Category: Football

Manchester United record goalscorer Wayne Rooney is set to face former United teammate Phil Neville as his DC United side come face to face with Inter Miami later on tonight in a crunch clash.

In what Neville has described as a ‘weird’ situation that will see him face off against his former United teammate, should he lose the affair, he is likely to be sacked.

Neville has failed to get any consistency out of Inter Miami, and should he suffer another defeat it is likely that the club, led by David Beckham, will pull the trigger.

The Inter Miami boss is coming under increasing pressure to ensure his side’s play-off hopes remain alive. His deal also expires at the end of the current season.

He hailed Rooney, who will be in the opposition dugout, as an incredible leader always destined for elite management.

The 45-year-old told The Sun, “He loves football, you see the players that love football, that football is their life, that they have an obsession with football. Wayne was that person.”

On his former teammate’s path to where he is today in management, Neville remarked, “I think the impressive thing with his management is he has put the hard yards in, he has done all these badges.”

“He hasn’t taken the easy route. Look at the job he had at Derby. That was really, really tough but would have been an incredible learning experience that he will be putting into good use at DC.”

“It will be weird to come up against him, because we were team-mates for so long and good team-mates, too.”

Neville, in admission of his precarious situation ahead of the tense fixture, emphasized that there was a long-term plan in place and called for a level of trust.

“I know I’m in a results business, in terms of performances, results, points, qualifying for playoffs. I trust the players that we brought in, I trust the process and our own abilities to deliver.”

The game is one for United fans to keep an eye on as the two legends go head-to-head in the high-stakes affair.

The next few months will be pivotal for Manchester United’s Harry Maguire as he seeks to revive his faltering football career.

The road back to being a nailed-on starter in United’s first team now looks a very long one owing to the form of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez and also to the 29 year old’s own unconvincing performance against Real Sociedad when given a chance to start.

If the World Cup was at the end of the season, Maguire would almost certainly be looking to move on either temporarily or permanently in January to try to ensure he retains his England place.

But with the strange November scheduling, all the United skipper can do now is hope that Gareth Southgate remains loyal to him despite his lack of minutes. If selected in the forthcoming internationals, his performances could be make-or-break for him going into the month before the big kick-off in Qatar.

Of course, a dramatic loss of form or injury to either Varane or Martinez could provide an opening for Maguire to reclaim his place in the United side and that would come down to a straight choice now between him and Victor Lindelof, with Eric Bailly out on loan and Phil Jones not even registered to play in the Premier or Europa League.

But whilst that might get Maguire over the finish line for Qatar, it could represent only a temporary reprieve at Old Trafford and even if there is a return to better form, the question remains as to whether the former Leicester City man will ever be a Ten Hag type of player.

From United’s perspective, there could be a case for cashing in on an expensive asset in January who still has a reasonable market value in his 30th year.

By next summer, Maguire will be the wrong side of 30 and there is also the uncertainty of what will happen at his June 7th court date where he will appeal his 21 month suspended sentence for attempted bribery and aggravated assault in Mykonos.

If United’s other centre backs are fit going into January and another big club is struggling with injuries, the Red Devils could get considerably more than his £27 million market value (as per transfermarkt.com).

A good World Cup could see that value rise even further and boost his profile again on the international stage.

United could be particularly tempted by an overseas sale to avoid strengthening a Premier League opponent, while Maguire’s strengths may be better suited to a slower-paced league such as Serie A or even la Liga.

Of course, there are many “ifs” and “buts” in the above scenario but it is not an unlikely one. It might suit all concerned for Maguire to move in January and relaunch his career elsewhere.

Manchester United’s u18s traveled to take on Stoke City on Saturday morning in just their third league match of the season.

The starting XI featured a fresh face as 14 year old wonderkid Amir Ibragimov made his competitive debut for the u18s after recently scoring in a friendly.

United opened the match with some early headed chances from Ethan Williams and Manni Norkett, but neither troubled the Stoke keeper.

Against the run of play, Stoke’s Matty Lusakueno ran through the United defence but couldn’t beat Tom Wooster in goal.

The bulk of the action came late in the first half with a flurry of chances which started with Stoke hitting the woodwork after a cross wasn’t dealt with.

Manni Norkett then forced a save from a tight angled effort before Adam Berry tried his luck from a long range free kick which went over the bar.

Five minutes into the second half, a huge chance opened up for Stoke after a giveaway from Sonny Aljofree. A cut back looked to create an easy chance to finish into the open goal but Harrison Parker somehow managed to recover and clear.

