Park Ji-sung is might not play for us anymore this year. His recovery might take until January. The South Korean, who should feature in every World 11 Bench Sitters, if there were such a thing, will surely be missed, but a fresh Park in January could be a bonus for a squad aiming at a 66 games season.

Gaby Heinze’s agent has told the Club that the Argentinian tackler wants to move on. I can understand that Gaby wants to play more regularly, but with his growing consistency I actually expected him to become regular again at OT. I admit, I have a weak spot for Gaby.
Heinze could leave us buying out the remainder of his contract, because he has already played 3 seasons for ManU and not yet secured a new deal. This would leave me with a very bitter taste. I hope we can at least get the 5million buy out for him.

But what are 5million for Heinze compared to the rumoured 5.5million Sunderland paid for Richardson? Once more we have to say ‘Thank You, Roy!’ Hopefully Roy Keane will also be interested in Smith and pay more than any other team has offered so far.
Yes, I’ld still prefer Smith to leave and hold on to Rossi. 9 goals in 19 appearances in a very defensively played Serie A, that can only be an asset for us. Especially when the player’s only 20.

And now go sign up for our Fantasy League if you haven’t yet!

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I am already going to publish my pre-season Top 5 prediction for next term, even though the transfer window isn’t closed yet. But all the teams are back at work and in only four weeks it’s time for the Charity Shield. Another reason is that it’s really boring to continue posting about the Tevez saga.
Here we go.

Champions: Manchester United.
Our squad for next season is incredibly strong. And that doesn’t depend on Tevez’s arrival. All positions are covered by internationals and every player will have to fight to play on Saturday. Even our second team consists of almost all international players. We have a very creative team with a healthy mix of experience and age, even though we might feature one of the youngest squads in the League.

Even our young players already have many years of experience at the top level and lads such as Rooney, Ronaldo and Owen all know when they need to push, need to take the game in hands.

Runner-up: Liverpool.
I’ll admit that Rafa impresses me right at the moment. He’s been very active during the transfer period so far and has spent his money wisely on younger players and at the same time signed new long term deals for Gerrard and Carragher, assuring continuity and experience.
Much to my surprise, Benitez has continued investing in young talents and if he manages to finally bring in talented youngsters in the first team, I think Liverpool will be the surprise next term and finish on #2. Several points behind us, but maybe we’ll have a genuine opponent in the seasons after.

Third: Chelsea.
Mourinho, who obviously had no high transfer budget available, has done everything except adding new quality his season’s squad. Further signings aren’t planned either and Arjen Robben looks on his way out too. Remember how firm Mourinho used to be last season when he remembered everyone about Drogba’s existing contract? Nowadays, all he says about Robben is that he wishes he stays. Not much optimism there.

Chelsea’s signings are all but impressive. No new name is an improvementto the squad.
Every Prem outsider will think Sidwho? I don’t understand how Mourinho believes that Pizarro, who hardly managed it to claim his spot in a struggling Bayern Munich squad could add quality at Stamford Bridge. Malouda won’t become a second surprise like Essien, and expect Ballack to fight back this season. Michael is a fighter and probably has adapted to the Prem’s pace now and to his role at Chelsea, having less freedom than before. Sheva will score, but he just doesn’t fit the hard working Chelsea stylem he needs more space than one gets in the Prem. Another problem for Sheva is that Drogba dominates much more in the air and with Cole back (and Robben/Malouda/SWP) that will be an important factor for Chelsea.

Only if everyone is fit for 50+ Chelsea has a chance to compete with Liverpool for #2, but that’s a dream. Expect a new manager at Stamford Bridge before March 08.

Fourth: Tottenham.
If there has been one surprise over the last two seasons, it was Martin Jol. Jol has installed an attractive game at White Heart Lane and shown his ambition during the transfer period.
If Tottenham’s defense can improve/stabilize, they might be able to qualify for CL this time. And who knows, maybe even compete for third.

