10 conclusions from Saturday games

1. Rooney scored his 100th (and 101st) goal for the club and its unlikely that he'd stop.

2. Altidore made his debut for Hull with a great assist and two glorious chances to get a goal as well.

3. Gary Givet scored his first for the season and new club, Blackburn Rovers.

4. Cesc Fabregas is injured (again!)

5. Adebayor has bought some very expensive shoes with his inflated salary, scoring two goals in as many games of the season.

6. Arsenal have now scored 10 goals in two games of the season. They mauled Portsmouth 4-1 at the Emirates.

7. With Birmingham's scoreless (and boring!) draw at home versus Stoke City we have the first drawn game of the season.

8. Manchester United put five goals past Kirkland at the JJB with two from Rooney and a well taken free kick from Nani. It would be relieving to see for Sir Alex Ferguson and the fans to see Berbatov and Owen score.

9. Hull's victory ends their woeful home run in the premier league. They hadn't won a game at the KC Stadium since December 6 against Middlesbrough.

10. After 3 games played, Paul Hart's Portsmouth are bottom of the table with three losses. He looks likely to be the first to get the sack this season.

Owen earns his first pound!

Michael Owen made a shock move to Manchester United after Newcastle United were relegated and Ronaldo moved to his dream club Real Madrid. The terms of the contract required him to earn as per his contribution and he sure did today in United's 5-0 mauling of Wigan Athletic at the JJB Stadium.

Owen came on as a substitute in the 71st minute and scored a vintage "Owen style" goal in the 85th minute to get his name on the scorers chart of the Premier League. After being put through by a Nani through ball Owen chipped it over the charging goal keeper to make it 4-0 for United. Owen had plenty of chances in the midweek against Burnley but failed to convert them.

Owen was highly delighted to earn his first pound of the season and said :

It was certainly a great feeling to score. I'd got a few in pre-season but there's nothing quite like doing it in a competitive game.

I'd be disappointed if people didn't think I could go on from here.I obviously believe I can as I have done throughout my career and I certainly expect to score more goals in the red shirt.

The RED shirt of Liverpool is now the RED shirt of Manchester.

Wigan duo extend contracts

Wigan's duo of Titus Bramble and Emmerson Boyce have extended contracts with the Latics until 2012.

Bramble had been linked with former manager Steve Bruce who is now in-charge at Sunderland and Villa were rumoured to be in the hunt as well.

Boyce had been linked with a move to new boys Wolves after the player had 12 months remaining in his contract.

However, both the players and the club have put the stories to rest by committing to the club on a long term basis.

Manager, Roberto Martinez was delighted with the move and told the official club website :

When you look at the performances of the two players over recent seasons it's a great reward from the club to offer them contract extensions.

They're real ambassadors for the club and great professionals who give you a good sense of continuity and competitiveness.

They offer stability, set themselves high standards and are excellent examples to follow. Both are at a great moment in their careers and I think their best years are still to come, so we're very lucky to have players of that calibre.

Wigan sign Honduras international Thomas

Wigan Athletic have signed Honduras international Hendry Thomas.

The midfielder joins from Deportivo Olimpia on a three year contract.

He had been wanted by the club a year ago but couldn't clear the deal due to complications in the work permit.

Manager,Roberto Martinez hopes he would make the same impact as Wilson Palacios and Maynor Figueroa did at Wigan.

Speaking to the clubs official website Martinez said :

Everyone knows how well Wilson and Maynor have done in the Premier League and it is no wonder there was lots of interest in Hendry, who comes from the same club as those two and has impressed.

He is a powerful figure in midfield, who can sit in front of the back four and destroy attacks, or can also come forward and score.

Thomas was delighted to be part of the English Premiership and vowed to make an impact.

I have worked hard all season to stay fit and qualify for the work permit rules and it is a dream come true for me to come to England. I have talked a lot with Maynor and Wilson about the club and I can't wait to start now.

I want to thank Roberto Martinez and Wigan Athletic for giving me the chance to come here and I'm determined to show them they have not made a mistake.

United sign Antonio Valencia

Manchester United have cashed in on their sale of Cristiano Ronaldo by signing on Wigan's Antonio Valencia for an undisclosed fee.

Sir Alex Ferguson has been a long time admirer of the Ecuadorian forward who has signed a four year deal with the club.

