Manchester United fans will be very keen to see Alexis Sanchez for the first time if he makes his debut at Huish Park against Yeovil Town in the FA Cup this evening.
The Chile international stunned everyone by joining the Red Devils after being heavily linked to United’s local rivals Manchester City for months.
Sanchez moved to Old Trafford from Arsenal in a swap deal, which involved Henrikh Mkhitaryan joining the North London outfit.
While fans will be happy to see their new signing pull on the United shirt for the first time, there is another player who the supporters are desperate to watch.
Seventeen-year-old Angel Gomes could feature against Yeovil this evening as the Manchester Evening News reports that the teenager was part of Jose Mourinho’s travelling squad.
The London-born midfielder has been associated with United since he was six years of age and has been lighting up the youth ranks in recent seasons.
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Ahead of this evening’s FA Cup fourth-round encounter, fans have been calling for Gomes to play.
Amid Manchester United’s capture of Juan Mata and the assumed resurgence that would start immediately after his helicopter touched down in Manchester, it was easy to forget the strong position Liverpool had ahead of United (and Everton and Spurs) for a place in the top four.
Following Brendan Rodgers’ high praise of his “SAS” attack towards the end of last year, it appeared that all Liverpool needed was another strong January window to supplement Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, who together have been the primary reason for Liverpool’s continued stay either in or just below the Premier League top four.
It goes without saying that both Liverpool and United have a lot of work to do, but Liverpool are further down the road to being a side complete and fully able to land fourth in the Premier League this season. At this stage, and considering the might of Manchester City and Chelsea, Liverpool look to be out of the title race.
What was a little worrying, though, is Rodgers’ pursuit of Yevhen Konoplyanka, a talented and exciting winger who would have been a good long-term addition at the club. But Liverpool seem to be in a state of score more than the opponent, which they’re more than able to do with Suarez and Sturridge in such good form.
The problem for the team is at the back, where evidently they’re never too far away from a Kolo Toure or Martin Skrtel-sized slip up.
The loss of Lucas Leiva to injury seemed to confirm what most already knew: Liverpool needed further protection ahead of the back four. Not only that, but a system which best utilises Coutinho, Suarez and Sturridge as a front three needs strong, able and technically gifted runners in the midfield; players who can work at both ends of the pitch and won’t allow themselves to be overrun.
So far, and even with Lucas available, Liverpool haven’t always looked secure ahead of the defence. It’s certainly a worry that they’re light of creative talents, but thus far we’ve seen that Suarez and Sturridge are either able to work in tandem or able to craft their own scoring opportunities. Liverpool could afford to address the issue of creativity at a later date.
What is needed, however, is a Nemanja Matic. The Serbian was a pricey acquisition for Chelsea, albeit one well worth the money, but Liverpool should have been hot on the tails of a player of similar ability. Games like the recent draw with West Brom will come around again, and it’s to be expected: there will be games where Rodgers’ primary goal threats fail to hit the target. But Liverpool as a collective haven’t been goal-shy this season. Liverpool have only failed to score twice in the league this term.
Liverpool may yet finish fourth. Being two points ahead of Everton and seven ahead of United, it’s not out of the question. But the decision to overlook the reinforcing of the midfield may come back to haunt Rodgers. The club had the opportunity to round out the current squad with one or two additions but failed to make a signing.
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Rather than pulling away from those just behind with a much-needed January addition, Liverpool, for now at least, remain very much in the mix.
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Two weeks ago the situation looked as dark as ever at Ipswich and it looked like Paul Jewell had to do something radical to turn things around.
It was obvious that the Liverpudlian manager wouldn’t last until January if the results didn’t start to improve and I came to the logical conclusion that Jewell had two options; either rebuild the team with loans and free transfers or make radical changes to his tactics.
The other conclusion I came to was that loan signings and free transfers were not the long-term solution but it seems like the 48-year-old Ipswich boss feels otherwise.
The previous loan signings of Giovanni Dos Santos, Keith Andrews and Jimmy Bullard were all useful in the short-term but did not help the club in the long-term. If there are bigger problems at the club then loan signings aren’t the solution.
The same applies with free transfers, normally there is no problem with picking up a player out of contract but if a player has waited until October to find a club then there is good reason to be skeptical.
You have to think; if this player loves playing football and has a lot of talent then why has he sat around for months waiting for a club to sign him?
The answer is that the player is waiting for a club like Ipswich to start struggling so he can exploit them. As soon as a manager like Jewell is desperate, he will give the player whatever wages he can in an attempt to keep his job. It is obvious that Reo-Coker has played his cards well and he has secured himself a contract that lasts only until January. This means that the midfielder keeps his options open and has nothing stopping him from moving on to better things later in the season.
