Reports are slowly starting to surface on the internet regarding the signing of Nicolás Gaitán from Benfica for around £20 million with Macheda and Fábio involved in a swap deal. While Macheda is seemingly set for a permanent move, it seems Fábio will be given a year in Portugal to gain first-team experience. 

Our transfer record in recent history has had some of us baffled. This leads us to question where this signing will fit in on what I will now call the "Bébé-Ronaldo scale". The justification for this is simple - Cristiano Ronaldo was perhaps one of the best signings Manchester United ever made. For around £12 million, United had bought a player who would become the best player in the country. Unfortunately, for just £5 million less, we purchased a player who couldn't run and cross simultaneously (or for that matter, cross the ball at all). Either way, while this deal does have the potential to be another masterstroke for Sir Alex, I fear that it might be a Gabriel Obertan on the Bébé-Ronaldo scale.


He's got all the right credentials. He plays for a Champions League team, he's an attacking midfielder, and he's good. From what I've made out of my Youtube/Football Manager/FIFA 12 scouting is that he's a quality player with an even better future. At 22 he can play anywhere across the midfield and likes the ball at his feet. My reservations with Gaitán however, are down to the fact that he's a prodigous talent. He's slowly starting to make a name for himself on a bigger stage and the jump from the Portuguese League to the Premier League is a hurdle that many players fail to clear. Especially at Manchester United, only freaks of nature manage to meet the expectations placed on them when they join United. Guys like Rooney and van Nistelrooy were tipped to make an impact at Old Trafford and they clearly did. Other potential heroes whose careers did not take off in Manchester include Diego Forlán, Juán Sebastián Verón, Kléberson...

Clearly pressure can be a horrible obstacle.

Don't get me wrong, I'm always excited to see a new face at Old Trafford, especially one that has been tipped for greatness. It's just that while expectations for the club remains (and should always remain) extremely high, it is equally important to allow players to develop and grow in a way that will benefit both parties. No one wants another Bébé.  

First semester this academic year has hit The Stretford Roar hard. Writer's block, lack of time, and overall laziness means that we haven't been posting as mucha s we should have. But we're back, and I'm determined to kick on from this post and help usher United to potential glory come next month.


So today's subject is one of my favorites - Phil Jones. If any of you have been dedicated enough to follow us (even over this very long hiatus), you'll know that my love for Phil Jones knows no bounds. This guy is a stud. He's quick, strong, and appears to be a decent defender already at the age of 20. Now quotes are coming in from Sir Alex via manutd.com saying that Phil is definitely a future United captain. 

Can we agree with this? My gut says yes, but I also feel like we're putting a hell of a lot of pressure on a person who isn't even old enough to buy a beer in America.

You can see that Jonesy has plenty of potential, but at the same time there's a lot of work for him to do before we can put him up there with the Vidas, the Rios, and the Bruces. Despite the strength and dedication he puts into every game, the deficiencies in his defensive game are clear for all to see. Sometimes it's positioning, others it's just a lack of concentration. Either way, my point is that he's good, but nowhere near as good as he can be.

What I'm trying to get at is that we all know Jones is good, and is capable of getting better. We also know that praise is good. From the right people, praise can be a fantastic motivator. But are we starting to go to far here? Comparing Jones to Duncan Edwards and flagging him as a definite United captain might give him a burden akin to carrying the One Ring of Mordor. 

Does that mean we should quite loving him and let him get on with it? Of course not. My love for him won't waver. And no matter what happens, I will stick by my favorite player. I just think that we should be nudging him out the door, instead of dragging him across the threshold by the hair. 


I <3 you Phil.

Manchester United are a great club - at least in my opinion. What often happens to great clubs is that others often attempt to undermine them. Opponents and media alike hound at you and look for any fault they can. Earlier this season, David De Gea had a huge target plastered on his face.


Life in England, especially if you're a scrawny Spanish goalkeeper in the Premier League, is not easy. We all saw what Señor De Gea has done in the past to merit being dropped for a few games. He's been a little dodgy with his handling as well as lacking an imposing presence in the box. The biggest problem thus far has been his handling of balls in the air, particularly from corners, crosses, and indirect free kicks. It's been painful to watch as team after team used their physical prowess against our skinny keeper. There were moments when United fans the world over would hold their breath when a ball was floated into the box, or when a backpass was made to our Spanish custodian.

Thus began the debate: Is De Gea the right man for us? Do we need Lindegaard to take over? Why have we put our faith in someone so young? Well, truth be told, De Gea has slowly begun to reassert his status as number 1 keeper on this side of Manchester. He's been consistent in his last few games and has shown that he is a great shot stopper.

