A Gobbledygook

So much to talk about:

DAVID BECKHAM IS A SPUR (SORT OF)
Yes, the man who said "I will never play for another team in the Premier League out of respect for Manchester United," is now playing for another team, Tottenham Hotspur.
The aging wonderboy still fancies himself as an England NT player and wants to play/train over the MLS break but decided against going back to AC Milan.  I'm sure that AC's table-topping status more than likely prevented him from joining the Italian side.
But...in a curious turnabout, 'Arry Redknapp, the ebullient manager of Tottenham came out to say that he would not be playing with the side, but merely training with them.  The reason was insurance.  After David was injured last year while playing with AC (achilles tear), he only managed 7 games with the LA Galaxy, the club who pay his exhorbitant wages.  So it would make sense that insurance was a sticky factor.  And the footy world took note in a five-alarm-fire way this week when DB was seen limping out of the Spurs training facility.  OMG...was he already injured?  Haha..it was revealed later that he had....drumroll please...a blister.

After the insurance angle was revealed, several footy insiders took note of the situation and delved even further.  It seems that the LA Galaxy owner is also the man behind AEG, a company who are bidding in tandem with Tottenham for the Olympic stadium when the Olympics are finished.  Others in London are also bidding for it, and the insiders suggested that David's "loan" was merely a PR ploy to bring credibility to Tottenham's bid. 
They continued to suggest that the loan was never intended to be for playing time.
Both sides have been dragging their feet and one would wonder why, since David's loan was only meant to last until February 10, when he is due back in LA for training with the Galaxy.  Why would they be dragging?  One word...United.
The Spurs are due to play United at White Hart Lane on Sunday.  Of course if they drag their feet enough, then David would not have to face his former club, something which would put his status as a hero at the club in jeopardy.  It was one thing to play for Milan last year, a team which doesn't compete regularly against United (although DB did play at OT when Milan met United in the CL...and lost).  But playing against United with a team who are in the top 5 of the Prem League could cause harm to United's title chances...David Beckham would forever be a pariah at Old Trafford, something which he is kean to avoid (being a diehard fan of his former team).
Whewwww!
Redknapp confirmed the suspicions of the footy insiders by revealing yesterday that David would only be training with the club (he thinks) and wouldn't be featuring against United.  I found this curious.
If it's just about training, then why wouldn't David train with United?  Yes, he left on a sour note with Sir Alex when the circus that is David and Victoria, Posh and Becks, started to interfere with his playing level.  So maybe SAF was thinking at this time in the season United didn't need any other distractions.  Smart thinking.
But I'm sure if DB had his druthers, he would be training at Carrington with Giggsy, Scholesy, and company.
I do think it will be interesting when the Tottenham faithful look through the crowd and find their new "signee" cheering for the opposition on Sunday.  David can't hid his true colors.

MANCHESTER UNITED V LIVERPOOL...FA CUP 3RD ROUND
Manchester United hosted the other Reds at Old Trafford on Sunday for the right to move on in the FA Cup.  In the 3' Dimitar Berbatov was brought down (a soft penalty), Howard Webb issued a penalty and Ryan Giggs slotted home to score the only goal of the match.  United were close many times, but indeed the score was 1-0 at Full Time.
Liverpool were utterly useless, including their stars.  I'm a pseudo-fan of Fernando Torres because he's a Spaniard who really wants to play in the EPL and has turned down several offers to leave (may not happen now), but he has been an inconsistent performer for the Liverpudlians and his constant crocked status has not helped his team in the slightest.
He couldn't contend with Rafael da Silva on Sunday, who was given the task of marking "el Nin~o" when Vidic was unable to play.  The young Brasileiro did a superb job and kept "Nando" in the "Nada" category. Their "star" was subbed off after the hour mark.

The captain of the Merseysiders is Steven Gerrard.  A one-time captain of the English National Team, and diehard member of the 'Pool Reds, Gerrard did little to deserve his title when he went in two-footed on Michael Carrick in the 32'.  Webb made no mistake of sending off Gerrard, thus leaving his limp side to contend with the leaders of the Prem League with only 10 men.
After Ryan's goal in the 3' you could see the looks on the faces of the opposition, "game over."  Their place in the table, which was at one time in history always at the top, is an embarrassing four points from relegation. 
With all that said, I don't feel a bit sorry for them.  After they purposefully lost the match against Chelscum last year, I lost what little respect I had for them.  If Chelscum had lost that match, United would have been the champions.  Of course they denied throwing the game vehemently, but since they had no way of making it into the top four and a Champions League spot, they were content to sit in 7th, thus denying a record-breaking 19th Prem League title for the Reds of Manchester.  Currently the Red Devils of Manchester and the Reds of Liverpool are tied at 18 wins apiece.
Daniel Taylor of the Guardian newspaper had an interesting take on that, which you can read here.

