Bleacher Report - Articles by Choon Yau Tan

English Premier League 2009-10 Prediction and Analysis

Choon Yau Tan — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:43:10 -0400

Ten matches have been played by most of the teams as the Premiership goes through its first quarter this season. As exciting as ever, the English Premiership this season has been very competitive and unpredictable thus far. The rise of Manchester City and Tottenham are seriously threatening the "Big Four". Sunderland have shown improvement as well and Aston Villa have been consistent, just like last season. I made a little prediction as well before the start of the season and now, I would like to make a renewed detailed prediction of where the teams are going to finish. This was my pre-season analysis and prediction: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/234701-english-premier-league-2009-10-club-by-club-analysis/page/2#page/1

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La Liga or the English Premiership: Beautiful Football vs. Competitive Results

Choon Yau Tan — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:35:48 -0400

I know it's too early to say anything but whether you like it or not, this season's La Liga title is again between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

You can almost say that the two fixtures of Barcelona versus Real Madrid at Camp Nou and Santiago Bernabeu would determine the winner of the Spanish Premiera, as well as how well both teams play against 'bigger' teams like Valencia, Sevilla, Villarreal, and Atletico Madrid.

Real have beaten Villarreal comfortably while Barcelona trashed Atletico a couple of games back by the way.

Both Real Madrid and Barcelona surely play beautiful football; slick passing, natural flair, and amazing footwork. And they surely deserve to win every game they dominate with ease.

But aren't they slowly becoming the 'Celtic and Rangers' of Spain? The only difference is that their frequent 5-2 or 4-1 wins resulted from beautiful football have been shadowing the fact, or should I say the 'problem' all these years?

Fixtures of Real Madrid or Barcelona against teams like Racing Santander, Valladolid, Xerez, and the other 'smaller' teams are no longer exciting. Fans do get excited watching how Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kaka tear the teams apart but the results can almost be predicted most of the time before the kickoff.

Whereas in the English Premiership where many claim to be highly predictable and boring display, at least the matches are exciting—not for it is the most watched league in the world of course. And the outcome of any match is not easily predictable at all.

Often you see teams park buses in front of their goals and often you see highly tactical battles between teams in England, but you can never be certain enough to tell the eventual winner of a match, even if it is between Chelsea and Hull City for example.

The English Premiership is being dominated by the so-called 'Big Four', but most of their victories are hard fought. Very rarely you see the smaller teams give up without a good fight and just letting the big boys trot over them.

The 'bigger' teams in England don't win 4-0 or 5-0 as much as Real and Barca do in a season and that's not because they are not as good as the two Spanish giants, but because of the way 'smaller' teams in England approach the 'bigger' teams.

To prevent giving easy wins to the 'bigger' teams, 'smaller' teams have to use physical advantage and some so-called 'anti-football' strategies most of the time. That results in what anti-Premiership people label as 'boring' football, which I don't understand why.

It sure is frustrating not to see the favourites winning comfortably, but the determination and the hunger of the 'smaller' English teams are simply amazing and inspiring at times.

And because of that, you see more upsets in the Premiership than the La Liga. It is not as rare to see teams like Wigan, Bolton, and Birmingham walking away with victories over the top teams, compared to La Liga.

The tactical and physical approach of the English teams might have limited the teams from playing attractive football but the matches are attractive in a different way.

The beautiful football played in Spain is what makes them attractive. But what makes English football attractive is seeing how teams win matches by using beautifully planned tactics to force errors and break down defences. Every minor thing matters in the Premiership and even goal kicks pose a big threat to the opponents.

I am not trying to prove that the Premiership is more superior than the La Liga here, I am just comparing both leagues and highlighting their attractive and boring parts.

The debate to determine which league is the best has been going on for a long time now and most of the time, the pro-Spain debaters use the word 'boring' to describe the Premiership and the word 'attractive' to describe themselves.

I wouldn't say that the English teams play boring football, it depends on how you look at it really. Can't carefully organised set-pieces and good man-marking be attractive? Why are goals and tricks the only measures for determining beautiful football?

The excitement fans get in the process of watching Premiership games due to the unpredictable results is what makes the league interesting.

Besides, teams like Manchester City and Tottenham have improved a lot, and you can expect Aston Villa and Everton to start gaining momentum soon. The 'Big Four' is no longer there.

The title race is wide open, Chelsea and Manchester United may look like the favourites at the moment, but how many of you dare to say that one of these two sides will definitely finish as eventual champions come May next year? Can you write off Liverpool and Arsenal's chances now? Can you say Manchester City will at most settle for the fourth spot only? And can you guarantee that Everton are bound for relegation?

But I am certain that Real Madrid and Barcelona will still be the top two teams in Spain at the end of this season.

In conclusion, football is not separated by beautiful or boring football. Since it is the world's best sport, every match is beautiful in its own way—skills or no skills, tactics or no tactics. And before one points his finger to someone else, accusing another of being boring, look at the bigger picture.

A Little Prediction On What Rafa Is Going To Do Throughout The Season

Choon Yau Tan — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:40:59 -0400

Liverpool are currently third in the league table, ahead of Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Tottenham by goal difference. Despite the fact that Liverpool have lost two league games this season, chance of winning the league is still there—if the Reds manage to get respectable results against Chelsea and Manchester United next month. That will set the momentum for Liverpool. So far, we have seen that the starting line-up of Liverpool is pretty much fixed with only minor changes to the team to recover fatigue and replace injured players. With first-team players coming back from injuries, will Rafa keep playing with a familiar squad or will he start rotating players? Rafa Benitez is one unpredictable manager. The master tactician has had his plan for the season for sure. So, I will make a little attempt to guess what the manager has in his mind; possible transfers, player selections, and tactical strategies.

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World Cup 2010 European Qualifier: 10 More Spots Up For Grabs

Choon Yau Tan — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:46:23 -0400

Mid-October is when the European nations give their final battle for a place in World Cup next summer. The 13 best countries from Europe will become eligible to play in the World Cup 2010, which consists of 32 teams.

England, Spain, and Netherlands have booked a ticket to next year's World Cup. So who else will qualify from the remaining 10 spots available?

The group winners of the nine groups in the qualifier will advance automatically to the World Cup and the eight best runner-ups will be drawn into the playoffs, where the four winners will advance to the finals as well.

Since there are only five teams in Group Nine, one less than the other groups. When calculating the best runners-up, therefore, matches played against the sixth-placed finishers in Groups One to Eight will not be taken into consideration.

Denmark are currently leading in Group One with 18 points, three points more than second-placed Sweden and five points more than Portugal and Hungary.

Will the Portuguese make a late comeback and qualify automatically? Or will the 2006 World Cup semi-finalist need the lottery of playoffs to qualify?

Portugal play Hungary next, the team they had beaten 1-0 away from home recently. Playing at home against Hungary in 10th October 2009 is a must-win encounter for the Portuguese, especially when Denmark and Sweden go head-to-head on the similar day.

Besides Sweden, Denmark also have to play against Hungary in their final qualifying games which will not be easy at all.

Sweden and Portugal shouldn't have any problem collecting maximum points against Albania and Malta respectively.

Therefore, the key lies in the Denmark-Sweden and Portugal-Hungary encounter. My bet would be both Portugal and Denmark making the top two, the order is hard to predict though.

In Group Two, Switzerland are sitting at the peak with a three-point cushion over Greece and Latvia but I wouldn't say the lead is a comfortable one. While a trip to Luxembourg shouldn't be a problem, the following game against Israel at home could be tricky.

The Israel's other game is against bottom team Moldova. Winning both games could see the Israelis making the playoffs.

Fortunately for Switzerland, Greece and Latvia will go head-to-head on 10th October. Greece and Latvia will then play winnable matches against Luxembourg and Moldova.

My prediction is, Switzerland to qualify automatically. It's hard to tell whether Greece, Latvia or Israel will come second though.

Slovakia have a five-point lead over Slovenia and Northern Ireland currently and face difficult matches against Slovenia and Poland in mid-October.

Czech Republic are currently behind leaders Slovakia by seven points. In order to at least get a chance in the playoffs, the Czechs need to beat both Poland and Northern Ireland at home.

The other remaining fixture is a winnable one for Slovenia, a trip to San Marino who have conceded 44 goals so far, scoring only once.

The key in this group lies in the Slovakia-Slovenia encounter. Slovakia should be able to at least earn a draw and therefore, they are my pick to qualify automatically. Either Czech Republic or Slovenia will finish second and could play in the playoffs.

Group Four is only between Germany and Russia. Due to the numerous points both teams have accumulated, whoever finishes second will make the playoffs for sure.

Therefore, the match between Russia and Germany in Moscow on 10th October will decide who qualifies automatically and who goes into the playoffs.

Spain have already qualified as Group Five winners. Bosnia are currently second with 16 points and Turkey in third with 12 points. Unfortunately for the Bosnians, they have to play against Spain in their final match.

