Forlorn, languid, lazy, lack of confidence?

When a player is the subject of a 30 million transfer fee in the market, the subject is expected to deliver.  Though the occasional glimpse of genius has been seen at Dimitar Berbatov’s Old Trafford career, the phrases in the opening line have been associated with the Bulgarian to date.

Alex Ferguson chased his man for well over a year, and if rumors are to be believed, showed a passing interest in the player during his highly successful spell in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen.

BERBATOV BEGINS

Berbatov was a prodigy in his homeland at the beginning of his career, the main man (or boy) at SCKA Sofia before heading for the more competitive Bundesliga to Leverkusen.

He first gained worldwide attention as a substitute in the 2002 champions league final against Real Madrid.  Two years later, he was undoubtedly the main man for his country and heir apparent to Hristo Stoitchkov as Bulgaria endured a disappointing Euro 2004 campaign, losing all their games.  Berbatov couldn’t be faulted though, as Bulgaria back then (and still) are light years away from the halcyon days of USA 1994.

When Tottenham Hotspur signed Berbatov in 2006, only people who had seen him play knew what a coup it was.  Like the Leverkusen adventure, Berbatov signed for a club that were not quite at the top but ambitious, a smart move to guarantee a bit of playing time. 

Berbatov’s impact was immense, and hero status was immediately bestowed on him from the White Hart Lane faithful.  A sublime touch with the football, an imaginative passer, and above all, a scorer of great goals saw him follow in the footsteps of Glenn Hoddle, Paul Gascoigne and David Ginola as a genuine fan favourite.  For two seasons he was the first name on the teamsheet, his ability to amaze putting him in the upper echelon of the league’s players.

MEDIA SUBJECT

Berbatov’s time at White Hart Lane soured, however, as his petulant side triggered a long drawn out and rumoured move to Manchester United.  His demeanor during the whole affair put him on a par with Sol Campbell, and the ex fan favourite has now become a hate figure at the club.

It would be unfair to call Berbatov a mercenary however, as a player usually only gets one chance to join Manchester’s (for now) top club.  His reputation as a spoilt player doesn’t do reports of his general attitude justice.  A shy man, even somewhat sensitive, he has learned to be tough after the events that caused him to leave CSKA Sofia.  Castigated by the fans for turning his back on the club he loved, he never really got over the hurt he went through after being shunned by the club he loved.  So if he wanted to leave Spurs, it should have been a doddle of a decision for him.

BIG MOVE

His arrival at Old Trafford made the new side look immense.  Current League and European champions, they now had a player who was one of the most sought after players in Europe.  The attacking talents of Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez and Berbatov seemed like a dream combination that would surely bring United into an era of dominance.

There were moments in Berbatov’s first season that had fans remembering fondly of the mercurial Eric Cantona.  I remember one such performance against Hull last season where he seemed to run the game. 

Berbatov’s first season was largely a letdown however.  He didn’t seem to bring anything to the table most games, was overshadowed by the exploits of Rooney and Ronaldo, and whenever he got a kick, Carlos Tevez.  The United fans were vehemently in favour of the little Argentine workhorse as a starter instead of the disinterested looking Berbatov.  His approach to the game divided opinion, a portion of the United fans saying that Berbatov was playing the way he was supposed to, but the majority made it known that £30million had been paid for a “striker”, and 9 league goals wasn’t enough of a contribution to the side.

The lowpoint of last season was a weakly hit penalty straight at Tim Howard in the FA Cup semi-final penalty shootout against Everton.  It was the kind of penalty that could send the keeper the wrong way but still travel at the pace that would allow a goalie to get his breath, ponder for a minute, and eventually reach for the catch.  When introduced in the Champion’s League defeat to Barcelona, he was missing when it was hoped he could be some inspiration.

ALL EYES ON NUMBER 9

During the summer major changes happened at United, as you know.  With Tevez and Ronaldo gone, Berbatov would be a major part of this seasons challenge, and should things go wrong, and they have at times already, his presence would be called under scrutiny.

This season Berbatov has had his critics, alot of them.  But this last week has seen a man who could be capable of changing his perceived lack of ambition.  He has already stated that last season he was not at his best, and that he must change his game around to perform at the level that Manchester demands.  Last week at Stoke, he got a badly needed goal that every forward needs.  In the champions League match against Wolfsberg this week, his appearance off the bench inspired United to play somewhat near they’re capable of, setting up several chances when there had been none previous.  United managed to win 2-1.

His goal yesterday though had been real quality.  As United struggled to create anything against Sunderland, the cross into him was met superbly by a sublime piece of skill, a right footed overhead volley from out of nowhere leaving the Sunderland keeper with no chance whatsoever.

In one week, Berbatov has had some sort of say in three matches for the red devil’s when others have been missing.

If he continues to produce magical moments such as yesterday on a regular basis, there may very well be a successor to King Eric!

One thing is for certain, this season is definitely make or break for the bulgarian.

The season so far has had its ups and downs for the Reds. A shock defeat to Burnley certainly wasn’t in the script, as the world looks on intently to see how the reigning Premiership Champions set about life after Ronaldo and ‘that’ final in Rome, to defending their domestic crown to make it four League titles in a row and surpass the record of their long time Merseyside rivals Liverpool.

The summer saw a great deal of upheaval at United with the long and protracted saga of Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Real Madrid finally concluded, thoughts turned to the future of one Carlos Tevez who had established himself as a real fans favourite at Old Trafford during his two year stay. Life at United is never far from the back pages, but never before have the Reds had to share so many column inches with the blue team of Manchester, and in the end so it proved a controversial move to Man City was to unfold for Tevez leaving United seemingly short in the striking department.

Ferguson then proceeded to bring in Michael Owen and Valencia assuring the slightly disgruntled United faithful that youth players like Macheda and Welbeck would be given more playing time and responsibility to produce a goal return for the senior side in the coming season. Now five games in, we are in a position to take stock of the state of play at Old Trafford and assess what can and should be expected for the remainder of the campaign.

Firstly, I can see no argument to suggest that a team can improve by selling its best player. Ronaldo was just that for United and although we have seen Rooney respond fantastically to the increased responsibility of leading the team, there should be no confusing the fact that the sum of all the parts is less with Ronaldo out of the side.

However United are a different proposition now, and a team still trying to feel it’s way into a new system. For the first time in many seasons there could be a genuine debate as to what United’s best 11 is. Aside from Rooney, Vidic, Evra and Ferdinand, Alex Ferguson can and has picked a variety of different player combinations based on a number of factors, namely: form, fitness and which players have the best characteristics for beating the opposition in question. This rotation approach has the benefit of making life harder for opposing teams to predict how best to set up against United, however it should also be considered that this has not helped the continuity of the transition to the new way of playing either.

The Premier League race this year is proving to be one of the closest run in a very long time. Man City in particular are off to a flyer, and even after their loss to United at the weekend Tottenham are still considered by many as genuine contenders to crash the Top Four party.

The upcoming Manchester derby provides a mouth watering prospect of duels and battles both on and off the field with United looking to inflict City’s first defeat of the season and the Blues desperate to get one over their long time dominant local adversary. With a resurgent Arsenal and Chelsea looking as strong as ever, it may prove to be Liverpool that come the end of the season suffer the embarrassment of Champions league exile, only time will tell.

The Reds certainly still have the tools to compete for trophies on all fronts, and the squad will be looking to prove that despite the loss of the current Ballon d’or holder they were by no means a one man team. With Owen Hargreaves set to make a long awaited return from injury to bolster the midfield, along with Anderson finally breaking his scoring duck things are looking up for United.

