Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas remains optimistic after his side’s Premier League defeat against Liverpool and hopes the team can manage another 12-match unbeaten run after the setback.
Spurs failed to increase their third-place advantage over Chelsea and Arsenal, but the Portuguese is still confident the team can finish the season among the top-four and qualify for the Champions League, reports Sky Sports.
“A couple of mistakes at the end cost us the game but we can’t be too negative on what we have done,” he said.
“Hopefully this is a reminder for us but we’ll try and go on another 12-game unbeaten run.”
Villas-Boas regretted the chances the team missed when leading 2-1, but assured that he was happy with the performance of his players.
“The chance for Sigurdsson was a big, big chance. But we did ever so well to come into the game, played well and managed to create some good opportunities,” he added.
“The boys did well apart from a couple of mistakes that we committed. But that was a good performance. We are confident we can put our strengths back together and go on another run.”
The 35-year-old also appealed to the character the team has shown in previous blips in what has on the whole been a successful season so far.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“We’ve suffered set-backs before. But we’ve jumped out of them and I think that it’s a wonderful opportunity for us to put ourselves back on track,” he concluded.
West Brom travel to Stoke today still firmly in the hunt for a Europa League spot.
The hosts have not been in form of late and they would be bottom of the league with just four points if the season had started on the 1st January 2013, but they can take comfort from their superb home form.
The Baggies will be eager to keep up the pressure on the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton above them and will be relying on striker Romelu Lukaku to be on goal scoring form once again.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Gareth Bale’s potential exit from Tottenham Hotspur hasn’t been so much the elephant in the room at White Hart Lane this season, more something resembling a gorilla in a doll’s house.
And following Andre Villas-Boas’ recent confession that much of the Welshman’s future now hangs on whether the club can attain Champions League qualification for next season, that gorilla has now morphed into a figure of King Kong like proportions in N17.
Certainly, if the proverbial head was buried in the sand before last week, then the reality that surrounds Bale’s future is now somewhat unavoidable.
For all intents and purposes, Villas-Boas’ recent admission that the ‘information’ he’d received about Bale’s future, was only confirming what many Spurs fans had suspected for some time now; the only difference now being that fans have received something along the lines of the first official acknowledgement from the club’s hierarchy.
And while the general picture painted in Fleet Street is that of a set of supporters loosing countless nights sleep over the matter, the truth is that Spurs fans take a far more pragmatic view upon Bale’s protracted departure then many might think.
[cat_link cat=”tottenham” type=”list”]
Even if he does stay for another campaign in N17, the feeling is that it’s a matter of when, as opposed to if the former-Southampton starlet leaves the club. For as much as supporters love their club, they know they can never offer Bale the grandeur that comes with playing for a Real Madrid or a Bayern Munich – should he continue his development at the rate he’s going at the moment, that is surely a level which the Welshman is destined to progress onto.
Yet while fans may be resigned to Bale’s eventual departure, no one connected with the club wants to loose his eclectic talents before they have to and should he waltz off into the sunset following yet another failure to attain Champions League football, his potential departure will feel wholly premature.
With Spurs’ destiny this season still very much hanging in the balance, while Villas-Boas’ side could quite easily still qualify for the Champions League, the stark reality of failing to do so for yet another season is one that the club are going to have to face up to.
And if Villas-Boas’ recent statement is to be taken at face value, then such a failure will bring with it some serious ramification for Bale’s future. But should the Welshman leave at the end of the season, what’s really the worst-case scenario for Spurs?
Clearly, for however you wish to frame it, Spurs are going to be severely weakened by the loss of what is not only their finest footballer, but also their most potent goal threat by quite some distance. For whatever the financial compensation – be it £40million, £50million or even £60million plus – even if you shelve Bale’s box-office and enduring stardust, Andre Villas-Boas’ side will be set to loose 24 goals from what is a side that is already dreadfully anemic in attack.
