Those who defend the August 31st deadline of the transfer window cite that it gives managers a chance to make some final adjustments to their squad, having seen their respective performances three games in.
While others believe it to be a total distraction and that is why AVB is travelling to Nyon this week to fight the case about bringing the deadline day forward before the season starts. Whether his pleas get heard remain the be seen, but in the meantime the circus that is the last few days of the transfer window will kick on in the next few days and there will undoubtedly be an array of comings and goings within the Premier League.
The media clearly believe that some clubs have simply bided their time in the transfer market and are looking to take advantage of some last minute shopping in order to improve their current squad. One of the clubs is arguably Tottenham, who have already stated their interest in Scott Parker, but will he be the only new arrival at White Hart Lane come Wednesday night?
So has Redknapp still got much to do in the transfer market – if so who would you like to see him bring to White Hart Lane in the next 72hrs?
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Whether a player fulfils his talents or not is reliant upon our expectations and projections regarding his future. This fact makes this list a pretty subjective affair. Of course it’s sad to see talent go unfulfilled. It’s difficult to see players fail to live up to expectations. But it’s the natural instinct of a fan to feel disappointed when ‘the next big thing’ fails to fulfil their potential. This can happen for any number of reasons: Injury, disciplinary problems, lack of motivation, bad management.The list could go on.
Below are ten players that have yet to fulfil their potential. If you agree or disagree with my selection, feel free to say so and add some further names in the comment section below.
Click on Shola Ameobi to get the ball rolling
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Newcastle are close to finalising the signing of French defender Mathieu Debuchy this week, reports The Metro.
Despite Lille declining the Magpies’ original £5 million bid for the 26 year old, an improved offer could see Debuchy on his way to St James’ Park.
However, Inter Milan are the latest club to be interested in Debuchy, and could make a late attempt to disrupt the deal as their right back Maicon is subject to speculation regarding a move to Champions League winners Chelsea.
With Maicon believed to be on his way to Stamford Bridge for £6 million, the money would be used by Inter to directly replace the Brazilian with Debuchy, who impressed for France despite his teams disappointing Euro 2012 campaign.
The Lille right back is still on holiday, but will have some decision making to do when he comes back as Inter could offer him a better package financially, despite the relentless interest from Alan Pardew’s Newcastle.
Danny Simpson’s failure to renew his contract at St James Park meansNewcastle’s quest to find a right back is well into full swing, and signing Debuchy would mark the start of two or three more new arrivals, as the club have also been strongly linked with FC Twente striker Luuk De Jong.
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Borussia Dortmund begin their title defence at home to Hamburg when the 2011/12 Bundesliga season kicks off on Friday.Dortmund lifted their first title in nine years last season, finishing seven points clear of Bayer Leverkusen.
Jurgen Klopp impressed in orchestrating that triumph during his third full season as head coach and Dortmund have thus far managed to ward off any interest in the 44-year-old’s services.
They have also retained the bulk of the club’s championship-winning squad, with deep-lying playmaker Nuri Sahin the only exception.
Turkey international Sahin succumbed to the advances of La Liga runners-up Real Madrid in May for a reported fee of nine million euros.
In capturing the title last season, Dortmund were the beneficiaries of below-par league campaigns by traditional heavyweights Bayern Munich, Schalke and Werder Bremen.
Bremen were third in 2009-10, but stumbled to 13th the following term, avoiding the relegation zone by five points.
Schalke were runners-up to champions Bayern in 09/10 and did manage a credible run to the semi-finals of the Champions League last season, accounting for holders Inter Milan along the way.
They also lifted the German Cup, but could only finish 14th in the Bundesliga, four points outside the bottom three.
And while Bayern mounted a late rally to come third, a poor start meant they ended up 10 points behind Dortmund, effectively conceding their title with months of the season still to play.
Bayern’s failure to compete cost coach Louis van Gaal his job, with Jupp Heynckes making the switch from Leverkusen to fill the hot seat at the Allianz Arena for the coming campaign.
The Bavarian giants have shipped out Miroslav Klose, Hamit Altintop and Thomas Kraft, with Germany internationals Manuel Neuer and Jerome Boateng among their high-profile replacements.
Bayern begin their campaign at home on Sunday to Borussia Monchengladbach, who earned a reprieve last season after winning their relegation playoff against Bochum.
Also on Sunday, surprise contenders Mainz, who led the table early last season before slipping to fifth, play host to Leverkusen.
