ESPN Soccernet - Correspondents - Manchester City- Top 20 Summer Transfers: Part Two

Posted by Wallace Poulter on 09/03/2010

Nikola Zigic , Aleksandar Kolarov, Dan Gosling, Kenwyne Jones, Thomas Hitzlsperger, Martin Petrov, Jean Beausejour, Laurent Koscielny, Yossi Benayoun and Jerome Boateng comprised the first half of the Top 20 Summer Transfers. Now in the concluding installment are those from #10 through #1

As with previous years players that have joined on loan are not considered.

10. Mario Balotelli Manchester City from Inter
Moody, temperamental and supremely talented; sounds like a now former City player. However Mancini has worked with Balotelli before and if anyone can focus this incredible talent it is to be reasonably expected that the former Inter manager is that man.

9. James Milner Manchester City from Aston Villa
Another year, another Villa player that City bring into the fold. Ironic that two managers, Keegan and then Martin O'Neill, have both quit around the circumstances of Milner leaving Newcastle and Villa respectively. More recently Milner has played in the centre of the pitch but I'd be curious to see a formation with he and Adam Johnson playing as out and out wingers.

8. Christian Poulsen Liverpool from Juventus
An absolute steal at the 4.5 million reported, Poulsen should be the replacement for Mascherano in the defensive midfield position. The Dane played for Roy Hodgson when they were both at Copenhagen ten years ago. Curiously, in one of those facts that may only interest me, Poulsen has played in all four major European leagues, Germany with Schalke 04, Spain with Sevilla, Italy with Juventus and now in England with Liverpool.

7. Marouane Chamakh Arsenal from Bordeaux
What price 6 months? This move has been on the cards since last summer and Bordeaux must have known they were going to get nothing for the player. If Wenger makes this transfer, for say 6 million, in January then Arsenal not Chelsea are the defending Premier League Champions. A complimentary striker rather than a pure goal scorer, but still quality.

6. Ben Foster Birmingham City from Manchester United
Foster is not Joe Hart, not many are, but still the second best English keeper and yet another brilliant move by Alex McLeish. It's true the former Stoke keeper is prone to the occasional mistake and that's probably why United decided not to keep him, however his positioning is excellent and at 27 has not yet entered his prime as a keeper.

5. Joe Cole Liverpool from Chelsea
The best pure talent of his generation Cole should be rounding into form after suffering an ACL injury 18 months ago. Prefers the Attacking Midfield Role (AMC) and if played in a 4-2-3-1 could be devastating. His admission from the England squad is exhibit A as to why Capello should depart as the England manager.

4. David Silva Manchester City from Valencia
Supremely gifted winger, attacking midfielder and occasional support striker the only issue is whether Silva's size, at 5'7 will hold up to the rigours of the Premier League. Silva had an excellent rapport with David Villa while at Valencia and I'm curious to see which striker at City works best with the Spanish international.

3. Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez Manchester United from Chivas de Guadalajara
Say what you will about Alex Ferguson, and I have constantly, but his squad building is second to none. If Sunderland's Asamoah Gyan is the poster child for possibly over paying for a player after a good World Cup display then here is the opposite. Half the price for a better striker with the move made before the World Cup.

2. Rafael van der Vaart Tottenham from Real Madrid
A brilliant acquisition in its own right the capture of the Dutch international is worth so much more to Spurs than just about any other club. Tottenham will live and die at the highest level based on the play of Luka Modric. If the Croat were to be injured then Spurs had no one to be the true world class creator in the middle. Enter van der Vaart. Pairing him with Modric could be amazing, but his value will be crucial long term. Unbelievably good move by 'Arry!

1. Yaya Toure Manchester City from Barcelona
When you look at the great Arsenal Invincibles team of 2003-04 it was the commanding presence of Patrick Vieira in his prime that is most remembered. The quintessential marauding box to box midfielder. I don't believe that Toure is or will be as good as Vieira, not least the former French captain had a better goal scoring record, but the early returns are incredibly encouraging for the City faithful. Kolarov, Boateng, Balotelli, Milner and Silva are great moves by Mancini but it is Toure that has the potential to be the lynch pin that allows City to reach the Champions League. As such his value is priceless.

