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Whoa, that might be right. I thought he was at least 20 when Wenger signed him, but not so.
Incidentally, the aforementioned Owen Hargreaves doesn't count as home-grown. He played his first club football in Canada and Germany. Didn't come to England until his mid-twenties.
My google skills have failed to find anything concrete. The Daily Fail's article about the Rodwell signing implied they signed Rodwell in part b/c of the home grown rule but, you know...The Daily Fail so that's probably not true.
Maybe it's a combination of home grown AND that they rate him. He's not far removed from being a Man U target and England's next big thing.
You have to love it that MLS--MLS!--can come up with 300 million of their own money for a stadium but MLB with its billions and billions in revenue can't even imagine coming up with that kind of scratch. Egads!
Yeah, you have it backwards. MLS has to come up with $300 million of their own money because they can't get any municipalities to give them the money. MLB doesn't have that problem.
MLS is putting up the cash which they will then try to get back when they sell the franchise rights, presumably. That's going to be quite an investment for whatever group comes forward. Then again, a ready-made stadium in New York could be a valuable property.
I kid! Rodwell is still a fairly promising talent and has shown he can slot in as a center back in a pinch. That may be important to Mancini if City are serious about cutting Kolo Toure loose this year, as the squad is already a little thin at that position after Kompany and Lescott. Yeah, Richards can fake it there too, but I don't think Mancini trusts him defensively at fullback let alone in the middle. Savic and Boyata are still young and raw.
Rodwell's also a "freebie" for this year as he's still U-21 for the purposes of the 25-man. That means City can afford to bring him along gently this season without the pressure of him taking up a full roster spot.
Shooty knows full well that MLB teams can afford it. I think we all do. He's just pointing out the hilarity of teams crying poor when MLS can afford it. Houston's new stadium cost... wait for it... $95 million. And $15 million of that was for the land.
This is another arrow in the quiver for those against public funding for stadiums. And yes, the tide might actually start to be turning, at least in other sports. Here in Atlanta the Falcons want the city (most likely it will end up being a suburban county) to pay for a shiny new stadium for them, and they're going to be fighting an uphill battle for a number of reasons. As someone who will be very opposed to that, this is another piece of information I can use.
It's hard to say that €33M is a bargain, but I think for that price there would have been some Premiership teams interested and its a lot more common for Spaniards to make that move. Not to rehash everything I said last week, but a guy like Martinez that can offer you a lot of cover on the pitch would seem to have done wonders for a team like United. And City would do a lot better with Martinez compared to Rodwell.
While 25M isn't pocket change, In today's market I think top teams (teams challenging for Champions League knockout stages) have to pay at least €20M for established starters in their prime (22-27). There are always bargains and you could get lucky but those opportunities are becoming fewer and fewer.
I suppose you would have Falcao or Soldado up top. Wings would be ok with Nevas and Turan. But I can't come up with a center midfield or a back line that could compete. That might just be my ignorance of La Liga but maybe not ...
Not to mention that Martinez was obviously available for transfer and Song might not be. Arsene isn't exactly one to let his players go without a fight.
So can either Belsor or Beitashour play right back for the US? I guess you can move Castillo over to the right too.
I'd like to see something like this for Wednesday:
Boyd
LanDo
Beasley - Torres - Williams
Jones
Johnson - Cameron - MOF - Belsor/Beitashour
Howard
What? When you can pay almost twice as much for a teenager who someday might be as good as him? SAF scoffs at you.
Shea/Torres-Boyd/Gomez-Donovan
Torres/Edu-Beckerman-Jones
Johnson-Cameron-MFMOF-Beithasour
Howard
And they will get smoked.
1. Manchester City
2. Manchester United
3. Arsenal
4. Tottenham
5. Chelsea
6. Newcastle
7. Everton
8. Liverpool
9. Sunderland
10. QPR
11. Stoke
12. West Brom
13. Fulham
14. West Ham
15. Aston Villa
16. Swansea
17. Norwich
18. Wigan
19. Reading
20. Southampton
Of course, if football made any sense they'd shut the transfer window two weeks before the season starts rather than two weeks after, but whatchya gonna do?
There are still plenty of bargains to be had. Plenty of players who could be regular starters for most big teams, move for 10m quid or so. The problem that big clubs have, is that nobody is stupid enough to sell them those kind of players that cheaply*. In a way, the interest of a big club acts as proof of the players' value, and sets the minimum that they can pay for somebody.
*except Dortmund apparently
Something tells me they're going to end the season on a really good run of form and avoid relegation. I don't know why, just a feeling.
Forever? FIFA is taking it off the calendar after this year, right?
