Is it time to sell?

I wrote Wednesday about what I thought the reality behind the Henry-to-Barca rumors was. I decided today to follow that up with what I thought Arsenal SHOULD do.

So, here are the facts...

1. Arsenal have not gained ground on ManYoo and Chelsea so far this summer - in fact, they've lost ground on both.
2. Arsenal's most likely high-profile transfer target - Ribery - has already made his way to Bayern Munich.
3. Henry has been a constant distraction over the last 15 months or so with his constant whinging about how much he admires this club or that club.
4. Henry is going to turn 30 about the time the new season begins (August 17).
5. Henry only managed 16 starts in the Premier League last campaign.
6. Henry's goal against ManYoo on January 21st was his only goal against a team that qualified for European competition next season.
7. The "Young Gunners" are probably another year away from being the core of a team that contends for a Premier League or Champions League title
8. The recent "high profile" acquisitions - that's you Rosicky and Hleb - aren't doing the job and don't really seem to fit the system.

Looking at the above facts - I am forced to only one conclusion. Henry and the current crop of Young Gunners aren't going to win a Premier League or Champions League title together. If the goal is to WIN stuff - then it's time to sell Henry before he loses his value. Maybe it will prove to be a year early but better than being a year late. If the goal is to maintain a Champions League spot, manage to get to the knock-out phases of the Champions League and make a graceful, late round exit from the FA Cup then they should by all means keep Henry.

Strikers whose game is based primarily on speed like Henry generally decline rapidly the second their bodies start to betray them. Henry isn't reliant ONLY on his speed but it is the thing that sets his skills apart from guys like Berbatov who are deft and skilled but not blindingly fast. Henry certainly isn't going to get better in his 30s, the question is how quickly will he degrade?

I have to admit, the first thing that struck me this morning as I was reading the gossip columns (a favorite passtime of mine) was that selling Henry to Barca and spending some of the money on David Villa, Fernando Torres, or Darren Bent would make a LOT of sense. None of them are likely to adequately replace the Henry of the early 2000s but guess what, the current edition of Henry isn't likely to do that either. The aforementioned gentlemen have proven to be high class finishers as well as being young and in possession of a little thing I like to call upside.

You could easily see them quickly growing with Hoyte, Clichy, Djourou, Toure, Eboue (as a right wing), Fabregas, Diaby, Walcott (as a left wing), van Persie, and Adebayor to form the core of a squad that has a great chance to challenge for actual honors in 2008-2009. Throw in one or two more strategic acquisitions and the maturation of guys like Denilson and Bendtner and you might really have something.

To stand pat is to maximize the number of points the club will achieve this coming year but it will ultimately minimize the chances that Arsenal will regain a spot atop the Premier League standings.

The only reason I'm holding out hope that all of the above is wrong is that there is a small chance that the only reason that Henry was so ineffective last season was due to being over-worked between Arsenal's heavy 2005-06 schedule followed by the World Cup over the summer. If a summer off has rejuvinated the Frenchman, then maybe Arsenal can challenge ManYoo and Chelsea but unless Arsenal management is certain that is the case, they should serious think about divesting themselves of Henry now before that particular asset has lost its value.

Pope to step aside at season's end

SALT LAKE CITY -- Often celebrated as the best defender the United States has ever produced, Eddie Pope announced Thursday that he will retire from Major League Soccer at the end of the 2007 season.

I"m not sure what to say. I have to admit to being a little sad, and I'm not sure I can quite capture my emotions fully in this post. Maybe an update to follow. But the Pontiff is retiring. Definitely the end of an era.

Pope was the shy kid out of North Carolina who wore #23 in honor of fellow alum Michael Jordan. He was the rookie of the year and stand-out defender on a team full of more experienced and well-known players. Of course, he scored the header in stoppage time that won DC the first of their now four MLS Cup championships. And he famously, or at least for me memorably, turned down interest from Europe to stay close to home.

So many memories of my young adulthood are tied up with DC United and it's hard to avoid the sense that an era in my life is passing too. I'm no longer in DC, and no longer a young adult. Pope is with Real Salt Lake (and to paraphrase the Sports Guy, he never played for NY. Can we all agree that that just never happened?). But I get nostalgic when Neal text messages me from RFK as he did this weekend. And this news is a bit of a bolt out of the clear blue sky -- even though I'll always associate the Pontiff with the pouring rain in which he won his first two DCU championships, the second of which I was lucky enough to attend.

Okay, I'm officially babbling. Back to work, but not without one final chant of "Ooh ah! Eddie Pope! I said Ooh ah, Eddie Pope!"

A Cautionary Tale

One of the stories of the last 12 months or so that has really disappointed me is the path and trajectory of West Ham United. Was it really just 13 months ago that they played one of the more compelling FA Cup Final matches ever to cap off a triumphant return to the Premier League? Who could ask for more? They were young, scrappy, offensive-minded, and the team was comprised predominantly of players who had come up through the ranks. Throw in the fact that they recruited one of my favorite young English players in January of their promotion campaign (Dean Ashton) and they had cemented themselves as my second choice team behind Arsenal (I generally tend to have one other team I enjoy following each year because there is a player or storyline I gravitate to as opposed to my long term loyalty to the Gunners).

The spending spree following their rise to UEFA Cup participant started innocently enough - some low-profile defensive fortifications (mostly a lot of right backs). I think the moment it all went bad was the moment they recruited Lee Bowyer. That was followed up with the two Argentines who, while having undeniable quality, were always going to cause a massive change in the composition of the team. What followed was a drastic transformation from lovable overachievers to annoying mercenaries. Sure, they survivied but the young players regressed and the new acquisitions seemed poorly thought out and more typical of the way Newcastle tends to build teams (throw money at the biggest names available) than the prudent way they achieved promotion and then managed to not only stay up but prosper at the highest level.

The reason I mention this is that Reading supplanted West Ham as the 2nd place team in my heart this past season with a storyline similar to that of West Ham the year before. As they start to evaluate transfer dealings, hopefully they will look at the example the Hammers provided and avoid the same mistakes. Certainly, they haven't done anything to ruin their vibe so far but at some point they'll have to recruit a replacement for Steve Sidwell [um... what about this guy? -js] and make a few more moves to ensure that they consolidate their position in the Prem. Hopefully, they will at the same time manage to maintain their wits and recruit the right type of player who will enhance their dynamic rather than ruining it.

My advice, buy young and avoid guys who bring in a feeling of entitlement to the team. It will be difficult enough to keep the team level-headed now that they've proven they belong.

Never mind

Charlton striker Darren Bent has turned down a move to West Ham after the two clubs agreed a fee.

"We set a valuation for Darren and West Ham were the only club prepared to meet that valuation," said Charlton chief executive Peter Varney.

"This morning we gave them permission to speak to Darren, which he did, and he has decided not to join West Ham."

Does this presage a move to Spurs?

Toon Lose Ben Haim Race

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce has admitted defeat in his efforts to sign Israel defender Tal Ben Haim.

The 25-year-old, who is out of contract at Bolton, seems destined to join Chelsea, who made a bid for him during the January transfer window.

Allardyce told the club's official website, www.nufc.co.uk: "It's looking like Tal will be going to Chelsea, unfortunately.

"We have had a long, hard go, but I think the lure of the (former) champions has perhaps just pipped me at the post."

Chelsea's new first-choice right-back?

Update: Seems to be official now.

Nipping rumors in the bud

Louis Saha's management company has rubbished claims that the Manchester United striker will be out of action for six months.

They say the Frenchman should be back for the start of the new season, and that claims from a former adviser called Ranko Stojic, saying he might not play until December, were unfounded.

