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Raul: Madness or Masterstroke?
Reports this morning, claim that Spurs are in the running to sign Real Madrid legend, Raul, should, as expected he is released by the Spanish side.
Although the player has just turned 33, he remains superstar, regardless of not being an automatic selection for his one and only professional club and country, but when you consider the quality at both, is that a negative?
It is expected that Raul will be allowed to leave Madrid on a free, in recognition of his outstanding service to the club and I have a sneaky feeling that Mourinho would welcome the departure of a player who has been rumoured to hold massive influence at the club, therefore his departure increases the power of "the special one" but that could just be my cynicism creeping out.
Much of the positives with a signing like this, depend on the players willingness to seek a new challenge and embrace any new move. Raul certainly shouldn`t need the money and only time will tell whether he still has the motivation and fitness to play in the Premiership.
Raul is sure to demand strong money, wherever he goes and with clubs in the USA and the Middle East suggested as being interested, a move to England or elsewhere in Europe would probably be a football not financial decision, so is that a tick in the positive box?
A free transfer for Raul, could of course also add substance to the talk that Roman Pavlyuchenko being allowed to leave on loan, meaning that we have the potential ability to recall the player if a move for Raul proved a disappointment, but again I may be reading too far ahead here.
One thing that would certainly be brought to the club is a winning mentality and massive experience at the very highest level. Consider also that he is the record goal-scorer for club and country and no player has scored more Champions league goals.
Negatives are of course age and motivation, while some will look at his record in recent seasons and feel he has been in decline as a player for several years. His last international goal was in the 2006 World Cup (against the might of Tunisia), though again with players of the quality of Torres and Villa ahead of him, is that more about a lack of opportunity than ability?
For Madrid, last season was somewhat of a disappointment in both performance and the loss of his place in the side by right, his worst ever goal return (7 in 39) and perhaps the realisation that his time at the club was at an end. To counter the stats, of course it can be argued that a high percentage of appearances were from the bench and without a consistent run of game to get a real feel for games, but only when he puts on the shirt of another side, will we truly know whether he has the ability and motivation to impress elsewhere...
Read more: http://www.spurs.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=7505002#ixzz0uJNXVNA0
Reports this morning, claim that Spurs are in the running to sign Real Madrid legend, Raul, should, as expected he is released by the Spanish side.
Although the player has just turned 33, he remains superstar, regardless of not being an automatic selection for his one and only professional club and country, but when you consider the quality at both, is that a negative?
It is expected that Raul will be allowed to leave Madrid on a free, in recognition of his outstanding service to the club and I have a sneaky feeling that Mourinho would welcome the departure of a player who has been rumoured to hold massive influence at the club, therefore his departure increases the power of "the special one" but that could just be my cynicism creeping out.
Much of the positives with a signing like this, depend on the players willingness to seek a new challenge and embrace any new move. Raul certainly shouldn`t need the money and only time will tell whether he still has the motivation and fitness to play in the Premiership.
Raul is sure to demand strong money, wherever he goes and with clubs in the USA and the Middle East suggested as being interested, a move to England or elsewhere in Europe would probably be a football not financial decision, so is that a tick in the positive box?
A free transfer for Raul, could of course also add substance to the talk that Roman Pavlyuchenko being allowed to leave on loan, meaning that we have the potential ability to recall the player if a move for Raul proved a disappointment, but again I may be reading too far ahead here.
One thing that would certainly be brought to the club is a winning mentality and massive experience at the very highest level. Consider also that he is the record goal-scorer for club and country and no player has scored more Champions league goals.
Negatives are of course age and motivation, while some will look at his record in recent seasons and feel he has been in decline as a player for several years. His last international goal was in the 2006 World Cup (against the might of Tunisia), though again with players of the quality of Torres and Villa ahead of him, is that more about a lack of opportunity than ability?
For Madrid, last season was somewhat of a disappointment in both performance and the loss of his place in the side by right, his worst ever goal return (7 in 39) and perhaps the realisation that his time at the club was at an end. To counter the stats, of course it can be argued that a high percentage of appearances were from the bench and without a consistent run of game to get a real feel for games, but only when he puts on the shirt of another side, will we truly know whether he has the ability and motivation to impress elsewhere...
Read more: http://www.spurs.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=7505002#ixzz0uJNXVNA0
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