Who Will Replace The Boss?

Sir Alex Ferguson is finalizing Manchester United succession plan headed by Guardiola and Mourinho. The 70-year-old will have the biggest say in the identity of his successor and has identified only two potential candidates for the Old Trafford hot-seat.

As he collected another three points on a day he was embroiled in a controversy with a player 50 years his junior on Sunday, Sir Alex Ferguson’s fire looked at Liverpool like it was burning as strong as ever. Yet away from the pitch, the Scot's focus is no longer fixed solely on leading Manchester United back to the Premier League summit or snaring a third European crown of his reign, but also on putting in place a cast-iron succession plan that will enable the club to succeed long after he decides to call it a day. With whispers growing within Manchester United’s corridors of power that the flames could finally be ready to flicker on one of the greatest managerial dynasties of all, Ferguson has turned his attention to ensuring a smooth transition when he retires as manager.

Intriguingly, the key to the Old Trafford legend's succession plan and the timing of his retirement date is likely to hinge on the availability of the two men he believes are not only best equipped to take on his managerial baton but who he regards as the only serious candidates to succeed him, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. Any appointment will have to be ratified by the board and Gill but, on both sides of the Atlantic, they are comfortable with Ferguson having the biggest say in the identity of the man who takes his seat in the dugout and when he comes to sit in it. 

The Scot, who turns 71 in December, wants to keep his plans shrouded in secrecy to avoid a repeat of the situation in 2001-2002 when he felt the team were destabilized after he announced his intention to retire at the end of that campaign, only to later change his mind. 

However, the most successful manager in the history of British football is well aware of how crucial the timing of his departure will be in terms of United identifying a successor. 

When he goes, be it next summer or in three years’ time, Ferguson intends to leave the club in immaculate shape. 

He is in daily contact with Gill, who is in control of the day-to-day running of the club, and is involved in regular conference calls with the Glazers. “The succession plan is a delicate situation because of the club's need to continue delivering success on the pitch, and how any such change would impact their share price and wider perception as a club geared up for future success,” a source said. “Gill doesn't feel it is pertinent to bring up the issue because he has been assured he will one day get the ‘phone call' from Sir Alex.  “He will go when he wants, and probably with zero warning. Sir Alex will also have the biggest say in his successor - the casting vote, if you like.” 

Gill has said that the club will seek an experienced candidate whenever the time comes to make their first managerial appointment since November 1986 and Ferguson is of the conviction that the Old Trafford dugout can only be occupied by a select few who have taken an elite club to the heights. He is among the many admirers of David Moyes, who has worked wonders on a shoestring budget during the last decade at Everton, but the lack of European success of his fellow Scot rules him and those possessing similar credentials out of the equation. 

In Ferguson’s mind, the only coaches who he deems worth of consideration are Mourinho and Guardiola, whose battle for supremacy in the Iberian peninsula proved so captivating in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 Spanish seasons. The Real Madrid manager has made no secret of his desire to return to the Premier League when he leaves the Bernabeu, while former Barcelona boss Guardiola will have the pick of some of Europe’s marquee clubs as his year’s sabbatical draws to a close. 

Some senior figures at Old Trafford are concerned that Mourinho could be too high maintenance, both in terms of his transfer market demands and capacity for courting controversy. However, the Portuguese and Ferguson share a healthy mutual respect and the Scot sees in Mourinho a driven man who reminds him of himself during his early years, using similar motivational and psychological tactics. 

In a recent interview, Mourinho said he would like to emulate the United boss by continuing to coach in his eighth decade. “I understand perfectly why Alex is still in the job (at the age of 70) and I think I will be the same,” he said. In turn Ferguson has even gone to the lengths of saying that Mourinho would enjoy more power at Old Trafford than he has at the Bernabeu. 

Guardiola, too, ticks a lot of boxes for the United powerbrokers, including the manager. They remember not only the style in which Barcelona played while dominating European football for four years but the dignity the Catalan showed after his team ripped United apart in two Champions League finals. Guardiola was even photographed with Sir Alex Ferguson in New York at the US Open tennis final during the recent international break, although United dismissed suggestions that the pair met to discuss the possibility of the Spaniard succeeding Ferguson at Old Trafford. "The business of who succeeds him is paramount in Ferguson's mind - and Mourinho and Guardiola are the only two who, right now, he would considering entrusting the immediate and long-term future of the club to," another source said. The Scot is expected to remain involved at Old Trafford when he steps down and said earlier this year that he would be keen on a similar ambassadorial role to the one that long-time United director Sir Bobby Charlton has at the club. 

Keen to protect his legacy and safeguard United’s future, Ferguson is concerned about the adverse effect it could have if the club miss out on Mourinho or Guardiola. The Scot is prepared to time his exit to ensure United do not miss out on their top choice, heightening talk around the club that next summer - when Guardiola should be available and Mourinho will have been at Real three years - could be pivotal. Ferguson has a one-year rolling contract at United, designed to ensure there is no on-going speculation about his position and allowing him to feel backed by the club without being press-ganged into any decision about his exit plan. There is complete trust on both sides and a degree of financial security for the two parties. 

