606V2 Chronicles (Media Page)

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AAAAANND THEY'RE OFF!!!

First games of new season done and dusted

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The first set of games into the new season have happened. All teams were in action with some excellent encounters particularly at the Emirates with Arsenal and Man City along with the first London derby between Chelsea and Spurs.

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'City show potential title credentials with solid draw at the Emirates'
Arsenal and Man City began their seasons battling out in the capital with both teams looking to prove their worth this season. Both teams possessed qualities particularly up front which was always likely to make for an entertaining game. Arsenal's game play under new man Luke was similar to what former man Arsene Wenger played previous which appeased the fans of the club. This worked well early in the first half as some intricate passing between Van Persie, Walcott and Wilshere led to the latter being fouled 25 yards out, left of goal. This allowed Van Persie to flex his left boot and he made no mistake firing a thunderbolt of a shot past Joe Hart into the right of the goal. However, City fans gave the impression they were not out of it and easily were the louder of the two sets of fans and following the introduction of Higuain, their patience was duly rewarded when the talismanic Higuain lashed home from close range to bring the visitors level. Both teams tried to push for a winner with both the goalscorers coming close again but in the end, the game finished all square. After the game, Arsenal manager Luke said, "to be fair, City look like the side to beat right now. When I saw we had them first up, sure you might want an easier game, but I thought it might be the best time to play them before they had got going properly". City manager Pull was of similar voice with regards to the result saying, "Although we strive for the three points every week we have to take the positives from the draw this week. We were up against a quality Arsenal side which stifled us all game".

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'Cahill & Coleman shoot down Magpie's at Goodison'
Goodison Park played host to two potential dark horses of the competition this year in Everton and Newcastle and it was the home side that got off to a winning start. It was the home side who were flying from the word go with Cahill and Pedro forcing Krul into two excellent saves. However, it would be these two who combined to put the home side ahead. The ball fell at Pedro's feet and the Spaniard had the confidence to take on his man and whip in a delightful cross which fell to Cahill who volleyed the ball low past Krul. It was Pedro again who had a hand in the second goal. This time he cut inside off the left flank and unleashed an excellent shot which ricocheted off the post and fell to Coleman who prodded the ball home past Krul. However, 10 minutes later, Newcastle managed to pull a goal back through David Villa but was not enough enough to prevent his side from ending up as the loosing side. After the game, Driver had this to say. "We played some tidy football out there , we created chances from all areas of the field and kept Tim (Howard) busy all afternoon , ultimately Cabby's goal being disallowed was a huge blow considering it was just after half time. For me Tim Krul is the best young goal keeper in the league and the two goals he leaked today won't have any affect on the lads confidence". Driver's side entertain Aston Villa next week with there being no question of his side's desire to secure 3 points.

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'Liverpool up and running after excellent win at Villa Park'
Liverpool are joint top after the first set of games after an impressive win at Villa Park against Fisher's Aston Villa. Liverpool's front men looked like bringing their international game to club football in the early stages of the game linking up well together and forcing Given into some decent saves. It was Luis Suarez though who broke the deadlock. The Uruguayan trapping the ball 20 yards out, played a sharp one two with Navas before firing home past Given on Navas' return ball. Suarez then doubled his teams advantage when he headed home a Charlie Adam corner. Early in the second half, Villa's new boy Ibrahimovic restored parity for the home side when he poked the ball home from a Gervinho centre. Aston Villa pushed for an equaliser and had a possible case for a penalty after Ibrahimovic went down under the challenge of Reina but the ref waved play on. The away side then secured a penalty of their own after Alex Song was deemed to have handled in the area and Adam made no mistake from the spot to restore Liverpool's 2 goal cushion which is how it stayed until the final whistle. After the game, Fisher said, "'To be honest, we played well. Many people have praised our approach to the game. Its a learning process, management, and I think there were a couple of errors today from me, and my side. Perhaps, we deserved more but its early days and I beleive we will be a force to be reckoned with this season.' Liverpool manager Pav commented on his sides performance after the game saying, "we are delighted with the win. we knew it would be a difficult place to come and sure enough Villa didn't make it easy for us but I was particularly delighted to see Suarez and Forlan gel so quickly and hopefully we can look to push on from here and challenge the big boys in the league for the top positions".

