Manchester United having already bucked the Premier League trend by raising ticket prices this season and selling Cristiano Ronaldo for more money than actually exists in the world are now taking somewhat odd cost-cutting measures, according to The Sun. In addition to logical reductions like trimming the staff at MUTV, the club are also apparently forbidding groundsmen at their training ground from taking any left-over bread for morning toast and the former players who act as hosts at Old Trafford can no longer take up seats to watch the game, nor can they eat the left-over food put out for guests, instead being given packed sandwiches.

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The international break is the best time to talk about the players we wish to see at Old Trafford in the New Year. The January transfer window is opening in 50 days, so first, I wish the glazers show...
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Because with live in a world of litigation and because people get all bent out of shape over the smallest things (that could easily be explained) and because litigation takes forever and lawyers are expensive (otherwise they wouldn't bother to take forever) and because you can get any kind of suspension lifted while you're waiting for an appeal it appears that Chelsea can do business as usual since the Court of Arbitration for Sport won't be able to set a date for a hearing until February.

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Better him than Usmanov

News fluttered in yesterday that the American tycoon, Stan Kroenke has purchased more Arsenal shares to bring his shares to 29.9%. Just 0.09% short of needing to make a move for the rest of the shares. Now I've reserved my thoughts on this matter for quite some time as it has already been highlighted in many other blogs and there is no need for me to talk anymore about it, but with Stan so close to a takeover, I guessed now is as good a time as any to give this topic a special mention.

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Colorado Rapids owner Stan Kroenke edged closer to a potential takeover of English power Arsenal after buying another batch of shares.

Kroenke now owns about 29.6 percent of Arsenal's shares, just three percentage points below the amount that would obligate him to launch a formal takeover bid.

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Colorado Rapids owner Stan Kroenke edged closer to a potential takeover of English power Arsenal after buying another batch of shares.

Kroenke now owns about 29.6 percent of Arsenal's shares, just three percentage points below the amount that would obligate him to launch a formal takeover bid.

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Alex Ferguson is no stranger to infusing his squad with new blood and wielding the axe on senior players. Over the years, his risk taking on team selection had resulted in handsome rewards and some spectacular failures.

While the jury is still out for his latest bet on Michael Owen, nobody will debate the success he yielded in the '90s when he threw his lot behind the fledglings comprising Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, David Beckham and Nicky Butt.

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English football's "fit and proper persons" test, I would submit, has failed, and here are just four reasons why:

1) Tom Hicks and George Gillett still co-own Liverpool.
2) Sulaiman Al-Fahim owns Portsmouth.
3) The Gods alone know who owns Notts County, even now "they" have "told" us
4) It isn't really a "test" at all.

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There have been several reports recently that Alisher Usmanov will announce any day now that he has acquired Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith's 15.6% share in Arsenal. This will take Usmanov's holding to over 40%, resulting in him being obliged to make a formal offer for the club.

The Board, namely Peter Hill-Wood will make statements to the effect that the club is not for sale, despite the fact the Hill-Wood sold his shares in Arsenal many years ago to David Dein!

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When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored that goal against Bayern Munich, you probably felt you loved him as much as you could love any other man without actually being gay. That was the best moment of my life and Solskjaer gave it to us.

However, since then he's given us more reasons to love him: his strength and determination when coming back from what might have been a career-ending injury for another player, his connection with the fans which saw him become the only player to openly support MUST in our battle against the Glazers, and his willingness to continue on with the club developing stars for the future in the academy.

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Rob Smyth of The Guardian reports on the best six volleys of all time.

Dirty Tackle shows the latest example of Ronaldo proving how much he loves himself.

The Daily Mail shows the worst managerial stints in English football.

The Spoiler looks at Real Madrid's mad idea to have their own theme park.

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As the Austrian training camp draws to a close, Arsene and his staff have a better understanding of where the squad needs to be strengthened in particular now the Adebayor has left and Toure is virtually a Man City player too, whilst Eboue and Senderos are also looking at Arsenal exits.

If Arsene sold the remaining four players he would have £55 million to spend, but before people go mad, he will not spend that sort of money.

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The Man Utd Supporters Trust (MUST) have seized on Sir Alex's statement that there will be no more summer transfers to demand that the club's owners use the £80m generated from the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo, £25m saved on Carlos Tevez and the £3.5m for Frazier Campbell to Sunderland into slashing season ticket prices.

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It has hardly been a summer to cheer many Manchester United fans, but this may have been a break to gladden the hearts of the Glazers. The Premier League champions' absentee owners require a vast income to service their debts after borrowing heavily to buy the club. The transfer window has, so far, revealed one guaranteed revenue stream. Click to continue reading...

Something in me was truly hoping this doesn't happen... The state of Manchester United debt is known to all fans, but the scale of the catastrophe that is losing Ronaldo, blinded us from that fact. The quest to replace our stolen idol had consumed us, and made us fathom about all sorts of saviors that might become our next "It Boy".

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Man United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been told that he can carry on spending. After Michael Owen joined Manchester United on a free, some Man United fans started to worry that the Glazers banked...
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The global success of the English Premier League coupled with the Manchester United's success in the last two decades has helped propel the English football club into pole position as the most recognisable brand in the world's most popular sport.

