Transfer Talk - Manchester United and Chelsea

Manchester United

After an incredible season in which Manchester Unitedd completed the double of Premier League and Champions League, one wonders whether there is a need to strengthen the squad. But, there is.

Right Back

United need a right back in the mold of left back Patrice Evra - capable going forward and supplying the crosses. They were chasing Jose Bosingwa of Porto but Chelsea beat them to his signature.

Striker:

A striker is also a top priority since Saha will be sold to the highest bidder. Wanted - a tall striker with a good physical presence and excellent finishing capabilities!

Meanwhile, there is daily speculation about Ronaldo leaving and the latest rumor is that a bid for 64 million pounds along with Robinho would make Man Utd sell their most valuable asset and the likely European and World Player of the Year.

Possible Ins

In: Dani Alves (Sevilla), Micah Richards (Man City), Philip Lahm (Bayern Munich), Miguel Veloso (Sporting Lisbon), Miguel (Valencia), Huntelaar (Ajax), Benzema (Lyon), Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Ashton (West Ham), Berbatov (Tottenham), Aaron Ramsey (Cardiff), Valencia and Palacios (Wigan)

Possible Outs: Pique (to Barca), Silvestre (to Bordeaux), Ronaldo (to Real), Fletcher, Kuszack, and Saha

Manchester United Utd have reportedly made bids for French teen sensations Jeremy Helan and Darnel Situ. It would be great to get Richards and Benzema, but the possiblity of getting Richards is extremely remote. Aaron Ramsey looks promising and could be one for the future. Ferguson must be looking at offloading two of Fletcher, Saha, and Silvestre. If Ronaldo were to leave, I would splash the cash and buy Ribery from Bayern.


Chelsea

For Chelsea, the season began and ended in disappointment. One expects Roman Abramovich to splash the cash and get some of the best but 500 million pounds in investment, it remains to be seen how much further he wants to go.

The manager:

Avram Grant is likely to be sacked and replaced by either ex-Barca manager Frank Rijkaard, Roberto Mancini (Inter Milan), or Guus Hiddink (Russia). I expect wholesale changes to the squad that failed to win a trophy this season, after losing out to Manchester United in the Premiership and the Champions League and to Tottenham in the Carling Cup.

Frank Lampard is being linked with Inter Milan but I am sure Lamps is just holding out for a huge bumper deal. Chelsea will give him that deal as it plans to build a team around Terry and Lampard.

Didier Drogba looks certain to leave after whining through the season about how much he misses Jose Mourinho. Milan should be his likely decision but whether its Inter or AC remains to be seen. Whats going to be the fate of Andrei Shevchenko? Will Shaun Wright Phillips finally leave? Its going to be an interesting summer at Stamford Bridge.

Possibe Ins

Ribery (Bayern), Ramos (Real Madrid), Ronaldinho (Barca), Van der Vaart (Hamburg), Mario Gomez (Stuttgart), Dos Santos (Barca), Huntelaar (Ajax), Richards (Man City)

Possibe Outs

Drogba, Malouda, Bridge, SWPhillips, Belletti, Shevchenko, Kalou, Sidwell, Pizzaro, Ben Haim, Cudicini

CHAMP10NS

ManUtd retained their Premier League title after beating Wigan 2-0 away at the JJB Stadium. There were tears in my eyes, tears of joy, as Giggsy scored the 2nd goal in the 81st minute to make sure the Premiership trophy remained with the Red Devils. Fergie and Giggs take their Premier League titles to a record 10, and ManUtd close in on Liverpool's all-time record of 18 League titles, with just one behind. A thoroughly deserved title for the best English team! Now to conquer Europe, with the Champions League final against Chelsea to look forward to in about 10 days. Here's to the Red Devils!

Scholes Strike Sets up Moscow Date with Chelsea

Ginger Ninja takes ManUtd to the final

ManUtd overcame Barcelona 1-0 at Old Trafford to set up an intriguing all-English final against Chelsea at Moscow on 21st May. After a 0-0 first leg draw at the Nou Camp, where Ronaldo missed a penalty in the 2nd minute, ManUtd were resolute in their defending, and totally deserved their victory over the Catalans. Messi put up a one-man show for Barca but that wasn't enough. While Rio and Brown were terrific in defence, Tevez and Park were full of energy and covered as much ground as a marathon runner would.

