The `Striker Light` Gossip

FERGIE WANTS A STRIKER, AND WANTS BERBATOV, BUT MAY HAVE TO SETTLE FOR ANELKA OR DEFOE
The consensus along Fleet Street is that ManYoo boss Sir Alex Ferguson wants to sign a new striker but that he is running out of time and Dimitar Berbatov is too expensive.

With the injury-prone Louis Saha continuing to produce sick-notes, Carlos Tevez remains the only fit striker at Sir Alex's disposal. Berbatov, of whom Ferguson is a long-time admirer, would represent a high-class solution to the striker shortage, but Tottenham are in no mood to sell.

'Even United's planned bid today for Berbatov of £22million - twice what Tottenham paid Bayer Leverkusen for the Bulgarian barely a year ago - falls well short of being an offer Spurs cannot refuse,' reports The Daily Mail.

It is a point reiterated by The Times, which claims: 'A deal for Berbatov always looked problematic this summer, after an unsuccessful inquiry in June, but, while that situation will be revisited, possibly in January, United are scouring Europe in search of alternatives for the immediate future.

'United are aware that Nicolas Anelka could be available from Bolton Wanderers for about £8 million and that there is a chance of luring either Obafemi Martins or, intriguingly, Michael Owen from Newcastle United. All three have been discussed at Old Trafford during the summer, with Anelka the subject of a tentative and informal inquiry to Bolton in May, but Ferguson and Carlos Queiroz, his assistant, are not convinced of the merits of signing any of them.'

However, The Daily Mirrror believes differently.

According to the newspaper, 'Manchester United and Manchester City are locked in a fierce battle to sign Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka before Friday's transfer deadline.

'Sir Alex Ferguson wants £12million Anelka to solve his striker crisis at United, while City manager Sven Goran Eriksson is keen to bring the Frenchman back to his former club to inject some quality into his front line.'

Thank you "http://www.football365.com" for detail

GUNNERS CRUISE PAST SPARTA

Arsenal joined Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United in the Champions League group stages following a 5-0 aggregate win over Sparta Prague.

The Gunners did the hard work in the first leg of the third qualifying round tie, which they won 2-0 away from home to ensure the pressure was off at the Emirates Stadium.

And after a bright start which saw Robin van Persie steer a header wide and Eduardo da Silva hit a shot straight at Tomas Postulka, Arsene Wenger's hosts took the lead on seven minutes.

Young winger Theo Walcott broke down the right flank and his perfect cross was clinically slotted home by Tomas Rosicky, who was playing against his former team-mates.

Marek Kulic and Jan Rezek wasted half-chances for the visitors - and sub Cesc Fabregas made it 2-0 with a crisp half-volley (82) before Eduardo found the net on 89 minutes.

Thank you "http://www.football365.com" for detail

Heinze & Robben seal Real switch

Real Madrid have completed the signings of Premier League duo Arjen Robben and Gabriel Heinze after they both passed routine medicals.

Chelsea winger Robben, 23, who has been a long-term target for the Spanish champions, has signed a five-year deal.

Real were believed to be ready to pay in the region of £21m for his services.

Heinze, 29, has arrived from Manchester United on a four-year deal after his club blocked the £8m-rated defender's preferred move to Liverpool.

After being unveiled at the Bernabeu, the Argentine said: "I am a man of few words but I always speak my mind and I am enormously proud to get the chance to play for Madrid.

"Every player wants to play for Real Madrid, one of greatest clubs in the world.

"It is a pleasure to wear this shirt. I am going to give everything, like I have done up until now. I hope that this year we can continue making the fans happy."

The Anfield outfit tabled a bid of more than £6.8m but United refused to let the Argentine join their bitter north-west rivals.

Heinze took his case to a Premier League arbitration panel but it ruled against him.

Heinze, who had lost out on a first-team place at United to Patrice Evra, was considering lodging an appeal when Real made their move.

After three seasons at Old Trafford, he will become the third Manchester United player in four seasons to join the Spanish club, following on from David Beckham and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Heinze will replace Brazilian Roberto Carlos, who left the Bernabeu to move to Turkish side Fenerbahce.

Robben joined the Blues from PSV Eindhoven for £12.1m in 2004.

The Dutchman said: "I want to thank the club, the president and the board for their effort and patience in signing me.

