8 Reasons not to get a PS4/Xbone.. Yet

7 Reasons not to get a PS4/Xbone.. Yet

After scanning stockinformer for a couple of weeks, I finally found the shiny new PS4 I had been looking for. However, something stopped me from buying it. A little voice in my head, questioning whether it was really worth it..

 The new generation of gaming is finally upon us, with the Xbox One and Playstation 4 breaking numerous records for sales when they were released earlier this year.

Despite the commercial success of the shiny, new consoles, there are still some issues with the 'next-gen' that have stopped me (and others) from taking the plunge so far.

7. Price of console/games

When the prices for the consoles were finally revealed, the general consensus seemed to be that they were reasonably affordable compared to past generations, with the PS4 £75 cheaper than the PS3 was at launch in 2007.

But the new releases have also served to make their bigger brothers even easier to snap up cheaply, with PS3s and Xbones available for as little as £100 second hand. With (mostly) the same games available for all four consoles, (as well as PC), the PS3 and 360 versions of games are £10 less and will continue being released throughout next year at the very least.

Although some games like Battlefield 4 use the new consoles to improve their multiplayer components. is it really worth spending £400+ solely to play Battlefield? It scored a 6.3 and a 6.5 for Xbone and PS4 respectively, so the users don't seem to think so.  

6. Library of games on last-gen

Last-gen gave us some amazing releases across all three platforms. The Last Of Us, The Mass Effect series, there are simply too many to mention.

For most gamers, the 'current-gen' of consoles still have something to offer at a cut-price rate. Even if price isn't a factor, Knack simply isn't as good as Rayman Legends. Is Forza really better than Gran Turismo 6?

Either way, most new games are going to be released on the PS3 and 360 anyway.

5. Time to iron out bugs 

Reports suggest that some gamers have received defective consoles, but this is to be expected with the release of new hardware. 

Hopefully any remaining issues will be addressed, so there will be no repeat of  the 'RROD' saga that plagued the 360 throughout the years.

For now, owners just have to cross their fingers, or take out expensive extended warranty for an item that should be built correctly. 

4. You have to pay for multiplayer 

I know that Xbox Live wasn't optional for online play last-gen, but at least PS3 users had the chance to play for free.

Unfortunately, Sony has followed Microsoft's business model so if you want to play online, you now have to pay online, unless you use a PC. 

Charging for multiplayer now appears be the norm and seems to have superseded the failed online pass experiment. The only difference is that now you give your money to Sony or Microsoft, rather than EA.

3. No 'wow' games on the horizon  

One of the weirdest things for me about the new consoles is that I don't really want any of the games on offer. If I had to choose, I would probably pick Black Flag, but I could easily play that on a number of other systems. 

The same goes for the next game on my horizon, the eagerly anticipated Watchdogs. I'm sure that in the coming years both consoles will have a wide array of games to suit most players, but for now, it just isn't enough for me.

2. Price drop!

I know it's unlikely to happen for a while, but the new consoles will eventually go down in price.

Last-gen consoles didn't go down until 9 months after release (in time for Christmas) but if you have the patience to wait, there are savings to be made, as well as the option of picking up a second-hand console from somewhere like Ebay. 

1. There isn’t a lot of improvement yet

Simply put, the consoles are lacking the 'wow factor' at the moment. A lacklustre selection of games coupled with the high entry price has left many in the cold, with others simply priced out. 

As always, a solid line-up of games will help to get the systems going, (look to the Wii U's pitiful sales due to lack of third-party support as proof) and hopefully some of these titles will be released during 2014.

For now, it's probably best to wait, despite all the hype surrounding the new consoles.

Oh, and as for my PS4? I ended up buying a new PC.

Tokyo 2020: The calm after the storm

Tokyo 2020: The calm after the storm

Tokyo recently secured the right to host the 2020 Summer Olympics, beating bids from the other two candidate cities, Istanbul and Madrid, despite concerns regarding Tokyo's proximity to Fukushima following the nuclear disaster that occurred in March 2011.

