Transfer Balls: Manchester United Chase Arturo Vidal To Fredy Guarin’s House

IS Aturo Vidal heading to Manchcester United? They certainly need a dynamic box-to-box player. And Vidal is just that sort of footballer. But United haven’t said a word about pursuing Vidal. They did, however, comment on reports linking them with failed bids for Bayern Munich’s Thomas Müller and his German compariot Marco Reus.

In the official silence, the media has been making lots of noise about the Juventus player. The papers have shoved United in Vidal’s mouth and repeatedly linked him with move to United.

Yesterday, the Daily Mirror said Vidal was wanted at Old Trafford:

The Red Devils continue in their pursuit of new players but Louis van Gaal is running out of time with the transfer clock counting down

Readers are told that Vidal is “fully fit”. And:

Manchester United have been cleared to pursue Arturo Vidal after Juventus claimed he is fit.

Anorak

Posted: 21st, August 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Transfer Balls: Manchester United In PR War Over Thomas Müller Marco Reus Debacle

TRANSFER Balls: Did Manchester United bid for Bayern Munich’s Thomas Müller and his German compariot Marco Reus?

The Guaridan says they did:

The Muller news coems from an interview with Bild.

 Asked by Bild if the 20-times champions had been close to signing him, Müller said: “Of course. I was aware that I could earn more by making that transfer. The amount that foreign clubs were offering me was astronomical. But Bayern are my club, a change was not an issue for me.”

Anorak

Posted: 20th, August 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Everton Balls: Ross Barkley’s Missing Five Months Mystery

COMPARE and contrast the words of Everton manager Roberto Martinez talking about injured player Ross Barkley.

August 19:

“His knee has reacted really well to treatment. It’s a medial ligament injury and we know that Ross, in terms of the power and the strength that he has in his body, he could easily react to treatment a lot better than other players. I don’t know where the figure of five months [in the papers] came from but obviously the extent of the injury is a little unsure at the moment because we don’t know how the next two weeks are going to develop…”

August 16:

“We know it’s a partial tear but that could be anything between seven weeks and I’ve seen injuries like that that take four or five months.”

It’s a mystery, Roberto…

Anorak

Posted: 20th, August 2014 | In: Sports | Comment

Manchester United Balls: Rio Ferdinand Says Van Gaal’s Devils Leave Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea And Manchester City For Dust

BY now you’ll be wondering what Rio Ferdinand has bene up since moving to QPR? Well, he’s been forwarding his media career by looking up at the Premier League title hopefuls for the Daily Express.

Can Rio be like his former Manchester Untied teammate Gary Neveille and prov to be knowledgable, erudite commentator?

Let’s find out.

Rio: “I’m backing Manchester United to win the league.”

Anorak

Posted: 20th, August 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment (1)

Transfer Balls: Mario Balotelli To Liverpool Makes A Liar of Brenadan Rodgers

TRANSFER Balls: Having been linked with amove to Arsenal, is AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli on his way to…Liverpool?

Italian site MediaSet says Liverpool have made a £17.5m bid for former Manchester City striker. No sources are quoted in the story. But it’s enough for the Star to run with it:

Anorak

Posted: 20th, August 2014 | In: Arsenal, Liverpool, Sports | Comments (4)

Transfer Balls: Mehdi Benatia Wants Bayern Munich, Talks To Manchester United And Hopes To Play For Chelsea

TRANSFER Balls: Roma defender Mehdi Benatia has been the subject of feverish speculation. The British press have linked him with move to Manchester Untied, Cheslea and Manchester City. So far we have learned that United have bid £24 million in a bid to, er, gazump Chelsea’s £30m bid or a player who prefers to play for Manchster City.

