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Tuesday 25 August 2015

Surely Neymar is not greedy or egotistical enough to want to swap Barcelona for Manchester United

If you've been keeping even half an eye on the all-consuming behemoth that is the summer transfer window, you'll know that there's a hot new rumour doing the rounds.

It involves Manchester United and Neymar, whose international representative, Pini Zahavi, was spotted at Old Trafford at the weekend. It supposedly involves a bid of €190million, the value of the striker's buyout clause at Barcelona.


Mainly, though, it involves the kind of suspension of belief that would put the world's most ardent Scientologists to shame.

Not because it is hard to imagine United harbouring ambitions of signing Neymar – heaven knows Ed Woodward is a dreamer – but because it is difficult to see why on earth Neymar would harbour ambitions of playing for Manchester United.

Read the rest of this piece, which has gone down exceptionally well with Manchester United fans, on the Mirror website.

Tuesday 4 August 2015

Dear Fabio: A letter from Rafael Da Silva to his brother as he leaves Manchester United for Lyon

Hi Fabio, it's Rafael. Hope all is well in Cardiff.

You were right. About United, Mr Ferguson, the future... all of it. I've had time to think in this last year and it's time for a change of scenery. Just like you said.


I guess some people will say that we failed in Manchester, but I see it a bit differently. Success isn't measured only in games and goals but also in feelings and other stuff.

Let me explain...

Monday 3 August 2015

There is a light that never goes out: On Ronaldinho's nostalgia-drenched debut for Fluminense

"How many today, João? Thirty thousand?"

"They said forty on the radio. Fifty, even. Everyone will want to be there."

Two metro stops from the Maracanã and there is an energy in the train carriage that cannot merely be put down to it being game day. The Fluminense fans are out in more force than usual ahead of the battle of the Tricolores against Gremio.


Indeed, it's not just any match, for there is to be a special guest; a royal visit in footballing terms. Ronaldinho is making his debut for Flu.

Read my dispatch from Rio on the ESPN website.