The battle to replace Sam Allardyce is hotting up with Alan Shearer throwing his name into the hat. Blackburn have moved quickly to dismiss talk of Diego Maradona moving in at Ewood Park, with the word coming out that only British managers will be considered for the job.
Elsewhere in the papers today Fergie claims that Chelsea’s policy has backfired; Roberto Mancini to tell Tevez he must stay, while Qatari investors size up a Newcastle takeover, plus much more.
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Rovers deny Diego enquiry – Sky Sports
Ferguson: Chelsea policy has backfired – Guardian
Christian Poulsen could make Schalke return – IM Scouting
Mancini to tell Tévez he ‘must stay’ – Daily Telegraph
Gallas row turns Nas-ty yet again – Sun
Allardyce defends his Blackburn record – Guardian
Houllier reasserts his authority – Daily Telegraph
Qatari investors size up Newcastle United takeover – Daily Mail
Arsenal in hot pursuit of Freiburg striker Papiss Cisse – IM Scouting
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Arsenal stricken by seizure in big games – Guardian
Roy Hodgson has revealed that he will name his England squad for Euro 2012 next Wednesday, Sky Sports reports.
The West Brom man had already admitted that he would take careful consideration in picking the best-equipped players to aid the Three Lions in Ukraine and Poland, and that the contingent would not be named until the end of the Premier League season.
UEFA have set the deadline of May 29th, but Hodgson will pick the squad two weeks early to give the players the relevant notice, and put some out of their misery.
There are a number of key areas that Hodgson will have to make a decision, namely whether to include John Terry, Rio Ferdinand or both given the Chelsea defender’s upcoming court case for allegedly racially abusing the Manchester United man’s brother Anton.
With Wayne Rooney suspended for the first two games, Hodgson will need to formulate a plan of how to cover for his star, especially with Darren Bent injured also.
A final squad list has to named on June 2nd, so alterations could be made in the lead-up to this date.
A press conference for next Wednesday has been arranged for 1pm.
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Emmanuel Adebayor has accused Manchester City officials of lacking the courage to tell him he is no longer wanted at Eastlands.The Togolese striker was a 25-million-pound signing from Arsenal in 2009, but has endured a frustrating spell at City – scoring just 15 goals from 34 appearances with the club – and he was loaned to Real Madrid in January.
Adebayor, 27, had expected to rejoin his team-mates for pre-season training this month, but with the first team embarking on a tour of the US, the attacker said the club’s coaches failed to inform he would not be part of the trip.
Instead, Adebayor claims it was left to club football administration officer Brian Marwood’s secretary to email him about his omission from the trip.
“I just received an email from Brian Marwood’s secretary, a lady at the club called Claire, telling me to report for training on July 9,” Adebayor told The Sun.
“But when I spoke to the other players, I found out the first team was leaving for the pre-season tour of the USA on July 8.”
“So it’s clear they don’t want me here but no-one even called. Brian Marwood just got his secretary to send me an email. And I heard this was the same with at least six other players.”
“This is very hurtful and insulting and says a lot about Manchester City.”
“On the one hand they want to become the biggest, most successful club in the world, yet the people who run the club are not acting in that way at all. No-one at City is man enough to speak to me face-to-face to explain.”
With his current contract set to expire in the summer of 2010 and unlikely to be extended, James Vaughan’s Everton future looks bleak and in desperate need of a refuel.
James Vaughan broke onto the first team scene in April 2005 in a triple record-breaking substitute appearance, becoming the youngest player and youngest goalscorer in Everton’s history, and also becoming the youngest Premier League goalscorer in history, a record which still stands five years on.
However, during that summer, and whilst playing for England U19′s, he suffered the first of three knee injuries, which would eventually rule him out until December 2006. He would go on to make 15 appearances over the course of the remainder of that season, scoring 4 goals and earning a call-up to the England U21′s. More injury would follow though, this time in the form of a freak dislocated shoulder suffered during the annual pre-season friendly at Deepdale and an end-of-season second knee injury restricted him to just 13 appearances over the course of the 07-08 season, with just 2 goals to his name.
More recently, Vaughan has had a whole host of niggling problems that have restricted his development and minutes on the pitch.
It is clear to see that James Vaughan has had horrific luck when it comes to injuries. And yet despite this, at 22, Vaughan deserves every opportunity to get and stay fit. He has managed it at Crystal Palace during his current loan spell and Everton potentially have everything to lose by letting him walk away for nothing in the summer. Releasing him on a free would be foolish when we consider he isn’t on big money or a drain on the wage bill.
