MoneyChester City FC

8:50 PM // by Amogh // // 0 comments


The Richest Football Club At The Moment in EPL ? United ? No . Chelsea . Never . Its Manchester City . And how well did the Richest Club do last season ? A great mid-table 10 th position with Splendid total of 50 points. Achievement innit ?

What comes with the Package :-
Three Goalkeepers .
Eleven Defenders .
Twelve Midfielders .
Ten Fu*king Forwards .

I don't understand what is Mark" Sparky The Manc Legend " Hughes trying to prove ? As of now They have Bojinov, Robinho , Darius Vassell , Jo , Caicedo , Benjani , Sturridge , Bellamy Santa Cruz , And Tevez Deal Nearly Done . Most of them Being " Highly Paid " Strikers . Plus City pressing for Liga BBVA sensation Eto'o . No Other top flight team would have that many Strikers in their first team .

Their 12 Mil Quid Sensation Garath Barry was quoted that the only reason behind quitting Villa was Chamipons League Football ? Then What On earth he was thinking when he signed for City ? Money or Ambition . Or Did He mistake liverpool to city just like robinho ? ( In His press conference , He said I am very happy to signing for chelsea sitting in City Press Box )

But as the Saying Goes , Money Cant Buy Everything . Kaka Denied to Sign for them and Stating the reason as " Manchester City not Big Enough for me . And Beckham stating in an interview " There is only one Club In Manchester " Sums it all up .

I hope Manchester City Dont start a League on their own. And if they keep on signing players like they are now , It wont take them long to do so .


Arsenal FC : Board Room Update

2:26 PM // by R.V. // // 2 comments

Its Summer Time and its that time of the year when Football Clubs are in the news for all sorts of reasons like:-
  1. Who are the club signing?
  2. Who's leaving the club?
  3. Is the manager going to stay for one more season?
  4. Funds avaliable for the club?
We as fans want to know everything about the CLUB we follow and the in general about the future of the player we like!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So let me begin by giving you all an update of all what is happening at ARSENAL FC.


1. Who's in for sure
A:- Thomas Vermaelen (Ajax------->Arsenal €10million)

2. Who's out
A:- No one as of now.

3.Transfer News
  • Miguel Veloso
    Plays as a Central defensive Midfield.
    Value:-     £12million approx.
    Top Arsenal target.
    Possibility of the Deal :- Very High

  • Felipe Melo
    Plays as a Central Defensive Mid.
    Value:- £21mn
    Top Arsenal target.
    Possibility of the deal:- Very Very High as Arsenal need a strong back line

  • Karim Benzema
    Plays as a Striker.
    Value:-     £30million approx.
    Possibility of the Deal :- Moderate considering Wenger who doesn't spend much.

  • Marouane Chamakh
    Plays as a Striker
    Value:-     £5-7mn
    Possibility of the Deal:- Very Very High if Ade leaves and Wenger is unable to sign Benzema
Rumors doing the rounds:-
  1. Arshavin wants to play for Barca.
  2. Adebayor leaving for AC Milan for £23million
  3. Kolo Toure to Manchester City for £12mn
  4. Marouane Chamakh coming to Arsenal for £5mn
From the Board Room:-
English Arsenal Board is apparently ready to stop Alisher Usmanov from pursuing a ‘capital-raising exercise’, as revealed by The Guardian.

Usmanov, who is considered the second-largest shareholder at Arsenal, addressed the Board in writing to put forth a suggestion that would help to reduce the club’s GBP 400 million debt load.

In addition, Usmanov claims that the exercise would also assist manager Arsene Wenger with transfer opportunities this summer.

However, Board members appear to be hesitant to see the plan through, based on the possibility that Usmanov could assume more power.

Although the board members appear to present viable concerns, a chance remains that Usmanov could obtain a greater share following a dissolution of other investors’ holdings.
Hopefully ARSENAL FC have funds to spend

Will be back with more News soon!!!!!!!!!!!









Premier League Season Review: Part 4

4:39 PM // by Dhaval // // 0 comments


Last Season: 17th
Pre-Season Expectations: Avoid Relegation
Pre-Season Transfers(Major):
IN: John Pantsil and Bobby Zamora (£6.3m)
Zoltan Gera (free)
Mark Schwarzer (free)

OUT: Dejan Stefanovic (undisclosed)
Ricardo Batista (undisclosed)
Carlos Bocanegra (free)
Brian McBride (free)

Final Position: 7th

A dream season for Fulham! The fans and the club alike would have never even dreamt of achieving a 7th position in the league at the start of the season. It must have been magical for the Fulham supporters. Last season, Fulham had done the unthinkable by avoiding relegation by the scruff of their neck. All thanks to the 1-0 wins they cropped up at the end of 07-08 season. This season too, they did the unthinkable. Nobody would have thought that Fulham would finish 7th come the end of the season. Not even the Fulham fans! They did so and thereby qualified for the Europa League(new name for the UEFA Cup).

