MAN UTD FANZONE

Sabtu, 22 Juni 2013

Ferdinand questions England future

June 22, 2013 « Rose in contention as Harrington shines in Cromwell | Tottenham closing in on Paulinho deal »

Rio Ferdinand believes English football is lacking a recognisable DNA, as he has cast doubts over the future of a national team that has failed to win a major trophy in 47 years.
Debate rages on England's international future after the under-21s' poor showing in this summer's European Championship finals in Israel, where Stuart Pearce's side failed to collect a point in their three group games.
Now Manchester United defender Ferdinand has suggested the mindset of English football needs to be altered before the national team can challenge for major trophies once more.
"If you watch Italy, Holland, Spain or Germany playing at youth level, you would know who they are without looking at their shirts," Ferdinand told Sky Sports. "There is an identity with those teams. They have a DNA of the way to play.
"We don't have that. When we won the World Cup in 1966, we didn't copy anyone else. We played the way England play. It was our style and our identity. Have we kept it? I don't think so.
"It is all right saying you have some of the best players in the world but you have to put them together and play within a system that works."
Ferdinand has backed the Football Association's ambitious new training centre at St Georges' Park as a step in the right direction for the future, but he suggests the methods used to coach young players needs to be modified if a corner is to be turned.
"The question I would ask is; are these coaches telling young kids to pass it to someone who already has a man marking them?" asked the centre-back who played 81 times for his country before his controversial retirement from international duty earlier this year.
"Are they saying 'he has to learn how to deal with it?' I don't know if we are. You give it to a young Spanish, Dutch, Italian, German kid, he will keep that ball until there is someone to pass it to.
"He won't just kick it away and say 'you shouldn't have passed it to me'. That is the way they are brought up."

The PFA Facebook page for Javier Hernandez is a huge success with fans say Digital Sports Group

Digital Sports Group today announced that The PFA Facebook fan page of Javier Hernandez has broken the 20% daily growth barrier making it the fastest growing Javier Hernandez page on Facebook. The Facebook page along with Javier Hernandez player profile on football.co.uk provide the only online location of the official PFA biography, lifetime stats, news and high resolution gallery.

Digital Sports Group

All of us here at Digital Sports Group are proud we've had the opportunity to work with The PFA to give the fans a fantastic and unique fan resource for Javier Hernandez.

(PRWEB UK) 22 June 2013

Digital Sports Group today announced that The PFA Facebook fan page of Javier Hernandez has broken the 20% daily growth barrier making it the fastest growing Javier Hernandez page on Facebook. The Facebook page has become a thriving hub for the Manchester United striker since its launch and now boasts a vibrant and rapidly growing community of fans. The Facebook page along with Javier Hernandez player profile on football.co.uk provide the only online location of the official PFA biography, lifetime stats, news and high resolution gallery.
Javier Hernandez is a talented young striker who plays for Manchester United.
A relative unknown outside his native Mexico when the Red Devils secured his signature in April 2010, the diminutive forward was a revelation in his debut season in the Premier League - ending the campaign as first-choice, serial match-winner and Fans’ Player of the Year as United won the title and reached the final of the UEFA Champions League - and he continued to score goals at a prodigious rate even during an injury-hit second season in Manchester.
Lightning quick, prodigiously hard-working and lethal in front of goal, Chicharito’s style of play and exuberant approach to the game made him an immediate fan favourite with the Old Trafford faithful.
A product of the youth academy at his hometown club Chivas Guadalajara, the youngster – nicknamed ‘the Little Pea’ - endured a relatively slow start to his professional career but hit a rich vein of scoring form in 2009-10, winning Forward of the Year and Golden Boot honours in the Mexican top flight and prompting United to sign him before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where his reputation was further enhanced by goalscoring displays against France and Argentina.
Chicharito made his debut for the national side against Bolivia in February 2010 and has since amassed 38 caps, scoring a phenomenal 25 goals, the most recent of those coming in his last appearance, against the United States in June 2012.
Head of Operations at DSG, Matthew Tait had this to say: “Javier Hernandez really has no shortage of fans after his performances for Manchester United this season and we can see that by the success of his PFA Facebook page.”
“All of us here at Digital Sports Group are proud we've had the opportunity to work with The PFA to give the fans a fantastic and unique fan resource for Javier Hernandez.”
DSG became the official digital partner of the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) earlier this year and have since launched a number of Player Profile fan pages on social media site Facebook as well as providing official player pages on their football news site football.co.uk.