Hammers Win Bent Race

West Ham are set to beat Tottenham and Liverpool to sign Charlton striker Darren Bent in an £18million deal.

According to the Daily Star, the Hammers have offered £80,000 a week to secure Bent's services, while Charlton will receive £15million plus Marlon Harewood and Hayden Mullins, who are surplus to requirements at Upton Park.

West Ham's need for a top-class striker was thrown into yet sharper focus when Inter owner Massimo Moratti confirmed they are keen to sign the Hammers' Argentine star Carlos Tevez.

Melchiot to sign for Wigan

One year after having left Birmingham, Dutch defender Mario Melchiot is on the verge of making a return to England with Wigan. The 30-year-old has left Ligue 1 side Rennes after deciding not to extend his one-year contract.

According to the Daily Mirror, Melchiot was at the JJB Stadium on Tuesday to prove his fitness to new manager Chris Hutchings and agreed to sign a one-year deal.

Now this is interesting. Ryan Taylor is finally back from injury, as presumably will Boyce. Does this signing push Boyce to center back alongside Hall, and Taylor up into midfield? Taylor's set-pieces more than made up for his penchant to collect cards. But if he follows another Taylor (Matthew, for those of you playing along at home) from fullback to midfield while remaining listed as a defender, he'll be one to watch next season.

Boro Agree Tuncay Terms

Middlesbrough have made a major transfer breakthrough by agreeing personal terms with Turkey striker Tuncay Sanli.

The 25-year-old forward, who is out of contract with Fenerbahce,
will head for Teesside to undergo a medical next week with a view to
completing a free transfer switch to the Barclays Premier League.

Tuncay, reportedly a target for Manchester City and Birmingham, began his career at home-town club Sakaryaspor before joining Fenerbahce in 2002, and has scored 59 goals in 154 league games for the Istanbul outfit.

He also scored a Champions League hat-trick against Manchester United in 2004.

A central striker who can also play on both flanks, he has 13 goals in 43 internationals and will be seen as a replacement for Mark Viduka, who left Boro for north-east rivals Newcastle last week.

This certainly sounds like better news than signing Jeremie Aliadiere. I don't know much of anything about Tuncay. Is he +10 material?

Henry?

Since one of the people commenting on Jeremy's last post asked, about the latest round of rumors surrounding Henry, I figured I'd put my two cents into the mix. My first comment is that I'm stunned at the ability of people to read things into every single comment that is made for the sake of spinning a headline grabbing story that might sell a few extra papers or generate a few extra clicks. As an example, once I read the comments related to David Dein's departure, I had a hard time figuring out where all the headlines came from. Who WOULDN'T be flattered if the current European Champions mentioned them as a target? To say anything else would be dishonest at best.

My second comment is that we seem to see these sorts of rumors every year around the top players in the Premier League. Lampard is going to Barca...Gerrard is going to Chelsea...Drogba wants to play in another country at some point if Chelsea don't "meet his ambition"....the list goes on and on. Mostly this is idle media speculation that tends to flare up when there aren't actual matches to report on - instead of proliferating rumors of this nature for the 18th time with a slightly different spin, maybe some of these reporters should try actually watching some of the U21 Euro Championship matches so that they can intelligently report on what the players that are featured can actually do (i.e., what positions they play, how they might fit when they reach the big time) - it continues to shock me that there is very little commentary of this nature when players are transferred.

Finally, am I dismissing the possibility that TH might leave the Emirates? Not at all, he might very well go and force Arsenal to really develop a new team capable of scoring on their own rather than doing everything else and then counting on Henry to bail them out on the scoresheet. I'm guessing he'll be back but I'm only about 60% confident of that outcome. If he isn't, the guess is that Arsenal are a UEFA Cup team but not a Champions League team unless they can find a high-profile replacement as well as a winger who can score about 10 goals.

In other developments, Villa seem to be the new Everton (from a couple years back) in that they are having a hard time getting anyone to take their money...No de Jong, no Sneidjer, no Barton, no Parker, and no Reo-Coker (yet). To answer Jeremy's query on Reading and Halford, I read that they have extended de la Cruz. Guess that made Halford surplus to requirements.

That's about it for today - hopefully, things will start happening soon. Once one or two dominos fall, there will likely be a flurry of activity.

Blues Scout Doubts Nani Ability

Chelsea scout Piet de Visser has had a dig at Manchester United, claiming new signing Nani may not be good enough for the Premiership.

De Visser has been asked by Blues owner Roman Abramovich to identify young talent to bring to Stamford Bridge, but has cast doubt on whether United's big-money signing can cut it in the English league.

Dutchman De Visser admits the 20-year-old midfielder has huge potential, but reckons his crossing lets him down and claims he holds onto the ball for too long.

De Visser, who recommended John Obi Mikel to Chelsea, told The Sun: "This boy is, as far as his skills are concerned, a super talent.

"He had his training with Sporting Lisbon and technically he is so good, he is almost perfect.

"But I also stress that despite all his talent he may not be right for the Premier League.

"His crosses are sometimes OK, sometimes bad.

"He dribbles too much with the ball because he wants to entertain, not because he wants to be effective.

"Cristiano Ronaldo had the same problem when he first played for United."

Yeah, and look how that turned out.

Oh, and by the way, these grapes are sour.

Black Cats Land Halford

Barclays Premiership newcomers Sunderland have made their first summer signing with the capture of Reading defender Greg Halford.



It is understood the 22-year-old full-back has signed for the Black Cats after undergoing a medical.



The club are expected to confirm the transfer, which comes just five months after the Chelmsford-born player joined the Royals from Colchester, later on Monday.

Halford was a January buy for Steve Coppell, but he could never displace either Murty or De La Cruz in the starting XI. Big things were promised, but Coppell seemed to be bringing him along slowly. I'm surprised that Reading would sell him as Murty isn't getting younger. But perhaps they see something in De La Cruz, or Sunderland came up with more money than they could turn down. Roy Keane needed a new right back after ManU defender Johhny Evans returned to the mother ship.

If Halford is as good as promised, and that is now a question after Reading sells him, then he could turn out to be value for money come next season.

UPDATE:  Here's the other piece to this puzzle: De La Cruz agrees new Royals deal

Trezeguet set for Juve exit

Unsettled striker David Trezeguet seems set to leave newly-promoted Juventus after revealing his contract negotiations are at a standstill.

The 29-year-old France international, whose contract runs out in 2008, is currently in talks over a new deal but is deeply unsatisfied with what the Turin club - whom he has been with for seven years - are offering him.

"There is no more hope of staying with Juventus - I feel they have little faith in me," Trezeguet told SKY Italia on Sunday after the Serie B champions lost 3-2 at home to Spezia.

"The offer they have made me tells me everything I need to know.

"I've given my best, just as the club asked me this season, but I feel they have made other choices.

"Now I am going on holiday and I will wait for a call from the board. It's up to them to decide what to do with me.

"It's a shame because I wanted to carry on, but they don't seem to want me anymore."

Let the rumors begin!

Pearce anger after Bentley withdrawal

Stuart Pearce feels he has been let down by David Bentley after his withdrawal from the England squad for the European U-21 Championships.The Blackburn starlet has left manager Pearce a man short for the tournament in Holland after pulling out due to "fatigue".

"I don't agree with it. I told him last night I don't agree with it in any way, shape or form," Pearce said on Sky Sports News.

"I feel as though I've been supportive to him. He wasn't in the under-21 side for whatever reason when I took over the job.

"I put him in, I thought he was arguably one of our best players in the two matches we had him.

