The Last Word - Sports Blog (Sean Simara)

As we head into the busy Christmas period I have a quick look at a few early contenders to who have been my player of the year. Jamie Vardy - Leicester City   Is this really happening? Vardy form has been sensational, record breaking and to be truthful, unexpected. Vardy has shocked the world with his performances this season and it doesn't look like it will stop any time soon. I expect him to break 20 goals this season with ease and has to be on the plane to the Euro 2016. Odion Ighalo - Watford Scored 20 goals in the Championship last season and has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water. He's scored 7 times this season and settled in to top flight life a lot easier then Deeney who I thought would excel. So it's so far so good for the Nigerian striker. Dimitri Payet - West Ham United Unfortunately he's out for 3 months but hopefully he can return to the form he left in. He plays the much loved 'West Ham Way' and has lit up the league esp...

Just a quick fire look at how my pre season picks are going for the Premier League. Arsenal have had the fast start so is a February crumble on the way? Callum Wilson did make an impressive start to the season but his injury looks set to write off his season. John Terry can't go week in week out and Eden Hazard seems to have gone missing. Leicester getting very wrong. Liverpool - Bang on. Manchester City De Bruyne may have a bigger role to play this year with Aguero's dodgy hamstrings acting up. Manchester United - not been great but they're 3rd. Newcastle - Looking bleak at the minute. The rest seem to be doing OK at the minute, Chelsea finishing 2nd may be a bit of a long shot now, Sunderland and Aston Villa struggling like I said. Follow my through the season on all things Football @Sean_FootyMad 

Arsenal The Gunners are now running out of excuses to mount a serious title challenge. They have money, they have spent it, they have brought in one of the best keepers in the Premier League (Cech) so now can Arsenal finally go the distance and challenge again? We have seen them start slow then once the pressure is off end the season strong. Or they start fast then come to February time and crumble. What will we get this year? I will say Arsenal will do a lot better this year and get a lot closer to the number one spot points wise. An impressive pre season topped with Community Shield success their looking good, however I have them finishing 3rd this year. Key Man: Alexis Sanchez after what was an impressive first season in English football scoring 16 goals, Sanchez spent his summer guiding Chile to their first Copa America. I expect more of the same and for him to break the 20 goals barrier.   Aston Villa They survived last year off the back of Benteke goals, Delph and Grealish...

My picks for the 2015/16 Football League Championship  Wolves Derby Middlesbrough  Relegation Fulham Rotherham Birmingham City League One  Peterborough United Shrewsbury Doncaster Relegation  Port Vale Blackpool Wigan Coventry City League Two  Luton Barnet Leyton Orient Cambridge United Relegation  Newport Crawley

The curtain-raiser to the new season is with us on Sunday as the Premier League Champions Chelsea face Arsenal the FA Cup winners in the Community Shield. Can Arsenal take their impressive pre season form into this and see their title credentials this season? Arsenal fans have been top of the world this summer after winning back to back FA Cups the Gunners signed Petr Cech from Chelsea. Many Arsenal fans said at the time ' Chelsea have just handed us the title' . Well it’s a good signing but we will have to wait and see about the league champion’s part. After winning the Premier League Asia Trophy and the Emirates Cup a true test against Chelsea comes this weekend, it’s the same for the blues. They do have another pre season game against Fiorentina midweek so how serious they take the Community Shield with the league opener to Swansea on the horizon, we have to wait and see. Chelsea at the minute most high profile transfer in is Radamel Falcao, who was simple awful last year ...

My quick fire look at the transfer window so far. Raheem Sterling I don't see what he's done wrong. He has no ties to Liverpool FC, he was not a fan as a young boy. He did not grow up in Liverpool he was just poached by Liverpool from QPR as a 15 year old. He wants to win things and play in the Champions League both I don't think he will do at Anfield. A good move for him, and QPR pocketing nearly £10m is a added bonus. Manchester United Matteo Darmian, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin all through the door so far. One of United's weakness was the middle of the park that has been strengthen greatly now. This I guess would mean Rooney plays in his natural position up front. The keeper situation still needs to be sorted, will De Gea go to Real Madrid. Hugo Lloris has a has broken wrist who I think would have ended up at United. I don't think De Gea will go to Madrid unless Man United get Sergio Ramos. Petr Cech going to Arsenal, finally they have a saf...

