Fergie plans retirement, Roman will pay any price to win titles, Hull City to pocket 60m to be Derby and more

The English press always finds ways to entertain their readers: some of their pieces are quite interesting while some are ridiculously funny. Sometimes an article can be both at the same time, but that depends on the audience. Then, there is the odd article that can be read in its entirety.

So, on this fine Sunday morning, we can find all kinds of football-related news items. They deal with various issues such as Avram Grant, Chelsea, Roman Abramovich, Jose Mourinho and a bunch of very happy people dressed in orange.

After further inquiry, it was discovered that the happy people were all part of a football team named Hull City. The reason for their celebration? They have just won promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their 104 year history. Now that is something!

But, just before you get ready to welcome Hull City in the Premier League you should take a look at this goal by Dean Windass. And if you look closely you will see that the players on the opposing team are distinctly unhappy. Quite understandable given that Hull will pocket about £60 million for their exploits in the Premier League next season, however bad they might perform.

Another unhappy man is Avram Grant. He has just been sacked and called a loser by Jose Mourinho. After Peter Kenyon decided that second is not good enough for a club of Chelsea’s stature and history [ahem], Grant was kindly asked to leave. In this case ‘kindly’ means ‘take these bags of money as you go; we don’t need them’. BBC reckons that the pay-off for the Israeli manager was a mere £5.2 million.

Now Chelsea want to go for a qualified manager. Rijkaard and Mancini, the most common names you will hear these days. And all of this after Grant did a pretty good job at Chelsea. At least that is what Manchester United fans think…

Speaking of Manchester United, some sad news for the Red Devils’ fans. Or maybe it is good news. Can’t tell. During an interview which was transcribed in The Times Online, Sir Alex Ferguson said that he could stay in charge of his team for up to three more years. But after that he will retire for sure.

This time it seems that he is serious about his retirement plans and he will do it once he manages to break every single record in the managers’ book. Nothing too ambitious, really.

Now from sad and Manchester United to funny and Chelsea. Former great player and current Chelsea striker, Shevchenko, has been turned down by several MLS teams, that according to the ever-reliable Daily Mail. Now you know you are in trouble when you are not good enough for the American ‘soccer’ league. Still, one can sympathise with the Ukrainian striker. After all time does catch up with the best of us…

That is all that is interesting in football as I write, but surely more hot items will come on the news in the following few days so if you do not hear anything more from me on this subject, don’t be afraid to search the net. It won’t bite.

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