Joey Barton scored and was then sent off as QPR slipped to their fifth defeat at Loftus Road this season against Norwich who moved back into the top half.
After giving the R’s an 11th minute lead Barton then saw red following a confrontation with Zak Whitbread and Bradley Johnson with the Canaries taking full advantage of their numerical advantage equalised just before half time time through Anthony Pilkington. Despite being a man down the home side more than held their own after the break but couldn’t hold on as Steve Morison secured victory for Paul Lambert’s side with seven minutes to go. It was a cruel blow to Neil Warnock who had hoped to guide Ranger’s away from the relegation zone after a poor run of eight games without a win saw them plummet to fourth bottom in the Premier League.
They got themselves off to the best possible start when Barton fired low past John Ruddy after some slick link up play between Clint Hill and Alejandro Faurlin on the left. That seemed to settle the home side who looked nervous in the opening stages and they controlled the game up until Barton saw red on 35 minutes after tangling with Whitbread and Johnson in the centre circle with referee Neil Swarbrick indicating the Rangers skipper had used his head in a threatening manner. That offered Norwich a route back into the game that the grabbed with both hands as Pilkington striking a precise left footed effort past Paddy Kenny to equalise just seven minutes after Barton’s dismissal. Despite having an extra man the visitors struggled to make their advantage count after the break with the R’s putting in a stubborn second half display.
Shaun Wright-Phillips’ introduction proved to be a shrewd one by Warnock with the diminutive winger’s pace causing Norwich numerous problems along with testing Ruddy with a low strike. New loan signing Federico Macheda was then introduced with 10 minutes to go as the home side sought a winner and the young Italian could have had a debut goal but was thwarted byRuddy who stole in to pluck a Wright-Phillips cross out of the air. The away side had failed to trouble Kenny during the second period but the keeper was picking the ball out of his net seven minutes from time after Morison beat him with a sweeping effort to ensure Norwich started 2012 off in the best possible manner.
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Liverpool defender Jose Enrique has stated that the club threaten to lose their battle for a top four finish due to their faltering home form.
The Reds have dropped points unexpectedly at Anfield this season, with the latest disappointment a 0-0 draw with Stoke on Saturday.
The Spanish full back is hoping for improvement in performances on Merseyside, otherwise they will not feature in the Champions League once more next term.
“We lost two points again. We have to improve our home form because we have lost too many points at Anfield this season,” the left back told Mirror Football.
“It has been a similar story all season at home. It is frustrating because we are creating chances, but not taking them.
“I don’t think Stoke deserved a point. We had all of the ball, especially in the second half, and created two or three really good chances, but we just couldn’t score.
“We just have to stay positive. I think, maybe the Swansea game aside, we have deserved to win the other games we have drawn at home.
“If we start to take our chances, we can be in the top four. But if we don’t, then we will make it more difficult for ourselves,” he admitted.
Kenny Dalglish’s men travel to take on Bolton at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday, and the Spaniard is looking to get back to winning ways.
“I think it’s good we have a break now so we can prepare for Bolton.
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“Away from home at the moment we are getting better results than at home so hopefully we can get the three points next Saturday,” he concluded.
Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has apologised to the fan that he had an altercation with after the recent defeat to Swansea, stating that he just wants the supporters to get behind the team.
Arsene Wenger’s men were beaten 3-2 at The Liberty Stadium on Sunday, and after the game the French forward led The Gunners players in applauding the travelling supporters.
However, Henry confronted one specific follower who was deemed to be abusing the players; he now regrets the incident.
“I was really shocked and disappointed on Sunday – and not just at the result,” Henry told The Sun.
“After the final whistle of a very tricky game, I insisted the whole team go and applaud the Arsenal supporters.
“When I arrived in front of our own fans, I couldn’t understand the abuse the team were getting from one of them.
“I wanted to tell the fan in question that we need their support not abuse. The sentiment was right but in hindsight could have been better expressed.
“So I would like to first and foremost apologise for using inappropriate language to that particular ‘supporter’.
“I didn’t intend to be malicious or threatening and I am aware that it could have been said in a calmer manner.
“We have had great moments at this club but we are all in this together. We need your support in the good times but more importantly the bad.
“Let’s get behind the team against Manchester United on Sunday and try to get three points to get the season back on track,” he concluded.
