Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Yule msanii maarufu sana hapa nchini kwenye tasnia ya filamu za bongo maarufu kama "Bongo Movie" Elizabeth maarufu kama "Lulu" aliachiliwa kwa dhamana jana.
Wanashindwa kuamini
Lulu akiwa anatoka
Lulu akiwa mahakamani
Lulu ambaye alihusishwa na mauaji ya aliyekuwa muigizaji maarufu nchini Kanumba alionekana kulengwalengwa na machozi pale alipotoka na kukutana na watu nje kwa mara ya kwanza tangu aliposwekwa ndani.
Alan Pardew's side head to Villa Park just one point ahead of the home team in the league, but differing transfer windows will likely see Newcastle well clear of Villa by the end of the season.
Whilst they are behind Newcastle in the league, they did at least manage a creditable draw at West Brom in their last outing, whilst Newcastle lost at home to Reading.
Despite all this, a clear majority of football fans would likely suggest that of the two sides, it is Villa who are in far greater danger of getting relegated, and most would put Newcastle as favourites for tonight's match as well. The reasons for clearly have to be Newcastle's excellent work in the transfer market this month.
While Villa have floundered, Newcastle have bounced back well form the early loss of Demba Ba to Chelsea with a string of well-priced signings from Ligue 1. Moussa Sissoko, Massadio Haidara, Yoan Gouffran, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and Mathieu Debuchy have all arrived for under £20 million, and Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa and Debuchy in particular could provide a huge boost to the side in the remaining months of the season.
Alan Pardew has confirmed that some of his new signings will feature at Villa Park, with Sissoko reportedly set to go straight into the starting eleven. This is a good move, as the impact of the new players would be clearly seen if Newcastle were to win such an important match on their debut.
Add in Yohan Cabaye returning to fitness, Hatem Ben Arfa inching closer to action, and Papiss Cisse hopefully ready to find his goal scoring touch playing through the centre of the attack, Newcastle can be rightly optimistic about their future, and the gap to Aston Villa is likely to only grow in the next few months.
Michel Vorm has emerged as a surprise candidate to replace Victor Valdes at Barcelona.
This has forced the Spanish giants into looking around the current transfer market for possible new recruits and several national papers have suggested Michel Vorm of Swansea City is their man.
Vorm has been in superb form for Swansea ever since they gained promotion to the Premier League and the 29-year-old could be tempted away for what would be the last move of his career.
The biggest thing Swansea have to worry about is the reported interest because it will be very difficult for any club to stop a player from leaving, when they know Barcelona are interested in signing them. Gerhard Tremmel has played well when deputising for Vorm, but Swansea would still be reticent to let their number one leave.
Vorm does have what it takes to cut it at the too level with Barcelona and he has many attributes which would allow him to settle in quickly.
His leadership skills often go underrated because of the slick way Swansea play football, but this is something Barca will definitely be looking for as Valdes is a key and inspirational figure in the current side.
His decision making is superb and allows him to help out the defence when they are looking to their goalkeeper to read and take control of a situation.
Swansea need to hold out for the biggest possible fee if this link turns out to become formal. They need to do so because Vorm is a basic component of Michael Laudrup’s side who will be very difficult for them to replace.
You then need to factor in the fact that Vorm has been playing at Swansea, a side used to playing a similar style of football which is seen all over La Liga. Therefore, he would be surprisingly familiar with the way Barcelona play, making any transition easier.
It’s also more likely when looking at the other goalkeepers that Barcelona have been linked with such as David De Gea from Manchester United, a much younger ‘keeper on a much longer contract at Old Trafford.
It just all makes sense and if it’s not Vorm then it will be another goalkeeper who is either a very young star, yet to make his first move to a big club or another goalkeeper of a similar age, looking to make the last move of his career.
Do you see any chance of this happening?
Forbes Magazine has valued Manchester United at $3.3 billion if you have that free as spare change!
Manchester United have been valued at over $3 billion, becoming the first football club in history to top that value.
United’s constant success has kept them at the top of the game in England and across Europe for a number of years, spanning numerous decades.
What this allows United to do is justify a constant high price range for various match day essentials such as tickets and sustenance. This all adds to the revenue and the value of the club.
