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Following our ex`s...

dkw
in Football (Other Teams)

Featured Replies

Hazard looks good, but I've heard his attitude is shady. he performs well enough for country too, to dispell rumours that he's only good in Ligue Un

  • 2 weeks later...

Just shows you the difference between the leagues.

Indeed, read an article the other day which detailed how slow the French league is to the Prem. Joe will thrive down there, his lack of speed won't be a problem and he has a lot more time on the ball to make decisions.

Another interesting interview from Soccernet (they are on fire today) on Mr. Kezza (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature/_/id/962214/ian-holyman:-mateja-kezman-back-in-the-big-time?cc=5901)

Kezman back in the big time

By Ian Holyman

When Mateja Kezman lines up for BATE Borisov against Barcelona on Wednesday, the Serbian striker will inch himself a little further back into the European football consciousness. Now 32, the route Kezman's career has taken resembles that of a round-the-world tour crossed with a Himalayan expedition. Belarus may seem an unlikely place for a renaissance, but having signed a contract with the club until the end of the year, Kezman is delighted with his rebirth.

"It's amazing to be back in the Champions League. I didn't think it would happen," Kezman, undoubtedly the most familiar face in a BATE side which joins Czech champions Viktoria Plzen as the darkest of dark horses in a Group H that also features AC Milan, told ESPNsoccernet.

"It's great to be able to play at the Nou Camp and San Siro. It's a great chance to show people you're still alive and can still play football. I'm really happy to have this opportunity, and I'm trying to enjoy it. I think I started well against Plzen, and if I can keep that kind of level, I'll look for a club that can match my ambitions. A middle-sized club in a league like Spain or Russia, and try to play one or two more seasons before I go back home."

'Home' for the nomadic Serbian forward remains Belgrade, the former Yugoslav capital where he was born, and a city which did so much to shape him. "When I was around ten, the country started to disintegrate. It wasn't easy. But because of the way I grew up, that formed my attitude, my character. That's why I always fight on the pitch, because you had to fight to survive to get out of the street," he said. "You had to be strong. The whole of Belgrade was a kind of ghetto at that time. I lost friends and people around me because of the way they grew up. Football helped me get out of the place where I grew up and survive."

In Kezman's case, the game did that in a literal sense. After Belgrade-based FK Zemun, where his father had been a goalkeeper, failed to realise the young forward's potential, the 17-year-old Kezman took the brave decision to drop down a division and join Radnicki Pirot, some 300km from the family home. Three moves in 18 months brought him back into the top flight and closer to Belgrade before his boyhood sweethearts, Partizan, finally took notice.

"I had an offer from Red Star. I didn't want to go there. I didn't see myself playing for Red Star - it's not possible," said Kezman, who worshipped Predrag Mijatovic among the Partizan hard core in the South Stand before becoming a player. "Thankfully, a couple of weeks later, Partizan came in for me. It was the happiest day of my life. After my first training session, I took my shirt home and slept with it. I was crying, because it was so incredible to be part of the club I loved."

The affair would last just two seasons though, broken off in large part because of Kezman's own efforts. His decision to eschew his family's penchant for saving goals to score them instead - "When I played the first time, my dad told me, 'My son, go up and score goals. Don't stay here because it's such a difficult job'" - proved astute. A record of a goal every other game and the crown of the league's top scorer of 1999-00 caught the eye of PSV Eindhoven, and the freshly-capped international was off to the Netherlands where a couple of weeks before he had been sent off for Serbia and Montenegro less than a minute into his competitive debut at Euro 2000. That disappointment would not prove an ominous portent, however, as the new €11.3m arrival - still the second biggest transfer fee paid by a Dutch club - put the experiences of his youth to good use.

"I was a big star in my country, but when I moved to Holland, people didn't even know in which position I played. I had to start from zero," said the striker, whose admirable determination to quickly learn Dutch earned him respect in his adopted homeland. "The first few months were difficult. But we played against Manchester United in the Champions League - I played well, scored a great goal, and that changed my life in Holland. I'd been criticised before that, and afterwards, I started to get confidence, and just scored so many goals."

