Another Premier League weekend full of drama is ahead of us, and the doubters of players and managers are lining up to pile the pressure on the shoulders of struggling individuals.
Below, Sports Mole gives Alan Pardew a much-needed break and decides which other three people need to enjoy a successful weekend.
1. Emmanuel Adebayor
Not too many players in the Premier League frustrate supporters quiet as much as Adebayor. At his best, he can give any defender in the Premier League a torrid 90 minutes on the pitch. However, the criticism usually aimed at the Togolese forward is that he doesn't produce his best form often enough, and over the year it's become very difficult to argue with that opinion.
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After being left out in the cold in the early stages of last season, he returned to play a starring role for Tottenham Hotspur in the latter stages of the campaign. Unfortunately for Mauricio Pochettino, Adebayor appears to have gone back into hiding. In truth, we've only really seen him stand out once this season, and that came during the thrashing of a below-par Queens Park Rangers at White Hart Lane. Pochettino has assured everyone that he is fully behind Adebayor, but it is now time for the former Arsenal and Manchester City striker to repay the faith.
It's been a difficult time for Spurs forwards in recent seasons, and with Roberto Soldado still finding it tough to deliver his best form in the Premier League, the North Londoners can't afford for Adebayor's disappointing displays to go on for much longer. Southampton come to the capital on Sunday full of confidence, and it promises to be a tough afternoon for the hosts if Adebayor goes missing again.
2. Radamel Falcao
It shouldn't surprise anyone to see the first two players on this list be strikers. When a team needs a big performance from someone, they will always look to the forward to deliver the goods. Falcao heads into Manchester United's game against Everton on Sunday afternoon on the back of some promising performances in the early stages of his career at Old Trafford, but he remains under pressure for a different reason.
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When the Red Devils were digging deep into their pockets in the summer, there was plenty of excitement about the array of attacking talent they had at their disposal. However, one of the vital cogs in the wheel will be missing this weekend as Wayne Rooney sits out due to the suspension he picked up for his red card against West Ham United last Saturday. The captain's absence means that the onus is on Falcao to step up against the Toffees. If he can open his account on Sunday, the goals will surely begin to flow quickly and United will be able to deal with Rooney's suspension far more easily.
Games against Chelsea and Manchester City follow soon, and a confident Falcao will go a long way to helping United hit the kind of form they need to keep up with the teams above them.
3. Steven Gerrard
When you are captain at one of the biggest clubs in the country, the pressure will always be on your shoulders when you step out onto the pitch. Very few carry that burden as well as Gerrard, but he will be fully aware how frustrating Liverpool's form has been in the early stages of the season.
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West Bromwich Albion will be the visitors to Anfield on Saturday afternoon, and they arrive brimming with confidence thanks to two successive wins in the Premier League. Confidence is something that Gerrard will be desperate to instill in his Liverpool teammates, but a boost in morale will only come as a result of improved performances. Of course, the team's inconsistent form is not only down to Gerrard. The skipper played a key role in the draw with Everton last weekend, but he was unable to prevent Liverpool from slipping to a disappointing loss to Basel in midweek.
For the first time in a long while, questions have been raised over Gerrard's performances, and all Liverpool supporters will believe that the captain holds the key if they are to return to the form which served them so well last season. Such an inspiring figure on and off the pitch, he will have to lead by example against the Baggies.
Callum Mulvihill
