Eintracht Frankfurt winger Ante Rebic scored a brilliant volley and generally impressed in Croatia’s memorable 3-0 win against Argentina in their second 2018 World Cup fixture on Thursday, and Manchester United fans have urged their club to sign the 24-year-old.
The left-sided wideman is set to join the Bundesliga outfit on a permanent deal this summer following a two-year loan spell from Fiorentina, but his impressive displays in Russia could mean that he attracts interest from other clubs, with SportBild suggesting Frankfurt would be willing to sell him for a fee upwards of £26m.
While the Croatian was perhaps lucky to stay on the field following a nasty challenge, he took advantage of Willy Caballero’s poor clearance to smash a first-time volley into the roof of the net, and if he did join United he could play on the left wing which would allow Alexis Sanchez to solve the issue on the opposite flank.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”257647″ player=”12034″ title=”3 Reasons We Love To Hate… Brazil and Argentina”]
Man United supporters, who are desperate for their club to re-sign a £90m attacker, were quick to have their say on Rebic’s latest display via social media, and while one said “over to you Ed Woodward”, another described him as “a better player than Perisic”, who has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford in the past.
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The season starts here, the Manchester United boss might be telling his players.
Despite all of the games they’ve had, despite the rows that may or may not be playing out, and despite the bitterness Jose Mourinho has spewed in the faces of all who will listen over a winter of discontent, United’s season really does start on Wednesday night in Spain.
Having been dumped out of the title race early by a record-breaking Manchester City, and out of the League Cup by Bristol City, the Red Devils have just two trophies to play for, the Champions League and the FA Cup. Despite everything that’s happened so far this season and during the Mourinho year and a half, they could yet repeat last season’s success in a more satisfying way.
Last year, it was the League Cup and the Europa League. This season, the combo on offer is the FA Cup and the Champions League. It’s the premium upgrade, from economy class to business.
None of that means that United are thoroughly on track, of course. We’re talking here about a Manchester United side who may well be on the cusp of a munity. Paper talk of Paul Pogba’s fractured relationship with Jose Mourinho does nothing to help in that regard, whilst defeat to Newcastle United in their last Premier League outing was unexpected and coincided with a poor performance – though they really should have won the game, scraping through rather than sparkling.
The Pogba problems are interesting, though. In that game at St James’s Park, the club’s record signing was hauled off and was seemingly run over the coals by his manager, with poor performances in the last few weeks raised in all quarters. With Mourinho you often fall into a trap of trying to look deeper into the situation rather than taking it at face value. His history of ‘mind games’ have conditioned us to see strategy where there is none, and his often cryptic methods of self-expression do nothing to help us out. There are times, surely, when not even Mourinho is trying to play us.
That said, is this one of those times?
The Portuguese coach favours a confrontational style of leadership. That’s a buzzword-laden phrase, sure, but it boils down to that: Mourinho gets in the faces of his players, withholding love and affection in order to get a response from his rabid dogs starved of fresh meat.
Pogba is indeed off form, but rather than speculate about a bust-up, should we be thinking more about this in terms of a fairly standard Mourinho power play? This may be falling into the trap, I admit, but isn’t it strange that the club’s record signing and undoubtedly their best player so far this season – just look at United’s form without him in the team before Christmas – should be so publicly admonished in the weeks leading up to the return of the Champions League? Especially when European football would represent the real saviour to United’s season?
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Mourinho doesn’t always play mind games. He doesn’t always have an ulterior motive. Football is a never-ending story, something we turn into a soap opera with the managers and players as the cast playing roles which make it relatable. So much so that you binge-watch it all through the week and talk about it all the time.
And yet, Mourinho is not a bond villain plotting to destroy the world and who must be stopped by the saintly Pep Guardiola and his crusaders for footballing justice. The Manchester United manager is not some sort of shrouded operatic scoundrel known as the Evil One who plays tricks and lays traps. He does, however, like to gee up his players at important parts of the season, and so it’s plausible indeed that he would attempt to get in Pogba’s face at this very time of the season.
