The Premier League class of 2000 - 2009

Nearly a decade worth of Football has come to an end. The turn of the century saw France win the Euro championships, Real Madrid win the Champions League and Manchester United win a(nother) second consecutive Premier League trophy. A lot has changed since then.

The EPL/BPL has certainly become the most widely watched football tournament the world over (closely contested by the Champs League, where too the English teams dominate), the ever confusing offside rule has become, well more confusing, Abrahmovic pumped in millions and then came the turban heads with their billions...

But the attention we pay to all these tabloid tales has been because the love for football and the players that play the beautiful game. Here's a walk down memory lane to pick the best XI of the past decade!

I am choosing a 4-4-2 diamond formation and (for the sake of being liberal and 'with the times') 7 subs.

We begin with the keepers.

The Great Dane (Peter Schmeichel) had moved to Portugal from England only to make a brief return (1 season each with Villa and City) before calling time on his career and many keepers have since fought over his crown of best keeper in England. There was Fabien Barthez, his replacement; David Seaman & Paul Robinson, both former England No. 1s; Mark Schwarzer and Brad Friedel who continue to have field days against any of the top 4; Peter Cech who came and lit up the country with his fine performances and even a certain David James who has snatched the England glove from Paul Robinson. But none of these could fit into our team.

Shay Given

The number 1 jersey of this fantasy team could not belong to someone more deserving. The only flaw that Given has is that he has never broken into any Top 4 team. But you can't really fault a guy for being loyal to his club. And Shay Given was right there backing Newcastle United for 12 seasons but finally made the correct choice of moving on on 1st February 2009. His first full season at MCFC will provide a better platform for him to perform at the highest level since the 4 in front of him won't be as leaky as my bum after some good chilli. With Newcastle winning as much as... well squat really, there is little in Shay Given's trophy cabinet. The solitary Intertoto Cup from their 2006-07 campaign gives little solace to a keeper of his quality but a double appearance in the PFA team of the year (01-02 & 06-07) must keep the smile on the Welshman's face.

Edwin van der Sar

Sick of his spell on the bench at Juventus, van da Man came to the Premier League in 2001, signing with newly promoted Fulham for a club record 7.1 million pounds. He justified this fee, making 154 appearances in 4 years which saw Fulham win the Intertoto Cup and qualify for Europe. In 2005, he signed the dotted line for Manchester United and has stamped his name down in the history books of Old Trafford for his Champions League Finals’ (and god alone knows how many other) penalty heroics and the run of 21 hours without conceding in the Premier League. He is the proud winner of

• 3 back to back to back League Trophies (2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09)
• 1 Champions League (2007-08)
• 1 League Cup (2005-06)
  

He is the current holder of the Barclays Golden Glove although much of this can be attributed to his back 4. Still that didn't stop him from getting into the PFA team of the year for 2007-08 and the recently concluded campaign.

A back 4 is something our team's number 1 is only familiar with in theory. But the Premier League has seen some of the best defenders and here is my pick of the back 4 plus 2.

Gary Neville

In January 2006, Rio Ferdinand (coming up later) scored a 90th minute winner for Manchester United against Liverpool. While the whole team ran up to Rio, Gary Neville was scene running back from the half-way line towards the opposing fans to rub the victory in their faces. When he was questioned on this by the FA he simply asked if they would prefer it if football players were to act like "robots". This story perhaps best denotes the passion with which Gazza plays the game for Manchester United. He is one of the rare one club men left who has come up the ranks of the youth system of United. For those who are going to call him a muppet and etc, this decade alone he has won

• 5 League Titles (2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09)
• 2 League Cups (2005-06, 2008-09)
• 1 Champions League Title (2007-08)
• 1 FA Cup (2003-04)
• 1 League Cup (2005-06)

He has also been in the PFA team of the year in 2005 and 2007.

