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

Hot team
A few contenders again this week, but for me, the award has to go to Newcastle. It was a simple formula. Get the ball wide, get it into the two six feet plus strikers and work off the bits. They did it superbly.

The team second from bottom in the league also deserve a mention. Not only did Wolves beat the superstars of Manchester City, they did it deservedly. They out-played them, out-thought them, out-fought them and played much more like a team.

Not Hot team
How bad were Sunderland? OK, Newcastle were good, but still, the Mackems couldn’t have been much worse.

What a terrible game to do it as well. The Sunderland fans will need a very long time to get over that one.

Hot keeper
I wouldn’t normally give this award to a keeper who ended up on the losing side but this week I am inclined to do so.

West Ham keeper Robert Green had a torrid time at the World Cup and his season started in much the same fashion as his confidence looked absolutely shot to pieces. Avram Grant stuck with him, despite the team occupying the relegation places and Green has started to repay that faith.

He was excellent against Arsenal on Saturday and for long periods kept them at bay almost single handedly. He was very unlucky to get beaten just once and end up losing the game.

Welcome back Robert.

Not Hot keeper
You’ve got to feel a little sorry for Heurelho Gomes because that second Manchester United goal was nothing short of ridiculous. I like Mark Clattenburg as a referee but he displayed an absolute lack of common sense and football awareness in awarding the goal.

Having said all that, Gomes did look a bit silly!

Hot defender
Wolves are not renowned for the quality of their defending and Christophe Berra rarely gets the headlines. I thought he was excellent against Manchester City on Saturday and his strong performance gave the team a platform on which to produce a fine and deserved win.

Not Hot defender
Poor old Titus Bramble was probably the happiest man in the North East of England when he saw the red card being brandished in his face yesterday. It brought to an end the absolutely torrid time Andy Carroll and Shola Ameobi were giving him.

Hot midfielder
At Bolton, Kevin Nolan was on the verge of the England squad. His career then stood still a little and he moved to Newcastle where to start with, things went steadily down hill.

This season, Nolan has looked to be back to his best. He may lack pace, but he is invariably in the right place at the right time and he scores goals. The three he scored in the local derby against Sunderland yesterday will make him a Toon hero for eternity.

Not Hot midfielder
Wigan’s Charles N’Zogbia is a well regarded player who has produced some decent performances recently. Unfortunately for him, he seems to be believing his publicity and thinks he has become Lionel Messi. Charles, you are not. You do have to pass to your team-mates occasionally.

Hot striker
Another unusual award this week as I am going to give it to a striker who didn’t actually score. Newcastle’s Andy Carroll may have all sorts of problems with his ‘off field’ behaviour, but on the pitch, he is getting better and better.

Against Sunderland, he was unplayable.

Not Hot striker
He has had a lot of criticism over the years and much of it has been unfair. However, Emile Heskey does remain a striker who doesn’t score goals.

The service he received in yesterday’s dour 0-0 draw with local rivals Birmingham was terrible, but what he did with the scraps that he got was, well, nothing at all.