Both sides exchanged blows back and forth, with the youngster Ibragimov charging through to start one attack before finding Norkett in the box, who laid off the ball for Ethan Wheatley’s first touch off the bench. But his left footed strike flashed across the goal and just inches wide of the right post.

Wheatley had another chance shortly after but this time the shot was blocked.

In the 67th minute, a long punt down the pitch from the Stoke keeper completely caught out the United backline and Lusakueno ran in behind to poke the ball past the advancing Wooster to give Stoke the lead.

United’s best chance of the match came three minutes later when Berry played an exquisite outside of the boot pass over the top for Norkett to race onto before rounding the keeper and smashing his shot off the post.

United would chase until the end for the equalizer but ultimately couldn’t find the back of the net.

United: Wooster, Lawrence (Nolan 75), Parker (Jackson 60), Aljofree, Murray, McAllister (Fitzgerald 60), Oyedele, Williams (Wheatley 60), Berry, Ibragimov, Norkett

Unused subs: Myles

Manchester United’s u21s hosted bottom of the table West Ham United on Friday night in search of their first win of the season.

An early chance opened up for Charlie McNeill from Bjorn Hardley’s cut back but the striker blazed his effort over the bar.

Ten minutes later, McNeill launched the attack from deep, passing to Dan Gore who then found Isak Hansen-Aaroen on the left to cut in and strike toward the near corner but the West Ham keeper collected easily.

In the 15th minute, McNeill took the ball on the turn to beat the defender before being hacked down as he skipped by the second. He stepped up to take the free kick from 20 yards but got it all wrong as the ball nearly exited the stadium.

West Ham registered their first chance in the 30th minute as Hardley’s headed clearance from the corner fell to a West Ham player at the edge of the box, but they couldn’t keep their effort on target.

Just before the break Omari Forson would come close with a curled effort from the corner of the box which sailed just wide of the top left corner.

Down the other end, Nathan Bishop denied West Ham’s Callum Marshall from taking the lead going into the half with a fantastic save with his feet on the close range effort.

The second half started like the first, with McNeill causing West Ham trouble as his cross was inadvertently cannoned off the post by the defender attempting to clear.

In the 59th minute, West Ham took the lead after Tyler Fredricson was wrestled off the ball allowing West Ham to break and Kamarai Simon-Swyer feinted past Rhys Bennett’s last ditch block attempt before slotting past Bishop.

The lead was short lived though as just seconds later Hansen-Aaroen cut in from the left past through two defenders and had his strike towards goal blocked, but the ball would bounce around before falling to Forson to slide in from just two yards out.

Hansen-Aaroen looked to play provider against shortly after with a cross from the left that was headed over by McNeill.

West Ham were still in it though as Marshall threatened twice on the counter but couldn’t hit the target with either chance.

United chased a late winner with Hansen-Aaroen teasing ball across the six yard line but no one could get on the end of it.

In the dying seconds, it was pinball in the West Ham box as the ball bounced and ricocheted everywhere after efforts from Forson and Gore but the ball was eventually cleared to seal the final score of 1-1.

United: Bishop, Jurado, Bennett, Fredricson, Hardley, Mainoo, Savage (Shoretire 46), Forson, Gore, Hansen-Aaroen, McNeill

Unused Subs: Mastny, Collyer, Murray, Norkett

Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans could be a January signing for Manchester United as they look to strengthen their squad for the second half of the season.

The Sun reported on Thursday that Erik ten Hag will be given a very healthy January transfer budget this season.

The outlet reports that United are “to hand Erik ten Hag £70m January transfer warchest which will increase to £100m-plus if Cristiano Ronaldo quits”.

And according to fichajes.net, some of that amount is earmarked for Tielemans as the Red Devils finally admit defeat in their pursuit of Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong.

As reported here previously, Tielemans will be coming into the last six months of his Leicester City contract and the Foxes could be tempted to cash in for a vastly reduced amount rather than allow him to leave for free in June.

The Belgian is valued at £40.5 million by transfermarkt.com.

While United would be in a strong position to low-ball that amount, with an asking price of around £25 million having already been reported, they may face competition from Arsenal, who are also avid admirers of the 25 year old. This could push the price back upwards again.

If United are also looking for a striker, Ajax’s Brian Brobbey has been mentioned, but this would seem far more likely in the summer.

The player only joined the Amsterdam outfit in the summer – a move that United boss Erik ten Hag tried to hijack – although he was on loan to them previously.