"There were many moments when I felt I was going to Madrid the next day and then it did not happen. It was a big relief when word came I could join.

"Today I have entered a dream world. I am enjoying every minute and I hope together we can win many things."

Real president Ramon Calderon had targeted Robben in his election campaign and landed his man when Chelsea failed to persuade him to sign a long-term contract.

"He was one of the promises of our presidential candidacy for a simple reason - he is the best left winger in the world," Calderon said.

Speaking about the Robben deal, Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck said: "We've done some very good business for Chelsea Football Club.

"The downside of that he is a very good player and we would have liked him to stay.

"But for whatever reason - and you will have to ask him - he did not want to stay here."

Robben has scored 19 goals in 104 appearances for the Blues.

But after a sensational start at Stamford Bridge, his progress was hindered by injury and Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho brought in attacking midfielder Florent Malouda to replace him.

Robben will join fellow Dutchmen Ruud van Nistelrooy, Wesley Sneijder and Royston Drenthe at the Bernabeu.

Thank"http://news.bbc.co.uk" for detail.

Everton to seal Fernandes signing

Everton boss David Moyes is hopeful Portuguese midfielder Manuel Fernandes will be part of his squad "within the next 24 hours".

The 21-year-old arrived in Britain on Thursday with a view to completing a £6m move from Benfica.

Moyes said: "He had the first part of his medical and that will be completed on Friday."

The Everton boss added: "I would then expect him to become an Everton player within the next 24 hours."

The move will not been completed in time for the Portugal Under-21 player to acquire international clearance to be involved in Saturday's match at Reading.

Everton have also had to gain clearance from the Premier League over the signing because Fernandes is part-owned by a third party, the Global Sports Agency.

Under Premier league rules, England's top clubs are not allowed to field a player owned by a third party who would have the "ability materially to influence its policies or the performance of its teams".

Everton, it is believed, are only buying 50% of the player from Benfica, with third party companies owning the rest - however, they will have an option to buy out the rest of the player after a fixed period.

Fernandes spent the second part of last season on loan at Goodison Park and did enough for manager Moyes to want to agree a permanent deal for him.

Moyes said: "He knows all about us and we hope he will be able to hit the ground running when he arrives.

"He knows about us and what we do, he will give us a different option. We are playing with Lee Carsley and Phil Neville just now in the centre of midfield and he will give us more competition there.

"But he is a different type of player, with a bit more craft. At 21 he was a big player in the European Under-21 championships for Portugal and we are delighted to have him."

Thank"http://news.bbc.co.uk" for detail.

Owen ready for Magpies return

Michael Owen will return to the Newcastle squad for Saturday's Premier League home clash with Aston Villa after recovering from a thigh injury. There is more good news for Toon manager Sam Allardyce as Owen could be joined on the bench by Turkish midfielder Emre, who has also returned to full training after an ankle complaint.

But Allardyce must still do without goalkeeper Shay Given (groin), Damien Duff (ankle), Joey Barton (metatarsal) and Celestine Babayaro for his first home game as Magpies boss.

Kick-off at St James' Park is at 5.15pm.

Newcastle (from): Harper, Carr, N'Zogbia, Rozehnal, Taylor, Solano, Milner, Geremi, Butt, Smith, Viduka, Martins, Ameobi, Owen, Ramage, Pattison, Cacapa, Enrique, Emre.

FERGIE LOOKING FOR VINTAGE UNITED

Sir Alex Ferguson will gladly accept an expensive bottle of wine from Sven-Goran Eriksson on Sunday - but he has no intention of sharing it with the former England coach.

The duo had a stormy relationship during Eriksson's five-and-a-half years in charge of the national side and go head-to-head in a Manchester derby for the first time this weekend as resurgent City face a United side who are without a win so far this term.

Eriksson is reportedly ready to mark the occasion by splashing out ฃ400 on a bottle of vintage red to hand the Red Devils boss. But if he thinks Ferguson will open it during their post-match chat, the Swede is sadly mistaken.

"I am not aware of the wine," he said.

"If he gives me a present I will accept it, but I will not be sharing it with him. I will take it home instead."

Given their past history, Ferguson steered clear of offering any major personal analysis of Eriksson's managerial record, preferring instead to focus his attention on City as a whole.

