GWistooshort

ie most of his Liverpool career (unfortunately)

Daily Telegraph 17 Mar 2009 Liverpool must be allowed to grieve on the 20th anniversary of Hillsborough Liverpool players will all be at Anfield on April 15, a scheduled quarter-final second-leg date in the Champions League calendar. By Henry Winter Fernando Torres, Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard will be inside the ground, but they will not be playing football. They will be paying their respects. Torres, Carragher and Gerrard will gather on the Kop, joining the emotional tributes to the 96 supporters who travelled to Hillsborough 20 years ago to watch an FA Cup semi-final but never came home. It is a day for Liverpool players to stand shoulder to shoulder with the families of the 96, to remind grieving parents, bereft siblings, inconsolable children and mourning friends that they "will never walk alone'' in the words of the club anthem that will then be sung by all present. A match can be moved 24 hours. The annual Hillsborough service cannot. Friday's quarter-final draw at Uefa's HQ in Nyon could produce the nightmare scenario of Liverpool facing Manchester United on the 20th anniversary of Hillsborough. Following Saturday's game at Old Trafford, the Premier League yesterday received calls from Liverpool supporters expressing their outrage at United chants about Hillsborough (Liverpool fans are hardly blameless, with some unpleasant Munich songs going the other way). Uefa's president, Michel Platini, a man of intelligence and compassion, needs to show deep sensitivity in addressing an issue that understandably stirs such emotions on Merseyside. Platini cannot influence the draw to keep United and Liverpool apart but he can – and must – guarantee that Liverpool play their quarter-final on Tuesday, April 14, not on the most emotive day in their year. Forget the broadcasters. Think of the families. How can Gerrard head through the Shankly Gates on April 15, glance at the Hillsborough memorial containing the name of his cousin, Jon-Paul Gilhooley, and concentrate on 90 minutes of chasing a ball around? One of Platini's leading advisers, William Gaillard, who happened to be visiting Merseyside yesterday for a conference on racism, was even doorstepped by a Liverpool fan who wanted to voice the concerns of many. Uefa stresses its sympathy towards Liverpool's situation but offers no promises. Perhaps Platini's envoys should have voyaged to Anfield yesterday, to the Shankly Gates and seen the tributes to the 96 from around European football. Platini's compatriots at the French branch of the Liverpool Supporters' Club had left a wreath with a card "nous ne l'oublierons jamais''. Real Madrid followers had placed scarves at the foot of the Hillsborough memorial. So had fans of Rot-Weiss Essen, Hajduk Split and Preston North End, among others. Everton supporters are considering taking a flag to Wembley for their FA Cup semi-final with the words "96'' and "Merseyside'' on it. Uefa must display similar respect. Platini's organisation should remember the general opprobrium that followed its tactless decision to allow some Champions League ties to go ahead on Sept 11. Players sat in their hotel rooms, watching images of the carnage in New York City, getting angrier and angrier, before being forced to play a game of football simply for Uefa to keep its part of a lucrative television contract. For all Shankly's famous dictum, Uefa must appreciate that football can never be more important than life and death. Liverpool must not be ordered to play on the anniversary of Hillsborough. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...llsborough.html

Daily Telegraph 18 Mar 2009 Sir Dave Richards backs Liverpool's plea on Hillsborough anniversary Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards has thrown his weight behind Liverpool's call to avoid playing a Champions League game on the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. By Rob Stewart Richards, who was at the ill-fated semi-final at Sheffield Wednesday's ground on April 15, 1989, presented a simple but compelling case as to why Liverpool should be allowed to concentrate on commemoration rather than competing for a semi-final berth. "Liverpool shouldn't be playing on the anniversary of Hillsborough out of respect, more than anything, for the people that died, and we should keep that respect in football," said the former Wednesday chairman. "Being involved with Sheffield Wednesday for a lot of years it has been a big thing in my life. I was at the game and I don't think that anyone will ever forget what happened that day. "I was on the pitch. I had two doctors as my guests at the game and we all went down on to the pitch. It was very difficult and it took a long time to get over what happened but that tragedy drove me on to try to make things better." He added: "I was an ordinary fan and came on to the Wednesday board the following June. It was a turning point for me because I became involved in football because of the Hillsborough disaster. "It was a major turning point for the game in general thanks to Lord Justice Taylor with all-seater stadia and the way we come in and go out of grounds. It's a very significant date. A lot of great things have happened since and we have to do what we can to remember that." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...nniversary.html