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'Blues reign supreme over Lillywhites'
Chelsea won the derby in the capital today with Tottenham. Follow had made some impressive signings for the club who many people believe will be the team to beat this season and they made no mistake in dispatching Tottenham at Stamford Bridge. The home side were 3 up by half time with 2 goals from returning new boy Arjen Robben. Both goals were made and finished by the Dutchman, first of which had Robben run with ball down the right, cut inside on the byline past Assou Ekotto, and again past Gallas and unleash an unstoppable shot past Friedel into the roof of the net. His second goal came 7 minutes later when again in a similar starting position, this time cut inside earlier as he does best, nutmeg Modric and pass the ball into the bottom left of the goal just out of Friedel's reach. Robben put the home side's fans in full voice and this spurred them on to a third goal courtesy of what Frank Lampard does best from 25 yards. Tottenham pulled a goal back through Samuel Eto'o in the second half but wasn't enough in the end for the away side and the home side held on for a comfortable 3 points.

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'Stoke gain impressive draw against Red Devils'
Stoke under Guv gained a creditable draw against Man Utd at the Brittania stadium. The home side gave 9 debuts to players most notably that of former Red Devil Carlos Tevez who came back to haunt his former club with a free kick from the edge of the area which went in off the underside of the bar. However, his former strike partner Wayne Rooney showed his class as well with a fabulous volley from an Ashley Young centre which left Foster rooted to the spot. The away side pushed for a winner in attempt to exert their authority and show their title credentials early on but Stoke held on for an excellent draw. After the game, Stoke manager said, "We are delighted with the result and the way my players performed today. We took the game to United and for long periods of the match were the better side. We created many chances and caused them problems which shows we will be able to compete in this league."

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IN OTHER NEWS:

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Final transfer window movers and shakers:
- Michael Owen - Stoke
- Lucio - Man City
- Jeremy Toulalan - Liverpool
- Roger Johnson - Liverpool
- Esteban Cambiasso - Chelsea
- Eric Abidal - Tottenham
- Andreas Iniesta - Man Utd
- Ledley King - Arsenal
- Laurent Koscielny - Tottenham
- Carlos Marchena - Stoke
- Yoann Gourcuff - Aston Villa

Injuries have swarmed through the league affecting all clubs. Chelsea, Man City & Stoke look to be the hardest hit of all the teams but all managers understood the rules when entering the league and now have the chance to prove that their squads have strength in depth. Both Stoke manager Guv and Everton chief Hodgey have had their say on the injuries front.

Guv - "Frankly this is a shock. All clubs expect injuries throughout the season but to lose so many influential players at the same time is a huge blow. Nothing we can really do about it although I will be looking at the loan market to see what can be done in the short term. In the meantime it gives some of our squad players the chance to stake their claims. I have every confidence in all my players that they will give 100% every time and we will stick together as a squad to get through this difficult time".

Hodgey has today revealed Everton are suffering from an injury crisis which has depleted his squad options drastically. Only 16 players have been passed fit for this week's game and first-team players Drenthe and Heitinga are amongst those ruled out. The Everton manager also said that his side missed out in the transfer market in a last-gasp attempt to secure the services of Brazilian midfielder Kaka. It is rumoured a fee was agreed between the two clubs but the formalities could not be completed before Monday's 5pm deadline. Sources at the club have suggested Hodgey is in a pessimistic mood despite last week's crucial win over Newcastle.

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FANS VEWS:

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LittleBoPeep on Twitter: Pleased with our result this weekend. We thought Tottenham would have been more of a tricky match so pleased we came away with a comfortable 3 points.

Nick Hancock on Twitter said: Delighted with our draw with United. Kudos to Guv for gaining an excellent draw and for his dealings in the transfer market. Well Done!

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Pullthestrings buzzin' to be at Manchester City

Manager pullthestrings is said to be ecstatic that he was drawn Man City for the upcoming BPL.

'I usually have an absolute nightmare when it comes to random draws, but I guess I can have no complaints here.'

'I'm happy with the squad as a whole, although I will be looking to strengthen in some areas early on to make us a title contender.

Sergio Aguero is my favourite player in world football and I'm looking forward to working with him. David Silva is another player who you can only admire.'

When asked to comment on contraversial ex-captain Carlos Tevez, Pullthestrings responded 'I'm prepared to wipe the slate clean with Carlos, who is an exceptional player and an important part of this squad. What went on with the previous manager will be forgotten, and I will be expecting him to knuckle down and work hard now as there is a lot of competition up front.'

