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. 

RACISM: FIFA And UEFA Can Do More

Russian football again has come into focus as issues of racism reared its ugly head during the week after Ghanaian midfielder, Emmanuel Frimpong got his matching orders for making an obscene gesture at a group of fans who apparently racially abused him during a game while playing for his club UFA.

Frimpong who was slapped with a two match ban by the Russian FA (RFU) afterwards, vented his frustration on twitter calling the Russian FA's failure to sanction Spartak Moscow as well a 'joke'. The RFU had claimed that their investigations showed no evidence of any racist abuse against Frimpong. The question now is, is it logical for a player to react in Frimpong's manner if he wasn't provoked?

Zenit St Petersburg manager, Andre Villas Boas, has sort of given a new twist to the debate on racism in football by stating that the racism problem in Russia is at par with what is obtainable in England. Judging from his utterance, it appears that he is not aware of the magnitude of the problem in Russia or he is in denial. Or how else can one explain why throughout his stay in England he never complained of racism? Mind you, that is not to say that there isn't racism in England. What this means is that if England's racism problems are as bad as Russia's, then AVB would have spoken out like he has been forced to do now in Russia. His comments however, are in contradiction to what his star player, Hulk has said.

Hulk has said that he gets racially abused in nearly every game he plays and has learnt to more or less develop a thick skin. Unfortunately, it appears there are more black players like Frimpong who have low tolerance for vitriol than Hulk. Hulk's club, Zenit has sections of fans who have openly come out to say that they don't want black players in their team. According to them, they are not being racist, it's just their tradition. Well, segregation and racism are close relatives if you ask me.

World football governing body, FIFA, has said they will call on the Russian FA to provide details on the incident but it is doubtful if this inquiry will yield the desired results which are stiff sanctions for clubs or fans who are caught racially abusing black players.

UEFA has taken steps to curbing racism with sanctions such as closing stadia or parts of stadia of teams whose fans have chosen not to keep their prejudice to themselves. But football's governing bodies UEFA and FIFA can do more in this regard.

FIFA and UEFA should begin to sanction FAs that fail to clamp down on racist behaviour of clubs' fans within their control so that they will be forced to take the problem of racism seriously. UEFA should also consider having independent observers in stadiums that have a track record of racist chantings so that no FA can claim it lacks evidence.

Merely acknowledging the problem like Russian FA officials love doing is not enough. Turning a blind eye to overt racism is even worse.

Russia which is billed to host the next World Cup in 2018 may not be under any pressure of losing the hosting right of the  World Cup inspite of the corruption scandals rocking FIFA but calls are being made on UEFA to boycott the World Cup. This is not taking into cognisance the fact that African players who are usually the target of racist abuse by Russian and other East European teams can also pull out of the World Cup to spite Russia. 

The Russian FA will do well to take these threats seriously and try to do more than just talking and take firm action in keeping the problem of racism down to the barest minimum within its stadiums.

Loyalty And Respect Are Dying Virtues In Football

We have apparently come to the end of two transfer sagas involving the exit of Real Madrid legend, Iker Casillas, and Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling as Casillas and Sterling are set to sign for FC Porto and Manchester City FC respectively. Sterling was snapped up by City for 49 million pounds while Casillas' deal with Porto is nearing conclusion.

However, the manner in which both players are parting ways with their former employers is a stark reminder of how brutal and ruthless the modern game has become.

Player loyalty is no longer fashionable. It's  all about getting the best deal possible not minding the fact that, had the club not put faith in the player when he was a nobody in the first place, he would not be in a position to hold the club to ransom.

Sadly, the clubs are getting in on the act as well. Clubs use a player and as soon as there is a hint of a decline in performance they discard the player in a heart beat. The years of service and sacrifice by the player is quickly forgotten.

The fans are not left out either. Depending on how messy the transfer of a star player to a rival team or any other team for that matter is, boos and jeers will be unleashed on the player whenever the star player comes to town. In some extreme cases, fans go ahead to issue death threats and even subject the player to all kinds of abuse.

We have seen it already. Peter Cech's move to Arsenal didn't go down well with Chelsea fans despite having the blessing of Roman Abramovich. Cech, after serving Chelsea for 11 years impeccably was branded a snake by disgruntled Chelsea fans and was even sent death threats.

Pray, what was Cech supposed to do? He lost his position due to no fault of his aside that he was on the wrong side of 30. He didn't go about lamenting to the media about the unfairness of Jose Mourinho's decision to place him on the bench as Thibaut Courtois' understudy.

And as he rightly stated, at this stage of his career, he needs to be playing regularly. So, a move to Chelsea's London rivals Arsenal, makes a lot of sense where he would be number 1.

Reports already have it that Raheem Sterling has been issued death threats already and the police are currently investigating the sources.

This is all coming as a result of Sterling's insistence on leaving Liverpool for a team that will be more competitive than Liverpool for titles. However, the manner in which he has rebelled and forced a move is unjustified and so it becomes understandable why Liverpool supporters are upset.

With the benefit of hindsight, it would have made more sense for Sterling to stall in signing a new contract and hand over a transfer request at the end of the season while acting professionally all the while instead of giving that BBC interview during the past season and then skipping out of pre-season training.

At the very worst, Liverpool would have had to sell him without any pressure from him next year when he would have one year left on his contract to the highest bidder. But Sterling as has become the trend in modern day football has acted unprofessionally in order to force a move to another club forgetting how he started out as a Liverpool player.

