There aren’t too many elements of Arsene Wenger’s reign at Arsenal; specifically the way his teams changed from being physical, athletic sides to diminutive, technical outfits, in a microcosm than his faith in Santi Cazorla as a defensive midfielder. The Spaniard, valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, is a wonderful technical talent but he is not robust enough for the demands of being a holding player in the Premier League. He has struggled with injury problems throughout the past two seasons, however, and that has undoubtedly hampered Wenger’s plans – especially if he was played further forward. He also remains a hugely popular player among the club’s fans and with his team-mates so the news that he will not play again this season was disappointing. Nevertheless, Gunners supporters want to see him given another season at the Emirates Stadium to prove his fitness, this time to a new man in charge… https://twitter.com/jimathy12/status/993768984569933825 https://twitter.com/Asuzu89/status/993768088205217792 https://twitter.com/sayhelloflo/status/993772111641575424 https://twitter.com/Anonymous1076/status/993780861416898561 https://twitter.com/John06902890/status/993790002546008064 https://twitter.com/Chris87NE1/status/993840338270814209 [ad_pod ]
According to the Sunderland Echo, Sunderland have been offered the chance to re-sign Newcastle United midfielder Jack Colback.
What’s the story?
Colback came through the youth system at Sunderland before representing the first team between 2008 and 2014 – making close to 150 appearances for the Black Cats.
The midfielder was controversially sold to Newcastle at the end of the 2013-14 campaign, and he has made 94 appearances for the Magpies in all competitions.
The 28-year-old made 21 Championship appearances for Newcastle last season, but he has not made a single appearance under Rafael Benitez this term.
It seems certain that Colback will leave St James’ Park when the January transfer window opens for business, and the Sunderland Echo claim that a shock return to the Stadium of Light could be on the cards.
Are Sunderland the only club in the picture?
Newcastle might not want Colback, but it seems that there are plenty of Championship clubs that are interested in signing the experienced midfielder.
Wages could be a problem due to the fact that Colback collects in excess of £40,000 a week at Newcastle, but it is thought that a loan move could occur in January.
According to the Sunderland Echo, Leeds United, Derby County, Bristol City, Reading, Hull City and Wolverhampton Wanderers are all closely monitoring developments.
That said, it is thought that Colback, who is valued at £4.5m by transfermarkt.co.uk, fancies a return to Sunderland to play under Chris Coleman.
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There is no way back for the former England Under-20 international at Newcastle after Benitez closed the door last month, and a return to Sunderland might well suit all parties.
Everton are readying a £15million bid for Wigan’s James McCarthy, having already seen two offers rejected earlier this summer, according to the Daily Star.
The Irish midfielder is valued at £20million by Latics chairman Dave Whelan, but Roberto Martinez is hoping to use his relationship with his former boss to lure McCarthy away.
Martinez has already landed Arouna Kone and Antolin Alcaraz from his ex-employer, while also having picked up goalkeeper Joel Robles from Atletico Madrid, who spent last season on loan at Wigan with at the DW Stadium.
If McCarthy was to move to Everton, the fee would equal the club’s record transfer fee, paid to Standard Liege for Marouane Fellaini in 2008.
On the pitch, Everton are preparing for a pre-season game against Juventus in America.
And the Spaniard is looking forward to pitting his managerial prowess, alongside his side’s ability, against the Italian champions.
Speaking to Everton’s website, he said: “It is a great challenge. It is a glamorous game against a team I have admired for the last few years.
“From a tactical point of view, they are the best team playing a back three at this present time.
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“It’s going to be a terrific test, this is as good as it gets in terms of games for us.”
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is set to start his first competitive match for England at Wembley on Tuesday having being warned by manager Roy Hodgson not to let his performance levels slip, reports The Guardian.
Hodgson is planning to hold talks with the Arsenal attacker in an attempt to find out why he allowed an impressive 45 minute display against Moldova to fade in the second half.
The 19-year-old had been one of England’s stand out performer’s during the first half, causing havoc on the left hand side of midfield. However Hodgson was disappointed with the manner in which his performance fizzled out in the opening 15 minutes of the second half.
“I thought he’d been very good through that first half,” Hodgson said. “He’d done what we wanted him to do, and what I’d selected him to do, extremely well. But we’d made it clear to him we intended to take him off after 60 minutes, so I think he forgot to play in those first 15 minutes of the second half. That will be an interesting lesson for him as well. Especially when I tell him.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain had admitted in the build up to the game he still has plenty to learn, having only started playing regular first team football with Arsenal at the start of the year. He also revealed he was the first player to receive a telling off from the England boss, for showboating in a training session during Euro 2012.
“I’m the least experienced player here, so just watching everyone in training is an education,” he said. “This is only the start of my career and I can only watch and learn, and keep working hard.