In With the New and Out With the Old


Arsenal FC today unveiled LukeLovesLuka as their new manager after Arsene Wenger was finally released of his duties.

Wenger had been with the club for just over 15 years, and had a largely successful reign, although the last years of his tenure had seen the club fail to win any trophies. The board have entrusted LukeLovesLuka and are rumoured to have given him a hefty war chest to take Arsenal back to the top.

New manager LukeLovesLuka said "Arsene did some magnificent things for this club, and has completely changed the ethos of football, not just at Arsenal, but in England and the Premier League.

His style of play is one that I have loved to watch over the years, and let the first thing I say be this - we will not be changing the style of football the fans have become accustomed to. We will still look to play attractive, entertaining, attacking football, but what I hope to bring to the club is a winning mentality and that bit of steel that I believe has been missing form this Arsenal side.

The setup at the club is a very strong one, and I expect to keep the majority of the staff here. I will be looking to bring back some British players to the club, as I feel we have lost our identity a little bit over the years - so that will be my first task.

I will also look to balance the squad a little more as soon as I can - I think there a couple of positions we are a little bit light in at the moment.

I cannot guarantee instant success - but what I can guarantee is a great work ethic to try and bring this club back to the top of the pile. It is my aim to be competing on all fronts, and be in the hunt for trophies come the end of the season."

Fisher happy with Villa appointment!

New Aston Villa manager Fisherunited is surprised but delighted to be the new Aston Villa manager. Alex McLeish had only been in charge a few months but the fans demanded he was replaced due to his links with Villa's big rivals, Birmingham City. Villa have an exciting setup and Fisher looks set to add a tough of foreign class to a talented young squad full of homegrown talent.

'I love the setup here at Aston Villa. I have alot of good British lads who know what the club is all about and we have some terrific young players who i will be trying to bring the best out of. I think what has been missing here is a few top class players who can do something a bit different, and i will be doing all I can to bring some marquee players to this club to take us to a level where we can compete with the likes of Man United and Chelsea'.

Tottenham fans furious as club choose Arsenal fan as Manager

New Tottenham manager Fernando has already made enemies with the supporters of the club after revealing he is a life long Arsenal fan.

The Tottenham supporters Association are calling for him to be sacked before a ball has even been kicked this season.

DRIVER IN DREAM JOB

In a recent interview with BBC Radio Newcastle, new Newcastle United boss Driver has answered questions on subjects such as his transfer policy and captaincy


What will be Newcastle's transfer policy and do you have any areas which will be your immediate thought to strengthen?

There is funds available which is all i'll say about the money at the moment , they are a number of players on our radar in certain positions who we will be in touch with in the coming weeks

Fans favorite Coloccini has been given the skippers armband until a permanent announcement with regards to the captaincy , is he currently leading the way?

He's obviously going to be up there or else he wouldn't have the armband now , but that's no guarantee that it's going his way there is competition coming from left, right and centre

Follow speak of pride at appointment

Chelsea today named Follow as their new manager for the upcoming season, with the Scot speaking of his delight and pride of becoming the successor to Andre Villas-Boas.

"I'm over the moon to be appointed Chelsea manager, this is a club which is close to my heart and I can't wait to get started. To become the manager at one the biggest clubs in the world in a dream come true, and I can't tell you enough how proud I am."

Questions were quickly directed to the future of Chelsea strikers Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. Follow was quick to reject rumours that the Spaniard would be on his way but the future of both Drogba and Anelka seems unclear:

"Fernando will be staying, no question. Any reports of a move to Spain are false, the board have assured me we have had no offers for him and I will not be selling him. The situation with Didier and Nicolas is different, both are out of contract at the end of the season and it seems they could be on their way, although if they want to stay then I want to keep them, simple as that"

Guv relishes Potters challenge

Delighted to be here at the Britannia Stadium. The fans here are passionate about their club and make this a very difficult place to come for visiting sides. We have a great squad and I'm looking to build on the very strong foundations laid by Tony Pulis. It's fantastic for the club to involved in a league such as this and shows how far we have come in the past few years.

People have asked whether I will be changing the style of play for which Stoke City have become renowned. Well the answer to that is in the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". We're not here to make up the numbers, we want to challenge for trophies and get in amongst the bigger boys. We have tremendous experience throughout the team most with international experience. We'll be aiming to keep things tight at the back where we have our two England centre halves and hit teams on the break.

