Back to the Past

As the transfer window comes to a close with a week left, Brosy expected some rather stupid transfers to take place. And low and behold Sol Campbell has given Brosy a right old chuckle. While Campbell has shown throughout his career to not be afraid of rather controversial transfers his latest comes across as either utterly pathetic or well actually it is just rather pathetic.

It is one thing to leave a club in turmoil to one that will pay you sacks full of £100 notes each week (in fact that seems to be coming increasedly more common). But it is another to be getting that money by playing for a League Two side. Yes, that’s correct, Sol Campbell has decided that he would pull a Beckham and quit competitive football for a life of leisure in a small league, while pulling in a couple million just for the notoriety that he brings the club.

Notts County. Yes you are reading that correctly Campbell will be joining Notts County to be reunited with former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson. Brosy can only image that the Magpies are hoping to resurrect England circa 2001, but some eight years later. So don’t be surprised if Becks’ winter move to Europe is to the midlands to play for County.

Teams of the Week

Here is this Brosy’s first Best XI and Flops XI for the past weekend of Premier League action.

Here’s the Best from the opening weekend of action.

GK:  Robert Green (West Ham)

DEF:  Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal)

DEF:  Michael Turner (Hull City)

DEF:  Sabastien Bassong (Tottenham)

DEF: John O’Shea (Manchester United)

M: Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)

M: Jordi Gomez (Wigan)

M: Mark Noble (West Ham)

M: Steven Ireland (Manchester City)

ST: Didier Drogba (Chelsea)

ST: Hugo Rodallega (Wigan)

Taking bragging rights as Brosy’s player of the week is Didier Drogba for saving Chelsea against Hull in a rather ordinary performance by the Londoners.

 

And here are the worse from this weekend.

GK: Tim Howard (Everton)

DEF: Nicky Shorey (Aston Villa)

DEF: Joseph Yobo (Everton)

DEF: Joleon Lescott (Everton)

DEF: Tony Hibbert (Everton)

M: Ryan Babel (Liverpool)

M: Tim Cahill (Everton)

M: Aaron Mokoena (Portsmouth)

M: Ashley Young (Aston Villa)

ST: Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa)

ST: Jo (Everton)

Premier League Predictions

With “The Best League In The World”, set to kick off this weekend Brosy thought he’d throw some predictions and see if your gullible enough to believe them.

1.       Chelsea. - It all depends on whether Ancelotti can keep Drogba focused.

2.       Man Utd. - Return of Hargreaves will be massive.

3.       Arsenal. - Got rid of some bad apples. Wilshere looks set for a huge year.

4.       Liverpool. - No defensive depth and the loss of Alonso really hurts Benitez’s men.

5.       Everton. - David Moyes is the best manager in England period.

6.       Man City. - Too many strikers and a shaky back line mean City need more time.

7.       Tottenham. - Need to strengthen the midfield still.

8.       Aston Villa. - Good going forward. Not some much in the back.

9.       Blackburn. - No real goal threat. But solid throughout.

10.   Fulham. - Could finish as high as 6^th or as low as 17^th. Must stay fit.

11.   Sunderland. - Bent and Jones are nice up front but who will control the middle?

12.   West Ham. - Can Cole really do it for a second straight year?

13.   Bolton. - Ugly football but comfortably mid table.

14.   Stoke City. - It’s just so hard to win at the Britannia.

15.   Wigan. - Scotland was a nice buy but the midfield looks suspect.

16.   Burnley. - Will need Fletcher to score if they are to stay up.

17.   Hull City. - Phil Brown may not make it to Christmas.

18.   Wolves. - Eerily similar to West Brom last season.

19.   Portsmouth. - No Money. No Players. No Premier League future.

20.   Birmingham. - Utter rubbish in the back.

So there you have a league table certain to be wrong with some pretty weak analysis.

Brosy will be back Monday with his Players of the Week and Flops of the Week.

Alonso to Real

With news of Liverpool’s sale of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid, one has to wonder if Florentino Perez ever doesn’t get his man.

Before you argue that he didn’t land David Villa, remember there was never a bid submitted by Real. Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has insisted all summer that Alonso was going nowhere but to no avail. The press was much wiser than Senor Benitez and knew that once targeted Perez never fails to get his man.

