Echoes from Old Trafford - June 2019

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Volume 46- Issue 4, June 2019

“My message to all Manchester United fans on behalf of myself and my family is to thank you for giving me your undivided support.”

Antonio Valencia

ManchesterUnited United Supporters’ Supporters’ Club-Malta Manchester Club-Malta Founded1959, 1959,isis officially officially recognized Founded recognizedbybythe the Manchester United Football Club.

In this issue  EDITORIAL ENGLISH................................................................................

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 EDITORIAL MALTESE...............................................................................

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 CLUB NEWS.............................................................................................

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 TEDDY’S CORNER.................................................................................

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 SUMMER DEPARTURES........................................................................

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NEWSPAPER

POST

Volume 45- Issue 3, March 2018

e for  WHICH PLAYERS SHOULD UNITED SELL THISe her SUMMER......................

“When I cam ld feel

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 EMILIO ALVAREZ..................................................................................

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Issue Volume 45December 2017

2,

, I cou the first day ple at the that the peo every day club help you ething som if you need y ters are ver and suppor this club.” important for ić Nemanja Mat

 THE PROMOTED TEAMS FOR 2019-20..................................................

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 REFRESH..............................................................................................

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 Y & Z UNITED PERSPECTIVES..............................................................

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 EURO CLUB COMPETITIONS 2018.......................................................

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 THE WAY FORWARD.............................................................................

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 BUT HONESTLY….................................................................................

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 CAN IT GET WORSE?.............................................................................

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 EVEREST..............................................................................................

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Volume 46- Issue 1, October 2018

“To work with  THE AUDITION.....................................................................................

José

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 3H APPROACH.....................................................................................

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2, Volume 46- Issue December 2018

Mourinho, who has won so many trophies in his time as a coach, is an opportunit y not to be missed.”

NEWSPAPER POST

NEWSPAPER

Juan Mata

tus in Turin after beating Juven

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 DAVID BECKHAM.................................................................................

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 MIXED MANCUNIAN PLATTER.............................................................  RISING FROM THE WRECKAGE............................................................

Fred

 FIVE MAJOR EUROPEAN LEAGUES ROUND.........................................

POST

Volume 45- Issue 4, June 2018

“I always sai d as a kid tha t I’d like to play I once spoke for United and to Sir Alex Fer guson about it. We chatted for around 20 minutes.

And my dream wa I told him that s to to Manchest come here er United.”

Alex is Sánchez

advertising executive Antoine Portelli

contributors Michael Calleja Robert Muscat Joseph Tedesco Stefan Attard Alex Dudley Jude Cauchi Roderick Psaila Braden Galea Kevin, Justyn & Wayne Tabone Karm Galea Antoine Dalli Alan Abela-Wadge k YouTabone Than Fr. Anthony C. Ferrante Julian chael Carrick Mi Daniel Cushcieri Silvio Scicluna Robert Mizzi Martin Calleja Urry Kenneth Abela Iain McCartney Supporters’ Club-Malta Manchester United by the officially recognized Founded 1959, is Football Club.

Manchester United

printing Progress Press patron Sir Alex Ferguson

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club founder John Calleja

Volume 46- Issue 3, March 2019

e e-kick becaus to take the fre e of the “I knew I had the importanc and ue, ven s” of the e-kick of my best fre game. It is one

 MATA & HERRERA................................................................................

Manchester United Supporters’ Club-Malta Founded 1959, is officially recognized by the Manchester United Football Club.

editorial team Clint Camilleri · Braden Galea · Michael Calleja

Manchester United Suppor Founded 1959, ters’ Club-M alta is officially recogni Manchester United Footbal zed by the l Club.

alta ters’ Club-M United Suppor zed by the Manchester is officially recogni Founded 1959, United Football Club.

Manchester

NEWSPAPER POST

Official publication of the Manchester United Supporters’ Club Malta

club committee Joseph Tedesco

President, Match Tickets Coordinator

Joe Catania

Vice President, Souvenir Shop Manager

Robert J. Muscat

Secretary, Tours Coordinator

Kevin Tabone

Treasurer, PRO

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Braden Galea

Assistant Secretary

Egidio Sciberras

Assistant Treasurer

44

Charles Cauchi

Membership Secretary, Fund Raising Coordinator

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Antoine Portelli

Advertising Executive, Social Activities Coordinator

ta Supporters’ Club-Malthe d by Manchester United is officially recognize Founded 1959, Football Club.

Manchester United

Clint Camilleri “Mountai

Media & Publishing Coordinator

ns to Matthewbe Portelli O’Toole clim bed” James Handyside are there

ICT Manager Venue & Facilities Coordinator

Ole Gunnar Solskjæ r

United Club Gozo Archbishop Pietru Pace Street, Victoria, Gozo.

E‑mail: crismic@live com Telephone: +356 99825090 Manchester United Supporters’ Club-M alta Founded 1959, is officially recognized by the Manchester United Football Club.

Advertise with us MALTA MALTA

FOUNDED 1959

MALTA MALTA

FOUNDED 1959

translator Tiziana Caruana

JoinQuarries the community within the1101 pages of Echoes magazine. We are the only Official Manchester United Square Street, Msida MSD Malta.

Telephone: +356 21223531

club chaplain

Supporters’ Club on the Maltese Islands and the oldest Manchester United Supporters’ Club in the World.

E‑mail: info@manutd‑malta.com Fr. Anthony C. Ferrante (Carmelite)

Website: www.manutd‑malta.com Our member readers don’t just read our content – they check to see which businesses are supporting our

business partners Based in Msida, Malta, we are a non‑profit organization designed Club. And they are grateful to bring the Manchester United experience to Unitedfor fansthe heresupport. Put your business in front of our members. in Malta. We are the only Official Manchester United Supporters’ Club on the Maltese Islands. We are also the oldest Manchester Call Antoine onClub (356) UnitedPortelli Supporters’ in the9961 World.9165 to discuss advertising or to receive a copy of our current rate card.

THE VIEWS IN THIS MAGAZINE NOT NECESSARILY We ARE thank-you in advance for taking the time to get in touch.

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Editorial T

his is Manchester United’s lowest point in their recent history since the 1989/90 season when they finished 13th in the old First Division [albeit feeling some end-of-season reprieve with a vital FA Cup win].

The club seems clueless and leaderless, and as Gary Neville remarked after the Everton defeat, performances to say the least have been ‘rancid’. One thing has certainly been proven since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over the reins at Old Trafford…. that this group of players is not good enough. The atmosphere within the dressing room is not good enough.

The environment is currently bordering on ‘toxic’ and people must begin shouldering responsibility for this debacle.

The overall grit and determination, which has consistently been a main trait of Manchester United teams in the past, has evaporated as quickly as our chances to make it into the top four. The basis of the fans’ rancor and wrath is a general lack of energy and impetus within the club. It is abundantly clear, as Roy Keane hinted, that the problems within Manchester United are far ‘deeper’ than we initially suspected. This is not about shipping off two or three players in the summer but revolutionising the way the club acts, thinks and recruits.

With United appallingly deciding to sack José Mourinho (rather than a ‘clique’ of players), the club has been suffering from the ‘aftershocks’ of standing by a group of individuals who have no regard for the well-being of the club. As stated by the same Roy Keane: “These are the same players who threw Mourinho under the bus – and they will do exactly the same to Ole. Leopards don’t change their spots; there are too many bluffers at this club to get United back to the very top.”

In this connection, Manchester United still severely lags behind the more established clubs in Europe. There is no vision, no football philosophy and no strategic plan. The past

‘PHILOSOPHY? WHAT PHILOSOPHY?’

couple of seasons have been characterised by ‘panic buys’ - starting from the David Moyes era when the club rushed into purchasing Fellaini (for the sake of buying a player) to deadwood such as Eric Bailly, Angel Di Maria, Fred etc.... players that although technically gifted just can’t seem to fit into the club.

The source of these troubles has been the lack of serious planning and proper transition following Sir Alex’s departure. This has been going on for the past six years. No backroom structures were put in place to ensure that the changeover was modelled on other serious football clubs. Instead, we have had 3 managers with different ideas of their own coming into the club and trying to formulate some kind of playing-style.

A ‘DNA Philosophy’ as Ole once called it, cannot be built overnight. The proper structures and training patterns must be implemented and coherently adopted amongst all squads throughout the club. Coaches must be on board and the style should then be perfected at seniors’ level. It might take years if not decades before United’s philosophy [which according to most fans is based on quick football and high pressing] is fully implemented and enshrined within the club’s mindset.

Moreover, the recruitment issue urgently needs to be tackled by all and sundry. The Director of Football must be well prepared and equipped to handle player transfers in a similar style as ‘perfected’ by most Italian football clubs.

However, much will depend on his synergy with the manager. The biggest mistakes football clubs commit involve bringing in players without consulting or involving the manager in any way. The most successful clubs have always had a strong synergy between both ‘departments’ as seen during Fabio Capello’s time at AS Roma where his strong relationship/ friendship with Franco Baldini ensured the club from Italy’s capital captured the league title in 2000-01. A similar structure would be needed for the Red Devils.

An alternative ‘model’ would be similar to that based on AFC Ajax. Many might be surprised to realise that Ajax do not have a ‘Director of Football’. Instead, they have a three-man structure composed of 2 former players and the current manager that oversee recruitment, philosophy, tactics and playing-style. But Ajax has a philosophy in place. United do not.

Whether the club would be ready to adopt this form of framework remains to be seen though the word on the street is that a structure similar to the one adopted in Italy seems to be the preferred ‘modus operandi’.

We keep saying that ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’, but in United’s case, fans must be patient because this process of rebuilding can take an awful long time before we begin reaping the benefits. As the manager stated, “There will be new players coming in over the summer, but I don’t think you can expect six. We want to rebuild but it is going to have to be gradual, over a few windows.”

Whatever happens, patience is the key as the club looks to start ensuring that the current building blocks are at least solid and resilient.

Moreover, the standards need to be raised as some players are simply not fit to don the Manchester United shirt. Change is necessary but whether Ole will be given the right resources [both monetary and human] to bring about the necessary changes remains to be seen.

As fans, we’ll be praying that the glory days might be back soon. To quote our legendary captain Keano: “We’ve been critical of United and the recruitment because it hasn’t been where it should be. When we were at United, we always felt that we were on top of everything.

First class on the pitch, scouting, behind the scenes, on the training pitch, in the medical department.”

It’s currently all doom and gloom. But perhaps Solskjaer has what it takes to ‘make us happy when skies are grey’. Enjoy the read!

VOL 46 - ISSUE 4 - JUNE 2019

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Editorjal D

‘FILOSOFIJA? X’FILOSOFIJA?’

an huwa l‑agħar stat li jinsab fih Manchester United fl‑istorja reċenti tiegħu, mindu fl‑istaġun tal‑1989/90 spiċċa fit‑13‑il post tal‑Ewwel Diviżjoni l‑antika [għalkemm kien hemm ftit nifs fi tmiem l‑istaġun bir‑rebħa vitali tal‑FA Cup].

kkaratterizzati minn ‘xiri bl‑għaġla’ – ibda mill‑era ta’ David Moyes meta l‑club għaġġel biex xtara lil Fellaini (biex jgħid li xtara player) sal‑inutilità ta’ Eric Bailly, Angel Di Maria, Fred eċċ… players li għalkemm teknikament tajbin jidhru li ma jistgħux isibu posthom fil‑club.

Il‑club jidher mitluf u bla tmexxija, u kif irrimarka Gary Neville wara t‑telfa kontra Everton, il‑prestazzjonijiet kienu ‘fqar’ biex ma tgħidx agħar. Ċertament, ħaġa waħda ħarġet mindu Ole Gunnar Solksjaer ħa t‑tmexxija f ’Old Trafford…. li dan il‑grupp ta’ players mhuwiex tajjeb biżżejjed. L‑atmosfera fid‑dressing room mhix tajba biżżejjed. L‑atmosfera bħalissa hija kważi ‘tossika’ u xi nies jeħtieġ jibdew jerfgħu responsabbiltà għal dan il‑fjask.

Is‑sors ta’ dawn il‑problemi kien in‑nuqqas ta’ ippjanar serju u transizzjoni kif suppost wara t‑tluq ta’ Sir Alex. Dan kollu ilu għaddej tul l‑aħħar sitt snin. Ma kien hemm l‑ebda strutturi wara l‑kwinti biex jassiguraw li l‑bidla tkun ispirata minn clubs serji oħra tal‑football. Minflok, aħna kellna 3 coaches fil‑club jippruvaw jifformulaw xi tip ta’ stil ta’ logħob bl‑ideat differenti tagħhom.

Dak il‑kuraġġ u determinazzjoni kollha, li kienu kwalitajiet ewlenin b’mod konsistenti f ’timijiet imgħoddija ta’ Manchester, sfaxxaw b’rata mgħaġġla bħaċ‑ċans li nispiċċaw mal‑ewwel erbgħa. Ir‑raġuni tad‑delużjoni u r‑rabja kbira tal‑partitarji hija n‑nuqqas ta’ enerġija u ħeġġa ġenerali fil‑club. Huwa ċar ħafna, kif Roy Keane issuġġerixxa, illi l‑problemi fi ħdan Manchester United huma ferm iktar ‘fondi’ milli konna qed nissuspettaw fil‑bidu. Din mhix kwistjoni dwar trasferiment ta’ tnejn jew tliet players fis‑sajf iżda dwar rivoluzzjoni fil‑mod ta’ kif jopera, jaħseb u jirrekluta l‑club.

