Sir Bobby Robson, RIP.

A great man, who will be sadly missed.

Very sad news reaching me now, that Sir Bobby Robson has died, finally losing his battle with cancer, aged 76. A footballing legend who played for more than 20 years and then had a long and successful managerial career, perhaps best remembered for taking England to the 1990 World Cup semi-final. A genuinely nice guy, Sir Bobby will be sadly missed by the entire footballing world and my thoughts are with his family in this sad time.

The man himself accepted last year that his battle was coming to an end, and that he was resigned to succumbing to his lung cancer. However he was typically philosophical about his fate, conceding that “everyone has to go sometime and I have enjoyed every minute”. A sad loss for the footballing world, but Bobby lived a full and successful life and brought a lot of joy to a lot of people. May he rest in peace.

Please Pat, Don’t Come Back.

Coming back for the weather?

Regular readers will know that I’m not usually one to encourage ridiculous transfer stories by writing about them, but there’s an hour to go until the third Ashes test starts (though not if the Birmingham weather has anything to do with it) and Ian Wright has been quoted as suggesting that Patrick Vieira (yes, that Patrick Vieira) might be about to make a sensational return to Arsenal.

Now there’s no doubt that Arsenal are in a bit of a pickle at the moment. They’ve just sold Adebayor and Toure to Man City and have only brought in Tom Vermaelen, which means that a squad that was a long way short of a title challenge last season is now even shorter. Of course, some people will point out that Eduardo and Rosicky will be like new signings, but that still leaves them well short of the tough tackling Vieira type midfielder that Wenger forgot to sign last season.

It seems that the script could be written then, and I’m a big fan of Patrick Vieira. Which is why I really hope he doesn’t return to Arsenal.

WDKF Wednesday: It Means Nothing…

Today being Wednesday I’ve posted over at We Don’t Know Football and this week I’m tackling the subject of pre-season friendlies. A vital part of any club’s pre-season campaign and perfect for getting the squad match-fit and up to speed, but it constantly frustrates me when media and fans place so much emphasis on the results of these matches that really mean nothing.

While football is a results business, and Newcastle fans won’t enjoy seeing their side lose 6-1 to Leyton Orient, pre-season friendlies at the end of the day are not representative of the coming season because even when a full strength side is put out and even when they aren’t playing in extremely foreign conditions, friendlies by definition don’t possess the sort of pressure that acts as a catalyst to make teams play to their best that competitive matches have.

Click through to read the full article over at WDKF…

Is this the ‘Real’ Barcelona?

Will Zlatan upset Barca's apple cart?

Does anyone else think that Barcelona have negotiated a really poor deal for Zlatan Ibrahimovic? Zlatan is a player that has always and will always divide opinion – some say he’s the best in the world, some say he’s terribly ineffectual. I count myself among the latter camp, however you can’t argue with his domestic scoring record, and his technical ability is second to very few. However, I don’t think anyone would really have thought he was worth Samuel Eto’o plus Alexander Hleb for a season plus about £40m. It’s obscene.

However, even if you did value Ibrahimovic that highly, there is also the question of just why Barca want to sign him in the first place. One can argue that you can never have too many quality players, but that may not be the case. Manchester City have too many strikers and the first Galacticos proved that too many superstars will ruin any team, with Madrid maybe about to re-prove that point this time around. Barca were the best team on the planet last season, so what does Ibrahimovic add to the equation?

Off the Hook: Is this Justice?

Gerrard emerges, 'reputation intact'.

You really have to wonder sometimes, about the justice of our legal system. Imagine if you were in a bar, had a few too many to drink, and some guy changes the music on the CD player, and you don’t like it. You go over to him with a group of your bezzie mates in tow, and deliver a couple of well-practiced punches to bring him back into line. The whole affair is caught on CCTV and when your head clears in the morning, you know that you’ve been a twat, and you know you’re in trouble.

Not Steven Gerrard though, he can do no wrong. He had one of those nights back in December, but months later he walks from the court room with his “reputation intact” because he was found to be acting in self defence. However, Gerrard’s mates, who aren’t famous footballers, all admitted and were found guilty of affray, which shows startling inconsistency in my book. I think this is ridiculous, and I would have to heartily disagree with Judge Henry Globe who assured Gerrard that his reputation is safe. I think he’s scum.