& today as well - the Times are really laying into him The Times March 18, 2009 Sir Alex Ferguson flouts his duties with boycott Matthew Syed Sir Alex Ferguson has carried out so many boycotts down the years we should stop calling him Alex and start calling him Geoffrey instead. Sky Sports was the latest organisation to feel the frostiness of the Ferguson cold shoulder, the Manchester United manager refusing to take part in the customary post-match interview after Saturday's game against Liverpool, thus depriving more than a million subscribers a valued part of their viewing experience. Why was Ferguson so miffed with the company that has bankrolled football (and helped to pay his salary) for the better part of two decades? Because Sky had scheduled the match on Saturday lunchtime, giving United less time to recover from their Wednesday-night exertions (Liverpool played the second leg of their Champions League first knockout round tie on Tuesday). Never mind that the match was scheduled almost two months ago or that the timing had been requested by the police. Rational arguments (facts, as Rafael Benítez might call them) mean little to a man in a state of such advanced paranoia that he alleged in January that the entire Barclays Premier League fixture list had been part of an elaborate conspiracy against United. The great mistake was in not confronting Ferguson earlier. By indulging his tendency to petulance and megalomania, the Premier League has only itself to blame for the shameful situation in which its most high-profile manager flouts his responsibilities to broadcasters and fans as a matter of course. It is not just Sky - News Corporation, parent company of The Times has a 39.1 per cent stake in BSkyB - of course. The BBC, which pays almost £60 million a year on behalf of licence-fee payers for Premier League highlights, has not had access to Ferguson since 2004, ever since it aired a BBC Three documentary about his dealings with his son Jason, a football agent at the time. It is understood that Ferguson's boycott of our national broadcaster will never be rescinded. This is nothing less than scandalous, not least when you consider that United have a contractual obligation to put up a senior management figure for interview, as well as a moral responsibility to the millions of fans who tune in on Saturday and Sunday evenings hoping to hear the views of the single most important and knowledgeable person in English football. In the absence of any noticeable condemnation from the very organisations that exist to rein in errant behaviour - not least the United board - is it any wonder that Ferguson is so dangerously out of control? That he runs United like his own personal fiefdom? That he has routinely snubbed post-match press conferences (another part of a manager's duties) for more than seven years? That he bawls out journalists who ask awkward questions as a matter of course? That he has banned so many scribes that his own press office finds it difficult to keep track of who's in and who's out? Give it time and Ferguson will think nothing of banning opposition managers from Old Trafford on the ground that they dared suggest they might beat United. Most sensible Manchester United fans agree that Ferguson's behaviour is less than reasonable, but they do so with a shrug of the shoulders and with the sentiment that this is a price English football must pay for having such a rare talent in its midst. But this simply will not do. That Ferguson is one of the football's most brilliant managers does not excuse him from the duties that the majority of his counterparts discharge with such diligence and, quite often, humour and aplomb. If anything, his unique status gives him an elevated responsibility to the millions of fans whose cash is the lifeblood of our national sport. Ferguson will change only if confronted. That is why Sky Sports should give him a taste of his own medicine by “boycotting” payment of United's share of the television rights income, estimated at a total of about £50 million. That is the only thing that might persuade the United board to bring into line a manager whose behaviour - and I choose my words carefully - shames English football. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/col...icle5926790.ece

The Times March 18, 2009 Liverpool and City may try to lure versatile Michael Mancienne Matt Hughes, Deputy Football Correspondent Liverpool and Manchester City are monitoring the progress of Michael Mancienne with a view to making a transfer bid. The Chelsea defender’s contract expires at the end of next season and both clubs are considering attempting to lure him from Stamford Bridge in the summer with the promise of more regular football. Mancienne, 21, is due to hold contract talks with Chelsea at the end of the season, but it is by no means certain that he will commit his future to a club he joined at the age of 12. He has been frustrated at his limited opportunities since returning from a loan spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers in January, but he has fared better since Guus Hiddink was appointed interim manager last month and is grateful for the faith shown in him by the Dutchman. After being ignored by Luiz Felipe Scolari, Mancienne made his Chelsea debut in the FA Cup fifth-round tie away to Watford — when Hiddink had a watching brief in the stands — and did well enough to start the Barclays Premier League match against Wigan Athletic a fortnight later, in between coming on as a substitute for the final nine minutes of the first leg of the Champions League first knockout round tie against Juventus at Stamford Bridge, when he proved his versatility by playing in midfield. Although he will remain with the first-team squad, Mancienne’s opportunities are likely to be limited for the rest of the season because Ricardo Carvalho has returned to full fitness, which could convince him that the time is right to move on. Mancienne is concerned that a lack of first-team football could cost him a place in the England Under-21 squad for this summer’s European Championship finals despite playing an integral part in their qualifying campaign. Stuart Pearce, the head coach, has made it clear that he will only pick players who are performing regularly. Mancienne will listen to Chelsea’s plans for him in the summer but will take an open-minded approach to other offers, particularly those from high-profile Premier League clubs. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle5928092.ece

