As we approach the end of the calendar year, we all do a little bit of reflecting. The EPL included. As they head into the 18th round of games today (they’re not stopping for the holidays), reflect on who has been naughty and nice this season. Here’s a look at who would get some presents from Santa Claus and who would find coal in their stocking?
On The Nice List
West Ham – It was either West Ham or Southampton, but the latter has struggled as of late, so the Hammers get in due to consistency. Even though they lost 2-0 to Chelsea on Friday, they are still fifth in the league table. A loss at Stanford Bridge is quite understandable as Chelsea has yet to lose there. West Ham has been quite good at home themselves, claiming six wins and a draw in nine games. The road has been more challenging for them but they still have three wins and three draws in nine matches, which is very solid. West Ham is one of seven teams that have allowed fewer than 21 goals or fewer, which is one of the reasons they’re a top-five team. Meanwhile, the duo of Diafra Sakho and Stewart Downing have powered the attack. A top-four spot might be punching above their weight but West Ham is certainly in the running for a European spot.
Charlie Austin – Austin has scored 11 goals this season to rank third in the league behind Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and Chelsea’s Diego Costa. It’s a credit to his performance that he’s even mentioned in the same breath as the other two and one could argue that he has been more valuable to his team than both of them. Austin has scored 11 of QPR’s 20 goals, which is 55% of their offense. That’s impressive. The reason Austin doesn’t get as much love is because QPR is 16th in the table but they’d probably be dead last without him. We might not have to wait long to see the answer to that question as Austin is a name that’s blowing in the transfer rumor winds.
There are several teams that could use a striker and would probably pay more than the $6.2 million that QPR paid for Austin. That being said, do they risk relegation by selling Austin? Keep an eye on this situation.
Two Disappointments
Liverpool – Where would you like to start? After challenging for the title last season, a letdown should have been expected for Liverpool – especially after they sold Luis Suarez to Barcelona. But who expected this kind of a fall? Losing Daniel Sturridge to injuries hasn’t helped their cause and the calculated risk to buy mercurial Mario Balotelli isn’t working out at all. On top of that, their defense has deteriorated, giving up allowed 24 goals, which is the most among any EPL team in the top nine of the table.
There were many calling for Brendan Rodgers to lose his job but he’ll likely finish out the season unless things get completely out of hand. Look for Rodgers to splash out some cash in the January transfer window, because his job might depend on it.
Ross Barkley – This might be harsh on Barkley, who just turned 21 and has dealt with a number of injuries this season. However, he was one of the main players that took Everton to fifth in the league last year but he just scored his first goal of the season after netting six last season. It might be a matter of “too much, too soon” for the young midfielder, who played for England at the World Cup and has been touted as the next great English midfielder, which is the kiss of death. Even so, Everton has been disappointing, sitting 12th in the table and not having Barkley at his best is a major reason for that. They needed him to grow into an even bigger role. Instead, he’s regressed and so has the team.
