Liverpool have had a fairly decent start this season and part of that is thanks to new signing Sadio Mane who, if you have had him in your FanDuel team especially, has excited many on-lookers with a number of high-class performances.
FanDuel is a new type of fantasy football game that allows players to pick a new team every week. Had a bad week last time? It doesn’t matter in FanDuel, you’ve got a level playing field with every new set of fixtures giving you an equal chance with everyone else to win the cash prizes on offer.
At the moment FanDuel will match your first deposit all the way up to £400 too so there really is no better time to start playing and get the Reds latest hero in your side ahead of a blockbuster clash against Chelsea.
He’s come flying out the traps for Liverpool this season and by FanDuel’s calculations, he could be on for a massive haul of 25 goals and 13 assists this season.
At £9.6 million that is a superb return given that you’d expect stats like that off of someone like Sergio Aguero so can you really afford to leave the former Southampton man out?
The Reds head to Chelsea knowing they can perform in the big games after a great win at Arsenal and decent point at Spurs, matches in which Mane was a key figure and with Liverpool seemingly being a big game team, you’d expect the Senegalese international to grab you vital FanDuel points yet again.
He’s looking like the exact kind of player Liverpool needed for their squad and with predicted totals like the ones Mane has in FanDuel he’s surely exactly the player you need to win the cash prizes, you just have to get him in now.
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One half of Super Sunday is done and dusted and the term super has to be used in the most loose of terms possible.
The game was Middlesbrough against Watford at the Riverside Stadium and, during the first half particularly, it was a pretty poor ninety-odd minutes to sit through.
The one bit of quality was the goal. Jose Holebas’ left-footed strike from the edge of the box briefly woke us up from our Sunday afternoon slumber but things soon quietened down again as Boro never really looked like threatening, despite being at home, and eventually surrendered to a 1-0 defeat.
The result leaves Aitor Karanka’s men still without a home win this season and facing a relegation dogfight, whilst Walter Mazzarri’s Watford have gone up to ninth in the league with the three points.
A less than memorable game, then, but here are five things we learned from it anyway…
Antonio Barragan is the world’s luckiest man
This is no exaggeration. The Spaniard could have received three yellow cards at least for his performance. He was rightly booked in the first half and should have been sent minutes later after hauling Isaac Success to the floor. He stayed on, somehow, but could have gone later on in the match too before Aitor Karanka finally hooked him off.
Mid-table at best for both
Whilst the Hornets now sit in the top half you can’t see them getting much higher based on this performance. Neither side were that inventive nor willing to gamble enough and that caused such a dour match to watch. Middlesbrough look like they could be in for a real struggle this season.
Roger East is inconsistent
Roger East just didn’t have a good game and it was summed up in one particular passage of play. After the aforementioned Barragan got away with his foul on Isaac Success, Cristhian Stuani was booked minutes later for a very similar looking foul. Consistency is all you want from the man in the middle and unfortunately East didn’t offer that today.
Success looks assured
Isaac Success made his first Premier League start ahead of Odion Ighalo this afternoon and looked immediately at home in the division. He ran at players and was a nuisance throughout, whilst he gave Barragan the run around in particular. Based on this performance, he’s bound to play more for the Hornets from now on.
Jose Holebas has got a shot on him
Despite most of the dross, Holebas scored a fine goal worthy of winning any game. The left-back was quickest to react to the ball breaking free on the edge of the box and within seconds he’d cracked it into the top corner of Victor Valdes’ net. He had a solid game all round and that was the icing on the cake for the Greek international.
It’s almost six months since Celtic announced the appointment of Brendan Rodgers as their new manager.
Aside from the arrival of Martin O’Neill in 2000, there hasn’t been such a significant period in the Bhoys’ history in the last 40 years.
Every aspect of the club has been revived, with exciting football on the park matched by enthusiasm from the stands with 20,000 more bums on seats at every home match.
After a nine-month break from the game the former Liverpool boss has turned out to be a perfect fit for the club and certainly seems to be enjoying his work.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing, though. A visit to Gibraltar saw to that but a few months after losing to Lincoln Red Imps Rodgers had a team capable of matching Borussia Monchengladbach on their own patch.
