In the 50th minute of Ecuador’s draw with France this evening, Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia saw red for his challenge on full back Lucas Digne. The South Americans needed to win by a two goal margin to qualify from Group E, a task made all but impossible by their captain’s dismissal.
With the performances of referees coming under heavy scrutiny after some questionable decisions in the competition so far, a debate over Valencia’s sending off inevitably ensued on Twitter.
For many, Noumandiez Doue made the correct decision in punishing a potentially leg-breaking challenge.
However, others believed the tackle had no malicious intentions and that Valencia did not deserve to be dismissed.
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The summer transfer window has finally drawn to Âclose and now it’s time to reflect. WhichÂPremier LeagueÂside did the best business? Who did the worst? And what glaring transfer opportunities were surprisingly missed out on?Well, this article takes a look at Manchester United. The Red Devils spent a monumental £150million this summer, with over a third devoted to the record-breaking signing of Angel Di Maria alone.But to suggest allÂnotable gaps in the Old Trafford squad have now been addressed would be a fallacy. In truth, United failed to bring in a number of realistically available top level talents this summer.And with that in mind, here’s the FIVE signings Manchester United should have made.
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON JAN VERTONGHEN TO REVEAL
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JAN VERTONGHEN
Amid a summer in which Manchester United desperately needed to improve the quality of their defence, I find it borderline criminal that they showed next-to-no interest in Tottenham star Jan Vertonghen.
Not only because the Belgium international has already proved his credentials in the Premier League in two seasons at White Hart Lane, but furthermore, he’s tailor-made for a three-man backline.
Capable of playing at centre-half or left-back, as he did to great success for his country at the World Cup, Vertonghen would be perfect for the left-centre-back role. He’s quick, strong, effective in the air and adept in those all-important one-on-one situations out wide.
He’s also a front-footed defender who gained his standing in England by playing out of the back and scoring goals during his first season in north London- earning a place in the 2013 PFA Team of the Year – the vitals of which are detailed below:
Thus, he’s a natural suitor to the central centre-back role too, which requires building from the back and lots of forward runs. Here’s a look at the 27 year-old in action:
//www.youtube.com/embed/LVgHB_IGKpk?rel=0
Manchester United have been calling out for ball-playing centre-back ever since Rio Ferdinand’s pace begun to dry up, but alas, the only murmurings we heard about Vertonghen this summer were regarding a new contract with Spurs.
The former Ajax man held out all summer – as if he sensed a bid from a major club, such as United, could be in the offing – but he’s now apparently on the verge of agreeing new terms:
RON VLAAR
Football – Australia v Netherlands – FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 – Group B – Estadio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre, Brazil – 18/6/14Holland’s Ron Vlaar celebrates after the matchMandatory Credit: Action Images / John SibleyLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Failing that, the Red Devils should have made good on their reported interest in Aston Villa skipper Ron Vlaar.
Concrete Ron may not be the most talented centre-back to ever grace Old Trafford but he’s as tough as, well, concrete, and Manchester United’s defence needs an imposing, dominant figure like Vlaar at the heart of it.
Indeed, with Johnny Evans now United’s oldest defender at the age of 26, their backline has lacked leadership, organisation and direction this season.
Vlaar could have proved an astute solution – he performed an identical role to great success, surrounded by young, inexperienced defenders, for the Netherlands at the World Cup. Here’s a look his stats from the tournament:
And Vlaar in action:
//www.youtube.com/embed/KElFlYKBcUY?rel=0
The 29 year-old comes with a proven reputation in the Premier League and Aston Villa are hardly in a position to make audacious demands in regards to Vlaar’s potential transfer fee.
But no move ever materialised and the former Eredivisie star remains at Villa Park for now.
JUAN CUADRADO
Football – Colombia v Uruguay – FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 – Second Round – Estadio do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 28/6/14Juan Cuadrado – Colombia Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl RecineEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
The record-breaking signing of Angel Di Maria addresses this issue somewhat but in comparison to previous title-winning United sides, the current one is desperately short of pace going forward.
