Sports Category
Sports news, commentary and scores with wit and added value. We compare and contrast the best and worst sports reporting in the mainstream press, blogs, TV and online. We love the English Premier League (Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs, Manchester United and Manchester City) and all things football but we cover cricket, rugby, the Olympics, tennis, golf, F1 and highlights of the sporting year.
Transfer Balls: Arsenal Manger Arsene Wenger Explains How The Transfer System Works
TRANSFER Balls dought its cap at Arsenal Werger, the Arsenal manager who has told media that what they print is often utter balls.
“I will be actively involved but on the last day of the window. I will of course be on alert until the last minute of the transfer deadline. You (the media) have decided that I have to buy strikers – I have not necessarily decided that. Once again all the negotiations have to be as secret as possible and if we sign somebody, even if we sign Falcao, you will be informed.
“If I give you the number of strikers I have at the moment it’s absolutely unbelievable. We have Sanogo, Sanchez, we have Walcott, we have Podolski, we have Giroud who will come back during the season and I forget maybe one or two. Campbell can play centre forward as well and of course we can be successful.
“The success of a season doesn’t depend on one player that you buy or not. I think you do it when you think it strengthens your squad. We have shown in the last two seasons, when we think money has to be spent we do it. But we want to do it in the right way.
“It’s harder to buy top top top players. Many clubs are on the market and everybody knows each other. The last few days are poker games. There’s a lot of lies there in the few days, everybody is interested in the same player even if you’re the only one who wants the player.”
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Transfer Balls: Arsenal Want Real Madrid’s Radamel Falcao And Edinson Cavani Is Dropped
TRANSFER Balls: Let’s see what the media has been saying today about Arsenal and Radamel Falcao and Edinson Cavani. And what Arsenal haven’t been saying about everyone.
The Mirror, as ever, leads with a question. Before we see it the Mirror also asks today is Adrien Rabiot if on his way to Arsenal.
The Daily Mirror’s question-mark-at-the-end-of-a-headline balls is not reserved for Arsenal. The paper asks today about Manchester United:
So. The Mirror is full of questions and no answers.
But in the question mark arms race, the Mail wins:
Back to Falcao. The Mirror asks: “Arsenal target Radamel Falcao joining Real Madrid for £20m?”
The article contain not a single word on Arsenal actually buying the Monaco player. Instead it just says he’s joining Real Madrid. For Arsenal fans, this is the entire story:
Arsenal target Radamel Falcao is joining Real Madrid from Monaco. The Spanish giants are unable to buy him outright because of UEFA’s financial fair play rules, so are taking him on a season long long – through the fee even for that is reported to be a whopping £20m.
The move could be made permanent next summer. It means Arsenal have one less option should Arsene Wenger decide to bring in a striker following Olivier Giroud’s injury that will keep him out until the new year. (Calciomercato).
Calciomercato is an Italian website. And today it reports that Wenger is buying no strikers. And, even if he were, the Arsenal manager has no intention of telling the media.
But depite this, the Express plucks a straw:
Drop the hunt for Cavani? Arsenal made a single utterance in public about Cavani.
So. Back to that Falcao to Real Madrid story on Twitter:
Yep, news is that Real Madrid have completed a £20m deal to sign forward Radamel Falcao, 28, from Monaco.
You can read that on Calciomercato.
What about the player? Well, last night he spoke about Monaco in the Champions’ League:
“We are hoping to progress to the knockout stages. All the teams are level … We have confidence in our overall potential, our qualities. We have already been preparing for challenging for the Champions League for some time now. We will gain experience. The whole club is confident and we are on the right track… It is important to take points both home and away. We must try to win all our games. That will be essential to access the knockout stages. “
So. No transfer deal done, then…
Transfer Balls: Arsenal Sign Sokratis Papastathopoulos For More Than They Offer
TRANSFER Balls: The Press is replete with reports that Arsenal have made an approach to sign Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Broussia Dortmund’s Greek defender.
What facts do we now know?
The Daily Mail Dortmund tells its readers:
Dortmund paid £7.5million for Papastathopoulos but want close to £20million now as the window is so close to closing. Arsenal are understood to be willing to offer £12m plus add-ons.
So. Arsenal are willing to go to £12m.
The Indy says the Gunners have bid £10.9m.
If Dortmund representatives are reading the Mail, the news is that Arsenal are willing to go higher.
