2011/2012 SEASON
Neall Johnston:
Wenger certainly isn’t known for sending his most promising youngsters on loan, though he did not take this approach with Neall Johnston, instead sending the striker on loan to Championship side Leeds. During his time at the club, Neall scored a decent 7 goals in 17 appearances. Although his loan period was not for the entire season, Johnston’s contributions certainly helped send Leeds into the play-off places as they finished the season in 5th spot. Leeds successfully defeated both Ipswich and Burnley as they finally found themselves back in the Premier League. Amazingly, Neall Johnston was a part of the England U20s side that won the U20s World Cup, defeating Brazil in the final 2-0 (With Johnston scoring the 2nd in that particular match).
Brian Arthur:
Although being sent on loan from Manchester City this season, he remained in the Premier League as he moved to Blackburn Rover, playing 12 games for the club in all – scoring 4 goals. After making his full International debut vs Andorra for the Republic of Ireland (a game in which he scored twice), Brian Arthur made 2 more appearances for his country, scoring in both (Bringing his International scoring tally up to 4). Although Roberto Mancini was sacked by Manchester City, being replaced by Harry Redknapp, Arthur’s chances of playing week-in week-out still appeared slim, and the Irishman is eager to once again go on loan for first team football.
Stephen Kingman:
Immediately after joining Fulham in the summer, Kingman was shipped out to Norwich for a season long loan. He immediately broke into the first team at Carrow Road, making 29 appearances in all for his temporary club (with 6 assists in those matches). In the England U20s team in the summer, Kingman lifted silverware for the first time as his country secured the U20s World Cup trophy.
Lee Taylor:
Lee Taylor was once against present all season for Las Palmas, with the Spanish club improving massively on their performances last season, managing to finish 9th. The stats don’t tell the whole story (With only 3 assists in all) as Taylor was one of their most influential players throughout the season, securing a new 2 year contract with the club.
Jack Kidd:
After achieving promotion with Southampton last season, Jack Kidd helped the Saints stay in the Championship, his performances helping to secured 19th position in the league, 3 points clear of relegation. His impressive 11 assists along with his 2 goals was enough to attract the attention of Premier League clubs and, when his favourite club Fulham offered a fee of around 5m, Kidd jumped at the chance to move, signing a contract of 28.5k per week. Jack Kidd was arguably England’s best player in the final of the U20’s World Cup, captaining the side to a historic victory.
Nick Main:
It was a great year for Nick Main as not only was he a part of the U20 World Cup winning England squad, but his club Leeds United had finally made it back into the Premiership after almost a 10 year absence (Scoring 3 goals from centre-back position).
Darijo Vucetic:
Despite playing well for Barcelona Atletic, and looking like one of their brightest prospects, Guardiola decided to cash in on the Croat when a bid of 4.2m from Villarreal came in. Throughout the season – for both clubs – Darijo performed admirably, with 4 assists overall and an average rating of more than 7.50. Villarreal managed to beat both Sevilla and Valencia to 4th spot in La Liga partly thanks to Vucetic’s heroics at Right back.
Stan Raymonde:
Immediately after arriving at Stamford Bridge, the Chelsea management decided to send the promising striker on loan. His first suitors were Burnley, though he only made 2 appearances for the club (Scoring in both matches) with a hip injury keeping him out for a couple of months. When his loan period was over at Turf Moor, he was shipped to Crystal Palace for another 6 month loan period. Despite making 10 appearances, he failed to score a single goal.
Jake Miller:
Predictably, with opportunities for first team football looking slim at Eastlands, Miller was sent on loan to recently relegated Blackpool. After an average start of just 1 goal in 5 appearances, Jake Miller was injured for 6 weeks, ending his loan period early. It looked as though he would be sent on loan once again in January, but a twisted knee prevented any temporary move from materializing, leaving the attacking midfielder in the reserves for the rest of the season.
Dunc Greentank:
In 39 appearances for new club Crystal Palace, Greentank (Dear god.) managed to bag 16 goals and assist a further 4 goals for his teammates. His relatively prolific goalscoring record has been enough to attract Premier League interest. With Blackburn, Sunderland and Birmingham all offering him a contract, Duncan has a decision to make.
