TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| Top 20 moments of the decade: Michael Owen's hat-trick in Munich Was England's 5-1 win over Germany the best of the Noughties? telegraph.co.uk |
Football transfer rumours: Nemanja Vidic to Real Madrid? Today's Mill was persuaded to throw out a football programme collection only a fortnight ago and is not at all resentfulThe Rumour Mill is minding its own business in a graveyard at dawn, attempting to roast its frozen chestnuts on a puny brazier when who should turn up but Blackburn Rovers' El Hadji Diouf muttering something about weather. "Ha! Ha!" he says. "'Tis ever and so nuncle, with the Black Monks. Scream did he, scream and gurgle as they skewered his cat flap for want of a farthing? Oh! Poor Diouf's cold! Pity poor Diouf, for his nose is frozen, and he does shiver." Apparently, it's taters out and the cold snap has badly affected his form.Real Madrid are hoping to capitalise on Mrs Vidic's similar contempt for the Lancashire climate by making a £20m summer bid for her husband, Nemanja. Manchester United are lining up Porto's Bruno Alves as his replacement. If that sounds familiar it's because Sir Alex Ferguson has had to go back to Plan A having been told by Palermo's Simon Kjaer that he has no intention of moving to England despite both United and City being prepared to trigger the £18m release clause in his contract.There's a lot of United ire in the tabs this morning, inspired principally by how comments made by Fabio Capello – United are no longer a "war machine" – were spun yesterday. "Get stuffed, we don't miss Cristiano Ronaldo and we're well placed to win the title," is the gist of Ferguson's rapid rebuttal.Manchester United will move, however, to bring in a goalkeeper and fancy Lyon's Hugo "Slender" Lloris but not the £20m asking price.In other Lancashire news, Darren Ferguson is on the verge of replacing Alan Irvine at Preston North End unless Gary Megson-less Bolton Wanderers beat them to it. Blackburn's Benni McCarthy has been heard humming the Kinks' Set Me Free. "Enough's enough," he told the Mail. "I feel I've been stepped on too much and it's best to go." And when it's Big Sam stepping on you, a £2m move to Birmingham City would relieve the South Africa striker of a great weight. Burnley, meanwhile, are close to agreeing terms with Algeria's captain, Yazid Mansouri. A million quid will persuade Lorient to let the midfielder strut in front of the David Fishwick minibus ads at Turf Moor.Moving south Arsène Wenger has outed himself as a Craig Bellamy fan but thinks getting him out of Manchester City is a non-starter. He'll turn instead to QPR's 15-year-old "wonderkid" Raheem Sterling and stop Jack Wilshere joining Burnley on loan following injuries to Cesc Fábregas and Denilson.Birmingham are going to sign Joe Hart on a long-term deal from Manchester City for £3.5m instead of waiting until June when they fear the price might be more.Ruud van Nistelrooy's wages have scared off Blackburn but Liverpool can just about run to the £87,500 a week he wants to leave Real Madrid.Wee Gordon Strachan, former chalkboard purveyor of this parish, is going to splash £6m on Celtic's Stephen McManus, Barry Robson and Scott McDonald while Paul Telfer sits by the phone wondering if he may have been inadvertently cut off.Mick McCarthy thinks Derby's Kris Commons would look dandy in old gold and Chris Hughton is eyeing up Leeds' Jermaine Beckford. Both men reckon £1.25m should swing the deals with Newcastle particularly bullish given Beckford has only six months of his contract to run and will tempt the Elland Road supremo, Bad Santa, with a cheeky bid.And finally, for Liverpool fans, here's a titbit from the web deep throats' site of choice: "Ryan Babel to Birmingham for £10m. Andriy Voronin to Zenit St Petersburg for £3m. Philipp Degen will move to Wigan for £2m and Andrea Dossena is going to Atlético Madrid for £4.5m. With £20m at his disposal, Rafa will spend £11m on [Galatasaray's] Arda Turan, £3.5m on [Standard Liège's] Milan Jovanovic and £5m on [Crystal Palace's] Victor Moses."Please feel free to add your own guff below.Manchester UnitedTransfer windowLiverpoolReal MadridRob Bagchiguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Edwin van der Sar returns to training with Manchester United • Van der Sar was on compassionate leave after wife collapsed• Goalkeeper has joined up with team-mates in QatarEdwin van der Sar has returned to training at Manchester United for the first time since his wife collapsed with a brain haemorrhage before Christmas.The United goalkeeper has been on compassionate leave since Annemarie van Kesteren was admitted to hospital in Amsterdam on 23 December but the latest medical tests have shown she has suffered no permanent damage and Van der Sar has flown to Qatar to be with the rest of his team-mates at their four-day winter training camp.When Van der Sar will play again remains uncertain after he missed the last three weeks and the Dutchman has also been troubled by a knee injury.He has not played since the 3-0 defeat of Everton on 21 November.Manchester UnitedPremier LeagueDaniel Taylorguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Van der Sar ready to return for Burnley • Sir Alex Ferguson will speak to Van der Sar before game• United manager says Rio Ferdinand is also close to comebackEdwin van der Sar could make his Manchester United comeback against Burnley tomorrow, after spending the week training with his team-mates in Qatar.The goalkeeper has not played for United since mid-November, when he injured a knee against Everton. His wife Annemarie suffered a stroke just before Christmas, but she has now recovered and, after spending this week in Qatar with his team-mates during the warm weather training camp, the 39-year-old is on contention to face Burnley at Old Trafford."Edwin has come back to training and has done very well," said United's manager Sir Alex Ferguson. "He has been out for a few weeks and it is great to see him back. He will give us so much experience when he eventually does come back, which is important to us."Ferguson will have a chat with Van der Sar before deciding on his line-up for tomorrow's game. However, it seems very possible, given United's recent struggles at the back, that the former Holland captain will be recalled in place of Tomasz Kuszczak."It depends how Edwin feels but he has been training very well," said the United manager, before adding that long-term absentees Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves had also continued to make progress in Qatar last week. "They both took part in some work and Rio in particular is not too far away now."Dimitar Berbatov, meanwhile, is resisting having an exploratory operation on a lingering knee problem, with Ferguson hopeful that surgery can be delayed until the end of the season."Dimitar doesn't want an operation," said Ferguson. "Sometimes he feels the injury, other times he doesn't. It might have been the warmer climes but he didn't feel it at all in Qatar last week. We are just keeping an eye on it at present."Manchester UnitedPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Avram Grant faces race against time after transfer embargo lifted Portsmouth in race to make new signings after transfer embargo is lifted. telegraph.co.uk |