Beaty's Beat

    Hello ladies and gents! I’m back, and here is the conclusion of my Premiership preview for this season. I now present you the top 10:

    (10) Aston Villa. Villa is yet again another usual mid-table side. They completed last season in eleventh-place. They have improved their squad this year with two good players from West Ham, the young England midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker, and striker Marlon Harewood. Player to Watch: Nigel Reo-Coker – a good young central midfielder, who could improve even more in this upcoming season. Silverware: None.

    (9) Manchester City. Another club from Manchester. Once more an average Premiership side, the Citizens have spent big in this offseason and much thanks goes to the new Thai owner, Thaksin Shinawatra. Many summer signings have been very good for City, such as Rolando Bianchi (who scored 18 goals for his former club Reggina), Valeri Bojinov, Elano, Martin Petrov, and Geovanni. MCFC will look for goals from Bojinov and Bianchi this upcoming Premiership season. Player to Watch: Valeri Bojinov – good, 21-year-old, Bulgarian striker. Silverware: None.

    (8) Blackburn Rovers. The Blues and Whites enjoyed the success of winning the English Premier League a little over ten years ago. Since then, they have been a very decent side and have competitively challenged for UEFA Cup spots. They have not done many changes in the offseason, but I think that this current squad, with the addition of new summer signing, Roque Santa Cruz, is good enough to realistically challenge for another UEFA Cup qualification. Alongside last season’s super-signing Benni McCarthy, Santa Cruz should form a strong striking partnership at the front for the Rovers. Player to Watch: Roque Santa Cruz – new signing / good Paraguayan striker. Silverware: None.

    (7) Everton. Always another strong candidate for some European football (whether it is UEFA Cup or Champions League), the Toffees seem set to have another good run in the English Premier League. With the pickup of former Sheffield United defender, Phil Jagielka, and loaning Steven Pienaar, Everton are on track to have another respectable finish in 07/08. To some the loss of James Beattie is actually a good thing, so for Everton, “all signs point to yes.” Hopefully the lack of depth won’t come back to bite them. Player to Watch: Tim Howard – a good American goalkeeper, who gives us fans across the pond something to cheer for. Silverware: None.

    (6) Portsmouth. Portsmouth is very similar in quality to the two that I have just previously mentioned. Last year, Pompey finished at a solid ninth. But this year, I am convinced that a sixth-place finish is in order. They in southeastern England have made some fantastic transfer window acquisitions, including Sulley Muntari, Sylvain Distin, David Nugent, John Utaka, and Hermann Hreidarsson. Player to Watch: Sulley Muntari – good Ghanian midfielder, who impressed at the World Cup a year ago. Silverware: None.

    (5) Tottenham Hotspur. Yes the Londoners again will have to wait another year or two until they break into the top four. Spurs have bolstered with plenty of talent this summer and such bolsterers are Darren Bent, Gareth Bale, and Younes Kaboul. These players are certainly due of praise, but I do not believe that they can push the Lilywhites into Champions League territory. Player to Watch: Gareth Bale – highly-rated, 18-year-old Welsh left-back. Silverware: None.

    (4) Arsenal. These Londoners will secure a Champions League qualifying spot but just barely. The glaring exclusion of star striker and captain Thierry Henry will be a huge loss for the Gunners. Robin van Persie will have to score a whole heap of goals to help Arsenal to their fourth place finish (which happens to be the position they are in right now). You will never be able to replace Thierry Henry, but how will you adjust to his absence? That will decide Arsenal’s season. Player to Watch: Cesc Fàbregas – very young, but very experienced 20-year-old central midfielder. Silverware: Carling Cup.

    (3) Manchester United. A surprise third-place finish for the reigning champions, but the recent result, though it is early, does not impress. A scoreless draw to ten-manned Reading, and also the loss of star striker Wayne Rooney due to injury (fractured foot). The offseason signings were impressive from the Red Devils – a very long transfer saga has come to an end in Owen Hargreaves, a very young Portuguese winger, named the next “Cristiano Ronaldo,” Nani, and a young Brazilian attacking midfielder in Anderson. These signings are very good and huge, but they may be just a lot of hype. On the other hand I could be horribly wrong; we’ll just have to see. Player to Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo – very exciting, incredible young talent / winger / possibly player in the world. Silverware: FA Cup.

    (2) Chelsea. A very close end to the season with the eventual champion (to be determined). The Blues will be gunning for the Champions League…and the Premiership. Chelsea has come close but has never won the Champions League, and will surely like to put that record to rest. They have a strengthened squad from last year. They have had little to no significant “out” transfers, and have made some decent “ins.” Joining the London side will be Steve Sidwell, Tal Ben Haim, Florent Malouda, Alex, and Claudio Pizarro. Chelsea will have a very good run in the table, but may have their mind on other competitions. Player to Watch: Michael Essien – very good Ghanaian midfielder. Silverware: None…too many priorities!

    (1) Liverpool. The Reds have not won the English Premier League ever. They have not won the top-flight of English footie for over fifteen years…so why now? I will tell you why. Rafael Benítez (and his new banker look) is one massive reason. His first season in charge of Liverpool resulted in a Champions League victory. His second an exciting FA Cup victory. His most recent season brought hardly any silverware, but we (yes we) returned to yet another Champions League final. When Rafa sets his mind to a competition, he really goes after it, and all other competitions do not matter anymore. This year Liverpool is clearly gunning for the Premiership. Their/our summer signings are fantastic. Ryan Babel, a young Dutch attacking player, Yossi Benayoun, an Israeli attacking midfielder, Andriy Voronin, a Ukrainian striker, who we received on a free, and Lucas Leiva, a young Brazilian defensive midfielder. Oh yeah, and I almost forgot, a little guy I like to call El Niño, Fernando Torres!!! We’ve had lots of European success, but the fans now want some domestic success, and that’s what Rafalution will have set his mind to. Players to Watch: Fernando Torres – new signing / young, pacy Spanish striker, who could break the 20-goal mark. Steven Gerrard – a fabulous, very exciting English player, great pace, work ethic, leadership, and fantastic on both sides of the ball, who came through the Liverpool youth system. Silverware: English Premier League!

    Now onto the singular awards. I think that the biggest bargain this offseason has to be Valeri Bojinov. He is a great young talent, bought for approximately £5.75 million, which may sound like a lot, but at his age, potential means a lot. On the flip side, the biggest bust may be Owen Hargreaves. This is the second year in a row that United have spend huge bucks on a defensive midfielder. What happens now to the £18.6 million that went towards Carrick last year? Now Man United has got the man they really want…but will he live up to the hype? Best young player award of the year goes to Cristiano Ronaldo. The best player of the year goes to either Cristiano Ronaldo or Steven Gerrard. Most Underrated Player: Valeri Bojinov. Most Overrated Player: By far must be Frank Lampard.

    That’s how the Prem transpires in my mind. What are you’re thoughts? After you read this article and articles past, check out the forum on this column’s website: www.freewebs.com/beatysbeat, and give us your thoughts and criticisms on my take.

    Thierry Henry. He is one of the best strikers ever. Henry has dominated the English Premier League in so many ways over the past eight seasons. The pacy striker can tear even the best defenses apart with mind-blowing runs and fancy footwork. He has captained his London club Arsenal for the past two seasons but will now move south to Barcelona, where he will play his football next season, alongside his new striking partners Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o, and Lionel Messi (who to start?).

    “Sometimes in football you have to score goals.” Thanks for the heads up, Thierry. “I’d say our chances…are 60-40…in our favor.” Now if you did not know who Henry was, then he may sound like an idiot. However, his off-the-field actions are remarkable. Henry has spoken out against racism in football. Ever since Spanish coach Luis Aragonés attempted to motivate Henry’s then teammate José Antonio Reyes by calling the Frenchman by a terribly racist and insulting name, Henry has started a campaign against racism called “Stand Up Speak Up” with Nike. Let’s just hope he can avoid the racism that the Spanish fans are notoriously attributed with.

    Thierry Henry has always led by example. The way he carries himself on the field in fluid motion, he makes it look so easy; it’s no wonder “Gooners” (Arsenal supporters) call him King Henry. TH14 has led Arsenal to many great accomplishments including the club’s greatest season (the undefeated season) in 2004. That is 38 games in the English Premier League without one loss. Henry scored thirty goals in the season to give Arsenal its thirteenth league title. Even professional players look up to him as a hero. Newly signed Liverpool striker Ryan Babel has been compared to Henry and he said, “I will work hard to get to his level or maybe beyond it in the next few years.” Good luck, you’ve got some HUGE shoes to fill!

