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Old Trafford king Eric Cantona has revealed how he fears for Manchester United's future once iconic manager Alex Ferguson leaves his post.

Cantona, who won four league titles and two FA Cups in the nineties as the key man in Fergie's team, recently said of his infamous kung-fu attack on Crystal Palace fan Matthew Simmons: "I didn't punch him strong enough. I should have punched him harder."

Such temperance is what we love about Eric - what we don't love is that ridiculous Partouche advert - and he has applied it once again with regards to the future of a club that employs Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez among a phalanx of fledgling, established and veteran stars.

"I can understand why the fans are concerned," he said. "The philosophy of the club will never change while Alex Ferguson is at the club. After he leaves... that's what makes me worry.

"Ferguson is so strong, so popular: he can control everything. For the moment nothing has changed there - apart from in an economic way.

"I'm worried about the future. I hope that things will not change."

Anyone who witnessed Chelsea fans throwing themselves about in the street proclaiming the end of the world as they knew it following Jose Mourinho's exit will forgive Gossip Shop for its lack of sympathy with King Eric's views: Blues followers have not had a bad time of it since, compared with the experience of almost every other football fan in the world (if they forget about having had to re-mortgage the house for new season tickets).

Cantona's second nugget of wisdom brings applause in Chez Goss, however: he is backing FC United, the non-league team formed in opposition to the Glazer takeover by a section of fans, to rival the European champions one day.

"They have a great idea. I hope they will become a great club and win the European Cup in 50 years' time," he said.

"Every club has to be created at one point: now I am interested in the people who create clubs. Which type of people created Manchester United or Manchester City?"

As for transfer rumours, woeful Tottenham - don't accuse GS of Gooner bias, this is officially their worst start for 53 years - are set to splash yet more cash, this time on Bayern Munich's Daniel van Buyten. Although whether Juande Ramos will be there to welcome him remains a mystery.

Everton are leaving solicitous voicemail messages on Jimmy Bullard's mobile in hope of luring him to Liverpool, while Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has told Toffees' manager David Moyes to get stuffed if he thinks he's going to sign striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake in January (quote reads: "Our best players aren't going anywhere.")

Wigan have been linked again with Honduras midfielder Hendry Thomas of Olimpia and Gianfranco Zola wants Blackburn's Zurab Khizanishvili at West Ham - but enough about that malarky and back to the interesting stuff.

The credit crunch has got everyone worried. Hull owner Paul Duffen, who bid £7 million for Fraizer Campbell in the summer, is - like Cantona - an advocate of restraint in these troubled times and fears for the future of his rivals this season.

"We have had to be careful," he said. "We're not as rich as Croesus, as some of our competitors are, but in some ways we're maybe one of the wealthiest clubs as we don't have any debt.

"A lot of the clubs have themselves highly geared and in these uncertain banking times I think there could be a few casualties in the Premier League later in the season, sadly."

Cro-who, you ask?

Croesus (pronounced /kriss/, CREE-sus) (595 BC - c. 547? BC) was the king of Lydia from 560/561 BC until his defeat by the Persians in about 547 BC.

Croesus was renowned for his wealth and in Greek and Persian cultures his name became a synonym for a wealthy man; in English, expressions such as "rich as Croesus" or "richer than Croesus" are used to indicate great wealth. Croesus himself is often credited with the invention of the first formalised currency systems and coinage.

God bless Wikipedia.

One of the clubs Duffen is talking about could be Portsmouth, whose owner Alexandre Gaydamak was linked with a sale in GS on Sunday. However it seems the man who has spent his father's millions - Arcady Gaydamak, the subject of an Interpol arrest warrant over alleged arms sales to Angola and also the target of fraud and money-laundering investigations in Israel, recently claimed Pompey among his assets - does not share a cautious approach to the future.

'Arry Redknapp: "Show me a football club in the country that is not for sale. Every club has debts but we have fantastic assets and they're out there on the pitch. I rejected a £15m bid for [Lassana] Diarra on transfer deadline day. We're not in any trouble at this club."

GS imagines that Chelsea could be presented to 'Arry as evidence of a club that is not for sale. They have come under fire from England Under-21 boss Stuart Pearce for their transfer policy.

"Chelsea have cherry-picked the best players from elsewhere and stockpiled them. That is not right. If a lad rang me and said 'I'm 16, playing at Crewe and Chelsea have come in for me, what do you think I should do?' I would reply 'stay where you are and play some football with the club you are at'."

In that case Norwich's England youth international goalkeeper Jed Steer had better take note: a £250,000 move to Stamford Bridge is imminent for the 16-year-old, according to the papers.

Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport