Uncertainty about snow, combined with an abundance of budget and last minute travel options and increasing willingness to accommodate the flexibility required by today’s skier, have triggered a big rise in self-arranged (DIY) winter sports holidays. During the 2006/2007 ski season, 356,000 people went skiing from the UK using budget carriers, up 54 per cent in five years.

Most of the skiers and boarders arriving by budget transfer required a ski resort transfer. Most of them will have booked a ski transfer in advance with on of the many local ski transfer companies advertising on the Internet. Booking a ski transfer in advance allow you to start you holiday without the stress of getting to the bus stations and high taxi fares.

Access to low cost flights and ski accommodation is becoming ever easier on the Internet. Ski resort transfers are still the missing piece in the jigsaw. Ski holiday booked through operators, although often inexpensive can lack the flexibility you need but provide a door-to-door ski transfer service to your chosen ski resort. Arriving late at an airport in a cold winter night not having organised any ski transfer to ski resort is not everyone’s cup of tea.

It is also possible to get to most ski resorts by bus or taxi instead of a private ski transfer. But for groups of 3 or more it is often best to arrange a ski transfer from the airport in advance with one of the local ski transfer operators. Ski resort transfer, although convenient can be expensive and prices can vary enormously. There is little price transparency when comparing different ski transfer offers. Also be careful as there are shared and private ski transfers on offer.

Using a ski transfer finder, a consolidation website or a ski transfer bidding engine can be a win-win for both ski transfer customers and ski transfer operators. All private ski transfer operators arrange airport and resort transfers specific to your requests. This often leads to private airport- and resort transfers with drop-offs without a pick-up or pick-ups without a drop-off. Ski transfer operators often drive empty to or from the airport for your specific ski transfer request.

Ski transfer finder, the website allows operator to see all inquiries and maximise their fleet load. This allows ski transfer operators to offer lower ski transfer rates, which helps you if you have a small budget. Fully loaded ski transfer vans from and to the airport and ski resort as often as possible also help the environment. DIY ski holidays will get you the flexibility you need. Looking in advance for a low cost ski transfers will provide you the missing link between low budget airlines and self-catering ski accommodation. Make your ski holiday work.

This whole RVP thing has turned into quite a storm my friends.  Just as the Arsenal were beginning to get the engine in gear, just when us we all began to believe the team was just one step away from taking the big step, RVP is out for the season.  But all is not lost.  Knowing that RVP is out for the season now is actually a blessing. 

I don’t mean to sound callus.  RVP has been inspirational the last two months and a team leader.  But losing him now allows the team to shift gears.  We know RVP is not coming back, so no more crying.  Yes of course it creates an opportunity for another player, (side glance at Vela), but this injury forces Arsene and company to act.  Buying players just to buy is ridiculous, but injuries have changed the equation.  Luckily we have time to plan this year before the transfer window closes.

Plenty of speculation will swirl around during the coming transfer storm.  Names that fell out of favor may come rushing back in (Huntelaar, Van der Vaart, Carlton Cole, that German kid or Remy).  But perhaps more important, this transfer window is building up to be what the summer was not.  A potential rush of new faces and blood into the club.  Besides a forward, Arsene must look at the left-back position and a new DM type of midfielder (for when Song leaves). Given the significant roles Arsene might be looking to fill I don’t expect any big name signings.

If recent history is any guide, Arsene is not afraid to pull the trigger on a big money trade at the right price for the right player (Nasri, Arshavin and V2000).  But the injuries during this term are asking for an injection of quantity to see us through the campaign.  This means less of a focus on adding the one veteran signing (Arshavin) and more about grabbing bodies that fill holes. Because of the sheer quantity of players he might need to bring in though, Arsene will be forced to buy cheaper.

Cheap buys on the players market is nothing new to Arsenal fans, but it does mean a sharp change in direction away from many of the past rumors.  Chamakh and Matuidi are likely out since both teams have placed high valuations on them.  This means the stock of someone like Clement Chantome is going up. This also applies to the likes of Huntelaar, unless Arsene can grab him on a deal, which is unlikely.  Cole presents an interesting possibility, but the English premium on his price might push him out of contention, especially since Bendtner will return.

Oddly enough, the story this January might revolve around Arsenal and Real Madrid.  Madrid has three players that might slot in well at the Arsenal; most importantly, all would likely be happy for the move.

The first is a player discussed during the summer transfer rage, Rafael van der Vaart.  Although he’s an attacking midfielder, he’s comfortable playing up front in a role RVP used to play.  So he’s a possibility if we’re looking for a 1-to-1 replacement.  He doesn’t play the exact same game as Arsene asked from RVP, but he has the ability to play that role.  Not to mention, since he enjoys being the center of the attack the position might work well for him.  He’s also the right age to quickly slot right in, 26-ish.  That being said, whether he might clash with Fab is a serious question.