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Birmingham City manager Chris Hughton has stated that he is not interested in the vacant managerial post at Wolves, despite media speculation.
Hughton has been touted as a potential replacement for Mick McCarthy, but he has ruled himself out of the running due to his commitments at St Andrews.
“Anything like that is always very flattering,” he admitted to the Birmingham Mail.
“On the television I saw three names mentioned, so I presume that’s where it’s going and I just hope they pick the right person.
“I have a very challenging job to do here and I’ve got a group of lads who are desperate to do well this season and I’m desperate to guide them through.
“I’m desperate to guide this group of players out to the end, yes,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Alan Curbishley’s agent has confirmed that Wolves have approached his client and that an interview was forthcoming in the near future.
“They (Wolves) have said themselves they have invited him to see them,” Phil Smith is reported to have said in Mirror Football.
“That is what he will do and then we’ll see because I believe there is Alan, Steve Bruce, Neil Warnock and whoever else in the frame.
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“I’m not going to go into when it (the interview) is going to happen, other than to say it’s imminent,” he admitted.
At first they were almost a novelty. Foreign players in the top flight were deemed a little out of place, unlikely to fit in with the English game and were not expected to last. Before too long, however, the merry band of eleven overseas imports that began the inaugural weekend of the Premier League back in 1992 began to grow and before long captured the public imagination.
Witness Jurgen Klinsmann’s goal celebration and Eric Cantona’s collar – school kids all over the country took to these foreign stars in the way they would in future years with ‘Pokemon’ and ‘Gogos’. These stars were a fascinating commodity.
I’d earmark the transfer of Dennis Bergkamp as a tipping point for the widespread introduction of the overseas player. Whereas Cantona and Klinsmann were both in English football to re-ignite floundering careers, the Dutchman’s move to Highbury was a case of a genuine world class player moving into English football when other top leagues were available.
But since the major influx sparked by the moves made by Bergkamp and Middlesbrough’s Juninho, what has been the impact on football in this country?
Diving, club disloyalty, badge kissing, exorbitant wages and ridiculous fashion accessories are some of the clichéd suggestions when the foreign legion is mentioned in relation to the Premier League.
It would be ludicrous to suggest that foreign imports have only had a negative impact on English football, so why are we so slow to laud the incredible product their introduction has created?
The world of football has moved on dramatically from the days of Michel Vonk and Tony Dorigo, and whilst we have every right as fans to be cynical about the role of the ever-deepening sea of imported players, there can be no doubt that the quality and intensity they have brought with them is remarkable.
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Does the influx of non-English footballers hinder our national team? Several key media figures have in the past bemoaned the lack of opportunities afforded England’s brightest and best, but is this a fair reflection?
Was the English national team in a better position when the top flight was filled with home grown players in 1992 than it is now, with only a handful making it into each Premier League squad?
There most certainly is blame to be apportioned towards various bodies within English football for the consistent under-achievement on the world stage, but I have always found attaching so much flack to the transfer policies of Premier League clubs as simplistic and inaccurate.
The Bosman ruling, mixed with an expanded Champions League format and relaxed EU regulations on worker freedom of movement has meant that player fluidity has exploded in the last fifteen years. Combine this with the financial spending power of sides like Chelsea and Manchester City, and the rise in overseas talent arriving on these shores is inevitable.
Arguably, however, the higher number of foreign managers has had an even greater impact on the division than most of the players. Love them or hate them the roles of Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho in crafting the tapestry of the league over the last 15 years has been absolutely huge.
Wenger, in particular was instrumental in bringing a higher level of professionalism to the game, improving player’s diets, ending the drinking culture at Arsenal, and securing a domestic double within two years of arriving at Highbury.
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From there, and with Manchester United also setting a bar of professionalism and excellence, the rest of the division has been forced to raise their game or risk being left behind.
But what is the legacy of this prolonged period of influx, and can it continue? The need for continued financing of bigger contracts and larger transfer fees has, everyone knows, forced several clubs into financial ruin. UEFA and FIFA are trying to push clubs towards more responsible spending and use of home grown talent. This is all well and good, but as Chelsea have shown, you can attempt to streamline and taper off spending on expensive players, but if results are not coming, there is, if you can locate the finances, only one option.
