[ENG] Premiership 2007/2008 (16 Viewers)

[mikhail]

...Spurs got them outsmarted, Jol outmanaged Fergie tonight

Well, if Fergie gets outmanaged like that every week, he'll be doing well.

Man U are having a slow start, but they'll be up and running before long. Too much talent in that squad to fall far behind. Some team is going to get an almightly beating when they find their feet. It's too early to tell who'll be a title contender this year. No one looks especially convincing yet.

 

Buy on AliExpress.com

[Jun-hide]

i find it hard to understand how reaching 2 CL finals in 3 years can be attrtibuted to luck...more like Benitez's tactical ability IMO

Of course its a luck that ref disallows a goal, awards phantom goal, and give non-existent penalty.

Have you not heard of thing called random events?

On last season's result, I have no qualms. Liverpool deserved their place. But still that is largely due to the format of the competition which rewards mediocrity over greatness. You know last time I checked Liverpool were like whopping 20 points behind ManUre and Chelski, and yes that include your beloved Arsenal too. Have you not heard that a sample of 36 games is more indicative than mere 3 or 4 matches? Its called simple statistics.

Beside the point is how can a team that benefited such run of good fortunes, I may add refereeing mistakes, cry because some referee chalked off 2 points from their league. As if that would matter. Liverpool would be good distant behind Chelski and ManUre anyway.

 

[swag]

Well, if Fergie gets outmanaged like that every week, he'll be doing well.

Maybe he got his senses back and didn't panic like he did last weekend -- when he subbed the few of his best offensive players left on the pitch (e.g., Nani) and put in crazy subs with almost zero big game experience.

Talk about desperation.

Of course its a luck that ref disallows a goal, awards phantom goal, and give non-existent penalty.

Have you not heard of thing called random events?

Score another one for Jun-hide here. Liverpool can preen all they want when it comes to the Champions League, but they've been largely no shows for years when it comes to a consistent championship like the EPL title. They even needed a bending of the rules and a gift to be allowed to play in the CL a couple years ago, due to their unworthy league performance.

 

[Marc]

United stalwart retires
Solskjaer quits due to knee injury

Solskjaer: Forced to quit

Manchester United favourite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has retired due to a knee injury, according to Sky Sports News.

Solskjaer will be forever remembered in United folklore for scoring the dramatic winner in the UEFA Champions League final against Bayern Munich in 1999.

That goal was one of almost 130 he scored for The Red Devils after joining from Molde in a Ł1.5million transfer 11 years ago.

He made over 360 appearances for the club, but recent seasons have been blighted by injury.

The 34-year-old did maintain a level of fitness last season, scoring 11 goals as United won the title and reached the FA Cup final.

But he did not figure during the pre-season campaign after undergoing a knee operation over the summer.

This was expected to be his final season as a player at Old Trafford, but he has now decided to announce his retirement.

Solskjaer's decision to quit could prompt Sir Alex Ferguson to rethink his attacking options prior to the close of the transfer window.

Along with Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Louis Saha, Solskjaer was expected to form part of Ferguson's plans up front.

But the United manager may now require further reinforcements in attack, having been linked with Bolton Wanderers' forward Nicolas Anelka.

SkySports.com

 

[Marc]

More bad news for Man Utd. They really lack strikers currently. Saha is quite injury prone, Rooney won´t be back so soon and Tevez is hardly enough for the attack. Anderson is more of a attacking midfielder anyway.

Bringing Anelka would be a smart and crucial move imo.

 

[V]

I hated him in '99.

Anyway, it feels like he's played forever, it's about time he retired.

 

[HelterSkelter]

Last i heard Inter offered Adriano to Manchester United.

 

[bianconero]

I bet they wished they had kept Rossi- stupid move to sell him.

Expect to see a major signing, like Larson again!

 

[HelterSkelter]

Or Anelka.

 

[HelterSkelter]

How sweet would it be if Keane royally fucked his old club today.

 

[ReBeL]

So, here is the final list:

Arsenal £20m spent

IN Lukasz Fabianski (Legia Warsaw, £2m), Havard Nordtveit (FK Haugesund, £2m), Bacary Sagna (Auxerre, £6m), Eduardo Da Silva (Dynamo Zagreb, £8m) Lassana Diarra (Chelsea, £2m).
OUT Jérémie Aliadière (Middlesbrough, £2m), Matthew Connolly (Colchester United, season loan), Johan Djourou (Birmingham City, loan till Jan), Ryan Garry (Bournemouth, free), Kerrea Gilbert (Southend, loan till Jan), Thierry Henry (Barcelona, £16.1m), Fredrik Ljungberg (West Ham, £3m), Arturo Lupoli (Fiorentina, free), Fabrice Muamba (Birmingham City, £4m), Mart Poom (Watford, free), José Antonio Reyes (Atlético Madrid, undisc), Jay Simpson (Millwall, loan till Jan).

