FINDING MARCO'S PLACE

It is no secret that Marco Reus’s contract at Dortmund is nearing it’s end. It is also no secret that a release clause in his contract will be activated in 2015. As expected the top teams in Europe will already be scrambling for his signature as he is arguably one of the best and most promising talents in the football universe at the moment. The World Class player has already been linked with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal and even Man Utd to mention but a few, (obviously there are more but these seem to be the ones grabbing the most media attention). I decided to write this article to talk about what I think Marco should do. This is an analysis of his options to conclude on where we think would be best for him, NOT where he will end up as he might very well end up somewhere else. Marco is a wonderful talent and obviously would deserve to start and grow even more, regardless of where he signs.

First of all Bayern Munich. Bayern are supposedly joint favourites to get his signature at the moment and given their history of stealing players from their rivals, it is hard to ignore the possibility. Bayern like to do business deals like this early from what I’ve seen. They don't wait around for other clubs to make bids and steal targets during the transfer window (just think Gotze and Lewandowski, both deals where agreed and in place before the start of the windows). I think this is a great advantage and if I were a manager I would probably use this tactic a lot for the players I need most. Register interest and open discussions then make it official when the window opens. Bayern however have a lot of talent in their squad. Reus would have to compete with Robben, Ribery, Thiago, Muller, Shaqiri, and Gotze (I imagine he won’t be battling with Alonso and Bastian) he might even be in contention with Lewandowski as a forward. This sort of squad depth seems healthy at first glance, but it can be dangerous as all these players deserve a lot of playing time so who really is going to be sacrificed? Another factor that may hamper this deal would be the players discontent for Bayern as a team. Unlike the other two before him, it has been said that Marco is not keen on switching sides to wear the colours of his fierce rivals, it might take such a large sum to tempt a player who already claims to not be tempted by money.

Real Madrid have also been touted as joint favourites with the powerhouse supposedly preparing to make their team an unstoppable force in Europe. Real Madrid are arguably playing the best football on the planet right now and they don’t look like they are dropping their form anytime soon. Money cannot be an obstacle here so this to me looks even more likely a destination than any other. Marco would join the formidable attacking force that already consists of Benzema, Bale and Cristiano (BBC) as well as golden boys James and Isco (not to forget Jese). Reus would provide adequate depth and could even serve as Benzema’s second striker allowing the latter to rest. His arrival however would mean even less playing time for Jese and Isco. As a matter of fact, only Ronaldo would be safe out of all those mentioned. I don't think Ancelotti would take out Modric or Kroos as those two are forming what will soon be the world’s best centre midfield partnership if not already the best. It would be interesting but scary to watch this devastating prospect take the reigns for a while in Europe and see who can challenge them.

Barcelona to me currently have the smallest chance of signing the player (yes smaller than Liverpool). They have a ban that doesn’t allow them sign players until January 2016, by which time one of these teams would have snapped up Marco. Marco Reus would need to reject every approach (highly unlikely) and then play at Dortmund for another season for this transfer to go through. Frankly this may be quite unwise. However in the event that it does happen, Marco would be joining Neymar, Messi, Suarez and Pedro to compete for one of 3 spots or at worst 4 depending on how Luis Enrique decides to field his team. Like Real Madrid, this would be such a phenomenal prospect but also less playing time for the younger players and possibly even Pedro may be forced to leave to facilitate this move.

Arsenal have been said to fancy the player. Arsene Wenger himself is a fan of his talents and every Arsenal fan I’m sure by now has dreamt of Marco Reus playing in their colours. Imagine it, Reus, Ozil, and Sanchez? no brainer. Arsene would be foolish not to at least consider it (so would every other manager). But then Arsenal have more pressing concerns at the moment. They need a World Class DM and some back up Centre backs at the moment. These must come in January or they won’t even be classified good enough for Reus join come end of season. A deal like this would most likely materialise in the summer. If Arsenal do sign the defensive reinforcements needed. Reus would be the one more signing needed to make them a Consistent European force and not the consistently inconsistent team we have seen so far this season. The trio mentioned above would easily terrorise any team in the world. Arsenal have such a bloated Midfield however, with so many attacking options. A DM would have to start, so that means even one less spot for Wilshere, Ramsey, Carzola, and Chamberlain to fight for. These guys would also be fighting Ozil Reus and Sanchez for the places behind or beside the main striker (depending on the formation). This midfield congestion may spell the end for Rosicky, fan favourite Podolski and even new boy Campbell. This might even be the biggest congestion that Reus would face. However, quite luckily Marco Reus and a number of these players are very versatile. If I was Wenger I would sign Reus and forget about a striker. We all know that Poldi, Walcott, Sanchez, and Reus can all play upfront and still be deadly. The kind of creativity having Reus would add, could increase the number of goals any striker would score (Giroud scores more goals every season by the way.) This case would be like Bayern’s. We should also take into consideration Arsenal’s current injury record, they probably need all the help and depth they can get. Reus is even said to favour a move to England and by the looks of it, the impact he would make at Arsenal would be even more than most other teams. This transfer may be further buoyed by the prospect of Jurgen Klopp taking the reigns after Wenger with all this Wenger In Out Razzle Dazzle going on.

Man City offer a great prospect for Reus. Just take a moment to think about this- Aguero + Silva + Reus + Yaya = Domination (at least in England for sure). This might be the key to further European success for Man City. He would probably receive a high salary here also and Man City’s depth would mean Nasri and/or Navas on the bench. This means even when they need to rest players they still have a great team. Just like Arsenal, Man City offer such a bright prospect or the player to develop and possibly win the Ballon D’or one day in the future. Jurgen Klopp is also being speculated to take over after Pellegrini if the club decide to let go of the Chilean. That being said Man City have also been linked with Isco and some others so they might see some benefit still in letting Reus join another team with a target of theirs.

It would be hard to write Chelsea off in this scramble. Chelsea have something about stealing Targets when they look certain to go somewhere else ( e.g Hazard). They have the money, they have Jose Mourinho who was able to convince Fabregas to join a side he never thought he would play for (although it was also because Wenger said no and no other option was good enough). Chelsea could just steal Reus from right under all our noses. You can imagine Hazard, Oscar and Reus behind Costa and Fabregas also playing behind them with Matic. This is a Chelsea squad that already seems complete. Marco Reus would be a welcome Bonus with Willian and Schurrle more than adequate competition for places as rotation options.

Liverpool and Man Utd are other teams linked with the player. Man Utd’s form last season seemed to signal the end to such a move and so does Liverpool’s current form. If Liverpool don’t finish in the top 4, it will be unlikely that this deal would materialise. Nevertheless he would be a very welcome bonus with Sterling, Lallana, Markovic, Coutinho, Balotelli, Sturridge and Lambert all vying for places to mention but a few. Reus would definitely be the star of the show at Anfield like Suarez was, but then after a while he might seek to move again to a bigger club. With Brendan Rodgers under constant pressure, Jurgen Klopp has emerged again as one of the possible replacements if Brendan gets the sack. Man Utd’s new luck has seen them climb into 3rd spot for now and we wonder how long it will go on for as critics say they have not performed well, but somehow luck is on their side. If Man Utd do secure a top 4 finish, they will be among the main contenders for his signature. It would mean a change of formation however in order to accommodate him with Mata, Di Maria, Januzaj etc. Unlike the other teams with midfield congestion, Man Utd have 3 World Class strikers (2 of which can also play in midfield). This limits the extent to which Marco’s versatility can be utilised. Quite frankly this move won’t be good for United. Arsenal and City would be able to balance their bloated squads but with United? it might be too difficult.