With a pause now for the international break, we take a look at the most significant moments since Rodgers took over and how he has revived the club.
FINAL WHISTLE IN HAPOEL
Football Soccer – Hapoel Be’er Sheva v Celtic – UEFA Champions League Playoff Second Leg – Turner Stadium, Beersheba, Israel – 23/08/16.Celtic’s Kieran Tierney reacts after the match. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun Picture Supplied by Action Images
After back-to-back Champions League, KOs from Maribor and Malmo a third Champions League failure would have been difficult to take.
Having led 3-0 at half time and 5-2 at full-time in the first leg hopes were high that Celtic could see off Hapoel Be’er Sheva and reach the group phase – there was even some talk of getting a win away from home.
The roof looked like falling in as Hapoel went into a 2-0 lead early in the second half, having also had a penalty saved by Craig Gordon. Things looked bleak, but marshalled by Kolo Toure, Celtic somehow avoided losing another goal to reach the group phase of the Champions League.
SIGNING MOUSSA DEMBELE
Britain Soccer Football – Celtic v Rangers – Scottish Premiership – Celtic Park – 10/9/16Celtic’s Moussa Dembele celebrates scoring their second goal Reuters / Russell CheyneLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details
Everyone in England knew of the ability that Fulham’s young forward possessed but Rodgers was able to put a proposal together that appealed to Dembele.
The money from England would be greater but a fair crack at a first team place and the prospect of Champions League football won it over a couple of League Cup ties as part of a bloated squad.
After a few outings, Dembele came into the team to replace the injured Leigh Griffiths and hasn’t looked back with goals in all competitions – two strikes against Manchester City made headlines across Europe
DRAWING AWAY TO ASTANA
Britain Football Soccer – Celtic v Hapoel Beer-Sheva – UEFA Champions League Qualifying Play-Off First Leg – Celtic Park – 17/8/16Celtic’s Leigh Griffiths and Scott Brown celebrate after Tomas Rogic (background) scores their first goal Action Images via Reuters / Russell CheyneLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
It’s easy to forget the pessimism that Celtic went into this match with. Two weeks after losing to Lincoln Red Imps they were travelling deep into Eastern Europe, or Asia as many would describe it, to play a team that had played in last season’s group phase of the Champions League.
An early goal lost from a set piece seemed to confirm the worst fears of the supporters, but Patrick Roberts and Leigh Griffiths began to make an impact on the match.
With 12 minutes left to play Roberts supplied Griffiths with a chance that he dispatched in style and suddenly the glass half empty became half full.
SIGNING KOLO TOURE
It took a little while to complete but instantly the value of having an experienced central defender in the side was obvious.
From the get go it was clear that there were problems in the Celtic central defence that weren’t going to be solved internally.
Eoghan O’Connell was drafted in and impressed but the arrival of Toure brought everything together and opened up the options of different partnerships.
His early appearances were outstanding with a priceless shift away to Hapoel Be’er Sheva opening the door to the group phase of the Champions League and a £30m windfall.
CELTIC 5-1 SEVCO
Britain Soccer Football – Celtic v Rangers – Scottish Premiership – Celtic Park – 10/9/16Celtic’s Moussa Dembele celebrates scoring their fourth goal and completing his hat-trickReuters / Russell CheyneLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representa
Supporters like a bit of fun, a laugh, and Brendan delivered in style.
Led by Joey Barton the noisy neighbours had been at it all summer with their promises and threats over what they were going to do.
Staying detached from it all couldn’t have been easy but on the day the talking was all done on the park as the players put in the performance that had been hoped for.
Moussa Dembele’s hat-trick was the icing on the cake of a great all-round team performance that struck the right note as the gulf between the two clubs was emphasised.
SIGNING SCOTT SINCLAIR
The Aston Villa man seemed like another of the Premier League’s big misfits – he’d had a good spell a few years ago but had lost his way and just floated around the edge of the game on big money since then.
Rodgers knew differently and trusted his former Swansea star. From the moment that he was introduced as a substitute against Hearts, Sinclair has delivered and impressed.