Aston Villa £16.5m

IN Scott Carson (Liverpool, season loan), , Curtis Davies (West Bromwich Albion, season loan), Marlon Harewood (West Ham United, £4m), Zat Knight (Fulham, £3.5m), Eric Lichaj (University of North Carolina, free), Nigel Reo-Coker (West Ham United, £8.5m), Moustapha Salifou (FC Wil, undisc).
OUT Juan Pablo Ángel (New York Red Bulls, free), Steven Davis (Fulham, £4m), Mark Delaney (retired), Eric Djemba-Djemba (released), Stephen Henderson (Bristol City, free), Lee Hendrie (Sheffield United, free), Aaron Hughes (Fulham, £1m), Gavin McCann (Bolton Wanderers, £1m), Robert Olejnik (Falkirk, free), Liam Ridgewell (Birmingham City, £2m), Jlloyd Samuel (Bolton Wanderers, free), Chris Sutton (retired), Sam Williams (released).

Birmingham £14.2m

IN Daniel de Ridder (Celta Vigo, free), Johan Djourou (Arsenal, loan till Jan), Olivier Kapo (Juventus, £3m), Richard Kingson (Hammarby, free), Fabrice Muamba (Arsenal, £4m), Garry O’Connor (Lokomotiv Moscow, £2.7m), Wilson Palacios (Olimpia, loan till Jan), Stuart Parnaby (Middlesbrough, free), Franck Queudrue (Fulham, £2.5m), Liam Ridgewell (Aston Villa, £2m), Rafael Schmitz (Lille, season loan).
OUT Sone Aluko (Aberdeen, loan till Jan), Mathew Birley (released), DJ Campbell (Leicester City, £2.1m), Stephen Clemence (Leicester City, £1m), Julian Gray (Coventry City, free), Neil Kilkenny (Oldham Athletic, loan till Jan), Adam Legzdins (released), Bruno N’Gotty (Leicester City, free), Samuel Oji (Leyton Orient, month loan), Nick Wright (released).

Blackburn £3.85m

IN Gunnar Nielsen (Frem Copenhagen, nominal), Maceo Rigters (NAC Breda, £350,000), Roque Santa Cruz (Bayern Munich, £3.5m).
OUT Keith Barker (St Patrick’s Athletic, free), Joe Garner (Carlisle United, £140,000), Michael Gray (Wolverhampton Wanderers, free), Bryan Hodge (released), Francis Jeffers (Sheffield Wednesday, undisc), Andy Todd (Derby County, £750,000), Paul Gallagher (Preston North End, loan till Feb).

Bolton £4.5m

IN Mikel Alonso (Real Sociedad, season loan), Daniel Braaten (Rosenborg, £500,000), Gerald Cid (Bordeaux, free), Blerim Dzemaili (FC Zurich, free), Danny Guthrie (Liverpool, season loan), Zoltan Harsanyi (Senec, undisc), Heidar Helguson (Fulham, £1m), Gavin McCann (Aston Villa, £1m), Andy O’Brien (Portsmouth, undisc), Jlloyd Samuel (Aston Villa, free), Christian Wilhelmsson (Nantes, season loan).
OUT Blazej Augustyn (Legia Warsaw, free), Tal Ben Haim (Chelsea, free), Quinton Fortune (released), Magnus Hedman (retired), Chris Howarth (Carlisle United, free), Przemyslaw Kazimierczak (released), Cesar Martin (released), Idan Tal (Beitar Jerusalem, £250,000), David Thompson (released), Henrik Pedersen (Hull City, free), Michael Roddy (Lincoln City, free), Jaroslaw Fojut (Luton Town, loan till Jan).

Chelsea £17.45m

IN Alex (PSV Eindhoven, free), Juliano Belletti (Barcelona, £3.75m), Tal Ben Haim (Bolton Wanderers, free), Florent Malouda (Lyons, £13.5m), Danny Philliskirk (Oldham Athletic, £200,000), Claudio Pizarro (Bayern Munich, free), Steve Sidwell (Reading, free).
OUT Ryan Bertrand (Oldham Athletic, loan till Jan), Khalid Boulahrouz (Seville, season loan), Gérémi (Newcastle United, free), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth, undisc), Yves Makaba-Makalamby (Hibernian, free), Michael Mancienne (Queens Park Rangers, season loan), Nuno Morais (Apoel Nicosia, free), Adrian Pettigrew (Brentford, month loan), Arjen Robben (Real Madrid, £24.5m), James Russell (Stevenage, free), Ben Sahar (Queens Park Rangers, three-month loan), Jimmy Smith (Norwich City, loan till Jan), Juan Sebastián Verón (Estudiantes, free), Lassana Diarra (Arsenal, £2m).

