Why Mourinho is Handling Manchester United Youth to Perfection

Numerous criticisms have been publicised portraying Jose Mourinho a villain orchestrating the demise of Manchester United's youth traditions. Given the number of loan moves, sales and further planned outgoings of young players, the common fan can easily be deceived and misinformed by what is actually happening at the club.

Fans should not be fretting, they should be impressed by Mourinho’s way of working. By shipping out players who don’t have the quality to succeed at United, loaning those who could have a great future at the club once they take their opportunities to impress and keeping some who he deems are good enough like Marcus Rashford and Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Mourinho is conjuring up the perfect balance.

The Portuguese boss has an excess of experienced and recently transferred players who can’t even make the match day squad. The likes of Matteo Darmian, Ashley Young, Phil Jones and Memphis Depay have missed out on the bench in a few of the games already, showing the competition for places is intense. If they can’t even make the bench, keeping young players who are not rated highly as passengers for the sake of upholding the United youth tradition is incredibly counterproductive for both the youth products themselves and for the betterment of the team.

For instance Donald Love. If he had stayed, he would have been in all probability fourth choice right-back so his departure was the right decision for his career and for the club. Joe Rothwell was a more than a justified sale, after failing to impress with spells at Barnsley and Blackpool, coupled with injury troubles, he did not have sufficient quality to make the cut. Ashley Fletcher’s departure was another which was convenient for him and the club. After his loan spell at Barnsley, he wanted the promise of first-team football which was never going to come his way given the purchase of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Rashford’s emergence.

The only sale that provoked discussion was Paddy McNair's, given he started 15 Premier League games under Van Gaal and showed promise in several games including at Stamford Bridge. However when considering all the questions, his sale seems not only logical but again correct. Yes, he is strong on the ball and is relatively composed, however he hasn’t impressed to the level which was first envisaged, it seems his potential ceiling is ‘good’ at best and that is substandard for a manager with lofty ambitions.

It is not a matter of Mourinho destroying Manchester United’s proud youth traditions, the fact that he rates Axel Tuanzebe and Fosu-Mensah as effective squad members shows it is a matter of quality control.

The loan departures are well-thought out, rational decisions, too. In terms of the defensive loanees, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson has demonstrated potential. His United appearances have illustrated his defensive assuredness and superb crossing ability but his starts would be limited if he stayed as Luke Shaw’s back-up. For a 19-year-old, one season in a competitive Championship will give him the perfect chance to develop physically, as a defender and get game-time to prove his worth. James Wilson, Adnan Januzaj and Andreas Pereira have all been lauded as some of the best talents to emerge in recent years. Wilson was given the chance last year to impress at Brighton and didn’t stand out, so another opportunity to sway the United hierarchy seems fair, especially considering United’s current striker options. 

Januzaj is a bizarre one, as he had United fans and pundits raving after his outstanding debut in the David Moyes era, but since then Van Gaal, Marc Wilmots, Thomas Tuchel and even Mourinho supposedly have been unconvinced by the Belgian’s attitude. Now reunited at Sunderland with Moyes, the manager who he had initially mesmerised, and handed a starting spot in a Premier League side, he has the chance to show he has sufficient quality and consistency against tough opposition. It is the perfect marriage for him and the club.

Pereira is yet to find a loan move but is expected to. He has dominated the U21 league but there is no immediate promise of first-team football, so a temporary switch away to demonstrate his ability at a higher level on a consistent basis is exactly what is needed. Jesse Lingard is a great example of someone going out on loan and earning a squad place so should be the benchmark.

Mourinho isn’t forced to hand youth players debuts because of squad deficiencies and injuries like Van Gaal, he will play them on merit when they deserve their place.

He is not dismantling years of tradition by selling and loaning young players, the sales indicate his ambition and his unwavering winning mentality in wanting all his players to be of the required United standard. The loans show his willingness to nurture young players with real promise who need regular football, giving them the best chance to able to eventually break into the United first-team. 

All of that, alongside the likes of Rashford, Fosu-Mensah and Tuanzebe being seen as squad players this season, exemplifies that Mourinho is playing his cards right when it comes to handling the youth of United.

By Hesham Bilal-Hafiz

As featured on M.E.N: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/man-utd-news-mourinho-rashford-11791206

Why Louis Van Gaal should be sacked irrespective of a Top 4 Finish

After 4 wins in 4 consecutive games in February, it appeared fans and journalists alike were utilising this turn in form as potential justification for why Louis Van Gaal merited seeing out the final year of his contract, especially so if it culminates in desired achievement of finishing Top 4. Irrespective of recent results, this season should not be looked at with short-sightedness, looking at it with the necessary panoramic view clearly displays why even a Top 4 finish should be insufficient to sweep all of Louis Van Gaal's deficiencies under the rug and justify the retention of his job.

Style of Football

Whether something is boring or not is usually subjective and purely opinion, but Manchester United's style of play has been irrefutably dull - one of the major concerns of the Van Gaal era. Stats more than back up the cries of 'Attack, Attack, Attack!' we have heard ring from the Stretford End.  If goals are a measure of entertainment, Red Devil fans have been sentenced to death by boredom. United have the scored the fewest number of goals in the Top 6, they are 13th in the league for most shots per game, they have played the highest percentage of backwards passes in the Premier League and they have participated in more goal-less draws than any other English team in the season (6).

