Oh Africa!

Hi again folks! It's been a little while (far too long!) since I've last had the opportunity to post on here, for such reasons as the Festive period & A-Level exams.  Taking a cheeky break though and at the same time allowing the January transfer window to gather steam, I'll be now taking a look at the Premier League clubs loosing players to the once every two-years event that is The African Cup of Nations.

Egypt were crowned the Champions of Africa
back in 2010.

It isn't just the Big Boys that will be cursing their luck at the tournament's timing - glancing further down the league there are some clubs fighting tooth-and-nail that will lose some influential performers.  January is a big time of the season any year, the hectic Christmas schedule has finally slowed down and Managers are snooping around for snippets of a January bargain.  Judging by who will be leaving England for the luxury of Gabon & Equatorial Guniea - there could well be more than a fair few Bosses haggling for replacements.

Yaya Toure in action for The Elephants.

We'll start though, at the very top - Premier League leaders going into 2012, Manchester City do not have everything going for them in late January and Early February as the Toure brothers will be jetting off so aid their home nation, The Ivory Coast for what would be their first win since way back in 1992.  After the controversy of his mis-use of his wife's 'slimming drug', older brother Kolo does not always find himself involved in Roberto Mancini's plans at the Etihad - with captain Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott well above him in the pecking order, even young Stefan Savic has found himself infront of the experienced ex-Gunner at times.  It is imagined universally that by far and away the blue side of Manchester's biggest miss will be that of Yaya.  Influential, combative, energetic, powerful with the guile to score goals are just a handful of attributes where the former Catalan man shines out in a Premier League game, his bombing on from midfield into enemy territory has become trademark.  At times when the leaders look laboured and out of ideas, Toure can always be relied on to give that spark with a lung-bursting run to create that guilt-edged chance.  Mancini is happy to emply him next to Gareth Barry in City's 'holding role' and with their many millions of talent in reserve they aren't lacking for bodies though the quality gap will be noticeable.  Nigel de Jong will most likely drop in, there is also free summer recruit Owen Hargreaves - if there's a player out there suited, Mancini will be looking - Yaya Toure is a huge loss, a title losing loss though? We will see.


Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson will be licking his lips at the prospect of City losing Toure, only reserve striker Mame Biram Diouf will be hitting Africa to bolster Senegal's strikeforce. only making two league cup appearences this term - out on the wing - Ferguson will hardly be grieving, even with Rooney, Welbeck, Hernandez and Berbatov all firing blanks at the minute, there is far too much talent up top for Sir Alex to be considering looking around for a replacement.

'Sheer despair' - Arsene Wenger would
have been delighted at Cameroon's
failure to qualify.

One boss that will be banging his head over timing of the tournament will be Arsene Wenger in what has been an incredibly run in recent months for his side - mostly thanks to his Dutch skipper - he is now certain to lose any sort of back-up to Robin van Persie.  Whilst Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh having set the goalscoring charts alight this term, Wenger has always had them in the back of his mind should anything go wrong with his star man he would at least have positional sensed replacements.  With only perhaps Theo Walcott and Andriy Arshavin being first teamers who Wenger might look to push on forward, it really only leaves Park Chu-Young as the only natural forward to come in - the South Korean hasn't exactly been a prominent figure since the start of his Emirates career! Of course, the 'neutral-exciting' Thierry Henry loan move is well on the cards, but there were rumours of talks hitting a snag, causing real heartache for Wenger.  Mr 'Va Va Voom' in now 34 and after a year in the States, his game will have slowed down, asking him to play every game for an injured van Persie just wouldn't happen.  With or without the signing of Henry, the loss of Gervinho and Chamakh will force Wenger into looking to order more of that cotton wool for the Dutchman's knees and ankles.  Think of Wenger's relief when he heard of Cameroon's failure to qualify and his keeping of Alex Song!

With Nicolas Anelka heading permanently to Asia and not Africa in January, the loses of Saloman Kalou and more prominently Didier Drogba are likely to shape the fortunes of Andre Villas-Boas's stop-start first term in charge. The onus will very much be with mis-firing £50m man Fernando Torres to keep The Blues anywhere near that Champions League spot their rookie Manager is desperate for.  With Torres currently on 4 league goals in 29 games, arguebly Chelsea fans will more be looking to Daniel Sturridge to continue to propel them in what has been an incredible first full term for the former Bolton loanee. Although his goals and wing-play have been an essential part of Chelsea's season, placing all of their fortunes on a young man when losing two experienced, proven forwards is a risky game.  Villas-Boas will need Torres to return to some sort of 'Liverpool-form' to fill the void, whilst also hoping the youthful Romelu Lukaku can match what Didier Drogba achieved so well on his introduction to the Premier League.  Either way the African Cup makes Chelsea appear light up top, another cheque from Abramovich could well be their saviour.

