International Football Musings

[dwertman]

Piers Morgan hasn't taken the news well as evidenced by this article. As for me I am pretty excited even if it is a tad bit of an almost 30 year old with an injury history, I think he will do great things at OT. In the meantime IMO Berba was gone before any of this happened, I don't see Fergie parting with Chicarito just yet, being his "Look at the diamond i unearthed" and all, besides even if he does slip a little down the pecking order with 50+ matches to play this season in all competitions they will find him and Welbeck time

[GFB]

When RvP announced last month that he would be leaving Arsenal, I don't believe he thought he would end up at OT. Stealing this from Arseblog:

And although van Persie would become far less the legend and much more the traitor if he went there, I wonder if this is how he and his half-wit agent envisaged things turning out when he released that statement.

On the back of a sensational 18 months did they expect a multitude of offers to pore over and consider? I expect they did. Maybe there was some brinksmanship too. The deal he was offered at Juventus was incredible but left the Italians without enough to tempt Arsenal to sell. The statement was designed to make his position at the club untenable, perhaps forcing us into accepting an offer lower than we’d like. Fast forward a few weeks and their coach is suspended for 10 months, Juve is no longer an option. Man City are chock-a-block with strikers and the only option he has left is Manchester United. Did he really, really want to go there, knowing how much it would taint his Arsenal career, turn fans who loved him against him, just so he could cash in during the final years of his career?

It strikes me he’s backed himself well and truly into a corner the only choices he has are (1) go to United or (2) face a humiliating climb-down by renouncing his statement and staying at Arsenal. The ego of the footballer precludes (2) so here we are. There was nothing from Barcelona, nothing from Real Madrid, cash rich AC Milan have ignored him, as have Inter, PSG don’t need him, and all he’s got left is United. Not quite Hobson’s choice, I grant you, but surely not what he and Mr 10% had planned.

I also have a gut feeling that this RvP signing isn't going to work out the way MU thinks it will.

[RedSox44]

It wouldn't surprise me to see Ferguson experiment with three forwards, with Rooney, van Persie and a Welbeck/Chicharito platoon.

[Saintsfan]

It wouldn't surprise me to see Ferguson experiment with three forwards, with Rooney, van Persie and a Welbeck/Chicharito platoon.

Wouldn't be terribly surprised to see either Wellbeck or Chicarito loaned out somewhere for the season.

[AndrewPF]

Tottenham has sent Luka "Judas Ratface Scarecrow Boy" Modric to Real Madrid in exchange for a reported £26m fee, plus a player who has yet to be named. Andre Villas-Boas will presumably select a midfielder from Madrid's deep bench to replace the Croatian. Possible targets are rumored to include Kaka, Nuri Sahin, Raul Albiol, Jose Callejon, Esteban Granero, and Lassana Diarra.

[marble21]

Tottenham has sent Luka "Judas Ratface Scarecrow Boy" Modric to Real Madrid in exchange for a reported £26m fee, plus a player who has yet to be named. Andre Villas-Boas will presumably select a midfielder from Madrid's deep bench to replace the Croatian. Possible targets are rumored to include Kaka, Nuri Sahin, Raul Albiol, Jose Callejon, Esteban Granero, and Lassana Diarra.

As a fellow Spurs fan, I would say this is a bit far. He wanted to leave last summer, yet still played his heart out for us last season. At least he has left the Premier League and so wont be competing against us any time soon.

[Billy B]

It's relieving that they finally got this done. But that's a lot less money than they wanted so hopefully they can get a fair return with the player they're getting back.

[AndrewPF]

Tottenham has sent Luka "Judas Ratface Scarecrow Boy" Modric to Real Madrid in exchange for a reported £26m fee, plus a player who has yet to be named. Andre Villas-Boas will presumably select a midfielder from Madrid's deep bench to replace the Croatian. Possible targets are rumored to include Kaka, Nuri Sahin, Raul Albiol, Jose Callejon, Esteban Granero, and Lassana Diarra.

As a fellow Spurs fan, I would say this is a bit far. He wanted to leave last summer, yet still played his heart out for us last season. At least he has left the Premier League and so wont be competing against us any time soon.

Seen the Away Days videos on youtube?

Also, do we want Kaka? I don't think we do. Sure, he's a big name and he's Brazilian, but he's getting up there in age, and would likely amount to nothing more than a Band-Aid for a year or two before he's finished. I don't feel like that's worth it.

