‘HOW JOSE HAS MADE UNITED SPECIAL AGAIN’
Date published: Thursday 12th January 2017 10:13
The last resort
Back page of The Sun: ‘JURGEN KLOPP resorted to sending on a NOTE to try and fire up his Kop flops at Southampton.’
Are there literally no depths to which he will not sink?
Question of the day
Is it actually okay, in 2017, to refer to Lionel Messi as an ‘Argie superstar’? The Sun obviously think so, but who wants to be on their side?
THE TRANSFORMATION
At Mediawatch we understand that football opinions change, depending on events on and off the pitch, but does it always have to be either ‘THIS IS UTTERLY SH*T’ or ‘EVERYTHING IS AWESOME’?
This was David McDonnell in the Daily Mirror in October, when Manchester United were in seventh, just six points behind table-topping Manchester City:
‘After four months, £159million spent, 14 games and 24 players used, the Portuguese is no nearer to providing a solution to the failings that saw Louis van Gaal shown the door last May.
‘In many ways, he is further away, with the Reds five points worse off than they were at this stage last season and no discernible improvement in their playing style under Mourinho, who is starting to look like a relic alongside progressive-thinking coaches like Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino and Antonio Conte.
‘The biggest concern for United is that their manager has been given everything he has asked for, strengthening with four “strategic” signings in the summer, yet the 20-time champions still lack a firm identity.
‘Mourinho identified four positions – central defence, central midfield, a winger and a striker – and recruited Eric Bailly, Paul Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to fill them.
‘But he has so far failed to get the best out of any of them.’
But now, with Manchester United one place better – in sixth – and now ten points behind leaders Chelsea….oh but, crucially, two points ahead of where Louis van Gaal’s United were at the same stage two years ago…
‘HOW JOSE HAS MADE UNITED SPECIAL AGAIN.’
McDonnell has identified five key factors in ‘MANCHESTER UNITED: THE TRANSFORMATION’ after a nine-game winning spell in which they have beaten Zorya Luhansk, Reading and the teams in 13th, 16th, 17th 18th and 20th of the Premier League, as well as Tottenham and West Brom.
Three of those ‘five key factors’ are of course “strategic signings” Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
What are the odds that it’s all going to be ‘UTTERLY SH*T’ again by April? And what do you expect when you spend £89m on a player who has ‘disappeared on the big occasions’?
SPOTTED
‘Paul Pogba spotted in Manchester United leggings as he enjoys down time after Hull City EFL Cup victory’ – MailOnline.
Don’t worry Manchester United fans, he ‘looked relaxed’.
Spot the ‘exclusive’
‘LUKE SHAW is losing his battle to save his crisis-hit Manchester United career. Shaw has not played since November and was not included in United’s squad for their 4-0 FA Cup win over Reading last weekend, despite being fit’ – David McDonnell, Daily Mirror.
Has he just seen Saturday’s teamsheet? And is he labouring under the impression that nobody else has?
Payet forward
From the Daily Mail’s Head of Sport and West Ham season ticket holder:
Payet's behaviour unforgivable. On current form maybe Blackburn might want him.
— Lee Clayton (@LeeClayton_) January 12, 2017
West Ham certainly would struggle to find takers for the player who has created more chances this season than any other in the top five European leagues. Thankfully, Manchester City aren’t trying to find anybody to buy that useless Kevin de Bruyne – second on that list – because who the bloody hell would want him? Rotherham?
Rising star
John Cross takes a break from Arsenal duty in the Daily Mirror to tell us that ‘CHELSEA are lining up Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson as their No.1 target to replace John Terry’. Just a few short months after he told us that ‘Everton line up Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson as replacement for John Stones’.
In April he told us that Gibson ‘has been catching the eye with performances and is rated in the £4m class’. Nine months later, ‘it will take an offer well in excess of £30million to tempt Boro’.
That escalated quickly.
Next week: Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos and £50m.
Play it again, Sam
Darren Lewis, The Daily Mirror, January 11: ‘Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce is considering sacrificing Christian Benteke to raise transfer cash. Allardyce is reluctant to part with the club-record £30million summer-signing, but wants funds to shake up the squad and save the struggling Eagles from relegation.’
But why would you sell your biggest goal threat?
Dave Armitage, The Daily Star, January 12: ‘WEST BROM are lining up a £30m swap deal for Christian Benteke. The Baggies hope to broker a deal which would see their own want-away striker Saido Berahino go to Crystal Palace with Benteke moving to the Hawthorns.’
But why would you sell your biggest goal threat and replace him with a man who is neither fit nor firing?
Sam Allardyce, January 12: “Unless the chairman knows any different from me, Christian Benteke is not for sale. I think he’ll be available for this weekend. Yes, I’m planning on him being here at the end of this window. He’s scored eight already and he’s got a big part to play.”
Lesson: If something sounds absolutely mental, it’s probably absolutely mental.
What a difference three weeks can make…
Chris Wheeler, Daily Mail, December 20: ‘Marouane Fellaini’s turbulent career at Manchester United could be over as he considers a move to Italy in the January transfer window. Fellaini is understood to have discussed switching to Serie A with his United team-mates and was spotted in Milan on Monday with his twin brother Mansour. AC Milan, who were linked with Fellaini last year, and neighbours Inter are among the Italian clubs who could afford his demands of £120,000 a week after the big Belgian accepted that he has no future at Old Trafford.’
Chris Wheelee, MailOnline, later on December 20: ‘Marouane Fellaini has been spotted in Milan ahead of a possible move to Italy in the January transfer window. The Belgian’s Manchester United career is thought to be coming to an end, with Fellaini considering a move to Serie A next month…Fellaini is understood to have already discussed switching to Serie A with his United team-mates ahead of a possible January switch.’
Chris Wheeler, Daily Mail, January 12: ‘Manchester United have triggered the one-year option on Marouane Fellaini’s £120,000-a-week contract at Old Trafford, tying the Belgium international to the club until the summer of 2018.’
But, but, but he was in Milan (on holiday).
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Hilarity of the day
Headline on the Metro website: ‘Morgan Schneiderlin’s girlfriend hilariously responds to transfer speculation on Twitter.’
Wonderful. We need cheering up. Let’s see this comic genius. We’re thinking Pete and Dudley, Morecambe and Wise, Sky’s Trollied. Bring it on…
— Camille Sold (@kohlantouf) January 11, 2017
And that ‘hilarious response’ came after this…
Everton fans sat waiting for @Everton to announce Schneiderlin! 😂😴 @SchneiderlinMo4 pic.twitter.com/M6xzHsD5GQ
— Rob Marsh (@RobMarsh82) January 11, 2017
Jesus. It’s even better than we thought. We can stop dreaming of that lost 13th episode of Fawlty Towers now…
Recommended reading of the day
George Caulkin interviews Anthony Knockaert
Paul Wilson on Jose Mourinho making up for lost Van Gaal time
Adam Hurrey on When Saturday Comes (the film)
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