Month: October 2019

The Frenchman had a major fall-out with the Portuguese, but interim boss Solskjaer wants to build his team around the World Cup winner

Paul Pogba has scored more goals in three games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer than he did in his last 17 appearances for Jose Mourinho.

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The France international netted his fourth goal since Solskjaer was appointed interim boss by United, giving the Reds a 2-0 lead over Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday after he had netted the opener. The goal also saw him become the first United player to net consecutive Premier League braces since Wayne Rooney in December 2012.

He is now on four goals and three assists for December, making it the most productive month of his entire top-flight career so far.

Pogba had been in poor form under previous manager Mourinho, who was sacked earlier this month following the 3-1 defeat to Liverpool, and consistently rowed with the Portuguese during his time in Manchester.

The 25-year-old put in a number of spectacular performances to help France win the World Cup last summer, and was appointed United’s vice-captain by Mourinho at the start of the season, but things turned sour for the former Juventus man after he criticised his manager’s tactics.

The pair’s relationship then went from bad to worse over the next few months and ultimately ended when the Reds parted ways with their boss.

When Mourinho was finally sacked, Pogba posted a photo of himself appearing to smile on social media along with the message, “Caption this.”

Although the midfielder quickly deleted the post, he came under criticism for his remark – most notably from former United right-back Gary Neville who responded, “You do one as well.”

Pogba became the Reds’ record signing when he rejoined the club from Juve in 2016, but his poor performances led to the United youth graduate being linked with moves elsewhere. Some rumours had even suggested the Frenchman could move back to The Old Lady.

But he looks much happier in a Man Utd shirt now and had a strong relationship with Solskjaer when coached by the Norwegian in the United academy. 

In fact, Solskjaer has heaped praise on Pogba and revealed he wants to build a team around him as United aim to close the gap on the top four and finish in a Champions League spot at the end of the season. 

With doubts over the striker’s future in London, the Blues assistant said the 26-year-old has to deal with the pressure

Alvaro Morata must embrace the weight of expectation at Chelsea as the misfiring forward continues to struggle, according to Gianfranco Zola.

Morata has only managed five goals in the Premier League this season and seven in all competitions amid links with Sevilla and AC Milan.

Chelsea spent around £60 million to prise Morata from Real Madrid in 2017 but the Spain international has struggled for goals and confidence after a promising start to life at Stamford Bridge.

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With doubts over Morata’s future in London, assistant coach Zola said the 26-year-old has to deal with the pressure at Chelsea.

“It should be a motivational thing,” said Zola. “You are at Chelsea, you are not playing for Southampton or Brighton with all due respect to those clubs.

“People expect a lot from the number nine at Chelsea. They expect a lot of goals and good performances. This is normal, he has to get used to it.

“If he goes to another big club it’ll be the same – there is no way you can avoid your responsibilities.

“It’s part of your job and if you can handle that then the better you’re going to be.”

Zola added: “Technically Morata – and this is the reason we invested a lot in him this year – we thought he was the perfect number nine for us.

“Maurizio [Sarri] has always said that. Technically without doubt he is one of the best in this position.

“I think he has to improve a little bit tactically because nowadays with the type of football, football is so organised you need to get better tactically, your ability is not enough.

“In my opinion he needs to improve on this. He’s been working on that, he has a good attitude. He feels that he doesn’t score enough and he feels a lot of responsibilities for that.

“But he has to learn to put everything behind because these are only burdens that you take on the pitch and they don’t help you to perform better.”

The Red Devils have rediscovered their spark under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with the club now seeking to right the wrongs of Jose Mourinho’s reign

Nemanja Matic is pleased to see Manchester United back in the winning habit, with the midfielder admitting that the club “doesn’t accept drawing or losing a game”.

The Red Devils had become painfully familiar with seeing points slip through their grasp towards the end of Jose Mourinho’s reign.

The Portuguese collected just one victory from his last six Premier League outings at the helm, with United slipping off the top four pace as a result.

OIe Gunnar Solskjaer has been charged with bringing about a reversal in fortune and has made a dream start to his tenure with back-to-back successes.

A 5-1 mauling of Cardiff has been followed by a comprehensive 3-1 victory over Huddersfield, with Matic seeing United rediscover their spark as they endeavour to deliver the results expected of them.

The Serbia international told BBC Sport after helping United to see off the Terriers at Old Trafford: “After Cardiff, we gained more confidence. It was important to win at our stadium, to bring a smile on the face of our supporters.

“We made some mistakes. We need to see what we can do better. It’s a completely different atmosphere when you win games.

