Dizzy end to the transfer window

Desperation drives people to do desperate things.

January's transfer window is always full of melodrama and this season's proved the same.

The biggest involved the 50 million pound transfer of Liverpool's Fernando Torres to Chelsea and the ridiculous (in my opinion) 35 million pound replacement Liverpool bought in Andy Carroll.

Paling in comparison, even though they are huge sums of money too, are the deals in excess of 20 million pounds each for Luis Suarez to Liverpool and David Luiz to Chelsea.

This signals the intent of Chelsea and Liverpool, who are not having the best of seasons.

Well, this is football. Roman Abramovich is starting to throw his weight around again, while Liverpool's owners are sadly just desperate.

Chelsea bought themselves a crocked Fernando Torres really. I don't think he is as good as when he first came to the BPL. I too can't see how you can pair Anelka or Drogba with Torres.

Liverpool bought an unproven striker in Carroll... yes, he scored a few goals this season, but I don't think he is worth more than Berbatov or Darren Bent who moved for 24 million to Aston Villa, for the matter. He is too raw to be worth that much money. Newcastle got themselves a fantastic deal in my opinion, but will they get relegated due to a lack of goals for the rest of the season and wanting money instead? We shall see.

Well, this makes for great entertainment. We will see how it all pans out. But too much stupid money going around for now.

Instinct

Sometimes in life, you don't have the luxury of time when making a decision or analyzing a situation.

That's when you trust your instincts. It is an acumen that is unique to the most successful and favours the courageous. It doesn't come overnight of course, it comes through trained foresight overtime, experience, talent and sometimes luck.

The best soldiers have it, the most brilliant investors have it, the highly skilled doctors have it too.

The recent acquisition of Bebe, the Portugese street footballer by Sir Alex Ferguson is a prime example of that. Who is going to bet against a manger who discovered Giggs, Scholes, Ronaldo, Rooney, Beckham, Nevilles etc. and groomed them to stardom.

From time to time, instinct fails you. (i.e. African flops Manucho, Djemba Djemba, Brazilian disappointment Kleberson, unhappy Argentine Veron, the Italian clown Massimo Taibi.) but more often than not, instinct brought him more good than bad (see above names again).

"Sometimes you have to go on an instinct, you look at material, you look at the player's age and whether they're bringing pace, balance, desire to play and things like that. That's how a category is formed." Sir Alex Ferguson

Trust your instincts.

Joe Cole to OT?

Believe the rumors at your own peril.

But this is one I will like to believe and I believe will happen soon.

Joe Cole is set to snub Chelsea and sign for Man Utd. He is set to join Michael Owen as talented English players who had long injury layoffs and admired in their youth by the best manager in England, Sir Alex Ferguson.

And I think it is a rumor that is spinning the right way. He is on a free transfer, he gets to go to the biggest club in England, and he fits the bill at Man Utd who is looking for a talented and footballing winger to replace an ageing legend in Ryan Giggs.

Usually rumors turn out fake, but I got a good feeling about this one.

Will Torres go?

The conquest of Chelsea for 09/10 has yet to settle and there are already plenty of rumors spinning in the transfer market.

Question of the pre season before the next BPL season starts: Will Fernando Torres go to Chelsea, the newly crowned English champions?

Well, the naysayer will tell you its highly unlikely, given the animosity between the blues and Merseyside, and Torres's professed loyalty to Liverpool.

But the reasoning will tell you Torres is sick of no silverware, poor tactics, lousy club management and low finances. All of these will supercede his loyalty and point him to the exit door. Where else but the English champions Chelsea?

Based on Torres's valuation, only a handful of clubs will dare pick up the tab. Real Madrid, Man Utd, Chelsea and Man City. Real is obviously out of the question, since Torres childhood club is Atletico Madrid, Man Utd will not fork out a 100 million for any player. Man City is not at the highest pinnacle of footballing achievements yet even if they have all the resources to lure him. So the next likely destination --> Chelski of Roman Abramovich.

Liverpool fans, keep your fingers crossed, and your hearts ready for the defect of one Spanish cult hero to London.

