Republik Of Mancunia

Van Gaal and Van Persie Batter World and European Champions
VIDEO: Van Persie scores against Spain and high-fives Van Gaal
Bwin Blogger’s League: United strikers, England vs Italy
Top Journos Explain Why Hodgson Is So Keen On Smalling
Top Journo Amazed By The Bile Rooney Attracts

Van Gaal and Van Persie Batter World and European Champions

Posted: 13 Jun 2014 02:29 PM PDT

Holland thrashed Spain 5-1 in their opening World Cup game this evening, with our Robin van Persie scoring two of the goals.

Spain won the European Championship in 2012, the World Cup in 2010, and the Euros in 2008. They were on for their fourth major tournament trophy win in a row but their hopes will be massively dented following this evening’s game.

It also increases the likelihood of David de Gea getting some game time in the tournament, after Ilker Casillas was guilty of several howlers. Juan Mata might also get a go now too, given how ineffective Spain were up front and how few chances they created.

Louis van Gaal got his tactics spot on. Time and again the Dutch side attacked with confidence and speed. When you consider that Holland’s superstars are few and far between, and the Spanish team is littered with world class players, it’s a huge achievement for our new manager. When you then try and apply this logic to the Premier League and our current squad, it should fill us with confidence over what he may be capable of when he takes charge at United next season.

Of course, we can’t get too carried away, and it would actually suit us better if Holland didn’t succeed and Van Gaal was allowed to return to Manchester sooner rather than later. But it still is fantastic to see our new manager and probably next captain do so well in their opening game of the World Cup.

Ryan Giggs, who is working as a pundit on South African TV, gave his verdict on Van Gaal.

“What did you expect, he’s a Man United manager.”

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The Republik of Mancunia has brought out a brilliant downloadable World Cup preview. It contains 20 articles written by football experts on the countries our players will be representing in Brazil. There is also exclusive content from this country's top football journalists, such as Sid Lowe, Martin Lipton, Sam Wallace and Dominic Fifield. All profit is going to charity. More info on the RoM World Cup preview can be found here.

Minimum price is £4. Enter your e-mail address to receive the download and the price you would like to pay.

VIDEO: Van Persie scores against Spain and high-fives Van Gaal

Posted: 13 Jun 2014 12:52 PM PDT

Robin van Persie scored the equalising goal for Holland against Spain tonight and then celebrated with his new Manchester United manager, Louis van Gaal.

Bwin Blogger’s League: United strikers, England vs Italy

Posted: 13 Jun 2014 08:10 AM PDT

In a slow start to the Bwin Blogger’s League, RoM’s first bet didn’t really go to plan as Fred failed to get on the scoresheet. We all know however this is a marathon not a sprint, so the minor setback won’t be costly.

Friday and Saturday represent a busy day for Manchester United strikers with the four senior members all taking part. Javier Hernandez and Mexico face off against Cameroon, whilst the Robin van Persie led Holland take on reigning champions Spain on the friday. With that in mind, we believe the best way to succeed is to back the club’s players Javier Hernandez @ 6/1 for first goalscorer seems too good to turn down, similarly with Robin van Persie @ 15/2.

On saturday, England kick off their World Cup hopes in Manaus against Italy. With Welbeck seemingly fit to play, the England side could feature three United players. A lot of pressure is on the back of Wayne Rooney given his previous lack of productivity in his two previous campaigns. Whilst much of the attention has been on how England can stop Andrea Pirlo, the focus will certainly be on the Juventus man but it may be teammate and fellow midfielder Claudio Marchisio that might steal the show given the lack of focus on him, who @ 14/1 for the Man of the Match award seems good value as an outsider.

Have any tips for the England game? Let us know in the comments below.

bwin World Cup Blogger’s League

We are taking part in the bwin World Cup Blogger’s League, a betting competition between top football sites, to follow our progress head to www.bwinbetting.com.

All of the odds included are sourced from bwin.com and you can find more on bwin’s World Cup offering, including Double/Treble returns, here.

For all the latest odds, tips and offers follow @bwin or visit www.facebook.com/bwin.

Top Journos Explain Why Hodgson Is So Keen On Smalling

Posted: 13 Jun 2014 04:30 AM PDT

Speaking with RoM for the World Cup preview, Martin Lipton and Dom Fifield have discussed the inclusion of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling in the England squad.

Martin Lipton, chief football writer for The Mirror

They are favourites of Roy Hodgson; and what might be hard for many United fans to get their heads around is that Hodgson regards these two from a very different perspective. While United fans have been accustomed to the security of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand for eight years, and wonder if Jones and Smalling are up to the job, Hodgson has never had the benefit of those kind of players at his disposal. He sees Smalling and Jones as two talented centre-backs – which they undoubtedly are – who can offer him cover at full-back. The configuration of his squad, with seven defenders instead of the standard eight, is based on that calculation.

