UnderTheBridge

Before recent years, the 31st of August was merely just another date on our reoccurring calender, the end of a month, the end of our six week summer break. Now though the date holds a much greater meaning to the millions, if not billions of football fans all over the world. Yes I am of course referring to Transfer Deadline Day!

This the final of a two month period over the summer, whereby teams across England and Scotland reshape their squads for the up and all ready running campaigns. Hated by managers but loved by fans, transfer deadline is fast becoming one of the most eagerly anticipated days on the footballing calender.

For managers this is no doubt the most stressful day of the year, having to either fend off interest for their big stars or find a replacement in such a short space of time.

Whether you’re a fan of non-league Luton or the world famous Manchester United there is almost a guarantee that come August 31′st, you’ll be glued to the television watching loop after loop of sky sports news waiting for a signing.

The BBC sports website recored 4.9 million unique users on deadline day with 42.4 million hits. This including over 12 million hits just for the deadline commentary. absolutely astounding figures.

However all justifiable figures as deadline day has brought epic moments in the past few seasons with the likes of Robinho, Torres, Berbatov all making dramatic last minute moves.

Despite the financial crisis and current recession in Britain, this magical day did not fail to deliver as many big money moves were completed. In fact this transfer window itself was a record for spending by premier league clubs as they notched up over £450m in transfer fees.

Quoted by many all over different social networking sites, “Transfer Deadline Day is soon becoming the new Christmas”.

You’d be hard pushed to find any football fanatic that doesn’t agree with this. It brings all the excitement of not knowing who you are going to get, coincided with the nervous feeling of getting that lump of coal with no one at all.

As broadcasters send out their presenters to grounds across the countries top flight, fans gather in their masses waiting for news of a transfer. Only in football would you find fans this passionate about their clubs, celebrating any signing like they’d won a cup. Without a doubt the best fans in the world.

This deadline was set to be a classic from early on, with the Modric saga as well as Wengers crucial choice in replacements for departing stars Fabregas and Nasri. Even lower down the leagues, clubs looking to fend off interest in their players from the divisions above.

Whilst we did not see the huge deals we have seen in the past on this final day. We were not without the drama as Spurs manager Redknapp spoke of a rejected £40m bid from Chelsea for spurs midfield dynamo Modric. Also we had the light switch situation of Arteta’s Arsenal move from the toffees, in which the light was eventually found at the end of the tunnel for Wenger. Stoke proved to be very active, signing quality players in Palacios, Crouch and Jerome. Lower down we had Le Fondre’s move from Rotherham to Reading as well as Leicsters fantastic capture of Jermain Beckford from Everton.

At 10:34pm as the clock counted down to the 11pm deadline. Millions of us continued to watch on waiting for confirmation of rumored deals for our clubs. It was then that perhaps the biggest shock came as it was reported that Raul Meireles of Liverpool had handed in a transfer request with just 26 minutes of the window remaining!

The story stunned presenters, pundits, journalist and fans alike. There had been brief reports days earlier of Chelsea’s interest in the Portuguese star but the deal looked dead in the water as the blues pursued other targets. It was just after 11pm the deal was announced on the Chelsea website that Meireles was now a blue. Absolutely unbelievable!

Whilst we have been treated to pulsating deals like this in windows gone by, nobody expected it this time round. It’s deals like this which make deadline day what it is. We never seem to expect the unexpected or maybe just refuse to as we look to fill that void of excitement that days like Christmas used to bring?

Like boxing day, the 1st of September sees us all awaken from our slumber knowing the magical day has passed and whilst we continue to enjoy what we have acquired, we still miss the feeling of yesterday.

Seen as the new Christmas, perhaps deadline day is better? So much better in fact that we are treated to it twice a season, as one deadline is simply not enough.

So whilst folks in the normal world are counting down to December 25th 2011, us fanatics of the footballing galaxy look deeper to the next ‘Window of oppertunity’. January 31′st 2012. Deadline day take two. The day the olympics are forgotten…well for 24 hours anyway.

Next step, National Holiday!

Late last night and early this morning the news broke that Chelsea had made a bid of around £35m for Livepool’s Fernando Torres. The news comes just days after speculation that the blues had made a £60 combined bid for Athletico Madrid’s Aguero and Goddin (Later dismissed by Chelsea officials). Does this mean the spending power is back?!

