Thursday, 20 March 2014

Michel bemoans missed chances for Olympiacos

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Michel bemoans missed chances for Olympiacos

Michel bemoans missed chances for Olympiacos

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 04:04 PM PDT

The Greek champions held a two-goal lead heading into Wednesday's last 16 second leg clash, but saw that advantage dissipate thanks to a Robin van Persie hat-trick. Jose Holebas bundled the Dutchman over in the box to give him his first from the penalty spot, before the former Arsenal striker netted a further two either side of the break. Michel's men saw numerous opportunities to find the net at Old Trafford come and go, leaving the Spaniard to rue a string of missed chances and wondering what might have been. "I would like to congratulate my players on their effort," he said. "Looking at the result, one might think that it was a one-way match but that wasn't the case. "We had our chances but failed to convert them." Olympiacos have now lost on all 12 of their trips to England, conceding an average of three goals.

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Moyes: No pressure from inside Man United

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 03:48 PM PDT

Reports had suggested that the Old Trafford hierarchy were beginning to lose faith in the United boss after a difficult season, with the 3-0 Premier League humbling against Liverpool at the weekend only increasing the speculation surrounding the Scot. But Robin van Persie helped lift the gloom on Wednesday with a hat-trick as United completed a remarkable comeback and moved into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 3-0 win on the night to secure a 3-2 aggregate win. The relief among the home supporters at the final whistle was obvious, but Moyes shrugged off any suggestions that the last 16 clash was a pivotal point in his managerial career. "People will probably think turning points in people's careers, but I didn't see it that way because I know what the club have got here and the club know what they've got here, and I see myself being here for a long time," he told Sky Sports. "I'm not feeling any pressure from inside the club. Everybody's fine, we know exactly the job we have to do. "It's a big job, probably bigger than maybe we all expected when I first came in, but the players have been great. I keep hearing things about 'this one's fallen out' or 'someone else has fallen out' and I keep telling people it's rubbish. People are trying to look for reasons why we're not doing well - the reasons are we've just not played well enough in the games and that's the truth behind it all." The Scot went on to express his delight with the manner of the performance as United overturned their two-goal first-leg deficit, particularly in light of the disappointing loss to Liverpool. "The way the players responded after Sunday's defeat - I did say on Monday morning we have to win 3-0 and give the crowd something back, because the crowd here have been incredible, they really have," he continued. "Even tonight, they were fantastic, so they deserved a good night because we've not given them many good nights this season. "The players were incredibly committed. I think they're hurting as well. They know we're not doing as well as we should and we certainly didn't play well in Olympiacos. "But tonight they put it right, we deserved it." Moyes reserved special praise for 40-year-old Ryan Giggs, who completed the full 90 minutes and played a major part in the build-up to two of United's goals. "I thought Giggsy was fantastic, he really was," he added. "The passes he made for the two goals, his general play and, more importantly, his general fitness. "Sometimes you're thinking he might need to come off after 60 minutes, but he's a freak, he really is, he's something different. "It was a big night, we needed it, we were off the back of a bad result, I thought we needed his experience and he certainly showed it." Meanwhile, Moyes played down fears after Van Persie was carried off on a stretcher late on, insisting that his knee injury was "not that bad".

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UEFA Champions League: Man United 3 Olympiacos 0

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 02:45 PM PDT

The hosts had trailed 2-0 heading into the second leg, with manager David Moyes under huge pressure to produce a result, but the Scot avoided a Greek tragedy with the help of his prolific Dutch frontman. Penalties have become a familiar sight at Old Trafford in recent days - United conceded three in the weekend Premier League mauling by Liverpool - and Van Persie put the hosts ahead from 12 yards when one went their way in the 25th minute after a foul by Jose Holebas. The Netherlands striker doubled his tally on the stroke of half-time to level the tie on aggregate, before curling home a free-kick seven minutes into the second period to seal the win and a famous comeback. The result takes United into the last eight for the first time since 2011, while Olympiacos have now lost on all 12 of their visits to England, conceding an average of three goals. Moyes made four changes from Sunday's 3-0 Premier League defeat at home to fierce rivals Liverpool, bringing Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs into an experienced starting XI, and it was United who did the early pressing. Wayne Rooney was first to challenge visiting goalkeeper Roberto, with the Spanish shot-stopper electing to extravagantly punch clear from a free-kick, but United's Herculean task almost became even greater 15 minutes in, when Hernan Perez scooped the ball over after good work by Joel Campbell to set up the opportunity. Rooney went agonisingly close to making the visitors pay for that miss as he headed against the left-hand post from Giggs' cross, with replays suggesting that Roberto may have got the slightest of fingertips to the ball. But United broke the deadlock from the spot after 25 minutes - Van Persie powering home after he had been recklessly bundled to the ground from behind by Holebas. Patrice Evra had Roberto diving at full stretch 10 minutes before the break, forcing the Spaniard into an impressive stop with a headed effort from Van Persie's corner. David De Gea then made a crucial double save at the other end, first denying David Fuster's header and then recovering well to keep out Alejandro Dominguez's effort from close range. And United were level in the tie in first-half stoppage time when Van Persie tapped home through the legs of Roberto after a cross from Rooney. The Dutchman was single-handedly rescuing their hopes, and he completed his treble in the 52nd minute by curling a 20-yard free-kick around the Olympiacos wall and beyond a statuesque Roberto to give the home fans belief and lift a considerable weight off Moyes' shoulders. However, he almost had the ball in the back of his own net shortly afterwards when Dominguez's free-kick deflected narrowly wide off his head. The delicate nature of the scoreline was emphasised when Fuster's rifled effort straight at De Gea in the 67th minute had many a Mancunian heart in their mouth, with Olympiacos still only a single away goal from victory. But United weathered a late storm to cling on to an important victory, although the sight of Van Persie leaving the field on stretcher late on will be of some concern.

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Van Gaal reiterates Premier League ambition

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 05:18 AM PDT

The Netherlands coach is currently preparing for the World Cup in Brazil but, with his contract due to expire at the end of the tournament, he hopes to move to the Premier League next season. Van Gaal, 62, has been linked with the top job atTottenham, despite chairman Daniel Levy giving Tim Sherwood an 18-month contract to replace Andre Villas-Boas in December. The Dutchman has already won three league titles around Europe with Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Ajax, and he is keen to make it four by getting his hands on the English top-flight crown. "My ambition is to coach a top team in the Premier League," Van Gaal told German newspaper Bild. "I have never experienced the atmosphere in England. "I want to win the league title in a fourth country. That's my objective and I want to fulfill it. "I like the Bundesliga a lot, but I have already won the German title. I now want to win a major trophy in another country."

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Mata at Manchester United: Versatile but underwhelming

