It’s fair to say when Johan Elmander first arrived at the Reebok for a fee in the region £10million in the summer of 2008 under previous manager Gary Megson, he did not exactly set the place alight. However no player has epitomised the improvement made under Coyle than the Swede. He is now the second top scorer in the league and clearly suits the adoption of a more flowing game of football than the previous tactics employed by the Lancashire club.

Continuing his new found habit of scoring in away games, Elmander was able to waltz through the Wolves defence before coolly slotting the ball into the bottom corner. Although there were question marks over the defence, due to the ease in which Elmander is able to avoid three challenges in the penalty box. It shows he is a striker full of confidence at the moment, being prepared to try this as opposed to look for assistance.

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Not so long ago now, Alexander Hleb divided Arsenal fans. He was a tidy, if rather slight player who had an eye for a pass but simply didn’t provide the Gunners with enough goals. After three years with the club and only seven goals he was shipped off to Barcelona. He is now on loan at Birmingham City. Hleb is worthy of consideration because I believe that Arsenal currently hold a similar player amongst their number.

Tomas Rosicky has been with Arsenal since 2006. I’m not questioning Rosicky’s talent or ability by any means, but he is a little too goal-shy for the likes of Arsenal. That’s always been the case. Rosicky is not the kind of player you ought to bring on if you’re chasing a game. He’s the kind of player that tends to score when Arsenal are already 2-3 goals to the good. He is the master of the ‘icing-on-the-cake’ goal. For all his talent and ability, the fact remains that he hasn’t scored in the last 34 games he has played in.

The Mail have suggested that the Arsenal midfielder is at the top of Gerard Houllier’s January transfer wish-list. With the Czech’s Arsenal contract set to expire in June, is it time for Arsenal to cash in?

There’s already healthy competition in Arsenal’s midfield and it’s known that Rosicky wants more games. He told the Press early this season that he “would like to play more. I could imagine playing more even though I have been involved in a lot of fixtures.” But with players like Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas and Andrey Arshavin ahead of him in the roster, it’s little surprise that his goal-drought is keeping him from playing as much as he would like.

Fans of Rosicky may be keen to point out that he adds something else to the team. He can pick out a decent pass (He’s currently Arsenal’s fourth highest assist provider) and is a surprisingly good tackler for a player of his build. He’s also 30 years old and has been in the game a lot longer than most of the youngsters currently playing for the Gunners. In this respect he provides the Arsenal squad with invaluable experience and somebody for young players to look up to and approach when they are struggling.

In response to the claim that Rosicky adds ‘something else’ to the squad, I would question whether this is enough to merit renewing his contract. Sure, Nasri is firing on all cylinders right now, but what happens if he goes through a bad patch of form? Can we expect Rosicky to come in and start scoring? I very much doubt it. Wenger needs wingers who can chip in with the goals, so is much more likely to find himself looking towards the likes of Theo Walcott and Andriy Arshavin.

Furthermore, although Rosicky’s age means he has an experienced head on his shoulders, it also means that he is approaching Arsenal’s ‘danger-zone’. Wenger does not give players who are over the age of 30 long term contracts. Would Rosicky be content to work on a one year rolling contract? Given that he’s already pretty injury-prone, won’t he be looking for more career-security than that? Would Rosicky staying with Arsenal be productive for either party?

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With his contract up in the summer, if Villa come in with a decent offer for Rosicky in January, Arsenal should sell. His sale will make room for a player like Aaron Ramsey to step into the first team on his return from Nottingham Forrest and would be generally beneficial for all.

Do you agree with my take? Or are you preparing a passionate defence for Tomas? Leave your opinions in the comment section. Remember to follow @ThePerfectPass on Twitter for more football related opinions and chat.

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Avram Grant may have rubbished suggestions that he had only three fixtures over Christmas to save his job at Upton Park, however his West Ham side have certainly begun to put in some improved performances, setting them up for a titanic New Year tussle with relegation rivals Wolves.

It may be a little over the top to suggest that the vanquished side here will be doomed to relegation, however it certainly is fair to suggest that this is a game that West Ham simply cannot afford to lose, regardless of their recent run of form.