But should the club’s hand be forced and Bale seek an exit route this summer, any possible framework to a deal should be based upon ensuring Spurs aren’t just compensated well from a financial point of view, but ultimately a sporting one, too.
And the emphasis must be for the club to replace the goalscoring prowess that the Welshman has almost single handedly carried this term, as opposed to getting too obsessed with trying to replace his star power.
There is a feeling that should Spurs hit the jackpot for their prized asset, for all the financial rewards that the 23-year-old might net the club, the chances are that not every single penny is likely to filter through to the first-team squad, such is the need to revaluate the finances in light of the Northumberland Development Project. But should Bale go to what many expect to be his most likely transfer destination in Real Madrid that might not necessarily be a problem.
With a price tag of £60million, first and foremost, even if not all the funds were eventually ploughed into the transfer kitty, Spurs would be able to acquire a couple of genuinely top-class players should Madrid or anyone else be willing to front up cash.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
But with the Spanish club rumoured to be willing to use one of Gonzalo Higuain or even the vaulted Angel Di Maria to make a deal stick, Spurs would be wise to consider all options before simply demanding a straight up cash deal.
Because while the focus so often in a box-office transfer is one fixated upon the notion of a price tag, Tottenham can’t get too caught up in the prospect of breaking records and squeezing pennies out of the deal if there is the opportunity to seize an instant fix to the amount of goals they’d be shedding should they sell Bale.
If the opportunity to seize Higuain is a realistic option, then Spurs would be foolish to not demand the Argentine be part of any deal that sees Bale move to the Santiago Bernabeu. With over 100 goals scored for one of the best sides in the world, experience in winning titles and playing in the Champions League and still only 25, Higuain is the perfect player to fill the goalscoring hole that Bale would leave in this side.
Is he the same sort of player as Bale? Of course not, but even if Spurs do go looking for a direct replacement for him, they’re not going to find it. The emphasis on any deal that sees the Welshman leave must be on replacing the goals that he’s scored – not the star power.
Want to watch tonight’s Champions League clash between Barcelona and Bayern Munich? Click here to see all the action LIVE
Such has been the intermittent nature of the often fiery debate that’s surrounded the perceived success of Andre Villas-Boas’ first season as Tottenham Hotspur manager, it’s perhaps arguable as to whether any more conjecture is needed towards the Portuguese this season.
His reign at Spurs has of course been the narrative that’s refused to diminish in either prominence or polarization during the 2012/13 campaign and it’s felt difficult to remember a managerial appointment that seems to have stirred such a variety of contrasting opinions from both home supporters and the wider footballing public alike.
For the home support, loyalties were understandably shredded at the beginning. On one side, there was the selection of fans dismayed at the sacking of Harry Redknapp and the two fourth-placed finished he’d attained in three-and-a-half-seasons. Needless to say, the appointment of a man who lasted less than half-a-season at Chelsea did not ease the blow of the culling of such a popular manager.
Yet for as popular as he may have been with some of the north London faithful, his adulation was hardly adhered to universally, with the feeling towards the now-QPR boss turning into something resembling malaise towards the end for some. Certainly, whether you were pro-AVB or anti-AVB, it’s fair to say that objectivity wasn’t particularly apparent on either side.
Throw in a wider Premier League audience that still possessed a curious skepticism over Villas-Boas’ managerial ability, and the spotlight that shined upon the 35-year-old back in July simply could not have been brighter.
And given the sheer pressure that Villas-Boas’ has been under from both within and outside of the club, perhaps you could argue that without even looking at results, the fact he’s still at the helm with five games to go is an achievement within itself.
Because come last November, the Portuguese seemed to be in real danger of not even receiving something approaching a fair crack of the whip – by either board or supporters alike.
A summer which saw the club sell two of their best players and fail to replace them with targets anywhere near the top of Villas-Boas’ list, did of course offer a meek backing at best from chairman Daniel Levy and for as disappointing as their opening displays may have been, portions of the N17 crowd’s reaction to the opening home games with West Brom and Norwich did little but create an air of damning negativity.
