Football Corner

Since the arrival of my new Celtic away jersey (08/09) I have been impressed by it's surprising comfort. Whether you are out playing football with friends or just lounging around your home the new Celtic away jersey does the trick.

The dri-fit technology which Nike have incorporated into the jersey helps to wick perspiration to keep you dry and comfortable when exercising. The vibrant yellow and green colours go really well together to make this one of the nicest jersey's on the market.

The Celtic away jersey also supports the original Nike style which can be seen in many other jersey's produced by this brand. Usually when I buy football jerseys I seem to always find loose pieces of tread hanging from the sides of it within days.

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So go now to soccerpro.com and order your Celtic away jersey for just $66.50 (£37.00).

The Football Association have today rejected an appeal by Everton against the wrongful dismissal of midfielder Tim Cahill during Saturday's derby game against Liverpool. Cahill, 28, was shown a straight red card for a tackle on Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso and will now miss the Toffees next three Premier League games.

The Australian international appeared to ignore referee Mike Riley when he was trying to call him back. Personally, I feel this may of led to Riley pulling out the red rather than the yellow card. Cahill will now miss Everton's games against Newcastle, Manchester United and Arsenal, three massive games for manager David Moyes as he looks to turn the club's form around.

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has today significantly reduced the asking price for the club to just £300 million. Ashley had been looking for as much as £481 million when he first put the club up for sale about two weeks ago but he must now realise that the club is not worth that amount of money and has therefore reduced the asking price.

Following the announcement that the Nigerian consortium interested in buying the club had officially made an offer, many people have speculated as to how much they have actually offered Ashley for the club. From what I can gather, it is obvious to me that the consortium only bid somewhere in the region of £200-£250 million which has led to Ashley's rethinking of his first asking price.

Anyway let's hope one way or another the club is indeed sold so that we can get Ashley out of the Premier League. It was obvious from the minute he walked in the door at St James' Park that he couldn't run a football club and so has proven the case. I think most Magpies fans will agree with me here, Get rid of Ashley and bring back Keegan.

Liverpool defender Daniel Agger has today claimed that he and manager Rafa Benitez did not have a bust-up following the Champions League qualifying tie against Standard Liege. Agger has rarely featured in the Liverpool starting eleven this season, leading to speculation that a bust-up may of occurred between the pair.

The Danish international has only made two appearances this season, neither of which have come in the league. Agger has been unable to win back his place in the Liverpool first team due to the form of both Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel but he has denied it is because of a possible bust-up with Benitez.

"Of course there are things that Benitez was not satisfied with after Liege," Agger told Danish TV station TV3. "We didn't play a good match, but it is a big lie to say we had an argument. I certainly hope it is only football reasons why I am not playing. The 23-year old went on to say that "I'm not satisfied with the fact that I'm not playing but I have to cope and accept it. "I'm happy at Liverpool."

Before his injury last season, I personally felt Agger was one of Liverpool's best players at the club and he was a guaranteed starter. I personally would rather have Agger than Skrtel any day, but obviously Benitez doesn't agree for whatever reasons. I would no be at all surprised to see Agger leave Anfield come January because he is certainly better than just a Cup player.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has today praised referee Rob Styles. United profited from an extremely poor penalty decision from Styles during their 2-0 win against Bolton at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Cristiano Ronaldo was taken down by Bolton defender Jlloyd Samuel, however replays clearly showed Samuel getting a touch on the ball. Ronaldo stepped up himself and put United ahead, to leave Bolton boss Gary Megson furious at ref Styles.

Styles has since apologised, an apology which has been met with praise by the United manager Ferguson. "It's good that Rob's done that. I think it presents him in a different light, It shows character. It presents him that he's big enough to do that. So I think he takes all the credit for that."

It comes as no surprise to me to see Ferguson come out with these statements because someone has to show some support for Styles and who better to do so than the man who profited most from the decision. I would believe the comments more if they had come from Bolton boss Megson, but I shall think he is still fuming from the shocking decision.

The sale of Newcastle United has moved one step closer today with the news that the Nigerian consortium interested in the buying the club have now lodged a bid. Since the departure of Kevin Keegan from the club earlier this month, there has been severe pressure on owner Mike Ashley (who happens to look rather like Bobby from King of the Hill) to sell the club.

Ashley did confirm almost two weeks ago that he was in fact ready to sell after "getting the picture" in relation to the angry fan protests outside St James' Park. This news should come as some relief to Newcastle fans after the side slumped to second last in the Premier League after yet another defeat on Saturday.

Chris Nathaniel, the man fronting the bid from the Nigerian consortium, refused to comment on the size of the bid : "We can't at this stage, that's confidential between ourselves and Newcastle, but a bid was put in on Friday evening ... There's been no timeline given by Newcastle but we hope it will be sometime soon."

Newcastle have become the laughing stock of the Premier League (Spurs are close by) in recent weeks. First the confusion surrounding the departure of Keegan, then all the protests outside the stadium and now they have appointed Joe Kinnear as interim manager. It is a real shame to see such a massive football club be treated like this and the sooner Ashley is gone the better.

Maybe the Nigerians will like Keegan and bring him back. I know that's what most Magpies fans want.

