Saturday, 29 March 2014

Moyes: Even Ferguson would be struggling

14:09

By: TBMU Admin On: 14:09   In:   No comments

Moyes: Even Ferguson would be struggling

Moyes: Even Ferguson would be struggling

Posted: 28 Mar 2014 07:33 PM PDT

Moyes men are struggling in seventh in the Premier League, with the Scot under increasing pressure after poor losses to rivals Liverpool and Manchester City. Replacing Ferguson was always going to be a tough task for Moyes, who said even the man who led United to 13 league titles including last season would have found it hard this season. I actually think if Sir Alex was here this year it would be difficult for Sir Alex as well, and Im sure hed be aware of it, Moyes said. I think people are aware theres a squad that is a bit more ageing, so I think it would have been a tough season for probably whoever was in charge of Manchester United this year. Reports in the British press have suggested a group of fans are set to fly an aeroplane sporting an anti-Moyes message over Old Trafford ahead of Saturdays clash against Aston Villa. Moyes believes he has the support of the fans, who he praised for their understanding during major change. The supporters I see are the ones I speak to, and I have got to say the supporters outside Old Trafford have been fantastic, he said. I would say United supporters have probably been as good as people have seen them for many a year because they understand there is a change. There has been a change from a great manager and not just a great manager, but a manager who was here for 25 years, and to make that change is always going to be difficult.

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Moyes protecting Januzaj from burnout

Posted: 28 Mar 2014 12:04 PM PDT

Januzaj made an electric introduction to his Old Trafford career, scoring twice on his first Premier League start at Sunderland in October and impressing many with his tricky wing play. But the 19-year-old has not played in United's three games since their 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool, missing out on the matchday squad altogether for last Tuesday's loss to Manchester City. United host Aston Villa on Saturday before a crucial UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford, and Moyes insists the winger is still a big part of his plans. "I think Adnan has played an incredible amount of games for a 19-year-old," he said. "We have to be mindful of that. We have seen signs in training that we have to be careful what we do with him. "He is a great talent and he is someone we know will go a long way at Manchester United. But we are just being careful with him. "We have to do the right things and he has played a lot of football."

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Moyes: Players know expected standards

Posted: 28 Mar 2014 07:35 AM PDT

Heavy home defeats against rivals Liverpool and Manchester City in recent weeks have seen the Scots position come into question, with United sitting seventh and 18 points adrift of leaders Chelsea. However, Moyes has stressed that these are still early days in his tenure and, given time, he will turn the reigning Premier League champions form around, beginning against Aston Villa on Saturday. The players know exactly what it is to play for Manchester United and the standards they have to set, he said. But theyre hurting as well as me and are desperate to put it right. And hopefully when we get to the game against Villa, they can show that. Its a long journey here and this is only the start of it. You work hard to get here in the first place but Ive got to say Im more driven to succeed than ever because I want the team to turn around and I want to change the position were in just now. I really do believe we can do that. Weve got a great club, which gives you the chance to do that because of the people we can attract and the players we can attract to the club. But its just going to take a little bit of time to get it sorted. Reports in the British press have suggested a group of fans are set to fly an aeroplane sporting an anti-Moyes message over Old Trafford during Saturdays clash, but Moyes claimed this was at odds with his own experience of the clubs supporters. And asked whether he had the full support of his squad, Moyes replied: Definitely. No reason to suggest anything else.

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Pep keen to keep winning ahead of United clash

Posted: 28 Mar 2014 07:24 AM PDT

Bayern have already wrapped up the Bundesliga title in record time thanks to their 3-1 win over Hertha Berlin in midweek. With Saturday's visit of Hoffenheim coming four days prior to their European quarter-final first-leg trip to Old Trafford, Guardiola is keen to ensure his players' performances do not suffer a dip. "We have to play as well as possible in order to be prepared for the Champions League quarter-final against Manchester United," he said. "I am very happy about winning the German title (but) I do not care that I have become a champion a week before (predecessor) Jupp (Heynckes). "The most important thing is the title and that we play good football." Guardiola also confirmed that goalkeeper Tom Starke will play against his former club on Saturday. "He always trains well and is a great guy. He deserves it," the former Barcelona boss added.

