Eric Bailly was on the substitutes bench as Manchester United kept a clean sheet in victory over Swansea City on Saturday afternoon.
A lightning start saw United race into a 2-0 lead within just 20 minutes, thanks to goals from Romelu Lukaku and it was a largely comfortable afternoon for Jose Mourinho’s side.
United’s next game will be far from comfortable, the trip to the Etihad Stadium to attempt to prevent their bitter rivals Manchester City from winning the Premier League against them.
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Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof were hardly tested by the Swans but it will be a different story against Pep Guardiola’s rampant Citizens side and Bailly’s athleticism and nous might well be needed.
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That’s why we’re asking you; should Bailly – valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt – be recalled to the starting eleven for this Saturday’s Manchester derby? Let us know by voting in the poll below and keep an eye out for the results later in the week…
Former Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish thinks his old side will overcome bitter rivals Manchester United in Sunday’s top four crunch clash and keep the Red Devils from finding the back of the net.
The Reds are 2015’s form team in the Premier League and are yet to taste domestic defeat – aside from their League Cup exit to Chelsea in extra time – since the calendar flipped over.
Brendan Rodgers’ side have also won eight of their last nine games while eradicating the defensive issues that blighted the start of the campaign, with their last loss, ironically, the 3-0 defeat to United at Old Trafford.
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And Dalglish believes his old side will maintain their form on Sunday:
“Liverpool are really organised defensively and if Manchester United don’t get hold of whoever plays off Daniel Sturridge – Philippe Coutinho, Raheem Sterling or Adam Lallana – at Anfield on Sunday, they will have a hard game in front of them.” He wrote in his column for The Mirror.
“That is why I’m predicting a Liverpool win – and I don’t think United will score either.”
Liverpool trail fourth placed United by two points and could leap above them into the Champions League qualification zone with a win at Anfield, but ‘King Kenny’ doesn’t believe that the result this weekend will decide who finishes in the sought-after place:
“Sunday’s result won’t be conclusive in terms of who finishes in the top four. But the psychology of winning could be a big factor, though.
“Who ends the match above the other lot in the table will be important, as they will have got one of their more difficult games in the run-in out of the way and have their noses in front.
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“So, this game is obviously enormous for both teams.”
QPR could be in a worrying financial position after they reported a loss of £23million for the 11/12 season.
When the Hoops got promoted in 2011 they took a huge risk to guarantee they remained in the Premier League, doubling their wage bill from £29.74million to £58.46million and spending £25million on transfer fees in their first season back in the English top flight.
These figures don’t include any of the players that were bought in during the last two big spending transfer windows, outlays that will be added onto next year’s figures.
Tony Fernandes who owns 66 per cent of the club, lent the Loftus Road outfit a further £38.7 million last season with his fellow shareholders, something which has increased their net debt to £90million, according to The Sun.
If QPR get relegated in May they could be in serious financial trouble, with £20.5million from the latest transfer windows being added on to their debts the loss of Premier League money that would inevitably follow the drop. Clubs that are relegated will receive ‘parachute payments’ of £16million for the first two seasons which will shrink to £8million after, but the club will still have a huge wage bill – putting them in real danger of financial disaster.
The club have refused to comment on the latest figures, but when they announced the losses, Fernandes appeared to dodge the obvious strife his club finds itself in.
“When, alongside my business partners, I purchased a majority shareholding … my goal was to turn QPR into an established Premier League club. This remains my focus,” he said.
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Liverpool, West Ham and Aston Villa have also announced substantial losses for last season and they face a battle to sort out their finances before they start to see the consequences on the pitch.
As reported by The Daily Mail, Liverpool are interested in signing young Valencia winger Ferran Torres.
What’s the story?
While the Reds will likely be on the hunt for established talent that can immediately improve their first team this summer, just as important is securing the futures of the next wave of talent emerging in European football, especially if they can beat massive clubs to the punch.
One player of that ilk currently interesting the Anfield side is Ferran Torres, currently breaking through at La Liga side Valencia.
That’s according to The Daily Mail, who say that Liverpool have been tracking the progress of the 18-year-old all season.
However, facing competition from the likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona, according to the paper, if they want him it’s imperative they don’t hesitate in making their move for him.