However, the Scot - on the bench when his idol and then Scotland manager Jock Stein passed away during a Scotland v Wales match in 1985 - is also keenly aware of his own age and health. Speaking last New Years’ Eve in an interview to mark his 70th birthday, Ferguson revealed his intention to stay in the job well into his 70s. He said: “I hope I have a long time left. As long as my health stays up, I would hope to have another three years at the club. I am still enjoying it. “As someone who loves his job I am not about to let my years alone dictate my future. At my age health becomes the key issue for a man's work and I am happy to say I have been blessed with stamina and energy that sees me coping with what I admit is a very demanding job.”

In a separate interview two months later, Ferguson's outlook was similarly long-term. “I don’t know how long I can last now but if my health stays up I don’t think another two or three years would harm me,” he said. In both instances, the Scot highlighted the significance of his health and the events of the last few months may have contributed to a shift in his thinking. Ferguson was treated in hospital at the end of May after suffering a nosebleed which, according to his close friend, the American broadcaster Charlie Stillitano, left him in “tremendous pain”. It is a problem which is believed to have afflicted the 70-year-old again this summer and could have contributed to his decision not to travel on the Scandinavian leg of the club’s gruelling pre-season tour, which spanned five countries and three continents. 

Meanwhile, Wigan chairman Dave Whelan, a fellow septuagenarian, is among those who believe Sir Alex is in the final season of his glittering United reign. Speaking in May, Whelan said: “After next season, Sir Alex will call it a day because he had a little scare.” Gill has claimed that Ferguson’s retirement date is a “non-issue” and not a concern for the hierarchy, although he has spoken of the requirement for a “sensible transition to the new manager”. 

That is paramount in Ferguson's thinking as he juggles the demands of a 27th top-flight campaign with precisely planning his personal legacy, but the continuation of the club's remarkable success over the past two decades. 

Still, the decision on when to go will be left to the man himself to make. Similarly to Eric Cantona’s abrupt retirement announcement 15 years ago, few are likely to see it coming.

A Victory For Football

It truly was the start of autumn, the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. An afternoon when we had the Fields of Anfield Road and Stevie Heighway on the wing and dreams and songs to sing. And a huge banner of the Liverpool badge moving slowly across the Kop bearing the motto ‘Our club, our crest, our life’.

They had come from all around to honour the 96 who died at Hillsborough on April 15, 1989 in the first home game since the independent panel’s report exonerated every Liverpool fan and roundly condemned the behaviour of the South Yorkshire police. They returned home with Liverpool still in the bottom three, as they continued their worst start to a season since 1911 with a contentious home defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Manchester United.That made it five games, no wins and just two points.

As for 1911, it was the year before the Titanic struck an iceberg. Like Liverpool, it was supposed to be unsinkable. But it still went down. The key moment before yesterday’s kick-off came and went with everyone breathing a sigh of relief as Luis Suarez effected a boxer’s touching of gloves with Patrice Evra in the pre-match handshake. So far so good, though it seems strange to find ourselves in a situation where we are applauding footballers for merely acting like human beings.

Bobby Charlton then presented Ian Rush with an enormous bouquet of dark red roses, while rival skippers Steven Gerrard and Ryan Giggs released 96 red balloons. A stirring proclamation over the Tannoy spoke of the exoneration of the fans and the further uniting of a club that has endured its fair share of tragedy. This was applauded by the 2,500 United fans at the Anfield Road End and, by that, they helped ensure it would be a good day for football. Implicit in that very same proclamation — but not mentioned — is how the fight will go on for a new inquest for both compensation and to nail the real culprits behind the scandal of Hillsborough.

Then came the unveiling of huge mosaics on three sides of the ground - ‘96, ‘Justice’ and, on the Kop, ‘The Truth’. After that, we had ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, with the Anfield crowd rarely in finer voice. United boss Alex Ferguson had asked his club’s supporters for an afternoon of respect and restraint, above all to refrain from the sort of chants that for so long have tarnished our national game. Yes, they interrupted the Liverpool anthem with loud shouts of support for their own team. Yes, every time Gerrard went over to take a corner in front of them he got a mouthful. And, yes, there was one particular low point when the same fans chanted ‘Where’s your famous Munich songs?’ But a chorus of boos from all corners of the ground seemed to remind them this was probably not the day for things like that. Then again, no one really expected it to be all sweetness and light between supporters of the two old foes from different ends of the East Lancs Road.

