The rumour mills are starting to pick up pace in the world of football games, with PES 2010 and Fifa 10. It’s still a long wait until they come out in Sept/Oct but the blogs and forums are pumping with speculation about the new additions and updates. There was a Fifa press event a couple of weeks ago at the Emirates to launch the game but with Konami putting out a press release even earlier, the Konami v EA feud looks set to up the stakes this year from May onwards. Those of you who played the last two games cannot argue the point that PES 2009 was god awful and Fifa 09 was the best football game yet.
This image of PES 2010 came out recently.
The poster boy of the game looks fucking immense in full texture and detail, whether this is the standard that will run through the game is a whole is yet to be seen but if this is anything to go by the guys at PES have pulled their finger out at last.
The guys at WENB and FIFASoccerBlog have most the news as it comes out so stay tuned to there for the real time updates.
Filed under: Football | Tags: arsenal, chelsea, Football, liverpool, man utd, premiership, transfers
With the season drawing to an end, managers are going back to the drawing board whether they have been successful or not to assess their squad depths and plan the summer transfers in and out. There will be plenty of movement at the top and bottom of the league with the promoted clubs looking to strengthen and improve their squads with proven premiership quality and the top clubs looking to prise away those rare gems that have been discovered in the mid-table clubs below and across the continent. Importantly where do the top clubs need to make changes and what will be the likely comings and goings that will be seen over the summer transfer window. The big movers and shakers will be determined not just by the Premiership sides however, but also by the big leagues elsewhere. With Real Madrid failing to retain their title and presidential elections on the horizon, the usual spire of laughable future signings is coming out the mouth of Galactico founder Florentino Perez with Kaka, Ronaldo, Ribery, Silva, Villa, Alonso, Baresi, Cruyff, Maradona and Jermaine Pennant his targets (I went too far at the end didn’t I…). Add to that Valencia’s financial demise and Lehman Brother style debts which could cause a mass firesale of everyone bar the tea lady (or whatever the Spanish equivalent is… Paella lady or something). Add to that the ageing Milan teams will be flexing their muscles and flashing there horded cash buying the best talents from the clubs below and any number of Brazilians and Argentines (add do everything possible to send Senderos back and keep Quaresma away) and also the countless number of ageing bones available for Megson and Allardyce to pick up for next to nothing giving them one last pay day and chance to fulfil their dream to play in the premiership, yadda yadda yadda. Ah Mr Seedorf I presume, we’ve been expecting you.
Arsenal
A sideways step is probably the best description of the Wenger boys this year. Reaching two semi-finals and finishing a safe 4th after a poor start to the season can’t be dismissed. Any talk of massive clearouts and changes at the Emirates stadium are unfounded and however the media spins it Wenger won’t be changing his policy or leaving the club in the summer by any means. Those inside the club were we aware of the faults of last season and have seen the same problems come this season. There are only so many times you can say “a new Adams and a new Vieira” without it sounding like a catchphrase around the Highbury area. Arsenal’s defensive problems could have been solved through the signing of a big commanding centre back and a dominant deep sitting midfielder last season so it’s a case of ‘oh you again’ for Gooners this summer. Goals have never been a problems but the possibility of Togolese striker Adebayor leaving the club refuse to go away. What is certain is that if Arsene receives a large enough offer for the lanky African he will be off faster than you can say “How the fuck has he missed from there”. Expect also to hear murmurs of 16 yr old French wonderkids and emerging South Americans talents who wish to sign up for Carling Cup duty at the double.
INS: Raul Albiol (Valencia), Brede Hangeland (Fulham), Mamadou Sakho (P.S.G), Xabi Alonso (Liverpool), Blaise Matuidi (Saint-Étienne), Klaas Jan Hunterlaar (Real Madrid), Sebestian Bassong (Newcastle)
OUT: Emmanuel Adebayor, Abou Diaby, Phillpe Senderos
Towering centre back, the final piece of the jigsaw for Arsenal?
Man Utd
Not a bad season winning the league and getting to the Champions League final, the double could still be on. Which poses the question where do you strengthen the best team in the world? They were short of a striker last season so went out and bought Dimi Berbertov at the start of the season who’s impact has been less ‘whirlwind’ and more ‘light breeze’. United also brought in Tosic who will next season step into the first team squad and feature more as Ryan Giggs career slowly draws to an end. Fergie has touted ex-flying winger cum converted central midfield battler Anderson to step into the ginger boots of dynamo Paul ‘he scores goals’ Scholes so that side of things it also solid, plus the return of forgotten Canadian Hargreaves to share the responsibilities and the wonder kids coming through like Fabio and Rafeal, Macheda and Welbeck, Evans and Eckersley. Fergie certainly won’t be scrapping around to blow mega bucks on a superstar. But alas the golden boy himself Ronaldo will be subject to numerous bids from Madrid and with him possibly on the way to Spain for an obsense fee and the inevitable loss of Tevez, Fergie may well bring in 2 massive players to replace them and let the youngsters stay in the reserves…or bring Manucho back from Hull.
