The Talentspotter

Can rough diamond Kaby make the grade at Chelsea?

2011-08-12T15:38:00Z

Having first appeared on the Chelsea radar during the final months of José Mourinho's reign in West London, exciting midfielder Aliu Djaló is hoping for his Blues breakthrough under Mourinho's apprentice, André Villas-Boas.

Djaló, known simply as Kaby after the famous leader of his homeland of Guinea-Bissau, arrived in London after four years in Boavista's Academy. Chelsea were initially alerted to the talents of the then 15-year-old by one of Mourinho's trusted aides, and splashed out a reported £5 million to take Kaby to Cobham.

The skillful central midfielder struggled to adapt to the English game in his first season as a scholar, but on occasion still showed glimpses of his boundless potential. The 2009/10 season then saw big improvements from Djaló, who thrived when given the opportunity to captain Chelsea's Under-18s. He played a key role in the FA Youth Cup win, showing off all his attacking talents, while showing good awareness and discipline to track back and help out defensively.

Last season, the improvements continued, and they didn't go unnoticed away away from Stamford Bridge.

Crystal Palace gave him a 17 minute pre-season run out, but the Championship outfit failed to agree terms with Chelsea over a loan move. Undeterred, Djaló followed up some good pre-season form with 18 Reserve team appearances, in which he scored three goals and made eight as the Blues won the Premier Reserve League.

He continued to show off his usual blend of flicks, tricks and stylish attacking play, but also injected an improved work ethic to his performances.

The current Portugal Under-20 international has since played 45 first-team minutes against Wycombe Wanderers during this pre-season, and has already trained with the first-team on a handful of occasions. At 19, Kaby needs to ramp up his development, something a loan move may well help with.

Chelsea have wasted money on many prospects who have failed to make the grade over the years, but don't rule out the committed and talented Kaby Djaló just yet.

Is new boy Carl Jenkinson exactly what Arsenal need?

2011-06-08T15:07:00Z

The ability to consistently find relatively unknown young players and develop them into household names is a skill few managers master. Arsène Wenger is one of the best, but far from scouring the corners of the earth for his latest project, the Arsenal boss has instead moved across London, to snap up teenager Carl Jenkinson.

The 19-year-old right back has finally had his switch to Arsenal confirmed, but it's the business that Wenger's title rivals are doing that is getting the biggest attention. Jenkinson may not have the profile or price tag of the likes of Jordan Henderson or Phil Jones, but the prospect - who has played for his mother's native Finland at under-19 and under-21 level - is just the type of player Arsenal need.

Jenkinson is a product of Charlton Athletic's respected academy system, yet unlike Jonjo Shelvey and many others, his route to the Addicks first-team came the hard way, with 'work experience' loan spells to non-league outfits Welling and Eastbourne Borough.

He was finally given his opportunity, and in just nine first team appearances he had shown enough to be watched by the likes of Fulham, West Ham and Arsenal. Carl and his whole family support the Gunners, and after hearing of their interest, he turned down a contract extension and talks with Arsenal soon began.

A compensation fee believed to be around £1 million is expected to change hands, a drop in the ocean when compared to the aforementioned Henderson and Jones transfers, yet it could prove to be excellent business.

Jenkinson may be a right back by trade, but he can play across the back four, as well as in midfield. Those are all positions Wenger arguably needs back up, and Carl boasts a physique and character many claim Arsenal players lack.

The Harlow-born defender stands at over six foot, is strong, powerful, tenacious and determined - but on top of that, he also boasts a more elegant side. He is capable of delivering accurate free-kicks and crosses, and favours playing the ball out from the back, rather than opting for a longer pass upfield. He may lack experience and be a little tactically naïve, but four seasons at Arsenal's London Colney facility could well be enough to sharpen him up.

Jenkinson's transfer may not win many backpage headlines in the next few days, but no Arsenal fan can deny an addition who boasts such spirt, potential, love for the club and versatility can be a bad thing given the criticisms aimed at the team in recent seasons.

Young Everton midfielder one of Europe's 'top talents'

2011-05-27T10:05:00Z

The debate around the development of English midfielders attracts a whole host of varying opinions, but while many question what needs to be done to develop a generation of highly-skilled, attack-minded flair players, the production line of defensive midfielders appears to be running smoothly.

The likes of Jack Rodwell, Fabrice Muamba and Jay Spearing are all hoping to graduate from the Under 21's to challenge Gareth Barry and Scott Parker for places in the senior England setup. That core of solid players continues further down the chain, with Everton's John Lundstram the latest to show huge promise.

Lundstram is a powerful, aggressive and all-action box-to-box midfielder, who also boasts an impressive range of passing. His combative displays have earned many plaudits, despite playing in what some consider an 'unfashionable' position.

Lundstram is honing his skills at Everton's famous Finch Farm academy, where youngsters are taught the importance of basic qualities such as hard work and determination, as well as developing on a technical level. Already, John's excellent ability on the ball and elegant left-footed style adds a real balance in the middle of the park.

It was this diverse range of strengths which earned him a place in UEFA's 'top talents' list for this month's Under 17 European Championships in Serbia (although they also describe the youngster as having a 'whiff' of Steven Gerrard about him...). He was picked for every one of England's four matches, showing a cool head and good leadership in what proved to be a rocky road to qualification for the knock-out phases.

England were ultimately eliminated at the semi-final stage, losing 1-0 to eventual winners Holland. It was a big disappointment, but John Peacock's side will get another chance to show their quality at next months Under 17 World Cup. Lundstram will certainly be one to watch.

Everton have historically promoted a steady of flow of youngsters into their first-team, and with a little refinery, John Lundstram has a good chance of joining that growing list in the future.

Have Manchester United uncovered their very own Patrick Vieira?

2011-05-05T11:18:00Z

Down the years Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United have endured many a battle against a tall and powerful French midfielder. But now, Fergie's got one of his own.

Step forward Paul Pogba, a 18-year-old with all the qualities of a young Patrick Vieira, and arguably a few more. Having been plucked from near obscurity at Ligue 2's Le Havre, Pogba looks set for a bright future under Ferguson's tutelage.

The youngster arrived at Old Trafford in 2009, amid a spat with parent club Le Havre. The French side cried foul over the transfer, suggesting The Red Devils had broken a pre-contract agreement in signing elsewhere. United rallied, claiming that the agreement did not prevent clubs from outside France from signing the player. After nearly a year of wrangling the two clubs finally reached an agreement.

The exciting box-to-box midfielder made his debut for Manchester United's Under 18's in October of 2009, and it very quickly became apparent why Manchester United had fought so hard to push the transfer through, despite any possible damage it could do to their reputation. Pogba's powerful, energetic, yet stylish approach to the game make him a perfect fit for English football.

The first thing you notice about the Frenchman is his physique. Pogba is comfortably over six foot and boasts good upper body strength, and a long stride. Yet far from being a big languid unit in the middle of the park, he has a swagger in possession, and is not afraid to dribble, run at defenders or shoot from range.

It was the step up into United's Reserve team where that latter quality was really shown off, when he scored a notable screamer from all of 30 yards against Portsmouth Reserves. The goal impressed all watching, including Sir Alex Ferguson. It's a feat he's repeated a number of occasions, including at international level with France, for whom he is a current Under 19 international.

This season has been another of steady development for Pogba. He has been named in a number of first-team squads, and that will become a more regular occurrence if he continues to work hard at developing his game. The perfect way to show he's on track for a first-team role is to do what United do best - win trophies. Pogba is set to play a key role in the upcoming FA Youth Cup Final against Sheffield United, having previously turned in solid displays in the previous rounds, most notably against Chelsea in the semi-final.

Many fans and pundits have speculated that Ferguson may reshuffle his midfield this summer, introducing some fresh blood to act as competition to the likes of Darren Fletcher, Darron Gibson and Anderson. Paul Pogba will hope to be at the fore-front of those plans, as a new wave of impressive United youngsters make their push for the first-team.

The Newcastle graduate No.9 looking to fill Carroll's boots

2011-04-21T12:48:00Z

No other club in the country quite has the same association with its strikers as Newcastle United – especially when it comes to those front-men who hail from the North East.

The emergence of Andy Carroll restored much hope among The Toon faithful, after the Gateshead boy graduated from the youth team to claim Alan Shearer's iconic No.9 shirt. Carroll may have since moved on to Liverpool, but he has blazed a trial for the next promising Geordie prospect to break through.

On early evidence, 19-year-old Phil Airey has everything in his locker to follow in Carroll's footsteps. Airey joined Newcastle aged 10 and moved quickly through the ranks, featuring in a number of positions. A tough, strong and committed right-back, he took those same qualities to a new role up front and was an instant hit.

In his first season in the Under-18s, the Northumberland-born prospect grabbed three goals in five appearances. Although Airey continued to occasionally feature in defence, his stock as a front-man was continuing to rise. In 2009 he won the Player of the Tournament award at the Foca Cup, where he scored two goals in the final as Newcastle beat Dinamo Zagreb 3-2.

He missed part of the 2008/2009 season through injury, but really showed his class last year, scoring eight goals in nine games for the reserves. Airey then continued his good form this term, and even earned his first-team debut as a substitute in FA Cup Third Round defeat at Stevenage.

Despite looking bright in his short time, he hasn't featured in the first team since, although he impressed the watching Alan Pardew when he cropped up for a 90th-minute winner against Arsenal reserves in early March and is certainly in the picture at Newcastle.

If Magpies fans are expecting another barnstorming striker in the mould of Carroll or Shearer, they'll disappointed. He may boast the same power and work ethic of the aforementioned duo, but his game is based more on playing on the shoulder of the defenders and feeding off scraps in the penalty area.

Even so, it's good news for Newcastle fans that despite having the Carroll money to spend this summer, their academy's production line in promising forwards shows no sign of slowing down, with Airey leading the charge to be the club's next great No.9.

Why Ozil could fill Scholes' shoes

2010-06-23T11:19:00Z

When Werder Bremen parted with €4.5 million to sign 19-year-old Mesut Ozil in January 2008, the club's director of football Klaus Allofs said: “This transfer is about far-sightedness.” He knew that Werder would sooner or later lose brilliant playmaker Diego to a bigger club and was determined to have a successor waiting in the wings.

It says a lot for Ozil that he was able to seamlessly fill the void left by Diego when the brilliant Brazilian left for Juventus last summer, but could he do a similar job at Manchester United by replacing Old Trafford mainstay Paul Scholes?

