Return of Patrick Vieira ?

Could this be true? Rumors are flying off the shelf that Patrick Vieira is set for a sensational return to Arsenal.

My word.... that will be something wouldn't it? I mean there is no one better than Vieira replacing the void left by Vieira himself when he moved on from Arsenal... The player might be getting on in footballing years... but the experience, the charisma that went with him when he left... that was something Arsene Wenger never found again in another...

What a way to boost Arsenal spirits if this turns out to be true !! Nothing beats the return of a cult hero, much less the return of a legend like Patrick Vieira to the Premier League again...

Valencia impresses in debut

Though it is pre-season for Man Utd at the Audi Cup, Sir Alex sure doesn't expect the boys to take it any lightly. No matter which tournament Man Utd plays in, the gaffer wants to win it. And it is the same mentality throughout the club, from the manager to the kit man...

Despite a 2-1 victory over Argentina giants Boca Juniors, Sir Alex expressed his disappointment with the overall team performance, stressing that the team has got to improve from their pre-season performances in the Far East. Classic Alex Ferguson isn't it, he ups the tempo and the standards expected once the boys think they might have done enough. That keeps everyone on their toes in the club and explains the driving force behind that insatiable desire to win at the club.

Despite the honest assessment by Sir Alex, there were more than a few bright spots in the team's performance. Again, Man Utd showed why they have the best youth system in football today by slotting in Craig Cathcart and Fabio Da Silva into the starting defensive backline. The players impressed, just like how many before them did when they first stepped into the first team. The depth of the team is truly impeccable in my opinion. When you can slot anyone from the Reserves into the first eleven and have them feel comfortable playing at their best straightaway, there must be something special at the club that makes everyone click. A lot of this is credit to Man Utd's youth policy and training methods. The mantra is the same from the youth academy players to the first team; everyone knows what it takes to be a Manchester United player.

Anderson scored his first goal for Man Utd. That is always something I wished I could have mentioned in the past two years of Anderson's career at the club but it finally came today. A sublime free kick markes the end of Anderson's goal drought and hopefully the start of many more to come in bigger games than this. His immense talent certainly befits more goals from him.

The most impressive debut I have seen in a Reds shirt for a while now has gone to Man Utd's summer signing Antonio Valencia. He is already showing obvious signs as to why Sir Alex picked him to be Ronaldo's successor on the right wing. Lightning quick, energetic and packed with an amazing shot, Valencia have already started proving Sir Alex's astute eye for talent yet again. Add to that a team mentality and a hardworking attribute to track back and defend and you've got a new star in the making at Man Utd. Plus, he scored a goal on his debut, the second signing to do so since Michael Owen. Now thats the best way to announce your arrival at a club like Man Utd.

16 million pounds is now looking like a shrewd investment for someone who is definitely more than able to make up for a 80 million Ronaldo. He is looking like a very exciting prospect for Man Utd fans this season.

Though its early days yet, Man Utd fans can start looking forward to the days ahead without a certain CR7...

Zola defiant and defends "non-spending" methods.

With Manchester City on a spending spree, we would expect rival clubs like West Ham to fall behind especially since Zola has been so quiet in the transfer market. However, it has recently been reported in the Metro that Zola remains defiant that money is not everything and that there are more ways to succeed in soccer than simply spending money.

It was mentioned that Zola felt that Manchester City's spending is a short term and short cut to trying to be successful, with the keyword being "trying". Only time will tell and we shall see if Manchester City's spending spree will pay off and whether Zola's "non-spending" methods will prove to benefit West Ham in their bid to contend for survival in the BPL and for a place in the Europa / Champions League Cup.

Man City rips into paper-thin Arsenal

Man City has found a happy hunting ground for desperate players who are looking to increase their retirement pay package... Arsenal.

The North London club has lost its chief striker in Adebayor to the Eastlanders and looks set to lose their stand-in captain for most of last season Kolo Toure to the new found riches at Manchester. Incidentally, both Toure and Adebayor have been reported to be of bad influence in the dressing room, with a less than warm relationship with the fans and other players at the club. I wonder if this is a gimmick pulled by Arsenal to hide the regret and dismay Arsenal fans must be feeling at seeing their squad thinning out again for a new season.

