Archive for July, 2009
Euro Watch July 21th
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009
Inter Hopeful Of Tying Up Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o On Thursday – Report
After being unable to reach a deal in the first round of talks, Inter believe a second set will see them secure their man…
Inter are confident that they can conclude a deal to sign Samuel Eto’o from Barcelona on Thursday morning after another round of talks with the striker.
This deal just makes too make sense for all involved not to happen. Eto’o and his agent will huff and puff a bit but in the end it’s in everyone’s best interest to see Eto’o move to Inter Milan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic move the other way.
Roma Tell Alberto Aquilani To Prepare For Liverpool Sale – Report
According to reports, the Italian midfielder has been told he will be sold by the club…
Roma ace Alberto Aquilani has been told by the Italian club to prepare for life in the Premier League with Liverpool, according to Il Corriere Dello Sport.
The report suggests the Reds are expected to make a move for the Italian midfielder if Xabi Alonso joins Real Madrid. In light of those developments, the Giallorossi are ready to cash in on Aquilani in order to balance their books, and they have told him to prepare for a move.
I’d replace Alonso with Aquilani considering Liverpool would still have some extra spending money left over. Aquilani is an Italian national team player of the highest order. Any club would be thrilled to feature him and a big hit to Roma if they sell him.
Alou Diarra Admits Swine Flu ‘Fear’ Before Montreal Trip With Bordeaux
The midfielder has confessed to having qualms about travelling to Canada for the Trophee des Champions at the weekend…
Girondins de Bordeaux claimed a hat-trick of trophies last season – the Trophee des Champions, the Coupe de la Ligue and the Ligue 1 title – and will defend the first of those cups on Saturday. However, Alou Diarra has reservations about making the arduous trip to Montreal, Canada, because of the swine flu problem in the country.
The holding midfielder, who has significant international experience with Raymond Domenech’s France side, spoke of his “fear” of travelling to Canada, a country in which around 10,000 have contracted the swine flu virus.
I’d really love to know where this 10000 figure came from. Wish more was being made here about this game being played in Montreal and less about this swine flu business.
Samir Nasri Suffers A Broken Fibula
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009
Samir Nasri Out For Three Months With Broken Fibula
The French midfielder has sustained an injured training with the Gunners in Austria…
Reports are emerging from France, and have been confirmed by the clubs official website, that Samir Nasri has fractured his fibula in pre-season training and will be out of action for three months.
Arsenal fans already facing a grim season must be dreading reading the news regarding Nasri’s injury. For Arsenal to be successful this year it was going to be the likes of Nasri and Walcott to step up and take their game to the next level. While the timeline mentioned is three months it’s unlikely Nasri will be 100% fit both mentality and physically until the new year.
EPL Gossip Tuesday July 21st
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009
Manchester City’s Brazilian midfielder Elano, 28, could move on a season-long loan to German club Cologne or Inter Milan after being told not to join the club’s pre-season tour of South Africa. The Independent
Elano was a pain to deal with for Mark Hughes last year with his demand for a new contact, moodiness and public flirtations with clubs like Inter Milan so it doesn’t shock me that he isn’t in Hughes plans this year.
Tottenham and Manchester City will offer England midfielder David Beckham a chance to return to the Premier League from the United States when Los Angeles Galaxy’s Major League Soccer season finishes in October. The Sun
Aside from the playing at home aspect don’t see how playing for either team would be better than featuring for A.C Milan leading into next year’s World Cup. Playing in Italy trying to impress an Italian coach isn’t a bad idea.
Everton defender Joleon Lescott will plead with manager David Moyes to allow him to speak to Manchester City over a move, with City expected to make an improved £18m offer for the England international. The Times
I’m sure this meeting is going to go over well with David Moyes. It’s one thing to sell Joleon Lescott and quite frankly the money is right. It’s another to go out there and be able to find a worthy replacement which would be the big gamble Everton would take if they are forced into selling him.
Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill wants Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas in a £10m deal. The Sun
Aston Villa is home to just about every other fringe England international so Jenas would fit in well. The previous statement may come off as a knock on Villa but it isn’t. It’s good to see a club built on a background on homegrown talent.
And 26-year-old Jenas is also a target for Inter Milan, who will use some of the £40m they expect to receive from Barcelona for striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Guardian
All this because the Special One put Jermaine Jenas on his EPL fantasy team last year.
Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker is a £3m target for Championship side Middlesbrough. Boro would also consider taking the 25-year-old as part of a a swap deal for Turkish striker Tuncay Sanli, who they value at £5m. Daily Mirror
Don’t see the benefit in Reo-Coker stepping down a league. If Aston Villa doesn’t have him in their plans I’m sure several other EPL clubs would feature Reo-Coker in their lineup.