The Germany midfielder has really stepped up to the plate at the Weserstadion since, scoring nine goals in 31 Bundesliga outings in the season just passed, helping Werder to a third place finish and sealing a place in next season's Champions League.

The 21-year-old has won many admirers thanks to his neat passing, impressive vision and intelligent link-up play for club and country, attributes similar to those which have seen Scholes achieve such prolonged success at Manchester United.

With Scholes, 36 in November, thought to be ready to draw the curtain on his Old Trafford career at the end of the coming season, Sir Alex Ferguson could do a lot worse than signing Ozil as a long term replacement, with the Werder playmaker certain to be able to mix it in the Manchester United engine room.

The Red Devils would be sure to face stiff competition from Europe's other top sides, should they seek to take Ozil to Old Trafford. His showing in Germany's 4-0 win against Australia last Sunday is generally considered to be one of the best individual performances at this summer's Wolrd Cup so far, and only served to ramp up the already substantial hype surrounding the midfielder.

Ozil's outstanding performance in the final did not come as a surprise; it merely acted as a confirmation of his talents. Born in Gelsenkirchen to Turkish parents in 1988, he was always considered his hometown club Schalke's hottest property. His vision was great, his technique impeccable. All he needed to become a star, it was felt, was some experience, a few more muscles and a willingness to score himself instead of always looking for the better-placed man.

Mesut Ozil
Age 21
Position Attacking Midfield
Nationality German
Club Werder Bremen
Games 144 Goals 18 (club career to date)

Talentspotter ratings:
Heading - 4
Crossing - 8
Tackling - 4
Creativity - 9
Passing - 9
Work-rate - 7
Shooting - 7
Pace - 8
Dribbling - 8
Overall – 8

With thanks to Uli Hesse

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SCOUTING REPORT: Exactly how will Marouane Chamakh fit in at Arsenal?

2010-05-21T17:19:00Z

Arsenal have this evening finally done what we all knew they eventually would and completed the signing of Morocco star Marouane Chamakh.

The deal brings a close to over a year of speculation which has seen the striker linked with, among others, Tottenham, Sunderland, West Ham, Blackburn and Fulham.

Here is our Scouting Report in the new darling of the Emirates...

Marouane Chamakh
Date of Birth: 10th January 1984 (26 years old)
Nationality: Moroccan/French
Position: Forward
Career games: 293 Goals: 79

Career History: In January 2003 Chamakh made his first appearance in the Bordeaux first team during a League Cup match against Metz.

He played in his first Ligue 1 match a month later and went on to play ten matches alongside Portuguese striker Pauleta in the second half of 2002/03, scoring one goal.

Although he was born in France, Chamakh was selected to play for the Morocco national team in June 2003, and has gone on to play over 50 times for the national team. In his eight seasons at Stade Chaban Delmas, Chamakh scored 55 goals in 227 Ligue 1 outings, scoring a further 24 in 66 cup and European matches.

His best season was 2008/09, where his 13 goals helped les Girondins to their first Ligue 1 title in a decade.

Playing Style: A strong but elegant player, Chamakh plays just off the shoulder of the last man in the opposition defence. His aerial ability usually sees him labelled as a target man, but to coin the painful cliche, 'he's got a good touch for a big man', and is more than just a target for long punts up field or balls lobbed into the box.

In the past he had played with a big centre forward alongside him, but his recent success has come playing as the lone striker in Bordeaux’s attack, with an attacking midfielder or withdrawn forward laying off of him - it's not hard to see how he could possibly slot in ahead of Robin van Persie, Andrei Arshavin and co.

Strengths: The Morocco striker provides a massive aerial threat, which is something the Gunners haven't possessed in quite the same degree since Emmanuel Adebayor's departured the Emirates Stadium last summer.

He combines his excellent heading ability with great jumping, strength and agility - he certainly won't be found wanting when it came to the Premier League's more physical fixtures.

Weakness: In the past he’s been accused of trying to over-complicate play, even trying to tee-up team-mates when it would be easier to just go for goal himself (another reason he could fit in well at Arsenal...). He seems to gradually be eradicating this from his game, however could still benefit from working on his reading of the game and positional awareness.

But if anybody can drill that into him, it's Arsene Wenger.

Talentspotter ratings:
• Shooting 7.3
• Passing 6.5
• Heading 9.4
• Tackling 3.5
• Pace 7.8
• Work-rate 8.3
• Crossing 4.1
• Creativity 6.0
• Dribbling 7.9
• Overall 8.0

NEWS: Arsenal complete Chamakh signing

“If I had to choose one club, it would be Arsenal”

2010-05-14T11:30:00Z

FourFourTwo.com's James Horncastle on a young French midfielder currently being compared to Manchester City's former Arsenal star Patrick Vieria, who is aready said to be attracting the attention of Arsene Wenger, Harry Redknapp and Sir Alex Ferguson...

Name Moussa Sissoko
Age 20
Position Midfield
Nationality French
Club Toulouse
Games 118 Goals 15

Having just returned from a routine scouting mission to Paris eight years ago, Toulouse’s chief scout, Daniel Martinez, literally burst through the club’s doors.

“I said: ‘I’m back and I think I have found a star!’” he remembers. “I got teased about it, but nevermind.”

The 12-year-old boy who had turned Martinez into an office joke was Moussa Sissoko, the son of a Malian footballer. When the prestigious magazine France Football named Sissoko as the Revelation of 2009 last December, Martinez was entitled to ask: “Who’s laughing now?”

An ever-present in the Toulouse side since an assured first start against Lyon in 2007, Sissoko, now 20, has already amassed more than 100 appearances in Ligue 1.

“Being with Toulouse allowed me to have my chance very soon,” he enthused. “They are a club that focuses on youth.”

In touch with his Malian roots, Sissoko grew up idolizing Mahamadou Diarra, but his sometimes awkward-looking playing style has led to comparisons with Arsenal and France legend Patrick Vieira.

Coincidentally, Sissoko is currently ahead of the Manchester City player in the pecking order for the France squad.

“It’s there for all to see, he is performing for his club,” Raymond Domenech said after calling him up for the first time in August 2009.

Six goals in his first 13 games this season only served to increase interest in Sissoko, with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Manchester United all linked with a move for the midfielder over the past 12 months.

Manchester United may seek a player of Sissoko's ilk to replace Owen Hargreaves, who has struggled with injuries for over two years, generally leaving Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick as the only senior defensive-minded midfielders at Old Trafford. Spurs meanwhile, may wish to add more steel and energy to a central midfield which is at times a bit static, especially with White Hart Lane set to host Champions League football next season. However Sissoko already seems to have a fairly good idea where he'd like to play...

“If I had to chose a club,” he mused, “it would be Arsenal.”

Vieira’s Gunners legacy should consider itself under threat.

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Scouting report: The next Andrea Pirlo

2010-03-19T11:47:00Z

FourFourTwo contributor and Serie Aaaaargh! blogger Riccardo Rossi tells us about the Italian midfielder being tipped to follow in the illustrious footsteps of the great Andrea Pirlo for the Azzurri...

Riccardo Montolivo
Age 25
Position Central midfield
Nationality Italian
Club Fiorentina
Games 221 Goals 17 (career)

Sometimes you have to take a step back to go forward. This has certainly been the case for the Fiorentina schemer, who under the astute Cesare Prandelli has been transformed from an attacking midfielder into a deep-lying playmaker

The Viola coach felt that the player lacked sufficient pace to play behind the front-two, but possessed a wide range of passing and shrewd reading of the game to exploit space from a withdrawn role

Now 24, the former Atalanta graduate is certainly a composed customer on the ball and his ability to retain possession could see him back-up Andrea Pirlo in the Italy squad for the World Cup

Tall and physically imposing, he may not be a fearsome ball-winner but his duties are not confined to a holding role and once in possession he can drive forward incisively before delivering a decisive pass or unleashing a thunderous drive

Head held high and an elegant mover, it was a innate desire to have the ball at his feet that propelled the Bergamo-born lad through the ranks of his local club to his debut at 18 and an equally stellar parallel career at international level to captain the Italy Under-21s

A move to Florence was soon followed by a call-up the full Azzurri squad two seasons ago

However, that lack of natural pace was the square peg in the round hole to completing the photo-fit of a true trequartista but the recent tactical switch provides the perfect foundations for a solid future - both for club and country.

Talentspotter Ratings:
Heading 5
Crossing 7
Tackling 5
Creativity 8
Passing 8
Work-rate 8
Pace 6
Shooting 9
Dribbling 7
Overall 7

Scouting report: Sandro could be just the ticket for Spurs

2010-03-16T16:15:00Z

Sandro Raniere Guimarães Cordeiro (Sandro)
Date of Birth 15/03/1989 (21)
Nationality Brazilian
Club Internacional
Position Defensive Midfielder / Centre Back
Games 71 Goals 3

Working out which of Tom Huddlestone and Wilson Palacios would partner Sandro in central midfield, should he finally make his much-speculated upon move to White Hart Lane this summer, is difficult, because in a way the Brazilian international combines the strengths of both in one tidy package.

In all probability, he would be a better fit for the role currently undertaken by Palacios - although the three would probably end up being rotated depending on the oppositon.

A tall, dynamic holding midfielder also capable of playing in central defence, Riachinho-born Sandro is most effective sat in front of the back four, where his primary role is to act as a spoiler, breaking up opposition attacks.

However is a capable of much, much more than that.

He’s often seen initiating his team’s forward play, driving with the ball through the centre of the park, or maintaining the team’s possession with his sensible and considered distribution of the ball.

However that creative side to his game still needs to improve - especially his longer range passing, while he also doesn’t score many goals for a central midfielder. Time is certainly on his side in that respect; he is still young and should improve with age, experience and the right coaching.

Sandro first joined Internacional as a 16 year old in 2005. He spent two years playing for the club at youth level before making his first team debut in 2007 aged 18.

However it was in the 2008 season that he really began to make a name for himself, scoring twice in eight appearances as inter went on to win the Copa Sudamericana - the South American equivalent of the Europa League - beating Argentinean side Estudiantes in the final.

By the 2009 season, Sandro had developed into a key figure in the Inter side, despite still being just 20. The midfielder helped his team finish second on the Brazilian Seria A, sealing a place in the 2010 Copa Libertadores.

Formerly the captain of the Brazil under-20 side, his form during the 2009 season caught the eye of senior team coach Dunga, who handed Sandro his first call up for A Seleção for the World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Chile as a replacement for Wolfburg’s Josue.

