January. Christ, I hate it. Returning to work after two weeks annual leave. Hundreds of emails staring back at me with over-bearing red flags by their side. Countless meeting requests and conference calls to respond to. If I had hair on my head, I'd pull it out. I've got hair everywhere else but I have no intention of plucking it, regardless for my initial disdain towards the beginnings of a new year.

Resolutions is another bane. I always half-heartedly promise myself that I will detox. Then I remember why I suggested this the very first time many years ago. I was taking the p*ss out of the people that we're taking it seriously. At some point parody merged with reality and I allowed to be consumed by it all. Thankfully, I also tend to consume plenty of drink and food making any proposed detox redundant as early as the first of January.

I'm not one for writing up a review of the 2012 mainly because most of what happened in 2012 has been written about already on this blog. Last seasons dramatics, Harry Redknapp, Andre Villas-Boas arrival. In fact, even expectations for 2013 have been cited with each passing week in terms of what we need and how best we can improve. So instead, here's a bunch of mid-season awards I've dished out.

It's been an almost perfect transition from the festive period of 2012 into the cold front of 2013 that might or might not be warmed up by a new arrival or two. Ten points from twelve, just the one blemish ruining what might so easily have been a perfect Christmas and New Year. Near perfect, nothing to scoff at.