And there you have my Top 20 transfers of the Summer. The clear winners are Liverpool, Birmingham City and Manchester City while United, Arsenal and Spurs made moves that will benefit them for years. All in all, a great summer transfer season.

Comments

Posted by patrick on 09/03/2010

Touche!

Posted by lex on 09/04/2010

Yeah I was very pleasantly surprised by Yaya "Small Berries" Toure. He's definitely got an eye for a pass, and I'm glad he's being deployed in a more attacking position. Last season I was starting to fear whether Mancini loved Defensive Midfielders a little too much. Milner also looks very dynamic.

Wallace, do you still think 4th place will elude City? Personally, I don't see Liverpool playing in the Champion's league next year, and Spurs' European campaign will only ensure that their league position suffers. I know Hodgson is a good manager, but I just think Liverpool need new owners for anything to happen. There's something that feels hopeless about that team. Gerrard is no longer world class, and Torres is bound to get injured...

It's not that I think City are suddenly amazing, it's that the other teams don't look like they can sustain a real challenge. And with City's depth, I think they should be favorites for fourth.

Wallace Reply I really like what Hodgson has done while retaining the core at Liverpool. My concern with City is that the team has completely changed, again, and there is no core to the team. Liverpool are more likely to come together as a team than City in the short term even though as you can see I really like the players Mancini has brought in. Unlike last year when City over paid this year I feel that while City paid a lot the quality is self evident.

I don't know about Spurs. Normally I'd agree with most observers that the extra European games would take a toll, and the Wigan loss is an example of that. However in Tottenham's favour is that the club has a lot of players that have played together for a long time and that I think carries them through. I still think City finish 6th.

Posted by ed on 09/04/2010

3 points. First, I really liked Chamakh's inclusion in the top 10. I watching him during the Emirates Cup and he was simply breathtaking. Though the participating teams in the Emirates Cup may not have been fully fit nor at full strength, Chamakh tore defences apart with his skill and passes. A great player to watch and along with Arshavin, Vela and Walcott, Arsenal has indeed a strong strike force.
Second, Joe Cole is indeed the steal of the season for Liverpool. Poulsen may have came cheap but Liverpool have lacked the creativity in attack (besides Gerrard) that Cole will provide. Besides, Cole is not yet 30 and has a lot more to contribute to his new team.
Lastly, Javier Hernandez truly impressed with his pace both at the World Cup and the matches he has played for United. While not demonstrating his predatory instincts yet, he has shown quite some understanding with Berba on the pitch.

Outstanding article overall and several great points u highlighted. Just my two cents worth

Posted by Rowan on 09/04/2010

I think it's interesting that Mancini could easily name three ball-winning CMs who all have serious attacking ability: Toure at the base, starting and supporting the play (for this is what Barca has taught him), Milner on the right, driving forward, scoring goals, and threatening to interchange with the RW just to torment the opposition FB, and Barry on the left in a secondary-playmaker role, delivering really good passes and crosses to support the LW as well as covering the LWB's forward sorties.

That strikes me as potentially the best midfield 3 in the EPL - better than Chelsea, and certainly better than Liverpool, as Lampard and Gerrard fade with age. Any one of City's midfield 3 will be able to interchange their positions, too, which will make them impossible to mark out of a game.

Mancini was smart buying Toure and Milner, totally agree they're in the top 10. I have doubts over Poulsen's mobility, though - I think Meireles will be more dynamic and threatening. Rate him highly.

Wallace Reply I took the opportunity to watch Meireles in Portugal's 4-4 tie with Cyprus. It's only one game and I'll need at least 6 to get a reasonable base, but he didn't stand out. Strangely it was Ricardo Quaresma who did. The Portuguese winger has been touted as a possible star for years and yet had rough stints at Chelsea and Inter. Now at Besiktas, his play was direct and very positive. If you get a chance to watch the game I'd recommend it, was an entertaining and very open contest.

