Pure Footy

The French Revolution : Part Deux

noreply@blogger.com (Yomi) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:29:00 +0000

Can this man really dethrone Benzema and co?

Ladies and Gentlemen, hold on to your hats!

With Yoann Gourcuff at the helm, the Ligue 1 title race is shaping up to be the most interesting in years. Can Laurent Blanc's Bordeaux strip Olympique Lyonnais from its helm at the top of the French league or will that honor be bestowed on Eric Geret's Marseille? If squad talent is anything to go by, then Lyon is on its way to its 8th straight title but since the game is not played on paper, there's a chance Lyon just might fall short of its conquest.

After 3rd and 2nd consecutive finishes, Jacques Santini's Lyon won its first ever domestic title in the 2001-02 season and has never looked back since. After leaving to coach the French national team, Paul Le Guen took helm at Lyon and continued the winning tradition by leading the team to three straight Ligue 1 titles which was followed by ex-Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier who likewise led the club to two straight league titles. Not willing to be outdone by his predecessor, ex-Portsmouth manager Alain Perrin did the double as Lyon won the league for the 7th straight season and also captured its first Coupe de France (France's equivalent of the FA cup) but was replaced at the end of the season by former Lille coach Claude Puel. Highly tipped to win its 8th straight title, Puel's Lyon have been less than stellar this season - the team has won 2 of its last 7 games and were knocked out of the Coupe de la Ligue by Ligue 2 side FC Metz. As the club continues to falter on the pitch, title hopefuls FC Bordeaux and Stade Rennais have closed the gap and are one and two points behind the league leaders. Off the pitch, all's not rosy at the Stade Gerland following want-away striker Sidney Govou's latest comments suggesting the atmosphere in the locker room is not quite up to par. The question however remains; can the chasing pack dethrone Lyon and begin a new era of competitive French football or will Lyon bully its way onto another domestic title leaving its challengers eating dust.

Marseille

I have a soft spot in my heart for Marseille as my childhood hero, African legend Abedi Pele, plied his trade for the South-East club. Marseille is France's most successful club with 8 Ligue 1 titles, 10 French Cup titles and the crème de la crème, the 1993 UEFA champions league. Since Lyon's reign atop the Ligue 1, the club has been silverwarelessness with 2 top three finishes in the league. A fantastic UEFA cup in 2004 on the shoulders of Didier Drogba saw the team beat the likes on Inter Milan, Liverpool and Newcastle United only to lose in the final to Spanish giants Valencia, has been the highlight for Ligue 1's best supported club over the past 8 years. Years of disappointments maybe at an end as club President Pape Diouf (European football's only Black president) and Coach Eric Gerets are building a formidable team to rival the powers that be at Lyon.

Armed with the famous blue and white striped cheque book, Diouf appointed Belgian footballing legend and ex-Galatasaray manager Eric Gerets in 2007. Despite losing the highly talented Samir Nasri to Arsenal, L'OM signed Algerian playmaker Karim Ziani, diminutive Ivorian striker Bakari Kone, France's number one goalkeeper Steve Mandanda whilst retaining the services of Nigerian left-back Taye Taiwo, Senegalese superstar Mamadou Niang, Arsenal's Cameroonian target Modesto M'bami and Lorik Cana. Perhaps the club's most important business was £9.5 million bargain signing Hatem Ben Arfa, the 21 yr old ex-Lyon playmaker/troublemaker joined the club last summer. Marseille possess the most potent attack in the league with 35 goals - strikers Niang and Kone have 6 goals each - along with the best goaltender (Mandanda), and arguably the defensive midfielder (Lorik Cana), but the team's porous defense which has leaked 24 goals is a fan's biggest nightmare and coach Gerets biggest challenge.

The club has been busy in January with the signing of ex-Arsenal star Silvan Wiltord on loan from Stade Rennais and €6.5 million Shaktar Donetsk's Brazilian striker Brandao - a cover for injured goal poachers Niang and Kone. Marseille have also been heavily linked to Standard Liege's American defender Oguchi Onyenwu and recently deposed Arsenal skipper William Gallas. The club's the ability to hold on to captain Lorik Cana, roving full back Taiwo, out of contract midfielder Modesto M'bami and highly rated manager Eric Gerets will ultimately test Marseille's long term ambition and more importantly, its title credentials.

Paris Saint-Germain

The cheeky bastards at PSG grabbed Ligue 1 headlines as the club flirted with relegation only to survive by the skin of its teeth. For most of last season, 2 million Parisians endured sleepless nights as its beloved football club drifted in and out of relegation. With 3 games left, the team sat in 18th place. Draws against Saint-Étienne and fellow relegation candidate Toulouse and a win on the final day of the season against Sochaux saved France's most populous club and ensured Ligue 1 football the next season. If last season was a failure, then this season has been a success as PSG sits in 6th place, 6 points behind league leaders Lyon. Former Lyon manager Paul Le Guen miraculously survived the sack after last season's debacle and thanks an excellent summer transfer campaign, smiles reign at the Parc des Princes. At Lyon, Le Guen had a balanced side; a potent attack along with a rock solid defense made lightweight of its Ligue 1 counterparts and its performance in Europe was admirable. At PSG, he inherited a - pardon my language - shit team with 34 yr old Portuguese striker Pauletta pulling the trigger upfront, a recipe for disaster. Le Guen's decision to sign retired French internationals Claude Makalele (free from Chelsea) and Ludovic Guily (€2.5 million from Roma) along with the return of prolific striker Guillaume Hoarau - leads the team with 11 goals - has turned last year's whipping boys into formidable UEFA CUP contenders and maybe with a bit of luck, title challengers. The club beat out the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle for the signature of €10 million Beninese Stephane Sessegnon from Le Mans who played out his skin all season - a nice piece of business by Paul Le Guen.

PSG owes much of its success to the balance midfield play of veteran Claude Makalele and youngster Jeremy Clement whose defensive awareness has shored up a mediocre back line. As the January transfer window takes shape, defenders Aquivaldo Mosquera of Sevilla and Marco Caneira of Sporting CP have been heavily linked with the Parisian club but the club's top priority appears to be Sporting CP's Russian playmaker Marat Izmailov - targets which would add depth and much needed quality. Most PSG fans will admit the chances of the club lifting the Ligue 1 trophy are very slim, but as we all know, football like life is full of curve balls and sometimes the peculiar happens.

Toulouse and Stade Rennais

On the shoulders of Ligue 1 top scorer André-Pierre Gignac, Toulouse alongside PSG have been the surprise of the league. Like the aforementioned PSG, Toulouse almost got relegated last season and only scraped through by defeating Valenciennes on the final day of the season. After losing striker Johan Elmander to Bolton, most Toulouse fans were skeptical about the club's immediate future intop flight French football and were resigned to another year trying to avoid the drop. Newly appointed manager Alain Cassanova invested the €12 million from Elmander's move with the capture of ex-Rennais captain Etienne Didot and gigantic Danish striker Søren Larsen from Schalke. While Didot has been spectacular all season long, Søren Larsen has been dismal all season long thus the team has heavily relied on Gignac for any attacking threat. Manager Alain Cassanova's rigid defensive formation and counter attacking style of football is subject to debate as the team has conceded an impressive 15 goals all season yet 20 goals against opposition play is a worrying sign. Toulouse are probably not genuine title challengers as their main target should be a top table finish and maybe with reinforcements in January, a top six finish.