Derby £13.75m

IN Kenny Miller (Celtic, £3m), Claude Davis (Sheffield United, £3m), Robert Earnshaw (Norwich City, £3.5m), Benny Feilhaber (SV Hamburg, undisc), Andy Griffin (Portsmouth, £500,000), Ben Hinchliffe (Preston North End, free), Eddie Lewis (Leeds United, undisc), Tyrone Mears (West Ham United, £1m), Lewis Price (Ipswich, undisc), Andy Todd (Blackburn Rovers, £750,000).
OUT Lionel Ainsworth (Hereford United, free), Paul Boertien (Walsall, free), Morten Bisgaard (Odense, free), Lee Camp (Queens Park Rangers, £300,000), Steve Cann (Rotherham, free), Lee Grant (Sheffield Wednesday, free), Richard Jackson (Luton, free), Seth Johnson (released), James Meredith (released), Lewin Nyatanga (Barnsley, season loan), Paul Peschisolido (Luton, free), Ryan Smith (Millwall, £150,000).

Everton £21.25m

IN Leighton Baines (Wigan Athletic, £5m), Thomas Gravesen (Celtic, season loan), Phil Jagielka (Sheffield United, £4m), Lucas Jutkiewicz (Swindon Town, £1m), Steven Pienaar (Borussia Dortmund, season loan), Stefan Wessels (FC Cologne, season loan), Yakubu Ayegbeni (Middlesbrough, £11.25m).
OUT Anderson Silva (Barnsley, month loan), James Beattie (Sheffield United, £4m), Stephen Connor (Partick Thistle, loan till Jan), Gary Naysmith (Sheffield United, £1m), Scott Phelan (Bradford City, free), Alessandro Pistone (released), Richard Wright (West Ham United, free).

Fulham £25m

IN Nathan Ashton (Charlton, free), Chris Baird (Southampton, £3m), Hameur Bouazza (Watford, £3.5m), Lee Cook (Queens Park Rangers, £2.5m), Steven Davis (Aston Villa, £4m), David Healy (Leeds, £1.5m), Aaron Hughes (Aston Villa, £1m), Diomansy Kamara (West Bromwich Albion, £6m), Kasey Keller (Borussia Mönchengladbach, free), Adrian Leijer (Melbourne Victory, undisc), Paul Konchesky (West Ham, £2m), Dejan Stefanovic (Portsmouth, £1m subject to work permit), Shefki Kuqi (Crystal Palace, loan till Jan), Seol Ki Hyeon (Reading, swap for Liam Rosenior), Danny Murphy (Tottenham Hotspur, season loan).
OUT Michael Brown (Wigan Athletic, undisc), Matty Collins (Swansea City, free), Papa Bouba Diop (Portsmouth, undisc), Mark Crossley (Oldham Athletic, free), Heidar Helguson (Bolton, £1m), Claus Jensen (released), Zat Knight (Aston Villa, £3.5m), Mark Pembridge (released), Franck Queudrue (Birmingham City, £2.5m), Tomasz Radzinski (Skoda Xanthi, free), Gabriel Zakuani (Stoke City, season loan), Liam Rosenior (Reading, swap for Seol Ki Hyeon).

Liverpool £47.5m

IN Ryan Babel (Ajax, £11.5m), Yossi Benayoun (West Ham, £5m), Ryan Crowther (Stockport, undisc), Peter Gulacsi (MTK Hungaria, season loan), Charles Itandje (Lens, undisc), Lucas Leiva (Gremio, £5.5m), Sebastian Leto (Lanus, £1.8m), Nikolay Mihaylov (Levski Sofia, undisc), Krisztian Nemeth (MTK Hungaria, undisc), Mikel San Jose (Athletic Bilbao, £270,000), Andras Simon (MTK Hungaria, undisc), Fernando Torres (Atlético Madrid, £20m), Andriy Voronin (B Leverkusen, free), Damien Plessis (Lyons, undisc).
OUT Paul Anderson (Swansea City, season loan), Godwin Antwi (Hartlepool United, season loan), Craig Bellamy (West Ham United, 7.5m), Scott Carson (Aston Villa, season loan), Djibril Cissé (Marseilles, £6m), Jerzy Dudek (Real Madrid, free), Robbie Fowler (Cardiff City, free), Mark González (Real Betis, £4.2m), Luis GarcÍa (Atlético Madrid, £4m), Danny Guthrie (Bolton Wanderers, season loan), Adam Hammill (Southampton, season loan), Nikolay Mihaylov (FC Twente, season loan), Danny O’Donnell (Crewe Alexandra, £100,000), Gabriel Paletta (Boca Juniors, undisc), Lee Peltier (Yeovil Town, loan till Jan), Miki Roque (Xerez, season loan), Jimmy Ryan (Shrewsbury Town, loan), Florent Sinama Pongolle (Recreativo Huelva, £2.7m), James Smith (Stockport County, month loan), Boudewijn Zenden (Marseilles, free), Anthony Le Tallec (Le Mans, loan), Besian Idrizaj (Crystal Palace, loan).

