Arsenal suffered their fourth defeat in five matches on Thursday night, losing 3-0 to Manchester City for the second time in just five days.
After their heavy Carabao Cup Final defeat to Pep Guardiola’s side on Sunday, Gunners fans were hoping for an improved performance in the league at the Emirates, not least because they badly need every point they can get right now.
Arsene Wenger’s outfit failed to deliver though and the loss means their hopes of a top four finish in the English Premier League have all but been extinguished.
Supporters were left fuming not just with the result but also the manner in which they conceded goals and generally failed to compete with their visitors.
The likes of Hector Bellerin, who was once an immensely popular character with fans, are lacking confidence and failing to produce football that allows them to challenge at the top end of the table.
Fans were critical of the Spaniard and took to Twitter to share their thoughts…
Wayne Rooney is not the right man to be captain of Manchester United, according to former England and Liverpool star Stan Collymore.
The Three Lions ace was given the armband by new boss Louis van Gaal over the summer following the exit of Nemanja Vidic, in a move that was criticised by some.
Although he’s one of the club’s all-time greats in terms of goals scored, Rooney’s temperament has often been criticised down the years.
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His actions once again made front and back page headlines last weekend as he was given a straight red card for a wild hack at West Ham’s Stewart Downing, and although Collymore doesn’t believe that the 29-year-old should be written off for such an act, he is sure that he’s not the correct player to captain United:
“I don’t think Wayne Rooney has represented the best of Manchester United of the last four or five years, if I’m being honest,” he told Bleacher Report.
“Should Wayne Rooney be thrown under the bus for being sent off? No, not really.
“Five years is a long time between sendings off. But should he be captain of Manchester United? No, I think that Louis Van Gaal should be looking elsewhere for the longer term.”
But Collymore went on to say that Rooney is still vital for United:
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“Let’s not forget, he’s won multiple Premier Leagues, he’s a Champions League winner, he’s approaching 100 caps for England, and a very, very experienced and useful man to have in and around your team and your squad.”
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Juventus have made a move for highly rated Udinese defender and Liverpool FC target Pablo Armero, according to talkSPORT.
The Italian press have reported that Juventus have made the first step in claiming Armero, by tabling an €8 million bid. However, it is thought that Udinese will hold firm for their €10 million valuation of the Columbian international.
It was thought that Brendan Rodgers was keen to bring in defensive options in January, after a less than impressive start to the Premier League season. Juventus’ swift movements will mean that the new man at Anfield will have to act quickly or risk losing his top transfer target.
Armero started his career with Columbian side Deportivo Cali before moving to Palmeiras in 2009. Impressive performances for the Brazilian side ignited interest from Italy and while a move to Parma collapsed at the last minute, in August 2010, Udinese claimed the defender.
At just 26, Armero already has 30 caps for Columbia. His position for his club tends to be at left wing back as Udinese play with an effective 3-5-2 formation. However, the South American plays left back for his country and started at centre back for Palmeiras so is versatile along the back line.
No comments have been made by the player himself but it is thought that now Italian giants Juventus have made their interest known, that will be Armero’s likely destination in January.
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Melbourne City winger Daniel Arzani impressed in a 23-minute cameo role in Australia’s 1-1 draw with Denmark in their second 2018 World Cup fixture on Thursday, and Leeds United fans have urged their club to sign the teenager, who has been dubbed as the ‘next Harry Kewell’.The 19-year-old is one of his nation’s brightest prospects and played the last 11 minutes of the 2-1 defeat to France previously, but he was given more than double that time to make an impression against the Danes, and he did exactly that.The attacker was quick, direct and not afraid to take on his opposition defender to try and get the ball into the penalty area, and his exciting play on the flank could mean that he fits perfectly into the 3-3-1-3 formation Bielsa, who should sign a £7.2m Everton attacker this summer if another £12m deal goes through, could implement at Elland Road.[brid autoplay=”true” video=”257599″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Leeds’ opening fixtures for the 201819 Championship season”]Leeds supporters were quick to have their say on Arzani’s display via social media, and while one said he is “very direct and something a bit different”, another described him as a “cracking player”.Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
Everton are currently in Dubai to spend the next few days at a warm-weather training camp.
Sam Allardyce and his players have taken the opportunity to work on their fitness and preparation in the sunshine rather than the winter chill in England.
The Merseyside outfit are not playing competitively this weekend as the coming days are dedicated to the FA Cup, in which Everton are no longer a part of.
The squad have been put through their paces in Dubai, and the club’s social media team have been on hand to document it.