Stade Rennais probably deserve more than a paragraph but truth be told, i haven't seen much of them all season. Rennais have consistent club in the Ligue 1 all season along with best defense and are on an 18 game unbeaten league run - the best in European football. Lyon's 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Rennais signaled the team's title ambitions and draws against Bordeaux and Marseille earlier in the season is testament to Guy Lacombe's managerial skill. Club captain Etienne Didot was sold to Toulouse during the summer which struck me as a strange one but youngster Asamoah Gyan's move from Udinese was a clever piece of business. Bankrolled by Billionaire François Pinault, Rennais have been one of the more consistent sides over the past five years but have been unable to challenge Lyon on and off the field. Under the stewardship of attacking trio Jimmy Briand, Moussa Sow and veteran Mickael Pagis alongside creative midfield duo Bruno Cheyrou and the highly rated Stéphane M'Bia, the team appears to have finally found the perfect balance to stand toe to toe with Lyon for the Ligue 1 crown.

FC Girondins de Bordeaux

I'm tempted to ignore the rest of Bordeaux's players and just make this a "Is he or Isn't he the next Zidane" debate. Move over Hatem Ben Arfa and Jeremy Menez - one of many players who have correctly or incorrectly been labeled the next Zidane - and let's pay homage to the brilliant Yoann Gourcuff. The AC Milan young starlet currently at loan at Bordeaux has done his best to avoid comparisons to the great one but with this and this, he's surely going about it the wrong way. Along with the aforementioned Gourcuff, Bordeaux have one of the best managers in Laurent Blanc who led the club to a second place finish last season, 4 points adrift of winners Lyon. After an ill fated stint at Spartak Moscow, Argentine striker Fernando Cavenaghi return to form at Bordeaux has propelled the team to just a single point off top spot. The striker's 15 goals last season along with 12 goals in 20 games his season has attracted English club Tottenham but no concrete offers have yet been made. Along with Lyon and Rennais, the team is unbeaten at home all season and have scored 35 goals (tied best in Ligue 1) with a +16 goal difference (best in Ligue 1).

Bordeaux's title ambitions will be determined in the month of April with a home tie against Lyon and an away tie Rennais in weeks 32 and 33. If Gourcuff, Cavenaghi, Wendel and Alou Diarra can maintain their current form and Lyon continue to stumble, FC Girondins de Bordeaux ~~might~~ will be crowned Ligue 1 champions on May 30^th - mark my words.

Valencia : A Year Of Two Halves

noreply@blogger.com (Yomi) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:31:00 +0000

Juan Soler - the right man for the wrong job

The 2007/08 season will undoubtedly be remembered for the appointment of perhaps the worst manager in the history of Valencia. Along with the appointment of Dutch-man Ronald Koeman, club officials at the Mestalla did little to help a disastrous season thus as the club was going through the gutters on the field, off the field the sewage flowed endlessly. Almost a year later Valencia has managed to redeem itself from the shambles of the first half of the year yet off field issues still cast doubts concerning the club’s immediate future.

On the Field

Ah.. those sleepless nights, tumultuous relationships and almost suicidal afternoons - yep, Los Che made me feel that when they stepped on the pitch last season. I did my be best by engaging in meditation and soft therapy to banish the memories of last season but to no avail as i still have nightmares about ex-manager Ronald Koeman and ex-president Juan Soler whose rendition of dumb and dumber almost made Spain’s third biggest club the laughing stock of La Liga - an honor bestowed to Real Zaragoza. A quick rewind to the beginning of the 2007/08 season shows how the prospect of a remarkable season ended wih a flirt with relegation.

Quique Flores, current manager of Portuguese table toppers Benfica, started the 2007/08 campaign as manager of Valencia after guiding them to consecutive 3rd and 4th place finishes in previous seasons with high hopes of another successful reign. It started off in good fashion, the club recorded 7 wins and 3 losses in the league but a less than stellar record - 1 win and 2 losses - in a Champions league group with Chelsea, Rosenberg and Schalke did Quique Flores no favors as several of the Los Che fans called for his head. The powers that are at the club caved in and swung the ax, rather prematurely in hindsight.

Rumors swirled, which world class manager would be strutting his stuff at the club - Mourinho, Capello, Lippi, anyone? Unable to attract any of the big names, the board did the WORST next thing and less than a week later, PSV manager Ronald Koeman was appointed. Like a good plot gone awry, no one expected the disaster that befell Spain’s third biggest club as the 45 yr old blond who was expected to steady the ship incurred self-inflicted wounds thus sunk a steady ship. Taking a page out of Steve McClaren’s managerial handbook, Koeman banished fan favorite and club captain Albelda, veteran midfielder Angulo and goalkeeper Canizares from the club’s training ground. His reasons? The trio who had spent 13, 12 and 10 years at the club wielded too much power in the dressing room and were responsible for the team’s bad performance in the league. Naturally, the team and manager were at loggerheads but on the flip-side the board and manager were bed-buddies as Koeman was given the full support of president Juan Soler.

When Koeman took charge of Valencia, the club was in 4th position, 4 points behind league leaders Real Madrid with hopes as title challengers but thanks to a series of unfortunate events, the club hurriedly climbed down the ladder to 15th place, 2 points adrift from a relegation spot. So how did things go from good to bad? Well, during Koeman’s ill fated reign, the club won 4, drew 6 and lost 12 with a minus 16 goal difference. If the record looks bad, the team performance was awful to say the least. Losses to Barcelona, Mallorca and Athletic Bilbao all by a 3 goal margin with a 5-1 trashing by Real Madrid was testament that the Koeman experiment had failed yet luck smiled on the club’s fortune with a lucky run the Spanish cup competition leading to the a 3-1 win over Getafe in the final. Four days later, Koeman was sacked much to no one’s surprise and like every god-fearing man, forfeited his compensation.

Unai Emery was appointed as manager of the club in the summer taking over Salvador Gonzalez Voro who was caretaker manager after the sack of Koeman. Former outcasts Albelda and Angulo rejoined the team while Canizares decided to retire. Emery, the ex-Almeria manager, has done wonders since arriving at Valencia much to the delight of fans and his brand of attacking football has steadied the ship leading to the start of a fantastic 2008/09 domestic campaign which sees the team occupy 4th place - a point behind 2nd placed Real Madrid and 13 points behind unstoppable league leaders Barcelona.

