Red Rants |
- Reds World Cup Watch Part 2 – The Bads
- Reds World Cup watch Part 1 – The Goods
- Our own identified targets from the World Cup so far
- United target far from renewing deal
| Reds World Cup Watch Part 2 – The Bads Posted: 20 Jun 2014 05:00 AM PDT
Nani If this was the summer in which Nani was going to put himself in the shop’s window, then rest assured the shop has already been shut, customers have turned away horrified and Nani isn’t going anywhere. Despite having played just a handful of games in the second half of the season, Nani was in the starting line-up for Portugal’s opener against Germany, after impressing in the warm-up friendlies.
His performance was as Naniesque as they come – wasteful in possession, constantly in the wrong position – the way he took the ball of Fabio Coentrao’s feet when the Real Madrid full-back was lining up a shot from a much better angle than the one Nani was in was nothing short of comical – and generally looking his usual, petulant self. Having been linked with a move away from United since January, the next two World Cup games could go a long way in deciding his future – will Van Gaal be prepared to take a punt on him or will United manage to lure a club into taking Nani off their hands? Javier Hernandez Chicharito’s troubled season shows no signs of improving after he was dropped for Mexico’s first two games in favour of Oribe Peralta, as the Manchester United striker was one of the many Mexican players plying their trade abroad to pay the price for Miguel Herrera’s policy of opting for Mexico-based players. Chicharito played just 32 minutes over Mexico’s two opening games, coming off the bench to replace Peralta against Cameroon and Brazil and had very little chance to make an impact, managing only two shots on goal and failing to convert a glorious chance against Cameroon. With Mexico facing a crucial game against Croatia on Tuesday, it’s hard to fathom Herrera deciding to alter his starting XI and Hernandez looks destined for a place on the bench again, particularly as both Dos Santos and Peralta have impressed in their first two appearances.
Hernandez had been warned by the Mexico coach that failure to play regularly at United could hinder his chances at international level and looks likely to leave Old Trafford in the summer. Danny Welbeck It’s hard to dislike Welbeck and it’s hard to deny that he put in a good shift in both England games, doing exactly what Roy Hodgson asked him to do – stretching the defence and trying to get in behind the line. Unfortunately for him, it’s also difficult to argue that if he could add an end product to his game his efforts would be much more appreciated, both at club and international level, where Welbeck isn’t helped by the fact of playing for United for, perhaps not surprisingly, he’s always criticised for his perceived lack of contribution. Welbeck played 61 minutes against Italy before being replaced by Ross Barkley, while he was given an extra 10 minutes against Uruguay before being replaced by Adam Lallana and he averaged four more touches per game than he did at club level last season, a sign that he’s not one to shy away from responsibility. However, having previously claimed he wanted to be given a chance as centre-forward, Welbeck has been played out wide by Hodgson and it’s hard to see that changing under Van Gaal.
Shinji Kagawa Much as in Hernandez’s case, Kagawa’s lack of regular at club level looks to have affected his performances for the national side, with the Japanese struggling to impose himself at the World Cup for now. Having started Japan’s opening game, Kagawa was a second half substitute as his team struggled to break down a Greece side that played for over 45 minutes with 10 men and his future at United remains very much up in the air. And the others… Phil Jones, Chris Smalling Neither played a minute as England’s World Cup campaign unravelled and, perhaps, they’re so much better for it. Having experienced a season with more lows than highs the last thing Jones and Smalling needed was to be thrown at the deep end of a World Cup that looks doomed after two games, not to mention that Jones would have probably got injured anyway. Juan Mata, David De Gea As Spain’s cycle came to an end, neither Mata nor De Gea could be blamed for the defending champions’ spectacular capitulation, if anything quite the opposite. Mata looked on from the bench as Spain’s decision to abandon their tested “false nine” formation in favour of a 4-2-3-1 to accommodate Diego Costa quickly turned into a nightmare, as Vicente Del Bosque’s men looked bereft of the intensity and rhythm that had mesmerised the world for the last six years.