“This club doesn’t accept drawing or losing a game. This is the way we have to try to win the next one.”

Matic was the man to put United on their way to another welcome three-point haul on Boxing Day.

His opening goal was his first for the Red Devils since March, with the 30-year-old one of several players to be enjoying a new lease of life under Solskjaer.

He added: “It’s always important to score early if possible. After that, we have more space to play.

“I’m happy with my goal.”

United will be back in action on Sunday when they play host to Bournemouth, with there still an eight-point gap for them to bridge in order to return to the Champions League spots.

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The Reds defender insists nobody at Anfield is getting too disheartened after seeing an unbeaten Premier League run ended at the Etihad Stadium

Virgil van Dijk claims Liverpool will “definitely” bounce back from defeat at Manchester City, with there “no reason for panic” in an ongoing Premier League title bid.

The Reds suffered a first top-flight reversal of the season on Thursday as they went down 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium.

Roberto Firmino had hauled them level with the reigning champions at one stage, but Leroy Sane added to Sergio Aguero’s opener as Pep Guardiola’s side collected a priceless victory.

Liverpool’s lead at the summit has now been cut to four points, but Van Dijk insists nobody at Anfield is getting too disheartened about a rare setback.

The Dutch defender told Sky Sports: “We knew it was going to be a very tough season and there will be ups and downs and Thursday was obviously a down.

“You just have to keep going and bounce back and that is something we are definitely going to do.

“It was an intense game for both teams. They won and we are very disappointed but we will focus on recovering and making sure we are ready for the next game.

“We are disappointed we lost but there is no reason for panic. For us it was just another important Premier League game. Unfortunately we lost and couldn’t get a result.

“Fair play to City and congratulations to them but we just have to keep going.”

Jurgen Klopp’s side remain the frontrunners in a bid to end their long wait for domestic supremacy and can take plenty of positives from their performances so far.

They are even taking heart from the fact that they matched City for long periods in midweek before eventually coming unstuck.

Bumps in the road were to be expected over the course of gruelling campaign, despite bold predictions of emulating Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’, and the Reds now have the chance to prove that can recover from any stumbles they suffer.

Attention is about to be shifted to knockout football in an FA Cup third round meeting with Wolves on Monday, but Liverpool will be back in Premier League action away at Brighton on January 12.

The Blues have made a big-money move for a player who is no longer first-choice at BVB but the American winger should be worth the investment

Paying £58 million (€64m/$73m) for a player who has made just one Bundesliga start over the past three months might seem like a remarkable decision, but that is exactly what Chelsea have done by splashing the cash on Borussia Dortmund attacker Christian Pulisic.

The 20-year-old had long been linked with a transfer to Stamford Bridge and BVB announced on Wednesday that he will join Chelsea at the end of the 2018-19 campaign, spending the remainder of this season on loan at the Bundesliga leaders as they challenge for both the German title and Champions League glory.

Initially, Dortmund demanded £70 million ($89m) for Pulisic, but Chelsea eventually successfully drove down the asking price, with the winger’s contract in Germany due to expire in June 2020.

On top of his contract situation, there is also the fact that the USMNT international is no longer a key protagonist in BVB’s renaissance, though, as Pulisic slipped down the pecking order due to the fantastic form of teenage sensation Jadon Sancho.

Pulisic had been struggling to get Bundesliga starts at Dortmund in recent months amid the ongoing uncertainty over his long-term future at the club and a move to Chelsea appears to make sense for everybody involved.

Certainly, with Eden Hazard once again flirting with a move to Real Madrid, and both Pedro and Willian now in their thirties, the Blues could do with adding an exciting young winger to their squad.

After all, this is a club that does not offer more than one-year extensions to players over 30 and then there’s the issue of Callum Hudson-Odoi appearing keen on a move to Bayern Munich.

Pulisic is not the only player Chelsea have considered signing to rejuvenate their ageing attack – Lyon attacking midfielder Nabil Fekir, Barcelona bad boy Ousmane Dembele and Everton’s versatile forward Richarlison have all been scouted – but the USMNT star was the most viable target.

As for Pulisic himself, he has always dreamed of a move to the Premier League.

Speaking ahead of his country’s November friendly against England at Wembley, he stated, “England and the Premier League, it is a league where lots of kids dream of playing, so there is no reason why maybe one day I won’t play here.”

Certainly, he should have little trouble settling in, particularly at Stamford Bridge.

As an attacker schooled at Signal Iduna Park – initially under Thomas Tuchel and now Lucien Favre – he should have little trouble understanding what Blues boss Maurizio Sarri demands from his wingers.