This is Manchester United's first signing of the summer transfer break after they made a whooping 68mn pound profit on the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for world record transfer fees of 80mn pounds.

The fee is expected to be in the region of £18million and the legendary Scotsman has put his faith in the player and expects him to shine next season.

Sir Alex spoke to the official Manchester United website :

Antonio is a player we have admired for some time now, having spent the last two years in the Premier League with Wigan.

I am sure his pace and ability will make a significant contribution to the team.

Valencia was also excited to have the opportunity to play alongside quality players like Rooney,Ferdinand and Rooney and not to forget the prospect of playing at a venue which can host 76,000 fans.

What do the fans think of this signing?Would he be as impressive for Manchester United as Ronaldo had been over the years?Is this really the direct replacement for the Portuguese winger?

Friday's Transfer Gossip

Not everything in the paper can be believed,right? So why not try to distinguish the "Oh yeah that might be true!" from "What crap!".

Manchester United,Chelsea,Real Madrid,Inter Milan make bids for Lyon's striker - Karim Benzema [The Independent]

What we think? : It would be very hard for Lyon to deny a 40million euro bid for the striker. It always happens with the smaller leagues who develop a player at a young age and the bigger fishes in the sea swoop in with their money might. Manchester United have been long admirers of him over the years but haven't made any offers but all this could change with Ronaldo going to Madrid and Sir Alex could use that money.Manchester United seem the front runners for me.

Chelsea pip Liverpool for Portsmouth's Johnson [The Sun]

What we think? : Liverpool bid £17million. Chelsea bid £17.5million.Its not a matter of big money between the two clubs.Glen Johnson had a bad time with Chelsea at London and that could be the big difference between his preference in the two clubs despite Chelsea's lucrative offer and bigger pay packet.

United agree on Tevez's permanent price,fail to agree on personal terms [The Sun]

What we think? : With the response Tevez received at the end of the season and his reaction when substituted at Old Trafford shows he most definitely wouldn't stay. Manchester City seem the way to go for the Argentine.

Manchester City have agreed an £18m deal to sign Blackburn forward Roque Santa Cruz. [Daily Mail]

What we think? : Mark Hughes would be elated to reunite with his goal scoring machine who he brings in from Rovers to Eastlands after an injury spell for the Paraguayan. He would definitely give prospective City signings Eto'o and Tevez a run for their money.

Bayern closing in on Chelsea's Boswinga [The Times]

What we think? : Chelsea might see Carvalho leave for Inter Milan and neither Paulo Ferreira or Beletti have been impressive under Hiddink at least.Things might change with Ancelotti at the helm now but Chelsea would look for a replacement for the former Porto man before they would allow him to leave to Germany.

Scharner set for a move to Fulham from Wigan [Daily Mail]

What we think? : Scharner would be better off in moving to a side who would be playing Europa League next season.While new Wigan boss Roberto Martinez wants to sign Jordi Gomez,who he managed at Swansea earlier. The Austrian has quality to play for a team who would play in Europe and Fulham will give him that opportunity.

Wigan finally confirm Martinez as boss

After Steve Bruce accepted the post of Sunderland's manager, Wigan were looking for a manager to take over at the DW Stadium(formerly JJB stadium).

After weeks of speculation and announcements by the board,Swansea City's Roberto Martinez has been officially announced as the manager to take over.

Originally the official declaration was to come on Thursday but Wigan couldn't resolve the back staff issue with Martinez and have now come to an agreement with Swansea too.

Former Wigan player,Martinez, has signed a 3yr contract with the club.He would be unveiled to the media on Tuesday.

The Spaniard told the official website :

The club has always been close to my heart. I am looking forward to getting stuck in and taking on teams in the best league in the world.

I cannot wait for my first game, it seems like a long time away but there is a lot of work to do before then.

Are Wigan fans happy with the move?

Real Madrid - Galactico Era Part II

With summer comes the transfer speculation and some other baseless and senseless rumours which actually make for great entertainment if you're a fiction lover. Real Madrid had a shockingly disappointing season with yet another loss in the last 16 of Champions league to Liverpool where they were mauled 5-0 on aggregate,Went out in the last 32 in the Kings Cup and were truly pathetic in the final few games of the league starting with the bashing by Barcelona at home. There has been change at the top. Florentino Perez has taken over the presidency,Zizou is back as an advisor to Perez and Valdano is back as director general. Along with the change in board there would be change in playing style and staff too with former Villareal manager, Pellegrini taking over. Obviously with the change in administration there are bound to be changes in squad too.

