sign in sign up
<<
Home , Adnan Januzaj, Brendan Rodgers, Steve McClaren

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015 Man United look for winning balance

LONDON: After returning to the Premier “The manager has built the midfield Schneiderlin, , Ander Real Madrid. “I don’t think (van Gaal) knows his League’s top four, Manchester United area to a point where we look strong Herrera and (who is The Argentine’s departure is part of a best defence-that’s a problem in itself,” have once again recruited extensively, enough to dictate the tempo of games,” suspended for the first three league streamlining process that has also seen said Ferdinand, who wants his former but there are concerns about the bal- said Robson, now a club ambassador. games) will be competing for only three Nani, Tom Cleverley and Rafael da Silva club to sign Everton’s England defender ance of their squad ahead of the new “Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin starting berths. pass through the exit door. John Stones. season. Manager has look really good signings. They are going With the exciting , a Irked by United’s gruelling travelling With Ramos’s arrival having been spent around £77 million ($120 million, to be the powerhouse of United’s mid- £25 million acquisition from PSV arrangements on their 2014 tour of the established as a pre-condition for David 110 million euros), notably bolstering his field and that should hold us in good Eindhoven, expected to start on one United States, van Gaal took a firm grip de Gea to move in the opposite direc- midfield with the additions of Bastian stead over the season.” flank, , Juan Mata, Antonio on this year’s trip Stateside, keeping jour- tion, United’s goalkeeper has been left Schweinsteiger and Morgan United fans raised on the all-action Valencia and Adnan Januzaj-and poten- neys to a strict minimum. in a position that Van Gaal acknowl- Schneiderlin, to take his spending since displays of players like Robson and Roy tially reported target Pedro Rodriguez A pair of training camps allowed him edges is “not favorable”. The club’s Player succeeding last year to Keane have long lamented the lack of must vie for a place on the other side of to drill his players on the team’s shape of the Year in 2014-15, De Gea is set to around £230 million. oomph in the team’s midfield, but if any- the pitch. and make adjustments in defence, with start the new campaign between the With and Radamel thing, the club now have too many mid- Daley Blind moved to centre-back, Luke posts, but Argentina’s Sergio Romero Falcao having left and Javier Hernandez fielders on their hands. United, who fin- DE GEA STALEMATE Shaw given a run at left-back and Matteo has been drafted in to provide back-up, out of favour, it leaves ished fourth last season, deployed a 4-2- A new £750 million kit deal with Darmian, recruited from Torino, intro- further marginalising Victor Valdes. shouldering a heavy burden up front, 3-1 formation in pre-season, but van Adidas having taken effect on August 1, duced to the team at right-back. United begin the season at home to but former captain Gaal has pledged to revert to the 4-3-3 money is now even less of an object for But with United having failed in their Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday and believes the midfield reinforcements can system that belatedly brought the team English’s long-time richest club, hence attempts to lure Sergio Ramos from Real with a Champions League play-off tie provide the platform for a first sustained success in the latter part of the 2014-15 the hit they were willing to take in Madrid, former centre-back Rio following soon after, they can ill afford a title assault since ’s depar- campaign. offloading Angel di Maria just a year Ferdinand believes the defence remains repeat of the sluggish start they made a ture in 2013. It means that Schweinsteiger, after his record £59.7 million arrival from an area of concern. year ago. —AFP Chelsea trust in continuity as dawns

LONDON: It is a reflection of squad that already included Chelsea’s dominance last season Michael Carrick, Ander Herrera, that although they are yet to Marouane Fellaini, Juan Mata, strengthen their squad, they Ashley Young and Adnan Januzaj, remain strong favorites to retain not to mention the departing the Premier League title in 2015-16. Angel di Maria, whose place in the Arsenal, third last season, squad could go to Barcelona’s appear better-equipped for a title Pedro Rodriguez. tilt, while Manchester United, Falcao, Nani and Robin van Manchester City and Liverpool Persie have also left, but as a have spent big in the hope of clos- Champions League qualifying play- ing the gap on Chelsea, who fin- off looms, goalkeeper David de ished eight points clear of outgoing Gea’s future remains up in the air. champions City in May. But with their title-winning side intact, Jose FINANCIAL BEHEMOTH DOHA: Qatar’ Foreign Minister Khalid Al-Attiyah talks to the Associated Press Mourinho’s men are widely per- With a new £5.1 billion ($8 bil- reporter. —AP ceived as the team to beat. lion, 7.3 billion euros) domestic tel- “Throughout the Premier evision rights deal kicking in next League there is strength now year, Premier League clubs have Qatar’s FM promises because a lot of clubs are buying not been shy in splashing out. big players, not just the top clubs,” The biggest transfer to date has said Mourinho, who hopes to been ’s £49 million best World Cup ever repeat his feat of leading Chelsea to switch from Liverpool to City, after successive titles in 2005 and 2006. a protracted transfer saga that DOHA: Qatar’s top diplomat on Tuesday not entitled to have such an event,” he “At the moment, we are champions opposition fans are unlikely to for- promised that his country would host a said. of the toughest league in the get in a hurry. successful World Cup in 2022 and suggest- Al-Attiyah acknowledged that more world, so we know how difficult it is Despite falling short in defence ed that criticism of its successful bid was work needs to be done to improve condi- going to be to repeat the achieve- of their title, City have kept faith partly based on racism. tions for migrant laborers working on ment, but we are ready for the chal- with manager , The bid is under renewed scrutiny fol- World Cup infrastructure and other con- lenge and we will enjoy the chal- but with the club hierarchy contin- lowing the launch of American and Swiss struction projects in Qatar. lenge.” uing to flutter their eyelashes at investigations into corruption at football’s Promised reforms to the country’s With Asmir Begovic having and last season’s world governing body, FIFA. restrictive labor laws, which bind workers replaced Petr Cech as reserve goal- Golden Boot-winner Sergio Aguero In a wide-ranging interview with The to a given employer and which rights keeper and Radamel Falcao taking short of fitness after the Copa Associated Press, Foreign Minister Khalid groups say leave workers open to abuse, the place of Didier Drogba, America, doubts remain. al-Attiyah reiterated Qatar’s stance that it have yet to be implemented. Chelsea’s squad is materially the Shorn of Sterling and the has and will continue to cooperate with Al-Attiyah said he expected the new same as it was last season. emblematic , investigators. He said he was confident guidelines will be put in place by the end However, ’s trouble- Liverpool have brought in seven the event would go ahead and will be “the of the year. “It is on the right track, and it some hamstrings, which caused new players, among them Christian best World Cup ever.” will happen. We are serious about doing him to miss Sunday’s Community Benteke, and Roberto He also hit back at the barrage of inter- reforms,” he said. Shield loss to Arsenal, and some Firmino, but ahead of an opening- national criticism directed at Qatar over Al-Attiyah made the comments in an leggy pre-season performances weekend trip to Stoke City, where the tournament, indicating that racism AP interview where he called for a “serious have given their rivals reason for they were humiliated 6-1 on last played a role. dialogue” with Iran in the wake of its optimism. That 1-0 Community season’s final day, manager “Some parties cannot digest that a nuclear deal with world powers, even as Shield win, coupled with the arrival Brendan Rodgers is also under small, Arabic state ... is hosting such an he blasted Tehran for continuing to sup- of Cech, has encouraged belief at pressure. event, as if our region, our Arab region is port Syria’s embattled government. —AP Arsenal, back-to-back FA Cup-win- For all the title contenders’ big- ners, that their 12-year wait for a money moves, it is the transfers league title may be approaching an involving England’s mid-ranked end. With a world-class goalkeeper clubs that have emphasised the Five youngsters eyeing backing up a settled defence and a Premier League’s transformation midfield that bristles with guile and into a financial behemoth and Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas Premier League stardom inventiveness, the only weak spot is none more so than Yohan Cabaye’s the European places. Stoke and (Quique Sanchez Flores), who were up front, where Arsene Wenger £10 million switch from French Swansea City will hope to build on promoted from the Championship must choose between the not par- champions Paris Saint-Germain to impressive campaigns, while alongside Bournemouth and LONDON: From to Harry Kane appearances, coming off the bench in a 1- ticularly prolific trio of Olivier Crystal Palace, who finished 10th in Palace, Aston Villa, West Bromwich Norwich City. via , Wayne Rooney and 1 draw with Manchester City in January Giroud, and Danny 2014-15. Albion and Sunderland finished last “It’s not rocket science,” says Cristiano Ronaldo, the Premier League has and starting against Liverpool and West Welbeck. With even the smaller teams season dreaming of better things Bournemouth’s affable 37-year-old proved a breeding ground for some of Bromwich Albion in May. He was publicly Another team brimming with now boasting budgets that put after successful managerial manager . European football’s biggest stars. rebuked by Jose Mourinho for a careless and short on strikers is them on a par with all but the very changes. West Ham United, “Bournemouth are not going to be Ahead of the start of the 2015-16 sea- display in a post-season friendly against United, with Louis van Gaal having biggest European clubs, a whole Newcastle United and Leicester City able to compete with those top son this weekend, AFP Sports selects five Sydney FC, but that only suggested that added Bastian Schweinsteiger, host of sides-among them have new managers-respectively, clubs, but when you put 11 players teenage players seeking to grab a share of the Chelsea manager has bigger plans for Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton Slaven Bilic, Steve McClaren and on the pitch, it’s not really about the limelight. him this season. “I listened to what the Depay to a department of his and Everton-will have designs on -as well as Watford money.”