The King is dead. Long live the King. As we pour over in great detail about the myriad of reasons behind Barcelona’s Champions League exit at the hands of Chelsea, one thing has become abundantly clear – they lack a plan B. So is this the end of the Barcelona as we know it? Or is it simply just the dawning of a new era?
Barcelona have been a complete powerhouse in terms of both domination, success and substance the past three years, but as the excellent Jonathan Wilson recently pointed out, even the very best teams of their eras only tend to rule in three-year cycles. Barcelona have fallen foul of this one golden rule, a truism which lasts the ages.
So where has it all gone wrong this season for Barcelona? The league chase, and it was for the most part it was a chase, was undone by some indifferent away form earlier on in the season which immediately put them on the back foot. Most have pointed out the fact that Barca had their least intensive pre-season in recent memory this summer too, as they whored themselves around the US. By choosing to place commercial interests before footballing ones, they’ve ultimately paid the price as the season has entered its final and most crucial phase and they looked decidedly not only shorn of ideas against both Chelsea and Real Madrid, but of puff also.
Moving onto the pitch, this season has seen manager Pep Guardiola experiment with his tried and tested 4-3-3 formation and over recent months, in the big games in particular, has come to rely on a 3-4-3 formation, with Mascherano dropping back into a centre-back role and Alexis Sanchez leading the line with Lionel Messi dropping off him as a false nine, breaking from deep.
This change has hit Barcelona hard in two ways. Firstly, they’ve lost a lot of fluidity and pace to their passing game. Far too often now, they’ve struggled against lowlier opposition which have been willing to sit back and soak up pressure. They’ve struggled to carve open teams on the break with the regularity that they used to. In short, they’re simply not moving the ball as quickly now.
Secondly, the change in formation now means that they lack a focal point to their attack. I still maintain that the best Barcelona side, collectively, that I have seen is the 2008/9 vintage, with Samuel Eto’o leading the line from the front. It offered them a different, more direct dimension to their game and they always had a ‘get-out’ ball if they needed to chase a result.
The 3-4-3 formation has worked in patches, but it heaps far too much creative responsibility onto Lionel Messi, who has, to put it politely, carried this team for months now, so his lacklustre displays in the recent run of fixtures is somewhat understandable.
The formation works on the understanding that goals come from a number of different positions, but at key junctures in the season, aside from Messi, Alexis Sanchez and at a stretch, Xavi, few others have stepped up to the plate and played their part.
Pedro for instance, an integral cog in the Barcelona machine these part two years or so has just three league goals this season compared to 13 in 10/11 and 12 in 09/10. David Villa managed to bag 18 goals last term, but has just five in the league this campaign, after being ruled out for the remainder of the season with a broken leg in December. Andres Iniesta struck eight times last season but has scored just twice this year and while Cesc Fabregas has contributed nine goals in the league, he has faded terribly since the turn of the year as he gets to grips with a more tactical, patient approach to the game at his new/old club.
A lot of emphasis in the aftermath of the two results against Chelsea has been placed on the absence of Villa, perhaps too much in my eyes. Whether Guardiola would have pursued with the 3-4-3 so vigorously had the Spanish international not been ruled out through injury for the rest of the season, we will never know, but to say certain results this season would have been different had he been present is a lesson in futility if ever there was one.
Lest we forget, before we conveniently gloss over the facts in the pursuit of an excuse, Villa was starting to be marginalised to an extent prior to his injury. Rumours of a bust-up with both Guardiola and Messi refused to go away and he simply wasn’t the nailed on starter he’d been the previous season.
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What Barcelona do unquestionably miss in his absence, though, is that directness. Villa is not on a par with Eto’o in that regard, but he has not been raised and indoctrinated into the Barca way, and as such, he isn’t afraid to have a pop from outside the box from time to time. Against Chelsea, aswell as the fluidity and pace to their play that was missing, Barcelona could also often been found guilty of trying to pass the ball into the net, which is somewhat reminiscent of Arsenal a few years back. In essence, they gave into the worst excesses of tiki-taka; passing for passing’s sake, with no penetration in sight.
That is not to say that this Barcelona side is beyond repair, far from it. They are still quite simply a juggernaut of European football, but they’ve been overworked and fell short of their best form at a crucial time in the season. However, the club require at least two significant signings in the summer, for the current squad is unbalanced in key areas.
