Category: Football

4

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been without a specialist left-back for most of the season with injuries plaguing all his full-backs.

Tyrell Malacia suffered an injury before pre-season and he is unlikely to play any part this season. But the biggest blow has been Luke Shaw’s frequent niggles.

The England international has missed 23 games this campaign in two separate injury spells and his initial problem forced the club to dip into the loan market to bring in Sergio Reguilon on loan from Tottenham.

However, the Spaniard was not as sound defensively and his loan was terminated in January with Shaw back to fitness. But that did not last long and Ten Hag has had to make do with playing Victor Lindelof and Sofyan Amrabat in that position.

LB problems for United

With Malacia’s future uncertain, and Shaw’s injury problems rearing their ugly head again, it is clear United need to bring in a left-back in the summer.

Links with Raoul Bellanova, Luca Netz and Tino Livramento have emerged in recent weeks and Fichajes have brought back Theo Hernandez‘s name to the discussion.

The Frenchman has five goals and 10 assists this season for AC Milan, the highest goals for a defender this season with his attacking instincts a great fit for what Ten Hag demands from his full-backs.

Considering his current deal is valid until 2026, the Rossoneri are expected to demand a huge amount for the former Real Madrid man.

And United are reportedly willing to spend €60 million to land the 2017/18 Champions League winner with Ten Hag pushing for his signature.

“Manchester United are looking at reinforcements for next season, and Dutch coach Erik Ten Hag has put the name of AC Milan left-back Theo Hernández on the table.

Theo Hernandez would be expensive

“The French player is one of the new objectives of the Red Devils with Manchester United struggling at left back in recent years.

“Hence the current obsession with the AC Milan player, for whom they would be willing to offer more than 60 million euros. He has also entered the sights of other European giants such as Paris Saint-Germain.”

Milan legend and current sporting director Paolo Maldini has called him a “very special” player who has the ability to surpass him and it would be the coup of the summer if United can pull this off.

However, a lot will depend of the final budget that will be available to use and considering the club already want to strengthen up front, in midfield while also bringing in a centre-back, it remains to be seen how much money can be spared for a full-back.

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3

Manchester United are confident that their pursuit of Dan Ashworth, Dougie Freedman and Jason Wilcox are all going in the right direction.

INEOS have wasted no time in shaking up United’s footballing department with the appointment of CEO, Omar Berrada from Manchester City.

The Red Devils are also locked in negotiations with Newcastle to prise Dan Ashworth away from the Magpies to take on the role of sporting director at Old Trafford.

However, there has been frustration as of late as both teams seem unwilling to compromise.

United have also been heavily linked with Southampton’s director of football, Jason Wilcox and Crystal Palace’s sporting director, Dougie Freedman.

In fact, it has been reported that the club want both, even though it is unclear as of yet what their exact roles would be.

It has been relayed by The Peoples Person that there is a sense that progress is being made on the Wilcox deal but the speed of negotiations are frustrating for a fanbase who have grown tired of inaction from years of having to put up with the Glazers.

However Sky Sports reporter, Dharmesh Sheth, has given a more optimistic update to GIVEMESPORT about INEOS’ plans.

He stated that there will be a sense of “frustration” within the corridors of Old Trafford as Liverpool have quickly appointed Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes to key roles however the journalist was quick to highlight the differences in the two situations.

“They will want to get that structure sorted as soon as possible. But you’ve got to also remember that the Michael Edwards situation is completely different to Manchester United simply because Edwards wasn’t in a role anywhere. So there was no negotiation needed with another club, compensation needed with another club”.

In fact, the Mancunian side’s lack of appointments is actually mentioned as a positive by Sheth.

“As far as Manchester United are concerned, for them not to have appointed anybody at this juncture would probably suggest that there is a degree of confidence that they’re going to get the likes of Dan Ashworth into the sporting director role. That they are going to get someone like Jason Wilcox and maybe even Dougie Freedman as well in situ as soon as it is possible”.

United fans will certainly be hoping this is the case, as they will be absolutely desperate that nothing holds back the club from making their mark on the forthcoming transfer window as INEOS look to make good on their promise to take United back to the top table of British and European football.

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1

Manchester United take on Brentford tonight in a crucial Premier League encounter.

The Red Devils will aim to build on an advantageous weekend before the international break where they safely secured passage into the semi-finals of the FA Cup and top four rivals, Tottenham and Aston Villa both dropped points in the race for the Champions League.