"With that in mind, I rang Steve [McClaren] and said 'what I've got to report is I think this kid's doing quite well. Keep an eye on him'."

Players can only be replaced as a result of injury, so Pearce has been left with a squad of 22 for the finals, with England starting their campaign against Czech Republic on Monday.

It's no secret that we're big fans of David Bentley around these parts. But this is a strange situation. Perhaps he's discouraged by a certain other player's successful return to England's right flank?

McCann Completes Bolton Move

Bolton have announced the signing of Gavin McCann on a three-year deal from Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee.

The 29-year-old midfielder was undergoing a medical at the Reebok Stadium and is thought to have cost Wanderers around £1million plus add-ons.

He becomes manager Sammy Lee's second summer signing since taking over from Sam Allardyce.

McCann began the O'Neill regime as a first-team regular and was one of Villa's best players during the first half of the campaign.

But his form dipped in the New Year and he eventually made way for academy product Gardner.

With the promise of Gardner plus the expected arrival of Nigel Reo-Coker from West Ham, it was obvious McCann would be down the pecking order next season.

Second domino.

And I thought SAF was the Michael Corleone of Summer 2007

Apparently the guys at Bayern Munich realized just how much money ManYoo had given them for Owen Hargreaves and decided to start spending it like there was no tomorrow. As OH (as in "Oh, is Hargreaves really worth THAT much?") walks out the door, in walk Frank Ribery, Luca Toni, and (according to the player himself) Miraslov Klose. Given what we know about the needs at Old Trafford wouldn't you rather have had the three guys that Bayern got with ManYoo's money than the one guy ManYoo actually got? Especially when the guy ManYoo got will be competing with another guy they overpaid for last year for a spot in central midfield?

Maybe I'm too dumb to see how it would work but I don't see Carrick/Hargreaves working any better at ManYoo than Gerrard/Lampard does for England. They're just too similar. Unless SAF is committed to a 5-man midfield with two of Ronaldo/Giggs/Nani wide and Hargreaves/Carrick/Anderson in the middle then I just don't see it.

If it were me, I'd rather go with a midfield of Carrick/Anderson/Nani/Ronaldo (with Ribery for depth) and Rooney/Klose/Toni as the strikeforce than any of the options in the previous paragraph. Just something for the people in Tampa to ponder as they evaluate what their expenditures have yielded this summer.

Ribery to join Bayern

Neal, perhaps this is why the "Ribery to Arsenal" rumors dried up:

Franck Ribery will join Bayern Munich on Thursday after having passed a medical, according to Marseille chairman Pape Diouf.

An agreement is expected to be reached on Wednesday and the France international will directly travel from Auxerre, were he will play in a Euro 2008 qualifier against Georgia, to Germany.

"The transaction will be concluded on Wednesday and Ribery will move to Munich in order to pass the medical and to sign his contract on Thursday," Diouf told L'Equipe.

I guess someone has to supply Toni.

Scott becomes Upton Parker

West Ham have completed the £7million signing of England midfielder Scott Parker from Newcastle on a deal until 2012.Parker has agreed a five-year contract and becomes the Hammers' first signing of the summer.

The 26-year-old was captain at Newcastle last season but was keen on a return to London.

And a move to Upton Park sees Parker link up again with Alan Curbishley, his former manager at Charlton.

First domino falls.

Foster Suffers Cruciate Blow

Ben Foster's hopes of ousting Edwin van der Sar as Manchester United's first-choice keeper next season are in tatters after it was confirmed the England international requires surgery on a cruciate knee ligament injury.

The 24-year-old had been suffering knee problems during the latter half of last season, which he spent on loan at Watford.

And he pulled out of the England B international with Albania at the back end of last month to undergo tests.

Now Foster's worst fears have been realised, with United releasing more specific details of an injury which will keep sidelined for months.

"Ben Foster has a cruciate ligament injury in his right knee and will require an operation in two to three weeks' time," a United spokesperson told the club's website.

In a statement, the club said: "The injury was then jointly assessed by United and England's medical staff after the goalkeeper reported for international duty at the end of May.

"While the Reds' medical staff have not put a timescale on the 24-year-old's return to action, he is likely to spend a lengthy spell on the sidelines."

It is almost certain to be the early months of 2008 before Foster is in action again.

Viduka Closing In On Toon Move

Middlesbrough striker Mark Viduka is understood to have agreed in principle to join north-east rivals Newcastle.

His 19 goals last season - seven of them in his last five starts - were key to Boro's successful fight against relegation from the Barclays Premiership and took his tally for the club to 42 in 100 appearances, 20 of them as a substitute. [emphasis mine -j.]

That's the key. Viduka plays hard when his next payday is the issue. So you invariably get goals from him in August, December, and April. Then he'll go quiet for months at a time. I sure hope Big Sam realizes this. Maybe they'll structure his contract in such a way that he only gets paid when he scores. Or they'll make him sign a series of short-term (like a month at a time) deals. Anything they can do to keep him focused.

Now, is Big Sam going to bring his 4-3-3 to Newcastle? Viduka is certainly the mold of the big center forward he likes. See Davies, Kevin. (As an aside, what would Big Sam have done with Shearer? Wow. Imagine his glee at having the original at his disposal.) But are Owen and Martins the wide attackers he wants? Certainly Duff and Milner would be naturals. In fact, wouldn't a front line of Duff, Viduka, and Milner playing in front of Parker, Barton, and Butt suit Sam nicely? It would be like Bolton but with better quality players. But how do you leave out £17 million worth of striker? Going to be interesting, especially for fantasy managers, how Big Sam works it out.

And can we start the Speed to Newcastle rumours right here and now? He's a former and still much beloved player. He knows and thrives under Allardyce's system. Makes much more sense to me that Sam would go back to Bolton for Speed, rather than Nolan or Diouf.

As for Boro, they now have to replace (and hopefully for them, increase) Viduka's goal tally. Perhaps they should be looking for a bit more mobility to complement Yakubu. In fact, they might just have to replace Yakubu too if his on again, off again relationship with the Nigerian national team is on again for January's African Nations Cup. I think they could do worse than look to prise Louis Saha AND Alan Smith from Manchester United. That would give them the options they would want, and by offering for both players, might sweeten the deal for ManU who have already spent a ton of money, but are still looking for another striker themselves.

Rumor Mill

As a Gooner, I have to say that the momentum is headed in the wrong direction for my favorite club. With the only Arsenal rumors being talented players (Henry, Cesc, etc.) wanting out and no high profile prospects being mentioned as potential acquisitions. At the same time, the teams that showed promise last year - Spurs, Reading, and Villa in particular - are doing their best to close the gap between themselves and the fourth place Gunners.

Reading has taken a step back with the loss of Steve Sidwell but a player like Jason Koumas might be just the guy to minimize the impact of that loss.

Spurs still have to worry over the potential loss of Berbatov and Chimbonda but in the meantime, they're firming up their weaknesses (the left side) and giving the two above gentlemen reason to expect that a Champions League spot isn't out of the question.

Finally, Villa have the most interesting rumors associated with them. In addition to Koumas, the potential acquisition of Wesley Sneijder of Ajax (a long shot, I know) would add the touch of class that they thought they were getting when they brought Petrov down from Celtic. If that move allows them to keep Gareth Barry out wide and they can secure either Phil Bardsley or another solid right back, they should be in pretty good shape. One can only hope they don't add Craig Bellamy to what appears to be a potentially good mix.

It will be interesting to see how the summer continues to develop but if the powers-that-be at the Emirates Stadium don't get their acts together, the disappointment of finishing fourth and trophyless this season will feel great in comparison to what is coming next.

