Ryan Giggs’ ultimate one-club-men XI

A one-club-man is a difficult thing to come by these days in modern era of world football.

Competitive leagues, increasing wages and the ease of travel have all contributed to players more
often than not spending their career at multiple clubs, and often across different countries and even continents.

There are, however, some that still belong in the
minute band of the ‘one-club-man’. A prime
example of this is Manchester United and Wales
legend Ryan Giggs, who spent the entirety of his
24-year-old professional career at Old Trafford.

With nearly 1,000 appearances and 168 goals for the Red Devils, Giggs holds the prestigious record of being the most decorated footballer in history with 34 trophies, and has a few more records to boot, too, including the most assists for a Premier
League player and the most appearances in the
division.

To celebrate the Man United legend’s 43rd birthday at the end of this month, FFC has put together the
greatest one-club (or near enough) XI of all time.

What do you think?

FOOTBALL WORLD NEWS News that Made the Headlines Today

Double injury blow for Juventus. Dani Alves (fractured fibula) & Leonardo Bonucci (thigh) set for spell on the sideline

Manchester United recorded 91 shots at home against Burnley, Stoke, Arsenal & West Ham and converted just three of them.

Money well spent Mou and Ed 👏👏

Chelsea plan to open talks with Victor Moses about a new contract following Barcelona interest. [@SkyFootball] #cfc

Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha has agreed to play for Ivory Coast NT.

Most La Liga hatricks in HISTORY:

1. CRISTIANO: 32 (245 Games Played)
2. Messi: 26 (357 Games Played)
3. Zarra: 22 (278 Games Played)
4. Di Stefano: 22 (329 Games Played)

#LaLiga Most Goals:

1. Real Madrid (36)
2. FC Barcelona (33)
3. Atletico Madrid (28)
4. Sevilla (24)
5. Real Sociedad

#LaLiga Standings:

1. Real Madrid (33)
2. FC Barcelona (27)
3. Sevilla (27)
4. Atletico Madrid (24)
5. Real Sociedad (23)
EL CLASICO NEXT!

#LaLiga leading goal scorers:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (10)
2. Lionel Messi (9)
3. Luis Suarez (8)
4. Iago Aspas (7)

Lionel Messi: Made more tackles (3) vs Real Sociedad than he did in his previous 17 La Liga apps combined (2)

Barcelona created 4 chances vs. Real Sociedad ; the fewest in a LaLiga game since March 2013 vs Real Madrid (2). [Squawka]

Remember Barca fans who made fun of CR7 last year? Well where was Suarez vs

Sociedad
Alaves
Malaga
Bilbao
Atletico
Celta
Man City

Mateo Kovacic is set to be trusted with the man-marking role on Lionel Messi on Saturday. [MARCA]

Mourinho has also increased the scouting of Yannick Carrasco [mirror]

Man Utd are targeting a move for West Ham winger Dimitri Payet, 29, but the Hammers would want at least £35m [Mirror]

José Mourinho wants Victor Lindelöf in January to prevent competition from other clubs, like MUFC experienced with Renato Sanches

PSG prepare Lallana bid
Paris Saint-Germain are preparing a £40 milliion bid for Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana, with the Ligue 1 champions set to offer wages of £200,000 per week.
Source: The Sun

Manchester United's Bastian Schweinsteiger is being lined up as a marquee signing for Brazilian side Santos.

Moussa Sissoko doesn't 'deserve' a place in the team, says Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is targeting a move for Benfica centre-back Victor Lindelof, 22, in January. (O Jogo via Daily Mail).

❗ *_( Join Group Chat For More News )_* ❗

Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann, 25, has ruled out a move to Real Madrid or Paris St-Germain, but he would be open to a transfer to Barcelona or the Premier League. (Goal).

Jose Mourinho's successful record proves he will turn things around at Manchester United, says assistant manager Rui Faria.

Liverpool could be without Philippe Coutinho until the New Year amid fears the Brazilian suffered ankle ligament damage against Sunderland on Saturday.

Jose Mourinho faces the prospect of a two-match touchline ban after being sent to the stands for the second time in less than a month as Manchester United slumped to their worst start to a Premier League season.

Yaya Toure wants to be in Pep Guardiola's Champions League squad after returning to the Man City first team.

Midfielder Eden Hazard, 25, believes Chelsea are in a three-way fight for the Premier League title with Manchester City and Liverpool. (Daily Telegraph)

Accra Hearts of Oak reached the final of the 2016 G6 Tournament after eliminating rivals Asante Kotoko 6-5 on penalties at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.

Gerard Pique has warned Barcelona that “we can’t win the League playing like this” after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad.

Celtic reached an "important milestone" by beating Aberdeen in the League Cup final, says manager Brendan Rodgers.
The 3-0 win - thanks to goals from Tom Rogic, James Forrest and Moussa Dembele - gave Celtic their 100th major trophy, and Rodgers his first as manager

Everton boss Ronald Koeman says he has become "worried" by his side's performances after a run of one win in eight Premier League games.

Simone Inzaghi celebrated Lazio’s victory in Palermo and next week’s derby with Roma “is the game our people have been waiting for.”

Luis Enrique admitted Barcelona’s draw with Real Sociedad was “the worst game of our era” but insisted his side would “fight” in next week’s “decisive” Clasico.

Crystal Palace goalkeeper Steve Mandanda has opened the door for a move to a "bigger" Premier League club - or a return to his former side Marseille.

West Brom are facing a battle with Inter Milan and AC Milan to sign Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho on loan in January.

Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino is set to discover if the FA will pursue charges of breaching agent rules.

The Crystal Palace co-owners will need to see evidence that Alan Pardew is willing to make changes to his approach and to gauge the players' reaction this week before determining whether he still has a future as manager.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has hinted he is willing to spend money to keep forward Alexis Sanchez, 27, at the club. (Metro)

Arsenal are aiming to send striker Chuba Akpom out on loan in January - with Cardiff, Brentford and Fulham all keen - as the 21-year-old recovers from a back injury. (Daily Mirror)

Leicester City defender Danny Simpson, 29, says the club's Christmas party could be cancelled after their poor start to the Premier League season. (Daily Mirror)

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew is facing crisis talks over the next 48 hours as he bids to hold onto his job. (Daily Express)

Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, 24, has decided to play international football for the Ivory Coast after failing to add to the two England caps he won in friendlies. (BT Sport).

Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt believes his former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard will reject the easy option of a lucrative career in television punditry and focus, instead, on following his ambition of one day becoming manager at Anfield. (Independent)

The Genoa striker's double in Sunday's shock Serie A win over the Bianconeri brought back memories of his father's winner against the same side in 2000

Everton boss Ronald Koeman is "worried" by Everton's performances after a run of one win in eight Premier League games.

Jamie Carragher fears Philippe Coutinho's injury could cost Liverpool in their challenge for a first Premier League title.

The Gunners boss admits videos of Gabriel operating at full-back did not fill him with confidence, but was pleased with how he fared against Bournemouth

Lyon 1-2 PSG: Edinson Cavani brace fires French champions one point off leaders Nice in Ligue 1

Future Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus has helped Palmeiras win its first Brazilian championship title in 22 years after a 1-0 home victory over Chapecoense on Sunday.

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique was left shocked as his team's disappointing run of form continued with a 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad. 'Without the ball, we were disastrous,' Enrique said.

Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista had great cause for celebration this weekend as, not only had his side pulled off an emphatic home victory, the Brazilian full-back marked his 26th birthday.

