FOOTBALLSUP » botlon http://footballsup.com Everything football Wed, 22 Jun 2011 13:19:45 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 Weekend Preview http://footballsup.com/2009/09/weekend-preview-5/ http://footballsup.com/2009/09/weekend-preview-5/#comments Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:18:35 +0000 Matt http://footballsup.com/?p=2180

From Sky: Chelsea look to continue their formidable start to the 2009/10 Premier League season as they travel to Wigan Athletic, while bottom-of-the-table Portsmouth host Everton on a weekend of nine top-flight fixtures.

The above is a tale of two hugely contrasting beginnings to the new campaign. The Blues have powered their way to the summit and Carlo Ancelloti’s charges look unyielding. Pompey, though, are already, and worryingly so, considered an opponent whom three easy points are there for the taking.

Among the other encounters on the sixth weekend of the latest campaign, Manchester United head to the Britannia Stadium, Liverpool entertain struggling Hull City, Arsenal meet London rivals Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur host newly-promoted Burnley and Sunderland clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers in Sunday’s only game.

After an opening victory in the Midlands promised so much, Wigan Athletic have largely slumped. And the fixture compiler has been unfair to them as they prepare to tackle Chelsea after travelling to Arsenal seven days prior. And the omens are not good for the Latics, who have faired awfully against the so-called ‘big four’, having failed to win in 34 attempts.

For Chelsea, this is a chance to match their best-ever start to a Premier League term, as they eye a seventh straight win under Ancelotti. Next up for the Blues comes a fierce test at home against Liverpool, so three points at the DW Stadium is crucial to stand them in good stead ahead of their first meeting with a title rival.

Portsmouth are in action versus Everton on Saturday lunchtime, in a game that can be seen live on Sky Sports 1 & HD1. Having become the only team in Premier League history to lose their opening six games, the future is already looking bleak on the South Coast. However, Pompey can take heart from having beat Everton in both their meetings last season, while the Toffees have not yet won on the road this term.

Off the back of their dramatic success last weekend, Manchester United return to league action against Stoke City. A late goal saw the Red Devils take the spoils in last term’s corresponding fixture, and again this time around the encounter promises to be a tricky affair for the champions. But with striker Wayne Rooney rested during midweek and in frightening goalscoring form, boss Sir Alex Ferguson will be optimistic of disposing of the Potters.

Liverpool lock horns with Phil Brown’s Hull City spying a fourth successive triumph. The Reds showed character and grit to overcome West Ham United last week but will be hopeful Saturday’s test will be more of a routine outing. Goals can be expected, with 25 scored in five games between these two sides, while the leaky Tigers must call upon some of that early-season spirit from 2008/09 if they are to come away from Anfield with anything to show from their trip West on the M62.

Arsenal got back to winning ways against Wigan but visit a ghost of last campaign in shape of Fulham on Saturday’s evening kick-off. The Cottagers took four points off the Gunners last term, with Arsene Wenger’s men even failing to find the back of the net in those two clashes. But Fulham have looked unusually rocky to date, and as Wenger reinstates his more senior personnel the Frenchman will be optimistic that his side can avoid another poor showing against their London rivals.

Tottenham Hotspur’s momentum has been somewhat dented by match-ups versus United and Chelsea, but they tackle Burnley in a seemingly more winnable game. The two clubs met in the Carling Cup last season, with Spurs edging out the then-Championship outfit over two legs of 10 goals. The Clarets will of course be envisaging an upset, and they could see Tottenham’s weakness as their backline, which has failed to keep a clean sheet in their previous eight outings.

Blackburn Rovers welcome Aston Villa to Ewood Park, the former stuttering and the latter in fine temper. Interestingly, under the stewardship of Paul Ince at the time, after five games last campaign Rovers had three points more than their current total under Sam Allardyce. Villa, meanwhile, will look to the in-form Gabriel Agbonlahor to help fire them to a fifth straight league victory.

Birmingham City are in action against Bolton Wanderers in what is expected to be a low-scoring game, with neither side really finding their shooting boots to date. Trotters manager Gary Megson has come in for much criticism from supporters already this campaign, but a late point claimed last week and a midweek win in the Carling Cup has helped to ease what has been growing pressure.

On Sunday, Sunderland take on Wolves at the Stadium of Light live on Sky Sports 1 & HD1. The Black Cats suffered a surprise defeat last time out in the league so must look to respond from that setback at Burnley. Indeed, Steve Bruce’s side have lacked consistency, with each of their wins followed by a loss. For Wolves, who have faired poorly on Wearside, the encounter is a chance to record back-to-back Premier League triumphs.

]]> http://footballsup.com/2009/09/weekend-preview-5/feed/ 0 Stats of the Season (so far) http://footballsup.com/2009/09/stats-of-the-season-so-far/ http://footballsup.com/2009/09/stats-of-the-season-so-far/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:36:51 +0000 Matt http://footballsup.com/?p=2150

There have only been 46 games so far this season but already there are some notable – or perhaps anomolous – statistics. Courtesy of Football365, here are the most salient in a club-by-club format…

Arsenal
*Tomas Rosicky’s first outing in 20 months also included a goal. Dating back to his last games in the winter of 2007/08, the midfielder has scored three goals in his last five matches.