Mick McCarthy could not have been happier to see his side grind out a 1-0 win over Liverpool this week, regardless of the ever decreasing strength of the Merseyside club. After weeks of platitudes about the quality of Wolves’ performances in defeat, it would have given the former Republic of Ireland manager immense pleasure to see his side keep a clean sheet whilst defending the Kop in the second half.

Do not expect a game of excellence here- if Wolves have developed the battling qualities required to slug out important results, then West Ham could be in trouble. However, I fancy home advantage to absolutely key in a game everyone at Upton Park dare not lose.

Prediction: 2-1

Click to see the match odds at Paddy Power below

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Australia captain Lucas Neill is disappointed he will not be squaring up against Japan star Shinji Kagawa in the Asian Cup final on Saturday.

Kagawa broke a bone in his foot in his side’s penalty shootout victory over South Korea in the semi-finals, and the Galatasaray centre-back said he had hoped the Socceroos could show their worth against Japan’s best line-up.

“As a team, we feel very sorry for Kagawa, he’s a talented player and we love to compete against the best,” Neill said.

“So it’s unfortunate for Japan that he’s not playing but we have to take that as a bonus.”

Neill said previous clashes between the two countries – including a landmark victory for Australia in their 3-1 defeat of the Blue Samurai at the 2006 World Cup – would mean little if they could not lift the Cup on Saturday.

“They have a different coach, a different formation but still a very talented team all over the pitch but all the history and past results count for nothing, even the form of this tournament, it all goes out the window for a one-off game,” he said.

“We know there’s a great rivalry building between the two countries. You’re going to see two teams that are very talented, possibly the best two teams in the tournament, trying to become the champions.”

Japan manager Alberto Zaccheroni was in no doubt that Kagawa’s absence would affect his side’s preparations heading into the final, but he was certain his replacement would do the job – but will keep the incoming player secret until the team sheets are released.

“It’s very disappointing for the team and him as well. He contributed a lot to the team on the way to the final, he was getting better and better so it’s very disappointing. I know who’s going to replace him, I know him well, I trust him,” Zaccheroni said.

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Neill, meanwhile, said a win for Australia would be just reward for the current crop of players, including veterans Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell and Mark Schwarzer.

“For this era of players, it’s an ideal opportunity to win something. It would be a very nice reward for a lot of hard work and sacrifice,” Neill said.

“Together, we have lifted football in Australia and it would be a nice reward for that work.”

PSV Eindhoven scored a thrilling 2-1 victory over bottom side Willem II on Saturday in a dramatic finish to their Eredivisie clash at Philips Stadion.

The Dutch top-flight cellar dwellers took a shock lead in the 17th minute when Bart Biemans fired past Eindhoven goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson to put the league leaders under the pump early.

Willem took their advantage to the break, but it lasted less than three minutes in the second half before Ola Toivonen levelled for PSV.

The task for Willem to fight back was made harder when Denis Halilovic received two yellow cards in the space of seven minutes, before Veli Lampi was red-carded in the 86th minute, giving the hosts a two-man advantage for the final stages.

Substitute Genero Zeefuik left it until the final minute of added time to score the winner in the 90th minute past goalkeeper Davino Verhulst at his near post, sending the home fans into hysterics and extending their lead at the top of the table to four points.

For Willem, however, it was heartbreak as they remain rooted to the bottom of the Eredivisie on seven points.

Meanwhile, Kolbeinn Sigthorsson slotted five goals in AZ Alkmaar’s 6-1 drubbing of VVV Venlo at AFAS Stadion.

The Iceland 20-year-old had his hat-trick sealed by the 26th minute, before adding 47th and 69th minute goals to seal a memorable match, while Johann Gudmundsson netted another for the victors early in the second half.

Vitesse caused a major upset with a 5-2 triumph over sixth side Roda JC at GelreDome.

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Mads Junker put the visitors in front after just three minutes in a dream start for Roda, but the match turned on its head later in the first half when Vitesse’s Nemanja Matic, Marco van Ginkel and Jordi all found the back of the net to swing the momentum the way of the hosts.

Haruna Babangida made it four 10 minutes after the break, before van Ginkel scored a second in the 58th minute, and Jimmy Hempte netted a consolation for Roda on 69 minutes.

