Month: December 2020

Louis van Gaal has questioned whether Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is “properly training” his Manchester United players to adapt to the different formations he uses.

United’s inconsistency has led many to believe the players are struggling with Solskjaer’s inability to stick to one system.

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And Van Gaal isn’t sure the United boss is preparing his players effectively for the changes.

“The football he brings is of a counter attacking team. He always adapts to his opponents,” the Dutchman told the Mirror.

“And he is playing different systems all the time. Against Southampton it is 4-4-2, in the next match it is 5 defenders, next it is 4-2-3-1.

“You could argue he is using the qualities of his players, but at West Ham United they were outclassed in the first half.

“It was only when Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes came on they made the difference. Using different systems is okay but my question would be is he actually properly training the players to use these systems?

“Because it’s key that if you switch these different playing systems it must be executed in a good way. It depends less on the quality of the players than on the actual practice of a system in training.”

 

Van Gaal says he was unimpressed with United in the recent goalless draw with Man City.

Van Gaal, who twice beat City as United boss, argued his former side played like they were their rivals “servants”.

He said: “All Man United did was defend with ten men. Everyone knows my relationship with Pep Guardiola, who is angry with me because I challenged him in my last book.

“But I enjoyed watching City more than United. I have far more sympathy for City than for United.

“Honestly, United were just defending and hoping they can do a quick hit on the counter. Pep’s team don’t have the intention to defend with ten men.

“United just defend and put a couple of players up front who can run 100 metres in 9 seconds. Is that a world record?

“All I mean to say is that Greenwood, Rashford or Martial are super fast runners who will use the space United’s opponents leave behind their defence when United sit back and defend.

“In the derby, United played as if they were City’s servants.’”

Van Gaal also says that while Solskjaer’s status as a club legend is currently protecting him from the sack, he insisted that the Norwegian could follow the same fate he did.

“Solskjaer is an ex-player, so they will not sack him as quickly as someone else,” Van Gaal added.

“United won’t sack a manager during the season especially Solskjaer. I see all the stories about Solskjaer and his future in the media.

“But they waited with sacking me until the end of the season and that could happen to him.”

 

Sam Allardyce admits losing his proud record of never being relegated from the Premier League would “kill” him.

West Brom are Allardyce’s eighth top-flight club and, despite some close shaves, he successfully kept the previous seven out of harm’s way.

But the 66-year-old concedes he has put his unblemished record on the line with the Baggies lying 19th in the table, with only one win to their name.

He said: “I think that having never been relegated, it would kill me if I got relegated.

“I’d be massively upset. I would have that tag of getting one club relegated and I don’t want it.

“It may happen this time, I can’t guarantee that it won’t happen. But I’ll do my best to get them safe.”

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Allardyce’s first game in charge is a midlands derby against Aston Villa at The Hawthorns.

Dean Smith’s side have made a decent start to the season following last term’s narrow escape from relegation, and Allardyce is an admirer of the Villa boss.

“He’s similar to me, like Chris Wilder at Sheffield United, he’s had to work his way up through the leagues to get the big job, to work in the Premier League,” added Allardyce.

“He’s done his apprenticeship and now he’s at a football club that he dreamt about being at.

“Of course after last season’s heroics at the end, just staying up, it shows what can be done in the space of a summer. They’ve started really well and are moving in the right direction.

“What we have to do on Sunday is make sure they’re miserable when we’ve finished.”

Yerry Mina’s header before half time was enough to earn Everton all three points over Arsenal to compound more misery on Mikel Arteta’s side.

While his former club are upwardly mobile again after three victories in eight days moved them to second in the table the Spaniard is struggling to see where his next three points are coming from.

If there is any encouragement for Arteta it is that before victories over Chelsea, Leicester and now the Gunners Carlo Ancelotti’s team were on a run of one win in seven.

But to turn things around they are going to have to either improve on just the three shots on target – one Nicolas Pepe’s first-half penalty equaliser – they managed on Merseyside or take a leaf out of the Toffees’ book who scored two from just one attempt on target as Rob Holding’s own goal opener was followed by Yerry Mina’s header on the stroke of half-time.

They were not helped by the absence of top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with a tight calf but they conceded possession from the off and lacked any intensity or desire to break up their opponents’ play.

Everton played most of the opening 20 minutes in front of a low block of nine outfield Arsenal players, rarely getting anyone in behind to open up the visitors.

As a result a frustrated Dominic Calvert-Lewin, starting to feel isolated with Gylfi Sigurdsson playing more of a number 10 role, began to drop deeper which played into the Gunners’ hands even more.

But having got their top scorer back into a decent position again Alex Iwobi swung over a cross on which the striker was able to get a glancing header on.

The ball’s trajectory would have taken it well wide but Arsenal’s luck was against them and it was diverted past Bernd Leno by Holding’s thigh as Arteta’s side went behind for the seventh successive league match.

Eddie Nketiah snatched at a shot when he had more time to consider his options before Arsenal were gifted an equaliser.

