Half Time Report: World Team of 2014

The final post in my 'Half Time Report' series follows my blogs rounding up the European activity this year and my Premier League team of 2014. More importantly, this week's FifPro XI came under considerable criticism for its inclusion of, among others, David Luiz.

With this in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to put together my World Team of the Year. Same principle as my Premier League one, but across all leagues.

World Team of the Year (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper - Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) FIFPro XI - Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
The first goalkeeper to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or since Gianluigi Buffon in 2006, this selection is probably one of the more obvious. The German keeper has had undoubtedly the best year of his illustrious career to date, claiming not only Bundesliga and German cup medals, but the Holy Grail of world football - the World Cup. Since then, the Bayern Munich goalie has been awarded the German player of the year, and has conceded just four league goals, with Sergio Aguero the only player to score more than once in a game against him!

Left back - Marcelo (Real Madrid) FIFPro XI - Thiago Silva (Paris Saint Germain)
A difficult position, this. No-one has particularly stood out at left back this year, with even the World Cup-winning German national team struggling to nail down a designated full back. However, following a seasons that saw his club side win the domestic and European cup double, including a vital goal in the Champions League final, and playing a pivotal role in his national side reaching the World Cup semi-finals on home soil, I felt Marcelo was most deserving.

Centre back - Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid) FIFPro XI - Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
For me, this was a surprise omission from the FifPro XI side. A towering centre back, Godin has had a remarkable 2014, captaining his Atletico Madrid side to their first La Liga title in XX years and to within a minute of Champions League glory, including scoring what would have been the winning goal. Though his Uruguayan side left the World Cup under a cloud thanks to Luis Suarez, Godin gave a good account of himself, and despite losing a number of key players in the summer, he has led Atletico into another title race this year.

Centre back - Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich) FIFPro XI - David Luiz (Paris Saint Germain)
My replacement for arguably the most ridiculous inclusion into the FIFPro XI side. David Luiz has moved from a side under performing over the last few seasons, winning nothing last year with Chelsea despite high expectations, to Paris Saint Germain, a side that should be walking the title and domestic cup competitions. However, six months in, PSG find themselves behind both Lyon and Marseille - so in what universe has David Luiz been performing strongly? Oh, and there is also the little matter of the 7-1 thumping by Germany in the World Cup!

Anyway, enough of the negatives - Jerome Boateng has (and I bite my tongue as I say this) gone from strength to strength since he left Manchester City for Bayern Munich, becoming a first team regular and leading his side to another Bundesliga title and cup win. He has also nailed down a position for the national side, helping the German's to that historic World Cup win in July.

Right back - Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich) FIFPro XI - Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich)
Another fairly straight forward decision. As with the left back position, there has been a lack of stand out right-backs this year, but Philipp Lahm deserves to be in the team. Though often deployed as a defensive midfielder, his home is as a defensive wide man. As captain of both Bayern Munich and Germany, he has led sides to success both domestically and nationally. What a way to cap an outstanding career!

Left midfielder - Eden Hazard (Chelsea) FIFPro XI - Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid/Manchester United)
This was the other inclusion to the FifPro team that baffled me. Angel Di Maria, though a good player in Real Madrid's 'La Decima' campaign, was by no means a lynchpin. Since his move to Manchester United, he has shown glimpses of his brilliance, but injury and inconsistency has limited his effectiveness so far this season. With this in mind, I can't help but think that it is the outrageous price tag put on his head that has tipped the balance in his favour.

However, my choice is a more sensible one. The only inclusion from the Premier League, Eden Hazard has come on considerably in the last 12 months. Unlike many in this team, the Belgian has not got the same amount of trophies in the cabinet from the last year, but he has been a critical part of the success of both his club and national side - a role he has taken on with distinction so far this year. Should his form continue in this vein for the remainder of the season, I have little doubt that trophies will follow.

Central midfielder - James Rodriguez (AS Monaco/Real Madrid) FIFPro XI - Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)
The exclusion that most surprised me. Arguably the 'Player of the Tournament' at this summer's World Cup (why they gave that honour to Lionel Messi escapes me!), Rodriguez as a midfielder grabbed the Golden Boot and the Puskas Award for his incredible volley against Uruguay. This paved the way for his big money move to Real Madrid, where he has slotted seamlessly into the all-star side. Though like Hazard, he has yet to win a trophy in 2014, his individual achievements more than make up for this, and he deserves his place.