Everton have today lodged an appeal to the FA over the dismissal of Tim Cahill during Saturday's derby game against Liverpool. The Australian midfielder was shown a straight red card, for what looked like a pretty innocuous challenge on Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso.

A decision is likely to be made no sooner than Wednesday, were Everton will find out if they will be without one of their best midfielders for the next three games. Cahill appeared to ignore referee Mike Riley when he was being called back after the challenge.

Toffees manager David Moyes has argued the point that if Riley sent him off for the combination of the tackle and the ignorance of Cahill, then it should only of been two yellows, not a straight red. That would then only rule out Cahill for the game against Newcastle next weekend and not the following league games against Arsenal and Manchester United.

After Chelsea's successful appeal over the John Terry red card a few weeks back, I personally think this appeal should also end successfully. Terry's was definetly more of a red than Cahill's and I certainly won't be pleased to see Cahill's stand after Terry had his one rescinded, although it wouldn't surprise me one bit.

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has today admitted he was offered £15 million for midfielder Lassana Diarra on transfer deadline day, but he turned it down. The French midfielder has become an integral part of the Pompey starting eleven but Redknapp has admitted he could of sold the player.

"At the moment I don't want to sell anybody. I turned down a £15 million bid for Diarra on transfer deadline day. I'm not saying who from - he might want to go there," claimed Redknapp. "But he is worth more than that.

One club who were repeatedly linked with a move for Diarra, 23, was Premier League strugglers Tottenham. Juande Ramos was believed to be keen to add to his midfield options before the window closed and it had been widely speculated that he wanted to bring Diarra to White Hart Lane.

Diarra is a quality player and I am sure all Pompey fans will be delighted to see him still at Fratton Park. Redknapp could of easily sold Diarra and then gone out and tried to sign two or three average players. With Diarra's performance today against Spurs for Pompey, I am sure Ramos would of been wishing he had of snapped up the promising French international.

Rivals Manchester United and Manchester City are to lock horns in a battle to sign Lyon striker Karim Benzema. The French international has become of of Europe's hottest properties in recent months and he has caught the eye of both Mark Hughes and Sir Alex Ferguson in particular.

Lyon recently said they would not let Benzema leave for anything less than £80 million, a price that City could certainly meet now they are super rich. Benzema, 20, has scored 42 goals in just 99 games for the French giants Lyon since breaking into the first team almost four years ago.

There is no doubting Benzema's talent and I really think he would be an excellent signing for either club in question but is he really worth £80 million. United currently have three top class strikers at Old Trafford in Berbatov, Rooney and Tevez and I see no reason for them to go out and buy another one in the shape of Benzema, so City would have to be favourites in my book.

Source : News of the World

Tottenham remain bottom of the Premier League after yet another defeat. This time they have been beaten by Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth to leave them with just two points from a possible eighteen, leaving manager Juande Ramos under severe pressure at the helm.

It was two former Spurs strikers that bagged all three points for Pompey. Jermain Defoe scoring from the spot before the break and Peter Crouch sealing the win with half-an hour left. In truth Spurs never really looked like getting anything from the game, although they may feel harshly done by, with the ref failing to award them a penalty fifteen minutes before Pompey doubled their lead.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit to see Ramos leave White Hart Lane during the week. Spurs have simply been awful since the season started and Ramos' new signings clearly haven't worked. David Bentley looks half the player he was while he was a Blackburn player, Giovanni, although he hasn't got much of a game, looks out of his depth in the Premier League.

What do you think should happen, tell us your views below.

Hull City have this evening beaten the might of Arsenal in their own backyard. It is, undoubtedly the result of this season's Premier League and Hull manager Phill Brown can take a tremendous amount of credit for it.

Brown started with a very attacking line-up, a move that many people felt would see Hull be humiliated but that was far from the case. The sides went in level at the break with Arsene Wenger's men probably having the better chances to go in front but it all kicked off in the second 45.

The Gunners took the lead just after the interval when Theo Walcott delivered the ball into Cesc Fabregas who saw his shot deflected off Paul McShane into the Hull net. But, to everyone's amazement, Hull equalised just fifteen minutes later through a superb 25-yard striker from summer acquisition Geovanni.

It was another summer signing that won the game for newly promoted Hull. Former Rangers striker Daniel Cousin headed home a Andy Dawson corner to send the travelling Hull fans crazy. Arsenal captain William Gallas nearly earned a point for the hosts late on, but he saw his header cannon off the bar.

Outstanding. This is one of the most incredible results of Premier League history. The might of Arsenal being defeated by the newly promoted Hull. This isn't really what Wenger had in mind considering he rested his good players for Tuesday's cup tie with Sheffield United to save them for today.

Elsewhere in the Premier League it finished : Manchester United 2-0 Bolton, Everton 0-2 Liverpool, Stoke City 0-2 Chelsea, Fulham 1-2 West Ham, Newcastle 1-2 Blackburn, Aston Villa 2-1 Sunderland, Middlesbrough 0-1 West Brom.

Liverpool overcame local rivals Everton to go top of the Premier League table. Everton finished the game with ten men after Tim Cahill was shown a straight red for a challenge on Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso.