The global brand of Manchester United is also more widespread than ever before with the club enjoying support bases in different countries and continents around the world.
It’s estimated that United have around 659 million fans around the world across all countries which makes them one of the most highly supported sports teams in history.
This increases the commercial aspect of the club in terms of sponsorship, advertising, creating an incredibly strong financial spine to the club, almost making it an immensely valuable commodity over anything else.
Sponsors know when they sign a deal with United that they are not just projecting themselves into the English market but markets in every country that the club has some sort of base in.
The Glazer family’s decision to float ten per cent of the club on the stock market has also increased the value of the football club.
Initially shares were selling in the United States for a fee of $14 per share to anyone wishing to buy them.
The continued success and consistency of the club in any aspect means the share value has risen to $17 which increases the value of the club, taking the current share values into consideration.
Some fans have debated the financial problems which have been caused by the Glazer’s who used borrowed money to originally buy the club. However, they cannot argue against the fact that United have been well developed in a business sense.
What do you see as the reasons behind United’s financial position?
Andy Murray left Melbourne beaten but not bowed. He did not add a second grand slam title to his portfolio after his triumph in New York four months ago but, after analysing his defeat by Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final, he knows what he needs to do to keep pace with the world No1, and to see off the challenge of Roger Federer, whom he beat in the semi-final, and Rafael Nadal, who returns from seven months out through injury in Chile this week.
Nevertheless Murray, still third in the world, reckons it will be harder than ever to get to No1 – a goal many good judges reckon is within his grasp in 2013, including Andre Agassi and Boris Becker.
"It's tough," Murray said. "If I had won here I would have two slams, a Wimbledon final and Olympic gold and still been well behind Novak."
"The argument a few years ago was with [Caroline] Wozniacki being No1 without a slam – but Novak [who won one slam last year, the Australian] still would have been significantly ahead of me even if I'd won. With his consistency just now, Rafa [Nadal] coming back, it's going to get tougher.
"I'll need to do well the next few months and not play badly – especially in the Masters series, I will need to do well there. My next goal is to try and play good tennis in Indian Wells and Miami.
"I've realised in the last year or so that when I set myself short-term goals I tend to play better tennis that way. Previously after every slam I would look way ahead to the next one and kind of take my eye off the ball with the other events so that's the immediate goal and also slightly think about the French Open. It's a tournament I'm capable of doing well in but for me it takes a lot of practice, a lot of hours on clay to get used to it. So that's a major goal for me but I've got to do well in the next few months.
"I obviously didn't do particularly well on the clay until the French last year. Indian Wells wasn't good so there's obviously potential to pick up points and improve my ranking. The way the rankings are, I think these should be the events that dictate the majority of the rankings but that's not always the way it works."
He has some fine-tuning to do and is slightly disappointed that he did not build on his first-set lead against Djokovic in Sunday's final.
"Maybe not so much with tactics," he said. "I will have a think about why I maybe didn't create as many chances on the return as I've done in the past, but the way I was striking the ball was fine. My tactics were right, I just didn't give myself enough opportunities on his serve. I have to try and improve my return."
As for Davis Cup commitments in 2013, Murray said, "I'm going to discuss it with [Great Britain's captain, Leon Smith] once I get back from here. I spoke to him in Miami, so we will talk about it again."
Nevertheless Murray, still third in the world, reckons it will be harder than ever to get to No1 – a goal many good judges reckon is within his grasp in 2013, including Andre Agassi and Boris Becker.
"It's tough," Murray said. "If I had won here I would have two slams, a Wimbledon final and Olympic gold and still been well behind Novak."
"The argument a few years ago was with [Caroline] Wozniacki being No1 without a slam – but Novak [who won one slam last year, the Australian] still would have been significantly ahead of me even if I'd won. With his consistency just now, Rafa [Nadal] coming back, it's going to get tougher.
"I'll need to do well the next few months and not play badly – especially in the Masters series, I will need to do well there. My next goal is to try and play good tennis in Indian Wells and Miami.