The managers used a total of 33 players in the 2008/09 season. An astounding number showing the club has a huge squad and might need some trimming down considering the huge wages they would be accumulating in these economic crisis. With Perez being the creator of "The Galacticos", the legendary workforce for Madrid with players like Zidane,Figo,Beckham and Ronaldo all playing on the same pitch for the same team. He has returned and would want to reignite the same period and bring the same glory that the club has seen missing ever since. A Galactico Part II. Let's get to the candidates shall we?

Kaka
This 27 year old Milan faithful has pledged his future to the club and has spent 6 seasons with the Rossoneri. Carlo Ancelotti has left the San Siro club and his exit has left many players in the squad with unanswered status over their future. Kaka is a player with good feet and a good vision to spot lapses in the defense going forward. Its been reported that Madrid have bid £65million for the player with Chelsea also on the fray to claim the services of the Brazilian. However, Chelsea have since denied the reports but nothing can be said in the strange world of football transfers. His decision about his future is expected to come out soon.

UPDATE : AC Milan announce Kaka's switch to Real Madrid for world record fee of £56million. [BBC]

Ronaldo
After the whole summer was spent(read wasted) by the club to acquire the Portuguese winger last time around, the saga has started again. £75 million is the quoted price. Add to that the huge wages he would take home which would most definitely be more than £150,000 a week.This flamboyant, highly motivated and skilled player has the ability to turn the game on its head almost single handedly.He is good not only with his feet but also in the air and his prowess with free kicks is very well known.Although many Madridistas are not in the favour of the club spending huge amounts of money for him due to his arrogance.It is also expected that he would definitely move on from Manchester United after their loss to Barcelona in the Champions League final. The club would also expect him to replicate what Beckham did for the club when he joined that is to sell T-shirts and bring in revenue in terms of his popularity all over the globe.

UPDATE : Manchester United accept an unconditional bid for Ronaldo worth £80million. [Man Utd's official website]

Ribery
The Frenchman currently with the Bayern Munich has also raised Perez's interest which also goes to show the club has moved beyond their dependance on facial features as compared to the footballing skills which was shown when they withdrew from the race to sign Ronaldinho who ended up going to Barcelona and being a huge force for the rivals. Zidane is good friends with Ribbery so the deal might come through after all and prefers to play on the left as a winger.Along with Real Madrid, Barcelona,Chelsea and Manchester United are in the picture to sign him over the summer.He's not quite the household name as the two above are but the situation would most definitely change if he arrives at the Santiago Bernabeu.

David Villa
Valencia are in turmoils with their financial situation and have ambitions of building a new stadium but would want funding for that. Villa is young,talented and has a nack of scoring goals. With David Silva looking like heading to Liverpool, Valencia look set to lose two talented parts of their squad. Last year,Real Madrid had been reported to have placed a bid for €35million but it didn't take place.Chelsea are also interested in 'El Guaje' after snubbing their interest in Kaka.The Spaniard could well take Raul's place in the team as the legendary striker doesn't have the legs now to play week in,week out and looks more of a burden than an asset.

Xabi Alonso
Reports in Spain suggest the player has agreed to a £22million deal with the club and Liverpool has also given the nod with manager Rafa Benitez showing interest in a cash + Gabriel Heinze deal or Alvaro Negredo,who is with Almeria but under a buy back clause.Alonso has the ability to control midfield both in an attacking sense and in the defensive sense.His ability to spread the ball upfield also creates chances for the strikers.His partnership with Lass would also make it difficult for the opposition to bother the defence.


Other players linked with Real Madrid are Carlos Tevez(Manchester United) and Antonio Valencia(Wigan Athletic) who would be great for the club but I'm not sure they would form the part of the Galactico II.With Cannavaro leaving for Turin there is an urgent need for good quality defence personnel who could prevent Casillas some very jittery moments.

Who would you like to see part of Real Madrid?And are you happy with the contenders so far?

Steve Bruce is new Sunderland manager

Sunderland have announced Steve Bruce as their new manager. The deal has been signed for three years.

The "messiah for the lower placed teams" joins Black Cats after two seasons at the JJB with Wigan.

Sunderland were lucky to narrowly escape relegation which eventually saw Newcastle United,West Brom and Middlesbrough go down to the Championship.

