Feb 04 2009
Andrei Arshavin Move Becomes A Reality
photo: Aleksandr Mysyakin
Andrei Arshavin completed his dream move to Arsenal, just in time before the transfer window closed yesterday. Apparently for quite a bit of money by Arsenal’s standards, Arshavin set them back £15million, but with the transfer came a long term contract like Arsene Wenger always demands from his players, the contract is believed to be in the 3 and a half to 4 year range. Depending upon how the Russian playmaker adapts to Premiership life Arshavin could be a brilliant signing for Arsenal, but that remains to be seen.
One thing’s for sure, Arshavin has infinite potential to excel and Arsenal desperately needed another attacking midfielder.
Robbie Keane has once again been handed the Tottenham captaincy in his return to White Hart Lane. Redknapp clearly going for the smartest strategy available in his bid to rebuild Spurs, by restoring the captain that guided Tottenham to a Carling Cup title. But still to me, all of this begs the question, why did Keane every leave?
Robbie Keane flourished at Tottenham, but still never looked like a striker with the great potential to play in a club at the top of the table consistently. Tottenham have been a mid-table team for some time, and still Keane doesn’t play well consistently enough, so how Liverpool thought the Irishman would turn it around, or better yet how Keane thought he would compete with someone like Fernando Torres I have no idea. I get that Keane was a Liverpool fan and wanted the opportunity, but sometimes chasing glory and money just isn’t the best career move.
photo: Gordon Flood
And finally, once again Manchester United have clearly show that they may not be willing to spend the £30million it would take to make Carlos Tevez a permanent addition to the club by turning down their first option to buy the striker’s contract when his loan deal expires at the end of the season. And why keep him? Tevez isn’t worth £30m, not at all. Sure the Argentine is tenacious, but not the good tenacity that Ji-Sung Park or Wayne Rooney employ, that ball winning fury but level headedness to keep aware of team mates to keep your attacking flow going at full force.
Tevez likes to sit on the ball until the attackers in front of him have to pull up before going into an offside position, thereby making any positive movement impossible. Tevez is good, he just doesn’t play the Manchester United way, and therefore he is not the proper permanent addition for the defending champs.
