Jul 16
Who is this Alexis Sanchez Chap?
Yesterday according to reports, Udinese rejected an offer from United for Chilean winger, Alexis Sanchez. He is a 19 year old winger who had a successful loan spell at River Plate last season and Udinese have slapped a fee of 20m euros.
Anyway, since there is little to talk about today, here’s a video of the kid. It’s going to be some sort of pattern from now on: club linked to some twinkly-toed winger; papers report he is the next Ronaldo; on repeat.
And below is the video of his game for River Plate against Boca Juniors in their Super Clasico where he really turned it on.
On that evidence he seems a rather handy player at 19, but experience has shown that Youtube videos can’t always be trusted.
Oh well, it’s a quiet day, so you may as well feast your eyes on some up and coming talents.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Ribery, Sanchez, Silva or Eto’o? Who will replace Ronaldo?!
- Ronaldo transfer money harder to spend in reality
- United Barca Preview
- United vs Fulham: Preview
- Air Superiority
Tags: Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours · Manchester United Videos
July 16th, 2008 at 9:38
im worried… not massively but… i think (and this chap can be used as evidence) that we are becoming victims of our own success in regards to this transfer window… i think this is perhaps the second or third? player that we have been strongly linked to, only for the owning club or the agent to come out and say man utd offer has been rejected.. now this all depends on how much you believe these stories or if its just the work of individual players and agents attempting to make some quick press coverage. but i think that because we had such a successful time last year clubs around the world know that we are wadded. now im not saying that this means that we won’t bring any players in but im definatly thinking that when we do, they will be rather young and unheard of, on par with anderson and nani last season.
also regarding berbatov, do i think he would be a good player for us? deffinatly. he’s proven in the Premier league for a half decent team. and also more interestingly im pretty sure i saw some stats saying that if you add goals and assists together, after Ronaldo and Rooney, Berbatov is the player with the most last year.. imagine a front line that consists of the top three combined goal and assists!
the only down side is his age, whilst he’s not henrik larsson he certaintly isn’t aguero. so whilst i would aprove of his joining utd the fee we by him at can tread a fine line between being a good price and a total ripoff, and judging by the carrick incident it will be the latter, i think the Ashavin saga is similar… player at 27 wanted for £20+million…bit daft really, i mean Ronaldhino twice voted player of the year and doubtless talent is on his way to millan for what …£12million? seems a bit disproportionate to me….
p.s. gotta love the citeh for dreaming about getting him… loving it even more that their dellusions of grandeur have caught up with them, and lets hope this time next season we’re saying “Jo who?”
July 16th, 2008 at 9:48
he looks good! all that trickery reminds me of an early ronaldo. but then again every footballer could look good if you just put all their best moments together.
July 16th, 2008 at 10:22
@Will: I agree, when you consider some of the players that have been transfered like Deco, Ronaldinho, and even Adebayor who scored alot more than Berbatov last season and is rumoured to be leaving for 18 to 20 million, Berbatovs fee is too high at 28 mill, somewhere between 20 and 24 would be fair to both parties.
July 16th, 2008 at 10:45
I agree guys I have been saying that for a while, we do pay well over the odds for players, Fergie does seem to get very focussed on the individual rather than the position.
I am not complaining because of the success he has brought but we do need to play hard ball sometimes with other clubs who do hold us to ransom.
Also we do tend to let our players go for a pittance, Butt, P Neville, Smith, Forlan, Bathez, Veron were sold at a big loss, when we paid big money for, especialy considering the money they owed us for Stam and their fiancial situation at the time. Beckham was sold very cheap considering Real made the fee back the day he signed via merchandise!!
I would love Berbatov, and believe he will sign for us and probably for £30m, knowing us!
July 16th, 2008 at 12:20
(Sky Sports News)
Combined goals and assists 2006-08:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 62
2. Wayne Rooney – 47
3. Dimitar Berbatov – 45
July 16th, 2008 at 12:31
this is weird, in Football Manager he is on my team with Sunderland and is more of a striker than a winger and is also absolutely amazing in it. I thought that he was another good in football manager, decent in real life player but I actually came close to asking about him once or twice. Anyway I feel that this could kill 2 birds with one stone and be the backup winger/striker all in one. Unless he is really special then he shouldn’t be an automatic starter but if we sign him then we only need one more signing (top class winger would be my choice but everyone wants a striker) and we have come a long way in replacing Ronaldo. Hey maybe FM is like real life
July 16th, 2008 at 12:35
also we paid more than 20m euro for Anderson and that worked out
July 16th, 2008 at 13:05
just sign the lad!!!!!
July 16th, 2008 at 13:50
Manchester United may finally be ready to talk about selling Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, with owners the Glazer family deciding he can go (1309 BST, Marca)
More crap from the Madrid mouthpiece
July 16th, 2008 at 14:36
Dong is playing for China in the Olympics. What if he’s awesome?
No, no I was just kidding.
July 16th, 2008 at 14:45
Very apt name Dong.
July 16th, 2008 at 15:31
Is it something wrong on my side or are both the videos really saying no longer available?
July 16th, 2008 at 15:37
It may be a matter of crying wolf too many times but I have
the feeling that this time Marca’s crap may
ring true. Mixed feelings!
July 16th, 2008 at 16:13
I think the club needs to put us all straight with what is really happening with Robaldo. We have made statements about a month ago, but the Real juggernaut is still running @ 100 miles per hour. Fergie recently has refused to comment which is strange, Ronaldo has been playing his usual candid game of cat and mouse.
When is he due to report back to Old Trafford? what the fans hate is silence, and the club should make an announcement, have they spoken to the player? Is he being sold for a certain figure? Nobody knows which I think we all find fustrating.