Arsene Wenger claims Saturday’s Premier League game against Wolves is far more important than the Champions League tie against Barcelona next week.

And the Arsenal boss is determined to see his side get back on the winning trail.

Arsenal supporters cannot wait for the mouthwatering tie against the Spanish giants next week in the last 16 of the competition.

But Wenger is adamant that the Premier League is more of a priority and his side are determined to make amends for their nightmare performance against Newcastle last week and close the gap on leaders Manchester United.

Arsenal were 4-0 up at half-time but somehow managed to throw away all three points and had to settle for a draw. Wenger is convinced his players will bounce back from that setback and will not have the Barcelona game on their minds.

“There is no Barcelona in mind. There is Wolverhampton in mind. That’s what is important to us, the championship. We fought so hard to be in this position now that the most important thing is that we focus on the Premiership,” Wenger said.

“I cannot even imagine playing against Barcelona next week because it is out of my mind completely.”

Wenger is convinced Arsenal’s home form will prove crucial if they are to overtake Manchester United and win the title this season.

Although Wolves are facing a major relegation struggle, they showed their potential with a victory over United last weekend and the Arsenal manager is expecting another tough game.

“Our home form will be the key for us to have a good chance to win the Premier League. We have responded very well at home but every game is a real challenge for any top team,” he said.

“We can win everywhere; we have shown that again at Newcastle that our potential to score goals away from home is massive. Let’s just be consistent at home.”

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“Wolves play in a very positive way. They have changed their approach a little bit – they take care of the quality of their passes. They have a good technical midfield. With Henry, Milijas and O’Hara they are very strong in midfield and so it is very important to take care of our midfield play.”

Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky has been ruled out of the Wolves game with a groin injury while Abou Diaby is missing through suspension.

Denilson returns to the squad and Johan Djourou has recovered from a knee injury.

Blackpool manager Ian Holloway can feel a sense of relief around the club following Tuesday night’s 3-1 win over Tottenham.Holloway’s side were one of the pre-season favourites to be relegated back to the Championship this campaign, but the win over Spurs snapped a seven game winless run and pushed them ever closer to safety.

Blackpool take on fellow-strugglers Wolves at Molineux on Saturday, with a seven-point gap between themselves and Wolves at the foot of the table, and Holloway has nothing but sympathy for Mick McCarthy and his side’s perilous position.

“I think Wolves are the most unlucky side I have seen all season,” Holloway said.”Certainly when we played them earlier in the season they didn’t deserve to lose. Mick is a great man; I have the absolute utmost respect for him. “The second season syndrome is kicking in I think, it is all about finding the balance between adding quality and keeping the commitment of the first season. I’m not looking forward to this summer if we can stay up.”

Holloway was naturally brimming with pride following his side’s convincing win over Tottenham, with Brett Ormerod singled out for special praise.

“Nobody I have ever worked with deserves the goal against Spurs more than Brett,” he said.”He is an absolute bundle of energy and enthusiasm daily, and he probably deserves to play more than I let him, there will always be a place at the club for a guy like him.”

Having been rested on Tuesday, striker Luke Varney is likely to be involved on Saturday. “Luke can be a little bit of a worrier when things aren’t happening for him; I just think he needed a physical and mental rest,” Holloway said. “But he will be back; he has been marvellous at this level.”

Blackpool will be without captain Charlie Adam, who begins his two-game ban, and although they are back in training, Saturday will be too soon for defender Stephen Crainey and forward Billy Clarke.

In the wake of Clarence Seedorf seen shedding tears on the pitch of White Hart Lane after AC Milan had been knocked out of the Champions League by Tottenham Hotspur, he is not alone in players that have been left in floods of tears on the pitch. After all, football is an emotional game, that’s why we love it and that’s why the players love playing it (well most of them).

It was quite refreshing to see Seedorf still emotionally involved in the game, especially as the Dutchman has won the Champions League on FOUR occasions and with THREE different clubs, which is quite an achievement. There is a video circling the web of Seedorf walking off the pitch after the full time whistle last Wednesday night when a reporter shoves a microphone in his face but the 34 year old broke down and walked off towards the tunnel in tears.