    Henry’s international career has been good but not exceptional. He played a crucial role in France’s 1998 World Cup victory on home turf. Expectations were high for the next go-around, but France choked…big time! Not only didn’t they repeat, not only did they not reach the final, semifinal, quarterfinal, or even get past the group stage! In fact this French side did not even score ONE goal! In 2006, Henry helped France return to the final only to lose on penalties in the end.

    After the deal went through, Henry commented, “…it was hard to leave. I always said that if I ever left Arsenal it would be to play for Barcelona.” Now that the transfer is completed, how will this £16.1 million move to Barça pan out for Henry? I think Henry will do very, very well for the Spanish giants. La Liga is an interesting place to be for a striker. Strikers usually benefit going from the English Premier League to La Liga because the Premier League is much more physical, yet still fast-paced. Fredi Kanouté, for example, was an outcast at Tottenham Hotspur and could not get a game, but a few seasons ago, playing for Sevilla, was the league’s top goalscorer. Ruud van Nistelrooy was as prolific a goalscorer as Henry in the Premiership and was this year’s top scorer in Spain. Based on these instances, one would have to believe that Henry would light it up as he heads south.

    On the contrary, how will the London side cope without their superstar and captain? To be honest, I simply do not know. Maybe manager Arsène Wenger can pull something out of a hat just as he did eight years ago with Henry. Thierry Henry was a no-name nearly a decade ago when he was brought to Arsenal for £10.5 million in 1999. It’s possible Wenger may do the same – possible, not likely. If not, I see this as (maybe) the year that their heated rivals Tottenham surpasses them for the fourth and final Champions League spot. The French manager will expect Spanish youngster Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor, and his new signing Eduardo da Silva to make up for the 20+ goals lost through Henry’s departure.

    This whole article has been written by an avid Liverpool fan. Trust me, I have attempted to dislike Thierry Henry, but I’m convinced that it is impossible. Henry changes games, teams, and seasons. At the top of his game, the French striker cannot be stopped. Thanks for tuning into Beaty’s Beat this week and every week. Don’t forget to log on and read this article and articles past online at www.freewebs.com/beatysbeat.

Thierry Henry controls the ball in a game for France.

    David Beckham OBE. A global icon for football and other non-football reasons, Beckham is the best crosser and free kick specialist in the world, and he is coming to…Major League Soccer?!?! Yes, it’s true. Many of you know this already by now (obviously) because on January 11, 2007, Los Angeles Galaxy released the news of the year: they had confirmed and clinched the signing of the former England captain for a (potential) contract of $250 million over five years. The contract is actually only (yes only) $10 million for each year, but endorsements bolster the contract. Although a shocking move, it was not an absolute total surprise. After all, MLS had created a rule, the Designated Player Rule (aka Beckham Rule), for his expected move to the US. This would accommodate for the MLS club’s salary cap. When that particular club brought in David Beckham (or another Beckham-esque player), that would violate the salary cap. Without this rule, there is no way that MLS could lure the 12-year England international because the ridiculous salary cap would not allow a club to spend enough money on a player of such a caliber as this.

    David Beckham started his career in the Manchester United youth system when he was sixteen. A year later, Becks made his way into United’s first team squad. After serving eleven seasons at Old Trafford, winning six Premiership titles, two FA Cups, and a Champions League, and developing his legendary Beckham brand, Beckham was transferred to Spanish galácticos (superstars) Real Madrid for £25 million! In Spain, Beckham continued his worldwide icon for four seasons. He very nearly left the Santiago Bernabéu without winning a single trophy, but in his last game for the Spanish club, he and Madrid won La Liga.

