Just an amazing series of interview as ESPN interviewed several players who have had their name written in history by scoring a World Cup final goal. If you have the time check it out at the link below. I did have a giggle when ESPN had to skip 1994 as it was home to the 0-0 borefest final between Italy-Brazil.
Sorry for the all things Mourinho love fest the last couple of days. Should of posted this news sooner as Mario Rosenstock the brains behind Special One TV has been hinting at making a come back on his twitter feed for the last couple of weeks.
So long Setanta….hello BBC3 as the Special One is coming back just in time for the World Cup to give his unique viewpoint on the world of football. The show will also be on the BBC3 website and I’m sure shortly after on youtube. (then on this site) It’s been too long, I’m glad there will be a special one fix again in my future.
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has told Sky Italia that he hopes coach Fabio Capello can break his England contract after the World Cup to join the Champions League winners. Moratti also ruled out Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez as a possible successor to Real Madrid-bound Jose Mourinho at the San Siro. “I’ve always thought Rafa Benitez was good but he is tied to Liverpool,” he said. (Reuters)
Rafa Benitez is too smart to coach Inter Milan. There is no way Rafa is going to allow himself to walk into a no win situation which this Inter job is to him. The only way Rafa could improve on last season is if he beats Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid on the way to the treble. Anything less you are only matching what Mourinho did and anything less will get Mourinho on the mic having alittle fun at Rafa’s losing.
Chelsea have paved the way for midfielder Joe Cole’s departure from Stamford Bridge by formalising their interest in Liverpool’s Yossi Benayoun. The Guardian
Benayoun is confident the move will go through and claimed that Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti “wants me for next season”. (The Daily Telegraph)
I’ve done a 180 in the last couple of years on Benayoun. Didn’t think he was much of a player when he was at West Ham but at Liverpool he was one of the few players who could be counted on to raise their game in the big matches. Benayoun seems to be another player who has gotten tired of Rafael Benitez.
Rangers are still waiting to see if Liverpool will make an improved offer for 18-year-old defender Danny Wilson after the Ibrox club rejected an initial £2m bid from the Reds. Daily Mail
Makes too much sense for Liverpool not to bump it up. Include some sell on clauses and I’d be shocked if this transfer doesn’t happen over the summer.
Blackburn are considering a swoop for Rangers striker Kris Boyd, who is set to leave the Scottish Premier League champions as a free agent. The Sun
Mentioned Newcastle would be a good fit for Boyd and so would Blackburn. Boyd should be able to manage 10 goals which isn’t a bad return for a free transfer.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is reportedly interested in signing £12m-rated teenage Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic. caughtoffside.com
Considering the depth chart at Barcelona it wouldn’t be too tough for Sir Alex Ferguson to convince Bojan Krkic to make the switch.
The Gunners have made an inquiry about the possibility of signing England midfielder Joe Cole from Chelsea. The Stamford Bridge outfit, meanwhile, remain interested in acquiring Shakhtar Donetsk’s £15m-rated Croatian right-back Darijo Srna. Daily Mail
Jole Cole is an Arsenal type player and Arsenal does love signing players on the cheap….in this case on a free transfer.
Bordeaux ace Yoann Gourcuff, France’s first-choice playmaker in the World Cup, is being lined up as a £21.8m replacement for Fabregas at the Emirates. The Sun
Credit to my friend Iain who linked Gourcuff up with Arsenal last week. For his sake hope it happens.
Truthfully I have no idea what he is saying but I love the swagger. It’s like he is saying I’m the biggest coach in the world and now I’m coaching the biggest club in the world. Something I feel is often overlook is how impressive many European coaches take to learning a new language. As most can tell from reading this site I butcher English (also Portuguese) never mind other languages. Think it’s amazing when a coach like Mourinho can speak perfect Italian like his first press conference with Inter not to mentioned speaking Portuguese, Spanish, and English.
Reading the wrap up on the press conference I like this quote below.
“I don’t know if I was born to coach Real Madrid but I was born to be a football coach,” he added.
“I am Jose Mourinho and I don’t change. I arrive with all my qualities and my defects.
“My attraction to Real Madrid is due to its history, its frustrations in recent years and its expectations to win.