"I've realised in the last year or so that when I set myself short-term goals I tend to play better tennis that way. Previously after every slam I would look way ahead to the next one and kind of take my eye off the ball with the other events so that's the immediate goal and also slightly think about the French Open. It's a tournament I'm capable of doing well in but for me it takes a lot of practice, a lot of hours on clay to get used to it. So that's a major goal for me but I've got to do well in the next few months.
"I obviously didn't do particularly well on the clay until the French last year. Indian Wells wasn't good so there's obviously potential to pick up points and improve my ranking. The way the rankings are, I think these should be the events that dictate the majority of the rankings but that's not always the way it works."
He has some fine-tuning to do and is slightly disappointed that he did not build on his first-set lead against Djokovic in Sunday's final.
"Maybe not so much with tactics," he said. "I will have a think about why I maybe didn't create as many chances on the return as I've done in the past, but the way I was striking the ball was fine. My tactics were right, I just didn't give myself enough opportunities on his serve. I have to try and improve my return."
As for Davis Cup commitments in 2013, Murray said, "I'm going to discuss it with [Great Britain's captain, Leon Smith] once I get back from here. I spoke to him in Miami, so we will talk about it again."
Everton have clinched the surprise signing of Leroy Fer from FC Twente. Surely it doesn't mean Chelsea or the like are going to sign Marouane Fellaini?
Everton's acquisition of Twente midfielder Leroy Fer appeared to catch everybody by surprise, so what's behind the deal?On the face of it, the signing is an excellent piece of business, we'll know just how good it is come February 1st.
If it transpires he is a replacement for Marouane Fellaini, then it will be bittersweet. Evertonians will be crossing their fingers between now and Thursday.
Both are central midfielders, with a commanding presence on the pitch - Fer's nickname is not 'The Bouncer' for nothing. Leroy Fer is 23, two years younger than 25-year-old Fellaini.
Earlier this transfer window, rumours abounded that Fellaini had a release clause in his contract of £25 million. If that were to be activated, Everton now have an insurance policy in Fer.
One who could slot straight in, and it would mean their Champions League aspirations will not take too much of a hit. It also means if a late move for Fellaini did come about, Everton will not be scratching around for a replacement at the last minute.
David Moyes found out in August the danger of a late move, as a switch for Vadis Odidja-Ofoe fell through after being filed 'too late' for the FIFA deadline; there's no such danger here.
Signing a player for £8.5 million and selling one for three times that would also be an astute piece of business for a club who announced losses of £5.4 million for last season. However they did make £4 million in profit during the summer transfer window, and tempted by the lucrative sums Champions League football would bring, it may be a case of 'speculate to accumulate'.
The good news for Everton regarding Fellaini is two-fold. Firstly despite mutterings early in the season, the player is showing no signs of wanting to move.
In the summer it may be a different matter, but it will depend largely on where Everton finish in the Champions League reckoning come May. Surely seeing as he is happy at Goodison, it makes sense to stick it out a few more months and see through the challenge. He has been at Everton since 2008, so walking out on them right now makes sense, when they have finally got so close to breaking the glass ceiling.
Secondly the clubs most regularly linked with his signature appear to be dormant as far as transfer activity goes this window. Manchester United are rare winter transfer window buyers, making a rare exception for Wilfried Zaha, a player who won't arrive until July - Don't expect lightning to strike twice here.
The main threat comes from Chelsea, but the Blues have gone quiet after signing Demba Ba early on in the month. With the former Newcastle man the only back-up to Torres, Chelsea's most urgent need is to buy another striker, rather than another central midfielder. But currently the Blues are showing no signs of big moves, with Abramovich seemingly reluctant to spend until he decides on the future of Rafa Benitez - Or who should replace him.
Everton might just get away with keeping the Belgian, it will be up to Fer to settle right away and give the Blues such a lift that they surprise everybody and finish in the top four in May, giving Fellaini every reason to stay.
What do you think, will Fer be a teammate or replacement for Fellaini?
Saturday, 26 January 2013
Hivi ndivyo viwanja vya soka nchini Afrika ya Kusini.
Tazama jinsi vilivyoundwa kwa ustadi.
Inawezekana ikawa ndiyo
sababu kubwa ya timu nyingi
zilizoenda kwenye mashindano ya
AFCON kufanya vizuri.
