Wednesday, 14 May 2014

Rakitic aiming to prove hes the man for the big occasion as Sevilla target Europa glory

14:38

By: TBMU Admin On: 14:38   In:   No comments

Rakitic aiming to prove hes the man for the big occasion as Sevilla target Europa glory

Rakitic aiming to prove hes the man for the big occasion as Sevilla target Europa glory

Posted: 14 May 2014 10:15 AM PDT

"For the time being, I only think about Sevilla," said Ivan Rakitic when speaking to FourFourTwo back in January. "I have important matches ahead of me and additional responsibilities as captain of the team, so leaving is not something I'm considering now." The Croatian has been proved correct, as on Wednesday evening he will line up in Turin for the biggest match of his career - the Europa League final against Benfica. It's a fitting finale to an outstanding season, during which he has scored 12 league goals and provided 10 assists. The playmaker has revelled in the extra responsibility handed to him by Unai Emery; the former Valencia coach gave him the armband at the start of the campaign. "Ivan takes on a lot of responsibility, but we can't just allow him to do everything," Emery said before the Europa League quarter-final second leg win over Porto. It was Rakitic's penalty that opened the scoring in that game, as the playmaker was instrumental once more. The midfielder may have only scored one goal in the competition, but Sevilla have spread the goals around, producing eight different scorers throughout their European campaign. As a coach, Emery likes to rotate not just his players, but his formations too. He wants adjustable personnel that are tactically aware, and although some find his methods and personality a little intense, Rakitic has thrived in a variety of central midfield roles thanks to his growing confidence. Rakitic is similar in style to international team-mate Luka Modric, but the former is slightly stronger physically. Only three players in La Liga have made more key passes per match than Rakitic this season, with his eye for a through-ball particularly exquisite. His ability from set-pieces also ensures he is capable of creating something in tight matches, even when he can't find space on the ball in open play. Sevilla lost numerous players last summer, including their central midfield pairing of Gary Medel and Geoffrey Kondogbia. "It's all very impressive because I've never seen so many changes. I don't know how many players have arrived and how many have left," explained Rakitic to the official UEFA website. In La Liga this season, Rakitic has scored four goals in Sevilla's three away matches at Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. And as if that wasn't impressive enough, he also moved position. At Camp Nou, he was in the number 10 role in a 4-2-3-1; at the Bernabeu, he was part of a midfield four alongside Stephane Mbia in a 5-4-1; then at the Vicente Calderon, he moved back into the hole in a 4-2-3-1. The opening 10 matches of the domestic season saw Rakitic play in three positions and in three different formations, scoring seven goals in the process. In behind a striker, he roams between the lines looking to link up the midfield and attack. He has played over half his matches in this role and it's not surprising that it's when he is at his most creative. As he did in the Seville derby, providing two assists. When positioned in a 4-4-2 - as he was against Getafe - he fulfils the box-to-box obligation, often alongside a more physical tackler. His positional sense means he is able to intercept and then carry the ball up the field. The work-rate and fitness levels on display are superb, which makes it look effortless. As a defensive midfielder, he can operate as a deep-lying playmaker or slightly ahead of a natural blocker. Although his statistics are less impressive, it's here that he has provided a better overall game. In the team's 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano he was excellent at both ends of the pitch. It's this versatility that has attracted the attention of Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid, among others. Although he has a Spanish wife, Rakitic hasn't entirely ruled out the possibility of a move to England. "Anything is possible," he told FFT earlier this year. "However, family is now the most important thing to me and it will have a key role in all my future professional decisions." Emery's rotation policy attracted criticism when Rakitic was left out of the league match with Athletic Bilbao, a fixture sandwiched between the two legs of the semi-final. Sevilla were three points off the Basque side, who were occupying the final Champions League slot. The Andalusians' top four hopes disappeared with the subsequent 3-1 defeat. Rakitic has played just 237 minutes of La Liga action since the start of April, while he has missed just four minutes of Sevilla's four Europa League matches in the same period. He is likely to play as a trequartista in a 4-2-3-1 against Benfica, but no matter where he is deployed, Rakitic won't let Los Nervionenses down. "The final will be remembered, so you have to do your best and give this club another trophy and make history – that's the best thing there is," says Rakitic. The finale in Italy is certainly the perfect stage for the 26-year-old to show he is ready to step up. INTERVIEW Rakitic on death threats, his 'beef' with Ozil and moving to England

