Will January Signings Make Their Impact?

This mid-season transfer window has been exciting! While I expected a couple of minor signings here and there, I would've never imagined the deals which went on this January. Here's what went on in the English Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga.

In England Chelsea were the biggest spenders, snatching Fernando Torres and David Luiz for a total sum around 70 million Pounds. Liverpool decided to spend over 55 million Pounds to buy Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll, bolstering their front line well. West Ham got Robbie Keane on loan from Tottenham, and Aston Villa's big signings were Jean Makoun, Darren Bent, and the American Michael Bradley. Manchester City bought the Edin Dzeko while Sulley Muntari from Inter Milan joined Sunderland along with Sessegnon from PSG.

Pazzini has scored three goals in two appearances for Inter

There were some big names on the move in Italy as well, with Inter Milan snapping up Pazzini, Kharja, Ranocchia, and Nagatomo. Juventus got rid of Amauri while bringing in the amiable Matri in, along with the decrepit pairing of Toni and Barzagli. AC Milan also made their mark, getting the Dutch pair of Emanuelson and van Bommel along with Antonio Cassano and central defender Legrottaglie.

In Spain, it was Malaga which did most of the buying. After their ownership takeover this past summer, the new Qatari president, Abdullah ben Nasser Al Thani, has been spending money without many worries. Malaga bought Bayern Munich's veteran defender Martin Demichelis to strengthen the defence, along with Atletico Madrid's promising young keeper, Sergio Assenjo, on loan. Malaga also bought Roma's Julio Baptista along with the young Argentine Diego Buonanotte (some hail him as the next Messi) from River Plate.

Afellay has already scored for Barcelona

Barcelona and Real Madrid made their mark on the January window as well. Barcelona bought the attacking midfielder/winger Ibrahim Afellay from PSV Eindhoven, while Real Madrid got Emmanuel Adebayor on loan from Manchester City.

So many big signings! And many of them have already begun to make an impact at their new clubs. Right now Giampaolo Pazzini, Luis Suarez, and Edin Dzeko are looking like the best signings of the window. I can't wait to see how these new players work out.

What do you think about all these January signings? Which ones do you think will make a difference for their club? Share your comments below!

Friday Photos: Transfer Talk And The Asian Cup

Emmanuel Adebayor has been presented at Real Madrid. Adebayor is excited
 to begin playing, and is looking forward to having a successful loan spell with Real.

Mark van Bommel and Emanuelson debuted for AC Milan in the Coppa Italia.
The two recently joined Milan, and they helped their team to a 2-1 victory.
AC Milan will be playing Palermo in the semi-finals, and the other semi-final between
Inter and Roma. Could we see a Milan derby in the final of the Coppa Italia? 

There have been rumours linking Gareth Bale to a transfer in the summer.
Inter Milan are apparently prepared to offer 40 million Euros for the Welsh winger.

Andrea Barzagli leaves Wolfsburg and returns to Italy. Juventus have signed
the defender for just 300,000 Euros, but will the deal be worth it?

Giampaolo Pazzini has signed for Inter Milan. The nerazzurri had to pay
12 million Euros and give the speedy winger Biabiany to Sampdoria.
Can Pazzini end Inter's scoring difficulties?

While David Luiz's signing for Chelsea seemed imminent, the deal has hit a snag.
The Brazilian might not join the Blues, we'll just have to wait and see where
this young and talented defender goes.

Liverpool rejected Chelsea's bid of around 40 million Pounds for Fernando Torres.
The question is: will Liverpool manage to keep the striker over the summer?

The Socceroos celebrating their 6-0 semifinal victory over Uzbekistan in the Asian Cup.
Australia will be facing Japan in the final, and while the Samurais have been crowned
Asian champions three times already, Australia have yet to win the Asian Cup.

Ending on a beautiful note, the stunning Khalifa International Stadium where
Australia defeated Uzbekistan 6-0.

Real Madrid Sign Emmanuel Adebayor On Loan

It was just a matter of time. Mourinho was unhappy at Real Madrid, and the Portuguese had been whining consistently for a center-forward after Gonzalo Higuain's back injury. Emmanuel Adebayor didn't fit into Roberto Mancini's plans at Manchester City, especially considering that Manchester City went out and bought Edin Dzeko in this mid-season transfer window. Now, with Adebayor's loan to Real Madrid, everyone is happy. Adebayor is happy to be in the spotlight, Mourinho is happy to get his center-forward, and Manchester City is happy to (temporarily) rid themselves of the Togo international.