The Japanese capital will become the first Asian city to host the Games twice, following in the footsteps of London, Paris and Athens, but the decision comes at a time when Japan is still reeling from the fallout generated from the largest nuclear meltdown since the infamous Chernobyl disaster of 1986.

One of the fundamental principles laid out in the Olympic charter is "to encourage and support a reasonable concern for environmental issues". With Fukishima and Tokyo less than 150 miles apart, the environmental issues surrounding the spill will be under close scrutiny and the lens will continue to magnify as the deadline draws ever closer.

Japan are attempting to deal with the remediation effort but have faced difficulties thus far. In July 2013 they suffered a major setback, as it was announced that radioactive water had been leaking into the Pacific Ocean since the original incident. More damning still was news that the operator of the plant, TEPCO, knew about the spill the whole time and decided to keep quiet.

For now, the International Olympic Committee seem to have been appeased. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged to spend $300m to deal with the clean-up and they have a substantial amount of time before the torch arrives in Tokyo.

Residents who live in the "no-return-zones" surrounding the plant were told they must wait at least five years before it's safe to go near their homes, with the Olympics scheduled to arrive just four years after.

The safety of both competitors and fans must be of paramount importance to the IOC, but Japan would be the ones to face condemnation from the international community if they aren't able to facilitate a safe environment for one of the biggest events in the world, especially after they have pledged that the capital will be radiation-free.

 Tokyo first hosted the Summer Games in 1964, after the postponement of the 1940 Tokyo Games, (which were eventually moved to runners-up Helsinki) following Japan's involvement in WWII. The 64' games were a resounding success and helped Japan to become the economic powerhouse that we know today.

After the decision was announced, Abe said "Japan needs hopes and dreams". With the problems the country have recently faced, the Olympics will hopefully give Japan, Tokyo and the Fukushima effort the same boost felt by London, England and Great Britain in the build up and aftermath of London 2012. 

The season so far: EPL review part 1

The season so far: EPL review part 1

With the EPL season starting to gather pace and the transfer window now closed, let’s have a quick look at the teams taking part and how they’ve started the new season.

Arsenal

For the first time in a few seasons, the Gunners have started their campaign with a stronger squad than before and more importantly, they haven’t lost any key players to their rivals.

The signing of Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid shows their intent to challenge for honors, but Arsenal are still short up front and may go for a striker in the January transfer window after losing out on a loan deal for Chelsea’s Demba Ba.

Arsenal currently sit at forth in the league, with their only loss coming in the opening game of the season against Aston Villa. Since then they have won four games including a derby at Tottenham, scoring nine goals and conceding two in all competitions.

  

Aston Villa

The Villians must be looking to improve on a poor 15^th place finish last season, but have faced a nightmare start to the season in terms of fixtures. Villa have had to play Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool in their opening trio of game and collected a respectable three points in their opener against Arsenal, as well as performing well against Chelsea.

Manager Paul Lambert did well to keep hold of Christian Benteke and the striker has started the season well, with a brace at Arsenal as well as a goal against Chelsea.

Villa currently lie 13^th in the league, but have played a number of stronger teams and collected 3 more points than most would have imagined.

Cardiff

The Welsh outfit announced themselves to the EPL with a magnificent 3-2 win over Man City and held Everton to a draw to show that their not just here to make up the numbers.

Cardiff were promoted as winners of the Championship last season with the joint highest goals scored in the league and bolstered their frontline with the signing of Peter Odemwingie, as well as smashing their transfer record with the £11m signing of defensive midfielder Gary Medel from Seville, who is known as “The Chilean Gattuso.”  

Chelsea

The Blues followed routine wins over Hull and Aston Villa with a disappointing draw at Man Utd, in which manager Jose Mourinho surprisingly played without a striker. (Although a point away from home against the Champions is usually lauded, the manner in which the team set out was very negative.)

