Thursday, 4 September 2014

Real unwilling to pay for Falcao, claims father

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Real unwilling to pay for Falcao, claims father

Real unwilling to pay for Falcao, claims father

Posted: 03 Sep 2014 07:21 AM PDT

Colombia striker Falcao joined Manchester United in a season-long loan move from Monaco on Monday. The 28-year-old had been heavily linked with a switch to the Santiago Bernabeu but a move did not come to pass as United won the race for his signature. And Falcao's father Radamel Garcia indicated that Real – who brought in Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez and Javier Hernandez in the transfer window– were reluctant to splash the cash to take the former Atletico Madrid back to the Spanish capital. "The deal with Real Madrid did not happen because if you have money and you go to the market to buy a shirt or a pair of trousers, you have to decide whether to buy it or not," Garcia is quoted as saying to Colombian radio station LA FM. "Real Madrid chose not to. "I don't know, I have the feeling they wanted the player for free with a number of conditions. "In any case, they bought the trousers and shirt they wanted and they considered that to be better. "We have to accept it." Garcia also revealed that a number of clubs across Europe were interested in Falcao and that Arsenal made a last-ditch attempt to lure him to the Emirates Stadium. "The clubs that showed an interest in him were Juventus, Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal at the last minute," Garcia added. "Fortunately, he has arrived to Manchester United, a great club. "Thank God everything came through with United. "Radamel is a person who has given a lot in Europe and has always deserved the best for all the effort, all the sacrifices he has made during his football career. "United is the most important team in England and one of the most powerful from an economic standpoint. "Now it's his [Falcao's] turn to give his best, to be ready and continue to win titles."

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Captain Fantastic? Think again, its all in the head

