Gainare and Niigata Trumped and 90% Hulk

If anyone can tell where Don`s hair actually starts from at the front please write in.

Verdy trumped Gainare 5-1 in a training match over 3 halves this week. No words on goalscorers as information was taken from the Tottori website. In fact the information coming from the club from camp basically says the boys are enjoying breakfast, watching Champions League on TV and trotting about in a cold looking Kochi-ken. Still, goals are goals even it is only training.
In round two of the 3 half camp games (not involving Graham Norton, Atsugi woods and a bejewelled temperance spoon) Verdy ran out 2-1 winners against J1 Niigata with Josimar netting both. So there we go everything tickety boo in Camp Green. (Bar the fact that Verdy have currently sold 912 season tickets/fan club membership for 2012 season).
Finally, I read the other day that FC Porto paid 11 million quid in May 2011for further ownership (taking their ownership to 90%) of Hulk with the view of an enormous sale coming in a couple of years. Does that mean they paid Verdy 11 million sheets? You`d think so, but in the mirky world of football transfers and part ownerships of players Verdy in fact got nothing despite being the last club he played for. Verdy never actually owned him or any part of him. According to Wikipedia he was owned (and still is 10%) by one Club Atletico Rentistas (who??) of Uruguay.  Shame really as that kind of money could have paid for the enormous financial loss that Verdy are guaranteed to make on selling just 912 (so far) season ticket/fan club memberships. Money troubles? What money troubles? Maybe we need to call in The Don....

The ORIGINAL Josimar

He`s probably only the same age as Kazu. I remember playing footy as a kid and a huge chorus of  "Josimar!!!!" whenever anyone took a long range pot shot.  Mexico `86. Superb....except why the hell didn`t Waddle and Barnes come on earlier against Argentina????!!!!

New Slogan and Our Chances for 2012.

One of the "joys" of the close season is wondering what piece of meaningless crap the wizards at the club can come up with for the Team Slogan. From "Strong Soul" to "All For Verdy" to this years effort:

Team slogans are a complete waste of time and though ours isn`t as bad as FC Tokyo`s abomination it`s still a pointless exercise. So, how are we going to do in 2012? First things first and good news for Verdy and the league in general is that play offs have been introduced for J2 for 2012!! Great!!
Some people moan about that it`s unfair for the team in 3rd to lose out on promotion to a team who finished in sixth over the....yawn....course....season...better....yawn....team...deserves..yawn. For me the game is entertainment and I want to see my team in with a shout of promotion for as long as possible.  The league looks wide open this year with no "banker" to finish first. Verdy probably don`t have enough for top two but top six? I reckon so. It`ll be close though with a pile of teams all finishing within a gnats chuff of each other last season. The Greens finished 5th for the second season running but the next six teams were seperated by just THREE points.
The Boys have already kicked off the pre-season with a shoeing of JFL side Tochigi 11-3 over four matches played over different lengths of time. Abe, Josimar, Alex, Nishi and Kajikawa amongst the scorers. The Boys will be packing buckets and spades next week for the annual training Camp, this year to be held in Kochi-ken. Roll on March 4th!!!!!! The big kick off against J2 new comers Matsumoto Yamaga. For the complete list of 2012 fixtures click on the Misery Link as normal.

New Kit 15,970円!!! Wolfs Nipple Chips, Get Them While They`re Hot!!

It`s a kit, it`s new, it`s expensive.

Squad numbers for the kit buying population.

The Magic Roundabout New Kids On The Block 2012 Part Two

I thought there was only supposed to be one gay one in Boy Bands?

Verdy have been busy "Hangin` Tough" in the off season picking up all manner of waifs and strays to fill the gaps. We`ve got two new Brazilians, some ex-J1 and the inevitable promotions from the youth squad.
First of all let`s go to the Brazilians. Both new guys will be familiar to J2 watchers with Josimar (what Pat Jennings` nemesis?? holy shit!! no not THAT Josimar...) and Alex coming to Verdy after solid enough careers at Ehime and Kustasu. Am I excited? NO and A BIT, in that order.
Josimar had 14 goals in 77 for Ehime. OK, Ehime weren`t a great side but still hardly breathtaking stuff. I would expect him to line up on the bench behind Abe and Maki as backup. Next up Alex from Thespa Kusatsu. He is likely to be the direct replacement for Hiroki Kawano and if Kawano wasn`t so good then Alex would be a rock solid signing. He`s a very tidy player but will have his work cut out to fill Kawano`s boots. Will more than likely operate down the right flank or just behind the front two. Alex had 12 goals in 41 since signing for Thespa midway through 2010.
At the back we have Masaki Chugo coming in with tons of experience from Kashima Antlers, JEF United and last year a full playing season clocking up 23 appearances at J1 Cerezo Osaka. Chugo will possibly jump ahead of Naoya Saeki as defensive midfield partner for Yuki Kobayashi and at 29 should be OK for a few years. Good signing and in theory should be able plug a few of the leaks from last season. Another stopper is ex-U-20 international Mitsuyuki Yoshihiro signed from Ehime following spells at Hiroshima and Consadole.  Yoshihiro will be providing competition for Mori and Nakatani in the full back slots and again I would expect him to be back up initially.
Into the midfield again and we have three new signings with Verdy picking up Jubilo veteran Norihiro Nishi, Shingo Suzuki from Kyoto and Junki Koike from Mito Hollyhock. Nishi is a right midfielder and a virtual ever present in the Jubilo side for the last 12 years. 31 years old, stepping down to J2 after feeding at the top table for 12 years. Let`s hope he still has the heart. Suzuki comes in from Kyoto Sanga and at 34 years old looks to be a bit of a waste of a shirt the old "tons of experience" cliche, did his best work in a seven year stretch at Albirex Niigata with 55 goals in a 200 and something appearances stretch that finished six years ago...Finally in the midfield comes Junki Koike from Mito Hollyhock. An original product of the Urawa youth team, Koike made 4 appearances before transferring to Kusatsu for a season where he picked up 6 goals in 49 appearances before moving on to Mito Hollyhock. He picked up a further 6 goals in 67 in his time there and also one of the most ridiculous monickers around being dubbed  "The Mito Messi". We`ll see, but I`ll be most surprised if he is pictured with The Balloon D`Or next season.
Promotions from the youth squad include schoolboy international striker Shuto Minami, promising midfielder Ryota Kajikawa who we saw a glimpse of last season, forward Ryuji Sugimoto who again played a few minutes last year, defenders Shunsuke Tachino, Toshio Shimakawa and finally a Gamba reserve keeper Futori who will probably never see the light of day. That`s it people your 2012 Tokyo Nerdy Magic Roundabout.

