No EPL matches this weekend as the International Break looms, hence the time is right to take a look back at the D-Day shopping spree – an intriguing blend of shoplifting and gambles. Habitually, the final few hours of the Transfer Window serve up more activity than the rest of the summer put together. And, just like the parents hastening for Eid Day shopping on ‘Chaand Raat’, EPL managers stuffed their shopping bags at the 11th hour. (To avoid repetition, all sums in this piece are in accordance with the British Pound sterling.)
QPR’s financial edge
QPR have signed Shaun Wright-Phillips from City for an undisclosed amount – the fourth major signing of the Tony Fernandes era. He was followed by Anton Ferdinand as the club looked to strengthen both ends of the field. Neil Warnock has already boosted his squad with Joey Barton, Luke Young and Armand Traore, and this financial muscle is exactly what differentiates them from the other promoted sides. Nevertheless, with Barton and Warnock being a part of the same party, you know that you aren’t far away from a short circuit moment.
Stoke raid Spurs
Stoke City broke the bank for the last day signings of Peter Crouch (12 million), Wilson Palacios (8 million) and Cameron Jerome (undiscl.). Crouch has now become the club’s record signing and will give the team a much needed cutting edge up top. Palacios will be the water carrier in midfield. Stoke are renowned for their long-ball bombardment and physical style of play, but with Delap now potentially locating a 6ft 7 target for his javelin throws, we could very well witness Tony Pulis creating a new genre of aerial football.
Bendtner, Bruce re-unite
Sunderland have signed Nicklas Bendtner on a season-long loan, after the Arsenal striker was told that he wasn’t a part of Wenger’s plans. The move re-unites Bendtner with Steve Bruce who managed him during his time in Birmingham, and the duo combined to guide Birmingham City to promotion. Bendtner can throw tantrums and needs ego fanning at times, but Bruce has shown in the past that he has the ability to bring out the best in the 23-year old.
Fulham pip Newcastle to Ruiz
The 10.6 million signing Bryan Ruiz chose the Cottagers over the Magpies, citing the former’s welcoming ambiance and the fact that Fulham have Martin Jol at the helm. EPL has imported quite a few renowned attacking options from the Eredivisie over the years, only time will tell whether he’s the next Ruud Van Nistelooy or the next Afonso Alves.
Blackburn’s final roll of the dice
Blackburn are in absolute shambles at the moment and in dire need of some inspiration. Whether Scott Dann (6 million) plus Yakubu (undisc.) equals inspiration is a highly questionable theorem. Dann and Samba should form a competent centeral defensive partnership, but the lack of quality elsewhere doesn’t bode well for the club. And, when there is desperate need of leadership and character within the ranks, Yakubu is hardly the missing piece of the jigsaw, now is he?
Villa improve their squad
The two late purchases from Spurs: Jenas (on loan) and Alan Hutton (3 million), can be labeled as decent backup signings to augment the squad. Neither of them is a shoe-in for the starting XI at Villa Park. Villa did need to fortify their squad, which looked undersized for their ambitions. However the exodus of also-rans from Tottenham is as much a statement of intent as it is a freshening up of the wage bill.
Spurs hold on to Modric
With the Fabregas and Nasri soap operas concluded and Tevez acquiescing with the City hierarchy, the biggest talking point of the final few days of the Transfer Window was whether or not Chelsea would manage to seduce Luka Modric away from Spurs. Modric was lured alright! But the club stood firm and parried away all the approaches from their London rivals. Harry Redknapp has claimed that Daniel Levy rejected a 40 million bid on Deadline-Day, which is a staggering amount of money to rebuff! Especially for a player who had already had his head turned. This is an unambiguous declaration from the North London club that they consider Chelsea as their rivals and count themselves as genuine challengers for the Champions League positions. Add the Adebayor and Scott Parker signings into the mix and Spurs fans have every reason to be optimistic about their club. It is refreshing to see a club not wilting down to player pressure for a change.
Villas-Boas gets old apprentice instead
Chelsea swooped late for Raul Meireles, as the Portuguese midfielder squeezed in a transfer request just in time for his move to be sanctioned by the F.A. Meireles had fallen down the pecking order in the multitude of midfielders at Anfield, even though he was one of the star performers in a lackluster season last year. The 12 million signing has been touted as a back-up signing instead of Chelsea’s original target Modric, and given his flexibility, he could function well in the 4-3-3 system that Villas-Boas has set his sights on.
Bad boy Bellamy back at Liverpool
Kenny Dalglish has the British mentality and the pedigree to tame Bellamy, who had a rather unremarkable spell last time round. Bellamy has been signed for free from Man City and can bolster Liverpool’s striking options and will even offer an alternative option on the wing. Liverpool have also loaned out the once ‘future of England’ Joe Cole to French Champions Lille, and their squad has a settled look for the first time in ages.
Hargreaves jumps ship
Pundits are opining that the EPL title race is a neighborhood matter in Manchester this year. Liverpool and certainly Chelsea might disagree, but there is no denying the fact that, at the moment the two Manchester clubs are the benchmark. Both of the teams have a 100% record thus far, and have been scoring goals for fun. While United finished their Summer Spree in early June (even though the ‘Will he? Won’t he?’ Sneijder tale kept their fans interested), City were busy in recruitments till the tail-end of the Window. Owen Hargreaves was the last signing, as City were impressed by the free agent’s YouTube videos showcasing his fitness level.
Given his injury plagued four seasons at Old Trafford and the patience shown by the club, there is bound to be a bitter feeling in the red half of Manchester. However the move could work out perfectly for both City – who need to reinforce their squad for the upcoming multi-pronged challenges in Europe and in England, and Hargreaves – who can make a strong case for inclusion in Fabio Capello’s plans for Euro 2012. It could be a match made in heaven but things could just as easily go pear shaped – either way, the move will further spice up the city rivalry which is at its zenith this year.
Demise of Wenger’s
transfer policy
The closing time was approaching and Monsieur Wenger knew that he hadn’t filled up his trolley sufficiently from the super market. In a fit of panic Wenger snatched at whatever he could get, but it isn’t exactly bad news for the football club. Last week’s Crystal Ball suggested ahead of the United encounter that Arsenal needed “a massive jolt to wake up from the slumber”, and the 8-2 at Old Trafford was exactly what the doctor ordered. In fact the scenario is reminiscent of the after effect of Arsenal’s 6-1 defeat at Old Trafford in 2001, which eventually resulted in 2 league titles between 2002 and 2004; including the formulation of the all-conquering ‘Invincibles’.
Arteta’s 10 million signing will create the most hype amongst the five last-ditch signings, as the Spanish midfielder has lit the league with awe-inspiring displays from the center of midfield in the past – although his dodgy knees are a cause for skepticism. However Mertesacker’s purchase is the one that truly stands out. Experienced and 6 ft 6” tall, the central defender is the mainstay in Germany’s backline and should fulfill Arsenal’s dire need of leadership and defensive stability. Santos has been capped 22 times by Brazil, and again he will provide much needed experience at the back. Chu-Young will reinforce Wenger’s attacking options and if his spell at Monaco is anything to go by, he looks like a hard-worker on the pitch as well. Benayoun is one of the most under-rated players in the league and Rafael Benitez has a lot to do with his stagnation. His loan spell at Arsenal could be a huge success as he’s the ‘Arsenal-type’ of a player, but with an experienced head on his shoulder. The signings were made in a panic attack but they have the potential to take the club forward. With all the purchases over 26 years of age, what is crystal clear is the fact that there is a transformation in Wenger’s philosophy.
