Ever since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United has been announced there has been only one question, “Will the gap left by the £80 Million baby be ever filled?”. Now that the Argentinean star striker Carlos Tevez has leave the club there is a huge gap in the striker zone and there are big boots to fill in.

It has been suggested by many that now after this big of a departure, the Manchester United’s front man and one of the most dedicated person in the squad Wayne Rooney has to accept the challange and step his game up.

And the England striker feels more than ready to meet that obligation.

“We’ve lost two key players and obviously I hope we can get a few players in,” Rooney told The Times.

“Between them Cristiano and Carlos scored a lot of goals for us last season and the season before, but I would like to think I’m capable of filling that gap.

“I’ve said before that, if I can play in my right position, I’m capable of doing that.”

Rooney has often been asked to operate out wide by manager Sir Alex Ferguson since joining from Everton.

The Liverpudlian is adamant that has prevented him from showing his best form on a consistent basis, and believes the time is right to make a permanent switch to the centre.

“I want to play in the position where I feel I’m best,” he said.

“A lot of people think I’m best as a centre forward.

“To play in a Champions League final and to play week in, week out for Manchester United is a privilege and it’s something I’m very lucky to be doing, but I don’t think playing on the wing I can express myself as much as I like to.”

Well here’s a new blog for all the football fans to watch out for if you want the latest news and updates

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The four men fined and sentenced to prison for running file-sharing website Pirate Bay will not get the retrial they hoped for.

Their lawyers had applied to Sweden’s Svea Court of Appeal for a retrial on the grounds that the District Court of Stockholm judge in the case was biased because he is a member of several copyright protection groups.

But the appeal court has ruled that there is no doubt about the judge’s objectivity, according to Reuters.

The Stockholm court found that by providing a website with search functions, upload and storing capabilities and contacts between file sharers, Pirate Bay had made it easier to commit illegal acts.

The court concluded that these illegal acts of others were illegally furthered by the activities of the defendants.

In April, Pirate Bay’s Carl Lundstrom, Peter Sunde, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg and Fredrik Neij were each sentenced to one year in jail for breaching copyright and ordered to pay $3.6m in compensation.

Music and film companies including MGM, Columbia Pictures, Sony BMG, and EMI had sought damages of more than $12.6m, but lawyers say the sentence is high by Swedish standards.

This verdict says file-sharing is not a joke and copyright laws will be enforced if necessary, according to international law firm Bird & Bird.

Glen Johnson has agreed a four-year contract with Liverpool after completing his transfer from Portsmouth.

Johnson was a target of ex-club Chelsea and Manchester City but has opted to move to Liverpool where he is expected to be a first-choice selection in the Reds’ back four.

The fee is believed to be in the region of £17.5million, but there is some uncertainty regarding expenses still owed to Liverpool from Pompey following Peter Crouch’s transfer to Fratton Park.

Manager Rafael Benitez told Liverpool’s official website: “We were thinking about bringing in players with quality - that’s the first thing.

“He is also English and that is important for the Champions League list. We were thinking about improving the team and Johnson is a very good player who will do that.

“He was important at Chelsea and in the last year at Portsmouth he has improved and is much better.

“One of the main things is his mentality - it’s really good. He is a winner. I was impressed with the conversations I had with him. He wants to improve.

“We knew the market was going to be difficult this summer and some of it has been crazy. Manchester City and Chelsea were there - they were making offers.

“We had to be quick and the club acted quickly. It was down to the player whether he chose us or City or Chelsea and he chose us. It was very clear from talking to him that he wanted to play for Liverpool.”

Michael Joseph Jackson who was born  August 29, 1958 Gary, Indiana, United States died on  June 25, 2009 (aged 50) in Los Angeles, California United States. The pop legend and and perhaps its most enigmatic figure, was about to attempt one of the greatest comebacks of all time. Then his life was cut shockingly — and so far, mysteriously — short.

according to msn,
The 50-year-old musical superstar died Thursday, just as he was preparing for what would be a series of 50 concerts starting July 13 at London’s famed 02 arena. Jackson had been spending hours and hours toiling with a team of dancers for a performance he and his fans hoped would restore his tarnished legacy to its proper place in pop.