Ivan Korodzhov:
After being bought by Manchester City for 1.9m pounds, Korodzhov has done nothing of interest, with the club deciding not to send him on loan; he spent his season in the reserve team, playing 5 non-competitive games in all, assisting once. Apparently, there is interest from Burnley to bring the Frenchman to Turf Moor in an attempt to once again reach the Premier League.
Tirath Singh:
Things haven’t looked promising for Tirath, after making just a single cup appearance for Mallorca, he was moved to their B team. This decision however looks to have been taken in an attempt to regain the Australian’s match fitness, not surprising as injuries kept him out of the season for around 4 months in 2011/2012. Despite barely playing at club level, Singh now has 5 caps for country.
OJ Simpson:
The interest from Bolton materialized as the Scottish striker made the move to the Reebok Stadium after the 750k bid was accepted by Bury. Although a slow first season in the Premier League (Making 5 League appearances and 4 in the cup), Simpson is said to be very optimistic about his future at the club.
Billy Redrup:
Keeping a steady grip on the #1 spot on the Leeds teamsheet, Billy Redrup made 41 appearances in goal this season, conceding a total of 60 goals, with 11 clean sheets on his record. His heroics in goal were incredibly influential towards their promotion push, an objective that the club managed to reach via the playoffs. Redrup has now accumulated 15 youth caps for his country, and it surely won’t be long until he is in the senior squad.
Alfie Redrup:
Despite having an average season with Sheffield United in the Premier League, scoring a single goal and assisting 3, it was enough to keep the club in the top division – finishing 15th with 44 points.
Conor McFadden:
McFadden’s 6 month loan period from Manchester City to Blackpool was a success, with the centre-back achieving a 7.27 average rating. Getting a single assist and remaining solid at the back. Unfortunately, his loan spell wasn’t extended and Conor headed back to Manchester City where he was placed in the reserve team (making 3 appearances for the first team, all 3 from the bench). The Irishman now has 2 caps for his country after making his International debut vs Portugal.
Nathan Burdidge:
Nathan Burdidge managed to score a goal and set up a further 7 for Leeds up until January, with this run of form enough to attract interest from Premiership side Stoke City. The Potters managed to sign the winger for 4m pounds, with Burdidge adjusting very well to Premiership life – scoring 3 and assisting 5 in his first 16 games for his new club. He’s already being touted as the next Stewart Downing, impressing for the England Youth team also (with 13 youth caps and 4 youth goals).
Ed Syers:
Unsurprisingly, moving up two divisions with his transfer to Leicester left Ed Syers scoring almost 10 goals less than last year at Chesterfield. However, it certainly wasn’t a bad debut season in the competitive npower Championship, with his 13 goals bringing Leicester to touching distance of the play-offs, just missing out by 2 points.
Daniel Oakes:
Oakes got his wish of going on loan, being sent to Scottish giants Celtic for a full season. In 49 appearances, Daniel scored an impressive 22 goals as well as assisting 6 goals, though unfortunately for the entire team, this wasn’t enough as Rangers won the league by a huge 12 points. He also managed to maintain his impressive scoring record at Youth level for England, now with 8 in 8.
Ronan Eboue:
After making just a single appearance for Walsall in the 2011, Peterborough came in for the defensive midfielder in late summer, bringing Eboue to London Road for a fee believed to be around 1m. Excluding when injured or suspended, Ronan was ever-present for the Championship side, keeping them from relegation as they managed an 18th place finish. The Irishman has accumulated 11 youth caps for country to date.