The players seem fearful of misplacing a forward pass and when approaching the opposition box the players are wary of shooting to upset the rigid thought-process of their manager - it is painful watching this slow, safety-first approach by a club historically famed for exciting, fast-paced, whole-hearted football. It feels as though Van Gaal has put a footballing straitjacket on the players, inhibiting their natural attacking instincts so it is no coincidence forward players like Di Maria, Memphis, Januzaj, Falcao and even Van Persie have struggled under his tutelage.

Manchester United fans used to enjoy watching matches, now they just endure them.

Ineffective Use of Players

A frustration of both fans and the players themselves is how Van Gaal has used the players at his disposal this season. Morgan Schneiderlin is one for instance he came in with a reputation of being one of the best holding midfielders in the league with no other midfielder having made more interceptions in the Premier League over the last 3 seasons. Remarkably, Manchester United have only lost 2 games out of the 26 he has started this season showing just how crucial he is to the club's success this season. Yet his exquisite reading of the game from the middle has been under-appreciated by Van Gaal, in the horror Christmas fixture phase with back-to-back losses to Wolfsburg, Bournemouth, Norwich and Stoke - Schneiderlin was not on the pitch for a single minute. Andreas Pereira, last season's U21 Player of the Year for Manchester United, has played just 4 small cameos in the Premier League and has not even started an FA Cup game. Every time he plays he exudes confidence, he has shown tremendous creativity and maturity in the final third, lauded as arguably the best young talent in Manchester United's youth grades but Van Gaal has failed to give him the opportunity to show the outstanding potential he really has. Adnan Januzaj is another, he was brought back from his loan spell at Borussia Dortmund at the end of December, yet he has played 15 minutes in 2 sub appearances since - he is yet another passenger in Van Gaal's era of baffling management.

                             

Record Against Smaller Teams

Sometimes stats can justify things just on their own. Against the Premier League's bottom half (10 sides), Manchester United have gained 21 points out of 45 points, and only 11 points out of a possible 27 against the bottom 6 Premier  League sides. For a club which should be challenging for the league title and be within the Top 4, those results are unforgivable. It is a trait which even haunted Van Gaal last season, early season points were dropped against Swansea, Sunderland, Burnley, Leicester (then fighting relegation) and West Brom derailing any potential title challenge alongside a humiliating loss against MK Dons. West Brom beat Manchester United only a few weeks ago, usually there would be an uproar and it being labelled as a real upset, but now it is just a, run-of-the-mill result, epitomising how low United have sunk under his tenure.

Irrespective of how good Louis Van Gaal's record is against the Top 6, a manager with that abysmal a record against lesser teams, a club like Manchester United expects to beat given their resources and ambition, should not be given another year to further illustrate the same tactical deficiencies.

                             

 Illogical Substitutions

Usually, substitutions are a key reflection on the tactical awareness and footballing intelligence of a manager. If used effectively, substitutions can salvage games from losing positions, win games petering out to draws and secure all 3 points when in a winning position. For instance, logic for any avid footballer fan when a team is losing would be to put an attacking / creative player on capable of injecting some life into a performance by creating or scoring a goal in the place of a tiring or less attacking outlet. Unfortunately, logic and Van Gaal are two words often not paired together. Frustratingly, substitutes have been more counter-productive than actually changing the course of affairs in a positive manner. It is so farcical that it is now almost laughable the amount of times this season we have seen a defender being substituted for a defender i.e. Matteo Darmian coming on for Guillermo Varela against West Ham whilst level at 1-1. We have also seen a not so dissimilar trend with midfielders, with the likes of Michael Carrick for Bastian Schweinsteiger. All these wasted substitutions for the Red Devils' fans culminate the likes of Andreas Pereira and Adnan Januzaj as well as other attackers on the bench being unfairly under-used. Van Gaal has even mirrored Tony Pulis' Stoke when he lumps Marouane Fellaini on as a ‘Plan B’ target man to have long balls aimlessly launched at - the less spoken about that the better.

                              

 If any substitution epitomises the mind-boggling decision-making of Louis Van Gaal which has alienated players and fans alike, it is the substitution of Juan Mata for Nick Powell, despite having been absent out of the first team for 16 months, in the pivotal Champions League deciding game against Wolfsburg. Bizarre.

Youth Policy Myth at United

One of the major selling points of Louis Van Gaal as Manchester United manager in the media and by fans has been the amount of youth he has blooded into the first team, he has given debuts to 7 academy players this season, continuing the proud traditions of the club. However, is this influx of youth a real Van Gaal masterplan or is it in truth something which has been done out of necessity?

Manchester United have had 60 separate injuries this season, there was even a point in the season where there were simultaneous injuries to crucial players which would otherwise star in Manchester United's first team (De Gea; Darmian, Jones, Rojo, Shaw; Valencia, Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin, Young; Rooney & Martial). Whether that's down to intense training methods or pure misfortune is up for debate, but what is not up for debate is that this has dramatically forced Van Gaal's hand in his squad selection. 

                                

For Jesse Lingard, early in the season he was brought in as a starter after cameos at Everton and Palace away, so all of his success this season can be attributed to Van Gaal's decision to promote a Manchester United youth product. However, other than that, the majority of the youngsters that have played a part in the first team set up have only featured due to injuries depleting an already wafer-thin squad.  For instance two full-backs which have impressed greatly with their maturity in defence and menace going forward are Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Guillermo Varela who would never have been given such a chance without a United defensive injury crisis. A season-destroying blow to Luke Shaw, long term injuries to Marcos Rojo, Ashley Young and Phil Jones meant that Borthiwck-Jackson was thrust into the first-team almost as a last resort to fill the left-back slot. Varela has experienced similar luck, given the lengthy setbacks of Antonio Valencia and Matteo Darmian alongside the aforementioned absence of the versatile Ashley Young meant that Van Gaal had no one else to play right-back. Even now, the emergence of the hotshot Marcus Rashford is purely by chance and not by design with his inclusion in the team only coming on the back of a striking injury crisis with Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial and Will Keane all out at the same time.

Would these players really have been played and given the opportunity to flourish without injuries? The consistent exclusion of Andreas Pereira and Adnan Januzaj suggest otherwise.

Since December, Louis Van Gaal has lost as many games as recently sacked manager Steve McClaren who has put Newcastle deeper into relegation trouble. This abysmal stat alone would amaze onlookers as to how the manager of one of the biggest clubs in the world still has a job, especially so since a tailor-made replacement, one of football's elite managers in Jose Mourinho is currently sitting in his London home without a job. This Manchester United season of frustration, boredom and never ending disappointment should be enough to convince Ed Woodward and co that change is undoubtedly necessary.

Should Van Gaal stay as Manchester United manager for the 2016/17 season? No way José.

By Hesham Bilal-Hafiz (@hesham786)

Schneiderlin v Schweinsteiger - Who should Man United sign?

A German enforcer or a French orchestrator? Man United fans have littered social media debating which of Morgan Schneiderlin or Bastian Schweinsteiger, two high class central-midfield players, would be the best signing to reinforce our squad in that area.

Firstly, Bastian Schweinsteiger, a name any football fan would recognise, he’s won every possible accolade with his club and he’s won the World Cup for his country, it seems like he has accomplished everything he can and has been around football for an eternity. Renowned for being a midfield general, robust and never shy of a tackle, his midfield intelligence makes him a player that still has several years at a very high level still left in his reliable German engine. German national coach Joachim Low called him “the brain”, not only does it show that he is pivotal to their team, it shows that he has the vision in his range of passing and that he is a superb reader of the game from his central midfield position. Van Gaal loves ‘multi-functional’ players and Schweinsteiger would provide versatility in the middle, as he is equally adept in the deep-lying defensive midfield position as the box-to-box midfield role.

Compared to Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger has proven to be more efficient in providing his team with the goals and has more of an attacking threat, even whilst playing deep. Last season, despite playing over 800 minutes less than Schneiderlin, he played 7 more (26) key passes, provided 3 more assists (4) than the Frenchman (1) and scored one more goal (5 to Schneiderlin’s 4). Even in 2013/14, the German notched up 8 goals and assists combined whilst Schneiderlin only managed 3 combined despite playing 900 minutes less. With an eye for a pass, a thunderous long-range shot and a wicked set-piece delivery in him, Schweinsteiger provides the greater attacking threat from the midfield. Perhaps the biggest thing Van Gaal has been attracted to, is the German’s leadership qualities, recently given the captaincy for the World Champions, he is a natural leader whose sheer presence alone demands respect. United have lacked steel and leadership ever since Roy Keane’s departure and he could provide our midfield with exactly that with all of his Champions League experience as an added bonus too.

Morgan Schneiderlin is the glue that holds Southampton together; in a Busquets-esque manner he dictates play for the Saints, doing the dirty work in the middle, his efforts often going unnoticed but never underappreciated by his teammates. Speaking on Sky Sports after Southampton’s win at Old Trafford, Gary Neville said: “I think he [Schneiderlin] could play at any of the top clubs in the league, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United or Arsenal – he’s showed his quality this season.” Testaments like that have become the norm from pundits after several stellar Premier League seasons from Schneiderlin. The Frenchman is a rare hybrid of elegance and grit, two characteristics which have made him perfect for the Premier League. As Ander Herrera has proven this year, someone who isn’t lauded as a star name can still be the most effective signing for a club in the face of star names and Schneiderlin could emulate that success despite not being a star name like Schweinsteiger. He has played both as central midfielder and as a defensive midfielder so he cannot be accused of being one-dimensional and is versatile just like the Bayern Munich stalwart.

When compared to Schweinsteiger, it is clear that the Saints’ midfielder is the more defensively astute. Last season, the German international won 24 tackles and Michael Carrick won 19 but Schneiderlin won an impressive 79 tackles in all games, even in the 2013/2014 season Schneiderlin won 51 more tackles than Schweinsteiger. In the 2014/15 season, Carrick (31) and Schweinsteiger (28) made 59 interceptions combined but Schneiderlin on his own managed to make 63 interceptions. In fact, he was won 519 tackles and interceptions combined since the 2012/13 season – the highest number by any Premier League player. These statistics show why the Southampton man is held in such high regard. He is a tenacious midfielder who breaks up play with consummate ease providing resolute cover for the defence; a role Michael Carrick has championed for United over the years. Praise for his defensive abilities shouldn’t mask his deep-lying playmaking abilities, sublime passing range and in-game intelligence; he would add dynamism and defensive solidity to any team.