It looks almost certain that Arsene Wenger is clearing his first eleven of the old guard, to which Adebayor and Toure belongs to. Next in line could be Eboue who is attracting interest from Fiorentina. Arsene has so far bought only one defender in Vermaelen, a Belgian international whom not many have heard of. Well, he could slot into Toure's position at the back. Eduardo Silva could probably become the main goal poacher for the Gunners and take over Ade's responsibilities alongside the promising and imposing Dane, Nicklas Bendtner.

The Arsenal team still has a lot of footballing potential in Fabregas, Arshavin and the returning Rosicky. Problem is Arsenal never seem to learn the fact that players get injured over the course of the season, and a paper thin squad is NOT going to win you the Barclays Premier League. This Arsenal squad has long been labeled as a team of kids. This season, they are no longer kids. They are full internationals who are expected and expect themselves to win trophies. Fabregas has already tasted sweet victory with Spain in the European Cup, he is widely expected to shoulder the leadership responsibility of the entire team. Whether he can change the trophyless streak of Arsenal for the past few seasons with such a thin squad is going to be the biggest test of his young career. And he is not getting much help from the management who keeps selling players but never seem ready to replace fast enough.

Another season in the doldrums i.e. a fourth place finish or out of the the top four will condemn Arsenal to losing Fabregas to Barcelona, and the likelihood that Arsenal will not be able to keep any of its major stars anymore to compete realistically in England or Europe. Surely, Arsenal must find some way to re-energize the squad. The team needs at least a new signing in defensive midfield and another leading forward to be considered worthy opponents to Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea. Hopefully, Arsene is allowed to reinvest the 25 million for Adebayor and the 14 million for Toure to getting a good enough player to complement a talented but underachieving team.

The Gunner fans are keeping their fingers crossed for the rest of the summer.

Liverpool held in Thailand by hosts

Liverpool started its Asian tour with a 1-1 draw against the kings of South East Asian football, Thailand.

In what is a game that saw more of Liverpool reserves pitted against the Thai national team, it was a good game to gauge the depth of Rafa Benitez's squad. The verdict? Not too good.

Unsurprisingly, the sweltering heat got to the Liverpool players who are used to playing conditions that are way less humid. The torrential rain towards the end of the match also contributed to the play difficulty... a good test for the fitness of the players.

As far as the match has gone, you could see a distinct difference in standards between the Reserve team and the First team of Liverpool. A 10 minute period at the end showcased the very best of the Reds first team... Torres lighted up the match with his exceptional pace and killer instincts, reminiscent of his fantastic season with club and country... Albert Riera showed glimpses of his silky smooth best on the wing, and Mascherano is well... the bad ass you hope to never play against in the centre of the park, he made himself a nuisance and tackled as tigerishly as you expect him to against any opponent. Carragher had a solid first half while Kuyt worked tirelessly from defence to attack. The first team players were impressive though they were wisely preserved by Rafa for fear of over exerting themselves in the Thai climate.

The most impressive Liverpool player of the day happened to be Ryan Babel, the goalscorer for the Reds. Looks like he will have a better season than the last one when he was in and out of the first eleven. He looks to be more assured and decisive on the ball, and is a good option to have when looking for pace and width in the play.

What I was looking out for though was not so much the first team but the lesser known players on the team. It was a good check out session on the youngsters Pacheco, Nemeth, Spearing, Kelly and also a good runout for fringe players like Degen, Dossena, Voronin, Ngog, Leiva.

My honest say is... it does look like none of them is in the same league or even near the standards as the first team of Liverpool, especially in attack where Gerrard and Torres excel. Knowing the fraility of strikers, Liverpool does not look like they have a solid backup plan for Gerrard-Torres. Ngog and Nemeth looked raw and uninvolved, too easily subdued by the less able Thai defenders. Voronin missed a sitter late in the game and really don't look like a part of Rafa's plans for the team. The other quality options like Kuyt seems to have settled on the right flank... while Babel looks more at home now on the wings, which means the options for Rafa down the centre are limited and too lightweight to be considered competitive at the highest level in the BPL.

