Manchester City right-back Maicon has defended his manager Roberto Mancini after recent outbursts.
The Italian boss clashed with Sir Alex Ferguson in the Manchester derby last season and went head-to-head against Paul Lambert in the Premier League champions’ defeat to Aston Villa in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday night.
However, the Brazil international feels that the incidents show that Mancini has passion and is determined to succeed.
“All winning coaches are the same so if Ferguson has the hairdryer, Roberto has the same passion,” The Telegraph have Maicon as saying.“All winning managers are the same and they show this passion to the players because they really want to win and the players can feel that. It is the same man I knew at Inter, the same passion, the same will to win, the same intensity. I found the same kind of manager.“That is the way he should be, to see a passionate coach who demands high standards. If he gets angry he reminds everybody of the standards required.“He’s a winning manager like the other ones, so he has the same passion and the players appreciate it when the manager speaks up for the team and the players, especially because he puts the pressure on himself rather than giving it to the players,” he concluded.By Gareth McKnight
It was the most fitting and appropriate end to the trophy drought at Arsenal. It was the perfect way to cap a season that has become a page turned for Aaron Ramsey after the difficulties of that injury at Stoke.
Who else could have won Arsenal the FA Cup and had the moment be any sweeter? Had it been Mesut Ozil, it would have been the ushering in of a new era, but one that isn’t really a clear depiction of Arsene Wenger and his values in football.
The German midfielder is the superstar that the club needed, but Wenger’s faith in youth, the steel-like conviction in what he was doing in building for the long-term, his absolute confidence in Ramsey over these past few seasons – two new contracts inside the last 18 months – made the end to the cup final at Wembley all the more fitting.
Money and imported, readymade superstars didn’t win Arsenal and Wenger the FA Cup – Ramsey, a player brought in for relative peanuts as a teenager, did. There can be no stronger vindication for Wenger’s long-held beliefs than that.
It’s fitting that a project has become this Arsenal team’s talisman. Players like Ozil are necessary, if nothing else than to properly equip and supplement those who are developed in-house. But Ramsey has gone full circle. He’s no longer that player who was the brunt of fans’ frustration. The Welshman has taken that step forward, ahead of his teammates lined up shoulder-to-shoulder, to become this team’s leader and poster boy.
Arsenal have long trumpeted the ideal that they make superstars rather than buying them. Bayern Munich’s reported interest in Ramsey acts as confirmation that they’re onto something big with the 23-year-old. Had he been fit all season, Ramsey may well have won the Player of the Year award. At the very least it would have been an extremely close call between him and Luis Suarez.
His long-term move to the sidelines on Boxing Day, still lamented by Arsenal supporters, coincided with the creeping in of a loss of form and loss of belief. Ozil has no doubt added ornamentation to Arsenal’s play; the German has brought intelligence, too. But there’s no safety net or backup for the loss of a genuine game-changer and willing leader in someone like Ramsey.
Ramsey is a player reborn. An apparently limitless supply of confidence now to go along with the talent that was always there. In years gone by, Arsenal have rarely had both – and that goes for individuals and the club as a whole. They’ve got a leader on the pitch – an armband isn’t always necessary or defining – as well as a trophy in the cabinet to really get the motors going. If Arsenal weren’t financially capable of adding further talent in the past, they’re more than able now.
Ramsey has scored the most important goal of his career – and what a stunning effort it was – while arguably scoring the goal that put Wenger’s future beyond all doubt. But the midfielder is 23. Let that sink in. Arsenal have lost out on star players in the past. Cesc Fabregas wanted to return home to Barcelona for a number of reasons, but primary was the opportunity to win silverware. Arsenal certainly lost out on much of Robin van Persie’s career due to the Dutchman’s injuries. He too jumped ship in the pursuit of tangible glory.
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But the club don’t have that problem now. There are few, if any, insurmountable hurdles preventing this club from winning and giving players like Ramsey the incentive to stay.