I will be in the market for some players but don't expect a Messi or Ronaldo to arrive, that isn't going to happen but I may surprise you yet. Expect the unexpected.

New era in Manchester

Manchester Utd manager Kamran is buzzing after being appointed by the world famous club. Kamran was quoted saying that "It is a privelage and honour manage such a well managed club that thrives on winning trophies"

Kamran also revealed the shock that the great Alex Ferguson recommended him to the the board when retiring.

"I am grateful and humbled by the great man's recommendation and hope to make him and the great fans proud".

Skysports presenters quizzed the new rule of British players playing and if that will affect the morale of the side.

"I have no worries as we have players like Rio, Giggs and Rooney who are experienced enought to teach the younger lads and give them great advice."

"Regarding the foreigns players we have, they have just as much importance too as they have shown great professionalism and work ethic"

Hodgey optimistic after Everton appointment

Everton's new manager Hodgey has suggested that there are big things to come from Goodison Park this season and has also heaped praise on the club. In an interview with BBC Sport, Hodgey said:

"It is an exciting challenge to be given the chance to manage Everton. The club has a great history and the atmosphere around the ground is fantastic. The new laws promise to make things even more exciting for Everton supporters this year and we can't wait to get started.

We feel confident that the squad has what it takes to achieve great things this season. The home-grown rule will influence our decisions to an extent, but we already have an established breed of British talent coming through on top of the foreign players we have at our disposal."

Hodgey, OTW's replacement on Merseyside, is keen to stamp his mark on the league after a brief absence from the game.

NEWCASTLE'S DELIGHT AT SIGNING OF ADAM JOHNSON
BBC FOOTBALL

Fans of Newcastle United checked there footballing sources to find out that the club have made it's first signing of the summer in English left wing Adam Johnson. Johnson who found his opportunities limited at Manchester City was delighted to join his boyhood club and was in a delighted mood when unveiled at the press conference.
I'm delighted to join Newcastle who are a club going places and i hope to have a massive input to what they are trying to achieve , Newcastle are a club who i supported as a boy and will put 110% into every game i pull the shirt on, They have some fantastic players in the team already and i'm going to work hard to get into it

Arsenal straight into Transfer Market as British Contingent Arrive

New Arsenal manager LukeLovesLuka has stuck to his promise, and signed two British players in the first full day at the club. Ireland International Richard Dunne and England striker Darren Bent have signed in a deal from Aston Villa that sees Alex Song, Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh leaving to join the Midlands side.

LukeLovesLuka said "I don't make empty promises. Richard (Dunne) was always one of the players I wanted to sign when I came into this role. He is a commanding centre half who takes no prisoners, and is a real character. That sort of leader is the first player I wanted to sign, and am I delighted to welcome him on board.

Darren (Bent) is about as proven a goalscorer as you get in the Premier League. He has scored 41 goals in the last 2 seasons for Villa, and I cannot wait to see him banging in the goals for us. His record for England is speaks for itself as well.

There will most likely be more players arriving. I have bids lodged with two players as it stands. It wouldn't be right to comment on who they are, but they have been well thought out bids, and the two players in question are exactly what I feel the side is missing.

Watch this space."

AFRICAN INVASION AT VILLA PARK:

New Aston Villa manager Fisher has been very busy in the transfer market already, bringing in 5 players in his first day at Villa and letting 4 go. Fisher told the fans there would be some foreign class added to the British spine that Villa has, and so far 4 of the 5 signings are African. Ivory Coast internationals Salomon Kalou and Gervinho have added firepower in attack along with Moroccan Marouane Chamakh. Cameroon midfielder Alex Song has added steel to the midfield. Villa's other new boy is former Chelsea defender Paulo Ferreira, who adds experience and versatility at the back.

Fisher has spoken about letting 4 british players go, and hinted there could be a massive signing just around the corner.

'I was sad to let the players go. Bent is a great goalscorer in this league but he wanted to move to Arsenal and we got a great deal for him. Dunne is a great charachter and will be missed around the place. Barry Bannan has a bright future, and will do well at Chelsea, and we felt it was time for Hutton to move on, and we wish him all the best. In terms of coming in, a bid is in place for a top player that will shock everyone. I wont name any names but this is the marquee signing i was talking about.'

