I’LL BE A BIG BOY ONE DAY

This is what normally a kid says to his mother after feeling inspired by his father almost identical situation have been seen in this summer transfer market with number of clubs displaying a strong ambition to be among the top clubs of their league. What this would do is may be make the competition more intense by making the life difficult for the big clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, AC Milan & Lyon. Now again going back to the young age some kids do grow up to be like dad and some don’t which means intent is not everything you have to work towards your goal, input some extra hard work and be clear about your short term goals cause at the end it’s the short term goals which make up the long time goals. Same way all these hungry clubs have to be clear about what they want to achieve in one season at a time and accordingly the players would have to give in some extra hours of practice to at least snatch one medal off the chest of the big boys.

So I’ll be looking at four different clubs from four big leagues, their ambitions, their new signing, their coaches and everything they have to challenge the big clubs.

Malaga

League: Liga BBVA

Owner: Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani ( Qatar)

Home: La Rosaleda

League Position (2010-11): 11^th

Manager:

Manuel Pellegrini

One of my favorite managers in the world very calm very composed and both these words are always on display in his style of play. Joined Malaga on 5^th Nov 2010 when Malaga were in a sad state hovering in and around the relegation zone and with few good signings in the winter transfer window took the side to a respectable 11^th position by the end of the season. If Manuel is given the right guys in the team he is like the man who talks less but works magic with his hard work.

2011 Big Summer Signings

Martin Demichelis

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Nacho Monreal

Joris Mathijsen

Jeremy Toulalan

Joaquin Sanchez

Isco

Santi Cazorla

Player to Watch

Santi Cazorla – ESP – MF – 26yrs

A midfielder who is a passing maestro, he possesses great speed and is still 26 years old, surely a man for future. Snapped up by Villareal just before he turned 18 since then spent seven seasons as the yellow submarine and now when as he has left the club he is already considered to be a legend at El Madrigal.

AS Roma

League: Serie A

Owner: Thomas DiBenedetto (USA)

Home: Stadio Olimpico

League Position (2010-11): 6^th

Manager:

Luis Enrique

Roma is not that much of a small team they are three times Serie A winner but the only issue they have lost their way completely. Even though they finished a respective 6^th position but few of the dismal performances were not expected from a club with such great history and players hence I say they have the right man for the right job. Luis Enrique born and bred in the essence of Spanish football played for Gijon, Madrid and Barcelona. And for past 3 seasons Enrique has been the coach of Barcelona B so I feel he knows the perfect ingredients to make a club dream and also transform the dream to realty.

2011 Big Summer Signings

Erik Lamela

Jose Angel

Gabriel Heinze

Bojan Krkic

Stekelenberg

Player to Watch

Erik Lamela – MF- ARG – 19yrs

He is a home grown Argentinean, born and brought up at recently relegated River Plate. Surely a part of very sad story of Argentinean football but would want to put the relegation story behind him now especially as he is at a very big club very mistakes are not digested easily. Surely the winning buy for Roma as all the big clubs were behind him. His attributes include bag full of tricks, deadly at set pieces and ferocious left foot.

Paris Saint Germain

League: Ligue 1

Owner: Qatar Investment Authority      

Home: Parc des Princes

League Position (2010-11): 4^th

Manager:

Antoine Kombouare

He is the man that you actually need at the manager seat right now as he has seen the club from the eyes of a player who won the Ligue 1 title for PSG that being one of the two titles they have won till now. And for a man who knows how it feels to hold that cup he also know what needs to be done to achieve that single moment of glory. Now as he has been the coach of PSG since 2009 he knows exactly what the club needs. Hope he brings the glory days of 1994 also as a coach as he did as a player.

2011 Big Summer Signings

Kevin Gameiro

Milan Bisevac

Jeremy Menez

Blaise Matuidi

Mohamed Sissoko

Salvatore Sirigu

Javier Pastore ( going by Zamparini official comments )

Player to Watch

Javier Pastore – MF –ARG – 22 yrs

I call him the brain child of Zamparini because no one knew him till he was bought by Palermo. And what a great 5 million buy he turned out to be leading the club from the front with his quick 2 feet and his eye to make perfect through ball actually brought him to the world stage and also his first senior team call. Bought for almost 43 million euros by PSG he better proves his big money price tag but I feel he would.

Manchester City

League: English Premier League

Owner: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan      

Home: Etihad Stadium (previously City of Manchester Stadium)

League Position (2010-11): 3^rd  

Manager:

Roberto Mancini

The Italian known for his no nonsense attitude and his ability to turn a season into a year of silverwares as he did at Inter Milan from 2005 to 2008 winning 3 consecutive Serie A titles. His team talks do wonders even from the days of his playing career when he would give the same during half times. His style of play is always attack inclined as it was visible from last season when he turned the defensive midfielder of Barcelona into more of an attacking midfielder of Manchester City yup I am talking about Yaya Toure. I believe this just might be the season for Manchester City with UEFA Champions league qualification and I feel Mancini is the man who can make the dreams of all the citizens possible.

2011 Big Summer Signings

Gael Clichy

Stefan Savic

Kun Aguero

Timo Hildebrand (deal close by)

Player to Watch

Kun Aguero – ST -23yrs –ARG  

He surely had become a household name in Madrid attacking the defense of any team with such ease and spear heading Atletico Madrid attack. Son in law of the great footballer Maradona has such charismatic style of play that giving him a small little space in the defense is nightmare time for the opposition. If he is able to make up a good partnership with Dzeko and Balotelli and also Tevez if he stays Manchester City is going to be a force to reckon with this season.