Premier League – Page 9 – BRITISH SOCCER {DIVA}

Legend Gianfranco Zola

zola Size really doesn’t matter in football and Gianfranco Zola is proof of that. The pint-sized Italian superstar set the Premier League on fire when he arrived at Chelsea. Even non-Chelsea fans were excited to watch him dazzle on the pitch. He was just that type of player.

From 1996 to 2003, Zola entertained the fans at Stamford Bridge scoring 59 goals in 229 appearances. He helped the Blues win the F.A. Cup twice, the League Cup, the UEFA Cup and the Super Cup. In 1997 he was voted Player of the Year and he was also voted as Chelsea’s greatest ever player. His #25 shirt has not been worn by any other Chelsea player since he retired.

Zola was Chelsea’s inspiration and guiding light for many years. You could even say he was the nucleus that inspired the revival of Chelsea. He was like the wizard of Stamford Bridge. He always played with a smile on his face and was a true gentlemen of the game. As a player, he filled the flare void left by Eric Cantona when he retired from his Godly playing days at Manchester United. Zola picked up where King Eric left off , terrorizing defenders on many Saturday afternoons and oftentimes making even the best in the world look like they played for a pub team.

It’s only fitting that one day he return to Chelsea as their coach. It could happen in the near future. If Ancelotti doesn’t do well, Chelsea could swoop in for their hero sooner than people think. Could you see Zola coaching Chelsea one day? And is he the best player to have ever played for the Blues? One thing is for sure, Zola is truly a Premier League legend. Respect…

Nudge nudge, wink wink…I’m off…

Cristiano Ronaldo, the world’s best football player is finally off to Real Madrid for a staggering world record fee of 80 million pounds. This deal dwarfs what Madrid just paid for Kaka and proves the club are willing to invest whatever it takes to recapture their glory years and challenge Barcelona for honors again.

As a fan of the Premier League I’m gutted. I never thought I would feel so gutted about a player leaving Manchester United as I don’t even support the buggers! I just like to watch the best players play in the best league in the world. Now the two best players in the world (Ronaldo and Messi) are playing in La Liga.

Does this mean the power is shifting away from the Premier League? Is this a sign and should the Premier League be worried? Forget about the diving and the moaning for just a second and think of Manchester United’s Saturday afternoon clashes with Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, but there’s no Ronaldo. It feels as bad as the day Henry left Arsenal for Barcelona. And let’s face it, Arsenal have still not recovered or won anything since he left. United have seen great players come and go over the years, but this one might be tough to replace.

Everyone is crying about how much Real Madrid have paid for Ronaldo and there’s no doubt those tears are somewhat justified. However, players like Ronaldo, Kaka, Messi and even Beckham are more than just players. They are a brand in themselves. A corporation. A business. And if a business performs well year after year, the value goes up and sometimes another company will come in and make an offer to buy that business for way more than what it was worth to begin with. Was MySpace really worth over $500? Was Facebook worth almost a billion dollars? Probably not, but huge corporations came in and paid the money because in the long-term, the payback from the initial investment is worth so much greater. When you negotiate your contract with a potential employer, you try to get the best deal for you right? Expense account, bonuses, travel, company car and other incentives. It’s all relative as far as I’m concerned.

Ronaldo will payback Madrid in potentially his first season. He will sell shirts, season tickets and merchandise beyond Real Madrid’s dreams. When Beckham went to Real Madrid, their shirt sales went through the roof. Wherever Beckham has gone shirt sales have gone through the roof. And the profile and publicity these top tier players garner for their team is priceless. Yes the wages are crazy. Yes they get paid ridiculous amounts of money and yes it’s tough to justify in today’s economy. But they too have worked hard for their worth. To buy the best you have to be willing to pay top dollar. And if Ronaldo is the world’s best, then surely he is worth the money Real Madrid are investing right?