Come November, following three defeats on the spin against Wigan, Manchester City and Arsenal, regardless of how tough AVB may have had it, things were beginning to look painfully ominous for the former Porto-man. Indeed, in a results-based business, no amount of extenuating circumstances or will-power from supporters can save the proverbial bacon, so to speak.
Five months on, however, and the turbulence of the early winter-months now feels like quite some way away. Villas-Boas’ side sit just the two points behind third placed Arsenal with a game in hand and only five matches still to play till the curtain closes on the campaign entirely. If we’re viewing things through the all-domineering kaleidoscope of results, then Spurs are on course for exactly the target the chairman set his new managerial charge at the start of the season – qualification for the Uefa Champions League.
But in terms of how the club has reshaped, remodeled and arguably even advanced since Villas-Boas’ appointment last summer, analyzing his impact upon Spurs this season canvasses a far greater remit than simply that of managing to coax his side into top four contention come the season’s climax.
And when reading between the lines, regardless of where Spurs’ European destiny may eventually lie, Villas-Boas has done enough to vindicate Levy’s decision to not only initially appoint him, but ensure that he’s there to coax the club on into next season, too.
Some will of course be skeptical of such lavish outpourings of praise upon a man who will at best simply match the achievements of Redknapp last season and do so with perhaps a little less stardust and swagger than the 66-year-old managed.
A fair assessment? Maybe so, but although Tottenham aren’t quite as easy-on-the-eye as they were at their free-flowing best last term, they are however, now a far more stable, consistent and well-rounded beast.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The box-office of Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart may have gone, but although Spurs have still relied on the individual magic of Gareth Bale, under Villas-Boas they feel much more in control of their own destiny. Where as Spurs would ‘go out and give it a good go’ last term, they now seem to carry something resembling a steely self-belief – galvanized by a manager willing to make changes to win a game, rather than sit and wait for something to happen.
For all his positive work, mistakes have never been too far away for Villas-Boas and although his substitutions have won Spurs games this season, a lingering tendency to veer on the side of caution has also cost his side and his inability to really get Tottenham firing on all cylinders in front of the home crowd is something he may have to alter next term.
But when looking on a far broader plateau, how can Villas-Boas really receive much else bar praise for this season?
Despite loosing their club captain and two outstanding performers, Spurs have managed to reinvent themselves into a superiorly disciplined and tactically aware beast this season. Under the stewardship of his new manager, Gareth Bale has morphed into one of the best players in the world and with a game against Chelsea still to play, Tottenham have already doubled the amount of points (10) they took off the ‘big four’ teams home and away last season.
If Spurs do finish fifth, the minimum possible disparity between their own wage bill and one of their rivals will be at the very least, £43million. If the aforementioned isn’t enough to convince you that Villas-Boas has had a great season, then maybe that dose of perspective will.
Arsenal target Gonzalo Higuain is set to finally depart the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, according to The Independent.
The Argentine has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League this transfer window, but Madrid had been delaying any sale of the forward until they had a new manager.
But yesterday the club confirmed Carlo Ancelotti as Jose Mourinho’s replacement at Los Blancos, which is just half of the good news for Arsene Wenger. The Gunners were also set to fight Juventus for the 25-year-old, however the Turin side have now turned their attention to Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez.
This has paved the way for Arsenal to go unopposed in the race to sign Higuain, who looks set to complete a £22million switch to the Emirates stadium.
The move would smash the club’s record transfer fee paid for a player, which was originally £15m for Andrey Arshavin. And Higuain’s £125,000-a-week wage demands would make him the club’s top earner too, overtaking Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott.
The Argentine has scored 107 La Liga goals for Real Madrid in six and a half seasons at the club. Only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored more than him in Spain in that period.
Will Higuain do well at Arsenal? Is he what the club needs the most?
Share your thoughts below!