A hard-working attacking midfielder with a nose for goal is priceless with Sinclair producing domestically and performances in Europe
HEARTS 1-2 CELTIC
Football Soccer – Borussia Monchengladbach v Celtic – UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group C – Stadion im Borussia-Park, Monchengladbach, Germany – 1/11/16Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers gestures at full timeReuters / Wolfgang RattayLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
After a heavy night in midweek seeing off Astana the SPFL computer had given Celtic an away clash with Hearts to open the season with – possibly the toughest match possible.
Toure started his first match for the Hoops with James Forrest, replacing Patrick Roberts, opening the scoring before Hearts levelled through a ridiculous penalty.
Rodgers played his ace by sending on Scott Sinclair for his debut with the new Bhoy delivering full points with an outstanding goal.
DROPPING/ REPLACING DORUS DE VRIES
Britain Football Soccer – Celtic v Borussia Monchengladbach – UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group C – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland – 19/10/16Celtic’s Craig Gordon gesturesAction Images via Reuters / Lee SmithLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Not many managers admit to making mistakes.
Craig Gordon’s early-season form was a concern with Leo Fasan not really offering any competition.
Rodgers spoke highly of Dorus de Vries and got him into the side as quickly as possible.
It never really worked out, something wasn’t quite right. At half time after losing a long range goal to Kilmarnock, De Vries was replaced.
Since then Celtic haven’t lost a goal in six and a half matches with Gordon looking more like his old self with erratic moments greatly reduced.
SEVCO 0-1 CELTIC
Britain Soccer Football – Celtic v Rangers – Scottish League Cup Semi Final – Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland – 23/10/16Celtic’s Moussa Dembele celebrates after the game Action Images via Reuters / Jason CairnduffLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your acc
The scoreline didn’t have the same ring to it but this Hampden victory was every bit as emphatic as the 5-1 win at Celtic Park.
On the back of a tough to take home defeat from Borussia Monchengladbach Rodgers drafted in Jozo Simunovic and got his players focussed and believing again.
The winning goal was a thing of beauty, a touch of class with a final to come and the chance of silverware to confirm the changes and improvements happening at Celtic Park.
CELTIC 3-3 MANCHESTER CITY
Britain Soccer Football – Celtic v Manchester City – UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group C – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland – 28/9/16Celtic’s Moussa Dembele scores their third goal Action Images via Reuters / Lee SmithLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Of course, it’s good to be back in the Champions League but losing 7-0, even to Barcelona, can never be shrugged aside.
Not many gave Celtic a chance against the then Premier League leaders Man City in their next game, but Rodgers had other ideas and put them in place to serve up a classic European night.
From the first minute, the players showed their intent and fired the support up even more as they chased pushed and forced Manchester City onto the back foot.
A 3-3 draw was just about fair, with Celtic re-establishing their credibility in the Champions League after a brutal night in Barcelona.
West Ham United have struggled to score goals all season, and manager Slaven Bilic will surely be looking to sign a striker during the January transfer window.
With Andy Carroll’s injury problems continuing, Diafra Sakho spending the majority of the campaign on the sidelines with a back problem and summer loan signing Simone Zaza struggling to adapt to the English game, a forward must be top of Bilic’s shopping list.
The Irons have only netted 18 times in 16 Premier League games this term and with their defence proving to be anything but solid – they have conceded 31 – more is needed at the other end of the pitch.
One player they have been linked with to solve their goalscoring woes is Sassuolo striker Gregoire Defrel, who has impressed many people with his form for the Serie A outfit this term.
Here are FOUR things West Ham fans need to know about Defrel…
He’s a goalscorer
Defrel has been in impressive form for Sassuolo this season – the Frenchman has scored ten goals in 23 appearances in all competitions – taking his total to 17 goals in 58 appearances since joining the Italian side in August 2015.
West Ham desperately need a striker that can put the ball in the net on a regular basis with the injury-prone Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho as well as summer flop Simone Zaza, but they have to be sure that the 25-year-old isn’t just a one-season wonder.
European experience
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As well as his time in Serie A, the French forward comes with experience of playing in European competition too having featured for Sassuolo in the Europa League this season. Including their qualification matches, he has netted four goals in the competition.
Despite being knocked out before the group stages in the last two years, regular European football will be the ultimate aim for the Irons and Bilic and they will want players that can make an impact there.