Right midfielder - Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich/Real Madrid) FIFPro XI - Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich/Real Madrid)
Like James Rodriguez, Toni Kroos's consistency, both at Bayern Munich and the World Cup, earned him a move to Madrid. Though not for the same multiples, there can be no denying that the young German has had a significant impact since arriving at the Bernabeu, and with a World Cup winner's medal already in his locker, there is no reason why the midfielder cannot go on to claim some of football's most historic trophies in the coming years.

Left forward - Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) FIFPro XI - Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
A deserving winner of this year's Ballon d'Or, Cristiano Ronaldo has a goals to games ratio that is simply frightening. Though accusations of 'but how would be perform on a wintery night at Stoke' have been levelled at Lionel Messi, the same cannot be said for Ronaldo. Been there, done that, swapped the t-shirt. It is only a genuine shame that he carries his national team quite so heavily, making it unlikely he will claim football's biggest prize. I do wonder how well Portugal might have done if Ronaldo had been part of the side with Luis Figo and the like at the height of his powers - the results would have been frightening!

Centre forward - Lionel Messi (Barcelona) FIFPro XI - Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
A fairly quiet year by Lionel Messi's standard - though it is worth noting that he reached a World Cup final, scoring over 40 goals along the way! He hasn't quite had the same drive and momentum as a few seasons ago, with injury beginning to curtail his playing time and affecting form. Awarded the 'Player of the Tournament' (though this is disputed), he got Argentina out of tough spots time after time and dragged them kicking and screaming into the latter stages. Though his club side has had a disappointing season, leading to questions about the little Argentine's future, I remain convinced he will be a Barcelona player, scoring ridiculous amounts of goals for years to come.

Right forward - Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich) FIFPro XI - Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)
Having watched Manchester City play Bayern Munich in the Champions League this season, I can honestly say that Robben is the only player that, every time he received the ball, I almost expected to score. Having helped Bayern to dominate the Bundesliga, the Dutch master terrorised the world champions Spain in Group C of the World Cup, scoring twice and running Sergio Ramos ragged all game in the 5-1 crushing. The ball looks forever glued to his feet, and though you can often accuse him of being greedy at times, you can hardly blame him when he scores so often. I'm sure Jose Mourinho will be looking at Robben as 'the one that got away' for Chelsea.

Bench: Thibaut Courtois (Atletico Madrid/Chelsea), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Yaya Toure (Manchester City), Neymar (Barcelona), Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid/Chelsea), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)

Unlike the FIFPro XI announced on Monday, I think there can be little complaints about my alternative - though I would say that! Interestingly, only six of my side made it into the official team, demonstrating the strength of a number of teams around the world. Though my team is made up of just four teams, there are justifiable replacements for a number of these positions (just not David Luiz or Angel Di Maria!).

Who would make your team?

Half Time Report: Premier League Team of 2014

Following the Ballon d'Or ceremony, which saw an abject lack of players from the English league, and the second half of this season under way, it's a good time for me to pick my Premier League team of 2014.

Here I'll be looking not only at the first half of this season, but the back end of last to determine who should be considered one of the best Premier League players of 2014.

Goalkeeper - David de Gea (Manchester United)
Towards the back end of last year, he was in the category of good, but not great. However, the poor defensive performances from United this season have seen de Gea move ahead of the likes of Hart and Lloris and into this team. Having almost single-handedly saved United's season in the early sticky patch at the beginning of Louis van Gaal's reign, he has secured them points at home to Everton and away to both Arsenal and Southampton. As a result, he deserves his place, and is set to be key in the run-in.

Left back - Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Though he hasn't been necessarily the most talked about player in the Premier League, he can certainly stake his claim for the best left back. By the end of last season, I'd have said that only Luke Shaw was ahead of the Chelsea player for performances, however, a well-publicised lack of fitness since his move to Manchester United and a string of injury problems mean that it's Azpilicueta that has been the most consistent left back, and deserves his place in my team.

