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Posts Tagged ‘Valencia’
Loan Modification Solutions Posted By : Sam Valencia
August 28th, 2009 |
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While the economy in the united states take a dive for the worse, the service industries such as loan modification services are booming on an almost daily basis. In order to look at the exponential growth one must look at the factors which are contributing to the incredible growth of loan modification services.
Valencia: take two
August 22nd, 2009 |
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Despite last season’s largely uneventful European Grand Prix, this year’s race promises to offer more twists and turns as Formula One’s finest become increasingly familiar with the vexing Valencia Street Circuit. The drivers had only four days to get acquainted with the new track last August and
Live text – Premier League
August 16th, 2009 |
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GOALFLASHES AND MAJOR INCIDENTS (all times BST)
606: DEBATEYour thoughts on the action
To get involved use 606 or text us your views & comments on 81111. (Not all contributions can be used)
By Chris Bevan
From anon at Old Trafford on 81111: "Big changes at Old Trafford for the new season. Popcorn is on offer, and also giant chocolate buttons. "
1257: I don’t need to tell Arsenal or Everton fans who the big winners and losers were on Saturday but one statistic that stood out was the number of away wins – out of eight games, Chelsea and Stoke were the only home teams to collect three points. Can you see Birmingham and Liverpool winning on their travels today too It’s a big ask for both of them…1255: TEAMS Manchester United v Birmingham City
Man Utd: Foster, Fabio Da Silva, O’Shea, Jonathan Evans, Evra, Valencia, Fletcher, Scholes, Nani, Berbatov, Rooney. Subs: Kuszczak, Brown, Owen, Anderson, Giggs, Gibson, De Laet.
Birmingham: Hart, Carr, Roger Johnson, Queudrue, Vignal, Larsson, Ferguson, Carsley, Fahey, McFadden, Jerome. Subs: Maik Taylor, O’Connor, Phillips, Benitez, McSheffrey, Parnaby, O’Shea.From Sukh at Old Trafford on 81111: "Good atmosphere here in the stands – everyone looking forward to the first game of the season in the Premier League. My prediction – 3-0 to Utd!"
From Webby on 606:"Newcastle and Reading both drew with Man Utd at Old Trafford on the opening day in previous seasons… needless to say we all know what happened then to those clubs…Birmingham beware the draw."
1249: Some early team news from Old Trafford – Rio Ferdinand, who was already doubtful because of a back injury, has been ruled out by a calf injury sustained in training. John O’Shea will captain Manchester United in his absence and partner Jonny Evans in the centre of defence. Full line-ups to follow.1246 I’m expecting plenty of chat from you lot too of course. Get involved on606,via text on 81111 or, if you’re feeling adventurous, give me a tweet onTwitter.Basically, you’ve got no excuse for not getting in touch.
1243: Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson on his side’s bid to become the first side to win the Premier League four years on the trot: "We have more experience because of winning the titles but it doesn’t make that much difference in terms of the competition we are going to get into. To win four in a row would be fantastic. But this is a difficult league to win and, rather than look to May, I am looking at Sunday."
1240: By the way, if you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend you check out‘the goal that wasn’t’ in Crystal Palace’s defeat by Bristol City on Saturday. If you’re in the UK and have got access to iPlayer then you can watch it now. If you have seen it, you can kind of see why Eagles boss Neil Warnock is a teeny bit aggrieved, can’t youBBC Sport’s Phil McNulty:"Off to White Hart Lane soon. Will Liverpool justify my prediction that they will be Premier League champions Tough start."
1236: If you’re a Birmingham fan then your confidence ahead of the new campaign is hardly likely to have been boosted by thecomments of your manager Alex McLeish this week.Bemoaning the lack of funds to strengthen his squad, the Scot said: "We are not equipped for the Premier League as things stand now. If this team is to stay up, we need more quality. We still need at least three more players."From We all agree, Manchester United are Magic! on 606:"The Champions are finally here. Now witness the magic that is Manchester United."
1234: Reigning champions Manchester United join the party today, kicking off the defence of their title against newly-promoted Birmingham at 1330 BST. That match is followed by a humdinger at White Hart Lane between Tottenham and Liverpool at 1600 BST – not a bad way to test the Reds’ title credentials that…1232 BST: Blimey, yesterday was a bit of a cracker wasn’t it And I’ve got good news – the opening weekend of the 2009/10 Premier League is not over yet…
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Schumacher calls off F1 comeback
August 11th, 2009 |
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Michael Schumacher’s spokeswoman has raised concerns over the fitness of the German legend ahead of his scheduled return to Formula 1 on 23 August.