So what are your thoughts now? I certainly know where I stand. I think he's the right man for the job and will be here for plenty more years to come. The deficiencies we see in his game at the moment cannot offset the brilliance we know he is capable of. He's an amazing shot stopper, just look at the picture above. His distribution is top notch. Most importantly, he has improved since the start of the season. This is important because we can clearly see evidence that he's getting better. And imagine, if you can see some marked improvement in a matter of months, what do you think a few years will do?

Premier League strikers better be scared.  

Today money speaks in a voice louder than reason. It has brought with it arrogance and confidence. It has created rivalries and broken loyalties. It is becoming an undeniable force in the face of modern soccer. What it cannot, and hopefully will never accomplish, is transcend the sport itself and become the reason for the annual 40-week battle that we call the soccer season.


This is where this weekend's round of fixtures becomes hugely significant. Manchester United's match against Liverpool will mark the 184th time these two teams have ever met. With Liverpool coming on top on 61 of those occasions, the teams drawing 51 games, and United having won 71 contests, history has these two teams fairly evenly matched - and they have been for over a century. This is a rivalry that was never borne out of money and instant success. No, this was a battle fought long and hard for many decades, and so it has remained. Great minds such as Paisley, Busby, Shankly, Dalglish, and Ferguson have pitted their wits against each other for the shade of red they've called their own. Past warriors like Rush, Neville, Fowler, and Keane have all worn the hearts of Manchester United and Liverpool on their sleeves.


Now, the present day incarnation of these two great clubs come together once again to do battle in what is the greatest derby on the isle of Britain. The likes of Giggs, Gerrard, Carragher, and Scholes will join together with younger flagbearers such as Rooney and Reina to fight for the honor of their respective clubs. And if the fervor of United-Liverpool games past has seemingly dissipated over recent times, it has been back with a vengeance this season as the much publicized personal battle between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra has found its way to the hearts of all Liverpool and United fans. (For the record, I am fully behind Evra and sincerely believe that what Suarez has done is ugly and should never occur in any setting, let alone in a game of soccer.)


Now the stage is set for another edition of the British derby.

Suarez is set to play against Evra. Cleverley is in line for a return. De Gea will be up against Carroll. The subplots beneath the already storied past of these two great clubs are enough for the price of admission. The fans at Old Trafford, as well as the millions of others watching on around the world, will be at hand to witness what could perhaps be the most fiery derby in recent memory. 

For United, it's another step towards that 20th league title. For Liverpool it's a chance to one-up United after we took number 19 last season. For both teams, it's a matter of pride. 

So United just came away from Old Trafford with a win to Stoke. Stoke played as if they were being paid by the foul. With two penalties to United, and potentially plenty more which weren't given, it was a shocking display of tackling from players that seemed like graduates of the Paul Scholes Academy of Fine Tackling. Either way, we came out on top with penalties scored by Chicharito and Berbatov. 


The result of this game comes with many subplots however. Firstly, Ravel Morrison has left United to join West Ham. The deal is permanent and the fee was undisclosed. As much as we would have liked to keep him, you can take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Here is a player, though while talented, came with many problems off the pitch. From intimidating a prosecuting witness before trial, to throwing his girlfriend's phone out the window and assaulting his own mother, this is not the type of person we want on the team.

Anger and passion on the field is good. Roy Keane's tackle on Haaland may have been ugly (and I do not condone it), but at least you don't hear Keano paying disrespect to the woman that brought him into this world. Maybe Ravel leaving was a good thing. United's reserve team comprised of both Ravel Morrison and Paul Pogba. Both have been tipped for stellar careers and both have been rumored to leave sooner or later. As we now know, Morrison has bailed to London, so maybe this is time for Pogba to step up.


The game against Stoke was good in that United won, but the show was stolen (at least for us) by Paul Pogba. Even if he came on as a substitute with about 20 minutes to go, he made us here at TSR giddy with joy as he showed both his class and tenacity. The guy was taking passes literally in his stride and played crosses that would have Beckham out of his seat applauding. Not to mention, he's also quite the physical presence and brings both strength and height to the team. We've only seen bits and pieces of him, but signs are pointing to "bright future" for this one.

The lingering question is whether or not he'll stay at United. Apparently his agent is being difficult and no contracts have been signed. With his contract due to run out by this coming summer, it's an important time for him and the team. I've read that United have an option to extend his contract by a year or so, but that wouldn't stop other clubs from hounding him and piquing his interest in another team. After just a glimpse of what Pogba can offer however, why on Earth would anyone behind the scenes at United want to let him go?

Also, in case anybody was wondering, Darron Gibson scored the winner for Everton against Man City. The chant at Old Trafford? "There's only one Darron Gibson."

"De Gea struggles with long range shots."

"Why can't he get to those groundballs?"

"Should've seen that cross coming."

According to ESPN, David de Gea has bad eyesight. Alright, everybody with me now: "OHHHHHHH".


