The Graduating Class of 2013: What have each of the 2013 Barclays Premier League retirees contributed to their respective clubs this season?

The Rosey Wrap examines the careers and the current seasons contribution of this years retirees to their respective clubs,

1. Jamie Carragher
   
   
   Liverpool’s second top appearance maker of all time was farewelled by an adoring Anfield crowd yesterday as he played in his 508^th premier league match for the Reds against QPR.  Debuting in the 1996/97 season, Carragher spent the entirety of his career with his boyhood club, in a career which spanned over 16 years. This season, Carragher featured 24 times for the Reds and was back to characteristically solid form after playing an understudy role to Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel last season. The 35 year old delivered even more than what manager Brendan Rodgers had expected from him this season, and he leaves the game with an astounding résumé, and as a player who is and always will be beloved by Liverpool fans for his passion, grit and integrity.  The number 23 will join the Sky Sports commentary team next season; let’s hope his commentary is more coherent than Brendan Rodgers’ press conferences…
   
   
2. Paul Scholes and Sir Alex Ferguson
   
   
   Paul Scholes called time on his career for a second time yesterday as the man who prompted him to come out of retirement managed his 1500^th and final match. Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement took many by surprise, after securing United’s 20^th premier league title. This season, Fergie has been as influential as ever, signing Robin Van Persie from Arsenal for a hefty sum, a move which some would pontificate won the title for the Red Devils. The ‘Ginger Ninja’ hangs up his boots once and for all at the age of 38. Having made his premier league debut in the 1994/95 season, Scholes was an ever present in the United midfield, making at least 20 appearances each premier league season until the 2010/11 season.  This season, Scholes made 16 premier league appearances proving that even in his advanced age he could still control a midfield, retiring with his 11^th premier league winner’s medal in hand as well as the record as the player with the second most premier league yellow cards to his name with 99 in 499 appearances. He and his manager will certainly be missed by the Old Trafford faithful as Manchester United enter into a new era, other clubs will be hoping it will not be anywhere near as successful as the previous one.
   
   
3. Stiliyan Petrov
   
   
   The inspirational Aston Villa captain was diagnosed with acute Leukemia in March 2012, prompting for a long absence from the game. Throughout his absence, Villa fans took part in a minute silence in the 19^th minute of every match, 19 being the number worn by their beloved captain. The man they call ‘Stan’ will bow out with 185 premier league appearances for Villa under his belt as well as 9 goals and will be missed sorely at Villa Park. At 33 years of age, Petrov retires without playing a match in the 2012/13 campaign, but this does not reflect his influence at Villa this season. A constant presence, adored by all, masks of his face placed on away team seats as yesterday’s match a testament to just how much he will be missed and how he will be remembered at Villa park.
4. Paulo Fereira
   
   
   A forgotten man at Chelsea, Jose Mourinho’s €20 million signing at the beginning of the 2004/05 season will leave the club with 141 premier league appearances under his belt. The Portuguese right back will retire having made just 2 appearances this season for the Blues, an adequate reflection of just how unimportant he had become at Stanford Bridge, the time is right for him to go. Chelsea fans will no doubt be saying ‘Bon Voyage!’ to yet another expensive player to not live up to their price tag, but the question remains… will Roman Abramovich ever realize that money does not grow on trees?
   
   
5. Phil Neville
   
   
   36 year old Everton captain Phil Neville will retire with 505 premier league appearances and 9 goals from right back, after a career which spanned roughly 18 years in which he featured for his youth club Manchester United as well as the toffees. This season, Neville made 18 appearances for Everton and showed the leadership and experience which is essential to any premier league football club in nurturing youth and winning matches. Neville can retire with the knowledge that his club finished above rivals Liverpool for two consecutive seasons and will be hoping that they can extend this feat another year even after losing manager David Moyes to Neville’s former club.
   
   
6. Michael Owen
   
   
   A man of many clubs, Michael Owen retires after spending a brief stint as Stoke City’s number 10, scoring 1 goal in 8 appearances. Having played for Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United as well as the Potters, Owen’s celebrated career comes to an end after 326 matches, with 150 goals. He will be remembered as one of the most naturally prolific strikers the league has seen. This season however, he featured very minimally and failed to find his feet at Stoke after spending much of the season hampered by injury.
   