"It is not sure yet the neck will hold and the comeback can be started," said Sabine Kehm on Wednesday.
F1 drivers’ necks must be strong enough to cope with high G-forces and Schumacher admitted after testing on Tuesday that his "pinches a bit".
He will now undergo routine medical checks to determine if he can return.
Schumacher is set to deputise for Ferrari’s Felipe Massa at the European Grand Prix in Valencia after the Brazilian suffered serious head and eye injuries during qualifying for the Hungarian GP on 25 July.
"He is a human being, and we have to make sure everything is fine"
Michael Schumacher’s spokeswoman
Since agreeing to step in for Massa – who is now recovering at home in Brazil – a week ago the 40-year-old has driven an old Ferrari F1 car at the team’s Mugello test track in Italy and embarked on a rigorous training regime, resulting in him losing over six pounds in weight.
But it was made clear from the outset that any comeback, after almost three years in retirement, would largely depend on his fitness.
"From the very beginning it was made clear Michael would require medical checks. It is normal," said Kehm.
"It depends on medical investigations. Only after those will it be clear whether he will be able to drive.
"Michael is fully geared up, and fully on it. He has been for a week now. But he is a human being, and we have to make sure everything is fine."
ANDREW BENSON BLOG
Schumacher’s neck problem was sustained in an accident during a motorbike test in Spain.
"I’m currently in the midst of my preparations for the upcoming race. I already lost three kilograms even if it is also important to me for to build up muscles," he said on his official website on Tuesday. "So all in all, the practice is going pretty well.
"I only have to admit that my neck pinches a bit.
"We have to get a grip on that as my health is the priority – that’s the clear arrangement made with Ferrari and with my wife too."
Seven-time world champion Schumacher won five championships with Ferrari and had been working as a consultant for the Italian team.
He does not want to make a full-time return to F1, but said he had to stand in for Massa because of his loyalty to Ferrari.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Ferrari fume at rivals’ test snub
August 4th, 2009 |
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Ferrari have hit back at the teams who blocked Michael Schumacher from testing this season’s car before his F1 return.
He is set to replace the injured Felipe Massa, but Formula 1 rules prevent on-circuit testing during the season.
In an apparent swipe at Williams, who opposed the move, a Ferrari statement read: "Guess who opposed the test
"A team that hasn’t won anything for years and yet didn’t pass over the opportunity to demonstrate once more a lack of spirit of fair play."
Williams, who have not won the world championship since 1997, were backed up by Red Bull and Toro Rosso, who are also opposed to Schumacher getting behind the wheel of Massa’s F60 car.
606: DEBATE"It looks like Ferrari aren’t too happy with not getting their own way for once."
LewisHamiltonMcLaren
All three teams argue that seven-time world champion Schumacher, 40, should be treated no differently to Spanish teenager Jaime Alguersuari, who replaced the sacked Sebastien Bourdais at Toro Rosso last month but was unable to track test his car before his F1 debut in Hungary.
"Just for the record, the Scuderia Ferrari had given its approval to let Alguersuari test, but it seems even in this instance someone decided to stick to the precise wording of the regulations," added Ferrari’s statement.
Massa fractured his skull during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix after he was struck on the helmet by a spring from Rubens Barrichello’s Brawn GP car.
Schumacher is due to replace the Brazilian at the European Grand Prix in Valencia on 23 August, but has only had a chance to drive Ferrari’s 2007 car, at the team’s Mugello test track last Friday.
McLaren, Renault, Toyota, BMW Sauber and Brawn GP were all prepared to let Schumacher spend one day behind the wheel of the F60.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Upbeat Massa wants quick recovery
August 3rd, 2009 |
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Felipe Massa says he hopes to recover quickly from serious injuries suffered in a crash in Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying so he can return to racing.
The Brazilian, 28, flew home to Sao Paulo on Monday after leaving the hospital that had treated him for the fractured skull he suffered on 25 July.
"I’m very happy and in a good position to improve myself to eventually go back to the car, to drive," he said.