He’s certainly rated highly at his current club, with Valencia reportedly inserting an £88m release clause in a new contract just this week, in an effort to fend off interest.
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Who is he?
A Spanish U19 international, the right winger made his debut for Valencia this season and has gone on to make 10 appearances in all competitions, contributing two assists in that time but yet to score his first senior goal.
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He was a stand-out in last year’s U17s World Cup, making it to the final and losing to England.
Given he now has a huge buy-out clause in his contract and the fact he has little first team experience, perhaps it’s a little early for Liverpool to invest heavily in his future, but young talent comes at a premium in today’s transfer market and this player appears to have more potential that most on the continent.
Arturo Vidal, previously considered one of the most talented and highly valued midfielders of his era, seemingly hasn’t reached the lofty expectations that he set himself just a few seasons ago. While the former Bayer Leverkusen man will still likely raise a great deal of attention should he decide to move on from Serie A at the end of the season, the Chilean playmaker just hasn’t been the player many Juventus fans had been expecting to see in 2014/15.
Despite scoring six goals so far this campaign, a number which wouldn’t signal a major disaster by any means, there has apparently been a distinct downturn in the form and performances from this once priceless asset. Reports such as this one conducted by ESPN, outline how last weekend’s lack-lustre showing has not arrived as a mere one-off occurrence this season. It seems the player, who once looked unstoppable in the Italian top flight, has lost the confidence that has taken his game this far.
Whether or not these stories include any meaningful impact for the Chilean’s future performances this campaign, it seems at least at this current stage, Juventus will be willing to let their no. 23 finally depart Turin by the end of the season.
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Manchester United therefore still remain reportedly interested in the Juve star, even if he no longer arrives as the club’s first choice transfer target. In light of such news, to what extent would the midfielder be missed at Juventus, and just how well would Arturo Vidal suit the Red Devils?
Despite his recent shortcomings, it remains pretty much unanimous within the European footballing community that Vidal would in-fact be hard to replace at his current club. The Old Lady may already have the likes of Paul Pogba on their books to command the creative midfield positions, but as the Frenchman in particular is never far away from one transfer story or another, perhaps holding onto the former Old Trafford man will be a task easier said than done.
In that sense Juventus would greatly miss Arturo Vidal’s presence in the heart of their team, but it wouldn’t just be for the fact that Allegri’s side would be down on numbers without the Chilean. The 27-year-old midfield enforcer can also be a fantastic player on his day, even if his most recent form doesn’t show it.
Vidal is a gifted dribbler who seemingly has the ability to let the ball stick to his feet. He possesses great skill in the middle of the park, can find players with pin-point accurate passing that would rival even that of teammate Andrea Pirlo, as well as being able to strike the ball with a force that is very rarely matched in today’s game. The South American star has a shooting technique that makes him a dangerous asset anywhere with the goal in his sights, and if he hadn’t been frustratingly injured for the majority of Chile’s summer World Cup campaign, more of Arturo Vidal’s skill-set would have likely been on offer for the rest of the world to enjoy.
Louis van Gaal and Manchester United would therefore benefit from the Serie A star should he decide to make the switch to the Premier League. He may no longer command the hefty £45million price tag that Juventus once reportedly set upon him, but as the Red Devils were supposedly interested in signing the Chilean for close to that amount anyway, surely this move shouldn’t face too many complications if all parties are still in agreement.
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Vidal would certainly suit the ‘Galacticos’ inspired spending habits carried out at Old Trafford over the summer, and alongside the likes of Robin van Persie, Radamel Falcao, Wayne Rooney and Angel Di Maria, the current Juve star definitely wouldn’t be short of world class talent to work off of. He will nevertheless have to improve upon the confidence problems that have supposedly affected the 27-year-old throughout the course of this season however, if he is to truly make his mark with United.
Ultimately then, the Juventus midfield maestro remains a great talent with a great deal of potential still to come. A few problems here and there many need to be ironed out if the Chilean is looking to build upon his already impressive career, but as his potential arrival in the Premier League would get the fans of English football more than excited, expect Arturo Vidal to continue to make headlines, and to continue to impress his supporters in the long run.