Kiwanja chetu ambacho kilijengwa
miaka kadhaa kule Dar es Salaam ndicho
pekee tunachojivunia nacho japo
kimekumbwa na uharibifu
mara kadhaa toka kwa mashabiki
wenye vurugu zisizo na msingi hapa nchini.
Swali ni kwamba; hapo walipofika wenzetu, ipo siku nasi tutafika? Toa maoni yako.
Friday, 25 January 2013
The FA have charged Chelsea’s Eden Hazard following his side’s League Cup semi-final at Swansea City on 23 January 2013.
It is alleged that Hazard’s behavior in relation to a Swansea City ball boy, for which the player was dismissed in the 78th minute, constituted violent conduct whereby the standard punishment that would otherwise apply was clearly insufficient.
The player has until 6pm on Tuesday 29 January 2013 to respond to the charge.
The FA will remind all clubs of their responsibilities in ensuring ball boys and other personnel around the pitch act in an appropriate manner at all times and will liaise with competitions accordingly.
Here's the game in which all that happened
via Youtube
Wilfried Zaha Set to Join Manchester United in July 2013. Via b/r
No unexpected roadblocks emerged during Zaha's physical and he's now inked a five-and-a-half year contract with United, Sky Sports reports.
As expected, after the sides struck a deal for the 20-year-old Zaha's services, he was immediately loaned back to the Eagles for the remainder of the season. The rising star made a statement following the move finally becoming official:
I am delighted to be joining Manchester United and ending the recent speculation. I would like to thank the owners at Palace for making the move possible, however my focus for the next five months will be solely at Crystal Palace. I have been at Palace for more than 10 years, I will always love the club and I want to help get them get back to the Premier League, particularly for the fans who have always been so good to me.The young England international was one of the most popular names bantered about since the January transfer window opened, but it always seemed like the Red Devils had an edge. Now they can be relieved a deal is finally done.
By immediately loaning him back to Crystal Palace, it allows Zaha to continue his development for several more months before officially making his presence felt at Old Trafford. It would have been difficult for him to make a midseason impact.
The Red Devils are getting a player with terrific speed, good finishing ability and immense upside. He still has work to do before he reaches that potential, but playing alongside all the talented United players should accelerate the process starting in summer.
While he's got enough skill to serve as a club's main striker, he will likely play more of a winger role for the Red Devils once he gets comfortable. Of course, the club's last marquee addition, Robin van Persie, is the go-to striker for United.
It's a move with an eye on the future by Sir Alex Ferguson. He knows Zaha will have to fight in order to earn a regular lineup spot in the coming years, but also understands what he can bring to the club if he does reach that aforementioned potential.
He's a star in the making. Now he must get prepared to live up to the hype starting in July.
Hii ni baadhi ya game alizocheza akiwa Crystal Palace
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
Soccer Pep Guardiola to replace Roberto Mancini as manager of Manchester City, paper claims. Via b/r
FORMER Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola will replace Roberto Mancini as manager of Manchester City, a British newspaper has claimed.
Guardiola, 41, said last Monday he was ready to return to coaching after stepping down from the Barcelona job at the end of last season having guided them to 14 trophies in his four years in charge, including two Champions League titles.
The Sun on Sunday claims Guardiola will opt for City over Chelsea because he sees the Abu Dhabi-owned side as being the more likely to challenge for European honours despite the London side having won the Champions League last season.
Mancini - who has won an FA Cup and the Premier League titles in his time at the club - is set to pay for his failure to guide the expensively-assembled side into the Champions League knockout stages on two occasions.
"It is 100 per cent certain that Guardiola is going to City this summer," a high level source in Spanish football told the paper.
"And when I say 100 per cent I don't mean 99 per cent, I mean 100 per cent!"
According to the paper, Guardiola will become the highest-paid manager in England on 10 million pounds ($15.3 million) a year after tax.
Guardiola, 41, said last Monday he was ready to return to coaching after stepping down from the Barcelona job at the end of last season having guided them to 14 trophies in his four years in charge, including two Champions League titles.
