Tevez ready to leave Manchester City

Manchester City striker, Carlos Tevez, again issued a controversial statement. He admitted that he had not returned home at Eastlands and he intends to leave his club was in the summer.

The news that mention Tevez wants to leave has long sounded. Last December, the Argentine striker was never even sent an open letter to the management of the City of his intention to move.

City manager Roberto Mancini, previously admitted he and Tevez have addressed this issue. Mancini also said the former West Ham player had wanted to keep playing with his club next season. However, in an interview with Radio Del Plata, Tevez express different things.

"I want to leave Manchester City. Football has changed a lot for me and I do not know if I'll get to the next World Cup. This has nothing to do with whether I am elected or not enter the national team, "added Tevez.

"I have been treated very well here and I'm grateful. I also have to give everything to the results achieved by the club, but I need to change the atmosphere, "said Tevez.

Man Utd confirm Owen Hargreaves will leave at the end of the season

Manchester United confirm midfielder Owen Hargreaves will leave at the end of the season

Owen Hargreaves will leave Manchester United at the end of this season after Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed the injury-ravaged England midfielder will not be offered a new contract.

Hargreaves endured a miserable four-year spell at Old Trafford as tendinitis in both knees left him l anguishing in the treatment room for long spells.

Having signed a four-year contract on his arrival from Bayern Munich in a £17 million deal in July 2007, the 30-year-old has made only two appearances in the last two seasons and played just three times in the campaign prior to that.

Canadian-born Hargreaves, who has a total of 39 United appearances, is still battling to regain full fitness but manager Ferguson admits his club can no longer wait for him to win that fight.

Ferguson told the Mail on Sunday: "This has been a difficult decision knowing how hard the lad has worked to win back his fitness.

"But we have made it in the hope he will be able to resurrect his career elsewhere."

England : Coach Fabio Capello set to recall Rio Ferdinand for Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland

Rio Ferdinand is expected to return to the England fold as a foot soldier for the first time since October 2009 when Fabio Capello names his squad for next month's Euro 2012 qualifier with Switzerland tomorrow.

Named captain in February last year after John Terry was stripped of the honour, Ferdinand was able to perform the duty on only four out of 15 possible occasions due to injury.

It was the 32-year-old's absence from the February friendly in Denmark that prompted Capello to give Terry his old job back, the Italian receiving severe criticism for his handling of the issue, in particular his failure to contact Ferdinand in advance.

Ferdinand has not spoken publicly about the snub, although neither has he offered any indication that he is unwilling to represent his country again.

And Capello would want the Manchester United man around for a match England need to win if they are to retain favouritism in Group G.

Ferdinand's United colleague Wayne Rooney is ruled out through suspension, so with Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch out of form at Tottenham and both Andy Carroll and Danny Welbeck struggling with injuries, Capello does have a striking problem.

Manchester United vs Barcelona 2011

Manchester United vs Barcelona: Two of the best, but who’s better?

Not only are Barcelona the best club football team in Europe, they also possess the nucleus of the side that is the best international side in Europe and the world.

As such, it’s fairly straightforward to expect a straight comparison of Barcelona’s starting XI with any other team’s first XI to be weighed in Barcelona’s favour. But what if we were to look at the playing squad as a whole? Despite paying the second-highest wages in club football, Barcelona have a small squad that has been over-reliant on their key players. How do their ‘reserves’, or their second XI, stack up?

On the other hand, Manchester United’s chances in the Premier League (and in Europe) have been routinely written off at the start of each season by journalists who review United’s starting XI and find it wanting (either because some players are potentially leaving, getting too old or both). And yet this team has won four league titles in five years, has reached it’s third Champions League final in 4 years and despite being regularly outmatched on paper, has proven that the team is greater than any individual, especially if that team is built in the mould of Sir Alex Ferguson.

So which team is genuinely better – Barcelona or Manchester United? And which team has the better squad? Let’s compare the two and see how they stack up.

Squads picked by Barca Loco and Republik Of Mancunia.

Barcelona vs Manchester United (First XIs)

Barcelona

Valdes
Alves – Pique – Puyol – Abidal
Xavi – Busquets – Iniesta
Pedro – Messi – Villa

Manchester United

Van der Sar
Fabio, Rio, Vidic, Evra
Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Park
Hernandez, Rooney

United are a match for Barcelona in defence except for the relatively inexperienced Fabio at right-back (and even with Rafael / O’Shea at that spot it would stay the weakest link), which is more or less expected when you consider United’s defensive record in the last few years despite not enjoying the levels of possession that Barcelona have.

