All posts by h79snht.top

The inevitable departure of Jose Enrique left many Newcastle United fans wondering whether they’d ever see a left back of his supposed class pound the turf at St James’ Park ever again.

The Spaniard’s defection to Liverpool at the beginning of August left a gaping hole in the squad, one that manager Alan Pardew needed to fill. But with restrictions on transfer fees and the kind of player he was allowed to buy many lost hope that a quality defender would be brought in replace the departed Enrique. Geordie fans were worried that they’d be lumbered with inferior players like Nicky Shorey or Wayne Bridge who just weren’t up to par with the expectations on Tyneside. Despite PSV Eindhoven’s Erik Pieters being the prime target for Pardew he sprang a huge surprise when he announced the signing of 20-year-old Italian Davide Santon from Inter Milan. Capped by the national side and with a glowing endorsement from former boss Jose Mourinho it seemed like Newcastle had pulled off a massive coup. Unfortunately the comparisons to a former Italian misfit immediately began to surface and questions were raised as to whether he was a suitable enough replacement.

13 years ago Alessandro Pistone made a similar move whilst Kenny Dalglish was manning the dugout at St James’. A huge amount of hype surrounded the young Italian after a fantastic season in Serie A with Inter and Newcastle felt that they had pulled off a massive feat in bringing him in for the small sum of £4.5 million. Fast forward 12 months and Pistone was the subject of much derision from Geordie fans with his under-par performances and inability to get to grips with the Premier League seeing him fail to live up to the heady expectations set by those in black and white. Inter must have been laughing all the way to the bank and there is now the fear that Santon will go the same way as his predecessor. It’s easy to see why many fans will go down that route of thinking, with the parallels between the two almost indistinguishable. Unfortunately some fans will come to this conclusion and one bad game will see them instantly write Santon off as another Pistone and claim he isn’t fit to clean Enrique’s boots. I don’t speak for every Newcastle fan but I bet my bottom dollar there will be some who utter those exact words.

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If anyone ever does say that I’d respectfully disagree because the young Italian is a fine player and at his age can still improve. I’ve watched him a few times for Inter and his calmness and composure on the ball, for a full back, is incredible. Santon actually has a level of intelligence about his play that will fit in well with the new on-field philosophy at Newcastle, which is to pass the ball and work openings. His decision making and reading of the game is also pretty good and I’d go as far as to say it’s superior to that of Enrique’s who used to get caught out quite a lot and had to use his pace and strength to recover situations. On the subject of speed Santon has that in abundance, as he is lightning quick up and down the wing and can also deliver crosses with either foot. His ambidexterity will certainly be his biggest asset in his maiden season as it will allow him to charge down the line and deliver a cross or cut inside and have a shot on goal.

There are a few concerns though over whether he will be able to withstand the physical nature of the Premier League and whether he will smoothly adjust to a new country and culture, but he wouldn’t be the first to have proved that theory wrong. I believe Newcastle have an exciting talent on their hands and a worthy replacement for the departed Enrique. Santon possess’ a lot of the same qualities as the Spaniard and at 20-years of age has time to develop and acclimatize to the rigors of English football. There is no doubt in my mind that he will go in the opposite direction to Alessandro Pistone and will be a major success at St James’ Park. Not every defender is labeled the next Paolo Maldini are they?!

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Agree, disagree and fancy a debate? Follow me on twitter @Kajynnep and make yourself known!

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After the Transfer Window had closed, QPR Captain Joey Barton tweeted the following about Arsenal.

“Nasri and fabregas [sic] replaced with Benayoun and Arteta?? I wouldn’t have done that on FM2010”

The controversial man of the moment has a point and it raises the question as to what state Arsenal in. Barton made these comments before the North London side played Swansea and Blackburn but his words hold true after two very unconvincing performances.

What has to be look at is who they have replaced man for man. As Barton says, Nasri and Fabregas have been replaced with Benayoun and Arteta. Elsewhere, André Santos has come in for Gael Clichy and Park Chu Young appears to be the Nicklas Bendtner replacement.

Wenger also brought in another centre back in Per Mertesacker and Gervinho gives further attacking options. Carl Jenkinson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joel Campbell were also bought with the future in mind.

However, in all honesty quite a few of the players they’ve bought all come with doubts to them.

