Remedying United’s current defensive pitfalls is proving incredibly problematic for Sir Alex Ferguson as he approaches, what is being billed as, the seasons early title decider. Last week’s victory against the Potters at Old Trafford once again highlighted the Red Devils’ frailties at the back as did the narrow Champions League win in midweek. Annoyingly for Ferguson there isn’t much he can do treat the situation with Rio Ferdinand and Johnny Evans, both of whom have endured mixed campaigns, his only two fit centre backs. And the last thing he would want is to come up against a free scoring Blues side, who could to start pull away at the top should they win having already built up a four point advantage over United. Ferguson knows it is still early days in the title race but is also aware of the negative effect a defeat against one of their main rivals could have on his players as they struggle to find their form.
This week on FFC should United think about the financial benefits of selling Nani and could Ferguson be about to raid Germany for a second time?
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Best of FFC
Wag Weekly – Shinji Kagawa’s Mrs.
Wayne Rooney’s performance tells us all we need to know
Should Manchester United really consider cashing in?
How many times can Manchester United do this?
Time for Fergie to remedy this transfer mistake?
How long can Sir Alex Ferguson turn a blind eye to it?
Is this United ace a victim of bloated expectation?
Why the rest of the Premier League could learn from Tottenham and Manchester United
The man to get the best out of him at Old Trafford?
Fergie considers £20m raid on Dortmund to bolster options
Madrid set to offer unsettled United ace a route home
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Best of WEB
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Time To Move On At Stamford Bridge – Red Flag Flying High
The Greenhoff Column : Concentrate – 7Cantonas
Five Things We Learned – Manchester United vs. Braga – Red Flag Flying High
Ferguson on the defensive over errors – United Rant
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A Timely Reminder From This United Star – The Busby Way
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Quote of the Week
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“With the players we have I don’t expect to start every game. I am just trying to pick up games wherever I can and influence them like I have done in the past. I haven’t found it difficult. I want to play and I want to be in the team. But I am experienced enough to know that come the business end of the season, the experienced lads will be needed and I will be ready.” Ryan Giggs says he is happy to wait for his chance at Manchester United
Tottenham Hotspur number one Brad Friedal took to Twitter to share his anger at comments made by former Manchester United and France goalkeeper Fabien Barthez in regards to Hugo Lloris’ situation at White Hart Lane.
Lloris, who impressed on his Spurs debut in midweek, has been told that Friedel is still the number one choice between the sticks by manager Andre Villas-Boas but Barthez felt that was wrong.
“Lloris is one of the five best goalkeepers in the world.” Barthez had said last week.
“He is faster than Friedel, he jumps higher, and he is very strong mentally. What is happening now is incomprehensible, but I am not concerned. He will become the centre-piece for the club.
“Hugo is a calm guy, a good worker. Tottenham will not let him stay on the bench for a long time.”
But Friedel has acted angrily to the comments and felt they were ‘ignorant and disrespectful’.
“Just saw barthez comments. I normally don’t comment on such crap but when disrespected by someone I don’t respect I must.” Friedel wrote on his personal Twitter account (@friedel_b).
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“Barthez was ignorant, disrespectful and out of order to mention my name.”
Arsenal have agreed terms with Nuri Sahin, who will now move to north London on a season-long loan according to The Daily Mail.
The Emirates Stadium club are eager to bring in an extra central midfielder after selling Alex Song to Barcelona, and have been in pursuit of the Real Madrid playmaker for the last fortnight.
Sahin has found his opportunities in the Spanish capital limited since moving to the Santiago Bernabeu from Borussia Dortmund last year, and has prospects with Jose Mourinho’s team for 2012-13 were not good.
However, Sahin is eager to reignite his career with Arsene Wenger’s men, who have beaten off competition from Liverpool and AC Milan for the Turkey international’s hand.
There was a stall over the deal between the clubs, but a fee of £14 million has been agreed should the Gunners want to make Sahin’s move permanent next summer.
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You could be forgiven for thinking that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is a man with few problems on his plate as his side cruises to the league title this season, but the form, or rather lack thereof of his three wingers this term – Nani, Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young – will not have escaped his attention and few could blame him for looking at other options elsewhere in the summer, with one of the trio destined to depart Old Trafford.