Man City £41m

IN Rolando Bianchi (Reggina, £8.8m), Geovanni (Cruzeiro, free), Valeri Bojinov (Fiorentina, £6m), Vedran Corluka (Dynamo Zagreb, £8m), Elano (Shakhtar Donetsk, £8m), Gelson Fernandes (Sion, £4m), Javi Garrido (Real Sociedad, £1.5m), Martin Petrov (Atlético Madrid, £4.7m).
OUT Joey Barton (Newcastle United, £5.8m), Bernardo Corradi (Parma, season loan), Sylvain Distin (Portsmouth, free), Nathan D’Laryea (Rochdale, free), Stephen Jordan (Burnley, free), Ishmael Miller (West Bromwich Albion, season loan), Danny Mills (Charlton Athletic, loan till Jan), Matthew Mills (Doncaster Rovers, loan till Feb), Trevor Sinclair (Cardiff City, free), Hatem Trabelsi (released), Nicky Weaver (Charlton Athletic, free), Paul Dickov (Crystal Palace, loan till Jan).

Man United £54.6m

IN Anderson (FC Porto, £18m), Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich, £17m), Tomasz Kuszczak (West Bromwich Albion, £2.5m), Nani (Sporting Lisbon, £17.1m), Carlos Tévez (West Ham United, two-year loan from Media Sports Investments).
OUT Gabriel Heinze (Real Madrid, £8m) , Ritchie Jones (Yeovil Town, loan), Kieran Richardson (Sunderland, £5.5m), Daniel Rose (Oxford United, free), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal, £6m), Ryan Shawcross (Stoke City, loan till Jan), Alan Smith (Newcastle United, £6m), Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (retired).

Middlesboro £23.15m

IN Jérémie Aliadière (Arsenal, £2m), Mido (Tottenham Hotspur, £6m), Tuncay Sanli (Fenerbahçe, free), Jonathan Woodgate (Real Madrid, £7m), Luke Young (Charlton Athletic, £2.5m), Mohamed Shawky (Al Ahly, £650,000), Gary O’Neil (Portsmouth, £5m).
OUT Malcolm Christie (released), Danny Graham (Carlisle United, free), Jason Kennedy (Livingston, loan till Feb), David Knight (Swansea City, free), James Morrison (West Bromwich Albion, £1.5m), Stuart Parnaby (Birmingham City, free), Ross Turnbull (Cardiff City, season loan), Mark Viduka (Newcastle United, free), Abel Xavier (Los Angeles Galaxy, free), Yakubu Ayegbeni (Everton, £11.25m), Jason Euell (Southampton, free).

Newcastle £21m

IN Joey Barton (Manchester City, £5.8m), Caçapa (Lyons, free), José Enrique (Villarreal, £6.3m), Gérémi (Chelsea, free), David Rozehnal (Paris Saint-Germain, £2.9m), Alan Smith (Manchester United, £6m), Mark Viduka (Middlesbrough, free).
OUT Olivier Bernard (released), Titus Bramble (Wigan Athletic, free), Andy Carroll (Preston North End, loan till Feb), Lee Clark (released), Kieron Dyer (West Ham United, £6m), Kris Gate (released), Paul Huntington (Leeds United, undisc), Tim Krul (Falkirk, loan till Jan), Kazenga LuaLua (released), Albert Luque (Ajax, undisc), Craig Moore (Queensland Road, free), Alan O’Brien (Hibernian, undisc – compensation), Scott Parker (West Ham United, £7m), Pavel Srnicek (released), Antoine Sibierski (Wigan Athletic, free), Nolberto Solano (West Ham United, free).