As the news broke i surprisingly found myself torn on the whole matter. I had been a massive Torres fan since he first burst onto the seen for Athletico and had followed his early career but recently all i could see was an injury prone player who looked as if he’d rather be anywhere else than on the pitch.

His talents became aware to me at the 2006 World cup whereby his partnership with Barcelona’s David Villa was simply frightening. This was reinforced in the years that followed. With pace, power, strength and sublime technique it was evident that here was a top striker. When he signed for Liverpool post world cup i have to say it did strike some fear into me and that with him leading the reds in attack they were going to be a real force. Again Torres reinforced this to me as in the 2 seasons that followed Liverpool FC grew as a club and began challenging for the league title for the first time in years. Along with this he led the Spanish line to the Euro 2008 title whereby he scored the only goal in a 1:0 victory over Germany. In the two seasons that followed the European Championships things changed for the Liverpool number 9 as he started to pick up knocks and strains which caused a couple of influent campaigns. Despite this Torres goal scoring touch was still evident as in the league he averaged over a goal every other game. Late on in the 09/10 season he picked up  knee injury which left him in a race against time to get fit for the 2010 world cup. It was for me, here whereby any doubts i had for Torres arose.

Torres underwent knee surgery on 18 April 2010, of which ruled him out for the remainder of the Premier league season.  Despite still being injured come mid May, he was named in the Spanish World Cup squad. It wasn’t until a month later whereby he made his first appearance since surgery by coming on for the last 30 minutes in a pre World Cup friendly against Poland just days before the event started. Throughout the competition itself  Torres featured in all the group games but with performances described by many pundits and fans alike as “Below Par” the Spaniard was struggling for confidence. As Spain continued through the competition his form did not get any better and when coming on as a 105th minute substitute in the final, despite helping his team to grab a 1:0 victory at the expense of Holland., the goal scoring machine of the past had failed to net in the whole tournament.

During the 2010 summer after Rafa Benitez dismissal for LFC there was speculation that Torres himself would move on with Man City or Chelsea dubbed as possible destinations. Despite this after speaking to new manager Hodgson, he decided to stick with the reds. Having made 25 appearances this season and scoring just 9 goals in a disappointing reds side that has already seen the departure of Hodgson just 6 months into his tenure, Torres’s form has been nothing short of disappointing. On the pitch he has looked disinterested and well off the pace, with his confidence in front of goal also under question as his goal scoring touch of the past just a distant memory. Since Daglish has stepped into the frame i must admit he is beginning to look sharper however for me since that knee surgery back in April we have not seen the explosive Torres of old. This is my main concern with the matter. Should we pay £35m for a player who’s form does not warrant that?! I worry that he may become like Michael Owen did and to some extent Joe Cole whereby their careers have been plagued by injuries.

The latest update is that Torres has asked Liverpool officials to speak with Chelsea. Maybe this time he finally wants out and a new start. Perhaps he’s become disorientated with life at Anfield?! As outsiders we simply do not know and there is only one man who can answer that question.

At 26 Torres is for me still to hit his prime and if he can stay injury free, he can once again become one of if the the best player in the world. Personally i think £35m is a big risk for a player in Torres’s current condition, leaving me slightly torn as i am such an admirer of his work. They say “Form is temporary, Class is permanent” I certainly do hope this is the case.

Despite being torn, my admiration for him outweighs my concerns and i hope we do get him. Maybe we can help him re discover his hunger for the game and he can then stop starving the world of his true ability!

Today it was announced that sky sports presenter/commentator had been sacked. Possibly one of the most recognized commentary voices since John Motson, Andy Gray was given the boot following sexists comments about a female assistant referee.

When off air during in Saturdays match between Wolves and Liverpool, Gray and fellow presenter Richard Keys were unknowingly recorded making sexist jibes towards female official Sian Massey.

Former Scotland striker Gray said: ‘Can you believe that? A female linesman. Women don’t know

the offside rule.’ To which Keys said: ‘Course they don’t. I can guarantee you there will be a big one today. Kenny (Liverpool manager Dalglish) will go potty. This isn’t the first time, is it? Didn’t we have one before?