[cat_link cat=”arsenal” type=”grid”]
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Two Premier League clubs with identical aims this season have started their 2013/2014 campaign in an incredibly identical fashion. Liverpool and Tottenham sit in 2nd place and 3rd place respectively, separated by alphabetical order alone, having claimed six points from two games each, with all four fixtures ending with 1-0 scorelines, decided by strikes from the Reds’ Daniel Sturridge and Spurs’ Roberto Soldado alone.
Both sides have shown great efficiency as they chase down Champions League qualification, a must in any successful campaign, but we are yet to see either produce the kind of style required to topple top four benchmarks Arsenal.
Tottenham’s sturdy yet unceremonious start to the season is undoubtedly the effect of the North Londoners’ recent signings. Paulinho, and Etienne Capoue along with Moussa Dembele have been heading up the midfield engine room, and for what they lack in creativity, they certainly make up for in physical robustness. The Brazilian put in an exceptionally tidy display against Crystal Palace, recording four tackles and a pass completion ratio of 92%, and the versatile Capoue finished up against Swansea with similar statistics.
[cat_link cat=”Tottenham” type=”tower”]
Spurs have looked like an incredibly athletic, incredibly intense and powerful machine with their new look in central midfield. But their mechanical style has come at the expense of aesthetic attacking play, and the Lilywhites are still missing Gareth Bale’s talismanic influence going forward. They showed greater invention against Swansea with 27 shots at goal, but that penetration in and around the box is still lacking.
New signing Roberto Soldado is already proving how vital he’ll be to Tottenham’s campaign, with three goals in three games including his Europa League outing, but the Spaniard will be hoping to receive more support in the coming fixtures and better service, being a rather isolated element at times.
It should be enough however to rival Arsenal’s might in the coming North London derby this weekend. Whether by accident or design, Spurs’ physical midfield makes the White Hart Lane outfit almost the complete anti-arsenal package, and if the Lilywhites’ musclemen are up for the fight, they should be able to grind out another result in a similar fashion to their opening fixtures by outmuscling the Gunners’ lightweight midfield.
And if Spurs can gain ground on their divisional and regional rivals with three points on Sunday, they’ll then be in a position where the focus can change from results to performance and style. Andre Villas-Boas is expected to bring in further signings before deadline day, that could remedy Soldado’s isolation as a lone striker.
The signing of Erik Lamela from Roma, at the cost of £30million was completed today, and the Argentine prodigy is the perfect candidate for the No.10 role behind the striker, with great invention, craft and technique, as well as an eye for goal. Some have anticipated he’ll be utilised on the left more often than not, but the North Londoners have also been linked with Ajax starlet Christian Eriksen, who is also more than capable of filling up the creative void, having recorded four assists in six Champions League performances last term.
At Liverpool, the situation is more a work in progress. Brendan Rodgers has maintained his emphasis on possession-based attacking football, with 11 shots on target against Stoke on the opening day of the season, and 17 in total against Aston Villa. The Reds’ packed midfield has produced good football, with new signing Iago Aspas fitting well into their 4-2-3-1 formation and already able to link up with Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge,.
But they’ve still heavily relied upon Daniel Sturridge to provide that vital cutting edge, and the England international has shown unbelievable talent in the opening two Premier League fixtures to conjure up two goals of great individual brilliance. There’s a lot of pressure on young shoulders to stand in for the suspended Luis Suarez, but Sturridge is already showing he has the capability and right mentality to do so.
Most importantly for the Reds however is their two clean sheets so far this season. Last term, it seemed Liverpool were cursed by the number of almost certain victories that slipped away from them, with their 13 draws the second highest in the Premier League’s top half. Individual errors and uninspiring defending continually threw results away, but veteran addition Kolo Toure appears to have already added to the level of quality at the back, whilst overtaking from the retired Jamie Carragher with his leadership qualities. Along with the calming influence of Simon Mignolet in comparison to the hap-hazard Pepe Reina, Liverpool have looked incredibly sturdy in defense.
