I can think of some guys who'd disagree with that -
http://freddysetiawan.files.wordpres...eckenbauer.jpg
http://costidiniasi.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/3.jpg
Top defenders control the ball and make sure their team retains possession.
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I can think of some guys who'd disagree with that -
http://freddysetiawan.files.wordpres...eckenbauer.jpg
http://costidiniasi.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/3.jpg
Top defenders control the ball and make sure their team retains possession.
looks like the Tevez to Man City deal is going through.
A blockbuster: Ibrahimovic to Barcelona and and Eto’o to Inter.
Ibra was a monster for Inter in Seria A. I expect him to put up huge numbers in Spain.
It will be interesting to see how Eto'o adjusts from the defensless Spanish league to the much more defensive minded Serie A. He and Balotelli could form a dynamic scoring attack.
That move strikes me as a bit of a wash.
Lead strikers often do well in Italy because the offense, such as it is over there, is designed to go through them. Ibra's going to have Messi, Henry, Krkic, Iniesta and Alves all strafing the net when he goes to Barca. He'll score, but Eto'o is one of the top scorers in the history of La Liga. I'm not 100% sure Inter isn't getting the better player here.
Interesting perspective. Zlatan is tremendously skilled, on a special level with only Messi, Kaka, Ronaldo. But he has not always been effective at scoring goals and his team has not claimed the top European club prize. I like Eto'o a lot and he is really pacy. He could dominate in Italy, with physical but slow defeneders all over the place. It will be cool comparing the two and seeing them compete in the Champions League.
And Man City has now plucked Kolo Toure from Arsenal. I'd say this is the most vulnerable a Big Four club has been in quite some time.
Real Madrid now has Xabi Alonso, or as he is now called Xabi Wan Kenobe:
http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/t...anXabimini.jpg
Liverpool's talking about adding Alberto Aquilani from Roma to replace the Jedi. Whether he'll be any help remains to be seen. I suspect Lucas Leiva is a better player. Aquilani's on-the-ball skills leave a lot to be desired.
Liverpool and Arsenal are both looking like depleted clubs from last season. Could make for an interesting season in England.
The EPL should be an interesting watch this year. Could be the year that some new teams start mixing it up with the Big 4. I forget who said it, but some player was talking about how La Liga is now the best and the EPL is no longer the top place to play. But then Fernando Torres responded that the EPL is still the best. Aside from Real and Barca, who has really made any moves in La Liga? Is La Liga turning into something like the Yankees and Red Sox playing in a league with a bunch of AAA teams?
Other La Liga teams have made moves, but they can't keep pace with the big two. Atletico has improved its depth, getting Jose Jurado and Jose Reyes back from loans and signing Spanish international defender Juanito. They've also got an Argentian kid named German Pacheco who's supposed to be quite good. Villareal has added a Brazilian (Nilmar) and a Paraguayan (Hernan Perez) in addition to Spanish defender Ivan Marcano (who is one heck of a player). Valencia added a top keeper (Miguel Moya from Mallorca) and a quality left back (Jeremy Mathieu from Toulouse). It's also got a pile of talented young midfielders coming along. Sevilla added Didier Zokora from Tottenham for some midfield steel and it also has a pile of young players, mostly from Argentina, about ready to shake the world by the collar.
There's star power on those teams already - Kun Aguero, Diego Forlan, Giuseppe Rossi, Marcos Senna, David Villa, David Silva, Freddy Kanoute, Luis Fabiano, etc. It makes for a strong second tier behind the two mega teams. Sevilla and Atletico are pretty good bets to be in the UCL final 16. Villareal and Valencia are two of the favorites to win the Europa Cup. And the league is deep beyond that. The middle 10 teams in La Liga are probably the best of any league in the world (Germany and the Prem being the other two main contenders).
The Betis team that got relegated last year, the Zaragoza team that got relegated the year before and the Real Sociedad team that got relegated in 2007 were good enough to be mid-table anywhere else in the world. It's a tough and deep league.
I posted this in the wrong thread yesterday. I think the EPL is a good place for Altidore, but I don't follow it as closely as Serie A. Any idea if he'll get playing time with Hull? I would think that he'll see the field quite a bit.
Quote:
US striker Altidore says he is joining Hull
LONDON (AP)—Jozy Altidore says he has joined Premier League club Hull subject to a work permit being granted.
The 19-year-old U.S. striker announced on Twitter that he will be introduced at a news conference Thursday.
He wrote Wednesday: “First match is against Chelsea subject to a work permit … thanks for the support and love keep it coming.”
Altidore joined Villarreal from the New York Red Bulls in June 2008. After making only two starts and four substitute appearances during the first half of the season, he was loaned to Xerez in the second division on Jan. 30.
The other strikers on the team are Craig Fagan, Caleb Folan, Daniel Cousin and Nicky Featherstone. Altidore ought to be the main man in that group.
That said, he should have a lot of the field at Xerez and Benny Feilhaber should have been starting for Derby County while he was there. American players sometimes find the bench for reason that surpass understanding.
Huntelaar to Milan. He'll pair with Pato w. Ronaldhino lining up behind the two strikers. Big shoes to fill as he takes over for the departing Kaka.
Rumors swirling that Pirlo will go to Chelsea. I wouldn't let him go if I was running the team.
Quote:
It is now official – Klaas Jan Huntelaar will sign a four-year contract with Milan and undergo his medical tomorrow.
“AC Milan announce they have reached an agreement with Real Madrid for the purchase of Klaas Jan Huntelaar,” read a statement on the club website.
“The Dutch player will undergo a medical tomorrow, after which he will sign a contract tying him to the Rossoneri until June 30, 2013.”
Vice-President Adriano Galliani had already stated this morning that a deal was done with the Merengues, but now the news is official.
Although no figures have been confirmed, it is believed Milan will pay around £13m for the striker.
It is still almost £8m less than Real Madrid paid to take him from Ajax only seven months ago.