January is still the craziest time of the year in football. Managers hurling abuse at each other through the media, players handing in transfer requests, ridiculous money being spent, managers adament that their player will not be leaving only to be undermined by their board. Great times. Gerrard Houllier v Steve Bruce. Gerrard Houllier v Ian Holloway. Ian Holloway v Liverpool. Kenny Dalglish saying Babel definitely staying. Ryan Babel sold to Hoffenheim. Harry Redknapp denying Steven Pienaar is joining Spurs. Pienaar joins Spurs. Birmingham suggesting Robbie Keane's wages were too much for them. Keane saying he never spoke to Birmingham about wages. It certainly has been interesting. Throw Andy Gray and Richard Keys and their suspension in there and January has been a tabloid dream.
Without getting embroiled in the battles i'll try and wrap these events up. The Darren Bent deal was brilliant business for both Sunderland and Aston Villa. I said before Christmas that Villa might have the money to buy themselves out of trouble and that looks to be the case. Bent and Makoun are two very good buys and Bent has already won three points for Villa with his goal against Manchester City. If he gets Villa into the top half of the table then he is worth £24 million. Sunderland had ample time to get in another striker; Adebayor, John Carew, Robbie Keane, Kenny Miller, Adam Rooney, Ryan Babel, Diego Forlan were all available at some stage during the window (some still are). Bruce and Quinn need to stop moaning and start signing.
The Ryan Babel situation is strange. Dalglish stated yesterday morning that he was going no where. Yesterday evening he was in Germany having a medical with Hoffenheim. Babel should be sold. He hasn't shown any form since joining Liverpool but i think it shows that the Liverpool manager has no say in transfer dealings. Their pursuit of Charlie Adam, Blackpool's inspirational playmaker, has been nothing short of hilarious (thanks in no small part to Ian Holloway). Apparently Villa and Liverpool have offered around £4 million for Adam. That was rejected by Holloway who called the offer "derisory" before saying that he valued Adam at £46 million. Holloway is an endless source of hilarity for everyone not associated with Blackpool. His rants are priceless. Blackpool fans probably view him differently. Like a drunk dad who won't shut up at a wedding. In fairness, Adam is worth a lot more to Blackpool than he would be to either Villa or Liverpool. He has handed in a transfer request. That was rejected. I think he will leave before the end of january. 8 or 9 million pounds will probably secure him. If he goes to Liverpool, he'll sit on the bench for the rest of the season. I think he should see out the season with Blackpool.
I have no idea what Robbie Keane is doing. He should be actively looking for a club, any club, to buy him. His career has completely stalled. He needs to get out of Spurs now and if that means a move to Turkey or Russia then he should take it. He seems to be too comfortable in London to be bothered but the career of a footballer is a short lived one and his is petering out which would be a dreadful end for Ireland's top goal scorer.
Also, I put my hands up when i'm wrong. I did feel that Blackburn could be relegated with the appointment of Steve Kean as full time manager. I still feel that Kean and his agent back-stabbed Big Sam but Blackburn's acquisition of Roque Santa Cruz was a brilliant stroke and like Bent at Villa, he can fire them up the table. I don't think they'll finish as high as seventh but they might not be too far off it.
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