He’s in demand
Football Soccer Britain – Liverpool v West Ham United – Premier League – Anfield – 11/12/16 Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp and West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic embrace before the match Action Images via Reuters / Lee Smith Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact y
It isn’t just West Ham that have been impressed with and are interested in signing Defrel.
The Irons’ Premier League rivals Liverpool are also said to be watching the 25-year-old, while Serie A giants Napoli are understood to be keen on the French forward as well.
However, the marksman would certainly be more likely to get first-team football at the London Stadium than if he moved to Anfield for example, and it will be interesting to see how things pan out in January.
He’s versatile
Football Soccer Britain – Liverpool v West Ham United – Premier League – Anfield – 11/12/16 West Ham United’s Dimitri Payet applauds the fans at the end of the match Action Images via Reuters / Lee Smith Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representati
Although Defrel would more than likely be signed as a striker if he did join the Irons, he is a forward that offers versatility by also being able to play on either wing.
That flexibility would come in handy for Slaven Bilic, as the 25-year-old would provide competition for the likes of Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho up top, as well as of Manuel Lanzini, Dimitri Payet and Michail Antonio in the wide positions.
Tottenham’s season kicked off with aspirations of ending a fifty-five-year wait for a domestic league title, but for Spurs to break that unwelcome streak, the club must dip their toe into the transfer market this winter.
The season started off so brightly for Mauricio Pochettino’s side as the club remained unbeaten until November, but unfortunately of the Lilywhites, a run of zero victories in eleven games saw the wheels of fall off their campaign.
Spurs crashed out of the UEFA Champions League before falling down the table, where they now find themselves ten points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea at the summit.
The North Londoners need to make some January moves, with certain players departing the club and Pochettino replacing them with adequate upgrades to strengthen the Spurs squad at his disposal.
So, we take a look at two players Pochettino must sell and two players he must buy this winter.
Tom Carroll
Football Soccer – Borussia Dortmund v Tottenham Hotspur – UEFA Europa League Round of 16 First Leg – Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany – 10/3/16 Tottenham’s Tom Carroll looks dejected at the end of the match Reuters / Wolfgang Rattay Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Tottenham handed Tom Carroll a new contract in September but we can only assume that was to protect the midfielder’s value.
He’s way down the pecking order in the engine room and hasn’t shown much improvement since making his debut back in 2012.
No doubt, Carroll is a talented, highly-technical player. But now aged 24, it’s getting to the point where he’s worth more to Spurs in the transfer market than on the pitch.
IN – Wilfried Zaha
Football Soccer Britain – Hull City v Crystal Palace – Premier League – The Kingston Communications Stadium – 10/12/16 Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha celebrates scoring their second goal Action Images via Reuters / Lee Smith Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact you
Spurs have lacked a fast-paced, width-creating winger since the days of Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale.
The Crystal Palace star would solve the lack of pace currently in the Tottenham XI and he’s been in exceptional form for Alan Pardew’s side this season.
No Englishman contributed to more assists this season than Zaha, who has also averaged the second-most successful dribbles per match of any Premier League player after Middlesbrough’s Adama Traore.
OUT – Kevin Wimmer
Britain Football Soccer – AS Monaco v Tottenham Hotspur – UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group E – Stade Louis II, Monaco – 22/11/16 Tottenham’s Kevin Wimmer looks dejected at full time Action Images via Reuters / Matthew Childs Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY.
The Austrian international has regularly disappointed for the North London outfit this season – most notably when Toby Alderweireld was absent through injury.
To remain the club’s third choice centre-back, he must sacrifice the progression he could potentially make elsewhere. Wimmer is not a poor defender but a move would best suit all parties.
IN – Solomon Rondon
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The Venezuelan forward has proven his ability to perform well in the Premier League. At West Brom, Rondon continues to prove worthy of the record-breaking £14.5million fee the Baggies paid for him in 2015.
Rondon could provide back-up to Harry Kane as a more experienced and proven option than Vincent Janssen, who has really struggled to find the net since his summer move from the Eredivisie – still awaiting his first goal in open play.
Nice appear to have taken themselves out of the running to sign Manchester United winger Memphis Depay after the club’s president Jean-Pierre Rivere told RMC that the Dutchman is too expensive.