Match ups against predicted mid-tablers Stoke and Aston Villa has allowed the Reds the opportunity to settle, but their coming clash against Manchester United at the weekend will be a huge test. The Reds tend to dominate games for early spells before taking their foot off the gas and relieving pressure. Against the Premier League champions, they’ll have to put in a top performance for a full ninety minutes, and they can’t rely upon Sturridge alone to the produce the goods going forward, especially against Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, who excelled during Monday night’s clash with Chelsea.
Of course, the question mark for Liverpool is what happens when Luis Suarez comes back, barring a deadline day move to either Arsenal or Real Madrid, which is becoming less and less likely as time goes on. But judging from how the Anfield outfit have started their campaign, the Uruguayan can only add that extra creativity and cutting edge in front of goal they’ve lacked throughout periods during their previous Premier League clashes. If we’re already seeing shades of style from Liverpool, Suarez’ return will make them a formidable threat to the top four.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
But overall, both need to begin applying their craft with more dominant displays sooner rather than later. Granted, the Premier League is a results-based business and three points is three points, but there’s nothing better at getting the fans and the players in full flow than putting in stellar performances. Just as grinding out victories and draws when required to is vitally important, so is every team’s boom period of the season, and the only way to extend that spell of high form for as long as possible is to establish style.
With both Tottenham and Liverpool facing their first big tests of the season this weekend in the form of Arsenal and Manchester United respectively however, in the comingweeks we should see both teams open up more and put in more dominant displays. The Reds and the Lilywhites both have the potential to be excellent footballing sides, and there won’t be much separating the two as they gun for Champions League football. They’ve started their campaigns in almost identical fashion, and I expect they’ll finish up in a similar vein.
Can Spurs and Liverpool produce their style in the next few weeks?
Wilfried Zaha is the archetypal Alex Ferguson signing. Like Chris Smalling, like Phil Jones, like Rafael and Fabio, the then Crystal Palace winger was seen as a talent worth moulding for the future. A heavy outlay, yes, for someone who had never kicked a Premier League ball. But that was Ferguson’s game, and on occasion age didn’t matter.
But this isn’t Ferguson’s team anymore. He has entrusted managerial duties to a man who he believes walks the same path is he. David Moyes, at Everton, made the most of what he had. He dipped into the youth system and made promising players good or very good, capable, certainly, of attracting attention from the Premier League’s biggest clubs, such as Manchester United with Wayne Rooney and Manchester City with Jack Rodwell.
So here’s the question: why is Wilfried Zaha any different?
[cat_link cat=”manchester-united” type=”list”]
Can we say with absolute certainty that Zaha is ready for the Premier League, or at least Manchester United? No, because there is no evidence to support one claim or the other. And yet, at 20, Zaha, who has seen regular playing time over the past season in the Championship as well as a call up to the England national team, is watching on as a midfielder two years his junior steals the headlines.
Zaha isn’t a bad player, he has the talent and the potential to become a good Premier League footballer. But the timing hasn’t been right for him at Manchester United. Ferguson could have played Zaha in 50 per cent of the matches so far this season, and win, lose or draw, very little would have been said about his inclusion. Not because Zaha maybe earned his place – though he may have – but rather because Ferguson has earned the right to do as he pleases with his squad.
Moyes doesn’t have that yet. You have to wonder whether he will ever have that at United. He had freedom to dip into the academy at Everton, though that was predominantly due to the fact that he had little option. On one front, his hands were financially tied, while on the other, how can any manager overlook the talents that have come through the Everton ranks?
But at this time, Zaha represents a gamble. Not only is he not Moyes’ signing, but he’s a young, inexperienced player who Moyes simply cannot cater for at present with the mounting pressure. There may be arguments to say Zaha deserves an opportunity because the other wide options have been so dire – and that is fair. But what if it all goes wrong? Moyes doesn’t have the power to bat away aggressive questioning over his squad selection; for the most part, he’s dealing with a lot of that now.
