Man U suck - quadruple?

[Stramash]

Looks like Adebayor is off to Man City to join Tevez in a deal reputed to be worth 25 mill (please spend it Arsene)

Would also ask people to spare a thought for John Hartson, the former Arsenal, Celtic and Wales striker.

John, 34. was diagnosed with testicular cancer, and in the last week his condition has worsened as doctors have confirmed the cancer has spread to his brain and lungs.

He is now in a critical condition in a Swansea hospital.

John has received a message of support from Lance Armstrong, who suffered the same diagnosis as John.

All my thoughts with John and his family for a hopeful recovery.

[CiaranM]

Looks like Adebayor is off to Man City to join Tevez in a deal reputed to be worth 25 mill (please spend it Arsene)

Would also ask people to spare a thought for John Hartson, the former Arsenal, Celtic and Wales striker.

John, 34. was diagnosed with testicular cancer, and in the last week his condition has worsened as doctors have confirmed the cancer has spread to his brain and lungs.

He is now in a critical condition in a Swansea hospital.

John has received a message of support from Lance Armstrong, who suffered the same diagnosis as John.

All my thoughts with John and his family for a hopeful recovery.

good luck John .... sounds like really bad news. thoughts r with him and his family !!

[English_Bob]

Well if we didn't suck last season (and we didn't), we certainly might next season!!

If Alex Ferguson can make something of Michael Owen, it'll be his greatest achievement!!!

I hope Macheda comes of age and starts scoring, but I don't see him as another Ronaldo.

Mind you when Ronaldo joined, I didn't rate him much (I hated those stupid 'Ant Antennaes' he had in his hair) and I thought he was a one-trick pony. That little step over was overdone and he fell down when anyone in the crowd coughed in his direction.

My friends and I called him 'Fake Ronaldo'. The 'Real Ronaldo' was the ugly buck-toothed Brazillian.

Should've kept Tevez and sold Berbatov (the laziest player in the premiership).

Fingers crossed Sir Alex can make a silk purse out of a sow's ass.

(jumpers for goal posts? Isn't it?)

[Stramash]

MANCHESTER City stars met their mega-rich club owner last night - who presented each player with a watch worth £168,000.

New signings Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz and Gareth Barry were among the Sky Blues squad handed the special edition Franck Muller timepieces.

Sheikh Mansour - who bought the club last year for £200million - showed off his jaw-dropping generosity as he treated the team to a lavish royal reception at his palace in Abu Dhabi.

Earlier big-spending club boss Mark Hughes and the players checked in to sumptuous suites at the five-star Emirates Palace Hotel.

A club source said last night: "Manchester City's players are now the most pampered on earth, and they were greeted like kings."

City is on the brink of signing Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor for £25million after agreeing to pay him £170,000 a week.

And efforts continue to lure Chelsea skipper John Terry.

On Saturday the team will be in South Africa for the Vodacom Challenge pre-Premiership season warm-up. They will play Orlando Pirates at Polokwane, then Kaizer Chiefs in Durban on Tuesday.

(The Sun)

[CiaranM]

Well if we didn't suck last season (and we didn't), we certainly might next season!!

If Alex Ferguson can make something of Michael Owen, it'll be his greatest achievement!!!

I hope Macheda comes of age and starts scoring, but I don't see him as another Ronaldo.

Mind you when Ronaldo joined, I didn't rate him much (I hated those stupid 'Ant Antennaes' he had in his hair) and I thought he was a one-trick pony. That little step over was overdone and he fell down when anyone in the crowd coughed in his direction.

My friends and I called him 'Fake Ronaldo'. The 'Real Ronaldo' was the ugly buck-toothed Brazillian.

Should've kept Tevez and sold Berbatov (the laziest player in the premiership).

Fingers crossed Sir Alex can make a silk purse out of a sow's a*s.

i don't think Tevez was worth another 25 million and i definitely don't think Adebayor is either .... seems werid old Purple Nose wasn't splashing the cash after getting 80 million up front for Ronaldo. just wonder how much of it was ear marked for the Glazers debt reduction/back pocket.

and i certainly don't think Man Ure r gonna suck this year .... or any year soon. they may miss Ronaldo, but Tevez was very much a bit part player last year. i'm hoping arsenal make a better challenge this year and if we can off load Adebayor for 25 million and get a hard as nails centre half and a decent DM i'd be happy enough !!

[CiaranM]

Well if we didn't suck last season (and we didn't), we certainly might next season!!

If Alex Ferguson can make something of Michael Owen, it'll be his greatest achievement!!!

I hope Macheda comes of age and starts scoring, but I don't see him as another Ronaldo.

Mind you when Ronaldo joined, I didn't rate him much (I hated those stupid 'Ant Antennaes' he had in his hair) and I thought he was a one-trick pony. That little step over was overdone and he fell down when anyone in the crowd coughed in his direction.

My friends and I called him 'Fake Ronaldo'. The 'Real Ronaldo' was the ugly buck-toothed Brazillian.

Should've kept Tevez and sold Berbatov (the laziest player in the premiership).

Fingers crossed Sir Alex can make a silk purse out of a sow's a*s.

i don't think Tevez was worth another 25 million and i definitely don't think Adebayor is either .... seems werid old Purple Nose wasn't splashing the cash after getting 80 million up front for Ronaldo. just wonder how much of it was ear marked for the Glazers debt reduction/back pocket.

and i certainly don't think Man Ure r gonna suck this year .... or any year soon. they may miss Ronaldo, but Tevez was very much a bit part player last year. i'm hoping arsenal make a better challenge this year and if we can off load Adebayor for 25 million and get a hard as nails centre half and a decent DM i'd be happy enough !!

[LakeGeneve]

Since i move to ozland, i stop watching soccer completely but into rugby instead. Go Eels!!

Rugby is so boring compared to Australian Rules football - small crowds, stop & start play and not much excitement.

The AFL guys are much better looking as well but perhaps someone is not allowing you to watch the AFL for that very reason?

[Stramash]

Man Utd have cancelled their Jakarta friendlies in the wake of the bomb attacks on 2 hotels (Ritz Carlton and the Marriot) which have left 9 dead and scores injured.

[zeusbheld]

Well if we didn't suck last season (and we didn't), we certainly might next season!!

'suck' is a matter of perspective. if challenging for the title but not being as good as last year is sucking than United will probably suck. if not, not.

If Alex Ferguson can make something of Michael Owen, it'll be his greatest achievement!!!

i'd imagine he'll use him sort of like he did sherringham. he might have a good enough season that the people who delusionally label him the signing of the season (shockingly, they exist) will feel justified with 10-15 goals.

the transfer that baffles me is Obertan. everyone agrees the guy's got some talent but most think he's a headcase. his former manager and the manager of the club he was loaned to are so convinced he's a headcase that they hardly dare put him in a match.

I hope Macheda comes of age and starts scoring, but I don't see him as another Ronaldo.

it's possible that this summers' baffling transfer policy is a result of Fergie seeing something in his squad that we haven't seen yet. after watching them play it's hard to believe that anderson and nani were once touted as top prospects, but progress and growth aren't linear, they could come good, or someone like macheda, or all of the above.

it's also possible that 800 million in debt in a debt-unfriendly economy is taking its toll.

Should've kept Tevez and sold Berbatov (the laziest player in the premiership).

that's something that always impresses me about you. you're a United fan but can speak about the club with candor and you don't try to 100 percent justify every decision the club makes. some United fans remind me of cats--they fall on their ass then they dust themselves off and act like they meant to do that. Ribery's not interested? well we didn't want him anyway he's ****, tevez is leaving? he's **** and Berbasulk is much better, etc. some people haven't figured out that saying it doesn't make it true, i guess.

agree that Tevez is the more useful of the two. Berbatov reminds me of Ibrahimovic (not in level but in style) even on his best days he disappears for long stretches. seemed to me last season that Fergie favored Berbasulk over tevez last season primarily because he paid so much for him. Berbatov didn't outperform tevez, no wonder the guy left cross-town in a huff.

[CiaranM]

Barca & Inter agree striker swap

Both Ibrahimovic (left) and Eto'o have been linked to the Premier League

Barcelona and Inter Milan have reached an agreement in principle to swap Inter striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Barca forward Samuel Eto'o plus cash.

Reports suggest Barca will pay about £35m plus 28-year-old Eto'o in return for Ibrahimovic, 27.

In addition, Alex Hleb will spend a season on loan at the Italian club

i can't f**king believe barca r paying 35 million quid (or 40 million euros) PLUS Eto'o for Ibrahimovic .... now i know Ibrahi is a class act, but he ain't 35 million quid better than Eto'o !!!

it's possible that this summers' baffling transfer policy is a result of Fergie seeing something in his squad that we haven't seen yet. after watching them play it's hard to believe that anderson and nani were once touted as top prospects, but progress and growth aren't linear, they could come good, or someone like macheda, or all of the above.

it's also possible that 800 million in debt in a debt-unfriendly economy is taking its toll.

i think i commented at the time in someone's journal it would be interesting to see how much of the 80 million old Purple Nose would get to spend. especially as it was supposed to have been paid in full up front, pretty unusual nowadays .... well he's been pretty quiet .... so far !!!!!!!

[Stramash]

well ok, they are not really new signings but the return of Tomas Rosicky after a nightmare 18 months of injuries (he played 45 mins in a friendly last week) and the return to full training of Eduardo, has brought smiles to the faces of Arsenal fans.

I believe we are still to see the best of both these players. There were times when it seemed as if their careers at this level may be over, but it is a sign of their personalities how hard they have worked to get back to this stage.

Now, let's get that 25 mill that those idiots at City gave us before the season starts!

[lizardo]

Nasri out for 3 months broken fibula...great start

[Stramash]

Nasri out for 3 months broken fibula...great start

how typical is that?

get 2 big players back from injury and then lose one straight away!!!

Arsene; spend that bloody 25 mill!

[CiaranM]

Nasri out for 3 months broken fibula...great start

FFS .... what a f**king start !!!!!!!!!

[zeusbheld]

it's 22 million not 25 for adebayor ... unless you believe everything you read in the paper (in which case Ruud van Nistlerooy is on his way to spuds, etc). still a lot of money but i expect miss adebayor will have something to prove after the way arsenal fans booed and ridiculed him last season. the adebrochure was class though, if anyone's not seen it pm me i can email it.

as for spending, i find it ironic that rafa and fergie complain about City's spending. hrrrr what were the price tags on your players, guys? how much was veron, fergie? and um... robbie keane, rafa? the worst of the shameless hypocrites are the chelsea-ites (kenyon in particular, can't remember who the manager is this week). can't imagine an organization in a worse position to complain about big spending ruining the game. oh wait i can, real madrid, but they're not in the prem. to be fair to chelsea though they're spinning furiously to try to keep their player. the only one of the big four in a position to pop off at the mouth about it is Wenger, and he's gone quiet, probably the 22 mil in hush money has something to do with it.

[cool_A]

I was a big fan of the red devil but now... not quite. I enjoy rugby league the most and yes... go parraEELS!!!!!

[zeusbheld]

i can't f**king believe barca r paying 35 million quid (or 40 million euros) PLUS Eto'o for Ibrahimovic .... now i know Ibrahi is a class act, but he ain't 35 million quid better than Eto'o !!!

its almost as if someone inflated the market !!!

cuz inter will let their best player go for much less - there's only a few top class players worth buying now and the clubs that have them, know it

well it's really all Real Madrid's fault, and City's fault for paying over the odds. at least according to Fergie. who is totally ******* innocent, apparently, as if the dirt washes right off when one *accepts* that 80 million transfer fee.

he had another gem, ideally suited for the media age, when people's memories go as far back as yesterday. his latest claim is that Tevez wasn't good enough to pay 25 million for. this only about a month after United issued a statement conceding that yes, they had ponied up 25 million and yes, they had offered Tevez a contract... and he basically told them to **** off. Fergie's so dishonest, even by football standards, he could run for office. at Real Madrid.