No one expected hostilities to be abandoned for 90 minutes and replaced by a Manc-Scouse love-in. There’s never much civility in this Lancashire Civil War — and that’s the way they like it. And the way they wanted it yesterday. So, after remembering and respecting the dead, we had what we had come to see — a football match. Yes, there may be some high and mighty columnising elsewhere of how the sanctity of the day was ruined by events out on the pitch. But is anyone surprised?

And so we had Jonjo Shelvey sent off in the 39th minute, after clattering into Jonny Evans with an off-the-ground tackle that saw his right foot hit first the ball and then Evans’ leg. Yes, Evans didn’t exactly hold back but, unlike Shelvey, there didn’t seem the same intent. And so we had United players surrounding referee Mark Halsey, who, under the most severe provocation from players and fans alike, stuck solidly to his task, refusing to be bullied. And so we also had Shelvey shouting and jabbing his finger at Ferguson as he headed for the tunnel. And finally we had Ferguson bringing on Paul Scholes (no doubt to calm everything down).

Needless to say, the United veteran was booked after 13 minutes, when he produced one of the finer tackles from his vast repertoire in attempting to cut young Raheem Sterling in half. As for the football, Gerrard gave Liverpool the lead just after the break with a left-foot volley, Rafael Da Silva equalised six minutes later and the match was finally settled in the only way possible. From the penalty spot, as Robin van Persie scored after Glen Johnson had brought down Antonio Valencia and United sealed a first Anfield win since December 2007.

We had come for a memorial service to honour those who died 23 years ago and to celebrate the righting of wrongs and the most famous victory in the history of Liverpool Football Club. Then a football match broke out, with all the intense rivalry, passion and bloody-minded determination that makes this clash one of the stand-out fixtures of every season. It was a fitting tribute to all those unable to attend.

The Never Ending War

A mate of mine send me this video on Samsung vs Apple thing. I guess it never end between these two. 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Who's ready to venture back to Middle-Earth?

Nine years after "The Return of the King" closed out the epic "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy -- and won 11 Oscars -- director Peter Jackson is bringing J.R.R. Tolkien's earlier book, "The Hobbit," to the big screen.  And in the just-released trailer for the first installment of this new trilogy, entitled "An Unexpected Journey," we see a host of new characters along with some familiar faces. And, most notably, it shows the return of Gollum.

Once again played by Andy Serkis via performance capture technology, Gollum is seen in the trailer making a wager with the young Bilbo Baggins (played by "Sherlock" star Martin Freeman, taking on the role originated by Ian Holm in the first trilogy).  In the story, Bilbo gets lost in the caves where Gollum resides.  Gollum agrees to help him find his way out, but only if Bilbo can beat him in a game of riddles. "If Baggins loses," Gollum says in the trailer, "we eats it whole."

In the book, Bilbo finally stumps Gollum with the riddle, "What have I got in my pocket?" Gollum guesses wrong, and shows Bilbo the way out of his cave. Gollum never guesses that the answer to the question is a golden ring Bilbo found in the cave -- yes, that ring.  The One Ring which Bilbo later passes on to his nephew Frodo so that he can destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom.

Gollum's not the only returning cast member from the first "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.  Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the friendly wizard who recruits Bilbo to join a band of thirteen dwarves on their quest.  This new trailer also gives us good looks at Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving reprising their roles as the elves Galadriel and Elrond.  But there's still no sight of Orlando Bloom, who will be back as the blond archer Legolas.

If you want to see a bit more of Gollum, the movie's official site has four alternate endings for the trailer. The one featuring Gollum shows more of his introduction to Bilbo, with the Hobbit getting his first look at the creature's split personality. Gollum tells Bilbo, "We knows safe paths for Hobbitses. Safe paths in the dark." Then he blurts out "Shut up!" A surprised Bilbo says, "I didn't say anything," and Gollum snarls back, "We wasn't talking to you."

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," the first of the three new movies, will open on December 14. This is a must see!!! 

Man Utd 1 - 0 Galatasaray

Michael Carrick's first Champions League goal in three years after just seven minutes proved enough, with United missing yet another penalty, their third of the season, through Nani. Galatasaray were desperately unlucky, failing to get a clear penalty before United struck, hitting the woodwork twice before being denied by David de Gea's excellent double save and then having another spot-kick claim waved away in stoppage time. 

Darren Fletcher returned from his career-threatening bowel condition as Manchester United scrambled to an unconvincing 1-0 win over Galatasaray at Old Trafford. It was the Scot's first appearance since November 22, although he had been battling against the problem for eight months before that. 

At one stage, Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he feared whether Fletcher would ever resume his career. Fletcher's arrival for Paul Scholes 11 minutes from time brought a deserved standing ovation, and was one of the few high points of a difficult evening for the hosts, who collected the victory but little else of note.

There then followed the third instalment of United's penalty embarrassment. After failures from Van Persie and Javier Hernandez already this season, Nani exuded confidence. Until it actually came to striking the ball that is. After a little shimmy, the Portugal winger seemed to freeze, and Musiera saved to his right. 

Rather than being eased in as Ferguson doubtless hoped, Fletcher's battling qualities were a necessity for the latter stages as United managed to keep their opponents at bay.

It was never comfortable though, with substitute Javier Hernandez failing to capitalise on a couple of late opportunities.

My verdict on Man Utd: Evra has lost his pace at the back. He's still a very good defender but we need pace at the back. Maybe Buttner is the solution but he needs a lot of composure before he can replace Evra. Our wingers need to improve a lot. Like real quick. Their runs are good but they suck at delivering the final ball into the box. Valencia and Nani need to get their heads together and come up with the goods. 

Sophia Grace & Rosie

If you haven't heard about these two munchkins, you are in for a treat people! These two adorable lil ones made their appearance months ago on the Ellen DeGeneres after posting a viral video of themselves singing Super Bass by Nicki Minaj. Since they had become recurring casts on Ellen's show, they now have a skit called "Tea Time with Sophia Grace & Rosie" where they interview many celebrities. Here are some of their memorable videos. Oh, and they're English too. Gotta love 'em accents. Enjoy! 

Barça To Wear Colours of Catalan Flag

 The FC Barcelona Away shirt in 2013-14 will be in the colours of the Senyera, the flag of the autonomous region of Catalunya (Catalonia) of which Barcelona is the capital.

After the news was leaked yesterday, the club confirmed the move and the shirts are believed to be already in mass production.  There is a great sense of national pride towards the Catalan region within the Barça supporter base so the shirt is likely to be very popular.  Whilst this was always likely, the style had reportedly been previously avoided due to worries over alienating the club's many fans from outside of Catalunya.

Those worries have now been put to one side and the news has been met warmly, with both local politicians and Barça players expressing their joy at the decision, which coincides with the National Day of Catalunya (La Diada).  FC Barcelona is often seen as representing the Catalan nation and the wearing of the flag's colours may solidify this link even further.

The Catalan national side is not officially recognised by Fifa so players rarely have the opportunity to represent their flag, aside from Barça carrying it on the back of the collar over the last few seasons.  In recent years Catalan players have been instrumental in the success of the Spanish national team and their region's contribution has been acknowledged in the media.  Now they will be able to regularly carry their colours in the guise of Barça.

RoboCop Reboot

 Part man. Part machine. All cop. New look.

Filming on the remake of the much-beloved 1987 sci-fi action flick "RoboCop" recently began in Toronto, and ComingSoon.net grabbed the first photos of the updated costume for the cyborg crimefighter. The bulky, chrome look of the original has been replaced by a trimmed-down silhouette with a black matte finish. It does have a helmet that is open only at the mouth like the first suit, but this one also leaves his right hand exposed.

That's Swedish actor Joel Kinnaman (TV's "The Killing") inside the costume as Alex Murphy, a gunned-down Detroit police officer reborn as an unstoppable robotic force for justice.  This will be the American debut for director José Padilla, who previously made the acclaimed "Elite Squad" films in his native Brazil. The remake also stars Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Keaton.

Like Peter Weller, who played the character in the first film, Kinnaman is tall and lanky, which is important so that when he's inside the suit it doesn't appear too cumbersome or unwieldy. Reportedly, Arnold Schwarzenegger was originally considered to play the role the first time around, but his size would have made moving in the suit impossible.  Schwarzenegger later teamed up with "RoboCop" director Paul Verhoeven for "Total Recall," which also got a recent remake.

The suit in the original took designer Rob Bottin ten months to construct at a cost of nearly $1 million (the budget for the entire film was only around $13 million).  There were actually multiple versions of the costume made, with some painted to look damaged after the climactic battle scene.  Weller said it got so hot in the suit he lost upwards of three pounds a day just from sweating.

Fan reaction to the new suit has been mixed, with some Internet commenters saying he looks more like Christian Bale's Batman than RoboCop.  Perhaps the filmmakers felt like "Iron Man" has captured the market on shiny robotic suits, so they decided to make it less reflective.  Also, online reviews of early drafts of the script suggest RoboCop goes through several different upgrades through the film, so this might not be the final iteration of his new look.

We'll see just how well this new "RoboCop" can serve the public trust, protect the innocent, and uphold the law when it hits theaters on August 9, 2013.

A Tale of Two Halves

It is a well-known fact that Juventus is now unbeaten in Serie A in their last 42 games. The team, led by Antonio Conte and Massimo Carrera, has been depicted as a bulldozer, mercilessly smashing any domestic opposition they have encountered in Serie A since the end of May, 2011.

This description, however, is not completely accurate, and data shows how Juventus' apparent bullying of other Italian teams is a relatively recent phenomenon. To begin with, of the 42 undefeated matches, Juventus have won 26 and tied 16, meaning that overall victories in fact relate to less than two thirds of their run. Across February and March 2012, Juve dropped eight points by drawing four successive games.

