Chelsea short price to win EPL title after Manchester Utd stumble
UK bookmaker Betfred make Chelsea the 8/15 favourites to win this season's Premier League after moving four points clear of nearest challengers Manchester United.
Chelsea won 2-0 at struggling Wolves in their 3pm kick-off - taking full advantage of the Man United's lunchtime defeat at Everton.
Third-place Arsenal moved to 55 points - two points behind United - after a 2-0 win at home to Sunderland. With 11 games left to play the Gunners are now a 13/2 chance at BetFred to win their first league title in six years.
Man United Ryan Giggs out for a month with fractured arm
Manchester United have been dealt an injury blow, with Ryan Giggs ruled out for four weeks with a fractured arm.
Although Sir Alex Ferguson sounded optimistic immediately after United's draw at Aston Villa, the way Giggs held his right arm after the second-half collision with Steve Sidwell and the fact he left for an X-ray with his arm in a sling suggested bad news was on its way.
On Thursday afternoon it was announced that Giggs will miss both legs of the Champions League encounter with AC Milan, the Carling Cup final against Villa at Wembley on February 28, plus a sequence of key Premier League matches.
The only good news is that a four-week absence suggests the damage is relatively minor and Giggs should be back before the crunch encounter with Liverpool at Old Trafford on March 31.
It provides Ferguson with a double headache in terms of his wide players because Nani must now serve a three-match ban following his dismissal for a reckless tackle on Stiliyan Petrov.
30-31st Jan : Round-up of English Premier League weekend
Manchester United moved to within a point of Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea as they beat Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Burnley 1-2 Chelsea
John Terry grabbed a late winner for Chelsea to deny battling Burnley a point at Turf Moor, heading home home a corner from Florent Malouda in the 83rd minute.
It was a cruel blow for the hosts, who had drawn level through Steven Fletcher after Nicolas Anelka had opened the scoring.
Arsenal 1-3 Manchester United
Nani opened the scoring on 33 minutes when his chip across goal was palmed in by Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia, before in-form England striker Wayne Rooney swept home a second following a quick counter attack.
A third on the break from Ji-Sung Park at the start of the second half effectively ended the contest, although defender Thomas Vermaelen netted a consolation for the Gunners.
Birmingham City 1-1 Tottenham
Liam Ridgewell's last-minute strike denied Tottenham a precious victory at Birmingham and left Harry Redknapp's men clinging onto fourth place.
Ridgewell finished off a header across goal by Cameron Jerome to snatch a 1-1 draw for the home side after Spurs looked set to claim victory through Jermain Defoe's 69th-minute effort.
Liverpool 2-0 Bolton
Liverpool coasted to a 2-0 win over Owen Coyle's Bolton at Anfield.
Dirk Kuyt stabbed home the opener in the 37th minute and Liverpoolmade the game safe in the 70th minute when a shot from Emiliano Insua took a huge deflection off Kevin Davies and squirted past Jussi Jaaskelainen in the Bolton goal.
Fulham 0-2 Aston Villa
Villa also kept up the pace with a 2-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage thanks to two goals just before half-time from Gabriel Agbonlahor.
The striker opened the scoring when he headed home Stiliyan Petrov's 40th-minute cross, and four minutes later he turned Brede Hangeland in the box before firing the second past Mark Schwarzer.
Manchester City 2-0 Portsmouth
Manchester City closed to within a point of fourth-spot with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Portsmouth.
There was no joyous celebration as Adebayor rattled his 40th-minute goal past David James, instead he acknowledged the heavens in remembrance of his Togo team mates.
Vincent Kompany then powered home a header from Martin Petrov's corner to ensure the Blues moved to within a point of Tottenham.
English Premier League Top Ten Standings
Team Pl GD Pts
1 Chelsea 23 +38 54
2 Man Utd 24 +36 53
3 Arsenal 24 +32 49
4 Tottenham 24 +20 42
5 Liverpool 24 +16 41
6 Man City 22 +14 41
7 Aston Villa 23 +13 40
8 Birmingham 23 -1 34
9 Everton 23 -1 32
10 Blackburn 24 -15 28
Arsenal and Manchester United both held to draws in Premier League
Manchester United and Arsenal were both held to draws in the two games that survived the big freeze.
Arsenal 2-2 Everton
Substitute Tomas Rosicky snatched a point for Arsenal as they drew 2-2 against a battling Everton side at a snowy Emirates Stadium.
Leon Osman headed the visitors into a deserved lead on 12 minutes. However, the midfielder then deflected Denilson's shot past Tim Howard as the Gunners levelled before the break.
Steven Pienaar's breakaway goal looked to have won it with eight minutes to go, only for Tomas Rosicky to grab a crucial strike in added time as Arsenal cut the deficit on leaders Chelsea down to three points.
Birmingham City 1-1 Manchester United
Manchester United needed an own goal from Birmingham defender Scott Dann to salvage a 1-1 draw at St. Andrews as they missed out on the chance to replace Chelsea at the summit.
Birmingham were incensed referee Mark Clattenburg allowed the equaliser to stand after 63 minutes, cancelling out Cameron Jerome's first-half opener, and he consulted with one of his assistants before correctly awarding the goal.
The Red Devils ended with 10 men after midfielder Darren Fletcher was sent off in the closing stages for a second bookable offence.
The draw enabled Blues to make club history in achieving their longest ever unbeaten top-flight run of 12 games - a run stretching back to October.
FA Cup 3rd Round :Leeds stun Man Utd with 1-0 win at Old Trafford
Leeds United grabbed a famous FA Cup victory over their fierce rivals Manchester United winning a thrilling tie at Old Trafford 1-0.
Forty-two league places separate League One based Leeds United following the Yorkshire club's dramatic fall from grace during the last decade but Simon Grayson's side showed the rate of their recent revival with a memorable triumph.
Man Utd had not lost in the third round of the Cup during Sir Alex Ferguson's 23-year reign as manager, nor had they been knocked out of it by a lower-division side, but the Red Devils slumped to their biggest upset in this competition since they were dumped out by Bournemouth in 1984.
It was a fully merited win for Leeds too, who were full of endeavour coming forward before Beckford outpaced the Man Utd defence to score and, just as importantly, defended as if their lives depended on it afterwards.
Grayson's men came into the game unbeaten in 15 games and having lost only twice all season but they were still expected to be brushed aside by the Premier League champions, who themselves have found form since their defensive injury crisis abated.
Ferguson will have to look at his team selection, with seven changes to the side that thumped Wigan 5-0 earlier in the week, but he kept Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney together up front and Man Utd should have had far too much fire-power for the visitors to handle.
Instead, roared on by 9,000 fanatical supporters, Leeds set about by first frustrating the hosts and then taking the game to them.
Manchester Utd 0-1 Leeds United
Goal : Beckford 19
Manchester United and Arsenal win to close in on Chelsea
Manchester United and Arsenal closed the gap on Premier League leaders Chelsea with big victories over struggling sides Wigan Athletic and Portsmouth.
Defending champions United beat Wigan 5-0 at Old Trafford while Arsenal were never troubled by bottom-of-the-table Portsmouth and won 4-1 at Fratton Park.
Man United raced into a 3-0 lead by halftime with goals from Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and Rafael before Dimitar Berbatov added the fourth soon after the break. Antonio Valencia scored United's fifth against his old club 15 minutes from time.
Arsenal also had the points wrapped up by the break thanks to goals from Eduardo, whose free-kick took a huge deflection off Younes Kaboul, and Samir Nasri.
Aaron Ramsey added a third while Alex Song Billong headed a superb fourth nine minutes from time, after Nadir Belhadj had netted a consolation for the home side.
Chelsea lead the table with 45 points from 20 matches, followed by United on 43 and Arsenal on 41 with a game in hand.
Champions League Draw - Man United get AC Milan, Chelsea face Inter, Arsenal v Porto
AC Milan v MAN UTD
Porto v ARSENAL
Lyon v Real Madrid
CSKA Moscow v Sevilla
Bayern Munich v Fiorentina
Inter Milan v CHELSEA
Olympiakos v Bordeaux
Stuttgart v Barcelona
The first-leg ties will be played on 16, 17, 23 or 24 February. The return games will be played on either 9, 10, 16 or 17 March.