With a 15-point lead at the top of the Premier League table as the campaign heads into the home straight, United have established a commanding lead over rivals City in what has quickly turned into a procession more than a title race of any sort. The club have won 26 of their 32 league fixtures and scored 73 goals all told, nine more than nearest rivals in that regard, Arsenal. They’ve failed to score in just two league games all season, again, a league best, yet the feeling persists that this is not a side operating at full capacity and there’s more juice to be squeezed from it.
Of course, Ferguson has already made his intentions clear by moving for Crystal Palace wide midfielder Wilfried Zaha in January, with the England international set to arrive before the start of next season, but you sense this won’t be the only major change in personnel when looking at the club’s attacking strength in depth. Even though £15m is a large sum to pay for a relatively inexperienced player like Zaha, it’s a sign that Ferguson is not completely happy with how his attack has shaped up this year.
It seems odd to complain too much when the side have achieved their ultimate objective this season, to win back the league title from City, particularly when they’ve made such a professional and in all honesty, an easy job of it, but the Scot’s greatest attribute is his will to win and his desire to keep evolving the side; he’s acutely aware that if you stand still, something which former rivals Arsenal and to an extent even City and Chelsea have been guilty of, you only risk going backwards in the long run.
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When it comes to recruiting new blood, the terraces at Old Trafford have been crying out for a battling holding midfielder ever since Owen Hargreaves took up semi-retirement and they’ve never fully replaced Roy Keane. With every central midfielder capable of putting his foot in the tackle quickly hailed as the solution to the club’s evident problem the past five years, it certainly remains a top priority to supporters, but apparently not one that’s on Ferguson’s agenda.
Portuguese playmaker Nani is arguably the most divisive of the three, but whenever handed an extended run in the side in his favoured right-sided position, his record speaks for itself. Nevertheless, after featuring 29 league games last season, during which he made 10 assists and scored eight goals, he’s been reduced to just 10 outings from which he’s made two assists and scored just as many times.
The grumblings are that a contractual situation is the root cause of Nani falling out of the picture, certainly more so than any lack of faith on Ferguson’s part and it’s worth noting that when the side required a spark against top quality opposition, such as Real Madrid and Chelsea in the last month, he’s turned to the 26-year-old in his time of need, even if his marginalisation provides just a small insight into the manager’s ruthless nature.
Ecuador international Valencia is the biggest disappointment, though, with the 27-year-old setting up just four goals in 24 appearances in the Premier League so far as he grapples with his form in what has transpired to be his worst season at Old Trafford to date. This lack of end product, with not a solitary strike to his name, has seen swathes of supporters turn on the man who ignited their late title surge last season to the tune of 13 assists. Where there was once directness, now hesitancy has crept in and he’s starting to look very limited and one-dimensional when placed up against his peers.
This leaves just England winger Young to contend with, a player that has never fully convinced at United or really won over the vast majority of the crowd and while Nani’s temperament and consistency remains a divisive topic, the overall quality of Young’s play is not thought to be good enough for what’s required. His crossing has never been poorer and the way he often cuts in off the left flank onto his right foot each and every time is a simple move which many defenders have grown wise to, reducing his impact to just three assists and no goals in a stop-start campaign where he has featured just 19 times.
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The summer arrivals of Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa have both added a new dimension to the club’s play, capable of the fluid, flowing moves that eluded them in the past, while they still stand a chance of beating last year’s tally of 89 league goals in their remaining six games. Moreover, the impact this has had on the side and their shape has directly contributed to United becoming less reliant on wing play than before. Danny Welbeck is often preferred in big games out wide now not only for his work-rate, but his tactical awareness, despite carrying little to no goal threat, as Ferguson’s side have tinkered with 4-4-1-1 and 4-3-3 systems all season. This has seen Rooney unsure as to his regular starting role, with van Persie the top man up front for the foreseeable future.
It could be that the team are slowly moving away from traditional areas of attacking play and to a more continental approach based around possession and quick interchanges in and around the box. With Zaha already on the way, and the future of all three wingers in the squad up for serious debate, for their lack of end product and goal threat in the final third, it would be no surprise at all if Ferguson were to move for another wide man, even though he appears to be looking for alternatives means of threat at the moment as he seeks to add more cutting edge and precision to a side reliant on the goals of their Dutch talisman.
