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.
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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.
Manchester City are hoping to lure Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi to the Premier League during the January transfer window, according to reports from The Telegraph.
Roberto Mancini held his first meeting with new Director of Football Txiki Begiristain earlier this week and the pair have put the Italian international at the top of their list of targets.
The 29-year-old is believed to be unsettled in Rome following the arrival of new coach Zdenek Zemen.
Under the Czech manager De Rossi has been played out of position on the right hand side of a 4-3-3 formation, which has left the local hero disillusioned and frustrated.
City failed with an approach to sign the holding midfielder over the summer, as he pledged his commitment to the club.
However, Mancini believes he may now be able to entice his target to the Etihad Stadium by taking advantage of his unrest.
Paris Saint-Germain are also said to be monitoring the situation and could rival any approach from the Citizens.
De Rossi was a key member of the Italian squad during EURO 2012. His displays in the centre of the park aided the team on their journey to the final, which they eventually lost to Spain.
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Although he is a central midfielder by trade, the Roma vice-captain has been known to play as part of a three-man defence, which may appeal to the Premier League champions who have adopted the same system on multiple occasions this season.
When a new player is welcomed into a football club, it would be natural for first-team members to feel slightly nervous about their own positions.
Hector Bellerin was a favourite within the Arsenal fanbase when he penned a long-term contract in 2016, but last season, the right-back struggled to impress.
In total, the Spaniard, who is valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, started 45 games in all competitions, including 34 in the Premier League.
During that time, Bellerin scored three goals and created five assists, but his defensive qualities were lacking numerous times across the campaign.
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Stephan Lichtsteiner arrived at the Emirates on Tuesday, officially becoming Unai Emery’s first signing since taking over from Arsene Wenger.
The Switzerland international predominantly plays as a right-back, but can also push up and play on the right side of midfield.
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Lichtsteiner is an experienced figure at the age of 34 having played for the likes of Lille, Lazio and Juventus.
Most Arsenal fans think that the new signing will provide decent competition for Bellerin, and others think that the Spaniard is at risk of being pushed out.
According to reports in the Chronicle Live, Newcastle United are in talks to sign £20m-rated Feyenoord striker Nicolai Jorgensen before the January transfer window slams shut.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Chronicle Live says that Rafa Benitez wants to add the centre-forward to his frontline before the end of the month, but the Magpies have been told they will have to pay £20m to bring the Denmark international to the Premier League.
However, the Chronicle Live adds that the Tyneside outfit haven’t been put off by a valuation that would break the previous club-record fee they paid for Michael Owen in 2005.
The report adds that Mike Ashley has approved the approach for the 27-year-old, with managing director Lee Charnley tasked with getting the deal over the line.
How has Jorgensen done this season?
He has impressed.
The Dane has scored nine goals and provided a further three assists in 19 appearances in all competitions for Feyenoord, including two in four outings in the Champions League.
The 6ft 3in centre-forward has 34 goals in 61 outings for the Eredivisie outfit in total since joining them from FC Copenhagen, while he has eight goals in 28 caps for his country.
According to WhoScored.com, Jorgensen’s main strengths are his ability to make key passes, holding on to the ball and his finishing.
The 27-year-old has made 23 key passes in 18 appearances in the Dutch top flight and in Europe this season, while he has successfully completed 17 of the 25 dribbles he has attempted, and has won 46 of the 88 aerial duels he has contested.
Would he be a good signing for Newcastle?
He certainly would be, but his addition would also be risky considering there have been players that have struggled in England having scored regularly in the Netherlands.
The Denmark international has proven during his career that he can find the net on a regular basis, and with just 22 goals in 24 Premier League matches so far this season that is exactly what the Magpies need.
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The likes of Joselu and Dwight Gayle haven’t done enough with just seven top flight goals between them, and Jorgensen would also bring some height and mobility to the centre-forward role, and he isn’t slow either.
Will they get him?
If Newcastle are willing to pay £20m it looks as though they will get their man, and if he is Benitez’s top striker target then the Tyneside outfit really need to ensure they get the deal done to keep their manager happy.
On Sunday afternoon, the Premier League title race will take its most finite and ultimate form. With Chelsea four points off the pace and Arsenal’s season amid implosion, the Anfield clash between Manchester City and Liverpool will represent the two last clubs standing, fighting it out for psychological and mathematical advantage with just a handful of fixtures remaining.
Both clubs enjoy large, militant fan-bases, but for the Premier League neutrals there is little doubt where their support will lie on Sunday afternoon. Being the pantomime spectacle the stage of the Premier League has transformed English football into, those with no personal allegiances will feel morally compelled to lend their support to the Anfield club, not only for the ninety minute title showdown but from now until the end of May.
No one can doubt the way in which Manchester City have enriched the Premier League since their sudden rise from 2007 onwards, backed first by Thaksin Shinawatra’s Thai fortunes and secondly and more predominantly by Saudi royalty. Their unprecedented financial firepower of the Etihad has made the Premier League’s summit a more intense, complex and competitive place.