The first two campaigns brought almost 40 league goals in some 60 outings. Impressive, but not as jaw-dropping as when he found the net 66 times in 62 matches in the following two seasons. "It was crazy" admits Kezman himself - to finish the Eredivise's top scorer both times. The 35 he netted in 33 matches in 2002-03 was the highest tally since Marco van Basten had struck 37 in a season for Ajax, a spectacular success Kezman puts down to the arrival of Guus Hiddink at PSV at the start of the campaign. "That man is like my father. He's the only coach who got everything out of me, all my positive things. We had a fantastic team with [Arjen] Robben, [Mark] Van Bommel, Park Ji-Sung, Dennis Rommedahl. I was happy, I had so much confidence. It was the best time in my life. I was also happy off the pitch. It's a great club, the people are great. Sometimes all the pieces just fall into place, and you explode. That happened in Eindhoven."

However, it did not quite happen, for a number of different reasons, at the six clubs that separate PSV from BATE in the Kezman odyssey. His first stop, Chelsea, brought him a Premier League winner's medal at the end of his first season, but it also brought another move. "All pre-season we'd played 4-4-2 and I think I scored five goals in three games - it was fantastic. Didier [Drogba] and I worked perfectly. But we played Manchester United in the first game in the league. [Jose] Mourinho was a little afraid so we played just one up front, we won 1-0 and after that, he didn't change back to 4-4-2," explained Kezman.

"A striker without confidence can be a completely different player. You move to another club, and people are wondering whether you can still play football. Fernando Torres has the same problem. He certainly hasn't forgotten how to play football. It's just that things are not going perfectly for him at Chelsea. You have to be lucky sometimes to find the right club to allow you to explode."

Kezman's empathy for Torres is all the more understandable given they were teammates at Atletico Madrid, linking up effectively for a single season before the Kezman family was - reluctantly - packing up once more. "I'd planned to stay. I bought a house. Then two days before the end of the transfer window, Fenerbahçe came in with an offer you get once in your life. I took two days to think about it, and finally decided to take the money. I talked to my family and decided to accept it because it was really unbelievable."

Three years in Istanbul not only allowed Kezman to inflate his bank balance, but also top up his self-belief with the Turkish title. That careful reconstruction, though, was quickly demolished by a disastrous switch to Paris Saint-Germain, a massive let-down for a man who had watched the great PSG side of the mid-90s of Rai, Leonardo et al, and who had even paid part of his own transfer fee to move to the French capital.

"The three years in the Paris were the worst of my life," said Kezman, who became a political football kicked between the PSG board and coach Paul Le Guen before leaving the club "on good terms" late last year. "I had no motivation. I was dead as a player. If I'd stayed, there would have been more problems. I'm really happy for the club and the fans that Qataris are investing. I still have a lot of friends there. Personally, it was good. I made friends, I learned French, but as a footballer, it was the lowest point in my career."

Clubless in mid-season, Kezman sought gainful employment elsewhere, though few would have predicted a move to join Nicky Butt at South China AA. "I ate a lot of seafood - I love sushi, and Hong Kong's Japanese food has a great reputation. Hong Kong's a great city. For me, after New York, it's the best city I've visited. There's so much energy."

That vibrancy certainly seems to have reinvigorated Kezman, whose purposeful display as BATE's lone striker in their 1-1 draw with Plzen in their Champions League group-stage curtain-raiser suggested the forward's ambitions of performing again on a bigger stage - and even on the international scene - are not mere flights of fancy.

"I'd like the opportunity to play again for the national team," said Kezman, who retired from international football in 2006, just when Serbia and Montenegro's sporting union split. "I've never played for Serbia. Perhaps it wasn't a good decision, but my family and I had some quality time together. Now I'd like to come back if I get back to a good level. Serbia don't have so many strikers right now."[/Quote]

He has an intersting story. I didnt remember the 4-4-2 preaseason or him doing well that summer when he first came here (the memory must be fading) and I forgot how great those early decade PSV teams used to be. He comes across as unsympathetic and pitiable all at once when he talks about leaving Spain and then coming to France, but I didnt know he paid part of his way to go to PSG. Overall though, he seems like a good character and person, and despite not hitting the heights after Holland he has lived in Turkey, London, Madrid, and Paris and played for some of the worlds biggest clubs so I guess its not all bad. Hopefully he bags 4 goals against Barca.

