skip to main |
skip to sidebar
The transfer of Aliaksandr Hleb discussed early this summer eventually became inevitable. Arsenal, after all, have a reputation as a selling club and had just finished another season trophyless. The £20 million switch to Inter that had been touted served to open the door for Hleb's switch to Barcelona. Perhaps the only surprise was the fee Barca paid to Arsenal, just £11.8 million.
Hleb’s move has been just a small part of a frenzied summer of transfer speculation and rumour in England, which has yet to yield the major deals it had promised. Selling clubs have been raising the prices of their most wanted players to fend off the attention of any potential buyers. In an effort to keep transfer figures to a minimum it seems buying clubs have been keeping their targets close to their chests. However, this will all come to a close when the deadline arrives tomorrow.
Unless you have been living on the moon for the past three months a few potential deals might have caught your attention. Rumour has it that Dimitar Berbatov will be paraded around Old Trafford in the next couple of days, answering Manchester United’s call for more firepower in the final third. The transfer of Robinho from Real Madrid to Chelsea is also being mooted, with the Brazilian even calling his own press conference to announce his intention to move to Stamford Bridge. It remains to be seen whether the media have predicted correctly or not.
One such deal which had been anticipated in the press was Samir Nasri’s move to Arsenal from Marseille, which commanded a fee reported to be in the same region as Barcelona paid for Hleb. The 21-year-old French international, of Algerian descent, was seen by many as a direct replacement for Hleb. A quick dribbler and direct passer of the ball, Nasri had the technical ability to fill the attacking midfield void left by the Belarusian.
The early signs have looked good. Nasri scored on his debut, albeit against newly promoted West Brom, and added to his account against FC Twente in midweek. He has also immediately adapted to the distinctive Arsenal style, producing moments of fast and flowing football that Arsenal fans have become accustomed to watching. Rather than replacing Alex Hleb, Nasri's position on the left wing accompanied by his distinctive running style and eye for goal has drawn comparisons with another former Gunners hero.
When Robert Pires left at the end of the 2006 season he was sorely missed. The Frenchman had been a huge success at Arsenal, partnering Thierry Henry’s dominance of the left flank and scoring at a rate of almost a goal every two games – a ratio which would please most top strikers. Hleb took on the responsibility of replacing him, winning praise for his trickery and assists, but he simply wasn’t a goalscorer. After 89 league matches for Arsenal Aliaksandr Hleb scored a total of 7 goals, making £11.8 million look good. Samir Nasri was never prolific at Marseille, but there appears to be some suggestion that he is ready to fill the boots of Pires.
After the season opener Arsene Wenger took the time to liken Nasri to Pires himself, and his further performances have looked promising. Cutting in from the left and side footing into the net became a trademark of Pires’, and Nasri appears to have been crafted from the same mould. Wenger remarked that his acceleration and ability to change direction quickly are the focal points of Nasri’s game, just as they were with Pires.
Prior to his Arsenal move Nasri had received the dreaded ‘Zidane’ tag (see Why There Will Never Be A ‘New Zidane’, June 24). Just like the former World Footballer of the Year Nasri is a French international from Marseille, who is also of Algerian descent. It’s these peripheral aspects of Samir Nasri that have led to the comparisons with Zidane, rather than the style of his play. Any fans awaiting the arrival of the ‘new Zidane’ may have to face up to waiting a lifetime. In the meantime watching the ‘new Pires’ might just hold some consolation.
The discussion before the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing began largely centered around Brazil's quest for their first ever Olympic title. The question of how the Olympic gold medal could escape the most successful and internationally recognised football nation of all time was one which was frequently asked in the build-up to the games, and one which would often baffle.
The general feeling was that Beijing would be the place Brazil would finally get their hands on the elusive gold medal. Packed with stars including Ronaldinho, Pato and Anderson, the south Americans were clearly out to win the tournament, appearing hungry and intent on setting the record straight.
However, it would be their oldest and fiercest rivals who would eventually stop Dunga's side in their tracks. Argentina and Brazil went head-to-head at the semi-final stage of the competition at the Beijing Worker's Stadium, and in a reversal of the 2007 Copa America Final score, were comprehensively beaten 3-0 courtesy of two goals from Sergio Aguero and a Juan Roman Riquelme Penalty.
Whilst Brazil had to make do with Olympic Bronze, after previously being outplayed by their south American rivals, Argentina went on to beat Nigeria 1-0 in the Olympic final to secure gold, just as they'd managed to do four years earlier in Athens. This time, the hero of the hour was Angel Di Maria, whose delightful chip past the onrushing Nigerian goalkeeper Vanzekin was enough to beat the tireless Nigerians in the searing Beijing heat.
Argentina's victory went a long way to finally putting their poor display in last year's Copa America to one side, and their fanatical supporters back in Buenos Aires and the other major cities in their homeland will now firmly believe that they have what it takes to win the World Cup in South Africa in little under two years time.
But do Argentina really have what it takes to win the World Cup, or will they falter just as they did in the last World Cup in Germany and in last year's Copa America final?
There's no question that the Albicelestes are blessed with the finest strikers world football currently has to offer, as well as a combatant yet technical midfield. However, despite Argentina's impressive defensive record at the Olympic Games, the backline rarely fill you with supreme confidence they'll be able to keep opponents at bay for 90 minutes, and this often presents chances which the best team's in the world may well be able to exploit.
