Manchester United’s 2-0 home defeat against Paris Saint Germain on Tuesday was a much-needed wake-up call for their boardroom.

Ten wins in 11 before the game and it seems like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is magic, here to save United from the boring football brought by Jose Mourinho. He’s now got them back into the top four which seemed an impossible task.

However, the results have merely papered over the cracks that lie in the heart of United’s defence and midfield. Sir Alex Ferguson failed to replace Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic and each manager since has failed too.

How Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have earned themselves new contracts is anyone’s guess, and the Red Devils have paid the price for Ed Woodward’s stubbornness in summer when he refused to capture top targets Toby Alderweireld or Harry Maguire. Everyone could tell United needed better defenders apart from the people at the club controlling the money.

Without a solid base to build from, United haven’t been able to commit enough men forward to create an exciting brand of football. Players who worry about the solidity of their defence are more likely to be cautious with their passing and movement when they have the ball, worried they might be susceptible to a counter-attack.

Solskjaer has injected belief into the players, and that cautiousness appears to have gone. That’s great against lesser teams because United’s defence is good enough to withstand their attacks, but against teams like PSG that confidence turns to carelessness.

For United to successfully play the football their fans long for, they must strengthen at the back this summer or risk jumping back on the managerial merry-go-round.

Indeed, it turns out Mourinho was right to complain all along.

Who do you think United should buy in summer?

رحب طارق يحيى المدير الفني المؤقت لنادي الزمالك، بتدريب الفريق حتى انتهاء منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وقاد طارق يحيى الزمالك في مباراتين خسر أولهما أمام أسوان بهدف، وانتصر في الثانية على طنطا بنتيجة 3-1.

وقال طارق يحيى خلال مداخلة هاتفية عبر قناة النهار ببرنامج أوضة اللبس: “لو طُلب مني أن أستمر حتى البطولة الإفريقية لحين قدوم المدرب الجديد فلن يوجد لدي أي مشكلة، فأنا أول من بدأ البطولة مع الفريق، وأمتلك الخبرات الإفريقية والحكمة للعمل مع اللاعبين”.

وأضاف: “الأمر في يد مجلس إدارة الزمالك وتحت أمرهم في أي شىء، والنادي له فضل علي، ولو طلبوا مني التواجد فن أرفض”.

وتابع: “الخبثاء يهاجموني لأنني أحب الزمالك وأخلص له، وراضي بأي منصب داخل النادي وأسعد به لأنه بيتي”.

وواصل: “الزمالك بإدارته وجماهيره ولاعبيه قادرين على الفوز بدوري أبطال إفريقيا، سواء كنت متواجدًا أم لا”.

طالع أيضًا.. مرتضى منصور يعلن توقيع عقوبة على لاعب الزمالك ويعتذر لنادي طنطا

واستأنف: “الزمالك هو الأفضل وإن شاء الله سنحقق اللقب، ولو حقق اللاعبون الموجودون حاليًا البطولة الإفريقية سيكونون قد فعلوا كل شىء للجماهير بعدما فازوا بالسوبرالمصري والإفريقي والكونفدرالية الإفريقية وحققوا المكسب على الأهلي في الدوري”.

وتابع: “ربنا يسامح من يقول إنني أقبل قيادة الزمالك كـ(سبوبة) لأني لا أجد عملًا”.

واستأنف: “حامل الراية في مباراة أسوان كان يقول للحكم معروف خلال المباراة في السماعة اللاعب رقم 5 في أسوان إنذار ثان وطرد، كررها 5 مرات ولكن لم يستجب له محمد معروف”.

وأتم: “بجانب الغيابات والإصابات وانتقاد الناس للتشكيل الذي كان اضطراريًا، لكننا خسرنا بفعل فاعل”.

It’s still tough to understand quite how Liverpool have found themselves in their current position. Despite leading the way in the Premier League title race during the early stages of 2019, they’ve lacked the bite and consistency that made them such a deadly force earlier this season, and as the end of the season edges ever closer, the pressure on the shoulders of Jurgen Klopp is increasing by the week. 

This, according to Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson, has left the German panicking and struggling for the answers that he needs to help take Liverpool to the promised land. 

Speaking on The Debate, via Sky Sports, Merson said: “Jurgen Klopp is panicking”.

He offered a number of examples, noting: “Panic is setting in, as shown by his substitutions, bringing on Adam Lallana for Sadio Mane – you’ve got to win that game. Everton were never going to win the game – they had settled for a point. James Milner coming on… I like him, but you’ve got to win the game. You’ve got Daniel Sturridge and Xherdan Shaqiri on the bench. I’ve been a manager myself and sometimes you sit there after a game and think ‘I shouldn’t have done that’.”

Klopp, of course, finds himself in a very high-pressure situation. The Premier League title race is as close as it gets, and Liverpool have drawn the majority of their games over the last few weeks. Indeed, they’ve won just 2 of their last 7 games in all competitions, and that’s not title-winning form.

