I guess I don't see it the same. When I liked my NFL team who I have fallen out of favor with now, we destroyed a divisional rival in our romp to the championship, but none of us ever looked back at the semi final. we looked at the final game. Not the win over our rival.

They were just a stepping stone to a place. I just think celebrating something like that has negative terms in the long run like "we overachieved and this may never happen again"

Personally, I think this is the message that the club has been sending for a long time. When Chelsea rebuilt and brought in Momo he brought in that swagger that said we are champions and we belong at the top.

For the Spurs to make a transition like this, it has to start at the top because the way you guys played us versus the way you played teams like newcastle were night and day.

That all said, I still do not want any memorabilia from a team who's mascot is a rubber chicken....

I'm sure with safety 'visiting' the spurs site on the sly, I think he's a closet spurs supporter deep down.

Anyway another great buy for spurs.

Gomes from PSV.

I have never hated Spurs is the problem. I don't have that London animosity going on there that you guys have.

This really is a top signing for Chelsea. Deco imo is the classiest play maker in the game at the moment. Problem Scolari has is how does he fit Deco, Lampard, Ballack and Essien in the team as they're all central midfielders.

Its a championship manager signing if ever I saw one

Totally unnnecessary. Chelsea better mind they dont start playing 4-6-0 like Portugal have been for the last 4 years. He wants to shift drogba so it might be happening sooner than one thinks

As boss of Portugal you would think he would be able to have found at least one half decent central striker/big number 9 or whatever you want to all it

None is this pansy little withdrawn striker, can play on the wings rubbish that they seem to have in abundance

Heard also on the way into work, that AC Milan are open to serious offers from Chelsea in relation to Kaka (i really find that difficult to believe, but anyhow). I give Scolari two seasons at Chelsea. Any manager of note will have the same issues José had. Roman is boss and he will not let any manager forget it. If Scolari thinks he'll have the same autonomy as Wenger and Ferguson, he can forget it. Interesting times ahead.

Scolari is going to set Chelsea back a couple of years and a hundred or so million

By bidding for Kaka he is already trying to turn chelsea into a team of midfielders

Why no noise about strikers!!!?? This guy is not serious

Crouch gone- Portsmouth £11 million. Im heart broken.

Alonso move to juve being stalled. He's a nice guy, but get on with the move.

We're being linked with robbie keane. Good player whom i'd like at liverpool, just think we should have gone for him two years ago.

@ T, Good luck to Crouch, lets hope he doesnt terrorise our defence when we meet Pourtsmouth. I'd welcome Robbie Keane, seriously under-rated player. Wouldnt say no to Berbatov either..lol



Arsenal have completed the signing of French international midfielder Samir Nasri from Marseille for a reported fee of nearly $24 million.

Nasri, 21, made two appearances for his country in their failed Euro 2008 campaign, announcing after the tournament that he was to join the Premier League side.

But negotiations have only now been completed and he will join the rest of the Arsenal squad for their pre-season tour of Austria on July 21.

"I am very happy to become an Arsenal player, it means such a lot to me," he told the Press Association. "This is a very important step in my life as a football player because Arsenal is a massive club."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said that Nasri had "great potential" and could now allow unsettled Belarus international Alexander Hleb to leave the Emirates Stadium.

"He is young, quick and technically an outstanding player," said Wenger, who also signed Wales teenager Aaron Ramsey earlier in the summer.

Nasri will join a large French contingent at Arsenal which already include captain William Gallas, Gael Clichy, Abou Diaby and Bacary Sagna.

Wenger, who is renowned for his ability to spot talented young players, will now be hoping to resolve the future of star striker Emmanuel Adebayor ahead of the new Premier League season and Champions League qualifying matches. Togo international Adebayor has been linked with AC Milan and Barcelona


Sepp Blatter has waded into the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga, claiming the Portuguese winger is being treated like a slave.
The FIFA president says the Manchester United player should be allowed to leave for Real Madrid if he really wants to.

Blatter says the affair raises issues about the transfer and contract system for footballers.


Cristiano Ronaldo escalated his rift with Manchester United on Thursday by backing Fifa president Sepp Blatter's assertion that he is being treated like a slave by the Premier League club.

The Glazer family, who own United, has vowed not to sell its star winger to Real Madrid, threatening instead to banish him to the stands.

Blatter believes that Ronaldo should be allowed to leave and not be made to remain at Old Trafford against his will.

"I completely agree with the statements of the president, he is right," Ronaldo told Portuguese broadcaster TVI.