As West Ham fans revel in their long overdue revival under the continued stewardship of manager Sam Allardyce, it would seem that the decision of the club’s co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold to stick with the former Bolton boss has been vindicated.
The Hammers run of a draw and three wins in their last four league games has helped to ease their relegation fears, in the short term at least, and shows that sometimes it is best to weather the out-of-form storm.
This strategy, however, has not been mirrored by some of the club’s Premier League rivals, many of whom have been quick to issue their marching orders. Indeed, the current managerial casualty rate stands at eight for the top-flight this season (including Ian Holloway’s resignation from Crystal Palace) part of a collective total of 29 across the top four divisions, with 23 having been fired.
The search for success in the modern game then has seen managers become one of the sport’s most expendable commodities, an outcome that brings with it mixed results.
The faring of newly promoted Crystal Palace since their appointment of Tony Pulis is undoubtedly the best example of a managerial change gone right. Since the Welshman’s arrival in late November, the Eagles have averaged 1.6 points per game, form that would see them occupy 8th place in the league had he been in charge since September. This miraculous turnaround has been well received in South London and seen the memories of the turbulent start under Holloway firmly filed under the heading of ‘distant memories’.
Similarly the exploits of Spurs boss Tim Sherwood, who was unexpectedly handed the hotseat following the departure of Andre Villas Boas, has facilitated a similar turnaround, losing just once in eight Premier League games and placing the club firmly back in the race for 4th spot.
The same cannot be said however, of the League’s more recent permanent appointments.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, one of the finest substitutes this country has ever seen, raised a number of eyebrows when he accepted the offer of the Cardiff job from unpredictable chairman Vincent Tan. Having had success in his native Norway with former club Molde, with whom he decided to remain having been linked with the Aston Villa job, the move to Cardiff seemed a little ill-considered, on his part rather than theirs, as his appointment marked the end of the English clubs’ campaign to install him as their boss.
The effect however, has been a little patchy. Four defeats from his first five league games was probably not the renaissance package that Bluebirds (or is it Dragons now?) had envisaged, especially not the comprehensive 3-0 loss to bitter rivals Swansea, currently plying their trade under the stewardship of managerial rookie Garry Monk.
The honeymoon start of a 2-1 FA cup win at Newcastle has certainly worn off and the challenge of keeping the club in the Premier League now is more apparent than ever with a number of 6-pointers on the horizon.
Meanwhile Pepe Mel at West Brom hasn’t enjoyed a fairytale start to his time in England. Taking over from popular Scot Steve Clarke, the former Real Betis coach, apparently so committed to the prospect of working in England that he had been taking English lessons for several months, is yet to record a win in his first four games, which have encompassed defeats to relegation rivals Palace and Aston Villa.
The mood of Baggies fans has been bleak of late, with performances under Mel doing little to remedy it, though the securing of his colleague David Gomez as first team coach may aid the recovery, at this stage the Hawthorns outfit’s survival chances hang very much in the balance.
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And the fate of Rene Meulensteen’s Fulham is similarly uncertain. The much-lauded Dutch coach was seen as the answer to the Cottagers problems following the departure of compatriot Martin Jol. Aside of an impressive 2-2 draw at Old Trafford, however, the Cottagers performances have been little short of atrocious, encapsulated by the drab 1-0 home defeat to League One strugglers Sheffield United in the FA cup. Their latest defeat against Liverpool saw Meulensteen replaced with former Bayern Munich boss Felix Magath after just 75 days in an attempt to bring an instant halt to the Cottager’s slide in to the Championship.
Thus it would appear that the remedy package of a managerial change is by no means guaranteed. Nor however does it mean that those who take over are bad managers. Typically clubs who make these appointments are not doing well anyway and one transfer window is scarcely a chance to rectify this. This serves then to highlight the phenomenonal job of Pulis, to fashion an effective team out of previously unsuccessuful components.