Super Mario’s World: Injury woes hit Balotelli but door for the national team is opened

The Germany international midfielder Toni Kroos  insists that, out of respect for the fans, he would not make the move to Camp Nou and that he could end his playing career in 2022

Serge Gnabry claims Arsenal 'badly' wanted to keep him at the Emirates before his summer transfer to Werder Bremen. Gnabry has shone since returning to his native Germany.

Jose Mourinho is running out of excuses following Manchester United's stuttering start to the season, according to Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp.

James Milner was joined by a collection of current and former team-mates as he celebrated his annual charity ball in Manchester on Sunday night.

The Portuguese icon RONALDO pulled back the curtain on one of his preparation techniques - a fast-paced drill involving a series of tricky moves ahead of the EL CLASSICO.

    United find themselves not only 11 points behind top but a worrying eight below fourth-placed Arsenal. Champions League qualification was the minimum expected of Mourinho this season.

Phil Jones has welcomed the show of "passion" that could earn Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho a new suspension.

Manchester United fail to win. Jose Mourinho is sent to the stands. Referees everywhere duck for cover. It is becoming a familiar feeling around the Portuguese manager and his football club.

Josh Sims was the star of the show for Southampton, providing the assist for Charlie Austin’s winner against Everton just 41 seconds into his debut.

Liverpool striker Divock Origi admits it has been difficult to remain patient sat on the sidelines but his goal against Sunderland on Saturday showed he had not lost any of his sharpness.

Leicester star Danny Simpson fears Christmas may be put on hold as the Foxes' Premier League struggles go on

Man Utd manager Jose Mourihno is facing another touchline ban after reacting angrily to Paul Pogba's booking for diving, and former referee Graham Poll wants a strong punishment

Theo Walcott's desire to wake up and smell the coffee is motivation behind his Arsenal goal rush

Marcus Rashford was Guilty of Wasting a Good Opening against West Ham

However, United have missed more of those clear-cut chances (18) than any other team in the Premier League.

Their clear-cut chance conversion rate is the joint-worst in the division - on average they score just 30.77 per cent of those big openings, the same rate as Watford. 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has missed nine clear-cut chances this season, three more than any other player in the Premier League. Paul Pogba (three), Marcus Rashford (two), Wayne Rooney (two), Juan Mata (one) and Jesse Lingard (one) have also been culpable.

Manchester United make Worst Start in Premier League

Manchester United make worst start in Premier League era after 13 games
ESPN staff
November 28, 2016
Manchester United have made their worst start to
a season in the Premier League era after Sunday's
1-1 draw with West Ham left them with 20 points
from their opening 13 games.
The draw -- a fourth in succession at Old Trafford
-- leaves Jose Mourinho's men sixth in the table,
11 points behind leaders Chelsea.
United have not taken so few points after 13
games since the 1989-90 campaign, when Alex
Ferguson's side finished 13th in the old First
Division, five points clear of the relegation zone,
although they did win the FA Cup.
1980 - Man Utd have drawn four consecutive
league games at Old Trafford for the first time
since December 1980 (a run of five). Sketchy.
- OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 27, 2016
They had also been on 20 points after 13 games
in the 1990-91 season but only after being
deducted a point as the result of a brawl during a
defeat to Arsenal. Ferguson's side ultimately
finished sixth and won the Cup Winners' Cup.
David Moyes, who lasted less than a season after
succeeding Ferguson in 2013, took 22 points from
his opening 13 league games, while Louis van
Gaal also had 22 from 13 in 2014-15 before
accumulating 27 at the same stage last season.
Ferguson took 30 from 13 in 2012-13 when United
last lifted the Premier League title.
Sunday's result was also United's first run of four
home league games without a win since 1989-90,
when Ferguson's side drew three and lost three at
Old Trafford between November and February.
Diafra Sakho's opener for West Ham on Sunday --
which came after one minute and 30 seconds --
was also the second fastest goal United have
conceded at Old Trafford in the Premier League,
trailing only Eden Dzeko's effort for Manchester
City in March 2014.

Jose Mourinho recently Claimed Arsene Wenger gets more Respect than he does

Jose Mourinho recently claimed Arsene Wenger gets more respect than he does and the Manchester United manager might contrast his treatment with Wenger's again if the Football Association charges him over a second dismissal in a month.

Mourinho was sent to the stands during United's draw with West Ham on Sunday for angrily kicking a water bottle after referee Jon Moss booked Paul Pogba for simulation. Fourth official Anthony Taylor informed Moss, who sent Mourinho off during Chelsea's defeat to West Ham last season, and Mourinho received the same punishment Arsene Wenger suffered seven years ago. Mourinho said Taylor was 'under pressure' to officiate last month's goalless draw between Liverpool and United.

During United's August 2009 win over Arsenal, a frustrated Wenger was dismissed for kicking a water bottle after Robin van Persie had a late goal correctly disallowed for offside. Fourth official Lee Probert informed referee Mike Dean, who sent Wenger to the stands without hesitation, leading to the farcical sight of a confused Wenger stood in the middle of baiting United supporters.

Then-referees' chief Keith Hackett ultimately apologised to Wenger. "I've spoken to Keith Hackett and he fully recognises the situation was an error and an apology will follow to Arsene Wenger," said League Managers' Association chief Richard Bevan."Lee Probert totally failed to manage the situation and created a needless pressure point taking the focus away from the pitch in a big event with only a minute to go. Although correct in 'law', the decision was completely out of context in the game and it was followed by the nonsense which followed over where Arsene Wenger should sit."

Sir Alex Ferguson was also dismissed for lashing out at a water bottle in United's August 2003 win at Newcastle after referee Uriah Rennie inexplicably ignored Andy Griffin's blatant denial of a goalscoring opportunity for Ryan Giggs. Fourth official Jeff Winter informed Rennie, who sent Ferguson to the stands, and he watched the rest of the match in Sir Bobby Robson's office, drinking tea and biscuits. Ferguson was seen telling Winter he was a 'f*****g joke'.

The Scot received a two-match touchline ban and was fined £10,000 for a misconduct charge.

Manchester United have Negative Feelings - Mourinho

Jose Mourinho wants Manchester United to be more clinical in front of goal in order to kick-start their Premier League campaign this season. United cruised to an impressive 4-0 Europa League win over Feyenoord on Thursday, with under-fire captain Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard all on target to take them to the brink of the knockout phase.

But Mourinho's men are sixth in England's top flight, nine points behind leaders Chelsea, having suffered a frustrating run of home draws against Stoke City, Burnley and Arsenal.

"You have immediately negative feelings because we play so well and don't score goals and don't win matches. So what we need in the Premier League is exactly that, a match where you score goals," he said.

ETO’O FACES OVER 10 YEARS JAIL TIME FOR ALLEGED TAX FRAUD by AbdulKadir S Olatunji

The four-time African Footballer of the Year stands accused of failing to reveal his full income to the authorities, which could land him a long spell behind bars if found guilty
Samuel Eto’o could face a jail sentence of over 10 years, according to respected Spanish newspaper El Pais, which reports that a Spanish prosecutor is pursuing the striker for alleged tax fraud while at Barcelona.

Ronaldo: I woke up with three blondes

The former Cameroon international striker, 35, who is currently playing for Antalyaspor in Turkey, has been accused of fraud that could amount up to €3.46 million.

Eto’o is alleged to have been accused of failing to declare his sponsorship revenues, including those from a major boot manufacturer, to the authorities when filing his tax returns between 2006 and 2009.

If true, this would mean he avoided paying the top tax rate, which at the time stood at 45 per cent.

There are four charges levelled against him, El Pais claims, which could amount to 10 and a half years behind bars and a fine of €14m.