We have had to put up with a lot over the past few months since that night in Moscow, all we would like is infomation not a lot to ask for!
July 16th, 2008 at 16:27
@Fred The Red: He’s not all about goals. That’s the problem and Spurs know this better than anybody. Nobody except perhaps Drogba is better at holding the ball up or playing the lone striker than Berbatov. His first touch and protection skills are second to nobody. Also, his assists alone make him worth 20 million. The man has incredible vision and tremendous finesse and can feather passes to teammates in goal scoring positions like it’s nobody’s business. For me he’s worth the price even if it’s high. He is a special player and will make those around him that much better with his play making skills. Nobody has to believe a word I say. The proof is in the pudding. There is evidence out there of what he is capable of.
July 16th, 2008 at 16:43
He is class no doubt, I just hope we buy @ least one more player to to freshen up the squad regardless of what happens to Ronaldo.
If Saha leaves we are still one stiker short, Tevez, Rooney, Berba that only 3 recognised forwards, and I won’t put Welbeck, Manucho or Campbell in that mould.
The is still a place for the Hunter!!!! The thought of Rooney/Berbatov or Tevez/Huntelaar sounds like Ole/Teddy and Yorke and Cole, very sexy!!
July 16th, 2008 at 17:00
Now regarding this Sanchez. Unlike many who only get to see a highlight reel on YouTube I have had the pleasure of seeing River Plate play around 8 times this season and I saw Sanchez play 5 times. This boy has great skill and has all the earmarks of future greatness. Does he have the ability to be the world’s best like Ronaldo? Probably not but the skill set is there and he is only 19. I will give you the positives and negatives as I see them based on 5 games (which is not enough to base an accurate rating of a player but it sure beats YouTube snippets).
POSITIVES;
1. Tremendous ball control skills and is a great dribbler with the ball.
2. Has a wide range of tricks and skills to skin opponents with but isn’t quite the show pony Ronaldo is or that the highlights indicate.
3. His greatest skill is his vision and passing ability. Tremendous touch passing and through balls as well as adept at crossing the ball.
And he does this with great pressure on him. His finesse passes occasionally remind me of GOD, aka Juan Roman Riquelme.
4. Not a bad finisher but still has work to do. His shot isn’t outstanding but he does get himself into good positions.
5. Has great composure for a 19 year old and does not get too high or too low in games.
6. Plays with his head up and is always looking to make the pass first and the pony trick second. Ronaldo of course is the other way around.
7. Is a consummate team player and seems to get more from creating a goal than from scoring it.
8. Has decent pace but I wouldn’t call it outstanding for a player who plays wide. Still, his ball control and dribbling skills make up for his medium speed. In speed I’d rate him close to Park from what I’ve seen. Not slow but not a burner either.
9. He’s only 19 and the world is his oyster. So much can be done with a player so young.
10. He is not a diver and a drama queen from what I’ve seen. Right now he plays like an innocent virgin.
NEGATIVES;
1. He lacks the physicality to fight off hard defenders and gets bumped or shouldered off the ball easily
2. At this age it is expected but in the five games he played that I saw, he really featured well in 3 of them (including the big game vs Boca) and was virtually invisible in the other two games. He will need to build on consistency.
3. His burst of speed is OK but not in the same stratosphere as Ronaldo’s. Ronaldo is lightning quick from a dead stop position to a ten yard sprint. I’m not saying he’s slow, just not lightning fast for a winger.
4. I have not noticed him taking free kicks or penalties so in that arena, he’s obviously not in Ronaldo’s class. And that’s a big area where the comparisons to Riquelme end.
5. He is only 19 and so his impact will be limited for 2 to 3 years. By that time Fergie will have gone and then what? A project like Sanchez needs the security blanket a great coach and mentor brings to him and if he up and retires, that leaves him in a cold and insecure environment. Will he then want to go to Italy or Spain?
6. He’s Latino and there is always the chance his biggest desire and dream is to play for either Real or Barca and so we face the same bullshit with him that Ronaldo is shoveling at us right now. Not a deal killer but a concern.
So there you have it for what it’s worth. I personally love the player but I also know that he will have a hard time getting acclimated to the English game, lifestyle, culture and weather. There is no Queiroz around to father him and will Tevez be willing to take up the role of Big Brother. The boy is only 19 so how long will it be until we see the best of him and will that happen? Under Fergie I say two years and yes it will. But if Fergie is retiring in two or three years what happens then? Unless United hire a Latin speaking manager, I feel this young man may want to bolt. Just my paranoia but it’s there nevertheless. A couple things about Aguero, he hates Real and he has had his fill of Spain. Sure he would cost a mint but I think his childhood love for United coupled with the team’s stature and success guarantees us at least five if not more years with the lad. He’s also dressed to thrill now as he has been bloodied already and has the experience from La Liga and internationals to be more ready for England’s prime time. Without knocking Sanchez, Aguero at only 20 is the better player of the two by far and has the most upside. And most importantly, he can replace Ronaldo right now and we won’t skip a beat.
July 16th, 2008 at 17:15
Having said all that about Sanchez I am sick and tired of all this waiting to see things happen both with Ronaldo and with the transfer market. Enough already! Jeez!
I wish United would show some fucking urgency and get some business done. As it’s shaping up we will have no new additions come the start of the season and Ronaldo will still be here sitting at home while the team goes out without him, no new striker, a suspended Nani, a possibly not 100% Anderson and possibly no Rio if he also gets suspended. This year’s schedule is the schedule from Hell and we are not very strong to start the season with so many difficult road games early on. Am I the only frakken person on the planet that sees the potential danger and tragedy ahead? If they have the money like so many of you seem to think they do, then why are they not spending it. They spent well over the market values for Hargreaves, Carrick, Rio and Nani. Why won’t they just spend an extra too bloody million to finally get Berbatov? Is that 2 million that vital to their bloody survival? I don’t know. 
It’s time they got their asses in gear and stopped playing games and procrastinating. The season is just around the corner and I see them really doing poorly for the first 6 games because they sat on their butts and did nothing to improve the team as well as secure their needed depth due to suspensions and injuries and a lack of depth at striker. Ad to that, they continue to let the cancer known as Ronaldo linger and spread until he poisons more of the team and causes dissension and trouble.
On a side note, I find it interesting now that Wesley Sneijder has come out saying that signing Ronaldo would cause dissension and trouble within Real Madrid’s ranks. Possible but I think it’s Sneijder realizing he is earmarked for the subs bench if Ronaldo shows up as they play the same position.
July 16th, 2008 at 17:28
Chaps,
My misses recently bought “OK!” magazine to look at pictures of Wayne wedding. (I didn’t buy it, honest)
There is an awesome picture in there I must show you all:
Clicky
John O’Shea looks like a man I’d like to go to the pub with!
July 16th, 2008 at 17:30
I still do not know why me never made a bid for Nasri, unless Le Arse were always in pole position for his servies.
I personally think we need to steer clear of the Latino players and try to go for more French, Dutch as we know they can handle the climate, and generally settle better over here.
Or maybe I am just bitter, but putting all our eggs in the Latino/Med basket could prove costly.
July 16th, 2008 at 17:59
@Stephen: We don’t have as good a chance for French players because once we are linked to them, Wenger steps in.
Yes we have had Cantona, Blanc, Barthez and Evra now but French players are generally arrogant and what a French influence in a club to give them a feeling of security. Signing Blanc as #2 would greatly help.
July 16th, 2008 at 18:06
I totally agree, Blanc would be a really good number 2.
World cup winner, played in Spain and for us, which important as knows the club.
Ps you forgot William Prunier!!
July 16th, 2008 at 18:16
Adding on the topic on sanchez, judging from wat i seen from the video, he looks like a good impact sub! Against boca, he seems to be the only one running and running. He got speed to burn i guess. So i think man utd shld sign him as backup to nani and ronaldo(who i’m confident he will still be at man utd come this season).
July 16th, 2008 at 18:19
Hey,
I’ve had a chance to follow Alexis’ career since his days in Cobreloa as a 16 year old. He’s definately a great player with great potential. I’ll just comment on what it is that I think makes him a great player and an even greater prospect, and also on what he needs to improve on.
Great Player:
- Alexis has such great ball control that its scary. He rarely loses a ball and can get past any defender with his trickery.
- He has great speed, not crazy great, but what is even more important is his fitness. He never stops running and always goes hard. During one game with River he recuperated an unbelievable 22 balls as a forward, which later prompted the coach (Simeone) to use him as a holding midfielder in some games. He’s the fittest player at his age that I’ve ever seen.
- Very unselfish, always looking for the pass, and can string balls in through defenders.
Great Prospect:
- A shy kid that doesn’t give interviews (only 1 once in Argentina) and has never been caught doing some of the stupid things or saying some of the stupid things that a lot of young players do.
- Team first player, hard worker, and a team leader despite his shyness with the press.
Needs to Work on:
- Finishing … doesn’t score too many goals. At River its hard to judge his performance because the team didn’t own him so they weren’t interested in developing him. He played as a midfielder, a holding midfielder, but never as a striker (which is what he is).
- His crosses from the wings need to improve because they often don’t find anyone.
- He has to work on being a bit more selfish…sometimes he looks to make a pass when he has a shot and it may end up not working out.
*** Is he the next Cristiano ronaldo. He’s far from it right now, but the skill set is similar. I do see him as a potential top player in the world one day, but probably not as the best in the world. Right now Bielsa has him as a starter for the national team, favoring him over Inter Milan’s Luis Jimenez and Real Betis’ Mark Gonzalez.
*** the people in Colo Colo and in River loved him, not for his goals or his trickery – nice as they were- but because of the way he runs down every ball, closes all spaces, pressures alld efenders for the entire game. He’s the kind of kid who seems like he has too much enegry, he’ll run down an attacking player for 50 yards to steal the ball and then run back up field looking for a scoring chance.
- I saw all of the U20 WC live and can compare him to players like Pato, Giovanni dos Santos, Aguero, and Vela. He plays with more give than all of them and is better on the flanks than they are. He doesn’t have nearly the finishing capacity that they do though, and that’s what he has to work on to be one of the best.
July 16th, 2008 at 18:38
Not thinking about commenting about Sanchez cause Ive never seen him play, never heard of him and I never trust Youtube vids.
!) in LA. Now, good for him that he isnt interested in Hilton, cause she is a pathetic, desperate, millionare chick that I dont see why people call hot. I would prefer Nereida, but Hilton is just bad news. He would come in problems with her. Now, I got off track, but my point is why is Ronaldo in LA for business. That article didnt write that he is there for business, but I read that he was at the club talking business with people in black suits. Is that about a move to Real, is it just a commercial he is runnig, does he want gangsters to kill people that prevent him from movein, or is it just about him rehabilitating. I dont see why he is in America now that he is injured- going at night clubs and talking business. He must be out of him mind! Wanting to move from United, making jokes with the press, playing games with the fans and the club and now this. Whats happend to that shy, cool Portugese guy that joined us to become the best player in the world. He became the best, but his personality has changed. The question is why and when!?