Posted by Tapas on 09/04/2010

Don't u think Wallace that u've added just too many transfers from Man City ??? I think Raul Meireles will be a quality player, he has performed decenly for Porto as well as for Portugal in d past ... And I think Carlos Salcido, Seb Squillaci and William Gallas are quality players too ... What do u reckon ???

Wallace Reply As regular readers know I try very hard to be as objective as possible when it comes to City. However as I looked over this summer's transfer list it became apparent that all 6 of City's big moves this summer were of significant quality. I couldn't say that last year especially about Lescott for example.

Posted by Ethan on 09/04/2010

No surprise to see SO many City players in there, but really? Toure, Barry, Milner better then Essien Lampard and Malouda? Thats laughable, given time they may be able to prove that but they havent been playing together for more then a few weeks, compared to the Chelsea midfield who have for the past 3 years.(which was key to the success of last season)

Birmingham have done extremely well with their signings, City well did what City does and spent a lot of money on everyone, but again has no core, as players move in and out more then a hotel. Which is what happens when your owners want success instantly instead of a 5 year plan which wouldve been so much more intelligent.

Posted by steve on 09/05/2010

it really was a good article, and despite the city bias of every single player youve signed being in the team, the quality of the article meant I was really ready to overlook that fact. And then you went and spoilt it all by making yaya toure number one

Wallace Reply Yes, having six City signings in my top 20 was a concern. However I couldn't justify exuding them because I legitimately feel that each one was a true quality signing. As I've noted regular readers know that I approach this as not only a City fan but a fan of the entire league and will give praise and credit where due, even if that means to United.

It would also have been easy to blunt any potential criticism by placing van der Vaart first for example but as much as I think 'Arry has pulled off a master stroke so I also feel that Mancini has done him one better. Toure appears to be the lynch pin around which everything City attempts to accomplish will flow.

I am not above criticizing City, indeed that is something of an under statement, and it is a little ironic to hear it from the other end of the spectrum.

However as much as I have complained about Elano and Bellamy leaving, of Vassell playing or Lescott joining it is also my responsibility, if that is the correct word, to stand up and say that in signing these six players Mancini appears to have done phenomenally well.

Posted by Phil23 on 09/05/2010

I would definitely have Squillaci in the top 20 and Chamakh much higher up the list. Your ratings have not taken into account the prices payed. Silva and Toure wouldn't be in my top 5 as they were over priced. Chamakh is a much better player than Hernandez and was FREE. Joe Cole Van der Vart and Chamakh were the signings of the season. Personally Chamakh was the best signing as Cole is completely injury prone and is on much larger wages. Van der Vart is a great buy and depending on his wages would rival Chamakh but 8000000 is a lot more than a free. Chamakh will also prove to be one of the best strikers in the premiership over the coming year. Arsene is pure genius.

Wallace Reply Rating the moves by price alone, or adding that significantly into the equation is an interesting idea. I have no specific definition of best other than to lean towards how important the player will be to their new club, combined with overall quality etc.

Squillaci is a quality player and a nice pick up. I project him as a squad player who backs up at CB and as such don't see him being significant enough in terms of impact on the team to warrant a Top 20 listing.

I do find it a little funny how Joe Cole has been labeled injury prone. He's had one significant injury and one less so.

Posted by Frank5678 on 09/05/2010

I'm a big fan of David Silva, and I was thrilled to see that he was finally headed to a club with a little purchasing power that could surround him with many weapons. With that said, I thought he might be lower on this list because Mancini has under-utilized his talents so far. Is his ranking on this list (which I agree with) indicative of his potential impact in Man City,for instance when City starts to play games that count against elite competition that they cannot simply over power with their ball winning mids?

Wallace Reply I don't think Silva is fully match fit yet and also think he and Tevez will take a bit of time to mesh. Of all the players City signed Silva is the one I think may struggle the most but is #4 because of his ability and potential impact.

Posted by yakism on 09/05/2010

Toure is #1! I was right, right, right! :)

Posted by dennis1234 on 09/05/2010

I am a little disappointed that a player such as chicarito is so high in this list. He will not be a player that will consistently play, let alone start for man utd. Although he is a great player, he will not be a player that will carry the team this season so I would think that players such as chamakh poulsen and foster would be higher than him. Steals of the season were chamakh and cole, because for free liverpool and arsenal have brought in players that give them a new dimension that they would have missed since adebayor and mascherano left respectively. Chico is just a young version of owen, and will play as much as the old one too

Wallace Reply Well that's possible, but I've liked what I have seen out of the young Mexican and wouldn't be surprised if he plays a large role this year.

Posted by dennis1234 on 09/05/2010

btw @ lex saying that gerrard is no longer world class is simply blasphemous. He was superb in both games for england post world cup so far and still has one of the best shots in the world bar none. He was also perhaps the best player for england IN the world cup and was the reason they got out of the group

Posted by Rummy Dummy on 09/05/2010

Ballotelli played 7 games, 4 of them as a sub, with 3 goals, and 3 yellow cards under Mancini at Inter. Why would Roberto be anymore effective at dealing with him than Mourinho? Robinho was your grandma compared Mario Ballistico.

Small Berries number 1? If Gyan is overpriced, what about the weekly pay packet for a guy you admit "won't be as good as Vieira"? He's also a bit of a sulk and prone to pouting, as he did at Barca.

Wallace Reply Mancini will have worked with Balotelli while at the club and I don't believe would have taken a chance unless he was confident in the personal interaction.

Toure's issue at Barcelona was political rather than based on his ability. I think most people would be upset if their way was blocked because of political considerations. Not as good as Vieira is not a case of damning with faint praise. I'd be hard pressed to name a handful of players that could compare when Vieira was in his prime.

Posted by Nick on 09/06/2010

I think your list is a very interesting read and the reasons behind your decisions can and will be debated a lot but that is the beauty of football. We wont know which of these come to fruition until the end of this season at least.

My one contentious issue is that of Ramirez to Chelsea. All his comments suggests that he doesnt expect to just walk into the team as there are some excellent players ahead of him at present. He is also in the mold of a Gilberto Silva with his physical midfield play, good tackling and clever distribution.

All I am saying is that perhaps his risk "as a Brazilian" is smaller than or equal to a Balotelli (nutcase) or Silva (soft-ish) or Chichatrito (who hasn't done anything is a game of an significance yet...). Even if he doesnt warrant a place above those names, it surely puts him in the list somewhere.

can you expand on why you left him out??

Wallace Reply At this point it's probably a bit of a Brazilian bias. As a group they seem to struggle in the Premier League. I think this is for a number of reasons not least the managers in England prefer very structured systems.

Posted by Aaron Mark Hendrix on 09/06/2010

Finally I think I found a blog worth reading on ESPN.Thats not a compliment,its a fact,as far as Im concerned at least. As for the list,its pretty understandable.Im not getting into the "who should be higher placed than whom" thing, but it does really make me wonder why city paid so much for Yaya.Busquets proved that Barca could play and win without him,and to think that despite there being gerard's,rooney's,lampard's etc etc,yaya toure is the most highest paid player in the league?? at 200K (correct me if im wrong pls) a week? Man,i cant believe it.And having watched all of Barca's games(and i really mean all of em') with and without Yaya,I realize that city need him more than Barca,but 200K a week? I really dont think anyone except maybe MARADONA is worth that amount of money...so what next,Asamoah GYAN has a 40goal season and CITY are gonna pay him 250K a week?

Posted by Ola on 09/06/2010

Wow. How can you put Ben foster on the list. An error prone goalie! Then David Silva....who has been eating the bench for club and country. Super Mario is a potential star but yaya toure as number one is quite ridiculous. He is over priced and does not represent value for money. U r obviously biased. Oh and u.put Milner there. Wow. Overhyped and overpriced. How can he cost more than ozil?
Man U 4 life

Wallace Reply I believe United have given up on Foster too early and will regret the decision.

Silva is an outstanding talent and being on the bench for Spain is no shame. When back to match fitness he'll be starting.

If Toure is the driving force that takes City to the Champions League then he's well worth the price.