I think so, but my hate burns forever.
At some point it has to stop, right? Speaking of which, at some point Everton will not finish strong after starting poorly.
Correct.
I don't mind it being a younger team of North American-based players. That's a good thing. I do mind that Orosco Fiscal is in, he clearly isn't good enough, and I'll mind if Klinsmann plays Torres or Danny Williams on the wing again. Yes, it's a meaningless friendly... but it's Mexico. Any other team and I wouldn't care.
So are Jonathan Spector & Tim Ream completely off Klinsmann's radar? Spector can play a number of defensive positions adequately and he was starting regularly in the Championship last season (not a great accomplishment but IMO a step up from MLS). Ream was starting regularly in the EPL last year.
I realize both players may have turned down invites to focus on their clubs, but we haven't seen either guy with the US for almost a year.
2. WTF is Spain having a friendly with Puerto Rico for? Puerto Rico? And in Puerto Rico days before La Liga starts? Weird.
With a nap,the day is not enought long...i make a dream!As we signe a BIG STRIKER. Very good! who score many goal!!!but it was. A dream LOL
Even Disco Benny is making fun of Spurs now...
2. Man U
3. Arsenal
4. Chelsea
5. Tottenham
6. Liverpool
7. Newcastle
8. Everton
9. Fulham
10. Sunderland
11. Stoke
12. Aston Villa
13. Swansea
14. QPR
15. West Brom
16. West Ham
17. Reading
18. Wigan
19. Southampton
20. Norwich
2. Manchester City
3. Chelsea
4. Arsenal
5. Tottenham
6. Liverpool
7. Newcastle
8. Everton
9. Swansea
10. Fulham
11. Stoke
12. Sunderland
13. QPR
14. West Ham
15. Aston Villa
16. West Brom
17. Norwich
18. Wigan
19. Reading
20. Southampton
The more gossipy boards are having a field day with this.
I can imagine. The bit about being ordered to call Julie Foudy is hilarious.
A link for Disco Benny.
2. Manchester United
3. Chelsea
4. Arsenal
5. Tottenham
6. Liverpool
7. Newcastle
8. Everton
9. Stoke
10. Norwich
11. Swansea
12. Aston Villa
13. Fulham
14. West Ham
15. Sunderland
16. Reading
17. Wigan
18. QPR
19. West Brom
20. Southampton
Friedel
Walker Kaboul Vertonghen BAE
Livermore Jenas
Lennon Sigurdsson Bale
Defoe or Kane
Hoo boy!
Plus, this gem of a penalty kick.
I've set up one on the official Premier League site - same as last year. League code is 556627-143171.
Someone post this on the top of the next page as well.
Was at a bookstore yesterday and ready some of the WC parts of the book. Just unbelievable. That team was like a sorority from a bad 70's movie. I completely get Hope's bitterness and she gets a complete pass from me. I normally not for the self-serving biographies, but Hope is ok by me for this one. The passive agressiveness, the intervention like sit downs and the cattiness were so over the top to almost be unbelievable. Amy Wambach and the rest of those mean girls on that team deserve to be humiliated by this if even a portion was true.
More importantly, have Spurs signed a striker today? That, of course, is a rhetorical question. They have not signed a striker today. No, sir, they have not.
One thing I've been wondering about as I've been looking over the season projections. How serious a title contender is Arsenal in their present state? Say that their club's plan was to keep the roster together and spend £35M on attackers. They're not the strongest at the back, but they're not bad, and the attack would be electric. Are they particularly far behind the Manchester superteams? I think they're pretty clearly #3 in the league, and a case could be made to place them higher.
It's seemed to me that they're being evaluated based on the presumption that Robin van Persie won't stay. If that's wrong, then they need to be re-evaluated significantly.
I floated this idea to Shooty as we were walking to Red Bull Arena, and he scoffed. Scoffed, I tell you!
It'd take a considerable amount of humble pie consumption from all parties involved, but it makes a certain degree of sense for those same parties. I'd hope Berba would be Plan B rather than Plan A at the center forward position, though.
Raise your hand if you think Robin van Persie will play in every single league match for the second consecutive season. (His previous high in league appearances was 28.) I think the discussion of Arsenal's title chances flows from there.
Arsenal's defense is as good as their ability to dominate possession and thereby prevent the other team from actually attacking their defense that much. If you can get the ball, you can get at their defense and score. All their fullbacks are liabilities defensively except for Sagna. Their center backs are either short and prone to getting sucked upfield (Vermaelen, Koscielny), tall but slower than molasses (Mertesacker), or just plain bad (Djourou, Squillaci). They still haven't replaced the protective midfield presence that Flamini and Gilberto Silva gave them, unless you're convinced that Frimpong is ready for the big time. Song is the only other senior midfielder they've got who's somewhat defensively inclined, and even he spent a lot of time playing high up the pitch last season.
