Photo from here.

I have to admit, when I got home yesterday and saw that Scott Carson had been sold to West Bromwich Albion for a grand total of 3.25 million pounds (depending on benchmarks, that fee can rise...to only 3.75 million), the lunch I had just enjoyed with Kartik Krishnaiyer of the American Soccer Show nearly escaped me. It read to me that Liverpool were going to do anything in their power to prevent Martin O'Neill from signing the player. The reason behind it is a simple one, because Aston Villa and Martin O'Neill wouldn't do business about Gareth Barry in the way Liverpool wanted. Going with my gut instinct, the whole Gareth Barry saga with Liverpool started alot sooner than it ever got reported in the press. The one who got caught up in all of it was someone who should have never been the pawn of anger, Scott Carson.

I have pretty much some of the same issues about this transfer as does Michael James over at the English Soccer Talk blog. So I won't look at those issues. What I do want to look at is the simple fact Rafa Benitez dropped his valuation of young Carson by nearly a whopping seventy percent. If anything that should be the ultimate slap in the face to both Scott Carson and Martin O'Neill. It should be a slap in the face to Scott Carson that despite what Rafa was saying in the press about Carson and Villa, he was simply lying for the sake of politics. It should be a slap in the face to Martin O'Neill because the valuation of Carson was vastly different than what was told to him. If Martin O'Neill had been told even 4-6 million for Carson, not only is Carson playing for Aston Villa in the Intertoto Cup, Aston Villa don't draw 2-2 on the road to Odense BK in the first leg. While I understand Liverpool need the transfer funds, you simply don't drop the valuation on someone over fifty percent unless you are desperate.

Where does Gareth Barry work into all of this? Well that's simple one. With Gareth Barry wanting to go to Liverpool, his valuation in all of this is crucial. Is Barry honestly worth 18 million pounds? Well that depends on how you look at it. You can take the train of thought of at 27, he's probably never going to be valued more because not only can he play on the left (thought not his best) or in the center (where he has thrived under Martin O'Neill). You can also take the train of thought that in 8 years, he only has 20 international caps and that a player like Barry while not a dime a dozen can be found and groomed. You can also argue with the latter that Rafa Benitez would have to make some tough choices about letting fan favorites sit in order to play Barry.

While it can't happen now, but couldn't Aston Villa and Liverpool have worked out a trade with these two players in it? My simple answer to this question is yes. If you are to believe the Times, Aston Villa was ready to accept 15 million plus Steve Finnan. Even if you the 10 million valuation of Scott Carson, could Liverpool have offered Scott Caron and Steve Finnan plus maybe 15 percent of Gareth Barry's sell on fee in exchange for Gareth Barry? My personal feeling is Aston Villa would have taken that just to get rid of the trouble Gareth Barry has caused the club and Liverpool would have taken that just to get the valuation they had on Scott Carson and naturally getting their man.

Obviously hindsight is 20/20, but couldn't a deal have been worked out between these two clubs? Let me know what you think?

En anden EM-spiller, der måske er på vej, kunne være tjekkiske Vaclav Sverkos, der scorede det afgørende mål for Tjekkiet i første gruppekamp mod Schweiz. Den 24-årige tjekkiske angriber var nok en smule forundret, da han ikke fik flere kampe ved EM efter hans mål mod schweizerne, men det var stadig nok til, at Roy Hodgson fik øjnene op for den unge angriber. Et bud på 5 millioner pund skulle være nok til at lokke Sverkos væk fra Banik Ostrava, rapporterer de engelske medier, men mon ikke det er nærmere de 3 millioner, da 5 virker en smule dyrt..

En spiller, der ikke kom med til EM grundet elendige præstationer af Irland, er Steve Finnan, som har bebudet, at han vil kæmpe for sin plads i Liverpool....! Finnan var fast mand de første mange sæsoner i Pool, men i den netop overståede sæson, var han for det meste degraderet til bænkevarmer... Rygter sendte den tidligere Fulham-mand tilbage til Craven Cottage, men medmindre defensivens mester, Rafa Benitez, tvinger ham ud af klubben, ser et skifte usandsynligt ud...