Last years Europa League winners have improved their squad with a number of buys, including £30m Brazilian Willian and former Barca striker Samuel Eto’o, who should perform better than the oft misfiring Fernando Torres.

Chelsea are undefeated and only have Liverpool above them in the league. If they can start firing on all cylinders, they have a good chance to win the title in a season of upheaval at most of the big clubs.   

Crystal Palace

Palace have responded well to back-to-back defeats in their opening two league games with a win against Sunderland to collect their first points of the season. Manager Ian Holloway signed no less than 14 players during the window, including former Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh and Adrian Mariappa.

Competition for places in the 25 man squad has led to trouble, with new arrival Florian Marange said to be “disgusted” that he didn’t make the squad. Striker Stephan Dobbie is another high profile player to miss the cut for Palace.

The team needs time to gel, even their win against Sunderland came after John O’Shea was sent off, (conceding a penalty which was scored) but they have a good squad and there should be improvement as they start to settle in.

Continue to PART TWO HERE:

The season so far: EPL review part 2

The season so far: EPL review part 2

With the EPL season starting to gather pace and the transfer window now closed, let’s have a quick look at the teams taking part and how they’ve started the new season.

Everton

Last seasons sixth placed finishers have paid for their fine form, losing long serving manager David Moyes to Manchester United, who took midfield enforcer Marouane Fellaini with him to bolster his squad.

Everton responded by appointing Roberto Martinez to the helm, as well as smart moves in the transfer market, completing loan deals for Gareth Barry and Romelu Lukaku. Barry will help to fill the void left by Fellaini’s departure and Lukaku is a proven goalscorer in the Premiership.

The Blues sit at 15^th in the league, but have yet to lose a game in their opening three games, instead collecting a trio of draws.

Fulham

The ownership of Fulham passed hands earlier this year to Shahid Khan in a smooth transition, but on the pitch results have been anything but.

Defeat against Arsenal and Newcastle in their last two games has undone much of the great work achieved in their opening day win against Sunderland, but loan deals for Darren Bent and Adel Taarabt should help Fulham to find that creative spark needed to win games.

Hull City

The Tigers have lost the games they were expected to, falling to both Man City and Chelsea, but won the game they had to against Norwich, giving the team a good, fighting chance to survive in the league.

Hull secured promotion to the Premiership through a second played finish in the Championship and have added to the squad with several signings, including former Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone and Curtis Davies, who will add grit and experience to the squad.

Liverpool

Liverpool are top of the table and for the first time in a long time, look as though they may contend for the title properly. Brendan Rodgers has been given time to stamp his mark on the team and they seem to be responding to his methods, as they lie at the top of the summit, undefeated in three.

The combination of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez will be tough for any team to contend with and the squad have further improved defensively with the signings of Mamadou Sakho, Simon Mignolet and Kolo Toure.

The recent win against Manchester United was a statement of intent, Liverpool are in good form at the moment and if they continue in this vein, there’s no reason why they can’t win the title this year.

Manchester City

City are somewhat of a conundrum. Having replaced manager Roberto Mancini with Manuel Pellegrini, they destroyed Newcastle in their opening game, but then lost to Cardiff in a match most expected them to win.

City are third in the league at the moment, but they must be disappointed that they aren’t in a higher position. Having spent over £56m on three new players, including the highly rated Jesus Navas and Alvaro Negredo from Seville, the team have to get used to the new manager and the loss of Gareth Barry and Carlos Tevez.

They’ve started reasonably well, although much is expected of the star-studded squad. Simply put, they can’t afford to lose against teams like Cardiff, although there’s no such thing as an easy game in the EPL.

Continue to PART THREE HERE::

The season so far: EPL review part 3

The season so far: EPL review part 3

With the EPL season starting to gather pace and the transfer window now closed, let’s have a quick look at the teams taking part and how they’ve started the new season.

