Manchester United F.C.

[yo_mon]

Originally Posted by JeremyA

All the glory hunters can now shift their allegiance to RM. With Ronaldo there, and the CL finals played in Bernabeu Stadium..its a sure win,guys!

i can bet my left nut that they won't even make it past the last 8.

[generalpopeye]

What a difference a year makes. It was only last year that Man Utd is keen on keeping the team's most precious asset, but now the inevitable happens, Ronny will be bolting to Real Madrid.

For sure, as Man Utd fans, we will miss Ronny's superb talents that helped us win the 3-peat EPL Championships, 2008 Champions League, 2007 and 2008 Community Shield and numerous more trophies as well as great team performance in the FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League through the years.

If there is one thing questionable about Ronny is that it seems loyalty is not on his vocabulary. I'm not being bitter towards him and the greedy Real but he should have stayed with the club that catapulted him to superstardom. Oh well, all good things come to an end. I just hope his career will not be like that of David Beckham, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Gabriel Hienze, which really went down when they joined Real Madrid.

Sir Alex will now have 100M euros at his disposal for possible summer signings. There are numerous names being linked to Old Trafford entrance door. Frank Ribery will be a good addition since he is a wizard in the midfield. He is more of a stabilizer than an offensive option. Someone that we really lacked when we faced Barcelona in the Champions League Final last May. However, Bayern Munich's ridiculous price on him might dissuade Sir Alex from signing him. I just hope Munich will lower his price in the region of 30-40M euros.

Next is David Villa. This guy will definitely be a beast in scoring. He could be paired up with Berbatov and I hope Tevez in attack with Rooney be played on the right. However we will face stiff competition with Real for the possible signing of Villa. I just hope the 45M euro bid by Sir Alex will persuade Valencia to sell Villa to us and not to Madrid.

If both Ribery and Villa becomes unavailable, Sir Alex could turn his attention to Arjen Robben and/or Wesley Sneijder. With the arrival of Kaka and Ronny, Madrid has lots of dispensable midfielders. Both Dutchmen+cash for Ronny swap might be a good deal. After all, Madrid will be in cloud nine after getting Kaka and Ronaldo so Sir Alex might steal those two from Bernabeu. .

Wigan's Antonio Valencia's signing might be 90% done as reported last weekend. Is this guy really worth 16M euros? I haven't seen this guy play yet so I can't comment that much. What do you think fellow Man Utd fans? I just hope he won't be a flop signing like Kleberson and Eric Djemba-Djemba in 2003

And yes, Sir Alex please sign Carlitos!! His all out performance and the knock for scoring late goals are enough testament that we should keep him.

[hooney]

utang na loob h'wag na po ninyo banggitin si Ronaldo, it keeps on hurting me

[yo_mon]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200....ap/index.html

Real to get 2 bank loans to fund spending sprees

MADRID (AP) -- Big-spending Real Madrid is reportedly set to receive two multimillion euro bank loans to help fund signing Kaka and the expected hiring of Cristiano Ronaldo plus any other player purchases.

Madrid recently signed Kaka and agreed a fee for Ronaldo for a combined $221 million as part of president Florentino Perez's bid to build a star-studded squad for the nine-time European Cup champions.

Spanish building society Caja Madrid said Tuesday it has agreed to issue a loan of $106.3 million to Madrid, which has put up two undisclosed sources of collateral.

The bank's board of directors approved the loan Monday, said a bank official speaking on customary condition of anonymity.

He refused to specify what the money was for, but news reports said it was for financing Perez's spending spree.

The official said Spain's largest bank, Banco Santander, has agreed to lend Real Madrid a similar amount. A Banco Santander official declined to comment and Madrid did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

After a decade-long boom fueled largely by construction, Spain's economy is in recession and many once free-lending banks are in trouble because of their exposure to the real estate sector. Caja Madrid's annual profits fell 71 percent in 2008.

