EPL Talk » Transfer Rumors

Will All These Transfer Rumors Please Give Us Something Real?

Ethan Armstrong — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:57:09 +0000

Every year, once the season ends, the rumors really start buzzing around our heads like a dark swarm of thirsty mosquitoes. And where we should wisely swat the nasty beasts away, the depth of our summer football boredom makes us strip off our shirts, hold out our arms, and beg them to land. Give us something tangible, we ask them. But it is too early to bite, they insist.

I get sucked into it every season. This past month the inevitable buzzings over David Villa and Frank Ribéry really got me going. Imagine one of them in England? Or David Silva? Or Maxi Rodriguez? Who’s this Benzema dude? I know I know the name… IS ANYBODY GOING TO PRY ETO’O AWAY FROM BARCA EVER??

So my mind fills up with vague wisps of possibility.

But here we are, the transfer window opens. Rumors can start congealing. The flies can start landing.

Between now and the 31st of August, clubs will go from being linked to the most elusive players to really going after them. But will any of this talk turn into big name signings? We know deals have already been made, Barry, Valencia, Santa Cruz, Johnson… but who’s coming to England dammit?? I want some big continental guns to set foot in our league.

Along with the rumors of Liverpool raiding Valencia CF, Manchester United scooping up Benzema, Arsenal pouncing on Ribéry and Eto’o going everywhere... there’s that equally persistent and vexing buzz that suggests they are all staying put. Oh, what horrible anti-climax that would be! Ribéry re-signing. Maxi doesn’t want to leave. Villa will only move to Barcelona. Since the Champions League, doesn’t it seem like everybody is going to Barça? Except for Eto’o of course.

Will the market please make up it’s mind?

I have this feeling most of the links to these big names, these proven international stars are going to fizzle out. I can see Liverpool snagging a Valencia player, but not Villa. Maybe David Silva or Juan Mota (the other two of his countrymen Fernando Torres named as good Anfield targets after Spain’s 35-match unbeaten streak). I can see Ribéry staying put.

Though I’m still waiting for the rumors to start sticking to the ground, I have this feeling more of less proven players will be coming our way.Bigger gambles on players who have shown glimpses of brilliance in international matches worked fairly well in the last couple of windows. Looking for the next star. In these tough economic times spending £12m on a potential star and hoping he exlodes into being seems the route to ride for English clubs. Raiding the Russian league has already shown promise through the likes of Skrtel, Pavlyuchenko and Arshavin. Are there more gems hiding out at CSKA Moscow? At Zenit St Petersburg? Or will anyone go after some of the South African players who put up a great fight in the Confederations Cup? Will more sides follow Fulham’s lead of luring cheap Americans to England?

I’m still holding out hope for some fresh talent from Spain. Clubs like Valencia and Atlético Madrid are looking for funds. Valencia are in outright financial distress. Atlético are rumored to be hungry for cash to scoop up a new attacking midfielder. There’s plenty of talent to pillage. Go get ‘em, gaffers.

In the end I’m just ready for something. Anything. I’ll take aging strikers on their way out. Diminutive midfielders who will crash against English defenses. Drunken, blind goalkeepers. Okay. Not really. But I’m eager for these rumor-insects to stop their buzzing. Land on something, you filthy beasts: sink those teeth in!

The Curse Of Michael Owen

Ethan Armstrong — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:43:37 +0000

In 2004, he left Liverpool for Real Madrid in search of Champions League glory. Early on, Madrid mostly shackled him to their bench and later ducked out to Juventus in the first knock-out round. The Liverpool players bounced on the big stage in Istanbul: lifting the trophy without him.

The next season, after Liverpool didn’t take him back, he moved to Newcastle, citing the chance to play alongside the great Alan Shearer as a big part of what drew him to Tyneside. He’d spent much of Shearer’s final season (and most of the next year) out injured.