Manchester United

It was always going to be hard when Sir Alex Ferguson finally retired, but the amount of difficulties United have faced is astounding for a club of their stature.

Failed transfer deals for a large number of targets have weakened the club and the position of new manager David Moyes, as well as a poor return of four points in three games.

The signing of Marouane Fellaini on deadline day improved the squad, but rivals like Arsenal and Man City have stolen a march on their rivals with more inventive transfer deals.

With only three games played, it’s too early for United fans to worry and two of their games were against upper-tier opposition. Yet again, the new manager needs time to get his ideas across to the squad, but at United, you also need to get results.

Newcastle United

Toon manager Alan Pardew is caught between a rock and a hard place. Almost a victim of his own success, he too has found his position at the club weakened due to the implementation of Joe Kinnear as director of football at the club.

The club failed to invest properly in new personnel whilst letting go of squad players, weakening the team even more. A win against Fulham was enough to ease the pressure building, but it looks like it may be a torrid season if injuries grip the threadbare squad.

Loic Remy will score goals for the club, but he will need to be in good form to help Newcastle avoid a relegation dogfight.

Norwich City

The Canaries have started the season well enough, gathering points at a steady rate. Chris Hughton’s squad will be aiming to improve on their comfortable mid-table finish last season and currently lie 11^th in the league.

The £8.5m purchase of striker Ricky Van Wolfswinkel and the £5m fee paid for Gary Hooper have boosted their attack and may cause the team to abandon the defensive style that served them so well last season, as they push for more goals.

Currently ninth in the league, results have been average so far for the Canaries, but by no means have they started poorly.

Southampton

Southampton recorded some impressive results last season, including beating Man City 3-1, Liverpool 3-1 and Chelsea 2-1 as they avoided relegation by just five points.

Newly promoted England striker Rickie Lambert is expected to get goals for the club and he opened his account for the season with a penalty against West Brom in the 90^th minute. However, he will be assisted this term by £15m Italy forward Pablo Osvaldo, signed from Roma.

The Saints have collected four points in their travels so far, with their solitary win coming against West Brom in their season opener.

Stoke City

The Potters said goodbye to long-term manager Tony Pulis at the end of last season, who was replaced by former Man City manager Mark Hughes. Two wins out of three so far in the league is promising form and they currently sit above both Man Utd and Tottenham.

Stoke’s strong back line has been reinforced by £3m signing Erik Pieters, who has started all three league games this season, whilst Stephan Ireland has been brought in on loan to give the Potters more creativity going forward.

Continue to PART FOURHERE:

The season so far: EPL review part 4

The season so far: EPL review part 4

With the EPL season starting to gather pace and the transfer window now closed, let’s have a quick look at the teams taking part and how they’ve started the new season.

Sunderland

The Black Cats were one of the busiest during the window with 12 players joining the club either on loan or full-time. Results have been terrible so far, with the club languishing second from bottom in the league.

Paulo Di Canio’s side only just avoided relegation last season (by a meagre three points) and if results don’t improve soon they’ll be facing the same again this term. Pressure is starting to build at the club and they face a tough game at Arsenal next.

The new signings have to make their mark if they want to improve on their solitary point.

Swansea City

The Swans impressed last season, finishing ninth and qualifying for the Europa League, but more impressively, they have managed to keep hold of manager Michael Laudrup and star striker Michu.  

The League Cup winners signed Wilfred Bony for £12m and the forward has already found the net for his new club and looks to be a hot prospect. One win in three isn’t the best form but at least the Man Utd and Tottenham games are out of the way now.

They aren’t out of the woods yet, with their next league game at home to league leaders Liverpool.

Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs have been on the attack since the close of last season, with some very astute buys in the transfer market, albeit at a massive overlay. The sale of Gareth Bale cushioned the blow massively and gave the club time to rebuild.