Liverpool keeper Jose Pepe Reina didn't have one save to make all game and in truth the result never looked in doubt once Fernando Torres scored his first goal since the first game of the season. The Spaniard volleyed home a lovely Robbie Keane cross just after the hour mark to give this visitors the lead.

Torres doubled his and Liverpool's tally on the day after he finished coolly from all of ten yards to leave the Toffees without a point at home this season. Australian international Tim Cahill was sent off soon after for what looked like a pretty innocuous challenge on Alonso.

All in all a good result for Liverpool. After drawing 0-0 at home to Stoke City last week it was crucial for the club to bounce back and what better way to do it away against Everton. For David Moyes the struggle goes on at home and they will have to be at their best to beat Newcastle at Goodison Park next weekend.

Final Score : Everton 0-2 Liverpool.

Yes, Manchester City striker Robinho has today claimed he has not peaked yet. The Brazilian international made a shock move to Eastlands on transfer deadline day and has since proven a massive hit in the Premier League scoring two goals in two games.

The former Real Madrid striker told the Daily Star : "In a few weeks' time fans in England will start to see the real Robinho, I have already noticed at City there is a far better atmosphere in the dressing room then we had at Real Madrid.

"I want to do as well as we can this year and then try and play in the Champions League as quick as possible. We know that will be difficult but we have to have ambition." After signing for City on September the first for a British record transfer fee of £32.5 million many people in the game questioned the move but it has proved to be an excellent one so far.

There is no doubting that Robinho is an outstanding player and he has certainly shown some jaw-dropping stuff since coming to England but I just hope he can keep it up. If Robinho is serious and he can produce even better performances that what he has already shown then this is obviously worrying times for Premier League defenders.

The draw for the Carling Cup Fourth Round was made this afternoon and it has certainly not disappointed. It has thrown up some mouth-watering ties which will be played the week commencing 10th of November.

The tie of the round is obviously the game to be played at White Hart Lane. Cup holders Tottenham will entertain Rafa Benitez' Liverpool. Spurs have been in shocking form in the Premier League sitting rock bottom whilst Liverpool are riding high in third.

Meanwhile, Premier League and Champions League Champions, Manchester United will face Championship side QPR at Old Trafford. And the most promising team in the third round, Arsenal will host fellow Premier League side Wigan Athletic at the Emirates.

Elsewhere in the draw ; Sunderland V Blackburn, Chelsea V Burnley, Swansea City V Watford, Stoke City V Rotherham United, Brighton & Hove Albion or Derby County V Leeds United.

Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has today admitted he may consider leaving Barcelona if he does not get more first-team action.

The French international has made just over 50 appearances for the La Liga giants since joining last summer, however he has admitted he may consider leaving in January.

"For now, it is not a topical matter but if things stay the same, of course we will have to talk about this." said the 31-year old. Henry spent over seven years at Arsenal, scoring an impressive 226 goals in all competitions for the Gunners and he has been linked with several returns to the Premier League in recent months.

I think it would be great for Henry to come back to England. It is clear for all to see that it hasn't really worked out for him in Spain and I feel a move to Manchester City or Arsenal could be on the cards come January.

West Ham United striker Carlton Cole has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving. The former England under-21 player was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday morning and did not take part in the club's Carling Cup tie with Watford that evening due to a foot injury.

Cole, 24, took a road-side breath test and was then taken to a nearby police station. He was then bailed and he must now answer bail at a London police station in November. The former Chelsea striker has made over 60 appearances since joining in 2006.

Ah Carlton you muppet. I hate seeing this. Players like this are suppose to role models for the younger generation of footballers and things like this don't really help.

Tottenham have tonight progressed to the fourth round of the Carling Cup after seeing off a late rally from the hosts Newcastle. Goals from Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jamie O'Hara helped ease the pressure on manager Juande Ramos after a shocking start to the new Premier League season.

Michael Owen gave the Magpies some hope late-on however it wasn't enough and the holders go on to the next round. The first-half was simply appauling. Both sides look extremely poor and it was no surprise to see the second-half improve because quite frankly it couldn't of been any worse than the first 45 minutes.

Spurs showed signs of the kind of form that saw them win the competition last season, however they still have a long way to go if they want to winning it this season. This finally provides some respite for Ramos and the rest of the Spurs staff because they have come if for some strong criticism in recent days. The misery continues for Newcastle.

One other thing to note from tonight's game was the pathetic attendance at the ground. As most of us will know, St James' is one of the biggest stadium's in the country holding 52,000 at capacity. Tonight saw just under 20,000 turn up for the game, clearly a knock-on affect from the Kevin Keegan saga.

Jamie O'Hara has just doubled Tottenham's lead in their Carling Cup tie against Newcastle United at St James' Park. This follows Pavlyuchenko's opener just minutes earlier and it would appear now as though the holders are going through to the next round.

