Month: March 2021

Former Manchester United midfielder Lee Sharpe has never been convinced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and has questioned his ability to “get the players up for it” in big games.

Despite looking at one stage as though they might challenge for the title this season, a run of poor results and performances has left them 14 points behing leaders Manchester City – their opponents on Sunday.

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Speaking to Ladbrokes, Sharpe provided a damning assessment of Solskjaer as United boss.

“I have to say I’ve never really thought Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was the right man for the Manchester United job,” Sharpe said.

“Yes, he’s done a good job, but I think he’s done as well as he can do, to be honest. The board have backed him, they’ve given him money to spend, but he’d never have been my first choice, purely because of that lack of experience.

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“If you’re one of the biggest companies in the world outside of football, you’re not going to employ someone for such a big role the way United have done with Ole.

“If you look at his experience of the Premier League, he managed Cardiff – then he went to Molde in Norway for a little bit.

“So to then come in to one of the biggest clubs in the world off the back of that record, I think he’s a little bit out of his depth.”

He added: “You can see that in certain games; I don’t think he gets the players up for it.

“I don’t by any stretch of the imagination think you need to manage players by fear, but there does need to be that element of aggression – and it’s something you see all of those top managers possess.

“I hope he proves me wrong; he’s a great bloke and he is doing a good job. I just don’t think he’s the ultimate man for the job.

“When he’s competing against the likes of Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel, Jose Mourinho, all of these managers that are more knowledgeable and experienced, it’s a tough ask for him.”

Jurgen Klopp says a team needs to have a “nearly perfect season” to win the Premier League as the Liverpool boss dissects what’s gone wrong for the Reds this season.

“Before the season, yes, we knew we were good,” Klopp told Sky Sports. “That did not mean we were going to win it, but it just increases your responsibility to achieve something.

“We are still a good team but a lot of things have happened this season and if you want to win the league in England you have to play a nearly perfect season.

“You can see that now with City. They did not start perfectly but they obviously now are in a mood where it looks like perfection. Results wise, one hundred per cent. Performance wise, not far away. That is the season you have to play to become champions in England.”

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F365 says: Liverpool can and must finally use the obvious solution

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It’s been far from perfect for Liverpool.

“We started the season pretty well,” Klopp points out. He is right. Three wins out of three before the 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa that looked like an outlier but will now be seen as foreshadowing the troubles to come. At the turn of the year, it was their only defeat.

“We were, for a long time, on top or around the top of the table, scoring goals.”

From that point Liverpool have dropped like stone, losing more games in two months of 2021 than in the previous two years combined.

“The problems that we had, it was always clear that they would become influential if we could not sort it by the players coming back. That is what happened.”

“Most of the problems are as a result of the injury situation,” says Klopp. “This year we have faced completely new problems. I have never in my life – and I have been doing the job for 20 years – had to change the last line every week.

“I am a much better manager this season than I was before because usually you are not having to think about these things but now I am having to think about them constantly.

“We had a situation on Friday night. We trained all week, or the few days that we had to train, with one specific line-up and then overnight we had to change it completely. That is another big thing to do that is common in football but we have had it plenty of times.

“People might say that is an excuse. I could not care less, to be honest. We do not use it as an excuse but if you ask me the question then it is the explanation for why things changed.

“We are all detail fanatics and it is very important that the little things work really well because then they become really influential on the bigger picture.

“Very often, that means the way you defend. You work on it but you do not change it too much because defending is something where stability is really important. And we have had to change our defence way too often to have any kind of stability, that is the truth.

“Still, for a while, we got the results we wanted. But then we started playing not that well any more because now we had to put more focus on protecting our offensive situations.

“That cost us fluency and fluidity offensively. At that point, we realised that we were not creating as much any more, but we were still scoring goals. Then, we were not creating enough, only a few chances, and we were not scoring goals either.

“That is when the results go and you find that the train you want to be on is – if not gone – already far away.

“Now, we are playing good football again. We create chances but we don’t score. So we have had pretty much all of the problems that you can have in football in one season.”

Klopp laughs at the thought of it.