I have to say I'm a little worried that those who tend the rumor mills have gone quiet on Ribery-to-Arsenal. They're clearly scraping for news, the fact that they aren't willing to flog this one endlessly gives me a little pause - hopefully, the reporters with connections to France have just started their vacations early.

Monday Morning MLS Manager

Consecutive hat-tricks. And against the two (other) best teams in the league. And conference rivals to boot. Wow.

This is the Eddie Johnson who everyone in the US wants to see. The player who scored goals in his first eight, was it?, internationals. Fast, strong, tall. This is the player that was interesting English teams two years ago. And now, with the Gold Cup and Copa America looming as showpieces, will EJ be back with Kansas City come the fall?

Elsewhere, New England continue to be erratic, losing a second straight home game. This time, being blanked by lowly Real Salt Lake. Clint Mathis continues his all or nothing season. This week was nothing as he was red carded (again!) in the first half of the Kansas City match. Chicago and Houston break out of their slumps to score goals and win games.

What a messed up league this is. Playing fantasy is a nightmare. No good information available. Extreme parity. And Dan with EJ on his team. Nothing good. Nothing good.

Prem big guns chase Rovers ace

Or, "Agent confirms he is doing his job".

England's top five clubs are all interested in signing Blackburn winger Morten Gamst Pedersen, the player's agent has confirmed.

The 25-year-old Norway international has risen to prominence with some sterling performances for Rovers since joining from Tromso in 2004, and his representative Rune Hauge now claims he is wanted by Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

"All the big five follow Morten's situation." Hauge told Norwegian daily Dagbladet.

On a related note, I would like to inform everyone that Google, Microsoft, ESPN, Sky, and the BBC are interested in this blog.

Koumas is stuck on Toffees move

Jason Koumas has refused to rule out a move to Everton after making it clear he wants to be playing in the Premiership next season.The talented Wales midfielder has been strongly linked with a £4million move to Goodison Park following West Brom's failure to win the Championship play-off final against Derby on Monday.

Koumas, who has been a long-term target for Everton boss David Moyes, accepts now that his future may lie away from The Hawthorns.

Here's a happy confluence of two previous posts. Could Koumas be the spark that I feel Everton needs? And would he take set-piece duties away from Arteta?

Salas trains with Fire, meets media

Chilean international Marcelo Salas trained with the Chicago Fire Thursday during a practice session at the Toyota Park practice facility in Bridgeview, Ill. The left-footed striker joined the team for a midweek training session followed by a question and answer opportunity with media members.

That's a tease! MLS is bringing in a lot of big names at the wrong end of their careers - Beckham, Xavier, Blanco.  But Salas is an old favorite of mine, if not the blogs, since his 98 World Cup partnership with the more flamboyant Zamorano. And lord knows, the Fire - who scored 3 goals total in the month of May - need some offensive help. But as much as I would love to see Salas playing, he's been injured so many times over the years and hasn't played regularly since at least 2004, that I wouldn't expect the move to materialize, much less help the Fire.



Maybe it's a PR stunt for both sides. The Fire get linked to a (formerly) world-class player, which helps their reputation. And Salas reminds clubs back in Chile that he's available and is attracting interest.

Blues Close In On Pizarro Deal

Chelsea look set to land Claudio Pizarro from Bayern Munich on a free transfer.

The experienced Peruvian striker is out-of-contract at the Allianz Arena and is understood to have held talks with Chelsea, Juventus and former boss Felix Magath at Wolfsburg.

However, Pizarro is expected to put pen to paper on a four-year deal at Stamford Bridge with unsettled defender Khalid Boulahrouz tipped for a move in the opposite direction.

Not exactly the world-class forward that we were all expecting/hoping for. This isn't Eto'o, or heck, even Luca Toni, who's arrival at Bayern makes Pizarro expendable. And it certainly isn't (or I wouldn't expect it to be) a repeat of Spurs' success with Dimitar Berbatov last season. Berba King had scored 20 goals in the Bundesliga, whereas Pizarro only notched eight last season.

And then you read this, and start to get really worried:

Pizarro was offered a new contract by the club in Spring, though angered club bosses by rejecting it and demanding more money, prompting chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge to remark: "Anyone wishing to earn like Shevchenko must first play like Shevchenko."

And we all know how well Sheva played last season. In fact, that's why Chelsea were looking for a new striker in the first place!

Chelsea are going to lose both Drogba and Kalou to the African Nations Cup next year. I just have the feeling that while Pizarro will be an additional option up top, he isn't the last piece of this particular puzzle.

Foster Injury Worries

Just as soon as I start penciling in my line-up for the upcoming season with Ben Foster as the backbone of my defence as ManYoo prepare to defend their title Foster goes and gets himself hurt. According to reports Foster has already had arthroscopic knee surgery (I believe it's called keyhole surgery over there) since the end of the season and he's apparently in need of more serious surgery before the knee is actually on the road to being 100% again. Looks like SAF is likely to feature EvdS for at least the beginning of the season if not the entire season.

Looks like the quest for a cheap goalkeeper will have to continue.

United set to stop splashing cash

Manchester United chief executive David Gill has indicated the Red Devils' triple transfer swoop could mark the end of their summer spending.United have confirmed England international Owen Hargreaves will join them from Bayern Munich on July 1, with only the 25-year-old's signature required to complete a £17million deal.

Neither Anderson nor Nani can expect to play as many games as their fellow new arrival, although if either man shows the type of form Ronaldo produced when he first landed at Old Trafford four years ago, it will not be long before they are providing stiff competition for the likes of Ryan Giggs, who has quit international football in order to prolong his United career.

Queiroz said: "It is really worth stopping to imagine what an attack formed by Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and Anderson could do.

On that note, time for a bit of the old blog roundtable:

Jeremy: anderson won't get a work permit and will be loaned back to porto

Jeremy: at least that's my baseless speculation

Neal: don't know how much he's played with the BNT

Neal: will probably be more after Copa this summer

Jeremy: i think he just got his first senior call up

Neal: hard to believe that SAF would spend huge for someone who isn't going to contribute this year

Neal: wonder if he has a Euro passport from his time in Portugal

Neal: regardless of Anderson status - ManYoo looking pretty strong

Neal: Giggs replacement

Neal: done

Neal: Scholes replacement

Neal: done

Neal: two holding midfielders

Neal: done

Jeremy: just a matter of aligning the pieces

Neal: one striker left

Jeremy: no room on the pitch for that striker

Neal: no?

Jeremy: if you figure scholes, carrick, and owen in the center

Neal: Nani the 2nd striker for now?

Jeremy: giggs, probably

Jeremy: nani and cron on the wings

Jeremy: SAF creating his version of AC Milan

Neal: I'd be surprised if Scholes keeps his spot

Neal: he's done

Jeremy: for pirlo/gattuso read carrick/hargreaves

Neal: w/ Giggs playing the Kaka role?

Jeremy: seedorf/kaka read giggs/cron

Neal: so, essentially 4-5-1?

Jeremy: scholes as ambrosini?

Jeremy: basically

Jeremy: keep saha and smith as rooney's cover

Neal: I'm guessing Saha is gone to Lyon based on the rumor mill

Neal: sell him for 6-8M and then pay out for Huntelaar

Jeremy: probably

Jeremy: rossi ;-)

Neal: hasn't rossi already been sold?

Neal: or is he on loan?

Jeremy: loan to parma

Neal: got it

Parker Poised For Hammers Switch

West Ham appear to be on the verge of clinching the £7million signing of Newcastle and England midfielder Scott Parker after fighting off late interest from Tottenham.