Jamie Carragher

A.C. Milan had just been shocked by a whirlwind 6-minute Liverpool performance that saw their half time lead of 3 goals nullified. Deep into extra-time, Jamie Carragher, suffering from cramps made two last ditch tackles (one against Shevchenko) to keep the score tied and send the game to penalties. We all know the outcome of that result and many believed that to be the year of Steven Gerrard, but the Kop faithful knew otherwise. Taking nothing away from Gerrard's talisman performances, they voted him player of the year for Liverpool. 2005-06 season marked a great year for him as he made the shift from utility player to first choice Centre Back under the charge of Rafa Benitez. He also won the Uefa Super Cup other than the Champions League. All his titles in the senior team have come in this decade -

• 2 FA Cups, (2000-01, 2005-06)
• 2 League Cups (2000-01, 2002-03)
• 2 Uefa Super Cups, (2001, 2005)
• 1 Champions League (2004-05),
• 1 Uefa Cup (2000-2001).

He was also in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2005 - 06 season

Rio Ferdinand

An up and down career that is riding a high after many disciplinary problems, Rio Ferdinand has finally come into his own and is by far one of the best centre backs in the Premier League, maybe even the world. Ferdinand has won it all with United, and still wants to do more. He comes from a sporting family, no one more famous than cousin Les Ferdinand. Rio started the decade signing for Leeds United from West Ham with whom he had spent 6 seasons. He starred in their UCL campaign in 2002 where they reached the semis but soon moved on from the cash strapped Elland Road outfit to Manchester United where his quality was really honed under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson. After initial trouble with a missed dope test, there was no reason why his price tag (of world's most expensive defender) should be in question. The proof is in the pudding -

• 4 League Titles (2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09)
• 2 League Cups (2005-06, 2008-09)
• Champions League Title. (2007-08)

He has been in the PFA team of the year 5 times (Once for Leeds United, the other times for Manchester United).

Sammy Hyypiä

In a farewell tribute to Hyypiä this year, the chief footballing scout of Liverpool said "one of the best bits of business we've done over the years... - a steal, a bargain". Who can argue with him. Hyypiä was bought by Liverpool for mere 2.6 million pounds during Manchester United's treble winning season (1999). It was his boyhood club, but many deemed him a misfit on his arrival. 3 seasons later, he captained Liverpool to their own treble and a slew of honours have been bestowed on the Finnish captain. He has only ever got ONE red card (sadly it came against arch rivals Manchester United) in his entire footballing career and that is telling of one of the most feared defenders in the Premiership. His 10 year career came to an end with -

• 2 FA Cups, (2000-01, 2005-06)
• 2 League Cups (2000-01, 2002-03)
• 2 Uefa Super Cups, (2001, 2005)
• 1 Champions League (2004-05)
• 1 Uefa Cup (2000-2001).

On a personal front, he has been voted Finnish player of the year 7 number of times, made the PFA team twice and the UEFA team once.

Ashley Cole

One of the most controversial names on this list (in fact any list in the world), Ashley Cole has a number of medals that he can hang around his neck. And we shall concentrate on that aspect of this attacking left back, and not his personal life. He was undisputed in this position from 2002-2005 starring in that "unbeaten" season. Though his transfer to Chelsea left a bad taste in the mouth of most Arsenal fans (who will be quite happy with deputy Clichy, I am sure) Cole's performances on the pitch never declined. Every time he was hit with some controversy off the pitch, he came back stronger on it. Dropped for the League Cup final for Wayne Bridge (which Chelsea eventually lost to the Spurs), Cole came back to score his first ever goal for Chelsea in the very next game - A (man of the match performance in a) 4-0 London derby victory over West Ham. His honours include

• 4 FA Cup Titles (Arsenal) (2001-02, 2003-04) (Chelsea) (2006-07, 2008-09)
• 2 Premier League Titles (Arsenal) (2001-02, 2003-04)
• 1 League Cup (Chelsea) (2006-07)

On a personal front, Cole has been in the PFA Team of the Year thrice and Uefa Team of the Year once. He was recently voted Chelsea’s best player by his peers.

Patrice Evra
Patrice had quite a bumbling debut for Manchester United. His christening was a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the other team of Manchester, where he was substituted at half time. Manchester United's first choice at the time though was Gabriel Heinze who had soon become a crowd favourite. But Fergie saw a different kind of animal in Evra. In practise Evra was leaps and bounds ahead of Heinze, who started to sulk and wanted to transfer to arch rivals Liverpool. Fergie was having nothing of it. He sold Heinze off to Real Madrid but Evra had really arrived well before that. His devotion to United was evident when he asked club captain Gary Neville where the nearest church was so he could thank the lord everyday for giving him the opportunity to play for Manchester United. His 4 years at United have never been trophyless.