Schweinsteiger is like a three-quarter full bottle of vintage red wine, when full it was one of the most valuable in its own specialist area, even though now it’s not what it once was, the real connoisseurs would still whole-heartedly appreciate whatever is left of it. Schneiderlin is like a bottle of champagne, known for being chilled, never disappoints in adding a touch of class, suitable for special occasions and often overlooked in its valuableness for what it contributes.

All in all, both of the central midfielders would add quality and composure to the Manchester United midfield. If Van Gaal wants a world class all-round central-midfielder for the short-term, Bastian Schweinsteiger may well be the man for the job. However, as I believe United should be aiming for longevity and quality simultaneously, I think we should look no further than Morgan Schneiderlin as the heir to Michael Carrick’s throne. He is proven in the Premier League doing the work of an unsung hero in Southampton’s midfield with a distinct stylishness and determinedness; he without doubt has all the qualities to be the defensive midfielder for an elite side in Europe. Despite being one of the most effective defensive midfielders in the Premier League for the last 3 seasons, the Frenchman has his prime years ahead of him and would be a great coup.

Manchester United fans shouldn’t be too fussed either way as both these players would represent fantastic signings irrelevant to transfer fees and age.

By Hesham Bilal-Hafiz (@hesham786)

4 Reasons Why The Manchester Derby Is a Must Watch

 It is one of the most hotly-anticipated fixtures in the Premier League because it has defined the title race in recent years and has always been a game riddled with animosity, the Manchester Derby, doesn’t require any hype.

In saying that though, this Sunday’s game should be one of the most absorbing derbies in recent seasons.

Here are 4 reasons why:

The Defensive Woes

This season both defences have buckled when opposing teams have piled pressure on them. United have managed only 2 clean sheets in 9 after a bucket load of centre-back pairings have been tried and tested by Van Gaal. The ‘senior’ centre-backs haven’t roused confidence with most of them spending more time on the physio’s table than on the pitch and haveappeared jittery against mediocre opposition. Manchester City haven’t fared any better, they’ve notched up only 2 clean sheets as well. City’s £32million signing Mangala hasn’t adapted to Premier League life quickly, leaving them in the same dilemma as last year, who is the best partner forKompany in defence.  With both teams having defensive woes, it could be goals galore and a matter of which team can outscore the other, almost FIFA-esque this Sunday.

Midfield Battle

Of late, it has been a foregone conclusion in midfield with City outrunning United’s midfield with powerhouses likeYaya Toure up against physically weaker and susceptible central midfielders like Cleverley and Fletcher. This year has a different feel with United’s new midfield recruits. Blind hasbeen an underrated addition, he is deceivingly strong and provides them with the much needed composure.  Herrera is the engine whose passing range and unerring energy givesthem the potential to come up trumps in a midfield clash. Fellaini controlled the midfield against Chelsea; he almost single-handedly restrained Fabregas and Matic, no mean feat.  Yaya Toure has been unusually tame this season, 1 goal in 7 games, no assists and 3 yellow cards. He hasn’t quite bossed a game in the same vein as last year. This Sunday’s midfield contest will be an intriguing one because it will be more evenly contested in the middle and the outcome of this battle is utterly unpredictable.

     

Tactical Encounter

The managers are going to be pivotal in influencing the contest both in the way they line-up their teams and the way they make substitutions during the game. Van Gaal has shown his tactical fluidity already switching from 3-5-2, a 4-4-2 diamond and a 4-2-3-1 come 4-3-3 against Chelsea. I feel VanGaal again will pack the midfield, play Fellaini again as he did an immaculate job against Chelsea and perhaps only play one striker. It will be interesting to see how changes the line up from the Chelsea game with Rooney, Valencia, Herrera and Evans all potentially fit again. Pellegrini has a fixation with a 4-4-2 with two wingers and two genuine strikers. However it always as if Silva is wasted wide left and it is a formation which can be undone on the counter, evident in West Ham’s victory against them on Saturday. The 4-2-3-1 formation worked brilliantly against Spurs and it is the formation which in my eyes best utilises the killer combination of Silva and aguero. Two of the more tactically astute managers in the league head-to-head will make for fascinating viewing.

                      

                    

World Class Hotshots

This season, it seems there is an even bigger A-List cast of players on show. With Manchester United signing Falcao and Di Maria in the summer, this game really is the Premier League equivalent of El Clasico. Ballon d’Or nominee Di Maria has blessed the league with his jet-heeled pace and outrageous skill scoring 3 goals and creating 4 assists already this season. On the opposition, Aguero has been on fire with a sensational goal-scoring return this season of 9 goals in 7 games.  In addition to the Argentinian duo, other superstars such as Dzeko and Rooney are sure to add flair to an already widely-anticipated matchup. If all the star players fire it will be an electrifying end-to-end game but regardless of whether they will fire or not, them being up against each other will be a sight to behold.

By Hesham Bilal-Hafiz (@hesham786)

Does The Captaincy Give Wayne Rooney An Undeserved Starting Place?

Before the Leicester City game, Louis Van Gaal disheartened Juan Mata admirers like myself when he said that he 'wasn't so satisfied with Rooney as a striker and Mata as a midfielder' in reference to the QPR game. This instantaneously made me think of two things, firstly that Van Gaal doesn't see Wayne Rooney's Man United future as a striker and secondly Van Gaal didn't or perhaps doesn't rate Juan Mata as Number 10. This exemplifies that LVG envisages Rooney's best position as a midfielder in that creative number 10 role meaning our Spanish sensation's favoured position will be occupied by a player who's place in the starting XI is definitive. Yes that means Juan Mata would become second choice centre-attacking midfielder warming the bench or that he has to play an unfamiliar role in another position. Not good news for Juan Mata enthusiasts.  The question is, even though it seems an inevitability that Rooney will steal Mata's starting berth, does Rooney deserve to play in that position ahead of Mata?