INS: Karim Benzema (Lyon), Franck Ribery (FC Bayern), Carlos Tevez (Kia Joorabchian), David Villa (Valencia), Antonio Valencia (Wigan)
OUTS: Cristiano Ronaldo, Manucho, Tevez
Who knows where he’ll end up next year
Chelsea
Chelsea have deep lying problems, since Mourinho left the subsequent management has been ’less than jake’. After they do bring in a permanent manager which looks like being Carlo Ancelotti from AC Milan they will have to look at the ageing team they have and cut away the deadwood whose best days are behind them and bring in the sort of players who can have a real impact in the league. Bringing in Deco, Ballack and Shevchencko was never going to work because those players are set in their ways and we all know you can’t teach an old drog new tricks (see what I did there). If it is the Italian maestro would comes in to take the helms I don’t expect many non-chelsea fans will be quaking in their boots, his recent records is not particularly good and his tactical approach doesn’t really leave much to be desired. Add to that new players don’t gel with him because he doesn’t command the same respect as other managers and Chelsea could well go the way of Milan the same way they are currently. The movement of players should be typical Chelsea fashion with a couple of big names leaving and at least 2 or 3 coming in to add more depth. They lack a dangerous striker already before Drogba goes back to France and a world class winger plus they could do with better back up in the defensive full back areas if they are to really challenge for the title. Ancelotti may raid his former club and bring ageing reinforcements on huge wages but that wouldn’t solve their problems.
INS: Yuri Zhirkov (CSKA Moscow), David Villa (Valencia), Franck Ribery (FC Bayern), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan), Ashley Young (Aston Villa)
OUT: Drogba, Kalou, Deco
The ‘Russian Ronaldinho’ could make his way to the bridge
Liverpool
Perennial nearly-men. Another tight season has left Liverpool getting as close as ever to their first Premier League title. It’s now three years since they won a trophy also, so it’s about time for the Hound of the Baskervilles around the media to quietly cough ‘Rafa Out’ in the direction of any Anfieldite who looks their way. Luckily for Rafa hes just signed a new contract so he won’t be going anywhere until at least…well next season. Transferwise this year Liverpool’s problems came with one R.Keane as the catapulting Irishman did the proverbial hokey-cokey in and out of Anfield after a mere 19 league games leaving them with the brilliant Torres and the not so brilliant David N’Gog. Liverpool’s first port of call will be a genuine world class striker to replace the void left by getting rid of numerous mediocre forwards and converting Kuyt to a wide man. You’ve got to think if Benetiz had had the foresight to keep Keane at the club at least until the end of the season, or not to let Voronin go walkabout in Berlin, he may well be doing a jig to the tune of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ dancing around in his big red underpants looking at the league table, rather than trying his upmost to give himself another set of kidney stones. But it wouldn’t be Liverpool without a whole host of changes, so Rafa will fiddle with the defense and with the midfield as well as looking for shooting power up top, he might do his best to reform Valencia in the heart of the Mersey, he might buy another Yossi from Everton or another Phillip Degen from Hoffenheim as only Rafa can. Who knows with Rafa. He may well shock us even more by holding onto what he has a buying a partner for Torres and then putting his feet us to read the morning news with a cup of earl grey and an English muffin.
IN: David Villa (Valencia), David Silva (Valencia), Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), Carlos Tevez (United Kia Joorabchian)
OUT: Alonso, Riera, Hyypia
Valencia’s forward on his way to Rafa’s red revolution?
This is not a team of the best players this season but the ones with the most swagger, entertainment value, personality and charisma. And don’t complain Ronaldo is not in the team… he is not cool… he is a greasy prick.
GK: Jussi Jääskeläinen – Keepers are a crazy bunch, but the best ones are usually robotic and studied like Van Der Sar, Buffon and Diego Lopez of Villarreal. But being studied and methodical in your approach doesn’t make you cool, it’s boring. Jussi Jääskeläinen however is a maverick who ‘did no get the agenda no’ about being orthodox. He makes up his own rules and fair play to the crazy Fin, it works. Normally calm, calculated and icey this Fin breaks the mould as a crazed, shaven albino chimp.
LB: Fabio/Rafael Da Silva – Identical twins… literally don’t need to say any more. Think 09’s De Boers. Apparently Fergie doesnt know which one is which, unlike the De Boers of course… Ronald was the shit one at Barca.
CB: Fabricio Coloccini – Argentinean. Check. Long wavy locks. Check. A fantastic combination. The sort of player who makes this team with such ease. With the laid back persona of a chilled Latino and the sort of mentally which saw him choose to sign for a club with a record like Newcastle. He is a cult hero already, you’ve got to love everything about him.
CB: Martin Skrtel – A lot of people think Vidic is the toughest CB in the premiership, an honourable mention for Alex as well for being no nonsense (JT misses out for crying like a girl and shattering his hard man persona) but Skrtel is a monster! Put together in a Frankenstein-esque manner from granite, T-1000 parts held together with diamond tether and Blue Circle cement, he lives in a cave, eats raw meat. It was once said ‘Martin Skrtel has two speeds: tackle and kill’. He is nails. Sickhead.
