Win2Win Racing
11th June 2009, 01:24
Well, it's been a bit of an up and down week since my last column.
The world record transfer fee has been broken.
There are still three Scottish clubs in the top division without a manager. Setanta are on the brink of collapse (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8092595.stm) and it's only five sleeps until pre-season - happy days!
Let's start with Kaka - and it looks like Real are returning to the Galactico days (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/8082147.stm).
They have just shelled out £59m and this is only the beginning, according to the transfer rumours doing the rounds.
Depending on what papers or internet sites you read, it's looking like President Perez (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/8076515.stm) will follow up his purchase of the gifted Brazilian by bringing in Ronaldo, Ribery, Villa and Ibrahimovic to name but a few.
Is it just me, or does anyone else think that perhaps they should also be looking at a defender or two?
Real are the only club in the world who could pull these signings off in my opinion.
Sure, there are clubs who would get one or two of their main targets in, but it really wouldn't surprise me to see four of those players I've listed playing at the Santiago Bernabeu next season.
I just hope the odd one out is the big Swede (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/7931300.stm) - I just don't get it with that guy! Maybe it's just me, but every time I see him, he flatters to deceive.
To me, he looks like a player who thinks he is far better than he actually is.
Over to Scotland and, although there hasn't been much player activity so far during the close season, the management situation is still keeping football on the back pages.
Hibernian have recently got their man in John Hughes (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hibernian/8092927.stm), meaning Falkirk (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/falkirk/8090098.stm) have joined Aberdeen and Celtic in their search for their top man. It's looking like a manager merry go round and it will only continue.
I don't think I've known a close season where there have been so many jobs up for grabs.
I've not seen Harry Cairney's (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/annan_athletic/7599701.stm)name linked as yet, so it's looking like he'll be at Galabank come Monday night, stopwatch round his neck and clipboard in his hand!
I mentioned last week that I was stepping up my own work in preparation for pre-season training and that's exactly what I did last Wednesday.
It was my intention to pound the roads and I did that as well as a little extra.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/chrisjardine/gordon_lennon_595_sns.jpg
I ran to the gym, ran at the gym and then ran home - and, on Thursday morning, I struggled to make my work!
After working for 12 days straight come Thursday, I will have 10 days off to look forward to, so I'll still get a few runs in to brush up on my fitness before the real hard work begins.
I've not got too much on during that time, although I might well fall off the wagon for a couple of days when I go to see Oasis at Murrayfield (http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/music/newsid_7673000/7673719.stm) next week.
Before some of you think I'm talking about drinking exploits again, I'm simply talking about missing a couple of sessions while I'm having a wee break with family and friends in South Queensferry.
I mentioned at the beginning about it being an up and down week and, with the sudden passing of Dumbarton defender Gordon Lennon (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8089017.stm), it has certainly been more down.
I won't pretend to have known the man, but obviously I came across him this season when we were captains of our respective clubs and I could tell he was a character straight away.
I read Jim Chapman talking about Gordon the other day and he mentioned his smile - and it is certainly one you will never forget.
On the last day of the season, we had Dumbarton down at Galabank when they officially clinched the league title (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_div_1/8038853.stm).
The one thing I remember from that day was Gordon heading up to the fans and clenching his fists in front of them all going absolutely crazy. He seemed to be there for ages, the fans loved it and so did he.
You could tell that it meant so much to him.
My thoughts and condolences are with Gordon's family and friends as well as everyone at Dumbarton Football Club.
Rest in peace.
More... (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/chrisjardine/2009/06/real_not_in_real_world.html)
The world record transfer fee has been broken.
There are still three Scottish clubs in the top division without a manager. Setanta are on the brink of collapse (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8092595.stm) and it's only five sleeps until pre-season - happy days!
Let's start with Kaka - and it looks like Real are returning to the Galactico days (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/8082147.stm).
They have just shelled out £59m and this is only the beginning, according to the transfer rumours doing the rounds.
Depending on what papers or internet sites you read, it's looking like President Perez (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/8076515.stm) will follow up his purchase of the gifted Brazilian by bringing in Ronaldo, Ribery, Villa and Ibrahimovic to name but a few.
Is it just me, or does anyone else think that perhaps they should also be looking at a defender or two?
Real are the only club in the world who could pull these signings off in my opinion.
Sure, there are clubs who would get one or two of their main targets in, but it really wouldn't surprise me to see four of those players I've listed playing at the Santiago Bernabeu next season.
I just hope the odd one out is the big Swede (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/7931300.stm) - I just don't get it with that guy! Maybe it's just me, but every time I see him, he flatters to deceive.
To me, he looks like a player who thinks he is far better than he actually is.
Over to Scotland and, although there hasn't been much player activity so far during the close season, the management situation is still keeping football on the back pages.
Hibernian have recently got their man in John Hughes (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hibernian/8092927.stm), meaning Falkirk (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/falkirk/8090098.stm) have joined Aberdeen and Celtic in their search for their top man. It's looking like a manager merry go round and it will only continue.
I don't think I've known a close season where there have been so many jobs up for grabs.
I've not seen Harry Cairney's (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/annan_athletic/7599701.stm)name linked as yet, so it's looking like he'll be at Galabank come Monday night, stopwatch round his neck and clipboard in his hand!
I mentioned last week that I was stepping up my own work in preparation for pre-season training and that's exactly what I did last Wednesday.
It was my intention to pound the roads and I did that as well as a little extra.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/chrisjardine/gordon_lennon_595_sns.jpg
I ran to the gym, ran at the gym and then ran home - and, on Thursday morning, I struggled to make my work!
After working for 12 days straight come Thursday, I will have 10 days off to look forward to, so I'll still get a few runs in to brush up on my fitness before the real hard work begins.
I've not got too much on during that time, although I might well fall off the wagon for a couple of days when I go to see Oasis at Murrayfield (http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/music/newsid_7673000/7673719.stm) next week.
Before some of you think I'm talking about drinking exploits again, I'm simply talking about missing a couple of sessions while I'm having a wee break with family and friends in South Queensferry.
I mentioned at the beginning about it being an up and down week and, with the sudden passing of Dumbarton defender Gordon Lennon (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8089017.stm), it has certainly been more down.
I won't pretend to have known the man, but obviously I came across him this season when we were captains of our respective clubs and I could tell he was a character straight away.
I read Jim Chapman talking about Gordon the other day and he mentioned his smile - and it is certainly one you will never forget.
On the last day of the season, we had Dumbarton down at Galabank when they officially clinched the league title (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_div_1/8038853.stm).
The one thing I remember from that day was Gordon heading up to the fans and clenching his fists in front of them all going absolutely crazy. He seemed to be there for ages, the fans loved it and so did he.
You could tell that it meant so much to him.
My thoughts and condolences are with Gordon's family and friends as well as everyone at Dumbarton Football Club.
Rest in peace.
More... (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/chrisjardine/2009/06/real_not_in_real_world.html)