Diego Capel and the world’s smallest Yiddo part 2
The Bagel is an uncle. My sister, the Croissant, has just given birth to the bun in her oven, which turned out to be a little Brioche, after a week and a half more cooking time than the recipe had stated. Yes, there is a new world’s smallest Yiddo.
She’s clearly a fan of good football after waiting for a good, skillful-playing team to be crowned European Champions before deciding it was safe to enter the world. Unfortunately, it did mean missing the game last night but then the Brioche is obviously aware that The Bagel shall be taking her along to as many games at the Lane as she desires. Great result.
In what seems like the merest of blips now, I have the mildly irritating news that we’ve failed in a bid to capture Sevilla left winger and clear favourite of the Perfect Juan, Diego Capel, and the trouble is I can’t see it getting sorted either without it getting very expensive indeed.
Capel has become the first choice left sider at the Stadio Far Too Long and Uncatchy and even a hefty £12.5m cannot change the minds of President Del Nido and his personal vendetta. I imagine the price is right but the feelings are not.
On the one level, they don’t want Capel to go because he’s good but more to the point it’s because they’re still considerably dicked-off with both Juande and Spurs after we pinched the best manager they ever had. Fair enough really. I’d hold a grudge too. But beyond plain anger is the fact that they’re still seeking out £3m compensation against us along with a personal law suit against Ramos himself for breach of contract.
I’ve a feeling that Juande can handle himself and that he was smart enough to consult a lawyer before making his move but the bigger problem lies in the £3m, if not the bitterness of the affair as a whole.
The £12.5m offer was for Capel and the dropping of both of the actions and Sevilla are said to have rejected it in order to pursue both cases. Now that would mean that we’re valuing the winger at £9.5m minus maybe another 1 or 2 mill. So, at a guess, that means we’ve only offered £6m or £7m - probably not enough. I say probably because even if we offered £50m for the lot they may say no.
However, I imagine Del Nido is a “reasonable” man or if not his legal team will make a few descrete whispers behind napkins if we should offer something closer to £20m. It’s simple really. We want both cases dropped and we want the player. We want those three things very badly indeed. Nobody likes a court case hanging over them and as much as a company can handle it, I’m not sure how well an individual can. Christ, I get itchy when I’ve got 14 days to pay a parking ticket.
The point is that everyone wants Juande with a clear head just focusing on the game and Juande clearly wants Capel. He’s been his number one target since day one. I don’t care what anyone says. Fact.
Really hard to know if we’re going to pull this off. The question is, are we willing to make an offer which is more than Sevilla think they’ll get from the court cases?
While we’re on money, PSV are claimng that the undisclosed, but much touted, £7m transfer fee for the Octopus is in fact much lower than was agreed between us and themselves. As it goes, I’m sure they’re right but I’m sure the press isn’t wrong either. This is clearly a Tottenham deal. We’ve given them £7.4m up front rising to around £10m, I should think, based on appearances, haircut, the colour of boots he choses to wear and whether or not there’s an R in the month. They’ll get their £10m, but only if he’s good.
£10m seems a popular number today and if Goal.com are to be believed, or their sources at least, then Little Aaron isn’t one of the players on Juande’s culling spree, however, should Keegan still luv it if he had Lennon then the afore mentioned sum should do it.
As ever, time fights with The Bagel but hot off the press before I go is the news that we’ve signed a new young-un for the Academy of Younger Yiddos. Mirko Ranieri is a 16-year-old, goalkeeper from Perugia of no relation to Claudio unfortunately. He’s 6′2″ and apparently is an excellent shot stopper. Here’s his head…
…he’s the one on the right, but how good would it be if we signed a chap that happened to look like the good looking gentleman to the left?
Got to fix this multimedia issue.
Right, must skidaddle.
I’m a bagel!
Uncle Bagel.
June 30th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Congates to the Sister! This world needs more Yids (until she’s 13 and decides she likes Norwich coz the kits looks nice)
June 30th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Nice one Uncle Bagel. Congratulations to you and your family.
Be careful though! LB might start geting broody.
June 30th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Way too late for that concern. Cheers guys.
The Bagel.
June 30th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
So I read this yesterday that Liverpool wants to offer us Peter Crouch and a huge wad of cash for Robbie Keane. WTF?
