Form Team

For those of you into your online Poker, The Premier League Owl can currently be found enhancing his income at Party Poker. Take that recession.

Now, Form Team…

Adjusted weekly -ish and supposed to be a reflection of a sustained period of form – please no more Saturday night emails after single performances…

Fairly obvious principle; players playing well will stay in, players who are not drop out.

1. Tim Krul

Huge, in both senses. The difference between Newcastle being unbeaten and being mid-table.

2. Micah Richards

A renaissance man. Eighteen months ago rumours swirled about a move away from Etihad Stadium, and for all intents and purposes Richards’ career looked to have stalled. A better defender than Glen Johnson, better going forward, and a better athlete. Should be England’s first-choice right-back in Polkraine.

3. Leighton Baines

With Ashley Cole’s obvious decline, Baines is surely getting closer to being England’s left-back. Have a look at the Fantasy Football points table, that should give you a clear enough indication of his worth.

4. Younes Kaboul

A player completely reborn since he returned to Spurs from Portsmouth. Physically untouchable, and continuing to get to grips with the nuances of the position.

5. Vincent Kompany

Given the countries he’d played in prior to coming to England – Belgium and Germany – you have to admire how he’s adapted to the chasm in quality. Just a really, really good defender – and those criticisms of City’s back line are a distant memory since he established himself in the team. Arguably the best centre-back in the league.

6. Michael Carrick

Much-maligned during his time at Manchester United, but has been quietly excellent in 2012, and is a lot to do with Manchester United’s recent form. Perennially misunderstood, but rarely criticised by anyone he’s played with. Yup, I’m aware that they used to say that about Carlton Palmer…

7. Gylfi Sigurdsson

The difference between Swansea being able to watch the relegation battle unfold beneath them, and having to actually take part in it. An inspired signing, and clearly a player that will command a sizeable fee in the Summer if he’s to remain in England permanently.

8. David Silva

Watch him. Not in highlights packages, but for a full ninety minutes. Nobody else in the league comes close to being as comfortable or as clever on the ball as the diminutive Spaniard. Sergio Aguero will get the headlines at Manchester City, but don’t let that detract from how important Silva is to that team. Blessed with a weight of pass and creativity that, at best, only ten other players in the world have.

9. Robin Van Persie

What a difference he makes to Arsenal – without him there really would be no point at all.

10. Antonio Valencia

His return to fitness and form has coincided with United passing their City rivals in the table; that’s not a coincidence either. A very graceful footballer with a lethal final ball and devastating standing-start acceleration.

11. Clint Dempsey

Has shed the tag of being the novelty American, and is now just a top-class performer. There’ll be temptation to move in the Summer, but his level is as a leading-light for Fulham, not as a bit-part player elsewhere.