But as long as Bosnia beat currently fifth-placed Estonia in Tallinn on 10th October, finishing second in the group shouldn't be a problem at all.

Like Spain, England have also won all eight qualifying matches played and have secured a place in South Africa. Both Croatia and Ukraine are fighting for the second spot. Croatia have 17 points with only one more game to play. Ukraine have 15 points but have two more games to go.

Croatia's last game comes against Kazakhstan and getting three points whouldn't be a difficult task. And fortunately for Croatia, Ukraine have to play against England in one of their two final matches. But Fabio Capello will surely not allow his men to take things easy despite qualified already.

Hence, Croatia will make the playoffs.

Serbia are currently top in Group Seven with 19 points, four ahead of second-paced France. However, the French could snatch the top spot from Serbia with a winnable game against Faroe Island and a home advantage against Austria in their final matches.

Serbia face a tricky encounter against Romania and fourth-placed Lithuania. Serbia only need a win to qualify automatically.

Therefore, France are likely to need to play in the playoffs.

In Group Eight, Italy are four points ahead of second-placed Republic Ireland. Both teams play against one another on 10th October. Italy and Republic Ireland will then play winnable matches against Cyprus and Montenegro at their home turfs.

So, should Republic Ireland beat Italy on October 10th, Italy should still be able to qualify automatically.

Republic Ireland should be able to finish second then, unless they fail to collect any point from their final two matches, and if Bulgaria beat Cyprus and Georgia.

All the matches in Group Eight have been played. Netherlands won all eight, finished top, and qualified for World Cup automatically. Second-placed Norway are unlikely to make the playoffs with only 10 points.

Assuming that six points are deducted from the eventual runner-ups of Group One to Eight, it is still near impossible for the Norwegians to make the playoffs and have a slight chance of qualifying for the World Cup next year.

The accuracy of my predictions will be judged come mid-October this year. Who do you think will and will not qualify for the World Cup 2010 in South Africa?

Reliving the Biggest Stage in Football: The First Six World Cups

Choon Yau Tan — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:23:50 -0400

The series Reliving The Biggest Stage of Football comes to a little break before summarizing the later World Cups.

So what did we learn from the first six World Cups?

To read about my full summary of the first six World Cups, click the following links:

World Cup 1930 Uruguay

World Cup 1934 Italy

World Cup 1938 France

World Cup 1950 Brazil

World Cup 1954 Switzerland

World Cup 1958 Sweden

Here are the stats from the first six World Cups:

The Winners:

Uruguay (1930 & 1950), Italy (1934 & 1938), West Germany (1954), Brazil (1958).

Goals:

578 goals scored from the first six tournaments from 126 matches. Twenty-three hat-tricks scored in the process.

The Top Scorers:

Guillermo Stábile of Argentina in 1930 (8 goals), Oldřich Nejedlý of Czechoslovakia in 1934 (5 goals), Leônidas da Silva of Brazil in 1938 (7 goals), Ademir of Brazil in 1950 (8 goals), Sándor Kocsis of Hungary in 1954 (11 goals), Just Fontaine of France in 1958 (13 goals)

Biggest Win:

Hungary 9-0 over Korea Republic in the group stage of the 1954 World Cup.

Highest Number of Goals Scored in A Match:

Eleven goals, when Hungary defeated West Germany in the group stage of the 1954 World Cup.

Appearances:

6-Brazil; 5-France; 4-Mexico, Yugoslavia, Belgium, Italy, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland, Germany (2 as West Germany) Sweden; 3-Argentina, Uruguay, Romania, USA, Paraguay, Austria, England, Scotland; 2-Chile, Bolivia, Spain, Netherlands; 1-Peru, Egypt, Norway, Poland, Dutch East Indies, Cuba, Turkey, Korea Republic, Northern Ireland, Wales, USSR.

The Greats (Personal Choice):

Pedro Cea (Uruguay), Guillermo Stábile (Argentina), Angelo Schiavio (Italy), Giuseppe Meazza (Italy), Edmund Conen (Germany), Oldřich Nejedlý (Czechoslovakia), Leônidas da Silva (Brazil), Ademir (Brazil), Alcides Ghiggia (Uruguay), Raymond Kopa (France), Didi (Brazil), Sándor Kocsis (Hungary), Max Morlock (West Germany), Helmut Rahn (West Germany), Ferenc Puskás (Hungary), Zoltán Czibor (Hungary), Vavá (Brazil), Pelé (Brazil), Just Fontaine (France).

That basically summed up the first six World Cups. Be sure to follow the next twelve World Cups on Reliving The Biggest Stage of Football and find out more about the likes of Gerd Müller, Sir Bobby Moore, Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff, Eusébio, Mario Kempes and many more.

Reliving the Biggest Stage of Football: World Cup 1958

Choon Yau Tan — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:12:56 -0400

The World Cup 1958 is known as the stage where Pelé paved his way into becoming a legend. 1958 was also the time when Brazil won their first of five World Cups.

Hosted by Sweden from June 8 to June 29, 16 teams took part in the competition. The competition format was retained for the first time since its start, in 1930.

Before we continue, you are advised to read the summaries of previous World Cups in 1930, 1934, 1938, 1950, and 1954.

Wilber Cush of Northern Ireland scored the first goal of the tournament in a 1-0 win over Czechoslovakia, which marked a perfect World Cup start for the debutant nation.

Defending champion West Germany ended up as Group One winner. Northern Ireland went through as group runner-up.

France finished top in Group Two by goal difference despite losing a match to Yugoslavia, who ended up second.

Sweden topped Group Three unbeaten, with Wales following them through as runner-up.

Brazil finished top in Group Four unbeaten as well. New entrant USSR finished second in Group Four and made the quarterfinals too.

Helmut Rahn became the hero of West Germany yet again when he scored the only goal against Yugoslavia in the quarterfinals.

Sweden eased through USSR comfortably with a 2-0 win over USSR.

France trashed Northern Ireland, 4-0, as Brazil also booked a place in the semifinals with a narrow 1-0 win over Wales.

Defending champion West Germany were sent home in the semifinal after a 3-1 loss to Sweden, despite having a 1-0 lead.

Brazil trashed France, 5-2, in a seven-goal thriller in another semifinal. Young Pelé scored a hat-trick in that match.

France then trashed West Germany, 6-3, in a nine-goal thriller to finish third.

Tournament favourite Brazil and host nation Sweden set up an exciting final. The South American giants won the match by a 5-2 margin with Pelé and the late Vavá scoring two each. Mário Zagallo scored the other.

Therefore, Brazil won the World Cup for the first time thanks to the wunderkind that was Pelé.

Just Fontaine of France was the top scorer of the tournament, with 13 goals, including a hat-trick against Paraguay in a group match and a double-brace against West Germany in the third-placing match.

A total of 126 goals were scored from the 35 matches played in World Cup 1958.

The World Cup has gotten more and more interesting each time. If you want to relive the sweet and not-so-sweet memories in the coming World Cups, be sure to follow.

Blame It On Rafa and Yes Lucas As Well (Satire)

Choon Yau Tan — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:18:46 -0400

Liverpool finished last season with only two league defeats; to Tottenham and Middlesbrough, away from home respectively. However, Liverpool have reached the same figure this season, losing two games after only three league games played.

Surely they can't win the title now, can they?

I mean if Liverpool can lose to Aston Villa at home, surely they'll drop more points at their fortress in the coming 17 home games aren't they? And the Reds will get a proper spanking when they play against the other "Big Four" teams and maybe Manchester City as well.

So who should we blame?

In my opinion, Rafa Benitez and Lucas are to blame for Liverpool's failure to win the title this season. I bet many "fans" would agree with me, except a minority of "over-optimistic" fans of course.

We'll start of with Rafa Benitez. I blame him for playing Lucas all the time, which led to Xabi Alonso's exit in the summer. Alonso was reportedly unhappy about being behind Lucas in the midfield pecking order and thus, handed in a written transfer request to the club.

Rafa's biggest mistake this summer was letting Alonso leave of course. He should've ignored Alonso's plea to move back to Spain and reject every offer from Real Madrid, even if they were willing to pay as much as £50 million.

Then, force him to play even though he turned unhappy. Who cares if he doesn't perform? The under-performing Alonso is always better than a fully committed Lucas right?

Alonso doesn't perform and Real wouldn't want him anymore. Then we can keep him for a couple more seasons. If Rafa finds him a liability then, just sell him to any club in Spain for £10 million.

And the worst thing was Rafa Benitez made one mistake after another. Why did he sign Alberto Aquilani to replace Xabi Alonso? Nobody wants an injured player even though he is a direct replacement for Alonso.

David Silva should be signed in my opinion. Sign another centre midfielder only if there is budget available after completing the Silva's transfer to Liverpool. Raise funds by selling Lucas if needed.

Ah wait, maybe we should sign David Villa as well and forget about a new centre midfielder.

And why is Rafa so cautious, playing with two defensive midfielders all the time? So what if teams pack up their midfield nowadays? Having more strikers means more goals. Wait a minute, if teams that pack up their midfield shut down our midfield, how is our forwards going to recieve the ball?