In other news, skulle vores tidligere amerikanske venstreback Carlos Bocanegra, have skrevet under på en 3-årig kontrakt med franske Rennes. Jeg ønsker den solide Bocanegra alt muligt held og lykke med hans franske eventyr.

Here is the Odds and Sods roundup of the 2006-7 season.

Starting XI

Didier Drogba, Chelsea

This one was pretty much a no brainer. He had 32 goals in all competitions, including 20 in the Premier League. Arguably the best striker in the world this season, he was the difference between Chelsea finishing 2nd and 4th.

Dimitar Berbatov, Tottenham Hotspur

The Bulgarian had twenty-three goals for Spurs this season in all competitons, showing no difficulty at all adjusting to the Premier League. Not much in the way of pace, but he is a first-class finisher. Purchased for 10.9m GB, he has most likely tripled his value.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United

Another no brainer.  He had 23 goals and 20 assists out of the midfield this season.  His flair and stepovers were actually productive.  He may be the best player in the world right now, and the scary part is he is still developing.

Michael Essien, Chelsea

He probably could be in the All-Premiership list at multiple positions.  He was excellent playing out of position in Central Defense and at Right Back.  In his natural midfield position, he was an absolute beast and an engine driving the Blues forward.  He also had arguably the best goal of the season with his late equaliser against Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta, Everton

The Spaniard is the most underrated player in the Premiership.  He was absolutely outstanding in the midfield, contributing nine goals and numerous man of the match performances.  Without him, Everton do not qualify for Europe.

Ryan Giggs, Manchester United

What a long strange trip it's been, but Ryan Giggs is still the best left winger in England.  He turned out a vintage performance this season and was a key component of Manchester Utd's multi-pronged dynamic midfield attack.  Led the Reds to their 9th Premiership Title during his career.

Steve Finnan, Liverpool

It is hard to believe that there could be an UNDERrated Liverpool player, but Finnan manages to get overlooked time and again.  The Irishman is the only player in the Premiership to have worked his way up through every level of English football from the Conference to the Premiership.  He does a fabulous job of getting down the wings getting crosses into the box.

Ricardo Carvalho, Chelsea

Often christened "the master of the dark arts," the Chelsea defender held down the fort for much of the season as injuries ravaged the rest of Chelsea's back four.  Expert at crafty play and antagonizing opposing strikers, his absence was felt palpably against Liverpool in the Champions League and may affect Chelsea's ability to compete in the FA Cup Final as well.

Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United

His partnership with Rio Ferdinand in central defense provided the backbone for Manchester United's title run and gave Paul Scholes and Co. the freedom to drift forward.  The Serb showed incredible strength and tackling ability, and had a magnificent first season in the Premiership.  Sir Alex will attempt to keep him from jumping ship to Juve.

Patrice Evra, Manchester United

He was quite simply the best Left-Back in the Premiership and gave a truly world-class performance, unlike Cashley "The Best Left-Back in the World" Cole.

Marcus Hahnemann, Reading

Cech is without a doubt a class above the rest, but can't be considered as he missed so much of the season.  The Three Americans (Howard, Friedel, and Hahnemann) were the best over the course of the season.  Hahnemann gets the edge because he was a leader on a young team and was a huge part of Reading's surprising success.

An interesting sub-plot after the disappointing England showing in the World Cup is that there are no England National Team players on that list.  Lampard arguably could have been considered, had he not gone MIA the last two months of the season, but besides him no one.

Honorable Mention Subs Bench

Brad Freidel, Blackburn

Gary Neville, Manchester United

Steven Gerrard, Liverpool

Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal

Bennie McCarthy, Blackburn

Player of the Year: Didier Drogba, Chelsea

Drogba gets the slight edge over Ronaldo in our book.  Ronaldo had career performances from his teammates, while Drogba often dragged Chelsea by himself kicking and screaming.

Young Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United

Apologies to Cesc Fabregas

Manager of the Year: Steve Coppell, Reading

Most Entertaining Side: Reading

Least Entertaining Side: Manchester City

Apologies to Wigan Athletic, Sheffield United, Watford, and Fulham

Best Signing: Dimitar Berbatov, Tottenham Hotspur

Worst Signing: Andriy Shevchenko, Chelsea

30 m GBP transfer fee, 30 appearances, 4 goals

Best Dressed: Thierry Henry, Arsenal

Spent a lot of time sitting in the stands, and looked sharp every time.