During one video, midfielder Davy Klaassen was spotted, which sparked a reaction from supporters.
The Dutchman has been the forgotten man this season, despite being one of the club’s major signings of the summer window.
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The 24-year-old has made just 10 appearances in all competitions, and only three of those have been Premier League starts.
After seeing Klaassen train in Dubai with the rest of his teammates, some fans jokingly tweeted their shock.
While Manchester United have been keen to see what their successor to David Moyes can offer up at the World Cup, Louis van Gaal’s unconventional decision to substitute his starting goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen in the quarter-final against Costa Rica will stand out as the most intriguing moment of the Netherlands’ campaign through the World Cup in Brazil.
United are in need of someone who can be brave, bold and take risks; a complete departure from the safety-first, dreariness of the short-lived Moyes era at Old Trafford.
Van Gaal’s decision to bring Tim Krul into the mix against Costa Rica for the penalty shootout highlighted his attitude as a winner, but also his fearlessness to take risks in high-stakes situations.
A year ago Manchester United were leaderless and rudderless. They gave no indication that the duo of Moyes and Ed Woodward had an idea of how to navigate through the summer’s transfer market, missing out on available high-value players, venturing down dead ends and landing a player on deadline day that spoke more of desperation than genuine footballing need.
What a difference a manager like van Gaal can make. He’s yet to arrive at Old Trafford, but the club’s officials have already been kicked into gear in landing Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw, with more on the way.
The club also have issues that need addressing in the squad, namely the captaincy, which could well dodge the obvious candidate in Wayne Rooney for Robin van Persie. There is, of course, the problem of fitting all of the team’s attackers into a workable system, while a few of the club’s middle-of-the-road, uninspiring defenders also need to be put on the right path.
It isn’t a given that United will return to the top of the Premier League table in the next season or two. £200 million of spending will do something to drag the club out of the mire created during Moyes’ spell, but it also needs someone who can take the reins and push a squad to a point where they can be perceived to be punching in their weight category.
The Netherlands side have two supremely talented players, but they’re an uneven group. Prior to the World Cup, it could have easily been argued that van Gaal’s side wouldn’t feature in the final four, such was the strength of others and the lack of balance and experience in the Dutch team.
But United’s new manager has found multiple ways of countering those obvious problems. He’s tweaked formations; placed faith where it’s deserved, to much success; and made decisions that gave his side a psychological advantage over the opposition – as seen by the goalkeeping switch in the quarter-final shootout.
The loss against Argentina in the semi-final will do nothing to change the opinion of van Gaal. This is still one of Europe’s best winners. He turned a good squad into overachievers and created the impression that the Netherlands could win the tournament in Brazil. Their progression speaks greatly of the managerial qualities, the ruthlessness and the desire to win of van Gaal.
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The club need a manager who isn’t afraid to be the manager of Manchester United, someone who won’t show his cards and is able to mask his emotions as he takes on the club’s overwhelming stature head on.
As unorthodox as he can be – and there is sure to be fireworks along the way – this World Cup has confirmed that United have landed the perfect candidate to lead the revamp at Old Trafford.
Mark Hughes is finding votes of confidence easier to come by than points at the moment. Tony Fernandes, the Queens Park Rangers chairman, has given a second message of support to the manager in the space of a week, and the players who are bottom of the table have also issued a ringing endorsement of the manager’s credentials.
“For all QPR fans. Fans who analyse properly. I am not changing anything. And all shareholders agree,” tweeted Fernandes on Sunday morning, in response to the criticism that followed a fifth defeat of the season. “No team except the first game [against Swansea] has outplayed us. We need a consistent four defenders, not changing every week, especially left and right-back. Mark is the right man. For all those calling for change, this is the team that outplayed Spurs [and] gave Chelsea a damn good game, and you want change? No way.”
Hughes, in other words, is in for the long haul. Fernandes, though, has helpfully identified a few areas where the manager needs to get to work.
Esteban Granero, one of 12 summer signings, suggested the finger of blame needs to be pointed at the players, rather than the manager who has picked up 22 points from his 25 games in charge. “We all support the manager – we know he is the best manager we can have,” said the Spaniard, whose fine goal in injury time counted for nothing. “Most of the losses are not his fault. It is our fault – the people that are on the pitch. We are the ones who have to improve. We are worried because this is not where we want to be. This is not expected of the squad we have.”
