With this kind of form, it is inevitable that other clubs would take notice. Now, it is strongly rumoured that Barcelona are making him their number one priority in the transfer market. This could be very tempting to Adebayor, who would understandably jump at the chance to rejoin old partner Henry in the Barca attack. If he does indeed decide to leave, it would be quite devastating to Arsenal’s chances. It would have to take somebody really special to be able to fully replace him. Faithful individuals would argue that we have a similar sort of player in Nicklas Bendtner, others would argue that he is much too young and doesnt possess enough ability to do so, i personally think he’s rubbish. A potential replacement would have to have similar qualities to Adebayor, whilst being relatively cheap. Perhaps Klaas Jan-Huntelaar could be our new goal machine- i certainly hope so.
 
Adebayor has grown from a man to king in the space of a season. Quite which castle he chooses to reside has been subject to a lot of speculation. If he decides to leave though, the Emirates will surely fall.

The truth is, I support Liverpool. An english club! I am a red through and through, but why, at the age of 8, I chose to support a team who were struggling to stay in the top half of the table, is beyond me. None of my family or friends have any link with the team, so why should I choose them?

I would like to say that it was the history and honour of the club and the passion of its fans, but quite frankly, that would be a lie. I think the reason may well be based on the up-and-coming talent of Michael Owen, and his exploits in the 1998 world cup. This may seem like a “petty” reason to start supporting a club, and to be honest, it is, but I was young and had no real idea about the history of any clubs. . .

People say that a person cannot truly support a team unless they are from the area. This is simply not true. I have not felt the way I do about Liverpool for any other team or player in the world of sport (apart from maybe one or two instances in Scotlands Earo 2008 qualifying campaign this year) and the passion I feel for them can draw many emotions: Joy, Love, Hate, Elation, Ecstacy, Sadness, Depresion and Anger (although this season it has been mostly the latter) and to think that this is simply due to 20/30 players and people and a little ball, is mind blowing!

The highs and lows I have had over the last few years have brought smiles and tears, laughter and a fair share fo bad language. I think that my whole journey can be summed up in one game. The 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan. When those first 3 goals went past Jerzy Dudek I felt true anger deep down inside me. I could’ve hit someone, I just was so fustrated! My team had got this far only to collapse on itself like some hungover 5-a-side team gathered together to make up the numbers in a gala. However, unlike some of my fellow fans, I had not conceded defeat, and felt that my team had at least a couple of goals left in them. Anyway, the referee blew the whistle for the second half and the rest, as they say, is history.

I cannot honesly say that my feelings that night have ever been equalled, or that anything has even come close. This joy that I was feeling is surely as close to heaven as you can come, for the team you love, to win the biggest club competition in the world, it is truly amazing!

I would go through hell or high water for Liverpool F.C, and will stick with them untill the end. Sure the team will change and layers will come and go, but my passion for the side will live on, an insignificant footnote in the clubs illustrious history. They may never chant my name, but I will chant thiers all my days.

Ronnie Moffat

Good news are always welcomed and in Rostock people are waiting for new signings and remain hopeful while summer’s around the corner.

First-teamers set to leave

So who is leaving for certain? Brazilian full-backs Marcos Cafu and Serginho both announced their departure before the last game of the season, with both set to return to Brazil, although Serginho could be used as a scout for Milan there. Both played bit-parts in a disappointing season, but at 38 and 37 respectively, they couldn’t continue playing top-of-the-table football.

Paolo Maldini has represented Milan for longer than some of the younger Rossoneri players have been alive, but has said that this will be his last season. He has also said that he may reconsider due to his sustained ability to play well at the top level, and based on his appearances for Milan this year, he may well have one more season left in him.

The most high profile, and possibly unexpected casualty of the season was the rapid demise of Brazilian goalkeeper Dida, who due to mistakes and generally erratic performances, has lost his place in the team, and looks likely to move on. Milan will now look for a goalkeeper who can win matches and give the defence the confidence it needs to perform to its best.

Squad players that may be on their way

Guiseppe Favalli may have been an important member of I Diavolo’s squad this year, sharing the left-back position with Maldini and Jankulovski, and racking up more than 20 games. However, not every ageing player is able to sustain a career late on like Maldini or Costacurta, and at the age of 36, a move to a lesser club seems on the horizon.

Cristian Brocchi is another player who has failed to get into the Milan squad as a first team regular, sharing back-up central midfield responsibilities with the more favoured Massimo Ambrosini. Although a good squad player, it is likely that soon Brocchi will try to establish himself as a key player for another Serie A team that has less high quality opposition. The likelihood of him leaving is also increased due to the free-transfer signing recently of Mathieu Flamini from Arsenal, who will certainly be ahead of Brocchi in the centrocampista pecking order.

Little has been made of the once highly rated attacking midfielder Yoann Gourcuff in the past seasons. The French 21 year old may well have the time to develop into a top player, but it seems that the San Siro may not be the place where this development happens. His performances this year have not been special, and his impact has not been comparable to other young players Pato, or even Paloschi. A move, probably to his homeland looks on the cards.

Dario Simic has not been able to make the central defensive position his own since his move, and the signs are that there is little love lost between the Milan hierarchy and the player himself. He is a solid squad player, has been that for one season too long, and will make a useful addition to many other Serie A defences next year.
 
Finally, it seems that for different reasons, Alberto Paloschi, Milan’s home grown starlet who has impressed in his first season in Serie A, could be leaving the club on loan to gain some experience, with the most likely takers being Napoli. As Inzaghi’s good end of the season shows, Pippo could have the legs to play another season as a squad player, freeing up Paloschi to get some much needed first team experience.