• 3 consecutive Premier League titles (2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09)
• 2 League Cups (2005-06, 2008-09)
• 1 Champions League (2007-08)

He has also been in the PFA Team of the year twice - first in his first full season, and the second time in the season just gone by.

John Terry

Very few can argue that there is a more battle hardened bloke in the Premiership than John Terry. He is a classic centre back from years gone by. He has played through a back injury, jaw injury, head injury and god alone knows how many other injuries in the colours of Chelsea. He is Mr. Chelsea, having played and trained for only this club (although, his brief loan at Nottingham Forest in 2000, denies him the tag of one club man). He has been a consistent performer over the years and has won

• 2 Premier League (2004-05, 2005-06)
• 2 FA Cups (2006-07, 2008-09)
• 2 League Cup (2004-05, 2006-07)

Individually he has been in the PFA Team of the Year thrice, FIFPRO World XI 4 Times, Uefa Team of the Year thrice, Uefa Club Football Awards “Best Defender” twice. He has also been voted PFA Player of the Year in 2004-05.

The battle of the midfield! No dearth of consistent talent, but only six spots to fill. The diamond formation will mean One Defensive Midfielder, 2 Wingers and one creative midfielder, but I'd like to believe this team possesses the fluidity of a Manchester United or an Arsenal where players interchange places with ease.

Patrick Viera
Viera came into the decade on the back of a successful Euro 2008 with France. And few dominated the midfield more than Viera in the first half of the decade. An Arsenal man through and through, Viera was voted 5th in the all time list of the greatest gunners in the history of the London club. It was apt in the end that his final kick in the Arsenal colours was against Manchester United, a penalty which he coolly slotted in to lift the FA Cup in 2005. Even though he has moved on to Italy, he is saluted as one of the greatest midfield marshall in the history of the Premier League. He has captained Arsenal to many titles and has a legion of supporters that throng the Emirates. In 2005-06 season of the Champions League, the midfielder made an emotional return to the Emirates in the colours of Juventus. He was tackled hard by Robert Pires and didn't track back (very unlike him) for the ball and Arsenal ended up scoring in the attack that followed through Cesc Fabregas, his successor. Maybe in his heart he will always remain a gunner, which is why Robert Pires was lead to say that was the first time he had ever got the better of Viera in the 13 years he had known him. This decade, Viera has won

• 3 FA Cups (2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05)
• 2 Premier League Titles (2001-02, and captained Arsenal in their famous 2003-04 unbeaten season).

He was in the list of PFA Player of the Year for six consecutive seasons, in the UEFA team of the year once, French player of the Year in 2001 and most notably in the Pele's - FIFA 100.

Paul Scholes

When David Beckham joined Real Madrid, he was asked by the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo what it was like to train with the Ginger Haired Legend. Although the song "Paul Scholes, he scores goals" is a far cry from his goal scoring threat in the last few years, the midfielder's creative genius is unheralded. He came into this decade after winning a historic treble with United. But he didn't feature in the final having picked up a suspension against Juventus which prompted David Beckham to say that he deserved to play the final. 9 years later, (which included a patch where he thought he had to prematurely give up on football because of blurry vision), he was in Moscow bloody nosed, winning the Champions League again with Manchester United. But 'Ginger' has won a lot more with United.

• 5 Premier League Titles (200-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09)
• 2 League Cups (2005-06, 2008-09)
• 1 Champions League (2007-08)
• 1 FA Cup (2003-04)

He has also been in the PFA Team of the Year twice and more recently has been inducted in the English Football Hall of Fame.