For example, Benayoun has been crippled by injury over the last year. For all the brilliance of Mikel Arteta in the Premier League, he’s not as good as Fabregas as his lack of a cap for Spain shows. André Santos isn’t the first choice left back for a Brazil side which has been poor by their high standards. Although Park Chu Young is the captain of Korea, he was relegated last season with Monaco. It begs the question why are Arsenal buying relegated Ligue 1 players. Even Mertesacker from Werder Bremen hasn’t played for Germany since March and is notorious for not being the quickest player.

Now it’s good in a way they all have doubts because you could look at it in the way that they all have a point to prove. However, when you’re shelling out around £50 million, it seems puzzling.

Wenger is known for his ability to find a gem but his powers of management have waned rapidly over the last few years. It’s almost as if the Frenchman has gone to the second hand store having missed out on the likes of Juan Mata over the summer.

Rod Liddle commented on Wenger’s transfer dealings in the Sunday Times on the 4th September.

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“Arsene Wenger has behaved much as I do on Christmas Eve when no presents have been bought and Sainsburys is still open.”

It is the departures of Fabregas and Nasri that overshadow all of Wenger’s signings. There’s a lack of passion from this current side, especially without the fantastic prospect that is Jack Wilshere. Arsenal’s fortunes should increase upon his return in November.

Nevertheless as Simon Barnes articulated in the Times recently, the players don’t seem to have much faith in Arsene Wenger’s methods. His point resonates further when you glance at the table. Even if Wenger is able to restore faith, without Fabregas and Nasri, things look significantly bleaker for the Gunners despite the late flurry of summer arrivals.

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The season is still in its infancy, but we have already learnt plenty and had plenty of controversial points to discuss, as we begin to discover what the new season has in store for us. We have seen loads of great goals, moves, and team performances so far, as well as some pretty shocking play at times from certain clubs. A lot of matches have been competitive and hard fought, suggesting that this year will be closer than ever in the league. We have also seen some horribly one sided performances, with heavy defeats and goals flying in, due to some pretty atrocious defending.

All the signs are suggesting that this season, both at the top and the bottom of the division, is going to be closer than ever. The established names of Manchester United and Chelsea are up there fighting for the title alongside Manchester City, and you can’t write off Tottenham or Liverpool just yet, as it appears that it will be a titantic battle between the top sides this season. Things appear to be close at the bottom too, with the Premier League new boys-Norwich, QPR and Swansea-all impressing and picking up good points at the start of the season, and some of the more seasoned Premier League clubs, like Bolton and Sunderland, yet to get fully up and running.

The media circus surrounding football has seemingly gone into full overdrive this season. We have already seen Chelsea written out of the title race, Arsenal in crisis, Steve Bruce favourite to get the sack, and several other stories taken to ridiculous extremes by the press.

The season is long and things can change, but there are some distinct trends emerging that will characterise the year ahead.

Click on the McLeish banner below to see the top ten things we have learnt from the season so far:

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The likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are not likely to be seen in the Premier League in the near future but the rest of Europe is certainly open to trading for the big guns in the English game and whether it be in January or the summer, there could be some more big names on the plane to the best league in the world.

The likes of Ronaldo, Robinho, David Silva, Carlos Tevez and Fernando Torres have graced the Premier League in recent years and that has turned the English game into the best in the world. Here is a list of players in Europe that are targets for Premier League clubs and could be seen here in the near future. Who would you like at your club?

Click on Ricardo Montolivo to unveil the top 10

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Compiled by Brad Pinard

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‘Silent’ Stan Kroenke’s affliction to public address has done little to appease Arsenal fans’ scepticism about his intentions for their club, and after making his oratory debut at the Arsenal AGM last Thursday, many of those doubts will still remain.

The 54-year-old American took the opportunity to lavish praise upon fellow countrymen and Manchester United counterparts the Glazer family, musing how the much maligned Old Trafford owners, “could have done it any better?”

Arsenal’s majority shareholder was talking admiringly about how during their six year tenure at Old Trafford, the Glazers have overseen huge revenue and turnovers gains whilst watching the team go through arguably their most sustained period of on-field success in their history.

Since the Glazers arrived in 2005 the Red Devils have scooped four Premier League titles, three League Cups and appeared in three Champions League finals, and this trophy-laden era has been coupled with an ever increasing cash-flow into the club and escalating value of their asset. In many ways, the Glazers have perfectly executed a chapter from Uncle Sam’s big fat textbook of business acquisitions.