Additionally, his agent at the time, Josep Maria Mesalles, would also stand trial if the reported prosecution effort is accepted.

Neymar family maintains innocence

Eto’o is not the first star associated with the Camp Nou club to come under scrutiny for his tax returns, with Lionel Messi handed a 21-month suspended prison sentence in July after being found guilty of tax evasion. The Ballon d’Or winner only avoided time behind bars due to his previously clean criminal record.

Currently, Neymar is accused of similar charges, and on Wednesday the prosecutor requested that he be sentenced to two years in jail if he is found guilty.

Like Messi, Neymar is unlikely to find himself in prison, even if the charges against him are found to have substance due to lacking previous convictions.

Eto’o spent five successful seasons at Barca between 2004 and 2009, during which time he scored 129 goals for the club in 201 appearances. He was a key figure for Frank Rijkaard’s men as they claimed the European Cup in 2006, scoring the equaliser in a 2-1 victory over Arsenal, and won African Footballer of the Year twice while at Camp Nou.

After leaving Barca, he won the Champions League at Inter before high-profile moves to Anzhi and Chelsea. Since leaving Stamford Bridge he has turned out for Everton, Sampdoria and current side Antalyaspor.

He has scored three goals in eight outings for the Super Lig strugglers this term but missed their previous fixture against Trabzonspor due to a foot injury.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is Set to Remain at Old Trafford Until 2018 by Okan

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to remain at Old Trafford until 2018 — and manager Jose Mourinho wants to stay for far longer.

Mourinho said yesterday that United are ready to take up a one-year option on Ibrahimovic’s £260,000-a-week contract, keeping him at the club for another season.

The Portuguese added that he has designs on creating a dynasty and hopes to be given the opportunity to continue beyond his own three-year deal.
‘The Zlatan situation is simple,’ Mourinho said. ‘He has one plus one year at the club. We are going to execute the option of a second season. After that he can do what he wants because he is free.

Mourinho, chirpier since his wife, Matilde, travelled to Manchester late last week, is settled enough to contemplate carrying on past 2019, when his present contract ends. But he also pleaded for more time, citing Sir Alex Ferguson’s sticky start as United manager.

‘If you ask me would I like to stay for more time than these three years then, yes,’ he said. ‘I’m in the club that I want to be.

‘I’d love it but I have to deserve that. If one day the club thinks I deserve it I will be very happy about that. I am just at the beginning.

IBRAHIMOVIC'S RECORD AT UNITED by Okan

IBRAHIMOVIC'S RECORD AT UNITED

Games Played 17
Minutes Played 1382
Goals 8
Assists 1
Total Shots 73
Shots on Target 28
Shot Conversion Rate 10.96
Shooting Accuracy 56
Chances Created 23
Passes completed 649

Rio Ferdinand has Defended Former Manchester United and England Team-mate Wayne Rooney By Okan

Rio Ferdinand has defended former Manchester United and England team-mate Wayne Rooney following his recent hotel drinking session, claiming the striker has been 'badly treated by the media in this country.'

Rooney captained England during the 3-0 victory over Scotland at Wembley as interim boss Gareth Southgate produced the perfect audition for the job on a full time basis, guiding the side one step closer to the 2018 World Cup.

The Manchester United striker subsequently slipped on an energy drink as he emerged from the shower, injuring his knee and forcing him to miss the friendly with Spain.
The 31-year-old was then heavily criticised for drinking in the team hotel, with images of him looking worse for wear in the early hours of Sunday after joining a wedding party at Hertfordshire's The Grove Hotel.

After initially apologising for his conduct, Rooney launched a scathing attack in a statement addressing the media, branding his treatment a 'disgrace' and declaring that he was 'not finished yet' after his critics had 'tried to write his obituary.'

But former Manchester United team-mate Ferdinand defended the player in what is hopefully the final word on the regrettable saga.

'I think that Rooney has been badly treated by the media in this country on this episode,' Ferdinand said in his capacity as a pundit for BT Sport.
'It seems like he knew he wasn't involved in the game on Tuesday (against Spain) so you're free from the responsibilities of preparing for a game.

'If he chose to go out and have a few drinks in the hotel... he wasn't out at a nightclub... he would see that as a place of security.

'But obviously in today's world with all these camera phones he was put out there in the public domain and now he's been shot down.'

'If he was there to play on Tuesday, I'd be looking at it differently. He'd be in the wrong 100 per cent, but because he wasn't in the squad, it's up to you what you do in your spare time.'
Former England captain Steven Gerrard also had sympathy for Rooney following the episode, with the drinking culture still seemingly prevalent in modern day football.

'He's a human being. They've been given the night off, and a lot of them have gone out and had a drink,' Gerrard said.

'Our media have made a little too much of it and they've absolutely battered Wayne, but it's been going on for a long time. I think it's time a lot of people looked at themselves and gave him a bit of a breather.'

Fellow former Liverpool midfielder McManaman added: 'He hasn't done anything wrong, he hasn't broke any curfews, he hasn't broken any laws, he hasn't misbehaved.'

Confirmed United Squad Members For Tonight Match

Confirmed United squad members photographed at The Lowry:

De Gea

Romero

Valencia

Darmian

Jones

Rojo

Herrera

Carrick

Fellaini

Mata

Lingard

Mkhitaryan

Memphis

Rooney

Ibrahimovic

Rashford

Zidane Ready to Pay £52million for David De Gea By AbdulKadir S Olatunji

Premier League giants Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea appears to be once again on the radar of Champions League winners Real Madrid and Zinedine

Zidane is believed to be keen on to pay £52million release clause For Spaniard that have been inserted in his new deal.

Spain national team first-choice goalkeeper has joined Man United back in 2011 and had agreed to move to Santiago Bernabeu in 2015 after both clubs failed to finalise the paperwork on the deadline day of the transfer window.

Spain international star has responded to the news by signing a new four-year deal with Man United until 2019, however, the Red Devils have failed to return to the European football in the recent years and it could force one of the best goalkeepers in the World to leave Old Trafford.

Ryan Giggs Opens Up About His Disagreements With Louis Van Gaal by Olafemi

Being an assistant manager at Manchester United was supposed to give Ryan Giggs to perfect insight into becoming a manager.

The Welshman hung up his playing boots at Old Trafford and worked alongside one of the most respected managers in world football for two years in Louis van Gaal.

However, things didn’t exactly go to plan for Giggs and Van Gaal at the Theatre of Dreams.

The Red Devils finished fourth in Van Gaal’s debut campaign and fifth last season - although they did win the FA Cup - before the Dutchman was eventually sacked.

Being associated with two disappointing seasons at Old Trafford may have damaged Giggs’ reputation as he now attempts to get himself into management.

But it seems as though Giggs didn’t always agree with some of the decisions that Van Gaal made during his two years in charge.

In an interview with Sky, Giggs has revealed how he used to confront Van Gaal if he felt the manager was making a mistake.

"It's not about biting your lip,” he said.
"And it wasn't just me, there were other coaches. You put your point across. Sometimes Louis would go with it and sometimes he wouldn't.

"He was the manager, he was the boss, and once Louis made that decision, you went with it, even if you didn't necessarily agree with it.

"As an assistant, it can be frustrating at times but also it's a great job to have because ultimately the pressure isn't on you.

"It was different in a lot of respects to what I'd been used to under Sir Alex for so long but I learned how to set up a team and different coaching sessions. Like anything, there were bits that you would take and bits that you wouldn't."

After Jose Mourinho arrived and brought in his trusted right-hand man, Rui Faria, Giggs left United and set out to become a manager.

However, he is still on the look-out for his first job but has admitted he’s open to dropping down to League One to start his career.