Bordeaux’s Morocco international striker Marauane Chamakh, 25, has given up hope of signing for Arsenal but will still consider a switch to the Premier League, with Sunderland, Blackburn, Tottenham and Fulham all interested. Daily Mirror
Doesn’t shock me when a player publicly declares interest in a team before the team declares interests in him that the club in question doesn’t follow up on the transfer.
League Two side Notts County are lining up a move for former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson after the club was taken over by a Middle Eastern consortium. The Sun
Consortium and league two side should not go hand and hand. It would take a good five years to achieve EPL status. Can’t see any benefit in a real “consortium” buying a league two side. Hopefully it hasn’t come to this for Sven.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes Cristiano Ronaldo’s love for the club could result in the winger returning to the club in the future. “He may come back, you never know… He loved United,” said Ferguson. The Sun
As Susan Boyle sang I dreamed a dream. Seriously, it is a touch of class to hear Ronaldo still praising his time at Manchester United and S.A.F returning the compliments.
Sir Alex Ferguson Speaks His Mind About Tevez
Monday, July 20th, 2009
Manchester United Boss Sir Alex Ferguson: Carlos Tevez Is Not Worth £25m
Sir Alex and ‘Carlitos’ are clearly not the best of friends, and now the United gaffer has explained why he did not sign the player permanently…
He told The Guardian, “We made contact with Carlos.
“We sent him texts and spoke to him when he was in Argentina. Our chief executive, David Gill, made an offer to Kia Joorabchian and we spoke to Tevez before we played Inter Milan [in March] and told him we had spoken to Kia but we never heard back.
“In my opinion, I don’t think he was worth £25m. He was popular with the supporters.
“The fans quite rightly have their heroes and I was happy to go along with the deal as long as it was the right one but, quite simply, he is not worth £25m.”
You knew Sir Alex Ferguson had to bite his lip during the end of Carlos Tevez’s time with United. Now that Carlos Tevez is off to Manchester City, Sir Alex was not going to keep quiet any longer after Tevez came out recently to say him and S.A.F are not friends.
Could understand Carlos Tevez being bitter about his final season at United but hopefully after this recent dust up Tevez moves on with his new team since it’s certain Sir Alex Ferguson isn’t going to spend many a night thinking about Carlos Tevez going forward.
David Beckham Given The Bronx Cheer In L.A
Monday, July 20th, 2009
Angry Beckham confronts boo-boys in Los Angeles
England international David Beckham found the criticism too much to take in his first home game back with Los Angeles Galaxy, which came against, of all teams, AC Milan on Sunday.
The 34-year-old tried to hurdle a barrier to get to a group of fans who had been jeering him throughout the match and appeared to make a “come on” gesture. Security had to hold the star back as he tried to get across to the supporters, while one fan had to be stopped from getting out of the stand to confront the star.
This was to be expected considering the David Beckham saga of the last six months. More is being made out of this story than what it really was but it wasn’t Beckham smartest move going over to the Galaxy fans and asking one of them to come down and face him.
Roy Keane Gets It
Monday, July 20th, 2009
Roy Keane: Real Madrid Signed Cristiano Ronaldo On The Cheap
The former Manchester United midfielder has declared that Real Madrid will get value for money with Cristiano Ronaldo…
Was getting tired hearing the Michel Platini’s of the world knock Real Madrid’s transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo. Any player who can draw 80000 people just to see him is a sure thing. Considering his age Ronaldo, in theory hasn’t even entered his prime yet as a footballer add to that the marketing machine Real Madrid can put behind Ronaldo they could easily double their investment by the end of his six year contact.
I’ll end this with a Roy Keane quote from the article.
“We are talking about the best player in the world. Footballers are here to entertain, and if you look at any other industry in the world of this kind, the best are the ones that move more money.”
Euro Watch July 20th
Monday, July 20th, 2009
Laporta defends Barca’s big-money Zlata move
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has defended the club’s attempts to sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic and insisted the money involved is not comparable to that splashed out by Real Madrid this summer.
My only problem with Laporta is when he talks out of both sides of his mouth. Barcelona may not be spending like Real Madrid but any Ibrahimovic transfer would be huge regardless. It’s like the Boston Red Sox’s complaining about the New York Yankee’s 200 million dollar payroll when they are paying 150 million for their own players. A smaller Spanish side has the right to be overwhelmed at the amounts of money Real Madrid is spending. A club like Barcelona who spent close to 40 million for Dani Alves last year and have smashed that fee this year for Ibrahimovic doesn’t.
