West Coast Connection Forum
Lifestyle => Sports & Entertainment => Topic started by: Elano on January 27, 2011, 09:52:57 PM
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(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/01/27/article-0-0CEFC6C5000005DC-522_634x588.jpg)
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/01/27/article-0-0CEFBCDB000005DC-120_634x460.jpg)
The omens were bad for Emmanuel Adebayor on his first day at Real Madrid he had to train with the reserves.
While the first team stretched their legs having played 24-hours earlier, the Manchester City loanee was put through his paces with the kids and the stiffs - different club, same shift.
He didn't have a number either. Today he will take the available No.6 or swap with the club's current No.10 Lassana Diarra - those Madrid supporters who think it's bordering on blasphemy to let the midfield scrapper wear the number traditionally worn by football's finest will gladly support him in that cause.
Adebayor was handed a matchbox-size silver replica of the Santiago Bernabeu by Jorge Valdano as he signed on the dotted line. He then went out to the life-size Santiago Bernabeu where he promptly made a mess of the obligatory keepy-uppies that new signings have to perform in front of the Madrid press.
The Togo striker also arrived to the news that the man he has been drafted into replace has suddenly moved up a gear and looks ready to fight for his place.
Karim Benzema scored an excellent winner in Madrid's midweek cup win and delievered the kind of performance Jose Mourinho has been demanding for weeks.
But the Frenchman's revival has come too late. He may start at the weekend as the new man recovers from his presentation, but this is Adebayor's time and if he saves Real Madrid from another Barcelona clean sweep this season then he might just save his own career in the process.
Real Madrid will probably win nothing this year without beating Barcelona in the process and Adebayor is integral to Mourinho achieving that goal.
Pep Guardiola has won all four of his games as a coach against Madrid but the Mourinho team he faces in April will very different to the one his side dispatched 5-0 at the Camp Nou in November and Adebayor's aggressive presence in attack will be one of the big changes.
Mourinho played Barca the Madrid way last November because he was still feeling the institutional pressure to do so the purists expected it.
But that plan failed so he now has every Madrid fans' permission to do it his way. In the clasicos that remain expect a smothering three-man defensive midfield and Adebayor and Cristiano Ronaldo leading a hard working, physically intimidating attack.
Hard work might be something Adebayor has not done too much of recently but Mourinho will see it as a personal challenge to, at the very least, get the same from his new player as Arsene Wenger once did at Arsenal.
Madrid are expected to spend big on a striker in the summer with Fernando Llorente, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero the current order of preference. There may also be a bid for Belgian prodigy Romelu Lukata.
The budget will not stretch to someone who shows more fight off the pitch than on it. But if Adebayor finds his form and helps Mourinho deliver trophies then the script will need to be changed.
The Portuguese coach is not a man to forget a favour, and with cups on the table he will have earned the right to decide who comes and goes next summer.
The best of Adebayor's first day at work came when he told his new supporters: 'Barcelona are beatable.' If he can prove it, they might even let him stay.
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he had to train with the reserves.
;D
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http://www.youtube.com/v/WADX1re71w8
http://www.youtube.com/v/xA0QGL_RnXQ
Ajax Confirm 26.5m Deal Agreed With Liverpool For Striker Luis Suarez
Ajax have confirmed that they have reached an agreement with Liverpool over the transfer of striker Luis Suarez for a fee of 26.5 milllion (£23 million).
The Reds have acted swiftly after the manager of the Eredivisie outfit, Frank de Boer, suggested that he wanted any potential deal for the 24-year-old to be concluded on Saturday.
The Uruguayan striker heads to Anfield as uncertainty surrounds the future of Fernando Torres, with Goal.com UK exclusively revealing that the former Atletico Madrid star wants to leave the club by the start of next season with Chelsea heavily linked.
Suarez himself declared on Friday that he was desperate for the Reds to reach an agreement with Ajax to allow him to grasp a "beautiful chance" to join a "big club in Europe".
The ex-Groningen man has won 38 caps for his country and was one of the stand-out performers at the 2010 World Cup as Uruguay finished in fourth place in South Africa.
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Liverpool have had a bid accepted for Newcastle striker Andy Carroll which would set a new British transfer record, the Magpies confirmed on their website on Monday.
Carroll handed in a transfer request in a successful attempt to persuade Newcastle to accept Liverpool's third bid after two previous offers of around 30 million pounds were rejected by the Magpies.
Newcastle released a statement claiming the deal would be worth a British record fee, beating the previous record of 32 million pounds (51.3 million dollars) set when Manchester City signed Robinho from Real Madrid.
"A British transfer record fee has been agreed between Newcastle and Liverpool for Magpies striker Andy Carroll," the statement read.
"The 22-year-old England international has handed in a transfer request, which has reluctantly been accepted by the club, and Carroll is currently in talks with the Reds over a move to Anfield."
Liverpool also confirmed a transfer was in the pipeline in a statement which read: "Liverpool FC confirmed this afternoon that Newcastle United had accepted a club record offer for the transfer of Andy Carroll.
"The club have been given permission by Newcastle to discuss personal terms with the player, who will now travel to Liverpool for a medical."
