EPL Team of the Week: Round 33

BEST XI

Formation: 4-5-1

Goalkeeper

Mark Schwarzer (Fulham)
Was on guard to foil Middlesbrough's best efforts on a day that was stand-up for glovesman up and down the country. Saved a Tuncay header well, and managed to get his mitts to a Downing strike.


Defence

Danny Collins (Sunderland)
Put in a sturdy shift for Sunderland, was sound at the rearguard, and just when the side needed something to happen, he was there to play a key part in the club's claims for three points by assisting Cisse.

Nedum Onuoha (Manchester City)
Put in a sound shift at the back and popped up to capitalise on good service to grab City's second.

Younes Kaboul (Portsmouth)
Is filling in and doing a solid job wherever Paul Hart asks him to play. Was utilised at right back to accommodate Johnson playing further afield, and impressed in the process.

James Tomkins (West Ham United)
What is it with the academy at the Boleyn Ground? Could Tomkins be a further talented graduate to add to the already growing list of stars to originate from east London training grounds? He's got his name twice on Goal.com's Team of the Week in recent times, so the omens bode well for the kid.


Midfield

Mark Noble (West Ham United)
Is continuing to impress under diminutive manager Gianfranco Zola. Had a good box-to-boxing game from the central areas and was the Hammers' driving force. Will no doubt, along with a few other Irons members, be the focus of transfer speculation over the coming months.

Stephen Ireland (Manchester City)
Why this player is only nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award is beyond me, especially when he has had a greater season than at least half of those listed in the adult section.

Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham Hotspur)
Held the middle of the park well for Tottenham, and unleashed a flurry of dangerous looking long-range shots. Passed well.

Glen Johnson (Portsmouth)
A tactical re-shift in Paul Hart's thinking has ensured that the roaming Glen Johnson has been pushed further up-field, where he relentlessly tormented Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Robinho (Manchester City)
The Brazilian ended his mini-goal draught with a fine volley that followed an Ireland cross. After Manchester City's UEFA Cup exit, their qualification into Europe next season hinges on their ability to finish seventh in the Premier League. If they are to do so, then Ireland and Robinho will need to keep their form up.


Striker

Djibril Cisse (Sunderland)
The pacey Frenchman's first half header has temporarily eased the relegation burden off of the shoulders of the Black Cats, as it was his solo goal that separated Sunderland and Hull City.

EPL Team of the Week - Round 32

BEST XI

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Goalkeeper

Brad Jones (Middlesbrough)
It was a "must-win" game for Gareth Southgate's men, and the young manager's joy was there for all to see as his side managed to give themselves a fighting chance. Jones, though, deserves some of the accolades for his ability to beat the balls away from his goal, conceding only the once.


Defence

Emiliano Insua (Liverpool)
A creative presence from the full-back spot. Contributed to the Reds' build-up play, and should cement his first-team role if he can carry on like that during the business end of the season.

Dan Agger (Liverpool)
An absolutely thunderous dribble and shot from the Danish international that would have Thor salivating all the way from Valhalla.

Ledley King (Tottenham Hotspur)
How this man doesn't train all week but is still able to put in stellar performances is beyond me. Solid display.

Ryan Shawcross (Stoke City)
Another solid performance from the ex-Manchester United academy graduate. Stoke have a real chance of Premier League survival and, in truth, their fans deserve to be in Goal.com's Team of the Week as much as any of the XI named here today. They're louder than my next door neighbour's house parties after pay-day. It wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't such a Cher addict.


Midfield

Phil Neville (Everton)
A great protector of his back-four. An unsung hero. His positional sense was like something out of a Stan Lee comic book. Worthy of all the marvel he receives. A friend of mine once said that England only ever used to bring on Phil Neville during his call-ups if they were winning, so that they could mock the opponent... a bit like Ronnie 'the Rocket' O'Sullivan potting left-handed. Well, Neville deserves recognition from Fabio Capello if he carries on like this. I tell thee.

Javier Mascherano (Liverpool)
A real box-to-boxing display from the defensive-minded midfielder. Was a sniffing-hound for the ball and would never give up the chase. The best player in his position currently? Not far off. He supplemented with the attacks, was unfortunate not to get a penalty, intercepted and tackled like a maestro. His break-up play was outstanding, and showed outrageous hustle.


Attack

Ashley Young (Aston Villa)
Drew the space for himself and tormented Alan Hibbert at right-back for Everton. Attacked his man all day long, he won corners, and contributed to countless attacks. If he could perform at this level against the big clubs (he disappeared against Jose Bosingwa who forced him into unwanted areas) then he would be unstoppable.

Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
Great delivery and ability to assist when picking out his team-mates such as Didier Drogba. Converted his penalty. Class lad.

Andrey Arshavin (Arsenal)
He is proving himself to be the signing of the winter window. He was by far the best player available at the time, and how he's changed the Gunners' fortunes around. Played a part in a trio of Arsenal's goals. An unrelenting assisting beast. He has claimed since that he is homesick. Imagine what he's going to be like when he's got all his Matryoshka dolls in London.



Striker

Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
Stunning touch on his chest to half-volley into the top corner of the net for the club's first. His second was a solid header set-up by international team-mate Xabi Alonso. Dedicated both of his goals to the 96 that lost their lives their lives during the Hillsborough Stadium disaster. Nice touch from the kid.

Ronaldo Plots Manchester United Exit

And the tricky winger is blaming English Premier League football and the referees. I know, that sounds absurd, but it's true. Or maybe it's a smoke-screen from the Old Trafford boardroom to help soften the blow when he leaves for Spain in the summer.

Manchester United fear Cristiano Ronaldo could be driven out of England by weak refereeing in the Barclays Premier League.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson and members of the Old Trafford hierarchy had been increasingly confident of keeping the world's best player beyond the end of this season.

But what Ferguson describes as a lack of protection for his player is becoming a major concern for the English and European champions, particularly after Ronaldo clashed with referee Phil Dowd at Craven Cottage in Fulham's surprise 2-0 victory on Saturday.

The relationship between Ronaldo and leading referees appears to have disintegrated and, while United accept that the Portugal winger is partly to blame, they argue his apparent disrespect for match officials is his response to their failure to protect him.

Ferguson says the 'systematic fouling' of Ronaldo has become a popular 'tactic' in the Premier League and statistics do prove that he is fouled more than any other United player.

Now there is a real worry that the opportunity to make a summer move to Real Madrid in Spain, where referees are less tolerant of challenges, is becoming a more attractive proposition to the FIFA World Player of the Year.

Yesterday Dowd and his colleagues came under fire from Pat Crerand, a United legend long seen as a strong Ferguson ally.

In an extraordinary attack, 1968 European Cup winner Crerand slammed the current crop of senior English referees in response to the late dismissal of striker Wayne Rooney during United's defeat at the weekend.

Rooney was sent off after a second yellow card when he angrily threw the ball back towards the referee. Paul Scholes was also sent off earlier in the match for handling on the line.

'We have a situation in England at the moment where we have the worst referees God ever created,' said 70-year-old Crerand, who is employed by United's official television channel MUTV as a presenter.

'The Scholes sending- off decision, you couldn't argue with that.

'But the Rooney dismissal was a farce. United are losing, he wants to get on with the game, he picks the ball up and hurls it about 40 yards straight to team-mate Jonny Evans.

'I know the referee's in that vicinity but it landed straight at Evans's feet. And the referee sent him off.

'I think referees want to do something to be noticed and get their photo in the papers. The sending-off of Rooney got him noticed. They talk about respect in the game but referees have got to earn it.'

Rooney will not face any further disciplinary action, the FA have confirmed after Dowd stated he was not sworn at by the player. This means Rooney will be suspended for only one game, the home match against Aston Villa on April 5.

The FA will write to Rooney, however, to issue him with a formal warning about his conduct after he punched the corner flag while leaving the pitch. An FA spokesman said: 'We have clarified with Phil Dowd that there was no abuse from the player after he was dismissed.
'In relation to the incident when he punched the corner flag, the referee did not see that and we have written to Wayne Rooney reminding him of his responsibilities.'

Rooney Out To Deny Reds

Wayne Rooney believes Manchester United can end Liverpool's title dream with victory when the two rivals meet at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Liverpool's title tilt has faltered in recent weeks after Rafa Benitez's men let slip their lead at the top of the table to fall seven points behind United.

Rooney is relishing the visit of Liverpool and admits United can wreck their old foes' chances of ending a 19-year wait for the top-flight crown.

"I think we're in pole position anyway, but we can certainly end Liverpool's chances of winning the league if we win, so we're looking forward to it," Rooney told Sky Sports News.

United remain on course for an unprecedented Quintuple this season after a 2-0 success over Inter Milan on Wednesday night secured a place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

England ace Rooney was not getting carried away by talk of lifting five trophies, but outlined the squad's desire to win everything.

He added: "We always try and win every tournament we go into at the start of the season.

"We're in all the competitions, but we know there is a long way to go in the season, and we know that we just have to keep focused and try and do the best we can."