*Arsenal have lost six of their last seven matches played in the city of Manchester. The exception was May’s draw at Old Trafford that saw United crowned as champions.

*Only Liverpool, Fulham and Manchester United produced more shots on target this weekend than Arsenal registered at Eastlands (seven) while no side had more shots off target (12). According to the Match of the Day statistics, Manuel Almunia failed to make a single save in the game while Shay Given successfully completed five.

Aston Villa
* Emile Heskey has seen just ten minutes of league action since the opening weekend of the season. Villa have also won all of their games since dropping the England forward following the defeat to Wigan.

* Sunday’s 85th-minute match-winner Gabby Agbonlahor also scored an 87th minute winner at Birmingham in the last derby Villa played at St Andrew’s.

* Both of Villa’s centre-halves against Birmingham, Richard Dunne and James Collins, were making their debuts, while left-back Stephen Warnock was making only his second appearance for his new employers.

* Villa have already used 20 players in four league games. They used only 21 in the whole of last season.

Birmingham City
* The second city derby was littered with thirty fouls – the highest such figure in the Premier League this weekend.

* Birmingham have failed to win any of their last six meetings with Villa.

* In five games, Birmingham have scored just one goal from open play – Lee Bowyer’s tap-in at Tottenham.

* 25,196 attended the first Birmingham derby in two years. St Andrew’s capacity is 30,016.

Blackburn Rovers
* Only two Blackburn players have played every minute this season: Paul Robinson and Gael Givet.

* Since Sam Allardyce’s appointment as their manager in December, Blackburn have lost just two games at Ewood Park.

Bolton Wanderers
* Gary Cahill scored the winner on his 50th start for Bolton – exactly twice as many as he made at Aston Villa.

* Bolton enjoyed just 36% of possession at Fratton Park. The next lowest figure in the league weekend was Burnley’s 39% and Man City’s 40%.

* The win at Portsmouth was the club’s first away victory in 2009.

Burnley
* Along with Birmingham, Burnley are the joint-lowest scorers in the league having scored just two goals.

* Burnley have played four of their first games against sides that finished in the top five last season.

* The replacement of Christian Kalvenes with Andre Bikey from the side that faced Stoke on the opening day of the season accounts for the only change that the Clarets have made to their starting line-up so far.

Chelsea
* Having beaten Stoke in January with an injury-time goal from Frank Lampard, both of Chelsea’s goals at the Britannia on Saturday occurred in injury time.

* Lampard is one of seven players credited with three goalscoring assists this season. The others are Didier Drogba, Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas, Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson and Shaun Wright-Phillips.

* Chelsea last failed to win a league game eleven matches ago when they were held to a 0-0 draw at home to Everton on April 22.

* The Blues have trailed in three of the five games they’ve won this season.

Everton
* A scorer at Fulham from a free-kick at which he was marked by the 6ft 2 Dickson Etuhu, the 5ft 10 Tim Cahill has netted more headed goals than any other player in the Premiership since 2002.

* The defeat at Fulham was the first fixture in a run of seven games featuring three different competitions in 21 days for Everton.

* Yakubu’s appearance as a substitute was his first in the league since November.

* Everton are currently conceding at a rate of 2.5 per game having had the league’s sixth-best defence in 2008/09.

Fulham
* On the 17 occasions that Fulham and Everton have met in the Premier League, the home side has won 16 times.

* Paul Konchesky’s only other goal for the club was against West Ham in January.

Hull
* Hull have scored one goal in each of their five league outings this season.

* This time last year they were fourth in the table.

* Hull have lost ten of their last fifteen league matches, winning just one.

Liverpool
* Yossi Benayoun has scored three hat-tricks in his Liverpool career having also netted trebles in the thrashings of Besiktas and Havant and Waterloo.

* Liverpool have scored 33 goals in their last ten home matches.

* Their tally of 25 shots against Burnley was the highest of the weekend.

* Having started only 14 of Liverpool’s 38 league games last term, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres have started all five to date this season.

Manchester City
* City have made their best start to a season since 1961 while Saturday’s attendance of 47,339 set a new stadium record for a football match.

* Despite winning all four of their games so far, City have, according to The Times, made 15 shots fewer than the combined total of their opponents in those games.

* City were credited with registering four shots on target against the Gunners by the BBC and five by The Guardian. Their total of three shots off target was also nine fewer than that of their opponents.

* Emmanuel Adebayor has scored in three of the last four meetings between City and Arsenal. He didn’t play in the other.

* Of the City team that beat Arsenal by a three-goal margin last November, Micah Richards, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Stephen Ireland were the only survivors on Saturday.