“I'd be happy with a good job in the Championship because you've got to be open to anything – Premier League, Championship, League One,” said Giggs.

“The main thing is that the club you join have your beliefs that they believe in youth and are run the right way.

“And I believe they shouldn't just interview you ,you should interview them.

"Six months down the line you don't want to be saying 'this is what I wanted, you agreed to it and now you aren't doing it'.

“So as long as club is right for you and them for you it doesn't matter whether its Premier League or lower League.”

3 Players that Jose Must not use Against Feyenoord by Olafemi

Jose Mourinho finds himself in a difficult position ahead of Manchester United’s Europa League game with Feyenoord on Thursday night.

Defeats away to Feyenoord and Fenerbahce leave Mourinho’s men outside the qualification spots in Group A, but a win on Thursday night would mean that a point against Zorya Luhansk in the final game would be enough to guarantee qualification to the next round.

In other words, this is a must win game. And yet, at the same time, Mourinho will want to keep several players fit for Sunday’s game with West Ham in the Premier League – another must win encounter for a side now nine points off the top.
With that in mind, here are three players that must not start on Thursday night.

*Michael Carrick*
The 35-year-old featured against Arsenal on Saturday, acting as the nucleus of a convincing, controlled performance.

Mourinho will be determined to keep the Englishman – who cannot, according to the 53-year-old, play more than once a week – fresh for the contest with Slaven Bilic’s side on Sunday.

*Marcus Rashford*
It ought to be remembered that, for all his otherworldly brilliance, Rashford is still a teenager – a developing prospect, above anything else.

They have to be treated with caution and deployed selectively, nurtured as opposed to thrown straight into the lion’s pit. Michael Owen, just like Rashford today, was thrown into the fray every week, and the ramifications later on in his career were cataclysmic to say the least.

And given that Rashford has started ten of United’s last 12 games, one suspects that the 19-year-old needs a rest.

*Phil Jones*
It isn’t often that Jones enjoys two consecutive full games at United, but he managed it against Swansea City and Arsenal. His energy levels, especially for someone who hadn’t made a first team appearance for ten months, have been truly exceptional, but Mourinho will be cautious to field Jones – perhaps the most injury prone player in United’s history – so soon after his exploits against Arsenal.

Jose Mourinho Finds himself in a Difficult Position ahead of Manchester United’s Europa League Game with Feyenoord by Olafemi

Jose Mourinho finds himself in a difficult position ahead of Manchester United’s Europa League game with Feyenoord on Thursday night.

Defeats away to Feyenoord and Fenerbahce leave Mourinho’s men outside the qualification spots in Group A, but a win on Thursday night would mean that a point against Zorya Luhansk in the final game would be enough to guarantee qualification to the next round.

In other words, this is a must win game. And yet, at the same time, Mourinho will want to keep several players fit for Sunday’s game with West Ham in the Premier League – another must win encounter for a side now nine points off the top.
With that in mind, here are three players that must not start on Thursday night.

*Michael Carrick*
The 35-year-old featured against Arsenal on Saturday, acting as the nucleus of a convincing, controlled performance. Mourinho will be determined to keep the Englishman – who cannot, according to the 53-year-old, play more than once a week – fresh for the contest with Slaven Bilic’s side on Sunday.

*Marcus Rashford*
It ought to be remembered that, for all his otherworldly brilliance, Rashford is still a teenager – a developing prospect, above anything else.

They have to be treated with caution and deployed selectively, nurtured as opposed to thrown straight into the lion’s pit. Michael Owen, just like Rashford today, was thrown into the fray every week, and the ramifications later on in his career were cataclysmic to say the least.

And given that Rashford has started ten of United’s last 12 games, one suspects that the 19-year-old needs a rest.

*Phil Jones*
It isn’t often that Jones enjoys two consecutive full games at United, but he managed it against Swansea City and Arsenal. His energy levels, especially for someone who hadn’t made a first team appearance for ten months, have been truly exceptional, but Mourinho will be cautious to field Jones – perhaps the most injury prone player in United’s history – so soon after his exploits against Arsenal.

Jose Mourinho Opens up about Henrikh Mkhitaryan Future by Okan

Mourinho accepts that his £26m summer buy from Borussia Dortmund isn't pleased with his lack of games in England but insists the midfielder's self-imposed gag has helped put him in line for a recall.

Mourinho is now planning to play the 27-year-old Armenian against Feyenoord at some stage in the Europa League on Thursday night.

“Obviously he is not happy but he is transforming his frustration in a good way which is; close the mouth and work hard and try to adapt. He is trying,” said Mourinho.

Explaining why Mkhitaryan wasn't in the 18-man squad to play Arsenal on Saturday, Mourinho said: “I told him (before the Arsenal match) that he is going to be involved in the game against Feyenoord.

“I told him this (vs the Gunners) was not the game for you, I don't think he needs 10 or 20 minutes from the bench I think you need a good game and you need to either start or if not to come for the second half.

“He needs less pressure and better conditions for him to express his qualities.”
Yesterday at 10:30am · Public · in Timeline Pho

Q&A: Jones Opens up on Injury Troubles by Okan

Although disappointed by the nature of Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal, Manchester United defender Phil Jones was happy to make his first Old Trafford appearance since 2 January.

The centre-back had returned from injury at Swansea City on 6 November and retained his place in Jose Mourinho’s starting XI against the Gunners at the weekend, before producing an admirably sharp display at centre-back that did not befit a player who has barely kicked a ball in the last 10 months.

Jones spoke to MUTV and other reporters after the final whistle to discuss his welcome comeback, the “awful” experience of being injured and his hunger to "fight for the club" as a fully-fit player…

Despite the draw, it must have been great for you to play at Old Trafford again?

It was great, personally, for me. I really enjoyed it. It's been a difficult period for me, so it was nice to have back-to-back games against Swansea and Arsenal. It is good to be back in the fold and playing again.

Was it mentally tough to be on the sidelines for so long?

It is awful but as a footballer you can’t feel sorry for yourself, go into a little hole and never come out of your home. You have got to go about your day as you would normally, work hard in training and I have worked to get back to where I am now. I want to stay here and I want to play more games.

Your performance didn’t resemble somebody playing their second match of the season…

I have worked hard on my fitness, it has been tough mentally for me and it has been so frustrating. I can’t put into words how frustrating it has been, but that is behind me and I want to move forward to play as many games as I can.

Did you decide to take longer when coming back to make sure you are right this time?

Yeah, probably. Not ridiculously longer but I wanted to make sure that I was 100 per cent right going into the first game. I was fit for a good few weeks before the Swansea game with training, and it was the training that I needed, but you can never replicate the game. Training and games are two different things. The Premier League is so quick and sharp these days. It is games that I need and hopefully I can keep getting them.

Are you ready to play in every game now, or do you need to be used sparingly for a while?

I am ready to play but I think I have also got to look after myself as well and think right. If I do feel something then I am honest, but I am ready, I am fit and ready to play.

The manager has spoken well about you – it must be nice to have him in your corner?

Yeah definitely, it is nice for any player to hear the manager say nice things. He has been great for us since he has come in, he shows a lot of confidence in all of the players which is great.

Is there a hungrier player in the United dressing room than you?

Listen, everyone is hungry to play football, but I am just as hungry as anyone else. I want to play, I want to fight for this club and I will do that until somebody tells me to stop.

Have the injuries to Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly presented you with an opportunity?

Yeah of course. But I can’t keep thinking it is an opportunity because sometimes that can play on your mind. I am just focusing on game to game, playing football, doing what I love doing and I will go from there.