Centre back - Vincent Kompany (Manchester City)
The City stalwart also makes the team. Though it hasn't necessarily been his greatest 12 months, he was still a significant driving force behind the club's second title win in three seasons. Again a consistent performer, himself and Martin Demichelis struck up a good defensive partnership at the back end of the season. Though City have failed to continue that form, it has not been as a result of the big Belgian, and City have missed him considerably since his injury.

Centre back - Martin Skrtel (Liverpool)
Despite Liverpool's defensive capitulation for the majority of this season, I still have to put Skrtel in this team. Primarily because no centre backs have particularly stood out, but he was also a critical figure in the Reds' march towards the title. His six goals from set pieces earned them valuable points against Manchester City last year, and Arsenal this, and has proven himself to be among the best in the Premier League.

Right back - Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton)
An absolute revelation this season. Run close for this place by Seamus Coleman's performances in the first half of the year, he has been a different class in the first half of this year. Both he and Ryan Bertrand have been flying down both wings for Southampton, leading to their incredible push into the Champions League places so far this season. If Southampton can keep hold of him long-term, I see them having the long-term England right back.

Left midfielder - Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
A no-brainer for the team. Probably the most deadly midfielder plying his trade in the Premier League today. With his exceptional pace and eye for a pass, he has laid claim to the title of the world's third best player. Scoring 18 goals in all competitions this year is a good return for a midfielder and with his 10 assists, he is always a real threat going forward. No defender in the world enjoys playing against him, so he should certainly be included.

Centre midfielder - Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)
The only new signing to make the team, and no wonder! His 14 Premier League assists to date surpasses the total amassed by Steven Gerrard for the entirety of last season, and he now has Thierry Henry's league record of 20 well within his sights. Having contributed 17 assists and four goals in all competitions, Fabregas has been at the heart of Chelsea's drive towards the top of the Premier League, and has more than begin to repay the £30m spent on him.

Centre midfielder - Yaya Toure (Manchester City)
The enormous Ivorian was without a shadow of a doubt Manchester City's most influential player in their title winning season last year, outscoring the likes of Sergio Aguero, Alvaro Negredo and David Silva. Only Frank Lampard scored a greater number of goals in a season from midfield than Yaya, and despite an opening half of the season criticised by many (predominantly Paul Scholes), he still has nine goals. Not a bad return for a midfielder, and his lung-busting, powerful runs alone means he deserves his place.

Right midfielder - Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)
The find of the season last year. Raheem Sterling burst onto the scene with his lightning pace and skill, terrorising defences up and down the country and providing numerous chances for the SAS pair in Liverpool's strike force. He can score too, netting 12 times in 2014 and bursting into the England squad for the World Cup. Though Liverpool's demise this season has left him slightly out of the limelight, he has begun to be relied upon by the Reds far more for game-changing moments, and who would have expected that 18 months ago?

Striker - Luis Suarez (Liverpool)
Despite the biting incident, and his transfer to Barcelona in the summer, it would be doing his performances a disservice to leave the Uruguayan out of the team. As proven by Liverpool's drop-off, his performances led to the side's agonising run to title contention, only for a slip, and a catastrophic collapse from 3-0 at Crystal Palace to deny them. His 14 goals in all competitions for Liverpool this year put them on their incredible run of 16 Premier League games unbeaten, a run they can only dream of without him.

Striker - Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Again, a simple choice. Probably the best striker in the Premier League at present, and his statistics are simply absurd. 28 goals in 2014 in only 35 games is an incredible return for any player, with only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo boasting a better record. He has single-handedly won games and saved points for Manchester City, most notably in Europe, where his hat-trick against Bayern Munich put City on the road for Champions League qualification. The only question that comes to mind is just how many goals would he have scored this year if he had avoided injury for such a large chunk of the early months?

Bench - Joe Hart (Manchester City), Leighton Baines (Everton), Seamus Coleman (Everton), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal), Diego Costa (Chelsea)

So there is my selection - who would make your team?

Half Time Report: Signings of the Season (Interactive Vote)

Following the first post in my 'Half Time Report' series, where I looked at the key trends we've seen in the Premier League this season, I think it's time to look at transfers, with a trio of posts on the subject. And for the first one, I want to get a bit interactive. With a number of high profile and big money signings, alone with a few hidden gems, it's a good opportunity to get your thoughts on who the best signings so far have been. On the right hand side of this post, you'll find a few opportunities to place your vote for your preferred options, so use it wisely!