This success hasn't gone unnoticed.

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With big name signings looking unlikely following reports that Ribery is too old ("Glazers' won't sanction moves for anyone over 27", Guardian) and quite probably too expensive, David Villa only wants to move Real Madrid and Benzema isn't interested in playing in England, the United manager is going to have to make some big decisions soon. Click to continue reading...

The Guardian today has a very interesting article regarding Manchester United's owners changing the clubs transfer policy to concentrate on signing players under 26. It seems that the Glazer family want the club to only sign players that they can recoup transfer fees on later in their careers.

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Ah, isn't buying a football club the easiest thing in the world. Look how quickly Abramovich bought Chelsea, the Glazers bought Manchester United and the Abu Dhabi group picked up City. Compared to the protracted nature of the proposed takeover of Portsmouth, even buying Newcastle United may be easier.

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A great piece by Precious Roy on Unprofessional Foul on the possible influx of £80M and Manchester United's debt. So Crissy is off to Spain and United are £80M the better for it. That gives United a nice little kitty to swing with in the transfer market. Who will they target? Tevez? Ribery? Villa? Click to continue reading...

So Manchester United and Real Madrid hatched the Ronaldo snatch a year ago, if ex-President Ramon Calderon is to be believed.
"Last season, Manchester United decided not to do it because they thought it was too early," Calderon told BBC Radio. "Everyone involved in the operation agreed to do it this season. Click to continue reading...

It has been said before that the one single things that all great sides have in common is a player in midfield, aged in his mid to late twenties. That player is at the peak of his strength. He has the experience and guile from having played professionally for several seasons, yet his fitness levels haven't yet succumbed to the inevitable slowing that comes with ageing.

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He's going, no doubt about that. In some cases, players struggle to agree personal terms with a club after a fee is agreed but don't expect that to happen here. He's dying to go to Madrid and they're dying to have him, a match made in crude, over-exposed heaven.

So, in theory, we have £80M/€93M to play with.

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Manchester United legend Paddy Crerand has reacted angrily to the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming that the £80 million will not make up for the trophies we may not win.

He claims that the Glazers will be held accountable if we don't win trophies next year and questions Ronaldo's excuse of always dreaming of Real Madrid as an excuse.

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Real Madrid look set to clinch the £80million signing of Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. The Reds Devils have accepted defeat in their bid to keep the star and gave the Spanish giants permission to have contract talks with Ronaldo.

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When the Glazers took over Manchester United, 'mourning' was probably the most appropriate word to describe the reaction of the fans. When walking around Cardiff on FA Cup final day not longer after the takeover went through, there were United fans in all black, showing the loss we all felt for our football club.

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When the suits at the FA decided to build the new Wembley they probably envisaged, or at least hoped, that they would possess a stadium capable of eclipsing that of any other in the country. I imagine the conversation ran something like this: ‘Well Old Trafford stands at around 60,000, let's make Wembley 90,000, just to be on the safe side.

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67,000 or so people will have had their season ticket renewal forms for Old Trafford in the past week. I imagine most of us will be renewing whilst there will be several people who can't afford the new prices or refuse to pay out of principle.

Ahead of the Arsenal game last week I was speaking to someone who had to pay over £100 to buy tickets for his two seats.

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Stan Kroenke will not be denied.

As his Colorado Rapids muddle along, Stan Kroenke upped his stakes yet again before the weekend and now controls 28.3% of the Arsenal's shares which puts him in pole position for the 30% trigger to offer a buyout of the rest of the remaining shares. Kroenke bought up the Carr family shares for £8,500 and £10,500 per share, well above the £6,500 value for a total investment of £46m.

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Moving away from tomorrows League game against Bolton. Here's a couple of pics which should get some fans laughing - take a look at this. From Redstate: Manchester United is arguably the largest sports team in the world and its team shirt is recognized just about everywhere. Emblazoned on the front is the logo of the team's [. Click to continue reading...

According to reports over the weekend the Dubai Royal family could be about to ditch their attempts to buy rivals Liverpool and instead buy Manchester United. At this moment in time there is absolutely no hard evidence to support the rumours which first surfaced in the Emirates. One theory being touted is that the Arabs have become sick and tired of Liverpool's owners bickering and dithering. Click to continue reading...

*United legend may offer Louis Saha a lifeline...

*The 'slave's' purported Madrid deal questioned...

*The Glazers are allegedly about to allow 'the slave' his dream move...

*Sir Alex is ready to break some hearts.

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Spanish newspaper Marca today claimed that sources close to the Americans, who bought the Old Trafford club in 2004, said that the Glazers have "agreed to the operation", fearing Ronaldo's value will decrease if they hold onto him. Click to continue reading...

United fans are no doubt starting to get sick and tired of the Ronaldo saga, but it's likely to rumble on for a week or two longer. For those who are desperate for the player to stay comes the news that many have been waiting for, the Glazers, who rarely speak directly to the media have let it be known via 'close sources' that even if Ronaldo hands in a transfer request he is going nowhere. Click to continue reading...