Man United Need A Player Like Lassana Diarra

We are now a week into the transfer window and with many clubs yet too make their move for the player that they are seeking, we are hearing rumors left, right and centre. It has been very quiet in the transfer window, with the main talking point being the chase to get Beckham on a loan move.

It looks like that saga is coming to an end with Tottenham declaring that they are close to getting the signature of the former England captain. Just like Man City did two and a half years ago, Blackburn are adamant on making a big impression in the Premier League as they are hopeful, actually make that very hopeful, of signing  Ronaldinho.

Manchester United have expressed their desire to sign Lassana Diarra for obvious reasons. With the injury prone Hargreaves and the elderly Paul Scholes, Man United are stuck for holding midfielders and on top of that Diarra is under-rated in my view and can show his brilliance at times. He was somewhat unknown until he arrived at the Bernabeu after Real Madrid poached him off Portsmouth. Mourinho has said that he would like to keep hold of the Frenchman and announced that he does have a part to play in his plans.

Scholes isn't getting any younger and with rumors that Hargreaves is on his way out of Old Trafford, United could be stuck with no holding midfielder by the start of next season. But like I said, Mourinho seems adamant that Diarra stays but I'm sure he wouldn't mind a whole lot if he has the likes of Xabi Alonso there already.

There are plenty of defensive midfielders there for United to go after. They might even try and get their hands on one of Man City's holding midfielders. With the presence that they have, they could get anyone they wanted. They might even try and disturb Barcelona and make a bid for Busquets if they wanted to although it would difficult to persuade him away from the Nou Camp

I would love to hear any comments that you may have.

Italian football makes a return, even if some its stars have gone AWOL

Debates about having a footballing Christmas break have been amalgamating over here in Blighty since time began. But the problem with having a three week break over the festive period is that some players might swan off to warmer climes, and possibly not return.

And that's the case with two of AS Roma's most tumultuous South Americans. Both Adriano and David Pizarro failed to report back to training after Christmas, the former citing a slight knee twinge; the latter, an expired passport.

There's no doubt that Adriano has been happy to kick back in the Eternal City for the past six months. His complete lack of anything resembling fitness has seen him become a laughing stock in Italy - being given the Bidone d'Oro award (golden dustbin), for the season's worst player, a record third time - and all this from a player that only a few years ago, looked to all intents and purposes, a world-beater (especially if you played PES 6).

However, in the last game before the winter break at AC Milan, he proved that an overweight striker can cause a defence some problems: using his giant frame to hold up the ball, and falling over in the box any time the breath of a defender was felt. It was only his second start for Roma in what has been a torrid six months for the rotund forward. Having signed a three-year contract back in June, it looks like Adriano better squeeze himself into those snug airline seats, and get back to Rome to spend the next six months eating ice-cream on the bench.

David Pizarro, on the other hand, may not be so lucky. He's fallen out of favour completely with Roma's manager Claudio Ranieri, and may be banished to spend the rest of his days with former boss Luciano Spaletti at Zenith St. Petersburg.

Another Samba Star who's also failed to return to the peninsula is Ronaldinho. He took full advantage of AC Milan's all-expense paid trip to Dubai, before jetting off to Brazil to mull over tempting offers from Flamengo, Gremio and, ummm, Blackburn. Sandy beaches, blazing sun, and not having to wear a wooly hat again are never too far from Dinho's mind. So it's not particularily difficult to see where his future lies.

Still, without him, Milan managed to beat Cagliari in their first game back after the winter break; winning 1-0 with a late goal from debutant Rodney Strasser.

That goal kept Milan five points clear at the top of the league, and 13 points clear of rivals Internazionale. The new man in charge of the Nerazzuri is the ever-charming Leonardo who, after Rafa Benitez was shown the door, entered Inter's training ground at Appiano Gentile like a returning war-hero. And his first game at the helm couldn't have gone any better: 3-1 winners over the eternally-exciting Napoli.

After that loss at the San Siro, Napoli still cling onto 3rd spot in the Serie A table, just one point above Roma who beat Catania 4-2 in a thriller at the Stadio Olimpico; Marco Borriello and Mirko Vucinic with the goals for the Gallorossi.

What with Palermo winning again, and Lazio gaining a hard-earned point away to big-spenders Genoa, this seasons' Serie A title race looks like going down to the wire.


Motty

It's Not All Doom And Gloom For West Ham

Now we here it every year about who is bottom at Christmas, and that it is an almost certainty that the team who end up in that dreaded position will go down. This year, it was West Ham's turn to to take the title of "the club that were bottom at Christmas" but since Avram Grant got a three match warning a month or so ago, he seems to have turned it around for the better.

