Does it Mata?

Steven Nzonzi and Joel Ward battling for possession

Did the loss at Crystal Palace badly affect Stoke City's hopes and aspirations for the season? It does not help them reach their targets, no loss would, yet they still remain in an intriguing position along with eleven other teams.Two wins from 20th placed Cardiff could send them up to 10th with results going their way. So for Stoke in 14th with only 2 points between themselves and 10th, the gap going up should not be bothersome. The gap going down is more of a concern, with only 4 points separating Stoke from the foot of the table, yet there are positives in the next batch of Premier League fixtures. Norwich, Swansea, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Hull, Aston Villa, West Brom, West Ham, Sunderland and naturally Stoke all have the potential to drop points in the next round of fixtures due to a large amount of these teams facing off against one another. These games will be seen by all teams as a chance to break away from the bottom pack, and Stoke, travelling to Sunderland, have to make sure that they are in the group breaking off towards the top half of the table. There is potential for a tough game after Sunderland's impressive aggregate victory over Manchester United in the League Cup semi-final, and a FA Cup fourth round fixture against Kidderminster is between them and a game against the Potters. Whilst the Black Cats play a Conference side, the Potters will be facing off against a side that are about to sell their two-time player of the season - Juan Mata -  to Manchester United, a game also made more difficult by the victory Stoke achieved in December. Chelsea will be wanting revenge, and Stoke will have to ready themselves for perhaps Chelsea's performance of the season. Come the game at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday, whose team will be more prepared for the game, and who will be the more hungry for the victory? Whatever the result against Chelsea, they need to refocus their attention towards the league, and fast.

John Guidetti on his Stoke debut, but when will he come good?

Despite only playing one game for Stoke City, I feel that the pressure on John Guidetti is growing by the day. Despite public assurances that Kenwyne Jones has not burned all bridges with the club after his failed attempts to manufacture a transfer, it is highly unlikely that he will feature regularly in the first team between now and the end of his contract. This leaves Peter Crouch and John Guidetti as Stoke's only recognised strikers. Some have noted that Jon Walters could play as the sole man up front if injuries forced the situation upon the team, but I believe that as a player, he suits the role of a number 10, sitting in the hole and doing the dirty work in attack, rather than the number 9 role of finishing any chance that comes his way. This naturally comes from the past and current manager's preference to play him on the wing at times rather than as part of a front pairing, plus his goal tally for the season is not encouraging despite the number of chances he has had in games this season. I must make clear that whilst this is not a deliberate criticism of Jonathan Walters, it is an explanation as to why we need reinforcements in January if possible.

Jason Puncheon goes from Villain to Hero with one goal

The fact is that the transition Stoke City are attempting to make from one era to another is not going smoothly at the moment. Like a rollercoaster there have been highs and lows, but you have to know where you will level out at the end. At the moment, it is hard to know with the congestion in the table, but what we can tell is that it will be a tough fight. Prior to kick-off at Selhurst Park, I had belief that Stoke would dominate possession over Palace and that with a bit of trickery from Oussama Assaidi or a shot from range from Charlie Adam, Stoke would make their territorial advantage count. Whilst we had the advantage on the ball (57% possession), we failed to pressure Julian Speroni enough, with only two shots on target troubling him in 90 minutes. Counter this with the six from Palace, three of which were in the space of 10 seconds that forced Jack Butland into a wonderful triple save, Stoke failed to do enough to impose themselves on the game and demand a result. The ability to create goals is too infrequent, with three coming against Liverpool, yet none against Palace. The job of the coaching staff within the next week has to be finding some consistency, especially away from home where there are far 'easier' teams to play in the second half of the season (Sunderland, Southampton, Norwich, Aston Villa etc) compared to those who travel to the Britannia (Manchester United, Arsenal, Newcastle, Tottenham etc).Oussama Assaidi had a game to forget with his stray pass causing the only goal of the game, yet Marc Wilson will not be feeling pride in his performance after being sluggish to react to Assaidi's loose ball. If these mistakes can be cut out of Stoke's game, then the team has a chance of getting a point out of hard fixtures when a mistake at the back will offer the opposition the chance to take all three points in victory. Simple things such as improving concentration off the ball, improving reaction speeds can only help the team and I can only assume the coaching staff have enough in their lockers to work on this sooner rather than later.