Kroenke’s appraisal of the Glazers will come as a surprise to your average football fan, but your average football fan and the American billionaire businessmen are looking at the issue from two completely different perspectives. His complimentary rhetoric was not due a response, yet there will be few United fans lacking suggestions of how the Glazers ‘could have done it any better’.

Financial figures released at the start of September show United now have debts of over £300m with hundreds of millions of pounds of club money being siphoned off to pay high rate interest payments and debt administration to fund the Glazers leveraged buyout.

Legally the Glazers are doing nothing wrong but within footballing morality their conduct is up for debate. The football club are making more money than ever but huge proportions of it are going straight back out to effectively pad out the Glazers eventual profit. Kroenke may approve, but the father to son tradition that has made United what they are see differently.

The Manchester United brand is one which has been cultivated over decades to the point where they are arguably the biggest football club in the world. The seeds of United’s commercial success were sewn from before the Busby era and beyond, with the likes of Edwards, Charlton, Best, Robson, Cantona, Beckham and the many others all shaping the club as a global commodity long before the Glazers decided to capitalise on ‘Gold Trafford’ – the emporium which is a licence to print money.

Recent endorsements such as an £80m shirt sponsorship agreement with Aon and a £40m training kit deal with DHL show the profitability of Manchester United as a money making vehicle. Such deals will always be likely within the financial pulling power of football as a sport, meaning that clubs with the identity of United will always appeal to the masses – especially if they are winning.

Nine major trophies since their takeover suggests United are winning, but once again, the influence of the Glazers over this period is dwarfed by the presence of Sir Alex Ferguson and his unparalleled ability to manage Manchester United football club.

Another barometer that United’s relative success is despite the Glazers and not because of it comes when you analyse the transfer spend Ferguson has had to work with during their helm.

In the five seasons preceding the takeover, United’s former PLC spent approximately £120m net on players, but the Glazers have reduced that lavish spending. Between 2005-2011, United have spent close to £230m on players but have offset that with sales of £175m, meaning net over six years is less than half what the PLC commissioned. It’s a good job Ferguson can make wine from water.

The chicken and egg scenario for United fans wishing to oust the Glazers is that the more successful the club are, the more income they generate and the more money the Glazers will eventually earn. It seems the football team and the owners are living a symbiotic life whereby the football element does what it can and achieves what it does in contradiction to the way the owners do what they do.

So, in summary, Manchester United are making more money than ever but huge amounts of that is leaving club coffers to fulfil unrelated personal debt commitments, whilst less of their self earned money is being reimbursed back into the team and supporters are being forced to pay heavily inflated ticket prices to watch their heroes.

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The fact that Stan Kroenke thinks the Glazers are doing a good job should strike an ominous chord with Arsenal fans.

follow John Baines @ http://twitter.com/#!/bainesyDiego10

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With a third of the Premier League season now gone by, the table is starting to find its level and supporters are starting to get a better understanding of where their respective clubs are at this season and the challenge that faces them in the coming months. Once again the Premier League has been broken up into three tiers, with each team facing their own private battle.

Unlike previous years there has certainly been some stability on the managerial front with only Steve Bruce succumbing to the bullet so far, as clubs look to show patience with their managers to turn around their current plights. The managers may not be so patient with players at their disposal and may look to make significant changes in the January transfer window.

The January transfer window is loved and loathed in equal measures, with many managers and supporters alike welcoming the opportunity to freshen things up, while others see it as a source of distraction. History shows it is a renowned place for panic buying, as last January certainly proved, but there have been notable successes in the past that shows it can be a significant period to turn around a club’s fortunes. I feel the African Cup of Nations and the unprecedented amount of long term injuries we have seen will force many club’s hands and subsequently we can expect to see another expensive month for many Premier League chairman.

So how do you feel about Tottenham’s fortunes so far this season and would you look to see changes made in January? Who would you like to see brought in and ultimately who would you like to see moved on in the up and coming window?

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Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has admitted that he would like to return to management in England, but only after his time at the Santiago Bernabeu is done.

The Portuguese tactician had a largely successful stint with Chelsea before winning the Champions League and Serie A double with Inter; he is now eager to bring silverware to the Spanish capital.

Despite having a contract with Madrid until 2014, Mourinho has stated that he would love his next job to be back in the Premier League.