I’ve always been the perfect football consumer for those who run our beautiful game. Compliant, faithful, loyal and ripe for exploitation. As ticket prices have risen by up to 1000% in English football over the past couple of decades, I have handed over my money time after time with little more than a quiet grumble along with millions of others, dazzled by the Premier League/Sky “brand”.
But with anything, there is always a tipping point, and that point may be close, if it hasn’t already arrived. When Manchester City recently returned 900 unsold tickets to Arsenal before their match at the Emirates the media took up the story, resulting in widespread debate about the state of the modern game and the treatment of the modern fan. Nothing new had happened at City, there have been boycotts and unsold allocations galore across the nation for as long as I can remember, but at last it appears that fans are beginning to question their blind loyalty.
With this in mind, the Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF) have launched the Score campaign, or more specifically the push for “twenty’s plenty for away tickets”. A series of events for fans are planned and last night I attended the first one, in a bar in Manchester. Approximately a hundred fans turned up to the event, along with a Sky presenter, cameraman, the odd football365.com writer plus a member of the Farm. An eclectic bunch, with one thing in common. We are all fed up of being ripped off.
The event was led by two FSF representatives, who made a few points before contributions were taken from the crowd. It was pointed out that using just the increase in the next TV deal for the Premier League, clubs could afford clubs to drop every ticket price by £30 and be no worse off. Of course they won’t if not challenged, and this money will go almost exclusively to the players, as it always does. The question was asked why the campaign was only focusing on the away fans, the minority, when the problem affects both sets of fans. The FSF admitted that they are not a huge organisation and cannot try and fix everything, and that this was a starting point, something to focus on for now. Other issues could then follow. Away fans are the focus first because they are the ones that have travelled the length and breadth of the country to be there, have often spent a huge amount to just get to the ground, and are the set of fans that are treated the worst. Promotional ticket offers are not available to away fans, category pricing punishes fans that happen to support a successful team, they often get the worst seats in the ground, yet are vital to the match-day experience, without whom grounds would become little more than libraries a lot of the time.
Judging by the contributions from the floor, the issue is something that the big fan groups have been campaigning against for some time, but the hope from such meetings and the campaign as a whole is that this is not a battle fought along club lines. Getting the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool fans to stand together in the fight for cheaper tickets may well be the biggest battle faced, and such divides were apparent during the meeting, as we heard from the likes of members of the Spirit of Shankly, and what they had already campaigned for over the past few years. But as one Stoke City supporter pointed out, many “smaller” clubs do not have organized fan groups, and this has to be a concerted campaign. After all, as the Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool fans present at the meeting will know all too well, concerted campaigns against owners have been carried out for decades. This campaign is different because it is not about one club, in the same way that Manchester City failing to sell their allocation at Arsenal was not just about Arsenal. The £20 price-cap figure seems rather optimistic, perhaps only picked because it rhymed with plenty, but it is a starting point, and a bargaining tool. If a cap was eventually agreed at £30, then I doubt few would argue.
It seemed most did not believe in the idea of boycotting matches. After all, going to matches under difficult circumstances is often considered a badge of honour for many fans. You will simply never stop some fans going to matches, whatever the price. However, other ideas were put forward instead. The Bundesliga was used as an example whereby German fans refused to make any noise for the first 12 minutes of matches recently to protest at treatment of fans. Also mooted was turning up late to games, or leaving early, an idea I can’t see catching on.
The most popular idea however seemed to be club fans uniting on a demo in London, outside Premier League HQ. The popular sentiment was that the only way to make the Premier League and FA sit up and take notice was to hit them where it hurt – namely in their pockets, or more specifically with agitation against their sponsors. Because if the likes of Barclays are tainted by their association with products they sponsor, then their subsequent threats to cancel such deals would garner action. Sending 900 tickets back to a club that then sells them on to home fans would not.
The meeting ended rather suddenly, with no firm plan of action agreed, which is understandable, as it was more a case of getting the ball rolling. The FSF will update its website and provide on there a focal point for the campaign, a place for rival fans to discuss the issue, and it was great to discuss the matter with such a wide-ranging set of fans last night. We could just sit back and accept our lot, and pay for just the matches we can afford, but football fans are the lifeblood of the biggest “brand” (yuk) in the world, and it’s about time that supporters in this country stood up for ourselves as others have elsewhere. With modern means of communication and the rise of social media, the tools are there for a concerted and successful campaign, when added to the list of contacts the FSF has already built up. It may seem wildly optimistic to make the Premier League (and Football League too for that matter), change their ways when the money continues to roll in, but if fans rebel en masse, they will be forced to take notice.