   
   
   
   That’s Rosey’s Wrap on the premier league’s retiring footballers of 2012/13,
   
   
   We wish them the best of luck in the next chapter of their lives and careers,
   
   
   Thanks for reading,
   
   
   Jake Rosengarten

5 Predictions for the Upcoming July/August Transfer Window

Below are my five predictions for the upcoming transfer window, feel free to comment below on anything you agree or disagree with… Enjoy!

1. Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United transfer saga

In every transfer window there is one rumour which keeps coming back, in this window I predict Ronaldo to United to be in the papers almost constantly. As the window progresses, the move will look more and more likely, however it will not manifest, no doubt due to the unwillingness to haggle of modern day Ebenezer Scrooge, Sir Alex Ferguson.

Frankly, I can’t see Ronaldo leaving Madrid for a long time, he seems to be perfectly happy and scoring at will, what more could a player ask for.

2. Spurs to sign a world class striker

Andre Villas Boas will surely be looking to open up his wallet this window in order to take some scoring pressure off his team’s seemingly only goal threat, PFA player and young player of the year, Gareth Bale. The Welshman has been in scintillating form this season and has won all sorts of plaudits, but it has come time that someone else with the ability to put the ball into the net signed for Tottenham Hotspur. Hopefully it will help Spurs fans to put behind them the disturbing displays they have witnessed from Emmanuel Adebayor this season.

Who will be signed is anyone’s guess, it could be any one of a number of strikers, one thing is for certain though, they will already be on the verge of signing for Liverpool. But on a more serious note, options range from Brazilian Leandro Damiao to relegated QPR’s Loic Remy to Borussia Dortmund’s Polish hit man Robert Lewandowski. I am unsure who AVB will sign, but my gut tells me it could be Lewandowski.

3. Arsene Wenger to say he will spend big.... then sign Thierry Henry again

All in good fun! But seriously, I can see Wenger promising to spend big again this window, as he does every window, and only delivering an average player. I feel sorry for Arsenal fans around this time of the year, as their hopes sky rocket with their claims “in Arsene we trust,” only for their dreams to be dashed by the very man in which they held their faith.

The gunners have done well this season to hold onto a top four position thus far, and if they wish to perform well in Europe next year as well as even have a run at the title, they will need reinforcements. Wenger will surely know this, but whether or not he will make the right choices in the market remains to be seen.

4. Jose Mourinho to return to Chelsea 

It’s been all over the internet for the past week or so, but I am just going to come out and say it, I believe that José Mourinho will be the manager of Chelsea next campaign. Rafael Benitez has given it his best, but the fans are simply not all behind him and this is a big problem at a club whose fans have such high expectations as those of Chelsea. Sure, Benitez’s side hasn’t been in all that bad form but he certainly does not have them at the levels which Mourinho could. Knowing Roman Abramovich, the axe well be wielded as the Russian oil tycoon moves to reunite with his former Portuguese colleague.

If the rumours are to be believed, then Mourinho will be bringing with him Atletico Madrid’s Columbian powerhouse Falcao. This could spell trouble for the rest of world football, as a Mourinho led side which features Falcao as well as Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and others could well stake their claim to the premier league title and even the champions league title in the coming season. 

5. Luis Suarez to stay at Liverpool

After his controversial bite on Branislav Ivanovic and subsequent 10 match ban from the FA, there was talk that Luis Suarez could well have played his last match for Liverpool Football Club. However, I do not believe that this will be the case; I believe that the Uruguayan will come back stronger than ever in the 7^th match of next season. I cannot give a rationale for this prediction, it is just a gut feeling, based on Suarez’ previous behaviour. Whilst some feel he is of questionable character, he has always showed nothing but loyalty to Liverpool for everything they have given to him and I believe he will remain at Anfield for long enough to see them return to the champions league.

That’s Rosey’s predictions for the upcoming transfer window,

Thanks for Reading!