"We’ll see how long this will take – but I hope it will be very quick."
While the Ferrari driver was expressing his determination and desire to get back to racing only nine days after the serious accident, he has also stressed that he will not return too soon.
"I want to get better and be back in the car driving. That’s my life"
Felipe Massa
"It is important to be fully recovered before returning to the track," he said in a statement.
The accident occurred after a spring from Rubens Barrichello’s Brawn GP car hit Massa’s helmet.
Massa was travelling at more than 160mph when the spring hit him, but pressure on the brakes reduced his speed to about 60mph when he hit the tyre wall.
Massa will now continue his rehabilitation in a Sao Paulo hospital for another two days upon his arrival in his home city.
After undergoing further tests he is then likely to be allowed to go home.
"I want to get better, get in better shape and be back in the car driving. That’s my life, so that’s the only thing I want to get back in my life at the moment."
Talking about the incident, which happened during the second Saturday qualifying session, Massa said: "I don’t remember anything.
"I just remember when I spoke to Rob Smedley, my race engineeer. He asked me: ‘Do you remember Rubens in qualifying two’ I said: ‘No. I don’t remember my Q2. I remember being behind Rubens but then I don’t remember anything else anymore.
"Maybe I was there, but I was not doing anything. So it was a very strange feeling. But that’s my dream now.
"It’s difficult to explain what happened. Everyone know’s what happened, but for me it’s a little bit more difficult to explain."
Massa’s personal doctor Dino Altmann said on Monday: "He is to continue his recovery and return to racing as soon as possible, that’s the plan. He is in a very good mood, good shape, and he just wants to come back soon."
606: DEBATE"He is a real tough guy and thank goodness too for the skills of the medical teams"
Mukaiwo
Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher has been brought out of F1 retirement by Ferrari to race in Massa’s place and will have the first race of his comeback in the European Grand Prix in Valencia on 23 August.
The German, a team-mate of Massa during his final F1 season in 2006, will stand in until the Brazilian is ready to take up the seat again.
"I raced with Michael previously]and he gave me a lot of good advice. Michael knows everything he needs to do.
"I’m sure he will do very good job with my car. I’m not in a position to say something to him."</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Schumacher makes shock F1 return
July 29th, 2009 |
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By Andrew Benson
Michael Schumacher is not ruling out the possibility of standing in for injured Ferrari driver Felipe Massa.
The Brazilian is recovering in hospital after suffering a fractured skull at the Hungarian Grand Prix and is likely to be out for the rest of the year.
"The whole thing will be considered by Ferrari. If they approach Michael, then he will consider it," the seven-time champion’s spokeswoman told BBC Sport.
"But there is no reason for him to step into their discussion."
Schumacher, who retired from Formula 1 at the end of the 2006 season, told the BBC in an interview at the German Grand Prix two weeks ago that he was not interested in returning to F1.
However, his spokeswoman Sabine Kehm said that was a reference to a permanent return.
"Usually, I would say he’s not interested because he’s fine with his life and he doesn’t miss anything but now the situation is so different – it’s very hypothetical – and Michael doesn’t want to step into that [discussion]," she stated.
She added that Schumacher still trained every day but that she did not know whether he was fit enough to race an F1 car again.
"Michael had an accident [motorcycle] in February when he had a neck problem – and I really can’t tell you if his neck would be fine to drive an F1 race," she said.
"If Ferrari asked him whether he would consider driving, he would have it checked – and remember he is a 40-year-old man, too."
Massa has had surgery on a fractured skull sustained when a spring from Rubens Barrichello’s Brawn hit him on the helmet at more than 160mph during qualifying in Hungary on Saturday.
He is in a "severe but not critical" condition, according to the hospital that is treating him in Budapest and there is also concern about damage to his left eye.
The surgeon treating him, Robert Veres, revealed it was "too early to say" whether Massa would be able to compete again.
But he will almost certainly not be able to drive at the next race, the European Grand Prix in Valencia in Spain on 23 August – and probably not for the rest of the year either.
606: DEBATE"I don’t think it will happen, but as a big Schumacher fan I would love it, if he did."
Steven Davis 7
That means Ferrari need to find a team-mate for Kimi Raikkonen for the Valencia race.
Schumacher, who won a record 91 grands prix in his career, is under contract to the team after taking on a consultancy role following his retirement.