Adebayor wasn't Real Madrid's first choice though. Jose Mourinho was keen on bringing back Ruud Van Nilsterooy to the Bernabeu. But while Real Madrid expected Hamburg to let the striker leave, the German club felt rebellious. Even if Van Nilsterooy was interested in a return to Madrid, his club didn't comply with Real's demands.

Yet Adebayor isn't a bad choice. He's an excellent short-term signing, only causing potential problems if kept for more than a season. Adebayor even decided to cut down on his wages, just to make sure that there were no problems with the deal. If Real Madrid are interested in permanently signing Adebayor from Manchester City, they have what they describe a, "unilateral option", to buy him for 15 million Pounds.

Which Real Madrid player will make way for Adebayor?

While Real Madrid's current stars are already fighting for space, it seems like Adebayor could slot perfectly into the starting eleven. Jose Mourinho's 4-2-3-1 formation would accommodate Adebayor, with Kaka, Ozil, and Cristiano Ronaldo behind him offering extra firepower. That leaves Di Maria and Benzema on the bench, allowing Mourinho to rotate and/or use them as super-subs to inject some adrenaline late into the game.

All that remains a mystery is which player will be on the bench to make way for Adebayor. Could it be Kaka, who has finally returned to form? Or will it be Benzema, unliked by Mourinho? Share your comments below!

Fights Within Manchester City As Edin Dzeko Arrives

Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor being separated by teammates

There has been much criticism aimed towards Roberto Mancini's Manchester City. Although the Italian has guided City to third in the Premier League table, he still has a lot of work to do. This hectic month is the window for City to get rid of a few problems, and buy a talented Bosnian forward.

It seems like every team in the Premier League lacks something this season. Arsenal could use a pair of strong defenders, Manchester United wouldn't mind a creative central midfielder, and Manchester City lacks overall team spirit. While there are plenty stars at the club, it doesn't mean that they get along with each other. From homesick Carlos Tevez to wild Mario Balotelli, Manchester City are an asylum with their hands full of patients.

The latest spat/scrap/punch-out was between two former Arsenal players, Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor. Funnily enough, this latest ardent disagreement is right before Manchester City travel to face Arsenal. The two players lost their cool during a non-contact practice match when Toure stuck his leg out behind him in order to halt Adebayor. The Togo international wasn't too happy, and the two eventually had to be physically separated by teammates.

Tricky Toure decides to leave his leg behind, tripping Adebayor

This isn't the first time we've seen animosity in the Manchester City camp. Mario Balotelli has had his fair share of disagreements with many squad members, and Carlos Tevez and Roberto Mancini have come close to exchanging blows in the locker room. It really isn't a surprise that Adebayor has begun to get a little restless, especially with the mid-season transfer window upon us. 

Adebayor's restlessness could be caused by Edin Dzeko, the tall, strong, goalscoring Bosnian forward who will soon be arriving at City from Wolfsburg. The two clubs have decided on the price of 27 million Pounds, and it seems like the move has already been sorted out. But where does this leave unhappy Adebayor? 

Well, there's another unhappy man situated in Madrid who has been demanding a proper center-forward. After Gonzalo Higuain suffered an injury which will sideline him for about six months, the only true striker left at Real Madrid is Karim Benzema. Jose Mourinho has been keeping his eyes on Adebayor, and a loan deal with the possibility of becoming a permanent transfer would certainly please the Portuguese coach. But Adebayor has also been observed by Malaga, owned by a member of the royal family of Qatar, and they're willing to pay Emmanuel a hefty salary if he joins. It wouldn't be unlikely that Adebayor goes to ply his trade in Spain for the rest of the season, making pretty much everybody happier.

But looking at all this internal tension at Manchester City, could Mancini's team get a result at the Emirates? Mario Balotelli and David Silva are unable to play, and Arsenal have just defeated Birmingham City at St. Andrew's Stadium 3-0, so an Arsenal win seems the most likely result. Share your comments on what you think will happen below!

