If you are not fan of Bayer Leverkusen or a massive disciple of the German Bundesliga, Lars Bender may appear as an obscure name to you and this may be the first time you are also hearing the name ‘Werkself’. ‘Werkself’ means “Factory Squad” and is a nickname for TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
On April 27, 1989 in Rosenheim, West Germany, there was a gift to the world and German football. He was named Lars Bender. Lars started his footballing career with TSV Brannenburg and continued to play for an array of clubs until Bayer Leverkusen came knocking. He embraced the opportunity with joy and joined them in 2009 when he was only 20. He had spent the previous three seasons at 1860 Munich where he rarely had first team opportunities. He managed only 47 games for 1860 Munich during his stay there. He was mainly used as a substitute yet he won the Fritz-Walter trophy in 2006 ahead of Marko Marin and Sven Bender.
Like Nuri Sahin for Borussia Dortmund, it can be said without thinking twice that Arturo Vidal has been the best performer for Bayer Leverkusen in the just ended season. The Chilean midfielder missed only a single game and was used as a substitute only on two occasions for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. This shows how important and key he was to Leverkusen in the campaign. He bagged an impressive ten goals from midfield and managed eleven assists, no wonder a herd of top European clubs are after his signature. Most of Lars’ appearances for Leverkusen came as a substitute nonetheless he lived up to expectation and proved himself. There is no doubt that from a list of five best performers for Leverkusen, the name Lars Bender will be ever present.

The transfer window has been very busy for German clubs with a lot moving in and a lot moving out too. Every now and then we hear of a new signing for most of the teams. It seems everyone is beefing up their team to challenge for the Bundesliga title after Borussia Dortmund showed the other clubs how it is done. Not much has been heard or seen from the bank books of the Werkself. Probably Wolfgang Holzhauser has other things on my mind. I believe it’s the right thing because Bayer Leverkusen already has a wonderful squad and one or two additions will be enough as they are already in possession of the man to take them to the Promise Land. His name is Lars Bender.
It’s been nineteen years since Leverkusen last won a major trophy and if the name Vizekusen is not to be heard yet again a major trophy must be won and the one to help Leverkusen achieve this feat I believe is Lars Bender. Keep reading to enlighten yourself as to why I believe Lars Bender-a relatively unknown figure is the man on whose shoulders lies the much needed drive to bring back smiles on the faces of the BayArena faithfuls.
There are no questions about the depth of talent embedded in Lars. He is absolutely equipped with all the tools needed for the trade, touch, speed, power, strength and name the rest. In 2006, whiles playing for 1860 Munich, Lars won the Fritz-Walter trophy ahead of Weder Bremen’s Marko Marin and Borussia Dortmund’s Sven Bender. Marin was a prodigy in his days at Moenchengladbach and through to Bremen where he has grown to be a top class player and forms an integral part of the Bremen side. He has already represented the German national side in the World Cup in South Africa and it’s only a matter of time before a top European club comes knocking at his door. Not much had been heard of Sven Bender until he was given an opportunity in Jurgen Klopp’s side which he took without looking back. He has been a revelation since then. A hard working and tactically gifted midfielder, he offered Jurgen Klopp’s side the urge they needed in midfield. His impressive performances didn’t go unnoticed as he obtained international call ups from Jaochim Low. The point is that Marko Marin is a proven top class player and Sven Bender is a superstar in the making. For Lars Bender to have beaten them both to the Fritz-Walter trophy five years back, speaks volumes of the kind of player Lars Bender is.
What makes you think that such an experienced and master tactician in Jupp Heynckes will sign a relatively unknown young player a couple of months after his appointment as Bayern Leverkusen coach. Coaches like Jupp Heynckes have great ability to spot stars of the future which is why he signed Lars Bender in 2009 when he was only 20.
In the 2010/11 season, Lars was expected to degrade as fourth choice central midfielder with the arrival of the experienced Germany captain Michael Ballack. However, Lars proved that neither age nor experience can be substitute for talent as the season turned out to be a successful one for him, playing in good form slowly but surely giving him the first team regular status he rightly deserved. He made 27 appearances for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, scoring a couple of goals earning accolades and capturing the attention of critics with his outstanding performances.
With Arturo Vidal on the brink of leaving for Bayern Munich and ageing, injury prone and inconsistent midfielders such as Renato Augusto, Michael Ballack, Tranquillo Barnetta and Simon Rolfes, Leverkusen would heavily rely on the amazing Lars to propel them to a victorious and successful campaign for the 20011/12 season and beyond.
Next season promises to be a wonderful one for Lars Bender as he will have the opportunity to operate freely when his presence will be felt and his authority on the pitch cannot be disputed. It can arguably be said that Nuri Sahin was the discovery of the just ended season and by the end of the 2011/12 season Lars Bender will be a serious contender for that award.