In my opinion, the strongest realistic signing United could have made this summer to add some penetration to their attack was Fiorentina star Juan Cuadrado, linked with an Old Trafford switch on a multitude of occasions throughout the transfer window:
The road-running Colombian absolutely destroyed Serie A last season and brought his form to the World Cup, as detailed below:
In fact, nobody bettered his four assists at Brazil 2014, including this knock-down to eventual Golden Ball winner, James Rodriguez:
Combining pace, athleticism, trickery and netting prowess, this goal typifies the South American:
//www.youtube.com/embed/DUlRxcSaxZo
And once mooted as Dani Alves’ eventual successor at Barcelona, the versatile winger, who featured in defence, midfield and attack for Fiorentina last season, would have been an inspired choice for the right wing-back role in United’s 3-4-1-2, whilst providing top quality cover for other positions.
Cuadrado claims talks were held with both the Red Devils and Barcelona, but the move never happened and now he’s on the verge of signing a new contract:
TONI KROOS
Football – Germany v Ghana – FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 – Group G – Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza, Brazil – 21/6/14Germany’s Thomas Muller (L), Mesut Ozil, Toni Kroos (2nd R) and Bastian Schweinsteiger (R) before a free kickMandatory Credit: Action Images / Jed LeicesterLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
With Germany World Cup winner Toni Kroos now at Real Madrid, one has to question how legitimate reports were linking him with a Manchester United switch earlier this summer.
According to the Daily Mail however, David Moyes had a deal in place to sign the midfielder, as he refused to extend his Bayer Munich contract past 2015, until Louis van Gaal pulled the plug.
What a monumental error of judgement – Kroos has proved himself to be one of the top central midfielders in world football over the last few years, boasting three Bundesliga titles, a Champions League title and a World Cup medal at the tender age of just 24.
The Mannschaft playmaker was in exceptional form at Brazil 2014 and for the Bavarians last season, as detailed below:
His technical-yet-industrious style would have suited Louis van Gaal’s philosophy perfectly and rectified the lack of creativity and craft in United’s midfield.
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But for whatever reason, the Old Trafford boss shunned the midfielder, leading to a move to the Bernabeu for an incredibly reasonable £20million. Here’s a look at Kroos in action:
//www.youtube.com/embed/eb2F_oUpCIs?rel=0
NIGEL DE JONG
Football – Netherlands v Argentina – FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 – Semi Final – Arena de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil – 9/7/14Holland’s Nigel De Jong in action with Argentina’s Javier MascheranoMandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl RecineLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher are decent holding options but Manchester United’s squad still lacks an old-school ball-winner of the Roy Keane variety.
That could eventually arrive in Roma star and Louis van Gaal favourite Kevin Strootman, but if not, and after losing interest in Arturo Vidal due to his recurring knee injuries, United can look back to this summer and ponder why they didn’t bid for AC Milan’s Nigel de Jong.
The 29 year-old may not be pretty but he’s certainly effective; he was essential to the Netherlands’ efforts at the World Cup and despite the Serie A side finishing in ninth last season, showed impressive form throughout, as detailed below:
Furthermore, having spent three-and-a-half years at Manchester City, picking up the English title in 2012, de Jong offers vital experience in the Premier League, as well as being well acquainted with Louis van Gaal’s 3-4-1-2 system.
Next weekend, Manchester United will play Swansea in their first match of the new campaign hoping to put the ghosts of last season to bed. With a very convincing USA tour, expectations are high, whether from the fans, the players, or even the club itself.
They need to pick up all three points and convince their new manager that they’ve got what it takes to challenge for a top place finish and bring glory back to Old Trafford. The first match will be very important because it will eventually set the mood and tone for their entire season.
Until the whistle is blown on match day, here are SIX things to expect from Manchester United this season.
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CLICK ON LOUIS VAN GAAL TO SEE THE FULL LIST
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Newly introduced 3-5-2 formation
Forget all the pre-season victories as the Manchester United squad will now need to test their new 3-5-2 formation where it really matters, in the English Premier League. We have all seen it work wonders for the Dutch national squad and with Louis van Gaal facing Swansea in their first game, there is no room for error.
