City Take Over 'Frozen Out'

So 7 weeks on from the initial announcement that the board were in 'preliminary discussions' regarding investment, and 5 weeks since they announced they were in 'advanced discussions' the plug may or may not have been pulled on Dr Shinawatra's potential buy out following the Thai authorities unsurprising move to 'Freeze' his assets held in Thailand.

The Nation - Thai governments 'propaganda' paper

The BBC

According to who you are speaking to this is a 'deal breaker' as he was using city to remove funds from Thailand - was expected and he has already got 1.5 billion out of the country - forces Wardles hand as the 60 day appeal period would take us into the new season.

Add in to the mix the Mysterons , sorry mystery Americans who are reputed to only be bidding for part of the club (Wardle and Makins Share) and the fact that no 'real' reasons were given for Ray Ransons bid getting short thrift and it all becomes clear.

Sorry no it doesn't ! I really don't have a clue whats going and neither do 99.99% of message board users / amateur journo's / bloggers. See the Koeman betting 'spree; from this week as conclusive proof.

What I do know is that Messers Warnock and Souness don't have clubs at the moment.......

Warnock hit out at Southgates 'favour to Pearce'

In the wake of our 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough which kept our six point gap over Charlton intact, and in the process dragged several other teams back into the relegation mix, Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock has accused Gareth Southgate manager of giving a favour to Stuart Pearce because of the friendship they have.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Warnock ranted:

"Personally I think it is a disgrace. I know Stuart is a
friend of Gareth Southgate's and I know they've got Manchester United, but I'd
love to see them lose the next six games....I think it's scandalous and I don't
think a club like Middlesbrough should disrespect Sheffield United or Charlton
or anyone else scrapping for their lives.
"I'm absolutely disgusted to say
the least. Take those three out of the team and they are a shadow."

With West Ham on the horizon, Warnock even speculated that Southgate could decide to rest key players against West Ham this weekend to aid Alan Curbishley's bid for survival:

"They play West Ham on Saturday, that's another pal of his,
so they'll probably not bother there. How he imagines us not to be disappointed
I don't know, and I'm sure Alan Pardew feels the same".

Whilst there is no doubt that we were helped by the absence of Viduka, Yakubu and Woodgate, maybe Warnock is looking to deflect a little attention away from the current plight of his own side, whose recent form has seen them sink like a stone to now look the most likely of the sides at the bottom to be leapfrogged by the bottom three.

Southgate is entitled to play whichever players he feels, and to suggest he saw fit to aid our survival bid as a 'favour' to a friend is ridiculous. Perhaps Warnock would be better served looking at the administrators who decided to schedule FA Cup replays 48 hours after a Saturday fixture to aid England's Euro 2008 campaign.

Remember last season, did Stuart Pearce do a 'favour' for Paul Jewell ahead of our FA Cup tie against West Ham, or (as entitled to do so) did he rest players ahead of a game which was then (as Middlesbrough's game is now) the most important remaining one of the season?

Many people seem to feel Warnock's 'honesty' is refreshing in the Premiership this season, but at times he comes across as a man on a mission to rail against all and sundry who he believes are targetting him and his club.

And with this new instance, it only comes across as the paranoid ranting of a manager whose side are now seriously under pressure down at the bottom of the table.