It is arguable that QPR lack a leader figure on the pitch. Mark Hughes likes a good leader in his sides. Someone who can defend well, and have a multiplier effect on those around him. Someone to lead by example by blocking a shot, or simply to talk team mates through situations. When to stay on their feet, when to foul, when not to foul, and so forth. It’s the reason John Terry was his number one target when he was City manager, and why QPR made bids last January for Alex and Chris Samba, both aerially and physically dominant players. It’s the reason why QPR targeted Michael Dawson this summer, agreeing a fee but not personal terms with the Tottenham captain. None of these deals materialised and the club were left rudderless.
QPR have since made Park Ji-Sung, a great pro and example to team mates, the club’s captain. What Park does not bring is vocal leadership, a particular ability to organise those around him, or the ability to do things like talk to the referee. With Park missing from QPR’s trip to Arsenal, Ryan Nelsen took over the captaincy of the side. Now, no disrespect the veteran New Zealand defender, but Nelsen is no longer a particularly good player and was signed this summer as much for his dressing room influence and experience as his actual defending.
Beyond that, there are few candidates for a leadership role. In it a sad indication of QPR’s footballing character of the last few seasons that their previous two captains were Adel Taarabt and Joey Barton. Of course, Taarabt was never captaincy material, but the armband lifted his game and he played a massive part in getting QPR in to the Premier League. After his outbursts about departing the club, Joey Barton took over as club captain. QPR struggled massively, Barton performed poorly and the side very nearly went down. Another club who made a new signing captain, Wolves, were relegated. QPR have now done the same for the second season in a row and have started poorly and look more likely to be in a relegation scrap than in a comfortable mid-table position.
Any side without a good organiser in defence will struggle at defending crosses and set-pieces. These have been QPR’s biggest issues this season as opponents have lost their markers. Every player appears concentrated on their own jobs, and not able to cover for those around them. The poor disciplinary record is alarming – 11 red cards since the start of last season. This appears to stem from a lack of on-field leadership, and Mark Hughes must take some of the blame for this too. His Blackburn side were overly physical at times, but they had the football intelligence to make sure there were not too many red cards. Stéphane Mbia’s frankly ludicrous sending off may very well have cost QPR a point at The Emirates. This was from a player who has spoken in the past about not wanting to play in central defence for Marseille. You can’t help but question whether frustration over his position played a part.
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The results on the road have been extremely poor. In Hughes’ 14 away league games in charge, the side have picked up only 2 points – draws at Aston Villa and Norwich. Away trips are about defending well and being tactically intelligent. It’s also about keeping your emotions in check, and using some important tools to stop opponents – occasional tactical fouling, slowing the game down, wasting time, and drawing fouls. These can all be done within reason without cards being shown. However, there’s no player to be the manager’s on-field incarnation. Experienced managers can pair up weaker personalities with a stronger one on the field to talk them through games, remind them of their responsibilities, ensure they’re picking up their man at set-pieces etc. QPR are lacking in any types of these players, never mind having enough to have a leader in each department of the side.
The next few games may very well decide Mark Hughes’ future at QPR manager. Southampton, Aston Villa and Fulham all visit Loftus Road and this is a good chance to pick up some wins. If they don’t pick up a decent haul of points from these games, Hughes might find himself getting the sack. Not a lot can be done about the team lacking a literal and figurative spine until the January window opens.
According to the print version of The Sun on Sunday (June 17, page 59), Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce has identified Wigan Athletic centre-back Dan Burn as the man he wants to replace John Terry next season.
What’s the word, then?
According to The Sun on Sunday, Bruce wants to bring the 6ft 7in tall defender to Villa Park having been unable to extend captain Terry’s one-year deal because of their financial issues having missed out on promotion to the Premier League having been beaten play-off finalists.
The Sun on Sunday says that while Villa will need to sell before they can buy, and a deal for Burn is unlikely to be done until they move players on.
The centre-back only has one year left on his contract, and despite helping the Latics win the League One title last term, they could be tempted to cash in on him this summer if they receive an acceptable offer for him.
How well did Burn do last season?
He was brilliant.
The 26-year-old played the full 90 minutes in 45 of Wigan’s 46 League One fixtures, and as well as his defensive abilities he also helped his team at the other end with five goals and two assists.
The giant centre-half also captained his side to their memorable 1-0 FA Cup win against Manchester City in February a he brilliantly kept Sergio Aguero in his pocket, and according to WhoScored.com his two main strengths are – predictably – his ability to win aerial duels, as well as his tackling.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”255909″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Three reasons we love to hate… Germany”]
Would he be a good Villa signing?
He certainly could be.