Away from the Brit - Orange Cards:

Jerome Champagne has some radical ideas for the future of football

The introduction of orange cards to football would signal the end of the current state of the sport and the beginning of an evolution that at present is hard to chart where it could end. But it would be a start, of something that like Pandora's box would be hard to stop. Whilst I am an advocate for technology to assist referees make a correct decision, changing the laws of the game is another matter. Jerome Champagne has suggested that if he is elected FIFA president after Sepp Blatter, he will put forward a proposition to introduce orange cards into the sport for decisions deemed between a yellow and red card, with the punishment on the pitch following on from rugby and seeing sin-bins introduced. In principle, this is not a terrible idea. It is what it could lead to that should strike fear into the powers that be. If this works, then what happens if someone in the future decides that there should be an introduction of a green card that results in a player having to run the lap of the pitch for every foul they commit - Robert Huth would be the fittest player in the league with his uncompromising nature when tackling! Whilst I respect that Champagne wants to have a positive influence on the game, I feel that if he starts introducing new laws and interfering with the game we all know, the enjoyment of the game could dwindle fast. After all, what would Denis Smith and Alan Bloor think of receiving an orange card?

Quick Snippet - Pennant Problem?

Pennant likely to leave the Brit in the immediate future

Whilst his tackle against Leon Osman a few weeks ago was bad enough for most Stoke supporters to deem the player surplus to requirements, 'Twitter news' that Stoke are to release Jermaine Pennant within the coming days came as a surprise. As one of the group of supporters that did not want Pennant to remain at the club after the Tony Pulis era, I cannot say in full honesty that I am sorry to see him leave. All that needs to be said is that we will always have the FA Cup season. Players like Rory Delap, Danny Higginbotham and Dean Whitehead, who have the left the club in recent seasons because the time was right deserve far more respect than Pennant, in my opinion. For this reason, I say farewell and goodbye if the rumours follow through with an official confirmation in the coming days.

Same Hardware, Different Software

Charlie Adam has become a regular source of goals in recent weeks

I would challenge the most ardent and optimistic of Stoke City supporters to admit that they predicted eight goals would have been scored at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday, 12th January, 2014. The team has shown in fits and starts that they are capable of taking a game to the opposition, but this trait was lost for the majority of the game against now-fourth placed Liverpool. What it was replaced by was a desire to stay in the game, which became most evident with Stoke's last goal, showing a fire in the players and supporters alike that Stoke City is not a team that will go down without a fight. Teams of the past have sometimes been guilty of lowering their heads in preparation of the inevitable onslaught to come. At 2-0 down due to an unfortunate own goal and poor defending from Ryan Shawcross and Marc Wilson, it would have been no surprise to see the pattern of holding on for dear life to maintain.

Peter Crouch has now scored four league goals in eighteen games

What appeared surprising regarding the comeback was not that it happened, but who instigated it. Marko Arnautovic, who had been having a poor game up until this point, floated a cross into the box, where Peter Crouch could just place enough power, pace and accuracy on it to deceive Simon Mignolet and get Stoke back into the game. Critics of Crouch would state that four goals from eighteen games is a poor return, but it can be argued that he is scoring more goals than he did at his previous club, Tottenham Hotspur. In his two seasons at Spurs he scored 8 and 4 league goals from 38 and 34 appearances. In his first two seasons at Stoke he scored 10 and 7 league goals from 32 and 34 appearances. In both of his seasons at Stoke he has improved on his seasons at Spurs. Whilst the lack of goals in general is still a concern, perhaps Crouch is not all to blame for not being able to put the onion in the bag.

Wilson committing a 'Spanish foul' against Sterling, conceding a penalty

Perhaps refereeing injustices are to blame. Anthony Taylor admitted after the match that he felt that Raheem Sterling had conned him into giving a penalty to Liverpool, whilst Martin Atkinson has in recent weeks placed a target on his head should he enter the Potteries in the forthcoming weeks for his poor display at Newcastle. Whilst the referees have been poor though, perhaps the players response at times to these decisions have not been the best. At times after the penalty to Liverpool, Stoke were all over the place defensively, going into fouls with a bit of blood and thunder rather than due to necessity. Ryan Shawcross conceded a foul shortly after the penalty which I felt needed to be given just to get Ryan's head back on the game. He had by this point conceded an own goal, been at fault for not clearing a bad back-pass quick enough, and had seen a penalty go against his team. Of course he would be rattled. Whilst it didn't improve his game, perhaps being at fault for Liverpool's fourth goal as he was sucked into Daniel Sturridge's movements rather than tracking the run of Luis Suarez, Shawcross did not make any more silly decisions of note.