Unlike Manchester City who throws stupid money at players in hopes that they can be coxed them to sign for a club not even in Europe, Perez lands his targets with the precision of a champions marksman. Even among the other “Big Clubs” he knows no equal. He landed Lyon Striker Karim Benzema ahead of English giants Manchester United and kept Raul Albiol in Spain among interest from several Premier League clubs.

For the Kop this sale must be devastating. Not only was Alonso a fan favorite, but Liverpool fans have been picturing their Reds lifting their first league championship in 20 years after finishing second last year and seeing rivals Manchester United loose both Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. That vision now appears unlikely to come to fruition.

If Brosy has learned anything from watching Florentino make his deals, is that perhaps President Obama should hire him to get America to buy into his health care reform. 

Good Bye To a Legend

"It wasn't the hand of God, it was the hand of a rascal."

With quotes like that how can one forget Sir Bobby Robson. While Brosy isn’t old enough to remember Robson at Ipswich, he can as manager of some of Europe’s big clubs and with England. He took England to their only World Cup semifinal since their 1966 win, losing to eventual champions, West Germany on penalties.

After the England job he went to PSV where he won two Dutch championships before leaving for Portugal where he won championships with Sporting Lisbon and F.C. Porto. He then moved to Barcelona, winning two trophies in his first and only season. Forget the trophies Robson’s biggest impact in Europe may have been his relationship with his Portuguese translator who was with him, Jose Mourinho.  Who has gone onto lead Porto to a Champions League title, 2 Premier League titles at Chelsea, and one Serie A title. His study under Robson undoubtly played a major part in his managing career. Robson then led Newcastle to two Champions League appearances before being fired afer finishing fifth in 2004.

Robson first began his fight with cancer in 1992. In 1995 another tumour  was discovered. Cancer struck again in 2006, but this time Robson was not able to come out of this battle unscathed. He had his tumour removed leaving him with partial paralysis.

Robson was a true legend. He will be sorely missed throughout the football community. 

The Little Tyke That Could

This summer’s most shocking transfer, Michael Owen, has shown in his first two games for Manchester United that he’s still got it. The clinical finisher that won a Ballon d’Or in 2001 has finally got his mojo back.

Granted he’s only played two preseason games against Malaysia XI but he’s found the net in each match, including the match winner in his first appearance for the Reds. While it remains to be seen whether or not he can continue this form into the season (or his fitness for that matter), Sir Alex Ferguson’s risk-free signing has already proven that his best days may not necessary be behind him. After all Owen is just 29 years old which seems hard to believe since he’s been around forever.

Now Brosy isn't saying that he'll recapture the form he had while at Liverpool and Real Madrid, he certainly can add to his trophy haul. 

While his health will be monitored closely throughout the campaign, there’s no reason to think that Owen can contribution to United contending for more trophies. He isn’t likely to start many games but his experience will be a huge benefit to youngsters Frederico Macheda and Danny Welback.

 If he is able to be an impact sub and can provide cover to Rooney and Berbatov then Sir Alex’s gamble will be a huge success.

Going Nowhere

They must like strikers.

Manchester City apparently is looking to field a team completely made up of strikers. With the purchase of Carlos Tevez and having a bid for Emmanuel Adebayor accept by Arsenal, City appears to have bought themselves a solid frontline partnership in the past week. But then you remember that they bought Roque Santa Cruz earlier this summer, Craig Bellemy in January, Robinho and Jo last summer, and you have an astonishing 6 forwards bought in the past year, and that doesn’t include any forwards previously on the books at City. While Jo has been loaned out, Darius Vassell moved to Turkey, and promising youngster Daniel Sturridge moved to Chelsea.

It should be a sad sight from City fans, with apparently no real transfer targets, Mark Hughes is just throwing money at the first big name he sees. The promising City academy looks to be heading the direction of Chelsea’s academy, utter rubbish. But most City fans don’t see it this way. They are deluded by their clubs money and big names players, they envision a fantasy where they’ll finish top 4 this year, win the league next, and the Champions League soon after.

But that simply won’t happen. City is abysmal defensively, and their solution is to make an outrageous bid for John “Mr. Chelsea” Terry. While more affordable, less well known and probably better defenders are available. In the more affordable category are former Arsenal captain William Gallas, and West Ham’s Matthew Upson. And a better defender than Terry is Fulham’s giant Norwegian Brede Hangeland.

City fans should get of the drugs and have a hard look at their team and think about the Europa League next season.