—AFP manager said,” Loftus-Cheek said. “I wasn’t Brendan Galloway (19, Everton) at the level I need to be and I need to do Everton supporters got their first better if I want to play for Chelsea.” glimpse of Galloway at the back end of last season when he started their final two Andreas Pereira (19, league matches. Born in Zimbabwe, he Manchester United) moved to England at the age of six and A Belgium-born Brazilian youth inter- joined Everton in 2014 following a spell national, Pereira joined United from PSV with Milton Keynes Dons, for whom he Eindhoven in 2011 and could be set for a made his debut aged just 15. It is thought breakthrough season after impressing that Everton manager Roberto Martinez during the club’s pre-season tour of the intends to ease him into senior football at United States. Competition for midfield left-back, but should John Stones depart, places is fiercer than ever at , Galloway may be given an opportunity to but manager Louis van Gaal’s record of stake a claim for a first-team place at cen- promoting young players suggests tre-back. Pereira may get chances to impress. Pereira made two first-team appearances (18, Liverpool) last season and signed a new three-year Gomez only joined Liverpool in June, contract in May. “Andreas has all the arriving from Charlton Athletic in a £3.5 attributes to become an integral part of million ($5.5 million, 5 million euros) deal, the first team: great natural talent, cou- but British newspaper reports claim he pled with a good appetite to learn,” said could feature in the starting XI when Van Gaal. VIVA Real Madrid Academy players Brendan Rodgers takes his team to Stoke City on Sunday after impressing his Jeff Reine-Adelaide (17, Arsenal) coaches in pre-season. The England The Emirates Cup pre-season friendly immersed in their training program Under-19 international has predominant- tournament tends to offer Arsenal man- ly played at right-back and centre-back in ager Arsene Wenger a chance to blood KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s fastest-growing and growth. Commenting on this occasion, the Real Madrid Academy program is just one of his career to date, but he has turned out promising players from the club’s youth most developed telecom operator, shared the Commenting on this initiative, Abdulrazzaq the ways in which we are trying to do this.” at left-back in Liverpool’s warm-up games. set-up and this year it was the turn of enthusiasm and excitement of the top 10 quali- Bader Al Essa , Director of Corporate added Al Essa. “Ideally, centre-back is my main position, French attacking Reine- fying players who travelled to Madrid, Spain to Communications at VIVA said: “We are extremely The top 10 players were selected from over but I’m happy to play right-back or left- Adelaide to thrill the fans at the Emirates practice at Ciudad Real Madrid (Valdebebas) pleased with the enthusiasm the players have 400 participants who joined the Real Madrid try back if the manager believes I can help Stadium. After a cameo in a 6-0 win over training ground, on August 1 until August 8, displayed since the beginning of the trip. As outs, which were held in March 2015. All the the team there,” Gomez told local newspa- Lyon, he started the decisive game 2015. soon as they arrived to register their names at players who chosen to travel to Madrid, Spain to per the Liverpool Echo. against Wolfsburg and created the only The training program comprises of several VIVA Real Madrid Academy, they couldn’t wait join a fully funded week-long training camp to workshops and activities educating the players until practice to begin and for them to show off be educated and trained by the best VIVA Real goal of the match with a forward dart fol- on the best maneuvers, attacks, different scenar- their talents to the coaches.” Madrid Academy coaches. Real Madrid Academy Ruben Loftus-Cheek (19, Chelsea) lowed by a measured through ball for ios and conditioned games. The program also “We are very pleased to have been able to is one of the leading football training institu- A tall, elegant central midfielder, Theo Walcott. Wenger has described the focuses on different technical areas, such as support these young athletes in bringing them tions located in middle of the Spanish City, Loftus-Cheek was a driving force last sea- former Lens player as “something special” dribbling, short passing, turning and finishing. closer to their dream of becoming professional Madrid, and accompanies the players by trainers, son as Chelsea claimed success in the FA and ruled out sending him out on loan in The programs were also designed to develop football players. VIVA is very committed to supervisors as well as VIVA officials who will sur- Youth Cup and UEFA Youth League. He order to keep close tabs on his develop- young players in other fields, such as tactical encouraging young people in the community to round them with care and attention throughout was also granted a handful of first-team ment. —AFP understanding, and mental, physical and social develop their talents and hone their skills, and the trip.