No he never said it. He said "I will most probably join them next season. But I have a year left on my current contract and will think about United next year. I love the premiership and wouldn't mind a move to the English league at all."

dont beleave the papers they have said that arsenal where buying this that and other this summer and only got hleb

Yes but thats because of Wenger poulling out or you were out bid. I know the paper lies a hell of alot but Fergie will do what ever he can to bring Ballack to the club. I must have faith.

Most of the paper talk is just speculation. If a manager says he admires a player or would like him in his side, they instantly claim he will be making a kmove for him.
Charlton were linked with players here there and everywhere yet most of them we never even made an offer for.
However from what I've seen the Ballack United deal does seem legit and he should turn up there in the near future.

I hope he does.

Eriksson's job 'not in jeopardy'

Defiant Eriksson vows to fight on
Northern Ireland stun England
England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson held talks with Football Association officials on the flight home after his side's defeat in Northern Ireland.
But FA sources have told BBC Sport that Eriksson's job is not in immediate danger and that the Swede still has the support of the players.

The 1-0 defeat left England five points behind leaders Poland in Group Six.

Eriksson has cancelled plans to attend the Ashes Test at The Oval to avoid taking the focus away from the cricket.

Eriksson had indicated before the defeat in Belfast that he would attempt to rearrange his diary to watch the second day's action at The Oval.

We have to win the next two games. Will I quit if we don't? We are going to win them and that's it

Sven-Goran Eriksson

"I hope to go see it on Friday. If you live in England, you should go to see it at least once to know something about it," he revealed earlier this week.

England now need to win their final two home games to be sure of qualifying for the finals in Germany next summer.

"According to one FA source I spoke to, 'Sven has a lot of thinking to do', particularly about the midfield and about the formations," said BBC Five Live football correspondent Jonathan Legard.

"But nobody I spoke to believes those thoughts should involve resignation, and nor was anyone at the FA looking to sack him.

"He's got this contract until 2008. They are confident he will still take England to the World Cup.

"I was told also that he has not lost the players, although one person did tell me he thought David Beckham was running the show, which is a possible explanation why Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are not quite on the same wavelength at the moment."

There were calls for Eriksson's sacking from England fans during and after the game in Belfast on Wednesday.

But Eriksson, whose contract runs until 2008, insists he has no intention of quitting.

He'll see out his contract but I can't see the FA offering him a new one

From Andy
Have your say on 606

"If you want to know who is responsible, then it's always me. I have to turn it right," he said.

"It's about working, talking and not panicking. I could not even dream of not qualifying for the World Cup.

"We have to win the next two games. Will I quit if we don't? We are going to win them and that's it."

He's on about 4million a year, of course the guys not gonna quit. It's up to the FA to sack him, and up to the fans to let them know they would support it.
Of course he'll pick up a couple of wins next month, the fans will be happy, this will all be swept under the carpet and mr incompetent will escape by the skin of his teeth again.
Bloody fickle supporters

I got this from the BBC sports page.
I don't think he will do us anything but changes managers with the world cuo won't do us good either. I think if he doesn't do anything in the WC then he will go plus Sam A wants to manage England.

Im think there is still time for a new manager to settle in, what with 2 more qualifiers and probably a couple of friendlies too before the world cup kicks off, but the change would need to be made now. After the next qualifying 'double header' it'll be too late.

Alan Curbishly has also thrown his hat into the ring for next england manager, and I can't see Bryan Robson or Steve Bruce turning it down either

What about Steve M do you think he might fancie it.

He was quoted a while ago as saying he was commited to boro and recently signed a new contract there, so I'd be inclined to say he'd say no.
However I follow betting on football quite a lot and he's the 6-4 favourite to be next england manager so it's likely

Well I think he is one of the managers in the Prem and would ba a great England manager.

well premiership is back my team are at boro 2 0 to arsenal my thinks but with no henry will be hard plus withour new found money with profites and all i think we have finaly joined the big boys with the new stadium and all

Charlton have the blue brummies.
Should be a walk in the park and I'd be surprised if we didn't take all 3 points. That'd set us up nicely for a top of the table clash with Chelski next weekend which I will be attending

Manchester derby for us 3-1 United.

Check this out.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has rejected a £1m offer from Chelsea to play them in a friendly.
The Premiership champions are planning to stage a match on 15/16 November to celebrate their centenary year.