The Italian is a fan of small, skilful forwards who press the ball intelligently – Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne both excelled under Sarri’s guidance at Napoli – meaning he would fit seamlessly into the Chelsea line-up.

Sarri takes huge pride in his ability to improve his players and that should help this transfer work as Pulisic aims to make a name for himself in the Premier League next season.

Pulisic is still young but he will be charged with improving his end product, having only netted three times in 20 games for club and country this term.

His talent is there for all to see, though, and given his age, it’s easy to understand why both Sarri and Chelsea were keen on the American attacker and eventually opted to meet Dortmund’s demands.

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Wallabies prop James Slipper says he doesn’t want the national team to hit the ‘reset button’ in 2016

Slipper returned to Queensland Reds training this week along with the rest of the team’s Wallabies contingent and is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a shoulder reconstruction.

While an April return is slated for the loose head prop, Slipper said he wasn’t going to rush his rehabilitation.

“I’ve been carrying this injury for a couple of years now so it’s probably time I had it fixed up,” he said.

“For me, [I just need to] keep ticking the boxes and making sure I come back at 100 per cent.

“Obviously I’m pushing to get back as early as I can, but I’ve got to be sensible, make sure I do the right thing for the team.”

The 26-year-old said this Wallabies season would be about building on the momentum created by their run to the 2015 World Cup final.

“There is (a goal) as a Wallabies group – to keep moving forward from that standard that we set,” he said.

“That’s important I think.

“In years gone past, we would have hit the reset button but it’s a real goal for us to just keep moving forward and picking up where we left off last year.

Slipper said he hoped he could bring some of the World Cup lessons into this Reds season, most notably focus on restoring pride in the team.

“One of our main goals at the Reds is to play a game that all Queenslanders could be proud of it you’re rugby fans or not,” he said.

“You can walk away from the game barring the result and be proud of us.”

“We want to touch back to our fan base and prove a point but in saying that, we’ve got to be comfortable and confident in our own game and the hard work we’re putting in is going to do that for us.

“The thing we have to do is work hard and make sure we go into the season full of confidence and all the young boys go into the season with a lot of confidence.”

The incumbent Queensland captain admitted the side would be raw in 2016 but was looking forward to the return of his Wallabies skipper Stephen Moore in 2017.

“He’s [Moore] a very experienced player and the captain of the country,” he said.

“Any type of player of that calibre, it’s obviously a big move.

“We’re actually playing them [the Brumbies in] second up in the trial games so we’re just looking forward to playing in 2016.

“This year it will be an inexperienced young enthusiastic squad.

“Squeak will add a bit more oomph [with his age and experience].”

As for who might take the captaincy mantle in his absence in the early parts of the season, Slipper said there were plenty of candidates, including his 2015 deputy Rob Simmons.

“I’ve had the privilege of playing with Simmo since I was 15 and he’s well-respected in the group,” he said.

“He’s the vice-captain of the club at the moment so it depends.

“You can go either way – I’m sure he’d do a great job, He’s captained before.

“It’s something we’ll have to weigh up the start of the season.”

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Tom Staniforth has played just one game for the Brumbies but he is already playing a big role off the field.

Staniforth has been heavily involved with the Brumbies’ work with local organisation Menslink that aims to increase discussion around mental health issues that affect young men.

He and other Brumbies players have visited schools, speaking to young men about the concerns that they might face in life and answering questions.

“It’s a very valuable program in the Canberra community and it’s really involving the kids and giving them a chance to ask question,” he said.

“It’s a big thing that it is for males because… sometimes they try to bottle things up so I think it’s a very important part of the Canberra community.”

In his own life, Staniforth said he had plenty to be grateful for, not least of which being his job.

“I’m a Canberra boy and I get to come to training and play for the brumbies,” he said.

“I had a great year with the (Canberra) Royals, obviously won the premiership which was pretty special and I’m just very grateful to be here.

“There’s a lot of people doing it tougher – I’d hate to go to work and be a labourer and do actual proper work.

“Everyone has ups and downs but work for me isn’t one of them.”

Martin Fisk from Menslink said the involvement of the Brumbies in the program was important.

“The Brumbies are role models,” he said.

“They’re footy players out there in the community in a sport that’s a pretty tough sport.

“Having guys like Tom come out and talk about how (concerns are) perfectly normal and you can make it through tough times much faster by not staying quiet about it and making sure you talk to people about your problems.

“After all silence is deadly.

