Manchester United Starting To Shape Up Nicely

Manchester United Striker, Wayne Rooney ended his 10 game goal drought by scoring a hat trick in Manchester United's Champions League second leg play off fixture with Belgian side, Club Brugge in Brussels to send Manchester United to the lucrative Champions League group stages. 

Rooney had prior to this game, come in for intense flak from critics for his poor form in front of goal for both club and country with suggestions that he was past his sell by date and needed to either be pushed into a midfield role or axed from the first team squad. But his performance in Belgium reminded the critics what he is capable of and United will hope that Rooney's season will kick off from here.

In as much as Rooney's performance against Club Brugge was impressive, this game needs to be seen from the perspective of a team practically in tatters. Club Brugge was a team that already knew the game was over even before a ball was kicked. 8 of their first team squad players were out due to injury and Club Brugge manager, Michel Preud'Homme stated earlier that they needed a miracle to scale through to the group phase of the Champions League. This was a team that was just going through the motions.

Be that as it may, you can only beat what is in front of you. Besides, United have struggled to beat inferior opposition already this season, no disrespect to the likes of Newcastle, Aston Villa or Totenham Hotspurs. However, Manchester United manager, Louis Van Gaal can be relieved that his first choice striker is beginning to find his scoring touch again.

Which brings us to the logical question of what happens if Rooney's goal drought returns with a vengeance in the non distant future or if he sustains a serious injury. After back up striker, Javier Hernandez's profligacy in front of goal against Club Brugge, will LVG change his mind about signing another striker? Will he still give Javier Hernandez a chance?

The look LVG gave his assistant, Ryan Giggs after Hernandez missed his penalty smacks of someone who didn't want Hernandez coming on initially but was persuaded by Giggs to give the player a run out to prove himself. It appears that look at Giggs was one of vindication after Hernandez's howler. 

Hernandez didn't cover himself with glory later on after he blasted over the bar from 6 yards with the goal at his mercy when he was fed a low cross by Ashley Young. The wastefulness aside, Hernandez got into good scoring positions. What was lacking was the elusive goal which will come if these opportunities keep presenting themselves and as long as he gets picked.

It is clear that Hernandez is a little short on confidence and LVG needs to assure him that he has a future with United. Looking at Hernandez facial expression, you see a man looking unhappy and lacking confidence. This has to be addressed. Apart from the failure  to score goals, he looked a capable deputy for Wayne Rooney. As LVG has kept faith with Rooney, he needs to have faith in Hernandez.

Inspite of this, LVG needs to make up his mind if he hasn't already, if he needs another dependable striker. Even though it's still early days yet, it appears that the two top strikers United have, will have days when things won't go right in front of goal for them and so there needs to be someone who LVG can count on to deliver the goods.

That person is not James Wilson. In the long term, that person will not be Marouane Fellaini as LVG would want us to believe unless he goes on a scoring run that defies what we've seen from him over the years. Definitely, James  Wilson is one for the future but we've not seen anything that suggests Wilson can do a 'Harry Kane'. LVG needs to be sure he knows what he is doing. 

More sterner tests await Manchester United. They travel to Swansea on Sunday. LVG will probably find out if he has gotten the perfect central defence pairing when they come up against Bafetimbi Gomis and Andre Ayew. Chris Smalling and Daley Blind have been solid at the centre of defence and have only conceded only once in 5 games in all competitions but Swansea is a different prospect. Irrespective of the outcome of that game, one thing is sure, Smalling is a sure starter for the United first team. It appears he has come of age and is starting to fulfill the potential Sir Alex Ferguson saw when he signed him from Fulham.

Midfielder, Ander Herrera should be given a run of games in attacking midfield. He was great in the second half against Brugge when the introduction of Bastian Schweinsteiger gave him the freedom to attack.

If United are to succeed this season, LVG must use this second half performance against Brugge using the  personnel and tactics involved as a template on which to build on.

Has Mourinho Gone Too Far?

There seems to be more trouble for Chelsea first team doctor, Eva Caneiro, as Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, has elected to limit Eva Caneiro's influence on the squad after Mourinho publicly criticised her for rushing into the pitch to treat Eden Hazard who went down seemingly injured while Chelsea were hanging on in their premier league game opener against Swansea.

According to reports, Dr Eva's job description will be modified. She will no longer attend training sessions, be in the team's hotel nor be on the bench on match day. She however, will retain her post as first team doctor.

Mourinho was visibly upset with Dr Eva as her treatment of Hazard on the pitch caused Chelsea to be temporarily left with only 8 outfield players as Thibaut Courtois had been sent off earlier for a professional foul on Bafetimbi Gomis. And as the rules state, a player who has to be treated by his team's medical staff has to be taken off the pitch in order to curtail deliberate time wasting by players.

