There Is Only One Sinnacle

Goran Pandev Blasts Lazio Nightmare, Wants To Remain In Serie A

“I am delighted that I am finished with this nightmare. Now my dream is to remain in Italy and play,” he was quoted as saying by Sky.

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This old school thinking that clubs actually own players should be considered a thing of the past. Whether or not you may consider Lazio right in this case of trying to keep a hold of Pandev against his wishes, what should be agreed upon is everything you shouldn’t do when to comes to player management Lazio did when it comes to Goran Pandev.

Working for a football club it not unlikely working for a company in some ways. There will be times you don’t like your boss or the working environment and wish to move on. Pandev made it clear to Lazio he wasn’t going to sign a new contract and instead of selling Pandev which would of netted them at least 10 million in the process they played hard ball with nothing to show for it.

It shouldn’t of come to this is the first thing which comes to mind when thinking about this battle between Pandev and Lazio. It wasn’t that long ago Pandev was staring for Lazio in the Champions League. Now this turmoil has two negative consequences. First what top tier player in there right mind would join Lazio when they see what Pandev had to go through? Second, look at the effect it’s had this season for Lazio in the standings. Currently they are in 16th spot in Serie A, just look at the negative effect Ronald Koeman had on Valencia when he told popular players Santiago Canizares, David Albelda, and Miguel Angel Angulo to look for new clubs mid season. Clubs should handle their dirty laundry in the off season instead of letting it effect the team during the season.

Under-fire Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez wants to sign two players in January, with Aston Villa’s former Reds striker Emile Heskey being one of them. Daily Mirror

I’d almost prefer the lump of coal to Emile Heskey. While somewhat different, Dirk Kuyt is in the same mold of player who is more about the team than his own individual stats.

New Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini will make strengthening his defence a priority in the new year. West Ham centre-half Matthew Upson (£10m), Inter Milan full-back Maicon (£15m), Juventus full-back Giorgio Chiellini (£10m) and Bolton’s Gary Cahill (£10m) are all on the wanted list. Daily Star

In what world is Macion only worth £15 million? See this is the problem of buying good players for superstar money like Manchester City did when signing Lescott for £24 million. Take Bolton for example is Gary Megson really going to sell Gary Cahill to 10 or even 15 million when he can make the case that Cahill is just as good as Lescott?

And City striker Craig Bellamy could be the first player to be shown the door after clashing with Mancini in his first training session. Mancini has reportedly ordered double training sessions but Bellamy was only expecting a light workout because of a recurring knee injury. The Sun

Considering the names Manchester City have upfront it was doubtful Bellamy would be Mancini cup of tea anyway.

Valencia striker David Villa believes the time is right for a switch to England after failing to secure moves to Barcelona and Real Madrid. The Times

In the middle of the season with Valencia in the race of for the Champions League? Villa to any club is one of those rumours I’ll need to see happening to believe it.

Manchester United have bid £9m plus Nani for Benfica winger Angel di Maria. Daily Mail

Hmmm……interesting. Benfica will want more money but it makes sense. di Maria didn’t do himself any harm getting any the score sheet in Argentina 4-2 defeat to Catalunya yesterday.

Everton are in talks with Valencia midfielder Manuel Fernandes about the possibility of the 23-year-old returning to Goodison Park for a third loan spell. Daily Mirror

Fernandes has really fallen off the radar these last two years thanks to injures and immaturity.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is under pressure from the club’s shareholders to spend big in January. Wenger wants to bring in a striker and West Ham’s Carlton Cole, Andre-Pierre Gignac of Toulouse and Bordeaux’s Marouane Chamakh have all been linked with the Gunners. Daily Mirror

Only Wenger would have to be pressured to spend in a transfer window.

Tottenham defender Michael Dawson is poised for a move to Sunderland. Daily Mirror

Christmas party aside, considering the fitness for Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate don’t see why Tottenham would sell Dawson.

It’s hard to question Arsene Wenger history in the transfer market. More often than not Wenger get it right but every time I see Lass Diarra win a ball for Real Madrid I think what if Arsenal had of kept him?

Now we can go further back and write this same post about Chelsea but to be fair Jose Mourinho at the end of the day rewards professionals. Diarra in his time at Chelsea was always behind the likes of Claude Makelele, John Obi Mikel, and Michael Essien, all three players Chelsea paid big money for. You can at least justify on some level Chelsea selling him as he wasn’t going to break through the Chelsea set up and had waiting patiently for his turn. At some point it comes a time where a player needs to play.