Sunderland chairman,Nial Quinn said :

Steve will bring a professionalism and strength of character to this club that will really help to bring us forward to where we all want to be.

He knows more than anyone what football means to people of this region and I'm confident that he will be able to instil into our players exactly what it means to play for this football club.

Bruce follows Ricky Sbragia as the manager for the club after Sbragia resigned on the final day of the season after steering the club to safety.

Its been suggested that Bruce would be given £60million to spend in the summer and bring in quality recruits.

He is already linked with Spurs' Darren Bent and Wigan trio of Antonio Valencia,Paul Scharner and Titus Bramble.

First and foremost he would have to prove to Sunderland fans about his commitment to the club with his Tyneside roots.

Wigan 1-2 Manchester United

Red Devils visited JJB with Wigan having a dismal record against Manchester United with 7 defeats to their name.Manchester United on the other hand went with the motive of all three points to ward off any possibilities of Liverpool beating them to a Premier League title and be within a point with two games remaining of a third consecutive Premiers

Manchester United's target or supposed target as per the papers,Valencia ran raging towards the Manchester United goal in as early as the 2nd minute only to chip it and claim he was challenged from behind by Vidic.Replays showed differently though.

A Berbatov cross into the penalty area for Wayne Rooney who found himself unmarked should have been the first goal of the match but unbelievably so he headed wide in the 10th minute.

Another display of breathtaking passes by the team in red only a minute later saw Fletcher's effort go agonizingly wide.

Rodallega scored the first of the evening for Wigan after a strong challenge in the box against Vidic which left the Serbian absolutely furious with the referee.Van Der Sar beaten on his near post. Wigan Athletic 1 - 0 Manchester United.

Towards the final stages of the first half,Wigan's combination of Valencia and Rodallega combined with a neat one-two to create a chance for Rodallega but his shot went wide.

Wigan being the unlikely team to be ahead as both the teams head for their dressing rooms.Surely Manchester United would come out with better attacking prowess. At half time,Wigan 1 - 0 Manchester United.

Just like Monday's events,a substitution proved vital as Carlos Tevez came on for an uneventful evening for Anderson. He showed his worth and his work ethic once again by running around for the ball.

The break through came through the Argentine as Carrick's shot from a distance fell into Tevez's path who put the ball in the back of the net with a neat skill. Wigan 1 - 1 Manchester United.

Manchester United and Ronaldo would feel they had a penalty turned down as a 73rd minute lung busting run by Ronaldo inside the box left the Portuguese on the ground after a supposed nudge by Figuero made him lose his balance.

You know as they say,its a game of 90 minutes.United proved that very well.Michael Carrick placed the ball right in the corner,beyond the reach of the keeper.A calm left footed strike with absolutely no follow through in the 86th minute.Wigan Athletic 1 - 2 Manchester United.

The night was disappointing for Ronaldo who couldn't make most of Tevez,Carrick and Ronaldo combination of passing in the 89th minute with only the keeper to beat as he blazed his effort over.

At full time,with two games to go Manchester United would just need one point from their remaining two fixtures to retain their title for a third consecutive title.The remaining fixtures being against relegation facing Hull and fourth placed Arsenal on the penultimate day.

Bruce loses cool with Zaki

Wigan boss Steve Bruce will fine Egyptian striker, Amir Zaki for his late return from international duty.

Zaki was due to be back in Wigan on Tuesday,nearly 36hours after his game against Zambia.His country and club mate,Mido however was on time.

This is the fourth time Zaki has missed the deadline to return from international duty.He has faced heavy fines in the previous three occasions.

The club have received a fax from the Egyptian team doctor saying the player has a hamstring injury but that has not been backed up by a required scan.

Bruce on his part was justified to be livid with the player who isn't having the best of times with the Latics. He had this to say :

"I really am at the end of my tether with him,"

"Before this latest incident, Zaki had already been fined considerably more than the average person in Britain earns in a year and he will now face another heavy fine.

"This is the fourth time he has not reported back on time from international training.

"I have already fined him the maximum allowed but this just seems to have no effect.

"I am now fearful that if I don't take firm action, it will disrupt the rest of my squad, who - to a man - behave totally professionally."

Wigan suffer Zaki injury blow

Wigan striker,Amir Zaki is expected to be sidelined for at least three weeks.