The German is close to Massa, who was his team-mate in his final season, and has taken a close interest in the Brazilian’s career.
But he has not driven an F1 car since 2007 and may consider that he has nothing to gain from a temporary return.
A number of other drivers have been mentioned as possible replacements for Massa.
Among them is Renault’s Fernando Alonso, who is expected to move to Ferrari in 2010 anyway – although the team have not confirmed that report and the Spaniard has denied it.
Renault have been banned from the Valencia race after allowing Alonso to return to the track with a loose wheel following a pit stop.
The wheel and its fairing both became detached from the car as he toured slowly back to the pits – an alarming sight only 24 hours after Massa’s accident.
Renault have appealed against the decision to suspend them and a hearing of the court of appeal of governing body the FIA is expected in the next couple of weeks.
It has been speculated that Alonso’s move to Ferrari may simply be brought forward – but that would leave Renault without a recognised top driver for the rest of the season.
The team were on the verge of sacking Alonso’s team-mate Nelson Piquet before the Hungarian race and while Alonso, a two-time world champion, qualified on pole in Hungary, Piquet qualified 15th and finished 12th in a similar car.
Ferrari have two reserve drivers, the Spaniard Marc Gene and the veteran Italian Luca Badoer.
Spaniard Gene – who raced intermittently for Williams as a stand-in during 2003/2004 and has competed in 36 races with a best result of sixth – is the more likely to be given the drive.
Badoer has been a test driver for Ferrari but has not raced since 1999 and has never scored a world championship point.
A number of other drivers have been mentioned as possible stand-ins.
The most qualified, Schumacher aside, is BBC F1 pundit David Coulthard, who won 13 grands prix before retiring at the end of last season. He is under contract to Red Bull, who would need to give him permission to race if Ferrari approached him.
Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais, who was sacked by the Toro Rosso team before the Hungarian Grand Prix, has been mentioned as he has the same manager as Massa – Frenchman Nicolas Todt.
And last winter, Italian Formula Three champion Mirko Bortolotti reportedly impressed Ferrari in a test. The 19-year-old is racing in Formula Two this season.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Hamilton returns to winning ways
July 26th, 2009 |
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• ‘It’s been a long time’ says delighted McLaren driver
• Fernando Alonso handed suspension for European grand prix
Lewis Hamilton had almost forgotten the routine for the first three finishers. Today the world champion, for two seasons so familiar with it, had to remind himself of the procedure after winning the Hungarian grand prix and finishing on the podium for the first time in 2009.
“Great to see you. It’s been a long time,” he said as he walked beaming into the conference room along with Kimi Raikkonen and Mark Webber. Hamilton’s obvious pleasure came from reacquainting himself with spraying victory champagne and appreciating the McLaren team’s efforts in returning him to the podium. “This has been a huge leap for us,” he said. “We definitely deserve this after such a long time and after a season that has been very hard on everyone in the team.”
Once the McLaren engineers had finally established the fundamental faults with a car that Hamilton had, at times, found impossible to drive, the Woking team worked flat out to produce and test new parts, the latest changes to the front wing arriving on Friday. Hamilton rewarded the effort by qualifying fourth but confessed yesterday that he did not expect to win.
“It could have gone either way,” he said. “But everything just sort of fell into place. I had quite a good start. It was very close and I immediately got into a fight with Mark [Webber]. He was very fair and I was able to use Kers to good advantage.”
McLaren and Ferrari are the only two teams persisting with Kers energy retention, a system which was not expected to deliver a significant performance advantage on the twists and turns of the Hungaroring. But Hamilton and Raikkonen, who finished second for Ferrari, used the 6.5sec power boost on the main straight as a means of keeping the opposition at bay.
Hamilton’s cause was helped by Renault’s plans for a first win this season coming apart within 12 laps. Fernando Alonso had claimed pole position by running with a light load of fuel during qualifying and planning to stop three times for fuel as opposed to the two-stop strategy favoured by everyone else. Alonso took the lead as planned but was soon slowed by fuel pump problems. The denouement for the former world champion was more embarrassing when he lost a front wheel shortly after his first pit stop, letting Hamilton into a lead he would not lose.