Ronaldo reiterated his previously stated desire to join the Spanish champion, but no transfer request has been submitted and he has almost four years left on his United contract.

"You know what I said, what I want and what I would like," he said after leaving a physiotherapy session. "Now I have to wait and see."

The 23-year-old Portuguese insisted he is still with the club he steered to triumphs in the Premier League and Champions League in May by scoring 42 goals.

"It is not true that I have agreement with Real Madrid," he said.

He said he did not know where he will begin the season, but he expects to be sidelined for 10 or 12 weeks while he recovers from Monday's surgery on his right ankle.

He said he would spend a further two weeks on crutches and it would be two months before he could kick a ball.

When Blatter was asked in a Sky News interview yesterday if he felt sympathy for Ronaldo's current position, he said: "Absolutely, absolutely."

He then urged United to sell Ronaldo if he asks to leave. "We should also protect the player and if the player wants to play somewhere else, then a solution should be found," Blatter said.

"Because if he stays in a club where he does not feel comfortable to play, then it's not good for the player and for the club ... I'm always in favour to protect the player and if the player, he wants to leave, let him leave."

Blatter suggested that United was unfairly retaining Ronaldo, adding that "in football there is too much modern slavery".

Those comments sparked widespread criticism, particularly from the Red Devils.

"All our players - like at other clubs - enter into their contracts after an open and free negotiation," United said. "Most of whom do after taking advice from a Fifa-registered agent.

"Many do so on a number of occasions and enjoy long and successful stays at Old Trafford."

Uefa, European football's governing body, believes that players - not clubs - are becoming more powerful.

"It would be useful to remind people that slaves in all of the slavery systems never earned a wage," said William Gaillard, Uefa president Michel Platini's special adviser. "It seems that both clubs and players are trying to negotiate an exit before the player is free." - Sapa-AP

@tobetrice

Exactly!!!!!

I was desperate for us to sign him instead of Moreintes in that January window a couple of years back, absolutely desperate! He wasnt getting played at Tottenham but you could still see his class. Would have cost us 7m, now Tottenham won't even pick up the phone unless you start the bidding at 15m. Oh well, such is life

As for Crouch, good player but just too slow. On his day he is unplayable, but I've seen him outting in efforts( like aginst Havant) where I have wondered if I myself could do a better job. Ultimately no good enough for us, but we'll see how he does at Pompey

One thing I like about Harry is that he knows how to big up a player. He doesn't respond with all that squad guff. He said that Defoe is going to be afirst teamer and has said the same about Crouch. Crouch now can score a goal 1 week and expect to play the next week injuries permitting. Maybe he kicks on from here and gets 20+

Its telling that his best form (i.e where he has been close to one in two) ahve ben with Redknapp at Pompey(albeit Division 1) and Southampton

@Spurs fans

errrr why is your team attempting to sell Berbatov and Keane? Why bring in Modric if you are selling the people he will feed? Bringing in Modric if he played the way he played in the Euros makes you guys one of the best attacking teams in the league with Bale coming back and Lennon attacking and Dos Santos possibly being deployed on the other wing.

Do your owners hate you guys?

Unlucky Man City, why dont you try for Dean Windass instead.?

The former European and World Footballer of the Year completed his long drawn-out move to Milan from Barcelona last night in a deal worth around €21m.

The 28-year-old boarded a plane from Barcelona to Milan today, and arrived at Malpensa International Airport at 13:00 CET.

Ronaldinho was greeted by Milan directors Leonardo and Ariedo Braida, with legions of fans repeatedly shouting out “Ronaldinho, Ronaldinho.”

The Brazilian, sporting a hip-hop look with a New York Yankees cap worn the wrong way, saluted his supporters, before offering his first declarations to Milan Channel.

“I am very happy, after a long time I'm here,” said Ronaldinho.

“I'm very happy to have arrived at Milan and I hope to give a lot of joy to everybody.

"It's true, I confirm I really wanted Milan. Many things have happened and in the end I am a Rossonero. I'm happy to be here, and I repeat, I hope to make the Milan crowd happy.

“It's great to find a lot of Brazilians, but also the many champions who wear the Milan shirt. I'm happy about everything, I'm here with other Brazilians like me but also with all the others.”

Ronaldinho then left for Milanello, and upon his arrival at 13:30 he was greeted by hundreds of Milan fans. He shook the hand of Coach Carlo Ancelotti before being offered a tour around his new club.