The success at this club this season was majorly because of their defence. Brede Hangeland proved to be rock in the Fulham defence. He was very well complimented by his fellow defenders. Fulham had become very tough to break down. They achieved very good results against the top four clubs at home collecting 7 points out of a possible 12. Fulham neither conceded many goals, nor scored many. They proved time and again that they were a consistent team which reflects on the position they achieved this season.

Next Season:

The future certainly looks exciting for this club. They now have another competition to play in, the Europa League. If they can hold onto Brede Hangeland in the summer, their defence certainly looks stable and balanced. With expectations from Fulham now higher than ever, lets see how they cope with the pressure!


Aston Villa




Last Season: 6th
Pre-Season Expectations: Qualify for UEFA Cup
Pre-Season Transfers(Major):
IN: Steve Sidwell (£5m)
Curtis Davies (undisclosed)
Brad Friedel (£2m)
Emile Heskey(£3.5m) --> January

OUT: Thomas Sorensen (released)
Patrik Berger (free)
Luke Moore (£3m)

Final Position: 6th

Before the season, not many expected Aston Villa to do what they did this season. Last season, they were unlucky not to qualify for the UEFA Cup due to Tottenham and Portsmouth winning the 2 domestic cups and Everton securing the 5th place. But this season, they earned their place in the UEFA Cup by finishing 6th again. Infact, Villa almost managed to break into the top four with only 19 players used in the season. But the poor form they showed after 25 BPL matches proved vital. They were in the top four for major part of the season. They even climbed above Chelsea to 3rd place for a while. They were now the serious contenders to break into the top four. But a poor run of matches with only 1 win in 10 matches came at the wrong time for them. Arsenal capitalised on their mistake and climbed above Villa into 4th place. It now seemed that the honeymoon was over for Villa. Thier poor run continued and even Everton overtook them and they fell into 6th place. They somehow managed to maintain their 6th spot for an automatic qualification into the Europa League.

Next Season:

With a very good manager in Martin O'Neill, Aston Villa fans are sure to have a good future. But with club captain Gareth Barry gone to City now, the spine of thier team is lost. Unless a suitable replacement for Barry is found, they are sure to have a mid-table spot next season.


Everton



Last Season: 5th
Pre-Season Expectations: Qualify for UEFA Cup
Pre-Season Transfers(Major):
IN: Jo (loan) --> January
OUT: Lee Carsley (free)
Stefan Wessels (free)

Final Position: 5th

A marvellous achievement by David Moyes and his side considering the resources Everton had! Many pundits had predicted this season that Everton would occupy the mid-table anonymity. Looking at the first-half of the season, it seemed so that the pundits had got it right once again. But after that, the form showed by Mikel Arteta, Tim Cahill, Steven Piennar and Jolean Lescott helped Everton to perform consistently. Everton played as a team which was the key to their success. They never relied on one or two individuals heavily. Hats off to David Moyes!! He even earned the praise of Sir Alex Ferguson and Rafa Benitez for his work. Everton thoroughly deserved this position and once again qualified for the Europa League.

Next Season:

With the quality that Everton has throughout the side and with a manager like David Moyes, it would be tough to go against Everton. With a couple of good signings in the summer, they would certainly be capable of breaking into the top four.

Premier League Season Review:Part 3

3:12 PM // by msmohit004 // // 0 comments



Last Season:15th
Pre-Season Expectations:Mid-Table

Final Position:16th

Sunderland had a busy summer transfer as they signed no less than 9 players and even more went out. They increased their strength in depth with players such as Ferdinand, McCartney, Diouf, Malbranque and Cisse. Manager Roy Keane resigned due to an inconsistent start to their campaign. Coach Ricky Sbragia was appointed caretaker manager initially and then permanent manager. But Sunderland still struggled for form which resulted in them winning only one match from March till season end making them relegation candidates. Sbragia later resigned after the season ended and Wigan coach Steve Bruce was brought in instead.

Next Season:

Sunderland need some first-team players that show commitment and do not go missing during matches. Early signs show them as bottom-half candidates.



Blackburn Rovers



Last Season:7th
Pre-Season Expectations:Avoid Relegation

Final Position: 15th

Blackburn were predicted to struggle in this campaign with Mark Hughes leaving for Manchester City and prolific striker Santa Cruz injured. They did just that. Paul Ince was chosen as Hughes' successor. Though Ince managed to convince Santa Cruz to stay, Bentley and Friedel left the club. Friedel's successor was to be ex-Spurs keeper Paul Robinson. Ince had a dream start to the season as his team came form behind to win 3-2 at Everton. However other results were not as good as Ince was sacked in December following a streak of eleven games without a win. Sam Allardyce was announced as his successor the very next day. They had a decent run under him and finished a decent 15th.

Next Season:
Blackburn Rovers will be looking to get a mid-table position next season.They will hope to get Sam's bargain buys with the money recieved by selling Santa Cruz.