And, even through Brazil recently played Sevilla to mark the Spanish side's centenary, the Stamford Bridge club's advances have been turned down.

Chelsea's offer is two-and-a-half times more than the fee the CBF received to be part of Sevilla's celebrations.

HAHAHA. Its a shame would be good to see Chelsea get stuffed.

That'd would have been a great match
Shame, there's no other decent international team than can play as they haveall their players in their squad
France (makelele)
Holland (Robben)
Germany (Huth)
Spain (del horno)
Portugal (carvalho)
England (terry, lampard)
Argentina (Crespo)

Looks like they'll have to settle for a match with the mighty northern ireland

lol. Im sure there will be more players too. Manchester Derby this weak. Nick do you think the reds and Charlton will keap there 100% record.

United can ease past city, they've not been up to much so far and are very weak in midfield nowdays.
We should beat Birmingham quite comfortably, but they've got some quality players and could give us a run for our money

Yes. I think United will win and Charlton. Hope Chelsea loose. Do you think Charlton are looking at a top 6 finnish.

We are looking at one, however I don't think we will make it now that Newcastle have bought their way into europe oops I mean Owen.
I think our best chance would be to try and reach a cup final and get into Europe that way, although top 6 isn't impossible

I don't think top 1 will happen. Owen will shine at Newcastle. If Charlton keep a 100% record for another 3 games I can see them doing well.

Unlikely We got Chelsea next

lol lol. Well it's football anything could happen. I can see Arsenal fighting back as much as I hate them. Henry doesn't look that happy at the moment. Hope it affects his goalscoring lol. Henry Great player, Owen and Henry would have been ace but he will do well at Newcastle. The old England strike force.

I hope Owen doesn't. My cousins are Newcastle fans and used to wreck me all the time when we were in the first division. I'd love newcastle to go down so I could repay the favour

lol. I would love United to stuff city 10-0 doubt it will happen maybe 9-0 is more likely to happen.

back after my holibobs and i finds it amusing that he there wasa NO mention of the in ternationals.

im happy scotland have turned it around , we're in with a chance.

well done to n.ireland and by the way the english media and seemingly the english fans have NO loyalty whasoever.


ONE DEFEAT < JUST ONE and the villification on the FRONT PAGES of national newpapers , its a bloody disgrace. i mean it was so insulting , as if it had nothing to do with a good performance from the irish , they got NO mention whasoever.


this is why other nations seem to take delight in your misery.

Jasibaby you think Arsenal will win today.

Nick go mad because: 1516: GOAL Birmingham 0-1 Charlton
The Premiership's top scorer Darren Bent continues his superb run by getting on the end of Jerome Thomas' cross.

Newcastle 1-0 nil down too.

Tiz a glorious day Wrighty, and I hope things stay as they are.

Wun, the English began to turn on Sven long before the irish result. After the thrashing in Denmark and poor performance in Wales he was already under pressure. 3 terrible matches on the trot is not acceptable form for one of the top 10 international sides in the world.
The reaction would have been the same in any other top footballing nation.

I fully agree. Plus sven is not hard enough he doesn't drop world class players if they don't perform. Beckam for example doesn't always play on form but starts all games and plays full 90 minutes. Lampard always tries doesn't start all games and only plays 60-70 minutes. Thats why there is no passion Players like Beckam know he is a world class player and won't be dropped. The worst thing is it's hargreaves that comes on for Lamps, Gerrard and Rooney never anyone good.

Sven has lost it and this will be his last year in charge unless things change.

Wesrt Brom 1-0 Wigan.

to be fair i know your in the top 10 but lets be honest england need to do it when it matters .


its the personal villification, what exactly has sven done wrong.


you lost a friendly , big wow.

you then beat wales , so what it wasnt a great performance but you have no divine right to win.


you had a really bad result , but it was one bad result.


england still have it on their own hands.


i mean come on??


wheres the problem hes taken you to the last 2 major tournaments, what exactly have england done recently to even suggest they could win the world cup ??

they never reached the smis in the last two major tournaments?

and when sven got you to the last finals he was the greatest thing since sliced bread??

now hes akin to the devil for gods sake.

Because we score and we then deffend instead of pushing forward and grabbing another like all the best teams do we change tactics when we don't need to. We plays strikers on the left he doesn't give players chances *coughDARRENBENTcough*. What manager does that. His love lifes all over the place too.

