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Manchester United (Nani 10′, Rooney 90′ + 2) 2-2 Chelsea (Carvalho 52′, Lampard 71′) (Chelsea win, 4-1, on penalties)
Competition: F.A. Community Shield
Stadium: Wembley Stadium, London, England
Date: 9 August 2009
Kickoff: 14:00 GMT, 10:00 EST

Manchester United equalized late but Chelsea triumphed on penalty kicks to win the 2009 Community Shield! Soccerlens brought you the action live! Click below for the live-blog and feel free to leave comments below!

When the summer transfer window first opened, both Manchester United and Chelsea had grand plans to acquire some of the best and brightest available talent. Manchester United were resigned to losing Cristiano Ronaldo, but were looking forward to throwing around some of that king’s ransom they got from Real Madrid to replenish the ranks. Chelsea, meanwhile, finally lured Carlo Ancelotti from AC Milan and hoped that their newfound stability (as well as Roman Abramovich’s billions) would allow them to recruit enough world-class talent to finally overtake their bitter rivals to the northwest. Both clubs were maneuvering for gifted French playmaker Franck Ribery and both clubs had their eyes on rising young Argentine phenom Sergio Aguero. Chelsea also looked to acquire David Villa from Valencia and Andrea Pirlo from AC Milan while United bid for Karim Benzema and were linked to the likes of Samuel Eto’o and Klaas Jan Huntelaar. Indeed, it seemed as if the Community Shield would allow both clubs to show off their wares while introducing a number of European superstars to the English game.

Only that’s not what happened.

Chelsea were able to acquire Yuri Zhirkov from CSKA Moscow and Daniel Sturridge from Manchester City, however they struck out on all of their big-time targets (although Pirlo could be on the way). In fact, the biggest story at Chelsea all summer was not who might be coming in but who might be leaving. John Terry, Mr. Chelsea and long-time captain, flirted with Manchester City for weeks before finally declaring his allegiance to the only club he’s ever played for. His loyalty, however, came with a price: improved terms and a commitment to bringing in more big-name talent for the rapidly aging squad. The latter could be difficult, especially with Ribery looking like a future Galactico and Villa wanting to remain in Spain. Plus, it remains to be seen whether Terry’s actions will have any effect on the locker room.

As for Manchester United, they must have felt like a leper at a nudist colony since they had all the money in the world after selling Ronaldo to Real Madrid and no one to spend it on. They were outbid for Benzema, they never really wanted Eto’o, and they were rebuffed by Bayern Munich for Ribery. In the end, they were only able to acquire Antonio Valencia from Wigan Athletic and former all-world striker, Michael Owen, on a free transfer from Newcastle (as well as young Gabriel Obertan from Bordeaux and Mame Biram Diouf from Molde). Nevertheless, there’s reason to be optimistic if you’re a Manchester United fan. Owen and Dimitar Berbatov have looked sensational in the preseason and Ronaldo’s departure means Wayne Rooney can assume his natural position down the center. And, of course, Manchester United still have Sir Alex Ferguson, and if we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that you count them out at your own peril.

These two squads are veterans of the Community Shield, with at least one of these clubs having appeared in 12 out of the last 13. They last met in the 2007 Community Shield, which Manchester United won on penalties after Edwin Van der Sar memorably pitched a shutout against Chelsea. Van der Sar won’t be around, this time, as he broke his hand and will be out for two months. Will that be enough of a difference for Chelsea to topple the defending champs? Or will Manchester United show that they’re still the kings of England? Tune in and find out!

Lineups:

Manchester United: Foster, O’Shea, Ferdinand (c), Evans, Evra, Park, Fletcher, Carrick, Nani, Rooney, Berbatov.
Subs: Kuszczak, Owen, Giggs, Scholes, Fabio Da Silva, Valencia, Gibson.

As expected, Van der Sar, Neville, Brown, and Vidic will all miss out with injuries. Anderson and Macheda will also miss out, which is a surprise. Also a surprise is that Sir Alex won’t start either of his new signees, Owen or Valencia. Foster despite making a horrendous howler against the Malaysian XI, will get the start over Kuszczak. All eyes will be on the front line of Rooney and Berbatov to see if they can start to make United fans forget about whats-his-name who plays in Spain now.

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Terry (c), Carvalho, A. Cole, Mikel, Essien, Lampard, Malouda, Drogba, Anelka.
Subs: Hilario, Ballack, Bosingwa, Deco, Kalou, Alex, Belletti.

As expected, new signee Zhirkov will miss out with an injury. Carvalho will start at center-back, which seems to indicate that he’s back in the team’s good graces. Mikel will play the role that was saved for Pirlo, sending Ballack to the bench. Bosingwa (who might be on the outs) and Deco (who is definitely on the outs) will come off the bench while Shevchenko (who would be on the outs if anyone wanted him) will miss out completely.

Minute-by-Minute:

Fourth Kick Deco steps up, but wait, he hands it off to Kalou. He steps up and he beats Foster easily to the top right corner. Chelsea win, 4-1 on penalties! Congrats to them for winning the Community Shield! If the season is as exciting as this game, then we should be in for a real treat.

Third Kick Drogba (who famously did not take part in the last shootout between these two) goes the same way Ballack did, and Foster was completely fooled. Evra will step up and he’ll try and beat Cech. His tame effort is easily saved by Cech and that was a horrible kick. That one made Berbatov’s against Everton look like a brilliant rocket of a shot. Seriously, I’m not sure what he was trying to do there. That was like a back-pass. Chelsea lead 3-1 and are clearly in the driver’s seat.

Second Kick Terry is talking to the troops, and I have a feeling he won’t be taking any penalty kicks unless absolutely necessary. Ballack is next for Chelsea and he deposits it in the lower left corner and Foster guessed correctly but couldn’t stop it. Carrick will try to get on the board for United. He goes to his right and Cech guesses correctly, but it’s just over his outstretched arm. 2-1, Chelsea.

First Kick Chelsea will go first as Lampard will start it out against Foster. Lampard fires a shot down the middle and beats Foster, who dove to his left. Giggs will go for United and he went right against Chelsea during the CL Final. Giggs turns and fires his shot down the middle, but Cech kicks it away. Advantage Chelsea, 1-0.

The book on Cech is that he’s not good at stopping penalty kicks. He’s lost the aforementioned Community Shield and Champions League Final. He also came up short against Liverpool in the 2006 Champions League semifinal. Foster is 1-1 in shootouts, winning the Carling Cup Final but losing in the FA Cup Semifinals.

Penalty Kicks – No extra time in the Community Shield, so we get a shootout. Manchester United have triumphed in their last two shootouts against Chelsea. Will that hold up today? Or will Chelsea finally atone for the 2007 Community Shield and the 2008 Champions League Final?

90′ + 3 Well, we’re getting some bonus football as we’re going to penalty kicks! Don’t go away!

90′ + 2 GOAL! Wow! Just when you thought it was over, Wayne Rooney begged to differ. Giggs springs him with a great pass and Rooney beats Bosingwa into the box and draws Cech out. He slips it under the diving keeper and it’s level! It looks like Rooney might have been offside, but Cole was slightly off the line and may have been playing him onside.

90′ + 1 Valencia sends a nice pass down the right for Owen. Carvalho impedes him and United will have a chance from about 35 yards out. He sends it into the box and Cech catches it easily. That’s probably all she wrote.

88′ Valencia gets fouled by Kalou and United try to take it quickly. Foy blows it dead, though, and will make them set up from about 35 yards out. Sir Alex is not going to be happy about Chris Foy, I can tell you that. Giggs sends it into the box for Owen and Cech comes out for it. He punches it up into the air and he gets stranded in no-man’s land, but luckily for him, Ferdinand’s header is nowhere near the mark.

87′ This ref is a little card happy today. Do these cards carry over into the season?

86′ Long pass to Owen and he and Terry both go for it. Owen touches it with his hand and he’s booked.

85′ Poor pass from Kalou into the United box and Fabio gets it. He nearly gives it back to Lampard, but is able to get it away.

84′ Anelka will come off for Kalou. Fabio sends a long cross from the right flank and Rooney heads it just over the cross-bar.

83′ Ballack and Evra clash again and Ballack is called for the foul. Well, the Germans and the French do have a lot of history with each other…

82′ Really long pass to Owen, and he catches up to it, but it’s too deep and he can’t do anything with it. Good pace, though, and that’s an encouraging sign for United fans. Maybe he didn’t lose his pace during his years at Newcastle. Maybe he was just dogging it.

80′ Evra hits Ballack with a hard and late tackle that sends Ballack flying. Evra is clearly wound up and he’ll be lucky if he can avoid a red here. Foy gives him a yellow, which is a little surprising, and Evra will get to play on. I bet that was a makeup call for earlier, when he failed to call a foul by Ballack that led to Chelsea’s goal.

79′ United have been unable to do much in the final third of the field. That lack of creativity will surely sound some alarm bells for Sir Alex. Someone get Franck Ribery’s agent on the phone!

77′ Malouda comes off for Chelsea and he’ll be replaced by Deco.

76′ Drogba catches United’s defense napping and he fires a dangerous shot that forces a great save from Foster.

75′ Four Manchester United subs at once as Giggs replaces Park, Owen replaces Berbatov, Scholes replaces Fletcher, and Fabio comes on for O’Shea.

