Source: Daily_Mail
Jamie Redknapp's Boxing Day Watch: Carlton Cole needs to show faith in himself
Believe it, Carlton Carlton Cole has all the talent, but he needs to consistently reproduce his best form, especially at home. West Ham fans remain unsure about the effectiveness of their centre forward, but his second goal at Fulham was special; if Fernando Torres had scored that we would have been watching re-runs until May. The big man needs to believe in himself more.[LNB] Quality finish: Cole's second was sublime[LNB]Buying timeI've always been a Mark Hughes fan and remain convinced he will turn it around at Fulham, but with only two wins this season, that change needs to arrive quickly. Hughes needs support from his chairman, who knows a bit about New Year sales. Mr Fayed once owned a very nice shop; now he needs to use his chequebook to buy a striker.[LNB] Reversal of fortunes: Hughes needs to arrest Fulham's slump - fast[LNB]Seven pointerThe Barclays Premier League table makes for fascinating reading. There are only seven points between Newcastle in ninth and bottom-of-the-table Wolves, who were well beaten by relegation rivals Wigan yesterday. That was a terrific result for Roberto Martinez. Put a run together and teams at the bottom can feel a little easier, but mid-table is no safety zone and one or two are getting sucked back in.[LNB]Clever loan moveThe loan system has had its critics, but it works as an aid for developing players. In the past it benefited David Beckham (Preston), Frank Lampard (Swansea) and Rio Ferdinand (Bournemouth). Now, as well as Danny Welbeck at Sunderland, Manchester United have allowed Tom Cleverley to go to Watford last season and now to Wigan, for whom he scored the winner yesterday.[LNB] No signs of flagging: Cleverley (left) has been a revelation[LNB]Manchester prettyThat's 14 goals this season now for Dimitar Berbatov as Manchester United edged away from Chelsea and Arsenal. Isn't it striking to see the two Manchester clubs at the top of the table? One represents the old guard, with Sir Alex Ferguson and his team clearly there to stay. City are the new blood and they bounced back well from the disappointment of losing to Everton.[LNB] Head boy: Berbatov nods United ahead[LNB]Needing helpBlackburn's owners want them to finish fifth. It might be fifth place in the Championship the way they are going. They have lost the talented Phil Jones and now Christopher Samba has been stripped of the captaincy. There needs to be some serious surgery in the January transfer window to help their new rookie manager, Steve Kean.[LNB]Team of winnersI can't remember a Tottenham team in my lifetime who would have won in those circumstances. Ten men, away at Aston Villa and most of the game to go. This group has the right winning mentality; you can see they enjoy playing for each other. Rafael van der Vaart will take the headlines, but Benoit Assou-Ekotto produced a world-class display, Younes Kaboul is the best young centre half in the country and Wilson Palacios is back to his best.[LNB] Star man: Van der Vaart is Spurs' fulcrum[LNB] [LNB] Manchester United 2 Sunderland 0: Dimitar Berbatov two good but Red Devils stuck in cruise controlNewcastle 1 Manchester City 3: Carlos Tevez keeps City in the hunt with double to down Magpies Villa 1 Tottenham 2: Brilliant Van der Vaart at the double for ten-man SpursFulham 1 West Ham 3: Cole at the double to help Hammers move on upBolton 2 West Bromwich 0: Taylor and Elmander punish wasteful BaggiesBlackburn 0 Stoke 2: Huth and Wilson hand Kean a baptism of fireWolves 1 Wigan 2: Rodallega and Cleverley condemn McCarthy's men [LNB] Explore more:People: Alex Ferguson, Christopher Samba, Younes Kaboul, Danny Welbeck, Carlton Cole, Dimitar Berbatov, Fernando Torres, Wilson Palacios, Roberto Martinez Places: Newcastle, Manchester