Off the Field

While Valencia is headed in the right direction on the field, off the field - well let’s just say something is terribly rotten and the situation is anything but hopeful. Los Che are in a financial mess. No not the cheeky kind, the immediate future of the club is threatened and without some sort of miracle, Spain’s third biggest club might soon fancy a trip down to the Segunda División where the once “too good to be relegated” club Real Zaragoza currently sits atop the table.

How did it go all wrong?

In all honesty, lady luck has frowned on Valencia and the board has done it self no favors with its actions. In pure figures, the club is over 700 million euros in debt. Ex-president and majority shareholder Juan Soler’s 4 year tenure as club president has been disastrous; the club went through 4 different coaches, 5 sporting directors, 2 financial consultants and more importantly NO titles despite having one of the most talent squads along with one of the highest payrolls in Europe. Juan Soler was the right man for the wrong job - he ran the club like a multimillion dollar company and not like a multimillion dollar football club. Football clubs cannot be run as companies as the sport cannot function as a public commodity. Unlike other business models, football cannot be run entirely from a “future” perspective thus the decision to construct a new stadium 75,000 capacity stadium wasn’t exactly the smartest decision for a club who were already 440 million euros in debt.

The penchant for instant success could ultimately lead Valencia’s downfall. With huge debt, the club still payed enormous wages for its players in an attempt to “eat its cake and have it”. Valencia never wanted to become a Deportivo! No way! Remember high-flying-money-throwers-superstar-laden Super Depor who famously sent AC Milan crashing out of the the champions league. That club, ladies and gentlemen, is in a financial crisis and are relying on television revenue to help pay €11 million of its debt at the end of the season all thanks for wanting to be champions at any cost. Super Depor overpaid its players which has resulted in €159m debt - a huge price to pay for a club trying to punch above its weight. Juan Soler was on that path but unlike Deportivo, Valencia is a big club with a non-feasible business strategy. Valencia cannot be compared with the likes of Man Utd who owe the banks €700m as the English club are a worldwide brand thus has the world’s shoulders to rest on.

Valencia should have known its limits. Chairmen and club President’s cannot cave into the fans request for instant success in exchange for ruining the immediate future of the club and ultimately threatening its existence. The club should in hindsight have sold its expensive wage earners and secured a spot as a mid-table team for the next few years with hopes of getting back to its glory days but thanks to either a case of “brutal lack or knowledge” or “attention deficit disorder”, Juan Soler who resigned as President and sold his €71.6m stake in the club last season, has left the club at the brink. Valencia will be forced to sell stars such as David Silva, David Villa, Joaquin, Raul Albiol and anyone else in an effort to ease the financial stress of the club.

Fool it once, shame on it. Fool me twice, call it Valencia!

The decision to build a 75, 000 capacity stadium is perhaps the stupidest decision the club made. Sure building a bigger stadium is a great idea - more fans equal more revenue which potentially equals bigger success - but like all fools, the club put all its eggs in one basket. As mentioned earlier, Valencia is a huge club with a huge fan base and the club even has 25, 000 fans in queue for season tickets when the Nou mestalla opens up for the 2009/10 season, yet the club failed in the easiest of tasks with its decision to build the new stadium. When i purchased my 80 gig Zune, i sold my old 30 gig Zune before i threw down money on the fancy one. The moral of the story being, when buying a new product of the same kind, one should sell the old one before buying the new one.

OK? Now back to Valencia.

Smart aleck Valencia borrowed €350m for the construction of the Nou Mestalla without ever completing the task of selling the Old Mestalla, the club’s current ground. Therefore, the club is stuck with a €250m old stadium located in the heart of the city along with a new €350m. To be fair, the club has tried to sell the Mestalla much to no avail and with the current economic crisis, the prospect for any future sale of the Mestalla looks bleak. Sure the club could do a “Real Madrid” who when strapped for cash sold its training ground to the city of Madrid for €255 who in turn leased it right back to the team - a nice gesture i reckon. That proposition seems very unlikely for Valencia following the current investigation by UEFA into Real Madrid’s actions . The club’s fate hangs in the balance as it struggles to pay €49m to its lenders before the end of the season. Recently, current Chairman Victor Soriano has revealed the club has brokered a deal to sell the land occupied by the Mestalla for €300m to a “secret” investor and has assured fans that the club is not in jeopardy as its debts will be resolved with the sale of the Mestalla and commercial rights of the new stadium.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Sex and food... plus Football : now that's a perfect night

noreply@blogger.com (Yomi) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Nice legs!

I get nervous when footballers release the inevitable ghost-written autobiography.

Will I be violently slapped in the face reading rubbish in the shape of My Defence by Ashley Cole, Robbie Fowler’s: My Autobiography , Michael Owen’s yawner, the extremely boring Beckham: Both Feet on the Ground… you get the idea… and the utterly useless Wayne Rooney: My Story? Will I lick my paws as I delve into the late Brian Clough’s: Walking on Water - My Life, Gazza by Paul Gascoine, George Best’s Scoring at Half Time, Paolo Di Canio’s inspirational autobiography and my current favorite Addicted by Tony Adams, a must read for fans of the beautiful game.

Publishers are aware that football fans will read almost anything written by their idols thus to continue steady line of profiting from the bookshelves yet beneath the heap of garbage released in the past 3 years, I quaked in my boots when I got wind of Antonio Cassano’s autobiography - surely this is another one of his larger than life antics. I was wrong!

Dico Tutto’ - ‘I’ll Tell Everything is the story of a would be criminal whose footballing genius rescued him from a life of crime and violence and has rewarded him a life of good food, great sex and more importantly, lack of sanity on the football pitch. Starring Antonio Cassano, whose over the top personality coupled with a knack for insults to referees and managers are well documented, the biggest waste of talent in recent years was destined to become an Italian football cult hero but thanks to sheer disregard for authority figures, the ex Roma and Real Madrid player’s fall from grace serves as a blueprint of what NOT to do for footballers labeled the “next big thing”. Cassano’s football career a is a rough story of rags to riches; a poor kid from the Southern Italian city of Bari who spent most of his youth on the streets involved in easy schemes to strike it rich. “I was poor my whole life, but I never worked, mainly because I don’t know how to do anything.”said the Sampdorian striker who revealed to failing a grade 6 times from elementary school to primary school yet the self professed car fanatic skill on the football pitch didn’t go unnoticed as hometown club Bari signed him up into the youth ranks.

Tipped for greater things, Cassano duly delivered with a dazzling performance against Inter Milan during the 1999/2000 season which he scored a fantastic last minute wonder goal thus raised his profile and led to various clubs coveting his signature. Defending Seria A champions Roma stumped up the €28 million asking price for him - a decision the Sensi family (the club owners) passionately regrets. Alongside the legendary Totti and Batistuta, his first season at Roma was filled with ups and downs; he made his breakthrough into the Italian national team but paying homage to street culture, clashed with club manager Fabio Capello. Armed with a “my way or the highway” attitude, he fell off the cradle at the Capital city and after 5 years of temper tantrums and quotes such as “he had a smell under his nose” ( regarding teammate Gabriel Batistuta), “You’re not coaching those useless players you had at Udinese, this isn’t your house, it’s my house“ (club manager Luciano Spaletti) and slagging off Rome’s favorite son Totti, he was signed, sealed and delivered to Real Madrid in exchange for €5.5 million - much to the delight of fans and teammates.