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It seems clear that Villa, who are also reportedly to be interested in signing a free agent centre-back, won’t be able to spend big this summer and can’t aim really high when it comes to bringing new players to the club.
Burn showed for Wigan last season that he is a great defender and a leader, and as well as his strengths in the air he also isn’t bad with the ball at his feet, either.
If Bruce can bring him to Villa Park for a reasonable fee, then it would be a no-brainer for a player with similar attributes to Terry.
Olivier Giroud was a fan favourite among the Arsenal following, and some continued their support of the striker even after he joined Chelsea last month.The Frenchman secured a move to Stamford Bridge on deadline day, with theÂDaily MailÂreporting that the transfer cost around £18m.The 31-year-old was targeted as a replacement for Michy Batshuayi, who left Chelsea to join Borussia Dortmund on loan.On Monday night, Giroud made his debut for the West London outfit, coming off the bench to play 26 minutes of the club’s Premier League game against Watford at Vicarage Road.It was a debut to forget for the striker as he was on the losing side of a 4-1 scoreline, with Eden Hazard being the only Chelsea player to score during the fixture.On top of that, the Blues had to play 60 minutes with just 10 men following Tiemoue Bakayoko’s sending-off for picking up a second yellow card.The result prompted Arsenal fans to take to Twitter, with some feeling sympathy for Giroud, while others took some joy in the misfortune.
David Moyes may never get another opportunity to manage one of the Premier League’s biggest clubs. The damage done to his reputation after his disastrous 10-month spell as Manchester United manager looks to be irreparable.
Moyes was the wrong man for Manchester United, something most couldn’t see from the off. His limitations as a manager were exposed, while his better traits that won him so much goodwill while at Everton were never given a solid platform to reveal themselves amid a group of apparently insubordinate players.
Moyes wasn’t the right fit for Manchester United because his footballing ideals didn’t go hand-in-hand with those of last season’s Premier League champions. Moyes has never been one for vibrant, attacking football. His principles lie in defending his own keep first, then worrying about turning a draw into a win. It’s not unfair to say those at United weren’t buying into that premise.
So how does Moyes go about rebuilding his career? Is a short trip into the studio on the cards? That probably wouldn’t be too wise. If Moyes is going to fight off the demons of his stint at Old Trafford, he’ll need to do it by being a manager, by doing some good at another club.
How about a page out of Steve McClaren’s books? The former England manager, previously admired for what he had achieved either as a head coach or as an assistant incidentally at United, moved abroad and found success in Dutch football with FC Twente. In his second season in the Netherlands, McClaren won the Eredivisie title, earning him a move to German side Wolfsburg, who had recently been crowned Bundesliga champions.
Interestingly, Moyes was touted as a possible option for Schalke in the recent past. A move to Germany and the Royal Blues would have given the Glaswegian the kind of tools to prepare him for life at a club of Manchester United’s size. Schalke are a team regularly in the race for a top four position in Germany, and though Moyes appeared surprisingly at home in the Champions League this season, the experience of doing it abroad away from the watch of the English press would have been invaluable.
Where Moyes failed at United was through his inability to shake the underdog mentality he had so proudly adopted at Everton. Schalke, at present, are not a match for Bayern Munich, while local rivals Borussia Dortmund have remained well ahead of them since Jurgen Klopp arrived. But Schalke are capable of beating the big teams, both domestically and in Europe.
Moyes is still a manager who can learn a lot, but he’s also a manager who can offer a lot if given the right environment to work. He hasn’t become a bad manager overnight – or over the course of a traumatic 10 months. Think of the good he did while at Everton: building them up as a regular for a Europa League finish while working to a budget that paled in comparison to those around him. And of course there’s the success he had in bringing through young players and making the most of a very good academy. Clubs around Europe who are in need of that managerial skill may just look to Moyes as a good candidate.
In England, Moyes has been linked with a couple of jobs this summer. Newcastle and Tottenham look set for a managerial shakeup come the end of the season, with the latter certain to move on Tim Sherwood and the former’s supporters disillusioned with life under Alan Pardew.
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But Moyes needs an escape, not another reason for the knives to be sharpened. He’s one disastrous defeat away from falling back into the mire that was this season. Not only does Moyes need to allow the focus to be permanently switched onto something or someone else, he needs to repair and get his mind back on track, something that is extremely difficult to do under the pressures of English football.
There are sure to be opportunities for Moyes to reinvent himself around Europe – and it doesn’t necessarily have to be at a club from one of the continents leading leagues.