It may be true. There may have been a bust-up and this may be a problem. But equally, this might just be another stroke of masterful man-management from a man who knows what he’s doing. After all, United’s season starts right now.
The morning after the night before, and as a dejected English public go to work the main headlines in the media are that Roy Hodgson has unequivocally stated his intention to stay in the England job in the wake of a demoralising 2-1 defeat to Uruguay, which has left England’s World Cup hopes hanging by a thread.The social media reaction to the former Liverpool manager’s statement has been one of mixed emotions, ranging from sympathetic support to frothing bile.By and large, it feels as though the public response to England’s defeat, whilst acknowledging the disappointing performance, is one of support for the manager and players alike.People have taken to Twitter to express their opinions, and here are some of the more supportive reactions to the news.
But whilst Hodgson has his supporters, there are sections of the England fanbase which have considered his announcement as unwelcome news.
Greg Dyke now faces arguably his biggest decision since being inducted into the FA’s top brass. It is thought that Hodgson remains popular within the FA, but elimination in the first round raises questions over his suitability. Watch this space.
New Blackburn Rovers manager Henning Berg has praised the efforts of the clubs owners despite the club’s fortunes deteriorating since they arrived in 2010.
Owners Venky’s have come under heavy criticism for running the club from their base in India and making the club’s managers travel there for meetings on a regular basis.
But Berg, who won the Premier League as a player with Blackburn in 1995, believes Venky’s are taking the right steps in making sure the club returns to the Premier League as quickly as possible.
Berg told Sky Sports: “It has been frustrating time, but I have been looking in from the outside.
“Now I have spoken to the people inside the club and I know what they are thinking, I know what their ambitions are , I know what they are planning. There is no doubt about it, even the owners, they are ambitious. They want to put this club back in to the Premier League. They want all the best for this club.
“I think they have made some important steps as well. They showed that by putting money in for players in the summer. Jordan Rhodes, Leon Best, Murphy, Edu, Gomez. These are players that will give this club a realistic chance of getting promotion. They are taking many important steps to take this club forward.”
Berg went on to reveal he is relishing his new role as Blackburn’s manager and believes his experience as a player and a manger will help.
“There is always going to be pressure in every job, but I am looking forward to it,” he said.
“I had experience as a manager in Norway for seven years. I’ve played in big games and learned a lot from big managers. So this will help me.”
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Peru winger Andre Carrillo impressed during his nation’s 1-0 defeat to Denmark in their opening 2018 World Cup match on Saturday, and Everton fans want their club to sign the attacker, rated at £5.4m by Transfermarkt.
The 27-year-old played on the right-hand side – but is also able to play on the left – for his country and showed his pace and skill throughout, and Toffees boss Marco Silva certainly knows him well having brought him to Watford on a season-long loan deal last summer.
He struggled to make an impact at Vicarage Road – especially after Silva lost his job – and ended the campaign with two goals and two assists in 30 appearances in all competitions, before returning to parent club Benfica.
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Everton supporters, who have urged their club to sign another 27-year-old World Cup star, were quick to have their say on Carrillo’s display via social media, and while one said “I’d have this Carrillo as a Bolasie replacement”, another said “Everton need to sign Carrillo”.
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According to reports in the Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur are set to make a summer swoop for Watford midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure after manager Mauricio Pochettino watched him in action in his side’s 4-1 win against Chelsea at Vicarage Road on Monday night.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Frenchman has been one of the Hornets’ standout players this season and he impressed once again against the Premier League holders by assisting the last two goals in the 4-1 success.
The Daily Mail says that Pochettino was left impressed with what he saw of the 25-year-old midfielder, although he will have to pay more than the £20m Watford received when they sold Odion Ighalo Changchun Yatai last year given the player’s contract doesn’t run out until 2020, with the Hertfordshire-based outfit also keen to tie him down to a new deal worth more than £60,000-a-week.