“It’s a unique club and I believe that not to coach Real leaves a void in a coach’s career.
“Luckily, I’ve had a beautiful career and it makes me proud to have come here.”
ESPN hits it out of the park with this one.
News is starting to hit that the Real Madrid-Jose Mourinho-Inter Milan drama is about to come to an end with the special one given the all clear to become the next coach of Real Madrid. It still amazes me how Real Madrid fired lame duck coach Manuel Pellegrini after letting him twist in the wind for a bit then announced how Jose Mourinho would be the next head coach before he was able to leave Inter Milan. Could you imagine if the New York Yankees were to say Tony LaRussa is going to be our next head coach while he was still the coach of the St Louis Cardinals? Needless to say Real Madrid operate in a way which is quite operate in the world of sports.
As for Jose Mourinho leaving Inter Milan? I can’t blame him for leaving. Yes, Inter did treat Mourinho well but he disliked life in Italy as the Italian press hated him cause in the end he was able to do what none of the great Italian coaches were able to do before him and win the treble with an Italian club. Mourinho learned from Chelsea that loyalty is a one way street. He could of had the Real Madrid job back in 2007 when Fabio Capello was fired but instead stayed at Chelsea only to leave a few weeks into the next season. Football at it’s highest level is a cruel business. Sure, Massimo Moratti would of loved to keep Mourinho as coach but everyone knows when your a coach you are just a day closer to getting the sack. Besides Mourinho isn’t the Sir Alex Ferguson type who can stay at a club for 25 years. With his personality Mourinho will either wear out his welcome or look for a new challenge every couple of years and right now Real Madrid offers him the challenge of not only winning in Spain but to overtake Barcelona in the process.
Now Jose Mourinho is free to take over Real Madird where the critics are already writing about Jose Mourinho style not fitting with Real Madrid. Any smart Real Madrid wants to win and right now Jose Mourinho on the sidelines gives them the best chance of winning. After two years of being the brides maid to Barcelona, Real Madrid fans are going to want to vault themselves back to the top of Spain and Europe by any means possible. Maybe after the first year fans may want Real Madrid to make a return to the style where they win games by 5-3 but by then Jose Mourinho will also be thinking my work is done and would be looking forward to his new challenge.
Real Madrid’s director Jorge Valdano summed up the Manuel Pellegrini era perfectly.
“Pellegrini created a very good working environment, avoiding dressing room conflicts and he had an impeccable record in the league,” Valdano said. “But in the most important games of the season he was not able to succeed and so we decided to dismiss him.”
Something tells me Real Madrid performances in the big games next year will change with Mourinho in charge.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is hoping to lure Bolton Wanderers centre-back Gary Cahill to Anfield this summer to bolster his defence. caughtoffside.com
Cahill would go to Liverpool in a heartbeat, it’s meeting Bolton’s demands that will be the issue.
Dutch winger Arjen Robben claims Rafael van der Vaart is desperate to join him at Bayern Munich. Van der Vaart has failed to hold down a regular place at Real Madrid. (kicker magazine)
Rafael van der Vaart doesn’t seem like a player who would fit in a Mourinho style team.
Brazilian striker Adriano is expected to return to Europe this summer, with Roma close to landing the former Inter Milan player who is a free agent. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian)
What a bum
Liverpool are considering an £8m move for Atletico Madrid’s Portuguese winger Simao as boss Benitez continues his search for a left winger. Daily Star
Too little, too late. Liverpool should of signed Simao four years ago after he knocked the then defending Champions League winners Liverpool out of the Champions League.
Manchester City have joined the chase for Wolfsburg’s highly rated Bosnia international striker Edin Dzeko. Daily Mail
It is not only Dzeko that City are chasing. The club have launched a daring raid for Valencia forward David Silva as well as three Real Madrid stars – Gonzalo Higuain, Rafael van der Vaart and Fernando Gago.
Full story: Daily Mirror
It may be Manchester City or it may be another club but it’s highly unlike Edin Dzeko will be playing for Wolfsburg come next year.