The best centre-half in the England squad is Gary Cahill by some distance. It remains a mystery why United never tried to sign him, given how relatively late into his career he was still at Bolton Wanderers. He is coming to the peak of his powers and his athleticism and burst of pace gives him that get-out-of-jail card if he allows the striker to get away initially. He is a steady character too. It is noticeable that when some of the more sensitive types at Chelsea stick the headphones on and walk straight out after games, Cahill is always prepared to talk.

Smalling and Jones are both behind him, to my mind. Phil Jagielka's place in the team is the more vulnerable, but he does complement Cahill by playing on the left side of the two and their form has been decent, especially in the 0-0 draw against Ukraine in Kiev in qualification. Centre-halves do tend to mature later and Jones, in particular, is only 22. Much as I am entertained by Roy Keane's random and often arbitrary monstering of random players he happens to dislike, even he was stretching credibility by blaming Jones for being injured too much.

Dom Fifield, London football correspondent for The Guardian

The versatility that has dogged Phil Jones since he moved to United has probably earned him his inclusion in the England squad. Both he and Chris Smalling can operate at right-back if required as a back up for Glen Johnson, and the 22-year-old might also supplement numbers in defensive midfield if Hodgson feels he has to close down a contest. It may be that neither starts a match in Brazil, but they should benefit from the experience of a major finals.

Smalling has always been a Hodgson favourite, ever since he was secured from Maidstone while the manager was at Fulham. He is first-choice back-up for the Gary Cahill – Phil Jagielka central defensive partnership, but both he and Jones should be classed as 'squad players' at best. The reality is both have plenty to prove at this level, particularly against better quality opposition.

In the World Cup preview, they also discuss the importance of Wayne Rooney, England’s chances and Roy Hodgson’s suitability to the job. All profit to Trafford Macmillan Wellbeing Centre.

Follow @DomFifield and @MartinLipton on Twitter.

Top Journo Amazed By The Bile Rooney Attracts

Posted: 13 Jun 2014 01:30 AM PDT

Speaking to RoM for the World Cup preview, Sam Wallace, the chief football writer at The Independent, has discussed at length the importance of Wayne Rooney to England.

It never ceases to amaze how much bile he attracts. You might say Rooney's curse was to be born English at the wrong time. There are so few others in his generation who have got close to being at his level and to push the group of players older than them. Look at the age profile of the current squad and those in and around Rooney's age – he is 28, and turns 29 in October. It is only Leighton Baines (29), Gary Cahill (28) and James Milner (28). Between them those three have 92 caps (as of the Peru game). Rooney has 90 on his own. The issue is not the quality of Rooney – he is a very good footballer – the brutal truth is that we should have been able to produce more who are as good as him.

That said, of course he is important to England. There is already a debate in the Sunday papers post-Peru over whether he should be dropped, although I feel that owes more to the lack of meaty issues elsewhere. The Peru game was his first since 26 April so, to my mind, it is too early for that. He has done his best to get ready for this tournament, which at least shows he has learned from previous mistakes.

Rooney feels like the last of a generation of a certain type of English player. If you grew up in England at whatever level you watched or played the game, you will have encountered the Rooney type. He is the big, strong boy with the best touch on the pitch and a great shot. He is capable of 'affecting games' – as the modern coach-speech has it – and he has a few reliable old tricks up his sleeve which he rolls out to great effect.
t was interesting that Sir Alex Ferguson noted in his new autobiography that Rooney found it difficult to absorb new concepts when he was coached and generally fell back on what he knew best. Even allowing for their mutual bitterness, you could see his point. Rooney's optimum time for England was the 2006 World Cup finals when he was coming nicely to maturity after two years at United and was still young enough and fresh enough. That tournament blew up horribly on the back of injury and I feel that, for England, he has been chasing his losses since then.

That said, he is probably going to break Bobby Charlton's 49-goal international record which has stood for four decades. There is a reason why it has lasted so long when generally the trend in sport is for records to fall. It's because it's a bloody good return on an international career. I imagine there will be much handwringing at the end of Rooney's England years as his many critics try to reconcile his big haul of goals with what will, in all likelihood, be very little tournament success. My argument would be that, for all his own faults, he has not been blessed with a great supporting cast.

As for being the last of a generation, my impression is that English football, with its vast investment in youth development, will turn out fewer players like Rooney, with his Saturday-night-on-the-high-street temper and his fuck-you attitude. The new academy system and EPPP may well be a success for the big clubs but like the English public school system it will turn out a certain type. And it won't be the type that thinks a cigarette in the pool is tournament preparation.

Sam also discusses England’s chances, the inclusion of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, Roy Hodgson’s ability to do the job, amongst other things. Get the RoM World Cup preview for just £4 and get the warm fuzzy feeling of knowing that you are donating to the Trafford Macmillan Wellbeing Centre.

Follow @SamWallace on Twitter.

Saturday, 14 June 2014

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