I pointed out the issues with these signings two weeks ago and since then Jewell has signed an additional four loan players and signed Nigel Reo-Coker on a free transfer.
On paper it looks like great news for Ipswich as the club can now put names like DJ Campbell, Danny Higginbotham, Richie Wellens, Bilel Mohsni and Reo-Coker on their team sheet.
However, any Ipswich fan will know all too well you don’t win football matches with just a good team on paper. In fact the names are almost the least important part of a successful team. Everything needs to be perfect, from the tactics to the harmony within the squad and only once those are right can the club start to think about promotion.
Ipswich have started every season with relatively big names by Championship standards but they have struggled to even bring the club a mid table finish because they only ever have the names and they forget what else is needed.
So whilst these new loans and free transfers may improve results temporarily and bring the team out of the relegation zone they won’t help Ipswich avoid their usual mid table finish. If Ipswich want to break free from mid table obscurity then they need to change their philosophy and come into games with a different approach tactically.
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Jewell has done a decent job in the transfer market and he has secured some great signings without spending as much as previous managers like Roy Keane did. The former Wigan man clearly has a good eye for bargains and this is without doubt his strongest attribute as a manager.
Unfortunately the Ipswich manager hasn’t had much success with any other part of the job as the team have always been a step behind their opposition tactically and are figured out too easily once the season gets going. If Ipswich are to improve then they have to look at becoming more tactically astute rather than changing their personnel.
As reported by The Scottish Sun, Rangers are interested in bringing West Ham United fan favourite James Collins to Ibrox this summer.
What’s the story?
Rangers were reported to have missed out on top transfer target Martin Skrtel earlier this week, with the two parties too far apart on the financial terms of a potential switch to Glasgow from Fenerbahce.
The defence is still a massive priority though and Steven Gerrard needs to bring in defensive reinforcements badly if his side are to compete for major honours next term.
One player that could be arriving at Ibrox is out-of-contract defender James Collins, according to The Scottish Sun.
The paper reckon that the player represents the experience and defensive strength that Gerrard is looking for in his backline.
Earning £35,000-a-week according to Spotrac.com, can they get a deal done to bring the 34-year-old to Glasgow?
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Would he be a good signing?
With close to 400 career appearances for West Ham, Aston Villa and Cardiff City, Collins has had a stellar career, much of which has been played at the top level.
A leader on and off the pitch, his commitment and passion for the Hammers made him a real fan favourite at the club and while it’s become increasingly clear he isn’t the defensive option they need, supporters were sad to see him leave the London Stadium.
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There are benefits he could bring to the set-up at Rangers, his experience being the obvious, but the Light Blues should really be trying to build for the future rather than paying big wages for a short-term signing.
The club should be looking at emerging defensive prospects rather than 34-year-olds and while his arrival would likely be welcomed by supporters, it’s the kind of pandering ‘big name’ signing that has got them into trouble over the past few seasons.
According to Sky Sports, Southampton could sign reported target Andy Carroll from West Ham United if they offer £20m for the striker.
What’s the word, then?
Well, The Sun reported on January 4 that the Saints were eyeing up a move for the Irons centre-forward as they look to find cover for the injured Charlie Austin, with Chelsea also said to be keen on the 29-year-old.
Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre, via the Daily Star, had claimed earlier this week that West Ham were demanding £35m for the former Liverpool and Newcastle United man, but now Sky Sports understand that they are in fact willing to listen to offers of around £20m.
Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino is still looking to make his first signing this month with his side just one place and one point above the Premier League relegation zone, and Carroll could now be an option with little progress in a deal for Monaco’s Guido Carrillo.
How has Carroll done this season?
It has been another injury-hit campaign for the 29-year-old, who has scored two goals and picked up one assist in 12 top flight appearances.
The striker has only played a role from the substitutes’ bench in recent weeks with Marko Arnautovic preferred in the lone striker position, while he was left out of the squad altogether for the Premier League clash with Huddersfield Town last weekend and the FA Cup third round replay against Shrewsbury Town at the London Stadium on Tuesday night.
Carroll would certainly prove to be useful at both ends of the pitch for Southampton in the air though, as according to WhoScored.com he has won 70 of the 118 aerial duels he has faced in his dozen league matches this term.
Would he be a good signing for Southampton?
If he stays fit he would certainly be a good addition and prove useful in their fight against the drop, but you can’t help but feel that they may prefer a loan deal rather than shelling out £20m for a player who will likely have little re-sale value.
