Have united gone quiet in the transfer market?

The RedBrothersUnited collective looks back at Manchester United transfer history books over the years and questions what has changed for them now?

Manchester United, the most romantic club in the history of world football and that will never change. It is more like a perfect marriage between this club and the history they have created for years for millions of fans round the world. United being one of the biggest football club in Europe, their slightest of motion in a transfer window makes rumors like no other.

When echoes of Lucas Moura coming to united developed stronger, a target which united were after for more than two months, PSG managed to pick pocket him from the hands of United in just a matter of two days. Around the same time, United were heavily linked with another long time target Eden hazard, but the same result haunted Old Trafford again. This time Chelsea abducted Hazard from the baggy jaws of United. This is the start of a list without an natural ending.

Over the last few transfer windows, several rumors with baseless origin have been born out of nowhere but one thing has been common in all the times any player is linked with United. United's hesitancy to spend big have cost them all these despairs. A major reason for multiple thoughts before spending is that a major chunk of United’s profit every year goes to the owner Glazer’s to nullify their market debt, instead of that money to be used in buying quality players.

Opposite to United’s current image, traditionally they have been a club which were bold to spend big money and broke all British transfer fee records for decades. All the way back in 1981, the signing of Bryan Robson from the Baggies, for a then record fee transfer of around about 1.5 million pounds made hot news from United. A decade and a half later, United bought Andy Cole again spending big, breaking and making another British fee record. Records books will tell you time and again that it was united who made a British record signing for a defender, Gary Pallister. Years later it then became Rio Ferdinand who even today holds that record to his credit.

So the important question which now comes to embrace the present scenario is this- Have united lost their flair in luring the big names in the market to them or have they gone quiet and become conservative in spending big money in the market?

Valid points can be made for both sides. While united continue to be the most successful club in England, their form in Europe off late has not been that great, actually pathetic by their standards. On a more global scenario they have been not a team which is seen a direct threat by many, they still remain worthy competitors to any club any day.

And to United’s defense, they have always been a club which has continuously invested in youth. Instead of buying superstars, they turn talents to legends. From the early days then famous Busby Babes, to the Class of ’92, United’s youth teams and players are thing it itself.

Being the Champions league for the twentieth time in the most comprehensive way possible, their current team is still nowhere to be seen in comparison with the legendary past teams of United. Far from being a legend team, United’s present is a team in a making.

Manchester United's deadline day signing Marouane Fellaini for which United paid a whooping £27.5 million which is more than his actual buyout clause was seen by some as an attempt to cover up previous tracks.

A new era under David Moyes, the chosen one, has already began at the theatre of dreams. After an unexpectedly disappointing pre-season, they have managed to pick up their first silverware of this season beating Wigan Athletic two nil to win their twentieth community shield.

Manchester United have had a mixed start to their Premier League campaign and have been written off by several pundits to challenge for the title this year. What remains the substantial doubt is, Is this team capable of coming from behind?

RedBrothersUnited are Anand Sindhu, Pawan Sharma and Akshay Agarwal.

Billionaires that shook the balance of world football

The RedBrothersUnited collective are fascinated with the recent shift in football supremacy across Europe and presents a look at billionaires that shook the balance of world football.

Football was always known as a sport which had everything. It still has everything which it owner earlier, only now most of them are in excess. Most watched sport round the globe, it was just a matter of money and time that the equilibrium of stability was shaken apart from its roots.

With great power comes great responsibility, and with big money in football world comes high expectations and a team with superstar names in it. From preposterously rich businessman purchasing clubs to the millions and billions spend each year, here is a list of four billionaires who by their mere presence and stature have shook the dominion of footballing world.

1.      Roman Abramovich, Chelsea: Every team needs a villain, for Chelsea it is this man. Their owner who few month before celebrated a decade at the same club famously known for splashing money like a pack of playing cards every transfer window. His methods, ever since coming to Stanford Bridge in the summer of 2003, have been both highly appreciated and equally criticized by millions worldwide. The relationship between Chelsea manager and roman is not hidden to any and being the Chelsea manager is no short of riding an elephant on a crocked road waiting for a hurricane to save your day.