But Ronaldo, he turned down Paris Hilton(
July 16th, 2008 at 18:55
@RedDevil: I wouldn’t look too much into it mate, due to him being in demand I wouldn’t be surprised if he was getting another sponsership deal.
Regarding Sanchez, I’ve been hearing rave reviews about him for a few months, but I myself haven’t seen him play. Looking at the videos he seems to be a very good dribbler of the ball and in the Boca vid he was often looking to make attacking passes forward. However, he did look a bit lightweight, and the price that Udinese want for him (reportedly €20m) is extremely steep for a youngster completely unproven in Europe.
July 16th, 2008 at 18:55
Ronaldo is in la for the espys (espn award show)
he is nominated for best male athlete
sure he ignored paris hilton have you seen his taste in women… gemma and nereida… big ass and thys and natural tits
July 16th, 2008 at 19:50
@Grognard: I agree with everything you say about Berba, hes a class act, but Im just comparing the valuation of the players mentioned, not their playing styles, 20 to 25 million is a fair price for both parties, 28 to 30 is too much.
Having said that, if he comes in and lights the place up, which I believe he will, then the extra 3 or 4 million might seem like peanuts.
July 16th, 2008 at 20:01
i can’t ignore the parallels between the real’s pursuit of ronaldo and united’s pursuit of berbatov. both don’t want to play for their respective clubs, both are still under contract with their respective clubs, both united and tottenham are saying no to bids, and both real and united are sticking around. the only difference is that united are not using the media to get what they want. is united in essence pulling a real? someone please tell me that i’m full of shit.
July 16th, 2008 at 20:14
“Sergio Aguero, 20, has ruled out the possibility of a move to
Chelsea or Manchester United by insisting he wants to stay
at Atletico Madrid “for one or two years more”
(1943 BST Press Association)”
That rules him out of the equation now.
Primachenko, they are very different as we haven’t said anything to the media about him, and we have actually made a bid, Madrid haven’t even made a bid yet, and say they won’t until we say that we’ll sell him, which really means they’ve tapped up Ronaldo and told him to kick up a fuss when he returns to us so much that we’ll want/have to sell him to them for a cheaper price, as they cannot afford the £70-80m that has been suggested. The whole thing stinks, whereas we have gone about things properly.
July 16th, 2008 at 20:24
@Ramon Meza: I for one appreciate your thorough breakdown on Sanchez. It’s always great to get an honest perspective from somebody who has seen a player play plenty of times because lets face it, a few games or highlights are just not enough minutes to properly judge a player’s total skill set and value. Thanks for the post.
July 16th, 2008 at 20:25
Grognard – How do you know they’re pissing about? I’m sure the management are working very hard on bringing in new players. I’ll start worrying about no-one coming in when there’s only a week left till the season starts. Right now though, i see no reason to be concerned at all regarding funds and transfer targets. You don’t know that united and spurs are in disagreement over an extra 2 million. We haven’t spend money yet but they will be working on it. It’s not that close to the start of the season. The only positive to rushing a deal or giving in to demands right now would be that it would please the fans. Getting the best deal possible is much more important. As it’s shaping up we appear to have a few options that we are looking at and are actively pursuing them. Also, carrick was brought in on the 31st of july.
Sneijder and ronaldo don’t play in the same position so there would be no need for him to worry about that. As a playmaking midfielder, sneijder is better than ronaldo. He is their best central midfielder and his place certainly isn’t under threat.
July 16th, 2008 at 20:28
@Primachenko: Full of shit mate
, and I’ll tell you why… United have made bids for Berbatov, and Spurs have said we will only sell for this or that price.
Fake Madrid have made NO bid for Ronaldo, and United have said he is not for sale. They have told everyone who will listen that they will buy him and pay this much for him, except for the club that owns his registration!
July 16th, 2008 at 20:29
@RedDevil: Paris Hilton is a complete waste of time and a sad indictment on society and the way they can turn total trash into celebrities. She is a complete no talent and even worse, everyone she touches or gets close to she destroys. She is a skinny Black Widow (in her case platinum blonde) Widow spider that preys on the celebrity of others. That’s how she keeps herself in the public eye. Ronaldo may be dead to me but even I don’t wish Paris Hilton and her new boob job on him. Even if he does deserve to be turned into a PARISite.
July 16th, 2008 at 20:29
alexofmancunia,
thanks, so i’m full of shit after all.
July 16th, 2008 at 20:34
@Fred The Red: If his abilities keep us in first place and help us to the CL final once again he will have paid off his employers tenfold. I am concerned about his moodiness but I have faith that Fergie will know how to deal with him having turned Cantona into a team player rather than the me player he was in France and at Leeds. The other difference though is Cantona never had to worry about being rotated or subbed off very often. Berbatov will have to make time for Tevez and others in a rotation system. That could cause problems as he was rarely subbed offer kept out of the starting eleven by Spurs. And when he was subbed off or benched for a game, he didn’t take it well.
No question about his abilities being worth the financial risk though.
July 16th, 2008 at 20:46
@Primachenko: They are also not tapping up the player and creating a campaign where they poison the player with blind promises, and tell him how great it would be if he was with us. How many United players have come out praising Bebratov and begging him to sign with us? NONE, ZERO. United do not tapp up players and they do not use their own players through the media to unsettle a player and the team he players for. Unlike Madrid they have contacted Spurs and placed a bid for Berbatov which is within their rights. They have not broken any rule by doing this. I have news for you mate, 99.9% of all transfer happen while the player is still under contract with his existing team. Otherwise he would be a free agent and they could just sign him. From what you are saying is that all transfers are like Real because teams are going after players who are under contract. Well….DUH….YA..They do. What they don’t do is put a sleazy campaign of innuendo, misinformation and bribery together with the Press’ and former and current players getting in on the act.
