Well now, when it comes to football, one man has for many years been the most noticeable, the most controversial, and occasionally the most successful blogger this country has ever produced. His pithy words and abrasive style make him as famous off the pitch as he is on it. This man is Escapini. "I love football. Football she's a cruel mistress. She's, she's more than a mistress. She's a wife, she's a mother, she's a daughter, she's an errant child. She's a… she's a… she can make you laugh, she make you cry. She can bring tears me eyes. She can bring blood to me shoulders. She can bring a kettle to the boil." "Cause football is about nothing, unless it's about something and what it is about, is football."

1 min readPublished 24 Jan 2011, 12:07Updated 24 Jan 2011, 15:59

Manchester City Football Club

Alves Expected To Sign In A Matter Of Days – For ‘A Few Years’

Negotiations between Dani Alves and Barcelona appeared to have reached such a mind-boggling level of complexity that it was being asked if the player and his representatives really want this deal done at all.

But Barca supremo Pep Guardiola has now announced, ‘Alves will be a Barca player for the next few years. As far as I know, negotiations haven’t broken down. I don’t think the situation will distract him either, though if that does happen we will all help him, but his form hasn’t dipped at all since he began talking with the club about this.’

Which news means Roberto Mancini will have to mend and make do with his existing right back choices. This will be a blow to the Italian who after running into a rejuvenated Aston Villa yesterday really needs to get his extraordinary squad to stamp it’s authority on the Premiership.

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