Dimitar Berbatov continues to flatter to deceive, showing moments of brilliance and then disappearing for large parts of games. Owen is also seemingly still trying to find his feet in a team that is expected to win every match, although he has stayed clear of injury thus far which will have surprised some.

It would be foolish to suggest that United won’t be at the sharp end of things when that time of the season rolls around for the medals to be handed out. Like the rest of the contenders though, United know they are going to have to fight and earn every point in this campaign even more so than the last.

With a big part of the artillery gone from the successful team of last season, question marks still hang over United’s ability to deliver consistently when it matters. With wins over Arsenal and a high flying Tottenham since the Burnley defeat, any self doubt that may have crept into the minds of the United players will be slowly seeping away.

Perhaps the question is more will the pretenders to the thrown have enough to take the title away from United this term, because they will certainly not be surrendering it lightly.

Football bloggers are busy today. We have a wide array of topics on the plate, including last night’s win of Arsenal over Celtic, bitter journalists, the Champions League draw, and the obsession with younger players in the football community. Take your pick!

Bird scorned
Ageing, battle scarred, chippy, inarticulate. These are the adjectives that journalist Simon Bird used to describe Michael Owen after the latter snubbed him for an interview. Who’s bitter now?

Players rated
Aidan rates Arsenal and Celtic players after their recent match. Denílson Pereira Neves topped the list with an 8.5, while Bacary Sagna, Thomas Vermaelen and William Gallas all got 8s. Check out the ratings of other players.

Berbatov confident
Dimitar Berbatov is confident that no one in the Champions League would be keen to be drawn against Manchester United. Find out why.

Trouble at the Allianz Arena
After a their disappointing loss to Mainz, 2-1, in their last match, the flaws in Bayern’s defense are coming to light. The kings of German football need to step up their game and pull their team out of the bottom of the Bundesliga.

Johnson to get £139,000 a week
Hold your horses. This is not confirmed yet. But those who knew Liverpool and its mission against excessive spending would have a a cardiac arrest if they suspect any grain of truth behind this news.

Dive Eduardo Dive!
Andy posts a video of Mick Dennis’ opinion on Eduardo’s dive to win the penalty for the first goal of the Arsenal vs. Celtic game.

Championship League draw
With Liverpool sitting pretty on top of the league, it will face one team from three of the pots. Find out which teams are in the four pots and, while you’re at it, choose which team you want Liverpool to be drawn against.

Age doesn’t matter
It’s a common belief in football that only players under the age of 25 are capable of leading their teams to success. Blogger Kristian Downer disagrees and says that despite being an “aged” team, Chelsea has as much chance as any club to be on top of the Premier League.

Yes They Can Can…If the Gaffer Reads the Writing on the Wall!!!

Well, having had his head handed to him twice last season, Sir Alex Ferguson still seems bound and determined to ignore the handwriting on the wall. The sheer depth of talent in his his squad, however, will always allow the Gaffer to peek into the abyss, throw out some appropriate barbs meant to psych out the immediate opposition and still find a way to pull a nineteenth trophy.

Nevertheless, slightly weakened, at least psychologically, by the departure of Ronaldo and Tevez and the shrill clang and rattle of coin resounding from the deep deep oil money-filled pockets of Manchester City, the grand old geezer of British football and his squad really do have their work cut out for them this season.

“You need a new leader!” the handwriting says.

And we do. Rio’s magazine is very nice (the bird on the front cover is nicer). I am impressed. He has also become, in partnership with Chelsea’s Ashley Cole–yes, the Cashley Grrrl and her bad left-footed self–a film producer. This is all splendid and wonderful. I’m sure Rio’s thinking ahead to retirement.

Still, the absolute howler Rio committed for England on Wednesday while making a simple back pass may be the sign of a return to old habits and vices, or even a flashback. Neither Rio nor Ryan Giggs owns either the moxy or personality to be the truly great captain United need. Sir Alex needs to step in now and force the responsibility on Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra , Nemanja Vidic, or… someone new!!! Picking Wazza may sound daft, but I think it would help force him to grow up.

I was kind of disappointed to see a strong character like Lorik Cana sign for Sunderland on the cheap. Cana, a decent post-to-post midfielder and an inspiring gung-ho captain for Olympique Marseille, would have made a wonderful skipper and definitely would have made a more natural successor to Roy Keane than the Gaffer’s pet, Darren Fletcher.

Now don’t get me wrong, Fletcher is definitely what Ferguson calls a ‘trier.’ To be sure, Fergie was referring to Carlos ‘el traidor’ Tevez at the time, but , I say, if the shoe fits… Darren has been learning on the job for six seasons now and his diligence is to be applauded. As a sort of super substitute, I think Fletcher is fine and capable of being even more adaptable than Johnny O’Shea.

For some reason, however, Fletcher’s diligence and hard graft is mistaken for quality. I have never been enamored of the Scotsman, but have seen a steady incremental improvement. There are those who believe he was the missing link in the ECC final against Barcelona. This is absurd! Whether we’re up against Xabi Alonso, Stevie G and Javier Mascherano or the even better midfield of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi, the fact is that we just don’t have the horses in central midfield to take it to the next level.! In a nutshell: Anderson is still being forced to play out of position and Fletcher simply isn’t good enough. This is United’s single biggest problem.

“You need a truly great hard midfielder if you want to win everything,” the handwriting says.

Now that Xabi Alonso’s gone, I’m not really worried about Liverpool. His replacement, Alberto Aquilani, is a fine footballer; but , but beyond his constant ankle problems, it will take him a season for him to get acclimated to the speed of the EPL. Buying Glen Johnson will improve their right side a lot, but, ultimately, Liverpool are completely dependent upon Fernando Torres and Stevie Gerrard remaining fit.

I hear Rafa Benítez is a deeply religious man who prays every morning with his daughters. If Torres manages to stay fit throughout the season, I, too, may become a believer in miracles. I won’t make too much of ‘Pool’s 2-1 mugging by Spurs this weekend, except to make note of the fact that they only lost two Premiership games in all of last season.

As I write, I hear on Spanish language radio that Arsenal are trying to squeeze 45 million quid out of Barcelona before agreeing to fllog Cesc Fabregas next year. Even with Fabregas, even if there were to be a miraculous shopping binge before the window closes, I can’t see the Arse staying in the top four. Having massacred Everton 6-1 at Goodison in their first game, Gooner fans are already talking the talk. Yesterday I got eight e-mails from different Arse men. Promises and predictions! The usual! I say sssssh! Same old Arsenal: No testosterone!

Are Chelsea good? Sure Chelsea are good, but they’re getting really old. If Chelsea stay fit, particularly my darling Michael Essien, they have to stand a good chance. Anyone watching the Community Shield match clearly saw that this cynical group of mercenaries are going to grind out victories any which way they need to. Carvalho, Terry and Ballack are gristled, mean, dirty and past their pomp, but they will well and truly mount up for this their last serious season as a group and go for it. Clearly, this season Chelsea will be very physical, like Big Sam’s version of Bolton Wanderers, only with a touch of class.

Aston Villa and Everton will hang in there on the periphery, but just don’t have good enough squads. Both teams got badly beaten in their first match, and, although there shouldn’t be too much made of it, Joleon Lescott moping for a move to Manchester City for a whole season will poison the Toffees dressing room in much the same way Gareth Barry’s whinging to be a Scouser hurt Villa last season.