Former Celtic and Barcelona striker Henrik Larsson has been appointed manager of Swedish second division side Landskrona Bois.
Larsson is now 38 and retired as a player in October after finishing his career with Helsingborgs.
Larsson was capped 106 times by Sweden and won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2006 in a 2-1 win over Arsenal in Paris.
He also won two Primera Division titles with Barcelona, four Scottish Premier League crowns while at Celtic and was part of the Manchester United squad that won the Premier League in 2007.
Champions League Group stages complete - 16 teams for second round named
The lineup for the UEFA Champions League first knockout round was completed on Wednesday when the group stage concluded with holders Barcelona, Inter Milan, VfB Stuttgart and Olympiacos taking the final four places.
Generally, the group winners are the stronger section with the five shorted priced sides in the Winners group, but with Inter Milan, Olympique Lyon and Bayern Munich lurking as dangerous runners-up opponents.
Group winners
------------------------------
Bordeaux (FRA)
Manchester United (ENG)
Real Madrid (ESP)
Chelsea (ENG)
ACF Fiorentina (ITA)
FC Barcelona (ESP)
Sevilla (ESP)
Arsenal (ENG)
Group runners-up
------------------------------
Bayern Munchen (GER)
CSKA Moskva (RUS)
AC Milan (ITA)
FC Porto (POR)
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
Internazionale Milano (ITA)
VfB Stuttgart (GER)
Olympiacos (GRE)
Knockout Draw
------------------------------
The draw will take place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland at 12.00CET on Friday 18 December.
The UEFA Champions League first knockout round first-leg ties will take place on 16/17 and 23/24 February 2010 (with two games each day) with the second legs to be played on 9/10 and 16/17 March.
Outright Winner Betting Odds :
------------------------------
Barcelona 4.50 @ Betfred
Chelsea 5.00 @ Eurobet
Real Madrid 7.00 @ Bet365
Manchester United 9.00 @ Ladbrokes
Arsenal 11.00 @ Eurobet
Internazionale Milano 17.00 @ Eurobet
Sevilla 21.00 @ Centrebet
Bayern Munchen 23.00 @ Centrebet
AC Milan 23.00 @ Bet365
Manchester United win in Wolfsburg while Bayern Munich thrash Juventus
Bayern Munich clinched their place in the Champions League knockout stages with a come-from-behind 4-1 victory over Juventus which saw the Italians eliminated.
Bayern earned the win at Juventus despite the Serie A side taking an early lead in Turin through David Trezeguet.
Bayern goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt levelled from the penalty spot and Ivica Olic put the visitors in front seven minutes into the second half.
Late goals from Mario Gomez and Anatoliy Tymoschuk sealed the German side's progression - to leave Juventus with the consolation of a Europa League place.
----------------
Michael Owen scored a hat-trick as Manchester United made light of their injury woes to record a 3-1 win over German champions Wolfsburg.
Edin Dzeko's 56th-minute header cancelled out Owen's first-half opener, but the English international struck twice in the closing stages of the second half to leave Wolfsburg contemplating a place in the UEFA Europa League.
Man City through to Carling Cup semi-final - and will face Manchester United
Manchester City deservedly sealed a place in the Carling Cup semi-final after beating a youthful Arsenal side 3-0 at Eastlands.
Over 46,000 fans turned out to see a strong Manchester City side take on Arsenal's young gunners, and while Arsenal dominated possession (61%-39%), the kids never looked like having the experience to open up City.
The game was still scoreless at the break, Carlos Tevez's spectacular strike five minutes after half-time put City on the path into the last four and a stunning angled drive from Shaun Wright-Phillips sealed the victory for Mark Hughes' side.
Substitute Vladimir Weiss wrapped up City's triumph a minute from time.
Arsenal side :
21 Fabianski
18 Silvestre
27 Eboue
30 Traore
37 Eastmond (Watt 68)
07 Rosicky
16 Ramsey
17 Song Billong
19 Wilshere
32 Merida
12 Vela
Carling Cup Quarter-Final Results :
Blackburn 3-3 Chelsea (Blackburn win 4-3 on pens)
Man City 3-0 Arsenal
Man United 2-0 Tottenham
Portsmouth 2-4 Aston Villa
Carling Cup Semi-final draw:
Manchester City v Manchester United
Blackburn Rovers v Aston Villa
First legs to be played week commencing January 4 and second legs week commencing January 18.
Chelsea are now odds on to win English Premier League
Chelsea are odds-on to win the title for the first time this season - at a top price of 10/11 with Canbet - following their 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday.
Manchester Utd and Arsenal are locked together as 10/3 joint second favourites while Manchester City are now fourth favourites following Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Birmingham City.
Liverpool are 5th favourites at a staggering 40/1 at Betfred, while Tottenham are in 6th spot, and loyal Spurs fans can get a best price of 149/1 at Victor Chandler if they REALLY want a bet on Spurs to win the title.
After Arsenal came back from two down to beat Standard Liege in Belgium, they were backed up into 5th favourite to win the Champions League.
The Gunners were 2-0 down inside five minutes but goals from Nicklas Bendtner, Thomas Vermaelen and Eduardo turned the match on its head and sparked wild celebrations from the visiting fans.
Liverpool meanwhile slipped back after battling to an uninspiring 1-0 win over Hungarian side Debrecen, while Inter Milan and Barcelona held their positions after battling to a 0-0 draw in Milan.
Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are vying for favouritism at a best of 4/1 and 5/1.
But English teams occupy the four of the next places in the betting, with Chelsea shortest at 6/1, Manchester United 15/2, Arsenal 11/1, and both Inter Milan and Liverpool on offer at 12s.
Chelsea still favourites to win English Premier League
Chelsea are the bookmakers title favourites after a late Florent Malouda winner pipped Stoke 2-1 to give the Blues five straight wins to start the season.
Manchester United are second favourites to win the Premier League title following their 3-1 come-from-behind win over Spurs. The Red Devils trailed to an early Jermain Defoe strike but eventually ran out comfortable winners thanks to goals from Ryan Giggs, Anderson and Wayne Rooney.
Liverpool, who saw off Burnley 4-0 at Anfield are third.
It is then Arsenal, Manchester City, and Spurs at a huge 50/1 rounding out the top six.
2009/10 English Premier League outright betting after round 1
Liverpool are out to 5/1 (6.00) for the Premier League title after their 2-1 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday.
Liverpool only lost twice in Premier League last season but got off to a losing start to this term, Steven Gerrard's penalty not enough to take anything from White Hart Lane after goals from Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Sebastien Bassong.
Manchester United were not at their best but still recorded a 1-0 win over Birmingham earlier in the day and continue to fight for favouritism with Chelsea, who saw off Hull 2-1 thanks to Didier Drogba's injury-time fluke on Saturday.
Manchester City set down an early marker with a 2-0 success at Blackburn.
Arsenal also made a tremendous start with a 6-1 hammering of Everton and they are into 7/1 from 8/1 - Hills were even more impressed and they go 11/2 from 9/1.
BEST ODDS FOR YOUR TEAM TO WIN THE 2009/10 LEAGUE : Chelsea 3.00 @ Ladbrokes Manchester United 3.50 @ Pinnacle Liverpool 5.50 @ Ladbrokes Arsenal 9.50 @ Pinnacle Manchester City 15.00 @ Ladbrokes Tottenham Hotspur 101.00 @ Pinnacle Everton 301.00 @ VCBet Aston Villa 501.00 @ VCBet West Ham United 751.00 @ Bet365
FOOTBALL: Manchester City have announced they have reached an agreement to sign Carlos Tevez
The 25-year-old, who left city rivals United at the end of last season, has agreed personal terms and is expected to pen a five-year deal at Eastlands.
City have confirmed the deal has been ratified by the Premier League and the Football Association, and Tevez is expected to have a medical shortly before meeting up with his new team-mates on their pre-season tour to South Africa.