Posted: 03 Sep 2014 05:25 AM PDT

There is great romance to our ideas of a football captain. We tend to think of some of the world's greatest players rousing their troops to victory. It's inspiring to remember them willing their team-mates to success. It's romantic to think that they, and in turn, we, can make a difference. But do captains really matter? Does a football team really need a captain? Is this team of adults incapable of functioning without one of them wearing a silly armband? The answer to all of these questions is, of course, no. But that's only obvious if you agree. If you don't agree, this is going to be quite a ride. It is absurd to think that captains are particularly important in football – absolutely absurd. But as the psychologist Daniel Kahneman puts it: "We know that people can maintain an unshakeable faith in any proposition, however absurd, when they are sustained by a community of like-minded believers." When we keep hearing players talking about the importance of their captain or explaining what an honour it is to be captain; when we keep reading in the news about a captain being dropped, speculation as to who will be the next captain and what makes a good captain; when we listen to commentary about a captain inspiring their team to victory – it's no surprise that we start to think the captain might actually be important. As a result, opinions become close to cemented and almost impossible to disregard, even in light of alternative evidence. Add to this our conversations with friends and colleagues, and we find ourselves in a cycle of communal reinforcement. If we have any doubts, they will soon pass when we ask ourselves: "If the England football captain isn't important, then why is everyone talking about it?" Remember the hits and forget the misses It will also help us to understand why we repeatedly believe in the role of a captain being more than a glorified coin-toss caller by looking at the dark world of psychics. Psychics use a technique referred to as cold-reading, incorporating the use of vague statements and picking up a reaction to them from individuals based on their vulnerabilities and natural desire to find meaning in all aspects of life. The psychic takes advantage of this phenomenon to seemingly make remarkable prophecies, but only because we assign meaning to the vague statements they give us. In 1948, a psychologist called Bertram Forer gave to students what they believed was an individual personality reading and asked them to rate from 1-5 (1 being poor, 5 being excellent) how well the reading applied to them. The students were stunned that Forer had produced such an accurate reading of their personalities, giving him an average score of 4.26. However, Forer had given the same reading to all of his students and had relied on what were actually fairly vague statements found in an astrology column. But the students bought it. So when we have a vague idea of what we want from a captain, it's not much of a surprise to see that our captains seem to fit those criteria fairly well. For example, they tend to lead by example; be passionate, professional, inspirational and motivational; they tend to have good experience. When a psychic makes predictions and assessments, not only do they benefit from using vague terms and picking up on the desire of their subject to find meaning to their statements, they also benefit from subjects suffering from selective memory. The outcome of which is to remember the hits and forget the misses. In the book Flim-Flam!, James Randi reviewed videotapes of psychic readings with their subjects, finding, on average, only 1 in 14 of the psychic's statements were correct. Basically, when we recall what the psychic told us, we reinforce the idea that the psychic is competent because we've forgotten all the mistakes they've made. Extrapolating those findings to the world of football, when we think of a captain's we think of the iconic images of Bobby Moore holding the Jules Rimet trophy aloft, Terry Butcher with blood-stained bandage around his head, Steven Gerrard taking the European Cup final match against AC Milan by the scruff of the neck, David Beckham inspiring England to World Cup qualification with a last-minute equaliser against Greece in 2002, and John Terry throwing himself face first in an attempt to block a shot against USA in the 2010 World Cup*. Confirmation bias And what about all the other images we could have of captains, like Roy Keane deliberately clattering an opponent, or Zinedine Zidane's explosion in the final of 2006? Well, we tend to somehow perceive these events as further evidence of why they are such good captains overall. We assess these moments as a demonstration of the passion we want in a captain – a collateral hazard we're willing to accept. More significantly, what about all those games when the captain (and perhaps the rest of the team) took part in an unmemorable, boring performance? Remember those games? Of course you don't. Even if they might have been more memorable we're prone to selectively remember only the parts that reinforce our existing prejudices. Humans are flawed. We suffer from confirmation bias. Leo Tolstoy summed up this phenomenon beautifully: "The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already, but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him." If you asked a Chelsea fan a few years ago whether Terry should have been England captain, you'd have got a very different opinion to a QPR fan. But how do we really test for and against the criteria of a good captain, and isn't it a case that our assessments are largely dictated by what we think of the captain in the first place? If we don't like them, we'll find evidence to support our belief. If we like them, then we'll find evidence to show that they fit the criteria. Repeated psychological studies have demonstrated that not only can we take the same information and use it to support seemingly polar opposite opinions; we repeatedly disregard or look for a higher burden of proof in evidence which goes against our beliefs. So if we think that the captain is an important position then we're going to pay more attention to the evidence that supports this hypothesis and ignore the evidence against it, or ask for more evidence. As Paul Simon puts it: "A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest." Placebos It would have been a nice place to wrap up there, but there is one sneaky bit of psychological evidence which shouldn't really be ignored. And this is perhaps the only way in which the captain might, and stress might, make a difference – that is if you consider the captain as a placebo. It's perhaps a stretch too far, but rather than fall foul of confirmation bias, it is only fair to talk about them. In 1794, an Italian doctor experimented with treatments for toothache and found when he rubbed worm secretions on a sore tooth, his pain went away. He went on to use this on a patients suffering toothache and discovered that 68% reported that their pain went away for a year. Now, this writer's understanding of worm secretions isn't great but he'd hazard a guess that the reason for its effectiveness in treating tooth ache was because the doctor and the patients believed it would work. Modern psychology has largely gone to prove the efficacy of placebos (at least in subject perception over the observable physical improvements attributed to the placebo), so much so that modern pharmaceutical companies are expected to test their products against placebos to demonstrate efficacy. If there are no significant improvements to using the drug over a placebo then it's a no go as a seller (well, kind of; there are some examples of dodgy experiments and evidence supporting the development and sale of certain medicines but there's no time for that here). What can we learn about the placebo that might help us understand more about the football captain? Well, if it's anything, it's that if a captain can make a team more successful or the team can be perceived as more successful simply because that player is captain, then it's only because the manager, fans and the team-mates believe he can. Interestingly, however, is that the perceived price of a placebo actually affects its efficacy. A team headed by Dan Ariely of Michigan Institute of Technology tested a painkiller placebo on one group of subjects and told them its value was $2.50 per dose. Nearly all the subjects reported that the placebo was effective in reducing pain. However, when they tested the same placebo on another group of subjects and told them its value was 10 cents per dose, only around half of the subjects reported that the placebo was effective in reducing pain. On a similar note, the reported effects of painkillers can vary significantly according to the packaging. Cheap no frills packaging result in subjects reporting the pills contained as less effective, even if the pills in the flash packaging were exactly the same. How might this be extrapolated to the world of football and, in particular, captains? Well, when Sven-Goran Eriksson chose David Beckham as his England captain in 2000 it might have been one of the better judgements of his tenure. He could have chosen a no-nonsense captain but Beckham was expensive and well packaged and, as a result, perhaps he worked far more effectively as the placebo captain of England than Gary Neville ever would have. In essence, the only reason a captain improves, or is perceived to improve, a team's performance is because the his team-mates and the fans are willing to believe it. Captains are, at best, little sugar pills with armbands. *Some of the more observant readers might point out that John Terry wasn't even captain in the 2010 World Cup; others will be kicking themselves that they suffer from some of the fallacies pointed out in this article.

