Short Soccer Rambling- Sanchez heads to Barcelona

Before the weekend of debauchery starts, I decided to ramble a little bit about my favorite sport. For those who don't care about football (the real one!!) then you can click the X and I won't begrudge you at all for it.

Shouts out to Alexis Sanchez, who has just signed with the reigning Champions League winners Barcelona.

When I first thought of writing about this topic, I was thinking about saying how much it is a waste for Alexis to come to Spain and Barca not needing a player like Sanchez because they have that forward line covered.

Then I thought about the cons to all my arguments and it seemed better to talk about why Alexis is good for Barca and vise versa.

Barcelona is pretty much set in every position for next year. No one getting too old and they can make another run with the same group. However a group needs some sort of spark to keep them hungry and raring for more titles. That is why Cesc Fabregas will be a good move for Barca also.

Players respond well to competition. Granted they want the security of having a spot on the starting 11 but they also want to compete for their spot against a player who is at the same caliber. Sanchez will keep players like David Villa, Pedro, and even Messi on their toes.

If they want to start over Sanchez, they will have to play better than they did last year. It will make Barcelona an even stronger team before.

That goes the same with Alexis, he will have to prove to a group of players who have been together for four or five years that he can match them. The Chilean has the caliber to play on this squad, he will have to prove his worth to his players and management a like.


This is probably why squads make changes like this. Even when there is no turnover with the squad, things tend to get stale when players see each other season after season. A player or two could boost morale (depending on the player and relationships that they might have with other players on the team). It could make them stronger even without him getting on the field.



I'm going to head out. Everybody enjoy your weekends! I have a long weekend ahead of me. I don't go back into work until Wednesday next week. I need the break time and it is much needed. I might come back on here and write another post in the between time. So peace and love from American's Most Hated....

The link: Barcelona finally agree Alexis Sanchez transfer

I'm trying to cite my sources since my argument with somebody not citing their sources.

What Should He Do?

Luka Modric is in a position that most footballers have been in. He wants to leave a club but the club is steadyfast that they don't want him to go anywhere. In fact the club is willing to let him rot on the bench or in the stands if he does not want to comply. From the outside view, it seems very tough to deal with. His heart belongs somewhere else but yet his wife doesn't want to sign the divorce papers unless a large fee is put up.

Just a little background: Chelsea has made a couple of offers to Tottenham midfielder, Luka Modric. Tottenham has rejected every bid for the player even though the player wants to go to West London.

Daniel Levy, the chairman of Tottenham, had a meeting with Modric where he basically just said, "Stay here and play or rot." Modric feels disenchanted now because they had a "gentlemen's agreement", right before he signed an extension that if a big club (i.e. Chelsea) comes calling then he was allowed to leave.

Luka now has had a transfer requested denied and we are in this situation now.

So what should Luka do?

He can play good soldier. Work hard in training sessions and games. Play as the good professional as we know he is. And after another season and if they aren't in the Champions League, they can reward him by sending him away to the club he prefers. Somewhat like what C. Ronaldo did (except Man Utd was always going to be in the Champions League), his heart was in Madrid but Sir Alex got one more decent year out of him and actually was a game away from winning Man Utd's third Champions League under SAF.

Problem with this is that he seems to be working with two stubborn men (Redknapp and Levy). They promised him that if he were to sign a new contract with Spurs then after a year (last season), he would be able to go to the club of his choice if they came calling. Obviously smucks make promises like that so they can get you to sign the dotted line. We all know people who tell you that they are going to give you the world and then disappoint you.

Yeah, he can play good soldier and do well for the club but how is it going to help him go to where he needs to. His club doesn't want him to go anywhere and feel he is obligated to complete his contract. By that time, none of the teams like Chelsea will probably pursue him then.

He could also take the bluff and rot on the bench. I know these players are ultra-competitive and if they weren't they wouldn't be where they are now. However, knowing me, if I were in his shoes. I would come to training, if they don't want to play me then fine. I will still make my money and you can't do much about that.

Probably the wrong way to go about it but hey right now I would be trying to make the most out of the pay-days as possible.

I digress.

I think this would have a major impact on star players on the team. Think of Rafael van der Vaart and Gareth Bale. What must they be thinking about? Well if they do not plan on giving up Luka Modric, then what hope do I have towards making it to a bigger club if we continue to be a 5th to 10th place club not making the Champions League?

Also morale around the club would be down. I think from player to player, everybody respects each others decisions to go play on the best teams in the world if they get the chance. If someone wants to go to another club, then most players would not begrudge them on their decisions. (Unless the move is a lateral one based soley on money). The players would look at this situation and plead with the club to just move on because even one player could balance the mood and morale of a team.

If I was in Modric's situation, I would play the decent solider, not good soldier, but decent.

The difference: I remember when Modric said that he came back from injury earlier then he should have last season. If I was in that situation, I would take a wee bit more time to make sure I am 100% healthy. If he gets re-injured trying to come back earlier, then he knows that the club won't have his back as he has been proven. So I would make sure that I am 100% fit before I step on the field again.

Obviously I would continue to play as hard as possible because the wages will go down if you don't play well.