He made his full international debut against the latter in a 4-2 victory, but despite continuing to impress in Seria A, he’ll face an uphill battle to dislodge one of Felipe Melo, Kleberson or Gilberto Silva before Dunga picks his final 23 for South Africa.

Sandro is a strong, hard-working player with a good engine – he is rarely found wanting when it comes to blades of grass covered over the course of 90 minutes. He is also aggressive in the tackle, yet sensible when in possession of the football – he prefers to keep things simple rather than trying to pull off the sort of elaborate flicks or tricks often favoured by his countryman.

He is a technically astute player, and a natural leader who gives confidence to those around him. All of which would stand him in good stead, should a move to the Premier League finally materialise.

Tottenham reportedly made their first move at the end of last summer, however Internacional were reluctant to sell another star player following Nilmar’s departure to Villarreal. Spurs returned in January with another offer, but Inter were then keen to hold onto their starlet through to the summer, so he could be involved in their Copa Libertadores campaign.

A slight complication with the timing of any deal could be the fact the Libertadores final doesn’t take place until August 14th, the first day of the new Premier League season.

With four years still to run on his current contract, and 30% of his rights owned by a third party, there will be many hurdles to overcome before a deal can be finalised, but Sandro looks like being worth the trouble.

Talentspotter Ratings:
• Shooting 6.0
• Passing 7.0
• Heading 5.4
• Tackling 7.8
• Pace 7.4
• Work-rate 7.7
• Crossing 6.0
• Creativity 7.0
• Dribbling 6.5
• Overall 7.6

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With thanks to all at Championship Manager

Scouting report: The next Romario still has time on his side

2010-03-04T15:30:00Z

While some Brazilian youngsters come to Europe and quickly become world superstars, things do always go immediately to plan.

Last summer, Palmeiras forward Keirrison arrived at Camp Nou after a rapid rise to the pinnacle of the domestic game in Brazil, and was already being touted as a potential star for Dunga’s side at the 2010 World Cup.

However his progress has since stalled.

Keirrison is a product of Coritiba’s youth team, and was promoted to the first team in 2006, helping the side win the Brazilian second division title a year later, scoring 12 goals in the process.

He continued his goal scoring feats, first by scoring 18 goals in the 2008 Parana state championships, then by netting a further 21 goals in the Brazilian Serie A. He finished joint top scorer in the league and was voted the league’s best newcomer.

In the January of 2009 Keirrison moved to Brazilian giants Palmeiras, but his early form quickly saw him linked with a move to Europe, and indeed just seven appearances and five goals later, he was a Barcelona player.

Immediately sent out on loan in order to familiarise himself with the European game rather than sit on the Camp Nou bench, Keirrison spent six months at Benfica, before switching to Fiorentina in January.

Although the 21-year-old hasn’t always had things go his way since switching continents, the signs are that things could slowly be turning in his favour.

FourFourTwo contributor and blogger Celso de Campos Jr, tells us more about the prodigious Brazilian talent...

Name Keirrison de Souza Carneiro
Age 22
Position Forward
Nationality Brazilian
Club Fiorentina (on loan from Barcelona)
Games 4 Goals 1

In May 2009, the hurricane Keirrison was taking Brazilian football by storm.

Palmeiras’ young forward was overshadowing Corinthians star Ronaldo in their Sao Paulo State Championship scoring duel and attracting the attention of national team coach Dunga, who hinted that if ‘K9’ kept up his progress, it would only be a matter of time before he made his Selecao debut.

The Phenomenon himself complimented the striker. “He’s a great player; he knows the ways to score. He’ll be in Europe in no time,” he said.But such talk was Keirrison’s ruin. Dreaming of a move to Barcelona, the player simply stopped performing – his goals dried up, and he was blamed for Palmeiras’ elimination from both the Copa Libatadores and the Sao Paulo State Championship.

Shortly after Keirrison failed to show up at Palmeiras, his agents announced he had been sold to Barcelona for €15 million.

The dream was short-lived, though: after arriving at Camp Nou he was immediately sent on a season-long loan to Benfica.

The young Brazilian found it so hard to break into the first team at Estadio da Luz, that he played just 199 minutes of competitive football in six months in Portugal, before Benfica agreed to allow the player to return to Barcelona four months early so he could be loaned out to a club more likely to offer him first team action.

Fiorentina were that club, agreeing an 18-month deal with Barca in the dying days of the January transfer window.

Although he has so far been restricted to substitute appearance for La Viola, he has already scored his first goal for Cesare Prandelli’s side, netting an injury time equaliser away to Lazio.

While this club-hopping may cost him a place at the World Cup, he had the talent to bounce back.

A deadly scorer with silky passing, he has been compared to the great Romario – indeed Keirrison himself says he mirrored his game on that of the ‘temperamental’ genius. He did, after all, score 24 goals in 35 matches for Palmeiras.

When his loan spell at Fiorentina ends, he faces major competition to break into the Barcelona first team, should he return. But even if he fails to make the grade in Catalonia, there won’t be a shortage of big clubs trying to acquire his services.

Talentspotter ratings:
Heading 7
Crossing 7
Tackling 6
Creativity 8
Passing 9
Work-rate 7
Shooting 9
Pace 8
Dribbling 9
Overall rating 9

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Scouting report: Rakitic still has a point to prove

2010-02-26T15:00:00Z

Croatia’s failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa isn’t the first time the Balkan nation’s team has failed to build on their successes on the pitch.

The golden generation of Prosinecki, Boban and Suker followed their third place finish at France 98 by failing to qualify for Euro 2000 – in a similar fashion, the current crop followed their impressive performance at Euro 2008, finishing third in their qualifying group for the summer’s World Cup behind Ukraine and, of course, England.

But while some members of the squad can comfort themselves with their form at club level, Schalke’s Ivan Rakitic, is left rueing a missed opportunity to prove what he can do and send a strong message to his doubters, most notably those at his own club.

The 21 year old hasn’t enjoyed the best of times during his time with Schalke, having failed to consistently display the kind of performances that lead to him held in high regard in his homeland, and saw him linked with the likes of Everton, Arsenal, Liverpool, Juventus and Chelsea 18 months ago.

"Chips for tea, get in there!"

FourFourTwo contributor Ulrich Hesse tells us more about the Croatian playmaker…

Name Ivan Rakitic
Age 21
Position Attacking midfielder
Nationality Croatian
Club Schalke 04
Games 64 Goals 5

In December last year, Schalke coach Felix Magath made a statement that made fans across Germany pr*ck up their ears – though those belonging to Ivan Rakitic must have been burning.

“Our problematic positions are the left side of defence and the central role behind the strikers,” Magath said. “Those two positions are currently vacant.”

This image raises more questions than answers...

His words were a clear signal that Rakitic, signed to play in the hole behind the forwards and wearing the number 10 shirt, had to get his act together if he was to have a future at

However, it remains a bit of a mystery why the 21-year-old has so far been unable to do for Schalke what he used to do in Switzerland for Basle; where Schalke signed him from in 2007, and what he regularly does for Croatia.

A lack of continuity may be to blame. Rakitic impressed in his first season at Schalke. Under coach Mirko Slomka, he was a regular in the first XI, setting up 11 goals. But a year later, under Fred Rutten, he was often the first to be subbed, before finally losing his first team place.

Rakitic is determined to be taken seriously at Schalke...

“That was the hardest time of my professional career so far,” said Rakitic, shortly after he had been presented with his third coach in as many years.

“I hope I will profit from Felix Magath as much as Wolfsburg’s Zvjezdan Misimovic did,” the Croatian added. That’s presumably a wish shared by Magath and all fans of Schalke.

Talentspotter ratings:
Heading 3.0
Crossing 7.0
Tackling 4.0
Creativity 7.0
Passing 7.0
Work-rate 6.0
Shooting 8.0
Pace 8.0
Dribbling 7.0
Overall 7.0

Scouting report: Chelsea well aware of Inter task

2010-02-24T12:45:00Z

Chelsea will be more than aware of the size of the task facing them in tonight’s Champions League last 16 clash with Italian champions Inter Milan.

Mourinho, however, has declared that knowing so much about your opponents can actually make things harder, before rightly stating that Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti, formerly of AC Milan, probably knew as much about Inter.

Jose will certainly be looking for more luck against English opposition than he got this time last year, when his side were beaten by eventual finalists Manchester United 2-0 on aggregate.

Much like during his Chelsea days, Jose Mourinho will set his side up in a 4-3-3 formation, with three forwards (in this case Pandev, Eto’o and Milito) in a fluid attack, although without quite the same width as the front line he usually deployed during his time at Stamford Bridge.

"Curses, my cufflinks appear to be snagged on one another..."

Goalkeeper Julio Cesar is now expected to play, having looked a doubt earlier in the week after injuring his face in a minor car crash in the early hours of Monday morning.

Fullbacks Christian Chivu and Davide Santon are both injured, so veteran Colombian Cordoba looks likely to fill in at leftback.

Fullbacks Maicon and Ivan Cordoba will push forward and provide width in attack, with Cambiasso dropping deep to protect the experienced centre back pairing of Lucio and Walter Samuel.

Expected Line-Up
GK - Julio Cesar
DR - Maicon
DC - Lucio
DC - Walter Samuel
DL - Ivan Cordoba
CM - Esteban Cambiasso
CM - Wesley Sneijder
CM - Javier Zanetti
FR - Samuel Eto'o
FC - Diego Milito
FL - Goran Pandev

Three to watch out for:

Name: Lucimar Da Silva Ferreira (Lúcio)
Club: Internazionale
Date of Birth: 08/05/1978
Place of Birth: Brasília (Brazil)
Nationality: Brazilian
Height: 188
Weight: 184
Position: Central defender
Squad number: 6

The imposing centre back is the current captain of Brazil and arrived at Inter following a highly successful nine year spell in Germany.

He played for Guarani FC and Internacional in his homeland, before moving to Bayer Leverkusen in January 2001 and was a key member of the Leverkusen side that famously lost the German cup and Champions League finals (the Brazilian scored Leverkusen’s goal in the 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid at Hampden Park) in the space of a week, having blown the Bundesliga title the week before.

Lucio only had to wait two months for consolation, as he won the World Cup with Brazil in Japan and South Korea. After two more trophyless years with Leverkusen, Lucio moved to Bayern Munich in 2004. He won the Bundesliga with Bayern three times (2004/05, 2005/06 and 2007/08) and the German Cup three times (2005, 2006 and 2008).