Finance Minister Elena Salgado said Tuesday she finds it odd that Caja Madrid can come up with so much money for Madrid when loans are scarce for everyday people and companies.

"It surprises me, and what I would ask banks is that: if they have liquidity, that they also make loans to small and medium-size companies and families," she said. "I would ask that they make an effort for them."

Salgado said the reported figure of $131 million to sign Ronaldo "goes beyond the dimensions of what I would have imagined."




TRANSLATION: Fascism works, people! The spirit of Gen. Franco is still alive! This is another loan that Franco FC won't be obliged to pay because they have backing from the Madrid government. Disgusting.

[yo_mon]

And no, contrary to the stupid rumors in the Franco FC thread, we are NOT getting injury-prone Sneijder and Robben. They are not United material. Neither are they getting Benzema. That guy there sounds like an employee of AS and Marca.

There was no pre-contract agreement. Calderon is just trying to save face because Perez managed to succeed at what he miserably failed to do.

Stupidity happens when people read that rag site called goal.com. I'd rather read Sky Sports, Setanta or the BBC.

[richyuppie]

VIVA RONALDO!!! VIVA RONALDO!!! ...

I really hope he will have a miserable stint in Santiago Bernabe.

Indeed!

[yo_mon]

^ No one has left United to do greater things. Everyone knows that when a player leaves United, there's only one way to go, and that is definitely not up.

[Bhodi Li]

^^ Gerard Pique begs to differ.

[generalpopeye]

Manchester United to swoop for Brazilian Costa

Manchester United are preparing to sign Gremio starlet Douglas Costa as a replacement for Real Madrid-bound Cristiano Ronaldo, according to the Brazilian's agent.

United's network of scouts have been tracking the 18-year-old attacking midfielder for the last two years, but the Premier League champions are now ready to make a firm offer.

"They (Manchester United) have identified four or five possible replacements for Cristiano Ronaldo in the world, and Douglas is one of them," agent Cesar Bottega said.

"We have been contacted by several clubs some time ago, including Manchester (United), but by South American ones as well."

Douglas, who has received rave reviews in his homeland, has four years remaining on his contract with Gremio but reportedly has a £17.8m buyout clause.

The diminutive U20 international is seen as one of the biggest up-and-coming talents in Brazil - alongside Santos winger Neymar and Palmeiras striker Keirrison - and is also a free-kick specialist. Costa generally plays through the centre but can also play on the left.

Since an £80m fee was agreed with Real for Ronaldo, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has stepped up his hunt for a suitable replacement. Wigan Athletic winger Antonia Valencia is also a target.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...nsfers&cc=4716

[thescene]

Originally Posted by yo_mon

^ No one has left United to do greater things. Everyone knows that when a player leaves United, there's only one way to go, and that is definitely not up.

Originally Posted by Bhodi Li

^^ Gerard Pique begs to differ.

You can include Rossi who now plays in Spain.

[Bhodi Li]

^^ Diego Forlan also left Man United and became the pichichi. Not to mention Ruud and Becks who did nothing but you know, win La Liga.

[yo_mon]

Pique and Rossi don't count because they barely played for United. At any rate, Rossi and Forlan are in clubs that achieved nothing in Spain.

Becks won the La Liga just once. That's nothing compared to what he achieved with United. After Ruud left, United won the Premier League three straight times and a Champions League to boot.

When players start to believe that they are bigger than the club, Fergie kicks them out. It's not like they took the world by storm after leaving United. We thrive with team players, not individual performers.

[Bhodi Li]

^^Remind me not to play football with you. You seem to like moving goalposts too much.

You made a blanket statement that NO ONE has left Man United to do greater things. Gerard Pique left Man United and won a rare Spanish Treble. Winning the last cup playing against a heavily favored Manchester side. I say that qualifies as SOMEONE leaving to do greater things.

Becks achieved more at United because he was there longer and at the prime of his career. Same with Ruud. Neither of them are as young as Ronaldo when he leaves for Madrid.

