FOOTBALL

EPL: Man United’s midfield crisis

Published

3 years ago

October 6, 2021

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Manchester United entered the season with renewed optimism.

The Red Devils had finished runner-ups in the league last season and made some marquee signings in the summer in Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, and Raphael Varane.

The signs of progress under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were apparent, and now the Norwegian seemingly had the right tools to mount a title charge.

Manchester United’s start to the 20/21 season could not have been more perfect.

They scored five goals against Leeds United at Old Trafford in a comprehensively dominating display. But, the cracks began to surface in the very next game.

A trip to the Saint Mary’s is never an easy one, but United’s performance against Southampton made it hard to believe that this team was coming on the back of a 5-1 victory.

Fred and Matic struggle

Fred and Nemanja Matic formed the midfield core, but both of them were outplayed by their Southampton counterparts.

Fred had a match he won’t be keen on revisiting anytime soon.

To make things worse, the Brazilian conceded an own goal to hand Southampton a first-half lead.

Matic also produced a sub-par performance and failed to exert a considerable influence in the midfield.

This continued to evolve as a worrying pattern for Man United. Despite the quality of their attack, they could not command the flow.

As a result, they picked up some scrappy wins, was forced to share points, and suffered some frustrating defeats, including an EFL Cup third-round loss to West Ham and Champions League group stage defeat to Young Boys.

Fred often shoulders most of the blame for Manchester United’s midfield mediocrity, but he is not the only factor behind United’s problems.

Ole favours the Brazilian for his off the ball press, which has proved quite vital against stronger oppositions.

But Fred’s on the ball quality is not good enough to unlock the game when Manchester United faces deep sitting teams.

Is McTominay the answer?

Scott McTominay has shown that he can be a great utility player in the midfield, having the ability to play either as a box-to-box midfielder or a defensive midfielder.

We have seen him marking prime Eden Hazard out of the game, so there is no question about his quality.

But, his hesitation to release the ball fast slows down the attacking build-up.

Nemanja Matic, 33, is not getting any younger, and his age has taken a toll on his agility.

Matic is a sensible choice in midfield, but it would be impractical to believe he would be able to cope with the intensity week in, week out.

Inconsistent Pogba

Paul Pogba has been enjoying the freedom playing on the left-hand side of United’s attacking trident.

Last season, we saw him playing a deeper role, where he performed sporadically.

There were some excellent performances, but you could point out several sub-standard showings as well.

To become a top challenger for domestic and continental honours, United need more consistency in the midfield.

Donny van de Beek has the ball progression qualities we were talking about earlier that could make United a much better team.

But, Ole did not give him enough game time, which took an obvious toll on his confidence.

In the Villarreal match, for example, he was at fault for the goal United had conceded, and throughout the game, he could not leave a considerable impact.

That means United will have to explore the market once the window opens up in January.

But, it will not be easy to bring in a quality midfielder midseason.

During summer, they could have improved their defence with cost-effective options like Yves Bissouma or Ruben Neves.

However, getting a midfielder of a similar profile could be a more difficult challenge for the Man United recruitment team.

FOOTBALL

WATCH: Georgina Rodriguez makes huge claim on Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement in Football

Published

9 months ago

March 3, 2024

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Georgina Rodriguez made a huge claim on the future of her husband and star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, in Football. In a brief interaction with a host recently, Rodriguez was asked about the time left for Cristiano to make an impact at the highest level. Georgina looked honest in her approach to the question of the host and claimed something the fans would not love to hear.

Georgina claimed that the Portugal star has maybe one year more from him at the highest level. She felt that Ronaldo might play two more years before retiring and not more than that. She was however not sure if he would play for just one or two years and added that the Al Nassr star could also play more than that.

Watch the video of Georgina Rodriguez here –

🚨🎙️| Georgina Rodriguez on Cristiano Ronaldo’s future at Paris Fashion Week yesterday:

“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know.”

(via @ArobaseGiovanny)pic.twitter.com/4dxw2j5DuC

— Pubity Sport (@pubitysport) March 3, 2024

“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know,” said Rodriguez in the little chat she had with the host. The video has gone viral on X and the fans have started sharing it on different platforms. Some of the fans feel that Georgina might be right, while others feel that she could be wrong, given the fitness and longevity of the star player.