“I am very, very happy to be in Real Madrid,” he told BBC Radio Four.

“It is a great experience for me. I believe it is probably the biggest club in the history of football, I didn’t want to miss the chance to work here, but my passion is England and my next step will be to go back, if possible go and stay for a long time.

“Get me a club in a couple of years, get me a good club,” he stated.

Mourinho has been touted as one of the candidates to replace Sir Alex Ferguson when the Scottish coach finally stands down from the Manchester United hotseat, and he is not counting this out.

“I would consider going to Manchester United but United have to consider if they want me to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson. If they do, then of course,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Out of form West Brom head to the Potteries on Saturday hoping to end a four match winless run against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.

The Potters won’t be easy to beat though just as Liverpool found out last week in their goalless draw at Anfield. A typically gritty defensive performance saw Tony Pulis’ men leave Merseyside with a well deserved point and they’ll welcome a return to home comforts after two games on the road as they continue to chase a Europa League place. Three draws from their last five have stumped that progress since the turn of the year but Albions visit on Saturday presents an opportunity to get that back on track. 10 games at home has yielded four wins and just two defeats with Newcastle and QPR the only teams to leave the Britannia with maximum points. Pulis will be confident his players can win at home for the first time in 2012 against their goal shy opponents especially if they defend like they did the previous week. Robert Huth and captain Ryan Shawcross were the stars for Stoke last week but will have to face up against an attack packed with plenty of pace. Limiting West Brom to long balls will be the job of midfield pair Wilson Palacios and Glenn Whelan who’s tenacious play in the middle will provide the key to victory.

Three consecutive defeats in the New Year has left the Baggies just five points above the relegation zone and edging towards a battle for survival. Roy Hodgson’s men looked to have turned a corner following consecutive away victories before Christmas but performances since then have been nothing short of woeful. Last week’s late defeat at home to Norwich highlighted their fragility when caught on the break. A dynamic counter attack from the Canaries saw Steve Morison head the winning goal and leave Albion dumbstruck after they came from behind and looked to be on course for a well-earned point. Winning at home has been the problem for West Brom this season and they’ll be thankful to get back on the road where they’ve picked up four wins and two draw from 10 games. Getting Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie into the game will be Hodgson’s biggest concern ahead of their trip to the Potteries. Utilising their pace in behind Stoke’s defence will be a tough task and with captain Chris Brunt absent with injury James Morison will be tasked with providing the killer passes.

Stoke City 8th : 30 points

Last six: D W D D L W

Team news: Stoke have no new injury concerns with Ryan Shotton the only long-term absentee

Key Player: Wilson Palacios

After a relatively slow start to his Stoke career Palacios has become an important player for Tony Pulis in midweek. The bulldozing Honduran will play a key role on Saturday with restricting West Brom in midfield as they try to exploit the Potters’ lack of pace at the back.

West Bromwich Albion 15th : 22 points

Last six: L L L D W W

Team news: Billy Jones and Jonas Olsson are both doubts but Steven Reid could return for the first time since late December. Captain Chris Brunt is out until April.

Key Player: Shane Long

A few niggling injuries over Christmas limited Long’s involvement in the last few weeks but he proved his worth to West Brom last week. The Irishman leapt off the bench to score the equaliser for Albion and will be pushing for a start this time round.

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PREDICTION

Stoke’s defensive performance against Liverpool was remarkable but they’ll be hoping for a more attacking imputes this time. Their strong home record comes up against West Brom’s impressive form on the road. However three straight defeats has left the Baggies bereft of confidence and they’ll struggle in the Potteries.

Score: 3-1

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Following the huge opposition Liverpool Managing Director Ian Ayre faced when he suggested clubs should negotiate their own television deals, Manchester United may be starting to jump on board with the idea and follow the path well trodden by Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona. A good idea for individual clubs rather than the league as a whole, or will the determination for club’s to take advantage of their global appeal cripple the Premier League and rock the equilibrium that has kept the ship steady for so long?

Before swift opposition from the teams regularly placed lower in the Premier League arrives, it would be wise to think over the positives of allowing club’s to negotiate their own television deals. Not just because Real Madrid and Barcelona do it, but because the top Premier League clubs can do it—and they could likely get very close or even equal what the Spanish clubs are getting. Is it in the best interest of top clubs in England to look out for those below them on the revenue ladder? Surely there is a greater market to take advantage of now than there was when the Premier League was formed.

