May 09
Manchester United vs Stoke City: Preview
Here we go, it’s crunch time in the Premier League as Manchester United face Stoke City at Old Trafford on the final day of the season. Once last chance to clinch a record breaking 19th League title and 4th in a row, but two teams stand in the way… Chelsea and Stoke.
The Blues lie one point clear of United at the summit of the table and if they win their match at home to Wigan then they will be crowned champions, but if they draw or lose and we overcome our opponents at Old Trafford then United will be crowned champions… Simple.
All matches today kick off at the same time so the crowd will play a big part in communicating the results at other grounds to the players on the pitch, imagine if United get an early goal, the pressure on Chelsea will be enormous. Can they cope? We may be looking to make amends for another final day disappointment when in 1995 we failed to take advantage of Blackburn’s slip up at Liverpool.
Even Sir Alex wont be able to shut out events at Stamford Bridge,
“It’s pointless going into the game expecting anything from Chelsea in our favour,” said Ferguson.
“I have confidence that Wigan will do their best and they will try.
“There’s pressure on both us and Chelsea because we both need to win but I don’t know what’s going on in Chelsea’s minds – all I know is that in this situation we just hope.”
United will be going into today’s game with a relatively fit squad. Edwin van der Sar will sit behind a back four that should consist of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand in the centre. Wes Brown could well get a start as he is now fully fit following a metatarsal injury, but has Gary Neville, Rafael and John O’Shea all vying for the right-back slot. No such problems for Patrice Evra as he will make his 38th Premier League appearance, only one has been as a substitute.
Expect an attacking line up and a four-man midfield. The superlative Nani will be looking to add to his recent goal tally as he starts on the right, Ryan Giggs will look to take up at slot on the left, drifting into the centre when needed. Paul Scholes who has been turning back the years will be joined by Darren Fletcher in the centre of midfield.
With a 30 second run out for Owen Hargreaves last weekend, an extended appearance may be the order of the day, depending on the score of course. Antonio Valencia is out with an ankle injury so wont feature.
It appears the last chance saloon has closed for Dimitar Berbatov so this could be his last match at Old Trafford if rumours are to be believed, lets hope he makes it one to remember. Wayne Rooney will be his strike partner as he enters into a personal duel with Didier Drogba for the top scorer accolade, his record is 31 games 26 goals, and Drogba’s is exactly the same.
Stoke City boss Tony Pulis will name an unchanged line up from the side that beat Fulham 1-0:
“It will be the same team and I think that is only fair on the lads who have done so well for us against Everton and Fulham,” he told stokecityfc.com.
“The only change may be Abdoulaye Faye coming back in on to the bench after overcoming his recent injury.
“Hopefully we will have learned our lessons from Chelsea, but it is still difficult if the likes of Wayne Rooney are right on top of their games. The big sides can turn teams over if they aren’t at 100% so we have got to go there be strong and keep doing what we have done over the last couple of games.”
The last time we won our final four league matches we won the title – 2001/02, so lets hope for a repeat. As the saying goes it’s not over till the referee blows his whistle.
Come on Wigan!!
Prediction: 3-0 United
Probable Line Up: van der Sar, O’Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Nani, Fletcher, Scholes, Giggs; Berbatov, Rooney
***
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Related items from Red Rants:
- Man Utd v Stoke: Preview
- Man Utd v Everton: Preview
- Manchester United 2006/2007 Season Review
- Stoke City vs Manchester United: Match Preview
- Man Utd v Middlesbrough: Preview
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (541)
Stephen (479)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Craig Mc (345)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
Part Two – The Defense
GOALKEEPERS.
Van der Saar at 39 years old is as good as it gets. We did however have the unfortunate experience of sampling the delights of one Ben Foster when Edwin broke his finger early in the season.
An untested prospect who’s presence in the squad once gave us reason to feel great comfort – until of course he was tested. He failed so miserably that our worst nightmare, PIG, gave us a welcomed calmness – similar to a strong narcotic on the heels of a heavy night’s drinking.
Conclusion: We could be left with just VDS, if Foster is shipped out and PIG fulfills his promise to take off and start for a contending team.
