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ManU denies any decision over Mourinho appointment on top post

May 24, 2016 by

Whenever a big side dismisses its manager for obvious reasons and brings in the new boss, media starts following the new entrant as if he is the only one in soccer world even if same one has also been under fire from his previous side. The 53-year-old Portuguese mentor José Mourinho is one such boss who is about to join Manchester United replacing Van Gaal on the top post. Since official announcement is in waiting but it is almost confirmed he will be leading the Red Devils this summer. Now comes the exaggeration that usually comes from the media houses who start raising the bar on every new high profile arrival. This time media stories are filled with Mourinho talking about his past and how successful he has been leading his former sides and of course what led Chelsea fired him in the last season. According to closed insiders, ManU could announce his official entry to the top club post this week although Portuguese is refusing to have been under any kind of pressure to sign the deal.

Talking about him and if he is also having been in touch with Paris Saint-Germain for the similar role, former Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins said, “Whilst he’s been out of the game, he’ll have been around the world, looking at players, and assessing what he can do if he gets back in at a club. I think he’ll want to do it his way. He’ll want to do it his way. He’ll want to bring in the players he wants. He’s a very intense guy. I think it’s the right move. I think it’s the only move for them. He will get them playing, he will get them winning again.

“He is a winner, there are no two ways about it. When he goes in, the club normally wins a big trophy, the first couple of years that he’s there. He is very clever. When he first started off, when he took Porto to the Champions League final and won it, that was remarkable. He only had one or two world class players in that side.”

Ray Wilkins is the one who has played for ManU during his playing career hence he wants Mourinho to serve Old Trafford side and deliver his best, he added, “It’s been a just a tad disrespectful, as far as Van Gaal is concerned. Decisions should have been made and United should have come out and said what the situation was. I thought the way City dealt with the Pellegrini situation was spot on. He wasn’t going to be there, the rumours were rife that Guardiola was going to take over, and I thought they handled that in the best possible fashion.”

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Not forcing Eden Hazard to get back into the field: Guus Hiddink

March 12, 2016 by

The much talked about Premier League club Chelsea is again in the news, but for a change, not for their defeats but for the way newly appointed manager is forcing injured but promising forward Eden Hazard to recover fast off his injuries. Actually, problem starts when Hazard’s father himself blamed Guus Hiddink for forcing injured Belgian international, who had been the integral part of their last year title performance, to get back into his form again faster than enough. Although, Dutch boss has denied of having done anything like that, however, he as well praised their in-form player for his affords to recover off his groin and hip problems faster. This is a fact that Hazard scored fourteen goals last season and helped Stamford Bridge side won English topflight, but this year, as we know, neither he nor Blues could replicate same form and manager Jose Mourinho had to leave his job for the worst show of recent time by the North Londoners along with 25-year-old himself who failed to score a single goal in last 24 club games in all competitions which is not only surprising but shocking too for Blues fans hence they want him to completely recover off his problem to deliver like what he did last year.

Although, Hazard drew much criticism for his apparent move to Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid post summer, but this time his own father has blamed the club head coach for putting undue pressure over him which could hamper his injurie to the worst. Talking about the allegation being leveled by senior Fernandinho, Hiddink completely disagrees what is being flashed in the media and said, “I don’t think so because we talk with the players as well and measure them. We have a system that tells us when players are coming into fatigue and the risk of injury is higher. We experienced that with Pedro — he was working very hard but a little bit of fatigue. Eden also had this problem a few weeks ago when coming back from his injury, going into what we call the red zone.

“But now that risk is not very big anymore. He can work hard without having a risk of going into a big injury.”

Adding about early comeback of the last season’s star performer, he said, “Most of the time it’s getting them more into the feeling of spontaneous action. Don’t think too much, go in and do what you’re good at. We try not to overthink and overact. But of course getting top fit will help. I will always support him when his effort is 100 percent and so far his effort to get where he wants to be is 100 percent.”

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David De Gea early recovery empowers Van Gaal to have enough options for goalpost

February 23, 2016 by

Even though Manchester United is the only league side this year who has faced negative media coverage more than others and most of the times their performance proved it but few times it was done with deliberate intentions to let their moral down. Apart from media, United is also facing injuries to several key players including, noticeably Wayne Rooney, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Ashley Young, Phil Jones, Luke Shaw, and Marcos Rojo and Van Gaal is finding it like bunch of salt over his wounds, but now there is some respite for the Dutchman after David De Gea’s early recovery from injury. According to Red Devils boss, 25-year-old Spanish is all set to return in the team within a week, and if it is true, it could mean a major morale boost for the side who has just sustained an emphatic 0-3 win over Shrewsbury in fifth round of FA Cup. If we look at United FA Cup’s journey they have been quite successful after missing their among top four space in the premier league table and Chris Smalling, Juan Mata, and Jesse Lingard, who scored in the last game, proved they would recoup their lost pride in the English topflight.