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Jesse Lingard’s endured his fair share of critics since breaking into the Manchester United first team. Despite Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Gareth Southgate rarely fearful of placing the attacking midfielder in their respective starting XIs, there has been a constant debate over whether the 25-year-old truly has the quality to perform consistently at that level.
Even amid these accusations though, Lingard has always proved capable of rising to the occasion.
Including the Community Shield, he’s scored in three cup finals for the Red Devils, and his entire United career to date has produced nine game-winning goals – more than a third of all his 24 strikes for the Old Trafford outfit.
And that has shone through during the recent international break too, with Lingard producing telling moments against both the Netherlands and Italy.
It was his strike that proved to be decisive as England beat Oranje 1-0 at the Amsterdam Arena, while he slotted through a cute pass into the path of Jamie Vardy who rifled home in the 1-1 draw with Italy on Tuesday night.
Add to that the 10-cap international’s undoubted industry and positional versatility, and it quickly becomes easier to understand why so many managers have favoured Lingard – including Southgate who will be more than aware of how the 25-year-old’s ability to produce match-winning moments could be the difference between a positive and negative World Cup campaign for the Three Lions.
Indeed, those two performances appear to have pencilled Lingard into the starting XI for the World Cup, possibly coming at the expense of Dele Alli who sat out the 1-1 draw with Italy, suggesting he’s not such a prominent figure in Southgate’s plans.
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So, England fans, do you now see Lingard as a better option than Alli, who Transfermarkt value at £72million? Let us know by voting below…
Throughout his turbulent tenure as Liverpool boss, Brendan Rodgers has always shown a desire to experiment.
Last season, the Reds toyed with back fours, back threes and midfield diamonds as they marched to a surprise runners-up finish in the Premier League, and following a summer transfer window in which the Anfield gaffer called for ‘multipurpose signings’, they’ve gone on to test five different formations already this year. Unfortunately for Rodgers, none have resulted in a consistent winning formula.
Not that systems are where Rodgers’ philosophical tinkering ends; since he took the Anfield helm in 2012, we’ve seen Stewart Downing at full-back, Glen Johnson at centre-half, Steven Gerrard tossed between defensive midfield and No.10, Jordan Henderson utilised on the wing and Raheem Sterling called upon to fill in at virtually every position from wing-back to centre-forward.
Perhaps his most ambitious experiment yet came against Manchester United yesterday afternoon as the Reds lined up in a 3-4-3 for the first time this season, with goal-shy summer signings Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert dropped in favour of Sterling for the lone striker slot.
An unfamiliar position in an even less familiar system, is Raheem’s role up front simply an experiment too far from Brendan Rodgers?
On the face of it, the England international boasts many of the natural prerequisites for that role; pace, trickery, incisive movement and invention on the ball, and Sterling has demonstrated a unique adeptness to understanding new positions incredibly quickly throughout his Reds career. Last season for example, he proved equally effective in his few appearances at right wing-back, particularly during an intoxicating one-on-one battle with Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the FA Cup, as he did during his prolonged period at the tip of Liverpool’s midfield diamond.
Although there are certainly more eye-catching aspects to the 20-year-old’s game, his versatility and it’s accompanying intelligence is a huge asset for any manager – one could argue Brendan Rodgers is almost obliged to utilise it as much as possible. The Liverpool gaffer tested Sterling up front during the latter stages of a 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid and although he struggled to affect the scoreline, he certainly looked lively and relatively comfortable.
Yet, if there’s one integral attribute Sterling lacks as a striker, it’s ability and composure in front of goal. “He dribbled through the Spurs defence like Ricky Villa, but his finish was more like Ricky Gervais,” Brendan Rodgers quipped back in August after the young attacker dazzled his way past the Lilywhites only to tamely trickle the ball into Hugo Lloris’ hands, and that epitomises where Sterling’s game is at right now.