While Man Utd can switch between Macheda, Owen, Berbatov and Rooney... I am not so sure if Ngog or Nemeth will be able to stand in for Torres or Gerrard. Liverpool looks like the team that threatened to take the BPL title from Man Utd last season but I do think Rafa could do with one more attacking minded player, maybe in the form of Spainards David Villa or David Silva. The balance in the team will reach optimal and the overall attacking play will be less predictable than just Gerrard-Torres. Whether Rafa has the cash to do so is a big question.

Liverpool travels to Singapore next to take on a Singapore selection team in their next pre-season game in South East Asia.

Beckham Booed! Beckham Angry! Beckham Leaps!

David Beckham returned to LA Galaxy after a stint at AC Milan only to be greeted by angsty fans who jeered and booed at him everytime he touched the ball. Fans were up and about with signs telling Beckham to "Go Home". It has been reported that Beckham rushed the stands and tried to leap over the barrier to confront the fans as he couldn't take the jeering and booing. However, contraversial interviews with Beckham states that he was just trying to shake one of the fan's hands but the fan refused.

Well, it isn't the first time Beckham has reportedly lost his temper with a similar incident during England's defeat (2-3) to Portugal in Euro 2000. I guess the fans have the right to be angry especially when their star player had left them to play with AC Milan in San Siro. I don't think we can blame anyone completely in this situation as both parties have a part in this. If Beckham did allegedly try to rush the stands and confront the crowds, it is simply because he is human and he was agitated and provoked by the fans' more than humiliating banners, comments and actions. If so, Beckham should have expected nothing of a welcome when he returned to LA Galaxy after stating his desire to stay at AC Milan and even eventually returning to the English Premier League. Beckham could have handled things better and well, could have controlled his temper a little better if he really did try to rush and confront the fans.

The fans too have a part to play in this. They have a right to be unhappy and to display their disappointment but personal attacks, humiliating remarks and constant provocation will only lead to trouble as players are only human.

Such is the situation of soccer today where fans get overly emotional with the going ons of the club and such is the devotion and emotional attachment that fans have today with their clubs. Good and bad I suppose. We can expect more of such incidents around the world especially with rich clubs like Man City, Chelsea, Real Madrid going around tempting players with unbelievable amounts of money. Money talks. Cash is King. Stars could possibly sell their loyalty and committment to the cause of their club for a better paycheck else where.

Owen the Red Legend

Michael Owen scores the match winning goal in his first outing with Man Utd, after coming on as a substitute in a exhibition match against a Malaysian Selection XI.

I have said it before and I will say it again. Michael Owen is going to be the season's trump card for Sir Alex and the surprise of this season.

Even though Owen is such a proven player on international and club level, his doubters seem to cling on to every injury he has had and harp on his less than impressive season with Newcastle. They try to disown emphatically one of England's most gifted strikers in recent years. And although the emergence of Rooney has kind of turned the attention of Fabio Capello, you cannot deny that Owen is the epitome of lethal finishing and the classic fox-in-the-box goalscorer that every manager loves. To me, Owen is going to be a crucial piece in the jigsaw for Man Utd's style of attack.

Last season, Sir Alex lamented the lack of finishing despite the abundance of goalscoring opportunities created by a talented foursome of Rooney, Berbatov, Tevez and Ronaldo. Incidentally, all these players are genuises in their own kind of attacking play but still, all of them lag behind in the quality that Owen excels in, the knack for finishing of half chances.

I don't care what football club you are into, you could play pretty and create dozens of chances in a match, but every decent football coach will tell you that no statistic matters more than the number of goals you score in a match or a season and for that matter, Michael Owen gurantees you goals. He is not going to be a Ronaldo who nutmegs and makes fools out of defenders with countless stepovers, neither is he going to battle tigerishly and as hard as Carlos Tevez BUT Owen will give you goals... And I will gladly swap that treasured statistic for all the joga bonito Ronaldo and Tevez gives you on the pitch. Of course, having everyone of these talents on the same pitch will be the ideal situation but I am more than happy with the reality of having Owen in Man Utd's attacking lineup for the season.

A hungry striker is the most dangerous player on the pitch. A striker with something to prove will prove it with the number of goals notched for his club. A striker who feels that his best play is in a team which is confident and poised is the best thing a manager can ask for to lift an established club to another level altogether.

