12 PLAYERS WHO PUNCHED ABOVE THEIR WEIGHT THIS YEAR EVEN BY THEIR ALREADY VERY HIGH STANDARDS

This piece is not in order of hierarchy. Please do not judge by who comes first, second, third or twelfth. Nevertheless, the names that come from first to fifth are very much in order.

Join me as I rightly recognise the individuals that came out tops in their appraisals for 2014

GOAL MACHINE

1. CRISTIANO RONALDO - The Portuguese genius has blazed the trail, broken the bar and sent numerous records tumbling on his way to yet another WFOTY award. Who would have imagined that he will still be in the reckoning after watching his arch-rival scoop four straight WFOTY awards. Rather than drain him, it made him hungrier and more determined to wrest ownership of the greatest individual accolade bestowed on any footballer. He finally did it last year with some scintillating performances along the way. This year has been ever bigger, better and more rewarding. The iconic goal machine scored 17 goals in the Champions League (the highest ever in a single tournament), won the competition and was crowned UEFA BEST PLAYER IN EUROPE. He also won all the awards on offer in La Liga, although Real Madrid fell short in that pursuit. The 29 year old also became the highest goal scorer in European qualifiers/competitions and has already scored 25 league goals this season and we are still in December. He had a poor World cup but no footballer on earth is close to him at the moment. He is in a league of his own. THE BEST!

EL PULGA

2    LIONEL MESSI - Hard to think he is no longer the outstanding candidate for the WFOTY award after a four year spell where he called the shots and left everyone behind. He kept his colleagues at arms length. All that has changed with the reinvention of CR7. The Argentine has not been too bad. Selected rather inexplicably as recipient for the Golden Ball gong at the World Cup, he has also gone ahead to become the highest goal scorer in la liga and the champions league. He did with some swagger. Just threw in some hat-tricks to spice up both occasions which remarkably came in the space of four days. He hasn't hit the heights required of a player of his very high level but he has stayed close to the best (CR7). He is still a strong contender for the '14 WFOTY but if he wins, it will be the greatest disservice ever witnessed in the WORLD OF FOOTBALL.

THE DEADLY ARJEN

3     ARJEN ROBBEN - No doubt the best player in the last World Cup in my opinion, the Dutch winger single-handedly destroyed defending Champions, Spain in what still remains one of the most dominant performances of the Oranje in any competition they have participated in. The Bayern Munich winger/attacker, fresh from leading his club to a domestic double and a UCL semi final, delivered a near flawless performance at football's most prestigious international competition. He is the third best player in the World in my eyes

KING OF BRAZIL

4       NEYMAR  - At 22, words are not enough to describe the new captain of Brazil. He was at the forefront of Brazil's quest to hoist a 6th World Cup trophy until Germany came calling. By and large, his displays for Brazil this year trumps any other. For Barcelona, he has scored 11 la liga goals already, more than he managed the whole of last season. Neymar has improved tremendously and he has his eyes on the MESSI/CR7 throne. Who can bet against him?

MANUEL MASTER

5     MANUEL NEUER - Not since Gigi Buffon has a goalkeeper been thrown in the mix for individual honours at the end of the year. Germany and Bayern Munich number one has the safest hands in football today, no question about that. He is the third nominee for the WFOTY/FIFA Ballon d'Or. He may win it and join Lev Yashin in an exalted company. His excellent showing at the world Cup cannot be overlooked.


6      JAMES RODRIGUEZ - El Nuevo Pibe and heir to the throne left vacant by CARLOS VALDERRAMA, lived to the billing by playing swash buckling and eye catching football on the way to the quarter-finals where they succumbed to hosts, Brazil. Despite the development, the now Real-Madrid player left the tournament with his head held high. 6 goals meant he won the golden boot and was robbed of at least 2nd place in the golden ball ranking. He has taken that form to Spain, slotting in effortlessly. The transition from ligue 1 to la liga has been seamless. Definitely one of the players of 2014

EL NUEVO PIBE

DI MAGICA

7     ANGEL DI MARIA - The 'Angel' of the Bernabeu had to leave the club after guiding them to LA DECIMA. The Argentine playmaker had his best season to date in 13/14 and it was because he arrived that Real achieved a long standing ambition . His contribution to the DECIMA cause was as important as CR7's. Without him, it would have remained a pipe dream. He also excelled at the World Cup but sadly couldn't feature in the final match due to injury. He has taken his magic to Manchester United and it has robbed off immediately on the Old Trafford club.

KROOS CONTROL

8      TONI KROOS - Oh! How he took Brazil to the woodshed in front of their own fans. After bossing things at the Allianz Arena, the peerless midfielder joined other members of DIE NATIONALELF to win the World Cup on South American soil. A first. Kroos was one of the certainties in Jogi Loew's squad all through the campaign and was the tormentor in chief of the Selecao in 'that' semi final never to be forgotten.Now a merengue, his pass success rate on the average is the best in the whole World. Alongside Luka Modric, there's no better midfield partnership anywhere and even without the Croat, he still bestrides any pitch like a colossus. A supremely gifted footballer who could have been WFOTY nominee any other year.

