Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Dalglish Carroll Torres Adam

Why the big deal over yesterday's spending spree in the football world?

I see people shaking their heads and moaning that it is a disgrace, that it is inappropriate in the current econmic climate.

My view is the exact opposite - that it is great news and a real boost to the game. It is the stuff of fantasy football - and isn't that what football is, after all?

Fantasy - an escape from the doldrums and harshness of reality?

I am very proud that the English league is the biggest spender in all of Europe - it shows we are still tops, still thriving and not on our knees as some would have had you believe.

And as for the deals? All excellent in my humble opinion. All beneficial to the clubs involved and all have given a major lift to those clubs.

Liverpool get rid of a disgruntled employee who now becomes non disgruntled as he heads for a fantasy strike force that could win Chelsea the Champions League - yes, Torres and Drogba.

Liverpool then bring in the best homegrown forward since Shearer to lift their spirits and put some fire into the belly of their team and their fans. Andy Carroll is not overpriced if he fires Liverpool into the top four and he could link up well with the more subtle Luis Suarez.

My only quibble if I were a Liverpool fan would be that they did not buy Charlie Adam. All the talk is of how Liverpool's new owners have splashed out millions, which proves they are not like the old owners. But do the math as those very same Yank owners might say - have they actually splashed out that much? Torres went for £48million while Carroll cost £35.5million and Suarez cost £22.5m - a total of £58million. So the new owners have actually invested £10million. Is that big bucks these days? Surely they could have upped their bid for Adam from £10m to the £12.5m which would have secured him? That would have made their investment a total of £22.5m.

Liverpool now have the firepower with the two new men up front, but do they have the man to supply them with the ammunition? Debatable. Adam is that man - he has all the makings of a new Paul Scholes and I believe Kenny may have dropped a clanger by not signing him. My information is that Adam will now end up replacing Scholes at Old Trafford come July.

Also, why would he have gone to Tottenham? And why would Redknapp have bought him? His urgent need is for a top-class centre forward, he has quality midfielders aplenty.

Perhaps the best deal was the one that has claimed the least number of column inches...David Luiz. The Brazilian centre half is just what Chelsea need as they still to struggle to cope with the loss of Carvalho, the absence through injury of Alex and the rocky form of Terry. Luiz is young, strong and can, along with Alex when fit, become the new bedrock from which the Blues can build anew.

It all makes for a much more interesting, exciting season...