Another player is a defensive midfielder, Gago.  The Argentine is not happy at his lack of playing time, has plenty of class and Madrid would likely sell him for a discount.He was only purchased for around 10 million euros in the package deal that brought him to Madrid, which means he can be sold for around £5m without much of an issue.  Gago would appear to fit in well with Arsene’s past chase of Alsonso. His game might clash a little with Baby Face Denilson, but that might be okay, since he can provide a three-party rotation when Song does return.  The question is whether he can help give Song a break of if we would still need a physical DM to back up Song.  The reserves might provide a Song backup so we’ll see.  All in all, he should mesh well with Fab and I would be least surprised to see him don the kit.

Finally, the third player is Drenthe.  Another Dutch national team member, he can play left midfield or left back position, he’s young and has ridiculous pace. Granted, Drenthe is a bit of a long-shot.  We don’t necessarily need him, but he might be too much talent to pass up at the right price.  I suspect he’ll move to the Italian league, honestly, but a quick strike to pick up a player of his quality is interesting.  Perhaps most important, his game does not clash with anyone on the field.

The problem with all of the players is that Arsene always goes that additional step: he looks at the man and personality.  This is great for the fans, it means we can truly support and love our players, but it also creates one more hurdle for a talented player to join us.  And after the Ade fiasco, I suspect Arsene is even more focused on the quality of the player.  Both Van der Vaart and Gago are unknown quantities in this regard.  Although rumors of Van der Vaart having a bad attitude exist.  And Drenthe has a pretty bad reputation that might immediately put Arsene off.

Regardless, this transfer window is sizing up to be exciting and I’m searching the Ligue 1 games like a groupie.  Teams know we’re somewhat desperate, but there is plenty of quality out there.  With chel$ki and manfool fighting over big name signings, I’m looking for Arsene to pull off three more Vermaelen signings and we shock the world.  That being said, I suspect we won’t know anything about the players we do sign and all of us will be scouring the web for any bit of information once the signings start to roll in.

the student

Nå i dødtida fram mot sykkelsesongen 2010 gjelder det å holde seg orientert om hvilke lag pro tour-syklistene sykler for, og hvordan laga bygger seg opp til en ny sesong. Til hjelpemiddel da har vi feltet.dk, med stadige oppdateringer, og evig aktuelle cgranking.

Først og fremst må vi holde oversikt over laga. To lag innstiller; Agritubel og Barloworld. Men til gjengjeld oppstår to hyperinteressante lag; Team Radio Shack, og Team Sky. Og et lag ruster seg opp ganske formidabelt; BMC Racing. Beware! Merk også at et lag som Astana blir helt anderledes  i 2010 enn i år. Det er vel det viktigste.

Her skal du få flere detaljer om overganger, og Tuvoms uformelle vurdering av åssen laga blir seende ut, og hvilke sjanser de store rytterne har i 2010. Dette er så omfattende stoff, at det blir mange poster av det!

Dette er laga med ProTour-Lisens fra UCI pr i dag:

(Kilde er pressemelding fra UCI 20.nov 2009) 

Da tar vi først for oss BMC Racing, siden vi ikke har hørt så mye om det laget, og dette laget blir å rekne med! Her er sykkeldrakta (Blir det lett forveksle med Cervelo?);

Kongen og kapteinen på laget blir uomtvistelig Cadel Evans. Ny på laget, etter ovegang fra Silence-Lotto. (Laget heter nå OmegaPharma-Lotto.) Neste år sykler han imedregnbueringer på trøya, etter at han ble verdensmester i Mendrisio i år. Det blir nok stas. Ellers er han ikke kjent for å være den mest medgjørlige personen i sykkelverden.

Men jeg liker han. Evans er smertens yppersteprest i feltet. Ingen lider så synlig som han. Og det var godt å se en menneskelig, gråtende Evans på seierspallen i Mendrisio.

Ingen hadde ventet denne seieren, for Evans har først og fremst vært sammenlagtrytter. Styrken er på tempo. I bakkene er han en seig dieselmotor.

Han har vel hatt mye stang ut i de store 3-ukers-ritta. Men du verden; han har to andreplasser i Tour de France, og en tredjeplass i Vuelta Espana.

Fra Lampre kommer Alessandro Ballan, verdensmesteren fra 2008. I år har han hatt en krøkkete sesong, med mye sjukdom i vår. Men han blir god i en-dagersritta til vårs. Han stilte  både på TDF og Vueltaen  i 2009. Det er nesten misbruk av en slik syklist.

