Did intent break Eduardo’s leg or was it money in the modern game?

No, there was no intent yesterday when Birmingham City defender Martin Taylor horrifically injured Arsenal striker Eduardo Da Silva, but there was a more subtle motivator behind the injury: money. Huh? Yes, money.

Relegation is a death sentence to a club in a top flight league. It was not that way 20 years ago. But today, the gulf in finances between the top leagues and the lower divisions is a chasm. The pressure is intense for clubs like Birmingham, just once place outside the relegation zone, and it causes players to risk the bodies of the opposition in a quest for that little bit extra to bring in a result.

You may say that is the way it should be, that it makes the intense competition that is modern football but I disagree. Over and over again I see so many close calls that it’s amazing these types of injuries don’t happen every week.

Players just aren’t careful enough and although its anti-win-win to suggest you show a bit more caution on the pitch it’s what needs to happen. Week in and week out team sheets are littered with injuries. This can’t continue because modern football now sees a top club stacked with top players who hardly play, why? Because managers need the depth because they know their players will go down injured and need a ready replacement in that event. It’s a shame, because if you want to see more competitive football then have these players playing for 2nd and 3rd tier clubs instead of filling reserve sides for the top 4. Today what we have is overmatched sides struggling for a win and willing to take unwarranted risks to achieve a result.

Sports and opposition are one thing but just like cops need robbers, Arsenal needs Birmingham. And the Premier League needs them both. While it might not be what you want players on your club to do, pulling out of a challenge is what is best for football as a whole.

Manchester City striker on his way

Manchester City and Birmingham City have agreed to a transfer fee for Greek international striker Georgios Samaras. The player is currently negotiating personal terms with Birmingham.

Samaras joined Manchester City for 6m pounds from Dutch side Heerenven FC two January transfer windows back in 2006.

Samaras has had an up and down ride at City since his arrival. He scored six goals last season after an impressive start at the club but, after being given a chance, has been left out of Sven-Goran Eriksson’s plans.

The 22 year old has featured in a total of 65 games for the club scoring 12 goals.Charlton Athletic and Coventry City were interested in a loan deal for Samaras but it appears a permanent deal is on the cards.

Rotating into a downward spiral

How many times have you seen it when a coach decides “right, I’ve got a big squad now, I am going to keep everyone rested” only to see the performances of the team turn stale and the results suffer? Liverpool showed just that against Birmingham City today in a boring game. Last week Benitez rotated players and also drew 0-0 against Portsmouth.

Liverpool went close a few times but it was all very ponderous in the end as Birmingham showed some character to deny Liverpool any space near the box and maintain a disciplined draw. Not the most interesting football but a point away is a point away.

I accused Birmingham of being one of the Premiership’s worst three, I can say I was wrong, they might be one of the most boring three but they showed they are a tough squad.

For Liverpool, Rafael Benitez left Fernando Torres out of the starting line-up again. When he finally came on at the hour mark he looked the best player on the pitch but by that point Birmingham's had already parked their team bus in front of goal.

Ryan Babel was unimpressive, Voronin wayward, Kuyt strong but unfocused and Steven Gerrard struggled to make ends meet with any of them.

Over and over again coaches think they can rotate their way to success. Some rotation is vital but when you have players with the look on their faces like Torres did on the bench, you better think twice. The kid is there to score and looks hungry: let him loose. Play your best 11 and rotate one or two at a time. If Rafael Benitez thinks he can rotate his way to success he’ll look back and see a rested team 15 points adrift.

Premiership’s worst three teams so far this season

The Premiership table aside, the three worst teams in the Premiership so far this season are Derby County, Bolton Wanderers and Birmingham City.

Far and away the worst has been Derby. They are a decent side but don’t seem up to the pace and pressure of the Premiership. When you reach the Premiership, you have to spend. Derby has not spent much and it’s showing. Reading was successful last season without spending the money but they were a different side than Derby, Reading could run and score goals. Derby has a shocking -11 goal difference and has yet to score an away goal this season. To stay up your first season in you absolutely must force some draws and an occasional win away. Derby don’t look capable despite a hard fought first win of the season against Newcastle during the week.

Bolton are lost and in freefall. Bottom of the table, they have completely forgotten how to do the basics. Sammy Lee doesn’t seem capable of holding the squad together and is allowing tactical lapses to continue. When you watch this new version of Bolton, you don’t see that compactness of the Allardyce teams of the past. The players lack discipline and this looks like the end result of bringing in a lot of players with past troubles: when you lose a manager capable of keeping the difficult personalities in check, it works, but Sammy Lee just can’t. Bolton have scored three points, and the only light at the end of their defensive trouble tunnel is at least they can score a few goals.

Birmingham has scored a few points this season but it’s been a lucky 7 points. 12th place could easily be 16th as there are a number of teams tied at that points total. Three of Birmingham’s points came against a weak Bolton side, a result badly needed to survive this season but a result achieved amidst a host of problem. The problem with Birmingham is that they are not terrible in any part of the pitch, but they don’t excel anywhere either. A side like that can only really rely on luck to survive this season.

That shirt

Anyone else notice Birmingham City manager Steve Bruce’s shirt over the weekend against Derby County? Was this all-night-disco-Steve ready to show the ladies what they have been missing or what?

Someone help the man. I couldn’t decide whether he was a pimp or a gigolo, defintely not a football manager. He looked like a guy whose overstayed your wedding –first the jacket goes off, then the tie, then, button by button the shirt creeps downward until folks are sniggering with comments like ‘hey, don’t tell Stevie the party is over…’.

Welcome back!

Hossam Ghaly is on his way back to Tottenham to re-unite with teammate Mido after he was unceremoniously booted out of Birmingham City after a major bust up with manager Steve Bruce.