Back then, Italian journalists accused the bianconeri to have fallen victim to "pareggite" [draw-syndrome], and the title seemed to be on its way to Milan, as Massimiliano Allegri’s team - skippered by Zlatan Ibrahimovic - opened a four-point gap at the top of the table.

It is from the game that followed that period where statistics about Juve’s Serie A performances become "paranormal", and the Turin club started cruising towards the conquest of the Italian championship.

The wind changed on an evening at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence. Helped by the opposition being reduced to ten men during the first half due to a red card, Juventus walked over the wreck of a Jovetic-less Fiorentina, destroying the Tuscan side 5-0. The domination of Conte's army has since then been total. Counting in the routing of Fiorentina, Juventus' last 14 Serie A games - including three in the current season - resulted in 13 victories and one tie. 

The only time Juventus failed to win was in a home game against to-be-relegated Lecce, when an incredible blunder by Gianluigi Buffon allowed their opponents to level the score with only a few minutes left. In the aforementioned 14 games, Juventus have conceded a goal, as an average, only every 260 minutes. Besides that infamous goal against Lecce, Buffon and his team-mates picked the ball up from their net on only four other occasions: against Lazio at home [totally against the flow of play], while Alessandro Del Piero was saluting his supporters by walking around the pitch during the "exhibition" versus Atlanta, this season against Udinese [when winning 4-0] and finally last Sunday at Genoa. The goal scored by Ciro Immobile in Genoa was actually the first time in these last 14 games that Juventus trailed at the end of the first half.

There were, however, five instances in which the first half ended 0-0, and once the score was 1-1. In all seven cases, Juve managed to win the game in the second half. It is, in fact, a simple study of second-half performances that tell us something about this record-smashing team.

The total number of goals scored in the 14 games is 36, but they are very unevenly divided between the two halves. 12 were in fact scored during the first half, and twice that number, 24, in the second 45 minutes.

It seems clear that Juventus outdo their rivals thanks to being in better physical condition and a tactical system that allows them to wear out the opposition before finishing them mercilessly. On many occasions, in fact, we have witnessed second halves during which Conte's men were still prowling the pitch, while the opposition looked exhausted. It happened again this on Sunday in Genoa, where the home side put on a very valiant effort for at least an hour [and would have deserved possibly more than one goal], but totally faded out in the last thirty minutes - conceding three goals - as if trying to play at Juventus' level had sapped their energy.

With Juventus now returning to the European stage with their visit to Chelsea on Wednesday, it will be interesting to see if the bianconeri can put on a similarly outstanding performance in London. This match should also give us the measure of where the top Italian club sits vis-a-vis the European champions.

After that, Juventus will dive again into the domestic league, where they will try to beat the record of the legendary Milan team coached by Arrigo Sacchi, that, between the 1990-91 and the 1992-93 seasons, managed an incredible series of 58 games without losing.

Paul Scholes: A Red Devil Legend

700 not out: United genius Scholes on brink of major milestone in a career full of goals, perfected passes and crunching tackles. Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes hopes to make his 700th appearance for his one and only club at Old Trafford. Hailed as one of the finest European players of his generation, the 37-year-old has returned from retirement once to continue his remarkable contribution to United’s success. Scholes — so far — has 10 Premier League titles to his name, three FA Cups, two League Cups and two Champions Leagues. His time in the English game has, however, been a lot more colourful than that and, when he does finally say goodbye, few will forget his passing, his shooting or indeed his rather clumsy tackling. Let’s look back at his astonishing 17-year career.

BEST GAMES 

Port Vale (A) Sept 1995: Scholes makes his debut in the League Cup in the Potteries. In a young United team he stands out in a 2-1 win. Oh, and he scores both goals.

Liverpool (H) Sept 1998: Three years on and Scholes has emerged as a central figure. He dominates the Liverpool midfield and scores a thumping goal with his left foot to seal a 2-0 victory.

Inter (A) March 1999: The charge towards the Treble is taking shape and Scholes — on as a substitute — scores a crucial away goal at the San Siro.

Newcastle (A) April 2003: Three days before a crucial visit to Arsenal, United warm up with a 6-2 hammering of Newcastle. Scholes helps himself to a hat-trick.

Blackburn (H) March 2007: Another title race and another vital contribution as United win 4-1. Scholes scores and his overall performance is almost faultless.

Barcelona (A) April 2008: Scholes is remembered for the goal he scored in the second leg of this semi-final but the way he helps to stifle the Spaniards in a scoreless first game is equally as important.

Stoke City (A) Sept 2009: A largely forgotten 2-0 win but a perfect example of Scholes’s art. Physically strong enough to stand up to the home side, he proceeds to pass them off the field. Looks at times as though he is playing in an exclusion zone.