The report adds that Spurs could face competition for Doucoure’s signature from Premier League rivals Arsenal and Liverpool, who are also keeping tabs on the midfielder.
How good has Doucoure been this season?
He has been excellent in the middle of the park.
The 25-year-old has scored seven goals and provided a further three assists in 25 Premier League appearances from both central and defensive midfield positions, and he has often highlighted his ability as a box-to-box player.
According to WhoScored.com, the Frenchman has made 29 key passes in those 25 top flight outings, while he has successfully completed 27 of the 33 dribbles he has attempted and made 39 interceptions.
Would he be a good signing for Tottenham?
He certainly would be.
Pochettino will be beginning to look for a long-term replacement for Mousa Dembele soon and Doucoure could well fit the bill.
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The 25-year-old is decent on the ball, strong and can pick a pass, while his energy and ability to get up and down the field mean that he has a3 huge impact at both ends of the pitch.
Given the quality that he has, Tottenham would certainly be keen to wrap up a deal for the Frenchman if they could get him for less than the £30m they paid Newcastle United to sign Moussa Sissoko in 2016, although Arsenal and Liverpool may have something to say about that.
Barcelona’s 14-month transfer embargo for the international trade of minors will have a major knock-on affect on world football.
Aside from influencing the transfer policy of the club itself, having such a superpower in the game banned from buying or selling players for two windows will likely have an impact on all elite clubs, either directly or indirectly. With this in mind, we consider who the embargo is going to affect more: Chelsea or Arsenal?
David Luiz was known to be high on Barcelona’s priority list this summer. The Brazilian was odds-on with most bookmakers to move to Camp Nou before the ban was announced. It was believed that Chelsea would have accepted a bid of £25m for the defender, with Mourinho seemingly to have deemed the player too unreliable.
The news of FIFA’s ban is unlikely to be well received at Stamford Bridge. The club have been making a serious effort to conform with Financial Fair Play, and will have been counting on the transfer fee that they were going to receive for Luiz when considering their transfer policy for the next window.
It’s well known that Chelsea’s priority is to sign a top-class centre-forward. And such a player is not going to come cheap. With Luiz now likely to remain at Stamford Bridge, the club are going to have to find another way of balancing the books.
However, David Luiz was not the only Chelsea player who Barcelona were interested in. With Victor Valdes having taken the decision to leave the Catalan club at the end of the season, Barcelona were also in the market for a goalkeeper. And Thibaut Courtois was attracting attention.
The Belgian’s form has been impressive during his two-year loan spell at Atletico Madrid, so much so that it earned him the LFP goalkeeper of year award for last season. Courtois’ detachment from Chelsea, and obvious enjoyment of life in Spain, means that it would have been very difficult for Chelsea to hold onto the player if Barcelona had acted on their interest.
The ban means that Chelsea should be able to hold onto Courtois but are faced with the problem of who to choose as the No.1 for next season. However, this has to be considered a ‘good problem’ given the alternative was losing the man who many see as the next best goalkeeper in the world.
The announcement of Barcelona’s transfer troubles is unlikely to be greeted with too much glee at the Emirates either.
Alex Song had been rumoured to be considering a move back to his former club after failing to establish a place in the first-teams of either Pep Guardiola or Tata Martino. And given Arsenal’s recent penchant for capitulation, his brawn would have been quickly welcomed back in the centre of the park.
Arsenal have also held a long-standing interest in Alexis Sanchez. Like Song, the Chilean has never been able to hold down a regular place at the Camp Nou, and with the recent improvement in Arsenal’s financial situation, this may have been the window to turn their interest into something more concrete.
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However, the embargo is not without some potential benefits for the North London club either. Arsenal and Barcelona share an interest in the Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. If the Catalan club’s troubles mean that Arsenal can secure the German international, then they could still potentially be a major beneficiary of the situation.