Meta l‑United iddeċieda bla mistenni li jkeċċi lil José Mourinho (minflok ineħħi klikka ta’ players), il‑club beda jsofri mir‑‘riperkussjonijiet’ talli żamm ma’ grupp ta’ individwi li ma jinteressahomx mis‑suċċess tal‑club. Kif stqarr l‑istess Roy Keane: “Dawn huma l‑istess players li tefgħu lil Mourinho fil‑qiegħ – u se jagħmlu l‑istess eżatt lil Ole. Ħanżir taqtagħlu denbu, ħanżir jibqa’; hemm wisq bluffers f ’dan il‑club biex il‑United jerġa’ jittrijonfa.”

F’dan ir‑rigward, Manchester United għadu lura fejn clubs Ewropej oħrajn stabbiliti. M’hemmx viżjoni, m’hemmx filosofija ta’ football u ebda pjan strateġiku. Dawn l‑aħħar staġuni kienu

‘Filosofija ta’ DNA’ kif irrefera għaliha darba Ole, ma tistax tinbena mil‑lum għal għada.

L‑istrutturi addattati u t‑tfassil ta’ taħriġ iridu jkunu implimentati u addottati b’mod koerenti mill‑iskwadri kollha fil‑club. Il‑coaches iridu jkunu on board u l‑istil imbagħad jeħtieġ ikun ipperfezzjonat fil‑livell tal‑kbar. Jafu jgħaddu snin, jekk mhux deċennji qabel ma l‑filosofija tal‑United [li skont ħafna partitarji hija bbażata fuq football mgħaġġel u pressing] tkun implimentata kollha u minsuġa fil‑mentalità tal‑club.

Aktar minn hekk, il‑kwistjoni dwar ir‑reklutaġġ jeħtieġ tkun indirizzata b’mod urġenti minn kulħadd. Id‑Direttur tal‑Football irid ikun ippreparat sew u mgħammar biex jikkontrolla t‑trasferimenti ta’ players bi stil simili kif ġie ‘ipperfezzjonat’ minn ħafna clubs tal‑football Taljani. Madankollu, ħafna se jiddependi mis‑sinerġija mal‑coach. L‑ikbar żbalji li jagħmlu l‑clubs tal‑football jinkludu r‑reklutaġġ ta’ players mingħajr ma jikkonsultaw jew jinvolvu lill‑coach b’xi mod jew ieħor. L‑iktar clubs ta’ suċċess dejjem kellhom sinerġija kbira bejn iż‑żewġ ‘dipartimenti’, kif rajna fi żmien Fabio Capello ma’ AS Roma; fejn ir‑relazzjoni/ħbiberija b’saħħitha ma’ Franco Baldini assigurat lill‑club tal‑kapitali Taljana r‑rebħa tal‑kampjonat fl‑2000‑01. Struttura simili hija meħtieġa għar‑Red Devils.

‘Mudell’ ieħor huwa dak simili għal ta’ AFC

Ajax. Ħafna jeħduha bħala sorpriża meta jsiru jafu li Ajax m’għandhomx ‘Direttur tal‑Football’.

Minflok, Ajax għandhom struttura bi tlieta komposta minn 2 players preċedenti u l‑coach attwali li jħares lejn ir‑reklutaġġ, il‑filosofija, it‑tattika u l‑istil tal‑logħob. Iżda Ajax għandhom filosofija stabbilita. Il‑United le.

Għad irridu naraw jekk il‑club ikunx lest jaddotta dan it‑tip ta’ tfassil jew le, minkejja li l‑għajdut fit‑triq huwa dak li struttura simili għal dik addottata mill‑Italja jaf tkun il‑‘modus operandi’ ippreferut.

Dejjem ngħidu li ‘Ruma ma nbnitx f ’jum’, iżda fil‑każ tal‑United, il‑partitarji jeħtieġ ikunu paċenzjużi għaliex dan il‑proċess ta’ ristrutturar jista’ jieħu żmien twil sakemm ma nibdew ingawdu l‑frott tiegħu. Kif qal il‑coach, “Se jkun hemm players ġodda ġejjin matul is‑sajf, iżda ma naħsibx li tistgħu tistennew sitta. Aħna rridu nibnu mill‑ġdid iżda b’mod gradwali, matul daqsxejn ta’ snin.”

Jiġri x’jiġri, il‑paċenzja hija ċ‑ċavetta ta’ kollox hekk kif il‑club iħares biex jassigura li l‑biċċiet attwali ta’ ristrutturar huma għallinqas b’saħħithom u reżiljenti. Aktar minn hekk, l‑istandards jeħtieġ jogħlew hekk kif xi players sempliċement mhumiex denji li jilbsu l‑flokk ta’ Manchester United. Il‑bidla hija neċessarja, iżda wieħed għad irid jara jekk hux se jingħataw jew le r‑riżorsi meħtieġa lil Ole [kemm dawk finanzjarji u umani] biex jiddaħħlu l‑bidliet neċessarji.

Bħala partitarji, aħna se nkunu qed nitolbu biex iż‑żminijiet ta’ glorja jirritornaw mill‑aktar fis.

Biex nikkwotaw lill‑captain leġġendarju Keano: “Konna kritiċi dwar United u r‑reklutaġġ għaliex ma kienx kif suppost. Meta konna mal‑United, dejjem ħassejna li konna superjuri fuq kollox.

Tal‑ogħla klassi fil‑ground, fl‑iscouting, wara l‑kwinti, waqt it‑taħriġ, fid‑dipartiment mediku.”

Bħalissa kollox imċajpar. Iżda forsi Solskjaer għandu dak li hemm bżonn biex ‘iferraħna meta jinqalgħu l‑irwiefen’. Gawdu din is‑silta!

2,000,000 MALTA

FOUNDED 1959

Thank you VOL 46 - ISSUE 4 - JUNE 2019

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CLUBNEWS

T

he first quarter of 2019, being also the second half of our club’s 60th anniversary, proved to be very eventful and hectic for all of us in the committee.

Good Causes Week Following the events held in January and February, April saw us organizing Good Causes week. This year the events were spread over a number of days. For the first event we visited some club members presently residing in retirement homes. The following week, a number of members visited the Blood Bank to donate blood. Our last event, organized with the coordination of the Cleansing Department, was clearing a pre-identified location in Marsa.

Europa League Trophy The Europa League Trophy arrived in Malta on Thursday 2nd May. The visit was only possible thanks to Air Malta which was the only airline operating from the UK to Malta which agreed to take the trophy on a seat. This of course meant that the two persons accompanying the trophy had to travel to Malta from London and therefore they had the added trip from Manchester to London. And back.

Since 1991, the club had managed to bring to Malta all the trophies won by Manchester United. The Europa League trophy was the final piece to conclude the list, and we can now proudly say that our club has brought to Malta ALL the trophies won by Manchester United since 1991.

The Europa League Trophy was escorted by

Jason Tasker who was entrusted with the security of the trophy. Jason Leach, Business Development from Manchester United Museum was also accompanying the trophy and brought with him eleven memorabilia items from the Museum for our members to appreciate and enjoy. These included a number of original kits, boots, a winner’s medal from 1977 Charity Shield and a league cup medal.

Gozo Branch The first official club event with the trophy was in Gozo, at the new club premises in Victoria on Friday 3rd May. This date will be etched in our club history as a very important one, since after a number of years, an agreement was reached with our Gozitan members to officially set up a sub-committee under the remit of the club to be known as the Manchester United Supporters’ Club Malta – Gozo Branch.

A memorandum of understanding setting out the terms of the agreement was signed between Club President Joseph Tedesco, new sub-committee chairman, Architect Emanuel Vella and myself as Club Secretary. The event was very well attended and also well organized and it was a very fitting start to this rekindled collaboration. We are confident this collaboration will flourish for the best interest of our members. A word of thanks must also go to Chris Micallef and his group, who have left no stone unturned to make this happen and also to transform the club premises in Gozo into a fitting club premises. We encourage all our members to visit the premises if they happen to be in Gozo on match days. As from

Good Causes Week - clearing a location in Marsa.

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VOL 46 - ISSUE 4 - JUNE 2019

by Robert Muscat

the first issue of Echoes of the coming season, we hope to have a page dedicated to the Gozo Branch.

On Saturday 4th May, the trophy was brought to the club for a press conference during which details of the June Dinner were also announced. Club members and the general public then had the opportunity to take a picture with the trophy as well as to see the memorabilia brought over from Manchester United museum. I must personally thank Jason Leach for all the time and effort he took to explain to our members the history behind every piece he brought over, and also for the two very interesting quizzes organized for our members during the event in Gozo and also at the Club. We look forward to welcoming Jason Leach to future events at the club. Jason is a true treasure chest of information about the history of Manchester United, and like us, a very passionate follower of Manchester United.

Dinner on 16th June 2019 Our next major event, unless something crops up in the meantime, will be the dinner at Mediterranean Conference Centre on Sunday 16th June. At time of writing we already have a confirmed guest list of over 60 people coming from all parts of the world to specifically celebrate this milestone with us and sign off the 60th Anniversary celebrations with a bang. These guests include Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Bryan Robson, Paddy Crerand and Wilf McGuinness. We hope to have more confirmations as the date of the dinner approaches.

I must say it is a mammoth task for all committee members to juggle so many preparations for all the events organized by the club, and manage all expectations. Keep in mind that all we do is in addition to all our respective day to day family and work commitments.

The team works like a well-oiled engine and gels well together. Each member has his own capabilities and tasks, all done diligently and passionately. The smile on people’s faces and the obvious sense of pride oozing out of our members when we organize the bigger events, certainly makes every sacrifice worthwhile. Our members give us the courage and strength to carry on. Thank you.

Good Causes Week - visiting some club members presently residing in retirement homes.

Good Causes Week - Members at the Blood Bank.

The Europa League Trophy in Malta.

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The first official club event at the Manchester United Supporters’ Club Malta – Gozo Branch.

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VOL 46 - ISSUE 4 - JUNE 2019

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TEDDY’S corner

Dear All One of the things that is really worrying me after this football season came to an end is the fact that I am struggling to find one positive take away from the past 9 months.

Ole is at the wheel? That is debatable in my opinion. Wherever you look, it’s all negative.

U/18s finished 4th. U/23s finished 6th. The first team finished 6th, breaking all sorts of negative records. At least the women’s team won promotion on their first attempt, if this is any consolation.

Who would have told us what was going to happen post Paris? After Rashford slammed that penalty, confidence was sky high.

Then…2 wins, 2 draws and 8 losses! Even though qualifying against all odds against PSG put us all in heaven for a few days, deep down, the ones with their feet on the ground

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VOL 46 - ISSUE 4 - JUNE 2019

knew quality was missing. The ‘mountains are there to be climbed’ quote injected a lot of hope in many supporters’ minds and that is being positive, which I like. However, it was far from reality, very far. I was genuinely not expecting us to beat Barcelona but getting humiliated at Everton 4-0 was abysmal to say the least. Many fans ended up criticising and blaming De Gea for his unusual mistakes but that shows how much the Spaniard was crucial to keeping us afloat in the past 6 years. He has computed so many miracles for us that once he became human, he turned into a liability.

This coincided with the nth speculation of him moving to Real Madrid and there you go…traitor accusations kick off. That is life unfortunately. Even though I would really love him to stay, I find it hard to believe that David will resist this move at this stage.

There is something wrong in that dressing

have your say on info@manutd‑malta.com

room and Ole needs to get it right, somehow.

That is a mountain to climb. I would say an Everest to climb. No matter how much people criticised Mourinho for what he did at United, he was surely right with that virus quote in my opinion. Jose is now part of the history at Man Utd, with his good and bad. But it was not all bad like some tried to depict it. The famous quote ‘Finishing second with Man United was one of my biggest achievements’ at the end of the previous season was laughed at by his critics. It was considered at the time as submissive and showed lack of respect towards the status of Manchester United. Today people look at that statement and ponder. What if the owners supported the manager with the players he wanted last summer, after giving him a contract, which supposedly showed faith in his management ability? City have shown they have this superior class which is setting

unprecedented new yardsticks to the Premier League. They invested heavily in players in the past years and never seem to have stopped the manager replacing a player he acquired but failed to meet the expectations. Look at the Manchester United squad now and, bar De Gea, tell me how many players have a chance to be in the first eleven of the current Man City team? No one! That is the main problem in my opinion. The football strategy in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era was based on expensive players and competition based on financial strength with those we used to call the noisy neighbours. 4 managers in 6 years says it all.

No long term planning. Bad decision-making.

Things are not right, not only in the dressing room.

But why is all this happening? Sir Alex Ferguson, together with David Gill, were so successful on the field and off the field respectively that they created this unique brand built around developing kids, kids becoming stars, some of them world star icons, great effective signings through efficient scouting, passion on the field, instilling attacking football mentality, creating domestic dominance, successful marketing strategies…you name it. There were mistakes along the line and for what we had we could have been surely more successful in Europe. But what do we give today to go back in that era? Sir Alex and David Gill were so influential that the Glazers had no other option but to let them be in control. Once they left, the club was taken over by Woodward

and co and that is what I think is the core of all problems. Mr. Woodward could be one of the shrewdest businessmen on Earth and he is using the Manchester United brand very wisely to generate income. The problem is that there does not seem to be any progress on the football field. Is this because there is lack of football knowledge around the decision-making tables at Old Trafford? Is this because there are broken relationships with key football people, emanating from I-knowit-all mentalities? Is this because the business generated by the brand is more important than the trophies won? Is it because the brand is so big that lack of success on the field is not affecting the business on the outskirt? In a huge club like Manchester United, business and football have to be tightly knit together but I am definitely not seeing it happening at United. The people managing the club today seem to be more interested in securing rights to access first team players for their main sponsors.