Milner we'll have to agree to disagree. I've been a fan of his since he played at Leeds. Comparing him to Ozil is apples and oranges. Ozil had one year left on his contract and therefore and therefore Werder Bremen had no leverage to get a larger fee.

Posted by Marcel on 09/06/2010

Bebe not make it in the list?

Wallace Reply Bebe is a fascinating story and seeing as it was Portuguese national manager Carlos Queiroz who recommended him to United, that indicates that the lad has talent.

However he's not done anything yet to be able to project his long term suitability for the Premier League. You'll not I didn't join in the Bebe bashing a couple of weeks ago when the youngster didn't make the reserve team; I thought that was rather petty of the press dumping on a kid who had just moved to another country and is still getting his feet wet.

Posted by Fan on 09/06/2010

Wallace, Toure's problem at Barca wasn't political as you said in your answer to the previous comment. Guardiola kept rotating between him and youth-team player Busquets, and Toure wanted to be an undisputed starter. Guardiola publicly said he wanted Toure to stay and Toure also said in his interview that he loved playing for Barcelona but he was hungry and wanted to play 50 games a season and knew he was fit enough to play that much, so he wanted to move to where he could be the undisputed starter.

I rate Toure higher than Busquets, but Busquets is also very good. I think Busquets plays cos in the old Cruyff 'Dream Team' Pep was a tall skinny passer and played base of MF, and Pep wants to make that system.

That said I agree with Toure being #1. Remember him in the 2008 UCL semi against Man U, who had Scholes Ronaldo Tevez etc? He completely single-handedly bossed MF. Perfect fit for both the physicality of EPL and the MF-dominance and creativity needed for European games.

Wallace Reply Busquets is an excellent player. He's also Catalonian which means all things being equal he'll play over anyone else in the position at Barcelona. Toure had no long term future at the club with Busquets in the squad.

Posted by Scott on 09/06/2010

City team chemistry will be the fall of them. Teams like Tottenham, United, Liverpool, and Arsenal have much better chemistry that can get them past a star studded team in crucial circumstances(which will occur this season like any other. You can't just pick up an all-star team and expect to win against teams that have been bred for years. GL to Mancini(I don't think he will be around next season).

Posted by Daniel boy on 09/07/2010

Wallace you have well put in all the transfers in for MC this year. :) Not so sure about Jerome and Kolarov because they may not adjust to EPL. I thought Robinho is of special mention, his move away from MC is like a "good" transfer too!

I thought Gallas was great move by Harry Potty and be in the list, as Tapas mentioned. Barotelli is really a wild card just like Bebe. Not so sure even worthy of top 10.

YT may seem young, but you know some may be older than what their birth certs say. Really depends on how you define "top". Sometimes shrewd buys may be more important than some expensive flops. Remember Shevchenko, Robinho, Santa Cruz, Aquilani and Robbie Keane

Perhaps, Chris Smalling, Jovanovic, Meireles and Ivan Klasnic would have cut the list somewhere.

Wallace Reply Some interesting observations.

I feel that Boateng and Kolarov are perfect fits for the diamond formation and will do well.

I've been unimpressed with Gallas for a couple of years, but the injury to Dawson will show whether this was a shrewd move.

Barotelli has played internationally for Italy, Bebe is nowhere near the Portuguese national team so that's an easy one for me.

I've been singularly unimpressed with Chris Smalling each time I've seen him play. Jovanovic comes with a good reputation. Meireles was uninspiring in the one game I've seen him play where I tracked him exclusively. However I'll be watching him more over the next few weeks. Ivan Klasnic averages a goal every 3 games which is a good if not great return.

Posted by zin on 09/07/2010

Were William Gallas and Sandro for Spurs anywhere near your top 20 list? Sandro having just won the Copa Libertadores.

Wallace Reply Gallas wasn't even close. Sandro I like a lot more but I was hesitant because of the Brazilian situation. Hopefully one of these young Brazilians will break through and show the way.

