The Next 48hOURS ≈ Weekend Sport Top fi ve players to get excited about in new season

he Premier League is rather pre- of pace, but Suarez’s excellence at the dictable these days (there - we Copa America will only encourage the said it), but there are a few play- Liverpool fans who spent the back end ers knocking around that we re- of last season getting terribly excited Tally can get excited about. Nick Miller about their new number seven. from Football365.com takes a look at Many of his Anfi eld teammates - some of them particularly the new signings - look like functional, effi cient footballers, de- 5) Adel Taarabt signed to do a specifi c job and with a Many Spurs fans lament ‘Disco’ Adel Ta- plan in mind. Suarez offers some fl air, arabt as the great lost talent of White some excitement and some unpredict- Hart Lane. On the evidence available to ability. It’ll keep us neutrals interested us so far, that is wistful nonsense. When at least. Taarabt was good, he was almost un-

Sport playable in the Championship last sea- 3) Gabriel Obertan son, but when he was bad, he was hor- “I said I wanted to bring pace into the rid. team,” said of his new sign- If he couldn’t break down a defence, ing. “It was lacking last year and Gabriel or misplaced a pass, or simply wasn’t will defi nitely bring that to the team.” quite in the mood, then the bottom lip Sir Alex Ferguson surprised many when began trembling, the shoulders shrugged he plucked Obertan from relative obscu- Sergio Aguero in his spiffy new Man City colours and interest in the task at hand was lost. rity at Bordeaux (including then Bor- In one game against Hull, Taarabt de- deaux boss Laurent Blanc), and the early spend oodles of cash on a direct replace- perstars, rather than buy them. And for cided after around 20 minutes that this signs weren’t great, as Obertan stumbled ment may well be rather disappointed, all the millions and millions Manches- wasn’t going to be his day and asked to down the touchline, appar- because Wenger probably believes he ter City spent before this summer, they This week’s TV be taken off. If he is to reproduce any- ently without much concept of what to already has the man to fi ll Fabregas’s hadn’t tempted a genuine superstar to thing like the form that QPR need from do with the round thing bobbling at his boots. Ramsey was beginning to show these shores. Balotelli was (and still is) highlights: him this season, he will have to mature feet. his chops just before his injury in Febru- raw promise, Edin Dzeko had two de- pretty quickly. One suspects that with Of course, we might be judging ary 2010, making the lost eight months cent seasons under his belt, Yaya Toure Fri - Aug 12 Neil Warnock managing a talent the Obertan too early, because at United he even more of a crying shame and while spent most of his time at Barcelona car- Absa Currie Cup: word “mercurial” was invented for, life didn’t have anything close to a decent upon his return he was noticeably and rying water for Xavi and Iniesta, and Western Province at Loftus Road will rarely be dull. run in the fi rst team. At an increasingly understandably tentative, towards the David Silva had a healthy reputation but v Sharks - 19:00 stretched Newcastle, he will certainly end of the season little hints of his tal- wasn’t a fi rst choice for Spain. - 21:10 – SS1 4) Luis Suarez have that, and it’ll be fascinating to see ent poked through. Aguero was coveted by more or less Big purchases from Holland are quite if our snap conclusions were right. In some ways the emergence of Jack every serious club on the continent and rightly treated with a decent dollop of Wilshere may help Ramsey if he is to re- City, through the number of noughts on Sat – Aug 13 scepticism in England. There are enough 2) Aaron Ramsey place Fabregas, because less of the cre- his contract or perhaps by taking him Newcastle Utd v expensive mistakes to suggest that Any number of people go to bed at ative burden and, perhaps more impor- to the Imperial War Museum North, got Arsenal - 18:00 - throwing lots of cash across the channel night praying that, when they wake up, tantly, less of the pressure will be on the him. How they will actually use him 21:00 – SS3 should be avoided, but at present Suarez Cesc Fabregas will fi nally have moved to young Welshman. An interesting season will be a concern for Roberto Mancini looks like more of a Van Nistelrooy than Barcelona. Pep Guardiola, Cesc himself, awaits. and City fans - the rest of us are simply Sun – Aug 14 an Afonso Alves. Of course, this is based anyone who spends any time reading looking forward to one of the world’s Spanish Super Cup on a bit more than three months of leg- the sports pages or F365, and perhaps 1) Sergio Aguero best players appearing on our televisions 1st Leg: Real Ma- twisting trickery and blistering bursts Ramsey. Those expecting Wenger to The Premier League tends to export su- each week. drid v Barcelona - 21:30 - 00:00 – SS3 Barcelona and Real Madrid prepare for another season of Total War

By PeterPeter TrompTromp weekend), but so intense has the rivalry for the Catalans since this Madrid team fans will nonetheless be licking their between the two football giants become is so hungry for blood. In a rivalry as lips in anticipation of the occasion. Un- The grgreatesteatest rivrivalryalry in football, and per- that neither would give an inch even if ferocious as the one between last sea- like the Charity Shield, the Supercopa is haps all of sportsport at the moment isis set the match was a testimonial thingy in son’s league and cup winners, neither contested over two legs so we can look to rresumeesume on Sunday AuguAugustst 14 when honour of some or other retiring player. team would want to concede any kind forward to a double dose of this most the fi rrstst ballballss of the new SpaniSpanishsh FFoot-oot- At this premature stage of the season, it of mental advantage so one can expect heated of footballing feuds. ball season araree set to be kicked (v(veryery is unquestionably Real Madrid who have both teams to go all out. There are no small matches between likely) in anger anger.. That’ That’ss right, Real the edge. They have had a much more A Madrid victory might have this all- Real Madrid and Barcelona anymore, Madrid and Barcelona are back, successful pre-season tour than Bar- conquering Barcelona team questioning and the outcome of the Supercopa may and they will continue their hated celona and Jose Mourinho’s men look their ability to go four on the trot in the very well serve as an indication of what rivalryrivalry with rrenewedenewed vigour in the a truly formidable unit already in their league, whereas a Barca victory will stop to expect for the rest of the season. Any New player Fabio fi rst round of the Supercopa season stride and fi t enough to take on any and Real’s faultless pre-season progression in lethargy on Barca’s part, however for- Coentrao could opener. all comers. its tracks and no doubt rekindle feelings givable given their recent achievements, The Supercopa, like the Charity Shield Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola on the of inferiority on the part of Mourinho’s will be severely punished by the likes of be Real Madrid’s in England, is a purely cosmetic, almost other hand has admitted that his team is players. Regardless of who the winner Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema secret weapon ceremonial event to get the Spanish sea- behind in their preparation for the new will turn out to be in this rather mean- and might signal the true arrival of a this season son going (La Liga resumes proper next season, and that might be problematic ingless and very early contest, football new, Mourinho-led soccer dynasty.

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12 The Next 48hOURS www.48hours.co.za 12 August - 18 August 2011