Smooth Radio on transfer deadline day!

Good Morning Sports Fans!

As Wayne Rooney strikes a brace to extend Manchester United's lead at the top of the Premier League, the rest of the division will be scrambling round for last-minute deals.

Will Harry Redknapp wheel and deal to aid QPR's plight, will Aston Villa look lively in the boardoom as their team sinks - and will Stoke continue to show the ambition which has seen them establish themselves as a top flight club?

And does trouble have to follow Mario Balotelli around everywhere. Police fire teargas at crazed Milan fans as the Manchester City striker dines in a restaurant close to the San Siro!

All revealed here!

listen to ‘.@smoothbreakfast sports bulletin on deadline day!’ on Audioboo

Chelsea need to show they're grown up enough for Ancelotti

So Carlo Ancelotti becomes the latest stellar name from club management to try to Turn The World Blue.

It's a mighty big shout for Ancelotti to have quit Milan to go anywhere: he's a four-time European Cup winner with il Rossoneri, twice as a player and twice as manager. Chelsea need to respect that decision.

Big names come and go with sublime regularity at the Bridge, but even Chelsea must realise that Ancelotti's arrival coupled with John Terry's renewed commitment is a shot in the arm for their title fortunes. Manchester United have won the last three and the Blues are lagging.

For a Superclub, Chelsea consume coaches at an alarming rate: Mourinho, Grant, Sid James and Hiddink? no wonder the Dutchman never considered staying. He's the only coach to leave in a blaze of glory since Roman lavished his multi-millions on the club.

The other Big 3 in England do nothing of the sort; there's no bloodletting in the Manager's Office elsewhere: Fergie at OT, 23 years and counting, Benitez' Anfield tenure looks stronger than ever and Wenger leaving the Emirates would be akin to the Ravens leaving The Tower!

It's time Chelsea stopped it too. Ancelotti created an amazing one-off set-up at Milan. thirty-something world-class players, who continually performed in Europe and domestically. No wonder David Beckham made a beeline to the San Siro, it's THE club for a 34-year-old hard worker.

There's a temptation to lose patience with the manager when the going gets tough at Stamford Bridge. This time the board needs patience with Ancelotti, who's a Project Manager in the class of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Chelsea should stop measuring themselves against the teams above them, and believe that with Ancelotti, the right man for the job, that he will bring the trophies home.

Soccermongery's all about your feedback, so write away, right away!

We're heading for a transfer market crash!

All the signs are there... we're heading for a sharp correction in what big clubs are prepared to pay for top talent.

That might seem an odd thing to say at a time of screaming tabloid headlines.

The world record transfer fee has been smashed twice this summer: Kaka's £56million and then £80million for Cristiano Ronaldo to both join Real Madrid obliterated the £47m which took Zizou from Juventus, also to the Bernabeu.

Carlos Tevez is off to Manchester City for over £25million.

And the action won't stop there: Bayern Munich are holding out for over £60million for their French midfield star, Franck Ribéry.

It's such a huge bounty that only three clubs can afford him. Freespending Real plus Manchester United and Chelsea. But Bayern's board know: If not now, when? the time is ripe for a financial killing at the expense of the world's biggest clubs.

Ahead of a crash, every market throughout time reacts in the same way; an intense inflationary bubble followed by interminable financial heartache. The Western World's property and London's Art Market to name but two.

And the same question always seems to be asked in the months leading upto disaster: "Is the Art/Property/Transfer Market recession proof?"

And the answer is always, "Emphatically, NO!"

I'm willing to make a prediction that Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer fee will be the high bar for a decade.

Sir Alex Ferguson remarked in a recent news conference just how maddening prices have become. Aside from being an accessory to creating the new excitement, he claims he's putting the shutters up as far as buying is concerned this close-season.

In the US, it's basketball's close-season and all the talk surrounds lower wages and fees to reflect economic reality.

If revenues from TV, the Champions League, gate receipts and merchandise start falling (some of those are more volatile than others) then the transfer market, which is the most volatile confidence indicator of all - will crash and burn. It happened in 1981.

Manchester United and AC Milan sold well.

You read it here first.

Soccermongery's all about your feedback, so write away, right away!

Beckham and Giggs become Greats on the same day

Have a free £25 bet with William Hill  (T&C's apply)

It's time to acknowledge David Beckham and Ryan Giggs as Greats of the game. Just like the word Genius, which is bandied around with gay abandon, "he's a great player" is an oft used phrase uttered in moments of passionate exchange with your mates.

But I don't think too many people will argue with me about the status of Great being uttered around Becks or Giggs - particularly after Sunday.

Giggs netted the Manchester United winner at West Ham, dribbling his way through challenges before a sweet low, hard strike with his weaker right foot past a helpless Robert Green. Sheer quality and elegance belying his age. He's scored in every Premier League season. Now that's a Great!

Beckham's been included Fabio Capello's England squad for the friendly in Spain. He's set to win his 108th cap so equalling Bobby Moore's record for international appearances for an outfield player. Becks has played himself into contention yet again with a series of excellent displays for AC Milan. More comebacks than Frank Sinatra, Beckham is also a Great!

