Didn't Sir Alex just finishing lecturing the FA on their media overexposure of Wayne Rooney? Apparently, shedding a little bit of limelight his way isn't much of an issue at all. The Scot didn't mince words when picking his favorite to win the 2010 World Cup.

"I can't see past Brazil, actually," Ferguson was quoted in the Daily Mail.

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The Daily Mail runs the rule over the teams that will be South Africa next summer for the world cup. Click to continue reading...

Martin Samuel brings some perspective to the Fergie and Maradona punishments

Red Rants takes a look at Henry's disgraceful action from last night

Soccerlens looks at how United can improve

A Kick In The Grass previews our visit from Everton

The Evening News talks about Dimitar Berbatov ahead of Everton game

The Daily Mail looks at the top ten teenage sensations

"RoM Reads" was originally published at The Republik of Mancunia. Click to continue reading...

Looks like a carry to me, but if it was Iverson they'd let it slide
The Daily Mail has a nice assortment of photoshopped Thierry Henry specials sent in by jokesters around the internet - and this one seemed to me to make the most sense because of Henry's past professed love for the Chicago Bulls. Click to continue reading...

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is eyeing Borussia Dortmund defender Neven Subotic.
The Daily Mail says Wenger could step up his pursuit of Subotic amid fears William Gallas could leave Arsenal for nothing in the summer.
Frenchman Gallas is out of contract at the end of the season and although negotiations are due to start about a new one-year deal, there has been talk the 32-year-old is keen to move abroad. Click to continue reading...

I was just about to compare our current left back conundrum to the one of the 2005 -2006 season. You know the season where like 9 different players played in that position. And just as I was about to research the names the news came up about Gibbs. Incidentally if you are feeling a little curious, feel free to post the names below of those elite band of players.

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According to the Daily Mail, Napoli have stated that they plan on holding onto midfielder Marek Hamsik despite interest from Chelsea. Napoli sporting director Riccardo Bigon told Sky Italia,

"We have not received any official offer .

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by CARL ELDRIDGE Crocked Kieran Gibbs will give Arsene Wenger another injury headache ahead of the trip to Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday.

The young left-back hobbled out of England U-21's 0-0 draw in Lithuania last night and this morning's paper report on the injury which comes after RVP was sidelined with ankle ligament damage.

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After the World Cup he says he's done.

"I cannot play when I am 50."

I thought he would. Though he's only 33, and I've been under the impression that he's been in his 40s for a while now.
Oh well, to the links:

• Scotland fires head coach. [FourFourTwo]
  
• Neville wants an elite pool of refs.

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Liverpool have signed one of the best players in the world according to Alberto Aquilani's former teammate Francesco Totti.
The Italian forward claims his ex-Roma teammate will be a huge success at Anfield despite only featuring in two substitute appearances for Rafa Benitez's side.
The 25-year-old was brought to the Premier League in the summer as a direct replacement for the Real Madrid bound Xabi Alonso, and Totti suggests his compatriot and friend has all the talent to be a huge asset alongside Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. Click to continue reading...

According to the Daily Mail, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Lyon, and Juventus are leading the way for Toulouse midfielder Moussa Sissoko.

It is also reported that Tottenham are backing out of the race for the French starlet.

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by CARL ELDRIDGEÂ Straight into it this morning my fellow Arsenalistas and news that Robin van Persie wants a Serbian housewife to massage placenta fluid into his injured ankle in bid to return to action for Arsenal within a month, reports the Daily Mail.

The paper says RVP flies to Belgrade today with Arsene Wenger's approval to seek out the services of a mysterious woman who works from home and claims her unorthodox remedy can drastically speed up recovery times.

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Holland teammate Orlando Engelaar hopes his advice has lifted the spirits of injured Arsenal striker Robin van Persie.
Van Persie was told about Mariana Kovacevic, the housewife who is said to have the amazing healing powers, by two of his former Feyenoord team-mates Danko Lazovic and Orlando Engelaar, who both now play for PSV Eindhoven. Click to continue reading...

Its all pretty confusing but it seems that Raymond Domenech was complaining that they were really playing the English B squad. Or some bowdlerized version which of course even if untrue is used to motivate your players. Which is what got Richard Dunne all bent out of shape. He had been using Domenech as comedy material before the match.

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The ball from the infamous Tottenham-Liverpool match earlier in the year was sold online.
400 pounds to charity. Good stuff.
Did you buy it?
To the links:

• Poor form in selecting your team Bob. [NSC]
  
• Maradona banned for two months. [Reuters]
  
• Happy birthday to a blog bud.

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by CARL ELDRIDGE Will RVP be out for six weeks or a season? That's the question we are left asking after reports in this morning's papers disagreed on the period our Dutch ace will be sidelined.

The Daily Mail reports that he has insisted he will be out of action for no more than six weeks despite tearing ankle ligaments during Holland's 0-0 draw with Italy on Saturday.

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Newcastle United are interested in Portuguese under-21 forward Ukra. Well, maybe. It comes from the Daily Mail, which is to newspapers what 'Snakes on a Plane' is to film history, and it doesn't quote anybody saying they're after anyone, so take a large pinch of salt with your porridge this morning on this one. Click to continue reading...

Two years ago, when he was still playing for Chelsea, Lassana Diarra would rather would rather flee in terror than speak English and now he's apparently going out of his way to insult the Irish in the frightening language.