Worst Dressed: Alan Curbishley 

Is a tie too much to ask?

Most Pies Eaten: Mark Viduka, Middlesbrough

Apologies to Fat Frank and Baptista

Best Selling Swimsuit Calendar: Freddie Ljungberg, Arsenal

Worst Selling Swimsuit Calendar: Ivan Campo, Bolton

Apologies to Sam Allardyce

Most Unintentionally Funny Goal Celebration: Tie, Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson

Most Unintentionally Amusing Player Column: Kevin Nolan, BBC

Anger Management Award: Joey Barton, Manchester City

Apologies to Craig Bellamy

Ibsen Award: Frank Lampard, Chelsea

Apologies to rest of Chelsea Lockeroom

Bipolar Award for Consistent Inconsistency: Wayne Rooney, Manchester United

Cro-Magnon Award: Jamie Carragher, Liverpool

Peter Crouch Award: Peter Crouch, Liverpool

Best Hair: Joleon Lescott

Apologies to David James

Best Beard: Wayne Rooney, Manchester United

This year, however, it's really hard to know what to think. 

Already we've signed three new first team players, two new coaching staff and added a handful of Europe's finest young talent to our reserve and youth team setups.  Despite all this a number of unanswered questions are slowing grinding down my usual optimism.

Concurrent with the new signings has been the biggest morale sucker.  The Gareth Barry saga.  I genuinely don't know now whether to admire MON's steadfast refusal to budge from his £18million valuation (or £17million and Steve Finnan as it's now meant to be) or be angered by his pig-headed valuations of not just Barry, but now Finnan too.  I guess it's a mixture of both.

A bigger worry was confirmed on Thursday, when Rafa more or less admitted that we were skint, and in order to buy the one or two big name signings (It's always one or two we're missing isn't it?) that we need he would have to sell first.   In my purest footballing dreams this is actually how it should be, managers wheeling and dealing with only a bit extra earned in prize money swelling there coffers.  Yet with the rest of the top four able to spend, spend, spend and even Villa supposedly having substantial backing available, as a Liverpool fan I'm left with a mix of fret n' fury.  Just over a year ago we were assured of substantial Yankee Dollar.  Twelve months on and Snoogy Doogy has most definitely left the building.

Then there's the new signings themselves.  Degen, Dossena and Cavalieri. All three come without any real national reputation and so for now have to be placed in the squad player (read Stop-Gap) signing pile under Rafa that includes the likes of Arbeloa, Bellamy, Benayoun, Kromkamp,  Pennant and Luis Garcia.

A major frustration is that when Rafa has been given the money to secure his first choices those players have become core to our first team and rarely let the side down.  Agger, Skrtel, Masch, Torres... successes so far everyone.  Given that Dossena has cost a Liverpool side watching the pennies a whopping £7 million perhaps we can expect a similar return, but unlike those four he lacks for International experience and at 26 years old is a couple of years than those players too.

There are one or two glimmers of hope however.  Rafa's remarkable candour in press interviews for one.  Merrily confirming names such as David Villa and Robbie Keane were on his shopping list and confirming that there would be at least one new striker to replace the outgoing Crouch.  I'm taking it on faith, but surely a manager so passionately backed during our blackest hours last season by the Kop faithful would not be foolish enough to chase a Villa and deliver another Voronin?

Most intriguingly of all there's the Fab four.  Insua, Plessis, Nemeth and Pacheco. Who?  The four stand-out young stars from last season's title-winning reserve side.  Sure we've been here before - Besian Idrizaj, Le Tallec, Linfield... only this time there's just that little extra buzz.  This time Rafa seems more willing to take a gamble.  It's been a long time since we saw Carragher, Owen and Gerrard breakthrough.  With Torres and the Spanish lads still on leave post-Euro 2008 and Babel, Leiva and Masch heading off to Beijing in chase of Olympic Gold pre-season offers up a golden chance for new stars to be born and it all starts in just a few hours against Tranmere!

Karl Eisenhauer