Portsmouth FC



Last Season:8th
Pre-Season Expectations:Mid-Table

Final Position:14th

Portsmouth began their season under Harry Redknapp with only Peter Crouch and Younes Kaboul being the prime acquisitions. However Redknapp quit the club for the second time to replace Juande Ramos. Assistant Manager Tony Adams was promoted to the Manager's post. That was a huge gamble as Tony Adams seemed utterly clueless about managing a club. Adams only lasted for just more than 3 months. Youth Coach Paul Hart was promoted to the manager's post until the end of the season. Their fortunes turned and they climbed out of the relegation zone and finished 14th eventually.

Next Season:
Portsmouth was taken over by a UAE businessman in the close season and they may look into a bright future.


Bolton Wanderers



Last Season:16th
Pre-Season Expectations:Avoid Relegation

Final Position:13th

Bolton began their season with breaking their transfer record by signing Johan Elmander. Bolton had a decent run throughout the season. Boss Gary Megson won the Manager of the Month Award for November. They sold their captain Kevin Nolan to Newcastle United in January, for reasons known only to them.Other than that they did what was expected of them and finished 13th.

Next Season:
Bolton should look to get a safe mid-table position next season.



Stoke City


Last Season:2nd(Championship)
Pre-Season Expectations:Relegation Candidates

Final Position:12th

Stoke City had a great season in which they exceeded expectations. Their most memorable result was winning 2-1 against Arsenal. They also drew 0-0 at Anfield. Stoke's most lethal weapon probably was Rory Delap. Rory Delap's Quarterback-like throws ended in many a headed-goal. Though Stoke performed poorly in Cup competitions, they still performed well when called upon. Stoke had signed many players in the summer. Dave Kitson was their expensive signing for £5.5m who turned a flop. Yet they finished 12th. Boss Tony Pulis must be credited with this achievement.

Next Season:
Stoke will be looking to avoid relegation next season and try to get the best out of Rory Delap.


Wigan Athletic


Last Season:14th
Pre-Season Expectations:Bottom-Half

Final Position:11th

Steve Bruce intially changed Wigan from a relegation candidate to a uefa-cup spot chasing team with good early form.Egyptian striker Amr Zaki was brought in on loan and he scored 6 goals early on to lead the Golden Boot rankings. He finished with 10 goals. Wigan sold two of their most important players in Heskey and Palacios in January. Despite these massive changes they finished 11th which was their second best ever finish in the Premier League.

Next Season:
Bruce left the club after the season to go to Sunderland and was replaced with Roberto Martinez. Wigan fans will be hoping this won't be another Paul Ince incident.


Manchester City


Last Season: 9th
Pre-Season Expectations: Mid-table

Final Position: 10th

Last season was the first for Manchester City under new ownership. Abu Dhabi United Group took over as owners on the last day of the transfer window - day which ended up in quite a cameo with Manchester City bidding for every-player-on-the-earth. They managed to sign Robinho for a record deal. Amassing 50 pts. they were just short of Europa League qualifications. However, Home form was key to their points tally at the end. City had a up-down season throughout but managed to put a string a good performances at the end.

Next Season:

City will be spending and spending BIG. Hughes needs to buy players which would quickly settle down into his system. Mark Hughes seems to have steadied the ship but with big names seemingly sure to come alongwith the new found wealth he must show the character to control big egos at the club.

West Ham United


Last Season:10th
Pre-Season Expectations:Top Half

Final Position:9th

West Ham United have seen quite a revolution after Gianfranco Zola has taken over at the club. They've had a good season and have shown glimpses of what they are capable of doing next season. Credit has to be given to Zola in this situation. At first he's put a system in place and most importantly he's made them play their own style of football by giving them freedom of expression on the field which has no doubt brought the best in them


Next Season:

West Ham are going in the right direction and under Zola they have a bright future. His prioirty next season would be breaking into the Europa League spots.

Tottenham Hotspur



Last Season:11th
Pre-Season Expectations:UEFA Cup

Final Position:8th

A roller coaster season for Tottenham ! 2008-09 saw the worst start to a season in the club's history. Tottenham managed to score only 1 point from the first four premiership games. Following the string of bad results, Juande Ramos was eventually sacked in October losing to Udinese in the UEFA Cup. Harry Redknapp, the former Portsmouth Manager came to their rescue. He took the club out of relegation zone within two weeks of appointment as the Manager and brought Tottenham back to thier "Traditional" ways. January transfer window saw the return of their influential Captain Robbie Keane who had failed in his short stint at Liverpool. Tottenham made a dream comeback from the bottom of the League to finish 8th at the end of the season, with some remarkable victories over title contenders Chelsea and Liverpool.

Next Season:

They were an outlandlish contender for the Big 4 last season before the season began. The 'Harry Houdini' continues its magic - with a couple of good signings and avoiding the terrible start they had last season should make them worthy Europa League contenders.

