OhForAGreavsie

If these figures are accurate, they sound like poor negotiating by United. They are still Man Utd, with huge newsworthiness and fanbase. From a sponsor's prospective, they are more attractive without CL, than almost every other club with it.

There is no denying that you could all be right but I suspect it'll be some other club's problem, not Chelsea's. Kane would be well advised to avoid a move to Stamford Bridge. Why invite all the grief he would be bound to get from Spurs fans? Easier to pick another club to move to. Unless it's a straight choice between us and moving back to Arsenal of course.

Big difference is that Kane actually is a good player, while the brief blip at Liverpool is the only part of Nando's career during which he looked anything other than average. It could not, and did not, last however. The injury excuse which has come to be believed is just a convenient nonsense that people tell themselves. No one listened to me when I was saying this during Nando's 'blip', and fair enough, no reason for anyone to take a random forum opinion seriously. In my view however, people don't have much excuse for continuing to buy the myth. I was depressed the day we signed Nando and laughed when the claim was made that we had appointed the unwanted one to get the best out of him. Benitez knew there was no best to find. That's why he was dropping Nando, and regularly subbing him before he left Liverpool. The players knew it too; Danny Murphy explained that anytime he spoke to ex Anfield teammates they talked about what Torres couldn't do rather than what he could, and Jamie Carragher revealed that the squad could not believe it when Chelsea offered £50m for a player they knew wasn't worth anywhere near that money. It really is time for the myth Torres created in a brief spell at Liverpool to stop being spread about. Fernando was an ordinary footballer, Kane is much better. There is no comparison.

Ollie is definitely our best striker. That fact is a problem in itself of course but, until the club fixes it, let's be grateful that no one matched his valuation in January.

Anyway... I came here to talk about the squad to face Liverpool, not Daniel Sturridge. Like lot's of us, I always expected Billy Gilmour to be involved in this game so anticipated that he would not play in the PL2 fixture last night and indeed he didn't. What was interesting is that Anjorin and Broja didn't either. Unless I've missed some other reason for their absence, they might also be involved tonight. I think that would be good news for Broja in particular who has been playing really well in the age group sides. Perhaps if we were better stocked at centre forward we might decide that it's too early for him to get a look at the first team, but our squad is what it is. Tino remains the young player most likely to produce a devastating moment of play, but he is also highly likely to have little or no impact on a game in between those moments. As was the case in last week's Youth Cup quarter final. The best player on the pitch that night, and once again against Everton 23's yesterday, was Lewis Bate.This lad is looking good player.

I was referring to the worldwide ban imposed on Daniel Sturridge, which prevents him playing for any club. Technically, a club could still sign him if they wish, they just can't play him. Since we would only be looking for Studge to be a stop-gap solution until the transfer window opens, any move for him is a no go. In any case, I doubt the club would have been interested. There was clearly a falling out between club and player before he left for Liverpool. In the months prior to that move, Roberto Di Matteo let slip at a press conference that he had been instructed not to select Sturridge. Bridges burnt probably. P.S. I've edited the original post to make it clear that I'm talking about Studge. Thanks for flagging the fact that my post needed to be better worded.

With the ban, we can't sign him anyway, but if we could I would. I know that the basic flaw in Studge's game, his greed in and around the box, must still be there. I argued years ago that this flaw is so obvious that coaches would have been trying to cure it since he was a boy. The fact that they were not able to do so before he reached his late teens indicates that it is hard wired into Daniel's psyche. He's therefore stuck with it. Even so, Sturridge is a better player than Bats and I would certainly have been tempted to offer him a 4-month contract. I think that would have helped us make it to the transfer window in better shape than we will now

Leaving aside Sturridge's ban, which rules out a move anyway, players who are without a club can be registered outside of the transfer windows. If he, or she, has no club, then joining a team is not a transfer, and so is permitted. I assume fifa would examine any such move carefully to ensure player and clubs are not attempting to game the system.

Thanks. That's as it should be.

We have to assume this is OK with fifa else it wouldn't be happening but surely any player signed in such circumstances should be restricted to representing his new club in domestic football only. Else this gives Spanish clubs an unfair advantage in uefa or fifa competitions. Does anyone know if there is such a restriction?

There was a press conference during the winter window where Frank dismissed any links to Zaha. That was, and is, a relief. I'm on record as saying I trust Frank's instinct on players. If he had any interest in Zaha I'd have had to reassess that.

Goal highlights of the Conti Cup win: - Two Arsenal Fans TV references to the makeup of the crowd: -

Boy it was cold! Great turnout by the blue faithful nevertheless. Visually, the majority in attendance were Chelsea fans. A big majority. As for the game, the better side lost. Arsenal played superior football and dominated the contest. Beth England was the official player of the match, and she did play well in addition to scoring the goals, but goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was the true difference maker for Chelsea. She pulled off a string of saves. Some of them absolutely top class. You could say Arsenal were unlucky to loose, or you could say they should be ashamed of themselves for failing to win a game they totally controlled. Either way, the cup is ours. Next up for CFCW is an international break followed by two crucial fixtures with Everton. First, there's a trip to Walton for an FA Cup quarter final on 15th March, then the Toffees visit Kingsmeadow seven days later for a vital WSL game.

Tomorrow the women battle it out with Arsenal in the final of the League Cup. The game to decide the first domestic trophy of the season is being played at Nottingham Forrest's City Ground. It is being broadcast by BT; 17:30 UK time kick-off BBC Preview

Highlights of last weekend's clash with Man City: The draw leaves us one point behind City at the top of the table, but with a game in hand. Arsenal are a further three points adrift.

Oh, finally a good reason to visit twitter!

Is there a way to set an embedded GIF to auto repeat? I bleedin' love Spurs. Their capacity to make me smile is endless.

I really enjoyed watching Bayern last night There is no flashy football from them. Instead, they function on power, pace and precision. The number of times they execute their chosen pass with the right accuracy, the right angle and the right speed is stupendous. We have a long way to go. Teams with more pace in their squad, who can therefore afford to press Bayern more, and with better ball retention when they do recover it, will give the German champions a better game than we can.

Using a back three you mean? That's how Jody found room for both Reece and Tariq Lamptey in the U18s.

TOCWS preview of CFCW's top of the table clash with Man City on Sunday. Scroll down the article for good Unseen video coverage of the reverse fixture earlier in the season.

Exactly this.

I felt it was time for Ash to go and I don't blame Emerson at all for wanting to leave. Time's up for him too. I've never believed in Emerson, don't see the potential that some do, and hope for everyone's sake that he gets his move.

I'm very surprised how things are panning out for Dembele. I first saw him when watching Rennes games to see how Boga was doing. Frustratingly he was keeping Boga out until he got injured and let Jed in to get some games. The frustration soon turned to admiration and then to disappointment when his agent said Dembele had turned us down the season before he joined BVB. Looked such a good player.

How long is Barca Dembele out? Could they be thinking sell Sancho, bring Dembele back for a much reduced fee, pocket the difference?

Some United fans have a more realistic view of the world than some Chelsea fans.