As well as this Gray was again caught chatting to Sky reporter Andy Burton who stated that a collegue had described Massey as ‘a bit of a looker’. Burton later went on to say ‘I don’t know if i should trust his judgement on that’. This sparked a disturbingly discriminant reply from Gay “Nah, I wouldn’t. I definitely wouldn’t.’

Not always a popular character due to his extreme bias towards certain players and teams, at times Gray frustrated fans. However as annoying as he was Super Sunday was simply not the same without him and his voice became somewhat of a comfort. The 55 year old Scot was important to adding to atmospheres in living rooms and bars across the world. Famously know for his phrase “Take a Bow” which is recognized by football enthusiasts all over

Gray will surely be a big miss for Sky.

As much as he will be missed i for one am glad Sky have stuck to there principles and given Gray the boot. Although Super Sunday may seem slightly empty without his infamous voice, i believe there is no place for his views in football. We’re always campaigning to kick racism out of football, how about kicking sexism out of football? Well Done Sky, you may have pioneered the way!

Thats just my view, what’s yours?

And so it arises again. The great debate is back, Who is better? Pele or Maradona. This treated like one of lifes great mysteries like ‘why is the sky blue?’ and leaves us with only the option of giving our opinion. A lot of the time its just fact as to who is the better player, however this is a case of two players who were so far ahead of others with their footballing ability but together so closely matched  in their comparable skill levels. So what’s your views on who was the best?

Personally i always lean towards Pele as i don’t think you can look past his glistening career. A man who appeared in 4 world cup finals, gaining his first international cap at the age of 16 and winning his first World cup at the age of just 17. This coincided with an unbelievable goals to game ratio of 1821 goals in 1363 games. One argument against this is that the majority of his goals (1087) were scored for his club side santos over an epic 18 year stay (1120 appearances), claiming that the level he scored them at was not the highest level. However i think that many fail to realize how competitive the brazilian league was and to a certain extent still is today. This backed up by nobody even coming close to his feats all the way up to this very day.If this evidence isn’t enough for you then you can’t look past his international career whereby he scored 77 goals in 92 games with his first goal coming at the age of 16 years and 9 months on the 7th of July 1957 when Brazil were defeated 2-1 by the other South American giants Argentina. So with going onto gain 3 world cup winners medals and a list of honors longer than the Berlin wall i just can’t see past him.

On the other side of the argument we have Diego Maradona, a footballing genius who emerged from  Argentina in the late 70′s and became one of the if not the most controversial players of all time. Also making 4 world cup finals appearances Maradona has his own right to be claiming the title as the best ever. A goal scoring record of 292 goals in 585 games, 1 world cup winners medal and having what is branded as the best goal ever to his name, Maradona has a good case. With a club career beginning in Argentina with Boca before moving to Europe whereby he had spells with Sevilla, Napoli and arguably the worlds greatest club Barcelona, his CV is nothing short of spectacular.

At 5 ft 5, Maradona was regarded as probably the best dribblers in the game, and justified this title at the 1986 world cup whereby he took the ball from his own half and dribbled around 5 of the English players before rounding keeper Shilton to score what was voted by FIFA as the greatest goal in the history of the world cup. In the same game he also scored the most controversial goals of all time whereby he punched the ball in which was missed by the officials and was later named as the hand of god. It was the same tournament in which he received the golden ball (tournaments best player) after captaining Argentina to the trophy, defeating West Germany in the final.

Looking back to his Barcelona years (1982-84) whereby he moved for then a world record transfer fee of 5 million. Maradona made 36 appearances scoring 22 goals but sadly his time was marred with injuries and illness. He first had to deal with a bout of hepatitis and then suffered  a broken leg which almost ended the Argentineans career, but for his incredible mental and physical strength. Following disputes with the clubs officials Maradona requested a transfer in 1984 out of the Nou Camp and was Transferred to Italian side Napoli for again a new record fee of 6.9 million. He experienced a great career in italy scoring 81 goals in 188 appearances receiving many honours including Serie A top scorer in the 87/88 season. It was 3 years later that the controversy of Maradona entered and for me ultimately disgraced his career and name.