...

West Ham manager Alan Curbishley sees Parker as a potential captain and the ideal replacement for current skipper Nigel Reo-Coker, who has handed in a transfer request.

Parker, who is celebrating the birth of his third child this week, is keen on a return to London where his family is based and a move to Upton Park would see him link up again with Curbishley, his old boss at Charlton.

Newcastle's new manager Sam Allardyce is reported to be eyeing out-of-favour Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton as a potential replacement for Parker.

Quite the midfield carousel, isn't it? And as they say, "where she stops, nobody knows".

So, based on this, does ManCiteh build around NRC? And why were Spurs interested in Parker? Don't they have the center of the midfield covered with Jenas, THud, Zokora, Tainio, etc.? Or are Spurs now linked to any young(ish) English player, regardless of actual need or interest. I'm surprised he wasn't rumoured to be heading to Villa, to be honest. They have dollars to spend and have been linked with anyone and everyone else.

Was There Opera Music Playing in the Background Too?

It would appear that Sir Alex Ferguson has his Michael Corleone moment late on Wednesday. He's already spent a small fortune on Owen Hargreaves, who will be a nice addition, and now he has pulled the trigger not only on the rumored Nani but also on Brazilian attacking midfielder Anderson. With a striker still likely to come, you have to think that Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool are all a little frightened at the hill they'll have to climb next season to unseat ManYoo for the title.

So, a few questions...

1) How do Hargreaves and Carrick (last year's extremely expensive central midfield purchase) co-exist in the same alignment? They aren't the same player by any stretch of the imagination but they tend to play in the same space - in front of the defence in a midfield diamond.

2) How quickly will Anderson displace the aging Paul Scholes? Of course even if Scholes is the preferred starter we know Anderson will get at least four or five starts when Scholes is suspended for silly fouls that the average grade schooler would find embarassing.

3) Same question for Nani and Ryan Giggs. How quickly does Nani claim the mantle of starting winger? I can't imagine a better reserve midfielder than Giggs who could come in for any of Ronaldo, Nani, or Scholes/Anderson and provide a spark in the last 30 minutes plus the occasional spot start.

4) Finally, who will be walking through the door as Wayne Rooney's primary strike partner? and when will it happen? With Saha and Heinze still to be sold (and the possibility of off-loading a few more assets like Phil Bardsley and Keiron Richardson - don't laugh, he's still under 21 and there will be someone who takes a chance on him based on his ManYoo pedigree for a couple million).

I have to admit that both 2 & 3 are the sort of problems that any manager would be happy to be sorting through.

Be afraid non-Devils supporters, be very afraid.

Manchester United announce Portuguese swoop

Manchester United have swooped on Portugal's Superliga to capture exciting young duo Nani and Anderson.

[Anderson] can play on the wing or as a playmaker and has spent the last two seasons at Porto after joining from Gremio - Ronaldinho's former club - after the 2005 youth tournament.

...

United have also agreed to sign Portugal international Nani, who is 20 and is a winger-cum-striker who had been interesting Spurs.

Depth and youth in a single double move. After losing out to Chelsea and Roman's billions for several years, on players like Robben and Mikel, are ManU back?

Just to Recap

I know it's WAY early in the summer to start thinking about this but here's my tentative opening day line-up assuming the rumors that seem the most credible are true:

GK - Ben Foster (ManYoo)
D - Bale (Spurs), Alex (Chelsea), Aurelio (Liv)
M - Nani (ManYoo), Malouda (Liv), Ronaldo (ManYoo), Ribery (Ars)
F - Villa (Liv), Huntelaar (ManYoo), Henry (Ars)

Given last year's prices, Foster should be relatively cheap (say, 9.00), Bale and Alex should come in around 5.00 each with Aurelio a little higher - say 6.50. Malouda, Ribery, and Nani should be at about 5.50 each; and Villa and Huntelaar should be about 7.00 each. Presuming those numbers are roughly correct you'd have 8 holes filled for roughly 55.00, this would leave 45.00 to acquire Henry and Ronaldo which might be a tight fit but likely do-able given Henry's lack of production (I'd say he'll open at about 20.00) but I can't see Ronaldo being as high as 25.00 to start the season so it should be possible.

Just a few thoughts to get you thinking about next season.

Toffees stuck on £4m Jag swoop

Everton boss David Moyes is tipped to pip Aston Villa and Newcastle to the £4million signature of versatile Sheffield United ace Phil Jagielka. Jagielka, who is comfortable in midfield or the heart of the defence, has told new Blades boss Bryan Robson he wants to leave Bramall Lane following the club's relegation from the Premiership.

It is reported that Jagielka, who made quite an impact for the Blades despite their failed bid to avoid the drop, had a £4million buy-out clause inserted into his contract in the event of relegation.

Neal and I are a bit divided on this possible signing. While we both agree that 4mil is a lot of money, Neal seems to think that Moyes is in the process of rebuilding his squad with younger, versatile players. I think that Everton have Phil Neville in the utility role, and enough cover in defense and defensive midfield that Jags is a bit of a redundancy. I would rather see them spend the money (and perhaps they will) to improve their depth in the attacking midfield area. With Fernandes unlikely to be signed, Moyes doesn't have much creative spark beyond Arteta, Osman, and Cahill.

Reds Eye Malouda Raid

Rafa Benitez will reportedly start his revamp of the Liverpool squad on the wings.

Benitez will have significant sums to spend this summer from both his planned clearout of the Anfield squad (which could see Mark Gonzalez, Bolo Zenden, Craig Bellamy and Harry Kewell head for the exit door), and from backing from the club's new American owners.

Wednesday's Sun claims that the Spanish boss is lining up a raid on his old club Valencia to sign left-winger David Silva.

Silva has been one of the finds of the season for Quique Sanchez Flores' side after signing from Celta Vigo last summer.

The Valencia man could cost up to £12 million, but a slightly cheaper option could be Lyon wideman Florent Malouda.

Odd to see reports linking Rafa to a Frenchman. It's like a trip in the Way-Back Machine to the Houllier era when Liverpool brought in the likes of Cisse, Cheyrou, Le Tallec, and Sinama-Pongolle. David Silva would be the more likely Rafa signing, simply because he's Spanish.

But either player could achieve "+10" status, depending on which names leave Liverpool. If Zenden, Gonzalez, and Kewell go (and maybe even Riise) it would seem that a new left-winger would quickly find themselves at the front of the playing-time queue.

Keane eyeing bids for Albion pair

Sunderland boss Roy Keane has set his sights on West Brom duo Jason Koumas and Paul McShane following Albion's Championship play-off heartache.The Baggies were defeated 1-0 by Derby at Wembley on Monday and the majority of their big-name players are expected to leave The Hawthorns this summer.

Jason Koumas is an old-school blog favorite from his earlier stint in the Premiership with West Brom. We would certainly look forward to his return, and would hope that he has improved his all-around game without sacrificing his wicked left foot and skill at set pieces.

Chelsea confirm Crespo's Inter stay

Argentina striker Hernan Crespo will stay at Italian champions Internazionale after Chelsea confirmed that they would not be recalling him.

Crespo, 31, joined Inter from Chelsea on a two-year loan deal, but the Premiership side had the option to recall the former Parma, Lazio and Milan striker.

But Crespo had always insisted that he and his family wanted to stay in Italy and the agreement to continue the loan comes as no surprise. The confirmation came in a fax sent from the London club to Inter's head office.

So Chelsea still need to buy themselves (and fantasy managers) a new world-class striker. Any takers?

Bentley Gets U21 Call

David Bentley has been included in the England Under-21 squad for the European Championship finals in Holland.