Fifth: Arsenal
I think Wenger’s golden period has ended. One of the problems Wenger every year again has to deal with is his ego. He might be a brilliant manager, but last 2 season’s have proven that his influence on his stars smaller, perturbing even, is once they have matured and grown an own voice. Think Cole, Pires and now Gallas. And Robin Van Persie, who might become their key player next term, surely isn’t a lad who will remain quiet. Expect some bust-ups between those two.
Unless Wenger brings some more talents, but most of all \experience to the Emirates Stadium, I predict a dark future for Arsenal, especially if Spurs and Liverpool continue to improve.

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The seemingly not ending power game between West Ham and Kia Joorabchian, who claims still to own the economical rights for Carlos Tevez, could in worst of cases turn out bitter for Manchester United.
What if the whole saga pushed Carlos (and Kia) away from the Premier League?

Continue reading »

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In an interview with the Daily Mirror SAF told that the squad for next term his best squad since 1999 is, warning not only rivals but also everyone contending for a regular spot in the squad.
And honestly, our team for the 2007/2008 Season is not only the best squad since 1999 but could become the best generation since many years again.

No-one will play all the games next year and hopefully they accept that and move on to the business of trying to achieve success for us.

SAF has built a young and exciting squad, more than just the Galacticos in Europe. SAF has done what Arsene Wenger still hasn’t managed, he built a squads made of talents, talents with an already proven track in competition on high level. And above all a squad with many years of future.
And if Tevez would join us, that move can only raise the Samba level at Old Trafford. To spice things even more up, today SAF said that he doesn’t want to sell anyone, even not players who are highly expected to leave, but at the same time he admitted that some might want to leave because they want to play more games.

I don’t expect anybody to leave

But it may happen because some players will view the situation and think maybe they won’t get enough games to satisfy them.

It is sure that people like Heinze, Smith and even Rossi will want to be regularly part of the first team, and Nani and Anderson might not get the numbers of games they wish to play during next season, because how things look now… SAF can build 2 teams. Two teams, both playing for Europe. The first team competing on every front, the second team with the likes of Smith, Brown, Saha, hopefully Evra and not Heinze, and Anderson and Nani, would compete for direct UEFA Cup qualification.

Lets have a look at the possibly strongest line-up for next season. And I might be controversial here, but I opt for 3-4-3 instead of 4-4-2.
Goal: Van Der Sar
Defense: Rio, Vidic and Neville.
Midfield: Heinze (defensive midfielder, same position as Didier Deschamps during France 98), Giggs, Scholes/Carrick (considering Scholes might not play 60 games) and Hargreaves.
Attack: Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez.

Who’s left over for the second team, competing for direct UEFA Cup qualification or more even?
Goal: Kuszczack
Defense: Evra, Brown, O’Shea, Silvestre, Lee
Midfield: Anderson, Park, Richardson, Flecther, Nani
Attack: Solksjaer, Rossi, Saha, Smith.

Ooopps, there are more than enough players to build a competitive second team. It seems to me that SAF’s biggest problem next year will be to satisfy everyone, unless some players were to leave.

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The Tevez transfer has turned in to a soap box, a soap box I don’t really want to comment on until a transfer has been finalized… or blown off. Of course we’d love to see Carlos join and be part of the most exciting squad, the Galacticos made in Britain.

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Does it really surprise anyone that Carlos Tevez is being closely linked with a move to the Theater of Dreams, Old Trafford for a reported 20 million? Sir Alex always has been of a fan of the Argentinian worker, master deliverer and striker.

I guess the only real surprise we could call is the attitude of the Glazer family. Daily more and more Malcolm and Family seem to become a group of angel investors putting Russian playboy Roman in the shadow lights.
50 Million Pound Sterling so far, for only 3 players and the spending spree goes on. 20 Million for Carlos Tevez. Another talented youngster. That would nothing less than 70 (seventy!) Million in only 5 weeks.

I’ll admit that I was happy when the Glazers took over. Happy because they were American.
Not that I particularly love Americans, they are nice people as long as they don’t discuss politics, which they sadly do way too often. But when it comes to sports, only Americans could have fitted Manchester United, because Americans understand exactly what the deonthology of ManU is.

To entertain.