Based on this year’s appointments though and the turnaround by Allardyce, perhaps the sticking-with option is sometimes the best bet.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has firmly denied suggestions that the Gunners have received an offer for unsettled Chilean attacker Alexis Sanchez.
Sanchez came close to joining Manchester City last summer, but Arsenal’s failure to secure a deal for Monaco’s Thomas Lemar saw the 29-year-old remain at the Emirates Stadium.
Speculation linking Sanchez with a move to Man City has surfaced once again, with reports claiming that the Citizens have made an £30m approach for the former Barcelona forward.
Wenger, however, has insisted that it is ‘very quiet’ on the Sanchez front as the Frenchman concentrates on Wednesday’s EFL Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea.
Wenger told reporters:
“I expect nothing, I am focused on tomorrow’s game. When solicitations happen you respond, at the moment it’s very quiet.”
Sanchez, who is valued at £63m by transfermarkt.co.uk, will see his contract with Arsenal expire at the end of the 2017-18 campaign.
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The 29-year-old’s professionalism has been called into question during stages of the season, but he has scored eight times in 21 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal.
For a writer whose trade and passion is football, I have a terrible knack of sleeping through FA Cup finals. Usually, it is not too much of a disaster – excluding the West Ham Liverpool tie in 2006, every final I’ve been able to remember has been won by the favourite, and usually quite comfortably in a match of little action. I am afraid to say that once again assuming that Manchester City would walk away with it this weekend, my belly full of a late Saturday lunch and crisp cider, by the 15th minute my eyes heavied, and I was once again amid my annual siesta.
It was not until I received a text from a friend, joking at the prospect of Ben Watson making it to an FA Cup final, that I awoke just in time to see Pablo Zabaletta shown a red card. Although I had missed the vast majority of the match, you could instantly tell the significance of the Citizens’ most dependable and consistent player being sent for an early shower.
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Perhaps at the time I was too gripped by the sudden euthoria of Wigan having the upper hand – the Latics are the type of team, composed of style, cult heroes, blind loyalty and belief, that really capture the imagination and thus have a strong following of admirers throughout the country, including myself – that the prospect of Roberto Mancini’s job slipping away was not at the forefront of my consideration.
But as Wigan netted from a corner, a header from Ben Watson, to the irony of my friend’s mocking, and the clock began to run down without any hint of a serious reply from the Skyblues, it became obvious that it would be a trophyless year at Eastlands; the first since Mancini took over the big spenders since 2009, which would no doubt lead to grave consequences.
Whereas the Italian’s tagline before the match – ‘three trophies in three years’ – had an acceptable ring to it, considering City’s non-existent title defence this year, the analysis of the Manchester club’s season upon the final whistle became; embarrassing in Europe, lukewarm at best during a stale year in the Premier League, and overall no silverware, after losing to a club likely to be playing Championship football next season at Wembley.
Needless to say, for a club who has spent £1 billion on transfers alone in a bid to transform them from the depths of mediocrity into a European institution, any year without accolades can only be constituted as a failure. With rumours rife throughout the season, it now appears that Mancini’s job is currently under review, with the almost certain outcome to be that he will be handed his P45 and a ticket back to Italy, as early as today, without even gracing him with the respectful opportunity to lead out a team he lifted the Premier League title with in glorious fashion a year ago this weekend.
But is it right that the City boss is taking the full brunt of the club’s failings this season? And is it fair that his tenure should be cut short by a Cup final alone, where momentum, fate, and the magic of the FA Cup was always going to be in the Latics’ favour? Is he simply becoming a scapegoat for a club frustrated by its difficulty in progressing?
The first mistake regarding City’s poor season was in the summer, and it had little to do with Roberto Mancini. The most hotly desired purchase last year was Robin Van Persie – at £20million, the Premier League’s most prolific and talented marksman was a steal. But despite the infinite finance at the club’s disposal, the Dutchman, set to top the scoring charts for a consecutive season, chose local rivals Manchester United, going on to lift the first Premier League title of his career with the Red Devils.