A defender who is both very comfortable on the ball and also very good in the air, Lucio also has excellent distribution and leadership abilities. He is technically gifted, physically strong, and considered to be one of the best defenders in the world.
In the past he has shown a tendency to be caught out of position having sauntered up field on an attacking foray, but Jose Mourinho has helped improve this aspect of his play.

Name: Wesley Sneijder
Club: Internazionale
Date of Birth: 09/06/1984
Place of Birth: Utrecht (Netherlands)
Nationality: Dutch
Height: 170
Weight: 67
Position: Attacking Midfielder (Left/Centre/Right)
Squad number: 10

Sneijder came through the much-lauded Ajax academy system and played for the Amsterdam side’s first team between 2002 and 2007. He moved to Real Madrid in 2007 and spent two seasons at the Bernabeu before joining Inter last summer.

He won the Dutch league with Ajax in 2003-4 and the Spanish double of League and Cup with Real Madrid in 2007-8.

The Dutchman is a gifted midfield playmaker and can play centrally or in wide areas, and has two good feet. He is very dangerous from set pieces and has the ability to tee-up his team mates or score himself from a dead ball situation. He has outstanding creativity and vision, with an excellent range of passing. He is also hard-working and competitive, to compliment his technical play.

Occasionally Sneijder’s temperament is suspect. In last month’s Milan derby he received a straight red card for dissent – he’s certainly a player that can be wound up.

Name: Mario Balotelli
Club: Internazionale
Date of Birth: 12/08/1990
Place of Birth: Palermo (Italy)
Nationality: Italian/Ghanaian
Height: 189
Weight: 79
Position: Forward/Winger
Squad number: 45

Balotelli is regarded as arguably the best young prospect in Italian football, and is a regular for Italy at under 21 level. He made his debut for Inter in the 2007/08 season and his star has been on the rise ever since. In November 2008 he scored his first Champions League goal against Anorthosis of Cyprus, making him Inter’s youngest ever scorer in the competition.

The 19 year old can play either on the flanks or through the middle, and has the deadly combination of pace and power that can cause any defence problems. He is also full of trickery and is a very powerful finisher.

He does, however, seem to have a poor temperament and has been criticised by Mourinho for a lack of effort in training. He lacks discipline and is inconsistent despite his exceptional natural ability. For this reason he probably will not start against Chelsea but he is certain to feature at some stage of the tie.

Although he is unlikely to start the match, Balotelli could be used as an impact sub towards the end of the game, and could cause grief to any tired legs in Chelsea’s defence.

With thanks to Simone Turco and all at Championship Manager

Scouting report: The striker with Arsenal in his sights

2010-02-22T12:45:00Z

You know the drill: Portuguese side brings in player from South America. South American player impresses - both in domestically and in European competition. Team in more established league signs said player for big bucks.

The same well-trodden path could be walked by Porto’s Radamel Falcao in the not too distant future.

The Colombian striker moved to Porto last summer and has been an instant hit in his first season at Estadio do Dragao, scoring 16 goals in 19 matches in the Portuguese Liga, with a further four in seven Champions League appearances.

The most recent of these was of course in last week's last 16 first leg win over Arsenal, although not all of his goals rely so heavily on defensive mix-ups (or poor refereeing, if you believe Arsene Wenger).

Falcao flashes his winning smile...

Falcao has already been linked with the likes of Tottenham, Manchester United and Liverpool over the past 18 months, and if he continues his impressive form through to the end of the season, he's sure to be one of the most sought-after players in the summer transfer window.

His first objective, however, will be to eliminate Arsenal from the Champions League in two weeks time.

FourFourTwo contributor Martin Mazur tells us more about the Colombian hotshot…

Clichy: "Isn't that Radamel Falcao?"

Name Radamel Falcao
Age 23
Position Striker
Nationality Colombian
Club Porto
Games 29 Goals 23

Appearances can be deceptive. Away from the pitch, the young Colombian hot-shot is Radamel Garcia: a shy, softly spoken teenager who puts his success down to the grace of God.

On the pitch, however, the striking sensation morphs into Radamel Falcao: a fierce, uncompromising attacker who likes nothing more than winding up opposing defenders before scoring past them and celebrating like a man possessed.

And it’s this dual persona – levelheaded professional combined with multi-talented competitor –that makes the Colombian one of the world’s best young strikers.

The 23-year-old – who was named after the Brazilian midfielder by his dad – probably would have been playing in Europe sooner if hadn’t been for one of the worst Rover Plate sides of all time. Under the guidance of manager Diego Simeone, he only won one title and was sacrificed as right-winger.

Yet he never complained. With the strength of a raging bull, Falcao is a bundle of fearless energy, never pulling out of a 50-50 challenge, even if he knows winning the ball will cost a couple of teeth. For him, winning is everything.

This means that on top of being an incisive forward, he is the team’s first defender.

"You can call me Superbock..."

Signed to replace Lisandro Lopez at the Estadio do Dragao, he’s taken no time to settle, scoring more than a goal every other game during the first half of the season.

Expect the young gunslinger to fire Porto, as well as the Colombian national team, to bigger and better things.

Talentspotter ratings:
Heading - 9
Crossing - 6
Tackling - 8
Creativity - 5
Passing - 6
Work-rate - 10
Pace - 7
Shooting - 9
Dribbling – 5
Overall – 8

Scouting report: The Basque Wayne Rooney

2010-02-19T15:30:00Z

Athletic Bilbao striker Iker Muniain isn't being labelled the Basque Wayne Rooney because he resembles the 'unique looking' Manchester United star wearing a natty French undergarment, you'll probably be pleased to hear.

No, the comparisons are being drawn thanks to both the Pamplona-born starlet's speedy ascent to the upper echelons of Spanish football - a rise which has seen him set records as both Athletic's youngest ever player in a competitive match, and youngest ever goalscorer - and his bullish, never-say-die approach to the game.

It's said that the 17-year-old is already being monitored by scouts from several of Europe's top sides, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Manchester City.

There would certainly be no shortage of takers should Munian decide to leave Estadio San Mamés. Although with his club side already valuing him at £30 million, any potential transfer won’t come cheap.

FourFourTwo contributor and La Liga Loca blogger Tim Stannard gives us the skinny on the promising Basque hot shot…

He looks more like Torres than Rooney, to be fair...

Name Iker Muniain
Age 17
Position Striker
Nationality Spanish
Club Athletic Bilbao
Games 23 Goals 5

It is deliciously ironic that Iker Muniain scored his first official goal for Athletic Bilbao against the Swiss side, Young Boys, in September’s Europa League clash. After all, the forward was just sixteen when he struck to put the Basque club through to the group stages of the competition.

Despite missing chunks of the current campaign on duty with Spain’s youth ranks and through injury, Muniain has shown enough Primera potential to win a contract with Athletic until 2015.

For a club that restricts itself to using locally born players and can ill-afford to chop and change in the transfer market, it was some achievement. It was also a way for the Bilbao side to see off talent-sensing sharks from Europe’s bigger beasts that had begun to circle San Mamés.

"Unhand me, evil-doers!"

Muniain draws most comparisons with Manchester United and England forward Wayne Rooney due to his bullish bellicosity partnered with his attacking instincts.

The striker, who turned seventeen in December, is a fearless footballer and proved so by scoring his first goal in La Liga against the notoriously dirty defence of Valencia. In the following game, Muniain demonstrated that he was equally adept at providing as finishing, with two assists in an away win against Zaragoza.

It was a peerless performance that had his manager, Joaquin Caparros, purring that his young striker had a “built-in GPS and eight gears”. The early indications from a footballer sports daily AS call “the future star of Spanish football” are that none of these gears are for reversing.

Talentspotter ratings:
Heading - 6
Crossing - 7
Tackling - 7
Creativity - 8
Passing - 8
Work-rate - 8
Shooting - 8
Pace - 7
Dribbling - 6
Overall - 7

Scouting report: Shakhtar could prove too much for Fulham

2010-02-18T16:00:00Z

Fulham's reward for progressing beyond the new-fangled Europa League group stage is a mouth-watering tie with last season’s UEFA Cup winners, Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine.

One of the most improved sides in Europe over the past decade, Donetsk have played in the Champions League group stages in three of the last six seasons.

Last season they recorded a famous 3-2 victory away to eventual European champions Barcelona, before dropping into the UEFA Cup.

If last season’s successful campaign is anything to go by, Shakhtar will be looking to keep things tight in the away leg and get the job done back at the new 51,000 capacity Donbass Arena.

If the Cottagers are to make progress to the next round, they’ll need to be at their best over the two legs, and will probably need to take some kind of advantage with them into next week’s return leg.

Roy Hodgson has, of course, instilled a very high work rate into his players at Craven Cottage, but Shakthar have a very technically gifted team, and will be more than capable of keeping them at arms length by retaining possesion, if they’re on form.

This time last year, the Ukrainians were also in London, facing Tottenham. Spurs rested many of their key players over that two-legged encounter with one eye on the upcoming Carling Cup final and another on their battle with relegation from the Premier League (yes, that is both eyes...)

Despite Spurs being considerably under strength, Shakthar needed defensive errors to score two late goals to win the home leg 2-0, before scrapping to a 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane.

While Fulham will be taking this tie more seriously, they will still be without the likes of Clint Dempsey, Andrew Johnson and John Paintsil through injury.

Expected Shakthar Donetsk line-up:
GK Pyatov
DR Srna
DC Kucher
DC Rakytskyy
DL Rat
MR Ilsinho
DM Hübschman
MC Jadson
MC Fernandinho
ML Willian
FC Luiz Adriano

Three for Fulham to watch out for:

Name: Darijo Srna
Date of Birth: 01/05/1982
Place of Birth: Metkovic (Croatia)
Nationality: Croatian
Height: 182
Weight: 78
Position: Full Back, Wing-Back, Midfield (Right)
Squad number: 33

Srna is a senior member of the Croatian national team, and the captain of Shakhtar Donetsk. He began his career at Hajduk Split in his native Croatia, and was on their books between 1999 and 2003, before moving to Ukraine.

The Croatian is no stranger to silverwear, having won the Croatian league title with Hajduk in 2001 and the Ukrainian Premier League with Shakhtar in 2005, 2006 and 2008. He also won the last ever UEFA Cup with Shakhtar last season.

Versatility is one of Srna’s biggest strengths and the 27-year-old can play in any position on the right flank, although he mostly turns out at right back for Shakhtar.

