The news of Trent Alexander Arnold's definite absence from the blockbuster match between Liverpool and Man City hit me very hard. I'm not a fan of each team - actually, I'm the opposite due to my affiliation - but I am a lover of good football. And these two always deliver good football in breathtaking fashion whenever they clash. Trent AA's role has changed this season. He is drifting more into the midfield. The absence of Firmino's creativity means Klopp needed someone…
@McKane in October 2021
Watching Hazard laying prone on the pitch and set for another period on the sideline saddens me. He left Chelsea for Madrid with the blessings of virtually everyone. Nobody would've foreseen the problems he is facing now. Despite the unfortunate situation Hazard has found himself I'm more worried about the current situation of Pulisic at Chelsea right now. Pulisic was meant to be the heir to Hazard's throne at Chelsea, the man to bring excitement back to Chelsea's left wing.…
Sancho and Van de Beek will be questioning their decisions to move to Man U right now. If Van de Beek is not playing when Pogba is on the bench when will he then play? He showed his frustration in the midweek when he was overlooked. He really needs to force a move in January now.
#OleOut has been trending on Twitter since Manchester United managed to snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat against Everton. And I'm proud to say I already joined the campaign. The sight of Ole smiling and looking amused in the 94th minute when his team is toiling for a draw at Old Trafford against an Everton side with at least four first team absentees is ridiculously annoying.
Now that the players are off to internationals for the next two weeks, I'll go back to my joystick to enjoy some semblance of proper football. I am not totally a fan of lumping players together and expecting them to perform optimally after three training sessions together.
No matter what this Belgium golden generation does it just seems they're not destined to win a major trophy. Another silverware opportunity wasted after squandering a full two goal lead. The World Cup in 14 months is probably their last dance together. I wish they can finally make it count.
Every Newcastle supporter out there will be anticipating right now. They've seen what Arab money can do. To even think their new owner is a lot richer than those of PSG and Man City makes it even more compelling. At the end of the day traditional teams like Madrid, Barca, Manchester United, Bayern, Liverpool, Juventus and the Milan teams will always retain the respect and loyalty of supporters and footballers than whatever money Newcastle can throw at them. As dominant…
Aaron Ramsey, Phillip Coutinho, Antonio Conte, Paulo Fonseca, Demba Ba; the list is growing. There will be more. Some people will lose their jobs too. For some reasons I'm not totally thrilled with the prospect of Newcastle competing at the top end of the Premier League. I still don't see it happening anytime soon.
Antonio Conte wants a club already in the position to challenge for titles and not some clubs with a new sugar daddy. For some reasons my beloved Manchester United will not see this and move for a man with more trophies in the last 10 years than the club. They will rather stick with Mr. Ole who doesn't even know what to do with the players he has.
Mazepin was close to becoming Max's hero back there. That was close.
Maguire is not doing physically well. Varane just got injured playing for France. With the incredibly difficult amount of matches Manchester United are about to play from next weekend till November ending Ole must be shivering right now. The team wasn't actually watertight when he had those two anyway. They still shipped goals virtually every game.
I felt uneasy when I saw Benjamin Mendy still being called a Manchester City player. Though it's not the time to throw him under the bus I feel a player with three different rape charges and one sexual assault charge should've been sacked and all ties cut off now. Even though he has a contract with City I don't think they will be falling foul of any law if they eventually terminate his contract with immediate effect.
Time really do fly very rapidly. It is very sad to think that someone on the Balon d'Or shortlist of the best players in the world just two years ago will be struggling to make his team. Yes, Donny Van de Beek was shortlisted in 2019. He was instrumental to Ajax's incredible journey to the semis of the Champions League. 2021 he barely plays in a struggling and dysfunctional Man U team. His next move may be career defining.
When the news broke that Gini Wijnaldum was close to joining PSG I was uncomfortable. Even though Gini is grossly underrated as a midfielder he is also limited. He was the perfect fit for Klopp's midfield. Being the perfect midfielder for Klopp doesn't mean he is the perfect one for every other team out there though. Gini now spends his time on the PSG bench behind Gueye, Herrera and Verratti. He has a bit of everything but not a master of any. His limitations will hamper…
I watched this guy blossom from a precocious talent to a wonderful midfielder. Although his talent has graced the Championship more than the biggest of stages due to Bournemouth's relegation he is still a class act with the way he glides across the field. Get well soon, David Brooks. In this very emotional tasking I pray for the strength to hold on. And I hope to see you back on the pitch playing the game you love once again.
Don't know if I'm being paranoid but I'm definitely getting sick of seeing Newcastle dominating the sports news space every blessed day. It is becoming irritating. It's either they're linked to a player or linked to a manager or EPL chiefs having a go at each other's guts for allowing the takeover to be completed in the first place. I am getting really sick of seeing Newcastle in every news already.