The Italian gaffer could tell it would come back to bite them; we were only a few weeks into the season when he began criticising Bryan Marwood, the club’s head-honcho when it comes to transfers, and no doubt made an enemy within the club’s power structure in the process. Fire-power has been the difference between the two Manchester clubs this year, with Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Van Persie firing on all cylinders, whilst Edin Dzeko has been unable to shake his ‘super-sub’ reputation, Sergio Aguero has spent the year layed out on a physio bench, Carlos Tevez has been industrious but not clinical, and Mario Balotelli’s career in England imploded by the January transfer window.
Instead of a sharp-shooter, Marwood supplied new recruits in Maicon, Javi Garcia, Jack Rodwell, Scott Sinclair and Matija Nastasic, all of whom excluding the latter have had a limited effect on the first team, with Rodwell, Maicon and Sinclair making just 11 Premier League starts between them. The board expected Mancini to simply get on with it – he already had a team of superstars from the previous season. Yet even the most dim-witted of managers will tell you that continuous growth and upgrading is required not necessarily to improve, but simply to maintain.
Furthermore, Van Persie’s decision to opt for the red side of Manchester in many ways sums up the difference between the two clubs, and further gives us an insight into how City’s season within 90 minutes became judged as a complete failure. Whilst the Red Devils remain ever consistent in almost every way possible on and off the pitch, the Citizens are unpredictable; the cut-throat acquisition and casting aside of players, constant rumours of in-fighting and training ground bust-ups, and the star-studded cast’s tendency to play their football far too casually on occasion, implying an underlying arrogance rather than self-confidence.
With Mancini at the helm, there is a simple but true argument that the buck must stop with him. But the United mentality of success after success has been forged over years and decades, and it as much due to the club’s infrastructure from top to bottom – the staff, the coaches, the manager, the chairman, the youth system, the scouting network and the unquantifiable effects of reputation – as it is any particular individual, crux of talent or available funding. My criticism is quite simply; how can you expect the Italian to mimic such a system of repetitive success in the space of four years, unlimited finance or not.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not the soon-to-be-axed City boss’s biggest fan. His continual tinkering during the first part of the season smacked of naivety and idealism. It’s difficult to measure how many points the use of 3-5-2 cost the SkyBlues in the Premier League, but it certainly contributed heavily to their poor European form. Similarly, with the finance at the club’s disposal and the constant flurry of talent arriving at the club, Mancini’s job at Eastlands has been more along the lines of a glorified babysitter than it has a coach, man manager or tactician, and he has not kept the unruly kids under his control.
He’s struggled to get the team performing at top gear for more than in patches throughout his tenure, and despite his apparent media mastery, I find his open criticism of players in the press lacking in class and astuteness. Furthermore, although this campaign’s obsolete title defence cannot be rested entirely upon Mancini’s shoulders, as a number of City’s marquee players have quite simply not turned up this year, he’s failed to create a mindset that would not allow for complacency to creep in.
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The 48 year old has certainly made his fair share of mistakes, but my concern is that his impending dismissal is as much to do with the club’s failings as it is his as a manager. It seems that Mancini’s accomplishments – turning it around to defy the odds and lead the Citizens to their first Premier League title last year, in no small part due to his ability to take all of the pressure of the players and onto the roster at Old Trafford, in addition to lifting the FA Cup in 2010 – have long been forgotten, and instead, a single year of nothing-doing is evidence enough for a managerial death sentence.
But the fact is, in the grand scheme of things, City are still relatively small fish in an ocean of continental football. Their Champions League naivety has shown ever since their initial qualification, and they are still a long way behind Chelsea, Arsenal and United in terms of accolades and silverware; it was only 12 years ago that they were crowned champions of the English second tier.