“Too many young fellas who are bottling things up and then exploding in anger or having real serious problems down the track.”

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The Force have officially launched their Own The Force campaign, publishing their company prospectus on Thursday.

Though their future is still not certain, as SANZAAR’s discussions over a new Super Rugby format linger, the club has pushed forward with a plan to help establish more financial viability.

Fans can buy one of 10,000 $1000 shares in the newly public company Western Force Owners Pty Ltd., though if a minimum 5000 aren’t taken up in four months, buyers will be refunded.

The franchise’s prospectus states its aim is to obtain the operating rights to the Force, though that is not an objective the Australian Rugby Union, who currently holds them, has guaranteed.

WA Owners chairman Tony Howarth said it was time for supporters to put their money where their mouth is, after 4698 people registered their interest in buying a share in recent months.

“The support to date has shown the strength of the Western Australian rugby community. Players and the club are thrilled, but now it’s crunch time, and we need more West Aussies to get behind the future of the club,” he said.

“Fans will own the club and we’ll have the rights to operate a professional Western Australian team that can participate in the Super Rugby competition,” Mr Howarth said.

Anyone who does take a share would hold voting rights to an advisory committee and approval of key positions in the club’s hierarchy, input into match day and owner functions and discounts on memberships and junior registrations.

Thursday’s announcement came in a week that Australia’s under-fire Super Rugby clubs found their voice, with the Rebels and Brumbies both issuing calls to arms to their supporters ahead of critical Super Rugby matches.

The Brumbies put out their call on Tuesday, urging fans to come out to their clash with the Highlanders on Saturday night, one that could

The Rebels managing director Andrew Cox sent a letter to members on Thursday, a day out from their derby with the Waratahs, a match that will likely decide their 2017 season fate.

No decision on the future of the Super Rugby competition has been made public, with all four SANZAAR countries needing to communicate with various stakeholders.

Saturday will mark two weeks since a critical SANZAAR executive meeting, after which Super Rugby’s governing body said a decision would be made public in ‘the coming days’.

The ARU and its other SANZAAR partners have been asked to stay silent on the matter until all the decisions have been confirmed, though it is believed to be hinging on South Africa’s willingness to drop two of its teams, a move that would likely spell the end of an Australian side.

While the Force initially appeared the most under pressure when a competition review was announced eight months ago, rumours have circulated about the possibility of the Brumbies or the Rebels being in danger.

Shkodran Mustafi says that criticism from Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit will “haunt” him for the rest of his career.

The 27-year-old defender has played in just three matches this season for the Gunners, representing the club in Europa League victories over Eintracht Frankfurt and Standard Liege, while he also appeared in their comfy League Cup triumph over Nottingham Forest.

Mustafi, much-maligned and told by head coach Unai Emery he was free to leave in the summer, played his part as Arsenal kept clean sheets in all three fixtures.

However, the Germany international has struggled to make an impact since moving to the Emirates Stadium in a big-money transfer in 2016 and Petit labeled him the “king of blunders” back in March.

“I am self-critical enough to see that I made those mistakes,” Mustafi told Der Spiegel. “And I can cope with harsh criticism.

“But the criticism escalated, became irrational. I became a target. And we reached a point where people held me responsible for defeats in games I didn’t even take part in.

“I was annoyed (about Petit’s criticism). It is one thing when you are criticised by fans or media.

“But it’s a totally different thing if an ex-player, who knows how difficult it can be out there on the pitch, says something like that. I expect those players to be more sensitive and realise what they can initiate with such harsh criticism.

“Back in the day, it would have been in the papers for maybe a day and people would have forgotten about it. But it is written on the Internet today and will haunt me for the rest of my career.

“Former players like Petit should really not need to make their mark by talking current players down.”

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Lille sporting director Luis Campos has explained how Nicolas Pepe knows “everything about football” like Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe and that’s the reason he will be a success at Arsenal.

The Ivory Coast international has one goal and two assists in nine appearances in all competitions since he arrived in England from Ligue Un.

Much was expected from the 24-year-old at Arsenal after he tore the French top-flight apart last season with 22 goals and 11 assists.

However,  despite showing his ability in flashes, Pepe has failed to bring the level of performances expected of such a big-money signing.

When asked about Pepe, Campos told Sky Sports: “In my opinion one of the characteristics of a top, top player is that they like football.

“I remember working with Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe: they know everything about football. Mbappe knew all the results of the second division in France.

“Nicolas Pepe is like that. He’s another example of the importance of a player liking football. After a game he watches the whole game again two times, to make himself more perfect.”

 

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