Villareal and Atletico achieved nothing? If anything these clubs are overachieving in Spain. You can't expect teams with just a fraction of your payroll to match United's achievements.

[Herr_Starr]

When Beckham left Old Trafford, it was clear his best days were behind him. When Ruud left, Real Madrid rode his boots to the title for the first time in years. Ruud also won the Pichichi on his first try while getting nowhere near the service he had at Man U.

One of the main reasons cited for Ruud's transfer to Real were tensions with Ronaldo. Isn't it ironic that Cristiano is now leaving Old Trafford a few years after helping show the door to a player still respected today by the Old Trafford faithful.

[yo_mon]

2009/10 fixtures in full


August
Sat Aug 15 Birmingham City H
Tue Aug 18 Burnley A
Sat Aug 22 Wigan Athletic A
Sat Aug 29 Arsenal H

September
Sat Sep 12 Tottenham Hotspur A
Sat Sep 19 Manchester City H
Sat Sep 26 Stoke City A

October
Sat Oct 3 Sunderland H
Sat Oct 17 Bolton Wanderers H
Sat Oct 24 Liverpool A
Sat Oct 31 Blackburn Rovers H

November
Sat Nov 7 Chelsea A
Sat Nov 21 Everton H
Sat Nov 28 Portsmouth A

December
Sat Dec 5 West Ham A
Sat Dec 12 Aston Villa H
Tue Dec 15 Wolverhampton Wanderers H
Sat Dec 19 Fulham A
Sat Dec 26 Hull City A
Mon Dec 28 Wigan Athletic H

January
Sat Jan 9 Birmingham City A
Sat Jan 16 Burnley H
Tue Jan 26 Hull City H
Sat Jan 30 Arsenal A

February
Sat Feb 6 Portsmouth H
Wed Feb 10 Aston Villa A
Sat Feb 20 Everton A
Sat Feb 27 West Ham H

March
Sat Mar 6 Wolverhampton Wanderers A
Sat Mar 13 Fulham H
Sat Mar 20 Liverpool H
Sat Mar 27 Bolton Wanderers A

April
Sat Apr 3 Chelsea H
Sat Apr 10 Blackburn Rovers A
Sat Apr 17 Manchester City A
Sat Apr 24 Tottenham Hotspur H

May
Sat May 1 Sunderland A
Sun May 9 Stoke City H

Please note: These fixtures are provisional only and will change. Kick-off times and dates to be finalised.

[yo_mon]

The Community Shield against Chelsea will be on August 9.

[marky_83]

Originally Posted by Bhodi Li

^^Remind me not to play football with you. You seem to like moving goalposts too much.

You made a blanket statement that NO ONE has left Man United to do greater things. Gerard Pique left Man United and won a rare Spanish Treble. Winning the last cup playing against a heavily favored Manchester side. I say that qualifies as SOMEONE leaving to do greater things.

Becks achieved more at United because he was there longer and at the prime of his career. Same with Ruud. Neither of them are as young as Ronaldo when he leaves for Madrid.

Villareal and Atletico achieved nothing? If anything these clubs are overachieving in Spain. You can't expect teams with just a fraction of your payroll to match United's achievements.

naaah, Atletico are perennial underachievers. you're right on the money with Villareal though. I read from somewhere that Old Trafford's capacity is bigger than their city's entire population

[Bhodi Li]

^^^

EDIT: Erased my post. I just got what you we're trying to say.

[robertbrian23]

a more balanced premier league fixtures. but if we include the UCL midweek fixtures it is before our rival's fixture. really fornicating shitte.
we are still in search for a replacement or a number of signings to strengthen the squad. i really hope hargo would be back soon and be better (even reports have suggested he would be back around january )
and we have wes brown too. additional two players hope both players would be fit for the whole season.

don't give a shitte about tevez, really hope man city will announce the tevez deal.

[robertbrian23]

how does real madrid gets money