Posted by John French on 09/07/2010

As a long time Chelsea supporter I simply cannot believe the comments about Joe Cole. A lucky back-heel at OT and fighting tooth and nail to win a ball and then make the last goal in the 8-0 versus Wigan aside he was AWOL last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. If you want a player who thinks he is way better than he is and will cause attack after attack to break down as he goes off on one of his mazy runs to nowhere then JC is your man. TSO got one good year out of him. Before and since it has been a never-ending source of frustration. Normally I would defend a Chelsea player (i.e. like the other Cole) to the end of my days. JC no way. Chelsea are much better off without him and securing what seemed to be Liverpool's only spark of inspiration from last season makes it all the better. Show me a Chelsea supporter who wants JC back - I wish you luck finding one.

Wallace Reply Cole was injured in January of 2009 and so hasn't played at full strength until now. As a player you can come back much sooner but full fitness is nearly always 18 months away.

Looks like we will agree to disagree on Cole.

Posted by Abe on 09/07/2010

"If Wenger makes this transfer, for say 6 million, in January then Arsenal not Chelsea are the defending Premier League Champions."

Oh WOW! You really think some second rate French striker would have powered Arsenal above United and Chelsea? You have got to be kidding me. I knew Citeh fans were dumb but this is a new level of absurdity. Almost as absurd as thinking you can buy 10 strikers , have no defense and still qualify for the Champions League. Oh wait, Citeh did do that.

Wallace Reply Arsenal had by far the easier run in the final couple of months. If they had displayed any kind of reasonable form then Arsenal would have won the league. That they did not was in large part to having no adequate replacement for Robin van Persie available.

I'd be happy to post a reply if you can name the 10 strikers than City bought...

And for what it's worth, I've predicted that City will not qualify for the Champions League.

Posted by Charade on 09/07/2010

Do you agree that City has bought success? Their treatment of Ireland was despicable, and all the players that have seen them through the rough patches have basically been disposed of. The City of 08-09 was a very different beast, and comparably small time, but one that I feel a fan could still have been proud of. This new City reeks of corruption and egomania.

Wallace Reply Every team buys success. The only difference is that City have bought quickly over the space of 2 years.

I honestly fail to see any hint of corruption or egomania. Quite the opposite in fact.

Posted by someone on 09/08/2010

Good article, but I'm a bit disappointed of the lack of Gallas and Squillaci.

Although I'm an Arsenal fan, Gallas is another step-up for the Tottenham squad, no matter how disruptive Gallas was in Arsenal, he showed good defending after he was stripped of the captaincy last time. And if you look at zonalmarking.net, they never talked about Gallas, they talked about Vermaelen's positioning errors in the final days of the season. Gallas was never questioned on that, should tell you something about his consistency. If he isn't disruptive and gets his head down and work, he'll admittedly be an amazing capture but truthfully, I don't think so (ego problem).

And Squillaci, I think he will provide the much-needed stability at Arsenal's back four with experience and temperament. Remember that defenders 'used to peak at 30' instead of 23 or 26.

I can't blame you though. 20 can't cover everyone. Including but not limited to Meireles and Sandro.

Wallace Reply Interesting observation about Gallas - love that kind of feedback.

I like Squillaci, he was part of the Monaco team that made a surprise run to the Champions League final 6 years ago. A team that had Patrick Evra and the recently retired Fernando Morientes as well. Shame about Morientes, never thought he was given enough time at Liverpool to acclimatize to the English game. If Squillaci becomes a starter then yes he certainly belongs in the top 20.

Maybe I'll revisit this list at the end of the year and see who I missed...

Posted by Jon in L.A. on 09/08/2010

I'm not sure about your anti-Brazilian bias, Wallace. That's a bit like a Spaniard saying all English players lack ball control.... May be some truth in that but there are a couple here and there who CAN control the ball. Not all Brazilians are the same, and not all are like Robinho. Alex has served Chelsea very well indeed and I'm hoping Ramires does the same. He used to be a bricklayer who earned $1 a day in his youth so I'd be surprised if he suddenly became as flighty as Robinho. I'm not sure he'll helm Chelsea to success in the same way Yaya might but I'm very happy to have him at Stamford Bridge.

The other player I'd include in my personal top 20 is Dembele at Fulham. A classy, intelligent player, I think he could form an interesting partnership upfront with Zamora and give Fulham an extra dimension.