Having said and done, Chelsea would never have been where they are today without the presence of Roman Abramovich. Since their takeover the club have won eleven major trophies- the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, the Premier League 3 times, the FA Cup 4 times and the League Cup twice.

Without any doubt in mind, Chelsea have the biggest squad quantity wise in Europe with a fancy percentage of players being loaned out to clubs all over Europe. At least $50 million spend every transfer window looks inevitable for Chelsea and that is not looking to slow down any time in near future.

2.       Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Manchester City:  Owner of Abu Dhabi United Group, an investment company that successfully acquired Manchester City football club in ‘08. There is no second thoughts to his incredible wealth providing an unfair advantage to them in the transfer market. While their rival teams are content with window shopping, they believe in having a supermarket of players of their own by buying wholesale.

Quiet is a word which has been missing from their dictionary ever since the very beginning. Since their arrival in September of ’08, spending in excess of a hundred million three years in a row for purchasing players alone is just a brief evidence of the revelation they have succeeded in bringing to the citizens. Fair or unfair, there is no shame in admitting that city is one of the best clubs in England today, at times even the best.

3.       Qatar Investment Authority, Paris saint German: In 2011, the Qatar investment authority became the major shareholder of PSG, and the following year purchased the remaining stakes of the team making them the sole shareholder. This takeover made PSG the richest club in France and one of the richest in the world.

The club’s trophy cabinet welcomed with open arms its first silverware in years after they secured their first league title since 1994 under Carlos Ancelotti. With close to three hundred mil. Euros spend in just two summers the current champions of France, the red and the blues future looks brighter than ever and are one of the serious contenders of the battle for present supremacy of Europe.

4.       Dmitry Rybolovlev, A.S. Monaco: They are the latest additions to the growing list of filthy rich billionaires purchasing football club. Once among the leading clubs in European football and not so long ago playing in Ligue 2, it is no short of a dream turned nightmare again turned dream for this club and their supporters. With Rybolovlev financial backings and support, they have returned to Ligue 1 and already bought some of the best in the market.

                                        

With the likes of Radamel Falcao, João Moutinho, James Rodríguez, Ricardo Carvalho, Éric Abidal and Jérémy Toulalan coming into the team this summer, it is appropriate to say that they are a team under construction and who better than Claudio Ranieri to be the manager, who is accustomed to assemble and fabricate team from ashes. With the qualification in Europe their prime target, they also look to have keen eyes on the Ligue 1 title too, thereby including one more to their existing seven league trophy cabinet.

This is a mere fragment of the bigger picture at hand. Europe has never looked so wide open for dominance and the competition gets even better and better.

RedBrothersUnited are Anand Sindhu, Pawan Sharma and Akshay Agarwal.

An Ode to a shy Legend…

The RedBrothersUnited collective presents a look back at the career of one of the most celebrated player in England and across the Europe.

Paul Scholes, a shy legend, greatly regarded by many of his footballing peers as the best midfield player of his generation. As to every legend, his style of play still remains an institution in itself. His elegant first touch, a genius passing skill and undoubtedly his control and possession over a football and even the bad tackles which in his own words were a way to get back at the players which fouled him earlier, it was all a part and extension of his legend.

Very few people know that Scholes was born in the wrong part of Manchester. Born in Salford and then later moving to Langley, which is just a few miles away from Manchester city, at the mere age of fourteen he met with his dream club and began training with Manchester United. A legend was in the making. The plan was coming to action soon.

Scholes was a significant force in the Class of 92, Manchester united youth team which famously won the FA youth cup that year that included his soon to be teammates, the likes David Bechkam, Ryan Giggs and more. Scholes turned professional in 1993 and a year later the world saw the rise of a legend. The start of a journey. Scholes scored twice in his debut against port vale, which resulted in a 2-1 victory in favor of united. Three days later, his league debut saw him score again, his first premier league goal against Ipswich town, but this time united lost 3–2.