This leaves Manchester City. Despite their still being a little aenemic-looking at the back, I have to believe their depth of talent will tell on the opposition after January, especially if Robinho is happy. It is imperative that the old big four need to put them to the sword early in the season before they’ve gelled as a unit , or else they really may sneak into the top three.

This brings me back to United. As I said earlier, United’s only two major defeats of last season were very public, totally humiliating and telegraphed our weaknesses to all and sundry. We have three potentially brilliant attacking midfielders in the wingers Valencia, Nani and Tosic. Old man Giggsy should be able to make his mark as a substitute, although the energy machine, Park ji-Sung. may have already overstayed his welcome and is probably due for a move to a club where scoring isn’t important. by next season.

What I expect to happen in game after game is the Chelsea model from the Community Shield match. Everybody will try to beat United up in central midfield, and, even though the red devils will never be turned into the kind of passive, testosterone-free team Arsene Wenger has fashioned in his own image at Arsenal, I expect the squad will be battered and become tired early enough in the season to have to trot out Darron Gibson and Tom Cleverly regularly in the Spring. In United’s first game, a 1-0 win over Birmingham City, neither Ginger Scholes nor Darren Fletcher kept possession for long. This is worrisome.

“Berbatov is a load of rubbish!” the handwriting on the wall says.

In my heart of hearts, if United can just hold on until January, I think everybody around him will ultimately convince the Gaffer to swallow his pride and go out and spend big money on a midfield general. Ideally, I’d like Ferguson to splash big on Daniele De Rossi or Hernanes; but, more realistically, I’m sure he’d rather gamble on the youth of Javíer Martínez, Blaise Matuidi, Steven Dufour, Anthony Annan, Axel Witsel or Scott Brown. Out of the six, although he may not be as good a technician as the others, Dufour looks to have the best leadership skills.

We may mourn the exit of Ronnie and Carlitos, but I truly believe that Wazza, Macheda, Welbeck and little Mickey Owen can get the job done if Berbatov keeps out of everybody’s way. Dmitar Berbatov, like the League of Nations, America in South Vietnam, the Concorde, Massimo Taibi, Eric Djemba Djemba, Juan Sebastian Veron and Kleberson, exists to illustrate the folly of owning absolute power.

Sir Alex Ferguson, easily the most successful manager in British football history, and a fine motivator of young men, has been calling the shots at Old Trafford since the last old school club chairman, Martin Edwards, stepped down in 2002. To be fair to Ferguson, he has truly been a mostly benevolent dictator since Edwards walked away from the club. Despite his habit of teasing Jose Mourinho, Carlos Queiroz and the press about his ‘imminent retirement,’ most of us true believers think he will never quit, and end up being carried off the field of play on a stretcher, exactly like his mentor, Jock Stein.

Even if Taibi, Djembax2, Kleberson and the fitfully brilliant £28M Seba Veron could be written off as honest mistakes on the Gaffer’s part, the whole circus involving Berbatov has stunned many fans. Slow, lazy, selfish and beguiled by his hubris-driven ego to a point of ridiculousness, the shrugging Bulgarian is truly the Gaffer’s weakness.

The almost perfect diamond formation of the 2007-2008 season may have been the hardest working football team ever. They smothered a brilliant Barcelona team at the Nou Camp in 2008. The full-frontal battering ram effect of Tevez and Rooney up front allowed Cristiano the freedom to score 42 goals. Clearly, we can see now, this team was brilliant, but often rejected pretty football for the sake of practicality. The cliché is: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Unfortunately, Ferguson wanted a new kind of aesthetic perfection last season. Dimitar Berbatov, a big man who can dribble, flick and dish, can be a dazzling technician who, at his best, reminds you of Eric Cantona on Paxyl. Perfect for the slow, deliberate system at Tottenham Hotspur, like some big-ticket chatchke at Fortnum & Mason’s, Berbatov was truly the object of the Gaffer’s lust and desire.

Without ever fitting into the system, Berbatov was trotted out week after week. Well, £32M is a lot of money to spend and the Gaffer wanted to get his money’s-worth. Fortunately, United are such a good team that they kept winning anyway. The disenchantment of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez was clear for everybody to see, yet Fergie’s righteous band of committed professionals still managed to hold onto the premiership crown by the skin of its collective teeth and can do it again.

As far as strikers go, I hope Ferguson stands easy until January. I really believe we have ample strikers. Come Christmas, if the Gaffer finally loses his faith in Berbatov, perhaps we can dump him on Athletic Madrid or Valencia in part-exchange for Sergio ‘el Kun’ Aguero or David Silva.

“We need a good goalkeeper NOW!” the handwriting on the wall says.

This is the least of our worries. EVDS will be back soon and our defence is still really solid. It’s very clear that, similar to Tim Howard before him, Ben Foster is turned into a nervous wreck by the pressure of big games. Howard has matured slowly at Everton and I expect Foster will improve somewhere else. Kucszak, although prone to mistakes in the air, looks to be a better choice as he gets far less flustered than Foster in pressure situations.

If Manuel Neuer is available, Ferguson has food for thought. Schalke will surely prefer to sell Neuer–who really does have all the tools in spades–to Manchester United rather than their permanent Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munchën. Is he worth £20M? I wish United would have bought Sergio Asenjo from Real Vellodidad before he went to Athletic Madrid for £3M a few weeks ago, because I think he has surpassed the aging Gianluigi Buffone as the second-best keeper in the world.

At 6’3”’ and around 17 Stone(238 lbs) Neuer is exactly what Ferguson has wanted for two seasons: A true successor to Schmeichel and Van Der Sar. Comparative theorems are a slippery slope, to be sure, but, if Diego Lopez is deemed to be worth £12M by his club, Villareal, then, yes, Neuer is worth £20M. Foster made four fine saves from Birmingham City this Sunday, which is cause for celebration. His footwork, however, was horrendous. Two weak passes fell short and United were extremely lucky that the hapless Brum forward line were too surprised to take advantage.

Clearly, Ferguson is committed to his two weakest starters, Darren Fletcher and Dmitar Berbatov. He is not the kind of man to cut his losses in the way Rafa Benítez did after the disastrous £20M purchase of Robbie Keane. As long as the lads win, he will keep trotting out Berbatov again and again. If the goals aren’t going in by January, however, stuck with a 29-year-old Jonah of steadily diminishing value, I would expect Ferguson to use him as swap bait for Agüero or to be sold back to Spurs for about 50% of the price he was purchased for.

“Manchester United will win again and Fergie will laugh as you swallow your humble pie!” (once again!)” says the handwriting on the wall.

As I said earlier, I can’t see anyone mounting a season-long challenge good enough to challenge United for the Premier League honours. United will not just survive without Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, they will thrive. With Adam Ljajic arriving from Partizan Belgrade in January our attacking midfield options will improve even more. I don’t think we will make it to Madrid this year for the ECC final, but I do expect United will have found a new, inspiring holding central midfielder by this time next year.

Four weeks ago, I was playing Football Manager. I was managing Manchester United and was faced with the dilemma of how to replace Tevez and Ronaldo. With 80 million quid in the bank, money wasn’t an issue; however the question of bringing in the “right” player involves more than just money.

Browsing through my shortlist, the expected names appeared: Benzema, Ribery and Ibrahimovic. All of a sudden a crazy thought popped into my head. Why not look at Micheal Owen? Unquestionably talented, excellent goal scoring record, English and above all free! I entertained the thought for a mere split second before quickly laughing it off, after all we all know Michael Owen is finished.