74′ Berbatov does his best Ronaldo as he kicks the ball up to himself and fires it towards goal. It’s blocked, though, and Chelsea escape.

73′ Evra charges down the left with intent and he wins a corner for his troubles. Rooney’s corner goes towards Evans, but his shot is weak and easily taken by Cech.

72′ Well, United have to play to the whistle, but they’ll have a case here since Foy stopped play a few minutes earlier when Ballack went down in his own half, short-circuiting a United surge.

71′ GOAL! Evra is down on the pitch after Ballack shoves him to the ground and the ref won’t stop play. Drogba leads the counterattack and Chelsea have a three-on-two. He sends it to Lampard who is unmarked on the inside right edge of the box, and he fires a shot that Foster gets a glove on but can’t keep from going over the line. Evra is fuming at the non-call and he has to be separated from Foy by some of his teammates, including Rooney (which is somewhat ironic).

69′ Fancy play from Berbatov, but Park gives it away. Park hasn’t done well this half and should probably come off soon.

68′ Valencia shows his pace and bursts into the box. He tries to send a cross towards Berbatov in front of goal, but he can’t handle it.

67′ Evra and Ballack collide and Ballack stays down smartly as Evra had broken into Chelsea territory. The ref stops play and, sure enough, Ballack is okay. Chelsea give it back to United, of course, by booming it back towards Foster.

65′ Ballack will replace Mikel. Not sure if Ballack will take Mikel’s defensive midfield role or if Essien will switch over and Ballack play down the right.

64′ Valencia’s first touch is a forgettable one. He tries to work on Ashley Cole, but the defender easily picks his pocket.

63′ Drogba gets it down the left and he centers it to Lampard. He sends it back to Essien, who is on the edge of the box and has put those away in the past. Evans rushes out and is able to block his shot.

62′ Nani is finally up and he’s favoring his shoulder. He’ll be replaced by Valencia, and we’ll get a look at the new-boy.

61′ Nani has it and Terry tackles him from behind. Nani is down on the pitch but Terry got the ball, so no foul. Meanwhile, it looks like Valencia will be coming on for United.

60′ Lampard flicks it into the box for Anelka, but Ferdinand is there with him. Anelka has to send it back out and eventually, Cole sends a dangerous pass into the center of goal for Drogba. Evans impedes him just enough for Drogba to miss the header attempt, otherwise it would have been 2-1, Chelsea.

59′ Evra works on Essien down the left and he sends a cross to the far post that is easily handled by Cech. A lot of guys are warming up along the touchline, but I can’t see who they are.

56′ Anelka with a hard shot on goal that Foster is able to parry away. Very shaky outing from Foster so far. He’s not going to be the England Number 1 if he keeps playing like this.

52′ GOAL! Evans tries to pass it to Evra, but it’s long and Chelsea have it in a dangerous area. Evans atones for the mistake by hitting Lampard with a hard but clean tackle on the edge of the box. Malouda gets it and works around Evans and gives it to Lampard in the box. He gives it back to Malouda, who chests it down to his leg and serves it up to Drogba, who is in front of the net. He and Foster collide and the ball trickles to an unmarked Carvalho. He heads it into the open net and there’s the equalizer!

50′ Berbatov chips a clever ball into the box and Park taps it to Rooney. He has some space to shoot, but his shot gets blocked by Cole. Great piece of defense there by the much maligned Cole.

49′ Bosingwa gets it and has some space on the right flank. He tries a cross it into the box for the trailing Drogba, but he puts too much on it and Foster has it easily.

48′ Fletcher tries to challenge Bosingwa down the left, but Bosingwa is equal to it and Fletcher loses it for a goal-kick.

47′ Lampard sends it through into the box for Malouda. He tries to create some space inside the box, but Carrick stays with him and forces the turnover. Good defensive play by Carrick there.

46′ United kick off and we’re underway with the second half! Berbatov with another great touch as he always seems to be able to control those long passes. Anyway, he gets fouled from about 30 yards out on the right side. Nani serves this one into the box and Drogba heads it away. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Nani should have gone for goal there.

46′ It will be Bosingwa coming on for Ivanovic and we’ll see if the Portuguese international can do a better job against his countryman, Nani.

46′ Not sure what’s going on with Bosingwa. I thought he played well for Chelsea last year. However, Chelsea seemed keen on dumping him for Glen Johnson before he ended up going to Liverpool. Now Bosingwa starts out on the bench in favor of Ivanovic. Not sure who he pissed off at Stamford Bridge. Maybe it’s the unibrow.

It was an eventual first-half and both sides had their chances. United probably deserve their lead, but Chelsea certainly looked dangerous at times. Ivanovic is getting torched by Nani, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bosingwa in the second half (in fact, I’m not sure why the latter didn’t start today). United have some issues at goal as Foster had a shaky first half, and they’ve had some problems defending corners. Sir Alex might be concerned about that, but not enough to do anything about it. After all, their best guy on corners (Vidic) is injured. I’d expect to see Valencia and Owen at some point, especially the former since he’s hardly played in the preseason.

45′ + 2 Nani takes it short once again and it’s nothing doing as O’Shea loses it out of bounds for a goal-kick. Cech booms it away to see if Chelsea can make one last charge. They can’t do much as there’s the whistle and we’re at halftime!

45′ + 1 United win a corner and they take their time setting up There will be two minutes of added time.

45′ Great counterattack chance for United as Nani is all by himself in the Chelsea box. Rooney’s pass is cut out, though, and Chelsea escape. They come back and win a corner and Lampard decides to test Foster’s mettle by sending into the six-yard area. Foster is up for it, though, and handles it easily.

44′ Lampard heads Nani’s corner away and Chelsea go on the attack. Everytime Ashley Cole gets it, he’s booed heavily by the crowd. It helps with the play-by-play, that’s for sure.

43′ Great burst of speed from Evra and Rooney makes a nice chip pass into his left-back’s path. Evra sends it to Berbatov at the center of goal, and he wins a corner. On the ensuing corner, they play it short to Fletcher, who fires a great shot from inside the left edge of the box. It’s about to tuck in at the top right corner, but Cech just gets a hand on it to concede another corner. Great save there.

41′ Great try by Anelka as he gets a pass from A. Cole on the edge of the box. Fletcher is late to close him down and Anelka fires a low shot at the far post that beats Foster but just trickles wide.

36′ Dangerous moment as Ferdinand heads it away for a corner and nearly puts it past his keeper. Lampard sends in the corner, but Carvalho is called for the foul.

34′ Nani tries to take on three defenders and ends up hitting the side netting from a difficult angle. Clearly, his confidence is sky-high right now. Not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing for United.

33′ A couple of shaky moments for Foster as he muffs his clearances and nearly gives it to Drogba on two occasions. Is it nerves or lack of experience? United hope its just nerves.

31′ A. Cole slips on the pitch but still gets the cross from deep down the left. Essien gets a free header, but it’s just over the crossbar.

29′ Malouda crashes into Fletcher, and Fletcher is down on the pitch. He looks okay, though, and United will kick it away.

28′ Lampard sizes it up and then hits the wall. Drogba gets a cross on the right edge of the box and volleys a cross to the far post where an unmarked Malouda just shanks it wide of the mark. Nani then comes back on the counterattack and he’s causing all kinds of problems down that left flank. Park gets it on the right edge of the box and he takes his time to set up his shot. It’s wide of the near post, though, and, well, they don’t pay Park to score goals, do they?

27′ Mikel gets it and makes the run towards the United box. Berbatov bumps him from behind, and Chelsea will have a chance from about 35 yards out.

26′ Nani sends a corner into the six-yard box, and Cech take it easily.

25′ Park somehow gets into the box and splits the defense. Carvalho is able to knock it out before Park can go for goal and he concedes the corner.

23′ Berbatov’s touch fails him here as he tries to bring it down and ends up missing most of the ball and giving it to Mikel. Hey, not all of his touches can be silky smooth, right?

21′ Atypical selfish play from Rooney as Berbatov shows off his great touch and eases it to Evra. He gives it to Rooney and he takes a shot from long-range when he really should have passed it back to Berbatov. Rooney’s shot is easily blocked and Chelsea have it.

20′ Berbatov already looks like a different man from last year. If he plays up to his potential, then watch out.

18′ Great move from Berbatov as he lulls Mikel to sleep and then beats him into the box and gets the return pass from Park. Berbatov can’t beat Cech, though, and Park whiffs on the follow-through as Cech sacrifices his body to dive on the ball. Wow. What a breathtaking couple of plays by both sides.

17′ Great passing from United as Berbatov sends a great cross from the right to Rooney at the far post. He heads it into the center for Park, but Park can’t handle it. Cech was all tied up there and if Park had put anything on it, he would have beaten him. Chelsea come back and Drogba makes a run into the United box. He gets around Evans, but his low shot is saved by Foster.

16′ Evans and Drogba collide in midair, and Drogba goes down like he’s been shot. Some things never change. Who had 16 minutes in the pool?

14′ Great chance for United here as they’re right on the left edge of the box. Nani tries to serve into the box for Ferdinand, and Chelsea clear it away. Not sure why he didn’t go for goal there.

