TheNewsGuru

Tag: Players

  • Van de Beek shocks Man Utd players about Ten Hag

    Van de Beek shocks Man Utd players about Ten Hag

    Manchester United players have reached out to teammate Donny van de Beek for news on incoming manager Erik ten Hag.

    The Mirror says Ajax boss ten Hag is set to be named as United’s new permanent manager in the coming days after verbally agreeing to take the Old Trafford job.

    Van de Beek emerged under ten Hag at Ajax and earned his £40million move to United on the back of his impressive form for the Dutch champions.

    Although Van de Beek is currently on loan at Everton, his United team-mates have been contacting him to get the inside track on Ten Hag and the 52-year-old’s methods. Van de Beek is understood to have told his United team-mates how demanding Ten Hag is to play for and warned them they are in for a shock when he takes over.

    A United source said: “The players have been asking Donny about Ten Hag because he’s played under him before. He told them his training sessions are on a different level to what they’ve been used to and they’ll have to run like they’ve never run before.

    “Donny told them he’s really intense, a perfectionist, who does one-on-one training himself with the players. He controls every aspect of his players, including their diets. The basic message was he’s not one to cross – it sounds like one strike and you’re out.”

     

  • Vidic sends strong message to Man Utd players

    Vidic sends strong message to Man Utd players

    Former Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic feels team spirit is lacking amongst the current squad.

    Speaking to The Athletic, United great Vidic urged the club’s current squad to improve on their recent showings. And the former defender had a clear message for any players throwing the towel in early.

    “I came to United as a mature person,” Vidic said. “I’d done my discos in Serbia and Moscow. At the biggest club in the world, it was important not to spend time on the stupid things. I wanted to show the whole world how good I was in the most important years in my career and I was lucky to play eight years for Man United.

    “My point is that we all had the same target then. We were there to play for the biggest club in the world and we knew what the aim was — to win the biggest trophies.

    “We had to play well, week in, week out, but there were always setbacks. I had many times where I played when I didn’t feel well or sharp, but my team-mates would see that and help me. We had an incredible team spirit and that helped us win trophies — and trophies are the only way to get recognition for Man Utd.

    “At smaller clubs, you don’t have the same aims, but you still have aims and expectations, but at Man United, where every team plays 100 per cent against you, you should always play like it’s your last year: 90 per cent is not enough and the current players should play like that.

    “You should be scared that you’re not going to be there next season and you have to fight to stop yourself going because it’s only when you leave Man United that you realise how big Man United is.”

    Vidic added: “They are good boys but the way to win is in the collective and team spirit in a world which is becoming increasingly individualised. Players have individual social media accounts, but football is not an individual sport – like most sports are. Respect, trust and help for your team-mates is so important.”

  • I know Man Utd players who are leaking club news – Neville

    I know Man Utd players who are leaking club news – Neville

    Former Manchester United defender, Gary Neville has claimed he knows players behind the “disgusting” leaks from the club’s dressing room.

    Rangnick is over two months into a turbulent reign as interim manager at Old Trafford.

    That period has been characterised by mixed results on the pitch and numerous dressing room issues.

    Among the leaks from the United dressing room is that the squad prefers Paris Saint-Germain manager, Mauricio Pochettino to be the permanent appointment this summer.

    Neville has now blasted those players and their representatives behind the leaks.

    Speaking on his Gary Neville podcast on Sunday, he said: “I remember when I joined Sky and we had the Champions League in the early years, and I went over to Napoli to do a game involving Chelsea.

    “It was when Andre Villas-Boas was their manager and he left out Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, Ashley Cole – four or five prominent players.

    “That is what managers tend to do in their final days at a club, as they see it as a free hit.

    “I remember sitting there at lunchtime with our team and they were getting messages of team news being leaked and the manager being slagged off, and I sat there thinking ‘does this actually happen’?