The Sun on Sunday claims Guardiola will opt for City over Chelsea because he sees the Abu Dhabi-owned side as being the more likely to challenge for European honours despite the London side having won the Champions League last season.
Mancini - who has won an FA Cup and the Premier League titles in his time at the club - is set to pay for his failure to guide the expensively-assembled side into the Champions League knockout stages on two occasions.
"And when I say 100 per cent I don't mean 99 per cent, I mean 100 per cent!"
According to the paper, Guardiola will become the highest-paid manager in England on 10 million pounds ($15.3 million) a year after tax.
Appearances can be deceiving but mostly there are not. A lightly grilled audience in the Rod Laver Arena witnessed the evidence of that when the grooved and muscled tennis machine that is Andy Murray methodically deconstructed his opponent, Robin Haase, a slim and ambitious contender from the old school, to advance to the second round of the Australian Open.
They were born within a month of each other, in 1987, and each stands 6ft 3in, armed with enough talent to win any rally, but not, in the Dutchman's case, necessarily any match. Murray outweighs Haase by a stone, all of it pure power, and that is one reason the Scot resides on a different part of Planet Tennis: in many of his matches he is a lion among lambs.
He arrived in Australian fresh from a prolonged winter training camp in Florida; Haase, who does not have those resources, turned up having won just one of his past 10 matches.
After an hour and 37 minutes the world No 3 had crushed the world No 53 6-1, 6-1, 6-3. It was an entertaining workout, with plenty of lovely shots on both sides of the net, the concluding ones invariably delivered by Murray.
"It was a good start," Murray said. "Nice to win in straight sets. It took a little while to get used to the breeze. I've come close here a few times, so to finally get a slam [in New York] was great and I'll try to focus on the second part of my career now."
Asked about what seems to be an ideal relationship with his coach of 12 months, Ivan Lendl, Murray joked, "Yeah, in front of the cameras, anyway. He works me very hard. He's very honest, very open."
Haase, with a whipping one-handed backhand and equal facility to crunch top-spun winners on the other wing, was as pleasing on the eye as Murray was physically imposing, his double-fisted ground strokes full of mechanical menace.
Haase's recent results constitute a poor return for a clearly talented player who does not seem to have tamed his urge to play big points all the time. It is fine to trust your talent, more important to know how much you have – especially if your opponent is soaking it up and giving it back with interest. That is a dividing line on the tour: those who get desperate and those who get the job done. Memories of his fighting five-set loss to Murray at the 2011 US Open were just that on this Tuesday in Melbourne.
It was the perfunctory that took first blood over the ambitious, as Murray (who'd just missed a miracle running forehand around the post) forced the Dutchman to hit long at the end of a brief rally in the third game.
Hitting flat through a light breeze inside this blue cavern, he was getting more purchase on his shots as Haase continued to search for the killer shot with bags of over-spin and drift. If he'd watched Murray handle the howling gales of Flushing Meadows last summer he might have taken a different tack, so to speak. This was more a teasing shudder of occasional wind than a hurricane, but it never the less required management.
Trailing 1-4, Haase lifted his game appreciably. Murray had to save four break points, the first with a carefully modulated pressure rally, followed by two sublime aces, one up the middle, then wide on the backhand side, before grinding his opponent into errors in his old-fashioned way to lead 5-1 after 27 minutes.
Murray lost focus with the set in his pocket and, after Haase held, the US Open champion double-faulted and handed him hope with a shot from the baseline that dropped softly into the net for 5-3, before serving out in 41 minutes.
It was a little longer than he might have wished 20 minutes earlier, workmanlike rather than dazzling tennis, which one could gauge from the polite rather than raucous applause that greeted each winner.
The first crack in the second set came in the fourth game when Murray drew Haase to the net and there seized on his inability to handle spin-laden shots from mid-court that all but kissed the cord. Haase shook his curly locks in frustration as volley after volley billowed the net.
Murray was coasting on the hour, a set and 4-1 up, master of his own destiny, destroyer of Haase's. There were shards of magic from the Dutchman, but his forearm weakened in sync with his spirit and Murray's march to victory was unstoppable. The Haase curls shook after nearly every exchange now, like a teenager who realised he'd wandered into a conversation with grown-ups.