Tottenham recorded back to back 1-0 wins in their first two games, but the derby loss against Arsenal was a major blow for a team on the cusp of excelling their bitter rivals.

Despite their new signings, Tottenham were second best against Arsenal and Andre Villas-Boas needs to win games like these if he truly wants to take the club to the next level this season.

West Bromwich Albion

The Baggies finished 8^th last season, (although they were 12 points behind 7^th placed Liverpool) but they currently prop up the table, with just one point from their opening three games.

West Brom have yet to score in the league, but Nicolas Anelka is back from compassionate leave following the death of his agent to boost their ailing frontline. Wantaway striker Peter Odimwingie completed his move to Cardiff in the window and his goals will be sorely missed.

Shane Long, Anelka and Victor Anichebe have to pick up the slack if they want to get off the foot of the table anytime soon.

West Ham United

The Hammers are in a worrying position this early in the season, with some bookmakers lowering the odds on their relegation prospects after the injury to Andy Carroll. With Carlton Cole failing a medical West Ham are shockingly short up front.

West Ham played well in their 2-0 win over Cardiff but they were lacklustre against Stoke, conceding their first goal of the campaign, suffering their first defeat and their first home defeat since February.

Mladen Petric has signed for the Irons on a free transfer from Fulham, where he scored 5 goals in 23 appearances. At 32, he could still do well for West Ham in the coming months.

So, that’s the roundup. Anyone can lead in the title race when it’s so early in the season but Liverpool have done well to cement an early lead. Arsenal did well to beat Tottenham while there may be worrying times ahead for West Ham and West Brom.

Should the role of females in video games change?

Should the role of females in video games change?

Some people like to think that videogames are a work of art. By default they're designed to be open to critique and comment, (mostly) accessible and open to the users interpretation. 

The problem for some, is that a lot of games tend to be male orientated, or rather 'dudebro', macho, testosterone fuelled experiences, despite the fact that as of 2012 (1) females make up 47% of the 'game player' market.

The worst examples are pretty easy to find, but Dead or Alive is probably one of the most well known, vaguely misogynistic, series' to ever exist. This is a trailer for a piece of DLC released for DOA:5, unabashedly titled "Hotties Swimwear DLC".

Now, to be fair to the game, it does look pretty fun and it has a certain harmless charm, (even though it features a grown man repeatedly curb stomping a half-naked girl at a beach, whilst wearing flippers) but it does represent the way in which women are objectified in a lot of games. I'm sure the term 'jiggle mechanics' exists in my brain because of this series but as long as people continue to buy the games, they'll continue to be produced and underneath it all, the core fighting game is very good and usually receives high praise. 

 Here's an advert for Team Ninja's Ninja Gaiden Sigma II:

 Yeah. Sixaxis breast control.

Japan does seem to repeatedly offend. In Final Fantasy 13, the protagonist Lightning is a soldier, but goes to battle dressed like this:

No arrow to the knee jokes please.

However, this isn't to say that the west is blameless when it comes to female representation. Many titles claim to offer worlds in which men and women are equal, a la Mass Effect, but still show the player copious amounts of backside. 

Female backside obviously.

It must alienate female players to some extent, because it seems like no matter what, you'll end up watching Miranda from a 'man's point of view'. During half-time breaks in sport, adverts tend to be male orientated but that's because it caters to it's supposed audience. When 47% of your possible audience may be alienated by something as simple as a camera angle, maybe things should change.

The issue is hot at the moment because of comments made by David Ellis of 343 Industries, who tweeted; "This character design is disgusting. Our industry should be better than this." What character design, you ask?

This character design.

The character in question is Quiet, from the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 5 title. 

So, is the character design really 'disgusting' and does it really have a place in modern gaming? Titillation used to have shock value, but now that we've had near photo-realistic graphics for a few years maybe we should focus more on improving storytelling aspects of games, rather than ensuring female characters have an impressive rack.