    “Players agents and PR teams were briefing the media on a matchday about what was going on inside a club, and it was the first time I had seen it and known for it to happen – it really unnerved me.

    “That is happening at Manchester United now – they are at it, the PR teams, the agents and the marketing teams, as a self-preservation for their own player.

    “But what they do not realise is that unfortunately, when they go to the media then those media people go to us – so we know who is briefing.

    “The reality is that we do not like it, but we know who it is.

    “We are not going to throw people under a bus here because we have that journalistic respect – but they are it in the same way that Chelsea were all those years ago.

    “They need to stop it and work as hard as they can.”

  • Man Utd players must stick to game plan – Rangnick

    Man Utd players must stick to game plan – Rangnick

    Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick is calling on the players to “stick to the gameplan”.

    Rangnick, ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Southampton, was asked about reports of the squad being unhappy with his training methods.

    He said, “I have nothing to say. I haven’t read any newspapers, or know about those articles, the way the team has developed is obvious tactically, due to the work we’ve been doing in training.

    “It’s important the players have also realise that development in the last couple of weeks in and out of possession of the ball. If we concede a goal, against Middlesbrough, it was after 60 minutes, and Burnley was 50 minutes, we should stick to the gameplan and not lose shape or composure.

    “This was the most harmful part, we didn’t have the same positioning on the pitch. If the other team scores a goal in football, we have to be aware of why we were so dominant and lose structure, lose shape, this was obvious for 20 minutes against Burnley. It got better at the end but in those 15 mins we lost that shape.”

  • Chelsea attacking players upset with treatment by Tuchel

    Chelsea attacking players upset with treatment by Tuchel

    Claims have emerged of Chelsea’s attacking players being upset with the management of Thomas Tuchel st Stamford Bridge

    The Athletic reports Romelu Lukaku is far from the only forward who is unhappy with life under the current head coach.

    It is claimed that Tuchel’s attitude towards his forwards, including constant berating on the touchline and harsh words for mistakes, has made for a low mood.

    An inability to hide his frustrations has been picked up on by many of them, and has upset some to the extent that they are considering seeking an exit from Chelsea in the near future.

    A source says it has had a detrimental impact on confidence, with players less likely to take on risky opportunities or use their instincts for fear of Tuchel lashing out at them.

    The report also points to the constant chopping and changing in selection up front as a reason for the disillusionment among forwards, with the feeling being that a lack of a consistent frontline is making it difficult for them to build any form of connection and chemistry on the pitch.

  • I know which players want to leave Man Utd – Rangnick

    I know which players want to leave Man Utd – Rangnick

    Manchester United caretaker boss Ralf Rangnick admits he has players wanting to leave before next week’s transfer deadline.

    Jesse Lingard, Donny van de Beek and Anthony Martial are among senior players eager to depart.

    Rangnick said, “I do not know (what will happen), I know which players would like to leave.

    “I know that there are some negotiations with clubs, but I am not involved. But I will probably be informed if something happens.

    “We have to wait and see what happens.”

  • Over 103 Premier League players, staff test positive for COVID-19 in six days

    Over 103 Premier League players, staff test positive for COVID-19 in six days

    The Premier League has revealed a record 103 players and staff tested positive for the coronavirus in the period from December 20 to 26.

    Just a week ago, the English top-flight set a new high since testing began in 2020 with 90 positive cases.

    That mark has now been beaten as the Omicron variant takes its toll.

    So far in December, 15 Premier League games have been called off, while the three divisions below the top tier have been decimated by postponements.

    “The League can today confirm between Monday 20 December and Sunday 26 December, 15,186 COVID-19 tests were administered on players and club staff. Of these, there were 103 new positive cases,” a Premier League statement said.

    “The safety of everyone is a priority and the Premier League is taking all precautionary steps in response to the impact of the Omicron variant.”

    Liverpool’s game against Leeds, Watford’s trip to Wolves, and Burnley against Everton were all cancelled before their scheduled Boxing Day fixtures.