With Arsenal things were slightly different. You should assume if Arsenal was going to make a bid for Diarra he’d at least have some role in the Arsenal first team. This was not meant to be has Arsenal had the effective partnership of Mathieu Flamini and Cesc Fàbregas clicking at the time but it’s the fact Wenger saw players like Alexandre Song, Denílson and Abou Diaby who was injured at the time as more important pieces to the Arsenal future. Even in this set up Diarra should of at least been the first off the bench.

We know how the story turns out. Wenger makes a tidy profit selling Diarra to Portsmouth who then hit the jackpot by selling him to Real Madrid. Just wonder what if Diarra was still at Arsenal to provide that steel in the midfield they currently lack?

John Terry’s FIFA World Player Vote Revealed

The Chelsea skipper voted for two of his teammates, Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack, in the top two positions, while he plumped for Andres Iniesta of Barcelona in third.

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I could understand giving Didier Drogba the vote considering on his day he can be the best striker in the world and largely goes unrecognized in these awards but Michael Ballack second? Maybe if this was 2003 but in no way sharp or form can anyone defend the choice of Ballack as the second best player in the world. Hell, he isn’t even the second best player on the team. The second question this raises (the first is if Terry has lost his mind.) would be what type of relationship does Terry have with Frank Lampard to put Ballack ahead of him in the voting?

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will spend up to £55m in the January transfer window to boost his side’s title challenge, with £40m-rated Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero and Monaco midfielder Jerko Leko top of his wish list and Ajax forward Luis Suarez, Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi and Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell seen as back-up options. The Sun

Chelsea are worried Manchester City will gazump them with a bid for Aguero and want to push through a deal for the Argentina international in the next few days. The Times

It says something when you consider what the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester City have spent previously £55 million spending spree just doesn’t grab my attention like it use too.

Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy and goalkeeper Shay Given are considering quitting the club in protest over the sacking of former manager Mark Hughes. The Sun

Poor Shay Given, any club he goes too has to deal with consistent turmoil.

New Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini will hope to beat Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool to the signing of Palermo centre-back Simon Kjaer and his other targets include Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini, Rubin Kazan left-back Cristian Ansaldi, Osasuna right-back Cesar Azpilicueta, Sporting Lisbon centre-back Daniel Carrico, Sampdoria forward Antonio Cassano, AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso and CSKA Moscow midfielder Milos Krasic. Daily Mail

I like this list. Why? Because it makes sense. Just about all those players would join Manchester City given the chance. Players like Sergio Aguero and Franck Ribery wouldn’t.

Tottenham are ready to sell Robbie Keane to Celtic in January but want goalkeeper Artur Boruc as part of the deal. Daily Mirror

On some level it makes sense with the whole Irish-Celtic connection but Tottenham would also have to pay a good deal of Keane’s salary for Celtic to afford him.

Blackburn hope to re-sign James Beattie and will offer Jason Roberts to Stoke City in a swap deal for the striker, who began his career at Ewood Park. Daily Mirror

It still seems foolish to me that Tony Pulis and James Beattie got in an argument over a Christmas party.

Blackburn and Everton will battle it out to sign Tottenham’s Scotland full-back Alan Hutton for £4m in January. (Daily Express)

Hutton came in and helped Tottenham win the League Cup back in 2008 but it’s been downhill from there thanks to injures and poor form.

Portsmouth boss Avram Grant has set up a loan deal for Benfica defender Miguel Vitor, who will move to Fratton Park in January if the club’s transfer embargo is lifted. Daily Mirror

Vitor is a good young player who needs playing time. Doesn’t hurt that Hassan Yebda has done well for Portsmouth who is also on loan from Benfica.

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has drawn a line under the row over his squad’s secret Christmas party after the 16 players involved each agreed to make a £20,000 donation to the club’s Tottenham Hotspur Foundation charity. Daily Mirror

Or, Redknapp chose not to fine his players and instead ordered them to pay £2,000 each – about the same amount they paid for their secret night out in Dublin – to a charity. The Independent

So many different amounts. Either way that was one expensive “golf trip.” Aside from Robbie Keane I’d love to know who were the players involved.

You will get this post if you are a Canadian of a certain age or an old school Fulham/Scottish football fan but I don’t think my site hits the 60+ Scottish demographic. All others you may want to scroll up or down to the next post.