After the game, Mourinho criticised his medical staff for their failure to understand the game and categorically stated that Hazard was not injured but merely exhausted and should have not been treated.

If the reports of the Daily Telegraph, who broke the story about the shake up in the Chelsea medical department, are to be believed then it is a shake up gone too far. Dr Eva's rescue mission firstly, was not the reason Chelsea failed to beat Swansea and her intervention did not lead to Chelsea conceding a third goal.

One can only imagine Mourinho's reaction had Chelsea fallen behind because of the incident. And even if she had not intruded, there is no guarantee  that Hazard in his tired state would have changed the outcome of the match had he remained on the pitch.

Is Mourinho's reform in the Chelsea medical department a coincidence? It has to be said that last season, Mourinho clamoured for improvement from his medical team. But it appears the Swansea fiasco has become the catalyst Mourinho needed to speed up the improvement he wants.

But is Mourinho's handling of the situation okay? Will there be repercussions that could affect the team?  Are Dr Eva Caneiro's days with Chelsea numbered?

The handling of the situation has been far from okay even though Jose Mourinho could be forgiven for losing his cool and showing his frustrations at the manner in which the game was panning out and thus, take his frustrations out on his medical staff. He however, regained his composure quickly and deflected attention from Chelsea's poor showing to Dr Eva's 'mistake'.

It is unclear for now how Mourinho will structure the match day medical staff but it has to be said that his medical staff have been excellent in keeping a large number of his players fit, most especially the key members of the squad. And axing Dr Eva for an action which wasn't totally her fault (Hazard should share some of the blame too for acting like he needed medical attention) is tantamount to looking for a scape goat. 

Dr Eva's primary responsibility is to provide medical attention to the players and that is exactly what she did. The Daily Telegraph also reported that Hazard actually signalled the medical staff to come to his aid. Therefore, Mourinho should have reserved his criticism for Hazard whose attempt at creating an injury break backfired.

Mourinho wants his staff to understand the gamesmanship that go on in a football match but this re-organisation of his medical staff looks more punitive rather than educational.

With Dr Eva's role change taking effect immediately, will she leave the club? Mourinho most likely must have tendered an apology to Dr Eva privately for the public dressing down but will Dr Eva not feel undermined by her boss and as a result leave if not now but in the future? Only time will tell.

Is Man United Right To Let Di Maria Leave?

Argentine winger, Angel Di Maria, has finally gotten his 'dream move' to French champions, Paris Saint Germain, after a difficult season at Old Trafford. PSG announced on twitter his move to the Paris club for a reported £44.4 million pounds. Manchester United as a result, will be making a loss of roughly £15 million pounds after they made him their record signing when they signed him from Real Madrid for £59 million pounds last season.

His move to PSG brings to an end a somewhat embarrassing situation for Louis Van Gaal who has had to face the media and answer questions about Di Maria's whereabouts after he failed to join his team mates in their United States pre-season tour.

Di Maria was expected to join the Manchester United squad after being given an extended break due to his exploits with Argentina at the Copa America in late July but he refused to board a flight to America and went 'AWOL'. His absence was criticised in several quarters as unprofessional and an attempt to engineer the PSG move which has ultimately succeeded.

But should United have let Di Maria go so soon? With his talent, track record and the transfer fee Man United had to pay for his signature from Real Madrid, surely,he is worth another crack of the whip? One could argue that there isn't any point in keeping an unhappy player as his refusal to join up with his team mates show. No doubt, Angel Di Maria is one of the genuine world class players around. His initial promise last season when he scored against Queens Park Rangers and Leicester City shows that he is one who could have been given another chance if his situation was handled better.

Critics will however point out that this potential that we saw early last season and how his performances began to drop is what makes him an expensive flop. 

History shows us that several South Americans have struggled at Manchester United. Sadly, Di Maria has not only joined that list, he has become the biggest flop of them all. Other players who failed to make a solid impression at Old Trafford include Argentine midfielder, Juan Sebastian Veron, Brazil's Kleberson, Uruguay's Diego Forlan, and Brazil's Anderson. However, Di Maria's talent gave the average Manchester United follower belief that he would not end up the same way as his predecessors. Surprisingly, he was the quickest to be shown the exit door.

It is also very likely now that he has finally left for PSG, that many Manchester United supporters will be wondering what might have been had he clicked last season. Or at least, had put more effort on the pitch when he played than what he displayed for United last season in order for LVG to give him another bite at the cherry.