However with Busquets quite adept at dropping back to anchor the defence when the full backs and center backs attack, Barcelona have a flexible enough defensive system to take of most problems (and this is partially why United are so interested in signing Varane, who can sit in front of the defence as well as play center-back).

It’s in midfield that the battle is definitively tilted in Barcelona’s favour, at least if the ball is consistently played through the middle of the pitch. With Iniesta providing the attacking impetus, Xavi the creative thrust and Busquets the metronomic passing that puts the opposition to sleep, United will need more than just Carrick and Giggs to counter-act. There’s talk that Fletcher may be started in midfield but it’s unlikely that Ferguson won’t pick Park, who can cut in and provide cover in midfield when needed.

Valencia’s pace on the right will be a key factor for United as well as Rooney and Giggs alternatively floating to the left flank to provide extra width. But whatever personnel United play, they don’t have the players to match Barcelona at the possession game so they will look to contain and disrupt, or at least stretch the game to the flanks where Barcelona are on a more equal footing than central midfield.

Up front, there’s no stopping Messi, but you should not discount the excellent first season Chicharito has had or the resurgence in form of Wayne Rooney. As has been emphasised so often this season, what United lack in fantasy they make up for in team-play, and that’s evident in their attacking play. While Pedro, Messi and Villa will be tough for United to deal with, Rooney and Chicharito will ensure that Puyol and Pique don’t have the liberty to push forward and join the attack. How Chicharito plays, especially against Pique, may be the decisive battle of the game for United.

Barcelona vs Manchester United (Second XIs)

Barcelona

Oier
Adriano – Fontas – Mascherano – Maxwell
Thiago – dos Santos – Keita
Jeffren – Bojan – Afellay

Manchester United

Kuszczak
Rafael, Smalling, Evans, O’Shea
Fletcher, Scholes, Anderson, Nani
Owen, Berbatov

This is where it gets interesting. United have arguably the more experienced forward line as well as the better midfield, while in defence both sides have their flaws. If these two teams were to play tomorrow, you’d back United to win purely because this combination of United players has far more match experience as well as the experience of playing together compared to their Barcelona counterparts.

There’s no denying Barcelona’s talent, even in their second string, but they lack the quality / consistency to play in the same style as their first XI, whereas while United’s second XI has the experience to compete at the top level.

Barcelona and Manchester United have taken two different approaches to conquering domestic and European football in the last 5 years. Barcelona, fueled by world-class youth players coming through their academy and brilliant managers in charge, have focused on building the best football starting XI. Manchester United, drawing on experience and mental toughness, have forged the most consistent squad in club football.

As the best two teams in Europe get ready to meet in little over a week’s time, it’s important to remember that this not only about determining the best club in football, but also about celebrating the amazing success these two teams have had in the last five years. Enjoy the game, read the rest of our Champions League final coverage and make sure to join in the chat during the match on our Barcelona v Manchester United live blog.

Kathy Kirby dies at 72

60s pop star Kathy Kirby has died at the age of 71.

Kirby was at one-time the highest paid female singer in England. She rose to international fame after representing the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1965. She won second prize. Prior to that she had 5 Top 40 hits between 1963 and 1965 including her cover of Doris Day's 'Secret Love' and her own 'Dance On'.

Kathy stopped performing after 1976 when one of her last appearances was for Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

However, in 2005, she was recorded singing the song 'He' with Amy Winehouse's father Mitch but the song was never officially released.

Her story was tragic. She had two failed marriages, went bankrupt, was diagnosed with schizophrenia and put in a psychiatric hospital and then had a lesbian affair with a fan who was later jailed for fraud and forgery.

Her last ever interview (and first in 26 years) was conducted by the Sunday Express in 2009. In it she revealed that some unreleased recordings would be released in 2010 but it never eventuated.

Lady Gaga feeds fans donuts and pizza

Lady Gaga has sent fans who lined up for Saturday Night Live tickets this week donuts and pizza while they waited to score tickets.

Gaga and Justin Timberlake are the special guests on the season finale of Saturday Night Live this weekend.

When Gaga heard after the fans, many of whom had lined up for two days for tickets, she ordered Dunkin Donuts and Famiglia Pizza for all. On Friday she sent coffees and this today met them outside and signed autographs.

Timberlake also went out of the street to talk to fans but refused to sign autographs.

The Lady Gaga album 'Born This Way' album goes on sale on Monday worldwide, except in Australia where retail from the embargo and put the album on sale on Friday, four days ahead of the rest of the world.

Snoop Dogg gave Britain's Prince William pre-wedding advice

The 39-year-old rap mogul explained he imparted onto the royal - who tied the knot with Princess Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29 - a few words of wisdom about married life, and told William to take his pep talk seriously.

Snoop said: "Look, I've been married for 15 years so I know what I'm doing."

The 'Drop It Like It's Hot' hitmaker - who married his high school sweetheart Shante Taylor in 1997 - also admitted Prince Harry asked him to perform at William's stag party earlier this year, but he had already agreed to attend a barbecue.

Speaking on 'The Graham Norton Show', he explained: "I had a barbecue to attend so I couldn't make it."

After being asked to perform at the royal bash, Snoop recently revealed he had written the "perfect anthem" for Prince William.

He said: "When I heard that the royal family wanted to have me perform in celebration of Prince William's marriage, I knew I had to give them a little something.

"'Wet' is the perfect anthem for Prince William or any playa to get the club smokin'."

Chad Kroeger wants his Nickelback after separation

Nickelback founder and frontman Chad Kroeger has been ordered to pay his common-law spouse $25,000 a month following their separation.

Marianna Goriul took Kroeger to a British Columbia court for spousal support payments after their 6 ½ year relationship came to an end. She wanted $95,760 a month. Kroeger was willing to pay $10,000 a month. The judge locked him into $25,000 a month.

Kroeger's income last year was stated in court as $9.7 million.

The court heard about the expensive lifestyle that the couple lived with expensive food, wine, private flights, hired helicopters and limousines part of their daily life.

The judge awarded Goriul the $25000 because as part of the settlement she has be awarded the family pet and a $5100 a month pet care cost.

The couple met in 2002 before Nickelback became famous. Together they purchased a $2.5 million home in Canada and a sizeable house in Los Cabos, Mexico.

Goriul will take Kroeger to court again in August to determine her share of their assets outside of Canada.

Bono's daughter Eve Hewson makes film debut

Eve Hewson, the daughter of U2's Bono, has made her movie debut in 'This Must Be The Place' in Cannes.

19-year old Eve attended the premiere with her boyfriend, One Tree Hill actor James Lafferty but dad could not be there as U2 were recommenced the next leg of the U2 360 tour in Denver last night (May 21).

'This Must Be The Place' stars Sean Penn, Frances McDormand, Judd Hirsch and Harry Dean Stanton with a cameo from David Byrne. (The title comes from Byrne's Talking Heads song 'This Must Be The Place).

The movie is about a bored retired rock star who sets out to find his father's executioner, an ex-Nazi war criminal who is a refugee in the USA.

Eve is the second eldest daughter of Bono and Ali Hewson. Her siblings are Jordan (22), Elijah (11) and John (10).

Michelle Obama and Lady Gaga to honour Beyonce

The First Lady and dancing Lady will be paying tribute to lady who sang 'Single Ladies' in Vegas tonight (May 22). Michelle Obama and Lady Gaga will honor Beyonce at the Billboard Music Awards.

Beyonce will be awarded the inaugural Millennium award, the Billboard version of a lifetime achievement award. (A lifetime achievement award for a 29-year old sort of says a lot for the state of the music biz these days).

Beyonce will be treated to praise from Barbra Streisand, Bono and Stevie Wonder as well as Michelle Obama and Lady Gaga.

Beyonce sang at the inauguration of President Obama and also contributed to the President's National Education Foundation.

She has also recorded two songs with Lady Gaga, 'Video Phone' and 'Telephone'.

The Billboard Music Awards return tonight after a 4-year absence.

Sara Rue's Wedding Day Pictures

Making for the picture perfect moment, Sara Rue married the man of her dreams as she tied the knot with Kevin Price in Pacific Palisades, CA on Saturday evening (May 21).

The "Rules of Engagement" star and her man said their "I Do's" at the Bel-Air Bay Club, with the ceremony sticking with Jewish tradition while lasting around twenty minutes.

As for the post-vows party festivities, the reception reportedly featured the typically college-only competitive drinking contest called beer pong - a game that Sara and Kevin met while playing.

Describing the scene, a source told People magazine that the bride "looked stunning and beyond happy. After being pronounced husband and wife, the couple shared two long romantic kisses. The newlyweds danced down the aisle together hand-in-hand to 'Everlasting Love' while guests cheered and clapped." 

Cool Glass Tea Kettle with Built-in Steeper

Steeping tea is one of the keys to a successful brew. Without it, you’ll end up with a somewhat flavorless, less full bodied beverage. The Tea Kettle By NORM Architects incorporates an innovative design that helps you achieve tea bliss. You simply fill with hot water and drop the tea steeper, which is attached to a rubber stopper. The spout appears to be the only flaw in the design, which will let some of the much needed heat out. Nonetheless, we’re digging the all glass body contrasted by the stainless steel steeper.

