₦airaland Forum

Pre-season perfection

Real Madrid might be the biggest, brashest, self-promotingest club on planet football, but they seem to be the only major team capable of conducting a sensible pre-season.

This weekend, while Manchester United take on a Malaysian XI, City are in South Africa and Chelsea in Seattle, Real will be training at their Irish hotel retreat ahead of a kickabout against Shamrock Rovers on Monday.

It might not have the glamour of a trip to the Far East, but the Carton House Hotel in County Kildare has offered Real the chance to erect some blue screens to keep out prying eyes and get down to some serious training.

The hotel is near the town of Maynooth, which is known as an educational centre for Catholic priests, and would have been the perfect base for Wayne Rooney, who has said he would have become a man of the cloth if he had not played football.

United will be sweating through a night-time low of 25 degrees Celsius in Kuala Lumpur while spending most of their time signing autographs, smiling blankly at sponsors' promotional events and getting mobbed at airports.

Real, on the other hand, will be enjoying the mild weather and enjoying the hotel's spa facilities that, Cristiano Ronaldo might like to know, include the 'Green Science Skin Renewing Facial with Perfecting Plant Peel', available for just 135 euros.
Defender Michel Salgado said: "They are perfect conditions for our pre-season. The weather is really nice to work in. We were training in Madrid in 40 degrees so I think Ireland is perfect."

If you would like to join Real in luxury at the Carton House Hotel, there are still rooms available for Sunday night, starting at 110 euros. Who knows, you might even see Ronaldo emerging, zen-like, from his chakra balancing massage.

http://eurosport.yahoo.com/football/early-doors/article/183646/

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Public Enemy No. 1

Even though their old ground was nicknamed the 'Highbury library' (sadly, no quiet places rhyme with 'Emirates'), Arsenal fans are capable of making noise.

Only this season, most of it has been directed at their own players.

In December, fans reduced Emmanuel Eboue to tears when they booed his every move in a particularly useless display against Wigan, forcing Arsene Wenger to take Eboue - himself a substitute - off.

But that is nothing compared with the vitriol aimed at Emmanuel Adebayor, whose move to Manchester City appears in danger of stalling, raising the hilarious prospect of an outcome that nobody seems to want; Adebayor staying at Arsenal.

Adebayor stands accused of the worst offence any footballer can commit - that of not trying.

Comparing his electric, 30-goal 2007/08 campaign with last season's lacklustre showing, it is hard to argue that he has given 100 per cent.

Obviously, he hasn't helped his cause by saying things like this: "Barcelona have made me a good financial offer. Either Arsenal give me what I want and I stay or they don't and I leave."

Or this: "I often speak to Adriano Galliani on the phone. Milan have won the Champions League on seven occasions - Arsenal have never won it."

The final straw came in the Champions League humiliation at home to Manchester United in May, in which Adebayor spent 90 minutes standing in the centre-circle impersonating a scarecrow.

He could not have put in less effort if he had been chauffeured around the pitch in a golf buggy.
Such is the anger that some have even deployed the A-bomb of insults; that Adebayor is worse than Nicklas Bendtner.

ED thinks that is a bit harsh - on current form you would have to call it a nil-nil draw.

The pair were so useless last season that if they were to repeat their on-pitch butting match of 2008, most Gooners would lock them in a windowless cell to whack away at each other until their heads were reduced to a bloody, gelatinous pulp.
A spoof Michael Owen-style brochure has been doing the rounds on the internet, touting Adebayor to prospective buyers, in which he is variously described as:

"Definitely not lazy."

"Extremely good at dancing which makes other people laugh."

"Much better than Marlon Harewood and Mido put together."

"A tender and considerate lover."

The brochure also notes: "Emmanuel believes in God and puts his success down to his faith, but does not blame God when he misses an easy chance in front of goal."

It is in everyone's interests for Adebayor to leave Arsenal, but anyone thinking his exit will signal a reversal in the Gunners' fortunes is dreaming.

