I can't wait for the start of the new season. We'll all be free from the irritatingly inaccurate transfer rumours newspapers write to fill in some space and sell some papers.
The long running transfer sagas have been dragging on throughout the summer and have come nowhere to concluding. Like those irritating Chinese soap operas that run for years. Like Bold and the Beautiful. Like Paolo Maldini except at least he has the decency to reveal his plans nice and early. Take a look at the drawn out proposed deals of the summer. Cristiano Ronaldo to Madrid, Frank Lampard to Inter, Gareth Barry to Liverpool, Samuel Eto'o to somewhere else. They all have died down to some extent but there's always another "sensational" story that pops out of nowhere to keep the drama going.
After a few days of Ronaldo-less news, he drops a bombshell by sensationally "announcing" that he will join Madrid next week. You can't really be sure whether he actually said that or not, knowing how the press twists and edits every little word uttered. Whatever they've done, another episode has been added to this long winded drama and the ending is nowhere in sight yet.
As for Lampard, Jose Mourinho seems to have finally given up his pursuit of his former player after signing Sulley Muntari instead. Great signing by the way. Cheaper, younger and may be better than Lampard in a few years.
Barry's move to Liverpool might still be on though. Apparently Liverpool missed the deadline to respond to Villa by 15 minutes although that's probably more newspaper fabrication. Another saga that needs to be resolved quickly although I don't see that happening anytime soon. Liverpool signing Robbie Keane for an initial fee of £19m means they probably needs to seel before they can buy again. Good signing for Liverpool by the way, but a bit overpriced. Nonetheless Fernando Torres finally seems to have an ideal strike partner, a proven Premiership goal scorer at that. Liverpool's attack will definitely be one of the most potent in Europe this season.
Moving onto Eto'o, well, you just don't know where he'll end up this summer. Apparently there is still interest from several big clubs, but it's well known that his preferred iption is to stay at the Nou Camp although he is surplus to requirements. His work ethic however, has impressed the club president who said Eto'o may still stay with Barcelona this season. I can see it happening although I think a move will suit him better than staying loyal to employers who don't want him. It's like a girl hanging onto what's left of her relationship even though the guy doesn't want anything to do with her. Not a good way to spend a couple of months. In Eto'o's case, it could be a lot longer than that if he ends up staying.
And another mini saga of sorts - Man Utd's search for a new target man. They're one of two Premiership sides that haven't brought anyone in yet over the summer (the other being Everton). They still have 30 days left, but fans must be wondering who the club have in mind. I think they'll still take their time over their targets but if Louis Saha (somehow) manages to stay fit, he'll be like a new signing. When on form, his finishing is deadly and will easily fit into the United side. There's also Manucho, the Angolan international who has proven himself at international level. Whether a work permit has been approved for him is still unknown but he is a proven goalscorer and could be the answer to United's striker shortage. As a United fan I'm following this very closely and anyone who the papers have linked us with will do nicely but if I had to pick I'd take Dimitar Berbatov for sure. He's a proven Premiership goalscorer and although he's a target man, he's got other fantastic skills that will be an asset to the club. Although he's got the Ronaldo-esque whining, his goalscoring ratio makes up for it.
I'm very interested to see how Tottenham line up this season. They have made some very shrewd signings and their midfield has been strengthened considerably. Luka Modric, Giovani dos Santos and David Bentley are not unknown quantities and in Juande Ramos, they have a tactically sound manager who won't stand for any nonsense from his players. If Arsenal or Liverpool have another mediocre season, Tottenham could very easily finish above them. However, a realistic finish that would satisfy most Spurs fans would be a UEFA Cup spot based on their league position.
Meanwhile, the Champions League 3rd qualifying round has thrown up a very intriguing tie - Atletico Madrid vs Schalke 04. Both clubs would have fancied making the group stage and now one of them has to miss out. Luck of the draw. It can be a blessing or a curse. The media in Britain are hyping up the other "intriguing" tie between Arsenal and FC Twente, managed by the disaster that is Steve McClaren. Although McClaren is a better tactician than given credit for (thank the English media for that), most fans outside Holland would struggle to name even one player from his side. Arsenal, I believe will stroll into the group stage without any major problems.
I still want to see at least one mega transfer this summer, involving a massive club and player. The odds of that happening dwindle with each passing day although transfer deadline day has always provided some spectacular last minute signings. Wayne Rooney's transfer to Man Utd in 2004 was concluded just hours before the deadline. It can happen. Who knows. Maybe we'll see one of Ronaldo, Lampard, Barry, Eto'o, Berbatov, Villa, Silva, Alonso, Arshavin, Pavlyuchenko or Robinho make a move. You never know.