Steven Gerrard
Gerrard had a forgettable decade in the 90s. Injury problems hounded him and he failed to establish himself in the first team. But the turn of the century saw him partner then captain Jamie Redknapp in mid-field and he made 50 starts in Liverpool's historic treble winning season. But nothing could be compared to the year he had in 2004-05. Gerrard was injured for Liverpool's most of group matches in the Champions League but returned (many thought carrying an injury) for their last match against Olympiakos at Anfield. With 5 minutes left to go, L seemed destined to lose but Gerrard had other plans. He sent the Kop faithful in a frenzy scoring a screamer from a little over 20 yards out. Liverpool as we all know went on to win the Champions League on the back of 'those crazy six minutes' where Gerrard scored again. And he was showered with titles. These include

• 2 FA Cups ( 2000–01, 2005–06)
• 2 League Cups ( 2000–01, 2002–03)
• 1 Champions League (2004-05)
• 1 Uefa Cup (2000-01)

He has been in the PFA Team of the Year a whopping 7 times and has also been honoured by Uefa as club Footballer of the Year once, while winning the Football Writers Footballer of the Year award for 2008-09.

Ryan Giggs

The fans call him 'Sir Ryan Giggs'. I don't think he can receive a higher honor. You can judge for yourself once you count the endless number of titles and medals this guy has won. After starring in the Treble season (Remember the FA Cup goal against Arsenal, his shot bobbing down to the near post in the CL Final before Sheringham slotted it home). This decade he became a much more pivotal player for United. Once Denis Erwin left in 2002, Giggs was one of the most experienced players on the team roster. And he gave a surety on the left flank that United will well miss now. He has lost a yard of pace but his quality has improved with age. He played in the centre of the field last season and he was rewarded as the PFA player of the year for the first time in his 16 year career. He is also the highest capped player for United having beaten Sir Bobby Charlton's record. On 8th February 2009, Giggs became the only player to have scored in every Premier League season since its inception. The Premier League is now 17 years old. Manchester United has won it a record 11 times and Giggs has got a medal each and every time. But this decade his tally includes

• 5 Premier League Titles (200-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09)
• 2 League Cups (2005-06, 2008-09)
• 1 Champions League (2007-08)
• 1 FA Cup (2003-04)

On a personal front, his tally is unmatched. I can only include a few. He has been in the PFA Team of the year thrice (eight times in all), PFA Team of the Century, PFA Player of the Year and Welsh player of the Year once. In 2005 he was inducted in the English Football Hall of Fame.

Cristiano Ronaldo
The Premier League will be at a loss after having lost the former best player in the world to La Liga. For 6 years the box office tumbler has been ‘wowing’ audiences the world over with his brand of football. There isn’t a greater goal scoring threat from the midfield, faster player on the ball or a better header in the game. If there is one critique of his game, it is his defensive capabilities. Still, he has been a joy to watch at United – from his half hour cameo against Bolton, his wonder strike against Porto, his header against Roma, he has been brilliant. When he joined United, he told Sir Alex he wanted the no. 28 shirt, his Lisbon shirt number. Sir Alex simply said ‘no, you’re going to have No. 7’. And he has been a worthy wearer of this legendary number. He has amassed a great number of awards in his time at United

• 3 Premier League Titles (2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09)
• 2 League Cups (2005-06, 2008-09)
• 1 Champions League (2003-04)
• 1 FA Cup (2003-04)

The last few years Ronaldo has had to add some shelves to his trophy cabinet. He has been in the PFA Team of the Year 4 times, has been voted the player of the season twice and along with Andy Gray is the only one to win the PFA Young Player of the Year and PFA Player of the Year in the same season. He has also been in the Uefa Team of the Year thrice, in the FIFPro World XI twice. But most recently, he won the FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or in 2008, becoming the first and only one to win it from the Premier League.

Frank Lampard
Lampard belonged to the famous Youth Academy at West Ham which has produced the likes of Sol Campbell, Rio Ferdinand and Jermaine Defoe. But he knew that Chelsea was where he would prosper and signed with them in 2001. He has never looked back. He started with a league record 164 consecutive appearances for the club which is outstanding considering the rest of the people on the list are mostly keepers. After having lost his mother to a terminal illness, Frank Lampard appeared in a Chelsea jersey to play Liverpool in the second leg of their Champions League encounter. It was 3-3 in the first half of extra time when the midfielder stepped up to take a penalty for Chelsea on which they reached the CL Final for the first time in their history (where Lampard scored in Chelsea’s loss). Performing under pressure is what Lampard is all about. So far the midfielder has amassed

• 2 Premier League (2004-05, 2005-06)
• 2 FA Cups (2006-07, 2008-09)
• 2 League Cup (2004-05, 2006-07)

He has been in the PFA Team of the Year thrice, Chelsea Player of the Year thrice and FIFPro World XI once. He has also been named England Player of the Year once as well as UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year once. In 2005, Lampard won the Football Writers Association Player of the Year.