The attack could be electric, as you say, but they've got an awful lot riding on the continued presence and perfect health of van Persie and the settling of Podolski, Cazorla, and Giroud. If van Persie leaves and/or their three big signings take some time to adjust, it might not be so electric. I am assuming that the new guys will integrate pretty well because Wenger is a superb coach and his teams' attacking play is always top class. I wouldn't bet on another 30-goal season from van Persie, though. That's 12 more than he's ever managed before.
Looking at the whole package, I see a team with the same strengths and the same weaknesses they've had for at least three years. I think 3rd or 4th is about right.
I like Arsenal's chances more if they play Ramsey less. He was brutal last season. Absolutely brutal.
EDIT: Agree with Mattbert again about Ramsey. He was bad for Arsenal last year and bad for GB in the Olympics.
2. Manchester United - They have the depth and organization. Still the main challengers.
3. Chelsea - Have splashed some cash. Drogba is a veteran they will miss. Di Matteo is a lucky guy, not fit to carry The Special One's jock.
4. Liverpool - Hey, I gotta be different, right? I believe in Brendan Rodgers.
5. Aston Villa - Let's be eccentric, if not totally insane. While out camping in the Lake District, Paul Lambert finds a golden ring in a stream, it is a nifty ring that turns you invisible when you wear it. Another oddity is that when you heat it, an indecipherable inscription in glowing runes becomes visible. Lambert keeps the ring as a good luck charm.
6. Tottenham - Good first year from AVB.
7. Arsenal - And then the little train couldn't.
8. Newcastle - Well, where else?
9. Everton - Frothing fans get their way when Moyes leaves, next year finds them 19th.
10. Fulham - Mid-table is a strange place full of serenity. Fulham belong there.
11. Sunderland - If the height of their ambition is to get Steven Fletcher, they will end up in 11th.
12. Southampton - This year's surprise package.
13. Norwich - Normal for Norfolk.
14. West Brom - Bonus points for having Swedes and honorary Swede Hodgson.
15. Stoke - All their goals this season will be from Rory Delap throws.
16. West Ham - Allardyce will keep them up.
17. QPR - Will prosper without Barton, struggle with him, and finally get rid of him.
18. Swansea - I don't believe in high-profile coaches from La Liga in Wales.
19. Reading - One of the newcomers have to go, I've anointed the saints and Sam is a wily devil. That leaves Reading.
20. Wigan - The high-wire act comes to an end.
From a Spurs board about the quest for a new striker. The natives are getting restless! Half the ITK's say Adebayor is wrapped up the other half say it's panic time. It's good theater. Not quite RAWK level hysteria but getting there.
The bigger issue is no Allen, no Caulker, no Sigurdsson and possibly no Scott Sinclair. That is a massive drain of talent for Laudrup to overcome. Sigurdsson had the second highest average game rating on whoscored.com the PL after January. Stats and lies and all that, but the #'s back up how good he looked on the pitch and Joe Allen was their heartbeat. I fear for Swansea as I have a soft spot for them and would love for them to stay up.
edit: And why are Wolves rejecting 12 million for Steven Fletcher? Am I underrating Fletcher, because I don't think he's worth nearly that much. Though I guess from the Wolves perspective, getting back to the PL is worth much more than 12 million and Fletcher is certainly good enough to help them get promoted. So, never mind I guess, I think I'm answering my own question here...
They still wouldn't finish 5th.
He MUST have some English blood in him...
Everyone knows Modric is going to Real. No one knows the fee yet. No one knows what Spurs wanted in June and no one will know what the fee is once Modric goes. No one really knows what Chelsea offered last year. It's all made up BS, really, but here are a group of Spurs fan calling the Levy a failure and he should get fired in a summer in which he pulled Sigurdsson and Vertonghen from the market for what Liverpool paid for Joe Allen. Brilliant. I seriously think the only reasonable place to discuss Spurs is right here.
That said, sign a striker already, damn it!
The regular posters at the blog that carried my (our?) Red Bulls v Spurs writeup tend to be quite reasonable. Perhaps unsurprisingly, traffic there is pretty low.
However, I am loosely committed to trying my hand at being an abjectly destitute man's Michael Cox insofar as I will be writing the occasional tactical preview and/or post-mortem for Spurs games at that site. I will do my best to be reasonable!