Transfer news: Rooney in talks, Spurs get Paulinho

about 2 hours ago - Saturday, 22 June 2013, 08:39

Wayne Rooney will meet David Moyes to decide his Manchester United future next week, with both Chelsea and Arsenal ready to offer him a way out, The Mirror reports.
Rooney is still hurt and angered by former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson’s public declarations that the England star asked for a transfer at the end of last season. The striker vehemently refutes the claim. He wants new United boss Moyes to tell him that the situation was caused by a misunderstanding, and that he is still wanted at Old Trafford.
If that agreement fails to materialise – as seems likely – Rooney will accept that he will leave. It is understood that Fergie recommended this summer is the best time to sell. The player has two years left on his current deal and turns 28 in October, and his asking price will dramatically reduce in 12 months’ time.
***
Tottenham Hotspur are believed to have agreed a deal of more than £15 million to sign the highly-rated Brazilian midfielder Paulinho, The Telegraph reports.
The move, if it is completed, would represent a significant coup for Spurs as they attempt to strengthen to challenge for honours next season.
Paulinho is starring in Brazil’s Confederations Cup campaign and has become a key player for coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, scoring in the recent friendly against England.
The 24-year-old has been tracked by Andre Villas-Boas for some time and the Spurs head coach is pushing hard to improve his squad ahead of the forthcoming campaign.
***
These are decisive days for the possible passage of Stevan Jovetic to Juventus. The agent of the Montenegro attacker is in Milan to meet Juventus. Fali Ramadani has organized a summit with Beppe Marotta to take stock of the negotiations with Fiorentina, which is asking for €30 million for the player. The agreement between Juventus and Jovetic has already been reached.
Juve are in a hurry to close the deal because Conte wants to have all players for the start of training camp, set for 10 to 24 July at Chatillon. For his part, Jovetic has already chosen the Bianconeri and Ramadani could find a way to convince Fiorentina.
***
All done in Naples for the transfer of Dries Mertens. The Belgian midfielder Saturday will be in town to have a medical and sign the contract.
***
Given the difficulties in arriving at Nainggolan, Inter is thinking about another midfielder Miralem Pjanic. The Nerazzurri could propose to the Roma defender Ranocchia in exchange.

Premier crown stays in Manchester

while in season 2011-12 Manchester City had claimed the Premier League title for the first time in their club history, last month Manchester United returned to their usual self and attained their 20th championship − a remarkable record.
United did it in great style and made sure of the top position with five matches still to play.

2012-13 Premier League results

Times of Malta Premium

This article is part of our premium content. Subscribe to gain access to our premium content. Your subscription will also enable you to view all of the week's e-paper editions (both Times of Malta and The Sunday Times of Malta), view exclusive content, have full access to our newspaper archive to download editions from 1930 to today, and access the website in full from overseas. All of this will also be available to you from our tablet app.
Already have an account? Sign in here.

Paul Pogba – A Defining Season With Juve, And A Missed Oppurtunity For Man United

When Paul Pogba joined Juventus at the start of the season, not many would have anticipated just how well he would fit into the Italian Champion’s side.

At just 18 years old, the youngster signed a pre-contract with The Old Lady around March 2012-much to Sir Alex Ferguson’s disappointment. Having failed to convince the French teenager to extend his contract, Manchester United had to settle for some training compensation from FIFA, having brought him to English football from Le Harve in 2009.

Ferguson has always rated the youngster, speaking highly of him in the press and his desire to keep him at Old Trafford perhaps shows just how much potential the boy has. Although only seven appearances for United, there did seem to be something special there. With a great physique, power and strength, and striking an imposing figure in the midfield, the 20 year old seemed to have all the traits to become a strong midfielder-comfortable both going forward and defending.

This has been backed up by his impressive start to life in Serie A, although not always a stick-on for a start, with his first goals already scored in the first half of the season against Napoli, and the match winning performance and goal against Bologna where without the 19 year old free transfer, Juventus looked shabby. Two spectacular goals against Udinese in a 4-0 thrashing in January this year also helped the youngster stand out.

Of course, after performances like these, the usual press frenzy followed in Italy, claiming he is the next Patrick Viera and that he could be the future of the Juventus midfield. Managing to shine in a midfield which has talents such as Andrea Pirlo-who is still, easily, one of the best passers and creators in the Italian game, and the dogged and determined Claudio Marchisio who is Juventus through and through, is a great achievement so early on in his Juve career. As well as Arturo Vidal, of course.

Against Nordsjaelland in the Champion’s League Group E clash back in November, Pogba replaced Vidal to great cheers from the Juventus crowd. Such popularity can only spur the youngster on, surely, and if performances continue to be as encouraging and positive as they have been, then who knows? 2013 also saw Pogba made his debut for the French National side in a World Cup Qualifier against Georgia, playing the full 90 minutes and looking extremely comfortable and at home in the French Jersey.