There is only one simple solution. Sack Rafa Benitez and hire Pep Guardiola as our new manager. Pep Guardiola won the treble in his first Barcelona season, surely he'll do the same with Liverpool

Now, to move onto Lucas.

First of all, I blame him for spending extra hours in the gym in the summer. Why did he work so hard for? He could've just whined about the physical approach of English football to the media once every week.

Then, the officials would probably be sympathetic towards the Brazilian and he'll win more free-kicks for us, even if it means turning Lucas into a diver. He is hated anyway so why not be hated as a diver rather than being an average performer that is always trying hard to improve?

And why did he cut his fair for? He was already lightweight and losing that additional grams made him struggled even more to the physical nature of the game in Premiership.

Speaking about his recent game, he was very poor against Aston Villa. His header was good, and surely Rafa and his team mates would be proud had he headed it into the correct goal. It's normal to score an own goal, no fan blamed him. Nobody blamed Xabi Alonso and Jamie Carragher for scoring own goals as well.

As for Curtis Davies goal, Lucas was to blame as well. He didn't organize the defence while Jose Reina was busy with a little talk.

As for Villa's third goal, Ashley Young wouldn't have a chance to shoot from the spot had Lucas not tackled Nigel Reo-Coker. Was that Lucas or... Forget it, blame it on Lucas!

And because Lucas was on the pitch, players like Yossi Benayoun and Steven Gerrard went missing. I don't know how those are related but blame it on Lucas as well!

And why doesn't Lucas possess Brazilian flair? I mean every Brazilian player has to know how to do some tricks, even the goalkeeper right? And Lucas is so "bad" that he was recently called up for the Brazil squad ahead of an "unimportant" match against Argentina.

Lucas should be ashamed of himself and take appropriate actions now. Send in a written transfer request, send a brochure to every club in the world, and start packing.

And lastly, please don't show your support to Rafa Benitez and Lucas. Only then, they'll leave the club and we will rule England and Europe once again.

Liverpool Youth Team Freshmen 2009-10

Choon Yau Tan — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 10:25:16 -0400

Both Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher battled their way up from here, the youth team of Liverpool Football Club. Current first-team members such as Martin Kelly, Jay Spearing, and Stephen Darby all were moulded here as well, the youth team of Liverpool Football Club. And last season's youth team freshmen (first year) produced many outstanding youngsters as well. Lauri Dalla Valle and Alex Kacaniklic were both graduated to Melwood despite having only spent a year in the youth. That is a solid proof that youngsters need not spend two or three years in the youth team before getting a promotion to train with the first team players. If you are good enough and you impress, you get a ticket to Melwood. Here are the freshmen of Liverpool's youth team for season 2009-10. *information and player details taken from official site.

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Why Fabregas Leaving Arsenal Will Not Benefit Any Party Involved

Choon Yau Tan — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 03:58:33 -0400

Arsenal fans had a sigh of relief when Pep Guardiola conceded defeat in luring Cesc Fabregas back to Barcelona earlier this week. However, the Catalan giants did not rule out a possibility of coming back for the Spanish ace next summer.

"Cesc will not come," Guardiola is quoted in the Observer. "I believe it will not be possible this season.

"He is an important player for Arsenal and they have already sold Kolo and Adebayor. He is a very interesting footballer, but now he will play another year in England," added Guardiola.

Csec Fabregas is a great footballer, one of the best in the Premiership. Moreover, he is still young. So why the possible transfer of Fabregas to Barcelona will not benefit the parties involved—Arsenal, Barcelona, and the player himself?

While Arsenal's direct domestic rivals might be happy about a weakened Arsenal side without their talisman, but believe it or not, Arsenal can cope without Fabregas.

Andrey Arshavin, Samir Nasri, and Tomas Rosicky are all capable of playing in his position. Replacing Fabregas with any of the current players mentioned is totally different from Manchester United replacing Cristiano Ronaldo's void with Antonio Valencia.

Obviously selling Fabregas will not make Arsenal stronger, but it may not weaken Arsenal like many think.

Taking a look from the buyer's perspective, is this possible deal good for both Fabregas and Barcelona?

A great footballer signing for one of the best clubs in the world, if not the best—how can it possibly not benefit both the player and his new club?

While the midfield trio of Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, and Cesc Fabregas might seem like a dream come true for any team in the world, who is going to do the "dirty job" Yaya Toure currently does in Barcelona? Xavi?

Here are some of the possible outcomes if Cesc Fabregas transfers to Barca:

1) Luckily for Cesc, either Xavi and/or Iniesta gets injured. Cesc slots into the starting line-up immediately.

2) Sacrifice Yaya Toure as suggested earlier because he is not as good as Cesc on paper. You know what happens next.

3) The trio takes turns warming the bench.

4) Tactical change, like 4-5-1 maybe—with Cesc, Xavi, and Yaya in the middle and Iniesta and Messi on the flanks. Zlatan Ibrahimovic up front alone of course, forget about Thierry Henry and Bojan Krkic.

5) Xavi drops back and develop himself into a Pirlo+Gattuso-like player or Alonso+Mascherano-like player and thus, becoming the best defensive midfielder in the world.

Barcelona were previously linked with a move to sign Javier Mascherano from Liverpool. Many fans claimed that Barcelona don't need a player "who can only defend". Fans would definitely prefer Fabregas over Mascherano.

I was shocked really but happy at the same time. As a Liverpool fan, I can't imagine Liverpool without the tough Argentine skipper.

The fans fancy their Academy product over someone that would make Barcelona a "perfect" team, a stable team that would work as a unit rather than a star-studded team with star players playing in the same role.

I'll end this with a piece of advice to Barcelona, sign Cesc Fabregas at your own risk. I would like to emphasis again that signing Fabregas wouldn't harm Barcelona or any other team, but would he benefit Barcelona considering the player's pricey price tag as well?

Who Is Sotirios Kyrgiakos?

Choon Yau Tan — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:24:36 -0400

Liverpool were previously linked with Michael Turner, Steven Taylor, and Sylvain Distin to replace Sami Hyypia who left at the end of last season.

However, Rafa Benitez was left with a limited budget after the signings of Glen Johnson and Alberto Aquilani. Hence, the Reds agreed a deal with AEK Athens to bring veteran Sotirios Kyrgiakos to Anfield.

Daniel Agger is still sidelined with a back injury and Martin Skrtel's injury against Tottenham looked like a serious one. The injuries in the department acted as a catalyst for Rafa Benitez to sign an additional defender.

Young Daniel Ayala started alongside Jamie Carragher against Stoke City yesterday.

The Greek international is set to undergo a medical examination at Melwood before the weekend.

So who is Sotirios Kyrgiakos?

Sotirios Kyrgiakos was born on July 23, 1979 in Trikala, Greece. He started his footballing career with Thyella Megalochoriou at a young age. Kyrgiakos then moved to Panathinaikos football academy ahead of the 1996-97 season.

He was loaned to Agios Nikolaos in 1999 for a two-season deal. He became a regular there, making over 50 appearances, scoring three goals in the process.

He returned to Panathinaikos and helped them to a domestic double (Greek League and Greek Cup) in 2004.

In January 2004, Kyrgiakos was loaned to Scottish giants Rangers with a view to permanent move at the end of season. He added the Scottish Premier League and League Cup medals to his belt in 2005 before seeing out his contract in summer 2006.

Kyrgiakos then signed a two-year deal with Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt in June 2006. He was a fan favourite as he scored many crucial goals that helped them avoid relegation. He played over 50 games and netted eight times before his contract expired in summer 2008.

Kyrgiakos finally moved back to Greece last summer after signing a five-year deal with AEK Athens. After one season, Kyrgiakos is set to relish new challenge in the English Premiership and the Champions League with Liverpool.

Kyrgiakos made his international debut on February 23, 2002 against Sweden and his first international goal came against Norway exactly one year later. However, he missed the Euro 2004 victory due to injury.

He has made 50 appearances for Greece thus far, scoring four times.

His addition to Liverpool squad will definitely bring a wealth of experience to the defensive unit, enabling the likes of Martin Kelly and Daniel Ayala to develop into better defenders.

Silent Killer Sunderland Capture Lee Cattermole

Choon Yau Tan — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:58:14 -0400

Sunderland have completed the signing of Lee Cattermole from Wigan Athletic for a fee of £6 million.

The former Middlesbrough midfielder passed a medical and agreed a four-year deal. He only arrived in Wigan last summer but now rejoins former Latics boss Steve Bruce at Stadium of Light.

Besides the tough tackler, Sunderland have signed Darrent Bent, Lorik Cana, Fraizer Campbell, and Paulo da Silva thus far this summer.

Lee Cattermole will join his new team-mates immediately, being available for the his new clubs first Premier League game of the season against Bolton Wanderers this Saturday.

More transfer details to follow...