The Blackburn winger is currently with the seniors and will travel to Estonia next week for the Euro 2008 qualifier before joining the under-21s, with their matches starting on June 11.

Bentley, who scored the first goal for England at the new Wembley when he netted for the under-21s against Italy, has played more than 30 games for his club this season and boss Mark Hughes recently warned against burn-out.

Kudos to a blog favorite. Bentley really came into his own this season, adding the "end product" to his game to complement his long-obvious skill. We're just glad to have been able to take advantage of the fantasy windfall at $7 early in the season. Though to be fair, he was still worth the $12 as the year came to a close and Rovers pushed, unsuccessfully (thank you Jason Roberts!) for a European place.

Pompey finally get their man Muntari

Portsmouth have finally completed the signing of Udinese midfielder Sulley Muntari for an undisclosed club record fee believed to be around £7 million.

The Ghanaian international has long been a target of Pompey boss Harry Redknapp and has signed a five-year contract at Fratton Park.

So who is their starting midfield? Taylor, Muntari, Mendes, and O'Neill, with Krancjar and Davis off the bench? Is it my imagination, or is 'Arry putting together a decent side? Perhaps spending too much in the process, but I guess that is a cost of doing business with ill-gotten Russian gains, eh Jose?

And is it my imagination, or is there no way that this is a picture of a 23 year old?

Spurs Complete Bale Deal

Tottenham have confirmed the signing of Wales left-back Gareth Bale from Southampton in a deal which could be worth up to £10million to the Hampshire club.

Bale put himself in the spotlight at the start of the season with a stunning free-kick against Derby, followed up with another set-piece against Coventry three days later.

He is the youngest player to be capped by Wales and despite being deployed at full-back so far in his fledgling career, has been tipped to emulate Ryan Giggs if he is developed into a winger.

A defender who can play as a winger (on a team that could use some spark from the left side of midfield) and who takes kicks. Be still my beating heart! Ladies and gentlemen, I'm happy to present to you the first name off my list.

Bale +10!

Hamstring injury sidelines Albright

This one's for Mike "Gonna Be Albright":

The Los Angeles Galaxy were hit with a hammer blow when they got the news that veteran right back Chris Albright will miss an extended period of time after suffering a serious hamstring injury.

The injury was severe enough to require surgery on Thursday, and as a result there is no timetable set for the U.S. international's return.



Against Chivas USA last Sunday, Albright landed awkwardly after heading away a cross in the opening 15 minutes of the game. He went to the ground immediately, and the Galaxy training staff was quickly calling for a substitution. Albright said he knew it was going to be bad news immediately.

I guess LA will have to hold on until June 15 when Abel Xavier is free to join up with them. Until then look for a rotating cast of Veris, Roberts, or hell, maybe even Cobi Jones pressed into service.

Wouldn't that be some swan song for the Cobi, who will have to give up his title of "craziest hairdo on the team" to Xavier before retiring for good at the end of this season.

Samuel signs on with the Trotters

Jlloyd Samuel has become Sammy Lee's first signing as Bolton manager after the left-back agreed a free transfer from Aston Villa.The 26-year-old defender will join the club on July 1 on a four-year deal.

Is this the end of the Ricardo Gardner era? Or another situation where Jloyd finds himself struggling to get a place in the side? Before his injury problems, Jlloyd was a very productive fantasy defender. The blog is hoping that he can regain that sort of form, though we're surprised that Bolton was his destination.



I guess this makes Baines to Newcastle ever more likely. Unless Bolton were resigned to losing the Jamaican international to the Barcodes. Hmmmm.... This is how transfer rumours get started, you know?

Pompey Land Hreidarsson

Portsmouth have signed former Charlton defender Hermann Hreidarsson on a two-year deal.

The 32-year-old Iceland defender exercised a clause in his contract which allowed him to leave The Valley on a free transfer if the Addicks were relegated.

He has moved to Fratton Park two days after Pompey secured the services of former Manchester City defender Sylvain Distin on a three-year deal.

Manager Harry Redknapp told the club's official website www.pompeyfc.co.uk: "I've always liked Hermann. I tried to buy him before and I'm delighted he's now here at Portsmouth.

"He's got great experience at Premier League level, he's big, quick, very good in the air and a good competitor. He can play at left-back and in the centre of defence so he gives us plenty of options."

Last year it was Campbell and Traore. This year Distin and Hreidarsson. I think this is probably a good move for Portsmouth. 'arry's got depth in defense now, though the squad isn't any younger.  As for the Hermannator, the blog has always been a fan. Here's hoping the fifth time is a charm and he can avoid relegation.

No word yet on the status of the Muntari deal. But the day is still young.

Send me an Angel

Juan Pablo Angel continues to settle into Major League Soccer very nicely. After his goal and assist last weekend won him "Player of the Week" honors, he adds two goals and another assist in NY's win over Chicago tonight.

I haven't seen the match - and to be fair it seems that Chicago had chances - but the Fire need Rolfe back quickly. Against Real Salt Lake would be nice. Especially because I put him in my MLS fantasy lineup hoping he'd make that game, even if, as expected, he'd miss the NYRB match.

Credit where credit is due time -- the MLS fantasy game allows you to designate a captain each week who will earn double points. Yahoo! did this in their World Cup game last summer. It adds a really interesting wrinkle to your decision making and to your rootings. For example, last week Neal and I both had Kenny Cooper in our fantasy sides for Dallas' two games. But Neal made him captain and I didn't. So when Cooper scored the penalty against Chicago I wished he hadn't - even though he was ON MY TEAM! It's a very odd feeling.

I'm happy to report that the tables were turned tonight as JPA was my captain and Neal got a little taste of his own medicine. At least until the weekend when Cooper lines up as captain of Neal's team again. But then I get to root against him whole-heartedly.

Baptista Heading Back To Real

Julio Baptista is set to return to Spain following his season with Arsenal.

The 25-year-old Brazil international was on loan from Real Madrid, with Jose Antonio Reyes going the other way, and had his advisors in London towards the end of the season to discuss his future with the Gunners.

"Arsenal have told me they are not able to buy me and so all I can do is return to Real Madrid," he said in Spanish newspaper Marca.

...

He got into double figures for Arsenal but six of those goals came in the Carling Cup, and he did not make the same impact in the Premiership. He also revealed recently that he struggled with the English weather.

Baptista's return would improve the chances of Theo Walcott establishing himself in Arsene Wenger's starting XI, with the 18-year-old back in training following his shoulder operation.

This is spectacularly unsurprising news. But it is nice to be reminded of Walcott, whose return to health will give the Gunners another option on the right side of midfield.

AC Milan 2 - Liverpool 1

In the end, the class and experience of Milan paid off. Liverpool set out to mirror Milan's formation, but couldn't copy or cope with the likes of Inzaghi, Nesta, and Gattusso. Milan were patient and composed. And unlike the isolated Dirk Kuyt, when Milan broke forward, Inzaghi had Kaka, and often Seedorf, in close support. Pennant was lively on the right and had the beating of Jankolovski (sp?) early, but his only options were deep crosses to late-arriving players on the edge of the box. Kuyt as I said was isolated, and doesn't have the stature to hold up the ball against the likes of Nesta who had Kuyt in his pocket all night, when Kuyt wasn't fouling him. Which was all too often. Meanwhile Inzaghi played his game -- an ugly vision of football where he tugs your shirt, falls over, and begs for the foul -- and on three occassions he split the defenders and was in on net alone. And twice he scored, albeit once when Pirlo's free kick bounced off his arm. But credit him for being unmarked in front of goal. You just can't do that because bad things will happen.

