Well, that was some ending to the title race, huh? I didn’t take it too hard, as I tried to prepare myself mentally for a Chelsea win. I mean, I didn’t prepare myself to see Chelsea bash Wigan 8-nil, but I don’t think anyone else did either.

I kind of felt like Rocky Balboa watching Ivan Drago fight Apollo Creed at the beginning of Rocky IV. The fight started and I was hopeful. I watch Apollo dance around in the first few minutes and I’m thinking, “Hey, anything can happen”. But deep down I sort of already know Drago is going to win. Then I watch Apollo get mercilessly beaten to a pulp and I’m like, “OH MY GOD STOP THE FIGHT APOLLO’S GONNA GET MURDERED!” And by the time the bell rings to end the first round I’m thinking, “Ok, this fight is over, let’s just hope he gets out of here alive”. Then the second round starts and Drago starts unloading on the guy all over again, blood is flying everywhere, the trainers are freaking out, Apollo’s wife (would that be Roberto Martinez in this analogy?) is crying and screaming to throw the towel, and then it’s too late. Drago lands that final punch and Apollo is gone.

Yea. It was sort of like that. (I wish it wasn’t Ashley Cole that landed that last punch by the way.)

Yes, I’m disappointed that we didn’t get the title this year, but all things considered, we had a pretty good season. We were coming off of a summer when we lost two of the best forwards in the world and didn’t really get any big names to replace them. How many people were predicting that we would not only fail to win the title, but drop out of the top four altogether? How many people would have thought ten months ago that today we’d be just two points away from clinching the league?

The big question of the summer would be whether Rooney could step up to the challenge and consistently be the go-to guy in our attack. 34 goals later and I think he answered that question.

On top of that, Antonio Valencia proved that, despite being the most one-footed player in the history of mankind, he was well worth the price-tag. Michael Owen’s free transfer turned out to be a smart piece of business, and if anything it was worth it just for that amazing injury-time winner against City. Nani finally started to show his quality on a consistent basis and proved that he’s got more in his arsenal than acrobatic goal celebrations.

We have plenty of time to re-evaluate the team this summer, and we’ll definitely have to address some holes in the squad. But it was some season. Topsy-turvy. Full of surprises (Tottenham nabbed fourth!). Exhausting at times. And we had our fair share of good moments too (winning the Carling Cup, beating City three out of four times, doing the double over Arsenal, and so on).

Chelsea did the business and they’re worthy champs. So congrats, Chelsea supporters. Enjoy the title. We’ll be back next season, and we’ll be looking to take our trophy back.

Manchester United announced today that winger Antonio Valencia will have a major operation this off-season. Doctors will be replacing his left foot with a right foot.

“It was a hard decision to make, because you always have to be cautious with any type of surgery,” he said. “But I just hate my left foot. I really do. I never use it unless I absolutely have to. With two right feet I will be unstoppable.”

Valencia’s teammate Nani, however, did not sound so excited when he heard the news.

“Are you serious? It’s hard enough to get a start on the right wing when Valencia has one right foot – now he’ll have two?” The Portuguese international then did three back-flips in disgust and stormed out of the room.

Most United supporters have been pleased with the Ecuadorian’s debut season in Manchester, in which he has amassed 34 starts. Valencia notched seven goals so far, as many as he had in the whole of his three-season career with Wigan, while providing cross after cross for the on-fire Wayne Rooney. And he managed all of this despite wearing a kit three sizes too small for him.

But his one flaw is there for all to see: the reliance on his right foot.

“I didn’t even know I had a left foot until age 14,” he admitted. “And by that point, I was so good with my right that I didn’t want to bother with it.”

Even in instances when using his left foot would be much easier, like passing or crossing to the right for example, Valencia often chooses to use the outside of his right foot. It’s like watching a tennis player who has no confidence in his backhand – he has to constantly run around the ball to hit it with his forehand instead.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said he understood the decision to go under the knife and backed it wholeheartedly.

“I think a lot of people had doubts about the lad when he first arrived, but he’s shown what a quality player he is,” the Scotsman said.

“But c’mon, is there another player you’ve seen who is so clearly one-footed? With two right feet, he will become the best right-winger in the world. Like Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham rolled into one…well, minus the Armani underwear ads.”

Valencia is expected to undergo the operation immediately after the Premier League season wraps up, as Ecuador failed to qualify for the World Cup.

Note: This article may or may not be completely made up

Hello! Long time no see. Forgotten about me? I don’t blame you. I probably would have forgotten about me too if I were you. But worry no longer, loyal readers (all six of you), because I’m back for another edition of “United Watch” after the 1-nil defeat to Chelsea.

Am I upset? Yes. Am I crushed? No. Do I think this is an enormous result that will dictate who wins the league in May? Definitely not. Advantage Chelsea, for sure, but the title race isn’t over by a long shot.

I think I can honestly say that I’m somewhat more confident after this loss than I was after the victory against Arsenal (weird, right?).

Here’s why:

1. The midfield stifled Chelsea’s diamond formation for pretty much the entire match. Not an easy task, and definitely one that deserves a lot of credit. Anderson, Carrick, and Fletcher did a great job in stopping Chelsea’s engine room from really getting going.

The midfield battle dictated the whole match. Our game plan as I saw it was basically to stay tight defensively, stop their midfield from hitting their stride, and strike them on the counter when we got the ball. That’s pretty much what happened for 90 minutes, and we were unlucky to get done-in by a set-piece.

2. The makeshift partnership at the back between Evans and Brown was great. Remember, this match is coming off a draw against CSKA Moscow. Brown and Evans started that one too and gave up 3 goals. When I saw the teamsheet today and didn’t see Vidic on it, I couldn’t help but think, “Oh boy, we’re gonna get destroyed”. We weren’t. Drogba got no change from our back four today. He’s scored 11 times in the league this season. Keeping him out is a big deal.

Now to the major talking point: the goal. Was it a foul on Darren Fletcher? Well let me put it this way: I’ve seen them given, and I’ve seen them not given. I don’t think it was a foul, personally, but then again, I’m totally and completely biased, so maybe you shouldn’t ask me (I’m also honest, as you can see).

The goal itself was really the issue for me. Didier Drogba clearly pulled down Wes Brown after the free-kick had been taken. This might not have been an issue if Brown wasn’t directly in the path of John Terry’s header. If Wes wasn’t taken out like that, he probably would have gotten the ball away. But c’est la vie. This is football. Stuff like this happens.

(As a sidenote, is there any other player on Earth that I hate more than Didier Drogba? I spent most of the second half watching the match while simultaneously concentrating all my brainpower on summoning this guy to Stamford Bridge so he could kick Drobga in the nether-regions. Sadly, it didn’t work. I tried the same thing on Alex Rodriguez during the World Series. It didn‘t work then either. I must be doing it wrong.)

You know what though, I couldn’t be too upset after the loss because I saw something at Stamford Bridge today that I’ve never seen at a football match in my entire life (which says a lot because I’ve seen quite a few). Check out this guy behind Chelsea’s dugout. That’s right, the dude brought a toothbrush to the stadium and he’s actually brushing his teeth right in the middle of the match. That is just awesome. So, so awesome. You don’t even need to be a football fan to appreciate that. I have to try to find that guy so we can interview him for WSR. I just have so many questions.

Wow I’m good at going off on tangents. Back to the football.

I can sum up United thus far in the season with one word: industrial. We grind out most of our results by working hard in midfield and making possession count. Not much flair or extravagance to it. The team has just lacked that consistent spark going forward. Scholes has been well below his usual best recently, Anderson still hasn’t gotten the hang of that final ball (but he has managed to score a goal!), and Fletcher has never really been an attacking threat. Carrick has been one of the team’s better passers going forward, but his contributions haven’t been enough.

What we need is a player to break out and claim that attacking midfield spot as his own. Right now, it’s completely up in the air. I hate to say it, but if no one does claim it, we might have to do some shopping this summer (Gourcuff or David Silva, anyone?).

But at the end of the day, the team is still in a good position. It’s November, people. We haven’t even hit the busy winter schedule yet, and that’s where Fergie’s teams historically kick it up a gear. There’s plenty of time and plenty of twists and turns left in the race for the Premier League.

Round 2 is in April, Chelsea. We’ll see you at Old Trafford.

Love the blog? Hate the blog? Have any questions or topics that you’d like Seena to address? Send any thoughts, comments, or suggestions to seena.v@hotmail.com.

That’s right, it took me a whole week to digest the result against Arsenal. And yet, seven days later, I still find myself wondering, “How on Earth did we walk away from that match with 3 points?”

I’ll just go ahead and say it – we got lucky. You know it. I know it. The players know it. Fergie knows it. Anyone who watched the match knows it.

But before you jump to any conclusions, let me clarify my position. We were lucky because of the way we played (see: abysmal), not because of the referee. So let’s just get to the two points everyone wants to talk about so we can move on and actually discuss the performance:

1. Yes, the Fletcher tackle on Arshavin probably should have been a penalty. He got the ball first, but he also flew right through the Russian in the process, and the ball went off his arm as well. But guess what, it just so happens that Arshavin scored on that same attacking move about 30 seconds later, so it’s a moot point. People who claim that the “penalty that wasn’t” altered the game are insane – Fletcher would never have gotten sent off for that (a yellow at best if given), and Arsenal ended up scoring anyway. 1-nil in either case.

2. The Rooney penalty decision was 100% correct. No doubt about it. Almunia absolutely made contact with Wayne and bowled him over in the box. Penalty.

I hope that was as fun to read as it was to write. Now to the real stuff.

In short, Arsenal played us off the park for most of that match. To be completely honest, part of me feels like they should be more pleased in defeat than we should be in victory. Wenger’s men played extremely well and have done so since the start of the season. More times than not, when you play like that, you win matches. You can’t say the same about our performance. We can’t rely on penalties and own goals to get us to the top of the table.

United have played only one half of quality football this season (quality to our standards, that is) and that was the 5-goal rout against Wigan. The rest of the time, the performances have seemed purely industrial – the players work hard and graft, eventually nicking a goal here or there, but there’s no real spark, no real creativity.

I’m just wondering where that creativity is going to come from. I mean, how long are we going to have to rely on Paul Scholes to come on the pitch and create chances?

Michael Carrick is one of the best passers in England, but he’s had a poor start to the season and hasn’t been able to carve out passes like he usually does. Anderson hasn’t had a sniff (that is its own mystery), and who have we got left? Darren Fletcher. And let me tell you something, that lad is amazing, but if our most creative midfielder is Darren Fletcher, then that’s a problem. It’s not that he’s a bad passer by any means, but that just isn’t his job. He’s supposed to boss the midfield while someone else turns on the juice in the attack.

People say that a lot of this problem is down to Ronaldo leaving, but even that isn’t completely true. Look at last season. We struggled for creativity in very a similar fashion (remember all those 1-nil wins?), and as I wrote many times, the attack never truly got consistently going.

But here’s the difference: in Ronaldo, we had a player who could create and score goals by himself. The Portuguese is such a deadly finisher that even when the team was all sorts of awful, he could make a chance out of nothing and score (see: Champions League second leg against Porto). Because our defense was/is so good, more often than not that one goal would win us the match.

Now that Ronaldo is out of the picture, if the team can’t create a fluid attack, it becomes extremely difficult to score goals. Against Arsenal we were bailed out big-time (see: United’s shirt sponsor), but we won’t always be that lucky.

But alas, we are famously slow starters, right? That’s what I keep telling myself, anyway. It keeps me from going insane and punching a hole through my wall whenever I remember that we couldn’t put up a goal against Burnley.

Oh and I almost forgot, cheers Diaby.

Love the blog? Hate the blog? Have any questions or topics that you’d like Seena to address? Send any thoughts, comments, or suggestions to seena.v@hotmail.com.

Seena Vali is a U.S. based writer for World Soccer Reader, having joined the staff in April 2009. He covers the English Premier League and writes WSR’s Manchester United blog “United Watch”.

Before you jump to any conclusions, let me just say that this is not going to be an article about bashing City (no matter how fun or entertaining that would be). This is about Tevez and the demise of his promising Red Devil career.

First of all, let me just say that I was a huge Tevez supporter. I was one of the many singing for his permanent signing last season, and I always had doubt over the big-money transfer of Dimitar Berbatov – not because I didn’t rate the Bulgarian, but because I had a feeling it would mean the impending exit of the popular Argentine. In fact, I still believe Tevez is a better player than Berbatov.

Despite his less-than-impressive overall campaign, I think Carlos could have flourished just as well as he did during his debut season at Old Trafford given more consistent playing time. He has all the attributes to fit into our playing system, as he showed two seasons ago. His biggest contribution to the team, though, doesn’t necessarily come from goal or assist statistics. Tevez has a high-energy, full throttle game, and his constant harassment of defenders in and of itself leads to goal-scoring opportunities.

So now that I’ve lavished some praise on one of my former favorite players, let’s get down to the meat of the discussion: his transfer. Here’s where things get messy (an understatement if there ever was one). All last season, there was a cloud of doubt over Tevez’s future at the club, despite the Argentine repeatedly saying in the past that he wanted to make his loan permanent. The supporters were clearly keen on keeping him at Old Trafford, and Sir Alex Ferguson said time and time again that the club would do its best to nail down a long-term deal.

The problems began when Tevez started seeing more of the bench than the pitch. The introduction of Berbatov to the team definitely limited his first team chances, and Ferguson often utilized Carlos as an impact sub during the first half of the season. Tevez never really recovered from this, and his form never reached the heights of the 2007/08 campaign.

It was a pretty odd sight to see, though, when he did get on. Here was a guy who normally was already an extremely ferocious and energetic player. Now, when he felt he had something to prove to the manager in order to get back into the first team, he was even more ferocious and energetic.

Unfortunately, with the extra ferocity also came desperation. Tevez was determined to make an immediate impact whenever he got time on the pitch, and this led to more selfish play and brash decision-making – not to mention his developing habit of running around the pitch like a chicken with its head cut off looking for the ball.

Simply put: in his mad frenzies he got careless, and it’s no wonder that his form never really peaked. He did put in great performances, but compared to the level of his first campaign, there was no contest.

His performances on the pitch, sadly, are only one side to this story. The other side revolves around what happened off of the pitch and in the media. As soon as Tevez started seeing more of the bench than he wanted, he began mouthing off to the press.

First, he complained of not starting any matches. Understandable…at first. By the end of the season, though, Berbatov was relegated to the bench and Tevez was making many more appearances in the first team.

But that wasn’t enough. Then he began complaining that he never started any important games. This is despite starting both league fixtures against Liverpool, the Champions League semifinal against Arsenal, the Manchester derby, and the match against Arsenal that guaranteed our 11th Premier League crown. Not important? Seriously?

I understand that he didn’t start every match, but we were in the hunt for the FA Cup, the Champions League, and the Premier League. Sir Alex was implementing a heavy squad rotation, and Tevez was rotated just like most of our other players were in order to keep the team fresh. His argument that he never got any starts is simply not true. He was starting roughly one of every two matches by the end of the season, which makes sense given the fixture congestion the team had during the title run-in.

On the 27th of May, when I read United’s starting eleven for the Champions League final and saw number 32 on the bench, I knew Tevez would be playing for another side next season. I know that even with a start in Rome he may have left, but naming him to the bench was essentially guaranteeing his exit.

As much as it pains me to say this, I feel that Tevez and his agent were fueling his transfer pretty much from the word go. Now I don’t know if Tevez voluntarily went to the media or if his representative Kia Joorabchian was really pulling the strings, but I do know that Tevez appeared to want out long before his actual move to Eastlands took place. All season he would whine about this or that, and when his complaints were actually addressed by Sir Alex, he would find something else to grumble about. The guy was never pleased – and he made sure the public knew about it.

I also feel like he used the passionate backing of the United supporters as bargaining chips for an improved deal and played to the crowd’s emotions for his own gain. We would all swoon whenever Carlos scored and came over to the Stretford End with his arms wide open, but how much did he really want to play for us?

That’s a question that no one apart from Tevez will really know the answer to, but we can certainly make an educated guess based on his words and actions. After all, one of his major complaints all season was that he didn’t receive a contract from United. This point in and of itself is up for debate, as Ferguson claims that Tevez was offered a deal back in the winter (and who do you think I’m going to believe there?). But regardless of when the contract was first offered, we all know that it was offered.

That wasn’t good enough for Tevez either. He claims the contract came “too late”, that he had already made up his mind to leave. Are you kidding, Carlos? Too late? The transfer window hadn’t even opened yet, and he was already resigned to the exit door!

Tevez also stated that he would rule out a move to Liverpool “out of respect to the United supporters”. He said that we were too dear to him, and he would never betray us by going to our most hated rival. That’s a funny thing to say, considering he chose to go to one of our other most hated rivals in Manchester City. Apparently he didn’t respect us enough to rule out a move to Eastlands as well. Go figure.

No, unfortunately, I think Tevez’s words are completely empty. If he really wanted to remain a Red he would have signed the contract whether it was offered in December or May. And just for the record, the contract was a five-year deal that would have made Tevez one of the highest paid players at Old Trafford. It also included the $40 million transfer fee that Tevez’s agents had demanded for the striker.

Too late? Doubtful. Sounds like the cash from Eastlands was already on his eye. The more he complained, the more it just felt like he was trying to justify a decision he had already made by laying the blame on the club or the manager.

The funny thing is, while Tevez couldn’t stop whining about playing time and competition at United, he’s going to find just as much competition at City. Let’s review the attacking lineup at Eastlands: Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz, Robinho, Craig Bellamy, and Benjani (not to mention Jo and Valerie Bojinov on loan). Tevez should just be happy that they didn’t manage to sign Eto’o as well! To be fair, he’s better than most of the strikers on that squad, but there’s no guarantee he won’t be riding the bench as much if not more than he would be at United.

Sadly, when I think back Tevez’s last season with us, I won’t remember his goals, assists, or energetic runs into the box. I won’t remember his endless pursuit of defenders or his commitment to win 50/50 balls. What I will remember is waking up the weekend of the Manchester derby and reading his latest complaints in the paper and seeing his disgruntled face whenever he was seen on the bench.

Perhaps it’s too much to ask to have a selfless player in today’s modern game. This may be an indication of the era we live in and not so much the player at hand. Either way, it’s unfortunate the way things played out, and it’s sad to see such a potential United legend cast himself as a villain.

I hope you’ve circled the 20th of September on your calendar, Carlos. I know I have. And there’s a good chance you’ll be regretting your decision come the final whistle at the Theatre of Dreams.

Seena Vali is a U.S. based writer for World Soccer Reader, having joined the staff in April 2009. He covers the English Premier League and writes WSR’s Manchester United blog “United Watch”.

Now that we’ve done all that boring introductory stuff, let’s get things started, shall we?

It’s not just Arsenal who have a knack for bringing up talented youngsters. From the Flowers of Manchester through Best and Whiteside and up to the famed “Class of ‘92”, Manchester United is rooted in the tradition of youth talent and development. And right now, we have another group of lads that has the Red side of Manchester grinning ear-to-ear with excitement.

I’ll give a run-down of just some of the emerging young talent at Old Trafford, and, as I’m sure many United fans will agree, the future is certainly bright. There are no Klebersons in this bunch (knock on wood!).

Rafael da Silva

A speedy right back with loads of pace and an equally impressive temperament, Rafael looks to be a gem for the future. He bombs down the right flank with a natural willingness to get involved in the attack. With his amazing pace, even if he gets caught up high in the opposition’s half, he has the legs to race back into position.

What’s most impressive is his composure even in the most hostile of atmospheres. This kid stepped into our team when the likes of Wes Brown and Gary Neville were injured, and you would have thought he’d been playing Premier League football for years. And how many youngsters step up and knock in a goal when we’re down 2-nil against Arsenal at the Emirates?

Areas to improve: Rafael often seems too overzealous in his tackling. That can be a good thing sometimes, but more often than not, if he is up against an opposing player, Rafa will jump at the ball, miss completely, and the whole of the right side is wide open for the opposing player to exploit. That has to stop. Luckily, he has one of the best right back mentors you could get in Gary Neville.

Another worry is his injury problems, but let’s remember that he didn’t play competitively for almost a year after he initially signed with United. The Premier League is brutal for even the most seasoned players, so it’s no surprise that the 18-year-old Brazilian picked up some knocks in his English baptism. Add on some muscle, throw in a couple more years of experience, and we will have a defensive star on our hands.

Fabio da Silva

Supposedly, Fabio is the better of the two twins, but unfortunately because of injury problems, we couldn’t get to see as much of him as we would have liked. He had a shoulder injury early on in the season which required surgery, and after returning to fitness he incurred more knocks here and there that kept him out of the squad.

But again, just as I said about Rafael, Fabio hadn’t played competitively for almost a year before his arrival, let alone in the rough-and-tumble English game, so hopefully his body will become more accustomed to the physicality as time goes on.

Just like Rafael (this statement is getting redundant – they’re twins!), Fabio has great composure. In fact, you could argue that he actually has better composure than his brother does. Rather than lunging at every ball like Rafael, Fabio is much more inclined to wait for the right moment to make the decisive tackle. Even better is the fact that he’s just as inclined to get forward as his brother is, and he has great finishing ability (a hat trick in the reserves against Rochdale even with a missed penalty – not too shabby). Fabio is an ideal understudy to Patrice Evra, and hopefully he can stay fit and play more of a role in the first team next season.

Areas to improve: Fitness, fitness, fitness! Honestly I’d probably have more critiques in this section if I actually had a chance to see Fabio play a decent amount, but the lad’s been injured so much that we’ve barely been able to see what kind of magic he can produce. Hopefully his second season will be easier on his body, and with some added muscle and more experience, he should be good to go (fingers crossed!).

Anderson

Do I really need to say much about him? He’s already an established member of the first time, and chances are you know who he is. Just in case you don’t (living in a cave over the past two years, have we?), I’ll give you a quick roundup.

A strong, fast, and intelligent midfielder, Anderson really stepped up this past season and made a claim for a consistent starting position. He can hold the ball up in midfield extremely well, he’s a natural at getting forward, and he has a great passing vision.

The one tough thing is where to place him. He can play in the “Scholes” position, off the strikers, but he is just as comfortable doing the dirty work and sharing the defensive duties in a three-man midfield. From what I’ve seen, he looks like he could be a world class box-to-box midfielder (dare I say reminiscent of a certain Bryan Robson?). The biggest problem might be figuring out exactly what his best position in midfield is!

Areas to improve: His goalscoring (I mean, he’s bound to score sometime, right?). Unfortunately, unless he’s on the penalty spot, Anderson just can’t seem to find that goalscoring touch. That isn’t to say he hasn’t come close, but if he is going to be a consistent choice in the midfield, he needs to contribute with goals now and again. I’m not asking for much, mind you, just a number over 0.

Rodrigo Possebon

Another Brazilian (you can never have too many!). Rodrigo has had a lot of success in the reserves over the past few years, and this season he has been flirting more with first-team football. He’s a tough defensive midfielder, and his game resembles more of an Italian than Brazilian (which isn’t too surprising considering his father is of Italian descent).

He holds the ball up well, and is very careful with possession. When other inexperienced midfielders are quick to turn around after winning possession and try a low-percentage pass up the field, Rodrigo isn’t afraid to pass the ball back to his defenders if a solid option isn’t available. On top of that, he isn’t afraid to get forward and score goals.

Perhaps Rodrigo’s most impressive attribute, however, is his composure (it’s the word of the day). He seems to slot right in when he comes on, and in reserve matches where many young players are visibly on their toes, Rodrigo seems right at home. His next feat will be replicating this on the biggest stage.

Areas to improve: His campaign last season was somewhat marred by a terrible tackle during a Carling Cup match against Middlesbrough, in which Emmanuel Pogatetz crashed into his thigh with a ferocious tackle. Luckily, the injury wasn’t as bad as initially feared, but it did take a toll on Possebon’s season. He seemed a bit more nervy after that challenge, and he needs return to his calm and collected playing style if he wants to seriously challenge for first team places in the future.

Rodrigo will be on loan at Portuguese side Braga for the duration of next season – this is a perfect opportunity for the young Brazilian to get competitive first team football under his belt. By the time he returns, Giggs and Scholes may have already hung up their boots, meaning he can really challenge for a midfield place.

Federico Macheda

C’mon now, you know who he is. The young Italian is already a cult hero at Old Trafford after his amazing winner against Aston Villa and his equally important (but not as amazing) winner against Fulham. Macheda has the looks of a star (or at least the haircut), and he’s already announced his arrival to the footballing world in spectacular fashion.

He’s tall, strong, and he has the build of a number 9 striker (not bad for 17 years old). The whole world knows he can shoot, but he also holds the ball up nicely and positions himself well around the area.

Areas to improve: Macheda already has a tall and strong build, so he needs to use it more to win balls in the air. He has fantastic feet and a great shot, so if he can just add more of an aerial threat to his game he would really be something. Kiko is very comfortable running at defenders with the ball at his feet, and complimenting that with the odd burst into the box for a crossed ball would add a completely new dimension to his attacking threat.

Danny Welbeck

This lad has had me excited for years, ever since I saw him play in the Manchester Senior Cup final two seasons ago. He opened the scoring against Bolton reserves and Rodrigo Possebon finished them off in a 2-nil win at Old Trafford.

Danny has all the attributes you could want in a striker: he’s got the speed of a sprinter, he has great feet, he can shoot well (see: goal on his debut against Stoke for further reference), and he’s useful in the air. At 18, he still has some ways to go before he can seriously contend for a starting place, but he’s on the right track, and he’s certainly in the same boat as Macheda in terms of an electrifying future United attack force.

Areas to improve: His passing. As amazing as he can be, many times Danny fails to look up to see if other teammates are in a better position than he is (see: FA Cup semifinal against Everton). Passing vision isn’t something that you get overnight, but it is something that he definitely has to work on. Hopefully he can take a tip or two from one of the best passing strikers in the world at training: Wayne Rooney.

Jonny Evans

If I didn’t know he was only 21, I certainly wouldn’t have guessed it based on his playing style. The young defender from Northern Ireland made great strides into the first team last season after successful previous loan spells at Sunderland and consistent displays for his country.

It wouldn’t be a farfetched argument to say that Jonny is one of the biggest reasons the niggling injuries to Rio Ferdinand last season didn’t hurt the team as much as one might have thought they would. Evans stepped into the back line with no shortage of confidence, and he made the transition into the United first team (which is no easy task) look relatively effortless. Touted as the future centre-back star, Jonny has all the qualities to mature into one of the defensive forces in world football.

Areas to improve: While he’s shown all the confidence and maturity in the Premier League, he does tend to look a bit lost against the best strikers (in other words, against the other “Big Four” teams in the EPL or against Champions League opposition). Let’s not forget that botched clearance that led to a goal against Porto in the Champions League semifinals first leg. That composure will come with more experience, and his reading of the game, while impressive, will need to improve in order to get to the level of Ferdinand or Vidic. That said, Rio was certainly not as developed a defender at Jonny’s age, and defenders do tend to take more time to groom, so I’m not too worried.

Darron Gibson

When asked about Gibson, reserve team coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said, “He’s like a Ferrari, but sometimes it’s hard to get him out of the garage.” Based on Darron’s performances so far for United, I would have to agree with 2OLEGEND. The young Irishman has a lot of fight about him, and a thunderous shot to boot, but he can unfortunately sometimes disappear from matches.

He reminds me of Darren Fletcher in a way – I think Gibson (like Fletch) can do well in a three-man midfield, but doesn’t quite have the game (yet) to take on the responsibility in a two-man midfield. Alongside another player in the middle who can do the dirty work for him, Gibson is more free to move around and attack the perimeter of the opposition’s defense, and this is where he really shines.

Areas to improve: Darron really needs to learn how to dominate the other team’s midfield players. This is a skill that he hasn’t quite nailed down yet, and it’s why I believe he works most effectively alongside two other midfielders in the center – the other two players can battle in the trenches, so to speak, while Gibson drifts in a free role behind the strikers. He works extremely hard, and that is always a great thing to see, but sometimes despite his work-rate he tends to get lost in the midfield fight, and that is something that just can’t happen against the best teams.

Manchester United has accepted a potential world record bid of $131 million for Cristiano Ronaldo from Madrid. The club released a statement through their website earlier today, which read, “At the request of Cristiano – who has again expressed his desire to leave – and after discussion with the player’s representatives, United have agreed to give Real Madrid permission to talk to the player. Matters are expected to be concluded by 30 June. The club will not comment until further notice.”

Although many are not shocked at the move, it is somewhat surprising given United manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s firm stance on not dealing with Madrid. Earlier in the season he was famously quoted as saying he “wouldn’t sell them a virus”. A spokesman for United’s owners, the Glazer family, said that the decision to let Ronaldo go was taken solely by Ferguson, and it was “purely a football decision”. It is understood that the transfer fee will be made available to Ferguson to invest in players.

This is Madrid’s second record-breaking signing in as many weeks, as they recently signed Brazilian midfielder Kaka from AC Milan for a reported $92 million. The deals have been brokered by newly elected president Florentino Perez, the same man who was president of the club during the “Galacticos” era, when the likes of Luis Figo, Luis Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, and David Beckham were all brought to the Bernabeu. It appears that Perez is intending to start a new era of “Galacticos”, and with the groundbreaking signings of Ronaldo and Kaka, he has already made his strong intentions clear.

Response from United supporters has been mixed. The Portuguese winger’s reputation at Old Trafford was at an all-time high after his amazing 42-goal campaign two seasons ago. He led United to a Premier League and Champions League double, but rather than celebrating the victory during the summer, United supporters had to face day after day of news that Ronaldo wanted a move to Madrid. The tug-of-war lasted all summer, but ultimately the Portuguese stayed at Old Trafford. Supporters still embraced him this season, but the admiration was somewhat lessened, with many feeling Ronaldo’s exit was perhaps imminent.

Thus many supporters have been expressing sadness rather than surprise, as Ronaldo said long before last summer’s transfer debacle that his dream was to one day play for Real Madrid. This thought is not likely to console upset supporters, but the fact is that the move was somewhat inevitable given the enormity of the bid and Ronaldo’s desire to play in the Spanish capital.

There is no doubt that the club has capitalized on their initial investment, however, having purchased Ronaldo’s services for just over $20 million from Sporting Lisbon. The $131 million fee is certainly a large chunk of money, but now the question is what Ferguson will do with it. Ronaldo is now gone, and Carlos Tevez seems to be on his way out as well. Between the two of them lie many of United’s goals, and the question now is where this gap in the attack can be filled. The likes of Karim Benzema, Antonio Valencia, and David Villa have all been linked with United, but any of them would cost a considerable fee.

This question has, of course, been asked many times in the last two decades at Old Trafford, with the departures of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Paul Ince, Mark Hughes, and now Cristiano Ronaldo. Time after time Sir Alex has conjured up players to fill the gaps when someone parts with the team. Ronaldo, however, is arguably the finest attacking player to play under Ferguson, and filling those boots will be no easy task. Only time will tell whether the transfer was a smart one, but for now, United supporters will have to wait and lay their faith in their manager.

Source: BBC Man United Official Website

West Ham United Bought By CB Holding

The London club has been taken over by CB Holding, an asset management company based in Iceland. Former chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson has stepped down from his post and will be replaced by Andrew Bernhardt, a senior director with one of CB Holding’s major shareholders Straumur Bank.

It was revealed recently that Gudmundsson was knee-deep in over $450 million in debt, and he was under immense pressure to sell the club before his financial situation worsened. The value of the takeover is understood to be in the range of $180 million, which is approximately the same amount that Gudmundsson invested in the Hammers.

Bernhardt was quick to make clear that the current management set-up of Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clarke, who helped the club finish ninth in the league last season, would remain a mainstay at Upton Park. “CB Holding has no intention of changing the executive management or direction of this club,” he said. “It will be my job to help facilitate this continued process on the pitch, while ensuring the club’s success is built on a strong financial footing.”

Despite the end of this period of major uncertainty for West Ham, the new owners admit that a near-future sale is not out of the question. “I’m not going to pretend we are going to own the club forever. Our plan is to hold onto the club for a couple of years, or maybe four or five years, until we believe we can get an appropriate price,” said Georg Andersen, head of corporate communications at Straumur.

There is still some ambiguity about the ownership of the Hammers, however, as many of the banks who own shares in CB Holding (including one owned by former Hammers owner Gudmundsson) have suffered heavily under the economic downturn. These such banks are essentially now under the control of the Icelandic government, but Andersen remained adamant that should any of CB Holding’s shareholders go into liquidation, it would not affect the ownership or finances of West Ham.

Source: ESPN BBC

Singapore Group Declares Newcastle Interest

It is understood that the Profitable Group based in Singapore has made formal contact with Newcastle United about a possible takeover of the Tyneside club. The Magpies were relegated from the Premier League on the last day of the season, and since then owner Mike Ashley has put the club up for sale for about $150 million.

The Profitable Group is the first company to publicly declare its interest in purchasing the team, though it has been reported that two or three other parties have also inquired about a possible deal. Newcastle supporters will hope that a deal can be reached sooner rather than later, as the club’s management positions are still uncertain. Interim manager and Newcastle legend Alan Shearer is the favorite to retain his position, despite winning only one match from the last eight fixtures in the league and ultimately dooming the club to the Championship on the last day of the season.

Source: BBC

Benitez Quashes Mascherano Exit Rumors

The Argentinean’s agent has revealed that Spanish and European champions Barcelona are interested in attaining Mascherano’s services. However, Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was quick to rule out any sale of his midfielder, saying, “Barcelona could not afford to match his value to Liverpool. Clubs can forget about bidding for him – he has no price, and he is happy here.”

Mascherano moved to Liverpool after a short spell with West Ham in 2007. Since the move, he has become a mainstay in Benitez’s midfield, amassing 90 appearances for the Reds. With clubs rumored to be bidding for Barcelona’s Yaya Toure, Barca may be looking to Mascherano as a possible replacement should Toure move elsewhere.

Source: BBC