However, before I get into any of the nitty-gritty, I think it's important to set out two key categories that I'll be looking at, namely, 'Best Signing' and 'Value for Money'. At the other end of the spectrum, I'll also be taking a look at the most high profile failures in the transfer market, while suggesting some that may just be slow burners that will come good towards the back end of the season.

So let's start with my nominations for 'Signing of the Season'. I get sick and tired of the hypocrisy and lack of consistency when it comes to the notion of settling in to the Premier League. Some people say that leniency should be given to those that initially struggle, while numerous players each year blow the theory out of the water. In my opinion, it's an excuse that managers use to take the pressure off their players, particularly those with the huge price tags over their heads.

With this in mind, the player to have the biggest immediate impact in the six months since arriving is Chelsea's Diego Costa. His 13 Premier League goals puts him second only to Sergio Aguero, and has provided Chelsea with the final cog to propel them back towards the business end of the title chase. However, to suggest that Costa has this award sewn up is wrong. In fact, one of his teammates can certainly lay claim to the title. Though he has considerable experience in the Premier League with Arsenal, Cesc Fabregas has really come into his own at Chelsea. His 13 Premier League assists in 18 games is already a record for a single season, and with another half to go, I wouldn't be surprised to see him top 25 this year. On top of this, Fabregas has also created an incredible 61 chances for his teammates already this year, and he's only looking like building on this in the coming months. As a result, he's certainly up for my 'Signing of the Season' (so far!).

So who else is in contention? Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez has been a revelation, immediately taking a central and pivotal role in the team the like not seen anywhere else before. Not only is he the top goalscorer for the Gunners, he is behind most of the good things in Arsenal's season. Similarly, Gylfi Sigurdsson has performed this role for Swansea. Though he is not the top goalscorer, he is behind the majority of the team's key forward movements, and chips in with a few stunning free kicks of his own. Though he has experience in the Premier League, he is showing the consistency at Swansea that he lacked at Spurs, and is one of the strongest performers so far this year. My nominations end with two strikers - Southampton's Graziano Pelle and West Ham's Diafra Sakho. Though both have gone a little off the boil in recent weeks, they hit the ground running at the beginning of the season, with Sakho breaking a club record to score in each of the Hammers opening seven league games. Such was the impact that Pelle made in his opening stint, he earned himself a shot in the Italian national side, an opportunity he took, scoring the winner in the 1-0 victory over Malta.

To go alongside this, I feel it's also important to include a category for those that may not have had as significant an impact, but deserve recognition thanks to their price tag - the definition of 'Value for Money'. This season, thanks to the dramatic increase in loan agreements and free transfers as a result of the Financial Fair Play regulations, we have a number of high profile contenders.  In terms of loans, there have been three that have caught the eye so far this year. Ryan Bertrand's move from Chelsea to Southampton has coincided with the Saints recording a league joint highest of eight clean sheets. Bertrand has also been a consistent threat going forward, putting himself on the cusp of an England call up. Frank Lampard should also be considered in this category. Following his shock transfer from Chelsea to Manchester City (via New York City), Lampard has belied his age to help the reigning champions through some of the toughest moments in their season, and currently sits second on their scorers list with eight goals, behind only Sergio Aguero. Finally, Alex Song's move from Barcelona to West Ham seemed like an inspired piece of business from Sam Allardyce, and his strength in the midfield has proven pivotal in the Hammers' move up the Premier League table.

In terms of free transfers, two stand out. A torrid start to Sunderland's season defensively saw them ship eight goals at Southampton. The move from Gus Poyet to replace Vito Mannone with free signing from Manchester City Costel Pantilimon has seen the Black Cats become considerably more difficult to beat, keeping five clean sheets in the process. Mame Biram Diouf is another player who has had a significant impact since arriving back in the Premier League at Stoke on a free, scoring the only goal in the Potters' famous win at the Etihad Stadium. He has continued to play a significant role in Stoke's move into the top 10, and as such, deserves his place in this list.