Eriksson, he noted, is the Blues' 12th manager during his own near 21-year stint as United boss - a tenure which reached a glorious peak on his side's last visit to Eastlands in May when a single-goal win effectively sealed his ninth championship crown.

"Last year was amazing," he laughed.

"They spent a fortune on those blue-and-white scarves for all the fans and they never had a shot at goal, or tried to beat us.

"We were trying to win the league, and they were quite happy."

Ferguson's assessment may be stretching a point slightly, given Edwin van der Sar saved a late Darius Vassell penalty which would have earned City a draw.

Nevertheless, the relatively timid manner of that defeat hastened Stuart Pearce's departure.

Despite public doubts over his record with England, Eriksson has had an immediate impact at the Blues.

Successive wins over West Ham and Derby mean even if City were to lose on Sunday, they would still head their local rivals in the table.

Yet as Ferguson is only too aware, success brings its own pressures - and given the desperation of the City fans to end a 31-year trophy drought, the heat is on.

"It is a big season for every City manager that comes along, especially so this time because they have spent a bagful of money on players," he said.

"No matter what people say, there is an expectation now because they have won their first two games. They have to manage that. That is more difficult."

Having noted Eriksson had talks with Aston Villa and "another club" he opted not to name, Ferguson is not surprised to see the Swede returning to life as a manager in England.

What has caught him slightly on the hop is the sheer number of unknown players Eriksson has brought in from abroad, which makes planning for Sunday's encounter slightly difficult.

"I know about (Martin) Petrov and (Rolando) Bianchi," he said.

"They were on the radar screen for everyone for a long time. But I don't know about the rest of them. Time will tell."

Despite investing heavily himself this summer, Ferguson finds his own options restricted.

Cristiano Ronaldo begins a three-match ban following his dismissal at Portsmouth - joining Gary Neville, Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha, Anderson and Owen Hargreaves on a long list of absentees.

Hargreaves' recovery from a tendinitis problem is proving frustratingly slow, although Ferguson is confident the ฃ18million summer arrival from Bayern Munich will not need to have an injection.

"We think we are on the right road to sorting it out," he said.

"The better prevention is to do it naturally.

"Owen has been training reasonably well, and we are prepared to go along that course until it deteriorates. If that happens - in any way, shape or form - we have to consider an injection."

Ferguson will place his trust in Carlos Tevez - who performed creditably on his debut at Portsmouth, setting up Paul Scholes for United's opener.

But while Tevez's fellow Argentinian Gabriel Heinze is fit, it appears highly unlikely Ferguson would name him in his squad just 23 hours before a Premier League panel will determine whether the 29-year-old should be free to join Liverpool.

Thank you "http://www.football365.com" for detail

TORRES WILL FIT IN QUICKLY - KUYT

Dirk Kuyt is confident it will not take much time for Liverpool's record signing Fernando Torres to fully adjust to the demands of the Barclays Premier League after his promising debut against Aston Villa.

Torres, signed from Atletico Madrid for ฃ20.2 million, instantly linked up well with Kuyt in the Reds' 2-1 success - their first opening day victory during the Rafael Benitez's era.

The Spain striker squandered one gilt-edged chance in the first half but was involved in the build-up to the opener - an own goal from Villa defender Martin Laursen - and looked sharp until he was taken off with 20 minutes remaining.

Kuyt said: "I thought that Fernando played well. We had some good chances and we looked good together.

"The first goal was an own goal but the team work between the two of us leading up to it was really good.

"Now we will just try to work on things and keep going in the right direction.

"It's his first time in the Premier League but I don't think he will need too long a time to adjust. Every player needs a few games when they come in but he has shown already some quality.

"With a bit of luck he could have scored his first goal for Liverpool. He is real quality."

For all of Torres' skills, it required a superb last gasp-strike from the ever-dependable Steven Gerrard to earn Liverpool their first win on the first day of the campaign for five years.

Gareth Barry's penalty looked to have secured an undeserved share of the spoils for Villa only for Gerrard to give Villa keeper Stuart Taylor no chance with a free-kick after he was adjudged to have been fouled by Stiliyan Petrov.

Kuyt said: "Steven has the feeling for important moments and important goals. He is a wonderful player. He has lots of quality and he showed today one of his qualities.

"He scored a wonderful free-kick at the right time and he is very important for the team and I was very thankful for his goal."

Kuyt is aware of the Reds' need to make a positive start to the campaign if they are to challenge the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea for the title.