Everyone is acting as though teams pay over 80 million pounds for a player everyday. But they don’t. Ronaldo is a special player. These special players don’t come around that often and when they do, teams are willing to pay whatever it takes for their services. I say good luck to the boy. Why not? He’s earned it. He’s worked hard. He gives everything on the pitch. Yes he bitches and moans and cries. But his talent makes you forget about that stuff. And like him or not, you cannot deny his talent. He came from a very humble upbringing in Portugal and his family had nothing. His God given talent has blessed him with riches beyond his dreams. The winker wins again and who wouldn’t want to be in his position…

The summer transfer saga begins…

world-money 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…

Newcastle are gone baby gone…

newcastle-shearer_1392814c Newcastle United have been relegated. After almost 20 years in the top flight of British football, the once impressive and glamorous Toon Army are toast. Their fall from grace was heard across the football universe today and Chairman Mike Ashley, his executive team and even the players can point the finger at themselves for this disaster.

Were any of them aware that it’s a privilege and not a right to play in the Premier League? Their arrogance was intolerable to observe. They made some bad decisions. They screwed it up. They are to blame and now it’s the fans that will pay the price. Instead of relishing an encounter with Manchester United, Liverpool or Chelsea next season, they can look forward to playing teams like Preston North End, Doncaster Rovers and Plymouth Argyle. And to make it even more painful, Newcastle’s bitter rivals Sunderland survived being relegated which means they get to play Premier League football again next term. That’s rotten.

I’ve never felt the pain of my team being relegated and I can’t imagine there is anything worse to experience as a fan of football. To lose the elite status of being a Premier League team is not only gut-wrenching, but it also costs your team millions and can set them back for years to come. There is no guarantee of an immediate return. Just ask Leeds United, Charlton and Southampton fans. It’s got to hurt worse than a punch from Mike Tyson circa 1986. It’s got to hurt worse than a root canal. It’s got to be the worse pain in the world.

The sad thing for Newcastle fans is not even their hero Alan Shearer could save them from the drop. He probably feels the same pain as they do today. Perhaps it’s a little easier for Shearer though. A nice family holiday in the Bahamas or Bermuda will help ease the pain of relegation. But what will the hard-up Newcastle supporters do to erase the memory of the 2008-09 season? My guess is they’ll dust themselves off, buy a new shirt and start talking about how they are going to return to the Premier League. Football is in their blood. Football is their life. Football is Newcastle United. But who will lead them? Shearer? Or will King Kev return? Let’s hope for the fans sake, the club makes the right decision…

Champions of England again…

APTOPIX Britain Soccer Premier League Congratulations Manchester United. They’ve done this 18 times now and they’re not getting bored. Sir Alex Ferguson is amazing. The greatest manager in football history. Nobody can match what he’s done. It’s a shame the F.A. couldn’t convince him to be England manager. He’d probably have won them the World Cup by now.

For me, Manchester United’s best player this season was Michael Carrick. In fact Carrick makes me want to start a whole new category on the BSD…”Unsung Hero.” Carrick is certainly one of those. His passing is sublime. He threads the ball, he caresses it, he strokes it. If he scored more goals, people would put him in the same bracket as Gerrard or Lampard. For me he is in the same league as those guys. Next term could be a breakthrough season for Carrick. If United win the league again and also do well in Europe, how could Fabio Capello ignore him for England and the World Cup?

The only sour note about United’s end to the season is the whole Tevez saga. Do you guys think he will stay? Would Sir Alex Ferguson ever sell him to a Premiership rival? He wants to stay in the Premier League and the word is Tottenham and Liverpool want him. But United have shown if they don’t want to sell to a particular team they won’t. The manager and board refused to let Gabriel Heinze join Liverpool a couple of seasons ago. Argentina’s left back was desperate to be a Liverpool player but he ended up at Real Madrid. I can’t see United letting Tevez join Liverpool either. What is it about Manchester United and problems with their Argentine internationals? Remember Juan Sebastian Veron, then Gabriel Heinze and now Carlos Tevez. No matter what happens with Tevez, Sir Alex Ferguson has proved life at United goes on regardless who leaves. It doesn’t seem to affect their winning formula does it?

Who do you think was United’s best player this season? Will Sir Alex Ferguson keep going? Who should United bring in during the summer transfer window? Can any other team catch them?

Steve Gerrard Gerrard…

gerrard1 Surprise. An award was presented today and it didn’t go to a Manchester United player!