He is a player with a strong work ethic, and is an excellent passer and crosser of the ball. His deliver from set pieces is of the highest quality and he is also a reliable finisher.

Defensively he is sound, thanks largely to his good positional discipline, although he isn’t a brilliant tackler.

Name: Ilson Pereira Dias Júnior (Ilsinho)
Date of Birth: 12/10/1985
Place of Birth: São Bernardo do Campo (Brazil)
Nationality: Brazilian
Height: 178
Weight: 91
Position: Full Back, Wing Back, Midfielder, Winger (Left/Right)
Squad number: 11

Ilsinho started his career in his native Brazil with Palmeiras and Sao Paulo before moving to Shakhtar in 2007.

He won the Brazilian league in 2006, and was part of the Shakhtar side that won the Ukrainian title in 2008 and the UEFA Cup in 2009. He has featured in provisional squads for Brazil, although he is yet to make his full international bow.

The highly creative Brazilian is an exceptionally versatile, and can slot in at full back or wide midfield on either flank. He has excellent close control, first touch and dribbling skills – exactly as you’d expect from a Brazilian.

Like Srna, Ilsinho is a very attack-minded wide player. Should he start at left back this evening, he may leave space on the Fulham right which could be exploited – however he will more than likely start on the right side of midfield.

Name: Jadson Rodrigues Da Silva (Jadson)
Date of Birth: 05/10/1983
Place of Birth: Londrina (Brazil)
Nationality: Brazilian
Height: 168
Weight: 67
Position: Attacking Midfielder (Centre/Right)
Squad number: 8

Another Brazilian among the Shakhtar ranks, Jadson moved to Ukraine from Atletico Paranaense in 2003. Since then he has won three Ukrainian league titles and scored the winning goal in last season’s UEFA Cup final.

Jadson is an attacking midfielder with superb technical skills. He is often at the heart of Shakhtar’s best attacking moves. He can dribble well, has good creativity and vision, and is an excellent finisher when arriving in the box.

The Brazilian is a player reliant on skill, rather than physical play, so he could be bullied out of the game – something the likes of Dickson etuhu may want to bear in mind. His qualities as a midfielder are also more offensive than defensive, so he is not always thinking of defensive responsibilities and, much like with his compatriot Ilsinho, could leave space for Fulham to attack.

Scouting report: Urziceni look to test Liverpool's patience

2010-02-18T12:45:00Z

The most telling thing about Liverpool’s season is probably that, had they managed to scrape into second place in their Champions League group ahead of Lyon before Christmas, it would be they who faced nine times European Cup winners Real Madrid and their army of Galacticos this week, instead of the French side.

Instead they play host to Unirea Urziceni, a team very few beyond the borders of Romania had heard of before the back end of last season, and one that had not even played top flight football before 2006.

Perhaps a headline clash with Atletico Madrid, Juventus or Ajax would have provided a more palatable transition from Champions to Europa League, for Liverpool’s fans.

However the players can’t afford to lapse into that mindset, not least because Urziceni have already proven a more than capable outfit at European level, and in truth probably made a better fist of attempting to qualify for the Champions League knock-out stages than Liverpool did this season.

The Romanian champions finished third in Champions League Group G, behind Sevilla and Stuttgart, knocking Rangers out of the European reckoning altogether.

They accrued eight points from their six group matches (one more than Liverpool could muster in Group E, incidentally), in a campaign that saw them win emphatically at Ibrox 4-1, and overcome 2006 and 2007 UEFA Cup winners Sevilla 1-0.

Rangers 1-4 Urziceni - probably not the best moment in Rangers' history...

However it’s not all been sunshine and roses for Urziceni over recent months.

During the winter break, manager Dan Petrescu (him formerly of Sheffield Wednesday, Chelsea and scoring that ruddy annoying late goal against England in ‘98) opted to jump ship in favour of the sizable pay-rise offered by Russian side Kuban Krasnodar.

He will certainly be missed by the Romanian side, having overseen the most successful period in their history after arriving back in 2006, the pinnacle being last season’s unexpected league triumph.

Such was Petrescu’s influence at Urziceni, that he was able to nickname the club ‘the Chelsea of Ialomita’ (Ialomita being the region of Romania in which Urziceni is based), after his former employers in London.

Former Maccabi Haifa coach Ronny Levy has since taken to the helm, with tonight’s clash at Anfield being his first competitive match since taking over.

The Israeli won three consecutive league titles in his homeland between 2004 and 2006, and will be hoping to defend Urziceni‘s title, with his new club one of three tied on 34 points at the top of the Romanian Liga at the half way stage.

But first he'll be looking to frustrate Liverpool, having done so in the qualifying round back in 2006, when his Maccabi side were only undone by an 88th minute Mark Gonzalez (remember him?) goal at Anfield, before holding the eventual finalists to a 1-1 draw in Israel.

The new system implemented by Levy during the club’s mid-season friendlies has been a 4-2-3-1 when defending, switching to 4-1-4-1 when in possession.

This system utilises Urziceni’s main strengths: their solid defence – they’ve only conceded 13 league goals in 17 matches so far this season, having let in 20 in 34 last term – and their ability to soak up pressure and catch teams on the break – a strength Rangers are only too aware of after the Romanians’ win at Ibrox back in October.

Levy: "Yeah, I'll take the job, who's the first game against...?"

This would tend to suggest that Liverpool will need to keep their patience going forward, and also their concentration at the back. Urziceni have the resilience to frustrate the Anfield crowd, who will doubtless be looking for a victory.

While Liverpool certainly should have enough quality to overcome their less illustrious opponents over two legs, what they’ll really need is composure – and that’s exactly what they’ve lacked time and time again this season.

Expected line-up:
GK: Arklauskis
DR: Maftei
DC: Galamaz
DC: Bruno Fernandes
DL: Brandan
MR: Semedo
DM: Apostol
CM: Paduretu
AM: Onofras
ML: Frunza
ST: Bilasco

Three to watch out for:

Name: Giedrius Arlauskis
Date of Birth: 01/12/1987
Place of Birth: Telšiai (Lithuania)
Nationality: Lithuanian
Height: 184cm
Weight: 79kg
Position: Goalkeeper
Squad number: 1

Arlauskis made his Urziceni debut in the 2007/08 season, but it was last season that he really established himself as a key member of the side. He made 30 league appearances as Urziceni conceded the fewest goals in Liga 1 and went on to win the title.

Rumour has it that Sevilla and few other clubs in Europe’s more established leagues have been watching the young keeper during the course of this impressive spell.

The Lithuanian is a confident, agile keeper and an excellent shot stopper. However Liverpool may look to exploit his weakness from set pieces – the 22-year-old is not a keeper who will dominate the box by leaving his line to pluck crosses out of the air, instead he tends to stay on his line & lets his defenders deal with the aerial threat.

Name: Pablo Brandan
Date of Birth: 05/03/1983
Place of Birth: Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Nationality: Argentinean
Height: 181cm
Weight: 82kg
Position: Left back
Squad number: 19

Now in his third season with Urziceni after signing from Alaves in January 2008, the talented left back is a key figure in a sturdy Urziceni back four.

The Argentine is a skilful player with a nice first touch and excellent dribbling skills, making him a good link between defence and midfield.

e has a tendency to dwell on the ball and sometimes tries to play his way out of trouble rather than just finding a teammate, but he possesses the pace and is a fine tackling ability to get him out of most sticky situations.

Name: Marius Bilasco
Date of Birth: 13/07/1981
Place of Birth: Sighetu Marmatiei (Romania)
Nationality: Romanian
Height: 184cm
Weight: 79kg
Position: Striker
Squad number: 7

The 28 year old striker had been floating around the Romanian leagues for the best part of a decade before arriving at Urziceni, playing most of his football for Arges Pitesti. He joined Urziceni in January 2007 and has been a regular fixture since.

Bilasco is perhaps not the most technically gifted player, and he’s not the most prolific goal scorer, but what he does bring to the side is a tremendous work ethic – remind you of a certain Dutchman in the Liverpool ranks (not Ryan Babel, obviously...)?

Very good in the air and is quite agile considering his height, Bilasco works hard for the team and is able to keep a cool head in a one-on-one situation, meaning he often benefits from the aforementioned Urziceni counter-attacks.

With thanks to Alexandru Halbac and all at Championship Manager

Scouting Report: Understrength Arsenal face mammoth Porto task

2010-02-17T12:30:00Z

There can be very few sides in European football as confident when facing British opposition as FC Porto.

The Portuguese giants had an unbeaten record against sides from these shores at Estadio do Dragao – a run which saw them beat Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal – before Cristiano Ronaldo’s long range howitzer helped Manchester United to a 1-0 win on the way to last year’s final.

And no English side has managed to score more than once in the stadium’s six year history.

Under Jose Mourinho’s stewardship they did, however, knock United out of the competition in 2004, before going on to famously lift the trophy themselves with a 3-0 win over Monaco in the final.

They also beat Celtic in the final of the UEFA Cup the season before.

Arsenal probably have less cause to fear that record than most, having comprehensively beaten the Portuguese side 4-0 at the Emirates in last season’s group stage.

They did lose 2-0 in the reverse fixture, although Arsene Wenger fielded a significantly weakened side with qualification to the knock-out phase already assured.

"How'd you expect me to keep that out - it's bloody massive!"

That said, it seems as though the Gunners will be significantly weakened again tonight, with Andrei Arshavin, Eduardo, William Gallas, Alex Song and longer term absentees Robin van Persie and Carlos Vela all failing to make the flight to Oporto earlier this week.

Although there is some good news – Manuel Almunia is also out…

The imposing Brazilian forward, Hulk, is a key figure for Porto, but may be a tad rusty having not played for two months thanks to a domestic ban picked up following a changing room altercation following Porto’s clash with Benfica in December.

Playmaker, Ruben Michael, faces a late fitness test on a shoulder injury, but midfielder Raul Meireles should be back in contention following a month on the sidelines.

Porto usually play with a 4-3-3 formation. This consists of a classic flat back four, a defensive midfielder, two central midfielders, two wingers and a striker.

Porto can vary this tactic though and one of the wingers moves inside to give them another striking option when attacking.

Three to watch:

Pereira prays for some defensive know-how...