He said: "It is a good start and we finally have three points in the first league game. That was very important for us and it is up to us to keep going.

"The importance of starting well has been said to us but we really wanted to show the people that we have quality and we can rival with the big clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

"It is very important that you don't lose too many points in the beginning. In the last few years we have been too far behind by September, October.

"To be honest, I think we had a really good second half to last season but that's not good enough to be challenging with the other clubs.

"We have to be playing all year and that's what we are trying to do now. We want to play better and better. We are off the mark now and have to keep going."

Villa captain Barry believes Villa were unlucky to concede the free-kick which led to Gerrard's winner but he was quick to praise the England star.

He said: "We felt it wasn't a free-kick. Stan (Petrov) said he has got a touch on the ball and the referee (Mike Riley) has looked around and thought 'Let's give them a free-kick.'

"We won't complaint too much but we felt we were a bit unlucky.

"From then on Steven Gerrard showed why he is one of the best players in Europe and the world. He has put the free-kick in the top corner.

"It is a sickener and it will be disappointing for a couple of days because a late winner against you is always the worst way to go away from the ground.

"But we will get our heads up on Monday and Tuesday and look towards Newcastle. It is a long season and we will go out there at Newcastle next weekend looking for a result."

Barry believes the performance of Ashley Young should give Villa cause for optimism.

"Ashley has come back confident since the playing for the England Under-21s in the summer. He is playing well and he put in a great couple of crosses," he said.

"He is going to get better as the season goes on. He was a big plus against Liverpool and I am sure he will get better and better."

Meanwhile Villa midfielder Craig Gardner, currently operating as a makeshift right-back, has agreed a new four-year contract.

Thank you"http://www.football365.com" for detail.

FANS FORCED RICHARDSON OUT

Sir Alex Ferguson claims opposition to Kieran Richardson from Manchester United fans forced him to sell him to Sunderland.

The United chief says it was better for the player to move on after he came in for stick from some sections of the Old Trafford faithful.

He let Richardson move to the Stadium of Light in a ฃ5.5million switch in the summer, so linking up with former United team-mate Roy Keane at the Stadium of Light.

Ferguson told the Sunday Express: "I let him go mainly because some fans were getting on his back and I don't like that.

"Kieran has great ability but he isn't going to flourish if he hasn't got everyone behind him.

"So when Sunderland made a good offer, I decided to accept and send him on his way with our best wishes."

While landing Richardson, the Sunderland boss missed out on striker David Nugent and defender Leighton Baines in the summer transfer market.

But a reflective Keane said: "I don't think the Nugent one was ever going to happen and I don't think Baines was ever going to happen.

"If the lad is an Everton fan and he wanted to go there, then good luck to him.

"I'm not sure that people from Liverpool are too keen to sign for an ex-Man United player."

Thank you"http://www.football365.com" for detail.

Comment: In praise of Eriksson

Sven-Goran Eriksson must have taken a great deal of pleasure in watching a rerun of his video stars' 2-0 away victory over West Ham on Saturday.

Since taking over as manager at Manchester City, the Swede has endured plenty of sniping from the British media, notably over the way he has recruited eight new players using - among other sources of information - videos to gauge the effectiveness of his new signings.

But on the evidence of City's win over West Ham, Eriksson clearly knows a thing or two about talent identification. And why not! He is, after all, someone who as a club manager won 18 trophies in Sweden, Portugal and Italy.

From the elan of Elano, to the bullishness of Bulgarian Martin Petrov, City showed a lot more quality than they did last season, as Dietmar Hamann was quick to point out on Match of the Day.

Perhaps the sniping of the media tells us more about England and English football than it does about Eriksson.

The media were always quick to pin the national team's failings on Eriksson rather than an underperforming group of players.

We were told that Eriksson was no Winston Churchill - he was dismissed as the Iain Duncan-Smith of English football.

The media conveniently forgot that, as a club manager, Eriksson had a record of producing entertaining and usually successful sides.

Before Eriksson came to England, I interviewed David Platt about the Swede when they were together at Sampdoria.

Platt recounted a story about Eriksson employing a chef, who was hugely popular with the players - as much for his sense of humour as his cooking skills.

It is a tale that says much about how much emphasis Eriksson places on the importance of team bonding.

Moreover, contrast the way City played on Saturday to the manner of their performances under Stuart Pearce.