With rumours swirling round Manchester that Emmanuel Adebayor is about to be offered a five-year contract to leave Arsenal and continuing speculation over the future of Chelsea skipper John Terry, it is clear City are a club with plenty of cash.
"This is yet another deal that shows the commitment of owner Sheikh Mansour to make this club the best it can possibly be," said manager Mark Hughes.
FOOTBALL: Franck Ribery has told Bayern Munich that he wants to leave and join Real Madrid.
Franck Ribery has told Bayern Munich that he wants to leave the club and join the new generation of "galacticos" at Real Madrid.
The France international has been at the centre of a long-running saga over the past six months, with Real and Premier League champions Manchester United chasing his signature.
Bundesliga runners-up Bayern have remained adamant that they will not be selling £30m rated Ribery, but their star asset has now announced his desire to move away from Germany.
The 26-year-old wants to follow Raul Albiol, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in agreeing a big-money, summer move to the Bernabeu, delivering another transfer blow to United.
Sir Alex Ferguson chased Benzema, but the Frenchman snubbed Old Trafford and Ribery looks set to do the same.
"I have made up my mind, I want to leave," Ribery told L'Equipe. "It will be Real or nothing."
CARLOS TEVEZ LEAVES MAN UNITED LIKELY TO JOIN CITY
Carlos Tevez is expected to join Manchester City after champions Manchester United confirmed the striker is to leave Old Trafford.
Manchester United issued a statement which read: "Following contact received from Carlos Tevez's advisors last night, in advance of the deadline the club set for concluding negotiations, Manchester United announces that Carlos will not be signing a new contract with the club.
"The club agreed to pay the option price of £25.5million and offered Carlos a five-year contract which would have made him one of its highest-paid players.
"Disappointingly however, his advisors informed the club that, despite the success he has enjoyed during one of the club's most successful periods, he does not wish to continue playing for Manchester United.
"The club would like to thank Carlos for his services over the last two seasons and wishes him good luck for the future."
FOOTBALL: Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he made up his mind to leave Manchester United last summer
Madrid conducted a long and public pursuit of Ronaldo last year but it proved ultimately unsuccessful as the 24-year-old remained at Old Trafford.
But despite staying in the Premier League, and helping United retain their title, Ronaldo claims he made up his mind to leave after the Champions League triumph over Chelsea a year ago.
"After we won the European Cup. I thought there is no more I can achieve here," the Portuguese player told the News of the World.
"And when you have done all you can, you know it is time for a new challenge. I stayed one more season and it was nice to make it three titles in a row but it was my dream to play for Madrid."
FOOTBALL: Fixtures for the 2009-2010 Barclays Premier League season have been released.
Manchester United start at home to newly-promoted Birmingham on August 15, followed by a visit to Burnley where they take on the Coca-Cola Championship play off-winners.
Liverpool start their season with a tough away fixture at Tottenham on August 15, while Chelsea will be at home to Hull.
Over at Goodison Park Everton will host Arsenal while Championship winners Wolves are at home to West Ham on the opening day
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES for Saturday, 15 August 2009 Aston Villa v Wigan Blackburn v Man City Bolton v Sunderland Chelsea v Hull Everton v Arsenal Man Utd v Birmingham Portsmouth v Fulham Stoke v Burnley Tottenham v Liverpool Wolverhampton v West Ham
FOOTBALL: Manchester United have accepted an £80million bid for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid.
Manchester United have finally caved in to Real Madrid's repeated attempts to lure Cristiano Ronaldo away from Old Trafford.
United confirmed on Thursday morning they had accepted an £80million bid for the world player of the year, with a world-record deal expected to go through by June 30.
The news had been expected given that Real stated on Wednesday night talks were under way and now it is only a matter of finalising the player's personal terms before he completes a dream move to the Bernabeu.
A United statement 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."
Barcelona have been installed as favourites to win the Champions League final following their dramatic qualification at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.
Andres Iniesta's injury-time goal - Barca's only shot on target all night - equalised Michael Essien's early effort and sent the Spanish side through on away goals with a 1-1 draw.
Barcelona will now face Manchester United in Rome on May 27 and it's Barca who are the 8/11 favourites with Ladbrokes to lift the trophy they last won in 2006.
Defending champions Manchester United are available at 2.10, with bet365 prepared to go odds-against largely because they have big liabilities on Barca in their outright book.
bet365 spokesman Steve Freeth said: "Bookmakers don't mind draws, but we stopped patting ourselves on the back when we looked at the ante-post liabilities on Barcelona. We'll be more than happy to see Sir Alex retain the trophy."
Manchester United qualify for the Champions League Final in Rome
In the end it finished 1-3 to Manchester United on the night, 1-4 overall and despite my disappointment there's no doubt in my mind that the best team won.
Apart from the goals tally, over the course of the two games Arsenal's keeper Manuel Almunia also must have made 7 or 8 extremely good saves while Edwin van der Sar was hardly pressured at all.
United played the best football, they made the most chances, they scored the most goals, they deserve to go through. We Gooners can't feel hard done by in any shape or form.
Anelka injury re-opens Premier League golden boot race
The race for the English Premier League golden boot tightened on the weekend as Steven Gerrard grabbed a hat-trick and leading scorer Nicolas Anelka was ruled out for three weeks with injury.
Anelka (15 goals) leads by two from Cristiano Ronaldo (13) and Steven Gerrard (13) with Peter Crouch (11) and Robinho (11) further back in joint 4th spot.
The Frenchman continues to head the Golden Boot betting, but only just as Anelka looks likely to miss Chelsea's next game at Newcastle on April 4th.
Manchester United odds drift in title race after 2nd straight loss
Manchester United have drifted from 1/9 to 2/7 to win the Barclays Premier League with bookmakers following their 2-0 defeat at Fulham on Saturday.
Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney were both sent off at Craven Cottage as a Danny Murphy penalty and late Zoltan Gera strike earned Fulham all three points.
It means Manchester United are now just four points clear of Liverpool, with both teams having played 29 games.
Jose Mourinho now favourite to be next Manchester United coach
Jose Mourinho has been cut from 8/1 to 9/4 favourite by William Hill to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as permanent manager of Manchester United following comments from current Red Devils skipper Rio Ferdinand.
"There are very few people who could take over," Ferdinand said in an interview in GQ magazine out this Thursday. "If you're talking about someone with the ego and personality to do it, then Jose Mourinho is the name that jumps out at you."
However Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe said: "Whether Mourinho would want to accept what could be seen as a poisoned chalice, as the successor to Sir Alex would have his work cut out emulating or outdoing his predecessor, remains to be seen."
Martin O'Neill is 7/2 second favourite and it's 9/1 bar.
Real Madrid still making the most money in revenue league
Real Madrid remain top of the Deloitte Football Money League in terms of revenue generated for the fourth successive season.
But English clubs dominate the list with seven Barclays Premier League sides are among the top 20.
The Manchester United money men saw last seasons double success increase their revenues to £257m, an increase of £45m on the previous season.
It saw United receive a bumper pay-out in terms of broadcasting revenue while their income from commercial contracts also saw a healthy increase. In addition, sell-out crowds at their 76,200 seater stadium saw matchday revenues grow by a staggering 10 per cent to £101.5m last season, meaning that 39 per cent of their total revenue comes from home games.
Chelsea's overall revenue grew by 12 per cent, largely thanks to a 30 per cent increase in money from broadcasters.
While Arsenal may be sweating in Champions League qualification this season, the move to the Emirates Stadium continues to be a success story.
While there are suggestions that the cost of building the 60,000-seat arena has tied manager Arsene Wenger’s hands in the transfer market, matchday revenue of £94.6m last season, which represents 45 per cent of Arsenal’s total revenue, is difficult to argue against.
Liverpool's need to press ahead with the construction of a new stadium is highlighted by their relatively low matchday revenue figure of £39.2m despite an average crowd at Anfield of 43,500.