The club has come on leaps and bounds since then, but it is a long way off providing the consistency of United, the kind of consistency that guarantees a trophy per year, as seems to be the current requirement, and getting into the habit of ‘hiring and firing’, based upon unrealistic targets of silverware, is certainly not the short-cut to getting to the same level as their local rivals.
Mancini has become the scapegoat for the board’s frustration and impatience – a face and embodiment of an invisible and unquantifiable factor they cannot put their finger on – and no doubt, the Italian’s replacement, most likely Malaga’s Manuel Pellegrini, is wondering what qualifies as an acceptable year, and furthermore an acceptable tenure, as City boss.
Arsenal fans are unsurprisingly angry about the possible move for Barcelona ace Cesc Fabregas to Old Trafford, while Manchester United supporters appear to be reveling in their Premier League rival’s woe.
A few Gooners took to Twitter to express their absolute opposition towards their former midfielder joining last season’s champions, as memories of Robin van Persie’s departure reared its ugly head – with many also urging management to bring him back.
“If #Fabregas goes to #MUFC all my faith for loyal footballers is lost,” said one worried Gunner.
Conversely, United supporters seem more than happy to sign the Spain international, after the transfer of Fabregas’s former teammate Thiago Alcantara failed.
“If Barca really want 35 million for #Fabregas well then just pay the money for him. #simple #worldclass,” wrote one Red Devils fan.
There are however some United supporters who seem a little reluctant about the idea of a transfer – preferring to look elsewhere.
“I’d rather have #Fellaini than #Fabregas. We’ve been missing a nasty bastard in midfield since Keane. #MUFC,” said another fan.
According to Sky Sports, the Red Devils have already made a £25million bid, which apparently does not meet Barcelona’s valuation. The midfielder though has said that he wants to stay in Catalonia but if the Blaugrana decide to sell then it is reported that the Gunners will get first refusal due to a clause in the former club captain’s contract.
Here’s what football fans of both teams think about the possible transfer – let us know in the comments below what you think about a possible Fabregas move to Old Trafford.
A big factor in becoming a Football Manager legend is hoovering up young talent early on. The nature of the game allows for the latest youth prospect to be discovered, with the likes of Kaka having been tipped for the top early on in their careers due to being decent on the game.
As always, this year’s instalment has plenty of promising talents to spot, but here are 10 to get you going…
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CLICK ON SAM BYRAM TO GET THINGS GOING
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Martin Odegaard
//www.youtube.com/embed/Smi8jvNixL8
We’ll kick off with a player who’s not actually on the game yet… Martin Odegaard, the 15-year-old Norwegian sensation, is one of Europe’s hottest talents and is set to be added to the database imminently after his father gave the game’s developers permission to add his teenage son! A promising winger, the youngster plays in his homeland for Stromgodset and is already a first-team star. Liverpool are set to hand him a winter trial, so he could be in the Premier League in the not too distant future.
Simone Scuffet
//www.youtube.com/embed/Dp2L5xVw36U
An often forgotten role when assembling a young team, the goalkeeper position is a key one for any top side. Scuffet is the pick of the options, with the 18-year-old stopper being talked up as one of Europe’s top emerging goalies. Udinese are often reluctant to sell, but a decent offer can get the youngster.
Sam Byram
//www.youtube.com/embed/DOyW9zHGNY8
Leeds’ right-back is by no means an ‘unknown’, but he’s certainly one to check out. The Whites defender is top quality going forward and solid at the back, with a price tag of around £5m (if you’re a shrewd negotiator) he can be picked up early on.
Ali Adnan
//www.youtube.com/embed/b5Mg83QU6xo
The Asian Gareth Bale, Adnan is a flying left-back with a mean shot. Plying his trade in Turkey with Caykur Rizespor, he is easily obtainable early on, and at 20 he can mature into a top quality full-back.