Looking at the Deloitte’s financial report this morning, Manchester United are looking to slip further away from Barcelona and Real Madrid over the next year due to their failure to reach the knock-out stages of the Champions League, and Liverpool are equally in danger of slipping out of the top ten of the Money League if they fail to qualify, at least, for next season’s Europa League. The widening gaps are of great concern and perhaps clubs should start to look out for themselves and the financial rewards their club’s name represents abroad.

Ian Ayre did make an interesting point when he put forward his idea last year: he raised the question, why would foreign fans of the league want to pay to see Bolton, when the majority of their fans live around the Bolton area. Instead, fans want to see clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United on a weekly basis, not as a package with other teams that are rotated on a regular basis. And there is nothing wrong with that. Club’s like Liverpool have a global audience and brand which maybe should dictate who is broadcast in foreign markets. Similarly, American sports such as NHL teams are televised within the region of which they’re from. Games will sometimes air nationwide, but for the most part the Chicago Blackhawks’ games will be regularly broadcast in the state of Illinois and the surrounding area, where as their games are limited nationwide and are more evenly distributed to national carriers such as Versus and NBC. Of course, America is on a much bigger scale than England, but there is nothing wrong with what they’re doing—selling to the market that will pay to watch.

It is definitely an issue that needs to be brought up again and analysed from the point of view of the clubs that will benefit. Will Premier League clubs negotiating their own deals really put such a dent into the league as a whole? Yes, there will be great disparity over the income between clubs at the top and those at the bottom of the table, and the financial trouble of La Liga is well documented; but the fundamental reasoning here is that there is a market to be taken advantage of, and Manchester United, as well as the rest of the Premier League big boys are steadily falling behind those who are active and reaping the rewards.

The Deloitte Sports Business Group presents the Football Money League 2012

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There has been a huge swing in power from clubs and managers to players in the modern game. A knowledge that you simply had to say no to other clubs looking to swoop in for your most prized assets has now significantly changed where players hold all the power. A position and a level of unforeseen status that the modern day footballer can thank Jean-Marc Bosman for.

It has become an increasingly dangerous game to play: clubs allowing player contracts to wind down in the hope that they will re-sign when the time comes, but not soon enough that the club has to shell out extra in wages. Jean-Marc Bosman has, perhaps inadvertently, created a phenomenon in football, one which stretches right across the board from managers in the highest level of the game, all the way down to those who purchase the popular Football Manager series. From a manager’s perspective, at least, it amounts to one of the most worrying aspects of the job when a player enters the final 12-months of his contract.

But footballers should be eternally grateful to Bosman for the difficulties he suffered during his career; affording them the position where they have a greater bargaining tool with which to gain a better contract, or even have a say in the direction their club takes. Essentially, Jean-Marc Bosman has almost made contracts redundant due to the amount of power a player now has.

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While there is nothing left of a footballer in Jean-Marc Bosman today, a man struggling financially and living off state benefits, his legacy is extremely prominent in the modern game. Wayne Rooney has been one of the latest, most high-profile beneficiaries of Bosman’s successful battle in the 1990s, landing a huge pay increase to a reported £250,000 after threatening to walk out on the club. Similarly, Arsenal have been equally burnt by their players taking advantage of the Bosman ruling; Mathieu Flamini headed the revolution at the Emirates and was soon followed by Samir Nasri and now potentially Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott.

Footballers are now demanding what they believe themselves to worth in the open market, and are using the Bosman ruling as a hammer to come down heavily on their clubs should their wage demands not be met. It creates a situation where the player can never lose, while his club can stand to lose millions in potential earnings from a player who has walked away for free. The mercenary in the modern game has obviously spawned from it, creating the illusion that players are no longer playing for their clubs because they want to, rather just pulling on the shirt for the short-term to pick up their earnings and then they’ll be off. Fans are out of touch from players and there is less a sense of togetherness and rather one of a hero potentially stabbing his club in the back somewhere down the line.

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The glamorous footballer lifestyle that we see today can be attributed to Bosman: he has single-handedly made every big name star a millionaire due to his persistent fight to free footballers from their contracts when they were up, and, in turn, allow football as a business to become more parallel with any other where employees can simply walk away. It does nothing for the parent club, but it has created an environment where the employee seemingly holds more power than the people who are paying him.

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