Legacy of Cristiano Ronaldo

On the 5th of February, Ronaldo celebrated his 39th birthday. He is currently one of the oldest players in the world. In the past, players at this age would have retired way back. But the fitness and consistency of Ronaldo make him play the sport as long as he wishes. In his career so far, Ronaldo has won many major leagues for Portugal and league teams like Real Madrid, Al Nassr, and Manchester United.

With United, Portugal won some major leagues like the FA Cup and the Champions League. With Real Madrid, the 39-year-old won the leagues like the UCL, Copa Del Rey and La Liga. He won it three consecutive times for Real Madrid. For Portugal, Cristiano had a huge contribution to Portugal. He has the most number of appearances and goals for an international team and won the Euro 2016 with Portugal.

FOOTBALL

Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham slapped with Red Card as he argued with referee

Published

9 months ago

March 3, 2024

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Jude Bellingham shown Red Card (Image Credit: Twitter)

England and Real Madrid player Jude Bellingham was slapped with a Red Card during the La Liga game against Valencia. In the game, the home team, Valencia was leading by 2-0 after 30 minutes before Madrid scored in the injury time of the first half. Vinicius Junior opened the scoring for Madrid while Hugo Duro (27′) and Roman Yaremchuk (30′) scored a goal each.

In the 76th minute, Junior scored an equalizer to keep the team in the game. However, in the injury time of the second half, Bellingham was given a red card as he argued with the referee against calling it a full-time before he could score. In reply, the match official decided to slap the England international with a Red Card. The team coach Carlo Ancelotti wasn’t happy with the verdict as the Three Lions player was making a pass at the time.

Jude Bellingham verbally abusing officials and other footballers at the slightest provocation needs to be talked about more. It’s embarrassing he gets applauded by Real Madrid Fans.

Mason Greenwood should’ve allowed La Liga to deal with this simp. pic.twitter.com/ixYSw6YxaC

— Herman Facundo© (@hermanfacundo_7) March 3, 2024

“I think what’s just happened is unprecedented. It’s never happened to me,” Ancelotti told reporters.

“We had possession of the ball and the match should have been finished when Valencia had the ball.

“What bothers us is the red card for Bellingham because he didn’t say anything insulting. He was frustrated of course,” said Ancelotti, adding that Bellingham had used a common English swearword when telling the referee it was a goal.

We are annoyed with Jude Bellingham’s Red Card: Carlo Ancelotti

“We were annoyed with Bellingham’s red card. He didn’t say any insults. He said in English ‘it’s a f—ing goal,’ but he was just saying what we were all thinking … [The referee] allowed play to continue. I think he made a mistake.”

“[Bellingham] was clear in what he said,” Ancelotti added. “He was quite vehement [in his reaction] but that’s normal, after what happened. It wasn’t an insult, not at all.”

FOOTBALL

PL 2023-24: MCFC vs MUFC Dream11 Prediction, Playing XI, Fantasy League Today’s Captain, Vice-Captain, and more for Manchester derby

Published

9 months ago

March 2, 2024

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Super Sunday is set to witness the Manchester Derby in the Premier League 2023-24. The match between Manchester City (MCFC) and Manchester United (MUFC) is set to take place in Etihad Stadium, the home ground of Manchester City. The two teams have had a contrasting journey in the league till now. The fortunes of City changed ever since Pep Guardiola took over the club as the manager.

While the home side are placed in the second position in the points table currently, United are in the sixth place in the points table. In their previous encounter, City hammered Luton Town by 6-2 in the FA Cup. United have shown massive improvements in the last few weeks after not having a good start to their campaign. United were involved in a thrilling game where they beat Nottingham Forrest by 1-0 in their last game.

Both teams feature some of the best players in the world. The likes of Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland, Marcus Rashford, Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, and others would be taking part in the match. Manchester City will start the match as the favourites, given their record in the ongoing league so far and the match taking place in their home. United with their improved record can challenge the home side.

MCFC vs MUFC – Match Details

Match – Manchester City (MCFC) vs Manchester United (MUFC), Premier League 2023-24

Venue – Etihad Stadium, Manchester

Date and Time – 3^rd March 2024, 21:00 IST

Live Coverage – Star Sports Network and Disney plus Hot Star

MCFC vs MUFC – Head-to-Head

Both the teams from Manchester have a rich history in the sport. they have been up against each other in 191 instances. In as many games, Manchester United have been historically the better side with 78 wins to their name. City have managed to win 60 wins, as 53 games ended in a draw. In the last five games between the two sides in the Premier League, City have won four of the five games.