Firstly I'd like to point out that Wayne Rooney is a surprisingly shrewd man. From a player that tweeted "mine tackle was bad" and utters the words "Yeh, of course" with annoying repetitiveness during TV interviews, you wouldn't guess Wayne Rooney was a smart man. Yet he is deceivingly cunning as he has showed he knows how to manipulate Manchester United to suit his best interests.  

Back in 2010 Rooney asked the club to leave and was seemingly headed for a move to the noisy neighbours for financial incentives and the allure of a big money project but due to Sir Alex's unquenchable determination to win Premier League, he was given increased wages and persuaded to stay. On the back of a 27 goal season in 2011/12, Sir Alex wanted to make a major statement in the transfer window as well as give Wayne Rooney serious competition and did so in the shape of Robin Van Persie. In that 2012/13 season, Rooney only played 22 league games, and only scored 12 goals as he was pushed into a number 10 role that he didn't want to play in. The end of that season in 2013 when asked whether he was becoming a midfielder Rooney categorically said "In the years to come, that might be somewhere I could play, but, right now, I'm definitely a centre-forward" and described it with a role he is "very comfortable with" hence didn't like being pushed deep with the arrival of Van Persie. After flirting with a move away to the likes of Chelsea and PSG, Wayne Rooney was given a £300,000 a week contract and played last season as a conventional striker, as he wished. In fairness to him in a poor season for the club, he did have an impressive season with 17 goals and 10 assists in 27 games playing where he wanted. Nevertheless after wanting to leave the club twice, somewhat paradoxically he has earned himself substantial pay rises making him Manchester United's highest earner.

Fast forward a year, a week ago, he said in an interview quite honestly "I'm happy to play out wide; I can do a job there and I can do a job up front. I'm not the player I was...I feel like I've progressed my game." and "I'm a a cleverer player now and know when to run into the box and when not to." Now he clearly doesn't see himself as an out-an-out striker and hence we can infer that he sees himself as more of a midfield man now. It maybe a pessimistic view, but it appears as soon as Radamel Falcao signed, he's decided he doesn't have the attributes anymore to be a striker and has converted to more of a midfielder. I can't help but feel that having seen his competition for striking positions are Radamel Falcao and Robin Van Persie, two of the best centre-forwards in world football, he has decided that Mata is the easiest player to displace in order to keep his own place in the team.

 It is absolutely astonishing how Wayne Rooney has manipulated the club to his benefit, when he's asked to leave he has seemed to get the pay rises he's craved for and when he's inquired to play in a certain position he gets his demand. I've been a big fan of Rooney over the years, he has been a great servant to the club in terms of the goals and assists he has supplied in his career, but perhaps unfairly he has been treated like aloof royalty. It seems as if this trend is going to continue. Van Gaal has given him the Captain's armband as he has proven to be the hardest worker in training and fits the bill in terms a player who has longevity at the club. Before the Leicester game, Van Gaal has said the only two certainties in his team are the captain and the keeper meaning Wayne Rooney is one undebatable name on the team sheet. However this armband may be a hindrance more than a help to the team's cause because Rooney's guaranteed starting berth will be detrimental to the career of Juan Mata.

People say that Juan Mata is the superior number 10 but stats don't make it that clear cut. In fact the two are very closely matched. In 2011/12, it is unfair to compare Rooney (27 goals and 5 assists) to Mata as one played as a striker and the other as a number 10, but in terms of playmakers, only David Silva got more goals and assists combined (6 goals +17 assists) than Juan Mata in the Premier League (6 goals + 13 assists).

The best season to compare them is 2012/13, this is the season where both the Spaniard and United skipper played in that central attacking midfield role for their respective teams. In that season for Chelsea, Juan Mata scored 12 goals and notched up 12 assists and Wayne Rooney knocked in 12 goals whilst supplying 10 assists. That season, Mata created more clear cut chances (14 to 9) and made more key passes (2.7 to 1.8) but Rooney had a better shot accuracy (40.7% to 34.3%) and a better clear cut chance conversion rate (50% to 33.3%). Rooney has strengths in terms of shooting and finishing that Mata doesn't possess whilst Mata has some creative capabilities that his United counterpart lacks. They balance each other out. 

Their current form makes them equally inseparable. 

In their last 10 Premier League games: 

- Wayne Rooney has scored 8 goals and got 2 assists playing both up front and behind the striker. 
- Juan Mata has scored 8 goals and got 1 assist playing solely in the number 10 position.

If you're being pernickety you could say that Mata's stats read better as he played only as a midfielder whilst Rooney has been played further forward more consistently but I think both sets of stats make for impressive reading. Both players are excellent in the number 10 role so whoever plays there fans should be happy, some people wrongly label Rooney unworthy of playing there after playing poor in his last few games (even though stats suggest otherwise). These players bring almost identical amounts of goals and assists so it's only their style of play which differentiates them. Rooney plays more with power and tries to ping the cross-field passes whilst Mata plays with finesse and caresses the ball with delicate through balls. 