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FA looking into Fellaini spitting incident

Posted: 28 Mar 2014 04:59 AM PDT

The incident occurred after the Belgian midfielder was seen to elbow the Manchester City full-back in the face during the first half of Manchester United's 3-0 home defeat on Tuesday. Fellaini escaped with a booking for that coming together, but replays suggest he spat in the direction of his Argentinian opponent as he lay on the floor immediately afterwards. The former Everton man's spit did not land on Zabaleta, but the FA confirmed to Perform on Friday that they were "looking into" the incident. No disciplinary procedures have yet been opened against the 26-year-old, who has made 13 Premier League appearances for United. Hull City's George Boyd was handed a three-match ban for spitting at Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart earlier this month.

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Why Van Gaal would suit Spurs, Man United – and the Premier League

Posted: 28 Mar 2014 02:00 AM PDT

At the respectable age of 62, Louis van Gaal can to look back on an impressive managerial career. Having led top sides like Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, his trophy cabinet is filled, and he has earned a reputation as one football's greatest and most innovative managers. But before the Dutchman packs his bags and moves to Portugal – where he plans to spend his retirement – he has two lifelong ambitions left to fulfil: to manage a major international side at the World Cup, and a team in the Premier League. For a moment, it looked as if Van Gaal's first wish stood in the way of his second wish. In December last year, when André Villas-Boas was sacked and Tottenham Hotspur were looking for a new manager, Van Gaal reportedly snubbed Daniel Levy when the Spurs chairman came to visit him in Holland. The World Cup comes first, Van Gaal told the Dutch press when asked about the rumours, and that was that. There was no time for anything else. But with the World Cup drawing near, the question on people's minds is what will happen after the summer. Surely Van Gaal, who always seems to thrive when he has his mind set on a certain goal, won't just give up on his Premier League dream? No, he won't, judging by recent statements from the man himself. As a matter of fact, he seems dead set on moving to England as soon as the World Cup ends. Take a recent interview with Bild, for example. "My ambition is to coach a top team in the Premier League," Van Gaal told the German newspaper. " I want to win the league title in a fourth country. That's my objective and I want to fulfil it." Luckily for Van Gaal, there is a chance of some Premier League vacancies next summer. Strong rumours of Spurs' interest are still doing the rounds, as increasingly are Manchester United, whose manager David Moyes has drawn heavy criticism all season. Of course, both Spurs and United would be perfect destinations for Van Gaal, and conversely, any Premier League club would do well to look into the possibility of appointing him. Here's why. He's very good with youngsters Back in 1995, Van Gaal's Ajax side won the Dutch league without losing a single game. But what's more, they did what was thought to be impossible: they won the Champions League. A year later they almost did the same, only this time they lost the final against Juventus after a penalty shoot-out. While these achievements are certainly extraordinary in their own right, consider the make-up of Van Gaal's squad: most of the first team were fresh graduates from Ajax's famous youth academy (Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf and Edwin van der Sar to name a few). Patrick Kluivert, Ajax's top scorer that year, was only 18 years old when he netted the winning goal in the Champions League final against AC Milan. Having spent a significant amount of money in last summer's transfer window, Spurs now boast an impressive roster of relatively young and inexperienced players. Christian Eriksen, who has played for Ajax and has years of experience with the type of attacking football Van Gaal likes to play, is only 22, just like Erik Lamela, who so far has failed to impress current Spurs boss Tim Sherwood. With everything he learned early in his career at Ajax, Van Gaal would be the perfect man to forge this group of youngsters into a cohesive, match-winning team. Similarly, other Premier League clubs looking for a manager to guide a young squad to future success should take note. He knows how to manage superstars… most of the time During Ajax's Champions League-winning season, Van Gaal didn't just rely on young talent alone. He made sure to add some experience to the mix, which is why he signed Milan star Frank Rijkaard in 1993. Symbolically enough, it was Rijkaard who gave Kluivert the assist for his Champions League winner - a clear example of experience and young talent working together effectively. However, Van Gaal's treatment of star players hasn't always worked out well. At Barcelona, the Dutch manager's rowswith Rivaldo, who wanted to play as a central playmaker rather than a winger, ended in tears when the Brazilian superstar was dropped altogether. Similarly, at Bayern MunichVan Gaal didn't get along with Franck Ribéry, to say the least. You don't mess with Van Gaal; that much seems to be clear. Recently, Robin van Persie voiced some discontent about some of his Manchester United team-mates taking up spaces that he would like to play in. With Van Gaal in charge, no player would air their dirty laundry in public like this - he simply wouldn't allow it. With age comes experience, with experience comes stature Van Gaal has managed Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and the Dutch national team. He has won the league in every country he's worked in, and the Champions League. No matter what you might think of his ideas and vision, it can't be denied that his experience and rank commands stature. Unsurprisingly, he's widely respected in the football world; by players as well as his colleagues in management, not to mention the fans. Granted, he has never stayed at the same side for years on end, taking his time to perfect a squad through the course of a decade. But much like Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger, Van Gaal has been through it all. Having already encountered every problem managers face, the Dutchman is one of the few managers in football confident enough to take on any big job. As one of the giants of management, there are few names comparable to him. And what's more, they're not for hire very often. In that regard, this summer will offer a unique opportunity to Premier League clubs: Van Gaal is available, and up for the task.