Our need to sign a starting GK is dire. VDS’s new contract or not, we need to splash for a world-class talent immediately.
CENTER BACKS.
Rio and Vidic have been the rock that our previous 3 seasons have been built on. Solid, reliable and talented, it just couldn’t get any better for us, could it?
Well it could, and here’s why.
With Rio, we are looking at an aging, large man with a dodgy back. The number of games he’s missed this year is distressing and it’s a clear sign that the end of his career is drawing closer.
While he’s a great physical presence, Vidic has been exposed as a somewhat static defender, especially when up against a very fast strike force. Great at covering his own arse, he cannot be relied on to bail out a struggling colleague.
His recovery from injury has been slow and overly careful, and a nagging suspicion that he may bugger off to warmer climes, makes his future at United a tentative one.
Wes Brown has not shown the durability or form to make for a reliable backup here and Evans still has a year or two before (or if) he can make a sustained impact.
Conclusion: Thin was hardly the word I would’ve used at the seasons outset, but after a series of unfortunate (but not surprising) injuries, our central defense was left in tatters.
Smalling was a decent signing for the future, and O’Shea’s return gives us a solid and versatile backup, but the very possibility of not having Rio or Vidic together at the beginning of next year, makes it almost imperative that the addition of at least one more top player join the ranks of our center backs.
WIDE BACKS.
Patrice Evra made his long awaited return to form this season – and by most accounts, was our most consistent and outstanding player. Beginning during the Charity Shield game, he made every effort to overcome his fragile performances of the previous season. His tackle on the big German moose, Ballack, was a sight to see and it set the tone for his entire season.
Neville put in a strong last half, and it almost made me forget some of his embarrassments that we had to endure pre-Christmas. He has the spirit of a lion and no one has a Redder heart than him, but in truth his contributions can be as much of a hindrance and it can be a help. Time to move on to the happy hunting grounds, Gary. I thank you, sincerely, for all that you’ve done, and I will remember you fondly and hope that you can find another contributing role with our club.
The D’ Silva brothers have been touted as great prospects for the future, but I have to admit that with their propensity for getting injured, it make their careers, if not their mortality, a tenuous one!
(I hate to parcel two different players in one package here, but can anyone, truthfully, tell them apart!!)
Rafael has shown some truly great moments – his speed and aggressiveness show World Class potential, but he lacks a lengthy stay in our first team that would perhaps exorcise him of his juvenile lack of concentration – and that has hurt us on occasion this year.
With the spoils a good ways away, the beginning of our next campaign would be a good starting point for his ongoing inclusion in the starting eleven.
Conclusion: Neville has another contract, but lets hand the starting job to Rafael, it’s his to lose. Gary, in his final year will be a good mentor/backup.
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@Owen: Yes going great. Actually, Job Change, then House Relocation kept me away from the site to begin with. But then after that United suddenly started winning the Matches. One day my bro suddenly had a go at me and said that see You are not on RR and MU is winning and that prompted me to get stay away. I agree albeit, mad superstition but I am a FANATIC and will do anything it takes for MU WIN.
Anyway I am back and look forward for more interactions with you all.
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@Grognard: makes a lot of sense mate. But I don’t agree with your choice of managers. If we are looking short term then murinho is ok. But if we are at long term and preserving the tradition of United, it will be very hard to find someone in Fergie’s class. Pep is okay. But that position is a very big void to fill. Only very few can. Of course I agree with most of the rest, only SAF words come to mind again….there is no value in the market
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@Traverse: WE need more than a player who is “strong with a good engine” We have Fletch and hopefully Hargo next season for that. We need creativity skill in our midfield someone who can chip in with goals and open up defences he would also being £20mplus and that is far too much for him, he has had the proverbial one good season we need world class quality and he is and will never be that.
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@Stephen: That’s why I listed 10 other attributes.
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NicoQB, I admit my comment on Evra was made from a defensive standpoint. Defensively this is Evra’s most consistent season and there have been way fewer errors than usual, even if he hasn’t been getting forward as much as in previous seasons.
Redrich, I cannot wait to hear your comments about Count Berbatov! Keep them coming.