He continued to fight, however, trusting that talent, hoping for something unlikely to unfold, knowing it probably wouldn't. In the third and concluding session Murray put him up against the ropes and worked him over all the way to the final bell.
They were born within a month of each other, in 1987, and each stands 6ft 3in, armed with enough talent to win any rally, but not, in the Dutchman's case, necessarily any match. Murray outweighs Haase by a stone, all of it pure power, and that is one reason the Scot resides on a different part of Planet Tennis: in many of his matches he is a lion among lambs.
He arrived in Australian fresh from a prolonged winter training camp in Florida; Haase, who does not have those resources, turned up having won just one of his past 10 matches.
After an hour and 37 minutes the world No 3 had crushed the world No 53 6-1, 6-1, 6-3. It was an entertaining workout, with plenty of lovely shots on both sides of the net, the concluding ones invariably delivered by Murray.
"It was a good start," Murray said. "Nice to win in straight sets. It took a little while to get used to the breeze. I've come close here a few times, so to finally get a slam [in New York] was great and I'll try to focus on the second part of my career now."
Asked about what seems to be an ideal relationship with his coach of 12 months, Ivan Lendl, Murray joked, "Yeah, in front of the cameras, anyway. He works me very hard. He's very honest, very open."
Haase, with a whipping one-handed backhand and equal facility to crunch top-spun winners on the other wing, was as pleasing on the eye as Murray was physically imposing, his double-fisted ground strokes full of mechanical menace.
Haase's recent results constitute a poor return for a clearly talented player who does not seem to have tamed his urge to play big points all the time. It is fine to trust your talent, more important to know how much you have – especially if your opponent is soaking it up and giving it back with interest. That is a dividing line on the tour: those who get desperate and those who get the job done. Memories of his fighting five-set loss to Murray at the 2011 US Open were just that on this Tuesday in Melbourne.
It was the perfunctory that took first blood over the ambitious, as Murray (who'd just missed a miracle running forehand around the post) forced the Dutchman to hit long at the end of a brief rally in the third game.
Hitting flat through a light breeze inside this blue cavern, he was getting more purchase on his shots as Haase continued to search for the killer shot with bags of over-spin and drift. If he'd watched Murray handle the howling gales of Flushing Meadows last summer he might have taken a different tack, so to speak. This was more a teasing shudder of occasional wind than a hurricane, but it never the less required management.
Trailing 1-4, Haase lifted his game appreciably. Murray had to save four break points, the first with a carefully modulated pressure rally, followed by two sublime aces, one up the middle, then wide on the backhand side, before grinding his opponent into errors in his old-fashioned way to lead 5-1 after 27 minutes.
Murray lost focus with the set in his pocket and, after Haase held, the US Open champion double-faulted and handed him hope with a shot from the baseline that dropped softly into the net for 5-3, before serving out in 41 minutes.
It was a little longer than he might have wished 20 minutes earlier, workmanlike rather than dazzling tennis, which one could gauge from the polite rather than raucous applause that greeted each winner.
The first crack in the second set came in the fourth game when Murray drew Haase to the net and there seized on his inability to handle spin-laden shots from mid-court that all but kissed the cord. Haase shook his curly locks in frustration as volley after volley billowed the net.
Murray was coasting on the hour, a set and 4-1 up, master of his own destiny, destroyer of Haase's. There were shards of magic from the Dutchman, but his forearm weakened in sync with his spirit and Murray's march to victory was unstoppable. The Haase curls shook after nearly every exchange now, like a teenager who realised he'd wandered into a conversation with grown-ups.
He continued to fight, however, trusting that talent, hoping for something unlikely to unfold, knowing it probably wouldn't. In the third and concluding session Murray put him up against the ropes and worked him over all the way to the final bell.
Spanish newspaper AS is reporting Barcelona are interested in bringing Fernando Torres back to Spain.
AS claims Torres is being eyed as a replacement for David Villa, who is expected to leave in the summer
Former club Atletico Madrid were considered the most likely club to sign the ever-frustrating Torres, as they look to replace Radamel Falcao when he eventually makes his mega-money move.
