‘You’re going to blow it’

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May 5, 2014

Patrice Evra has claimed that Manchester United are fully deserving of the criticism they have recieved after a disastrous season at Old Trafford.

The reigning Premier League champions were out of this season’s race in March this year, in a season labelled ‘the worst title defence ever’. They struggled to adapt after a change in management brought in ex-Everton boss David Moyes to replace legend Sir Alex Ferguson, before he was sacked at the end of April.

Ryan Giggs took temporary charge at Old Trafford, but despite a decent start to his managerial career against Norwich, a 1-0 loss at home to Sunderland on Saturday showed United were lacking class. The result left United 7th in the table and in serious danger of playing without any European football next season.

“This year has been a disaster,” the United left-back said. “This year we have been really poor. We deserve all the criticism. We have not played well enough. We have lost some stupid games.

“When we are on the pitch we try to win every game but it’s been so painful this season, it’s been a nightmare.”

“When I look at the table I just feel a big frustration. This year is a season I want to forget really quickly.”

“I think there has been a lack of confidence,” the 32-year-old said. “Sir Alex Ferguson was the heart of Manchester United. He is a legend. You cannot replace him so quickly.

“We knew it would be difficult but not this difficult. We can do much better than we have done – maybe not winthe league but at least qualify for the Champions League with the players we have.

“Every player has to take responsibility. You always feel responsible even when David Moyes was in charge. I will not point the finger at anyone else.

“This year everyone failed.”

Despite his damning verdict on their performance this season, Evra remains confident that they will be back challenging next season.

“I really think (this year) is an accident,” said Evra. “I know Manchester United will never die. And also Manchester will come back next year.”

“When we lost the league on goal difference to Manchester City (in 2012) I said Manchester United will win the league by 13 points, and we nearly did. In the end we won it by 11 points.”

“That is my mentality – never give up.”

Whether Evra, out is out of contract this summer, gives up his place in the United squad will be decided following Sunday’s final game of the season at Southampton.

“I will decide in two weeks about what I am going to do,” he added. “There have been a lot of rumours, but I have not decided anything yet.”

“My agent will have a meeting with Manchester and we will see.”

By Ben Kelly

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Duty Calls

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May 4, 2014

Jose Mourinho is ready to make on-loan Atletico Madrid keeper, Thibaut Courtois, his number one goalkeeper when the player returns to Stamford Bridge in the summer.

In an attempt to obide by the new Financial Fairplay rules (FFP), Mourinho sees Courtois as a capable replacement for Petr Cech, whos recent shoulder injury will almost definately mean that the keeper will miss the start of next season. With Chelsea reportedly sealing an expensive deal for Atletico Madrid striker, Diego Costa, Courtois will be used as an alternative for the club instead of diving into the summer transfer window for a new goalkeeper.

Mourinho was full of praise for the Belgian after his magnificent saves for Atletico Madrid against Chelsea in the Champions League. These saves effectively saw Chelsea being knocked out of the competition, but Mourinho has no complaints at Courtois impressive performance.

The 21 year-old goalkeeper has been identified as one of the best around this season after consistent performances in La Liga. Courtois and his current on-loan club are two wins away from sealing La Liga, and the keeper has been one of the main reasons for their title charge in spain.

Courtois has two years left on his Chelsea contract, and Mourinho is of the option that loaning out the keeper for another year could be detrimental to his chances of staying at Stamford Bridge.

By Ollie Brown

The price is right..

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May 4, 2014

Swansea City have attempted to scare off potential buyers for the services of striker, Wilfried Bony, by placing a £20 million price tag on the player.

This price tag has been placed to frighten off the likes of Arsenal,Roma and Everton, who are all repotedly keen on having the players services next season.

It is understood that Arsenal are front-runners for Bony’s signature, with manager, Arsene Wenger, having the Ivory Coast international high up on his shortlist ready for the next transfer window.

The £20 million price tag means that if it was met and Bony was to leave, Swansea would have the chance to replace the striker with the same qualities and reputation.

The Swans signed Bony from Vitesse for £12 million last summer, with the striker scoring 15 goals in the premier league this season. His scoring record and performances have meant that the players price tag has soared greatly.

By Ollie Brown

Liverpool make contact with Barcelona over Dani Alves transfer

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May 4, 2014

sillyseason understands that Liverpool have made contact with Barcelona over a possiible move for Dani Alves in the last 24 hours.

