Tuck your shirt in

Very quiet today. Following on nicely from my last post, there's an interview with Zoran Tosic doing the rounds today. Selected quotes from The Guardian, on Ronaldo:

"I spoke with him," said Tosic. "He told us that it's enough to be here. He'd won all the awards in England and he wanted to try something else. I think he's going to be again the best player in the world [at Real]. This season was not the best because last season he scored 42 goals, this time 25, and they all said it's the worst season. He scored 25 goals and it's not enough! I think that in Madrid he will be again the best."

On moving his career forward:

"My first six months at the club were for me to prepare, to get stronger," said Tosic, "and in the next six months it's important to try and break into the team and prove that I'm a United player. To be honest, I think that probably Cristiano was the best player in the team and so someone will come in to take his place.

"These games at the Under-21 championship are very important for me and then, when we go on pre-season tour, I hope I'm going to get a chance. I played three games [as a substitute] this past season but I was adapting. Next season, if I get a chance, I am ready."

And on being a United fan:

"I was a United fan as a kid since we won the 1999 European Cup," he said. "From that moment I was a United fan. I remember when I was just starting to train, I saw a picture of the Serbia national team up in the changing room and I said to the coach, 'I am going to stand there one day and I am going to be a Manchester United player. Those are my two wishes.'"

On the subject of Ronaldo, The Mail say that the Real Madrid deal has overcome its hiccup. In the same story they report on the only shirts Real Madrid are selling at the moment:

Given the uncertainty of who will be playing at Real next season, the only shirt numbers available to buy are those of Iker Casillas (No 1), Sergio Ramos (4) and Raul (7).

Which seems to rubbish the Casillas to Man United rumours, despite the whole profile on the Man Utd website thing.
There's an article by Henry Winter on football and money. It's a bit over the top. The only bit I'll pick up on is this:

Football has never known a summer like this, when the "silly season'' has burst into life so quickly. Even in football's traditionally stormy waters, Ronaldo's deal has simply caused even bigger waves, affecting a range of clubs like Wigan Athletic, who should receive £17 million for Antonio Valencia as United seek replacements. Valencia is not worth £17 million but there is a Ronaldo premium now.

Which isn't true. Look at this, which I reported on at the time (May 19th:

Steve Bruce has thrashed out a £21.5million deal with Real Madrid for Antonio Valencia - but challenged Sir Alex Ferguson to match the valuation if he wants the Wigan winger.

So there you go - Valencia was worth £21 million then - now he's worth £17 million - not much of a premium there...
And the breaking news on Tevez - he's leaving. See ya.