Juan Mata 'One of the Surprises' Under Mourinho - Neville by Okan United

Juan Mata has continued to be one of the surprises of the season for Manchester United under Jose Mourinho, according to Gary Neville.

Former United defender Neville felt that Mata was the best attacking player in Mourinho's front three -- playing alongside Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial -- during Saturday's 1-1 home draw against Arsenal.

Mata opened the scoring in the 68th minute before a late equaliser by Olivier Giroud salvaged a point for Arsenal. It was the Spain international's fourth goal of the season, following on from strikes against Bournemouth and Leicester City in the Premier League and Manchester City in the EFL Cup.

"I myself questioned whether he fits the profile of a Manchester United wide player, because that's where he is playing, even if I know he ends up drifting in," Neville told Sky Sports.

"The ability to counterattack and have wing play has always been Manchester United's way, so you wondered where he would fit in. I have to say that's been one of the surprises out of the first few months in Jose Mourinho's reign."

This season Mata has had to win the trust of Mourinho, who sold the midfielder when the pair were together at Chelsea.

"When Mata came off [against Arsenal] there was a little hug with Mourinho," Neville said. "There seemed to be a level of respect that was not always there when he was at Chelsea, when Mata was ultimately sold.

"He's adapted well, he's played well, and he's always had a good attitude. He's a top player. At the moment, he's doing very well. He was the better of the front three on Saturday."

Jose Mourinho Should give Henrikh Mkhitaryan a Chance - Rio Ferdinand by Okan

Rio Ferdinand has said that Jose Mourinho should give Henrikh Mkhitaryan a Change

Writing for ​the Evening Standard, Ferdinand said: "For me, Carrick has to play more. He can feed the attacking players quicker and more precisely than anyone else in that squad.

"I don't know what's happened to Mkhitaryan. Does anyone know where he is? By all accounts he is fit and training well but you don't see him in a Manchester United shirt. They paid Borussia Dortmund £26million to get him in the summer and for that money, I would actually like to see him play football!"

Ferdinand also called on Chris Smalling and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to halt United's poor run of form.

"If Smalling is to fulfil his potential, then he needs to become the dominant centre-back this season," he added. "With Eric Bailly out injured for a couple of months, he has to become the main man.

"Ibrahimovic has scored just once in his last 10 appearances and the team need him to get out of this rut. But he is an experienced player and knows what he needs to do. It will happen eventually, they just need it to end sooner rather than later.

"Manchester United had 37 shots in the 0-0 draw against Burnley which was the most they've had in a league game since the 2003-04 season. They simply must be more clinical."

Lionel Messi rejects new Barcelona contract By Planner Apostle

Manchester City lad bitter rivals Man Utd in the race to sign Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi after the player last week rejected Barcelona's new contract offer.

Messi refused Barcelona's offer after seeing that it's not as good as he wanted it to be, compared to the one recently given to his rival Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid.

Man City have now upped their attempts to sign the very talented forward.

According to the Sun UK, Man U were confident of signing Messi, seeing that he is even an Adidas ambassador as Adidas sponsors the club too, but Man City have strengthened talks with Messi's team to try to sign him if he were to ever consider leaving Barcelona.

The report reads: 'Man United have admitted defeat and believe bitter rivals City would be favorites to sign Lionel Messi if he was to leave Barcelona.

An Old Trafford source said: “City would be the favorites if he were to one day leave, but we would obviously love the sign a player of that level. We can certainly compete on the cash front and Messi is an Adidas player like Paul Pogba, so we have our pluses.''

Ryan Giggs says Manchester United are Lacking Consistency Under Jose Mourinho by Planner Apostle

The Red Devils looked to be heading for successive Premier League victories after Ander Herrera and Juan Mata combined in the 68th minute and the Spanish midfielder placed a finish past his former Chelsea team-mate Petr Cech.

However, Arsene Wenger brought on Olivier Giroud with 17 minutes remaining at Old Trafford and the France striker levelled thanks to a powerful header from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cross.

The 20-time English champions have only beaten Swansea City in their last five Premier League games to leave Mourinho’s side off the pace in the title race.

Manchester United are eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool and the Red Devils are six points behinds fourth-placed Arsenal after 12 Premier League games.

While Giggs was impressed with the performance of Mourinho’s players on Saturday, the former Manchester United assistant manager believes the current side are lacking consistency.

“I’m looking at that team and I’m quite happy with it,” Giggs told Sky Sports.

“The midfield three and the front three, I’m happy with. Now, we’ve got injuries at the back and it was a makeshift back four. But there wasn’t one United player who played badly and there wasn’t one Arsenal player who played well.

“So you can’t say that it was the team that Jose picked today. United are lacking consistency and Jose is constantly having the juggle the team.”

Antonio Valencia Dedicated his Man of the Match Award to the Manchester United Medical Team that Helped him Recover for the Arsenal Game by Planner Apostle

Twenty-four days after fracturing his arm against City in the EFL Cup, Valencia lined up at right-back for United against Arsene Wenger's side and was superb in the 1-1 draw.

Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville, arguably United's greatest right-back, chose Valencia as the outstanding player and the Ecuadorian posted a post-match photo of himself with United doctor Steve McNally, physio Neil Hough, fitness coach Carlos Lalin, masseur Andy Caveney and another staff member.

Valencia wrote: "We regret not having obtained the 3 points, the other match will be better. I also want to dedicate this award to all Manchester United Medical Corps. Thank you for having patience with my recovery."

In the 2010-11 campaign, Valencia returned from a broken leg sustained in a Champions League stalemate with Rangers just six months later and went on to play in that season's Champions League final.

His recovery time particularly impressed Juan Mata.

"He is a beast," Mata told MUTV. "He is a great player and very important for us, defending and going forward.

He gives us a lot on the right flank."
Michael Carrick added: "Antonio has been incredible at right-back since he has moved to that position. He just looks so dangerous going forward but, at the same time, he is so solid defensively.

"His positional play has improved a lot and I think that’s told. He has been our best player in a lot of our games this season.

"To come back so quick from a broken bone speaks volumes for him and his attitude to get back and play."

Jose Mourinho Admits Wayne Rooney Dropped to the Bench for Manchester United’s Clash with Arsenal due to Concerns Over the Player’s Pace by Planner Apostle

Juan Mata, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford started in attack as United dominated for large periods, only for Olivier Giroud to score late on to secure a 1-1 draw for Arsenal.

Rooney has been the centre of controversy over the past week after being pictured drunk while on international duty with England, however Mourinho insists this had nothing to do with his decision to drop his captain.

“I thought we were going to have the ball. Arsenal are a team who let the opponents play,” Mourinho said.
“I thought we would have space and the ball would arrive quite easily to the attacking players.

“I believed ones like Juan Mata, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford were faster than Wayne — better attacking opponents one-to-one in the last line. I thought it was the best option.”

Mourinho Takes Another Shot at Wenger

"It feels like a defeat and, for sure, for Arsenal it feels like a victory," Mourinho told reporters.

"So finally I lost against Arsenal. Finally I lost against Arsene."

"Of course it is two points dropped," he added, speaking to the BBC. "It was another defeat.

"They had no chances to win. They could not be Arsenal the way they normally play football. We were phenomenal defensively, the way we pressed and the way we controlled their counter attacks. Then when we had the ball we were very comfortable.

"If you have a bad game, or an equal game against a very good team like Arsenal, you draw and it is not a drama or a bad result"

Jose Mourinho got it Wrong with his Substitutions by GQE

Manchester United fans love to console themselves,  in a game that we should win convincingly,  imagine sharing points with a team that had no shot at goal till the 89th minute

This clearly shows that my manager is bereft of ideas and gradually graduating into the LvG, Arsene Wenger, Walter Mazarri and Rafa Benitez league "outdated coaches "honestly Mourinho has lost it.