George Hincepie kommer fra Team High Road. God på tempo, og  en god hjelperytter.  Big George har vært med på det meste. Ambisjonen hans nå er å bli “verdens beste hjelperytter”! Og det er han kanskje (Jeg holder Kim Kirchen i samme klassen, og Sylwester Sczmyd. Eller Jens Voigt; “I make people hurt on my weel. How good is that?”)

Nederlenderen Karsten Kroon kommer fra Saxo bank. En bra forsterkning. Ofte i brudd. God i en-dagsritta. En god hjelperytter i fjellene.

Nordmannen Alexander Kristoff har også fått plass på dette laget! Marcus Burghardt, Steve Morabito er også gode nykomlinger på er lag som ikke glitra særlig før.

Alt i alt er jo laget blitt et sterkt pro tour-lag. Her får Evans minst like mye hjelp i Hincapie og Kroon som på gamle Silence-Lotto. Vi får håpe Kristoff får tillit! Han er en god sprinter. Han tukta Hushovd i NM i år, og det ble nok lagt merke til. (Men Arvessen vant med 3 sek…)

Tipper vi klokker inn Cadel Evans til en topp fem-plassering i Tour de France i 2010. Men laget gir ikke nok støtte til at han vinner. I så fall må laget overgå seg selv i fjellene.

Derbyul de duminica, Everton – Liverpool, e al orgoliilor ranite, dupa o saptamana trista pe estuarul lui Mersey.

Gazda Everton a incasat un croseu teribil, guvernul britanic blocand proiectul “albastrilor” de a demara construirea unui nou stadion, in orasul satelit Kirkby. Vechiul Goodison Park e demodat si incorsetat de sirurile de case din zona, ce nu-i permit extinderea, in vreme ce arena de la Kirkby ar fi putut constitui un nou inceput pentru gruparea detinuta de Bill Kenwright.

Oaspetii, Liverpool, au fost eliminati din UEFA Champions League, pentru prima oara in gestiunea lui Rafael Benitez, iar planul lor de a construi trambitatul Stanley Park pare acum a se lovi cu atat mai mult de aspectul financiar, complicat in urma redirectionarii spre UEFA Europa League.

Lasand la o parte ca ambele cluburi ar avea nevoie stringenta de o crestere a veniturilor din vanzarea de bilete, pentru a tine pasul la acest capitol cu Manchester United si Arsenal, care si-au extins respectiv reconstruit arenele, problema a devenit cu atat mai arzatoare cu cat zilele trecute conurbatia Liverpool si-a inaintat laolalta cu alte 14 orase din Albion aplicatia si dovada de creditare in vederea gazduirii Campionatului Mondial din 2018, a carei candidatura Anglia si-a lansat-o.

Conform dosarului celor din Liverpool, orasul ar propune ca arene gazda atat preconizatul Stanley Park, viitor stadion cu 60.000 locuri al “Cormoranilor”, dar a carui constructie a fost amanata datorita turbulentelor financiare si stramtorarii creditarii, cat si amintitul stadion din Kirkby, devenit la ora actuala un proiect mort in fasa. Cu alte cuvinte, la cum stau lucrurile, Liverpool ar putea ramane pe dinafara daca Albionul ar castiga intr-adevar dreptul de organizare al C.M. din 2018. O eventualitate deprimanta pentru cluburile locale si ale lor numerosi simpatizanti.

In aceste conditii, intrebarea vine de la sine… Liverpool, incotro? Si aici nu e vorba doar de “Rosii”, ci si de “Caramele” si de orasul port in general.

In martie 2007, la ora dialogului cu Paul Wilson, ziarist localnic semnand editoriale in duminicalul londonez The Observer, un fel de supliment de weekend al cunoscutului cotidian stangist The Guardian, conducerea lui Everton n-ar fi agreat deloc o eventuala impartire a unui nou stadion cu rivala Liverpool.

Wilson, fan Everton, imi explica cum stateau lucrurile: “Nici vorba ca suporterii ori clubul sa fi dorit asa ceva si, oricum, Liverpool nu s-ar fi sinchisit nici ea. Marea majoritate a fanilor n-ar fi fost de-acord, chiar in conditiile in care Goodison Park este si el invechit, unica varianta fiind mutarea inafara orasului, la Kirkby, parte a unui complex comercial. La fel, linia oficiala a clubului e ca mai bine ar juca la Beirut, decat sa imparta cu Liverpool. Opinez ca solutia cea mai practica ar fi fost ca Everton sa se mute tocmai la Anfield Road, care inca e un stadion bun, incat te doare sufletul ca va fi demolat, decat sa ridice si ea o arena abstractizata, dar asta nu se poate intampla nici intr-un milion de ani. Pe de alta parte, stiindu-i pe americani intreprinzatori cum sunt, m-as fi asteptat ca noii investitori de la Liverpool sa faca un ban din impartirea Stanley Park cu Everton. Dar n-au fost interesati.”