BEST GOALS 

Bradford (A) April 2000: The goal that Scholes himself describes as his best ever, a right-foot volley from a David Beckham corner that only a superbly gifted player could execute.

Middlesbrough (A) May 2000: Two weeks later and another first-time strike that goes like a tracer bullet into the top corner from 30 yards. Seems to be speeding up as it hit the net, even though that’s impossible.

Panathinaikos (H) November 2000: A precise United passing move ends with a backheel from Teddy Sheringham into Scholes’ path and the maestro chips the Greek goalkeeper with his right foot. Hard to imagine anything better.

Aston Villa (A) December 2006: Another day, another Scholes volley. Even Edwin van der Sar comes to join the  celebrations after Scholes smacks an unstoppable shot high into the net  from distance. 

Blackburn (H) March 2007: Top goalscorers always stay calm and Scholes embodies this here, picking up a loose ball 18 yards out and easing past lunging tackles to score low with his right foot.

Barcelona (H) April 2008: Scholes claims he ‘sliced’ this shot but that’s not how it will be remembered. Right foot, 25 yards, top corner. United through to the  Champions League final.

Manchester City (A) April 2010: A Manchester derby is in a stalemate but Scholes turns back the clock to ghost into the box and head a Patrice Evra cross into the corner for the winner. It’s all in the timing of the run.

BEST TRIBUTES

Luis Figo: ‘I’m star struck when I see Paul Scholes because you never see him. On the pitch you can’t catch him. Off the pitch he disappears.’

Roy Keane: ‘No celebrity bull****, no self-promotion — an amazingly gifted player who remained an unaffected human being.’ 

Lionel Messi: ‘At La Masia (the Barcelona youth academy) his name was mentioned a lot. In some ways, he was one of our teachers.’

Pele: ‘If he had been playing with me, I would have scored many more goals.’

Xavi: ‘In the last 15 or 20 years the best central midfield player — the most complete — is Scholes. He is a spectacular player who has everything. If he had been Spanish, he would have been valued more.’ 

Sir Bobby Charlton: ‘I have no hesitation in putting a name to the embodiment of all that I think is best about football. It’s Paul Scholes.’

Rio Ferdinand: ‘He will do ridiculous things in training like say, “See that tree over there, 40 yards away? I am going to hit it”. And he will do it. Everyone at the club considers him the best.’

BEST QUOTES 

On retiring from international football: ‘I got fed up. You want to be part of a team and play well. But with England there are (too many) individuals who are after personal glory.’

On the media: ‘I don’t like compliments. I would rather people have a go at me so I can prove them wrong.’

On life out of the spotlight: ‘My ideal day? Train in the morning, pick up the kids from school, go home, play with kids, have tea, get them up to bed, and then come down and watch a bit of TV.’

On the Champions League triumph of 2008: ‘I was first on the bus afterwards. But I always am. What’s the point in hanging around? I was pleased with what we had done but didn’t want to spend all night talking about it.’ 

On the future, four years ago: ‘I’d think I have two years left at the most and part of me will be glad to finish. The only thing I will definitely miss is the football. The general life of a footballer I suppose I will not miss at all.’

On his longevity: ‘Maybe football intelligence helps you to cope. After all, there’s only so much running you can do. It’s football and if you are clever enough to play then you’ll find the right answers.’

On tackling: ‘Of course I can tackle. There’s plenty of evidence of that. I was just getting people back. It was always in the back of my mind.’

WORST FOULS 

On Stefan Schwarz, 1999 Euro Championship Qualifier, Wembley: OK, so this one wasn’t playing for United but his early assault on Sweden’s midfielder was so bad it left a hole in his thigh. A yellow for that and another later in the game saw him become the first England player to be dismissed at Wembley.

On Jose Antonio Reyes, 2005 FA Cup final: The Arsenal forward didn’t last long in England and perhaps moments like this didn’t help. Scholes is so late as he arrives from behind that it is almost the second half. Yellow card and a talking-to.

On Xabi Alonso, 2007 Premier League, Anfield: Scholes manages to punch the Spaniard and kick him between the legs at the same time. Full marks for ingenuity, none for subtlety — and a red card.

On Sergio Busquets, 2009 Champions League Final, Rome: The Barcelona midfelder plays a simple pass, only for Scholes to arrive late and clamp his standing leg between both feet, sweeping him to the ground. A yellow follows.

On Marouane Chamakh, 2011 FA Cup, Old Trafford: On video, a stunned United fan is seen with his head in his hands after Scholes pole-axes the Arsenal forward. He even gives his opponent a little slap during the melee that follows. Yellow card.

On Pablo Zabaleta, 2011 FA Cup semi-final, Wembley: Manchester City’s defender plays a bouncing ball first only for Scholes to reach the scene a split-second too late. Cue the sound of studs on upper thigh. A red card followed.

