Joey Barton Makes The Move To QPR

Joey Barton has today completed his move to the newly promoted side Queens Park Rangers. QPR, who have just been taken over by Tony Fernandes, might have made one of the signings of the summer. Joey Barton hasn't been in the good books at Newcastle as of late and a move elsewhere was the right decision for me.

QPR have proven, after an embarrassing opening day defeat, that they will not be pushed around by bigger clubs this season as they went to Goodison Park picking up three points while they were there. To be honest, out of the Swansea, Nowich and QPR, QPR have the best chance of staying up and they have only increased that possibility with the superb signing of Joey Barton.

Joey Barton, 28, has never been short of controversy in the past and the past couple of weeks have proved to be no different.

After weeks of tension between the Newcastle board and Barton, Barton started the opening game against Arsenal and in the space of 90 minutes, Barton had been stamped on, got slapped in the face and got a player sent off. That really sums up Joey Barton doesn't it?

If you forget about the negative headlines, Barton is actually a very talented footballer. Barton was influential for Man City before joining Newcastle where he proved yet again that he can play the game and no doubt he will be a success at QPR.

What do you think? Will this purchase increase the chances of Queens Park Rangers staying up?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Chelsea Could Lose A Wideman After Signing One

With the signing of Juan Mata yesterday from Valencia, all Chelsea fans must have been smiling with delight but with news coming in that Malouda could possibly be on his way out, the fans may feel it's one step forward, two steps back. Juventus are reportedly very interested in the Frenchman and after yesterday's news that Mata was officially a Chelsea player, it seems a bid in the next few days is very much on the cards.

Florent Malouda, 31, has been a very influential player in the past few seasons, scoring and setting up goals on countless occasions. For this reason, it would seem hard to lure him away from London as this is arguably the best spell of his career.

Juan Mata has been hot property this Summer after a very good season with Valncia was capped off when he helped the Spanish U21's to European success. Mata even revealed that he snubbed offers from the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham to sign for Chelsea.

Juventus missed out on the signature of Chilean Alexis Sanchez who eventually made the move to Barcelona, so the signing of Malouda would seem more of a rebound buy rather then their first priority.

I wouldn't expect Malouda to leave, yet again I didn't expect Eto'o to leave Inter Milan, but it's very late on in the transfer window and Malouda seems perfectly happy at Stamford Bridge.

So what do you think? Do you think Malouda will leave Chelsea?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Forlan's Agent Denies Transfer Talk

Diego Forlan's agent has denied that his client could be the next top class striker on his way out of Atletico Madrid. Rumors had been spreading that a move to Italian giants Inter Milan was on the cards.

I'm sure Atletico Madrid fans will be dreading the thought of Forlan leaving after already witnessing Sergio Aguero leaving this summer for a massive fee of £38 million.

Atletico Madrid did manage to invest in a player who I think is a suitable replacement for Aguero,  but it came at a very hefty cost as Atletico Madrid signed Porto striker Falcao. The Colombian cost the Spanish club just short of £35 million.

Falcao, 25, had a prolific goalscoring from last season and Atletico Madrid will surely hope he can continue where he left off last season.

It was suggested that should Atletico Madrid succeed in buying Falcao that it would be a hint for Forlan that he would be able to leave. But now it seems that Falcao, as expected, is a direct replacement for Aguero and not for both Aguero and Forlan.

Ever since last years World Cup which left many of us half asleep, Forlan has been hot property as he along with many of his Uruguay team mates were  the only thing that was entertaining and worth watching.

After a horrid time at Manchetser United he has proven he is a player of immense talent with both Villareal and his current club, Atletico Madrid. Maybe this suggests that Spanish football suits his style of play and should he move it should only be if Real Madrid or Barcelona make an inquiry.

So what do you think? Will Forlan move?

I would love to hear any comments you may have,

Join the Football Team Talk fantasy league on premierleague.com. With only one week gone, there is plenty of time to catch up if you haven't already joined. The winner will receive a jersey of their choice and the more participants, the more prizes so tell your mates. The code you need is: 1209951-306274.