    Arsenal’s home match against Wolves on Tuesday was axed on Sunday after an increase in case numbers among Wolves’ squad.

    Leeds’ game with Aston Villa, scheduled for December 28, was also postponed on Sunday due to Leeds’ continued Covid and injury issues.

    Despite the rise in Covid cases and several postponements, Premier League chiefs last week opted against halting the season despite calls from some top-flight bosses for a ‘circuit breaker’

    At the same meeting, clubs were warned that games will go ahead if each team has 13 fit outfield players and a goalkeeper.

    “The League has reverted to its Emergency Measures, and has increased testing of players and club staff to daily Lateral Flow and twice-weekly PCR tests, having previously carried out Lateral Flow testing twice a week,” the statement said.

    “The League is continuing to work with clubs to keep people safe by helping mitigate the risks of COVID-19 within their squads.

    “We are also liaising closely with the Government, local authorities and supporter groups, while being responsive to any future changes to national or local guidance.”

    Six Premier League games did go ahead on Sunday in front of full crowds despite Britain battling a significant rise in positive Covid cases.

    No restrictions have yet been put in place for the size of crowds at matches in England, although supporters do have to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test taken in the previous 48 hours.

    Sport in Wales was forced back behind closed doors from Sunday, while in Scotland a restriction of 500 outdoor public events has seen Scottish Premiership clubs bring forward their winter break by a week.

  • Xavi blasts players : You don’t know what it means to play for Barca

    Xavi blasts players : You don’t know what it means to play for Barca

    Barcelona coach Xavi blasted his players during last night’s Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.

    The 3-0 loss saw Barca tumbled out of the competition.

    Sport says at the end of the first half Xavi did not hesitate to raise his voice at his players.

    “Some of you don’t understand what it means to play for Barça,” he said.

    But the reality is that the speech did not work. The team not only did not react in the second half and at times appeared to give up.

    After the game, Xavi opted for a less aggressive stance. He hardly addressed the players, though gave a short but forceful message, at a decibel level much lower than that shown during the break.

  • Man Utd players better than I expected – Rangnick

    Man Utd players better than I expected – Rangnick

    Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick admits the players he’s inherited are better than he expected.

    Fred scored the only goal as United delivered Rangnick a debut win as manager against Crystal Palace.

    Rangnick said: “To be honest, I was positively surprised by the physical state, intensity and performance of the players.

    “Not only did we play in the late kick-off on Thursday, but we also had two days fewer than Crystal Palace to recover.

    “I didn’t expect us to play at that level after only one-and-a-half training days together with them.

    “It’s always easier to build on things when you’re successful.

    “I want the players to believe in this kind of football.

    “We continue in this direction, produce further clean sheets, and get better at creating chances ourselves.

    “There is still space for improvement but today was more important for me to see how they played against the ball.”

  • Man Utd players upset over Rangnick’s imminent appointment

    Man Utd players upset over Rangnick’s imminent appointment

    Manchester United players are upset with how management have sought to appoint Ralf Rangnick as new interim manager.

    The former RB Salzburg and Leipzig boss has been enticed to Old Trafford from Russian outfit Lokomotiv Moscow where he was operating as the club’s sporting director on a £3.8m-a-year deal.

    The Daily Star says many of the current squad members are feeling aggrieved that they were not informed about the deal prior to the news being relayed to the media.

    No one at the top of the United hierarchy relayed the message to the players, either in person or via the shared WhatsApp group chat used by the current crop of stars.

    The lack of communication between players and staff may stem from United’s desire to keep as tight-lipped over the deal as possible, though the United stars feel they should have been told who the new boss will be, especially given he is expected to start taking training sessions soon.

    Due to work permit-related issues, the former Hoffenheim boss will not be able to take charge of Sunday’s crucial league tie away at Chelsea, while the visit of Arsenal next Thursday is also expected to come too soon.