I've no doubt that both of these Greats have a chapter or two left in the annals of their careers. Beckham has joined the club which specialises in the thirtysomething superstar. The backbone of Milan's European success this decade has been built on such players, and the former England captain is well-known to be a physically fit individual. A big, big heart and a seemingly unquenchable desire to prove people wrong.

Impossible Is Nothing for Beckham, who could yet land another Champions League gong and even star in another World Cup campaign.

Giggs is also matchfit and able to run midfield contests with a combination of experience and sheer ability. He mightn't be the first name on the teamsheet, but unless Fergie quits at the end of the season, I can't imagine his services being dispensed with just yet - and even if they were, you can imagine a stampede for him. He's just too good to retire for now.

Soccermongery's all about your feedback, so write away, right away!

Transfer Window Report: Spurs plunder steals City's thunder

It was billed as Manchester City's big financial splash - it ended with Tottenham Hotspur stealing the headlines.

And given Tottenham's predicament in the league, coupled with the wheeler-dealing histrionics that accompany Harry Redknapp everywhere he goes, that's hardly surprising.

As City bucked the financial trend by scattering monetary sardines to debt-ridden trawlermen, West Ham declared The Great Fire Sale of London. The Hammers conceded everyone of their squad had a price tag on their head.

The £14million transfer of Craig Bellamy from the Hammers to City embodied the extreme sellers trading with the extreme buyers. Too much money chased too few goods and West Ham could be quietly satisfied they got the better of the deal. Hamburg's Nigel de Jong and Newcastle 'keeper Shay Given also arrived at Eastlands for £17m and £8m respectively.

Even Portsmouth raided the West Ham cupboard, snapping up Hayden Mullins and Pele on the same day (Porto's Portugal international before you ask). Jermain Defoe already played his last game in Pompey blue before the window even opened; completing his £15m reunion with Harry and Spurs, but as one Jermain closed another Jermaine opened - on-loan Pennant came in from Anfield. Pompey also signed two Greeks. Let's hope they bear gifts for Tony Adams' strugglers.

Defoe was one of three Spurs signings to make unlikely (astonishing) returns to White Hart Lane. Pascal Chimbonda rejoined from Sunderland and on the final day of the window, Robbie Keane brought a premature end to his Anfield adventure with a return to his comfort zone. The Reds initially lost £8m on the £20.3m they paid Spurs at the start of the season.

Wigan's Wilson Palacios and Carlo Cudicini of Chelsea look canny Harry signings for next season.

Just as gripping as the deals that happened were a couple which never did.

Kaka' turned down an astonishing £90m bid from City, as Milan used their best endeavours to take candy off a kid. It was always going to be a delicate negotiation when Kaka' insisted He Belonged To Jesus. Silvio Berlusconi knew better.

Having also captured Wayne Bridge, City prepared a series of improved bids for Roque Santa Cruz which could've kept Blackburn in caviar for generations.

The protracted negotiations over Santa Cruz crystallised City's problem in this window. Clubs could smell them coming. Blackburn told the Paraguayan he could leave if they were offered £25m - City's opening bid was less than half that. Meanwhile, Rovers prepared for life after Santa Cruz, whenever that is, with the £2m signing of El Hadji Diouf from Sunderland.

As the best laid plans of mice and men go oft awry, clubs vied with each other to gain that competitive edge. But Liverpool must repel Manchester United's mounting challenge without a single new signing. The returns from injury of Torres and Skrtel rather saved the need to bring in new faces, but in selling Keane, Rafa Benitez is gambling on the fitness of Torres.

Arsenal's reward for persistence ended with the signing of Zenit St. Petersburg's Euro 2008 star, Andrei Arshavin. But in doing so, they caused controversy by completing the deal a full 24 hours after the Window had closed. The Premier League claimed the deal had been "substantively" completed by the 5pm lockdown a day earlier.

The joke doing the rounds is that the Emirates is cold - because someone left the Window open!

Chelsea made just one signing - Ricardo Quaresma, on loan from Internazionale.

Aston Villa were among the summer's big-spenders but Martin O'Neill judged another few quid might be needed to bag the Champions League dream. The £3.5m arrival of Emile Heskey from Wigan Athletic represents shrewd dealing.

But other selling clubs were determined to hold on to their best assets till at least the end of the season. Stuart Downing's rumoured switch from Middlesbrough to Spurs never happened. Gareth Southgate could never have offloaded his biggest asset to a relegation rival.
Mike Ashley's renewed vows to Newcastle United meant Michael Owen was unlikely to leave St. James' Park this month. Now he's injured again. But signs of growing stability were measured by the arrival of Bolton's Kevin Nolan for £4m and Ryan Taylor from Wigan - in a swap plus cash deal which took Charles N'Zogbia to the JJB as their record signing.

Everton's David Moyes was recently rated by Sir Alex Ferguson as doing the best job at his club measured against the resources available to him. Top-half of the table and without playing any recognised strikers recently, Moyes waited to the last day of the window to land Jo on-loan from Manchester City for the remainder of the season.