Cue 1 July and the Daily Mail breaks a story that Michael Owen is in discussions with Fergie! Would he gamble where I had dared not? A few days later we would learn that the answer was yes!

Now that Michael Owen is officially a Manchester United player, we find ourselves moving on from the question of ‘Could it happen?’ to ‘Will it work?’

The answer to the question really has two components. First, will he stay fit? Let’s assume that Michael’s injury troubles are past him and move onto the second question. Does Michael fit our system?

The press has focused on the rekindling of the Rooney – Owen partnership that had started so brightly for England. Indeed at Euro 2004 it looked at one stage to be capable of propelling England to glory until an untimely broken foot cut short Wayne’s tournament. I think it’s fair to say that despite a reasonable return, the partnership never really lived up to it’s initial promise. Could that promise finally be fulfilled at Old Trafford?

Personally I have my doubts. My main concern is that Wayne and Michael are quite similar players now. Gone are the days where Michael’s pace saw him consistently on the shoulder of the last defender. His best performances in a Newcastle shirt was when Keegan utilised him just behind the front two strikers. Therein lies the problem, that is Wayne’s preferred position, one which he has been quite vocal about wanting to focus on after a season of playing wide left.

As a result I really don’t think you’ll see Wayne and Michael together all that often this season. Which brings us to Dimitar Berbatov.

It’s no secret that Dimi failed to impress last season. Despite flashes of brilliance and an uncanny ability to retain possession in the face of immense pressure, he constantly seemed to be out of position. What good is holding the ball up and threading a brilliant pass to a winger, when there is nobody in the box to finish off the chance?

It’s that very style of play though which makes me believe that Michael can forge a strong partnership with Dimi. Where as last season there was nobody to finish the chances Dimi’s link up play created, this season we have the quintessential goal poacher in Michael Owen salivating at exactly those kind of chances!

Of course it’s not just Owen that will capitalise from Berbatov’s hold up play. Rooney has shown for England that if he is allowed to get into dangerous positions he is more than capable of finishing chances.

If United go back to a traditional 4-4-2 system as expected then Dimi’s link up play coupled with Michael and Wayne’s predatory instincts will become crucial to United’s chances of retaining the league.

So whilst England supporters will be hoping Owen’s move will allow him to strike up a ‘World Cup winning’ partnership with Rooney, a more likely situation is Owen and Rooney rotating to take advantage of Berbatov’s link up play with the likes of Nani and Valencia.

Micheal Owen to Manchester United, as unlikely as it may have seemed two weeks ago by the end of the season we might just be asking the question, why didn’t it happen sooner? Providing of course he can stay fit!

Welcome to Old Trafford Michael.

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.

In life there are only a handful of things that are certain. You will watch Big Brother. It will irritate you. MPs will lie through their back teeth (and their front ones). Summer does make girls more attractive. And makes you feel less so. People who ring in radio stations with traffic updates are idiots.

And then there is the transfer window. That beautifully annoying invention that basically restricts trade in what should, theoretically, be a free market. That rumour-filled bearpit where the slightest whisper can suddenly become the dominant story, not just in football, but in society it would seem. MPs expenses or Ronaldo to Real? You decide? New series of Big Brother or David Villa’s future? Your choice.

The silly season is officially here, and if you listen to what you read and hear, there are more futures up in the air this summer than at an EasyJet recruitment convention.

Starting with the managers. Guus Hiddink had barely vacated his makeshift office at Chelsea by the time Carlo Ancelotti had arrived, laden with Versace luggage. The Italian will take command at Stamford Bridge officially from July 1st, but talk, incredibly, is already beginning to edge towards potential successors to his throne should he fail to deliver the kind of success Roman Abramovich apparently demands with such passion.

Elsewhere in the Premier League, Sunderland have moved swiftly to replace Ricky Sbragia- who departed tearfully minutes after his side had avoided relegation on the final day of the season- with Wigan’s Steve Bruce. Bruce’s Newcastle connections have been played up neatly by the media, but ignoring such playground mentality will enable Black Cats fans to see they have made what looks a very shrewd appointment. The fact that Bruce’s Wigan finished five places above Sunderland last season would confirm this. Certainly his appointment makes a lot more sense than the one touted by Roberto Mancini prior to Bruce’s appointment. One wonders if the former Inter Milan chief had received some sort of prank call as he gleefully announced that he was all set to arrive at the Stadium of Light, before being forced into an embarrassed climb-down only days later.

And for every departure, there must be an arrival of course. The Bruce-shaped hole at Wigan will be filled- metaphorically speaking- by Swansea’s Roberto Martinez, subject to the agreement of a compensation package. Martinez has made steady progress at the Liberty Stadium, but as a former Wigan favourite, and with his reputation significantly enhanced by the aesthetic qualities of his Championship outfit, the time seems perfect for a step up into the top-flight.

Even outside of the Premier League, things are looking strange. Steve Coppell’s vacation of the Reading hotseat in the wake of their Play-Off semi final defeat to Premiership newboys Burnley meant that chairman John Madejski had to act quickly. An approach for Peterborough’s Darren Ferguson was rebuked, so in sauntered Watford boss Brendan Rogers. Rogers had only just taken delivery of a personalised name-plate for his office at Vicarage Road before he was digging out his suitcase and zooming from Hertfordshire to Berkshire, having spent just five months at Watford.

And the Championship’s most illustrious disastrous club, Newcastle, should not be forgotten. Alan Shearer has already made the least surprising U-Turn since Sven-Goran Eriksson tried to walk past Ulrika Jonsson’s hotel room by announcing his intention to stay on as manager at St James’ Park, but the ownership situation on Tyneside has meant that such an appointment has been forced to stay on ice. Good news for Joe Kinnear then, who was set to sign a two-year contract this summer before the arrival of a sharp dressed messiah put him firmly in the shade.

And then there is Celtic. Wee Gordon Strachan, patronising nickname notwithstanding, decided the time was right to bring an end to his four year stay in Glasgow in the wake of a disappointing end to the SPL season, and will not be particularly missed by certain sections of Parkhead. But Hoops fans who have long questioned the credentials of a flame haired former Aberdeen man would be wise to remember the old adage “Be careful what you wish for” as former Wycombe & Portsmouth failure Tony Adams throws his hat into the ring for the role of Strachan’s replacement. Unless Adams has been receiving the same kind of calls as Mr Mancini- unlikely considering the pair’s background differences- it is a worrying situation for Celtic, especially with more suitable candidates in David Moyes & Owen Coyle distancing themselves from the inevitable speculation, and Tony Mowbray keeping an equally low profile.

So what about the players? Well the football world has been riddled skulduggery in the past twenty years anyway, but this summer things look set to escalate. If it isn’t nailed down it is unsafe, so it would seem. Cristiano Ronaldo’s will-he-won’t he move to Real Madrid this year may well be the most tiresome saga since, erm, last years saga of the same name, but with Florentino Perez targeting players like Big Brother contestants target fame, it is likely to rumble on long into the summer.

Real are not looking to stop at Ronaldo either, they have already secured Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini to lead the revolution, a notoriously ego-free coach in a notoriously egotistical club is a dangerous thought. Spanish football writer Sid Lowe was asked this week to predict Real’s starting eleven for next season, and incredibly went for this- Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Bruno Alves, Gael Clichy, Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Lassana Diarra, Franck Ribery, Kaka, Diego Forlan/David Villa. Impressive to say the least, and such transfers would set in motion an incredible snowballing effect surely, with ripples felt as far north as….well, Manchester I suppose.