13′ Nani’s low effort finds Rooney, but he can’t do anything with it. He heads it down feebly and Chelsea easily clear it away. United gets it back and Evra makes a great run towards the box after receiving the pass from Nani. Ivanovic fouls him on the edge of the box, and the Serb will go into the book here.

12′ Ivanovic fouls Evra deep down the left and United will have a dangerous free kick here.

11′ Wow, to say that goal came from nothing at all is an understatement. The run of play was strongly in Chelsea’s favor and United had barely mustered any kind of rhythm on offense.

10′ GOAL! No question about it: Chelsea are outplaying Manchester United right now. Just as I say that, Nani gets it on the left edge of the penalty area after getting the cross from Fletcher. He runs across the edge of the box and fires a low shot to the far post that easily beats a shocked Cech! Wow! That’s one way to make the fans forget about whats-his-name.

9′ Great pass from Essien near the center line that nearly gets through to Anelka. Ferdinand does well to cut it out, otherwise Anelka would have been through on goal.

8′ Evra chips in the shot/pass from the left flank and he forces an overly acrobatic save from Cech.

7′ Fabio Capello is in the house. No doubt he’s there to ignore Michael Owen.

6′ On the ensuing corner, Ivanovic gets a header on target but Evra heads it against the underside of his own crossbar. United are able to clear it from danger, but that put a charge into the game.

5′ Rooney sends it into the box for Berbatov, but Terry is able to clear it from danger. Malouda sends it to Drogba down the left flank and the pressure causes Ferdinand to make the mistake as he tries to kick it back to Foster. He concedes the needless corner and Chelsea will have a chance here.

4′ Early booking for Berbatov as he gets hit in the back of the head on a free kick and he takes exception to it. A yellow card four minutes into the match? For that? Are you kidding me?

3′ Berbatov tries to get around John Terry and makes a run across the edge of the box before losing it over the touchline.

2′ Lampard gets it near the centerline and sends a long pass to Drogba, who is on the edge of the United box. He fires a shot on target, but Foster makes a diving, albeit comfortable, save.

1′ Chelsea will kick off and we’re underway! Great to be back! Should be a great match today! Chris Foy is our ref. Rooney gets it in Chelsea territory and tries to spring Park. Park sends it back to Carrick, but it’s out of his reach and Carrick slips on the pitch. This pitch was heavily criticized during the F.A. Cup last season, so we’ll see if it’s gotten any better today.

0′ Man, those new United kits are ugly. That black “V” really does nothing for me.

0′ Big season for Nani. He’s going to have to step up if United are to have any chance at winning silverware. It’s not fair to put it all on him as Rooney, Berbatov, Anderson, Carrick, and Owen are all going to have to step up as well. But Nani’s going to be the one under the most pressure since he’s Portuguese and possesses a lot of the same talents and skills as Ronaldo. Plus, he regressed last year to the point where Sir Alex wouldn’t play him in big games. Ronaldo went through the same issues during his first couple of years at Old Trafford, and I think it really helped him to have Carlos Queiroz around. Nani won’t have that luxury (although it Portugal continues playing the way they are, then Carlos might be back at Old Trafford before you know it).

0′ So, no new signings in either team’s starting lineup. That’s weird. I guess these two teams wanted to see what would happen if they played with last year’s squads. You know, other than that guy who used to play for United. I can’t think of his name. The one who likes to take off his shirt and hit on anything that moves.

0′ This is the year that order is restored in the Community Shield. It was weird seeing Pompey in the Shield last year, wasn’t it?

0′ Sometimes, I think Michael Ballack is finished, and then he goes out and shows that he’s still world class. Sometimes, I think Michael Ballack is great, and then he goes out and is a complete nonfactor for the entire match and nearly assaults a referee (or a teammate). I guess the lesson is to manage your expectations when it comes to Ballack.

0′ And, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this will be the first real test for Michael Owen since he turned into Judas in the eyes of Liverpool fans. He missed a few sitters against Valencia that probably didn’t do him any favors with Fabio Capello. It’s one thing to score against the Malaysian XI and the Hangzhou Greentown. It’s another thing to score against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium.

0′ Looks like Andrea Pirlo won’t be coming to Stamford Bridge after all. That might be good news for Chelsea. They already have a crowded midfield, and adding Pirlo would have been a case of having too many chefs to cook the soup. They look like they’re going with a diamond formation with Lampard at the head of it, Essien on one side, Zhirkov on the other and then Pirlo would have been at the base, thereby relegating Ballack, Mikel, Joe Cole, Malouda, and Deco (assuming he stays) to the bench. That would be a headache that Carlo Ancelotti would not want.

0′ Should be an interesting match between two teams that could finish first and second in the EPL this season. Chelsea has to be the favorite for the EPL title right now, but you can never count out Manchester United. They still have all that money to play with and they’re probably not done shopping. It could very well be Sergio Aguero, who looked great against Liverpool yesterday for Atletico Madrid.

0′ Hello everyone and welcome to another exciting season of football! It’s been a long summer and I know I’m glad that football is back and that the action will be on the pitch instead of in the boardrooms. As always, I’m Victor and I’ll be your liveblogger for today’s match, which pits Manchester United against Chelsea for the 2009 Community Shield! I’m contractually obligated to inform you that if you wish to watch this match online, then you can go to the top of this page and click on the link for http://www.free-football.tv. If that doesn’t meet your requirements, then you can always consult this article for available streaming TV network options or this article for FREE P2P options.

Match Review:

It was an exciting Community Shield (which was a welcome change from last year’s snoozer) and both sides really showed their mettle. Chelsea came back from a 1-0 halftime deficit to take the lead and were within a minute of wrapping it up in regulation. However, as they’ve learned all too painfully over the years, it’s never over until the ref’s whistle blows, and Manchester United were able to steal one at the end. Both sides have some things to work on. After all, this is the preseason. United ran circles around Chelsea early in the first half and their lack of youth could come back to bite them as the season drags on. United have some question marks too, and they are sure to be concerned about their lack of creativity in the final third. Still, there’s plenty to be happy about for both sides, and as we’re all well aware, there are three weeks left before the transfer window slams shut.

Man of the Match:

Ricardo Carvalho

Both clubs had no shortage of worthy candidates. Lampard was quiet for the first half but responded with a dominant second half as he asserted himself on the United defense. Malouda, Drogba, and Anelka all looked dangerous at times, and Cole played very well at left-back. As for United, Rooney and Berbatov played well and gave Sir Alex some hope as they look to move forward after losing Ronaldo. Nani played well until he left with an injury while Evans did a solid job in the back. Still, the Man of the Match was Carvalho, which must have been sweet for the man who became a bit of a forgotten figure last year. He did his usual solid job in the back and snuffed out numerous opportunities while demonstrating his scoring chops on the other end. Carvalho went a long way towards reminding everyone that he, and not John Terry, is the team’s best center-back when healthy.

We’ve got quite a lot of tidbits from yesterday and today to go over in today’s roundup from around the Premier League, Serie A, and several more top leagues, so if you’ve missed any of the latest transfer news and rumors, we’re here to catch you up.

And as always, you can stay updated with all of the latest transfer signings from all England’s league clubs and several top European leagues thanks to our summer transfer lists.

England

Arsenal Ready Huntelaar Bid?

Arsenal could be set to make a bid of £16.5m for Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. (The Sun)

Analysis: Well, it’d be money well spent, but whether or not it actually gets spent is another thing entirely.

Liverpool Enter Crouch Race?

Could Peter Crouch return to Liverpool? According to the Daily Star, while Tottenham and Fulham appear to be favorites for Crouch, Liverpool have been keeping a close watch on the situation.

Analysis: Besides taking the source into consideration, it’s hard for me to see him going back to Liverpool, but never say never.

Cana Signs On At Sunderland

Sunderland have signed Marseille midfielder Lorik Cana for £5m. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: If the squad needs a kick in the teeth, he’ll be the one to give it to them…and literally, if need be.

Fulham’s Latest Greening Bid Rejected

West Brom have rejected Fulham’s £4m bid for midfielder Jonathan Greening. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: So, the third time isn’t the charm after all. Fulham seemed determined to sign him though, so don’t count out another bid.

Bolton Sign Duo

Bolton have signed Aston Villa defender Zat Knight and Hull defender Sam Ricketts. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: It’s pretty clear what Bolton’s priority is this summer. In Knight, Ricketts, and West Brom’s Paul Robinson, Bolton have picked up defenders with experience, and versatility has also been a target, with Robinson and Ricketts both able to slot at multiple places at the back.

Stoke Sign Whitehead

Stoke City have signed Sunderland midfielder Dean Whitehead. The deal is worth £3m initially, but it could rise to £5m based on incentives. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: The big winner in this deal? Whitehead’s old club, Conference (or Blue Square Premier, rather) side Oxford United, whose coffers will get a nice little boost from receiving 25% of the fee.

Hull Target Viduka

Hull’s continued search for new forwards has taken them to Mark Viduka, who is a free agent after being released by Newcastle. (The Sun)

Analysis: Well, Phil Brown says he hasn’t been in contact with Viduka, so there may not be much to read into this one. But if they did go in for him, wages could well be a stumbling block, but if they weren’t, he’d be worth a look. He went scoreless at Newcastle last season, but you can wipe that one off the books, given how bad it was overall and that he spent the first few months of it out injured.