English Premier League Season Review: Part 4

Liverpool set to sign Johnson

10:10 PM // by Gaurang // // 1comments



According to latest reports Liverpool have emerged as favourites to sign Portsmouth fullback Glen Johnson in a deal worth £17m. The 24 year old left Chelsea two years ago to join Portsmouth for just £4m. After an impressive season at Fratton Park last year, Johnson has attracted interest from a host of English and European clubs. Chelsea and Manchester City were also interested in the Pompey fullback and reports suggested that Chelsea were on the brink of signing the England international for £18m but it seems that Anfield is his preferred destination. With the financial turmoil at the club, Benitez has a very tight transfer kitty to operate with this term. The deal with Portsmouth in this respect seems to be relevant as Pompey are yet to pay an approximate of £7m from the Peter Crouch deal - that would nullify a good chunk of the transfer amount to be paid. The rest of the funds would be raised by selling Spanish fullback Alvaro Arbeloa and Italian Andrea Dossena with Real Madrid and Juventus the interested parties.

Ronaldo-Real Marriage Will Be Flop Unless...

12:06 PM // by Dhaval // // 1comments
Before writing this article, I want to wish all the best to Cristiano and his superstar team-mates in their soon-to-start Real career. May all the luck be with Real because they are going to need it the most!

With all the big money transfers that Real have made, signing two of the best players in Kaká and Ronaldo in a span of 5 days, almost a done deal with David Villa, tracking Liverpool's Alonso, Bayern's superstar Ribery and only Perez and God know how many more!





FLORENTINO PEREZ

Real ended their season miserably last term losing 4-0 to Liverpool and a 6-2 thrashing by Barcelona. They conceded goals for fun. So, obviously, the main problem lies with their defence and not their attacking side. To add to Madrid's woes, Barcelona became the first ever Spanish club to win a Treble. So what has Florentino Perez done to rectify this problem?? Buy Kaká, Ronaldo and go for Villa,Alonso an Ribery. Spot a defender!

Real president Florentino Perez and Ronaldo have the same philosophy of life. God created this world so that it could revolve around their outrageously boated egos! Its a marriage made in Heaven or maybe Hell. I don't know. Perez got lucky the first time when he signed Zidane, Figo and Ronaldo. When he tried to replace these men by Beckham, Owen and Robinho, he failed miserably. Hence his resignation. When you see his signings, you begin to wonder whether he is a football man at all. Or just a show man looking for advertisements and big money from the merchandising from his big-name signings. He is surely a man filled with enormous ego. And the only way he knows to avoid defeat, is to sign the world's best players. I mean, what a psycho!

In his previous era, Perez built his Galacticos team in a span of 3 years. Now, he promises to do the same in a year to overtake Barcelona. Can you see it happening? Atleast, I can't. Its said that strikers win you matches but defenders win you tournaments. So, with no defender signed uptil now, I can't see a star-studded Madrid squad winning anything next season. Maybe teams will be scared seeing the Mad-rid line-up, but if they target their defence, they can make a mockery of Real. And how I hope this happens! This time around, there will be no letter on Perez's table demanding his resignation. But he will find that this world will be too small to hide his arrogant face!


PS: If you find anything wrong in what I just said, please post a comment! I want to see how many friends has Perez made here!

Time To Move On

1:33 AM // by Dhaval // // 3 comments
  • Cristiano Ronaldo
With the world record transfer fee of £80m for Cristiano Ronaldo accepted by ManUtd, it now seems inevitable that Ronaldo will be seen in a Real white shirt next season.

Well, being a ManUtd fan, its sad to see the world's best player leave your team, but its not so gloomy for me. And nor should it be for the other United supporters. He always wanted to play for Real Madrid and its now a dream come true for him. He's had his wish. United have got their money. Its a deal afterall !!

Ronaldo had stated last season that he wanted to go to Real Madrid. But Sir Alex thought that it was too early for Ronaldo to leave. But still Ronaldo's desire to play for Madrid left many of the United supporters disgruntled. It was the wrong time when Cristiano stated his desire to move to Spain. Just 2 days after winning the Champion's League! It felt disrespectful and showed lack of commitment to the club. Yet the fans were happy to see Cristiano back in action after overcoming his ankle injury in the summer. All ManUtd fans cheered for Ronaldo. But I think, those cheers were not the same as the previous season's. Somewhere, Ronaldo had hurt United supporters by not committing himself to the club.

Eventually, he stayed at United for season 08-09 but couldn't repeat his form of the previous season. And it would have been a remarkable achievement if he would have. Ronaldo wasn't poor this term, but had far less impact. But still, United managed to win three trophies, reaching the finals and semi-finals of the othe two. That showed what strength in depth United has. So with Ronaldo gone, it's not so bad a base to build upon. And Sir Alex is the perfect man to rely upon now. Also, with £80m added into the transfer kitty, he has enough money to reshape and rebuild his squad.