An autopsy was planned for Friday, though results were not likely to be final until toxicology tests could be completed, a process that could take several days and sometimes weeks. However, if a cause can be determined by the autopsy, they will announce the results, said Los Angeles County Coroner Investigator Jerry McKibben.

bbc posted the news as follow,
Paramedics were called to the singer’s Beverly Hills home at about midday on Thursday after he stopped breathing.

He was pronounced dead two hours later at the UCLA medical centre. Jackson’s brother, Jermaine, said he was believed to have suffered a cardiac arrest.

Jackson, who had a history of health problems, had been due to stage a series of comeback concerts in the UK, beginning on 13 July.

Speaking on behalf of the Jackson family, Jermaine said doctors had tried to resuscitate the star for more than an hour without success.

He added: “The family request that the media please respect our privacy during this tough time.”

“And Allah be with you Michael, always. I love you.”

TV footage showed the star’s body flown from UCLA to the LA County Coroner’s office where a post-mortem is expected to take place on Friday.

Concerns were raised last month when four of Jackson’s planned comeback concerts were postponed, but organisers insisted the dates had been moved due to the complexity of staging the show.

A spokeswoman for The Outside Organisation, which was organising the publicity for the shows, said she had no comment at this time.

Broadcaster Paul Gambaccini said: “I always doubted that he would have been able to go through that schedule, those concerts. It seemed to be too much of a demand on the unhealthy body of a 50 year old.

“I’m wondering that, as we find out details of his death, if perhaps the stress of preparing for those dates was a factor in his collapse.

“It was wishful thinking that, at this stage of his life, he could be Michael Jackson again.”

Tributes have poured in from the entertainment industry. Sir Paul McCartney described Jackson’s death as ” sad and shocking”.

The pair worked together on two hit tracks, Say Say, Say and The Girl Is Mine from Jackson’s Thriller album.

He said ” I feel privileged to have hung out and worked with Michael. He was a massively talented boy-man with a gentle soul.

“His music will be remembered forever and my memories of our time together will be happy ones.

“I send my deepest sympathy to his mother and the whole family, and to his countless fans all around the world.”

Speaking outside New York’s historic Apollo theatre, civil rights activist Rev Al Sharpton paid tribute to his friend.

“I knew him 35 years. When he had problems he would call me,” he said.

“I feel like he was not treated fairly. I hope history will be more kind to him than some of the contemporary media.”

Melanie Bromley, west coast bureau chief of Us Weekly magazine, told the BBC the scene in Los Angeles was one of “pandemonium”.

“At the moment there is a period of disbelief. He was buying a home in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles and the scene outside the house is one of fans, reporters and TV cameras - it’s absolute craziness.

“I feel this is the biggest celebrity story in a long time and has the potential to be the Princess Diana of popular culture.”

Jackson is undoubtedly a music legend and one of the greatest ever live he was the 7th child of his family and made his début to the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1969, in 1971 he started a solo career and rocked the whole world with his vocals and fine beats Referred to as the “King of Pop” in subsequent years, his 1982 album Thriller is the world’s best-selling record of all time and four other solo studio albums are also among the world’s best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).

Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music and the first African-American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. He was one of those persons that changed the way people see pop music and took the music videos to a whole new level, it was due to the popularity of his music videos that the music channels became so popular. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced many hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists. While Jackson was a member of Generation Jones, he had an impact on multiple generations.

Many of Jackson’s famous friends or followers issued statements to pay tribute to the King of Pop’s legacy. Here are some of their memorials:

Madonna: “I can’t stop crying over the sad news. I have always admired Michael Jackson. The world has lost one of the greats, but his music will live on forever! My heart goes out to his three children and other members of his family. God bless.”

Quincy Jones: “I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news. For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don’t have the words. Divinity brought our souls together on The Wiz and allowed us to do what we were able to throughout the 80’s. To this day, the music we created together on Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad is played in every corner of the world and the reason for that is because he had it all…talent, grace, professionalism and dedication.He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I’ve lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him.”

Paul McCartney: “I feel privileged to have hung out and worked with Michael. He was a massively talented boy man with a gentle soul. His music will be remembered forever and my memories of our time together will be happy ones.”