As does a teammate of his - Bojan Krkic. Despite a slow start to life in England, the £5.5m winger signed from Ajax has quickly moved himself into a central role at Stoke, and was a critical figure in Stoke's excellent return of 10 points from 18 in December. He has been worth every penny of the money paid, and having come to terms with Premier League life, seems set to only improve as the months go on. As does Ayoze Perez. The Mexican striker has had an exceptional start on Tyneside, scoring four critical goals in turning Newcastle's from a struggling mid-table side into a team pushing for Europe and relieving the pressure on Alan Pardew.

So, we've now covered the best signings of the season, but who have been less successful? Best place to start is with everyone's favourite firework-loving, inappropriate Tweeter Mario Balotelli. Following a less than successful spell at Manchester City, his move to Liverpool this summer raised more than a few eyebrows. However, for £16m, he looked a fairly good deal - until he started playing. Without a Premier League goal, he has struggled for form. However, to be fair to him, we've not seen him kick off either!

His Liverpool teammate Dejan Lovren has also enjoyed a baptism of fire. Since his £25m move from Southampton, he has gone decidedly off the boil, showing little of the the form that earned him the big money move. Whether it is the price tag on his head, or simply that last season was a one off, I am unsure, but he needs to improve and fast to repay the transfer fee. Two more large transfer fees have, as yet, failed to come off. Having been part of the La Liga-winning team that went so close to the Champions League title, Felipe Luis's £15.8m move to Chelsea was designed to see him displace Cesar Azpilicueta at left back. However, six months in, and the Spaniard has retained his place, limiting the Brazilian to just a handful of Premier League appearances. Similarly, Abel Hernandez's £12m club record move from Palermo to Hull has not returned the goals it promised. Despite being a proven goalscorer in Serie A, Hernandez has struggled for form this term. In my opinion, it's always worse to see a mid-table side spend a huge sum on a player and it not come off, as it often takes a considerable toll on the financial situation on the club - just look at Leeds!

Finally, there's a bit of a curveball I'm going to throw in. Despite only being a loan signing, I have to put Radamel Falcao in the 'Worst Transfers' section. Having come to Manchester United promising goals plenty from his previous history, he has scored just twice - a poor return for a supposed world class striker. To pay a fee on a loan is practically unheard of, but the £6m United paid Monaco is almost more than both Bojan and Ayoze Perez combined, and I know who I'd prefer! With wages of £260,000 a week and a fee of £43.5m expected at the end of the year, the Columbian could end up being considerably more expensive to United, and has done little to justify such a valuation.

So there we have it. The categories and nominees are at the side, so get voting for your favourite!

Drama Denied: What Was The Double Point?

The Hives put it perfectly - 'hate to say I told you so'. As I mentioned in a critical (and therefore fairly normal) post earlier in the year, I was not all for the double points race being discussed at the time. Having had that race - today's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, I can safely say I am still not a fan. A season full of twists and turns (even though viewers may have wanted a slightly more competitive field) has, thanks to the double points rule, seemingly been won emphatically. And this season review post will demonstrate that this has simply not been the case.

Though no-one can deny that the Constructors title has been long since over - really since about race five or six - the Driver's Championship has gone right down to the wire, with both Mercedes drivers in with a shout as the lights went out in the desert. It's worth saying that this would still have been the case without double points, though admittedly the pressure on Hamilton would have been non-existent.

However, after all the pre-race talk about avoiding technical issues, it was perhaps inevitable that the title would ultimately be cemented by a catastrophic ERS failure for Nico Rosberg. This left the German well outside the points, while his teammate took the top step in Abu Dhabi to extend his Drivers Championship lead to an impressive 67 points. Much like many football results we see, the final score simply doesn't tell the story, and this must be blamed, at least slightly, on the ludicrous double points final race.

Despite his enormous final margin of victory, the 2014 season started in the worst possible way for Hamilton with a DNF handing Rosberg a 25 point advantage. However, four straight one-two victories for the Briton saw him reel Rosberg back in as the pair headed to Monaco, with the Constructors Championship practically sewn up.

But the famous track saw an ugly twist in race, which threatened to break the two lifelong friends apart. In a move reminiscent of the cynical parking manoeuvre pulled off by Michael Schumacher in 2006 at Rascasse, a dubious "mistake" handed Rosberg pole and ultimately victory, bucking the trend of Hamilton wins and left a bad taste in the mouth. This would not be the only time the pair clashed, with Hamilton again feeling aggrieved at the tactics of his teammate at Spa later in the year.