English Premier League 2009-10 Club-by-Club Analysis

Choon Yau Tan — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 01:33:56 -0400

The English Premiership Season 2009-10 starts in a few days time. Fans across the globe have been craving for the heart-pumping actions in the Premiership for a couple of months now. I would say that this season's title winner is harder to predict than the previous seasons. The "Big Four" still look strong despite losses of key players in three of the four teams. Besides, big-spending Manchester City are likely to be pushing for the title as well, or a Champions League qualification spot at least. The transfer window closes in less than three weeks. Which clubs need to sign more players? And which areas do they need to strengthen?

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Put Your Money On Tottenham To Break Into The Top Four

Choon Yau Tan — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:42:22 -0400

Tottenham have always been an exciting team to watch, especially in recent season. The Spurs came close to making the top four in season 2006-07, where they finished fifth.

The following season, Tottenham finished in a disappointing eleven. Many thought Tottenham would be chasing for the fourth spot again before the start of last season, they finished eighth however. That means there will be no Europa League for them this season.

The signings of Roman Pavyluchenko, Giovanni dos Santos, David Bentley, and Luka Modric were signed last summer. Many were wary of their threat ahead of last season. However, they struggled at first.

Their first Premiership win only came in October against Bolton at White Hart Lane. Had they had a better start, they would've flirted with Aston Villa and Everton throughout the season.

Spurs have signed Sebastien Bassong, Peter Crouch, Kyle Naugthon, and Kyle Walker thus far. Darren Bent and Didier Zokora made way for the new faces.

So why do Spurs have a strong chance of breaking into the top four? The Premiership "Big Four" are still looking strong and big-spending Manchester City are expected to be challenging for a Chamipons League. The ever consistent Everton and Aston Villa are also forecasted to be chasing the "Big Four" closely.

Tottenham's advantage would be having a more solid, well-balanced squad than many top-half Premiership teams.

They have Heurelho Gomes and Carlo Cudicini to choose from for the goalkeeper role. Decent options with a fair amount of experience.

Ledley King, Jonathan Woodgate, Michael Dawson, and Sebastien Bassong are available for the centre-back positions; while Vedran Corluka, Gareth Bale, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Pascal Chimbonda, and Alan Hutton operate at full-back. Any selection for their back-four would be hard to break down.

Jermaine Jenas, Wilson Palacios, and Tom Huddlestone will continue leading in the middle of the park. And Aaron Lennon, David Bentley, Luka Modric, and Jamie O'Hara on both flanks.

The midfielders are probably the area where Spurs need to make some improvement. One more signing in the centre-midfielder role would be great.

As for the striking department, Spurs have Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, and Roman Pavyluchenko to gamble. I can't tell which of them are going to be regular starters and which are going to be back-ups honestly. All of the four are capable of scoring goals and that would be a major advantage for Spurs.

And having four of them means that Spurs can cope with any injury in the department, allowing them to consistently scoring goals every game.

Defoe and Keane's loss was felt in the beginning of last season and now that Defoe is fully fit, both he and Keane are going to form one of the strongest striking pair in the Premiership.

None of the players in the squad can be considered world class but it is undeniable that the players are good enough to beat any opponent.

Besides, the players have better chemistry and understanding this time around. If they get a good start to the season, anything can happen.

Despite all that, it will still be hard for any team to break into the top four. However, Tottenham probably have one of the strongest chances to do so.

Top Ten Liverpool Kits Since 2006

Choon Yau Tan — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 23:41:06 -0400

Liverpool have been wearing jerseys designed by Adidas since 2006, ten years after wearing jerseys designed by Reebok. And this isn't Adidas's first co-operation with Liverpool as Adidas designed Liverpool's kits from 1985 to 1996 as well. Since then, Liverpool have worn ten different jerseys designed by Adidas. Home jerseys are changed once every two seasons while away and third jerseys are changed every season, making the number of jerseys worn over the last four seasons to ten. The season starts this coming Sunday and let's ease some pressure by going through this list. This is my personal ranking of the best Liverpool jerseys since 2006. Here we go.

Begin Slideshow

Players Guide Season 2009-10: Liverpool

Choon Yau Tan — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:26:33 -0400

The Reds are keen to end their title drought this season. After narrowly missing out on the title last season, Liverpool are expected to come stronger this time around and win the Premiership title. Sami Hyypia and Jermaine Pennant departed at the end of last season. Alvaro Arbeloa just made a switch to Real Madrid and Andrea Dossena looks likely to be shown the exit as well. Liverpool's lack of squad-depth was seen as the primary reason why Liverpool failed to wrestle the title from Manchester United last season. So, do they have the players to challenge for every major honours this season?

Begin Slideshow

Why Michael Owen Will Never Be A Fan Favorite at Old Trafford

Choon Yau Tan — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:18:00 -0400

Michael Owen moved to Manchester United on a free transfer a few weeks back. Having signed for a club that can get him back to the national squad and better medical treatment, Owen is set to get back to the very top of his game.

Some doubted him at first, but he scored twice in his first two games with Manchester United. A late winner against Malaysia followed by another goal against the same opposition two days later.

Sir Alex Ferguson believes he will score many goals next season. Some fans agree but some don't.

So why won't Michael Owen be a fan favourite in Manchester United?

There are reasons for Liverpool fans to hate him. Some labelled him as a traitor following his shocking move to Manchester United while some believe their former hero shouldn't be playing for Liverpool's main title rival.

How about the reaction of Manchester United fans?

Well, he came on a free and is earning a relatively low wages compared to his new team mates. So, adding a squad player of his calibre shouldn't harm any team at all, despite his fitness form in recent seasons.

As mentioned earlier, he has scored two goals in Manchester United pre-season tour thus far. Owen looks like nothing but a striker that will score many goals for Manchester United next season, providing when he is fully fit. And fitness shouldn't be a big problem as he will not be rushed to play when unfit.

However, whether you like it or not, Michael Owen will never be a fan favourite at Old Trafford. He can score 30 goals for Manchester United next season but he will not be fan favourite.

His jersey hasn't been sold well and I am very sure his jersey will never be sold well, even if he single-handedly wins trophies for Manchester United.

Owen was given the No. 7 jersey as some kind of publicity I suppose, as a marketing strategy to raise the number of request for his name on Manchester United's kit.

A world class footballer wearing a legendary number of the famous kit. Unfortunately, he will never be a fan favourite.

Why is that so?

Liverpool fans don't like to see their Academy product playing for their fierce rival and Manchester United fans don't like to see their club using the service of a product of their rival's Academy either.

In fact, Owen was more than just an Academy product in Liverpool. He was their hero, he scored over 100 goals there and won the European Player of the Year during his time in Liverpool as well.

But Manchester United fans will definitely have an indescribable feeling towards Owen. Not hatred but it's an unpleasant feeling nevertheless.

Owen is not an unwanted striker, he is a world-class striker in fact. But I know it's hard for Manchester United fans to really like him. They will definitely give him support all the time but somehow they will never look at Owen as their hero, which is understandable.

For example, I can't imagine cheering for Michael Carrick in Liverpool's kit either. He will get the support he needs but at the same time, he will not really be liked. And Carrick is not even the product of Manchester United.

And currently, Manchester United fans still prefer Dimitar Berbatov over Michael Owen. Owen is a quicker striker, less lazy, has good understanding with Wayne Rooney, and is one of the best finishers in the game. I don't think those qualities are enough to displace the taller, younger, and more expensive Berbatov from the starting line-up.

Despite being a Liverpool fan, I hope that Owen will have a good season with Manchester United. I never looked at him as a traitor and I want him to get back to the top of his game.

I am making an assumption here but it's hard to deny that Owen will never be a fan favourite at Old Trafford. No party is to blame here; not the player, the club or the fans.

What do you think? Will Michael Owen ever be a fan favourite in Manchester United?

Chygrynskiy Could End Up In Camp Nou As Cana Makes Surprise Switch

Choon Yau Tan — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:08:58 -0400

These could be old news for fans on the other side of the globe but to me, these are breaking news. I woke up at 7.43 a.m. (London time approximately 11-12 Friday midnight) and saw these interesting news which I didn't see before I went for sleep.

Dmitri Chygrynskiy had earlier snubbed Barcelona to remain at Shakthar Donetsk. The reason was he wanted to play every game. At the age of 22, he is regarded as one of the best young defenders in Europe.

Apparently, Chygrynskiy has issued a plea to coach Mircea Lucescu to allow him to join Barcelona. Lucescu admitted that the player has sent a transfer request later in an interview and promised to allow him to discuss personal terms with the Catalan giants.

“When a team like Barcelona ask, you cannot say no,” the former Inter coach began, continuing, “I understand the player, because he want to go to Barcelona with all his heart. Who would not want to? Every player on the planet would want to."

“I also understand that the club have a need to sell. He will prove to be a great signing for Barcelona”, Lucescu added.

Putting aside the possible transfer, let's look at a done deal.

Lorik Cana has just signed for Sunderland!