Justin Timberlake: “We have lost a genius and a true ambassador of not only Pop music but of all music. He has been an inspiration to multiple generations and I will always cherish the moments I shared with him on stage and all of the things I learned about music from him and the time we spent together. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones.”

Eddie Van Halen: “I am really shocked; as I’m sure the world is, to hear the news. I had the pleasure of working with Michael on ‘Beat It’ back in ‘83 — one of my fondest memories in my career. Michael will be missed and may he rest in peace.”

Diana Ross: “I can’t stop crying; this is too sudden and shocking. I am unable to imagine this. My heart is hurting. I am in prayer for his kids and the family.” (MTV)

John Mayer: Dazed in the studio. A major strand of our cultural DNA has left us. RIP MJ. I think we’ll mourn his loss as well as the loss of ourselves as children listening to Thriller on the record player. I truly hope he is memorialized as the ‘83 moonwalking, MTV owning, mesmerizing, unstoppable, invincible Michael Jackson.” (via Twitter)

Steven Spielberg: “Just as there will never be another Fred Astaire or Chuck Berry or Elvis Presley, there will never be anyone comparable to Michael Jackson. His talent, his wonderment and his mystery make him legend.” (EW)

The Roots’ ?uestlove: “i know we make light of me never getting sleep and overworking. but i’ll say that he didn’t go in vein. i will do my best to slow down as to not overwork myself to the point in which i can’t even enjoy life anymore. im am devastated over this but we all have memories. i just hope that he will get due justice in all the press memorials and whatnot. i know he was mired in controversy the last decade of his life but i think its time we let him rest in peace and learn to separate the ART and the ARTIST. –that is the MJ i will forever remember.” (via Twitter)

Lisa Marie Presley: “I am so very sad and confused with every emotion possible. I am heartbroken for his children, who I know were everything to him, and for his family. This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me.”

Britney Spears: “I was so excited to see his show in London. We were going to be on tour in Europe at the same time and I was going to fly in to see him. He has been an inspiration throughout my entire life and I’m devastated he’s gone!” (People)

Lil Wayne: “I personally can’t believe it. But it’s more unfortunate for the world of music. … My love goes out to his family. … A sad day in history, not [just] music.” (MTV)

Beyoncé: “This is such a tragic loss and a terrible day. The incomparable Michael Jackson has made a bigger impact on music than any other artist in the history of music. He was magic. He was what we all strive to be. He will always be the King of Pop! Life is not about how many breaths you take, but about how many moments in life that take your breath away. For anyone who has ever seen, felt or heard his art, we are all honored to have been alive in this generation to experience the magic of Michael Jackson. I love you, Michael.”

Chris Brown: “Michael Jackson is the reason why I do music and why I am an entertainer. I am devastated by this great loss, and I will continue to be humbled and inspired by his legacy. My prayers are with his family. Michael will be deeply missed, but never forgotten. He’s the greatest … the best ever. No one will ever be better.”

The Recording Academy President Neil Portnow: “Rarely has the world received a gift with the magnitude of artistry, talent, and vision as Michael Jackson. He was a true musical icon whose identifiable voice, innovative dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and sheer star power carried him from childhood to worldwide acclaim. A 13-time GRAMMY recipient, Michael’s career transcends musical and cultural genres and his contributions will always keep him in our hearts and memories. We are deeply saddened by this tragic news and our hearts go out to his family and to music lovers around the globe who mourn this great loss.”

Diddy: “MJ showed me that you can actually see the beat. He made the music come to life!! He made me believe in magic. I will miss him!” (via Twitter)

Slash: “Really sad news about Michael, he was a talent from on high.”

Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz: “I have never felt this before in my life. I could measure my childhood 2 now on an mj growth chart. if this is true. Rip. The last legend.” (via Twitter)

Ne-Yo: “Michael Jackson will live forever through the thing that he put all of his life energy into: his music. I will do my part to keep the melody alive, to keep the energy forever changing form, but never ever dying!! Long live Michael Jackson.”

Usher: “This loss has deeply saddened me, with a heavy heart I composed this statement. May God cover you Michael. We all lift your name up in prayer. I pray for the entire JACKSON family particularly Michael’s mother and all his fans that loved him so much. I would not be the artist, performer, and philanthropist I am today without the influence of Michael. I have great admiration and respect for Him and I’m so thankful I had the opportunity to meet and perform with such a great entertainer In so many ways he transcended culture. He broke barriers, he changed radio formats! With music, he made it possible for people like Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama to impact the mainstream world. His legacy is unparalleled Michael Jackson will never be forgotten.”