Italy

Milan Move For Lavezzi Or Trezeguet?

AC Milan could be weighing up a move for Napoli forward Ezequiel Lavezzi that could send Marco Borriello to Napoli. (Goal.com)

Analysis: Lavezzi’s relationship with the club isn’t exactly the best right now, which does nothing to cool speculation over a move, but even so, he’s still viewed as a key piece of Napoli’s ambitions. Besides, Milan weren’t willing to go too high for Luis Fabiano, and Napoli would no doubt be looking for as much or more than Sevilla have been for Fabiano.

Another potential target for AC Milan could be Juventus’ David Trezeguet. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Trezeguet would be much more affordable than Fabiano, Lavezzi, or even Huntelaar, and his agent has claimed that Trezeguet is all too willing to take a pay cut for a move, so you’ve got to like the chances of this one happening if Milan do come in for him.

Fiorentina Target Eboue

Fiorentina are interested in Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Eboue. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Fiorentina were reportedly interested in taking Eboue in a swap deal for Felipe Melo before Melo moved to Juventus, and they have more than enough funds to afford him in a straight cash deal. Eboue wants to be somewhere he can start regularly, and that place likely isn’t Arsenal, so…

Napoli In Dossena Talks

Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis has held talks with Rafa Benitez concerning a move for Liverpool left back Andrea Dossena. (The Guardian)

Analysis: It’s not out of the question that Liverpool could keep Dossena, but it has been said that he wants to return to Italy. Napoli’s prospects are pretty promising after all of the moves that they’ve made this summer (and with the talented pieces they already had), so it’d be a smart move for Dossena.

Germany

Wolfsburg Eye Martins

VfL Wolfsburg could make a move for Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Is it a telling sign that one of the Premier League sides looking for a striker (Arsenal, Tottenham, Sunderland, to name a few) haven’t gone hard after him yet? There are no guarantees what his place at Wolfsburg would be given that they already have Grafite and Edin Dzeko, but the offer of assured Champions League football could be appealing, and so could the likelihood that Dzeko will be off to a new club sometime in the near future.

Stuttgart Turn To Negredo

After missing out on Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, VfB Stuttgart could now make a move for fellow Real Madrid striker Alvaro Negredo. (Goal.com)

Analysis: That pursuit could very well end up in disappointment as well, with Negredo also attracting attention from the Premier League.

Dortmund To Land Barrios

Dortmund are set to sign Argentine striker Lucas Barrios from Colombian side Colo Colo for €4.5m. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Barrios has torn it up in Colombia over the last year and a half with Colo Colo and finished top of the goal charts in both halves of the Colombian championship last year, so he definitely knows his way around goal. Dortmund may have lost their best striker in Alexander Frei, but their front line may have actually gotten better with the relatively inexpensive additions of Barrios and Energie Cottbus’ Dimitar Rangelov.

France

Marseille After Morientes And Menez

Marseille are considering a move for striker Fernando Morientes, who’s available on a free after leaving Valencia. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Morientes is no spring chicken, and his last couple of seasons at Valencia weren’t overly productive after a 19-goal haul in his first season in 2006/07, but he’d still be a quality signing for Marseille. He has experience in France from his time with Monaco in 2003/04, and hee can still get it done in Europe (three goals in seven UEFA Cup starts for Valencia).

Marseille have also made a bid for Roma forward Jeremy Menez, and though their initial bid has fallen short of Roma’s €10m asking price, negotiations are ongoing. (Transfer Market Web)

Analysis: Menez was in and out of the starting lineup in his debut season at Roma, and if his prospects aren’t set to change too much, he could certainly do a lot worse than move somewhere he can get regular football and play in the Champions League.

Scotland

Celtic Land Fox

Celtic have signed Coventry City defender Danny Fox for £1.5m. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Fox could not only be the solution at left back for Celtic, but he can also be a valuable asset on the attacking end, as he netted five times and set up six more for Coventry last season.

Turkey

Fenerbahce Make Shevchenko Offer

Fenerbahce have made an offer for Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko. (The Times)

Analysis: Fenerbahce have the funds to be able to afford him, and it’d be better for all for him to be sold this summer instead of being a bit-part player in the upcoming season before leaving on a free.

Daily Links

Gerrard Cleared Of Affray Charges

Should anyone be surprised?

Which Retired Player Would You Like To See Come Back?

Now that is a tough one for me…I’ll have to get back to you with my answer.

How The Deep-Lying Midfield Position Is Reviving Careers

There’s quite a debate about who fits the role and who doesn’t, but whatever position title they have, all of the players mentioned are top-class talents.

We’re already in the middle of June, and though the signings haven’t been coming hard and fast just yet, that doesn’t mean that there’s a shortage of action thus far in the summer transfer window.

In this morning’s transfer news and rumors roundup, we’ve got tidbits from England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, and Greece, with many big names and big clubs looking to spend, spend, spend. Some of the rumors are pretty concrete, while there is at least one in the bunch that, like Manchester United being linked with a move for Fernando Torres, are a little head-scratching, to say the least.

There are also a couple of signings to report, and remember, to keep up with all of the latest confirmed signings, check out our summer 2009 transfer lists.

England

Manchester United After Valencia Stars

There has been a great deal of speculation over the last few days about what Manchester United are going to do with the money they get from selling Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, and it could be that a sizable chunk of those funds go towards signing Valencia stars David Villa and David Silva.

United are reportedly set to make a £45m bid for Villa (The Mirror). The competition could wide open between United, Barcelona (Sky Sports), and Chelsea for Villa, as his potential move to Real Madrid appears to have broken down (Daily Mail).

Meanwhile. Rafa Benitez might not like hearing about United making a concerted effort to land Silva, as the winger has been a target for Benitez for a while now but could be the subject of a £25m bid from United. (The Mirror)

Analysis: £25m looks to certainly be enough to land Silva, but even though they could outbid Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Chelsea for Villa, they could be out of luck if Villa prefers the chance to stay in Spain. Of course, if Barcelona land Villa, that’d all but free up the opportunity for a United move for Samuel Eto’o.

United and Boro In Downing Swap Deal?

Middlesbrough are heavily interested in Manchester United duo Paul Scholes and Gary Neville, and there are reports that they could offer Stewart Downing to United to try to make a deal happen. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Both Scholes and Neville could be reluctant for such a move, but even so, it’d seem like United would come out a lot better in this deal, especially if they didn’t have to spend much of that sizable transfer kitty on purchasing Downing.

Costa On Shortlist To Replace Ronaldo?

Along with the moves mentioned above, United could be set to swoop for Gremio starlet Douglas Costa. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Brazil’s becoming more and more of a hotspot for United, and signing a prospect of Costa’s ability and potential would be worth the fee United may have to stump up. He’s only 18, so he’s more one for the future and wouldn’t be expected to step in and star right away. But as Ronaldo did when he arrived at United, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him earn first-team opportunities immediately.

Bolton Lead Race For Veloso?

Bolton are back in for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso, and after refusing to overbid for Veloso in January, could be in with a £10.2m offer for the 23-year-old, who’s also been linked with Arsenal. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: £10.2m is still a little lower than Sporting might like to get for Veloso, but it could be a sign that Bolton are willing to fork out a little more in order to land him.

Bentley And Huddlestone To Sign For Villa?

It could only be a matter of time before Aston Villa seal the deal on a couple of new signings, as there are reports that they are close on Tottenham pair David Bentley (Goal.com) and Tom Huddlestone (Birmingham Mail).

Analysis: Considering their interest in Bentley, Huddlestone, and Jermaine Jenas, I’m surprised they haven’t been strongly linked with Darren Bent or Roman Pavlyuchenko, considering a forward should also be on their summer wishlist.

Several Sides Interested In Newcastle’s Martins

Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Everton are all interested in Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins (Tribal Football), but they could face competition from a mystery Bundesliga club (Tribal Football).

Analysis: Everton would be a great fit, considering the familiar faces that would await, but wages would likely be a stumbling block, and that could also be the case with Aston Villa. No telling what the situation could be with the Bundesliga club, but Arsenal may well be the best match financially – but that could all hinge on whether or not they sell Emmanuel Adebayor.

Fulham And West Ham Interested In Acquafresca

It’s a London battle for young Italian striker Robert Acquafresca, as Fulham and West Ham are both interested in the 21-year-old. Acquafresca was supposed to go to Genoa as part of the deal that brought Diego Milito and Thiago Motta to Inter, but he could yet move elsewhere, with even Juventus being linked with a move. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: I don’t have any doubts that Acquafresca could succeed in the Premier League, but if Juventus come in for him, that might be an opportunity that’s too hard to pass up.

Sunderland Bid For Cattermole

Sunderland have made a £7m bid for Wigan midfielder Lee Cattermole. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Well they sure aren’t sitting on their money, are they? That’s certainly a tempting offer for Wigan, considering it’s double what they paid for Cattermole just last summer. I don’t know if Wigan will offload him right now though, unless he’s just that eager to be reunited with Steve Bruce. If someone’s willing to pay 7m for him right now, they could be in line to get a lot more if he continues to develop well over the next season or two. Besides, the sale of Antonio Valencia will net a nice amount of transfer funds for Roberto Martinez.