Didn't know where else to put this..

Former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti believes there could soon be a vacancy at Arsenal as he plots his return to the Barclays Premier League.

I was a bit surprised that he didn't go for the Inter job but this maybe the reason. Also some weird quotes from Carlo:

"I have a strong will to remain in England," Ancelotti told Italian newspaper La Repubblica. "For a coach, this is the ideal country."

"But I would only consider top clubs, including Tottenham and Liverpool."

"It's evident that Wenger's bench is wobbling and that in several months' time, an English coach will be appointed to replace (England manager Fabio) Capello in the national team, which will free up a place in a club."

Returning to guide a Premier League club would grant Ancelotti the opportunity once again to go head to head with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson - for whom he has great respect.

"As time goes on, the more I fall in love with Ferguson," Ancelotti said. "As a coach, he is unusual.

"As time goes on, the more I fall in love with Ferguson"

Carlo still needs to work on his English a bit more.

I think he would like to stay to perhaps prove a point to some people in England, particularly after the way things worked out for him last season.

I couldn't see him ever going to Spuds, they don't have the funds for him and Dalglish will be at Liverpool for as long as he wants the job. I still think he will end up going back to Roma when Enrique is inevitably sacked in a few months.

  • 1 month later...

Gokhan Tore has been named at #10 on WhoScored's list of the top 20 under-21s in Europe. 4 assists in 9 starts for a struggling team is impressive - I wonder what he'll turn out like. It'll be a bit of a blow to us if he becomes the powerful, pacy winger we've been hankering for on the right.

http://www.whoscored.com/Blog/t32hae20bekbcdwt_095aa/Show/WhoScored-Scout-Europes-Top-20-Under-21s

When Chelsea released former youth product Gokhan Tore at the end of last season, Hamburg were quick to offer him a new opportunity, with Frank Arnesen knowing all about the young Turk from his days with the Blues. The 19-year-old has been a shining light in a tough campaign for HSV, which is showing signs of recovery under new manager Thorsten Fink.

The winger is one of a large breed of up and coming players who rely heavily on their ability to beat an opponent, though the Turkish international is already an expert in this regard. Having completed 5.5 successful dribbles per game, Tore is the best in Europe, ahead of the likes of Messi, while he has also proven that his end product is not bad either, producing 4 assists - only bettered by two Bundesliga players - from 1.9 key passes per game (15th in the league).

Scott missed a sitter for Swansea against UTD. He maybe wasn't expecting the ball to get to him, but when it did he was wide open, open goal, 6 yards out and managed to miss the ball completely

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/transfer-news/Liverpool-Joe-Cole-opens-door-to-swap-deal-involving-Eden-Hazard-of-Lille-article834081.html

“I’d like to leave a legacy here," he said. "The fans have taken to me straight away, and that really helps.

"They bring a Union Jack to every game, and they sing Hey Jude, which the rest of the team find hilarious.

“I’d like to win something here, I’d like them to look at me as Chris Waddle is viewed down in Marseille - they love him down there, and he’s still a legend.

“Who knows what may happen, but I find it really exciting to be here in Lille and it makes me feel proud to be so well accepted and respected.

It's nice to see that things are going well for Joey. Makes you wish they would keep the title in northern France.

    •
    • 4 weeks later...

    Yeah, you have to love Joey, especially for the important goals he scored for us against ManU.

    True, yeah proper blues fan our Joey. "I’m a Liverpool man, and I have a lot of friends there still, but I’m really enjoying my time here, and I feel I fit in.”

    Edited by bennyboy1976

    True, yeah proper blues fan our Joey. "I’m a Liverpool man, and I have a lot of friends there still, but I’m really enjoying my time here, and I feel I fit in.”

    Taking that a bit out of context arent you?

    Taking that a bit out of context arent you?

    couldn't give a t***. He hasn't had a decent thing to say about us fans since he left, and the majority of us that follow the club home and away worshipped him when he was here.

    Former Chelsea boss Ancelotti set to take over at PSG

    Former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti is on the verge of taking over at big-spending French side Paris Saint-Germain.

    The capital club, who are keen to sign David Beckham, are widely expected to part ways with Antoine Kombouare despite leading the French league going into the winter break.

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