Even Tottenham's smaller White Hart Lane home generates more matchday revenue than Anfield, while they, too, have a plans for a new stadium in place. Spurs continue to do well from broadcasting and commercial revenue streams, but the Deloitte survey points out that they must return to the days of challenging for a Champions League place to stand a chance of regaining a top 10 spot.
Manchester City return to the top 20 thanks mainly to the revenue generated by the new broadcast deal and a reviewed ticket price structure, which saw the average gate at Eastlands rise by five per cent, keeping matchday revenue constant at £18.5m.
Deloitte Football Money League - 2007/08 revenue 1 (1) Real Madrid £289.6million 2 (2) Manchester United £257.1m 3 (3) FC Barcelona £244.4m 4 (7) Bayern Munich £233.8m 5 (4) Chelsea £212.9m 6 (5) Arsenal £209.3m 7 (8) Liverpool £167.0m 8 (6) AC Milan £165.8m 9 (11) AS Roma £138.9m 10 (9) Internazionale £136.9m 11 (12) Juventus £132.6m 12 (13) Lyon £123.3m 13 (16) Schalke 04 £117.5m 14 (10) Tottenham £114.8m 15 (15) Hamburg £101.3m 16 (19) Marseille £100.4m 17 (14) Newcastle £99.4m 18 (-) Stuttgart £88.3m 19 (-) Fenerbahce £88.1m 20 (-) Manchester City £82.3m
Manchester United to face Tottenham in FA Cup 4th Round
The fourth round draw for the FA Cup has thrown up a couple of high profile games and also a couple of "classic ties" invoking memories of previous years.
In the "Big Games" Liverpool will face Merseyside rivals Everton and Manchester United will host Tottenham Hotspur in the pick of the ties.
For the giant killers there is the prospect of hosting Premier League opposition as non-league Kettering Town will meet Fulham and giant-killers Hartlepool entertain West Ham.
There is also an east Midlands derby with Nottingham Forest being rewarded for their emphatic 3-0 win over Manchester City with a trip to Derby County.
Last season's finalists Cardiff City will host Arsenal at Ninian Park, a replay of the 1927 final between the pair which the Welsh club won 1-0.
Full FA Cup fourth round draw : Liverpool v Everton Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur Hull or Newcastle v Millwall or Crewe Sunderland v Blyth or Blackburn Hartlepool v West Ham Leyton Orient or Sheffield United v Charlton or Norwich Cardiff v Arsenal Portsmouth or Bristol City v Histon or Swansea City Chelsea or Southend v Ipswich Town Cheltenham or Doncaster v Aston Villa West Brom or Peterborough v QPR or Burnley Torquay v Coventry City Kettering Town v Fulham Watford v Leicester or Crystal Palace Derby County v Nottingham Forest Birmingham City or Wolves v Middlesbrough
Transfer window opens - what do the Premier League managers say?
The January transfer window opens on New Year's Day, giving clubs their first opportunity to buy or sell players since the end of August.
Most Premier League managers have already had their say over how they see the next month going:
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: "Although we are not close to signing anyone at the moment, if we do buy I think what we need is maybe someone with a bit of experience. I need a creative midfielder and eventually another midfielder, because we are short.
"We already have many young players so, if we buy, it will be somebody who is ready to play straight away. A loan deal could also be a possibility. What we might need is someone who can create a little spark."
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill: "We are definitely looking at trying to do something if it is at all possible."
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce: "I'm also more focused on getting players in rather than players out. Certainly my focus over the last two days has been speaking to the chairman about that. We're both going to go out and try and improve our squad as quickly as possible."
Chelsea manager Luiz Filipe Scolari : "I knew that it's a different time for Chelsea but, if we suffer more injuries, the board understand that I'll need one or two players to replace some [injured] players. They understand this. "
"If, on the other hand, the players are in good condition and there are no more injuries, I think it's maximum one player they'll replace because we need one more. Only one. A striker."
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez : "It will be difficult to bring anyone in January because we have a good squad. To bring in anyone better than what we've got isn't easy and could be expensive."
Manchester City manager Mark Hughes: "I think everyone understands there are certain areas of the squad which need strengthening and we will look to address those in the window."
"We are looking to bring good quality players to the club to help our situation and make sure that the club is moving forward in the future. There is no guarantee how many of those players we will be able to bring to the club. It is clear from everyone's point of view that we do need help."
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson : "I do not think there will be any January transfers, I am happy with what I have got. "We are probably going to bring back a couple of young players who have been on loan. That may just give us extra protection. "
"We took 23 players to Japan (for the Club World Cup) and they are substantial players. I would be happy to play any one of them."
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp : "If could find a wide-left player I would like to get one. That and a frontman would be the priority."
"I think Portsmouth have had a massive offer from somebody for Jermain Defoe, so good luck to them - I paid about £9m when I signed him. He is a good player but we're not going to pay over the top for anyone."
"I like Stewart Downing but I don't know whether Middlesbrough want to sell him."
Manchester United are title favourites with bookmakers
Manchester United have been shortened from 6/4 to 11/8 favourites (PaddyPower) to win the Premier League title following their hard-fought 1-0 win over Middlesbrough at Old Trafford on Monday night.
United dominated for most of the game and missed a host of chances before Dimitar Berbatov blasted home the winner in the 69th minute. The result means Sir Alex Ferguson's men now trail Liverpool by seven points and Chelsea by four in the race for the title but have two games in hand.
Chelsea are 2/1 second favourites (VCBet)with Liverpool available at 9/4 (BetFred) despite being top. Arsenal are 33/1 (Bet365) shots with Aston Villa 66/1. (Bet365)
Champions League Knockout Draw : Italy vs England x 3
The champions league draw for the last 16 was made in Nyon on Friday and it has thrown up some mouthwatering clashes as English clubs face three Italian opponents ...and Real Madrid as well.
Manchester United will face Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Former Tottenham boss Juande Ramos will return to England with Real Madrid as they take on Liverpool, with the second leg to be played at Anfield.
Arsenal will have the first leg at home as they play AS Roma, while Chelsea will clash against Juventus who are managed by former boss Claudio Ranieri for their .
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE KNOCKOUT DRAW Chelsea v Juventus Villarreal v Panathinaikos Sporting Lisbon v Bayern Munich Atletico Madrid v FC Porto Lyon v Barcelona Real Madrid v Liverpool Arsenal v Roma Inter Milan v Manchester United
The ties will be played on 24/25 February and 10/11 March as the Champions League knockout phase begins.
UEFA Tells Wayne Rooney that he can stamp opponents freely.
Uefa says it will not punish Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney over his clash with Aalborg's Kasper Risgard.
The Danish defender claimed the England international stamped on him during the 2-2 Champions League draw at Old Trafford on 10 December.
Rooney, 23, faced a three-match ban had he been found guilty by European football's governing body.
Uefa assessed the incident after it was missed by referee Laurent Duhamel but decided that no action would be taken, as it would affect Manchester United chances of progressing and negatively affect sales of future TV rights to upcoming games.
(OK - I added the bit in Italics - but how on earth did they come to this decision otherwise? Rooney had gone mental)
Chelsea are odds-on favourites for the Barclays Premier League title following Liverpool's 2-1 loss at Spurs on the weekend.
The Blues beat Sunderland 5-0 earlier, but it took Liverpool's 1-2 defeat to Spurs at White Hart Lane to send Chelsea under even money for the title.
Rafa Benitez's side went 1-0 up inside three minutes through Dirk Kuyt and controlled the majority of the game for the next 70 minutes, hitting the bar three times but couldn't find the killer second goal.
And Harry "houdini" Redknapp's charmed life as Spurs new boss continued as a late Jamie Carragher own goal was followed by an injury-time winner from Roman Pavlyuchenko to leave Benitez's side second in the table on goal difference.
Liverpool are now 9/2 for the title, with Manchester United 15/8 second favourites following their narrow 4-3 win over Hull City.
Arsenal are out to 20/1 for the league title after they lost 2-1 at Stoke City.