You can pick one up for $79.

Dual-Core Motorola Droid X2 Comes to Verizon Wireless

The Droid X2 is Motorola’s most powerful phone and boasts a dual-core 1Ghz Processor along with Android 2.2 which will be updated the new Android 2.3 Gingerbread. It also sports a large 4.3-Inch scratch resistant qHD display, 8 Megapixel camera, Mobile Hotspot which allows you to share your 3G connection over WiFi to 5 other devices, HDMI output and and support for Google Services including Gmail, YouTube, Google Talk, Google Maps and many more.

Lindsay Lohan's Miami Beach Rooftop Photo Shoot

Having touched down in the sunshine state earlier in the morning, Lindsay Lohan wasted no time in getting straight to work in Miami Beach on Saturday afternoon (May 21).

The "Mean Girls" starlet was the picture of beauty as she took to the rooftop of the Raleigh Hotel while striking a range of poses for a Plum magazine photo shoot session.

As set workers catered to her every need, the troubled actress showed off her darling smile as gusts of wind lifted up her dress in a Marilyn Monroe inspired moment.

The trip to Florida comes just after LiLo was able to secure a restraining order against alleged stalker David Cocordan.

Miss Lohan got the legal system involved after receiving a text message from Cocordan on May 5th reading, “F**king n sucking wit u kkk i need it more thn.”

In her request, Lindsay declared to the court, “I am afraid that this text message shows that Mr. Cocordan intends to sexually assault me.”

 

Sharp Aquos Android clamshell tricks friends into thinking you can't afford a smartphone

Looking for a handset that harkens back to simpler, pre-smartphone era, without losing the Googley luster of Android? We've got the perfect phone for you, and all you've got to do is move to Japan and get a Softbank Mobile account. Sharp, one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in its native country, rolled out the retro-future Gingerbread-packing Aquos Phone Hybrid 007SH, an Android 2.3 flip phone with a 180-degree swiveling touchscreen above the hinge and a numeric dial pad below that all the cool kids in Shibuya crave. It's also got some pretty solid specs, so far are clamshell phones go, including a 16MP camera and a 3D-capable display. The handset will hit Softbank in mid-June followed shortly by Sharp's rotary Honeycomb tablet.

HP rolls out budget-minded Pavilion g6s laptop with Sandy Bridge

HP has already rolled out a few new Sandy Bridge laptops this month, but it's now back with yet another: the Pavilion g6s. Like the still-available g6t and g6x, this one packs a 15.6-inch display with a rather lowly 1,366 x 768 resolution, but you can now get that paired with your choice of Core i3, i5 or i7 Sandy Bridge processors. Otherwise, you'll get some fairly respectable specs across the board, including up 6GB of RAM, up to a 750GB hard drive, and optional Radeon HD 6470M graphics -- not to mention your choice of four different color options. Of course, cost is still the main concern with the g6 series, and this one keeps things in check with a starting price of $550.

HTC Evo 3D, View 4G available for pre-order at Sprint

Sprint customers holding out for the HTC Evo 3D can now inch slightly closer to that glasses-free display -- without dropping by RadioShack. The carrier has confirmed that you can reserve the WiMAX handset by visiting a Sprint-owned retail store and plunking down $50 for a gift card. There's still no word on when you'll be able to get the device in-hand (and the 3D's exclusive carrier is mum on pricing), but, if you don't mind reserving a phone without any hint as to how much you'll eventually need to pay, then Sprint seems happy enough to swap your Grant for a spot on the list. It's also taking names for the Evo View 4G tablet and, like the 3D, that $50 deposit can be used to take a bite out of a 2D handset. You know, in case you decide that a third dimension is too hot to handle.

Vanessa Minnillo: Evoque Live Lady

Nabbed to host the automotive brand's latest launch event, Vanessa Minnillo was front and center for Range Rover Evoque Live in New York City on Saturday (May 21).

The global interactive music event was held as part of the Pulse of the City Campaign to launch the all-new 2012 Range Rover Evoque at Winter Garden.

With Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter Cee Lo Green performing, Miss Minnillo tweeted ahead of the Big Apple promotional shindig, "HELLO NEW YORK! What a Beautiful Day for a concert! Range Rover Evoque Live!!! Come down to Winter Garden! @CeeLoGreen is performing."

Aside from her arduous work efforts, Vanessa is in the midst of wedding planning with fiance Nick Lachey - who recently tweeted about the pricey nature of tying the knot.

Lachey opined, "I think the one thing not affected by the recession is the wedding business!! Damn, this is getting expensive. Good thing she's worth it."