Ashley Cole

As arguably the best left-back of his generation, Ashley Cole was a mainstay for England for well over a decade. Having made a career of locking down the finest wide attackers in the world game, Cole enjoyed a career that seen him play for teams as varied as Arsenal, Chelsea, Roma, LA Galaxy, and finally Derby County. With over 100 caps for his country, too, Cole became a world-class presence in defence that made him easy to watch for fans who enjoyed his mixture of defensive acumen and attacking skill.

What made Ashley Cole so special?

Though never a regular attacking presence, he picked passes well further up the pitch and was rarely caught out of position. Regularly playing at a high level with his clubs, Cole was noted for his incredible week-to-week consistency and versatility. He could just as easily act as an overlapping attacking outlet as he could play a more defensively minded role.

His game was built on pure tactical understanding and reading of the game. Though fast, Cole was never the quickest or strongest; his ability to always be in position on attack or defence, though, was a priceless skill to have.

On top of his tactical intelligence, Cole was a technically sound full-back who could be relied upon to keep the ball and rarely, if ever, cough the ball up in tight and tough situations.

What does Ashley Cole do now?

Today, Cole is a pundit who we regularly see covering games for Sky Sports and occasionally on ITV for international games. He has also dabbled in coaching, taking part in coaching the Chelsea academy teams and has also held a brief coaching spell at Derby County.

Mostly, though, he is a pundit with a growing reputation who is appearing more and more regularly.

Wayne Rooney

Once heralded as the greatest player of his generation, Wayne Rooney overcame controversy, injury, and much more to become the all-time goalscorer for Manchester United. Coming through at boyhood team Everton, Rooney played regularly in the Premier League at an extremely high level, though it could be argued that starting such regular playing time at 16 contributed to an early, load-based physical decline that inhibited the latter half of Rooney’s career.

With 120 caps for England and 53 goals, though, Rooney was a key performer for his national side outside of tournaments, and played an increasingly important role in helping his nation regularly compete at international events, becoming the all-time national team scorer, and the record holder for outfield caps.

What made Wayne Rooney so special?

His physical power mixed with a dead-eye shooting accuracy both close in and from distance made Rooney a unique proposition. As a youngster, he was a gun-slinging forward who could score with regularly and easily drop into midfield to control games with his incredible passing range and vision.

Despite regular issues with weight and fitness during his career, Rooney worked extremely hard and was commonly involved in pressing moves that would lead to goals for his club and national side. His never-say-die attitude mixed with a knife-between-the-teeth approach to the game made Rooney an outstanding player to watch.

Though his physical issues eventually did lead to a drop-off, even late-stage Rooney was capable of moments of pure genius, scoring goals with aplomb and regularly being decisive in key moments.

What does Wayne Rooney do now?

Today, Rooney is currently the manager of Derby County, helping to keep the Midlands club in the English Championship, the second-tier, on the final day of the 2020-21 season. Rooney is expected to be involved in management and coaching for years to come.

Steven Gerrard

A natural midfield force of nature, Liverpool born and bred legend Steven Gerrard is the face of a generation. With over 100 caps for England and a lifelong association with Liverpool FC, Gerrard played a key role as the Reds returned to relevance in the 2000s after a dark era of the 1990s.

Across his career, he played over 500 league games for Liverpool, scored well over 100 goals, and became a legend as he played a crucial role in the club capturing the 2005 UEFA Champions League and 2006 FA Cup trophies. Though he never won a league title, Gerrard is undoubtedly a legend at Anfield.

What made Steven Gerrard so special?

He combined the finishing of a second striker with box-to-box energy, a world-class passing range, and a stunning desire to get forward and back to help his team out. A player with limitless energy, incredible vision, and some of the best shooting seen from a midfielder, he provided his team with a spark that was almost impossible to lose.

As one of the best midfielders of his era, Gerrard was a force of nature with a habit of scoring clutch goals and making the most of any opportunity that came his way.

What does Steven Gerrard do now?

Gerrard is now a manager in his own right, having coached the Liverpool youth teams before making a move to Scotland. Managing Glasgow Rangers, the Englishman has helped his new team stop rivals Celtic from winning ten titles in a row, and looks set to have a highly successful managerial career.

He carries that same winning zeal and never-say-die attitude into coaching, making him a highly valuable asset for any team. For now, though, Gerrard looks set to be part of the English coaching scene for a long time to come.

Newcastle United v Manchester United

 

Having enjoyed an excellent season so far, Newcastle United have recently run the risk of running out of energy a touch. The Toon are having a fantastic season, but with Manchester United coming to town there is always trepidation. Both teams have produced some excellent games over the years, but this could be one of the most important ties between both sides in many a year.

Newcastle United News

With Newcastle still fighting for the top four spots, their rising injury list will do nothing to lighten the load. The likes of Sven Botman, Nick Pope, Allan Saint-Maximin and Anthony Gordon are all likely to be out, while Miguel Almiron is almost certainly out. This will force Eddie Howe to get creative with his team, as he looks to find balance after an indifferent run of form.

