FOOTBALL

Why Ole was right keeping hold Of Jesse Lingard

Published

3 years ago

September 20, 2021

admin

Not a lot of people foresaw Jesse Lingard playing for Manchester United this season.

The 28-year-old had a brilliant loan spell at West Ham, where he scored nine goals and assisted four more in 16 Premier League outings for the Hammers.

After Man United’s high-profile attacking recruitments this summer, it seemed all the more likely that Lingard is set to leave the club he has been playing for since he was seven years old.

Lingard managed only 64 minutes of football in the entirety of 2020.

Arrivals of the likes of Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo would push even further towards the fringes.

Fresh off a successful loan stint, United could have received a considerable fee from his suitors.

But, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer actively took him off the selling list, insisting he is a part of his plans for the new situation.

Lingard over James

The decision might appear a bit outlandish because Man United have a plethora of attacking assets, and they have let go of a younger player of a similar profile in Daniel James.

Manchester United have sold James to Leeds United for £30 million.

The Welshman has made 59 appearances for the club in his two-year stay, while Lingard has struggled for minutes.

So, why not keep James instead of Lingard as a backup?

Choosing Lingard over James makes sense when you take into account their recent performances.

Lingard has revitalized himself in the Premier League under David Moyes and made it to England’s Euro 2020 provisional squad.

James, on the other hand, seemed continuously out of place at United and openly admitted to losing his confidence as a Red Devils player.

Also, Lingard has only a year left on his contract. His current deal would have expired this summer, but United activated a clause in his contract that will prolong his stay at the club.

While Lingard’s form at West Ham did draw attention from other clubs, it would have been difficult to get as much as £30 million for him since he only has months left in his contract.

Proven EPL performer

Not all footballers hit the ground running coming from other leagues in the Premier League.

Although Jadon Sancho boasts a prolific record in Bundesliga, there is no guarantee that he would be able to replicate that form in the Premier League immediately.

Timo Werner, for instance, hit 28 Bundesliga in his final season at RB Leipzig. But, he could not reach double digits for Chelsea in his first season.

So, Ole needed someone to take the burden off Sancho and help him settle in. The Norwegian identified Lingard as the perfect candidate for this role.

Many would point towards the comical back pass Lingard attempted to play to David de Gea in the dying stages of the game against Young Boys, which ultimately led to the winning goal for the opposition.

But, he was quick to atone for his mistake as he curled in an 89th-minute stunner to win the match for Manchester United against West Ham the following weekend.

Before that, he had scored in Manchester United’s 4-1 thrashing of Newcastle United to end his 13-month goal drought for the Mancunians.

However, Lingard’s long-term future might not be at Old Trafford, after all.

He has rejected extension offers from the club since he does not feel convinced he can break it to the starting XI anytime soon.

But, the forward can play a ‘’super-sub’’ role for the 13-time Premier League champions this season, which could prove instrumental in ending their four-year wait for silverware.

FOOTBALL

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

Published

9 months ago

March 3, 2024

admin

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

admin

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

admin

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.