The Premiership is getting praised more than ever because of the fact that there are three or four teams that can genuinely win the title, but the relegation battle looks more like a battle than ever before. Only two points separate West Ham, who are of course last, and Fulham, who are in 14th position. For some reason, it looks more likely that Liverpool will go down than Blackpool, so it's all to play for, for any team in the bottom half I reckon.

The last time it was this close, West Brom went into the last game of the season rock bottom of the table and somehow managed to survive so the omens aren't looking too bad for the Hammers. Avram Grant's job at Upton Park seems under less scrutiny as the weeks go by and that is an encouraging sign for all Premiership managers I'd say.   

Now I know what you're going to say "they just lost 5-0 against Newcastle last night" but don't all teams have as Avram Grant described it himself, a "bad day at the office". A lot of people reckon it'll be the three W's that will go down, West Ham, Wigan and Wolves but I don't think that that is going to be entirely the case. Like I said, it's all to play for and it would be arrogant to make a prediction this early.

So West Ham fans, do you believe Avram Grant can keep your club safe from the drop? 

I would love to hear any comments that you may have and predictions on this topic.

The Amazing Transfers That So Nearly Happened

The greatest player of his generation very nearly plied his trade at Ewood Park

The next four weeks are probably the most exciting, and yet the most ridiculous four weeks of the entire season. 'The January transfer window' has become the silly season for football teams. With unhappy players pining for moves. And clubs inflating prices beyond comprehension. The BBC's Transfer Gossip Column will become the go-to place for all fans: whether it be for the well-sourced, likely-to-happen stories (Beckham to Tottenham), or for the 'my uncle's mate just saw Ribery's agent at Hull airport' type of stories. So here at Get the Mott and Buckett, we have decided to look at the transfers that have gone down in folklore that, if they had happened, would have changed the footballing landscape forever.

Zinedine Zidane (Bordeaux to Blackburn Rovers, 1995)

Before 1994, Zinedine Yazid Zidane had been a virtual unknown outside of France. Moving from Cannes to Bordeaux in 1992, his form had been pretty unremarkable. Scoring the odd goal, but showing only a glimpse of his creative genius; he was, frankly, rather lucky to earn a national team call-up. But his debut for Les Bleus was where he introduced himself to the world. And Kenny Dalglish.

Coming on as a substitute, with France 2-0 down to Czech Republic, he scored two magnificent individual efforts, and earned France an entirely undeserved point. Watching that night was Blackburn manager Kenny Dalglish. Having just won the Premiership title the previous season, Rovers were looking to sign a world-class midfielder to add to their ranks, and Zidane, at only 23, seemed the ideal candidate. Unfortunately, Jack Warner, Blackburn's chairman and the original football sugar-daddy, had other ideas. And, in a private chat with Dalglish the next day, utter the immortal words: "What do you want to sign Zidane for? We've got Tim Sherwood". Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Diego Maradona (Argentinos Juniors to Sheffield United, 1978)

Perhaps the ultimate 'what if?' transfer. Back in 1978 a 17-year-old Diego Maradona had been lighting up the Argentinian Premera Division with some mesmeric performances. Such was his form, that it was actually a huge surprise in Argentina when he wasn't selected in their '78 World Cup squad.

Whilst all those in Argentina knew how good this young prodigy was, the rest of the world was seemingly oblivious, and it wasn't until four years later in 1982 that Maradona would actually complete a move to Europe. But, beating everyone in spotting this once-in-a-lifetime-talent was Sheffield United's manager Harry Haslam. Haslam was renowned as a wheeler-dealer, and had a huge metaphorical finger in the South American pie. Spotting Maradona and team-mate Alex Sabella whilst on a scouting mission, Haslam agreed a £200,000 fee with Argentinos for Maradona, but the Blades stalled on the deal, claiming it didn't represent value for money. Instead, they opted to pay £160,000 for Sabella. Who? Well, exactly.

Ronaldinho (Gremio to St Mirren, 2001)

I know it looks like I'm just making this up, but this transfer was literally just one unsent fax away from happening. In the summer of 2001, Ronaldinho had already lined up a move to Paris St-Germain, but was looking for a short 6-month loan deal to acclimatise himself to European football. How playing at Tannadice and Tynecastle was preparing the buck-toothed winger for trips to Marseille and Monaco was never made clear, but the player himself had been persuaded to swap the Samba for the Scottish Highlands. 

