santos looked better going forward than defensively at times last season, but that could be said quiet often of the whole Arsenal defence. The Brazilian though was one of the Gunners’ top performers statistically.

Out of the Arsenal defenders, Andre Santos was their top tackler per game and second most frequent interceptor according to WhoScored.com.

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Arsenal perform better when Andre Santos is in the team

One player can’t make a team, but when Andre Santos has featured in the Arsenal eleven in the Premier League, the Gunners have performed better.

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When Andre Santos featured for Arsenal in the Premier League, they averaged more points per game, scored more goals and conceded less.

The Gunners took 33 points in the fifteen Premier League matches he featured in and 37 points in the twenty-three matches he did not.

Andre Santos is ready for a breakout season

If Andre Santos can stay healthy this season, then he will have a positive impact on Arsenal going forward and also at the back.

With a shot every 77 minutes on pitch and a key pass every 84 minutes, he will definitely make an impact when Arsenal have the ball.

Being the Gunners’ most frequent tackler and second most frequent interceptor of the ball, he will also help them out at the back. This is where Arsenal struggled last season, conceding 49 goals in the Premier League. This was their most since the 1994-1995 season when the Premiership had 22 teams and each team played 42 matches.

Andre Santos is ready for a breakout season at the Emirates.

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Andre Santos is ready for a breakout season at Arsenal | Football Follower

Stewart Downing had a season to forget at Liverpool. After a £20 million transfer from Aston Villa big things were expected from the England international, but he failed to deliver.

No goals and no assists in the Premier League saw him finish his first campaign for the Reds without scoring or setting up a goal.

With Brendan Rodgers replacing Kenny Dalglish at Anfield, is Stewart Downing in for more doom and gloom this season?

Breaking down the game of Stewart Downing

Stewart Downing endured a miserable season that he’ll want to forget, this just a year on from scoring seven goals and assisting on nine others in an Aston Villa shirt.

However, if we look at the play of Stewart Downing, we can actually see that he was operating at a similar level after his move to Anfield.

Stewart Downing shooting

Stewart Downing scored seven goals in his final season for Aston Villa, then fired blanks in the red of Liverpool.

If we look at his statistics though, we can see that he was actually getting more shots with Liverpool, he just wasn’t as accurate.

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Stewart Downing was taking a shot 18 minutes more frequently at Liverpool last season than when he was at Aston Villa in 2010-11. His accuracy though was down 16% as he slipped from 42% to just 26% being on-point. This may have to do with the fact that 33% of his shots were blocked, so he will have to focus on getting his shot away without defenders stopping it.

Stewart Downing crossing

Stewart Downing was brought to Liverpool to supply key passes and crosses to Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez. With zero assists in the Premier League last season, it looked like Downing had hit a steep decline in form, giving the critics plenty of ammunition to hurl at him.

If we take a look at his numbers though, we can see that he had a better year crossing the ball at Liverpool than in his last season at Aston Villa, where he supplied 9 assists

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Liverpool most definitely looked to Downing to be the supplier of balls in to the box last season.

Compared to his final campaign at Villa Park, Stewart Downing was attempting to put in more crosses for Liverpool and completing them more often. He still failed to find a single assist from his service in the Premier League, so was there something more at work?

If we look at Liverpool as a team last season, they fired in the shots, but more often than not, failed to hit the target or convert them in to goals.

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Liverpool ranked only behind Man City, Spurs and Chelsea in terms of shots at goal in the Premier League last season.

With just 47 goals  though, Liverpool scored 27 less than Arsenal and 42 less than Man Utd, both teams they outshot. They took twenty more efforts than Man Utd and thirty more than Arsenal, yet Liverpool only ranked 16th for accuracy in hitting the target and last in goal conversion. That has to improve this season.

Stewart Downing creating chances

It’s not just crosses that Stewart Downing was brought in to supply, he was also tasked with creating chances.

If we take a look at his key passing numbers from the last two seasons, we can see that he has stayed pretty consistent, even though he went from nine assists to zero.

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Despite not supplying any assists last season, Downing’s key pass frequency only increased by just four minutes, not something that would indicate a dramatic drop-off in form.

So, the numbers look pretty good, but is Stewart Downing ready for a bounce-back in form this season?

Things may not get better for Stewart Downing at Liverpool.

Factors that may spell more doom and gloom for Stewart Downing

Although Stewart Downing statistically looks like he is ready to deliver this season, it might not be that straight forward. There are a number of factors that may just work against him with a new manager in charge and a new philosophy at Liverpool.

1. Brendan Rodgers likes to play to the right

Brendan Rodgers likes to play his 4-2-3-1 system of possession football and in doing so, he makes full use of the right side of the pitch to attack.

According to whoscored.com, Swansea had the biggest differential between attacking sides along with Stoke and Wigan. The Swans attacked down the right flank 42% of the time, compared to just 31% down the left and 26% up the middle.

Scott Sinclair, who was operating down the left side for Swansea, touched the ball every 3.1 minutes per match. In contrast, last season, Stewart Downing received the ball at his feet every 2.1 minutes per match. This might not seem like much, but it’s an extra 14 touches of the ball per game for Downing.

With Brendan Rodgers now managing Liverpool, will Stewart Downing see the ball coming his way less often?

2. Brendan Rodgers does not favour the cross

Liverpool last season were built on crossing the ball, with the team averaging 29 balls in to the box per game, the most of any team in the Premier League.

At the other end of the spectrum were Brendan Rodgers’s Swansea side, which were ranked eighteenth in the Premier League, averaging just 19 crosses per match. Only Fulham and Blackburn attempted less crosses per game in the Premier League last season.

With Rodgers’ staunch belief in possession tiki-taka football, Stewart Downing may find his number of attempts to cross the ball being limited in favour of probing build-up play.

3. Transfers and competition for places

Stewart Downing was pretty much assured the left-sided role last season despite failing to supply any goals or assists. This season however, Joe Cole is returning form a successful loan spell and could challenge Downing for the position.

Liverpool are also being linked with a move for Clint Dempsey, who we have seen starting out on the left for Fulham, before working his way inside to look for goals. That analysis can be found here on the positional play of  Clint Dempsey at Fulham.

Dempsey’s style of play would suit Brendan Rodgers’ system of favouring the right to attack, then moving the ball back to the middle for the late arriving American. If Dempsey does transfer to Anfield, Stewart Downing’s place would be under serious threat.

4. The price tag

£20 million is a big sum of money and that will weigh on a player’s mind when he fails to perform and the fans get on his back. Stewart Downing has never played at a club the size of Liverpool before and after having a sub-par season in the last campaign, he won’t have much leeway this time out. A big price tag can be a hefty burden to shoulder, giving the critics plenty of ammunition, just ask Andy Carroll.

Stewart Downing looks like he is ready to bounce-back at Liverpool this season, but Brendan Rodgers’ system and style of play may make it harder for him to do so.

Stewart Downing in for another dour season at Liverpool? | Football Follower