Of those signings, Alonso looks unlikely. Liverpool’s owners may well be losing more money than Steve Claridge in Cheltenham week, but with Gareth Barry having swapped sixth placed Aston Villa for tenth placed Manchester City in a bid to secure Champions League football, Alonso is expected to stay on Merseyside. One man who resisted overtures from City, Kaka, is high on Madrid’s wishlist, and sources close to the club and the player claim a world-record deal is close to completion, despite rumoured interest from Chelsea.

Should Kaka leave Milan then it will give Silvio Berlusconi & Adriano Galliani license to spend some of their lucre in a more flamboyant manner, although the likelihood is that they will offer the lot to LA Galaxy for three more weeks of David Beckham. Emmanuel Adebayor has long been on their list, although English media reports suggest that Chelsea may make a bid to gazump them in that respect, providing they can wake the Togolese striker up from his twelve month slumber in the meantime.

Chelsea are supposed to be spending big this summer. After all, they only paid £14m for a right back to replace their £13.2m one last summer, along with £9m for a luxury midfielder, following a £25m splurge in the January 08 window. Small fry. Kaka & Adebayor aside, rumours abound that David Villa, Franck Ribery and….erm…Daniel Sturridge will be arriving at Stamford Bridge, though no concrete bid has been reported as of yet.

And what of Manchester United. Ronaldo and Tevez are looking able to leave, whilst Berbatov looks barely able to run, but Ferguson is a wily old fox. Having already added two Serbian stars in Zoran Tosic & Adam Ljajic in January, the man from Govan is likely to be looking bigger this summer, with Ribery, Lyon’s Karim Benzema, and even Arjen Robben spotted apparently. Should Ronaldo leave, the funds freed up would arguably cover two of those players, though little has been said by the man himself. He has left that to rent-a-quote Ronaldo.

Liverpool meanwhile are looking a little bit less adventurous in the wake of their owners’ confirmed £42m losses last year, a £2m bid for Portsmouth’s Sylvain Distin is unlikely to get pulses racing, and there are fears that they may be priced out of a move for Tevez, Valencia duo Villa & Silva, or even another Portsmouth defender in Glen Johnson. Still, Andriy Voronin is back from a loan spell in Germany, and Jermaine Pennant will return from Portsmouth too. Like having two new signings that.

At Arsenal, Arsene Wenger is scouring Football Manager searching for young talent. The signing of Andrey Arshavin in January may have bucked the transfer trend at the Emirates, but Wenger will be more concerned about rumoured interest in Robin Van Persie & Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona at the moment, with Thierry Henry & Aliaksandr Hleb doubtless whispering sweet nothings in their ears. Barcelona are looking to add a left back to their European Cup winning squad, so don’t be surprised to see Gael Clichy appear on their radar at some point also.

And what of Manchester City of course. Barry’s arrival, said Mark Hughes, will not be the last. They have already been linked with 4562 players, including Samuel Eto’o (unlikely), Xabi Alonso (very unlikely) and Carlos Tevez (ridiculous). Armed with cash, expect City to get hold of some eye-catching signings before August is out. And then expect them to still be inconsistent and self-destuctive.

Elsewhere there have already been some big moves, Bayern Munich’s response to missing out on the Bundesliga title was a big money splurge on VfB Stuttgart’s goal-machine Mario Gomez, to add to Zenit St Petersburg skipper Anatoliy Tymoschuk, moves which could well pave the way for Ribery to depart for Real, Barca, Manchester United or Chelsea. Two of their rivals have already been weakened then, Diego swapping the green of Bremen for the stripes of Juventus, who have also recaptured (and it isn’t hard considering how slow he moves these days) Fabio Cannavaro from Real Madrid.

Serie A champions Inter have already made moves to strengthen also, swapping Ricardo Quaresma & Hernan Crespo for Genoa duo Diego Milito & Thiago Motta, with doubts lingering over the future of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, although his wage demands and apparent lack of success in Europe may see him remain at the San Siro.

So with Ronaldo going to Real, meaning Ribery goes to United, meaning Hleb goes to Bayern, and Fabregas goes to Barca, so Kalou goes to Arsenal, so Villa goes to Chelsea, so Drogba goes to Milan, so Kaka goes to Real, so Van der Vaart goes to Arsenal, so Van Persie goes to Barca, so Eto’o goes to City, and so forth until we all experience an aneurism, expect the spectacular, expect the astonishing, expect the unexpected. Expect to get slightly bored by it all and start watching the Ashes. I know I will.

For nine minutes, I was smug and self-satisfied, as well as disappointed. My pre-match predictions were being played out in front of my eyes; the men in all-white were on top, and the Catalans were struggling to adapt to the intensity of their play.

Victor Valdes had taken just thirty seconds to nervously prod a backpass from Gerard Piqué out of play, and Cristiano Ronaldo had already hit three shots at goal, one of which had drawn a less than authoritative stop from Valdes’ legs, with only Piqué preventing Park from burying the rebound.

Ronaldo, playing as he did against Arsenal in the semi-final as the focal point of Manchester United’s attack, seemed hell-bent on winning this game alone. Twice he shunned the option of Park on the right and went for glory- first with a speculative thirty yard strike that whistled well wide, and then with a driving run at goal which yielded a free kick for an untidy barge from Piqué.

When the Portuguese star had dragged another presentable chance past Valdes’ left hand post on eight minutes, United looked in almost total control, with Barcelona’s key men starved of possession and their makeshift defence–albeit one which contained more than a hundred international caps–was looking as porous as expected, with Valdes doing little to calm things down behind them.

And then, some possession for Barcelona. Andres Iniesta’s fitness was the topic of fevered debate in the run up to this final, and with one change of pace and crisp pass, he showed exactly why. His United contemporary, Anderson, had given the ball away with uncharacteristic haste in midfield, and Iniesta simply stepped through the gears to leave the Brazilian for dead, before slipping a simple pass to Samuel Eto’o in the inside right channel.

Nemanja Vidic appeared to have closed off the shooting angle but the Cameroonian striker, hopelessly out of sorts in front of goal of late, cut inside adroitly and poked low and hard inside Edwin Van der Sar’s near post as Carrick attempted to rescue the situation. Sucker punch.

The goal had a profound effect on the flow of the game. At no point from this moment on would United be in the ascendancy, even when controlled aggression was forced to turn to desperation in the second half. Wayne Rooney looked isolated and irritated stationed out wide, Park’s endeavour was matched by that of the former Arsenal left back, Sylvinho, limiting his influence hugely, whilst the midfield trio of Carrick, Anderson & Ryan Giggs, were simply starved of possession, meaning that when they did get the ball, often their only option was an ambitious pass for the pace of Ronaldo to chase.

Barcelona by contrast were slicking neatly into gear, Xavi & Iniesta, so quiet for the opening exchanges, began to run the game as if carrying a conductor’s baton, whilst the rookie Sergio Busquets alongside them displayed a maturity that belied his 20 years and 40 senior appearances to direct proceedings alongside them. In front of them Thierry Henry–another whose fitness had been a major issue in the Spanish (and English) press ahead of the game–was drifting all over the pitch, whilst Eto’o had switched from his starting position on the right, giving the imperious Lionel Messi freedom to roam infield at will.

It was from one of these increasingly-regular incursions that the Argentine almost doubled Barca’s lead with a 25 yarder of ferocious power that whistled inches over the crossbar. Xavi would go similarly close soon after with a free kick aimed for the postage stamp space of Van der Sar’s top right hand corner, which drifted wide.