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Even if Saints decide to push ahead with a move for the 6ft 3in centre-forward they will likely face stiff competition from Chelsea, who according to The Telegraph have opened talks with West Ham about signing the 29-year-old on a permanent deal this month, while West Ham may not want to sell to a potential relegation rival.
Arsene Wenger was delighted with the resilience shown by his league leaders during yesterday’s 1-0 win over Newcastle at St James’s Park, reports the Guardian.
The Gunners have been continually written off throughout the season, by pundits who believe they do not have the winning mentality to last the distance in the title race after an eight year trophy drought.
But Wenger believes the back-to-back away wins at West Ham and Newcastle – which have propelled his side back to the top of the Premier League – have answered a lot of questions about his side.
“In the last 15 minutes ,we have shown another aspect of our team – resilience, fight. We threw our bodies in the box,” the Frenchman was quoted as saying by Arsenal.com.
“You have seen today a technical aspect of our team that was quite good but as well a mental aspect that was needed in a game of that stature.”There is something in the team that is special on the mental front where we have many times been questioned.”But we have shown that at West Ham when we were 1-0 down, we have shown that again today when we were a bit backs to the wall in the last 15 minutes. There’s a great solidarity and a great spirit in the side.”Arsenal missed the opportunity to go five points clear at the top of the table earlier in the month, after a 1-1 draw with Everton at the Emirates, and a 6-3 thrashing at the Etihad.But overall Wenger is delighted with the way his team have come out of the hectic Christmas period.”We’ve come out of very difficult games,” Wenger said.”We played Everton, we played Man City, Chelsea, at West ham, at Newcastle and we dropped some points but I felt it was more down to the heavy schedule and short recovery time we had than to the difficulty of the games.” Click below to watch Man United vs Spurs LIVE!
Jonas Olsson is expected to end speculation on a possible move away from the Hawthorns after entering contract negotiations with Baggies Sporting and Technical director Dan Ashworth.
The Swedish defender announced his intentions of leaving West Brom in the summer, and was linked to several other clubs including Everton, Fulham and Galatasaray. A £4million move to Tottenham seemed most likely however, until Harry Redknapp’s departure from White Hart Lane.
Now the player’s contract is up at the end of this season, and the club’s management are keen for him to renew his current deal. This Wednesday, Olsson’s agent Martin Dahlin and Dan Ashworth opened discussions on a new contract at the club’s training ground.
Baggies Boss Steve Clarke said: “Jonas’ discussions are ongoing. The fact that his agent was here tells you that.
“In the matches he has played since I have been here, Jonas has been terrific. The contract talks certainly haven’t been playing on his mind.”
Goalkeeper Ben Foster had similar praise for the Swede: “It’s people like Jonas we need to be keeping. He is such an important part of our team.”
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The contract talks are by no means a done deal however, with Galatasaray and Atletico Madrid expressing their interest in luring the centre back away from the Premier League.
Liverpool and Manchester United do not exactly have the friendliest relationship, on the pitch and off it.
Most of the time, though, the players can see past it, but on this occasion, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain decided to subtly poke fun at United midfielder Marouane Fellaini.
Unfortunately for the Liverpool star, he will not be participating in England’s World Cup campaign in Russia due to an injury that he suffered while playing against Roma in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
One of his opponents on that day was Radja Nainggolan, who recently received some bad news about his international future.
The midfielder was not selected by manager Roberto Martinez as part of the Belgium squad for the World Cup.
The 30-year-old is experienced at international level having earned 30 caps for his country, but Martinez opted not to take him on the plane to Russia.
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The decision was met with confusion from most football fans, including Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was spotted by a Liverpool fan on Reddit ‘liking’ an Instagram post hitting out at the snub.
Not only was the social media post mocking Martinez’s call, it also poked fun at Fellaini, who despite putting in a mixed bag of performances this season, has been given the nod.
Love it when footballers are honest and like things like this, Oxlade-Chamberlain knows! from r/LiverpoolFC
According to reports in French publication L’Equipe, Liverpool have been boosted in their January pursuit of Monaco star Thomas Lemar after the Ligue 1 club’s manager Leonardo Jardim refused to rule out selling the Frenchman during the January transfer window, but The Mirror says they will have to pay £90m to land him.
What’s the word, then?
Well, according to L’Equipe when Jardim was questioned about the future of Lemar, he said: “We are not used to selling in the winter, but the transfer window lasts until the end of the month and many things can happen.”
The France international is a target for the Reds to replace Philippe Coutinho after the Brazilian joined Barcelona over the weekend, but The Mirror says they will have to pay a club-record £90m fee if they want to bring the 22-year-old to Anfield.
The latest reports in L’Equipe suggest that while Monaco haven’t ruled out selling Lemar if they receive an acceptable offer, it seems unlikely that they will be willing to negotiate on their asking price this month.