As Tom Hendrie, the then St Mirren manager tells it, it was only sluggishness on part of the Brazilian FA that meant the move never happened. "He has been playing with Gremio, but he was willing to come and play for us before going on to PSG. We spoke about Ronaldinho but there was a legal problem at the club he was at. Because of the problem, the Brazilian FA would not release the player's international clearance in time for us to register him ahead of the deadline". And thus, Ronaldinho's move to St Mirren goes down as the pinnacle of 'if only' signings.

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool to Chelsea, 2005)

It's amazing how the transfer merry-go-round works. Like a twisted property chain: if one move breaks down, so do the rest. If Patrick Vieira had of moved to Real Madrid - as was reported - in the summer of 2004, Michael Carrick would almost certianly have been an Arsenal player. As it happened, the move broke down, and Carrick ended up on the other side of north London. Or Gareth Barry's move to Liverpool two seasons ago. A deal was reportedly done between Aston Villa and the Reds, but Benitez's failure to off-load Xabi Alonso meant Barry's transfer couldn't be subsidised.

It's an awful feeling when you don't get the one thing you'd set your heart on, yet sometimes the second option turns out to be the best: just as Chelsea found out in 2005. Whether Steven Gerrard turned down his 'nailed on' move to Chelsea out of blind loyalty or something rather more sinister (Liverpool fans sent death threats to Gerrard and his family), we'll never know. But as a result Chelsea bought one of their most influential players: Michael Essien.

Alfredo Di Stefano (Millonarios/River Plate to Barcelona, 1953)

As Diego Maradona says himself: 'Pele was good. I was great. But Di Stefano was the greatest'. An absolute phenomenon in Spain. He has, over the years, become synonymous with the great Real Madrid sides of the 50's and 60's, and is widely regarded as their greatest ever player. He was the key player in the Madrid side that won five straight European Cups and, in his 11 year stint at the club, won nine La Liga trophies. And yet, after all the trophies and all the goals, he could, and probably should, have been a Barcelona player.

After a players' strike in his home country of Argentina, Di Stefano, along with many other players, moved to the rebel league set up in Colombia. Numerous, yet unofficial league titles followed, and in the summer of '53 a move to Barcelona was quickly completed. However, because the Colombian league was a rebel one, it wasn't officially recognised by FIFA. And so began an unbelievably complicated wrangle over who owned Di Stefano. Was it Millonarios? Or was it Di Stefano's parent club River Plate? Whilst Barcelona were meeting with FIFA to try and strike a deal for the player, Real Madrid's president Santiago Bernabeu secretly met with the Argentinian and convinced him to sign for them instead.

A huge row erupted between the two clubs. Eventually the Spanish FA intervened, and allowed Di Stefano four seasons in Spain, two with Real and two with Barca.The Barcelona hierarchy were so incensed by the decision that five board members resigned, and they allowed Di Stefano to play for Madrid for good. And so began what is now called El Clasico.

Matt Le Tissier (Southampton to Tottenham, 1990)

What would have happened if Matt Le Tissier had joined a big club? A Spurs fan as a kid, in 1990 he signed a contract to join Tottenham before changing his mind and ripping it up with the permission of the then Tottenham chairman Irving Scholar. Later there would be constant links with AC Milan - which would have been too exciting to comprehend - and Chelsea. But the ultimate one-club-man found the lure of the south coast too strong.

Some will always deride him as a big fish who could only handle the smallest of ponds. But the man who Xavi Hernandez describes as 'his inspiration' is the sort of player that the big-money of the Premier League has killed off: a loyal one. However you see him, it's ironic to note that the two managers who tried to sign him for Tottenham and Chelsea - Terry Veneables and Glenn Hoddle - were also the ones who ostracised him when managing England. Alanis Morrisette could have a field day with that one.

Johan Cruyff (Unattached to Leicester City, 1981)

The fourth best player in the history of the game had had enough. The North American Soccer League (NASL) just wasn't doing it for him. Washington was not the place for the Cruyff family. But weirdly, Leicester almost was. Having bought himself out of his contract with the Washington Wizards, Cruyff was looking for a club that would guarantee him good money and the opportunity to get back in to the Dutch squad for the 1982 World Cup in Spain.

Sitting bottom of the First Division, Leicester were struggling. Their young, fit squad had all the attributes, but not necessarily the quality. They needed an experienced player who could unlock a defence in an instant. And luckily, Jock Wallace, Leicester's manager, knew exactly who that player was.

 Johan Cruyff had been living the footballing high-life for over a decade, and any club that wanted his undoubted talents would have to dig deep. With many top clubs in financial dire-straits, the Foxes were one of very few clubs who were willing to take the economic and personal risk on the Ajax legend (Cruyff was prone to causing huge upset wherever he played).

