That’s
exactly why the month of January was of the utmost importance. January is the only month during the season
when the transfer window opens.
Ah the
transfer window, known colloquially as “the silly season”. Rumors multiply like rabbits and millions are
bandied about without a second thought.
Player movement is a fairly complicated matter in world soccer: first,
the teams must agree to a transfer fee.
This can often be a sticking point in negotiations if the teams have
widely varying valuations of a player.
After the transfer fee is agreed upon, the buying team and the player
must negotiate a personal contract. This
process can also be somewhat arduous (to give you a sense of what the top
players in the game are paid, Fernando Torres earns more than $300,000 a
week…I’ll let that one sink in a little bit).
For all of
the glamorous buildup that I’ve just bestowed upon the transfers window…this
January was rather dull in comparison to past years. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t
controversy and intrigue abound!
Manchester City – 1st
Place in the League – 60 Pts.
Easily the
deepest team in the league, if not the world.
This team was built to win trophies.
The only thing that could possibly stop this leviathan of a team is
itself. Combustible personalities litter
the squad, from the refusing-to-play Carlos Tevez (with his bulldog-like
approach), to the infinitely talented and unpredictable Mario Balotelli. A locker room mutiny could derail this
thus-far unstoppable force. It’s Man
City’s title to lose.
There
wasn’t a lot of room in the squad for reinforcements, but Man City did splurge
on veteran midfielder David Pizarro from Roma.
A box-to-box player with a bit of flair and playmaking skill, he’ll add
to the embarrassment of riches that already clog the center of the pitch.
Manchester United – 2nd
– 58 Pts.
Sir Alex has been his regular
self this season, making a team in transition into a title contender. Injuries have plagued nearly every position
on the depth chart for Man U, but still they hover just behind Man City,
waiting for them to slip up just enough.
Mexican striker Javier Hernandez hasn’t regained his form from last
year, but youngster Danny Welbeck has stepped in admirably by scoring 6 goals
for the Red Devils.
With the
midfield seriously lacking in depth, Man U opted to pull 37 year old Paul
Scholes out of retirement rather than dip into the transfer market. That may prove to be a fatal mistake. Scholes’ legs are bound to give out before
the season’s end, and Premier League caliber midfielders don’t exactly grow on
trees. If the injury crisis persists,
Man U won’t have guns to compete with their noisy neighbors.
Tottenham Hotspur – 3rd
– 53 Pts.
The London
side has been entertaining crowds with its ultra-attacking style, and it’s been
paying dividends in the league. The
dynamic duo of Gareth Bale and Croatian playmaker Luca Modric constantly
provide dizzying displays of athleticism and skill. Once known for spending millions on
ineffective flops, Tottenham have now turned to their youth system and shrewd
business moves. The young fullback Kyle
Walker has impressed in his first full season with his imitation of a
locomotive down the right wing, while veteran American goalkeeper Brad Friedel
has been a serious upgrade between the sticks.
Tottenham
again stayed fairly quiet during the transfer window but picked up veteran
French striker Louis Saha on deadline day from Everton. Most were left scratching their heads about
the move, but given the recent success of their dealings, Tottenham may have
found another diamond in the rough. Look
for them to stay in the top 4 come season’s end.
Arsenal – 4th
– 43 Pts.
After a tumultuous summer that saw Cesc Fabregas
leave for Barcelona and Samir Nasri flee to Man City, Arsenal’s quality and
depth were in serious question. A
spectacular 8-2 loss at the hands of Manchester United early in the season did
nothing to quell fears of missing out on the Champion’s League. However, Arsene Wenger’s squad recovered nicely
throughout the fall and Arsenal are battling it out for that crucial last
spot. Much of the team’s recent success
can be placed squarely on the back of Robin Van Persie, who leads the league in
scoring with 22 goals. Go Youtube this
guy. No one this side of Lionel Messi is
as hot as the Dutchman and his continued form will go a long ways in
determining whether Arsenal’s season is a success. Van Persie is certain to leave for greener
pastures, like his former teammates, should Arsenal fail to make the Champion’s
League, so these final months may be more important for Arsenal than any other
team.