Torres of course scored a memorable goal at the Nou Camp in the Champions League last season to clinch Chelsea's path to the final, and will no doubt jump at the chance to join Barcelona.
Do we think it will happen? In honesty it would be very surprising move. Even if Barcelona sell Villa, they have plenty of options in attack.
They have Neymar pegged as a long-term target, but perhaps more pressing, they have the exciting Gerard Deulofeu in their youth system showing the kind of form which is beginning to 'demand' first team football.
They would also not want to spend much at all, it is doubtful Barcelona would want to spend above £15 million for Torres.
There is more interesting news for Chelsea from AS. The paper report that Thibaut Courtois is almost certain to return to Chelsea from Atletico next season, which will ask questions over the future of Petr Cech.
Atletico are lining up Liverpool stopper Pepe Reina as one of their options if Courtois does head back to Stamford Bridge.
Could Torres really go to Barcelona? What do you think?
AS claims Torres is being eyed as a replacement for David Villa, who is expected to leave in the summer
Former club Atletico Madrid were considered the most likely club to sign the ever-frustrating Torres, as they look to replace Radamel Falcao when he eventually makes his mega-money move.
Torres of course scored a memorable goal at the Nou Camp in the Champions League last season to clinch Chelsea's path to the final, and will no doubt jump at the chance to join Barcelona.
Do we think it will happen? In honesty it would be very surprising move. Even if Barcelona sell Villa, they have plenty of options in attack.
They have Neymar pegged as a long-term target, but perhaps more pressing, they have the exciting Gerard Deulofeu in their youth system showing the kind of form which is beginning to 'demand' first team football.
They would also not want to spend much at all, it is doubtful Barcelona would want to spend above £15 million for Torres.
There is more interesting news for Chelsea from AS. The paper report that Thibaut Courtois is almost certain to return to Chelsea from Atletico next season, which will ask questions over the future of Petr Cech.
Atletico are lining up Liverpool stopper Pepe Reina as one of their options if Courtois does head back to Stamford Bridge.
Could Torres really go to Barcelona? What do you think?
Manchester United signing Cristiano Ronaldo on a free transfer is a dream scenario for fans. It can happen, but they have to be patient.
It is no wonder fans are desperate to keep him at the Bernabeu, but the feeling is not reciprocal.
Ronaldo made it clear as far back at September that he did not wish to sign a new contract as he was unhappy with certain goings on at the club, and to this date they remain unspecified.
It has been regularly rumoured that he wants a move back to Manchester United, the club where he won the Champions League and enjoyed, from a collective point of view, his most trophy-laden period of his career to date.
He has certainly fulfilled his £80 million price tag which took him to Madrid, and if it wasn't for Lionel Messi we would be coronating CR7 as the world's best footballer.
All of which means it is pretty impossible for United to sign him right now. Madrid are willing to sell, but only at a staggering £120 million.
United's debt-leveraged financial status means such offers are beyond them, especially considering how much Ronaldo's wages would set them back, and right now the only club looking like offering Ronaldo a way out is PSG.
Realising his lack of options, Ronaldo spoke out on his future yesterday, saying: "I want to end my contract at Real Madrid, that I have it clear. Then I do not know what will happen in the future."
Ronaldo's contract ends in 2015, by then he will be 30, and if he does see it out, then he will be the master of his own destiny.
It would be truly remarkable is Madrid did allow a player who signed for £80 million to leave on a free, but they can't force him to sign a new contract, and they are so dependent on his amazing abilities they can hardly afford to alienate him either.
Ronaldo's first choice would likely be Manchester United, they will certainly be up there right in the mix. Signing on a free is perhaps the only way United will ever be able to bring him back to the club.
If Ronaldo wanted to play elsewhere, he'd likely push for a move to PSG, but clearly he is wary of getting into another long-contract, and simply wants to enjoy the next few years in Spain before moving on.
The football landscape can change a lot in the next two years; Ronaldo may solve his differences in Madrid, or Mourinho may replace Ferguson at Old Trafford; who truly knows how that would influence his position.
Yet it is fascinating to consider that perhaps Ronaldo does have a long-term plan, and is already plotting his return to Old Trafford, even if he will have to be very patient indeed.