Jonny Evans, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling will need to be at their best to ensure no previous season mentality comes back to haunt them. The fans are expecting a victory, so three points is the only option Van Gaal has.
UEFA Champions League spot
Seventh place in the previous campaign means completely nothing now. With a clean slate, Manchester United are expected to compete for the top four spots or even more, top two. Throughout the pre-season, we have seen a completely different team from the one fielded by David Moyes, from their movement all the way to their mentality.
Louis van Gaal was given a huge transfer budget solely for the reason of returning to European football the next season. Anything less than a top four finish will pretty much put the Dutch boss under huge amount of pressure. Based on what we know of him, the Red Devils may have finally found someone who can replace the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson.
Unbeaten at Old Trafford
Last season Manchester United lost seven matches at home, something that hasn’t happened since the 1973/1974 campaign. However, with a complete chance in management with the introduction of Louis van Gaal, things are expected to be looking up. Based on their pre-season form, they have produced some outstanding plays, hinted that they will be back to their best.
Therefore, for United to compete for a Champions League spot as well as the entire Premier League, they should be expected not to drop any points at Old Trafford. When it comes to away matches, Van Gaal will surely urge his players to go for the victory no matter what. Whatever happens, they will need to avoid what smaller teams did do them the previous season.
Become a feared side once more
There were times last season when nobody was afraid of Manchester United anymore. Either home or away, teams took the game to them, focusing on trying to break down their weak midfield and exploiting their unconvincing defence.
However, this time around, Louis van Gaal looks to have reinforced all aspects of the squad and if other Premier League teams saw what they are capable of during their USA tour, they should begin fearing them once more. Their first match against Swansea will be a very important one as it will either make them or break them.
Solid Defence, Lethal Attack
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Whether Louis van Gaal is capable of adding another centre-back or defensive midfield to his ranks or not, he will make sure the squad is tight and composed at the back while also capable of inflicting serious damage on the break. With reference to the Dutch squad, Arjen Robben seemed to be given to freedom to roam around and break on the counter, something many expect the likes of United’s more attacking players to do as well.
The strike pairing of Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney has yet to be tested during pre-season, but even without the Dutch forward, the Red Devils were causing mayhem wherever they went. A key to Van Gaal’s formation will be the stability of his wing backs in defence and their pace and vision on the counters.
Sir Alex Ferguson watching from the stands
Finally, something or rather someone, who can always be expected to keep a huge lookout from the stand, is former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. It was believed David Moyes was under pressure from his close scrutiny and it looks to be no difference when Louis van Gaal leads his squad on the pitch in two weeks time.
The only difference is that the Dutchman has a die-hard attitude, with one thing in mind, victory game in game out. Whether he is pressured from all angles of Old Trafford, he will be able to keep a cool head and make the appropriate changes in order to guide his team to victory. All we can do now is wait and see.
In the same fortnight Jose Mourinho declared “there is no racism in football” amid his staunch, strong-fisted rejection of the Rooney Rule, UEFA fined Levski Sofia just £7,750 after supporters of the Bulgarian side held up a banner stating ‘say yes to racism’.
One can understand where the Chelsea manager was coming from, his perspective is simple; football is a sport too competitively pure to let such superficialities as skin colour or creed prevent the best of the best reaching the game’s summit. There may be some politically diverse views amongst the terraces, but that’s more representative of societal issues than it is the culture of football itself.
Yet, racism is still clearly a problem in football, even in the leftie-liberal, politically-correct realms of England, and especially in the management racket.
There’s just two black managers throughout England’s top four divisions – Chris Powell and Keith Curle – and both of them were only given jobs this month after spending the summer unemployed. That’s just two black managers out of a possible 92, 2%, in a sport where nearly 30% the playing contingent in England are black or from an ethnic minority, in a country where nearly 6% of the population are black or mixed race.
It’s not a question of reluctant participation either, an apathy if you will; 18% of those who attend coaching courses are black according to the PFA, yet they’re represented by just 3% of coaches, managers and technical directors at senior, academy or junior level throughout the country.
