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Tag: Manchester United

  • Man Utd v Man City: Pep Guardiola not thinking about breaking record

    Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says the chance to make history is not playing on his mind as he prepares for Sunday’s derby with rivals Manchester United.

    If City win the game it will be their 14th league victory in a row – a record in a single Premier League season.

    However, Guardiola says his focus is only on developing a strategy to beat Jose Mourinho’s side.

    “The record will be broken, my concern is how we win the game,” he said.

    “If you play one game thinking about records you forget what you have to do.”

    Who will win the Manchester and Merseyside derbies?

    Is stopping Sane and Sterling the secret to derby success?

    This is the first derby since April 2013 where the two clubs occupy the top two positions in the table.

    If Manchester City win the game at Old Trafford they will move 11 points clear at the top of the table.

    Meanwhile, a win for second place Manchester United would see them close the gap to five points.

    However, Guardiola believes it is far too early to suggest that the match could be a title decider.

    “Winning, drawing or losing on Sunday, we are not going to win or lose the Premier League. It’s December,” he added.

    “There are a lot of points to play for, more than 70. We just focus on the game.”

  • Mourinho compared to Floyd Mayweather by Gary Neville

    Gary Neville has compared Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho to undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather, given that their defence-first approach draws unfair criticism given that it produces success.

     

    Neville revealed both Manchester United boss, Jose Mourinho who he likened to boxer Floyd Mayweather uses defence as a weapon.

     

    The former United full-back, Neville insists defending well is just as much of an art as thrilling attacking football, and made the comparison between the Portuguese coach and former world champion Mayweather, who won multiple titles across several weight divisions with his patient, pragmatic approach in the ring.

     

    United have the best defensive record in the Premier League having conceded just four times all season and also have not conceded a goal at home in the league since April.

     

    Mourinho’s style of football has been questioned following a goalless draw with Liverpool and a narrow 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

     

    Neville told Sky Sport, “But Mourinho is a little bit like Mayweather at times. Mayweather is called boring at times, where he uses defence as a weapon, let’s people punch themselves out.”

  • Man United thrash Everton 4-0, rubbishes Rooney’s return

    Manchester United thrashed Everton 4-0 after scoring three goals in the final 10 minutes on a miserable return to Old Trafford for Wayne Rooney in the Premier League on Sunday.

    United was only leading through Antonio Valencia’s 4th-minute strike when Rooney, the former United captain, was substituted in the 82nd minute.

    Henrikh Mkhitaryan netted within a minute, Romelu Lukaku scored against his former club in the 89th and Anthony Martial slotted in a penalty in the second minute of stoppage time after Morgan Schneiderlin handled.

    United and Manchester City both have 13 points at the top of the table. The defeat consigned Everton to a third consecutive league loss. Coupled with a Europa League group-stage opening defeat to Atalanta on Thursday, Everton has conceded 12 goals without reply in losing its last four games in all competitions.

    Rooney left United in the offseason with Lukaku heading in the opposite direction across northwest England.

  • Rooney returning to Everton, gets £10m golden handshake from Manchester United

    Rooney returning to Everton, gets £10m golden handshake from Manchester United

    Wayne Rooney will return to his spiritual home after being handed a £10million golden goodbye by Manchester United.

    But his £160,000-a-week deal at new club Everton is just over HALF his United wages.

    SunSport first reported the move on Wednesday and Roo, 31, was last night on the verge of ending a 13-year United association after undergoing his Toffees medical.

    As part of his deal the striker will also get two staggered £4m payments from Everton.

    Rooney is expected to be granted a two-year contract plus an option of a further 12 months, after which he plans to hang up his boots.

    Former England skipper Rooney, who was on £300,000 a week at Old Trafford, could have remained at the Red Devils for a further two years.

    But he would have effectively become a £30m bystander.

    United had no intention of paying him any more than a third of that figure to start a new career.

  • BREAKING: Cristiano Ronaldo ‘wants to leave’ Real Madrid after being accused of tax fraud

    Cristiano Ronaldo has sensationally told Real Madrid he wants to leave them and is said to favour a move back to Manchester United, according to reports in Spain and Portugal this morning.

    The four-time Ballon d’Or winner has enjoyed another sensational season at the Bernabeu but is said to feel the club has not protected him sufficiently after he was charged with allegedly evading £13million in tax.

    Real Madrid appeared to completely back him, but a different picture has since emerged which may suggest why he wants out after eight years at the club.

    A Bola reported (in native Portugal) this morning that Ronaldo has decided his time in Spain has come to an end and he has communicated this “irreversible” decision as final to Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.

    The shocking news was backed up hours later on the website of newspaper Marca, which is viewed as Madrid’s mouthpiece.