Ofcourse, not just the United fans, but all the Premier League fans will definitely miss his free-kicks, his showboating, his tantrums, his ego and much more. Its comparable to José Mourinho's departure. How much do we miss José's comments, his arrogance, his amazing personality and above all his managerial capabilities! With Ronaldo headed to Madrid, the United fans will surely miss him. Not sure about the other fans. Probably, they'll be relieved that every defender's nightmare, Ronaldo, is gone.

This summer, there have not been any big transfer sagas until now unlike last season. Thank God that Ronaldo's gone without any dramas. Its been all well uptill now. Now, Sir Alex can put forward a realistic bid in for Franck Ribery. With Bayern putting a £65m tag on him, United are sure to meet those demands. With the United board giving Sir Alex an annual 20m to spend, still £35m left. Karim Benzema can fit in as well if Tevez isn't signed. With the Ronaldo deal almost done, the papers are going berserk by linking United to all star players like Eto'o, Valencia's David Silva, Barcá's Yaya Toure and Sevilla's Luis Fabiano. It would be glorious to see any of these stars come to United.

Sir Alex says that the United bus is always moving and doesn't wait for anyone. So for all the memories you've given us Ronny, a big Thank You! Cheers!

RIP Juande

8:46 PM // by Dhaval // // 0 comments


We have seen this season the sacking of a lot of managers as we always do every season!! One of the casualty..was ofcourse Juande Ramos! I have nothing but sympathy for this man...who was not given enough time to build his team as Spurs wanted quick results!
Well, Juande Ramos...the great former manager of Sevilla...who helped them succeed in Europe...won two back-to-back UEFA Cups...qualified for the Champions League...built a good team in Sevilla. Then he joined Tottenham!! And why?? Because Spurs were supposedly on the brink of breaking into the so called ' Top Four ' and he wanted to take up this challenge. He joined Tottenham in mid-season of 2007-2008 after they sacked Martin Jol for performing poorly! He did fairly well as the manager of Spurs...and during the latter stages of the Premier League, Tottenham showed glimpses of great football led by Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov! But when Spurs were down trailing in matches.. they could never show character and come back into the match!! Why?? How he could manage this in Spain with Sevilla?? Well,I think the problem...howmuchever wierd it may seem..was with his English...he couldn't give the motivation needed for a fightback during half-time team-talks. There was Gus Poyet..but when the manager says something...and when his assistant says something...it makes a world of difference!! During the summer,he made two huge mistakes: by selling Keane and Berbatov,their two most influential leaders last season, to Liverpool and ManUtd respectively! The spine of the team was lost!! To add to that..he made wholesale changes to his squad with changing more than 10 players in his team..!

The players he brought in were also amazing...Modric, Bentley, Bale ,Hutton(considered as one of the best right backs in Europe). But the team chemistry which was there last season was lost..he had to then again start from scratch!! While on the other hand, with the arrival of big name players...the expectations from Tottenham had reached a new peak!
I think this stage was the beginning of the end of the Juande Ramos era!! He failed to deliver what was expected of him...lost the big matches again...lost against the minnows as well!! This was certainly not liked by the fans as well as the board and he was sacked in mid- season as he failed to even pull Tottenham back from the relegation zone!! Certainly not what the fans had expected from their team this season! He couldn't motivate his players to perform!
The Board had to sack him!
But I still feel for Juande...being such a great manager in Sevilla..having won so much with Sevilla..but couldn't deliver it with Spurs due to lack of time and faith from the board!! He then went to Real Madrid(The Most Unstable Club). Now he's sacked from there as well! Well, he couldn't reproduce the magic of Sevilla with his next clubs! I wouldn't bet against him coming to Sevilla again! What say??

TOP 10 WORST TRANSFERS OF EPL 08-09

4:33 PM // by blues // // 0 comments
Now the is time for action in the the transfer window where players are bought in an attempt to modify the team and produce results. But it always doesn't work that way : players don't settle, tactics fail and it all comes down to b termed as a WORST TRANSFER. Here's our top 10 list


Disclaimer:Most of the facts mentioned here are accurate. In case any stat is not correct, it is intended for good humour!



10. JOHAN ELMANDER :



When you are a striker you're primary aim is to score goals n assist a few. Elmander being a striker had to score to prove his class. He contributed to many a chances but sadly didn't score many. Though he fought like a lion on the field with excellent aerial strength but what about GOALS ???? Bolton bought him to play alongside K.DAVIS but the Swedish failed to do his job - Only 5 goals and 2 assists from 30 games.



9.ANDY JOHNSON :



Bought from Everton for £10.5m pounds at a time when bobby Zamora was not not performing, Fulham needed the services of Johnson to deliver for them. But both the strikers lacked the quality and Fulham were saved by some consistent goal scoring by D.Murphy and C.Dempsey. He was already familiar with the English game but somehow could not strike the right chord with Fulham.