Do you think Ronaldo will return to United?
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Manchester United have kept a firm grip on the Premier League title race and rivals Manchester City at bay, while Arsenal lost their winning streak.
Manchester United have kept a firm grip on the Premier League title race by sweeping to a 4-0 win at Wigan Athletic on the first day of 2013 to maintain their seven-point lead.
Champions Manchester City remain United's nearest rivals after a 3-0 success at home to Stoke City, while Tottenham Hotspur climbed to third by coming from behind to defeat second-bottom Reading 3-1 at White Hart Lane.
Arsenal were prevented from making ground in the top four after their four-game winning run came to an end in a 1-1 draw at Southampton that left Arsene Wenger's side four points below Chelsea in fifth place.
Javier Hernandez had already had a goal ruled out for offside at the DW Stadium when he put United 1-0 up against Wigan by tapping in after Ali Al Habsi saved from Patrice Evra in the 35th minute.
Robin van Persie got off the mark for the New Year eight minutes later, collecting a pass from Hernandez and sending Ivan Ramis to the turf with a dummy before curling the ball inside the right-hand post.
Hernandez added a third in the 63rd minute, swivelling to dispatch a half-volley when a van Persie free-kick arrived at his feet, before the Dutchman completed a brace of his own in the 88th minute with his 16th league goal of the campaign.
"Javier Hernandez is a goal-scorer, a real penalty-box player," said United manager Alex Ferguson, who turned 71 on New Year's Eve.
"Van Persie's first goal was magnificent. We expected him to be a major player and add something to us, and that's exactly what he's done."
City dominated the early stages at home to Stoke, who had gone into the game looking to protect a 10-match unbeaten run.
Pablo Zabeleta broke the deadlock two minutes before half-time, rolling the ball into an empty net after visiting goalkeeper Asmir Begovic touched away James Milner's low cross with his foot.
Sergio Aguero was the creator of City's second in the 56th minute with a low drive that was parried by Begovic, only for Edin Dzeko to turn the loose ball home.
Aguero scored a 74th-minute penalty after Steven Nzonzi was adjudged to have tripped David Silva, but the Argentine had to leave the fray moments later after appearing to sustain a hamstring injury.
City assistant coach David Platt said that Aguero would "certainly" miss Saturday's FA Cup third-round tie with Watford and was "doubtful" for the following weekend's trip to Arsenal in the league.
Tottenham fell behind in the fourth minute against Reading when Pavel Pogrebnyak headed the visitors in front, but Michael Dawson's header meant the hosts were level within five minutes.
Spurs were dominant from then on, Emmanuel Adebayor putting them in front with a powerful 51st-minute header before Clint Dempsey's fortuitous deflected strike made it 3-1.
Victory took Spurs a point clear of Chelsea, who have two games in hand and host bottom club Queens Park Rangers on Wednesday.
"We did well to close out the festive period with 10 points from four games and hopefully we will continue this form to put ourselves in the position we want to be," said Spurs coach Andre Villas-Boas.
Gaston Ramirez exploited some calamitous Arsenal defending to put Southampton ahead in the 34th minute, but a Guly do Prado own goal meant the visitors were level before half-time.
The point was nonetheless enough to take Nigel Adkins' side out of the bottom three at Wigan's expense.
Aston Villa put an end to a run of three straight defeats with a 2-2 draw at Swansea City, but were denied victory by a 95th-minute goal from Danny Graham.
Christian Benteke had put Villa ahead with an 84th-minute penalty, after Wayne Routledge's ninth-minute opener for the hosts had been cancelled out by Andreas Weimann.
West Ham United were also on the up, beating Norwich City 2-1 through goals from Mark Noble and Joey O'Brien to climb to 11th.
Earlier, Fulham shook off their slumbers from 2012 to win 2-1 at West Bromwich Albion and record only their second win in 13 matches.
Fulham striker Dimitar Berbatov had the honour of scoring the first goal of 2013 at the Hawthorns, with Alex Kacaniklic netting a 58th-minute winner after Romelu Lukaku equalised early in the second half.
Source: Mail&Guardian; Africa's Best Read
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