Furthermore, United have already stripped Ajax of a lot of their crown jewels in Erik ten Hag, Lisandro Martinez and Antony – the latter for a considerable fortune.

Another striker reported to have been on the summer shortlist, Raul de Tomas, is certainly off the market. Espanyol had been reluctant to sell the star for less than his €60 million buyout clause, but he ended up being sold to Rayo Vallecano for just €11 million after allegedly faking injuries in a protest to be allowed to leave the club.

This leaves few names being linked with the club as things stand.

Another position Fichajes claims might be strengthened with the bumper kitty is right back, although Diogo Dalot’s excellent form could mean that it will just be a backup option rather than a first choice right back that is sought.

Manchester United’s value as a football club has declined since the Glazer family grabbed control but it still remains one of the world’s biggest.

In terms of branding, United have shown a decline and are now well below “noisy neighbours” Manchester City in the pecking order.

According to SportsLens.com via The Daily Star, City are now the second largest football brand in the world behind Real Madrid, with United dropping to fifth place behind Barcelona and Liverpool.

Despite Real and Barça being in the top three, “the Brand Finance survey showed the Premier League still dominates the football world, with a brand value of £7.46bn in 2022.”

This compares to Spain’s La Liga, which is less than half of that at £3.56bn.

However, in terms of the value of the club itself, rather than the brand, United are third in the world, according to Forbes via The Mail.

“The Glazer-owned club has been valued at £3.9billion by the American business magazine, falling just below Real Madrid’s £4.4bn and Barcelona’s £4.3bn valuations,” The Mail reports.

“United has seen its value rise by 24 per cent in the last five years with performances on the pitch not impacting its general market value.”

The fact that United are losing ground in terms of brand value yet maintaining their position in club value can mean two things.

First, it can mean that support is waning (fewer people buying into the brand) but investments and asset values (e.g. player values, share price etc, corporate side) remain buoyant.

Second, it can mean that the club is a “sleeping giant”, where the brand value is a short term indicator of a lack of success on the pitch, but there is an acknowledgement that the worldwide appeal of the club means that it is capable of massive growth when results start to come on the pitch, hence maintaining an intrinsic value.

As rumours continue to grow that the Glazers might be ready to sell the club, the question remains as to how much they will be prepared to sell it for. With a £3.9 million valuation, they will almost certainly be looking for a figure well in excess of that as they aim to get top dollar on their asset.

AS Roma are said to be interested in a deal for Manchester United centre back Victor Lindelof.

According to Rudy Galetti, Roma have shortlisted the Swede as one of the options they could target this January.

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🚨❌ After talking to some free players, #ASRoma have decided not to buy any new centre-back.

🗣️ In the coming weeks, new contacts are expected with agents of #Lindelof (#MUTD), #Tanganga (#THFC) and #Chalobah (#CFC) to understand the chances for January. 🐓⚽ @Romagialloross4 https://t.co/l2z31DzA9W pic.twitter.com/1kuazjIngj

— Rudy Galetti (@RudyGaletti) September 15, 2022

Jose Mourinho is looking to strengthen his defence and would welcome a reunion with his former player.

The Portuguese manager signed Lindelof during his United tenure in the summer of 2017.

The 28 year old had a shaky start to his United career but slowly settled in well.

While not the best aerially, Lindelof excels at reading the game.

His ground defending is admirable, and his ball-playing abilities make him perfect for a team looking to build out from the back.

The Swede developed a good partnership with Harry Maguire during the 2020-21 season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The arrival of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez has limited his playing time drastically.

However, the Swede does possess most of the technical qualities Erik ten Hag requires in his centre backs.

With a long season ahead, it is unlikely that United would be willing to let go of one of their best defenders.

Varane’s poor injury record could force Lindelof back into the team sooner rather than later.

 

Manchester United are reportedly interested in a shock deal for Pari Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe.

According to Marca (via Sport Witness), the Red Devils have emerged as surprise contenders to sign the Frenchman if he decides to leave.

Despite PSG stating otherwise, L’Equipe claim that Mbappe’s contract extension is optional so he can leave the Parc des Princes for free next summer.

Man United, along with other English clubs, are among those who are keen on signing the 23 year old.

The report states:

“Although PSG announced the France international has signed a contract until 2025, the report states he can leave them a year early for nothing.”

“The two parties have agreed they will always maintain open and direct dialogue.”

“Both the former AS Monaco man and PSG will know ‘what to expect’ in January 2024, when he will have [as per the report] less than six months on his deal.”