On Darron Gibson, 2012 Premier League, Goodison Park: It was only last season that he was at the same club as Gibson but 13 minutes into the new campaign, Scholes thunders through the back of the Everton player. Just a yellow.

AVB Out Again?

A trip to Reading at this stage of the season shouldn’t normally be of too much concern to a team that finished fourth last season. But for Tottenham fans it could be something of an ordeal. Especially those who seemed supremely unconcerned at the dismissal of Harry Redknapp at the end of last season.

For defeat at Reading tomorrow for a team with lots of new names but precious little time in which to gel will put Andre Villas-Boas under real pressure. Not to mention Daniel Levy, the chairman who gave him the job — and also appointed Jacques Santini and Juande Ramos. Spurs are 14th in the table after losing at Newcastle and drawing at home to both WBA and Norwich. Not the most auspicious beginning for AVB, a manager in desperate need of a jump-start to the season after his experience at Chelsea.

On arriving at Spurs, he admitted he had learned from a “couple” of his mistakes at Stamford Bridge though he would not elaborate. You might presume one of them would have been to tread a little more warily when it came to players following the battle he lost with influential members of the Chelsea dressing room. As yet, that doesn’t seem to be exactly the case.

Having made it clear he didn’t want either Tom Huddlestone and Michael Dawson at the club, he then failed to move them on. He also rocked the boat with Hugo Lloris with the unwise words that it wasn’t written into his contract that the France skipper had to play. Not exactly a vote of confidence in your new goalkeeper.

Other things AVB said when walking into Spurs for the first time also set alarm bells ringing. That he wasn’t there to restore his reputation but to put Spurs back on track. Having twice finished fourth under Redknapp, they weren’t exactly off it. And, contrary to his beliefs, he is there to restore his reputation — unless his self-confidence is such he feels his reputation needs no restoring. He also said of Chelsea’s Champions League-winning side: “I am very honoured I was able to put that team together.” That is another debatable point seeing he inherited the players most pivotal to Champions League success. He also persisted in selecting Jose Bosingwa and Raul Mereiles — both of whom have now left the club — kept on substituting Juan Mata when Chelsea needed goals and maintained the unworkable high line of defence even after it had been spectacularly dismantled by Arsenal.

AVB always claims he was never given enough time but it was evident where Chelsea’s season was heading before Roman Abramovich pulled the plug. AVB either has a short memory, a remarkable ego or tremendous balls. Perhaps all three... make that four. Whatever it is, he has to get this Tottenham team working now after the late transfer splurge that saw Spurs spend more in the transfer market than any other club bar Chelsea.

AVB’s other problem is he has in Levy a chairman who really believes he knows best when it comes to the transfers. Yet he is the same man who at the start of Ramos’ final season spent £30million on David Bentley and Roman Pavlyuchenko. Throw in his sacking of Martin Jol and Redknapp and you do really wonder.

So AVB has a lot to contend with. To give himself a half-decent chance, his priority must be to get his players on-side and make sure they stay there. Benoit Assou-Ekotto was not just speaking for himself when he said: “I was very surprised Redknapp left — not many managers finish fourth and are sacked.” And when asked if he was happy playing under AVB, he said: “Hmm, I play so he is good for the moment.” Hmm, indeed.

Ozil Test Drives Adidas

Mesut Özil's deliberation between Nike and adidas is swinging firmly in the direction of the three stripes. After flirting with the adidas Predator LZ in recent competitive matches, the Real Madrid midfielder is using the international break to test drive the f50 adizero miCoach. 

As announced this week Özil's official ties with the American brand have come to an end after his advertising contract expired on July 31. Nike offered the German international a mega contract extension worth €20m which would have seen him wear Nike products until 2016. Özil refused the deal and is now using the time to test other football boots.

In a recent statement, the 23-year-old commented; “I appreciate the cooperation with Nike in recent years, but I now want to take my time and use the unsigned time to test different shoes.” Losing such a high calibre player will be a big blow to Nike, and one that adidas will look to take advantage of by taking the Real Madrid man under contract.

The situation presents a rare opportunity for adidas to land one of Nike's former star names. Player's of Özil's stature are rarely on the market. Özil – who began his professional career wearing adidas - would be a perfect partner for the German brand. Real Madrid and the German FA are official partners and both sponsored by adidas. 

For the past two years, Özil has been one of Nike's most high profile and frequently promoted athletes. The tricky German now looks to be heading into adidas' books alongside Real Madrid team-mates Angel di Maria, Kaka, Karim Benzema, Fábio Coentrão,  Xabi Alonso and Iker Casillas. 

- An article from Soccerbible - 

Diego Simeone - The Manager

Amid talk of Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho arriving in the Premier League, one of the world’s top young managers tends to be forgotten. Diego Simeone, 42, shouldn’t be ignored — especially as the Atletico Madrid boss is out of contract at the end of the season.