With Hamilton's win at Yas Marina, Mercedes set a new record for most wins by a Constructor in a single season - 16. The only man to taste success was a surprising one - not one of the several world champions littering the field, but Red Bull new boy Daniel Ricciardo. His first race win in Canada was gifted to him, with both Mercedes drivers struggling with ERS problems - forcing Hamilton out, and Rosberg into second. He was also the beneficiary when the two Mercedes collided in Belgium, whilst poor strategic decision-making and changeable conditions handed the Australian the victory in Hungary. Though he has been fortunate, take nothing away from his performance - to comprehensively beat the four time world champion Sebastien Vettel, in the car he won the titles, both in qualifying and the race, is quite incredible.

Likewise, Valtteri Bottas's performances have also been eye-catching. Though the Finn failed to claim victory, he was a regular on the podium, more than matching his illustrious teammate, Massa. Moving back to the title race, the Mercedes pair swapped victories, with both taking their home races. However, after the incident at Spa, the team's sympathy sat well and truly with Hamilton, with a number of the upper echelons publicly blaming Rosberg for the crash. This clearly had an impact on Hamilton, as the Brit claimed the following five Grand Prix to take the initiative in the title race - 24 points ahead with just two races to go.

While in any normal season, that would almost see the title done and dusted, the threat of double points in Abu Dhabi placed more emphasis on the Brazilian GP. This time, the pressure told on Hamilton, with an uncharacteristic driving error having seemed set to jump his teammate in the pits. The spin left Hamilton 17 ahead going into today's GP in the desert, with the ERS problem for Rosberg killing any threat of final day drama.

So as I have mentioned, I am hardly the biggest fan of the double points rule. I was equally against the extension of the points to 25,17 etc... from the more traditional 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 that I grew up with. So, using the older scoring system, how would the season have panned out?

	Hamilton	Rosberg
Australia	0	10
Malaysia	10	18
Bahrain	20	26
China	30	34
Spain	40	42
Monaco	48	52
Canada	48	60
Austria	56	70
Britain	66	70
Germany	72	80
Hungary	78	85
Belgium	78	93
Italy	88	101
Singapore	98	101
Japan	108	109
Russia	118	117
USA	128	125
Brazil	136	135
Abu Dhabi	146	135

So Bernie wants excitement right to the end? Newsflash Mr Ecclestone - you don't want double points, you don't even want the current 25 for a win scoring system - you want the system you used 10 years ago! Under the old system, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg would have come into today's race separated by just one point, knowing that the winner would take it all!

Louis Van Moyes: Has The 'Dutch Master' Improved Things?

What no difference a year makes... That's the saying isn't it? 12 months ago, David Moyes was bemoaning a fixture list that saw the club record its worst Premier League opening five games - the worst start since 1989/90. Berated, and quite rightly I might add, for the poor results he achieved in that time, but few would have expected that in just one year, that record would be not only in jeopardy, but broken. With hugely decorated and experienced manager Louis van Gaal, fresh off a remarkable third place finish for the Dutch national team at the World Cup, at the helm, it seemed Manchester United were in safe hands. The gamble with Moyes had not paid off, and now was time to resort to a more secure option.

But has van Gaal been the safe bet everyone assumed? After five fixtures of this season, Louis van Gaal's Manchester United were two points worse off than the team led by Moyes. More concerning for the new manager is the fact that when it comes to the fixture list, Moyes has a point. In the opening five fixtures of the ex-Everton manager's reign, United made difficult trips to Manchester City and Liverpool, while hosting Chelsea. If seven points seemed like scant reward from five Premier League matches, especially as defending champions, this season has been nothing short of a disaster. After defeats at home to Swansea and away at newly-promoted Leicester City, along with another disappointing 0-0 draw at Burnley, van Gaal's Manchester United ended up with just five points, and from a far easier set of games.

