OUT OF MY WAY

I mentioned Mesut Özil in my previous article about Barcelona. Nothing's going to stand in this guy's way...

Not even the match officials.

Speaking of getting out of the way, here's a goal you probably haven't seen, as it occurred at the U-17 Women's World Cup. Unless Lionel Messi creates something similar, I doubt you'll see a better goal this year.

GTFOOHWTBS - Vol. 2 - FC Barcelona

Dear Blaugrana,

You're off to a great start this season, behind only Los Blancos who have tasked The Special One with re-creating the success of the Galacticos era. So far, Mourinho has Los Merengues playing sound Football, allowing only 3 goals against in 7 league matches as well as 5 Champions League clashes. Unfortunately, you conceded 3 points at home against newly promoted Hercules, while Madrid remains undefeated.

People are attributing the shift in power to Madrid's improvement, and while that is a valid point, perhaps the board at Camp Nou haven't been making the best purchases.

Yaya Touré was shipped to Manchester City for £24 million, Mascherano was brought in for £21 million. This can be considered a straight exchange, as they are both approximately the same age, play a similar role and there was no "serious" money made on the financial transactions. However, you have become half-a-foot shorter in midfield.

The purchase of Zlatan Ibrahimović cost you €46 million plus Samuel Eto'o last season. You've now farmed him out to AC Milan who have the option to buy him outright for a fee of €24 million at the end of the season. This season, you've added the highly rated Spaniard, David Villa, for €40 million. This means that you'll have spent €62 million to replace Samuel Eto'o with David Villa. €62 million for one striker, Mr. David Villa, while giving up Samuel Eto'o for nothing.

In all competitions last season, Villa scored 28 goals in 42 matches. Ibracadabra scored 22 goals in 42 matches. Adding 5 goals per season for €62 million? Will Villa add those 5 goals when he needs to share with Lionel Messi and Pedro? Villa has never been La Liga's top scorer. Zlatan was Série A's top scorer two seasons ago.

Have a look at your attacking trident. Pedro stands at 5'6. Messi at 5'7. Villa at 5'9. That's not a whole lot of size. Zlatan offered a towering presence at 6'5. At almost a foot taller than Pedro, I think it's safe to say he offered a whole lot more in the way of intimidation and physical presence.

David Villa has been regarded as a hot commodity for years. Some lauded his World Cup performance, where he tied Golden Boot winner Thomas Mueller's 5 goals. Others who watched Spain's matches would say that he should have done better, and that he was wasteful. Mueller's haul of 5 goals came from 13 shots. Villa's came from 32. Add service from Xavi, Iniesta and Xavi Alonso to the equation, and suddenly 5 goals doesn't seem all that impressive. With Torres injured, he was expected to lead the charge for the heavy favourites, but Spain was humbled by Switzerland 1-0 in their opening match. Villa added 3 goals in group matches against Honduras and Chile, contributing only 2 more in the knockout stages, where the offensively gifted Spaniards putted forward on 1 goal victories in each match, going into extra time for the final against Holland.


Villa is THE pure striker for arguably the best club in the world?


Get the fuck out here with that bullshit.


Back to the business transactions, looking at your el Classico opponents, it's not to say that cash wasn't splashed lavishly at the Santiago Bernabeu. Ángel di Maria was purchased for an appalling €30 million plus an additional €11 million based on incentives. Added to the galactic fees paid for CR7, Kaká and, to a lesser extent, Karim Benzema as well as Xavi Alonso last season, any eventual success can almost completely be attributed to their financial clout. The sale of Arjen Robben to Munich for €25 million and Wesley Sneijder to Inter for €15 million only barely covered the purchase of Karim Benzema.

Back to the future, this season, Madrid has demonstrated greater fiscal responsibility (di Maria aside) and made what can be considered bargain buys, as key youngster Mesut Özil only cost them a "meager" €15 million. He had a revelatory World Cup and is already forging an excellent partnership with former Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. Fellow German International Sami Khedira has seamlessly slotted himeslf into Mourinho's plans and Madrid's formation, the 23 year old cost an estimated fee of €10 million. Pedro León has yet to become a mainstay, but at 23, with his €10 million price tag, he will be given time to adjust and flourish. Rafael van der Vaart was offloaded to Tottenham Hotspur for approximately €9 million.

It's not to say that your performance has been inadequate, but since La Liga is a two-horse race, the measuring stick will always be Réal Madrid. Madrid have a far tougher Champions League group, featuring AC Milan, Ajax and Auxerre, and they have yet to concede a goal while winning all three of their matches. You have dropped two points in a group with Copenhagen, Rubin Kazan and Panathinaikos. While there is no doubt you will win the group, which is all that matters, two points dropped before qualification is mathematically certain is no laughing matter.  