“I am not angry about it or whatever, I am 53 years old. I have had different moments in my life. Wonderful moments, lesser moments. It is just a football problem.

“Dealing with frustration, dealing with failures, you can learn so much in these moments, it is unbelievable. That is what we will do.

“It helps you in life.”

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Jaguar’s Sam Bird won Formula E’s second round at Diriyah on Saturday, but the race was cut short following a spectacular crash involving Mahindra’s Alex Lynn.

Bird and polesitter Robin Frijns enjoyed a race-long battle, swapping positions at the head of the field when the Safety Car was deployed with ten minutes left on the clock after Nissan’s Sebastian Buemi was left stranded.

But simultaneously, an incident involving Tom Blomqvist and Maximilian Guenther was followed by Lynn’s crash, the Mahindra driver skidding down a run-off area upside down!

Lynn was taken to hospital for an evaluation, but initial reports indicated that the Briton was conscious and talking.

The prolonged safety Car period eventually led to the race being stopped with two minutes left on the clock.

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Bird blasted off the grid from third to overtake Dragon Penske’s Sergio Sette Camara before snapping at Frijns’ heels. The Dutchman held his own up front until he went through the attack mode activation zone, using his extra boost of energy to reclaim the lead from Bird.

Bird fell to third after seeking his own boost of power but swiftly moved back up to second and then first when Frijns took his second dose of attack mode.

Again the Envision Virgin driver reclaimed the lead, with the two drivers on equal power engaging in a straight fight, while behind DS Techeetah teammates Jean-Eric Vergne and Antonio Felix da Costa clashed and took themselves out of contention.

Eventually, Bird used his final dose of extra power to gain the upper hand over Frijns and seal his first win with Jaguar, beating Frijns, Vergne and da Costa while Virgin teammate Nick Cassidy rounded off the top five.

Update:

DS Techeetah’s Jean-Eric Vergne has been stripped of his 3rd place podium finish from round 2 of the Diriyah E-Prix for not having used his second Attack Mode before the race ended.

The time penalty drops Vergne from P3 down to P12 while his teammate Antonio Felix da Costa inherits 3rd in the event’s final standings.

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Brighton and Burnley are monitoring the progress of Celtic defender Jack Hendry, according to reports.

The 6ft 4in centre-back is enjoying a great loan spell with Belgian outfit Oostende this term.

Numerous impressive performances have increased his transfer value and alerted scouts in England.

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According to the Daily Mail, Brighton and Burnley are leading the race for Hendry’s signature.

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They’re joined by Premier League strugglers Sheffield United.

The report states that Hendry is benefitting from regular first team football in Belgium this season.

He is developing into a potential star with great ball-playing abilities. The Scotsman is also a real threat from set pieces.

Celtic know that Hendry is attracting interest and could consider selling him to improve their transfer funds.

Burnley are looking at the 25-year-old as a potential replacement for James Tarkowski.

The England international has been linked with Leicester City and Manchester United.

Brighton are also expecting bids in the summer for exciting defender Ben White.

The Seagulls may invest any money they receive for White into Hendry.

Sheffield United, meanwhile, are busy preparing for life in the Championship.

Relegation could unsettle the first team with the Blades at risk of losing John Egan.

The Ireland international has been a stalwart at the back at for Chris Wilder but might seek to remain in the top flight.

Hendry would be a perfect solution for Wilder in the heart of his defence.

If Celtic fail to receive a sufficient bid then Hendry could be put in the first team next season.

The Scottish side’s defence has been a problem area in 2020/21. They conceded 19 goals in the Europa League as they finished bottom of Group H on just 4 points.

Hendry might be brought into the squad to replace either Stephen Welsh or Kristoffer Ajer.

Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Alisson and Fabinho will return to face Chelsea and refused to rule out minutes for Diogo Jota.

Alisson missed the clash against Sheffield United following the tragic death of his father but will be back in the starting lineup on Thursday.

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The Liverpool boss is also hopeful Jota can play some part at Anfield but says the Portuguese forward has been struggling with a “stomach problem”.