Talking about De Gea’s early recovery by the Midtjylland or Arsenal game this week, 64-year-old former Real Madrid boss said, “It was not so heavy the injury, so it is possible for Thursday but it is also possible against Arsenal. in my opinion is a big game because it’s a chance to qualify for the Champions League next season. But we have to win a lot of matches of course, it’s easily spoken about but doing it is different. But it is possible and then we’ll see. I think in March a lot of players are coming back and then we’ll have a full selection, and with our full selection we were first in the Premier League.”

Adding about the course of last game and if it was enough for the remaining of the season, Van Gaal said, “At half-time we were a wee bit disappointed but it’s hard to be critical because you’re playing against some unbelievable quality. I’m not going to take anything away from my players, you have to put your hand up and say they were outrageous at times. That’s what that kind of money buys you.

“We’ll be disappointed when we have seen the opportunities back that we haven’t scored. I’m determined I’m not going to be critical of the players because we came up against some fantastic quality. The players can walk away with their heads held high because they gave us everything they had.”

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ManU beat Liverpool at Anfield; Van Gaal calls it a morale booster for whole side

January 18, 2016 by

When Manchester United is being criticized for not dominating its opponents in last few weeks, its latest triumph over in-form Liverpool is like a fresh air in Red Devils dressing room. However, they win only by a single goal but the way they restricted the home side is impressive looking at their show in recent time. Wayne Rooney was the only scorer, his 176th in premier league, that too happened at 78th-minute that proves how nail biting that game was. Anyways, this win brings a kind of respite for under pressure Van Gaal whose job has been under threat after not winning a single one out of last nine played games. On the other side, it was like a shocker for Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp who looked confident for their win at home especially in front of own fans. Calling it one of their best this season, Dutchman said after the game, “When you beat Liverpool, it is good for the fans and for the table as our competitors also lose points, it is a big step in a good direction and I am very happy.

“In the first-half we didn’t keep the ball and we have survived the first-half. In the second-half we played much better and kept the ball better and created chances and Wayne Rooney makes the fantastic goal again. We have played against Newcastle and given away two leads and now we have done the things we have trained and discussed so that is most precious aspect of the game today. We won and we have won a lot of games in 2016 now and have not lost yet.”

Without being overconfident with just one show, former Real Madrid boss added, “We have a lot of matches still to go. We started 2016 very good with a lot of wins and I think this game will give a big boost to the players and the fans, and everyone in the environment of Manchester United. We have to continue, which is not so easy. We have seen that today but we can do it because we show every week we can do it.”

“No, I don’t think so,” he said if it was their best show. “You have to see it always in perspective. It is a fantastic win for the fans, for me and the players and it will give us a boost, and maybe in that perspective you are right. There are matches we have played much better than today, and in that perspective I can’t say it is a good day because Liverpool were the better team in the first half and normally we are dominating games.”

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ManU missed a sure shot win against Newcastle: Van Gaal

January 13, 2016 by

Manchester United shoddy play continues and they drew another game with Newcastle, in fact, we should say they somehow managed to equalize the game. The match throughout has been struggling for the Van Gaal army and they never looked completely in control of the ball and St James’ Park side made no mistake in offering Reds Devils a tough fight until the end. The 64-year-old Dutchman had expected a three-point haul from the game before game starts and even on paper he was having a better team composition but his bad luck followed by highly demoralized side did not let them take control of the game. The game initially has been in control of the visitors when they were leading the scorecard by 2-0, perhaps, score was 3-2 in United favor with just eleven minutes remaining and then Paul Dummett scored the equalizer for the Magpies to send the visitors back disappointed. With this game ManU is now having just one win out of last eight games and this draught is getting worst with each passing game and even their standing on the board is getting deteriorated day by day; they are now at number six and it seems their qualification to the Champions League is highly vulnerable looking at the form of other sides eager to secure a space among top four.

Anyways, what Van Gaal said after game, is, “I am very disappointed, but we have to blame ourselves because we could have finished this match much earlier. There were big chances for Lingard and Fellaini and we didn’t do that. I have said that also to my players. The referee makes a decision on a penalty that maybe has a big question mark over it, but we could have finished the game by ourselves much earlier.

“There was the deflected shot from Dummett to equalise, but okay, that is happening and that is luck for Newcastle United. But you have to force the luck and finish the chances when you get them when they are so big.”

Adding about the penalties offered in the game and if those decisions of referee Mike Dean were correct, he said, “In my opinion, there is no discussion about the penalties. I have seen the video and you see Mbemba is putting his hand to the ball and that was why Fellaini could not head the ball. He did it with purpose and consciously, so that is a penalty.”

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