Steven Gerrard was voted Footballer of the Year by the Football Writer’s Association. Congratulations. You deserve the accolade. Gerrard played a lot more than 13 games this season. 29 in the Premier League and 40 total for the season. He would have played more if it wasn’t for injuries. What then? Would he have been the PFA Player of the Year? And would Liverpool have been crowned Premier League Champions by now?

Whatever the outcome this season, Steven Gerrard is one of those football players we’ve just loved to watch. I think he’s also one of those players every fan would love in their team. He’d be captain of my team. He’s got balls and spirit. He deserves to win a title with Liverpool. It’s the trophy that’s eluded him thus far. Gerrard wants to win the Premier League as bad as Roger Federer wants to win the French Open. But will it happen for them? Will this be their year?

Red card…

baldrefwithredcard1 A red card must go to the entire Arsenal team. Why? Dumped out of the Champions League by Manchester United. Humiliated by Chelsea at home in the Premier League on Saturday. Gutless. Spineless. Spiritless. What’s to like about this Arsenal team? Who are they? What do they stand for? They have no identify. No leadership. Where are the men? Houston…we have a major @#$%^&* problem.

Get your cash ready this summer Mr.Wenger. Don’t be shy to spend it. You can’t let another transfer market slip you by. Otherwise the gap between you Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool will grow as wide as the Grand Canyon. You need word class talent. You need game-changers. You need men. Get rid of Adebayor, your defense and your goalkeepers. Have a chat with Van Persie to make sure he really wants to be there. And make Arshavin your captain. Doesn’t seem Fabregas is quite upto the task. Oh and buy some British players will you. We find that really helps on a soggy Saturday afternoon in Hull, Stoke or Wigan.

Fancy football is not paying the bills for Arsenal fans. You’ve got one more season and then they’ll really start turning. Sorry fellas…it’s got to be red…

Disaster on a nuclear scale…

implosion Call in the emergency services. Arsenal need saving. Their season has been as disastrous as a nuclear explosion. They went up in smoke against Manchester United last night. The Champions League was the trophy they really wanted. Didn’t look that way on the pitch. It was men versus school boys in both legs against United. Ronaldo, Rooney and co. tore the Arsenal children apart. Arsenal fans are hurting across the universe this morning.

They lost another crucial semi-final to another top four Premier League team. The gulf between the Gunners, Manchester United and Chelsea is even more evident now. They just can’t compete at the highest level with the squad they have. The board should give Donald Trump or Alan Sugar a call so they can line-up these so-called stars for some firing!

What would you do with Arsenal if you were manager? Who would you go after in the transfer market? Does Wenger have the power to entice big names to the Emirates after another trophyless season.

Out of the Champions League, out of the F.A. Cup and out of the Premier League. What a disaster…

Legend Peter Schmeichel…

sch 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?

And the PFA award goes to…

giggsy Ryan Giggs was named the PFA’s Player of the Year today. It’s the icing on the 20 year career cake for Giggsy. He’s twice been named as the Young Player of the Year, but he never won the big one. A lot of people in the media think he didn’t deserve to win as he only started 12 games for Manchester United in the Premier League this season. Most people think it should have gone to his United team mate Nemanja Vidic and that this was a heart string vote by his fellow professionals. One thing you can’t deny is his contribution to football and Manchester United. But that’s not what this award is about is it?

Not knowing if Giggs would return for more football next season, the PFA seem to have pulled an Academy Award type move by rewarding the great Welshman in a season that was definitely influential, but not necessarily his best. It’s a bit like the year when Paul Newman won Best Actor for the Colour Of Money. He’d been nominated so many times before for great movies and he’d never won. But in 1996, the Academy were bitten by the nostalgia bug and before anyone could say “and the award goes to…”, the statuette was already on proud display in Paul Newman’s downstairs bathroom.

Is Ryan Giggs the Paul Newman of football? Do you thinks Giggs deserved it this year? Was he named PFA Player of the Year because of his legend? It’s undeniable he’s one of the best talents the Premier League has seen. But should this have been Steven Gerrard’s year?