Fabinho – who’s missed the last three and six of the last seven – is also set to return in some capacity, with Klopp suggesting the Brazilian could return to Liverpool’s midfield having been deployed at centre-back since mid-October.

“Both [Fabinho in defence and mid] is possible,” Klopp said. “If we can find a way to play in midfield, that would be helpful. Most consistent player this season is Wijnaldum, 6 ,8 but with Fab in 6 would be helpful. We will see. Both positions are intense.

“We haven’t had to rush him back. That’s the first time. We don’t know if he will play or is only ready for the bench. We will see. If I’d made my decision already, I wouldn’t tell you! Let’s see.”

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Man Utd will have to find a new suitor for Andreas Pereira after Lazio reportedly pulled out of the race to sign him.

Pereira is currently on loan with the Italian side in an attempt to get his career back on track.

He’s made 15 appearances so far this campaign, scoring one goal.

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According to the Daily Star, Lazio are unlikely to active their buy-out option to sign Pereira this summer.

They’re unwilling to spend £24.5million on a player who is known to be unreliable when it comes to form.

Man Utd were hoping that Lazio would sign Pereira to get him off their books.

The player has been deemed surplus to requirements by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

He did make plenty of appearances at Old Trafford last season but failed to prove his worth.

In September, reports suggested that Lazio had already decided to buy Pereira from United at the end of his loan.

It seems they have changed their minds after monitoring the Brazilian’s form over the past few months.

Pereira hasn’t scored since a 1-0 victory over Torino back in November.

The player has also failed to feature for a full 90 minutes since December. He is mainly being used as a substitute by Lazio boss Simone Inzaghi.

The system Inzaghi plays doesn’t tend to suit Pereira, who normally operates as an attacking midfielder.

Lazio prefer to play with two strikers and three central midfielders, including former Liverpool man Lucas Leiva.

Pereira is thought to be growing frustrated with his lack of playing time. It’s not clear where his long-term future lies.

The 25-year-old will not be able to fight his way back into the United team considering the form of Bruno Fernandes.

Solskjaer can also play Juan Mata and Donny van de Beek in attacking midfield, giving Pereira pretty much no chance.

The player’s contract expires in June so the Red Devils could let him leave for free at the end of the season.

Manchester City star Ruben Dias says watching Premier League centre-backs when he was growing up was his idea of a “dream weekend”.

Dias has enjoyed a superb first season in England following his £65million move to City from Benfica in the summer.

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F365 says: F*** the asterisks, this is a brilliant Man City side

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The centre-back – who has been an ever-present in City’s 21-game winning run – revealed his admiration for the Premier League greats he watched as a youngster.

Speaking to Rio Ferdinand on BT Sport, Dias said: “When I was a kid watching the Premier League was my dream weekend, I’ve watched many games with you, Vidic, Kompany, John Terry, an infinite list.

“From there you start learning and I learnt a lot from what I hear and what I see and just by watching I started to understand the league and the way you play.

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“The thing that makes the big difference is how competitive it is. Here you get the challenge every game and I think that’s what makes the league different and if you’re successful it’s because you can solve it many times.”

Dias’ form has led to comparisons with City legend Vincent Kompany, but the 23-year-old insists he is his own man.

“I felt zero pressure – no one could put more pressure apart from the pressure I put on myself,” Dias added.

“People are comparing me to Vincent and I understand why people do it but honestly for me you cannot replace Kompany because of all that he’s done. I have a lot ambition, I want to win.”

England manager Gareth Southgate believes Britain would be “well placed” to host this summer’s eagerly-anticipated European Championship if UEFA moves away from its Europe-wide plan.

Euro 2020 was postponed last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the disease’s ongoing impact continues to provide headaches in the build-up to the rearranged competition.

London, Glasgow and Dublin are among 12 host cities for a tournament that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has expressed an openness to stepping in and hosting if there had to be a rethink on the format.

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“We are hosting the Euros,” he told The Sun. “We are hosting the semis and the final.  If there’s any other matches that they want hosted, we’re certainly on for that but at the moment that’s where we are with UEFA.”

England are due to play their three group games at Wembley, where the semi-finals and final will also be held, and Southgate believes the UK is capable of hosting the entire tournament if needed.