If Arsenal were serious about contending for silverware they would have made a concerted effort to sign Samuel Eto'o, David Villa, Karim Benzema or even Didier Drogba.

Instead they are going to sign Marouane Chamakh from Bordeaux.

Despite looking a little too much like Jeremie Aliadiere for comfort, the Moroccan is a good player. But is a man who has never scored more than 13 goals in a French league season really going to bring the good times back to the Emirates?

http://eurosport.yahoo.com/football/early-doors/article/183947/

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Dr Kitaun:
Kaka was the best player and the whole world accepts that fact

wetin be ur own ?

was Donovan the best player ?

Demeritt or Altidore ?

shinystar:
Eto, I must say sadly, shot himself in the foot. He somehow stalled extending his contract, even when we gave him additional two years. Apparently, he was scheming to leave a free agent next season when he can pocket all the sign-on fees.

That is not how to treat a club that bought you to the limelight. He was a nobody when we bought him from Mallorca after RM overlooked him for years. In Barca, he flourished because he had good supplies from the midfield. He is definitely a good striker but he owes much to us.

In Barca, we hate players who think we can't fly without them. We cannot tolerate superstars who are uncontrollable.

Remember Maradona, Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Deco and co. Once you start becoming bigger than the club, we send you packing. A club is always a club and a player is a player.

Let's see how he would fare in Italy but I can bet Ibra will hit it off here instantly.

biina:
RM didnt treat eto'o badly. Eto'o felt he was good enough to start for RM, we felt he needed more time to develop. If eto'o had been patient, he would have ended up as top striker at Madrid.
Madrid had always liked him and thats why we bought him at an early age, but we prefer to let players develop their careers with other clubs, rather than let them rot on the bench. Madrid would never sell a key player unless he decided to leave. Pep, Laporta and co, are just being asinine, as there is no option better than eto for Barca.
If not for the gentleman agreement with the cules, we would have brought our prodigal son back home. We hate seeing him being treated like that.

biina:
RM didnt treat eto'o badly. Eto'o felt he was good enough to start for RM, we felt he needed more time to develop. If eto'o had been patient, he would have ended up as top striker at Madrid.
Madrid had always liked him and thats why we bought him at an early age, but we prefer to let players develop their careers with other clubs, rather than let them rot on the bench. Madrid would never sell a key player unless he decided to leave. Pep, Laporta and co, are just being asinine, as there is no option better than eto for Barca.
If not for the gentleman agreement with the cules, we would have brought our prodigal son back home. We hate seeing him being treated like that.

Emperoh:
Phoney
It seems SAF will help with the attack as he has refused to sign another striker

Meanwhile, Hargo is set to return in September all things being equal
http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid=%7BF9E570E6%2D407E%2D44BC%2D800F%2D4A3110258114%7D&newsid=6636396

khanye:
We barca fans love Eto
I wonder why PEP hate him so much!
PEP is behind all this
He wants Ibra and he wants Eto to Leave by force!

tayoccu:
I don't think jm "the loud mouth" will turn him into a gra gra player, @ least he didn't turn zlatan into 1.

FBS:
tell them ooh.
There must definitely be a reason why he rejected the Man City deal (UCL means a lot to some player if you don't know). Truely he would 've been worshiped there.
But again, I don't understand why barca are treating their most consistent player like this?

tayoccu:
well. . .
but is being treated like "excess luggage" worth the chance to play in the UCL?

tayoccu:
that eto'o boy is daft jare, instead of moving to city where he'll be treated like a "god", he effed up, now barca wan use am do part exchange.

debosky:
How can a player get 'worse and worse' when his goal tally has been improving from season to season?  

Myopic scumtwats never cease to amaze me.

MrCrackles:
Will shut up before i stuff it with rotten banana skins. . . . .

biola44:
kaka

all those who omitted kaka dont watch football

justkunmi:
Cant.wait.for.start.of.season.
If.Fergie.says.no.more.activty.in.the.market. .fine.by.me.
At.least.the.season.we.bought.only.Michael.Carrick. .we.won.the.league.!