Everton boss David Moyes has swooped for Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford and will make him his first signing of the summer. Daily Mirror
Scored against Manchester United and also scored the winner to send Leeds back to the Championship. It would be hard for Leeds fans to see Beckford go but hopefully most understand the decision.
Jose Mourinho has pinpointed Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole as the type of signings he would like to make at Real Madrid, causing consternation in the boardrooms of Liverpool and Chelsea. The Guardian
Part of me would love to see a Mourinho and Gerrard partnership.
Witty and simply. I like it.
Midfielder Alberto Aquilani, linked with Juventus, has told Italian newspaper Leggo that he wants to stay at Liverpool to make up for his injury-plagued first season following a £20m move from Roma.
Makes no sense for Liverpool to sell Aquilani who is young and talented enough to still justify the giant fee they paid for him last summer.
Prospective Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho says England midfielders Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are the type of players he will look to bring to the Bernabeu.
Mourinho told Spanish sports daily AS: “I like players in the final part of their careers. Both [Gerrard and Lampard] are great players who always give everything.”
Wonder if Steven Gerrard is jmping up and down going pick me, pick me over this news.
Chelsea face a battle to hold on to Ashley Cole, with the left-back worn down by speculation in England surrounding his private life and Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Roma and Bayern Munich all interested in signing him. the Sun
It’s his own damn fault for marrying a pop star then cheating on her.
Arsenal are interested in Lorient’s £8m-rated centre-back Laurent Koscielny, 24, who is eligible to play for Poland and France. Daily Mail
This signing won’t get Arsenal fans hopes up going into next season.
Spain striker Fernando Torres has sparked a new round of speculation over his future by refusing to rule out a summer move from Liverpool. Daily Mirror
I think it was a first where an agent said his client is going to stay at a club only for the player to say you never know the next day.
Chelsea’s out-of-contract midfielder Joe Cole has been told he must lower his £5m-a-year pay demands if he wants to join Tottenham. (Daily Star)
Not going to matter, Joe Cole is going to wait until after the World Cup where some team will pony up if he has a good World Cup. Hope he doesn’t blow up his knees like Michael Owen did at the last World Cup.
West Ham have had a bid of £5m turned down for Everton striker Yakubu, with Toffees boss David Moyes wanting closer to the £11.25m he paid Middlesbrough for the Nigerian. Daily Mail
I’ll wish Moyes luck in getting close to the 11 million he paid for Yakubu. I’d be shocked if West Ham will pay anything more than 7 million.
Everton are being linked with a move for Marseille’s France winger Hatem Ben Afra, 23, who has a price tag of £10m. the Sun
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish will offer Wigan £8m for French midfielder Charles N’Zogbia.
Full story: Daily Mirror
The same applies to both players. No denying the talent but neither are the easiest players to coach.
Newcastle are set to launch a £3.5m bid for Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha, 23, and the Magpies are also favourites to land out-of-contract Rangers striker Kris Boyd, 26, on a free transfer.
Manchester City won’t sell Onuoha for that fee. Signing Kris Boyd however would make perfect sense for both club and player. At some point most of the top SPL players want to test themselves in the EPL.
Argentina coach Diego Maradona has promised to run naked in the centre of Buenos Aires if his team win the World Cup in South Africa. (The Times)
This made for an interesting headlines yesterday when I read it.
Maybe if your a Brian Ching fan you are bummed about the final 23 going to the World Cup but you can tell there is still a lack of depth at the bottom of the roster. Just took the drama out of today’s announcement for me. I was like come on Bob Bradley let’s get it over with and move on. Best of luck however to the final 23 at the World Cup. Do your nation proud.
Goalkeepers: Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan.
Defenders: Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Jay DeMerit, Jonathan Spector, Steve Cherundolo, Clarence Goodson, Jonathan Bornstein.
Midfielders: Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, Stuart Holden, Ricardo Clark, Benny Feilhaber, Jose Torres, DaMarcus Beasley.
Midfielder-forwards: Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan.
Forwards: Jozy Altidore, Edson Buddle, Herculez Gomez, Robbie Findley.
Players going home: Chad Marshall, Heath Pearce, Sacha Kljestan, Robbie Rogers, Alejandro Bedoya, Eddie Johnson, Brian Ching.