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 03:00 AM PDT

On paper, Manchester United's signing of Juan Mata was one of the most sensational transfers of recent years. The current Premier League champions signing the Player of the Year from one of their biggest rivals – even if he was forced out at Chelsea – should have had a transformative impact upon their campaign, but things haven't quite gone to plan since the Spanish playmaker arrived. Although statistically Mata recorded three assists in his first three games for David Moyes' side, in reality none of the three passes were genuinely penetrative balls. They were either slightly fortunate passes, or they were simple sideways balls to a player who turned an unthreatening situation into a goal, as for Ashley Young's excellent strike against Cardiff. We haven't yet seen the Mata of the past two seasons in a red shirt. United are certainly a better side with Mata – whereas their play often seemed rather boxy before his arrival, Mata provides clever angles for passes between the lines, and his distribution has been reliable, if not always inventive. However, Mata's form has dropped to match that of United, rather than United's form rising to meet Mata's level. Mata made his United debut against Cardiff from his favoured No.10 position, although his movement throughout the game was interesting. Rather than remaining in central positions behind Robin van Persie, he drifted towards the flanks, finding pockets of space towards the channels as United looked to attack down the wings. He seemed to facilitate United's crossing game, rather than provide an alternative. Interestingly, considering his lack of defensive work-rate was the major reason Jose Mourinho sold him, Mata also committed three fouls as he attempted to regain possession. His next game, against Stoke, was also interesting. Here, Mata started on the right with Wayne Rooney and Van Persie up front, but drifted diagonally across the pitch into left-sided positions. Although he played a couple of decent passes from central zones, and picked up another assist, again he seemed part of United's crossing approach rather than the antithesis of it, and none of his nine crosses were successful as United suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat. Mata's third game, the 2-2 draw at home to Fulham, was a test of his ability to break down a parked bus – Fulham took an early lead, then sat extremely deep. Mata's passing diagram reflects this – he barely misplaced a pass in central positions, but his distribution in the final third was understandably less consistent. A couple of his chances created were from set-pieces lofted into the box, too, and whereas he became a regular goalscorer at Chelsea, he failed to take advantage of shooting situations from the edge of the box here, failing to work Maarten Stekelenburg from three attempts. In a completely different type of game away at Arsenal, a dull 0-0 where Mata generally received the ball in the middle third, he was again disappointing with his shooting – two shots, neither on target. His fifth game, the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, was his most promising yet. Although United rather stumbled to victory in the second half, the shape of the side was the most fluid we've seen under Moyes – both Mata and Adnan Januzaj were deployed on the flanks, but given license to move inside into the centre of the pitch. Mata got through his defensive work reliably, continually picking up possession in a right-sided position, before drifting into his favoured No.10 role, where he created a variety of chances on the edge of the box. He was quieter, however, in the comfortable 3-0 win over West Brom – sticking to his right-sided position and rarely creating goalscoring chances – although this is partly because United were leading for the majority of the game and therefore could afford to slow the tempo, and keep possession without attempting to penetrate the opposition repeatedly. It's notable, in his recent two games, however, that he very rarely attempts to dribble past an opponent – he relies upon the movement of others to play quick, clever passes and to combine dangerously on the edge of the box. That hasn't always been forthcoming from his team-mates, particularly the two forwards. In all, it's been a mixed bag for Mata, and his role at United isn't yet clear. We know he'd rather play permanently in his favoured No.10 position, but the presence of Rooney and Van Persie means he's been starting from the flank. Mata should be United's new star man, the playmaker they base their attacking around, taking full advantage of his creative talents between the lines. But with Rooney and Van Persie dominant, and Moyes still preferring to attack down the wings, Mata seems something of a sideshow. We probably won't see the best of the Spanish playmaker until next season, when United can reformat their side and, hopefully, make Mata the main man.

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Manchester United extend unbeaten run to two days

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 02:51 AM PDT

David Moyes has silenced the critics after his Manchester United side put together a run of 48 hours without defeat. After Sunday's 3-0 humiliation at home to Liverpool, many pundits speculated that Moyes' job could be under threat. But those so-called experts must now be regretting writing Moyes off after a gutsy two-day spell during which United haven't even conceded a goal. "People were very quick to criticise after the Liverpool result, but I knew after that game we had a much easier spell coming up," Moyes told FourFourTwo.com on Tuesday afternoon. "I always saw this period as being one in which we could avoid defeat and rebuild our confidence, and so it has proved. "I honestly believe we can push on and extend this run for at least another 24 hoursor so." The real test for Moyes will come on Wednesday evening, when his team must play a match against another team – a situation that United have struggled to deal with effectively so far this season. However, Moyes remains upbeat about the visit of Olympiakos and feels the unbeaten streak could continue. "I think we can get a draw," he explained. "I just know how much it'd mean to the fans if we could dig deep and get a 0-0."

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Everything you need to know about... William Carvalho

