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As a United fan of over 30 years service, I always watch the pre-season with an air of expectancy, in much the same way that an expectant father waits.

This year was a little different. Surely the saga of Owen Hargreaves couldn’t rumble on for much longer, and sure enough, a deal was struck very quickly. He followed the announcement that Nani was joining. Again, this was no major surprise, as this was player who had been linked to the club time and time again through the previous weeks.

However, the other signing announced on the same day as Nani came right out of left-field. Anderson was signing for a reported £18m from Porto. Now I’ll confess, I haven’t really kept up on my Portuguese football, so I needed to do a little research into a man who was obviously named for that United stalwart of the 1980s (no, not Gordon McQueen).

What I read next filled me with a sense of dread. He was Brazilian, and was being likened to Ronaldinho. Surely the Brazilian experiment doesn’t work at Old Trafford. Kleberson joined United as a World-Cup winner, having been declared the “driving force” behind the side by coach, Luis Felipe Scolari. Kleberson became a prime candidate for the “What Happened Next?” feature on “A Question of Sport” as he got injured in his second game for the club and then proceeded to disappear off the face of the earth fairly quickly, managing just 25 games in two seasons at the Theatre of Dreams.

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He was left in tears and the early prognosis indicates that an untimely retirement may be on the cards, “I don’t want to say it’s the end of his career because only time can decide - all we can do is stand by him,” said Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Only hours before the encounter, Ancelotti was insistent that Ronaldo would not be forced into retiring at the end of the season due to ongoing problems with his fitness. He has played just nineteen times in a year but looked in good form when on the field, building up hopes that he would again live up to his Il Fenomeno tag. At Inter, Ronaldo endured two serious injuries to his right knee - both of which almost finished his playing career – and he has now suffered a third, though this time to his left knee. It might be the final blow.

A club statement read, “AC Milan communicate that after the first checks made at the Galeazzi hospital in Milan to the player Ronaldo, a rupture to his kneecap ligament was found in his left knee.” General manager Adriano Galliani added, “To see him cry like that, it affects those who are on the pitch and the directors. It was a terrible feeling.” It means at least a year on the sidelines, but many spectators at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza believe it could be the last time he dons the red and black, and indeed perhaps any football shirt.

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Lyons have been in dispute with Fred from last summer onwards yet were keen to retain the talented striker despite his unremitting appeals to exit the French powerhouse. Fred’s attitude has constantly been called into question and after he arrived eight days late from the winter break - more than a week after his team-mates had returned - Lyons president Jean-Michel Aulas said, “If he wants to leave, he can do so.”

Fred has played only 366 minutes of first-team football this season and cost Lyons 16 million euros less than three years ago, but his departure is imminent following accepted bids from three clubs.

Aulas has stated his desire to see Fred go to Paris Saint-Germain, “As vice-president of the Ligue de Football Professionnel, and for the value of television rights, I would prefer Fred to stay in France. That’s the reason we’re ready to do what we can to help him secure a move to PSG.” Their 10 million euros bid was accepted but Portsmouth and Tottenham each came in with offers, 12 million euros from the former and 15 millions euros from the North London outfit; sums his current employer could not afford to turn down.

Lyons now say it is up to the player to make up his mind, and Fred may well wait for further offers now that the asking price has been set. Interest from other Premier League clubs has been rife, including inquiries from Middlesbrough, Manchester City and West Ham, and the latter two may return with bids with the fee well within their budgets. A move to Spain is also in the offing, though only lowly Real Betis have declared an interest and they lie inside the bottom three.

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A late, but prodigious, bloomer from the shores of South America, Germán Denis finished on top of the scoring charts in the Argentine Apertura Championship with a colossal 18 goals in 19 matches for mid-table outfit Independiente.

Denis has taken his time to adapt to the difficulties of Argentine football, playing for an array of clubs in his ten-year career including Arsenal de Sarandí and Italian Serie B outfit Cesena, but after a sluggish beginning with his current employers the forward has, at 26 years of age, finally come good. His failure to be clinical in front of goal has plagued Denis’s career in the top-flight, but greater concentration and consistency has elevated his name onto the lips of some of Europe’s leading club sides.

Lazio head the list of interested parties but Spanish football could suit him equally well, while the success of Carlos Tévez in England - a player who shares similar attributes - might tempt the Argentinean to venture towards the Premier League, and joining the Latin connection at Liverpool would be a tempting prospect and a coup for Rafa Benítez.

At 1.83m and nearly 80kg, Denis is a bulky figure who makes up for a lack of pace with his vision and dexterity, along with a talent every striker must possess: always being able to anticipate in front of goal. Fantastic form in the Apertura Championship highlighted Denis’s exquisite goal-scoring capacity and earned him a first call up to the Albiceleste for the opening two matches of the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign. He made his debut as a substitute against Venezuela.

Consistency within the 19-game championship is one thing, but the number 19 must ensure he does not settle back into old habits and go missing for long periods in matches and be liable to miss guilt-edged opportunities.

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He follows in the footsteps of Elano, the Brazilian who has illuminated City’s season with an array of consummate and technically brilliant performances, in making the voyage from Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk. Yet while Elano shone in eastern Europe before securing a move to warmer shores, it was the cold that ensured Castillo’s stay would be inconspicuous and short-lived with rumours that the weather, along with a lack of first-team opportunities and an attitude that didn’t go down well with Shakhtar’s directors, made a January exit increasingly likely.

Castillo had been in the wilderness up until the summer, when a stunning collection of performances at the Copa América attracted the interests of the scouts, including those at Manchester City. Mexico were unacclaimed and overlooked as the tournament began in Venezuela and coach Hugo Sánchez was reputedly on the verge of losing his job. Castillo’s performances lifted the entire team and saved his coach from an unseemly exit as Mexico finished third.

It was only the second day of the tournament when Castillo demonstrated his keen ability in the shock result of the tournament, El Tri beating Brazil 2-0. The Mexico team proved their aptitude in a perfect response to the disgruntled media at home, but it was Castillo’s wonder strike that stole all the headlines. He expertly trapped the ball on the edge of the penalty area before lifting it over the head of oncoming defender Juan and in the same motion pounced to stroke it beyond goalkeeper Doni. He finished third top scorer with four goals to his name, including two in the stunning 6-0 rout of Paraguay in the last eight.

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Such is the nature of Argentine domestic football of late, though, that this didn’t prove too much to moan about for the romantics who like seeing unheralded sides go all the way. Tigre may not have managed it, but the side who pipped them to the title are another who, prior to this campaign, had never tasted domestic glory. Lanús, managed by Ramón Cabrero, established in the first division but hardly a big club, claimed a draw in the trickiest of venues, away to Boca in La Bombonera. The result: the championship was beyond Tigre, who in any case eventually lost 1-0 to Argentinos. For the away fans high in the stands of one of South America’s legendary stadia, there was overwhelming joy, and in the wider country came universal recognition that they more than any team in this championship have deserved it.

It’s been the nature of the Argentine league in its last three campaigns (’seasons’ is inaccurate – each season is split into two halves, Apertura – ‘opening’ and Clausura – ‘closing’). 18 months ago, Boca Juniors had won two straight titles and were hot favourites to do something which, amazingly, they’d never managed before: win a third in a row. They were even hotter favourites with two matches remaining of last year’s Apertura: one point would hand them the title. They managed to lose both matches – remember this, because we’ll come back to it later – whilst Estudiantes de La Plata got enough points to force a title-deciding playoff. Appropriately, Estudiantes trailed at half-time, only to come from behind to claim an improbable triumph under the stewardship of rookie manager Diego Simeone.

The 2007 Clausura was no less surprising. San Lorenzo are one of Argentina’s ‘Big Five’, but had been pathetic in that season’s Apertura, conceding twelve goals in their two matches against River Plate and Boca and finishing eleventh. In the Clausura, having brought River’s managerial legend Ramón Díaz back from England during the December-January summer break, San Lorenzo were a team transformed as Gastón Fernández – released to them by River – led their line to a championship which no-one would have believed months earlier.

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Portugal made hard work of it in Oporto but a goalless draw with Finland was enough to take them to the European Championship, rendering Saturday’s rearranged match between Serbia and Kazakhstan meaningless.

Poland won the group with a 2-2 draw in Serbia. Rafal Murawski and Jaroslaw Matusiak’s goals were cancelled out by two quick fire Serbian headed goals from the giant Nikola Zigic and the more subtle Danko Lazovic. The draw would not have been enough for the Serbs even had Finland beaten Portugal.

Belgium avoided embarrassment in Azerbaijan, a Luigi Pieroni goal in the 53rd minute giving them a narrow victory in Baku, whilst an improving Kazakhstan side won 1-0 in Armenia with a goal from Sergei Ostapenko.

Serbia will take third place off Finland if they beat Kazakhstan on Saturday but they may have to do without some of their big-name players, such as Manchester Utd defender Nemanja Vidic, whose clubs will make a fuss over releasing them for a now meaningless match.

Poland (28), Portugal (27), Finland (24), Serbia (21)*, Belgium (18), Kazakhstan (10)*, Armenia (9)*, Azerbaijan (5)*

*Serbia to play Kazakhstan on Saturday, Armenia and Azerbaijan did not play each other due to political differences.

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Two goals from prolific forward Ebi Smolarek gave Poland a 2-0 win and the three points they needed to seal qualification. Despite having finished third in the World Cups of 1974 and 1982 and qualifying also in 1978, 1986, 2002 and 2006 it is the first time Poland have ever made the European Championship finals. Beglium are rooted in fifth place which will not help their World Cup ranking, although there are signs of slow recovery due to an improving pool of young players like Maarten Martens, Kevin Mirallas, Marouane Fellaini and Vincent Kompany.

Portugal won but were booed off after a mediocre single goal victory in Leiria over Armenia. Hugo Almeida scored the goal but is set to miss the crucial match against Finland on Wednesday after picking up an injury. That match is kept alive after Finland came back from behind in Helsinki to beat Azerbaijan. Ilgar Gurbanov gave the Azeri’s the lead but Premier League strikers Mikael Forssell and Shefki Kuqi’s late goals gave Finland the win they needed. Roy Hodgson’s side must now win in Portugal to stand any chance of qualifying.

Everything is complicated by Serbia’s match in Belgrade against Kazakhstan being postponed until Saturday 24th November due to snowfall. Serbia still have a chance of qualifying but need Portugal to lose at home to Finland.

Qualified - Poland
Could Qualify - Portugal / Finland / Serbia

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Poland will qualify if they beat an improving but inexperienced Belgium in Chorzów, while Portugal will be confident of a home win over lowly Armenia. The pressure is all on Serbia and Finland, who both know that failure to win will probably end their chances of making the Finals next summer.

Serbia host Kazakhstan, who can be awkward opponents but tent to get rolled over when they visit stronger nations. Serbia have a wide pool of promising young players to complement older names like Dejan Stankovic and Nikola Zigic. Finland have done well to still be in with a shout of qualifying but they face the daunting prospect of having to win in Oporto on Wednesday night, providing they can defeat Azerbaijan in Helsinki.

If neither Serbia nor Finland win, Portugal will qualify if they beat Armenia in Leiria, regardless of Poland’s result.

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