Man Utd welcomes Chris Smalling.

Sir Alex rarely makes mistakes in the transfer market, especially when he pays 8 million pounds for a 20 year old English player.

Not so long ago, he spent 20 million pounds on a certain Evertonian youngster Wayne Rooney. He signed a raw Rio Ferdinand from Leeds United for 18 million and groomed Ronaldo into a World Player of the Year when he was an unknown from Sporting Lisbon. Signed for 12 million, sold for 80 million last season.

Despite all these talk about mounting debts in the boardroom at Old Trafford, the 8 million pounds spent on Chris Smalling speaks volumes about how highly the coaching staff value the young prospect. Let's keep in mind that Man Utd has an abundance of young and talented centre backs emerging from the Academy, not least Jonny Evans, Craig Cathcart and James Chester.

Apparently, Smalling has convinced the gaffer enough that he will be the next big thing in defence for England, even beyond Chester and Cathcart. Some sources suggest he is the next Rio Ferdinand. Assured, a good reader of the game and athletic are just some of the observations made by keen observers. If this is true, he is bound for stardom, potentially forming a formidable partnership at the heart of defence with another class talent in Jonny Evans.

English and talented, a very nice acquisition indeed, even if the fans will only get to see Chris next season. Welcome to Man Utd, Chris Smalling... we know you will enjoy your stay here.

Child Trafficking, what?

The focus these days while football is on international week is the recent ruling by FIFA to ban Chelsea for 2 years for allegedly signing a minor, Gael Kakuta (above) from Lens without going through the proper procedures.

Similarly, a hundred over clubs have jumped on the chance to get some resolution to similar cases, against the who's who of English football, such as Man Utd, Man City and Everton for signing youth players with great potential from their ranks.

The saga is truly an interesting and debatable one, with both sides of the argument engaged in fiery exchanges. On one side, you have the major clubs of world football, the Man Utds and the Chelseas who can and are able to attract younger players based on their namesake alone. On the other side, you have the minnows as you would have it from the lower leagues in Europe, the Lens, Le Harves, Lazios and Fiorentinas who are unhappy about losing their best homegrown talent to the bright lights of the bigger clubs.

To be bluntly honest, I think the whole saga is a load of crap, invented by the people who do not know and have no idea whatsoever, of the reality in a real world. Arsenal's manager, one of the few men who should deserve praise if not accolades for grooming talent such as Henry, Anelka, Fabregas and lately Jack Wilshere voiced out quite rightly that the people who made these policies are clearly not thinking right. Well, he didn't exactly said that, but he meant that.

Obviously, every young player wants to play for the biggest clubs in football. Not only does he get a better footballing program at a bigger club, his wages are much better to which allows him to assist in supporting his family which in most cases are not well off. His academic education is taken care of. He gets a chance to play with the best in the world which will inevitably improve his skills and mental capacity as a footballer. Most of all, in a footballer's short career of fifteen years the most, he will not get many golden oppportunities from the likes of Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal knocking at his door... For goodness sake, give the kids their break to chase the dream.

It is sad to know that footballing authorities are so disconnected with the real world. If they are parents who have a child that has a chance to study at Harvard or Oxford with a full scholarship provided, what are the chances that they choose to restrict their kid to a less renowned university locally?

The modern world is built on a system of merit, people move on to greener pastures on their own accord, consequences and rewards of their decision borne by oneself. In all corporate bodies, established companies poach talent from the smaller firms, oh yes... the reality for smaller companies is very ugly, but the individual should be given their decision to make, not the regulating body or the Ministry of Manpower for instance. Why should football be any different? Is there an over-enthusiastic intention here to level the playing ground? At what costs will FIFA be willing to take? At the cost of denying a kid his dream? Will it even work in the first place, when often times smaller clubs are not making the grade not because they have lost their best players but simply because they do not have the right structure for a competitive advantage in the first place?

Truth of the matter is, the best players want to play in the best team. Cristiano Ronaldo was deemed by the same authorities; to be a slave to his contract last season because his rightful employers Manchester Utd refused to let him go to Real Madrid, the club of the Portugese star's dream. Now they are calling on new policies to deny hundreds of young and promising footballers the chance to play for the clubs of their dreams. Isn't that just lame hypocrisy? Where is the consistency in all of these?

Clubs pay a tribunal fee to the smaller clubs for young talent they bring on board to the club. it is not as if the smaller clubs receive nothing for the player being groomed at their grounds. But because there is no professional contract signed for players below 18 years of age, the fee has to be decided in a fair and netural system for both parties. At the end of the day, the player's career and his choice of progress should be given the priority of thought. The bigger club can then decide if they want to pay the fee stipulated by the deciding authority for compensation of sorts to the smaller club for discovering and training the player.

Reputable clubs with strong and established youth academies like Man Utd and Arsenal provide a wholesome education for their players. They have the capacity to take care of the financial issues for the young player and his family so that he can concentrate on developing his footballing talent, and thus the chance at a brighter future in football. It is a scholarship based on merit to which the young player must earn his place among the club's elite while learning and refining his trade at the academy. The young player can only benefit from this experience. It makes him stronger as a person and his prestigious footballing education ups his value almost immediately (liken it to a degree program at Harvard or Oxford), setting him up for life as a professional footballer. Denying talent the space to grow by fixating him to a smaller club befuddles me.

I think FIFA must draw a line on what they deem as child trafficking. Is it child trafficking at all? Even if the minor cannot make the choice, can the parent not make the best choice for the child? Bribing the parent with money and luxury houses is obviously wrong by any ethical standard, but offering the parent a chance to provide his/her child with a world class footballing education and an opportunity to improve their standards of living is surely not morally or professionally flawed.

If the issue is about levelling the competitive field for football clubs, at what cost will FIFA force it through, will they even restrict the individual discretion to make personal career choices? Eventually, the talented player will still move on to a bigger club if he has outgrown in stature and ability to the rest at the club. It is only a matter of when. Anyway, the whole idea of levelling the playing field in football is nonsensical to me, but this shall be discussed in a different column at a more appropriate date.

Mad Rush on Transfer Deadline

A flurry of transfer activity marked the end of the transfer window for the summer as English clubs scramble to buy players available on the market, sometimes at ridiculous prices.

Sunderland's acquisition of Michael Turner costs 12 million pounds. Whether the Hull defender who came on the scene last year with Hull City can live up to his billing remains to be seen. Valued by Liverpool at a considerably lower price, Turner might be a solid defender with a knack for scoring from set-pieces, but he is still some way from becoming a full fledged England international.

Everton did a bit of smart buying by adding Johnny Heitinga (above) from Athletico Madrid. Replacing Lescott who left for Man City, Heitinga adds some poise and class at the back, and with a proven player like Slyvain Distin also joining from Portsmouth, the central defence is well covered by David Moyes. Moyes also managed to add Russian winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov whom if he manages to settle in quickly into English football could add some much needed creativity for the Toffees.

Niko Krancjar marks another astute signing by Harry Redknapp. Portsmouth's most creative player was signed by Harry for next to nothing really. He provides excellent cover for Modric who is out with a broken leg and his ability to run at defenders and smooth playmaking abilities resemble that of Spurs hero David Ginola who could also play across the midfield or just behind the front two.

Richard Dunne, a loyal servant of Man City for close to ten years now deserved better from his club for his loyalty and stellar performances for a team who had not went through the best of times during his playing days. It seems ill fitting that the club captain has been sent to Aston Villa as he was deemed surplus to requirements with Toure and Lescott preferred at the back. Dunne is a classic English defender, hard to play against and no-nonsense. Most importantly, he understood Man City and what it stood for. The transfer of Dunne to Villa signifies the change-of-guard at Man City, when a new era of highly paid "superstars" will now officially take over from the old boys of Man City.

The other clubs did their best to secure services of bit part players to push their bid for survival and a mid-table finish. Stoke City signed defender Danny Collins from Sunderland, Aston Villa secured another defender James Collins from West Ham, Portsmouth got centre-back Ben Haim from Man City, forward Nugent swapped Portsmouth for Burnley, Hull got Ibrahim Sonko from Stoke to replace Michael Turner who left for Sunderland. Bolton secured Croatian veteran striker Ivan Klasnic as they desperately look for goals upfront.

No big signings from outside the Premier League this season as all the clubs look to consolidate from within the league where the seasoned players understand the guile and doggedness of the Premier League game in game out.

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...

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.

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 !!

Transfers: Owen a tiger?

Hull City's manager Phil Brown has confirmed that he's intersted to sign Michael Owen. The question how is whether or not Hull City has the money to sign Owen and whether they can handle such a star at their club.

As a Liverpool fan, it is quite a disaster to see a Liverpool talent wind up at Hull City. However, for Hull City fans, Owen could prove to what they need to survive another season in the Premier League. With Owen, you can always expect a goal or two each game and you can expect that he will strike some fear into the opposing defense and goalkeeper.

Well, if Phil Brown's interest comes true, it'll be interesting to watch Hull City's game next season partly to watch how Owen's going to fit into the club and help Hull City stay in top flight football.

Master of their own misery

Real Madrid has created their own misery even before their players have started playing in the new season.

In what is painfully obvious to the bystander, all the clubs are now asking for astronomical amounts of money everytime the Spanish club is looking to buy a new player from them to add to their new super acquisitions, Ronaldo and Kaka. I mean seriously, who wouldn't after Real Madrid broke the world transfer record twice in a week ?!?

Now if I am Bayern Munich's general manager who has a player that Real desperately wants, I will conveniently slap another world record transfer fee on his head. Case in point: the club put a price tag of 87 million pounds for Franck Ribery, Bayern's best player and in the opinion of Bayern, better than Cristiano Ronaldo.

Well... I guess Madrid legend and former record transfer holder Zinedine Zidane said it himself, "to get the best players to come, you need to pay a high price." The cold and hard truth is Real needs to pay a price in excess of the last world record transfer fee they paid, every single time they want to gather another mother son of a great player.

Frankly, I am not pitying their sorry "plight" now. They will probably find people quoting ridculous amounts of money for an ordinary defender which by the way they need desperately now for an imbalanced team... I heard they wanted Gael Clichy? How about 50 million pounds, Monsier Perez? I will try for the sky if I am Arsene Wenger.

Other than Ribery, David Villa's club Valencia is probably trying the same tactics as well. President Perez proudly endorsed it didn't he? He mentioned he will stop at nothing to build the best team in the world, so why would Valencia hesitate to ask for 50, 60 or 70 million pounds? Why not? Test his bank reserves, try his ambition... in the end, everyone wins don't they? Really?

So Real Madrid wants or should we say, they need to offload Robben and Sneijder before buying new players. A case of too many players in the same position with Kaka and Ronaldo. How do you propose selling them? Real cannot charge a high price for them, can they? If I am doing business with them, I wouldn't budge from my first offer if I am interested in their players. "Well, you know what Mr Perez... you can either sell them to me or you can keep their butts on the subs bench in an overcrowded first team while paying off their ginormous paychecks for the rest of the new season. Note: their value drops after a season on the bench." Nei ni nei ni boo boo :p

Fabio Cannavaro who left Real Madrid for Juventus mentioned before that the real issues at Real Madrid are not the qualities of the players or the coach but rather the politicking that is causing the instability which translates to the pitch.

I smell something terribly wrong with Perez's footballing strategy, I just have this sneaky feeling that it will all crumble on him... and my oh my, the cracks are already showing.

Says Who?

I have quite enough of this talking about who is coming to Man Utd that has been ongoing ever since Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed his transfer to Real Madrid. The suspense is killing everyone and it isn't helping one bit that newspapers has got names of potential signings plastered all over the front pages.

Truth is, no one knows except Sir Alex Ferguson. And he will be a buffoon if he told any of these rumor mongers who he was signing to the club. The latest I have heard? Fernando Torres!! Do you in the right frame of mind ever think Rafa Benitiez was going to sell one half of his prized attacking duo to his nemesis and closest rival? Not over his dead body I presume. Its so obviously impossible that its laughable to even suggest it. I am sure Sir Alex knows better than try his luck on this one. Karim Benzema looks more feasible.

A last minute ditch effort for David Villa? No no no, I don't think so. For starters, Villa plays similar to Rooney. And he is from La Liga, the place where Diego Forlan top-scored in while at the same time failing to find the net often enough in the BPL to be offloaded by Sir Alex to Villareal while he was at Man Utd. You think Ferguson will spend 45 million pounds for David Villa who didn't even outscore Forlan?

Perhaps Etoo could be a possibility, afterall he was second only to Forlan and very consistently pops up on goalscoring charts in Europe and the La Liga. His powerful game is more suited for the BPL than David Villa who will be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner by tough tackling BPL defenders. Sir Alex will have noted that smaller built forwards seldom succeed in the BPL unless you are brought up in the way of British style football or your myriad of trickery and skills match that of Gianfranco Zola's. Very few can adapt fast enough for the champions' high demands. 45 million pounds for a whole load of uncertainty about one's ability to cope with the rigors of the British game. Nah... not for me.

If Ferguson is smart enough and looking for a cheaper alternative, he will probably go for a cut price but injury prone Michael Owen if he needed a proven goalscorer, to not only allow time but also first team opportunities for Macheda and Welbeck to mature. This is exactly what he did when he lost his main goalscorer in Ruud Van Nistelrooy but brought in Swede veteran Henrik Larsson to allow Rooney and Ronaldo to mature into the players they are today. Sir Alex's proven style of management seldom changes in transition phases even if he has the cash to spend wildly. He will also probably do all he possibly can to keep Carlos Tevez at the club to maintain stability of the first team as it usually takes time to develop camaderie and players' mutual understanding. Tevez has already achieved that in his two years with Man Utd.

But then again, who am I to say so?

Here's to the future.

The reason why I am proud to be a Man Utd fan: the fans. The maturity, the club loyalty and the big heart that typifies the true Man Utd fans make them the best football fans in the world. So what if Ronaldo leaves, it doesn't change Manchester United one bit. This club is far bigger than any star it has produced over the years. Here's a toast to the future of Man Utd.

Courtesy of Stretford End Season Ticket holder and Man Utd fan Paul Davies

"So it looks like Ronaldo is getting his dream move to Madrid and Sir Alex will have a transfer kitty available to reshape his team. Personally, I think that’s no bad thing.

I was never one of those disgruntled Reds who booed him when he returned to action last season, but, if I’m honest, I could never muster the same enthusiasm for the “Viva Ronaldo” chants as I’d done previously. Nor could many others. The sentiment being that anyone who isn’t totally committed to the Red cause can leave.

Plenty of United fans will be disappointed today, as no supporter likes to see their best player leave. But plenty of others – especially those in the hardcore that follow the team home and away – will not be quite so sad at his impending departure.

For many, Ronaldo’s courting of Real last summer took the shine off what should have been a summer of celebration. We’d won a third European Cup and a 17th title, yet all we heard about was the Portuguese trying to manufacture a move away from Old Trafford. It felt disrespectful and showed a real lack of commitment to United, and for some supporters these things are forgiven but certainly not forgotten.

He eventually stayed on for the 2008/09 season but could not repeat his form of the previous campaign – it would have been an incredible feat if he had – which reassures me that Manchester United are a quality side and not only about one man. Ronaldo wasn’t poor last term, but he had far less impact than in the two previous campaigns and yet the Reds still scooped three trophies. It’s not a bad base from which to rebuild.

Of course we’ll miss his free-kicks and goals contribution, but in Sir Alex Ferguson we have the best manager to cover for this. We all feared when Roy Keane left that we’d never be able to find a man of his stature to replace him. In the end we didn’t need to, instead Sir Alex spread the load and contribution of Keano across several players – including bringing in our now midfield lynchpin Michael Carrick. The same is called for again.

As well as being confident that Sir Alex will strengthen and cover for the loss of the world player of the year – although, surely that title will soon pass to Messi – I’m delighted we’ll be spared another summer of Ronaldo speculation.

Fergie says the United bus is always moving and waits for no one. So thanks for everything, Ronny, but here's to the future. Ding ding. Tickets, please."

Ronaldo leaves Man Utd

It has been confirmed by the club's official site. Man Utd has agreed to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for a world record fee of 80 million pounds. That is in excess of 131 million US dollars or close to 200 million Sing dollars. WOW !! With that money you can buy Newcastle United now ;)

Real Madrid just re-broke the record they set with Kaka at 56 million pounds. My word, this new Real president Perez guy has got some serious money. How can a sane club possibly turn down the offer which could possibly help them rebuild the entire team again plus fund many other developments. While Ronaldo is seen as indispensable to Man Utd's first team in the last two years, he is only so because the team was built around his attacking forays. Now with Ronaldo gone, Man Utd can focus on building a balanced first team which still boasts the talent of Berbatov and Rooney.

Real Madrid sure has financial muscle, I must do a google search to find out what this Florentino Perez guy does for a living. Signing players of Ronaldo and Kaka's calibre cannot possibly go wrong, afterall they are World Player of the Year winners. What you probably miss out on is the chance to unravel raw talents from your youth team. Unlike Barca, who boasts a vibrant youth system, Real's riches and their board's fickle-mindedness is their bane on an ineffective youth system which last produced a recognizable Spanish talent in the ageing Raul Gonzalez. The other obvious clue which could spell a trophyless season i.e. doom for the Madrid club is that while in awe of Perez's indulgent signings, the defence remains the weakest link at Real. Cannavaro is ageing, while Pepe and Heinze struggled to keep pace with Barca's attack last season. Sergio Ramos on the other hand attacked better than he defended. Casillas as good as he is, was left exposed too many times last season. Looks like nothing is going to change at the back even while Ronaldo and Kaka bombs forward.

Is Ronaldo able to replicate his success and win championships consistently as he did at Man Utd with Real Madrid? Frankly, I don't think so. Not because he is not that good a player to do so but I really don't think he will ever find the same winning mentality as he did with Man Utd. Real Madrid looks more like a "Harlem Globetrotters" of soccer; a show team of "Galaticos" more than a serious team. Their team balance now is unhealthily tilted towards players with attacking and flair more than players who can solidly defend, provide stability and a workhorse/team mentality. Flair in itself is not going to win Perez any sustained success as his first batch of Galaticos has proven him before embarassingly. Well, I guess then that Real Madrid probably suits a player who has allowed his ego to go to his head in recent times, even bordering on disrespect.

Goodbye Ronaldo, we will certainly miss you but it wouldn't be too long.

Antonio Valencia + Karim Benzema for Man Utd?

With Kaka's confirmed transfer to Real Madrid, Man Utd could be less likely to see the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, unless of course the Madrid team is going to spend another 80 million pounds on Ronaldo. This will be a scary thought, having 160 million Euros spent on two players with no gurantee of success. But then again, nothing is a surprise these days with football transfers.

The attention has switched to Man Utd. Speculation is rife that Man Utd is interested to sign Wigan's Antonion Valencia (top left). The right winger has impressed for Wigan in the BPL for two seasons now. I think he is a fairly good winger, traditional and hardworking, able to cross and shoot decently, and also has two good feet. His runs and natural flair reminds me of Kanchelskis, the Russian winger when he was at Man Utd. But whether is he good enough to challenge Park, Nani, Ronaldo, Tosic, Martin and an ageing Giggs for a spot in the 1st team, I am not so sure. Well, Nani was thought to be the one who will play winger for Man Utd in the future but he has failed to justify his potential and transfer fee. Valencia will be a good squad player to have but might not add enough to the first team.

Karim Benzema (most top) is someone I have admired for the longest time. Seriously, if Man Utd needed another striker, then it has to be Karim Benzema. While I really will hate to see Tevez go to a rival club, Benzema is the answer to allay all fears in me. He is the complete stiker in my opinion and if he hasn't proven himself at the highest level, he could do so with Man Utd. The boy's got touch, two fantastic feet, quick accelaration and a keen eye for goal. I will love to see him at Man Utd.

Who is coming to strengthen Man Utd this year? It will be a thrill to know.