If a Ryan was the hero of the winning side, another Ryan was the idiot for the other.
Ryan Babel, who rarely sees action for Liverpool, found it necessary to mock the official, Howard Webb, for his awarding of the penalty in the first part of the match.  Criticism of an official in public by anyone associated with a club is big no-no on the FA's part.  But Ryan, who should have taken heed of his surname, which mirrors the Tower that crumbled to the ground, saw fit to post on his Twitter account a doctored photo of Howard Webb wearing a Manchester United kit.
The Twitter world went tweet-crazy and some United supporters (whom I follow on Twitter) retweeted his post to the FA's account.  One tweeter responded with, "I would tweet a pic of @RyanBabel in a Liverpool shirt, but I can't find one." (referring to Babel's inability to feature in the first team)
Within hours the FA had charged Babel with Improper Conduct.  I'm sure the dolts at the FA will give him a slap on the wrist, but it served as a warning to footballers who tweet that someone is listening.  Also within hours, Twitter newbie Tom Cleverley, the former United Reserves star, who is sitting out on injury after a stint on loan, opened and closed his account within two days, "after the club and his agent advised him to shut it down."
Rio Ferdinand, whose tweeting skills I've blogged about, still remains.  I'm sure the club realize that Tom, being a very young man, might run the risk of saying something out of sorts like Babel.  (I doubt that, but I understand the club's position). Rio, on the other hand, strays away from controversy, and even batted away the hate-tweets of Scouser fools after the match.
One such Scouser Scum sent a tweet to @rioferdy5 accusing him and United of being cheating, dirty scumbags.  He then wrote, "MUNICH, Manchester United Never Intended Coming Home."  The daft and cruel reference to the Munich aircrash, which cost several United lives, only underscored the insanity tap tap tapped into PDAs around the world after a match.  Pathetic.

SCOUSER IDIOTS
I reserve the term "scouser" not for regular, diehard Liverpool fans, but for the hooligans who make assclowns out of themselves while "supporting" their club.
The Scouser Assclowns last Sunday (9,000 strong) and their ridiculous behavior harkened back to the days of hooliganism that was rampant in the Premier League.  With added security and rules (of which breaking them will get you banned for life from matches), one would think that we've moved on from the images that have stained the reputation and growth of footy worldwide.
So...when you have 9,000 angry fans, whose once-great team is quite possibly the worst in the Prem League, add in alcohol and a complete lack of sense, and you have the nobheads who destroyed property at Old Trafford.
Yes, they ripped up seats in the visiting end, throwing them over the balcony into the lower stands (on to their own supporters...brilliant), and then destroyed bathrooms in the same area.  Many (real Liverpool supporters in the vicinity suggest 70%) were chanting "Munich." (which was seen on TV by everyone watching)
Their rebellion didn't end inside the grounds, but also spilled into the outside area, where 15 were arrested for their dissent.
If they want to vent their anger then they should rip out the seats at Anfield and throw them on to the pitch.  Their team's pathetic season is what they should be mad about.  They are responsible for their own place in the table, not children attending a match at Old Trafford.  Their idiocy could have injured or killed people in the lower decks, children included.  All over a game. SMH.

THE SILLY SEASON
Yes, it is January, and with that comes the winter silly season, where clubs trade and buy and sell and loan out their players.
United have stayed out of the buyer's market, as have other clubs.  Kiko Macheda (the adorable Italian) was loaned out to Sampdoria last week and impressed on his first runout in Serie A.
Arsenal have shunned the market like United (although they desperately need a sound keeper), but of course you could count on Man Poo to BUY BUY BUY like it's going out of style.
This last week Eden Dzeko, formerly of Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, made his move to the Blue Boo Hoo side of Manchester.
His arrival sparked a curious quote from the Bosnian, when he was formally presented at a Man Poo press conference.  His verbal hilarity is my Quote of the Week:

"I've been told that most of Manchester are City fans..."

Oh dear...

But he didn't stop there.  He also added,

"I saw something in Man City that I didn't see at any other club."

One hilarious post on Twitter interpreted Dzeko's quote by reminding us that it's been 35 years since Man Poo has won anything:
"A trophy room with f*** all in it?"

I'll end on that.