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 !!

England outplayed and outclassed.

Now this is definitely a face of shock mixed with anger, frustration and disappointment...

Stuart Pearce begins his new two year deal as England's U21 coach with his side being outplayed and outclassed by a far superior German side in the finals yesterday.

This most probably reflects the bleak future of English football while it probably suggests that the Germans are well on their way to dominate European football in the near future. England has only itself to blame especially with its Preimer League flooded with foreign players, not allowing home grown players to shine and gain top flight football experience. Despite the Barclays (English) Premier League being one of the most successful and most watched league in the world, we observe that the top 4 teams are made up mostly of non-english players and more often than not, most teams in the BPL are built around stars that are definitely not english. Teams in the BPL with english players are mostly found struggling to avoid relegation and such is the sad pitiful state that English soccer have become.

Well, while Stuart Pearce continues to scratch his head and plans to revive his young side, it is not a matter that he alone should be wary of. The nation's football (soccer) organisation should be very worried if they intend to continue their status as a serious contender on an international level.

Germany U21 4, England U21 0. Such is the result which reflects the future domination of European soccer.

Toongerines

In recent times, Brazil won yet another international tournament, the Confederations Cup in their now famous yellow jersey which is symbolic of their brand in Samba football and success at every level. Donned by the legendary Peles, Zicos, Romarios, Ronaldos and Ronaldinhos, Brazil gave life to their yellow jersey.

Quite contrasting though is the recent away kit decided by Newcastle United a.k.a the Toon Army. Not satisfied with a "distinct" home kit that resembles that of jailbirds' uniforms from historical times, it got itself a wuss of an away kit which quite frankly reeks of bad fashion taste.

With the demise of their Permiership status, Newcastle's management somehow got itself into deeper embarassment by introducing a granny-inspired yellow kit that equates to their recent brand of football... toothless and dull. Nick names that had already come to mind of observers include "bananas and ice-cream", "deckchair" and "all-day-breakfast". To me, the best one coughed up to date must be "Toongerines".

I wonder who is the mastermind behind the design. Perhaps he is a keen supporter of Sunderland F.C. whose evil desire is to heap more salt into the heavy blows sustained by the Geordie club.. ... " Now what can we add on to relegation to the Coca Cola Division, the impending sale of the club again, an unstable management team and the loss of Michael Owen.... oh I know... how about a really horrible looking away kit?? hehehehe... HAHAHAHAAA!!"

The poor Newcastle fans must be wondering if their beloved Toon Army is really turning into a cartoon nightmare.

USA beats Spain?

Just look at Jozy Altidore's face (above picture)! All I see is a shocked face and I think the whole U.S.A team's probably in a state of disbelieve while Spain's team is in a serious state of SHOCK!

The team from U.S.A beat Spain 2-0 in the confederations cup to reach the finals. I guess the inspired performance and goals from Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey did it for U.S.A.

How that is something quite unheard of and to me, quite shocking news. But I guess it further proves that in a "cup" game, anything can happen as it is all decided in 90mins, on the pitch.

South Africa, the new "place of possibilities"! Go to South Africa if seeking for new beginnings and previously unheard possibilities...!

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.

The rise of Asian and African football

North Korea, the one country that has been on the news for all the wrong reasons have finally made the good tabloids for once, albeit the sports section. The North Koreans have made the 2010 World Cup, meaning the other powerhouses in Asia; Saudi Arabia and Iran will have to fight it out for the last automatic slot.


That is the beauty of football and sports really, where no politics and no government can deny the spirit of fairplay and healthy competition. North Korea, as poor an economy as the Western media will have the communist state to be, has risen above the mega-rich and oil churning Middle Eastern countries to raise a generation of players that will be fighting tooth and nail with the rest of the Western world at the biggest stage in international football. Against a Western world which has dominated world political sentiments and the game of football for the longest time. How apt then that it is to be held at South Africa, a state that has gone through its own history of political struggles as a country.

Who says you need a mountain heap of money and funding to build a football team to qualify for the World Cup? North Korea's football team just proved that with hard work and dedication, you can still chase the World Cup dream. A lesson for Singapore's FAS perhaps?

Many will remember 1966 as the year that England won its one and only World Cup. But few remember that it is also the year when an Asian minnow, North Korea stood up to and beat the mighty Italians 1-0. It was one of the greatest sporting achievements of the century and one that could be repeated again in 2010.

I wait in anticipation for the draw at the World Cup. There is always the possibility that North Korea could play the United States... who knows? Will North Korea's Dear Leader Kim Jong Il turn up to support the team? Perhaps President Barack Obama will make an appearance in the continent his father was born in to support the USA team? It will be a great spectacle.

The World Cup is a gathering of the best teams in the different continents. And even though standards usually differ, the gap is closing. Egypt beat Italy in the Confederations Cup just yesterday to prove just the point that Sir Bobby Charlton made about rising international standards.

Will a team from Asia or Africa ever lift the World Cup? Maybe not in the near future, with the teams from South America and Europe clearly the favourites for at least two more World Cup tournaments. But developing countries are certainly moving in the right direction. Who knows, we might just see a certain Asian or African side lift the World Cup to shift the balance of power. Afterall, Greece lifted the European Cup when people least expected it.

Now that will be an interesting thought, wouldn't it?

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.

Newcastle to be sold to Singapore based company???

The people behind bringing Liverpool to Singapore this Summer might soon be owning Newcastle United Football Club. "Profitable Group" is a Singapore based investment company with two Liverpool greats in their executive team, Kenny Dalglish and Stephen McMahon. If these people do get Newcastle United F.C., I sure hope they are in this for the long run and hopefully do a better job than Mike Ashley. Well, we may all have our doubts about this, but it sure will be cool to have something Singaporean own a piece of something in Newcastle.

Transfers: Moving on to help AC Milan's financial crisis?

...and now he belongs to Real Madrid. Kaka has been sold to Real Madrid for a record breaking 59 million pounds. Apparently, one of the reasons Kaka decided to sign for Real Madrid is because he knows that his price tag will help AC Milan tide over the financial crisis. What a "sweet sweet thought". If this is truly true, then I guess there is still some glimmer of hope out there for this ugly world that we live in.

Kaka at Real Madrid. What next? Real Madrid seems to be on a buying and spending spree and it'll be interesting to see what team they'll be putting together to take back the Spanish La Liga and maybe even the Champions League trophy.

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.

"Where do we go from here?"

In what was probably the worst season for Newcastle fans in near memory, the fans are still enduring a big hangover from relegation with their club being put up for sale. Surely they must be asking "Where do we go from here now?"

No doubt that Newcastle has lost abit of its attractiveness after being relegated to the Coca Cola Division for 2009/2010, now it is being marketed as an entity for sale. Whats going to happen to Newcastle? Are they going to be the next Leeds United who has been mismananged, resulting in the sad demise of a club which used to fight for Champions League honors.

In times of uncertainty, the fan and owner that is Mike Ashley always decides that he has enough and is ready to sell the club. This is not his first try at making a quick exit from a presumably sinking ship. One has to question his timing again. While I think he has proved himself to be an ineffectual owner, this man has pretty much lost all respect at a club whose fans are proud believers in their team. With the relegation of Newcastle, I expected some fight in the man who claims to be a fan of Newcastle United. I expected the owner to show some grit and put his money where he says his loyalty lies, get his team some new players, put in place a new gaffer like Alan Shearer who breathes life into the team and assist the club in their bid to get back into the Premiership. At the end of the day, I guess he is still a man persuaded by investment gains and losses rather than club loyalty.

Not that it is a bad thing. Newcastle actually is better off without Mike Ashley. I hope for the sake of all Newcastle fans, that the club gets an owner who truly believes in the team like they do, who will own the club not based on investment purposes but shares the ambition of the Geordie faithful, who is a firm believer in making this club great again. A new owner, a new start, a new era for the Newcastle fans who so deserve it.

Transfers: Money Talks!

The first major transfer has occurred between Manchester City and Aston Villa. Villa has lost their captain to Manchester City for 12 million pounds. What a pathetic scene.

Just 12 months ago, a similar saga occurred with Liverpool trying to bring him to Anfield, but with no avail. Gareth had previously expressed his desire to play in Europe and also dedicated himself to Villa's fight for top flight football. Now, with Villa qualifying to the Europa league and Man City no where near European football, Barry left for a raise in salary and at a price tag, lower than the original 18 million pounds. It seems as though money was a key factor to his transfer but surprisingly, Gareth decided to pen down a public apology to the people at Villa Park. If you ask me, all these cockamamie talk about believing in the vision of the club and wanting new challenges is "bullshit".

Ultimately, I think Gareth knows that Aston Villa will never be able to offer him as much money as Manchester City and with O'Neil needing cash to increase depth in the team for next season, Gareth Barry became the ideal sale. I believe Gareth could have sold himself out for a higher salary OR could have been sold out by the club for money. I don't think Gareth Barry will enjoy the game as much as he will with Villa. Mark Hughes may have his plans for Gareth Barry but it will be exciting to see who he brings in next and at what price. With Gareth Barry being 28 years old and with the track records of the owners behind these newly bought rich clubs, I don't think we will see Gareth Barry there for more than a season.

Who knows what the real reason is behind this transfer and who knows that their true plans are. As we all know, more often than not, the best stories never get published.

Hmm... Chocolate Milk.

Interestingly, I recently overheard on Class 95, Singapore's popular deejay Jean Danker mentioning about one wonderful effect of chocolate milk I never knew. Well, according to published scientific studies... chocolate milk actually helps athletes recover faster from strenous exercise than the usual and expensive sports drink made for that purpose, case in example Gatorade.

Apparently, in the study made, chocolate milk outperforms sports drinks in every department when it comes to enhancing the performance of atheletes who undergo high intensity physical training. Even expensive and highly engineered drinks fail to replicate these effects with chocolate milk. Nothing beats nature and wholesome foods huh.

Well, if anyone needed some additional convincing... six-time gold medalist Michael Phelps for one drank Carnation Instant Breakfast before his races at the 2004 Summer Olympics. And soccer's very own Wayne Rooney goes for milkshakes after intensive training sessions. Fans who pay attention will note Rooney's exceptional capability to recover quickly from his past injuries... maybe its all just down to chocolate milkshake?!?!

All I know is, there is now a good enough reason for those who don't think about exercising to start exercising again...

Is it time for Ronaldo to go?

Its premature, but the question must surely suffice in the coming months. Is Man Utd ready to do without Cristiano Ronaldo? It will be rather unthinkable now, to see Ronaldo leave Man Utd. But in recent times, Ronaldo's attitude and disrespect for the club manager has made it increasingly likely that its time for him to leave.

Man Utd is well known for sending unwanted players to Real Madrid, the dumping grounds for ex Man Utd talent, including Van Nistelrooy, Heinze and Beckham. Truth is, comments made by the man himself looks increasingly likely that Ronaldo is biding his time at Man Utd. His comments are not reflective of a happy camper.

Should a mega deal be struck by Man Utd for Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich, it might not be a bad idea to offload Ronaldo in return for some extra profit. The work attitude and creativity of Ribery could be better suited to Man Utd's current first team. His team mentality might benefit Berbatov and Rooney more than Ronaldo who is the focal point of every Man Utd attack. Ribery might not score as many but he creates plenty to which Berbatov must convert into goals.

Maybe its time to inject some freshness into the first team for next season. Sir Alex will not want to dwell on a team that is becoming too predictable in its attacking play to close opponents and has seen its predictability being crushed in clinical fashion by Barcelona. Ribery will add a new dimension on the wings but it might have to be at the expense of a certain self declared "best footballer in the world".

The FA Cup

The FA cup final is the one match all Liverpool fans will shun, because there will be no happy ending for them whichever team wins.

Will it be Everton the Merseyside rival or Chelsea whose feud with Liverpool is well reported in recent years?

Well... whoever it is, expect some electrifying atmosphere and good fun in the final of the oldest cup competition in England.

Another sheik for the BPL?

The title shouldn't really be a question but more of a foregone conclusion. Looks like Portsmouth is going to be the next club owned by a rich Arab billionaire after Manchester City.

Sulaiman Al Fahim looks like someone who is more level headed than the current owners of Man City and has vowed to take in the views of Portsmouth's loyal fanbase. Well, they always say that at buy-in periods, don't they?

This is the looming sign that the BPL is increasingly a cosmopolitan league that hosts the "hobby" interests of billionaires. Not that it necessarily is a bad thing since they have the cash to build this league into a major cauldron of superstars and mega teams, attracting TV revenue and investments from major sponsors.

But sooner or later, the BPL is going to take over world football in player talent and what's going to be left for the Primera Liga and Serie A? Can we ever see another team from another league apart from the BPL making the finals of the Champions League? We could possibly witness the top ten teams in Europe consisting of mostly English teams except for perhaps Barca and Real Madrid. And you can't really call this league an English league any more can you? The influx of Brazilians, Spainards, the French, Russians, Argentinians and what have you at all levels of play makes BPL more of a commercial league than conducive grounds for grooming English talent.

The fact is, fans of the old English Premier League must come to terms with this reality. Club history and values will certainly pale in comparison to the big money rolling in. New agendas by new owners who do not belong to the history of the club are likely to deride club values and clash with what the club stands for. The landscape has changed. The league could be increaisng its power and standing but it is starting to lose its unique identity which has endeared it to many of its most loyal fans. Pity.

Outclassed

Outplayed, outmaneuvered, outsmarted and outclassed. There was not a moment in the entire match when I could see Man Utd winning the Champions League final except for the first few minutes. Quite simply put, Man Utd was beaten by a better team. And this is a rare occurence that must be applauded for its sheer quality of football.

It was no fault of the line-ups involved or the players' desire. In the end, the difference was in who played better and executed their gameplan more effectively. And Barcelona did that in fine style. None of Barca's players had a bad game whereas Man Utd made a few mistakes here and there which was all but enough for a clinical Barcelona side.

Like I have said before, no matter who wins the Champions League FInal, football has already won. So congratulations to Barcelona for putting up a great display. For Man Utd, its time to reflect on what has been a successful season domestically but to come back stronger than ever before in next year's Champions League campaign.

Champions League Champions: Barcelona

Well, what can I say? Barcelona reigns Champions in Europe!

Beautiful performance by Messi. Henry finally gets his Champions League medal. A strike from Eto'o changed everything after 10 minutes. It just wasn't Manchester United's day.

A fantasy end to Barcelona's season and a wonderful story for all their fans around the world. Barcelona, European Champions!

Unpopular Managers

The job of a soccer manager often times highlight what every organizational leader goes through. Decision making, power control, man management, motivation, playing the right cards at the right time, handling media pressure, public relation skills.... these are all the crucial elements that make up a good manager. Truth be told, these are the same for every other leader in his/her organization.

The most crucial thing about a manager's job is this... he leads and he makes decisons. He cannot and will never be liked by everybody whether directly or indirectly involved in his work. Why? Because a manager makes hard decisions, and like it or not, any decision he makes is going to be unpopular with somebody.

What do you think the pressure was on Alex Ferguson when he chose to sell the star of Man Utd, David Beckham? Probably excruciating pressure from the whole club plus the fans plus the media and maybe even his own wife. Everyone will have questioned Sir Alex for selling Brand Beckham who was the most profitable sports figure and the future captain of England at that time. But I don't see Sir Alex flinching; he probably wasn't a 100% sure at that time that it was going to be the right choice but he made the decision for the benefit of the club and based it on his vision of a winning team... and that quite frankly was that. Nobody was going to change his mind once he made it up. Today, no one can question his decision, because more than being European and English champions... Man Utd remains the richest club in world football. Sir Alex is not the most popular man in football but who can question his success?

The job of a soccer manager is for a certain type of people. And you will agree with me that every one of them had made and will continue to make unpopular decisions. If there ever is a Mr Nice Guy and Mr Everybody Loves Him among football managers, please point him out because I will like to prove you otherwise.

If you wish to be liked by everyone, then you probably cannot consider "soccer manager" as a profession. May I even boldly suggest this... if you wish to be liked by everyone, you probably won't make the most effective leader in your organization because the truth is... a leader in a team/organization is placed there to make decisions for the benefit of the team and if his unpopularity with his opposers is something he must pay, then he will gladly pay it. Managers and leaders who have earned their success this way... by earning the highest level of respect for sticking to a mantra few will find it a tad too much to take... you are a rare breed.

My Best Eleven of the Season

Now that the season is over, it is time to crown the top eleven players in the BPL for the season of 08/09.

Goalkeeper (Edwin Van Der Sar)
This is pretty much a shoo-in for Edwin Van Der Sar. The Dutch veteran is the best goalkeeper in this season simply because of his record-breaking effort in midseason for the most number of minutes in the BPL without conceding a goal. Coupled with his leading presence in the backline of Man Utd and more than a number of match-winning saves this season, Van der Sar is by far the most consistent keeper. In comparison, Petr Cech, Pepe Reina and Manuel Almunia have been let down by inconsistency.

Centre Backs (Rio Ferdinand and Nemandja Vidic)
The meanest defence in the world, Rio Ferdinand and Nemandja Vidic. No central defensive pairing comes close in the BPL. You don't seperate a defence that has almost telepathic understanding with each other. It is half the battle won when you know that Rio and Vida is the central defence you will be fielding. Expect little or nothing conceded.

Right Back (Glen Johnson)
This is a tough one, especially as there was no stand-out right back this season. Perhaps Liverpool's Alvaro Arberloa has been the most improved right back this season. He has put in solid performances for Liverpool this season. Another one is Portsmouth's Glen Johnson who has earned a call-up to the England national team. Johnson's performances have been slightly more impressive this season in a team that has been struggling with Harry Redknapp's departure (who can forget the wonder goal he scored?) There are even rumors that Johnson could leave Portsmouth and end up at Liverpool next season, which means goodbye to Arberloa's first team position. For that matter, Johnson wins my vote.

Left Back (Patrice Evra)
Who else by Patrice Evra of Man Utd? Tireless worker, natural attacking instincts, smart defending. Evra is the best left back this season by a long mile from his next competitor, Ashley Cole of Chelsea.

Left Midfielder (Wayne Rooney)
Some say Ashley Young of Aston Villa, others say Ryan Giggs. In my opinion, Giggsy is too old now to play effectively on my left wing. What you need is someone who has the ability to track back and defend while full blooded when counter attacking. Ashley Young doesn't come close here when compared to my choice... the versatile Wayne Rooney. If you've seen Wayne in matches when he played on the left for Man Utd, he's every right back's greatest nightmare.

Central Midfielder (Steven Gerrad)
Steven Gerrard is the best midfielder in the world if you ask for my frank opinion. His versatality, guile and fighting spirit on the field is second to none. Gerrard will be the best option in midfield whether attacking or defending, plus his goalscoring ability from midfield is a must for any top notch team. He is a must have in my best eleven.

Central Midfielder (Michael Carrick)
Michael Carrick or Ryan Giggs will win my vote here. While Giggsy had an unbelievable season, I have to go with Carrick in this postion. Frankly, no one comes close to his range of passing. His ability to pick up attackers from the back of the field turns defence into quick counter attacking opportunities. No one can train for a vision like his. While he is slower than most, his tactical acumen more than makes up for it. Plus he provides solid defensive cover sitting in midfield while Gerrard bombs forward to support the attack.

Right Midfielder (Cristiano Ronaldo)
It has to be Ronaldo in this position for me. By his lofty standards, Ronaldo had an ok season. But he still finished as the top scorer of the champions this season, second top scorer in the entire Premier League. Let's not forget that he can play in virtually any position across attack, whether centre forward or winger. His lethal free kicks from 30 yards out and easy ability to get past defenders are of the worst fears to opposing teams.

Centre Forward (Fernando Torres)
Fernando, Fernando, Fernando Torres. Too gifted, too good. I remembered only too well how he embarassed Vidic with his darting runs and clever touches. His aerial ability and accurate shooting makes him the outstanding striker of the season. A Gerrard and Torres partnership is guranteed goals. Just as how Rio and Vidic share a mutual understanding for the game, Torres and Gerrard's inter-play is one in a million and is deadly upfront. The only reason why Liverpool was so outstanding this season is Torres-Gerrard.

Centre Forward (Nicolas Anelka)
Well, you can't leave out the top scorer of the season can you? Anelka the sulker of Stamford Bridge was played often in the wrong position on the left but he stuck to his instincts and still finished the season with aplenty of goals. In my opinion, he will score goals at any club in the world, even if you put him with Hull City or Middlesbrough. He even proved it before when he was with Bolton. Its just pure instinct. He outscored the big, bad Drogba even when the club favors Drogba over him. I say what the hell is Chelsea thinking?

As you can see, Man Utd players rule my best eleven, but that is only because the first team of the champions have truly been outstanding in every department.

"Winners always want the ball"

I remember watching a movie once "The Replacements" and there was a line which stuck with me for the longest time. Not an exact quote but, I remember the coach telling their quarterback, "how winners always want the ball". What the crap does this mean?

Well, I'm sure we've all had our fair share of problems and obstacles and we find ourselves deciding if we should face our problems or should we just avoid them. I can tell you now that running away always seem to be the easier way out. Facing the problems, tackling it is tougher than it looks and requires a lot of mental strength to deal with all the pressures that come with wanting to confront your problems.

I guess this applies to all areas in our lives. The relegation battle has just ended and Newcastle, one of the biggest clubs has seen themselves dropped to the Championships. What will they do now? A similar situation occurred with Leeds many years back and they have never stopped falling. Will Newcastle end up free falling too? Well, I guess it will greatly depend on how the club is going to handle the situation. Even if they choose to confront their problems, it does not guarantee their immediate return BUT, I can confidently say that it will at least stop them from free falling forever.

"Winners always want the ball". Something that maybe everyone should bear in mind when dealing with their problems. Are you a winner? Are you the sort who will choose to tackle things the hard way and at least give it a chance? Or will you be one of those who chooses to take the easy way out of things. Only you will have an answer to that. Only Newcastle will have an answer to that. Only time will tell if Newcastle will not free fall and make it back into the Premiership again.

Relegation Battle's done. Season is Over.

The season has come to a close... alas Survival Sunday had no fairy tale ending... As if anything was a surprise for the four teams involved, all of them lost their games. None of the managers could be proud of their team's performance and frankly all four of them should head down to the Coca Cola Division. In the end, it was Newcastle and Middlesbrough that took the dreaded drop.

Newcastle United must be one of the most clueless teams when it comes to executing tactics this season, even till the last game of the season; their players ran around like headless chickens. A team that boasts the attacking talent of Owen, Martins, Duff and Viduka were full of running but most of it was aimless since they had no creative playmaker who could pick those runs. They could have done a whole lot better with a Ginola or an Emre but I don't think even that could have given them anything at Villa Park. Even Lady Luck wasn't on their side with that deflected own goal from Duff. Well, owner Mike Ashley (pictured) just witnessed the demise of his beloved club. Goes to show a big fan doesn't equate to a sensible owner.

Hull City can celebrate all they want now for the rest of pre-season but the reality of how much needs to be done must surely sink in at the end of the delirium...... simply because their first team just lost to a team of 17 and 18 year olds from a Man Utd second team. Not really a good sign in my opinion. If anything, the manger Phil Brown's face says it all at the end of the game, it looked somewhat like embarassment.

Boro should have seen it coming for the last two seasons. None of their first team players could have made the bench of any Top Four Premier League clubs. Gareth Southgate's youth policy just didn't work out. He really should have broke the bank for at least one decent striker because his team just doesn't know how to score goals.

So its goodbye to the Barclays Premier League season of 2008/09. We look forward to the next season as teams rebuild and re-challenge the status quo. Till then.

The Final Matchday of the Season

The final run-up to the season promises to be a cracker! Who will be relegated with West Brom to the First Division? Its anybody's guess.

Will it be the struggling Hull City who was never thought to be a contender for the demands of the BPL? Will it be Middlesbrough who had been in this situation before for the past few years but somehow found a way to survive? How about Sunderland, whom I thought will not be in this situation with a team like theirs but is somehow caught in a desperate bid to survive? Or will it be the underachieving Toon Army, once the mighty giants of the BPL from Geordie Land?

What is your pick? My picks are Middlesbrough and Hull City. Sunderland will only go down if both Hull and Newcastle win and they lose to Chelsea at home. Chances are one of those two will draw/lose. Well, I fully expect Newcastle to give the thin and fatigued squad of Aston Villa a street fight and probably steal a narrow win at Villa Park. I really don't think Hull will get an easy game with a second string Man Utd, even at home. Expect the very-eager-to-impress second team of Tevez, Macheda or Welbeck play a full counter attacking game at the Tigers' home. The truth is such games are usually in full attacking flow and unexpected things happen. Hull might probably get a scored draw at home. Middlesbrough will need some miracle to expect Hull and Newcastle to both lose their games and win theirs at West Ham in front of the Hammers' home fans. I think its too late for them this time round. Time to rebuild from a lower division.

So we shall see.

God is in Singapore.

Yes indeed, the man whom everyone touts as God of the Kop, ex-Liverpool hero Robbie Fowler is gracing the tiny island of Singapore, at our very own Jalan Besar Stadium. To see God, ticket ranges from $25 (Grandstand), $15 (Gallery) to $5 (children below 12) This divine encounter is happening next Sunday May 31 at 7.30 pm. Tickets available at Jalan Besar Stadium or at http://www.redcard.tv/.

Fowler will be donning the colors of North Queensland Fury and their opponents will be the Eastern outfit from Singapore, Tampines Rovers. Even though its a lesser shade, slighly overweight version of the Robbie Fowler we see during Liverpool days, anyone who wished all their life to watch Fowler display his natural goal instincts... I suggest you don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity. It is likely to be his last foray in competitive soccer. Drop a message in the shoutout box if you're interested and let's see if we can all arrange something together. Too bad our co-editor, Fowler's loyal fan will be stuck in London.