Porto Announce That Defender Bruno Alves Is Unavailable
Barcelona and Chelsea will have to look elsewhere for a new defender…
Porto have tried to ensure that Bruno Alves stays with them for the new season by telling clubs such as Barcelona and Chelsea to forget about signing the defender.
The Portuguese club’s president, Pinto da Costa, is adamant that the 27-year-old will be staying put, despite the reported interest from some of the continent’s wealthiest clubs.
All this means is that any club wishes to sign Alves would have to meet this buyout clause of 30 million euros and not a penny less. In Porto’s defence Bruno Alves is just about the only player they can’t replace. Centre backs with his class are not out there for the taking and unlike a midfielder or forward taking a chance with a unproven player with potential is a big gamble at the back.
EPL Gossip Monday July 20th
Monday, July 20th, 2009
Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has joined up with his team-mates for their pre-season tour of the Far East but the Real Madrid target has still left a question mark over his future at the club. He told Spanish newspaper AS: “It is always a great feeling when Madrid want you, especially considering the phase of the career I am in now.
“But at this point, whether or not that can happen is not up to me. It’s a matter that involves three parties, including myself. I do not like to force the issue. I prefer to talk.”
All this translate to Alonso willing to stay at Liverpool but he won’t be happy about it.
Sunderland captain Dean Whitehead has not travelled with the rest of the team to their pre-season training camp in the Algarve in order to complete a move to Stoke. Full story: The Shields Gazette
Hockey coach Mike Keenan whenever he took on a new job use to put a stamp on the team but either trading away the captain or one of the clubs most popular players. This way the message is sent that it’s now his club going forward. Don’t exactly think Steve Bruce is doing the same thing here but it wouldn’t be the worst idea he could have.
Manchester City will up their bid to £40m to try to prise centre-back John Terry out of Chelsea’s grasp. Daily Mail
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has urged fans not to criticise club “legend” and team-mate John Terry if he decides to leave the Stamford Bridge outfit. The England defender has been targeted by Manchester City. Daily Star
Somehow I doubt Chelsea fans being too understand if the face of the club wishes to pack up for Manchester City. It’s one thing heading off to Italy like Frank Lampard had the chance to do. Out of sight out of mind in that case. It’s another when you are going to another club within the same division where you’ll have to face them twice a year.
Hull City are keen on Liverpool striker Andriy Voronin but want the Ukraine international on loan rather than as a permanent signing. Daily Mirror
Hull City would want just about any player who would be willing to play for them.
Manchester United are trying to negotiate down the price of Gremio midfielder Douglas Costa, while Chelsea, Real Madrid and Villarreal have entered the fray for the Brazilian. Guardian
Picked the wrong summer to try and lower the cost of a player.
Fulham have been offered the chance to sign Juventus midfielder Christian Poulsen, who has turned down a £6m move to Fenerbahce. Times
Fenerbahce should of been the ones to turn Poulsen down for £6m. Poulsen was one of the biggest transfer flops last summer which most people predicted right when Juventus signed him from Sevilla.
Blackburn’s flirtation with signing former Inter Milan striker Christian Vieri has ended, with Rovers manager Sam Allardyce believing the Italian is too unfit. Daily Mirror
Can’t say I’m shocked by this. Robbie Fowler’s Blackburn career would of had more impact than Christian Vieri would offer this season.
Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy says he has no plans to leave the club, despite the increased competition for places up front following the signing of Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz and Emmanuel Adebayor. Daily Mirror
Bellamy plans to spend half the season injured anyway so it’s good to have so many strikers around.
When Does Cesc Fabregas Start Calling His Agent?
Sunday, July 19th, 2009
Arsenal boss Wenger: We are strong enough
Arsene Wenger says he is confident in his young squad and that he does not have to seek a replacement for Emmanuel Adebayor, who joined Manchester City on Saturday night.
Adebayor’s £25m departure for Manchester City has been welcomed by Arsenal fans disgruntled by what they perceived to be his lack of commitment last season. But they may be less than impressed by Wenger’s reluctance to spend the transfer fee to plug the gap.
There are two ways you can look at this. One, Wenger may just be coy and in fact is working on another transfer but doesn’t want to make it public. Let’s just be honest with ourselves and go with number two. This is Wenger being set in his ways damn Arsenal fans, damn common sense. It must really be a drag on the top Arsenal players knowing they are more committed to winning than their coach is. Feel just as bad for Arsenal fans who fill that stadium week after week and see the club repay them but going four years without winning anything and in those four years have seen Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea fly by Arsenal not only in status but also in silverware.