In 1991 he was found guilty of cocaine use and given a 15 month ban from football. He then later recieved US $70,000 in fines from his club due to missed matches and training sessions, which were believed to be down to stress. He was also caught up in scandal regarding and illegitimate son and was also the object of suspicion of links with a mafia gang. He eventually left the club disgraced in 1992 whereby he eventually moved to Spanish club Sevilla after almost 2 years out of football. In 1994 he was sent home from world cup in USA after testing positive  for Ephedrine, which further disgraced his career. After playing out his career with Newells Old boys and then returning back to Boca Maradona ended his epic but controversial career on his 37th birthday.

So there you have it, two great players or world beaters shall we say but for me in comparison Pele just takes it as the best ever. I think Maradona had the opportunity to pip Pele but by disgracing his career with Drugs and other personal issues he forever left a shadow over his footballing abilities leaving many of us thinking, How good would he have been minus the controversy?!

Another issue I have is that i wasn’t alive to witness either of these two footballing miracles so i only have facts and figures to go on. Looking at my generation i would have to say the best player i have ever seen is Zidane and for me is without doubt the best player of my generation to date. But as for Pele and Maradona what do you think?

Following a well deserved defeat 3:1 to fellow title contenders Manchester Utd at Wembley on sunday, blues fans have been treated to one of the more disappointing blues pre season campaigns, leaving many wondering whether this side is ready for the new Premiership season.

Although in truth Sundays Community Shield match was no more than a glorified friendly in the majority of fans eyes, there just seemed to be something missing from the Chelsea performance. By the time of this match in recent seasons the Eb and Flow of the Chelsea performances were well in place, along with a certain spark which seems to have disappeared. Maybe some say that the candle has been burnt at both ends with the World cup creating an exhaustion in the International blues stars. But to me it seems so much more than that.

Sunday we witnessed a completely different Chelsea. They seem to lack passion and a certain drive of which has pulled them through in recent years. Credit where credits due, as they were playing a in form Utd side who’s passing at times was comparable to that of the World Cup winners Spain. However a desire to close the ball quickly and as a unit just seemed non existent. This alongside a lack of creativity throughout the team leaving us with an unarguable final score-line.

So where does this leave Chelsea as the first game of their title defense rapidly approaches?  This a question which is merely impossible to answer because as we all know ‘A week can make a huge difference in football!’

Following the defeat Ancelotti stated that although the result was disappointing the minutes on the pitch for some of the clubs late returners was invaluable. So do we just take it as come sunday, we’ll be  than ready? or could we be inline for a troublesome start to the season? I guess only time will tell and we’ll have to sit back and pray the Chelsea of seasons past turn up for the next 10 months!

This week it was announced that Chelsea had agreed a fee of around £18m to sign Brazilian international Ramires from Portuguese side Benfica. The Brazilian moved to Benfica just a year ago for a fee of £6.2m, but a great club season and excellent world cup campaign has seen his price soar as he attracted attention from Europe’s Elite.

With the departures of Michael  allack and Joe Cole from Midfield ranks, the big thought on many of the blues fans mind is who would be brought in to replace them?

Having already signed Yossi Beneyoun from rivals Liverpoolmany feared that he would be the only arrival into the Stamford Bridge dressing room, and despite his underrated ability we were still going to lack a certain quality. Now with the signing of Ramires, many feel we have signed the perfect  man to slot into Chelsea’s Midfield.

Ramires brings a quality of which is very uncommon in modern day football, in that he is neither an attacking nor a defensive midfielder and is your typical a box to box centre mid! Praised by his national coach Dunga for his world cup performances which demonstrated his abilities as an all round midfielder. Being brazilian he also brings a style which will be aesthetically pleasing on the eye as well as a winning mentality, which is always welcome at the Bridge.

Sitting in the middle along side Frank Lampard and Michael Essien, you are possibly looking at one of the best midfield 3 in the world, with potentially Barcelona the only argument against this. All 3 very different players in style, but all have an unbelievable drive, which if interlinks leaves you with an unplayable midfield.

At just 23 years old, Ramires has a lot of time ahead of him. With the role models around him has the chance to iron out any weaknesses he may possibly have and become not just a Chelsea legend but one of the worlds greatest players!

Ramires Goals and Assist 2009-2010 season (Click Here)