Category: Squad Swapping

Liverpool like Glen Johnson…a lot…

johnson_280x390_489834aLiverpool jumped into the transfer hot tub and closed the deal for Glen Johnson. They had to fend-off the advances of Chelsea and Manchester City , but eventually they got their man for 17 million pounds. Johnson will now need to find ways to spend his whooping 80,000 squids a week. Be sure to save a little a month Glen. You never know what can happen!

This is a superb deal for Johnson. Even Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez admitted they paid over the odds for him. Only a couple of seasons ago he was banished to the Stamford Bridge sidelines by then coach, Jose Mourinho. And, after that dreadful period at Chelsea, he moved to Portsmouth where he rebuilt his reputation as one of the Premier League’s most talented right backs. 

The sometimes England international does appear to be back to his best now and he should add value to Liverpool next season. But it’s easy to play in a team like Portsmouth and look good. He was so lost at a big club like Chelsea, so will he have the oomph to show he belongs at a big club like Liverpool? Can he become an Anfield favourite or will he be back at Portsmouth by the January transfer window? Did anyone say Robbie Keane…?

Good luck Glen…

Manchester City splashing the cash…

picsrvmcfccoukThe new Chelski are starting to dig deep in their pockets of infinity. Manchester City have splashed 18 million pounds on Roque Santa Cruz. The ex-Blackburn striker put pen to paper for his old boss Mark Hughes and so the long arse chase for his signature ends. Thank God. 

I like Roque Santa Cruz. He is a good player. He has lots of quality and strength. He is a solid signing for Manchester City.

I also thought he would be a good fit for Arsenal if Adebayor left. But City is his chosen destination and that has a lot to do with wanting to play for Mark Hughes again. He scored 23 goals in his debut season for Blackburn and the Paraguay international certainly has the confidence to bounce back from his knee injury nightmare of last season. Perhaps after that injury I would have paid more around the 10-12 million pound mark. But clubs know City have the money to spend and City are willing to pay the asking price. Do you think Santa Cruz is worth the money?

Mark Hughes has been given the chance to start a revolution at Manchester City. They say Tevez is on the way but we’ll believe that when we see him pictured in the blue shirt at the press conference. Wow wouldn’t that be a dagger to United fans hearts? Mark Hughes, a hero of the past at United now manager of Manchester City. And Carlos Tevez, their Argentine Prince potentially leaving the Theater of Dreams to play for across the street for the Blue side of Manchester. Why don’t you just twist the knife on your way out Carlos!

City have Robinho too remember. And with the signing of Santa Cruz and maybe Tevez, do you think they can challenge for the Premier League next season? Will Mark Hughes still have a job by Christmas?

Arsenal sign someone…

thomas_vermaelen_3Arsenal have splashed the cash people! Thomas Vermaelen has signed for the Gunners in a deal worth 10 million pounds. The  23 year old ex-Ajax defender is the first big signing of the season and hopefully not the last for Arsenal fans. Wenger was monitoring the Belgian international closely and he finally sealed the deal knowing the board want some quality defenders ready to go when the season starts in August.

Vermaelen comes to Arsenal with Champions League experience and will definitely add some toughness to the weak defense that cost them so many games last season. He’s still only 23, so it seems like a good investment for the North London club. 

Have you seen Vermaelen play? Do you think he’s a good signing for Arsenal? Could he end up being a Vidic type signing for the Gunners? It’s about time they spent some money and it seems they may have found a gem…

Nudge nudge, wink wink…I’m off…

article-0-0207dc8400000578-593_468x393Cristiano 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…

I belong to Real Madrid…

2123220852_4bbb266060Brazilian superstar Kaka has finally sealed his move to Real Madrid for a world record 62 million pounds. It well eclipses the 40 odd million pounds Madrid paid for Zidane all those years ago.

There’s no doubt Kaka is an amazing footballer with bags and bags of talent. Before Messi and Ronaldo started ruling the school, Kaka was the man at Milan. But in a very difficult financial time for so many people around the world, is it a smart move for Real Madrid to be paying this type of money for one player? On the flip side, if clubs and corporations have the money, why shouldn’t they spend it? Just because our pockets are a little empty, doesn’t mean other people have to stop spending their money does it?

From a team perspective, Real Madrid have landed a player they can rebuild their team around. He’s definitely going to need help, especially if Madrid want to knockout Barcelona in every way next season. Their President Florentino Perez is back at the helm and it’s evident he wants to build another team of Galacticos, just like he did a few years back when he bought Zidane, Beckham and the original Ronaldo!