All things being considered, it is hard to pick a destination for Reus. Marco deserves to start wherever he goes and will obviously make a great impact. There will be congestion wherever he goes, it has been made quite obvious. Some players may have to leave permanently or on loan to get playing time. Reus is a young player with a lot of years ahead of him, so honestly he would be a good investment and if it means older players like Ribery and Rosicky have to leave? I would say take the deal. It would be better in the long run when these guys retire or are too old to play at this level. Based on what I’ve looked into, a move to England would be brighter for him. I’m sure EPL fans would want to see the Balon D’or leave Spain for once and see an English team lift the Champions league trophy. Real Madrid still have a strong say in where he will end up and Bayern might just snap up a deal before anyone can make the call. I would say his best options to me to develop as a player and move the team forward are Real Madrid, Arsenal and Man City. The impact he would make in these teams coupled with the playing time he would get and future prospects, make these three the most suitable clubs for him. Feel free to add your own reasons and suggestions below. Where do you think Marco Reus should go? Please leave your views in the comments column. Merry Christmas.

Read More

WHATS HAPPENING AT ARSENAL: MY TAKE ON THINGS

Its been a pretty grim couple of weeks for Arsenal starting from the absolute capitulation against Anderlecht to losing our 15-month unbeaten home record to a severely weakened Manchester United team. There’s also the loss to Swansea sandwiched in between there. These recent awful results coupled with the sheer large number of extremely lacklustre and sometimes diabolical displays we have seen throughout the course of the season seem to have put the club in what is perhaps the deepest hole I have seen it in since I became a fan about 12 years ago. The tension has burrowed its way deep into the fanbase as well unfortunately. Nowadays with anything regarding Arsenal, its about Wenger In or Wenger Out and I think that the level of attention being placed on that subject is fast forming a highly negative cloud over the club as a whole but I think people forget that not just Wenger and the players make up Arsenal Football Club, we the fans are also a big part of the club and everyone has a part to play. Okay, Arsene Wenger made what I feel are grave errors in the summer leaving us light in numbers at the back and not bringing in the World-Class CDM which was so obviously needed (I did a piece on how important that position is in the modern game, please check it out) but I do not feel the fact that Wenger made mistakes means everyone else should. Say what you want about Arsene but I don’t think he enjoys losing. I think this Wenger out bandwagon has made people forget how important supporting the team is. I’ll cite the examples of our last 2 home games. In the 3-3 draw with Anderlecht, when we were 3-0 up, at a point the Emirates was almost silent then Vanden Borre pulled one back for them (albeit he was offside) and suddenly the small number of Anderlecht fans were outsinging the Arsenal fans and in the end drove their team to fight back and equalise. At 3-1, The players needed inspiration to pick themselves up, dust themselves down and graft out the result we needed. They needed the proverbial 12th man but didn’t have it. Same against United except this time, fans were even walking out of the stadium. That game was a really odd one to analyze and honestly in a match like that it was all about scoring and then sitting back then trying for a 2nd on the counter. Unfortunately we were made to rue our missed chances from the 1st half. I saw some people criticize Wenger for this result but honestly, I think his team selection was spot on and even the normal scapegoats (Arteta and Monreal) put in massive shifts today and impressed me, Arteta especially. Being realistic though, it was a loss albeit there were some encouraging signs but I think this game turned on fine margins, Look at the 1st goal we conceded, I don’t think Wenger has anything to do with Gibbs and Sczezsny clashing into one another although the issue with our defensive organization seems to continue along with our susceptibility to being caught out from crosses and counter attacks. In spite of all that, I just feel as fans, we could do a bit more. Look at Liverpool last season then teams like Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munchen whose fans are always loud and positive. Dortmund have struggled this season but the fans have still been amazing. Wenger has been backed into a corner where everything he does is highly scrutinized although arguably that’s through his own fault but I think the team has not needed us fans as bad as they do now for a long while and I think we should oblige. Yes, the season has been highly disappointing but its a strange one in terms of other teams (except Chelsea and Southampton) struggling. A couple of back-to-back wins will do the team a world of good and we need to back the team so they can push on. Yes, there are question marks tactically and in the transfer market but a good mentality and a great feel good factor around the club can do a whole lot of good in football. So forget about Wenger In or Wenger Out and pull together as the one thing we are, Arsenal fans and give the team our backing. If you won’t do it for anyone else, at least do it for Alexis. He has brought us basically all our smiles this season. #COYG

Share your thoughts in the comments below please. Let me know what you think.

Read More

THE DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER: AN ARTIST

In recent times, it is often said that the art of defending is dying in the modern game, that the obsession with free-flowing attacking football by so many managers in the game today has made defending become secondary and people forget the fact that you might score three or more goals and not win (Like Arsenal showed at Anderlecht) and might even lose, but when you keep a clean sheet, you can’t lose. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am one of the biggest fans of attacking football but to neglect the defensive side of the game is inexcusable. In the modern game, there is a lot of pace and attacking flair on show that even the slightest of tactical and defensive errors are often cruelly exposed and as such, the defensive midfielder has become arguably the most important position in a football team because he starts attacks and stops those of the opposition.

The modern defensive midfielder takes on a number of duties depending on the tactical blueprint of the manager. These duties vary from being able to effectively shield the team’s defence, control the tempo of the game, switch play between flanks of the pitch, become an extra centre back to allow the full backs push on without the team being left exposed and so on. Some teams even go on to play with two defensive midfielders to make sure all those duties are covered so the attacking players in the team can have more freedom to express themselves high up the pitch.

Another thing being thrown around is that defensive midfielders are a dying breed and there aren’t many top class ones around but I strongly disagree. Like Gary Neville said recently “In the modern game, players who would have made perfect midfielders are now centre backs because of the high demand for technical ability all around a team by managers”. I totally agree with that because we have seen players like Javier Mascherano being converted to centre backs in order to promote the philosophy of playing the ball out from the back for which centre backs who are good passers are required. It is fair to mention that Mascherano has exuded quality in that position although in my opinion, it has robbed the team of some height and physicality which is quite key in the centre of defence. We saw Mascherano restored to his natural position as a defensive midfielder for Argentina in the last World Cup in which he was one of the most impressive performers with La Albiceleste marching on to the final of the competition before being foiled by Germany. Mascherano showed great passing ability by keeping the ball moving. He also provided an effective shield in front of his centre backs which allowed the full backs push on to support attacks without fear of being punished by counter attacks. One thing he also exuded in this position was leadership as he always made sure the team was well organized and he also covered almost every blade of grass when he was on the pitch in addition to making crucial tackles and interceptions all while exuding an air of calm. Everything mentioned above refers to the traits of a world class defensive midfielder.

Now, I say the defensive midfielder is an artist but once people hear “defensive midfielder”, there is a stereotype of a tough tackling, physical presence who flies into tackles and accumulates cards and although this may be true, I have been blessed enough to watch some truly magical players play in that position, of which there is arguably none better than Sergio Busquets.

Busquets at his best played crucial roles for both club and country in Champions League, La Liga, Copa Del Rey, Club World Cup, European Championship and World cup victories. Although, it may be said that this was because he was lucky to play alongside some extremely talented players like Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez or Andres Iniesta but Busquets definitely earned his place in history with some extremely remarkable displays. In fact it could be argued that Xavi and Iniesta were lucky to play alongside him as his skill set gave them the freedom to express themselves on the pitch. It was once said that “if you watch the game, you might not see Sergio Busquets but if you watch Sergio Busquets, you will see the whole game”.

