The Rise and Rise of Charlie Adam

We'll kick off this blog with a little quiz question. From the following list, which consists of some of the greatest men to have graced our country's national game and who have deservedly received Knighthood's, I would like you to point out who's name shouldn't actually be there; Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Matt Busby, Sir Stanley Matthews, and Sir Charlie Adam.

The Legitimate 'Sirs' of British Football

Now you might think this is the easiest football question you've ever answered, but in 60 years time, according to Ian Holloway (Blackpool FC Manager) there will be no odd-one-out, and all of these men will be deserving of each other's prestigious company.

The player I suspect you all plumped for (correct answer is at the bottom of the post) is Charlie Adam. There won't of been too much deliberation; you will probably have taken into account the fact that the other listees have achieved some of the greatest accolades football has to offer, and Mr Adam, well he hasn't achieved too much at all. OK, he captained a poor club to promotion into the English Premiership, scoring a few important goals on the way (including the equalising goal in the Play-Offs against Cardiff City), but does that amount to a potential Knighthood? I don't think so, and realistically, Ian Holloway doesn't either.

This blog stems from Holloway's comments last year, on the back of Blackpool's promotion to the Premiership (and a few too many shandies I suspect). He stated, "Blackpool fans idolise good people, like Sir Jimmy Armfield and Sir Stanley Matthews. I'm sure Charlie will be a Sir one day and follow in the footsteps of these legendary club figures."

Charlie Adam: Knighthood Beckoning?

It is clear that Holloway (who is not adverse to a bit of banter with the media) had his tongue planted firmly in cheek when this was said, but as the saying goes, there is no smoke without fire. Charlie Adam has performed admirably for Blackpool FC throughout both his loan deal at the club, and his subsequent permanent transfer. Previously though, he had been little more than a bit-part player at Rangers FC. Sent out on loan to St Mirren having progressed through the Glasgow Rangers academy, he won the First Division and Challenge Cup at Love Street, prompting his parent club to give him a chance. He fared reasonably well; it was clear he had a special left foot, but he never stood out. However, another temporary move, this time to lowly Championship club Blackpool, had an unbelievable impact on Charlie Adam. He has since become a fans favourite and established Premiership footballer (the fact that he is sitting alongside Nasri, Bale, and Van der Vaart in in my Fantasy League Team truly shows how far he's come).

But why has this happened? How can a player who was so average in the SPL, a league lagging far behind that of it's English counterpart, now be held in such high regard down south? I would suggest there are a number of possible reasons. For example, he may be more suited to the English game. You get more time on the ball, and it is assumed that the players in the EPL are better than those North of the border; both of which would suit Adam's style of play. He is often seen to gather the ball in the middle of the pitch, slowly move a yard or two, before unleashing an immaculate pass into the path of one of his players.

Another explanation could be his age. He was only a youngster at Rangers FC, now aged 25, he may be more comfortable mentally. It is also generally understood that a player peaks roughly between the ages of 26 and 29, which means Adam is on the verge of playing his best years in the game.

Ian Holloway has worked wonders at Blackpool FC

The man who's comments prompted this blog also deserves some credit. Ian Holloway showed enormous faith in Charlie Adam from the moment he signed him. Little more than a year after his move to Blackpool, Holloway made him his captain, which for a 23 year old at a new club, must be an enormous confidence boost.

It's always hard to determine the reasoning behind a players sudden flurry of form (Diego Forlan before > after). It may be a combination of the above three suggestions, it may be something else completely, but what's for sure is that Charlie Adam has truly blossomed into an important player in the Premiership, and hopefully, for the Scottish National Team in the future.

Eb....

Answer: Sir Charlie Adam - He is not a 'Sir' and probably never will be.