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Scudamore: United slump harms Premier appeal

Posted: 28 Mar 2014 01:27 AM PDT

The Old Trafford outfit have struggled in their first season under the stewardship of manager David Moyes, sitting 18 points adrift of leaders Chelsea with pressure mounting on the former Everton boss. And Scudamore has now conceded that disappointing displays by the Premier League's "most popular club" come at a wider cost to the competition internationally. "It's a double-edged sword," he is quoted as saying. "When your most popular club isn't doing as well, that costs you interest and audience in some places. "There's lots of fans around the world who wish Manchester United were winning it again, but you have to balance that off against, generally, we're in the business of putting on a competition and competition means people can compete." Reports have suggested that the Premier League earn £2.23 billion from the sales of overseas rights to live games, with Asia (£940.8m) contributing the biggest share of that total. Seventh-placed United host Aston Villa on Saturday.

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The FourFourTwo Preview: Man United vs Aston Villa

Posted: 28 Mar 2014 01:01 AM PDT

Billed as A game David Moyes might be able to win. The lowdown So much for the recovery. Wins against Olympiakos and West Ham may have given the impressionManchester United were on the mend. Some were whispering Moyes had turned a corner. The revival lasted 43 seconds against Manchester City, the time it took for Edin Dzeko to remind us otherwise. The 3-0 scoreline was kind on Moyes' men; dispatched with utter contempt by their noisy neighbours. Two steps forward, 10 steps back for this damned United. The harsh truth is that United have found their level. Good enough to beat the likes of West Ham, United under Moyes are evidently not up to the task of performing against the league's more accomplished outfits. We've all read the stat but it's worth repeating that in 11 matches against the teams above them this season, United have won just once – beating Arsenal at home last November, back when we didn't fully understand how bad the champions had suddenly become. One win, three draws and seven defeats; five goals scored and 19 conceded. Statistics can paint a false picture but they speak the truth here. Indeed, that's just one of a growing number lining up to highlight United's rapid decline. Never before in the Premier League era have they had fewer than 60 points by this stage of the season – 31 games in, they've scraped together 51. Not since 2001/02 have they lost six games at home –and that's more home defeats in a single season then they suffered in the last three combined. This season they've amassed fewer home points in the league than Norwich and Hull (21). They've scored only as many home league goals as Cardiff and Fulham (18), the bottom two. And you don't need statistics to illustrate that things are getting worse not better under Moyes, but there are stats for that too. In 2013, United played 29 games under Moyes, winning 18, drawing six and losing five. In 2014 they've played 17, winning seven, drawing two and losing eight. However you cut it, this is clearly not forward progress. Aston Villa will be wrestling with similar sense of deflation after their 4-1 surrender at home to Stoke last weekend. Home wins over Norwich and a lesser expected but largely merited three points from Chelsea have been Villa's only back-to-back wins of the current campaign. More than that, the run led some to excitedly suggest that they too had turned a corner and were heading to a better place – the promised land of 10th. Had they beaten Stoke, it would have been the first time in seven long years that they'd won three in succession at home. But we know the rest. Villa scored first then conceded four –Stoke did to Villa what Villa had recently done to Norwich. What goes around comes around. Paul Lambert mumbled something largely inaudible afterwards and looked impressively furious. But given the 'happy' face he wore for the cameras