If Berbatov is unsettled at Spurs, it’s of his own doing. United making a bid and showing interest in him is within their rights. And I don’t see them playing games with Spurs now that Spurs are balking at the first offer. They are handling the negotiations with class, patience (too much for my liking) and respect for Tottenham. If the player wants out, all they are doing is saying to Spurs that we will gladly take him off your hands. Sorry but I don’t see the comparison or similarity in what United are doing and the reprehensible and disgusting tactics that Real and their allies have used to unsettle Ronaldo and force us to have to sell him. So please, mate give us all break with that rant because simply put, it holds no weight.
July 16th, 2008 at 20:49
@AlexOfMancunia: Fair enough but if push comes to shove, money talks. If United dangle a large enough carrot in front of Atletico and then are allowed to talk with and come to financial terms with Aguero, things could change rapidly. Come to think of it, didn’t our Ronaldo sing the same song for two years now up until the CL final. How the worm turns in this mercenaries battle for supremecy.
July 16th, 2008 at 20:58
@tevez: How do I know? Because they have donbe fuck all up to now. Look around you mate, deals are being completed left and right and all we are concerned about is keeping one asshole who doesn’t want to be here. Forgive me I think they are asleep at the wheel or possibly Fergie like Baldrick from Black Adder has a CUNNING PLAN and he will unleash Hell soon. I hope so but right now the start of the season is looming closer and closer and all I hear is things about players leaving, reserve players being assessed so that Fergie can clean house and strip down payroll etc. Yes they bid for Berbatov but the negotiations halted over two bloody million. Does that fill you with a lot of confidence? It sure does nothing for me and it certainly does not send a positive message about our financial situation and our inability to sign great players right now. I’m only a supporter and I’m not in the boardroom but from where I stand, it doesn’t look promising or optimistic. Perhaps things will happen soon , but frankly, I’ve been hoping for this for over a month now. The Berbatov bid gave me great optimism and then the talk for Aguero really opened my heart up with delusions of grandeur and hope. Now it seems all dashed again because they are squabbling over money that’s like 50 quid to you and me. Sorry, but that just pisses me off.
July 16th, 2008 at 21:00
@tevez: Sneijder is a RMF RAMF player so in many ways he does play the position that Ronaldo has played historically. The fact that Fergie chooses to move him around is mute as their is no guarantees of that kind of freedom under Schuster. Sure they could probably work both of them into the lineup but chances are, Sneijder will do a lot more sitting this season. He didn’t play as many games last year as a starter as one might think either.
July 16th, 2008 at 21:04
grognard,
that wasn’t a rant, just thinking out loud and wanting others to weigh in on what they thought. thanks for putting it all into perspective for me, i just wish it wasn’t with such supremacy and eye-rolling as if you are a much bigger fan than me and as if i’m giving you a hard time. if i’m misinterpreting your response, i appologize, but it just seems like every time i have something to say you jump all over me while making me feel like a complete idiot. i’m just as pissed about this whole ronaldo saga as everyone and just wanted to make sure we all are not being hypocritical.
July 16th, 2008 at 21:09
@Grognard: That post had a laughing smiley, although it was a honest thank you? A little smiley overload eh Groggy?
July 16th, 2008 at 21:27
Barcelona have signed Hleb for £11.8m(Arsenal paid £11.2m for him). Arsenal fans are not likely to be impressed as they have also lost Flamini to Milan and they are likely to lose Gilberto Silva to Panathinaikos, as well as the ongoing Adabayor transfer speculation. It is nice to know our rivals are having a bad summer in the current transfer climate. Arsenal hands down hold the title as top feeder club.
July 16th, 2008 at 21:31
@rsg: Yup. Thank fuck we’re not Arsenal fans.
I do have a feeling though, that they’ll still finish above Spurs.
July 16th, 2008 at 21:32
They have also lost Jens Lehmann to Stuttgart come to think of it. So cheer up everybody
July 16th, 2008 at 21:38
Grog
I told myself the same thing time and time again with Benzema. I’m gutted that we can’t sign him, but I don’t want players who see our club as second or third option.
I can’t see Aguero leaving this summer either, I may be wrong, but I just can’t see it.
July 16th, 2008 at 21:39
Wrong. They haven’t completed a deal yet but they certainly haven’t done fuck all. Ronaldo is not the only thing we are concerned with. Negotiations for berbatov did not halt over 2 million. They are not going to keep us posted about everything they do. They won’t give a shit if fans are concerned about a lack of activity. ‘We don’t have any money’, ‘nobody wants to join us’. They couldn’t care for the fans’ worries because behind the scenes they will be doing all they can to achieve the best possible transfer.
I think a deal for berbatov is on the cards. I expect nothing to materialise from the aguero talk. As i said before he is happy to stay at atletico. Even if we bid a huge sum of money and get permission to talk to him, i expect him to turn us down.
If you have been waiting in expectation of a signing for over a month now then you were expecting things to happen too quickly, rather than them not trying hard enough.
Everything appears normal. It is mid-july and we are negotiating with clubs regarding transfer targets.
July 16th, 2008 at 21:41
They also ended on a low last season, partly down to us
and Eduardo’s unfortunate injury will put them back further if they do loose Adabayor. They also still have to sort out issues such as captaincy. Do their players and fans really want Gallas as captain again 
July 16th, 2008 at 21:43
@Grognard: Sneijder is not a right-sided midfield player. He is a central midfield player and he’s real madrid’s best.
July 16th, 2008 at 21:43
What does everyone think of Jeremy Menez by the way? Personally, I think the £12m that Monaco want for him is a bargain for a player of his age and ability.