Competition winners:
Premier League - Manchester United
FA Cup – Manchester United
League Cup – Wolves
Johnstone's Paint Trophy – MK Dons
Champions League – Barcelona
La Liga - Barcelona
Spanish Cup - Real Madrid
Spanish Super Cup - Barcelona
Serie A - Roma
Italian Cup - Roma
Italian Super Cup - Inter
Bundesliga - Bayern Munich
German Cup – Leverkusen
European Football Championship 2012 - FRANCE
Neall Johnston:
Wenger certainly isn’t known for sending his most promising youngsters on loan, though he did not take this approach with Neall Johnston, instead sending the striker on loan to Championship side Leeds. During his time at the club, Neall scored a decent 7 goals in 17 appearances. Although his loan period was not for the entire season, Johnston’s contributions certainly helped send Leeds into the play-off places as they finished the season in 5th spot. Leeds successfully defeated both Ipswich and Burnley as they finally found themselves back in the Premier League. Amazingly, Neall Johnston was a part of the England U20s side that won the U20s World Cup, defeating Brazil in the final 2-0 (With Johnston scoring the 2nd in that particular match).
Brian Arthur:
Although being sent on loan from Manchester City this season, he remained in the Premier League as he moved to Blackburn Rover, playing 12 games for the club in all – scoring 4 goals. After making his full International debut vs Andorra for the Republic of Ireland (a game in which he scored twice), Brian Arthur made 2 more appearances for his country, scoring in both (Bringing his International scoring tally up to 4). Although Roberto Mancini was sacked by Manchester City, being replaced by Harry Redknapp, Arthur’s chances of playing week-in week-out still appeared slim, and the Irishman is eager to once again go on loan for first team football.
Stephen Kingman:
Immediately after joining Fulham in the summer, Kingman was shipped out to Norwich for a season long loan. He immediately broke into the first team at Carrow Road, making 29 appearances in all for his temporary club (with 6 assists in those matches). In the England U20s team in the summer, Kingman lifted silverware for the first time as his country secured the U20s World Cup trophy.
Lee Taylor:
Lee Taylor was once against present all season for Las Palmas, with the Spanish club improving massively on their performances last season, managing to finish 9th. The stats don’t tell the whole story (With only 3 assists in all) as Taylor was one of their most influential players throughout the season, securing a new 2 year contract with the club.
Jack Kidd:
After achieving promotion with Southampton last season, Jack Kidd helped the Saints stay in the Championship, his performances helping to secured 19th position in the league, 3 points clear of relegation. His impressive 11 assists along with his 2 goals was enough to attract the attention of Premier League clubs and, when his favourite club Fulham offered a fee of around 5m, Kidd jumped at the chance to move, signing a contract of 28.5k per week. Jack Kidd was arguably England’s best player in the final of the U20’s World Cup, captaining the side to a historic victory.
Nick Main:
It was a great year for Nick Main as not only was he a part of the U20 World Cup winning England squad, but his club Leeds United had finally made it back into the Premiership after almost a 10 year absence (Scoring 3 goals from centre-back position).
Darijo Vucetic:
Despite playing well for Barcelona Atletic, and looking like one of their brightest prospects, Guardiola decided to cash in on the Croat when a bid of 4.2m from Villarreal came in. Throughout the season – for both clubs – Darijo performed admirably, with 4 assists overall and an average rating of more than 7.50. Villarreal managed to beat both Sevilla and Valencia to 4th spot in La Liga partly thanks to Vucetic’s heroics at Right back.
Stan Raymonde:
Immediately after arriving at Stamford Bridge, the Chelsea management decided to send the promising striker on loan. His first suitors were Burnley, though he only made 2 appearances for the club (Scoring in both matches) with a hip injury keeping him out for a couple of months. When his loan period was over at Turf Moor, he was shipped to Crystal Palace for another 6 month loan period. Despite making 10 appearances, he failed to score a single goal.
Jake Miller:
Predictably, with opportunities for first team football looking slim at Eastlands, Miller was sent on loan to recently relegated Blackpool. After an average start of just 1 goal in 5 appearances, Jake Miller was injured for 6 weeks, ending his loan period early. It looked as though he would be sent on loan once again in January, but a twisted knee prevented any temporary move from materializing, leaving the attacking midfielder in the reserves for the rest of the season.
Dunc Greentank:
In 39 appearances for new club Crystal Palace, Greentank (Dear god.) managed to bag 16 goals and assist a further 4 goals for his teammates. His relatively prolific goalscoring record has been enough to attract Premier League interest. With Blackburn, Sunderland and Birmingham all offering him a contract, Duncan has a decision to make.
