Steven Pienaar’s move to Tottenham wasn’t just another massive transfer coup for manager Harry Redknapp. Sure, he signed on a minimal fee and adds strength in depth and real quality to a midfield already full of class. But what does it say about Spurs when the team he turned down was their London rivals and Premier League champions, Chelsea?
Chelsea aren’t having the best of seasons by any means. But even now, I wouldn’t write them off just yet. Retaining the title is not out of the realms of possibility and any footballer can recognise that. They have quality players, a proven manager and the experience to get themselves out of a position like the one they find themselves in.
So what did Steven Pienaar see? It certainly wasn’t a team currently in a false position. He compared them to the team in London everybody seems to be talking about. Tottenham are on the up, and the fact the South African midfielder chose North London over their rivals from the west of the capital, proves Spurs have to be classed in the same bracket as the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.
The options available to Harry Redknapp will enable him to pursue his dream of bringing the Premier League title to White Hart Lane with even more conviction. It has been well documented that the majority of their goals come from Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart, but Pienaar can offer another dimension, a dimension Chelsea could really do with at the moment. Where they lack in confidence and a bit of quality, Tottenham already had plenty of it and Pienaar can only improve their attacking options.
I remember another one of the brightest talents in Premier League snubbing the champions: In 2003, Harry Kewell turned down a move to Manchester United in favour of their fierce rivals, Liverpool, because he wanted to join a team on the up. It didn’t quite work out like he would have liked, but the whole deal smelt of something corrupt anyway. It was ludicrous to think he turned down United because he felt they could no longer compete for major honours. If reports are to be believed, money traded hands unlawfully which was probably the biggest factor in his decision.
Pienaar’s move is completely different. If Chelsea wanted him as much as they say they did, they could have thrown plenty of money to get him to Stamford Bridge. Maybe they offered to. But the move is one full of ambition. Pienaar wants to be part of history in the making. Spurs have already upset the apple-cart once by breaking up the finishing top quartet last season, and who is to say now they can’t go one further? They certainly have the players now to do so. London’s champions will be looking over their shoulder at two teams from North London now capable of stealing their crown.
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Juventus manager Luigi Delneri has blamed an injury crisis at the Stadio Olimpico for his side’s January struggles.
Juve fell 2-1 at home to Udinese on Sunday, signing off on a bleak January period that saw them lose three of five Serie A fixtures.
The horror run has seen Juve fall to seventh on the table and 12 points adrift of leaders AC Milan, ahead of a difficult string of fixtures against Palermo, Cagliari and Inter Milan.
The proud club are not being helped by a rash of injuries in the squad, with the absence of strikers Fabio Quagliarella, Vincenzo Iaquinta and Luca Toni leaving Delneri’s side desperately thin up front.
Delneri was understandably disappointed after Sunday’s defeat, which came despite Juve leading 1-0 with half an hour to play.
But he said he expected his side to resume their Scudetto campaign once his key players return from injury.
“We’re struggling at the moment, mainly because we haven’t got replacements in certain key areas,” Delneri said.
“The players are still producing good performances though, even when they’re asked to play in different roles. They’ll be playing again on Thursday (at Palermo) and on Sunday (at Cagliari).”
“Now January is over we hope we’ll have some of our important resources back in order to make a final push, since Juventus are always competing for the championship.”
“Of course we should do better, but we also need to get players back otherwise it won’t be possible to improve our performances.”
“You can play well, battle and have a good spirit, but in order to compete for the championship the whole team needs to be available and right now at Juventus we don’t have that. We’re already doing our best though.”
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“January has been a negative month, one of the worst months, maybe this is also due to certain personal issues, but it’s definitely been a very bad period.”
“Things have gone really well also considering all the difficulties we’re having now. At the moment we’re paying for even the small mistakes, therefore there is nothing to say.”
“Right now we should have the strength to accept the criticism in these difficult times and focus on the next match.”
If you are a Newcastle fan at the moment you have certainly become used to Alan Pardew’s key players being linked with Premier League rivals. Rumours of players leaving St James’ Park in January were incessant, with Andy Carroll eventually heading to Liverpool for a whopping £35 million. Many Newcastle supporters will understand the move to some extent, what with the amount of money the club recouped for their number nine, but surely that needs to be it as far as high profile exits are concerned? Once is bad enough, but twice would be the final straw.