What’s the word?
Depay has been heavily linked with a move away from Old Trafford since it became clear that he was not a favourite of manager Jose Mourinho.
The winger has not started a single Premier League game this season, making just eight appearances in all competitions.
In fact, the winger has played just 20 minutes of top-flight action, which has sparked rumours about his long-term future with the Red Devils.
Nice club president Rivere has gone public with the French outfit’s interest in Depay, but he has suggested that only a loan option would suit the club due to the player’s apparent high price tag.
He told RMC: “We looked at him, like a lot of clubs have, but it is extremely complicated. It is a situation that is out of our financial reach. You have a club that bought him for a certain amount, that wants to sell him.
“When we looked at Depay, it was in another way, which is not possible today. He was bought very expensively by Manchester United, they want to possibly sell him and we cannot compete in this sort of situation.”
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What is the best option for United?
Well, if Nice are being knocked back in their attempts to sign Depay, then the Premier League giants must be looking for a fairly substantial fee.
Let’s be honest, United are not exactly a club in need of a financial boost, but they are likely to want to recoup at least some of the reported £25m fee they spent to buy him from PSV Eindhoven in 2015.
It appears as though a loan option will not be on the cards as far as United are concerned, with Mourinho stressing to reporters that only one player – goalkeeper Sam Johnstone – will be allowed to leave the club on a temporary basis.
Everton have also been linked with Depay, but taking into account Nice’s stance on the situation, the Red Devils are not desperate to offload their winger and may wait until the right figure lands in their lap.
Tottenham Hotspur have had a lot to celebrate in recent years and it seems they will have similar success to enjoy this season, after the Lilywhites became the first side since the end of September to defeat league leaders Chelsea and rose to third in the standings.Keen to fight for the title and secure Champions League football once again, after suffering a premature exit from Europe’s elite competition this season, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have excelled over the past two seasons.[ad_pod id=’now-tv’ align=’centre’]With a number of top-class players in their ranks, Tottenham are a side that defences want to avoid and the latest statistic has shown that Christian Eriksen is the deadliest player from a dead-ball in England’s top-flight division.
Sharing the record with Manchester United’s Juan Mata and Hull City’s Robert Snodgrass, the trio have netted six free-kicks in the Premier League since the 2012/13 season and will be looking to extend that number between now and the end of the season.
Manchester City will look to bring in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund this summer if Sergio Aguero leaves, according to The Sun.
What’s the word?
The January transfer window may have only just closed but we’re already gearing up towards what may be the saga of the summer, as speculation that Sergio Aguero will leave Manchester City continues to rise after the Argentine was benched at the weekend.
Gabriel Jesus started ahead of him against Swansea City, scoring both goals in a 2-1 victory, and Aguero has hinted that he could leave this summer, The Sun state, which would leave Manchester City at a crossroads.
However, it seems that Pep Guardiola would not be content in entering next season with just young duo Gabriel Jesus and Kelechi Iheanacho, as the Citizens are lining-up a move for Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang- and have already made contact with the Gabonese striker’s representatives.
City have turned their sights to the African sensation after admitting defeat in their quest to land Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann.
A good move?
There’s no doubt that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would be an excellent replacement for Sergio Aguero but the Gabonese striker isn’t necessarily needed and could find himself in the same situation as Aguero, with the alternative being reduced opportunities for Gabriel Jesus.
Pep Guardiola is right to not want to enter next season with just two young strikers but Aubameyang may be too big a player to fill the role that City are looking for, as they’ll need someone who would be content with a squad rotation role.
Furthermore, if City were to sign Aubameyang it could directly lead to impairment in the development of both Gabriel Jesus and Kelechi Iheanacho, with the biggest concerns regarding the latter, who would see his opportunities decrease significantly.
AC Milan’s big transfer plans for the summer have seen the Italian giants target Arsenal ace Alexis Sanchez and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero, Italian outlet Gazzetta Dello Sport reports.
What’s the word?
Alexis Sanchez’ future with Arsenal remains under intense scrutiny, with the Chilean ace having entered the final 18 months of his contract and looking increasingly frustrated by his side’s struggles- with the latest setback coming in a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Bayern Munich last week.