“I’ve always been a relaxed person, but when I get on the pitch I rely on my ability and trust in myself. I can just listen to everyone and any advice or constructive criticism they have I can just take it into account and try to make my game better. It’s nice Roy has put such faith in me so far, but I don’t consider myself an automatic regular starter yet.”
Whilst Chamberlain is set to start, one player who looks set to miss the visit of Ukraine is Chelsea defender John Terry, who picked up an ankle injury during Friday’s 5-0 victory in Moldova. Gary Cahill looks set to partner Joleon Lescott at centre back, whilst Leighton Baines is set to retain his place at left back after the FA confirmed Ashley Cole will not be rejoining the squad having failed to recover from an ankle injury.
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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has stated that he will welcome back Alexis Sanchez for the trip to West Ham, where a point will seal second place in the Premier League – as per the club’s official website.
After a lifeless performance against Brighton on Friday, Mourinho will be hoping that the reintroduction of Sanchez increases United’s attacking vigour against the Hammers.
What’s the latest, then?
Speaking before the trip to the London Stadium for United’s final away engagement of the current campaign, Mourinho said that Sanchez, along with England international defender Phil Jones, will return from injury.
He said: “In terms of injuries, it’s Lukaku and Fellaini. They are the two players who are not available for [Thursday]. Jones is back, Sanchez is back and there are no more problems.”
Sanchez started United’s most recent home league game, against Arsenal, but was ruled out of the trip to Brighton – which saw Mourinho’s men suffer a 1-0 defeat.
Sanchez brings energy that Martial failed to provide
Both Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial got the nod against the Seagulls but both flattered to deceive; starved of meaningful service and unable to take their rare chances when they did come.
Rashford’s quality was lacking but Martial is beginning to bear the hallmarks of a man who knows he has slipped too far down the pecking order.
On the other hand, Sanchez’s recent performances against North London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal hinted at a man who has got into his groove at Old Trafford and if he can provide that again against another side from the capital in David Moyes’ Irons, Mourinho will be hopeful of securing the result he needs to clinch the runners-up spot.
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Bayern Munich star Bastian Schweinsteiger has been urged to stay at the club amid interest from Manchester United, according to reports from the Independent.
Schweinsteiger has been heavily linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena in recent weeks, after a season in which the Germany international fell down the pecking order under manager Pep Guardiola.
And with Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal already having managed Schweinsteiger during his days in charge of the Bavarians, the Dutchman is keen on bringing the central midfielder to Old Trafford.
WANT MORE? >> Manchester United Transfer News | Latest Transfer News
There has been speculation that Van Gaal is set to submit a £18million offer and hopefully begin negotiations, but German legend Franz Beckenbauer has insisted that the 30-year-old should remain in the Bundesliga.
“I would advise him not to go to England,” he said. “He can stay here as well. This challenge, at his age, it’s not what he needs.
“I would play one or two more years in Munich, at this high level. And then, if he still wants to and if he still feels like playing football is the thing, he can make a step back and maybe go to the USA.
“In New York, Cosmos is searching for players, also Red Bull. So I think if he, as a world champion, goes to New York or another club in the Major League Soccer, that would greatly improve the standing of football there.”
If United are unable to complete a deal for Schweinsteiger, the 13-time Premier League champions are ready to turn to Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin as an adequate alternative.
Schneiderlin has been allowed to leave this summer, but the Red Devils may have to move quick with Arsenal and Tottenham both monitoring the situation.
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Despite three of the Premier League’s top four clubs changing their management this summer, the vast majority of media attention has been dedicated towards David Moyes.
In many ways, it’s easy to understand why. Jose Mourinho’s strengths and weaknesses are well known, as are his credentials with European powerhouses, whilst Manuel Pellegrini’s rather laid-back and boring manner has given the media hacks and online bloggers little to talk about. David Moyes on the other hand, remains an unknown quantity at the helm of a big club, and furthermore, the Scot undoubtedly trumps his Chelsea and Manchester City counterparts with the weight of expectation upon his shoulders.
The successor to Sir Alex Ferguson certainly has big shoes to fill and a monolithic shadow to step out of, but he also has a legacy of success spanning over two decades that he must maintain, while his British nationality means that every Premier League manager and chairman will be keeping a close eye on Moyes, as his triumphs and defeat will dictate as to whether or not domestic head coaches will be given positions of such power and importance in the future.
It’s a lot of pressure, more than at Stamford Bridge, where Mourinho at a minimum will be expected to push the club in the right direction more than dominate the top flight in his first season back in West London, and more than at the Etihad, where Pellegrini will be given at least a year to prove himself, as long as he picks up at least one piece of silverware, with auxiliary competitions trophies accepted, along the way. Meanwhile, in the red half of Manchester, you can imagine supporters won’t be too happy should the Red Devils surrender the Premier League title too easily to their domestic rivals as a reaction to the change in management.
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What David Moyes will undoubtedly be most concerned about, is that United’s title-defence campaign could well be over before it even starts, with a hectic first few months to the season in terms of fixtures. In the initial five weeks of the Scot’s inaugural campaign, he will come up against Swansea, Chelsea, Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Manchester City, while in November, the Red Devils face Arsenal and Tottenham in the space of three weeks.
It will be first time the Manchester United boss enters these fixtures not only with a cast of Premier League champions, but also as the favourite, with former club Everton always the typecast underdog. We are yet to see whether Moyes can better his divisional rivals tactically and psychologically, or if he can master the incredibly different challenge of being the favourite against teams that will be as desperate to win as he is.
I’m not suggesting the 50 year old will wilt under the pressure and be unable to deliver as United gaffer, but there is unquestionable scope for his first season to become a write-off after his first fifteen games, should he concede valuable points to the Premier League’s top five, and further potential for David Moyes to be judged far too soon into his Old Trafford career.
But the Scot is undoubtedly a manager worth waiting for, and there is just cause for United fans to remain ever-patient with Moyes, by looking beyond the current season.
First of all, although Sir Alex Ferguson has dipped in and out of retirement once before, it remains unlikely he will re-emerge into the world of management at this point in his career. He’s left on a high, with his reputation solidified as one of the greatest head coaches the English game has ever seen, and at the age of 71, dodgy hip to boot, it seems the timing is right to call it a day.
Looking back is no longer an option for the Old Trafford faithful, and the closest thing you’ll find in modern terms to the ageing Scot is David Moyes. Their shared Scottish nationality may be a superficial similarity, but it emphasises how their personal demeanour, attitudes, approach to man-management, style and tactics are almost carbon copies of each other. If Fergie dished out the hair-dryer treatment when required, Moyes’ bulbous eyes will provide a piercing and terrifying stare to the same effect, whilst in terms of tactic and philosophy, I recently wrote an article regarding how statistically at least, the systems used at United and Everton last season are nearly identical, despite the common misconception of the Toffees as a long-ball side.
Similarly, as previously stated, David Moyes represents the most talented British manager of his generation. The likes of Harry Redknapp, Steve McLaren and Roy Hodgson never made it to the big time, but the United manager has worked tirelessly and tenaciously to earn his chance at a top club. His silverware repertoire may be incredibly bare, with just a Second Division title with Preston North End in terms of actual trophies, but three LMA Manager of the Year awards, for a boss at a club of Everton’s stature, speaks for itself.
Over the course of a decade, Moyes has taken the Toffees from the brink of relegation to becoming one of the most consistent clubs in the English top flight, with the Goodison outfit finishing 7th place or higher, once qualifying for the Champions League, for seven of the ten seasons the Scot has been in charge, whilst the club managed the same final league standing just twice in the decade prior to Moyes’ appointment. Most impressively, it’s all been done on a shoe-string; the club’s record transfer fee is just £15million for Marouane Fellaini, whilst other key purchases have often involved nominal sums.
But if Moyes’ reputation is already well known enough to disallow him being cut some slack, there are plenty of other reasons why the Red Devils faithful must look beyond the current season.
Sir Alex leaves the squad in good knick, but there are still a number of pressing issues that his successor must inherit, with no simple solution on the horizon. We already know a bid for Leighton Baines has been tabled, but Moyes will also have to instigate at least two big transactions in the transfer market this summer. Ferguson’s inability to replace Paul Scholes has prolonged the ginger maestro’s career, however, the current United boss will not have the same luxury, and needs to find a passing midfielder who can sit alongside Michael Carrick in an intrinsic partnership. He will have to invest in a young talent, however, potential stars always take time to develop.
Similarly, should Wayne Rooney make his widely expected departure from Old Trafford this summer, David Moyes will have to return to the drawing board. Like-for-like replacements for the England international are few and far between, and even if the former Toffees boss passes the mantle onto Shinji Kagawa at the tip of midfield to avoid taking too big a gamble in the transfer market, the Red Devils will have to modify the way they play, as the dual role Rooney undertakes in screening for Michael Carrick whilst also supporting Robin Van Persie, is very much the heartbeat of the first team.
There are also questions over the longevity of all of Man United’s current berth of widemen, who have been lukewarm at best this season, whilst at some point Moyes will have to decide whether Phil Jones, Chris Smalling or Johnny Evans are the future of the club at the heart of defence. These are all issues the United boss must address amid his first season, and it will be a difficult task making the right call in all departments.
Furthermore, what is often forgotten amid the ‘hire and fire’ culture of Premier League management now days, is that like players, coaches must undergo a path of individual development. Brendan Rodgers has grown immensely in stature at Liverpool in comparison to a year ago, and although he’s clearly made mistakes in the media and tactical faux pas, the Northern Irishman is all the better for it, pushing the Reds slowly and surely in the right direction.