after the Chelsea win also looked impressively furious, it's hard to read that man's moods. What's certain is that he takes his leggy-looking team to Old Trafford knowing a win could take them up above Stoke and into 10th, but that a defeat could drop them to 14th. Like United, they appear to have found their place in the table – not good enough to climb much higher, too competent to go down. Villa travel knowing a win is statistically unlikely – they've prevailed just once in their last 10 league visits to Old Trafford, losing the other nine. In those game they've scored just six times to United's 28. Few would expect them to get anything on Saturday, then, but few expected Everton to win at Old Trafford for the first time since 1992, or West Brom for the first time since 1978, or Newcastle for the first time since 1972. All things considered, then, it might be more of a surprise if they don't leave with all three points. Team news Nemanja Vidic is available after serving his ban for seeing red against Liverpool. Robin van Persie remains a long-term injury with his knackered knee but Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans could return and spare Michael Carrick another turn as a centre-half. Rio Ferdinand could well be a doubt; nowadays he usually is. For Villa, Karim El Ahmadi (thigh) and Andreas Weimann (dead leg) are the main concerns, with both having picked up knocks against Stoke. Lambert expects them to be fit for Saturday. Player to watch: Wayne Rooney (Man United) An obvious choice but with good reason. As if to justify his new salary, Rooney has been one of very few positives in recent weeks for the ailing champions. His goals secured the points and made all manner of hysterical headlines at West Ham, while his energy, urgency and all-round application against City was fruitless but admirable. His desperation to influence a game that was slipping from United's grasp just 43 seconds in was illustrated by the fact he popped up in every single outfield position on the pitch. He was the only man in red looking to influence the game. Against lesser opposition, his endeavour will reap greater rewards. The managers Despite being the same side plus Juan Mata that won the Premier League by 11 points last season, this is a team in transition. We know this because Moyes keeps on saying it, while silently praying for time. "It is underway in its own way," he said. "We have got a period of time where we are going to have to make sure we get to that level (of competing) which we are not at just now." The worry for Moyes is that while Alex Ferguson may have convinced the Glazers to remain patient, the fans' discontent is beginning to growl – a small number turning on Fergie at the end of the derby. Lambert is under no such pressure. His team are as good as safe for another season, he still has credit in the bank for beating Chelsea and not even Big Fat Ron claiming Deadly Doug would have sacked him by now if he was still the chairman can change any of that. Luckily, Randy Lerner pays no attention to Big Fat Ron and is reportedly keen to see Lambert sign a new and improved contract. It's recognition of the unspectacular but steady progress he's made at Villa Park on a budget of bugger all. Facts and figures United have lost back-to-back home games for a second time this season. Prior to this year they'd lost consecutive home matches twice in Premier League history – they've never lost 3 in a row. United have won 13 of 15 home games against bottom-half teams since the start of last season with 9 wins by at least 2 clear goals. There have been at least 3 goals in 12 of Aston Villa's last 14 trips to top-half teams. United have won the last 6 meetings between these teams and scored at least 3 times on 5 occasions. Best Bet:Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.80 More FFT Stats Zone facts • Find the best odds with Bet Butler FourFourTwo prediction A low-grade draw, keeping the wolves from Moyes' door for a little while longer. 1-1. Man United vs Aston Villa LIVE ANALYSIS with Stats Zone

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