Mario Balotelli just loves making the headlines – it seems as if he is prepared to do anything to get himself on the back pages, (sometimes the front pages too).
Let’s run through the list of Balotelli antics. From celebrating a goal at Old Trafford with the words ‘why always me?’ strewn across his shirt to nearly burning his house down with a set of fireworks. Then we have randomly entering press conferences when your manager is speaking to shake everyone’s hands to struggling to put on a training bib. Poor Mario.
But wait is Mario really poor? The Italian striker is widely regarded as one of the gems of world football despite his pastimes off the field. His talents have finally been realised after leaving father figure (and child-minder) Roberto Mancini at the Etihad Stadium to join up with AC Milan (this via a fight with Mancini close to the end of his career in training).
It seems Mario’s talents aren’t limited to the football field however. Here is the great man playing piano for the legend that is Andrea Pirlo. The song is no less than the Italian national anthem. The charismatic Balotelli clearly doesn’t take himself too seriously unlike many of his Italian teammates (Pirlo himself perhaps?).
Check out the video below…
[youtube PuylbPlzbH0]
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Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas could be made to dip into the January transfer market after Emmanuel Adebayor’s Togo about-face, leaving Spurs with one out-and-out striker till mid-February.
Adebayor has decided to fulfil his international duties with Togo and will now attend the African Cup of Nations in South Africa, missing up to six games for the North London club.
The player initially voiced his concerns over team security and unpaid bonuses. His fears for team security during the competition comes after being greatly affected by the team bus attack on 8 January 2010, leaving three dead and nine injured. It was also reported that Adebayor and his teammates had recently seen bonuses, which were owed to them for international duty, unpaid.
Coincidentally, news of Adebayor’s change of heart comes on the anniversary of the gun attack that occurred in the Cabinda Province, Angola.
After speaking with the country’s President – Faure Gnassingbe – the player has changed his mind.
Head of the Togo Football Federation Ameyi Gabriel said that “Of course we’re in the Africa Nations Cup with Adebayor, we will be together in South Africa.”
“It is very important to have him there because he is our player and captain of the team,” continued Gabriel.
Although the player looks set to miss six games, Spurs are counting on his availability for their Premier League game against QPR on Saturday afternoon.
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Meanwhile, Spurs have yet again been linked with a move for Brazil international and Internacional forward Leandro Damiao.
It’s an age old issue and one that always comes front and centre when the national team inevitably underperforms at a major international tournament, but the subject of youth development in the Premier League is an important topic of debate, and taking a look around the top flight, which clubs are the best at integrating younger players into their first-team set-up and is there any one right way to plot success?
Manchester United currently hold a 15-point lead at the top of the Premier League over rivals Manchester City, and while the side may need tinkering with in certain areas with a number of key players quickly approaching the twilight of their respective careers, the overall balance of the squad seems on the money.
However, all of the fawning talk of ‘Ferguson’s Fledglings’ in clear reference to ‘Busby’s Babes’ is clearly a load of nonsense. Of course, having 22-year-old Longsight born and bred Danny Welbeck and 23-year-old academy product Tom Cleverley ensures that they retain an element of identity and link between the pitch and the local community, but we shouldn’t kid ourselves about the broader picture. David De Gea (22) arrived from Atletico Madrid for £18.9m, Phil Jones (21) was signed from Blackburn for £17m and Chris Smalling (23) moved from Fulham for £10m. As far as transfer policies go, planning for the future like that is a sound one, but it also comes at a cost that most teams in the division can’t match or even get close to.
Where they have struck a balance well, though, as much as the good age range between experienced and seasoned pros, those players approaching their peak and a youthful core of up-and-coming hungry players striving to become first-team regulars is their use of the loan market. Welbeck benefited hugely from his time at Sunderland, while Cleverley thrived at Watford and Wigan and it’s a route that not enough clubs have used successfully in the past few years, which is puzzling because it seems such an obvious and simple way to get players much-needed battle-hardened experience.