7 Players Who Made the Difference in the Champions/Europa League

Instead of doing the usual wrap up where I tediously go mention every score of every game in the Champions and Europa League, of which there are 40 in total every midweek. I've decided that when there's midweek action in European tournaments, I'll be mentioning the most influential players which played in the tournaments. It'll usually be seven (could be more, could be less) players who truly made a difference in their Champions/Europa League games, and as the competitions progress out of the group stages, I'll focus more on match reports.

So here we go:

Gareth Bale


Gareth Bale was the one-man team when Tottenham played against Inter Milan at the San Siro. Although his side was 4-0 down by halftime, thanks to an impressive display by Inter, accompanied by Tottenham's keeper Gomes being sent off, Bale managed to give the European champions a scare. He made an amazing run and finished wonderfully past Julio Cesar for his first around the 51st minute, and then in the final minutes of the match, he scored another similar goal, and then another great strike to end the match 4-3! He's truly become a fast, physical, and complete player who dominates the left flank for Tottenham, it'll be interesting if there might be any offers coming Tottenham's way for the Welshman around January.


Philippe Coutinho


Another player from the fantastic 4-3 match played out between Inter and Tottenham, and while he didn't have a massive impact like Bale did, Coutinho was instrumental in the match. The 18 year-old Brazilian didn't look out of his depth at all among all the star players and veterans which surrounded him, he was calm and composed, and he provided moments of individual brilliance. He kept possession with his smart passing, was always in the right spot to help teammates, and he was a constant threat for Tottenham. Although he didn't score, he provided Eto'o a fantastic through pass for Inter's fourth goal which the Cameroon forward finished a little sloppily. One to watch for the future, without a doubt.


Lionel Messi


While nobody can doubt the talent of this little Argentinean, it seemed like he'd had a slight dip in form recently. But it was Lionel Messi who singlehandedly secured three points for Barcelona against Copenhagen in their 2-0 over the Danish side. While we're used to seeing Messi curl in his shots with finesse, he showed that he has power in his shot as well with his first goal. A spectacular strike which flew up into the top left hand corner to give Barcelona the lead at the Camp Nou. His second goal wasn't as fantastic, just a simple tap-in, but still, Messi has shown that he can single-handedly dominate games yet again just like last season.


Adebayor


Adebayor has often been criticized for being slightly lazy, but he was wonderful for Manchester City in their 3-1 win over Lech Poznan at Eastlands. In fact he scored all three goals for the English side, it was his first which was the best: a delightful spin past a defender and a perfect finish around the keeper. His second was a pinpoint header from David Silva's cross, and his third a tap-in from another one of Silva's crosses. A truly wonderful hat trick, and the situation becomes all the more interesting for Adebayor, especially because Manchester City will be facing Arsenal over the weekend...


Hulk


Porto had to travel away to Besiktas, all the way in Istanbul for a difficult match, but having Hulk in their team made things a lot easier for the Portuguese side. Things started well for Porto, Falcao headed in from a corner to give them the lead, but their central defender Maicon was sent off before halftime for a silly foul. But that didn't matter to Hulk, the Brazilian scored two phenomenal goals, both of them being tracked by defenders as he finished with flair past the keeper. And while Porto were winning 3-0 with only ten men, they eventually got another sent off! Fernando was sent off when he got his second yellow card, and Besiktas managed to pull a goal back at the end of the match.


Maurice Edu


Rangers faced Valencia at Ibrox Stadium in Scotland, and my choosing the American, Maurice Edu, as one of the influential players this matchday is slightly ironic. Things were going perfectly for Rangers when Edu headed in from a corner before halftime, a good goal for Rangers who haven't scored too many in the Champions League so far. But it was to be a sad day for Maurice Edu, because in the second half a low cross flicked off of his head and into the back of Rangers's net. An unlucky own goal which caused the match to end 1-1 for Rangers, who happen to be second in their group, behind Manchester United, and above Valencia and Bursaspor.

Jose Mourinho

While Jose Mourinho isn't a player, I felt like I had to include him in this list. The other massive clash in the Champions League which took place was Real Madrid - AC Milan, and while the 2-0 scoreline didn't illustrate much dominance from Mourinho's side, they were much better than the Italians. It seems like Jose Mourinho is the man who knows how to take vengeance on people, he's had his revenge against AC Milan, and mainly Ibrahimovic who snubbed him at Inter to go to Barcelona. I fully expect Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid to be drawn against Inter in one of the later stages of the competition, and guess what, I think he's gonna win. That's the type of guy he is.