I think that statement extends to the many maestros that play in that position now, people like Andrea Pirlo, Xabi Alonso, Bastian Schweinsteiger (to some extent).

These are players who were far more adventurous and attack minded earlier in their careers but have changed positions to make the most of the latter stages of their careers. These players play the position using their experience to cover up their relative lack of mobility and physicality as they take up excellent positions to shield their respective defences effectively, organize the team well and start attacks from deep with their near-immaculate passing. Their experience and what they have achieved in the game allows their teammates draw inspiration from them and they mostly lead by example, they also do their bit of dirty work.

There are players like Nemanja Matic and Danielle De Rossi, who look to have all the necessary attributes in their locker, very athletic, combative, great tacklers, able to more than hold their own in physical tussles, cover every blade of grass on the pitch, pick out great passes and also pose a threat with their long distance shooting ability. They are modern defensive midfielders.

The defensive midfielder is the dovetail between the defence and attack of a team and is what I would describe as the fulcrum of a team. As important as I feel the defensive midfielder is, it is not to say teams haven’t found different ways of playing without a defensive midfielder with some being more successful than others. I mentioned earlier how some say defensive midfielders are a dying breed but I feel the modern game demands a lot from them and as such defensive midfielders have had to evolve from the “pitbull” type players like Roy Keane and Gennaro Gattuso to mention two we have become accustomed to in previous years (it is important to mention we still have central defensive midfielders in this mould with the likes of Nigel De Jong, Cheikh Tiote and others like that) to the more graceful artists who play in that position nowadays.

It’s also important to note that a recent tactical innovation that has come up has been to man-mark the opposing defensive midfielder in order to stifle the opposition attacks at the source and I think that alone underlines the importance of the player in that position. Its a position that can make or break a team and in my opinion deserves far more recognition than it gets at the moment.

Read More

REPLACING THE MAESTRO, DON XABI

When the summer transfer window closed, Real madrid had sold Xabi Alonso & Angel Di maria, two of their main players last season, we knew there would be trouble. Di maria's loss was seen as the biggest at the time by many, but anyone who watches Madrid knows the team isn't the same without Alonso, they'll tell you, he is the biggest loss, arguably the 2nd most important player in the squad. We saw that in the champions league final, we saw that while Alonso was injured earlier on last season. Ancelloti was looking for the "balance", the balance came when Alonso returned from injury.

In the Real madrid squad there are many players who can play in the holding midfield position and also a few who can play the deep lying role. Here we take a look at a number of candidates.

For pure defencive midfielders, there's only Sami Khedira and his presence will add a balance to the squad undoubtedly, but he doesn't have the passing range of Alonso.

Fabio Coentrao is another one who can play as a defencive midfielder. He doesn't have the passing range, but his defensive game makes him good for the defensive midfield role. He performed that as cover for Sami Khedira at the beginning of the 11/12 season. Coentrao can play in the role vacated by Di maria and let Kroos takeover the deep-lying role. This would bring greater balance than with him as a defencive midfielder

With the last example given, Gareth Bale, could replace Coentrao as the other midfielder with Kroos as the deep-lying player. Bale is no longer the "new toy" and can be moved there. With his defensive history, attacking present & rip roaring pace (remember Batra), he could be more devastating than Di maria.

Although this may seem like banter, using Pepe as a defensive midfielder, isn't too much of a bad idea. When calm (a rarity), he can be Claude Makelele. He played there for Portugal before Carvalho's international retirement and played there under Mourinho in 2011 during the Clasico series. He did a good job in those matches and it should be noted that Messi was kept quiet for the first 2 games & could only have an effect after Pepe had been sent off (unfairly). Pepe has this fear factor about him & that could be very useful against opponents.

For deep-lying players, Raphael Varane is a name that has been mentioned by the spanish press. You can see why easily. He has lots of pace for a tall lad, his height would help win aerial duel's in midfield & at set pieces. He has the passing range and the defencive steel. With this, Ancelloti could replace Alonso and stop the discontent growing about the lack of game time Varane gets.

Sergio Ramos is another candidate for that position. He has the defencive steel and the passing range (he completed most passes for Real in the 12/13 season after Alonso) but its highly unlikely Ancelloti would try him in that role especially after the clasico disaster at the camp nou last season.


Toni Kroos is another who can play the deep-lying role. The German was arguably the best midfielder at the world cup. For me the 2nd best player after James. He averaged a pass completion rate of 89% in the entire tournament. Ancelloti has used him in that "deep-lying" role but it hasn't quite worked out and although his best performances have come in an advanced role or a 3-man midfield that doesn't make him a holding or deep lying player (Germany at the world cup), I personally feel he can perform that role with time. He has the passing range for it, but just needs to add defensive stiffness to his game. He has that a little bit, an example was when he dispossessed Fernandinho and immediately assisted Robben at the Etihad against Man city.

Asier Illaramendi was the one bought to replace Xabi Alonso. He was bought for €39m last year. The plan was for "Illara" to learn under Xabi for 2-3 years. With Xabi gone, it means he had 1 season as apprentice to his fellow basque. Ancelloti doesn't have faith in him & its easy to see why. Illara always looked too nervous last season and didn't take control of things when given the opportunity. You can understand the nervousness too. A local Basque boy who had never been away from home coming to the biggest club in the world can never be easy, but he has to step up now. The talent is definitely there, I watched him at Euro u-23 last year & remember calling him an "Alonso-Busquets" hybrid. He has the defencive edge of busquets that Alonso lacks a bit, and also has the passing range of Alonso that Busquets lacks.

When it comes down to who plays and who doesn't, the final decision lies with Carlo. I however would say Ramos as a deep-lying play maker is good, but it would be waste of his centre back qualities, where he has arguably been the best based on form this calender year. Varane as a deep-lying play maker is something I'm salivating over. He reminds me of Madrid legend & assistant coach, Fernando Hierro who played as a defender and deep-lying player. He would be brilliant there. Also Gareth Bale as one of the other midfielders would be great or even better than what we saw last season. It also brings about continuity of the type of 4-3-3 employed, Di maria was converted from winger to centre midfielder, why can't Bale? Illaramendi should however been given a run of games to show his undeniable talent & to prove himself. I criticised him last season, but I can't forget his brilliance of 12/13 season, and that summer's u-23 Euro's.

Alonso left Madrid in a bad spot, by leaving so late in the transfer window. Some have theories that he wanted to weaken us, to win with Bayern. Some say Perez should have stopped him. I believe both are wrong. Alonso is too much of a gentleman to do the former, and you can't keep an unhappy player who "lacks motivation" to remain at the biggest club, it isn't worth it, hence my defence for Perez. However, we have a great manager with experience and just like last season, we will get pass this rocky start and win again.