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 02:00 AM PDT

The 60-second story From relative obscurity to the hottest property in Portugal. That is the story of William Carvalho's ascension in 2013/14. Sporting finished an unprecedented seventh place in Portugal's Primeira Liga last season, their worst-ever position. A new president, a new coach and a squad overhaul has brought about a revival. But the rock upon which the team's renaissance has been built is the Angolan-born six footer known simply as William in Portugal. After an 18-month loan at Belgian club Cercle Brugge, William was given a starting berth in Sporting's first match of the season. Given what has happened since, it is barely believable to remember that his inclusion at the time was a surprise. William has been exceptional all season long. Weighing in at 14 stone, he's an imposing presence on the pitch, but not only because of his physical stature. He has completely bossed midfield on countless occasions, anticipating play, intercepting and dispossessing opponents, and always being in the right place at the right time. In short, he executes the holding midfielder's role with a mastery that belies his 21 years. Little wonder that not a day passes without speculation that one of Europe's major clubs is primed to make a big-money bid for him. Why you need to know him Unusually for a young player, the bigger the match, the better he performs. A perfect example of William's apparent immunity to pressure came in the second leg of Portugal's World Cup play-off against Sweden in Stockholm. The hosts had just levelled the tie on aggregate after two quickfire Zlatan Ibrahimovic goals, and Portugal were wobbling alarmingly. Coach Paulo Bento called the Sporting midfielder off the bench. It was his senior international debut. The nerveless William proceeded to show ice-cool composure and immediately put a halt to Sweden's attacking momentum. Cristiano Ronaldo took the plaudits as two more goals completed a brilliant hat-trick, but without William's introduction it is very possible Portugal would not have made it to Brazil this summer. Strengths Perfect positioning, reading of the game, strength in the challenge, controlled aggression and composure are all qualities William has exuded. But perhaps most impressive of all is his ability to learn - and learn fast. He has improved visibly game by game. He was putting in very good performances at the start of the season, excellent ones by Christmas, and has been simply outstanding over recent months. Weaknesses His passing is occasionally loose and when distributing the ball he tends to 'play it safe' rather than look for a more incisive through ball. However, on both counts he is visibly improving with match experience and training. They said... Manuel José, former Benfica and Sporting coach, and multiple African Champions League winning manager of Al Ahly: "William Carvalho has shown far greater ability at his age than Fernando (Reges) did as a 21-year-old." The highly respected veteran coach was referring to FC Porto's Fernando, widely considered the best holding midfielder in Portugal over the past five years. Ironically, as the Brazilian Fernando at last becomes eligible to represent the Seleção, William's emergence seems set to block the Porto man's hopes of getting a Portugal call-up. Did you know As a 13-year-old William already stood out, starring at under-15 level football. So much so that Benfica dispatched official representatives to his home in Mira Sintra, on the outskirts of Lisbon, to sign him up at that tender age. They were astonished when he said no. William has been a Sporting supporter all his life and was set on playing for Benfica's city rivals. What happens next? He has a €45 million release clause in his contract. Even at that price, Sporting are loathe to sell him. Reports suggest the club are preparing a massive hike in his wages to keep him at the Alvalade for one more season. It may depend on whether or not the Lions guarantee direct entrance to the group stages of next season's Champions League by finishing in the top two. Manchester United have been scouting him all season, but should he become available the English giants will face stiff competition for his signature. Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid have also been linked. Talentspotter ratings Shooting 7 • Heading 7 • Passing 6 • Tackling 8 • Pace 8 • Dribbling 6 • Creativity 6 • Work-rate 9 • Positioning 10

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The FourFourTwo Preview: Man United vs Olympiakos