How has Lemar done this season?
He certainly hasn’t been as good as he was during the previous campaign, but he has still done well.
The versatile Frenchman, who has proven that he can play on either flank or in more of a central attacking midfield role, has scored two goals and provided a further four assists in 19 appearances in all competitions this term.
That record is relatively disappointing when you consider that he netted 14 goals and picked up 17 assists in 55 outings in total for Monaco last season, but there is no doubt to the potential that he has.
Will Liverpool bid £90m for him this month?
It’s difficult to say, and depends on how desperate Jurgen Klopp is to bring in a replacement for Coutinho.
The German boss will likely know that he will have to pay over the odds for a player in January given the huge fee they received for the Brazilian, and it is up to him to decide whether they can through to the end of the campaign without replacing the 25-year-old, or whether they need to do it now.
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The Merseyside outfit have certainly shown that they aren’t afraid to splash the cash on the right players, and they will risk missing out on Lemar if they don’t sign him before January 31.
The win at home against Arsenal should have been the turning point in the league. Following the 1-0 victory, Manchester United were only five points off Arsene Wenger’s league leaders. The win in Germany and five goals scored against an otherwise good Bayer Leverkusen should have provided the much-needed confidence to push on.
Clubs like Manchester United can afford to go through blips, as they’re so often called. United have history, traditions of winning; they’re the biggest club in England and they’re not going anywhere.
The loss at home to Everton, though, is one that will be used to measure David Moyes and his credentials as worthy successor to Alex Ferguson. Yet even now, after two points from their last three league games, I’m not drawing any conclusions about Moyes.
This isn’t his team. In fact, this, in comparison to teams of the past two decades, isn’t one that can be called a typical Manchester United team with comfort and assurance. How did they win the Premier League title last season? A combination of factors: everyone else was poor, and the influence of Ferguson, who himself knew that last season’s league triumph was the final victory he would extract from this particularly lacking squad.
What is Moyes’ task? Is it, as he suggested of Roberto Martinez, to “keep it going?” Well no. Manchester United’s defence is in a transition from the older heads of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic to the younger names brought in during the final years of Ferguson’s tenure.
The wings, where so much of United’s success was built, need a complete revamp. Antonio Valencia isn’t good enough to be a starter at a club like United, Nani hasn’t fulfilled his promise, and Ashley Young hasn’t turned up for almost two seasons. Combined with the need for a genuine creator in the midfield, these are the mountains Moyes will have to overcome if he’s to turn this club into a successful one post Ferguson.
The stature of Manchester United makes the job even harder, but it’s not a club where such prestige is central to just them. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus have equal status in their leagues. They’re the biggest and best. But in recent years, the success of each of those teams has been on the back of a (re)building project where each manager was given the tools to succeed.
At Barcelona, Pep Guardiola had the fruits of the academy, transforming them into one the most dominant teams in the history of the game. Jupp Heynckes, when Bayern needed to recover and push on from their Champions League and domestic failure in 2012, was given Javi Martinez and Mario Mandzukic. Bayern were far from a bad side before that, but they needed more.
In comparison, Moyes hasn’t had any of that. He’s inherited a squad whose positives do little to outweigh the negatives. Is he solely at fault for the club’s failure to bring in adequate reinforcements in the summer? No. Even Ferguson had the aid of David Gil in negotiations. Bringing in two new faces in key areas, Moyes and Ed Woodward, will naturally raise problems of speed and fluidity in the market.
United are a poor squad, but some perspective is needed. The match against Everton could have gone the other way. What if one of United’s many chances went in? Wayne Rooney’s efforts, Patrice Evra’s? It’s fine margins. If they had won, it would have been described as a gritty victory and one telling of a team who know how to win ugly. Instead, the loss will wrongly focus on any shortcomings of the manager.
Moyes of course does have his flaws. You still sense that he needs to adopt a winning mentality now that he’s moved up the ladder. But he hasn’t been entrusted with turning this team in champions. Anyone could have seen that this United team didn’t have the strength or quality of Manchester City or Chelsea. The form of Arsenal thus far has only further highlighted the inadequacy of this team to generate long winning runs.
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As it’s so often called, Moyes has a project on his hands to overhaul this squad. They don’t need one or two; many are right when they say United need six or seven new players. Struggles and inconsistency, therefore, are to be expected.
Moyes will have the aid of a January window, where you’d hope the club make better use of it than they did in the summer. We can fully weigh up and judge how well Moyes has done by the end of the season. But what this season is highlighting so far is the skill of Ferguson to turn this squad into contenders and champions; this group’s final offering of note.