Dream Team (for the 11 day "week" ahead)

There is a tricky "week" awaiting us ahead, but hopefully my advice will guide you through with minimal stress.

Manchester United and Portsmouth only have one game a piece, so drop all the players you have from those teams. Trust me, when juxtaposed next to some of the 2 and 3 game options, it doesn't really matter how great your bonus is on the players, they just are not worth keeping. Jermaine Pennant falls under this category, as I imagine a lot of you will be reluctant to relinquish your bonus on him, but seeing as his 1 game is against Chelsea, I think it is more than worth it. Consequently I have ditched him myself.

Fulham and Blackburn have 3 games a piece. You should absolutely have 1-3 of their strikers. The most appealing options to me are Dempsey, who is quite hot at the moment, AJ, ditto, and RSC who is bound to bag a goal or two. Diof and Zamora are also decent, Zamora is definitely more in form so I would go with him even though he has a habit of being a mediocre fantasy player.

For the two gamers, I would have to say Arsenal look the most attractive with FUL and @WBA. Players to pick up are Arshavin, who looked likeliest to score at the Emirates last weekend and is still cheap, Sagna, who is bound to pick up a clean sheet or two, Toure, who is in form, and Van Persie who tends to score against these sorts of teams. Nasri looked a bit sedated last time out, not taking a single shot, but given the opportunity he sticks the ball in the back of the net more often than not.

The top Villa and Tot players are also likely to be rejuvenated because they were relinquished of Uefa cup duty, as both managers dipped into the reserves in order to ensure losses. Villa looks more appealing to me than Tot seeing as they are more consistent. Ashley Young is the cheapest he has been in a while, and has been getting dangerously close with his free kicks. You have to feel one of these times it is going to go in. Also look to Barry who might have a penalty goal given Stokes propensity to give them away.

Chelsea also look attractive. The danger men for them will certainly be Drogba, Kalou and Lampard. Drogba is likely to thrive under Hiddink who seems to involve Drogba in his plans, so pick him up while he's cheap. He also had a good game vs. Juventus midweek which will do loads for his confidence.

For Liverpool, Benayoun seems to be getting a great run in the league and CL, so I'll be picking him up with news that Liverpool will be without Torres, and possibly even Gerrard.

Craig Bellamy is also in excellent form, but I would warn against him seeing as he doesn't have the best match ups this week. On that note, probably best to stay away from Man City.

Post your team below if you would like my comments. Good luck to all, and as always you can see my team in the picture.

Cracked under the pressure...

AC Milan crashed out of the Uefa cup today on account of a brace from Claudio Pizarro and the away goals rule. They also managed to fall into a bin with the likes of Bayern Münich which reads "teams that under performed in their domestic league, missed out on the Champions League, spent quite a bit of money over the summer to appease their fans, and then fail to win the Uefa cup despite being heavy favorites." I can admit to being part of the crowd that though AC Milan's trot to the final would be a formality given their excellent European prowess and fantastic squad. In my mind, Ancelotti is the one responsible, and has once again let the club and its fans down. I'm not usually one to point fingers at managers, but when you have as much fire power at your disposal as Ancelotti does, there really is no excuse for being knocked out by a mediocre Bremen side. Also, AC Milan are practically out of the race for the Scudetto, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Ancelotti packing his bags at the end of the season.

On a separate note, maybe now that AC Milan are no longer competing for European glory Beckham will be more inclined to come back to the US. 

A couple of knockout punches dealt in the first leg...

Now that the first leg of the first knockout round in the Champions League is over, we can look back at the fixtures and determine who has a leg up.

Lyon vs. Barcelona
Result: 1-1
"Winner": Barcelona
Analysis: Although much has been made of the fact that Barcelona did not beat Lyon, whom is considered to be a far inferior team, the truth of the matter is Barcelona are still likely to win this tie. Going back to the Nou Camp with an away goal and a tie in France spells victory to me. And as much as I would like to see the favorites drop out early, I just don't think it will happen.

Inter Milan vs. Manchester United
Result: 0-0
"Winner": Tie
Analysis: Although Inter did not get a win at home, Manchester United did not score an all-important away goal against Jose Mourinho's Milan side. This means the tie is wide open. If Mourinho's men can score first at Old Trafford (quite a big if), they will certainly be in the drivers seat and can sit back. This said, I predict a 1-0 win to Manchester United.