Whenever I see Wenger on the news these days it always feels like something bad is about to happen to football. No doubt Wenger is a brilliant and well respected figure in football but his continuous campaign to change football as we know it to something much more ridiculous is uninteresting. He was the first to spill out the idea of hosting a World Cup every two years, a proposition Infantino has given his blessings already. Now he's back with offside calls being made using…
I have to admit I have missed the weekend brand of football. I didn't watch a single match during the international break and it was intentional. I just wasn't interested. I can't help but celebrate the return of club football. How I wish I could watch ten games in a single day.
When the fixtures was out I had assumed that by now Manchester United will be comfortably seated at the top of the table with at least a three point cushion. Liverpool would've played Man City and Chelsea; Chelsea would've been worn torn having played Man City, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool; Man City would've battled Tottenham, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal. Man U's major rivals would've played at least three matches where they should and will drop points. Man U on the…
Salah is pure magic. A genius of a footballer. After scoring an unbelievable goal against Man City I thought I won't see a better one for the next few weeks until he put Rose on toast and scored a better one today. What a player!
After enduring an humiliating draw against Everton I joined the #OleOut gang. I've never warmed up to Ole as Man U's manager because I've not seen his blueprints on the team. Having watched the team under Ole for nearly three years I can't even claim to know the exact pattern or sequence of play of this team. Man U have been playing like they don't train together for a while now. They don't press together; their attack is slow, sloppy and predictable and the team has relied…
Here I am watching Pogba's interview once again. The young man simply said, "we need to change something." I was lost in anger and actually yelling at the TV saying, "you don't need to change something, you need to change someone!" Atalanta is the next stop and one thing I already know is goals will flow. I just don't know which team will score more. Can someone advice Ole to switch to 3-5-2 and play Ronaldo alongside someone up top. That dude is not a striker, he is a…
When Ciro Immobile moved to Dortmund I expected a lot from him but then he flopped badly over there. He later joined Lazio and has been a goal scoring beast ever since. I totally believed he is one of the most underrated strikers in the world as he doesn't get talked about regularly. The only surprise about Ciro is that he is still at Lazio. Why hasn't he been snapped up by a bigger team? A player who has won the highest goal scorer in Serie A on three occasions and won the…
Credit to the players who called the attention of officials and medics to what was happening in the stands during the Newcastle - Spurs game. Once again, football is more than intense rivalry and hate. It is a common ground for love and humanity. The troubled supporter has been stabilized and taken to the hospital.
The loan market is a well populated market. The big clubs has the finances to develop large mass of young, talented players but can't give them all first team opportunities. The small clubs see it as an opportunity to field talented players they might not be able to afford based on transfer value. Despite this well known agreement things are changing in recent times. Small clubs take youngsters on loan with the promise of regular game time but even the traditional small…
I've always loved the attacking side of football. Of course, goals give maximum joy and teams that can dole them out on regular occasions are always in the spotlight. When Atalanta returned to Serie A I was sceptical about what they will bring to the table. Since Gasperini took over they've been on beast mode. Their attacking play is ridiculously pleasing. Though they concede in equal measures this only make their games very interesting for neutrals. Atalanta plays against…
For all the criticism levelled at Saudi investors buying into Premier League clubs thereby leading to inexhaustible funds, one thing I've always loved is the way Man City go about their business. If not that Daniel Levy is a hard headed dude by now Kane will be at Man City with little noise. Man City purchased Grealish without causing noise pollution to the internet space. They are so swift and meticulous once they spot their target. According to reports Declan Rice is the…
Ronaldo is an explosive goalscorer who has always relied on the influence of a hardworking centre forward to thrive. He had Rooney at Man U; he had Benzema at Madrid. The few times he played alongside Morata at Juventus he was explosive. Playing him as a lone striker alienates him. Once again, today he become more useful when Cavani occupied the lone striker role. How Solksjaer will fashion out the chance to pair him with Cavani should be his homework right now.
Football is a lovely sport enjoyed by all but it can also unleash hell and brutality on some. Lots of wasted life; lots of truncated dreams. In the end we only notice the few that makes it to the top and forget about the sacrifice of many who never turned pro. As for Steve Bruce, I have to admit he was treated badly. Before he was sacked he comes to work everyday fielding questions from the press. Some were literally asking him when he will get sacked. That's insensitive but…
Even after just 9 EPL games it is glaring that Norwich will need a very huge miracle to escape relegation. The last time they were here we loved them for their bold, punch for punch attacking play. This time their is nothing to be loved about them.
Their is no denying the fact that Callum Wilson is hugely underrated. He looks big and not the modern day speedy striker with creative tendencies, but when Wilson is on song very dudes out there are better than him. I was surprised bigger teams than Newcastle didn't swoop for him when he left Bournemouth. He's continued to prove himself at a beleaguered Newcastle.
Lewis Jones popular referred to as Jones Knows is one man I do take his predictions seriously. Over time he's proved himself to be a betting guru. Glancing through his article on SkySports today this man just predicted that Liverpool will wallop Man U by a ridiculous scoreline of 5 - 1. As a United fan the first thing that crossed my mind about Jones was a wish to find him and land a hot slap on his cheek. On second thought, this man may have a point to prove via his…
The noise is getting noisier. It's only a matter of time before the wait is finally over. It's only a matter of time before the Glazers do the right thing and send Ole Gunnar Solksjær back to Norway.