Barcelona, while you have the best player in the world in Lionel Messi, I do believe that Xavi's fitness remains crucial to your success this season. Javier Mascherano for Yaya Touré is, in my honest opinion, bad business from a Football perspective, while David Villa for Zlatan Ibrahimović is bad business from both a Football and a fiscal perspective.


IBRACADABRA!

Run for your life

Great balls are only great if there's a run to accompany it. CR7 kicks things off with a great heel pass in the Champions League clash VS AC Milan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlntQ5FMn-E

GTFOOHWTBS - Vol. 1 - Adriano

Hey Adriano,

Word on the street is you might return from injury in order to be available for the weekend fixture. Actually, that isn’t the word on the street, that’s what you’ve told the press. To your credit, you have said that you weren't sure whether you'd be ready for the clash with Parma, but you did say you’d be ready within the week.

Get the fuck out of here with that bullshit.

Your gaffer said you aren’t even training with the team right now. He said that you’ve been “working apart from the rest of the squad”. I’m pretty sure that if you’re kicking the ball against the fence in your backyard; you’re not ready to play in a Série A match for Roma.

You’re visibly out of shape, and the last time you played in Série A, you scored 3 goals in 12 league matches.

Then you retired from Football.

Then your contract was terminated.

Then you started playing in Brazil.

Then you came back to Europe, now you’re hurt, and I’m pretty sure you’re not getting much healthier.

If a fat Spiderman can catch you, you aren’t ready to play.

Poor Geezer

Sometimes a friend of mine (affectionately known as "da Geezer") complains about something, and I give man-birth to a weighty tome that he has no choice but to read in order to keep our friendship intact. October 20th was one of such days.

The topic was Rooney's potential United departure, which now seems to be off due to the inking of a five-year extension. Perhaps he is still unsettled, but trying to do United a solid from a business perspective, as any clubs that come for him now will have to pay the full fee rather than the give-us-your-fucking-player-for-next-to-nothing-or-he'll-sit-out-and-leave-when-his-contract-expires fee.

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Fact is, he was at Everton, including his academy time, for 8 years, where he once pulled up his shirt to reveal "Once a Blue, always a Blue". After a crap finish in his second season with the senior squad, he handed in a transfer request, so that's pretty much paints the picture of his loyalty. He was purchased from Everton at 18, which means he's been at United for 6 years, less than he was at Everton. Never forget that Rooney was a star before he got to United.

I agree that a lot of players get pressure heaped onto them at club and international level, my point was that Rooney probably isn't the kind of guy who can deal with that.

If you're asking what he has to prove, I'd say lots. Sure, he's won the Premier League, the Champions League and the Carling Cup, but he's never won anything Internationally, and he's never ventured outside of England. Few Englishmen do, and those who dare, typically fail. Rooney might be thinking about his legacy, example, Zidane. He played for three different clubs and won everywhere he went, plus at the international level. Rooney's 24, and the only thing left to win in England is an FA Cup. Will he be considered a Football great if he doesn't prove that he can win outside of Man United? Think about Thierry Henry. Rooney's never going to have an undefeated season in the EPL, and he's realistically only got one more shot to win a World Cup. Henry won it all in Spain, did the impossible in England, plus added a World and a Euro, no sweat. Oh, he also won the league in France. Will Rooney be able to match that? Will he be able to play in England until he's 29, then go elsewhere and contribute?

That being said, Rooney is not Zidane or Henry, and can't ever aspire to be. I mean, Zidane is still the star of Adidas ads, and he retired 4 years ago after headbutting someone in the chest in a World Cup final. I personally am on your side, thinking Rooney should stay put. He should aspire to be all that he can be, a United legend. It's a great thing to leave your name in the hearts of supporters forever. They won't be saying Pélé, Maradona, Zidane, Rooney. He might be under the impression that it's possible, but it isn't. Best, Cantona, Giggs, Scholes, Keane, Beckham, Rooney? Yeah, more likely.

I think he will bench at Réal, just like Michael Owen did. If he can go to Inter Milan, Juventus or Bayern Munich, things may work out for him, but I don't see any of them wanting a player like Rooney, especially since his estimated price tag only makes him available to clubs like Réal, Barça, Man City and Chelsea. Inter or AC Milan maybe, but I'd say that's it. Besides, AC Milan just spent a truckload on attackers (Ibra + Robinho). As did Madrid, who have already said they have no interest in the kid. Barça bought Villa at the break and are in so much financial trouble that the purchase of Rooney is completely out of the question, especially since they're still hot for Fabregas. To me, Inter and Man City are the only possible destinations.

Back to Rooney's perspective though, I don't think he wants to spend the next 3 years of his life (25-26-27), which will probably be the best years of his career, waiting for the kids to develop. I think he wants to go somewhere and win something he's never won before. No matter how you slice it, Macheda is not ready. Obertan is not ready. Hernandez is not ready. Next year? Possibly, but more veterans will be gone. Also, are you asking for patience from Wayne Rooney of all people?