It was very unfair that some fans blamed Ole for the terrible end of season. Most probably these were the same asking for Mourinho’s head and shouting ‘Ole’ in front of ‘Pontius Pilate’ Woodward. From his body language and reading between the lines, it seems Ole knows where the problems are…getting rid of them is the challenge and he had little or no time to work on that so far. One has to keep in mind that contractual obligations must not be ignored. There cannot be someone sweeping

out players from the dressing room just like that. There should be a plan. From what I am understanding, Ole seems more oriented in acquiring young talent with no ego and build the future Manchester United team around them. I agree with that strategy even though United must somehow remain competitive and hopefully be good enough next season to at least qualify for Champions League football.

Ole does not have the experience of Van Gaal and Mourinho with top teams but he has been at United long enough as a player witnessing huge success to know what it takes. It is still a gamble in my opinion but it is only fair to wait and see how things will develop.

City won the league again and until Guardiola remains at the helm, I think they will keep winning it for a few more years. Liverpool’s failure to win it with 97 points must have hurt the scousers but it’s only a matter of time, I’m afraid, till that clock stops counting. 30 years is a bloody long time. Hopefully it keeps ticking till I stop breathing. They have won the European Cup again so they can hide their huge Premier League disappointment very well and it will all be about number 6 now. We are in 2019 but thankfully it is still 20-18 to Man Utd in League honours.

Wishing you all a restful summer and hoping for a productive transfer market.

Yours United Teddy

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Summer Departures

by Stefan Attard

F

ollowing one of the worst if not the worst season ever in United’s recent history, the club is braced for a huge summer overhaul.

The Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is faced with the unenviable task of rebuilding a club with a disjointed squad.

Louis van Gaal, the former United manager, made six signings and offloaded eight senior players in the summer of 2015 and, while there are not expected to be that many ins and outs this time around, the club are braced for a busy close season, which will also include the appointment of their first technical director.

Sir Alex Ferguson, the former United manager and Solskjaer’s mentor, favoured a British core to his sides and the Norwegian wants a similar set-up. As well as Sancho, who would cost about £100 million to prise from Borussia Dortmund, and the £40 million-rated Wan‑Bissaka, United are monitoring two more England players, West Ham midfielder Declan Rice and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson‑Odoi.

United have also been linked with Bruno Fernandes and Saul Niguez, the Sporting Lisbon and Atletico Madrid midfielders, as well as Benfica forward Joao Felix and Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho.

With the media speculating on countless players it is also interesting to see whom the manager allows to leave the club after a season where the majority of the players played well below their potential. Before the last game against Cardiff, Ander Herrera and Antonio Valencia announced they will be leaving the club. The Spaniard served the club for 5 years while the Colombian played for 10 years with him also being the club captain in the past two years. In this article I will be looking at the top potential departures who are likely to be released or sold by the club this summer.

Following the 1-1 draw with Huddersfield in the penultimate game which confirmed United’s failure to secure Champions League football, the manager admitted that some players could have played their final game for the club.

“I can’t talk about individuals now but there’s a chance you’ve seen the last of [some] players” OGS 5th May following the draw against Huddersfield There is uncertainty over the futures of many senior players. Juan Mata will be a free agent

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this summer but like his compatriot Herrera is demanding more money than the club are willing to pay. Defenders Matteo Darmian and Marcos Rojo are also likely to depart.

It is understood United may listen to offers for Ivory Coast centre-back Eric Bailly if they manage to recruit a pedigree centre-half, with Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane and Kalidou Koulibaly, of Napoli, on the radar. Sanchez’s future remains in doubt although both the Chile striker and United would have to make significant compromises to facilitate any move, unless a club from China is prepared to take on his £500,000-a-week wages. Sanchez has three years left to run on his deal and United run the risk of being saddled with the 30-year-old for some time. United’s 2-0 defeat at home to Cardiff further underlined the challenge Solskjaer faces to turn the club around.

Paul Pogba Pogba has been linked with a big-money move to Real Madrid for most of the season.

Af ter initially rediscovering his form under Solskjaer, the Frenchman has since experience another dip in form. Since Zinedine Zidane’s reappointment as the Real Madrid boss in March, Pogba is understood to be one of the Spanish club’s top targets this summer. A verbal altercation with some United supporters at full-time on the final day of the season may have made his mind up to get out.

Despite arguably having his most productive season in a United shirt scoring 16 goals and assisting 11, Pogba’s performances have frequently come under fire as he failed to replicate the form he showed for France when he spearheaded a World-Cup winning midfield last summer. Despite being a world-class player in a team of average players, Pogba may not possess some fundamental qualities that United desperately need. Very often Pogba has gone missing when the team was desperately looking for a leader. Following the much-hyped transfer, Pogba has not shown leadership qualities that United fans expected him to have. His stellar performances with France, and with Juventus in Italy, were down to the players around him who were natural commanders. At the moment United do not have players with such qualities. This has perhaps made his midfield colleagues look worse off as they constantly had to fill in when he’s floating off. Having said that the decision to offload Pogba is not as straight forward as we all know that the Frenchman is one of a the very few world-class players at United.

Alexis Sanchez Sanchez has failed to replicate his form at Arsenal with Manchester United. On a reported £500,000-a-week, the Chilean has scored

just five goals since moving to Manchester in January 2018 and reports claim United want to get rid of the 30-year-old so badly they are willing to pay half of his salary if he finds a new club. He started for the first time in two months against Huddersfield, but went off injured in the 54th minute, which seemed to sum up his Manchester United career.

After the loss to Cardiff, he used Instagram to say: “It was a very tough season…the fans are the ones who deserve an apology as they always support you no matter what happens.

Personally, I didn’t perform as much as I was expecting because of unpredictable injuries,” adding he has always remained professional and is certain United will return to the winning ways of the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Romelu Lukaku Lukaku recently admitted it would be ‘a dream’ to play in Serie A amid speculation surrounding his future. He has been in and out of Manchester United’s starting XI this season, with Solskjaer opting to play Marcus Rashford through the middle at times. It would not be a surprise if he moved on at the end of the season.

Juan Mata Mata’s contract expires on June 30 and there are no signs that suggest he is close to extending his stay at Old Trafford, though it has been reported United have offered him a one-year extension. Solskjaer remains hopeful the 31-year-old will stay. “He’s a fantastic person and a fantastic player,” the manager said. “It’s up to him. I’ve had words with him and he knows how highly I regard him,” adding he will wait to see what happens.

Matteo Darmian The right-back has made just seven appearances this season and is set to leave for free at the end of the 2018/19 campaign.

Darmian harbours hopes of returning to Italy’s national team and will need to play regular first-team football to do so, which is something United cannot offer him. He is behind Ashley Young and youngster Diogo Dalot in the Old Trafford pecking order.

Marcos Rojo United finished the Premier League sixth, conceding 54 goals, a stat which highlights the need to strengthen their defence. Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Victor Lindelöf, Eric Bailly and Marcos Rojo all played at centre back throughout the course of the season. Despite spending most of the season on the sidelines Rojo is considered to be behind the likes of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones in the pecking order. He is perhaps one of the first players to be offloaded this summer.

Speaking at the club’s end-of-season awards, Solskjaer reiterated that United’s summer spending strategy would focus on signing young, up-and-coming players rather than marquee names.The focus will be on players who play ‘the United way’, and there is a determination not to block the pathway for talented young players at the club. With previous managers’ strategy of recruiting established talent with little or no success it is hard to argue against Ole’s strategy to look for young talent.

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Which players should United sell this

summer?

by Alex Dudley

T

here is no doubt that this summer presents a massive opportunity for a clear out for United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. It could be argued that this should have been done years ago, with deadwood plaguing the team of the chance to move forward. Old Trafford has become stagnant with players on lucrative contracts who simply aren’t up for the fight of resurrecting this famous club.

The rebuilding process must start again, and the decks must be wiped. In truth, there is no chance that all the players that have plagued the club are all going to depart; it’s simply impossible since there are too many of them. There are 14 players that could easily be sold and not an eyelash would be blinked.

However, that isn’t a likely circumstance to occur, so Ole must pick the ones that undoubtedly need to move on.

The contract situations involving Juan Mata, Ander Herrera and Antonio Valencia have made his job a little easier since the trio can depart for nothing and be allowed to find new clubs. Herrera would possibly be the only one of them that will be sorely missed, and the club have missed out big time on tying him down on a new deal. The talent of all three has never been in question, and no matter how loved Mata is, the club already has a ready-made replacement for him in Jesse Lingard. That is the other factor that must affect United’s business: there shouldn’t be two players who both offer the same qualities.

The left-sided attacking options already prove that. Alexis Sanchez, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford can all operate from that position, and while Rashford may be seen as a central striker by Ole now, it looks likely that one of the other two will need to depart. The fact that none of them is as comfortable on the right as they are on the left is also problematic and highlights how unbalanced the squad is. It is left-heavy in every department, with Luke Shaw, Paul Pogba, and Victor Lindelof all preferring to play on that half of the field,

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with all of which looking destined to be the quality that is needed.

Sure, that is a solid base to start off, but players that aren’t of the quality required should be moved on. This includes players that the club feels sentiment towards. This is mainly a point towards Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, and Ashley Young who have all made a living at United for far too long. They are the only remainers in the defensive positions from that devastating defeat to Basel in the Champions League which saw Sir Alex Ferguson venture into the UEFA Europa League for the only time. That should have been a clear indicator then that these players would be lucky to be a regular in any side in the top six, let alone the team that should be the finest in the country.

Young has endured a difficult season, and while his best days are behind him, he has been a fine stand-in when needed. But under no circumstances should he be the clubs first choice right or left back next season. The full-back positions are an essential position in modern day football and United are late jumping onto that fact. Diogo Dalot will be a good player in the future, but at present, his positioning and all-around defensive ability is sorely missing for a team that hopes to compete for a league title.

The defence is an area where the most work is required, and a case can be made for all the players on the club’s books excluding Shaw and Lindelof to be sold. Eric Bailly has never accustomed to the Premier League, while Marcos Rojo is profoundly out of favour. Jones and Smalling should leave if the right offer comes in, but by no means should the club be offering new contracts to the English pair.

Fred’s transfer hasn’t materialised in the way that many hoped and he seems to draw comparisons to Anderson’s time at United.

He obviously has the talent but he seems reluctant to work hard and that is what the club fundamentally needs. Nemanja Matic is

another player who has endured a turbulent season and the team plays quicker and more expansive football when he isn’t in the team.

United need that aggressive type of player in the midfield who can dominate games and the Serb doesn’t fit the bill. The Red Devils’ midfield has been taught a lesson over recent weeks by fluent midfielders such as Declan Rice, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Idrissa Gueye, all of which would sadly walk into this United eleven.

Romelu Lukaku has had a stop-start season again for the club, and while on paper he fits the bill for what the club needs, he is yet to show it consistently. The Belgium international should be given more time, and under a legendary striker like Solskjaer he could flourish, but he is on the last chance saloon. The one factor that has always gone in his favour is his work ethic; he has happily played anywhere along the forward positions and worked hard in his defensive duties, something that sadly isn’t the case with Sanchez. The Chilean’s move to Old Trafford highlights everything that is wrong with the current set up. He was brought in as a marquee signing by Ed Woodward to meet commercial demands. The team never needed him and the transfer has never worked out because of that. It is undoubtedly time for United to cut their losses on him.

This summer is huge for United, and while Ole will deservedly be given time to mould the team into his image, the board need to give him the freedom that he needs. There can be no politics from the hierarchy at the club and the Norwegian should get everything that he desires. The players leaving the club are as crucial as the players that will be coming in. The mentality needs to change, the hardworking players need to remain, and while skill is obviously vital for any team pushing for major honours, those previous two factors are the most important. The minimum that any fan wants is the hard-working, never-say-die attitude and desire that are synonymous with the successful Red Devils teams of yesteryear.

Emilio Alvarez -The Goalkeeper Coach

by Jude Cauchi

F

ootball is a fascinating topic since for many people it sounds like a simple game which anybody can play. In reality, to be successful you need the effort of a whole team including the goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and strikers. Moreover, in order to build a successful team, it requires having coaching staff which match the standard of the club and in return transmit those high standards to the players.

Manchester United had a lot of successful coaches throughout the years which worked for the club. Amongst these professionals, one can include Steve McLaren, Carlos Queiroz, Mike Phelan, Rene Meulensteen and also Jimmy Murphy who was instrumental in delivering success in those difficult periods following the Munich Air Crash Disaster. In fact, most of the times in football, a lot of credit is given to the head coaches or managers but would Sir Alex Ferguson have been so successful without the contribution of his key staff? Would José Mourinho be the same successful manager without his lieutenant Rui Faria who has served him so well during his managerial career? In consistency with such approach, it is not surprising that successful managers seem to, in majority of cases, retain their key staff wherever they are employed.

In terms of Manchester United, following the departure of José Mourinho, there were a lot changes made to the coaching staff.

In fact apart from goalkeeper coach Emilio Alvarez, all of Mourinho’s trusted coaching employees left the club together with the Portuguese. At a glance, one may perceive this decision to retain the goalkeeper coach as surprising but when one analyses the history of Emilio Alvarez and the influence he has had in developing David De Gea’s career, this decision will then sound as very logical which can bring a lot of benefits to Manchester United in the long term.

Emilio Alvarez was born on the 19th October, 1961 in Pontevedra, Spain. In terms of his playing career, he spent all his playing days in Spain with clubs which included Real Madrid C team, Rayo Vallecano, Medira UD, Mallorca, Jaen, CF Extremadura, Recreativo, Elche, Algeciras, Mensajero and Extremadura UD. With regards to his goalkeeper coaching career, to date the Spaniard has been employed with Real Madrid C team, Valencia FC, Benfica, Atletico Madrid, Shabab Al Ahli and Manchester United.

When one analyses the careers of various football players, apart from the efforts they make to be successful and prove people wrong, in their early days as footballers, especially when nobody is aware of one’s potential talent, it always requires a person

to put trust in a player’s ability to make it to the top. In fact, such trust is likely to make or break a footballer’s career.

bad management decisions which, hopefully as Reds fans, will not impact the success on the pitch.

The case of David De Gea also supports this theor y since during those times when De Gea was still 18 years old, Emilio Alvarez was the goalkeeper coach under the guidance of Quique Sanchez Flores at Atletico Madrid. In those early days, having been overlooked by other coaches, Alvarez was asked to provide his input on who is the best goalkeeper between Sergio Asenjo, Roberto and De Gea, and although De Gea was perceived as physically weak and resembles more a little boy, a development training regime was implemented and soon De Gea become the first choice goalkeeper in a side which went on to win the Europa League. Surprisingly, the goalkeeper coach also allowed David De Gea’s father, who was also a former goalkeeper, to come and observe his son’s training.

Manchester United had some brilliant goalkeepers throughout the years. As a matter of fact, every time the club achieved something big, besides a strong back four, the team could always rely on having a world class solid goalkeeper. Examples are Alex Stepney, who was instrumental in the United side which won its first European Cup in 1969 and who can forget United greats Peter Schmeichel and Edwin Van Der Sar who produced such magnificent performances during their time at Manchester United.

Moreover, the media has it that being a very close friend with José Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes, Alvarez was brought to Old Trafford in order to ensure that David De Gea does not leave the club following an unhappy spell for the club under Dutch manager Louis Van Gaal. Such decision may have convinced David De Gea to commit his long term future to Manchester United and hopefully now that the goalkeeping coach has also been retained under new manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Spanish goalkeeper will also sign a new deal at Old Trafford, although money is likely to play a decisive factor in convincing De Gea to stay at the club. As a matter of fact, every organisation, not only in football, has responsibility towards ensuring that employees are treated equally and fairly and giving higher salaries to people who consistently produce mediocre performances on the pitch will have an impact on how other players react to the club. Consequently, who can blame David De Gea for demanding a better contract when he clearly has been United’s best player in the postSir Alex Ferguson era? From this point of view, the club must now face the consequences of

In spite of this, in the absence of coaches who can develop their abilities, world class players will seek their future elsewhere and look for those environments where they can reach their maximum potential and also in which they are respected both as players and as human beings. Luckily enough, history shows us that the club from Manchester has had excellent coaches throughout the years and following the excellent goalkeeping career that David De Gea has had so far at the club, Emilio’s Alvarez name will forever be written in the history of the club since without his contribution, De Gea might have left the club long time ago so “muchas gracias” Emilio!

VOL 46 - ISSUE 4 - JUNE 2019

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The Promoted Teams for 2019-20

by Roderick Psaila

P

ersonally, I don’t follow much the Championship during the season but I am always very excited to see what the promoted teams will bring to the Premiership.

This season just ended was slightly more interesting for me, as with the appointment of Bielsa as manager of our neighbours Leeds United, I managed to follow their progress, which of course was halted by the play-off loss at the hands of Lampard’s Derby County, to my satisfaction allow me to say. The latter, under the guidance of Frank Lampard also missed promotion, losing in the final play-off to Aston Villa, a household name in the Premier League, who managed to the return with the elite of English football following an absence of two years.

How did they manage to get promoted?

Norwich City won the Championship in exhilarating fashion. Led by their 42-year old head coach Daniel Farke, Norwich produced exciting attacking football throughout the campaign, in line with the philosophy of their coach to control games with meaningful possession. The Canaries have in fact managed to score most goals in the Championship, six more than the highest scoring team at 93 goals and their main striker, Finnish international Teemu Pukki ended up leading the top scoring chart with 29 goals for the season. Their most influential players during the season apart from Pukki were midfielder Emiliano Buendia and wing-backs Max Aarons and Jamal Lewis, while their most recognisable name for United fans is the ex-Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul. The team’s dazzling attacking football took most opponents by storm and although they had a difficult start to the campaign – they were 17th at the start of the season after 6 matches – they slowly climbed their way up the table and finished Champions, five points ahead of the pack. The period between February and March was crucial for the Canaries, as they managed to win nine games out of the ten played, and that feat catapulted them to the top of the table.

Sheffield United were the most solid team during the campaign. They fought off the challenge of Leeds for the second automatic promotion spot by winning seven of their

eleven matches in March and April, including a 1-0 away win against their main rivals for promotion, Leeds United, in mid-March.

Their manager, Chris Wilder was awarded the Manager of the Year award this season and many pundits rate him as one of the best managers in the game. Indeed, the Blades are the Cinderella story of the Championship.

Not much was expected of them last season but Wilder managed to turn a bunch of players who are unknown to most into a solid team.

Their strong point was their stubbornness in defending and in fact, their defence allowed the least goals during the season. Manchester United loaned 21-year old keeper Dean Henderson to the Blades for the season and he managed to finish top of the clean sheet list due to some solid performances and fantastic saves throughout. Most of us remember Sheffield United in the Premiership, although they have been missing for 12 years. The last time they played in the top division, they were relegated in the infamous story of Carlos Tevez helping West Ham to seven wins in the last nine games, when he should not have been playing at all. West Ham supporters will not be happy to see the looks of Sheffield United next season, as the scar from that incident is still apparent. Their best players this season were their captain and leading scorer Billy Sharp, his partner up front David McGoldrick, defenders O’Connell and Egan and young Dean Henderson in goal.

Aston Villa took the third promotion spot via their play-off final win at Wembley, possibly the richest game of football at around £200 million, which is the expected income coming from a place in the Premier League. The Villans peaked at the right moment in the season, winning ten of eleven matches in March and April, and drawing the other away at Elland Road, possibly ending the season as the best team in the Championship. This was obviously reflected in their play-off success which was almost unthinkable in late February, when they where 11th in the table. However, the Villans captain and local boy Jack Grealish returned from a three month lay-off in March and inspired the team to the winning run that changed their season. Jack continued to impress during the last part of the season

and his stepping up in maturity was there for everyone to witness. At 23 years old, he was now the complete player, technically and tactically. Villa had a team full of players with Premiership experience and guided by their manager Dean Smith and his assistant, a certain John Terry, they return to the Premier League following a two year absence. Their best players over the season were captain Jack Grealish, on loan striker Tammy Abraham, who scored 26 goals, John McGinn who won their player of the season award and central defender James Chester.

Will they stay or will they go?

The Premier League is lucrative but a tough place to be, as some of the teams promoted to the Premiership have found out. Look at Cardiff and Fulham in the season just finished. They return to the Championship after one single season, despite taking different routes to try to keep up with the big boys. Cardiff tried the old English “Neil Warnock” way and failed, while Fulham spent heavily on new recruits and still went down. Looking at the three promoted teams, personally I think that Aston Villa have the best chance of keeping their status, given the Premiership experienced players they have in their squad. Most of those players have experienced the pain of going down and that should be instrumental during the season. If they can keep Tammy Abraham in their ranks and add a couple more good players, I expect them to finish the season in mid-table. John Terry’s vast experience will also be invaluable in this regard. Norwich have the reputation of going a bit gung-ho in their approach to the game and that could be suicidal in the Premier League, as experienced teams will find them out in the back. I expect them to struggle if they cannot recruit a couple of solid experienced defenders to make them more solid. I don’t give much chance of survival to Sheffield United. I can see them doing a ‘Cardiff’, being solid as a team but without much threat going forward and that could see them fail miserably. These predictions can all change though in two months’ time, depending on the acquisitions the teams make in the close season. Whatever the outcome, it promises to be exciting to see what these teams will bring to the Premier League.

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Refresh

by Braden Galea

W

hen all else fails, go back to basics. Six precious years at United have turned into years of sorry despair for the clubs’ supporters seeing their once-glorious team reduced to a club that is nowhere close to realistically competing for important honours like the Premier League or the UEFA Champions League. This is the same club that under the guidance of the great Sir Alex Ferguson won 13 Premier League titles, 5 FA Cups and the UEFA Champions League twice. Winning had become part and parcel of supporting Manchester United. Since Sir Alex bowed out at a high after 26 years managing the club, the harsh truth is that Manchester United is no longer the biggest football club in England, let alone in Europe, if the measured in football terms.

The problem is that commercially we are doing just fine, with record revenues and enough profits generated to pay substantial dividends to our owners. And yes, that is the problem, because short-term things will go on as they are. After all, Manchester United as a brand is one massive cash cow and the blood of every business is money – as long as cash flows through the business, the organs continue functioning and no remedial action is taken. Yet what the owners either fail to realise, or else and more likely refuse to acknowledge because it probably falls outside their timeframe scope, is that the underlying asset of Manchester United is football, and that asset is being heavily impaired with the strategic decisions taken.

Bringing on a fellow Scotsman with experience in captaining a yacht to steer the cruise ship called Manchester United failed miserably.

Bringing on two managers with proven success pedigree elsewhere also did not work out, albeit the respective triumphs in the FA Cup and UEFA Europa League. They were three terrible decisions, the repercussions of which are being felt and will be felt for years to come. I was one of the biggest critics of our ex-Portuguese manager, which in spite of his glittering CV and his ability to pinpoint the problems, showed that he had no track record of providing the solutions, and neither did he have the dressing room behind him.

The elephant in the room was that the dressing room brought about the downfall of the Portuguese and put the last nail in his

Manchester United career’s coffin. What hurts however is that he foresaw it coming and yet signed a contract extension in January 2018 with one and a half years still to go on his previous contract, obviously with the famous clause of a £20 million golden handshake in case of dismissal which was always bound to happen. Problems start becoming evident well before the proverbial stuff hitting the fan. There was already knowledge about complications relating to pre-season tour decisions, transfer market strategy and the dressing room. Yet the contract extension was signed nevertheless and this stinks of bad faith.

When matters spiralled out of control, as it was bound to happen at some point, Manchester United dismissed the ex-manager one week before Christmas 2018 and brought on a former club legend with little experience in management other than success with lowly Molde in Norway and a miserable experience with Cardiff. From an outsider’s perspective, it looked like a high-stake gamble verging on suicidal move. In the eyes of Manchester United die-hards however, this was the club appointing a person who knows the club inside-out and enjoyed success as a player nicknamed the baby-faced assassin, culminating in scoring the winning goal in the 1998-99 UEFA Champions League. It was a risk worth taking. Winning 14 out of 19 matches killed the doubters and everyone was shouting for Ole to be given the job permanently. Fastforward to after the contract extension on the 28th March and things started going downhill pretty fast. Losses against Wolves, Everton (quite a heavy 4-0 thumping there) and relegated Cardiff meant that United stood no chance of making it into the top four. Then, the problems that seemed to have been hibernating while Solskjaer was interim manager came crashing back to life. With hindsight, offering the job on a permanent basis in March rather than waiting until the end of the season as originally promised was a rash decision – another one to be added to the list of terrible choices made in the past few years by the administration.

Yet, I can only find fault in the timing, not in the actual decision. Really and truly, there was no one else that deserved it more than Ole. His attitude convinces me that unlike his

predecessor, he can root out the rot eating Manchester United as far as it is within his control. The owners and their unwavering trust in Ed Woodward will not change, but that should not be affecting United as with relatively less spending, Manchester United still managed to win the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League under the guidance of Sir Alex while being owned by the Glazers. Within the manager’s control, there is the transfer strategy, training and the squad, and there are evident problems in all of those.

Solskjaer also admitted this at some point or another in his press conferences. The transfer strategy does not befit United as a team that in the past attracted players that fitted into the ethos of the team rather than big-name egocentric individuals who care more about their image and the name on the back, rather than on the club crest that undeservedly sits on their chest. The training regime adopted is not making Manchester United players physically strong enough to be at the top of the current game play, resulting in some players being persistently injured. And to top it all off, there are individuals in the team who, as admitted by Solskjaer, will not be part of any future success that the team will have, reason being that they are not good enough.

There is a heap of deadwood in the squad that needs to be thrown overboard, and top of the pile is the overpaid Sanchez. I can pinpoint at least eight players who should not be wearing the Manchester United shirt. Decisions need to be taken and heads need to roll.

And then comes the necessary part – refresh.

Ole will need to embark on a mission to attract young talented players to mix with promoted talent from within the Academy, some of which have already been given first team exposure at United or out on loan and some which will need to be thrown into the fray to prove their capabilities. By going back to basics and targeting players that fit into the culture and philosophy of United, and who play with the same pride and passion as was so hurtfully displayed in Liverpool’s 4-0 fight-back against Barcelona, United can return to the top and supporters can get back a taste of the success that they so fervently crave. It will require being assertive and brutal, but Ole desperately needs to refresh Manchester United and bring back the glory days.

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Y & Z United Perspectives

by Kevin, Justyn & Wayne Tabone

T

he result may not have gone our way in the latest Tabone family experience but, boy, what an experience it was. We as United fans are truly the best in the world, through thick and thin we follow our beloved club and, having witnessed it first hand, U-N-I-TE-D United are the team for the Tabone family.

