Merseyside Mayhem

A couple of years ago, Arsene Wenger was asked why he only seemed to sign foreign players. He was investing in youth, and giving them chances in the first team, but very few were English. His rationale was that English players are over priced and do not represent value for money. After investing close on ₤20 million on Francis Jeffers (the fox in the box) and Richard Wright (Englands future No.1), Wenger is in a good position to judge. The purchase of Andy Carroll by Liverpool must feel like further vindication.

What is clear is Torres has wanted to leave Liverpool since the World Cup. He has been a shadow of himself, and his performances seem to be measured more in the effort he puts in rather than the number of goals he has scored. Torres is undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the world, but it may not be such doom and gloom as the scousers would lead you to believe. His injury problems have been well documented. Following his sensational debut season, Torres only managed 24 league games. In 2008/09 he only managed 22 games, though he did score 18 goals. This season he has already managed a game more than the previous season, but has only scored half the amount of goals. He has been dis-interested, and his transfer request confirmed this publicly. Getting a large transfer for a want-away striker is about as much as Liverpool could have hoped for. It is sobering for the supporters who questioned Wayne Rooney’s loyalty and greed recently. Luis Suarez looks like a decent player, and appeared to be a glimmer of hope for Merseyside. Then came one of the biggest transfers in English football.

While Andy Carroll had been linked to Liverpool recently, this was genuinely deemed to be tabloid speculation. News that Liverpool had had a ₤25 million bid rejected by Newcastle was seen as surprise. That an improved bid was also turned down was seen as madness on both parts. Liverpool for thinking Carroll is worth it, and Newcastle for thinking he’s not. To agree to a fee that could rise up to ₤40 million is staggering. To put that into perspective, the only players who have ever cost more are Crespo, Figo, Zidane, Kaka, Ronaldo and of course Torres. Crespo and Torres are the only two who have not being named world player of the year at one stage or another.

Carroll may well turn out to be a good signing for Liverpool, but it is hard to justify such a figure. Carroll made his debut for Newcastle during the 2006/07 season, and has played 69 senior games for Newcastle (he played 11 times for Preston on loan, scoring a solitary goal), scoring 31 goals, the bulk of these coming in the Championship. The fee is roughly the same as Chelsea’s initial bid for Torres. Torres is a European Champion, World Cup Champion, and a proven goalscorer in the top flight in both England and Spain. To highlight the comparison, he has scored 147 goals, just under a goal every 2 games.

The absurd price will have significant knock effect on future transfers. Carroll will now be the benchmark, and any half decent player will have his value increased. The transfer also raises a number of important questions:

1)     Will Carroll cut his hair? Prolific goal scorers who did not conform to a tidy trim include Pongolle, Morientes, Voronin

2)     What do Hodgson and Hughton make of the transfer? Both would have been criticised (particularly Hodgson) heavily if they were still in charge.

3)     Will Kevin Nolan’s missus be sad to see Andy go?

4)  Liverpool host Newcastle on April 30th. Is Joey Barton counting down the   days already?

Gray and Keys Bite the Dust

Messrs Gray and Keys

One hundred years ago, Emmeline Pankhurst was causing quite a stir. The movement she founded, the Women’s Social and Political Union, were in the throws of an arson campaign to vent their fury at the political system which deprived them of a vote. Fast forward a century, and it seems like Sian Massey has unwittingly opened up the discussion of sexism in society. 

Sky Sports sacking of Andy Gray , and the subsequent  resignation of his partner in crime Richard Keys, is on the face of it, a clear stance that that they will not tolerate such old fashioned views. What is curious are the circumstances surrounding the release of further clips. The initial clip, where Gray and Keys are claiming that Massey’s lack of male genitals would hinder her ability to call an offside decision (Raul Meireles can thank her that is not the case), and the mockery of Karen Brady, was apparently released to the press by an insider.  Cynics may point to Andy Grays court case, where his is suing News of the World for alleged phone tapping, may have had an influence, as BSkyB own shares in that particular rag. Others may argue that Gray is so arrogant, that a disgruntled colleague saw his chance. The press were then fed a clip of him, off air, making a suggestive comment to the oil painting that is Charlotte Jackson. Remarkably, she did not see the funny side in tucking Andy's "mic" in. 

Gray has been a love/hate figure since he turned the Sky Sports studio into a NASA control station. His bland comments, and constant berating of match officials has been grating for a long time. In his defence, he has been slating officials for quite a while. Interestingly, Graham Poll and a number of other referees were only too happy to see Andy's plight, and made public their feelings. For a man with five children from four different women, it seems off the field, Gray has a lot of time for women, possibly too much. 

Richard Keys' demise has been also been spectacular and even more public. Whatever of Gray’s self-importance, "Hairy Hands" Keys takes the biscuit. "If he were chocolate he would eat himself" an inside source may have said. A short man, with an average knowledge of the game, a love of mind-numbing questions (one wonders how Souness would compare him to Bill O'Herlihy), paid a million and a half a year, maybe it’s easy to see why. The release of his off air comments about Jamie "lunchbox" Redknapps ex-girlfriend were aggressive to say the least. "Smashing it" is a rather violent way of describing the act of making love. One conjures up an image of taking a sledge hammer to a women’s nether regions, than anything sexual. His radio interview was professional suicide, apologising, though he "couldn't see" what all the frenzy was about, and he felt there were "dark forces at work". Even the apologies were hollow. His resignation was inevitable.

One can feel an element of sympathy for the way in which they were disgraced. Off air comments, are in theory, just that. While it seems an old fashioned view, supporters will argue that it was just "lads banter". However, this wasn't Grays first brush with controversy, and Sky’s quick response seems like they were only too happy to dispense with his services, similar to Rodney Marsh’s dismissal from the broadcaster after offensive comments on the tsunami, though that was on-air. Keys' reputation was battered, but his poor radio showing and over the top comments on Redknapps ex (his sister defended him by saying he has a "sister and female friends, so he has no problem with women") sealed his fate. 

Now if they could just get rid of Lineker, Hansen and Lawrenson on BBC, it would be even more progress!

Welcome!

Welcome to Sporting Scuttlebut, my take on sporting matters. It provides another outlet to view my opinions on sporting matters. I intend to act as an impartial observer, and interact with people with a genuine interest in sport. GAA, soccer, rugby will probably get the most coverage, but I will discuss all sports, with the possible exception of cricket. Freddie Flintoff aside, the game doesn't do anything for me.

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