Job well done by Max. Ham now needs a miracle if he is going to win his eight title this year.
Those who lives in glass house shouldn't throw stones. Gary Neville launched himself into a wonderful punditry career after failing at Valencia. He has enjoyed sound bites against the best managers around. However he has been economical about the truth when it comes to Man U and Solksjær. Neville made Mourinho a point of topic when he was at Man U. He never forgot to attack him. With his pal at Man U now, every thing is always the players' fault. He throws all the blame at…
No matter what the Glazers do they will never win the love of Man U fans. They ruined the club. As easy as it is to scream #OleOut we shouldn't forget that Woodward and his bosses dashed Ole a three year contract for failing in four semi finals and losing to an average Spanish team in the Europa League final. Sacking Ole will be very expensive!
With the way things are at Man U it's only a matter of time before Ole gets booted out of the club. Replacing him is not going to be straightforward. The two obvious choices right now are Zidane and Conte. As far as I'm concerned Zidane is not the man the team needs now. That team has no structure. Conte brings that aplenty. The team needs a manager that will be more focused on the defensive compactness of the team. When Conte got to Chelsea he was forced to use 4-3-3…
Whichever team Leeds play against you just know you are in for entertainment. Arsenal hosts Leeds tonight and the game will surely be interesting. Arsenal's resurgence has been wonderful but Leeds will give any team a run for their money. Arsenal vs Leeds tonight will be explosive!
Looks like all the stars are aligning towards Antonio Conte becoming the next manager of Man U. Their is no way Ole is rallying to a win against Spurs, Atalanta and City.
It's so unfortunate that after 8 years people still want to blame Sir Alex Ferguson for every single thing that goes wrong at Man U. Is Ferguson the owner of Man U? Why do most people think he is controlling the team when he is not the only board member the club has? Ferguson wanted Mourinho as his successor when he was leaving. The board rejected Mourinho because he is too troublesome. Guardiola was the first choice and Moyes the third. It is not as if everything he say…
A lot of people are tipping Xavi Hernandez for the vacant Barca position right now. Xavi should do well to learn from what other club legends who returned to a troubled club are facing right now. He can start from Barca itself with Koeman. The team is an absolute mess right now. It's only filled with prospects and nothing more. Football has shown us that not all talents blossom to world class players. Bojan Krkic is an example that is very close to home. I won't be surprised…
Am I the only Man U supporter hoping and praying the three games ultimatum reportedly given Solksjær will come quickest? On the other hand, what will happen if he surprises us and win the three games? What if he wins two and lose against City? Will the club still deem it fit to sack him? Barca already made the difficult but needful choice; I'm anticipating that of Man U.
At some point Eden Hazard was unstoppable. He tore into defenses with ease and he looked totally inevitable - you know he's coming but you can't stop him. His close control, deft touches, emphatic finishes led Chelsea to a couple of League titles. Hazard was way too good. Waking up to the news of Hazard being shopped around and offered to at least seven Premier League clubs filled me with sorrow. I was never a Chelsea fan but I watched Chelsea's games because of Hazard. The…
Last season Arteta was under pressure; he was closer to getting the sack than getting a new contract. Starting the season with three straight losses further piled the pressure on Arteta till he strung some wins together and got himself a reprieve. Tomorrow Arsenal travel to face Leicester and you just don't know what will happen. After struggling to a draw against Crystal Palace you don't get any guarantees with Arsenal. The match sure promises to be a cracker. Leicester…
Daily Star is reporting this morning that Manchester United wants their next manager to be a British manager. Brendan Rodgers has been tipped for the role if Ole is sacked. Now, Brendan is a wonderful manager. He has proved himself everywhere he has been to, but this only add fuel to the fire that their has always been a British agenda at Man U. How true this is one can't ascertain for now.
When Zaha scored within 5 minutes I was so confident Man City will wallop Palace. They are just too reliable to bust my coupon. With City dominating the game I wasn't even bothered. I was still holding on to my belief when Laporte got sent off till Gallagher ended my hope. Never underestimate football; it has a way of surprising the most ardent of believers.
Solksjær finally made the formation change to three at the back while also starting Ronaldo alongside Cavani. The defense looks better for now but what they gain in solidity they lose in control. 25 minutes in and they've struggled to make serious attacking moves so far.
This dude is definitely in the running for one of the greatest escape artist of all times. When you think he is definitely out he always finds a way to get himself in. He's won one of the three games. If he wins the remaining two or record a win and a draw then their is just no excuse to sack him. Solksjær has done it again, conjuring results out of nothing just when we least expected.
West Ham are so irrepressible right now. They are playing some really good football too. They just spanked Aston Villa 4-1 right at the Villa Park. Aston Villa on the other hand are taking the loss of their talisman, Grealish, too badly. They may get sucked into relegation battle if they keep this terrible form up.