July 16th, 2008 at 21:49
Hull are after Campbell again which might mean another loan spell. I hope he isn’t sold without a chance playing with us.
July 16th, 2008 at 22:21
@tevez: He plays both on the right as well as the centre. It depends on who plays in the middle. If Guti plays then he moves to the right.
July 16th, 2008 at 22:36
@Red Ranter: True but if ronaldo is playing there then sneijder will not be on the bench he will be in the middle of the park.
July 16th, 2008 at 22:54
Robben and Robinho are the Madrid players that should be sweating over the Ronaldo saga and more worried than Sneijder.
July 16th, 2008 at 22:59
@tevez: Agreed. Also no one would really be sweating, because Robben would be injured for most of the year leaving no competition really — Robinho and Ronaldo on either wings. However, I think Madrid may be forced to sell Robinho if they buy Ronaldo; I can’t see how they’re going to raise the funds. Unless, they get another round of largesse from the government in the form of tax payer money.
July 16th, 2008 at 23:10
But robinho’s going to chelsea for 48 million. That doesn’t seem overpriced at all…
July 16th, 2008 at 23:13
@tevez: I think 48m is insane for someone who hasn’t really scaled the promised heights. It’s more than what Zidane was bought for, I think. At the moment, only Ronaldo and Messi deserve to be sold for more.
July 16th, 2008 at 23:19
@Primachenko: You are totally misunderstanding my intentions mate as I am rolling my eyes at the situation and not you. These smilies we use are good but tven they sometimes betray our intentions. No I do not think I am supreme although I admit to being a bit of an elitist. At this stage Red Ranter would remind me that I am a complete elitist. I have my views and I do believe in them but do not think that a well thought out argument that doesn’t agree with my thinking is not appreciated or respected on my part. So yes you did misunderstand my intentions. The situation with the club and the circumstances have me rolling my eyes and showing that smiley as well as the anger smiley a lot. But it’s not always directed at the person who I am replying to. This upcoming smiley is directed to you mate.
July 16th, 2008 at 23:21
@tevez: He is right sided but can play the middle. For years he played the right side at Ajax because van der Vaart patrolled the center. But he is less a winger as he is a RAMF.
July 16th, 2008 at 23:22
@Grognard: Get ready for more waiting then Grog, cus United is heading to SA tomorrow, so i think transfers are gonna slow down for the next 2weeks.
July 16th, 2008 at 23:24
@Red Ranter: Which post were you referring to RR? I’m a little confused by your post #42
July 16th, 2008 at 23:27
@rsg: I’m actually trying to figure out exactly what is happening over at Arsenal. As much as I hat them and Wenger, I have a great respect for the man as far as building a team and keeping his players happy and loyal. Why things have gone sour for him all of a sudden seems a mystery. He certainly seems to not be getting the respect and appreciation from his players that he has earned and that he deserves. Similar of course to what Ronaldo is showing Fergie. It’s a mystery and it makes no sense. Is money all that these cunts care about?
July 16th, 2008 at 23:30
@AlexOfMancunia: You are probably right, although, a 40 to 50 million dollar swoop could very well do it after they sell Ronaldo. Problem is, there are times where I think they will sell Ronaldo, and there are times that I feel Fergie is bent on keeping him no matter what. His track record is not to let players he still wants to go, only the ones he has tired of.
July 16th, 2008 at 23:32
@AlexOfMancunia: What the Hell is a Jeremy Menez? Shows how little I know about French football.
July 16th, 2008 at 23:34
@rsg: Perhaps Robinho but we have absolutely no interest in Robben and from what I’m reading nobody else does either. He’s already on the bench for the most part. Robinho will not be used a trade bait and he can play either wing or striker or supporting striker so he is ultra versatile.
July 16th, 2008 at 23:38
@tevez: Don’t believe everything you read.
July 16th, 2008 at 23:40
@Red Ranter: I’d place Aguero in that 48+ million plus club. In fact I rate him higher than Messi because he stays healthy. I think all that growth hormone they gave Messi when he was underdeveloped and young is the root cause for a lot of his injuries. It’s like how American athletes who take HGH or steroids seem to have many injuries that are attributed to the legs and feet..
July 16th, 2008 at 23:42
@Rd: You are right. They plan on putting me through misery and there isn’t a damned thing I can do about it except BITCH to my heart’s content on RedRants. Sorry for taking it out on all you fine fellows.
July 16th, 2008 at 23:47
@Grognard: Go to post 42, click on Grognard. It will take you to the post i responded to. (that’s the whole purpose of this reply-to feature — so that clicking on it will take you to the comment)
July 17th, 2008 at 0:00
right thats it… if we don’t sign someone soon, im gonna go insane.. ffs there is only so much bloody golf and cricket headlines i can take (im talking to you sky sports news) sort it out utd give me a reason to jump up and down again.. its been 55 days now..
July 17th, 2008 at 0:11
Grog, Menez is 21, he is a winger/second striker and can play striker too. He is an extremely strong dribbler (which I’m sure you’ll be able to see if you look on youtube) has has pace to burn, he can also play as a bit of a playmaker. Apparently we were interested in him when he was back at Sochaux, but nothing materialised and he went to Monaco (Inter also came very close to signing him recently but decided they didn’t want to match the £12m price tag). Now would be a good time to renew our interest in him as he only has just over 1 year remaining on his current contract (why he is so cheap for a player with his potential) and wants to leave to play Champions League football. I’m surprised you haven’t heard of him because he is one of a quartet of very promising youngsters labelled the future of French football. This quartet includes Menez himself, Arsenal’s Nasri, Ben Arfa now at Marseille to replace Nasri, and of course, the gem that is, Karim Benzema.
