Paul Pogba becomes the first 100 million pound Premier League player and the most expensive footballer in the world! Really? More than Messi, Ronaldo, Suarez and Neymar? Do you think Paul Pogba deserves the tag?
Will his return to Manchester United be different this time around? Can he become the next hero at Old Trafford? Will he ignite the Red Devils the same way he did Juventus? So many questions. Why not put your feet up and join the conversation.
The fight for the Premier League title is over. Anything can happen between now and the end of the season, but the chances Manchester United fold like cheap lawn chairs and concede the title to Manchester City once again are slim.
Robin van Persie is the gift from Arsenal that keeps on giving. The Dutch dynamo is in emphatic form and an absolute goal machine scoring nineteen in the league alone. His transfer from the Emirates to the Theater of Dreams could decide which team is crowned champions of England. And it’s looking more like the Red Devils with every football weekend that passes.
The battle for third and fourth however is far more exciting and unpredictable. Tottenham are playing delicious football. Or should we say Gareth Bale is playing delicious football. Chelsea falter one week, but then bounce back the next. Arsenal are showcasing more confidence and determination as the season goes on. And Everton continue to hang around and threaten to steal a Champions League spot despite a recent dip in form. Who will prevail and bank millions?
Also on the menu this week is a little slice of David Beckham and his move to PSG. Mr.Beckham is a polarizing figure and his new adventures in Paris are causing much debate beyond the football borders. Where do you stand when it comes to Beckham?
Whether you agree or disagree with any of the dialogue, lob us a volley or fire off a header to @soccerdiva. Football. Soccer. Call it what you want. It’s just like being down the pub with your mates.
Gareth Barry to Manchester City! Please! This summer could see some amazing squad swapping. It might get really ugly people. Brace yourselves to be annoyed, frustrated and flabbergasted by it all. And even if your team are not in the thick of it all, it will still affect them somehow. Whether it’s getting beat by the teams that have spent big or losing a player because he was offered crazy wages from another club, in the end it all trickles down or up!
What we do know so far is that there is a huge tug-of-war going on between Real Madrid and Chelsea for the services of Kaka. Where do you think he’ll end up? What’s the best place for him? AC Milan hold the winning hand here as the Italians can sell to the highest bidder.
David Villa is another superstar potentially available on the market. His club Valencia need to sell big time because of financial problems. Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City and supposedly Arsenal would love the services of Mr.Villa. Can’t see Arsenal spending the money, can you? And will he be willing to leave Spain?
Franck Ribery is another hot property. The Bayern Munich star is wanted by everyone. They say he fancies a move to Spain. Chelsea want him really badly. He’s the flare player they’ve been craving since the departure of Arjen Robben. Does the Frenchman fancy la vie in London?
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is wanted by Barcelona, which is surprising to me. The Inter Milan hitman is looking for a new challenge and would relish a move to the Camp Nou. Do you think he’s good enough to play up front for the treble winning champs? Can you see Zlatan in a Barca shirt?
Cristiano Ronaldo is Real Madrid bound isn’t he? They say there is a pre-contract agreement in place and if they don’t sign him by the end of the month Real Madrid will owe Ronaldo 26.7 million pounds. Crazy baby, crazy! Will the Premier League be the same without Ronaldo if he goes? Surely we want the best players to stay, even if they annoy the hell out of us right?!!
There are tons of other players on the transfer bubble. People are even talking about Fabregas and Barcelona again. Vidic is even being mentioned as leaving Man Utd. Will Santa Cruz finally move to Manchester City or Arsenal? Are Everton serious about signing Michael Owen? And has Carvalho had enough at Chelsea? Stay tuned…
Peter Schmeichel was a goalkeeping gladiator. He was formidable. He was a giant. He was almost impossible to score against. Opponents feared him. United fans loved him. They knew if they had the great Dane in goal, they could beat anyone. As quickly as he would make a save, he would distribute the ball to a hungry Manchester United player and make a goal.
Schmeichel was more than just a goalkeeper. He was a player, captain and manager out on the field. He would bark and yell directions at anyone who would listen. He didn’t care if it was Bruce, Pallister, Beckham, Giggs, Keane, or Cantona. He was a born winner and understood what it took to achieve greatness. He was willing to put himself on the line with opponents and team mates. He was fearless.
Some critics have said he made some of his saves look a little more theatrical than they actually were. Isn’t that a little harsh considering Schmeichel won countless Premier League titles and the Champions League in a treble winning season with Man Utd? Oh and he also won the European Championship with Denmark in 1992. I don’t think Utd or Danish fans cared about his theatrical style. If anything, it added to his performances. He made the goalkeeping position exciting again. He was everything Bruce Grobbelaar wanted to be.
He was a huge part of Manchester United’s success in the 1990’s. He is without question a Premier League Legend. Does he deserve to be regarded as the best? Is there anyone better than him?
Dimitar Berbatov is finally a Manchester United player. His dream is now a reality. He even turned down a “double your money offer” from Manchester City to wear the famous Red Devil shirt. Who’s jaw didn’t drop when they heard City were in for Berba? New owners with billions and far richer than Chelski. More of that later… So congratulations Berba. You’ve got what you wanted. You sulked long enough at Spurs, you let down the fans and the other players in the squad. And your reward for all your bellyaching, a multi-million dollar contract with the world’s most famous football team. Now let’s see if this overplayed summer soap opera has a happy ending…
There’s nothing quite like preparing for a Premiership football game on Saturday. The only difference now is that I don’t go to the games, I watch them all on TV. Even though I have TIVO, I still get up to watch the 4.30am games live. You feel more involved when you watch it live. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe I ever got out of bed at that hour for Bolton vs Reading! That’s the kind of fixture where TIVO comes in very handy. Which teams would drag you out of bed at 4.30am? Who is deserving of your attention at that ridiculous hour? How much of a soccer tart are you?
For me it would be Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. There are other teams flirting on the threshold of the early bird rise, but I’ll need to see them play in this coming season to think differently. For now though, I would place these teams in a second category for the games that start around 7am. Tottenham, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Everton and Manchester City would entice me with one eye open. Portsmouth have snuck in there too, since Harry Redknapp has made them an attractive team to watch. The rest of the league fall into the 9am time slot.
The one thing all these teams have in common is that no matter what time they are playing, I will TIVO every game. I’m just choosy about who gets me as a punter when they are playing live at an early hour. Does this still make me a soccer tart? I hope so…