Poking, prodding and smashing them home are our strike force. Over the years, the Premier League has been graced by the likes of Paulo Di Canio, Alan Shearer and more recently Didier Drogba but sadly none of them have made it to our list.

Thierry Henry
The most capped player on the list (along with Stevie G), the Frenchman has wowed the purists and the more conventional fans of the game alike. He was in the top 2 of the highest goal scorers every year during his stint at Arsenal. But as we all know, this diamond in the rough was honed by Wenger. Henry was used as a winger during his spell at Juventus. But Arsene saw a different breed of player and paired him up front with Dennis Bergkamp to become the most potent strike partnership in the premier league. And alongside Bergkamp, Henry dazzled as he cut in from the left and sent his trade mark curlers around the keeper to make Martin Tyler go “Oh! OOOh! What A GOAL! Thierry Henry. A touch of class, world class” one too many times… When he made his move to Barca, the Premier League definately lost the best striker they have seen so far. It is ironic that he went on to win the Champions League with Barca, the team that defeated Arsenal in the final when Henry played for the Gunners. This decade Henry has won

• 3 FA Cups (2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05)
• 2 Premier League Titles (2001-02, 2003-04)

Individually, Henry has been in the PFA Team of the Year 6 consecutive seasons, Uefa Team of the Year for 5 seasons, Premier League top scorer 4 times, European Golden Boot twice and been voted player of the year by his peers twice and by the FWA thrice. He has also been voted French Player of the Year 5 times.

Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney's premier league debut came late on against Arsenal in the colors of blue in 2002. Three touches is all the scouse needed to announce himself to the world. After a great Euro 2004 where Roonmania took over England, Rooney, still just 18, signed for Manchester United for a fee rising to 30 million pounds – The highest ever paid for a player under 20. He has come a long way from age 16 and seems to count as a seasoned veteran now as he has been up there among the greats for 7 consecutive seasons. Great pace, quick reading of the game, one of the best right foots in the league and England's best striker by a country mile, Shrek will be a great partner to Henry at the spearhead of our attack. When asked after his move to Madrid about Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo said "he can die for Manchester United". It's a little wonder why seeing how he has won

· 3 League Titles (2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09)

· 1 Champions League (2007-08)

· 1 League Cup (2005-06)

A thing to be noted is how selfless this lad is. He is one of the few in our list who has won more with the team than he has individually, continually showing he will sacrifice anything for Manchester United or England. Having said that, he has been in the PFA Team of the Year and Uefa 2004 Team of the Tournament once and has been voted PFA Young Player of the Year twice!

Ruud van Nistelrooy

The dutchman had impressed Sir Alex with his performances at Eindhoven and was bought for a cool 19 million pounds despite a massive knee injury. But his impact was instant as was his escalation to fan favorite. If there is one thing you associate Ruud with it is goals. Seems like the two are synonymous: He holds the United record for highest goals in a season (44), and highest scorer (for the club) in the Champions League (38). He has a games to goals ratio that is enviable (150 in 220 games) and is second in the all time list of scorers in the Champions League with 60 goals in all. He also holds the Premier League record for a scoring streak, scoring in eight consecutive games… twice (although, the second time, he scored 8 goals in the last eight games of the season and then 2 back to back goals in the first two games of the next season to make the record 10 consecutive games with a goal) - Ridiculous! The dutch striker has won

· 1 Premier League (2002-03)

· 1 FA Cup (2003-04)

· 1 League Cup (2005-06)

He has been in the PFA Team of the Year twice, the top scorer in the Champions League twice and once in the Premier League. He has also been the PFA Player of the Year once (along with the UEFA Club Forward of the Year).

This pool of superstars have to be managed together as a unit and there is only one manager in England up to that task, but first we talk a bit about his assistant.

