Perhaps the last image of Silva with his ankles intact.

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Well, it's time to get back to the silly season and the preseason friendlies and United's money-spinning tour of the US and all the usual summer bullshit.  So let's review what you may have missed while watching the goings-on in South Africa.

-Man City have gone on a spending spree, but of what appears to be squad players for now.  Sure, David Silva on his day can be wonderful, but he can also float out of games and one wonders how his slight frame is going to hold up when fullback after fullback attempt to put him in the fifth row.  Especially at 25 million or so.  Another 27 million of The Sheik's money was spent on Yaya Toure, a midfield destroyer presumable to join Nigel de Jong.  While Toure is a fine player, how much shielding did he have to do when Xavi always had the ball?  Jarome Boateng also has joined up, although I think they may have accidentally bought the wrong Boateng.  Whatever, they have like 12 fullbacks, so if he goes tits up they won't notice.

-Liverpool hired Roy Hodgson, or as he's known "the only guy who'd gratefully take the job".  Yossi Benayoun immediately left for a bevy of 78th minute substitute appearances at Stamford Bridge, and Hodgson has spent his entire time at Liverpool on the phone with Gerrard, Mascherano, and Torres on his knees.  It's really a shame that Real Madrid eventually figured out that Gerrard was about to turn 30, because getting 20-25 million for a player that age would have been a real coup.  You think Perez hired a P.I. to find that info?  Or just looked online finally?  Anyway, Mascherano is certain to head to Inter, Torres's injury either assures his departure or makes his stay more certain depending on who you talk to, and Gerrard isn't going anywhere because no one is going to cough up enough money for him to leave, whether he likes it or not.  Oh, and he's apparently impregnating teenagers, but there are only so many ways to pass the time in Liverpool, so we'll give him a pass.  Still waiting for Hodgson to bring Dempsey with him to Anfield.  In fact, still waiting for Hodgson to do anything, other than loan out David N'gog.  So now Pool have one, crocked striker.

-Marouane Chamakh washed up at Arsenal finally, filling the gaping hole they had shaped like a striker who doesn't score as much as he should who can't stay healthy.

-Apparently, both Manchester clubs are fighting over who gets to suspend Mario Balotelli for the next few years for being an absolute penis.

-United have welcomed Javier Hernandez into the fold, giving US-based Liverpool supporters an easy, #1 guy to throw darts at his poster for a decade.

-Bob Bradley Sr. is a candidate to replace Hodgson at Fulham, which to be fair would be pretty interesting as he'd be the first US coach to try and make a fist of it in a major European league (I think).  It would also probably be hilarious as Fulham supporters get a look at that blank stare week in and week out, where we only had to deal with it every couple of months or so.

-Chelsea haven't done much yet, but they're kind of like the tiny guy in the Yakuza fighting the mob on the Simpsons' lawn.  You know when they do something it's gonna be good. 

Those are the major stories for now, back tomorrow.