Magician Dynamo bamboozles Manchester United stars

Dynamo wows Patrice Evra, Jonny Evra and Danny Welbeck…
Celebrity magician Dynamo entertained a perplexed selection of Manchester United players at a pre-season dinner.
Jonny Evans smiles on bemused, as Dynamo chooses French fullback Patrice Evra as the victim of his outrageous card-tricks!

United start their Premier League campaign at Swansea, under a new manager for the first time in 26 years. David Moyes will be desperate to get off to a winning start following a number of embarrassing pre-season results.

Man Utd Premier League preview - Moyes seeks midfield signing

fanatix previews Manchester United’s season…
Manager’s job safety: David Moyes signed a six year deal to become Man Utd boss, but the last time the Red Devils sacked a manager was in 1986. Ron Atkinson preceded Sir Alex Ferguson’s glorious reign, and the clear aim for Manchester United is to build a similarly long term future under Moyes – with that six year contract clear proof. With that in mind, barring a disaster it is hard to see Moyes being sacked this season so long as the club can at least secure a UEFA Champions League place.

Captain: Nemanja Vidic
Last season: 1st
Summer signings:
In: Guillermo Varela (Penarol, £1m)
Out: Sean McGinty (Sheffield United, Free), Reece James (Carlisle United, Loan), Frederic Veseli (Ipswich, Free), John Cofie (Barnsley, Free), Reece Brown (Watford, Free), Ryan Tunnicliffe (Ipswich Town, Loan).
Released: Michele Fornasier, Luke Giverin, Luke Hendrie, Luke McCullough, Gyliano Van Velzen.
Retired: Paul Scholes
Aims: After a rocky start, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United side made a habit of at least competing to win every competition they entered. They certainly won a few too, and the clear target has to be to retain the Barclays Premier League title. So long as the team at least come close to reaching that goal, the fans will likely retain their patience.
Key player: Robin Van Persie. The Dutch forward has hardly been mentioned all summer, but immediately reminded the world how deadly he can be with an impressive brace against Wigan Athletic in the FA Community Shield.

Last season’s Premier League Golden Boot winner is as dangerous as ever, and under David Moyes will likely receive additional service from Patrice Evra and Rafael thanks to the Scot’s preference of attacking full backs.
Needs to improve: Antonio Valencia. The Ecuadorian winger had a distinctly underwhelming campaign in 2013-14, and this season the supporters will likely demand more from him.
If any significance can be read into jersey numbers, Valencia’s shirking of the fabled seven shirt at Manchester United does not bode well for his confidence.
Valencia is an old fashioned winger, in that he loves to race down the touchline and cross, rather than the modern player able to use either foot to cut inside.

Big summer signing: None yet, unless Guillermo Varela proves a world beater this season. Manchester United have been bizarrely public in their failed pursuit of Cesc Fabregas and Thiago Alcantara, but are running out of time to strengthen.
One to watch: Adnan Januzaj has had a tremendously promising pre-season. Indeed, he was probably the one Manchester United player to emerge with any credit from Rio Ferdinand’s testimonial, with the man the game was held for merked throughout by Sevilla players.
18 year-old Belgian Januzaj has lightning fast feet and an eye for a pass, and should he earn selection he could be the first youth player to make a breakthrough under David Moyes.

What do they need? A midfield general. The aforementioned chases of Fabregas and Alcantara ultimately ended in embarrassment for Manchester United. The club were spurned by Thiago in favour of Bayern Munich, and Fabregas dismissed the transfer rumours the first time Barcelona assigned him media duties.
The likes of Borussia Dortmund ace Ilkay Gundogan, Juventus’ Claudio Marchisio, Everton star Marouane Fellaini or Mathieu Valbuena of Olympique Marseille would all be brilliant signings for Manchester United, but there are only two weeks of the transfer window remaining and the Premier League season is about to begin.
It may be too late for David Moyes to make his mark on the team, but the squad is largely solid in all other areas, though Wayne Rooney’s future remains up in the air.
fanatix prediction: 3rd. Expect Moyes to have a solid first season as manager, but whilst the Red Devils have stood still in the transfer market, Chelsea and Manchester City have made intelligent additions to their squad and could overtake Manchester United.

McGarry celebrates Perth Glory goal in 2-0 win over Johor

Ndumba Makeche scored the second in an easy victory for the A-League side in Malaysia.
Perth Glory rebounded from their disappointing tour of South Africa by easing to a 2-0 victory over Johor Darul Takzim on Wednesday.
After slipping to defeat and failing to score in all three matches on their recent pre-season trip normal service was resumed at the Larkin Stadium as Steven McGary nudged Glory into a 35th minute lead from the penalty spot in Johor Bahru after Ryo Nagai was felled by JDT goalkeeper AL-Hafiz Hamzah.

Ndumba Makeche rounded off the win for the A-League side in the 93rd when Sidnei Sciola returned a cross to far post and gave the 21-year-old the easiest task of heading in from close range as head coach Alistair Edwards was given further reason enjoy his return to Malaysia.

@MichelleLamber6@JohorTigers@stevenmcgarry celebrates @PerthGloryFC first goal! pic.twitter.com/lnp2l5HlQ8
— Perth Glory FC (@PerthGloryFC) August 14, 2013

MLSsoccer's team of the week

Week 24 team of the week.
Strikers Federico Higuain, Conor Casey and Landon Donovan have all made the MLSsoccer team of the week for their goal tallies last weekend. Higuain and Casey both scored braces to win their respective teams’ fixtures, while Donovan’s hat-trick was not enough to guarantee LA Galaxy three points, as his team conceded a late goal to give FC Dallas a draw.

Kei Kamara makes into the team for his headed brace in Sporting Kansas City’s win over the Revolution, with Real Salt Lake’s Ned Grabavoy making the midfield for his tireles running and pass completion (41 of 43 passes completed).

Liverpool flop is targeting a big season for West Ham…
West ham’s new £6m winger is hoping his move from Liverpool will reinvigorate his England chances ahead of next summer’s World Cup, he told West Ham TV.
After a mega £20m move to Liverpool two summers ago, Downing failed to ever justify his astronomical transfer fee, going his entire first season without a goal or an assist. In the latter half of last term however, Downing won his place back from teenager Raheem Sterling, and put in some strong performances, reminiscent of of his Middlesbrough or Aston Villa days.

Despite this, Liverpool decided to cut their loses on the 29-year-old, who has now joined Andy Carroll in signing for the Hammers from Anfield this summer.
The winger is looking forward to guaranteed first-team football, and ultimately hopes his form this season will merit an England selection.
“I’m very excited. It’s a great opportunity for me being here, it’s a great Club, a good manager to play for and I’m really excited to get going,” said the 34 cap international.
“It’s probably perfect timing for the move. I’ve got a season to show Roy Hodgson I can get in that squad. All I’ve got to do is go out and perform and then it’s up to him to pick me,” added Downing.
Hodgson hasn’t selected the winger in 2013, but with England short of attacking options, a quick start to the season could see Downing creep back in the manager’s plans.

German newspaper claims Arsenal target Luis Gustavo has signed for Vfl Wolfsburg

The Brazilian enforcer looked a perfect fit for the Gunners midfield, but it’s Wolfsburg who have acted fastest for his signature.
Reports surfacing from Germany are proclaiming that Bayern Munich defensive-midfielder Luis Gustavo has opted to sign for Bundesliga rival side Vfl Wolfsburg.
The 26-year-old was reported to have expressed a keen interest in Premier League side Arsenal, but appears to have opted to remain in Germany.

German newspaper Die Welt say the deal is long term, with a transfer fee of $17m (£14.6m).
Gustavo had previously been told by Brazil manager Luiz Felipe Scolari that if he wanted to cement his spot within Brazil’s 2014 World Cup squad he needed to be playing regular football and, should the move be confirmed, that is certainly what he will get at Wolfsburg. With his mercurial compatriot Diego playing ahead of him, Gustavo would fulfil a valuable role as anchorman.
The move spells yet more bad news for Arsenal who have had no luck during this summer’s transfer window. Only one signing has materialised so far – young striker Yaya Sanogo arriving from AJ Auxerre.
Arsenal have been short of a truly dominant defensive midfielder since the departure of legendary Frenchman Patrick Vieira to Juventus in 2005. Mathieu Flamini served valiantly, and Abou Diaby will be returning from a long spell on the physio’s table, but a player of Gustavo’s class would have been an enormous asset to the Arsenal midfield – and their exposed defence.
With just three days remaining before the start of the 2013-14 Premier League season, fans will be hoping that Arsene Wenger can act fast to find alternative suitable targets.

Isa: Hungry Singapore squad itching to sink teeth into Oman

Combative midfielder hopes to have a capacity crowd behind them for the game.
Key midfielder Isa Halim says the hungry Singapore squad are itching to sink their teeth into competitive football when they face Oman on Wednesday night.
The Lions are fully aware of the need to make home advantage count at the Jalan Besar Stadium and bag three points in the second match of their AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign after being slaughtered by Jordan in their opening fixture back in February.