To say he never really got going at Real Madrid is an understatement. He stunk! A volatile mix of arrogance and unhealthy food resulted in fines for being overweight. ‘You’re a piece of shit, you’re more fake than Monopoly money“ uttered Cassano when Fabio Capello disciplined him for well, being a Cassanata who were reunited during his disastrous spell at Real Madrid. Los Merengues followed in the same footsteps as the Giallorossi and shipped him back to Italy where Northern Italian club Sampdoria cautiously took him in. His tenure at Sampdoria has been a success; his 15 goals last season helped the team to an 8th place finish and has even earned a recall to the Italian national team. Permanently signed for an undisclosed fee at the end of his loan spell, Cassano return to form has caught the eye of Juventus, Inter Milan and oh, Man City, much to the ire of club chairman Riccardo Garrone who insists the playmaker is not for sale at any price or might be able for an over inflated fee. Mimicking Joey Barton, Cassano’s long lost brother, his temperament on the football pitch is still intact. The Sampdorian playmaker shocked the audiences after his sending off during a 2-2 tie against Torino by swearing vai in culo! (f*** you) and throwing his shirt at the referee. Not content on the field, he proceeded to wait in the tunnel for the official threatning the poor fella with old school beating. For his antics, Cassano was slapped with a skimpy 5 match band and fined a measly €11,000.

Currently dating 17 yr old water polo star Carolina Marcialis, Cassano admits he has found solace at Sampdoria and is in theraphy for his rage amongst other things - um.. maybe like dating a 17 yr old? Needless to say, the 26 yr old’s life is anything but predictable. Cassano opens up about his struggles in Dico Tutto but he does his best to avoid the more important parts of his life like his lack of respect for his peers but instead is more apt to share life’s pressing issues , sex and food.

“Four girlfriends in 11 years is a low number… I had a few other adventures. Let’s say that between the 600 and 700 women I’ve been with, around 20 were from the show business world … Many times I played great games right after having sex. In Madrid it was even easier, because we were in a hotel, the whole squad and staff on one floor, so on the floors above or below you could invite whoever you wanted to meet you during the night. I made friends with one of the waiters. His job was to bring me 3 or 4 cornetti after I had sex. He would bring the cornetti to the stairs and we would make a trade - he took the girl, I stuffed myself with cornetti. Sex plus food, the perfect night“.

Oh Antonio! Show some class.

The "Makalele" Role : Heir to his Majesty!

noreply@blogger.com (Yomi) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:12:00 +0000

"So f***ing under-rated... he belongs up there - i reckon i would place him within the likes of Zidane, Raul, Nesta... totally re-defined that role in modern football" - those were the words of a fellow football fan whose allegiance to the former French international is unquestionable. As a child of the eighties and a rather young fan of the beautiful game, players such as Maldini have epitomized the defensive side of football while Batistuta, Weah and co . - lets not forget the "fat" Ronaldo - have dazzled on the offense. While these legends have grabbed the headlines over the years, football has seldom paid less attention the players who protect the defense while linking up play to the other half of the field.

The Defensive midfield role, better known as the Makalele role in recent years, has become an essential part of any team lending to the more conversions of the traditional midfielder or defender into this role - i.e. Gilberto Silva, the current Brazilian captain. While Gilberto Silva is void of any passing ability, the "Makalele" role requires acute defensive alertness, intricate tactical awareness, better than average tackling ability and last but not least some sort passing ability. As his playing days edge closer, several players look to claim the role as the best defensive midfielder left. Truth be told, i hate lists; absolutely despise the whole process of compiling or ranking the world's best ....(insert"phrase" here) but as we all know life's not all gravy and more often than not, these rather tough decisions have to be taken.

Pardon the rant!

The not so easy feat of the chosen one is quite trying thus after mild to heavy research I came up with five players whom i see to be the best at their trade. Since these lists are subject of heavy scrutiny, i have followed certain guidelines whilst compiling this list. Firstly, the likes of Marcos Senna, Patrick Viera, Gattuso, Veron and co. over 30 have been excluded form the list since their playing days are somewhat on the decline thus "holding" midfielders aged 29 and under were considered. Lastly, this is not a scientific poll.

Michael Essien

The transfer saga of Africa's most expensive footballer involving ex club Lyon and current club Chelsea during the 2005 /06 season was ardours to say the least yet pales in comparison to the Real-Ronaldo-Man Utd drama. Originally signed from Bastia during the 2003 /04 season for just under €7.8 million, the Ghanaian deep lying play maker quickly established himself as Ligue 1's best player. After helping Lyon attain two successive domestic championships and winning the Ligue 1 player of the year, Europe's scouts lurked about the greener pastures of the Stade de Gerland . Linked with Europe's biggest clubs, Chelsea broke its transfer record by shelled out €24 million for his signature - that record was later shattered by €30 million star, Andrei "flop-chenko". Essien is a box to box midfielder; his role as a strong and tough tackling holding midfielder as well as his finesse deep lying play maker and his versatility as a defensive right back makes him a treasured item. Like his predecessor Makalele, Essien's composure and off the ball positioning is pure class and his passing ability adds to the value of the English Premier League's best defensive midfielder. While some defensive midfielder's are paired alongside central midfielders to provide adequate cover, Essien is more than apt as the single player thus he creates more room for the attacking prowess of his teammates. It's a no brainer - the "Bison" is a shoo-in at any football club on the planet.

Javier Mascherano

Known for his mild manners barring a rush of blood to the head on the football pitch barring a rush of blood to the head, Argentine midfielder Mascherano is also a splendid tackler. Perhaps the most defensive minded midfielder on the list, Mascherano's marking and positioning instinct is second to none. After a dodgy loan move with fellow mate Tevez from Brazilian side Corinthians to West Ham less than two years ago, Liverpool snatched up the aggressive midfielder for a £18.6 million (pounds) and Benitez quickly immersed the Argentine as an integral part of his plans. Known as a the thinking man's best friend, Mascherano maturity and analysis of the game is perhaps his greatest strength. Not blessed with abundant height, the 5ft 7in mature 24 yr old ever present dynamic football style is sometimes peculiar yet very effective. As a long time fan of the diminutive Argentine, it should be pointed out that he is often partnered with another deep lying playmaker in the like of Xabi Alonso at Liverpool, Fernando Gago or Esteban Cambiasso at Argentina - it seems he is better utilized when partnered with a similar player which is not a knock on his talent but rather a testament to his teamwork and professionalism. Along side Essien, Mascherano is head above shoulders best holding players in the English game and one of the best world football. "He's probably the best central midfielder in the world" were the words Argentine football philosopher uttered when asked to describe his fellow country man. Hard to argue with a philosopher!

