Having already discussed the impact of these 2 clubs in this blog, I shall now move my focus to other transfers.
Tottenham Hotspurs, for so long a club that has promised so much and yet delivered so little for their long suffering fans, have completed the signing of Peter Crouch from Portsmouth. This proved to be the 1st major player transferred to the Lane this season. Spurs’s fans must be wondering why the club have been this quiet in the market this summer as Spurs are usually one of the more active clubs when it comes to transfers.
Having done really well under Harry “Houdini” Redknapp, Spurs will aim to really challenge for a top 4 spot this season, although I think they might have missed the boat. Their best chance of them ever finishing in the top 4 spot was probably the season just past. The start of last season promised much despite the departures of Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov. However, a disastrous start of just 2 points from their first eight games proved to be their downfall. Credit to Redknapp for turning things around.
Now back at the Lane, I do think the signing of Crouch could be mean Keane’s days at the Lane could again be numbered. I do think Redknapp will prefer the little big combo of Crouch and Defoe up front, having signed the same duo when he was in charge at Pompey. The future of Robbie Keane is certainly a worry, in a short space of 9 months, he might find himself being a Spurs reserve after previously playing second fiddle at Anfield.
The strike force of Crouch and Defoe is certainly not top 4 material in my opinion. Crouch did have a decent record at Pool, however I do feel he is limited as a player. He lacks skill and finesse to conjure up brilliance when the going gets tough and he lacks the pace to be a top quality striker. Jermaine Deofe has all the attributes of Spurs that it is not surprising that he is at the club. Defoe is a striker that promises lots however he has often under delivered. He is a deadly finisher on his day and he does have the pace, however I do think he lacks the consistency to succeed.
I do think Redknapp needs to be signing quality defenders and defensive midfielders to create a strong spine for his team. To rely on a defensive pairing of Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate, 2 famous English patients is just ridiculous and bad management.
The signings of Kyle Naughton and Kyle Walker just magnifies the lack of proper management at Spurs. How many fullbacks do they have in their squad now? They must be the team with the most full backs in their personnel. Bale, Hutton, Assou-Ekotto, Chimbonda, Corluka and now two more!
It is just staggering to me how the summer transfers have been centered on attackers and there has not a mention of a prospective transfer for a top class defender barring the John Terry rumor.
This is certainly a myopia problem for most managers in my opinion.
This summer, we have also seen Stewart Downing leaving the Riverside for Villa Park after much speculation regarding his future. I do wonder if the signing of Downing will be a sign that Ashley Young could be sold. It is astonishing that Martin O’ Neil (a vastly over-rated manager for me) has signed Downing, a player that is also vastly over-rated. He may be a decent player in a smaller side (no disrespect to Boro), but he never ever possesses the quality of being a 1st team player in a top 6 side. I do think he was lucky to have more of a mention as we are seeing a lack of left sided midfielders in the English game at the moment.
How Villa managed to sign a player that will not be out injured til December is beyond belief. That is half a season without his services and even when he gets back in December he will need a month or two to properly get his game in tune with the pace of the Premier League.
Without proper quality signings, I do think Villa could struggle this season. They badly over performed last season in my opinion. Any fans thinking they should have qualified for the Champions League last season are purely in dreamland. A top 10 finish will be decent for them this season. I do expect teams like Man City and Everton to be above them in the standings come May next year.
Zat Knight to Bolton could be a good move for both player and his new employers. Working on a shoe string budget, Bolton are never going to sign anybody major, thus the signing of Zat Knight to shore up their very suspect defense is a good deal. Knight is a decent defender although he is not top class. He should do well at the Reebok.
Frazier Campbell’s move to the Stadium of Light could be an interesting one, A player with loads of prospect and pace, I am sure he will do well alongside Kenwyne Jones upfront. The shift of focus by Steve Bruce to shore up his midfield and defense with approaches for Lee Cattermole is a good move. If he manages to push that transfer through, that will be another good signing for Sunderland.
Everton meanwhile have been quiet as well. They really do need some depth to their very thin squad to help boost their chances of success this season. They have done really well under David Moyes, who in my opinion is a really good manager, definitely the best outside the top 4. In my opinion, only Anchelotti and Ferguson are considered better managers in the Premier League at the moment. The loan capture of Jo for another season is a great coup.
Yuri Zhirkov is probably the signing that could turn out to be one of the best in my opinion. A really skillful player with a great work ethic, he will do well at Chelsea, especially under Anchelotti who I think is a great manager. A great season in stored for Chelsea and I certainly do feel more signings are on the way. He certainly did well on his debut in the US tour against AC Milan. (See his goal against AC Milan below)
In the Serie A, i like the signing of Filepe Melo by Juventus from Fiorentina. For me, Melo is the closest to what Patrick Viera once was as a player, a player with power, pace, desire and the engine to rule the midfield. The signing of the very skilful Diego is another piece of shrewd business by the Old Lady of Italian Soccer. Diego, a creator of goals, is able to score a decent few himself. His arrival will release some pressure off the aging shoulders of Del Piero.
Over at Internazionale, who must have the European Champions League as their top priority this season after winning the Serie A for the past 4 seasons, the signings of Lucio in defense and Eto up front will do much to boost their squad. I just think the signing of Eto is absolutely brilliant. He is the typical Mourinho type player, able to hold the ball and ever willing to frop back and help out the team. A modern day team player.
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