Hodgey on look-out for hitman

Everton manager Hodgey has today declared that his club are in the market for a top-class striker.

The club, currently without a real potent finisher, are rumoured to be interested in Javier Hernández of Manchester United whilst monitoring numerous strikers abroad, too.

Hodgey was unavailable for comment.

Arjen Robben biggest signing in busy day for Chelsea

Stamford Bridge was the height of activity today as four players made their way into Chelsea. The biggest of those was former Chelsea favourite Arjen Robben, who put pen to paper on a four year deal with the transfer fee for the player rumoured to be in the region of 30 Million pounds. Defenders Gary Cahill and Martin Skrtel arrived from Bolton and Liverpool respectively, while Darren Fletcher arrived from Manchester United.

On the new signings, Chelsea boss Follow had this to say:

"I'm delighted with the new signings we have made today, in Arjen we have brought in a player who not only knows both the club and the league very well but is one of the best wide players in the world. We have added two defenders to the squad who I rate very highly and will provide excellent competition to the defenders already at the club, while Darren is a player I've admired for a while now, and I can't wait to begin work with him."

Everton close in on Higuain

Today it has emerged that Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain is close to a shock move to Goodison Park.

Higuain, an Argentine international, has recently been out of favour at Real Madrid following a spell on the sidelines and the emergence of Karim Benzema. The fee is reported to be close to £20million, but neither side has yet reached an agreement despite interest from both parties. It is rumoured that negotiations will continue into tomorrow as Hodgey tries to thrash out his first deal since arriving at Everton.

VILLA SHOCK WORLD WITH IBRAHIMOVIC SIGNING.

Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner has certainly got his wallet out this transfer window and has now pulled off one of the most shocking transfers in Pfemier League history. Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has joined Villa from Italian giants AC Milan.

Delighted manager Fisherunited has said ' This was the massive signing i was talking about. I heard he was available and Randy Lerner agreed this was the sort of signing needed to bring the club to the next level. I was surprised when Zlatan agreed to move here, but he has already given the lads here a massive boost.'

Ibrahimovic has described his move to Villa as a 'great opportunity'. Ibrahimovic has never played in England before and now has the chance to play in what he called 'the best league in the world'.

Aston Villa also completed the £6m swoop for Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross, who adds defensive reinforcements after the sell of Richard Dunne to Arsenal.

Arsenal Appoint Dunne as Captain

Arsenal have this morning confirmed Richard Dunne as captain for the upcoming season. Robin van Persie has been appointed vice-captain. The move is seen as a bold one by manager LukeLovesLuka, considering Dunne is a new signing from Aston Villa.

Manager LukeLovesLuka said "I brought Richard to the club for a reason. He is a natural leader, and that is what this squad was missing. We have some hugely talented players here, but they needed leadership, a winning mentality, and steel and drive added to them.

With Richard, and also Nigel (De Jong) and Joey (Barton), we have brought proven Premiership leaders - not only in their personalities, but also the way they act on the pitch in the face of pressure."

When also asked if he thought Santi Cazorla could replace Cesc Fabregas, he said "Santi doesn't come into Cesc' position, so no, not at all. Santi is a very different player - he has the same touch and vision, but he plays in a more advanced role. I am delighted with the signing, and can't wait to see the boy terrorising defences."

Double superstar coup for Guv

New Stoke City manager Guv could barely keep the smile from his face after parading the clubs five new signings. Ben Foster and Damian Duff have signed from Birmingham City and Fulham respectively and add experienced, home grown talent to the squad but it is the signings of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Gonzalo Higuain that have raised eyebrows across the continent. Raul Meireles has also joined from Chelsea to give Stoke a new look central midfield partnership that should make them a threat to anyone.

Guv thanked the chairman for backing his plans which included letting go a number of influential players from the squad to open up the room to bring in the new players. "I did say we might surprise you" said Guv "and I think we have done so. Bastian is the complete midfield player and Raul Meireles will complement him well in central midfield. Gonzalo is a proven goalscorer. He is over his injury problems now and was banging in the goals recently for Real before his move here. I am also delighted to bring in Damian for his experience. He can play across the park and gives up great options going forward. Ben should be fighting Joe Hart to be England's regular goalkeeper in my opinion. He represents another coup for this club.".