The story that the club have prioritised Gareth Bale as the club’s top transfer target in the summer is both intriguing and wholly understandable. Bale’s directness and pace could add something extra to the side as they seek a long-term replacement for Eric Abidal, although I would argue that they require reinforcements elsewhere first.
Carles Puyol has creaked terribly these last few months, and while the thought of the club purchasing a recognised and specialised centre-back may be nothing short of blasphemous, Thiago Silva and Nicolas N’Koulou have been mooted as targets for a reason and to put it quite frankly, they need to add some height and strength to their side, particularly at the back. Guardiola has been short of cover at the back ever since he was forced to sell Dmytro Chygrynskiy back to Shakhtar Donetsk at a huge loss to help pay off some of the club’s sizeable debt in 2010 and it’s an area that requires addressing.
Up front too, they require an out-and-out centre forward of genuine class, but one that’s prepared not to be involved every game of the season. Both Fernando Llorente and Edinson Cavani would fit into Barca’s pressing style off the ball, much more so than Zlatan Ibrahmovic did and the clinical but lazy Falcao ever could. The sight of Seydou Keita coming on as a make-shift striker in the closing stages against Chelsea tells you that Guardiola is probably as aware as anyone of his team’s shortcomings in this area now.
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Prophecies of their demise have been laughably premature. The pedestal that we all placed them on has almost gleefully been knocked out from underneath them by some with proclomations that Barcelona were never really that good after all, that it was all the Emperor’s New Clothes and that they’d all seen this day coming a mile off. It’s all complete and utter poppycock of course, but that won’t stop the hypocrisy of some.
Barcelona are still the team of our times, after all, Jose Mourinho isn’t known to deal in prolonged spells of brilliance, rather short staccato-like periods of all out Blitzkrieg. Perhaps Guardiola tampered and tinkered with something which didn’t need fixing all that much in the first place in the pursuit of more flexibility, but the fact that this Barcelona side is constantly evolving is a positive thing rather than a stick that can be used to beat it with. The Barcelona you see this season is not the same as last season, and it most certainly won’t be the same as next year. A terrifying prospect.
Nevertheless, with a couple of key signings in central positions next season, Barcelona will still be somewhere close to the force that we’ve all come to recognise, and losing out on retaining both the league and Champions League titles inside a week will have hurt them dreadfully. They now have the hunger back, something to aim for and they are no longer the ones people are looking to knock down and depose, they are the leaders of the chasing pack, and that is an ominous thought for Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid before he even contemplates resting on his laurels in the summer, content that the last Clasico helped deliver a knockout blow.
Fulham are believed to be on the verge of completing the signing of Heerenveen duo Luciano Narsingh and Oussama Assaidi, according to The Sun.
The highly-rated pair have impressed for the Eredivisie club this term, and were thought to be at Craven Cottage yesterday sealing the final terms on five-year contracts.
Martin Jol has an inside knowledge of football in his homeland, and is ready to splash £10 million on the pair for next season.
Narsingh is believed to be the brighter prospect of the two, and yesterday was included in Holland’s preliminary squad for Euro 2012.
Assaidi meanwhile is a Morocco international and has great pace and precision when crossing.
The signings, if they are confirmed, will be a major coup for the London club, as Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Anzhi Makhachkala, Newcastle and Everton were all believed to be keeping tabs on the talented pair.
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It appears that the omens are against Manchester United as they head into the final day of the season still grappling with rivals City for the Premier League title. The last time their noisy neighbours won a top division championship was back in 1968. Eerily both sides were level on points and United needed to beat Sunderland in their last game to clinch the trophy only to lose and hand it to City. Surely lightning can’t strike twice, can it? Sir Alex Ferguson will certainly hope it doesn’t as aims to add a 20th championship to his Old Trafford collection but is aware that the Red Devil’s fate rests in the hands of a former player. Ferguson will be willing Mark Hughes’ QPR to take points away from City and leave the door open for United to sneak in grasp the trophy under the nose of Roberto Mancini. The 70-year-old will be urging his players to give it their all in the North East and go down fighting with pride should their efforts prove to be in vain.
This week on FFC does Ferguson need flex United’s financial muscle to stay competitive with City and who is the Old Trafford chief targeting with a £10 million bid?
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Best of FFC
Why Fergie needs them to go that extra mile in the transfer market
The last chance saloon for big transfer spending?
The TEN ‘La Liga gems’ that Premier League clubs should take a punt on
Should Rooney have been given the nod?