 In an ideal world, Juan Mata and Wayne Rooney would be rotated on form and performance which I feel would be the only fair way to distinguish who deserves to play the following game. Or perhaps even Van Persie can be in the rotation mix and rotating him would allow Rooney to play further forward in some games allowing Mata to slot in the number 10 position on occasions. Unfortunately we don't live in an ideal world and Wayne Rooney has a privileged position as captain so rotation with him and Mata is very unrealistic. The way I see it, Wayne Rooney doesn't deserve to play consistently ahead of Juan Mata... but Juan Mata doesn't deserve to play consistently over Wayne Rooney either. It is a contradictory dilemma that cannot be resolved without some fans being left disappointed either way.

 One thing that is sure is that Wayne Rooney has been given an upper hand in the number 10 position with the captain's armband however I don't think it doesn't gives him an undeserved place in the team because he has proven time and time again, he offers a lot in that centre attacking midfield role. It is only unfair that the captaincy seemingly excludes him from being rotated regardless of whether he performs badly in a game. I just hope Juan Mata doesn't become a castaway like Shinji Kagawa eventually became and plays a pivotal role this season with Van Gaal miraculously finding a solution to this head-scratching predicament.

By Hesham Bilal-Hafiz (@hesham786)

How Will Angel Di Maria Fit In At Manchester United?

Angel has become a Devil and yet the major talking point from fans isn't the fact United are finally about to land a 'marquee name' it's the question on how will Di Maria fit in at Manchester United with the plethora of attacking outlets at United's disposal.

Whether the reason for his departure is because of the arrival of Colombian sensation James Rodriguez’s pushing Di Maria to a bench-warming spot or because of a grudge with President Florentino Pérez, Real Madrid’s loss is without a doubt Man United’s gain. Los Blancos fans clearly think very highly of the Argentine unlike the Real Madrid’s hierarchy, 83.5% of a poll of 16,688 Madridistas were against the deal and thought that their club needed to keep Di Maria in the Spanish AS paper this week. Even though Real Madrid fanatics can be subjective in their praise, it is a clear that Angel Di Maria is valuable asset to a team but the question is whether Di Maria is really someone United need and how he’d fit in the team. 

Red Devil fans being cynical with a new expensive signing is no surprise given the fact that star signings in the past have been bought but haven’t been deployed effectively in the team for their potential to be fulfilled.  A prime example is Juan Sebastian Veron, who was a flop considering the extortionate fee paid in the market at the time, with a paltry return of 17 goals and 2 assists in 82 appearances for the club. Flash-forward a decade or so and players like Kagawa and Mata were bought with fantastic records at previous top clubs yet they were initially played on the wing when they in the past have excelled in the number 10 position and they struggled to adapt to the Manchester United team initially. So the club does notoriously have a reputation for buying players for the sake of appeasing fans with big money moves with disregard to how they’d fit into the United system but this time should be different.


The biggest misconception from many football fans is that Angel Di Maria is an out-an-out winger in the ilk of an Arjen Robben, whilst the Argentine has many similar qualities, he has never played consistently as a winger in a front 3 in his career. I think his swashbuckling style of play which will give him the tag of a ‘winger’ but the common misunderstanding means that many overlook that Di Maria has most impressed when playing tucked in a midfield, into a deeper and more central role often deployed in a midfield 3. At Benfica he played wing-back initially, then developed into a marauding winger and then he was most effective when he was in a midfield diamond opposite the holding midfielder Ramires. The position he thrived in at Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho’s 4-2-3-1 formation was a narrow wide role on either flank to ensure that the likes Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil could flourish in their favoured positions. Last season was his best season as a footballer and with the arrival of Gareth Bale, Di Maria’s position was cemented as a left-sided central midfielder in a midfield 3 of Xabi Alonso and Luka Modric. From that deeper position he became a midfield maestro managing to be the main source of ammunition for a deadly attack as he got 17 assists – the top assist-maker in La Liga for the season – and chipped in with 4 goals in 27 league appearances for Los Blancos. He was absolutely critical for Real Madrid in their pursuit for ‘La Decima’ too as he managed to rack up 5 assists and score 3 goals in 9 games whilst being pivotal in the Champions League final winning the Man of the Match award.

Di Maria has been played as a winger, wing-back, central midfielder and as a no. 10 in the space of a few years highlighting that he is an incredibly versatile, team player. His jet-heeled pace coupled with his superb dribbling ability makes him a deadly asset to any team. It’s not just these ‘winger’ attributes that make him just what Man United need, he has the capacity to make killer passes at will, providing much needed dynamism and pace to a lacklustre midfield which has shown in the early games to be painfully slow in their build up. One thing that people don’t appreciate enough from Di Maria is his tireless energy; his work rate is commendable because he is not afraid to do his defensive duties whenever necessary.

 With the nickname El Fideo meaning ‘The Noodle’ due to his slim, gangly physique, he is hardly a player that will fly into tackles like a midfield enforcer of the likes of a Arturo Vidal or a Nigel De Jong but he is one that likes to persistently hassle attackers with his presence, hurrying them into making mistakes; like a bluebottle fly whizzing around constantly annoying people near it. At Real, one minute he was in a ferociously quick attack and then the next minute he was indefatigably tracking back helping his defenders – something that Van Gaal will truly appreciate given the abysmal defensive performances this season thus far.