Read More

PREMIER LEAGUE 2014/2015 EXPERTS PREDICTION

Although the new premier league season has started, our experts decided to wait until the end of the transfer window, to see if some clubs will bring players who will change the season for certain clubs. We have also added some new experts to the team to enhance our already growing reputation. So unto the predictions then

CHAMPIONS

Chike: Chelsea
Uzor: Chelsea
Emma: Chelsea
Obokhai: Chelsea
Ore: Chelsea
Jeremiah: Chelsea
Samad: Chelsea
Tuale: Chelsea

TOP 4
Chike: Liverpool, Man city, Arsenal
Uzor: Man city, Man utd, Liverpool
Emma: Arsenal, Man city, Liverpool
Obokhai: Man city, Arsenal, Liverpool
Ore: Chelsea, Liverpool, Man city
Jeremiah: Arsenal, Man city, Man utd
Samad: Man city, Man utd, Liverpool
Tuale: Liverpool, Man city, Arsenal

EUROPA LEAGUE
Chike: Everton, Tottenham
Uzor: Arsenal, Everton, Tottenham
Emma: Man utd, Everton, Spurs
Obokhai: Man utd, Tottenham, Everton
Ore: Tottenham, Man utd, Everton
Jeremiah: Liverpool, Tottenham, Everton
Samad: Tottenham, Arsenal
Tuale: Everton, Man utd, Tottenham

RELEGATION
Chike: West brom, QPR, West ham
Uzor: Burnley, West brom, QPR
Emma: Leicester City, Crystal Palace, Burnley
Obokhai: West brom, Burnley, QPR
Ore: Crystal Palace, Burnley, West brom
Jeremiah: West brom, QPR, Burnley
Samad: Burnley, Leicester city, QPR
Tuale: West ham, Burnley, West brom

BEST PLAYER
Chike: Diego Costa
Uzor: Angel Di maria
Emma: N/A
Obokhai: Francesc Fabregas
Ore: Eden Hazard
Jeremiah: Francesc Fabregas or Aaron Ramsey
Samad:
Tuale: Francesc Fabregas

BEST YOUNG PLAYER
Chike: Raheem Sterling
Uzor: Raheem Sterling
Emma: Raheem Sterling
Obokhai: Erik Lamela
Ore: Ross Barkley
Jeremiah: Raheem Sterling or Jack Wilshere
Samad: Raheem Sterling or Phillipe Coutinho
Tuale: Raheem Sterling

TOP SCORER
Chike: Diego Costa
Uzor: Diego Costa
Emma: Sergio Aguero or Diego Costa
Obokhai: Diego Costa
Ore: Sergio Aguero or Diego Costa
Jeremiah: Diego Costa
Samad: Diego Costa
Tuale: Daniel Sturridge or Diego Costa

BEST COACH
Chike: Mauricio Pochettino or Gary Monk
Uzor: Gary Monk
Emma: Jose Mourinho or Ronald Koeman
Obokhai: Jose Mourinho
Ore: Jose Mourinho
Jeremiah: Jose Mourinho
Samad: Louis Van Gaal
Tuale: Brendon Rodgers

BEST BUY
Chike: Sigurdsson
Uzor: Sigurdsson or Angel Di maria
Emma: Sigurdsson
Obokhai: Mario Balotelli
Ore: Francesc Fabregas
Jeremiah: Francesc Fabregas or Alexis Sanchez
Samad: N/A
Tuale: Francesc Fabregas or Fernando

WORST BUY
Chike: Shane Long
Uzor: Shane Long
Emma: Rio Ferdinard
Obokhai: Luke Shaw
Ore: Danny Welbeck or Philipe Senderos
Jeremiah: Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera or Brown Ideye
Samad: Enner Valencia or Daley Blind
Tuale: Rio Ferdinard or Luke Shaw

CAPITAL ONE CUP
Chike: Chelsea
Uzor: Man city
Emma: N/A
Obokhai: Liverpool
Ore: N/A
Jeremiah: N/A
Samad: Southampton
Tuale: Chelsea

FA CUP
Chike: Man city or Everton
Uzor: Man utd
Emma: N/A
Obokhai: Man city
Ore: N/A
Jeremiah: N/A
Samad: Man utd
Tuale : Liverpool

Read More

CHELSEA’S PERFECT TRANSFER WINDOW

It’s safe to say that last season was the single most frustrating we as chelsea fans have ever witnessed. Brilliant against the top teams but sluggish and wasteful against the teams at the bottom. The result that summed up our season was the loss to Sunderland at Stanford Bridge. So many chances were wasted and we only sped up our play after they had scored their second goal. Funny enough, we went on to beat Liverpool the very next weekend. This ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ form is shown in the graph below

Culled from Zonal Marking [online]

The graph compares the points per game of a team against the top half and against the bottom half. Only Chelsea and Sunderland have higher points per game against the top half than the bottom half. Funny, isn’t it? From watching any of our matches against the bottom sides, the flaws are obvious. Lack of a clinical striker, sluggish ball movement, full backs who can’t attack particularly well and AMs who were a bit scared of shooting (I’m looking at you, Hazard). Against the top sides this wasn’t a problem as there was a lot of space to work with but against bottom sides who defended deep (aka Park the Bus™), the flaws were evident. The priorities for this window should be a striker, an attacking full back preferably a left back and a creative central midfielder.

INS

The Striker

The signing of Diego Costa and the return of Lukaku should leave us settled in the striker position. As the Chelsea blog ‘Plains of Almeria’ put it, Costa shares Mourinho’s indomitable spirit and as a focal point there are few who lead the line as well. His aggression, movement and power are salient qualities that have been missing from Chelsea’s docile attack. Gianfranco Zola went as far as saying that Costa represented “the missing part of the puzzle”.

The Central Midfielder

This is another area in which Chelsea didn’t waste time to strengthen. Fabregas was signed during the World Cup group stages and I was delighted with the signing. Fabregas is one of the most creative players in the world and he can play attacking and central midfield. I’m still hoping one more midfielder is brought in and that is Pogba. That guy can do it all. He has an eye for a pass, he can tackle, he has very good stamina and exceptional shooting. Plus, with the sale of Luiz (Still don’t know how we got that much money), we have the money required to buy him.

The Full Back

Time and time again, we had to endure the sight of Branislav Ivanovic trying to cross. The decision to play Azpilicueta on the left made our full backs play very flat. This made it easy for teams to defend against us. They just had to double mark Hazard and the right winger. With the departure of Ashley Cole, a new left back will be needed and the obvious choice should be Ricardo Rodriguez as he is one of the best attacking full backs in Europe. But, Chelsea seem to be chasing Filipe Luis who would cost stupid money and is going to be 29 in August. Plus, he’s not attacking enough. Other targets could be Moreno or Blind or even Rojo

OUTS

Ba – He scored some important goals towards the end of last season but lack of minutes on the pitch has led to him asking for a move away. He’s given us a lot of memorable goals but it was either him or Torres (Hint: Have you seen Torres’ salary?)

Moses – He has stagnated a bit since his promising first season and he should be sold or loaned again.

Bertrand – He’s simply too old to be fighting for a place in the team and there is interest from Tottenham and Liverpool so this is a no brainer.

CONCLUSION

This transfer window is pivotal and we can’t have another season of failing at the last hurdle. We’ve already made some good moves and with 2 more signings we would be favourites to win the EPL.

Read More

WHY LIVERPOOL WILL NOT PULL OFF "A SPURS"

The summer of 2013 and 2014 are very similar for Tottenham Hotspurs and Liverpool. They both lost their best player, club top scorer and the PFA player of the year to a spanish team. Both also tried(Liverpool are still buying) to fix that departure by purchasing various players. Spurs finished in 6th after finishing 5th the previous season, failing to live up to early season expectation. With the previous resemblance, most people are predicting Liverpool will pull off "a spurs". In this article, I'll give you 5 reasons why Liverpool will not pull of a spurs.

THE MANAGER
Andre Villas-boas to be sincere doesn't have the best record in English football and his time with Spurs was helped by the work laid down by Harry Redknapp. Tim Sherwood even bettered his record with his short time in charge. Don't get me wrong his Porto team were brilliant in 2011, but his record in English football isn't the best. He lacked the right managerial nous to accommodate all the players he brought and make them work as a team. Brendon Rodgers on the other hand, is a brilliant manager. 2nd only to Jose Mourinho as at last season in the Epl in my opiniong. He has the tactical ability to tweak the team to work without Suarez. He also has the man managing skills to help the new players gel in to the team.

