January 31, the day when everyone awaits the visit of the Transfer Pixie and hopes they find the star striker/dominant centre-half in their stocking that was diligently hung over the fireplace the previous night. Only the good get what they want, while the very bad boys and girls get an Ade Akinbiyi. So who has been good and who ended up with the booby prize? Let's have a look at what highlights there were:
Steve McClaren
The former England manager has definitely been good this year. Indeed, his signing of Wesley Verhoek from ADO is perhaps more significant in terms of his recent career choices for Verhoek it was that McClaren wanted at Nottingham Forest only the board to blanch at the prospect of actually having to pay for him. By contrast, the FC Twente board were happy to compensate the Den Haag club and pay Verhoek some wages. Good bit of business that, replacing the outbound Mark Janko. McClaren also picked up Glynor Plet and hung onto Luuk de Jong. ADO got Ebi Smolarek which will also do nicely to replace Verhoek.
West Ham
Ravel Morrison. £650k. £1m agents fees. This just smells bad from the off.
Porto
Swiped back Lucho Gonzalez from Marseille and got Janko from FC Twente, offsetting the loss of Fredy Guarín to Italy. That looks a good swap to us.
The Olsson twins
Someone at Blackburn has a dodgy internet history. File under P for panic buy.
Donal McDermott
After terrorising Huddersfield in four games for Bournemouth last season, the Terriers moved quickly to sign McDermott from Manchester City in the summer and then proceeded to either not play him or play him in a totally unsuitable position. He's well out of that and away to Bournemouth again where he'll probably do well. Good for him. Meanwhile Huddersfield are crying out for defenders and signed one, 19-year old Murray Wallace from Falkirk. And loaned him straight back there. Good for Falkirk, bonkers for Huddersfield.
Espanyol
Took Philippe Coutinho on loan from Internazionale. It looked like he was working his way into Claudio Ranieri's first-team plans, but hadn't played for a bit. Instead, the 19-year old - marked out as one of the top 100 young players in the world by In Bed With Maradona - represents a bloody good bit of business for the Spaniards.
Sunderland
Sotirios Kyrgiakos. Wayne Bridge. Panic!
Internazionale
Sent Coutinho out on a low-risk loan to gain experience and brought in Guarín on loan from Porto with an option to buy. Again, that's a low risk move. If it doesn't work out, back he goes, but it will work out because he's a classy operator. They also bolstered their attack by moving Sulley Muntari on. Best of all, they palmed him off on their stadium buddies. Just good business all round.
Kevin de Bruyne
Not the player, but a transfer symptomatic of a sick system. Chelsea paid decent wedge for de Bruyne and immediately loaned him straight back to the Belgians. He'll be off out on loan somewhere next season too. See also Thibault Courtois, Gael Kakuta, Josh McEachran, Patrick van Aanholt, Jeffrey Bruma, Tomas Kalas. It's no wonder the Chelsea gaffer is the one to pop his head up above the parapets and call for B teams to play in England's lower tiers. It'd save him having to sort out loan moves for his stockpile of young players. Bad.
Ryo Miyaichi
Injury robbed Bolton of their two best midfielders - their two best players really - before a ball was kicked this season: Stuart Holden and Lee Chung-Yong. Miyaichi, more like the latter than the the former, is a talented player who did well on loan at Feyenoord last season. Bolton have a good track record in taking young players - Jack Wilshere and Daniel Sturridge, for two examples - and looking after them, so this looks a good move beneficial to all parties; Bolton, Arsenal and Miyaichi.
There's probably more to be said and more analysis to be done, but frankly it's too much like hard work to sift through all the deadline day moves. What do you want from us? Anyway, time to put the Deadline Day Stocking away until the end of August now and Jim White can return to hibernation. Sleep well children and be good, unless you don't want the Pixie to come in summer.
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Showing posts with label FC Porto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FC Porto. Show all posts
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Friday, 30 January 2009
Superliga Round 16 Preview
Academica v E. Amadora
Belenenses v FC Porto
Benfica v Rio Ave
Braga v P. Ferreira
Maritimo v Naval
Nacional v Leixoes
Setubal v Guimaraes
Trofense v Sporting
A big weekend in prospect in Portugal in the context of the Superliga title race. Porto, a point ahead of Benfica and Sporting at the top, visit Belenenses. The Estadio do Restelo is one of the most difficult places to visit in Portugal and that was proved by Benfica drawing a blank there last weekend. Despite O Belém having won just twice all season, the challenge of this fixture should not be overlooked.