And so, on Monday 23rd February 1981, Leicester City proposed an offer of £4,000 a game to the Dutchman; a preposterous amount in 1980's football. With the club confident the deal had been secured, the press seized on the story, and one newspaper from the time released this story:

'Johan Cruyff is today set for a sensational move to First Division strugglers Leicester City.

The Dutch Master has lined up a deal worth £4,000 a game for 11 matches – and if everything works out, he will make his debut against reigning European Champions Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Last night jubilant Leicester boss Jock Wallace insisted: “Johan and I have already agreed terms. He has one or two problems to sort out, but I am very hopeful he will join us on Thursday.”

Cruyff is considering the move for two reasons. He must play competitive football to make his international comeback for Holland, and he wants to try out the English First Division before deciding on a one-year contract with Arsenal next season.

The one barrier to Leicester’s transfer scoop lies with Spanish Second Division side Levante, who could make a late final bid."

Because Levante have wasted so much time Cruyff looks like he may plump for England, though by doing so he would lose £75,000 on any agreement with the Spanish club.

He told me: “I still like the idea of Spain, because the climate suits me and my family.”

“But I cannot wait any longer for Levante. I want a guarantee from them and we have been negotiating for a month but every day they tell me a new story.”

However, by the time this story had been printed, Cruyff had already arrived at Valencia airport. An eleventh hour bid from Levante - including a quarter of all gate receipts for Cruyff - meant he plumped for eastern Spain, rather than the East Midlands.

A tonic for the distraught Jock Wallace was that Cruyff was a disaster at Levante. Despite getting the manager sacked, and having his own man employed, he was an unmitigated failure; being booed off in his final game for the club. Still, Jordi Cruyff got to play in England, so it's not all bad.


Motty

Man City On The Verge Of Improving Their Attacking Options

Man City have announced that they have agreed a fee for Bosnian Edin Dzeko. With Man City also on the verge of losing their only good aerial player up front (Adebayor), this move seems almost vital if City want to have a serious chance of winning the league. Now don't worry Man City fans, he isn't coming to the club with the same reputation that Georgios Samaras had a few years back, good in the air but struggles to finish when the ball is at his feet. Unlike Samaras, Dzeko can score with both his head and feet and has quite a prolific goalscoring record.

Now I'm not trying to be biased but with the signing of Dzeko practically complete, are there many teams, if any, that have more depth to their attacking options.
Matt Le Tissier said it himself. Edin Dzeko does seem to be the type of player that Tevez needs playing along side him. He seems the sort of player that can come in when Tevez is injured or when Balotelli is being a pain in the backside.

But with the proposed arrival of Dzeko, this means that the struggle to keep everyone happy at Man City will increase for Mancini. You only had to watch the news yesterday to see that the Man City camp isn't quite so merry, as two former Arsenal team mates Adebayor and Kolo Toure got into a scuffle at training. As if the pressure on Mancini wasn't high enough by the owners, now with at least three or four players that won't be happy weekly due to lack of games, the pressure will be unbearable.

So with Dzeko coming in and presuming he is going to start more often than not, it is hard to see who will have to make way for the Bosnian. Either way, whatever happens Man City will have a bench that will surely be feared by any team in world football, with most players being able to come on and make a difference.

Man City face Arsenal tonight in a game which will surely decide if City should be taken seriously in regards to the title race. With the game being at the Emirates, I can see Man City getting much out of the game but I'm sure Mancini and the rest of his squad will love to prove the doubters wrong.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Don't forget to check out Football Corner if you want more football news.

The Greatest Footballer You've Never Heard Of

Even after his death, Robin Friday was seen as a maverick: Super Furry Animals used this image on the cover of their single 'The Man Don't Give a Fuck'



Robin Friday is the greatest footballer you never saw. A mercurial talent with a taste for the high-life, during the 1970's - the age of the football maverick - Friday shone the brightest. He was voted Reading FC's player of the millennium, despite only being at the club three years. And was also voted Cardiff City's all-time cult hero, paralleled to the fact he only played 25 games for the club. Wherever he went, Robin Friday left a remarkable impression.

Born in Acton, London, Friday began his football career at non-league side Walthamstow Avenue as a loud-mouthed 19-year-old. It was during this time that he worked on a construction site and nearly died falling from scaffolding, being impaled on a metal spike, missing vital organs by inches. It was this accident that he blamed on his subsequent wild lifestyle.