I hope you've like this new format of reviewing the European midweek games, please share your thoughts below!

Togo Team Attacked, City Sign Viera, Five EPL Matches Postponed, and More News

Lots of news has occured lately, and with a weekend of action coming up, five Premiership matches were postponed, here is a list of the matches postponed:

Hull City - Chelsea
Burnley - Stoke City
Sunderland - Bolton
Fulham - Portsmouth
Liverpool - Tottenham

Togo National Team Attacked on way to ANC Cup


The Togo National team bus was attacked by gunmen on their way to the African Nations Cup, the driver was killed, and two players were hit by bullets, goalkeeper Obilale Kossi, and Serge Akakpo. The two players seem to be in stable conditions, and the Togo and Manchester City striker Adebayor is not hurt. The bus was under fire for more that 20 minutes, and now it seems that Togo may decide to boycott the African Nations Cup due to security concerns. Hopefully events like this will not happen again.

City Sign Vieira and Napoli Sign Dossena


Manchester City have made their first signing of the winter transfer window, Patrick Vieira, formerly of Inter Milan, has joined Roberto Mancini in his conquest to claim Champions League soccer for Manchester City. Vieira seems happy to have joined City and returned to English football, and although some say he is old and unable to keep up with todays game, Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger and Tottenham coach Harry Redknapp, both say that it is a great signing.

Liverpool have also offloaded their Italian fullback Andrea Dossena to Napoli for 4.25 million euros, with the extra money, Liverpool may be able to put the finishing touches on the Rodriguez deal that could bring Maxi Rodriguez to Liverpool from Atletico Madrid soon.

Owen Coyle Leaves Burnley for Bolton Job


Owen Coyle has taken over at Bolton after Gary Megson was sacked, the Burnley manager was doing great things with Burnley, and it seemed that they would escape relegation. But once Megson was sacked, Coyle was determined to go to Bolton because of the resources the club might have over his former club.

Latest Quote of the Week Out!


Also remember to check out SWU's latest QOTW, this week it is controversial Newcastle player Joey Barton who said, "Most footballers are knobs" a bit ironic that it's Joey Barton saying this, but we accept the news happily, thank you Joey.

What do you think of the latest soccer news? Comment below!

Transfer Rumours

Ibrahimovic feels Inter is the right choice

Ibrahimovic has stated in an interview with a Swedish journal that he feels that he will stay at Inter Milan and said that he will talk to Inter Milan's president Massimo Moratti about his decision. The Swedish striker scored 25 goals for Inter Milan in the league and was instrumental in Inter Milan's 4^th scudetto in a row. Many clubs such as Manchester United, Barcelona, and Real Madrid were looking for the super Swede's signature but Ibrahimovic seems content at the Italian champions

Ancelotti feels that Pirlo would be a great addition to the blues

Ancelotti the new head coach at Chelsea FC has been trying to convince players of his old team AC Milan to join him in his English battle, he has tried to acquire the likes of young brazilian striker Pato and what seems more probable Andrea Pirlo. While often Pirlo has stated that he would like to try an English adventure the club would like to keep him as a foundation to build on.

Price for Rossi has been set and Manchester Utd. Are leading the races

The young Italian striker that currently plays for Villareal has talked with his club and they have agreed that the young goal-scorer is worth 28 million euros. The young talent has been put under the spotlight after an impressive performance for Italy in the Confederations Cup and it is unclear whether Manchester United still have some bindings over him.

Toni looking to leave Bundesliga

Italian forward Luca Toni has stated that he feels he has done will in the Bundesliga and has said that he would like a move back home to finish his career in Italy. Although Toni wants to return to Italy it does not look like he will return to either of his former clubs Fiorentina or Palermo, his agent has said that both Inter Milan and AC Milan are tracking him.

Henry reveals future and it includes the MLS

French forward Thierry Henry has stated his plans for his future career, he stated he will stay at Barcelona until the expiration of his contract in 2011 and the will move to the United States of America to play in the MLS.

AC Milan state that if Dzeko doesn't come there are replacements

Dzeko continues to want the rossoneri but AC have stated that Dzeko isn't the only striker that AC Milan are looking at, they have also said that Arsenal's Emanuel Adebayor has been noticed and that Luca Toni could also be an alternative.