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Vorm: Im 100% sure Van Gaal and De Boer will succeed if they come to England

Posted: 14 May 2014 04:30 AM PDT

Last season Swansea finished in the top 10, won the League Cup and qualified for Europa League. This year was the complete opposite–is there a main reason for it? Last season was obviously an amazing season for us and for me. We didn't finish strongly then either – after we won the cup, we lost a couple of games. We accidentally took that form at the end of last season to this season, and that was the main reason. We also played in the Europa League with a lot of games, so that was something new: a lot of travelling and a lot of international games. We play on the weekend, but we play on Thursday first. It was quite hard, and that was one of the reasons we struggled a little bit. But if you want to be a top player, you have to compete in European club competitions like that. You have to make sure you're fit and capable of playing two games in a week. We had some great results in the Europa and some bad losses in the Premier League. But we have learned from this season. We could also be worse off and be down. Even though we had a few new players who came in, we had a few injuries and Michu was our man from last season. He is a very important player for us and not having him was something that didn't help. We were unlucky – it happens. Last season it was Michu, this year it's Wilfried Bony. Do Swansea have the secrets to making astute signings like these? The funny thing is that Michu came in for less money, so he was under the radar. Bony had a bit of pressure, unlike Michu who nobody knew. Bony had played for the Ivory Coast already and scored more than 30 goals in the Dutch league, so he was known for being a goalscorer. At the same time everybody knows how hard it is in the Premier League to come in and perform right away. Michu carried us last season and we played well. We struggled this year, but it was Bony we relied on to score the goals for us. When Swansea sign new players it's interesting to see the amount of money the club spends for the quality, and you can see it with both Michu and Bony in two seasons. Jonathan de Guzman has been on loan with Swansea for the last two seasons from Villarreal. Do you think he'll stay with the team permanently? I hope so, Jonathan is a very good mate of mine. We talk a lot, and spend a lot of time together. He has made his debut for the national team as well, and I really hope he would make his stay here permanent. I know he likes it here and he will stay if they want to offer him a contract –he will definitely sign. He has a contract with Villarreal and the two clubs have to talk first, but I am 100% sure if Swansea come with an offer and they can sort it out, he will sign here. Jonathan is a good player for us, he played a lot of games over the last two seasons and he is happy. Michael Laudrup was influential in signing them both. Did his sacking affect the team initially? Yes, in a way it affected us because firing the manager in the middle of season wasn't easy for the team. We had worked with Laudrup for 18 months and we did have ups and downs. In the end it evened out, though. We were struggling and it was a lot at the time. Garry Monk came from being a player to being the manager; that was new for us. He knew us, and that was an advantage to be honest. A few players came obviously because of Laudrup, so to them it was not an easy period over the last few months. But that's football, and you have to manage it. You can complain a little bit while we suffer changing managers in the middle of the season. In the end I think Garry Monk has done a great job. For him it was even tougher because he was not experienced at all. What's the one big difference between Laudrup and Monk? They are two different characters. If you know Michael, he's a relaxed and calm manager –he won't show his emotions that much. Meanwhile Garry is the complete opposite; he talks a lot, communicates a lot with the boys, he shows his emotions. You can tell he really does it for Swansea; he knows the club really well. He's been here for 10 years and you can tell that he is so involved with the club. But that's just the way their characters are. To say Laudrup is better at this or Monk is better at that is hard to tell. Are you happy that Monk has got the job on a permanent basis, or should the club have brought someone else in with more experience? What's most important for us is stability. If you get someone from outside, yes he might be an experienced manager, but you never know what you're going to get in a sense. Garry, on the other hand, knows the club and knows us as a team along with the players individually. The past few months has been so tough for him and he did very well. He deserved at least a chance to get more out of us. Even though he lacks the experience, the past few months weren't easy but he has dealt with it very well. Three Dutch managers have been reported to take over at Premier League clubs: Ronald Koeman, Frank de Boer and Louis van Gaal. Would they all be successful in England? The good thing about Dutch managers is they are very strong technically. The Dutch school of football, and football managers, is very good. Obviously I have worked with Van Gaal with the national team for two years; you can tell with everything he does that he is so experienced and has done well with the teams he has worked with. He is so detailed and analytical. A few years back Frank de Boer was an assistant manager with the national team, so I know him a little bit as well. You can also say that he was very passionate and on top of everything he did. He has done so well with the young players Ajax have had for the past four years and they are the champions. Van Gaal has been tested with winning prizes and titles in Europe. If De Boer goes abroad he has to show it again, but I am 100% sure they will succeed if they come to the Premier League. You mentioned working with Van Gaal in the national team. Is he a good fit for Manchester United? Yes. I think if you work for Ajax in one of the best periods of the club, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, you know what it is like to work at a top club and top team. I think that's very important. He is so experienced working with big players. He would definitely do well for Manchester United and he would fit the bill with the way he works. If Van Gaal takes the job, what should the fans expect from him? He is very detailed, like I said before. He would bring an offensive style of play. Obviously he needs the right kind of players, but he has an eye for very good young talents. If you see the list of the talented players he brought up from the youth [system] to the first teams at Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, it's amazing. You have to look at the bigger picture; not just the first team, and he gives others a chance. It doesn't matter who you are or what age you are. If you're good, you're good, and he will definitely play you even though someone more experienced or with a bigger name is on the team. He doesn't care about that and I think that's very important for Van Gaal. If you work with him, and you can ask every player who has worked with him, he is one of the best managers in the world. What's he like as a manager? What would most people not know about him? He is very open and honest towards the players. To the media he comes across as a bit arrogant, but if you know him as a player he is so open and a normal guy whose door is always open to discuss things with you. What's your future with Swansea? Are you going to move or do you plan to spend a couple more seasons here? The most important thing is my happiness. This is my third season. Everybody is happy with me and vice versa. I'm very happy at the club and I have a lot of respect from the club, the players and the fans. The people have been great. In October I will be 31, and for a goalkeeper that's not that old. There are still a lot of good years to come still and at this club there is a lot of potential, so I'm happy to stay here for a longer period. My contract is still until 2016, so I have two more years to go. If a bigger club comes it is something you would think about, but at the moment it's just focusing on ending the season well with Swansea, the World Cup and then on to pre-season. I'm enjoying my time here, but we'll see what's going to happen in the next few years. I feel now staying with Swansea is right.