Manchester United
* United are now unbeaten in 20 games against Tottenham.

* Scholes’ red card was the ninth of his career. Of the eight that have occurred in United colours, seven have been issued in the past five years.

* United have deployed a different defence in each of their five league games so far and used four different central-midfield partnerships.

* United would be ninth in the league table if all matches ended after 45 minutes.

* Just thre players have started all of their five league games: Ben Foster, Patrice Evra and Wayne Rooney.

* Ryan Giggs’ goal ensured he remains the only player to score in every Premier League season. One more goal will take him to the 150th mark and equal the haul of Ruud van Nistelrooy, currently eighth in the club’s list of all-time scorers.

Portsmouth
* Four of Pompey’s five defeats this season have been by a single goal.

* Their fans are remaining loyal: Each of their three home games this season was watched by between 17 and 18 thousand specatators.

* From the team that faced Middlesbrough on September 13 last year, only David James featured against Bolton.

Stoke City
* With five minutes added on at the end of the first-half and eight for the second, Saturday’s game at Britannia lasted 103 minutes.

* Two of the five home defeats inflicted on Stoke since their promotion have been by Chelsea.

Sunderland
* Sunderland scored with all four of their shots on target against Hull.

* Saturday’s attendance of 38,997 was bettered at only Anfield and Eastlands.

* Lorika Cana has made more fouls than any other player so far: 17. His tally of three cautions is also unbeaten.

* Three of Darren Bent’s four goals have been scored before the 20th minute.

Tottenham Hotspur
* Jermain Defoe and Wayne Rooney are the current league topscorers with five goals apiece.

* During the last international break, Fabio Capello observed that “When Jermain Defoe plays in the second half, he scores goals.” In fact, five of Defoe’s last seven league goals have occurred before the half-time interval.

* Spurs are yet to keep a clean sheet in any of their fixtures this season.

* In his 19 league appearances for Liverpool, Robbie Keane scored five goals. In his 19 league appearances since rejoining Tottenham, Keane has scored six times.

West Ham
* Having drawn two successive blanks on their travels, the Hammers have scored just one goal in their past three games.

* Their team at Wigan included eight Englishmen.

Wigan
* Saturday’s attendance at the JJB of 17,142 was the lowest of the weekend.

Wolves
* Wolves scored 16 goals in their first five Championship matches last season. In the Premier League this term, they’ve managed just three.

]]> http://footballsup.com/2009/09/stats-of-the-season-so-far/feed/ 0 How did your Club do? http://footballsup.com/2009/09/how-did-your-club-do/ http://footballsup.com/2009/09/how-did-your-club-do/#comments Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:14:11 +0000 Matt http://footballsup.com/?p=2098

Joleon Lescott 001 How did your Club do?

What would we do without the Guardian? To save reviewing all the transfers of all the clubs, and where they’ve been left short – or bloated – we’ll just repeat everything that David Pleat allegedly wrote in the Guardian Sport Blog. We’ve even stolen the picture. It’s good though…

Arsenal

What they wanted

Arsène Wenger admitted he was looking for defensive cover and a defensive midfielder, along with ‘half the managers in the Premier League’

What they got

Arsenal have made an impressive start and that may have convinced Wenger that the squad he has – with the addition of Thomas Vermaelen – will suffice

Pleat’s verdict

Maybe a talented big man to replace Emmanuel Adebayor would have given them variations. Has resisted the urge to sign a midfield enforcer. Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere will get opportunities

The deals

In: Thomas Vermaelen Ajax, £10m Damián Martínez Independiente, £1.2m

Out: Emmanuel Adebayor Manchester City, £25m Kolo Touré Manchester City, £14m Abu Ogogo Dagenham & Redbridge, free Rene Steer Oldham Athletic, free Havard Nordtveit Nuremberg, loan Jay Emmanuel-Thomas Blackpool, loan Jay Simpson QPR, loan Amaury Bischoff released Rui Fonte released Paul Rodgers released James Dunne, released Vincent van den Berg released Anton Blackwood released

Aston Villa

What they wanted

At least one centre-half as a replacement for Martin Laursen, as well as a midfielder in place of Gareth Barry. A left-back was also sought

What they got

A restocked defence with Richard Dunne, whose move is set to be confirmed today, and James Collins but fans may wonder if Fabian Delph and the injured Stewart Downing are natural heirs to Barry

Pleat’s verdict

Laursen’s goodbye and Wilfred Bouma’s long-term injury, allied to Curtis Davies’s troublesome shoulder, forced O’Neill to breach the dam. Dunne is a seasoned campaigner. Collins is an ‘over my dead body’ defender. Delph should be eased in slowly

The deals

In: Stewart Downing Middlesbrough, £12m James Collins West Ham, £5m Habib Beye Newcastle, £3m Fabian Delph Leeds United, undisclosed Stephen Warnock Blackburn, undisclosed Andy Marshall unattached