Benfica host rock-bottom Rio Ave in what is sure to be three points, further heaping pressure on Jesualdo Ferreira’s team. Although they fell away last weekend Quique Sanchez Flores’s team are simply too good to let that continue, and Sporting are unlikely to follow suit visiting Trofense, who are third from bottom themselves. Game of the weekend, though, contains none of the big guns as Leixoes, in fourth, visit Nacional, in fifth in a battle of the UEFA cup spots. Leixoes have a two point advantage over their rivals but this could be eradicated at the weekend. Braga, in 6th, host Pacos de Ferreira while Maritimo host Naval and Guimares and Academica will both target maximum points from the weekend’s matches.
Belenenses v FC Porto
Benfica v Rio Ave
Braga v P. Ferreira
Maritimo v Naval
Nacional v Leixoes
Setubal v Guimaraes
Trofense v Sporting
A big weekend in prospect in Portugal in the context of the Superliga title race. Porto, a point ahead of Benfica and Sporting at the top, visit Belenenses. The Estadio do Restelo is one of the most difficult places to visit in Portugal and that was proved by Benfica drawing a blank there last weekend. Despite O Belém having won just twice all season, the challenge of this fixture should not be overlooked.
Benfica host rock-bottom Rio Ave in what is sure to be three points, further heaping pressure on Jesualdo Ferreira’s team. Although they fell away last weekend Quique Sanchez Flores’s team are simply too good to let that continue, and Sporting are unlikely to follow suit visiting Trofense, who are third from bottom themselves. Game of the weekend, though, contains none of the big guns as Leixoes, in fourth, visit Nacional, in fifth in a battle of the UEFA cup spots. Leixoes have a two point advantage over their rivals but this could be eradicated at the weekend. Braga, in 6th, host Pacos de Ferreira while Maritimo host Naval and Guimares and Academica will both target maximum points from the weekend’s matches.
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Superliga So Far
With the Superliga one game away from the halfway point it seems like a neat time to review the events so far, with 14 rounds gone.
Benfica’s expensively assembled team lead the table on goal difference from Lisbon rivals Sporting. O Glorioso have lost just once all season and no team can better their goal tally of 25 from these opening 14 matches. Much of this success can be put down to the new personnel drafted in by Luis Filipe Vieira in a desperate attempt to challenge the hegemony enjoyed by FC Porto in recent years. Former Valencia and Getafe coach Quique Sanchez Flores was hired, becoming Benfica’s sixth coach in four years. Quique had been out of the game since being stupidly fired by his boss at Valencia, Juan Soler, and his disciplined, methodical approach has reaped instant rewards. In mitigation, he does probably have the best squad in the Superliga at his disposal. 15m Euros has been spent on Pablo Aimar and Jose Antonio Reyes, while up front, David Suazo, the Honduran, was recruited also on loan from Inter Milan with Jose Mourinho deeming him surplus to requirements. Suazo has so far looked pretty good, but really he should be scoring more at this level. Oscar Cardozo, the Paraguyan, has also been in decent touch while the likes of Angel Di Maria and Kostas Katsouranis have made an impression this campaign.
Down the road at the Estadio Alvalade, Sporting Clube started the season sluggishly but have really hit top gear since December. Neither as rich nor as flamboyant as Benfica, much of their success depends on Liedson, the veteran Brazilian who has been their top scorer in each of the last four seasons. His record, of 119 goals in 223 games for Sporting, is quite incredible considering he has never been called up to the Brazil national team. He has been supported well this campaign by midfielders Simon Vukcevic and Marat Izmailov, as well as the highly-rated duo of Joao Moutinho and Miguel Veloso, but at the back there are still question marks.