Like their rivals Brazil, the emphasis will be on using attack as the best form of defence. The attacking trio of Aguero, Carlos Tevez and the best player in the world, Lionel Messi, is obviously a phenomenal advantage the Argentines have as a starting point. When backed up by the likes of Riquelme, Javier Mascherano, Fernando Gago and Di Maria, it'd take a brave person to bet against Argentina winning their third World Cup in South Africa in 2010.
Argentina will, however, have to learn from previous recent mistakes if they're to go all the way in South Africa. Many believe that Argentina should have won the last World Cup finals in Germany two years ago. Their 6-0 demolition of Serbia and Montenegro in the group stages of the tournament was one of the finest team performances displayed at a World Cup, which most people will remember for Esteban Cambiasso's goal after an incredible 26-pass move, hailed as one of the greatest team goals of all time.
Yet, they came unstuck against the host nation Germany, where coach Jose Pekerman's reluctance to throw on Javier Saviola and in particular, Messi, to the astonishment of the Argentine support was largely put down as the reason the south Americans were knocked-out in a penalty shoot-out. Now the man in charge is the threatening-looking Alfio Basile, who despite not taking charge of the Olympic team which claimed gold last week, has still helped guide Argentina to second in the South America qualification group so far.
The Argentine's have the ability. experience and know-how to produce the goods when it matters most. Keeping their most important players fit will be the key to mounting a serious challenge at the 2010 World Cup finals, but this most recent Olympic victory will undoubtedly equip them with the confidence needed to qualify for the tournament and the belief that they have what it takes to win their third, and most overdue World Cup.
As Deco's superbly executed free-kick flew into the top corner of the Wigan net on Sunday afternoon, a few more anxious thoughts would have crept into the minds of most Manchester United fans. Following Chelsea's comprehensive demolition of Portsmouth last weekend, it's clear to see that Scolari's side are out to put the ghosts of last season to rest, by any means necessary.
Rumours of Robinho's impending arrival at Stamford Bridge would add another frightening attacking dimension to an already strengthened Chelsea side, bolstered by their two Portuguese summer signings. And after winning their opening two matches, questions are already beginning to be asked with an increased frequency as to just how Sir Alex Ferguson's team will be able to compete with this new look Chelsea side if they're to secure their third successive Premier League title.
As Chelsea kick started their new season in style, putting four goals past David James and showcasing their strength in depth, barely noticing the loss of Didier Drogba, it was a different story at Old Trafford where United's lack of attacking options were exposed. The unexpected absence of Carlos Tevez proved to be a significant factor in the failure to get at Newcastle's defence, as the last-minute untested Wayne Rooney and Fraizer Campbell partnership turned out to be largely ineffective. This came as little surprise however, Rooney still needs to become more disciplined upfront when playing for both England and a Cristiano Ronaldo-less Manchester United - once again it seemed as if he was trying his utmost to do Patrice Evra's job - whilst Campbell worked hard but still needs time to grow and develop as a player.
Clearly, much rests on the Dimitar Berbatov situation, but with a mere week to go before the transfer window closes, and taking into consideration Tottenham's reluctance to part with the Bulgarian, this particular drawn-out transfer saga still appears to be far from resolved. The fact of the matter is that on the opening day of the season, Ferguson failed to ensure United had adequate cover upfront. Even if the substitute limit had increased to seven, there was still no room for any sort of back-up striker simply because none were available.
With Tevez back in the fold for the Portsmouth game tonight, United will have a better chance of scoring. The Argentine's tenacity and willingness to chase the ball down was severely missed against Newcastle, and the 24-year-old also looked by far and away our most potent attacking threat throughout pre-season.
However, with such an important series of matches coming up in quick succession so early on in the season, it'll be imperative that United get their season on track as soon as possible, or else the gap between them and Scolari's side will result in the Red Devils facing an early uphill struggle to catch their rivals. And if either Rooney or Tevez pick up an injury, Ferguson will find himself in exactly the same unwanted predicament as the one faced last Sunday afternoon.
There's no question as to how important tying up the signing of Berbatov is. If for some reason the deal fails to go through, the task of competing with Chelsea will go from being tough to nigh on impossible. With the European Super Cup coming up on Friday, followed by an international break, the prospect of facing Liverpool and Chelsea, both away from home in successive weeks will become an even more worrying prospect. The danger of losing ground in the title race because of September's games has to be averted, and one suspects that for this to happen, Ferguson will have to have at least one more striker apart from Campbell to call upon.
So, if the papers are to be believed and the difference between United's valuation of Berbatov and Spurs' asking price is only a mere several million, then it has to be paid. The risk of losing out on the striker's services is not something which supporter's will be wanting to contemplate, particularly when considering the alternatives.
With Ronaldo out injured, Berbatov would bring a much welcomed assurance to our strikeforce. His intelligence on the ball leaves little doubt that he would adapt comfortably to being thrown into the deep end straight away, without worrying about how he'll settle into the team. Rooney and Tevez would profit from having someone of the Bulgarian's class up in attack with them, and such an attacking trio would undoubtedly give both Liverpool and Chelsea cause for concern next month.