A consolation goal in the end for Stoke, from Jon Walters

Sandwiched between Liverpool's fourth and fifth was a scruffy finish from Jonathan Walters, a goal he was fortunate to get regarding the finish, but one he deserved due to the criticism he sometimes receives. It is not hard to understand why he receives it regarding his goal tally, with only 2 goals in all competitions this season. His supporters might argue that he plays like former Liverpool player Dirk Kuyt, working tirelessly all over the pitch at perhaps his own detriment, yet if you tell him to stay in position up front, he can score you goals. His deployment on the wing this season, plus Mark Hughes decision not to refer to him when discussing his striking options, suggests that Walters has been told to worry less about his goal output and perhaps more on his defensive duties. Against Liverpool I think he had a bad game in this respect, which is where I am glad that he got his goal, meaning that even if he failed with his main objective, he still contributed to the game. Geoff Cameron's runs forward this season have created more work for Jon Walters as he has to create the right balance between attack and defence. If he is ahead of Geoff in an attack, he makes a run to support it. If he is behind him, he drops into the space that has been left by Cameron's run. By and large this season I feel that Walters has done his job in supporting Cameron, but in this game I feel Mark Hughes was perhaps at fault in playing him against Aly Cissokho. A new-comer still to the Premier League, perhaps unleashing Arnautovic and Cameron on him, whilst placing Walters on the opposite wing to track Glen Johnson may have been a more prudent option. Overall, the decision matters little as Liverpool were in control for large parts of the game, especially in the second half when two goals ahead. Sturridge's goal to make the score 3-5 made the game comfortable for them again and despite a few set-pieces causing problems, they saw the game out. Based on this performance, I would still argue that they are worthy of a top-four place, perhaps even a top-two position, on the condition that the luck that they received in this game remains for the rest of the season. Rarely will a team play Stoke and score five goals, let alone four goals which were from poor defensive decisions or plain bad luck. The priority for Stoke now, to maintain their push for the top ten rather than the bottom three is to get three points this weekend. No problem, right?

Weekend Preview - Crystal Pulis:

Tony Pulis has a 40% win rate at Crystal Palace so far

Twelve months ago, I would have predicted this fixture to be in Stoke's list for the season. At a time we looked to either be on course for relegation or Palace looked on course for promotion. It seemed likely our paths would cross. What I failed to predict was that instead of it being the second battle of the season between Ian Holloway and Tony Pulis, it would be Tony Pulis's first match against Stoke City in the Premier League. Anyone who tries to avoid this elephant in the room is in for a tough time, because whatever your opinion of Tony Pulis's reign as manager at Stoke City, the facts are sound. They state that he was in charge during a promotion to the Premier League, where during five seasons they flirted with the top ten, had a run to a FA Cup Final, and reached the last sixteen in Europe, plus reached the quarter final of both domestic cups multiple times. The last two seasons were unfortunate for Tony, and as a result for Stoke, where a lack of goals heaped the pressure onto Pulis before his eventual dismissal this summer.

Marouane Chamakh has scored more regularly under
Tony Pulis than he did under Ian Holloway or Keith Millen