Ruben Neves
//www.youtube.com/embed/itphFrQmP2U
17-years-old and already a Porto first-teamer, Neves is certainly one for the future. A creative yet remarkably solid central-midfielder, the teenage ace may be more costly than some other ‘wonderkids’ but is certainly one to look out for.
Will Hughes
//www.youtube.com/embed/mHKGgP6KS94
Another Englishman tipped for the big time is Will Hughes, who has been shining in the Championship for some time. The likes of Liverpool and Manchester United are already after the Derby ace, but if you’re in charge of a decent level Premier League side you can nab the 20-year-old.
Adama Traore
//www.youtube.com/embed/0gXE7kPsc3g
A product of Barcelona’s famed youth set-up, Traore is already being touted as a future first-teamer at the Nou Camp. Unlike some other players to have made it out of the Catalan set-up, the 18-year-old has awesome physicality with pace and power matching his decent finishing abilities.
Patrick Roberts
//www.youtube.com/embed/REoTPhR5M0M
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Fulham’s 17-year-old attacking sensation Roberts is well worth a look. Able to play on the right or left flank, the English talent possesses good speed and shooting abilities and is certainly destined for the big time, just make sure it’s your side he joins!
Anthony Martial
//www.youtube.com/embed/-uB-S4ZSBQs
With Radamel Falcao gone, Martial is a big player at Monaco, despite being just 18! Lightening fast and ruthless in front of goal, the young Frenchman has the potential to be a true great.
Youri Tielemans
//www.youtube.com/embed/GANqHkkl41c
A 17-year-old midfielder with bags of creativity and a few tricks up his sleeve, Tielamans is one to get early. Anderlecht have produced a number of decent FM legends (Anthony Vanden Borre springs to mind) and they look to have another here.
After leaving the Bundesliga and joining Barcelona in the summer, Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s brief career with the La Liga giants has been far from easy.
The 22-year-old has fallen behind Chilean World Cup star Claudio Bravo at the Nou Camp, and since making a few blunders with his new club already, ter Stegen may be on his way out of his way out of Luis Enrique’s star-studded squad.
Now that the mid-season transfer window is upon the footballing community once more, Enrique will be asking himself, does ter Stegen have any meaningful future at Barcelona?
The young German shot-stopper has been one of the several foreign signings that have failed to find their feet under the new management of Luis Enrique, and for Marc-Andre ter Stegen in particular, the keeper’s form has dramatically suffered as a result. The Nou Camp faithful just haven’t taken to their new man between the sticks. Unless his fortunes perform a real u-turn in the near future, a place on the bench could be all that is left for the promising 22-year-old.
Prior to his summer’s move however, ter Stegen was known as an undisputed rising star of the Bundesliga. With Borussia Monchengladbach, the former Borussia-Park favourite made countless heroic saves that subsequently won major points for his team, and dragged his side up the league as a result. The Barca starlet was even considered worthy of challenging Manuel Neuer for the German no. 1 shirt before he moved to Spain.
Whilst ter Stegen’s Barca career is by no means over at this moment, the fact that the January transfer window is upon us again means that several teams across Europe are reportedly circling the young German in an attempt to land his signature. As a move back to the Bundesliga seems unlikely, several English teams are reportedly in the running to sign the 22-year-old, so a high profile move to the Premier League could therefore be on the cards sooner rather than later.
Arsenal, with their reputation of signing young European talent with a view to make them into future stars at the Emirates, could particularly benefit from the services of Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The German keeper would add to the contingency of young foreign keepers at the Gunners, but is already a much bigger name than most of the other shot-stoppers on Arsenal’s books.
A shock move to Old Trafford has also been touted as of late, but with David De Gea in such fine form for Louis van Gaal’s side this season, it seems unlikely that the former Borussia Monchengladbach star would make the switch to Manchester United this winter.
