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Spurs track Riera

yanno

Well-Known Member
Aug 1, 2003
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It was also in Sunday's Observer - linking us to both Jarque and Riera. I watched them both in the Catalan derby on Saturday.

Since moving to Espanyol, Riera has been playing much better, and he set up their equalizer against Barca with a classy piece of play. Riera was also capped by Spain in October, so he's obviously doing something right.

The big issue is whether he's the type of player who's more suited to La Liga than the EPL, because we all know Riera hardly set the world alight at Man City...
 

C0YS

Just another member
Jul 9, 2007
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13,817
I will only belive/have intrest in, transfers when the jan window opens
 

SpursManChris

Well-Known Member
May 15, 2007
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The big issue is whether he's the type of player who's more suited to La Liga than the EPL

I never know what the big deal is with this. Whether or not a player is suited to a particular league. What's supposed to be this huge factor that differentiates the leagues? Pace?
 

joey55

Well-Known Member
May 20, 2005
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Riera scored a cracking goal for Spain on his debut and he was linked with a 20 million euro move to Real Madrid in the summer, so as yanno says, he has to be doing something right. Do we really know if he wasn't good at City? Does anyone genuinley remember his performances there? Could City have afforded to take up the option to buy him or did they have to let him go back to Espanyol?
 

yanno

Well-Known Member
Aug 1, 2003
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2,877
I never know what the big deal is with this. Whether or not a player is suited to a particular league. What's supposed to be this huge factor that differentiates the leagues? Pace?

I'm sure there are many posters on this site - eg Joey, Juande_Ramos, SS57, ChRistOphe (sorry if that's capitalized wrongly) - who would have interesting observations on this.

Sometimes the success or failure of a player is primarily to do with teammates and systems, rather than the actual league. Eg Diego Forlan didn't make it in the EPL @ ManU, but was La Liga top scorer with Villarreal, partly because with the Yellow Subs Riquelme was playing ACM and looking to play through balls for Forlan at every conceivable opportunity. So, Forlan got lots of chances, stuck some away, became super-confident, and the rest is history.

But generally, nearly all La Liga sides play more patient possession football, with a lot of movement, and with the ball played to feet. Many EPL sides are much more direct with lots of aerial balls, the tempo is much faster, and the tackling is often more ferocious. Pires admitted cacking himself first time he was on the Arsenal bench watching the tackles flying in.

Also, no La Liga side would ever have to play a team like Allardyce's Bolton, with long diagonal balls aimed at big centre forwards (like Kevin Davies) deliberately playing wide and bullying small full backs. So a player like Dani Alves, who's pretty small, would be vulnerable in the air against a lot of EPL sides whereas, in La Liga, it's not really an issue.
 

fozzi44

Well-Known Member
Feb 5, 2006
1,435
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This is interesting.

Firstly the point about him 'not setting the wrold on fire at man city' - this is true but then again neiter did half the players, and now look at them.

Secondly, he is playing a blinder in la liga, a really good player, and he is a left winger.

I really think that we desperately need someone on the left. It would bring much more balance to the team. On sunday everything was up the right and Bale was far too stretched on the left. It would also allow for more of a presence in the middle, and i am happy enough that between Thudd, Jenas, Zokora and Malbranque we have enough to see us through the remainder of this season.

Come Jan, if we can sign an older but highly experienced and good centre back i would be more than happy.

I think that this is all we need, and certainly dont want to go OTT - give Ramos time to work the squad.

Anyway, i would be happy with this guy.
 

wirE

I'm a well-known member
Sep 27, 2005
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He might have been to unexperienced when playing for chitte, so he has most def risen to the challenge.
Yes, he scored a pretty sweet goal in his debut.
 

yanno

Well-Known Member
Aug 1, 2003
5,857
2,877
Lateral to topic, here are the thoughts of Chelsea's French international left-winger on what makes the EPL so, um, uniquely different....

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2221624,00.html

Malouda attacks 'brainless' English game



[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]'Things are not as simple over here as they are in France'[/FONT]

"During the actual games [in England] it is as though everybody's brains are switched off," said Malouda. "People play by instinct, spontaneously, in the way they did when they first discovered football. Training sessions here are terrifying. They are just like matches, and you go flat out."

Malouda, who has been on the sidelines for a month with a knee injury, added that he was shocked by his team-mates' diets. "The people at Chelsea don't control what the players eat," he added. "You can help yourself to whatever you like, drink Coke or anything. It is a good job I have come over here at the age of 27 and so haven't been following the same diet as the rest of the club's players."

 

joey55

Well-Known Member
May 20, 2005
9,675
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Given Real Madrid allegedly offered 20 million Euros for him in the summer, he may be rather better than we suspect....

I'm not sure they actually put in a bid, but he was definitely linked to them. His release clause is 20 million euros, so if Madrid had actually bid that, they'd have got him.

In this article from October, Riera himself speaks of madrids interest in him.

http://www.as.com/futbol/articulo/futbol-riera-honor-real-madrid/dasftb/20071023dasdaiftb_19/Tes
 

Bobishism

*****istrator
Aug 23, 2004
15,035
126
Riera looked like a good player when he played against us. I'd like us to sign him.
 

Bobishism

*****istrator
Aug 23, 2004
15,035
126
Nah, it was when Carrick scored from a set-play to make it 2-1. Great goal.

Weren't we also linked with him before he went to city on loan?
 

yanno

Well-Known Member
Aug 1, 2003
5,857
2,877
I'm not sure they actually put in a bid, but he was definitely linked to them. His release clause is 20 million euros, so if Madrid had actually bid that, they'd have got him.

In this article from October, Riera himself speaks of madrids interest in him.

http://www.as.com/futbol/articulo/futbol-riera-honor-real-madrid/dasftb/20071023dasdaiftb_19/Tes


Thanks for the clarification. :up:

Riera is tall for a winger (1.87m sez Wiki), and not outstandingly fast. Very cultured left-foot, a good passer, and an intelligent player. From what I've seen he's not primarily a dribbling LM/winger.
 

Juande_Ramos

New Member
Oct 26, 2007
181
0
It was also in Sunday's Observer - linking us to both Jarque and Riera. I watched them both in the Catalan derby on Saturday.

Since moving to Espanyol, Riera has been playing much better, and he set up their equalizer against Barca with a classy piece of play. Riera was also capped by Spain in October, so he's obviously doing something right.

The big issue is whether he's the type of player who's more suited to La Liga than the EPL, because we all know Riera hardly set the world alight at Man City...

He was playing in a shitty team with a shitty manager. Riera would make Spurs better than they are. He is strong, has decent pace, good delivery and a cracking shot. He'd form a good partnership with Bale on the left, and Malbranke could move to CM, a position more suitable for him IMO.
Other players I would consider buying are Abbondanzieri, who wouldn;t cost much considering his age and is a better keeper than Robinson and more suited to Ramos style, and Garay, a 21 year old CB who plays for Racing Santander. Great reading of the game, very good passing ability, good in the air and can even take free kicks with his right peg. The problem is that he'd cost £10 million minimum and a few big teams are after him.
 
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