His performances and body language however, is being pointed out by his detractors as the reason why it is the right decision for United to let him go. Certainly, the pre-season no show is a pointer to what has been going through his mind for several months.

Many times last season when he was not injured, he looked disinterested and unmotivated. He ended up being subbed regularly by LVG and at some point lost his place to Ashley Young who seemed motivated to keep Di Maria out of the starting line up.

What could have been the reason for his poor attitude? Many have argued that LVG  switching him in different positions immensely contributed to his poor performances. It has also been argued that the attempted break in by burglars at his home greatly unsettled him and his family and may have also contributed to his loss of form. These explanations, though valid, do not excuse a player for not giving 100%.

True, LVG experimented a lot last season while trying to get the right balance, best formation and first choice line up but Di Maria for all the money he is worth and with the hefty salary he drew, ought to know that more was expected from him than what he was willing to showcase. No matter how difficult a league's playing style may be, it is a player's job to adapt to the rigours of playing in any league. 

Diego Costa and Alexis Sanchez both came from La Liga after having excellent seasons with their clubs and were able to adapt to the intensity of the Premier League and went ahead to flourish. Di Maria also joined United on the back of another excellent season with Madrid but failed to live up to the great expectations fans and neutrals had of him. 

Granted, not all players excel from the out set when they join a new club especially in a different country and culture. But Angel Di Maria is a world class professional and ought to have stayed the course and try to redeem a reputation that was badly damaged last season but it appears he decided to take the easy option.

The easy option being Paris Saint Germain, who as rumours would have us believe was his preferred destination all along. It is being speculated that he would have joined PSG from Madrid and snubbed Manchester United had the Financial Fair Play hammer not been on PSG. 

What is left now for United is to hope that their decision to let a player whose dedication to the United course which was questionable leave, becomes one of the smartest decisions they have taken since the post Ferguson era.

Will This Be Arsenal's Year?

After 11 years and 14 attempts, it's 14th time lucky for Arsene Wenger as his Arsenal side on Sunday defeated arch rivals, Chelsea 1-0 in the Community Shield at Wembley with the solitary goal coming from the boots of Alex Oxlade Chamberlain.

The no love lost relationship between Wenger and his opposite number Jose Mourinho which had been on display between both parties in the build up to the game continued after the final whistle when Wenger failed to acknowledge Mourinho by avoiding the traditional handshake between managers.

It was hardly a stroll in the park for Arsenal as they were made to work hard for their victory with a dogged and resilient defensive performance especially in the second half when Chelsea were desperate for an equaliser.

One thing is certain, a psychological barrier has been crossed by Arsenal and their fans can look forward to the new season with genuine belief that they can challenge for the title.

But can they?

Arsenal easily defeated Manchester City 3-0 last season in the Community Shield but they still ultimately came up short in the title race. Is there any reason for Arsenal fans to believe that this could be their year?

One thing is certainly different, they have a genuine world class keeper in Petr Cech. His efforts in the game against Chelsea showed what Arsenal have been missing since David Seaman and Jens Lehmann quit the Gunners. Roman Abramovich and Jose Mourinho must now be wondering why they let Cech join a direct rival, sentiment or not.

It is already clear that at key moments during the premier league season, Cech is going to come to Arsenal's rescue just like David De Gea did for Manchester United last season and salvage a victory or two which could be pivotal to their title hopes.

If pre-season form is anything to go by, Chelsea looks like the only stumbling block to Arsenal's title ambitions. Manchester City does not look like a team that will stop Arsene Wenger's side with the quality of their transfer business so far while Liverpool and Manchester United have invested heavily again this season. An air of unpredictability of what to expect from both teams exists. Quite difficult to judge whether the new signings will pay off or back fire spectacularly.

On the other hand, if we look at what history has taught us, it is too soon to judge if Arsenal based on this performance, will actually become serious title challengers come start of the season. Arsenal claimed a few scalps last season when they faced the big boys but were undone by embarrassing losses to the likes of Stoke, Southampton and Swansea.

Wenger and every Arsenal supporter out there knows that their rivals have strengthened and will still strengthen. They need to find an excellent partner for Laurent Koscielny and a decent back up for Francis Coquelin because like it or not, Mourinho's team and other members of the big 6 will improve as the season progresses.

The challenge for Arsenal undoubtedly is to replicate Wembley's performance for 38 league matches and also in Europe. It is appears that Wenger after going trophy less for 9 years has learned some tough lessons and one of them is, there is no shame in playing dirty or rugged when you play an equally strong or stubborn opponent when necessary. At the end of the day, it is the result that really matters.