Real Madrid vs. Liverpool
Result: 0-1
"Winner": Liverpool
Analysis: Rafa's team once again did not fail to impress in the Champions League. Surely they already have 1 1/2 feet in the next round. Madrid always seem to lack fire power in the Champions League (Raul frequently looks a step too slow), and I just can't see them turning this tie on its head.

Chelsea vs. Juventus
Result: 1-0
"Winner": Chelsea
Analysis: There were many things I was expecting from the Hiddink era, but another Mourinho/ Grant who scrapes out 1-0 wins was not on my list. Chelsea will likely squeek out another decent result in Turin and progress to the next round. I wouldn't normally call Chelsea clear winners in this game seeing as they are only taking a one goal advantage to Turin, but I think this game may have beckoned Drogba's rebirth. Like Mourinho, Hiddink seems to have embraced the Ivorian striker and will likely bring him back to his best.

Arsenal vs. Roma
Result: 1-0
"Winner": Roma
Analysis: Without their recent talisman Arshavin (who is inelligable to play in the CL because he is cup tied on account of playing for Zenit), Arsenal seemed short of ideas and needed a penalty to break the deadlock at home. I expect Roma to come out with thier guns blazing in Rome and win this tie heftily.

Sporting Lisbon vs. Bayern Münich
Result: 0-5
"Winner": Bayern
Analysis: As shocking as the result was, it is not the first time Bayern has done such a thing. Just last year Bayern traveled to Aberdeen in the Uefa Cup and won by the same scoreline. Funny enough when the teams got back to Germany Aberdeen actually pushed Bayern pretty far back (I believe the score was something along the lines of 4-0). I wouldn't be surprised to see a reserve side play the second leg as Bayern are struggling to keep up in the league. But they should be wary of thier history and not take this Sporting side too lightly.

Villareal vs. Panathinaikos
Result: 1-1
"Winner": Panathinaikos
Analysis: Giuseppi Rossi continued his hot streak, but was unable to hand his team victory in the home leg of the tie. I think that Panathinaikos' away goal will be crucial in this tie, and it is more that likely that we will witness an upset between these two teams.

Atletico Madrid vs. Porto
Result: 2-2
"Winner": Porto
Analysis: Lisandro Lopez continued his emaculate form in the Champions Leauge, once again causing the question of "why doesn't a premiership side buy him?" to spring to mind. Porto's two away goals will likely dictate the outcome of this tie, and I expect them to advance on account of Atletico's porous defence.

Low chance that a team as bad as Portsmouth will win the FA cup

The FA cup, a competition renowned for allowing the smallest clubs in England to fight for the chance to be crowned the best in the country, is unlikely to produce any further Cinderella stories this season. After Fulham's 2-1 win over Swansea City this afternoon, now only 3 of the remaining 13 teams are not in the premiership. And to add insult to injury, only one of those three teams is guaranteed a spot in the sixth round (Coventry). What's more is that Coventry must now take on Chelsea, Burnley will likely lose to Arsenal, and then Arsenal will eliminate the last of the non-prem sides Sheffield United. What I am trying to say is don't look to the FA cup if you are dying to see a lowly team defy all odds and lift the FA cup. It just ain't goin' to happen. 

Dream Team (2 days worth of fantasy advice)

Hello again, and sorry for making you wait so long for the next post. But now that it is here, let's not wast any time.

Although I usually stay away from the big matchups of the round, in this case Villa v. Chelsea, if you have Chelsea players, don't sell. I say this because of two things. First, whenever a new manager takes over the players are excited to impress him and put in a good shift. And second, Hiddink is nothing short of a genius (see Duck Duck Guus). One player to keep an eye on is Quaresma. He is a potential fantasy stud seeing as he is listed as a midfielder but is a winger, isn't afraid to shoot, might have a say in a few free kicks, takes corners, and likes to take on defenders which leads to winning a lot of corners and winning many fouls. If he has a good game, I strongly suggest making room for him on your team and getting him barn door (see Introduction for definition of barn door). 