Daily Telegraph 18 Mar 2009 Liverpool begin hunt for Rick Parry's successor Liverpool's search for a new chief executive to replace Rick Parry began in earnest this week, with club co-owner George Gillett travelling to London to interview headhunters about the post. By Paul Kelso Several firms will be consulted including Paul Nolan, whose company identified new Football Association chief executive Ian Watmore, and Simon Cummins, of Odgers, who has been involved in several high-profile sports appointments in recent years. Gillett's hands-on involvement in the process is a clear indication that, like co-owner Tom Hicks, he is planning to remain involved with the club in the medium term. Both owners have been involved in discussions with potential investors in recent months but the depth of the recession has prompted a growing acknowledgement that an imminent sale of either man's stake in the club is unlikely. Gillett rejected a recent attempt by Kuwaiti investors the Al-Kharafi family to secure his stake at a knock-down price, and he is understood to remain committed to the club. Relations with Hicks are also said to have improved significantly in recent weeks and the pair will work together on the chief executive appointment. With a measure of equilibrium in the boardroom, the most destabilising influence at Anfield is Rafael Benitez and his failure to sign a new contract. The owners have met all his demands and the contract has been redrafted at least eight times, but still he refuses to sign. With every day that passes the suspicion grows that the Spaniard is stalling in anticipation of an offer from Real Madrid, and will use the uncertainty over Liverpool's future ownership as an excuse should he decide to walk. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...-successor.html

Me too

There's a piece in the Daily Telegraph today about the search for Rick Parry's sucessor that also is negative about Rafa & his contract......... "the most destabilising influence at Anfield is Rafael Benitez and his failure to sign a new contract. The owners have met all his demands and the contract has been redrafted at least eight times, but still he refuses to sign. With every day that passes the suspicion grows that the Spaniard is stalling in anticipation of an offer from Real Madrid, and will use the uncertainty over Liverpool's future ownership as an excuse should he decide to walk." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...-successor.html

From next season onwards the top 3 in the Premiership qualify automatically for the group stage The 4th placed team has to play in the final qualifying round (now called the play-off), but they are now likely to face much tougher opposition. They will play one of the following: 4th placed team in Italy or Spain, 3rd placed team in France, Germany or Russia, 2nd placed team in Belarus, Czech Republic, Greece, Holland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Turkey or Ukraine. The 3rd placed Russian team & all the 2nd placed teams will play an earlier qualifying round against each other so ½ of them will have been knocked out. http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/forma...sid=788373.html http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/forma...sid=788882.html

