You're right - Rafael shouldn't still have been on the pitch and should have seen straight red earlier (if we're using the Gerrard red card last week as a yardstick )

Thought Vidic & Ferdinand had their best game of the season together (although Vidic pulled down VDV for what should have been a penalty)

It was a good game yesterday, we looked more dangerous when SAF switch to a 4-5-1 and looked to hit them on the break. One thing is for sure, Rafael is one hell of a talented kid. He was brilliant up until his sending off, keeping Bale quiet and while doing that attacking better than him too! What a player he will turn out to be.

Well if a player got a yellow for brandishing an imaginary card then Rafael would have been off before he eventually was.

Excellent performances from Ferdinand and Vidic, though it has to be said 'Arry played into their hands by leaving Crouch on for too long.

United will be happier with a point than Spurs.

LOL, Sunderland bulletin board has gone into meltdown.

May have implications for us in terms of add-ons.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/01/17/2309884/breaking-news-sunderland-accept-18m-darren-bent-bid-from

After Sunday I would say that is about 17m too many. However I am concerned at the implications of this, I think it sends out a poor message about the club perhaps.

Quinn has always had a hard line about players wanting to be at the club and most who have shown a want away mentality have gone.

18m is a lot of money, but 20 league goals will be very hard to replace.

For Bruce it has to be good business, given the eventual deal may be worth £24m. In this market, there is far better value around for £24m or even £18m, than Bent.

This deal worries me a lot because it raises the likelihood of Ashley Young coming to WHL. That, for me, is a real doomsday scenario.

I thought Man United had the Young deal in the bag?

I agree that if we can get that sort of money for Bent then he should go and if we can keep Welbeck, then him and Gyan have looked the better partnership. We would need to buy someone though, as much to appease the loony fringe at SOL and give us some more goals from midfield.

****ALERT TO ALL LIVERPOOL FANS*******

Be scared - be very very scared - SSN, citing a 'source close to the player', says Dogleash is interested in sigining Downing.

Gerrard's sending off was probably the right decision, a dangerous two footed lunge off the ground. Rafael went in with one foot, granted very hard and won the ball, it wasn't deserving of a red. 

Raphael is young and enthusiastic, and an excellent player in the making; in this game it seemed to me he was always out to win the ball........both were fouls, but I'm not sure either really warranted yellows...........BUT mouthing off at the ref was not acceptable

If that is right..........oh dear

But, according to a source on the Ajax forum, Suarez to Liverpool (if he can agree terms) for Babel (who supposedly has agreed terms) + £11m.

Excellent signing for Liverpool if this one pans out. Of course, the flight may yet get diverted to Stansted. We shall see.

Indeed he is.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/e/everton/9362164.stm

A very good player who is well worth 3 million pounds (in the current ludicrous transfer fees).  Pienaar would make an excellent squad player for the top teams or a marque signing for a lesser team. If i was Pienaar i would stay put....guarranteed games !!

I wish he would too. Buying him will be like getting some polyfilla, just in case our existing supply runs down and the hole re-appears.

The only logical reason for buying him is because he can cover LM, CM and RM, thereby reducing the wage bill. A good player, but not one who is going to make the difference between being top4 or not.

Unfortunately, he will likely sign for us, because personal terms were supposedly agreed months ago - the Chelsea offer and talks being nothing more than a sham, apparently.

Graham Poll's verdict on the Spurs - ManU game.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1348043/GRAHAM-POLL-Wayne-Rooney-gone-Rafael--I-wish-Id-sent-2005.html

Agree with all that Dean says (although I still think Rafael should have had a straight red for the "lunge" at Palacios - where Rafael hit Palacios studs-up almost at knee height. No I won't let it drop)

The trying to intimidate the ref's been going on with Man U players for years, though. Remember Keane's bulging forehead vein? I still can't understand why the ref that day (who was it? can't remember!) walked backwards like a puny kid being faced by the school bullies. He should have stood his ground and, as soon as one of the spoilt brats bumped into him, sent the scumbag off.

Hammer blow for West Ham. Apparently Grant set to keep his job.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/9364690.stm

They should have kept their mouths shut perhaps?

Excellent

They must regret getting rid of Zola

So Darren Bent looks set to Join Villa then for £18m plus extras.

Good EPL who can score goals BUT it's a hell of alot of Money Imo. It's a Panic buy by Villa, Bent goes there and scores goals and keeps them in the EPL thats worth £30m alone but if it went pear shaped it would be a big los & certainly a big risk by Bent.

Surely for that money they can bring in 2 or 3 decent players.

Anyway Bent and Gabby up top or Bent & Carew? I'll go thr Later with Gabby out Wide Left, especially if that space is open if Downing goes to Anfield.

Think Babel having a medical at Hoffenheim as we speak.

Could Man Utd go the entire season unbeaten?

There must be a higher than 50% chance of that happening.

Originally Posted by: llamedos 

Certainly not impossible given that their defence is getting back to near full fitness...........I think they probably only need another 2 or 3 games to beat their best unbeaten run in the upper flight  

Originally Posted by: Brummie Snowman 

But quite a way to go before they reach the 49 Arsenal got to