Speaking out about the issue can only help to raise awareness and at the time of writing, the article concerning Ellis' tweets is ranked top of CVG's website. As long as people within the industry continue to speak out like he did, maybe there will be change, but sales show that there is a market for it, as long as the game underneath is enjoyable.

Whatever happened to Gareth Barry?

Whatever happened to Gareth Barry?

It's amazing how quickly a players stock can rise and fall in modern football. 

Gareth Barry has been a capable servant for Manchester City since he signed for the club for £12m in 2009, but it seems that's he's being frozen out by new manager Manuel Pellagrini. 

Barry made 34 appearances in the league for the club in their title winning season of 2011/12 and added 41 more in all competitions last season, so it's not as though he hasn't been playing regularly in recent years, but it seems that his time at the club may be nearing an end.

At the moment, it seems that Everton is his most likely destination, with the move being discussed by sources as varied as the Daily Mail (1) and the Liverpool Echo (2) among others, but time is running out if a deal is to be done. The London trio of Arsenal, West Ham and Tottenham have also been rumoured to be interested, as well as former club Aston Villa, Cardiff and Stoke. (3)

It's rumoured that wage demands are at the route of the problem with his current club. It was reported (4) that Barry was offered a new, short-term deal to extend his stay at City, but he may have refused due to more competition for a first team place in the squad.

With the World Cup coming up next year, Gareth Barry needs game time if he wants to play himself into contention for Roy Hodgson's England squad and at 32, this may end up being his last tournament, so if he does make a move, he needs to ensure that it's the right decision.

Barry still has a lot to offer and at 32, has at least a few years left at the top of his game. It's common knowledge that pace was never important to his playing, style; he even admits this himself.

In an interview with The Telegraph (5) in 2011, Barry said:

“That’s one thing that’s been aimed at me since I was 17, a lack of pace. But I'm no slower now,” Barry said. “That one incident people recall, from the Germany game, was on the highest stage at the World Cup, so it will be remembered. But I'm comfortable with it. My game’s no different."

His stock may be low at City, but his versatility and experience would be useful to most teams in the EPL and he seems to have a variety of clubs waiting in the wings to give him the game time he so craves. It seems likely he will move before the window shuts and he was absent from City's squad yet again for their league game today.

All Barry has to do, is make the right move.

Chelsea v Bayern: The Aftermath

Chelsea v Bayern: The Aftermath

Chelsea v Bayern, or Guardiola v Mourinho. 

No matter the scale of the competition, there could only be one winner as the Champions League finalists of 2012 faced off once again. Both teams prepared for the game differently, with Munich resting key players for the encounter, whilst Chelsea opted for no recognised striker in their tie against Man Utd.

It was Chelsea's turn to suffer the despair of a penalty shootout defeat, albeit on a much smaller stage, as Bayern got revenge for their Champions League defeat. Guardiola also got one over on his old nemesis, but the way Chelsea played bodes well for their future this season.

Chelsea played with attack and verve in the first half and Mourinho was fully vindicated with the selection of Fernando Torres in attack, as he scored a fantastic effort to take the lead in the first ten minutes.

The decision to send off Ramires in the latter stages of the game was probably the right call and the younger members of the squad did well not to buckle under the pressure. They had a few great chances to secure the win in extra-time. in fact, they were only one kick away from the trophy, but Javier Martinez managed to score at the death to send the game to penalties.

Lukaku's effort in the shootout was tame at best and maybe the occasion got to him, but this is an experience he will want to learn from and never replicate again, plus Chelsea have the experience of Samuel Eto'o waiting in the wings should they need a different penalty taker and he has taken many over the years.

Petr Cech was at fault for the first goal and skewed an attempted clearance horribly wide soon after, but he managed to regain his composure and made a number of great saves to keep Chelsea in the game, which shows his great mental fortitude.