Carling Cup : Arsenal beat Sheffield United and other results
Arsenal's kids gave a display of wonderful talent in a 6-0 home win over Sheffield United, with Carlos Vela the star of the show.
Established first-teamer Nicklas Bendtner (31, 42) finished off clever assists from Vela and Aaron Ramsey to put the Gunners two up before Vela made it three (44) with a lovely curling effort.
The Mexican then grabbed his second by leaving Paddy Kenny on his backside before calmly slotting in his second (50) and 16-year-old Jack Wilshere got in on the act with the fifth (57).
Fittingly, Vela had the last word by completing his hat-trick three minutes from time.
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Manchester United and progressed safely - Sir Alex Ferguson's side beating Middlesbrough 3-1.
Cristiano Ronaldo marked his first start of the season with the opener at Old Trafford when he headed in Ryan Giggs' corner (25).
Brad Jones kept Boro in contention with some fine saves before Adam Johnson shocked the home crowd by drawing the visitors level with a shot from the edge of the box (56).
But they found themselves a man down when Emanuel Pogatetz was shown a straight red card for a bad foul on Rodrigo Possebon, who was carried off the pitch with what looked a bad injury.
Chris Riggott's mistake then let in Giggs to put United back in front (79) and Nani made sure of victory in injury time.
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Liverpool also progressed after beating Crewe 2-1 at Anfield.
Daniel Agger opened the scoring at Anfield when he fired in a free-kick after 15 minutes.
But Crewe showed they would be no pushovers by equalising through Michael O'Connor (25) after debutant keeper Diego Cavalieri had parried Calvin Zola's header.
There was to be no fairytale victory for the League One side, however, as Lucas headed in Jermaine Pennant's cross (58) for what proved the winner.
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UPSETS :
West Ham were knocked out of the cup by Watford at Vicarage Road as goalkeeper Jan Lastuvka missed a cross and the ball went in off Hayden Mullins for an own goal (70) as the Hornets triumphed 1-0.
It was the same scoreline at Turf Moor as a goal from substitute Jay Rodriguez two minutes from the end of the game handed Burnley victory over Fulham.
Terry wins appeal against red card and will face Manchester Utd
Chelsea captain John Terry will face Manchester United in the Premier League game on Sunday after winning an appeal against the red card he picked up at Manchester City.
Terry was sent off for hauling down City striker Jo in Chelsea's 3-1 victory on Saturday but Jo still had a long way to go to goal when the foul came in from Terry.
Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho was also in a defensive position and although referee Mark Halsey deemed it a professional foul, Chelsea protested, and lodged an appeal.
The FA announced on today that an independent regulatory commission had upheld the club's claim for "wrongful dismissal." The ruling means the defender has avoided an automatic three-game suspension and he will be available to face United at Stamford Bridge.
The Premier League transfer window closed on Monday night - and it was Manchester City who had the biggest news.
City were bought by an Abu Dhabi consortum at midday, and the Shieks immediately proved that they've got pot-loads of spare cash by successfully pitching a £30m+ big for Real Madrid's Robinho ... and gettting him !!
In other (minor) news - the sulky Bulgarian Berbatov did eventually move to Manchester United for £30m too - and Spurs agreed to drop the "Tapping-up" case against Sir Alex Ferguson.
PREMIER LEAGUE TRANSFER MOVES : In: Blackburn (Bunn), Everton (Saha, Nash), Hull (Cousin), Liverpool (Flora, Gulacsi, Riera), Man City (Robinho), Man Utd (Berbatov), Newcastle (Gonzalez, Xisco), Portsmouth (Belhadj), Sunderland (McCartney), Stoke (Higginbotham), Tottenham (Pavlyuchenko, Corluka, Campbell), West Brom (Donk)
Out: Bolton (Dzemaili), Fulham (Zakuani, John, Smertin), Liverpool (Finnan, Voronin), Man City (Corluka, Vidal), Man Utd (Saha, Campbell), Portsmouth (Cranie, Christophe), Sunderland (Higginbotham), Stoke (Parkin), Tottenham (Berbatov), West Ham (McCartney), Wigan (Bouaouzan, Nash, Sibierski)
There may be more announcements in the morning - but Arsenal fans should be aware that it appears the Mr Wenger simply decided to have an early night.
Europes best clubs ready for UEFA Champions League Draw
Sixteen teams gained automatic entry to the competition proper and the same number came through the third qualifying round on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Making their debut in the group stage are UEFA Cup holders FC Zenit St. Petersburg, CFR 1907 Cluj of Romania, the first Belarussian qualifiers, FC BATE Borisov, and the inaugural Cypriot entrants Anorthosis Famagusta FC.
In all, 17 nations are represented in the draw, the ceremony for which will include the UEFA Club Football Awards.
English sides dominate the seedings for the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League group stage draw which will take place from 18.00CET on Thursday at Monaco's Grimaldi Forum.
POT ONE Manchester United FC (ENG, holders) 107.996 Chelsea FC (ENG) 124.996 Liverpool FC (ENG) 118.996 FC Barcelona (ESP) 117.837 Arsenal FC (ENG) 110.996 Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) 99.380 FC Internazionale Milano (ITA) 96.934 Real Madrid CF (ESP) 93.837
POT TWO 92-66 points FC Bayern Munchen (GER), PSV Eindhoven (NED), Villarreal CF (ESP), AS Roma (ITA), FC Porto (POR), Werder Bremen (GER), Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR), Juventus (ITA)
POT THREE 63-51 points Olympique de Marseille (FRA), FC Zenit St. Petersburg (RUS), FC Steaua Bucuresti (ROU), Panathinaikos FC (GRE), FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA), Celtic FC (SCO), FC Basel 1893 (SUI), Fenerbahce SK (TUR)
POT FOUR 49-1 point FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), ACF Fiorentina (ITA), Club Atletico de Madrid (ESP), FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR), CFR 1907 Cluj (ROU), Aalborg BK (DEN), Anorthosis Famagusta FC (CYP), FC BATE Borisov (BLR)
Ferguson admits United running out of time for new signings
Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he is running out of time to bring in a new striker.
So far his targets have been players in demand at other clubs, and with United taking the moral high ground over Real Madrid's pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo it means that Manchester United have been fr more circumspect in approaching players.
Tottenham have shown no sign of bowing to the wishes of Dimitar Berbatov by allowing the Bulgarian to join Manchester United.
David Silva, Thierry Henry and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar seem equally unattainable, raising the possibility the transfer window will close with United not having added to their current strike force.
Ferguson has not given up just yet but he accepts the clock is ticking. "I am less optimistic than I was" said Ferguson, recalling that exactly a week ago he said a surprise was imminent. "We have 11 days left before the transfer deadline and we are working at something but you never know in football. It may happen, it may not. If it doesn't we will carry on with what we have got."
Chelsea 4-0 Portsmouth (video highlights link) Luiz Felipe Scolari made the perfect start to his Chelsea reign as they easily overcame Portsmouth 4-0 in their Premier League opener at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Joe Cole, Nicolas Anelka, Frank Lampard (penalty) and Deco all netted as the Blues made short work of the FA Cup holders to top the early standings.
Chelsea played with more freedom than under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho and Avram Grant, and were in front inside 12 minutes. Cole provided the breakthrough, racing onto an excellent Michael Ballack pass to fire confidently past David James.
The Blues doubled their advantage on 26 minutes when new boy Deco's looping effort drifted over the head of James and the impressive Anelka headed home from close range.
By now Chelsea were rampant, and they virtually made certain of victory in first-half injury time. Sylvain Distin handled Joe Cole's cross and Lampard easily beat James from the spot.
The second half was a stroll in the sunshine for the home side, though Pompey did provide more threat in attack. It was Chelsea who eventually did find another goal, when Deco capped a fine Premier League debut with a superb swerving long-range effort a minute from time.
Sir Alex Ferguson was missing a host of first-team regulars, including Carlos Tevez who had returned home to Argentina because of a family bereavement.
Young gun Fraizer Campbell started up front with Wayne Rooney, and saw his early point-blank header crash against the fortunate Shay Given's forehead.