Renault, world champions in 2006 and 2007, were suspended from the next race in Valencia, a home grand prix for Alonso. The team have appealed. The stewards decided that Alonso was released from his pit in the knowledge that the wheel securing nut was not in position “which resulted in a heavy part of the car detaching at Turn 5 and the wheel itself detaching at Turn 9″. It is perhaps no coincidence that the decision comes a week after Henry Surtees was killed by an errant wheel at Brands Hatch.
“Maybe we would not have won but we definitely missed an opportunity to finish on the podium,” said Alonso, before hearing the stewards’ decision. “The car was quick but there was a problem fitting the right-front wheel at the first pit stop. When I left the pits there was a lot of vibration and it felt like I had a puncture. But then a few corners later the wheel flew off my car. I made it back to the pits for a replacement but a problem I’d had with my fuel pump since lap two returned and I had to retire.”
It might have been Raikkonen assuming the lead had the Finn managed to overtake Hamilton during an eventful first lap as the Ferrari driver elbowed his way past Nico Rosberg’s Williams, the McLaren of Heikki Kovalainen and Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull.
“I had a collision on the first corner with Kimi,” said Vettel. “I was on the inside and had a clear run to accelerate, his car came sideways and we touched. He crashed into my car; it can happen. At some point the front-left suspension gave up and we had to retire the car. There are still a few races left this season and the championship fight is still on.”
Vettel dropped to third place on the points standings after Webber finished on the podium for the fourth race in succession. “I think Lewis thoroughly deserved to win today,” said Webber. “It was a good day for the sport to have McLaren and Ferrari back up there.”
Jenson Button, although disappointed with the performance of his Brawn, ought to agree because Hamilton and Raikkonen claimed points that otherwise would have gone to Webber, now Button’s closest championship rival. Button’s team never fully recovered from the setback during qualifying when a rear spring fell off Rubens Barrichello’s car and caused the serious accident involving Felipe Massa. Button’s qualifying was compromised as safety checks were made to his car but the championship leader was not happy from the outset of the race, complaining that he could barely drive the car.
Hamilton had made similar comments about his McLaren during previous races and Button can only hope that his team can recover lost ground during the summer break before the European grand prix on 23 August.
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Buoyant Hamilton surprised to win
July 26th, 2009 |
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Lewis Hamilton insisted that he and McLaren were surprised at being able to record their first win of a challenging season at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Leading 2009 teams Brawn GP and Red Bull had left the world champion and his British team struggling to compete but recent upgrades are now paying off.
"We didn’t expect to win this weekend," Hamilton, 24, told BBC Sport.
"We have caught up quite a bit but we didn’t think we had the pace to win. It’s incredibly special."
McLaren – second in the 2008 constructors’ championship – started the season with a car that often left Hamilton bemoaning its lack of downforce as he struggled to finish in the points in most races.
But a new front wing, diffuser and engine cover, introduced at the last race in Germany, have improved the car’s pace by about 0.8 seconds a lap.
ANDREW BENSON BLOG
Hamilton, who qualified in fourth, maximised that improved performance with a smooth drive to clinch the 10th grand prix win of his career – and his first podium finish of this season – ahead of Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and Red Bull’s Mark Webber at the Hungaroring.
"It’s a huge turnaround," he admitted. "But we said at the beginning of the season that if anyone can do this, it’s us.
"If we had this car at the beginning of season we would be winning. We always said we were six months behind the top guys.
"I hope the guys back at the factory get a good break these next few weeks. It was only a race ago, when we were in Germany, that I first had a little bit of excitement about the car."
Looking ahead to the rest of the season, the English driver, who used his Kers energy storage and power-boost system to challenge Renault’s pole-sitter Fernando Alonso and the Red Bull cars from the start, refused to get carried away.
"We need to take as much as we can from this weekend and continue pushing," he stated.
"We have some work to do to be able to beat these guys on a regular basis but it is one huge leap for us.
"Clearly, we’ve got a good car and we’ve made some serious improvements but even though we had a fantastic car today it could have gone either way.
"Everything fell into place today. We hope we can compete for more podiums but we still have work to do."
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh said the team would have a further upgrade package ready for the next race – the European Grand Prix in Valencia on 23 August – and that they expected to be able to compete at the front again.
"I think we’re going to be strong there," he added. "But we have to improve our high-speed performance to be strong in Spa. So we have to keep pushing.
"But, for the team, it is a great reward for a lot of hard work.