With the influx in money and profit to be made in football over the last two decades, players often get criticised for not caring after all they still get there big pay checks, win or lose but it I genuinely felt sorry for Clarence who played his heart out on the pitch against Tottenham but ended up on the losing side.

It’s not uncommon and there’s been a few famous incidents of players sobbing so I created a top 10 for your pleasure (or sadness)…..

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Click on Gazza below to see the Top TEN

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Let’s face it, Wales face an uphill task against England at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday and without Tottenham’s Gareth Bale, Gary Speed will need Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey and co to play to their full potential if they’re to stand any chance against Fabio Capello’s men. However, they have got a secret weapon up their sleeve in the form of Miss Wales.

Courtenay Hamilton, Miss Wales 2010, is helping the Wales squad with the national anthem ‘Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’ – ‘Land of my Fathers’ to get the 70,000 plus crowd revved up on Saturday afternoon. Priced at 7/1 with bet365, Wales need all the help they can get and at least the England players might be distracted prior to kick off. Take a look at the gallery below to see why…

Click on Courtenay below to see Wales’ secret weapon

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I was very surprised to see Liverpool striker Andy Carroll start against Sunderland only three days after he played his first full 90 minutes for the club against Braga in the Europa League. It was great to see however the £58million partnership between Suarez and himself for the first time. It will certainly take some time to gel but there were already signs of hope that the pair could complement each other very well.

Despite being out for three months, and lacking match fitness, Carroll has already demonstrated his aerial abilities, and it seems that against any opposition defence he will win 90-95% of the headers that go his way. There may have been some criticism for his lack of ball control and ability to hold up the ball at times on Sunday, but there were also signs of his fleet footedness with the ball as well as to win a great deal of headers for his strike partner to latch onto. It is great to know as well that Carroll can only get better too. It was his first league start, and after playing 90 minutes against Braga, he looked flat on his feet in the second half as his lack of match fitness tolled. Still, in the 70 minutes he was given, he was constant menace for the Sunderland backline and had a header cleared off the line which could have been his first goal for Liverpool.

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An aerial threat from corners is something that the Reds have been missing for a long time, basically since the departure of Sami Hyypia. Despite Martin Skrtel’s height, he has never been that commanding in the opposition penalty box like the great Finn, and the Reds’ only real aerial threat has come when Sotirios Kyrgiakos has been picked in the team. With Carroll in the side, the picture changes dramatically. A clever tactical ploy from Liverpool against Sunderland was to hide Carroll behind Skrtel so the Black Cats’ defence could not tightly mark the 22 year old before he peeled off the Slovakian defender to get a freer run at goal. It nearly came off but for a goal line clearance too. It also means that other players in the box have a greater chance of scoring as opposition defenders may be too preoccupied with the aerial threat of Carroll and forget to mark other players. Dirk Kuyt nearly scored within the first 4 minutes from a corner on Sunday.

Of course, it is not all about set pieces, and the link up play between Carroll and Suarez in open play will be crucial to Liverpool’s future chances in the league. There were a couple of times I noticed Suarez getting frustrated with Carroll’s distribution of the ball, but it will take a bit of time for the pair to play on the same wavelength and get the best out of each other’s game. Despite Carroll not being fully fit, he still managed a few significant knockdowns, and held up the play sufficiently to brings others into the game, including Suarez. The Uruguayan was immense and enjoyed drifting into midfield or onto the flanks to make an impact on the game.

Interaction between Suarez and Carroll will certainly improve but their contrasting styles mean it shouldn’t take too long to click. While Carroll will sometimes come deep for the ball to lay on a pass, he will generally stick to his target man role in the middle of the park. In this role, he will generally attract markers, leaving gaps for Suarez, either on the flanks or deep when Carroll is up front; or when Carroll comes deep, the Uruguayan should find space in behind the defence.

In regards to link up play, Suarez should be able to feed off Carroll’s knockdowns all day while Carroll should be the recipient of a few ideally placed crosses when Suarez decides to drift into wider areas. All looks pretty positive for the future in regards to the two strikers, now we need to look at strengthening other areas of the pitch!

Read more of David’s articles at the excellent Live4Liverpool

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Watch out for Conor Coady in a Liverpool shirt very soon…

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