The former City manager epitomised the traits of English football that fans and pundits invariably drool over - passion and commitment.

Yet the quintessential hard man of English football, forever remembered with his eyes blazing and fist raised after scoring that penalty against Spain in Euro 96, proved less capable of maintaining any semblance of discipline among his squad.

Pearce’s reign was scarred by a grotesque indiscipline.

As well as a poor man-management, Pearce's track record in the transfer market was equally lamentable.

What is Pearce doing now? Relearning his trade in the lower leagues, perhaps? Of course not, he is now in charge of his country's future international stars as the England Under-21 coach.

You could forgive Eriksson for thinking that the joke is on England rather than on him.

Thank you "http://news.bbc.co.uk" for detail.

Transfer Gossip

The Sunny Sunday Gossip

HAVE A GOOD LAUGH AT THE OPENING PARAGRAPH OF THIS
'Tottenham supremo Daniel Levy has hiked the asking price for Mido to a staggering ฃ7.5million as Middlesbrough try to close a deal for the Egyptian striker,' says The People.

Jesus wept.

It's not the only bad news for Middlesbrough, with the News Of The World claiming that 'Yakubu is set to get his move from The Riverside after all. Negotiations have been going on all week with the 24-year-old Nigerian international set to join Everton who have chased his signature all season.'

All season? That's one day.

Still, The Observer agrees that Everton is Yakubu's likely destination.

Meanwhile, 'Gareth Southgate is keen to snap up Portsmouth's veteran defender Dejan Stefanovic to get him out of an injury crisis.

'But Boro will have to give Stefanovic, 32, a long-term contract to pull off the deal because he will need a work permit to stay in England.

'Stefanovic's Pompey days are numbered and he can go for about ฃ750,000.'

The People also claims that Southgate is interested in Milan Baros, who has failed to impress at Lyon since leaving Aston Villa. Where he failed to impress. As he did at Liverpool. Is anyone else noticing a pattern?


CHELSKI TURN TO QUARESMA...
If Arjen Robben does, as expected, do one to Real Madrid, Chelski will look to replace him with the ฃ27m capture of Ricardo Quaresma from Porto, according to the News Of The World.

The Blues will face competition for the winger, however. Pretending to be a real journalist, the Gossip Column has done a bit of research (okay, google) and discovered that Fiorentina are willing to break the bank to take him to Italy.


...WHILE MANYOO WANT ALVES
With Gary 'The Neviller' Neville looking increasingly broken, the Sunday Express reckons ManYoo are on the look-out for a new right back.

Inevitably, they've deided that means the Red Devils will go head to head with Chelski for the signature of Brazilian Dani Alves, who has made his desire to leave Sevilla very public.


WEST HAM MIGHT STILL GET GUDJOHNSEN
'Eidur Gudjohnsen 'could still leave the Camp Nou,' for West Ham, according to an executive at Barcelona, who believes the Iceland striker will return to the Premier League to secure regular first-team football,' says The Observer.

They also claim that West Ham's attempts to capture Kieron Dyer are ongoing - in contrast to a claim in the redtops this morning that Dyer's move collapsed because he failed a medical.


IT'S ALL GO AT ARSENAL
In news that makes more sense after David Healy's first Premier League goal, The People reckon Arsenal are eyeing Celtic's Artur Boruc as a replacement for Jens Lehmann.

The Gunners, says the paper, are 'considering a ฃ6million offer before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month.

'Sources at both clubs confirm talks have taken place about a deal which would see Poland World Cup keeper Boruc, 27, heading for London.

'Lehmann, 37, signed a new deal in the summer and his deputy, Poland's Lukasz Fabianski, could find himself pushed down the Gunners' list by his compatriot.'

Arsene Wenger, meanwhile, has threatened legal action against Real Madrid, telling the News Of The World: "I did not allow Fabregas to talk to anybody. He denies that he spoke to Real Madrid. So if you can get the statement that he's done that and that Real Madrid has done that we will sue Real Madrid."

More detail....

Thank you"http://www.football365.com" for detail.

Southgate slams Yak talk

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate has confirmed that Everton have made an approach for the Teessiders' leading scorer Yakubu.

The 24-year-old Nigeria international is a reported £10million target for the Toffees, despite Boro being insistent that they do not want to sell the former Portsmouth frontman.