Erik ten Hag reportedly wants a new forward in the next rebuild phase at United, and the Frenchman could be just the man to lead his attack.

Mbappe would be a statement signing, one that The Glazers would love.

He would bring massive commercial revenue and could be branded as United’s new golden boy.

From a footballing point of view, Mbappe would offer raw speed in attack.

With Jadon Sancho and Antony on either flank, United’s forward line would be deadly!

 

Jadon Sancho reacted after Thursday night’s Europa league win against Sheriff Tiraspol by saying that the three points were more important than his brilliantly finished team goal.

Speaking to MUTV after the game, Sancho explained how important the win was considering the previous result against Real Sociedad.

“Starting the campaign with a defeat was an upsetting result, so we knew that today was a must win.”

“I am very delighted with the goal. Again the most important thing was the three points and I will have to keep working hard for the team.”

Sancho finished off a brilliant team move in the 17th minute to give United the lead against the Moldovan outfit.

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This is for you Jacob, Young Legend 🙏🏼❤️ pic.twitter.com/asQCZMtLSv

— Jadon Sancho (@Sanchooo10) September 15, 2022

The winger now has three goals in his last six appearances and has earned praise from manager Erik ten Hag.

Speaking to the BBC after the game, the manager said, “I’m really pleased for Jadon, another goal and he scored already many goals in his pre-season and he has three in the season, he is doing well.”

His form however did not translate to a national team call-up with England manager Gareth Southgate once again choosing to overlook Sancho for the upcoming international games.

The 22-year-old showed his elite mentality as he did not let the snub affect him and even mentioned how he will work even harder to get into the national side.

Sancho said, “The World Cup is one of the targets, but it is unfortunate that I didn’t get the call up. But I have to keep focusing on myself and keep working hard, week in and week out. So that is what I am going to do.”

Suffice to say that if he keeps up his current form in front of goal, Southgate will be forced to recall the United winger.

In a classy touch last night, Sancho took off his shin pads that had been given to him by a young fan before the game and held it aloft during his goal celebration to show the supporter that he was wearing them.

With United not back in action until the Manchester Derby on October 2, Sancho has time to rest up and keep improving on the training pitch.

No doubt Sancho will be looking to add to his tally for the season when he faces his former club.

Manchester United finally got off the mark in the Europa League with an easy 2-0 win against Sheriff Tiraspol in their Group E encounter on Thursday.

Both goals came in the first-half with Jadon Sancho opening the scoring before Cristiano Ronaldo scored from the spot to ensure the three points.

Erik ten Hag reverted to his trusted starting line-up with Ronaldo in place of Marcus Rashford the only change from the Arsenal game.

And the decision was vindicated as the team put in a thoroughly mature performance, controlling the game and hardly allowing the opposition any chances.

The Dutch manager had commented before the game about the dangers that Sheriff possess and the home side did start strongly. And after losing to Real Sociedad in their opening game, United needed to pick up full points from this one.

And that is why Ten Hag opted to start Raphael Varane alongside Lisandro Martinez and the duo were impeccable throughout.

Varane the gamechanger

Ever since the opening two defeats to Brighton and Brentford in the Premier League, Varane has come in to shore up the leaking defence and has proved to be the catalyst behind United’s solid run.

In the five games that he has started this season, United have conceded only two goals while keeping three clean sheets. A far cry from last season’s horror show.

He replaced club skipper Harry Maguire and his performances have meant that the England international has hardly got a chance in the starting XI.

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Man United with Varane this season:

495 minutes
2 goals conceded
5 wins from 6 games

Man United without Varane this season:

135 minutes
6 goals conceded
0 wins from 2 games pic.twitter.com/VQ8NPo9tQH

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) September 16, 2022

Ten Hag was quick to acknowledge the French World Cup winner’s importance to the cause and called him a leader at the back.

“The reason (for another clean sheet) is we were good in possession and we defended very well,” Ten Hag told MUTV. “With Rapha Varane there as the leader, he puts everyone in the right position, he fits really good together with Licha Martinez and also the two full-backs did their job really good.”

Varane was absent from most of pre-season with Ten Hag commenting that the Frenchman was following a specialised training programme and that has worked out wonders so far.

United legend Rio Ferdinand had spoken of how a proper pre-season would see United get the best out of the former Real Madrid star and that has proved to be the case.

With the Manchester Derby next month, United fans will be praying that their French talisman returns from international duty without any injuries.