Wolves Sign Milijas

Wolves have completed the signing of Red Star Belgrade midfielder Nenad Milijas. (The Guardian)

Analysis: For a little while, the deal looked to be in some doubt, but in the end, Wolves fought off some pretty good competition to land the free-scoring midfielder.

Birmingham Bid For Gomez

Birmingham have made a £1.5m offer to Espanyol for midfielder Jordi Gomez, who starred on loan for Swansea last season. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: With Roberto Martinez set to complete his move from Swansea to Wigan anytime now, Birmingham could face some competition from Wigan for Gomez, so it might be in Birmingham’s best interests to try to get him signed, sealed, and delivered as soon as possible.

Spain

Real Madrid Offer Sneijder For Inter’s Maicon

Real Madrid could be set to offer Inter Milan €20m plus attacker Wesley Sneijder in a bid for right back Maicon. (Goal.com)

Analysis: Sounds like a reasonable deal. Sneijder’s someone that has been linked with Inter, and €20m + Sneijder would meet the €40m asking price that Inter have for Maicon.

Italy

AC Milan Sign Cissokho

AC Milan have completed the signing of Porto defender Aly Cissokho for €15m. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: This time last summer, Cissokho had just made the jump from France’s Ligue 2 to Portugal, joining Vitoria du Setubal, and now, he’s signed for AC Milan. Talk about a quick rise!

Inter Closing In On Double Swoop

Jose Mourinho could be close to being reunited with Deco and Ricardo Carvalho, as Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti spoke hopefully about being able to agree a deal with Chelsea for the duo. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Seems to be only a formality, really.

Juventus To Swap Trezeguet For Rossi?

Juventus are prepared to offer striker David Trezeguet as part of a swap deal for Villarreal star Giuseppe Rossi. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: £15m + Trezeguet would fall a little short of Rossi’s buyout clause of £40m, but it could get Villarreal to bite, or at least think seriously about the offer. Trezeguet might turn down the chance though, considering the interest that he’s had from the likes of Inter, Real Madrid, and others.

Lazio In Talks For Barnetta

Lazio are in talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a move for Swiss midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Barnetta’s valuation is reportedly €10m, but even though Lazio don’t exactly have the room to break the bank on summer purchases, it shouldn’t be a problem to spend the right amount on a player who’s certainly worth it.

Germany

Wolfsburg Want Berbatov?

In one of the more interesting transfer rumors of the day, Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is being linked with a loan move to VfL Wolfsburg. (Sofia Echo)

Analysis: Though things didn’t exactly go completely swimmingly at United last season, Berbatov’s not going anywhere.

Stuttgart Interested In Tottenham Striker

VfB Stuttgart could be targeting Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko. According to Stuttgart general manager Horst Heldt, the Russian striker has come up in discussions within the club. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: After selling Mario Gomez to Bayern Munich for €30m, Stuttgart have money to spend and a big void to fill up front. Replicating Gomez’s 33-goal output from this past season might be a little much to ask, but Pavlyuchenko does have the quality to succeed in the Bundesliga, even though his struggles at Tottenham last season might convince some otherwise.

France

Shevchenko Offered To French Trio

Chelsea have offered striker Andriy Shevchenko to Lyon, Marseille, and Monaco. Lyon have turned down the opportunity to sign the Ukrainian, but Marseille and Monaco are still considering the chance to snap him up. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Safe to say then that Sheva doesn’t have a future at Chelsea, eh?

Coupet To Sign For PSG

Former Lyon goalkeeper Gregory Coupet could be set for a quick return to Ligue 1, as he has agreed personal terms over a move to Paris Saint-Germain. Coupet moved from Lyon to Atletico Madrid last summer, but after seeing little time last season, will be back on familiar soil if a fee can be agreed. (Goal.com)

Analysis: With current #1 Mickael Landreau looking to leave, PSG needed to swoop for a quality replacement, and Coupet, with his long history of success with Lyon, certainly fits the bill.

Greece

Panathinaikos Close On Drenthe?

Panathinaikos are going all out in their efforts to sign Real Madrid’s Royston Drenthe, as they could offer £11m in order to land the versatile Dutchman. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: That’s about the same amount Real spent to sign Drenthe from Feyenoord in the summer of 2007, so I don’t see them turning down an offer of that amount. Drenthe hasn’t exactly blossomed at Real, and he wouldn’t appear to have much of a future there, so the only holdup might be whether or not he wants to move to Greece or to a more elite league.

With the recent appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as the new Chelsea manager and the recent announcement that Andriy Shevchenko will be coming back to the Bridge now that his one-year loan deal with AC Milan has expired, there are questions being asked of what Ancelotti / Chelsea will do with the 32-year-old striker.

While Shevchenko and many Chelsea fans are not optimistic about his future at the Bridge, Sheva still has great potential to finish his career in style and justify the money that was spent on him. The article discusses the following points:

1. Why Shevchnko did not live up to his potential at Chelsea
2. How Chelsea could have made better use of the Ukrainian international
3. Why Shevchenko deserves one more season as a Chelsea starter under Ancelotti.

The time was fall of 1997 and the place was one that has become extremely familiar to Chelsea fans recently – the 98,000 capacity stadium in Barcelona – Camp Nou. The Spanish champions were taking on the 5 time Ukrainian Champions Dinamo Kiev in the Champions League group stage. After losing 3-0 to Dinamo in their hometown, Barcelona, led by Van Gaal, was looking to bounce back from their shocking defeat.

However, Barcelona had their hopes demolished by half-time after a hat trick from a phenomenal young Ukrainian – his name was Andrei Shevchenko. Would any blue-blooded Chelsea fan seriously say that they would not have wanted that Shevchenko to have played on the starting squad against Barcelona in this year’s semi-final?

Ever since Andrei Shevchenko joined Chelsea for a record transfer fee of 30 million pounds in the summer of 2006, it appeared inevitable that with such a star studded team; Chelsea would reign supreme over England and Europe. After nearly three years have passed, various pundits, analysts, and Chelsea mangers from Jose Mourinho to Felipe Scolari have leveled severe criticism about my hometown hero’s lackluster performance. However, those former Chelsea managers never used Sheva properly as they did not understand him.

First of all, in order to understand how Shevchenko operates, you must first understand Valeriy Lobanovsky, the old Dinamo Kiev manager whose unique philosophy made him the star that he eventually became. Shevchenko has stated on many occasions that he owes all of his success to his deceased old manager and he went as far as leaving his Champions League medal on his grave.

In a nutshell, Lobanovsky (a plumber by trade) was a pioneer in football theory when he became the first Soviet Manager in the 1960’s to request a computer to be used by his football club. The theory he developed was dubbed “scientific football” in which certain numerical values were assigned to each “action” in the game such as tackles, passes, and shots. (Foer 159, “How Soccer Explains the World”) and the computer would calculate each player’s “intensively” (tackles and goal shots), “activity” (tackles and passes), “error rate” (unsuccessful actions), and “effectively” (tackles, goals, assists, passes).

Lobanovsky considered the football team to be a collective (not unlike the Borg) and judged how each individual contributed to the team’s overall performance without specific positions for players. While this led to a focus on defense, it created highly disciplined teams and largely kept egos in place. He saw pace and cohesion as the keys to victory. Not only were his teams much fitter than opposing sides, the players also seemed to have a near-telepathic understanding of each other. A result perhaps of one of his favourite drills: blindfolded five-a-side matches.

When Lobanovsky took over the struggling Dinamo again in the fall of 1996, he implemented the system once again and stated that the team is a collective and not centered on individuals. Hence, the victory over the individual focused Barcelona a year later was not only due to Shevchenko’s brilliance, but each player doing their part in making the defense, the midfield, and the strikers effective.

After Shevchenko joined AC Milan in ‘99, the team, under Carlo Ancelotti (2001-2009) eventually adapted somewhat to Shevchenko’s collectively oriented style by having the team work together in an almost Christmas tree formation to get the maximum number of goals to Shevchenko and his partner up front Inzaghi. The Balon d’Or and the CL goal scoring records set by Shevchenko overlooked the fact that AC Milan, similar to Dinamo Kiev in the 1990’s was a well oiled machine that worked tirelessly on all parts of the pitch to make the team succeed. Shevchenko was simply performing his role to his best ability.

Since Roman Abramovich acquired Chelsea in 2003, his eyes were set on the brilliant striker. However, the owner of Milan, Silvio Berlusconi, who became Shevchenko’s Godfather, did everything possible to hold on to his “son” until Roman finally made the offer Silvio could not refuse – the record breaking £30.8 million pound transfer in May of 2006. At this point Roman was becoming very impatient with Mourinho’s Chelsea coming up short of winning the Champions League and decided to “help out” Jose by acquiring Ballack , Kalou and Shevchenko against the manager’s wishes. As a result, Shevchenko was in a bad situation from the start as the Chelsea midfield became destabilized while the manager was not happy to have him.

To elaborate, from 2004 to 2006 the Chelsea midfield had been very cohesive with the combination of Lampard and the Iceland international Eiour Godjohnsen, who was one of the most versatile players around as he had performed as a central-midfielder; as a right or left winger; as a holding-defensive midfielder or as a striker. He was replaced by the slower and older Ballack who just did not seem to give the necessary effort. Hence, the midfield feeding mechanism to the strikers such as Drogba, Shevchenko and Kalou had become weak. In addition, Shevchenko, in spite of being tired after Ukraine’s World Cup performance and having to go from a very mild Mediterranean climate in Milan to the cold and humid climate of England compounded the problem.