Daniel De Rossi

Remember the bloody head at the last World cup? No? Well American soccer fans remember the moment when Italian midfielder De Rossi elbowed striker Brian McBride in an chilling affair which ended up with three sending offs. Plying his trade in this birthplace Rome, the Roma midfielder is known as one of Europe's brightest talents. A product of the Roma youth system, the 25 yr old strong player is set to inherit Totti's role as Rome's most beloved son. The athletic 6 ft possess great direct passing ability of that akin to attacking play makers such as Lampard or Gerrard and his rigid style of play works wonders for Roma's touch and go football. One of the more striking things about the holding role is the peculiar anonymity during play; everyone raves about the goal poachers playing further up the park as well as great defensive play by the sweepers yet the man who does most of the dirty work is rarely praised or more often than not unrecognized but unlike his fellow comrades, De Rossi is the leader type - he's a very visible character on the pitch thus his play is more scrutinized than any other deep lying playmaker in today's game. Although i greatly admire his talents, the Italy international seems to drift in and out of many games - when Daniel De Rossi is good, he's the best in the business but when he's off his game, he can be quite bad.

Esteban Cambiasso

Seems like he's been around forever. The hardworking ex Real Madrid midfielder is having the form of his life with his current club Inter. Signed a more than decade ago by the Galacticos, the Argentinian hard man has loan spells at Indendiente and River Plate after failing to break into the Real Madrid first team. After an extremely successful loan spell at River Plate in 2002, he gained a spot at the Bernabeu. His last two seasons at the Spanish giants did not go quite as planned as he often failed to live up to high expectations. Fancying a change of scenery, Cambiasso signed for Inter Milan in 2004 and his time as the fashion capital has been blinding. The free scoring holding midfielder has been an ever present figure during his time at Inter. While his fellow country man Mascherano as timid and mild mannered, Cambiasso is a midfield general running up and down the length of the field. Despite playing in the defensive midfield position, El Cuchu wanders up the pitch often placing himself in goal scoring opportunities. Blessed with excellent football vision and immense lung power, he hardly ever goes unnoticed when he plays for either club or country.

Jeremy Toulalan

I reckon i just let the cat out of the bag! The almost gray haired 25 yr old French international has replaced the legendary Patrick Viera in the French national team albeit Viera has succumbed to the physio room. Signed as a replacement for Mammadou Diarra in the Lyon line up, the ex-Nantes midfielder works wonders on the ball. Labeled as coy and humble, Toulalan's demeanor and technique on the football pitch is simple yet extremely effective. He rarely has a bad game; his tackling, ball awareness, positioning, creativity, composure and work rate are top notch. The extremely gifted holding midfielder hardly ever loses the ball and distributes simple through passes across both sides of the pitch. Jean Michel Alaus, chairman of Lyon, snapped the agile star in 2006 for € 7 million and Toulalan has not disappointed. Known for its defensive tactics and few goals, French domestic boasts great defensive midfielders such as Jean Makoun, Alou Diarra, Lorik Cana, Rio Mavuba and the highly rated Stephen M'Bia. Despite being coveted by top European clubs, the midfielder has stated his desire to remain at Lyon and recently signed a 5 year extension on his current contract.

I'm not a betting man. Never have and never will be but if my life depended on it, call me insane but i might just be willing to stake it on Jeremy Toulalan as heir to Makalele's throne and i wouldn't be completely insane if i argued he might be a clone of the French legend. Quite scary, isn't it?

P.S. - yes i know Pirlo is not on the list. Pirlo is world class but isn't exactly a true defensive midfielder!

The Great Escape : Steve McClaren

noreply@blogger.com (Yomi) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:21:00 +0000

Hey child, things are looking down, That’s OK you don’t need to win anyways!

"Bad day, looking for a way... looking for the great escape"

Those words accurately describe what the ex-England manager, Steve McClaren have felt after his ill fated brief spell. Ah, that rainy November night - McClaren under the infamous umbrella; Scott Carson's goalkeeping gaffe; Croatia's Petric's 77th minute goal - the 3 Lions and its fans were resigned to a long summer watching Euro 2008 from the comfort of their pubs. Following the 3-2 loss to Croatia, McClaren was swiftly fired as England manager and all looked doom and gloom for the ex-Middlesbrough manager; surely his disastrous tenure as England's boss did his resume little good but given the nature of the beautiful game, Holland came calling in the shape of Eredivise club FC Twente.

"Gets in his car and drives away...Puts on a smile and breaths it in and breaths it out"

And that's what he did. FC Twente announcement of Steve McClaren as the successor to ex-manager Fred Rutten (currently manager of German club Schalke) was met with mixed results by pundits who generally knew little about the Dutch club nor cared much about McClaren's new gig. After securing qualification to the qualifying rounds of the champions league from last season's Eredivise playoff victory against Ajax, FC Twente were drawn against English giants Arsenal. A 6-0 aggregate loss sent McClaren's side out of the champions league but then again it was always going to be a tough task overcoming the English side.

"Don’t be afraid just eat up all the gray and it will fade away, Don’t let yourself fall down"

With 5 wins and a draw in their last six domestic games, FC Twente sit 3rd in the Eredivise, five points behind leaders AZ Alkmaar and face Marseille in the first knock out round of the EUFA cup in February. While former manager Fred Rutten deserves credit for building a good squad, McClaren has done himself much good by sticking to a simple yet winning formula which players as well as fans enjoy. While most new managers shuffle the deck upon arrival to new pastures, McClaren stuck with Rutten's system whilst adding reinforcements in loan signings.

"He says bye-bye, bye to all of the noise, Oh he says bye-bye bye to all of the noise"

Things can only getter better for McClaren and FC Twente. Relative anonymity from the English media has done him wonders and with a successful start to his reign in Holland, it won't be long till a premier league club comes calling yet whether Alex Ferguson's former assistant will make any hasty decisions about a coaching career in the motherland. At FC Twente, McClaren a big fish in a little pond - that suits him just fine.

A date in Catalonia

noreply@blogger.com (Yomi) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:43:00 +0000

Shooting blanks...Can Benzema and co. do the unthinkable?

Ah the shivers... the first knockout draw of the champions league has been revealed and it sure contain some cracking ties. Liverpool's master tactician Rafa Benitez returns back to former club Real Madrid who are now managed by ex-Espanyol/Malaga/Sevilla/Tottenham manager Juande Ramos... you get the logic but just down the road at the Vicente Calderon, Madrid's sister club Atletico welcome Portuguese bruisers FC Porto - a tie which should please both fans.

"I am very worried... It's mission impossible, equivalent to you asking me to jump over the crossbar with both feet tied." - those were the words of Lyon's sporting director Bernard Lacombe after it was revealed French domestic heavyweights Lyon have a less than pleasant date with Catalan giants Barcelona who will be furiously licking thier paws. The yellow submarine will hope to stay afloat for a while as Spanish side Villarreal take on surprise group winners Panathinaikos; a draw which should please both managers.