Talk Sport says “Arsenal have made a £12.5m bid for his signature.”
In other facts:
The Star says: “Reports suggest the Gunners are taking steps to replace Thomas Vermaelen who moved to Barcelona for £10m this summer.”
The BBC says Vermaelen went for £15m: “Thomas Vermaelen: Arsenal agree £15m fee with Barcelona.”
When evern the most basic facts are
Transfer Balls: Arsenal Buy Adrien Rabiot As Manchester United Parade Vidal
TRANSFER Balls: Are Arsenal buying Paris Saint Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot? Let’s see what balls the media has been reproting.
The Metro says the Gunners have bid £11.9million for the player. The paper says his agent is in London to finalise the deal.
In another story from today, the trusty Metro notes “Arsenal are not thought to be close to signing anyone”.
It’s almost as if the Metro makes it up as it goes along.
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Transfer Balls: Manchester United And Arturo Vidal Twice Agree Five Year Deal
TRANSFER Balls: The Daily Express has news for careworn Manchester United fans. The team’s rebuilder (former United saviour) Louis Van Gaal has signed Arturo Vidal from Juventus. Well, sort of:
MANCHESTER UNITED have agreed terms with Arturo Vidal over a five-year contract, but are yet to negotiate a fee with his club Juventus.
What facts?
…according to reports in Italy and Spain, the Dutchman has reached an agreement with Vidal over a long-term deal worth £182,000 per-week.
What reports? The Express doesn’t say.
However, Juventus are yet to accept United’s bid which is believed to stand at £34million as they look to beat Real Madrid to Monaco star Radamel Falcao.
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Posted: 28th, August 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Chelsea Pay £16m For Torres To Join Milan As Costa Lies Injured
TRANSFER Balls: What news of Cheslea’s Fernando Torres?
The Sun says Torres is “close to agreeing a £10m move to AC Milan”.
This, says the paper, will give Chelsea a return of £4m because – get this – Torres will earn a £6m ‘loyalty payment’ from the deal because he still has 18 months left on his five-year £150,000-a- week contract.
The Mail says it’d worse than that.
The Spanish striker therefore wants Chelsea to pay up the two years remaining on his deal – totalling around £16m – if he is to leave the club.
Will Chelsea miss the Spaniard? Last season Torres featured in 28 Premier League matches and scored five goals. So. No. They won’t.
But he might return to Stamford Bridge. The Telegraph says he’ll go to AC Milan on loan. Torres earns £9m a year at Cheslea. Milan have offered his £7m a year. Will Torres be able to muddle by on less money?
But the Indy says Torres wants a permanent deal or no deal at all.
In other Chelsea news, Diego Costa has injured his hamstring in training. He will be out for 6 weeks (Mail).
Over to you, Torres…
Arsenal Balls: What Is Champions League Qualification Worth?
HOW much is qualification to the Champions’ League 2014 worth to Arsenal?
The Sun: “ALEXIS SANCHEZ paid off his entire transfer fee with one kick — firing Arsenal to a £50million Champions League place”
The Times: “…a goal worth roughly £30 million in prize money”
Daily Telegraph: “Champions League qualification is generally worth around £20 million each season to Arsenal”
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Posted: 28th, August 2014 | In: Arsenal, Money, Sports | Comment
Arsenal Balls: Giroud Out For Four Months After Tibia Operation
ARSENAL Balls:
Olivier Giroud has undergone successful surgery to repair a small fracture to his left tibia. Scans following Saturday’s match at Everton confirmed the injury and after specialist opinions in the following days, the decision was taken to have surgery in London on Wednesday afternoon. Olivier is expected to return to action in approximately four months.
In other new, Giroud wears his kit to watch the football:
Transfer Balls: Munir El-Haddadi Linked To Arsenal
TRANSFERBalls: The Daily Express says Arsenal are “keeping tabs” on Barcelona’s 18-year-old “wonderkid” Munir El-Haddadi.
Rumours are that he can be purchased for £10m. And that would be a relative snip given that he scored on his Barcelona debut.
Stories linking Arsenal with Munir emerged in January. And nothing happened…
Transfer Balls: Arsenal And Manchester United Were The Only Clubs In For Mehdi Benatia
TRANSFER Balls: Arsenal and Manchester United never did sign Mehdi Benatia.