And who could better word our spirit than the club director Sir Bobby Charlton, remembering the words of the legendary Sir Matt Busby?

People often ask me what it is that makes Manchester United so special. When I played for the club Sir Matt Busby always used to say that the lad who works on the factory shop floor, but finds it boring, wants excitement in his free time… that when he goes to football at the weekend he wants excitement. He therefore used to tell us that we therefore had a responsibility to entertain. It is a philosophy that has continued right through until today and that has made the club popular the world over.

And entertainment is one thing that Americans understand. And the Glazers show that they understand entertainment.

Entertainment at the Theatre of Dreams, entertainment at Old Trafford. And the new signings will surely add to the ManU Entertainment level, it’ll be Red Devil Samba!

Roman, you’ll have to spend more if you want to enjoy real entertainment. Other than entertainer Jose that is, I mean entertainment on the pitch, because we’ll show you what it is.
It’s part of the ManUnited History, it’s our spirit. ManU is Entertainment!

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Cristiano and Sir Alex have another hairy bet going during the next Premiere League term.
The Portuguese super star is expected to tell the gabber

I’ll shave my hair off if I don’t score 20 Premier League goals – you shave your hair off if I do.

This sounds much more fun than a £400 bet as both had last year. Honestly, I hope that Ronnie will win the bet, not only because it would mean that he’d have scored at least 20 times for us, but more even because I think it would be awesome to see Fergie shaved. :D

In other news, I still have problems accepting that Gabriel Heinze is on the verge of leaving us, especially for a meager £4 million. Even though Patrice Evra has been preferred left back last season, I still am not convinced by the French man, but I must admit I have always been an opponent of Mikael Silvestre as well, somehow French defenders just don’t do it for me. Of course I would sing another song if their name would be Liliam Thuram and surely Laurent Blanc. ;-)
Even if Evra would show consistency next season, I still am the opinion there are other areas where Gaby can be useful. More than useful even. And with our midfield and attack, why can’t we play with a 3 man defense with Gaby in front of the defense, leaving all freedom to Carrick, Cristiano and Giggs in the wide, allow Owen and Scholes to move forward as their little heart desires (trust me, I’ve seen Owen several times at Bayern Munich and his game is much more offensive than one would think) and in front we can play Roon, Anderson, Nani and even Saha or Smith, who suddenly is considering staying again. Who wants to leave Old Trafford anyway?

Who says we really do need one more striker?

Ole!

Roy Keane and Kieran Richardson seem to become a team next term again, and honestly, although it’s might be a leaving talent, I wish Kieran more playtime. I’m still in favour of a new loan deal though, but who am I?

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Wayne Rooney is set to join the ManU legends next season. Wayne will wear the legendary number 10, last worn by Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

The number 10 was United Legend Denis Law‘s favourite number and now the honour to wear the number 10 jersey comes to Wayne Rooney, our biggest talent.
Wayne obviously is honoured to endorse the legendary ManUtd. #10.

When I was offered the chance to wear the number 10 shirt I jumped at it

Tags:   Legends · Rooney · RVN

It has been a quiet week, most players are on a well deserved break and the traditional transfer gossip kitchen has tried to keep awake United Fans, but sadly failed.
Today the fixtures for next season were announced and I am delighted to see that we can start with a rather slow program.

Continue reading »

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After a successful year for the United Reds, Sir Alex Ferguson is not taking his team’s chances lightly for the upcoming season. After Omar Hargreaves had been openly publicized as joining the Reds next season, Ferguson is still looking for other available players in the market.

Among the players being mentioned around the rumor mill includes that of Mark Viduka from Middlesbrough, Fernando Torres, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Samuel Eto’o, Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov.

The players mentioned are certified marquee players that can certainly make an impact to the United Red’s cause next year. The target positions being eyed to be filled up are a striker, a full-back and a winger. Based on the available talent outside the names tipped to be on the transfer block, Sir Alex Ferguson is sure to come up with another winning roster to uphold the United Reds winning tradition for the coming season which promises to be another banner year for his team.

[tags]united reds, sir alex ferguson[/tags]

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