Ferguson's still getting stick from the media today The Times March 17, 2009 Sir Alex Ferguson's TV silence after loss to Liverpool insults paying public Kevin Eason, Sports news correspondent We shall never know whether the only sounds over the breakfast table yesterday morning were the clink of teacups and the gentle crunching of toast. Sir Alex Ferguson's answer to trouble appears similar to the average 13-year-old girl who has been given a rollicking by her parents. He runs to his room, slams the door behind him and refuses to speak a word. So perhaps Lady Cathy, his wife, also got a dose of the silent treatment after Manchester United's humiliating 4-1 defeat at home to Liverpool on Saturday. For he is not talking to anyone else as his relationship with the press and television reaches a nadir. Ferguson refused to speak to Sky Sports after the match, blaming the broadcaster for the lunchtime kick-off after United had played a Champions League fixture on Wednesday night, the day after Liverpool's victory over Real Madrid. Perhaps it would be a good idea for Malcolm Glazer, United's owner, to remind his manager that Sky money has turned the Barclays Premier League into the richest league in the world and the nation's biggest club still needs a little financial help with outstanding debts at about £650 million. The satellite television operator, in which News Corporation, parent company of The Times, has a 39.1 per cent stake, has only just signed a new three-year contract worth £1.6 billion that will keep Fergie and his roster of multimillionaire players in baby Bentleys for some time to come. Perhaps, too, the millions of fans around the world claimed by United might have liked to hear an explanation. The Premier League broadcasting rights deal with Sky and Setanta Sports includes a clause that demands that clubs make their “best endeavours” in providing coaching staff for comment after a match. If the detail has allowed Ferguson to give Sky a body swerve on this occasion, then the spirit of the deal is that he makes himself available to the broadcasters. Sky Sports pointed out that the decision to hold a lunchtime kick-off was advised by Manchester Police, who wanted to prevent fans visiting pubs beforehand. It added: “We are not worried about the interview being turned down. Managers should know that they are not speaking to us but through us to the public, who have made the effort to watch them play.” For more than four years, Ferguson has refused to speak to the BBC after a BBC3 documentary about the activities as an agent of Jason, one of his three sons. The BBC has adopted a phlegmatic attitude to being ignored but it remains to be seen whether broadcasters will be content to be fobbed off with Mike Phelan, Ferguson's assistant, if the United manager has yet another strop. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle5920885.ece

Things sound bleak in Dubai.................. Dubai and rethinking growth Mar 15th, 2009 by Phil Clark. I think I have something of an apology to make. Last October I went to Dubai for the Cityscape event, and blogged rather half heartedly on my concerns about the region. One fellow blogger chided me somewhat after I returned on my rather tepidly critical posts. And she was right. The months since have proven what a mess the municipailty is in - it was only a $20bn bail-out package from neighbour Abu Dhabi last month that saved it severe financial disaster. The house (or rather bloated skyscrapers) of cards that had been built amidst an orgy of ambition are on the verge of collapse. A piece in Friday’s ES Magazine (only available as far as I could gather on a digital edition, which is rubbish) puts the current state of Dubai in perspective. Biblical and ancient legend and language seems to surround the story surrounding the emergence of Dubai during the past decade. Would it emerge as the new centre of the globe through sheer chutzpah and soaring ambition, or end up as the mythical city of Babylon, a moral lesson to the world for those pursuing dreams with little regard for logic or solid or sustainable planning? Right now the narrative is firmly in the latter half, proving that Dubai never does anything by halves. The ES magazine offers the case for the prosecution, moving from tales of financial ruin, plunging property prices and business confidence to the seedier side of the province - namely prostitution. The article claims that during the Dubai Rugby Sevens “plane loads of prostitutes descended on Dubai” and that the gulf between draconian laws and the reality had become ever more extreme. “Dubai had become a place where everything was illegal and yet everything was available,” it claimed. The appalling treatment of the workforce behind the spectacular growth of the province, be that construction workers or taxi drivers (there’s no other way of getting round Dubai), underlined the hollowness and moral vacuum that lied beneath the glitz. Paid a pittance, living in pretty appalling conditions and denied any legal rights were the reality for those tasked with creating the buildings, many of which now lie empty. And if any deigned to complain there was a simple response - chuck them out. The ES piece furthers the bleak picture, pointing to the shoddy end property product in Dubai, which was apparent to experts even during the boom in 2006. A private memo written by a journalist three years ago (private memo from a journalist? surely an oxymoron? Or an indictment of freedom of the press in Dubai?): Construction standards are often poor, grounds and landscaping non existent, interiors cheap and architectural plans are changed without telling the new owners. This is all in polar opposition to the glossy brochures and propaganda of the regime. The managing director of Exotix, an investment banking boutique, Peter Bartlett tells ES that one of Dubai’s biggest development names Nakheel, which launched a 1km high tower at Cityscape back in the pre-crunch days, is facing serious crisis and could go bankrupt. Perhaps the chickens are coming home to roost for such entities, which talked big but whose practices were at best questionable. My instinct to be appalled at the empty gaudiness and blind optimism was balanced on my October trip by counter arguments that put the growth of Dubai in perspective. Didn’t we in England go through a similar spurt during the 19th century, which was mirrored by a similar disregard for good working practices or logic and caution. Well, however misplaced and morally dubious, the Victorians seemed spurred by moral purpose. And there was a developing democracy behind it. What rights are there in Dubai? Minimal, and a bizarre code of conduct for behaviour put out by rulers this month only adds to one’s concerns. The ES article ends with consideration and advice for the man that has led and epitomised the rise and now floundering of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He’s told to reduce prices and fees in the province to stave off the exodus of individuals and companies from Dubai, and receives harsh words from a commenter on the Secret Dubai blog, one of the few places where open discussion amongst the population and workforce on life and work in Dubai can actually take place. To build transparent financial institution requires criticism. Without criticism nothing changes. Sheik Mo, surrounded by yes men and international bankers only too willing to indebt him, has completely screwed up. The billions wasted can be covered for now but had the system be open to critisism then it probably would not had happend. Sheik Mo is a dictator no matter how you look at it. That is what dubai has been and will be. A spoiled dictatorship sheikdom with a narrow vision that money can solve all problems. I suppose that in many respects Dubai is an uncomfortable extreme reflection of the state of the globe. Leaders convince themselves that throwing money at our current crisis will solve everything. Meanwhile the realisation that maybe, just maybe, our current financial woes may be a warning sign that we need to rethink the system itself appears not to have been made. Dubai epitomises the urge to develop that many regions throughout history have undergone, but few at such a high octane pace. The question is whether we can find a different model, one that reflects more soberly on the consequences of its activities. http://zerochampion.building.co.uk/2009/03...hinking-growth/