Erik ten Hag’s side have consequently been given a flicker of hope that Champions League football is still a possibility but they can ill afford to drop points here and kill any momentum they are trying to build.

This particular fixture has only taken place 18 times in history, with United winning ten, Brentford six and two having ended all square.

Here are three plots that will get the blood flowing for United fans before kick-off.

Can Rasmus Hojlund continue his streak?

Some fans may not remember due to his recent injury woes but United’s young striker is still on target to break a Premier League record.

The Copenhagen born player has scored in his last six consecutive Premier League games, his latest being a brace versus Luton last month. He failed to score on his return from injury for the club against Liverpool, but that was the cup, so his chance to make more history still stands.

According to the BBC, a goal tonight would see Hojlund become the youngest player to score in seven consecutive Premier League appearances, surpassing Joe Willock.

Hojlund is also the first United player since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008 to score in six successive matches.

Were he to score at the Gtech Community Stadium, he would equal Erling Haaland, Alan Shearer and Sergio Aguero’s best ever streak of finding the back of the net in 7 consecutive games.

However, Ruud van Nistelrooy once scored in ten consecutive games for the Red Devils and Jamie Vardy holds the record at 11 Premier League matches with a goal in a row. So there is still plenty of work for the 21 year old to do.

Can United break their wretched streak in London?

United have a decent away record this season as they lie sixth in the Premier League away form table, having picked up 22 points from 14 matches.

However, their trips to London have been a disaster as of late.

The side from Manchester have incredibly only won in two of their previous 13 visits to London in the Premier League.

They have lost away to Tottenham, Arsenal and West Ham this year and their next fixture after Brentford is away to Chelsea, so they will hope to turn around their recent troubles very soon.

A trip to Crystal Palace also awaits for Erik ten Hag’s men in May.

The club did manage a late winner versus Fulham through Bruno Fernandes back in November but the nation’s capital has not been a happy hunting ground as of late for the side from Old Trafford.

Can Scott McTominay become the first Scot to score double figures for United since Brian McClair?

Scott McTominay has been lethal in front of goal recently for his club and country.

The Scottish midfielder has scored nine goals in all competitions and is the side’s second top scorer after Rasmus Hojlund.

According to the BBC, were he to find the back of the net one more time this season, he would become the first Scottish United player to reach double figures for the club since Brian McClair way back in the 1991/1992 season.

In other words he would become the only Scot to score double figures during the Premier League era for the Old Trafford outfit and he will be desperate to do so versus Brentford this evening.

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9

Brentford away is the place where the early nadir of Erik ten Hag’s reign at Manchester United arrived.

Just as the Dutchman was settling his feet under his desk, an away game to the Bees brought a chastening 4-0 defeat last year and with it, showed Ten Hag the size of the task at hand.

Both clubs have come a long way since that game. United finished last season well but have stuttered this time, while Thomas Frank’s miracle men look like they’re finally running out of steam.

With Brentford missing eight players through injuries and suspension, it is arguably the ideal time for Ten Hag’s men to take on what is increasingly becoming a banana skin for “the elites” of the league.

Here are the tactical themes which will decide the game-

The set-piece relief

Sir Dave Brailsford might be the pioneer of the “marginal gains” philosophy, but no other club has used it as much, and as effectively, as Brentford.

A huge part of these marginal gains is their superiority on set-pieces.

Last season, they scored 16 from set-plays, the second-highest in the league alongside Tottenham, with only Liverpool ahead with 17.

This season, however, there has been a stark decline in numbers. Currently, Brentford are 14th in that table, scoring only seven so far from set-pieces.

A big reason behind this decline is the injury bug which has decimated their team for large parts of the season. Against United, it will be more of the same. Sergio Reguilon, their first-choice set-piece taker, and Christian Norgaard, their biggest aerial threat, are both missing through suspension and injury.

Just as well, because United are not particularly adept at avoiding set-piece goals. That’s a big respite United will look to capitalise on.

Ticking Toney bomb

The last time United faced Brentford, they were saved by a late double by Scott McTominay but Brentford were missing a key reason why they were only up by a single goal.

Ivan Toney was still serving his betting ban at the time but the English forward is now back and playing like he never left. He has scored four in 10 games but his overall play has brought the best out of the whole attack.

Again, United are playing against them at the best time as Lisandro Martinez will be back to deal with Toney’s threat. The Argentine has already shown that he is not one to be outmuscled physically despite the height disadvantage.

His combative style of play is perfectly suited to be deployed against Toney who is a good old-fashioned striker. Ten Hag is expected to continue with his 4-2-3-1 which means Martinez will likely have Varane besides him to aid his efforts of containing Toney.

Who knows, Toney might even be Martinez’s teammate next season!

Art of game-management 

Earlier this season, Wolves lost at home to Brentford and after the game, manager Gary O’Neil was at pains to point out how Frank’s side just stops you from playing, especially if they are in the lead.

Snappy fouls, delays in restarting the game, play-acting, and just being a general nuisance are how Brentford have turned themselves into a nightmare matchup for any team, regardless of their form.

United finally showed some grit and fight in their thrilling comeback win over Liverpool just before the international break and that spirit will be fiercely tested against Brentford.

The crowd will make it a cauldron and Brentford are guaranteed to start fast. Taking the sting out of the game with calm and composed play and then imposing their authority is the key to victory here. United can’t afford to get dragged into Brentford’s style of play and lose their heads. That’s how 4-0 defeats happen. Ten Hag has seen it firsthand by now.

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1

Manchester United defenders have suffered a lot of injuries this season forcing Erik ten Hag to constantly shuffle his pack around which has not helped the team settle.

Unlike last season, the Dutchman has hardly been able to call upon his strongest back four this campaign with Lisandro Martinez forced to miss 32 games due to injury this term.

Raphael Varane has struggled to lead in the Argentine’s absence and lost his place to Harry Maguire for almost two months with the former skipper enjoying a career renaissance after looking close to a departure in the previous summer window.

The England international has started 19 times in all competitions already this season as compared to 16 times last time out.

Maguire’s resurgence

He has managed to score twice while providing the same number of assists while helping keep six clean-sheets and was named the Premier League Player Of The Month for November.

But despite his rise up the pecking order, rumours are rife regarding a summer exit with West Ham once again in the race while there are even talks of the former club captain being used as a makeweight in a potential deal for Lucas Paqueta.

New co-owners INEOS are looking at a summer clearout and the centre-back’s name is on the list with Fichajes now claiming another English top-flight club have joined the race for the 31-year-old.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly looking at adding an experienced head at the back and they could pounce for Maguire.

Spurs want Harry

“Tottenham Hotspur began a renovation of its squad this summer after acquiring the services of manager Ange Postecoglou, and they are still actively searching for new signings, with their next target being Manchester United’s English centre-back, Harry Maguire.

“The decision to sign Maguire may be surprising to some, given his record at United, but Tottenham are seeking to reinforce their defensive line with a player who can provide leadership and valuable experience.”

The 20-time English league champions had spent €87 million to acquire the former Leicester City star back in 2019 and with just more than one year left in his current deal, United are expected to take a massive hit if they do decide to move him on.

Hius current market value as per Transfermarkt stands at €20 million and United would do well to sell him for that amount.

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1

It’s a tale of two Manchester United loanees in La Liga this season and that theme has continued with the recent result.

While Mason Greenwood has rebuilt his footballing reputation by becoming Getafe’s talisman, Facundo Pellistri’s team continues to struggle.

The latest setback came against Cadiz today as Pellistri’s Granada lost 1-0 away in a relegation six-pointer that almost certainly confirms their fate next season.

The defeat leaves Granada 13 points away from safety and from a personal point of view, game time is all that Pellistri can point towards as success.

Against Cadiz, he started on the bench but came on at half-time to inject some pace and creativity in a plodding game.

Playing the whole second half, Pellistri failed to make much of an impact as Cadiz scored in the 51st minute, enough to give them three points.

Pellistri, from his side, tried to make things happen but the general attacking malaise at Granada looks to be engulfing the energetic Uruguayan.

He had 16 touches of the ball and failed to complete any of his dribbles.

Pellistri won only two out of five ground duels and lost possession five times as Granada desperately tried to hit back but to no avail.

He did complete one cross and played a key pass but it was a day where nothing was going to go right for his team in the attacking third. (Stats courtesy of Sofascore)

With nine more games to go and Granada’s fate for next season as good as confirmed, the focus for Pellistri will be to impress as much as he can individually to have a shot at the United first team in the pre-season.

That maverick display against Barcelona already seems like a lifetime ago as the reality of the strength of his team has bubbled up.

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9

Manchester United’s defence could look very different next season with the futures of four centre-backs currently up in the air.

