All posts by index.

Mourinho critical about Solskjaer’s tactics against Barcelona

Former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has said that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer got the tactics wrong during the Red Devils’ recent European trip to Barcelona. The Red Devils suffered a slender 1-0 defeat to Barcelona during the home leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, and they could not overcome the deficit at the Camp Nou, where they were thoroughly dominated.

Speaking on RT Sport, Mourinho said that Messi was allowed too much space during the course of the double-legged quarter-final. He added that the Argentine was carefully guarded with a zonal marking system at Old Trafford, but that was not the case on the road, where Messi got the better of the United defence from a deeper position.
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TalkSPORT pundit says Manchester United made a crazy decision to appoint Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Talk SPORT pundit Craig Burley believes Manchester United made a crazy decision to appoint Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the permanent manager before the end of the campaign. The Norwegian was initially appointed by the club on an interim basis in mid-December, and the club’s transformation over the course of the next three months convinced the board to appoint him as the permanent head coach.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, former Chelsea star Burley does not feel United made the right choice to recruit Ole, given they require an experienced manager at the helm to rebuild during the summer. He added that the club were perhaps indulged into a sentimental claptrap with regards to Ole with the majority of the supporters wanting him as the permanent boss.
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Duncan Castles backs Paul Pogba to extend his Manchester United contract

Daily Record journalist Duncan Castles has backed Paul Pogba to stay put with Manchester United beyond the summer transfer window. The France international has been in a purple patch for United during the backend of the ongoing campaign and this has spread speculation that Real Madrid could make an approach for his signature.

Speaking to the Transfer Window Podcast, Castles has indicated that Pogba’s move to the Bernabeu seems unlikely during the summer, given the cost that could be involved. He added that United would likewise hold no ambition of offloading their prized asset and the best solution would be for the midfielder to sign a new and improved contract with the club.
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirms injury concerns for Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed that both Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard could possibly spend time on the sidelines based on the medical assessment later in the week. Lingard was substituted with a hamstring issue against Paris Saint-Germain right before the break while Martial did not report following the interval with a groin problem of his own.

Speaking after the game, Ole confirmed the respective injuries for Martial and Lingard while confirming that their absence may be determined by an examination made in a couple of days. Meanwhile, the Norwegian was far from pleased with the performance of Sanchez, who has once more ineffective after replacing Lingard before the half-time whistle.
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer speaks on Antonio Valencia’s situation at Manchester United

Manchester United’s interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has indicated that Antonio Valencia could be sidelined for another couple of weeks after sustaining a niggle. The club captain had been working hard to make a comeback with the Red Devils but he unfortunately suffered a fresh injury setback in the lead up to the Fulham game.

Speaking to MUTV, Ole confirmed that the right-sided defender has been left broken after his return to first-team action was delayed with the injury, he said: “Antonio has been training hard, really hard, and then he got a setback. So, hopefully, in a couple of weeks, he’ll be back with us. He’s been a fantastic servant at the club, he’s captain for a reason and, hopefully, we can get him back on the pitch. It was hard when he broke down, because he would have travelled this weekend.”
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer not daunted by the top-four challenge

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said that he will take one game at a time as the Red Devils seek to close the gap on the top four during the backend of the campaign. The Mancunian giants recently hired Solskjaer as their interim boss following the sacking of Jose Mourinho and the 45-year-old has managed to deliver on his managerial debut after the Red Devils secured a comfortable 5-1 triumph on the road to Cardiff City.

Speaking after the game, Solskjaer highlighted that the team can’t look much forward with the festive schedule underway and he remains optimistic of recovering the eight-point deficit to the final Champions League position occupied by Chelsea, he said: “If we approach all the games like this – and we want them to approach them all like this – with combination play and playing the ball forward then I’ll be happy. We take one game at a time now. We’ve caught up eight or nine points before but we’ve got to go one step at a time. I was proud and humble at the reception from the fans, it has been an emotional all week. But it’s a start and we move on.”
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Wayne Rooney urges main players at Manchester United to step up

Wayne Rooney believes the main players should lead by example for Manchester United in order to avoid further disappointment during the ongoing season. The Red Devils have made a rather average start to the season with just six wins from their opening 12 matches and the run already sees them seven points behind the final Champions League position.

Speaking to MUTV, Rooney highlighted that Jose Mourinho will continue doing his job off the playing field but the onus is on the playing to show a strong character when they are in the game, he said: “Jose can do what I know he’ll be doing – he’ll be working with the team and setting them up. But I think a lot of the responsibility has to go on the players’ shoulders. They go on the pitch, they have to take that responsibility and they have to thrive on it.
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Manchester United boss considering sale of defensive duo

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly considering the sale of defensive duo Marcos Rojo and Eric Bailly in the New Year as he aims to bring in fresh faces at the heart of the backline. The Red Devils have experienced an average start to the Premier League season with just 20 points after the opening 12 matches and this has partly come about from the struggles at the back.

According to The Sun, the Portuguese tactician is likely to push through the departures of Rojo and Bailly during the winter transfer window with the focus on signing at least one central defender during that period. It is added that Bayern Munich’s Jerome Boateng and Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar are among the prime targets who could be under consideration at the turn of the year.
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LALLANA BACK FOR LIVERPOOL

Liverpool need all the support they can get now as the plot to lift a title thickens.  Whilst they topped the table in September and August, a resurgent Manchester City side have stolen ahead of them, and now lead by 2 points.

With 11 games gone, there is now brewing excitement as Adam Lallana gets back to his best, following a difficult few months, in which Liverpool have struggled to be the free-flowing unit of 2017/18. He also went in from the bench in their match against Red Star Belgrade in Champions League one month ago, but was not expected to be on the field at all due to injury. Read more

Manchester United could part ways with Romelu Lukaku amid Mourinho’s exit – Burley

ESPN pundit Craig Burley believes Romelu Lukaku could be shown the Old Trafford exit door, should Jose Mourinho be axed from the head coach role at Manchester United. The Belgium international joined the Red Devils from Everton during the 2017 summer transfer window and he has since been the undisputed striker upfront, contributing over 30 goals across all competitions.

Despite this, the Belgian has had his fair share of criticism with the tendency to miss clear-cut chances in games and Burley feels the marksman may not command a regular role, should Mourinho face the axe, he told ESPN: “He’s one of a number of United players that, once Mourinho goes, will have to be outed by the new regime. Whether that be a sporting director or a new manager. He’s a good player but, watching him lately, he’s not making the right runs. I wouldn’t call him a clever striker – he’s big and powerful and gets his ratio of goals. But it’s against the weaker teams.”
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