Out: Gareth Barry Manchester City, £12m Zat Knight Bolton Wanderers, £4m Stuart Taylor Manchester City, free Sam Williams Yeovil, free Martin Laursen retired

Birmingham City

What they wanted

The signing of a creative midfielder and a proven Premier League goalscorer to boot

What they got

With Alex McLeish eschewing the search for a striker to focus on a creative player to complement his snarling midfield he will have been disappointed to lose out on Sporting Gijón’s Míchel

Pleat’s verdict

Spent sensibly but not sufficiently to make a strong challenge. Benítez could excite while Roger Johnson has the opportunity to step up

The deals

In: Christian Benítez Santos Laguna, £7.7m Roger Johnson Cardiff City, £5m Scott Dann Coventry City, £3.5m Barry Ferguson Rangers, £1.5m Giovanny Espinoza Barcelona Sporting Club, undisclosed James O’Shea Galway United, nominal Lee Bowyer West Ham, free Stephen Carr unattached, Joe Hart Manchester City, loan Teemu Tainio Sunderland, loan Grégory Vignal Lens, loan

Out: Stephen Kelly Fulham, free Michael McKerr Oldham, free James McPike Kettering, free, Krystian Pearce Peterborough, loan Robin Shroot Burton, loan Artur Krysiak Burton, loan Semih Aydilek released, Radhi Jaidi released, Mehdi Nafti released

Blackburn Rovers

What they wanted

The sale of Stephen Warnock to Aston Villa made a full-back a priority, while at the other end one goal in three games suggested the need for a new striker

What they got

Pascal Chimbonda seems an adequate replacement for Warnock, but the biggest surprise was that this was Sam Allardyce’s only last-minute deal

Pleat’s verdict

Losing Warnock and Roque Santa Cruz will hardly be compensated by their summer activity. Lars Jacobsen and Gaël Givet are unlikely to be big hits

The deals

In: Nikola Kalinic Hajduk Split, £12m Gaël Givet Marseille, £3.5m Pascal Chimbonda Tottenham, £2m Nikos Giannakopoulos Asteras, £5,000, Steven N’Zonzi Amiens, undisclosed Elrio van Heerden Bruges, free Lars Jacobsen Everton, free Míchel Salgado Real Madrid, free Franco Di Santo Chelsea, loan

Out: Roque Santa Cruz Manchester City, £17.5m Matt Derbyshire Olympiakos, £3m Paul Gallagher Leicester, £1m Stephen Warnock Aston Villa, undisclosed Bjorn Bussmann 1860 Munich, nominal Andre Ooijer PSV, free Aaron Mokoena Portsmouth, free Dean Winnard Accrington, free Andreas Arestidou Shrewsbury, free Jamie Clarke Lincoln, free Tony Kane Carlisle, free Keith Treacy Sheffield United, loan Alex Marrow Oldham Athletic, loan Nick Blackman Oldham Athletic, loan Gavin Gunning Tranmere, loan Alan Judge Plymouth, loan Mark Bunn Sheffield United, loan Tugay Kerimoglu retired Brian Hodge released

Bolton Wanderers

What they wanted

Two goals and no points from their opening three fixtures would suggest that some fresh blood was required, particularly to support Kevin Davies

What they got

The one-year loan signing of Ivan Klasnic will provide competition in the frontline. With the retention of Gary Cahill this has been a relatively successful summer

Pleat’s verdict

Gary Megson knows his team’s limitations. Zat Knight will have to show improvement. They seem well stocked at full-back, with Paul Robinson from West Brom joining Ricardo Gardner and Jlloyd Samuel

The deals

In: Zat Knight Aston Villa, £4m Lee Chung-yong FC Seoul, £2.2m Sam Ricketts Hull City, undisclosed Sean Davis Portsmouth, free Paul Robinson West Brom, loan Ivan Klasnic Nantes, loan

Out: Blerim Dzemaili Torino, undisclosed. James Sinclair released, Robert Sissons released, Nathan Woolfe released

Burnley

What they wanted

Owen Coyle did not want to unsettle an established squad with any last-minute wheeling and dealing. Preventing unwanted departures was priority No1

What they got

The addition of Premier League-tested André Bikey and no late departures is a job well done

Pleat’s verdict

Steven Fletcher, a left-footer with good movement, is an excellent buy. But a difficult season is in store

The deals

In: Steven Fletcher Hibernian, £3m André Bikey Reading, £1.8m Tyrone Mears Derby, £500,000 Brian Easton Hamilton, £350,000 David Edgar Newcastle United, undisclosed Richard Eckersley Manchester United, undisclosed Fernando Guerrero Independiente del Valle, loan David Nugent Portsmouth, loan

Out: Alan Mahon Tranmere, free Steve Jones Walsall, free Alex MacDonald Falkirk, loan Adam Kay Chester, loan Chris Lynch Chester, loan Gabor Kiraly released

Chelsea

What they wanted

Chelsea have been the only Big Four club not to haemorrhage star players, so their desire for a marquee signing was never pressing enough