EDIT: Apparently the deal's back up to 40 mil, and wasn't final when I reported it earlier.

[Saintsfan]

Tottenham has sent Luka "Judas Ratface Scarecrow Boy" Modric to Real Madrid in exchange for a reported £26m fee, plus a player who has yet to be named. Andre Villas-Boas will presumably select a midfielder from Madrid's deep bench to replace the Croatian. Possible targets are rumored to include Kaka, Nuri Sahin, Raul Albiol, Jose Callejon, Esteban Granero, and Lassana Diarra.

As a fellow Spurs fan, I would say this is a bit far. He wanted to leave last summer, yet still played his heart out for us last season. At least he has left the Premier League and so wont be competing against us any time soon.

I don't think Modric played his heart out, certainly down the stretch. I think he was phoning it in for a lot of the second half of the season.

[AndrewPF]

Tottenham has sent Luka "Judas Ratface Scarecrow Boy" Modric to Real Madrid in exchange for a reported £26m fee, plus a player who has yet to be named. Andre Villas-Boas will presumably select a midfielder from Madrid's deep bench to replace the Croatian. Possible targets are rumored to include Kaka, Nuri Sahin, Raul Albiol, Jose Callejon, Esteban Granero, and Lassana Diarra.

As a fellow Spurs fan, I would say this is a bit far. He wanted to leave last summer, yet still played his heart out for us last season. At least he has left the Premier League and so wont be competing against us any time soon.

I don't think Modric played his heart out, certainly down the stretch. I think he was phoning it in for a lot of the second half of the season.

You're right. He acted like a child for most of the transfer rumour saga. Also, that whole not coming on the US tour thing was really immature of him.

[evanmaldonado]

Tottenham has sent Luka "Judas Ratface Scarecrow Boy" Modric to Real Madrid in exchange for a reported £26m fee, plus a player who has yet to be named. Andre Villas-Boas will presumably select a midfielder from Madrid's deep bench to replace the Croatian. Possible targets are rumored to include Kaka, Nuri Sahin, Raul Albiol, Jose Callejon, Esteban Granero, and Lassana Diarra.

As a fellow Spurs fan, I would say this is a bit far. He wanted to leave last summer, yet still played his heart out for us last season. At least he has left the Premier League and so wont be competing against us any time soon.

I don't think Modric played his heart out, certainly down the stretch. I think he was phoning it in for a lot of the second half of the season.

You're right. He acted like a child for most of the transfer rumour saga. Also, that whole not coming on the US tour thing was really immature of him.

Plus that can't be good for a player trying to regain his fitness to not play in the majority of exhibitions (did he even play one?)

[NEW.ERA]

TOMORROW!!!!!

[RedSox44]

TOMORROW!!!!!

Psyched.

This ad that ESPN's been running is awesome, and perfect to get you into an EPL mindset.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uIGT2TagKA

Say what you want about ESPN, but their promos are routinely awesome.

[mattwswfc]

It begins today!!

90 days has been too long!

[Viper]

Queens Park Rangers, who gave up the final goal in the Premier League last season (Agüero's title-clincher for Man City), give up the first goal in the Premier League this season (to Swansea City's Michu).

[evanmaldonado]

Arsenal is Finishing well without RVP... They've absolutely dominated this game and it's only a matter of time until the gunners put one home. Podolski's been playing very well

[NEW.ERA]

Newcastle's home unis are just beauties. As are Spurs change.

HATEM BEN ARFA'S IN THE LINEUP! YE!

[Viper]

Arsenal is Finishing well without RVP... They've absolutely dominated this game and it's only a matter of time until the gunners put one home. Podolski's been playing very well

Alas, not well enough. Then again, it's not as though they didn't have plenty of results like today's against the also-rans with RVP up front.

Just more of the same for Arsenal. I'm disappointed, but not really worried yet. Now, if Spurs can lay a goose-egg today at St. James's Park Sports Direct Arena, I'll still be a happy camper.

[NEW.ERA]

Big win for Newcastle! Starting the season off just beautifully, now our first European action in what seems like forever.

[officeglenn]

I thought Arsenal looked good against Sunderland today, unfortunately not good enough to slot one home, though. But they dominated possession, especially in the last 20-30 minutes of the game, and we saw more than glimpses of the slick, pretty passing game we're used to under Wenger. Santi Cazorla in particular impressed me, as well as Gervinho. Nice to see Arshavin back out there too.