I don’t ever recall anything like this. Ghaly is also the player that once threw his shirt on the ground at Martin Jol's feet after being substituted.

The transfer was subject to a work permit which technically still made Ghaly a Spurs player. Bruce took advantage of that loophole, and an embarrassed Tottenham issued a statement claiming it was Ghaly’s decision to return to the club.

Apparently Ghaly ridiculed the ability of his new teammates. Bruce confirmed the player demonstrated an unacceptable attitude during training, he received the full backing of the board to boot him out.

The source of the problem was that Ghaly was asked to do extra running in a one-on-one session with a fitness coach since he had not trained regularly lately. Ghaly complained.
Then Bruce received a message from Ghaly’s agent saying he wasn’t happy with the standard of the players. Bruce was quoted as saying:

"I couldn't believe what I was hearing - and I've kept the message on my voicemail”

Then, Ghaly whined about the extra running, Bruce again:

"When he had his one-to-one session with Dan, he was moaning we 'don't do this, don't do that' at Tottenham, it 'wasn't right' and 'ridiculous'. He had a right petted lip on. Yes, strong words were said and he was told in no uncertain terms that if he didn't like it, he should clear off”

And:

"I've had this before with a former captain [Kenny Cunningham] complaining about all sorts and I'm not going to keep fighting things like that. Yes, we train our players hard and we expect them to put the work in.”

What I find hilarious about this guys arrogance is that he was nothing more than a Tottenham reserve and he comes into a new club comparing them. Are you kidding? At least get a first team place before you say anything.

Unfortunately for Tottenham, they are now stuck with a pair of deadweights, and Ghaly, showing what he is all about (basically lazy) is less than likely to attract a new suitor.

His fine moment:

Tottenham fail in pull wool over Birmingham eyes

Birmingham will almost certainly not be signing Egyptian international striker Mido from Tottenham. If I were a Birmingham supporter, I would be breathing a sigh of relief. If I were a Tottenham fan, I would be cursing the alignment of the planets for scuppering a perfectly good plan to dump off a dead weight player to an unsuspecting club.

Actually, you can curse Mido, whose arrogance has no boundaries. His wage demands are beyond Birmingham's budget. No deal unless he lowers his opinion of himself and takes less money.

No such problems signing 25 year old Hossam Ghaly.

Bruce tried to sign Mido on loan, but Tottenham want a permanent deal -Darren Bent being really expensive and all.

When a player like Mido, who has fallen out at every club he has played at, makes unrealistic demands of a newly promoted club, it’s a sign he belongs in the scrap heap.

Birmingham should be thanking Mido for being arrogant and demanding, save them the trouble of the inevitable fall-out with the manager and selling him to some unsuspecting club for 1m at a 5m pound loss.

At this point, if I were Tottenham, I would ship him off on loan.

Average player leaves Tottenham for Birmingham

Birmingham have agreed to pay Tottenham 6m pounds for Egyptian striker Mido. The distinctly average striker has left permanently when a loan deal was expected. Incredibly, Spurs stand to profit on the sale after signing the striker for 4.5m pounds in 2006.

Don’t hold your breath though. Personal terms have yet to be agreed which could easily break the deal. Should he sign, Mido would be Birmingham’s seventh transfer since winning promotion back to the Premier League.

Birmingham should think twice about this. Mido has fallen out of favor at every club he has been with and has a history of bad temperament and falling out with managers.

He started only seven games and made five further appearances as a substitute last season after a promising start at the club. He is now further down the pecking order after the expensive signing of Darren Bent.

For Birmingham this would be a record signing. It could turn out positively, without any competition for a place; Mido could settle and score goals. He has always been capable but hindered but a mighty high opinion of himself. Maybe a dose of reality will get him back on track.

Pair in blue battle it out for bleu

There is a race is on for Juventus midfielder Olivier Kapo with both Steve Bruce at Birmingham City and David Moyes at Everton preparing a bid.

The 26 year old Frenchman is highly regarded in Spain after a season on loan with Levante. Real Betis is trying to sign him and keep him in La Liga next season. It appears that he wants to play in the Premiership though which leaves Everton and Birmingham poised.

The former Auxerre player is owned by Juventus where he has been given very little chance. He’s had a rocky few seasons until the loan spell saw him re-emerge as a viable player for larger clubs. Kapo said he would not consider staying at Levante.

Juventus’s price tag for Kapo is 2m pounds, a fee well within the reach of both Premiership contenders. You can see him in action here scoring against Deportivo De La Coruna:

Birmingham rejected for now

West Ham have rejected a 3m pound offer from Birmingham for striker Marlon Harewood.

The 27-year-old striker has been told he can leave the club but West Ham are waiting on a better bid, near 5m pounds. Harewood joined West Ham in 2003 from Nottingham Forest and was instrumental in their 2005 promotion campaign racking up 22 goals. Year before last Harewood scored 16 goals but had a let down season as did many Hammer last term with only 4 goals.

While Birmingham has been first to the table with cash in hand, Blues do come in with a renewed offer it is likely they will face competition from Charlton who are losing Darren Bent and Fulham needing help just about everywhere. A reunion with Alan Pardew would seem on the cards but to step down to the Championship when a move to a club in the Premiership looms would make it unlikely.

Harewood, I’m sure, would like to stay in the top flight and could get intransigent if he wanted, but so far he’s been relaxed about it:

"I just can't wait to be scoring again and winning games for a team, that's what I want to be doing."

The Blues have already had a bid recently rejected for West Brom's Diomansy Kamara but succeed in signing Middlesbrough defender Stuart Parnaby and a permanent deal for Arsenal midfielder Fabrice Muamba.