Steve Clarke

In the summer of 2008, speculation was rife that Steve Clarke would leave Chelsea after spending close 15 seasons there as player and coach and winning many titles in the process. However (at the time) new Chelsea manager Luis Felipe Scolari decided to retain Clarke citing his ‘importance to the club’s history’. He handed in his resignation the next summer, but again this was rejected, till Chelsea were resigned to losing him to his playing days compatriot Gianfranco Zola’s West Ham. Such is the importance of Steve Clarke who knows how to bark orders at his players, no matter what their stature, keeping in mind there is someone higher up who is making big decisions. Jose Mourinho has tried to prize him away to Inter Milan having had him as an assistant during his glory years at Chelsea. And Mourinho knows a thing or two about managing. As a coach, Clarke has won

• 2 Premier League (2004-05, 2005-06)
• 2 FA Cups (2006-07, 2008-09)
• 2 League Cup (2004-05, 2006-07)

Sir Alex Ferguson

English football's most decorated manager, Sir Alex has seen and managed the best and worst in the country. The best in terms of talent and the worst purely in terms of attitude! He has kept the likes of Cantona and Rooney from probably biting people, Roy Keane from breaking his own team mates' heads, David Beckham from staying within touching distance of the ground even though his over inflated ego kept his head 6 feet from his shoulders; he has ensured that the team remains more important than any individual but perhaps most most importantly.. He has managed 10 off the 11 players on the list and won a host of medals with each one of them. After the treble winning season of 99, he has been a match or so away from repeating it the last two years. He has won

• 5 Premier League Titles (200-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09)
• 2 League Cups (2005-06, 2008-09)
• 1 Champions League (2007-08)
• 1 FA Cup (2003-04)

He has been voted Premier League Manager of the Year 4 times, League Managers Association Manager of the Year once (and Manager of the 90s decade), Uefa Team of the Year twice and has been inducted in the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

As the decade comes to an end, we embrace a new set of rising stars… some in the making, some unnamed and waiting to be discovered. As of now, this is my final team.

---------------------Shay Given--------------------

Gary Neville – Rio Ferdinand – John Terry – Patrice Evra

-------------------Patrick Viera---------------------

Cristiano Ronaldo-----------------------–--Ryan Giggs

--------------------Steven Gerrard------------------

Thierry Henry--------------------------Wayne Rooney

Subs:

Edwin van Der Sar, Jamie Carragher, Sammy Hyypia, Ashley Cole, Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard, Ruud van Nistelrooy

Please feel free to write your own. Until then, bring in the beers.

Also, before anyone starts barking their heads off about the stats, these are current as off this year and are only counted from the 2000-01 season.

It is ALL about the money

2 entities. 2 Leagues of their own. 2 endless pits of money.

No we're not talking about Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, we're talking about Real Madrid and Abu Dhabi United, i mean Manchester City FC.

While one can't argue about the rich history and international appeal of Real Madrid, nor the fact that anyone who wears that jersey will be proud to wear it, one really doubts the credentials of players who go to the sky blue, but we'll come to that greedy lot later.

In 2006, Real Madrid had a net debt of 75-80 million pounds and many said the club is falling apart because of the famous Galacticos era of 2001-2005 which saw Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo and Beckham arrive at the club, following each other season after season!

Come 2009, Real Madrid have spent close to 2 and a half times that debt in 1 month on 6 players. But in 2001, Real Madrid had 270 million pounds from the sale of their training ground facilities as prime property. 170 million of that was used to service their debt.

But they don't have prime property that can be sold anymore. This money has been loaned by Caja Madrid and Banco Santander(secured by two unnamed assets) to Real Madrid who are now under a further debt of 200 million pounds within one month. Michel Platini was complaining about the huge debts of English clubs and the amount they spend on players, but he's mum on this issue when it comes to a club from Spain. A country whose national coach called Thierry Henry a 'black shit'. But that is an argument for another article.

So Real Madrid plunges into debt but gets 2 of 3 World Footballer of the Year candidates for the last 2 years in a span of 3 days. You can't question the commitment of these two boy wonders. Ronaldo has gone to his dream club, and Kaka could have gone to MCFC last season if it were for the money. But the financial muscle Real Madrid has undoubtedly shown is a cause of worry. In the given economic scenario, it is tough to imagine that any entity/entities has/have 200 million just lying around to back such ludicrous spending. Unless of course they own nearly fourth of the Oil produced in this world.