    When Golden Balls first agreed to join the Californian side, Real Madrid boss Fabio Capello (who has since been sacked) was furious. The then 60-year-old told the English superstar that he would never play for the club again. Come the end of the season, in a massive flip-flop, Capello allowed Beckham back into the starting squad. Slowly but surely, the Italian manager became Beckham’s biggest supporter. Beckham saved Capello’s job time and again. This turnaround eventually led to a desperate attempt by Real Madrid to keep Becks in Spain. They asked Beckham to exploit the clause in his contract to stay at Madrid if he wanted to, but in the end, this clause did not even exist.

    So what kind of effect will DB7 have on the US? I think Beckham will cause a lot of hype here in the States, and he may bring new fans to the game. My prediction is that he will excel here; we have already witnessed what Juan Pablo Ángel, a Colombian striker who was an average player in the English Premiership, has done here – he is lighting it up! Now just imagine what a star in Europe can do here… I am not trying to set the bar too high for Becks, but rather I am explaining the potential that Beckham has to change soccer in America. At the same time, I do fear for Beckham that Americans that do not follow soccer may deem him a failure because of a lack of goals scored. David Beckham is the “consummate professional,” and he will most likely dominate the league, but let’s just hope that he does not play down to his competition. Even if Beckham does take over MLS, I do not see this improving the general prestige of the league. In my mind US soccer will never be on the level of the English Premier League or the Spanish Primera. This is not to say that I would not like to see this happen; I truly would, but it is beyond reality. I think it is safe to say that not one kid in the nation wakes up in the morning and says, “Oh gee, I’ve got to win that MLS Cup!” On the contrary, any kid in England would certainly fantasize about lifting the FA Cup.

    That’s all for now for Beaty’s Beat. Thanks so much for tuning in. I hope you will do the same for next week when I will bring you up to date on the transfer market throughout Europe and worldwide. Don’t forget to log on and read this article and articles past online at www.freewebs.com/beatysbeat.

A view Wembley Way, leading up to the historic stadium with its traditional 436-foot arch.

    Seasons have ended across Europe. In case you do not understand the basics of football, as far as seasons go, there is one table (of standings) in which the points of each team are added up, and the team with the most points is obviously crowned champion. A win is worth three points, a tie one point, and no points are rewarded for a loss. Let’s take a look back at the tables from this European season that has concluded just this past Sunday.

    The English Premier League ended the earliest of The Big 5 Leagues in Europe (England, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France – in order), finishing on May 13th. Though I can barely manage to utter these words: congratulations to Manchester United for winning the league that many believe to be the best in the world. They topped the table with 89 points, superior to the runner-up, Chelsea (whose striker Didier Drogba was top of the scoring sheet with 20 goals), by six points. Liverpool and Arsenal have all but secured Champions League football (after a round of qualifying) by finishing third and fourth, both on 68 points. Heading down to the Championship (second tier of English football) are relegated Sheffield United, Charlton, and Watford. However, there is a slight possibility of Sheffield staying up and having 21 teams in the Premiership next year (as opposed to the usual 20). This is because the northern club is not too pleased with the illegal acquisition that West Ham (also bottom dwellers) made of Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tévez, who single-handedly kept West Ham in the league for next season. Who you’ll see in the Premiership next season: Sunderland, Birmingham City, and Derby County.

    Germany finished next, on May 19th. VfB Stuttgart is champion of Deutschland! FC Schalke 04 finished behind The Red by two points and two points ahead of the third place finisher Werder Bremen, which leaves the most storied and supposedly greatest German club, Bayern Munich out of the Champions League next year. Bayern has excelled in the European competition the past couple of years that it has participated. Borussia Mönchengladbach, the club that lost to Liverpool in the European Cup Final in 1977, finished bottom of the Bundesliga and will head down to the Second Division, along with Alemannia Aachen and FSV Mainz 05. Promoted are Karlsruher SC, FC Hansa Rostock, and MSV Duisburg.

    France ended Ligue 1 on May 26th. Olympique Lyonnais has won the title again for the sixth year running! Lyon is in some ways bringing down the integrity of the Ligue 1 because many do not consider this a legitimate league now that they have dominated French football so much and for so long. Also playing in the Champions League next year is runner up, Marseille. Ironically, four out of the top five goalscorers played their football in the bottom half of the table. Relegated to Ligue 2 are Troyes AC, CS Sedan, and FC Nantes. FC Metz, SM Caen, and RC Strasbourg are the clubs that you will find playing in Ligue 1 next season.