But for the average football fan, there’s something almost sinisterly macabre about the Citizens’ transformation. The Manchester club have spent over £1billion on transfers to get where they are today, enduring endless turnovers of staff and playing personnel in the process. Even by the transfer market’s modern standards, in which a single player can be valued as highly as £86million, City’s fiscally-charged rise from the abyss of English football mediocrity is an incredibly unique story – even Chelsea had qualified for the Champions League and regularly claimed silverware before Roman Abramovich arrived in West London.
That narrative only becomes more prevalent when you compare it to the recent situation at Anfield. Liverpool can be accused more than anyone of irresponsible spending in the past, but since Brendan Rodgers took the helm in 2012, he’s splashed out a combined total of just £98million on new players, equating to a miserly net spend of £70million over the space of two seasons. City spent more in the summer window alone.
Rather, the Reds’ revival under Rodgers has come through abiding by football’s healthiest principles; maintaining an emphasis on youth, especially young Englishmen, and playing positive, attractive, ambitious football.
This is perhaps best illustrated by the drastic philosophical shift of the Merseyside derby this season, a fixture that had previously been lost to the realms of long-ball football and red cards. But under the Ulsterman’s purist influence, with Everton counterpart Roberto Martinez playing an equally as vital role, an aggregate total of 10 goals have been scored in both local clashes this term, a more than fair representation of the incredibly aesthetic styles of football both Mersey clubs have recently adopted. Furthermore, the average player age of both of Liverpool’s starting line-ups against the Toffees this term was just 26 years.
The result has been simply that nobody quite knows what Liverpool, and indeed Rodgers, are capable of. Whether they face Norwich City or Manchester United, there’s a unique sense of ruthless fearlessness about the Reds, as if no challenge, no matter how historically inevitable, financially restrictive or disparate in terms of quality, is too almighty for them to overcome.
No doubt however, Liverpool are unquestionably the underdogs when you compare them to the awesome strength of the Etihad. Brendan Rodgers described them as the ‘little Chihuahua’ in the title race earlier this season, and that animal analogy is certainly fitting.
Whilst Chelsea are lead by one of the best managers European football has ever seen in Jose Mourinho, Arsenal don the Premier League’s longest serving gaffer in Arsene Wenger and Manchester City’s starting XI is propped up by such world-class stars as Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Joe Hart and Vincent Kompany, Liverpool’s title hopes firmly rest upon the performances of a select few players capable of defying the odds, namely Steven Gerrard, Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho and of course, Luis Suarez. Let us not forget, that barring the regular presence of Simon Mignolet between the sticks and Kolo Toure in defence, this is essentially the same Liverpool first team that finished seventh in the Premier League last season.
Be it a British, footballing or simply human characteristic, it’s an enormous rarity when a neutral, in any situation, doesn’t feel compelled to support the underdog.
Likewise, there’s no better way of getting footballing neutrals onside than scoring goals, and whilst City’s 84 in 31 matches is certainly impressive, it’s mildly trumped by their title rivals with 90 from 33. Jose Mourinho’s brand of anti-football may be more effective in affirming results, but Liverpool give the fans what they want to see – goals, and often incredible ones too. Their current average of 2.7 per match is more than any Premier League side, echoing shades of the Kevin Keegan mantra of simply; ‘We’ll score more than you’.
Gary Neville recently quipped that deciding between Manchester City and Liverpool for the title is like choosing between which man your wife should leave you for. But even Manchester United fans will be secretly hoping their ancient rivals can halt the rise of the noisy neighbours. A Citizens outfit with two titles in the space of three years is surely a far greater threat to Old Trafford’s dominance than a single, inspired campaign from Liverpool.
Furthermore, whilst Manchester City marched their way to a Premier League title just two years ago, there’s something indefinably magical about Liverpool’s rise this season, the kind of coincidental fairytale and indulgent sub-plots that only football can provide.
Steven Gerrard faces the prospect of earning his first domestic title at the age of 33, an accolade that the England centurion, former Champions League winner and seven-time PFA Team of the Year member thoroughly deserves for his contribution to Premier League football. It would be an almighty shame if he went down in the history books as the greatest player not to win a Premier League title, through his unwavering loyalty to Liverpool alone.
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Likewise, a title this season would be the Reds first since 1990, and perhaps most poignantly, would coincide with 25 years since the Hillsborough disaster, which rocked the Liverpool community at its core and has caused heart-break ever since as the quest for the ultimate truth continues.
A David and Goliath contest on Sunday afternoon, perhaps not quite. Let us not forget that Liverpool have Luis Suarez at their disposal, the Premier League’s top scorer this term with 29 goals and undoubtedly one of the most sought-after strikers in world football, and despite my recent patronisations, the Reds would not be at the top of the English table with just five games of the season remaining if their squad didn’t possess the talent to do so.
But rather, Liverpool represent football in its purest, most natural form. Far from money or resources playing any determining influence, the Reds’ rise has come from doing things the right way without the short-cuts that the power of the purse often provides. They’re a throwback to tradition, the belief that actions on the pitch can conquer all, whilst City represent the capitalist, Americanised, foreign-funded face of modern football.
Through this sense of good versus evil, underdog against monolith, purity against corruption, and all the coincidental side-stories one can fit in between, Liverpool will be privy to the lent faith of the neutrals between now and May-time, starting with Sunday afternoon.