I love Graham Leggat, he was like everyone’s grandfather the only thing missing was him giving you chocolate or Werthers originals (Chocolate was always preferred.) For a generation of Canadians when TSN cared about soccer he was the voice of it as the host of Soccer Saturday. Since it was the 80′s we’d get to watch last weekends game while getting updated on this weeks scores. Thankfully we have come along way since then.

Getting away from my main point here for a second, hey TSN I pay $7.99 for a sports pack of channels which suck as I only watch Goltv, channels like Fox Sports World and ESPN Classic (the latter owed by TSN) are useless to me. Would it really be too much effort to play some of those old Soccer Saturday broadcasts on ESPN Classic? Seriously just pop in a tape and press play.

Now getting back on point, was doing a google search for Graham Leggat as I was bored out of my mind on Sunday and came across this old website of his Graham Leggat Soccer.

It combines two of my favorite things, Graham Leggat and really bad web design as the site hasn’t been updated since 2002. Never the less it still made my day even if the site may not be really his. In writing about the 2002 World Cup Mr Leggat said.

Portugal have had more than their share of bad luck in previous World Cup and Euro 2000 competitions but coach Antonio Oliveira must have thought his luck had changed when he saw Group D. World class players like Rui Costa, Luis Figo, Nuno Gomes et al make Portugal seemingly easy winners of this group. Who accompanies them through is not so easy. Poland have a strong squad. The USA are improving every season and the Korea Republic have the luxury of playing in their own ball park(s). I have to fancy Portugal and Poland to go through.

if only this were true.

It still was a great walk down memory lane, Canadian soccer misses you Graham Leggat. Watching the score last week during their Gillette informational disguised as a reality show searching for Canada’s next sportscaster, Sid Seixeiro claimed James Sharman was this generations answer to Graham Leggat (or something to that effect.) I felt like throwing my remote and immediately removed him from my twitter feed in disgust. (Not that he should care mind you)

There will only be one Graham Leggat. Hope you are enjoying retirement where ever you are. If anyone close to him every reads this please feel free to contact me.

Pep Guardiola’s Barca future in doubt

Barcelona have won all six competitions they have contested since Guardiola took charge 18 months ago but the 38-year-old coach has yet to reveal whether he will extend his contract beyond this season.

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Not that anyone would take my advice, be that as it may if I was Pep Guardiola I wouldn’t be making any rash decisions at this point. The feedback I’ve read all asks the same question which is how can Pep Guardiola leave Barcelona? I on the other hand can easily understand if Pep Guardiola wishes to walk away. Here you are, your first year in coaching and you’ve accomplished something no other coach in the history of football has ever done. Quite frankly what else is there to do? Pep Guardiola must know it’s downhill from here, at the very least he knows the only way to top this season is to go undefeated in every competition. That’s depressing if you wish to look at it from that point of view.

Back to my first point I don’t think Guardiola should make any decisions right now, besides he still has the challenge of Real Madrid to overcome but win or lose this season at the end of the year should Guardiola decide to walk away I wouldn’t blame him even if I do feel enough players and Barcelona higher ups will convince him to stay.

Craig Bellamy is the first high-profile Manchester City player to be considering handing in a transfer request because he is so disgusted at the sacking of manager Mark Hughes. Shay Given, Gareth Barry and Carlos Tevez are also angered by the Welshman’s departure. Full story: Daily Telegraph

I could understand Bellamy being upset since Hughes has always liked him as a player but realastic where is Bellamy going to go? West Ham again? Don’t think many teams will line up to play the 15 million Manchester City paid for Bellamy and don’t think Manchester City has much interest in selling him at a loss.

Everton will battle it out with Arsenal to sign Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh for £7m in the summer. The Sun

Bordeaux really screwed things up with Chamakh by not signing him earlier. Now Chamakh has all the power as he’ll be available on a free transfer come this summer. No idea why this £7 million fee was quoted.

New Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has given the club’s chief executive Garry Cook a list of players he wants to sign, with Juventus left-back Giorgio Chiellini one of his targets. Daily Mirror

Mancini is also keen on Inter Milan right-back Maicon. (Daily Telegraph)

You mean Mancini doesn’t fancy Wayne Bridge?

Tottenham are set to move for Portsmouth full-back Nadir Belhadj in January, with Blackburn and Everton also interested in the Algeria defender. Daily Mail

Shocking what a well struck goal can do for you.

Blackburn have offered a four-year deal to United States midfielder Stuart Holden, who plays for Major League Soccer outfit Houston Dynamo. (The Sun)

If this is the case it would soon be Blackburn have signed United States midfielder Stuart Holden, who can do a job for them. Blackburn has had previous success signing MLS players with captain Ryan Nelsen who signed as a free transfer from D.C United.