Portsmouth £26m

IN Martin Cranie (Southampton, undisc – compensation), Papa Bouba Diop (Fulham, undisc), Sylvain Distin (Manchester City, free), Hermann Hreidarsson (Charlton, free), Glen Johnson (Chelsea, undisc), Sulley Muntari (Udinese, £7m), David Nugent (Preston North End, £5.7m), Callum Reynolds (Rushden & Diamonds, undisc), John Utaka (Rennes, £7m).
OUT Asmir Begovic (Bournemouth, loan till Jan), Jean-Françoise Christophe (Bournemouth, loan till Jan), Andrew Cole (Sunderland, free), Daryl Fordyce (Glentoran, free), Andy Griffin (Derby County, £500,000), Lomana LuaLua (Olympiacos, £2.8m), Collins Mbesuma (Bursaspor, undisc), Andy O’Brien (Bolton Wanderers, undisc), Jason Pearce (Bournemouth, free), Frank Songo’o (Preston North End, season loan), Svetoslav Todorov (Charlton Athletic, free), Dejan Stefanovic (Fulham, £1m subject to work permit), Gary O’Neil (Middlesbrough, £5m).

Reading £3.1m

IN Kalifa Cissé (Boavista, £600,000), Emerse Fae (Nantes, £2.5m), Liam Rosenior (Fulham, swap for Seol Ki Hyeon).
OUT Alan Bennett (Southampton, loan till Jan), Scott Davies (Aldershot Town, season loan), Greg Halford (Sunderland, £3m), Ben Hamer (Brentford, month loan), Jonathan Hayes (Leicester City, free), Curtis Osano (Rushden & Diamonds, season loan), Steve Sidwell (Chelsea, free), Graham Stack (Wolves, loan till Jan), Sam Sodje (Charlton, season loan), Seol Ki Hyeon (Fulham, swap for Liam Rosenior), Simon Cox (Swindon Town, loan till Jan).

Sunderland £34.85m

IN Russell Anderson (Aberdeen, £1m), Andrew Cole (Portsmouth, free), Michael Chopra (Cardiff City, £5m), Dickson Etuhu (Norwich City, £1.5m), Craig Gordon (Heart of Midlothian, £7m), Greg Halford (Reading, £3m), Ian Harte (Levante, free), Danny Higginbotham (Stoke City, £3m), Kenwyne Jones (Southampton, £6m), Paul McShane (West Bromwich Albion, £2.5m), Roy O’Donovan (Cork City, £350,000), Kieran Richardson (Manchester United, £5.5m).
OUT Clive Clarke (Leicester City, loan till November), Kenny Cunningham (released), Stephen Elliott (Wolverhampton Wanderers, £750,000), Marton Fulop (Leicester City, season loan), Tobias Hysen (IFK Gothenburg, undisc), Tommy Miller (Ipswich Town, free), William Mocquet (released), Arnau Riera (Falkirk, season loan), Kevin Smith (released), Andy Welsh (Toronto, undisc), Stephen Wright (Stoke City, loan till Jan), Stern John (Southampton, part exchange).

Tottenham £37.5m

IN Gareth Bale (Southampton, £5m), Darren Bent (Charlton Athletic, £16.5m), Yuri Berchiche (Athletic Bilbao, undisc), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Hertha Berlin, £5m), Danny Rose (Leeds United, free), Younès Kaboul (Auxerre, £7.5m), Adel Taarabt (Lens, undisc).
OUT Lee Barnard (Crewe Alexandra, loan till Jan), Rob Burch (Sheffield Wednesday, free), Charlie Daniels (Leyton Orient, season loan), Terry Dixon (released), Emil Hallfredsson (Lyn Oslo, undisc), Charlie Lee (Peterborough United, free), Mido (Middlesbrough, £6m), Jamie O’Hara (Millwall, month loan), Mark Yeates (Colchester United, undisc – six-figure), Reto Ziegler (Sampdoria, £1.4m), Danny Murphy (Fulham, season loan).

West Ham £29.6m

IN Craig Bellamy (Liverpool, £7.5m), Kieron Dyer (Newcastle United, £6m), Julien Faubert (Bordeaux, £6.1m), Fredrik Ljungberg (Arsenal, £3m), Scott Parker (Newcastle United, £7m), Richard Wright (Everton, free), Nolberto Solano (Newcastle United, free).
OUT Yossi Benayoun (Liverpool, £5m), Roy Carroll (Rangers, free), Hogan Ephraim (Queens Park Rangers, month loan), Marlon Harewood (Aston Villa, £4m), Paul Konchesky (Fulham, £2m), Shaun Newton (Leicester City, free), Nigel Reo-Coker (Aston Villa, 8.5m), Teddy Sheringham (Colchester United, free), Carlos Tévez (Manchester United, £2m compensation from Media Sports Investments).

