Winter Mercato

chiellini is rumoured to go Man city? grrr Milan has to try and get him and not let another good talent leave italy.

Originally Posted by MAD Fan

They all do. The most action in the transfer market always happens in the last few days before the window closes.

I don't think the clubs are worried, I think it's the fans that are worried. It's really just fans who don't have the stomach or patience to wait. Fans want to be able to sleep easy knowing that their new stars have already transferred and are wearing their new jerseys. Fans don't understand any reality greater than that.

by a Real fan in another forum

Here is more:

Originally Posted by MAD Fan

Really, it's just fan panic. It's just like the time we were flooded with people moaning, "We'll never get Ramos" or "We'll never get Robinho" or "We'll never get Diarra" or "We'll never get Gago" or "We'll never win La Liga in '07".

Too many fans are notorious wussies with no stomach who constantly expect the worst (so as to soften the blow if it does happen) instead of throwing themselves wholeheartedly at the endeavor and crashing horribly if it doesn't pan out.

40 days left? No one should worry, anything can still happen. And if it doesn't pan out, then so what? At least they kept trying to hammer out a deal until the last minute. I wouldn't even look at a Plan B until we were down to the last 2, maybe 3 weeks of the transfer period.

Today's news
Note* : I'm taking all these news from calciomercato.com who are taking the news from various newspapers.

Italian teams :

1. Ronaldo and Kaka returned from Brasil

2. Pele tells Kaka to stay in Milan (you have the article in English in channel4)

That's all

Foreign teams news

1. According to most of English tabloids, Ljungberg will be sold to West Ham for 4.5m euro

2. Today FIFA and FA officials will decide the destiny of Carlos Tevez and we'll know if he'll be allowed to go to ManUtd

3. Calderon said that Riquelme isn't in Real's plans but "El Mundo Deportivo" claims that Riquelme will be the one who'll "replace" Kaka in Real. Riquelme's agents offered the player to Real.

4. Edgar Davids broke his leg. He'll be out for at least 3 months.


Another very slow day

Baptista to Bolton is great news though (goal.com as usual)

yeah, goal.com as usual :
http://www.goal.com/en-us/Articolo.a...enutoId=360011

English press are full of Baptista to Newcastle. Apparently Sam Allardyce wants the beast.

Baptista actually might be a decent signing if Big Sam gets him, i guess he sees him as similar to Kevin Davies (big, strong, quite versatile and doesnt score very often!) and he could probably get a lot from him in the Bolton system. At more flowing sides that rely more on pace, technique and movement he isnt a worthwhile option but for up and coming sides like Newcastle and Sevilla of a few years ago he is probably at the right level. Hopefully all links to Milan will now end

That's what i've been saying...Bolton, Villareal, New Castle, Espanol , these are the teams where he can be their best player, have a guaranteed place in the team and still earn a lot of money.
It was obvious that he's not RealM or Arsenal material and he certnly isn't Milan material.
This would be a perfect ending of the story for Real, New Castle, Milan and Baptista !

Edit : Not a perfect ending of the story for Juve and Inter though

Tony29 what do you think about the chances of Chiellini leaving and staying in italy? you think juve would really let him go?

Originally Posted by Graeme C

Tony29 what do you think about the chances of Chiellini leaving and staying in italy? you think juve would really let him go?

I have absolutely no idea.

By only looking at the squad it seems very strange listening to Chiellini rumors. Why would Juve sell him when the only one who can play LB in Juventus, apart from Chiellini, is Molinaro who is as young as Giorgio and is much more unproven , and i guess much worse player, than Chiellini !? Another option is another youngster Criscito who can play CD and LB but the point is both Criscito and Molinaro are not at Chiellini's level.

If there's something we don't know and if that made Chiellini go public to say how he may leave if he's guaranteed only 30% playing time, then i think he may leave.
Ranieri is the "tinkerman". He rotates the team a lot and he probably has some ideas how the team will look. In the first official friendly against some minor Italian team, Chiellini played as a central defender while Criscito and Molinaro played LB's. Maybe that's what makes Chiellini fear. If he thinks Ranieri is counting on him to play CD then he has a point when he says how he may get only 30% playing time. Andrade will most probably be the starter and since Juve is looking after another Central defender then it's logical for Chiellini to feel his starting XI place is threatened.

But there's a third option and it's - higher wages. Chiellini's agent, Lippi junior (Marcelo Lippi's son) was the most loud person and when agents interfere, like it was with Camoranesi and Nedved, there's a huge possibility money are in the center of everything.

Today Juve's playing a friendly against China olympic team. In the last friendly Chiellini was really enjoying the goals and he really looked happy
http://www.juventus.com/fe_images/fo...ez/zoom/38.jpg
He didn't look like someone who wants to leave, but you could never know.

Against China today we'll see where will Ranieri put him to play. If he plays CD again then i believe there's a possibility for him to leave unless Juve decides to keep him play CD , together with Andrade, and no other central defender is bought. Also, if Chiellini won't play at all today then i'd say it's 99% sure he's leaving Juve.

P.S : If you're bored and have nothing to do, then you can watch Juve-China here :
http://85.92.128.155/~myp2p/Matches/Match2.htm
The match starts in an hour and 40 minutes

Graeme, this is how Juve will play against China :
JUVENTUS

1st Half: Belardi; Birindelli, Boumsong, Grygera, Molinaro; Salihamidzic, Zanetti, Nocerino, Blasi, Iaquinta, Trezeguet.

2nd Half: Vanstrattan; Zebina, Andrade, Chiellini, Criscito; Camoranesi, Tiago, Almiron, Nedved; Marchionni; Palladino.

You see, Chiellini will again be a CD, just like Grygera who played CD in the first friendly also. Looks like Ranieri is planning to use all Andrade, Grygera, Chiellini as CD's and that is why Chiellini feels his place in the first team is threatened, especially if another CD is bought.
If things stay like this i wouldn't be suprised if Juve sell Chiellini.

Originally Posted by Tony29.

Graeme, this is how Juve will play against China :
JUVENTUS

1st Half: Belardi; Birindelli, Boumsong, Grygera, Molinaro; Salihamidzic, Zanetti, Nocerino, Blasi, Iaquinta, Trezeguet.

2nd Half: Vanstrattan; Zebina, Andrade, Chiellini, Criscito; Camoranesi, Tiago, Almiron, Nedved; Marchionni; Palladino.

You see, Chiellini will again be a CD, just like Grygera who played CD in the first friendly also. Looks like Ranieri is planning to use all Andrade, Grygera, Chiellini as CD's and that is why Chiellini feels his place in the first team is threatened, especially if another CD is bought.
If things stay like this i wouldn't be suprised if Juve sell Chiellini.

Is the game in China?

Originally Posted by Hasan Rossonero

Is the game in China?

No , in Italy, small city called Rovereto

Originally Posted by Tony29.

No , in Italy, small city called Rovereto

Cool. Has it started yet?

Originally Posted by Hasan Rossonero

Cool. Has it started yet?

It should start at 17:30 CET.... that's in 2 minutes