After spending 8 years at the Nou Camp, this season looks certain to be Alves’ last with the club as a list of European clubs are interested in making a move for the right back. Paris Saint germain were said to be interested but that interest has died down due to their problems with the financial fair play rules.

Arsenal also have the Brazilian on their radar after speculation that Bacary Sagna may be on his way out of the club. However Liverpool have now joined those two clubs by contacting Barca and confirming their interest. The Reds are also interested in Barcelona’s Christian Tello, but talks have taken place over the Alves situation.

Alves’ contract at the Nou Camp runs out next June and any club wanting to buy him before then will need to meet Barca’s asking price of £15million.

By Ben Kelly

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Carlos Vela could return to Arsenal on the cheap due to resign clause

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May 4, 2014

Carlos Vela has hinted he could be on his way back to Arsenal this summer.

The Mexican left Arsenal for Real Sociedad for just £2.5million in 2011 after struggling for oppertunities at The Emirates. But, due to a resign clause, Vela could be brought back to Arsenal for less than a million pounds more.

What’s more, if any other club wanted to sign Vela this summer, they would have to meet his general release clause, which is close to £25million.

‘One possibility is my clause of €30million (£24.6m), but there’s other options and we’re looking at that, to see what we can and can’t do,’ Vela told Radio Marca.

‘Arsenal can come back for me at €4million (£3.3m) at any time, which is €1million more than Real Sociedad paid. I look at things differently these days and I won’t close the door on Arsenal, or any team in England. I think I’m better prepared to play in another country now.’

Vela has been in excellent form for Sociedad, scoring 45 goals in 120 appearences, and admitted that staying with the club for the rest of his career wouldn’t be the end of the world.

‘I’ve always said that I’m very happy and settled here, but we’ll have to see if there’s an agreement reached or not.

‘I’ve good things there and here too. I’m in a place where I’m happy and at the moment, don’t have any intentions of moving on, but if the time comes to leave, I think I’m prepared to try other things.

‘I’ve matured, I’ve changed my way of thinking and I’ve not closed my mind to anything.’

By Ben Kelly

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Rodgers wants six

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May 4, 2014

Liverpool boss, Brendan Rodgers, hopes to sign six new players in the summer window, regardless whether Liverpool win the title or not.

Rodgers’ side currently sit on top of the table with two games to go, but the title is Manchester City’s to lose as they have a far superior goal difference. But Rodger’s is confident that big names will arrive at the club after securing Champions League football for the first time since four seasons ago.

‘We will need to bring in players over the summer, and the great plus about being in the Champions League is that it makes it easier to attract the top ones, but we have developed a style of football over this past year that is already being recognised.’ said Rodgers.

‘Last summer when we were speaking to certain players they said they respected what we were trying to achieve but they wanted to play at the top level,’ he said. ‘We are at that level now, ahead of schedule, so I suspect this summer will be a totally different proposition.

‘It is a World Cup summer, so most of the best players are going to be in Brazil for a while, but it is the same for everyone else and our recruitment team has already started work.

‘The owners recognise that we will need an injection of quality for next year and I know the profile of the players we will need.’

It is known that Rodgers has a list on defensive targets, aswell as attacking to ease the pressure on Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez.

‘We are already putting plans in place so it will be the total opposite of my first season here,’ he added. ‘Then players didn’t report back until quite late after the Euros and I only had a short space of time to put across my ideas and methods.

‘I had no real time to work then so it was difficult to be at a new club. This summer, we have an established playing style and new players will be able to come in and immediately know what we are all about.’

By Ollie Brown

Shock move for Rio

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May 4, 2014

Arsenal are planning a shock summer move for Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand, as the player’s contract is still yet to be renewed.

Manager, Arsene Wenger, is said to be an admirer of the 35 year old and is it understood that Arsenal are considering signing Ferdinand when he becomes a free agent.

Ferdinand has publically annouced that he is willing to extend his contract at Manchester United for a further 12 months, with current interim manager, Ryan Giggs, urging the club to do so.

Wenger sees Ferdinand’s experience as a helpful resource if the club were to sign the player for free. However, Ferdinand would have to consider his role at the club, with Wenger ready to use the player as rotational for any injuries to his centre-backs.