The photo above was taken before De Gea's black eye. Anywho, the article explains that Señor De Gea wears glasses and uses contacts when playing. Contacts have known to cause problems when faced with artificial light and United have allegedly shown interest in laser eye surgery for De Gea. 

Obviously, the problem can't lie solely in his eyes, but I think it's just a funny story that we can use to poke fun of our Spanish custodian. 

Not a big post here, but as I was looking over the internet for soccer news, I came across an article in ESPN about how Eric Cantona is looking to run for the French presidency in 2012. Although I thought this may be for the position of the President of the French FA, no this was actually a move to become the next Nicolas Sarkozy. 


The article goes on to quote the legend as he says that he's not anticipating a victory, just to get on to the ballot. He's hoping to raise awareness of the lack of housing in France for the impoverished.  

Look at that, King of the Stretford End using his powers for good. 

The freshly poured whiskey begins to settle on the rocks as the sun begins to set on the Mancunian villa. Albert the butler holds a pewter lighter to one of Havana's finest as his master takes a series of short drags to ignite the cigar. With an appreciative nod, he waves Albert away and reclines in his black leather chair. 

"Sir." 
"Albert?"
"Mail for you. And a Mr. Gill here to see you."
"Bring him to the lounge, I'll meet him there."

With that, Dimitar Berbatov rises from the comfort of his luxurious chair and makes his way to the cellar to pick out one of his finest. Châteaux Margaux, 1982 - A great year. Picking up a corkscrew on the way up the stairs, Mr. Berbatov joins David Gill in his lounge.


The conversation lasted an hour and a half. Both men bid their farewells amicably with Mr. Gill having done his work and Mr. Berbatov having consolidated his future.

A week or so ago, before our lives were torn apart by the concession of 6 goals in two games, we were witnessing Dimitar Berbatov in full flight. Three goals to spearhead a 5-0 victory and then two more as he tried to inspire United to a victory the game after. It seems as though these actions have struck a chord with United's front office as it has been reported that Berbatov will receive a one-year extension to his current contract.

With the negotiations complete Dimitar heads back downstairs. The corkscrew is returned to it's place among the volumes of liquor as Dimitar selects another bottle to take upstairs. This one didn't need a corkscrew. When he reaches the top of the staircase, he finds his woman by the pool, the sky already dark.

"Dimitar, I've been waiting, dinner has been on th--", with a soft forefinger, Dimitar hushes Elena's lips and fires the cork into the luscious garden. 

The bubbles follow the cork and flow out of the bottle. Albert comes down with two thin glasses and Dimitar pours the champagne liberally into each one.

"Another year baby."

To be continued... 

Crap, tits, balls. We slip to a second defeat in a row and I'm gonna see if I can analyse why.



What happened?
In brief, the goals were scored by Demba Ba, Yohan Cabaye and Phil Jones. Ba's was a route-one punt from Krul which was flicked on, Cabaye was a free-kick, in off the bar and Jones' own goal was a similar punt from the back.

More than that, Newcastle "worked so hard", as my commentators liked to point out and I've got to agree with them. There was more about Newcastle tonight, they looked really up for it.

Big, absolutely massive let off for United last week as Sunderland managed a last gasp draw against City. Now our noisy neighbors are three points ahead having played a game more. Now's our chance to match their win against Liverpool last night.


The 411
We make a trip to the north-east to take on Newcastle at St. James' Park. Like I mentioned earlier, a win here would put us tied for first. Here's hoping that we can kick on from that Blackburn loss and set the record straight again.

Enemy Form
Newcastle are definitely the surprise team of the season, currently sitting 6th in the league and putting pressure on the teams above them for a spot in Europe. Their last game was a loss to Liverpool, so they'll be looking to pick themselves up as well.

Players to Look Out For
Sometimes I have to think a bit before naming an important player for the opposition, but this time it's Demba Ba, hands down. What a season he's having. 14 goals to his name and it looks like there's more to come. It really is a shame he's off to the African Cup of Nations with Senegal later on this month. He'd be useful against City and the likes. Either way, he's a big guy who's strong in the air and on the ground. Big job for the defense tonight.

Anderson got his first game in a while against Blackburn and in my opinion, put some life into the game for us. Brought that sense of urgency that was missing prior to his introduction. Hopefully he'll be able to step it up a level and show us his class against Newcastle.

On the Home Front
Rooney, Giggs, and Rio are returning for us tonight and have been sorely missed. Other than that, the injury situation is still where it was before. With guys like Cleverley out indefinitely.

TSR's Thoughts

• Lots of people are calling for de Gea's head after his gaffe against Blackburn. Donno if they'll get their wish.
• Will we finally see two proper defenders in front of the keeper?
• Will Berba retain his spot in the team after 5 goals in two games?