Liverpool – with their current crisis at the back – would be ter Stegen’s most likely destination should Barca decide to release him to the Premier League in the next month. Simon Mignolet, for one reason or another, has simply been all over the place between the sticks this season, and as Brad Jones is also not quite the standard Liverpool should be reaching for, ter Stegen could be the perfect fit for Brendan Rodgers in his attempts to restore the success of last season at Anfield.
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As the young keeper is currently out of favour at the Nou Camp, this is a deal that the Reds could easily afford, especially if the negotiations are thrashed out on a loan basis with a view to buy to next season.
Whatever becomes of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, the young German is undoubtedly a top keeper with bags of potential at his disposal. Despite his recent difficulties with Barcelona, and the odd howler here and there, expect to see this ‘Neuer-esque’ keeper make a real name for himself in the near future.
Manchester United are reportedly in pole position to land Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez this month, but Red Devils fans would prefer them to sign Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez instead.The Independent revealed on Tuesday that a deal to take the Chile international to Old Trafford was 75% completed on Monday night – with United ready to pay the 29-year-old attacker £400,000-a-week – although Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s reluctance to go the opposite way could delay the transfer.However, Mahrez has caught the attention with some fine performances for the Foxes since Claude Puel took charge at the King Power Stadium in October, with the Algeria international scoring seven goals and providing a further eight assists in 23 Premier League appearances this season.Man United supporters were quick to have their say on their club’s latest transfer business via social media, and while one said “forget about Sanchez and sign Mahrez”, another said “I would choose Mahrez over Sanchez”.Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
By and large, Manchester United have had a very successful transfer window so far. But now, they might be able to strengthen their ranks even more with double the Pedro.
Yes, you read that right. The Red Devils are pursuing not only the Barca striker, but have now also launched a £2.8million bid for Palmeiras right-back Joao Pedro, according to the Metro.
The 18-year-old defender scored one goal in 17 appearances for Palmeiras in 2013-14, but spent much of the last season playing for the Brazil U20 team, and impressed while doing so. Pedro started 13 times in total for Brazil in the 2015 U20 South American Championship and the U20 World Cup, playing the full 90 minutes in every game but one.
The latter tournament, though, was where he really excelled. The right-back’s performance drew praise from many critics who had underestimated Brazil’s defensive ability after the Green and Yellow barely snaked into the top four in the South American Championship.
Pedro started every game of the U20 World Cup, providing two assists to propel Brazil to the final. Pedro and the Brazilian defence didn’t concede a single goal through the play-offs until the final, where they eventually suffered a tough 2-1 loss in extra time to Serbia.
Manchester United have a wealth of defenders — including new signing Matteo Darmian — and a reliable left-back in Luke Shaw, but what happens when Antonio Valencia retires from the right side?
Up until this past season, the 29-year-old Valencia played most of his career as a winger or attacking midfielder, but has seen his consistency lag in the last few years. Although he did quite a good job as a defender in the 2014-15 campaign, it would serve Louis van Gaal well to have a young out-and-out right-back like Pedro in the squad.
Similar to Valencia, Pedro likes to dribble and is very aggressive. He averaged 2.4 tackles per game in 2014, the second-highest of the Palmeiras team, all while blocking 0.5 shots per game.
The Brazilian also has very good ball control on the ground and uses it to his advantage, able to dribble past opposition inside his own half and pass out a short ball to teammates waiting on the flank. He struggles with long balls and crossing, but still maintains a pass success rate of 81.4 percent.
Where Pedro needs improvement, however, is controlling the ball in the air and controlling his challenges. The 5-foot-10 player is more often than not overmatched in aerial duels, and commits a lot of fouls.
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However, for a player so young, the pros far outweigh the cons. Especially after van Gaal announced his intention to switch to a 4-3-3 formation for the upcoming Premier League season, the Red Devils need defenders willing to not only push the line up, but to intuitively and fearlessly defend against the system’s vulnerability to counter-attacks.
It is time for United to begin building a team that can last long-term, and Joao Pedro is an essential brick to be laid in his defensive foundation.