Unsurprisingly, the two players that the Premier League big boys are being linked with right now are two of Newcastle’s best performers this season: Jose Enrique and Cheik Tiote. I might be a bit biased, but I would challenge anyone to find a better left back in the Premier League than Enrique. He may have been at fault for Damien Duff’s goal against Fulham and had a bit of a shocker in the first half last week against Arsenal (who didn’t?), but I would put him right up their with the likes of Patrice Evra and maybe even Ashley Cole. If reports to be believed it is telling that Manchester United are interested in ‘The Bull’ as that shows how even Sir Alex Ferguson rates him comparably with Evra.
Then there’s Cheik Tiote who’s been nothing short of a revelation in the Premier League this season. Cries of ‘Cheik who?’ when he signed in the summer for a modest fee have quickly disappeared as he has become a legend on Tyneside in an incredibly short space of time. His stunning volleyed equaliser against Arsenal last weekend certainly hasn’t harmed his growing reputation in the north east, and comparisons are already being drawn with defensive midfielders of yester year. Chelsea reportedly made a bid for the Ivorian in January and are likely to follow that up in the summer, as they look to Tiote as their new Claude Makelele. While Tiote might not have the experience yet, I would argue he impacts the game more than someone like Makelele and is perfectly suited for the style of English football, as has already been shown thus far.
As far as Newcastle are concerned, on the back of the departure of losing Carroll in January, selling either of these two players would be an incredibly bitter pill to swallow. However, I am realistic enough to know that if a Champions League club were to offer stupid money, like Liverpool did for Carroll, then Mike Ashley will put his business head on and be happy to sell. Newcastle don’t want to become a selling club though. They did a decent job of standing relatively firm over Carroll, even if it meant they didn’t have any time to replace him, but there comes a time when you have to say that a player is not for sale, within reason.
Pardew has already said he has all the £35 million from Carroll to spend on rebuilding the squad. I won’t believe that until I see it, but if Newcastle want to keep their best players they have to show they are serious about mounting a challenge for the upper echelons of the Premier League table. As far as Enrique’s and Tiote’s personalities are concerned, the Spaniard has already showed commitment to the club by sticking with Newcastle through relegation, while Tiote seems like someone with his head screwed on. Come summer though bids will come in and heads will be turned, I just hope that Newcastle stand firm as the departure of more key players would really put another nail in the coffin.
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Football fans’ willingness to show their dedication comes in all shapes and sizes. One such way is to splay their dedication over their body in the form of a tattoo. I can understand why somebody might choose to tattoo their footballing allegiance onto their body. Whilst women come and go, a football team is for life. It’s the manly man’s equivalent of getting “I love mom’ yet a tattoo is a big commitment, so it’s important to get it right. As you can imagine, this process isn’t always a success.
Below are the top 10 West Ham tattoo’s to be found on the net – the good, the bad and the plain ugly – click on image below to unveil gallery:
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Have you got a better West Ham tattoo? Football FanCast would like to invite the readers to submit their own entry via our Facebook Page. The winning entries will go forward to our grand competition to find the best tattoo in the Premier League.
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Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven survived a late scare to defeat lowly Excelsior 3-2 on Saturday, while Twente kept up their pursuit.PSV looked to have sealed up another three points as they entered injury time leading 2-1, only for Edwin de Graaf to draw the hosts level with a late penalty.But there was another twist in the tale as the league leaders were awarded their own penalty before time expired, and Hungarian midfielder Balazs Dzsudzsak was on hand to slot the spot-kick past Excelsior goalkeeper Nico Pellatz.Guyon Fernandez gave Excelsior a surprise lead in the 22nd minute with his seventh goal of the season, but their joy was tempered after the break as Jeremain Lens (50) and Atiba Hutchinson (52) scored in quick succession.The hosts very nearly stole a point when De Graaf coolly converted past Andreas Isaksson as the game entered injury time, but PSV had time enough to restore their lead and maintain their three-point gap over Twente.Twente, meanwhile, ran out 2-0 winners over visiting NAC Breda as Luuk de Jong and Nacer Chadli got themselves on the scoresheet in the second half.De Jong put the Dutch champions ahead in the 61st minute, meeting Breda goalkeeper Jelle ten Rouwelaar’s punched clearance at distance with a terrific volley for his 10th strike of the season.Belgian midfielder Chadli sealed the win in injury time, finishing off substitute Ola John’s good work down the right with a simple tap past the Breda number one.Elsewhere, ADO Den Haag thumped 10-man NEC Nijmegen 5-1 to leap to fourth on the table provisionally.Lex Immers, Dmitri Bulykin, Wesley Verhoek, Jens Toornstra and Jordy Brouwer all put goals past NEC, who lost Danish midfielder Niki Zimling three minutes from injury time with a straight red card.Finally, Marco van Ginkel scored and Ferry de Regt added an own goal in injury time as Vitesse Arnhem defeated second-bottom VVV Venlo 2-0.
