Heinze Sets Up Date With Infamy

Looks like it's official. Heinze has set his lawyers loose and is trying ways and means to force a move to Liverpool at the risk of alienating an entire fanbase. Come to think of it, it doesn't really matter right now. The fanbase has been alienated.

Even if it doesn't go thru and he remains at United, I would never ever want to see him in a United jersey again. I don't really care how well he plays or how he endears himself to the club. To me, he has gone further down that slippery road than Rio. Some sins are forgivable, some are not.

There are a few things in English football that you never ever initiate. One of which is to do a Sol Campbell, move from Spurs to Arsenal. The other which will bring this amount of hatred is to move between United and Liverpool. I'd be really disappointed with Fergie if he selects Heinze for the first team ever.

If I were the club, I'd let him go. I don't particularly care about him anymore. Let him be Liverpool's problem. I'd be surprised if the Liverpool fans even want this problem child on their hands. I'd gladly switch my allegiance to Evra, or even Silves. While they may not be world beaters, at least they know not to upset the apple cart.

Which brings me to the point out that Liverpool will never be a threat to the Premiership title, now or ever with Benitez at the helm. A manager that has absolutely no sense of tradition has no place in history. To go after a second-rated Heinze is testament how far down the ladder Liverpool has come since the glorious 80s. Heinze was a world class left back when he first joined United, but he's never been the same since his knee injury.

I'll reinterate again, I don't really care what Heinze does or goes from now on. The fact that he initiated a move is enough of a betrayal for me. Fuck you, Heinze.

Another Easy Win in Asia (Guangzhuo Yiyao 0 - Manchester United 3)

Thankfully the Asian tour is finally over. Quite frankly, against such meagre opponents, other than the financial gains, there's absolutely nothing to take in from a footballing perspective, except for injuries. The opposition is so weak that a team filled made up of mostly second stringers was enough to rake up a comfortable scoreline.

The goals were scored by Rooney (20'), Nani (42') and Martin (52'). The first half was a horrid affair. It was boring to say the least. The Chinese side had trouble getting their feet untangled while United looked uninterested, despite good performances from Martin, Nani, Carrick and Rooney. Rio and Vidic must have been bored to death and were mercifully replaced at half time.

Around the hour mark, Evra and Eagles came on to take their places at the wings and the game somehow sprung to life. United suddenly looks more menacing. Unfortunately they couldn't add to the 3-0 scoreline, but the game was certainly much easier on the eye. I'm going to find it hard to say this but, Evra looks really good on the left wing. Well, at least he's safer on the wings than in defence.

I suppose the only thing we can be certain from today's game is that Dong Fangzhuo is crap. He honestly is. Other than being a shirt seller and our token Chinese guy, he brings absolutely nothing to the team. He started today's game and was frankly abysmal. There was nothing to suggest he would ever break into the first team when competing with the likes of Rooney, Saha, Ole, Rossi and Smith. I'm sure after today's impotent performance (the lads did try their best to help him get his name on the scoresheet), he's going to be behind Frazier Campbell and even Febian Brandy from the youth team. If it's any consolation, at least he helps sell shirts to the millions of Chinese.

FIFA Passes The Buck

Tevez Saga Goes To Court - There are more twists and turns to the Tevez saga than the latest Harry Potter book. The latest twist comes from FIFA 'recommending' that the whole affair should go straight to the Courts of Arbitration for Sports.

What this effectively means is that Tevez and West Ham are involved, and we're effectively out of the picture. If the courts rule that Tevez has only a one year contract with West Ham, then Tevez is free to join Manchester United. Otherwise, we have to deal with West Ham. Either way, depending on the fee involved in the latter scenerio, we're probably still going to get Tevez. Although it sounds tedious, it's probably still good news to me. The journey maybe long, but we'd get there eventually.

Scholes And Park Injuries - Scholes was sent back to Manchester before the kickoff to yesterday's friendly against Shenzhen. Apparently he sustained some knee injury playing against FC Seoul and is set to be out for a month.

Park, on the other hand, has more serious knee injuries. He's already been ruled out till the next calender year.

Heinze Needs History Lesson - Great commentary on the whole Heinze saga. Until I see Heinze actually quoted that he wants to join Liverpool, I refuse to believe he's stupid enough to want to play for Liverpool. Then again, footballers are not exactly the brightest lot around.

What makes this taste particularly bad is that Heinze was voted the fans' player of the year in 05. If he forces his way to Liverpool, it adds injury to insult.

Videos : The Goals From The Shenzhen - Manchester United Friendly

After scouring the net, this is the best and clearest video available. It's in Norwegian and shows all 6 goals.

