The Hughes Selection Headache

Manchester City have had their moment in the sun this summer. They actually look to be a contender on paper for the Premier League crown. Their rich ownership has been pumping heavy amounts of funds into the club. The club has made lucrative offers in the past year to some of the best players in the world, failing on most attempts to scrape up megastars like Eto'o, Kaka, and Messi (who they still seem to think they have a chance with for some odd reason) but successfully reeling in many unsettled but quality players looking for a new challenge or a change of scenery. These players include Tevez, Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Roque Santa Cruz, and England midfielder Garreth Barry. It's a good mix of players to bring into a club that already has the likes of Brazilian trickster, Robinho, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stephen Ireland, Nigel De Jong, Vincent Kompany, Craig Bellamy, Benjani, and Micah Richards. Now all these names put together looks like an appetizing footballing feast. The only problem is Mark Hughes can't put all these names together can he?

In order to win and win with style, you need team chemistry. It is awfully difficult to build this when you have 6 or 7 potentially starting strikers. Who is going to fall out of favor? Mark Hughes and City alone brought in three front men this summer (Tevez, Santa Cruz, and Adebayor) and only rid themselves of young Sturridge who went to Chelsea and Caicedo to Sporting Lisbon. Will City find a way to crush all their attacking talent into one starting XI? Hughes must have a plan or so you'd think. I don't think we'll see Robinho playing some sort of attacking right back because he is good on the flanks. Manchester City have not had the prettiest of preseasons but they have been missing key personnel as well. Robinho had been away a chunk of the summer months on Confederations Cup duty and Tevez only just played his first preseason against Celtic in a 2-1 win. The late signings from Arsenal, such as Toure and Adebayor, haven't allowed them many minutes either. Manchester City does not want to make the mistake of having the same kinds of players on the field. So those who can't play together, will be who is challenging each other for a starting spot. Bellamy and and Tevez are both bullish hard working stout players and will most likely be duking it out in training as will Adebayor against Benjani. One player Mark Hughes won't have to worry about trying to get on to the pitch this season is Elano. He was already unsettled at the club and shipped himself off to Turkey to play for Galatasaray, perhaps to keep his Brazil spot for the World Cup this upcoming summer. Perhaps this will help open up a spot for those incoming. Since, the blue of Manchester haven't been up to full strength in the majority of the preseason, Hughes will have to try and figure out a line up during the season. This isn't good. The only way to find the right system is an educated trial and system. It could lead to a series of bad results. That's not what you want to be doing with the season set to kick off this weekend. Especially when you have Arsenal and Manchester United on the 5th and 6th match day. I've been doing some toying with City's line up and came up with some formations that may work. But like I said, it's trial and error. Unlike Mark Hughes, I don't have the players to even have trials. So my guess is as good as the next persons. Keep in mind I haven't added Lescott yet, though the deal does look close.

------------------------Given----------------------------
Bridge-----------Toure-------Dunne--Zabaleta/Richards
------------------Barry------Ireland---------------------
SWP---------------------------------------------Robinho
---------------------Tevez-------------------------------
--------------------------Adebayor----------------------

It's your pretty standard 4-4-2. So many people believe because it is simple, it's not going to be affective. I believe that's not the case. If done correctly, it can be just as useful as some modern, experimental, unbalanced formations. What you see above is very basic. Your classic flat back four. You have Barry and Ireland. We all know how good Ireland is at going forward. I think he is extremely underrated. Barry is his partner and helps design and create the forward movement, switching the point of attack often. Two nifty wingers, with pace and tricks that can beat their defenders when isolated 1v1. Adebayor leads the attack with Tevez just off him. As seen at Arsenal, Adebayor would be the target man that holds up the ball with Tevez as his strike partner, dropping a little deeper.

------------------------Given----------------------------
Bridge-----------Toure-------Dunne--Zabaleta/Richards
------Ireland----------Barry------------De Jong--------
Bellamy/Tevez--Adebayor/Santa Cruz---Robinho/SWP-

This is my second option here. I kind of stole this 4-3-3 from a mixture of what Barcelona did last season and what Real Madrid are starting to do this preseason. Madrid and City have both used their funds to bring in a load of new players. Madrid has a selection headache of their own but recent preseason form (which doesn't mean much) has showed a system that is proving to be working. Barcelona's 4-3-3 started the trend. The players last season were free flowing. They are marked down in a fixed formation but free to wander and develop an attack in a creative, quick, and intricate passing way, causing defenders to run around from attacker to attacker. Real Madrid has adopted a resemballing style over the summer that sports similar movement with no fixed location for any one player to be on the field. It's just what good players can create together, really. Some managers prefer a system, like Sir Alex, or Rafa Benitez. However, I think with the talent brought into City, it's worth a try. If it doesn't work out, well that's just what simply separates Manchester City from the likes of teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid. Which may be why Madrid got Kaka, and Barca can hold on to Messi.

Now yes there are other options that the Citizens could see their team sporting this season. I was even thinking somewhere along the lines of a 4-2-3-1 with a big striker ( Adebayor, Benjani), three more attacking players with speed on the outsides , two solid center mids, and your back four once again. I'm sure I'm not the only one that has thoughts on this. If anyone else would like to shed light on the situation and what they think City will look like once they design a system to be put into stone, please feel free to speak.