Arsenal face a struggle to convince Alexis to sign fresh terms to extend his stint in North London and a sale this summer is increasing in possibility. A host of sides are likely to enter the running for Alexis’ services but AC Milan want to bring the Chilean back to Italy, where he made his name for Udinese.
However, convincing Alexis to join them at the San Siro will be extremely difficult, despite their long-term plans, as Milan are looking set for another season outside of the Champions League and have struggled to compete with Juventus, Roma, Napoli and Inter Milan.
Who else is targeted?
AC Milan’s summer-spending may not just include Alexis though as Gazzetta states a number of high-profile targets are on their radar, including Manchester City hitman Sergio Aguero and Real Madrid’s Alvaro Morata.
Aguero is another star who could leave the Premier League this summer, with the Argentine failing to find a regular spot within Pep Guardiola’s side this season, whilst Morata has struggled to excel in his return to the Spanish capital.
With an audacious £110m transfer kitty to spend, AC Milan are certainly ones to watch this summer.
Jose Mourinho and the Europa League have a rocky relationship. Despite being the competition that brought Mourinho’s Porto team to the forefront of European football, the Portuguese boss has been critical of it in the recent past. He clearly believes Manchester United belong in the Champions League and the upcoming fixtures against Saint Etienne must seem no more than an unnecessary slog. Back in September, he said…
“It [the Europa League] is not a competition that Man United wants. It is not one I want or the players but it is a competition where we are and that is the reality.”
From the depths of earlier in the season, there is a general feeling of positivity around Manchester United at the moment. That has been a rarity in recent years, especially considering the fan furore that hung over the tenures of David Moyes and Louis van Gaal.
With 14 Premier League matches left in the season and several cup outings remaining, the Europa League returns in a matter of days. It won’t generate the excitement of a Champions League tie, but it should still be a competition to focus on. Here are FIVE reasons why…
Champions League Hopes
Qualifying for the Champions League next season was the primary aim for six Premier League clubs at the start of this season. With only four league places offering that, two are going to be left disappointed. Manchester United, in the form of the Europa League, can qualify for the greatest club competition on earth even if they finish outside the top four.
It gives a second chance to secure the glamour of the Champions League returning to Old Trafford next season.
Needed Minutes
Football – Manchester United Training – Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges, Belgium – 25/8/15Manchester United’s Luke Shaw during trainingTo match Exclusive SOCCER-CHINA/STELLAR Action Images via Reuters / Carl Recine/File Photo LivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. Picture Supplied by Action Images
Jose Mourinho’s management of Manchester United’s squad has been quizzical at times. As a result, several players could do with the opportunity to play regularly in the Europa League for the rest of the season.
Whether to find fitness like Luke Shaw, impress Mourinho like Anthony Martial or look for some form like Rashford, Manchester United need the additional fixtures from the Europa League, however much Mourinho may see it as a chore.
Because They Can
Britain Soccer Football – Leicester City v Manchester United – Premier League – King Power Stadium – 5/2/17 Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho looks dejected Action Images via Reuters / Carl Recine Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representat
Not all teams have the luxury of two shots at Champions League qualification. Manchester City would have to go all the way in the Champions League, as would Arsenal, while Liverpool have to pool all their resources on a league effort.
Thanks to their squad depth and Europa League status, Manchester United can realistically push for Europe’s secondary continental competition without having to significantly undermine their league campaign. Mourinho may not be too keen on it, but it’s all about risk management.
Cup Double?
While winning the Premier League is probably a step too far this season, Manchester United could secure a cup-littered campaign. Already in the final of the EFL Cup, the Europa League is certainly a competition they can win. They are favourites for the competition with Sky Bet at the moment, in fact.
Mourinho is appointed by clubs to win trophies and it would be foolish to miss out on such an opportunity like the Europa League.
LvG Insurance
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Mourinho needs to have a better season than Louis Van Gaal’s. One way to guarantee that is to lift the Europa League.
Even if they were to finish outside the top four, it would be evidence he has improved their European performances at least. Mourinho’s ego might not be able to cope if he similarly finishes without Champions League football and only a domestic trophy to his name.
Winning the Europa League will not solve all of Mourinho’s problems at the club, but it serves as an insurance policy for domestic difficulties.