Do you think that Ole deserves the 3 year contract even though he does not have proven managerial experience with a big football team yet?

Wayne: My feeling towards Ole’s contract was a positive one even before Ole was appointed full time. And today I still think that it still is an excellent idea to sign him up. He has the mentally that Sir Alex had when he was managing the team. He goes well with the players and is loved by the fans. He was a great player with great ideas and he can transfer that to the present players and they could play the game that Sir Alex played and hopefully better.

Justyn: In my opinion Ole deserves a chance of being manager of Manchester United. In the past we have gone for high profile managers with the likes of Mourinho and Van Gaal. As we have seen they couldn’t manage the club well even though they had succeeded in the past with other big teams. Ole knows the club’s ins and outs and knows what it means to be part of a club like United is. I think that he can bring energy to the players with his love and passion to the club. However, the club needs to back him and give him the players that he wants and feels that would bring the club forward.

Kevin: In my eyes, there was no other manager who should have been considered. The interim stint and the winning run may have blurred our judgement, but I give as much importance to the way Ole has managed to galvanize the players, staff, fans, the club along with also managing to rediscover our identity in such a short space of time. Yes, we are struggling with results and performances lately, but one must keep in mind José Mourinho’s words about the level of the players at his disposal. One has to wait to see if this decision was the right one and whether the timing of announcing the full time role was good but with Ole at the wheel one can immediately sense the positivity around the club has returned.

Who do you think should be the new Manchester United captain once Valencia bows out in the summer and why?

Wayne: I think that De Gea should take the captain armband as he has been with the team for quite some time and is one of the best, if not the best, goalkeeper in the world. He also knows how to lead the team and instil more confidence to the players in front of him with his performances. Unlike most goalkeepers he tells players what to do and communicates with all players even in attack as he can see the whole field.

Even if there was a goal that was conceded which wasn’t his fault, he encourages the players.

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Justyn: Since Valencia is getting old it is only a matter of time that we see him leave the club. He has been a very good servant to the club and always gave everything he could. In my opinion, his successor should be David de Gea. He is one of the club’s longest servant in the current squad. He is also one of the few players that United have which is considered as world class. On his day, he is undoubtedly the best goaler in the world. He is the type of player United need to progress as a club and get back to where they were under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Kevin: I always say that a captain should be a player that is respected by his fellow teammates. Typically, I would always have a British midfielder in this role and a player who would be one of, if not the, first names on the team sheet for most matches. Think of Robbo and Keano. If only we could have such players available today! Pogba would be a choice to many. Ability-wise he’s got what it takes however there are two main points which does not make him my choice: 1. he goes missing from most of the big matches 2. question marks seem to always be asked about the player’s attitude.

Football has gone global nowadays so with limited number of British players in the squad I would have to go for an import. As a shortterm choice I would go for Ander Herrera: a player who works tirelessly, wears his heart on his sleeve, been at the club for a few years now and seems to be proud to represent our club. I just hope that the contract negotiations are successful and he extends his stay. Longterm, although one would have to allow a couple of years and for the player to continue improve, my decision would be to go with Scott McTominay: a local lad who represents what our club stands for.

Mention 3 new players you would like to see in a Manchester United shirt next season?

Wayne: I would like to see Umtiti as my first player as he is determined not to let no one pass. He has great strength and excellent control of the ball.

My second player would be Varane. He is tall and strong and these attributes can help the squad a lot. He also has a great control and is confident when under pressure and even when he has space to attack he also isn’t afraid to advance forward.

My third player would be Mbappe. He is fast, strong and we need a player that can play on the wing and also as a striker to create a connection with Pogba.

Justyn: Next season Manchester United need to invest in high calibre players. The position that needs strengthening the most is the defence.

The first player that I would like to see in a Manchester United shirt is Koulibaly. He is a very commanding centre back and is the type of leader Manchester United have been

lacking in the last few years. Whilst being a very strong centre back, he is also very quick and very good on the ball.

The second player I would like to be bought is Wan Bissaka. Ever though he is still very young, he is already an established right back at Crystal Palace and is ever so close to be called up with the England senior squad. He has one of the best tackling completion stat in Europe which shows he is very reliable defensively.

Also, he is very good going forward and could help in being more efficient when attacking.

The third player would be Sancho. He has had an exceptional season with Dortmund and has been one of the reasons why they are challenging for the Bundesliga. He provides a lot of assists to the likes of Reus. Not only does he have a big future ahead of him, he is also a very mature player for his age.

Kevin: Hand on heart I have to say that for our club to reach the levels we aspire to be, we need to buy more than 3 players. However, change has to be gradual and the summer transfer window should only be seen as part of a rebuilding process which will take longer than one summer.

I would start off with laying the foundations.

Sir Alex always used to say the goalkeeper and the two central defenders are the platform for a successful team. Fingers crossed we

keep De Gea and with Lindelof or Smalling I would add another.

I’ve seen enough of Koulibaly’s performances to convince myself that there’s no better choice. If this is not possible, I would stick with my previous edition answer and go for Varane.

A problematic area in the past few years has been the right-back position. I know this is a long shot because he plays for a rival club and is their leader but if we want to be the best we have to get the best. I would go for another Denis Irwin, a player who personifies consistency and a leader.

Chelsea’s Azpilicueta fits the bill perfectly.

Finally, I would go for Rabiot. A midfielder who’s available on a free transfer and would improve the quality not just of our squad but of our starting eleven.

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Euro club competitions 2018/19 season Round-up…

English Premier League clubs secure all four places in the finals of the two Euro club competitions to break Spanish dominance

by Antoine Dalli

I

n the outgoing season, the English Premier League (EPL) made history, as for the first time ever, the four finalists of the two Euro club competitions – the Champions and the Europa Leagues – all came from one nation. On 29 May in Baku, Chelsea crossed swords with London neighbours Arsenal and three days later, Liverpool locked horns with Tottenham at Atletico Madrid’s newly inaugurated Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.

In the Champions League, Liverpool reached

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the final for the second successive season after an epic comeback against Barcelona in the semi-f inals. Earlier on in the competition, the Reds came close to being knocked out by Napoli in the group stages and by Bayern Munich in the first knock-out stages of the competition.

Against German champions Bayern Munich in the Round of 16, Liverpool were held to a goalless home draw before cruising to a resounding 3-1 victory in Munich. Porto, in the quar ter-finals, were no match to Liverpool as the Portuguese giants bowed out 1-6 on aggregate.

In Group C, Liverpool suffered three defeats on the road (vs. Napoli 0-1, Paris SG 1-2 and Red Star Belgrade 0-2) but made home soil count to outsmart Napoli in second place.

In similar vein, Tottenham’s route to the final was bumpy. Spurs nearly failed to qualify from Group B after collecting only one point, courtesy of a 2-2 away draw with PSV

Eindhoven, from the first available nine. In the second round, Mauricio Pochettino’s men upped their game and claimed back-to-back hard-fought victories against PSV Eindhoven and Inter before salvaging a precious 1-1 away draw with heavyweights Barcelona to finish runners-up at the expense of 2009/10 Champions League winners Inter.

In so doing, Spurs became only the eighth side to qualify from the group stage after claiming only one point from their first three games. In the Round of 16, Tottenham brushed aside then German Bundesliga pace-setters Borussia Dortmund, themselves Champions League winners in 1996/97, 4-0 on aggregate.

In the quar ter-finals, Tottenham faced none other than Pep Guardiola’s Man City, considered by many as currently the strongest outfit in European football. A 1-0 first leg lead for Spurs augured well but this was the prelude to a seven-goal second leg thriller, which Man City thought they had won in injury time only for Raheem Sterling’s goal to be ruled out for offside by VAR. Af ter knocking out eventual English champions Man City on the away goals rule, Tottenham trailed Ajax, who had eliminated holders Real Madrid and hot favourites Juventus in the previous rounds, 1-0 after the first leg in London. At the Amsterdam Arena, Tottenham seemed down and out as they went 0-2 behind barely after 35 minutes. However, Pochettino’s men came from the dead to score three times, including a 96th minute strike, through former Paris SG winger Lucas Moura to reach their first ever Champions League final courtesy of the away goals rule for the second successive round.

The first all English final since Manchester United-Chelsea at the end of season 2007/08 was a slow burning contest, in which Liverpool were the better side as they scored an early Mohamed Salah penalty and wrapped up their victory with a late goal from substitute Divock Origi. For the record, Salah’s goal was the second fastest in a final after Paolo Maldini’s strike 51 seconds into the 2004/05 final between Milan-Liverpool in Istanbul.

Liverpool’s sixth European Cup triumph means they go third on their own on the alltime honours board, behind only Real Madrid (13) and Milan (7).

Liverpool thus became the first non-Spanish club to lift UEFA’s premier club competition since Bayern Munich at the end of season 2012/13. Since then, Real Madrid and Barcelona were declared kings of Europe four times and once respectively. Prior to Liverpool, Roberto Di Matteo’s Chelsea were the last EPL club to lift the coveted Champions League at the end of season 2011/12.

In the Europa League final, Arsenal were ripped to shreds through a blistering 23-minute spell by a Chelsea side inspired

by Real Madrid bound Eden Hazard to wreck their own hopes of qualifying for next year’s Champions League. Chelsea managed to win the title undefeated throughout the entirety of the Europa League campaign.

A stalemate first half was the prelude of a fantastic Chelsea display that paved the way for the Blues’ second Europa League triumph – their first since beating Benfica 2-1 in Amsterdam on 15 May 2013 at a time when Rafael Benitez was their coach. For Maurizio Sarri, this was his first major trophy as a manager.

It was also a special night for 31-year-old forward Pedro, who joined Chelsea from Barcelona in 2015, as he became the first player in history to win the Europa League, Champions League, World Cup, European Championship and Premier League.

In his glittering career, Pedro, who scored Chelsea’s second goal in the 4-1 drubbing of spineless Arsenal, won the following trophies: with Barcelona he won the La Liga five times in seasons 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2012/13 and 2014/15; three times the Copa del Rey in seasons 2008/09, 2011/12 and 2014/15; four times the Supercopa de España in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013.

On a European level, Pedro lifted the Champions League three times at a time when he played for Guardiola’s star-studded Barcelona side in 2008/09, 2010/11 and in 2014/15; the UEFA Super Cup in 2009, 2011 and in 2015; FIFA Club World Cup in 2009 and in 2011. With Chelsea, Pedro lifted the 2016/17 English Premier League, the FA Cup in 2017/18 and this season’s Europa League.

Pedro was also part of the Spanish squad that became world champions in 2010 and European champions two years later.

By stark contrast, Arsenal Spanish mentor Unai Emery finished his debut campaign at the Emirates without a trophy and Arsenal will play a third consecutive season in the Europa League next term. In his previous three Europa League final showdowns, Emery had led La Liga outfit Sevilla to triumphs vs. Benfica in 2013/14 (4-2 after a penalty shoot-out in Turin), vs. Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (3-2 in Warsaw) and vs.

Liverpool in 2015/16 (3-1 in Basel).

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“I owe the fans a lot. I cannot lie – I wasn’t born a Manchester United fan, but I want everyone to know that a part of my heart will always be a red devil.”

Ander Herrera

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The Way Forward

by Alan Abela Wadge

A

nother season ended and with it ended our hopes and dreams to play in the Champions League next season. If things couldn’t be any worse, sadly that’s (the absence of Champions League football) not the major problem United faces at the moment. Far from it actually! Unfortunately, Man Utd faces a rather bleak future ahead of them.

2018/19 started immediately with a bit of a doom and gloom feel to it. Jose Mourinho spent the whole summer moaning and complaining, sometimes even publicly, and that shed a dark shadow on the whole Football Club. It was reported that Mourinho wanted to make some signings and someone deemed himself to be more intelligent than someone that won multiple leagues around the globe and told Mourinho that he didn’t need to spend more money. This is something that Gary Neville has spoken about time and time again. Who was more qualified than Jose Mourinho to judge whether Man Utd needed to spend big on a centre half? We know the answer, however it seems that Ed Woodward and his team didn’t.

Somehow they decided that Jose Mourinho didn’t know what he was doing and refused him the signings he wanted to do.

In my opinion it was at that time that a change of manager should have taken place. Once the board loses trust in their manager’s decision making skills and do not support him there are only two options moving forward; either sack the manager or else if he’s not sacked he needs to have enough decency about himself to walk away. However, I don’t think that Mourinho was too keen to walk away from a £22.5 million payoff that he got just before Christmas! Who would be really?

Once the season started, as of the very first game of the season, United immediately showed that something was broken in the team. We all know the recent history very well so I won’t bore you into discussing what happened this season. Once Mourinho was shown the door in late December and he got to enjoy that mega payoff, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was

placed as interim manager, a popular decision that everyone that loves Man Utd supported.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a club legend most famously known for sticking the ball in the German’s net back in 1999. He is also a student of the game that spent many hours watching the game from the warmth of the subs bench behind the great man himself, only to be unleashed in the last minutes of the match for him to snatch the winner. It happened over and over again and thanks to that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer got the nickname that still sticks till today, that of the Baby Faced Assassin.

Ole’s appointment seemed to be inspirational as United went onto a successful winning streak, however like everything in life, it can’t always be rosy. Just after the PSG miracle in which United overturned a 2-0 home defeat into a 2-3 away win, Ole’s wheels came apart. There can be a lot of different reasons as to why this happened, however one thing that we can all agree on is that physically, Manchester United were ultimately weaker than the competition.