It will also mark their first match under new coach Bernd Stange and Isa insists they are well prepared for the challenge that faces them, despite the visitors having started training on July 20.
“We are very hyped up about this match [as] we’ve been training hard the past few days,” he told Goal Singapore.
“We didn’t have any friendlies [to play], but we are hungry to kick a ball tomorrow against Oman so everybody is looking forward [to the game].”
The 27-year-old is also hoping the occasion of Stange’s competitive debut in the dugout will draw in the support of a capacity crowd.
“This is a new team [with a] new coach and I hope the fans turn up,” Isa added.
“We can feel how it (the home support) is with the MSL team (LionsXII) and I hope they can show the same support for the national team, and we want to get a good result for tomorrow.”

Bahdri recovery boosts Kelantan ahead of Malaysia Cup defence

The 31-year-old limped off during the win over Lions XII on July 6.
Kelantan have been handed a huge boost by the return of captain Mohd Badhri Radzi as they prepare to defend the Malaysia Cup.
It was feared the 31-year-old playmaker would be forced to miss the tournament after hobbling off during the 2-0 win over Lions XII on July with a hamstring injury, although the damage wasn’t as bad as first first feared.

He also had to pull out of the national team’s tour of Japan and friendlies against English Premier League giants Chelsea and La Liga champions Barcelona.
Red Warriors coach Bojan Hodak will now buoyed by the news that his captain and the man that played a pivotal role in last season’s historic treble – consisting of the FA Cup, Super League and Malaysia Cup - will be available for selection.
Team manager Azman Ibrahim confirmed Badhri had returned to training and was showing signs that he was close to regaining full fitness.
“Badhri played for 20 minutes in the friendly against T-Team recently. It’s good to have him back in the team. We’ll monitor his progress and hope he’ll be fit for the Malaysia Cup competition,” Azman informed The Star.
Kelantan are expected to field a strong team when they face the Armed Forces in a friendly on Wednesday evening.

Tottenham could be set for double swoop for AS Roma duo Miralem Pjanic and Erik Lamela

Roma’s director of football is in London…but the exact reasons remain unknown.
AS Roma director of football Walter Sabatini is in London, possibly to discuss the sales of Erik Lamela and Miralem Pjanic to Tottenham, according to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.
Di Marzio, who works for Sky Italia, says Sabatini could meet his Spurs counterpart Franco Baldini, who left the Stadio Olimpico to join the North London outfit earlier this summer.

However, it is also possible that Sabatini is meeting with Southampton over the imminent sale of striker Pablo Osvaldo.
Tottenham have been linked with a £50m double mid for playmaker Pjanic and winger Lamela, two of Roma’s stand-out players last term.

Vidic to Chelsea? Only if you believe Sports Direct...

Foreshadowing perhaps? Only that whoever is in charge of the printing is getting the sack.
The transfer window produces some crazy stories. It’s only natural – every journalist wants to be the one to grab the sensational super-scoop of the summer.
Either an anonymous Sports Direct worker has cracked the best-kept transfer deal of the century, or someone is going to be out of a job before the start of the season.

You be the judge. Courtesy of Reddit user brandongetme:

(GIF) Rickie Lambert scores bullet header golazo on England debut v Scotland

Southampton’s Rickie Lambert scored the winning goal on his England debut as the Three Lions beat the old enemy Scotland 3-2 at Wembley.
Saints striker Lambert rose highest to head home Leighton Baines’ corner and win the match for Roy Hodgson’s men.

Etienne Capoue has passed his medical at Tottenham and will sign this week

Spurs set to land Capoue from Toulouse.

Etienne Capoue has told our reporter Gary Cotterill he has passed his Tottenham medical and will sign for the club this week. #ssn #thfc
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 14, 2013

Tottenham to confirm signing of France midfielder Etienne Capoue from Toulouse on Thursday morning #bbcfootball #thfc
— David Ornstein (@bbcsport_david) August 14, 2013

Tottenham look set to complete the signing of Etienne Capoue before the start of the new Premier League season after the midfielder told Sky Sports he had passed a medical ahead of a move from Ligue 1 outfit Toulouse.
The news was corroborated by BBC journalist David Ornstein, who said Spurs would confirm the 25-year-old’s arrival on Thursday.
Capoue came off the bench for France as Les Bleus drew 0-0 with Belgium on Wednesday night but it looks unlikely the enforcer will feature in Tottenham’s opening league clash at Crystal Palace on Sunday.
The news follows Hull City Tigers’ capture of Spurs midfielder Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore, with the former moving to the KC Stadium permanently and the latter on a season-long loan deal.