The Albanian skipper was previously linked with a move to Arsenal and Liverpool, the move never seemed very likely but a move to Sunderland is a real surprise.

The tough holding midfielder was signed for a fee around £5 million and has penned a four-year contract.

Steve Bruce made the right signing, he has signed a good defensive midfielder for a bargain.

Meanwhile, Zlatan Ibrahimovic will undergo a medical at Camp Nou on Sunday.

More shocking news to follow...

Liverpool Reserves: Who Can McMahon Offload?

Choon Yau Tan — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:45:16 -0400

Introducing John McMahon, who was recently appointed the reserve team head coach after Gary Ablett's departure. The 45-year-old, who is also the younger brother of former Liverpool player Steve McMahon, had previously coached in Tranmere Rovers and Shrewsbury Town. Recently, six players from the youth team have been promoted to the reserves. New signing Chris Mavinga will most probably compete for a spot in the reserves as well. Ryan Flynn will spend a season-long loan at Falkirk while Paul Anderson had been sold to Nottingham Forest. Godwin Antwi and Ronald Huth ran out their contracts. However, the squad size of Liverpool reserves is relatively large and a little trimming is necessary. So who can McMahon offload?

Begin Slideshow

Rafa's Dilemma: Krisztian Nemeth or Daniel Pacheco To Step Up?

Choon Yau Tan — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:00:21 -0400

After the departure of Robbie Keane in January this year, Liverpool only had Fernando Torres for the second half of last season. Due to the heavy fixtures both domestically and in Europe, Rafa Benitez had to use David N'Gog on many occasions.

Despite scoring more goals after the sale of Robbie Keane, many fans still think that Rafa should sign a striker this summer, whether to partner Torres up front or as a back-up striker.

However, some parties believe that Rafa should promote Liverpool's young strikers into the first team rather than splashing cash on a striker, especially when there are more important areas to strengthen.

Andriy Voronin has returned from a season-long loan and doesn't look like going anywhere this summer. His return to Liverpool gives Rafa an additional option up front.

Dutch duo Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt could function in the striking role as well, despite being used mainly on the flanks.

And David N'Gog can only get better.

Rafa is likely to stick to the same formation with one striker. Torres is the obvious choice for starter here and both Kuyt and Voronin are capable of filling the void should Torres gets injured.

However, promoting a young striker or two into the first team is necessary. Why spend money to buy a back-up striker when you can nurture the young talents with high potential?

Krisztian Nemeth and Daniel Pacheco are the two names that are most likely to become first team regulars next season. Both were used by Rafa in Liverpool's first two pre-season games against St. Gallen and Rapid Vienna.

Krisztian Nemeth arrived from MTK Hungaria in summer 2007. The rather small Hungarian striker is a lethal finisher. He has got good touches and movement.

The 20-year-old striker's name was a regular in the reserves for the last couple of seasons and he has been a regular goal scorer at that level. Nemeth also had a brief loan spell in Blackpool. He has also represented Hungary in the U17s and U19s Championships.

Daniel Pacheco also arrived in summer 2007. He is exactly two years younger than Nemeth. His transfer to Liverpool continued the trend of Spanish teenagers leaving Barcelona for the Premier League. Gerard Pique, Cesc Fabregas, and Fran Merida have all left Barcelona for a challenge in the Premiership.

Also a regular for the reserves upon arrival, the small forward has also represented Spain U17s. What Pacheco lacks in height he makes up for his skills and pace, using them to break down stubborn defenders.

Is it time for these young strikers to step up? Or is it wiser to spend money on an established first team striker to bolster the squad in the bid to win the title?

Numerical Facts of TCY: My Journey so Far

Choon Yau Tan — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:28:29 -0400

I have a confession to make. I stole this idea from an article on liverpoolfc.tv that highlighted Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool career in numbers.

Actually, I planned to write this to celebrate my 50th article here. But due to the lack of ideas recently, I brought forward this article. I'll think of some other way to celebrate my 50th article but I don't think that milestone will be reached anytime soon.

The person who introduced me to this site was Jamie Ward. And since then, Abhimanyu Vinay Rajput, Alex Dimond, and Jamie Ward have helped me a lot. Thanks a lot to all of them.

And I've learnt many things since I joined b/r end of last year. I am not a great writer yet, but I see some improvements in my writing skills.

Now stop cursing me! I know this is not a football article but I really want to tag this article under "World Football" and "Liverpool" categories as all my articles so far are about football and most of them are related to Liverpool.

Tan Choon Yau's numerical facts begins now. The numbers are not respectably high but I am quite satisfied though.

17,764 total article reads thus far, excluding this one.

4,592 reads on a single article is my highest yet.

307 comments posted.

200 days in b/r (I only noticed this as I wrote this article).

175 comments received.

71 great comments received.

37 comments on a single article is my highest yet.

36 articles written, including this one. And all of them are football articles.

22 favorite writers so far. Are you one of them?

18 POTD votes received, mostly by Abhimanyu Vinay Rajput.

14 fans.

11 is my favorite number.

10 articles without any comment.

8 articles below the 100 reads mark, with 21 reads being my lowest.

4 articles that exceeded the 1000 reads mark.

2 articles that made the MSN foxsports.com.

1 ChoonYau Tan, who vows to continue writing in b/r!

Voices of Liverpool Facebook Community: Fans' Choice For Season 2008-09

Choon Yau Tan — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 08:59:57 -0400

Liverpool Football Club has recently launched their official fan page in Facebook. Being an active member in the page's discussion board, I came across an idea to ask a series of questions and gathering all their choices.

I hope that this can turn out to be a successful way of transmitting what members of that discussion board think here.

Since this is still in the initial phase, I started by asking a set of simple questions. If this turns out successful, hopefully "bigger issues" discussed in the board can be brought here.

Below is the list of questions asked and fans' pick for season 2008-09:

1) Who was our best player last season?

Steven Gerrard came top with 70% of the votes with Xabi Alonso getting all 30% of the remaining votes.

2) Who was our most improved player last season?

Yossi Benayoun was voted the player who had improved the most with 42% of the votes while young Emiliano Insua came second with 27% of the votes, ahead of Xabi Alonso with 15% votes.

3) Who was the unsung hero last season?

53% of the fans chose Dirk Kuyt as Liverpool's unsung hero last season. Yossi Benayoun came second with 12% of the votes, followed by Jamie Carragher with 8% of the votes.

4) How about the most disappointing player last season?

It was a tough decision for the fans but Robbie Keane narrowly edged other players with 36% of the votes. Ryan Babel came close with 32% of the votes while 16% of the fans chose Lucas.

5) Best signing last season?

Fans didn't have many options and so Albert Riera came top with 91% of the votes, ahead of Robbie Keane with 9% of the votes.

6) Liverpool's best performance last season?

58% of the fans think that the 4-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford was the best performance. The 4-0 win over Real Madrid at Anfield came second with 31% of the votes. Liverpool's 2-1 win over Manchester United earlier last season came third with 8% of the votes.

7) Liverpool's best goal last season?

65% of the fans voted for Torres' volley against Blackburn as the best goal scored last season. Both Torres and Aurelio's goals against Manchester United came second with 8% of votes each.

Surprisingly, no fan voted for Gerrard's goal against Marseille.

8) Best opposing player Liverpool encountered last season?

Andrey Arshavin's four goals against Liverpool earned him 36% of the votes. Michael Essien came second with 24% of the votes, followed by Phil Jagielka with 20% of the votes.

9) Best non-Liverpool player last season?

Majority of fans (60%) think Lionel Messi was the best non-Liverpool player last season. Last season's Premiership top scorer, Nicolas Anelka came second with 12% of votes as Frank Lampard collected 8% of the votes.

10) Which manager gave Rafa the toughest time last season?

38% of fans think that Guus Hiddink gave Rafa Benitez the toughest time last season. Tony Pulis came close with 33% of the votes, followed by Sir Alex Ferguson with 21% of the votes.

That wraps up my first issue of Voices of LFC (Liverpool Facebook Community). If you don't think this is a good idea, please do let me know where the problem lies and suggest ways to improve my work. Thank you for reading.

Hunting For a Forward: Should Liverpool Re-Sign Luis Garcia?

Choon Yau Tan — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:46:42 -0400

Since departing Liverpool for Atletico Madrid, Luis Garcia has recently fallen out of favour with the Spanish club. Last season, he was mainly used as a late substitute.

The Catalan-born winger started his career in Barcelona and had loan spells with Valladolid, Toledo, and Tenerife. He then made a permanent switch to Atletico Madrid in summer 2002.

However, Barcelona exercised an option to sign him back one season later.

In summer 2004, Garcia was part of the Spanish contingent Rafa Benitez brought to Liverpool. The fee to sign him was reportedly around £6 million.

His spell on Merseyside was probably the prime of his career. Not only did he win the Champions League in his first season, but he also earned his first international cap whilst playing for the club.

Luis Garcia was then sold to Atletico Madrid in 2007 after three brilliant years at Anfield.