For United, it looked as if only Ronaldo could provide any kind of spark, although it is also arguable that his determination to do things alone and constant demands for possession may well have affected the (in)efficiency of some of his colleagues. He was given plenty of space in the penalty area to meet Giggs’ left wing corner, but headed well over, before sending another effort wide of Valdes’ post with Rooney screaming for a ball inside.

Sir Alex Ferguson is not usually a man to emit fear with his tactical alterations, yet he opted to thrust Carlos Tevez into the action at half time for the ineffective, and perhaps overwrought, Anderson. Ferguson would have been hoping that the Argentine’s introduction may have sparked the kind of revival seen at Old Trafford last month when a two-goal first half deficit against Tottenham was wiped out with five goals in twenty second half minutes, but with Barcelona in buoyant mood such an episode was unlikely. Tevez joined Rooney in the anonymous corner within minutes of his entrance, and rarely ventured into enemy territory throughout a palpably flat second half.

Barcelona on the other hand were full of life, their passing was as clean and varied as we had come to expect, and they found gaps in United’s defensive setup almost at will. Henry gave Ferdinand twisted blood with one run down the left, which drew a smothering save from Van der Sar, whilst Iniesta’s carrying of the ball from deep worried Vidic sufficiently into the concession of a free kick which Xavi whipped against the base of the post.

It was one way stuff, Giggs & Carrick unable to get anywhere close enough to Barca’s midfield trio to impose any sort of authority on the game, whilst the raids of Puyol and even Sylvinho from full back were increasing in regularity and threat as the minutes ticked on, with neither John O’Shea nor Patrice Evra able to a) cope with the danger they were presented with, nor b) offer any sort of counter-threat of their own. The introduction of Dimitar Berbatov for Park was needed, but failed to inject the required composure and quality into their play.

In the event, it was Evra’s snatched and unnecessary clearance which gave Barcelona the possession from which eventually Xavi would clip in a beautifully flighted cross from the right onto the forehead of Messi. The Argentine, having drifted effortlessly in behind Ferdinand to meet the ball, guided a superb header back across Van der Sar and into his top left hand corner from ten yards, to all but seal the win. Much has been made of the little man’s failure to score against English opposition; little will be heard in that respect from now on.

United did manage to muster a couple of openings, Ronaldo thwarted by a brave block from Valdes after Tevez’s cut back had rolled across the six yard box invitingly, and Berbatov volleying the resultant corner well over, but their late contributions were of a more frustrated ilk as first Ronaldo, after a running battle with Puyol in which the Barça skipper produced some play-acting of his own, and then Scholes, who was lucky to avoid dismissal for a knee-jarring challenge on Busquets, entered Massimo Busacca’s notebook. In between, Puyol had been given two chances to add some extra lustre to the scoreline, first heading Xavi’s free kick straight at Van der Sar, and then seeing the Dutchman block at his feet as Xavi, Messi & Iniesta had opened up an increasingly under-populated defence with ease.

It would have been the cherry on the icing on the cake for the skipper, as fierce a Catalan as imaginable, to have put the seal on the club’s third European Cup success, and an unprecedented treble-winning season (in Spain at least), but alas Barca’s supporters were forced to settle for the most cosy of two goal margins, with United’s attack stifled so comprehensively you could have filed missing persons reports for Rooney. Or Tevez. Or Berbatov.

For Pep Guardiola it was the vindication, if ever it were needed, that his footballing idealisms should be treasured and revered and passed down. Barcelona played United off the park last night, just as they had done to pretty much every team they had faced this season (Chelsea fans outside Tom-Henning Ovrebo’s door will of course contest this). Just as they had done Numancia & Racing Santander in the opening two weeks of the season when they had picked up just a single point and people were daring to question whether they needed to find an alternative way of playing.

In Xavi, Iniesta and Messi, they had not only three of the top ten players in world football–according to FIFA–but three players schooled exclusively at the iconic La Masia training complex next to the Camp Nou, and brought up drenched in the Barcelona way. Pass, move, pass, move, pass, move. When you consider that Puyol, Piqué, Valdes, Busquets and even late substitute Pedro Rodriguez and the unused Bojan Krkic & Marc Muniesa, as well as Guardiola himself, have all come through this way, it makes the accomplishments even more remarkable. A Catalan success in Europe, at the end of a season in which Guardiola’s men really have been THE dream team.

For United, it is important to keep things in some kind of perspective. Ferguson was right in that Barcelona’s first goal was a sucker punch at the end of a first ten minutes that United had bossed, but he was also right to concede that his side were beaten by a superior team on the night. Of his players, only Ronaldo could have any real claim to having even approached his best form last night and, for all the Portuguese’s brilliance, that was never going to be sufficient against a Barcelona side in top form. The absence of harrying midfielders in Darren Fletcher, and the forgotten man Owen Hargreaves, may have played some role, but to talk up such absentees is to detract from the quality of their replacements.

It is easy to criticise tactics in the aftermath of a defeat, and Ferguson had used the same system to great effect against another pass and move side in the semi final, but Ronaldo may have had a point when he noted after the game that “our tactics were wrong”. In particular, the way in which Wayne Rooney was denied the chance to influence proceedings throughout. Marginalised almost from minute one last night, the natural move would have been to shift him infield, even to the head of the midfield trio perhaps, in order to get him on the ball. Instead he was left isolated out wide, caught offside when he attempted to get into the box, and sufficiently frustrated to have perhaps his most ineffectual European night in a United shirt. It was a sad sight to see.

Back to perspective however, it should not be lost that no side has managed to successfully defend the trophy since the inception of the Champions League format in 1992, and that United are the new owners of the record for most games undefeated in the competition (25), as well as being World Club champions, League Cup winners, and, of course, Champions of England for the eighteenth (grr) time. One defeat does not call for wholesale changes, those calling for the head of Berbatov, writing obituaries for Giggs & Scholes, and dissecting the praise handed out to the defence, would do well to remember this. And anyway, is there really any shame in losing to a side which played the way Barcelona have played this season?

For an hour the dreamers had begun to dream. Households across Merseyside & Greater Manchester had seen its occupants edge ever closer to the television, whilst inside the JJB the travelling contingent of Manchester United supporters waited. And waited.

They knew it would come, it always does. But with Wigan Athletic in stubborn mood, and with neither Cristiano Ronaldo, Dimitar Berbatov nor Wayne Rooney able to find a finish to some slick football, the doubts were lingering. Defeat here would guarantee the title race would remain just that until the final day of the season (provided Liverpool beat West Brom on Sunday of course), and with Arsene Wenger & Arsenal loading their guns for one last hurrah at Old Trafford on Saturday, nothing could be taken for granted.

Good job Carlos Tevez has something to prove then isn’t it?

The Argentine had waited just nine minutes of the second half before he was summoned from the bench to replace the tidy but more passive Anderson. He had to wait just six minutes more to make an impact. Michael Carrick, who would go on to make another seismic contribution four minutes from time, dragged a right foot shot across the face of goal from 20 yards, and the livewire Tevez adjusted in an instant to steer a backheeled flick beyond Latics keeper Richard Kingson from eight yards. If his celebration during Sunday’s Manchester derby indicated a frustration with his situation, there was only delight evident here.

Up until that point, United had failed to draw a save from Kingson as Wigan defended manfully a lead given to them by the Colombian Hugo Rodallega shortly before the half-hour mark. Steve Bruce may well have had his hand forced by an injury to Amr Zaki & a lack of match sharpness that seems to follow Mido round like transfer gossip, but his decision to start with Rodallega, flanked by the considerable pace and talent of Charles N’Zogbia & Luis Antonio Valencia, proved astute enough to give Nemanja Vidic & Jonny Evans a torrid evening.

Valencia has been linked consistently with a move to Old Trafford, with latest reports suggesting Sir Alex Ferguson has instigated a £22m move for the Ecuadorian. Within two minutes, he had a chance to impress (or upset) his potential employers, his pace taking him clear of Evans & Vidic, but his attempted scoop beyond Edwin Van der Sar was off target, and his penalty appeals were fanciful at best.

Wigan were showing a propensity for sharp passing which was causing United no little problem. Carrick & Paul Scholes found their faces filled by the combative Lee Cattermole & Michael Brown, whilst the quality of their wide players kept Patrice Evra & John O’Shea honest throughout. Despite this it was the visitors who should have been in front first, Titus Bramble’s lax marking allowing Berbatov to wrestle free down the right and send in an inviting cross that Rooney met on the run with a free header. But in trying to steer the header into the corner, the England man directed his effort woefully off target and Wigan were off the hook.

As they were minutes later when Berbatov & Ronaldo opened up doors all over the home defence, creating an inviting chance which Carrick swept just over the bar from close range. It seemed the Champions-elect had found their rhythm.

But in Rodallega, Wigan possessed a constant nuisance. Running the channels selflessly, roughing up Vidic & Evans, and holding the ball up, the Colombian was everywhere in the first half, and after 29 minutes he had opened the scoring. Vidic looked in control as he leapt for Cattermole’s hopeful angled ball in the box, but Rodallega made sufficient contact to knock the Serb off balance, and after a comedy moment where neither player could locate the ball, was able to flash a left foot strike inside Van der Sar’s near post. Vidic protested to referee Rob Styles- and seemed to have a point, but the goal stood. Rafa Benitez put down his book and made himself comfortable.

That Wigan had an hour in which to hold onto their lead was a fact not lost on most. Seasoned observers of United under Ferguson are schooled enough to know that a one-goal advantage is not safe in the 89th minute, let alone the 29th, and possession became a rare commodity for the home side almost immediately as United sought a route back into the game. Rooney swept over the top after a dainty passing move had opened up a shooting opportunity, and Ronaldo failed to find his range with a couple of typically-theatrical free kicks, but the best chance of the latter part of the half fell to Rodallega, dragging a shot wide on his left foot after neat approach work by Cattermole & Valencia.

Once Tevez had made his presence felt and normal service had been resumed, it was pretty much one way traffic. Ronaldo was denied a penalty when he tumbled under a shove from Maynor Figueroa at full speed, replays proved inconclusive despite the Portuguese star’s predictable anguish at the decision, which would deepen when he lashed a glorious chance over the bar from the edge of the box, prompting some pretty scathing gestures from Ferguson on the touchline.

Still, for all their effort, you suspected Wigan were unlikely to hold out. Bruce had undoubtedly got his team selection and tactics spot on with Brown, Cattermole & Paul Scharner detailed to stifle the creativity of Carrick & Scholes, yet by the 75th minute it was noticeable that Scharner in particular was tiring, and with young Ben Watson on the bench a substitution would have made sense.

As it transpired, the change saw Mido replace the tidy and hard-working N’Zogbia, with Rodallega moved to the left flank. It proved costly, the Colombian caught dozing by a rare sortie forward by John O’Shea, and when the ball was pulled across the edge of the box, Scharner’s tired legs could not get close enough to Carrick to stop him arrowing a beautifully controlled left foot strike into Kingson’s top right hand corner from 20 yards. It was a goal fit to win any match, typical of the player it has to be said, but Wigan can feel rightly aggrieved that it arrived so late in a game to which they contributed so much.

Ronaldo missed a great chance to give the scoreline added sheen in the dying embers, blazing over after Ryan Giggs had played him in, but it mattered little. Save one Rodallega free kick that Scharner could not scramble towards goal, there was little alarm for Ferguson’s men, who move on to Old Trafford for a lunchtime clash with Arsenal that requires only a draw to allow the champagne corks to be popped. Bet against them? I wouldn’t dare.

Fresh from the great minds of Gazzetta dello Sport, here is a look at ALL THE PLAYERS from UEFA Champion’s League Inter Milan vs. Manchester United.

Enjoy!

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	JULIO CESAR
	Our impression is that the Seleçao keeper will have a lot of work on his hands (no pun intended), especially at Old Trafford. It will be his big opportunity for consecration at the highest European level, to show that he does not possess any more weaknesses (defending free-kicks included).

EDWIN VAN DER SAR

After his unlucky experience at Juve, the Dutch giant managed to bounce back many times. His biggest accomplishment perhaps is the penalty save on Nicolas Anelka last May, which allowed Manchester Utd to claim the biggest European trophy again. This season he has just claimed the record for longest unbeaten streak in the Premier League for a keeper, and is just a few hundred minutes shy of claiming the world record. At 38 years of age, good old Edwin is still in fine form.

	MAICON
	He already is the strongest right-back in the world at the moment, so now he will looking to demonstrate it to the current world champions. Power, ball control, character, pace: the ex-AS Monaco wing-back has no weaknesses. With that said, when you have to contain players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Giggs, Rooney and Tevez, running forward to attack is permitted, yes, but with prudence.

GARY NEVILLE

The injury-nightmare which kept him away from football for over a year is over, and Neville has been reborn since then. After many already considered him dead & buried, the 33 year-old Mancunian captain took back the armband and his starting spot, and although he may not have as much pace and agility as Rafael da Silva, experience and defensive ability make well up for it. He’ll be very useful to Ferguson, especially at Old Trafford (he’s missing the San Siro fixture).

IVAN CORDOBA

When you’re dealing with a horde of uncontrollable Red Devils, pace is one of the biggest requirements for a defender. At 32 years of age the Colombian center-back has still got loads of it, including an innate jumping ability to reach even the highest aerial balls. When the likes of Berbatov, Vidic, and other towering-header specialists come roaming forward on set pieces, Córdoba will need to prove the springs in his legs are very far from being rusty.

WES BROWN

With Nemanja Vidic suspended in the first leg, it was very likely Sir Alex would bring Brown back to the starting eleven at San Siro. Unfortunately, Wes is injured and will also miss the trip to Italy. With that said, the Mancunian center-back has improved considerably since last year, and this despite just recovering from a long injury himself. One has to wonder on his condition for the return match however, and if it will be at 100%: for a match like this one anything but full fitness is bound to create the entire defensive line-up considerable problems.

WALTER SAMUEL

Power, character, positioning ability: the best version of Walter Samuel will be absolutely fundamental in order to thwart Berbatov’s scoring, alongside making the Manchester striker “feel the physique” of Inter’s backline. Anticipation will be one of his main weapons, especially against speed-demons like Cristiano Ronaldo. Even though he will skip the first leg for injury, his recent fine form is nothing but good news for Mourinho.

RIO FERDINAND

A main column of Man Utd and the English national team, Rio couples with Vidic to make one of the most impenetrable Premiership backlines of recent years. Domestically, the World and European champions accumulated a streak of 13 consecutive matches without conceding a goal, and although everyone is talking about Van der Sar’s record the Dutch keeper owes a lot to the pair of defenders in front of him, particularly Rio. The precision and timing of his tackles are his main strength, alongside the concentration required to clear the danger when the situation warrants it.