I agree with CaptainXabi that neither Cole nor Van Persie would cost £20m I'd price Cole at £12m max & Van Persie at £15m max, but I think we could potentially do a part-exchange with Babel, valuing him at £8-11m While Barry would cost £10-12m max IMO his purchase would allow us to sell both Lucas & Dossena, who should bring in a min of £10m I'm not so sure - I think Chelski wouldn't have sold to us while Mourinho was manager, but now I'm not sure. I think we could use Babel as bait for Arsenal. Hopefully both Cole & Van Persie would demand to come to us.

Personally I'm concerned that Silva's too lightweight for the Premiership There's also the questions about how long he would take to acclimatise (No concerns on either of these issues with Cole) I also think he would cost £15-20m (I reckon Cole could be available for about £12m) Cole is also another locally trained player which is important given our current Champions League squad is 2 players short because we don't have enough locally trained players.

Agree that Barry isn't the main priority, but we could potentially get him for very little net cost given Villa have said they won't stand in his way if they don't qualify for the Champions League, he hasn't signed a new contract & the fact he can cover left back would allow us to sell both Lucas & Dossena. IMO opinion Lucas has shown this season that he can't play to the standard required when called upon, which isn't great when he is effectively our 3rd choice centre midfielder unless you take Stevie G away from his best position (off Torres). If we could replace Lucas with Barry without it stopping us dealing with the higher priorities then I'd do it in a flash. Barry is also another locally trained player which is important given our current Champions League squad is 2 players short because we don't have enough locally trained players. IMO we need to address the following issues (in order of priority): * more attacking quality in wide areas * good back up for Torres * decent competition at right back for Arbeloa * replacing Lucas with a better quality option for centre midfield I agree that we need to be careful about introducing too many new players & unsettling the team (I'd argue BTW that the main reason that Keane unbalanced the team was because he disrupted the Gerrard/Torres partnership & wasn't an improvement on it, rather than by being a new player). However, I would also say that IMO we should aim that any player we bring in to address the above issues (probably with the exception of the back up for Torres if we go for a specialist back up rather than someone like Van Persie who could play on the left-side & be the back up to Torres) improves the 1st team. (This doesn't necessarily mean that they all start in the 1st team on day 1 of the new season.) As I've said above I'd try to bring in Joe Cole, Robin Van Persie, Glen Johnson & Gareth Barry to address these issues. I'd have Cole & Van Persie as the only definite 1st team players out of those 4, with Johnson & Barry playing depending on form, fitness, injuries, the opposition etc.