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 01:00 AM PDT

The lowdown This is it. This really is it. Seven months of gross underachievement and never-ending disappointment can be cast aside – albeit briefly – if Manchester United can remember that they're Manchester United for one night. Just one night – is that too much to ask? The Reds' 2-0 first leg defeat at the Karaiskakis Stadium was another reminder of just how far they've fallen this season, made worse by a sulky Robin van Persie grumbling about team-mates playing where he wants to (and then presumably taking his ball home). David Moyes, never one to stack the blame on his struggling stars, shouldered it himself. But even the Scot, guardian of many a Reds horror show this season, admitted he "just didn't see that level of performance coming". This time there can be no room for error. United must score at least three times to progress (unless they fancy a nerve-jangling shootout) – something they've done six times in 29 league games this season, and only twice in the Champions League (both against Bayer Leverkusen). Moyes' men need not panic just yet. They were impressive in the group stage en route to their comfortable Group A win, remaining unbeaten and conceding in just two of their six games. They've got the firepower to get this job done, but Moyes has thus far struggled to find a way of making Van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Adnan Januzaj dangerous together. All four started in Sunday's Old Trafford humiliation, but only three are eligible here. If they're going to overturn their two-goal deficit, they'll have to look back 30 years for the last time they did so. On that occasion in 1984 they stuffed Barcelona 3-0 in their Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final second leg at Old Trafford, inspired by Bryan Robson's brace. Olympiakos are not Barcelona, helpfully. They've won the Greek Super League with five games to spare (in front of nobody on Saturday after crowd problems against Panathinaikos), but they lost their star man in January and haven't reached the quarter-finals since 1998/99. Take nothing away from them, though – Michel's side were worthy of their first leg win, and are highly unlikely to make life easy for their struggling Premier League opponents. If there's another thing in Moyes' men's favour, it's that the Greeks are hardly used to defending a lead like this. Their efforts away from home in the group stage were admirable: spanking Anderlecht with a Kostas Mitroglou treble, only succumbing to last-minute defeat at PSG and taking a creditable draw at Benfica (denied late on again). But this is a very different proposition – and with so much at stake, a genuinely fascinating one. Player to watch: Robin van Persie (Man United) His team needs him, and he needs them. It feels like a game where United players will rally around one another, and the influential Dutchman will undoubtedly be a key part of any prospective United revival - even if he was rubbish at Old Trafford on Sunday. His post-first leg comments, while seemingly unhelpful, hold some truth. Moyes' struggles getting the best out of his attacking weapons are clear, but without the cup-tied Mata he needs Rooney to turn creator – as the England man has done excellently in the Premier League so far this season (tied at the top with Luis Suarez on 10 assists). In Greece, Rooney's work was mainly defensive – he played just 10 of his 49 passes in the final third, attempted 5 tackles in his own half and recovered the ball 9 times from deep positions. As a result, Van Persie suffered. The 30-year-old received only 19 passes all game – although 2 of those still led to chances in the box. The Dutch goal-getter will see much more of the ball at Old Trafford, where he's likely to be involved more at the sharp end than in the midfield mire. His track record speaks for itself – even if his playing relationship with Rooney doesn't (Van Persie has profited from only two of his team-mate's assists this season – one a corner). The managers "This is still the biggest club in the world," declared Moyes in Tuesday's pre-match presser. "It might not feel like it today, but I'm telling you it will rise again." For him – or indeed any other prospective United boss – it could be the last Champions League press conference at Old Trafford for a year and a half at least. Olympiakos boss Michel has no such problems. Since taking charge in Piraeus last summer, the former Sevilla boss has kept Olympiakos fans onside (no mean feat) and already delivered their customary title. You can't knock his confidence – this week he declared his wish to manager Real Madrid one day, where he spent 14 years as a player (but never won the European Cup). "Some day I will get that opportunity and train Real Madrid," he insisted. "Meanwhile, I will continue working and learning. I am convinced that I will not die without having coached them." Facts and figures United have won all four of their Champions League home games against Greek opposition, scoring 15 goals and conceding only one. United have won 13 of their last 15 Champions League knockout games at Old Trafford (D1 L1). Olympiakos have lost all 7 of their Champions League games in England, conceding at least 2 goals every time and never scoring more than 1. In 7 knockout Champions League games, Olympiakos have only lost once by more than 1 clear goal. It was against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in March 2008 (0-3). This is the 16th time in the last 18 seasons that United have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League. The last time they went past the last 16 was back in 2010/11. Ryan Giggs (139 games) is only 3 games short of equalling Raul's record of 142 appearances in the Champions League. More FFT Stats Zone facts FourFourTwo prediction We're with you, Moysie. Under the Old Trafford lights with rockets up their collective arses, United to win 2-0… and then finish the job in extra-time. Man United vs Olympiakos LIVE ANALYSIS with Stats Zone Meanwhile, onScreen Two… While Dortmund's passage to the last eight isn't exactly signed and sealed, their four goals in St. Petersburg (in a 4-2 win) makes this one theirs to fluff. It'll also be Zenit's last game with a caretaker manager, after former Chelsea and Tottenham puppet Andre Villas-Boas was confirmed as the Russians' new boss on a two-year contract. The Portuguese, sacked by Spurs in December, replaces Luciano Spalletti, who guided Zenit to two league titles and a domestic cup. Dortmund should see this one out on their own patch, but again find themselves hampered by injuries. Marco Reus is a doubt having not featured since the first leg, while Sven Bender, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Ilkay Gündogan will miss out once more. On the plus side, Robert Lewandowski returned against Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan should make it after missing the weekend defeat. It's nay bother for Jürgen Klopp, though. "We have reached a point where we can compensate for any absences and still play good football," said the Dortmund coach, who was sent to the stands on Saturday. You can hardly blame the bravado – die Schwarzgelben have won eight of their last nine Champions League home games. Zenit's stand-in boss Sergey Semak, meanwhile, is without defender Cristian Ansaldi and alleged footballer Andrey Arshavin through injury, after both missed Saturday's defeat at CSKA Moscow. Dortmund vs Zenit LIVE ANALYSIS with Stats Zone