Going defensive against a disjointed Gunners

Jose Mourinho got it wrong with his substitutions in the game  especially tactics as he choose to go defensive with the introduction of Schneidnerlin for The lively Mata.

Mourinho is only a modern day relic.

I am United In draw,  Win or lose. One United

Manchester United have Biggest Wage Bill in World Football - Okan United

Manchester United have the highest wages in world football according to a global sports salary survey, produced annually by the Sporting Intelligence website.

United's first-team squad earn £5.77 million-a-year basic salary on average, which is £110,961-per-week. That is reportedly more than double the average basic first-team pay in England's top division, which is £2,438,275-a-year or £48,766-a-week.

The club are the fourth highest paid in world sport, behind Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA (£6.54m average), New York Yankees of the MLB (£5.81m) and LA Clippers of the NBA (£5.78m). The next highest football clubs on the list of world sports teams are fifth-placed Barcelona (£5.64m) and ninth-placed Manchester City (£5.42m).

In the Premier League, the two Manchester clubs were followed on the list of big spenders by Chelsea (£4.51m), Arsenal (£3.71m), Liverpool (£3.01m) and Tottenham Hotspur (£2.68m).

The lowest wages in the Premier League were at Burnley (£0.95m), Bournemouth (£1.1m), Hull City (£1.22m) and Middlesbrough (£1.22m). They were still higher than the average wages for Scottish champions Celtic (£0.71m).

The findings showed that United have three players in the top 10 of best-paid players in world football. Paul Pogba was fifth (£15.1m per year or £290,000 per week), Wayne Rooney was eighth (£13.5m per year or £260,000 per week) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic was 10th (£13m per year or £250,000 per week).

No other Premier League players were in the top 10 of that list, which included four from La Liga and three from China. The best-paid players were jointly Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona's Lionel Messi, who brought in £18.98m per year or £365,000 per week.

The Premier League, though, pays more than double the average salary of their nearest competitors La Liga (£1,239,295) and Serie A (£1,105,633).

Premier League average pay has multiplied by almost 32 times in 25 seasons, from about £77,000 in 1992-93. United's first-team salaries have risen from about £140,000 per year in the first Premier League year to more than 40 times that amount.

Manchester United have been Made Favorite to Sign Former Youth Player and now Burnley Centre-back Michael Keane in January.

Manchester United have been installed by the bookies as front-runners in the race to sign their former player Michael Keane.

The centre-back, who was sold early into Louis Van Gaal's reign, has been exceptional at the heart of Burnley's defence this season earning him a call-up to Gareth Southgate's England squad.

And with Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Antonio Valencia's recent injuries forcing Jose Mourinho to start some makeshift defences in recent weeks, Keane has been linked with a return to United.

Whether United would sanction another former youth player returning for big money following Paul Pogba's world-record second coming as a Red remains open to question.

But the bookies certainly think an Old Trafford comeback could be on the cards for Keane. SkyBet have slashed their odds on him moving to United in January to 5/1, making his former club favourites ahead of Liverpool at 10/1.

Rio Ferdinand pointed out that during Burnley's draw at Old Trafford recently the away side's best performers were former United players Keane and Tom Heaton.

Keane was outstanding for Burnley as they kept United out and the Stockport-born defender has developed into one of the Premier League's most reliable centre-backs.

The 23-year-old made just five first-team appearances during his time at the club.

He was loaned out to Leicester City, Derby County, Blackburn Rovers and Burnley before making the temporary switch to Sean Dyche's side permanent in January 2015.

Man Utd Legend Blasts Club for Failing to Sign Bayern Wonderkid: 'I'd Have Dragged Him by His Hair' by Okan United

​Bayern Munich midfielder Renato Sanches rose to fame after his astonishing performances last season, which didn't even really begin until after November.

In a very short space of time, the 19-year-old went from a relatively unknown player to being rated as the best youngster in Europe. It's no wonder that Manchester United wanted to shell out a very large sum to bring him to Old Trafford, but unfortunately, despite reports claiming that a deal had already been agreed, the player moved to the Bundesliga side.

More misery was heaped on United after the player proved an absolute star for Portugal at Euro 16, ultimately winning the trophy with his country.

Former Red Devils defender Rio Ferdinand knows just how much the club missed out on, and insists that the player would have never been allowed to slip through their grasps if he were employed at United.

The erstwhile England international claims that he would have personally dragged the player to Old Trafford by his hair.

“If I was a Man United scout, Renato Sanches would already be at the club,” Ferdinand said to A Bola.

“I’d have dragged him by his hair and said ‘let’s go!’

“Renato is a modern player: Aggressive, strong, powerful, got technique, can shoot and pass. I like him. He’s young, but takes responsibility.”

Sanches has endured a tough time since starting the term with Bayern, though, and has been struggling with both injuries and playing time.

So far, he has made five appearances with no goals and no assists. But given his talent, he should pick up as long as he plays consistently.

MEMPHIS CAN'T LEAVE MAN UTD YET… HIS EGO'S STILL TOO BIG! - HISLOP Forwarded by Okan United

Former Premier League goalkeeper Shaka Hislop believes Memphis Depay’s ego needs to take more of a ‘knock’ before he considers leaving Manchester United.

The Dutch winger has struggled to make the impact expected of him in England since completing a high-profile switch in the summer of 2015.

The 22-year-old arrived at Old Trafford with a growing reputation as one of the finest young talents in world football – having ended the 2014-15 campaign as the Eredivisie’s top scorer.

He has, however, been unable to replicate the success he enjoyed at PSV with the Red Devils.

A debut campaign under the guidance of his former national team coach, Louis van Gaal, delivered just two goals and 29 appearances, while only four outings have been added to that tally this term.

A lack of competitive minutes, and Jose Mourinho’s apparent reluctance to trust him in United’s starting XI, has sparked talk of a possible January exit.

Everton have been mooted as a potential loan destination, and a move to Goodison Park would help to keep him in England and offer a second opportunity at cracking the Premier League.

Hislop, though, is not convinced that now is the right time to be taking on a new challenge, with Depay’s confidence not damaged enough for him to be chomping at the bit to prove himself elsewhere.

The ex-West Ham and Newcastle shot-stopper told ESPN FC: “I’m not sure it’s the right time for Memphis Depay to move and let me explain that.

“Memphis Depay is a wonderful footballer without question. He came to Old Trafford with the world at his feet, but I think he underestimated either his talent or how tough the league is.

“He found himself very much on the outside of the Manchester United starting XI. When he has been introduced, I’m not so sure that his ego has taken the knock that it needs.”

All four of Depay’s Premier League appearances this season have come from off the bench, and have presented him with a grand total of 20 minutes of top-flight action.

It is clear that he needs to get game time from somewhere.

IF A.WENGER IS OUTDATED, THEN J.MOURINHO IS A TACTICAL DINOSAUR! By Feyemi Femi

The Arsenal manager has been derided in recent years for his tactical naivety, but his Manchester United counterpart is stuck even further in the past.

COMMENT

“Eight years without silverware, that's failure. He's a specialist in failure. If I do that at Chelsea, eight years, I leave and don't come back."

Amidst one of football’s bitterest managerial rivalries, Jose Mourinho has taken particular pleasure in highlighting just how appalling Arsene Wenger’s trophy drought is.

Forget form - why Man Utd are favourites...