July 17th, 2008 at 0:18
@Red Ranter: Jeez call me stupid, I didn’t that was the case. I’m kind of embarrassed now.
July 17th, 2008 at 0:21
@Grognard: Naah, it can happen to anyone. I am not an elitist, you see, so I can accept that not everyone will be aware of everything.
(Just messing mate.)
July 17th, 2008 at 0:22
@Red Ranter: Ahh I got you. I meant a smile smiley and instead I clicked on the laughing one. I see what you mean. Their is a difference. I originally misunderstood what you were saying. I thought I was using too many smileys in one post. I understand now, thanks.
July 17th, 2008 at 0:24
@Will: Quality rant. I love it! And I agree. Although I am starting to enjoy the cricket highlights more and more.
July 17th, 2008 at 0:29
@AlexOfMancunia: Thanks for the info. No I haven’t heard of him because honestly, French football bores the Hell out of me and I have always hated French football and French players (except for the King and others who have played for us. They are forgiven for their French heritage) as I do not like certain aspects of their on and off pitch personalities and temperaments. I will have a look at this lad on YouTube although, I just hate highlight packages as they tell me very little. I’ll take your word for it though. Thanks again for the info. For me my limited knowledge of French football begins and ends in Lyon.
July 17th, 2008 at 0:31
@Red Ranter: Yes but it bugs me as an elitist that I messed up. I’m going to have to punish myself now.
July 17th, 2008 at 0:33
@Grognard: I’ve heard of Menez — apparently Portsmouth were in for him last year. Alex has given a good profile of him. I first heard of him from my days of Football Manager 2007 addiction — Modric, Menez were legends in that. Oh, I didn’t mention earlier, I am not a big fan of the FIFA/Pro-evo series — although I play it from time to time. But I am a big FM fan. Although over the past year I haven’t found the time for it.
July 17th, 2008 at 0:45
@Red Ranter: I was joking. That story was ridiculous. No player is worth 48 million. Zidane was not worth the 46 million real paid for him and he said that himself. Although we probably could get a world record fee for ronaldo he still is not worth that kind of money. Also, the 60 to 70 million dream just can’t happen. It’s too much.
Also grognard, the ben arfa to marseille deal could be a good example of a club bringing in a replacement before selling an important player. Nasri was heavily linked with arsenal for a while but the transfer did not seem to go through. Ben arfa was then bought from lyon and a short while later arsenal signed nasri.
Sneijder’s natural position is in the middle of the field, but he is versatile. His ability to still perform from a wide position leads to him being used there to accomodate other players. Like you said, he does not play as a winger from this position, but more as a RAMF as you describe it, which shows evidence of his natural insticts and abilities as a central midfielder.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:16
He looks good. Highly skillful, a left footer and not selfish at all(unlike slave boy). Plus he can actually step up in the big matches going by that Boca match. Sign him up.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:51
I don’t think people should get too worried about the time it’s taking with the Berbatov deal. If I remember correctly the Carrick deal took weeks and weeks to tie up. Spurs drive a hard bargain. I wouldn’t expect any more real news on this until after the SA trip at the earliest. And since he is our only target, that means no transfer news for another 14 days at least. Groggy will have pulled all his hair out by then……
July 17th, 2008 at 3:31
grognard,
fair enough mate
July 17th, 2008 at 5:08
@Red Ranter: Football Manager…..Now thats a game and a half let me tell you. I too was a confirmed addict going back to the mid 90’s when it was called Championship Manager and Eidos was getting along with the Collyer brothers who ran Sports Interactive. Although Warcraft, Starcraft and Halo fans may disagree, no gaming experience is more addictive than the experience you get from playing a hardcore marathon of Football or Championship Manager. It was like a drug and it could ruin marriages very easily. I gave it up because my old PC laptop was to slow and because my back began to really bother me at the same time. That meant less time sitting due to pain. I made the mistake of picking up it’s gutted out XBOX 360 version in late 2006. That sucked because you never had all the real meat of the game, no real in depth European or International leagues and tourneys nor was there any good downloadable content like player editors, pictures and kits, skins etc. I recently converted over to a MAC and when I did so I kind of promised myself I’d never game on it. It was meant for my more artistic and creative pursuits as well as the Internet and spending all my day on RedRants getting my Man Utd fix
I think it’s time I broke my oath and went back to it.
FIFA/PES were compromises on my part as I could play those games lying on my back or on a comfortable couch in front of a big tv where my back never felt the stress and discomfort. PES was godlike for me in 2005/06 versions as it had the greatest editing tool and allowed me to recreate entire Bundesliga teams, players and all teir features, characteristics and statistics according to the information I had from a few great German database programs and my 30 year collection of Kicker Yearbooks and my keen memory of many of these teams and players from the many episodes of “Soccer Made in Germany” I watched on PBS through the 70’s and 80’s. I think more of us 40 somethings from North America have a greater respect and know more about German soccer than even English footy from this period because of this fine program. We hardly ever got English footy until a highlight show started in the mid 80’s here in Canada. Tomany of you the names of commentators like Motson and Tyler are your audio links to the game. For me it was the great Toby Charles doing his gig like the true God he was for Soccer Made IN Germany. Man I loved listening to that guy do a game. It was that show and that man that seduced me towards the game more than anybody. And what I would do to get a collection of those telecasts for my collection now? It depresses me to think of it. And some of you may wonder where Grognard get s this love and itch for German football. From “Soccer Made in Germany”
FIFA became my new addiction in 2006 with their decent World Cup release and then FIFA 2007 and 2008 have been massive improvements in that often criticized and condemnend franchise. They really started to get it a bit but they are far from perfect and no matter how hard they try, they can never match Football Manager nor can they ever come close tot he fun I have had with the older version of PES on the old XBOX. Their new XBOX 360 version suck so badly I honestly feel rage thinking about it. But nevertheless, is it’s always great to run in to a devoted Football Manager addict who appreciates the the game like fine wine. Now that I get special shots for my back that allow me to sit in a chair for longer periods of time without great pain and the fact that Sports Interactive has released a MAC version of the game, it may be time to get back into Football Manager and all the online extras one can download to make the game even better. I just wished there was a football game that allowed me to create and develop players and teams from the past and then create and structure my own leagues and tournaments. Or a game that paid proper respect and homage to the teams and players from the past. Like an all time World Cup edition etc.