The clearout of AC Milan is coming, some would say, one year too late. What is important now is that Galliani, the man behind the transfers at San Siro, is able to bring in top quality replacements that can re-establish the Rossoneri as Scudetto challengers once again.

Tommy Burns was a much respected figure not only by the Celtic support but supporters from all clubs have come to pay their respects and lay their tributes Outside Celtic Park.

Colours from clubs from all over the world have been laid outside Celtic Park
Such was the respect and high esteem that Tommy was held in by all supporters.

On the night before Tommy passed away, Celtic’s great rivals Rangers had played
And lost a UEFA Cup Final and some of the Ibrox support had given the club a bad name with their behaviour but thousands of decent Rangers fans took the time out from the European heartbreak when on the road back from Manchester to pay their respects to Tommy Burns, a gesture that had not gone un-noticed by the Celtic supporters as they applauded their rivals as they paid their respects to a great man.

Such acts of decency give us hope for the future that the nastiness that surrounds the Old Firm can be stopped once and for all but it has taken the death’s of such much respected figures in the football world, Davie Cooper, Jim Baxter, Jimmy Johnstone
And now Tommy Burns to show the world the compassion of both sets of the Old Firm supporters.

The sight of the Rangers management team standing side by side with their former Celtic rivals carrying Tommy’s coffin brought tears, applause and tributes from the Celtic faithful, the sheer act of humanity shown by Walter Smith and Ally McCoist Towards Tommy will never be forgotten by anyone at Celtic Park, football and even the greatest of rivalries were put to one side as all sections of the football world Paid their tributes to a loving, compassionate man and a legend at Celtic Park.

The training complex at Lennoxtown should pay testament to the memory of Tommy Burns as he was the man who had wanted the club to do something to help with the youth development scene, indeed the club are thinking of renaming it in Tommy’s honour as a tribute to the great man.

Tommy was a much respected figure in the game, he was loved by the followers of Glasgow Celtic, for his devotion and passion for the club and of course his talent.
A boy from the Calton area of Glasgow born only a short distance from the place fondly known as “Paradice”, Tommy was a boy who would live the dream.

 Tommy joined Celtic from Maryhill juniors and he would go on to have a glittering career as a player with his boyhood heroes.

Six Premier League medals, three Scottish Cup medals, one League Cup winner’s medal and he was involved in the Celtic side which won the Centenary Double in 1988 under Billy McNeill.

Tommy was a special player in a special team but the surprising thing was that he only earned eight caps for Scotland despite his natural talent.

Despite Tommy’s love of Celtic, he knew his time had come for him to move on and
After a Testimonial against Liverpool and his last match for Celtic, a friendly against
Ajax, were he gave his boots to the fans in the “Jungle”, the place were the hard core Celtic fan went and many had stood there over the years watching this ginger haired
Boy grow into a man and who watched as the man known as TB would grow into one
Of the finest players this club had ever seen.

Life after Celtic took Tommy to Kilmarnock, were he was signed as a player by Jim Fleeting and Tommy helped the club to the first division in his first season at the club.

In 1992, Tommy would become player-manager and he helped the club win promotion
To the Premier League.

In 1994 the emotional pull of Celtic is too much to resist and both Tommy and his friend Billy Stark become the new management team at Celtic Park.

Under Tommy, Celtic would play some of the most attractive football seen at Celtic Park, the kind of flowing attacking football that Celtic have been renowned for over the years but unfortunately for Tommy, Rangers under Walter Smith were a tough nut
To crack, as previous Celtic managers had found out to their cost and unfortunately
A Coca Cola Cup Final defeat to First Division Raith Rovers on penalties and only a Scottish Cup Final win over Airdrie (1-0) was Tommy’s only success as Celtic manager as Rangers closed in on Celtic’s Nine-In-A –Row record.

In 1996 Celtic only lost one match but still lost the title to Rangers and the pressure on Tommy was added to when Rangers won all four matches and he was sacked in the 1997 season, many felt that Tommy should have been given more time but he was gone.

Spells at Newcastle and Reading proved unsuccessful but Tommy returned home in 2000 to help Kenny Dalglish and as Martin O Neill came north, Tommy was given A role with youth development, a role that he would relish indeed as Gordon Strachan Arrived at Celtic, Tommy was given the role as first team coach, no matter who has been in charge over the past few years at Celtic, they have always wanted Tommy by their side that says something about the man and what he knows and means to Celtic.

Tommy was also involved with the international scene as assistant to Berti Vogts who after a turbulent time in charge of the national side was replaced by Walter Smith but not before Tommy had a taste of management on the International scene as he was caretaker manager as the team lost 4-1 to Sweden.

Even as Berti Vogts took a hammering from the Scottish press, Tommy always stood by the German even in his darkest hours that is the measure of the man.

Tommy stayed loyal to Walter during his time in charge of the national side and formed a great backroom team with his old firm rivals Walter Smith and Ally McCoist.

When Walter and Ally went back to Rangers, many felt that Tommy could be given the chance to take the national job on but Alex McLeish was given the nod and Tommy devoted his time to Celtic.

Tommy had other things on his mind as he was receiving treatment for melanoma, a form of skin cancer and had two lumps removed from his leg, many thought that
Tommy would now be clear of his illness but unfortunately that was not to be
As further treatment had been received but to no avail and Tommy passed away at home.

Many things have been said and written about Tommy, he was a special person, unique, funny, had a great voice when he was singing his favourite song-Mac the Knife, a talented footballer, family man and devout Catholic.

The tributes outside Celtic Park and beyond have shown just how significant a figure
Tommy Burns was in the Scottish game, Rosemary and the rest of the Burns family
Should be proud of him, he was one of the Bhoys, much loved and he will never be forgotten.

Tommy Burns-You’ll Never Walk Alone-RIP