What they got

With Ribéry, Villa, Pirlo et al staying put the summer influx has been limited to Ross Turnbull, Daniel Sturridge, Yuri Zhirkov and Nemanja Matic

Pleat’s verdict

Zhirkov has pedigree and gives more pace than Florent Malouda. Turnbull and Sturridge are depth signings. Unsurprisingly they will not break even in 2010, Peter Kenyon’s prediction

The deals

In: Yuri Zhirkov, left CSKA Moscow, £18m Nemanja Matic MFK Kosice, £1.5m Daniel Sturridge Manchester City, tribunal Ross Turnbull Middlesbrough, free

Out: Ben Sahar Espanyol, £1m Andriy Shevchenko Dynamo Kyiv, undisclosed Frank Nouble West Ham, nominal Sergio Tejera Mallorca, nominal Morten Nielsen AZ Alkmaar, nominal Claudio Pizarro Werder Bremen, undisclosed Jimmy Smith Leyton Orient, free Michael Mancienne Wolves, loan Scott Sinclair Wigan, loan Franco Di Santo Blackburn Rovers, loan Ryan Bertrand Reading, loan Tom Taiwo Carlisle, loan Lee Sawyer Southend loan, Shaun Cummings West Brom, loan Jack Cork Coventry, loan Jacob Mellis Southampton, loan Patrick van Aanholt Coventry, loan Liam Bridcutt Stockport, loan

Everton

What they wanted

David Moyes wanted at least four men from a budget swelled by Lescott’s sale, with two defenders, a midfielder and two wide men on list

What they got

Johnny Heitinga and Sylvain Distin fulfilled defensive needs. Diniyar Bilyaletdinov covers the left but missing out on Ever Banega leaves a gap

Pleat’s verdict

Having squeezed the pips for Lescott, Moyes has replaced like for like with Distin at an outstanding profit. With Louis Saha, Jô and Yakubu available, they still have thrust up front

The deals

In: Johnny Heitinga Atlético Madrid, £6m Diniyar Bilyaletdinov Lokomotiv Moscow, £9m Sylvain Distin Portsmouth, undisclosed Shkodran Mustafi Hamburg, undisclosed Luke Garbutt Leeds United, fee to be determined by tribunal Anton Peterlin Ventura County Fusion, free Cody Arnoux Carolina Dynamo, free Jô Manchester City, loan

Out: Joleon Lescott Manchester City, £22m Tom McCready Hibernian, nominal Lars Jacobsen Blackburn, free John Paul Kissock Hamilton, free John Ruddy Motherwell, loan Lukas Jutkiewicz Motherwell, loan Nuno Valente released, Andy van der Meyde released

Fulham

What they wanted

Bolstering the midfield was one concern for Roy Hodgson. The other was up front, where an injury to Andy Johnson highlights a lack of top-class cover

What they got

Hodgson seems content with the limited business he conducted this summer, with Damien Duff and Jonathan Greening adding options to his squad

Pleat’s verdict

Greening may give them more legs in midfield than Danny Murphy, but less creativity and few goals. Duff gives balance on the left but does not have that change of pace that protected his reputation

The deals

In: Damien Duff Newcastle, £2.5m Bjorn Helge Riise Lillestrom, undisclosed Kagiso Dikgacoi Golden Arrows, undisclosed David Elm Kalmar, undisclosed Stephen Kelly Birmingham, free Jonathan Greening West Brom, loan

Out: Troy Brown Ipswich, free Moritz Volz released, Julian Gray released

Hull City

What they wanted

To keep Michael Turner. To freshen the squad. To add defensive stability, midfield creativity and, above all, attacking incision

What they got

Several new faces but will they offset the loss of Turner? The strikers Jozy Altidore and Kamel Ghilas have made an impact

Pleat’s verdict

More opportunities with Altidore and Stephen Hunt on the left. Defensively they do not appear as strong and may need something clever again

The deals

In: Stephen Hunt Reading, £3m Seyi Olofinjana Stoke, £3m Kamel Ghilas Celta Vigo, £2m Steven Mouyokolo Boulogne, undisclosed Paul McShane Sunderland, undisclosed Jozy Altidore Villarreal, loan Ibrahima Sonko Stoke, loan

Out: Sam Ricketts Bolton, undisclosed Michael Turner Sunderland, £12m Wayne Brown Leicester, free Matt Plummer, Dean Windass James Bennett all Darlington, free John Welsh Tranmere, free Ryan France Sheffield United, free Michael Bridges MK Dons, free Tom Woodhead released, Joe Lamplough released

Liverpool

What they wanted

A forward to support or cover for Fernando Torres. That was unlikely as Rafael Benítez’s budget was used to improve contracts for current players

What they got

Greece defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos accounted for the last of Benítez’s budget, following the earlier purchases of Alberto Aquilani and Glen Johnson

