Battlefield of Souls

Seems a bit of a quiet day today, given that the new Premier League season (riot permitting) is mere days away from kicking off - the calm before the storm perhaps...

The Sun try and make a juicy story where there isn't one - claiming that us and Bradford are "battling" over some money owed from Cleverley's loans:

Bradford, the club which nurtured him as a kid, demand United pay 10 per cent of all loan fees they received for Cleverley while he was learning his trade at Leicester, Watford and Wigan.To a club Bradford's size, which has twice been in administration, the sum they are due from United is potentially enormous, possibly six figures.The deal, which took midfielder Cleverley to United from Bradford as a 12-year-old schoolboy, stated the Yorkshire club would be paid 10 per cent whenever his registration was transferred.

It did not stipulate it had to be a permanent transfer. Bradford argue they are entitled to payments for all three loans.

The quote from the Bradford chairman at the end of the article makes it sound less contentious:

Bradford joint-chairman Mark Lawn admitted: "We're currently in discussions with United."They are a professional and sensible club so I don't see a problem.

"We're saying that this is the contract and we believe we're owed money so we're waiting for them to get back to us."

Quite the battle...

Elsewhere in The Sun, Steven Howard tips us to win the league, the only bit I'll quote is this withering look at Liverpool:

There are many highly-excited Scousers - most of them in the media - working themselves up into a lather about Liverpool's chances under 'King' Kenny Dalglish.

Promoting Sky is Gary Neville's new job; there's an interview with him doing the rounds today, fullest version in The Mirror, covers all sorts of topics, in pretty typical pundit stylee, see this anodyne assessment of Arsenal and Arsene, could be from any one of the thousands of ex-footballers working as pundits:

“Arsenal are a huge football club with massive expectations and you don’t stay there like Arsene has without being an outstanding manager. He is one of the very best.

"Arsene Wenger is still doing an excellent job. He is still in the job because of the level of respect there for him, and the way he gets the best out of young players.

Doesn't take long for the clichés  to take hold...

Finally, Bebe isn't having the best of times, currently on loan to Besiktas he's just torn his his anterior cruciate ligament and will be out for 6 months.