Thriller director John Landis: “He had a troubled and complicated life and despite his gift, he remains a tragic figure. My wife Deborah and I will always have great affection for him.”

Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus: “first album i ever bought was thriller. with birthday money. on cassette. for my brand new sony walkman. truth. rest in peace” (via Twitter)

M.I.A.: “MICHAEL JACKSON the first 2 english words i eva spoke . the future sucx!” (via Twitter)

Wyclef: “I will not be going on TV talking about this, but my memory of Michael was when he came and saw me in the studio, I LOVE MICHAEL” (via Twitter)

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger: “Today, the world has lost one of the most influential and iconic figures in the music industry. From his performances with the Jackson 5, to the premiere of the ‘moonwalk’ and ‘Thriller,’ Michael was a pop phenomenon who never stopped pushing the envelope of creativity. Though there were serious questions about his personal life, Michael was undoubtedly a great entertainer and his popularity spanned generations and the globe. Maria and I join all Californians in expressing our shock and sadness over his death and our hearts go out the Jackson family, Michael’s children and to his fans worldwide.”

Rev. Al Sharpton: “A friend of Michael’s for the last 35 years, I call on people around the world to pray for him and his family in the hour. I have known Michael since we were both teens, worked with him, marched for him, hosted him at our House of Justice headquarters in New York, and we joined together to eulogize our mutual idol, James Brown. I have known him at his high moments and his low moments and I know he would want us to pray for his family.”

Miley Cyrus: “Michael Jackson was my inspiration. Love and blessings.” (via Twitter)

Ludacris: “If it were not for Michael Jackson I would not be where or who I am today. His Music and Legacy will live on Forever. Prayers to the fam. R.I.P.” (via Twitter)

Hanson: “We are all is shock to hear that Michael Jackson just died. It is heart breaking to think that we have lost such a musical inspiration.” (via Twitter)

Solange Knowles: “Thank you Michael Jackson for being my FIRST of many! My mother took me to my FIRST concert. I was only two years old. I fell in love.” (via Twitter)

MC Hammer: “I will be mourning my friend, brother, mentor and inspiration.. He gave me and my family hope. I would never have been me without him” (via Twitter)

Carlos Tevez is considering offers from Manchester City, Chelsea and one other club, according to the player’s adviser Kia Joorabchian.

After Tevez decided not to renew his contract with Manchester United, Joorabchian commented the Argentinian’s future will be defined in “about 10 days” and hinted City were in pole position to sign the player.

Joorabchian told Radio del Plata: “Right now we are evaluating the proposals from Manchester City, Chelsea and one other team.

“In the next two weeks, Carlos, Adrian (Rouco, Tevez’s agent) and I will meet to sort this out.

“City is a club with most of the chances because they are building a big squad, but it is not a decisive point.

“The contract with United officially runs to until June 31 and we’ll respect that. After July 1, we’ll see. We may be defined in 10 days.”

Last weekend, Tevez turned down a lucrative five-year offer to stay at Old Trafford, with Joorabchian making clear it arrived too late.

“Carlitos has never asked United for money, he has never complained about his contract. It is not a problem regarding money, but we never talked about that in two years.

“In two years, (United manager Sir Alex) Fergurson always said we were going to sit down to negotiate but we never did so. He sent an offer, but it was too late because they had not offered anything in two years.”

according to manchester united’s official website,

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has warned Manchester United that Antonio Valencia will decide his own future. Whelan revealed he has received “acceptable” bids of between £14 and £18million from United and Real Madrid, but it is up to the Ecuador winger, who returns to England this weekend. Sources close to Valencia suggest he will opt for United because of Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence at Real, but Whelan said: “There are offers on the table acceptable to Wigan, but what we will finish up with I don’t know. It’s no use me saying he is going to Manchester United – he is the boss. One club could offer £2m more, but if Antonio doesn’t want to go there then there’s no point.”
Richard Tanner, Daily Express

According to the Daily Mail, Atletico Madrid have told United they will not sell Sergio Aguero for less than £50million, while the Daily Star claims the Reds will have to fork out at least £52m to secure the Argentine’s services. The tabloid also reckons Giuseppe Rossi’s agent has alerted United that the striker may be available after talks over a new Villarreal contract stalled.