Is the situation getting to him? Maybe, but it’s also important to recognise that he’s been here before. He managed to win the Bundesliga in 2011 and 2012, despite the might of Bayern Munich, and that came with all the same pressures that he’s having to negotiate with now.

Some would argue that Merson, who has only managed one team – Walsall, for less than two years – is not in a position to criticise Klopp, and that’s certainly a fair comment to make, but the visibly frustrated, often angry Klopp of the last few weeks differs from the smiling, relaxed Klopp that began the season. There’s no way around that.

Still, the German has got his team into this position, and he’s got the ability to take things to the next level. It’s hardly panic stations, after all. Liverpool are just one point behind Man City – and it’s all to play for.

Thoughts?

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Tottenham Hotspur host Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday night in the first leg of their Champions League clash. 

Both sides are heading into this crunch encounter in fine form, and Spurs will fancy their chances of securing a positive result at home. 

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

However, Mauricio Pochettino cannot afford to underestimate the threat that Dortmund pose. In the likes of Marco Reus, Jadon Sancho and Christian Pulisic, the German club have an abundance of attacking quality in the wide areas.

What’s more, Spurs’ contingent of full-backs – featuring Kieran Trippier, Serge Aurier, Ben Davies and Danny Rose (with the latter duo potentially both absent anyway) – leaves much to be desired defensively.

In order offset this weakness and counter Dortmund’s strengths, Spurs ought to make the switch to a 3-at-the-back formation after using a diamond setup in the 3-1 win over Leicester on Sunday. This will ensure that their full-backs are covered by the additional centre-back, and will make it so that Dortmund can’t exploit Spurs’ defensive frailties in the wide areas so easily.

Which formation do you think Pochettino should use on Wednesday night? Let us know by commenting below..

Many were left stunned at Stamford Bridge when Kieran Trippier made an awful mistake, scoring a comical own-goal to seal Chelsea’s win in the London Derby on Wednesday night. 

However, this isn’t the first time Spurs’ full-backs have left them down this season.

While the mistakes aren’t as glaring as the England man’s comical gaffe, Spurs have a persisting issue when it comes to defending through the wings. There’s a reason why teams look to work down the sides to hurt them.

Trippier himself has made errors leading to goals multiple times, famously against the Manchester clubs this season when he gave the ball away leading to Marcus Rashford’s goal for United and being beaten too easily by Raheem Sterling for Riyad Mahrez’s goal.

Not only Trippier, but second-in-command Serge Aurier’s also infamous for his error-prone nature. A temperamental full-back often too aggressive for his own good, Aurier’s often made glaring mistakes in allowing attackers past him and costing goals for Spurs.

Danny Rose is quite similar, being questionable defensively and often being the target for opponents to run through, having dipped since the 2015/16 campaign that made him England’s first-choice left-back.

Ben Davies is probably one of Spurs’ more consistent outlets, but even he was outsmarted with Pedro’s movement on Wednesday night. While Spurs’ full-backs are big assets going forward because of their drive and crossing ability, they’ve created this hole of vulnerability on the defensive end.

After watching his side lose back-to-back games, Mauricio Pochettino needs to face reality. The most glaring problem is with his full-back’s frailties, as he needs to work them to be stronger and wiser defensively to weather the storm ahead.

Time to spend, Daniel Levy.

Swansea City managed to secure all three points against Millwall in Saturday’s Championship fixture, which helped keep their play-off dream alive. 

The Swans will have their sights set on securing a play-off spot in the current campaign, having enjoyed a rather successful time of things in the Championship recently.

Interestingly, the Welsh club managed to secure a player agreement recently, as according to Swansea City’s official website, Courtney Baker-Richardson has signed a new deal.

The 23-year-old joined the Swans in the summer of 2017 and it’s safe to say that he’s impressed during his time at the Liberty Stadium, scoring three goals in 12 appearances.

Here’s what the forward had to say about signing a new deal:

“I’m delighted to sign with the Swans for another year. I’m pleased to finally put pen to paper,”

“Now, I can concentrate fully on my football and trying to help the team make one final push towards the back end of the season. Hopefully, we can get into the play-offs.”

THE VERDICT:

Courtney Baker-Richardson has been impressive during his limited appearances in the current campaign, and he has a very bright future ahead of him, so the Swans will be delighted to have tied him down to a new deal.

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Liverpool’s Champions League knockout stage clash with Bayern Munich didn’t quite go to plan, with the two sides inseparable over the course of ninety minutes as the game finished 0-0.

Jurgen Klopp’s men uncharacteristically faltered under the Anfield lights as their finishing was lacklustre – on another day, the Merseysiders could have smashed their German opposition but, regardless, they will fancy themselves going to the Allianz Arena having avoided conceding an away goal on Tuesday.

With a huge game against Manchester United on Sunday, there is little time for the Reds players to switch off as they return their attention to the Premier League title race. They have closed the gap on champions Manchester City both literally and figuratively this season, with the two clubs level on points but also far more equal in terms of quality.

Who in the Liverpool ranks, though, has improved the most over the course of the season and who has declined?