While it remains impossible to quantify the effect that Barcelona’s ban will have at this stage, it looks likely to have more of a positive impact on Chelsea than Arsenal. Even if the West End club would have preferred to cash-in on Luiz, being forced to retain a player of his talent is far from the worst possible outcome.
For Arsenal, the ban is more likely to have a negative consequences on the whole. Given that the Arsenal squad again appears to be in need of serious investment, the ruling out of two of their top transfer targets can be damaging for those at the Emirates.
Jan Vertonghen believes Tottenham are strong enough to bounce back from their 1-0 Premier League loss at home to Wigan at the weekend.
Spurs went down to a Ben Watson goal in the 56th minute to deny them the chance to capitalise on Arsenal, Everton and Fulham dropping points and claiming a spot in the top four.
But the Spurs defender feels Andre Villas-Boas’ squad can recover from the shock defeat and admits that they struggled with Wigan’s approach to the game.
He told Tottenham’s official website: “The team is strong enough to come back from this defeat.
“We had problems with their [Wigan Athletic] system, but normally we turn it around.
“We just couldn’t do it and it was a shame for the fans because it was a big opportunity with Arsenal losing, plus Fulham and Everton drawing. Overall, it was very disappointing.”
Spurs have a difficult month ahead of them, both in the Premier League and the Europa League, with trips to Manchester City, Lazio and Arsenal all set to provide stern tests for Andre Villas-Boas’ men.
But Vertonghen believes Spurs have more than enough to triumph in all of these games and is confident of a revival.
“We have a lot of important games ahead, important games in Europe and difficult away games. We have to stick together. We know we’re strong in away games and we can win at any away ground,” he added.
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As reported by The Daily Record, Aston Villa have joined the race for Hibernian talent John McGinn this summer.
What’s the story?
This summer is expected to be one of transition for the Villans, with recent financial problems already meaning that John Terry left the club at the end of the season.
Latest reports link star midfielder Jack Grealish with a move away from Birmingham too, potentially to the likes of Tottenham Hotspur.
The task facing Steve Bruce then is attracting affordable talent to the club who can still help them achieve ambitions of reaching the play-offs or higher next season.
One name on his radar is Hibernian midfielder John McGinn.
That’s according to The Daily Record, who report the £5m-rated Scotland international is well within reach for the Villa Park side despite their money woes.
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Can he replace Grealish?
The reality for Villa is that Jack Grealish may be somewhat irreplaceable in the short term, at least until they sort out their finances or reach the riches of the English Premier League.
The homegrown talent was a real driving force for Villa last season, with the side looking noticeably poorer when he was absent.
McGinn may not be able to reach those heights immediately but offers the same passion and ambition in the middle of the park, confident enough to win the ball and carry it into the final third on a consistent basis.
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At 23 years of age he also holds plenty of potential and playing in the Championship could improve on his current ability after learning his trade in the Scottish second-tier and Premiership.
If Villa are to compete, they need young, hungry and ambitious players and McGinn ticks those boxes on a budget for the club, if they are to be funded by the sale of Grealish this summer.
He could well end up helping supporters forgetting about the fan favourite, should he leave.
Celtic fans can be pleased with the weekend’s Scottish Premiership action after a 1-0 win over Hibernian at Celtic Park on Saturday.
Maintaining their 11 point lead at the top of the table, Brendan Rodgers’ side were never spectacular against the Edinburgh side but got the job done thanks to a first half finish from striker Leigh Griffiths.
One of the big talking points coming out of the match was the performance of Hibs midfielder John McGinn, who has been heavily linked with a move to the Hoops this month.
However, it appears it is one potential transfer that Celtic fans would like to avoid after being left less than impressed with his performance on Saturday.
The Scotland international failed to get to grips with the game in the same manner he has done against Celtic previously this season and fans reckon it is indicative that he is below the quality required to make an impact in Brendan Rodgers’ first team.
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They took to Twitter to discuss his performance and any potential switch to Glasgow…