Some would argue that the case of James Vaughan is a rose-tinted romance based on seperation. They would argue that his ability and potential grows during periods of absence. A headless chicken not fit for Premier League football, appears to be the general consensus.
What people seem to have forgotten is that when given the chance James Vaughan has never failed to impress or find the back of the net. Vaughan netted two in two against Burnley and Carlisle respectively before being strangely shipped out on loan to Leicester in January 2010 at a time when Everton had a scarcity of striking options.
Rumours suggest that there has been a serious breakdown in the relationship between player and manager. Whether those rumours have any credence isn’t really the issue; what matters most is ensuring a player with the pace, power, enthusiasm, finishing ability (the penalty in the FA Cup Semi Final against Manchester United was the class act of a natural goalscorer) isn’t allowed to leave and come back to haunt us at another Premier League outfit.
At a time when Louis Saha is spearheading the Blues’ attack masquerading as a centre forward, Everton are crying out for quality combined with the heart and guts for battle…James Vaughan would certainly supply just that.
I don’t think I have never willed a player to do well as much as I have with James Vaughan. He is a great lad who clearly loves the club but more importantly he is a potential top class player.
With his loan in South London set to come to an end at the start of January and Everton’s well documented goalscoring troubles, what does David Moyes have to lose in giving Vaughan a run of games that could revitalise his Everton career?
Read more Everton articles at School of Science 1878
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QPR defender Anton Ferdinand has stated that his side will go to Old Trafford to try and cause an upset against Manchester United on Sunday.
The Loftus Road club are submerged in a relegation battle to stay in the Premier League, and are overwhelming underdogs against the champions this weekend.
However, Ferdinand tasted success at Old Trafford with former club West Ham in 2007, and is hopeful of the same this time round.
“One of the highlights of my career was going there with West Ham and beating them to stay in the Premier League,” he told Mirror Football.
“It was fantastic. We defended for our lives – not many people keep a clean sheet there, let alone win the game. Results like that show it can be done.
“Of course, if someone offered me a point [from Sunday’s game] now, I’d take it all day long. We know it’s a difficult place to go but we have shown at Loftus Road that we are tough to beat and we have to take that mentality into the away games now.
“When it comes to a relegation battle, it is not about form, it’s about mentality. As long as we keep it tight at the back, there’s no reason why we can’t unlock their defence at the other end,” he concluded.
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Argentina coach Sergio Batista hailed star Lionel Messi for his performance in their 3-0 win over Costa Rica in the Copa America on Monday.A double from Sergio Aguero and an Angel Di Maria strike in Cordoba put the hosts through to the quarter-finals, securing second place in Group A.
But it was Barcelona star Messi who ran the show in the attacking third, providing two assists in a man-of-the-match performance.
“He played a fantastic match,” Batista said of the forward.
“We talked a lot about the emotional and individual state of the team before the match. We needed to regain our confidence.”
“Lionel knows how to overcome these situations. He has great character.”
Batista said his team maintained possession better than in the first two games of the tournament and it saw them create several opportunities, many of which were squandered in the first half.
“We sought more penetration and bodies in attack,” he said.
“There was a change of mentality here and we kept the ball without confusion. We did not let ourselves become disorganised.”
“I have always had a strong view on how football should be played, but I am not too proud to change. We are always looking for the best for this team.”
Meanwhile, Costa Rica coach Ricardo La Volpe said his side spent most of the encounter chasing the ball.
“We couldn’t do any damage to them. We couldn’t get the ball,” he said.
“I said to the lads at half time, ‘Guys, if we don’t get a hold of the ball, we’re dead men’.”
Argentina will meet the second-placed side in Group C, which will be one of Chile, Uruguay or Peru, while Costa Rica may progress as one of the two highest ranked third-placed teams if other results go their way.
Welcome to the seventh issue of The Red Report, the round table discussion of all things Manchester United by your favourite United blogs: The Busby Way, Stretford-End, Bangalore To Old Trafford, ManUtd24, and Red Force Rising.
This week we look focus on three players – one currently playing for the club; one out on loan; and one true Red legend. After three defeats in four games we also assess what’s going on at our rivals, Chelsea.
Anderson tends to split opinion amongst everyone – fans, pundits and the media. Amidst rumours of a potential loan move in January we ask the question – what does his future hold? I stress this topic was chosen before the game against Blackburn
Chudi | The Busby Way: If ever there was a shut your mouth moment then yesterday was it. Anderson has a lot of detractors and rightly so as he hasn’t developed as we had expected. In his first season his performances lead us to sing of his toilet habits involving a certain Arsenal player and even though it may be in jest even those of us with the rosiest of rose tinted specs can’t truly believe it. Then he plays like he did yesterday and you start to see what kind of player he can be, surging runs, good positive passing, good ball retention etc.