In Spain’s opening game against Holland, Mata watched on from the bench as David Silva, Andres Iniesta and Xavi started, with Cesc Fabregas coming on as a sub. When Del Bosque did opt to change his personnel after being annihilated by the Dutch, there was still no room for Mata, as Pedro replaced Xavi alongside David Silva and Iniesta against Chile and the United midfielder was an unused sub as Santi Cazorla, Koke and Fernando Torres were brought on. De Gea, meanwhile, was United’s best player last season, keeping 20 clean sheets in a beleaguered campaign and must surely be given the chance to shine for his national side now, after Iker Casillas produced a series of uncharacteristic mistakes which cost his team very dearly and probably brought down the curtain on his international career. Adnan Januzaj Has watched on from the bench in Belgium’s first game but could make his debut at some stage over the next two games. Dan |
| Reds World Cup watch Part 1 – The Goods Posted: 20 Jun 2014 04:53 AM PDT
Here’s a little recap of how Reds have fared in Brazil so far.
Robin Van Persie What a difference a few months make, ha? Last season the Dutchman, blighted by a few injury problems, was a paltry image of the man who had spearheaded United’s cavalcade to the title 12 months earlier. The enthusiasm had gone from his game, replaced by a sulking attitude that was a world away from the performances we had got used to in his first season at the club and many wondered whether the former Arsenal captain would even be at Old Trafford next season. With David Moyes gone and Louis Van Gaal set to replace him, the answer is a resounding “yes”. Van Persie has never tried to hide the mutual respect between him and the Holland coach nor has he ever missed the opportunity to reaffirm just how much he enjoys playing under the former Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager.
RVP’s first goal against Spain was a joy to watch as was his celebration, which said more about his relationship with Van Gaal than a thousand words, while his second against the disgraced defending champions and his goal against Australia confirmed this is a player loving his football again and with every game Holland play, the expectation among United fans rises accordingly. Marouane Fellaini Yes, him. The pantomime villain of United’s dismal season and the player many can’t wait to be ushered out of Old Trafford, Fellaini was instrumental as Belgium turned a 1-0 defeat into a 2-1 win in their opening game against a spirited Algeria side that had looked set to spoil Marc Wilmots’ men party. Brought in with an hour gone, it took Fellaini only 10 minutes to equalise with the sort of thumping header he never looked capable of producing last season and, even more importantly, he looked a lot more dynamic and sure of himself than he ever did since arriving at United on deadline day last season. Many pointed at the fact that he was deployed further forward than in front of the back four as the reason behind his revival but with Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Adnan Januzaj in the team, surely United can’t afford to play Fellaini in the number 10 role next season, particularly if Van Gaal opts for his preferred 4-3-3 formation. Having said that, however, if the Belgian has a good World Cup, he could turn into a useful squad player and the fact he was played out of position by the manager who knew everything about him says more about Moyes than he does about him.
Wayne Rooney Criticised by the media with the sheer venom that is prerogative of United players playing for England, Rooney has one assist and one goal to his name after two matches. His performance against Italy in England’s opening game was unimpressive but it wasn’t helped by Roy Hodgson’s decision to deploy him out wide on the left to accommodate Raheem Sterling in the number 10 role and even though Rooney’s cross led to Daniel Sturridge’s equaliser, he was criticised. Against Uruguay last night, Rooney was deployed in his preferred role just off the main striker and was England’s most influential player by far, twice going close to put England ahead in the first half before restoring parity in the second half with his first ever World Cup goal, having previously been denied by an excellent save by Fernando Muslera. Where will Rooney fit in Van Gaal’s plans remains to be seen, but Holland’s flexibility in the first two games shows Van Gaal has a knack for finding room for talented players.