As a result of this defining season in Italy, the transfer rumours we are all accustomed to have arisen, with talk of interest from England to the sum of £17m. This interest has been quashed by the Frenchman, claiming his future lies in Turin with the Old Lady. Not too bad for a player deemed surplus to requirements at Manchester United. Although a breakthrough season for Pogba, his career can still be steered in many a direction.

Of course, Pogba can maintain this form and reach the potential he is showing, and lead Juventus to dominate Italian football and Europe, ridding the Italian giants of the match-fixing scandal that has contaminated their name. Or, get them to a level of dominance in Italy, then sign for Real Madrid or Barcelona in an outrageously lucrative deal, all this whilst dragging France back to becoming a major threat in world football again and stamping his name on the game forever as one of the all-time greatest midfielders ever to have graced the game, being mentioned in the same breaths as Zinedine Zidane, Andres Iniesta and the likes. Or, he could be a decent player, then fade gradually into obscurity and insignificance, to be selected for type-specific games and make little or no impact on them, then be loaned out in a classic Italian Football style to some newly-promoted side and become a bit of a favourite for them, ultimately resulting in a free transfer to said club on a three to five-year deal, only to see out half of it then sign for a mid-table team who are punching above their weight. This seems unlikely, but we have seen it before with incredibly gifted players making their mark in only one or two seasons. Especially in Italy.

Anything can happen, but it appears Pogba is on course to be a truly class act at Juventus. Deciding to leave Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson cannot be an easy decision for a young footballer, but on this occasion it seems like a very astute move. If the performances and popularity can last, then both France and Juventus could well have a world class midfielder on their hands.

The season hasn't even started yet but I'm missing retired Man United boss Fergie already

Manchester United Transfer News: Man U Must Outflank Everton for Leighton Baines

Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

Manchester United blew away the competition last season as it won the EPL with 89 points, which was 11 points clear of second-place Manchester City. The Red Devils are always looking to get better, though, and acquiring left-back Leighton Baines from Everton would help immensely in that regard.

Baines has been a rumored Manchester United target for quite some time, but the Red Devils figure to be met with some resistance. According to Mirror Football, Everton is prepared to make Baines the team's highest-paid player to ensure that he doesn't leave The Toffees.
While Baines is certainly deserving of that distinction and would surely appreciate the raise, there has to be some desire within him to win. Everton had a respectable EPL season as it finished sixth, but with manager David Moyes leaving Goodison Park to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, Baines may have even more interest in Manchester United.
Baines excelled in six seasons under Moyes as he played stellar defense and netted 22 goals in 246 appearances, which is nothing to sneeze at for a defender. He would provide an instant boost to Manchester United's back line and would give it a fantastic amount of depth as well.

Although the Red Devils still have a revitalized Patrice Evra in place, he is 32 years old and won't last forever. If push comes to shove, Moyes can make some moves defensively in order to ensure that the best four defenders are on the field regularly.
According to David Anderson of Mirror Football, however, Everton is willing to pay Baines £65,000 per week in order to stay. He has two years remaining on a deal that pays him £44,000 per week, so Everton clearly isn't messing around when it comes to keeping one of its most important players.

Should Manchester United acquire Leighton Baines?

Money is rarely an option for Manchester United, though, which means that the Red Devils would likely be more than willing to match Everton's offer as well. In the end, it may come down to comfort level for Baines. He has played at Everton for the past several years, but the fact that Moyes is now the boss at Manchester United changes things.
Baines already knows that he can be productive in Moyes' system, and he would obviously have far more talent around him at Manchester United. The security blanket known as goalkeeper Tim Howard would no longer be present, but David De Gea is an excellent netminder in his own right and should be able to cover the few miscues that Baines might make.
New Everton manager Roberto Martinez fully realizes how important Baines is to his success at Goodison Park, though. According to Anderson, Martinez wants to reward the players who have thrived at Everton and believes that Baines is very much a part of that select group of players.

It's very important and it's a case of rewarding players, who have been phenomenal for the football club. I think Leighton is in that category.
For Leighton, as the top performer he has been in the last few years, it is important that we reward his work and make sure that he can look forward to kicking on to the next chapter of his career with Everton.

Baines has a tough decision on his hands, but if Manchester United matches Everton's offer, then it will probably be a bit easier. The 28-year-old Baines has room to grow, but it's possible that he has reached his ceiling with Everton.
Manchester United has a lot to offer—and the Red Devils need to make sure that Baines is cognizant of that when he ultimately makes his choice.