Commercial revenue is made up from sponsorship links with companies, deals with shirt makers (Liverpool with Adidas) and shirt sponsors (Manchester United with AON). This is a very good representation of a club’s ‘size’ as a commercial deal is reflective of a club’s historical achievements and present day success.
For example, Liverpool who may have not achieved great domestic success in the last ten years, received more money in commercial deals in 2010 than Chelsea. This is because Liverpool has a history of such greatness attached to it, that a company would rather be associated with Liverpool than Chelsea, who have won 3 Premier League titles in the last ten years.
Of the 20 richest clubs in Europe in 2005, their revenue through commercial deals was as follows. In 2005, Manchester United were ahead of Barcelona. However, looking at the same side’s commercial revenue from 2010, you see that is no longer the case.
Commercial Revenue 2005 (£m)
Commercial Revenue 2010 (£m)
R. Madrid
83.7
Bayern
141.6
Bayern
79.3
R. Madrid
123.5
Juventus
55.5
Barcelona
100
Man United
48.7
Man United
81.4
Barcelona
42.4
Schalke
64.7
AC Milan
39.1
Liverpool
62.1
Schalke
38.9
Chelsea
56.3
Liverpool
38.3
AC Milan
51.9
Chelsea
37.2
Man City
46.7
Arsenal
29.7
Juventus
45.5
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In 2005, Barcelona earned less than Manchester United (England’s richest club). By 2010 they earn £20m more. However, unlike with broadcasting deals (where Spanish clubs organise private TV deals), and match-day revenue (where some clubs have old stadiums), the reason for the gap between the best English clubs and their Spanish counter parts is not obvious.
One answer may be the following. Looking at Barcelona as a brand, they are very individual and marketable. The style of football they play is synonymous with the football club. And it is attractive football. They have also seen more on-field success than Manchester United in the last 5 years.
Furthermore, Barcelona’s side is made up of almost the entire World Cup and European Championship winning Spanish team. For these reasons, the club draws in supporters from all over the world. The amount of support of Barcelona is reflected in their commercial deals.
Real Madrid, the other Spanish giant, have secured lucrative sponsorship deals as well as extremely high shirt sales. The earned £60m more than Manchester United through commercial deals in 2010. One contributing reason for this is because of their signing the best players in the world, or ‘galacticos’. In the last two seasons Real Madrid have spent more than €300m on players. Firstly, they bought Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Xabi Alonso and Benzema at the start of the 2009/10 season, and then Khedira, Ozil and Di Maria, who had all starred in the World Cup, in 2010.
To some extent, the margin between Manchester United and the Spanish giants could be down to the weakness of the pound compared to the Euro. If the pound was still as strong, the gap would not be as severe. But you could also argue that it is down to the extra TV money they receive.
The increased revenue from television allows Spanish clubs to spend more money on their players and therefore they become more marketable, thus they generate more money through commercial deals. The more the Spanish clubs spend, the more marketable they become.
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This fact, that that spending can increase commercial revenue, is highlighted most glaringly looking at Arsenal and Manchester City. When comparing the data from 2005 and 2010, you will notice that Arsenal slip off the list and Manchester City creep on to it.
Commercial Revenue 2005 (£m)
Commercial Revenue 2010 (£m)
Arsenal
29.7
Man City
46.7
Man City
19.7
Arsenal
44
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Arsenal have not spent anywhere near the money on players in the last two years as Manchester City. While Arsenal, like Barcelona, play a famously attractive style of football, they have not had the same on-field success to rival Barcelona’s marketability. The attraction of Arsenal may be recognised by supporters but companies are not as willing to sponsor them.
On the other hand, the commercial revenue of Manchester City has more than doubled in the last year. Firstly, since their take-over, Manchester City have established many new links with businesses in the Middle East. But secondly, like Real Madrid, their profile has also been increased by some serious spending on players. What this shows is that, although Man City may be currently spending much more than they make, their revenue is increasing as a result of their increased spending.
This growth in revenue is not restricted to commercial deals alone. Manchester City’s match-day revenue has also flourished in the last year. The average home attendance in 2010 was 6% larger than it was in 2009. This is no doubt, in part, due to big name signings. Emmanuel Adebayor, Yaya Toure, James Milner, David Silva, Carlos Tevez, Joleon Lescott, Mario Ballotelli and Edin Dzeko have all played for Manchester city in 2010, and cost over £20m .