When Did Play-acting Become Fashionable in football?
Manchester United looking to snatch north London target
Arsenal looking to pip United with £5m move
United ready to test the water with £10m bid
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Best of WEB
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The £57 Million United NEED To Spend This Summer – Red Flag Flying High
One Of The First Areas Sir Alex Will Have To Sort This Summer – The Busby Way
Fergie loses sight of financial reality… and title – United Rant
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Death, Taxes & Manchester City: Five Things United Need To Do – Red Flag Flying High
“He’s worked very hard over the last couple of years to develop his talent.” – The Busby Way
Why The Time Is Right For Leighton Baines To Make A Move – Transfer Tavern
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Quote of the Week
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“Do you know what I was doing 29 years ago today ? I took a wee team called Aberdeen to beat Real Madrid in a European final.”That’s QPR’s challenge – to do an Aberdeen. Of course the odds are stacked against them. City are in good form and are at home, but it won’t be easy for them because the pressure is on.“On the face of it, though, you expect City to win and so do I. But as long as human beings are human beings you never know. You hope something stupid happens.” Sir Alex Ferguson hopes QPR can ‘do an Aberdeen’ and beat Manchester City on Sunday to hand United the title
With Euro 2012 fast approaching, attention shifts toward the latest prestigious tournament to grace International football. As it stands there is a major competition every two years but the qualifying campaigns for both the UEFA European Championships and the FIFA World Cup have become dreary and predicable.Given the World Cup allows a select number of Europe’s finest to compete alongside others from Africa, South America, Asia and Oceania, surely the most appropriate format for the Euros would be to allow every region of Europe to be represented in the same way?Currently the top ranked nations are rarely drawn together because UEFA seeds qualification to ensure the better teams are present for its summer showpiece. Occasionally two end up together, as is allowed, but they still compete against other lesser nations and usually qualify through a fairly uncompetitive group.It’s time UEFA revamped the Euros to create a regional qualifying campaign that would not only freshen up the current format but also mean every region from Great Britain to Eastern Europe is represented. Some nations may differ but in theory it would look something like this:[divider]ABCDEFGHEnglandSwedenGermanyItalyRussiaBosnia HerzegovinaTurkeySpainFranceDenmarkNetherlandsCzech RepublicUkraineRomaniaGreecePortugalRepublic of IrelandNorwayBelgiumCroatiaBelarusSerbiaBulgariaSwitzerlandNorthern IrelandFinlandPolandSlovakiaLatviaMontenegroIsraelAustriaScotlandFaroe IslandsLithuaniaSloveniaKazakhstanHungaryCyprusLiechtensteinWalesIcelandLuxembourgMaltaGeorgiaAlbaniaFYR MacedoniaAndorraEstoniaSan MarinoAzerbaijanMoldovaArmenia
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Already fans can see a number of potentially eye catching fixtures but there are other positives to come from this new set up. For starters, it would limit the amount of tedious fixtures like Wales v Georgia or Scotland v Kazakhstan to every four years (only during FIFA World Cup qualifying) and in the meantime allow for more appealing matches like Wales v Scotland and Georgia v Kazakhstan which would promote local interest. This trend would be echoed across Europe as matches like Spain v Portugal and Germany v Netherlands would become more regular and fans wouldn’t have to travel as far leading to cheaper journeys for supporters. Not only would spectators be more encouraged to travel but top players may be more inclined to shake off injuries and play in the more significant fixtures rather than save themselves for domestic action. Finally less travel leads to a greener Europe which is perhaps not the be all and end all but still means fans Carbon foot print is decreased by fewer long haul flights, trains, ferries etc.
So lots of positives but naturally there are concerns as well. More frequent derby style fixtures could lead to heightened security fears and an increase in hooliganism, especially if political rivalries are reignited which could overshadow the football. Further, if a new setup was implemented then these problems would return every four years but considering it’s possible for situations like this to occur regardless of design, it shouldn’t be used as a definitive reason not to refresh the format. After all Armenia and Azerbaijan were drawn together for the Euro 2004 campaign but found a suitable resolution and not every match will require a neutral stadium to avoid conflict. The risk of increased hooliganism was one of the reasons Britain’s Home Nations matches were abandoned nearly 30 years ago but authorities are now better equipped to deal with modern day violence, especially high profile International matches. One theoretical concern is while only a handful of Scotland fans might travel to Kazakhstan, many more Russia fans would cross the border for the same fixture so while it would lead to greater attendances it may also intensify of the risk of crowd trouble. Still if more fans choose to travel the shorter journey, the increase in attendances and therefore matchday income far outweighs any potential violence that can ultimately be policed.