Indeed, J.Mourinho was absolutely right in 2014 when he delivered that most vicious put-down – and he is still right today ahead of Saturday's big Premier League clash at Old Trafford between Manchester United and Arsenal. It is absolute madness that a club the size of Arsenal still employ a manager who has consistently failed for so long.

It is now 12-and-a-half years since A.Wenger won the Premier League – it would take a brave man to bet against the trend continuing this term – while the Frenchman’s Champions League record is utterly embarrassing.

Arsenal have been knocked out of the European Cup at the last-16 stage for six successive seasons, and have won just eight knockout ties in the competition in total since A.Wenger took over 20 years ago.

There can be no denying that the main reason A.Wenger has struggled so much in the major competitions over the last decade is because he is tactically outdated.

His preoccupation with playing football 'the right way' has not been conducive to success. In an age where technology, video and data analysis make it much easier to study opponents, A.Wenger’s weaknesses can be identified and ruthlessly exposed.

Teams today need to be tactically flexible and contain technical, physical and mental elements. Arsenal have lacked the last two qualities ever since Patrick Vieira, Sol Campbell and the last remnants of George Graham’s great back four either departed or retired.

For most of his reign, A.Wenger has been stubbornly one-dimensional and has steadfastly refused to change his philosophy – both before and during games – to counter the style of an adversary.

His teams have almost always played open, attacking, expansive football, making it very easy for top coaches to outmanoeuvre the Frenchman.
Only one season, in 2005-06, did A.Wenger truly abandon his principles. It’s no coincidence that, fielding a conservative 4-5-1 with Thierry Henry as the lone frontman, Arsenal made it all the way to the Champions League final.

They defeated the Madrid Galacticos and a Juventus team that contained seven of the 2006 World Cup finalists on the way to a heart-breaking late defeat to Barcelona in Paris.

There have been signs over the last 18 months, though, that A.Wenger is sometimes willing to surrender his obsession with possession and utilise a more modern or counter-attacking game – sitting the defensive line deeper before launching a total press in midfield and transitioning via the pace of Alexis Sanchez, Alex Iwobi and Theo Walcott. The wins last year over Manchester City and Bayern Munich (with just 30% possession) are good examples of this tactic bearing fruit.

Whether this mini-awakening will be enough for A.Wenger to win the Premier League again or go deep in the Champions League is doubtful given the other shortcomings, but it does at least show that the Frenchman is not completely immovable in his outlook.

Which is more than can be said about his great adversary. For if A.Wenger is outdated, then right now J.Mourinho is a tactical dinosaur.
Since taking over Real Madrid in 2010, J.Mourinho has not evolved at all in a strategic sense. During his three years at the Santiago Bernabeu, his second spell at Chelsea and since joining Manchester United, he has almost always deployed his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.

However, this is a system that - despite emerging as the most popular and innovative formation of the new millennium – is now out of fashion among the continental elite. None of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain or Juventus use it. J.Mourinho’s permanent successor at Chelsea quickly abandoned it in favour of a 3-4-3 that has yielded five straight wins with 16 goals scored and none conceded.

Pep Guardiola’s formation at Manchester City, a 4-1-4-1 on paper, is virtually impossible to decipher in reality. To the Catalan, there is no such thing as a set formation, it is all about pressing and interpreting space depending on the scenario and where the ball and opponents are. Then it is about exploiting this space by creating ‘passing lanes’ to provide multiple channels of attack in each move. "Organised chaos" is how his tactics were brilliantly described to
by MUFF Correspondent after Pep’s Bayern played 99 straight games under him with a different starting XI.
A.Wenger also still employs an outdated 4-2-3-1 system but his team is far less rigid and predictable than J.Mourinho’s Manchester United, whose players rarely leave their set positions.

Compare the effortless interchange in attack of the likes of Alexis, Iwobi and Mesut Ozil to the static and set Zlatan Ibrahimovic. While A.Wenger’s offensive play is fluid and imaginative, J.Mourinho’s provides clear reference points for defenders. A big hulking target man like Zlatan or Didier Drogba has been a favourite of J.Mourinho for most of his career, but this type of physical striker may also be going out of fashion.

Barcelona employ a trio of small, skilful, switching forwards. Manchester City have the pint-sized Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling and David Silva buzzing around. Juventus and Atletico are building their two-man attacks around the tiny but incredibly talented Paulo Dybala and Antoine Griezmann, respectively.

The J.Mourinho lone striker is dying.
The best tacticians are also wise enough to adapt their formation to the players they have available, just like Conte did at Juventus when he ditched his favoured 4-2-4 for a 3-5-2 that made use of the brilliant BBC backline of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. He is now doing the same at Chelsea, with David Luiz reaping the rewards in the sweeper role.

J.Mourinho is persisting with a 4-2-3-1 system at United that is clearly incompatible tactically with his team’s best player – and world record €105 million summer signing – Paul Pogba.

The Frenchman illustrated at Euro 2016 that he is not a holding midfielder. Not only does he lack the discipline, positioning and tackling ability for such a role but he is also completely wasted there given his incredible technical talents.

As also illustrated at Juventus, he neither possesses the natural playmaking or short-range passing skills to be a No.10.
As he has said himself, Pogba needs to play on the left of a three-man midfield.

The 4-3-3 is the obvious system to get the best out of both the Paris-native and an Ibrahimovic flanked either side in attack by Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford. Given J.Mourinho recently dropped the declining Wayne Rooney and has shown little interest in fielding Henrikh Mkhitaryan – two players only suited to the No.10 position in the 4-2-3-1 – it makes no sense for the Portuguese to continue with his current setup.

It is no coincidence that in the last six years J.Mourinho has won six trophies (two of these Supercups and none of them European titles), compared to the 17 he bagged in the seven years prior – which comprised of six league championships, two Champions Leagues and a Uefa Cup.

It was already clear at the end of his Chelsea reign that J.Mourinho’s version of the 4-2-3-1 needed to be rebranded but he has made no attempt to do that at Manchester United – and it is a natural consequence that he has endured such a difficult start to his reign at Old Trafford.

For a manager who once labelled Sam Allardyce’s tactics as “football from the 19th century”, it is about time an outdated J.Mourinho got out of the prehistoric age before he also becomes a “specialist in failure”.

Bastian Schweinsteiger Invited to Join Stuttgart by Grosskreutz Forwarded by Okan United

Kevin Grosskreutz has told former Germany teammate and Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger to join him at Stuttgart in January.

Schweinsteiger has been frozen out at United by Jose Mourinho, having yet to make a first-team appearance for the Premier League club this season.

Grosskreutz, meanwhile, is currently playing for German second-tier side Stuttgart, joining the club in January from Galatasaray.

"He's going through a difficult situation right now," Grosskreutz told Bild of Schweinsteiger. "But he's coping with it really well. He's invited to join VfB this winter. We'd all be happy."

Grosskreutz said after Germany's triumphant 2014 World Cup campaign that he and Schweinsteiger, who has since retired from international football, had become close.

"We became friends during this tournament. He helped me from day one," Grosskreutz said after the tournament.

Former Bayern Munich midfielder Schweinsteiger is under contract at Old Trafford until 2018 and is reported to be due to earn around €20 million for the remainder of his deal.

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber has said Schweinsteiger would be welcomed "with open arms" in the United States, while U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann has said his arrival in the country would be "a great thing."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Tried to Copy Brazil Great Ronaldo as Youngster by Okan

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has said that Ronaldo was someone he tried to copy as a youngster because the Brazilian was capable of "magic."

Ibrahimovic, 35, followed in the footsteps of Ronaldo by playing up front for Barcelona, Inter Milan and AC Milan but they were never teammates. When Ibrahimovic started his career at Malmo, Ronaldo had already won the FIFA World Player of the Year twice and was a prolific scorer for Inter and Brazil.