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Meet the Olympiakos maverick who could end Man Uniteds Champions League campaign

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 10:25 AM PDT

As Manchester United prepare for their last 16 second leg against Greek champions Olympiakos, there's one man they need to get clued up on. Joel Campbell impressed with his pace on the right in Athens, and Michael Olaitan played a crucial role up front, but the main man was unquestionable – diminutive playmaker Alejandro Dominguez, capable of mazy dribbles and excellent through-balls. Dominguez is an outstandingly talented individual, and there's a sense of what could have been about his career thus far. Now 32, Dominguez has enjoyed a nomadic career, taking in Russia and Spain between spells in his homeland Argentina, and now his latest adventure in Greece. He hasn't quite lived up to the promise of his youth, however, something he has in common with others of his generation in Argentina. Dominguez was part of the 2001 World Under-20 World Cup-winning side alongside the likes of Andres D'Alessandro and Javier Saviola, who Dominguez now plays behind at Olympiakos. Those two, respectively, lifted the Silver and Gold Balls from that tournament won on home soil, but haven't developed into the world-class footballers we expected. Dominguez was probably never on their level, but he's still disappointed he never won a full international cap, despite being a league champion in three different countries. Showman The Argentine has sometimes been an inconsistent performer, but has generally been popular with fans and has a habit of turning it on in big games. His superb performance for Zenit in the 2008 UEFA Cup semi-final against Bayern Munich sticks in the memory – he ran the game and created two goals in a 4-0 victory. But he didn't get off the bench in the final, which rather sums up his frustrating career. After that, Dominguez returned to his first European club, Rubin Kazan, and enjoyed the best season of his career. Rubin retained the title by a country mile and Dominguez scored a career-high 16 goals in 23 games, even if half were from penalties. His mistake, however, was that he tried to use this success as a springboard to a major European league, and struggled throughout an ill-fated spell in Spain with Valencia. He was behind David Silva, Juan Mata and Joaquin, and ended up returning to his old Argentine club River Plate on loan before joining Madrid-based Rayo Vallecano. His reason for choosing Rayo? Their shirt reminded him of River's. "The value of the red stripe [diagonally across a white shirt] is very special to me and one of the reasons why I decided to come," he said. He helped Rayo finish in the top half. He was always more comfortable as the star playmaker for a good side in a smaller league, however, and has thrived in Greece. He leads the Superleague's assist charts this season, even if he's only played five complete games because of his declining stamina. When he was substituted in the first leg win over United, David Moyes' side immediately had their first significant spell of pressure because they didn't have to worry about Dominguez's mazy dribbles. Inconsistent In truth, that was only Dominguez's second impressive performance of this Champions League campaign. The first was in a crucial 1-1 draw at Benfica, where he showed his battling qualities, constantly regaining possession and winning a succession of fouls. He also received the ball in a variety of positions across the pitch, and scored a lovely goal – which proved decisive in Olympiakos's qualification ahead of the Portuguese side. Against United, he played in a deeper role – a centre-left position in the midfield of a 4-3-3 – but did something similar. Again, he constantly recovered the ball and dribbled at the heart of the United defence repeatedly. Early on he nearly scored a superb goal after a great slalom run, but was stopped by a last-gasp Nemanja Vidic tackle. He also opened the scoring with a cheeky flick – what initially looked like a fortunate deflection was actually brilliant improvisation from the Argentine, who was the game's outstanding player. The danger is that Olympiakos coach Michel will be too cautious away from home in this competition, and might consider using Dominguez as a super sub. This would be an extremely negative move. After his first leg display, Dominguez will have United running scared, and he'll be eager to take another chance – perhaps his last – to perform in a game with the whole of Europe watching.