Is ‘Arry having a mid-life crisis?

Is the wheeler-dealer going off the rails?

Is it me or is it slightly ridiculous that Tottenham are suffering from something of a defensive crisis despite the fact that Harry Redknapp has just spent a reported £10m or £11m on two new defenders, the two Kyles, Naughton and Walker from Sheffield United? I’m not saying it’s false, they are facing a shortage in that Ledley King, Jonathan Woodgate and Michael Dawson all look set to miss the start of the season. What is ridiculous though, is that Redknapp has done nothing about it.

Because everyone in the world knows that Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate are two of the most injury prone English players in recent times, and it is also common knowledge that Spurs already have a wealth of right-backs on their books. Thus just why Redknapp felt the need to splash £11m on two more right backs instead of trying to sign a centre back is simply mystifying. Redknapp has always had the reputation of a bit of a whizz in the transfer market, but I must say I think he’s losing his touch.

WDKF Wednesday: “Are you threatening me?”

It’s ‘hump day’ again (no I don’t like that idiom either) which means that I’ve written an article over at We Don’t Know Football once again. This week I’ve had a look at the verbal sparring between Sir Alex Ferguson and Mark Hughes about whether or not Manchester City have what it takes to challenge for the Premier League title. Ferguson scoffed at such a possibility, while Sparky thinks that their summer recruitment means they have as good a chance as any.

Of course, one always has to take anything Sir Alex says with a pinch of salt but this time I really think he is truly being honest in his appraisal of Man City’s chances and, what’s more, I think he’s right. Because although City have recruited fairly well this summer, they are missing one key ingredient, and that is something that money can’t buy and can only be forged over time. Click through to find out what this ingredient is and why Sir Alex is right about City’s chances…

Are Arsene’s eyes in working order?

Can Arsene manage without replacing Adebayor?

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has pulled off an exceptional bit of business in unloading Emmanuel Adebayor to Manchester City in return for £25m, especially given the fact that Arsenal don’t have much money and need to add to their squad significantly if they are to bring some silverware to the Emirates any time soon. However, to see Wenger state that he’ll “see in pre-season if we need to make any additions” may worry some Arsenal fans.

In recent seasons his reluctance to spend money to add to his squad has been a major downfall, and they’ve seen many players miss long spells through injury and lacked adequate depth to cover these losses, creating an inconsistency that has ultimately cost them success. And however much they may bemoan Adebayor’s attitude, Arsenal fans will know that he scored 46 goals in all competitions over the last two seasons, and that they will need to replace him with someone who can guarantee a similar return.

Are Man City’s eyes bigger than their bellies?

"Can I have an expensive watch too!?"

Whatever your feelings towards Manchester City and their colossal wealth, I think everyone has to admit that so far this summer, their spending has been, at least on paper, well thought out. They’ve certainly paid over the odds for Barry, Santa Cruz and Tevez, but these players will add some key ingredients to City’s squad. Barry will add some bite and experience to their midfield, while Santa Cruz and Tevez could form a great partnership up front, both hard workers, with Cruz the targetman and Tevez the poacher.

However, with their courtship of Emmanuel Adebayor, you have to think that they’re now starting to indulge themselves just a little bit. Having already spent over £30m on Tevez and Cruz, the necessity to spend £25m more on Arsenal’s unsettled front man is questionable. And with Arsenal fans clearly more than happy to see the Togolese international leave after his attempts to secure himself a big money move to AC Milan last year, you have to question Adebayor’s motives for the move.

Decisions, Decisions: Where does Naughton’s future lie?

Naughton's decision could be very telling of his character.

In a statement on their official website, Everton Football Club have officially confirmed that they remain hopeful that Kyle Naughton will become the latest addition to their squad, confirming media reports that a fee for the young full back was agreed a week ago, but that he is yet to undergo a medical or to agree terms with the club. If you are to believe further media reports, this is because Tottenham Hotspur have made an attempt to hijack the bid and that the player now must decide which club he will join.

Naturally as an Everton fan who has heard only good things about Naughton and who recognises the need for more strength in depth in our squad, particularly in the right-back position, I hope that Naughton chooses to join Everton. Furthermore, while I will naturally be biased towards this conclusion, I genuinely feel that Naughton would be mistaken in joining Spurs ahead of Everton, and that a move to the Toffees would be far more beneficial for his long term development and career.