Eight months on and Tony Pulis is the enemy for the weekend. As it has been reported, both sides know the strengths and weaknesses of the other in certain areas. Stoke know the advantages and disadvantages of the system Tony Pulis uses, a static back four with two defensive midfielders. Likewise, Pulis knows the pros and cons of most about 85-90% of the current Stoke squad just from working with them and as such will know how to exploit and poor areas of play each player has. With on-loan Cameron Jerome and Marouane Chamakh leading the Palace front-line, they have struck up the type of partnership that Stoke fans may have hoped could have been formed with Crouch and Jerome. What they lack as a partnership is goals though, with Jerome only scoring one goal in fifteen appearances, whilst Chamakh has a better rate with 4 in 20 appearances. Dwight Gayle has chipped in with goals recently against Aston Villa and West Brom so do not rule out Gayle starting and trying to complete his own personal Midlands hat-trick. Despite being young and raw, I have been impressed with Gayle's touch for a goal. His overall game needs improving quite a bit, and perhaps Tony Pulis is not the best manager to improve him as a modern-day front-man, but at Palace he will get a good grounding and get chances to impress. Meanwhile, Palace are playing with inverted wingers Jason Puncheon and Yannick Bolasie providing the width in the team, with Miles Jedinak the mainstay in their midfield. When Stoke failed in the last few years, it was because their wingers were marked out of the game. This has to be the approach on Saturday, try to keep Puncheon and Bolasie quiet, and as a result keep Chamakh and possibly Gayle out of the game. If the defence does this, then against Danny Gabbidon and Damien Delaney, Stoke have a good chance of scoring goals. With Oussama Assaidi almost certain to return to the starting line-up, the question is who does he come in for? Whilst Marko Arnautovic created two of Stoke's three goals at the weekend, he would still only get a 6/10 for his performance that game. However, would a work-horse like Jonathan Walters be the best option to break down a stubborn defence such as the one that Palace will offer? I would be tempted to play Arnautovic and Assaidi on the wings from the start, and hope that one or both have the ability to unlock Palace's defence, and then bring on Walters if the game is tight and either full back needs better defensive support.

Away from the Brit - Theatre of Nightmares:

Wins have been hard to come by at Old Trafford this season
for the home team

After losses against Tottenham, Swansea and Sunderland, football supporters across the country will be wondering what has happened to Manchester United, if not be unduly concerned about their implosion. The simple explanation is that Sir Alex Ferguson has gone. He was the man that got the extra 20-30% out of his team, whilst using psychological tricks such as tapping his watch to make oppositions fear playing his team. That fear factor has undoubtedly gone, but so has any sign of needing to fear Manchester United. What was once a fortress has now seen four home league losses - by comparison Stoke have only seen two home losses in the league. The weight of pressure on Manchester United players to attack and win at home is undoubtedly causing trouble as their away form is better, with only two losses in the league at Anfield and the Etihad stadium.

One win from four games is poor form for last season's champions

From the outside looking in, what I have noticed most weeks is that there have been vast changes to their line-up, with no consistency being able to form between the key players on the pitch. One game it is Vidic and Evans in defence, Carrick and Cleverley in midfield, then the next game it is Smalling and Vidic in defence with Giggs and Fletcher in the centre. How can players perform if they aren't getting a consistent run. Looking at who their best players have been in recent weeks, Adnan Januzaj's name has cropped up regularly, with the youngster proving to be United's source of inspiration with van Persie and Rooney out injured. The other that has played well is Danny Welbeck, with the feeling being that he is the first name on the team sheet at the moment. Welbeck's run in the team has taken his league goal tally up to 8 goals in the season, one short of his United best of 9. His goal tally has drawn criticism in recent years when connected to his England call-ups, but he is proving a point that when he is played as the focal point of an attack, he will get goals. As he showed against Swansea recently, he will also miss chances, but at 23 years of age, it is promising, for England at least, to see this marked improvement in his goal output this season. David de Gea is the only other United player who has been given a run of games and he has made a decent fist of keeping United in some of the games they have lost, with the clangers he dropped in his first season at United appearing to be a thing of the past. I would still argue that Asmir Begovic is better than him due to Begovic's far impressive physique and ability to collect the ball, but De Gea is impressing nevertheless at, again, 23 years of age. The argument I am making, which seems not to have been picked up by the media as much, is that Moyes should focus less on rotation, and more on consistency within the team. If he starts selecting a starting XI with more consistency down the spine, the results will pick up again. Looking at his time at Everton, it is unlikely he will fail to realise this eventually. His defence at Everton always had consistency, with Jagielka and Distin, and before them Jagielka and Lescott always been certain selections if fit. Moyes, given time, will realise this I suspect, but will it be too late for them to rescue their season?

Quick Snippet - John Guidetti

John Guidetti, 20 goals in 23 appearances in Holland

John Guidetti is an enigma at the moment. A player with such promise after such a good spell with Feyenoord that the only doubt supporters can have over him is whether he can cut it in the Premier League. Perhaps an unfair criticism. As has been mentioned in this post, Crouch has only scored four goals in the league this season, Walters with two and Jones has none. Guidetti, from the bench to begin with, may prove to be a worthwhile acquisition as he has pace, something all of the above lack, whilst he has a good scoring record elsewhere. The proof will be in the pudding, but hopefully a few substitute appearances will impress both management and supporters alike in the near future.