Despite all of this, Shevchenko scored in his Chelsea debut in the Community Shield in the 2-1 loss to Liverpool, and quickly delivered again in his first Premier League goal against Middlesborough. After this, Shevchenko’s exhaustion caught up with him and he fell into a bit of a drought. The back-to-back trophy-winning Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho blamed all of Chelsea’s problems on Shevchenko and benched him as a result. He went as far as saying that Shevchenko considered himself above the other players and was expecting preferential treatment. However, Jose was wrong to have Shevchenko take the blame as an individual for the collective lackluster performance of the team.

The breakdown of the locker room atmosphere at Chelsea has been well chronicled in Claude Makalele’s recent biography Tout Simplementu. “For two years at Chelsea we lived as a group of friends, dining together, getting drunk together, going to training together and winning matches together,” wrote the French international. The team resembled Lobonovsky’s vision of a collective. But then all of a sudden Mourinho broke the solidarity by treating certain players that he was instrumental in acquiring such as Drogba as stars.

The catalyst for this may have been Roman encouraging the team to play a more open and offensive oriented game, which Jose flatly refused to do. He began treating players that he perceived as being close to the Roman such as Shevchenko and Terry with contempt. Makelele was stunned that the “Special One” had forgotten to value the contribution of players and began taking credit for all success and blaming individual players for any failures. “He no longer believed that players were responsible for success but only his methods did.” In short, Jose’s ego was clouding his judgment.

In response, Roman, who was obviously good friends with Shevchenko due to a common language and perhaps not wanting to see his investment wasted, forced Jose to play Sheva. Andrei proved to be invaluable in the FA Cup when he scored the goal of the year on January 19th, 2007 against Tottenham by curling the ball into the Spurs net from an impossible angle. He would prove equally useful in the Champions League by scoring key equalizers against Valencia in the Group Stage and Porto in the Quarterfinals. Unfortunately, an untimely injury and the subsequent hernia operation would keep him out at the end of the season when Chelsea needed him most.

All in all, despite all of the problems, Shevchenko ended up having an adequate season with 14 goals, well short of his 24 goals for Milan in the award winning year of 2004 but by no means was a terrible performance as Jose implied. Shevchenko gave the following explanation: “The real problem is that I cannot find any continuity. I was doing well this season, scoring seven goals in my last 10 matches, but then I suffered a back injury. Before I am judged I would like to enjoy a decent run in the side now that I have adapted to English football. Italian football is about tactics and logic, whereas England is different, it is all about speed and instinct.”

During the summer, Shevchenko did everything he could to get back in shape and work on his speed after surgery, even going as far as training with an Olympic sprinter to bring himself up to form. Roman even brought in Avram Grant as Director of Football to help Andrei, which was interpreted by Jose’s as undermining his authority. However, the training would prove to be useful as Andrei scored the equalizing goal to prevent a humiliating loss to Rosenborg BK in the Champions League Group Game. Apparently, Jose could not stand Grant and Roman being right and left “by mutual consent” as a result. It appeared that now under Grant as head coach Shevchenko would finally shine. Unfortunately, Shevchenko only scored 5 goals in the Premier League that season and Grant appeared to have given up on him when he transferred in former gunner Nicholas Anelka to essentially take Shevchenko’s spot as backup striker, leaving Shevchenko on the bench once again.

When Scolari took over the Chelsea reigns in the summer of 2008, he promised to give Shevchenko a “fresh start” but later contradicted himself by playing Deco in his place in the season opener against Portsmouth. Shevchenko was sent on loan to Milan and has begun regained his form. His goal against England in the World Cup qualifier illustrated his resurgence.

The newly appointed Chelsea manager and Sheva’s old AC Milan manager, Carlo Ancelotti, stated that Chelsea’s mistake was that they did not use Shevchenko properly by persistently using the one-striker system with Drogba upfront rather than being more flexible and adjusting the midfield to feed the ball to two strikers (Drogba and Sheva) upfront like Milan did. In addition, Shevchenko never prospered because he never felt welcome in London – mostly because of Jose’s arrogance. The unjustified blame game under Mourinho certainly took its toll on him and likely hurt his subsequent performance.

All in all, with Drogba facing a possible 5 match ban from the Champions League, the Boys in Blue are in dire need of a second striker besides Anelka. In my humble opinion, Shevchenko could fill this role provided that the team is willing to accept him and the midfield is willing to adjust to accommodate the two striker strategy.

Why spend another 30 million pounds on Tevez or David Villa when Chelsea already has Sheva under contract and the real problem is in the midfield? Just like a roofer would not spend money on buying a customized golden drill bit when the drill battery is dead and the power cord is broken, Chelsea must fix the truly broken part of its team (midfield) rather than spending enormous sums fixing something that is working reasonably well (offense).

Despite his age of 32 (top players like Zidane, Beckham, Pele, Maldini played well into their 30’s), Shevchenko still has the skills and now has something to prove to Chelsea fans. Under Ancelotti, who understands Sheva and how to make a team play a common strategy rather than a group of individuals, Sheva may once again become the top striker we know him to be.

Sources: How Soccer Explains the World by Franklin Foer

Additional research and reporting by Mark Gallinsky.

Is it safe to say that striker receives more time in the transfer gossip pages from January to December than any other position? Several well-known strikers are in today’s transfer news and rumors, but the goal-getters aren’t the only men in the summer shop window. In today’s roundup, we’ve got tidbits from several of Europe’s top leagues, with several big names being linked with big clubs.

England

Chelsea After Adebayor and Young

It’s looking increasingly likely that Carlo Ancelotti will be Chelsea’s next manager, and two names he could look to in order to strength his attack could be Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor and Aston Villa’s Ashley Young. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Martin O’Neill’s not letting Young go anywhere anytime soon, so that one can be dismissed right off the bat. I don’t rate Adebayor’s chances of being at Arsenal next season that highly, but I don’t think Arsene would let him go to Chelsea, unless the money offered was something that absolutely couldn’t be refused.

Chelsea Interested in Wolfsburg Star Dzeko

Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko has confirmed Chelsea’s interest in him, and the Bosnian goal-getter also says that his future is up in the air, due to Felix Magath’s impending departure to Schalke 04. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: I’m sure Wolfsburg will bring in a solid replacement for Magath, but I think the chances of him remaining at Wolfsburg aren’t too high, especially with some top sides sure to come after him. He certainly won’t come on the cheap though, because he’s young and he’s proven his worth as a prolific scorer in a top league.

Tottenham to Pip Man City to Santa Cruz?

Harry Redknapp will likely be in the market for at least one new striker in the summer, and one of his prime targets looks to be Blackburn’s Roque Santa Cruz, who, in case we didn’t know already, wants to leave Ewood Park. In return for Santa Cruz, Blackburn could receive cash and striker Darren Bent. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: It seems like Manchester City’s interest in Santa Cruz waned in January, so he could be Harry’s to lose. Given his injury issues and a loss of form this season, his valuation takes a big hit, but cash plus a solid striker in Bent is a reasonable deal.

Newcastle Interested in Wigan’s Scharner

Defense will be one of Newcastle’s main issues to address in the summer if they remain in the Premier League, and one of the targets at the top of Alan Shearer’s wishlist is Wigan center back Paul Scharner. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: I find it a little strange that Newcastle are being linked with such transfers when their safety is anything but secured, but I digress. Steve Bruce wouldn’t want to see him leave, but the £6m is something that Newcastle could afford to pay if they do go after him.

Blackburn to Seal Permanent Givet Deal

Blackburn are set to shell out the 4m needed to make defender Gael Givet a permanent signing. The French defender has impressed since joining from Marseille on loan in January. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Defensive improvement over the last few months has been key towards Blackburn moving away from the relegation zone and securing their safety, and Givet has had a big hand in that, so making the deal permanent was the right move.

Bolton to Bid for Middlesbrough’s O’Neil

Bolton are set to make a £4m bid for Middlesbrough midfielder Gary O’Neil. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Middlesbrough rebuffed advances for O’Neil in January, but their potential relegation combined with his reported issues with settling in the area make his sale a realistic possibility. I’d have to favor Portsmouth over Bolton, however.

Spain

Barcelona to Swoop for Ibrahimovic?

According to Italian news reports, Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has already agreed personal terms and signed a pre-contract with Barcelona. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: The knock on Ibrahimovic is his performances (or lack thereof, rather) in big games, but in a squad as talented as Barcelona, he’d have no reason not to do well in those situations. At the same time, he could get away with his disappearing act, with Messi, Henry, or Iniesta all too ready and raring to step up.

Italy

Inter Lead Race for Milito

Despite a bevy of interest from abroad, including the Premier League, it appears that Genoa striker Diego Milito could be set to remain in Italy,

Analysis: I was hoping to be able to see Milito in the Premier League next season, but it appears that Inter will be needing a replacement (not a partner, as Milito’s agent says) for Ibrahimovic, so they’re going to be hard to beat.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12876_5323530,00.html

AC Milan to Lure Toni Back to Italy?