Ibrahimovic told United Review: "I think Ronaldo was phenomenal. He was the player that whatever he did it became 'wow.' He could do a difficult thing and it became magic.

"He would take the ball and it was like him saying 'I'll take care of it now.' You didn't have that kind of football player before and you don't have it today. He doesn't exist.

"As a young player, I watched him and said to myself 'I want to be exactly like that,' the player who makes the difference, the shining light, simple as that."

MAN UTD LINE UP £8M BRUMA MOVE By Okan

Manchester United will make an offer of £8 million for Galatasaray winger Bruma, according to The Sun.

The 22-year-old's impressive performances for the Turkish side and for Portugal at junior levels have caught the eye of Jose Mourinho's scouts.

Mourinho is a big fan of Bruma and will tell Old Trafford chiefs to make a move in January as he continues to shake up the squad he inherited from Louis van Gaal.

The Portuguese boss is expected to axe up to eight United players in the new year following their sluggish start to the Premier League season.

Mino Raiola Fee for Paul Pogba Move to Man United not too Much - Juventus Forwarded by Okan

Mino Raiola fee for Paul Pogba move to Man United not too much - Juventus

Juventus general manager Beppe Marotta has defended the payment of a €27 million representation fee to Paul Pogba's agent Mino Raiola as part of the midfielder's transfer to Manchester United in the summer.

Raiola earned the sum when Pogba, 23, returned to United from Juve for a world-record fee of €105m in August.

Marotta says the fact that the France international's move was the biggest transfer in football history means the agent's slice was not extraordinary.

"We're talking about a deal over €100m and it's absolutely normal that whoever contributed to the operation's conclusion should receive a significant financial return," Marotta told Il Corriere della Sera.

Marotta added that Raiola had not only been acting in Pogba's interests, but also working to find the right solution for Juve, further justifying such a substantial payment.

"From being simply an advisor, agents have now become intermediaries who also work on behalf of the club," Marotta said. "They propose offers and conduct negotiations."

Deducting Raiola's fee, Juve still made a considerable profit on Pogba, as Marotta explained at the club's AGM last month.

"He [Pogba] came from United for a price of around €1.5m," Marotta said. "After four years with us he decided to return to England. He wanted to leave at all costs. Our asking price was €105m plus €5m in bonuses, which is payable if the player renews with United or leaves for a fee of more than €50m.

"That brings us to a capital gain in the budget of €95m. Mino Raiola and his company will be paid €27m. Taking fees into account, the total gain for Pogba was €72m."

Juve reinvested that profit plus a further €18m to sign Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli, while further investment in Miralem Pjanic and Marko Pjaca saw them spend more than any other club in Italy in the summer.

However, with an earning of €76m from last season's participation in the Champions League and further sources of revenue, the Turin-based club announced a profit for the second year running in 2015-16.

VERON IS MY PREMIER LEAGUE IDOL - ROJO Forwarded by Okan United

Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo has singled out compatriot Juan Sebastian Veron as his Premier League idol.

Rojo, 26, has drawn comparisons with the former United midfielder throughout his career.

The Argentineans played with each other at Estudiantes for three years before Rojo left for Spartak Moscow in 2011 and the 26-year-old followed in Veron’s footsteps when he joined the English giants in a £16m in 2014.

Asked in a Q&A session in a video posted on Man Utd’s Twitter page, Rojo said he “always looked up to Veron”, who played under Sir Alex Ferguson from 2001 to 2003 after signing for a then record fee of £28.1 million.

“Obviously, we have something in common as we both played for Estudiantes. He had a great career here at United.

“He really is one of the greatest players. When I was living in Argentina, I watched him regularly.”

Joke of the Day By Andréa

If my wedding was this weekend, I would gladly have it postponed 😂👌🏾🔥🔥

It's gonna be liT

🇬🇧 Man Utd vs Arsenal

🇩🇪 Dortmund vs Bayern

🇪🇸 Atlético vs Real Madrid

🇮🇹 Inter vs AC Milan

🇹🇷 Fenerbahce vs Galatasaray

Manchester United Injury Crisis Ahead of Arsenal Clash: Seven Players in Danger of Missing out for Jose Mourinho's Side

Jose Mourinho could be without seven key players this weekend.  Jose Mourinho could be without
seven senior players against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Saturday, including his entire first choice defence, as the Manchester United manager faces up to a worsening injury crisis.

Centre-halves Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling will miss the game as well as suspended striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic while Mourinho has serious doubts over the fitness of captain Wayne Rooney, midfielder Marouane Fellaini and full backs Antonio Valencia and Luke Shaw.

Rooney is rated as “60-40” to miss the visit of Arsenal after suffering a swollen knee on England duty that prompted the forward to return to Manchester on Monday for further assessment.

The absence of Wayne Rooney (top right) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (bottom right) could give Marcus Rashford the chance to start up front Fellaini is struggling with a calf injury sustained in the 3-1 win at Swansea City nine days ago.

Valencia has been sidelined for the past three weeks with a broken right arm, but while his recovery is progressing more quickly than expected, the Arsenal match may come too soon for the Ecuador right back.

Mourinho is waiting to see how Shaw responds in training later this week before making a decision over the left back’s availability. Luke Shaw (left, with Mourinho) is an injury doubt for the game at Old Trafford Shaw has been hampered by pains in the right leg he broke last season and is likely to undergo more rigorous assessment on Thursday, when Mourinho and United’s medical staff will see how he responds when asked to exert sustained pressure on the leg through running exercises.

Bailly is not expected back until Christmas after suffering knee ligament damage last month and
Smalling, who, like Shaw, appeared to have his bravery questioned by Mourinho after missing the Swansea match, has a broken toe, with United refusing to say when they expect to see him back in action. United denied reports last week that Smalling could be out for four to six weeks.

Mourinho has ordered a review of United’s medical set-up after being alarmed by the number of injuries the club has suffered in recent years and the latest problems are only likely to harden his belief that improvements are required.

He will also hope United suffer no more injury concerns during tonight’s (TUES) round of international fixtures as he goes in search of only a third win in nine Premier League games this weekend. The Portuguese will tell his players there is no margin for error against Arsenal. Defeat would leave United trailing Arsene Wenger’s side – currently fourth, two points adrift of leaders Liverpool - by nine points.

Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho will go head to head this weekend The likely absence of Rooney in addition to Ibrahimovic will offer Marcus Rashford the opportunity to start at centre-forward against Arsenal. The England striker has spent most of the season marooned out wide under Mourinho and his form has dipped as a consequence but United’s injury woes could mean him finally
being unleashed through the middle.

Meanwhile, midfielder Michael Carrick, 35, has admitted this could be his last season at Old Trafford after 10 years at the club. “There’s always a chance of that, isn’t there,” he said. “It is such a great club with great players, you can’t take it for granted and thankfully I’m here this season and
playing my part.

Hopefully I can play more of a part in the months ahead, strive for success and try to get some sort of silverware, because winning trophies is why we are here.” Michael Carrick has admitted this could be his last season at Old Trafford Asked if he would like to remain beyond the end of his current contract, which expires in June, Carrick said: “Yeah, but I’m 35 now and I have to be realistic. I’m not going to make predictions about what is going to be happening next season.

"We are not even at Christmas yet and I just want to play as many games as I can and see how I’m feeling, how the body is feeling. “That is the biggest gauge to see if I can still do it, if I feel I can still do it and the manager feels that. There is a lot of things to come into the equation, so I’m not going to be making any rash judgements just yet.”