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Park Ji-sung announces retirement

Posted: 13 May 2014 08:28 PM PDT

The 33-year-old, who represented South Korea 100 times at international level, revealed his decision at the JS Football Center in Seoul - the headquarters of Parks own foundation, which helps develop football infrastructure around the world. Park spent the past season at PSV - his first European club - on loan from QPR and made 27 appearances across all competitions, scoring two goals as the Dutch side finished fourth in the Eredivisie. But the South Korean, who captained his country from 2008 until his retirement from international football in 2011, made his name at United in the Premier League, playing 203 matches in all competitions and scoring 28 goals between 2005 and 2012, when he moved to QPR. The high-energy midfielder was a favourite of former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who particularly liked using Park in the UEFA Champions League when he wanted to shut down opposition full-backs. Park won the Premier League four times with United and was also part of their Champions League title-winning team in 2008. Having started his professional career with Kyoto Purple Sanga, Park won the 2002 Emperors Cup with the Japanese outfit, before claiming two Eredivisie titles with PSV in his first stint in the Netherlands.

Keane slams United recruiting

Posted: 13 May 2014 05:27 PM PDT

Keane slammed vice-chairman Ed Woodward, and inexperienced defenders Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, after Uniteds worst finish (seventh) in the English top flight since 1989-90. A United midfielder of 12 years, Keane said disgraced boss Moyes was made to be the scapegoat of a wider problem - recruiting - as he put the blame for Uniteds struggles at the feet of Woodward. He (Moyes) had one transfer window, and its not always down to the manager when players dont come in, Keane said, speaking at ITVs World Cup launch. I think Ed Woodward needs to look at himself. Hes got to get deals done. I think he (Moyes) should have been given more time. I was happy with David Moyes. I think (Louis) Van Gaal is a good choice. Only time will tell. Hes managed big clubs. Keane particularly lamented the signings of Smalling - from Fulham - and Jones, bought off Blackburn - both deals done prior to the infamous Moyes era. Theyve had a platform for the last couple of years, he said. We were told two or three years ago Jones was going to be the new Duncan Edwards, Smalling was this Ive watched United live nine, 10 times this year and they have been none of those things. If anything I think they have gone backwards. Ive actually been a big fan of them yes, give them a chance, you say you have to give players a chance to mature but also youve got players who you say weve given you a chance and youre not taking it. They need to do a lot better if they want to cement their place at Man United and United to win trophies. Jones needs to toughen up. Every time I see him he is getting carried off. Hes got to toughen up hes playing for Man United. They have to recruit in the summer they might get two. Keane said a strong line-up through the middle was what United lacked, as they finished below the top-three for the first time in 23 seasons. Its the spine of the team. United have come up short defensively and in the middle of the park they have not done enough, Keane said. You watch any of the teams that are winning trophies Im stating the obvious, youve got to have a strong spine, goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and striker and United have been short in two of those areas. It makes it very difficult to win trophies.