Wigan £8.6m

IN Rachid Bouaouzan (Sparta Rotterdam, £300,000), Titus Bramble (Newcastle United, free), Michael Brown (Fulham, undisc), Andreas Granqvist (Helsingborg, free), Jason Koumas (West Bromwich Albion, £5.3m), Mario Melchiot (Rennes, free), Carlo Nash (Preston North End, free), Antoine Sibierski (Newcastle United, free), Luis Antonio Valencia (Villarreal, season loan), Marcus Bent (Charlton Athletic, season loan).
OUT Leighton Baines (Everton (£5m), Arjan de Zeeuw (Coventry City, free), John Filan (retired), Matt Jackson (Watford, free), Andreas Johansson (Aalborg, free), Lee McCulloch (Rangers, £2.25m), David Unsworth (Burnley, free), Andy Webster (loan till Jan), Caleb Folan (Hull City, £1m).

Times

And according to Independent, those transfers were the most special:

Bargains of the summer

Roque Santa Cruz (Bayern Munich – Blackburn) £3.5m

David Healy (Leeds – Fulham) £1.5m

Juliano Belletti (Barcelona – Chelsea) £4m

Olivier Kapo (Juventus – Birmingham) £3m

Paul McShane (West Bromwich – Sunderland) £2.5m

Best free transfers

Andrei Voronin (Bayer Leverkusen – Liverpool)

Antoine Sibierski (Newcastle – Wigan)

Geovanni (Cruzeiro – Manchester City)

Sylvain Distin (Manchester City – Portsmouth)

Adel Taarabt (Lens – Tottenham)

Most overpriced players

Paul Konchesky (West Ham – Fulham) £3.25m

Kenwyne Jones (Southampton – Sunderland) £6m

Pepe (Porto – Real Madrid) £20m

Nigel Reo-Coker (West Ham – Aston Villa) £8.5m

Darren Bent (Charlton – Tottenham) £16.4m

New record buys this summer

Derby: Robbie Earnshaw £3.5m

Everton: Ayegbeni Yakubu £11.25m

Liverpool: Fernando Torres £26.5m

Portsmouth: Sulley Muntari £7m

Reading: Emerse Fae £2.5m

Sunderland: Craig Gordon £9m

Tottenham: Darren Bent £16.4m

West Ham: Craig Bellamy £7m

 

[JCK]

So, Manchester tops the list and members here were saying that Manchester do not spend money on their campaigns?

 

[Snoop]

It is surprising Chelsea didn't spend another 100 Million.. and I agree about the kapo transfer as one of the bargains of the summer. Sigh

 

[Alfio_87]

definatly santa cruz a bargain at 3.5 also his already got a few goals this term

 

[Fred]

while i think Lassana Diara is un upgrade over Flamini,Diaby and Song..i really dont see the point of this transfer..Diarra plays as a DM or a right back..we're very well covered in those departments...i would have preferred wenger to get us a winger..as i dont trust Eboue there..Walcott isnt ready and Hleb is inconsistent.

 

[Dostoevsky]

The Top 10 Premiership Summer Transfers

Goal.com's George Tsitsonis assesses the ten best acquisitions by English Premier League clubs this summer, as well as the best of the rest of the deals in the transfer window which closed last night...

The summer transfer window has come and gone in Europe and supporters across the continent are sizing up their club’s new players and hoping that the new faces along with the old personnel will be enough to propel their team to glory.

In England it was quite the busy summer as a lucrative new TV deal ensured many clubs would splash the cash. Premiership clubs certainly did some wheeling and dealing for some high-profile players this summer, and now that all the deals are done Goal.com takes a look at the best deals of the summer involving Premier League sides - taking into consideration a player’s talent, potential, and of course worth, along with how important he is set to be for his new club.

Without further ado, here are the top 10 Premiership transfers during the summer as selected by Goal.com’s George Tsitsonis:

10. Juliano Belletti (Chelsea)

Chelsea snapped up the former Barcelona defender in late August after he’d spent three years at Camp Nou. While Chelsea were strongly linked with a move for Dani Alves of Sevilla for nearly the entire summer, a fee couldn’t be agreed and Belletti became the choice of the Londoners. Bought for a fraction of the price that Alves would have cost, Belletti is an experienced right-back, a position in which Chelsea seriously needed help. He should figure prominently in Jose Mourinho’s plans this season. Many Chelsea fans are quite excited by the capture of the Brazilian as much for his ability as for the fact that he scored the winning goal in the 2005/06 Champions’ League final against Arsenal.