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The point is that while they may be reliant on their chairman for their growth, in time their revenue will grow and could potentially match their spending. The question for Manchester City is if they can grow their revenue to be big enough by the time the financial fair play rules come into action.
The biggest worry for a club like Manchester City (or Chelsea) will be that the Fifa rules will require a club to become ‘self-sufficient’. This will mean that Manchester City will either have to dramatically increase their current revenue or reduce their current costs. Given the fact that Manchester City’s ‘pre-sugar daddy revenue’ was 30m short of Chelsea’s, and their spending is now equal to Chelsea’s, this might look like an impossible task.
But, Manchester City have increased their revenue by 50% in the last year, despite playing in the second tiered European competition. Champions League football would see Manchester City increase their revenue on match-days (there would be more home games and more sell-out games) as well as give them a huge boost in broadcasting rights and commercial deals.
Furthermore, in Eastlands, they have a more recently developed Stadium than Stamford Bridge. As I have already discussed, this could be the difference between a club like Manchester City attaining self-sufficiency and a club like Chelsea.
It is a large, but not impossible task for Manchester City to achieve self-sufficiency within the next 5 years. This may hinge, most importantly, on Champions League qualification.
When people talk about left backs in the Premier League, they normally mention Patrice Evra and Ashley Cole. This year, Leighton Baines and Jose Enrique have also been praised because they have had impressive seasons. But, as of yet, I have heard very little praise for the Tottenham left back, Benoit Assou-Ekotto.
Assou-Ekotto has caused a stir in the past because of his views on football. He said last May, “Why did I come to England? For a job”. He has confessed openly that football is not his passion and that he plays the game for the money he can earn from it. He has also been reported to not know which team the next game is against.
I think for this reason, when he makes a mistake people think it is because he is clueless about football. But I think this is unfair. He does make the odd error, he would hardly be a Tottenham player if he didn’t, but this season he has been up there with the best in England.
As the statistics below show, he has been very impressive in the Premier League this season, both offensively and defensively.
Left Backs
Tackles Won
% Tackles Won
Completed Passes
% Completed Passes
Key Passes
Clichy
77
80
1094
79
12
Assou-Ekotto
50
72
918
70
17
Evra
50
76
890
82
24
Baines
49
72
826
74
50
Cole
47
67
1072
87
26
Enrique
39
65
977
75
22
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The Tottenham left back is not out of his depth in terms tackling, passing or creativity. Surely he deserves some credit for this alone?
Now I understand, that these statistics do not tell the whole picture. They do not account for fouls given away in silly positions, or times that a mistake has led to a goal. These are two things that Assou-Ekotto’s critics will highlight. But I think, in general the Cameroonian has had a solid season, and that kind of solidity is exactly what Tottenham have needed at left back. In fact he has been one of Tottenham’s most consistent performers this year.
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In truth, the game has changed. There is so much money in football now, I doubt many top players play for the love of it alone. But, Assou-Ekotto admits that he plays it for money. That does not mean that he is does not care about winning, doing the best for his club or becoming the best footballer he can be. It just means that he has perspective on the importance of his career.
I think Assou-Ekotto is misunderstood, he has made a massive improvement to his game over the last year, and that is the result of hard work. It is a testament to that fact that he is a true professional and works hard at his game. Not that many players can honestly say that they put their love of football before their wallet, Tevez? Rooney? I don’t think so.
In interview Assou-Ekotto seems to be one of the most grounded and intelligent players I have seen. He is eloquent given English is his second language, he is environmentally conscious (he drives an electric car), and down-to-earth enough to travel by tube. This is hugely rare these days. In fact, Assou-Ekotto shows a refreshing honesty in the modern game. He is not so bothered about his image that says want people want to hear.
Last year he boldly criticised Wayne Rooney for being a “prostitute sha**er” and he expressed his sympathy for Coleen. As a spectator of the game I could not agree with him more and wish people would stop defending Rooney for his off the field shenanigans, deliberate fouls, and wage demands. It seems Assou-Ekotto is brave enough to tell it how it is.
So, if you asked me which footballer I would most like to go for a pint with, I would most probably say Gomes (he is a hero of mine), but Benoit Assou-Ekotto would be a close second.