Showing posts with label Rumour mill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rumour mill. Show all posts
Friday, August 1, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The saga continues.....
Now that Wimbledon is long gone, I can finally turn my attention back to football again. It was competitive sport and certainly kept my attention away from football for awhile.
But then again there's nothing new to write about. It's all transfer rumours and signings and press conferences again and that's the way it's going to stay until the start of the new season. The big story that has emerged today is Liverpool's reported interest in David Villa. Rafa Benitez certainly would love to pair him with Fernando Torres in a direct clone of Spain's forward line. You get the feeling however that Torres will be a completely different player should Villa arrive at Anfield. It was clear in Euro 08 that Torres did most of the running and Villa simply added the finishing touch to the move. Just a thought.
And apparently, Goal.com has the exclusive scoop that Barca have concluded a deal for Aleksandr Hleb and are going to make an official announcement within the next two days. It's another signing to boost their midfield which will be missing Deco, and most likely Ronaldinho as well, next season. I think Hleb will do no better for Barca than he did for Arsenal. He is accustomed to their one touch passing style and may find it difficult to adjust to the Spanish style of play. However, he has wonderful dribbling abilities and may indeed shine in Spain where individual skill is allowed to shine much more than in the Premiership. Only time will tell but my feeling is that Barca have signed themselves a solid player who won't take La Liga by storm.
Meanwhile, Frank Lampard is still unsure where he will be playing next season. Chelsea have also denied reports that Lampard was angered by Luiz Felipe Scolari's announcement that he will still be a Chelsea player for the coming season. Inter had a bid of £7.95m rejected by Chelsea and it is widely expected that they will continue to bid for the England player over the summer. Chelsea and Lampard have yet to come to an agreement on a new contract and this can only be beneficial from Inter's point of view. Lampard could work wonders in Italy given his talents. His pasing range can be fully shown of in a league where the pace is slow, giving him ample time to pick out his target. It would also probably give him more time to unleash his trademark strikes from distance. If he could regularly score those in the Premiership with such little time and space, he could probably do it a lot more frequently in Italy. There is also the small matter of linking up with Jose Mourinho again, a relationship that goes deeper than just footballing matters. I'm not too sure what to expect with all the different reports from different perspectives. I wouldn't be surprised if Lampard stays but I wouldn't be surprised if he left for Italy either.
The Ronaldo saga will simply not die down. Apparently Rafael Nadal was told after his Wimbledon victory that Real Madrid have the transfer of Ronaldo under control and that all that was left was for them to seal the deal. While this may be true it's a sign of how this transfer had blown everything out of proportion and any sliver of news is viciously gobbled up by the media. Then again we all read it so it gives them a reason to. Either way I still expect him to go. I ceased to care a long time ago. I only hope he leaves quickly. Gives United ample time to bargain for more players.
But then again there's nothing new to write about. It's all transfer rumours and signings and press conferences again and that's the way it's going to stay until the start of the new season. The big story that has emerged today is Liverpool's reported interest in David Villa. Rafa Benitez certainly would love to pair him with Fernando Torres in a direct clone of Spain's forward line. You get the feeling however that Torres will be a completely different player should Villa arrive at Anfield. It was clear in Euro 08 that Torres did most of the running and Villa simply added the finishing touch to the move. Just a thought.
And apparently, Goal.com has the exclusive scoop that Barca have concluded a deal for Aleksandr Hleb and are going to make an official announcement within the next two days. It's another signing to boost their midfield which will be missing Deco, and most likely Ronaldinho as well, next season. I think Hleb will do no better for Barca than he did for Arsenal. He is accustomed to their one touch passing style and may find it difficult to adjust to the Spanish style of play. However, he has wonderful dribbling abilities and may indeed shine in Spain where individual skill is allowed to shine much more than in the Premiership. Only time will tell but my feeling is that Barca have signed themselves a solid player who won't take La Liga by storm.
Meanwhile, Frank Lampard is still unsure where he will be playing next season. Chelsea have also denied reports that Lampard was angered by Luiz Felipe Scolari's announcement that he will still be a Chelsea player for the coming season. Inter had a bid of £7.95m rejected by Chelsea and it is widely expected that they will continue to bid for the England player over the summer. Chelsea and Lampard have yet to come to an agreement on a new contract and this can only be beneficial from Inter's point of view. Lampard could work wonders in Italy given his talents. His pasing range can be fully shown of in a league where the pace is slow, giving him ample time to pick out his target. It would also probably give him more time to unleash his trademark strikes from distance. If he could regularly score those in the Premiership with such little time and space, he could probably do it a lot more frequently in Italy. There is also the small matter of linking up with Jose Mourinho again, a relationship that goes deeper than just footballing matters. I'm not too sure what to expect with all the different reports from different perspectives. I wouldn't be surprised if Lampard stays but I wouldn't be surprised if he left for Italy either.