Pleat’s verdict

Alvaro Arbeloa adequately replaced with the more attack-minded Johnson, at a heavy price. The loss of Alonso will be more difficult to cope with. Aquilani is more offensive and likes to attack defenders

The deals

In: Alberto Aquilani Roma, £20m Glen Johnson Portsmouth, £18m Sotirios Kyrgiakos AEK Athens, £1.5m Aaron King Rushden & Diamonds, nominal Chris Mavinga PSG, undisclosed

Out: Xabi Alonso Real Madrid, £30m Alvaro Arbeloa Real Madrid, £3.5m Sebastián Leto Panathinaikos, £1.3m Paul Anderson Nottingham Forest, £250,000 Adam Hammill Barnsley, undisclosed Sami Hyypia Bayer Leverkusen, free Jermaine Pennant Real Zaragoza, free Jack Hobbs Leicester, free Astrit Ajdarevic Leicester, free Shane O’Connor Ipswich, free Ryan Flynn Falkirk, loan Dean Bouzanis Wrexham, loan

Manchester City

What they wanted

Enough players of sufficiently high calibre to create a side to qualify for the Champions League

What they got

Nine players at a cost of around £120m. Mark Hughes is entitled to reflect on an ‘exceptional’ and ‘unprecedented’ recruitment programme

Pleat’s verdict

Signings have transformed expectations but the team’s balance will be important. Lovely alternatives up front – Bellamy’s pace, Cruz’s goals, Tevez’s work rate and the unpredictable Adebayor

The deals

In: Emmanuel Adebayor Arsenal, £25m Carlos Tevez unattached, £25m Joleon Lescott Everton, £22m Roque Santa Cruz Blackburn, £17m Kolo Touré Arsenal, £14m Gareth Barry Aston Villa, £12m Nils Zander Shalke 04, undisclosed Stuart Taylor Aston Villa, free Sylvinho Barcelona, free

Out: Ched Evans Sheff Utd, £3m Gelson Fernandes Saint-Etienne, £2m Elano Blumer Galatasaray, undisclosed Kasper Schmeichel Notts County, undisclosed Daniel Sturridge Chelsea, fee to be set by tribunal Valeri Bojinov Parma, loan Jô Everton, loan Felipe Caicedo Sporting Lisbon, loan Joe Hart Birmingham, loan Shaleum Logan Tranmere, loan Clayton McDonald Walsall, loan Darius Vassell Ankaragucu, free Dietmar Hamann released, Michael Ball released, Danny Mills released, Richard Martin released, Angelos Tsiaklis released, Leandro Berti Glauber released, Tal Ben-Haim Portsmouth, undisclosed

Manchester United

What they wanted

At least two new players capable of filling the huge void left by the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and, to a lesser extent, Carlos Tevez

What they got

Antonio Valencia arrived to take Ronaldo’s place while Michael Owen’s arrival was unexpected.

Pleat’s verdict

The big question mark will be replacing Ronaldo’s goals. Owen is only likely to play a small part. Despite the £80m – a good sale in the long term – was cash hard to find?

The deals

In: Antonio Valencia Wigan, £16m Gabriel Obertan Bordeaux, undisclosed Mame Biram Diouf Molde, undisclosed Michael Owen Newcastle, free

Out: Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid, £80m Fraizer Campbell Sunderland, £3.5m Manucho Real Valladolid, undisclosed Lee Martin Ipswich, undisclosed Richard Eckersley Burnley, undisclosed Rodrigo Possebon Braga, loan Carlos Tevez loan ended

Portsmouth

What they wanted

A squad large enough to see them through what could be a very long season after a summer of upheaval and departures

What they got

A summer-long talent drain as the takeover dragged on. Finally signed several players with minimal Premier League experience

Pleat’s verdict

A mad dash in the final furlong after the internal wranglings of the last few months. Paying the price for the unsupportable salaries that brought an FA cup win

The deals

In: Kevin-Prince Boateng Tottenham, £4m Mike Williamson Watford, £2m Tal Ben Haim Manchester City, undisclosed Tommy Smith Watford, undisclosed Michael Brown Wigan, undisclosed Steve Finnan Espanyol, free Aaron Mokoena Blackburn, free Antti Niemi Fulham, free Aruna Dindane Lens, loan Jamie O’Hara Tottenham, loan Frédéric Piquionne Lyon, loan Anthony Vanden Borre Genoa, loan Hassan Yebda Benfica, loan

Out: Glen Johnson Liverpool, £18m Peter Crouch Tottenham, £9m Niko Kranjcar Tottenham £2.5m Martin Cranie Coventry, undisclosed Sylvain Distin Everton, undisclosed Sean Davis Bolton, free Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo Standard Liège, free Andre Blackman Bristol City, free David Nugent Burnley, loan. Sol Campbell released, Lauren released, Glen Little released, Noé Pamarot released, Jerome Thomas released, Djimi Traoré released, Niko Krancjar Tottenham, 2.5m

Stoke City

What they wanted

Stoke comfortably survived after Tony Pulis’s frantic trading last summer and 12 months on he was looking to add depth to his squad in most areas

What they got

Stoke spent more than £12m in the final week on three players, Robert Huth, Tuncay Sanli and Danny Collins, as Pulis added an element of quality

Pleat’s verdict

Peter Coates, a genuine football philanthropist, has given Tony Pulis superb backing. Collins, Huth and Tuncay are proven, while they have resisted moves to take Ryan Shawcross away

The deals

In: Robert Huth Middlesbrough, £5m Tuncay Sanli Middlesbrough, £5m Dean Whitehead Sunderland, initial £3m Diego Arismendi Club Nacional, £2.9m Danny Collins Sunderland, £2.75m Matt Lund Crewe, nominal Ben Marshall Crewe, nominal

Out: Ben Marshall Northampton, loan Ibrahima Sonko Hull, loan Vincent Péricard released, Marc Grocott released, Jimmy Phillips released, Tom Thorley released

Sunderland

What they wanted

Increased aggression and a reinforced spine. To reduce an overblown squad and to sign two strikers, two midfielders and two defenders

What they got

Two strikers, two midfielders, three defenders and a far tougher backbone now manned by Michael Turner, Lee Cattermole, Lorik Cana and Darren Bent

Pleat’s verdict

Cattermole will give them bite, Turner will give them height – but they will need all the qualities of Reid, Richardson and Malbranque

The deals

In: Darren Bent Tottenham, £10m Lee Cattermole Wigan, £6m Lorik Cana Marseille, £5m Fraizer Campbell Man United, £3.5m Michael Turner Hull, undisclosed Paulo da Silva Toluca, free John Mensah Lyon, loan

Out: Michael Chopra Cardiff, £4m Dean Whitehead Stoke, £3m Danny Collins Stoke, £2.75m Grant Leadbitter Ipswich, up to £2.6m Greg Halford Wolves, £2m Carlos Edwards Ipswich, up to £1.35m Paul McShane Hull, undisclosed Anthony Stokes Hibs, undisclosed Nick Colgan Grimsby, free Peter Hartley Hartlepool, free Teemu Tainio Birmingham, loan Djibril Cissé Marseille, loan ended Calum Davenport West Ham, loan ended Tal Ben Haim Man City, loan ended Arnau Riera released David Connolly released Dwight Yorke released Darren Ward released Nile McArdle released

Tottenham Hotspur

What they wanted

Two good quality players for every position. The ones that needed reinforcing were central defence and left midfield after Luka Modric’s injury

What they got

Sébastien Bassong added strength to the fragile defence, while Niko Kranjcar’s arrival on deadline day gives cover for his fellow Croatian

Pleat’s verdict

Harry Redknapp has replaced players who faltered with more quality. Midfield and wide positions look much stronger and expectations are now high

The deals

In: Peter Crouch Portsmouth, £9m Sébastien Bassong Newcastle United, £8m Kyle Naughton Sheff Utd, undisclosed Kyle Walker Sheff Utd, undisclosed Anton Blackwood unattached, Niko Krancjar Portsmouth, £2.5m

Out: Darren Bent Sunderland, £10m Didier Zokora Seville, £8.5m, Kevin-Prince Boateng Portsmouth, £4m Pascal Chimbonda Blackburn, £2m Chris Gunter Nottingam Forest, £1.75m Ben Alnwick Norwich, loan Troy Archibald-Henville Exeter, loan David Button Crewe, loan Sam Cox Cheltenham, loan Jake Livermore Derby, loan Jacques Maghoma Burton, loan Jamie O’Hara Portsmouth, loan Jon Obika Yeovil, loan Adel Taarabt QPR, loan Andros Townsend Leyton Orient, loan Kyle Walker Sheffield United, loan Gilberto, Ricardo Rocha, Simon Dawkins, Kyle Fraser-Allen, Cian Hughton, Danny Hutchins, David Hutton, Takura Mtandari, Saulo Asajile, Mark Clare, James Dalton, Ajet Shehu all released

West Ham United

What they wanted

Gianfranco Zola has spoken of a squad of 20 senior outfield players – two for each position – meaning he is currently short of three fit strikers

What they got

Manuel da Costa may prove a more than adequate replacement for James Collins. But a striker was the priority and one was not signed

Pleat’s verdict

Financial restrictions have limited Zola’s efforts. Matthew Upson is an important hold and Carlton Cole has improved considerably. Italian signings may be short of top drawer

The deals

In: Herita Ilunga Toulouse, £2.75m Robert Kovac Spartak Moscow, £1.8m Manuel da Costa Fiorentina, undisclosed Fabio Daprelà Grasshopper, undisclosed Alessandro Diamanti Livorno, undisclosed Peter Kurucz Ujpest, undisclosed Jack Lampe Harlow, undisclosed Luis Jiménez Internazionale, loan Frank Nouble Chelsea, tribunal