The Egyptian picked up a hamstring injury when he was playing against Zambia on Sunday.The three week period includes the rehabilitation period for the striker too.

Zaki has had a mixed career with the Latics so far with an impressive run in the beginning but has failed to bring in his magic and skill to score goals.

This is a huge blow for manager Steve Bruce and his Wigan side who are now desperately pushing for a European place via the UEFA Europa League(formerly UEFA Cup).

Premiership roundup : 21-09

The weekend offered a lot of skill and style with Manchester City mauling Pompey at City of Manchester Stadium,Everton had to stage a comeback to win over Hull,Villa won the Midlands derby over West Brom,Spurs are still winless in the Premiership and in the battle of the heavyweights,Kalou came to Chelsea's rescue.


Chelsea 1 - 1 Manchester United
Park 18'
Kalou 80'

Deco had pulled out before kick off during the warm up and things didn't get any better for Chelsea when in the 13th minute Carvalho hobbled off the pitch.

5minutes later,Manchester United opened their account when a low drive from Berbatov was spilled by Cech and Park was the first to react to lash the ball home.

A shaky Van der Sar was then replaced with Kuszczak following a challenge from Malouda which left the Chelsea man demanding a penalty.

Chelsea had glorious chances to score and possibly win the game although Cole and Anelka couldn't make the most of the opportunities.

Chelsea were getting impatient and piled on attack after attack and the attacking paid dividend in the 80th minute when Rooney conceded a free kick which was headed in the back of the net by Salomon Kalou.

Manchester United are placed 14th in the table with a game in hand and Arsenal stay top.

West Brom 1 - 2 Aston Villa
J.Carew 27'
Agbanlahor 29'
J.Morrison 33'

The faithfuls at Hawthorns had to bear some miserable defending from West Brom with many chances falling to Villa in the Midlands derby.

Villa took the lead courtesy John Carew who was left totally unmarked off an Ashley Young freekick.The Norwegian big man headed the ball beyond Scott Carson to make it 1-0 to the visitors.

Within a minute Villa capitalised on West Brom's awful defending by angling the ball in the back of the net and beyond Carson.Villa were up 2-0.

In the 33rd minute,Brad Friedel made a hash of Robert Koren's shot to spill in the path of James Morisson who snapped the rebound from close range.

In the second period,Villa could have increased their goal difference only to be disallowed by the goal post and a glorious chance lost by Luke Moore.

Manchester City 6 - 0 Portsmouth
Jo 13'
R.Dunne 20'
Robinho 57'
Wright Philips 68'
Evans 78'
Fernandes 83'

David James returned to his former club but only to go back home with head bowed and a game to forget.

Brazilian striker,Jo rounded off James in the 13th minute courtesy Robinho's slide-rule pass.Citeh were off to a flyer!

James then made a blunder by misjudging Elano's corner to allow Richard Dunne to head the ball in the back of the net.

Things got worse for Pompey in the second half.Steven Ireland who had a fabulous afternoon chipped a ball pass for Jo to control fabulously and his second touch landed on the feet of Robinho who put it past James.

The best of the lot came in the 68th minute from SWP who bulleted a ball past James with a very tight angle after another neat ball from Ireland.

Portsmouth's horrible defending and misery didn't stop there.Evans capitalised on a ball from SWP's clever flick for a number 5.Five Star Performace!

The afternoon was rounded off by substitute Fernandes capitalised on further dodgy goalkeeping by England's number one.

Manchester City 6 Portsmouth 0!!

Hull City 2 - 2 Everton
M.Turner 18'
P.Neville(o.g.) 50'
Cahill 73'
Osman 78'

Hull have come a far way to be disappointed with a draw against Everton.And indeed they will,after the squandered a two goal margin only to be getting a single point at the final whislte.

Michael Turner's header from a Dean Marney's corner and Neville's own goal from a similar set piece set the tone for a Hull win.

However Everton staged their comeback after a goal scrap which Cahill converted from made the final 17 minutes very interesting.

Although Everton were level after 5 minutes through a cross by Louis Saha which was converted to by Leon Osman.

Spurs 0 - 0 Wigan Athletic

Spurs continued to hold on to their not so wanted spot of the bottom of the table after a goal less draw with Wigan.

Clearly Spurs' new side is still in a transition phase but Ramos' needs to act quickly before they end up fighting for survival.

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