Roman Pavlyuchenko has just put Tottenham ahead in their Carling Cup third round tie against Newcastle United. The Russian striker joined the club on transfer deadline day earlier this month but this is his first goal for the North London club.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has today claimed he is confident of landing Zenit St Petersburg striker Andrei Arshavin come the opening of the January transfer window. The Russian international was heavily linked with a move to White Hart Lane during the summer window however nothing was ever agreed between the two clubs. (Daily Mirror)

Spurs boss Juande Ramos was keen to land the 27-year old, with a possible £20 million move being rumoured however, Levy is now confident of signing the Zenit ace for just £15 million in January. During the summer saga, Arshavin's agent always maintained that his client wanted to join the North London club and he also didn't rule out a possible move come January.

I am pretty surprised to see Levy come out with this statement at this tough time for the club. Many Spurs fans felt the club didn't try very hard to land Arshavin, with Spurs repeatedly coming short of the Zenit asking price. I personally would of loved to see Arshavin come to the Premier League however I don't see that happening come January considering how poor a start Spurs have had.

Yes, Manchester United midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo is back in the goals after a summer of uncertainty over his future at the club. The Portuguese international returned to the United first team last week against Villarreal following a summer of speculation that he was going to move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Now he's back and he's back in the goals. Ronaldo set United on their way into the next round of the League Cup by netting in the 25th minute. Sir Alex Ferguson's men went on to win 3-1 against Gareth Southgate's Middlesbrough but United's fans were just chuffed to see Ronaldo back on the score sheet again.

Hopefully now we see Ronaldo go on from this and have another outstanding season although I personally can't see it being as good as the last. There is no doubting he is an amazing talent but for me last season can never be matched. Like come on he can't really beat 42 goals in all competitions, can he?

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has done it again. It would appear he has signed yet another terrific young talent in the shape of Carlos Vela. The 18-year old Mexican scored a hat-trick on his full debut tonight against Sheffield United in the League Cup third round.

Vela has spent three seasons on loan at Celta Vigo, Salamanca and Osasuna while the player waited to receive a work permit in the UK. This season he was given the all-clear to begin his career at the Emirates and boy has he got off to an impressive start.

He was the man of the match as Arsenal demolished Championship side Sheffield United 6-0. I had seen several quality clips of Vela before tonight's game but I have I was extremely surprised with his performance tonight. He was incredible. His second goal was simply outstanding and there is no doubt now he is ready for a successful career at Arsenal.

Newcastle United's problems continue today as Mike Ashley has now appointed London-based investment bank Seymour Prince to help push through the sale of the club. Magpies owner Ashley confirmed last week he is keen to sell the club after a nasty fan backlash to Kevin Keegan departing the club two weeks ago.

Keith Harris, the chairman of Seymour Prince, has been involved in some of the biggest deals in the Premier League in recent years including the sale of Chelsea to Roman Abramovich and Randy Lerner buying Aston Villa.

A Newcastle statement said: "The board of Newcastle United can confirm it has appointed the London-based investment bank Seymour Pierce to act on the potential sale of the club.

"All matters relating to the sale of the club, including inquiries from interested parties, should go through Seymour Pierce. "The club will be making no further comment at this time." I personally hope this will push through any deal for Newcastle because it is such a shame to see such a big club being dragged through the dirt like this.

Chelsea have today been hit with the news that Portuguese pair Deco and Ricardo Carvalho could both face weeks on the sidelines after picking up injuries at the weekend. Deco tore a muscle in his upper thigh in the warm-up for the game against Man United.

That could see the former Barcelona man out for at least weeks whilst Carvalho could face double that time out after picking up knee ligament damage during the game at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Obviously this is a big blow to Luis Filipe Scolari considering both players are regulars in his starting eleven. I would imagine Alex will slot in to replace Carvalho whilst the Brazilian midfielder Mineiro may now be brought in by Scolari after weeks of speculation over his future to cover for Deco.

Tottenham remain bottom of the Barclays Premier League table after only picking up a point at home to Wigan Athletic today. At the start of the season, many fans and pundits felt they could break into that elusive top four, but that looks a distant memory now.

They are still without a win this season and it is now their worst start to a top flight season in 34 years. Juande Ramos has blamed their poor start to the season on the fact Dimitar Berbatov left the club so late in the summer transfer window, thus leaving the club with little time to find a suitable replacement.

This is obviously worrying times at White Hart Lane. They travel to Portsmouth next week and that will be no easy task considering, Pompey will be looking to avenge the 6-0 humiliating result they picked up at Manchester City today. I am not a Spurs fan myself, but I am interested to hear what you think? Leave your comments below.

Manchester City have today demolished Portsmouth 6-0 at the City of Manchester stadium. Mark Hughes' men put on a quite a show today which makes quite a statement to the rest of the Premier League.



It was a case of some samba beat at Eastlands today with Brazilian trio Elano, Jo and £32.5 million man Robinho running the show for the whole game. Jo got his first Premier League goal while Robinho bagged his second to send City fifth in the league.

Wright-Phillips, Evans, Dunne and Fernandes also got on the scoresheet today but it was the Brazilians that stole the show. After it was announced before the game that the Abu Dhabi group had signed the deal to complete their £210 million, City fans had every right to feel optimistic.

Following his move from Real Madrid on transfer deadline day, Robinho has been the centre of attention in Manchester and he certainly hasn't disappointed so far. If today's performance is anything to go by, this kid is a real bargain at £32.5 million.