Asked if that was it for the current transfer window, Guv remained coy and simply said "wait and see!".

More excitement for the Stoke fans to come it would seem.

Breaking news....

Stoke City have pulled out of their attempt to lure German international Mesut Ozil to the Britannia Stadium to link up with compatriot Bastien Schweinsteiger who signed for the Potters last week.

Manager Guv issued a statement " I'm disappointed we were not able to agree a fee with Real Madrid for Ozil. He is a player I very much admire and would complete our midfield. However, the asking price is too much to pay if I am to pursue other targets that I would like to bring to the club. The fans should be assured that we are making every effort to add further strength to the squad where we can.".

With their recent signings, excitement in the Potteries has been high and the club find themselves linked with a number of high profile players, something previously unthinkable for the unfashionable midlands club. Things are changing fast though and another top name signing would not seem out of the question. Rumours do tend to link the club to a number of lower profile English players however as Guv looks to bolster his defensive options.

Hodgey optimistic ahead of Chelsea clash

Everton manager Hodgey has claimed that his side are relishing the prospect of facing title-favourites Chelsea this Friday.

The Toffees, who this week have welcomed La Liga stars Pedro Rodriquez and Karim Benzema, fancy their chances against Chelsea who have made stellar purchases of their own which has seen Arjen Robben return to London.

Chelsea, who will be looking to get into their stride before next week's league opener, do face suspension issues with Didier Drogba ruled out.

Pullthestrings welcomes new faces to Manchetser

Manchester City manager has unveiled his latest recruits from Stoke City - Argentinian duo Gonzalo Higuain and Angel Di Maria and the strong English defender Danny Higginbotham.

In exchange, former captain Carlos Tevez, Samir Nasri and Wayne Bridge arrive at Stoke City.

I have said before I was prepared to wipe the slate clean with Carlos, and indeed I was. He was showing signs of knuckling down and working hard. However, it would seem his reputation proceeds him and the squad were getting a little frustrated with the situation. Gonzalo is a player I've always admired and he has a close working relationship with Sergio [Aguero] which I am keen to see the benefit of.

Samir is also a top player but I was keen to inject some natural width in the side and Angel is one of the best wingers about. He will also add to the Argentinian contingent, which I'm sure will work wonders for us.

It's also sad to see Wayne go, who was a well liked member of the side. We are. however, very strong in the left back area so it was a good idea to gain some strength in depth at centre back. Danny will be important for us and give his all to the cause, I'm sure

Late arrivals at the Britannia

With the start of the new season just days away now, Stoke City manager has announced further additions to his squad with the arrivals of Carlos Tevez, Samir Nasri and Wayne Bridge from Manchester City with Gonzalo Higuain, Angel di Maria and Danny Higginbotham going in the opposite direction.

We welcome Carlos, Samir and Wayne to the club. I was looking at ways of strengthening our defence without affecting the overall strength of the side. I believe I have done that with this deal. All three players have great experience in English football which will be invaluable and all are full international players. Wayne not only strengthens our defence but also has excellent attacking qualities to boot and will link up well with Joe Cole down our left flank.

Gonzalo, Angel and Danny leave with our thanks and best wishes for their careers at Manchester City. We look forward to locking horns in the future.

Food for thought for Stoke City's opening opponents Manchester United and their manager Kamran.

Ledley Does a Sol

Ledley King has left the Spurs faithful in a state of shock after singing for bitter rivals Arsenal.

10 years after Arsenal shocked the footballing world by signing Sol Campbell on a free from Spurs, Ledley King has completed the same move across North London, this time involved in a swap deal with Koscielny.

Arsenal manager LukeLovesLuka said "it does feel like history repeating itself a bit, and once more, I feel like Arsenal have got one up on their rivals. Ledley, for me, is one of the top centre backs in England, and seems to have put his terrible injury worries behind him. It's a great coup for the club."

Kamran's coup

Man Utd Manager has restored his promise of signing a world class player and done that indeed with the signing of Andreas Iniesta. Kamran kept negotiations quiet and then held a press conference to the media showcasing the Spanish superstar.

Iniesta stated the he was "honoured to sign for such a prestigious club and wanted to continue the trend of winning major trophies and helping team-mates".

