The Wish List and General Discussion Thread (21 Viewers)
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Thursday 2 December, 2010
Blog: Location, Location, Location
With a verdict soon due on Sampdoria’s attempt to cancel Antonio Cassano’s contract, Scott Fleming wonders where the enigma should go
Sampdoria’s civil war seems to be drawing to a close, and not a moment too soon considering the Blucerchiati’s group stage exit from the Europa League with a round of fixtures remaining.
Soon we will discover if the club’s attempt to rescind Antonio Cassano’s contract has been successful. In a way the verdict is irrelevant, unless you’re Samp’s accountant. President Riccardo Garrone seems so determined to rid his club of its best player that even if the court rules against him he’ll simply put FantAntonio up for sale once the January transfer window opens.
With a departure looking more than likely, the question becomes...where next? Who needs him, and where would he fit in best?
Already a host of potential suitors have been ruled out by Cassano’s insistence that his new club has to be within commuting distance of Genoa. The player has previously admitted that he needs to be the centre of attention, to be a big fish in a small pond, so the likes of Fiorentina and, whisper it, Genoa, could actually be in with a chance. That might be the last thing El Pibe de Bari needs at this stage however.
At Milan, Inter or Juventus, where he isn’t the only star in the sky, where he has to fight to earn his place in the team, he might be less inclined to unleash the infamous Cassanata. Having struck the right balance only recently, after months of struggling to form an effective unit from their array of attacking talents, Milan aren’t likely to risk throwing Cassano into the mix at this point.
It’s a different story at Inter, where Diego Milito is underperforming and Goran Pandev, Jonathan Biabiany et al are unreliable.
Nonetheless, I would suggest the best location for Cassano to plant his flag is Turin. Joining Juve would mean a reunion with Gigi Del Neri and Beppe Marotta, two men who have witnessed the Cassanata firsthand and know how to negate Cassano’s negative tendencies.
Therefore it’s a good move from the player’s perspective, but the club would also benefit. They desperately need a top class attacker, as Alessandro Del Piero is ageing and Amauri and Vincenzo Iaquinta are becoming a comedy double act.
Then again, this is Serie A, never say never. Maurizio Zamparini was absolutely, definitely going to sell Palermo wasn’t he, and we know how that ended. Garrone still has the chance to win back the trust of Samp’s dismayed fans, and score a few PR points while he’s at it, by taking pity on a man that wants nothing more than to stay close to his pregnant wife Carolina Marcialis.
For all his faults Cassano’s stance is an honourable one, prioritising the needs of his young spouse above all else.
Football-Italia
Blog: Location, Location, Location
With a verdict soon due on Sampdoria’s attempt to cancel Antonio Cassano’s contract, Scott Fleming wonders where the enigma should go
Sampdoria’s civil war seems to be drawing to a close, and not a moment too soon considering the Blucerchiati’s group stage exit from the Europa League with a round of fixtures remaining.
Soon we will discover if the club’s attempt to rescind Antonio Cassano’s contract has been successful. In a way the verdict is irrelevant, unless you’re Samp’s accountant. President Riccardo Garrone seems so determined to rid his club of its best player that even if the court rules against him he’ll simply put FantAntonio up for sale once the January transfer window opens.
With a departure looking more than likely, the question becomes...where next? Who needs him, and where would he fit in best?
Already a host of potential suitors have been ruled out by Cassano’s insistence that his new club has to be within commuting distance of Genoa. The player has previously admitted that he needs to be the centre of attention, to be a big fish in a small pond, so the likes of Fiorentina and, whisper it, Genoa, could actually be in with a chance. That might be the last thing El Pibe de Bari needs at this stage however.
At Milan, Inter or Juventus, where he isn’t the only star in the sky, where he has to fight to earn his place in the team, he might be less inclined to unleash the infamous Cassanata. Having struck the right balance only recently, after months of struggling to form an effective unit from their array of attacking talents, Milan aren’t likely to risk throwing Cassano into the mix at this point.
It’s a different story at Inter, where Diego Milito is underperforming and Goran Pandev, Jonathan Biabiany et al are unreliable.