Champions FC Porto endured a torrid spell in November where they momentarily dropped out of the top four, but they have since recovered some ground. A 0-0 draw at home to Trofense last weekend relinquished their grip on top spot and Jesualdo Ferreira’s men have struggled to maintain the form that made them so dominant last season. With the departure of Ricardo Quaresma, Ferreira lost his main playmaker and his replacement, Cristian Rodriguez, has been inconsistent and this has had a knock-on effect on the potency of Lisandro Lopez up front. The Argentine forward’s tally of 4 this season is disappointing and Porto’s diminished firepower is arguably the reason why they sit third rather than top. Top scorer at this stage, rather improbably, is struggling Paços de Ferreira's William with 8.
The elephant in the room is 4th placed Leixões. This tiny club from Matosinhos, a suburb of Porto, started brilliantly and were top after 10 games. They have fallen away since then, but are still only four points behind Benfica. One wonders whether, with their small squad, they will be able to keep up this impressive form until the very end.
Much will be decided on how consistent these sides are. That has been Benfica and Sporting’s problem in the past – not necessarily their performance in the big games against their rivals, but their propensity to slip up against the likes of Belenenses, Trofense and Academica. Benfica look well placed but one can never rule out FC Porto, who may also fancy their chances against Atletico Madrid to progress to the last 8 of the Champions League. However, in Sanchez Flores Benfica have the best coach in the competition and someone who could deliver their first title in five seasons.
Benfica’s expensively assembled team lead the table on goal difference from Lisbon rivals Sporting. O Glorioso have lost just once all season and no team can better their goal tally of 25 from these opening 14 matches. Much of this success can be put down to the new personnel drafted in by Luis Filipe Vieira in a desperate attempt to challenge the hegemony enjoyed by FC Porto in recent years. Former Valencia and Getafe coach Quique Sanchez Flores was hired, becoming Benfica’s sixth coach in four years. Quique had been out of the game since being stupidly fired by his boss at Valencia, Juan Soler, and his disciplined, methodical approach has reaped instant rewards. In mitigation, he does probably have the best squad in the Superliga at his disposal. 15m Euros has been spent on Pablo Aimar and Jose Antonio Reyes, while up front, David Suazo, the Honduran, was recruited also on loan from Inter Milan with Jose Mourinho deeming him surplus to requirements. Suazo has so far looked pretty good, but really he should be scoring more at this level. Oscar Cardozo, the Paraguyan, has also been in decent touch while the likes of Angel Di Maria and Kostas Katsouranis have made an impression this campaign.
Down the road at the Estadio Alvalade, Sporting Clube started the season sluggishly but have really hit top gear since December. Neither as rich nor as flamboyant as Benfica, much of their success depends on Liedson, the veteran Brazilian who has been their top scorer in each of the last four seasons. His record, of 119 goals in 223 games for Sporting, is quite incredible considering he has never been called up to the Brazil national team. He has been supported well this campaign by midfielders Simon Vukcevic and Marat Izmailov, as well as the highly-rated duo of Joao Moutinho and Miguel Veloso, but at the back there are still question marks.
Champions FC Porto endured a torrid spell in November where they momentarily dropped out of the top four, but they have since recovered some ground. A 0-0 draw at home to Trofense last weekend relinquished their grip on top spot and Jesualdo Ferreira’s men have struggled to maintain the form that made them so dominant last season. With the departure of Ricardo Quaresma, Ferreira lost his main playmaker and his replacement, Cristian Rodriguez, has been inconsistent and this has had a knock-on effect on the potency of Lisandro Lopez up front. The Argentine forward’s tally of 4 this season is disappointing and Porto’s diminished firepower is arguably the reason why they sit third rather than top. Top scorer at this stage, rather improbably, is struggling Paços de Ferreira's William with 8.
The elephant in the room is 4th placed Leixões. This tiny club from Matosinhos, a suburb of Porto, started brilliantly and were top after 10 games. They have fallen away since then, but are still only four points behind Benfica. One wonders whether, with their small squad, they will be able to keep up this impressive form until the very end.
Much will be decided on how consistent these sides are. That has been Benfica and Sporting’s problem in the past – not necessarily their performance in the big games against their rivals, but their propensity to slip up against the likes of Belenenses, Trofense and Academica. Benfica look well placed but one can never rule out FC Porto, who may also fancy their chances against Atletico Madrid to progress to the last 8 of the Champions League. However, in Sanchez Flores Benfica have the best coach in the competition and someone who could deliver their first title in five seasons.
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