Tired of waiting
By: Jeremy |
2 Comments
Please sign somebody!! I’ve got to call BS on something Caruso said. He told the press that there have been no deals because Lopez is sick. What a load of crap.
Apparently, Pillud (d) and Armani (s) are on the way. There is an agreement between the clubs (Tiro Federal) and they just have to work out some money issues. So we add another defender to the mix and finally a striker. Armani netted 16 times in 25 games last year. For his career he is averaging a shade over a 1/2 a goal a game. Not too shabby. He’s 24 and pretty tall (188 cm, I don’t know exactly in inches, but he’s one of the tallest players on Tiro). A big target for the mids to hit.
If this happens that will bring the total to four signings, a keeper, two defenders and a forward. I’d like to see the Cristaldo deal happen. He’s talented and still young, defends well, and he can distribute the ball.
I know Caruso wanted ten new players, but it doesn’t look so good. Since there isn’t a full complement of players in camp, he is giving a look to three players from the lower division, I just haven’t seen who.
Oh yeah, Salcedo was at practice today, finally.
Category: Team News
Random Thursday Update
By: Jeremy | Add Comments
Ok, Salcedo missed his fourth practice in a row. Looks like someone wants to play for River.
In other business, Paraguayan Ernesto Cristaldo is in a holding pattern. Newell’s needs to sell in order to buy, but it looks like this one should get done. He plays on the left side and is as good at dropping back into defense as he is feeding the ball to the offense. He was on the Paraguayan Olympic silver medal winning squad in 2004. At 24, he has a lot of good football left in him. La lepra need help on the left, and especially the ‘enganche’ position. Cristaldo is the guy, although I did hear about Caruso wanting Brian Robert (Club Almagro) to fill that role. Kind of random, but who am I to doubt Caruso? What should seal the deal is Diego Barreto. Newell’s owns his pass, but he is at Cerro Porteno on loan and Osvaldo Ardiles (DT of Cerro) wants to make him permanent.
Spolli looks to be headed to Spain (damn the bad luck). Real Betis, I believe and they seem to be offering a decent package.
Another possible target for Newell’s, Hugo Barrientos, midfielder, (Huracan) is trying to work out an extension with el globo, but if not he is willing to listen to Newell’s.
Delorte is still out there, and it appears more likely that Leandro Armani will be signing with Argentinos.
They are still dreaming about Damian Manso. One, he just won the Copa Libertadores with Liga de Quito. Two, there was that nasty law suit where Newell’s still owes him some money from 2005. But he says he is willing to come This one is probably least likely to happen, but one that I would love to see. He was born in Rosario, is a lifelong fan of la lepra, has played for Newell’s three different times for a total of 185 first team games. And he was in France and Greece. He was part of NOB’s las championship winning team (’04) and won the Ecuadorian title at LDU Quito in ‘07 and was an integral part of the Copa win. But now teams from everywhere are falling over themselves to give him and a bunch of other LDU players wads of cash, or so they are saying in Quito.
There are other names out there, and we still NEED a striker. Steinert up top is not the worst thing that could happen, but not as the only strikers. He needs a partner, at least this year.
Category: Team NewsNewell’s notes
By: Jeremy | 2 Comments
Seems like la lepra have to sell to buy. River is still salivating at getting their hands on Salcedo, but they are still choking on the $9 million price tag. Word is that Spolli has an offer and NOB will have an agreement in the next few days with Real Betis. Not sure if that one is going through, but I can imagine the interest. For all the talk about Schiavi, the back line was not the same without Spolli.
I’ll get a roundup of the latest signings/rumors this afternoon.
Category: Team NewsWe NEED a striker
By: Jeremy | 8 Comments
First Lopez decided to sign with Velez, now Bracamonte has signed for six more months in Russia. Even Leandro Armani is no longer a definite. What the crap is going on here? If it weren’t for Salcedo, we would most likely be fighting the promotion. The other strikers on the team don’t cut it. I don’t really care who they sign, but sign some one good and some one soon. I hear Drogba is unhappy.
Category: Team NewsSignings and such
By: Jeremy | Add Comments
Ok, it is official. Our first signing. German Caffa of San Martin de Tucuman. Goalie. No surprise there. Villar is gone and we need another one, and he helped get San Martin promoted to the primera for this season. Solid signing.
Ivan Pillud, Tiro Federal. Defender. Don’t know a ton about him yet. Seems to have everything arranged and will be arriving in Rosario on Monday to start preseason training.
Leandro Armani, Tiro Federal. Striker. Decent play maker. Owns his own pass so he’ll be relatively cheap. He’s been on Caruso’s radar for a while now. With Salcedo leaving, striker is a need area. Don’t know if it will happen, but signs are good right now.
Matias Escobar, Gimnasia (LP). Midfielder. Seems to be more of a defensive mid, but I haven’t seen a ton of him playing, either. What we need is a play making mid, more of the attacking kind. A big downfall in my opinion last season was not having a strong link between the defense and the strikers. Anyway, some Turkish club has an offer out, so who knows.
Juan Manuel Insaurralde, Chacarita Juniors. Defender. Not sure. Not a bad player. Word is that everything is arranged.
One that I didn’t see coming is the signing (supposedly) of Hector Bracamonte, ex-Boca and lately at FC Moscow. Striker and not a bad one, either. Led FC Moscow in scoring last season.
Diego Armando Barrado/Cristian Nasuti. River Plate. Midfielder/Defender. River wants Salcedo and now Spolli. I’m guessing one or both of these will be included in payment. I prefer Barrado, mainly becasue Central want him and anytime la lepra can beat Central, man you gotta do it. River usually get what they want, but they are like 50 million in debt or something crazy like that so I don’t know how they can afford to buy Salcedo, unless they do it this way. Personally, if I were Lopez, I’d hold out for a couple million and both players for Salcedo and treat Spolli as a whole other deal, like in Russia maybe. Russian billionaires have a whole lot more money than River.
And last, Alejandro Delorte. Argentinos Juniors. Striker. Played for Caruso in el bicho. I think he would be a free transger and he is all ready to sign. We’ll see.
So there you have it. There are a few more names out there but I think these are the definites and most likelys.
Category: Team NewsHe’s Back!!
By: Jeremy | 8 Comments
Ok, he never really left, but just a couple of days ago I was convinced he was leaving. But today he signed a one year contract, keeping him at the Coloso until July of 2009. Yahoo!!!
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Category: Team NewsFor Sale, one striker
By: Jeremy | Add Comments
Looks like the Newell’s brain trust think that Santiago Salcedo may have a hard time repeating his success next season and want to cash in on him while he is hot. They are asking $8 million for him, a price too steep for River, and Europe or Russia looks like the most likely destination, although don’t count out Mexico.
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Category: Team NewsWill he stay or will he go?
By: Jeremy | 1 Comment
Caruso is bringing his agent with him to the meeting tomorrow with Lopez. A good sign. Plus word has it that Pedro Troglio (among others) turned down Lopez’ offer to become the new coach. And then at the season finale the Newell’s fans absolutely roared for Caruso. The man has already established himself as a clear fan favorite, and Lopez (unless he again manages to get out of it, always a possibility) faces elections this year. So maybe Lopez will actually bow to fan pressure and keep the man.
And honestly, I don’t know why he wouldn’t. He took over mid way through last season and even beat Boca. This season he beat Central and Newell’s finished in the top ten and closer to a Copa Sudamericana spot than relegation for the year. Plus he’s honest and says what he means. Why screw with that. If a few players don’t like what he is doing (winning) or how he is doing it then cut them, trade them, sell them, send them down to the lower divisions, I don’t care what, just get rid of them and get him players he wants.
When it comes down to it, the average Newell’s fan wouldn’t piss on Lopez if he was on fire, but for Caruso they would even spend their rent money to buy him a beer after the fact. This man doesn’t need to be going anywhere.
Category: Team NewsCaruso’s out (I think)
By: Jeremy | Add Comments
Well, today he told the press that his mind was made up about his future with Newell’s and that the president had no say in it. He said he would tell his coaching staff first and then Eduardo Lopez, club president.
Sounds like he’s gone to me. Plus Husain has been extended and he is possibly the biggest critic of Caruso in the dressing room. This pretty much sucks, unless, of course Gallego comes back. I know he stunk it up with Tigres, but he’s been great everywhere else. He led River to a title, moved on, went back and did it again, so there is precedent for winning titles in his second stint with a club.
Category: Team NewsAmerico Ruben Gallego
By: Jeremy | Add Comments
Could it be? Rumor is that he will be in Rosario in a couple of days to talk with Lopez. I support Caruso, but this is Gallego we are talking about.
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Category: Team News
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