After resisting to write on the subject, I cant stop now.

hahhahahahahahhahahaa

So Gerrard has done a U-turn and has decided to stay at Anfield.

One second.

hhahahahhahahahhahahaha

Okay I am done. About a week back papers and websites speculated Gerrard may leave Anfield. Then they speculated whether Gerrard wont leave Anfield. Then they speculated where Gerrard would go. Then they reported Liverpoll officials saying he wont leave Anfield. Then they reported Gerrard will leave, quoting him. Then they reported Benitez pleading Gerrard to stay through the media.

And now Gerrard, the off season newsprint favourite of the week says he wants to stay after all. The reason?

The 25-year-old told Liverpool he wanted to leave after contract negotiations broke down.

So Barcelona will have a small trip to Holland before the Asia tour. They have got Van Bommel and the side surely has a stronger look to it. how do you guarantee the side will remain strong for a long period now?

You get Samuel Eto’o to sign a contract till 2010. If that is not enough, you get Lionel Messi, one of the stars of Argenitina’s win in the under 20 World Cup into the first XI.

It is certainly difficult to break into the first XI of the Barca team but Lopez in a game last season showed how stars can emerge. Messi joined the club at age 14, progressing through the teams and his contract runs till 2012. He is one of the best examples of the Barca youth system.

From the Official Barca site:

At 13 years, Lionel Messi crossed the Atlantic to try his luck at FC Barcelona, joining the club as an under 14 player. Since then, Messi has progressed spectacularly through the different youth categories (Under 14 A, Under 16 B, Under 16 A, Under 18 A, Barça C and Barça B) in record time. During the 2003-2004 season, aged just 16, Messi’s dream came true when he played with the first team in a friendly with Porto to celebrate the inauguration of the Portuguese side’s new stadium. In the 2004-05 season he joined the first team on its ‘On Tour Asia 2004′ trip.

The press love Jose Mourinho. He always has some thing to say. And whatever he says, he says it without adjectives to reduce the effect of his remarks. He says them point blank. And the fact that Mourinho has had a superb record and is the manager of current English Premiership Champions Chelsea means that Mourinho will always have a lot of newsprint dedicated to him.

Yahoo Sports quotes Mourinho:

To be fair I think we are the best team in history, because we beat the record (number of points in a Premier League season).

Can Chelsea say they are the best side in the world even currently with Barcelona, making rapid sides last season(and now aquiring Van Bommel), Juventus and AC Milan playing wonderful football? After Chelsea win a few more titles we may think of going into the best in history debate. Thank got Roger Federer doesnt speak like Mourinho for that could lead to a scary scenario.

Mourinho doesnt stop obviously:

Chelsea in the future won’t need this kind of budget. I have a five-year contract and I’ll bet that in my last year we won’t buy a single player. Next season, we’ll buy maybe two or three; the season after, one or two; and the next season we’ll buy one and after that we won’t need any new players.

And what will after your contract runs out Mr. Mourinho or in the 6 th. 7th and 8th year even if you dont leave? Will the team not require shuffling considering players are merely mortals and even the best fade out some time and new players need to be aquired? Why should we care. We have the purse and the short 5 year term in mind. Lets keep shopping till then.

Any one who thought that because the Confederation Cup was not the most serious tournament, and thuoght thus, that Brazil versus Argentina wouldnt be a tough affair obviously was kidding himself.

With the World Cup a year away, there was a lot of psychological victory to be garnered from this match, specially after some people had started speaking that Brazil isnt as strong because of the loss to Argenitina.

When it mattered most, the Brazilians delivered. There was plenty of roughness in the match and Argentina tried their best to play it dirty after two early goals by Brazil. Brazil gave them back with the roughness.

Ronaldinho, Adriano, Kaka, Robinho.. what great talent!

Ronaldinho is truly the best ambassador football could have hoped to get for the beautiful game.

Its been raining every where, Calcutta, Edgebaston and Wimbledon. That didnt stop some excellent sports to ensue yesterday. Whether it was classic McEnroe playing doubles with Fleming with trademark Nadal pants, or Hayden and Jones slugging it on the cricket pitch or the pencil thin, still growing Sharapova as the commentator so aptly described her.

That the England-Australia match contained classic cricket with a tussle all the while, entrhalled me. The bouncers, the early stroke play from Martyn, the building of pressure from Giles and Flintoff before an excellent partnership between Hussey and Symonds got Australia out of trouble was a pleasure to watch.

And Gough struck again and Lee managed a few runs before a low scoring final over to balance it and make every one smack their lips.

Almost too early though as the rain gods had the last laugh.

So Wimbledon Quarters today and another classic tussle between Brazil and Argentina likely in football. The rain gods will hopefully take a rest for the sports gods to have the say on this day.

The new kits:

The home shirt maintains the club’s tradition of blue and maroon, but there are more stripes than in previous seasons. The shorts are red, described as cochineal, for the first time in the club’s history. The Catalan senyera is also present on the colour at the base of the neck for the first time.

The away shirt is bright yellow, described fluorescent pistachio, with blue and black trim and the traditional home colours are detailed on the sleeve.

I do not like the fact that the home shorts have been changed to red. The traditional home kit colour combination was top notch according to me.

The away kit is a marked improvement from the dull thing they used earlier though.