Southgate told Sky Sports News: "I haven't had any contact from Everton, I know there's been contact at higher levels.

"I don't know the exact ins and outs of whether there was anything written or anything else, but it's irrelevant because he's not for sale.

"Whatever the form of the contact was, we're trying to build a team and we feel that Yakubu is an important part of our team.

"As I say he is very happy. I have a good relationship with him, he's focused on what he wants to do and he's looking forward to this weekend.

"He's very happy, he's been excellent especially the last couple of weeks as we get towards the start of the season, he's looking sharper and sharper.

"We're not welcoming any bids, particularly 24 hours before the start of the season to take one of our best players away."

Thank you "http://www.football.co.uk" for detail.

Fifa man opposes England 2018 bid

Fifa vice-president Jack Warner said he will battle to stop England hosting the 2018 World Cup.

His decision will be a blow to the Football Association, who were likely to plan a bid on the back of any change to the current selection procedures.

"If the World Cup were to go to Europe, I'm quite sure, with the English luck as it is, they won't get it," Warner told BBC World Service.

"There are moves to give it to England. I must fight that."

Interview: Fifa vice-president Jack Warner

Interview: 2018 World Cup ambassador Richard Caborn

Warner, a member of the world football body's executive committee since 1983, added: "It will be Italy, Spain, or even France who will get the World Cup if it goes to Europe.

"Nobody in Europe likes England. England invented the sport but has never made any impact on world football."

FA chief executive Brian Barwick told BBC Radio Five Live he was "disappointed" by Warner's remarks.

"On Uefa, we are - alongside Germany - the most well-represented country in football across committees and working groups.

"I think frankly they are personal remarks," he added. "I think Fifa will distance themselves from them very quickly."

It is believed Fifa president Sepp Blatter is set to end the World Cup rotation policy when the executive committee meet later in the year.

Instead, the association are likely to approve a format that only precludes the continents that held the previous two World Cups from bidding again, which in 2018 would be Africa and South America.

Warner, president of Concacaf, added that he would battle to bring international football's premier tournament to his region, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean.

"I really don't believe that we should just lay down and play dead to anyone who wants to take the World Cup from Concacaf," he said.

In July another Fifa executive committee member and former World Cup winner, German legend Franz Beckenbauer, offered his support to England hosting the 2018 World Cup.

He told BBC Five Live's Sportsweek: "There is no better country in Europe to host the World Cup in 2018. England is the favourite."

He added: "The most important thing is to end the rotation and bring the tournament back to Europe.

"The Premier League at the moment is the best league in Europe and the stadiums are outstanding.

"In my opinion, there is only one very serious candidate and it is England."

BBC World Service will air the full interview with Jack Warner on World Football with Alan Green on Saturday 11 August and Saturday 18 August.

Thank you "http://news.bbc.co.uk" for detail.

Fergie can handle United squad - Ole

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has backed Sir Alex Ferguson to use all his managerial experience to keep the Manchester United squad happy.

Ferguson has signalled his intent this summer by recruiting Nani, Anderson and Owen Hargreaves, with Carlos Tevez set to bolster the attack when his registration is completed.
Although Kieran Richardson, Giuseppe Rossi and Alan Smith have left Old Trafford, there is still plenty for Ferguson to choose from, with Solskjaer hoping to give his boss an attacking option when he recovers from minor knee surgery.
The hectic summer is in contrast to a year ago when Ferguson plotted a way to get the better of Chelsea and win back the Premier League title.
"Last season he signed just Michael Carrick after not winning the Premier League for three years so the trust and belief he showed in us was very important for us developing as a team," said Solskjaer. "Now he's challenging everyone again by signing a few exciting players.
"He's had 20 top internationals every year and to create an environment for everyone to work together is not easy.
"He's fantastic at getting the best out of every single one of them. Now we have a squad of almost 30 players so he will need that skill even more.
"I can't see any reason why he can't keep everyone happy because he's so good at what he does, challenging us all the time but when you need an arm around your shoulder he's there."
Solskjaer has been pleased with his fitness progress and although he is not in full training he believes he is "very close" to a return and is keen to build on scoring 11 goals last season following his long-term knee problems.
"It was great being part of it last year after being out through injury," he said. "Football is all about pace and we had that, now with the players we have we'll be quicker."
The 34-year-old is hoping to play his part as United challenge on all fronts again, fitting for one of the surviving heroes from the 1999 treble.
"Manchester United has always tried to challenge on more than one front; last year we won the league, reached the final of the FA Cup and the semi-finals of the Champions League," he said. "We were capable of challenging last year so I don't see why it's any different.
"The Champions League is a different matter - 10 teams can win it."
Winning another Champions League is one target in what could be Solskjaer's final year, with reports in his native Norway that he could retire from playing at the end of the coming season.
His current deal allows him to develop his coaching experience and Ferguson has talked about the popular striker having a role as an ambassador for the club in the future.
"You feel like United's part of your family but so is my Mum and Dad and I've not lived with them for my whole life," said Solskjaer. "But I really enjoy being part of Manchester United."