Across the English channel, Premier league heavyweights Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal all have Italian dates - Italy has good food, wine and the women are fond of the bidet; all which should please Arsene Wenger's men who travel to the capital to take on Italy's best dressed manager Luciano Spaletti and co. Both teams will undoubtedly fancy their chances as both teams domestic campaign has been poor so far yet a good European showing could make for happy fans. The Special one might consider taking time off his part time gig on Setanta sports as a date with cup holders man Utd is on the cards. Jose Mourinho's return to Old Trafford conjures of past images when his 2004 FC Porto team sent Man Utd out of the competition which will not be lost on Alex Ferguson. Inter have been spectacular in the Seria A while Man Utd's european form has been solid - too close to call i reckon.

Bells are ringing across Stamford Bridge as Chelsea fans welcome back ex-manager Ranieri who will take his Turin side to seek revenge against Roman Abramovich - remember him? He's Chelsea's super billionaire but more importantly fired the tinkerman. Juventus were spectacular in the group stages while Scolari's merchants were less than stellar but signings during the January transfer window should shore up the English's sides weakness.

German hierachy in the form of Bayern Munich will take on Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon. Provided the german club don't suffer a rush of blood to the head, Bayern should have little trouble disposing of the Lisbon side but then again it's anyone's guess which Munich side decides to show up.

How to win the Champions League : Avoid Barcelona!

noreply@blogger.com (Yomi) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:15:00 +0000

In a few hours, the first knockout draw of the UEFA champions league will take place in Nyon, Switzerland. The road to Rome will commence for Europe's elite clubs - the chance of hoist the trophy and proclaim its self as the greatest club on the continent. Not all is rosy, careful preparation, tactical efficiency and most of all LUCK guides a club to achieve Europe's ultimate's prize. The 2008/09 Champions league is no exception - the last 16 clubs will all be hoping for favorable draws. Continental giants such as Barcelona, Man Utd, Liverpool amongst others who qualified as group winners will find it harder this year to draw the so called "easier draws" - thanks to a less than stellar performance amongst the like of Real Madrid, Chelsea, Arsenal and Inter who finished runners up in the group stages and perhaps might actually find it a lot easier during the draw for the knock out round, Hmm... what a tactic. While clubs from the same country will avoid each other, heavyweight match-ups amongst these European giants looks inevitable.

The Spanish Armada: Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid & Villarreal

Much to no surprise, only Barcelona managed to claim top spot of all the Spanish teams in the group stages - the likes of Real Madrid did little to dispel critics with its average performance in the group stages along with Villareal whose last minute farce against Celtic did little to help thier cause of finishing tops of the group. A solid showing by Atletico Madrid wasn't enough to claim top spot but it was always going to be hard with the likes of Liverpool in the same group. Needless to say, all runners up will hope to avoid the Catalan giants who have been absolutely amazing this season but Chelsea, Lyon, Inter or Arsenal will find themselves paying a visit to Lionel Messi and co.

Armed with the never-ending check book along with a new manager, Real Madrid be expected to produce good run in the UEFA champions league to rescue what has been a poor season according to those lofty Benabeu fans but if recent form is anything to go by, the turmoil might not be over and a Champions league trophy might just be a little bit out of reach. A draw against Portuguese giants FC Porto and Athenian great Panathinaikos would be considered very favorable but if all goes awry, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Roma and Man Utd will be eagerly queuing up.

Villarreal and Atletico Madrid might be considered one of this year's dark horses but Yellow Submarines fans will believe their team is strong enough to challenge for top honors given favorable circumstances. Villarreal's best hope may lie with a pairing against Panathinaikos or maybe FC Porto and AS Roma.

Led by Sergio Aguero, Atletico Madrid have proved themselves a force to be reckoned with in Europe yet a less than stellar domestic campaign does little to calm the nerves. Like Villarreal, a draw against Porto, Roma or Panathinaikos would be eagerly welcomed but given Atletico's unpredictable form, a trip to Manchester, Turin or Munich wouldn't be the end of the world.

The Top 4: Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea & Arsenal

Group winners Manchester Utd and Liverpool would be less than pleased with Chelsea and Arsenal's group stage antics - the plan was fool proof, win thy group thus we all get fairly easy draws. I reckon the memo never made its way to London thus resulting in a tougher than expected knock out draw looms for both group winners. Cup holders Man Utd would surely fancy a trip to Lyon or Sporting and maybe Madrid to face Atletico but its karma has its way, the Santiago Bernabeu against Madrid bound Ronaldo would make the perfect script.

Steven Gerrard and company should be confident about their chances advancing past the first knockout round thanks to master tactician Rafa Benitez. Over the past few years, the Merseyside club has proved its style is more suitable for the champions league rather than the domestic league but nevertheless, a trip to Milan to face The Special one wouldn't be its first choice to say the least.

Ah, Scolari... what has thy done to Chelsea! A more likable Chelsea should be able to withstand the first knock out round except the likes of Barcelona come strutting along. If the London club manages to avoid a trip to Spain, ex Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri might be eager for revenge against his old employers which might not be the best idea. A Chelsea vs Bayern match up should be very interesting nonetheless.

With an average age of 19 - 25, Arsene's boys-cum-boys haven't exactly been up to task. The domestic form wouldn't scare any of the big heavyweights but Arsenal have a knack of playing great against the top teams still they will like to avoid Barcelona or Juventus. A date with Roma would set the football purists salivating - two teams who play the beautiful game.

The Lega Calcio - Juventus, Inter and Roma

A home defeat to CFR Cluj wasn't part of the plan yet Roma bounced back miracoulously to take top spot ahead of Chelsea. Following in the footsteps of Totti, the Rome club has managed to salvage a disastrous start to the domestic season with its recent performances and its gotten only better. Totti's strking partner Mirko "footballer/part-time stripper" Vucinic has been in good form this season thus the Gialorossi faithful have reasons to hope for the best. Of all the group winners, Roma might have the most favorable draw.

The Old Lady is doing her best to turn back the clock. Tinkerman Ranieri has done nothing short of wonders for the Turin clubs and the efficiency of Del Piero and Chillieni make Juventus a force to be reckoned with. Drawn into the group of death, Juventus made little work of defeating Real Madrid twice and taking care of business against Zenith and BATE thus securing its qualification with a game to spare. If Ranieri's men avoid injuries, they should advance to the quarter final stages with relative ease if they avoid Chelsea... things could get a little rough then.

The special one with the special team aims to win the special cup for the second time in his career. With Inter running away with its domestic title, Mourinho's squad looks like the real deal with minor adjustments. Alcohol fan Adriano looks set to leave the Milanese club and rumors of cup-tied Drogba appear to be waning. Mourinho will fancy a trip back to former club FC Porto but given his lofty goals, he shouldn't be quaking in his boots with a draw against Barcelona, Man Utd or arch nemesis Liverpool. If Mourinho can keep things under wraps at Inter and establish a set formation which the players are comfortable with, a bus trip to Rome in May looks very feasible.

