Sean McGuire: Transfer destinations - the key is all in the name

Jan 10 2008 by Sean McGuire, Liverpool Daily Post

THE transfer window is always an exciting time and inside clubs it can be also be a frantic time.

There are any number of factors that can influence a decision to sign a player: the transfer war chest as a club’s disposal, wages being demanded, whether a player’s style could fit into the team, and whether they are still available for European competitions.

Sometimes clubs will consider whether the player is actually any good.

But perhaps there’s something more mysterious and insidious at work then even boardroom politics, agents and players’ wives.

In the latest pop psychology book masquerading as a serious business tome, ‘Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion, the authors examine why, for example, people called Louise are more likely to move to Louisiana and people called Florence go to Florida.

It sounds like a far-fetched theory, a case of there being a statistic to back up every argument if you look hard enough.

But then I was struck by some of the transfer activity in the current window of opportunity.

Of all the grounds in the Premier League, should we be surprised that Marek Matejovsky will now be playing his home matches at the Madejski Stadium?

Meanwhile Mr Cisse hasn’t settled at Marseille and is now a target for Manchester City, while the latest Anfield recruit Martin Skrtel has chosen to become a scouser.

But for this theory to work properly we should be able to predict the future.

Chris Kamara, sadly, is destined for a long career on television, and Jermaine Defoe could be expected to leave White Hart Lane for a German Bundesliga club.

But it means there is bad news ahead for Liverpool fans keen to see Benitez remain at Anfield.

Rafa and Montse, it would seem, are destined to be bound for Real Madrid.

Well, it’s a better explanation for the current speculation than last Sunday’s newspapers managed.