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Welbeck looking to take next step at Arsenal

Posted: 03 Sep 2014 03:34 AM PDT

Welbeck traded Old Trafford for the Emirates Stadium on the final day of the transfer window on Monday in a move reported to be worth £16 million. The England striker had previously spent his entire career at United, save for loan spells with Preston North End and Sunderland, but was rarely able to establish himself as a regular. Indeed, Welbeck made just 24 starts in all competitions last season, scoring 10 goals, but is now hoping to make the most of his undoubted potential in north London. "It's exciting times for me," Welbeck told Arsenal's official website. "It's great to be a part of this club and it's a team that I've always watched in the Premier League. I've envisaged myself playing in this team before. For it to finally happen is very exciting. "I believe the style of play the manager's [Arsene Wenger] got and the boys play and with the magnificent players in midfield slotting balls through, I can run on to the end of those balls and slot them away. "I've been at United ever since I was a little boy and I had a great time there. I just think this is the next stage of my development - to come to Arsenal, to really show people what I can do as a footballer and hopefully get to the place where I want to be." Wenger's men ended a nine-year trophy drought by winning the FA Cup in May before claiming the Community Shield last month. And Welbeck, who has one Premier League title to his name, is hopeful he can add to that tally with his new employers. He added: "They've [Arsenal] done well in recent years and last year we got the FA Cup and I feel like it's time where we could really push on and try and challenge for the Premier League title. I've got one medal and it's something that I really want to add to. "Things move on in life and I think you've really got to make the right decision in the situation that you're in at that moment in time. I really do believe that coming to Arsenal is the right decision."

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Varela makes Real loan switch from Man United

Posted: 03 Sep 2014 02:49 AM PDT

The 21-year-old Uruguayan was David Moyes' first signing as United boss, buthas not featured in the first team since his move fromPenarol last June and links up withthe European champions for the remainder of the 2014-15 campaign. Varela will play for the Real's 'Castilla' reserve team in theSegunda Division under Zinedine Zidane. He becomes the second player this week to make a loanmove to Real from United, following striker Javier Hernandez to the Spanish capital. Uruguay Under-20 international Varela was a regular fixture in United'sUnder-21 team last season.