Schalke, German Super Cup winners against Dortmund last week, kick-off on Saturday away to Stuttgart, who were 12th last season.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Bremen host Kaiserlautern, Hoffenheim travel to Hannover and Cologne await the visit of Wolfsburg.
Of the two promoted teams, Hertha Berlin start life back in the top flight with a visit from Nuremburg, while Augsburg will play the first Bundesliga match in their history at home to Freiburg.
When Roman Abramovic took control of Chelsea in the summer of 2003, he had a vision for constructing an empire. A dynasty. Such were the funds available to then Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri that many considered this vision to be a formality.
In football, however, nothing is forever. Abramovich’s personal wealth, whilst still considerable, has receded and his interest in the three-time Premier League champions has apparently dwindled – the pot of funds that once financed 200 million pounds worth of transfers in little over 12 months, now baulks at the prospect of offering players over 30 such as Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti new contracts.
Such has been the dependency on a core of players over the last three years that the drip feed of youngsters into the Chelsea team simply has not happened in the way Arsenal and Manchester United have been able to blood fresh players every season. One of Jose Mourinho’s secondary crusades was to attempt to bring some young players through the youth set up during his time at the Bridge. Players like Michael Woods, Steven Watt and Michael Mancienne have been given a sample of life in the big time, only to be farmed out before a true indication of their abilities is garnered.
It is with this backdrop that Carlo Ancelotti began this season with one of the smallest squads in the division. His brief from the watching Abramovic has been to incorporate the youth team players on the fringe of the squad and forge a successful, Champions League winning team out of next to nothing. Surely an impossible task.
In terms of starting XI, the Chelsea side being put out each week remains strong. Potentially lacking in pace and creativity at key times, however, there is no doubt that this is not a side to be languishing in fifth having taken only 11 points from their last 10 league games.
The lack of depth has, nevertheless, meant that changing games going against the champions has proven very tough for Ancelotti. Whilst undoubtedly displaying high levels of technical ability with ball at their feet, players like Gael Kakuta, Daniel Sturridge and Ramires have lacked the physical presence to force their agenda onto games in the manner Michael Ballack or Claude Makelele were able to do.
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There has been some faith shown in players like Kakuta, the controversially acquired French youngster recently signed a new long-term deal at the club, Abramovich learning from allowing Glen Johnson and Lassana Diarra to leave West London before a fair picture of their worth was gathered. This has not always extended to giving players more of the spotlight.
It has not helped that Ancelotti’s team selection has hardly been consistent with a man trying to give exposure to his youngsters. In fact, up until making his Premier League debut against Aston Villa last weekend, it appeared that the Italian would rather play a current day Paul Merson at the heart of the Chelsea defence rather than young Jeffrey Bruma.
Josh McEachran has been given some match time, however I remember writing previously that I believed Ancelotti not to trust the boy in big games – this has remained the case. Having only played 68 minutes of Premier League football this term, McEachran is still an unknown quantity as we head into the second half of the season.
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It would surely be stunningly naïve for the club’s hierarchy to decide that their resounding 7-0 win over Ipswich at the weekend has cured the ills that have dogged the side since October. That being said, this transfer window is sure to test the Blues’ long-term goal of financial self-sufficiency as they will surely look to add some power, both creative and physical, to their midfield. To suggest anything else will only fuel fears amongst fans that a first finish outside of the top four since 2002 could be on the cards.
With UEFA financial restrictions also on the horizon, these players must be persevered with, and regardless of who is jetted in to rescue the Blues’ season, the maligned youth of Chelsea with have to play a role if the club is to taste any success in 2011.
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Roy Hodgson was left fuming at Wembley last night at Belgium’s strong-arm tactics that has left England sweating over the fitness of players. The one incident that really frustrated was Gary Cahill’s suspected broken jaw that he received after being shoved into Joe Hart. Hodgson stated “Unfortunate is too kind a word. You take unkindly to those kind of pushes that take a defender into the goalkeeper and the consequences might be worse for us than the yellow card.” As well as Cahill, John Terry faces a scan today to determine his hamstring injury.
Elsewhere in the news Harry Redknapp is feeling the heat at Tottenham; Sir Alex Ferguson has been left frustrated by inflated transfer fees, while Patrick Viera believes that half of England’s problems is the lack of spirit.