The numbers simply don’t add up. Mirror Football’s Darren Lewis believes the disparity is due to old stereotypes surrounding black players still persisting in the English game; “Years ago it was stereotype (and ignorance) used to justify the lack of progression for black players from the pitch to the manager’s office.
“Black players’ “thing” was speed and athleticism. You couldn’t rely on them – supposedly – to be strategists but they could beat you for pace (when it was sunny of course) and they could jump higher than their white counterparts in the box. Who’d have thought that in the 21st century the lazy, tired thinking would not be as overt but the discrimination, the glass ceiling would continue to exist nonetheless?”
The fact that just 13% of captains throughout the Football League and the top flight are black further supports this theory.
And even if you’re a stato-sceptic, consider the qualitative evidence – only in August this year was former Cardiff City boss Malky Mackay exposed for sending a series of racist and homophobic texts to Sporting Director Ian Moody.
“F**kin’ Chinkeys. There’s enough dogs in Cardiff for us all to go around,” “Not many white faces amongst that lot but worth considering” and a picture entitled ‘Black Monopoly’, with every square saying ‘go to jail’, are just some of more notable messages sent from his work phone.
His colleagues and counterparts claim Mackay to be a rare bad apple, but the statistics suggest there are other managers in England who also employ this EDL-inspired vocabulary behind closed doors, even if it’s used, on the most part, in ill-tasting jest.
The League Managers’ Association knew about the allegations for three months and did nothing, before describing the text-gate affair as an episode in ‘friendly banter’.
Clearly, racism – be it benign and tacit in the safety of offices, or screamed from the terraces by mobs of Ultras – is still a major problem in football.
Finally, it appears, English football is prepared to do something about it, with Football League chairman Greg Clarke leading an ‘all-encompassing review of black and ethnic minority coaches’. At the centre of the investigation will be a discussion over the introduction of the Rooney Rule – the equality legislation that has transformed the NFL, and for whatever reason, appears to have discovered an enemy in Jose Mourinho.
The rule, making it mandatory for all teams to interview minority candidates for senior management and coaching positions, has seen the number of black coaches rise from just three in 2003, when it was established, to eight in 2011. That’s a dramatic shift from 9% to 19% in just eight years, although admittedly, there are now just five minority representatives in the NFL this season.
It may not be the ultimate solution to English football’s problems – positive discrimination and affirmative action always come with their negative stigmatisms. Likewise, if we were to extrapolate the experiences of the MLS to the English game, the figure of black managers would rise from only two to 13.
But former FA chief Sir Trevor Brooking claims; “given the number of players from all backgrounds, it would be madness if in five or 10 years’ time that’s not reflected in the coaching. I’m sure we’ll have 10 out of 92, 20 out of 92, that over a period of time will be from the different ethic mixes,” believing the management system is capable of evolving naturally without the help of the Rooney Rule.
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But that’s precisely the point Sir Trev – the situation English football’s already in, with just two minority representatives out of 92, already constitutes institutional insanity. Clearly, the process needs to be accelerated. It requires a catalyst, specifically in regards to placing black role models in high positions that younger generations can hope to one day emulate. The longer the game goes on without black managers, the less black players will consider it a plausible career path.
The Rooney Rule is by no means perfect, and as Jose Mourinho obviously feels, a foe to the competitiveness that makes football thrive. A very capitalist point of view, I must say.
But to paraphrase Dan Rooney himself, recently quizzed on the issue by BBC Radio, British football has nothing to lose. We either adopt a radical policy that at least attempts to improve the situation, and comes with a proven record from the US – a country that still upheld Jim Crow laws, including lynching, until the 1960s – or maintain the status quo until the next Jose Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson or Pep Guardiola just happens to be black.
We’ve seen some fantastic goals in the Premier League since its inception in 1992.
The goalscoring charts is filled with legends of the game, both past and present, and from a wide range of clubs who have enjoyed a mixed bag success throughout the years.
But who makes up the top 50 Premier League goal scorers of all time? Can you name them all? Have a go below and see how many you can get in 15 minutes.
