CAMEROON midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba has claimed he has met Sir Alex Ferguson and will be a Manchester United player next season.

Alex Ferguson’s winter spending plans will not be affected by confirmation that Manchester United will have to wait until April 2005 for the final instalment of the €25m fee for Dutch defender Jaap Stam.

WAYNE ROONEY will be in a relaxed mood ahead of his first return to Everton at the weekend.

WHEN Robbie Fowler walks out of Elland Road for Manchester City it will represent one more sorry and spectacular failure for the club that dared to reach for the stars but fell so dramatically to earth.

ALEX FERGUSON has admitted Manchester United face a far tougher task overhauling Chelsea in the Premiership title race than they did with their successful pursuit of Arsenal two years ago.

ROY KEANE won’t be back playing for Manchester United until early December after the FA last night fined him stg£150,000 and gave him a five-match ban.

EVEN the statues must have known that something special was happening yesterday afternoon.

A LEADING analyst yesterday tried to allay fears that Manchester United, under Malcolm Glazer, are heading for a financial meltdown similar to Leeds.

ROY KEANE is being tipped for a sensational return to Irish international football duty — as assistant manager to Bryan Robson.

SURGEONS yesterday carried out an operation on Michael Owen’s broken toe - but Newcastle’s injury problems are increasing still further.

EDWIN VAN DER SAR is hoping he can finally end Alex Ferguson’s search for a worthy successor to Peter Schmeichel at Manchester United.

FANS have had enough of being “ripped off” by high ticket prices to watch “boring” football in the Premiership.

CORINTHIANS forward Carlos Tevez has been fined by his club after attending a Sao Paulo press conference wearing a Manchester United shirt.

Leeds 2

TIME was when footballers insisted that a clause releasing them for international matches would be written into their new club contracts.

A PROFESSIONAL footballer has tested positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone for the first time in England.

LIVERPOOL boss Gerard Houllier has promised four new players and no clear-out in the wake of the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.

CLAUDIO RANIERI has backed John Terry to become England’s defensive lynchpin for the next decade and then quipped: “He’s so good, I think he’s from Mars.”