Starve the Scousers

Crouch started the festive period off well with a winner
against Aston Villa

Although it seems like little to no time has passed since the last match report, Stoke City have endured a mixed bag of results during the five matches across the festive period. Despite victories against Aston Villa and Leicester (in the FA Cup) being encouraging, losses to Newcastle and Tottenham, coupled by a harsh draw with Everton has left Potters fans puzzled as usual as to where they will stand come the end of the season. Some feel that the squad will not survive relegation if they do not strengthen; some feel that the squad is strong as it is and would survive, whilst others believe that with the right investment in January, the squad could target the top half of the table. In my recent Half Time Report, I stated that my belief is that despite results leaning towards a transitional period for the club, the players that we currently have will be capable of staving off relegation, but I also tipped the club for a top 10 finish. If it had not been for small flash-points in games: a missed penalty, a harsh red card, a strange substitution, an injury to an important player, Stoke could have been higher than they are right now. However, most clubs in the league would also believe their club could be higher in the league if they had seen a fairer share of luck.

Glenn Whelan receives a second yellow card against Newcastle
when common sense could have spared the midfielder

In the first game of the festive period against Aston Villa, Stoke were fortunate not to have had a man sent off when Marc Wilson was caught just outside the penalty area, the Irishman was fortunate at this time however. The same could not be said of Erik Pieters, my choice of new signing of the season so far, who had the misfortune of heading the ball back to Asmir Begovic, and not putting enough pace on the ball so that Libor Kozak could intervene and level the game. Come Boxing Day and more misfortune would come to the Stoke squad, before kick-off, with the news that Asmir Begovic would be unavailable for the next six weeks with a broken finger. Thomas Sorenson, whilst an able deputy and a worthy inclusion in Stoke's hall of fame, he did not instil confidence in supporters prior to kick-off. After the sendings off of Glenn Whelan and Marc Wilson, both harsh but understandable in the cold light of day, Sorenson showed his composure in saving the resulting penalty from Wilson's red, keeping up his reputation of being an excellent penalty goalkeeper. Sadly for Sorenson, instead of being awarded with a break in play when Mike Williamson should have been punished for a handball in Newcastle's half, Stoke were caught and conceded a bitter goal. What was to follow though was an onslaught, not helped by Martin Atkinson who failed to reward Stoke with any key decisions that could have stemmed the tide, the second goal for Newcastle coming from a ball into the box that should have been called out of play. Newcastle were professional in the end, but before the sending off, they were not magnificent.

Oussama Assaidi, Stoke's most consistent player over the festive period

The hang-over result at Tottenham was little surprise, yet Stoke did not help themselves in this game by conceding their third penalty in two games. With Roberto Soldado scoring to put Spurs in front, it seemed impossible for Stoke to get back into this game. As it proved to be with the main highlight of this game proving not to be the further two goals from Moussa Dembele or Aaron Lennon, but the Charlie Adam tackle on Paulinho that Tottenham described as 'hard', continuing their vendetta against Adam. It cannot be denied that Charlie Adam is not a good tackler. I have pushed for Mark Hughes to drop Adam at times this season due to this poor attribute, with his inability to tackle correctly causing troubles at key points during the season. This tackle though that Spurs have highlighted was no worse than some that Adam has committed this season, it is just the aftermath that is disappointing with Paulinho facing a spell on the sidelines. This is not a defence of Adam as a midfielder hardman, but as a person, stating that whilst he has committed poor tackles against Spurs players in the past, Adam has merely been unfortunate to have been the player to commit to these fouls against this one team. One player who has been fortunate though in recent weeks has been Oussama Assaidi who has been rewarded for his goal against Chelsea with consecutive starts against Hull City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Tottenham, Everton and Leicester. This run will come to an end with Liverpool coming to the Britannia Stadium this weekend but Assaidi should feel proud of his recent performances. Reports of moves in the summer to Lazio or Florentina seem a bit premature based on a month's good form, but for the sake of the player I hope he continues to impress until May at the very least. His goals against Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton have shown that he does not shy himself away when a tough shot is on the cards, commonly roaming at the far post in the box so that he can pick up loose crosses and try to cause trouble by cutting inside with his right foot. His pace has also given Stoke a new outlet whilst Marko Arnautovic remains out of form, offering Stoke an option that other starting players do not possess.

Marko Arnautovic, a player looking as if he is playing through injury

Arnautovic's performances of late have been unimpressive, perhaps of a player who is recovering from an injury and needs time to regain top form. Sitting on the bench will not help him in this situation so it is good for him that he started the game against Leicester in the FA Cup, ahead of hopefully ninety minutes against Liverpool at the weekend. If he performs well against Liverpool, I would hope that he could retain his place in the side, even at the expense of Jonathan Walters as he and Assaidi both offer trickery and pose more questions for defences. Whilst I am a fan of Walters, he is a blunt instrument, reliable in his defensive duties, but a battering ram in his offensive ventures. Against a very tough Crystal Palace in two weeks' time, having two adventurous forwards will hopefully have the effect of unlocking a cast-iron door rather than trying to knock it down with a wooden log.

Talking Tactics - Stoke City vs Liverpool:

I would make only a few changes for the visit of Liverpool, one enforced with the ineligibility of Oussama Assaidi. Marko Arnautovic is the natural replacement for Assaidi, with a good game due from the Austrian in the red and white stripes. Jack Butland is in the team on the basis that Thomas Sorenson remains injured for the fixture, although if he recovers in time I would expect him to return to the starting line-up despite Butland's good performances against Everton and Leicester. The only other change from the Everton game that I would like to see is Stephen Ireland coming in for Charlie Adam, who in fairness has played well in recent games, but he is always a bad challenge away from trouble. If Adam plays, I will have no concerns, until that first bad tackle, and then I suspect all Stoke supporters will be on edge. Ireland offers some security that he will put in a steady performance in all areas, even if he does not wow the paying customers. For that reason he would get in my team for this game.

Stoke's major concern should be how to defend against Liverpool, and in particular how to stop Luis Suarez. Across the Christmas period he showed that he can be stopped, with Vincent Kompany and John Terry keeping him in their pockets for the two big games Liverpool played in that period. If Ryan Shawcross still has aspirations of being an England international, he needs to put in a good performance against Suarez, keeping tight to him, but not too tight that he can make him look like a fool. The likely return of Steven Gerrard to Liverpool's starting line-up may not help the club for once, with Jordan Henderson playing well during the festive period just behind Suarez. It would also be unfair if one of Lucas or Joe Allen were to be replaced due to the return of Gerrard so the return of their captain may not necessarily be a good thing. The key thing the Stoke team will have to watch out for tactically will be the shape of Brendan Rodgers's team, with the return of Daniel Sturridge offering Liverpool the option of playing with a back four or a back three/five. I would suspect that they will start the game with a back four, hoping that Suarez alone up front will be enough to break Stoke down, but if the Potters take the lead, or Liverpool do not look like scoring early in the second half, do not be surprised to see a tactical change. Stoke historically in the Premier League do not play well against teams who play with three at the back so this is something that will need to change, hopefully by exploiting any gaps the team sees out wide to double up on Liverpool's wing-backs.

Quick Snippet - Thomas Hitzlsperger:

Thomas Hitzlsperger announced his sexuality this week after retiring
from football at the end of last season.

It was a surprise to hear about Thomas Hitzlsperger announcing his sexuality this week, but only because you wonder why it is such a hot topic in football still. Are dressing room atmospheres that toxic regarding homosexuality? Hitzlsperger in his statement mentioned that he would not join in banter if it crossed a line regarding sexuality, but the question should be asked why does it need to go that far? Football players are all human beings and that is something that can be easily forgotten with 3D models readily available on games consoles in the present day. If a player denies something that is important about himself though, it can only affect his career in the long-run. I could only imagine that it would require extra concerns over privacy, making sure that nothing gets leaked to the press regarding who he sleeps with, all to the detriment of the player's career. In the long-run, footballers should be braver and not be afraid to say who they are. The trouble is, it will take a brave person to make this first move whilst they're still playing. Because whilst Hitzlsperger is a high-profile player, he is still no out of the limelight.