606: DEBATEEL NANDO
"It has been a very difficult year. We don’t like not winning and we want to win some more.
"We have been out of the championship hunt. But we can have a big impact on the championship now because we can take points from anyone and we want to go out and win some races.
"Today we were clearly dominant. From lap 20 Lewis was saying, ‘shout me the lap time you want me to do and I’ll do it, this is easy’. He was in great form – and that happens when you’re in the groove."</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Five held over Corsica forest fires
July 26th, 2009 |
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Wildfires across southern Europe brought under control
French police are holding at least five people suspected of starting forest fires that have ravaged the Mediterranean island of Corsica as wildfires in southern Europe were brought under control.
Three large fires that started on Thursday have destroyed some 15,000 hectares in southern Corsica, including some of the area’s most spectacular forests.
More than 400 firefighters, supported by helicopters, battled yesterday in an effort to finally put out the blazes that threatened the town of Aullène as temperatures and winds drop across the Mediterranean.
According to police, the fire at Aullène may have started because of a spark during work on an electricity line that ignited a blaze that quickly grew out of control.
But police suspect arsonists in several fires that started in the same area in quick succession. Under French law, those found guilty of arson can be sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
In eastern Spain, firefighters have been battling fires that have consumed forests around the ancient town of Aliaga, in Aragon, 112 miles north of the Mediterranean port of Valencia.
The hilltop resort town of Mojácar woke up on Saturday surrounded by the charred remains of what had been picturesque pine forests and almond groves. Regional fire services were on standby in case of sudden flare-ups as the fires subsided yesterday.
The village of Soneja just north of Valencia had a lucky escape when fire consumed its cemetery but did not spread any further.
Six firefighters have been killed by forest fires in Spain during the week and at least 15,441 hectares of forest and farmland have been affected by flames, according to local officials.
Thousands of people, both firefighters and volunteers, and more than 30 aircraft were deployed to combat the flames.
British holidaymakers planning to visit the region have been advised by the Foreign Office to check its website before travel.
Meanwhile, Italian police said they were investigating brush fires on the outskirts of Palermo, Sicily, and in the tourist town of Monreale to see if arson was involved.
On Italy’s other major island, Sardinia, which has been particularly badly hit, authorities said it appeared fires were under control but expressed fear that shifting winds could bring back the blazes of recent days.
A shepherd was killed earlier in the week during the fires that destroyed between 15,000 and 25,000 hectares. The financial damage has been put at €80m (£69m).
More than 100 firefighters and 200 volunteers have been fighting forest fires in Turkey where temperatures reached 48C at the weekend.
A fire that started on Thursday evening in a landfill site in Bodrum, a holiday resort in southern Turkey, destroyed more than 15 hectares of land before the emergency services managed to bring it under control.
Fires in the Mediterranean bring destruction to hundreds of thousands of hectares of land every year.
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Ferguson rules out more signings
July 13th, 2009 |
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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says he will not make any further signings during the summer.
United have brought in Michael Owen, Antonio Valencia and Bordeaux’s Gabriel Obertan to replace departed forwards Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.
Ferguson revealed he had bid for Karim Benzema, who joined Real Madrid, but insisted he had no further targets.
"It is the end of our business," he said. "Stories about who we are supposed to be getting – forget it."
United pocketed £80m from Ronaldo’s world record transfer to Real Madrid and the Old Trafford club had been expected to spend a sizeable proportion of the funds on new players.
Among those to be linked with a move to the Premier League champions are Brazilian forward Douglas Costa, French playmaker Franck Ribery, and Spain striker David Villa.
But Ferguson feels the market is now over-inflated and he does not want to pay over the odds for players.
Real Madrid, for example, have spent in excess of £170m this summer in capturing Kaka from AC Milan, Benzema from Lyon and Ronaldo.
606: DEBATE"We can now forget about signing fantasy players and focus on our squad for the season"
Dean_Machine89
And Ferguson added: "There are some amazing numbers being talked about, not all of them realistic. It is very difficult to get value now.
"In a way we benefited through the sale of Cristiano, although that figure was non-negotiable.
"But I feel we have a good squad, which meant there was no need for knee-jerk reactions.
"We asked about Benzema and we had a value for him. Lyon have done well because they got 42m euros but I think we took a sensible view."