Mina’s poor defensive header put Tom Davies, back in the side for the injured Allan, in trouble and as he attempted to boot the ball clear Ainsley Maitland-Niles nipped in and the Everton midfielder’s swing of his right foot brought down his opponent.

Pepe sent Jordan Pickford the wrong way from the spot for the 35th-minute equaliser but on the stroke of half-time equally-bad defending allowed the home side to go ahead again.

Leno’s save from Cavert-Lewin was more than good enough but from Sigurdsson’s resulting corner Mina rose highest to beat the goalkeeper at his near post – his fourth successive Premier League goal in the 45th minute.

The first half could only have been been worse for Arsenal had Dani Ceballos been sent off for an apparent rake of his studs on Mina but he escaped punishment.

Since Arteta took charge Arsenal have failed to win any of their previous 10 league games when trailing at half-time and although they began the second half more positively they created little more.

The closest they came was when recalled goalkeeper Pickford failed to claim a cross and the loose ball was driven goalwards by David Luiz only to deflect off Abdoulaye Doucoure and onto the post.

Even the first appearance since March of 19-year-old forward Gabriel Martinelli, scorer of 10 goals in 26 appearances last season, and the late introduction of Alexandre Lacazette failed to improve the fortunes of the visitors who did not force Pickford into a save until the fifth minute of added time.

 

Man City rode out a lot of second half pressure from Southampton to pick up a valuable three points at St Mary’s.

Raheem Sterling turned home a Kevin De Bruyne cross to give City an early lead and they were able to hold on to secure all three points after back-to-back Premier League draws.

Southampton went into the game third in the table having suffered just one defeat in their previous 11 games, but City did enough to secure the three points, although they were unable to add to their early advantage.

Pep Guardiola’s side looked resolute at the back throughout, although they have yet to hit their stride going forward and have amassed just 19 goals from their first 13 Premier League games this season.

Southampton started brightly and looked to stop Manchester City settling or controlling the ball, confidently chasing down goalkeeper Ederson and forcing some rushed kicks into touch.

When the chance came however City were clinical as Sterling turned a well-struck low De Bruyne cross into the back of the net in the 16th minute.

Southampton looked to hit back before half-time with Theo Walcott, who had earned his manager’s praise following his midweek display against former club Arsenal, making a number of threatening runs towards the City goal.

Ralph Hasenhuttl had said before the game that he would be open to making Walcott’s season-long loan from Everton permanent and the 31-year-old looked to repay his manager’s faith in him, causing problems for City down the right-hand side all afternoon.

Southampton were unable to create clear-cut chances, despite continuing to dominate possession in the latter stages of the first half.

Their task was made more difficult after Danny Ings, who has seven goals to his name this season, was forced off just before the break.

Manchester City came out strongly at the start of the second half and almost doubled their lead when Ferran Torres ran down the right before firing a shot across goal and just wide of the target.

Torres had another opportunity after De Bruyne expertly created space down the left before feeding it across to the Spaniard, who managed to turn in the box but lost control and the ball trickled into Alex McCarthy’s grasp.

Southampton were unable to carry their momentum from the end of the first half into the second, despite occupying space on the edge of the City box.

De Bruyne had a chance in the 70th minute to wrap up all three points for City after being played through by Bernardo Silva, but his final effort lacked power and McCarthy was able to gather, with Ilkay Gundogan also having an effort saved.

The following are highlights of the latest blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:

On his thoughts on WWE SummerSlam: “I thought Summer Slam was a really good show. From the untouchable broadcast opening, which no one in TV does better within their genre than WWE, to the jaw dropping main event that unleashed the legit beast that is Brock Lesnar, Summer Slam was a ‘transitional show’ that we may look back upon in the coming years and say that was the show that changed the course of WWE.

From developing Lesnar’s next opponent, and his future opponents, to watching the evolution of the next level of main event stars, this is going to be an interesting notwithstanding crucial time within WWE as it relates to their ‘creative’ direction but more importantly, in my eyes, their overall booking philosophy.

The way to sell more $9.99 WWE Network isn’t overstated marketing plans heavy on rhetoric and redundancy but getting the brand hot again and making RAW, and Smackdown to a slightly lesser degree, more ‘must see.’ The hotter the product is the more consumers will want to experience it in any form that they can including the Network which I personally enjoy.

Seems that this is the time for WWE upper mgmt to rely on those with extensive product knowledge and less on the creative types whose strengths are seemingly writing promos and campy skits. There are some excellent ‘wrestling people’ there than can and should step up and express themselves.

Summer Slam was action heavy and the talk was efficiently succinct and timely. Hence, the event was easier to watch and process.”

On Brock Lesnar’s destruction of John Cena: “Regarding Lesnar’s dominating performance against Cena, too many people are already leaving/forgetting that performance and it’s impact to look a head and fixate on who’s next for Lesnar and how can it be possible that any one can ever beat him. Firstly, in the land of sports entertainment, a variety of things can occur to create the ‘impossible’ but my take on this is to see Lesnar sporadically defend the title, please don’t live or die on the “30 Day Rule,” while new challengers are being developed.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

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