It’s hard to see anything personal in Moyes’ constant decision to overlook Zaha. The United manager has suggested at least twice now that a short-term loan move would be best to aid in the player’s development. But these are still the early days of Moyes’ tenure at United and he’s still very much adjusting to life much further up the mountain than he’s used to. Clearly Zaha is a gamble that Moyes is a reluctant to take.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
This weekend’s victory over Arsenal at Old Trafford more or less concludes the recovery of Manchester United. The crisis is put on hold for now, and David Moyes gets some breathing space. Instead of falling 11 points behind the Gunners, Man United are now only an Arsenal loss followed by a draw away from catching up at the very top in the premiership. What’s more, the win was a statement of intent; the Red Devils refuse to roll over just because of a bad start.
Still, this merely papers over the cracks in United’s squad for a limited time. It was a hard fought and thoroughly deserved win in my opinion, and especially in the first half, the home team’s game plan went perfectly. Arsenal’s attacking trio of Özil, Ramsey and Cazorla had no space to perform their magic in, and the United midfield, with Phil Jones in particular stepping up his game for the occasion, looked rock solid. With a Barcelona-like pressing game, they never gave Arsenal time on the ball. As a sentiment to the home side’s midfield dominance, the combination of Özil and Ramsey completed less passes than in any game earlier in the season.
This certainly suggest that United have found the answer to their midfield conundrum. If Phil Jones can do the job Marouane Fellaini and Tom Cleverly have failed to perform alongside Michael Carrick, then there should be no need for a new arrival at Old Trafford i January, right? If they have found a player that can provide that DM-solidity in their own ranks, things look rosy red for the champions, right? Well, not quite.
Former Manchester United first team coach Rene Meulensteen answered questions from fans on Twitter recently, and was asked which player he thought his employer of over a decade should sign in January. His answer: Ilkay Gundogan.
And I find it extremely easy to agree with Mr. Meulensteen. Borussia Dortmund’s German international would in my eyes turn the wobbly and unhinged United side we have all been criticizing recently into a challenger for the Champions League. Although putting Jones next to Carrick worked well on Sunday, it was a one time measure, based on a lack of options more than anything. Moyes simply doesn’t trust Cleverly’s defensive ability or Fellaini’s ability to move each and every one of his 6 feet and 4 inches about the pitch quickly enough. Therefore, Jones’s Rino Gattusoesque rampaging approach to defending got the nod ahead. Wisely so.
But Jones lack the creative ability Carrick’s partner should have. His passing accuracy last night was very good – he didn’t lose the ball a single time in the first half – but he plays it safely. He’s a longterm centre-half at United. Therefor, they should invest in Gundogan when 2014 arrives. The German possess one of the most ferocious capacities in European football. A true midfield engine, Gundogan have the legs to get on the right side of opponents, close them down, and make a powerful run at the oppositions defense. He also have goals in his game, like the brilliantly taken curled strike he provided in July’s 4-2 win against Bayern Munich in the DFL-Supercup.
I have heard arguments that Gundogan would further influx the United attacking three. Former Dortmund playmaker Shinji Kagawa in partly a victim of their desire to play 4-2-3-1. Kagawa enjoy’s playing behind the striker, but has fallen short of Wayne Rooney, and is pushed out on the left where he has struggled to find the superb form that put him on United’s radar in the first place. The argument I’ve been confronted with is that Gundogan would simply become another casualty of Wayne Rooney’s status at Old Trafford. This is missing a key point – Gundogan isn’t originally an attacking midfielder.