If Liverpool are able to complete their move for Carroll that would likely open the way for Chelsea to land Reds striker Fernando Torres in a transfer which would shatter Carroll's British record deal.
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The Spanish striker has been linked with a move to Chelsea after handing in a transfer request last Friday but the two clubs had failed to agree terms for the deal to go ahead.
Chelsea originally turned the players head with a £35m offer but the Reds are now believed to have agreed on a fee closer to £50m.
Torres is now awaiting a medical with Chelsea ahead of a move being completed.
The 26-year-old is set to be part of a double swoop which could also see Benfica defender David Luiz arrive at the club.
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Liverpool Football Club tonight confirmed they have agreed a fee with Chelsea for the sale of Fernando Torres.
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LIVERPOOL ANNOUNCE THEY HAVE AGREED A FEE FOR NEWCASTLE STRIKER ANDY CARROLL
MIKE ASHLEY
http://www.youtube.com/v/wT68xrLX_Ug?fs=1&hl=en_GB(http://img.skysports.com/08/01/218x298/MikeAshley_621291.jpg)
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:laugh:
Idiotic is an understatement. The English PL clubs are completely :banana: Any player who has 2 feet raises a fee of atleast 10m.
And Torres to Chelski. lol. Torres isn't a bad player, but 60m? lmao, dude is a wreck anyways. How can a club spent so much money on a player that is injured half the time :grumpy:
It's about time the bubble PL busts.
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we need one thread for all the transfers
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we need one thread for all the transfers
no.
this is one of the biggest transfers
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torres is not injured half the time ::)
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So from a initially mooted deal of £40m + Anelka, Liverpool effectively get £15m + Andy Carroll??
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So from a initially mooted deal of £40m + Anelka, Liverpool effectively get £15m + Andy Carroll??
and suarez, an amazing player
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So from a initially mooted deal of £40m + Anelka, Liverpool effectively get £15m + Andy Carroll??
and suarez, an amazing player
That guy is fuckin great, he'll bring some more entertainment to the league for sure.
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we need one thread for all the transfers
done
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torres is not injured half the time ::)
Last year he played 23 league games, the year before 22.
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2 goals for Giampaolo Pazzini in his first match with his new team,Fc Inter 8)
2 fantastic goals
http://www.youtube.com/v/STWc2IxpZdE
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I didn't want to leave Newcastle at all - Andy Carroll claims Mike Ashley forced him to go to Liverpool
Liverpool's new club record signing Andy Carroll has claimed that he was pushed out of Newcastle United by owner Mike Ashley.
While Newcastle have claimed they did not want to sell the Gateshead-born player, Carroll is telling a different story entirely.
"I was in talks about a new contract and talking to the gaffer about that," Carroll told the Newcastle Chronicle.
"He told me that they are now not going to give me a contract. That was as soon as the offer of £30m came in.
"So I asked why [I wasn't getting a new contract], and he said his hands were tied.
"He said it wasn't up to him. Then a £35m bid got accepted.
"And then I was allowed to talk to Liverpool. The owner then made it clear to me that I was not wanted at the club, saying that his own helicopter is waiting for me to go down to talk to them.
"So being shown I'm not wanted I said 'OK, I will talk to them'. Then suddenly the bid was rejected.
"And then Derek asked me to hand in a transfer request. So I was pushed into a corner and had no choice.
"I wasn't wanted by them and they made it clear they wanted the money. Then I flew down in his [Ashley's] helicopter. I didn't want to leave.
"I'm gutted that I wasn't wanted at my home team after everything I've done and progress I've made.
"I didn't want to leave at all. Make sure they know I didn't want to leave.
"The players, staff and fans were fantastic."
Meanwhile, Pardew has given his own version of the events that unfolded on deadline day.
"There was an offer refused in the morning and then we received a second improved offer," he said.
"Myself, Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias were having a discussion when Andy Carroll poked his head around the door and said he wanted to see me.
"I had the conversation with Andy. He said he wanted a new contract now that would make him the highest paid player at the club.
"This from a guy who had signed a new deal just a few months ago.
"I asked him what he wanted but he didn't reply."
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Chelsea's 58.5 Million Move For Fernando Torres A Worrying Sign For UEFA - Report
UEFA watched with surprise as Chelsea signed Fernando Torres from Liverpool for 58.5 million.
According to a report in the Guardian, UEFA has reacted with surprise to Chelsea's capture of Liverpool attacker Fernando Torres for a reported fee of 58.5 million on deadline day of the January transfer window.
Chelsea revealed losses of 83m over the 2009-10 campaign on Monday and the club's decision to spend close to 60m on Torres despite the worrying financial situation didn't go down too well with Europe's football governing body.
An UEFA insider supposedly described the willingness to bid 58.5m for a single player as "a worrying sign". UEFA reportedly consider Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to be a key component of its financial fair play regulations. The aforementioned regulations seek to limit clubs' losses to 45m over a three-year period beginning this season.
UEFA president Michel Platini recently warned that clubs that don't comply with the fair play regulations face being banned from Europe.
"It will be time for them to face the music if there is a club that doesn't fall in line," Platini was quoted as saying.