More News.......

Thank you " http://www.teamtalk.com" for detail

Allardyce cannot hide frustration at Owen injuries

Sam Allardyce has revealed his "bitter disappointment" at Michael Owen's inability to take part in most of the club's pre-season friendlies.
After spending almost the whole of last season on the sidelines following a knee injury sustained at the World Cup, the England striker was able to take part in Newcastle United's final few league games and appeared set for a full pre-season. But a thigh injury picked up during shooting practice last month has dashed those hopes and the 27-year-old now looks certain to miss the opening weeks of the new Barclays Premier League season.
"When I arrived one of the biggest worries was not knowing about Michael's future, but since then the biggest frustration has been his niggling injuries," Allardyce, the Newcastle manager, said. "For him not to be able to play in pre-season is frustrating for him and bitterly disappointing for us.
"He desperately needed those games, but unfortunately this thigh injury has taken longer than we thought to get better. It must be terrible for him because he was really looking forward to getting involved with the lads again during the pre-season games.

...Related Links ...
Owen owes fans says Shepherd
Allardyce tires of slim pickings
Allardyce plays down new Owen injury

"He has done plenty of training when he has been recovering from the injury - it isn't training he is lacking, it is games and missing pre-season is a big blow for him and us."
Allardyce suffered more injury woe ahead of the new season after Shay Given, his goalkeeper, picked up a groin problem.
The 31-year-old limped out of the weekend's friendly clash with Sampdoria and has been sent for further assessment after being dogged by similar problems for much of last term.
"He has gone to see a specialist in London because we want to make sure just how much damage has been done," Allardyce said. "He has been for a scan and it doesn't look serious, it's just a slight strain. At the moment we only expect him to be out for a couple of weeks, but we won't take any risks."

Thank you " http://www.timesonline.co.uk/ " for detail.

Latest News

Fulham fail with Lafferty bid : August 07 2007
Burnley manager Steve Cotterill has confirmed he has turned down an undisclosed offer from Fulham for striker Kyle Lafferty.
Lafferty played under Cottagers boss Lawrie Sanchez during his time as Northern Ireland manager but the 19-year-old is under contract at Turf Moor until 2010.
Cotterill said: "We don't want to sell Kyle come what may, but there would obviously come a time if it ever got to a certain figure, that the club would have to look at it.
"Having said that we don't want to sell him and we turned down Fulham's offer and we are not anticipating another one."

United hold out Tevez hope : August 07 2007
Carlos Tevez's move to Old Trafford will not be signed off by the Premier League on Tuesday but Manchester United are hopeful the deal will be confirmed by the kick-off of the new season the weekend.
The Argentina striker is set to sign a two-year loan-type agreement, but the contract has to be deemed acceptable by the Premier League.
It is understood the league's lawyers will not be able to sign it off yet and there are some concerns that the delay could stretch on beyond the weekend because a similar deal involving Javier Mascherano to Liverpool took a number of weeks to be cleared.
The Tevez deal though is so similar to Mascherano's that the Premier League champions are confident it can go through before the weekend.



Lee commits to Tractor Boys : August 07 2007
Ipswich striker Alan Lee has confirmed he has now signed a new contract with the Tractor Boys.
The 28-year-old has penned a new two-year deal, having been chased by fellow Championship side Hull for most of the summer.
"I am obviously glad to get things sorted but it was never in my mind to move on," he told the club's official website.
"There was a lot of speculation around and family and friends were asking me what was going on, but I took it as a positive club were interested in me.
"I did not let it affect me and now things have been confirmed I can look to the future here and I can only see it being a bright future.
"We have some very good players and I want to play my part helping Ipswich get back to the Premiership," he added.