Lars Bender, The Next Big Thing For The Werkself - World Soccer Talk

Lars Bender, The Next Big Thing For The Werkself

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Let me start off by admitting that I am a die-hard Manchester United fan, but I will try and keep my analysis of our bitter cross-town rivals as objective as possible.
Ever since Sheikh Mansour’s takeover at Eastlands, money has been pumped into Manchester City at an ungodly rate. World-class players from every major league in Europe have been bought with the intent of propelling the club to domestic and European glory. Admittedly, the takeover has made quite an impact on the club’s success. City finished tenth in the League in 2008, the first season of Mansour’s reign, and have progressed each year until this past season, when they qualified for Champions League play for the first time in their history. You can read <a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/chelsea-and-man-city-why-buying-the-best-team-money-can-buy-will-not-work-32218)" target="_blank">Brian Connell’s article</a> for a more in-depth analysis of the transfers City have made since 2008. However my goal is to shed light on the scores of rumors that have surrounded the club regarding their plans this coming summer.
Of all the Premier League clubs, City has easily been the one linked to the most players this summer. They are reportedly in the race to sign Sergio Aguero, Alexis Sanchez, Javier Pastore, Gary Cahill, Gervinho and Jan Vertonghen, amongst several others. Now, there’s no telling if some of these are legitimate pursuits or whether they’re linked simply because they’re City and that’s what City does, but the mere fact that all of these big names are being mentioned highlights the problem with their squad structure. City already boasts the largest first-team squad in the Premier League, with a plethora of excellent players struggling to get playing time. If even half of these rumored transfers end up making their way to Eastlands, this problem will be grossly exacerbated. Even more worrying for City fans is the fact that not many current City players have been rumored to leave Eastlands thus far (only Jerome Boateng and possibly Carlos Tevez come to mind, currently.)

The problem is that the club simply has too much money to burn, and burning is exactly what they’re doing to that money. Rather than develop their existing squad, Mansour and Mancini simply want to keep adding to it. Whether they genuinely believe that they’re strengthening their squad or if they simply want to snap up players before their League rivals can get their signatures, it is clearly a problem. They are not really taking into account their squad’s weaknesses with these transfers, either, but rather simply trying to sign as many big names as possible.
Look at Chelsea, for example. Like City, they too have a billionaire sugar daddy in Roman Abramovich. The West London outfit, however, seem to be much more focused and direct in terms of who they’re going after this summer. Chelsea have been linked with the likes of Neymar, Romelu Lukaku, Luka Modric, Wesley Sneijder, Javier Pastore and Christian Eriksen. They seem to be looking to address two positions for the most part: striker and center-midfielder, both positions where their squad needs a facelift. Torres needs a strike partner that will complement his strengths, while there has been a creative void in the heart of Chelsea’s midfield for quite some time. Their transfer strategy is much more likely than City’s to bring them success in the coming season, and I can say I’ll be genuinely afraid of the strength of Chelsea’s squad.
In short, Manchester City need to buckle down and assess their game-plan in the transfer market before they completely go out of control with spending. From my perspective on the red half of Manchester, however, I can’t say I’d be too displeased if they continued in their wayward direction.

Manchester City: The Poachers of the Transfer Market - World Soccer Talk

Manchester City: The Poachers of the Transfer Market

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With the Premier League season wrapped up for the summer and no big tournaments to speak of this summer (other than perhaps the Copa America) all football fans will be watching the transfer market with keen interest. This summer in particular will be an interesting one for Manchester United fans like myself. It is already a foregone conclusion that Sir Alex will be spending big on players this term, and plenty of big names are being linked with Old Trafford.
But just where and for whom should United be spending their cash? I will try and answer that for all of you by going through and analyzing the Red Devils’ squad.
Goalkeeper (Need – High):
With the departure of Edwin Van Der Sar, there is a void in United’s goal that desperately needs to be filled. Fergie brought in Danish keeper Anders Lindegaard during the January transfer window, but although the young Dane performed satisfactorily in the few matches we’ve seen him play in a United shirt, a more experienced keeper from a more reputable league is needed. Atletico Madrid’s David de Gea will most likely be that keeper. A deal between De Gea and United is rumored to be all but done, and the official announcement is set to be made in July when the transfer window officially opens. Barring any shock developments, De Gea will be United’s #1 in the coming season.

