Where should Ribery go if he leaves Bayern?

MANCHESTER United has joined the race to land Frenchman Franck Ribery, said Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (read Soccernet story here).

The English champions have joined Chelsea and Barcelona with bids for Ribery, who is touted to be the next Zinedine Zidane, while Real Madrid are said to be interested in the player as well.

Although Rummenigge has insisted that Ribery will see out his contract at the German club, a big-money bid might persuade them to release ‘the jewel of French football’.

If Ribery does leave Bayern, which club is he most suitable for?

Should Torres consider moving to United?

SIR ALEX Ferguson is planning an audacious bid on Liverpool’s Fernando Torres, reports the Sunday Express (see full story here).

Let’s just take a brief look at the advantages of both options:

STAYING AT LIVERPOOL

– The Reds have become a force to be reckoned with under Rafa Benitez, and have pushed United all the way to the title.

– Torres has struck a great understanding with Steven Gerrard

– The Spanish connection at Anfield

MOVING TO UNITED

– Burden of scoring is more spread out than Liverpool

– Better recent track record at winning titles

Even if it turns out to be mere speculation, it does raise an interesting topic – if given a chance, should the Spanish hitman consider moving south to the red half of Manchester?

Ronny’s Real move – one step forward or two steps back?

ALONG with a sizable group of Man United fans here, I am SERIOUSLY happy that the talented but petulant Cristiano Ronaldo will finally be heading out of the Old Trafford doors, but too much have been written about that already.

Let’s put the focus on the man from Madeira instead.

Is he going to a better football club, a club that would make him better as a football player and win him more titles – individual and team?

Fergie’s Rooney dilemma?

SIR Alex Ferguson would have a lot of things to consider had he watched Wayne Rooney grab a brace for England against Andorra last night.

The striker has now scored eight goals in his last seven games for England, while he only scored 12 in the entire Premier League season.

And England manager Fabio Capello’s secret to making Rooney tick? Just get in front of goal, he said.

That had been the problem for the Liverpudian’s United season so far. Fergie had been putting Rooney on the flanks regularly during their Championship-winning season due to his tenacity and willingness to drop back to defend.

Other than Park Ji-Sung, United lacked the kind of winger who is equally adept at crossing and shooting, as well as put in a good tackle.

With United pipping Liverpool to the title narrowly last season, and losing out to the Reds in terms of goal difference, Fergie must be wondering how he should tweak his team to get the best out of his players, especially Rooney, given how impressive he has been when he pulls on an England shirt?

If you were Fergie, what would you do to strengthen United, as well as get the best out of your players, Rooney in particular?

Transfer season: who will emerge the biggest winner in three-cornered ‘fight’?

THE transfer season has opened with a bang as Real Madrid looks to have claimed Kaka’s signature, with Chelsea launching a late and desperate bid.

Meanwhile, Manchester City has ‘stolen’ Gareth Barry from right under the noses of Liverpool, even though the Citizens are not even playing in the new Europa League, much less the Champions League football the England midfielder had previously said he craves.

The scene seems set for a three-corner battle among the cash-rich clubs Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid in the transfer market, making the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool look like paupers.

New Real president Florentino Perez is keen to revive his infamous Galacticos project at the Bernabeu, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso in his crosshairs.

On the other hand, City are continuing their rebuilding, following last season’s influx of oil money from the Middle East. On top of Robinho and Barry, the club is hoping to persuade Carlos Tevez to defect to the blue side of Manchester, along with Everton’s Joleon Lescott.

And meantime in London, Roman Abramovich has once again loosened his purse strings for Carlo Ancelotti, in an attempt to revitalise his ageing squad to clinch the Champions League trophy that he so covets.

It will be an interesting three months of transfer activity ahead, as big money gets thrown around carelessly by these three clubs. The question is – which of these three will come up tops by the end August?

Best player in the world – Messi or Iniesta?

Lionel Messi kisses his adidas F50i boots after scoring the second goal against Manchester United in the final. Will he be kissing the Fifa World Player of the Year plaque this December?

(Picture: Telegraph.co.uk)

IT WOULD be safe to say that Lionel Messi has clearly won his “duel” with Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League final yesterday morning, and will surely be a strong contender to succeed the Portuguese as the Fifa World Player of the Year this December.

But what of Andreas Iniesta, the quiet workhorse in the Barca engine room?

Wayne Rooney has proclaimed the 25-year-old as the best player in the world after the final, and it is not difficult to understand why.

The shy and unassuming playmaker had burst into mainstream consciousness during Euro08, where his playmaking skills were instrumental in guiding Spain to its first major international title in 44 years.

With Barca, Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez have been pulling all the strings in the midfield the entire season, with the Albacete native scoring the injury-time goal that brought the Catalans to the final.

There is no doubt that Messi – who scored the second goal in the final – possesses a wizardry and craft on the field that rarely comes about in football, but what about his “anti-galactico” team-mate, who had been the heartbeat of Barca’s midfield the entire season?

What had gone all so wrong for United?

BARCELONA proved to be worthy winners of the European Cup this season with a mesmerising display that all but crushed Manchester United early this morning in Rome.

It was supposed to be a match between two of the world’s best sides, famed for their free-flowing attacking football, but as we all saw, only one side turned up. It wasn’t even a boring game where United played to negate the Barca triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto’o.

It just was simply a one-sided game with mesmerising (did I say that already?) football played by the Catalans.

In his post game comments, Sir Alex Ferguson said that the absence of the suspended Darren Fletcher had robbed United of its steel in midfield, although he freely admitted that Barca were the better side.

But what do you think went all so wrong for United, after a bright first 10 minutes?

What would be the key clash in the Champs League final tomorrow morning?

ONE OF the most eagerly anticipated games of the season will take place later tomorrow morning, as Manchester United face Barcelona in the Champions League final in Rome.

Both sides boasts of top players – such as Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney – and reputations of playing beautiful, free-flowing football, even though United seems likely to adopt a defensive stance to frustrate Barcelona’s awesome strike-force (read Soccernet story on Sir Alex Ferguson’s comments here).

Looking at the possible line-ups for both teams, the clash between which two players is most likely to affect the outcome of the final?

Is it the midfield battle between Michael Carrick and Andreas Iniesta? Or is it the duel between Patrice Evra and Messi? Or maybe it’s between the determined British bulldog Rooney and the ageing but experience Carlos Puyol?

What are your thoughts?

Can Cantona lead United or England?

MANCHESTER United legend Eric Cantona has announced his intentions to take over the hotseat at Old Trafford one day, or take charge of the England team should Plan A fail (read Soccernet story here).

“I don’t know in how many years’ time, but my name is already written on the Manchester United bench,” he said in an interview in Monday’s La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Cantona may have been a great player during his time with United, but Fergie’s old boys don’t seem to be doing quite that well in the managerial hotseat, as the trend goes.

Do you think the King has what it takes to manage a top football team, be it United or England?

Who is going down with West Brom?

THE title race may have sewn up last week when Manchester United retained the Premiership crown with a goal-less draw against Arsenal, but the excitement is far from over.

Sunderland, Hull, Middlesbrough and Newcastle are fighting tooth and nail to avoid being thrown into Championship football with West Brom, with two of the relegation places still “up for grabs”.

Not that any of them will have it easy on Sunday. Sunderland are facing Chelsea, while Newcastle face Aston Villa at Villa Park. Hull are hosting Manchester United at home while Middlesbrough arguably have the easiest fixture of all when they travel to Upton Park to face West Ham.

Which two teams do you think will be relegated after this weekend’s matches?