Since January of this year, several Premiership clubs have been rumoured to be making a move to bring him back to England. Luis Garcia has only one year left on his contract and Atletico Madrid will most probably listen to any offer that comes.

So should Liverpool re-sign Luis Garcia?

The moment I heard that he could leave his current club, I started dreaming about having him back in Liverpool. Luis Garcia is one of my favourite players and he will always be one.

But having thought about this carefully later on, I was not sure whether the deal would be good for both Liverpool and Luis Garcia.

During his three-year spell in Liverpool, Garcia rarely performed badly. He never disappeared in big matches; he scored vital goals against Juventus, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Everton.

He wasn't the most clinical finisher but he was always dangerous in opposition's area. He was the player who appeared out of nowhere and notched a goal. He wasn't the fastest runner but always found himself enough spaces to create opportunities for himself and his teammates.

Based on his past performances for Liverpool, surely signing him is not a bad idea right? Besides, he should be available for less than or around £5 million.

But what exactly made me uncertain about re-signing the player?

When he was sold to Atletico in 2007, Rafa responded by signing Yossi Benayoun, a player very similar to Luis Garcia, as he knew the importance of a Garcia-like player in the team.

Yossi Benayoun has been one of the important players over the last two seasons, especially towards the end of the last campaign. Sadly, his contributions where ignored by the majority, and was only noticed by most when he scored the winner against Real Madrid in March—a goal that also cemented his place in the side.

The question is where is Luis Garcia going to play if he comes back to Anfield?

Dirk Kuyt has made the right-wing position his own and Albert Riera doesn't look like leaving this summer. Furthermore, nobody forms a better partnership with Fernando Torres than Steven Gerrard.

Besides, Luis Garcia has just turned 31 a few days back and is reaching the end of his peak.

Yossi Benayoun is happy at Liverpool and a contract extension for the Israeli captain is possible this summer. Ryan Babel was heavily linked with an exit a couple of months back, but apparently no club has launched a serious bid or officially declared interest.

And wouldn't Rafa want to continue giving Nabil El Zhar chances in the first team? El Zhar is one of the rare youngsters who rose from the reserves into the first-team under Rafa.

Despite all the factors against the return of Luis Garcia to Liverpool, I still believe that Luis Garcia has still got what it takes to play at the highest level. In my opinion, signing him as a "super-sub" kind of player wouldn't harm any team at all.

Luis Garcia has around three or four years before counting his days to retirement and hopefully a return to Liverpool can help him end his career with a high. But I will still support him and wish him the best no matter where he ends up next season.

So please sign our Luis again...

Rafa's Dilemma: Jay Spearing or Damien Plessis to Step Up?

Choon Yau Tan — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:54:56 -0400

Both Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano are wanted by Spanish giants, Real Madrid and Barcelona. Although Rafa Benitez has reiterated his desire to keep the duo, both Real Madrid and Barcelona are still keen to lure Alonso and Mascherano.

Liverpool fans were given a scare a few weeks back when Real Madrid came knocking with a big offer for Alonso, including several players as makeweight. Things got worse when Alonso refused to pledge his future in Liverpool during an interview.

However, Alonso responded again the following day stating clearly that he has no intention of leaving Anfield this summer. He also denied that his relationship with Rafa has deteriorated.

With Alonso looking to stay, Rafa was given another headache when both Real Madrid and Barcelona declared their interests in Mascherano. His agent, Walter Tamer has reportedly flown to Barcelona and held talks with the Catalan club regarding a possible transfer.

Many fans did not believe what the agent said about the Argentina skipper's desire to play for Barcelona.

Earlier this week, fans were stunned by Mascherano's comment in an interview.

"I am very proud and thankful for the interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid. It's good for me to have these two teams interested in me," he told Don Balon.

"Both teams are very important but at this moment I think that Barcelona is a little bit better and that's why they've won all that they have."

Showing respect to clubs interested in you is a normal response, but highlighting and comparing both teams tell you that Mascherano has a slight tendency towards an exit.

Whether or not the duo remains in Liverpool next season, Rafa will still need more players in that department. Assuming Steven Gerrard continues playing behind Fernando Torres next season with Alonso and Mascherano sitting firmly behind Gerrard, Rafa will need several back-ups.

Rafa never look like selling Lucas, so at least one more holding midfielder is needed in the team. I hope Rafa doesn't opt to buy one as there are two young midfielders eagerly waiting to become a first-team regular.

They are Jay Spearing and Damien Plessis. Both have already made their debuts but were only used as "freelance" first-teamers last season.

Damien Plessis made his shocking first-team debut in April 2008 against Arsenal. Aging 21, the towering holding midfielder has played a total of seven competitive first team games so far, scoring a goal in the process.

The former Lyon midfielder is dubbed as the new Patrick Vieira by many. Plessis has represented France in all youth levels, from under-17 to under-21. His physique will surely be an advantage for him to become a Premiership star in the future.

Jay Spearing made his first-team debut in December 2008, coming on as a substitute against PSV Eindhoven in a Champions League tie. He was given a taste of a big match in his second of two appearances thus far, coming on from the bench as Liverpool trashed Real Madrid 4-0 at Anfield.

What the Wirral-born player lacks in height, he makes up in determination and energy. Spearing is very much of the same mould as Mascherano physically, short but stocky. Being a product of Liverpool's Academy, he will most probably be in Rafa's long-term planning and featuring among the substitutes for competitive first-team games next season will not surprise anybody.

As a Liverpool fan, I would want to see both Alonso and Mascherano to be Liverpool players for many years to come. And I am also looking forward to Lucas' improvement next season. I'd love to have both Spearing and Plessis in the first team but if there is only room for one, who would you prefer to be a first-team regular?

Liverpool to Sign Glen Johnson: But Who at Anfield Will Have To Make Way?

Choon Yau Tan — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:25:48 -0400

Liverpool have agreed on a fee to sign Glen Johnson and Anfield seems the most likely destination for him this summer.

Should the deal go through, Liverpool will have to offload at least one of their current right-back options. And the rather high fee to sign Johnson can only act as a catalyst to sell a player or two, reducing the overall cost to purchase Johnson.

Currently, Liverpool have three players in the right-back position; Alvaro Arbeloa, Philipp Degen, and Stephen Darby.

So who will be the one making way for Glen Johnson if he does end up in Liverpool?

Alvaro Arbeloa

Why he is leaving:

Arbeloa has been reported to be homesick and the recent rumor linking him with Real Madrid make him the most likely of the trio to depart from Liverpool this summer. A good offer from Real Madrid may be too irresistable for Rafa Benitez.

Why he is staying:

He could still be part of Rafa's plan as there is a possibility of Rafa wanting Arbeloa to get a contract extension. Arbeloa is versatile and can play anywhere along the back four. Therefore, he is still needed in the team to give Rafa more options when defenders are tired and/or injured.

Philipp Degen

Why he is leaving:

Degen spent almost the whole of last season nursing injuries after injuries. Since he was signed as a free agent, selling him would only make a profit. Being injury prone makes him very likely to leave as well, but it could be hard to find a buyer.

Why he is staying:

Degen hasn't really shown his abilities in Liverpool. He is a full-back capable of pushing forward, providing width to Liverpool's game-play. If he is injury-free next season, fans may be able to see the best that Degen has to offer.

Stephen Darby

Why he is leaving:

Basically, I can't think of any reason to sell him. But he could be sent out on loan if neither Arbeloa nor Degen leaves.

Why he is staying:

Darby is still young and Liverpool needs more English players. So, he will most probably be kept on the team for the time being. Many would also want to see Darby getting involved in first team more next season.

Glen Johnson's transfer to Liverpool is yet to be finalised but the deal is almost done. Since the agreed fee by both sides is pretty high (even some parties claimed that Liverpool "overpaid"), Rafa could be forced to sell one or two players.

Another option for Rafa would be to keep all three right-backs in the team at the moment and send Andrea Dossena back to Italy. Whoever is making way, Glen Johnson's arrival is sure to be something fans look forward to.

Fernando Torres Shows Character as Patrick Vieira Seeks Attention

Choon Yau Tan — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:14:10 -0400

Fernando Torres has again vowed to remain as a Liverpool player. The Spaniard claimed that money would not tempt him away from Anfield and that he believes he will win the Premiership and Champions League with Liverpool.

"Winning the European Championship with Spain gave me a taste of what winning at the top level was like and once you've had a taste of success it becomes an addiction," said Torres.

"A lot of players committed themselves to Liverpool this summer with new contracts and players don't do that unless they think they can have their ambitions met."

"There is a lot of belief at the club and a lot of trust in the manager. I sincerely believe I will win the Premier League and the European Cup here."

"The winning tradition is very clear at Liverpool. I want to be involved in a little piece of their history."

Torres ended with: "As long as Liverpool want me, I will stay."

Despite being away on international duty, Torres spent a little more time expressing his comments regarding Mascherano's rumoured exit.