Here's my look back at the 2014/15 season. Chelsea won the Premier League with ease in the end. They were on top all the season and never looked like they would mess it up at any point. They cleaned up on the team of the year, individual awards as Eden Hazard seemed to pick up everything and Jose Mourinho got manager of the year. (He didn't win one manager of the month award though) The race for top four has the usual faces again as Louis van Gaal has took Manchester United back into it at the expense of Liverpool. Manchester City would expect a much, much better season then they have had next year (Champions League mainly) and with a new manager probably in the hot seat. Arsenal do as they do consistent but never look like will win the Premier League again with Arsene Wenger in charge. Liverpool’s season will go down as a disappointing one, a forgettable Champions League run, some of the players that Rodgers brought in there's some big question marks about...

A pretty disgraceful season for QPR, in fact a debacle of a season QPR had so much promise but what was left was utter comedy on and off the pitch. Here are a few of my highlights of the season and where it went wrong and who is to blame.  Transfers - Poor. The best Jordon Mutch brought for £6m in the summer, sold to Palace for under £5m in January. Classic Stuff.    No replacement for Remy. Everyone in football knew he would leave before the window closed, apart from it seems Harry Redknapp & Fernandes. Pre season, Ireland with around 12-16 players depending on who you believe. 3-5-2 that lasted 3 games, it made a few comebacks but shockingly didn’t work. We were good at home, wins over Aston Villa, Leicester, Burnley, WBA & a draw over Man City. Away form was a disgrace, 11 defeats in a row. Upton Park was the lowest point for me. Why didn’t they get rid of Redknapp then? A fun win at Sunderland but then normality resumed with more defeats. Man City ...

A 'non' Chelsea Premier League team of the season: Goalkeeper: David De Gea Defenders: Nathaniel Clyne Laurent Koscielny  Jose Fonte Ryan Bertrand Midfielders: Alexis Sanchez Jordan Henderson Philippe Coutinho Strikers: Harry Kane Charlie Austin Raheem Sterling 

My Premier League team of the season: Goalkeeper: David De Gea Defenders: Nathaniel Clyne John Terry Jose Fonte Ryan Bertrand Midfielders: Alexis Sanchez Cesc Fabregas  Nemanja Matic Eden Hazard  Strikers: Harry Kane Diego Costa Subs: Thibaut Courtois Branislav Ivanovic Laurent Koscielny Philippe Coutinho Christian Eriksen Charlie Austin Sergio Aguero 

The fun and games of the Premier League returns over the Easter weekend I start my look at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal can end Liverpool’s top 4 hopes once and for all. Most of the attention at Anfield is on Raheem Sterling and his non contract talks. He wants trophies not money, Rodgers says he expects him to stay in the summer. I'm sure he said the same about Suarez too. If Sterling does stay it will be down to if Liverpool can pick up the FA Cup. That would mean a trophy which is what he wants. So let's see what happens in the summer. But for the match I pick Arsenal talking all 3 points. Everton face the 'surprise' team of the year Southampton. Everyone's favourites to go down Ronald Koeman has proved what a good manager he is & squad he put together. The Saints are still in with a chance of European football that will be the aim to end a successful season on a high and I think they will win at Goodison Park. Leicester rock bottom of the league face West H...

Action in the Premier League on Saturday the focus is centred around the bottom of the table. First up QPR travel to London rivals Crystal Palace. QPR were getting away with murder at the beginning of the season winning at home but losing away, it couldn't continue it didn't. What happened is QPR got found out at home, won one away game (at Sunderland) then carried on losing away. They have 10 games left and realistically need to find at least 5 wins to survive, there in a position though where a win wouldn't take them out of the drop zone it's looking bleak but there not cut away completely yet. I predict this one to end in a draw. Elsewhere on Saturday Leicester City face Hull City , the Foxes are rock bottom and relegation is staring them straight in the face, a win is a must for them. However I think Bruce's boy will win this one and hit one more nail into their coffin. Sunderland in 16th face Aston Villa who are in 17th. Tim Sherwood is taking 'his' ...