I also agree Small berries is #1!

Wallace Reply Fulham was weird. I really liked what Mark Hughes did with the three significant transfers yet I didn't find a place for any of them in the top 20. Carlos Salcido, Rafik Halliche, Moussa Dembele are those under the radar type of players Hughes is good at snagging even if I expected him to go shopping in Germany rather than Holland and Portugal.

Posted by Matthew on 09/08/2010

Hey Wallace. Really enjoy your work. As a City fan I've been hesitant to embrace some of the changes they've made--letting Dunne and Petrov go, in particular, though as much as I liked Ireland I'm glad they got Milner, and Yaya and Silva seem like steps in the right direction. Very much looking forward to seeing Boateng return and Balotelli in action. As a Yank and relative newcomer to EPL (started following when Sven led City), I'm curious about the virulence exhibited toward City's spending. In your opinion is this simply envy by the other clubs and fans? Do they have an inherent objection to anyone spending large sums of $$$, or is it the fact that City are attempting to disrupt the monopoly of the Big 4, esp. with 2 of those teams (United and L'pool) having ownership issues? I didn't follow the league when Abramovich took the reins at Chelsea; was there the same kind of griping about his spending back then? Tis nobler to be a West Ham or someone that survives w/o ever contending?

Wallace Reply There seem to be three reactions from City detractors. The first are the United fans who instinctivy are negative. The second are the fans of the other Big 4 teams who worry that their team is the one that will be pushed out of the Big. The last group are the fans of other teams that wish that they had been bought by a wealthy individual and are bitter that they were not and will find it impossible to compete.

Ever club buys success. It's the nature of the transfer market. City have "upset" the status quo by throwing a lot of money around, in some cases quite silly money, in an attempt to crash the Big 4 party sooner rather than later.

There were similar concerns with Abramovich but Chelsea were a team already competing at Big 4 level before the Russian money even arrived. Chelsea too, threw around silly money with a lot of players not working out. What worked for Chelsea was a Terry-Lampard core that City didn't have and of course getting Mourinho.

Posted by Macca on 09/08/2010

I too am at a loss for your explanation of Joe Cole. "The best pure talent of his generation"
"He could be devestating"
ridiculuos comments, I normally like your articles and how you write feedback to most commenters; but i'm afraid you lost just a little credibility with that.

I also think you need to factor into prices a little more.
You say Chamakh would of won Arsenal the league, he was free, yet you have him as 7th, whereas Yaya, who cost 24? or 30m? and will only get City 6th position in your opinion is 1st??

Wallace Reply What can I say, I really like Joe Cole.

Posted by Rony Rony on 09/08/2010

Since the VDV move is very last minute, which transfer did you take out of your original list (if any) to make way for it?

Wallace Reply I was leaning towards Martin Jiranek over Sebastien Squillaci.

Posted by Will on 09/08/2010

To answer an earlier comment, I'm a Chelsea fan who was sad to see Joe Cole go. He may be cocky and may even be slightly overrated, but he still produces quality play. You don't have to take it from me, look at all of his Stamford Bridge team mates who kept saying that they hoped Chelsea would renew his contract. Surely they should know after playing with him for so many years.

Also, I'm glad VdV made it high your list. I think he's a great player and another Dutchman who Madrid will regret selling (for only 8mil!!!). Spurs are such a deep team and I really enjoyed watching them in the CL against Young Boys. Right now I see the EPL top 6 ending

1. Chelsea
2. ManU
3. Spurs
4. Arsenal
5. City
6. Pool

Posted by Chris on 09/08/2010

Will, your overrating Spurs as much as Wolly is overrating J. Cole. I can't pick the order of Arsenal, Man U and Chelsea but as Arsenal's inevitable injuries will continue all season perhaps we won't quite top it. Not sure if Chelsea's depth is what it has been either.
Spurs, City and pool are guna be Jekyll and Hyde all season and have no chance of breaking top 3.

