Source: Daily_Mail
Andy Townsend's Boot Room: What can City do with £14m turkey Toure?
I'm not waiting till May to hand out awards. It's been such a great season so far and with the Big Four under threat like never before, I can't wait to see how the Premier League title race unfolds. In the meantime, here are my best (and the worst)...[LNB]Top teamFor Martin O'Neill's side to be in the top four is a real achievement. If somebody had told me Aston Villa would be only two points behind Man United at Christmas I wouldn't have believed it was possible. I would love to see just a few more goals from them; that would put the pressure on Arsenal tomorrow.[LNB]Top playerWhere do you start? Jermain Defoe, Craig Bellamy, Roger Johnson, Richard Dunne, Robin van Persie, Wade Elliott, Wayne Rooney... you can make cases for all of them. But I am going for Ryan Giggs. It is amazing that he is still such a pivotal figure at United, demonstrated by Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to extend his contract. He is a rare breed.[LNB]Top goalCarlton Cole's flick up and volley against Tottenham? Bellamy's thunderbolt into the top corner in the Manchester derby? No, it's Maynor Figueroa's wonder strike for Wigan against Stoke from inside his own half. He weighed up the situation from the free-kick so quickly and from the moment he hit it, Thomas Sorensen was in trouble.[LNB] Top signingsI am going to split the prize between Richard Dunne and Glen Johnson. Dunne has put in some excellent displays for Villa and has become a vital part of a very strong back four. Liverpool are all over the place and Johnson has performed better than anyone else there.[LNB]Top gameThe Manchester derby, without doubt. United were second best for large spells. City's performance deserved the victory and Bellamy's goals were really special. It was such a terrific game because there were so many facets to it and it was fitting that Michael Owen applied the finishing touch to a 4-3 win.[LNB] Worst signingKolo Toure has struggled to live up to the £14m he cost City from Arsenal and he looks as if he is fighting for fitness and stamina. I expected him to be the sort of all action hero like he was at Arsenal but in a City shirt he has looked vulnerable. Maybe it is another example of Arsene Wenger knowing when to let a player go.[LNB]Biggest chancerThe wooden spoon has to go to Nani, who has blown such a great opportunity since Cristiano Ronaldo left. We should have been talking about the new Portuguese, but instead we're talking about Giggs.[LNB] [LNB] [LNB] Des Kelly: Did John Terry's dad have snow this Christmas? (and other Yuletide conundrums)