If you share an appreciation for BAE, you can contact me directly on twitter @joeaustin8
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Left BacksTackles Won% Tackles WonCompleted Passes% Completed PassesKey PassesClichy778010947912Assou-Ekotto50729187017Evra50768908224Baines49728267450Cole476710728726Enrique39659777522
Hyperbole is not only my new favourite word but it is also so common in today’s ‘beautiful game’ it is hard to decide whether a player has talent or has just had a few decent performances. Manchester United and Liverpool are reportedly leading the chase to sign Aston Villa’s Ashley Young with bids in excess of £25 million being touted in the media, but is the former Watford man worth it?
Ashley Young has phenomenal pace, numerous ‘showboating’ abilities and helps his teams cause with plenty of goals and assists. I can think of lots of players in the Premier League who have the very same attributes though, so is Ashley Young really going to led a new era at Manchester United or pull Liverpool back up into the ‘top four’?
Young joined Villa in a transfer believed to be just shy of £10 million from Watford, initially as a right winger, but Young’s performances in his new role just behind the striker is where he has been making the headlines this season. Ashley Young appears to thrive on the roaming role, much like Dennis Bergkamp did at Arsenal, being allowed freedom to drift to the wings, loiter on the edge of the area or bomb past his fellow striker. The role is suited to the England international because, as most Villa fans will tell you, Young’s crossing ability leaves a lot to be desired, a key skill needed by any winger in their ‘armour’.
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Ashley Young has shown he can make the step up to the higher level on two occasions now, which is arguably a trait of a great player. At Watford it was the usual argument surrounding his multi million pound move to Villa Park, ‘big fish small pond’, but Young has appeared in the top 15 of most assists in all of his full seasons at Aston Villa. Furthermore, since Young has donned the shirt of the Three Lions, he has consistently impressed, so much so Wayne Rooney’s place in the side is under threat after Young’s displays against Denmark, Wales and his man of the match performance against Ghana.
The true greats of the game all have one thing in common: great character. Ashley Young is a player who is playing in a team surrounded by a media frenzy over dressing room unrest and hovering perilously close to the Premier Leagues trapdoor, yet week in, week out, Ashley Young continues to produce effective displays for the Villa faithful.
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Ashley Young may not be worth as much as the reported £25 million but with the ridiculous sums of money being spent in the modern game, if sold, he will fetch a sum in the same sort of region. Young could offer either Manchester United or Liverpool different options but you have to think that under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson or Kenny Dalglish, Young’s talent can only improve, which is a scary thought; because in this writers opinion, Ashley Young is already a class act.
Argentina and Ecuador continued their preparations for the 2011 Copa America with a 2-2 draw in a friendly in Buenos Aires on Wednesday.With the Copa America less than three months away, the match was another opportunity for both teams to have a look as some fringe players, with neither nation fielding full strength line-ups.
Argentina had drawn their last two friendlies, against the United States and Costa Rica last month, and got off to a horrible start at the Estadio Jose Maria Minella, with Deportivo Quito midfielder Michael Quinonez opening the scoring for Ecuador on 26 minutes.
Claudio Yacob fired Argentina back into the match when he scored just past the half-hour mark, and it took only three minutes for the hosts to take the lead when Racing Club striker Gabriel Hauche found the back of the net.
Both managers made full use of their benches after the break, with each side making six substitutions throughout the second half.
But it was starting midfielder Segundo Castillo who found the equaliser for Ecuador, netting from the penalty spot on 68 minutes to ensure both sides took something from the match.
Valencia midfielder Ever Banega has suggested he might be persuaded to depart the Spanish club in the off-season for the right price.The Argentina international is contracted to Valencia until the end of the 2012-13 campaign, but has been linked with a loan move to the English Premier League during his contract.
Banega has come of age under manager Unai Emery, who has handed the 22-year-old an advanced role in central midfield, and said his preference is to stay at the Mestalla.
But with clubs the ilk of Liverpool and Everton believed to be lining up for his services, it is possible Banega could soon be bidding farewell to Spain.
“There are still many games to go, I am happy in Valencia and I will wait until the end of the season,” Banega said.
“I intend to stay here, but if one day an offer comes in that is for the good of the club and me, then we will look at it.”
In the meantime, Banega has far more pressing matters to attend to, such as Saturday’s crucial La Liga clash with Real Madrid.
The league encounter is a chance for Valencia to consolidate third place on the table and move a step closer to wrapping up automatic selection for next season’s Champions League.
However, Real are still in pursuit of league leaders Barcelona and will not go down quietly.
“There are a lot of games to go, and we are on a good run of three home wins,” Banega said.
“Playing at home, in front of our fans, always helps us. We just have to respond on the pitch by winning the games.”
“I hope to finish the season in the best way for Valencia and myself.”