As hard as it is to like Inzaghi, it is hard not to like Paolo Maldini or Kaka. They play (and in Maldini's case have been playing for 22 years) with such style and grace. The moment of the match that we're all likely to remember is Kaka's drag-back-and-spin-away in midfield that flummoxed Mascherano and about three other covering Liverpool defenders.

There are lots of other talking points -- the substitutions made and not made, Gerrard's largely anonymous night and the chances had but didn't take, Daniel Agger's tattoo collection, etc -- but for now it's 5-4 to Milan on aggregate and I'm looking forward to the rubber match.

UPDATE: After watching the video, it's Riise who flies by when Kaka puts on the brakes. And Mascherano does a great job of staying with the play and winning the tackle. Still pretty.

Cone of Silence

The COS is back, baby!

We're going offline until tonight when we get to watch the Champions League final, which is HOPEFULLY being Tivo'd right now.

Reactions to follow.

Toronto FC acquires F Cunningham from Real Salt Lake

Expansion club Toronto FC may have cured its scoring woes.

One of the lowest-scoring clubs in Major League Soccer, Toronto landed some offensive help Tuesday, acquiring forward Jeff Cunningham from Real Salt Lake for forward Alecko Eskandarian and a 2008 first-round draft pick.

Cunningham, 30, is a 10-year veteran and has 93 goals and 57 assists in 246 career games - 162 starts. The 5-7 speedster enjoyed his best season last year, scoring a league-leading 16 goals - a career best.

Some transfer news on the domestic (well, North American) front. Toronto get a bit pacier with Cunningham. They had two of a kind with both Alecko and Edson Buddle on the squad, and though they would probably have liked to have moved Buddle, Alecko has the greater trade value. That despite his injury history, though possibly upgraded because of his history with Freddy Adu, his former DCUnited teamate.

Could also be two players who were unhappy with their current situations looking for (another) fresh start.

Transfer Wish List

Dear Rafa, Jose, SAF, Arsene, et al,



All I want for the transfer window is

• Samuel Eto'o



• Daniel Alves



• Alex



• Simao Sabrosa



• Gareth Bale (to Spurs)

And a healthy Dean Ashton.



Thank you.

Muntari Close To Pompey Deal

Harry Redknapp admits midfielder Sulley Muntari is very close to signing for Portsmouth.

The Ghana international will cost around £7m from Italian club Udinese and it's understood personal terms have already been agreed.

Redknapp said: "We are very close to getting him and I am keeping my fingers crossed.

"He is a fantastic midfielder, strong and quick and with an eye for goal and he is only 22."

Anyone else a little tired of the Muntari saga? Sign him, or don't sign him. But the daily "we're this close to signing him" is really starting to get on my nerves. Sure, he's a good player. But he's not even the first or second best midfielder on his national side. Certainly not worth all the hubbub.

This however, is just funny:

Charlton's Icelandic defender Hermann Hreidarsson and free agent Titus Bramble are also in Redknapp's sights.

'arry looking to add some relegation experience to his squad? Don't you normally wait until January when you're mere points above the drop zone to do that? And the idea of Bramble and Traore lining up in the same back line is just too beautiful for words.

UPDATE: Seems that Pompey have some follow-through and have signed Sylvain Distin. Perhaps now all the clubs Neal wrote about will be looking at the Hermannator and T*tf#ck Bramble instead. God help them all.

Steve Sidwell agrees Chelsea move

Chelsea have confirmed that midfielder Steve Sidwell has agreed to join the club on a free transfer from July 1. The 24-year-old midfielder has quit Reading after rejecting a new £25,000-per-week, four-year deal.

Look for him to get his first start in January '08 when Mikel and Essien go the African Nations Cup. But in the mean time, he can get sodoku help from SWP and Bridge on the Chelsea bench as the three look for something to do on Saturday afternoons.

Wither Distin?

With the news that Sylvain Distin will be packing up his gear and putting Manchester City blue in his rear-view mirror, it gets you thinking about where he SHOULD land if he indeed stays in the Premier League. Here's a quick breakdown...

1) Pompey - knows the 'keeper pretty well from their time together at Citeh and after a year of rotating central defenders due to injury (mostly caused by the brittleness of old age) - Distin would be welcome relief. He isn't a spring chicken but he hasn't been a consistent injury casualty like Primus, Campbell, et al.

2) Newcastle - let's see...he's a veteran player, he's foreign, he's a defender, he plays a physical game - anything here NOT scream Big Sam? Actually, he'd be a great signing while NUFC look for some younger options.

3) Aston Villa - continuing yesterday's trend of mentioning Villa everytime a reasonably-good-but-not-great player is being discussed - he'd really solidify the Villains defence in the way that Martin Laursen was supposed to before suffering injury after injury after injury...(there are probably bigger priorities though).

4) Reading - exactly the sort of signing they need to solidify their place in the Premier League. The defence was OK but Distin would represent an upgrade.

5) Everton - more likely to go young than add a veteran but Lescott/Yobo/Distin would be a great 3-man rotation (assuming they can find full backs who will allow Lescott to move back to the middle where he belongs).

6) Arsenal - a stop-gap measure for sure but Senderos doesn't seem to be the answer and Gallas and Toure are pretty much the same player (the smaller, more technical half of a potentially excellent central tandem). Distin would also be a great mentor for Johan Djourou who still seems like he has the potential to be the long-term answer opposite a Toure/Gallas-type partner.

In other random news, I saw a rumor that Everton are chasing Phil Bardsley. If this is more than just hype and he is really available then there should be a lot of interest in him between Everton, Villa, Newcastle, Blackburn, and Bolton all of whom really need a solid right back who can get forward a little bit as well.

The Silly Season Continues

Not much of substance to talk about really but here are a few more rambling thoughts...

1) Everton need to continue the youth movement in the back - they are apparently looking at Phil Jagielka and SHOULD be looking at Leighton Baines. Adding those two to the versatile Lescott and Joseph Yobo and you've got a pretty nice starting four in front of Tim Howard.

2) It would seem that Aston Villa have become the poor man's Chelsea - every slightly-better-than-mediocre player who is out of contract or looking to improve his financial position is having his agent drop their name because everyone knows they have money to spend. Anything not involving a right back (to replace Bardsley who is presumably going back to Old Trafford), a central midfielder (to replace the inadequate for a Top 4 finish duo of McCann and Petrov), or a goalkeeper is probably a lot of hot air unless someone else is on the way out the door.

3) I'm sort of shocked that there hasn't been more news about one or more of Liverpool's stable of central midfielders heading out the exit door. If I were any one of Villa, Everton, Blackburn, Reading, or Newcastle I'd be very excited about the possibility of prying away Alonso or Sissoko given the fact that one of those two is now the fourth choice central midfielder - hard to picture either sitting still for that.

4) Speaking of central midfield help, another potential shopping spot is The Emirates Stadium - Alexandre Song was one of Charlton's few bright spots and he'll likely not follow them down to the Championship and he is equally unlikely to figure for the Gunners with Silva, Cesc, and Diaby in the fold with Rosicky also (theoretically) a central midfielder as well as Denilson. I'd imagine he could be had for not much more than the price Birmingham paid for Muamba.

5) Maybe I'm not very bright but doesn't it seem that Manchester United is bidding against itself for Owen Hargreaves? Has any other big name club been liked to him to drive the price up? Aren't Bayern Munich out of the Champions League and presumably a little desperate for cash to retool their squad after finishing third? What exactly is driving the price up? United seemed a little desperate at the beginning of this season and Hargreaves was coming off a great World Cup showing but United have shown that they aren't in desperate straights and Hargreaves obviously wasn't enough to keep Bayern atop the league so I ask again, why so expensive? I'd think £10 million would be about right.

