Posts Tagged ‘Barcelona’

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In order not to be accused of sinking quite so low as some of our competitors the rumours we present to you in this article are actually all true but are most certainly offered tongue-in-cheek and should be taken with a pinch of salt, if those two things are possible simultaneously.

We have decided to expand on a theme started a while ago now and perpetuated by Sky Sports News when they have nothing better to report, which is 95% of the time.

It was their “Breaking News” banner which informed us that a particular player was “not for sale” and was “going nowhere” that inspired this article, on the basis that 95% of players around the world will not move during this transfer window. We just hope Sky don’t figure out the space they could fill by reporting every one of them! (more…)

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Two managers with no history whatsoever of wanting to stay at a club for more than two or three years. In fact no history, as managers, of actually staying at a club for more than two or three years. Yet there has been a dramatic u-turn by the pair of them and they have now both stated that they want to stay where they are for “a long time“. Why?

Take, for example, Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman. These are two managers who you would expect to crave longevity. They have both previously managed Southampton with very similar records of relative success. This has been a springboard to bigger things with Pochettino moving to Tottenham and Koeman to Everton. (more…)

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At the end of this current transfer window the top six Premier League clubs, (seven, if you include Everton), will have spent millions of pounds improving their squads to have another tilt at winning the title next season.

For five of the top six Champion’s League football also beckons so they need the depth of squad to be able to juggle this with their other commitments.

Arsenal and Everton will compete in the Europa League so it is fair to say that their quality and quantity will also be tested.

The big question is: Will an English club win the Champion’s League next season? (more…)

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Here, admittedly before many transfers have been completed, we take a look at who will be among the favourites for the Champion’s League next season.

From Real Madrid through to Manchester United, managers at the top European clubs will be under pressure to deliver silverware at the highest level. They will be expected to mount a domestic title challenge and the elite few will also be expected to mount a challenge for Europe’s top prize.

They could be viewed as a European top six and we fully expect the following clubs to at least reach the quarter finals of the competition: (more…)

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In fact, they have missed out on more of their preferred targets than they have actually signed.

A lot of this has only been happening in the last few years as other clubs, around Europe in general and the Premier League in particular, have grown thanks to the amount of TV money now on offer.

Twenty or so years ago, the main competitors when United were interested in buying a player would be Liverpool, maybe Arsenal and that would be just about it from the Premier League. At that stage players were not moving around Europe as much so no interest would be expressed from the likes of Real Madrid or Barcelona. (more…)

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This transfer window promises to see English Premier League clubs spend a massive amount of money, breaking the record set in the previous window yet again.

As of writing, Manchester City have already signed Bernardo Silva and Ederson, whilst Manchester United have signed Victor Lindelof. These two clubs alone are likely to spend many more millions before the window is locked until January. (more…)

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Having been linked with nearly every player available to buy since the season finished and having been linked with a lot of players who aren’t and won’t be available to buy, Manchester United have until now bought, or more precisely, announced the purchase of,……………………nobody. (more…)

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If we were an average Premier League footballer, coming to the end of our playing career but pocketing a massive ÂŁ250-300k per week, depending upon who you believe, we would probably want to stay where we are as well.

Emitting the occasional “we would like to play more games“, and, “we do everything we can to help the team, on and off the pitch“, we just hope that we are making the right noises in order not to be sold to a club where we will have to take a very large pay cut, particularly if that club is one we supposedly love and support. A clear example of how greed is a much more powerful emotion than love. (more…)

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It’s official! Arsenal are no longer a selling club. Having seen the likes of Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy, Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie and even Mikel Arteta head to Manchester, Arsene Wenger has now drawn a line under this whole sorry episode in the history of the Gunners.

Never again will Arsenal refuse to pay the going rate for a player, no longer will salary be an issue when talking to the world’s elite. Arsenal have come of age. They are now happily settled into the Emirates and, apart from not being very successful, they have no real worries, not of the fiscal kind anyway. (more…)

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Let’s just assume for a minute that Manchester City win the FA Cup and finish in the top four. Certainly one of the two is a probability whilst the other is only a possibility.

Let’s also assume that Manchester United win the Europa League and finish in the top four. At present these are both just possibilities but, remember, they have already won the EFL Cup.

Given these two scenarios, who would be thought to have been the more successful? United or City? JosĂ© Mourinho or Pep Guardiola? (more…)