Fabregas to sign for Puma

Reports have been up after Barcelona star Cesc Fabregas was spotted with white-out cleats, and some suggest it to be CTR III's but most of them going with him switching into Puma's. Which is not much of a suprise after Puma snatching a host of players like Pienaar, De Jong, Tierry Henry and oviously to mention Sergio Aguero in past two months or so and also with them preparing some great boots like the PWRC 1.12 and the King SL's which are set to hit the market hard and try to regain their status as one of the best football equipments brand after losing out the the likes of adidas and Nike.

Puma V1.11 Yellow + Blue leaked colorways all round Images

AVB ready for Old Trafford challenge

AVB ready for Old Trafford challenge

Andre Villas-Boas has insisted Chelsea are as determined to blood youngsters as Manchester United but they will have to wait to take on United's young team.

Villas-Boas takes his side to Old Trafford tomorrow to face a United team that has made a record-breaking start to the Barclays Premier League.

Their achievement is all the more remarkable considering most of their starting XI are in their early 20s, with manager Sir Alex Ferguson once again putting his faith in the next generation.

Last year saw Chelsea attempt to do the same but their decision to jettison a raft of experienced players ultimately backfired when injuries struck.

The summer departure of several youngsters suggested that experiment might have been abandoned but most of the signings made by new boss Villas-Boas have been teenagers, even if they have been used sparingly.

"They will come eventually," said the Portuguese, who has given minutes to Romelu Lukaku and Oriol Romeu this season but not yet Josh McEachran.

"Josh will find a place in a competitive midfield eventually, and Josh understands that.

"Oriol played well for 10 minutes against Sunderland, Lukaku against Norwich.

"I don't think it's harder for them. It's just the way our squad is built at the moment."

Villas-Boas, who has repeatedly been forced to defend players at the opposite end of the age spectrum, added: "I have no problem, and I cannot have problems, with age. Because it's just competence that I'm looking for."

The one Chelsea youngster who really has made the breakthrough this season is Daniel Sturridge.

After missing the Blues' first three games through suspension, the 22-year-old has been hugely impressive in back-to-back starts and looks certain to keep his place tomorrow.

Villas-Boas said: "He's been doing tremendously well, scoring and assisting people.

"He's a player who is able to express himself freely in the game, and exploit the full potential that he has.

"If you asked him, he'd feel more comfortable as a striker, but I think he has potential playing in a wide position.

"That's what we're trying to find in him the freedom to play in the channels."

Juan Mata, who is only 23, has been just as impressive on the opposite flank.

Villas-Boas said of the £23million signing from Valencia: "When you find a player who comes from such a different league as Spain to this one - this one is more frenetic and faster - and see him express his talent, as well as he did in the Spanish league, it's something surprising."

Despite the emergence of that duo, Chelsea are still lagging a long way behind United when it comes to youth.

Villas-Boas said: "Ferguson promotes talent the way you see.

"He likes to promote young talent, and they have a couple of good quality young players coming through: (Phil) Jones, (Tom) Cleverley, Chicharito (Javier Hernandez).

"Sir Alex is a person who can take the best from his players and can choose two strong starting XIs, like I can.

"But he has been enjoying that throughout his life."

Of course, Chelsea's biggest investment in youth has been in Villas-Boas himself, the 33-year-old costing a reported £13million to prise from his Porto contract this summer.

Tomorrow will see the Portuguese prodigy walk out at Old Trafford as a manager for the first time and he has vowed not to be overawed by arguably what is the biggest challenge of his two-year career.

He added: "At this level, the players decide what happens.

"I just hope they put on a show for the fans.

"We just try to do our best for the team to perform, for the players to perform, to the extent of their talent."

Villas-Boas has already considered what he will tell his players before the game, saying: "I'll try to touch on the things we have achieved, achieved this season, not in the past.

"There are some good signs with the progression and fluency of our game.

"That's one thing to get into their minds to try and get the best out of them."

Tiempo Legend Vs Tiempo Legend Elite

The Nike Tiempo range launched Nike into the world footballing stage in the 1994 world cup final where 7 players alongside Romario and Maldini wore the Tiempo, plus a young Ronaldo on the bench. Since the final the Tiempo has become a staple in the boot bag of many amateur footballers due the soft leather upper and the simple colour ways, however the boot has never made a big splash into the professional game the same way the Adidas Predators did in 1994 or the Nike Mercurial range did in 1998.