The so called "light weights" - Sporting Lisbon & Panathinaikos

Portuguese hopefulls Sporting will be hoping to draw fellow lightweights Panthinaikos if they have any hope of advancing to the quarterfinals because any other scenario could spell disaster. The midfield duo of Veloso and Moutinho will have their work cut out while aging Brazilian forward Leidson might find it too difficult to break the defence of the likes of Liverpool, Mau Utd or Juventus.

Panathinaikos have no hope! That sentence wouldn't be far fetched but since the game is not played on paper, anything can happen. Few predicted the Greek club to top a group which featured Inter Milan but as luck would have it they let the cat out of the bag. A date looms with one of Europe's top club. Henk Ten Cate's man would defintely not relish a trip back to his former employers Chelsea but whoever the club is pitted against, they surely would not relish it.

Last but not Least : Bayern Munich, Lyon and FC Porto

Perhaps the best run club over the past 5 years has been Lyon. Chairman Jean Michel Alaus has made the French club untouchable in its domestic league but Europe has not been so kind. One could argue if Lyon didn't sell its star players every other season then it might possess the ability to challenge for European honors but that's football. In all honesty, Lyon have a good team - the likes of Toulalan, Juninho and Benzema are all world class but the rest of the squad isn't quite up to par. Lyon's problem lies in its defence and its single proned attack - Benzema is great but he's only human thus he cannot bag a hat trick in every game. A draw against Roma, Panathinaikos or FC Porto should see Lyon just scrape through but an unfavorable date against others might spell the end of Europe - oh well, cue up 8th straight title.

It was always going to be tough for the Portuguese giants after they secured qualification to the knock out round of Europe though maybe first place wasn't the plan but a training round game against Arsenal in the final group game did Porto lots of good. By finishing top spot they will avoid the likes of Barcelona, Man Utd and Juventus but could face the likes of Inter, Chelsea or Real Madrid. FC Porto have the talent to battle it against Europe's big boys but the final result is anyone's guess.

Someone once told me Luca Toni is Europe's top earner - 10 million euro's annually AFTER TAXES! Surely this cannot be true but if it is, it surely money well spent. Bayern Munich have been unpredictable all season; they stink one week and incredible the next week. Can Bayern win it all? Well, the answer is probably not but they sure can try. Any club that draws the German giants will have its hands full. Will Ribery or Toni save Klinsmann blushes? Only time will tell.

I want More : Oliver Twist up for sale!

noreply@blogger.com (Yomi) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:20:00 +0000

(Image source - Daily mail)

It's that time of the year again, it's Christmas time but thanks to the global credit crunch, this festive period might not be as lavish as previous years. For most English football fans, the holiday season can be a make or break time - a plethora of games during the holiday season can be the difference between staying up or going down and for the top clubs, its the season of giving - giving fans hope for the championship or a place in Europe. No matter what road your teams travels down this festive period, one thing is certain January cannot come soon enough.

Alas, Owen has been linked to the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester - yes City has managed to link themselves to every possible player on the globe. Owen's a goal every other game strike record cannot be ignored but his crocked feet is something most suitors would like to ignore. Since his £16 million move from Real Madrid in 2005, Owen has played 60 games for Newcastle scoring a total of 29 goals but most of his time has been hampered by injuries. The former European player of the year is up for sale, better yet - he's available on the cheap for a paltry sum of £5 million on a £105, 000 a week contract. Bound to leave Newcastle during the summer for free, a winter transfer move for the diminutive goal poacher has got the pulses racing but the question remains, what clubs are queuing up and more importantly, which one of these can afford his enormous wage bill.

Chelsea & Liverpool:
Either club will be Owen's preferred destination though the latter would be a perfect homecoming to the club who made him a household name but is there really a place for him at the Kop. Stuck with a £20 million bench warmer in the mold of Robbie Keane along with golden boy Torres, Benitez might not be over thrilled by the prospect of an Owen return yet his goal record compared to that of Keane just might do the trick. Rumors about a possible departure of Keane to former club Tottenham looks more likely by the passing day thus the boy-cum-man might find himself among familiar pastures.

Speculation linking Owen to Stamford Bridge is stuff dreams are made up of.

Tottenham:
Ah, the magical wand of Harry Redknapp has no bounds. While Owen to Tottenham reports seem very unlikely, truth be told the North London club are on of a few who could afford his enormous wage bill even if he plays half the season - cue up Ledley King's new best friend. Owen would fit quite nice into Tottenham should the club employ a 2 man strike force. Also, he would be trading the metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear for the glitz and glamor of London - something Dennis Wise (Newcastle's Executive Director) can attest to.

Manchester City:
Following in the footsteps of Real Madrid by linking themselves to every football player on the globe, the Eastlands might be a possible destination for Owen. The world's richest club could easily afford hiw wages and if rumors are to be believed, he would find himself with a new set of galacticos - Robino, Kaka, Buffon, Villa, Jesus - you name it.

It might be a case of hardball for current club Newcastle but even the Geordie faithful have resigned to losing Michael Owen leaving them with Mark Viduka, Obafemi Martins and the delightful Shola Ameobi. If i were a gambling man, a decent wager on Man City wouldn't be too far fetched.

Don't Screw This Up : The Consistency of Inconsistency

noreply@blogger.com (Yomi) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:59:00 +0000

(Image Source - BBC News)

Speculation season is ripe - which top 4 premier league team is likely to relinquish its status? With a third of the season played, Arsenal's stuttering form which sees them occupy 4th place tied on points with 5th place Aston Villa has led to contemplation of a thorn amongst the top four - could this really be the year? Let's not get carried away, the talent within the big four is far superior than the rest of the league yet each year, an outsider tries to trespass the pastures of the the big boys merely to crumble its base. Over the past 5 years, only has Everton managed to scupper this monopoly thanks to a poor domestic campaign from Liverpool coupled with a fantastic European campaign which led to a climatic 2004/05 Champions league final victory against AC Milan. Thanks to the ever-fickle UEFA, a rule change thrust Liverpool into preliminary qualifying rounds of the Champions league while Everton was left less than amused with a win or drop into the UEFA CUP tie against Spanish side Villarreal.

Since this glitch in an otherwise stable programming schedule, Everton along with Tottenham have done their best to maintain the status-quo by fumbling the ball seconds before the final whistle. While the argument about the wealth and purchasing power of the top four cannot be under-estimated, the recent take-over of premier league teams by wealthy foreigners might spring a glimmer of hope. The 2008/09 premier league season is shaping up to be a cracker - relegation battles are rife, the title race is as close as ever, referee's are doing their best to steal the headlines - yet the talking point seems to surround what top four pretender might actually become a contender. On paper, the top four should be safe but since the game is not played on paper, hope beckons for the chosen few.