VdV is a good player but i feel that acquisition is guna cause dressing room problems this season and its similar to the Robinho transfer to City.
They're so desparate to leave Madrid they jump at any transfer possible. As soon as they realise they've landed at a mediocre club they seek a way out.
I'd say 1 or 2 others in your top 20 list may be contenders for worst purchase of the transfer period come the end of the season.

Posted by Chelski90 on 09/08/2010

Whats with all these people saying Cole and Chamakh should be higher up the list because they were free.. The prices paid for the players should mean nothing. The quality and potential impact of the players coming into the League (and those moving around the League) is how im assuming they were graded, and was done exceptionally so.. Wallace, I dont normally read many of the opinion articles on here, but im impressed and am interested in reading more of your stuff :)

Wallace Reply Yes, quality and potential were the over riding parameters.

Posted by James on 09/08/2010

good shouts until the call for capello's head and a call for joe cole's inclusion in the england squad! on his day, i, like many out there, reckon joe cole is probably the most creative player england have and thats including wayne rooney, however it has not been joe's day for quite a while, and although i think he will again it the heights he was hitting before his injury, it will not be in the immediate future, as for his inclusion in the england squad i feel that in adam johnson and james milner capello has two very similar players to joe cole, and to include cole would be a waste of a place to be 3rd choice. in wright phillips and walcott there is again two very similar players but with lennon fit i cannot see a place for wright-philips, still not leaving a place for cole, im sorry to digress from your column but i dont believe this call or any other should be a reason for capello's ousting......two games, 2 wins, 7 goals and 1 conceded.....the national teams doing just fine

Wallace Reply England will do just fine in the 2012 qualifying campaign. And then alas will fail again once they get to the actual tournament.

Posted by WonsanUnited on 09/08/2010

No Dembele?

Posted by Joel on 09/08/2010

How can you rank Chamakh, the best striker in France and a free transfer, a worse signing than Hernandez? Chicharito had a good World Cup but still has a long way to go before he's even close to Chamakh's quality. In my opinion, Chamakh rivals Milner, Toure and Ramires (who isnt even mentioned) for the signing of the summer. Silva is a great player, but can't get into the team. Van der Vaart will find a similar problem with Modric already in the Spurs team. And I think both Poulsen and Joe Cole will show how vastly overrated they are at Liverpool this year, and the whole team will disappoint.

Other notables missing from the list entirely in my opinion are Ramires to Chelsea, Gallas to Spurs, Raul Meireles to Liverpool, Squillaci to Arsenal, Hleb to Birmingham, and Hatem Ben Arfa to Newcastle. I wish Shwarzer (or any goalkeeper) to Arsenal would've made the list as well, but hopefully that'll be the #1 signing of the Jan window.

Wallace Reply Being called the best striker in France is somewhat akin to being known as the best dressed on radio.

Chamakh's goal per games record is not that impressive. One goal very four games is not a elite striker. That being said I feel he fits what Arsenal need and will be successful, hence my ranking.

A number of people have commented about Silva not being in the City team, but remember it is a World Cup year. The players do not really have an off season and they are not prepared for the season. We'll also see injuries more often.

All the players that you have mentioned I rate highly except Gallas.

Posted by 6L0w1ng6u66LeS on 09/08/2010

Number's 3-10 were solid and I agreed with a sizable portion of the first list, however, my 1 and 2 are very clear. I think for what the two teams *desperately* needed Arsenal and Liverpool made the two most notable moves of the window.

Beating out both North London big boys for Cole was a tone-setting move by Hodgeson. He comes from a club with a winning attitude and should have no problem providing the final ball with Torres coming back to life after his forgettable summer. I thought they might try to keep Yossi but at the end of the day they signed a starter; Chelsea did not.

If the price wasn't enough, the role Chamakh can and will play makes him the shoe-in number one. For 0m Wenger has added a young striker *with* Champions League experience to a squad with a blossoming winger that struggled to convert set pieces. Arsenal will easily win games against weaker opponents playing him in lei of RVP, alongside soon-to-be healthy Nasri, Rosicky and Arshavin.

Posted by Spur_Forever on 11/03/2010

How about now? Yaya still above Van der Vaart? Lol.

Wallace Reply In a word... no

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