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Five reasons why its time Manchester United got rid of Robin van Persie

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 07:03 AM PDT

"The truth is I'm very happy here at this club. I signed for four years and I'd be delighted to stay even longer, beyond the next two years I have left on my contract. This is how I feel, although it's not what has been suggested in the media." Those were the words spoken by Robin van Persie to Manchester United's official matchday programme United Review, in what must be the loosest description of an 'exclusive' interview. Fans and pundits alike were under no illusions about the statement's timing, but nevertheless you couldn't help feeling the Dutchman could make the difference ahead of Liverpool's trip to Old Trafford. What transpired turned out to be worse than even the most pessimistic United fan's unimaginable nightmare. Not only was Van Persie a peripheral figure throughout, but his performance was further scrutinised as his opposite number Luis Suarez hassled the United defenders with his work-rate and movement all afternoon. David Moyes' delay in making a substitution was bizarre, and it was even stranger to see Van Persie remain on the field when he was clearly having no effect on the game. The 30-year-old's display will have done nothing to quash the rumours that he could be set to leave the club in summer - but that could be no bad thing for United. 1) Recoup some cash while they still can If you're looking at it from a purely financial perspective, then cashing in on Van Persie makes perfect sense. If United sold up this summer they'd probably be able to recoup a good deal of the £24 million they paid Arsenal two summers ago. They would probably have to accept a loss, but if they keep him it's hard to imagine any other scenario than him leaving on a free when his contract expires in 2016. If he does stay, he'll probably want a new deal, and having seen the size of Wayne Rooney's new one the Dutchman will hardly settle for a wage cut or a freeze of any sort. If United allow Van Persie to leave, that's anywhere between £200,000 and £250,000 (depending on which reports you believe) per week off the wage bill. That, combined with the departure of Nemanja Vidic and possible exits of Rio Ferdinand, Nani, Patrice Evra and Ashley Young, would give United a lot more money to play with. The extra money would give them the ability to address the real problem areas: defence and midfield, not attack. Otherwise they'll be stuck paying Van Persie a huge wage for another three years at least. His current deal expires when he's almost 33, and at that point it's hard to imagine anyone paying more than around £5m for him. The worst case scenario is that he is so delicate he could be injured for most of that, or worse so out of form that Moyes can't play him. 2) It would free Juan Mata Mata's best football at Chelsea came when he had an out-and-out striker to operate behind, whether that was Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres or Demba Ba. The Spaniard played in his favoured No.10 role, feeding off the runs made and space created by the forward. He does not play his best football out on the wing with two forwards who love dropping deep. Since joining United he has been asked by Moyes to play on the right wing, something that must be giving Jose Mourinho cause for chuckle. The Portuguese isn't a fool; he tried Mata on the wing for the first few months of this season and quickly came to the conclusion that the Spaniard wouldn't work in this role. Mourinho wasn't always going to be playing with a No.10, after all, and even then he wanted extreme dynamism. Therefore, it was no surprise to see Mata leave. What was quite unexpected, however, was just how correct Mourinho has proved to be so far. Mata looks lost in this team and he evidently doesn't agree with being asked to play wide. His average position on Sunday was as central and as deep as Michael Carrick and Marouane Fellaini. This was because Van Persie and Rooney were occupying the position he wanted to drift into, although Rooney had drifted slightly out to the left in order to find some width. If Van Persie had stayed up top it would have allowed Mata to play in a more advanced position and perhaps influence play more. 3) Other strikers' patience is running out Manchester United currently have four strikers in their squad, but they only employ one. Both Van Persie and Rooney seem to play as attacking midfielders, while Danny Welbeck always ends up wide. Javier Hernandez is the only one who plays (or is played) as a proper striker, and even then his movement is so non-existent that it's often like playing with 10 men. A world-class striker like Van Persie would be expected to make