It seems like today is only halfway through, and yet so many questions need to be answered. Why is it so hot all of a sudden? What exactly is chowder? And wouldn’t Thierry Henry have to be totally barmy to go to Man United?
His move across the continent to sunny Spain was entirely forgivable, mainly because Arsenal fans suspected that his great days were slowly drifting past him, and also because it was Barcelona - THE Barcelona. But Man United? It would be a move nigh on suicidal for a man recently voted the best Arsenal player in history, or some such.
Of course, from a Man United perspective, the move would surely be viewed on a parallel with Henrik Larsson’s brief spell a couple of seasons ago - his experience, even to a Champions League winning side, would be invaluable, and Fergie could do with a natural leader of men up front. Giggs and Scholes, although great statesmen, are probably a little soft spoken for Sir Alex’s tastes.
As reported earlier in the summer, Henry seems US bound at some point, but might he find time to have one last stab at Europe first?
More importantly, could the city Manchester realistically handle his unquenchable his thirst for fashion?
Fergie thinks the Chelsea pensioners haven’t got a chance
In the latest of his pre-season mind games, Alex Ferguson has accused the Chelsea squad of being too old to compete with his spritely team this season:
“When you see the ages they’ve got, apart from Salomon Kalou [who is 22] and Mikel John Obi [21], they are an experienced side. I’m not saying necessarily that they’re old because, with the modern-day training methods, you should be playing in your thirties. What I am saying is that I don’t see outstanding progress in a team that’s in their thirties.”
So there you have it. Manchester Utd, whose squad includes Edwin van der Sar (37), Gary Neville (33), Ryan Giggs (34) and Paul Scholes (33) are destined to claim another Premiership title because the likes of Frank Lampard (30), Michael Ballack (31) and Deco (30) are getting on a bit.
It’s also worth noting the average ages of the starting lineups of the Champions League final - Manchester Utd’s was 27.45, while Chelsea’s (which included 35-year-old Calude Makelele) was just 28.45.
So, should some members of the Chelsea squad head off to the MLS retirement home (the football equivalent of Bournemouth), or do you side with deceased hip hop starlet Aaliyah in her sentiment ‘Age ain’t nothing but a number’? Votes and comments below, please.
Yes, the deal isn’t quite done yet, but Man United always get their man - Tevez, Hargreaves, Carrick, Rooney, Ferdinand, Kleberson… to name just six. In fact, Berbatov eventually packing up his smokes and venturing up north has never really been in doubt, and in a chilling moment of honesty, Sir Alex even admitted to watching the Bulgarian from afar for the last seven long years. This is a love affair that was always going to happen. It’s their destiny.
Yet, patient or not, Ferguson is making a big mistake. Berbatov is a brilliant player, that’s never been in doubt, but how could the red-nosed Scot possibly squeeze him into the first team without ruffling feathers and obliterating egos? Has greed finally got the better of him?
Never have the Red Devils sounded less interesting
During their recent money-spinning excursion to Saudi Arabia, a top Arabic TV network managed to score interviews with the Manchester United team. Unfortunately, the footballers’ post-flight grouchiness,
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