6) Finally, one fantasy note - it would appear that ManYoo might be in the mood to switch starting goalkeepers - next season's line-up is starting to take a little bit of shape: Ben Foster (or that guy from Celtic) in net and Alex as one defender will be a nice set of inexpensive anchors alongside whatever striker ManYoo drafts to replace Saha/Smith/Ole and the striker Chelsea buys to partner Drogba.

Hope you found us again in our new (old) home...

Latics duo set for JJB departure

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce wants to sign Wigan full-back Leighton Baines - and Paul Scharner could also leave the JJB Stadium.According to the Manchester Evening News, Allardyce wants to sign the England Under-21 left-back as the first step towards rebuilding a backline that has leaked goals.

Allardyce's predecessor at St James' Park, Glenn Roeder, also tried to sign Baines but the lure of some more stability in the North-East could tempt the full-back to leave The JJB.

...

Latics midfielder Scharner has been linked with a move, with Everton and Aston Villa possible destinations.

Baines to Newcastle makes sense, and is probably the least surprising transfer rumour to date. Scharner to Villa also makes a lot of sense. He and McCann could fight for the holding midfield role while Scharner would also give cover to a young (Ridgewell, Cahill) and oft-injured (Laursen) Villa back-line.

It's funny (not ha-ha though)... Wigan are going to lose players as if they were relegated, though they weren't. Between them and Fulham, I'm thinking 2 of 3 promoted sides will feel pretty confident about retaining their Premiership status next season.

Closure

So finally we get points from Blackburn/Spurs.  Though I wish we didn't.  McCarthy's goal combined with Roberts' red mist sees me fall against the competition.  But regardless, I'm glad to have the game come to a belated resolution.

So, how did we all do?  I achieved my goals of beating Neal, winning our private group, and finishing in the top 50 for a second consecutive season!  Final ranking was 33rd, three up from last year.  So I'm pretty happy about all of that. 

Happy, but exhausted.  This game is a TEN MONTH MARATHON and keeping up on everything - and sharing it with you, Dear Reader - became a lot of work as the year wore on.   Looking forward to a break from the week-in-week-out stress of whom to pick, whom to drop, who is injured or to be rotated.  You know what I'm talking about.  A little time at the beach and because "I can't live without my fantasy team" I'll try to catch Neal, who has already raced out to a lead in our domestic fantasy season (MLS ruulz!) will do me well.

So catch your breath, but be sure to stick with us as we cover the silly season of transfers, managerial comings and goings, and summer internationals and tournaments.

And then we'll try to solve the fantasy mathematical equation:

x + 10 = ?

:-) 

PS.  Congratulations to (TT) Hwanin Revolution who rode a late surge to pip me to the post in Neal's group and finished 30th overall. Good on you, son!

 

Allardyce Acts Quickly

Titus Bramble's eventful Newcastle career has finally come to an end as new manager Sam Allardyce wasted little time in swinging the axe.

The 25-year-old defender, whose time at St James' Park has been blighted by costly errors, was one of five players released by the club a day after Allardyce was unveiled as Glenn Roeder's successor.

Fellow defenders Craig Moore and Olivier Bernard, as well as keeper Pavel Srnicek and loan signing Oguchi Onyewu, have all been told their contracts will not be renewed.

---

Obscure defenders from second and third tier leagues (and countries) are furiously polishing their CV's this morning. Big Sam in on the hunt (sorry, not that Hunt) for a new back-line!

Royals move for French star Cisse

Reading have signed Boavista midfielder Kalifa Cisse on a three-year-contract.The 22-year-old Frenchman, who has spent the last two seasons with the Portuguese side, becomes Steve Coppell's first signing of the summer.

Royals director of football Nicky Hammond said: "Kalifa is a 6ft 2ins central midfielder who has also played in defence. He has real athletic ability and the technical attributes that should be well suited to the Premiership."

 ---

Sounds like they've found a holding middie to replace Sidwell.  Wouldn't expect him to be a fantasy buy next season unless he's listed as a defender.  But even then, Cisse isn't a name with a great history in the Premiership, with neither Djibril nor Aliou leaving much of a mark.

And It Begins

Originally posted by Neal Thurman.

Now that the Premier League season is over I know the media will start doing two things (OK, three things but I don't want to focus on the legal battle over whether the Hammers should or shouldn't stay up):  1) they're going to print a ton of transfer gossip; and 2) they're going to rail against the proliferation of transfer rumors as they drag on and get repetivite. 

I know there are plenty in the media who scoff at some of the rumors that are clearly fanciful but I have to admit that the summer is my favorite part of any campaign.  Supporters of all teams are excited by the possibilities of the youngster purchased from the lower divisions or the exotic foreigner.  Certainly we, as fantasy managers, can start pondering the possibilities of new entrants into the league as we look to find some cheap players that will allow us to purchase Cristiano Ronaldo for the first weekend of next season without having to give up on production from elsewhere in the line-up.

So, since the window isn't quite open yet (although the confirmations of the first deals have started to come through the wires) I'm going to kick off the silly season with a few thoughts on things that SHOULD happen.  We'll get to some analysis of the value of the things that DO happen once they actually start happening.

1) Carlito to Chelsea - defenders would have nightmares for weeks before having to face Tevez and Drogba and THINK of the space that Lamps would have behind those two.

2) Berbatov to ManYoo - perfect craft to balance the speed and explosion of Rooney and Ronaldo.

3) Sidwell for Villa - Sounds like NUFC or Chelsea will be the spot but Petrov never really clicked and there is a TON of talent for Sid to orchestrate between Carew, Agbonlahor, Moore, Ashley Young, and Gareth Barry.  THAT would be fun to watch.

5) Wingers for Arsenal - the only guy who made a difference out wide for the Gunners was Eboue and he is a rotten fullback so unless he is moved up to right midfield, Arsenal need wide players who actually want to play wide - enter Ribery (right) and Babel (left).  Mr. Rosicky and Mr. Hleb please don't let the door hit you on the way out.

6) Kewell and Huntelaar for Spurs - an risk but also a potential answer on the left side for a team that has struggled getting the ball in from that side and a replacement for Berbatov who would be a nice complement to whichever of Keane or Defoe remains (presumably Keane) after Berbs leaves.

7) Someone with Flair for Bolton - with Big Sam gone, hopefully Bolton will change up the formula a little bit and add someone to the mix that can combine with Nicky Anelka to make them watchable.

8) McCarthy and MGP for Rovers and Arteta for Everton - both clubs need to find one or two more players to make a real challenge for the 4th Champions League spot but job number one for both will be keeping their own players who had stellar campaigns sure to attract higher profile interest in England and abroad.  More likely, Arteta heads back to Spain, Pedersen heads to Manchester United and McCarthy heads to either Chelsea or Liverpool.

9) Parker for Reading - with Sidwell on his way out there's a HUGE hole in the middle of the park for the Royals and if Sidwell is going to supplant Parker at Newcastle maybe Parker is the man to replace him and keep the Royals engine moving in their second year in the Premier League.

10) Health for Owen - who knows where he'll end up (don't bet on him being a Red Devil anytime soon - if Saha is too much of an injury risk then how could they justify Owen who hasn't been healthy in a few years?).  If I had to throw out a prediction, I'd guess he'll end up staying at Newcastle for one more season and if healthy and productive, he'll move on to greener pastures.

Anyway, here's to the beginning of the rumor mill - may it be prolific and keep us interested until August.