I was starting to lose patience with Anderson many people had too but a tantalising performance like yesterday’s whets the appetite and buys him extra time, he is only 22 so the ability to consistently perform like that isn’t going to be there but we just hope he can play more like that more often than not.
Doron | Stretford-End: My thoughts on Anderson are not some knee-jerk reaction to his performance against Blackburn. In fact, for some time now I’ve been singing his praises and almost making it my mission to get Reds on his side.
At only 22 he’s a superb talented with heaps of unfulfilled potential. I believe he has been too hastily written off by people recently. It’s very hard to judge a player who is in and out of the side without a consistent run, let alone a player who has had some bad injuries. It’s true that the jury are still very much out to make their verdict on Anderson but played in the correct position for a consistent run will give the best conditions for him to be judged.
My pro-Anderson propaganda started in July and I decided it was necessary to update it on Friday in a new blog.
Siddarth | Bangalore to Old Trafford: Ando’s performance against Blackburn should put to rest all speculation of him leaving the club for now, it was a glimpse of what he is capable of, he was the driving force in midfield and that sublime pass for Nani’s goal just summed up his day, just excellent!
Like Nani, he’s struggled to settle in but he’s slowly finding his feet, and all he needs is a long run of games in the first team to help him improve, and things look very positive in that sense, if Ando can continue to perform like he did against Blackburn, then I don’t think we need to look far for a successor to Paul Scholes!
TG | ManUtd24: I really hope Anderson stays at the club. He has much more to offer, as he showed against Blackburn on Saturday. He played a part in the first two, before setting up the seventh – he got an assist for goodness sakes! I guess his problem is that he never really had a defined position, and so he could never nail down any real consistency. Against Rovers, he made 99 passes – 94 of which were successful – and so he, from that one performance alone, looked a revelation partnering Michael Carrick and playing just a bit behind him. Anderson has a future at the club, he’s had many other good games for the club but I’ll admit he didn’t quite lived up to the ‘next Ronaldinho’ tag. Still, he has more to offer the club – I’d personally be surprised if he leaves in January.
Alan | RedForceRising: Some journos have said he hasn’t lived up to his £17m price tag and maybe they have a point, but they don’t see the potential and talent I see in him. Anderson is probably the only player we have who can play delightful through balls along the ground to unlock a defence and play team mates into dangerous space. He also has the ability to pass the ball just in front of his team mates to run on to, unlike Carrick or Fletcher who tend to pass directly to the target or even slightly behind the target.
Anderson’s all-round game and ability to carry the ball forward are also very, very good. He’s just one of those unfancied players whose abilities tend to get underplayed. However, he really needs to work on his consistency. Energetic and dynamic displays like Yesterday’s haven’t occurred regularly enough and his off-the-ball movement is absolutely criminal at times.
I’m quite convinced this will be Anderson’s make or break season. If he buckles up, stops partying and focuses, he can go on to achieve great things. If he doesn’t, he’s going to become one of those journey men footballers who end up playing in Greece, Turkey and then the Middle East or the MLS.
(For more on Anderson, as well as Rooney and why their return to form and fitness are essential to United’s title aspirations based on tactical factors, please read my blog of the week)
Kyle | Stretford-End: In the middle of the week Anderson was linked with a loan move to Panathinaikos and on Saturday he was putting in what would’ve been a Man of the Match performance if not for Berbatov. Now what he really needs to do is pick up where he’s left off. It’s no secret this is a huge season for Anderson’s future at Old Trafford, and now he’s taken his chance well against Blackburn. Hopefully now he’s earned himself a run of games and can show us why Sir Alex signed him in 2007.
I think one important thing we need to do as fans is to adjust our expectations for the Brazilian. When he first arrived we saw him as an attacking midfielder and expected goals. As he’s developed though, I think it’s become clear that Anderson isn’t going to be the second coming of Ronaldinho that some anticipated. He’s developed into more of a deep-lying play maker. We saw against Blackburn that Anderson is capable of creating chances with his passing. Not only that, but his strength and energetic play makes him a good enforcer as well. He does need to improve his goalscoring certainly even in that role, but I don’t think he’s going to be the goalscoring midfielder we all thought he would be.
That said, I do think Anderson still has a future at United. Just because he hasn’t become the player we expected doesn’t mean he needs to be shown the door. He’s become a different type of player than what we anticipated, but it’s certainly a role that we could use. He had a fantastic game against Blackburn showing why Stretford-End has tirelessly campaigned for him. I look for him to build off of that in the coming weeks.