Before the beginning of the season, most pundits (rightfully so) had high expectations of Tottenham cracking the monopoly - the duo of Keane and Berbatov along with the recent acquisitions of Modric, Dos Santos, Bentley and Gomes - looked a promising squad. Well that never materialized thanks to the sheer absurdity/tom-foolery of the Tottenham board of directors which led to the sale of the striking duo of Keane (Liverpool) and Berbatov (Man Utd) accompanied with less than adequate replacements threw a spanner into Tottenham's chances. The possibility of a salvaged season was quickly lost with a shambolic start to the season resulting in the sack of Manager Juande Ramos and Director of Football Damien Comolli. Quickly doing his best NOT to shoulder the blame, chairman Levy appointed Harry "Saviour/Traitor" Redknapp who had miraculously turned Tottenham's fortunes albeit only for a short period. The saying "nothing is impossible" surely can be rubbished concerning hopes for Champions league football for Tottenham yet Europe's forgotten competition (UEFA CUP) still remains a possibility.

Perhaps the best manager outside the top 4 is arguably David Moyes - the 45 yr old Scot has worked wonders at Everton despite limited transfer funds. The aforementioned lack of cash has seen Everton stumble back and forth only to remain comfortably on the shoulders of giants. A good 2007/08 domestic season was quickly squashed thanks to a poor transfer campaign - the £15 million purchase of Standard Liège midfielder Marouane Fellaini along with a £5 million purchase of injury prone Louis Saha definitely wasn't the blueprint. A disappointing start to the season has seen early season hopes of participating in next year's Champions league fade. Still, it might not be all lost. If rumors are true, the acquisition of CSKA Moscow foward Vagner Love should result in a lethal partnership with Yakubu but the seriousness of a top 4 challenge might be far fetched.

Surely the most interesting transfer during the summer was done at the highest level - the sale of Man City from now fugitive Thaskin Shinawatra to Arab mega billionaires lifted the reputation of the Eastlands club. Armed with a blank check, the new owners whizkid want-away superstar Robinho to less than familiar settings. Along with the earlier arrivals of fellow Brazilian Jo, Chelsea bench-warmer Wright Phillips along with Kompany and Zabaleta, the prospect of European football with Mark Hughes at the helm seemed very plausible. Surely the Robinho's magic would melt off like hot butter amongst his fellow teammates. The salivating attacking prowess if Robinho, Jo, Elano and Wright Phillips would wreak havoc amongst their opponents yet Man City finds itself languishing mid-table thanks to a less than astute defense. Dressing room quarrels (Elano Vs. Hughes) along with speculation about the manager's future doesn't bode well for City's ambitions. Since money is no object, a spending spree in the current global credit crunch sould see Man City acquire re-inforcements thus giving bookmakers daily headaches over the plight of The Citizens. The phrase "watch this space" is the perfect motto for the Eastland club.

Of all the top four pretenders yet to be contenders, Aston Villa has to be the biggest of them all. The premier league table with Villa in 4th place is stuff dreams are made of but while this may be a case of wishful thinking, a good summer transfer campaign along with a role-model club owner has got the pulses racing. While Aston Villa's form isn't stellar, the recent victory against Arsenal has cast Villa into the role of party crashers. Martin O'Neill has done a fantastic job during his time at Villa - hastily punching above your weight isn't O'Neill's philosophy - thus building an all around solid team is sure to reap merits. While no "superstar" arrived in Aston, new arrivals in the form of James Milner, Carlos Cuellar along with American safe-hands Brad Friedel and Brad Guzan has put some quality into the side. While Villa's squad should bring European football next season, Martin O'Neill's best hope lies in the inconsistency of 4th place Arsenal. While the Gunner's cannon barrel stutters, a villain uprising might just be enough to depose Arsenal off its perch yet Villa's lack of consistency along with Arsenal's inconsistency is the perfect setting for a climatic ending in the race for 4th spot.

Bluffed : Russian Roulette at its Worst!

noreply@blogger.com (Yomi) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:01:00 +0000

(Image Source - Sky Sports)

While Robinho’s self sulk led to a less than acrimonious departure from Real Madrid to cash abundant ~~Chelsea~~ Man City was the highlight of a Ronaldo to Real Madrid saga transfer window, perhaps the most significant move was the one that ~~almost~~ never happened. No not Ronaldo, Russia’s golden boy Arshavin filled the gossip rumors for the latter part of the summer. A superb UEFA CUP triumph with club side Zenith St.Petersburg accompanied with two man of the match displays against Sweden and Holland at the Euro’s elevated Arshavin’s status from continental fame to house-hold name - surely this has got to be the fastest rise in fortune. His performance in the Euro quarterfinal against Holland was Maradona-esqe – club scouts pulled their thinning hair out while club chairmen signed blank checks. Despite a relative anonymous display against Spain in the semifinal, the flame had spread.

Within the next week, every big European club was linked to the Russian playmaker – Barcelona, Arsenal, Bayern, Juventus, Real Madrid and Chelsea (though the latter gets linked to every player). While the west couldn’t stop raving about the artful dodger, back east Zenith decided to engage in a game of Russian Roulette with its prized asset.

Following his professed love for Spanish giants Barcelona, the Catalan club tabled a bid of €10mil which was quietly swept under the rug by Zenith – surely the 27 yr old playmaker’s value was triple that amount. Playing hardball with Arshavin’s suitors was fast becoming chic and stylish – bids after bids were reportedly turned down. Resigned to losing Arshavin, Zenith splashed out a Russian transfer record €30mil for 24 yr old Portuguese born Dinamo Moscow playmaker Danny – it seemed the auction was coming to a close. Dismayed by Zenith’s antics, Arshavin did his best to push through a transfer even if Europe’s big boys had dropped their interests. With 2 weeks left in the transfer window, English premier league club Tottenham emerged as favorites – truth be told, they were the only suitors at this period. The €25mil price quote proved to be an expensive gamble – would Arshavin adapt to the physicality of the English game or would he be the second coming of Rebrov.

With negotiations between suitor and parent club headed nowhere, Arshavin issued numerous public ~~attacks~~ pleas towards Zenith in hopes of a transfer yet the €25mil Russian roulette game rolled on with no end in sight. Following the transfer of fellow country-mate Pavlychenko to Tottenham coupled with the exit of Tottenham fowards Robbie Keane and Man Utd bound Berbatov, it seemed inevitable that the lethal striking partnership that put the Swedes and Dutch to sword would be reignited at White Hart Lane but a last minute Texas style hold-em poker bluff by Tottenham left Zenith with egg on its face – the club was stuck with a €30mil replacement signing along with the unhappiest footballer in Russia.

With the winter transfer window approaching, the Arshavin saga rages on – the player has publicly stated he wants out of Zenith and he might finally get his wish sooner than later. Several clubs have had less than stellar starts to their season, a knock down price Arshavin – thanks largely to Zenith – looks like a good investment. While the playmaker might be Cup-tied in Europe, there should be an array of suitors lining up to snatch his signature once the gates of the winter transfer season swing open.