No doubt, the Liverpool star knows how to get on the score sheet, averaging one goal per five appearances throughout his short Premier League career, but not with the dependable efficiency of an out-and-out striker.
Rodgers’ temptation was understandable against the Red Devils. With Daniel Sturridge a permanent absentee through injury, Rickie Lambert struggling to transition his industriousness to potency from his Southampton days and Mario Balotelli yet to find his first Premier League goal since moving to Anfield in the summer, Sterling is Liverpool’s joint top scorer in the league this season with three goals.
Combining that with averages of 2.5 chances created and 3.1 successful dribbles per match, in addition to four assists in 16 outings, he’s been the Reds’ most potent attacking threat by quite some distance this year. So why not get him as close to the goal as possible? Especially against United’s ever-injured, ever-shaky back three.
But Sterling’s limited lethality really told at Old Trafford. Rodgers claimed the difference in the 3-0 affair was the form of goalkeeper David De Gea – one can easily flip that assessment on its head and argue the absence of a quality finisher severely reduced Liverpool’s capacity to score. Sterling had five shots at goal, equal to United’s Robin van Persie, but never came close to beating the Spaniard’s wiry frame.
And what did playing up front teach the youngster yesterday afternoon? Although capable in that role, it won’t be the ultimate position of his footballing peak – most likely No.10 – and put even further pressure to perform on worryingly young shoulders. Sterling’s already being asked to put in talismanic displays on a weekly basis for the struggling Merseysiders.
Perhaps last season it would have proved a successful ploy against the United – the kind that would lead to pundits and the press heralding Rodgers as a football genius. Yet, Alan Hansen once emphatically argued that periods of prosperity are the appropriate time to experiment and change things up. Bouts of poor results and eroding confidence, on the other hand, are not, regardless of how counter-intuitive that may seem.
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Combating their own issues of recent weeks against the Premier League’s most in-form side was enough of a struggle for Liverpool’s players on Sunday, and Rodgers’ tinkering with roles and formations was an unnecessarily added burden.
Not that Sterling should now be ruled out as an option for Liverpool up front. Against the right calibre and style of opponent, it’s a selection that could prove inspired. Yesterday afternoon however, it was a simple case of the right idea with the wrong execution.
Until Liverpool’s floundering form improves, Rodgers should be keeping things as familiar and simple as possible.
QPR manager Harry Redknapp celebrated the performance of his side after their 1-0 Premier League win over Chelsea.
Shaun Wright-Phillips came off of the bench to net the only goal of the game against his former club.
The three points move the Super Hoops level with Reading, and to within five points of safety.
Redknapp was happy with his team after the game, saluting their attitude on the pitch:
“They worked their socks off tonight and you get your reward if you work like that – and that’s what we did,” Redknapp told Sky Sports.
“It was a fantastic performance. We restricted Chelsea to very few chances and we deserved it.
“We had good opportunities as well and if the final pass had been better…. we hit some final sloppy passes but then we got that fine goal.
“I’m just really pleased with out first away win for over a year.
“They’ve set the standard tonight and if we’re going to get out of this mess then they have to work as hard as that – not just once but every week.”
Adel Taarabt was deployed in a central forward role for the second-half, a move which Redknapp was delighted with:
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“I pulled him over yesterday and told him I’d play him up front,
“I told him to hold the ball up and wait for us to join him.
“We worked on it for a couple of hours in training. It was a gamble really but the shape was good. I’m not even sure if he’s played up front before.”
Manchester United hosted Liverpool in the Premier League’s latest instalment of the Northwest derby on Saturday and pulled off a vital 2-1 win, with the two bitter rivals separated by just one place and two points in the table before kickoff.
Marcus Rashford – who Transfermarkt value at £45million – was the key influence in the early stages, twice taking advantage of Liverpool’s failure to deal with direct balls to Romelu Lukaku by drifting inside and rifling beyond Loris Karius.
But Ashley Young played a pivotal role for the Red Devils as well; his ability to keep a leash on Liverpool’s biggest threat, Mohamed Salah, was instrumental in limiting the Reds’ notorious vibrancy going forward.
So, Red Devils supporters, do Rashford or Young deserve the Man of the Match award? Which United stars impressed you, and which disappointed? Let us know by taking part in the poll below and giving each player a performance rating out of ten…
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