* 30.11.14 10 | SPORT | Football | Barclays Van Persie and United hit form despite Di María blow

MANCHESTER UNITED 3 ­collected the ball when it was returned Smalling 16 Rooney 42 Van Persie 66 to him from a free-kick and, with his weaker right foot, spun in a lovely HULL 0 cross that found the United No12. This time, though, Smalling’s attempt was deflected. Jamie Jackson The manager was surely purring at half-time. Van Gaal may have informed his team to keep on as they had been, Manchester United turned in their best with much of the hard work done in the performance of the season on a near- buildup, according to his own pre-game perfect day for the nascent Louis van thoughts which offered insight into a Gaal project. meticulous work ethic. The caveat was the sight of Ángel di “My staff prepare thoroughly in the María pulling up injured and Wayne weeks leading up to a match,” Van Gaal Rooney requiring treatment at the close said. “Information on the opposition is for a knee problem. Yet an outing featur- gathered so I know everything about ing a slice of goalscoring redemption for them, about the individual players, about , a first appearance for the substitutes who can come into the Radamel Falcao in nearly six weeks and game, what the atmosphere in the sta- a third consecutive victory for the first dium is like and how they kick the first time under Van Gaal should hardly be ball of the match. Everything. grumbled at. “My analyst, Marcel Bout, goes to The manager confirmed Di María had the matches of the opposing teams. He pulled his hamstring muscle when near gives video clips of the games and his the centre circle and, after being replaced analysis to , who then turns moments later by , is out all the information into a presentation of Stoke City’s visit on Tuesday. which he then runs by me so I can make While there is less concern over changes, if necessary. Ryan will then pre- Rooney – he also suffered a kick to a sent it to the players. The next day we calf – Di María’s removal forced the evaluate our training sessions and we manager into a reshuffle. Van Persie, simulate our opponents.” who had been operating in an unfamil- Yesterday’s opponents started the iar midfield role, was pushed up to join second half by winning a free-kick. This Rooney in attack, where Di María had was duly cleared by United, with Van been stationed. Persie pivotal in helping kill the danger, The formation – a quasi 4-2-2-2 – which indicated his willingness to pitch was a puzzle. Apart from the sight of Di in whatever his personal woes. María operating alongside the captain, A chief bugbear of Van Gaal before was at left-back and Van this game had been that United needed Gaal could hardly have boosted the spir- to turn in a display for the full 90 min- its of Van Persie by demoting his status utes. The sight, then, of Andrew Rob- for the day. ertson, the visiting left-back, driving Before the match the manager through a slumbering rearguard would claimed the striker was suffering a lack not have pleased the Dutchman. Robert- of confidence and this was illustrated son’s eventual shot did not beat David before the break when he was clear in on de Gea but here was a warning not to Allan McGregor’s goal. Instead of slot- switch off. ting home with aplomb, as a Van Persie As the game aged, so did Van Persie, in form would, he merely dragged the like a vintage wine. The 31-year-old effort straight to the keeper. skated past Michael Dawson and was Still, it was his smart touch that made felled so the defender went into the book United’s second. swept a of the referee, . THE INJURY LIST GROWS UNITED NOW UP TO 41 AND COUNTING diagonal ball to Herrera. The midfield- Next came Van Persie’s moment. Her- er’s nod down went infield to the Dutch- rera, enjoying his best match for United, Ángel di María’s hamstring injury was the man and his lay-off was put ruthlessly intercepted a Robertson pass. He found 41st reported this season by United – an beyond McGregor by Rooney. Van Persie and, with a swish of that average of more than three injuries per This meant United were coasting lethal left boot, the Dutchman placed a game – with also taking when they entered the break. Earlier, 20-yard peach past McGregor before, a a late knock. Before yesterday’s match had given them the lead. little later, being replaced by Falcao. Di Maria discussed United’s problem A goalmouth scramble developed when At the end the Colombian missed from – and why he felt confident he could went for a header and close in but it was all academic by then. avoid becoming part of it. “As far as I’m after Smalling’s initial effort came back concerned, a lot of it is all in the head … I just to Van Persie the latter’s attempt was MANCHESTER UNITED De Gea; Valencia (Fletcher 74), don’t think about it. I do as much as I can Smalling, Rojo■, Young; Fellaini■, Carrick; Van Persie repelled by McGregor and, this time, (Falcao 70), Mata; Di María (Herrera 14), Rooney to avoid injury and to look after myself and Smalling’s effort was adjudged to have Subs not used Januzaj, Lindegaard, McNair, Blackett let’s hope that nothing goes wrong, right? HULL McGregor; Chester■, Dawson■, Davies, crossed the goalline. Robertson; Elmohamady, Livermore, Diamé (Quinn 75), There are footballers who need to train Smalling, who had not scored since Brady (Meyler 75); Jelavic, Ben Arfa (Aluko 35) more to deal with the physical side; I go Boxing Day (also against Hull), came Subs not used Rosenior, Bruce, Huddlestone, Jakupovic about it as normal, so, I’m not really worried Old Trafford 75,345 JONNY EVANS PHIL JONES RAFAEL close to a second after neat work from about that.” United’s current injury list: MF Knee CB Ankle CB Shin RB Groin CM Knee the impressive Mata. The Spaniard Game rating |||||||||| Referee Anthony Taylor Jedinak the Palace leveller leaves Swansea counting cost of spurned