There will be similarities with Moyes’ tenure. The Premier League’s schedulers have dealt the Scot an unfortunate hand with his opening set of fixtures, and overall, you would not expect the United boss to come through the first five weeks of the season smelling of roses – mistakes, due to inexperience at the highest level, will undoubtedly be made.
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But mistakes either make the man or break the man, depending on how you learn from them, and so far in the Red Devils gaffer’s career, he’s yet to show any sign that he’s moving backwards or stagnated. It bodes well for Moyes’ potential to grow, now that the constraints of finance and limited player quality have been removed, but his first campaign will contain it’s fair share of errors.
Yet, it is worth reminding that it took Sir Alex Ferguson three years to win his first trophy at Old Trafford, and six years to win his first league title. His successor undoubtedly deserves the same treatment, after earning his stripes at a club which would equate to a managerial boot-camp, showing clear potential throughout, whilst also maintaining a delicate balancing act between limited finance and resources, the need to bring in young talent and steady progress.
Moyes will excel at Old Trafford, but it may take some time for the Scot to find his feet. My only fear is that the United faithful have become fat on glory, and they will not grant their new manager with the patience and respect he fully deserves.
Will Manchester United fans judge David Moyes too soon?
Manchester United are close to finally offloading Dimitar Berbatov, after Fiorentina made a bid for the striker’s services, according to Mirror Football.
The Bulgarian forward has found opportunities at Old Trafford limited due to the attacking talent at Sir Alex Ferguson’s disposal and the summer signing of Robin van Persie has put a nail in Berbatov’s chances with the Red Devils.
A number of European clubs have made enquiries over the eastern European striker, with Fiorentina the latest to show interest.
The Viola have had a busy summer in the transfer market, but are fearful that they may lose skilful attacker Stevan Jovetic before the end of August.
As such Berbatov is on the verge of signing a two-year contract at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, after asking Sir Alex Ferguson personally to lower the club’s asking price for him.
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Mauricio Pochettino’s principled approach towards the team spirit of his Tottenham squad has seen Toby Alderweireld marginalised almost completely this season, despite being arguably the most talented centre-half in the Premier League.
Losing out in big matches such as the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United with a top, experienced defender on the bench must be galling for some Spurs fans and they need a signing this summer to make a clear move on from the Belgian international.
One man who has been linked with North London to ease the situation is Matthijs de Ligt, the Dutch international centre-half who currently turns out for Alderweireld’s old club Ajax – where Davinson Sanchez, Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen all also emerged from.
So; we’re asking you whether the man valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt is a good fit for Pochettino’s men? Let us know by voting in the poll below and keep your eyes peeled for the results in the coming days…
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Manchester United target Ilkay Gundogan has denied claims he has agreed a deal with the Red Devils, and insists his future will be decided following Germany’s clash with Gibraltar, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The Borussia Dortmund star is expected to feature in Saturday’s Euro 2016 qualifier, and only then will contemplate his future having been linked with a move to both United and Barcelona.
The 24-year-old has just one year left on his current contract with the Bundesliga outfit, and the club have already confirmed he will leave this summer for a fee.
WANT MORE? >> Man United transfer news | Latest transfer news
However, the midfielder has quashed rumours that claim a deal is already in place with Manchester United and insisted he has yet to determine where he will spend next season.
“Normally I do not address media reports, especially not on Facebook. I want to this time to explain some things and give you a better insight,” said Gundogan on his Facebook page.
“In recent weeks, I, like you, read again and again that where I was signing was already agreed.
“Today I am in contract negotiations here, tomorrow I’m having a medical check there. At first I could still smile about it, but when there was talk of “contract poker” and “rip-off”, that painted me in a bad light.
“Yesterday an ominous number [regarding wage demands] appeared in the media and so I have now decided to say something about it.
“The 2014/15 season strictly speaking only ends on June 30 2015. Although so far there have hardly been any transfers completed in Europe, rumour to rumour I was supposed to have demanded more and more, putting off making a final decision.
“Forgotten was this: I have one more year on my contract with BVB. What is important to me is that I’m not gambling financially or using delaying tactics.
“What’s next for me personally, I will reveal as soon as possible. But only after the season and our important game for the European Championship qualifier with the national team will I decide.”
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Gundogan has spent four years at Dortmund and was a key part of the club’s double winning side of 2012 and also played a pivotal role in their path to the Champions League final in 2013 where he scored in a narrow 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich.
He returned from a back injury earlier this season that had kept him out of action for a year, but was unable to help Dortmund reach the Champions League after a somewhat disappointing campaign for the Bundesliga outfit.