Was that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s fault? Definitely not! When Ole and his team took over in midDecember, the first thing he did after the first few weeks was to go on a short pre-season in the sun and that reaped the benefits because the immediate reaction to the mini pre-season was that for the next two months, United won every single match. Unfortunately, tiredness caught up with the players and ultimately the players collapsed at the tail end of the season.

Having said that, this gives United hope as we know for a fact that physically the team will be in top shape come next August. This is because we have seen already the impact that a short pre-season with Ole results in. With that in mind, just imagine what will happen with a full pre-season!

Yet, before we even get to pre-season, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done and that work needs to be done at boardroom level.

It seems to be in agreement with everyone

that Man Utd needs a Director of Football.

Just look at our competition. Managers come and go, however signings are always done in accordance with a vision that the club created.

The problem at Man Utd for the years since Sir Alex Ferguson left is that each manager that was appointed had his own vision as to what the club needs to be. With that vision each manager made his own signings. When the said manager failed to achieve what was expected of him and was shown the door a new manager was installed within a few days and the same thing happened all over again. An exodus and a new influx of players took place and once again the whole vision and direction of the club had to be amended in line with the new manager’s vision.

In order to solve this problem once and for all, Man Utd needs to appoint a whole footballing board that oversees the club’s vision. It’s not a question of appointing an ex-player, but rather a question of appointing the best man for the job. This isn’t just a one-man job either: a whole team needs to be in place. This team will need to work hand in hand with Ole and his team in order to boost the team in the areas that needs boosting. Top players needs to be identified and signed, however this can’t be done blindly. A top player, no matter how good he is, must only be signed if this player fits the club’s mentality, vision and direction that the club is heading towards. We can’t just sign a player because he’s available and it’s not worth passing on the opportunity. W must sign a player only if we know that his mentality and aspirations are at par with that of our great club.

Should this be implemented, it will surely impact the club positively because if a manager had to leave or to be replaced, the next manager knows that the new signings are going to be done on the same wavelength thus there can be continuation.

This method has worked for many big teams and I trust that if we had to implement it at Manchester United, it will also flourish and do well.

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BUT, HONESTLY....!!!

by Fr. Anthony C. Ferrante

I

t is the famous bard, William Shakespeare who describes moral honesty as an attribute people leave behind. In act III, scene 5 of “All’s well that ends well” he had written that “no legacy is so rich as honesty”. Honesty is one of the facets of moral character which imports virtuous and positive attributes.

These include integrity, truthfulness and being straight forward. Honesty also involves being trustworthy, loyal, fair and sincere. Therefore it obviously results that such traits as lying, cheating and theft are not admitted. Honesty is one of the key components of character and it is one of the most admired traits that enrich any successful and responsible person. I firmly believe that success is not to be qualified in terms of bankrolls, sales or popularity! Success ought to be valued in terms of hard work, self awareness, character and, of course, honesty.

It is the extent to which we use our talents to make people happier and even, maybe, to improve the lives of our neighbour.

This includes sports. Sport is a universal language, which embraces people all over the Blue Planet. It is a means which may contribute in overcoming conflicts and therefore to unite people. The importance of honesty is one of the characteristics that should be applied to all the aspects of our daily living. In the case of taking part in any kind of sport it is required that it is not only enjoyable, but even more than that, truly productive. Dishonesty leads to problems and will affect an individual or a team, whatever the case, in a negative manner.

San Lorenzo is one of the well known football clubs in football mad Argentina. By now, football followers are cognizant that The Man in White, Time Magazine’s 2013 Man of the Year, nurtures a personal passion for this particular Argentine football team. He still keeps his associate membership card for the team. He loves sports and he has some things to say about sport.

He has given, to date, 10 addresses on various occasions. It was he, who publicly stated that the challenge facing sport was “maintaining

the honesty of sport, of protecting it from manipulations and commercial abuse.” It was utterly important to keep sports honest and protect all games from abuse. That was when he had called for a summit themed “Sports and Faith” in which he strongly appealed for honesty in sports. It should be relevant that the three-day conference had been hosted by the Pontifical Council for Culture with the support of the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee. Francis made it his personal quest to wipe out dishonesty and corruption in the sporting arena.

Keep sports honest, he stressed. “It would be sad for sport and for humanity if people were unable to trust in the truth of sporting results, or if cynicism and disenchantment were to drown out enthusiasm or joyful and disinterested participation.

In sport, as in life, competing for the result is important, but playing well and fairly is even more important!

When we see athletes giving their very best, sport fills us with enthusiasm, with a sense of marvel, and it makes us almost feel proud.” Pope Francis addressed his statements not only to the players; he included managers, coaches, and supporters. He was including all those people who, with commitment and dedication, make it possible to “give the best of oneself”. And to think of it; all this came from the mouth of him who, not very good at kicking

the ball when he was young, was appropriately called a “patadura”.

All this deserves some deep thinking and reflection. Good springboards are some of OGS’s recent statements.

“I love it (my task). I look forward to getting up in the morning to start work again. I love working with people, trying to improve people.

When you’re here, you just want to go to bed at night and get up in the morning again.”

“It’s up to them (the players) to use their imagination and creativity and just enjoy playing for this club because that’s the best time of your life. If you’re a regular at Man United, you should grasp the opportunity to stay here and become part of this history.”

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Manchester United; can it get any worse?

by Julian Tabone Let us be honest. It has been a season to forget and the less said about it, the better.

Looking back at 2018-19 t is hard to recall an all-round good performance. Apart from the match away to Paris Saint-Germain and a little spell in January, this has been a poor season.

The inconsistency showed has been painful to watch - decent for 15 minutes, average for 10, appalling for 15 minutes and it goes on and on.

This year’s Manchester derby was the culmination of disappointment. Deep down, most of us were happy with the result and the worse thing about it was that most of us, deep down weren’t expecting anything better.

We could point our fingers at various contributing factors for this fracas. Some say it is the lack of footballing direction; others point to the modern-day footballer lifestyle.

As many ex-players or people who love the club have stated in the past few weeks, it is clearly not about talent any more. It is more about attitude and application. We need a bunch of players that have got that in abundance. We need players that are proud of wearing the Manchester United shirt.

The writing has been on the wall for quite some time, to be honest.

It was evident that in recent years Manchester United had become more like a brand rather than a football club. It was more of a marketing machine rather than what the fans were used to see.

and totally disillusioned about their supposed dominance. Talented players were still there but the confidence was not. At the same time, other teams started to emerge and Liverpool’s decline gathered pace.

United find themselves exactly in that same situation.

We think we can still turn around games. We think we can still score last-minute winners.

We still think we can just turn up and win games easily – especially at Old Trafford.

Not any more.

The disappointment of 2018/19 should be regarded as a blessing – as an opportunity to have a good look in the mirror and to change direction.

To rebuild.

From scratch.

It will take time. But there needs to be a signal.

In 2015/16, Liverpool finished in 8th place in what was Jurgen Klopp’s first season. Look at them now. Love them or hate them, they have assembled a squad that is arguably inferior in talent but far more superior in commitment and togetherness.

That is the way forward.

Forget big-name signings.

This Manchester United side badly needs some kind of leadership, true commitment and discipline to bring back the much-needed stability and confidence that can see us slowly regain our status.

All that, has got to change.

The comparison with Liverpool unfortunately, is inevitable, but it is needed.

This Manchester United side reminds me so much in fact of those Liverpool sides in the mid-90s – desperate to reclaim the league

To achieve that, we need to think and look long-term, and not just at prima donnas.

their team-mates and to lead on the pitch. Will they be around long enough to build a new team around them? Assuming those three all stay, another leader at centre back is a must.

Someone who can bring back the calmness and the tranquillity that can help shore up the defence and that can build attacks from the back.

Commitment: On this year’s showing only the likes of Luke Shaw and Scott McTominay were the ones that arguably showed most commitment throughout the whole season.

Clearly, a lot of players need to step it up or else they might as well pack their bags. Same thing applies to any new recruit. It must be made sure that any new acquisition isn’t merely attracted to the club by the salary but by his desire to join.

Discipline: This is tricky. Modern day players are hard to discipline – that has been well documented. What happened this season is a clear testament. But it should not be that way.

The manager needs to be given the backing and the power to take decisions without the fear of any player revolt.

Quite clearly, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has got a big task in his hands, much bigger perhaps than the one he had when he took the job back in December.

He needs to bring in 3 or 4 four players and he needs to get that right. We do not afford any more expensive flops.

He needs to get rid of the dead wood which has accumulated.

He needs to blood in a few promising youngsters and offer them protection.

Ultimately, it all boils down to confidence.

And he needs to get the best out of the ones that are going to stay.

Leadership: Players such as De Gea, Pogba and Rashford have all got the ability to inspire

If he is not successful in doing all that, it will in all probability get worse before it can get better.

VOL 46 - ISSUE 4 - JUNE 2019

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Situated on the Sliema seafront, L’Aroma restaurant is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Malta’s shopping centre.

L’Aroma prides itself in the preparation of traditional Mediterranean cuisine using recipes passed down through the generations. The menu comprises a selection of

mouth-watering fresh fish, fine meat cuts and pasta dishes all at a great value for money. One of the house specialities, the traditional rabbit dish, is regarded by many locals as the best in town.

Whether for a relaxed dinner or a lazy lunch L’Aroma is a great spot to sit down, unwind and watch the world go by.

L’Aroma, 17 Għar il-Lembi Street Sliema t. 2131 7633 e. laroma.restaurant@maltanet.net

Everest A

nother season has gone by, which for a number of fans and football experts the season for the club was dismal, with a few positives to build on. The start to the current manager’s tenure was brilliant, but once he signed on permanently the early season problems returned. Which brought me to think as to whether the player played well to get in to the champions league under the assumption that Pochettino would be installed at season end…. Once OGS signed on, the players got back to their old form. I find it hard to grasp as to how these players managed to lose twice against Wolves in 3 weeks, being outplayed.

This lot of players have a lot of growing up to do, and if they aren’t good enough shipped out, rather than promoting certain players just for the sake of saying the club is still producing world class players from its academy. In my opinion the club is miles off, Liverpool are producing, developing, and enhancing any players that get into its first team squad. Which is sad to say, that club is a benchmark for a number of clubs whereby they have strategically purchased players to compliment its current squad, United on the other hand, have purchased players and turned the signings into a media circus. Examples with Pogba, Lukaku and Sanchez. The funny aspect to this is that some enjoy these things and other fans will resort to saying this is not what Fergie would have wanted. The Fergie era is over and has been for six years, Moyes dismantled a perfect working backroom staff which the club has reappointed Phelan, who I believe was a very good right hand man.

One day the board will notice that unless performances on the pitch improve, fans and plastic fans will being to side with other clubs that are successful which in turn will effect the clubs brand and overall revenue and bottom which the Glazers are very interested in. One cannot say the club hasn’t invested in players,

it has just they were the wrong ones. Either they weren’t good enough or either they do not fit into the teams.

This manager has a major task in front of him, which I admire for the courage on taking on such a job due to shambles the playing side is.

When Zaha was sold, I was a bit surprised due to the fact for Crystal Palace he put into good shifts and wasn’t given a proper chance at united, when we were begging for a winger to take players on, then Mata was signed and played on the right side of midfield and he hasn’t got the legs to get up and down the pitch, however his vision and technical ability is second to none. I think are a lot of players need to be brought in for key positions, and a number of players shifted out. Players that are focused on playing and not moonwalking, or focused on selling their brand and not caring bout what happens on the pitch. It is quite funny trying to compared what players the club had to what it has now, and example was that from Beckham, the club got Ronaldo, to Valencia, to Lingard. Can it get worse? From Van Nistelrooy, to Rooney, to Van Persie, to Lukaku and he was bought for a bucket load of money, these players are not bad players but not world class as in game changers. They will have games whereby they will shine, how the club right now needs players that cannot have an off game, or if one does the other 10 bail, it seems now 10 have an off day and 1 performs.

This is not about being negative, but rarely do I get a feeling if the team concedes a goal, that we will come back fighting. I also thing the Pogba saga does not help and if he put the rumours to bed there is a backbone to build a team around, unfortunately there are a lot of question marks starting from De Gea towards the front line. Are there any players in the market that may enhance the team. There are, but are they willing to play for this club?

by Daniel Cuschieri

The club does not lack in history neither paying top dollar for the man they want. When on takes a leaf out of Liverpool, City’s and also Spurs’ book one will notice they add pieces to the jigsaw, United need to rebuild from ground zero and getting back to the top of the mountain is going to be hard very hard. This situation is similar to the scenario that Milan are going through. I would have bet ( if I was a betting person ) my last penny that Mourinho would have won a number of trophies and stated at the club for many years as the club has the tools to make great teams but sadly it was not to be.

I am eager to see a number of fresh signing, signing and youth brought in that will compliment the team and not marketing ploys, but once that they are successful, market them.

Some may not enjoy the tone of this article however, this article I am sure covers a lot of issues the club has and that many like me talk about.

This is going to a busy summer for Ed Woodward, whereby the pressure at the end of the year was already in place, purchased have to be carried out and players that are deemed surplus must be shipped out to release wages and transfer funds. I think losing De Gea is not a good sign for the future as he is a world class keeper, I think he loves the club and is fighting to get what he believes he is worth, which I totally agree with when you look at what other players are on.

Every mountain has its natural challenged to be conquered and that team that conquers it will compliment each other and will put themselves on the line to ensure that their goal is achieved, hopefully next year the players attitude will have changed and the club will hit the grow running with fresh faces, talent and hunger to fight with the big boys for the big prizes rather than the league cup.