NO SUAREZ-DEPENDENCY
Unlike Spurs who had to depend on Gareth Bale for 21 points in 2012/2013. Liverpool were not dependent on Luis Suarez for points. All Liverpool's points last season were as a result of team effort not individualism. Most of Suarez's goals came against lesser teams. His big match goals came in both merseyside derbies, against Spurs and against Man utd (if you can put them in this category). Liverpool also played the first 6 games of last season without Suarez and did just okay without him, losing once during that period.

DANIEL STURRIDGE
If you sell the league's top scorer, you're usually in trouble, but then again, not if you have the 2nd top scorer. Sturridge scored 21 goals and provided 7 goals in 29 league appearances. While he scored 10 in 14 the previous season. Sturridge has been improving steadily since he arrived at Anfield and will hopefully, improve more this year. He scored 24 in 33 in all competitions, while Suarez failed to register a goal outside the league. Sturridge also scored 6 goals when Liverpool were behind last season, compared to Suarez's 1 against lowly Cardiff. Put simply Sturridge was the man for the big occasions and not Suarez last season. Sturridge is up for a big season this year. 30 goals? Its a realistic option

THE DIFFERENCE IN SIGNINGS
While Spurs bought players with no premier league experience and bought players who did not fit into their system (I'm not sure spurs had a system last season. Man utd at least,ripped the profits of their crossing). Liverpool are buying players who fit into the system. Personally,Liverpool played the best football in England last season, which was a high speed, pressing and fast movement game. Southampton tried to play the same type of football, albeit with slower and less technical players. So it makes sense that Liverpool are buying players from a club which play a similar type of football in the same league, and under Brendon Rodgers, they will improve. Divork Origi,Emre Can and Lazar Markovic are the non premier league buys, with the former back at Lille, but no one expects much from the latter 2. They are young and won't play every game, but are expected to improve and also sure to add something to the squad, watch out for Markovic especially, he's a real talent, he thrilled in a brilliant Benfica team last year. If Liverpool end up getting another striker, judging by the recent links (Remy, Bony, Jay Rodriguez) expect him to be a 15 + goal-man.

IMPROVEMENTS
As I said in my last Liverpool article (see link: http://t.co/AH1okVwhnV), Liverpool are a developing team and have a manager that is developing. They both would have learnt from the mistakes of last season, and as a young team, would want to give it another go. The core of the team is English, and after an expected failed World cup, they would want to prove to their critics that they're good enough, more so without Suarez. The captain, Steven Gerrard, who in his own acknowledgement has had a nightmare 3 months, would be especially pumped up for this season. He has even gone on record claiming he feels Liverpool can actually challenge for the league this year. Brendon Rodgers has spoken of how he expects Sturridge to replace Suarez as the talisman, he has spoken about more goals from Henderson. Sterling and Coutinho are players i expect big things from, and judging by what I've seen in pre-season, everyone should expect it. Jon Flanagan will most likely be helped improve in his attacking from full back, and in my opinion, could and should replace Glen Johnson.

Recently its hard to predict how Liverpool's season would go in the coming season, history suggests we will pull of a spurs even without selling Suarez. We usually suffer after a world cup, 2 of the 18 league titles have come after World cups (1979 and 1983), we have been out of title race by the following December after the 3 near title misses of the EPL era (1998, 2001 and 200c). Then we have a tricky champions league campaign up ahead that the squad hasn't experienced. That's 4 factors that suggest we could actually finish below expectations. But what are the expectations? The expectation for this season, as at the start of last season, was to stabilise a champions league place, after a 4th place finish last year. So after the brilliant season we had last year, should we settle for that? I'll say no, we can do better. We should go for it. As Gerrard said last season "We go again" in 2015

Read More

CHELSEA'S PERFECT TRANSFER WINDOW

It's safe to say that last season was the single most frustrating we as chelsea fans have ever witnessed. Brilliant against the top teams but sluggish and wasteful against the teams at the bottom. The result that summed up our season was the loss to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge. So many chances were wasted and we only sped up our play after they had scored their second goal. Funny enough, we went on to beat Liverpool the very next weekend. This 'Jekyll and Hyde' form is shown in the graph below

Culled from Zonal Marking [online]

The graph compares the points per game of a team against the top half and against the bottom half. Only Chelsea and Sunderland have higher points per game against the top half than the bottom half. Funny, isn't it? From watching any of our matches against the bottom sides, the flaws are obvious. Lack of a clinical striker, sluggish ball movement, full backs who can't attack particularly well and AMs who were a bit scared of shooting (I'm looking at you, Hazard). Against the top sides this wasn't a problem as there was a lot of space to work with but against bottom sides who defended deep (aka Park the Bus™), the flaws were evident. The priorities for this window should be a striker, an attacking full back preferably a left back and a creative central midfielder.

INS

The Striker

The signing of Diego Costa and the return of Lukaku should leave us settled in the striker position. As the Chelsea blog 'Plains of Almeria' put it, Costa shares Mourinho’s indomitable spirit and as a focal point there are few who lead the line as well. His aggression, movement and power are salient qualities that have been missing from Chelsea’s docile attack. Gianfranco Zola went as far as saying that Costa represented “the missing part of the puzzle”.

The Central Midfielder

This is another area in which Chelsea didn't waste time to strengthen. Fabregas was signed during the World Cup group stages and I was delighted with the signing. Fabregas is one of the most creative players in the world and he can play attacking and central midfield. I'm still hoping one more midfielder is brought in and that is Pogba. That guy can do it all. He has an eye for a pass, he can tackle, he has very good stamina and exceptional shooting. Plus, with the sale of Luiz(Still don't know how we got that much money), we have the money required to buy him.

The Full Back

Time and time again, we had to endure the sight of Branislav Ivanovic trying to cross. The decision to play Azpilicueta on the left made our full back play very flat. This made it easy for teams trying to defend against us. They just had to double mark Hazard and the right winger. With the departure of Ashley Cole, a new left back will be needed and the obvious choice should be Ricardo Rodriguez as he is one of the best attacking full backs in Europe. But, Chelsea seem to be chasing Filipe Luis who would cost stupid money and is going to be 29 in August. Plus, he's not attacking enough. Other targets could be Moreno or Blind or even Rojo

OUTS

Ba - He scored some important goals towards the end of last season but lack of minutes on the pitch has led to him asking for a move away. He's given us a lot of memorable goals but it was either him or Torres (Hint: Have you seen Torres' salary?)

Moses - He has stagnated a bit since his promising first season and he should be sold or loaned again.

Bertrand - He's simply too old to be fighting for a place in the team and there is interest from Tottenham and Liverpool so this is a no brainer.

CONCLUSION

This transfer window is pivotal and we can't have another season of failing at the last hurdle. We've already made some good moves and with 2 more signings we would be favourites to win the EPL.

 

.

Read More

REAL MADRID: BUILDING THE DYNASTY

Alfredo Di Stefano, "the blond arrow", the greatest Real madrid player of all time. The greatest of all time. RIP, you'll never be forgotten. Eterno Alfredo.