Northern Ireland v Russia: match preview and live streaming

Read a preview and watch a live stream of Northern Ireland vs Russia in qualification group F for FIFA World Cup 2014.
Where: Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland

When: 19:45 BST
Watch live: Click here to watch on NowTV from Sky!
Northern Ireland take on Russia in a FIFA World Cup 2014 qualifying match delayed by almost five months.
The game was originally supposed to take place on March 22nd, before being delayed due to snowy conditions, and due to a lack of undersoil heating at Windsor Park, conditions did not improve and it was unable to be played the following evening either.
The fixture now goes ahead on a more temperate August evening, and Russia are strong favourites, with far more to play for than Northern Ireland.
The visitors are fighting for the automatic qualification spot in Group F with Portugal, and being only two points behind the Iberians with two games in hand, Russia are in a strong position.
They beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in the reverse fixture at the Lokomotiv Stadium in Moscow, and with players of the calibre of Igor Denisov, Alan Dzagoev and Aleksandr Kerzhakov they are strongly tipped to gain three points again in Belfast.

Tottenham striker Soldado wants to score 20 goals a season

The Spaniard wants to continue being prolific in front of goal.
New Tottenham Hotspur striker Roberto Soldado wants to continue where the Spain international left off at Valencia by scoring 20 goals or more a season.

The 28-year-old was in fine form last term and netted 30 times for Los Che, but not since 2008/09 has the forward failed to score at least 20 goals in a season.
Now in England Soldado is keen to carry on this superb form and become the reliable hit-man Spurs are craving.
“I have tried to score (20 goals a season) and every time I have done it,” the Spaniard was quoted by ITV.
“My objective is to score more than 20 goals. With the help of my team-mates I can do it.
“The Premier League is a much more physically strong league than Spain.
“But the football is also played at a higher tempo and I think this will benefit me.”
Despite the ongoing speculation that star player Gareth Bale will leave White Hart Lane for Real Madrid in this transfer window, Tottenham have bought strongly and arguably have a better squad than last season – when the club achieved their highest ever Premier League points tally of 72.
Along with Soldado – who cost a club record £26m – Brazil ace Paulinho has arrived for £17m, along with Nacer Chadli of FC Twente and it is expected Toulouse midfielder Etienne Capoue.
With fierce north London rivals Arsenal only pipping Spurs to the Champions League last year by one point and the Gunners having brought in just one new player this summer, Tottenham are arguably now in a better position than Arsene Wenger’s men.

Arsenal to ignore Liverpool chairman and table ambitions £49m bid for Luis Suarez

Gunners have not abandoned Luis Suarez pursuit, despite Liverpool’s insisted he is not for sale.
Arsenal have still not given up hope of signing Luis Suarez and could table a fresh bid of roughly £49m for the Liverpool striker, reports the Daily Telegraph.
The news follows a day of confusion over Suarez’s future, after the 26-year-old reportedly told a journalist in his native Uruguay that he had decided to stay at Liverpool, before denying the reports following Uruguay’s 4-2 friendly win in Japan.

Suarez has publicly stressed his desire to leave Anfield this summer for a Champions League club, claiming the Reds broke a promise to allow to him leave if a suitor playing in UEFA’s premier club competition came calling.
Liverpool chairman John W. Henry responded angrily, insisting Suarez will not be sold this summer.
The Gunners, who have already had two bids rejected for Suarez this summer, are understood to have accepted the change in Liverpool’s stance but remain encourage by Suarez’s public refusal to accept he must stay on Merseyside.
Officials of the North London club held a meeting to discuss alternatives to the former Ajax man but could still table the fresh bid, which is roughly three times their club record fee – the £16.5m spent on Andrei Arshavin in 2009.
Anfield boss Brendan Rodgers is set to speak to the media on Thursday, where he is expect to confirm that Suarez is not for sale.

Arsenal target Luiz Gustavo denies Wolfsburg switch

Hope for the Gunners as Bayern Munich star denies Wolfsburg switch.
Arsenal target Luiz Gustavo has denied he is set to join Wolfsburg from Bayern Munich.
German newspapers Bild and Die Welt have claimed the Brazil international has agreed to join the Wolfsburg for a fee of around €15m.