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English Comment: Roman's Second Coming - How Fernando Torres And David Luiz Herald The Start Of A New Era For Chelsea
Chelsea were not expected to have a busy January transfer window, but on deadline day the Premier League champions shelled out £50 million for Liverpool's star striker Fernando Torres, while a deal worth over £21m was finally agreed with Benfica to sign defender David Luiz.
Such spending is a statement of intent from cowner Roman Abramovich - he is not prepared to allow his club to lose touch with their title rivals and he is ready for a new generation of stars to spearhead the resurgence.
It had been largely acknowledged that a reining in of spending was on the cards in the coming years for the Blues, who signed only Ramires and Yossi Benayoun prior to the start of the new season, and just Daniel Sturridge, Yuri Zhirkov and Ross Turnbull in the previous summer.
But with Chelsea in fourth place in the table, 10 points behind unbeaten league leaders Manchester United and four behind big spenders Manchester City in third, Abramovich's hand has been forced into the market in a big way.
His last minute outlay of £71m, which accounts for a healthy chunk of the total £225m spent by Premier League clubs during January on the same day a loss of over £68m was announced by the club, recalls the sort of money he made readily availailable at the beginning of his reign as Chelsea owner.
By April 2005, the Russian billionaire, who took over in the summer of 2003, had spent an unprecedented £213.3m on players, including Didier Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho, Claude Makelele and Arjen Robben, as Jose Mourinho built a squad capable of delivering Premier League titles and domestic cup success.
But such spending could not deliver the Champions League, which has always been known to be Abramovich's most coveted piece of silverware, while many of those big money signings have moved on or are approaching the twilight of their careers.
Carvalho has reunited with Mourinho at Real Madrid a move Robben had previously made before becoming a dominant force for Bayern Munich and Makelele has returned to his native France as he approaches retirement.
The likes of Drogba and Anelka remain, but at 32 and 31 respectively, their time at the club could be on the wane - the latter was even rumoured to be a makeweight in an earlier offer for Torres, while it has been suggested that the former could return to Marseille before the end of his career.
Little wonder then that Abramovich has allowed Carlo Ancelotti to move to secure one of the Premier League's most established and gifted goalscorers in Torres, while shoring up his defence by bringing in Luiz, whose introduction allows Ivanovic to move to right-back in place of the unconvincing Jose Bosingwa and the ageing Paulo Ferreira.
While Torres has looked out of sorts for the majority of the first half of the season and his performances for World Cup winners Spain at South Africa 2010 fell short of expectations, there is no doubting his credentials as a world-class Premier League striker - his seven goals against Chelsea over the years he had been at Liverpool are more than enough evidence of his ability.
In spite of his poor form and a spell blighted by injury, Torres has still hit the target nine times this season in a Liverpool side that was ailing under previous manager Roy Hodgson - the same amount of goals scored by Chelsea's top marksmen Drogba and Florent Malouda.
Luiz, meanwhile, has been considered hot property across Europe since establishing himself in the Benfica starting XI after joining the club in 2007, and could be set to cement himself a place in the Brazil national team setup for years to come.
With Torres aged 26, and Luiz younger still at 23, Abramovich has invested heavily in players of the highest calibre who can usher in a new generation of success for Chelsea and in the short-term can give the club's title charge and Champions League ambitions a much-needed resurgence.
If more signings of a similar ilk are to follow in the summer, who knows the level of success Chelsea can achieve in years to come.
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I can understand why Torres wanted to join another club, but I hope he fails after he scores the winner today.
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I can understand why Torres wanted to join another club, but I hope he fails after he scores the winner today.
:sshh:
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I can understand why Torres wanted to join another club, but I hope he fails after he scores the winner today.
I can't undestand how a human being wants to join Chelski ($ :-X), and I can't understand how a club can pay 58,5m for a player who's been searching for his form over a year now.
Btw how the hell can you finish 4-4 after a 4-0 lead`? This is the perfect example why Arsenal won't ever win shit as long as they have this french pussy as a coach, Arenal just ain't a winner team.
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I can understand why Torres wanted to join another club, but I hope he fails after he scores the winner today.
I can't undestand how a human being wants to join Chelski ($ :-X)
you can't understand,ok ::)
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I can understand why Torres wanted to join another club, but I hope he fails after he scores the winner today.
I can't undestand how a human being wants to join Chelski ($ :-X), and I can't understand how a club can pay 58,5m for a player who's been searching for his form over a year now.
Btw how the hell can you finish 4-4 after a 4-0 lead`? This is the perfect example why Arsenal won't ever win shit as long as they have this french pussy as a coach, Arenal just ain't a winner team.
Realest thing said. I have nothing against Arsenal but it's clear that the team as a whole, are chokers.
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Btw how the hell can you finish 4-4 after a 4-0 lead`? This is the perfect example why Arsenal won't ever win shit as long as they have this french pussy as a coach, Arenal just ain't a winner team.
Damn, why the hell did you bring that shit up again, I almost forgot about the whole game ;D
But yeah, I felt and still am gutted. I couldn't believe what I was watching. But I don't know what to say really..