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Reading the Sun the latest story is that Evra is the next to want a move out of Old Trafford for a new challenge and with only a few years left on his contract we may be forced to sell. Hope it is not true because full backs his quality are like gold dust.
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@colver: Sounds like nonsense.
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Carragher going to the World Cup, a man who turned his back on England as cover for RB.
Gary Neville, a man who has never given up on England, and played much better than Carragher this season is not. Total jokes.
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My assessment of the season.
Defence.
Steady,has been injured,we conceded less goals,but overall i dont think it has been as rock solid.7/10.
Midfield.
Do we have any? apart from Fletcher who played all over,we were always exposed and i dont buy Gibsons story either.Carrick needs to go back to Spurs and Anderson either given an extended run or sold. I shall explain this further.
Just before Nani was given time to show what he was made of,everyone wanted him gone and a different face brought in.He came,played well and everyone sees him as the second coming.Believe me,the manager sees these players for a long time before he buys them and if he buys them expensively,they must be good.The question we have to ask is?Why do all these players regress at Old Trafford? And the answer is…the manager losing faith in them or not giving them enough time.Every player thrives on confidence.
wingers.
They have been excellent and i dare say if if we had played Nani before,we wouldnt have lost some of the free points we did.They have made our strikers score.Check the stats.
Strikers
This has been a strikers year.Bent 24 drogba 31, Rooney 26?
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@donibrasco: Well you know I agree with you about King Louis Nani
.
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@Traverse: He is and will never be World class, we need to bring in a layer who will dramatically inprove the side and Milner will not do that.
If and this is a big if Hargo regains full fitness and with Fletch we have enough cover in that department. We need a creative playmaker in the centre not Milner, who is a good player but really not that good who would be stupid money £20 plus million for Milner is crazy and that is what he will cost.
Personally Parker would be a cheaper option obviously not as good, but would not be a regular starter and has been superb for West Ham, this would also allow you to buy another midfield player Hamsik for example who could turn out to be a really top player.
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@donibrasco: Or in Anderson’s case he simply wasn’t good enough from the start, Gibson will get more games and Carrick who has been good has lost his way which players do at big clubs, butas usual you blame the manager, he has brought a few players thru as well.
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@Traverse: I don’t think any player who said he never wanted to play for England again, and went off in a hissy fit sulking, should be allowed to go to the World cup when he has contributed zilch to all the players who worked their guts out to get there, and will not be going. I hope Carragher gets boo-ed every time he touches the ball if he plays – disgusting!
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@Stephen: I hope to see Tom Cleverley get a good chance to see what he can do this season Stephen.
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@Stephen: Lasagne Diarri is a pretty good player, who Le Arse have always regretted shipping out!
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@colver: Evra as good a player as he is, is quite deficient defensively when he is facing really SPEEDY wingers. And they are becoming more prevelant! Also for supposedly being the best left back in the world, going forward for us – which he does far too often for my personal liking, his end product into the box, or his often potshots at goal are farcical to say the least
.
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@Redrich: Rich mi man, are you sure you are not somebody else IN DISGUISE
. Good post comments though, but you won’t mind if I keep my hail and hearty-ness will you 
. I would be lost without it mate!
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@Redrich: I wish people would stop making non informed comments about RedRanter – we do not know his personal circumstances at all, and people have their own personal problems and struggles that are more important than this blog and its commenters just now. Perhaps he has his own life things to be preoccupied with right now!
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@CraigMc: Cleverley does look good I must say and I would take Diarra tomorrow also Drenthe which both would be the same money as Milner and better.
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@Stephen: Pity we didn’t get Sneider when we had the chance eh? Is Drenthe as good as you think he is Stephen??? Fergie should go for Lasagne Diarra – rather than Mahamadou Diarra do you think? I hope Cleverley will be available for pre season tour, but I don’t know where he is with his injury – do you Stephen? If so DO TELL eh?
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@CraigMc: I like Drenthe he has just turned 23, he can play left back left mid and would be a sensible buy, Sneider was a real missed oppotunity and Las would be the obvious Diarra and a crackin buy!!