AC Milan could try to use Yoann Gourcuff as bait to persuade Bayern Munich to sell striker Luca Toni. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: No disrespect to Toni, who’s a great striker and is by no means on the decline, but shouldn’t AC Milan be trying to inject a little more youth in their squad?

France

Bordeaux Step Up Interest in Kameni

Bordeaux manager Laurent Blanc sees Espanyol keeper Carlos Kameni as his ideal #1 for next season. But, he’ll have to face some competition from Benfica, who have already made an offer for the Cameroonian, who’ll be out of contract in June. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Considering how much mention Kameni has gotten in the transfer pages in recent years, you’d think he’d have more than just the one offer from Benfica, but he’ll certainly land on his feet.

Scotland

Celtic Bid for Hamilton’s McCarthy

Celtic have made a bid for highly-rated Hamilton midfielder James McCarthy, but the club says that this offer, just as with Portsmouth’s recent offer, will be rejected. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: The interest is reciprocal, which is no surprise, but Hamilton aren’t about to be ripped off for their prized asset. There’s a good chance Celtic will come back at least another time or two in the summer, but I think he’ll remain at Hamilton for at least one more season, if not more.

Portugal

Benfica Linked with Quaresma

Inter are likely going to offload Ricardo Quaresma in the summer, and Benfica are closely watching any developments. The Portuguese winger is currently on loan at Chelsea, but with him seeing very little time on the pitch since Guus Hiddink’s arrival, a permanent deal at Stamford Bridge doesn’t look too likely. (Benfica Linked with Quaresma”>Sky Sports)

Analysis: His talent’s unquestioned, but he’s always played better in Portugal than he has anywhere else. His performances at Sporting and Porto have earned him moves to bigger clubs, so he might as well make the rounds to all of Portugal’s Big Three, earn a move back to Italy, Spain, or England in a couple of seasons, and hopefully stick.

It’s a new week, and we’ve got a fresh batch of transfer news and rumors from around Europe. We’ve got tidbits from England, Italy, and Germany in today’s roundup, with names big, medium, and small all being linked with moves from here to there.

England

Tottenham Enter Race for Tevez

Tottenham have joined the queue of teams looking to sign Carlos Tevez, as Spurs are being linked with a 25m offer for the Argentine hit-man. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: If he can combine effort and goal-scoring more often, he’s easily worth the 25m and then some, but if he did combine those two things more, he wouldn’t be on the market right now.

Cisse Reveals Summer Spurs Switch

On-loan Sunderland striker Djibril Cisse reacted to being left out of the starting XI for the club’s weekend match at Bolton by telling his teammates that he’s off to Tottenham in the summer. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Well, that’s a good way to assure that you won’t be in the starting lineup for the last two games, eh Djibril? There’s no telling whether or not this is actually true, or if he was saying it just for devilment, but given his little outburst, I might be considering if my name was Harry Redknapp.

Arsenal After Zenit Striker Pogrebnyak

After striking gold with Andrei Arshavin, Arsenal are going digging in St. Petersburg again, this time lining up Arshavin’s former Zenit teammate Pavel Pogrebnyak as a replacement for the itching-to-leave Emmanuel Adebayor. (The Mirror)

Analysis: He’d certainly be one of the less expensive options on the market, and Zenit won’t have much room to do what they did with Arshavin, considering that Pogrebnyak is out of contract in six months.

Aston Villa Like Ajax’s Vermaelen

Aston Villa could be in the market for a new center back in the summer, and one of the names at the top of their list is Ajax defender Thomas Vermaelen, who Martin O’Neill went to personally scout over the weekend. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Even if Laursen is able to overcome his injury problems, Villa do need to bolster their defense, and adding a player who’s young and has experience at a high level for club and country can only improve their back line.

Fulham In for Stockport Striker Johnson

Roy Hodgson is looking to the lower leagues to bolster his front line, targeting 21-year-old Stockport County striker Oli Johnson. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Given Stockport’s current financial straits, Fulham should be able to get him on the cheap. He looks to be more for the future than the present, but to make the move up from non-league to League One to the Premier League in less than a year is certainly something to be proud of either way.

Portsmouth’s Davis Wanted by Several

Portsmouth midfielder Sean Davis is a serious target for newly-promoted Birmingham, but Alex McLeish could face competition from Wigan, Bolton, and fellow promoted side Wolves for the 29-year-old. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Davis will be out of contract this summer, so it might all come down to who’s going to fork out the best wages. Birmingham seem to be willing to fork out a sizable amount to add his experience to their ranks, so they’ve got a chance.

Italy

Juventus Set for Talks for Valencia’s Silva

Valencia winger David Silva confirmed yesterday that the club has given his agent the go-ahead to negotiate with Juventus. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Silva may not want to leave Valencia, but selling him would certainly be a much-needed boost for the club financially (and so will Champions League qualification), and I think you can expect a few more clubs, including one or two (or more) from the Premier League, to enter the race with this bit of news.

Inter After Fiorentina Star Melo

Jose Mourinho is reportedly eyeing Fiorentina midfielder Felipe Melo as a potential replacement for Patrick Vieira. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Fiorentina signed Melo just last summer from Almeria for 13m, and he’s already discussing an extension to his current contract, but Inter would have no problem paying the 12m buyout clause, so this one can‘t be ruled out yet.

Shevchenko Wants to Stay at AC Milan

His second spell at the club has been nowhere near as successful as his first, but on-loan AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko says he would like to finish his career at the San Siro. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: So, does that mean he’s going to retire after this season? In all seriousness, it doesn’t seem too likely at present that his stay in Milan will be extended, and his future at Chelsea seems to be grim, so he may just have to hope that Milan have enough faith in his abilities to keep him past this season.

Germany

Bayern Confirm Interest In Barcelona’s Hleb

Bayern Munich are hoping to beat out Juventus for Werder Bremen star Diego, but if they miss out on the Brazilian, Alexander Hleb is next on their wish list. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: This is like someone telling you, “Yeah, I like you, but I’ll only date you if the guy I like more turns me down.” As is though, he could be their guy in the end, because I don’t see Werder selling to Bayern, especially if Juventus offer what they’ve been holding out for.

Daily Links

Fletcher to Miss UEFA Champions League Final

Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher will not play in the Champions League final against Barcelona, as UEFA unsurprisingly upheld his red card against Arsenal.

Mexico Withdraws from CONMEBOL Tournaments

Mexico’s football federation has withdrawn its teams from participation in CONMEBOL tournaments after the South American football federation’s decision to force two Mexican sides to play their Copa Libertadores home legs in Colombia.

A couple of noteworthy signings are coming through the newswire today, which makes me quite happy, and should make fans of certain clubs quite happy as well.

Of course, if you don’t care much for the actual signings as you do for the sizzling speculation, there’s plenty of that for you as well.

England

Aston Villa are set to win the race for Emile Heskey after agreeing a £3.5m deal for the veteran striker. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Looks like Martin Banks’ source was right. Instead of overpaying for someone, Villa have wisely forked out a reasonable fee for a physical presence that will bag a few goals, but more importantly, take the pressure off of Gabby Agbonlahor to do most of the work up front.

Hull are splashing a little cash to help their push to stay in the Premier League this season and beyond. The Tigers have agreed a £2.5m permanent deal for Kamil Zayatte, but more significantly, have set aside £5m to sign Fulham’s Jimmy Bullard, who will earn 45k per week at his new club. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Fulham knew they were going to lose Bullard at some point, but it’s a significant blow nonetheless, especially considering Hull and Fulham are both fighting for a place in the top half of the table. As for Hull, they’re taking a gamble on Bullard with a record fee and a sizable contract, but if he stays healthy, this is a great signing.

West Ham are set to break their transfer record by signing Brescia striker and German U-19 international Savio Nsereko for £10m. (The Mirror)

Analysis: What, no family discount? Nsereko has the potential to do big things, and he could vie for regular first-team football immediately, so on paper, it looks like the money from the sale of their previous record signing (Craig Bellamy) has been spent well.

Newcastle have signed former Rangers star Peter Lovenkrands until the end of the season. Lovenkrands impressed on a trial after having been released by Schalke 04 earlier this month. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Lovenkrands didn’t have the success at Schalke that he did at Rangers, but he’s only a few seasons removed from scoring 18 goals for Rangers, so if he can build off of his impressive trial, he could help Newcastle earn a few vital results.

We turn to the Sun for today’s Manchester City rumors, with the Citizens poised to offer Didier Drogba £180k a week to pretend to like it there and splash out a further £19m on Sporting’s Miguel Veloso. (The Sun)

Analysis: One of these players might actually be worth the price that is being quoted in the above bit. Hint: IT’S NOT DROGBA!

Tottenham have had an £8m bid for Carlton Cole rejected by West Ham, but they hope that adding Darren Bent to the deal could persuade the Hammers to sell. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: If they didn’t want to sell an in-form Bellamy to Tottenham for the proper asking price, then why would they sell an in-form Cole and swap him for an out-of-form Bent, even if Nsereko is the biggest thing since sliced bread? Can’t fault Harry for trying though.