    The Italian Serie A finished a day after, May 27th. Inter Milan finished miles ahead of all others at 97 points. The runner up, AS Roma, was 22 points behind! AS Roma, who you will find in the Champions League next year, was home to the top scorer in Italy, Francesco Totti, with 26 goals. SS Lazio and AC Milan finished in third and fourth place respectively and have earned Champions League qualification. ACF Fiorentina would have finished in third place if it had not been for the match fixing scandal last year in which the club was docked fifteen points from this season. Instead they will be playing their European football in the UEFA Cup next year (somewhat of a second tier to the Champions League). Relegated are AC Chieva Verona, Ascoli, and FC Messina. Back in the top tier of Italian football are of course Juventus (also a part of the match fixing scandal and were relegated and docked points as a result), SSC Napoli, and Genoa CFC.

    La Liga. The champion of Spain is Real Madrid! The penultimate weekend of Spanish football was one to remember. In just 18 seconds, Barcelona, who was 2-1 up against Espanyol (thanks to two goals from Lionel Messi, one of which was virtually thrown into the goal after he knew he was going to miss the header, put his hand up and hit the ball in), gave up an equalizer, and Real Madrid equalized in their match against Real Zaragoza through Ruud Van Nistelrooy, the top goalscorer in La Liga with 25 goals. Just this past weekend, Real Madrid fought back from a goal down to Fernando Varela of RCD Mallorca in the 17th minute. David Beckham delivered some brilliant crosses but none of them hit the back of the net. José Antonio Reyes was subbed in for the English soccer icon. Reyes, on loan from Arsenal, scored two goals, and another was added by Mahamadou Diarra. Real has won their first title since the 2002/03 season. Heading down in Spain are RC Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad, and Gimnástic. On the ups are Real Valladolid, UD Almería, and Real Murcia.

    Elsewhere around Europe: PSV Eindhoven is champion in Holland, Celtic in Scotland, and FC Porto in Portugal. The top scorer in Europe is Brazilian striker Afonso Alves, who plays with Dutch club SC Heerenveen, with 34 goals in 34 games!
    That’s Beaty’s Beat for this week. Thanks for tuning in. Tune in next week when the topic is…Oh well, I guess you’ll just find out then! Don’t forget to log on and read this article and articles past online at www.freewebs.com/beatysbeat.

Lionel Messi emulates his compatriot Diego Maradona’s Hand of God. How did four officials not catch this???

    The transfer market. It has not even started and yet there are still so many deals already done. The transfer market is the “off-season” in Europe and begins July 1^st, when all of the “off-season” moves are completed. The transfer market is the reason that makes the “off-season” not dull but exciting.

    Speculation plays a massive part in the transfer market. England is roughly the size of North Carolina, but has about ten major newspapers that report or create stories about transfers around the country and continent. Some reports are realistic, reasonable, or fathomable, while others are a waste of time. One example of the latter is when (just a couple of months ago) it was reported that the Milan president was reported to be saving $125 million for two-time FIFA World player Ronaldinho. That would almost double the previous record. Another was when Valencia supposedly set down a sale price as £100 million for their young superstar David Villa. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the current exchange rate, that is $200 million! These stories are just that, stories; they are completely made up (especially those featured in the high reliable newspaper, The Sun – a completely fairy tale when it comes to soccer). Whenever World Soccer Daily radio host Steven Cohen reads reports from The Sun, his response is “Oh it’s from The Sun? It must be true.” (World Soccer Daily is a very amusing, caller-driven radio show hosted by two hilarious, presently LA-based, English guys found Monday-Friday 1-3 pm, on Sirius 125.)