8. ANDERSON DECO :



It all started as planned: Deco scored a screamer on his Chelsea debut, at home to Pompey in the August sunshine, but it was quickly downhill after that. An injury occurred and he was not in the limelight for about a month. It seemed that his touch and sense of passing was gone post injury and needed more time to settle :The result a favourite on the bench. There is talk that Jose Mourinho wants to bring him to Internazionale (I doubt this), and no Chelsea fans would mind that, as long as their club made back some of the £8m spent on bringing Deco to the Bridge from Barcelona.


7. ANDREA DOSSENA:



Rafa had his eyes on this Udinese left back and was thought to be an ideal replacement for J.Riise who served Anfield for 7 years. He started his campaign with full 90 min starts but couldn't interpret Rafa's message. Thus Rafa had to play Aurelio on his position.
Though Dossena made substitute appearances in the later half of the season and scored some remarkable goals , most memorable being against Real Madrid and Manchester United, he didn't look synchronised with the team. Dossena has recently voiced his desire to move back to Italy and Juventus are interested to sign the Left back. Rafa may well consider the oppurtunity to sell him so as to increase the small transfer kitty the Americans provided him with.


6. DAVE KITSON :



This youngster was never considered good enough to be a professional player and quit professional football between the ages of 17- 20. But after all the drama he went through he delivered the goods for Reading and then Stoke snatched him. He failed to be a regular under Tony Pulis's side at a time when Faye and Sidibe were injured. Pulis instead opted for a lone striker in the form of R.Fuller. Its time for this young man to remember his glorious years (17-20) and take steps towards a possible retirement.



5. GIOVANI DOS SANTOS :



At such a young age of 18 yrs this Mexican was bought to assist the strikers in his favourite favourite CAM position. A few starts and many a minutes later
G DOS SANTOS became G WHO IS SANTOS ???
Wasted his spell at Tottenham and lately is on loan to lower division side Ipswich town!
WHAT A WASTE !




4. JOEY BARTON :


(The pic shown here is just to better his image!!!)

This young lad knows the English Police better than Football officials . Always enjoyed fame for the wrong reason and did hardly anything while on the pitch. As he was surrounded by controversies Newcastle believed they could capitalise on a low transfer fee and get him.

BUT WHY DO YOU BUY HIM ?????

Have a look at his career stats
MAN CITY Goals : 15 Assaults: 150
NEWCASTLE Goals : 2 Assaults: 20



3. DIMITAR BERBATOV :



Before the Ronaldo -MAD rid saga there was the BERBA- United saga. Man United were chasing the ex- Levski Sofia ex- Bayer Leverkusen Tottenham player for about two years. HE scored goals and assisted many but always looked aloof from the game. God knows what was he thinking. Just used to stand there, never made an attempt to pressurize defenders and never struggled for the ball. Stood there hoping for a miracle to get the ball back.
The four tome Bulgarian player of the year DIDN'T LEAVE A CHOICE for Sir Alex on who is going to start alongside Rooney: HIM OR TEVEZ. As a result the very hardworking Argentine was left warming the benches on cold English afternoons. Tevez clearly showed his displeasure but Sir Alex is no Mourinho to sell his most pricely catch( Shevchenko) for a few million less!
He IS GOOD BUT DEFINITELY NOT worth £30.75m



2. DAVID BENTLEY :


(Seen here in happier times)
Seems like Tottenham have a legacy of flop transfers.
Had a wonderful season with Blackburn , he and Pedersen provided tempting balls to the strikers. Transferred when Tottenham needed a winger, Bentley would have been that perfect one !!! But no he just wanted to be a FLOP and no one except him is to blame. Has great potentials and comes with a hefty price tag . He had to give away his position to Lennon who just took snatched the chance and was a regular afterwards.
Coincides his surname with famous car manufactures BENTLEY CARS but not the quality that the cars come with!!!!!!! WHATS IN A NAME ????



1. ROBBY KEANE :




The undisputed Numero Uno of worst transfers - KING SIZE FLOP!
Nobody wants to debate on the this move.
Moved by Rafa into Anfield in order to provide a dream partner for El Nino but things didn't quite work out and soon the astounding dream partnership was to be over when Gerrard's new role being a striker was a perfect hit.
Steven Gerrard combined well with Torres and they scored many goals between them - that meant end of the road for Keane's Anfield dreams.
David Blaine is reportedly devastated at the news that his world record of SPENDING 48 DAYS IN A BOX DOING NOTHING is broken by KEANE!!!!! ( IN A FIELD)



As the headline suggests for Keane : HAVE BOOTS WILL TRAVEL !!!
VIRGIN AIRWAYS TOOK THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADVERTISE THEIR AIRLINES :
A LIVERPOOL TO LONDON RETURN FASTER THAN ROBBIE KEANE (NOW THAT'S FAST!!!!)