Yesterday the Star told its readers that Benatia is going nowhere:

Anorak

Posted: 20th, August 2014 | In: Chelsea, manchester united, Sports | Comment

Manchester United Balls: In 1989 Michael Knighton Had Lost A Million And Gained Michael Knighton

MANCHESTER United fans grumbling over their side’s slip from the top can cast their eyes back to August 19 1989, when new chairman Michael Knighton dressed in the team kit before going on the pitch to entertain the crowd before the first division match against Arsenal.

Anorak

Posted: 19th, August 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Transfer Balls: Manchester United Pay Over The Odds For Angel Di Maria To Live Up North

TRANSFER Balls: Is Angel Di Maria leabing Real Madrid for Manchester United?

The Sun tells its readers:

REAL MADRID boss Carlo Ancelotti has told Angel di Maria: Sign for Manchester United if you want.

Is that what he said? Did he mention Manchester United? No.

He said: “I don’t know what Di Maria has decided. Until August 31 he will be here in principle. If from there he stays, or is no longer with us, we will think about it later. After August 31, everything will be cleared up.”

Anorak

Posted: 19th, August 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Crystal Palace Balls: You’ll Never Belive Who The Next Manager Is

AND the new manager of Crystal Palace is…

Today, the Sun says it’s Tim Sherwood:

Anorak

Posted: 19th, August 2014 | In: Sports | Comment

Liverpool Balls: Puma Social Media Campaign Fails Wonderfully

THE big idea at Pumas was for football fans to Tweet the #foreverfaster” hashtag and get a personalised message from their favourite Puma stars, such as Liverpool target Radamel Falcao, Cesc Fabregas and Marco Reus.

But fans are not as compliant as Pumas had hoped. They created fake Twitter accounts with user names designed to be, well, off-message:

Anorak

Posted: 18th, August 2014 | In: Sports | Comment

Transfer Balls: Arsenal And Spurs Battle It Out For The Player Neither Wanted

TRANSFER Balls: A look at football rumours being passed off as fact by the mainstream press. Let’s look at how much Arsenal and Spurs want the titchy Brazilian called Bernard.

The Daily Express has news:

Arsenal and Tottenham on alert with Brazilian starlet Bernard set for loan move

Ben Jefferson adds:

ARSENAL and Tottenham are on alert after Shaktar Donetsk revealed plans to try and send Bernard out on loan this season.

Anorak

Posted: 18th, August 2014 | In: Arsenal, Sports, Spurs | Comment

Manchester United Balls: Angel Di Maria Is Not The World’s First £100m Footballer

TRANSFER Balls: What is Angel Di Maria worth? Is he heading from Real Madrid to Manchester United? The Read Devils do look well-placed to sign the player. But for how much?

Today the Mail leads with news that the Argentiean wanted by United is worth £100m!

He’d be the world’s first £100m footballer. The Mail adds:

It is understood United have told the Argentine that, with performance-based incentives, they will pay him around £200,000 a week. Over a five-year deal that would take United’s investment to £100m when a transfer fee of around £50m is included.

Anorak

Posted: 18th, August 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Liverpool Balls: Luis Suarez Trains Daniel Sturridge By SMS

THE Premier League season is udnerways. And the Mirror and Express lead with a Liverpool player who no logner plays for the Reds. Both paper ask the same question: “Who Needs Luis Suarez?”

The simple answer would be ‘the media does’.

But the Sun and star have a different answer. They say that Luis Suarez played a key role in Liverpool’s home win over Southampton, its feeeder club. It was thanks to Luis, now of Barcelona, that Daniel Sturridge scored the game’s winning goal. And he did it all with the power of a single text message.

Brendan Rodgers saw the text and concludes, according to the Sun:

“His heart will always be with Liverpool.”

Sure it will, Brendan. And his teeth will always be with Ajax, his hand with Uruguay, his racial awareness with South Africa…?