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THE AUDITION W

hen Manchester United announced the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as caretaker manager until the end of the season, a few days after parting ways with José Mourinho, many an eyebrow were raised, primarily because his name was not among those being mentioned as possible candidates in those speculative December days. It was as leftfield a decision as you could imagine. Many commentators, or at least those outside the perimeters of Greater Manchester, doubted his credentials especially after his one and only previous stint at managing a club in England ended unceremoniously with Cardiff’s relegation from the Premier League and his eventual sacking a few months later. But the powers that be at United felt emboldened enough to take the plunge and basically offered him an audition that could last as long as six months.

From the first match of his reign in charge, ironically away to Cardiff, all those initial doubts were spectacularly blown away with a thumping 5-1 win. As expected many pundits chose to reserve their judgement, citing possible beginner’s luck and saying, ‘It was only Cardiff’. Fair enough. Then Huddersfield, Bournemouth, Newcastle and Reading were dispatched with considerable ease, goals flowing in the process. Still, the naysayers had their doubts. ‘It’s only this team or that team.

Let’s wait until the big teams arrive’. A win at Wembley against Tottenham was followed by a superb win at the Emirates against Arsenal and finally the doubts were banished. Maybe Solskjaer is the real deal after all, the football world started saying. Even a potential sudden end to the honeymoon was averted in the next match when Burnley were on course to spring a surprise result at Old Trafford, leading 2-0 as late as the 81st minute. Cue a dose of Fergie time inspiration and a 2-2 draw was salvaged in stoppage time. Further impressive wins at Leicester and Fulham followed and it seemed that Ole could do no wrong. By now ‘Ollie’s at the wheel’ was being serenaded with vigour by the United fans who were on cloud nine.

Then came the sternest test so far, PSG in the Champions League round of 16. A bad day at the office all round, compounded by the early departures through injury of Lingard and Martial saw United lose 0-2 with progress in Europe hanging by a thread. Would this be the day the wheels came off? Not on your life as Chelsea were outclassed at Stamford Bridge to continue our progress in the FA Cup, followed by a creditable draw at home to high flying Liverpool where their supposed magical trident hardly had a shot on target. Crystal Palace were the next team to suffer, clinically dispatched on their own patch. Another late, come-from-behind victory at home against

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Southampton ensued, and all this in the middle of a mounting injury crisis that saw United off to Paris for the second leg against PSG with four players from the under-18s included in the travelling squad. Surely this would prove to be a match too far, everybody thought. Not Solskjaer though, who was telling anyone who would listen that mountains are there to be climbed.

What happened on that magical night in Paris is the stuff of dreams as a 3-1 win was clinched with a nerve wrecking 94th minute penalty.

At this juncture, things seemed perfect for Solskjaer and United. Incredibly back in the top four positions, a scenario that was but a forlorn hope in mid-December, into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Unfortunately, then came two disappointing results which set everybody back and which could threaten our team’s ambitions for this season. An undeserved 2-0 defeat at Arsenal saw us out of the top four once again and this was followed by arguably the worst performance of Ole’s reign so far, a 2-1 loss at Wolves and FA Cup elimination to boot.

During the March international break there were many rumours going about that United had made their decision to hire Solskjaer full time, impressed as they were with how he had managed to turn the team’s fortunes in such a short period of time and sure enough, on the morning of Thursday 28th March 2019, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed full time manager of Manchester United on a threeyear contract.

One seemingly crucial factor in the decision to appoint Solskjaer as Manchester United manager permanently must surely have been the influence of one Sir Alex Ferguson, the man Ole refers to as ‘the boss’. The mutual admiration between the two is obvious, almost father-and-son like. Solskjaer himself has gone on record to say that he used to take mental notes of how Sir Alex used to manage during his reign and to this day regularly sounds out the great man for advice. It did seem to be that in Sir Alex, Solskjaer had the ultimate sponsor.

Solskjaer oozes a feel-good factor and his manmanagement s ki ll s a r e terrific. The players love him, the fans

by Silvio Scicluna

love him and the club staff do so too. He has not only allowed the players to express themselves and be free to play open attacking football, he has also shown himself to be tactically savvy too. However, he has repeatedly stated that it is a team effort, greatly highlighting the talents of his coaching staff. The appointment of club legend Mike Phelan as his assistant was another masterstroke and both he and Solskjaer have dovetailed perfectly with coaches Michael Carrick, Kieran McKenna and Emilio Alvarez. When Ole won the manager of the month award he made it a point to pose with the gong together with his assistants.

But, for all the progress made and the promise shown, United do have the toughest run-in on paper of all four teams battling for third and fourth place, faced and lost against the mighty Barcelona next in the Champions League and therefore could well end the season trophy less, out of the top four and with the prospect of Europa League football next season. Before the announcement of the full-time appointment was eventually made, many were of the idea that if that scenario transpired in May it would potentially work against Ole. It could have made Ed Woodward panic and go for a more high-profile manager.

As it turned out, Manchester United were happy enough not to wait until the end of the season to make up their minds. An audition that could have taken as long as six months lasted a little more than three and was one that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer passed with flying colours.

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Ole needs the 3H approach to survive

by Robert Mizzi

T

he 2018/2019 season if finally over! Many of us United faithful are obviously not happy about the way the season unfolded.

While the sacking of Mourinho was more or less inevitable as it was evident from the very beginning of the season that José was not really motivated to take our team forward following the disappointing summer activity, or lack of it, on the transfer market. What happened next was pretty much unexpected for a lot of reasons. Few, if any, supporters thought of Ole as a possible interim manager following José Mourinho’s sacking in December. Even fewer could have imagined Ole doing so well as interim manager and his subsequent appointment as full time manager of Manchester United. Practically none one of us predicted the complete debacle as soon as he was appointed full time manager.

That Ole would not be able to maintain his excellent start was somewhat predictable, but a complete loss of form and a catalogue of shambolic performances was simply unforeseen as we thought that our beloved club was on the mend.

to players – we are rotten at the core and the cleansing needs to start there!

Let me quote some stats here to put things into perspective.

Hunger - Supporters need to see a United team hungry for success. We need to see opposing teams beaten comprehensively when they let their guard down and stop scoring one goal and then sitting back. The fact that a relegated team of players were hungrier for a win than our players on the final day of the season was simply pathetic. The United players must have fire in their bellies – similar to what a young Wayne Rooney and many others had when arriving at Old Trafford in the past. The will to win and to push for the win till the final whistle has been sadly missing in recent years. This is also due to a lack of a genuine leader on the pitch. There is no one who is barking orders all the time and keeping players alert and focused on their job. We need to start seeing players who are hungry to take United to the top again, giving 100% every single game not whenever they feel like it.

Ole’s record as interim manager: Played 19 Won 14 Drawn 2 Lost 3 Win rate 73.3% Ole’s record since he has been appointed manager: Played 10 Won 2 Drawn 2 Lost 6 Win rate 20% As much as I have to concede that football is unpredictable, such a drastic loss of form coinciding with his appointment simply does not make sense. In my opinion, the players simply switched off as soon as he was appointed. Why this happened is the cause of many sleepless nights I have endured since the 28 March 2019! We may agree or disagree on how good this squad is, but at the end of the day, the current players are a group of very well paid professionals playing for Manchester United not at Pace Grasso where I used to turn up many moons ago! And yet, in some matches, I could actually see players walking on the pitch...unbelievable! This is why so many United fans are furious and as Roy Keane said during one of his appearances as TV pundit, the same players who threw José Mourinho under the bus are doing it again to Ole. Seeing Ole with tears in his eyes after the humiliating Everton was a scene that should make every genuine Man Utd supporter feel betrayed.

Personally, I do believe that this is all due to the blatant mismanagement at the club and some of the players thinking they are bigger than the club. The fact that Ed Woodward and the board have not only messed up every transfer window so far but also allowed players to undermine their respective manager on more than one occasion only implies one thing – heads need to roll or else we’ll keep going backwards. And this does not only apply

In my opinion Ole needs to apply what I have termed the 3H approach to give himself any chance of surviving next season. Let me explain what the three H’s represent.

Honour - Most of the current squad do not seem to understand what it means to wear the United shirt. Ole needs to be ruthless and get rid of anyone who seems to think that he is bigger than the club. We need a group of young players who genuinely feel honoured to play for United. The new players need to fit with the DNA of the club and show a never-saydie attitude and run their socks off every time they go on the pitch. Losing after giving your all is acceptable but not turning up is simply unacceptable – anyone showing this attitude should be benched for the rest of the season.

We need to restore the ethos of Manchester United and everyone from the first team to the youths and academies should feel honoured to be representing Manchester United.

Humbleness - It is high time that we realise that we are not one of the top teams in the English Premier League anymore. Only by being humble and accepting that we need to work hard week-in week-out, both on the training pitch and during matches, we can return to competing at the top again. Apart from a certain element of apathy shown by some players during matches, there were matches where you could see that players were genuinely trying to put more effort but they were physically shattered. Statistics have proved that we were one of the least physical sides in the English Premier League this season when it comes to running and sprints. These needs to change and all our players need to put the extra shift in during training. You can only do that when you are humble enough to admit that you need to do better and stop fooling around and taking selfies on the training ground. Cut that crap!

The club also needs to be more humble in its approach to presenting Manchester United to the world as well. I am personally annoyed these days when I go to OT and hear the speaker announce a “welcome to the world’s greatest football club”. We are not! Maybe we were, but not anymore - not by any stretch of the imagination. The aura of superiority needs to go away from the top down. Let us admit that we are now just another football club and we have to earn our right to be called the best and not rest of the success of previous generations.

To conclude - There are many football critics who believe that Ole’s appointment was an attempt to temporarily please the fan base rather than a focus on what’s best for the club moving forward. This could very well end up being the case but the reality is that we have had two proven managers with the right CV and they have both failed. Given the circumstances I believe that Ole has earned his chance to have a go at fixing Manchester United. If the dismal end to this season has served any purpose at all, it is that it has shown the true colour of some players. As I have said earlier, unless Ole is ruthless and gets rid of the viruses that are lurking around (many are now saying that Mou was right after all) and is backed to do so by the top management, he is bound to fail.

Manchester United simply cannot afford to keep moving backwards. Financial success should not be the only priority and people who claim or act as if this is a priority should be made to leave our beloved club. Our main focus during the next couple of seasons should be at getting our house in order. We need the right management approach at the club, a Director of Football, a revitalised scouting system and stop offering ridiculous contracts to players. If we do not attract the big names so be it. Personally, I would do away with all individual bonuses and put in place a very simple clause that applies to all players across the board. You only get 100% of the salary if you achieve the objectives agreed upon at the beginning of the season. Maybe I am dreaming and I am definitely old school, but if you ask me, all these individual clauses regarding assists, goals scored and attached bonuses are only a recipe for disaster.

Whatever happens I will always support my team, but I want to start looking forward to when United are playing and not sit on my couch and witness mediocrity. Ole’s team as interim manager gave us a glimmer of hope as we saw some spirited displays in between his appointment as interim manager in December last year but for reasons I cannot really fathom, it all went downhill as soon as he was appointed full time. Find the antidote to that virus Ole...and do it quickly!

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Mata & Herrera

by Michael Calleja Urry

T

he Spanish midfield duo have been shining examples of what it takes to represent Manchester United at senior level. On and off the pitch, they’ve given 110% and while they haven’t always held down regular starting positions year in year out, the pair have amassed roughly 400 games between them since joining in 2014.

Herrera, in particular, was a big part of the club’s resurgence after Ole took the reins in December. He embodied the high-pressing and intense approach we used during our hot streak in which United won 14 games out of 18, losing 2 and drawing 2. Unfortunately, a hip injury took him out of the side in February, and a few games after, United began to falter.

Mata, on the other hand, has not been a main feature in our team for some time, and was also injured in the same game against Liverpool that side-lined Herrera. Sure, he has reached the unique milestone of having bagged 50 goals and 50 assists in the Premier League, an achievement not many can replicate, but his lack of pace and power work against him.

It’s hard to criticize a player whose reputation precedes him: he is a truly a unique figure in the world of football, a classy player and a perfect example of how a professional athlete should conduct himself.

As they approach the latter years of their careers in top flight football and United edge towards a drastic squad overhaul, many question marks sit over their heads. Five years down the line from signing them, are they still good enough to be in United’s starting eleven?

In short, despite my admiration and respect for Mata, I think he should be let go, but Herrera has proven that he can be a useful member of the squad. Every team could use a dynamic, bullish midfielder who can also pick a pass and

score a goal or two on occasion, however, he’s never been world class, therefore doesn’t merit an automatic starting position. Squad rotation plays a huge role in winning trophies these days, with United competing in 4 competitions every year. Herrera could be a critical member of an improved United team which requires at least 3 or 4 more additions in defence and midfield, but he’s not exactly going to be the first name on the team sheet.

deals are being pushed to the side. Manchester United should bow down to the demands of no player, no matter how talented. If anything can be learned from the Sanchez saga, one of the biggest flops in Premier League transfer history, it’s that no single player should be placed on a pedestal so high that he affects others around him. The ripple effect his transfer has had throughout the club has affected life both on and off the pitch negatively.

When it comes to the gentleman of football, Juan Mata, it’s fair to say he’s past his prime.

Sure, he understands the club inside out but he’s not the answer to our attacking troubles.

He’s now 30 years old and will undoubtedly look to finish his career back in Spain or perhaps a mid-table club in England. If we’re looking to take things to the next level, we must let him go, along with a host of others. As of late, United have made a bad habit of sticking with players who no longer can compete at the highest level of European football. Strangely enough, we’ve awarded many of them with revised contracts.

