And I am the Life wrote:

QUOTE:
is this aaron ramsey any good?

Fucking class ... nothing phases him. He's 17 and this season has become the youngest ever Welsh under-21 player, broken into Cardiff City's first team and made a huge impression on all and sundry.

Potentially, very very very good.

Though, as ever, his valuation is ridiculously low, Steve Claridge's "Scouting report" on him in last week's Guardian was the most hyperbolic I have ever seen;

QUOTE:


Scouting report: Aaron Ramsey, Cardiff City

Sometimes youngsters with big reputations don't come up to scratch, but this isn't the case with Aaron Ramsey

Steve Claridge
May 6, 2008 2:11 AM

There are few teenage players in the country who come as highly rated as Aaron Ramsey. I've heard the stories of Sir Alex Ferguson asking about his progress; of the leading lights of the Premier League tracking him and tabling bids which start at seven figures. Sometimes young lads with big reputations don't always come up to scratch. With Ramsey, though, that is emphatically not the case.

I watched him in Cardiff's game at Wolves two weeks ago, having tried to scout him previously only to find that he didn't feature. It was well worth the effort and the wait. In fact, having seen him, even in a 3-0 defeat in which he played slightly out of position and was substituted after an hour, I would drive the length of the country to see him again.

The thing that leaps out at you from his game is his appreciation of a pass. It was second to none. When a team-mate received the ball from him, the pass almost told him where his opponent was. It had all the information on it that you would need and it was, invariably, the right ball.

His retention of possession was very good - I could not remember him giving the ball away - but we are not talking here about a player who merely chose the easy option. He was equally adept at simple five-yard passes and marvellously weighted 60-yard diagonals in behind the Wolves centre-halves, which led to scoring opportunities. He works opponents with the ball, creating little angles with his left or right foot and his quality always shone through.

He has a sixth sense telling him where his opponents are. This was reflected in his first touch and the placement of his body, which meant that even when opponents doubled up on him, he managed to escape unscathed from tight areas.

He isn't blindingly quick, nor does he have fantastic body strength but Ramsey has compensated for these shortcomings with non-stop movement. He refused to stand and admire anything he had done and, instead, was constantly alive to the next phase or the next option he could give to a team-mate.

Central midfield is his position, although against Wolves, he played on the right of a five. Such was his desire to get on the ball and make Cardiff play that he drifted inside and there were many occasions when the esteem in which his team-mates hold him was apparent. They were happy to pass the ball up to him, even when he was marked, because they knew that they were giving it to a better player.

He had no problems defensively - he chased and was not afraid to put his foot or head in where it hurt - but I prefer to concentrate on what he can do with the ball. There is an easy rhythm to his game and an awareness of how to hurt opponents with passes. There is no doubt that Ramsey has a big future and I hope that a global audience for the FA Cup final on Saturday week will have the same privilege of watching him that I did.

Age 17

Born Caerphilly

Position Midfield

Height 5ft 10in

Weight 10st 7lb

From Trainee

Pace 8/10

Passing 10/10

Tackling 8/10

Crossing 9/10

Team responsibility 8/10

Value £2m

He reminds me of the young Paul Gascoigne in style and will eventually play in central midfield (we've had him play there, both full back positions, both wide midfield positions and "split striker" in recent months) and will probably captain Wales (given his temprament, bilingual too!) as well as hopefully being a major success in the top flight if he carries on as he has in the last year.

"and will probably captain Wales"

Not very often if he signs for the Ferg.

Hmm, he sounds like a cross between the young stephen mcPhail and liam miller if that thing is anything to go by.

He's quite similar to Park.

And I am the Life wrote:

QUOTE:
Hmm, he sounds like a cross between the young stephen mcPhail and liam miller if that thing is anything to go by.

There is always the risk if he does go to a club that doesn't know how to nurture young talent, yes.

Cunty non-league spending spree continues -

Potted history:

1. Farnborough Town go into liquidation end of 2006/2007 season. Many Farnborough Town players leave, esp. to Basingstoke Town.

2. Farnborough FC forms, with ambitious chairman and higher attendances than other clubs in the same division, and wins league after using 51 players.

3. Rumours link Farnborough FC with Basingstoke Town's manager (close friends with Farnborough FC's new commercial manager). Basingstoke Town announce manager is leaving.

4. Farnborough FC announce existing manager has decided to move on, and that Basingstoke Town's manager is joining at the end of the season.

5. On the day that the new manager joins, Farnborough sign a player from Basingstoke Town (the best of the players who left after liquidation).

6. On the next day, Farnborough sign another player from Basingstoke Town (the second best of the players who left after liquidation).

And apparently, according to sources on both sides, Farnborough's commercial manager and new ex-Basingstoke manager are planning to announce the signing of one Basingstoke player a day for the rest of the week. I have a vision of them pouring an enormous vat of salt into a gaping wound, cackling evilly and leaping around.

I have one - and one only - reliable contact within the world of football. I talked to him for the first time in ages today and he assured me;

Micah Richards will go to United

Ferguson will bust a gut to get Roque Santa Cruz
and if that happens Blackburn will sign Benjani

Richard Dunne will go to Arsenal

We'll wait and see but this bloke's strike rate has been high previously.

Keep this under your hats,

It appears that very expression of ungentlemanly conduct, that master of the swinging elbow, that don of the two footed challenge, that ayatollah of the "over the baller", one Mr. LEE HUNT may be leaving Rhyl.

QUOTE:
Micah Richards will go to United

Ferguson will bust a gut to get Roque Santa Cruz
and if that happens Blackburn will sign Benjani

Richard Dunne will go to Arsenal

A stick with several shit ends, none pointing at United.

Wednesday have released Lee Bullen (too old), Ronnie Wallwork (too shit, god knows why we signed him the first place), Burton O'Brien (who would be an excellent signing for a club in the third division, and a not bad one in the second), and Rob Burch (whatever). Plus three youth teamers.

We've added Sito to the released/retired list (to add to Legwinski, De Vos and Wilnis) and transfer listed Matt Richards, Gavin Williams, Gary Roberts, Dan Harding and most suprisingly Billy Clarke.

Nick Colgan and Dean Bowditch are still awaiting thei fates, but if Colgan fancies a player coach role, that could be up for grabs, as we've got rid of goalkeeping coach Andy Rhodes. I suppose now his son's tied down to a contract we don't need him anymore.

Richie Dunne has to be just about the least Arsene wenger player ever.

I don't know, they need a Tony Adams figure at the back.

Isn't Dunne a reformed character now?