Premier League – Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? – Round 15

Sunderland produced a fine performance in their easy win against West Brom but they can’t win the ‘Hot team’ award because if they can play like that, why didn’t they do it for Roy Keane? Newcastle put in an exceptional performance at Portsmouth, but they need to do it again before they can qualify as a ‘Hot team’.

Despite several good performances there can only be one winner this week and that is the amazing Hull City. People keep expecting the bubble to burst but it hasn’t done and it now doesn’t look like it is going to.

They’ve only lost away from home once this season and that was 4-3 at Old Trafford. On Saturday they went 2-0 up at Liverpool and although the Reds fought back to 2-2 Hull were still looking for a winner at the end of the game. They are a credit to their manager, themselves and the Premier League.

West Brom are strong candidates but they might be becoming a bit of a lost cause. Portsmouth looked pretty poor in the second half against Newcastle and I still can’t work out why the same eleven players look so much poorer under Tony Adams than they did under Harry Redknapp.

This week the award goes to Blackburn. The players are too good to be where they are and they are just not producing what they are capable of. There may be difficulties in the changing room but Paul Ince deserves better from his players.

Their performance at Wigan was abysmal. They need to sort things out quickly.

Credit where it is due. He has had an awful lot of fully justified criticism over the past few months but Tottenham’s Heurelho Gomes made a couple of world class saves to help his side to a 0-0 draw with Manchester United.

You have to admire a man who fights back after reaching such a low point. He is definitely this week’s Hot keeper.

He may have been the best English keeper for some time but David James won’t remember yesterday’s 3-0 defeat with any fondness.

The first goal he could have been out quicker on Michael Owen’s poor first touch, the second goal he went down far too easily at Obafemi Martins’ trick and I’d have fancied my own chances of saving the third one!

Last week’s Not Hot defender was Everton’s Phil Jagielka. He bounced back from last week’s awful back pass with a faultless performance for the toffees in their win at Manchester City.

He stood firm against the Samba attacking force and looked every inch an international defender.

It seems harsh to give this award to one of the Premier Leagues most consistent defenders of recent years but step forward Jamie Carragher. He had a horror show against Hull yesterday. He was pretty much run ragged by the movement of the Hull forward players and topped off his performance with an own goal.

Great defender but not a great day for him.

There has been much talk about the likes of Manchester United being interested in Wigan’s Antonio Valencia. I’ve never quite seen why before but his performance, particularly in the first half, on Saturday was quite exceptional.

Whilst it doesn’t take much to frighten the life out of the fragile looking Blackburn midfield and defence at the moment, frighten them he certainly did.

What has happened to Blackburn’s Morten Gamst Pederson? A season or two back he looked like a world class player. Flying down the wing, firing in shots and deadly set pieces and delivering mouth watering crosses for the likes of Santa Cruz and McCarthy.

Now, he seems to give Blackburn nothing. He was substituted at half time on Saturday and to be fair, he was lucky to last that long.

Four strikers injured and Everton turn to their midfield dynamo Tim Cahill to play the lone striker role at Manchester City. He works hard as he always does and despite his 5’10” frame he gives Micah Richards and the other giant defenders a torrid time in the air.

In the last minute he pops up in the area and heads home a deserved winner for his side. It was an excellent performance by the Australian as he continues to show what a valuable player he is for Everton.

This week you can take your pick out of Portsmouth’s dynamic duo Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch. Considering they are both arguably in the top four of English strikers, Tony Adams has a right to expect them to give him more than they did yesterday.

I’m going to give it to Defoe on the basis that I can remember him missing the easier of the chances.

Last chance to vote for SoccerNews today. You can do it HERE.

Thanks