I expect Manchester United to beat Blackburn at least 3-0, so pick up any attacking players you can. Ronaldo is still disappointing if you watch him, but I refuse to sell him because it is just a matter of time before he bags an early goal, and goes on to score a hat trick. Rooney looked sharp on his return, so I think he is a worthy investment as well. Tevez will most likely be the one to go when Rooney comes back, so trash him and pick up Berba if you aren't confident that Rooney will be back. 

Liverpool, if they have any quality what so ever, should pound the living day lights out of a Manchester City squad that looks disoriented every time they leave their stadium. City will also be tired after having to play midweek. Pick up Torres, but it is probably best to avoid Stevie G even though there was a rumor he might be back in time. 

Portsmouth seem to have been revitalized by firing Tony Adams. I expect Pennant to continue performing at his high level. Pick him up if you have room in your squad. Also I believe Stoke are missing Etherington and Delap, so Portsmouth should come away from the Britannia with a result if you were pondering any of their defenders or David James. 

Middlesbrough v. Wigan will probably be a slow and uneventful 1-0 win, but I'm not sure who will come out on top. If Marlon King isn't incarcerated he is probably the only one worth buying from that tie. Alfonso Alves is tremendously frustrating to have on your team seeing as he is extremely wasteful with his chances, so for your own sake I would avoid him. If you are convinced Middlesbrough are absolute rubbish, like I am, then I would look to N'Zogbia who is a cheap option. I'm not sure if Valencia will be back (he was hurt against Fulham), so check on that if you are looking to add him to your squad. If he is out, Koumas might be a good option. 

West Brom still have not convinced me they have what it takes to stay in the top flight, and Fulham are always great at home, so look to Dempsey and Zamora to do some damage. Murphy is always a decent pick as well seeing as he takes penalties for Fulham and usually has solid performances even without a penalty goal. 

Stay away from Bolton v. West Ham. That has many yellows, 1-0 win to Bolton written all over it. 

And last quick notes, although Eduardo was brilliant against Cardiff, he is out for another 2 weeks, which eases the pressure to select him as a sleeper pick. Van Persie will be the one scoring the goals against Sunderland if there are any to be scored. Also, Everton are in wonderful form, and Cahill seems to be leading the charge, so pick him up if you are dying to have an Evertonian in your squad. Hull v. Tottenham is a completely unknown quantity to me seeing as Hull are Bullardless, and Tottenham fielded a reserve side for today's game vs. Shaktar and unsurprisingly had 2 shots the whole game. 

Hope that helps. My team is posted in the picture. Post any questions or comments, or your squads if you want feedback. Good luck. 

A Few Thoughts on This Week's Internationals

As we anticipate next month's resumption of 2010 FIFA World Cup European qualifying, let us look back on some important international friendlies from the past week.

USA 2-0 MEXICO
Michael Bradley stole the show in a match that only confirmed what we already knew: Mexico cannot beat the U.S. on American soil and the U.S. cannot beat Mexico on Mexican Soil. I cannot think of many other rivalries in the game where the countries strategically seek out venues that will give them a greater advantage over the opposition. Perhaps other international teams should consider following suit though, because this inexplicably seems to work every single time. I would like to focus on Bradley for a second, a player who is quickly becoming the face of a promising group of young Americans that have the potential, in my opinion, to propel the United States unfamiliar heights. Having recently cemented a starting spot for his new club Borussia Moenchengladbach, Bradley was fantastic from start to finish in a game that generally lacked quality. His two-goal display just goes to show how the 21-year-old has already taken the team on his shoulders and the best part is, he can only get better from here. For Mexico, another poor result puts a lot of pressure on manager Sven-Göran Eriksson, who has been linked with the vacant Portsmouth job. Eriksson is perhaps best known for his dissapointing tenure with the England team, and to be honest I have never really had much respect for him as a manager at the top level. His only truly successful stint in either a major league or with an international team has been with Lazio from 1997-2001. Despite the fact that the Mexican Football Assosciation claims to throw their entire support behind the Swede, I expect him to lose his job soon enough—Mexico is desperate to regain international status and it's quite obvious that Eriksson is not up to the task.