Ei bine, doi ani si jumatate mai tarziu, lucrurile sunt incremenite cel putin in privinta impartirii stadionului. Insa cu o mentiune. Daca Liverpool FC ramane ferm pe pozitie, reiterand cu fermitate ca nu doreste construirea la comun a noii arene, Everton Liverpool s-a sucit brusc in urma esuarii proiectului de la Kirkby, cel putin la nivelul conducerii clubului, batand saua sa priceapa iapa ca i-ar surade mutarea intr-un stadion municipal. Asa cum se practica in nordul Italiei de exemplu. Ar fi insa o premiera in Albion.

Si oare ar fi Liverpool dispusa, in conditiile constrangerilor financiare, sa renunte la linia sa traditionala si sa devina o pioniera in insula, impartind arena cu clubul considerat mai mic, desi atragand mai multi suporteri localnici? Extrem de putin probabil, desi – lasand mandria la o parte – o logica de ordin geografic ar sugera o reevaluare a prioritatilor.

E bine stiut ca Anfield Road si Goodison Park sunt despartite doar de o intindere verde, Stanley Park, o pajiste avand si un lac in preajma arenei lui Everton. In Liverpool, un oras destul de intins, ambele stadioane sunt amplasate asadar in acelasi cartier, fapt ce ar sugera o unire a fortelor, daca barierele traditiei si rivalitatii n-ar sta in cale.

Insa Liverpool, care doreste inadins sa-si pastreze suprematia in oras, stie ca in plan financiar Everton ar fi mai interesata de o asemenea reuniune a fortelor, datorita capacitatii si mai reduse a arenei Goodison Park, incet-incet o adevarata relicva a fotbalului englez. Ca istoric, Goodison e fantastic. Insa realist vorbind, stadionul cu o biserica intr-un colt al sau numai pretabil fotbalului din 2010 nu mai este…

Asta pe cand Liverpool, proiectand noul Stanley Park aproximativ pe locul lui Anfield Road, oarecum rotit si putin deplasat, ar ramane suverana in zona.

Totusi, grijile lui Liverpool se ingroasa, proiectul deja contramandat fiind franat nu doar de lipsa creditarii pentru demararea constructiei, Cuiul lui Pepelea pentru americani, ci de-acum si de pierderile financiare rezultate din eliminarea din Liga Campionilor. In aceste conditii, o clasare de la locul 5 in jos la finele actualei editii de Premier League, echivalenta cu necalificarea in Champions League, ar complica si mai mult situatia, implicit decalajul fata de triunghiul fruntaselor fiind in pericol sa se mareasca simtitor.

Sezonul trecut, Liverpool incasa 23,2 milioane euro din prezenta in Champions League, opt milioane venind din optimea cu Real, spulberata cu 5-0, si sfertul de finala pierdut in fata lui Chelsea. Acum, scurtcircuitata in grupa, Liverpool a ramas cu o gaura in buzunar. Deloc placut, tinand cont de datoriile de sute de milioane ale clubului, renegociate vara trecuta, dar cu scadenta la ora Mondialului sud-african, o situatie noua pentru “Rosii”, condusi vreme de decenii cu mare precautie financiara, nicicand pe… rosu.

Everton, desi nu e imprumutata masiv la banci, n-a adus profit si este unicul club “cu firma” care realmente jongleaza pe un fir de ata, nepermitandu-si vreun lux banesc.

Si in acest context are loc derbyul de duminica de pe Goodison Park, lasand la o parte probleme celor doua echipe in acest sezon. Pe de-o parte, pierzand miercuri si la codasa Hull City, Everton s-a scufundat de-a binelea, intrand in hora retrogradarii. Incredibil dar adevarat. Indisponibilitatile recente nu-i ajuta cauza, capitanul Phil Neville adaugandu-se listei cam lungi ce-i da batai de cap scotianului David Moyes.

Nici in UEFA Europa League “albastrii” nu mai defileaza, ca in primele doua jocuri, castigate, fiind in schimb pusi la colt de Benfica, 5-0 la Lisabona si 2-0 pe Goodison Park. De fapt, combinand ultimele 20 de rezultate ale lui Everton si Liverpool, rezulta doar 3 victorii. Da, trei!