Mourinho was typically incensed about losing and the result means that he's only won three times in sixteen attempts against Guardiola, which isn't a record he would like to extend any further, although he may get a chance to rectify this if the Champions League throws up ties like it has in recent years and it would likely be a great encounter.

Aside from the disappointment for Chelsea fans in the manner of their loss, the situation with Juan Mata continues to trundle on, as he sits on the bench despite being one of the EPL's best midfielders last year. 

With the transfer window closing in less than two days, Mata doesn't have long to move and there hasn't been any definite movement for him from any other clubs, so he may be playing for Chelsea come January. No matter what, he deserves game time and if he has to leave to achieve that, that's just the way football is sometimes.

Mourinho's young side came up a little short in this 'Champions League dress rehearsal' and they will have to go that extra mile if they want to add to the trophy cabinet, but they seem to be moving in the right direction. In Lukaku's case, sometimes you can learn more from your failures than your triumphs.

As for Mourinho, he must be disappointed at coming so close to dispelling some of the mystery that surrounds the enigma that is Josep 'Pep' Guardiola. 
  

Willian: The facts

Willian: The facts

Chelsea swooped in to complete the signing of highly-rated Brazilian Willian at the expense of Tottenham, who had gone as far as completing a medical for the attacking midfielder before losing out to their local rivals. Willian arrived in London with much expected of him, but what do we actually know about the £30m superstar?

Well for a start, his full name is Willian Borges da Silva and he has signed a five-year contract with the Blues, but he was close to signing for both Tottenham and Liverpool just this year. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers spoke very highly of Willian, saying:

“It’s disappointing because this was a player who would have been perfect for us. We expect to be the best we can possibly be, but that means getting the best players" (1) which shows the difference Rodgers believes Willian would have made for his team this season.

He started his career at Brazilian club Corinthians, playing for the first team in the 2006/07 season and caught the attention of quite a few scouts during his time there, but really established himself on the world stage during his time at Shaktar Donetsk where he won numerous titles including the league, the Ukrainian cup and the Super League in 2010-11, as well as winning a domestic double in the next season. He should fit in well with the Chelsea squad as they do seem to have a strong winning mentality, even more so under the leadership of Jose Mourinho.

Willian earned his big money move, but some were surprised at the destination, as he joined Anzhi Makhachkala instead of one of the many top European clubs that coveted the midfielder at the time, with Arsenal (2) amongst others reportedly interested in the Brazilian in 2011.

The well documented 'financial restructuring' taking place at Anzhi this season meant that the whole club were up for sale, including their star midfielder, which left the door open for Chelsea to steal a march on Tottenham by wrapping up the deal last week. The former Anzhi manager Rene Meulensteen was another to praise Willian, saying; 

"He's very versatile, he can play in different positions, he's a very creative player and an excellent professional with a very good personality. He can beat a player, he can score a goal. I thought he was an absolute delight to work with." (3)

So it seems despite the controversy surrounding the circumstances of his transfer, he isn't a very controversial character and he seems eager to impress at Chelsea. In an interview with the Chelsea website after his signing, he said;

"I've always been following Chelsea and every time I came to London I would try to see a Chelsea game and see how the team was doing because it's been my dream to come to play here." (4) although players do tend to talk up any affinity they hold with new clubs and he may have said the same thing had he signed for Spurs.

He joins a packed Chelsea midfield and may find it harder to get playing time than his ex-Anzhi teammate Samuel Eto, who is joined the club last night, most probably ending their pursuit of Wayne Rooney. Willian has Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Andre Schurrle to compete with to play on the left and Chelsea have even more strength further up the pitch in attacking midfield positions, so they may have to let somebody go to accommodate their new signing.

 Big things are expected of Willian and if he's given the chance, he could make the difference as the Blues battle for multiple titles during the season, but he'll have to work hard to become one of Mourinho's 'untouchables' and he faces stiff competition from the current squad.