He can certainly fill that position with much confidence, like he did in the mentioned game against Bayern, yet this is not where he made his trade. In Dortmund’s two golden seasons in the Bundesliga, in 2011 and 2012, Gundogan sat back alongside Sven Bender in the midfield, with an attacking three pushing forward ahead of him. The exact system Moyes hope to succeed with at Old Trafford. And guess what other playmaking prodigy had the best years of his career in that Dortmund system, scoring 21 goals in 49 games from an attacking midfielder position: Shinji Kagawa. Perhaps a transfer would alight the little Japanese’s career in England as well.
Gundogan has barely appeared for the Germans this season, though, due to a back injury, but is expected to be ready for action before Christmas. I firmly believe that this addition would strengthen United sufficiently to extinct the ghosts of the 4-1 thrashing at the Etihad earlier in the season. However, they are unlikely to rob Dortmund of yet another talent without any fight. Jurgen Klopp will be reluctant to let yet another instrumental feature in his side leave Westphalia, and even if he does, Real Madrid are reported to be monitoring Gundogan closely, looking to replace the unsettled Sami Khedira.
It remains to be seen if Moyes and Ed Woodward can put the disappointing summer transfer window behind them in order to seal the deal, and put Manchester United back in the mix with the best in Europe.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Would Gundogan put Manchester United back in the top of Europe?
Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini believes that his side can pull off one of the shocks of the season by beating Bayern Munich over two legs in their imminent Champions League clash.
The Gunners are set to face the defending continental champions in the first of their double header with them this week, with few predicting that they can beat the German giants.
Arsenal were knocked out by Bayern last season on away goals at the same stage of the tournament, yet a new look Bundesliga side awaits them this term.
Bayern are now coached by Pep Guardiola and have been playing some of the very best football in Europe this season with a star-studded squad.
Arsenal meanwhile have been stuttering of late, with poor results having seen them slip from the summit of the Premier League.
But Flamini says that the Londoners are “ambitious” and are confident of knocking out their illustrious opponents:
“We know it won’t be an easy game because Bayern are a very strong team, but we are Arsenal, we have big ambitions,” he told the London Evening Standard.
“If we want to qualify, we have to get a good result against Bayern.
“What I will say about this season is that I see a great commitment, I see everyone working very hard on the pitch and helping each other.
“This year, Arsenal have a lot of ambition and are fighting for the league title. We have qualified in the FA Cup and we will do everything to qualify in the Champions League.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“We know it will be a difficult game and now it is important to recover very well because we had so many games. Today, we will start thinking about Bayern.”
On loan Fulham ace Lewis Holtby says that he is keen to return to Tottenham and battle for his future at the end of the season.
The German international left White Hart Lane to become a part of the Cottagers’ relegation scrap in January, and has been impressive under the guidance of Felix Magath – despite the club’s lowly position.
Holtby has struggled to establish himself at Spurs under Andre Villas-Boas and Tim Sherwood, and with a number of signings expected this summer, there has been talk of a permanent move away from north London.
But the versatile midfielder says that for now he is focusing on helping his current side avoid the drop, but that he is hoping to return to Tottenham to battle for first-team action:
“There is little sense in talking about other clubs since I have a long-term contract at Tottenham,” he told Goal.
“The status quo is that I will go back to Spurs after the summer holidays. I can’t tell you what is going to happen until then. My agent takes care of everything and as far as I know his mobile is always turned on.
“I loved playing for Tottenham and I would like to fulfil my contract there. But at first it is important to avoid relegation with Fulham.
It is rumoured that Louis van Gaal will replace Sherwood in the White Hart Lane dugout this summer, and Holtby says he is an admirer of the Dutchman:
“Louis van Gaal is an exceptional coach, you can’t deny that.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“He led big teams to big success. I don’t know whether he will be the new coach and of course it is not for me to decide.”
[ffccomp link=”https://www.footballfancast.com/competitions/win-nikes-brand-new-england-football-kit” oneliner=”For your chance to WIN the new England kit made by Nike, simply comment below with your size…” step=”TELL US YOUR SIZE BELOW” terms=”http://england-kit-giveaway.pen.io/” topics=”england, nike, brazil, kit, football, soccer”]