CRISTIAN CHIVU

Assuming he will be placed on the left side of the Inter defense, the Romanian defender will have the very simple task of keeping Cristiano Ronaldo at bay. Piece of cake right? With that said, when his sometimes-too-fragile physique (as evidenced by his recent injuries) cuts him some slack, Chivu shows high qualities of technique, class, and experience, stuff which so far as earned him a lot of José’s good graces. At 100%, even Ronaldo will have some trouble getting by him.

PATRICE EVRA

Much like the rest of his defensive teammates, the French wing-back has also been struggling with injury problems this year. His condition will have to be re-evaluated. In perfect health however, he is among Europe’s best in his role: a real dynamo of pace & agility, capable of running up & down the field many times during a game and providing an never-ending supply of overlaps and crosses. His defensive abilities have also considerably improved.

	JAVIER ZANETTI
	Could Inter’s captain miss out on such an important encounter? There is just no way José Mourinho will do without the charisma and tactical versatility of the experienced Argie: when there is defending to do or support the playmakers in midfield, Zanetti’s always ready. In addition, it’s a safe bet he will try one of those classic runs forward which drive the San Siro wild.

MICHAEL CARRICK

When in the Summer of 2006 Ferguson gave ₤17m to Tottenham, some football “experts” were laughing their ass off. Two years and a half later the laughs have considerably subsided, as Michael Carrick has become the pillar of this Red Devils team. He’s got vision, shooting, and a sometimes deadly ability to move through defenses like butter… the only thing he’s missing is a little bit of pace, but hey: no one’s asking him to be Ronaldo are they?

ESTEBAN CAMBIASSO

An irreplaceable piece of the Inter chessboard, he’s the main reference of José’s midfield. He does everything: cover the D-line, start his team’s counters, move forward, and hit when it hurts on dead-ball situations. His compass is always working and he never gets lost on the field: Inter will need his presence like crazy at Old Trafford, especially since defensive midfielders with good feet are a rare commodity these days.

PAUL SCHOLES

He’s the eternal ginger Mancunian warrior, one that Ferguson can always count on at the right moment. His semi-final cannonball effort sank Barcelona and sent Man Utd through to the final last year. With the absence of Owen Hargreaves and the not-quite-ripe aura surrounding Anderson, it’s very likely Scholesy will be once again called into action. And it’s something Nerazzurri fans don’t remember too fondly, especially those who were around for the 1999 encounter at San Siro.

SULLEY MUNTARI

He’s already tried the taste of English Prem football with Pompey, and it’s something Red Devil fans don’t remember too fondly: his FA Cup goal in the quarter-finals prevented Manchester from hitting the treble last season. He’s got power, shooting, and ball control skills, with one big caveat: temper. This is Muntari’s time to grow up, and he knows it. What better way to demonstrate it than a European encounter with the World champions?

RYAN GIGGS

The Welsh magician will not be hanging up his boots at the end of the season. Fresh with a contract extension from Manchester, the Red Devils living legend will be something to behold at San Siro. Although it may indeed be the last time Ryan Giggs sets foot in Italy as a player, so our suggestion is to pay close attention to what he does on the field. We certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see magic.

DEJAN STANKOVIC

If anything can be said about the Serbian midfielder it’s that this is Stankovic rebirth-year: José had asked him he was only interested in meeting the great player from the Lazio days, and apparently that was motivation enough for a transformation. Recently providing the match-winning goal against AC Milan in the derby, Stankovic may be repeating himself in European context: long-range shooting and killer header are his main skills, and he sure will be drawing upon them against the Red Devils.

WAYNE ROONEY
Back just in time from his injury problems, Roo’s contribution to Man Utd’s tactical balance is incalculable. His main occupation is to score goals, but Rooney can do many other things as well and Sir Alex knows it. Don’t be surprised if you see him score a goal and then run all the way back to his corner flag to defend on the next play.

ADRIANO

Is Adriano’s rebirth complete? Much has been flowing asking that question in recent months, but the player knows his work can only be complete with European confirmation. It certainly won’t be easy against one of the best European defences of the year: sheer power (Adriano’s main specialty) won’t be enough to break down Rio & friends, but power isn’t all that the Inter striker can provide. This will be Adriano’s time to demonstrate that his technique hasn’t lost an iota of ability, and that all the good progress so far has been building up to this.

DIMITAR BERBATOV

He was one of Ferguson’s main targets this Summer, and one can easily understand why: good heading ability, excellent ball control & shooting, Berbatov has become the main reference point in United’s forward line. Not only that, but this guy is also one hell of a passer: would you believe it he’s currently leading the assist rankings in the Premiership? If Inter can manage to block him, a good part of Manchester’s maneuvering ability will be seriously hampered.

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC

The term “perfect opportunity” has never taken its full meaning until today. If there is one thing Ibrahimovic has always been criticized for it’s pulling a Houdini during big important matches, so what better chance than facing the European champions for the tall Swedish striker to prove he will not disappear? Everyone knows (including himself and Sir Alex) that Zlatan can change the course of a match entirely by himself. Now is his chance.

CRISTIANO RONALDO

Ballon d’or, FIFA World Player of the Year, a 42-goals season, club trophies here & there (including a Prem title and a UEFA Champions League): year 2008 was, to say the least, a pretty good one for Cristiano Ronaldo. Now Manchester United’s most recognized figure worldwide (and this despite the insisting courtship coming down from Madrid), C-Ron will have the delectable task of leading his team past the San Siro hurdle. The only thing we can say to whoever gets the job of marking him: “Good night, and good luck”.

	NICOLAS BURDISSO
	After a few off-the-mark performances, Burdisso’s picked things up rather nicely after José’s arrival to the point of earning his new manager’s trust & respect. On dead balls his heading ability is very dangerous, and he’s a good substitute to Inter’s usual starters in the center-back position. Provided he does not lose his concentration during moments of high pressure.

JOHN O’SHEA
He may not be the most refined player technically, but John O’Shea can surely be considered as Sir Alex’s ace-up-the-sleeve. He can cover all playing positions from defense to midfield, and his versatility has come in handy on more than one occasion this year. Especially given all the injury problems the team’s had to face.

	PATRICK VIEIRA
	Old age seems to be catching up with the ex-Arsenal midfielder, as in recent years Patrick has not been able to play more than 20 or so games per season. When he’s fit however he can still be decisive, with an extensive baggage of experience & character on his side. Not only that, but the past encounters with Man Utd during his Arsenal years may yet prove to be useful.

JI-SUNG PARK
When the matches get delicate (especially the away encounters) Ferguson pulls his Korean ace out of the top hat. Very disciplined tactically, Ji-Sung Park does not lack in the character department either. He’s not a very “trendy” player for sure (in the sense he is not one of those you expect to feature in starting eleven lists), but so far has always responded present the going gets tough.

	JULIO CRUZ
	The tall Argie is the first alternative to the Zlatan/Adriano duo, and (like many times in the past) has always proved reliable when called into action. With match-winning goals especially. With plenty of UCL experience under his belt, his killer blow is definitely something for United defenders to beware against.

CARLOS TEVEZ
With four world class-level forwards in the team (we’re putting Ronaldo in that same category) and only three spots available, even a guy like Tevez may find himself on the subs bench. But Carlitos is anything but a second-liner, and when on the field he’s definitely someone to keep an eye on: he fights, he battles, he creates, a little “red devil” in his own right.

Marco Pantanella is the Author & Editor of the mCalcio blog