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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has been forced to rely on an entire swathe of younger prospects this season, but as he’s spent more money, slowly but surely the opportunities have dried up for the likes of Suso, Raheem Sterling, Jonjo Shelvey and Andre Wisdom. Kenny Dalglish initially granted youngsters a chance to impress when he first took over from Roy Hodgson, only to then go out and spend £56m the following summer on the likes of Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing and Jose Enrique, blocking any path they may have found to the first-team. It will be interesting to see if history repeats itself again this year under new management given the club’s record since Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher broke through has been nothing short of dreadful.
Manchester City clearly sense that bringing through a steady stream of academy products is essential to their long-term plan with the building of a new training centre and emphasis on youth-team football. It’s no coincidence that former Barcelona duo Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain are heading that project up, given La Masia’s outstanding success not only in terms of quantity but wonderful world-class quality in the past decade. With Financial Fair Play coming into effect, which aims to reduce the influence of money in the game while simultaneously ensuring the status quo of the current elite is maintained, and the next decade will as much be about the success of youth development as anything else for those seeking to bridge the gap, with their ambitions curbed by Uefa.
Chelsea have followed a similar path to Real Madrid in forsaking instant success and short-term gains over the longer benefits of having a successful system from top to bottom. This has seen Scott Sinclair, Daniel Sturridge, Miroslav Stoch, Fabio Borini, Nemanja Matic, Gokhan Tore and Michael Mancienne find success elsewhere after struggling to break through past the more established household names. The pressure for success at Stamford Bridge is all-consuming to whoever comes through the door and takes charge and that doesn’t look like changing in the near future with only really Ryan Bertrand filtering through in recent years. It’s an embarrassingly poor record considering the talent they’ve had at their disposal and a massive waste of resources.
Arsenal, as you might expect given Arsene Wenger’s principles and ideas about the game, nailed their colours to the mast long ago and they’ve had some huge successes in the last decade, with Cesc Fabregas (poached from Barcelona at 16), Jack Wilshere and Alex Song all serving as great examples. They’re not afraid to move for younger players on big money in a similar way to United either, though, as the Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Aaron Ramsey signings indicate, totalling approximately £26m. Where they have fallen short where United have succeeded, mind, is keeping hold of those younger players once they’ve developed into fully fledged stars, being forced to sell Robin van Persie, Fabregas and Samir Nasri due to a lack of silverware. Glory funnily enough always fosters loyalty.
Tottenham have been punching above their weight in the youth stakes for quite some time now, with Michael Dawson, Tom Huddlestone and Aaron Lennon all purchased on the cheap, with Kyle Walker, Kyle Naughton and Gareth Bale all costing just that little bit more. They’ve really tried to maintain an English core to their squad and a lot is expected of both Steven Caulker and Tom Carroll in the future, even if Jake Livermore and Andros Townsend seem as if their futures may be elsewhere in the summer. By buying British, they’re ensuring an identity is preserved, even if their own academy record hasn’t been all that good of late, but they’re another club to invest heavily off the pitch in rectifying that the past year.
It just goes to show that when it comes to handling youth, so many things can go wrong at that age and players develop at different speeds meaning it’s impossible to say with any real conviction that one model is better than the other. It’s all about striking that balance between drip-feeding local players, buying the best from around England early and the odd big splash for a star in the making.
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In that respect, Ferguson has done an impressive job at United, bolstered by the club’s success which has made the task even easier in the future. It’s a unique environment and situation in which he holds all the power and can do as he please and few clubs get the opportunity to replicate that.
The constant turnover of managers create constant pressure on those in charge to create results. At the moment, investing in youth is essential, but without opportunity, few see the rewards it can bring.
Manchester United have finally been told that Arturo Vidal is not available to them this summer, after chasing the Chilean for much of the transfer window.
It’s another disappointment for the club, who have felt the sting of rejection multiple times over the past year. The protracted, fruitless chase of Vidal should be seen as nothing other than further embarrassment to the club, who failed to realise that the midfielder was not going to leave Juventus at this late stage of the window.
But even after the signing of Angel Di Maria earlier in the week, United are still desperately short of quality, both in central midfield and at centre-back.
With Vidal now firmly out of the picture, here’s a look at five alternatives for Man United to consider…
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Daley Blind
Daley Blind may have made his name as a full-back, but the Dutch international is just as good in central midfield, where he often played for Ajax last season.
It was widely expected that Blind would be part of the new arrivals at Old Trafford this summer, but a move has yet to take place.