This summer however Nike made a long overdue revamp to their heritage boot using tried and tested materials and technologies from their other silos to create the new Nike Tiempo IV. Initial reaction the boot seems successful with a number of elite players including Patrice Evra and Ashley Cole switching to the boot from other silos.
In the Elite and Pro model of the Tiempo Legend Nike have created two quality boots and a number of players including Raul Meireles (pictured) have chosen to wear the Pro level boot rather than the Elite level, but what are the major differences in two models:

Upper
Nike Tiempo Legend IV Elite – Nike have developed an upper that gives a great touch and buttery feel but maintaining a lightweight frame. They have accomplished this by using natural and unprocessed premium kangaroo leather at the front of the boot while utilising flywire technology which has been a success in the Superfly in the midfoot
Nike Tiempo Legend IV – Similarly the pro level boot incorporates two different materials in the upper, using a kangaroo leather at the front of the boot and Nike’s Kanga-lite synthetic material in the midfoot. The kangaroo leather used in the pro boot has been processed more and is not as soft, the kanga-lite material used in the midfoot is the same material used in the CTR 360 elite so if very soft but provides more water resistance and support than the K leather. Both boots also utilise memory foam under the tongue to provide a flat surface over the metatarsals for striking the ball.
Outsole
Nike Tiempo Legend IV Elite – The elite version utilises the much talked about carbon fibre which reduces the weight of the boot by up to 40g and also gives the athlete a greater return of energy.
Nike Tiempo Legend IV – In contrast the Pro level boot uses a slightly heavier TPU outsole that has been used of previous models of the Tiempo.
Verdict
The Nike Tiempo Legend IV Elite for me is a better boot, it has a softer leather in the forefoot and the flywire keeps you nice and secure in the boot while reducing weight. I also like the continuation of the carbon fibre outsole, which reduces weight and gives me a psychological edge knowing I’m wearing the best boot in that silo.
Having said that the Tiempo Legend IV is an excellent boot and I believe that the Pro Level Tiempo utilizes the best material in the upper out of all the Nike boots except obviously the elite version. The K Leather gives a great touch while the Kanga-Lite material is the same used in the CTR 360, a boot that has took the football market by storm creating a new “silo” that most brands are entering into. The boot itself is only a fraction heavier that the Elite version weighing in at 272g compared to the 266g of the elite. The boot is also a cheaper option and comes in a soft and firm ground option making it more viable for amateur players.


Verdict – Nike Tiempo Legend IV 
On paper the Legend IVs win, but how do they fare on the pitch? Stay tuned for the full regular and elite reviews in the coming weeks! 
- soccerreviews.com

Rumours of Nike bid to takeover Under Armour

Reports are circulating that Nike are considering a takeover bid for Under Armour, something they have been supposedly been thinking about for several months, stock in Under Armour rose 7% in post-market trading.

According to The Times, Nike could offer more than $100 per share for Under Armour. It would be likely that Nike would treat Under Armour as a subsidiary, much as they do with Umbro.

Neither company has commented on the reports, but Bloomberg has said that a Nike spokesperson told them there was no truth to it. The Portland Business Journal, say Nike isn’t new to expanding its reach through acquisitions. “It bought Converse in 2003 for $305 million and Umbro in 2008 for $565 million“.

TEAM NEWS: SUNDERLAND V CHELSEA

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TEAM NEWS: SUNDERLAND V CHELSEA

Posted on: Sat 10 Sep 2011

Raul Meireles makes his Chelsea debut and Juan Mata his first start. Nicolas Anelka is preferred to Fernando Torres as centre-forward.

Meireles comes in for John Mikel Obi who is not involved today following long-distance international duty. Mata replaces Florent Malouda on the left of the attack with Daniel Sturridge returning on the right. David Luiz is back on the bench.

For Sunderland, Nicklas Bendtner comes in for departing Asamoah Gyan. John O'Shea is injured so Kieran Richardson will play right-back. Titus Bramble replaces Anton Ferdinand in central defence.

Chelsea will line-up in the following 4-3-3 formation:

1 Petr Cech
17 Jose Bosingwa
2 Branislav Ivanovic
26 John Terry (c)
3 Ashley Cole
7 Ramires
16 Raul Meireles
8 Frank Lampard
23 Daniel Sturridge
39 Nicolas Anelka
10 Juan Mata

Subs: 40 Hilario, 4 David Luiz, 6 Oriol Romeu, 20 Josh McEachran, 21Salomon Kalou, 15 Florent Malouda, 9 Fernando Torres.

Sundeland are expected to line up in the following (4-4-1-1): Mignolet; Richardson, Bramble, Brown, Bardsley; Larsson, Gardner, Cattermole (c), Colback; Sessègnon; Bendtner.

Subs: Sorensen, Pugh, Collins, Diao, Tonge, Shotton, Arismendi.

The referee is Lee Probert.
-All right reserved to chelseafc.com

The Sweeper

The Sweeper: Joe Lewis planning to sell Tottenham when new White Hart Lane stadium is complete

We reveal how Fabio Capello is cramping England's style, lift the lid on Aston Villa's commuters and expose a potential conflict of interest between the Premier League and QPR

10 Sep 2011 08:18:00

 

Edited By Wayne Veysey

THE

SWEEPER

TIDYING UP ALL THE LOOSE STORIES IN FOOTBALL THIS WEEK

Regular visitors to the Tottenham boardroom have noted that Joe Lewis, the billionaire who controls the club's owners ENIC International Limited, has been a more visible presence at White Hart Lane over the last 12 months.

In 2009-10, the Bahamas-based tycoon went to his first Spurs game in nine years and he is understood to have been at the club on a further four occasions over the last year.

Lewis' increasingly hands-on role is partly to push through the remodified plan, revealed byThe Sweeper last month, to redevelop White Hart Lane after losing out on the Olympic Stadium to West Ham.

But Lewis and Spurs chairman Daniel Levy have also been sounding out City interest in naming rights for the Northumberland Development Project (NDP) stadium, adjacent to White Hart Lane.

Sources have told The Sweeper that Lewis' long-term plan is to maximise Tottenham's market value over the next five years and then sell the club when the stadium is complete. There is no specific finishing date in mind but, as senior officials continue to chip away at local and central government chiefs for funding towards a project that will cost an estimated £460 million, few expect it to be built before 2016.

City figures believe Spurs could be worth £500m when the stadium is built, nearly three times more than the club's current value.

Although chairman Daniel Levy refuted claims by Tottenham MP David Lammy last year that he intended to sell the club to an Eastern European or Middle East investor if Spurs beat West Ham to the Olympic Stadium, rumours continue to circulate that ENIC, who own 85 per cent of the club's shares, will eventually cash in.

For now, momentum is gathering at White Hart Lane to redevelop the current stadium. Two senior club officials are working full time on NDP, while a committee of 15 are now meeting once a week to discuss the project.It is expected that the club, galvanised by the increasing political backing for NDP, will quietly drop the judicial review of the Olympic Stadium before the scheduled hearing later this month and focus all their attention on redeveloping White Hart Lane.

FABIO CRAMPING ENGLAND'S STYLE

Fabio Capello chose to highlight the mental rather than physical frailties of the England players after their underwhelming 1-0 win over Wales in midweek.

But it has not gone unnoticed by The Sweeper that the Wales players looked far sharper and fitter than Capello's team in the final 20 minutes.

A number of the England players suffered from cramp towards the end, including substituted pair Wayne Rooney and Stewart Downing, while Wales' two changes were made for purely tactical reasons.

Could this be anything to do with the training schedules of the two teams? Wales did not suffer a single injury during their 10-day training camp and the entire squad returned to their clubs fit and available to play this weekend. By contrast, four England players - Darren Bent, Micah Richards, Leighton Baines and Theo Walcott - missed the Wales match through injury. 

HOME SWEET HOME FOR VILLA

Aston Villa supporters were stunned last season when it emerged that three first-team players commuted every day to the club's Bodymoor Heath training HQ in Tamworth. Robert Pires was chauffeur-driven from his London home, Stephen Ireland made the journey from Cheshire and Stephen Warnock did the same from his base in the north-west.

Yet the extent of the squad's reluctance to live in the Midlands ran even deeper. Luke Young commuted all season from Wimbledon Village, while Ashley Young moved back to Stevenage in Hertfordshire in the final months of the campaign once it became clear he would not be signing a new contract with the club.

Not that new manager Alex McLeish can hand out too many lectures on the subject of long commutes. The Scot bought a house in Fulham 12 months ago and regularly travelled up and down the M40 between west London and Birmingham City's training base in south Birmingham.


PREMIER LEAGUE DENY QPR REF LINK 

Some eyebrows have been raised about the association between QPR and Premier League referees, who are sponsored by Tune Group, parent company of Tony Fernandes-owned AirAsia.

Tune Group are in the second year of a three-year, seven-figure contract with the Professional Game Match Officials that sees their brand emblazoned on the uniforms of match officials.

However, there is no discomfort at Premier League HQ about the potential conflict of interest following Fernandes' takeover of QPR last month.

Premier League sources have told The Sweeper that the sponsorship "literally amounts to the branding on the shirt" and that there is no direct contact between Tune and PGMO.

Should Fernandes' ownership of the London club extend beyond next season, it will be interesting to see whether the PGMO endorse a third contract for Tune Group, a hypothetical scenario that the authorities are unwilling to address at the moment.

WALES IN DRIVING SEAT

In an interview with Goal.com the week, Wales No.2 Raymond Verheijen explained how the players are hungry to play for the national team again following an overhaul of the set-up that has put far more emphasis on the collective than the individual.

These were not empty words. The Sweeper understands that Craig Bellamy and David Vaughan, who were suspended for the England match and had departed the squad last Saturday, both drove independently and of their own volition to Wembley on Tuesday night to watch their team's 1-0 defeat from the stands.

-All Rights reserved to goal.com