The Ronaldo saga will simply not die down. Apparently Rafael Nadal was told after his Wimbledon victory that Real Madrid have the transfer of Ronaldo under control and that all that was left was for them to seal the deal. While this may be true it's a sign of how this transfer had blown everything out of proportion and any sliver of news is viciously gobbled up by the media. Then again we all read it so it gives them a reason to. Either way I still expect him to go. I ceased to care a long time ago. I only hope he leaves quickly. Gives United ample time to bargain for more players.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Back to normal
With many suffering from withdrawal symptoms post-Euro 2008, there is nothing to satisfy people like us, deprived of competitive international football until the World Cup 2010 qualifiers commence. Unfortunately, we're now back to the usual reports of players and managers in the traditional summer transfer frenzy. Only the media blow it out of proportion. A lot.
Then again, we're so starved of anything football related, we'll take anything that come our way. In this report, Andriy Shevchenko has reported agreed to join Sampdoria on loan for the coming season. Really? I thought Milan were open to the idea of the legend returning to the San Siro at anytime. That report is probably just that. A report. Full of nothing. Shevchenko may be desperate to quit England but although he's likely to return to Italy sometime, I doubt it'll be to Sampdoria. Milan's pursuit of Emmanuel Adebayor is likely to end in failure because they can't afford the measly sum of £35.6m for the Togolese hitman. Wouldn't they have a spot for Shevchenko to fill? I can definitely see it happening.
Speaking of Adebayor, £35.6m? Really? For him? With all due respect to the man, no one in world football is worth more than £35m apart from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. While he is a great player, he is certainly no world legend of the game. Neither are Messi or Ronaldo but you get the feeling they're more likely to reach the summit than Adebayor. I expect (and I suspect many others too) Ronaldo to pick up this year's FIFA Player of the Year award. The only question is which club will he be playing for then? I'm not too interested in the ongoing saga so I'll leave it at that.
Moving onto this editorial I found, Asia's next top talents are briefly profiled. One thing I have a problem with is the inclusion of two South Asian players, Sunil Chettri and Ali Ashfaq. Why do they deserve a spot on the list? I don't need to mention due respect because South Asian football is quite frankly rubbish. Let me put this into perspective. Those two Asian talents are from India and the Maldives respectively. India's best (Bhaichung Bhutia, once of Bury FC) has tried their luck in the Malaysian league and did not exactly turn on the style, leaving after a few months. Ashfaq, meanwhile, played in the Malaysian Super League for DPMM FC (Brunei), and was hardly a superstar either. Now to the damning conclusion of the article. Malaysian football is widely regarded as crap nowadays (and that's being polite) and I'm in complete agreement. So why do those two players merit a spot on the list of Asia's top talents when they can't even stand out in one of Asia's worst football leagues? It's not an official list, nor is it a conclusive list. But it reaches a large readership and certainly portrays a wrong view of talent in Asia. I won't comment on the rest as I have not seen them play. I've seen those two play, and they are not what you would call Asia's best. Not by a long shot.
That concludes the random rant of the day. The lack of solid football news leads me to write upon anything I set my eyes on. The concluded transfers to the Premiership may warrant some space but I'm tired of the focus on the Premiership. Jo's joined Man City for a club record. Great. I won't be bothered analysing whether he'll be a hit or miss. If Ronaldinho joined him there, that would be a lot more interesting. Apparently Man City are still confident of pulling off the coup. Intriguing.
Then again, we're so starved of anything football related, we'll take anything that come our way. In this report, Andriy Shevchenko has reported agreed to join Sampdoria on loan for the coming season. Really? I thought Milan were open to the idea of the legend returning to the San Siro at anytime. That report is probably just that. A report. Full of nothing. Shevchenko may be desperate to quit England but although he's likely to return to Italy sometime, I doubt it'll be to Sampdoria. Milan's pursuit of Emmanuel Adebayor is likely to end in failure because they can't afford the measly sum of £35.6m for the Togolese hitman. Wouldn't they have a spot for Shevchenko to fill? I can definitely see it happening.
