September Soccer Tweet-up

September is here, Premier League Soccer is back. And so is our usual soccer tweet up. Every first Saturday of the month remember? This time 8th September at Kilimani Primary School, just past Yaya Centre. We decided to change our previous location... Slightly. Some of our friends thought Saint George Primary was a little too far from the road.

So, directions.... From town, board a bus/Nissan, Route No. 46, at GPO or Railways bus station and get off at Kilimani Primary School(just past Yaya Centre). It is on the road so you will not get lost.

So all you soccer loving fans... This is your time to shine. Hehe. Its a fun thing where we all get to socialize, catch up, play soccer and basically 'bust a move' on the other peeps. Later on we go for Lunch at Cactus(usually the best part since not every one might love soccer, but everyone loves food). It is a free event, and anyone, not necessarily soccer loving can come. That includes you ladies. Also... We don't do any lists...

If you need any more info, feel free to contact @kevin_seth or Myself (arthurnyoiks) and we will be glad to help.

We are also looking forward to setting up our own site(soccer paranoia KE) to blog about about soccer, results, transfers, reactions etc. Somebody has to do this 'dirty work' at some point,eh?

Looking forward to seeing our regular as well as new faces.

Of Premier transformations

 The wise people said 'if it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, then it definitely is a duck'. With the Euros, Olympics and pre-season friendlies over and done, the premier is shaping up into something potentially very interesting over the next few weeks. With the new signings, new injuries(Wilshere, Ledley King and the other weaklings), potential returns of stars(Fletcher, Anderson, Cleverly, Diaby, Bent etc), new managers (BBC says 6clubs changed managers in the EPL... Chelsea, Liverpool, Swansea, Aston Villa, Norwich City, West Brom... oh and Tottenham. Thats 7 if you ask me).

The battle for the Top 4 hots up this time... with Liverpool having signed a midfielder(Joe Allen) and a striker(Fabio Borini). If you recall they lacked someone to lead the team the middle in the absence of Gerrard and a striker as they were too dependent on Suarez. I think their fortunes will probably change for the better now though I don't see them winning the EPL.

Tottenham Hotspur look like they strengthened their midfield even more. Looks like they realized having to depend on the injury-prone Huddlestone can prove frustrating. And they also signed Vertonghen for centre back following Ledley King's retirement due to frustrations in his injury-plagued career.

Chelsea... they are clearly phasing out their old guard. I honestly dont see Di Matteo winning it with these youngsters, just yet at least. They are yet to gel, and the old guard(Lamps, Drogba Terry et al) used to deliver anyway. That is where AVB also went wrong.You cannot phase out experience all at once for energy and flair

Arsenal.... After their beloved captain came out and said that the club had no ambition, they went out and signed Giroud (French Top Scorer and League winner), Podolski (FC Cologne's top scorer in a poor season) and Santi Cazorla. In my opinion... they are all average. Take the French Ligue 1 for instance, its not that strong a league is it? Podolski... he may be different, yes, but he couldn't save his former team from sinking. Cazorla... if he really is THAT good, why haven't Barca signed him? See where am going with this? But then again, it is Wenger's tradition to 'build' stars for other teams. I do believe they will flourish, though not this season. Top 3 maximum. I also enjoyed watching Diaby playing during their pre-seasons. He always looks very sure on the ball. Hopefully he can take over from Song, if his injuries dont come back to haunt him again... seeing as Wenger has made him a star for Barca.

Manchester United... Signed Kagawa(great midfield talent this one), Powell(I think he is a striker) and that other random striker guy... Henriquez. Really? Do we really need a striker? Either Fergie is growing too old for the game(which I doubt) OR... a formation change is about to take place. And an attacking one for that matter. But the problem with that is that it could be unfair to some players.
Take 4-3-3 for instance. Scholes definitely starts, eh? Him and Carrick. Then Kagawa, since he has flare. What happens to Fletcher, Anderson and Cleverly and Ashley Young? But I can see why he hasn't signed any other midfielders. The team is obviously full of depth if Sir Alex plays 4-3-3.
Striking... assuming Valencia and Nani are promoted forward to supply for Rooney/Van Persie or whoever... what happens to Bebe, Macheda, Welbeck, Berbatov, Nick Powell? And if Valencia and Nani are not promoted forward, then that leaves them in a very tricky place since they are wingers and not central midfielders.
Lets talk about injuries... They really had them exposed last season. Influential captain Nemanja Vidic is now back. So are Anderson, Cleverly and Fletcher. Imminent returns of Jones, Smalling and the probable rise of a home-grown left back who could eventually be Patrice Evra's long term replacement, going by the name Blackette, are a sign that there could be better things to come.
The Red Devils look stronger, but I dont think City will make it any easy for them.
They could reclaim the title... if Manchester City's stars falter along the way

Champions, Manchester City.  I write about them last because they are champions, and they are definitely NOT least. First of all, they may not have signed any big players just yet BUT... that also comes as a hidden advantage. See, they wont have to wait for their team to gel, they just have to pick up from where they left last season.. and it looks like they are already up to the task. case in point, their strong pre-season games. Tevez is back.. with a vengeance. He scores, he assists, he runs the game. I don't need to remind you of the lethal combo they form... together with Balotelli, Aguero, Yaya, Nasri and Silva. They signed Jack Rodwell from Everton the other day. I dont see him coming above De Jong or Andy Johnson in the pecking order just yet. They are arguably the best with their stars on form.

