OhForAGreavsie

This is at least the second such comment I've read in one of your posts recently. Do you know for sure that we didn't, and if so, may I ask if your information comes from an official source?

I don't understand what people see in this very ordinary player. I remember when we were linked back in January that a story was circulated claiming that a move to Bayren had been agreed. My reaction was that I'd believe it when I see it. Well, I don't know if the move to Arsenal is confirmed but if they have signed him then I'm shocked. Edit: Just checked the Beeb and it's true. Amazed.

Delighted for them. I'm sure he's worth every penny they've paid for him.

You don't rate him then?

It's a different case. City, along with The FA and FIFA, have been taken to The Court of Arbitration for Sport over the transfer of a 16 year old Argentinian. The case is due to be heard on July 3rd. If any punishment follows from the proceedings then I doubt it will come into effect for many months. Even then, I suppose it is far more likely to be financial, rather than sporting. Anyway, I suspect the Manchester club, The FA, and FIFA, will be found to have applied the regulations correctly. http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-england-mci-cas-idUKKBN18T0FI Manchester City will face a hearing at the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) on July 3 over the English club's signing of teenager Benjamin Garre from Argentine side Velez Sarsfield. Velez filed a complaint with FIFA in September alleging that City broke transfer rules and approached Garre in Argentina while he was 15 years old and signed him soon after his 16th birthday. The complaint was dismissed as Garre has an Italian passport and FIFA allows the transfer of minors between clubs in European Union countries but Velez officials claim that the rule was invalid as Garre played for an Argentine club. "We're angry because City came after our player, we said no and they took him anyway. That's not good behaviour between two clubs," Bernardo Bertelloni, club secretary of Velez told The Times. "He (Garre) left here a couple of days before his 16th birthday, he spent a few days in Germany and he entered England one day after his 16th birthday. "Man City argued that there is an exception in the FIFA rules... But the FIFA rule does not say that, it says he can move only within the EU, between EU clubs." The English Football Association (FA) and FIFA are also listed in the dispute Velez are taking to the Swiss authority. Should City be found guilty, they are likely to face a standard transfer ban that prohibits them from registering new players for a certain number of transfer windows. Spanish side Atletico Madrid had their two-window transfer ban for signing minors upheld by CAS on Thursday, while their Spanish rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid also served bans for transfer violations.

Don't forget that the oppo also tends to play Babas rugby against a Barbarians side. The serious stuff will be a whole different thing. Sadly. As for the tests, I just don't think anyone has a prayer against the All Blacks at the moment.

Additional matchday income isn't going to close the gap. In any case, United are planning to increase the capacity of their stadium.

I don't subscribe to this idea. Footballers are not slaves. If, I say if, the man and his family have decided to build their lives here in England then why have we the right to decide that he must disrupt those plans? I know it's not a widely held point of view, but I'm proud of the way the club put the wishes of Petr & Juan ahead of narrow self interest. In any case predictions of doom following from those deals have proved to be groundless. I accept that there are limits to the amount of self sacrifice players can demand of Chelsea. Eden Hazard to Man City, for example, would be footballing suicide but, Nemanja is Not Eden Hazard. If he wants to go to Manu, then let him. For the right price of course.

Potentially good news for Tammy and for Chelsea. Pleased for him in the main, but there must be a question about how much he might play behind Gayle & Mitrovic. Still, this must have been considered by all parties and, since Tammy clearly had options, we must assume that player and club have chosen the best one. Good luck lad.

And perhaps Juan knew that United wanted him, knew that there was somewhere more attractive than Chelsea's bench he could go. Perhaps the situation is different now.

What do we search to find your your channel Chris?

Good man. I appreciate it.

If it is I'm not paying royalties.

And there I was thinking you were just messing with me, pretending not to understand that TW is an abbreviation of TheWiz. Move around the site for long enough and you will eventually come across my habit of addressing posters, when I wish to address them directly, by the initials of their screen name. You in fact now owe me an apology. I believe you are a bright, and if I may say so skilled, bloke. More than man enough to stand up when he has leapt to the wrong conclusion. I hope you will take the opportunity to do the right thing.

No. There can be only one TW.

Sounds like you are. Glad to hear it.

Ah, I see. Thank you.

Hello TW. You well?

I'd love to know what thoughts Antonio has about Kasey. I'd love to see him on tour with the first team this summer.

Thank you.

Their legal convictions, yes.

Adnane, Do I remember correctly that some fasting athletes have, in the past, been given special dispensation to consume water? It's a vague recollection, so I may be way off beam.

I didn't say anything about Mikel's winning run being recent. Just that he was a player you consider to be poor, who nevertheless featured as trophies were won. The point being an answer to your observation about Nemanja being a part of winning sides. Just because a poor player's team wins does not prove him to be of quality. Look at how many major honours Nicky Butt & Phill Neville have between them! Those who regarded Brana as playing well after January 2013 were, excluding a handful of games, badly wrong. I really have no idea what you see in Nemanja. He collects some stats because he's there. Anyone on the pitch is going to collect stats, many of which are bunkum anyway. I see absolutely no 'added value' from him, neither in possession nor out of it. No contributions at all which I would not also expect scores of other players, to be able to match. I say again, Antonio tried really hard to replace Nemanja last summer. Having been through a season where the shortcomings of our squad forced him to see first hand how the big man performs, I expect the boss will try harder still to fix this problem over the next three months. Priority number one this summer as far as I'm concerned.

I think you have, in part at least, answered the question you framed. You do not have a high opinion of Mikel, yet he too featured in many successes. Brana featured throughout the 2015 campaign and won two trophies despite being widely regarded as a poor contributor. Eleven people have to start every game no matter what, but there is no disguising the fact that Antonio tried hard to replace Nemanja last summer. I think he'll make another attempt this time around, and so he should.