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Clearly, United fans want Anderson to succeed but something just hasn’t clicked yet. Without being too knee-jerky, hopefully yesterday will be the start of a new chapter.
With four goals in three games for Sunderland, Danny Welbeck has hit the headlines. It would appear our young loan star is settling in and playing well for his team. Here’s how we think his loan is going as we consider his future:
Alan | RedForceRising: I ran an impromptu poll on Twitter recently asking if United fans would swap him for Jordan Henderson and the 40 0dd replies I received indicated that 60% were not in favour of doing so with 40% being quite emphatic about taking that deal.
The reasons were that he is unlikely to make it as a striker at United, whereas Henderson could make it as a central midfielder or that he simply wasn’t United class and didn’t have the potential to become “United quality”.
For me, we owe it to him to give him that chance. He’s born in Longsight, he’s got bags of pace, good ball control and is starting to find the net regularly. Danny has been doing what you’re supposed to be doing on loan and he’s improved with every game. He’s growing in confidence and it shows in his displays and decision-making. His all-round game is already way ahead of Macheda’s and that’s why Kiko needs to go out on loan next season and Welbeck needs to be at old Trafford where he should get a chance to prove if he has got what it takes to make the step up at United.
TG | ManUtd24: Steve Bruce is definitely enjoying his early Christmas present from Fergie. He now has four from his last three; and a reason as to why is that Brucie has played him more centrally. And sure, Bruce will make an offer. I’m still wary though – time will tell whether or not Welbeck can continue to develop. I hope by next season, we have a more mature, disciplined forward because everything else is there already. He needs to build on these performances for the Black Cats, and a couple of goals against our most fierce rivals wouldn’t do him any harm either.
Siddarth | Bangalore to Old Trafford: I had my doubts about Danny, he had never really lived up to all the promise he was showing at the academy and reserves level, he looked a promising prospect but I was always worried that wouldn’t really be able to find a position he’s best at, his attributes were enough to be a winger or a striker, but not exceptional in either position. But his growth physically over the last season has certainly helped him.
He’s now a threat in the air, and physically tough too, and Is finally starting to become the player Sir Alex rates so highly. Guess all he needed was a continuous run of games, and under Steve Bruce he’s improved tremendously, I hope we don’t sell him, and bring him back for next season; he’s going to be a real asset to have in the team. I think Macheda could also do with a loan, playing regular first team football; hopefully he can too next season
Doron | Stretford-End: I must confess that I’ve not watched much of Welbeck whilst he’s been on loan at Sunderland. Certainly I started to pay more attention when I saw he was starting against Chelsea, coincidentally the same game he started to make positive headlines. Welbeck first came to prominence in the first team three years ago when he travelled with the squad to the Middle East for Sami Al-Jaber’s testimonial, unfortunately Welbeck missed a penalty in the last minute in that game. Since then he’s often made the most of limited opportunities at United but also been frustrated by his selection as a winger.
This loan move to Sunderland seemed perfect – regular action upfront. Unfortunately it’s taken until the past few games for him to feature upfront rather than on the wing, and he are seeing the rewards. He looks, strong, quick, powerful, clever and with 4 well taken goals in his last 3 games he’s in form. I’ll be keeping a close eye on him over the next few weeks, and maybe at the end of the season United will have a real gem of a player returning.
Kyle | Stretford-End: I wrote a piece about Danny Welbeck recently for Stretford-End, and since then he’s scored again. Welbeck put in some indifferent performances early in his loan with Sunderland, but he’s really started to click in recent weeks notching up four goals in three matches, one of which was against Chelsea. Steve Bruce has started using Welbeck up front rather than on the wings, and that move has clearly paid dividends. That perhaps illustrates why Welbeck has failed to establish himself at United thus far where Sir Alex has often used Welbeck on the wings.
My one concern has started to flare up unfortunately. Steve Bruce has made public his intentions to try to sign Welbeck on a permanent deal. After all the promise Welbeck has shown in recent weeks it would be a shame if we didn’t bring him back next season. Hopefully, Welbeck’s performances have done the exact opposite and forced himself into Sir Alex’s plans. It’s hard to forget former prospects like Fraizer Campbell and Giuseppe Rossi who were allowed to move on. It would be a real shame if Welbeck follow that path.