Premier League Season Review : Part 2

8:25 PM // by msmohit004 // // 1comments

Newcastle United
Last Season : 12th
Pre-Season Expectations : Mid-Table
Pre-Season Transfers(Major):
IN:Jonas Gutierrez(Undisc)
Danny Guthrie(Undisc)
Fabricio Coloccini(Undisc)
Xisco(Undisc)

OUT:David Rozehnal(£2.9m)
Abdoulaye Faye(£2.25m)
James Milner(£12m)

Final Position:18th

A Disastrous Season for Newcastle! After Kevin Keegan took control in January the club had seemed stable. Newcastle Owner Mike Ashley had signed former Leeds manager Dennis Wise as Executive Director (Football). However in the pre-season transfer window they ended up losing an important player in James Milner. Sources reveal that it was Wise's decision to cash in on him even though he was a regular in Keegan's side. Strike one for Keegan. Keegan wasnt allowed to bring in his own targets. He only signed Guthrie of his own accord. Another great defender in Coloccini was brought to St.James's Park. Gutierrez and Xisco came but no others came. Strike two! Finally problems escalated on the final day of the transfer window and 3 days later Strike 3! Keegan resigned stating he was unable to continue as manager if he was not in control of who was bought by the club.

The very next day Mike Ashley put Newcastle up for sale. Protests against Ashley and Wise continued and attendances dropped. A fortnight later Joe Kinnear(who had gone into non-existence) was brought on as interim manager with the intention that he would continue until Ashley had found a buyer. However by December, Ashley had failed to find a buyer and withdrew the sale. Kinnear was offered a contract until the end of the season. Meanwhile their footballing season became even worse. Coloccini was at fault for many stupid goals. They had entered the relegation zone now.

January Transfers
IN:Peter Lovenkrands(Free)
Kevin Nolan(£4m)
Ryan Taylor(Undisc)

OUT:Shay Given(Undisc)
Charles N'Zogbia(Undisc)

The transfers were shocking to say the least. Lovenkrands was unattached. Nolan was the club captain at Bolton before signing for only £4m. Ryan Taylor was another good acquisition. Shay Given's case was like "Out of the frying pan, Into the fire" by moving to Man City. N'Zogbia's transfer request was however a farce. He wanted a transfer after Kinnear mispronounced his name !

Kinnear was going to offered a full-time contract when he had to undergo by-pass surgery and withdrew from his managerial duties. In a surprise move, Alan Shearer was brought in as interim manager. Wise soon left. Even though Alan Shearer helped NU many times on the field he could not do much as a manager. He ended up winning only one match and Newcastle got relegated after losing to Villa in the last week of the season.

So, all-in-all , their footballing season was overshadowed by their non-footballing matters. Michael Owen had a bad season. So did half the team. Mike Ashley has now put the club for sale again.


Next Season:

The future is indeed bleak for Newcastle. They have to reduce £30m from their wages. Owen is out of contract in the summer and it is almost evident that he will leave. It seems as though Newcastle will lose many of their players. With the ownership uncertain there would not be sufficient funds available. Alan Shearer has not signed a full-time contract yet. Newcastle have to get everything in order before the start of the season to have any chance of getting promoted. Lets hope this wont be another Leeds !



Hull City


Last Season : 3rd (Championship)
Pre-Season Expectations : Relegation Candidates
Pre-Season Transfers(Major):
IN:Craig Fagan(£750k)
Geovanni(Free)
Bernard Mendy(Free)
George Boateng(£1m)
Peter Halmosi(£2m)
Anthony Gardner(£2.5m)
Marlon King(Loan)
Paul McShane(Loan)
Kamil Zayette(Loan)
Daniel Cousin(Undisc)

Final Position:17th

It is always said that too many changes and transfers disrupt the harmony of the team. Hull City brought in many players in the transfer window.But the effect was exactly opposite. They won their first two matches and lost the third 5-0 to Wigan. Most pundits were talking about the bubble being burst.However Phil Brown proved them wrong yet again. He went on to become the Premier League Manager of the Month for September. Hull City were joint top at one stage alongwith Chelsea and Liverpool. This was the best part of their season. However their season soon turned into an anticlimax.

Come November they were losing matches just like they were winning before. Hull City won only two more games in the remainder of the season. They won only one in the whole of 2009.

January Transfers:
IN:Stelios Giannakopoulos(Free)
Kevin Kilbane (Undisc)
Manucho(Loan)
Jimmy Bullard(£5m)

They bought in players to strengthen their first team. The gamble on Bullard never payed off. Bullard remained injured and made just one appearance. They ended the season losing matches and occasionally drawing some. On the last day of the league Hull were still not confirmed as a Premier League team. Their match was against a Manchester United Team that had an eye on the Champions League Final. Eventually Man United fielded their third-team and still ended up winning 1-0. Though Newcastle lost which meant Hull would stay on.