The Argentine is much more than the midfield hardman David Beckham kicked in St Etienne to earn THAT silly red card at the 1998 World Cup. After a trophy-laden career as a player in Spain (Atletico Madrid) and Italy (Inter, Lazio) he has rapidly risen to become an elite boss. His record is astonishing. Simeone led Estudiantes de la Plata to their first Argentinian title in 23 years in 2006 as a rookie. Two years later, he was champion with River Plate. He took over Italian minnows Catania in January 2011 and miraculously kept them in Serie A.

Atletico’s turnaround since he took over in January from Gregorio Manzano has been breathtaking. Nine months ago, they were knocked out of the Spanish Cup by Third Division minnows Albacete and were 10th in La Liga, four points above the drop zone. Under Simeone, they stormed to a run of 10 wins and seven draws, finishing two points behind fourth-placed Malaga and narrowly missing out on the Champions League. They won the Europa League — destroying both Valencia and Manchester United’s celebrated nemesis Athletic Bilbao in the final.

And, of course, a week last Friday in Monte Carlo, they crushed Chelsea 4-1 in the European Super Cup, also hitting the woodwork three times. Some might think Simeone simply got an under-performing side up to scratch — after all, this team also won the Europa League and European Super Cup two years ago. Wrong. Atletico trashed Chelsea with a COMPLETELY NEW starting line-up to the one that beat Fulham 2-1 in the Europa League final in 2010.

Simeone summed up his philosophy on Saturday: “Work and humility are decisive. It’s work and commitment. The commitment to your team-mate who runs alongside you on the pitch, to the manager, to the fan encouraging you. That’s Atletico. Union and commitment.”

Simeone is yet to sign a new deal at the Vicente Calderon Stadium — although he admits the door is still open. He said: “My intention is to continue, to sign a new deal but we will see. I’m not talking about other offers or clubs. Right now, my priority is to talk to Atletico first.” That may be but there is no doubt Simeone gave a certain Russian billionaire and his advisers plenty of food for thought in Monte Carlo 10 days ago.

Mr Premiership's Verdict

Fergie’s right – Manchester United and England were both hit badly by Tom’s KO. When Alex Ferguson bemoaned the loss of Tom Cleverley to injury early last season a few eyebrows were raised. He was basically saying it was a major blow to his side and their prospects for the season. This is about a player who had performed in only a handful of games for Manchester United after a series of spells out on loan.

Looking back, Fergie was spot on because his side never again played with the same explosive, attacking movement as they had done in those opening fixtures with Cleverley, 23, part of the team. He had helped to turn the tide in the Community Shield against Manchester City. Then he was central to four successive Premier League wins over West Brom 2-1, Tottenham 3-0, Arsenal 8-2 and Bolton 5-0. Ferguson was not just trying him out. He had in fact held him back using loans at the likes of Watford and Wigan to prepare him for the move up to the United first team.

It was a shame both for Ferguson and England that the early term explosion of passing and movement did not develop into a full season of promise realized. It would not only have made a difference to Manchester United’s title tilt but to how England played in the Euros this summer. Cleverley’s return to fitness was simply too late for him to be included in Roy Hodgson’s plans. But I truly believe his pace and vision could have made a difference in a game that proved as tight as the one against Italy. The problem England have had for too long is the nature of the stop-start football we play. The ball is passed, one touch, look-up, then make a decision. It is what too often leads to us relying on balls into the box, a header, a knock down etc.

Nothing wrong with that when it’s needed but not all the time. We need Plans B and C. Steven Gerrard’s delivery is excellent, Frank Lampard can still keep possession and open a defence. But what Cleverley, who won only his second cap against Moldova, offers is a player who with one touch, on the move, going forward, can inject pace into the whole movement of the team. He makes sure the ball coming out of defence or deep in midfield continues quickly on its way up field putting the opposition swiftly on the back foot.

The sort of football that undoes teams at the very highest level — the sort that does not give opponents time to think. He looks like a player who is already one move ahead. Of course everyone else needs to be on his wavelength for it to work.

Against Moldova it looked like they were. I will say quickly now I am not basing any of these opinions solely on the Moldova game. It is difficult to draw opinions from a match-up with opponents of that level. England simply did a job and did it well. The test for Cleverley will be greater against Ukraine tomorrow night in our second group game.

And I hope he gets the chance to shine again — and regularly after that. Not just for England but for Manchester United. Because a full season with his club playing games at the very highest level in the Premier and Champions League will bring him on no end. By the time we reach Brazil in 2014 we could really have some player. One around which the team can tick, a player that all great teams have. One that will also be ready for the tournament. Ready because having played for a club like Manchester United he will have become used to the pressure and demands that come with playing this sport at the very top level.

This might seem like undue pressure on someone still counting his caps on one hand. But what we always look for with England is hope — and in Cleverley there is some.

- An article by Alan Shearer for The Sun -