Cheap Tevez, Brilliant Nani, ‘Mental’ Fergie and the Usual Chatter

Right. Without waffling around too much, here is bringing you your morning dose of United chatter.

There is much talk going on about there being a deal in place to sign Tevez. SAF is visibly pleased with the Argentine’s performance — and rightly so — and says that we will make his move to OT permanent. What follows this is rather interesting, though:

“The fee is in place. I won’t tell you what it is but it is still cheap. I want to make his happen. He has impressed everyone with his appetite for the game.”[link]

We know that Tevez will cost us quite a bit. If reports, prior to signing him, are to be believed it was supposed to be in the region of 15-20 million pounds — depending on which paper you read. Well that wouldn’t really matter if the partnership between Rooney and Tevez is to improve further. But the thing that is worth talking about is regarding his comments made to The Sun:

“At 28, I want to be in Boca. I have another year on my contract with Manchester and I could extend it for four years more then return. But I want to return to Boca at my peak not as some fatso. Imagine if you cannot move – they’d scream insults at you. If I return it will be to get stuck in and play!”[link]

There are two ways to look at this really. One way would be, to see this as an investment where he would give us 5 solid seasons along with Rooney. Strikers normally peak around the age group 25-28, although this is not set in stone. So he would give us good value. On the flip side, though, if he were to move to his beloved Boca, it would be on a Bosman which wouldn’t make financial sense to our club, particularly for a player of his calibre. I can’t really make up my mind over this. So people, help me out here.

Meanwhile regarding the match against Bolton, there was the small matter of Fergie getting a touchline ban for going mental in the dug out, berating referee Clattenburg for his poor handling of match incidents in the first half. Honestly, I think he hadn’t said too much wrong. I could see plenty of crunching tackles made by the Bolton players; Evra, in particular was at the receiving end of that twat Kevin Davies who was quite happy kicking lumps out of the Frenchman. Allow me to point you out to an excellent minute-by-minute analysis of the game, in terms of fouls committed by Bolton, by Scott of Republik of Mancunia.

Ryan Giggs makes some comments, saying how excitingly, brilliantly, outstandingly excellent player Nani is going to turn out to be. I would have said that too. But if someone were to watch Saturday’s match closely, he wouldn’t bet on it. Oh well, everyone was generally crap yesterday, I suppose.

The Daily Mail carries an article linking us with a January swoop for Jermaine Defoe. I think he is overrated, although Spurs haven’t really given him a decent run in the side. He would be a decent backup but I wonder if he is any good in the air. But from his own career point of view, it would represent a shift from the Spurs bench to that of United’s, which is something he must expect. Apart from that, he is cup tied — thanks to Spurs’ involvement in the UEFA Cup, and I certainly wouldn’t pay £10m for him.

Another player who continues to be linked with us is Miguel Veloso. Precisely 13,456,539 articles have been written on this subject. 25,604 people associated with the player, in any sort of capacity, have talked him up and linked him with the club. So I guess we will have to go with the ‘No Smoke Without Some Fire’ theory on this. While it would be a little ridiculous to talk of selling Carrick now, the Veloso rumours could even be a way of telling Carrick to shape up or ship out. A bit harsh or extreme, if you ask me, but I am just throwing ideas in the air. Feel free to throw some of your own. We would get to see a little more of the player when Sporting Lisbon visit us on Tuesday.

And Patrice Evra seems to be the next player to sign a contract extension and guess what he says. Wait. Hold your breath… He Loves the Club!. A Lot! Now that was unexpected, wasn’t it? 🙂

And that’s not it. Wait for it… I like Patrice Evra too. A lot! Out of the blue, wasn’t it? I know, I know, Red Ranter is always full of surprises.

While you are on that excited mood, let me remind you that our competition for winning that cool scarf from Savile Rogue is still on. Kindly read this post for details on how you could win one.

Till tomorrow.