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Al-Khelaifi: Di Maria wanted PSG move

Posted: 03 Sep 2014 01:00 AM PDT

Argentina international Di Maria had been the subject of speculation for weeks before sealing a move to Old Trafford for a British record fee of £59.7 million last week. Al-Khelaifi revealed that the Parisian giants lodged a bid for the 26-year-old, but were not prepared to meet Real Madrid's asking price. He told Le Parisien: "For two or three weeks, I have discussed this issue with my friend Florentino Perez, president of Real Madrid. "We met twice, we made ​​an offer, but we are not agreed on the price. For me it was too expensive. It has nothing to do with the financial fair play. The player wanted to come to Paris, but this was not possible." Al-Khelaifi also revealed that Barcelona tabled a big-money bid for defender Marquinhos, but PSG had no intention ofselling the Brazilian. "We received a very large supply of FC Barcelona, ​​more than €40 million." he said. "But we do not buy players for resale. We are not there to do business, we are here to build a great club with great talented players. "If it was to do business, we would have sold three or four players this summer. It's not my philosophy." The PSG supremo also denied that Edinson Cavani was eager to leave Parc des Princes during the transfer window after several clubs were linked with the Uruguay striker. Cavani has largely had to play second fiddle to Zlatan Ibrahimovic as PSG's main strike since his arrival from Napoli, but Al-Khelaifi has backed the 27-year-old to channel any frustrations into positive performances. "He is very happy in Paris, he loves the club, he is fully in the project," said Al-Khelaifi "When he misses a game, he's angry, it's normal, he's a competitor. After, I can confirm that many clubs wanted [to sign Cavani]. And I can confirm that many great players want to come to Paris."

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Giggs: Di Maria, Falcao will boost confidence

Posted: 03 Sep 2014 12:49 AM PDT

United have made a difficult start to life under new manager Louis van Gaal, claiming just two points from their first three Premier League games and suffering a humiliating 4-0 loss to League One MK Dons in the second round of the League Cup. The 20-time English champions smashed the British transfer record to bring in Di Maria from Real Madrid for £59.7 million last Tuesday, before signing Colombia striker Falcao on a season-long loan from Monaco on transfer deadline day. And club legend Giggs feels the arrivals of the South American duo should bolsterthe morale of a side that finished a disappointingseventh in the Premier League last season. "Confidence is a problem," Giggs told the Daily Telegraph. "It's not easy at times, especially at Old Trafford where we've not performed really for over a year now – funnily enough away from home there's not been the same problem. We need to get that sorted as quickly as possible. "When you see players of that ilk [Di Maria and Falcao] coming into the club it's exciting; whether you're a player or a coach it gives you a buzz. You want to play with the best players and you certainly want to coach the best. "We've got very good players at the club now. It's up to us – and them – to get that reflected in the results." Much has been made of the 3-5-2 system Van Gaal has implemented since he came to Old Trafford, with many observers pinpointing it as the primary reason for the Dutchman's failure to register a first win so far. But Giggs is refusing to panic and is confident that a reversal in fortunes is around the corner. "It may take a bit more time than we thought to get it right, but the players are on board," Giggs added. "They are vocal on the training pitch and in the meetings. And that's what we want. We want this system to get results. "Coming seventh last year wasn't good enough. We haven't started well this season, but we have to look to win something. "We've got to be looking to contest the Premier League and look to get back in the Champions League. And I honestly believe, with the players we've now got, we're not far off."

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Van Gaal happy to bypass Spurs for Man United

Posted: 02 Sep 2014 07:10 PM PDT

Van Gaal was poised to become Tottenham manager following discussions with Daniel Levy last season, only for United to sack David Moyes and prise the Dutchman to Old Trafford. The former Netherlands boss has endured a rocky beginning to his United tenure as he attempts to rebuild the club, with an opening-round loss and back-to-back draws in United's first three Premier League games. United were also routed 4-0 by League One outfit MK Dons in the second round of the Capital One Cup. While Van Gaal admitted he has a sizeable task ahead of him, the 62-year-old is happy to have bypassed the "easier" option that would have been presented to him at White Hart Lane, in favour of a more superior club. "No, I don't regret taking this job," Van Gaal told The Mirror. "Yes, it is a massive job I have taken on at Manchester United. I realise that. "And the situation is not worse than I thought - I knew what I would find on my plate. "I could have opted for an easier job. If I had gone to Tottenham, the job would not have been as enormous as here at United. "I could have easily gone to Spurs. But I chose the biggest challenge of all the jobs in football. And I really wanted to join the number one club in the country, not Tottenham. "Financially, Tottenham was kind of as attractive as Man United. But, in my eyes, Man United is still the number one club in England, Tottenham really is not."