To all critics of Michael Owen, give the man some time... in fact just wait for the season to start. I am confident we are going to witness the re-emergence of Owen on the big stage. I am confident he is going to surprise more than a few defenders, and definitely more than a few of his critics when he strides onto the pitch with his new found confidence and his new teammates.

Michael Owen is going to become a quick legend with the fans of the Red Devils... A genuinely nice guy... formerly from a rival club and yet hungry like the rest of the team for success and silverware. Mind you, he is an English too... that means no showboating or flamboyant disregard for teamwork. Owen is going to be a Red success, I can so feel it...

Manchester City, set up for a good season?

Man City is looking like a lesser version of Real Madrid these days by having no limits to the number of strikers they are adding to their lineup.

Just like Real which added Ronaldo, Kaka and Benzema to their already overcrowded forward line before selling the surplus, Man City is likely to add yet another forward in Adebayor from Arsenal to the new boys Tevez and Roque Santa Cruz. Incidentally, Adebayor plays in the same position as Santa Cruz. How they fit together is a mystery to the bystander and one to be solved by manager Mark Hughes. They paid over 40 million pounds for two similar players.

Lets not forget Man City also has Benjani, Caicedo, Evans, Bellamy, Bojinov and Robinho who play in the same line of attack as the "70 million pound" trio of Tevez, Santa Cruz and Adebayor. How do you squeeze everyone into a balanced footballing first eleven? Maybe the impending sale of Benjani and Evans could help reduce surplus.

Man City is also looking to acquire Chelsea man John Terry , the second club captain Hughes is targeting after Gareth Barry joined from Aston Villa. He is clearly looking for some leadership in the team. And his tactic is to tempt Terry with wads of cash from the oil rich Shiek Mansour.

How does that translate to leadership on the field? Perhaps he needs a larger than life or widely recognized leadership figure in JT to win over his newly acquired motley crew of marquee names and superstars. A lot of egos to stifle there even for one good England captain.

Question to ask is how many of these newly acquired stars really care or know enough about an underachieving team like Man City to give their 100%? Do they even care about the Manchester club's history or how much the local derby really means? Do they realise the club has been a mediocre shadow of what they were when the blue half was the stronger half in Manchester and the envying sentiments of the long suffering fans? And the pressure to outperform or be on par with the Red half which happens to be the best team in Britain, how is that going to play out in the star players' minds or ex Utd player Mark Hughes's mind? Will the pressure build a cohesive unit or break the team spirit when things go awry? Playing for a fat pay cheque does not motivate a club to greatness as a team.

Man City could be worse off than Real Madrid in the aspect of managing star egos, a huge squad and overwhelming expectation from the board. At least Real had some experience before with their Galatico policy(not that they learned from it...). Man City's management had never overseen a squad with so many overpaid stars under one... well... less than world renowned name of a manager. You cannot play everyone in every match and that is a nagging headache for Mark Hughes. As big a player name as Mark Hughes was during his heydays, he is still starting off in baby steps in his managerial career. A few mistakes here and there tactically, a few points lost over the season and you'll expect the players to complain about their lack of contributions to the cause due to a lack of games, case in point the very-eager-to-play Carlos Tevez and the individualistic and egoistical Adebayor.

Sooner or later, player power is likely to prevail and the superstars will overwhelm a lesser man in Hughes and force him into early resignation or face the dreaded sack from the top. And then the cycle pretty much begins itself again with a new manager, probably with a bigger name but faced with the same temptation to rebuild a team brimming with talent but broken in spirit... and sign on too many star players.

I cannot see how Man City can develop itself into top four contenders. They need a homegrown Manchester boy, someone rising from the ranks of their youth teams to lead this new team of superstars, someone in the mould of Gerrard at Liverpool and Terry at Chelsea. Micah Richards looks like a future captain but he is not the finished product yet when it comes to world class football. Perhaps, the over-eagerness of Hughes and the cash of the Shiek to sign a ready made leadership figure in Terry will help ease his team's transition from a band of dispersed superstars into a cohesive unit. If he does succeed, and I wish him all the best... Man City might not crash as badly as I am predicting their season to be.

Transfer Activity

Chelsea going English? Man Utd building a strikeforce to attain Ronaldo's goals ratio? Arsenal to sign a new Vieira?

Just as the world has been been distracted and still in amazement at the glut of signings made by Real Madrid, the fans of the BPL has also been dissapointed at the lack of a big signing from other leagues to the BPL this season. Manchster City promised much when the season ended, but it looks increasingly likely that Mark Hughes has got his transfer policy grounded to homegrown or proven talent in England. He is eyeing a domineering captain of Chelsea in John Terry to add on to his recent acquisitions of Barry, Santa Cruz and most likely Tevez who have already proved their worth in the BPL.

Man Utd is looking to consolidate the number of goals for last season by signing a fourth striker in Huntelaar who is unsettled at Real Madrid. He will join Michael Owen, Rooney and Berbatov to make up for the loss of chief goalscorer Ronaldo. Couple that with 2 new prospects in wingers Valencia and Obertan, and it is a season of testing new grounds for Sir Alex and co. No Ronaldo and Tevez will mean more chances for others like Nani, Valencia and the surprise package Michael Owen. Will they live up to the expectations?

Liverpool looks strangely quiet on the transfer market, probably burdened by the heavy club debt and the crazy figures clubs are asking for their prized players (everything is going for twice the money as prevous years because of Real's indulgent spending) Other than a 17 million pound Glen Johnson, Liverpool looks more likely to be selling some of their first team players in Arberloa and Alonso before making a bid for someone else. Selling hard man Javer Mascherano however will be a huge blow to their title chances.

Chelsea while fighting to stave off the coveting interests of Man City on their club captain is looking to do a bit of business since capturing Russian winger Yuri Zhirkov. While hoping Mourinho will pay for Deco and Cavarlho, they are still eyeing Porto's Bruno Alves, Milan's Andrea Pirlo and Alexandre Pato, while also crossing their fingers that Ribery or Sneijder will swap Madrid's Mediterranean weather for the depressing one in London. Perhaps the recent signing of striker Daniel Sturridge and new interest in England Under-21 winger Adam Johnson shows a stark change in Ancelotti's transfer policy. Going for English talent could be the "in" thing for Chelsea this season. But English players other than the current Ashley and Joe Cole, Lampard and Terry seldom succeed at Chelsea, do they? Steve Sidwell, Scott Parker, Wayne Bridge, Glen Johnson and Carlton Cole came and left, while having found some success at other clubs.

Arsenal is FINALLY getting into the transfer market after years of signing youth players. Arsene is definitely looking to rebuild a part of his fractured midfield last season by looking to sign a hard man in Matuidi. Likened to the legendary Patrick Vieira, he could be the answer to adding some steel to a midfield that boast the creative genuis of Fabregas, Rosicky, Nasri and Arshavin. If Arsene don't win something major this season, it could well be the end of their captain, Fabregas career at Arsenal.

The rest of the competition is trying to catch up with the top 4 and a certain cash rich Man City. Tottenham under Harry Redknapp could be one to watch. Van Nistelrooy will be a huge capture even though he is nearing retirement. Sunderland's Steve Bruce will capture Spurs' Darren Bent if the Nistelrooy deal goes through. Aston Villa is hoping Stewart Downing will make them the priority destination for his England career. Other than that, there hasn't been that much of good excitement in the rest of the league to suggest the emergence of a club with bigger ambitions than mid-range parity.

Well, at least we know the English clubs still got their heads screwed on, knowing they are caught in a whirlwind of price inflation in the players' market despite the rest of the world still deep in a financial crisis.

Man Utd's youth policy in a day

On the day that ex Man Utd player and a 80 million pound Cristiano Ronaldo was unveiled in front of thousands of Real Madrid fans at the Bernabeu, a certain unknown French youngster by the name of Gabriel Obertan stole a little of his limelight with soccer pundits.

Obertan incidentally should be a Man Utd player next season if the French outfit Bordeaux's president is to believed. Obertan's potential is surprisingly similar to Cristiano Ronaldo on many fronts. He packs a wicked stepover, is predominantly right-footed, loaded with good pace and tricks to be played effectively on either wing, and uncannily, is as skinny as Ronaldo when he first joined Man Utd.

Obertan looked like a whiter Lewis Hamilton (the famous F1 driver) and a skinnier and raw player's version of the Ronaldo we know now. He has the knack of cutting in from the left and unleashing a right footed shot at goal... a move made famous by his countryman Thierry Henry. His best position seems to be that of a winger to be played in a 4-3-3 formation.

Whether Obertan is going to be as great as Ronaldo, I really don't know. But Sir Alex must have seen something in him to have signed him on. However, lets remember that Carrington is but only a good ground for grooming potential youngsters. A lot of the other success factors depend on the player's character and belief in himself. Not all players who get signed on to Man Utd turn out to be world beaters and superstars. One do not need to think far to remember flops like David Bellion, Quinton Fortune or World Cup winning Brazilian Kleberson.

But what is certain now is that Man Utd is on a mad rush for young signings these days. Obertan is only 20 years of age. Man Utd has not too long ago signed a 17 year old Brazilian by the name of Dodo, and 15 year old Sean Mcginty from Charlton FC, both defenders. The squad is packed with international young talent, Brazilian twins Rafael and Fabio, midfield dynamo Rodrigo Possebon who has joined Braga on loan, Serbian pair Tosic and Ljajic, younger brother of Jonny Evans... Corry Evans and most notably the young duo that raised eyebrows last season, Welbeck and Macheda.

I sense that Man Utd is keeping to a youth policy here, unearthing gems that could go on to become world class players, like how Ronaldo was uncovered and developed. These players ultimately could either become fringe players in the reserves or major superstars. Ultimately, it takes patience to see young players develop and you've got to praise the management of Man Utd for sticking to a youth mantra. Often times, its easier to buy talent for millions and millions of dollars than grooming a talent for a good four to five years. Real Madrid is the opposite of Man Utd in that aspect.

The strength of a football club is determined not by its current first team but the team to which it is going to field in 2 years' time. And all Man Utd fans can be confident to suggest that in two years from now, the club will still be challenging for Championship honors with the youth policy that is in place now. This is the mantra to longevity and sustained success in club football. There is no shortcut to building a era of greatness.

Real Madrid president Perez needs only to study Man Utd to understand that.

Owen going to Man Utd? You heard it here first.

For those who read my entry on predicted transfers to Man Utd this season, I hate to say it but I have been spot on with what Sir Alex has been thinking all along. I just knew it. ;)

I knew from the onstart that Sir Alex Ferguson will be in the market looking for a striker had Tevez not sign on, and that he didn't need to pay a giant sum for an unproven fella from the Primera Liga. He only needed to look at a English player by the name of Michael Owen.

To me, Owen is the man with something to prove; to his critics, to Fabio Capello, to the world, and of course to the current Liverpool manger Rafa Benitez.

First off, he wants to get into the England World Cup squad in 2010. That is big enough motivation to perform day in day out in the BPL. Secondly, he desperately wants to prove that he can still do a job of scoring goals. Rafa Benitez didn't consider him good enough, even though Liverpool will have been Owen's first choice and club captain Steven Gerrard wanted him in.

Too bad, Rafa, prepare your Merseyside title ambitions for a Michael Owen who is hurt like a wounded tiger. And when that translates to a proven goalscorer, you know he wants more than anything else to prove his critics wrong.

Benzema will have been Sir Alex's choice to lead the line but a free transfer Michael Owen with a 50,000 pounds per week player salary is peanuts of a risk for a club like Man Utd. What you get in return is the gurantee of goals. The question is how many goals you can squeeze out of Owen's dodgy knees. If anyone can motivate a player to greatness again, Sir Alex is the man.

To me, this is THE season winning trump card played by Sir Alex. I have said it all along. Owen will give him the flexibility to blood youngsters like Welbeck and Macheda, while also gain the big game experience and level headedness of a proven international to count on during the entire season. Also, he inspires the mercurial Wayne Rooney to be a better player. He did that when they played together at the last World Cup in Germany. What loss is it to Man Utd? None.

This is classic Sir Alex. He did the same with Henrik Larsson while blooding Rooney and Ronaldo. Owen wants to win a Permiership title before he retires and you can bet he will put his life down for the cause.

If all goes well with his medical examination, we will see Owen in the famous red of not his childhood club but that of Manchester United. We welcome him with open arms.

Benzema, the new Galatico and its many implications

Oh well... what can you say? Karim Benzema couldn't resist the temptation of playing for an all-star outfit and has chosen to pledge his future to Real Madrid, who has bought their third Galatico of the season.

With Benzema's arrival, Real Madrid has an overwhelming forward line that could be played as the first eleven, Robben, Van der Vaart, Raul, Ronaldo, Kaka, Huntelaar, Higuain, Saviola, van Nistelrooy and Benzema. How do you fit all these players into the starting eleven? I really don't know. It is disgusting but I presume exciting for all Real Madrid fans.

To me, it reeks of bad taste and worse business sense. Benzema's arrival effectively should mean the end of the Dutch pair van Nistelrooy and Huntelaar. Huntelaar didn't even got a chance to prove himself at Real Madrid. Poor Huntelaar was deemed the future of Holland's football, the next Van Basten if you will have it. How is he going to develop his game with so many vying for the position he plays in? Time to move on Huntelaar. Man Utd will be monitoring his impending decision.

There also goes the playing role of Raul Gonzalez, the symbol of loyalty to the Real Madrid cause. Where do you fit Raul in a forward line boasting Ronaldo, Kaka and Benzema? I don't think the veteran will be given a starting place, even though he had a good season. Time to retire, Raul? Maybe a last big payout at the expense of Man City looks like a better and sensible way to end his glittering career.

Is Ribery the next Galatico? I struggle to make sense of it. Real is increasingly walking down a fine line. What is happening is that they are going to create a heavy backlash from football fans all over the world (except for their own of course). Mark my words, all these marketing money that Real Madrid thinks will fall into their lap is not going to come unless the team plays an attractive brand of football and win all the major competitions at the same time. The thing is, its not going to be that simple at all to do both. Barcelona is still the strongest team around after one year of success under Pep Guardiola. If you are interested at all, they happen to be my new favourite team in the Primera Liga, and I believe the new favourite for every anti-Real Madrid fan. I hope they flatten Real's ego and win the Liga again.

I am anti-establishment and anti-fantasy teams. Believe it or not, it is not jealousy. It is my belief that this mentality of money could buy you success in football is wrong and very wrong indeed. My deepest hope for the new season is that Real Madrid will crumble under their own pressure and that this will show the world that fantasy teams remain as only possibilities in the game of Championship Manager.

Old Trafford welcomes Antonio

Antonio Valencia officially becomes the first signing of the season for Man Utd, after some big name departures in recent times from Old Trafford, among them the widely accepted best player in the world Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.

With bitter sentiments from Tevez, it was a nice change to note that someone appreciates the chance to play for the Reds when Valencia signed on with Man Utd. As we know it, he has been coveted by other clubs as well, notably Real Madrid. But there was only one club that Valencia wanted to sign for and he made it clear by shortening his holiday to finalize the deal with Man Utd.

Sir Alex was present to welcome his new player who will replace Ronaldo's postion as a right winger. But as we all know, Ronaldo is not replaceable as a player. What we will see though is a team formation that will share the attcking burden that Ronaldo bore in the new season. With Valencia in, Rooney will be switched to his favourite position in the hole behind Berbatov upfront while Nani and Park will likely fill the left winger position. This is also the breakthrough year for Nani, who many think did not lived up to his Ronaldo hype. But for this year, many believe he can finally concentrate on being himself and not trying to be Ronaldo No. 2. Lets not forget that there are still plenty of youngsters in the talented Reserves team waiting for their chance to break into the first team.

All it takes is an opportunity. I hope Valencia will become the next big thing at Man Utd. I think this is the perfect club for him. Man Utd has a knack for producing wonderful wingers, people like Best, Kanchelskis, Sharpe, Giggsy, Ronaldo, Beckham... they all went on to become legends in their own right. I am pretty sure Valencia will find himself a much better winger if not the best winger in the BPL for the next few seasons.

Viva la Valencia !!