"Javier loves it at Liverpool, that is all I can tell you," Setanta Sports quote him as saying.

"In the summer people like to make a lot of noises about world-class players—and Javier is a world-class player."

"He has said himself that he is very happy at Anfield and there is no reason for him to want to leave."

Torres has also spoken about his support to former Liverpool striker, Michael Owen. He revealed his trust towards Rafa Benitez at the end regarding the proposed big money signing of Glen Johnson.

All that news didn't just make my day but also increased my respect towards Fernando Torres.

Meanwhile, Patrick Vieira stole a little bit of spotlight from Real Madrid by stating something that shocked me a lot.

He told that Samuel Eto'o and Didier Drogba would have won a couple of Ballon d'Ors if they were not Africans.

“I believe that Eto’o deserved to win it at least twice. He and Drogba are two strikers who have proven their talents in Europe and in their own domestic leagues for their respective clubs,” Vieira was quoted as saying by French newspaper, Le Figaro.

“These are questions of political order. It would be easier for Eto’o or Drogba [to win the Ballon d’Or] if they were of a different nationality,” he added.

There is nothing wrong showing support to two of the greatest strikers in Europe at the moment but I don't see a need to relate that to racial issues.

Ballon d'Or is a very prestigious award and obviously it is not easy to win it. Players like Paolo Maldini, Thierry Henry, Steven Gerrard, Raul Gonzalez, Eric Cantona, and Ryan Giggs have not won it either.

Thierry Henry's magnificence in his Arsenal years was only enough to make him the runner-up in 2003 and second runner-up in 2006. Five times Champions League winner, Paolo Maldini was only good enough to finish second runner-up in years 1994 and 2003. Roberto Carlos, who is one of the best left-backs in the history of football, if not the best has only made it to the top three once in 2002.

Ryan Giggs' glittering career hasn't been good enough for him to make the top three yet. Liverpool's domestic and European dominance in the 80's spearheaded by Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush wasn't good enough for any of their players to win Ballon d'Or either. Dalglish was runner-up in 1983 while Rush was never a top three.

That sums up the two items of news that concerned me most today.

A Piece Of Advice To Perez: Don't Overlook Your Players

Choon Yau Tan — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 02:33:07 -0400

In the quest to build a star-studded Real Madrid, Fiorentina Perez has recently taken a big step forward by signing Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo from AC Milan and Manchester United respectively.

The deals are yet to be finalised but clubs involved had agreed the fees and both the players are already looking forward to play for Real Madrid next season.

However, that is not the end of it. Perez is still keen to bring in Franck Ribery, David Villa, Xabi Alonso, and numerous big names in Europe.

David Villa was reportedly wanting a move to Real Madrid only yesterday. And Zinedine Zidane is very confident that Ribery will be playing for Real Madrid next season.

Liverpool do not want to sell Alonso although Perez is still keeping an eye on the Spanish midfielder. Several rumours suggested that Daniele De Rossi was Perez's latest primary target for the defensive midfield role following Liverpool's reluctance to sell Alonso.

Previously, the news regarding Real Madrid's clearance sales made the headlines of many newspapers. Real Madrid denied sending faxes to Premiership teams regarding the availabilities of twelve players including the likes of Wesley Sneijder, Rafael Van der Vaart, Gabriel Heinze, and Arjen Robben.

Despite their denial, the sales of those twelve players are very likely to make ways for the many big names Perez has in mind. The sales of those players can also bring some money back after spending big on Kaka and Ronaldo.

I am assuming that Perez succeed in signing Ribery and Villa. Putting the pieces together, that means Villa will most probably operate as a lone striker with Ribery, Kaka, and Ronaldo roaming behind him.

Raul Gonzalez and Jose Maria Guti will always have a place in the team as their nationality gives them an advantage in cementing a first team spot.

That makes other forwards and attacking midfielders surpluses. Gonzalo Higuain was their top scorer last season and Real Madrid want to keep him in the squad. But would he be happy to be the second or third schoice striker? Or play him out of position?

Ageing Van Nistelrooy and unneeded Javier Saviola will probably be sold at a low price soon. Due to the form of Higuain last season, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's place in the team is under threat as well should Villa arrive this summer.

It is too early to judge Huntelaar who arrived in January 2009. He has played a total of 20 games for Real Madrid (only six full games) netting eight times, not a bad figure for a player trying to adapt to a new environment.

Dutch trio Robben, Sneijder, and Van der Vaart were also rumoured to an exit. From the three, Sneijder is probably the player Real still need even if Ribery arrives as his versatility enables him to play anywhere in the middle of the park.

However, he is also the most likely to be used as a makeweight to reduce the transfer fee of signing Ribery since he is the highest valued player among the three.

The competition for a place centre midfield is already great with Lassana Diarra, Mahamadou Diarra, Fernando Gago, and Ruben De la Red at their disposals. Not to mention the likes of young Dani Parejo and Javi Garcia in the squad.

Therefore, the arrival of a new centre midfielder would also force Real Madrid to sell a couple of players in that position.

To me, it will be a shame if we don't see players like Higuain, Huntelaar, and Sneijder not starting for Real Madrid next season. Higuain is constantly improving and Huntelaar can only get better. Hence, there is no need to splash cash on David Villa.

Obviously David Villa is better than any of Real Madrid's strikers at the moment but the arrival of world class attacking midfielders like Kaka and Ronaldo will definitely bring the best out of Higuain and Huntelaar. Buying Alvaro Negredo back as a back-up should do the trick.

Meanwhile, Ribery will also be a good addition to the team but I don't expect Bayern Munich to sell him anywhere below €50m, especially after what Real paid for Kaka and Ronaldo. But if it means sacrificing three talented players (Sneijder, Robben, and Van der Vaart) to get Ribery's service, I would say no to the deal.

Fiorentina Perez, please don't overlook the players you already have in the squad.

Lucas Much Needed, Hyypia's Replacement Need Not Be Purchased

Choon Yau Tan — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:49:51 -0400

As always, the end of season period is when fans talk about which players should be signed and sold.

And not surprisingly, Lucas Leiva is among the few players which most Liverpool fans do not want to see in the team next season. Not surprising as Lucas has been the one fans criticize heavily all the time, he is the one put to blame for most matches and he is the one identified as the weakest link of Liverpool's midfield.

I was a fool to agree with what most fans think but now, I think that Lucas should not be sold. In fact, he is still much needed in the team.

Surely Lucas is not a great midfielder when compared to Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso, which is probably the reason why fans have been thinking that he is below par.

However, Lucas is an important member of the team. Technically, he has many years before his peak and therefore can still improve a lot. I strongly believe that his passing accuracy, tackle timing, and man-marking awareness will only get better next season.

That is not just the reason why I want him to be a Liverpool player for many years. The primary reason is his attitude and loyalty toward Liverpool, as well as his fiery determination whenever chances are given.

Although he was frustrated for not getting enough playing time last season due to the magnificence of Mascherano and Alonso, he has been reiterating about his desire to stay in Liverpool for a long time.

Further more, he did not moan about the physical approach of Premiership players since his arrival in summer 2007, unlike many foreigners who often complain about the physical challenges faced in the Premiership. Instead, Lucas spent extra hours at Melwood doing additional exercises in order to adapt to the physical nature of Premiership football.

Lucas has indeed strengthened himself physically and hopefully that will increase his performance in the coming seasons.

Meanwhile, Liverpool fans are craving for the signings of a back-up striker, a winger, and full-backs. There is a minority who thinks signing a centre-back should be prioritized.

The departure of Sami Hyypia will certainly leave a gap in the team, but I don't think that a centre-back needs to be purchased.

Sylvain Distin has been linked with Liverpool previously.

With Jamie Carragher, Martin Skrtel, and Daniel Agger very likely to stay in Liverpool, what they need is only a fourth choice centre-back. And the centre-back pairing is generally the least rotated in any football team unless there is an injury to one of both of the centre-backs.

However, Hyypia made a total of 19 appearances last season due to several injuries on Skrtel, Agger, and Alvaro Arbeloa.

Personally, I would prefer the fourth choice centre-back to be someone coming from Liverpool's Academy. In this case, Martin Kelly is the perfect choice. Kelly made his debut last season in a Champions League game against PSV Eindhoven.

Besides, Kelly is pretty much of the same mould as Hyypia physically. And his physical advantage should give him an edge in breaking into the first team.

Another option would be the versatile Mikel San Jose, who represents Spain in the youth level. The highly rated former Athletic Bilbao defender is yet to make his debut.

Strengthening Liverpool: Five Possible INs and OUTs This Summer

Choon Yau Tan — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:06:12 -0400

After Liverpool's second-place finish to Manchester United in the Premier League, their manager Rafael Benitez has vowed to add quality to his squad in order to win the title next year.

Over the past couple of months, Liverpool have been linked with numerous players from Marouane Chamakh to David Villa, and from Gareth Barry to Aaron Lennon. However, there are also several players rumoured to be set for an exit this summer.