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In the mag: Real Madrid vs Barcelona special! Champions League! Conspiracy theories!

Posted: 02 Sep 2014 05:00 PM PDT

If you haven't enjoyed Real Madrid and Barcelona's thoroughly entertaining one-upmanship this summer... well, you're just a robot. We did, of course, so thought we'd dedicate our latest issue –availablein printandin a specially-designed-for-iPad version–to the fascinating battle set to take place between Europe's most bonkers attacks. While Flo Perez Co. were snaring World Cup Golden Boot winner James Rodriguez for an eye-watering €80 million, and adding Bayern Munich's Toni Kroos for good measure, Barcelona were beefing up their strikeforce with freescoring Liverpool nutcase Luis Suarez. Both sides have points to prove domestically as they bid to wrench back the La Liga crown from Atletico Madrid, while Barcelona have some catching up to do after their Clasicorivals scooped a long-awaited 10th Champions League title. As fun as it sounds, though, we all know that gung-ho madness won't win you much in the long run– so what else have the Spanish giants been up to in their bid to end the season smiling? Quite a lot, we'll have you know... Luis Suarez will conveniently return to make his competititve debut in El Clasicolater next month (October 26) – but that's only the start.Barcelona's new boss Luis Enrique has to find a way to make his side lovable again after an ill-fated spell under Gerardo Martino, and all with a transfer embargo hanging over his head too (he's done alright in the market so far, mind). Then there's Lionel Messi: will he ever be the same again after his hamstring injury? How can Neymar prove the boo-boys wrong? Where on earth does Suarez fit in? Will Ronaldo vs Bale develop into something a little tastier this season? How on earth did James Rodriguez get so good? Well, wonder no more on that one as FFT's South American expert Martin Mazur guides you through the story of how a painfully shy boy fromCúcuta ended up costing a combined €125m over two summers, via a headline-grabbing World Cup for Colombia. The lad done good. Both clubs will be desperate to get their hands on Ol' Big Ears again this season, but the road ahead looks trickier than ever. England's contenders look better prepared for the challenge, for starters; is an upset on the cardsthis time out? Our thorough Champions League dossier looks ahead to Europe's glitterball showpiece, providing the lowdown on the managers, clubs and hot prospects you need to look out for this season. What will Pep do next? Can Liverpool stamp their mark? Who are the minnows? And what does Jurgen Klopp have in store for us this time? Elsewhere, whether you think they're a pile of tosh or otherwise, we all enjoy a good old conspiracy theory. From tapped-up refs to coded Messi messages (oh, and the 1966 World Cup was rigged, don't you know), FFT brings you 28 of the craziest claims to have crept into consciousness. Gigi Meroni won't be a familiar name on English shores, but his story needs telling nonetheless. The maverick Italian was a breath of fresh air for 1960s football until his fascinating life was cut short at 24 in a tragic road accident. His penchant for dribbling was mirrored by an unpredictable lifestyle off the pitch, earning him his nickname 'The Butterfly' and a host of admirers. Not to be missed. But enough of that fancy foreign muck, you say. Here's the down 'n' dirty best of the rest, starting with FFT's trip to Kingstonian. AFC Wimbledon saved the seventh-tier side by buying their ground in 2003, but by living away from their spiritual home and taking their tenants' fans, are the phoenix club 'doing an MK Dons'? We investigate... Then there's our feature on why it helps to have God on your side. If you hadn't noticed yet, there's a growing number of clubs who see a man– or woman– of the cloth as an essential member of the backroom team. Morning, Reverend. This month's One-on-One, meanwhile, is a genuinely fascinating one. Dean Windass has led a more colourful life than most footballers, and in a frank interview with FFT the Hull legend opens up about his battle with depression and the long road to recovery that followed. Then there's the game for Aberdeen in which he was sent off three times. And when he got a man-of-the-match award– playing in goal... If that's not enough, we bring you a Performance masterclass with new Manchester United signing Radamel Falcao, an exclusive chat with AC Milan boss Filippo Inzaghi in Planet Football, the 22-year-old manager, football quadruplets and much, much more... enjoy! Available from Wednesday September 3in printandin a specially-designed-for-iPad version.