Newcastle have another injury blow.

Yet I seem to remember you behaving the exact same way after Celtics defeat to artmedia?
And do you honestly think a man united manager would still be in charge if he lost 4-1 to Fulham, scraped a win at Wolves and lost 1-0 to Scunthorpe?

I have honestly never been a fan of Sven and always felt he was wrong for the job. I even went through a stage, similar to XSAS, during euro 2004 where I supported Holland as I was so fed up with Sven and his precious Beckham.

My job is at risk, says Eriksson

England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson admits he expects to lose his job if they fail to qualify for the World Cup.

yes i know RIGHT after the game i came on and posted irrationally.


after i satdown and thought about it i thought well give hime a chance.


but that was WGS first game and we fell to our worst EVER defeat in europe.


completey different from showing no loyalty to a manager who has a good record and its not as if your not gonna qualify.

NOT going to qualify I know it sounds unlikely but England 16, England fans and the England managing team will go into the next games with there heads down and anything can happen when you don't believe.

West Brom 1-1 Wigan

COME ON!!! GET IN!!! GO WILD!!! TITLE IS COMING HOME!!!.

Go wild wwooooooooohhhhooooo: 1550: GOAL Man Utd 1-0 Man City
Darren Fletcher's long-range effort is parried superbly by David James but Ruud van Nistelrooy is on hand to knock in the rebound.

Come on reds get in.

We will surely qualify as not even Sven could muck that up. Yet all the talk of winning the world cup has gone out the window. I for one never thought we would, especially not with Sven at the helm but now not even the most optimistic fan would dare to say it.

I think Sven has been riding a crest of hype and luck all through the job and only now is it beginning to run out and people seeing what he's really like

here's some food for thought
Glen Hoddle was sacked 'allegedly' for insulting disabled people, although the insiders view was that this was just an easy way to get rid of him. His last game was the 2-2 draw against Argentina
Kevin Keegan resigned after a 1-0 loss to Germany
Terry Venables resigned after a 1-1- draw with Germany

A 1-0 loss to Ireland is 100 times worse than all of those results

why dont u wait and see?


i meanm changing a manager is absolutley daft ast this stage.


the next games are in october , leaving the new manager with less than a month to prepare.


we HAD to change our manager4 , and anyway at that point qualification seeme dimpossible and to be honest its likely that we wont.

but we know our place in football and accept that witht eh resources we ahve we dont EXPECT to automatically qualify.

I mean even if you finnish second which i think you will because i rekon poland will beat you, you go into a play-off .which no doubt you'll win.

We have no chance of winning unless cwe set off with a flying start. But I doubt it. *smacks himself* We shouldn't be thinking like this it's our home nation we need to be 100% behind the lads.
*asks everyone to shout England this world cup is ours.* Room goes silent.

yes but you have to look at the history with these other managers. this is an isolated game.

you beat wales, why whinge. victory is victory.

victory is victory, but they were the better team. It should be us. We always get destroyed by little teams. We don't win them like we used to.

My dad just rang me from the Birmingham, he's at the game, says we are all over them and the win looks in the bag. Bring on the Chelsea!

With an England squad that is hailed as being 'the best in 30 years' a 1-0 win against Wales as narrow and uncomfortable as that is poor.
A vicotry is a vicotry, but playing like that against even a teasm like Poland will never in a million years wield one.

but small teams are getting better.


scotland is a small team , italydrawing with us is almost on a par with you losing to n.oreland, perhaps not as bad.


but we are a decent team and although the italians werent happy they accepted it as a blip and moved on , theres no talk of sacking.

Bottom line is England are a world class team with world class players. The reason we don't play like a world class team is because of the manager. Simple as that.

but its that , "a team like poland" attitude that gets me.


that poland team are pretty good ya know.


most teams in international level are alright nowadays , beatingw ales 1.0 isnt that bad a result. they have players of ryan giggs quality.

Comparing Giggs to England midfield no contest. From a Man U supporter Giggs is not the3 player he once was.

That was my point
Poland are top of the group and flying at the moment. Wales have no hopes of qualifying and a seires of losses to their name.
If we struggle to beat the latter imagine what the former can do to us

I think it will be a very interesting game. Plus for svens sake wer need to win.

but tahts what everyone thought about the turkey and you done them.


teams rise to the occassion.