Liverpool vine dupa remize acasa cu Birmingham City si Manchester City, ambele 2-2, iar unicul punct smuls in 3 jocuri cu Lyon si Fiorentina au aratat ca Benitez nu mai exceleaza nici in Europa, teren propice spaniolului. Capitanul Gerrard abia a revenit dupa o accidentare iar Torres a fost menajat in Ungaria, “Cormoranii” lasand impresia ca schiopateaza iar unul ca Mascherano dand de inteles ca perioada de transferari din ianuarie i-ar putea servi despartirii de Merseyside. Nici Babel nu e departe, despartirea in vara de Xabi Alonso generand pare-se un efect de domino odata cu scurgerea sezonului. Influentului iberic i se simte tare mult lipsa pe Anfield Road.

Parca niciodata in ultimii ani un derby local in Liverpool n-a avut loc sub nori atat de sumbri si amenintatori. Problema stadioanelor si implicit a candidaturii orasului in cazul reusitei insularilor de a obtine dreptul de gazduire peste opt ani amplifica grijile suporterilor, dezamagiti de imposibilitatea cresterii veniturilor cluburilor si mai recent de rezultatele negative.

In plan economic, orasul Liverpool n-o duce pe roze iar sugrumarea creditarii si implicit a investitiilor in infrastructura fotbalistica nu-i ajuta deloc cauza. Vechile stadioane sunt amplasate intr-o intinsa zona rezidentiala, cu case insa modeste si multe dintre ele abandonate, cu grilaje la geamuri, intregi strazi fiind chiar parasite si in decadere. Este asteptat buldozerul. Cam aceasta este realitate in preajma parcului Stanley si cat rezultatele bune au curs iar planurile cu americani bogati si potentiale noi stadioane au fost trambitate sus si tare, lacunele majore au fost date uitarii. Dar evenimentele recente au aratat pericolul in care se regaseste orasul fotbalistic Liverpool, intr-o imagine de ansamblu a jocului in Albion.

E de prisos asadar sa mai reamintim ca ultimul titlu national al “Cormoranilor” dateaza din 1990 iar al “Caramelelor” din ‘87. Iar ultimele trofee, din 2006 pentru Liverpool, Cupa Angliei la penaltyuri, respectiv din ‘95 pentru Everton. Tot FA Cup. Cate n-au strans alde Manchester United, Chelsea ori Arsenal de-atunci, e motiv de depresie puternica pe Mersey.

Un derby pe care gazdele il vor aborda din jumatatea gresita a ierarhiei iar Liverpool doar de pe locul 7. Orgoliul ranit ar putea insa genera implicit o si mai incrancenata rivalitate locala. Un meci demn de urmarit.

“Tidak ada pemain yang suka dipinggirkan, itu sudah pasti. Tapi saya yakin bahwa ketika dia kembali ke bentuk performanya, dia akan mendapatkan perhatian Leonardo,“ demikian komentar eks kapten Franco Baresi kepada Tuttomercatoweb.com.

“Milan akan memainkan banyak pertandingan dan saya yakin Gattuso akan mendapatkan kesempatannya untuk main. Kita tahu betapa penting determinasi dan karakter dia. Dan saya takkan membiarkan dia pergi dari Milan,” sambung bek legendaris Italia itu.

Komentar Gattuso, “Saya sudah berbicara dengan Leonardo, tetapi belum dengan (Adriano) Galliani. Akan ada waktu dan tempat untuk berbicara. Saya adalah orang yang jujur. Jika saya tak bahagia, saya akan memberitahu mereka,” ujarnya seperti dilansir Reuters.

<kw>

3 modelos em vetor para criação de uniformes.

Download arquivo .cdr

Many moons ago, Apple announced to the cheering masses that iTunes should now be freed by and large of the ridiculous DRM which hinders legal and illegal users of content alike.

A new study reveals that Apple mobile product users actually have been trained by the App Store or other means to pay for more media than others do.

OK, so isn’t this contradictory? Surely DRM free will mean less overall payment for media since more devices of multiple-owning, and hardcore purchasing, Apple fans will use the media available? Well, yes.

Of course, this is saying that Apple iTunes and mobile device users are happy to pay for data. Not so. I believe that – as an owner myself – it is possible that the torture cell of paying is what’s going on here and that less payment means even more willing users, even if those users were resigned to paying in the first place.



Step 11:

Conveyancing attorneys will now register your home loan and transfer the property into your name. The previous owner of the property will be paid and you will become a home owner.

Bloody hell.  Three months! Three months lost because of a lower class team that can’t compete with us.  And Platini wants more smaller teams involved? This man has no sense, none whatsoever.  Why is this man in charge of anything???  Moving on!  The Liege game was a good reminder to Arsene and the rest of us: tactics matter and Denilson points the way to victory over the russian mob.  Just as important, Sunday will tell us what Arsene is going to do in the transfer window.