Spain 2-0 England
Despite the hype it received, (and why not with a goal like this!) the result truly does not say much about either side. Spain were convincing, to say the least, but so they should be playing on home soil against an undermanned England side. England's lack of conviction had much to do with the absence of several key players—Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, Wayne Rooney, Owen Hargreaves and Steven Gerrard to name a few—and I don't think the way they played accurately demonstrates the progress that the side has made under Fabio Capello. They were also playing against the European Champions and current world #1, and a 2-0 defeat under those conditions is not really that bad a result. The story of the night was David Bekcham, who equalled Bobby Moore's record of 108 England caps for a field player with a second-half appearance. The man of the night for me however, was Spain's midfield maestro Xavi, who almost effortlessly controlled the game with his precision passing and flowing style. All in all, I wouldn't take too much from the friendly.

Brazil 2-0 Italy
The Brazilians were back to their magical best for the friendly in London. Ronaldinho in particular, impressed. I was one of the people who thought that the former World Player of the Year was finished after an unispiring last season with Barcelona. He has proved me, and many others, wrong with his dazzling performances for Milan so far this season. He was toying with the Italians at times, engaging the crowd with no-look passes and clever footwork in a way that only he really can. Robinho's goal, (see a few posts ago), essentially summed up a night where a Kaka-less Brazil danced samba around the world champions. The Italians were actually very dissapointing, seeming to lack any real threat. Italy has actually been on a great international run, but coach Marcello Lippi's bid to go a record 32 games undefeated is now over. I see this as simply a bad game for Italy, and I expect them to return to form in time for the World Cup qualifiers in March.

Duck Duck Guus

In response to my own article ("Oh Stop Whining..."), I suppose the only time that firing Luis Felipe Scolari is a good idea is when you have Guus Hiddink waiting in the wings to take over. Such is the sketchy dynamic of the club Abramovich owns, the national team he supports financially and passionately roots for, and the manager of that national team. To be honest, the outlandish rumors that circulate when a top coach leaves a club get to be a bit tiresome and trite after a while. At a certain point it almost seems arbitrary what world class manager takes over at a club.

Though now that Hiddink has been appointed, I must admit that I am legitimately frightened that Hiddink will propel this Chelsea team to new heights. I only take solace in the fact that he has less than half of a season to attempt to deny United the quadruple. If Russia's performance at the Euro's and South Korea's performance in the 2002 World cup are not enough to convince you that Guus Hiddink is composed of pure class, then take a look at some of his other credentials:

-6 league titles, and 4 cup titles with PSV Eindhoven
-1 Champions League title
-1 Club world cup title
-4th place with the Netherlands at the 1998 World Cup
-Getting Australia out of the group and putting in a great performance against eventual winners Italy in the 2006 World Cup

We will see soon enough if my prediction of his success is correct.

Below is an interesting article I came across during my investigation into the genius of Mr. Hiddink.

A clever strategy

Maybe Manchester City is Good?

It just occurred to me that Brazil's two goal scorers today, who scored against the world champions' air tight defense, both are Manchester City players. Makes you wonder why Manchester City aren't spectacularly good. Especially since it was Robinho's assit on the first goal. If you haven't seen the goals yet, here you go (I almost died of a elation when I watched the Robinho goal live today):

Oh Stop Whining...

Today the public learned that two premiership managers were sacked by their respective clubs. One clearly deserved it, and the other was probably just as blind-sided as I was.

First, let's start with Tony Adams (the one who deserved it). Two wins in sixteen league games. Arguably I have said enough to justify being fired, but it actually gets worse. Adams seemed to drain the life out of Portsmouth, and it came to the point where nearly every one of their starters was linked with a move away. Letting go of an unmotivated and cold Defoe was probably the only good thing that happened under Adams. Yet that does not change the fact that Defoe was the sole reason that Portsmouth was doing well in the beginning of the season, and his departure was not going to help anything except for the club's financial situation. Anyone that watched Portsmouth under Adams will agree with me that they were just pure trash. Losing to a Liverpool side with no recognized strikers, 6 defenders and no coherent formation did not reflect well on Adams either.