Clearly there would be a few kinks to iron out but controversial fixtures are already a possibility with the current system. Given the need for more excitement in International football, a new format would bring about an era of competitive rivalries and national pride that would add spice to an often tedious campaign. Bearing in mind the appeal such a renovation would offer fans across Europe, it seems strange UEFA would persist with a format that repeats itself every two years. A new layout may not stop the best nations qualifying but it would excite fans, fill stadiums and draw more attention to lesser known fixtures. Anyone missing the old regime could still take pleasure in World Cup qualifiers while the rest of Europe enjoy their very own ‘Home Nations’.
Since the current format is lacklustre and repetitive, surely UEFA must revamp the qualifiers otherwise more and more fans will lose patience with International football.
Should UEFA change the qualification system for Euro 2016? Would a Home Nations format improve International football? Do you agree with the selections or would you place certain nations in different groups?
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In February of this year a little known Brazilian, this side of the Atlantic Ocean anyway, travelled to London for a three month stay with Tottenham Hotspur. The player was Sao Paulo’s Bruno Uvini. But after three months training and playing among the reserves the Spurs staff deemed him unworthy of a move to White Hart Lane. He know seems set to join Serie A side Lazio after taking part in the Olympics with Brazil this summer, so did Spurs miss a trick?
Uvini was captain of the Brazil Under-20 side that won the World Cup last summer, alongside another Tottenham target in Oscar who scored a hat-trick in the final. But preceding that he also won the prestigious Brazilian youth tournament the Copa Sao Paulo with Sao Paulo’s youth team and the 2011 South American Youth Championship with Brazil. Despite his lack of senior football, Uvini is already a well-decorated player.
The 21-year-old has now been selected in the Brazil team to take part in the Olympic games, adding to his international reputation. Mano Menezes decision to forego an extra centre-back in David Luiz and instead pick Hulk suggests he has enough confidence in Uvini to fill in should either Thiago Silva or Juan Jesus succumb to injury. Yet when that decision was forced on Menezes in last month’s friendly against Argentina, Uvini had a torrid time up against Lionel Messi. The Barcelona superstar made a fool of both central defenders as he netted a hat-trick in a thrilling 4-3 win for Alejandro Sabella’s side.
But it is unfair to judge a player on their first performance against the best in the world, arguably the best ever. He could not get anywhere near Messi but his positioning and his defending from set pieces also showed areas that need vast improvements. There was too much space alongside his fellow inexperienced centre-back Juan Jesus that Argentina exploited, yet Juan looked more assured when coupled with Thiago Silva previously.
However, it must be noted that Uvini has hardly played at senior level for Sao Paulo. Indeed, that is the key motivation behind his decision to leave the club. The 21-year-old made just six appearances in the Brasileiro last season with only one of those coming as a start. But his performances at youth level alone look to have been enough to guarantee him the big European move that he was hoping for with Tottenham.
Once his Olympic duties are completed he is expected to join Lazio where he will compete with Modibo Diakite, Giuseppe Biava and Andre Dias for a role in defence. Whether he will be able to secure one of those roles remains to be seen. He is relatively untested at senior club level and there must be have been a reason if he could not get into the team ahead of players such as Joao Filipe or Paulo Miranda at Sao Paulo in a country where young players are notoriously given greater levels of responsibility.
Despite what would have been a minimal transfer fee to acquire Uvini, no matter what the outcome Spurs fans should not concern themselves with what could have been. Three months of seeing a player day in, day out should be enough to judge whether he is up to the quality of competing for the team. Uvini would have been playing alongside a host of defenders already on the books and at the trivial transfer fee that would have cost just over £3m it seems he was not considered worth a punt.
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If he finds first team football hard to come by, which seems very likely with the immediate jump to Serie A, then his career will risk never taking off. European clubs have a tendency to take an interest in the players that are unproven in the Brazilian league, opting to gamble on prospective talent due to them being a few years younger. Though Spurs do need to strengthen in central defence, at that time the club were right to forego his signature