After France won the first leg of their World Cup qualifying playoff 1-0 over Ireland on Saturday, Diarra allegedly went up to the home side's Keith Andrews and made an insulting comment that was so bad Andrews refused to reveal what it was:

"I don't want to say exactly what he said, but he knows what it was, which was a disrespectful comment and it was typical of him, to be honest, and the way that he was.

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Bayern Munich forward Miroslav Klose is being told to stay home.
His kids have swine flu, so the team is putting the 31 year old on quarantine.
Is that virus still around? Glad I missed it (knocks on wood).
To the links:

• Sir Alex gets two-game sideline ban.

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Well, here we go, let's give this a try. This Interlull hasn't been as kind as the last one. Inner ear problem or Amsterdam? You'd have to be as thick as a Spud to chose the ear thing, but given that there was no choice involved on my part my intelligence levels can in no way be comparable.
And just so you know, despite what Jamrock says, The Verve did lie. Click to continue reading...

by CARL ELDRIDGEÂ Not the greatest round-up of Arsenal stories from this morning's papers today but what scant coverage there is is pretty much here. First off we have RVP telling the Sun that he does not believe his game is similar to his Liverpool and Chelsea counterparts Torres and Drogba.

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Lots of fallout from the tragic Robert Enke suicide. Here were the main stories from yesterday.
The guy was depressed, he left a good-bye note and Germany called off its friendly with Chile.
Oh and Goal.com caught up with Clint Mathis, an ex-teammate of the goalkeeper.
Now the links:

• Soccer violence extends to college men now.

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by CARL ELDRIDGEÂ We're not quite in the doldrums as far as Arsenal coverage goes ahead of the international weekend but we aren't far off, folks. But there are a few tales pertaining to the glorious Gunners to bring you not least of which is the Daily Mail's yarn that both Arsenal and Manchester United have both lodged an interest in signing Yaya Toure from Barcelona at the end of the season.

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Sad news out of Germany yesterday, as it appears star goalkeeper Robert Enke took his own life.
The 32 year old was apparently struck by a train. He is survived by his wife and their adopted daughter.
The impact of this one will be felt a while over there.
Now to some links:

• Irish dude rips Raymond Domenech.

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by CARL ELDRIDGE Nasty old November has never been too kind to the Gunners under our esteemed leader's reign and this morning's Mirror claims the Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is desperate to break the curse.

It claims the Frenchman has claimed that this month will be decisive in determining whether Arsenal can maintain their challenge for the Premier League title and, in particular, avoid injuries which have hurt them badly in the past.

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Another day, another dive. With a stilted Liverpool trailing a frisky Birmingham City at Anfield late, David N'Gog (pronounced like "own goal") sensationally split two defenders while charging in from the left. N'Gog then almost blew past Lee Carsley, but Carsley slid towards him, grazing the ball while managing to avoid any contact.

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by CARL ELDRIDGE There is plenty of fall-out from the weekend's Premier League games and the highlight has to be Darren Fletcher's ludicrous, laughable and lamentable claim that Arsene Wenger's comments after our game with them at Old Trafford has caused him grief with refs ever since.

The Daily Mail reports that Wenger accused United of playing ‘anti-football' after Arsenal's 2-1 defeat in August.

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CSKA coach Luboslav Penev suspended a bunch of players on the team recently for late-night partying.
Then the team went over his head and reinstated the guys.
Penev subsequently resigned and the team is not honoring it.
Craziness.
Now some links:

• New Anfield naming rights?

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by CARL ELDRIDGEÂ The goal-hungry Gunners are on course for a record-breaking ton of Premier League goals.

And this merits mention in today's Press with the Daily Mirror telling us that Arsene Wenger's men notched four more goals at Wolves to take their top-flight tally to 36 already in just 11 games.

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A lot of you might have noticed the poppy flower adorning attire of managers, broadcasters, players' shirts etc. to mark Remembrance week. Sportsmail (or, indeed, the Daily Mail) have led this campaign to get all Premier League clubs to have an embroidered poppy on club kits. Personally, I didn't have much of a problem with a campaign of this sort.

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The decision of Manchester United and Liverpool not to have an embroidered red poppy on their shirts has caused quite a fuss. United have said that the poppy will not show up on their shirts and with all the work and charity they already do for the armed forces, don't feel that joining other Premiership clubs in having a poppy on their shirt will add to the contribution.

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We'll be back a little later on today with a report on the match between Paulton Rovers and Norwich City. In the meantime, however, The First Round of The FA Cup started yesterday evening with three matches. The remainder, of course, are to be played over the next three days. One of the traditions of The FA Cup is the press sending one of their hacks who is probably none too happy at not being to assigned to a Premier League match to write a few words about the smaller clubs that are taking their spot in the limelight.

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by CARL ELDRIDGEÂ Manuel Almunia has been told by Arsene Wenger that he will remain Arsenal's No 1 goalkeeper.

But the Daily Mail reports that while the Spaniard prepares to face Wolves today he may be interested in the rave review Wenger has given fellow Frenchman Hugo Lloris, the 22-year-old Lyon keeper who starred in the Champions League midweek frustration of Liverpool.

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In a routine chat with MUTV this week, Manchester United backup goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak said the following:

"To be honest, I must say this and Edwin doesn't like this too much for sure, but he doesn't help me too much.

"I have told him a few times already to give me some more advice because he's got more experience and got many more games under his belt.

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by CARL ELDRIDGE Silent Stan Kroenke's actions certainly speak louder than his words and, again, this morning's papers reflect on the Yank minted moustachioed one's latest purchases of Arsenal shares as he inches ever closer to a takeover.

Kroenke yesterday took his stake in the Arsenal to 29.

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