I said it and I don’t regret it: Arsene’s tactics threw off the sunderplace game.  Even Arsene admitted as much when he said we didn’t take them as seriously as we should have.  The truth is, Arsene didn’t take the team seriously enough and that carried through to the players.  Although, in hindsight, the sunderplace debacle might have been the Gallic slap we needed -insulting but fleeting.  Arsene was cocky, then he got desperate throwing everyone but Walcott’s future unborn son in, but at no time did he actually play the game.  Balance the team!  Luckily the professor learned his lesson and the Liege game showed it.

Our lineup in the Liege game showed the right balance of beautiful football, a desire to win, recognition of our weaknesses and the reality of injuries.  We don’t have RVP or Bendtner, so no matter what we do upfront it’s going to be a bit on the short side.  Fine.  If we’re going to be short, then lets go with short, pace and extreme technique.  Lets pass.  Putting Vela in the middle and “supporting” him with Arshavin and Nasri?  Magnifique!  This lineup played to the Arsenal’s strengths.  Essentially, we had a chel$ki diamond located in the upper third with Vela at the point and Fab controlling from the back.  And why? Because we had two players sitting back, a ridiculous potential future combination.

It’s so simple, Denilson was back.  The young player with so much potential, Denilson is why Wenger refuses to pay too much for Matuidi.  Denilson is the potential battle-space ball winner and long-distance shot taker we need.  People go back and forth on the kid, I hold out hope.  I don’t think the Liege game has solidified his coming of age, but I think it’s interesting that every game he’s in, he adds a calmness that belies his age, brings that missing element: balance.

Happy playing off of Fab, Denilson’s game is the missing element for Arsenal.  If he wasn’t hurt and had developed along with Song, who knows how our midfield would operate now.  I still think Arsene might look for a battle-space DM this January, but if Denilson shows his quality on Sunday, I think we’re in for a surprise signing, someone like PSG’s Clement Chantome.  Someone low on the radar, cheap and can be rotated in to give Denilson and Song some respite as the season wears on.  Oddly enough, even with the young guns, we have space for DM backups.  The next question is whether this lineup and Denilson are what’s best for chel$ki.  The answer is yes.

The back four are pretty easy, even Traore is likely to play given the curse we have going in the back left position right now.  But with chel$ski’s injuries upfront and in their back four, the quick passing goal oriented team of Vela, Arshavin and Nasri looks to be the right combination.  They enjoy playing together (side note: has anyone noticed how everyone always celebrates with Eboue? Everyone loves him).  Anyway, fast and fearless, this group is likely to go right at the thugs in blue and punch right back.  Even better, they are likely to move fast enough to put the smurfs on their backheel and draw the fouls to keep their midfield out of rhythm.

Sunday is going to be physical and tough.  So two defensive minded midfielders, Song and Denilson, are perfect for this game: hold against any counterattacks, link the ball with Fab and let Fab push the ball up.  Plus Denilson can exploit the holes with that long shot of his -something Song avoids like its the police at his door.  Now, whether Denilson can impose his will on the chel$ki midfield of Eissen or Obi or Deco or whomever, I don’t know yet.  But I like to think of every game as potential for the youngsters.  Ramsey didn’t rise to the last one, but if Denilson rises on Sunday, we have our midfield and a surprising January.

the student

The city was Cairo, with her mud brick buildings that hugged the ground like they were afraid they’d fly away. I was assigned there by the University; or should I say by some impotent balding professor who didn’t like the way I was eyeing his daughter. Ah well, I should be grateful. If he’d have known the two of us were doing the nookie before I was shipped off… well, I’d probably be looking for dinosaur bones in Antarctica.

Look the name’s Ben, Benny Maine. Been into Archaeology since I was a babe. I guess you could say I was born into it; my mother was a researcher at the same university I was kicked out of, and my father an archaeologist. They met during class and fell in love, as lovebirds do, and their dreams of a peaceful and trouble-free existence were shattered when they had me, old Benjamin Leonardo Maine. See I was a handful to say the least; if there was a tree anywhere within five blocks of home, I’d climb it. No wall or fence could keep me from trouble; I was a rascal and my parents aged prematurely just trying to keep me safe. I remember one time my poor Aunt Gracie was babysitting me while my parents went out to watch a moving picture. She was a dear old lady who thought the world of me, and one hot summer day she’d asked me as I was playing out in the yard if I wanted some lemonade. Now, Aunt Gracie may not have been a popular old bird, but she sure knew how to make good, honest lemonade. So of course I said yes, but being the devilish troublemaker I was, I attached the hose to the outside tap and hid behind the corner of our old mansion. As Aunt Gracie came out through the back door looking for me, I jumped out, turned the nozzle on her and drenched her head to toe in water.

Of course she was unimpressed, and I spent most of my remaining summer locked up in my room as punishment.