Now onto Scolari, to whom the title of this article is dedicated. Let's face it, Chelsea have not been all that inspiring as of late. But neither was Manchester United at the beginning of last season. Point being teams go through hot streaks and cold streaks. I don't know where the Chelsea board was at the beginning of the season, but the football Chelsea were playing was some of the most sensational stuff I have seen from the side. Eighty five times more entertaining than anything Mourinho and Grant produced. It seemed that Scolari had finally brought the sort of flair and entertainment Abromovich had been seeking. Deco announced his arrival with a bang, Bosingwa looked like a shoe in for best right back of the season, and the entire squad looked invigorated and hungry to win. I don't think much has changed since then except that opponents have figured out how to nullify Bosingwa and Deco. But if I had to venture a guess at why Chelsea are not doing so well, it would be that Scolari never fully integrated Drogba back into the squad. In fact that is problem the same reason he was fired. His row with Drogba probably did not go over so well with the board or the fans, and consequently Scolari will now be scanning the newspaper ads for a new job.

What bothered me the most about this whole affair was that Scolari had the audacity to blame his poor string of results on not getting Robinho over the summer. It is nice to get the players you want, but really, was there not enough talent at Chelsea to form a team that could challenge for a treble? I had my doubts that Scolari would be able to fashion a good side out of a group of players that contained so many similar players (see Ballack/ Essien/ Deco/ Lampard), but he pulled it off in spectacular fashion. Now I am just left wondering what it takes to keep your job in the Premiership. So on one hand, Scolari was a fading star (since his system of marauding full backs was found out) and maybe he underachieved a bit, but on the other hand, team owners love to kick a dog while he is down, and have no patience for poor form. Honestly, if anyone deserves credit for suffering through the on going cycle of replacing managers, it is the players. They must wipe there mind clean every time a new manager comes in, adjust to his system, impress the new manager and consequently fret over their starting spot until they secure their place in the side again. It makes me glad that I have no part in an of it.

North London Derby

Apparently it's my turn to write something, so I will give my completely unbiased view on Sunday's north London derby--that is, Arsenal at White Hart Lane.

Spurs are garbage. They're coming into this game with one win in eight (in the league), their only victory at home against Stoke.

Spurs did bolster all parts though, with Cudicini, Chimbonda, Palacios, Keane and Defoe.

I'm not quite sure Palacios will be eligible to play sunday. He actually wasn't allowed to play against Bolton, yet, he did. Not sure what's going to happen there.

First, I feel scoring goals will still be Spurs' problem. They've been shut out four times in their last eight games, only scoring two or more in two, and, with Defoe now injured, Darren Bent and Robbie Keane must shoulder the burden of scoring. Granted, Bent has done a decent job carrying this weight, having scored over a third of Spurs' league goals. But... it's Darren Bent. Please. Keane's form, as Liverpool can attest, has been disappointing. Also, neither striker has the height to really take advantage of Arsenal's primary defensive weakness (heading).

Spurs' defense isn't as entertainingly bad as it once was, but it still isn't good. Adebayor has a fantastic scoring record against Spurs, and I suspect he'll rediscover some form this game, while van Persie has been on fire. Hopefully Arshavin will get 20 minutes, probably on the right, to rip Assou-Ekotto apart.

I suspect with another midfield nightmare on Arsenal's part (Eboue, Denilson, Diaby, Nasri) Spurs might gain some advantage (note: I doubt Arshavin will start--he hasn't played a competitive game in awhile as the Russian league plays during the summer). But in all honesty, Spurs' midfield doesn't hold enough quality to dominate a game (Lennon and Modric are good, unless Diaby eats them. delicious). Also, for once, Arsenal might have a physically larger midfield, unless Huddlestone plays. 

I guess the primary reason why Arsenal will have the upper hand, other than Tottenham's absolute lack of quality, is because Spurs won't pack the midfield and, prompted by their fans and what little pride they have, will attack. And that's the type of game in which Arsenal shine.

I think the score will be 3-1 to the gunners, Ade scoring at least one, Spurs scoring the first or second goal of the match.

But then again, it is a derby. who knows what will happen.

While Arsenal play poorly, my only comfort is to make fun of spurs. Sorry.

