They always say that to move into the future you sometimes have to forget your checkered past. Manchester City would probably agree with that statement as they did just that by letting go of a bit of history that needed to be buried. [Read the rest of this entry »]

David Beckham is one for springing surprises on people. His 1997/98 opener lob from the halfway line. His garish sarong. His infamous 1998 World Cup exit. His move to LA Galaxy.

He surprised many by maintaining his ambition to play for England by maneuvering a Loan deal to Milan. He also sprang a further surprise by playing considerably well for the Rossoneri.

Now the cherry on the cake has well and truly arrived. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Sepp Blatter is FIFA’s President. He is the World Football’s voice. Yet, that voices always seems to be throwing damnation in the direction of the English.

In June 2006, he accused England of spoiling the World Cup in Germany:

I’m delighted that teams are playing offensively, one exception is the English.

During January 2008, he blasted the FA for choosing Italian Fabio Capello over an English manager to lead the England team: [Read the rest of this entry »]

Newcastle know the task ahead of them is massive. At the moment they’re currently sitting one point above the relegation zone with the end in sight. One player believes the club has enough to recreate the stretch of last season that saw them finish with a flourish. But is he right? [Read the rest of this entry »]

Once again, Martin O’Neill is looking to buy British if this latest transfer story is to be believed. After landing Emile Heskey during the January transfer window, Aston Villa are looking to snap up a Manchester City with a supposedly bright future. [Read the rest of this entry »]

The powers-that-be at Eastlands have started clamping down on speculation linking *insert half-decent player* with a move to Manchester City. They are clearly sick and tired of newspapers using their name to sell copies and have produced a better counter-attack against this tabloid than the current team are capable of. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Let’s forget the World Club Championship, which wasn’t a proper football competition. After all, if we’re classing this as meaningful silverware, then the Super Cup (in which Zenit beat United) should also be considered. However, there’s no doubting that the Red Devils are on course for an unprecedented four-time, although their manager is preaching words of caution.

The Times reports that Sir Alex Ferguson is all too aware that one tiny slip-up over the next week could see them exit the FA Cup or (even worse) the Champions League. The champions face a tricky trip to Fulham on Saturday, before facing Inter at Old Trafford next Wednesday, with both results going a long way to determining how successful United prove to be.

“This game has a habit of kicking you in the teeth,” the manager will reply, and it is a warning that he has taken every opportunity to impart to his players behind closed doors.

“There’s no sign of any complacency. The young boys would have one chance if they ever got complacent and it would be their last. There are plenty of bodies in the dressing room who would come down on them if they did.”

He added: “As long as we win one major trophy a season, that’s what we aim for. I’d be satisfied if we just won the league of the three that are left. That’s a major trophy. My big desire is to see us win the Champions League again, but at this moment in time, the league is our best chance.”

There’s nothing like dumbing down expectations at this stage of the season, although the Manchester United manager must secretly think that the opportunity to land all the spoils doesn’t come along all too often. Cristiano Ronaldo may not be a Manchester United player in a few months time, with the Red Devils having a golden opportunity to win everything in sight. Does anyone think they might slip up over the next few days?

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Poor old Harry Redknapp, nothing ever seems to go right for him. At first, he appeared glad to have inherited a squad full of quality players, with the manager admitting he had some much at his disposal compared to Portsmouth. However, in recent weeks, he’s taken to bleating about a shortage of numbers and deficiencies within the said squad. [Read the rest of this entry »]

While the Eastlands brigade have been getting into a tizzy with The Sun over a fictitious story linking Lionel Messi with a move to Manchester City, they don’t half give the impression that they are just itching to spend a bucketload of cash on any top class footballer that might be available. It appears that they might have some joy landing a talented pair from this cash-strapped Spanish club. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Although Harry Redknapp has not exactly been full of praise for this player since arriving to become Tottenham manager, could the £7.8 million signing still have a future at White Hart Lane? [Read the rest of this entry »]

After Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Sunderland, the Anfield outfit have seven days to prepare for one of the most important weeks in the club’s season. The supporters would dearly love to have this striker available, but will he really play a meaningful part in matches against Real Madrid and Manchester United? [Read the rest of this entry »]

When Luiz Felipe Scolari walked out of Stamford Bridge, Ray Wilkins was quick to scotch rumours that his dismissal had anything to do with ‘player power’. If Butch was to be believed, then the decision was purely made by owner Roman Abramovich, although this source suggests that it came down to deciding between Big Phil and this troublesome Blues player.

The Daily Telegraph report the latest claims being made by Thierno Seydi, a representative of none other than Didier Drogba. According to him, Deputy Drog and Scolari had differences which were not going to be reconciled in a hurry, causing Chelsea to have to make a decision between manager and player. Unbelievable scenes!

Thierno Seydi, Drogba’s representative, said: “The fact that he was told to sit on the bench had nothing to do with sport. It was just a problem between two men who couldn’t work together.

“One had to go and Chelsea decided to part with Scolari.

“They said that Didier made history at the club and that he could still bring a lot to the team, so they decided to let the coach go and to keep Didier.”

The agent also goes to claim that the Chelsea striker has been the subject of bids from Inter and (surprise, surprise) Manchester City, although the club have refused to sell him. It’s little wonder, with the supporters knowing all too well that there aren’t too many defenders who can handle the forward when he’s at the top of his game. What do Blues fans make of these latest revelations?

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While it’s not unusual to hear Sir Alex Ferguson speaking out against a poor refereeing decision, it’s rare that the Scot comes out in favour of an opposition player. The Manchester United usually reserves his words when Cristiano Ronaldo is hacked down in the area and the arbiter fails to point to the spot, although he’s clearly as concerned about Newcastle’s plight as the Toon Army. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Liverpool are unlikely to win any silverware this season, and that’s not something which is acceptable to the majority of supporters. Especially with arch-rivals Manchester United threatening to clean up this season. Many fans are hoping that new owners and a big cash injection could be the way forward, although that doesn’t appear close to happening at the moment.

The Liverpool Daily Post reports that talks are virtually dead in the water between the American duo and a Kuwaiti consortium, mainly because Messrs Gillett and Hicks have set their asking price too high. According to a spokesperson for the potential buyers, no deal will go through unless the current owners lower their sights on the amount of cash they will receive.

“Things are going really badly because they are asking for too much,” said Abdulla Al-Sager, who’s among the potential investors headed by Kuwait’s Al-Kharafi family.

“I don’t think anything will happen unless we get a better price, but we are still talking,” Al-Sager added.

Liverpool supporters, you must be looking forward to the day where Hicks and Gillett have washed their hands of the club, although the day of reckoning seems further away than ever. It’s not a great economic climate to be holding out for a big price, although it’s hard to see the American pair walking away after cutting some severe losses. What’s your take on matters?

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Diego Maradona was the best player of the 1986 World Cup by a country mile. The Argentine wowed every time he set foot on the pitch with a series of breathtaking performances which made him the greatest footballer on the globe. During 1990, he was unable to achieve such heights, partly because defenders were learning how to shackle him. Is the same thing happening to this Manchester United man? [Read the rest of this entry »]