In addittion, Kamran praised Michael Owen, Anderson, Johnny Evans and Ji Sung Park who left the club to their new clubs and wished them success

Arsenal Satisfied

Arsenal manger LukeLovesLuka has described the mood in the camp as satisfied after the 1-1 home draw with Man City last week. Robin van Persie scored the opener, only for sub Gonzalo Higuain to level.

He said "to be fair, City look like the side to beat right now. When I saw we had them first up, sure you might want an easier game, but I thought it might be the best time to play them before they had got going properly.

They're a great side, with a top squad, but we stuck to our guns, played our football, and I thought we acquitted ourselves really well. Obviously you look to win all your home games, but against City, first game of the season, it could be a lot worse - we didn't lose.

We've got Everton next week, a side who have improved a lot over the summer, but we're are at the Emirates again, and we'll be looking to get all 3 points."

FISHER HAPPY DESPITE DEFEAT.

Aston Villa manager Fisher is happy with is side even though they lost a hard fought match at home to Liverpool. This came just after the club announced the signing of French star Yoann Gourcuff.

Fisher said:

'To be honest, we played well. Many people have praised our approach to the game. Its a learning process, management, and I think there were a couple of errors today from me, and my side. Perhaps, we deserved more but its early days and I beleive we will be a force to be reckoned with this season.'

When questioned on the signing of Gourcuff Fisher added : 'He's a class act. He has been the type of player we are looking for, we lack creativity in midfield. With Ibra already looking worth the money we paid for him, Gourcuff can add something extra. These two will be the main men in this side and will cause every defence in the league problems this season.'

DRIVER TAKES POSITIVES FROM DEFEAT

Newcastle United manager Driver announced in the post match press conference that he thought he's Newcastle side were good enough to take at least a point if not all 3 from today's game at Goodison.

We played some tidy football out there , we created chances from all areas of the field and kept Tim (Howard) busy all afternoon , ultimately Cabby's goal being disallowed was a huge blow considering it was just after half time. For me Tim Krul is the best young goal keeper in the league and the two goals he leaked today won't have any affect on the lads confidence'

Man City go some way to completing Jigsaw

City have shown their intentions in the English Premier League with the signing of world class defender Lucio from Inter Milan for a fee of £15 million.

City manager pullthestrings was delighted with the acquisition, with many citing the central defender as exactly what they needed.

Lucio is a great capture for us. He brings organisation and leadership at the back, from which we will build the foundations to success. I'm expecting Lucio to make an immediate impact and exert his influence and experience on the rest of the side.

Pullthestrings went on to briefly give his view on his sides draw to Arsenal this week..

Although we strive for the three points every week we have to take the positives from the draw this week. We were up against a quality Arsenal side which stifled us all game.

We were perhaps guilty of being a little rusty and we need to give time for our new boys Gonzalo, Danny and Angel to settle in. They'll prove to be great additions for us and will be pushing for starting places soon, I'm sure.

Guv delighted with opening draw

Stoke City manager was all smiles when giving his post-match interview following the Potters opening 1-1 draw with Manchester United.

"Delighted with the result and the way my players performed today. We took the game to United and for long periods of the match were the better side. We created many chances and caused them problems which shows we will be able to compete in this league."

When asked whether he was disappointed not to take all the points, Guv replied

"Obviously it would have been nice to have sneaked the victory but I think it was a fair result overall. United are a top side who will be challenging for the title. We're not quite at that level yet but I aim to make us competitive. We'll lose some matches for sure but we'll give some of the big boys a right old battle and the odd scare."

Stoke City let fans favourite Robert Huth leave before the transfer deadline and brought in experienced defender Carlos Marchena as replacement but no additional player that was available on the final day of the transfer window. Guv explained

"We received a top offer for Robert who had expressed his desire to return to his homeland and play there. Dortmund are a top club who can give him opportunities to win the Bundesliga and compete in the Champions League. Although we aspire to be able to emulate that in the future, we are not there at present so we were happy to let Robert have his move. Before we completed the deal however I wanted to ensure we had a top class replacement. Carlos has joined us and will be another huge asset for this club. He remains a current Spanish international and gives us greater depth at centre half where he will provide a strong partnership with Jonathan and Matthew.

We looked at bringing in another player but couldn't find the right quality for the funds we had to spend. I will look again when the window re-opens when I expect to have more funds available."