     

  • Manchester United win UEFA Europa Cup

    Paul Pogba propelled Manchester United towards a 2-0 victory over Ajax on Wednesday in a Europa League final rendered heavy with emotion by this week’s terror attack in Manchester, AFP reports.

    A night that began with a moment of silence, then applause, in memory of the 22 people who died at Manchester Arena on Monday ended with United completing their trophy collection through goals from Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

    Reminders of the attack were everywhere at Stockholm’s Friends Arena, from United’s black armbands to the chants of “Manchester!” from their fans, while Pogba, too, was grieving, following the recent death of his father.

    Victory enabled United manager Jose Mourinho, who said prior to the game that he and his players were struggling not to think about the tragedy, to bring his maiden Old Trafford season to a successful conclusion.

    He had already guided United to glory in the League Cup and despite a sixth-place finish in the Premier League, success in the Europa League means his side will return to the Champions League next season.

    United became only the fifth club – after Juventus, Ajax, Bayern Munich and Chelsea – to have won the Champions League, the Europa League and the now defunct European Cup Winners’ Cup.

  • Manchester United breaks Premier League record, hits 2,000 points

    Manchester United breaks Premier League record, hits 2,000 points

    …followed closely by Arsenal (1,797 Points), Chelsea (1,755 Points)

    Manchester United have become the first team in the Premier League to reach 2,000 points.

    The Red Devils hit the historic mark, after they defeated Watford 2-0 on Saturday at Old Trafford.

    Juan Mata and Anthony Martial scored for Jose Mourinho’s men, as they extended their unbeaten run to 16 matches.

    United have been ever present in the Premier League since its inception in 1992 and amassed 1,997 points before hosting the Hornets on Saturday.

    They have won 13 titles during that time.

    United have played 949 games, won 599 and drawn 203 to achieve the 2,000 mark.

    Arsenal are their closest challengers with 1,797 points, with Chelsea a further 42 back on 1,755 points.

  • Arsenal, Manchester United plan £85m deal for Griezmann

    Arsenal are expected to challenge Manchester United for the signature of Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann.

    It is widely expected that Europe’s elite clubs will move again for him in the summer, with Griezmann having recently been voted third best player in the world behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

    Arsenal’s approach was made in the knowledge that the player would cost £85million — his release clause and an unprecedented fee for Arsenal to spend.

    United believe they are in pole position to land the forward, with his fellow Frenchman Paul Pogba encouraging him to join him at Old Trafford.
    United would likely top Arsenal’s wage offer, though contrary to popular belief, Arsenal would expect to pay more than £250,000 a week to a player like Griezmann.

    Any deal depends on Atletico conceding that now is the time to cash in on the 25-year-old.

  • My role as a midfielder is not to score – Pogba

    World-record £89m man, Paul Pogba has vowed to recover from a poor performance in Manchester United’s draw against Liverpool.

    After handing a ball in his 6o yard box, that lead to a penalty that was duly converted by James Milner, Pogba produced an uninspired display in the mouth-watering match.

    The France midfielder addressed his 12 million followers on Instagram on Monday, saying: ‘S*** happens.’

    The French man claimed people expect too much following his world-record £89m move. ‘People say that, at that price, a player must score or provide assists.

    ‘My role as a midfielder is not to score.

    ‘I have to work for the team rather than think about myself.’
    ‘I’m here, ready to fight and ready for the next one!!! I’d like to thank the supporters who are always there and keep believing in me.

    ‘At least we did not lose. Never stop fighting.’

  • “I am not retiring,” Van Gaal

    Louis van Gaal says he is not definitely done with football just yet, after appearing to suggest earlier this week that he was retiring from the game at 65.

    The Dutchman, who was sacked by Manchester United last year after an uninspiring stint at Old Trafford, had told popular daily tabloid De Telegraaf: “I don’t believe I’ll return to work.”

    But less than a day later van Gaal rowed back on that, telling Spanish radio overnight Tuesday-Wednesday that nothing was final and his future “depends on offers” at the end of what he has called a sabbatical.

    Louis van Gaal “I am not retiring,” van Gaal, whose decorated coaching career included two spells at Barcelona and with the Dutch national side, told Cadena Ser radio. “I took a sabbatical year and then maybe I will decide whether or not to retire. There is a strong possibility that I will retire, but it’s not final.”

    Van Gaal revealed that he had received an offer from La Liga crisis club Valencia. “It was about a month ago, but I said no. Next year, it might have been different.

    That depends on how I feel.” Clarifying his comments published in Tuesday’s De Telegraaf, van Gaal — who says he has received dozens of lucrative offers since his United departure last May — added: “I only said that perhaps I was going to retire.

    But I don’t know, it’s still not the moment to say. “That’s why I took a sabbatical for a year, and then I would decide. It depends also on what offers I get.”