It seems that Arsenal will not be alone in their attempts to sign Ferdinand., with QPR, La Galaxy, Besiktas and Galatasary all monitoring the player’s situation at Manchester United.

By Ollie Brown

Mourinho after Varane

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May 4, 2014

Chelsea boss, Jose Mourinho, has cast his beady eye on Real Madrid centre-back Raphael Varane, and has asked the club’s directors to do whatever it takes to sign the youngster.

Mourinho has already started to draw up a list of targets in the summer, and it seems that Varane tops that list, with Mourinho knowing the frenchman very well after his two year spell at Real Madrid.

Varane was given the opporunity to shine when Mourinho was in charge, with the manager allowing the player a decent amount of playing time when rotating the youngster with the likes of Pepe and Sergio Ramos.

The player’s arrival at Real Madrid was brought about by fellow Frenchman, Zinedine Zidane, who fell in love with the player after watching him play for Lens at the age of 18. This recommendation ultimately ended up with Real Madrid paying €10 million for Varane and signed him until 2017.

From the first time Mourinho saw him play, there was an instant connection. Mourinho could see the natural talent that Varane has and it now seems that he wants to be reunited with the player once again. With Varane struggling to find his way into Carlo Ancelotti’s side this season, Chelsea are ready to begin negotiations to allow the player to arrive at Stamford Bridge ready for next season.

By Ollie Brown

Oscar or Hazard to leave Blues

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SteveMilne

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May 4, 2014

Chelsea anticipate offers for Hazard and Oscar and it now seems increasingly likely one of them could be sold, with Paris St Germain interested in them both. Mourinho has criticised Hazard for not being a team player and suggested Oscar, a Brazil international, may have been saving himself for this summer’s World Cup.

He said: “I think he was our best player for months, from August to November or December. He was absolutely fantastic. And after that he was up and down.

“He arrived in the crucial moment of the season in a down. Injuries, couldn’t train, was trying to arrive to the game but didn’t, was a doubt for the game, the game was too big to play with a doubtful player, so he arrived in the crucial moment of the season in a low. I can imagine, in a couple of weeks, he will be in a high and during the World Cup he will be in a high.”

Asked whether he felt Oscar, who is crucial to Brazil’s plans, was already thinking of the World Cup, Mourinho said enigmatically: “There are things you can’t resolve.”

Mourinho, whose side can go top of the Premier League by beating Norwich City today, said the performances of Oscar and Hazard compared unfavourably with those of fellow midfielder Willian, although publicly the manager said he thought all of them would stay.

“Willian has improved. But you can’t succeed with everybody. At the end of the day, it’s up to them. You try to help, but it’s up to them. Every one who is in an age of improvement needs to improve. Every one.

“Would you lose any of those if they don’t have the ability to improve? I think they will stay. They’re in an age for that. Schurrle had a good season? Not bad, but next season must be better. Much better. [Mohamed] Salah, Oscar, Willian, Hazard, all of them are in an age of improvement.”

Chelsea plan to sign the Atletico Madrid pair of striker Diego Costa, for £31.5m, and left-back Filipe Luis for $16m. They will recall goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from his loan at the Spanish club. Petr Cech will this week undergo surgery on his dislocated shoulder, which will rule him out for the start of next season.

Written by Steve Milne

Cardiff and Fulham relegated

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Ben Reardon

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May 3, 2014

Both Cardiff City and Fulham were relegated from the Championship, on an afternoon of twists and turns in the Premier League.

Ole Gunner Solskjaer’s side knew only a win would do following results elsewhere, however they slipped out of the top flight after losing 3-0 away at Newcastle United.

Goals from Shola Ameobi, Loic Remy and Steven Taylor confirmed their relegation back to the second tier of English football, a year after winning promotion as champions.

It has been an odd season in South Wales, with Vincent Tan stealing most of the headlines, with the Malaysian owner replacing popular boss Malkey Mackay with the in-experienced Ole Gunner Solskjaer, who could not stop the clubs relegation.

The Cardiff boss confident about Cardiff’s chances of a return next season.

“Before this year we had four seasons at the top of the Championship,” Solskjaer said.

“Now we have gone down and taken a step back, next season will be about showing character and bouncing straight back.”

“I have a contract,” Solskjaer added. “We have had meetings. Of course I am just planning for the next game right now, and then I will be planning forward.