But it was Newcastle who took a surprise lead on 22 minutes when Obafemi Martins powered home a header from a James Milner corner.
It took the champions just two minutes to draw level, as Darren Fletcher popped up to slide home a Ryan Giggs cross.
Both sides had chances to win it after that with Nemanja Vidic hitting the bar for the home side, but Kevin Keegan's side held out for a highly creditable point.
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Aston Villa 4-2 Manchester City
Gabriel Agbonlahor bounced back from his England snub with a stunning seven-minute hat-trick as Aston Villa beat Manchester City 4-2 at Villa Park.
John Carew had fired Martin O'Neill's side in front early in the second half but his strike was cancelled out by Elano on 64 minutes.
Then Agbonlahor, who was left out of the England squad by Fabio Capello for Wednesday's friendly against the Czech Republic, took out any disappointment on City in devastating fashion.
He netted on 69,74 and 76 minutes to give Villa a 4-1 advantage and assure them of three points.
Vedran Corluka got City's second - a consolation effort a minute from time.
It was a miserable afternoon all round for Mark Hughes' Blues, who lost Valeri Bojinov before kick-off. He snapped his Achilles during the warm-up and is now facing six months on the sidelines.
Ronaldo Is Staying - But He is 1/2 To Be Gone Next Season
Ronaldo may have confirmed he's staying at Man Utd, but bet365 think it will be his last season at Old Trafford.
bet365 spokesman Steve Freeth "Fergie may have been able to turn Ronaldo's head away from the Bernabeu this time, but we're 1/2 he'll have his bags packed the season after.
bet365 are pleased that the market has now reached its conclusion.
I's a relief for punters and bookmakers alike that this saga has finally been put to bed – just Gareth Barry to go now!"
Cristiano Ronaldo Betting Special
Will Ronaldo Still Be A Man Utd Player On September 1st 2009? ------------------------------------------------------------- Yes 6/4 (2.50) No 1/2 (1.50)
Preseason results : ManYoo, Arsenal, Newcastle, Man City
Manchester United were frustrated in their final pre-season friendly of the summer as they played out a goalless draw with Juventus.
Sir Alex Ferguson sent out a strong side with the Community Shield against Portsmouth just four days away.
Juve will not start their Serie A campaign until the end of the month but they matched United in a tight first half, with neither goalkeeper seriously tested.
Lee Martin was perhaps unlucky not to be awarded a penalty after being brought down by Zdenek Grygera, while Darren Fletcher blazed over from a tight angle on the left.
There were few chances after the break either, although Paul Scholes spurned one glorious opportunity as he headed wide from point-blank range.
Newcastle had to settle for a 2-2 draw with PSV Eindhoven at St James' Park despite scoring twice in the first 10 minutes.
Steven Taylor put the hosts ahead after only three minutes, heading in Geremi's outswinging corner, and debutant Danny Guthrie made it two five minutes later from James Milner's through ball.
Newcastle were pegged back on the half-hour mark as Ibrahim Afellay fired in after Shay Given parried a shot from Nordin Amrabat.
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson prevented the Magpies from extending their lead and it was Amrabat who drew PSV level 20 minutes from time with a snapshot from 12 yards.
Arsenal's youngsters took home the Herbert Chapman Trophy after two goals in the last 15 minutes gave them a 2-1 victory over Huddersfield at the Galpharm Stadium.
The match was held to celebrate Huddersfield's centenary, with the cup named after the legendary manager of both clubs in the 1920s and 30s.
James Berrett gave the hosts the lead after 75 minutes but Sanchez Watt quickly equalised and Nacer Barazite grabbed the winner three minutes from time.
Celtic finalised their Clydesdale Bank Premier League preparations with a 1-1 draw against Manchester City in their friendly encounter at Parkhead.
Martin Petrov's 54th-minute strike gave City a deserved lead before youngster Paul McGowan equalised with 10 minutes remaining with his first goal for the first team.
McGowan missed the chance to become the hero when he hit the bar from 10 yards out in the final seconds as Celtic pressed for the winner.
Another in the (almost) regular transfer rumour round-up series, with Spurs in the spot light today.
Tottenham Hotspur forward Robbie Keane is set to complete an £18m transfer to Liverpool within the next 48 hours. (Source = Daily Telegraph)
Tottenham have accepted a bid of around £3m from Blackburn Rovers for their goalkeeper Paul Robinson. (Source = The Independent)
Andrei Arshavin's agent has insisted the Russian would be interested in leaving Zenit St Petersburg for Tottenham. Although remember that he's also claimed that both Barcelona and Arsenal would be ideal places for his player. (Source = Daily Mail)
But Arshavin risks pricing himself out of any move to England with wage demands of £100,000+ a week - that's £5.2 million a year. (Source = Daily Mirror)
Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola has refused to rule out making offers for Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor and/or Chelsea's Didier Drogba. (Source = Daily Mail)
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has told Liverpool to get on with their move for Gareth Barry or they will be barred from signing him. (Source = Daily Mirror)
While others say that O'Neill has offered Gareth Barry a truce - along with a place in Villa's Intertoto Cup squad for the Odense match - and is ready to bury the hatchet after telling the England midfielder: "I want you to stay". (Source = The Sun)
GOONER : We should know if this is true by Sunday as playing inn the Intertoto will make Barry ineligible for Europe any other club in 2008-09 and make him far less saleable.
Cristiano Ronaldo has fails to clear up speculation over his future by saying he could still leave Manchester United. When quizzed by ESPN he said: "What do you want me to say? That I'm going or I'm staying? I don't know about the future, only God knows it. I can't say any more." ( Gooner Truth Rating = 5/10 :: Source = ESPNsoccernet)
Chelsea's world record bid to sign AC Milan forward Kaka could cost the Blues anything from £50m to £120m with 10% going to the player himself, but the Serie A side say he is not for sale. ( Gooner Truth Rating = 1/10 :: Source = Everyone)
Chelsea are also apparently interested in Real Madrid forward Robinho after his agent revealed the club have proposed a firm offer. (Gooner Truth Rating = 5/10 :: Source = Sunday Telegraph)
Juventus are ready to launch a £15m bid for Arsenal's Robin van Persie, who they see as an ideal replacement for Pavel Nedved. (Gooner Truth Rating = 1/10 :: Source = News of the World)
And in the massively over-hyped and not nearly as good as you and your agent think you are section of the day Emmanuel Adebayor says that he will deign to stay at Arsenal if the Gunners offer him £100,000-a-week.
F*ck off Ade - no-one is interested in your delusions.
FRIENDLIES. Kaizer Chiefs 1 v Man Utd 1 (match report) Barnet 1 v Arsenal 2 (match report) Cambridge 4 v Everton 2 (match report) Cologne 4 v West Brom 1 (match report) Fulham 3 v Celtic 1 Hartlepool 1 v Newcastle 4 (match report) Liverpool 1 v Wisla Krakow 1 Ostend 1 v Hull 1 Schalke 1 v Rangers 0
Tottenham have complained to the Premier League over Manchester United and Liverpool's pursuit of Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane.
Sir Alex Ferguson's comments that he expects a deal to go through for Berbatov have infuriated Spurs as has Rafael Benitez's interest in Keane with the Spurs chairman Daniel Levy singled out United boss Ferguson for criticism.
"It is unbelievably hypocritical given his comments in respect of Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid," Levy said.
"The behaviour of both clubs has been disgraceful. We told both clubs very early on that we had no interest in selling Robbie or Dimitar, respectively, and that they should refrain from pursuing the player.
I have absolutely no wish to sell either player and to date we have not accepted any offer for either"
"Both clubs arrogantly chose to ignore this request and we now have evidence that both clubs have systematically been working to prise the players away from us, outside of Premier League rules of conduct."
Ferguson announced on Friday that United had made Tottenham an offer for 27-year-old Berbatov and that he was confident that the deal would go through. Benitez admitted earlier this month that he was interested in bringing Keane, 28, to Anfield this summer.
But it was Ferguson's comments that prompted Levy to speak out about the attempts to unsettle his strikers.