That’s a big shock to readers of Nick Lustig, one of the Star’s football writers:
Arsenal and Utd in two-horse race for Mehdi Benatia as Roma scrap Bayern meeting
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Posted: 27th, August 2014 | In: Arsenal, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Arsenal Want Radamel Falcao But Only If He’s Better Than Nikola Zigic
TRANSFER Balls: Arsenal are going to sign…
The Mail says it’s Danny Wellbeck, Manchester United’s spare part. Sami Mokbel says Arsenal “will” move to buy a striker before the transfer window closes. And top of the list is Wellbeck.
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Transfer Balls: Who’ll Never Guess Whose Having A Medical At Arsenal
TRANSFER Balls: From news of the sublime Edinson Cavani heading to Arsenal, comes news that the Gunners have all but agreed to sign… Nikola Zigic. The very tall striker is undergoing a medical at the Emirates.
This news from Zigic’s native Serbia has been picked up by the Mirror and the Sun.
Zigic is a 6’7 barely mobile mast who was released by Birmingham City.
If this move happens – and that if is bigger than Zigic’s noggin – it will be the shock transfer of the season…
Transfer Balls: Arsenal Weigh Up Cavani Against Benzema
TRANSFER Balls: The Express leads with the news that Arsenal are lining up a £50m move for Paris St-Germain star and Manchester United target Edinson Cavani.
Anthony Chapman has news:
…according to reports in France, Wenger is determined to sign Cavani before the end of the window, with a £50million bid believed to be in the works.
What reports in France, he doesn’t say. If only there were a way of linking stories to their sources on a world wide web.
We found talk that Cavani is off to Arsenal if PSG can secure Benzema from Real Madrid.
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Transfer Balls: Arsenal Buying Just Three Strikers To Replace Giroud
TRANSFER Balls: The Daily Express has sensational news for Arsenal fans. The Gunners are not buying one striker. Nor buying two strikers. They are buying three strikers. This will leave them with NINE strikers (not including the others – ed).
As Arsene Wenger told us:
“We have [Yaya] Sanogo who will be an important asset, we have Giroud, we have Lukas Podolski, we have Joel Campbell who can play centre forward. We have Alexis [Sanchez] and [Theo] Walcott coming back. Let’s not forget that.”
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Posted: 26th, August 2014 | In: Arsenal, Sports | Comments (3)
Transfer Balls: Manchester United Get Arturo Vidal For £10m Less Than Arsenal Bid
MANCHESTER United have moved to buy Artuo Vidal, the Chilean midfielder. The fee is a £34m plus one Mexican striker namely Javier Hernández (Guardian) or £31.8m (Independent). Vidal, the Juventus skipper – they are the Italian champions – must be overjoyed to be heading to Manchester United, England’s seventh-best team.
But, then, the Belfast Telegraph calls Vidal “fragile”, which is a comment on his right knee rather then his mind. The Indy says that knee is so dodgy any move “may require a complex, appearance-based contract”.
Back in Manchester, United manager Louis Van Gaal is talking players:
“I cannot say anything about transfers and you have to understand that. When a transfer is finished, then we say anything. But now you have to wait and see. If the moment is there Manchester United shall announce it. But it is not only Di Maria. Maybe Vidal or Messi. We are a big club.”
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Posted: 26th, August 2014 | In: Arsenal, manchester united, Sports | Comment (1)
Transfer Balls: Arsenal Get Cerci, Benatia, Khedira And A Headache
TRANSFER Balls: With the football Transfer Season coming to an end, the media experts have taken out their scatterguns and aimed them at Arsenal. In the past 24 hours, Arsenal have been linked with the following players:
The Metro says Arsenal want Alessio Cerci
The Star says Arsenal want to buy Atletico Madrid’s Toby Alderweireld
The Mirror says Arsenal want Wolfsburg’s Brazilian midfielder Luiz Gustavo
The Mirror says Arsenal want West Ham’s Winston Reid
The Metro says Arsenal want Sporting Lisbon’s William Carvalho
The Star says Arsenal are chasing Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote
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Arsenal Balls: Manchester United’s Wellbeck, Remy, Podolski And Radamel Falcao’s Futures Rest On Giroud’s Ankle
ARSENAL Balls: how football reporting works with the Telegraph’s Matt Law. He’s looking at Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud.
In an “EXCLUSIVE”, Law writes:
Arsenal could be forced into late transfer window move for striker after Olivier Giroud injures ankle
Could.