9. Eduardo Da Silva (Arsenal)

As far as strike-rates are concerned, Arsenal supporters must be rubbing their hands with delight when they look at the statistics of new boy Eduardo Da Silva. Bought by Arsenal for an undisclosed fee (rumoured to be anywhere between ₤7.5 and ₤10 million) this summer, Da Silva had the phenomenal record of scoring 73 times in 104 matches for former side Dinamo Zagreb. Arsenal have needed a predatory box player for some time and in the Brazilian-born striker they seem to have found the right man. Time will tell whether Da Silva’s prolific nature will continue in the much tougher league that is the Premiership, but the signs are good and this is a player who can flat out score goals as he has shown in the Croatian league and in international play against the likes of Italy and England.

8. Roque Santa Cruz (Blackburn)

Blackburn fans may be forgiven for not having been that excited when Paraguayan international Roque Santa Cruz signed from Bayern Munich this summer for ₤3.5 million. Santa Cruz may have brought with him to Ewood Park a decent enough international scoring record (49 appearances, 14 goals), however in eight seasons with Bayern Munich, Santa Cruz never scored more than five goals in league play. After a bright start however with two goals in his first three matches, Santa Cruz has already won over many Rovers fans and after such a seamless transition to English football, he may just end up being one of the surprise success stories of the season.

7. Elano (Manchester City)

Another player who has seemingly justified his worth with his early season performances. Few knew what to expect from Elano or his new club Manchester City as the campaign began a few weeks back. However after some impressive performances in his first four matches, Elano has already shown he can be one of his new club’s leaders on the pitch. A wonderful passer of the ball, Elano is a playmaker who also works hard for the cause. The Brazilian is the consummate team player and has already chipped in with a couple of assists this season, helping spark City’s early season surge. Elano could end up being the most important player in what seems a season of resurgence for Manchester City. Some observers believed that ₤8 million was a bit high for the 26-year-old Brazilian international, but now that sort of thinking seems short-sighted, as the player has quickly endeared himself to the blue half of Manchester.

6. Andriy Voronin (Liverpool)

Even after only a couple of appearances for his new club, Ukrainian striker/playmaker Andriy Voronin has already earned the praise of manager Rafa Benitez who has described him as someone capable of changing matches single-handedly. And after impressive performances against Toulouse in the Champions’ League qualifiers and Sunderland in the Premiership, it is not difficult to see what Benitez means. Picked up from Bayer Leverkusen on a free, Liverpool engaged in a shrewd bit of business when they landed the Ukrainian. A versatile player who can play behind the strikers or on the wing, Voronin scored 32 times in 92 matches for Bayer Leverkusen in three seasons with the club and also racked up 17 assists in that time period. The addition of Voronin is another reason why Liverpool have what many consider is the best and deepest attacking line in the league.

5. Anderson/Nani (Manchester United)

Picked together as the joint number five selection here, Anderson and Nani were bought at the same time by United, for a combined total of ₤30 million (₤18 million for Anderson and ₤12 million for Nani). Anderson is considered by many as the next Ronaldinho with his ball skills and ability to deliver the telling pass. At only 19 the sky is the limit for this youngster who may have cost a lot but is tabbed for greatness. Nani meanwhile is being touted as the next Cristiano Ronaldo. Smaller than Ronaldo, Nani nonetheless possesses the flair and skill to become a star in England. Opened his account for United with a venomous, if fortunate, strike last weekend against Tottenham. Both players will be vital for United in the next few years as the club try to develop a new golden generation.

4. Owen Hargreaves (Manchester United

Not a player who will give you much in the way of statistics, Hargreaves is instead a player who will anchor the midfield expertly, if quietly. While ₤17 million may seem steep for a player who doesn’t score much and is prone to injuries every so often, Hargreaves’ move from Bayern Munich is the purchase Ferguson wanted most this summer. In Hargreaves, Ferguson sees a natural successor to Roy Keane in the defensive midfield position at Old Trafford. His addition may be a vital cog in United’s attempts to achieve success in Europe. Boasting a superb disciplinary record for playing in such a demanding position, Hargreaves is a player who is always well-positioned defensively and has great timing in his tackles. Hargreaves will also allow other players like Michael Carrick for instance to perform better by alleviating their defensive duties.

3. Carlos Tevez (Manchester United)

Mr. Controversy himself. After causing shock and awe with his surprising transfer to West Ham last season, Tevez was at the centre of attention once again this summer with his on-again, off-again move to United. In the end it all worked out after all sorts of legal wrangling and Tevez joined the Red Devils. While some thought he was a flop after a mediocre start to his career at Upton Park, Tevez showed that he had exceptional ability as he led West Ham to safety with a fantastic finish to the season. His seven goals down the stretch and his terrific performances attracted the interest of the big clubs and it wasn’t long before United came calling. Skillful, a superb finisher, and now the beneficiary of better service at United, Tevez will undoubtedly be an exciting option in attack for Sir Alex Ferguson and United.