Manchester United News

Take the 7-0 thrashing to Liverpool off the table, and the Red Devils are bang in form. The fact they will be without the likes of Casemiro (suspension) will hurt, but so too will the likely absences of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Marcel Sabitzer, and Raphael Varane. All four are unlikely to make the game and this will leave United with a pretty thin squad to pick from.

Verdict

A tough game for both teams due to the injuries, it is hard to call a clear winner here. Newcastle have been draw specialists at times this year, and the likely lack of firepower on both sides makes it hard to see an outright winner.

Score Prediction: 1-1

Newcastle United v Wolverhampton Wanderers

A few years ago, Wolverhampton Wanderers were seen as one of the up and coming forces of English football. Backed with finance from China and with an increasingly star-studded squad, they looked set to become one of the leading ‘other’ forces in the English game. Stalls since the COVID era, though, have seen Wolves become a team more accustomed to fighting for the top half of the league as opposed to European spots. Newcastle, now backed by money from the Middle East, have taken their spot.

Can Wolves bite back here, though, and make up some ground on the top half of the table after all?

Newcastle United News

Newcastle come into this game with a few players missing. Fabian Schar is almost certain to miss out, while Joelinton will also not be available to play after being suspended. Other players who are unlikely to be involved include Ryan Fraser, who has essentially been banished from the first team picture.

Wolverhampton Wanderers News

Wolves have a longer injury list, with the likes of Hugo Bueno, Diego Costa, Hwang Hee-Chan and Chiquinho all out. Sasa Kalajdzic is still out, too, meaning that Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui is picking from a smaller pool than he would have hoped. Coming into this game, they need to find some form having only won seven games all season – but with so many injuries, it is hard to build confidence.

Verdict

Both sides have struggled for goals in recent times, and this is not likely to change here. Newcastle are seeing their season slowly dissipate and have not win in their last five league games. They were also well-beaten in the League Cup Final. Wolves won at Tottenham last week, but they are often a poor outfit away from home, winning twice all year away from Molineux. Do not expect that to change here.

PREDICTED SCORE: 0-0

Nottingham Forest v Everton

 

Out of all of this weekends games, this would have been the one where fans pinned ‘relegation battle’ on at the start of the season. Nottingham Forest are newly promoted and have looked as inconsistent as one would expect with a team that made 20+ signings. Everton are a mess, and have been playing with a loaded deck for what feels like five years now. Who wins this basement battle?

Nottingham Forest News

Forest still come into this game with an eye-watering injury list that covers as many as ten players. This includes first-choice defenders in Willy Boly and Scott McKenna. Key forward Taiwo Awoniyi is out, as are other key players like Sergie Aurier and Dean Henderson. For Nottingham Forest, the injuries are not drying up and it is leaving Steve Cooper in a tough spot with regards to selection.

Ryan Yates might return, but no other injury complaints look close to a return.

Everton News

The Toffees are seeing their own injury nightmare clear-up, though they will be without Andros Townsend and Nathan Patterson for the foreseeable. It does look like James Garner and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are close to a return, though a trip to the Midlands will likely come too soon for both.

Expect the Blues to come into this one looking to try and find some consistency in selection. New manager Sean Dyche is winless since his opening game, and needs to see something here to help dispel any worries about his new employers.

Verdict

This is a game between two sides low on belief and confidence. Forest do have a decent unbeaten home run, but they are not scoring enough goals. Everton do not create enough and have a nasty habit of producing comical defensive displays. It is hard to call a winner, though, with both teams so lacking in both squad depth and scoring form.

SCORE: 0-0

Leeds United v Southampton

Talk about relegation battles in England, and two teams which are right in amongst the madness include Leeds United and Southampton. Both teams escaped the drop last year, but look almost certain to be involved until the latter stages of the season this year. While Leeds finally found a new manager in Javi Gracia, Southampton are still searching after failing to complete a deal for ex-Leeds boss Jesse Marsch.

Leeds News

Leeds come into this game with an eye-watering injury list, with no more than nine players likely to be either doubtful or missing the game entirely. The key players who are set to miss out include Maxi Wober, the January signing, and Luis Sinisterra, their livewire Colombian winger. Other important misses include Rodrigo, Pascal Strujik, and Liam Cooper.

This has left Leeds with next to no players to choose from, and their selection on the day is likely based on who is fit and available rather than any tactical switches or tweaks.

Southampton News

Saints, meanwhile, got a huge lift with their 1-0 win at Chelsea in their last game. They will likely be without Che Adams, though, who has been an important player for the club since he signed. His energy and enthusiasm, as well as his ability to harry defenders, will be missed.

They did go to Chelsea and win without him, though, so it is not impossible that Saints can repeat the trick. If their star man James Ward-Prowse is fit, they definitely have a chance here given his quality.

Verdict

Leeds are a shambles, and have done nothing to really convince anyone with their scrambled appointment of former Watford man Gracia. This should be a tight, frenetic game with plenty of nervous energy in the air. Expect a result for Saints, though, who are trending upward while Leeds collapse.

SCORE: 1-2