Initially, Friday was reluctant to play professionally, as it was less money than he was earning at the time. Nevertheless, Reading kept persisting, and they eventually got their man in the summer of 1973. In a brief three year spell for the Royals, Friday scored 55 goals in 135 matches, and provided a countless number of assists. It could, and probably should have been more were it not for the injury problems Friday encountered, brought about by his reluctance to wear shinpads and the opposition - unable to get near their man - kicking lumps out of him.

In a game against Tranmere Rovers in March 1976 Friday scored, what is generally considered, 'the greatest goal never seen'. Standing on the left-hand touchline about 35 yards away from goal; a high ball came towards his chest. As his back was towards goal, he, with his chest, flicked the ball over his head, and on the volley, sent the ball crashing into the far top-hand corner. The internationally renowned referee Clive Thomas was officiating that day, and his reaction to the goal was to clutch his face in utter disbelief. Asked later about the strike, he said: 'Even up against the likes of Pele and Cryuff, that rates as the best goal I've ever seen,' In typical fashion, when told about Thomas's comments, Friday replied: 'He should come more often then. I do that every week.'

That year, Reading were promoted to the Second Division for the first time in their history. Without Robin Friday, that would never have happened. Yet, three months later, Friday was sold to Cardiff City. And six months later, he had left the game for good. So how could such a talent never be allowed to play top-flight football?

The answer is simple: if George Best was football's first pop star, then Robin Friday was football's first rock star. He literally ran riot in Reading. Smoking weed, dropping pills, drinking heavily and accommodating every woman that came his way. Friday's off-field antics became so infamous that visiting scouts - of which their were many - refused to gamble on signing a man of such unpredictable actions. The summer-long celebrations he undertook after taking Reading to the Second Division signalled an unbelievably rapid physical decline. Hence the move to Cardiff.

His brief tenure in Wales started badly. Travelling from Reading to Cardiff by train, he was arrested on arrival for travelling without a ticket; leaving the Cardiff City management to wonder where on earth he had got to? His eye for the sublime wasn't lost however, as later that month, on his debut against Fulham, Friday scored two goals in a 3-0 win, celebrating his second goal by squeezing the testicles of Bobby Moore, Fulham's captain. The Welsh fans best remember him for a goal he scored against Luton. Milija Aleksic, the Luton goalkeeper, had constantly tried to foul Friday during the game. So, as he went round the 'keeper to score his team's winning goal, he flicked the 'V's' at the stranded Serbian.

In all, he scored 6 goals in 25 games for the Bluebirds. His last game was marred by a rash sending-off in a game against Brighton: kicking Mark Lawrenson in the face (yes, that Mark Lawrenson) before defecating in his kit bag. After that, he walked out on the game for good.

Sadly, Friday died in 1990, found in his flat having been suspected of overdosing on heroine. He was only 38.

Maurice Evans, Reading's manager during the 70's once told Friday: "If you settle down for three or four years you could play for England". Friday replied, "How old are you?", Evans answered, and Friday duly told him: "I'm half your age, and I've lived twice your life".


Motty

Will Beckham Return To The Premiership?

We all know that David Beckham has expressed his desire to return to the Premiership but with Arsenal and Man United both ruling themselves out to sign the former England captain, who will want to sign him? Both Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson have either explained that he is just not at the right age or that there is no room in their respective squads. You wouldn't have to be that smart to think that Old Trafford would be his preferred destination.

The former England captain, has been itching to get his chance to impress Fabio Capello again and prove that he is not too old. He feels that a move to the Premier League will improve his chances of getting that opportunity. Apart from being a few million pound richer, the move to LA Galaxy hasn't really done his career any good. Needless to say, Beckham has had an illustrious career but does he still have "it"? Even if he had half of what he had ten years ago, he would still be a player worth signing.

Can we really blame Ferguson and Wenger for not showing interest in Beckham though? After all, he is 35 years of age and for  two teams who are serious challengers for the title this year to sign a player of that age would be a bit unnecessary. So it seems Beckham will have to settle with a team below the top four, although it does seem that Tottenham are very interested in signing Beckham.

But if it isn't Spurs who will it be and will it be good enough for Beckham? Maybe a team along the lines of Bolton or Sunderland would be a suitable choice. Maybe not at the standard of Arsenal or United but like Jordan Henderson and Kevin Davies have shown, you can still get recognised by the England boss.

He received the lifetime achievement award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Ceremony, so that is showing a sign of his age. There is no doubt that he has been great for England, but is he not at the stage where he should think about giving up his pursuit of winning back the number seven jersey for his country?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Liverpool seem to be the topic of conversation for all football fans, so why not check out Live4Liverpool for more in depth analysis.