Stoke City hit by injury crisis

Stoke City have released details of a potentially crippling injury crisis at the club with 5 first team regulars all out for varying periods of time. The full list comprises (weeks out in brackets) Walters (1), Foster (2), Tevez (3), Schweinsteiger (4), Veloso (5) and Nasri (6). Stoke manager Guv was understandably concerned.

Frankly this is a shock. All clubs expect injuries throughout the season but to lose so many influential players at the same time is a huge blow. Nothing we can really do about it although I will be looking at the loan market to see what can be done in the short term. In the meantime it gives some of our squad players the chance to stake their claims. I have every confidence in all my players that they will give 100% every time and we will stick together as a squad to get through this difficult time.

It remains to be seen whether Stoke's fringe players are up to the task ahead of them. Guv has already been seen putting a different team shape into action on the training ground which would suggest he plans to keep things as tight as possible and set his side up to be as hard to beat as possible.

Everton suffer double whammy

Hodgey has today revealed Everton are suffering from an injury crisis which has depleted his squad options drastically. Only 16 players have been passed fit for this week's game and first-team players Drenthe and Heitinga are amongst those ruled out.

The Everton manager also said that his side missed out in the transfer market in a last-gasp attempt to secure the services of Brazilian midfielder Kaka. It is rumoured a fee was agreed between the two clubs but the formalities could not be completed before Monday's 5pm deadline. Sources at the club have suggested Hodgey is in a pessimistic mood despite last week's crucial win over Newcastle.

Amazing twist sees Kaka arrive on Merseyside

Everton fans will be delighted to hear that Brazil superstar Kaka has signed a contract with Everton to eliminate any doubt that had shadowed the saga throughout the transfer window. Hodgey had claimed that Kaka would not be joining the club but has since been a beneficiary of a late decision to permit the Brazilian's move by the Premier League.

Speaking ahead of the Arsenal game, Hodgey had this to say:

"I'm delighted to welcome Kaka to the revolution on Merseyside. His addition to the squad could not come at a better time with our injury crisis and us travelling down south to Arsenal this weekend and I'm sure he will play a part.

We are going for a slightly conservative approach to the game but we always play to win. I would be delighted if we could return with a point, though, since Arsenal will be potential title-rivals in the long run."

Everton been doing an Arshavin

It's past the deadline but we'll sign him anyway

We received full league authorisation.

Problem with fax machine?

Noisy neighbours put to bed

Manchester United manager Kamran was delighted with his side's 4-1 victory away to local rivals Manchester City. Kamran was quote saying

This victory told me that my players are as hungry as ever and determined to come out as the victors.

Inparticular Kamran was praising new-boy Iniesta who was pivotal to their side's victory and also paved way to the top of the league.
Kamran said:

We knew Andreas (Iniesta) was a top player but managing him is a pleasure as he works hard and expects his colleagues to work just as hard. He linked up very well with the midfield and Rooney too. This team needed a boost from last week's performance and Iniesta has certainly provided that.

FISHER DELIGHTED WITH FIRST WIN:

Aston Villa manager Fisher has said that he is delighted to get his first win as Villa manager.

'I'm pleased we've got an early win, it gives us confidence early on. I was worried the longer we went without a win, morale would drop. But we put in a great performance, away from home too. Our new signings were magnificent but the players who have came in because of Injury did a great job, its going to be difficult for some to get back in the side.'

Guv pleased with attitude

Responding to their 3-1 defeat away to Tottenham Hotspur, Stoke City manager Guv praised his players despite the reverse.

The players are a bit down at present after the defeat, the third goal at the death being a real kick in the teeth but I've told them that there is nothing to feel bad about. All of my players put in a shift today and made life very hard for Spurs. They stuck to the game plan and we nearly got something from a difficult fixture. If they had not worked hard or not put my tactics into play I'd have been annoyed but not after a performance like that.

Asked if he felt injuries played a part in the result, Guv shrugged off the suggestion.

All sides get injuries. Spurs had their problems on that front as well. I am not going to take away credit from Fernando and his players by using a lame excuse such as that. Yes, we have a few out but that's life. The players that came in did a great job and have staked their claims for starting spots going forward. That's a positive I take out of the situation. Clubs that have suffered less with injuries this time around may suffer more next time. It's all swings and roundabouts. We have Jonathan (Walters) back this week so that helps and the others will return in time to make my job harder with selection.

Guv in a positive frame of mind as he plans for the visit of Liverpool this week.