Viva el futbol y Hala Madrid

Bobby

This Week's Shock Transfer Stories and Rumours

There has been a lot of big talk of big money moves for big players going to big clubs this week. Follower's of Futbol de los Inhos (FDLI) have thrown their bits and pieces in about the big news spotted through the transfer window at their favorite clubs. The people wanna know. What's going on? Where do I start when the names of fan favorites such as Viera, Terry, and Tevez are tangled up in the press? Those aren't the only players in speculation as Arsenal's lanky goal scorer, Adebayor, Lucio, and Inter Milan's Maxwell seem to be on the front of the tabloids as well.

Manchester City have finalized the move for Argentina's caveman-like striker Carlos Tevez after the player spent two years on loan from West Ham United at City's cross town rivals, Manchester United. Tevez who completed the £25 million deal this week was fan favorite at Old Trafford. Despite, being constantly bumped out of the starting line-up to make room for Dimitar Berbatov, the fans obviously protested the fact they thought Tevez would be leaving the club in the summer as they made signs and banners encouraging his performances and doing the best they could to extend his welcome. Tevez admitted deep sadness to the press on several occasions, admitting that the club had made him no offer to stay. He apologized to sympathetic fans and praised them for all their support. It looked like a sad movie break up as club and footballer were set to part. Finally, earlier this summer, the Red Devils offered the Argentine a contract and a chance to stay with the supporters who loved him. His answer: No. Instead he moves to cross town rivals, Manchester City. I haven't spoken to many Manchester United fans about the issue but I'm sure they are less than pleased. It is a certainty that Carlito will not receive the warm welcome he is used to from the United faithful when City visits Old Trafford in the upcoming season.

West Londoners were shocked to hear that Chelsea skipper, John Terry was in favor of showdown talks with the club this week over a £40 million transfer to Manchester City. Often looked upon as Chelsea's fearless leader, it is a bit out of the "blue" for the always passionate center back to consider leaving the club that has made him the footballer he is today. Would Terry really want to leave the club he bleeds pride for or is he simply using it as a bargaining chip to get Chelsea FC to make a more direct approach for action in the transfer market this summer? After all, he is the captain and should have a say in what the team needs. Perhaps he is playing the club for the hope of a better contract despite being the Blue's highest paid player. Manchester City manager, Mark Hughes believes that the light blue looks tantalizing to Terry because it would be a new challenge. However, it hardly would be. He has won the league, gotten as physically close to winning the Champions League as possible without capturing its glory and won English domestic cups with Chelsea. He has a better chance with his current club than with City to do all of the listed above. Chelsea's chief executive, Peter Kenyon has extinguished any rumors of the captain leaving the club as Chelsea rejected the second bid from the Eastlands yesterday claiming Terry is not for sale. ''We are not going to sell John, so it is irrelevant what another club will offer. We are very confident he will be leading us in the years to come.'' To me Chelsea just isn't Chelsea without John Terry. It would be sad for football to see him go.

Manchester City have made yet even more noise with the Adebayor project. The Togo international seems to be moving closer to a move to the Eastlands than his early summer link with Italian Club, AC Milan. He seems to surely be on his way after passing a medical, being granted a work permit, and received permission from Arsenal to leave. Another £25 million deal looks to be in order for the 6'3 striker who scored a total of 15 goals last season for the Gunners last season in all competitions. There will surely be a void left up top as Van Persie will be looking for another strike partner. Arsenal already has Eduardo, Arshavin if needed, and Bendter along with a handful of youngsters, but can one of these forwards help restore Arsenal to glory this season or will they look to the transfer window? The pressure is on the Gunners because they have underachieved in the past couple seasons. With all the strikers at City next season, Mark Hughes could be setting himself up for criticism from the beginning with forwards Tevez, Robinho, Roque Santa Cruz, Bellamy, Benjani, Caicedo, and now Adebayor all looking for the same 3 spots at the very most. I predict exits from the Eastlands just as much as signings.

Ready for a shock? Picture one of the greatest Arsenal captains of all time wearing a Spurs kit. You might have guessed it. Patrick Viera has been heavily linked with his former club's arch rivals on a free transfer to Tottenham from Inter Milan. Any Gunners fan would be crushed to hear the news but the swoop for the French legend is becoming more apparent every hour. The Midfielder has already turned down offers from homeland club Paris Saint Germain and Birmingham City. It's unthinkable for Arsenal supporter but crazier things have happened such as Luis Figo directly to Real Madrid from Barcelona (should have treated him better). The 33 your-old states he is simply looking for the chance to play since the "Special One" has not made him a priority in Italy. He enjoyed his time in London and seems eager to return.

Viera isn't the only player on the way out of Inter Milan. Yesterday, Barcelona made one of their few transfer moves of the summer with Brazilian defender, Maxwell. The 27 year-old was agreed to a £4.5 transfer fee to help the Catalan club defend its many titles next season. The left back had fallen out of favor with Jose Murinho to teenager Santon back in Italy and will now be challenging Eric Abidal for a place under Pep Guardiola.

Well, here is one for you. Considered by many the greatest Brazil center back, Brazilian Lucio is on the move to Inter Milan. As you have read, it has been mostly one way traffic on the way out of the Italian champions but the 31 year-old is set to receive a 3 year contract. Lucio who may have grabbed the attention of Murinho, in his outstanding captaining performances in the Confederations Cup with summer with champions Brazil, has been at Bayern Munchen since 2004. He now looks for a new test in Italy.

Well I can't speak for anyone else but I would need a hell of an amount of Asprin to deal with the selection headaches Mark Hughes will face on his front line. City look a bit top heavy at the moment. Would Chelsea's JT help even out the squad? Will North London go up inflames if the Yids capture Captain Viera? I'm anxious to see.


Viva el futbol y Hala Madrid,

Bobby