ManUtd now have the chance to gain revenge over Chelsea, who beat them at Stamford Bridge last weekend after a controversial penalty. ManUtd and Chelsea have 81 points each with 2 games to go, but with ManUtd's superior goal difference, they just have to win the next 2 games (home to West Ham and away to Wigan) to retain the league title.

Red Devils Go to Rome...Again!

ManUtd regained its place at the top of the EPL table after they won at struggling Derby 1-0, and Arsenal drew at home to Boro. This weekend should be yet another interesting one with ManUtd facing Liverpool at OT, while Arsenal meet Chelsea at the Bridge.

ManUtd struggled to score against Derby, wasting a host of chances, just like they did against Portsmouth when they crashed out of the FA Cup thanks to some dubious decisions by the referee Martin Atkinson. Ronaldo has reached 31 goals for the season, but we just can't depend on him all the time. Need a striker this summer! Last heard, ManUtd were linked to Valencia's David Villa.

The Champions League has thrown some really interesting matches. This is the draw for the Quarters.

Arsenal - Liverpool
Fenerbahce - Chelsea
AS Roma - ManUtd
FC Schalke - Barcelona

Chelsea remain lucky with their draws, and we can expect an all-English final if ManUtd can overcome Roma and Schalke/Barca.

Great Action Weekend

Ronaldo takes his season tally to 29

Ronaldo and Rooney scored a brace as ManUtd destroyed Newcastle 5-1 at St.James' Park. Wonder what the Geordies now think of their 'Messiah'? The Red Devils are now just 3 points behind Arsenal who were held to a 2-2 draw at Birmingham. Eduardo Silva suffered a horrific injury and is now out for the season and the Euro Championships. Arsene Wenger, who we all know has selective blindness, surprisingly saw the tackle from Birmingham's Martin Taylor that caused Eduardo's injury!

Meanwhile, Tottenham won their first trophy in nine years, beating Chelsea 2-1 in the Carling Cup. After dominating Chelsea in an exciting match, Tottenham needed to come back from a goal behind and win the match in extra time, Woodgate's header proving to be the winner. It's actually good to see a team outside the top four finally winning something!

Start of Ramos Revolution?

Liga Fight!

Barca too closed the gap on Real to just 2 points after they beat Levante 5-1 thanks to Eto's hat-trick and Real's home defeat against Getafe, in comic circumstances. Robben thought he had scored and as Real players gathered to celebrate, little did they know that it was actually ruled offside. Getafe took a quick free kick and scored from the counter-attack.

EPL Overseas Plan - For the Good of the Game?

“The Premier League has proposed an international round of league games to be played in five cities across the globe from 2011 to cater for the worldwide demand for English football.”

When Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore announced his ambitious plan to exploit English football’s popularity and expand outside England, there were mixed reactions to this plan. While a few managers such as Arsene Wenger and Roy Keane gave their backing to the plan, most fans were unanimous in their opposition to the proposed 39th league game abroad.

There are certainly pros and cons to this highly controversial plan, and there are some questions that still need to be addressed before a final decision is taken.

Pros

The precedent was set by NFL, which was taken from the United States to London and it was appreciated by the fans. Premier League is a major attraction throughout the world and is a cash-cow waiting to be milked.

Fans around the world will have the chance to watch wonderfully talented players from the world’s strongest league playing competitive football.

With more revenues, the sport can witness a tremendous improvement in the not just the quality of players but also in that of the stadiums and other related facilities.

As is the case with any other sport, football needs to keep evolving and innovating if the sport needs to expand globally and dominate other sports in terms of viewership.

Cons

The idea is seen as solely motivated by money and with utter disregard for the fans.

It is a worrying trend that local fans are often marginalized by clubs as the clubs seek to establish a global fan base. Fans often feel that the game is beginning to forget its roots and the tradition of local club support. This might force fans to be up in arms against their clubs, and ultimately turn their back on the Premier League.

There is already talk of too much football and no winter-break. There is talk of accommodating the 39th game in January, a time when clubs play for the league, the league Cup, and the FA Cup.

Other national associations will want to protect their own leagues and clubs and furthermore, they will not be happy about the Premier League coming to their domain and taking sponsors, and advertising revenue.

Questions

What will happen to season-ticket holders who support their club every game in the home stadium but cannot afford to travel overseas?

Will the money made from these matches be put back into youth and grassroots football? Will clubs lower ticket prices?

If this becomes a huge success, what is the guarantee that the Premier League will not eventually play more games abroad?

Will fans abroad be as interested in a Derby-Boro match as they would be in a ManUtd-Newcastle game?

Will kick-off times be arranged to suit both the spectators in the stadiums abroad and the local supporters watching their clubs on television in England?

As much a fan I am of the Premier League who would love to watch EPL clubs playing competitive games in India, I am averse to the idea of the proposed 39th game abroad. Football clubs, throughout the world, have been established on a strong supporter base, built and passed over generations. I have personally witnessed the passion of local club supporters who have struck with their respective clubs through decades of triumphs and losses, and I believe that if the Premier League, whose enormous success was possible only due to the support of the local fan base, antagonizes the local fans by sticking to its plan of holding overseas games, the game will eventually lose its soul.

Football Managers - Dead Men Walking

ManUtd emerged from the festive period with the maximum points, winning all but one. The 2-1 loss against West Ham hurt especially since ManUtd missed the chance to go 2-0 up due to a missed penalty from Ronaldo. And, giving away 2 goals to set-pieces! But since the loss, they have redeemed themselves with some good victories over Birmingham, Villa (FA Cup) and the 6-0 drubbing of Newcastle.

Just past the half-way mark of the season and Ronaldo has already passed 20 goals. His first hat-trick for ManUtd came at OT against manager-less Newcastle, who despite their claims of being a big club, continues to plunge deep into a quagmire of desperation. Sam Allardyce was the 8th manager to get the boot this season, and despite the fact that they played terrible football, it wasn't fair to judge Big Sam after just 8 months.

The St. James' Park stadium of Newcastle has the 3rd highest capacity in England after ManUtd's Old Trafford stadium and Arsenal's Emirates Stadium. Newcastle have a large fan base and that the fans are very dedicated to their club in spite of poor results in recent times, can be seen from the fact that most home games are almost always full. But the fans have far too much expectations and they seem to forget the fact that they last won a major trophy almost 40 years ago.

The Newcastle manager job has always been a poisoned chalice. Just look at the list of great personalities who have been unsuccessful in the past decade - Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish, Ruud Gullit, Sir Bobby Robson, Graeme Souness. I wouldn't blame Harry Redknapp for his decision to stick with Portsmouth. Who in their right mind will take up this job? And, it doesn't help when foreigners takeover the club, splash money, and then expect returns immediately. Well, not every club can turn into a Chelsea. Until then, Newcastle will keep looking for their Messiah.

One just has to take a look at ManUtd and Arsenal, which have gained due to the stability provided by their respective boards. Sir Alex has been at ManUtd for 21 years while Wenger is entering his 12th year at Arsenal. The trigger-happy football chairmen of today would do well to remember that Sir Alex did not deliver his first trophy until the fifth year of his reign. And, we all know what ManUtd has achieved in the past decade and a half under the regal Scot.

Rafa Benitez seems to be the next on the list of managers most likely to get the sack. This is the guy who won the Champions League for Liverpool in his first year. And, when the club owner accepts that he had talks with Jurgen Klinsmann about taking over Liverpool, it clearly undermines Rafa's position at the club.

At present, it is difficult for managers to operate against a background of constant criticism and incessant speculation about their future. It is important for club chairmen and supporters to realize that the success of the football club on and off the pitch depends on a long-term strategy replete with the right foundations. As Sir Alex would say "Stability and consistency is the basis of success at any club."

List of sacked managers in 2007-2008 season:
Jose Mourinho (Chelsea)
Chris Hutchings (Wigan)
Sammy Lee (Bolton)
Martin Jol (Tottenham)
Steve Bruce (Birmingham)
Billy Davies (Derby)
Lawrie Sanchez (Fulham)
Sam Allardyce (Newcastle)

Red Devils - At Home at Anfield

Tevez Scores at 'Home' Anfield

Anfield is turning out to be another home ground for ManUtd who have not been beaten here since 2001 in the Premier League. Tevez scored the winner for ManUtd last night just before half-time, for a 1-0 win for the Red Devils.

It was a scrappy affair with Liverpool having the majority of the possession but hardly creating any chances. The couple of chances to score were from Van der Saar's blunders. Thankfully, Anderson and Evra were at hand to stuff out the danger.

It was a solid performance from ManUtd. Particularly, the midfield was superb with Anderson overshadowing Gerrard, and Hargreaves as always, a rock in front of the defence. Rio too had a great game and never gave an inch of space to Torres. My men-of-the match would definitely be Anderson and Hargreaves.

Anderson overshadowed StevieG

ManUtd are second in the league, a point behind Arsenal, who won an exciting but violent encounter with Chelsea. Gallas put one over his old team and scored the only goal of the match, thanks to a Cech mistake at a corner.

Meanwhile in La Liga, the stage is all set for a pulsating encounter at the Nou Camp between Barcelona and Real Madrid next weekend. Barca are 4 points behind Real but are in good form thanks to Eto'o's return from injury. Messi's injury means he will be out for 4 weeks but I think Ronaldinho will make it to the starting eleven for the El Classico, after being left out on the bench numerous times this season.

Btw, there is a rumour that Fergie might see this as an opportunity to bring Ronnie to ManUtd, after failing to complete the deal in 2003. But the question is do we really need fat Ronnie at ManUtd?

The Best to the Greatest

Two for Tevez against Derby

A few weeks back, Sir Alex said that the current ManUtd squad may be the best in his time at Old Trafford and seeing the displays of this team, not many people will doubt his statement. However, it will take trophies to prove his squad is not just the best but the greatest as well. Any ManUtd squad has to measure up to the achievements of the 1999 treble winners.

It was a great effort to qualify top of their Champions League group with one more game yet to be played against Roma away. This gives the opportunity for Sir Alex to rest some of his players ahead of the crucial away match at Anfield next week. Liverpool's loss against Reading this week means that Arsenal are the only unbeaten team in EPL now (update: the Gunners lost at Boro!)

ManUtd are a point behind Arsenal and would have overtaken them if it had not been for the loss at Bolton. However, ManUtd has not been lucky with injuries this season, with Rooney just returning back from ankle sprain and Hargreaves pulling out of the team just before the home match against Derby. Gary Neville has suffered a setback in his injury comeback and other players who remain on the sidelines include Park, Silvestre, Scholes, and Foster.

The newcomers this season - Anderson, Hargreaves, Tevez, and Nani have been very impressive and played some crucial parts in ManUtd's fine form this season. For me, Tevez and Anderson have been the most important players. Tevez has started to combine well with Rooney and Anderson looks like he might dislodge Scholes from the starting lineup earlier then expected.

December is crucial for ManUtd's title aspirations and the players need to put in their best performance in each of the remaining matches this month. And if things do not go as planned sometimes, you can always rely on Ronaldo to save the day.

Ron scores against Fulham

Sir Alex - 21 Glorious Years at Manchester United

November 6th 1986 is a Red-letter day in the history of Manchester United. That was the day when a fiery Scot named Alex Ferguson left Aberdeen to take charge of one of the most popular clubs in England. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Sir Alex’s spell as ManU manager has seen him secure nine Premier League titles, a Champions League title, five FA Cups, a League Cup, and a knighthood. Even at 65, he does not show any sign of slowing down and his enthusiasm for the game is still intact.

It is rumored that Fergie narrowly avoided the sack in 1990 after winning away at a 4th round Cup tie at Nottingham Forest. ManU went on to win the FA Cup that season, kick-starting the golden years. A Cup-Winners’ Cup in 1991 after beating Barcelona in 1991 was followed by the disappointment of losing the league title narrowly to Leeds in 1992. The inspired signing of Eric Cantona in the same year propelled ManU to the inaugural Premier League title in 1993 and a League and Cup double in 1994.

In 1996, ManU overcame Newcastle, thanks to Fergie’s mindgames over Kevin Keegan and achieved a second League and Cup double. ManU clinched the treble in 1999 in a sensational manner, winning a dramatic Champions League final, beating Bayern Munich 2-1, the League title, and the FA Cup. In 2001, Fergie accomplished a hat-trick of Premier League titles, becoming the only manager to achieve this feat with the same team.

One more league title followed in 2003 and when calls for Fergie’s head increased after a few trophy-less years, he masterminded yet another league triumph in 2006/2007. Fergie always stated ‘his greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their fucking perch’. I guess he has also knocked Chelsea off their fucking perch when it looked like Chelsea would dominate for a long time thanks to Roman’s riches.

No fan who has watched ManU play in the past couple of seasons would have any reason not to believe in Fergie’s belief that ManU can continue to remain a force in European football for years to come. Fergie is certainly one of the greatest ever managers to have been involved with the game. One more Champions League title for this living legend, and he will gladly fade into the sunset.

Did I Miss Something?

After an entertaining game of football, it was disappointing for me, the match ended in a draw. It was funny to see Arsenal players, after the game, huddled at the centre of the pitch and celebrating. Did I miss something here? It was an Arsenal home game, at the Emirates Stadium and Arsenal lost 2 points! I would never see ManU players or Fergie so happy after gaining just a point at Old Trafford.

Anyway, it was great to see ManU perform really well. Anderson seems destined for stardom...he can pass, he can tackle, he can run box-to-box, there's nothing he can't do, including a bit of gamesmanship. I am sure Fergie/Carlos will have a private word with him.

La Liga Story

Looks like it's gonna be a roller-coaster season at La Liga. Real Madrid kept winning, then drew, then won, and then lost this weekend. Meanwhile, Barca drew, won, lost, drew and won. Sevilla kept losing and then suddenly started winning and beat Real this weekend. Villareal is going great guns without Riquelme and it is good to see ex-ManU player Rossi doing great there. And, Valencia have got a new manager in Ronald Koeman and looks to turn around its season both in La Liga and the Champions League.

Need a Striker, Please!

Two draws and a loss - hardly the start the champions would have envisaged, especially after spending a lot of money this summer. But the loss of Rooney against Reading and Ronaldo's red card against Portsmouth didn't help matters. Tevez is better off playing deep and the Red Devils clearly miss the presence of a striker up front. The derby loss against Man City was clearly a shock, especially having dominated the match. City had just one chance and they scored! ManU has to play 4-4-2 this weekend, and perhaps Fergie should give a chance to reserve-player Frazier Campbell who impressed in pre-season games. Btw, ManU are linked to Anelka, Martins, Berbatov, Huntelaar...the list just goes on!

The weekend match against Tottenham, another club in crisis, is a must-win for both teams. Martin Jol is in a precarious position after losing the first 2 matches of the season and pundits are already beginning to doubt if Spurs can achieve the elusive Champions League spot. Rumor has it Sevilla coach Ramos has declined Tottenham's offer and that he wants to wait for a possible position as the coach of Chelsea next season.

Btw, the penalty given to Chelsea against Liverpool was one of the worst ever refereeing decisions one would see in the EPL. ManU should be at least happy their main rivals Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal drew their matches. And, Fulham lost against Boro, thanks to the seemingly blind assistant referee and lack of goal-line technology. When technology such as Hawk-eye is being used in tennis and cricket, I don't understand why it is taking so much time to be implemented in football. The sooner it is implemented, the better it is for the game.

New Season and New Scorers

The new EPL season has started! An exciting weekend saw a number of players scoring on debut for their new clubs - Bianchi & Geovanni for Manchester City, Chopra for Sunderland, Pizzaro and Malouda for Chelsea, Cruz for Blackburn, Sibierski for Wigan, Healy for Fulham, Kapo for Birmingham, and Utaka for Portsmouth.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal scraped through to wins against lowly opponents Birmingham, Villa, and Fulham while Champions ManUtd could just manage a goalless draw against Reading. Tottenham show they are yet to make the step up, suffering a shock loss at Keane's Sunderland. The most surprising was ManCity's performance under Sven Goran Ericksson, whose signings show real quality and moreover, the flair which was never witnessed at City under Stuart Pearce was on full display as City beat West Ham away. The excitement and fun has just started and hope this season turns out into a memorable one.

What's Hot and What's Not?

ManU sign Porto's Anderson and Sporting Lisbon's Nani. The duo are dubbed as the new 'Ronaldinho' and 'C.Ronaldo' respectively, in a deal over 40 million pounds. The Hargreaves saga looks like it's finally over with the player set to join ManU in a 17 million pound deal. Well, with the Glazers splashing so much cash, ManU fans can now look forward to no more signings for the next 5 years!

Anelka is linked with ManU in a 8 million pound transfer. I am sure by the time he retires, the total money spent on him by clubs would exceed $1 billion!

Looks like West Ham has won the battle with Newcastle in the race to sign Man City's bad-boy Joey Barton. That's right. Barton is set to sign for Newcastle, having rejected West Ham. Can I hear West Ham fans heaving a sigh of relief?

The most ridiculous transfer news item..."Barca will swap Eto'o with Henry and pay an additional 17 million pounds." That would be the most preposterous transfer ever since Chelsea paid 30 million pounds for striker Shevchenko.

Chelsea have spent just $1 in the transfer market, getting back their on-loan defender Alex back from PSV and have signed on out-of-contract players such as Steve Sidwell and Claudio Pizzaro. However, I can see another 30 million pound signing (definitely a striker) in the offing.

Believe it or not, Wigan has signed on defender Titus Bramble from Newcastle. Let's just say it's the end of Wigan's Premiership hopes and the beginning of Newcastle's!

Steve McClaren has brought back David Beckham into the England squad. Good way to admit to the English fans and the press his team can never score through open play.

Lampard was booed by English fans during friendly draw with Brazil. Yes, only Lamps! Mac finally got some respite.

Ever heard of the player who gave up his dream of being a celebrity chef because it was too stressful and then became one of the most successsful managers of all-time? That's Sir Alex Ferguson for you!

Best Moments of the EPL Season 2006/07

Best match - ManU's destruction of Bolton home and away.

Goals of the season - Drobga's winner over Howard against Everton at Goodison Park and Scholes' cracking volley at Newcastle.

Best team performance - Wigan's final day escapade.

Unsung hero - Everton defender Yobo

Funniest moment - Chelsea's guard of honour for Dong, Eagles, Lee, and co.

The season in 5 words - Exhilarating, Dubious, Ferguson, Tevez, Shocking.

ManU are EPL Champions!

Back Home Where It Truly Belongs

A truly deserving title win for Manchester United. What an exciting season this has been for ManU and Premiership fans in general! Sir Alex Ferguson has once again masterminded a great title win and knocked Jose Mourinho and his Chelsea side of their perch. A delightful day for ManU fans all around the world. It's time to uncork the champagne bottle. Here's to the world's best football club and the best team in Europe this season.

Source: manutd.com

ManU's Comeback and Sourinho

If there was a weekend that determined the Premiership, it has to be this weekend. At one point, Chelsea were equal on points with ManU after going 2-1 up against Bolton and ManU deep in trouble 0-2 at Everton. However, ManU's resilience and fighting spirit came to the fore for the second time this week and with a little help from Everton's appalling mistakes, and Bolton's equalizer from Davies means ManU are 5 points ahead, with 3 more games to go.

Teams have always found it difficult in EPL games that follow an European game and especially after intense encounters against AC Milan and Liverpool respectively, ManU and Chelsea were always going to struggle. However, ManU has regained the momentum this weekend and it will hope the Gunners will do them a favor by beating Chelsea next week.

This week, Wenger has surprisingly hailed his old and eternal foe Fergie as the best EPL manager this season along with Reading's Steve Coppell. I am sure he has no regard for ManU winning the title this season but he would want to put one over Jose and prove money isn't everything.

Meanwhile, it looks like the relegation battle will go down the wire. Fulham, Wigan are getting sucked into the zone while West Ham are in the zone only by goal difference. Charlton looks doomed. Now that Watford is relegated, I am eager to see Ben Foster replace EVS in goal at ManU. Frankly, the latter doesn't inspire much confidence these days but then, he has a patched up defence in front of him.

Meanwhile, Birmingham and Sunderland top the Championship with just one more game to go, and they just have to win their games to make it to the EPL next week. Derby has to hope one of them lose next week and win their final 2 games, otherwise it goes to the playoffs. And yes, Leeds go down to division one!

Finally, we have to admit Mourinho has a problem. He just can't keep his mouth shut. First, he complains teams don't get penalties against ManU and then he fumes Chelsea did not get a penalty for a handball that clearly happens outside the box. Furthermore, he calls Liverpool a small club, with utter disregard for their history. He has exceeded the limit this time around and it's very surprising that the FA doesn't do anything about this.

The Show Goes On...

ManUtd continued their fantastic run in the EPL with a superb 4-1 win over Bolton, while Chelsea kept pace with them with a win over Sheffield. The gap between the top two and the rest continues to widen as Arsenal (not suprisingly) lost at Everton and Liverpool could only manage a draw against Villa.

Ronaldo has been in inspired form this season and continues to either score goals or provide assists, when he is not winning penalties as he did against Boro in the FA Cup replay win. I do not understand the hue and cry raised by Boro after the penalty was given for a blatant and clumsy foul by Woodgate on Ronaldo. Looks like some teams just have a personal vendetta against Ron. Opposition fans and players are going on and on that it was yet another blatant dive while the perpetrator Woodgate remains quiet.

Meanwhile, things have been hotting up in La Liga too with Barca, Sevilla, and Real winning but Valencia losing ground. Messi's comeback has provided a stimulus to Barca's otherwise woeful season and his performance against Real Madrid in the El Clasico was one of the greatest in recent times. If only Messi and Eto'o had been fit, Barca would have had a much better season.

The Race is on...

After a nerve-wracking final round of CL matches, I was relieved to see ManU and Barca make it to the knockout stages of the Champions League. With Eto'o and Messi expected in the next month, I hope Barca does much better. As for ManU, Fergie has to realize he cannot expect to win the Premier League and the Champions League titles with this squad lacking quality in depth. I guess Fergie will settle for one of these two this season and no more signings expected this winter transfer window, I am sure it's the EPL title he has set his sights on.

We will know the 2nd round match-ups this Friday and I only hope ManU do not draw Barca this early. It's going to be tough for even the first placed teams with some strong clubs finishing second in their groups. I am sure the English clubs will be anxious about drawing either Barca, Real, or Inter.

ManU are setting the pace in EPL, along with some great football. Fergie certainly knows his first XI but with the festive period and lots of games coming up, he has to shuffle his players so that they are not exhausted in the latter stages.

Btw, what's with all the clubs being or in talks about being taken over. Liverpool, Man City, Newcastle are among the clubs who are certain to join ManU, Chesea, WHam, Villa in being taken over. No club can expect another Abromovich but I wonder if this does any good to the club and the game as such in the long term.

Also, Chelsea's chairman Peter Kenyon talks about Chelsea overtaking ManU as the best supported club in the world by 2014. Peter...That's just wishful thinking if you believe buying all titles with Roman's mafia money is gonna get people become more attached to the club. Your club can buy top players and titles but you can never buy history and tradition that are associated with Europe's elite clubs such as ManU, Real, Barca, Liverpool, and so on. Moreover, there's something called beautiful football. Try and play that and try to fill out your Stamford Bridge stadium first before you can even dream about world domination!

PS: Essien's stunning equaliser earned a point for Chelsea against Arsenal. Chelsea 'started playing' only in the last quarter of an hour after the poor Shevchenko (must be counting his days at London now!) was substituted and the wingers came on. Luck was however on Arsenal's side as Chelsea hit the post a number of times and Lehmann's blunder right at the end of the game almost giving Chelsea the win. For once, I was cheering for Arsenal and was really impressed by Gilberto. He was the best player on the pitch and it is time Wenger realize Henry is no captain material and give the captain's armband to Gilberto.