"Today's public comments by Manchester United's manager, announcing that he has made an offer for Dimitar and is confident that the deal will go through with time working in their favour, is a blatant example of sheer arrogance and interference with one of our players.
"It is also probably one of the worst offences by any manager in the Premier League to date. As a result, we have today made an official complaint to the Premier League about the conduct of Manchester United."
Manchester United are prepared to play a waiting game in the pursuit of want-away Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov.
United leave for their pre-season tour of South Africa on Thursday but are not going to be rushed into paying silly money for the 27-year-old.
It is understood United have made a bid for the Bulgarian striker worth £20million plus add-ons and given Berbatov's barely-disguised desire to move to Old Trafford and Champions League football, United are hopeful an agreement will be reached at some stage.
United have previous experience of protracted transfer dealings with Tottenham when Michael Carrick moved to Manchester in 2006.
That saga lasted several weeks and that situation could be repeated given Spurs have valued Berbatov at £28million and United are adamant they will not pay anything like that sum for the striker.
Berbatov's arrival would be likely to lead to the departure of Louis Saha - the Frenchman could even travel the other way if Tottenham are interested.
Cristiano Ronaldo is facing at least three months on the sidelines, according to Antonio Gaspar the Portuguese national team physiotherapist.
The Manchester United wide man has had a difficult summer, failing to deliver at Euro2008 and then toying with Spanish suitors Real Madrid and his Old Trafford employers.
Ronaldo underwent surgery on his right ankle last Monday and the Portugal physiotherapist Antonio Gaspar has confirmed the playmaker will not return to action before October.
"We are going to use everything that is possible to us and that will help him recover as quickly as possible," Gaspar told Spanish sports daily AS. "But Cristiano Ronaldo will not be in an optimum state for the competition until 12 weeks are up"
Manchester United assistant boss Carlos Queiroz has been appointed as the new coach of Portugal's national side.
The 55-year-old, who had a previous spell in charge of Portugal in the 1990s, has signed a four-year contract to succeed Luiz Felipe Scolari.
FPF president Gilbert Madail said that Queiroz was his first choice for the post after Scolari departed for Chelsea at the end of Euro 2008 after five-and-a-half years in charge.
Queiroz has also previously managed Real Madrid, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
He has had two spells with United, first coming to Old Trafford in the summer of 2002.
He then spent an unsuccessful year in charge of Madrid before rejoining United on a one-year rolling contract in 2004.
"I'm very proud and honoured to go back to serve my country" said Queiroz.
His decision leaves United boss Sir Alex Ferguson without an assistant with just five weeks to go before the start of the new Premier League season.
Former United stars Mike Phelan and Brian McClair are already on the coaching staff at Old Trafford, as is Dutchman Rene Meulensteen, and they could take on extra responsibility in the short-term.
It looks like being another month or so until "REAL" football kicks off - so I'm going to continue the football transfers rumours series.
ARSENAL lead off today with a whole lot of talk ..
Arsenal midfielder Alex Hleb has agreed a four-year-deal with Barcelona and is set to sign for £15m - or perhaps €15m. No-one seems quite sure. (Source = The Sun)
Arsenal are also likely to waive goodbye to Brazil midfielder Gilberto Silva to Greek side Panathinaikos. (Source = Blog Arsenal Analysis - but now picked up by a lot of papers)
On the positive side Arsenal will complete a £11.5m deal for Marseille's Samir Nasri now that the new French tax year has begun. (Source = The Sun)
Newspapers then start totally making it up when claiming that Arsenal have bid £19m for Andrei Arshavin but his club Zenit St Petersburg want £24m. (Source = Star)
The Gooners are also rumoured interested in 22-year-old Colombian striker Radamel Falcao, who is rated at £8m by his club River Plate - and this sounds more like Wenger to me. (Source = The Sun)
Chelsea are also well covered in the rumour market ..
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has personally blocked Inter Milan's attempts to buy midfielder Frank Lampard. (Source = half a dozen sites)
While on paper says that Lampard has told friends he is determined to leave Chelsea and says it is time for him to go. (Source = Daily Express)
Didier Drogba still wants to leave Stamford Bridge, even though there hasn't been much interest - with Milan keeping very quiet ... (Source = Daily Star)
And Chelsea were interested in Brazil forward Robinho but have been told by Real Madrid that it will cost £30m to sign . (Source = Daily Star)
Liverpool fans are also kept informed - although the news is not so positive ..
Liverpool were interested in signing Valencia's David Villa but have been put off by the massive £32m price tag and instead are looking at Spanish international winger David Silva. (Source = The Sun)
Benitez's transfer funds are also in doubt after Juventus said that they will not pay £15m for midfielder Xabi Alonso. That could affect Liverpool's chances of raising the cash to sign Aston Villa's Gareth Barry. (Source = The Sun again)
Finally two snippets from mighty ManYoo ..
Fifa president Sepp Blatter has pontificated again about "player slavery" and said Manchester United they should let winger Cristiano Ronaldo join Real Madrid. (Source = FIFA website)
Manchester United look to have lost another Portuguese employee in the form of assistant boss Carlos Queiroz, who took over as Portugal manager on Wednesday evening. (Source = Daily Star)
As the summer grinds on - and very little major transfer action actually is happening - I thought that I would start a daily thread of the various rumours - with their sources.
The cynical webmasters amongst you might think that i'm just trying to up the hits on this blog ... and you might be right !! :-)
Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has boasted to Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal that Cristiano Ronaldo has already signed for the Spanish club. (Source = just about every newspaper)
Frank Lampard looks to be on his way out of Chelsea as owner Roman Abramovich has refused to sanction the new five-year deal the midfielder is demanding. (Source = The Sun)
AC Milan claim Arsenal have written a letter to them offering to sell Emmanuel Adebayor, but don't want to pay the £35m fee that the Gunners want for the striker. (Source = The Sun again !)
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has set Gareth Barry's price at £17m plus defender Steve Finnan. Wow! (Source = Daily Mirror)
Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp is trying to do a cut-price £6m deal for Real Zaragoza's Argentine forward Pablo Aimar. (Source = Daily Mirror)
Everton are tracking Real Zaragoza striker Diego Milito as David Moyes considers potential replacements for unsettled striker Andy Johnson who might move to Wigan. (Source = several)
Cristiano Ronaldo says he hopes to "complete his dream" of moving to Real Madrid, despite Manchester United insisting he is "not for sale".
The Portuguese winger has stated his intention to "take advantage of a great opportunity". "Everybody knows what I want but things don't only depend on me. I am not the person who decides but I hope to complete my dream."
Ronaldo stated that he made up his mind before the Champions League final that he wanted to leave United for Real. And he revealed that Luiz Felipe Scolari, about to take over at Chelsea after Portugal's exit from Euro 2008, advised him to make the move.
"It is a dream, a step forward," Ronaldo replied when asked about the prospect of playing at the Bernabau. "For me, it is a great opportunity and, as Scolari says, that train passes by only once and we have to take advantage of it."
Ronaldo indicated he will make a public statement about his plans over the next few days. He said he had not spoken to Sir Alex Ferguson, who is on holiday in France, during his participation in Euro 2008.
And he insisted he is not worried about upsetting the United manager, who he is set to meet for talks about his future following Portugal's exit against Germany on Thursday.
"It is my opinion," added Ronaldo. "That is why I don't mind if people get upset. It is my decision. It is what I want."
The Premier League is generating more money than ever but only eight clubs are actually turning a profit says a Deloitte study of the 2006-07 season.
In 2006-07 Premier League clubs' salaries rose 13% - slightly ahead of a median 11% rise in revenue - and the situation is worse in the Championship as average wage increases of 14% outstripped median revenue growth of 3%.
There are startling disparities between the important wages-to-turnover ratios at clubs in England's top two divisions.
The average Premier League figure stood at 63% and the Championship level at 79% but there was a lot of variance. Tottenham had the lowest wages/turnover ratio or just 42%, followed by ManYoo (44%), Arsenal (50%) and then the two Sheffield clubs.
Liverpool stood at 58% and Chelsea was a high 70% - but then with a Russian sugar-daddy normal financial metrics mean little to the Blues at present.
There were high figures figures of 80% and 85% at Middlesbrough and Blackburn respectively. Alarmingly, Sunderland's ratio was 90% and Derby's 125%. But the latter two probably reflect the payment of performance-related bonuses to players for winning promotion.
Overall, only eight Premier League clubs showed operating profits, namely Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle, Reading, Sheffield United and Watford.
If your club isn't on this list then they're spending beyond their earnings - and any downturn in fotoball revenues could hit home hard ...
A Cristiano Ronaldo penalty and a late goal from Ryan Giggs gave Manchester United a 2-0 victory over Wigan at the JJB Stadium to claim the Premier League title.
The Portuguses winger scored his 31st league goal to help Sir Alex Ferguson's side lift their 17th league title which left them just one behind Liverpool's haul of 18.
United were handed an opportunity to break the deadlock after Emmerson Boyce brought down Wayne Rooney in the penalty area and referee Steve Bennett pointed to the spot.
Ronaldo stepped up to take the 33rd-minute spot-kick and calmly side footed the ball past goalkeeper Chris Kirkland who dived the wrong way.
Giggs, on as a substitute to equal Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 758 appearances for the club, added a second for United in the 80th minute.
Russia has waived normal visa requirements for a 72-hour period for football fans with a ticket for the Champions League final in Moscow.
Michel Platini, president of European football's governing body Uefa, has thanked the Russian government for an "unprecedented gesture".
Supporters will need to present a valid match ticket, a valid passport, and a completed immigration form upon arrival in Russia and the visa exemption will apply between 19 and 23 May.
Anyone overstaying the 72-hour entry period will then have to pay the fee for a regular visa when leaving the country.
The move will alleviate a huge burden on the Russian National Tourist Office in London, which has been handling visas on behalf of the Russian Embassy in Britain for the Champions League final.
More than 42,000 Chelsea and Manchester United fans are set to attend the match at the the Luzhniki Stadium on 21 May.
Fans without a ticket, hoping to travel independently, should be able to have their visas processed in plenty of time - though the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advised supporters not to travel "if they do not have a ticket or accommodation beforehand".
Both clubs have been given 21,000 tickets each for the final at the Luzhniki Stadium, where the capacity is being set specifically at 69,500.
Manchester United will probably win probable second successive Premier League title and will take part in a Champions League final, but the club's accounts show a significantly bleaker picture of the club's finances.
Under the ownership of the Florida-based Glazer family, all the borrowings have been loaded onto ManYoo PLC and total loans now stand at a massive £666m by far the highest of any English football club, ever.
The total owed to all creditors, including the banks, was up to £764m and includes £56m that United owe to other clubs in transfer fee instalments on players Sir Alex Ferguson has signed.
When the United headline results were announced back in January, it was said that it produced record income of £210m and operating profits of £75m. But the full accounts show, that even though United made a further £11m profit from buying and selling players, the interest and other accounting provisions pushed United into recording an overall loss of £58m for the year!
The total interest payable by the club on its borrowings was £81m, although only £42m was actually paid. The rest is allowed to roll up until the whole amount has to be repaid in 2016, or, alternatively, until the Glazers can refinance it.
A total of £152m is currently owed to hedge funds, at a staggering 14.25% interest a year - £22m of that from 2007-08 alone. Last year the Glazers tried to refinance but were unable to strike a deal with financial institutions, and a spokesman acknowledged that the credit crunch is making it more difficult now.
Before the Glazer family's 2005 takeover, United prided itself on being the only Premier League club regularly to make a significant profit, to have cash in the bank and, unlike all the others, no debts.
The accounts also reveal that by far the highest proportion of income, £92.5m, is still generated on home match days, and although the club has announced more modest ticket price rises for next season than for the previous two, supporters groups continue to protest that they are paying the debts of a takeover they opposed.
"It is outrageous that supporters are paying the huge interest on these borrowings, which are worrying for the club's future," said Sean Bones of the Manchester United Supporters Trust. "Our money is pouring out to pay the Glazers, while they have not put a penny into the club."
A spokesman for the Glazer family pointed to the club's success on the field, and in generating income off it, as evidence of the family's competent management. "The family continue to run United as a business," he said. "Their model is to encourage success on the pitch by backing Sir Alex Ferguson, and to grow revenues off it. The interest payments are more than covered by the cash generated."
This amount of debt is incredible, the numbers being bandied about are like telephone numbers, and when you consider that Arsenal's stadium cost £360m to purchase all the land and construct then the total debt of £764m at United is obviously not backed by physical assets.
This could all end in tears if the TV money stops coming in ...
The PFA team of the year at a star-studded ceremony at London's Grosvenor House Hotel on Sunday April 27th.
Five clubs were represented in the side, with 9 of the 10 outfield players normally wearing red shirts.
Manchester United had three representatives in Cristiano Ronaldo, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic while Arsenal had four players with Cesc Fabregas, Adebayor, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy featured in the side.
Liverpool duo Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres were included, as was Portsmouth goalkeeper David James and Aston Villa midfielder Ashley Young.
Interestingly, Chelsea's strong attempts to win titles in the Premier League and Champions League were not regcognised at an individual level with no Blues players featuring.
Perhaps that reflects the dour controlled style at the Bridge, or a team that is based more on hardwork and flair? Chelsea may yet get much more tangible team rewards for their efforts - so was the team picked too soon?
PFA Premier League team of the year: G : David James (Portsmouth), D : Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Rio Ferdinand (Man Utd), Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd), Gael Clichy (Arsenal), M : Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), A : Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal), Fernando Torres (Liverpool).
Manchester United odds on to qualify after scoreless draw
Manchester United are favourites to qualify for the Champions League final with the bookmakers after holding Barcelona to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their semi-final clash at the Nou Camp on Wednesday night.
Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty after only three minutes and then sat back and defended the 0-0 scoreline for 88 minutes - perhaps due to the absence of Nemanja Vidic.
Barcelona dominated possession but caused Edwin van der Sar few real problems in the United goal, will now have to avoid defeat in the return leg in order to progress to the final in Moscow.
Manchester United are a best priced 1.60 to qualify while Barcelona are 2.40 to get to Moscow. Both prices are from Aussie internet bookmaker Centrebet.
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Personally I think that United have to be very wary of conceding at Old Trafford, but still should be slight favourites at around 55% likely to win and qualify meaning a price of 1.81 for fair value.
Attention ManYoo fans - ten lucky BetFred.com punters will win a spot for a dream day out at Old Trafford.
Betfred Bookmaker has teamed up with Manchester United to offer a fantastic prize to ten lucky BetFred.com punters. To enter this free competition you just need to click the link on the BetFred web site and answer an easy question (a "who scored this goal?" photo quiz - below).
If you’re one of BetFred’s 10 lucky winners, you and a friend will be invited to Old Trafford on Friday 9 May to take part in a dream event for any United fan!
Change in the player dressing rooms! Make your way down the tunnel and out onto the pitch. Show off your skills and learn some new ones with the coaches from Manchester United Soccer Schools.
You’ll also meet some United legends, go on a tour of the stadium and enjoy a post match meal before you head home.
All you need to do to win this fantastic prize is take a look at the picture above and answer the following question:
Who scored the winning goal for Manchester United in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich in 1999?
A. David Beckham B. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer C. Ronny Johnsen
My thanks to the guys at BookieLabrat.com for spotting this promo and for also remembering that I scored one of these a few years back for Arsenal at Highbury.
This is "a guide to gambling" and it's written by a Gooner.
It will be mostly sports bets on European football - but with a dash of poker and casino play thrown in as well.
Stumble It!
And in the
Cristiano Ronaldo is facing at least three months on the sidelines, according to Antonio Gaspar the Portuguese national team physiotherapist.
Cristiano Ronaldo says he hopes to "complete his dream" of moving to Real Madrid, despite Manchester United insisting he is "not for sale".