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@Stephen: Well if Drenthe is a real madrid player and they do manage to steal Evra from us, then maybe we need to get Drenthe as part of deal. I agree about Lasagna Diarra and our loss over Sneider.
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It surprises me to find that there are still people out there who think Mourinho is NOT a good candidate for the next United managerial job?
Realistically, he is the only one that has enough of an aura to not let the ship sink when Fergie leaves. The next manager will be under massive pressure to live up the the Fergie legacy. Don’t think there are many that would be able to cope with that.
@Stephen, no, I’m not being negative for negative’s sake. The football I’ve been entertained with was negative. Hell, it was so negative, it makes Mourinho’s style look like a ‘ray of sunshine’. I’m also not going to explain myself anymore to people who ‘don’t get what I mean’. Too much stress and I just end up getting deeper in shit than what I started off.
I stand by those ratings. It’s been that poor a season. As Redrich said, it is no surpise really.
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where is Rodrigo Posseborn?
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@Karl: Most managers would say that they are not in the entertainment business mate they are in the getting results business, also we have not got the players bar Nani and Rooney who get fans off their seats. Also Evra, Vida, EVDS, Fletch, Nani and Valencia deserve more than 5 out of 10, simple.
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@Karl: You also want to be entertained but you want Mourinho as our next manager???
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I want Keano as the next manager.what you all think…..
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@Owen: why?
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I think I might have made a girl pregnant…
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Stephen, I agree. What we need is a replacement for Scholes. A playmaker who can keep our midfield ticking. But someone younger than Scholes who has the legs to get up and down the pitch. The reality is that England do not have such a player (excepting Scholes). And that is why the England national team always does badly against teams like Spain and Brazil who can pass the ball around in midfield. Luckily we aren’t restricted to English players (although Fergie seems to prefer them). So we should go for someone like Gourcuff or Silva.
Milner would be a useful player to have in addition. But not for £20-25 million. He is worth no more than £15 million. But he won’t be available for that so there is no point going for him.
However if we could trade him for Carrick and £5 million then that would interest me, as he is very versatile.
I still think that Pienaar would be an interesting signing on the cheap. He made it into team of the season and has performed well for club and country. Wouldn’t be a first team starter but can add some squad depth so we do not have to rely on turkeys like Anderson and Carrick.
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please does anyone know where Rodrigo Posseborn played on loan and his performance?
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@Redrich: Great write ups Red. Really enjoyed that. A nice companion piece to my long post where I gave names of players and you pinpointed the actual needs in greater detail. Yet I cannot help but feel sorry for both of us. Do you ever get the feeling when you write a nice long post where you put your heart and soul into it and find that you get very little or any feedback from the rest of the group who at times resemble a bunch of ADD cases who have no patience or interest reading anything more than a short paragraph. I just get frustrated at times because I feel our efforts and especially mine (because I write many more long winded articles) are lost on the present group here. It used to be more would read and comment on what I would say. Now it feels like they cannot be bothered. I sometimes ask myself if it’s worth the time and effort on such an unappreciative group. Guess I’m just feeling sorry for myself. Anyway, just letting you know that I read both parts of your analysis and loved it.
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We should send Carrick and Berba to Ipswich on loan for 2 months so that Keano will let them know what it means to play for United…
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Eddy while RedRanter would obviously disapprove of talking about your personal life online, he hasn’t made his presence made in months. So all I can say speaking from experience is do not jump to conclusions. Women are strange creatures and my girlfriends have had periods up to two or three weeks late and weren’t pregnant. Take her to a doctor, do not pressure her to get rid of it-it is her body and when you know the result discuss the situation calmly with her like an adult.
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@colver: Oy mate, I know that.
Don’t wanna be cocky or anything, but the season is over and we might as well get to know eachother better. You guys know a lot about me, I know alot about Grog, Dan, Craig, Opti, RedRitch, Onkar and Stephen, so these football-holiday days we might as well just chat. There are few blogs who get overpopulated during the off-season, and this season has decreased rather than increased lately. So sorry for sharing my life on here, but I look at you guys as friends and we might as well talk about every kind of shit these days. Not against Red Ranter policy, of course, I don’t wanna go against him with stretching it to the limit, but discussing real-life incidents these days are not something I would say is unappropriate. 