* Joe Cole & Van Persie are both are nearing the ends of their contracts & haven't signed new ones * Van Persie has said he wants to be winning trophies & Arsenal haven't won anything for 3 seasons & may not win anything or even qualify for the Champions League this season * We potentially could include Babel in any deal for Van Persie given that Wenger was very interested in him before he came to us * Cole was apparently very unhappy earlier in the season when Scolari wasn't picking him regularly & I think it's worth seeing whether he has become disillusioned with the managerial merry go round at Stamford Bridge * Johnson will be costly, but should be within budget & could be cheaper if Portsmouth go down * Barry's contract situation means he should be relatively cheap & his ability to cover left back means that we could sell Dossena as well as Lucas meaning that he shouldn't actually cost us that much We should also get at least £15m in from Voronin, Leto, Lucas & Dossena. Itandje & Degen would probably go on frees. Personally I think Joe Cole & Van Persie are more realistic & affordable than Ribery, Silva, Villa etc. It won't be easy if we do try to get them, but that goes with the territory now where we just need a few top quality players to add to our 1st XI. Unless we unearth a gem, we need to buy other teams top players, but without being able to throw silly money at them, & they're not going to be keen to let them go.

I would try to sign the following in the summer: * Robin Van Persie (1st choice on the left of a 3 behind Torres & back up striker for Fernando - I would let Babel go to Arsenal to get Van Persie if needs be) * Joe Cole (1st choice on the right of a 3 behind Torres with Gerrard in the centre of the 3) * Gareth Barry (if Villa don't qualify for the Champions League) * Glen Johnson I would sell/let go Itandje, Degen, Pennant (out of contract), Voronin, Leto & also Lucas & Dossena if we got Barry. This would give us: Team ----------------------------------------------------------------------Reina--------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------Arbeloa or Johnson----------------2 of Agger, Carragher & Skrtel-----------------Aurelio or Insua------------------ ----------------------------------------------------2 of Alonso, Barry & Mascherano---------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------Joe Cole-----------------------------Gerrard----------------Van Persie---------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------Torres-------------------------------------------------------------- Rest of squad Cavalieri, Darby, Hyypia, Spearing, Kuyt, Reira, Benayoun, Ngog, Nemeth & possibly Babel (although I'd be willing to sell him to Arsenal to get Van Persie)

I would have liked to keep Crouch & Rafa said he wanted to as well, but Crouch wasn't happy with this part tho, was he? Hopefully, the Keane episode will have persuaded Rafa that Torres with Gerrard just behind should be our 1st choice attacking partnership. Fair enough - I'm struggling to think of many options who provide what we're looking for & who are potentially realistic options for us. I think the key thing we need is more quality, particularly in an attacking sense, from our wide areas so that we can convert more draws into wins, particularly against teams that "park the bus" against us. For me that means we need more creativity, goals & consistency than Riera, Babel, Benayoun & Kuyt (who are all useful squad players) currently offer. Both Cole & Van Persie provide these things. We also need players who can settle in straight away - both Cole & Van Persie are used to the Premiership & importantly, unlike Keane, used to the expectations of playing at the highest level, & again unlike Keane they don't disrupt the Torres/Gerrard partnership which I'm sure didn't help his settling in. They could also both be affordable for us due to their contract situations & may be willing to leave their current clubs due to the managerial merry-go-round & lack of trophies respectively. Cole has the added bonus of being other locally trained player which is something we need to consider given our current Champions League squad is 2 players short because we don't have enough locally trained players.

It wouldn't be my main priority, bringing in Joe Cole & Van Persie for either side of Gerrard in the 3 behind Torres would be, followed by Glen Johnson to compete with Arbeloa for right back However, I would then look at replacing Lucas, who has shown this season that he can't always perform to the required standard, if it were possible to do so within our budget. If Villa don't qualify for the Champions League we should be able to get Barry relatively cheaply & his ability to cover left back means that we could sell Dossena as well as Lucas meaning that he shouldn't actually cost us that much The beauty of getting Van Persie is that he would be the 1st choice left-sided player (with Riera, Benayoun, Aurelio & possibly Babel, Barry or Dossena as alternatives depending on who arrives & who goes), but also be able to cover for Torres & play alonside him as well if we play 2 strikers upfront rather than Gerrard off Torres. This means that we don't have to outlay 2 fees - 1 for a left-sided player & 1 for a back up striker. I'm also struggling to think of a striker that we could buy as back up for Fernando whom we could rely on to score goals if Torres is out, especially if he's not been playing regularly, who provides something different to Torres, who would be able to lead the line effectively in his absence, but who could also play effectively alongside him if we wanted to play with 2 strikers up front rather than Gerrard off Torres & importantly would also be happy to spend much of the time sitting on the bench. The other advantage is that if Van Persie does have to step in for Torres he will be up to match fitness & sharpness if he has been 1st choice on the left-side, so we won't have to wait a number of games for Torres' cover to find form/start scoring etc. Team ----------------------------------------------------------------------Reina--------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------Arbeloa or Johnson----------------2 of Agger, Carragher & Skrtel-----------------Aurelio or Insua------------------ ----------------------------------------------------2 of Alonso, Barry & Mascherano---------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------Joe Cole-----------------------------Gerrard----------------Van Persie---------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------Torres-------------------------------------------------------------- Rest of squad Cavalieri, Darby, Hyypia, Spearing, Kuyt, Reira, Benayoun, Ngog, Nemeth & possibly Babel (although I'd be willing to sell him to Arsenal to get Van Persie)