In his first season for united, Scholes scored seven goals, which quickly doubled the very next season.In the 1995/96 season, the departure of Mark Hughes to Stanford Bridge quickly followed by the eight month suspension of Cantona over the famous Kung Fu incident, Scholes steeped in to be Andy Cole’s strike partner for the due course of Cantona’s suspension. He was now wearing number 22 on the back of his jersey, which changed from his previous 24. His new position positively increased his goals tally and medals too.

Two seasons down, and united won the double both times, the league and the FA cup. Silverware came naturally to United with the presence of Paul Scholes. In late 1997, Roy keane suffered a severe knee injury which ruled him out for the rest of the season and saw the true emergence of a future superstar.

Scholes moved to central midfield role for which he was tailor made. It was as if everything which was happening in his life was pre written and he knew each word of it. Another prominent change which happened to him that season was his shirt number, which turned to 18 now, which he had on for the next decade and a half to come.

Paul Scholes had everything fallen in place for him and things were becoming even better. The famous 1998/99 season was now awaiting and Scholes didn't disappoint. He played a pivotal role in this treble winning season for united. He scored eleven times, with the highlight of the year being the goal against Newcastle in the FA cup final which led united to victory.

But Scholes was suspended from the Champion’s league final, because of the yellow cards he picked in the semis. The following few seasons showed the world his true potential as a footballer, him scoring twenty in the 2002/03 season, his career best.

But every story has its downfall too. For Scholes this dark side of this journey started in 2005/06 campaign, when he was ruled out for the second half of the season. The reason was his blurred vision. He did made a comeback much earlier than expected but he played less matches and scored lesser goals. But the decrease in the goals did not made his presence diminish a bit.

Nine years later to United’s treble winning season, Scholes made a past mistake right. United made it to the Champion’s league finals, credits to a visually stunning Scholes twenty five yard goal against Barcelona in the second leg of the semifinals. And this time the ginger prince was a part of the eleven in the final. United ended up winning the final 6-5 on penalties to Chelsea and the redemption was now completed for this ginger prince.

The longevity of his career is a question without a perfect answer. The closest answer one can give is the way his game has changed over the due course of time. Be it any position, Andy Cole’s strike partner in his second season to the withdrawn striker behind Ruud van Nistlerooy years later. His favorite and most celebrated position as a central midfield to the deep lying playmaker in his latter phase of his career. He made every position in a football field his own, as if he has been playing there  all his life.

He announced his first retirement on 31^st May 2011, only to come back six month later. This was just a small yet effective indication of how much his absence was costing united. An injury crisis at the theatre of dreams made him return as a substitute against their noisy neighbor’s city in the FA cup. His second home coming as a player turned to be a success too.

In his last season for united Scholes played his 700^th game for united, making him the third in the list for most capped player for united behind Sir Bobby Charlton and Ryan Giggs. He also has a record of scoring in 19 consecutive Premier League season, second behind Ryan Giggs who has scored in 23.

Very few players get a happy ending in their career. As for this legend, the end was maybe not as romantic as his journey but it was a happy one indeed. United winning the premier league for the twentieth time, him collecting his eleventh league medal and just slipping under the radar with Sir Alex Ferguson’s farewell taking all the limelight. That is all this little lad from Salford ever asked for. Scholes hung up his shoes again and retired for the second time, this time ‘For good’.

So what would we remember Paul Scholes the player for? His simplicity off the pitch and his mastermind brilliance on a football field. Those never misplaced passes, his extraordinary sense of judgement in the goals scored. From the first debut goal back in 1994 to the goal in his 700^th match for the same club. From the famous Class of 92 to the treble winning team in 99. Every minute he played, every goal he scored it is truly justified to say that they all are a happy memory for decades to follow.

Paul Scholes is one of the most decorated English footballer of all time. No quote can describe this person in a correct way. But to borrow the words of one of the greatest footballers of all time,

‘’If he was playing with me, I would have scored so many more’’ – Pele.

RedBrothersUnited are Anand Sindhu, Pawan Sharma and Akshay Agarwal.