Instead, Valencia has arrived from Wigan, 20-year-old winger Obertan has been recruited and Owen was signed on a free transfer after his contract with Newcastle expired.
And the England striker has been handed the number seven shirt – the shirt vacated by Ronaldo.
Owen will add extra experience to an attack that still boasts plenty of established talent in Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov, plus youngsters Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda.
"There is no question that Michael will score a lot of goals for us"
Sir Alex Ferguson
Ferguson hinted that Welbeck and Macheda, who scored vital goals at the end of last season, will be given opportunities to play their part.
"They are both young players – but young players with ability always get a chance here," added Ferguson.
Owen, meanwhile, has vowed to recapture his best form and show he will be an important part of the United team.
"I am hungry to do well and if this challenge doesn’t create a hunger and put a spring in your step and a smile on your face then nothing will," he said.
"I honestly believe I can still do well in a top team like Manchester United."
Ferguson praised the desire of Owen to prove his critics wrong and is confident the 28-year-old can rediscover the scoring touch that made him one of Europe’s most feared strikers.
"His experience is vital and with Michael you will see the experience he will give us in the penalty box," commented Ferguson.
"There is no question that he will score a lot of goals for us and he has been great for years and years.
"You always have to be aware of him in the last third."</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Chelsea’s Defence Cut Down, Grant Stays Calm
November 12th, 2007 |
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Two-week break and an easy upcoming schedule could give walking wounded
time to heal
LONDON – When they won back-to-back Premiership titles under Jose
Mourinho, Chelsea were well-known as a team who refused to throw in the
towel until the final whistle.
Their campaigns in 2004/05 and 2005/06 were littered with matches where
they grabbed a goal at the death to snatch a point, and at times, a vital
three points.
On Sunday, with new boss Avram Grant in the dugout, the boot was very much
on the other foot for the Stamford Bridge outfit.
Leading Everton 1-0, Chelsea was shocked by a spectacular 90th minute Tim
Cahill equaliser which denied the home side three points and saw the Blues
go five points behind league leaders Manchester United.
It was significant that Cahill’s stylish bicycle-kick was executed without
Chelsea’s regular centre-back pairing of John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho
in attendance, or with Petr Cech in between the posts.
But, despite the mounting casualty list in his defensive department, Grant
insisted yesterday that his side would bounce back and remain contenders
for the title.
Chelsea lost Carvalho during the first-half of the clash with Everton and
the seriousness of the Portuguese international’s back injury would only
be known after a scan, but a defiant Grant said: “We have too many
injuries at the moment, and it is not easy to play without key players
like Terry and Cech, as well as Paulo Ferreira.
“But this is why we have a big squad. We have players who can come in and
replace those who are injured.”
Grant definitely cannot afford to be shorn of three of his biggest
defensive stars for too long. But his brave front is possibly due to the
current two-week domestic break for internationals. It could not have come
at a better time as Chelsea fight to regroup. Besides, the Blues will not
face a stern test for at least a month in the shape of a Champions League
clash.
Indeed, Grant is convinced his team will return to action rejuvenated for
their match with bottom side Derby County on Nov 24.
He said: “I am sure that when we come back, we will quickly start to play
the good football that we have managed to play in our recent matches.”
The trickier Champions League tie follows next with a trip to Rosenborg,
but Grant and his men know they only need a win from either one of their
remaining two Group B games to qualify for the last 16.
Following Rosenborg, Chelsea’s next four games will be at home to
Sunderland, West Ham, Valencia (Champions League) and Liverpool, in a
tricky League Cup quarter-final on Dec 18.
That will be the Blues’ next big test, followed by a trip to Ewood Park
five days later to face Blackburn Rovers in the Premiership.
By this time, Grant will want at least a couple of his big-name defenders
back in the starting XI.
After taking over from Jose Mourinho in September, Grant vowed to create a
Chelsea team that placed more emphasis on attacking flair than that of his
predecessor.
They had plenty of chances to score against Everton to extend their run of
five successive league wins, but Grant’s team found American goalkeeper
Tim Howard in magnificent form.
Said Grant: “When a team wants to play attacking football, it is normal
that they will try to score the second and third goals after they have
scored the first.
“They had one chance and scored – we scored one goal from many chances.
“I am happy with the football, but not with the result. The most important
thing is that we continued to play good football.
“We showed we have a good squad and good players. I am happy.” – Agencies