None of them would sit on the bench as much as Lucas does I'd expect each of them to play around 2/3rds of our games & be rotated depending on the opposition, form, injuries, suspensions etc It's worth remembering that Barry won't be used to playing as many games in a season as we do so (i) may need to be rested quite a bit &/or (ii) may not expect to play in every game

I'd keep both for the squad or keep Riera & use Babel to get Van Persie (Wenger wanted Babel before he came to us) I would try for Joe Cole in the summer for the RHS of the 3 behind Torres - with Gerrard in the middle of the 3 & Van Persie on the LHS I would stay with 4231 if we got Barry & rotate between Xabi, Masch & Barry for the 2 depending on the opposition, form, suspensions, injuries etc I'm willing to sacrifice Babel to get Van Persie & he would be my 1st choice for the LHS of the 3 behind Torres - he will get us more goals than Babel or Riera from that position (which we need given that Masch & Xabi don't score many) & won't be happy if he's back up for Gerrard when he's injured as you suggest

It's going to be tough granted (that's the stage we're at now, needing a few more top quality players to come straight into the 1st team), but I think we might have a chance * Van Persie is coming to the end of his contract * He's been quoted as saying Arsenal need to start winning trophies again for him to definitely stay * If they don't win anything this season, this will be their 4th successive trophyless season * Arsenal are over-stocked with attacking players * We could offer them Babel, whom Wenger wanted when he was at Ajax (& I could see the prospect of developing Babel really appealing to Wenger) I think it's definitely worth a go Ideally Villa will pip Arsenal to the last Champions League place only to lose in the qualifying round, thereby increasing our chances of getting both Van Persie & Barry

Been mentioned in most of the papers today & all of them have said that Ferguson was totally wrong

We should keep the Gerrard/Torres partnership - hopefully we will have learned the lesson of Keane's failure (who after all, looked on paper like a great partner for Fernando) This means we need a striker who offers a different option to Torres, can fill in for him when he's injured or rested, is able to play up alongside him when needed & is also happy to play 2nd fiddle to Fernando I think the other key areas are the 2 attacking wide players - our current players in these positions (Babel, Benayoun, Kuyt & Riera) are good squad players whom I think we should keep, but we need top quality in these areas & a greater goal threat given that Xabi & Masch don't score many We also need a right back to challenge Arbeloa & possibly another centre mid if we can replace Lucas with someone better given that Lucas has shown this season that he isn't always able to deliver to the standard required when called upon The other thing we need to address is the number of locally trained players for the Champions League - our current squad for the knock out rounds is 2 players short because we don't have enough I would try to sign the following in the summer: * Robin Van Persie (1st choice on the left of a 3 behind Torres & back up striker for Fernando - I would let Babel go to Arsenal to get Van Persie if needs be) * Joe Cole (1st choice on the right of a 3 behind Torres with Gerrard in the centre of the 3) * Gareth Barry (if Villa don't qualify for the Champions League) * Glen Johnson I would sell/let go Itandje, Degen, Pennant (out of contract), Voronin, Leto & also Lucas & Dossena if we got Barry. This would give us: Keepers: Reina, Cavalieri Right backs: Arbeloa, Johnson (Darby, Carra) Left backs: Aurelio, Insua (Barry, Arbeloa, Agger) Centre backs: Carra, Skrtel, Agger, Hyypia Centre midfield: Xabi, Masch, Barry, Spearing (Gerrard) Wide players: Cole, Van Persie, Kuyt, Reira, Babel?, Benayoun (Gerrard) Strikers: Torres, Gerrard, Ngog, Nemeth (Babel?, Kuyt, Van Persie)

Speculation linking him with Valencia now His agent says they have had "a number of enquiries" http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...ch-1642487.html

Jeffers & Cygan because they were crap?