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Posted: 25th, August 2014 | In: Arsenal, Sports | Comment (1)
Transfer Balls: Arsenal Beat Manchester United, Sunderland And Spurs For Everton’s Kostas Manolas
TRANSFER Balls: Arsenal are being linekd with a move for Olympiacos defender Kostas Manolas. Is there any truth in it? After all, in 2013, the Star said Manolas was being watched by Newcastle. That followed the Star’s September 2013 news that “Tottenham, Sunderland and Fulham targeting Greek defender Kostas Manolas”.
The source for the Star’s scoops was Gazzetta.gr, a site that said Manolas was on his way to Juventus in a done deal (August 8) and heading to Roma (March 2012).
Numerb of quotes from anyone connected to thsoe clubs: nil.
Also in 2010, Manolas was an Everton player.
So. What now for the Greek player?
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Transfer Balls: Manchester United Sign Angel Di Maria For £35m More Than His Asking Price
TRANSFER Balls: The Angel Di Maria saga, as told by the media.
On June 7, Angle Di Maria was worth £40m. Well, so said the Daily Star.
That number rocketed. On Augut 18, The Evening Telegraph said Di Maria would csot United £100m.
On August 23, the Observer said Angel Di Maria was heading to Manchester United for £60m.
And the signs are that Di Maria is not all that keen on United. The report states:
…that transfer to the French capital collapsed as PSG were unable to meet Real’s asking price, thought to have been £50m.
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Posted: 25th, August 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment
James Alexander Gordon and The Poetry of The Pools
James Alexander Gordon and the poetry of the pools
BBC announcer James Alexander Gordon, whose voice was synonymous with the football results, has died at the age of 78.
Although he started reading the results in 1973, in the heyday of flares and platform boots, he seemed to personify an earlier short-back-and-sides era, when the ‘wireless’ was still the main conduit for live football. A time when teams played at the same time – 3pm on a Saturday – allowing for a comprehensive results service at 5 O’Clock, heralded by Sports Report’s stirring theme tune, ‘Out of the Blue’ played by the Central RAF band (and here by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)…
These were not any old results, like those garbled and sometimes unreliable missives that sprang from the manic teleprinter…
No, these were the CLASSIFIED football results, and their significance – aside from the footballing issues resting upon them – was that the football pools relied upon them.
The pools were the national lottery of their day, able to change people’s lives at a stroke. Dreams could come true, but so could nightmares, as in the case of Viv ‘Spend, Spend, Spend’ Nicholson…
Up and down the land, people would sit glued to the radio, in a quasi-religious shared national experience (in the days before people spoke in such terms), checking their pools coupons to see if they had predicted the requisite results to hit the jackpot. Gordon said he remembered complaints that results could be difficult to follow, and he is credited with innovating a form of inflection that indicated the outcome of the game, and made it easier to follow while studying a piece of paper full of tiny boxes.
Here he talks about his distinctive style…
But even those not interested in gambling – or football itself, for that matter – couldn’t fail to feel some affection for the litany of names, which ranged from the legendary to the most obscure creatures lurking in the depths of the lower English and Scottish leagues. Its soothing effect is rivaled only by the poetry of the shipping forecast.
Here the mellifluous Charlotte Green, successor to Gordon, applies her technique to the sacred text…
And here Mark E Smith tries his hand at it. Radio announcing’s loss was music’s gain, although listening to the auld curmudgeon’s idiosyncratic efforts, some of us live in hope that he will return to this fertile field in the not-too-distant future…
Posted: 24th, August 2014 | In: Sports, TV & Radio | Comment
Transfer Balls: Arsenal Get Khedira Before Chelsea And Manchester United Turn Down Angel Di Maria
IS Sami Khedira heading to Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester United? Transfer Balls investigates what the media experts have been reporting on the Real Madrid player.
August 23:
Sami Khedira could be heading for Bayern Munich, as he misses Real Madrid’s Spanish Super Cup clash to watch his brother play in Germany
So. German goes to Germany. Read all about it! Did Khedira met with Bayern Munich? No.
But Charlie Eccleshare has more facts:
…it is unclear whether Bayern’s manager Pep Guardiola is interested in the World Cup winning midfielder.
By “unclear”, he means ‘I have no idea’. But.,.
Sportsmail understands that Khedira is not Guardiola’s first choice for the central midfield position, which could put the breaks on the deal.
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Posted: 23rd, August 2014 | In: Arsenal, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Manchester United Are Desperate To Force Out Danny Wellbeck To Anyone But Arsenal
TRANSFER Balls: Danny Wellbeck is leaving Manchester United for Arsenal or Spurs, says the The Telegraph,:
Danny Welbeck has been told he can leave Manchester United during the final week of the transfer window. The news will be of particular interest to Arsenal and Tottenham, who are both big fans of Welbeck and have checked on his availability in the past… United value Welbeck at around £15 million which would comfortably fit into the budgets of north London rivals Spurs and Arsenal.
But the Mail says Spurs might not have the money:
England forward is unsure how much of a role he will play this season with Louis van Gaal and will weigh up his options over the next fortnight. Hull have tried and failed to sign him while Sunderland are keen as their search for strikers continues. Tottenham and Everton would be expected to show an interest also although the latter may struggle to afford a deal.
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Posted: 23rd, August 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud Passes To Edinson Cavani On The Way Out
TRANSFER Balls: Are Arsenal looking to get shot of Olivier Giroud, their main striker?
The Metro screams:
Arsenal to offer PSG £32million plus Olivier Giroud for Edinson Cavani transfer
The Metro’s annoucnemnt is based on a single report by a website called Sport.fr. It reports:
Giroud, the perfect signing for Paris
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Transfer Balls: Fernando Torres Leaves Chelsea And Says He’s ‘Made For’ Liverpool
TRANSFER Balls: IS Cheslea’s Fernando Torres leaving Chelsea. The Times says Torres is heading to Roma on loan. The del also involves Roma receving £20m for striker Mattia Destro, 23.
Torres has two years left on his Chelsea contract. It pays him a meagre £180,000 a week.
Walter Sabatini, a Roma director, flew to London yesterday for the second time in a week, accompanied by Mauro Baldissoni, the club’s general manager, to try to thrash out a deal. Sabatini tried to tempt Chelsea and Manchester United into buying Mehdi Benatia on his first visit at the weekend and is also looking for a replacement in England for the Morocco defender.
The Mail has reported this month that Torres is wanted by Valencia, Atletioc Madrid and Inter Milan.
Dod they all really want Torrest, the man who gave the Indy this headline on August 13:
Fernando Torres fails to score in 266 pre-season minutes after another miserable night for Chelsea
He had his chances to score agasint the mighty Slovenia’s NK Olimpija Ljubljana:
Why is player who was so good now so bad? The Mirror quotes Jose Mourinho:
“Fernando is a good player and will not be sold. Maybe the self-esteem in terms of goalscorer is not at the top. All eyes are on him and when he misses a goal, everybody remembers. But his work for the team is fantastic and because of that we can play with two of the forwards at the same time, no problem…”
£50m for a good player. What does a great player cost? And if Cheslea give him the boot, what then for Torres’ faltering self-esteem?
Well, he’s not going to Roma. The Telegraph reports:
“It’s true that Chelsea are interested in Mattia,” Destro’s agent said on Thursday. “But the reports regarding a swap deal have no foundation, it’s all speculation.
“Roma don’t want to sell Mattia and Mattia prefers to remain at Roma.”
Still, at least the Chelsea fans love him…not:
Maybe Torrest should go back to Lvierpool. As he said:
“One day, Steven Gerrard came to say to me, ‘Fernando, now, you have to think of yourself. Do what you have to do’,” Torres told French magazine So Foot. But when I went to tell him that I was going to accept the Chelsea offer, it destroyed him. Announcing my departure from Liverpool to Gerrard was one of the most difficult moments of my career. He was my best team-mate and I am not sure of finding another like him in the future. We were made for each other.”
Stranger things have happened…
Posted: 21st, August 2014 | In: Chelsea, Liverpool, Sports | Comments (2)
Transfer Balls: Arsenal Sell Lukas Podolski As Khedira Arrives And Buy Douglas Costa Who Likes AC Milan
TRANSFER Balls: The Sun leads with news that Arsenal are ready to sell Lukas Podolski to Galatasaray. Is the German going to be taking selfies in Istanbul?
German tabloid Bild agrees. Podolski’s agent, Nassim Touihri, tells the paper:
“There have always been questions. Now we have a concrete interest from some teams. Lukas is in London, and he feels good.”
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