Headlines
Roy Hodgson has been left fretting as both John Terry and Gary Cahill came off against Belgium injured. The England boss will await the scans today to help ascertain the severity of the situation – Guardian
Paul Lambert has kick-start another managerial merry-go-round by taking the managerial job at Aston Villa – Guardian
Nani has hinted at a move away from Manchester United as contract talks stall at Old Trafford – Guardian
Brendan Rodgers wants to make Gylfi Sigurdsson his first signing following arrival at Anfield – Mirror
Harry Redknapp is feeling the heat at Tottenham Hotspur as the club’s board are reluctant to offer him a new contract at the club – Independent
Patrick Viera believes that half of England’s problems are that they haven’t forged a good spirit and relationship between player, manager and club – Independent
Sir Alex Ferguson has grown frustrated at the inflated transfer fees he has been quoted for his top three targets. The United boss has been quoted £72m for Modric, Baines and Tiote combined – Daily Mail
West Bromwich Albion are tracking goalkeeper Rob Green whose contact at West Ham is coming to an end – Daily Mail
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Arsene Wenger has joined the chase for Crewe starlet Nick Powell, who has been a long term target for Manchester United – Mirror
Roman Abramovich is showing no signs of ending his summer splurge by targeting four new signings, with Theo Walcott and Cheick Tiote among the names mentioned – Mirror
Adel Taarabt has hit out at the rumours that he will never play for QPR again as long as Joey Barton is at the club – Sun
When lads meet other lads after a few boring ‘what do you do?’ and ‘where are you from?’ questions the conversation usually leads on to the inevitable ‘who do you support?’ question.
This was something that, during my early to mid twenties I always used to dread. That’s because, in order, my answers would have been ‘a student, Cardiff, Man Utd.’
For the millions of working non-Utd fans I was as bad as it gets! A tax dodging glory hunter!
However, I was neither. Well, that’s a lie. I was dodging taxes (through no fault of my own – that’s just the way that the UK education system is set up) but I certainly wasn’t a glory hunter. It just so happened that glory had, through fate’s will, hunted me out the day I decided that Utd were the team for me.
All of my friends were Liverpool fans and a small minority were fans of our local club – Cardiff City. However, during the early 1990s they were in the bottom divisions and weren’t on TV. We, as skint young men, were too poor and scared to brave the terraces of Ninian Park. Christ, we were too young to go it alone! For that very reason we, like many other boys in the South Wales area, followed a TV team. Liverpool were the glory team of the late 80s and, as such, all of my friends chose them as their team.
I was different though. I wanted to be different. I heard that Liverpool’s rivals were Utd so I decided to follow them. And that, as they say, was that. I was a Manc, a red, a Red Devil.
Just because I’m not from Manchester doesn’t devalue my support of them however. I truly resent any accusation of the kind. As a friend of mine once said (admittedly about Jamie Carragher) if you cut me open I’d ‘bleed red’.
I remember the 1990 Cup Final, the 1993 Premier League and the 1994 double. I was in my early teens for these so my supporting was relatively naive and innocent – limiting itself to cheers followed by a little gloat to friends.
It was as I got older that my supporting evolved into a defence of my position. I knew the reserve team, I knew the youth teams, I could reel off any Utd stat you wanted. This was because I was becoming aware of the glory hunter title and, quite frankly, it pissed me off! I felt that I had to defend my position as a Welsh Man Utd fan so I revised United and I become a ‘statto’ to prove my support.
United became, as I entered my late teens, who I was. I would ensure that I wore one of my many shirts on matchday as I listened to matches on 5Live or waited, with baited breath, for CEEFAX’s latest score page to refresh. I began to wear my collar upright at all times, regardless of the shirt. I implored my parents to only buy SHARP electrical goods. Shit, I even believed Fergie when he said they couldn’t see each other in their grey shirts!
Even the 1999 treble was tainted with a feeling of shame. I remember that as my greatest ever sporting year and I will never be able to hear or remember the words ‘and Solskjaer has won it’ without getting goosebumps! But, as I went off to university the following year I was aware, almost ashamed of the fact that, I was going to have to battle off all ‘glory hunter’ accusations.
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And I shouldn’t feel shame supporting my club. I’ve been to Old Trafford several times to see them. My debut game was 3rd December 1994 vs. Norwich City. The night previous I was playing five a side football and, without realising, broke my metatarsal (before Beckham had told the world what a metatarsal was!). I spent the following day hobbling around Manchester flowing through seas of red, looking on in awe at the sheer volume of fans that hit the stadium to see ‘Five Cantonaaaaaaaas’ score for a 1-0 victory.