SWANSEA 1 appearances, at which stage they seemed unchanged after their uplifting victory Gylfi Sigurdsson’s through ball enabled the left grazed the crossbar and, tempo- Bony 15 set for a routine win, but Palace dug deep over Liverpool last weekend – a much- Bony to turn smartly in a central posi- rarily, the initiative had changed hands. and fought back in spirited fashion, their needed result after taking one point from tion, 15 yards out, before shooting with Montero ought to have put that right CRYSTAL PALACE 1 competitive resolve rewarded with the their previous five matches. deadly precision into Julián Speroni’s before half-time, but shot tamely at Sper- Jedinak 25pen point gained by Mile Jedinak’s penalty. Swansea settled quickly into their right-hand corner. oni with the time and space available in Swansea, however, have now dropped slick passing game, one typical early Palace’s cause was hardly helped by which to have done much better. Joe Lovejoy 13 points from winning positions and attack seeing Jefferson Montero acceler- the loss of their leading scorer Dwight Ditto Shelvey who, alone in the six- will need to play better against Queen’s ate to the byline on the left before deliv- Gayle, whose leg injury forced him to yard box, volleyed horribly wide with Park Rangers on Tuesday night if they ering a cross that Bony touched over the give way to James McArthur. the goal at his mercy. One manager admits he still has his are to stay on track for a top-10 finish. bar. Palace were under pressure and con- Nevertheless they were level again Nothing if not persistent, Shelvey L-plates on, the other has collected his Garry Monk, still short of his first ceded after a quarter of an hour when after 25 minutes when their first attack might have restored Swansea’s advan- bus pass, and it was the senior citizen ­anniversary as the Swans’ manager, of any consequence saw Shelvey bring tage early in the second half, but his vol- who was smiling after his Crystal Palace ­preferred to “accentuate the positives”. Spot on: Mile down Marouane Chamakh in front of ley was too close to Speroni’s body. team had battled Swansea to a stalemate. He said: “I’m looking at the 19 points Jelinak converted goal for Jedinak to make short work of In contrast, Sigurdsson, with a volley , 65 years young, still we’ve got, which is a great total, rather a 25th-minute the penalty. of his own, tested the Palace goalkeep- kicks every ball his players contest, and than those we’ve lost. We’ve performed­ penalty to level They might even have taken the lead er’s reflexes to the full. The Icelander, yesterday’s scrap bore his endlessly well in every game. We started this one the score with three minutes later when Lukasz Fabi- shooting from left to right, was tantalis- combative hallmark. The Swans took very well, controlled the ­game and had Swansea and earn anski denied Chamakh in the act of ingly close to settling it. an early lead with ’s sixth our chances, but it wasn’t to be.” Crystal Palace a shooting. Swansea had plenty of possession goal in his past seven Premier League Unsurprisingly, Palace were hard-fought draw ’s strike from out on and no shortage of scoring chances, but 30.11.14 * Southampton v Man City, 1.30pm, SS1 | Football | SPORT | 11 From ballroom to football: how an Ibiza holiday was making of Pellè

The Italian who became Saturday night. Graziano and his sister wardrobe. “Italians in particular were The picture was on the front of every were strongly inspired by their mother known for being people with charm, newspaper. a Saint owes much to a and they became junior ballroom cham- style and class,” Pellè told me with eyes was a turning point that pions. “I think it was my advantage that that were as bright as his hair. would never have taken place if Pellè chance meeting in Spain, I was tall. I could spin more than the Everything changed for Pellè in Hol- had not met a friend of Koeman’s son other guys,” he says. It helped him with land, but during his first spell he had who was taking a holiday at the same writes Bart Vlietstra his other hobby: football. “Balance, disci- trouble making his mark. He started his resort in Ibiza. The talkative Italian pline, co-ordination; I think I move easy first season late at AZ because he had spoke highly about Dutch football and or Graziano Pellè, there have for a tall striker. But it was too hard to to play in the Espoirs tournament for Koeman. The coach and the striker got been many potential pitfalls. He combine and the changing from normal young players in