Defense (Need – Low):
It’s safe to say that United’s back four is the best in the Premier League, and arguably in the world. Nemanja Vidic, United’s captain and centerback, won Player of the Year honors for the past season and rightly so. Patrice Evra is a stalwart at the left back position and provides a great threat when United are on attack, playing almost as a winger. At right back, the ever-improving Da Silva twins’ only true competition is each other. With their strength and speed, they are tough to beat in one-on-one situations, and they both provide decent crosses from the touch line. That leaves us with Rio Ferdinand. When 100% match-fit, Rio is easily one of the best in the world at his position. The problem, however, is that he’s not always match-fit, with back problems limiting him at times. He’s strung together a good number of games this season, though, and looks to have at least a couple more years playing at his high level. With youngsters Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans both available on the bench in case Ferdinand has more injury problems — as well as new signing Phil Jones on hand, United have no need to sign any new defenders this summer.
Midfield (Need – High):
Here is where most of the cash will be splashed this summer. Rumors have been swirling about all sorts of top players being linked with moves to Old Trafford. Perhaps the least of their problems in midfield is at the right wing position, where both Nani and Antonio Valencia can perform excellently. The heart of the midfield, however, is where United’s needs are highest. With the departure of legend Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher, Anderson and Michael Carrick are currently United’s only three viable options at center-mid. Although neither Fletcher nor Carrick’s talent can be doubted, Fletcher is more useful as a defensive-minded midfielder while Carrick’s United career is riddled with inconsistency.
United need a creative midfielder who can control the flow of the game with his skills both on and off the ball. Wesley Sneijder and Luka Modric are the two players most often linked with Old Trafford. Both players have proven to be highly skilled at the center-mid position and either would be welcomed by the Old Trafford faithful. Both also will come with hefty price tags, and we should expect the bulk of our money to be allocated towards a center-midfielder this summer.
Finally, left wing is also a position that Sir Alex may want to look at this summer. United’s one true left winger is Ryan Giggs, the best in the business in his prime and still an excellent player in his age, but we’ll have to face the fact that Giggsy will be retiring within the next couple of seasons, and his speed is not what is used to be. Although Nani, Valencia and sometimes even Ji Sung Park can fill in at left wing, it is not their natural positions. A true left winger with pace and crossing ability is something that United could definitely use. Aston Villa’s Ashley Young seems to be this left winger. The England international boasts terrific speed and dead ball ability, and is able to cut in from the left wing and attack the opponent’s defense on his stronger right foot (similar to Franck Ribery). Young has been linked with both United and Liverpool, but Old Trafford is looking like it will be the 25 year-old.
Forwards (Need – Medium):
United’s attacking lineup may or may not need some complementary players this summer. Their 3 main options at forward are as follows: Dimitar Berbatov (last season’s leading goal-scorer in the Premier League), Javier Hernandez (surely the most sensational transfer in United’s recent history, netting 20 goals in all competitions in his first season) and Wayne Rooney (no introduction needed.)
Generally, Rooney and Hernandez start the game and Berbatov usually makes an appearance midway through the second half. The problem with this scheme is that a player like Berbatov, who is arguably the most technically gifted player on the squad, is not happy being resigned to a bench role (a complaint recently brought to light during the Champions’ League final.) In my humble opinion, Berbatov has all the right to complain, considering his goals carried United for a fair bit of the season. If Berbatov were to leave United this summer (and it’s anyone’s guess right now whether or not that will happen) it would leave United with only one viable striking option on the bench: Michael Owen, who is unfortunately well past his prime and can’t truly be relied upon as a week-in and week-out substitute.
Regardless of whether Berbatov leaves or not, United should bring back both Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda from loan and perhaps sign another young, inexpensive striker. The priority, however, has to be the midfield.

Assessing Manchester United’s Transfer Needs This Summer - World Soccer Talk

Assessing Manchester United’s Transfer Needs This Summer

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Barry Lacy

latest articles by Barry Lacy

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Lars Bender, The Next Big Thing For The Werkself

Leagues: EPL

Manchester City: The Poachers of the Transfer Market

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Assessing Manchester United’s Transfer Needs This Summer