The Dutch international, who is known well by Louis van Gaal, would be a great buy and the perfect complement to Ander Herrera and Angel Di Maria in the midfield.
Sami Khedira
Real Madrid should be desperate to sell Sami Khedira in these final days of the transfer window, with the German international looking unlikely to extend his contract in the Spanish capital.
Manchester United have surprisingly not been linked with the midfielder, even though he’s exactly what they need. His all-action style would be an excellent fit in Louis van Gaal’s system, while his defensive work would allow Ander Herrera to thrive.
A former teammate of Angel Di Maria, Khedira would go a long way to helping United improve their fortunes on the pitch.
William Carvalho
Sporting are said to be willing to move on their initial price tag on William Carvalho, who has been attracting plenty of interest from English football.
The midfielder is one of Portugal’s most exciting talents and looks destined for a move to the Premier League in the near future. Considering United’s links with Portuguese football, it’s a surprise they have not made a serious offer for the Sporting midfielder.
There is a big price on Carvalho’s head, even with Sporting will to negotiate. But over time, he will prove to be the perfect addition to the midfield at Old Trafford.
Gokhan Inler
In recent years, the only major interest in Gokhan Inler to come out of England has been from Arsenal, who passed up the opportunity to sign the midfielder while he was at Udinese.
Now at Napoli and thriving, the Swiss international has been one of Europe’s most consistent holding midfielders over the past few seasons.
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He’s the no-nonsense, tough-tackling leader United are lacking in the middle of the pitch, and would represent a very good alternative to Arturo Vidal.
Alex Song
They don’t get much more underwhelming than Alex Song, especially when names like Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba have been mentioned in the past.
It’s telling that so few clubs have registered any interest in the Barcelona midfielder. Evidently his ties to the Catalan club and his history at Arsenal have done nothing to convince potential suitors.
But what it all comes down to is that Song is a player who performs the defensive midfield role; how well he does that is another matter. He’s available and willing to move back to English football.
Try and look at it from this point of view: Song would be better than nothing.
Ambitious Russian outfit Zenit St Petersburg have made a £25 million bid for Manchester United winger Nani, according to The Daily Mail.
The Portugal international is out of favour with Sir Alex Ferguson, and his future is unclear as negotiations over a new contract have broken down with the Old Trafford club.
With added competition for places in the Red Devils’ squad Nani has been linked with a move elsewhere, with Juventus known admirers of the tricky wideman.
However, Zenit are eager to wrap-up a deal for the player before the close of the transfer window and have tested United’s resolve with a large bid.
The player’s representatives are said to have met with the eastern European powerhouses in Amsterdam on Monday, with a move now dependent on whether Sir Alex Ferguson wants to cash in on the star.
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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has once again moved to dismiss talk of a Premier League title challenge by insisting that the club’s focus is on Champions League qualification.
The Reds put themselves firmly in the mix with a thumping 5-1 win against Arsenal, who had topped the table going into the sides’ Saturday clash.
With the result and the manner of the performance at Anfield, many pundits have been putting the Merseysiders alongside the Gunners, Manchester City and Chelsea as challengers for the league title.
But Rodgers – whose side are now three points clear of Tottenham in fifth and have a +33 goal difference – claims that the focus is on staying in the top four and bringing the highest level of European football back to the club and the city:
“I really only focus on the team and the football club, and make no mistake – I want to get into the Champions League for the people here at the club and the people of the city,” he told Sky Sports.
“I came here to try and inspire the city as much as the team. I know what Champions League football can bring to a city like Liverpool and everything it can generate.
“I keep the focus on improving the players, improving our performance levels, and you can see from the continuation of the development we’ve made over the last 18 months that we’re going to be a match.
“The momentum has been building and building, but I just think it would be unprecedented to go from being where we were last year in seventh position to first.
“We’ve got so many young players, who are still growing and developing and our squad is small. So I feel that we’ve still got work to do.
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“But when we play like that and perform like that (on Saturday), people are obviously going to ask the question (can you win the league?).
“We’re five points behind Arsenal, four behind Manchester City and six behind Chelsea and we still have them to play here at Anfield.
“But the main objective is just to finish as high as we possibly can and let’s see where that takes us.”