Shenzhen - Man Utd | All 6 Goals
Uploaded by GOAAAAL

Like Taking Candy from a Child (Shenzhen 0 - Manchester United 6)

Once again I could only get Cantonese commentary for this game, hence couldn't make out who was playing from the grainy pictures on my computer screen. But it didn't spoil my enjoyment watching the game. The gulf in class between the two sides was huge right from the get go. The end result could have been so much more had Fergie not shown mercy and fielded our token Chinese guy after we had raided 6 goals from the non-existant defence from Chinese side.

Giggs (10'), Rooney (19'), Nani (23'), O'Shea (55'), Ronaldo (56') and Eagles (64') were the scorers for tonight. For the second game running, Eagles' goal has to be the pick of the bunch, with Rooney's delightful chip coming a close second.

Nani showed pace and skill in his debut. The link up was sorely missing from him, but that is understandable since it's the first time he's on the pitch with the team. I'm looking for that to improve significantly. Eagles impressed me again. For a young man who hasn't played many first team games, he's shown plenty of composure. I'm hoping given the number of midfielders we have on the fringe, that he might make the team in the near future.

Perhaps the only disappointment in the game was watching Alan Smith and our token Chinese guy, Dong Fangzhuo miss chance after chance after chance. If Ole was on the pitch, he would have grabbed 2 hat-tricks, and that's an understatement. With the talent we have brought in, Smith and Dong would have to do alot better to impress, not only this blogger, but Ferguson as well. They didn't boost their chances much after today's poor showing.

At least there's still some good news for them in the form of one more friendly to play in this Asian/financial tour.

Seoul Easy (FC Seoul 0 - Manchester United 4)

Managed to catch this game via a stream from a Hong Kong channel. Since it was mainly in Cantonese, I had trouble making out who played, who didn't and who got substituted. In any case it was a good game against an easy opponent. From my poor grasp of Cantonese, FC Seoul fielded a host of their own youngsters in the game against our star-studded players.

The goals were scored by Ronaldo (6'), Eagles (19'), Rooney (21') and Evra (61'). Rooney and Ronaldo combined well when they played in the first half and FC Seoul had all sorts of problems coping with their pace, power and passing. The best goal was probably scored by Eagles, coolly passing the ball into the net beyond the keeper. Have to say Eagles impressed me alot with his level of passing and willingness to run.

Evra was particularly impressive as well. He primarily played on the left wing so there wasn't much defending to do, which is a good thing. Maybe Fergie is converting him into a winger (we should be so lucky).

Vidic, as usual, was a rock in defence. Phil Bardsley and Danny Simpson were given runs at right back and both did pretty well. Silves was a mess at left back.

And I have no idea who played in the centre of the park in the first half, before Scholes and Giggs came on. I honestly haven't a clue. That being said, I wouldn't be surprised if it was Mr Invisible, Michael Carrick. Oh and I mean that in a nice way....I really do.

United Slams Door On Rivals + Rio Rant

Liverpool Heinze Bid Rejected
Glad to know that United have outright rejected a Liverpool bid for Heinze. Good to know both Ferguson and Gillman are on the same page on this issue. However there is a cautionary note here, it probably also means that in the not too distant future, our rival clubs would not be selling their players over either. Not that it's a huge issue right now since there isn't anyone out there that I think fits into the squad.

More Summer Sales?
Ferguson has hinted that Rossi and Smith could very well be the next to go. This is especially so if the Tevez deal goes thru. While the fans would love to have them both in the squad, it is increasingly likely that neither would be able to play regular football in the next season.

I personally would hate to see Rossi go. After his loan spell to Parma, I've been watching a few Parma games and I loved what I saw. I'd go as far as saying that he single-handedly transformed the team and pulled them out of relegation. He gave the team a zest that was missing, not to mention scoring a boatful of goals in the process. I really hope there is someway to keep him with the team.

New Man Rio
Nice little fluff piece by the seagulls. Would be really sweet if he's a new man, but the scars of yesterday still run deep with this blogger. Unfortunately the article conveniently leaves out a number of crucial details on why he was booed so blantantly by United supporters.

He was booed by his own supporters in Tokyo, rowed with Ruud van Nistelrooy on the field and was accused of dragging his heels over a new contract. One of England's most gifted players was in danger of being labelled 'a big time Charlie'.

Let's not forget he stupidly missed a dope test, resulting in a 9 month ban. And perhaps most insidious of them all, he's 'chance' meeting with judas, Peter Kenyon, in 2005.