Blackburn Show Interest In Raul

Schalke have today confirmed that they have been approached by Blackburn regarding the future of he former Real Madrid captain, Raul. But Raul has apparently revealed that he has no desire to leave Schalke.

Blackburn already have the veteran right back Salgado at their disposal, so a further swoop for another ex-Real Madrid player is obviously becoming a trend for Blackburn Rovers.

Blackburn fans have been promised big name signings by the owners and I think it's more than fair to say that Blackburn fans have got less than what they have expected. There have been respectable signings such as David Goodwillie from Dundee United but, with no disrespect to Goodwillie, I presume the Ewood Park faithful were expecting more established world class players.

Raul is certainly a legend of the game and a move from Schalke to Blackburn could have provoked other quality players from some of Europe's finest leagues to make the switch to Ewood Park also.

Now I'm not saying they that the likes of Lionel Messi and Wesley Sneijder will depart their respective clubs for Ewood Park, but Blackburn could attract genuine talent in the future, young and old.

I think it's obvious that if Blackburn are to believe they can bring in top players, the first step for Blackburn is to get their league form back on track as they came within 90 minutes of dropping down to the Championship last season. To make matters worse, they didn't get off to the greatest start this season, losing 2-1 at home to Wolves.

So what do you make of this? Will Blackburn be able to attract players of the caliber of Raul?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Join the Football Team Talk fantasy league on premierleague.com. Although the first week has passed there is no reason you shouldn't make a team and join our league. The winner will receive the jersey of his/her choice and the more participants, the more prizes, so invite your friends. The code you need is: 1209951-306274.

Barcelona And Real Madrid Look To Get One Over On Each Other

Real Madrid face Barcelona tonight in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, Spain's equivalent of the Community Shield. I'm sure Real Madrid will be desperate to prove that this season might be the season that they defeat their fierce rivals in the race for the Primera Liga title.

It will be a difficult task, as Barcelona have only improved and with the arrival of Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal imminent, it will be hard for Spain and Europe's elite to take over from Barcelona as Europe's finest team.

As well as the probable arrival of Fabregas, Barcelona have also purchased in Alexis Sanchez, a player who was chased by many including the likes of Man City and Juventus. It will be interesting to see how they fit into the team, but if they can, the prospect is simply frightening.

With the Nou Camp faithful already in awe of how talented their home side is, the arrival of these two young, talented players will only improve the smile on everyone's face in Catalonia.

Real Madrid have been chasing another widely sought after player in the presence of Neymar. Neymar, who is currently playing with Santos, has been in the transfer gossip section of many papers for months now and a move away from Brazil at some time in the future is simply inevitable.

But they have brought in both Coentrao and Sahin, two very skillful players who will surely add something to the team and with the likes of Ronaldo and Di Maria already at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid should be no pushover for any team, not even the might of Barcelona.

So what do you think? What is your prediction for tonight's game?

I would love to hear any thoughts you may have.

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Controversy Is Barton's Middle Name

After watching Match of the Day and assessing the quality of the opening day of the new Premiership season, I think it's fair to say that it wasn't quite the excitement we were looking forward to. When you find yourself not talking about the game, but instead, the controversy surrounding a player, you know that there was serious quality lacking from quite literally every match.

Joey Barton made all the headlines yesterday and who would have guessed, it was for all the wrong reasons. Sparking anger across the Newcastle board probably wasn't the best way to start the new season as his entertaining tweets didn't impress many associated with Newcastle United.

A year on from the classic match at St. James' Park, its hardly surprising that the same fixture this year couldn't live up to the expectation. Instead of goals galore, we got no goals leading all the talk to be be about one man, Joey Barton.

In two separate incidents, Barton was involved in both, with one ending up with Gervinho getting sent off. The first one, Barton was actually the good guy as his ankle was the victim of a malicious stamp by Alexander Song.

The second incident however, was very different. Gervinho had the ball in the box, got clipped, and fell over. Yes, he did make a meal of it as if he had just got shot but we have all come to terms with the fact that that is just part of the modern game.