To be honest, I get sick of todays players and all that comes with them. I do love to go back to the past and relive and recreate teams and players from different eras that played the game for love and desire and where money really was secondary. Yes I know, I’m a dreamer.
Sorry for the long rant and retro journey. You just hit on a passion of mine which lead me to a few other passions. God when I get started………
July 17th, 2008 at 5:10
@Traverse: No kidding. My scalp is crying for relief. Eventually I’m going to have to invest in a hair piece due to my hair pulling.
July 17th, 2008 at 5:27
This whole business with Sneijder being quoted as saying that Ronaldo should stay away because the team would feel resentment towards him because of his salary is very interesting. This is coming after Sneijder and the Real Madrid chaps have all gotten together for their pre season training. None of this stuff was being said two weeks ago but it’s amazing how the atmosphere can change once these players start conversing with each other and talking the talk about this proposed transfer. It’s clear to me that many players have voiced their true feelings about Ronaldo coming over and being paid well more than any of them. And they should have a right to feel resentment. This sentiment is probably wide spread amongst the team’s players and so I think it has the potential to just blow up in Calderon’s and Ronaldo’s faces. I am afraid to say it but I think Real Madrid and not Fergie is going to be the one who causes this deal not to go through. Which will leave us with a pissed off as Hell Ronaldo with a bad attitude and no real focus. Even though it is not slavery, keeping a player when he clearly doesn’t want to be here is not wrong, it’s just stupid. But will Ronaldo’s attitude change now that he reads how his proposed future teammates have shunned him and that he has dropped the goldigging girlfriend that probably started the whole mess to begin with? I just don’t know. And really, do I want to care? I’ve got so much animosity built up for him right now, for him to stay and not leave for Madrid will make it difficult for me to watch games. It’s like watching your worst enemy have sex with your girlfriend. Rightnow Ronaldo playing for United in the future will feel like that. Am I suppose to cheer my enemy for giving my girl a good shag?
July 17th, 2008 at 10:04
I have been thinking a bit, and figure that though it sounds nice to say that we can buy 4 good players by selling Ronaldo alone, we should remember that only ONE can actually REPLACE him in the TEAM
.So, instead of talking about guys like Ramos and Lahm(????), why not stick to Aguero. The guy wants to leave Athletico, and the only club which can afford him, if we don’t poach him, is Chelsea. And that is not very reassuring, either. Moreover, however overpriced he may be, we can safely get him for 25 million pounds less than Ronaldo’s selling price. And Berba can be negotiated for, out of that money! Coming to our defence, I really think it is a tad thin especially with the sale of Pique. Now, if 2 of our ‘frontline’ defenders are injured, we will really really be in TROUBLE. So, probably we should just buy a versatile backup defender as well, for around 5 million pounds. Money shouldn’t be a big problem especially if we manage to get rid of Saha.
And people, finally – I am not using this outstanding place for advertising, but incase you are really bored due to the ACTION (so to speak), then I would be glad if you just move over to my blog and comment on it there. It’s a purely Manyoo blog too, started yesterday
http://www.newtonheathakamanutd.blogspot.com/
Cheers!!!
July 17th, 2008 at 10:07
I meant, lack of action ofcourse!
July 18th, 2008 at 11:39
@Anish: Please do not use the term Manyoo
July 18th, 2008 at 12:55
oops! sorry… Mistake
July 18th, 2008 at 14:01
@Anish: @Anish: Please do not use the term ManU/manyoo buddy.
August 5th, 2008 at 13:16
Sanchez, Menez,Aguero. Who is best? Id say aguero. but i wont be dissapointed if we got Sanchez.
Anish, i think that aguero wants to stay at atletico. they did qualify 4 champs league didnt they? but i would love it if he came here. in fact im not bothered if we only sign one player. Fergie is the master. he knows what to do, and he will do it. im am sure a mega trophy haul is on the way guys!!
August 6th, 2008 at 22:47
I think we should sign Sanchez and his team mate Falcao,both would be great for us in the long term!We need to sign at least a couple,we’ve lost so many players to this virus!Surely we won’t be doing any pre season’s in Africa again!!
February 9th, 2009 at 18:19
I am from Sao Paulo, and I have worked in Buenos Aires Argentina for the past 15 years. I could say that I follow River Platte as a club in Argentina. I must say this Sanchez is very good, with a lot of potential. Very skillfull. I saw him play a few games in Argentina, and it seemed that he is not a GOAL SCOARER but more of a winger. He creates lost of danger and also helps defend the ball. I personally think he has more potential than Aguero for future purposes. I respect MANU very much, right now I would say is the best club in the world, but a player like alexis will take time to adapt, but if he plays at full potential he could be the devil, like the game agains Boca,
July 13th, 2009 at 22:25
I am from Chile. I have watched Alexis grow up from Colo-Colo the club he grew up to be a star in. I can tell you all… mark my words. This kid is for real. He is no joke. He is a future star. You should all search for Chile’s latest world cup qualifier games. He is simply DOMINANT.