And that's not even starting to look at the transfer policies. While Moyes is hardly the Archangel Gabriel when it comes to transfer dealings, particularly on deadline day, panic buying Marouane Fellaini for £27m (£4m more than he could have got him for just a few months before), and failing to secure the signature of Ander Herrera after some shambolic goings on in Bilbao. However, it was clear that he never had the full backing of the United back room staff when it came to transfers, with chief executive Ed Woodward denying him the opportunity to splash the cash. However, that has not been a problem for van Gaal. Over £150m has gone out of the door this summer, with Angel di Maria and Luke Shaw accounting for the best part of £100m. While it is not fair to say they are failures just yet, only di Maria has made any kind of immediate impact, and defensively they look shocking.

But why is that? In fairness, part of that is beyond van Gaal's control. After their disappointing last season, three of United's regular back four left the club, with club captain Nemanja Vidic and ageing pair Patrice Evra and Rio Ferdinand opting to cut their losses. That kind of loss would shatter any club's confidence and performance, but I don't think that is entirely to blame for United's current predicament. Tactically, van Gaal and his players have looked inept at times so far this season. Unable to choose between 3, 4 or even 5 at the back, the lack of continuity has had devastating effects on communication in defence and understanding.

Having watched United a few times already this season, they look irresistible going forward at times, but when put under pressure defensively, they crumble. Without the presence of a strong leader at the back, no-one seems to want to take control. As a result, comical moments like numerous defenders going for the same ball, or marking the same man, have been prevalent this season. While some may be quick to blame the exuberance of youth, with the likes of Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair making their first-team debuts, they have been some of the more consistent performers so far this year (Blackett's performance at Leicester excepted).

So how can United put this right? As much as pundits like Phil Neville suggest continued mega-spending, that will not do anything for the continuity and understanding of the team. Being a City fan, I have seen the impact of attempting to build a team of Galacticos overnight - it simply doesn't work quickly. City took three years to rebuild to form a side that can challenge for the top 4, so for United to expect that a continuing influx of quality players will inevitably lead to their re-coronation at the top of English football, they are very much mistaken. In my opinion, United's best route forward is to accept that this is not simply an isolated season of struggle, and to focus on honing the players they already have, with the addition of a couple of high-profile names a season. The players they have brought in this season are quality, but they need time to adjust.

So is it unfair that van Gaal looks like getting time where Moyes didn't? Absolutely. Had Moyes have made the same purchases that van Gaal has, and struggled in the same way, then the backlash would have been far more severe. The hashtag #MoyesOut was trending on Twitter from November onwards - will van Gaal have the same thing? I very much doubt it, though the joke #LouisvanMoyes has been made by Twitter users. However, it may well be that van Gaal can turn this round. In the meantime, van Gaal's track record and ability to pull big name signings may well prove enough to keep him in a job, regardless of the performances.

Louis van Moyes? The comparison will only please one man, and I think he made a trip to Turkey recently to see about the Galatasaray job.

Summer Transfer Window: Winners and Losers

And with the passing of the transfer deadline, the scrummage to secure the final additions to squads is over. For my review of this window, see the story here. But who has come out best? Which clubs are now set out for a tilt at the league, and who is destined for mid-table mediocrity? Or worse, a parachute payment jump into the uncertain waters of the Championship?

In order to determine the winners and losers in the transfer market, I will be marking each team's dealings out of 10 on five different topics: big name (relative to the club), value for money, team balance, player retention and absence of panic buying. From these rankings, I will be able to determine a league table of their transfer dealings. These will almost certainly not be indicative of how the league will go, but do give some indication of how well the clubs, and more importantly, their finances, are run.

Team	Big Name	Value	Team Balance	Player Retention	No Panic-buys	Total
Chelsea	9	6	8	7	8	38
Hull City	8	6	7	7	6	34
Stoke City	7	8	5	6	7	33
Manchester City	6	5	7	7	8	33
Newcastle United	6	7	6	6	8	33
Arsenal	8	6	5	8	5	32
Everton	7	6	6	8	5	32
Swansea City	6	6	7	6	6	31
Liverpool	7	6	7	5	5	30
Sunderland	6	6	6	5	7	30
Tottenham Hotspur	5	6	6	6	7	30
Queens Park Rangers	7	5	6	7	5	30
West Ham United	7	5	5	7	6	30
Leicester City	5	6	6	6	6	29
Aston Villa	2	7	7	7	6	29
Manchester United	9	4	6	4	5	28
Crystal Palace	4	6	6	7	7	28
West Bromwich Albion	5	6	5	5	7	28
Burnley	1	6	6	7	6	26
Southampton	5	5	6	2	4	22

Winners
Chelsea - Jose Mourinho knew his transfer targets at the start of the window, and he got his men. Though he may have had to pay a little over the odds for the likes of Fabregas and Diego Costa, the early £30m fees they had to stump up pale in comparison to the ridiculous figures seen out of Manchester United. Calm on deadline day, Chelsea's new recruits balance their team excellently, and they will be a force to be reckoned with come May.