Blackburn are set to make a final £6m bid for Austrian striker Marc Janko, who Red Bull Salzburg want £9m for. (The Mirror)

Analysis: And Manchester City wait…

Portsmouth are to make a £2.5m bid in a last-ditch effort to prise midfielder Gary O’Neil from Middlesbrough. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Boro have been bullish about keeping O’Neil thus far, and 2.5m is half of what they paid for him in 2007, but he desperately wants to go back to Pompey, and the signing of Ben Watson could soften Boro’s stance and help this deal push through.

Italy

Dynamo Kiev are trying to put together a deal to bring Andriy Shevchenko back where it all started. (Goal.com)

Analysis: Now all they need to do is get Sergei Rebrov back (again), and it’ll be just like the late 90s all over again, when the duo were banging in goals for fun.

If you have a juicy rumor that we may have missed, post it in the comments along with the link to the source.

And if you want to keep up with all of the latest confirmed transfers, check out our updated January 2009 transfer lists, which are being updated today.

Sunday might be a rest day for many, but it’s anything but a slow day in transfer news and rumors. We’ve got the latest on Andrei Arshavin, Craig Bellamy, Stewart Downing, and many others, well-known and not so much…yet at least.

England

Arsenal are set to increase their bid for Andrei Arshavin to £12m after Zenit St. Petersburg rejected their initial offer of £10m + bonuses. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Something has to give. Arsenal don’t want to overpay, Zenit don’t want to budge from or far from their valuation of Arshavin.

However, they could be set to lose out to Manchester City, who have reportedly agreed an £18m fee with Zenit for Arshavin. (The Mirror)

Analysis: And then steps in the club who will pay what Zenit wants and what Arshavin wants without a second thought.

Arshavin isn’t the only target for the Gunners, as they could look to bolster their midfield by moving for Fulham’s Jimmy Bullard and West Ham’s Jack Collison (The Mirror), along with Boca Juniors star Sebastian Battaglia (Tribalfootball).

Analysis: Bullard would likely be available for an inexpensive fee, but West Ham might be reluctant to sell one of their future. Arsenal need some tenacity and intensity in their ranks, and Battaglia would bring it, for a low price, at that.

Craig Bellamy would rather join Tottenham than Manchester City, but West Ham may prefer to do business with big-spending City. (The Guardian)

Analysis: Bellamy may not get his wish though. Tottenham be looking for a cheaper option than Bellamy. As for where his first-team prospects are better, they’re probably better at City in the short term, but in the long run, he’d likely be better off at Tottenham.

Could David Bentley be headed to Teeside? According to reports, Tottenham are set to off Bentley to Middlesbrough in exchange for Stewart Downing. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Middlesbrough don’t want to sell Downing. Bentley still needs time at Tottenham. And when he’s not playing well on the left at Spurs, why would he go play on the left somewhere else?

Tottenham have rejected an offer of £7m from an unnamed club for keeper Gomes. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: He’s put a rough start behind him, and Harry Redknapp has a lot of confidence in him now, so he’s not going anywhere.

Emile Heskey has decided that, barring a big offer, he’ll remain at Wigan until the summer until signing elsewhere on a free. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Wigan will lose him for free, but him helping them to a high finish will be payoff enough.

Everton could solve their striker woes with a loan move for Real Madrid’s Javier Saviola (Tribalfootball), and the Toffees are also set for a £500k bid for highly-rated Bristol City defender James Wilson. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Saviola hasn’t made much of an impact in two seasons at Real Madrid, but this could be a low-risk, high-reward move for Everton.

Italy

Sampdoria are set to make a loan bid for Andriy Shevchenko in the coming days. (Tribalfootball)

Analysis: Shevchenko’s return to AC Milan hasn’t worked out as he’d hoped, but Sampdoria could offer him the chance to show he’s still got it.

Udinese and Fiorentina are close to completing a striker swap that would see Fabio Quagliarella move to Fiorentina and Giampaolo Pazzini move to Udinese. (Tribalfootball)

Analysis: Pazzini’s got potential, but Fiorentina clearly get the better of the deal, in my opinion. Maybe this is what Pazzini needs to make his breakthrough, and if he does, then it’ll be a worthy gamble for Udinese.

If you have a juicy rumor that you think we may have missed, post it in the comments, along with the link to the source if possible.

And if you want to keep up with all of the latest confirmed transfers, check out our updated transfer lists.

Anderson Wants to Move to Inter Milan

Manchester United midfielder Anderson has revealed that he dreams of moving to Inter Milan and playing for Jose Mourinho.

Analysis: First it was Real Madrid, and now it looks like Inter Milan is developing into Sir Alex Ferguson’s nemesis. Anderson hasn’t gotten the kind of playing time at Old Trafford that he would like to, and he could be tired of waiting. Then again, it’s not like he would be guaranteed a starting spot for Inter Milan.

Owen to Leave Newcastle – More to Follow?

Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear has conceded that Michael Owen will not sign a new contract with Newcastle and will be listening to offers in January. Others that could follow him out the door are Nicky Butt, Shola Ameobi, Steve Harper and Mark Viduka, all of whom are in the last year of their respective contracts.

Analysis: Well, looks like the worst kept secret is out of the bag. Michael Owen wants to leave Newcastle. It will be interesting to see who signs him. Everton are probably the favorites, but I wouldn’t rule out Liverpool, despite what Rafa Benitez says. They’ll be without Torres until the New Year, and Keane has fallen so far out of favor that there’s talk about selling him back to Tottenham.

Real Madrid Won’t Move for Benzema

Karim Benzema may yet get his lucrative move to a big-time club, but it won’t be Real Madrid. The Spanish giants have ruled out a January move for the French hitman.

Analysis: There isn’t much need for him at Real Madrid now that they’ve signed Huntelaar. Manchester United and Barcelona have also shown interest in the Lyon star.

Kaka Unsettled at Milan?

In what will surely be music to Manchester City’s ears, Brazilian maestro Kaka has expressed his displeasure over his role with the team ever since Ronaldinho came aboard.

Analysis: Is it a power play to reassert himself at Milan? Or is it an overture to Manchester City? We shall see in due time.

AC Milan Not Interested In Ronaldo

And, finally, we have some news about Ronaldo – the Brazilian striker who likes his women to be able to sing baritone. AC Milan have ruled out a possible return to the San Siro for the former two-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Analysis: Sure, they took Shevchenko back, but I guess there are limits to Milan’s generosity. Maybe he should link up with Rivaldo in Uzbekistan.

Obviously, the big rumor out there is that Kaka has already agreed to terms with Manchester City, with a transfer fee in the neighborhood of £70 million. However, most of the mainstream media has yet to report on this story. As such, we’ll store that one away in the file until it becomes more than just an unsubstantiated rumor.

Instead, we’ll focus on these tidbits. Chelsea might not be sitting out the shopping period after all, but they might have to sell before they can buy. West Ham is also in the selling mode, and it looks like one of their best players could be on the move. The red side of Manchester has been quiet so far, and it looks like it will stay that way. And an AC Milan legend could be on the move yet again.

Bidding War for Silva

One of the hottest prospects in football could be Fluminense center-back, Thiago Silva, who has been offered a contract with Chelsea, and is being chased by Manchester City, Inter Milan, and AC Milan. Silva’s contract expires in the summer, so Fluminese will be looking to offload him.

Analysis: So much for Chelsea sitting out the window. Silva didn’t do so well during his initial go around in Europe, so he could be looking for redemption. He’ll give the club some insurance in case Carvalho is out longer than expected.

Arsenal Wants Kalou

Fresh off breaking Chelsea’s heart last weekend, Arsenal have lined up an £11 million bid for Salomon Kalou.

Analysis: Despite being heated rivals, the two clubs have done business before, most recently in the summer of 2007 when Diarra went to Arsenal from Chelsea. Arsene Wenger likes Kalou and tried to get him over the summer. Chelsea might have to sell off some assets if they want to get David Villa, Thiago Silva, Amr Zaki, or Karim Benzema, and Kalou, who seems to be firmly behind Joe Cole in the Chelsea pecking order, could be a prime candidate to move.

Spurs and Villa in for Ashton?

West Ham could be preparing to hold a fire sale of their own as they try and raise money to pay for the Carlos Tevez judgment. The big name on the list is oft-injured striker Dean Ashton, who was linked with a £15 million move to Spurs over the summer.

Analysis: Buyer beware! Ashton is like the British version of Saha. He’s talented but he’s never healthy. Other names that could be on the move include Nigel Quashie, Lee Bowyer, Luis Boa Morte, Calum Davenport, Danny Gabbidon and Jonathan Spector.

Shevchenko On the Move Again?

AC Milan are getting ready to dump Andriy Shevchenko, who made a much ballyhooed return to the San Siro over the summer. Sheva has barely played this year, and he is believed to have handed in a transfer request.

Analysis: Apparently, you can’t go home again. At least not when you’ve stopped being able to score goals. Sheva’s running out of places to go. Why not try MLS? His wife is an American model, after all.

No One’s Leaving – Says Sir Alex

Sir Alex Ferguson has stated that he will not allow any of his young players to leave Old Trafford on loan this season.

Analysis: While it might not be beneficial to Manucho, Danny Welbeck, Rodrigo Possebon, or Darron Gibson to sit on the bench, it certainly helps the club. United will have a ton of matches from here on out, what with the usual league and cup commitments, as well as a trip to the World Club Championships. They’ll need as many players as possible.