In other news, the Daily Mirror say Real Madrid could hijack United’s bid to land Karim Benzema after claiming they have given up the chase for Valencia’s David Villa.

Finally, Hull boss Phil Brown has begged Fraizer Campbell to listen to the advice of Sir Alex Ferguson and join Hull. Brown revealed how Sir Alex has told Campbell that joining the Tigers would be the best move for his career.

Note: The extracts on this post are taken from selected national newspapers. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Manchester United.

Robinho believes Manchester City would be “almost unbeatable” if they sign Samuel Eto’o from Barcelona.

Eto’o is reportedly a target for City as the big-spending Premier League side look to add even more firepower to Mark Hughes’ attack.

A deal has already been completed for Roque Santa Cruz, while Carlos Tevez is expected to arrive after his loan at Manchester United expires.

And Robinho is hoping Hughes can persuade Cameroon striker Eto’o to leave European champions Barcelona before the start of the new season.

“If Eto’o comes too he will add even more talent to the squad,” Robinho told The Sun.

“We need four top-quality forwards because the season is so tough in England.

“I hope the club keep signing players with that quality. If so, we will be almost unbeatable.”

He added: “A player like Santa Cruz is more than welcome and I’ve heard a deal for Carlos will be sorted very soon.

“That would be great because Tevez is a world-class talent and I would be happy to play alongside him.

“It is very good to know my club is going for top-quality players like these. Now I hope we can get Eto’o as well.”

Brazil international Robinho, who was a club-record signing from Real Madrid last year, also insists he is not concerned by the potential arrival of so many attacking players.

“Is the club chasing too many strikers? No, I don’t think so - Manchester City wants to be among the top teams in the Premier League and in Europe,” he continued.

“To do that they must have at least three or maybe four top-quality strikers.

“The season in England, with the league and the cups, all the games we play is very demanding.

“But I’m not scared of the competition. If Santa Cruz and Eto’o come to City, they are talented players and I will work as always to make sure of my spot in the team.”

Lionel Messi has again urged Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano to consider a move to Barcelona.

The Argentine forward admits he would relish the opportunity to play alongside his countryman at club level.

Following speculation he could leave Anfield this summer, Mascherano has been heavily linked with a move to the Nou Camp.

Admitting to being flattered by reported interest from the Spanish champions, as well as Real Madrid, the 25-year-old has dropped his biggest hint yet that he may switch to La Liga.

Encouraging his compatriot to consider a move to Barca, Messi admits a possible deal is exciting for him and the club.

“Of course I would like him to join,” he told El Mundo Deportivo.

“Who would not want to play with great players like Javier? I hope he can come here.”

Messi admitted that his main target next term is to add to Barca’s flourishing trophy cabinet.

He also spoke of his international ambition, saying: “There are two things I would wish for and the first is that Barcelona can win more trophies, the second is for Argentina to win the World Cup next year.

“We (Barca) can dream about another treble, but it will be extremely difficult.”

Asked his opinion on Cristiano Ronaldo’s impending £80million move to Real Madrid, he said: “If there is a club that sells and a club willing to buy then that is that.

“I am not going to enter into the rights and wrongs because that is not my place, I just play.

“It does seem like a big fee, but as I have said it is not really my place.”

Franck Ribery’s agent believes the Bayern Munich midfielder would choose Real Madrid over treble winners Barcelona but insists nothing will be done until next month at the earliest.

Ribery is one of Europe’s hottest properties, with Chelsea and Manchester United reportedly set to do battle with the Spanish pair for his signature.

Bayern insist Ribery is not for sale, but Alan Migliaccio claims his client has not given up on a move to the Bernabeu this summer.

“Ribery would prefer to play for Real Madrid than Barcelona,” he told RAC-1. “The player has talked with Zinedine Zidane and he wants to play for Los Blancos for him.

“But at this moment everything is blocked because the people at Bayern are on holiday until the end of this month.

“I can’t say anything else until we meet them in the next few weeks.”