RB: Emmanuel Eboue – Booed off by a number of the Emirates faithful earlier in the year, Eboue splits opinion among Arsenal fans. Labelled a clown by some and a clown by others, he’s known for his dancing more than his footballing abilities. He once dressed as a tiger at a non-fancy dress party at Gilberto Silva’s house and hid in a cupboard to jump out and scared Adebayor. Manu’s finest moment has to be when he was invited to meet the Queen at Buck Palace where he was said to be rolling on the floor playing with the corgis.
CM: Marouane Fellaini – 6 foot 4 without hair, 7 foot 4 with it. A towering beast of a man, who has done his best to get booked in every game he could this season (the most 13 so far). Any man who sells more wigs than shirts is cool enough to get into this team. The afro is outstanding.
CM: Jimmy Bullard (C) – Everyone’s favourite joker, part of folklore wherever he’s played Bullard’s antics on the off the pitch mean most fans have warmed to him. Always a delight in interviews and a laugh on Soccer AM. Captain of the cool team for being the sort of guy you’d want to go for a pint with. He’s your everyday guy, a Sunday league player who made the big time through graft and hardwork. Bullard we salute you!
CM: Stephan Ireland – The man rolls into work with a shaved head and beard like his heads on upside down and does all that driving a Range Rover with pink wheels. Not only that but he has this hella confidence on the pitch with the ball playing with Robinho that is swaggerific to the upmost extent.
ST: Nickolas Bendtner – Like them on not, this guy wore first and claims to be the originator of the pink boots from Nike. Divided opinion? Surely they were successful just for the Nike viral featuring Franck Ribery as the pink panther.
ST: Crouch – The Robot. Abi Clancy. Crouchie is one of those people whose lives have gone a lot fucking better than it should have done! Once said after being asked what he would be if he wasn’t a fottballer, “a virgin”. Gets a shit load of hate for being a freak but dusts his shoulders off and busts the skills in unlike manner time and time again
ST: Welbeck – There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance, and tbh I don’t care whether Danny Wellbeck has crossed it or not. Strolls around the pitch like Kanu at 18 years old with the kind of swagger that you get from a hustlin’, dope boy, rubberband man. Looks like he really hasn’t got a point to prove when given the nod for a few minutes here and there. Scored on his debut for United this season, ping. Shit the goal was tasty. Waatcha gunna do.
That’s the truth, Bawuss Talk.
Filed under: Football | Tags: Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Nice Guys, Relegation, West Brom
Relegation looms in the Premiership for 3 unlucky teams and for 3 unlucky managers. Although luck obviously has very little to do with it, an awful run of results over the 38 games season does. Even when you consider its twists and turns, dives simulation and likewise, cliche as it is ‘it evens itself out’ during the course of the season.
Simply put it comes down to any 3 of West Brom, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Hull and Sunderland. Those teams have shitted it during the season and face the drop and for the majority of neutrals looking at the race for fourth (and buy fourth I mean fourth bottom) disappointingly if not surprisingly it contains a number of the games finer ‘characters’ at the helm of the doomed clubs. The current 3 could stay the current 3. But that wouldn’t be the Premiership.
For Newcastle there have been such a huge number of problems over the years brought mainly by the fact they have had 9 managers over 12 seasons; that Bramble and Boumsong would struggle to make the top 10. The deluded Geordies who still hope of reaching the dizzee (hes just a rascal!) heights of the original Keegan era, washed away by the dire return of Keegan era 2.0 (sequels are never as good), now have the messiah himself Super Al in charge and he has revitalis….oh….well less said about that the better. Fair play to England’s number nine he has improved their football slightly and is a ‘nice guy’. Then again they haven’t won a game have you? Not so super now Alan.
Mr Nice Guy and everyone’s second favourite Pizza Hut cameo actor Gareth Southgate (Gullitt need I say any more) has done what he could at Boro on a small budget with a team consistently in relegation battles which refuses to push on to the next level. With 30 odd thousand every week they really should have taken the gamble spent some money and grown some balls a long times ago. Then again with 2 relegations already under their belt they look set to be ‘one of those teams’ for a long while.
At West Brom, Tony Mowbray came into the league with an attitude to be proud of, to play the same football that got them promoted, fluent, flowing, quick, and made up of tight interplay and short passing. Someone forgot to tell Tone that to really stay in the division you need to look up to the likes of Bolton and Blackburn, pump the ball 60yrs forward win some headers, dive into some challenges, throw some elbows, spit on fans, attack old women, claim unwarranted expenses on your account at tax payers expense and be crowned a team no one wants to play against by Alan Hansen. A nice guy none the less, with true footballing instincts, which count sadly for nothing in this league.
That’s the truth, BawussTalk.
Sorry Gareth… 2:08 – 2:38
