OH KAY ON…THE WINDOW, LEVY, BECKS AND BARNSLEY JUSTICE

Transfer Window

Doubtless most managers and chief executives will argue in favour of the January transfer window because, should they find themselves in a spot of bother, they can splash the cash and try and buy their way out of it. But in pure monetary terms it seems totally unsustainable to me. You only have to look at Robbie Keane’s move back to Spurs. He cost Liverpool over £20 million in the summer, and they’ve just sold him back to the London club for £12 million plus add on’s a mere 7 months later. Even if the total price comes to £15 million, that still represents a staggering 25% loss in a little over half a year. Not as bad perhaps as some of the UK high street banks have performed recently, but still appalling business for Liverpool however you look at it.

A Levy on sales

While the buy-back of Robbie Keane was a financial success for Tottenham, it surely casts an ever greater shadow over the work of the club’s former hierarchy. Keane is one of three players now back at the club a short while after being released, the others being Jermain Defoe and Pascal Chimbonda. As for the chairman Daniel Levy who remains in office, one can only wonder how he now feels about the vigorous defence he afforded the previous regime which gave ex sporting director Damien Comolli control over sales and purchases.

Beckham’s Italian Job

I wonder how many of those national newspaper sportswriters who suggested that David Beckham’s loan to AC Milan was little more than a gimmick and a glorified training stint, will write about the fact that the Italian side are now pulling out all the stops to keep him. Beckham has started all 5 of Milan’s'  games since his loan spell began, scoring twice and most recently setting up another 2 goals in the 3 – 0 win away to Lazio. He also seems to be forcing his way back in to Fabio Capello’s thinking. It’s no surprise. Beckham is a model pro. His critics, who seem to blur his personal life with his professional one would do well to remember that.

Barnsley Justice

The Barnsley boss Simon Davey was hauled before a disciplinary committee recently and fined £500 for having a dig at an assistant referee. Nothing too untoward about that you might think, but it’s unlikely that anyone at the Yorkshire club will agree with you. The reason? Davey’s comments came in the very same game last November when his captain Iain Hume was left fighting for his life with serious head injuries following a challenge from the Sheffield United player Chris Morgan. And what action have the FA taken after that incident. Well, as it happens, the initials FA sum it up rather well.