Well it seems I’m rambling. I get that from my dad. But you gotta give me some credit. It’s hard to concentrate under this oppressive sun. The sun turns your clothing into stifling blankets and your head underneath that hat into your very own mobile sauna. But don’t even think about taking that hat off, or wearing lighter clothing, because the sun will cook you like a sausage on a barbeque. But it’s not all bad. The nights here are magical. It’s always cool, and the sky is always clear. The stars twinkle with a nonchalance I wish I could emulate, and there’s this breeze that seems to come from everywhere that just blows your discomfort away.

And it was at night when I was sat on a deck chair, laid out flat on my back admiring the view. Behind me were a bar and a live band that belted out the sounds of Billie Holiday and Bert Williams, reminding me of the local speakeasy I used to frequent back in Chicago. Around me were people of like mind, either swaying to the tune or speaking amongst themselves. Not too many to be crowded, but not too little to be lonely, either. I raised my hand, holding an empty martini glass.

“Another drink for the American!”

I smiled and gestured with my hand to show my appreciation. Then I sighed and continued to gaze at the stars. You know, this may not have been such a bad transferral after all.

Helluva way to spend the grant money, that’s for sure.

AP Photo

Just a few years ago, Jai Lucas was a hot prospect out of Houston, Texas.

A scoring dynamo that embodied every sense of the word “playmaker”, Lucas was a hot recruit, despite being just 5-foot-11.

But his career has made an interesting turn, to say the least.

The Bellaire High graduate who played at Florida the last two years is now on the Texas Longhorns’ roster as a walk-on.

Lucas is without a scholarship this season due to the Longhorns not having any available, thanks to the No. 2 ranked 2009 recruiting class. Reportedly, Lucas knew that he might not have a scholarship this season if things fell in place for head coach Rick Barnes.

It has been reported that Lucas’ father, former NBA player and coach John Lucas, will pay for school. Lucas will have a scholarship in 2010-11.

Lucas transferred from Flordia in January and will become eligible to play in mid-December.

He never panned out for the Gators. He was said to be homesick, plus he wasn’t given a full opportunity at point guard since Nick Calathes, now playing overseas, had secured it.

Florida coach Billy Donovan had Lucas playing primarily at shooting guard.

“There was a point where Jai wasn’t totally happy and wanted to try to make it work,” Donovan told ESPN earlier this year.  “And I think there’s probably a lot of contributing factors — being far away from home and not feeling like it’s the best fit for him is how he put it.”

Lucas averaged 8.5 points as a freshman and led the Gators in 3-point shooting at 43.5 percent. He started all 36 games.

Just great for the likes of Baylor, Texas A&M and the rest of the college basketball powers.

A walk-on will likely be the Longhorns’ starting point guard come January. Not sure Barnes drew that one up, but he has to be counting his blessings.

Lucas adds speed, shooting and quickness at point guard, and what team wouldn’t want that?

It’s good to see Jai back in Texas though, where he belongs. He had an outstanding prep career at Bellaire – I still vividly remember his performance while ousting Devin Gibson’s Cy-Falls squad from the playoffs in their respective senior years – and he’s definitely fun to watch.

With all the contract signings this past week, I think something has become clear; something I don’t want to say, but I think might be true. Indeed, something I don’t like, do not want to believe, but something I might understand.  I don’t think it’s all that good for either party; but I am resigned to it.  Merida is leaving.

There is no reason for Merida not to sign his contract.  But we all know how Arsene is when it comes to contracts -he draws his line and doesn’t move.  And once Arsene states publicly the line is drawn, negotiations are over.  So whatever Merida is waiting for, it ain’t gonna happen.  I fear what’s about to ensue will only make things worse….

The problem: there is no spot for Merida in our lineup.  We have Fab, we have Nasri (don’t forget he played a similar role before coming to Arsenal), we also have Ramsey in the pipeline, just to name a few.  Arsene also has too many midfielders in the reserves.  As a result, finding a place in the starting XI has become as difficult as finding one at Barca.  Right now Merida wants to play and I don’t see a spot opening up.

The problem II: the Arsenal need a midfielder, but not Merida’s type. This hurts his chances even more.  Imagine the purchase of another midfielder, a veteran at that.  Even if the player is young, like Matuidi, they’ll be expected to step into the XI immediately.  This pushes Merida farther down the pecking order.  And when you don’t fit the need of the team, you’re expendable.  The caveat of course is that Merida is still developing and has so much potential who knows what he can be…but until that time comes…

So why play Merida?  Besides his wonderful talent.  I don’t mean to sound harsh, it’s just a question of minutes.  Seriously, why play Merida if he’s only going to leave?  Why continue to blood the young man when others need the time and have signed contracts?  Why sacrifice Ramsey for Merida?  This is a problem that can only spiral as time goes on.  The longer Merida holds out, the less incentive Arsene has to play him; the less playing time, the more incentive for Merida to leave.   Nobody is at fault here, it just is what it is.