He was once the most exciting young striker for England. 18 years and 59 days old when he hit the scene. Bursting with pace and invention. A World Cup darling. Now, there’s no room for him in Fabio Capello’s system. He watches his countrymen chase down World Cup qualification from afar.

And as if fate hasn’t laughed at him enough, Newcastle have been relegated.

A striker is supposed to peak around Michael Owen’s age, but diminished pace and a continuious stream of injuries make him seem far older and more faded than his 29 years should suggest.

As his contract with the fallen Magpies is up, rumors of a move inevitably float to the surface of the ever-murky transfer window punditry pool. Aston Villa. Everton. Roma. Reasonable names are batted about.

Either Villa, who flirted with Champions League qualification for much of the past season before sliding at the end, or Everton, who finished 5th and made a thrilling dash to the FA Cup final, might be a good fit for Michael’s ambitions. But Roma… we’ll come back to that.

It may be time for Michael Owen to consider that the aggresive, physical English Premier League is doing him few favors as far as warding off knocks, tears and strains goes. Does he want to spend the rest of his career drifting in and out of the active roster? A change in league might be the best move at this stage.

Look at his former teammate and fellow injury coinnoseur, Harry Kewell:

After a brilliant (and mostly fit) spell at Leeds United, Kewell moved to Anfield where he spent more time with the physios than with his teammates. Recurring injuries kept Kewell from living up to the uncharted potential he’d shown when he first came to England. Regaining his old match fitness seemed an impossible task for Kewell at, you guessed it, age 29.

At the end of the 2007/2008 season, Harry moved to Galatasary S.K. in the Turkish Süper Lig, where he now enjoys regular first team football and seems to have regained a consistent state of fitness.

If Roma’s interest is genuine, Serie A could be a good fit for Michael Owen. The league is less intense and physical than the EPL but still maintains high standards of quality. His creativity would be given room to thrive and his old prolificacy might blossom anew.

If he can stay out of the hospital gown for any length of time, Michael will score plenty more goals and perhaps even fight his way into Capello’s system. At 29, there’s no reason to blow the final whistle on his career. (Although, when it does finally sound, he should be given plenty of injury time.)

Perhaps Michael Owen is cursed. Since he walked out of Liverpool, events beyond his control have block him living up to his once boundless potential. One of the world’s most exciting young talents has struggled with form and place. One hopes it is not too late for Michael Owen to bounce back. But he’d have to find the right environment and take plenty of vitamins to pull it off at this point. Good luck, Michael.

Phil Scolari Set to Sign…Everyone

tyduffy — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:05:16 +0000

Portugal manager Luiz Felipe Scolari stirred the footballing pot when Chelsea announced an agreement with him to become their next manager, at the termination of his Portugal contract after Euro 2008. Throwing even more chum into the water, are the ever truthful transfer magicians, who now have just about everyone available linked to Chelsea.Big Phil supposedly will start his reign with an audacious £60m bid for AC Milan star Kaka, which may or may not include Didier Drogba and/or Shevchenko as bait. He may also set his sights on Andrea Pirlo, with a £7m per season contract.Additionally, he may look to bring in Portugal and Barcelona midfielder Deco, who is free to discuss terms with other teams. Barcelona will also shed longtime Chelsea target Ronaldinho, who played for Scolari when he coached Brazil. But, they may include Samuel Eto’o with Deco in a £43m deal.Scolari may convince Frank Lampard to stay with a lucrative new contract, or, alternatively, be the factor that forces him to go to Inter Milan.Cristiano Ronaldo’s flirtations with Real Madrid may be the work of Scolari, who wants the player to move away from potential rival Manchester United. However, Big Phil may fancy the lad himself and jump into the bidding with Real Madrid.Big Phil may nab Robinho and David Villa as well just for the hell of it.Tyler Duffy has been a contributing blogger to EPL Talk since 2006. His work can also be viewed as a weekly soccer commentator for TheBigLead and on his blog at Odds and Sods.