Berbatov transfer close

According to almost all todays papers, better late than never. I know i wasn't that mad on this deal, but the more i have thought about it the more i have warmed to it. The biggest reason being i get the feeling that we will see a bit more of an old fashioned 4-4-2 at times this season, with 2 wide men and either Rooney or Tevez behind Berbatov. As superb as we were last season there were times when it just didn't happen ( Bolton away stands out ) and with Saha permanently injured we had nobody to change things around. So i'm hoping the reports are true. I just hope that his ego can deal with not being guarenteed a staring place every game.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/berbatov-deal-imminent-893908.html

I really hope this story is true, reports say Fergie told Ronaldo he could go to any club he wanted bar Real Madrid, outside of this country one presumes.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/2545156/Cristiano-Ronaldo-told-by-Man-Utd-Anyone-but-Real-Madrid.html

Martin Samuel has an interesting article on the the rash of new owners of Premier league football clubs and their ongoing problems.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/martin_samuel/article4518058.ece

English comedy club numero uno, Manchester City.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/mancity/2548558/Thaksin-Shinawatras-crisis-ends-Manchester-Citys-European-dream---Football.html
Even if it wasn't City there can be no sympathy, welcoming corrupt ( murderously corrupt even ) moneybags owners stunk. At least we protested about the dodgy slimeballs that now own us and as much as i detest them they are not in the same league as this guy or Abramovitch.

English comedy club numero duo, Newcastle United.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/aug/13/newcastleunited.premierleague
They regard themselves as northern to the core and then welcome with open arms a barcode wearing cockney with a dodgy business reputation and little known previous interest in anything geordie whose first decision is to bring crybaby Keegan back. Priceless.

So much for Putin stepping down, he's still the daddy.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russian-leadership-putin-in-his-element-as-successor-is-left-in-back-seat-891498.html
So much for Russian democracy's apologists, what few of them there are that is. Unfortunately i would imagine that this will make him even more popular with most Russians. Leaving what few Russians who care about democracy and human rights as unpopular as ever. The neo cons building up of Georgia and Saakashvili has been an absolute disaster. How can you back somebody with such appaling judgement ( we will leave aside the questionable democratic credentials ) he has gifted the hardliners in the Kremiln a stunning victory and propoganda victory in Russia. It's even worse news for Energy dependent Europe.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/anne-penketh-moscow-flexed-military-muscle-and-left-west-humiliated-892857.html

Mikhail Gorbachev points out US foreign policy failiures
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/13/russia.georgia1

Inflation worsens the economic outlook, and probably the political prospects of Gordon Brown. Unemployment has inevitably gone up as well
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/12/inflation.bankofenglandgovernor
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/jobless-total-jumps-by-60000-893210.html

Who's hardest sharks or polar bears?
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/clash-of-the-fiercest-predators-as-shark-eats-polar-bear-891512.html

I have just finished watching the first series of Secret war, the seventies series that the awful allo allo took the piss out of. I suppose to some it would be dated but i thought it was excellent, bringing all the dilemnas of an occupied country out. Bernard Hepton was in some excellent series in the seventies and this was excellent. I can't imagine why i never watched it as a kid, even then it would have been right up my street. It was only a couple of years afterwards that i saw the excellent documentary the sorrow and the pity about Vichy France. And now for something completely different, next up the fourth series of six feet under, totally different but riveting TV.