Roberto Mancini’s first job as Manchester City manager will be to hold showdown talks with £32.5m Brazilian forward Robinho, who the Italian sees as the key to City’s future. The Sun

Roberto Mancini first job is to get Robinho into the Manchester City lineup. Players like Robinho, who aren’t a natural striker but aren’t a natural midfielder either are hard for coaches to work a formation around.

- Is the sky failing for Manchester United who in the last two weeks have failed to close the gap on league leaders Chelsea? While most people are focusing on United’s injury list as their main concern an eye ball should be focused on the offense. With every United defender hurt it was only a matter of time before teams started to find the back of the net. What worries me is against two good teams like Aston Villa and Fulham, Manchester United had no answer up front. I could lay the blame on Wayne Rooney but that wouldn’t be fair as someone needs to step up for United and make something out of nothing. It’s hard to lay that on the feet of Rooney who is always double teamed and never given any space to work with. If it can’t be Rooney to provide some teeth to this United attack then who?

- Manchester City looked silly in their quest to sign Kaka last winter and they look even more bush league in the way Mark Hughes was fired. I’m not one to say Mark Hughes should of been given more time as this Manchester City were making the same mistakes week in and week out but they should of fired him after losing to Tottenham mid week. They basically created a situation where Hughes was a dead man walking, despite what happen against Sunderland it was clear Hughes was going to get the sack afterwards. Good luck to Roberto Mancini whose appointment raises as many questions as answers.

- Think Steve Bruce isn’t waiting for the transfer window to open up after his Sunderland side are sliding down the table since there 1-0 win against Arsenal last month.

- I wonder the odds you would get at the start of the season if you said Birmingham would have more points than Liverpool at Christmas? Despite losing to last place Portsmouth I wasn’t surprised at the result. On a cold day, going to the south coast against a Portsmouth side fighting for survival takes heart and these Liverpool players have shown a lack of it all season long. The second Nadir Belhadj put Portsmouth in the lead, Liverpool started to hang their heads low out there. Once Javier Mascherano got sent off you knew Liverpool weren’t going to come up with a reply.

- Glen Johnson you are a great attacking fullback but your defense could use some work.

- Jamie Carranger you get many a free pass due to being a local boy but how do you not close down Frederic Piquionne on Portsmouth second goal? Despite scoring on a tight angle Piquionne should of never been able to see the net and no I’m not blaming Pepe Renina who has come up big for Liverpool many times previously.

- Good job Avram Grant breathing some life into this Portsmouth team. Watching them this season the effort was there but the confidence wasn’t. It’s not like Portsmouth were getting blown out just never seem to catch a break. Ever since Grant took over they have faced Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool and they have still managed to close the gap in the standings.

- Great week for Aston Villa. Three games, three wins, four goals scored and more importantly zero goals conceded.

- Playing Blackburn in December is a good test for any team. It’s cold, the games are rough and Tottenham came in and passed the test beating them 2-0 thanks to two Peter Crouch goals.

- Someone should tell Blackburn if they wish to stay in the top flight they need to score. Benni Mccarthy ringing the post twice won’t cut it.

- On some level Arsenal 3-0 win over Hull was impressive as Hull were trying to get under Arsenal’s skin but I’m done changing my mind on Arsenal from week to week. Show me these types of performances in April and May when the games mean so much more.

- Enjoy Mick McCarthy whose Wolves players came out and defeated Burnley 2-0 to take the heat off their coach. If you do plan to crow about being proven right please tear a strip off Arsene Wenger. Always enjoy when coaches take shots at the Arsenal boss.

- West Ham can’t be happy with the penalty they conceded as Matthew Upson did have enough of the ball but it’s still a priceless point against a Chelsea who fails again to create some more breathing room on Manchester United and Arsenal.

- How annoyed would you be if you were Frank Lampard having to take a penalty three times? Never seen that happen before.

In a game where one of the main stories leading into it was how will Benfica cope without their two influential Argentinian players in Pablo Aimar and Angel Di Maria, it was another Argentinian in former Barcelona/Real Madrid striker Javier Saviola who proved the difference in a match up of the two most talented teams in Portugal.

Braga may go into the break with the lead but after today’s game it may very well be a case of the baton being passed on from Porto who have been the Portuguese champions the last three years to Benfica who were the dominate team and thanks to their victory now see themselves four points up on Porto in the standings.