Manchester United Watch: Januzaj stays, Lingard shines, Vidic stars and Moyes picks his team on Fifa 2014
MANCHESTER United Watch: a look at the Red Devils in the news: the pressure is on David Moyes. Well, of course it is.
Peter Schmeichel tells Sky Sports News.
“We always knew that whatever happened after Sir Alex, it would be a bumpy road. Someone had to be really brave and take that job. We knew every little thing that he does would be scrutinised and reported on in the media. It would be a debate – is he good enough? Has he got a few games left before he loses his game? He signed a six-year contract, there’s a reason behind the six years. People in football have short memories. The start of last season is the same as this season, you know.
“We played a relatively few number of games and had two defeats, one at Everton then Spurs at home, and we still managed to win by 13 points. I listened to the radio on the way here and they’re saying it’s not even a top four squad, and I’m thinking ‘guys where do you get this from?”
One thing on Moyes’ agenda is to tie down the talent he has. He wants to keep Nemanja Vidic at Old Trafford. Says Moyes:
“Vidic is probably the best centre half I have ever worked with. He is that good, he really is.”
Well, yes. Most of the United first team are the best players Moyes will have ever worked with.
The Manchester Evening News sums up another contract wrangle:
Moyes: Januzaj wants to stay at United
Says Moyes:
“We really think an awful lot of Adnan. He is a Manchester United player. I am sure he will be. We think this is the best place for producing and giving young players an opportunity. We think we do it better than anybody. It is part of my remit to promote young players and Adnan has been promoted already, and the next part is to become a regular first-team player. He is keen to stay.”
James Ducker writes in the Times:
Barcelona and Juventus are interested in signing Januzaj, the highly regarded 18-year-old Belgian attacking midfielder, who has been involved in protracted contract negotiations with United for almost six months. Juventus managed to persuade Paul Pogba to leave United for Italy last year after the outstanding young France midfielder was left unimpressed by the Barclays Premier League champions’ handling of his contract talks and was similarly dismayed not to have been given more first team opportunities.
Pogba, 20, has been a revelation at Juventus, scoring five goals in 38 appearances for the Turin club last season as well as establishing himself in the France squad, with his form proving a bitter pill for United fans to swallow, given their longstanding concerns about a midfield whose weaknesses were exposed again by City.
But there is lot of competition at United. The Birmingham Mail reports on another young striker:
Paul Robinson admits Jesse Lingard had an ‘amazing’ Birmingham City debut. But the Blues captain says that the on-loan forward from Manchester United needs to be protected from the hullabaloo that now surrounds him due to his four-goal salvo.
Lingard registered a 13 minute hat-trick in the 4-1 demolition of Sheffield Wednesday, a result that really kickstarted Blues season. Blues captain Robinson said: “I’ve never seen anyone score four goals on their debut before. It was amazing to see, especially for someone that young, to have the confidence to do that in the way that he did. He’s got a great future ahead of him.”
And about shielding him from the hype:
“Without doubt he can be United’s next big star.”
Of course, no player goes on forever. So, here’s some transfer balls:
Manchester United boss David Moyes has earmarked Benfica’s Argentine centre-half Ezequiel Garay as a priority January transfer target, reports the Metro. United have been linked with the 26-year-old for the past two seasons, as a potential long term replacement for either Rio Ferdinand or Nemanja Vidic.
So. How’s Moyes finding his new role? Has he found his best team?
When Moyes was asked if he is still at the stage of identifying his strongest side, the manager sidestepped the question, saying: “I have a lot of good players. At Manchester United I don’t think you ever want to get to that. You are happy to have a group of players you can select from.”
Is he settling in?
“When you first come into the job as a manager, it can be different. I found that when I was a young manager at Preston and then when I was a young manager at Everton. I feel like I’ve come into this job as an experienced manager. I’ve done a lot of years in the Premier League, I know exactly how it works. You’ll never get used to the enormity of this club, or at least not until you’ve been here for awhile. But you have to deal with that, that’s what happens when you come into these football management jobs.”
Of course, it’s only a game. Konstantinos Lianos writes:
Manchester United seem to be having some problems in the Premier League but are nevertheless dominating the League on FIFA 14. Three out of five top finishers in the game’s Premier League are United players and more specifically last season’s top scorer Robin Van Persie, the ever so dangerous Wayne Rooney and quite surprisingly Javier Hernandez.
The Dutch is ranked first whereas the Mexico and England international are on fourth and fifth place respectively.
The other two spots are covered by Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and Tottenham’s Roberto Soldado, who are second and third place respectively. Chicharito’s emergence in the top 5 brings some questions and makes one wonder whether the Mexican is being underused.
Football game programmers never lie…
Posted: 28th, September 2013 | In: manchester united, Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