Most improved: Fabinho

Despite having been slowly integrated into the starting XI, the Brazilian has become one of the Reds’ most consistent performers in recent weeks and his versatility has become indispensable to his side’s success amidst injuries and suspensions.

With Joe Gomez still not back to full fitness, Dejan Lovren also out of contention and Virgil van Dijk suspended, the former Monaco man stepped in alongside Joel Matip at the heart of defence against Bayern and hardly put a foot wrong.

A midfielder by trade, the 25-year-old looks likely to only get better and could hold down the base of Liverpool’s midfield for years to come.

Far removed: Trent Alexander-Arnold

A revelation last season, the England international has, unfortunately, been unable to improve on his stellar breakout season, with his performance against Bayern, in particular, of a standard far less than expected from the 20-year-old.

The 5-cap international wrote headlines with his inch-perfect crossing and delivery into the box and quickly forced his way into Gareth Southgate’s England considerations, although Crystal Palace’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka looks like more of a worthy pick for the Three Lions based on current form.

Is Jurgen Klopp a “serial bottler”? The fan in the video below certainly thinks so…

There is no denying the Scouser has an extremely bright future ahead of him but, while he has been set back by injuries, his 18/19 campaign has been underwhelming thus far.

استبعد المدير الرياضي لنادي نابولي كريستيانو جيونتولي فكرة رحيل المدافع خاليدو كوليبالي عن الفريق الإيطالي، قبل انتهاء موسم الانتقالات الصيفي الحالي.

وارتبط السنغالي، في الفترة الأخيرة، بنادي مانشستر سيتي حيث يرغب الفريق الإنجليزي في الحصول على خدماته هذا الصيف.

ولم يتمكن مانشستر سيتي من التوصل إلى اتفاق مع نابولي حول الرسوم المالية لصفقة كوليبالي.

وقال كريستيانو جيونتولي في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “مترو” الإنجليزية: “فريقنا كامل، لذا سنحاول الآن الاستغناء عن اللاعبين الذين لن يكون لديهم الكثير من الوقت على أرض الملعب”.

وأضاف: “أعتقد أن كوليبالي باقٍ، نحن سعداء جدًا وكذلك هو”.

وواصل: “مازال لديه ثلاث سنوات في عقده الحالي، أعتقد أنه باق”.

Celtic fans must be reeving following Brendan Rodgers business end bail, but the news that rumoured replacement David Moyes could be heading to the Chinese Super League instead of Glasgow will surely improve their mood slightly.

According to The Sun, Manchester United, Real Sociedad, Sunderland and West Ham flop David Moyes has announced his interest in returning to management and has set his sights on former club Celtic, alongside the CSL.

The man he wants to replace, Neil Lennon, is currently on his second managerial stint with the Hoops having been drafted on an interim basis but has made a decent enough case for succeeding as the permanent coach with two wins out of two – the most recent guiding Celtic into the final four of the domestic cup.

A win against Aberdeen at the week would surely leave Lennon in good stead.

Moyes, on the other hand, has been out of a job since being sacked by West Ham and has scantly achieved any kind of success since his Everton days.

Conveniently, we have a warning from history which reminds us that David Moyes is a poorly qualified candidate for handling the pressures of succeeding a very successful manager at a club.

As far as we are concerned, and likely anyone else who have endured his management style, he is regressive in his tactics and exists as a prominent reminder of how far the game has come in recent years.

Fortunately, there is every chance the Chinese Super League could be the next home for David Moyes as they continue their mission to boost the profile of football in the country.

Regardless, the Celtic faithful will surely be hoping that the board are looking at forward-thinking coaches who could drive the club on a similar trajectory as their former man Rodgers.

It was another depressing day for Everton fans on Saturday, wasn’t it? After the draw against Liverpool last week, you’d have thought it might kick start a vein of form, but that’s clearly not the case.

Losing a game after earning a two-goal lead is unforgivable, whether it’s a World Cup final or a pub league match. Everton lacked composure and bottle yesterday and that was clear, but it’s the ironically consistent inconsistency of it all that will have Evertonians banging their heads against walls.

This season, they’ve shown their capable of playing fast-paced, attacking football that can please the Goodison faithful, but they’ve just not shown it enough. On other occasions, they look devoid of any promise at all and that switch can happen as quickly as it did against Newcastle on Saturday.

Everton have big plans for the future, with a new 50,000-capacity stadium being built and a clear aim of playing European football inside it, but if the team can’t be consistent on the pitch they will never reach their goals. How can a club build momentum financially and grow into a major English power if the team play well one week and then woefully the next?

The modern football fan now demands more than just results, and that’s why they employed Marco Silva. Supporters want to be entertained, so if a consistent balance between exciting football and results can’t be found in the next year or so, the manager won’t last long.

Yes, they need to spend money in summer, but Everton already have the quality to play better than they did at Newcastle, and they showed it to go 2-0 up. That’s what will frustrate Evertonians most, and rightly so.

Everton fans, who do you feel your club should sign this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…