You've got to hand it to Stoke City. Tony Pulis has played a blinder, establishing the Britannia Stadium as a fortress and keeping the newly-promoted side out of the bottom three for much of the season.

The £3.5m capture of Sheffield United striker James Beattie gives a hungry player "another crack at the Premier League" and an extra half-dozen precious goals which may keep Stoke in the league next season. Having also signed Matthew Etherington from West Ham and Henri Camara on-loan from Wigan, they can mix up their attack with more than Rory Delap's long throws, and it makes up for Pulis' only glarer - £5.5m for striker Dave Kitson which hasn't worked at all.

Hull City made a lightning start to life in the Premier League, but the reality now is they're one of 14 clubs in the race to reach 40 points; the widely accepted threshold to avoid relegation. The £5m signing of Fulham midfielder Jimmy Bullard is insurance against that threat, just as his return from injury saved the Cottagers from the drop last season. Roy Hodgson replaced Bullard at Fulham with Julian Gray from Coventry City and the highly-experienced Olivier Dacourt. The former Everton and Leeds midfielder is a loan signing from Inter.

Sunderland boss Ricky Sbragia gave us insight into his defensive priorities. Arriving on-loan at the Stadium of Light were Calum Davenport of West Ham and Manchester City's Tal Ben Haim.

In future, English clubs may well rely far less on importing foreign talent because of the collapse of the £'s value against the Euro, meaning Robinho's recent £32.4m capture from Real Madrid, would now cost in the region of £40m. At the same time, English players become relatively better value to continental clubs.

Sadly, Soccermongery is not a Premier League club, it's a Premier League Blog. However, keen not to be left out, I'm delighted to unveil a household name's arrived as our first major signing!

From January 1st, Popeye falls into the public domain in Britain under EU law.

The copyright expiry means that anyone can print and sell Popeye posters, T-shirts and even create new comic strips, without the need for authorisation or to make royalty payments.

So here goes: "Hello, I'm Popeye and I guzzle both spinach and Jonny's Soccermongery. It really is the best soccer blog in the woild! They both give me strength. Ug-ug-ug-ug-ug-ug!"

Soccermongery's all about your feedback, so write away, right away!

Also on the Soccermongery: Video: McClaren's odd Dutch accent and Podcast Laugh: Jose Mourinho sings Lloyd-Webber and Home Page: find out what's bugging me today.

Beckham: rumours of a move to Milan are about more than England

This comes from Jonny's I Told You So file! I wrote this on the 17th October 2008, and hinted that Becks' move to Europe was about an escape route from MLS, not keeping fit during the America's off-season, as was reported at the time. This is my piece (unedited) from October:
The growing battle for David Beckham's signature in the January transfer window has more at stake than just the England midfielder's fitness.

Becks needs a return to Europe to compete for his England place. The tabloids ask "how can he truly remain competitive and matchfit playing in LA?" Milan remain in the boxseat to capture him on a three-month loan deal.

It's just that his loan switch will be about more than a new lease of Life with the Lions.

It's also about Major League Soccer's fight for survival and its future in a competitive market through an economic downturn.

While Becks rises like a Phoenix from the ashes, Major League Soccer is foundering. It's losing its vision.

Having managed Beckham's LA Galaxy, Ruud Gullit's comments about MLS crystallise the reasons why the former England skipper needs to come home.

Gullit, who lasted nine months in LA suggested there's a conspiracy among other American sports to keep soccer down, and that no amount of David Beckhams can turn it into a major sport in the U.S.

"I think they are afraid of football because it is so popular everywhere around the world," Gullit told Reuters. "I think they will just control it so it doesn't become more popular than their American sports."

Gullit said that as a result, Beckham is fighting an uphill battle to sell soccer to U.S. fans.
"So it is very hard for him," Gullit said. "They will never allow that, and in some ways I can understand it as well.

"I have my doubts if they really want to make it popular. Some sports have already had a bit of a dive, so they don't want American football to become less popular, or basketball or baseball."

The truth is Beckham thought the door was closed on big time football long before it was. Losing his place in Capello's Real Madrid team co-incided with McClaren's insistence that he wasn't part of England's plans.

We all know what happened next: a recalled Becks-inspired Real won the Primera Liga and McClaren fell to the overwhelming clamour to bring Becks back. The fly in the ointment was he'd already signed for Hollywood.

Beckham is one of the fittest players of the modern era. The end of his career is not in sight, and his value to any team is obvious; he's good support for a creative partner in midfield and he remains the setpiece meister!

You could see why Manchester City were the early favourites. Abu Dhabi Babby wants to mark his arrival with a big New Year Splurge, and he's one of only a few people who could afford Beckham's wages.

But as Thierry Henry articulated in his time at Arsenal, a modern team wins titles with the strength of its subs bench.
Could there be a better sub to lift the crowd and trigger an equaliser from a set-piece?

So no surprise that big name suitors like Milan are chasing his signature (or with Beckham, his autograph).

Will one of the big boys back home tempt him home?

With Beckham, impossible is nothing.