If Van Gaal persists with the 3-4-1-2, Di Maria could be played in the left central midfield spot, meaning he would be playing alongside Herrera in the middle. Playing them both may work against lesser sides but against the big guns would come unstuck defensively hence would require a genuine holding midfielder instead of one of them to break up play for a perfect balance. If there should be an injury to Van Persie, Falcao or Rooney, or even if he wanted to rest one of his strikers, Di Maria could seamlessly slot in as one of the two forwards in the way that Arjen Robben did for Holland at the World Cup – he has the capacity to emulate Robben’s successful transformation. Louis Van Gaal admitted that he is playing 3-4-1-2 because “It fits in more players” prior to the Sunderland game, hence I believe that Van Gaal is trying to accommodate Van Persie, Rooney and Mata – his 3 most important commodities – to play in their best positions. There are growing impressions that this formation doesn’t play to the strengths of others because for this formation to work effectively it requires 3 centre-backs who are comfortable in possession, can pass and have exquisite spatial awareness but unfortunately I don’t think Manchester United have 3 that tick all the boxes for this demanding role. Now with the addition of powerhouse attacker Radamel Falcao, I think a change of formation is a matter of time.

I believe the acquisition of Di Maria will allow Van Gaal to change his formation single-handedly to one that will be better suited to more of the players at Man United, possibly reverting to a 4-3-3 or a similar formation. We’ve seen at the World Cup that Louis Van Gaal is one of the most tactically flexible managers out there, adjusting his approach dependent on the opposition in front of him, playing 4-3-3, 4-3-1-2, 3-4-3, 3-5-2 and 4-2-3-1 at various stages of the competition hence a tactical change is very much a possibility. Di Maria could prosper playing in the left side of a midfield 3 in the 4-3-3 formation, but the best system in my view would be a 4-3-1-2 which would encompass the majority of the attacking quartet of Mata, Rooney, Van Persie and Falcao brilliantly whilst getting the best out of El Fideo. The lack of quality of United’s centre-backs would become less apparent in a back 4, because they wouldn’t have to spend as much time on the ball meaning it would be a system they’d be most accustomed to and the overall demands of a being in a back 4 is less onerous than the requirements in a back 3.  The conundrum for Louis Van Gaal would be how to incorporate Adnan Januzaj and Juan Mata but if he is having headaches because as he has so many options to use in his team, then it’s a good dilemma to have. Manchester City and Chelsea have incredible squad depth and their bench is full of players that would start in most other teams, the likes of Aguero, Fernandinho, Willian and Felipe Luis were all benchwarmers last week just epitomising how much quality they have throughout the squad. Man United can only dream of a dilemma like this, hence the fact that Red Devil fans are moaning whether Van Gaal can accommodate all his top players in an 11 is a short-sighted approach, as a season progresses, a squad of 20-22 with quality throughout is a recipe for Premier League success. 

Angel Di Maria isn’t an unnecessary panic buy; he’s a buy that will panic Premier League defenders. Only Lionel Messi (57) has more assists than Di Maria (49) in the last four years in La Liga, El Fideo is the 3rd top assist-maker from any European league since 2011 which is amazing considering most have been from midfield rather than as a forward. Di Maria is one of the most versatile attacking players in the world, he will excel in whatever midfield or attacking role he will be given at bringing the excitement back to Man United’s midfield. United fans shouldn’t be concerned where he plays or whether he will fit in because he will thrive on the wings and centrally, they should feel delighted that Angel is now a Devil.

By Hesham Bilal-Hafiz (@hesham786)

The Promoted Teams - Which Player Can Keep Them Up?

GUEST POST: I believe I needed to do a post on which player will impress coming from the Championship this year and which players are crucial to the promoted teams' survival. I feel like I'm not an expert on The Championship, so I invited my friend Dan, who's an avid Blackburn fan and regular Championship follower to write this article.

The wait is almost over. The Premier League is just days away, it comes as a welcome relief to the football fans all over the world that have been longing to watch the most competitive league in Europe exhibit it's footballing drama all over again. It's gained the tag as being one of the most competitive in the world for several reasons. One because the title race is never clear cut or a clear two horse race like other top European leagues, the race for the Premier League and top 4 is one of the most enthralling things annually for football fans all over the world because of it's sheer unpredictability. The second reason is because in this league, the quality is so high throughout that no team is unbeatable (or very rarely like Arsenal's invincibles), on any given day a team challenging for the title can be beaten by a team tipped to get relegated. It is this volatility that gives promoted teams the hope that they could steer themselves to Premier League safety in their first season and avoid the drop. This challenge is one that the promoted clubs and their fans relish as being back in the top flight after years in the Championship will feel incredibly special. This year all 3 of these teams will face a massive task to beat the drop first season back because of the ever-improving teams they'll be in the dog fight with. I feel the players mentioned in this post will be the crucial difference between the elation of staying in the Premier League for a second season or facing the heartbreak of instant relegation.

Leicester 

Last year’s SkyBet Championship winners have had plenty to celebrate recently after leading and dominating the league for what seemed like the whole season wrapped up the title in impressive style amazingly with 6 games spare. This promotion, like many promoted sides, was a project in the making with several years of planning. After the heartbreak of the dramatic play-off semi-final defeat against Watford last May, Leicester rejuvenated their team, not letting the heartbreak get the better of them and consequently found themselves in 1^st place after 28 of the 46 games and never looked back. 

