Sportsnet’s “Worth A Click” column aggregates some of the best soccer writing on the Internet, and news stories you may have missed.
LAMPARD DEAL ALL ABOUT BUSINESS
A lot has been written about Frank Lampard ever since it was announced last week that the Englishman would finish out the Premier League season with Manchester City before joining New York City FC in Major League Soccer.
MLS has been taken to task for its lack of transparency over how this played out, while media and fans alike have criticised both New York City FC and Manchester City for their bait and switch tactics in duping fans who bought tickets under the assumption that Lampard would be in a New York uniform at the start of the season.
But Sportsnet contributor Bobby McMahon took a different approach in his recent column for Forbes, looking at the business side of the deal, and how accusations that NYCFC is just a farm team for Manchester City are way off the mark. McMahon breaks down the details in layman’s terms, specifically the role of City Football Group—the Abu Dhabi based holding company that owns Manchester City and NYCFC.
He also lays bare an uncomfortable truth of the modern football world—that “virtually every move made by major European team is now done through a (Financial Fair Play) lens.”
At the same time McMahon sympathizes with New York supporters, writing that “MLS and City Football Group need to do a lot of grovelling over the next week weeks and offering NYCFC season ticket holders refunds would not be a bad place to start.”
It’s a wonderfully balanced piece from McMahon that looks at the issue from all sides, and is well worth your time.
In other Premier League news…
Is Lionel Messi moving to the Premier League? That’s the only logical conclusion you could make after the Barcelona icon started following Chelsea on Instagram. It’s basically a done deal (sarcasm alert).
ESPN.com’s Michael Yokhin profiles Croatian striker Andrej Kramaric, who appears set to snub Chelsea for first-team football at Leicester City.
Also at ESPN.com, Musa Okwonga asks three important tactical questions of Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal—foremost among them being if the Dutchman’s beloved 3-5-2 formation has a limited shelf life?
Here’s an interesting stat:
This is how Berahino's Premier League record compares to Wayne Rooney's at the same stage of their careers. #SSNHQ pic.twitter.com/03LgOB7KGy
— Sky Sports News HQ (@SkySportsNewsHQ) January 5, 2015
MLS
Ives Galarcep has published the first version of his annual MLS Mock Draft, and has Orlando City using the first overall pick on Canadian forward Cyle Larin out of the University of Connecticut in next week’s MLS SuperDraft in Philadelphia.
Noted soccer analytics writer Devin Pleuler offers this fascinating piece measuring a player’s influence through touches (or lack thereof) and concludes that Clint Dempsey is highly influential in his team’s system—no matter his level of involvement.
The Montreal Impact officially signed Bakary Soumare on Tuesday after selecting the Malian central defender with the first overall pick in the second stage of the 2014 MLS Re-Entry Draft last month.
The Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced that striker Darren Mattocks has joined Championship side Bournemouth on a training stint.
Honduran international Roger Espinoza has rejoined Sporting Kansas City.
LA LIGA
Barcelona made waves on Monday when they fired club sports director Andoni Zubizarreta, one day after the Catalans lost 1-0 to Real Sociedad.
Is he the fall guy for Barca’s woes? Maybe. Football Espana’s Ricardo Cunha Lay writes that while Zubizarreta can have few complaints over his sacking, the problems for Barcelona won’t end there.
Jonathan Wilson outlines how the crisis is brewing at Barcelona in his column for Sports Illustrated.
Former Barca great Hristo Stoickov has stoked the fire, stating that “Barça are descending into chaos.”
And apparently Barcelona manager Luis Enrique may have just two games to save his job.
BUNDESLIGA
Swiss star Xherdan Shaqiri has struggled for playing time at Bayern Munich since joining the Bavarian outfit, and is pushing for a transfer move. Liverpool and Inter Milan are among his suitors.
SERIE A
AC Milan is reported to be interested in signing Brazlian centre-back Miranda from Atletico Madrid.
The Rossoneri are also being linked with Spanish winger Suso, who has fell out with Liverpool.
LIGUE UN
Bordeaux is looking to sign Arsenal and France Under-21 striker Yaya Sanogo on loan.
AROUND THE GLOBE
The Wall Street Journal has this in-depth piece on the hidden cost of a soccer star, explaining how the transfer fee “never provides a clear indication of what a club is actually spending.”
So, this is a weird one: Dutch midfielder Demy de Zeeuw, who played for the Netherlands at the 2010 World Cup, parted ways with Belgian club Anderlecht this past summer.
He’s had trouble finding a new team, so he has taken to placing a notice on LinkedIn to find a new club. According to his ad, MLS would be one destination he’d consider.