More News.....

Thank you http://www.itv-football.co.uk/ for detail.

Transfer News "Premiership"

Arsenal
In (signed): Eduardo da Silva (Dinamo Zagreb, undisclosed); Lukasz Fabianski (Legia Warsaw, undisclosed); Havard Nordtveit (Haugesund); Bacary Sagna (Auxerre, undisclosed)
In (rumours): Pedro Silva (Figueirense); Luka Modric (Dinamo Zagreb, £11m)
Out (signed): Thierry Henry (to Barcelona, £16m); Jose Antonio Reyes (Atletico Madrid, undisclosed); Fredrik Ljungberg (West Ham, £3m); Fabrice Muamba (Birmingham City, undisclosed); Mart Poom (Watford, undisclosed); Jeremie Aliadiere (Middlesbrough, £2m); Arturo Lupoli (Fiorentina, free); Matthew Connolly (Colchester United, loan); Kerrea Gilbert (Southend, loan)


Liverpool
In (signed): Fernando Torres (Atletico Madrid, £20m); Andriy Voronin (Bayer Leverkusen, free); Ryan Babel (Ajax, £11.5m); Yossi Benayoun (West Ham, £5m); Lucas Leiva (Gremio, undisclosed); Sebastien Leto (Club Atletico Lanus, £1.7m); Nikolay Mihaylov (Levski Sofia); Mikel San Jose (Athletic Bilbao, £270,000); Krisztian Nemeth, Andras Simon (both MTK Hungariam, undisclosed)
In (rumours): Ricardo Quaresma (Sporting Lisbon, £12m); Morten Gamst Pedersen (Blackburn); Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic £5m); Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus, £7m); Gabriel Heinze (Manchester United, £6.8m)
Out (signed): Robbie Fowler (Cardiff City, free); Jerzy Dudek (Real Madrid, free); Danny Guthrie (Bolton Wanderers, loan); Florent Sinama-Pongolle (Recreativo Huelva, £2.7m); Luis Garcia (Atletico Madrid, £4m); Craig Bellamy (West Ham, £7.5m); Djibril Cisse (Marseille); Boudewijn Zenden (Marseille, free); Adam Hammill (Southampton, loan); Mark Gonzalez (Real Betis, free)
Out (rumours): Scott Carson (Sunderland); Anthony Le Tallec (Sochaux, £2.5m)




Manchester United
In (signed): Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich, undisclosed); Nani (Sporting Lisbon, undisclosed); Anderson (Porto, £18m); Tomasz Kuszczak (West Brom, undisclosed)
In (rumours): Carlos Tevez (West Ham/MSI, loan with first option at £20m); Eidur Gudjohnsen (Barcelona); Renato Augusto (Flamengo)
Out (signed): Tim Howard (Everton, free); Kieran Richardson (Sunderland, £5m); Guiseppe Rossi (Villareal, undisclosed); Alan Smith (Newcastle United, undisclosed)
Out (rumours): Gabriel Heinze (Liverpool, Real Madrid, Juventus, £5m); Mikael Silvestre (Manchester City, Newcastle); Ben Foster (loan)

Chelsea
In (signed): Florent Malouda (Lyon, £13.5m); Steve Sidwell (Reading, free); Claudio Pizarro (Bayern Munich, free); Tal Ben Haim (Bolton, free); Danny Philliskirk (Oldham, undisclosed); Stuart Searle (Basingstoke, free)
In (rumours): Alex (PSV, return from long-term loan, subject to work permit); Royston Drenthe (Feyenoord, £6.75m); Daniel Alves (Sevilla, £19m); Pascal Chimbonda (Tottenham Hotspur)
Out (signed): Nuno Morais (Apoel Nicosia, free); Yves Makabu-Ma-Kalamby (Hibernian, free); Geremi (Newcastle, free); Khalid Boulahrouz (Sevilla, loan); Michael Mancienne (QPR, loan); Ben Sahar (QPR, loan)
Out (rumours): Arjen Robben (Real Madrid, £20m); Scott Sinclair (QPR, on loan); Shaun Wright-Phillips (Tottenham Hotspur, £12m); Glen Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur); Michael Ballack (Real Madrid, £25m)

More detail.......

Thank you http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com for detail.