2. Florent Malouda (Chelsea)

While the goal didn’t necessarily count as an official one, Florent Malouda’s Community Shield strike in early August showed Chelsea that they had snatched up a player with some real class. Malouda comes to Stamford Bridge as the reigning French Player of The Year. A natural replacement for the now departed Arjen Robben; Malouda may be appreciated more by Chelsea supporters than Robben, as the French international is probably more consistent and not so injury-prone as the Dutch winger. A determined individual who hates losing, Malouda averages about half-a-dozen goals a season along with a knack of creating lots of goals. Add to this Malouda’s desire to get back and chase and it’s clear to see why Mourinho was so adamant that Malouda be acquired.

1. Fernando Torres (Liverpool)

El Nino is the brightest star of the bunch as far as this summer’s Premiership transfers go. While that also means some lofty expectations, Torres has proven in his time with Atletico Madrid that he has the ability to be one of the best in the game. In 214 matches with Atletico, Torres managed 82 goals. While he was unable to lead Atletico to any silverware, the goals still came for Torres who should thrive under even better service at Liverpool. A part of a crowded group of attacking players at Liverpool, Torres may be the exception to Benitez’s rotation policy. Instead, the Spanish international should see lots of action this season. He hasn’t scored 20 goals in a season which may dismay some Reds’ supporters, however his 75 goals in the last five seasons in La Liga puts him third behind only Samuel Eto’o and David Villa. Torres was bought from Atletico Madrid for a Liverpool club record of ₤26.5 million. If he can enjoy a good first season and Liverpool retain their recent form and finally mount a sustained title challenge, then the Spaniard will become the face (along with Steven Gerrard of course) of the newer, stronger Liverpool.

Honourable Mentions:

Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Everton): The Nigerian’s move to Everton will surely improve Everton’s attack as the Toffees can now really talk about a top six finish with Yakubu lining up.

Jonathan Woodgate (Middlesbrough): A permanent deal for Middlesbrough is now done. Woodgate will be a force if he stays injury-free and Boro will have quite simply one of the best centre-backs in the league.

Darren Bent (Tottenham): Many would have picked Bent in their own top 10, however he must go a long way to justify his price-tag. Lots of goals will be needed to cover the ₤16.5 million Tottenham spent on the player and Bent will have to beat out the likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane, and Jermain Defoe for a spot in the line-up. Nevertheless, Bent has shown he can be prolific at this level.

Bacary Sagna (Arsenal): An experienced right-back who will help solidify a sometimes shaky Arsenal backline. Whilst able to contribute in attack, defending remains Sagna’s first priority.

Gareth Bale (Tottenham): Fantastic left-footed talent who will only improve defensively but already has a deadly left from free-kicks.

Olivier Kapo (Birmingham City): An experienced and ambitious midfielder, Kapo can create and destroy and has a goalscoring touch (30 goals in nearly 200 matches).

Other top signings who arguably could have made the cut:

Mark Viduka should help a new-look Newcastle score goals. Claudio Pizarro offers Chelsea a skillful target in attack. Phil Jagielka is a versatile addition for Everton. Mido could possibly offset the loss of Viduka and Yakubu for Middlesbrough. Ryan Babel is one for the future for Liverpool, unproven, yet full of promise. Can Craig Bellamy finally settle at new club West Ham? John Utaka gives Portsmouth great pace up front, while Pape Bouba Diop and Sulley Muntari add some steel in the middle of the pitch for Pompey. Villa reinforced their midfield with the capture of Nigel Reo-Coker while Alan Smith and Freddie Ljungberg will attempt to recapture former glory days for Newcastle and West Ham, respectively.

goal.com

 

[Dostoevsky]

Bolton W. 1 - 2 Everton FT
Fulham 3 - 3 Tottenham H. FT
Liverpool 6 - 0 Derby County FT
Middlesbrough 2 - 0 Birmingham C. FT
Newcastle U. 1 - 0 Wigan Athletic -Owen scored FT
Reading 0 - 3 West Ham U. FT

 

[The Arif]

Liverpool just beat Derby County 6-0. Great game by Liverpool. They should be one of the main contenders for the title this season.

 

[Fred]

Liverpool really do scare me..they're the best in the top 4 till now IMO.

 

[JCK]

It's about time Liverpool stand up to their European performance in their local league.