Today's big game in the Premier League saw Chelsea and Manchester draw 1-1. In truth both Luis Filipe Scolari and Sir Alex Ferguson will be reasonably happy with the point although with Chelsea being at home, Scolari may feel a little upset.

Man United's Ji-Sung Park put the visitors in front after Chelsea keeper Peter Cech parried Dimitar Berbatov's straight into the path of the on-rushing Park.

Chelsea's Florent Malouda had a claim for a penalty mid-way through the first-half when he was taken down by Van Der Sar although replays showed the Dutchman got a touch on the ball.

The second-half saw Chelsea press for an equaliser but it wasn't until the final ten minutes that Scolari's men grabbed an leveller. Salomon Kalou headed in from all of six-yards from a John Obi Mikel free-kick.

I feel Ferguson will obviously be the happier manager. He got a point and he saw his star player, Cristiano Ronaldo come on and look very promising. So, Chelsea move up to second with their point whilst United climb one place to 14th in the Barclays Premier League.

Manchester United may miss out on striker Carlos Tevez, with rivals Manchester City ready to pounce. The Argentine international has yet to sign a permanent deal at Old Trafford and now City's new owners are ready to bid big to land the player. (News of the World)

Tevez, 24, has been a real hit at United since joining from West Ham a year ago. City have been linked with a whole host of strikers since the takeover of the club by foreign investors last month, but they see Tevez as a realistic acquisition with the player still not officially a United player.

Although I would love to see this move happen (because I am a City fan) I just can't. Tevez is a quality player who has been magnificent since coming the to the Premier League a few years back, but I couldn't see him joining City. I would expect the Tevez' permanent move to United to be complete before January.

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Liverpool and Everton are both preparing moves for Newcastle United striker Michael Owen. The England international has had a torrid time at St James' Park since joining from Real Madrid three years ago but it may be about to end. (News of the World)

Both Rafa Benitez and David Moyes are aware that Owen, 28, could be allowed to leave Newcastle for as little as £4 million come the January transfer window, due to his contract expiring next summer. Owen was linked with a move back to Liverpool a year ago but for whatever reason nothing ever materialised.

I personally think Benitez would be mad not to splash £4 million on the Anfield legend. I know a lot of Liverpool fans would love to see him back at the club after so many years away but could Owen be tempted to join the team he supported as a boy Everton.

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Arsenal have today beaten Bolton Wanderers 3-1 to move to the top of the Premier League table. The home side took a surprise lead after just 15 minutes at the Reebok when Kevin Davies headed in a Joey O'Brien corner.

But the lead didn't last long. After some intense pressure from the Gunners, Emmanuel Eboue scored his first goal for the club getting onto the end of a Nicklas Bendtner ball through, although replays suggested he may of been offside.

Arsenal were ahead just a minute later when Bendtner got on the scoresheet after a superb ball in from Denilson. There were no further goals in the game until the final five minutes when Denilson scored his first goal of the season to send the travelling Gunners fans home happy. On a sour note, Gael Clichy was taken off injured at half-time for Arsenal.

Good fight back from Arsene Wenger's men. Bolton gave a good account of themselves, with their fans doing everything in their power to encourage the side but unfortunately for them, they couldn't find the equaliser.

Elsewhere it finished : Liverpool 0-0 Stoke City, West Ham 3-1 Newcastle, Blackburn 1-0 Fulham, Sunderland 2-0 Middlesbrough.

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We have gone for, Liverpool to start off with a handicap of minus 3 and to still go on and win the game @ 4/1 @ Paddy Power (follow the links on the side). So if Liverpool win 4-0, you win the best or 5-1, you win the bet.

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Chelsea manager Luis Filipe Scolari has been quoted in several papers today as saying he would love to sign Manchester United midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo.

The pair worked together during Scolari's time as the Portuguese national team manager and supposedly had a great relationship. With the game between Chelsea and United fast approaching, this will certainly add spice to what already is going to be fantastic match.

Ronaldo, 24, had been linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid for the best part of three months during the summer transfer window and he is also now apparently a target of the world's richest club Manchester City.

I know that Chelsea and now, Man City have a lot of money, however I can never ever see Sir Alex Ferguson allowing Ronaldo to leave for another Premier League club.

There is no doubt Ronaldo is the best player in the world at the present moment and I think he will remain at Old Trafford for at least another two years before joining Real Madrid.

Stan Kroenke, the American businessman who owns 12.4% of Arsenal has today been appointed to the board of the Premier League giants. He is officially now a non-executive director of the club after receiving an invitation from the board earlier this week.

"We are delighted to welcome Stan to the Board of Arsenal," said Peter Hill-Wood, Arsenal chairman, on the club's official website. "He brings with him a wealth of experience through his direct involvement in sports clubs in the US and we expect to benefit from his commercial insights and knowledge."

Obviously I don't know the whole in's and out's of this deal, however I don't think every Gunners fan will be overally happy about this appointment. I know several Arsenal fans and I always get the impression that they are proud not to have foreign money being pumped into the club, so this news won't excite them too much.

Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt has today admitted he would love to move to German giants Hamburg and link up with manager Martin Jol. The Dutch international has been linked with a possible move to the Bundesliga side all summer and now it is claimed Kuyt may be interested in a possible move come January. (The Sun)

The former Feyenoord front man has become a vital part of Rafa Benitez' starting eleven in recent months following a difficult first year or two at Anfield. He has made 100 appearances for Liverpool since joining the club in 2006, scoring 26 goals in the process.

If Hamburg were to make a £10 million bid for Kuyt, I personally think that would be a good offer. Kuyt works very hard for the Reds and almost every Liverpool fan would agree with that, however, for me he just doesn't score enough goals and I think Benitez may sell him and try and sign a proven goalscorer.

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Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure has today admitted he turned down a move to Premier League giants Arsenal.

The brother of Arsenal defender Kolo has today claimed both Arsene Wenger and his brother were trying to persuade him to move to England and sign for the Gunners but Yaya wasn't interested.

The 25-year old has been at the Camp Nou for two years now since joining from French side AS Monaco.

He was seen by many as a perfect replacement for the former Gunners holding midfield player Matthieu Flamini who joined AC Milan this summer. "Both Wenger and my brother told me in the summer that I should join Arsenal, but I told them that I am very happy at Barcelona," he said on RAC-1 radio.

I personally am a big fan of the Ivorian international. He plays in, what many people call, the Claude Makelele role just in front of the defence and I think he would of been a real hit at the Emirates.

Dimitar Berbatov. Yes Tottenham manager Juande Ramos is today blaming the club's bad start to the Premier League season on former striker Dimitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian international left White Hart Lane two weeks ago for Champions Manchester United in a club record £30 million deal.

But now we are four games into this new season and Spurs have yet to win a game. Ramos blames the confusion surrounding Berbatov's on-off deal to United as the main factor in their poor start to season. He claims that he should of got rid of him earlier to allow time for him to find a replacement, but that can't be the only reason why Spurs are lying rock bottom in the table.

Ok maybe Ramos has a point about the first game of the season, when he put Berbatov on the bench against Middlesbrough, but to lose at home to both Aston Villa and Sunderland is very poor. I don't care what the Spaniard says, the Berbatov saga should not affect you so much that you fail to pick up a point at home this season.

You can sign Berbatov for just £7.5 million in this year's "You the Manager" (above). With fantastic monthly and weekly prizes to be won and a special offer of 2 teams for the price of 1, now is a great time to get your team together.

Arsenal and Liverpool have missed out on Manchester City midfielder Michael Johnson after the player signed a new long-term deal at Eastlands. The England under-21 international had been heavily linked with a move to either Anfield or the Emirates but the chances of a move now are dead.

Johnson, 21, has made a major impact at the City of Manchester stadium since breaking into the first team almost eighteen months ago. Both Rafa Benitez and Arsene Wenger were extremely keen to persuade Johnson to leave City, with a £12 million bid being rumoured by both sides.

I am delighted to see Johnson opt to stay at City, largely down to the fact that I am a City fan myself. I also think it is a very intelligent decision from the player who will benefit greatly from this decision because if he had opted to leave he would not of been guaranteed a first team place at Arsenal or Liverpool.

After yesterday's success with our Champions League Bet of the Day, I would strongly recommend you get a few quid on tonight's tip. Today's Bet of the Day involves all three home nations and @ 3/1 it is a cracking price.

Get on Celtic (1/2), Arsenal (5/6) and Manchester United (8/15) all to win their respective games tonight @ Paddy Power (follow the link below). Make sure to watch all tonight's action on Sky Sports from 7:45.

Sir Alex Ferguson has today launched a scathing attack on the FA after they decided to rescind the red card which Chelsea captain John Terry picked up on Saturday. If the appeal had of been turned down, Terry would not of been allowed to play in Chelsea's clash with Manchester United on Sunday but as it is, he is free to play.

Yesterday, Football Corner gave their opinion on the matter and surprise surprise, Ferguson agrees with us. The United manager is furious at referee's chief Keith Hackett claiming that he "would never have done this for us". Chelsea boss Luis Filipe Scolari has also admitted he was surprised at the decision.

In my view, red cards are rarely rescinded but when the England captain comes looking for his red card to be cancelled, sure enough he gets it. I just can't wait until the next club appeal their players red card and it is rescinded, could you imaging Rio Ferdinand has a conterversial red card given against him and any appeal is turned down.

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has put the club up for sale for £481 million. Following the departure of Kevin Keegan from the club last week, Ashley's position at the club has been under severe pressure and it appears now he is making serious plans to sell the club.

There has been several rumours about who will now come into takeover the club, with take of a Dubai based consortium interested in buying from Ashley however city sources doubt there is genuine interest from Dubai. "In reality Newcastle have been up for sale for the last six months. If there had been interest from Dubai it would already have surfaced.

"What makes it even more difficult is that Newcastle do not appear as a very saleable asset at the moment - the club has no manager, the fans are protesting and the team are struggling." This has all happened so quick at St James'. First Keegan departs, then the fans protest and then Ashley puts the club up for sale for a massive £481 million. What will happen next?