Hull City - Perhaps surprising considering the deadline day chaos to come out of the club, Hull have also had a successful window. Their late signings of Hatem Ben Arfa, Gaston Ramirez and Abel Hernandez add significant strength in depth and could yet prove to be the key in their fight to reach the top half of the table.

Stoke City - Based mostly on the value for money aspect of the test, Stoke's signings up front of Mame Biram Diouf and Bojan will complement the creative talents of Marko Arnautovic behind. Mark Hughes went into the window knowing he needed goals, and if Diouf's stunner against Man City is anything to go by, they now have plenty of those in their front line.

Manchester City - Unlike their city neighbours and rivals, City got their transfer dealings well and truly done with before the final days of the window. With a mixture of bargain deals for Bacary Sagna and Frank Lampard, and big ticket transactions like Fernando and Eliaquim Mangala, City's squad is probably the strongest in depth in the league. The prices may have been slightly steep, but there was not a moment of panic from Manuel Pellegrini. But would you ever expect it?!

Newcastle United - Rounding off the top five is the Toon. Despite constant complaints (and in many regards, completely justified) towards owner Mike Ashley, the fact remains that Newcastle have continued to bring in new (albeit consistently French) talent. Remy Cabella and Emanuele Rivière look like excellent acquisitions, and I feel they could be challenging the European places come May.

Losers

Southampton - I don't care what anyone says, you lose five of your biggest assets from the previous season, you're going to struggle. Though the Saints have seemed to dip into the market with some success, it will take time for those players to gel. The panic buying in the final hours only caps a remarkably busy, if a little traumatic, window for Southampton.

Burnley - It's a great shame, but Burnley simply don't have the funds to attract the calibre of players brought in by sides around them. If your biggest signing of the window is George Boyd, a benchwarmers at Hull the previous season, it's less of a marquee and more of a tiny gazebo. That they held onto Danny Ings is somewhat of a success, but I fear the Championship beckons for the ginger Mourinho.

West Bromwich Albion - This was fairly simple. Overpaying on your big name signing, whose name isn't very large anyway? Check. The exit of a number of your key defenders, leaving you threadbare at the back? Check. Bringing in a manager who, though well respected in the game, has little experience of Premier League management? Check. And the prognosis? A season of struggle awaits.

Crystal Palace - Though I can't be too critical of the final days of the transfer window at Selhurst Park, as the upheaval off the field will have affected transfers, the fact remains that the window was a shambles for the Eagles. Bringing Wilfried Zaha in may prove to be an excellent bit of business, but he is a risk. As for the rest, slim pickings. Though they held onto the majority of their key men from last campaign, I'm expecting them to slide slowly down the table.

Manchester United - Controversial? Perhaps, but hear me out. Though they have undoubtedly brought in the biggest names of the window, the expense to which they had to go to get them was absurd. Being a lifelong blue, I have had to put up with many a United fan argue that City have bought their league titles with their huge spending in recent windows, and I have always come back with the same argument. £5 is £5, whether you spend it in 10 minutes or 10 years. United have consistently spent medium amounts on players, and their historical total far exceeds the amount City have spent. The fact that City have spent it in five years is irrelevant - they have used what they have to the best of their ability.

It will be interesting to see if the same hypocrite United fans later their opinions now they are the ones spending. My earlier argument means I cannot be upset at United's spending without being a hypocrite myself, and I have no problem with them flexing their financial muscle. I simply find it amusing that they are spending that amount to buy 4th, rather than the titles that City are accused of buying.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that we have witnessed a multi-record breaking transfer window. Some clubs have made wise calls, others not so much, but it will be interesting to see whether my transfer table gives any indication of the trajectory of the clubs involved.