It was only as I hit my mid-twenties that I realised that it didn’t matter where you were from. You could support, with the same ferocity as a Mancunian United fan, Man Utd. I could delight in their victories and wallow in their losses with equal passion. I did and still do. The first thing I do every morning is check the BBC gossip column on my phone in the hope that Sneijder has been spotted at Old Trafford, whenever I play Football Manager I manage United – never anyone else – and live out my dream of managing the greatest team ever, I’ve realised that being a United fan isn’t where you’re from, it’s who you are.
Read more of Matt James’ articles at Red Flag Flying High
Arsene Wenger is a man with an eye for talent. His managerial career has seen him hit upon some of football’s greatest bargains. Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Cesc Fabregas and so on – there’s a long list of players that Wenger signed who went on to leave their mark on the Premier League. But what about those who Wenger went after without success? Nobody knows young talent better than Arsene Wenger. As a result, the last decade has seen him discover some of the best young talent across Europe before these players even made it onto other club’s radars. The names on the list below are evidence that Wenger is able to sniff talent out before most others, even if he often doesn’t have the resources to acquire the players in question.
Click on the Arsenal Badge below to see the TOP 10
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Tottenham are ready to make a move for Ivory Coast international striker Arouna Kone, according to Mirror Football.
The White Hart Lane side are expected to lose Emmanuel Adebayor due to his wage demands, and Harry Redknapp is eyeing up new striking options.
With Marseille’s France international Loic Remy also a real target, Spurs are looking into making a move for Kone.
The powerful forward was on loan from Sevilla to Levante this season, and impressed by scoring 15 La Liga goals.
The African attacker is out of contract now however and available on a free transfer, with the likes of Atletico Madrid and Stoke also interested in the player’s signature.
Spurs are weighing up a move, but will wait until after the Champions League final to see if they are in next year’s top club competition before commencing their transfer plans for the summer.
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English Premier League new boys Queens Park Rangers have signed former Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd on a three-year deal.Bothroyd, 29, has been without a club since leaving Cardiff at the end of the 2010/11 season, and is QPR boss Neil Warnock’s first off-season acquisition.
“I spoke to the manager and he told me how much he wanted me,” Bothroyd told the QPR website.
“He convinced me that this was the right place to be. He told me the direction that he wants to go in and the way he wants to play.”
“I think this club is heading in the right direction and has got a lot of ambition.”
Bothroyd said he was hopeful that good form with QPR could relaunch his England career after he made his debut in a friendly against France last November.
“I want to be playing against the best players in the world, and I got a taste of that when I joined up with the England squad. Hopefully I can do well for QPR and get back into the squad,” he said.
Elsewhere, Wolves have completed the signing of defender Roger Johnson on a four-year-deal from Birmingham.
The 28-year-old has signed for an undisclosed fee after successfully completing a medical on Monday.
Johnson is Mick McCarthy’s third permanent signing of the summer following the arrival of midfielder Jamie O’Hara from Tottenham and former Swansea goalkeeper Dorus de Vries.
“We tried to sign Roger two years ago when he moved from Cardiff to Birmingham and have been tracking him ever since,” Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey told the club’s official website.
“We are pleased to have signed what we believe to be an excellent player who represents excellent value for money for us.”
“He fits the bill perfectly – a British centre-back in his prime, one with Premier League and cup-winning experience, a vocal, determined, leader type who has played consistently well for a long time.”
“We stressed that we would not rush to do deals this summer and would have to be patient in the pursuit of our targets, which has proved to be beneficial for us.”
Championship side Leicester City have signed full-back Paul Konchesky from Liverpool for an undisclosed fee.
The defender, who has signed a three-year contract, is the latest player to join Sven-Goran Eriksson’s team as he looks to build a side capable of mounting a push for promotion.
Liverpool signed the left-back last summer after an impressive season for Fulham in which he helped guide them to the Europa League final, but he failed to settle at Anfield and spent the second half of last season on loan at Nottingham Forest.
“Paul has been a Premier League player year in and year out throughout his career so he represents a very big signing for us,” Eriksson told the Foxes’ website.
“He wanted to come to Leicester City and it means a lot that proven, established top flight footballers want to be part of what we are building here.”
The 30-year-old also has previous history with the Leicester manager, as Eriksson was the man who gave him the first of his two England caps in 2003.
Konchesky is set to join up with the squad on their pre-season tour of Sweden later this week.
And former Hamburg SV goalkeeper Frank Rost is set to join New York Red Bulls after 18 years in the Bundesliga.
The 38-year-old, who also played for Werder Bremen and Schalke 04, saw his contract with Hamburg run out at the end of the season and is set to join the MLS team this week.
“We are excited that Frank has decided to join us midway through the season,” team sports director Erik Soler told Bild newspaper.