With 50 goals in 75 caps - Didier Droga
is every Ivory Coast man's hero.

The legendary 4-4 equaliser that made
Cheick Tiote's name and will go
down in history.

To say that Newcastle United will be the hardest-hit League side in January and February whilst they only say 'Goodbye' to two stars is a real testiment to how far Alan Pardew's men have come this year.  The table's readings are all well and good now for the Toon Army, but the irreplaceable losses of Cheick Tiote and Demba Ba will require them hoping for a miracle to continue their good fortunes. Not even, because of any kind of lack in strength in depth, just solely because of what Tiote and Ba have turned their games to this year - two of the League's star performers. Tiote first really struck the English game's heart with that late equaliser in the 4-4 with Arsenal, since then he has risen to become the Midfield dominater of the Premier League.  His performences in every department: tackling, harrying, bursting forward and generally controlling midfield have been nothing short of awe-inspring. A few eyebrows were raised at the start of the year when the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal were sniffing around, the former FC Twente man has a bit of a Yaya Toure presence and really carries his Newcastle side well.  Youngster Haris Vuckic has put some marvelous performences in and around the first XI in recent weeks, he could well be an option Pardew is looking to exploit, whilst the experience and know-how of veteren Alan Smith to come and play the anchor man along Yohan Cabaye is another possibility.

Demba Ba's fantastic goal against
United show there isn't many
better finishers in the game

Demba Ba has been an absolute revelation for Newcastle United, in the 2011 calender year, he bagged 22 goals (only topped by van Persie) and has shown since his move to St James' Park he has everything in his locker to go onto great Newcastle centre-forward things - think Milburn and Shearer - and Ba's performences this term have not looked out of place with such a line-up.  15 League goals in 15 League games has been his introduction to the football year '11-'12 and any team on the globe would doubtless snap him up now if given the opportunity.  His last Newcastle performence before joining his Senegal team-mates in Africa was a fitting destroyal of Champions Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand will still be having the nightmares - and he's not alone - there hasn't been a single Premier League defender as of yet to really keep this man at bay, his finishing ability - to be able to find the net with the slightest sniff on a chance - has become something of a masterclass, as again proved against United.  By far and away Newcastle's biggest loss, Pardew has been very public in support of Leon Best as a replacement, there is also Peter Lovenkrands and Shola Ameobi - all we get you the odd goal here-and-there - but a replacement for this impressive Senagalese? Pull the other one!


Taking a big leap down from top seven to the battle to save their Premier League status now - it is those of the DW Stadium - Wigan Athletic who are going to feel hardest done by in January and February.  Mohamed Diame, yet another Senegal international who has more than impressed this year will be leaving to joing Ba in what appears a mighty Senegalese line-up.  Diame has been more than influential for Wigan - he has than African, big, strong, sort of 'Toure and Tiote-esque' stride about him and many a side have came away from Wigan after been given the run around by this big man.  With his eye for a trick just as promising as his eye for a pass or shot he appears the complete midfielder - and Wigan have had to fend off top European clubs - the likes of Seville, who have held major interest in him.  Wigan's compound side appears glittered with central midfielders ready to step up to the plate, Hendry Thomas, Albert Crusat, Shaun Maloney, James McArthur and James McCarthy are all available in Diame's position - yet it is perhaps a testimony to this man's importance to his side - as none will provide the same impetus as he does to Wigan's side.  Roberto Martinez also is not a Manager with mega-bucks to splash out on a short term replacement, but is a fine man-manager and a real loyal boss, he will have no qualms with keeping faith in those he has bought into do a job.

'Come and get me Eto'o' - Diame showing
in his early international career he can
mix it up with Africa's very best.

The Premier League isn't as packed full of African Cup of Nations participents as most would presume on first thought - yet the squads this will effect, the Manchester Citys, the Arsenals, the Chelseas, the Newcastles and the Wigans it does so greatly.  Such an issue only portrays just how impressive a job Premier League scouts to to coup lesser-known starlets from every corner of the globe, Managers keep faith in their stars and they go onto becoming world beaters, and players who everyone would like to bless their team with in the blink of an eye. 
In this decisively tough January and February though, I'm not so sure Roberto Mancini, Arsene Wenger, Alan Pardew, Andre Villas-Boas and Roberto Martinez will spend their time thanking their scouting network - but more than likely be hoping the African side's Physiotherapists are up to the same scratch!