Sentinel Playerwatch - Transfer Window Day 28: Pulis hunts Mexican Mama
THERE was a manager in the old Cheadle and District Junior League who liked to think he was the Staffordshire Moorlands' answer to Brian Clough.
Ok, he may have thought he was a genius in his big football manager's coat with his initials on the chest but his best plan basically boiled down to sending his left-back out onto the pitch wearing number 10 and centre-forward out as a number two.
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Have Stoke scouts discovered a new Mama Sidibe in the Mexican top flight?
It was all in hope that the opposition would be so befuddled their centre-backs would end up on the right wing.
It might not have worked against Longton Harriers or Blythe Tigers but the idea, in principle, still has supporters in elite circles.
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Elite circles like Club America, the Mexican team who sound like a holiday resort they might have gone to for spring break on old Channel 4 favourite Saved By The Bell.
Club's manager Miguel Herrera plays Raúl Jimenez as a "false number nine" – and it's Jimenez who has set gossipers' tongues wagging down Mexico way.
Stoke City, Ajax and Udinese are all reported to be making a dash for the 21-year-old not-quite front man.
At first glance it may sound like a rumour to throw in the Lee-Trundle-househunting-in-Trentham never gonna happen pile, but hold tight.
It appears that "false number nine" in Herrera's head equates to what is known as "the Mama role" on this side of the Atlantic.
Jimenez is 6ft 3in-tall and loves to play in the supporting hole behind a main striker.
All Dave Kemp needs to do now find is a Bolivian version of Ricardo Fuller and this transfer window could yet finish with a bang.
Meanwhile, watch out for Jamie Oliver, it seems lean mean Kenwyne Jones has become a Turkey Twizzler.
Jones, with near zero per cent body fat, could not be further from the Oliver-despised strips of water, pork fat, rusk, wheat starch and a smattering of meat.
But the Sunderland Echo has put the 28-year-old in a will-he, won't-he spin about a move to South East Europe; the aforementioned twizzle.
They reckon the Sunderland's pursuit of Danny Graham hangs on the chances of Swansea sneaking Jones, but Turkish interest could slam the brakes on the merrygoround.
For his part, Swansea manager Michael Laudrup suggests that his business has been concluded for the week. Twizzle on that, Sunderland.
3 Comments
by talk212
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 1:45AM
“Yes spot on ,Come on tony you have been buying in The jumble sale for to long,we all no you like to get the pie man is money,but come on some people want to see some football not ,just yes we are still her ,in the premier again ,buy some player who is not 6ft 9, bit dim and only plays a few times after you buy him ,transfer etc,speed is the need skill,and tony take that at off ,but stoke are my team so ,good luck always.”
by ProbyPotter
Monday, January 28 2013, 9:29PM
“The City defeat made me realise how much we miss Fuller in his pomp.
We didn't really miss him the season in the run up to the Cup final and his career tailed off after that, never really hitting the heights of those fantastic goals in the first season in the Premiership. What a player.
It's not just the talent, or the goals scored, it's the talismanic effect the bloke had on the crowd and the other Stoke players.
Hard to know where you find a replacement for such a one-off as Fuller, but I guess that's why we tried to sign Ba and why we did sign Owen, even though that is not working out for us.”
by Pottersruleok
Monday, January 28 2013, 7:35PM
“Th plain matter of the fact is that if we are ever to evolve, ever to score goals again, the very last thing we need is a player in the style of Sidibe, Jones or Crouch. We need the - insert country of origin here - Fuller or Owen. Someone with some skill, someone who can shoot and dribble and score, just like Fuller and Owen used to do. Then we need a midfielder who can pass the ball accurately to the front men and wingers who can do more than just lob the ball into the box to opposition defenders in hope it reaches the lonely head of our lonely striker.
Couple all that with a manager who knows this and hey presto.
This managing lark is easy isn't it ??”