EL PISTOLERO

9       LUIS SUAREZ - Without doubt, the EPL's best footballer last term, the Uruguayan affectionately called 'THE GUNSLINGER' took his biting expedition to another level at the World Cup but all has been forgiven and forgotten seemingly and he's at Barcelona. Although he is yet to find his feet. On a good day, he's up there with the best in the World.

KUN WITH KUN jnr

10      SERGIO AGUERO - EL KUN had an injury hit season and his World Cup was just as disappointing but he has come storming out of the blocks this season with 19 goals in 20 games already. The diminutive goalscorer has been one of the best players in 2014 and deservedly so

YAYAAAAA

11       YAYA TOURE - Take it or go to bed, the Ivorian midfield magician has taken the football world by storm this year. 20 goals in the League is the second highest achieved by a midfielder ever and the highest ever by a central midfield player. Without him, City would have ended the season empty handed as he was the focal point in the absence of Aguero. A calming influence when things become really tough, he is the only choice for best player in Africa and if things continue this way, he may monopolise the award in the next few years. Best CMF in the World last season and a fabulous footballer

IBRACADABRA

12         ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC - 'I am ZLatan' scored over 40 goals for 'Les Parisien' last term and on his return from injury, he has again taken over the baton from the likes of Cavani, EL FLACO PASTORE, Moura, etc. When the sheriff returns, others take the back seat. One of the best players this year of course.

THE SCOUSERS VISIT A FAMILIAR GROUND ON SUNDAY with good memories of their last stop over but not quite in the same form

                                                  



'I grew up hating Liverpool and nothing has changed' - The exact words of Wayne Rooney about Sunday's opponents. The England and Manchester United captain and talisman has never hidden his resentment of Liverpool and tempers have gone higher with the recent spats between both clubs, more recently the racism incident involving Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra (both of whom\are no longer in Britain) and the refusal of the Uruguayan to make peace with the then United vice-captain even when all accusing fingers pointed in his direction. On the field, Liverpool secured the double over a very poor United side last term but tomorrow is a different ball game entirely.

Manchester United are in a rich vein of form but not one that will worry Liverpool too much. Despite the fact that the red devils have won 5 matches on the bounce, there are still gaping holes in the team, especially at the back where at least 8 different combinations have been used since the start of the season no thanks to 44 Injuries sustained since August. At St Mary's on Monday, United rode their luck for much of the game and had RVP and DDG to thank for snatching victory by the skin of the teeth. United dodged a bullet at the Theatre of Dreams two match days ago, against Stoke. It has been 5 consecutive wins but not exceptional performances along the way. It nevertheless, shows the grit LVG's men have shown in the last month or so.

For Liverpool, it has been a very putrescent season thus far, with the club recently kicked out of Europe by Basel and sitting in 9th position with a 6-3-6 record. A far cry from the form which say them almost end their decades long league trophy drought until the 'STEVIE G SLIP' surfaced. They have been without Daniel Sturridge for most part. The Englishman was in a hot streak before injuries set in. His 21 EPL goals last season was a big step forward in his quest to be put in the same bracket with the world's finest marksmen. EL PISTOLERO's replacement, Mario Balotelli, is still looking for his first Premier League goal since his second coming. The controversial but very talented Italian striker has a very good record against Manchester United. It wouldn't be a surprise if he opens his account on Sunday. Steven Gerrard, without doubt one of the greatest footballers of his generation, couldn't repeat his heroics of years gone by, in midweek v Basel, He scored a trademark free kick to bring his team level but the winner never came. He has found himself in and out of the starting line up in recent weeks but he also knows how best to hurt Manchester United. He usually brings his A-game when it is time to face the old enemy.

Louis Van Gaal is finding his feet slowly, gradually and steadily. The Dutchman is a perfectionist to the core but he has been very unlucky with injuries as his best eleven is yet to be known. Angel Di Maria, Daley Blind and Luke Shaw will definitely miss out on Sunday and Chris Smalling is two weeks away from returning to the fold after limping out of the So'ton game. Phil Jones is back but Evans and Rojo are fitter and should make the centre back pairing. Ashley Young has played his heart out since he was introduced v Arsenal last month. The Englishman is revelling in his new left wing back role. Wayne Rooney returned to the starting eleven on Monday but was below par all round. Despite his poor showing, it was his delivery that set United on the path to victory as RVP turned in a great cross from his captain to seal victory for the red army. The Dutch man joined the 140-goal club in the Premier League after notching a brace in the South Coast.

Rivalries will be renewed on Sunday when hostilities resume. This will be the 45th time both teams will lock horns in the League since the new format was introduced in 1992. LVG's men, 8-4-3 are suddenly back in the mix after a stinking start to the season. Suddenly, they are 8 points behind seemingly runaway leaders, Chelsea and five points shy of Manchester City. It is an extraordinary improvement on what the situation was a few months ago. Whatever goes down on Sunday, one thing's certain-the 3-0 obliteration on my birthday earlier this year will not repeat itself .


DELATAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OHIREIME P EBOREIME
@ohiskaka1990