Chudi | The Busby Way: I have a friend who feels that the loan spell for Danny Welbeck spells the end of his United career and slowly but surely he is being made to eat his words. Welbeck has shown whilst at the Stadium of Light that he can score goals, something that a few people worried about and the types of goals he is scoring are just as important as he is in the boxing getting them in rather than the spectacular efforts we have seen already. His header yesterday was a quality finish and looking at him it appears the loan spell has done him the world of good as his confidence has risen so many levels. I have always favoured Welbeck over Macheda as I feel as an overall player he offers more with the addition of goals (which if you followed his academy and reserve career you knew he had in him), he looks an even more exciting player. I would like for him to have a future at the club even if he won’t be drawn on talking about it at the moment.
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It seems that the club owe it to him to give him the opportunity to perform at Old Trafford.
Our third United topic is another player debate: we remembered Red legend, George Best this past week. Five years since his death we share our emotions for one of the best players ever to have played the game…
Kyle | Stretford-End: Unfortunately, George Best was well before my time but that hasn’t stopped me for developing an enormous respect for him. I’m not going to claim that I love Best as much as older fans who were around to see him play. Those who were lucky enough to have see him play live have been touched by Best in ways us younger fans could never be. Just like one day the next generation will honour Ryan Giggs but will never be affected by him the way we were.
Sadly my only glimpses of Best have come from video clips, but what I’ve seen gives me chills. It’s not hard to see that he was a special player. I honestly feel like nothing I say could do Best justice. I don’t think there could be any higher praise than from another of our club’s beloved legends. So instead I turn to Eric Cantona: “After his first training session in heaven, George Best, from his favourite right-wing, turned the head of God who was filling in at left-back. He nutmegged him and scored a wonderful goal from 30 yards out. I would love him to save me a place in his team – George Best that is, not God.”
Chudi | The Busby Way: George Best was way before my time so my memories of him sadly aren’t footballing ones I remember George Best from Sky Sports ‘Soccer Saturday’ and looking back at it now the way in which all though he was ribbed like everyone he was also revered gives you an inkling of how high the panel thought of him. Looking back at footage, he looks an artisan, magical with the ball and perhaps beyond a fully fit Rooney, the kind of player we lack now.
Sadly a lot of younger fans/people will remember George for the champagne lifestyle as that’s the kind of thing that is hyped these days amongst people of my generation but the thing to remember is, without the tremendous talent that he had, it wouldn’t have been possible.
Doron | Stretford-End: Being a mere 22 years of age, my memories of Best The Footballer come from endless VHS, DVD and YouTube watching. Quite simply he was a genius. A man playing football in the 60s but in the style of players in the 90s and beyond. Best would have stood out in any era.
I’ll always feel guilty that there was nothing I could do to help his fight against his addiction to alcohol. Seeing the old footage of his playboy lifestyle I find myself wanting to step in and tell him how it’ll impact upon his life. Quite rightly though, George will always be remembered for his footballing talents. I find it bizarre that when people name the greatest players of all time, so often he is a side thought – for me, he’s one of the first names I think of.
His place in Manchester United history is secure; we must make sure we always teach the younger generations about the legend of George Best.
Siddarth | Bangalore to Old Trafford: I was unfortunately never lucky enough to see Best play, but from the videos that I have seen of him, i know I missed watching a Maestro at his best. Though his off field activities did take up a lot of press, everyone will remember Best for what he did on the pitch, and that was just being almost magical. Best is easily amongst the greatest players ever to play United, and I don’t think anything I say can describe how great a player he was, his skill and ability will go unmatched even today.
TG | ManUtd24: Was there ever a more aptly-named player, other than, of course, Danny Shittu or Robbie Savage? Bestie played long before I ever existed but, having watched numerous amounts of footage of him, I can see why people give him legendary status. The man had it all – the money, the girls, the attention but his late death was tragic and a sad time for us all. However, it’s was his football that should be talked about rather than his boozy lifestyle; and, heck, he was definitely above the rest.
Alan |RedForceRising: “In 1969 I gave up women and alcohol – it was the worst 20 minutes of my life” – George Best
The man was an utter legend on and off the pitch. Everything he did was extravagant and extraordinary. People will talk about all his attributes, but the two main aspects which always have me in awe are his balance and ability to run past players as if they weren’t there. Almost every highlight reel of Best will show some poor schmuck of a defender lunging into a last-ditch tackle and sometimes they even managed to connect. It didn’t matter – all George had to do was adjust his body slightly and off he went to score yet another goal. I’ve watched countless documentaries on this legend and he was awe-inspiring. I literally watch with an open, gaping mouth. It seems physically impossible how he managed to ride those challenges and stay on his feet.