Name: Alvaro Pereira
Date of Birth: 28/11/1985 (24)
Place of Birth: Montevideo (Uruguay)
Nationality: Uruguayan
Height: 6ft 1in
Weight: 12st 9lbs
Position: Left Back or Left Winger
Squad number: 15

A current Uruguay international, Alvaro Pereira began his career in his homeland with Miramar, before moving to Argentina in 2005, signing for Quilmes.

A move to Argentinos Juniors followed two years later and after a season in which he scored an impressive 11 goals from his wide position, the Uruguayan started to attract interest from several European sides.

In the summer of 2008, Pereira signed for then Romanian champions, CFR Cluj, going on to start all of their Champions League matches at left back and catching the eye of several of the continent’s more established sides.

He promptly moved on again in June 2009, signing for Porto, and is now first choice left-back.

Pereira is a very attack-minded full-back with lots of stamina and excellent crossing ability.

However he is defensively suspect and, while he wouldn’t struggle to cope with the pace of the likes of Theo Walcott, he may find the skill level harder to deal with.

Michael is so classy, he has his little finger aloft even when he's running...

Name: Rúben Micael
Date of Birth: 19/08/1986 (23)
Place of Birth: Câmara de Lobos (Portugal)
Nationality: Portuguese
Height: 5ft 9in
Weight: 11st 7lbs
Position: Central Midfield or Attacking Midfield
Squad number: 28

Having only joined Porto in January on a four and a half year contract from Nacional, Rúben Micael has made a hugely impressive start to life at the club.

The 23-year-old began his career at Portuguese second division side Clube Futebol União, spending five years at the club before his move to Nacional in the summer of 2008.

Micael displays an excellent range of passing, impressive technique and great awareness of what is going on around him.

A very creative player who is also decent defensively, some Porto fans are already comparing the young midfielder to former maestro, Deco.

At this stage there seem no obvious massive weaknesses to the technical side of his game, although one flaw could be the physical aspect.

Micael has seemed to struggle a little bit when being man-marked by a strong and imposing defensive midfielder.

Arsene Wenger may consider tasking Abou Diaby with marshalling Micael, should the Porto playmaker be fit.

Falcao's breakdancing left a lot to be desired...

Name: Falcao
Date of Birth: 10/02/1986 (24)
Place of Birth: Santa Marta (Colombia)
Nationality: Colombian
Height: 5ft 10in
Weight: 11st 7lbs
Position: Striker
Squad number: 9

Falcao began his career with Argentinian giants, River Plate and established himself as a regular first teamer over the last three seasons, scoring goals at a rate of roughly two in five games.

A Colombian international, he joined Porto in the summer and has enjoyed a great first season with 20 goals in all competitions to his name already.

He possesses decent pace and strength, but where he poses the most threat is in the air – he has a fantastic leap and is an impressive header of the ball.

However, it could well be that Porto look to play balls into the Colombian’s feet and instruct him to make the most of his pace if he is playing up against the aging Sol Campbell, rather than relying on that aerial threat.

That may be playing into Arsenal’s hands, however, as his finishing when the ball is at his feet can sometimes be a tad erratic.

He has been known to miss easy chances, and this is generally regarded as the primary reason he is yet to really establish himself as a top player on the European scene.

With thanks to Paulo Almeida and all at Championship Manager

Why Everton have more than a Sporting chance

2010-02-16T12:45:00Z

Despite an ungodly injury crisis that threatened to derail their season and at times left David Moyes with as many as 10 first team players unavailable, Everton were able to finish in second place in Europa League Group I.

Since their last European fixture, the Toffees have welcomed back some of their injured stars, and have also managed to steadily climb the league table.

In fact, the Goodison Park outfit look in such good fettle, they can afford to look on the remainder of their European campaign as something to relish, rather than as the burden it seemed before Christmas.

If the Europa League is a pleasant accompaniment to Everton’s domestic season, it represents a more than welcome distraction from matters back home for their opponents tonight.

Sporting (don't call them Sporting Lisbon, fool) are currently going through somewhat of a transitional period, following the departure of coach Paulo Bento in November.

Domestically, Sporting are experiencing a particularly bad season, and morale is very low at the moment after recent defeats to Porto (5-2), Academica (2-1), Benfica (4-1) and a scoreless draw at Paços de Ferreira saw them knocked out of both domestic cup competitions and fall further behind Benfica, Braga and Porto in the race for the Liga.

However they have fared slightly better in Europe, having finished top of their Europa League group ahead of Hertha Berlin and Heerenveen after being eliminated from the Champions League by Fiorentina on away goals at the qualifying stage.

Moutinho's verdict of Sporting's season: it stinks...

The Europa League represents Sporting’s last chance of silverware this season as they are out of both domestic cups and 4th in the league table, many points behind the leaders.

Since the arrival of new coach, Carlos Carvalhal, Sporting have experimented with both 4-2-2-2 and 4-1-3-2 formations, having previously employed a classic 4-4-2 diamond formation under Bento.

The likelihood is that they will opt for the former against Everton.

Among their number will be perenial Everton target Joao Moutinho, former Tottenham and Portsmouth star Pedro Mendes and one-time Atletico Madrid forward Florent Sinama-Pongolle, who’ll be sure to get a hot reception thanks to his Liverpool connections.

Everton will certainly need to perform better than they did against Sporting's Portuguese rivals Benfica earlier in the campaign, but given their improved form and Sporting's ongoing malaise, they should have a good chance of progression.

Expected line-up:
GK: Rui Patricio
DL: Grimi
DR: Joao Pereira
DC: Daniel Carriço
DC: Tonel
DM: Miguel Veloso
DM: Pedro Mendes
MC: Joao Moutinho
MC Marat Izmailov
ST: Liedson
ST: Sinama-Pongolle

Three to watch:

Name: Joao Pereira
Club: Sporting Lisbon
Date of Birth: 25/02/1984 (25)
Place of Birth: Lisbon (Portugal)
Nationality: Portuguese
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 10st
Position: Right Back
Squad number: 21

Although Pereira started his career at Benfica, it was at SC Braga that he really made a name for himself.

His form in the first half of this season was enough to earn him a move to Sporting last month and lead the Portuguese press to call for his inclusion in the national squad for the World Cup.

A typical modern full-back, Pereira has a very determined and aggressive style of play and, although he is defensively solid, going forward is his real strength.

His lack of experience at the top level is sometimes displayed through a lack of composure, and he has displayed a tendancy to lose his rag.

An example of this came in the sixth minute of the recent match with Benfica, when he was sent off for a reckless two-footed lunge on Brazilian forward Ramires.

Name: Miguel Veloso
Club: Sporting Lisbon
Date of Birth: 11/05/1986 (23)
Place of Birth: Coimbra (Portugal)
Nationality: Portuguese
Height: 5ft 11in
Weight: 12st 7lbs
Position: Defensive Midfielder
Squad number: 24

Veloso has spent his whole professional career at Sporting, bar a brief loan spell with CD Olivais e Moscavide in 2005.

Veloso is a current Portuguese international and is being coveted by some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Inter Milan were rumoured to have been looking at him in January and a move at the end of the season looks a distinct possibility.

The 23-year-old provides a good barrier in front of the Sporting defence, and certainly knows how to defend, although his game is based more on interceptions and distribution of the ball than hurriedly chasing down opposition midfielders and making crunching tackles.

Although he is excellent technically and has great positional sense, Veloso sometimes disappears from a game and is a little sluggish – which could be something Everton look to exploit.

The Toffees will also need to watch out if Veloso gets a chance to pull the trigger - he has decent long range shooting ability and has been known to score spectacular goals.

Name: Liedson
Club: Sporting
Date of Birth: 17/12/1977 (32)
Place of Birth: Cairu (Brazil)
Nationality: Portuguese
Height: 5ft 9in
Weight: 10st
Position: Striker
Squad number: 31

Liedson is currently enjoying his seventh year at Sporting, after arriving at Estádio José Alvalade in 2003 from Brazilian side Corinthians.

Liedson has since picked up a Portuguese passport and has been playing for the national team since September 2009, scoring twice in his first six international appearances and helping Carlos Queiroz’s team qualify for the summer’s World Cup.

The striker works hard for his team and is both a great scorer of goals, and a scorer of great goals.

Despite standing at just 5ft 9in, he is very good in the air and is also competent in the tackle, which combined with his work-rate means opposition defenders rarely get a moment to hesitate in possession.

He could probably improve on his hold-up play, and also has a suspect temperament.

This was proved recently in his fist fight with Sporting football director, Sa Pinto, which ultimately saw Pinto lose his job at the club.

With thanks to Paulo Almeida and all at Championship Manager

Scouting report: How United can topple Milan

2010-02-16T12:30:00Z

Even before the draw for the first knock-out stage of this season’s UEFA Champions League was made back in December just days after David Beckham had confirmed he would be returning to the San Siro for a second loan spell, deep down, we all just knew this was coming.

While Milan may not be the force they once were, they will still represent a stern test to a Manchester United side some have claimed will be unable to match their own European success of the previous two seasons, following the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.

Of course, last summer saw some notable departures from the Milan camp too, namely coach Carlo Ancelotti, who headed off to Chelsea after eight years at the San Siro helm, and Brazilian talisman Kaka sealing a big money move to Real Madrid.

As such, two more Brazilians have been asked to step up to the plate.

Former Milan midfielder and short-lived BBC pundit, Leonardo moved from the Milan technical director’s office to the manager’s dugout, while former Barcelona star Ronaldinho was tasked with acting as the team’s new creative catalyst.

To his credit, Ronaldinho certainly has stepped it up this season, after a fairly disappointing first year in Italy, although he’s still nowhere near the level that saw him universally acknowledged as the world’s best during his time at Camp Nou.

Leonardo, meanwhile, has provided a steady transition from the Ancelotti era and, although it doesn’t appear as though the 40-year-old is going to have as instant an impact in terms of winning major honours, Milan clearly made the move with Pep Guardiola’s success at Barcelona in mind.

"Don't know what you're laughing at, pal - you're on the bench..."

Initially, things looked like they could quickly turn sour, with Milan starting the season slowly, taking just 12 points from their first eight Serie A matches.

The turning point was a somewhat surprising Champions League win at the Bernabau.

The Rossoneri suffered only one domestic defeat in the dozen matches which followed and, although a recent blip saw them lose to rivals Inter for the second time this season and draw disappointingly with both Livorno and Bologna, Milan were back to winning ways on Friday with a 3-2 victory over Udinese.

At this stage Inter still look favourites to win the Scudetto, sitting nine points ahead of third place Milan, but Leonardo’s side will be encouraged by the way they’ve closed that gap, and the fact they have a game in hand to potentially shorten it further.

Leonardo will likely opt to play with a 4-3-2-1 against United, with experienced trio Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso and Clarence Seedorf in the middle, where they will likely be in direct competition with Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes in what could be the game’s key battle.

Milan’s biggest pre-match concerns surround the fitness of forwards Alexandre Pato and Marco Borriello.

The former is very much the rising star of the current Milan side, while the latter acts as the focal point of the attack (don’t call him a target man – that’s just not very Milan, is it?)

If either or both are unavailable, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar may feature up top.

The Dutchman has undergone an inauspicious start to his career with Milan, failing to score in his first 18 appearances for the Rossoneri, although the former Real Madrid and Ajax striker did score twice in Friday’s win over Udinese.

David Beckham may also find his fate decided by the fitness of Pato and Borriello. If both are available, Beckham is likely to start on the bench.

There are a few weaknesses in the Milan side United may be able to exploit.

While they are typically solid at centre-back, with new boy Thiago Silva and Alessandro Nesta quickly developing a strong understanding – they lack the same strength at full-back.

There is also a distinct lack of pace in the midfield, unsurprising given the average age of its components.

Three to watch:

Name: Alexandre Pato
Date of Birth: 02/09/1989
Place of Birth: Pato Branco (Brazil)
Nationality: Brazilian
Height: 179
Weight: 71
Position: Centre Forward
Squad number: 7

Pato has made such an explosive start to his career, that it’s easy to forget that he’s still only just 20 years of age.

As a 17-year-old with Internacional back in Brazil, he was widely regarded as one of the best prospects in world football, and it was that reputation that saw Milan pay €22 million for his services in August 2007.

Far from buckling under the pressure of such hype, Pato was named Serie A’s Young Player of the Year for 2009, and has already made his debut for the senior Brazil side, against Sweden in March 2009.

Pato is an extremely skilful and an exceptional talent. He has top-quality pace, acceleration, dribbling and finishing skills.

He needs to improve his aerial ability and is certainly physically strong player – he’ll certainly be glad Nemanja Vidic hasn’t travelled to Milan for the match.

Name: Andrea Pirlo
Date of Birth: 19/05/1979
Place of Birth: Brescia (Italy)
Nationality: Italian
Height: 177
Weight: 68
Position: Defensive Midfielder
Squad number: 21

Pirlo has had a glittering career with Milan and Italy. He started his career with Brescia and made his debut for them way back in 1995, aged just 16.

He had a spell with Milan’s rivals Inter between 1998 and 2001, although he failed to make a real impact with the Nerazzurri, and moved to AC Milan for €18 million.

Since then, he has won one Serie A title (2004) and two UEFA Champions Leagues (2003 and 2007), as well as the World Cup with Italy in 2006.

Pirlo dictates the play and tempo for Milan from his position in front of the back four.

Although playing nominally in the holding defensive midfield role, Pirlo is essentially a deep-lying playmaker or a sweeper pushed up in front of the defence.

He has an exceptional range of passing. He is gifted at long-range shooting and can score from free-kicks.

Despite being one of the best players in the world for his role, Pirlo has several weaknesses.

He is certainly not the quickest and isn’t the type of player to launch into crunching tackles, but he has the likes of Ambrosini and Gattuso around him to do the midfield dirty work.

Name: Ronaldinho
Date of Birth: 21/03/1980
Place of Birth: Porto Alegre (Brazil)
Nationality: Brazilian
Height: 181
Weight: 80
Position: Attacking Midfielder/Forward (Right, Left, Centre)
Squad number: 80

Ronaldinho’s career has seen him wind up at Milan via highly successful spells at Gremio, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.

He was European Footballer of the Year in 2005 and FIFA World Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006.

At club level the Brazilian has won the Spanish league twice (2005 and 2006) and the Champions League in 2006.

At international level with Brazil, he won the Copa America in 1999 and the World Cup in 2002.

The 29-year-old is generally considered one of the most gifted players of his generation. His touch, control and technique are of the highest quality.

He is an exceptional dribbler and finisher, capable of spectacular goals. He is an imaginative passer with immense flair, vision and creativity.

Question surrounding his fitness and motivation appear to have been answered with some brilliant performances for Milan in recent months.

But, while Ronaldinho is currently playing very well, he is still not quite at the level he was for Barcelona in 2005/06 – with some pundits theorising that he has never really come to terms with a disspointing 2006 World Cup.

With thanks to Michal Oliva and all at Championship Manager

NEWS: Ferguson wary of Milan experience
BLOG: Serie Aaaaargh!: Milan hobbled by creaking limbs and a dodgy Becks

Serbia have high hopes for their own Teddy Sheringham

2010-02-08T11:30:00Z

He may share a name with former Tottenham goalkeeper Milija Aleksic, but it's Spurs hero Teddy Sheringham with whom Serbian youngster Danijel Aleksic is more likely to be compared.

One of the most promising players to have emerged from Serbia in recent times, Aleksic is a deep lying forward who has also been known to drift out wide.

Much like the former Spurs, Manchester United and West Ham forward, he plays with a composed swagger, and combines great vision with impressive technique to devastating effect.

He may need to find a way of performing more consistently if he is to make it at the highest level, but the signs are that he could be a real star in the making.

Serie A side Genoa certainly saw the potential, taking the youngster to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris for an undisclosed fee last month, beating the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City to his signature.

FourFourTwo contributor Jonathan Wilson tells us more about the highly-regarded 18-year-old…

Teddy Sheringham - not Serbian...

Danijel Aleksic
Age 18
Position Second Striker
Nationality Serbian
Club Genoa
Games 48 Goals 8 (for previous club, FK Vojvodina)

For a couple of years Serbian pundits have been hailing Aleksic as one of the greatest prospects they have ever seen.

Tall and powerful, he is skilful and a fine finisher, but his technique and vision mean than he is probably better suited to a deeper-lying role than the out-and-out striker position he occupied during this summer’s European U19 Championships.

There he scored three goals as Serbia lost to the eventual champions Ukraine in the semi-final.

“Players like him are born once every 20-30 years,” said Petar Puaca, a former Red Star player who runs a football school in Novi Sad, the capital of the Vojvodina region.

“He’s one of the best in the world for his age, and he’s a good boy.”

"Taxi! Genoa please, and step on it!"

As captain of the Serbia U17 side, he scored five goals in three games in the final phase of qualifying for the 2008 European Championships, in which he scored a spectacular bicycle kick against Scotland in 2008.

That same year he played for Serbia’s U19 and U21 sides before being called up to the full national team for a game against Poland that December, making him the only player to represent his country at four different age groups in a calendar year.

There have been suggestions his progress has stalled a little over the past year, and there were rumours that he had become a touch complacent at FK Vojvodina, but Genoa were undeterred, and will be hoping to get the best out of the clearly talented forward.

Talentspotter ratings:
Heading - 8
Crossing – 7
Tackling - 4
Creativity - 9
Passing - 9
Work-rate - 7
Pace - 7
Shooting - 9
Dribbling – 9
Overall - 8.5

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Is this Argentinian wonderkid the next Sergio Aguero?

2010-02-01T13:00:00Z

Tipped by Argentina legend and national coach Diego Maradona (him with the mullet and expensive earrings) as one to keep an eye on, Eduardo Salvio has showcased his ability to weave in and out of defenders to create and score goals, making him a consistent threat.

The 19-year-old's acceleration, low centre of gravity and excellent dribbling skills are enough to leave even the most experienced of defenders tied up in knots.

The dynamic forward is also an excellent finisher with remarkable composure in front of goal and the latest in a long line of short, pacey Argentinian forwards in the mould of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, and of course, Diego himself.

His form and reputation were enough to turn the heads of the likes of AC Milan, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Arsenal, but it was Atletico Madrid who moved quickest to seal a €10 million move earlier this month.

FourFourTwo contributor Martin Mazur gives us the lowdown on the new boy at the Vicente Calderón…

Salvio takes a moment to tweak his nipple - as is his wont...

Eduardo Salvio
Age 19
Position Striker/Winger/Attacking midfielder
Nationality Argentinian
Club Atletico Madrid
Games 30 Goals 11

The most promising striker in Argentinian football may have played almost two full seasons out of position, yet he managed to maintain his reputation as a wonderkid.

El Toto grew up as the club’s main striker in every level of the academy, yet his introduction to professional football, at 17, saw him converted to a tricky right-winger that made goals for poacher Jose Sand rather than scoring them himself.

After Sand’s departure, however, Salvio took over up front and, as expected, quickly stepped into his goal scoring boots to become the team’s best player.

Unstoppable with the ball at his feet, Salvio is the perfect counter-attacking footballer, making defenders clumsily crash against each other while he bears down on goal with his trademark silky smooth dribbling technique, earning comparisons with the last Argentinian prodigy, his new teammate, Sergio Aguero.

Zoos in Argentina feature footballers rather than chimps and goats and stuff...

Also referred to as Pocho – due to his resemblance to the other El Pocho, Napoli’s Ezequiel Lavezzi – Salvio is as good playing as a second striker, a No.10, or even as a wide midfielder.

But it’s in the box where he comes alive.

What’s most intriguing about Salvio’s is his unpredictability: when defenders think he will dribble, he shoots; when they think he will shoot, he outruns them to make space for a cross; when they think he will spin, he waits for the foul and gains a dangerous free-kick.

Talentspotter Ratings:
Heading - 5
Crossing - 7
Tackling - 4
Creativity - 8
Passing - 7
Work-rate - 7
Pace - 9
Shooting - 8
Dribbling - 9
Overall - 8

Is 'the new Zizou' heading for the Premier League?

2010-01-27T16:00:00Z

There can be few players more frustrated with Ligue 1 side Grenoble Foot 38’s atrocious form so far this campaign than Sofiane Feghouli.

Regarded as one of the most promising young footballers in Europe, Feghouli has had a torrid time this term, missing the start of the season with a knee injury before returning in September and failing to find form.

This has led to him making just five league appearances, despite the side struggling at the foot of the table with just one victory from 21 matches.

The attacking midfielder is a product of Grenoble's youth system, and has played for the French U21 national team, although he is also eligible to play for Algeria.

He possesses an excellent first touch and impressive balance, and is versatile enough to play across the midfield or off a striker.

Surprisingly for a young, technically-blessed French footballer, Feghouli hasn’t been snaffled up by Arsene Wenger.