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/30062008/58/premier-league-transfer-talk-bloody-sunday.html
July 1st, 2008 at 3:23 am
Congrats Uncle Bagel !!! I’m very concerned about all this Keano becoming a scouser bollocks. Please tell me it’s not true. Me and all my Oz Spurs mates will be devistated if he goes. We won’t be able to sing our “team of Robbie Keanes” song if he leaves. The Pig and Whistle won’t be the same without singing our Keano songs. Who will replace him. If both Berba and Keano go what are we gunna do? I’m sure we can sign one world class forward……but two???? I don’t know about that. I just don’t have much faith in Darren Bent. I didn’t think selling Defoe would come back to haunt us THIS quickly.
Ps. Oi oi…..you’re a cunt. hahahaha.
July 1st, 2008 at 8:42 am
Congratz to the Croissant and your good self Bagel
July 1st, 2008 at 8:56 am
Congrats all round to the bakery.
Rafa wouldn”t be so rude to his fello compatriot Ramos would he?
July 1st, 2008 at 11:52 am
Gratz on the new addition mate, hope all are happy and healthy!
This Keane rumour seems to be hotting up on both sides of the coin. Lots of talk on liverpool forums now and all quite positive that it would be a good thing and also that it will happen - which i did not see coming. Personally I think he’d tick a hell of a lot of boxes for us but can see you’d hate to lose him…
Sorry guys but i’m starting to want this particular transfer rumour to come true!!
July 1st, 2008 at 12:09 pm
I can’t see Ramos sanctioning it unless he has decent replacements lined up. The same for Berbatov.
I’m not sure if Ramos would see Crouch as a good enough replacement for either Berbatov or Keane.
I can see Keane being interested in this move though which is annoying but what can you do. Champions league, the team he supported as a boy and closer to home (Dublin). It ticks all the boxes.
Let’s hope his new missus doesn’t fancy living in Brookside Close.
July 1st, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Its a sign of the times if he goes. If you create a system in which top players HAVE to be at the top 4 to have any chance of playing in the top competition, they will want to go. Loyalty doesn’t come into it - and we’d all do the same in his position, sadly.
However, 5 mill + Crouch (who I do actually quite rate) is a joke. Keane might want to go, and he ‘might’ not be as ‘loyal’ as we’d all like, but he’s obviously a decent guy and if we “do a Villa” and tell him he can leave but only at the right price, Liverpool may have to think again. Can they afford him plus Barry? Who do they want more? Will Keane sulk if he doesn’t get his ‘dream move’ (which I always thought was Celtic!)? Possibly not, dunno, and definitely not. I don’t think this one is anything like a cert yet. But I’m sure he probably wants it to happen, which makes it a real possibility. And if he goes, I refuse to hate him!
July 1st, 2008 at 12:29 pm
If Keane goes then good luck to him but I sincerely hope he stays. He has consistently worked his bollocks off for us. You can’t say that about too many players these days.
Maybe it suits Ramos’s plans?
What are Ramos’s plans? As I said above, if this happens then the boss must have lined up some very decent replacements otherwise we are just weakening the team.
July 1st, 2008 at 1:15 pm
I seriously cannot see us wanting Crouch (who is one of the reasons i don’t watch England anymore) - he does not fit into the ‘Ramos style’.
You could argue that Berbatov is of a similar mould (albeit on a completely different level) but when you have a player that good you find room for him. Fast attacking football is what Juande is known for, which is why i believe any strikers he signs will fit into this philosophy easily.
As for Keane, i’ve never been his biggest fan but you cannot deny he has worked his nuts off for us. If he goes good luck to him.
July 1st, 2008 at 2:11 pm
You see alot of money + player transfer rumours in the papers, but you have to think pretty hard to name many that actually happen.
If he does go it will be for a large sum of cash (according to the Mail Spurs rate him at £20m), which I doubt Liverpool have, especially if they wade in for Barry. However, if the rumour floating around a week or so ago were true and we landed Podolski, it might not be the end of the world.
Ramos seems to have a bit of a charmed hand with his strike force, so heres hoping hes got it all under control.
July 1st, 2008 at 2:42 pm
They way i see this is keane has improved every season hes at his peak of his career! so who knows i would miss him. he is what spurs stands for! but he has said he loves the club and he cant wait for next season hes now won a trophy it doesnt matter what trophy we still beat arsanal and chelsea. not just saying it cos im a spurs fan i have alot of friends who support the gooner muppets and ham roll i mean west ham and there all saying something is happening at spurs! i know we said all this before but i think we now have a amazing back four if they stays fit a new shape midfield and one of the best strike partnerships ive seen for so long if we keep hold of them i dont think sir levy is stupid well maybe a bit listening to daniel comblah oh i almost forgot a new keeper who ive seen nothing bad from so i hope keane stays and berba they would be stupid not to
July 1st, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Hey Bagel - congrats on the new youngest Yiddo!