Oh, and by the pregnant things, still early days but we just jumped to the conclusion “maybe, just maybe”…
And about women being strange creates, you fucking me?! 
I tell ya this, if there is one thing the smartest man in the Universe wouldn’t be able to figure out it would be a woman. Forty Two my ass, I want a better answer! 
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you just dream of having this guy in our team.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JORds2NkdMA&playnext_from=TL&videos=mtRMbqjst_Q&feature=sub
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@colver: If we couls do a deal with Carrick for Rodwell or Arteta who would be a great signing for us then I would be rather pleased.
Milner for me is jus the new “flavour of the month” player like Ashley Young was a year ago, we need ideally a genuine world class centre mid, or a calculted purchase in a hloding role and in a creative role with the ideology that Carrick will leave.
Flamini, Van Der Vaart, Arteta, Hamsik, Ozil, Diarra, Parker ideally Gourcuff and Rodwell are all really good options in my book and why havn’t we looked at Eden Hazard???
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@Owen: No.
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What is or could be a good thing for Fergie is that Benzema has been omitted from the French World Cup squad, so his price won’t sky rocket, so has Nasri and Bojan from the Spanish ah as an Englishman we can only dream of such luxuries!!
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@Grognard: Thank for that, mate.
I wish I had the time to do it all the time but I’m a victim of this modern world and do a lot of scurrying around. Between work obligations, family, United games, and whatnot, I often don’t have much left in me to think it all through.
I get your point though, and would much rather involve myself in a thoughtful discussion than a snippy argument. Perhaps now the season is over we can talk at length about things instead of spinning from one drama to another – which is really what a footy season is all about!
By the way I thought your piece on our prospects for the transfer window was terrific. A great who’s who of the best ones available. I really should have said something sooner – I think I was a little self absorbed with my own thing at the time.
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Foster sold for 4 million, rising to 6 million pending.
YAY!
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@EduardoDaVinci4: Christ mate, don’t you wear a helmet?
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@ROOOOONEY: You and me both mate. He’s number one on my want list.
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@Redrich: Thanks for that mate. Funny thing is that although it takes an effort to write something as large as my big post, for me it only takes a few minutes. I type fast and think on the run so the time is not an issue for me, but the effort is. It’s like I want to talk serious footy with many on here and compare ideas and notes but nobody other than you and a few others ever seems to want to get beyond the one sentence comments or answers. My fantasy would be to be in a pub drinking ale with you, Eddy, Colver, Karl and a few others and just talking footy for 4 or 5 hours straight while drinking ourselves into a stuper.
I guess I just have too much time on my hands. That may change in the upcoming months as I may be getting into business with a good friend and will have less and less time to give to such trivial things as football and blogging. But that still isn’t a guaranteed thing so until then, I am opening up the invitation to all to have some serious and interesting debates and sharing of ideas regarding out team and even the World Cup. 
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@Grognard: I just dream about your list, but that is just it, it is your list not fergie’s
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@Grognard: I was drunk…
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@Stephen: I take it your not a Ashley young fan, I love him. I can’t for the life of me understand how Walcott got selected and young didn’t.
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Grognard, that is a lovely sentiment. Id love to hang out with all your guys this summer, watching the United players in action in the World Cup, scouting talent, drinking beers, picking up chicks and escaping the drudgery of modern life.
Johnsom, Walcott got selected because of what he did to Croatia and Barcelona. He is Capello’s Hail Mary from the bench.
Good to hear we’ve sold Foster. It is about time we got rid of fringe players.
I hope we sell Gibson for £5-10 Million. Tosic for £10 million.
That in itself would give us £20 million to spend so we could at least get the ball rolling with a summer signing.
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Foster = 4-6 million
Gibson = 5 million
Tosic = 12 million
Carrick = 10 million
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TOTAL = 30 million
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Will not want Ferdinand and Berbatov sold, because one is England’s captain in WC and the other cannot replaced on the cheap.
30 million plus 10-50 million from transfer kitty. Means we have 40-60 million this summer if we sell the above.
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