Barton, furious with Gervinho's dive, went over and dragged the Ivory Coast international up with disgust. Gervinho stood up for himself, which I'm not sure many players would do when against Barton, and gave him a girly slap to the head. For me both players are in the wrong, and as Wenger said "either both of them should have gone or none of them".

Barton doesn't have the best reputation as it is and this definitely hasn't improved it either. There is no doubt that he is a very talented footballer but he just has to get his act together.

What do you think? Do you agree with the referees decision?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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It's back!

After three months of sitting around all day, we finally have something to look forward to on the weekends. Yes, that's right people, the Premierhship is back. I'm sure like everyone else, I think this definitely has the potential to be the best yet, I know it's said before the kick-off of every season, but I really do.

The title race will be closer than ever as Chelsea, Man City, and for me, Liverpool, will all be in with at least a shout of knocking off Man United of their  pedestal. Unfortunately for Arsenal fans, they simply won't be good enough unless players are brought in over the next 19 days.

Eventually I think Liverpool will fade away from the title race and will be competing with Arsenal and Tottenham for the coveted fourth spot. Like the past two seasons, this is bound to go to the very wire and making a prediction is simply too difficult.

As for the relegation battle, many teams could be involved with less than six points separating numerous clubs for countless weeks. As we saw with Birmingham last season. Poor form heading into the end of the season proved to be very costly. I can't see any of the newly promoted teams being relatively comfortable for the majority of the season. But QPR do have the potential to cause huge upsets.

So I am going to put my neck on the line and say that Man United will win the league and that Wigan, Swansea and Norwich will be packing their bags and heading to the Championship unfortunately.

But I'm curious to see what you think. Who will win the league and who will go down?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Why not join the Football Team Talk fantasy league on premierleague.com. The winner will receive a jersey of his/her choice and the more participants, the more prizes so invite your mates as well. The code you will need is: 1229432-312133 

Finally Fabregas Is A Barca Player

After days, months and years of speculation regarding Cesc Fabregas' future at Arsenal, he is finally going to get the move that he has wished for, a move to his home club, Barcelona. As Fabregas was left out of the Arsenal squad to face Newcastle, it was not only inevitable that Fabregas would make the move to Barcelona, but that it would happen in a matter of days.

It's been driving everyone insane, even many with no association with either club as we heard countless times that Barca were interested in bringing Fabregas back to the Nou Camp.

Arsenal fans have come to terms with the fact  that Fabregas would eventually depart I presume. They are also probably getting used to their top players ditching the club to join Premier league and European rivals.

It also looks imminent that Samir Nasri will be making his way up north as he was left out of the Arsenal squad also and of course we all know that Manchester City have been hot on the heels of the Frenchman all Summer.

So where does this leave Arsenal? For me, should they refuse to reinvest very soon, they will be put in the same group as Liverpool and Tottenham, the teams fighting for fourth spot.

Arsenal fans can argue all they want, but they made fourth last year, and I think it's pretty clear that they haven't improved over the Summer, presuming Nasri and Fabregas do go their seperate ways, so they've taken further steps back in their quest to regain the Premiership title.

But what do you think? Will Arsenal challenge for the league still or will they even struggle to make the top four?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Join the Football Team Talk fantasy league on premierleague.com! The winner will receive a jersey of his/her choice. The more participants, the more prizes. The code you need is: 1229432-312133

Samuel Eto'o To Join Russian League?

Despite speculation of a move to the Premier League before the end of the Summer, it is now apparent that Eto'o has finally decided to move from Italy, but not to the Premiership. Instead, the Cameroon international has his mind set on joining Anzhi.

Unknown to most, or maybe all, Anzhi are situated in Russia and play their football in the Russian Premier League. Anzhi came in with an offer believed to be in and around the region of $30-40 million but talks are still at an early stage and the bid is only being "considered".

With all due respect to Anzhi, a move to the Russian club would surely be fully motivated by the money on offer as I can't see this being a forward step in the career of Samuel Eto'o. Eto'o, 30, is nearing the end of his career but still has a few seasons left in him for me.

Samuel Eto'o was the talk of much speculation as it was rumored that he would be involved in a swap deal with Manchester City's want-away striker Carlos Tevez but nothing seems to have prevailed.