Patrice Evra Much like in Fellaini’s case, it’s hard to judge a player on the basis of one game, but Evra looked solid and comfortable enough against Ecuador in France’s opening game of the tournament. Having signed a new contract which will keep him at Old Trafford for at least another 12 months and with a deal for Luke Shaw looking increasingly complicated, Evra might well start next season as United’s first choice left-back, a role which is pivotal in Van Gaal’s plans and one in which the Evra seen over the last couple of seasons could struggle. Antonio Valencia Ecuador might have lost their first game against Switzerland, but Valencia looked better than he’s done over the last two seasons for United – hardly a ringing endorsement, in truth – and he’ll be pivotal to his team’s chances of progressing to the knockout stage. The United winger was heavily involved in the majority of his team’s moves, touching the ball 34 times and displaying an usual accuracy with the ball at his feet, with 93% of the 27 passes he attempted finding their intended target and could carve himself a role at United, were Van Gaal to opt for a 5-3-2 in which the two wing-backs push forward. Dan |
| Our own identified targets from the World Cup so far Posted: 19 Jun 2014 07:11 AM PDT
As with South Africa four years ago, the pre-tournament talk going into this years Brazilian World Cup was of stadium issues, crime and local disorder but, just like back in 2010, the concerns appear to have been over played (so far). There is however one huge difference between 2010 and 2014…..the quality of the football so far in Brazil has been unbelievable, unmissable and full of goals and top players stepping up to perform. So, which players have caught the eye of our RedRants team and, more importantly, you?
Dan C singles out Eduardo Vargas: Arturo Vidal and Alexis Sanchez might have been Chile's most recognised stars going into the World Cup, but in the first two games Eduardo Vargas arguably outshone both of his teammates and looks to have finally seized his chance to shine on a big stage.
Vargas scored the opener and was a constant thorn in the side for Spain, with neither Sergio Ramos nor Javi Martinez able to cope with the Chilean, who fits the "false nine" role to perfection in Sanpaoli's ultra-attacking approach. Vargas first shone under the current Chile coach at Universidad de Chile, scoring 32 times in 78 appearances before moving to Napoli for £11.5m in December 2011. Vargas has so failed to make an impact in Serie A, however, and was loaned to Gremio for the second half of the 2012-13 season and then to Valencia in January, where he impressed scoring five times and assisting four goals in 20 appearances Skilful, quick and creative, Vargas would fit in seamlessly in Van Gaal's 4-3-3 but his performances have the World Cup are likely to attract interest from a host of clubs.
Ian opts for a Croatian winger in Ivan Perišic: Perhaps his standout performance against Cameroon last night means Perišic is not quite the hidden star he was yesterday but I’d already singled him out during the fantastic opening game of the tournament in which Croatia were narrowly beaten by the hosts. Last night just strengthened his case. Perišic plays his football in Germany with Wolfsburg after being offloaded by Dortmund in January 2013. He’s a winger with deceptive pace and great ball control whilst on the move. His assist for Ivica Olic on Wednesday night was a sure sign the 25-year-old has the awareness and decision making ability to pick a tight pass under pressure and, crucially, the ability to make that pass stick. Olic’s reaction to Perišic’s part in the goal was testament to the quality of the through ball squeezed through the narrowest of gaps and via the tightest of angles. Rather than celebrating the goal personally, Olic made a B-Line to Perišic to acknowledge his involvement, a nice touch but the pass was more than worthy of it.
With United’s history entrenched in wing play and the recent lack of quality in that area from the likes of Nani and Valencia, it could be argued, despite not knowing van Gaal’s plans, there’s a space for one (possibly even two) wingers within the squad. If there is Perišic looks a good shout as he’s capable of playing both right and left. So, what’s his value? Well – much to Wolfsburg and his agent’s delight I’m sure – it’s undoubtedly increased this week. That will however, please Everton’s Roberto Martinez considerably less so as he is rumoured to be interested in the Croatian at £8m. If Perišic continues to impress, that figure could feasibly double or even triple considering he still has there years left on his current contract.
Rob J has also been drawn towards a winger by the name of ‘James’ Rodriguez:
He can play as a winger, or in the number 10 role, and although United have many players who can play behind the striker, Rodriguez is much more direct, with him being a cross between Januzaj and Mata. Whether his potential signing is realistic is another thing, with it being unlikely Monaco would let him go. Despite this, Rodriguez would be an excellent acquisition, with him offering something different to what United already have, and at the age of 22, his best is still to come.