    Some current realistic rumors are Daniel Alves (of Sevilla) reported to going to Liverpool. Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler, “God”, is rumored to be going to either of the Scottish giants, Celtic and Rangers. Also from Liverpool, is out-of-favor Craig Bellamy, who could be returning to the club he just departed from, Blackburn Rovers. Another club interested in the Welsh striker is Aston Villa. Chelsea is supposedly going to bring Brazilian defender Alex back from PSV Eindhoven (in Holland). A loan is different from a transfer, but the team who owns the player “loans” a player to a different club, for an extended period of time, for six months, or a year or two. The player then returns (assuming that the “different club” does not buy the player after the loan spell) to his original club. During the loan spell, the team bringing the player on loan pays for the player’s weekly wages.  This is usually a good option for a big club to loan out their younger players. In this way, the player gets game experience (for free), without having to start him on your own team, which he would probably not be good enough for yet. Carlos Tévez is a huge transfer target for many clubs. He is a player that any team in the world would not turn down. Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United seem to be the top three after the Argentine. Liverpool seem to be a good personal option for Tévez because his previous teammate at Corinthians and at a brief spell at West Ham, Javier Mascherano plays for the Reds and also the Merseyside club also have a very large Spanish-speaking group of players because of the influence of Spanish mastermind manager Rafa Benítez. Thierry Henry is being linked to many clubs and seems to definitely be moving on from the London club that he has been playing with for seven seasons, and captaining for two seasons, Arsenal. Those linked with the French striker are AC Milan and Barcelona. At age 29, Henry has said that he is tired of finishing fourth, which is probably a good indication that he wants out of Arsenal. In the next couple of weeks, you should be able to find out where King Henry will be playing his football next season. Another big target this summer is another World Cup finalist (along with Henry), French midfielder Florent Malouda. Malouda is a great 26-year-old attacking midfielder that has been linked to Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, and AC Milan – these clubs in order are most probable to least probable in signing Malouda.

    Enough with the rumors and onto the real deals. Luca Toni, a late bloomer in Italy, has decided to leave his home country £7.5 million. Toni is heading to Bayern Munich at age 30. Die Bayern (The Bavarians) are looking to strengthen their squad in order to bounce back from a very disappointing season, finishing in fourth, and therefore not qualifying for the Champions League next year. Also another great addition to the Munich side is Franck Ribéry. He is yet another French international and at age 24, Bayern will already be his seventh club! The converted Muslim has joined Bayern for an expected fee of about £17.5 million! In England, there have been many large transfers already. Manchester United has signed three great players: Owen Hargreaves, Nani, and Anderson. United has been chasing Owen Hargreaves from Bayern Munich for a couple of years and has finally signed the Canadian-born English international for £17 million. Nani is a very young, up-and-coming star to the game. He has been compared and been titled “the next Cristiano Ronaldo.” I am sure he will not be as good as Cristiano, but if I were Man U, I would not complain about having two Ronaldos in one squad! The other transfer is for the Brazilian, Anderson. He seems to be a fantastic talent for only 19. He came up through the youth system of the Brazilian club, Grêmio, since he was only five years old! The attacking midfielder has signed with the English juggernaut for £17 million as well. Steve Sidwell, who previously played for Reading and came up through Arsenal’s youth academy, has joined Chelsea on a Bosman transfer. A Bosman transfer is a transfer where the player being transferred, joins his new club for free because his contract has run out at the end of a season. The reason that the previous club sees no money is because they really do not own him any more; it would be like a free agent in American terms. Also on a Bosman is the Peruvian striker, Claudio Pizarro, coming from (whom else?) Bayern Munich. On yet another free transfer is Australian striker, Mark Viduka going from one rival club to another, Middlesbrough, to his new club, Newcastle. Sulley Muntari seems to be another great talent. Muntari will make his travels from Udinese in Italy over to the English club, Portsmouth for approximately £7 million. A very young, already blooming star, Welsh left back Gareth Bale (17) has signed for Tottenham for £10 million after three season senior (as in not youth) seasons with Southampton. Elsewhere around Europe, German international, Timo Hildebrand will be playing his football at Valencia CF next season as the Spanish club is looking to replace their veteran keeper Santiago Cañizares. And finally, Brazlian international veteran, Roberto Carlos has decided to play in Turkey next year for Fenerbahçe SK.

    That’s it for now! Thanks for tuning into Beaty’s Beat. Until next time, I’m Scott Beaty and there is your news from around the world of football. Don’t forget to log on and read this article and articles past online at www.freewebs.com/beatysbeat.

Luca Toni, the 30-year-old Italian who recently won the World Cup, will move onto his tenth club in his career, the German giants, Bayern Munich (who will not even be playing in the Champions League for the start of next season)!