The other great aspect of his game was Bestie’s ability to weave past players – nothing less than extraordinary! A swivel of the hips here, a shuffle of the feet there and he was away, gliding past one, two, three, four defenders and then refusing to pass to an open team mate, because he knew he would score. And he did.
At times he would be marked by two players and just had to fake one way, then the other and then just ran in between the two. Exquisite! There are few players in history who have played football that could inspire so much awe – Diego Maradonna, Messi, a young Ryan Giggs and as much as it pains me to say, the MasterCard man himself, Pele. Maradonna good. Pele better. George Best! Amen!
Legend. RIP.
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As per usual we decided to look at a non-United topic. Last year’s champions, Chelsea, have suffered a blip lately. Is this nerves, injuries or something else? We discuss what is going on at Stamford Bridge:
Chudi | The Busby Way: I won’t be shedding a tear for Chelsea, many of their problems at least off field are of their own doing. Wilkins was shown the door and whilst the official line is Arnesen stepped down I’m more inclined to believe he was forced out of the door. On field I have a touch more sympathy as they are missing important players but to be fair it happens to everyone. Nobody cried for us when we had all those defenders out last season so why should we care because they are missing Terry, Lampard etc. They sold off a number of team players in the summer Ballack, Deco, Carvalho etc I’m pretty sure they are ruing that decision now.
Doron | Stretford-End: I write this before Chelsea take on Newcastle this weekend. Their dip in form has coincided with injuries within the squad. This is no surprise to me. I highlighted pre-season that Chelsea’s squad is way too thin. They badly needed to bring in four or five players this summer, just for squad usage. It’s admirable that they are attempting to bring through youth but these are not the conditions to do so. One should never be forced into playing youth players because of injuries (unless it’s a huge crisis) – if that is the case then the squad is too thin – youth should be brought in transitionally so that there is less pressure on young players. I think Lampard’s influence is also being missed. I don’t like the guy but I have huge respect for him as a player – 142 goals in the past 7 seasons is just ridiculous, a measure of just how important he is to their cause.
Additionally, something clearly isn’t right at the club. First Wilkins leaves and now Arnesen is following him out the door – behind the scenes there has to be unrest. They’ll forever be obsessed by attempting to win the CL, but personally I feel that this year Chelsea won’t win anything and I can see some fans pressure being put on Abramovich to spend again or leave.
Siddarth | Bangalore to Old Trafford: Chelsea have gone from the best team in the Premiership and the unstoppable juggernauts to the other end in the matter of weeks, Chelsea’s so called unbeatable streak was more or less down to the weaker opposition they faced and the hype loving English Media, not surprising that they were the first to ditch them when they started to struggle!
As much as I hate Chelsea, I respect their manager and hopefully Carlo doesn’t get the sack just because they are facing a dip in form, the only reason they won the title last year was Carlo, and surely they won’t be stupid enough to let him go? They have just been missing fat Frank, and other key players off late and it would be silly to blame Ancelloti for it.
Kyle | Stretford-End: Something really strange is going on at Chelsea, and if I was a fan of the club I would start growing concerned. Ray Wilkins leaves under mysterious terms and now Frank Arnesen is apparently set to leave at the end of the season. All these changes in the back room are certainly not doing any favours for the club. It’s no coincidence that Chelsea’s dip in form has coincided with Wilkins’ departure.
The instability in the club’s staff isn’t solely to blame for the club’s recent struggles. Chelsea went into the season lacking depth. Carlo Ancelotti went into this campaign not even using all of their allotted squad places. Whether or not that was his choice is unknown, but I’m sure he’s hoping he had reinforcements right now. Some crucial injuries have occurred and the club has struggled to cope without adequate backups available. For years now United have been using their depth to push for honours on all fronts. Apparently that lesson never reached Stamford Bridge.
When Roman Abramovich first bought Chelsea, he was more than willing to splash the cash which led the club to their first title in 50 years. With the turn in the economy, the funds of suddenly vanished and it’s starting to show. The star signings that Chelsea were making five years ago are no more, and now it’s starting to show. The club is obviously still a title contender and I expect United to be doing battle with them until the very end, but there are certainly some growing problems at Stamford Bridge.
TG | ManUtd24: This is fun, eh? They’ve obviously suffered with many key players missing. I think they’ll lose more as the season progresses but will still be the biggest threat to the championship race. Although, I wouldn’t want to get too excited. Knowing Chelsea, one result and everything clicks back and normal service is resumed. This season will be tight; and don’t be surprised if it goes to the very last day of the season again.