The Magic Roundabout 2012 Part One

Bloody freezing today though on the plus side I bought a new chainsaw and am now in the house with freshly sawn and chopped logs crackling away on the fire. I`m warm, have a can of beer ready whilst I type and am in altogether positive mood looking forward to the new season. Then again, aren`t all pre-season football supporters everywhere? The teams have yet to smash supporters dreams into smithereens, every signing looks a gem and all players transferred out were useless anyway.  I personally love the time before the the start of the new season. Planning games to go to, possible away trips. The day the official fixture list comes out is most definitely one of the best days of the season; signifying the start of what we`ve been missing since December. So who are the runners and riders for Tokyo Verdy this season? To begin with let`s have a look at who has been press ganged aboard the good ship Green and who has been thrown overboard or stolen with promises of riches and glory.
First let`s start with the significant outs:

No I`m not but I know a man who is.

The biggest news in the off season is of course that Hiroki Kawano signed for FC Tokyo to leave an enormous hole in the attack. Kawano leaving the club is not a huge surprise given his obvious skills and to be honest I was surprised he hadn`t been picked up in either of the two previous seasons. However, for him to go to FC Tokyo is nothing short of a poke in the eye with a donkey AIDS infested sharp stick for the Green 11% of Tokyo. I hope he does well in his overall career but would love to see him bomb for FC Tokyo. What a complete TWAT!!!
The problem here of course (as with the Takagi brothers leaving last season) is that clubs will continue to pick off Verdy`s talent as long as Verdy stay entrenched in the shit that is J2. Verdy have had a superbly successful youth squad in recent years to rival any other in the country I would say, but when that youth gets into the first team and performs, the club is powerless to keep the talent when clubs higher up the league come calling. It`s f`in annoying and will only stop (within Japan) if Verdy get promoted.
Other transfers include a surprise in Captain Seitaro Tomisawa going to J1 Marinos. Not quite sure what the Marinos are thinking there to be honest. Surely only signed to make up the numbers and would be massively surprised if he was in the first 11 on the opening day unless Marinos are looking to revive the Yokohama Derby in J2.
As feared Tokyo Nerdy 1969 favourite Kazuki Hiramoto has indeed upped sticks and moved to local outfit Machida Zelvia to be coached by ex-Verdy manager and all round good egg Ossie Ardiles. Gotta love Ardiles. He won the Cup for Verdy and for that reason alone he will always be a hero in my eyes, OK we got relegated and hammered subsequently but I`ll take a cup win and relegation over scraping staying in J1 year after year. Club chairmen go on about the importance of staying in whatever division but ask any supporter and the majority will take a Cup win. A big thank you to Hiramoto for all he did for the club not least scoring in the Cup Final to beat Jubilo on a fantastic afternoon for Greens everywhere on New Years Day 2005. Silverware is what matters to any supporter and Hiramoto and Ardiles brought the only piece of silverware to Verdy in the 11 seasons since I`ve been following. The pre-season Tinpot Mickey Mouse McDonalds Community Xerox Challenge Charity Shield Trophy Cup doesn`t count. Verdy won that too but is it important? Nope.
Other movers include both 2010 first choice full backs Masaki Yoshida and Kensuke Fukuda. Yoshida moves to J2 new boys Matsumoto Yamaga with Fukuda signing with relegated Venforet Kofu. Both should be solid signings for their respective clubs with Fukuda looking for a shot straight back to J1 while Yoshida will be doing his best to keep Matsumoto respectable for their debut J2 season.

Kikuoka`s dad getting everything ready for Takuro`s birthday party.

In the midfield apart from Kawano leaving, uber dwarf Takuro Kikuoka has signed for promotion candidates SC Tochigi. Another disappointing move for the Greens as Kikuoka really came into form in his second season at Verdy after being a fringe player in 2010.  His free kicks, hairbands and having to ask Yoichi Doi to pass things from the overhead shelf on the team bus will certainly be missed at Ajinomoto this year.
Amongst the forwards, another Verdy "legend" has moved to pastures new with Taira Inoue being picked up by FC Gifu following a successful run out at the annual J-League workout for players too old, too young or too shit to be signed or re-signed at the end of their contracts. We will have our work cut out to find a new comedy forward to rank along side such legends as Inoue and Yuzo Funokoshi before him though I`m sure someone will come to the fore sooner rather than later. 2011 Brazilian loan signing Maranhao has left the club and will not be in Green for 2012, Omiya Ardija loanee Masahiko Ichikawa, who along with Apodi did virtually nothing in their 12 months at the club have also returned to their old clubs. In part two we`ll be looking at who has come in to replace the above. Stay tuned!!

Kawano Goes......

TO FC TOKYO!!!!!!!!!!!! Ugh!!