Infact it’s the Arsenal boss’s old adversary Sir Alex Ferguson who is said to be most likely to make a move, with the Manchester United manager said to be monitoring the player’s progress for over a year.

"PHWACK!"

Indeed, speaking in the French press, Feghouli has previously said of a potential move to England: “I like the Premier League, it is one of the best leagues. Manchester United? The best team in the world at the moment, it is a dream club. But there’s no contact with me, it is paper talk.”

However, the likes of Liverpool, AC Milan, Ajax and Barcelona are also known to be keen admirers, so Fergie may have to act swiftly in order to get his man.

Just to make things more interesting, Feghouli will be out of contract and available for a nominal fee come the summer, which could lead Grenoble to accept any reasonable bid that comes there way in the coming days.

FourFourTwo contributor James Eastham spills the beans on the ‘the right-footed Ryan Giggs’…

Name Sofiane Feghouli
Age 20
Position Right-winger
Nationality Franco-Algerian
Club Grenoble
Games 5 Goals 0 (Ligue 1 this season)

Manchester United have signed one highly promising French winger in Gabriel Obertan and it may not be long before another arrives at the Carrington training ground.

Sir Alex Ferguson is one of several managers keeping tabs on Sofiane Feghouli, the exciting 20-year-old Grenoble right-winger who ended his club’s 45-year absence from the top flight last season and produced a series of sparkling Ligue 1 displays to become one of French football’s hottest properties.

Feghouli’s Algerian roots have provoked comparisons with Zinedine Zidane, but he’s a totally different kind of player.

Operating on the right wing, his main assets are bursts down the flank and a Giggs-esque ability to cross on the run.

At free-kicks, the youngster generates surprising power from a slight frame.

Index? We thought they went out of business...?

Feghouli has already won three France U21 caps but received a senior Algeria call-up in 2008. He turned it down, saying he wanted more time to think about his future.

Algeria’s qualification for next summer’s World Cup will be on his mind, so his decision’s expected soon.

First he needs to get his club career back on track.

Grenoble coach Mecha Bazdarevic hauled him off 37 minutes into a league game in September because of a poor attitude and he earned a one-game suspension for gesturing rudely at his own fans the following week.

“Perhaps we overestimated the quality of certain players on and off the pitch,” said riled general manager Pierre Wantiez.

That was harsh, because Feghouli’s talent is beyond question. And Fergie knows a thing or two about taming wayward Frenchmen.

Talentspotter ratings
Heading - 4.0
Crpssing - 8.0
Tackling - 4.0
Creativity - 7.0
Passing - 7.0
Work-rate - 5.0
Shooting - 5.0
Pace - 7.0
Dribbling - 7.0
Overall - 6.5
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Scouted: The Liverpool target with an 'infinite future'

2010-01-25T12:30:00Z

While his higher profile team-mates, Davids Silva and Villa are continuously being linked with moves to the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea in the English press, very little seems to be being said about Juan Mata.

The 21-year-old’s performances for Valencia have been as big a factor in helping the financially stricken club to third place in La Liga at the halfway stage as those of Villa or Silva, yet he still seems to not quite enjoy the same recognition on these shores.

However he's probably used to not getting the credit he deserves, having been let go by Real Madrid after they refused to offer him a contract

Last summer, Fernando Torres named Mata as the kind of player he’d like to see arrive at Anfield, perhaps blissfully ignorant of the Reds’ limited transfer budget at the time, and only last month his name was briefly being linked with Liverpool again.

Mata plays primarily on the left wing, but is versatile enough to operate in any attacking position.

Already one of Los Che’s star turns, despite his tender age, Mata possesses the intelligence, pace and finishing ability to establish himself as a key player for the Spanish national team, too.

FourFourTwo contributor and La Liga Loca blogger Tim Stannard gives us more back ground on rising Valencia star.

He looks a little bit like Luke Young doesn't he...?

Name Juan Mata
Age 21
Position Winger/Forward
Nationality Spanish
Club Valencia
Games 26 Goals 7 (all comps, this season)

If David Villa had been lured from Mestalla by the millions of Real Madrid last summer, then it would have been very bad news indeed for Valencia.

But it would have been even worse had Juan Mata not been around as his brilliant back-up.

It would be an insult to damn the Valencia player with the praise of being a ‘promising’ player. Juan Mata is not promising anything. He’s delivering.

Eleven league goals last season and three strikes in four appearances for Spain in their World Cup qualifying campaign sees Mata’s gamble in 2007 of leaving Real Madrid’s youth system as being a great one.

The forward has had an extraordinary couple of seasons for club and country - both of which have taken full advantage of his incredible attacking versatility.

Batman's new costume was cheaper than the previous effort...

Used primarily on the left hand side of a front three by Valencia, the two-footed Mata is equally at home on the opposite flank or as an out-and-out striker, his original playing position.

The Burgos-born footballer’s uncanny coolness in the box is a basic guarantee of goals.

Like a number of Spanish players in what is a truly golden generation, Mata uses speed, skill and sorcery to outfox the opposition rather than brute-force and bulk.

And this is why he is a near-certainty to be on Spain’s plane to South Africa in 2010.

As David Villa said of the team-mate who is set to follow in his formidable footsteps in the seasons to come, “the future that Juan Mata has is infinite.”

Talentspotter ratings:
Heading - 6
Crossing - 7
Tackling - 5
Creativity - 8
Passing - 8
Work-rate - 9
Shooting - 8
Pace - 7
Dribbling – 7
Overall – 8

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Meet the sides ready to give City & Spurs nightmares

2009-02-19T10:00:00Z

Manchester City and Tottenham are two clubs with a lot in common.

Both spent big in the summer, and indeed in January, only to massively under achieve this season. Both live in the shadow of their more illustrious neighbours and both... errrrm… played in the 1981 FA Cup final.

OK, so we’re pushing it a bit with that last one, but you get the idea.

You can add to that list the fact they both face tricky UEFA Cup ties on Thursday evening – with City travelling to Denmark to face FC Copenhagen while Spurs trek to Ukraine to play Shakhtar Donetsk.

You could be forgiven for not going into these matches with a great deal of knowledge of these two sides (Copenhagen and Shakhtar, that is) – but that’s where your old mucker The Spotter comes in.

Over on FootballTalentspotter.com we’ve compiled two extensive and massively sexed-up dossiers on the two sides for your delectation.

So now you can find out which Canadian winger could be about to tie Micah Richards up in knots, which former Chelsea star may dump former team mate Wayne Bridge on his backside, which Brazilian midfielder is going to give Didier Zokora the run around and which Croatian full-back is going to mess up David Bentley’s precious, precious hair.

Go scouting with FootballTalentspotter.com

The Talentspotter guide to FC Copenhagen
The Talentspotter guide to Shakhtar Donetsk
Tottenham Hotspur player profiles
Manchester City player profiles

The lowdown on the transfer targets

2009-01-07T11:39:00Z

Help, we’re in the midst of an all-out transfer frenzy. With two England internationals already on the move and things bound to get busier, this looks like being a credit crunch (and common sense)-defying window packed with big-money moves and muchos, muchos speculation.

Fortunately our sister site FootballTalentspotter.com is on hand to give you the skinny on all the players linked with your club – be they lower-league journeymen being brought in on the cheap or multi-million foreign types your manager is pinning your club’s hopes and financial well being on.

Here as a taster are a few unknowns who could be on Match of the Day before the month’s out (find more in Talentspotter's Ones To Watch section):

St Etienne’s Blaise Matuidi is the man Portsmouth are said to be looking to bring in to replace Bernabau-bound Lassana Diarra, and that looks a pretty good shout given that, like his compatriot, Matuidi is an industrious and fearless little chap who’d run his jaffers off and allow Richard Hughes the time and space to work his magic...or maybe not.

The sticking point for Pompey is, unsurprisingly, the dollar. St Etienne won’t be letting Matuidi go on the cheap (Director of Football Damien Comolli is insistent he won’t be sold at all – but we know he’s all chat) and a price tag of upwards of £10 million is likely to mean Pompey will need to set their sights a little lower.

Perhaps, then, they should make a move for Ghana midfielder Stephen Appiah, who is a free agent having negotiated the termination of his contract with former club Fenerbahce in the summer. They’ll need to steal a march on former boss Harry Redknapp, however, as Appiah is this week training with Spurs and could be set to help bring a bit more balance to Arry’s squad.

Speaking of Tottenham, having already paid way over the odds for Darren Bent and David Bentley in the last 18 months, Daniel Levy is looking to make it a hat-trick of terrible deals for young(ish) English players, with up to £14.5 million on the table for Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing.

The pursuit of Downing is a flashback to the Martin Jol era – during Juande Ramos’s tenure, Sevilla’s Diego Capel was the man linked with the left-wing vacancy.

That ship has most likely sailed now, not least because Ramos, Capel’s old boss at Sevilla has bitten the bullet at Levy Towers, but also because Spurs are now pony, and Barca and Real Madrid (yes, Senor Ramos again) are said to be sniffing around the flaxen-haired flyer.

One possible alternative for Redknapp could be Celtic’s Aiden McGeady, who is said to be unsettled at Parkhead having been fined and suspended by the club for ‘breaching club discipline’ last month.

BLOGS: Ibrox hero Johnston hopes McGeady stays at Celtic

Across North London, Arsenal are strongly considering a move for Russian maverick Andrei Arshavin, ignoring the fact that a second striker is probably the one thing they don’t need, given their lack of a top goalkeeper, holding midfielder and defensive cover, but still – it’ll be nice to see how he does in the Premier League, won’t it?

Another forward heavily linked with old London town is Napoli’s Ezequiel Lavezzi, who is arousing interest from Chelsea. The Argentine is the latest player to be labelled ‘the next Maradona’, so unsurprisingly his club are keen to hold on to him. We’ve compiled a little dossier on Lavezzi for your delectation.

Meanwhile Manchester City are on the lookout for a ‘number 9’, and they could do a lot worse than having a long hard look at Zenit St Petersburg’s Pavel Pogrebnyak, the Russian forward Spurs should have signed in the summer.

Also worth a gander is Robert Lewandowski of Lech Poznan, who is sure to be efficient and cracking value – what with being Polish and all, – and Kris Boyd, although the Rangers forward and all-round ‘character’ looks set to become the latest Scottish player to scale Hadrian’s Wall and join Alex McLeish at Birmingham.

Find out more about these and many more players, plus give your ratings on every player in England and Scotland at FootballTalentspotter.com