Sorry Liverpool, but the two best teams in Merseyside could well be Everton and Everton reserves

The legendary Liverpool manager obviously had it the other way, but with the Reds' current form even Bill Shankly would probably reconsider. And who could possibly blame him? Today's loss to local rival Everton only confirms what many of us have known for a while: Liverpool are not a very good team. Having witnessed Liverpool draw twice with an Everton team lacking any forward options and also missing playmakers Marouane Fellaini and Mikel Arteta, I just about stand by my title statement. Liverpool have now failed to beat an undermanned Toffees side in three attempts, and have looked worse and worse each time. A team with Steven Gerrard in it will always be able to posses the ball, but what has hurt the Reds lately has been their inability to put the ball in the net. Having allowed Robbie Keane back to Tottenham on deadline day, the big man Rafa has now left his side one bad hamstring away from relying entirely on two players, David Ngog and Nabil El Zhar, who are yet to register a Premier League goal between them. Torres himself is another story. After an inspirational first season in the Premier League last year, "El Niño's" hamstrings have seen more action than he has this season (I wouldn't mind a hamstring massage or two either if this is the treatment Torres receives!). While Torres's hamstring seems to be gone, its the lost mind of manager Rafa Benitez that would have me worried if I were a Liverpool supporter. I have discussed it a number of times in recent posts, but Rafa's recent lunacy seems particularly appropriate to mention here. First there was the war of words with Sir Alex, then the dropping of his £18 million signing Robbie Keane, and more recently the bizzare substitution of both Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres in a 1-1 game with Wigan. This is not the first time Benitez has been called crazy, in fact pundits spent much of the last few years criticizing the manager's rotation policy, and much to his credit Rafa did prove the critics wrong with three consecutive years of cup final appearances. I simply cannot see Liverpool making a serious run at any silverware this season, and I expect to see Rafa on the hotseat come May. Liverpool seem to be the king of the draw this season, having drawn 8 times in their last 16 games. Statistically, the Reds have the second best defense in the league, but as I mentioned before, they have had trouble turning possesion into goals. It is a well-documented criticism of Liverpool that they rely much to heavily on a select few extroadinary players, and do not have the depth to challenge for major titles. I believe this to be very much the case. Last season Fernando Torres scored 24 of Liverpool's 67 league goals, while this season Steven Gerrard has scored 15 of their 55 goals in all competitions, far too high a percentage for central midfield player. Liverpool's recent freefall down the table goes to show that an unbalanced team cannot maintain the length of an entire season. Over the past few years, the club has enjoyed a number of successes in cup compeititions, where inspired performances such as Gerrard's in the 2005 Champions League final can propell a team to success. The same cannot be said for a 38-game league season, where Liverpool traditionally struggle (they have never won the premier league). Until Liverpool balance out their squad, they will remain at best the third best team in the league and arguably also in Merseyside.

I wonder if he thinks goals from outside the box are worth more...

Considering Arsenal's tremendous track record for scouting and recruiting unearthed gems, they have missed out on potentially one of the sleepiest sleeper picks of the century. I don't know if you were aware, but Kobe Bryant is apparently amazing at soccer. Here is the video evidence to prove it: 

Premiership teams Keane on spending

It would have been hard for today's transfer deadline day to match perhaps the most exciting transfer deadline ever, that of last August. Despite this, there was considerable hype surrounding a number of players as the day began. Rumors (my favorite part of deadline day) had moves for anyone from Drogba to Gudjohnsen in store, and while those particular ones turned out to be false, the day as a whole did not disappoint. For those of you who were unable to follow the action today, here is a quick recap courtesy of the BBC:

In: Chelsea (Quaresma), Everton (Jo), Fulham (Dacourt, Gray), Newcastle (Taylor), Portsmouth (Basinas), Stoke (Camara), Sunderland (Davenport), Tottenham (Keane), West Brom (Menseguez, Mulumbu), Wigan (N'Zogbia)

Out: Chelsea (Smith, Tejera), Fulham (Leijer,Teymourian), Liverpool (Gulacsi, Hamill, Keane), Man City (Jo), Man Utd (Chester), Newcastle (N'Zogbia), Portsmouth (Hyland), Sunderland (Chopra), Tottenham (Pekhart), West Ham (Davenport), Wigan (Camara, Taylor)