So let's get down to MCFC. Any player who says he is going there for
a) The History
b) A Fresh Challenge
c) Not for the money

is as frank as your everyday drunk husband with lipstick stains on his face saying 'honest honey, she slipped and fell on me cheeks'. MCFC's history boasts of legends like Shaun Goater, Niall Quinn and Robbie Fowler. The biggest challenge they have faced every year is a derby victory. And how do you describe that as a great football club if their season is defined by 2 games, as apposed to what the 38 everyone else plays.

Carlos Tevez, Robinho, Gareth Barry have all left clubs that were regularly challenging in Europe. If they really wanted a new challenge, they should walk around Harlem draped in a Republican flag. And if their motivation was not for the money, then what was it?

Robinho was paid handsomely at Madrid, would have been paid really well at Chelsea, but he joined City instead. Tevez much the same with United, who were ready to break the bank and make him their highest paid player - too much for a guy who gets you 1 goal in 3 games honestly, but a team that was in consecutive Champions League finals (winning once) and back-back-back Premier League Winners was ready to re-write history for you Tevez and you chose an extra 100 grand a week over eternal glory. And Barry was destined for Liverpool, or so we thought last year.

As a United fan, I can't imagine a bigger idiot than Gareth Barry. Or even Tevez for that matter. (This is of course restricted to the world of football. There are bigger idiots who have actually sat through the Titanic and lived to say they enjoyed the dung load!).

It's just a matter of time that Adebayor makes his shift to greener pastures - a move welcomed by most Arsenal fans I am sure (case in point, the brochure they made for him). But there again I can't see why a player will go to Manchester City and not to AC Milan if given the choice.

I guess understanding the minds of these gifted millionaires is beyond us lesser mortals. But if there is one thing we can be damn sure about - we are witnessing a change in the annals of footballing history. We are at a brink of a time where a champions league medal will matter lesser than an extra 150 thousand pounds a week. God bless these morons.

Until then, bring on the beers

This crazy thing called the Summer Transfer Season

2008/09 + Manchester United = 3 Titles

Still, the last year ended with a bitter taste in the mouth. A good old fashioned footballing lesson was given by the beautiful Barca as the Catalans demolished the Red Devils 2-0 in one of the most one sided finals in the history of the champions league.

And from the 1st of June started the summer madness. Much like kids in an all candy theme park, clubs big and small go bananas to find the perfect concoction. I call this squeaky bum time Sir Alex, and a lot of United fans would have been clenching their rear ends when they heard of Ronaldo's move.

My two cents on the box-office-tumbler - Cristiano, you will be remembered for a lot of things from your time at United. The 30 minute cameo against Bolton, the wonder strike against Porto, the 42 goals, the endless amounts of hair gel and the tantrums on the heavenly patches of Old Trafford. But the common thread in this all is your football. And my god it has been breathtaking. As we have bid you farewell, know this - United is, was and always will be better than your beloved Madrid. And I can't see you stopping the force that is Barcelona even if your club spends as much Barcelona is worth on new players.

Carlos Tevez has also moved on. Frankly Carlitos was never loved for his goals because they were few and far between. It was when he chose to score them that made him loved by the fans. But now he will embrace the millions of endless pounds hidden under the turbans of the Arab shaikhs in the other Manchester team.

True to Sir Alex's form, he has signed people for the future. No arguing about Valencia's talent. But there is some opposition to Mickey Owen. The Kop prodigy is now a Red Devil. It must sting like a hot summer afternoon at the Sahara wearing thermals under a microscope. Even at 29, Owen is one for the future. Along with Solskjaer, van Nistelrooy, and Shearer, he is one of the best finishers in the history of the Premier League. I don't think the pair of Welbeck and Kiko Macheda, can ask for better teachers than OGS and Mickey Owen.

Gabriel Obertan is another potential for the future and a lot of rumours about Kun Aguero are starting to sound themselves. I for one would like to see a class act creative midfielder at United. The likes of Iniesta. These guys are as easy a catch as a supermodel is for a fat, ugly and poor guy, even for a club as big as United. But Anderson should improve given the freedom he deserves, with Ronaldo gone.

I can't wait for the new season to start. The weekends aren't the same without a United 3 - 2 Chelsea.

Until then, bring on the beers