“Obviously we have our group matches at Wembley anyway so we’re hugely looking forward to that,” the Three Lions manager told talkSPORT.

“We’ve got our fingers crossed that we keep progressing as we are and there could be some fans back in the stadium. That would be the first step.

“Then everything else is a bit up in the air, really. Of course at the moment we’re being told the tournament will stay in its current format.

“You would imagine if there’s an option for one country to host, we’ll be well placed with a couple of other countries to be able to do that.

“But as a team we’ve got to remember that just hosting is not a great guarantee of success. There’s only France, really, that have done that in European Championships, hosted and won.

“You don’t win just because you’re the host. We won’t win just because our group matches are at Wembley. We’ve got to play well and we’ve got to be as prepared as we possibly can be.”

The Government’s recently-published road map could see crowds of up to 10,000 returning to stadiums by May 17, with full capacity venues possible dependent on the success of pilot events from June 21 at the earliest.

 

England round off Group D the following day against the Czech Republic at Wembley and, however the tournament is structured, Southgate believes this will be a summer that can provide a much-needed boost.

“Well, I think the beer’s back on the day after the Czech Republic game, isn’t it?” said Southgate, who led the Three Lions on their memorable run to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.

“I’m slightly less for throwing it around rather than drinking it but, yeah, look, if we can play a part in the country getting back its energy, its enthusiasm for life, its enjoyment. You know, the beauty of the international tournaments.

“Of course, we have an incredible league and everybody’s hugely passionate about their clubs and rightly so. You have certain moments of the season where nobody gives a monkey’s about international football, frankly – normally when I’m having to pick the squad and get released the players, but I think the major tournaments are national events.

“The whole family sit and watch them. We all go through that rollercoaster.

“I can think back to watching Scotland in ’78 in Argentina or England in ’82 in Spain and all those memories that that you share as a family. Those key international moments stick with you.

” I think we’re ready for that, I think the country are ready for that enjoyment and that excitement about some sport.

“I think in a time when we haven’t had enough to get excited about and to enjoy, to have a major championship coming up is something that we’re all looking forward to.”

 

Aston Villa are ‘not yet convinced’ on the permanent signing of Ross Barkley from Chelsea, according to reports.

The attacking midfielder enjoyed a good start to his loan spell at Villa Park, scoring against Liverpool and Leicester.

That led to rumours of a permanent deal as Chelsea gave him a £35million price tag.

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According to Football Insider, Villa are yet to be convinced that the 27-year-old is worth that kind of fee.

The report states that it’s far from certain that they will sign him permanently during the summer transfer window.

Villa will continue to monitor his progress and impact on the team.

Manager Dean Smith is thought to be in a ‘quandary’ over the player’s best position and his long term effectiveness.

Barkley’s permanent deal is under threat from the club’s already strong midfield.

They have the likes of Jack Grealish, Douglas Luiz and John McGinn at their disposal.

Morgan Sanson arrived for a £15.5million fee in January.

Barkley was an unused sub in their recent 1-0 victory over Leeds United.

Rather than start with Barkley in attacking midfield, Smith opted for a 4-3-3 formation with attacking wingers.

It’s not clear how Barkley would fit in with this system and whether he would be a success.

Barkley could return to Stamford Bridge at the end of his loan to fight for a place in the first team.

He will have to impress German boss Thomas Tuchel, who can already rely on Kai Havertz and Mason Mount in Barkley’s position.

Villa might be able to pick him up for a reduced fee next season if Chelsea deem him surplus to requirements.

Despite the uncertainty, Barkley did get off to a great start in the first few months of the campaign.

He formed a good relationship with both Jack Grealish and Ollie Watkins in attack.

Villa recorded a dominant 7-2 win over reigning champions Liverpool in October, during which Barkley excelled.

The goal involvements have since dried up, however, and his future with Villa is now less clear.

The obvious Man Utd striker targets are Harry Kane and Erling Haaland. But what if they prove impossible?

 

Andre Silva
The Portugal international is the name currently in the frame to lead the line for United next season. And the whispers haven’t escaped Silva’s attention.