Raphael Varane’s current deal ends in June and the club have opted not to trigger the one-year extension option. Jonny Evans’ one-year contract is also set to end at the conclusion of the campaign.

Both Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire have been linked with exits with new co-owners INEOS planning a massive summer clearout to raise capital.

The club have been linked with a plethora of centre-backs and Tottenham News have sensationally added Micky van de Ven’s name to the list.

Yet another Spurs player is a target

The Netherlands international arrived in North London last summer from Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg in an initial £34.5 million deal and has impressed in his debut season.

The 22-year-old has made 20 appearances across all competitions, scoring once and has been a constant presence in Ange Postecoglou’s starting lineup when fit.

His displays in the English top-flight saw him make his national team bow in October of last year and has impressed many of Spurs’ rivals including the 20-time English league champions.

“Manchester United would be interested in signing Netherlands international Micky van de Ven, Tottenham News understands.

Impressive if true

“His form has attracted the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, as a recruitment source with close links to Spurs has revealed to Tottenham News that there will be a few sides interested in van de Ven ahead of the summer.

“Tottenham News has been told that one of those clubs is their Premier League rivals Manchester United. It has been explained that the Red Devils would “bite Tottenham’s hand off” to sign van de Ven if the opportunity presented itself.”

He has been described as the “real deal” by United legend Rio Ferdinand and was recently named the fastest player in the Premier League, which makes him a perfect fit for Erik ten Hag’s high-transition style.

It would be a fantastic acquisition but Daniel Levy would be a nightmare to deal with as United recently witnessed with their Harry Kane pursuit.

He is currently valued at €50 million according to Transfermarkt but considering the former Wolfsburg man arrived just a year ago, his price would be inflated beyond United’s reach and it is best to look elsewhere.

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1

There is a ridiculous scenario where Manchester United finish 6th in the Premier League and still qualify for the Champions League next season, but it’s reliant upon the club’s former manager – David Moyes.

West Ham are currently through the quarter-finals of the Europa League, where they will face Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen. The first leg is set to take place in Germany on April 11 with the reverse fixture at the London Stadium a week later.

Moyes’ side are also 7th in the Premier League table, three points behind United. They play Newcastle in the early kick-off tomorrow afternoon and, if they win by a sufficient margin, will leapfrog Erik ten Hag’s men into 6th on goal-difference.

Separate to this, UEFA – European football’s governing body – have introduced a new rule this year which sees the best performing leagues receive one of two extra qualification spots for next season’s Champions League.

The progress of Manchester City and Arsenal into the quarter-finals of this year’s competition, and Liverpool joining West Ham in the same stage of the Europa League, as well as Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League, means it is extremely likely England will receive one of these extra spots.

This changes the ‘top 4 race’ – as is customary for the Premier League’s biggest clubs every season – into the ‘top 5 race’, with 5th place sufficient to qualify for the Champions League. And this is the only reason, realistically, why United retain hope of gaining back-to-back qualifications into the competition under Ten Hag.

Following an abysmal season ravaged by injury and underperformance, United are currently 6th in the table with a goal difference of zero.

They are six points behind 5th-placed Tottenham Hotspur and nine points off Aston Villa in 4th, with a much worse goal-difference than both of these sides, essentially adding an extra point to each gap.

With only ten games to go, the prospect of gaining ten more points than Villa before the end of the season feels very unlikely. Clawing back seven points on Spurs, who have a tougher run-in than United and have ‘bottlejob’ inscribed into their DNA as a club, is a more reasonable ambition.

Yet, in a rather bizarre sequence of events, United may not even need to jump a place in the table to get into the Champions League.

UEFA legislation dictates that United could remain in 6th place and still qualify; it would simply require West Ham to win the Europa League, while finishing in 5th themselves, and no other English team win a European trophy.

If Moyes’ side were to pull off this unlikely feat, it would mean six English teams qualifying for the Champions League next season. This is because the combination of 5th place and a successful Europa League campaign would give West Ham two separate avenues into the Champions League, meaning their qualification through league position would instead fall to the next eligible candidate – the team in 6th place e.g. Erik ten Hag and his bandy of merry men.

Though if West Ham were to achieve their end of the bargain and, say, Aston Villa win the Conference League, this would remove 6th place as a qualification spot as per UEFA guidelines.

So while it would come a decade later than he would have liked, Moyes can still achieve Champions League qualification for Manchester United as a manager. Go on David!