Its Lisbon, its the 24th of May, its the champions league final, its the 93rd minute, Real madrid win a corner, and as its floated in Sergio Ramos gets a big powering header snatching victory from the hands of our local rivals Atletico, and hence deflating them. We went on to win the match 4-1, winning the much obsessed "La Decima". The trophy added to the Copa del rey we won against our arch-rivals Barcelona with Ronaldo. (Remember the Bale goal?) In a way, its sad we didn't win the treble. We were poor in the league at key points and in key matches, personally we had a worse season than Barcelona in the league.

Now how do you build on a near perfect season? Well there's a reason its "near perfect" and not "perfect". We have to look at where it went wrong for us last season in the league. My first thoughts on this is that Ancelloti got it all wrong in big matches earlier on. He changed formation from 4-4-2 to 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3. The 4-3-3 worked but only after a while. Another area that cost us was lack of depth in midfield and in attack, this might seem strange to say for a club of Real madrid's stature but its true. Tactically "Mister" as Ancelloti is known as by the players, got it right towards the end, and he will only get better hopefully. Squad depth is something you can't get better in. You have to buy.

Now the idea for having depth is to have 2 or more quality players for each position. So judging based on our normal starting XI from last season, done deals and rumours, I'm going to show how well we can have the squad depth whilst letting go of some players.

In goal, we have 2 great keepers in Iker Casillas & Diego Lopez, sources in Spain say that Real madrid have activated the release clause of Keylor Navas, this is a fantastic signing that means one of Lopez or Casillas would leave. Ancelloti will let any or both go if they decide to. He plans to purchase Kiko Casilla if both go. If anyone should go it should be Diego Lopez. "San Iker" is a club legend and still has more to offer, and to me still among the best in the world.  Kiko Casilla would be a valuable asset, he is young, would be cheap and is a castilla product. Cristiano Ronaldo praised him after a cup match for his marvellous performances against madrid all season.

In defence, we have a straight forward 1st choice and 2nd choice in every position at the back just like in goal. At Right back its Carvajal then Arbeloa (although this should be his last season), in the Centre its Ramos and Pepe then Varane & Nacho (Nacho got a new 6-year contract and he fully deserves it. He's 4th choice but doesn't complain about wanting to leave, or a higher salary, he's just grateful for being at the club). Varane should replace Pepe next season in the XI, he has a calmer head, neat tackler and better passer. At left back its Marcelo and then Coentrao. The back looks good enough, no additions should be made except there is a surprise exit.

In midfield, the 3 players consist of, one deep-lying, and 2 hard workers, who will run back and forth, while doing a good job closing down and creating chances. In the starting XI we have this in Alonso, Modric and Di Maria. From the squad of last season season, only Illaramendi fits the bill to for,a like for like replacement, as he plays the Alonso role well, although he seemed scared a lot in big matches last season. Khedira, Casmeiro, Isco are not suited to it. Khedira does the hard working bit well, but his chance creation is not up to standard. Hence, its reasonable that he that seems destined to leave, hopefully he will find a team that suits him and gets us good cash in return. Casmeiro has been sent on loan to Porto, which is good. He has the potential to fill those spaces in midfield, as he showed in the pre-season of 2013. Isco has been gradually converted into such a midfielder. Ancelloti spoke about how Isco could convert like Seedorf and in the Copa del rey final & 1st leg of the UCL semi final he performed those roles brilliantly. The less said about his time as false 9, the better. Hence, there is still 1 more space in the midfield. Toni Kroos has been bought and to be honest he came very cheap at €30m considering his world cup performances. Kroos fits the bill perfectly and he will gel seamlessly into the squad and our style of play. He can even play the deep-lying role. His arrival however has seemed to make Di maria (most assists in Europe) feel not appreciated enough. You can't blame him, he will always be behind Ronaldo, Bale, Ramos, Alonso, Marcelo & Casillas in terms of the "big boys" at the club. Its clear he his looking for a club he will be appreciated better and as much we madridistas don't want to see him go, its best he goes for his happiness. Its not fair to him and the club he we keep an unhappy player.

In attack the BBC were deadly last season, scoring 96 goals between them in all competitions, although Bale and Ronaldo were out injured at various periods of the season. But we lack the depth, we suffered for this last season, we had no quality attacking alternative for the BBC especially after Jese got injured. Morata was not just up to standard. Falcao has been making all the noises about wanting to come to Madrid in Columbia and according to reports has a verbal agreement with Monaco to let him go to Real. This is very tasty, with 71 goals in 90 appearances for Atletico over 2 years, although he has never played champions league football. However, to be honest,I have faith in Benzema and feel if he can totally cut out that laisse-affaire attitude he sometimes shows, he will be among the top 3 best forwards in the world. Ancelloti and Florentino feel the same way as they expressed the desire to sign a young forward to be an alternative. Hence the only way Falcao will end up in Madrid is either Florentino wants to show sporting strength to compete with Suarez at Barca, or he got discouraged by Benzema's performances in the knockout stages of the world cup. It however begs the question, who will be the young striker? Antoine Griezmann has been the name called and he has a €30m release clause, which is okay. The deal would make sense, financially and for the reasons he will be brought in as although he's a wide forward he scored 20 goals in 49 appearances last season, and can also play as a false 9. The problem is Monaco see him as a replacement for James.

The rumours linking James Rodriguez has been heavy after his world cup performances, especially after he said he would like to play in La liga and he prefers Real to Barca (like who doesn't?). Also its a known secret that Ronaldo is his idol. It would not be hard to convince him to come, as he has apparently agreed terms, convincing Monaco to let him go would be harder but possible as rumours suggest they are negotiating between €60 and €80 million. I only see this signing happening if Di Maria leaves with James as replacement. I don't also see Monaco selling both James Rodriguez and Falcao in the same summer. But as Roberto Carlos said on the issue "Florentino can do anything he wants". Morata's sale for €20m is unbelievable. Why Juve decided to pay that much is beyond me, and why we decided to put a €30m-€35m buy back clause is also beyond me. Jose Rodriguez should be promoted to the first team. He can play on the side of a front 3 with Jese (sadly doesn't return until November) & whoever is brought in as the alternative forward.

Personally,we needed just 2 players at the start of the transfer window, a midfielder and a forward, any other player bought should be as a result of an exit. I love the signing of Kroos, he fits us perfectly. As much as I won't mind having Ronaldo, Bale, Benzema, James, Griezmann, Di maria and Falcao on the same team, it won't happen. Just 4 or 5 of those 6 players will be Real madrid players when the transfer window closes. In reality, the BBC would remain, Di maria would most likely leave for a hefty €50-€60 , James would come in as his replacement and this is okay, as James created most chances in Europe last season (85), and he has shown signs of ability to play in midfield as he sometimes tracked back to help Jao Moutinho for Monaco, learning from criticism from Claudio Ranieri . Griezmann should be purchased as the alternative forward.

Finally,we will be playing in 6 competitions this season and although it seems we are overcrowded in some areas, the amount of matches, injuries and suspensions will mean all the players would be required a lot. There are high hopes for this season, we will go for all 6 competitions, at least 4 of them should be won which must include another champions league success. The chase for "La Undecima" begins here, let's build a European dynasty, like in the days of Don Alfredo. Hala Madrid !!!!

Read More

LIVERPOOL: WHAT TO DO AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON

Last season brought up mixed emotions of mission accomplished and a feeling of  "so close, but yet so far". The aim at the beginning was to qualify for the champions league, we did that with ease (and can now hear the champions league song at Anfield again, and have those great European nights). We found ourselves staring at the premier league title with 4 games to go on the year of the 25th anniversary of Hillsborough. At the end, we let it slip and the 24 year stare at the title continues.