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Van Persie denies talk of surgery, welcomes Falcao

Posted: 02 Sep 2014 12:20 PM PDT

Falcao made the move to Old Trafford on transfer deadline day and rumours were rife that the Colombia striker had been drafted in on loan from Monaco to fill in for Van Persie while the Dutchman undergoes a procedureon a knee injury. But Van Persie insisted on Tuesdaythat he does not need an operation and claimedthat he is looking forward to playing alongside Falcao. "I am impressed that people come pick up the imagination to invent something like that,"Van Persie toldFox Sports NL when asked about suggestions that he would have to undergosurgery. "I do not know where it comes from and can say with my hand on my heart that I won't be in a hospital to have the operation." Van Persie, who signed for United from Arsenal in 2012, has started the last two Premier League games for Louis van Gaal's side but has been substituted in both without scoring. Falcao's arrival could limit the 31-year-old's starting opportunities but he said heis motivated by the competition. "I welcome his arrival, he makes us better. At a top club you should always go for the best, which also fits my philosophy," he added. "Falcao must fight for his place, as I also have to. We must duke with Wayne Rooney and James Wilson to see who's playing." Van Persie is currently on international duty, with Netherlands facing Italy in a friendly on Thursday before beginning their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign in the Czech Republic.

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Hodgson: Arsenal move will benefit Welbeck

Posted: 02 Sep 2014 08:55 AM PDT

The 23-year-old striker moved from Manchester United to Arsenal for a reported fee of £16 million in a last-minute deal ontransfer deadline day. Welbeck, a product of United's youth academy, made just 15 Premier League starts for the club last term. And after United brought Radamel Falcao to the club, on loan from Monaco, he fell further down Louis van Gaal's attackingpecking order. The England man subsequently moved to Arsenal and Hodgson feels regular football under Arsene Wenger will help Welbeck move to the next level. "When you are a player of his calibre and find yourself at United with competition for places, you don't always get the starts you would like," Hodgson said ahead of England's friendly against Norway on Wednesday. "He is going to a club where he will hopefully get more starts and playing time. "It is not easy for players playing a small part in club games, then coming and playing 90 minutes for England in intense surroundings. "So I am pleased for Danny and I think Arsenal have signed a good player." Hodgson did not wish to offer any suggestions as to how Wenger should use Welbeck, but added that regular first-team exposurewould help his cause as England boss. "My job is with England and the players I choose," he added. "I don't wish to make any suggestions about what clubs do with their players. "But I cannot deny the more players play and the more experience they get, especially at Champions League level, the better it is for me at international level."

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Blind: United one of biggest clubs in world

Posted: 02 Sep 2014 08:35 AM PDT

United suffered a nightmare season under the stewardship of David Moyes last term, relinquishing their Premier League title with a whimper and eventually finishing seventh. Louis van Gaal has been brought in to replace Moyes and restore the club to their former glories, although the Dutchman has endured a tough start to life at Old Trafford, having not won any of his four games in charge so far. Van Gaal completed the signing of Blind - who impressed for his Netherlands team at the World Cup - on transfer deadline day, and has also brought in stellar names Radamel Falcao and Angel di Maria as he bids to reverse their fortunes. And, speaking after his move was completed, Blind insisted United are still up there with the best clubs on the planet. "It feels very good and I am very excited to start," he told MUTV."I am very happy to be here. "It has been very busy. Everything was going so fast so I didn't really have time to think about it all, but as I said I'm really happy to be here. "United are one of the biggest clubs in the world. If you look at their history they have won a lot of cups and they have had players here for their whole career, like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. "Those are players everyone knows about and I am a big fan of them. It's now a dream come true to play for Manchester United and I'm very happy that I have this chance."