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard inspired Liverpool to a 2-1 victory away at Marseille this evening. It was the first night of Champions League since Man United won the trophy back in 2008 and it certainly lived up to it's billing.

Marseille got off to a flyer, Lorik Cana putting the French side ahead early after breaking Liverpool's off-side after a superb ball through by Benoit Cheyrou. Rafa Benitez' men hit back straight away with captain Gerrard bagging his first of the night with a terrific finish from all of 25-yards.

Ryan Babel, the hero of Saturday when Liverpool beat Man United, was taken down inside the penalty area just minutes after the equaliser to give Gerrard the opportunity to double his tally on the night. After the referee ordered Gerrard to re-take the penalty, the England international confidently placed the ball in the same corner.

Marseille had several chances to equalise during the second-half but they also left themselves short at the back at times. Ryan Babel had a chance to increase the lead near the end but as it was, the Reds held onto their advantage. Terrific come-back by Liverpool, which should set themselves up nicely for a first place finish in Group D.

Elsewhere it finished : Chelsea 4-0 Bordeaux, PSV 0-3 Atletico Madrid, Roma 1-2 CFR Cluj, Werder Bremen 0-0 Anorthosis Famagusta, Basle 1-2 Shakhtar Donetsk, Panathinaikos 0-2 Inter Milan, Barcelona 3-1 Sporting Lisbon.

Manchester United have today been rocked by the news that midfielder Michael Carrick will be out for up to six weeks. The England international picked up the injury during the side's 2-1 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday and now Sir Alex Ferguson will be without him for the foreseeable future.

The 27-year old broke a bone in his foot following a collision with Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun and was seen on the touchline at Anfield with crutches during the second-half. He will now definetly miss United's crucial Premier League game against Chelsea on Sunday, so a start for Darren Fletcher is not out of the equation.

Obviously this is a big blow for United considering Carrick has become an integral part of the United starting eleven. Following his arrival from Tottenham three years ago, Carrick has developed a superb partnership with Paul Scholes in the centre of the United midfield and this could well have a serious affect on the side's form over the next few weeks.

Chelsea captain John Terry has had his red card he picked up against Manchester City on Saturday rescinded, but why am I not surprised? It was a rugby tackle on City's Jo that earned the England captain the red card and there was no surprise to see the Chelsea players doing the usual, surrounding the referee after the decision, what ever happened to respect the ref?

Terry, 27, is now free to face Manchester United next weekend and this will obviously be a huge relief for Chelsea boss Luis Filipe Scolari. It comes as no surprise to me to see the red card rescinded. Although red card's are rarely rescinded, he is the England captain and the FA would of rescinded the card anyway, even if he had of broken a players leg.

I am telling you now, if it had of been any other player in this situation, the FA would not of rescinded the card.

Yeah, the Champions League returns tonight! To celebrate we have picked out a Bet of the Day for one of tonight's games and I am telling you now it is worth getting on. The bet comes from the game between Chelsea and Bordeaux.

We have gone for Chelsea to start with a handicap of minus 2 and still win the match @ 12/5 @ Paddy Power (follow to link below). So basically, if Chelsea win 3-0, you win the bet. If they win 4-1, you win the bet. Make sure to watch the game live on ITV tonight at 7:45.

Tottenham fell to their third defeat out of four games in the Premier League last night to leave them sitting rock bottom. Many people had speculated that this season could see Juande Ramos' men break into the top four, due to signings like Giovani Dos Santos and David Bentley but unfortunately for the North London club the reverse has happened.

Two 2-1 defeats at White Hart Lane and another 2-1 defeat away to Middlesbrough leaves Spurs on one point. That one point was earned at Stamford Bridge, a terrific point really considering Chelsea's form this season.

So just what has gone wrong? Too many players coming in, finding it hard to gel? Can't cope without Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane? I am really shocked and surprised by the start Tottenham have made. It will be interesting to see how they bounce back from this latest set back at home to Wigan next weekend.

Arsenal and Manchester United are to battle it out for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso come the opening of the January transfer window. The Portuguese international was linked all summer with a move to the Premier League but for whatever reasons nothing ever materialised. (News of the World)

The 22-year old has caught the attentions of both Gunners boss Arsene Wenger and Manchester United man Sir Alex Ferguson over the past 18 months with his superb performances for Sporting. It is understood that either side will have to cough up at least £16 million if they want to secure the services of Veloso.

I would be delighted to see this promising holding midfielder move to England. He is a superb talent who I feel, under the right guidance will prove to be one of Europe's best midfield players. I would be extremely surprised not to see any of Europe's elite not make an approach for Veloso during January.

Chelsea are planning a January move for Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry. The England international has been linked with a move to Liverpool for months now, but following Barry's admission a couple of weeks back that he will be staying at Villa for the rest of this season at least, Liverpool's interest went cold. (The People)

With the summer transfer window firmly shut Chelsea will obviously have to wait til the New Year to make any attempt to sign the 27-year old and I am sure Villa boss Martin O'Neill will be keen to hold onto his man. Valued at £18 million, Barry previously admitted he would be interested in a move to a Champions League side and obviously Chelsea could offer him that.