The title in my opinion was not lost at Anfield against Chelsea or away at Crystal Palace. It was lost in those back to back away losses at Chelsea and Manchester City (marred by horrible decisions from the referee) and at the beginning of the season by the "transfer committee". Their failure to bring in quality players cost us big time. Only Simon Mignolet, then maybe Kolo Toure & Mamadou Sakho added something to the squad. The squad was incredibly thin last season with only 15 players really having an impact. Rodgers did well to take us far, using different formations (4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2, 3-5-2, 3-4-3) during the course of the season. Rodgers has made his intentions clear. He's doing business early and avoiding loans as much as possible. Here we look at the likely players to come and go.

POSSIBLE SIGNINGS
There have been very tiny rumours about a new goalkeeper. Personally, its important. Mignolet looked very shaky at times last season with his decisions from crosses and his ball playing skills. Michel Vorm had been the name rumoured but he looks like a spurs player now. The competition would have been great to keep both of them on their toes, which is good for the club.

In defence, just a new centre back is needed. Dejan Lovren seems to be the man. He has made the right noises about his head "already in Liverpool". He looks perfect to complement Martin Srktel. Not Mamadou Sakho or Kolo Toure please!. The most important part of the squad that needs improvement is the left back role. Jon Flanagan & Glen Johnson(personally, Flanagan should be the first choice right back, he was brilliant last season & statistically better than Luke Shaw, meanwhile Johnson has been far too inconsistent for the past 2 years now) played there last season but neither are left backs. Jose Enrique is too one-footed and its best we get a new left back especially for a champions league campaign. The Alberto Moreno deal looks highly unlikely now. This would have been a brilliant deal especially for a player better and cheaper than Luke Shaw. Javier Manquillo is set to join on a 2-year loan deal with option to buy, but this is a strange deal as Manquillo is a right back. Except Rodgers decides to use one of the 3 right backs mentioned as left backs again. For real left backs, Ryan Bertrand has been mentioned, Swansea rejected an £8million bid for Ben Davies & he also seems set to move to spurs, but there are better options out there, people like Ricardo Rodriguez who was brilliant for Wolfsburg last season with 5 goals and 9 assists in the league. DeAndre Yedlin and Marcos Rojo have also been mentioned. But Rodriguez would be a dream, although none would be bad.



In midfield, the absence of Henderson for 3 of the last 4 games showed how much we needed more athleticism and energy in midfield. We missed "Hendo" badly, and if he wasn't suspended, we may well have been champions. Emre Can is a great signing and with Rodgers as his manager you can be sure he will improve. Another midfielder is also needed, although a squad midfielder.

In attack, Rodgers has been looking for attackers all summer. The team scored over a hundred goals in the league, and you could ask why we're linked to so many attacking players? Well its because of 2 reasons, firstly we actually lack quality depth in attack as out of the 101 goals we scored in the league, only 3 were scored by substitutes and only 2 assists coming from subs as well. Secondly our chief assassin Luis Suarez is no longer with the club. The signing of boyhood Liverpool fan Rickie Lambert points to a plan B from the bench. Adam Lallana could play on the wings or in midfield as the "10". Alexis Sanchez had been heavily linked as a player part of the Suarez deal, but he joined Arsenal instead, something which is strange, but Rodgers clarified that it was due to "geographical reasons". Lazar Markovic's signing is great and will add quality in depth on the wings. Divork Origi looks set to join, although Lille have made it clear that any deal will involve him sent on loan next season to them, so one for the future and not next season then. Wilfried Bony, was very close to joining but the £19m valuation proved too high for the club. Loic Remy is the man set to join however, and with his pace and goal scoring exploits, the £8.5m he's being sold for is a bargain in my opinion. He scored 14 goals in 26 appearances, which is very good. Remy would be a brilliant signing for us.


POSSIBLE EXITS
For some strange reasons Brendon Rodgers doesn't rate Daniel Agger as he played Mamadou Sakho ahead of him in our defence last season and rumours have surfaced that he even offered the Dane to Barcelona. This is strange because "Dagger" looks like the Liverpool defender most comfortable with the ball at his feet. However, if the manager doesn't have him in his plans, he should be sold to raise funds. Kolo Toure should follow closely, but this looks highly unlikely, sadly. Thiago ilori should be loaned again, just like Andre Wisdom to give them more chances. Its the end of the road for Stephen Kelly, as he should be sold. Aly Cissoko has already gone and we thank goodness for that.

In midfield, there has been talk of Lucas going to Napoli on loan, and before 2014 these talks won't even exist, but now it wouldn't be the worse thing to happen if it happens. Squad players like Luis Alberto, Suso, Assaidi, Conor Coady should be sold or loaned out (if Rogers still have hope in them).

In attack, Iago Aspas should have been sold in January, remember his corner against Chelsea? The only highlight of his Liverpool stay. He has no place in Liverpool, and luckily he stays in Sevilla after his loan expires. Victor Moses was poor during his loan spell and its great we didn't make it permanent. Fabio Borini was close to joining Sunderland for £14m but he rejected it to fight for his place, which is good to see. He should be given the chance, he was fantastic for Sunderland last season as he scored important goals to keep them in the league, and this may prove important for us. Then there's Luis Suarez. For all the love and affection we've shown him, he still left, that's fine, its cool, no hard feelings, we're getting enough cash in return (€88m) to build the squad, and hopefully others would share and score the goals that Suarez has taken along. No one man is bigger than the club. The club couldn't beg Suarez again this summer, he had dragged the name of the club through mud yet again. Its a goodbye of mixed feelings, but we have to let go.



Rodgers and his team are developing and they develop each other. Do not expect Liverpool to "do a spurs", we have a better manager and we didn't depend on Suarez, we had the 2nd top scorer remember? Expect more of the same of last season from Liverpool. It would be great to see how Rodgers adapts to European football. He has done the right business so far, and we trust in him to continue in that manner. "We go again" next season and we'll never walk alone.

Read More

TRANSFER SCOPE: MANCHESTER UNITED

TRANSFER SCOPE: MANCHESTER UNITED

LAST SEASON

The 2013/14 season was definitely one to forget for Manchester united fans.  Under the guidance of David “the chosen one” Moyes, they went from defending champions and title contenders to scrambling for a Europa league spot with the likes of Tottenham and Everton, teams considerably below united on the financial, trophy and status fronts.  The faults last season were clear and aplenty from dressing room division to ignominious cup exits at the hands of mid table teams, plain and predictable attacking play and atrocious form at home.  Last season was a record breaking one for Manchester united but for all the wrong reasons.  United finished outside the top three for the first time in the premier league era, will not be playing European football (an occurrence which is happening for the first time in the life of this writer), saw the likes of Swansea City, Newcastle United, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion collect three points from the theatre of dreams for the first time in decades.

Summer addition Marouane Fellaini also served to be a flop while January signing Juan Mata through a combination of being played on the left and limited game time meant that he had a limited impact on the team.

NEXT SEASON

PROBLEM AREAS

Moving on to the new season, it is clear that the red devils need a major facelift, particularly in midfield, on the wings, at left back and in the center of defence.

LEFT BACK

At the time of writing, a deal had just been announced for the transfer of Southampton defender Luke Shaw to the tune of 30m pounds.  While holding reservations as to the size of the fee and wage packet (160,000 p/w), this deal should represent value for money if he stays on for the next decade.

 

WINGERS

United require players who are natural wingers, can beat a man with skill and pace and also capable of cutting in and playing infield.  This would be Nani but his form has been to erratic.
Who has been linked: Reports have linked united to summer deals for Arjen Robben, Memphis Depay, Di maria and Juan Cuadrado

Who should (also) be linked: Antoine Griezmann, Lazar Markovic, Xherdan Shaqiri, El Shaawary

Most likely Deal:   Memphis Depay given his age, potential and links to Loius van Gaal through the national team.

 

CENTER-BACKS

Due to the departures of stalwarts VIdic and Ferdinand, united require another world class presence at the back.

Who has been linked: Stefan De Vrij, Mats Hummels¸ Eliquim Mangala, Mathias Ginter

Who should (also) be linked:  Bruno Martins Indi, Fabian Schar

Most likely Deal:  Stefan De Vrij.

Dream Trasfer:  Matts Hummels and Bruno Martins Indi

 

CENTRAL MIDFIELD

For far too long this has been United’s problem area.  The club is still yet to find successors to Roy Keane and Paul Scholes. Ander Herrera has been brought in but while being an upgrade on cleverly and co, he alone is not enough to address the gaping holes in the team.

Who has been linked:  Kevin Strootman, Alex song, Johannes Geis, Bastian Schweinstieger, Arturo  Vidal, Nigel de Jong

Who should (also) be linked:  Ross Barkley, Axel Witsel, Illkay Gundogan, Max Meyer.

Most likely deal:  Nigel De Jong

Dream Transfer:  Arturo Vidal

DEPARTURES

With regards to players leaving the club, there seems to be a flurry of activity at Old Trafford this summer.  A new manager at the helm means new backroom staff as well as second chances for fringe players. However, veterans Vidic and Ferdinand have both left the club on Bosmans while the club will entertain offers for Ashley Young, Christopher Smalling, Nani and Anderson.  Wayne Rooney should also be sold to clear his wages off the bill.

Read More

BARCELONA: THE CHANGES NEEDED

The season 2013/2014 would be remembered by Barcelona fans as the worst season since the pre Guardiola era. It ended trophyless, as a club as big as Barcelona should not regard winning the supercup a trophy. The highlight of the season was winning both league clasicos but even that was sour, as we do that normally. The writing was on the wall for Gerdado Matino and he quickly resigned claiming the expectation of living up to Guardiola was too much for him. Hence the club acted wisely and brought in Luis Enrique a barca boy, in a change of management that should have happened a year earlier had it not been for the fact that he had already signed for Celta vigo.

Luis Enrique looks a good fit. A barca boy, loves the clubs values, coached the B team, he did a great job with Celta vigo taking them from relegation candidates to a respectable 9th place in the league. The only disappointment in his career was his time in charge of Roma were it can be said he wasn't given enough time. Another problem with Enrique is that he doesn't have champions league experience. However, the real work has to be done in the team itself with several players needed, and I examine the kind of players here.

In goal, Victor Valdez and Pinto have gone and would be forever be remembered for their services. They have been replaced with Andre Ter stergen and Claudio Bravo. Its a very interesting situation here; we have one experienced keeper and one talented one. I personally would love Ter stegen to keep goal, although his record for Germany isn't that good, I've seen him play a few times (I remember when he saved Messi's penalty for Germany) he's good with his feet and catches crosses unlike Bravo who punches them & that I feel is a flaw. Ter stegen reminds me of Neuer. I feel he has the potential to be better than Courtois and De gea. The decision would come down to Enrique and whatever he decides should be the best for the club.

The DEFENCE. I put that in capital letters because that the weakness of the club. Adriano's heart problem doesn't help the club in any way & we pray for speedy recovery for our most versatile player. There is talk about Dani alvez leaving and he has even helped those rumours by saying things that point out to the fact that we won't mind leaving. If he leaves, I'm sure many Barca fans won't mind,as his performances have been sinking for the past 2 seasons. The replacement rumoured is Colombian world cup star Juan Cuadrado. He's not a right back, but as played as wing back for Fiorentina and would be tasked to do the same on the pitch although on paper he will be a full back. There have been calls for a defensive full back like Abidal due to the fact that the attacking exploits of Alvez and Alba leave us exposed at the back. This makes total sense and the board agree as there have been moves for Jeremy Mathieu although Valencia's €20m asking price for a 30-year old is too much, however the defender's desire to move, may help us. Fazio is a centre back from sevilla who is experienced and would come relatively cheaper than the other centre backs mentioned in the media like Hummels, Mangala, Benetia, Marquinhos and Balanta. Barca fans would love 2 of the 6 mentioned. With the funds going into the purchase of Luis Suarez, you get the feeling that only one of these could be purchased for big money. What I think should happen is that Benatia should be bought, as he has expressed his desire to leave, then Balanta should be brought from River plate as the Colombian has given a good account of himself at the world cup. However, the possibility of a swoop deal with PSG for Marquinhos in exchange for Alvez + cash would be a welcomed solution, since they seemed determined to get the Brazilian back four.

The sale of Fabregas was unreasonable, especially after letting Thiago go, a deal which till this day hurts me like a failed relationship. Xavi seems to be going and our centre midfield looks empty and although Rakitic has been brought in, his best performances have been as a attacking midfield not a centre midfielder. This can easily been seen in his below par performances at the world cup. The players good enough for this positions would either be too expensive or won't leave or are already headed elsewhere. Players like Pogba, Kroos, Veratti. Ibrahim Afellay may well be the solution as there remain high hopes about this kid and its not hard to see why. We can only hope Luiz Enrique uses change of tactics or formation to alleviate this problem. (The picture below shows Rakitic flicking the ball over Pepe and setting up Bacca for his 2nd goal against Real madrid. A personal highlight of the season)

In the forward role, there was talk last season of a "Larsson". A player who would seat on the bench and do a good job when need. But all these are long gone with the signing of Luis Suarez. Doubts remain over the wisdom in this, as although he is one of the best out there, his reputation is not the best and the €88m we payed could have been used to develop other areas of the squad. Suarez however makes the front-line very deadly on the outlook. We can play with Neymar, Messi & Suarez in as a front 3 and exchanging roles throughout the match or Neymar and Suarez in a front 2 with Messi behind just like for Argentina, that role I feel suites Messi more. It however remains to be seen how Luis Enrique handles it.

For the exits. Alexis Sanchez has been sold although he had his best season with us and scored more than anyone excluding Messi, funds have to be raised for a defender and since Suarez has comie he has to make way. Personally, I would love to see Dani Alvez leave, his comments regarding a move to PSG sounds as though he is doing us a favour by being at the club, this at a period were his performances have not been the best. We have been waiting for Christian Tello to fulfill the potential that made Guardiola start him in a clasico in his first season with the first team, and I think it was a good decision to let him leave for Porto, especially has Gerard Deulofeu has returned after a fruitful spell in England. Another player under the "tired of waiting to fulfil potential" bracket is Sergi Roberto he should also leave. Jonathan Dos santos has been sold to Villareal, maybe leaving the club may help his career, just the way it helped his brother. Isaac Cuena was released and to be truthful he didn't show any potential, that's if he had any. The most disappointing has to be Bojan Krkic. Loan spell after loan spell hasn't helped him and its best he goes finally. As much as it hurts to say this, the time is up for Xavi, a great servant of the club, a barca boy to the core, he too should leave, but only if another midfielder can be acquired. Alexander Song has always been an unreasonable signing in my opinion and he should be sold to get funds for a midfielder to replace Xavi.

Although I do not expect much from this season, to be candid I'm expecting a another trophyless season, I do expect the foundations for many trophy laden seasons to be established this year.

Read More