After filtering the rumours and analysing the squad, these are the players which I think have the highest possibility of coming to and leaving Anfield in the summer.

Possible INs

Having failed to sign Gareth Barry, and with Carlos Tevez more likely to sign for Manchester City, Rafa may switch his sights to David Silva.

The Valencia winger is heavily linked with a move to Liverpool at the moment, and Benitez was rumoured to have spoken to the player personally.

Apparently a bid has been tabled for Silva, and if Real Madrid don't get involved in a tug-of-war with Liverpool, the deal could go through anytime soon.

The second priority would be a striker, as Benitez insisted on bringing in at least one striker in the summer.

Tevez was a likely option, but it seems that Benitez does not wish to splash big cash on a striker. That could open the door for Middlesbrough's Tuncay Sanli to move to Anfield.

Personally, I feel that Almeria's Alvaro Negredo has the biggest possibility of ending up in Liverpool among the rumoured strikers. There were reports earlier claiming that Real Madrid could buy Negredo via a clause and would use him as a makeweight to lure Xabi Alonso, but the deal collapsed.

So, Liverpool could end up paying a little more by buying him directly from Almeria, without the help of Real Madrid.

Liverpool's failure to sign Barry means they are still desperate to add one or two English players in the squad.

Portsmouth's Glen Johnson could well be on his way to Liverpool, having impressed many last season. He might be the solution for Liverpool's full-back problems, and more importantly, he is English.

Alonso looks set to stay in Liverpool, and the possibility of Javier Mascherano leaving Liverpool at the moment is near zero. Lucas Leiva was one of Rafa's favourites last season, but Liverpool do need another central midfielder.

The trio of Steven Gerrard, Alonso, and Mascherano should remain. Therefore, there should be more than just Lucas as covers.

Spain's Under-21 international Javi Martinez appears to be very much a possibility of becoming a part of Liverpool in the summer. The towering 20-year-old is highly rated in Spain and would give offer Rafa more options in the midfield.

Lastly, the fifth most probable signing is also a striker—and again, it is not going to be an expensive one. He is available for free but has not attracted many clubs due to his being prone to injury. Sounds familiar?

Although Benitez said that he was not going to sign Michael Owen, Gerrard's plea to have Owen back could make Benitez reconsider Lil' Mikey. Owen's little options could well force him to take a pay cut, and Liverpool will surely benefit by signing him at a lower risk.

Possible OUTs

Benitez kept no secret about the possibility of selling Ryan Babel to raise funds not long ago, and it seems to many fans that Babel has the highest probability of leaving in the summer.

Yossi Benayoun looks set to extend his stay. Nothing much is being said about Albert Riera, and if the Silva deal goes through, it should mark the end of Babel's Liverpool career.

Being the third choice for the left-back position in the pecking order, Andrea Dossena had seen himself playing in the left-wing position a couple of times last season.

Providing the options Benitez has in those positions, Dossena should be the one sacrificed to make way for new members. There shouldn't be a problem offloading him, as several Serie A clubs are already monitoring him.

Andriy Voronin has just ended his one-year loan with Hertha Berlin and does not fancy a move back to Anfield. Hertha's failure to qualify for the Champions League next season means they cannot afford to buy their talisman of last season. However, his form in Bundesliga should attract several clubs, and he could be used as a makeweight to land David Silva as well.

Charles Itandje did not play a senior game last season, and he should have been higher up in the list. Liverpool offered him to several Ligue 1 clubs before the transfer season closed last summer but could not sell him. Offloading him is not an easy task at all.

Philipp Degen is the fifth most likely leaver in the summer. Having spent most of his time nursing injuries, he could well be sold to raise more funds.

Rubbishing Rumour: Vidic Ain't Leaving, So Is Alonso

Choon Yau Tan — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:24:41 -0400

We have come to the time of the year when transfer rumours spark, and with clubs being claimed to bid for players and offloading players. Therefore, I thought about starting my very own series, Rubbishing Rumour.

The rumours today include Real Madrid's "success" in capturing Kaka, Chelsea still trying to hijack the deal, and Elano on the way to Inter Milan.

But what shocked me a lot was Real Madrid were reportedly launching a £30m bid for Manchester United defender, Nemanja Vidic. I don't see any reason why Manchester United would want to sell their best defender and Vidic claimed that he was happy in his current club not long ago.

Surely Real Madrid want more superstars but they cannot go around bidding for near impossible signings.

Meanwhile, Park Ji-Sung has denied rumours that he is set for an exit in the summer.

The rumour surrounding Didier Drogba's exit can also be put aside as Chelsea are keen to offer the Ivorian striker a contract extension.

In the meantime, Carlos Tevez's future is still uncertain but Manchester City are in pole position to secure the signing.

Michael Owen is lately rumoured to the two Merseyside clubs with Everton reportedly offering 50 percent of his current salary, while Gerrard has pleaded Rafa Benitez to sign him.

Xabi Alonso should also remain as a Liverpool player next season after Rafa's failure to sign Gareth Barry, who joined Manchester City yesterday. Real Madrid are still keen on the midfielder and were reportedly using Alvaro Negredo as a makeweight. However, Rafa has stated clearly about his desire to keep Alonso in the team.

Liverpool have reportedly launched £15m plus Andriy Voronin in a bid to lure David Silva to Anfield. Personally, I can't see that happening so soon as Real Madrid will be quick to get involved and the tug-of-war might go on for some time.

A source from Daily Mail claimed that Yossi Benayoun could turn his back on Liverpool or sign a contract extension. I think the latter seems more likely.

The rumour linking Robinho back to Santos sparked again but I don't see any reason for Robinho to leave Eastlands at the moment as the club has just shown their ambition by signing Gareth Barry.

In Bundesliga, Bayern Munich disappointed Chelsea and Real Madrid by putting a not-for-sale tag on Franck Ribery.

However, free agent Ze Roberto wants to play for Manchester City.

Alexander Pato also distanced himself away from a £45m move to Stamford Bridge by stating ''I want to win everything with Milan.''

Other rumours today include Steve Bruce wanting Darren Bent once named as the new Sunderland boss, Hull in for both Fraizer Campbell and Kevin Nolan, Bolton tracking Tom Huddlestone, and Portsmouth's John Utaka is wanted by Rennes and Bordeaux.

Tomasz Kuszczak is linked with Zenit, Sturridge looks set to join Chelsea, and Fulham are lining up a bid for Tuncay Sanli.

Outside England, Espanyol look set to capture the signing of Shunsuke Nakamura as Genoa continue chase for veterans Juninho and Hernan Crespo.

Fernando Torres: Statistically the Deadliest EPL Striker This Season

Choon Yau Tan — Tue, 26 May 2009 10:58:29 -0400

Fernando Torres's 14-goal tally might not match his last season's impressive 24 league goals, but there is a reason why Torres is statically the deadliest striker in the Premiership 2008/09 season.

By goal count, Torres ended the season as fourth top scorer along with Robinho with 14 goals.

Golden Boot winner, Nicolas Anelka netted 19 times this season. Last season's top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo scored 18 times while Torres's fellow teammate Steven Gerrard scored 16 goals.

Darren Bent, Kevin Davies, Dirk Kuyt, Frank Lampard, and Wayne Rooney all had 12 goals each.

To prove that Fernando Torres is statically the deadliest striker in the 2008/09 season, I shall rearrange the top ten scorers by their minutes spent on the pitch per goals scored (MPG). Only the top ten are included since consistency matters, or else Federico Macheda would be the deadliest with an MPG score of 95 (Two goals in 190 minutes).

The MPG top scorers:

Fernando Torres's season is plagued with several injuries that limited his playing time to only 1733 minutes. Therefore, he has scored a goal in every 123.79 minutes.

That is nearly 30 minutes less than Ronaldo, whose MPG score was 152.72.

Top scorer Anelka came close behind Ronaldo with an MPG score of 154.05, ahead of Gerrard (164.38), Bent (180.42), Robinho (188.21), and Rooney (188.67).

The bottom three of the ten top scorers are Kuyt, Lampard, and Davies with MPG scores of 265.08, 271.58, and 281.25 respectively.

Other fun facts:

Despite finishing bottom in the MPG table, Kevin Davies was the most accurate striker with 0.48 goal per shots on target (SOT). Fernando Torres came second with 0.45 goal per SOT followed closely by Darren Bent with 0.43 goal per SOT.

Frank Lampard is the worst among the ten with only 0.21 goal per SOT.

Again, there is a reason why only the top ten Premiership scorers are included. Or else, Macheda would've swept others aside as well with 0.67 goal per SOT (Kiko scored 2 goals from 3 shots on target).

If you think Torres's MPG score is superior, you are wrong. He himself had an MPG score of 105.92 in the 2007/08 season. Even Emmanuel Adebayor had an MPG of 122.08 in the similar season, which is enough for the Togolese to top this season's MPG table.

Cristiano Ronaldo was far more superior than both of them that season with an amazing MPG score of 88.61.