Nonetheless, I would suggest the best location for Cassano to plant his flag is Turin. Joining Juve would mean a reunion with Gigi Del Neri and Beppe Marotta, two men who have witnessed the Cassanata firsthand and know how to negate Cassano’s negative tendencies.
Therefore it’s a good move from the player’s perspective, but the club would also benefit. They desperately need a top class attacker, as Alessandro Del Piero is ageing and Amauri and Vincenzo Iaquinta are becoming a comedy double act.
Then again, this is Serie A, never say never. Maurizio Zamparini was absolutely, definitely going to sell Palermo wasn’t he, and we know how that ended. Garrone still has the chance to win back the trust of Samp’s dismayed fans, and score a few PR points while he’s at it, by taking pity on a man that wants nothing more than to stay close to his pregnant wife Carolina Marcialis.
For all his faults Cassano’s stance is an honourable one, prioritising the needs of his young spouse above all else.
Football-Italia
We have a great deal in place for Aquilani and the only reason IMO that the loans are so expensive is because they are just that. Loans. We have to option to reject them and send them back to their clubs at the end of the season. I believe if we just transferred them outright we may have been able to get them a bit cheaper. I see it as a way that the loaning clubs can protect themselves a bit from loosing out.
The Brazilians aren't better though. Diego was a bust and we overpaid, Amauri was a bust and we overpaid, Melo again we overpaid but he is finally finding his feet and hopefully he can carry his form into the second half of the season. He could be the only one out of those three to justify his price tag. I mean yeah we only spent like 12m liquid cash along with other players for Amauri but we still took it up the poop chute.
But at the end of the day 9 times out of 10 when dealing with a club playing in the same league it's inevitable that you may have to spend a little extra.
The Brazilians aren't better though. Diego was a bust and we overpaid, Amauri was a bust and we overpaid, Melo again we overpaid but he is finally finding his feet and hopefully he can carry his form into the second half of the season. He could be the only one out of those three to justify his price tag. I mean yeah we only spent like 12m liquid cash along with other players for Amauri but we still took it up the poop chute.
But at the end of the day 9 times out of 10 when dealing with a club playing in the same league it's inevitable that you may have to spend a little extra.
Diego Contento's desire to play under Ciro Ferrara for the Italy Under-21s could inspire a move to Juventus, according to Tuttosport.
The 20-year-old Bayern Munich full-back has turned down the chance to represent Germany on three occasions in light of his Italian heritage.
Contento was born in Munich, but his family hails from Naples and he would like to stay true to his roots even amid pressure from the German FA.
Ferrara's assistant and former Juventus teammate Angelo Peruzzi said: “We are keeping an eye on him. He is an interesting youngster. You can't but be happy with his desire to wear the blue shirt.
“It's our intention to reward players who play regularly for their clubs. For this reason I hope that Contento finds greater continuity at Bayern.”
If he doesn't, however, Ferrara and Peruzzi would recommend a move to Juventus who are in the market for a full-back.
Tuttosport understands that Juventus general manager Beppe Marotta is weighing up the prospect of signing Contento.
Juventus have been scouting a lot in Germany of late because there is a sense that good value is to be found in the Bundesliga.
However, Bayern won't give up Contento easily and Juventus are also giving consideration to alternatives.
The 20-year-old Bayern Munich full-back has turned down the chance to represent Germany on three occasions in light of his Italian heritage.
Contento was born in Munich, but his family hails from Naples and he would like to stay true to his roots even amid pressure from the German FA.
Ferrara's assistant and former Juventus teammate Angelo Peruzzi said: “We are keeping an eye on him. He is an interesting youngster. You can't but be happy with his desire to wear the blue shirt.
“It's our intention to reward players who play regularly for their clubs. For this reason I hope that Contento finds greater continuity at Bayern.”
If he doesn't, however, Ferrara and Peruzzi would recommend a move to Juventus who are in the market for a full-back.
Tuttosport understands that Juventus general manager Beppe Marotta is weighing up the prospect of signing Contento.
Juventus have been scouting a lot in Germany of late because there is a sense that good value is to be found in the Bundesliga.
However, Bayern won't give up Contento easily and Juventus are also giving consideration to alternatives.
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