Casillas' scenario at Madrid is the direct opposite of  that of Sterling's at Liverpool. After serving Real Madrid for 25 years, 8 of which was at youth level, he is being practically forced out of the club with 2 years left on his contract. 

The fans again were also involved in his forced exit out of the club. He was jeered and booed many times by sections of Madrid fans through out the course of last season. This was no way to treat a hero and captain of the club. A player who has won 5 La Liga titles and 3 Champions league trophies with Madrid.

But his running battle with Florentino Perez, who often has the final say when he has disputes with club icons, was one that would only end this way because of his rapid decline in form. Make no mistake, Casillas is still a decent goalie, but he deserves better than this.

Reports have it that, the official Real Madrid twitter account unfollowed Iker Casillas a few hours after it was announced that he would be joining FC Porto. As insignificant as this seems, it speaks volumes about the lack of respect the Real Madrid establishment has for Iker Casillas.

The only reason the Casillas situation has been ugly is because money is involved. Casillas has been widely reported to have  insisted that a full compensation for the termination of his contract be paid before  he moves on. Madrid's reluctance to do so is what has made this transfer saga stink.

Now, a compromise has been reached in these 2 case scenarios. Casillas can now say his goodbyes and enter a new phase of his career with FC Porto while Sterling now has his 'dream move' to Manchester City. He now has his chance to challenge for trophies at a 'big club' and of course, make more money than he would have ever dreamed of. 

Fair to say however, that loyalty and respect is a dying attitude and value between clubs, players and fans in present day football because of the allure of monetary gain and glory.

After Keshi's Controversial Exit, Who Should Replace Him?

The axe which had been dangling over the head of Stephen Keshi for a while finally landed on him over the weekend when the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced that they were parting company with him due to a 'lack of commitment' on his part to attain the objectives of the Federation as was set out when he was employed.

It was plain the marriage between Keshi and the NFF was one of convenience and as soon as they felt he was dispensable, they cut him loose. The constant battles between Keshi and the NFF was one that turned into a circus show. We should not be surprised though, if there is another twist in the drama as things continue to unravel.

There are hints that Keshi could go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to challenge his sacking. If he wins, he could be forced back into a job where his services are no longer wanted. What it means is that the frosty relationship between both parties could get more nasty as the NFF could seek to do all it can to undermine the Big Boss while carrying out his duties.

It is weird though, that barely 3 months of taking charge of the Super Eagles, a disciplinary committee has been able to get enough facts to reach a conclusion that Keshi was not committed to his job and thus, recommend his sack. 

What led the NFF to set up this committee? Or was it in place already before news broke that Keshi's name turned up in a list of candidates applying for the Ivory Coast job? And if it was set up after the news broke, then shouldn't we be suspicious that he is being fired for perceived disloyalty to the NFF rather than for lack of commitment?

Anyone with half a brain knows that the time frame with which Keshi has been in charge since he was re-appointed as Super Eagles Coach in April is not enough to reach such a conclusion since there was no major act of misconduct on Keshi's part. Apparently, Keshi's misdemeanours in the last African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers have been revisited and Keshi, without the protection of the powers that be in the Presidency any longer may have suffered some form of payback.

Have we heard the last of this NFF-Keshi  saga? Don't bet on it.

Meanwhile, the NFF quickly announced the appointment of Shaibu Amodu as interim coach pending the appointment of a permanent replacement for Keshi. The next set of AFCON qualifiers come up in September. Nigeria will be taking on Tanzania away from home. Knowing the NFF's antecedents, a permanent replacement for Keshi will not be coming any time soon.

Who are the potential suitors to replace Stephen Keshi on a permanent basis? We should note however, that Nigeria at this point in time lacks top coaches with the clout of Keshi. We do have a few we can recycle however.

The logical replacement for Keshi may be one of Daniel Amokachi, Augustine Eguavoen, Christian Chukwu, Sunday Oliseh or Samson Siasia. With the exception of Oliseh, all have had stints with the Super Eagles as manager with varying degrees of failure and success. Siasia is in charge of the Olympic team currently and might not wish to have any distractions as he would want to prepare adequately and focus on qualifying for the  Olympics in Rio next year. Unless of course, the NFF elect to 'promote' him.

Amokachi was Keshi's assistant in the glory days of Keshi's reign and could be one of the favourites for the job. However, apart from being Keshi's assistant, It's difficult to see what Amokachi brings to the table. Could be more of the same from the Keshi era. A more of the same we hardly need.

Christian Chukwu and Augustine Eguavoen failed to take the Super Eagles to new heights after leading the Super Eagles to creditable bronze medals at the  AFCON finals in 2004 and 2006 respectively. 

Chukwu was sacked for failing to lead Nigeria to the World Cup finals in Germany in 2006 while Eguavoen who was Chukwu's replacement, although led Nigeria to third place at the AFCON finals in 2006, was also fired after a string of poor results after taking over from Berti Vogts who was shown the exit door for over seeing one of Nigeria's most dismal performances in AFCON finals history.

Sunday Oliseh could be the breath of fresh air Nigeria football needs but his inexperience at this level could prove costly even though he has a UEFA Pro licence. Nigeria cannot afford to miss out on another AFCON tournament for a consecutive time. 

Will the NFF be willing to take a gamble on Oliseh as recent reports suggest? Or will they go for a foreign manager as Bonfrere Jo advised? Whatever their decision is, they need to get this right so that we can move on. We don't play Egypt until next year. It's more than enough time for them to sort out this mess.