intelligent runs and drag defenders out of position. This is something Alvaro Negredo does well at Manchester City, but Van Persie drops deep and it doesn't work. Last season Rooney and the Dutchman played in tandem by having the former drop deeper more and the latter playing further forward. This sort of partnership works at Atletico Madrid, Man City and Juventus (with Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente), and is seen as the the rebirth of playing two up front. Rooney's new deal suggests United will build their team around him. By him playing behind the striker, it means that the man ahead of him needs to play as a proper front-man and not a link between attack and midfield. The argument for starting Welbeck ahead of Van Persie is now reaching boiling point. Welbeck has only scored two goals fewer than the Dutchman in the league, and his conversion rate is better than both him and Rooney. Moyes may see it as a coup to keep Van Persie, but in reality if it prompts Welbeck to look elsewhere it will have been a disastrous error. 4) They need a change in philosophy Under Sir Alex Ferguson, United executed some of the best wing play in recent history; they were devastating in full flow, and always had someone in the box waiting to score. This season United have put in more crosses per game than anyone else, but their pace is so turgid and the quality so poor that at times it is awkward to watch. The problem is that under Ferguson, players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and even Antonio Valencia knew they could get to the byline and there would be at least four players trying to attack it. As well as the two strikers, at least one midfielder and the opposite winger would be in there. Van Persie dropping deeper means that, at times, this does not happen.Surely Moyes would look at this and tell him he needs to stay further forward? Perhaps he has. Either way, it's causing too much congestion in the middle of the park and giving United's midfield no outlet whatsoever. Against West Brom, Van Persie's average position was so deep that he was basically on the halfway line. If Moyes wants to stamp his own authority on the team, he needs to find a way to accommodate his best players into the same line-up. Unfortunately they all want to play in the same position, which means one has to miss out. At the minute that should be Van Persie. Moyes could do worse than experiment with his line-up; perhaps a narrow 4-2-3-1, with Mata, Rooney and Adnan Januzaj as the three behind Welbeck. Ask Carrick and Fellaini to sit deeper. Evra and Rafael can play as wing-backs and provide the width. Both players already get forward a lot, and with two deeper midfielders there will be cover if United are caught on the counter. 5) The game is changing When Van Persie was destroying Premier League defences left, right and centre, it wasn't as if he was chasing them all over the pitch like a dog with a ball. The 30-year-old's work-rate has never been his strongest point, but his unrivalled finishing ability has more than made up for it in the past. In the modern day, though, it is becoming harder for strikers to justify sitting in the box and waiting for a chance; they have to offer more. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez, Carlos Tevez and Mario Mandzukic are the top scorers in each of Europe's top five divisions this season. All five can boast exceptional work-rates off the ball and are constantly on the move. Look at the other top scorers across Europe: Daniel Sturridge, Sergio Aguero, Lionel Messi, Diego Costa, Adrian Ramos, Karim Benzema, Robert Lewandowski and Gonzalo Higuain. The list goes on - but they're all strikers who give everything for their team's cause. Playing deep is an option for them all, but that's often because they'll have a partner playing further forward.All will close defenders down, move wide in order to create space, or track opposition players when needed. Van Persie does these things, but not nearly to the same degree. Ligue 1 or Serie A would appear to suit Van Persie more; there he will still be able to thrive as a goalscorer, and whichever team he joins will still be able to survive. That's because of the three teams he is likely to join – PSG, Monaco or Juventus – all dominate the league to such an extent that it doesn't matter if he doesn't chase every long ball. The Premier League's pace just keeps on increasing, and with that comes pressure on players to adjust their game. Every match is played quicker than anywhere else in Europe, and few teams have room for passengers - of whichVan Persie is quickly looking like an expensive one. He's still managed an impressive number of goals considering injuries, but are they alone enough anymore?

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