“I’ve heard rumours, but that is it. Rumours are rumours. At the end of this season, it’s something that gives me more motivation to work, it’s a sign that what I have accomplished has borne fruit and the path has been good.”

What has he accomplished? So far this season, 19 goals in 21 Bundesliga games, which nestles Silva between goal robots Robert Lewandowski and Haaland in the race for the German Golden Boot. Only Lewandowski and Lionel Messi have scored more goals in Europe’s top five leagues this season.

Silva has certainly found a home at Eintracht Frankfurt. This season is a continuation of the progress he made on loan there last term, when he notched 12 goals – the first time since leaving Porto in 2017 that the 25-year-old had broken into double figures. He struggled with just two goals in 25 games after a big-money move to AC Milan and while nine goals during a year on loan at Sevilla marked an improvement, it hardly had the big boys queueing up once more.

But Frankfurt seem to have an eye for potent-but-misfiring strikers…

 

Luka Jovic
Like Silva, Jovic established his credentials as goal machine in Frankfurt. After failing to make the breakthrough at Benfica, he moved to Germany on a two-season loan in 2017, after which he netted 25 Bundesliga goals.

Frankfurt made Benfica look rather silly by exercising their option to buy Jovic for around £5million before almost immediately selling him on to Real Madrid for ten times that amount. Which remains one of the smartest bits of business of recent years.

Especially since Frankfurt now have Jovic back. The Serbia striker returned in January to complete the season on loan back in the Bundesliga after struggling to settle at Real. He managed only a couple of La Liga goals in 21 appearances over a season and a half, but already he is on three in eight matches for Frankfurt.

Which is good news for Real if they hope to claw back anything even close to the investment they made to sign Jovic in 2019. United were said to be keen last summer so we can only presume they are watching the 23-year-old closely as he vies with Silva for the starting spot at Frankfurt.

 

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F365 Says: To fail at Real is forgivable… Prem pair must move for Jovic

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Dominic Calvert-Lewin
United have also had a long-term interest in Calvert-Lewin. They were first linked with the Everton striker in 2019 and the rumours haven’t dissipated, even if their chances of signing him probably have.

Calvert-Lewin was in the £50million bracket back then and his form since, coupled with the fact he has signed a long-term deal, has seen his value skyrocket further. He finished with 13 Premier League goals last season which he has already matched this term in 15 fewer matches.

And United’s interest was initially registered before Carlo Ancelotti took over at Everton. The Italian, along with Duncan Ferguson, has taken Calvert-Lewin’s game to another level and into the England reckoning.

Unfortunately for United, Everton players are no longer easy pickings in the transfer market. The Toffees don’t need the cash and few will push to leave while Ancelotti is building at Goodison.

 

Raul Jimenez
United might get more joy out of a move for Jimenez…

The Wolves striker is currently sidelined after fracturing his skull in November, but the Red Devils were fond of the Mexican prior to his injury, as he himself revealed.

“One day I woke up and Juventus wanted me, another Manchester United and what I know is that there were approaches made. But an agreement was never reached and nothing was close… It did not happen this time. If it happens at some point then it will have to be what is best for me, for Wolves and the team that I join.”

Jimenez’s appeal came in the 27 goals he scored for Wolves last season but Nuno and Wolves have had to prepare for life without the 29-year-old with the signing of Jose Willian in January, following the club-record arrival of Fabio Silva last summer. Wolves have the option of making Willian’s deal permanent in the summer, by which time Jimenez will have turned 30, which means his value will start to plummet even if his productivity does not.

Patrick Bamford
Interest from United in Bamford would no doubt be well received at Elland Road…

No English player not named Harry Kane has scored more in the Premier League this season, with 13 goals quelling the concerns that Bamford would struggle at the highest level.

After Tony Pulis hardened Bamford, Marcelo Bielsa has further refined the 27-year-old dismissed by many as too push to prosper at the top.

But, similar to Calvert-Lewin and Ancelotti, Bamford and Bielsa are a formidable double act, and Leeds have no motivation to sell a striker moulded to thrive in their system – especially not to Manchester United.