August 09, 2008

Close season is almost over: The Community Shield is in 36 hours, the EPL opens in another week. Who made the most of the transfer window? Will the Top 4 do anything but play musical chairs? Scolari has come to Chelsea, kept Lampard and Drogba (so far) and wants Robinho. SAF has not lost Lady Boy and not bought Berbatov. Arsenal bought teen heartthrob Aaron Ramsey and Samir Nasri. Liverpool got Keane, Dossena, Degen and Ngog.

TV Note: Fox Soccer Channel has Everton-Blackburn, Sunderland-Liverpool and West Ham-Wigan on opening day and. presumably, Aston Villa-Man City on Sunday.


My Highlights of the changes


Tottenham has made the boldest money moves and Juande Ramos will surely be under pressure to do better than last season's water treading. He cleaned house, getting a big chunk of LFC money for Robbie Keane (though not the rumored $70M+ for Berbetov) and dumped Pascal Chimbonda, Paul Robinson, Teemu Tainio, Steed Malbranque and Anthony Gardner, all players who logged significant minutes for them over the last few years.


In the positive column, the team has bought a lot of quality: John Bostock, Heurelho Gomes, Luka Modric, Giovani dos Santos and David Bentley. Defense and offense upgrades for sure, but apparently they will not get ultra-hot Russian playmaker Andrei Arshavin after his Moscow masters refused to compromise on price.


At Stamford Bridge Scolari also brought some of his Portuguese players, Bosingwa and Deco. Maybe he doesn't need to learn English after all, with all the Portuguese and Brazilians on the squad. The loss of Claude Makelele may not hit them as hard as it did Real Madrid but it will hit them.


ManUtd does have hot younger striker Frazier Campbell. Not a single purchase, though they did try to get Berbetov and, allegedly, Samuel Etoo, who is still available for the right price.


Wenger, I wonder if he's getting ready to leave the Emirates after this year. He sold Gilberto, Hleb and Flamini and may yet lose his big goalscorer Emmanuel Adebayor to Barca or Real Madrid. He lost the Bentley deal, which is a reason for my speculation on his future.


Benitez sold Robo-Crouch, my boy Riise, got a cut price for Scott Carson and waved bye to Harry 'What will I injure next?' Kewell. On odd numbered days a deal with Aston Villa for Gareth Barry is still on, on evens he's staying put.


Harry Redknapp took Crouch to pair with Jermaine Defoe, talk about opposites, and saw his best midfielder, Muntari, sold to Inter. Harry seems to get more out a team than other managers would, so who knows what Portsmouth will do this year.


Blackburn made what is at least a courageous choice in hiring Paul Ince to be their manager. I don't think Robbie Fowler is going to replace David Bentley and while Paul Robinson can probably still get the job done I do not see him as an upgrade from Brad Friedel.


Which they needed because Mark Hughes took the money and moved to City of Manchester Stadium. Hughes will have a very strong front line after getting Jo from CSKA Moscow but may have trouble after losing out on Ronaldinho to AC Milan.


This is probably the do or die year for Martin O'Neil at Villa, get to Europe or bring home the FA Cup or be gone, and I think he will be gone. He got Friedel to mentor and give Brad Guzan some runway, and young American keepers tend to do well in their first EPL season. Nickey Shorey was a value for the money acquisition and Curtis Davies improves on Patrik Berger. They will miss Luke Moore and Steve Sidwell has to re-establish himself after a year on the bench at Chelsea.


Despite strong, just outside the top four performances year after year, Everton's David Moyes is the bookies favorite to be the first manager on the chop. Selling Andy Johnson and not making a single purchase will not help his cause, unless he can turn the AJ money into a good attacking player. Still, I see O'Neill going before Moyes.


Okay, pile on and let me know how wrong I am.

posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 01:39 AM - 8 comments

Two best new chants I've heard:

"He's quick, he's red, he talks like Father Ted, Robbie Keane, Robbie Keane!"

"If it's World Cups you win And Gene Hackman's your twin You're Scolari! Phil Scolari!"

posted by JJ at 05:05 AM on August 09, 2008

Everton's David Moyes is the bookies favorite to be the first manager on the chop

I think you've misread something: Moyes might be the first manager to leave, but it won't be because he gets fired.

posted by yerfatma at 09:27 AM on August 09, 2008

JJ, picked this up on a soccer blog comment:

To the tune of "let it be":

When we found ourselves with striker worries, good old Rafa said to me, there will be an answer: Robbie Keane. When Torres, Stevie, and Dirk aren't scoring, who'll turn one point to three? Our new Irish striker: Robbie Keane.

Robbie Keane, Robbie Keane, Robbie Keane, Robbie Keane, There will be an answer - Robbie Keane.

posted by billsaysthis at 01:35 PM on August 09, 2008

I only wish I was convinced, Bill!

posted by JJ at 01:54 PM on August 09, 2008

The real football season started today. Birmingham vs Sheffield United!

The Championship: We're not a bunch of overpaid corporate pretty boys.

Watched it on Setanta. Not entirely worth my time.

posted by Drood at 12:34 AM on August 10, 2008

I just dropped in to provide this scoreline:

Derby County 0 Doncaster Rovers 1.

It's going to be another long season.

posted by owlhouse at 01:03 AM on August 10, 2008

As a Tottenham supporter I have no idea what to expect this season. The British fans seem excited about all of the changes except for Keane's departure, but assuming Berbatov leaves as expected, they're rolling the dice and gambling all these noobs will play well together.

posted by rcade at 03:05 PM on August 10, 2008

Drood "Watched it on Setanta. Not entirely worth my time."

Think yourself lucky, old chap, I had the misfortune to be sitting in the stands watching it and at one point I commented that I wished I was sat at home, in the warm, with a cup of tea.

It was my youngests first game and I felt a bit guilty when the goal went in and I witnessed his unrestrained joy, as I fear I have condemned him to a life of unutterable misery. The best part for me was that another young man came with us, also his first game and his old man happens to be a Villa fan; it might seem cruel, but I think we did the right thing.

And thanks for pointing out to these crazy yanks that the close season is over, for the vast majority of football fans the new season is well under way!

posted by Fat Buddha at 08:33 AM on August 11, 2008

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