Alan | RedForceRising: I’ve had a fair few run-ins with neutrals and Chelsea fans about the depth of their squad and their title chances. Chelsea are seen as the main title contenders this season and rightly so, but when neutrals, Chelsea fans and even pundits proclaimed two months ago (late September FFS!) that Chel$ki were going to run away with title, my feathers got ruffled. Chelsea no longer have the quality in depth they once had and some people simply refuse to acknowledge that, but if you need to player Didier Drogba when he’s still battling Malaria, that should be telling you something.
To understand why Chelsea were relatively frugal in the transfer market, you need to read this article on Chelsea’s academy.
The way I see it, Abramovic feels he’s splashed enough cash already and from the moment he took over at the club, he put a lot of resources into Chelsea’s academy and it’s time for the academy to start repaying those efforts. This might also partly explain why Frank Arnesen is set to leave at the end of the season. He has served his purpose as Chelsea’s sporting director and is no longer required.
Roman will also be acutely aware of UEFA’s financial fair play regulations and if they are to comply with that, they’ll need to supplement their high-salaried stars with talented youngsters, who cost significantly less.
It has been particularly pleasing to see Chelsea falter recently; losing two matches in a row for the first time in something like 166 matches and in doing so have proved me right. Nobody “runs away with title” in late September and people are currently under-estimating this United team, because we didn’t sign big-name players in the summer. Watch this space.
Their dip in form won’t last forever but clearly something isn’t right in SW London.
In a few months time Paul Jewell will be looking over his squad and assessing who he needs to sell and who he needs to sign. Furthermore Jewell has gone on to state that he wants to bring in a new permanent number one and on the face of it this seems to be a reasonable decision. Not having a permanent goalkeeper throughout this season has not helped stabilise the Ipswich defence, which is shaky enough already. However when you look throughout the team and think about where money needs to be invested, the priority should not be in goal.
The first aspect that we need to weigh up is how important a good goalkeeper can be for a side gunning for promotion. Without a doubt every team needs a consistent goalkeeper who is organised and has the confidence to boss the defence around. In terms of actual ability it is highly debatable as to whether you need the best goalkeeper in the league though. Looking at the goalkeepers from the current top 6 teams there is Kelvin Davis, Adam Federici, Rob Green, Matthew Gilks, Boaz Myhill and David Marshall. Although none of those mentioned are bad goalkeepers they aren’t anything different in terms of their ability from what Leicester have with Kasper Schmeichel, what Derby have with Frank Fielding or what Peterborough have in Joe Lewis etc.
The important factor to remember is although you need a good goalkeeper you don’t need anything special. There is no point in spending a vast amount of time and money hunting for a goalkeeper especially when other areas in the team are in need of a major overhaul.
The second aspect that should be weighed up is the quality of Arran Lee-Barrett. It is hard to find anyone who would rate Lee-Barrett as a top goalkeeper even by Championship standards, but it is also clear that he can perform well at this level. He has never been given much praise or a guaranteed role but for the last 3 seasons he has been the man who shows up when we have no one else. Additionally, he never takes any playing time he can get for granted and he never complains about being cut from the team on multiple occasions. Although he receives very little praise he is never receiving much criticism, but to cut a long story short he is just an average goalkeeper.
If you put a decent defence in front of Arran Lee-Barrett he would make all the saves you expect him to and give you a good season. If say Southampton or Reading were using him this season I am sure they would still be in the same positions they are now. Perhaps Lee-Barrett won’t win points on his own through spectacular saves but he will always put a good shift in. Come August and the first game of next season, I for one would not be concerned if I saw the name Lee-Barrett in between the sticks for Ipswich Town.
So does Jewell really need to sign a new number one? I have heard recent rumours that Ipswich are interested in signing Scott Loach and whether this particular rumour is true or not, my main concern is that Ipswich will spend big on a goalkeeper who isn’t any better than what they already have. The key factor now is what kind of goalkeeper Jewell has his eyes on. If a really decent goalkeeper becomes available at a good price then I would love to see Ipswich go for him but Jewell should not make it a priority.
No matter who you sign in goal they will not be able to have the same influence as a good centre back or central midfielder so I would much rather see those positions filled before thinking about a goalkeeper.
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With the parade umbrellas packed away, and the post season analysis pretty much done and dusted, it’s already time for Manchester United to look to next season.
Other teams may have basked that little bit longer in the glory of a nineteenth title, but at Old Trafford we do things a little differently. It’s a case of job done, good work- now let’s prepare for next season.
With the retirement of the greatest midfielder of his generation TM along with the best goalkeeper, and every player who’s had a good game being linked with Old Trafford, there’s certainly going to be some changes during the Summer.