Loyal RedRants reader and contributor, Stephen, believes Daley Blind is the one to keep an eye on: A player who has really impressed me is Daley Blind. I know he is relatively obvious, but I think he would be ideal for United. He can play in at least 2 positions, great at going forward and can play as a holding midfield player. He would be a cheaper, more adaptable option than Luke Shaw and he also links up well with RVP. At 5’11 and 24 years old he would (sadly but realistically) provide the ideal Glazer ingredient, that being good “value” Finally, new boy Dan Ror opted to add some much needed steel to our midfield with Chile’s Arturo Vidal: Vidal is a player that I, along with alot of other United fans I'm sure, has dreamed of having at United for a number of years. Although I have wanted him at United for a few years this was mainly due to hearing positive things from other people, I can't say I'd seen him play that often but my admiration for him has been cemented whilst watching him in this World Cup. Although he is just back from knee surgery he played like a man on fire against Spain last night and perfectly tied together the whole Chilean team. The 27 year old, who plays for Juventus, got forward when his team had the ball but came back to defend when they were without it. He had a hand in the first goal and without him Chile's fantastic victory over Spain, which sent the defending champions out, would have been a lot tougher. Hopefully Louis Van Gaal will feels the same as me after Chile take on Holland next Monday therefore increasing the possibility of us seeing Vidal at Old Trafford next season!
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| United target far from renewing deal Posted: 19 Jun 2014 06:38 AM PDT
Lahm, the Germany and Bayern captain, extended his contract until 2018 while Mueller, who netted a hat-trick as Germany dismantled Portugal 4-0 in their first game at the World Cup, will remain with the Bavarian club until 2019 but the impasse over Kroos’ deal is still far from being resolved.
The 24-year-old turned down Bayern’s first offer as he was unhappy with the financial terms on offer but he’s since not been offered an improved contract and while Bayern remain adamant they won’t sell the midfielder, Kroos, whose contract expires in 2015, admitted a solution was not forthcoming. “There’s nothing new to report,” Kroos told a press conference on Wednesday. “With respect to the time before the World Cup, nothing at all has changed” “If anything does happen, then you will all find out. Congratulations to Philipp and Thomas for their decisions and extensions.” Kroos was firmly on David Moyes’ radar and the former United manager was thought to have moved close to signing the German international this summer. However, after Moyes was sacked by United in April, new manager Louis Van Gaal has distanced himself from the pursuit for the 24-year-old, who he had previously coached at Bayern Munich. United’s midfield is in desperate need of a major overhaul and a player like Kroos would be a major coup for them this summer, given the German international can be deployed virtually anywhere in midfield, has excellent vision and technique and is physically strong but Van Gaal seems determined to focus his attention on other targets. One player thought to be on the Dutchman’s list, Bastian Schewinsteger, is Kroos’ teammate for club and country but United fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the 29-year-old against Portugal were left disappointed as he did not get off the bench. Kroos, meanwhile, was excellent as Germany opened their campaign in style with a resounding win and have been tipped by Ladbrokes to go all the way and beat Argentina on penalties in a repeat of the 1990 final. The bookmaker has collected and analysed data from previous World Cups and transformed it into a tool which allows its users to predict how the tournament will – or should – pan out by comparing how the teams that have qualified for this year’s World Cup have fared against each other in the past. |
The 24-year-old was La Roja's joint top-scorer in their qualifying campaign and his performance against Spain highlighted just how crucial a figure he's in Jorge Sanpaoli's team.
@BusbySnakeHips tweeted “That RB Arsenal are linked with for the Ivory Coast. Aurier, he had an assist for both of their goals. Looks a prospect him”
As if that wasn’t enough, Perišic soon went from provider to goalscorer himself with a goal of great individual brilliance including a composed, deliberate, well executed feint to send the keeper out of the game opening the near post for a finish he made look easy.
Rodriguez put in an excellent performance for Colombia against Greece. He is far from an unknown quantity, having played for Porto and then moving to Monaco for a large transfer fee; however this is the first time he has been given the chance to prove himself on the biggest stage. He showed good pace and strength, with him gliding past opponents at times, but also showed he had a lot of composure on the ball, with an ability to pick out key passes and score regularly with his magical left foot.
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