So what to do?  Well, Merida can sign, but that doesn’t guarantee first team ball.  Even if he does sign, would he have to demand a transfer just one year in to the contract?!  Lets be honest, Merida is carrying most of the risk here. And that’s where the negotiations come into play.  Take Song for example, he was an easy extension.  Arsenal need Song, so he had leverage.  But Arsenal was good for Song as well: starting XI, central part of the team, Arsenal make him an easy to be a member of the competitive Cameroon national side.  Rosicky knows he won’t go to a better team, but we need him for his experience; even Bendtner had a role.  But not poor Merida.

Another risk is that Merida becomes one of Arsene’s invest develop and profit projects, i.e. bought young and cheap, sold high, but still young.  If this happens, Merida loses a year of first team play, a year of experience and has less say over where he ends up since he’s locked in a contract.  But if he leaves for Atletico Madrid now, at least he can have some power about where to go.  And he’ll get to start on an atletico team that needs him.

Either way you cut it, Merida has a big decision to make.  As much as I would love to see him fight for a space at Arsenal, a space I still think he can acquire if he continues to develop, I think he’ll leave.  I really hope I’m wrong, but he might have to.

If you currently control your own 1-800 toll free phone number (or 888/877/866) and choose to transfer your toll free number to another company (also called ‘porting your number’) the company you are transferring it to will require a bill copy, but why?

Read more here.

I fotbollsvärlden finns det väldigt många lyckade övergångar, många mindre lyckade, många misslyckade till och med. Men sen finns de övergångar som man bara blir stum av, som man aldrig förstår, de oförklarliga övergångarna, jag tänkte lista några av mina personliga favoriter.

Sebastian Veron Manchester United-Chelsea 15 miljoner pund 2003

United köpte honom för 28 miljoner pund 2001, han spelade någorlunda under två säsonger, eller nej det gjorde han inte, han skadade sig, gjorde inte speciellt bra framträdanden och när ryssen kom sålde de honom för 15 miljoner pund, med andra ord, 13 miljoner mindre än två säsonger tidigare.
I Chelsea gick det nog ännu sämre, han spelade sju matcher innan han under fyra år lånades ut till diverse klubbar, notan för chelsea slutade alltså på 2,1 miljoner pund per spelad match. Vid det laget hade Veron kostat sammanlagt 77 miljoner pund i transfersummor.

Robbie Keane, Tottenham-Liverpool 20 miljoner pund 2008

Rafa flirtade hejvilt, Robbie förklarade att han älskade Liverpool, Daniel Levy satt i ett hörn och surade. Sommarens segaste förhandling var äntligen iland och alla var nöjda (förutom Daniel Levy, han satt fortfarande i ett hörn och surade). Allt var frid och fröjd tills Keane faktiskt skulle spela fotboll, då var inte livet i Liverpool lika roligt. Sex månader, 19 matcher och 5 mål blev det innan han packade väskan och drog tillbaka till Tottenham för 12 miljoner pund, med andra ord, Liverpool betalade 1,6 miljoner pund för varje mål Keane gjorde. Med sådana ekonomiska snillen vid rodret, vemfan behöver fiender?

Marius Cioara, UT Arad-Regal Horia 2006

Kommer någon här ihåg Marius Cioara? Nej jag trodde väl inte det, han lämnade inte något större avtryck i fotbollsvärlden. År 2006 såldes han till Rumänska division.3 laget Regal Horia för 15 kilo korv… Marius Cioara blev så förolämpad av hela historien att han valde att lägga ner fotbollsspelandet för att istället börja jobba på en gård i Spanien, och han krävde tillbaka korven som plåster på såren.

Ali Dia, Southhampton 1996

Graeme Souness trodde att han äntligen gjort det stora klippet, 30årige Dia skrev på för Southampton för en månad, han skulle få chansen att visa sin storhet. När Souness hört om honom var det två saker som fick honom på fall, 13 landskamper för Senegal och hans släktskap med George Weah (kusiner) förstod han att detta borde bli en succé. Det jobbiga var bara att ingetdera var sant, de 13 landskamperna existerade inte och Weah? Ja, det var Dias agent som låtsades vara Weah i telefonen. 32 minuter in i en match byttes Dia in mot Le Tissier, 53 minuter fick han på sig, 53 långa, hemska minuter där Souness antagligen fick minst två hjärtinfarkter, på 53 minuter visade han så effektivt som det bara går att han verkligen inte var en fotbollsspelare. Han fick bara 53 minuter i Southampton, efter det ville de aldrig se honom ige