Then why not challenge you mates by sharing your results via Facebook?
Go on, do your worst. NO CHEATING!
[ffc-quiz ]
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In all honesty, last month’s transfer window was a little disappointing to say the least. Managers, chairmen, and teams throughout Europe were seemingly governed by caution above all else this winter. Transfer deadline day lacked the usual collection of panic buys and big names on the move, and it may be tha the January transfer window is losing the reputation it once held in Premier League football.
That said, the month didn’t pass entirely without note. Wilfried Bony’s £28 million switch to the Etihad, along with Juan Cuadrado’s high profile move to Chelsea, were the two most significant deals of the window. These particular pieces of business add a new dimension to the second half of the campaign, and give the title race that extra bit of unpredictability.
Despite losing their main man up top this season, Swansea City have hardly reinvested their £28million back into their striking department. Although the likes of Jack Cork and Kyle Naughton will certainly give Garry Monk some greater squad depth, there remains a clear Bony-sized hole in his attacking set-up, which surely will be addressed in the summer.
In the meantime however, how will the Swans fare for the remainder of the 2014/15 campaign? And which of their stars can now step up in the absence of Wilfried Bony?
Swansea’s loss has certainly been Manchester City’s gain. The champions have landed themselves a powerful striker who can hold-up play, knit moves together in the final third, and simply score goals as if there is no tomorrow. Bony’s biggest asset is his goalscoring prowess, but it’s not just the frequency of his goals that is impressive, it’s his style as well.
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Any such player will surely add some much needed spice to this season’s title race, but in regards to Swansea, Garry Monk’s side now have to prepare for life without the big Ivorian. Whilst a drop down the table and a subsequent dip in form won’t necessarily afflict the Welsh side in the wake of his departure, the Swans cant afford to take their finger off the pulse in this potentially vulnerable moment. Several of their key men will therefore have to step up and emulate Bony’s contribution to the best of their abilities, the first of which being Bafetimbi Gomis.
The former Lyon man arrived at the Liberty Stadium in the summer to a great deal of sensation, but has since failed to properly establish himself as a Premier League player and a first team starter. He may bring with him an impressive reputation in France, but Gomis certainly hasn’t been at the level many Swans fans had hoped for upon his signing. The availability of first team places have hardly been widespread for the striker however, but with Bony’s departure, now is a great time for Bafetimbi Gomis to display what he really has to offer.
Swansea can play either entirely on the deck or become a bit more direct with Gomis on board, which should play into the hands of the rest of Monk’s attacking arsenal. The likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson and Wayne Routledge will likely continue their good form of this season, with summer recruit Jefferson Montero still having an important role to play along with the ever-determined Marvin Emnes. Bony’s departure also sparks an opportunity for Nathan Dyer, who despite impressing large sections of the footballing community so far in his career, has perhaps not reached the levels many were initially expecting of the rapid wideman.
January loanee Nelson Oliveira could also earn a place in this Swansea team for the remainder of the season, but as his signing has hardly been touted as a ‘Wilfried Bony replacement’, the spotlight doesn’t deserve to be pointed right at the 23-year-old from Benfica just yet.
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Ultimately then Manchester City’s new Ivorian striker will be a hard asset to replace for the Swans in their attempts to maintain their rise up the English leagues. As Garry Monk has a nice selection of hungry, willing, and bright players ready to step up collectively in Bony’s absence however; perhaps the situation is not as negative as it may seem for the ever plucky Swans.
It’s boarded on inexplicable in a number of ways, because there doesn’t appear to be any logic or safe rationale to justify it. Why are Everton so utterly mediocre this year?
You can usually point to some defining moments of a club to plot the root of their downfall. Hindering finance, changing personnel, injuries. None really bare true in a consistent manner. Romelu Lukaku’s permanent residence on Mersyside has undoubtedly bolstered the strength of their squad in a permanent manner. Roberto Martinez is steering his way through a second season, where you’d think his players would now be more susceptible to his methods and ideologies. Leighton Baines has signed a new contract, ending the distracting uncertainty over his long-term future.