On the other end of the table, I see Swansea struggling after selling two of their midfield dynamos, Sigurdsson and Joe Allen. I also foresee QPR and one of the new entrants struggling...

GREAT CAPTAINS: HOME AND AWAY

The upcoming premier league season will be bigger, better and much more interesting than last season, at least I think so. Yes, I know, we witnessed a new winner after a very long time, and yes, the premier league was won on the last day having gone all the way down to the wire, but I still think the battle-lines are already being defined. From the imminent departure of captain Robin Van Perfect(for Man United), to the signings of Kagawa & Hazard, to the awarding of a six-year contract to Vincent Kompany. Lets not forget the other potentially big deals coming up... Modric, Baines et al.

Influential Captain Kompany

Lets talk about captains though. They're important. They're influential. They lead by example. Everybody knows that right? Remember when Vidic got injured? See what happened to United... they conceded and kept conceding and lost the title to City eventually. Think Barca... Puyol got injured, Barca lost the title to Real Madrid. Look at Manchester City... Kompany got appointed captain, and the boy has led that team to their first title since 1968. I think we are now on the same page.

Lets narrow it down and talk about Kompany. The boy just signed a new six-year contract to keep him at City till he is 32. For a club(Manchester City) to show that much faith in a player(the captain, the leader, the Kompany), is reward enough for him being so influential. And deliver he has. Remember how he got the captaincy? Let me run that by you... Toure was made captain on signing for City from Arsenal, and then he was involved in that doping saga, so he was dropped as captain, upon which Tevez the prodigal son was appoined. We all know his story, don't we? Yeah... so in his absence, guess who was appointed? The Kompany. He's the only one player, who was not signed by Mancini, who has been shown favour, and still remains in the team. Think of Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Micah Richards, Mwaruwari(remember him?), Wayne Bridge. Even De Jong saw the better part of the bench for most of the second half of last season. The City captain is confident that he and Kompany(get it?) can build on last season's win. And I wouldn't doubt him. I just don't think United, Chelsea and Arsenal will let them

Closer Home... The Mashemeji Derby(GOR MAHIA vs AFC LEOPARDS) is around the corner. This is a rivalry that goes all the way back to when our grandfathers were still young men. It was a duel between Luo and Luhya. It has since become the biggest match in Kenyan football, since the tribal factor is gradually fading away, and the clubs are signing players from various parts of East Africa. Every time these two great rivals meet, it becomes a heated affair, as in every derby worldwide, with each one wanting to come out with the upper hand. It gets ugly at times. It has been suggested that extra security be provided during duels between these two rivals as some fans take it as the perfect time to wreak havoc.

The Mashemeji Derby

And as such, sometimes, it comes down to the captains of these teams. Remember the last time these two great rivals met? I'll refresh your memory. Most people in Kenya wanted Gor fans to be banned. Remember the clash at the stadium when the Gor fans started hurling stones into the pitch? It was the Gor captain who spoke to them amicably and they eventually stopped the chaos. And for that... we should respect and honour all responsible captains. Am sure our friend Carol Radull knows the guy and will pass our regards, right Carol?

So, to all who will be attending the Mashemeji derby, all the best. Enjoy the game. Most of all, be safe. That said, I cannot wait for the EPL to resume. The Supersport analysis is one of my favourite segments of soccer. 

Also, do not forget about the August 4th soccer Tweet up at Saint George Primary, Hurlingham. Its a free event, just show up, play soccer, meet and socialize with other peeps. Thats all. 

Enjoy yourselves. Lets talk more football another time, eh?

Before the Euros start

So, Euro 2012 is upon us. Finally, we can put behind us all that talk about racism that has been doing rounds. I kid you not... when the football begins, all this racism will go away. People are just missing the soccer action, you'll see. European leagues are over, Kenyan league is on a break.

All the talk just creates a great build up to the tournament. The players themselves are the to play football. so any racism that might be there, could be off the field. But lets not forget that even in our most watched leagues, it is there. It is just controlled. All this talk about racism is being blown out of proportion. Hopefully it does not arise though.

Moving on... Kenya are already down in Namibia for their World Cup qualifiers after their barren draw against Malawi the other day. We sure wasted a host of chances. Hopefully Mr. Kimazi can can get the right combination of players on the pitch and we can get to scoring. We need to feature in a big tournament, don't you think?

That said... do not forget about the #TwitterFC Soccer tweet up on Saturday the 16th of June at Siant Georges in Hurlingham . Its supposed to be a social event and all about love for soccer. Come play and/or cheer. Citizen TV's soccer team, which am a part of, along with some of the soccer-loving tweeps will be there. So no tweefing, subaruing, just soccer. The event is open to anyone and its free of charge. Read about it here

I will let you enjoy your Euros now.

City's earned the bragging rights

First things first, Congratulations to Manchester City on winning the premier league title. Yes, I know its hard to actually do that, being a Manchester United fan but I have swallowed my pride and taken a few days off to chill so I don't write a bitter piece. enough of that. We are not here to discuss how to be a good and less sore loser. But City's win had been coming for quite a long time. Lets just take a brief look at City's rise to success.

2007: Former Thailand PM, Thaksin Shinawatra takes over the club... after allegedly stealing money from his government. This guy was moneyed. He then signed Mark Hughes as manager. This was the start of the transformation for Manchester City

2008: Man City taken over by the Abu Dhabi Group.  
And this is where the real transformation actually started taking place with City signing Robinho, Wayne Bridge, Kompany, Zabaleta, Bellamy, Wright Phillips, Roque Santa Cruz, Tevez, Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Lescott Shay Given... just to name but a few, all under Mark Hughes. Some of these players have since moved on to other clubs. 


Robinho, Santa Cruz, Wayne Bridge and Wright Phillips never really did make an impact here. No disrespect to these players... I mean they are great players but Man City just wasn't the team for them. These things happen eh? Like Forlan at Man United, or Veron... Or Denilson/Park Chu at Arsenal. Or better yet.. all the signings in Liverpool.


Adebayor, Bellamy and Shay Given and one player that goes unnoticed, Steven Ireland, really did play a huge part in this team. Adebayor especially... he scored that goal when City beat Arsenal and ran the full length of the pitch to celebrate in front of Arsenal(his former club) fans... much to their distaste.

Bellamy's most outstanding contribution... I'd say in the Manchester derby that they lost to United thanks to Michael Owen's last minute goal. Remember that? And Shay Given... this man was key to Mark Hughes' solidity at the back. Kinda makes you wonder why Mancini sidelined him, eh? Such a waste... De Jong also looks like he's on his way out. Story for another day though.


Then came the other signings... Silva from Valencia, Aguero from Atletico Madrid, Yaya Toure from Barca and Ballotelli from Inter Milan. and City all of a sudden became a force to reckon with. Even the way the started the league just stated that this team was going to be trouble to other teams, and most especially the top four in the prem. Not that it wasn't already undergoing changes... Liverpool plummeted, Arsenal settled for third place... fourth sometime, while another newcomer, Tottenham Hotspur also briefly rattled the top four setting, and recently, Newcastle United also look like upsetting the creme de la creme of English Football.

Long story short, Manchester City deserved their win. It doesn't matter what anyone says, United or Arsenal fans alike, Nasri and team really did have the title coming. From the demolition of spurs in August, Manchester United at home... and away, Newcastle home and away, to the last minute winner by Aguero in the dying minutes of the 2011-2012 season. And so I congratulate them, yes, despite being a United fan.

Chelsea, also had the same story play out when they were bought out by billionaire, Roman Abramovich. Real Madrid also had to invest heavily just to 'buy back' the leadership in La Liga. Am talking Ozil, Khedira, Lassana, Benzema, Ronaldo, Kaka, Carvalho, Altintop, Nuri Sahin, Varane(although he hasn't featured much). So as much as we may want to say City bought the title, we have to also look elsewhere to see that the same events happened in history.

Now all City have to do, is build on their title win and then maybe... just maybe, they could have the bragging rights for a while. Real Madrid also have to prove themselves after dethroning Barca, who had won thrice in a row already. One thing's for sure though, Man United and Barca will not stand and watch. Word on the tabloids is that Sir Alex is already on the prowl for midfield reinforcements. I personally think Pogba plays better than Cleverly. and that Kagawa and Hazard would make a mean combo in midfield... and since they're both young, that could be a lot of promise.

Lets talk some more football another time

Give God what is God's, and Cisse what is Cisse's

When he was signed from Freiburg for 9 million quid, there wasn't too much hype about him. But boy oh boy, Cisse cannot stay out of the headlines. From curlers, to tap ins, volleys and to even that monstrosity he belted out against Chelsea.

I know i digress, but if his goal against Chelsea was converted to dowry, it'd be more that enough to pay for all your family's marriage arrangements.

Sure, Messi and Cristiano have run rampant, bagging goals so easy you'd think they play against toddlers. But his guy, 13 goals in 12 games and yet he was a mid season signing. Brilliant. Along with the marginally forgotten Ba, they have given Newcastle the force to push for fourth and that Champions League spot.

At the rate he scores, we should probably call him "The Mid Wife" because he damn delivers.

Up next for Cisse and Newcastle is Manchester City at their home ground. That will definitely not be one to miss.

After all has been said and done; give God what is God's and Cisse what is Cisse's.

Take a bow son. Take a bow