While it’s obvious Sir Alex Ferguson needs to spend some money a more pressing priority may be to look at some of the players who’ve underachieved somewhat during 2010/11.
There are three United stars- and I use the word ‘star’ lightly who’ve simply failed to perform at the top level for much of the season. Although I’m almost scared to name them as they are three of the best players at the club, I feel it’s time to be honest and give a candid assessment of what I believe all three players need to address in the coming months.
The names Patrice Evra, Darren Fletcher and Nani would usually be the first ones on not just United’s team sheet but practically any in world football.
Over the past few years each one of them has turned in many a match winning or awe inspiring performance and is teetering on the brink of being a United legend- some may even argue one or two of them are already there.
However the season which has just ended has seen something happen to the trio, something that worries me quite a lot as we look to fend off yet another attack from our big spending rivals.
Let’s start with Nani, who it has to be said has had a great season and easily his best in a United shirt. Nine goals and 14 assists in the Premier League is a wonderful return for any player and many felt he was unlucky not to be awarded the PFA Young player of the year or even be nominated in the senior category.
So why does he need to ‘pull his socks up’ I hear you cry. Well allow me to elucidate. Nani’s last assist was on April 9th his last goal came in February. In ten games he’s failed to set up one goal and in 18 he’s failed to find the net. Admittedly some of these appearances have been as a substitute but this poor form cannot and should not be ignored.
People will point to Jamie Carragher’s terrible challenge at Anfield as something of a watershed from which Nani has never looked the same since and while there may be some truth to that suggestion, it doesn’t make his lack of impact any easier to swallow.
If you’d have told me that Nani wouldn’t be starting the Champions League final a few months ago, I’d have told you that was insane, yet practically no one batted an eye lid when his name was left off the starting XI.
I truly believe Nani’s one of the most gifted players in the world and have always been a massive fan even when some were doubting him. I feel it’s time to be brutally honest and admit that Nani needs to regain his mojo and quick- there’s been talk of him already being considered surplus to requirements. I’d hate to see Nani leave but I’d hate to see his anonymity in a red shirt continue.
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In the case of Patrice Evra- criticising the man almost feels blasphemous to me as he’s one of my favourite United players of all time. Again though it’s time to be frank – he’s had a very disappointing season by his standards. I’m not just talking about the Champions League final where he seemed to make numerous errors and was the far weaker of United’s two full backs, but throughout the course of the entire campaign.
It seemed to take Evra several months to fully get over the whole France world cup debacle and then when he finally did, it wasn’t long before he went off the boil again.
Before the season I could count on practically one hand the number of bad games Evra had produced in a United shirt -now I’d need a calculator.
For a player I’ve long argued is the world’s greatest left back, Evra needs to regain his consistency next season and soon, otherwise Sir Alex may even try Fabio on the left which some Reds have suggested could be the answer to a now problematic area.
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Finally we come to Fletcher, who injuries aside has had his poorest season in five years. Other than Spurs at home I cannot recall Fletcher really having a stormer which used to be his trademark. In fact the Scotland Captain seems to have become a shadow of himself and this was before the ‘mystery virus’ robbed him of several weeks of football.
I like many other Reds admire Fletcher- not least for the way he’s turned his career around since the ‘Fergie’s love child’ days, but if he’s to play any part in future United successes he needs to find the performance levels of 2009/10 not 2005/06.
So there you have it, three players I’m sure we all love who have in one way or another struggled at times this season. Am I being overly harsh or critical?
If I am I make no apologies, I’m not trying to stick the knife in with any of them and believe me I don’t want to see any leave. I just feel it’s time to be honest and raise the issue of how three of United’s most important players have let a little to be desired of late and why that needs to be acknowledged.
Read more of Justin’s articles at Red Flag Flying High
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is beginning to think everything is working against his team, after watching them slip to a 3-1 defeat against Lech Poznan in their latest Europa League clash.
Two goals in the last five minutes by the Polish side sent City spinning to their third successive defeat, following recent Premier League losses to Arsenal and Wolves.
Mancini, who is coming under pressure following his side's recent dip in form, thought City had played well, lamenting after the match:"I'm disappointed because we didn't deserve to lose this game.
"At the moment everything is against us, we are very unlucky. We played a good game and we had a lot of chances to win but we must continue to work.
"We have lost the last three games but that is football, sometimes you play well, you deserve to score but you don't.
"I'm happy because we played a good game. It is important that we keep going.
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"Tonight we were missing ten players that were at home. We have 20 good players, but sometimes you can lose a game you do not deserve to lose."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email