Out: James Collins Aston Villa, £5m Savio Nsereko Fiorentina, undisclosed Lee Bowyer Birmingham City, free Kyle Reid Sheffield United, free Joe Widdowson Grimsby Town, free Freddie Sears Crystal Palace, loan David Di Michele Torino, loan ended Jan Lastuvka Shakhtar Donetsk, loan ended Walter López released, Lucas Neill released, Tony Stokes released, Diego Tristán released, Jimmy Walker released

Wigan Athletic

What they wanted

Roberto Martínez wanted added firepower following an indifferent start to the season, plus a replacement for Lee Cattermole in central midfield

What they got

Frustrating. A late move for Scott McDonald at Celtic came to nothing, so much will be expected of Jason Scotland and Jordi Gómez

Pleat’s verdict

Martínez played admirable football at Swansea but has failed to take his most influential player, Ferrie Bodde, to Wigan

The deals

In: Jason Scotland Swansea, £2m Jordi Gómez Espanyol, £1.7m James McCarthy Hamilton, undisclosed Mohamed Diame Rayo Vallecano, undisclosed Hendry Thomas Deportivo Olimpia, free Scott Sinclair Chelsea, loan Antonio Amaya Rayo Vallecano, subject to international clearance

Out: Antonio Valencia Manchester United, £16m Lee Cattermole Sunderland, £6m Lewis Montrose Wycombe, free Ben Watson QPR, loan Amir Zaki Zamalek, loan ended Mido Middlesbrough, loan ended Antoine Sibierski released, Henri Camara released

Wolverhampton Wanderers

What they wanted

Mick McCarthy identified early in summer positions that needed strengthening, most notably a player who had previously scored goals in the top flight

What they got

Molineux would seem to boast an embarrassment of riches in attack, with Maierhofer and Doyle joining Ebanks-Blake, Keogh and Iwelumo

Pleat’s verdict

Rapid Vienna’s Maierhofer looked capable against Villa and Doyle should do well. But Mick McCarthy’s determination to give Championship players a platform might not work in his favour

The deals

In: Kevin Doyle Reading, £6.5m Nenad Milijas Red Star, £2.7m Greg Halford Sunderland, £2m Ronald Zubar Marseille, £1.5m Andrew Surman Southampton, £1.2m Stefan Maierhofer Rapid Vienna, undisclosed Marcus Hahnemann Reading, free Michael Mancienne Chelsea, loan Segundo Castillo Red Star Belgrade, loan

Out: Darren Potter Sheffield Wednesday, undisclosed Stephen Gleeson MK Dons, undisclosed Elliott Bennett Brighton, undisclosed Lewis Gobern MK Dons, free Neill Collins Preston, loan George Friend Millwall, loan Jason Shackell Doncaster, loan

]]> http://footballsup.com/2009/09/how-did-your-club-do/feed/ 2 Playalikes: Number 4: Shay Given and Jussi Jaaskelainen http://footballsup.com/2009/03/playalikes-number-4-shay-given-and-jussi-jaaskelainen/ http://footballsup.com/2009/03/playalikes-number-4-shay-given-and-jussi-jaaskelainen/#comments Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:14:57 +0000 Matt http://footballsup.com/?p=1648

Playalikes: Number 4: Shay Given and Jussi Jaaskelainen

Lookalikes are ten-a-penny – anyone can make Dirk Kuyt look like Sloth from the Goonies, or Peter Reid look like a monkey. It takes more to put two people together stylistically and functionally; players who remind you of one another, players who play like each other – players that could be clones of one another. Number four in our series: Shay Given and Jussi Jaaskelainen.

It may seem strange to pick two goalkeepers, as all they do is keep the ball out of the net; but then all defenders do is stop strikers scoring, and all strikers do is try and score… but there are huge variations in the way they do it. There are also variations in goalkeeping styles, but Given and Jaaskelainen are firmly on the one side, the excellent shot-stopper who are fond of a punch, the slightly smaller than average but hugely athletic keeper with amazing reflexes. Pepe Reina is another in this mould.

Given is only 6″1, relatively small for a keeper, and Jaaskelainen is only slightly taller than that. Contrast that with Van Der Sar, 6″6, David James, 6″5, and Petr Cech 6″6, and you can see the difference.

They don’t have the height, but compensate aplenty with their speed and agility. Given has made a huge difference to Man City since going there, instilling much needed confidence into the back five, and Jaaskelainen has helped Bolton punch above their weight for several years now. By making the spectacular saves, made necessary by their size and possible by their ability, they inspire team-mates and demoralise opponents. They look unbeatable because the saves they make are harder than those made by the bigger keepers.

Springy and strong, and the masters of last gasp incredible saves – both are masters of the double stop, jumping off the ground to deny a striker a second time – they are actually better to watch than a huge keeper who dominates the box, getting in the way of more shots, but not actually making as many good saves.

Shay and Jussi, for being entertaining goalkeepers who have an influence far beyond standing between the sticks, we salute you.

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