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5

Casemiro was arguably the signing of the season in Erik ten Hag’s debut campaign with the Brazilian playing a pivotal role as Manchester United ended their six-year trophy drought by clinching the Carabao Cup.

However, injuries have affected the 32-year-old’s form with the former Real Madrid superstar missing 18 games so far this campaign and he looks to have lost a yard of pace as a result.

The manager had a discussion with the Brazil international to help him rediscover the form he exhibited last term but the high-transition style does not seem to be the best fit for the five-time Champions League winner.

Even his international future seems to be in jeopardy with the Brazil heading in a different direction with the skipper currently sidelined.

Casemiro on his way out

New co-owners INEOS are not too pleased with the short-term fix and are looking at ways to move the midfielder on in the next transfer window.

Saudi Arabian clubs are circling and the Red Devils will try and recoup close to the £70 million they paid for him in 2022. And with that money, they will try and bring in a replacement.

Joao Gomes of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Benfica’s Joao Neves and Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle are some of the names to have been linked with a move to Old Trafford.

Joshua Kimmich of Bayern Munich was also in that list but there were reports which suggested the German was not too interested to ply his trade in Manchester.

AS have once again reignited talks with their report which states Barcelona’s financial situation will not allow them to pay the €50 million the Bavarian giants will demand for the 29-year-old.

The Catalan giants want him to arrive as a free agent but Bayern will either try and renew or sell him in the summer.

The Spanish publication then go on to state that United are serious suitors for the 2019/20 Champions League winner who has become a priority for the new co-owners.

Kimmich chase back on

“Joshua Kimmich is one of the players coveted by Barça to reinforce their midfield following the departure of Sergio Busquets. With just over a year left until his contract with Bayern expires, the German international’s price would not exceed 50 million, an affordable figure, but inaccessible at the moment for the Blaugrana.

“There are several names that appear in United’s list, but the possibility of acquiring Kimmich’s services has become a priority. The German international continues to delay his renewal with Bayern and has never hidden his desire to one day play in the Premier League.”

The Germany international remains a classy operator in the middle of the pitch, controlling the tempo of games and unlocking defences with his razor-sharp passing.

With Christian Eriksen also likely to leave, Kimmich could prove to be that pass master that helps the Red Devils control games better while also providing defensive solidity in the middle of the pitch.

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3

Former Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand, has become the latest pundit to wax lyrical on Jonny Evans’ renaissance as a Premier League defender and has labelled him the team’s best defender this season.

After suffering a set of serious injuries, the Northern Irishman could only play a bit-part role in Leicester’s attempts to beat the drop last season, where they were ultimately unsuccessful in doing so.

Things got so bad that Evans has even admitted that he was considering retirementin the summer due to injury.

Clearly the rumours still persist as his national team coach, Michael O’Neill, had to dispel the notion that the defender was considering international retirement as he was left out of the nation’s two recent friendlies.

However, the 36 year old has shocked everyone by stepping up when required and putting in a series of top drawer performances for the Red Devils as the club has had to withstand a shocking amount of injuries this season.

Despite currently nursing a knock, Evans has played 24 times this season and been vital in some wins such as his performance versus Luton Town where he came off the bench to make a scarcely believable 11 clearances in 45 minutes of football.

Pundits such as Gary Neville have already admitted that they were wrong to write Evans off before a ball was kicked and his captain, Bruno Fernandes, has jokingly compared the player to Zinedine Zidane.

Now, speaking to Cool FM News , Rio Ferdinand has had his say on the Ulsterman’s Indian summer.

“He’s been arguably our best defender this year and that says a lot,” he said.

“When he first signed, and even though he’s my mate and I played with him, I was like: ‘Flippin’ hell, how are we signing Jonny at this time?! Are we going backwards?’”

“But he’s come in and when he has been asked to do a job, he’s done it really, really well”.

“I was with him the other day at the training ground and he has surprised himself in terms of the amount of game-time he’s had, but then you’ve got to go out there and produce and play”.

“That’s testament to him as a professional footballer as well because you’ve got to prepare yourself and you’ve got to be ready for those moments, and he has been so good luck to him”.

With Lisandro Martinez hopefully returning for tomorrow’s crucial fixture against Brentford, or at least in the near future, hopefully Evans will not need to be called on as much as he has over the past few months.

However, it is safe to say, if he is, the 106-times capped Northern Ireland international will be ready to make a contribution.

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