By far the most intriguing is the transfer of Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane back to Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs kindly allowed Keane to pursue his dream of playing for Liverpool when they sold him for around £18 million over the summer. After something of a falling out with Reds boss (and likely madman) Rafa Benitez, Keane was today re-purchased by Spurs for a mere £12 million, in a 6-month episode that equates to a £6 million, half-season loan spell at Anfield. Indeed, Keane did struggle initially following his move to Liverpool, as anyone with a megamillion pound price tag might, but the Republic captain seemed to be finding his form when Benitez started making some very strange selection decisions. After benching red-hot Robbie in favor of a 3-man central midfield or playing Dirk Kuyt up front, Rafa recently left Keane out of the squad entirely for matches against Everton and Chelsea. Rumors that Benitez only signed Keane in the summer after he failed to sign Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry only intensified an already heated situation. To be fair to Rafa, Keane had scored only 7 goals in 28 appearances for the club, but to purchase a player for £18 million and then refuse to play him when he finds his form simply makes no sense. For me this is only further proof that Benitez is indeed losing the plot (recall his war of words with Sir Alex a few weeks back). From a Robbie Keane perspective, the move back to White Hart Lane makes perfect sense. He clearly didn't feel comfortable at Liverpool, and where better to return to than the loyal support of his former club, where he enjoyed much success during his first spell.

The second transfer that I would like to discuss is that of Ricardo Quaresma to Chelsea. The deal is a loan deal that will last until the end of the season. Quaresma is another player who was finding opportunities hard to come by at his club, and the move to Stamford Bridge seems to suit him well. Quaresma will play under his former Portuguese national team coach, Luis Felipe Scolari, and could bring some life to an increasingly stagnant Chelsea front line. French import Flourent Malouda has been a sheer disappointment this season, and I would not be surprised if Quaresma replaces Malouda in the Chelsea starting line up. The former Porto winger will also bring a dimension that the Chelsea attack does not seem to have right now, which is a player who can run at defenders and beat them one-on-one. Having lost trickster Joe Cole for the season, I am sure Scolari will encourage Quaresma to mix things up a little, and you can expect to see some highlight-worthy moments from a man who has produced many in the past. Perhaps the greatest knock against Quaresma, and the reason he had struggled to penetrate the Inter first 11, is his inconsistency. Typical of a player who likes to run at guys, Quaresma was often both the best and the sometimes the worst player on the field during his famed Porto days. In order to have a real impact at Chelsea, he will have to be more disciplined in his play and find some sort of consistency.

Finally, the loan transfer of Brazilian striker Jo from Manchester City to Everton will also be an interesting one to follow. Jo, like the two players mentioned above, had struggled to cement his starting spot with a new club. City, who paid £18 million for the hit man over the summer, boast a front line that includes Robinho, Stephen Ireland, Darius Vassell, Benjani and now Craig Bellamy. Jo scored a meager 3 goals in 13 games during his brief first spell at City, but despite this he must have been an attractive target for Everton, who have been plagued by injuries to their forwards. Injuries to Saha, Yakubu and Anichebe have seen them forced to play midfielders Marouane Fellaini and Tim Cahill up top. They will welcome a talented striker, albeit one who is yet to prove himself in the Premier League. Everton have a solid supporting cast that includes Steven Pienaar and Mikel Arteta, and I can easily see Jo flourishing with his new club. This is also a smart move on City's part, as they have an abundance of quality up front, and regular first-team action will perhaps help Jo to become more accustomed to the physical style of the EPL.

One very final note regarding a potentially impending transfer. Due to heavy snow throughout Britain, the FA decided to extend the transfer deadline provided clubs can prove that the weather has in some way delayed a tranfer. Russian superstar Andrei Arshavin spend the day in London today trying to finalize a deal that would see him move from Zenit St. Petersburg to Arsenal. After many conflicting reports throughout the day, Fishinho's Football Corner can report with confidence that Arshavin's agent claims a deal is in place, but since it was finalized after the official transfer deadline, the deal must be approved by the FA via the rule I just explained. Seeing as the Premier League has never been one to deny incoming talent (talent=marketing=more money for the league), don't be alarmed to see the league cook up some fantastic excuse for the lateness relating to the English weather. Who could deny that Arshavin's car got stuck in the snow for 12 hours as he was driven from Heathrow Airport this morning to the Arsenal offices to sign the deal late tonight?