Wolfsburg, however, denied late on Wednesday that a deal had been done, with German Sky Sports News tweeting the following:

Der VfL #Wolfsburg dementiert gegenüber #ssnhd die Verpflichtung von Bayern #Münchens Luiz #Gustavo
— Sky Sport News HD (@SkySportNewsHD) August 14, 2013

The tweet translates as: ‘VfL Wolfsburg denied #ssnhd the puchase of Bayern #Munich’s Luiz #Gustavo’
Meanwhile, Gustavo appeared on Brazil TV on Wednesday evening and insisted he was yet to make up his mind over his future.
“I don’t know what will happen. Decision due soon,” said the 26-year-old enforcer.

Swansea goalkeeper Michel Vorm open to Barcelona switch

Swansea’s Vorm thinks he’s good enough for the Spanish giants.
Swansea City goalkeeper Michel Vorm had admitted that a transfer to Barcelona would certainly tempt the Dutchman to leave the Liberty Stadium.

Vorm was touted a replacement for Victor Valdes this summer, but the Spaniard has decided to stay at the Nou Camp for one more year and will leave when the ‘keeper’s contract is up in 12 months time.
Therefore another good season for the Swans could see the 29-year-old in the frame to take over the spot between the sticks for Barca and the Netherlands international certainly thinks he’s good enough.
“There has never been a specific club, but if I am to believe the stories then Barcelona have been following me. Whether I’m good enough? Yeah, I’m good enough,” Vorm was quoted in the Daily Star.
The stopper joined Swansea from FC Utrecht for £1.5m in the summer of 2011 when the Welsh club were promoted to the Premier League.
Vorm impressed fans and pundits alike during that first campaign and has since gone onto make 66 appearances for the Swans in all competitions.
It would be a fairly left-field choice if Barca were to make a move for the Dutch ‘keeper, with Liverpool’s Pepe Reina considered to be a more likely target.
Reina is out-of-favour at Anfield following the arrival of Simon Mignolet from Sunderland and the Spaniard is spending the 2013/14 campaign on-loan at Napoli.
However, if the Catalans did come knocking for Vorm then it would clearly tempt the ‘keeper and Swansea would be very harsh to deny him the move to La Liga.

Manchester United ready to make fresh £40m bid for former Arsenal captain

Moyes still convinced Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas can be prized from the Nou Camp.
Manchester United will make a fresh bid of up to £40m for former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas after boss David Moyes refused to concede defeat in his pursuit of the Barcelona star.
After Barca rejected two bids from Old Trafford, Fabregas told a press conference on the Catalans’ pre-season tour of Malaysia that he was “very happy at Barcelona”, prompting United to issue a statement stressing they “completely respect every Cesc said”.

But, according to the Daily Telegraph, Moyes and senior figures at United believe Fabregas still has doubts about his first-team prospects at the Nou Camp, while it is also understood Barcelona have privately indicated a fee at which they will sell the 26-year-old – despite claims from the club’s vice-president that Fabregas is ‘untransferable’.
United officials, including chief executive Ed Woodward, remains determined to make a statement in the transfer market this summer, while Fabregas is desperate to play regular first-team football this season, with Spain set to defend their World Cup crown in Brazil next summer.

Tottenham manager says Bale will not play at start of season

Speculation hots up surrounding the Madrid and United target.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas has added fuel to the fire that is the future of Gareth Bale, after confirming the Manchester United and Real Madrid target will not play at the start of the season.

Andre Villas-Boas tells Sky Sports News that Gareth Bale will not be involved at start of season #SSN

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 15, 2013

Spurs start the new 2013/14 campaign with an away trip to Premier League new boys Crystal Palace on Saturday, but AVB has confirmed that the 24-year-old will not feature.
Bale has managed just one outing for the north London side in pre-season having suffered with injury and also did not play for Wales in Wednesday night’s 0-0 draw with the Republic of Ireland.
However, cynics suggest that the injury line is just a cover-up as Tottenham enter negotiations with Madrid over a world record transfer for the forward.
The fact that Bale is being left out of the match with Palace suggests that Spurs are preparing for life without the Welshman and a deal to leave White Hart Lane could quite possibly occur before the end of the transfer window.
Whilst Los Blancos are the favourites to sign the winger, the Red Devils are also keeping tabs on the Wales international – although Tottenham are likely to be more inclined to sell their best player to a foreign side.
Bale was in dazzling form last term as the Lily Whites just missed out on Champions League football by one point to rivals Arsenal, with the attacker netting 26 goals in all competitions.