“I always knew it was going to be a tough job but we have stuck at it. We have been unlucky at times, and we have done well at times.

“Against Newcastle, we played really well and created a massive amount of great chances, but we just didn’t take them.”

Solksjaer added.

“I have a contract,”We have had meetings. Of course I am just planning for the next game right now, and then I will be planning forward.

“I always knew it was going to be a tough job but we have stuck at it. We have been unlucky at times, and we have done well at times.

“Against Newcastle, we played really well and created a massive amount of great chances, but we just didn’t take them.”

The Bluebirds will be joined by Fulham, who also suffered relegation.

Fulham also knew that they needed a positive result at Stoke City for them to have any chance of survival, though they went down 4-1 at the Britannia, which sealed their fate.

It has also been a season of turmoil at Craven Cottage, with the West Londoners having three managers this season, however Felix Magath could not to enough to keep the Lilywhites up.

The hammering at Stoke means that they drop into the second tier for the first time since 2001.

Kostas Mitroglou was signed for £12 million, though he has been a real flop for Magath’s side.

Fulham will be hoping for a similar campaign to their last in the second tier, as they came up as Champions.

Manager Felix Magath stated following the relegation.

“There was no reason for that performance – it’s the worst game since I’ve been here,” said the German, who replaced Rene Meulensteen in February.

“You can never say any player would like to see relegation, but they didn’t fight enough, especially today.”

By Ben Reardon

@BenReardon1

City confident Fernando deal will go through

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May 3, 2014

Manchester City are confident that they can finally seal the transfer of Porto Fc midfielder, Fernando, in the summer.

Pellegrini failed to wrap up a double deal for both Fernando and defender Eliaquim Mangala for £40 million in January.

City are still very keen on both players, and it is understood that they have finally made a breakthrough in a deal for Fernando, despite the player recently singning a new contract at Porto.

It is belived that City have met Fernando’s £20 million release clause, with City ready to go back to Mangala once the deal has been finalised. It is expected that Mangala will cost the club more than Fernando, but the club are desperate to improve their options in defence next season.

By Ollie Brown

City prepare shock move for Pogba

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May 3, 2014

Manchester City are willing to offer £32 million pounds to capture Juventus midfielder, Paul Pogba, in the summer.

City Boss, Manuel Pellegrini, is determind to make a move happen, and is willing to offer Edin Dzeko or Aleksandar Kolarov to push the move through. Pogba has emerged as one of Europe’s top talents after leaving Manchester United in 2011.

The Frenchman has also been linked with the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid, but Manchester City are confident that they can make a move happen. Juventus are, however, willing to offer Pogba a new deal but have been stunned with the player’s demands and are hesitant on whether they should meet them.

According to the express, City are ready to meet Pogba’s demands, as they are willing to double his wages, and offer him regular first team football, with Pellegrini seeing Pogba as a long-term replacement for Yaya Toure.

By Ollie Brown

Giggs gives Van Gaal backing

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May 3, 2014

With reports suggesting that Netherlands manager, Louis Van Gaal, is set to become manager at Manchester United on Tuesday, current interim manager, Ryan Giggs, expects Van Gaal to be success at a club.

It is understood that Manchester United want Giggs to be part of the teams coaching staff in the near future, but this decision will ultimately be up to Van Gaal, who is expected to bring in his own backroom staff.

With Giggs’ future in doubt, the 40 year-old has been full of praise for Van Gaal as he belives that the manager has the reputation to take Manchester United back to where they belong. He said: “He has a brilliant reputation and is a successful manager in different countries. He has taken Holland to the World Cup. Yes, he has fantastic pedigree.”

But he was less forthcoming about whether he will be working under him, either as a coach or a player. “I honestly don’t know,” he said. “We’ll see what happens at the end of the season. There’s so many things to think about. I’ve got to decide whether I’m going to play or not. So there is no point in thinking if I want to be an assistant or a manager somewhere else.

“I’m speaking constantly to Ed [Woodward, United executive vice-chairman]. There are developments all the time. At the moment he’s just letting me get on with doing the best I can on the training pitch and preparing the team for winning the next three games.”

“My concentration isn’t on next season, it’s on this season. We’ll chat when the season is over.”

By Ollie Brown

Arsene Wenger only planning ‘one or two signings’

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May 3, 2014