It will be very interesting to see how this one develops. Obviously if Chelsea do make a move for Barry come January, I feel there will be several other sides also interested. The likes of long-term admirers Liverpool and indeed Arsenal who have also previously admitted an interest in signing Barry.

Sign Barry for just £6 million in this year's "You the Manager" (left). A definite bargain.

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has today confirmed he wants to sell the club after angry protests from the club's fans yesterday. Ashley has been under pressure to quit the club ever since the departure of Kevin Keegan last week, with many fans angry at the reasons for Keegan's departure.

It is understood Keegan quit due to goings on behind the scenes at St James' Park. It was claimed Dennis Wise (Sporting Director of Newcastle, appointed by Ashley earlier this year) was trying to offload the likes of Michael Owen, Alan Smith and Joey Barton on transfer deadline day behind Keegan's back.

Yesterday saw thousands of the fans venting their fury with angry protests before and after the defeat to Hull City. I am personally happy to see Ashley has finally got the message. He is obviously not wanted their and I am sure many Magpies fans will be praying that whoever comes in now ill re-appoint Keegan.

Robinho finally got his Premier League career under way today after what has seemed a life time since he has joined Manchester City. The Brazilian international sensationally joined the Blues on transfer deadline day two weeks ago for a British transfer record fee of £32.5 million and today made his debut against Chelsea, a team whom were also interested in him.

He couldn't of got off to a better start. A stunning free-kick inside fifteen minutes put Mark Hughes men ahead, which was followed by his trade-mark sucking of the thumb celebration. The City fans were on cloud nine, their new star man putting them in the lead against the might of Chelsea.

But as the game wore on and Luis Filipe Scolari's men took a firmer grip on proceedings, the flamboyant Robinho faded out of proceedings. He had his occasional step over, the odd good pass or two, but, for me, he looked a bit lost. I am a City fan myself, and seeing Robinho score early on was amazing.

He did run back to help defend on occasions but the one thing I wasn't happy about was his attitude at times. Whenever one of his team-mates lost the ball, he didn't encourage, he just threw his eyes up to heaven and that is no what I like to see from a top class player. He is coming to the club with a massive reputation and he knows he is the best player their, but I didn't like his attitude at times.

Anyway, Let's look forward to Thursday when City face Omonia from Cyprus in the UEFA Cup first round, shall we.

Liverpool have today finally beaten Manchester United at Anfield today after seven years without a victory against the Premier League Champions. The Merseyside giants came into today's game unbeaten in the Premier League along with their rivals, but were desperate to secure three points after several years without a victory over Sir Alex Ferguson's men.

The game got off to the worst possible start, if you were a Liverpool fan. United took the lead after just three minutes when United's new £30 million striker, Dimitar Berbatov, cleverly laid the ball back for Carlos Tevez to coolly finish.

However Liverpool responded well, with Dirk Kuyt nearly levelling the scores soon after. It was a goalkeeping error that got Liverpool back into the match, when Edwin Van Der Sar punched the ball against the on-coming Wes Brown, only to see the ball roll into his own net.

Liverpool continued to impress and went close again soon after the break. Robbie Keane played a superb ball into Yossi Benayoun couldn't capitalise on the promising position. It was substitute Ryan Babel who secured all three points for Liverpool. Javier Mascherano forced Ryan Giggs into a mistake, leaving the Argentine international a simple lay off to the on-rushing Ryan Babel who duly finished.

A terrific result for Liverpool which keeps them level with Chelsea at the top of the Barclays Premier League table on 10 points. A average debut by new United signing Dimitar Berbatov, but hey, he's only just got their, he will take time to settle in and I am sure he will prove to be a huge success.

Elsewhere is finished; Blackburn 0-4 Arsenal, Fulham 2-1 Bolton, Man City 1-3 Chelsea, Newcastle 1-2 Hull City, Portsmouth 2-1 Middlesbrough, West Brom 3-2 West Ham, Wigan 1-1 Sunderland.

Today's Premier League Bet of the Day comes from the Liverpool V Manchester United match. Both sides will be desperate to continue their decent starts to the season so this could be some a cracker.

I have gone for new United striker Dimitar Berbatov to score at anytime @ 5/2 @ Paddy Power (Below, and follow the links). I think with him up front on his own and with Rooney and Tevez supporting he is bound to get on the score sheet. Make sure to get your money on qucik because the game starts very soon on Sky Sports 1.

Chelsea are to join the race to sign Arsenal target Steven Appiah. The former Fenerbahce midfielder left the Turkish club earlier this summer and is keen to come to England, with Arsene Wenger and now, Blues boss Luis Fillipe Scolari keen to offer him that chance to come to the Premier League.

The Ghana international could fit straight into Scolari's starting eleven with current holding midfield player Michael Essien likely to be out for up to six months. The 27-year old has earned the nickname "Tornado" due to his dominance in the midfield and is widely regarded as one of Africa's finest talents.

If either side were to sign Appiah it would be magnificent. He is a superb player who, I feel would prove a massive hit in the Premier League and his price-tag isn't bad, £0. I think Arsene Wenger is very short in the midfield department and he should do all he can to capture the former Juventus man.