I should probably register and mock your reports. Longwell? Try WRONGwell!
Manchester United and Arsenal have agreed terms for the transfer of Robin van Persie. Confirmed on both clubs' official websites.
Despite this being obvious for a couple of weeks, just let me say...HOLY CRAP!
You can do that from the safety of anonymity!
No no no. I WANT you to know its me. I will haunt the spaces between your every waking thought.
I hope you're going for frothingly insane reasonableness.
Despite this being obvious for a couple of weeks, just let me say...HOLY CRAP!
When did Arsenal become this meek selling club forever bullied around by its players? Is it all David Dein's fault for leaving? Or the board's fault for kicking him out?
Spurs would never be treated like this!
Naw, I think the gap between Man U, Barca, Real and the Petro-Clubs is just so wide now that even a big club like Arsenal gets pushed around. I don't see how David Dein could force Van Persie not to sulk about losing out on 220K a week.
No, but he could at least have made sure that valuable players didn't have expiring contracts. Arsenal has that problem every offseason now.
(Not that selling RVP for the quoted 24 million British is a bad move. Still, there seemed to be a bit of momentum building after picking up Cazorla for a pittance.)
Second, well, there are two basic goals in making a transfer. First is to get a fair price. Second is to make the transfer quickly, so that you have time to spend the money you received, and so that the new players have time to train with the squad, learn the system, and build relationships with their manager and teammates. Selling Modric this late in the transfer season means you've lost on goal (b), so you better be doing better on goal (a) than you would have if you'd sold him earlier in the window. This seems implausible, though I could certainly be wrong.
There are scenarios in which Daniel Levy handled the Modric transfer particularly well - if the sum he gets from Real is significantly larger than what he could have extracted from them in July - but it seems much more likely that this was poorly handled. So long as the money gets spent intelligently, presumably on a striker and a creative midfielder, it won't be the end of the world. But it doesn't seem like Levy covered himself in glory on this one.
Have they really? They splashed out £30M on 27 yo Berbatov. van Persie has just turned 29, it doesn't seem all that radical in comparison.
Guardian: Tottenham's Luke Modric on way to Real Madrid for £26M plus add-ons. Hey, wow, this is the first word on the transfer fee. That's about what I've been expecting, I wonder what the specific escalators are, or how much they can add up to. I'll take a look at the article itself...Seriously Guardian? You cite "indications" from Spain that £26m is the low point, and you hedge by saying Tottenham wants more? That's the basis for your headline?
We don't have enough info to tell. Did Madrid lowball Spurs and play hardball because they had already tapped Modric up? Were Spurs holding out for Sahin who for some reason thinks playing for Spurs is like a rainy Tuesday night in Stoke? Is Modric unwilling to put in a transfer request? Is AVB willing to roll the dice on an unhappy Modric if he's unable to get Moutinho? There are a million things that could be holding up this transfer and the reaction in the Spurs blogosphere to every rumor that is dropped is past the point of silly. It happens every window and you'd think people would learn. What I do know is that we signed one of the most promising young defenders in Europe and Sigurdsson (who looks like he's going to be a star) and didn't have to pay the odds for either, hired one of the brightest young managers in Europe, opened a 40 million pound training center that everyone is raving about, started the process of building a new stadium and signed Bale to a long term contract all while Levy's mother died and his wife is seriously ill. I think Spurs fans should cut Levy some slack, already. Not you in specific, just in general. It's been a good summer, except for the lack of a striker though I imagine Adebayor will be sorted soon. If Defoe can beat Italy maybe he can get us past Newcastle to start the season?
See, even The Guardian falls for this crap! But, you know, if Modric puts in a transfer request, I'll take 26 million with add-ons that take it to around 30. That seems reasonable.
It's arbitrary, but they've had an age policy of 27 for quite some time. In fact, they generally won't go above 24.
I wonder if this isn't their attempt to gazump Man City.
It's arbitrary, but they've had an age policy of 27 for quite some time. In fact, they generally won't go above 24.
Yeah, and it's a good rule. But we're talking about F'n van Persie here. He's arguably the best striker in the world. You have to make exceptions for the best players in the world. I like that van Persie's transfer fee is so much smaller than Andy Carroll's.
The Telegraph is reporting that Real upped their bid to over £30m. That would mean that Levy's brinksmanship paid off, maybe? Ok, now I'll wait til there's an official confirmation. (Or until there's another rumor! that I want to talk about. Either way.)
Gomez
LanDo
Torres - Jones - Beckerman - Williams
Castillo - Cameron - Edu - Johnson
Howard
I'd rather see Boyd over Gomez but this is reasonable.
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