Sure he sometimes comes across as the dumbest person in the world, both on and off the pitch. But when it comes to money matters, he's definitely not daft. This was a guy who dragged his feet with contract issues, after the club and fans stood by him during the 9 month drug ban. He showed his 'gratitude' by negotiating his way to being the highest paid player in the club. I'm sure he has a huge family to look after.

Don't for a moment even think that his meeting with self-confessed United fan and now CEO of Chelsea, Peter Kenyon, was a mere conincidence. Ask Cashley Cole what came out of his 'chance' meeting.

Rio is a mercenary and has always been. This is evident from his move from his beloved West Ham to Leeds at a British record for a defender and subsequently to us, for yet another record fee. While he took no cut in the transfer fee, his wage skyrocketed with each move. His words and professions of love for the club have always meant little to me. It's always the $$$ symbols that attracted him.

That's why Rio will never be a United legend....for me.

FIFA to Handle Tevez Dispute (FA Rant)

After West Ham refused to grant permission to Tevez to undergo a medical, United look set to finally approach the soccer governing body, FIFA, to settle the long over-drawn dispute.

The Telegraph
Times

Personally I'm glad to have FIFA intervene instead of the Premier League or the FA. Both the latter organisations have their collective heads so far up their arses that nothing sweet smelling ever comes out from them. At least a negative ruling by FIFA wouldn't leave such a foul taste in the mouth.....not that I'm expecting a one.

If the FA was called to settle this dispute, I'm wouldn't be surprised that we'd end up being charged for illegal tapping or some other ludicrous charge. According to the FA, there's always one rule for the others, and an entirely different set for us. Off the top of my head, I can think of the number of times the FA has screwed us.

1 - Eric Cantona 95. We all remember that infamous kung-fu kick. The club had taken steps to suspend Cantona for the entire season, but the FA decided to further the punishment well into the next season as well.

2 - Beckham 98. After England's exit in the world cup, the FA left Beckham out to dry, while the entire nation bayed for his blood. The FA did absolutely nothing to stand by their man and seemed in fact glad that there was someone taking the rap. Only United and its legion of fans stood by Beckham.

3 - FA Cup 2000. We were 'forced' to represent England/Europe in the World Club competition and as a result had to relinquish the defence of the FA Cup. Of course the backlash was tremendous and it put the club in a horrible light. And what did the FA do? That's right, they did nothing, as usual, and let us out to defend outselves, even though it was entirely their fault. They had put us in a no win situation and were perhaps gloating over doing one over us when we did poorly in the World Club competition.

4 - Philip Neville 2000. I'm really beginning to enjoy myself here dissing the FA. Similar to the Beckham situation 2 years back, a United player was perceived to ruin mighty England's chances in the Euro. If one recalls, Philip Neville was the one who brought down the Romanian player in the penalty box, and the resultant penalty sent England packing in the group stages. Again the nation went after a United player for the second major tournament in a row and the FA was once again glad to have a scapegoat on their hands.

5 - Rio's drug test. Let's get this one straight, Rio misses a drug test and gets a 9 month suspension, while Christian Negouai of Manchester City commits a similar offense, gets a paltry fine after an FA hearing. To make matters worse, Negouai's identity was not revealed until much later after much prodding. One rule for United, another for everyone else. The FA seems to delight in taking every opportunity to screw us over. Bastards!

6 - Rooney/Ronaldo 06. We can all remember what happened in the last World Cup, when Rooney got sent off. The nation went after both United players and we could have very well lost Ronaldo in the beginning of the season, had it not been for Ferguson. I know I'm stretching it a little here, but since FA's been the boogieman for so long, I'm going to just conveniently put the blame on them.

7 - Rooney/Scholes 06. United took part in the Ajax tournament and had Rooney and Scholes sent off in the 2nd game of the 3 game tourney. It was a friendly and for some inexplicable reason, the FA decided to ban our players for 3 games at the start of the season. This was so freaking wrong on so many levels. First of all, Liverpool suffered the same fate in the same tourney in 04, having 2 players sent off. They didn't even get a warning, let alone a hefty suspension. See, one rule for United, one for everyone else. Secondly, even if the suspensions were to be carried out, our players had already served one in the tourney itself. It should have been a 2 game suspension instead of 3. Of course there is no reasoning with the high and mighty FA. If they are out to screw you, you bend over and lather it with soap.

And this is only off the top of my head. If I actually take time off to google, I'm pretty damn sure there's plenty of complain about. I'm half certain the FA screwed us over the Ruud and Keown incident as well.