Ivan Korodzhov:
After being bought by Manchester City for 1.9m pounds, Korodzhov has done nothing of interest, with the club deciding not to send him on loan; he spent his season in the reserve team, playing 5 non-competitive games in all, assisting once. Apparently, there is interest from Burnley to bring the Frenchman to Turf Moor in an attempt to once again reach the Premier League.
Tirath Singh:
Things haven’t looked promising for Tirath, after making just a single cup appearance for Mallorca, he was moved to their B team. This decision however looks to have been taken in an attempt to regain the Australian’s match fitness, not surprising as injuries kept him out of the season for around 4 months in 2011/2012. Despite barely playing at club level, Singh now has 5 caps for country.
OJ Simpson:
The interest from Bolton materialized as the Scottish striker made the move to the Reebok Stadium after the 750k bid was accepted by Bury. Although a slow first season in the Premier League (Making 5 League appearances and 4 in the cup), Simpson is said to be very optimistic about his future at the club.
Billy Redrup:
Keeping a steady grip on the #1 spot on the Leeds teamsheet, Billy Redrup made 41 appearances in goal this season, conceding a total of 60 goals, with 11 clean sheets on his record. His heroics in goal were incredibly influential towards their promotion push, an objective that the club managed to reach via the playoffs. Redrup has now accumulated 15 youth caps for his country, and it surely won’t be long until he is in the senior squad.
Alfie Redrup:
Despite having an average season with Sheffield United in the Premier League, scoring a single goal and assisting 3, it was enough to keep the club in the top division – finishing 15th with 44 points.
Conor McFadden:
McFadden’s 6 month loan period from Manchester City to Blackpool was a success, with the centre-back achieving a 7.27 average rating. Getting a single assist and remaining solid at the back. Unfortunately, his loan spell wasn’t extended and Conor headed back to Manchester City where he was placed in the reserve team (making 3 appearances for the first team, all 3 from the bench). The Irishman now has 2 caps for his country after making his International debut vs Portugal.
Nathan Burdidge:
Nathan Burdidge managed to score a goal and set up a further 7 for Leeds up until January, with this run of form enough to attract interest from Premiership side Stoke City. The Potters managed to sign the winger for 4m pounds, with Burdidge adjusting very well to Premiership life – scoring 3 and assisting 5 in his first 16 games for his new club. He’s already being touted as the next Stewart Downing, impressing for the England Youth team also (with 13 youth caps and 4 youth goals).
Ed Syers:
Unsurprisingly, moving up two divisions with his transfer to Leicester left Ed Syers scoring almost 10 goals less than last year at Chesterfield. However, it certainly wasn’t a bad debut season in the competitive npower Championship, with his 13 goals bringing Leicester to touching distance of the play-offs, just missing out by 2 points.
Daniel Oakes:
Oakes got his wish of going on loan, being sent to Scottish giants Celtic for a full season. In 49 appearances, Daniel scored an impressive 22 goals as well as assisting 6 goals, though unfortunately for the entire team, this wasn’t enough as Rangers won the league by a huge 12 points. He also managed to maintain his impressive scoring record at Youth level for England, now with 8 in 8.
Ronan Eboue:
After making just a single appearance for Walsall in the 2011, Peterborough came in for the defensive midfielder in late summer, bringing Eboue to London Road for a fee believed to be around 1m. Excluding when injured or suspended, Ronan was ever-present for the Championship side, keeping them from relegation as they managed an 18th place finish. The Irishman has accumulated 11 youth caps for country to date.
Competition winners:
Premier League - Manchester United
FA Cup – Manchester United
League Cup – Wolves
Johnstone's Paint Trophy – MK Dons
Champions League – Barcelona
La Liga - Barcelona
Spanish Cup - Real Madrid
Spanish Super Cup - Barcelona
Serie A - Roma
Italian Cup - Roma
Italian Super Cup - Inter
Bundesliga - Bayern Munich
German Cup – Leverkusen
European Football Championship 2012 - FRANCE
Last edited: