Figured I should add some new stuff to that section. New Wallpapers Added
1. Spain Euro 2008 Champions
2. Ryan Babel
3. Alexandre Pato
4. Philip Lahm
5. Casillas and Buffon
6. Eric Cantona
7. Fabio Cannavaro
Milan have completed the signing of Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos on a one year loan deal, with the option to make the move permanent next summer.
If you can’t learn a thing or two about playing defense from Paolo Maldini then there is little hope for Senderos as a top flight player.
Seedorf backs Sheva to rediscover scoring touch
AC Milan star Clarence Seedorf believes Andriy Shevchenko will be able to put his Chelsea nightmare behind him and get back to his world-beating best as he returns to the San Siro.
It would go along way for Shevchenko to find his scoring touch by actually playing. Something he did very little of in Chelsea.
Forlán Would Cost Tottenham €30m
Atlético de Madrid have slapped a €30m asking price on Diego Forlán in a bid to ward off interest from Tottenham Hotspur with only a week to go before the end of the transfer window.
Smart move by Atletico. If teams are still trying to find players this close to the deadline that means there in a panic. As such there prepared to overpay in order to get the right player.
1. End result is a win for Inter and Jose Mourinho in the Super Cup against Roma. Always good for psychological reasons to one up your rival so early in the season. Letting in that late Vucinic goal is unlike Mourinho’s teams mind you. That will need to be sorted out before the season starts.
2. What was Valencia doing giving up three goals to a nine man Real Madrid team?
3. Saw that Samaras scored two goals over the weekend for Celtic. He never got a fair shake at Manchester City. What is City’s loss will certain turn into Celtic gain as the years go by.
4. Tough loss by Lille giving up two injury time goals to Rennes. Those are games that could take a couple of matches to recover from.
5. Benfica 1-1 against newly promoted Rio Ave??? This is the second season in a row that Benfica drew against a newly promoted team. Not the start that new coach Quique Flores hoped for.
Dimitar Berbatov could finally be on his way from Tottenham to Manchester United for a transfer fee of between £25m and £28m. (The Independent)
I’d be shocked if Berbatov remained with Tottenham after the transfer deadline. You can still the negative effect this saga is having on both teams. It’s best for all parties involved that this deal gets wrapped up.
Tottenham boss Juande Ramos is ready to pay about £10m for Colombian striker Radamel Falcao after sending spies to his Argentine club River Plate. (Various )
Already mentioned that I’m a fan of Falcao but he is a poor fit for Spurs. He has loads of talent but he’ll take awhile to get use to European football. Practice is something that may come in short supply after Tottenham’s poor start to the season.
Espanyol have accepted a £12m offer from Everton for winger Albert Riera, but the player’s preferred move is to Liverpool. (Guardian)
Everton contiunes to have a hard time attracting any player of quality.
Portsmouth are bracing themselves for an £8m bid for Nico Kranjcar from Hamburg, and Harry Redknapp may be pressurised to sell the midfielder. (Daily Star)
In today’s transfer market that is too low of a price for Kranjcar. Portsmouth don’t seem to be a team that needs to sell as the deadlines closes and Kranjcar is one of the few midfielders who has the ability to change a game.
Pompey are also weighing up a move for Atletico Madrid’s Brazilian midfielder Thiago Motta, but could face competition from Everton. (Daily Mail)
Motta never worked out for Atletico and he’d be one of a few players that Atletico would be glad to get rid of.
Middlesbrough will resist any offers – thought to be about £14m – from Liverpool for winger Stewart Downing. (Daily Mail)
Talk is cheap. This rumour has been out there for months but Liverpool haven’t made a approach up to this point.
Roy Keane axed Pascal Chimbonda just hours before Sunderland’s win at Spurs – because the full-back turned up late for a pre-match walk around the hotel. (The Sun)
That honeymoon sure ended quickly.
Right now I feel quite foolish picking Tottenham to finish 6th in the league. Two games, two losses, the same old story with this team. Tottenham are like the New York Knicks of the EPL. They look good on paper, make a bunch of expensive signings but on the field they don’t produce. Watching them is like a fantasy team gone wrong.
Another thing that bugs me about this team is Juande Ramos. When is this guy going to start feeling some heat? He was suppose to cure all the ills of the Martin Jol era but it’s much of the same. Also I’m tired of hearing Gus Poyet giving the pre and post match press conferences. If Scolari can learn English in a matter of months and Mourinho can learn Italian in the same time span Ramos should be speaking the Queen’s English after almost a year living in London.
Another coach who never feels any heat is Arsène Wenger. It’s one thing to brag about playing beautiful football and form a team by quasi stealing other teams best youth players right from underneath them but that performance against Fulham left a lot to be desired. Fulham out worked them for the entire game and deserved those three points. Not giving up on Arsenal but the same old flaws remain.
Regardless of the end result I’m going to tip my cap to Gareth Southgate and his Middlesbrough team. They went into Anfield not afraid of Liverpool and went toe to toe for a full 90 minutes. They could of closed up shop playing for a tie late but they kept attacking Liverpool. That Gerrard free kick goal was a bitter pill to shallow but hopefully Middlesbrough can take more positives out of that game than negatives.
Nice comeback by Stoke to snatch the three points from Aston Villa. Getting the first win out of the way goes along way when it comes to survival.
Will someone please tell me again if Deco is suited to life in the Premier League? You can nitpick about the goalie being out of position but that was a world class free kick. Never had a doubt that Deco would adapt to the English game. He enjoys mixing it up in midfield and has the pace and quickest to break open a defence.
You think with Andriy Shevchenko leaving that Deco should ask for the 2004 Ballon d’Or to be rightly awarded to him? Deco was deserving of the European player of the year back then and finished runner up due to him playing in Porto at the time.
Watched the West Ham – Manchester City mess yesterday. I can see why Alan Curbishley is favorite to be the first one sacked this year. It’s one thing to lose but after the first City goal West Ham just threw in the towel. When you are a supporter of a non top four club the least you should ask for is that the club out in an honest effort out there. That team rolls over and plays dead way too often. You saw it last year with three straight 4-0 defeats and you saw it on display yesterday against Manchester City.
As for that other Manchester team. No clue how there game tomorrow with Portsmouth will shape up. Both teams need a result badly even if this is the start of the season. United can’t fall to far behind Chelsea and Liverpool.
Madrid Tell Robinho To Pay €45m To Leave
Robinho has been told that if he pays Real Madrid a staggering €45m to the club then he would be free to leave and complete his move to Chelsea this summer.
Manchester United fans must set back and smile after the games Real Madrid played in trying to convince Ronaldo to jump ship. Some would call this poetic justice.
Sacchi hails Fiorentina emergence
Arrigo Sacchi has hailed the emergence of Fiorentina as a genuine Scudetto contender this season.
In his column for Gazzetta dello Sport, Sacchi wrote: “The Della Valle (family) brought in managerial competence, economic stability and a futuristic strategy.
This club has come along way since having to start over in the 4th division back in 2002 due to bankruptcy. A personal favorite to watch when I’m able to catch a game.
Blues flop Shevchenko moves back to Milan
Andriy Shevchenko admitted he was ‘really happy’ after ending his Chelsea experience with a move back to AC Milan.
The sequel is never as good as the original. The same holds true in football as it does in the movies. Best for everyone involved that Shevchenko moves on. One less distraction Chelsea would have to deal with.
Manchester United have made a £25m take-it-or-leave-it bid to Tottenham for Dimitar Berbatov. (News Of The World)
Don’t believe any of these take it or leave it nonsense. Do believe that Tottenham should sell Berbatov A.S.A.P as his saga is clearly a distraction.
Newcastle are set to offer £12m for Chelsea winger Florent Malouda, if the Blues sign Robinho from Real Madrid. (Mail On Sunday)
Malouda had little interest in going to Roma. That would mean he has no interest in playing for Newcastle.
Michael Owen is willing to let his Newcastle contract, which ends this season, run down as Newcastle want him to take a wage cut to stay.(News Of The World)
Owen holds all the cards here. No sense for him to talk a pay cut now. If Owen can stay injury free which is a big if but none-the-less there will be a team on the open market that will pony up for Owen services.
Blackburn must bid £6m if they hope to land Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant. (News Of The World)
Sinnacle likes Pennant, just not sure I like him at that price tag.
But Arsene Wenger has been told by Liverpool to stump up £16m if he wants Xabi Alonso. (Sunday Express)
Even with yesterday’s loss Wenger is not going to pay that kind of money to Alonso or anyone else.
Liverpool Join Inter In Quaresma Race
Liverpool have joined Inter in the race to sign Porto winger Ricardo Quaresma, according to the Corriere dello Sport.
Liverpool were foolish a couple of years ago in not signing Simao and they would be foolish to pass up Quaresma. All that being said I don’t think Liverpool can come up with the coin to get a deal done.
Valdes admits Barcelona needs to win back fans’ trust
Barcelona need to win back the fans’ trust this season, admits goalkeeper Victor Valdes.
Valdes can start by making some saves. His stock as a world class goalie fell a lot in the last 12 months.
Argentina retain gold with Di Maria gem
BEIJING, Aug 23 — Argentina retained the Olympic gold medal in soccer by beating Nigeria 1-0 in Saturday’s final with a stunning goal from Angel Di Maria.
Di Maria made himself and Benfica a ton of money with his performance in the Olympics.
Sevilla rocked as Kone gets season KO
Sevilla forward Arouna Kone is expected to miss most of the forthcoming season after picking up a serious knee injury while on international duty with the Ivory Coast.
Bad news for Sevilla to start the season. For a team such as Sevilla to make it back to the Champions League they need to avoid injuries.