I'm sorry this got off to a tangent from the main story, but it sure feels therapeutic to get it off my chest.

Edit:
I just realised I did something similar last year and it's almost identical!

Summer Sale : Kieran Richardson Joins Sunderland

Richardson has signed a 4 year deal with Sunderland. The fee has not been disclosed.

I'm sure many fans would be rejoicing, since Richardson really isn't very much of a fan favourite. For some reason he cannot stop himself from whining and generally making a dick of himself whenever he wears a United jersey. His behavior was very much mimicked by Ronaldo when he first joined the club.

I can, however, offer this, off the pitch during interviews, he seems like a genuinely nice guy. He says all the right words, and quite frankly doesn't sound like the dick that was on the pitch.

In any case, I hope he has a good career under Keano.

The official reports:
Times
ManUtd.com

Tevez Deal in Turmoil

What would have been a dream signing for United is quickly turning into a media circus by the minute, depending on which side of the news you're reading. The latest offering is that West Ham has thrown a 'hammer' in the works by claiming that they have full control over Tevez's transfer.

Is Tevez worth all the aggravation? Personally, I think he is. Here's a player who announced his desire for the club since 05 when he wore a United shirt for a Corinthians press conference. Here's a player who could not contain his joy when he blurted out that he was joining United to his Argentine teammates in Venezuela (while playing in the Copa America). Here's a guy who rejected Inter Milan just so he could have a chance to play for United. I don't know what your opinions are, but to me, that's as good as finding United gold, especially for a player of his calibre.

I'm hoping that it all gets resolved sometime soon before the media circus consumes us all. I want to get back to watching the team play football again.

The Daily News - Tevez Turmoil
The Independent - Hammers 'Rights' to Tevez Hold Up United
The Telegraph - West Ham Threatens Tevez Deal
The Times - Just Who Does Own The Rights To Tevez? (Must Read)

The Independent - United Buy Now But Pay Later (Second half of the article. Good Read)

YES!!! TEVEZ TO UNITED!!!!

Today shall be known as the day I creamed in my pants! Before we get ourselves all excited over the news (it's in all the major publications), as of right now, it's not a done deal yet. But one thing's for sure, it's pretty darn close. This is right out of the journals of fantasy football.

Tevez is a proven winner at all levels, and we saw first hand how he single-handedly staved off relegation with West Ham. He's Cantona special, and his work-rate, from everything I've read, is United through and through.

I can't wait for this news to be confirmed. Meanwhile, here's the news. Eat your hearts out!

BBC - United Close in on Striker Tevez
Times - United Close in on Tevez
The Telegraph - Tevez Set for United
Manchester Evening News - Reds Close in on Tevez
The Daily Mail - Fergie Signs Tevez
The Mirror - Man Uni-Tev
The Sun - United Close in on Tevez

United Unveils New Jersey

United has officially unveiled the new home jersey for the upcoming season. I'm personally not too overwhelmed with the design. Call me old school, but jerseys without collars to flip up just doesn't work for me. Moreover the back just doesn't seem asethetic enough. Maybe with the names and numbers printed, it might actually look pleasing to the eye. In any case, I'm not adding any money into the Glazers' pockets.


In other news, we've offically signed Owen Hargreaves.

Nani and Anderson both signed 5-year deals. And we've made the Kuszczak loan deal a permanent one.

Rooney : The Perfect 10?

King Wayne - Denis Law handed over the no. 10 jersey to Rooney in a symbolic gesture. The jersey had been left vacant since the departure of Ruud, and Rooney aims to fill those large shoes. There is also speculation of the new jersey numbers the newcomers, Nani (no. 12?), Anderson (no.8?) and Hargreaves (no. 23?) will wear in the coming season.



Anderson Gets Work Permit - Anderson gets his work permit after the original application was denied. This is going to be good news for Ferguson, Anderson and the fans. No doubt Anderson will take a while to get used to United's culture and the sooner he gets here and trains with the lads, the better.

Pool's Cheeky Attempt At Heinze - No doubt this rumour is going to grab the headlines, if it hasn't already done so. It's nothing but a cheeky attempt by the seagulls to sensationalize. I would be surprised if United even accepts a bid and I trust Heinze to have the integrity to turn down the bid. Be sure if it comes to past, we'd be burning effigies of Heinze from Manchester to Singapore.

Tevez Loan Unlikely - A summary of all the above United news and rumours. The most sobbering piece claims that a Tevez loan deal is unlikely. Apparently the owners of the rights to Tevez are looknig to cash in this coming season. Also in the article, Everton has expressed interest in Richardson.