What Rodgers actually said was, according to the Indy:

“Luis Suarez sent us a lovely text this morning wishing us all the best and telling us to start strong – it’s a lovely gesture. We’re bigger than any one player, I still think we need a striker so we’ll search through until the end of the window for that. He sent the text to me personally. What did it say? Don’t be so nosey! I texted him back – it’s a great love in I’ve got with him! He’s a great boy but he’s gone. It was a lovely touch. Liverpool will always be in his heart.”

According to the Mail:

“He [Suarez] sent me a lovely text this morning wishing us all the best and telling his old team-mates to start strongly. He’s a friend of Liverpool now. I sent one back. He’s a good boy but he’s gone. His heart is with Liverpool. He’ll always be Liverpool and it was a lovely touch.’

Accordign to the Telegraph:

And on the Sun goes, telling readers that Suarez made the Reds what they are today.

BRENDAN RODGERS insists Luis Suarez is helping Liverpool’s title bid again — despite leaving Anfield this summer. Shamed striker Suarez departed for Barcelona in a £75million move after his World Cup bite. But Rodgers reckons his winning mentality rubbed off on his old team-mates… Rodgers believes Liverpool have more strength now than last season’s Suarez-inspired squad…

Over on the BBC, the Luis Suarez love-in is a little diluted:

The Reds required a 79th-minute winner by Sturridge to overcome a determined Southampton side 2-1 at Anfield. Asked if Liverpool are a better team following the departure of Suarez, Sturridge said: “I think so, with the players we’ve brought in. No disrespect – he’s a great player and will be missed – but we move on.”

If only the tabloids would…

Anorak

Posted: 18th, August 2014 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comments (4)

Transfer Balls: Sami Khedira Wants Arsenal, Teases Chelsea And Moves To Bayern Munich

TRANSFER Balls: The reporting on Real Madrid’s Sami Khedira. Is he heading to Arsenal? Chelsea? Anywhere? All these facts are from today’s media:

The Metro says the German World Cup winner is available for £8m.

Anorak

Posted: 17th, August 2014 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Sports | Comment

Transfer Balls: Mehdi Benatia Agrees Manchester City Deal But Joins Manchester United For £6m Less Than Chelsea Bid

TRANSFER Balls: A look at reporting on Roma’s Mehdi Benatia and his move to Cheslea, Manchester United, Manchester City and, well, anyone…

Today, Sky Sports Jim White tweets:

Anorak

Posted: 16th, August 2014 | In: Chelsea, manchester united, Sports | Comments (3)

Manchester United Balls: Did A Bird Poo In Ashley Young’s Mouth?

AT Manchester United’s 2014-2015 Premier League season opener aginst Swansea (a 1-2 home defeat), the Red Devils’s slippery footed winger Ashley Young was fed by what looks like a bird poo.

Indeed, that’s what we thought: sign up that swan!

PS – It looks more like  phlegm than poo. Or a piece of Alex Ferguson’s chewing gum… Has the old master returned with a new way of appraising the team?

Anorak

Posted: 16th, August 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Transfer Balls: Manchester United And The Marcos Rojo Spies

TRANSFER Balls: Is Marcos Rojo heading to Manchester United or not? The Red Devils have bid for the Argentinean. But his club want more money.  In reaction, Rojos has chucked his toys and refused to train with the squad.

Manchester United, still eager to sign Rojo, have seen a £15-odd million bid rejected as reports about problems with the player’s third-party ownership by the Doyen Sports group continue to rumble on.

Yesterday Sporting released a club statement in which they accuse an unnamed club  of using an impromptu visit to the Jose Alvalade stadium to sneak the CEO of Doyen Sports (a powerful group of super-agents) in for a hush-hush meeting with Rojo by disguising him as an employee of the visiting club.

Anorak

Posted: 16th, August 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Liverpool Balls: Brendan Rodgers Wishes Alexis Sanchez Had A Telly

LIVERPOOL Balls and a daily look at the wisdom of Brendan Rodgers, who says:

 “If you’re a football player in Europe watching how we played last season and saw our supporters, then your reaction would be that you’d want to play in that environment.”