I will be supremely gutted if Keane goes, and make no secret of it. He constantly played his heart out, and lets not forget just how good his play, and goalscoring could be.
A player who is talented AND who plays like a lion every game is nothing but an asset.
It does seem to be the best players demand CL footie, all of them. We have had a few of those top players recently - and I just hope we haven’t seen our best chance of getting up there already. It is impossible to hold on to them for long.
Anyone think the way Rafa has stirred it up with Barry and Keane this summer is the behaviour of an Arsehole? Fair enough, what ever it takes to get the player - but still. Wanker
Oh, and Bagel,
Beware the broodiness - It is a swift path to parenting reality - Look at me…
July 2nd, 2008 at 5:51 am
I really hope Keano stays. He is one of the few that I can count on to show up on game day, every time. And he’s a damn fine striker too. As for Crouch, I think Crouch is just fine, and of course, can get into the air which Keano can’t. But Keano is a much more reliable option in terms of overall attacking talent, as well as the significant pace advantage he has over Crouch. Besides, Keano and Berba up front is the nastiest strike partnership I’ve seen.
Also, Bagel- Harry Hotspur is already saying we signed Bentley. Any truth to that?
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:34 am
Congratulations to the Croissant and you too, Bagel!
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Great news uncle bagel - congratulations to you!!
on the subject of things small - interesting article today about size / skill in players and how our national game is going.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/martin_samuel/article4251085.ece
so Wenger doesn’t fancy Modric (surprise!) - rating him as too slight and lacking in the physical side (midfield general) as compared with Fabregas.
This was definitely my opinion as well on first sight - as compared to our man mountain in the middle for example - thinking this guy is no Makelele and is he going to fit into physical game in the Prem?
Going with Ramos’s strategy of quick and skilful attacking play (hopefully like the Spanish and Portuguese sides - who definitely aren’t tall), it does all stack up as Modric seems all about quick distribution and strong passing skills.
going back to Big Martin’s dislike of two little guys up front last season, i reckon it measures up that height is essential in the Prem in defence (which we have) and attack (berba for now) and that some height can be sacrificed in the middle for solid tackling and distribution skills.
I’d still settle for a short team of robbie keanes!
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:21 am
I managed to get a transcript of this phone call
Sunderland: Hi, we were just wondering what you were gonna do with Darren Bent
6puds: Funny enough, so were we
Sunderland: You mean he might be for sale ?
6puds: Sure, he’s not really worked for us, and basically he’s a bit of an embarrassment. His record of one-on-ones against the Mighty Arsenal is very very poor. Not only that, but he’s the 19th best paid player in the world, we pay him nearly £90K a week!!
Sunderland: Well, he might work for us, we play a direct game, could use a direct targetman, but those wages could be a stumbling block, how much do you want for him ?
6puds: £18m
Sunderland: HOW FUCKING MUCH !!????
6puds: £18m plus 15% sell on clause
Sunderland: We are still talking about Darren Bent ?
6puds: Yeah, well we paid half a million more than Barcelona paid for Thierry Henry, so you could say he’s a better player than the world’s greatest number 14, dont forget that Henry scored at least 25 goals a season for years. Remember when he dumped Carragher on his arse? remember that goal against us in 2002? What about that one in 2000 against ManUre…..
Sunderland: Brrrrrr
6puds: Hello ? anyone there ?
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Congrats bagel!!! We await ” the worlds smallest yIddo part 3,
the heir to the bagel thrown”.
Looking forward to your next post alot seems to be
happening……
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:15 pm
The first rule of comedy is…
don’t let oi oi write your scripts.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:22 pm
The Bagel Says:
June 30th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Way too late for that concern. Cheers guys.
The Bagel.
Eh? Is this baby blog thing catching hence the reason LOTW canny go to Rotterdam?
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Hahah, not that late. Actually I’ve got LB moving into the Bakery this weekend, so it’s the thin end of the wedge if you like but no bun in LB’s oven as yet.
The Bagel.
August 14th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Perhpas we can create a Bagel collective with a different writer each week (including The Bagel, OI OI and even Ilai).