Next Season:

Nothing can be said about Hull City next season. Though the general opinion would be Relegation Candidates, Phil Brown may still have another trick up his sleeve.

Read more: English Premier League Season Review : Part 3

Team Of The Season

8:15 PM // by Dhaval // // 7 comments
Now that the European leagues are over, its time to look back upon the season! Congratulations to the English champions Manchester United, Spanish and European Champions Barcelona, German champions Wolfsburg, Italian champions Inter Milan and the Scottish champions Rangers for being magnificent consistently and deserving their silverware! All these champions and other teams also..had some marvelous performers in their team. So, looking back to the season 08-09, here's my Team Of the Season!


DEFENCE:

EDWIN VAN DER SAR



Manchester United have been lauded for their strong defence this season and one of the indispensable figures in their backline has been the veteran Edwin van der Sar. The Dutch goalkeeper proved to be very much a reliable player who never lets his team down. With more than 20 clean sheets this season - he deserves this!


DANIEL ALVES




He may not be the ideal defender but he was certainly explosive going forward! He complimented Lionel Messi on the right wing tremendously and the Spanish media at a point described him as the second best player in the world! Sadly, he missed the CL finals through suspension.

NEMANJA VIDIC


Nemanja Vidic has been the best central defender in Europe for two seasons running and 2008-2009 was once again a great year for the Manchester United star. His worst games in the season were against Liverpool at Old Trafford in the Premier League and Barcelona in the Champions League when he was torn to pieces. But barring those two failures, the Serbian had a perfect season for the Premier League champions.


GIORGIO CHIELLINI

Giorgio Chiellini is arguably the best Italian centre-back at the moment and is one of the best in Europe in his position. The 24-year-old Chiellini is a player to watch and has been an outstanding player in an otherwise slightly better than average Juventus side. Arsenal are currently interested in him.


PATRICE EVRA



He is similar to Daniel Alves. He is still lacking in his attacking talent compared to Alves, but his defensive solidarity has made him this position. He's performed well all season,never let his team down,truly deserves this position!


MIDFIELD:

( This is a tough one!!! )


STEVEN GERRARD

Gerrard, playing for Liverpool

Currently the Football Writer's Association and PFA fans player of the year,Gerrard had a magnificent season. The Liverpool and England star has been injured for a while in this campaign but for the time he has been fit, he has been exceptionally brilliant. Not a player who is audacious with his tricks or can dribble past the entire team, Gerrard’s ability lies in going for the right challenges at the right time, scoring goals that nobody else even can think of. He wears his Red heart on his Red shirt and is someone on whom you can always rely.Truly a match winner!!

XAVI HERNANDES

The EURO-2008 man of the tournament has carried on his scintillating form for his national team as well as Barcelona helping them winning them the Champion sLeague. His midfield partnership with Iniesta has been world-class and the combination of these two is lethal!!

ANDRES INIESTA

The Spanish international midfielder has demonstrated that he is the best possession-retaining midfielder in the world and can rip apart even a 10-man defensive wall. The more dynamic half of the Barcelona midfield duo, Iniesta has been running defences ragged both in Spain and in Europe and if there wasn’t a certain little Lionel Messi, he would have been the best player in the world.



ATTACK:
CRISTIANO RONALDO



Cristiano Ronaldo was arguably the best player for Manchester United this season after Nemanja Vidic. He started the season slowly but then started gathering momentum and towards the tail-end of the season he was even in contention of becoming the top scorer in the league again. Ronaldo was also responsible for United progressing into the final of the Champions League, scoring crucial goals against Inter Milan, FC Porto and Arsenal in the knock-out stages and was arguably the best player for the Red Devils against Barcelona in the final.



LIONEL MESSI



Lionel Messi might be only 21 but he has already established himself as the best in the world. Messi has had the best season of his playing career this year. The best player for Barcelona this season, the Argentine international’s football has been breathtaking. Diego Maradona II finished the 2008-2009 season with 23 goals and 11 assists in 31 league matches and 9 goals and 5 assists in the Champions League. Messi also scored in the final against Manchester United and helped his team immensely in achieving their TREBLE.


THIERRY HENRY



With 19 goals, 8 assists in only 25 starts in the league and 5 goals, 3 assists in 10 Champions League match and Henry has rediscovered his old Arsenal form. Just like last season he has been deployed in the left channel at Barcelona to accommodate Barcelona to play in a perfect 4-3-3 formation but this time he has played with more composure. He has always helped his fellow strikers Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi in finding goals. And to justify his inclusion here, he won the Champions League this season.


Substitute bench:

Xabi Alonso

Fernando Torres

Wayne Rooney

Nicolas Anelka

Samuel Eto'o

Rio Ferdinand

Grafite

(Wolfsburg striker with 28 goals)

This has been a tough decision, but thats the way it goes...there are only eleven to choose!!

This is my TEAM OF THE SEASON and I hope most of 'em are in your team as well!!