Toulon and AZ were in touch and their mutual desire to win grew up in Monteroni di Lecce shoes to high heels to football boots was already on a roll. Pellè was used as a at all costs culminated in Pellè moving in the heel of Italy, where young killing me, let alone all the training.” supersub and his dramatic expressions back to Holland and even becoming cap- boys can have their heads turned His dedication in the youth teams of and celebrations irked some influential tain at De Kuip. Power play: Wayne Rooney, who Fthe wrong way and never find a way his home-town club Lecce paid off with television pundits. Van Gaal, however, Pellè’s father claims that his son’s scored United’s second goal in an back. Less seriously, he could easily have his senior debut in January 2004 but it always kept faith. success is all down to him. “My father impressive performance, tries to get chosen ballroom dancing as his profes- took him two years to find the net. He After four years he moved to Parma, is very superstitious,” Pellè told the the better of Hull City’s Andrew sion after becoming national under-12s was by then out on loan at Crotone in because AZ had to get rid of some high- Dutch football writer Renate Verhoof- Robertson Jon Super/AP champion in partnership with his sister. . “I had difficulties keeping my paid players. He signed a five-year con- stad. “If he watches a match at home Had he not booked a holiday to Ibiza, focus. I was thinking too much when tract with the Italian club but after only and my mother goes to the toilet and the where by chance he met a friend of Ron- I was in front of the goal. In Italy only half a season went on loan to Sampdo- opponent scores she’s not allowed to ald Koeman’s son, leading to a move to goals count. Without it you’ll never get a ria. “There wasn’t a manager in Italy go to the toilet again during the match. Feyenoord, his promising yet fluctuating good grade in the paper.” that really believed in him,” says Pellè’s Once I took home two romper suits for career might never have taken off. The tall target man made it to the Italy agent Romualdo Corvino. “In Italy they my nephews with Feyenoord on them. This season he has scored six Premier youth squads, though, and during the don’t really invest in players without Next week I scored twice and now my League goals for Southampton, was ­European Under-21 Championship in experience. In Holland they care more nephews are obliged to wear the romp- named the league’s player of the month 2007, which was held in Holland, he about how you develop and play. They ers every game.” for September and made his debut for caught the attention of Louis van give strikers more confidence and more Pellè grew larger than life in Rotter- Italy. It is fair to say Pellè has been the Gaal. The Manchester United chances. Graziano needs that.” dam, hosting Feyenoord’s ladies day and revelation of the season so far. Today he manager demanded he was When he returned to Holland acting in a commercial for the television and his team face their toughest test yet bought by AZ Alkmaar, where in 2012 his popularity went to channel Live. “Feyenoord of a hitherto superb season when the he was building what would another level after he scored the asked me to do this, that’s why I did it. I league champions, Manchester City, prove a championship-winning equaliser for Feyenoord against could do much more ads, but by nature come to St Mary’s. team. their rivals Ajax, using all his I’m a shy guy,” Pellè says. All of it could have been so different, Pellè, pictured right, is a com- dancing and football skills. The shy guy can also have a temper. though. The entire family Pellè lived plex character. In many ways you Pellè took his shirt At Feyenoord he was famous for being together in a concrete villa in Monter- sense he was born in the wrong dec- off, screamed “over-emotional” if team-mates did not oni built by Graziano’s grandfather, Pipe. ade. He loves tradition, ancient and flexed put in enough effort (“my Italian 10 min- Graziano played football in the house fairy tales and classic pic- his muscles utes” he calls these flashes of temper). with his nephew Alessandro but it was tures. At Feyenoord’s De like a body- He also told them not to mope. “I always his grandfather who was his footballing Kuip stadium, I saw him builder. say to them: don’t be sad, be mad!” influence. “Pipe drove me to and from nearly kiss an old pho- And Pellè went mad when the title the training. He always had the same tograph of one of the was out of reach last season. He kicked advice: ‘Graziano, if you don’t shoot, you Dutch club’s icons, Coen at a dugout and some TV cameras after won’t score’,” Pellè says. Pipe died six Moulijn. He absorbed the a late goal from FC Twente and told an years ago, according to the striker, from stories about the club leg- interviewer that he had “an Ajax-face”. a broken heart following the death of his ends of Feyenoord. You He was suspended for four matches wife. “I’m so sorry he can’t see my cur- could tell by his 60s hair- and stripped of the captaincy. Still the rent success,” his grandson says. cut, which a lot of young Feyenoord fans loved him but a divorce Pellè has his family to thank for