Speaking of Adebayor, £35.6m? Really? For him? With all due respect to the man, no one in world football is worth more than £35m apart from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. While he is a great player, he is certainly no world legend of the game. Neither are Messi or Ronaldo but you get the feeling they're more likely to reach the summit than Adebayor. I expect (and I suspect many others too) Ronaldo to pick up this year's FIFA Player of the Year award. The only question is which club will he be playing for then? I'm not too interested in the ongoing saga so I'll leave it at that.
Moving onto this editorial I found, Asia's next top talents are briefly profiled. One thing I have a problem with is the inclusion of two South Asian players, Sunil Chettri and Ali Ashfaq. Why do they deserve a spot on the list? I don't need to mention due respect because South Asian football is quite frankly rubbish. Let me put this into perspective. Those two Asian talents are from India and the Maldives respectively. India's best (Bhaichung Bhutia, once of Bury FC) has tried their luck in the Malaysian league and did not exactly turn on the style, leaving after a few months. Ashfaq, meanwhile, played in the Malaysian Super League for DPMM FC (Brunei), and was hardly a superstar either. Now to the damning conclusion of the article. Malaysian football is widely regarded as crap nowadays (and that's being polite) and I'm in complete agreement. So why do those two players merit a spot on the list of Asia's top talents when they can't even stand out in one of Asia's worst football leagues? It's not an official list, nor is it a conclusive list. But it reaches a large readership and certainly portrays a wrong view of talent in Asia. I won't comment on the rest as I have not seen them play. I've seen those two play, and they are not what you would call Asia's best. Not by a long shot.
That concludes the random rant of the day. The lack of solid football news leads me to write upon anything I set my eyes on. The concluded transfers to the Premiership may warrant some space but I'm tired of the focus on the Premiership. Jo's joined Man City for a club record. Great. I won't be bothered analysing whether he'll be a hit or miss. If Ronaldinho joined him there, that would be a lot more interesting. Apparently Man City are still confident of pulling off the coup. Intriguing.
Monday, June 2, 2008
It's that time of year again!
No the Euros only happen once every 4 years. The post season period gives papers a lot of space to fill where match reports and analysis are the norm. The usual lack of football for 3 months or so ensures that papers are constantly on the lookout for a "scoop".
Check out some of today's "top stories". To give these stories a sense of realism, papers have to "realistically" adjust their creative talents to truly reflect feasible possibilities with regards to players. Take Arsenal for example. Nothing strange going on there with their supposed interest in Piotr Trochowski. Wenger's keen eye for unknown talent at its best! And to think that people put up with 3 months of this rubbish every year. If I wanted to read fiction in the papers, I would be at the comics section. Thank God for the Euros! At least the rubbish will be diluted by the presence of some real football news.
Nonetheless you can still expect one story that will not lay low this summer. Chelsea's odyssey to find their new manager will dominate the sports section until they eventually find him! Hiddink, Rijkaard, Mancini, Hughes, even Eriksson gets a mention! Abramovich's riches will have to do a lot of the talking if he is going to entice a top notch manager to the club. If you can sack the Special One and his successor who nearly won 3 trophies in a season, you must be a real emo! Abramovich has probably been listening to too much Simple Plan! Wonders why his club is not perfect and why all this had to happen to him. You can't really imagine him with the eyeshadow and the lot but it's the only reasonable explanation for all his brash decisions. Good luck to the new manager, whoever he may be. At least he will know that legend status will be bestowed upon him should he succeed. And should he fail, he will still get paid handsomely to take a sabbatical.
Check out some of today's "top stories". To give these stories a sense of realism, papers have to "realistically" adjust their creative talents to truly reflect feasible possibilities with regards to players. Take Arsenal for example. Nothing strange going on there with their supposed interest in Piotr Trochowski. Wenger's keen eye for unknown talent at its best! And to think that people put up with 3 months of this rubbish every year. If I wanted to read fiction in the papers, I would be at the comics section. Thank God for the Euros! At least the rubbish will be diluted by the presence of some real football news.
Nonetheless you can still expect one story that will not lay low this summer. Chelsea's odyssey to find their new manager will dominate the sports section until they eventually find him! Hiddink, Rijkaard, Mancini, Hughes, even Eriksson gets a mention! Abramovich's riches will have to do a lot of the talking if he is going to entice a top notch manager to the club. If you can sack the Special One and his successor who nearly won 3 trophies in a season, you must be a real emo! Abramovich has probably been listening to too much Simple Plan! Wonders why his club is not perfect and why all this had to happen to him. You can't really imagine him with the eyeshadow and the lot but it's the only reasonable explanation for all his brash decisions. Good luck to the new manager, whoever he may be. At least he will know that legend status will be bestowed upon him should he succeed. And should he fail, he will still get paid handsomely to take a sabbatical.
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