Who would you buy to help Kaka deliver success to Real Madrid? Do you think Real Madrid can challenge Barcelona next season, even if they don’t buy another huge star?

The summer transfer saga begins…

world-moneyGareth 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…

Inhale…exhale…Chelsea have a new coach…

FBL-ENG-ITA-PR-CHELSEA-ACMILAN-ANCELOTTINot that I want this to become a Chelsea blog…but news is news people! Carlo Ancelotti was today named as the successor to Guus Hiddink. Do you think Chelsea hired Ancelotti because he looks a little like Guus? Check out the picture of Guus with the F.A. Cup below and judge for yourselves. Perhaps the owner and executive team hired the Italian master so the players can feel “comfortable” with a familiar face in the dressing room! 

Chelsea have hired someone with real pedigree in Carlo Ancelotti. He has been hugely successful in his career as a player and a coach. Ancelotti arrives at Stamford Bridge following a mediocre season at AC Milan, but don’t be fooled…this man has won it all! The Italian Cup, the Super Cup, the World Club Championship, the UEFA Cup and Serie A. He is also part of an elite footballing group being one of only 6 players who have won the Champions League as a player and a coach. The most recent coach to do that was Pep Guardiola this year with Barcelona. 

Ancelotti is an interesting character too. I think he’ll live upto that character a lot more than Phil Scolari did. Some people say he’s as fascinating as Jose Mourinho. In order to manage a club like Chelsea or the “big four” in general, you have to have that something special. Hiddink had it, plus he also started to help erase the memory of Mourinho during his time with the Blues. If you look at Ancelotti’s successes as a player and coach, it appears he might be able to erase the memory of Mourinho completely in his first season. Unless he smokes during training of course and gives his players unnecessary respiratory problems to the point where they are unable to compete and have to forfeit their season.

Do you think Chelsea have made the right choice? Can you see them winning the title with Ancelotti next season? Do you think the Italian master will bring any of his ex-players with him from AC Milan? And will he be able to square-up to Rafa Benitez, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger?

Money, money, money

robinho446-7930141Robinho to Manchester City? Really? We’ve seen it all now. Talk about a twist and turn in the summer transfer market nobody was expecting. What was bigger news for City? The purchase of Robinho or the club being bought by a billionaire? As ABBA once sang, “Money, money, money, must be funny in a rich man’s world.” But who’s laughing now?

If you are a City fan, you must be rubbing your hands together with pure delight. Perhaps you’ve finally put the fear in your neighbourhood enemy, Manchester United. If you are a Chelsea hater, you must be ticked-pink they are finally being knocked-off their transfer pedestal! However, if you are a true football fan, you must be a little worried about the current path our game is taking.

The TV money has helped so many teams and the profile of some lesser clubs has been raised because of that exposure. We are able to see the best players in the world play in the most entertaining league in the world. However, have they taken things too far? Has the importance of money affected our game? Should we use the American sports model which ensures the spread of wealth to all teams? Would this create a more level competitive playing field for all teams in the Premier League? Could it also ensure the survival of smaller clubs with less investment and financial backing?

All we know today is that a new giant has been created in the English game. And this giant is now a giant not because of the way they play football or the amount of trophies they have won. They are a new giant because some rich bloke decided he needed a new toy to play with. Perhaps deep down inside I wish this rich bloke had bought Arsenal, If he had, would the likes of Hleb and Flamini still be at the club? Henry too perhaps?

Young players are easily influenced by things, especially money. As fans across the globe languish in a financial economic crisis, some clubs are behaving in an irresponsible financial manner that could see the Premier League in a football recession in the near future. You can’t blame Robinho for accepting City’s offer. You can’t blame the businessman for making an investment with his own hard earned cash. Ultimately, the league is responsible for how the business side of football is run. What is their primary concern though? What are they going to do about the future our game? Money, money, money, always sunny, in the rich man’s world…

Another predictable ending to a soccer soap opera…

82621528MU009_MUFC_BERBDimitar 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…

Spurs splashed out on a Bentley…

77414576RM024_Blackburn_RovDavid Bentley could prove a great signing for Spurs. He’s young, ambitious, focused and a very driven player. He’ll be dedicated to the cause. However, did Spurs pay too much for him? Is he worth that kind of money and does he have the talent to warrant being in that bracket? Does it matter when his best years are ahead of him? The jury’s still out on Bentley. I mean we know he has a great engine, skillful ability encompassed with sheer confidence and he can make others around him look good. But will he grow to become a classic, a legend and a regular England international? I need to think about this one…