eve- boys in Rotterdam still was inevitable. When Koeman went to rything. In his district boys can easily sport today, and eclectic Southampton it was logical Pellè would choose a different path, one that leads to follow him to England. He was not afraid crime, but he did not care about materi- of failing in the Premier League while alistic things. A new scooter? He would ‘If my mother goes hoping to fulfil his grandfather’s biggest rather sit next to his grandfather in the wish, to play for the Azzurri. car. He also knew his father, Roberto, to the toilet and the The call came from Antonio Conte would display a true Italian temper if his opponent scores, she in October and Pellè scored the winner son stayed too long at the wrong place, against Malta. Life is good for Pellé and which could easily be at an innocent is not allowed to go could become even better with a match- piazza playing calcetto (five-a-side) just winning performance against City. As like every other Italian kid. to the toilet again Pellé says, paraphrasing a famous writer: The Pellès were dancers, not fight- “I live my life not to lose something but to ers. The family used to go dancing every during the match’ win something.” THE INJURY LIST GROWS UNITED NOW UP TO 41 AND COUNTING Pellegrini wants more of Lampard

he will be exploring the possibility­ of Paul Wilson extending the loan. “I speak to Frank every day and I have the impression that has dropped the he is playing better every day,” the City strongest hint yet that Manchester City manager said. would like to extend City could move into second place his loan beyond December. The ­former behind Chelsea with a win at Southamp- Chelsea is due to join New ton today, though ’s team York City next month but has been are above them and Pellegrini is aware ­unexpectedly influential at the ­Etihad that any sort of slip will only add to the – he was outstanding against ­Bayern view that José Mourinho’s team cannot Munich in midweek when Sergio be caught. “I don’t know why there is DALEY BLIND ANGEL DI MARIA ­Agüero’s hat-trick stole the headlines – such a perception,” he said. “I agree that CM Knee LB Ankle AM Hamstring and City might now be reluctant to let if Chelsea continue as they have started him go. and keep it up until the end of the season, “We are going to talk to all the ­parties they will win the title, but who knows and make a decision in December,” whether that will happen? I know there ­Pellegrini said. “If all parties agree then is a gap to make up, but this time last year maybe we can keep him, but it could we were six points behind Arsenal and chances be that we want to keep him and Frank no one was talking about us. wants to go.” “Everyone was saying Arsenal were ­Palace defended assiduously throughout That seems unlikely, at least as long as going to win the league and in the end and deserved parity. City are still in the Champions League. they finished fourth. That might not Warnock said: “The first 20 min- If their European campaign ends happen to Chelsea, if they only drop four utes was as bad as I’ve seen us play. We with a group stage exit in Rome on 10 points from their next four games they couldn’t pass water and I was wondering ­December Lampard might decide to take Wanted man: will most likely be champions, but I can’t if it was going to be double figures, but up his new challenge in America, but if Manchester predict the future and I don’t know how you have to give us credit – after that we City qualify for the knockout stages he City’s fate in anyone else can.” gave as good as we got and might have is thought to be receptive to staying on. the Champions As with Lampard, Pellegrini is also pinched it. The players may be limited “I thought my Champions League League could pleased with Agüero who will soon be in some areas, but they are a good, hon- days were over but I really enjoyed decide Frank attracting the interest of the game’s est bunch.” ­playing against a top-class team,” Lampard’s future ­biggest spenders if he continues the sort ­Lampard said after the victory over at the club of form that turned the game around SWANSEA Fabianski; Rangel, Bartley, Williams, Bayern Munich. “Rome will be another against Bayern. “Sergio is happy here and Taylor; Ki, Shelvey; Routledge (Barrow 64), Sigurdsson, Montero; Bony (Gomis 74) Subs not used Tremmel, tough game but if we can get through the he has five or six more years on his con- Richards, Carroll, Britton, Amat group then you can recharge in the new tract,” he said. “He is still young [26] and CRYSTAL PALACE Speroni; Kelly, Dann, Hangeland, Ward; Jedinak, Ledley; Puncheon (Zaha), Chamakh■ year and it’s always a bit different then.” he has at least five more years left where (Campbell 65), Bolasie; Gayle (McArthur 20■) Lampard has a good chance of ­playing he is at his top level of performance. Subs not used Hennessey, Thomas, Fryers, Bannon in Rome because Yaya Touré will still be “City is not a club that sells its best Liberty Stadium 20,240 suspended, but though Pellegrini refuses players. At this moment Sergio doesn’t Game rating |||||||||| Referee Martin Atkinson to look any further ahead, it seems clear want to go and we don’t want to sell him.”