For me, this deal won't go through. I can't see Samuel Eto'o, a man who truly loves his football and who must be already on a hefty enough salary at Internazionale, leaving to play football in the Russian League.

What do you think? Should Eto'o even consider leaving Inter Milan for Anzhi?

I would love to hear your comments?

If you have made a fantasy team on premierleague.com, why not join the Football Team Talk league. FTT League code : 1229432-312133. 

Football Team Talk Fantasy League

We are just days away from the start of the new Premier League season and it promises to be the best yet.

I personally can't wait and still cant decide who will win the league, get 4th spot, go down etc. but it will be interesting to see how it all pans out.

One of the many things football fans do in preparation for the start of the new Premier League season is make a fantasy team. So if you haven't made one yet, I encourage you to do so now. With prizes possibly up for grabs, what's to lose.

Once you make your team, simply click on the "Leagues" tab. Click "Join a league". Choose "Private League" and enter this code: 1229432-312133.


Good Luck!


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Nasri and Sneijder still on the minds of both Manchester clubs

Man United successfully fended off "noisy neighbours" Manchester City to retain the Community Shield. But there is still a lot to sort out between the two, off the field as both clubs are reportedly interested in both Samir Nasri and Wesley Sneijder.

There is less then a week till the start of the very much anticipated new season and teams are likely to want to wrap up any deals as soon as possible. The two most frequent names that pop up when we read the sports section of many papers, are Sneijder and Nasri and if we are to believe everything we read in the papers, both will soon be leaving their respective clubs.

Samir Nasri, who is currently playing his trade at the Emirates is key to Arsenal's plans and with the possibility of Fabregas leaving increasing day by day, it is essential that Arsene Wenger keeps hold of the Frenchman.

For me, he was far and away, the best player that Arsenal had to offer last season and scored some vital goals. Because of his terrific performances, he has been rewarded with being one of the most sought after players in European football and would be a great addition to any club.

As for Sneijder, last season wasn't his best of seasons, especially compared with the season he had in 09/10 as he lead Inter Milan to a Champions League title and Holland to a World Cup final in Johannesburg. But, similiar to Nasri, he is being persued by numerous clubs and it doesn't look like dying down.

Mancini has admitted that the Blue half of Manchester is not strong enough to win the Premier League just yet and has expressed his desire to sign two or so more players as he plans to bring success to the newly named Etihad Stadium.

Man United proved today that they are on course to win their 20th league title but a replacement for Paul Scholes wouldn't hurt. Signing someone like Nasri or Sneijder before the transfer window closes would be ideal.

Who will sign who? Who would be a better signing?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Chelsea May Turn Their Attention To Kaka

Chelsea may give up on their hopes of signing Luka Modric from Tottenham and chase Brazilian playmaker, Kaka. Since the start of the summer it has been widely publicised that Chelsea are adamant that Modric plays his trade at Stamford Bridge next season.

However, Spurs have stood firm and it looks as though they are going to keep their word that Modric will not be going at "any price".

Though Chelsea are used to getting their way in the transfer window, it looks likely that Modric will not be leaving White Hart Lane any time soon. But, it does seem that they are willing to pay big money for a top class midfielder, so why not have a go at landing the signature of Kaka?

After all, Kaka was once the subject of a £107 million offer by Manchester City, so I think it's fair to say he is a talented and pursued footballer. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to live up to the hype ever since joining the revitalised "Galacticos" and a suitable offer may be enough to tempt him away from Madrid.

Chelsea are in need of a midfielder after news came in that Michael Essien sufferred serious ligament damage to his leg. On top of that, Lampard isn't getting any younger and is at a tender age of 33 years. So it seems vital that Chelsea get their hands on a quality midfielder.

Although it has been a disappointing spell at Real Madrid, maybe a move now to Chelsea would be the right option for Kaka but I'm sure all Chelsea fans hope, should he move to Stamford Bridge, his performances are more convincing then the ones of Andriy Shevchenko.

Would Kaka be a better buy than Modric? Would Kaka be a success at Stamford Bridge?

I would love to hear any comments you may have?

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