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Januzaj named in Belgium World Cup squad

Posted: 13 May 2014 06:12 AM PDT

The teenager pledged his allegiance to his country of birth last month following reports that he could opt to play for a number of other nations. Januzaj, who could also have played forAlbania, Turkey or Serbia, has been a major positive in an otherwise poor campaign for United and the 19-year-old has been rewarded with a place in Marc Wilmots' World Cup squad. The tricky winger, who can also operate as a forward, made 27 Premier League appearances for the Old Trafford club and it poised to make his international debut on the biggest stage of all. Hoffenheim goalkeeper Koen Casteels has been included in Marc Wilmots' squad despite suffering a broken leg in a Bundesliga clash againstHertha Berlin last month. Wilmots has also included Anderlecht keeperSilvio Proto in his party for the tournament along with Thibaut Courtois and Simon Mignolet, but Proto is only expected to retain his place if Casteels is ruled out. Lille striker Divock Origi is another teenager who has been given his first senior call-up, with the 19-year-old only having made one appearance at Under-21 level on the international stage. Origi gets his chance in the absence of Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke, who was ruled out after tearing his Achilles tendon last month. Wilmots, who guided Belgium to their first major tournament since the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea, has named six players on a standby list. The promising Belgium side will face Algeria, Russia and South Korea in Group H. Squad in full: Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Atletico Madrid), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Koen Casteels (Hoffenheim), Silvio Proto (Anderlecht) Defenders: Laurent Ciman (Standard Liege), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Nicolas Lombaerts (Zenit), Daniel Van Buyten (Bayern Munich), Anthony Vanden Borre (Anderlecht), Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham) Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg), Nacer Chadli (Tottenham), Steven Defour (Porto), Moussa Dembele (Tottenham), Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Adnan Januzaj (Manchester United), Dries Mertens (Napoli), Kevin Mirallas (Everton), Axel Witsel (Zenit), Forwards: Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea), Divock Origi (Lille) On standby: Michy Batshuayi (Standard Liege), Guillaume Gillet (Anderlecht), Thorgan Hazard (Zulte Waregem), Radja Nainggolan (Roma), Sebastien Pocognoli (Hannover), Jelle Van Damme (Standard Liege)

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Yorke hails departing Ferdinand as colossal

Posted: 13 May 2014 01:06 AM PDT

With the 35-year-old out of contract at the end of the season, the decision was made not to offer him a new deal, thus bringing to an end his 12-year stay at Old Trafford. And Yorke, who spent four years at United between 1998 and 2002, lauded the former England international for what he had achieved at the club. "The word colossal comes into play as that's the type of player that Ferdinand was," he toldSky Sports. "It doesn't come as a surprise but it's an end of an era for himself and Nemanja Vidic - it's unbelievable the amount of success they've had. "Rio can leave that football club with his head held incredibly high in terms of what he has achieved."

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Hodgson wants Lallana, Shaw futures sorted

Posted: 12 May 2014 07:53 PM PDT

Left-back Shaw is expected to join Manchester United, while Southampton captain Lallana appears set for a move to Liverpool with other clubs interested in both players. Both were named in England's 23-man squad for Brazil 2014 on Monday, but Hodgson desperately wants to avoid unneeded distractions at the tournament. He said players needed to be focused solely on international duty when with England and wants Shaw and Lallana to sort out their club futures before the squad flies to Miami on June 1. "I have made it clear to them already and I think they are perfectly happy with it. England is England and your club is your club. The two are not married together," Hodgson said. "As far as I am concerned you sign up for this World Cup and you sign up to do a good job for England. "Your club future is what it is and it will be taken care of outside of England time. That is basically all I can do. "I was asked would you like all of this to be sorted before you go to Miami. Of course I would. It is not an ideal world and that might not happen but the one thing I am going to be very firm on. "When we are together with England that is what matters and if you have anything to resolve you do it outside that time. I am thinking about medicals in particular. I can't stop phone calls. "I am definitely not going to have agents swirling around or this player has got to leave the camp. I would expect the players to understand that."

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