Fergie´s Puy boy
Manchester United are on the brink of landing Barcelona defender Carlos Puyol for £15m. Boss Sir Alex Ferguson is determined to add a defender to his summer signings - and Puyol fits the bill. Barcelona vice-president Sandro Rosell and Pini Zihavi - who is working on behalf of the champions - have met several times in London to discuss the deal. And it is now a matter of the two clubs hammering out a fee with a deal likely to be concluded at the end of the week at a UEFA summit in Monaco.
George Scott, Daily Star
Giggsy´s case for defence
Ryan Giggs has turned the spotlight from Manchester United´s headline-hogging forwards to defensive rocks Rio Ferdinand and Mikael Silvestre. Players like Giggs, Ruud van Nistelrooy and new boy Ronaldo have been basking in the limelight of United´s two-match six-point start. But Giggs goes into tomorrow´s Old Trafford clash with Wolves sining the praises of the men at the back. " Although, as usual, it was the scorers who grabbed the headlines, I think the men of the match at Newcastle were Rio Ferdinand and Mikael Silvestre," he said.
Bill Thornton, Daily Star
The big three for all
Two games in and the Premiership´s three-horse race already looks up and running. After Manchester United and Arsenal turned on the power, and Chelsea proved Roman Abramovich´s millions are putting together a team capable of winning ugly, the big guns occupy the top three spots with 100 per cent records. It is, of course, early days. Yet as United overwhelmed Newcastle, Arsenal obliterated Middlesbrough and Chelsea ground out a win over Leicester, Liverpool looked a long way short of closing the gap. In the previous five seasons only Arsenal enjoyed a perfect start after two games, and they went on to finish behind United in 2000. For those wanting a more open contest, what is happening this season is a worrying precedent. The reality is the three best sides in the Premiership are only likely to pull further and further away.
Martin Lipton, Daily Mirror
Ruud is gunning for Aldo record
Ruud van Nistelrooy will be aiming to set a new top-flight record when Manchester United take on Wolves tomorrow. The Dutch striker equalled John Aldridge´s 1987 record of scoring in 10 successive games when he hit the target against Newcastle at the weekend. And van Nistelrooy will be aiming to grab the outright record when Dave Jones´ side arrive at the Theatre of Dreams. Van Nistelrooy said: " I feel great at the moment and feel I can score every time I play. You´re always confident when you´re scoring and that´s what every striker wants."
David McDonnell, Daily Mirror
We´re the new Man Utd
John Terry reckons Roman Abramovich has turned Chelsea into the new Manchester United — and now it is pay-back time. Russian billionaire Abramovich will take his summer spending spree close to the £100million mark tonight when he completes the signing of £18m striker Hernan Crespo. And England defender Terry has no doubts that new-found fortune makes Chelsea the team every other club in Europe wants to beat. He said: “Leicester’s players said after our game on Saturday they were desperate to come to the Bridge and upset everyone involved at Chelsea. Every team now wants to turn us over. We’re like Manchester United. Everyone will raise their game against us.”
Mark Irwin, The Sun
Giggs for kicks
Ryan Giggs believes he faces a kicking from former team-mate Paul Ince. Wolves visit Old Trafford tomorrow night with Ince desperate to prove he still has what it takes to perform at the highest level. Giggs declared: “We roomed together and have kept in touch since he left. But I know he will not think twice about giving me a kick. I’ll try and keep as far away as possible. As long as I keep moving I will be all right, it’s when you stop you’re in trouble.” Ince, 35, and fellow ex-United ace Denis Irwin, 37, have so far suffered shattering 5-1 and 4-0 hammerings by Blackburn and Charlton. But Giggs added: “I think Wolves did a great bit of business when they signed Paul and Denis.”
Sports staff, The Sun
Ince is cool over return
Paul Ince says going back to Middlesbrough will mean more to him than taking struggling Wolves to Old Trafford tomorrow night. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says Ince will get a hostile reception, but he is not worried. " When the fixtures came out of course I looked at when we played United and Liverpool, " says Ince. " I had some great times there and won a lot of medals. Hopefully Denis Irwin and I will get a good welcome, but I´ve been back to United a few times so it´s not something new."
John Wragg, Daily Express
on va peut-etre l´avoir notre nouveau defenseur!!