Arsenal has
glaring weaknesses in depth at the midfield and both fullbacks, but Arsene
Wenger stuck to his recent stingy ways in the winter transfer window and didn’t
spend a dime (aside from bringing back club legend Thierry Henry for a 3 month
loan, merely publicity stunt). They
really needed to upgrade at a few positions and the failure to do so may
inevitably lead to missing out on the Champion’s League for the first time in
14 seasons.
Chelsea – 5th
– 43 Pts.
Chelsea has been a team in
turmoil so far this year, hitting spectacular lows while still maintaining to
cling onto fourth place. Their problems
on the backline have been glaring and there is an obvious lack of creativity
going forward. Luckily, being bankrolled
by a Russian oligarch provides solutions.
Chelsea
made two major buys this window. English
centerback Gary Cahill may not be the most glamorous signing Chelsea’s ever
made, but he should help to strengthen an aging defensive core. Chelsea addressed the offensive side of the
field by signing Belgium attacking midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. In total, Chelsea outlaid £21 million during January, more than any other team. They desperately needed it. However, the £50 million transfer of Fernando
Torres last January has proved to be a disaster thus far, and winter transfers
are often a boom or bust phenomena.
Newcastle – 6th
– 42 Pts.
Newcastle has been by far the surprise package of
this season. Although an established and
well supported Premier League side, Newcastle hit some rocky times a few
seasons ago and were relegated to the second division. They popped right back up to the Premier
League and have installed themselves as a fixture in the top half of the
table. An infusion of talent from Europe
has molded Newcastle into a team with attacking flair and pace. Striker Demba Ba has scored 16 goals thus far
and is as pure a finisher as this soccer enthusiast has ever seen. The French midfield duo of Yohan Cabaye and
Hatem Ben Arfa has been carving up defensing around the league with their
vision and creativity. Newcastle has
assembled a squad capable of competing with the traditional powers and won’t be
intimidated easily.
Unlike the other
contenders, Newcastle seized the chance to strengthen their team during the
transfer window by signing Papiss Cisse from German outfit Freiburg for 10
million pounds. Similar in build and
skill to his Sengalese countryman Demba Ba, Cisse should fit in comfortably up
front. Look for these two strikers to
combine quickly and often. The addition
of more firepower up front is an encouraging sign, but another midfielder might
have been a more prudent option. The
Premier League season is a marathon, not a sprint. Injuries to the core of Newcastle’s midfield
have already cost them quite a few points.
Liverpool – 7th
– 39 Pts.
Look no farther than Liverpool to see the
consequences of missing out on the Champion’s League. Since they finished a disappointing 7th
place two years ago, Liverpool has been a team in turmoil. Things are rarely dull at Anfield under
former legend and current manager “King” Kenny Dalglish. A massive spending spree in the summer has
produced lackluster results on the field (the duo of Jordan Henderson and
Stewart Downing cost a whopping 40 million pounds and have produced exactly 1
goal this season). The pressure is
mounting for King Kenny to produce a winner.
Liverpool
desperately needed an upgrade at forward but failed to sign any new players
during the transfer window. They’ve put
the ball in the back of the net a scanty 29 times, the fewest among any of the
top 7 and certainly not Champion’s League material.
The Best of the Rest
of the Winter Transfer Window
·
Tim Ream to Bolton – American defender Tim Ream is the latest to
make the jump from MLS to the Premier League.
Bolton will hope that his surefooted defending and crisp passing out of
the back will solidify an otherwise leaky back line
·
Nikica Jelavic to Everton – The Croatian striker should add some
much needed punch to an otherwise bland Everton attack.
·
Pavel Pogrebnyak to Fulham – This Russian striker made the jump
from Germany to England and is useful in front of goal. Also useful in Scrabble.
-Joe Dammann
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