David Nugent: The former Portsmouth frontman struck up a formidable partnership with fellow striker Jamie Vardy. He netted 20 out of the pairs' 36 goals they scored and as a partnership they notched up 28 last season (in which Nugent got 12 assists), meaning that Nugent was directly involved in almost half of Leicester’s goals scored in the league. This shows that Nugent played an absolutely vital role in the title winning season and is pivotal to the team's success, although only having a years’ worth of premiership experience under his belt to date, he can have a big say on the Foxes’ final league position come May. If he can continue his Championship form it is no wonder that the bookies have Leicester as the favourites out of the promoted teams to avoid the drop. 

Danny Drinkwater: Statistically, last season was Drinkwater’s best season, notching 8 goals and 4 assists which is an impressive return from central midfield, he found himself a

regular feature in Leicester’s first XI.

His season earned praise from Football League pundits culminating in him deservedly winning  a place in the Championship Team of the Year and won Leicester City Player of the Season. Central midfielders often go under the radar as they do the unglamorous work, but they are arguably the most important players in a team as they are pivotal in both defence and attack hence if given regular starts again, Drinkwater could play a very influential role in the attempt to keep Leicester up. 

Personally I fear Leicester may struggle in the Premier league, as there is a lack of quality and experience throughout their squad and as a result with inevitable injuries and absences they may find it hard to keep up with some of the more experienced sides in the division. In saying that however, you definitely cannot automatically rule out a side that completely dominated the second tier of English football for a year.

Burnley

Without a doubt, the surprise package of the 2013/2014 Championship season was Burnley. The 4^th favourites from the bookies for relegation last August, they stunned many by having a fantastic run of form early on, which was sustained through the season and ensured that the Clarets only faced defeat five times over the whole season. The disciplined defence and hardworking midfield was only outshone by the dynamic strike force of Danny Ings and Sam Vokes. With 41 goals between them, they were statistically the 2^nd best duo in England, behind Suarez and Sturridge - a very impressive feat.

Danny Ings: Despite only being his first season playing regularly in the striker role, Ings proved he was more than capable of playing centrally by netting 26 times in all competitions. His blistering pace proved hard for championship defences to keep up with, and with more supply next season he could be the man to keep Burnley up. He has the potential to emulate the likes of Rickie Lambert, a prolific striker in the football league who steps up his game to perform consistently in the Top Flight. 

Kieron Trippier: With 14 assists (the joint top assists) in the league as a right back, Trippier showed his tremendous ability last season. Although played at right back he gets forward, marauding up and down the right wing whenever he can. Despite his outstanding attacking exploits, he is defensively astute as well as he averaged 7 defensive actions per game with a 53% pass completion rate. Could be a potential England right-back if he impresses in the Premier League, definitely would be a good coup for fantasy football managers too.

If Dyche can get his team as well organised and effective as last season along with the steady supply of assists by Trippier along with the frequent goals of the potent 'Vings' partnership, there’s every chance that the Lancashire minnows can beat the drop, however, a few injuries to players could be detrimental to their aspirations and would in all probability mean a repeat of the 2009/2010 season and swift return to the Championship. No matter how they fare, I believe like Blackpool were in the Premier League, they will be an entertaining team to watch, playing a fearless brand of football.

QPR

A team with premier league talent on paper, QPR always seemed likely to have a short stay in the Championship. Unbeaten in the first 11 games, it looked as if they would walk the league at finish at top spot, but more and more losses appeared throughout the season and QPR became unpredictable, looking premier league standard one week and struggling against some of the weaker teams in the league. There’s no doubt that the Hoops have quality throughout their ranks, however their aging squad is now another year older and questions have to be asked whether players such as Richard Dunne, Robert Green and Bobby Zamora can still perform at the same level they used to.

Charlie Austin: A premier league opportunity was almost sealed last summer, but after failing his medical at Hull, the former Burnley and Swindon town man found himself in for another season in England’s Second division. Despite injuries along the way, Austin managed to net 17 goals in the league, equating to over a quarter of QPR’s final goal total, showing that the risk made by Redknapp to secure the services of the 25 year old is one that has seemed to pay off. His goal record makes for an impressive read as he averages just over a goal every two games at both league 1 and championship and I believe now is the time for the striker to make the next step up, and if he can stay injury free, he will be a real asset to his team. 

David Hoilett: Although not a player that finds himself in the starting line-up consistently, “Junior” is a player that can turn a game around. After moving through the youth system at Blackburn Rovers, Hoilett enjoyed regular first team action for the Lancashire giants over two seasons in the premier league. However, since joining QPR in the summer of 2012, things haven’t worked out quite as well as the Canadian might have planned with the majority of his appearances coming from the subs bench. With 10 direct goal contributions last season (4 goals and 6 assists), I feel that Hoilett still has more to offer to the premier league, as his quick feet and darting runs would cause even the best full backs some problems, as shown during his spell at Blackburn. 

QPR must learn from their mistakes of two seasons ago, and if they do, relegation should not be a worry as Redknapp’s team has unquestionable talent, and a lower mid-table finish should be within the reach of the Hoops.

These players have shown that they are more than capable in the second division, but I believe this is the right time in these players’ respective careers to step up and try and prove themselves at the top level. 

Written by Dan Mayer (@danmayer_) and edited by Hesham Bilal-Hafiz (@hesham786)