And not play to lose but just play well enough NOT to get a Champions League spot. In this case Tottenham would have to sell off players then, they aren't getting that CL money coming in to give extensions or buy better players. More players like the aforementioned will say they want to leave for Champions League football because they are at that caliber. So Tottenham would have some decisions to make. Should we keep these players and possibly go into some debt and have more disenchanted players? or should we rebuild and go with younger players and try to make another run with a different generation of players?

Those are the questions that Tottenham have to ask for themselves and Luka is definitely asking himself some questions if he has to stick around White Hart Lane.

My Opinion: I think Chelsea has to go around 35mil to about 38mil to get this deal done. I see Tottenham valuing the player around the 30 to 32mil range. I think if they are able to up it getting close to 40mil. Then Tottenham will look to let the player go. Are Chelsea willing to get up that much money? We will see.

All I know is this saga will make a heck of a month and a half...

Tevez Gone

I guess I have to write about this now. Since everybody is claiming me to be a Manchester City fan. As I'm sure you know, Carlos Tevez has asked to be transferred from Eastlands. It seems at least this time that he won't play another game with City. If this has to do with family reasoning, then I can understand that completely. However it is always unclear whether it has to do with money or family.

During the last year when he made this excuse, I thought: "Well just move your family to Manchester" He has had trouble adjusting to life in the northwest city. Also I think he would like his family to be around Spanish-speaking people or if he does speak some Italian (some Argentines do) then he can make his way to Italy also. I can understand it.

We complain about fathers leaving their children for months at a time and they end up divorcing or being distant with the kids. Carlos is going the opposite route and saying that he wants to be with his children and he should be commended on that.


City wants about 50mil pounds for no. 32. That might be a steep price for many clubs and I don't think many value him that high. I can understand where City is coming from though. This player is their captain, their consistent goal-scorer, and a folk-lord in Manchester with all his tireless performances with the Blues side.

If they lose a player like that, they will need to be able to buy a player that is equally as good. Dzeko and Balotelli haven't shown their worth as lone striker as of yet. Hopefully they will find someone who is just as good as Tevez or maybe those guys will reach their potential with the club.

The problem is that I don't think clubs will want to pay for him. Not only pay for him, will they want to deal with his pay wages also? He is going to command huge weekly wages and clubs (i.e Sir Alex) don't think he is worth those wages. He'll have a hard time matching the wages that City gave to him. They treated him a little too well.

Of course it could be another power-play by super agent, Kia Joorabchian. This is the easiest cop-out that we can use, he has been running the Tevez train for a while now. He's asked City for better wages or threaten to leave. So it will be very easy to say, maybe KJ is out for more money since it seems that City is just giving it in money-bags.

I don't know what is going to happen in this saga. For all I know, I won't be the least bit surprised that he shows up to training with City after the Copa America tournament is over. Then again, I won't be surprised if he doesn't shows up. The mysterious case of Carlos Tevez always takes turns that no one least expect...

You're a Grown Ass Man Dawg

I swear some people are the biggest idiots EVER.

EVER?

FREAKIN EVER!

I have been going through my twitter timeline and other people's timelines just to pass time. And I see something that makes me ashame to be a grown man. I saw a grown man complain about a celebrity not mentioning them back.

Who do these people think they are that they deserve to be mentioned anyways? Let me say this, I mention and ask questions to celebrities or other famous people all the time. Do I expect them to answer back? Not really. It is mainly because I got more important stuff to do then worry about people mentioing anyways. Also they might not have the time to answer my question or shout me out. If they answer, Great. If they don't, all good my life hasn't gotten any worse over it

I know that I am too old to be worrying about nonsense like that. I am trying to live my life as I see fit, not sit on the computer waiting for a comment on my wall or twitter mention. Come on people, get over yourselves.

If it is a kid, then I can actually understand that. But people are 18, 19, 25, even 30 complaining about how their tweets aren't recognized, they need to be dragged out in the middle of Arizona and shot.

You don't make yourself a better person by berating a famous person on twitter. You just make yourself more stupid than you already were. Plus they have hundreds and hundreds of mentions a day. God (sorry about that) forbid that they don't see your tweet.

I just felt that I had to go in because some people make the rest of us look bad due to their ignorance and stupidity.

*sniff sniff* "but I wanted a mention or a retweet. You couldn't give me a mention or a retweet?? I am going to cry to my momma. Hold on, I got to go upstairs because I still live in my mom's basement and I'm 30 years old."

People like that, I can't give any sympathy to. I worry about other things then a celebrity's tweet.

Oh another thing, if you say that somebody isn't a celebrity and they aren't that hot, then why is your dumbass even asking for a mention from these people. That just makes you stupid for even trying to get a response from these people.

Alright I'm done now. Hopefully I can get back to work and let this steam from my head go away....

What? A celebrity hasn't mentioned me in the last 15 minutes? Let me get angry for no damn reason whatsoever....



P.S: Sorry to those living in their parent's basement because of job situation or anything like that. I wasn't trying to berate all those who do that. Just those who complain about little shit like twitter.