Instead, the same base of players vying to implement their possession-orientated gameplan are falling short, consistently. It’s now got to the point where people are genuinely considering whether the club could get relegated. There’s been mindless-myopic-mutterings of Martinez getting axed.
The fact of the matter is, Everton are now ‘barb-wired’ in no-man’s land, glued to a sort of liminal medium of disappointment. In no uncertain terms, there’s absolutely no way they’ll get relegated, yet they are so far from salvaging any form of points tally that will rescue them a respectable Premier League finish. Their domestic campaign is effectively over. Barring a miraculous run in the league, their domestic-cup exits mean all of their hopes rely on the Europa League, where the paradox of their strange form takes a further twist.
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Martinez now finds himself in the absurd situation where he can legitimately rest his key players on the weekend to keep them in fine health for Thursday nights. This is their only pathway to retrieve any commendable status from a season that is now skewed upon on a competition that is usually a liability for most title-aspiring teams.
In an ironic twist, it would strangely make perfect sense for Everton to now take this tournament by storm. Martinez’s possession-based dogma has seemingly found fertile soil on European nights, reaping lucrative rewards in games gone by. That challenge looks to be an Italian one for now; all five of their entered teams (Napoli, Fiorentina, Roma, the Parma-replacing Torino and Internazional) have made decent headway, and you’d suspect one of them to challenge for the trophy to re-deem Italy’s diminishing reputation upon Europe’s elite.
Everton’s devoted fanbase will naturally be hugely disappointed that their season has succumbed to just one knockout competition, but in that there’s probably more positives than meet the eye. They don’t have to worry about balancing this run with the overly-competitive top four race, which might have over-stretched their squad to a medium where they failed to meet their best in both.
They can forget about the strains of the Premier League and now solely focus on a competition that has long tempted teams into competing but yet always never really lived up to its name.
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Everton, and Martinez, will probably never find themselves in this bizarrely unique situation again, and it’s time they put their disappointments behind them and appreciate that they may never get a better shot at Europe’s second tier competition, an opportunity that could pay big dividends.
Manchester United’s defence has looked a little leaky this season, yet it has only shipped 27 goals in the league – and only Chelsea (who have played a game fewer) and Southampton can better that.
The question, then, should really be, why does it look so leaky? It seems that, when you watch the games and then look at the stats, the two don’t really match up.
The answer lies in United’s new style of play this year, and how Louis Van Gaal has been getting his team to play in a way that they were not used to at the start, and it has also looked like some of his players did not have the feel for the positions they were playing in during some of the games where they’ve looked rocky at the back.
The biggest revelation from Van Gaal this season was his use of wingbacks. When he played 3-5-2 or with a diamond, both times he employed wingbacks to provide the team with width.
These wingbacks are really just deep-seated attackers who give an option out wide whenever the team has the ball, and so it makes sense that Van Gaal would use Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia or even Adnan Januzaj in there from time to time. But when playing with a back four, as United have been doing more often of late, having wingbacks bombing forward can leave your centre backs exposed.
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The wingbacks will only bomb forward when United have the ball, of course, so the defence will only be exposed when they lose it. But they do lose it from time to time. To combat this, Van Gaal’s centre backs split, and leave a gap between them, which in turn leaves a lot of space in the middle, and this is when United look leaky.
The idea is that the defensive midfielder slots into this space, allowing him not only to offer defensive solidity, but also to control the game from deep. But this hasn’t been the problem with United’s defence. The tactic works fine. But just like most tactics, it lives or dies by the players implementing it.
And this is why United have been wobbly at the back this season – or at least, it has seemed like it. Because Daley Blind, who has been playing in that position a lot, isn’t cut out to play there. At least, he hasn’t got his head around it just yet.
When United are hit on the break, Blind finds himself attracted to the ball, and sometimes pushes too far forward to press, or drawn out to the wings to try to make the tackle. With both centre backs already pushed wide, Blind moving out of position is a big problem, leaving United with a gaping hole in defence.