Over to you Alexis Sanchez. And, yes, they do pick up Liverpool matches in Southampton…

Anorak

Posted: 14th, August 2014 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comments (18)

Transfer Balls Royal Flush: Edinson Cavani Wants Manchester United But Heads To Arsenal

TRANSFER Balls: Is Edinson Cavani coming to the Premier League? And if he is, which club badge will he be kissing?

The Daily Express has a truly epic headline that takes in no fewer than four of the top five English teams:

Arsenal to gazump Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea with £51m bid for PSG star Edinson Cavani

 

 

Anorak

Posted: 14th, August 2014 | In: Arsenal, manchester united, Sports | Comment (1)

Transfer Balls: Guess Who Manchester United Are Swapping For Arturo Vidal

TRANSFER Balls: An Arturo Vidal news media round-up. Are Manchester United going to get the Juventus player? The past 24-hours news has been not all that informative.

Our headline invites you to ‘Guess Who Manchester United Are Swapping For Arturo Vidal”. Guess right and you could be a journalist with these fine newspapers.

The Star kicks things off with news that Vidal is off the radar at United because United are winning the “race” tio sign Fredy Guarin.

Anorak

Posted: 14th, August 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

West Ham Balls: Diego Poyet Says New Teammates Andy Carroll And Stewart Downing Are Crap

AND so it begins: the digital generation grows up and find their vapid utterances and dumb photos posted on Facebook and Twitter (but nor MySpace nor Bebo) coming back to kick them in the careers.

One such youth 2.0 is West Ham United’s new signing, 19 year old Diego Poyet. The son of Sunderland manager Gus Poyet, spent parts of his pre Hammers days mocking his now teammates, Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing.

When their pair played for Liverpool, Poyet was then than impressed with them.

Anorak

Posted: 13th, August 2014 | In: Sports | Comment

Glenn Hoddle Wanted Spurs But God Chose QPR As His Punishment

Glenn Hoddle is escorted off the stage after speaking at a news conference at the Lancaster Park Hotel in London after the announcement that his contract as manager of the England football team has been terminated.
Date: 02/02/1999

GLENN Hoddle – the hymned Queen of Godlers Green –  is back in top flight English football. The Daily Mirror notes his retusn as a QPR coach:

Former Three Lions boss out of the game for six years after controversial remarks about the disabled could soon be back in the big time, writes John Cross

Glenn Hoddle lost his job as England manager in 1999 after his comments about disabled people.

Anorak

Posted: 13th, August 2014 | In: Sports | Comments (3)

Transfer Balls: Manchester United Pip Liverpoool, Arsenal And Chelsea To Stroppy Marcos Rojo

TRANSFER Balls: the world awakens to the news that Manchester United are in for Argentina’s World Cup left back Marcos Rojo, currently at Sporting Lisbon. The Express says Southampton also want the player, but Marcos is “desperate” to join United.

Anorak

Posted: 13th, August 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Liverpool Balls: The Manchester City Double Winner Who Also Got The Reds Tattoo

ON the list of modern football stuff that annoys Anorak is ‘The Double’. The Double used to mean the FA Cup and League title.

But to this Manchester City fan it means something else.

Anorak

Posted: 12th, August 2014 | In: Liverpool, Manchester City, Sports | Comment

Transfer Balls: Samuel Eto’o Heads To Liverpool Via Arsenal, Everton, Ajax, Inter Milan And Sunderland

TRANSFER Balls: Is Samuel Eto’o heading to Liverpool? What about Arsenal, Everton, Ajax, Inter Milan or Sunderland?

The Sun says he might be.

The Sun’s story is an “exclusive” – that you can also read in the Daily Star:

The Star says “Liverpool have yet to make a formal approach for Eto’o”.

Anorak

Posted: 12th, August 2014 | In: Arsenal, Liverpool, Sports | Comment (1)