Bobby Robson - Play on in Heaven

Tevez pre-season fitness regime

Carlos rumbled in today's Daily Mail as he opts for a cheeky pre-season pizza fest. Nothing like extra pepperoni on cheese to help you get in shape for the coming season's relegation battle with City.

Asia Tour 2009

The tour is over and the boys are back in Europe today. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this pre-season tour on MUTV and apart from the 16 goals in 4 games, I will take a few good memories with me including:

- The stat that there are an amazing 1.2 million United credit card holders in Korea

- The thousands of fans greeting the team at the hotel in China

- The packed stadiums erupting into delirium everytime Rooney or Owen appeared on the big screen

- Park's superstar status in Korea; he's bigger than Becks ever was in the UK

- The most enthousiastic United supporters I have seen yet, including the Palestinian student with a loudspeaker getting the Chinese crowd to chant 'Gory Gory Man United"

Stevie G Acquitted

A mood of joy swept over the Liverpool FC squad today on the news that their captain, Steven Gerrard, has been acquitted of the charges levelled against him over an assault that took place at the Blue Oyster nightclub in Stockport in December 2008.

The verdict was a clear relief to all connected with the Anfailed club, best highlighted by a source inside the Melwood training ground "Stevie is very popular amongst the boys, and the great news of his acquittal was received by an amazing outpouring of love and team bonding amongst him and his team mates."

This emotional outpouring goes to re-enforce the widely held view in football circles, and a known fakht to their manager Rafaela Benitease, that the LFC squad are indeed a very tightly knit group.

Seoul Man

Ji Sun Park made his debut "home" appearance in Korea wearing the United shirt he's proudly been representing since 2005.

As Korea's most revered and high profile sportsman, and captain of their national team, he was naturally given a superstar's welcome. What shocked me, and proably anyone not from Korea, is the extent to which his fans revere him and follow his every move.

United were playing FC Seoul as part of the pre-season Asian tour. The game was played in a packed out national stadium in the capital Seoul.

It was a good game with plenty of goals and entertainment. However the highlight for me was the intensity of the adulation Park received throughout a game in which he hardly played.

Every time Park's face would be shown onto the massive stadium screen as he sat on the subs bench during the match, the whole stadium would forget about the match and erupt in Beatle-esque adulation and noise.

Everytime Evra touched the ball, Park's best friend in the team, the crowd would go mental in associative support.

When Park finally came on 16 minutes from the end, he received a full stadium standing ovation. Every time he touched the ball, the crowd went into meltdown. Had he scored, I reckon they would have gone into delirium and launched an all out war on North Korea.

I agree with the adage that "no player is bigger than the club that employs him", but here in Korea, and on this showing, Ji Sung Park is not only bigger than United, but I would even go as far as saying 'He's even bigger than Jesus".

Ji Sun Park
Superstar
We all agree with what they say you are

Paddy & Ji

Team mates, best friends and more interestingly, a double act that's about as funny as it gets in the world of professional footballers' personalities. Rush Hour 4 anyone?