But the answer for United seems to be Michael Carrick. He’s not played a huge amount of games all season, but when he’s been on the pitch, United have a player perfectly suited to playing that role.
Carrick gets a hard time because he doesn’t have the rampant physicality that we seem to expect off English central midfielders, and fans are usually suspicious of English players with half a brain. Carrick is, I think, unfairly criticised for this, but ability to sit deep and distribute passes and read the game makes him perfect for this role. In fact, United have lost only one game all season when Carrick has started.
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He’s getting on a bit now, but has just signed a new one year extension to his contract, and so at least in the short term, he looks to be Van Gaal’s answer to United’s defensive frailty. Blind just looks unsure in that role, but perhaps he will be able to learn from Carrick himself.
Defensive worries or not, United are exactly where they want to be at this stage of the season, and if they can keep Carrick fit, he will be the piece that keeps the defence solid and links in to the wealth of attacking talent they have ahead of him.
It’s all going Pete Tong over in Germany with every hipster’s favourite team Borussia Dortmund appearing to fall apart. After failing to adequately replace Robert Lewandowski, we then heard the news that Jurgen Klopp will be leaving the club at the end of current campaign and, just moments ago, the Bundesliga outfit revealed that Ilkay Gundogan will not be renewing his current deal that ends in 2016.
The central midfielder has been linked with a whole host of Premier League clubs, most notably Arsenal and Manchester United, and no doubt there will be a scramble for his signature after the announcement.
It isn’t known whether Borussia Dortmund will cash in on Gundogan this summer or lose their prized asset for free at the end of next season, however, that hasn’t stopped the Manchester United faithful dreaming of the midfielder pulling on the Red Devils jersey sometime soon.
The route between Barcelona and Stoke was not a particularly well-trodden one in footballing history; in fact the two could be considered at very different ends of the footballing spectrum.
However, if rumours are to be believed Ibrahim Affellay is set to become the third Barcelona man to make the move to the Potteries in the last three years. Following Bojan and Muniesa’s successful adaptations to life in Stoke, the Dutchman is now the next player to soon be adapting to swirling winds, an obsession with pottery and pre-match meals of Oatcakes (don’t ask).
But moving to Stoke is no longer a particularly puzzling move, they are one of the most upwardly mobile clubs in England and under the stewardship of Mark Hughes, the only way appears to be up.
When Hughes replaced Tony Pulis many predicted that the wheels would come off the Stoke tank, that the battering ram would finally slow down. But since the former Wales manager has taken over he has bought The Potters to new levels, levels not reached in a generation and you have a feeling it may just be the start.
Similarly to Stoke, their manager had a reputation to rebuild, his time as ringmaster at The Queen’s Park Rangers Cir us had seemingly undone the positive work he had carried out in the beginning of his managerial career. To say that his appointment was met with scepticism would be an understatement; he was an underwhelming and potentially risky appointment.
Now two years into the Hughes reign and he has led them to highest ever points tally in the Premier League, their humiliation of Liverpool on the final day condemning Gerrard to one final indignation.
Now with the potential acquisition of Affellay, Stoke continue to move further away from the kind of side that bought so much negativity towards them in their Premier League infancy. No longer hoof ball merchants or bullies, they are as good a side as anyone below the top tier of sides and they will fancy their chances at leading the ‘second tier’ next term.
They consistently spend sensibly, living within their means, a net spend of only £3.5m is remarkably less than their competitors. Gone are the days of big transfer fees for little return they are now run as efficiently off the pitch as they used to be on it.
This season saw surprise packages Southampton and Swansea finish above Stoke and arguably take a large portion of their plaudits, but you just feel that while the two teams mentioned may have reached the peak of their powers, The Potters still have room to improve.
Slowly but surely they are becoming a team that are feared by almost every other one in the league. Not because they are stronger, not because of their ferocious home atmosphere, but because they are good, very good and they may very well gate crash the European places next year.
Watching Stoke dismantle Liverpool, there was only one club that looked capable of mixing it with Europe’s best and it certainly wasn’t the one that spent nearly £100m last summer.
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