Author Archives: The Samba Series

Maicon – from world-class to world-weary at Manchester City

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Anis Bazza looks back at Maicon’s inglorious stay at Eastlands…

Maicon’s arrival in Manchester was certainly an odd one. City already boasted arguably the two best right-backs in the league at the time while Maicon’s career was dwindling towards an inevitable return to Brazil. Inter Milan’s desire to get his huge salary off the wage bill meant Mancini couped the ageing Brazilian for as little as £3m. City supporters weren’t without their doubts though as Maicon signed on deadline day.

Maicon started plenty of games for supposedly a third choice right back, including both Champions League clashes against Real Madrid. He was even drafted into his first game against Stoke. It didn’t take long for Blues to realize why Inter had sold him so cheaply. I guess it’s fair to say Mancini, who was familiar with Maicon during his time at Inter, underestimated the effect age had on the Brazilian’s power and pace, two attributes that are so typical of his game. Continue reading →

Guly do Prado – a Lower League Brazilian at Southampton

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Southampton fan Rob Orr profiles Guly do Prado, a player who helped Saints secure back-to-back promotions…

Guilherme do Prado, known more commonly to Saints fans as ‘Guly’, first arrived on English shores as a loan signing from Italian side Cesena in August 2010. Being only the second Brazilian to play for Southampton after the great Charles Miller, the man credited with introducing the sport to Brazil, his unveiling was met with much optimism by fans of the South Coast club.

The club hierarchy did their best to float the deal as a marquee signing, promising that Guly’s samba skills would soon be lighting up the pitches of League 1 and might provide the catalyst to propel the Saints out of the lowly depths to which they had fallen. Do Prado did indeed do enough in his five-month loan spell, scoring six goals in 17 appearances, to ensure Southampton exercised their right to purchase him that January. He would go on to have a successful season, playing a major part in promotion to the Championship. Continue reading →

Bruno Perone – QPR’s Pub Quiz Answer

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brunoAsh Rose, QPR fan and editor of Kick Magazine, provides a few words on the enigmatic defender Bruno Perone…

Bruno Perone will go down as one of QPR’s favourite ‘do you remember’ players when discussed in pubs years from now.

The central defender came to Loftus Road in the summer of 2011 as Neil Warnock looked to recruit players for QPR’s forthcoming Premier League campaign, with the limited budget set for him by then owners Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone.

By the time the transfer window ended however, Tony Fernandes had taken over the club and allowed Warnock to go on a wild last minute spending spree, leaving Perone’s one year deal ultimately redundant. Continue reading →

Ramires – Chelsea’s Big-Game Brazilian

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Daily Mail journalist Rik Sharma profiles Ramires, Chelsea’s big-game Brazilian…

Ramires is a divisive midfielder. While all of us appreciate his willingness to run through walls for the shirt, others chastise him for his erratic passing and errant decision making.

For every glorious vignette – and who could forget that chip which sailed mere centimetres over the outstretched arm of Victor Valdes, before nestling sweetly in Barcelona’s net? – there is a head-in-hands moment waiting to happen.

Ramires’s entire performance against Aston Villa away last season (all 44 minutes of it before he was sent off) verged on unwatchable. Late tackles, high feet, being dispossessed too easily, it highlighted his worst traits. Indeed, for months after his arrival many Chelsea fans were unsure of him. His passing in particular stood out as weak for a centre-midfielder, and even his energy seemed dampened by the weight of trying to adjust to the English game.

The question is: Does Jose Mourinho believe Ramires’s strengths outweigh his weaknesses? Continue reading →

David Luiz – From Playstation Defender to Stamford Bridge Icon

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Once mocked for being controlled by a 10-year old on his playstation, David Luiz grew into a central part of Chelsea’s European conquerors. Ramon Isaac looks back at his three years on English soil, and what the future may hold under Jose Mourinho…

The Untouchables are long gone, Mourinho has, if anything, made that abundantly clear to the new squad. Nonetheless, in the case of David Luiz, the new (and old) Chelsea manager has highlighted the swashbuckling Brazilian as a player with exceptional ability, a judgement that anyone who has seen Luiz play won’t take him long to deduce.

Perhaps more importantly, Mourinho has highlighted what the three previous Chelsea managers have – David Luiz is a centre back and that is the position he has the potential to become one of the very best at.

Since he arrived in the January transfer window in 2010, Luiz has first and foremost, provided an exceptional amount of entertainment. His first start against Fulham was the epitome of what was to follow. A marauding defender that looked more comfortable up front than most of the Chelsea front men as he hit an overhead kick cross into the box after finding himself doubling up as a left winger. In a season of little joy, David Luiz lifted the crowd with his enthusiasm and passion on the field; a trait that no one can deny the Brazilian international. Continue reading →

Sandro – England’s Best Brazilian Is At White Hart Lane

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The search for the best of Brazil in England is over according to Spooky of Dear Mr Levy and The Fighting Cock podcast…

“Sandro Raniere: the greatest Brazilian to grace the Premier League.”

I’m hoping that’s what Tottenham supporters (and unbiased critics) we’ll be saying in a few seasons time, when the beastly midfielder marshals our midfield to glory. There’s nothing wrong with ambitious desire and this is no day dream. I believe it and more importantly, Sandro has the look of a man who believes it too.

He’s only twenty-three years of age (the same as Gareth Bale) and last season looked set to further elevate his stature and evolution until injury put a stop to it.

Even if he’s yet to fulfil his potential in the real world, within the virtual worlds of football video games at least the Brazilian box-to-box man has become one of the most rated players around, regarded as a potential great packed with potential greatness. Continue reading →

Ilan – West Ham’s Brazilian moon landing

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Tom Victor looks back at an arrival that made history at The Boleyn Ground…

It might not have the gravity of the moon landing or the Kennedy assassination, but I remember exactly where I was when I learned that West Ham were set to sign Ilan.

I was with a group of friends at the Old Arcade pub in Cardiff, watching the first ever Sky 3D game, consoling my friend Rob, an Arsenal supporter, after his team was soundly beaten by Manchester United in one of those matches you knew was a big game because Sir Alex Ferguson had recalled Park Ji-Sung.

While reflecting on one of many blows to Arsenal’s title challenge that year, the TV in the background brought news of West Ham signing an unknown Brazilian called Ilan, deemed surplus to requirements at Saint-Étienne. Compared to Arsenal’s, ahem, arsenal up front – van Persie, Eduardo, a still-competent Andrey Arshavin – West Ham’s January transfer window business was an example of throwing a load of shit at a wall and hoping some of it stuck. Continue reading →