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Cleverley seals last-gasp Aston Villa loan

Posted: 02 Sep 2014 08:05 AM PDT

Cleverley, 25, had been widely expected to leave Old Trafford in the transfer window, and moves to the Midlands for the duration of the 2014-15 season. Everton and Hull City had been linked with a move for the England midfielder, but Paul Lambert has swooped to bolster his ranks after an impressive start to the season. The transfer had to be ratified by the Premier League board as it was completed in the early hours of Tuesday morning, UK time, after the deadline had officially passed. However, Cleverley will link up with Villa, who sit third in the Premier League after two wins and a draw from their opening three games, and could make his debut against Liverpool after the international break.

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Rooney excited to work with Falcao at United

Posted: 02 Sep 2014 07:25 AM PDT

Falcao's future became the most talked-about issue during the final throes of the transfer window, with the 28-year-old linked with a number of clubs including Real Madrid, Manchester City and Arsenal. On Monday, it became clear the Monaco striker was set to join Unitedon a season-long loan, with the deal only confirmed in the early hours of Tuesday morning after the Premier Leaguegranted the Old Trafford cluban extension. Falcao adds further quality to Louis van Gaal's already star-studded forward line, with the likes of Rooney, Robin van Persie, Juan Mata and Angel di Maria already in the ranks at Old Trafford. At a press conference on Tuesday, United and England captain Rooney expressed his pleasure that the move had managed to go through. "I don't know how Falcao's arrival could affect my role," he said."I think it is a fantastic signing. "He is one of the best players in the world. It is a real show of intent by Manchester United. "It is a thrill. We have an exciting team. I am looking forward to the challenges ahead and I want it to be successful."

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Phelan: Man United identity is broken

Posted: 02 Sep 2014 05:53 AM PDT

United splashed a reported £150 million in the window to bring the likes of Angel di Maria, Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and Radamel Falcao to the club. The club's desperate bid to return to the top four has seen several youth products leave, with Welbeck the most notable. The 23-year-old forward joined Arsenal for a reported fee of £16mafter Monday'stransfer deadline had passed, with the Emirates Stadium outfit given special permission to complete the deal. Welbeck's departure came after fellow youngsters Tom Lawrence, Nick Powell and Michael Keane left the club, either on loan orpermanently, to the disappointment of former assistant manager Phelan. "They have probably lost the way of Manchester United a little bit," Phelan told BBC. "Now, rather than produce, it may be the case where they are buying in. "Someone like a Danny Welbeck has been part of United's identity and that has been broken. What will happen in the future now, nobody knows but that thread has been broken now. "There is always the start of something and maybe this is the start of a new way of doing things at Manchester United and maybe that is the way football is going. "Is it better to look at the instant rather than the future? It is a difficult one because youth is always the future, we all have to start somewhere and you just hope that product of youth can develop in the Premier League." Phelan – who worked under Alex Ferguson during his legendary spell in charge of United – feels that Welbeck will thrive at Arsenal, though. "He is still only a young player and with young players you will get peaks and troughs but it is a case of Danny feeling more important in himself than he probably was over the last 12 months," he added. "He is in a position where he can play where he wants and I think that is why he chose Arsenal because they give him the opportunity to play in his best position, which is a striker. "A club like Arsenal is a fabulous club, it is a well-run club. From a footballer's point of view, if you want to choose a football club, then Arsenal is right up there with the best."

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