After Transfer Talk

The beginning of February means different things to different people ranging from the beginning of the end of winter to the season of ‘Love’. To me it signals the end of the transfer window and though the moment came after some delay this year, it is something I look forward to as assessing madness is a uniquely fascinating exercise. So after the poor weather and confusion over Arshavin has subsided, I sit to take stock of what I said and what they did.

It was a cliché filled window with the now predictable crazy money bid, a superstar caught between staying and leaving, players dropping hints, managers using the press, the press using managers, small clubs suffering and other well known lots and sub-plots developing to their frenzied conclusions come February and I must say that I enjoyed it. There has been talk of the winter transfer window being shelved but I’ll confess that I am a slave to the entertainment and if any alternative is not equally gripping then spare me the change.

Arsenal

Players I wanted in:

• Holding midfielder: Sergei Semak or Marcos Senna
• Versatile forward: Andrei Arshavin
• Left Back: John Arne Riise

Players I wanted out:

• None

Actual Players in:

• Versatile forward: Andrei Arshavin

Actual Players Out:

• Number of reserves sent out on loan

Honestly, I only named Arshavin when I made my wish list because he was already heavily linked and I think he will add real value to Arsenal. But he would have been lowest on my priority list and ergo, I am not Wenger. The www is filled with Gooners voicing their dissatisfaction over the entire package and one can empathize. However, if for a moment we wore the Prof’s football-philosophy hat, we would be forced to raise it to a man who insists he can build a team of only creative players and prefers skills over steel. Trouble is, if his brand does not bring the expected results, he may end up being remembered more as Portnoy than Professor – prioritizing hard-ons over hard facts.

Manchester United

Players I wanted in:

• Goalkeeper: Igor Akinfeev

Players I wanted out:

• None

Actual Players in:

• Attacking Midfielder: Adem Ljajić (joining Jan ’10, Age 17)
• Left Winger: Zoran Tošić
• Versatile Defender: Ritchie de Laet

Actual Players Out:

• Number of reserves sent out on loan

First some dung on my face for suggesting that Van der Saar could be bettered. As it stands he is still in the middle of a record battering run of clean sheets and the thought of another number one for United is laughable for some time at least.

Now to the new comers. First look at them and it is obvious that Sir Alex agrees with my assessment that his current squad needs no bettering but that’s no plus points to me…the world and their uncles all can see that. Three youngsters aged 17, 21 and 20 of Serbian and Belgian descent are in and while they may not all turn out to be Ronaldo, they very well could. While only time will tell whether this winter move will be as course defining as the non-descript captures of Evra and Vidic a few winters ago, something tells me that we may get to know these boys very well in the next few years.

Chelsea

Players I wanted in:

• Right Midfielder: Schweinsteiger, Kaziim Richards or Valencia
• Left Back: Fabio Gross
• Left Forward: Podolski

Players I wanted out:

• Paulo Ferreira and Florent Malouda

Actual Players in:

• Attacking Midfielder: Gökhan Töre
• Left Winger: Ricardo Quaresma

Actual Players Out:

• Wayne Bridge and Carlo Cudicini
• Number of reserves sent out on loan or sold

For beleaguered Chelsea, I think this has been a winter of mediocrity in management, in attack, in defense and in transfers. Gökhan Töre is a seventeen year youngster and obviously a Frank Arnesen capture, but given the black-hole that Chelsea has been for bright teenaged talent, I will not be as optimistic for him as I was for the Serbians at Manchester United.

The real gamble is Ric Q. Someone who has proven abilities of playing explosive football could not bring out his best in the company of a very accomplished motivator and I find it strange that Chelsea picked someone to give them that much needed width, who is being certified as mentally not up-to-it by Jose himself. Add to that the increased lack of cover at left back and goal and the win-machine now look more lop-sided than at the beginning of January.

Of course, at the moment it seems that any player could start looking ordinary in a Blues jersey and with bigger issues to address, the transfer period would have been a distraction rather than an opportunity for Chelsea.

Liverpool

Players I wanted in:

• Right Midfielder: David Silva
• Striker: Vucinic or Guiza or Tuncay or Nihat or Michael Owen (if Keane is sold)
• Striker: Christiano Lucarelli (if Keane is not sold)

Players I wanted out:

• Robbie Keane (as per above conditions)

Actual Players in:

• Midfielder: Viktor Pálsson (17 year old for the future)

Actual Players Out:

• Robbie Keane
• Number of reserves sent out on loan or sold

Pool provided as much comic relief as any other contender this January and the departure of Robbie Keane happened at the very end. That he went back to Spurs at a much discounted price leaves one wondering how everyone has kept their jobs but the impact on the team itself is bound to be significant. It was wishful to think that Rafa would hunt for someone who could eject Kuyt out of the line-up but by having chosen to let Robbie Keane go without getting a replacement, he has opened himself upto just the kind of predicament he now finds himself in – who gets the goals if Torres or Gerrard are not fit?

Accuse me of being dramatic, but this could yet turn out to be the deal that took the photo out of the finish!

Barcelona

Players I wanted in:

• None

Players I wanted out:

• None

Actual Players in:

• None

Actual Players Out:

• None

I told you so!

Real Madrid

Players I wanted in:

• Versatile left-sided: Yuri Zhirkov

Players I wanted out:

• None

Actual Players in:

• Striker: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
• Midfielder: Lassana Diarra
• Versatile Right-sided: Julien Faubert (loan)
  

Actual Players Out:

• None

Hey they had done these two transfers before I made my wish list and they did nothing after that so I am not so far off here. Juande’s good start should help them cement their second place in the Liga but the question is if they can come close to winning the Champion’s League, a trophy which the Hunter is not allowed to play for. Yet, I think they could be serious contenders under Ramos, as long as Barcelona are in the mood to let anyone else win anything this season.

Manchester City

Players I wanted in:

• Central Defence: Daniel Agger or Dennis Kolodin
• Midfielder: Engelaar or Diego or Altintop
• Striker: Michael Owen

Players I wanted out:

• None

Actual Players in:

• Midfielder: Nigel de Jong
• Striker: Craig Bellamy
• Left Back: Wayne Bridge
• Goalkeeper: Shay Given

Actual Players Out:

• Tal Ben Haim and Jo
• Number of reserves sent out on loan or sold

The names may differ from my pick, but I think City have come out with the most improved squad this winter, significantly better than the champion churners Tottenham. Bellamy is the only player where I think they could have gotten someone better, though maybe not as good as Kaka. Having said that, Mark Hughes now has a very competitive team and though Dunne and the central defense is still not the most convincing this season, Mark Hughes will have little excuses if City can’t make a European push in the coming months.