By Jake Rosengarten

Match Report - Liverpool vs Chelsea (21/4/13)

Anfield was abuzz for the returns of ex-talisman Fernando Torres and former manager Rafael Benitez whose Chelsea side was eager to take three points and post themselves as firm favourites to secure a champions league spot for next season. For Liverpool, eyes were fixed firmly on Luis Suarez as fans looked on in hope that he would find the back of the net, something Liverpool had failed to do in their previous two fixtures, at Reading and West Ham. Suarez did not disappoint though, he featured heavily in the match and will surely make headlines for his soon to be infamous bite on Branislav Ivanovic in the second half.

The match opened tentatively, with both sides looking to cement their defensive positions and not leak goals early. Chances were few and far between in the first half, with the scoring opened in the 26^th minute as Oscar nodded in at the near post from a Juan Mata corner. Liverpool’s usual creative dynamo, petite Brazilian Philippe Coutinho failed to make his presence known, as he struggled to even get a touch of the ball. Chelsea midfielders Ramires and John Obi Mikel controlled the middle of the park as Liverpool attempted to hold onto some possession in the hope of gaining some penetration in the final third. However, it was not forthcoming, as the first half came to a close Chelsea were firmly favourites to secure three points from this fixture while Liverpool were seemingly struggling to put together anything resembling a foray at goal.

The half time break proved pivotal as Brendan Rodgers made his first substitute of the match, replacing the out-of-sorts Coutinho with ex-Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge. This proved a master stroke for the Reds as Sturridge proceeded to make the lives of the Chelsea defenders a nightmare, hitting the post, playing in Steven Gerrard and finally finding the back of the net, within 7 minutes of his arrival. The goal was expertly manufactured as Stewart Downing controlled a Daniel Agger long ball, finding Luis Suarez who dinked the ball over the head of the defender to Sturridge who found the back of the net in true style. Liverpool well and truly found themselves back in the game, and even with momentum, looking like they could even grab all three points.

Luis Suarez came to the fore once more as a corner in from Juan Mata found Suarez’s hand and referee Kevin Friend had no choice but to point to the spot. Eden Hazard stepped up for the visitors and slotted home past Pepe Reina in the 54^th minute. With Chelsea’s lead restored, Liverpool attempted to step up the tempo and find an equaliser, a challenge which they continued until the final kick of the ball.

The moment which the match will surely be remembered for took place with 20 minutes to play, as Luis Suarez seemed to lunge at and bite Chelsea’s Serbian centre back Branislav Ivanovic. Controversy ensued, as the incident was missed by the officials but certainly not by fans nor by the television cameras. Suarez will surely be in a great deal of trouble with the FA, and could well be handed another multi-match ban. The premier league’s current top scorer may well miss the rest of the season and could even miss some matches next season if he remains with the Merseyside club.

As the match wore on, both Benitez and Rodgers made changes to their sides. For Chelsea, former-Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun replaced Eden Hazard in the 78^th minute, and Nigerian Victor Moses replaced Oscar in the 83^rd. For Liverpool, Jonjo Shelvey replaced Stewart Downing in the 80^th minute, and received a yellow card for catching Oscar just one and a half minutes after his introduction.

Liverpool had many chances to find an equaliser in the final minutes as they again lacked the final product until the 7^th minute of stoppage time when a brilliantly weighted Daniel Sturridge ball from the right found none other than the infamous Luis Suarez whose header beat Petr Cech at the near post to secure a point for Liverpool. Capping off a truly eventful performance from Suarez whose goal is his first in over 400 minutes of premier league football.

Liverpool’s attacking play was the real improvement in this game, as they managed to find the net, thanks largely to Daniel Sturridge who could prove instrumental in the run home if indeed Luis Suarez finds himself on the end of a length ban. Chelsea will be ruing a missed chance to steal a march in the champions league race over against Tottenham and Arsenal, and now find themselves in 4th place, just one point above tottenham and one under Arsenal. Benitez and the blues supporters will be hoping that they can come home strong.

That’s Rosey’s roundup on Liverpool vs. Chelsea!

Thanks for reading,

By Jake Rosengarten