2 Things

I was in a hurry the other day and forgot the second part of my Xabi Alonso post. I think the move might reconfigure the race for the Prem Crown. With the departures from Man United I had a feeling Liverpool might be poised to knock them off the top. But with the loss of Alonso and their failure to capture Gareth Barry (I seriously doubted Rafa would allow the former after the latter) the Liverpool midfield leaves a little to be desired. They still have some fantastic players but the Xabi-Mascherano partnership gave them something few teams have. And without the ability to win balls and turn play the other way on a dime it is hard for me to see them challenging for the crown.

And then there is the Jozy Altidore move to Hull City. I think the year long loan from Villarreal is a good thing for everyone involved. After showing something in the Confed Cup back in June Altidore needs to play regularly and build on that. He probably didn't have a realistic shot at those kind of minutes at Villarreal and a loan like the one to Xerez last season would probably be counterproductive. But with Hull City he is in a situation where he is going to a club that wants him, in a competitive league that fits his playing style, and stepping into a situation where he has a legitimate expectation of playing regularly. Hull City have been on the prowl for a striker the whole transfer window and come up short on some big names. Let's hope their willingness to gamble on Altidore pays off. They survived last season by the thinnest of margins and were really hurting for goals, so despite it being a challenge for Altidore it is a great opportunity.