Herrera has been strongly linked to Paris Saint Germain who would be more than capable of meeting his wage demands. To reiterate, I believe he could be a useful member of the squad, but he should not be allowed to hold the club up for ransom because of amateur business deals done with other players. Putting ourselves in their shoes, it’s understandable that both players and their agents would request more money given the current wage situation, but we need to draw the line somewhere. The ideal situation would see us getting rid of players like Jones, Sanchez and Young who consistently hold the club back, while rewarding players like Herrera with new deals – but unfortunately, the situation has spiralled out of control, to the point where it’s not worth keeping Herrera if he’s asking for too much money. Hopefully the club can save face in the upcoming transfer window by sticking to their morals and getting rid of the deadweight that is making our beloved team average at best at times.

At the time of writing, both Mata and Herrera are locked in a heated dispute over contractual terms with the club, leaving their futures uncertain. If word around United is true, the arrival of Alexis Sanchez upset the apple cart more than anyone could have ever predicted, and his astronomical wages have resulted in players like De Gea, Herrera and Mata asking for more money – an issue which hasn’t gone down well with some board members. It would be a shame to see two stalwarts depart in such a fashion, but if that’s what it takes to help establish some form of wage structure throughout the club, then so be it.

What really irks the fans is the rumour that the board is keeping the deadweight members of the squad because they’re not asking for more money, while those seeking improved

The Spanish duo arrived together in 2014 and they may very well be leaving together in 2019. Similarly to Antonio Valencia, who just bid the club goodbye, they have earned the respect from Manchester United faithful and the footballing world all over. While Herrera may still have a couple of years left in him at this level if he’s used correctly, it would be wise for Mata to quit while he’s ahead.

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David Beckham

by Kenneth Abela

‘A goal you will see over and over again. Take a bow David Beckham’. We all remember how David Beckham introduced himself through that half way line goal against Wimbledon and rocketed himself towards superstardom.

Beckham’s goal came on the opening day of the season, in a match that was already over. It was the 17th August 1996. The impact stemmed almost entirely from the audacity and originality of the goal. Even Pelé hadn’t been able to do it. “I couldn’t have known it then, but that moment was the start of it all: the attention, the press coverage, the fame,” he wrote in his autobiography, My Side. “When my foot struck that ball, it kicked open the door to the rest of my life.”

David is the son of hairdressor Sandra and kitchen fitter Ted Beckham who married in 1969. They were fanatical Manchester United supporters who frequently travelled to Old Trafford from London to attend the team’s home matches. In fact, few know that David was a Manchester United mascot for a match against West Ham United in 1986.

David signed for Manchester United as a trainee on the 8 July 1991. In May 1992 he was part of the Class of ’92, a group of young players, including Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes, who were coached by the late Eric Harrison, and helped

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the club win the FA Youth Cup. The following are some highlights from his career to date.

Season 1999 – 2000 - Relationship with Fergie By the early 2000s, the relationship between Alex Ferguson and Beckham had begun to deteriorate, possibly as a result of Beckham’s fame and commitments away from football.

In 2000, Beckham was given permission to miss training to look after his son Brooklyn, who had gastroenteritis, but Ferguson later fined Beckham the maximum amount that was permitted and dropped him for a crucial match against United’s rivals Leeds United. This came after his wife Victoria was photographed at a fashion event, Sir Alex assuming that Mrs Beckham could have looked after Brooklyn.

Sir Alex also later criticised Beckham for this in his autobiography, claiming he had not been “fair to his teammates’’. Beckham still had a good season for his club, though, and helped United to win the Premier League by a record margin.

Season 2002 – 2003 - That plaster over the eye In the 2002–03 season Beckham was injured and struggled to regain his place on the Manchester United team, with Ole Gunnar Solskjær having replaced him on the right side of midfield. On the 15th February 2003, we had the infamous incident where following an FA

Cup defeat to Arsenal, a furious Alex Ferguson threw or kicked a boot that struck Beckham over the eye, causing a cut that required stitches. Beckham made the injury quite clear by plastering the cut. League results however improved greatly from December onwards and United won the league, with Beckham managing a total of 11 goals in 52 games in all competitions.

Playing for England Beckham did not break into the England squad before Euro 1996.

In the FIFA World Cup 1998, in the second round (last 16) of that competition, he received a red card in England’s match against Argentina after striking Diego Simeone on the calf muscle while lying on the ground. Many supporters and journalists blamed him for England’s elimination and he became the target of criticism, abuse and even death threats. Simeone later admitted to trying to get Beckham sent off by over-reacting to the kick and then, along with other members of his team, urging the referee to send Beckham off. The match finished in a draw and England were eliminated in a penalty shootout.

He was still a first-choice player for England, however, and was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to football on 13 June 2003.

David Beckham has the four th-most captaincies (59) in the England national football team.

Becoming a Galactico In the summer of 2003, Manchester United and Barcelona announced that they reached a deal for Beckham’s transfer. However David became a Galactico, joining reigning Spanish champions Real Madrid for €37 million on a four-year contract.

T he cont r ac t made him the third Englishman to play for the club, after Laurie Cunningham and Steve McManaman. Real named Carlos Queiroz as their new head coach, meaning that Beckham was reunited with a familiar face upon arriving to Madrid, since Queiroz had spent the previous season as Alex Ferguson’s assistant at Manchester United.

Moving on to LA Galaxy Beckham won back-to-back championships in 2011 and 2012 during his six years and 98 appearances with the Galaxy.

David Beckham has his own statue outside the stadium, a first for an MLS player, and honours the former England captain who was the first big European name to join the league, boosting its popularity and paving the way for other global stars to make the leap. The statue unveiling came a day after Beckham helped open a soccer field for underprivileged youth in downtown Los Angeles.

Playing for PSG - Retirement In May 2013, the former England captain, then aged 38, called it a day after winning the French league title with Paris St Germain.

Beckham said: “I’m thankful to PSG for giving me the oppor tunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level.”

He added: “If you had told me as a young boy I would have played for and won trophies with my boyhood club Manchester United, proudly captained and played for my country over one hundred times and lined up for some of the biggest clubs in the world, I would have told you it was a fantasy. I’m fortunate to have realized those dreams.”

A stake in Salford City David Beckham has now become a shareholder in Salford City, taking a 10% stake and so joining Gary and Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes as Class of 92 owners. The Class of 92 bought the club in 2014 with Salford in the Northern Premier League Division One North. The club became full-time in 2017 and play in the National League following three promotions. They are on the way to top spot, with the Division’s winners earning automatic promotion to League Two. Being married to Posh Spice David and Victoria celebrate two decades of marriage at the beginning of July. They have four children: sons Brooklyn Joseph, Romeo

James, Cruz David and daughter Harper Seven. Elton John is godfather to Brooklyn and Romeo Beckham. Their godmother is Elizabeth Hurley. Beckham’s three sons have all played football in the Arsenal Academy.

Inter Miami As part of his deal to sign for LA Galaxy back in 2007, Beckham negotiated an option to own an MLS franchise for a discounted fee of $25million once his playing days finished.

The wheels were finally set in motion in 2013 when he confirmed he would set up shop in Florida, under the rather unwieldy working title of ‘Miami Beckham United.’ However, the name of Inter Miami was later settled upon - with the club in its current guise officially founded on January 28, 2018.

Inter Miami will join the MLS as an expansion team for the 2020 season, with Beckham front and centre as one of the owners and the public face of the team.

To conclude Beckham appeared 115 times for England and 394 times for Manchester United, winning six Premier League titles and the Champions League. Including PSG’s title win, Beckham has won 19 trophies - 10 of them league titles - in a playing career spanning 20 years and is the only English player to win championships in four countries.

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MixedMANCUNIANPlatter

by Karm Galea

be more intimidating to opponents than the cute sounding The Busby Babes.

United then incorporated the name in its scarves and programmes, and later, a cheeky looking devil with a pitchfork tail made its way to the crest alongside the ship. United also modeled their mascot on the same lines. And so the nickname stood and is now part of the United lore.

This is not exactly Manchester United but it’s definitely related Why is the land which hosts our beloved club called Manchester? The story goes that when the Roman army invaded England they built a large fort in circa AD 79 in Castlefield, called Mancunium. This was built to help defeat a Celtic tribe, the Brigantes, which were a great force in the North at the time.

A superb record Manchester United extended their record as the only club having players representing their country in every England football tournament squad since the 1950 World Cup. The inclusion of Jones, Young, Lingard and Rashford in the 2018 World Cup squad made this possible.

According to the Oxford University Press, the word Mamucium (this is no misspelling of Mancunium) meant a breast-shaped hill.

Another theory suggests that it comes from the Latinisation of the Celtic name mamma which may refer to a local river goddess, possibly the river Irwell.

How United came to be called ‘The Red Devils’ United’s previous nicknames were The Heathens and The Busby Babes but the latest nickname of The Red Devils proved to be the most popular. How did this come about?

During the time of Sir Matt’s era, when his academy players were consistent title challengers, the British media bestowed upon them the nickname of The Busby Babes. This nickname is probably remembered more so because of the lamented Munich air crash that took the lives of some of the most talented English youth at the time.

Meanwhile, the rugby club from Salford, Greater Manchester, was also in the media spotlight as they were repeating the same United feat but in a different sport, having won the Lancashire Cup and the Rugby Football League Championship. On their tour to France, which also crowned them as the first club to be invited to France, they won all six matches in spectacular fashion and their ruthless performances earned them the name of Les Diables Rouges from the French journalists.

As Sir Matt set about in rebuilding the team, he decided that the use of this nickname would

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Haters say all Premier League referees support United Though referees should be unbiased (in theory), most of them support and have a soft spot for some club. The thing is that United ABUs say that referees support Manchester United but according to Manchester City fans, referees are supporting Liverpool as they have been allowed to score some 13 offside goals at the time of writing this.

Premier League laws state that referees are not allowed to officiate games involving the teams they support nor are they allowed to cover their rivals’ games. But are they allowed to referee games of teams which they love to see lose?

Big question but no answer.

Here are which teams some well known Premier League referees support, but to digress slightly, let’s start with the ex-Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg, who has always been a controversial figure. To a Twitter Q & A he had responded that he supports Newcastle.

So here it goes: Martin Atkinson from Bradford supports Leeds. Michael Oliver from Ashington goes for Newcastle. Jon Moss from Sunderland is sweet on Newcastle. Andre Marriner from Birmingham supports Aston Villa. Anthony Taylor, born in Manchester, prefers Altrincham. Mike Dean, hailing from Wirral, loves the Tranmere Rovers badge.

Graig Pawson of Sheffield loves Sheffield United. Kevin Friend from Tottenham is a Leicester fan. Lee Mason is a Bolton man, born, bred and supporter.

How it became Manchester could perhaps be understood this way. Coming from the Old English caster which means Roman town or city, it later became known, in 1086, as Mameceastre.

The affluent borough of Trafford In April of 1974, the borough of Trafford was formed, making reference to Old Trafford, Trafford Park and the de Trafford family, and includes the areas of Old Trafford, Stratford, Urmston, Altrincham, Partington and Sale.

Old Trafford It seems that this has nothing to do with neither football or cricket. It is understood the Old actually refers to the Old Trafford Hall, in what is now White City Retail Park, where the De Trafford family lived from 1017.

This was until the mid 1600s when the family moved to a new hall in Trafford Park. In 1820, local scientist John Dalton decided to create a garden to encourage horticulture in the city.

As it was downwind of pollution from the city, it was seen to be a perfect place for a sports and recreation area in the city. Hence that is why there are two impressive sports grounds in that area.

That piece of chewing gum Photos and videos showing Ferguson perpetually chewing on his gum are legendary but now his supposed ‘final’ piece of gum chewed at Old Trafford has been sold at a mind-boggling £390 thousand on eBay, it has been claimed.

saved part of his first salary in England for the surprise. To us, an institution with so many financial problems and so little resources, the gift was enormous. Every bit of help we receive is wonderful.”

Dalot had signed for United for £19 million after only four games for Porto’s senior team.

The final game that concluded Ferguson’s tenure at Old Trafford (after winning a paltry few cups here and there to the chagrin of Liverpool and Man City fans) was the bizarre 5-5 draw against West Bromwich. One fan claimed to have picked up the gum Ferguson discarded at the Hawthorns at the end of the game.

The listing on the popular auction site had read: “Used chewing gum, RARE, recovered from the Hawthorns, clear perspex/wooden case. Unofficial merchandise rumoured to belong to Sir Alex. After 1,500 games of intense chewing as manager of Man Utd, here lies Fergie’s last piece of chewing gum. All proceeds go to the MU Foundation charity.”

While the gum piece might be a true relic or a hoax is a matter of conjecture, the proceeds raised are going to the Manchester United Foundation.

The Manchester United Foundation was formed to celebrate 50 years of the Club playing in Europe. It aims to use the passion for Manchester United to educate, motivate and inspire young people to build a better life for themselves and improve the communities they live in.

De Gea and Emilio Alvarez De Gea’s stupendous save in the home game against West Ham prompted me to search the net for information about our goalkeeper’s formative years.

Emilio Alvarez, the present goalkeeping coach, was brought to United by Mourinho. De Gea and Alvarez were together at Atletico Madrid when De Gea was 17 years of age. At that age, there were some top hats at Atletico who were not convinced about the potential of David but Alvarez, who was the goalkeeping coach there at that time vouched for him. His judgment proved to be correct as after two impressive seasons in the Atletico first team, De Gea, then 19, moved over to United to replace the ageing van der Sar in 2011.

The interest and pressure put on by Real Madrid on United even until last summer to acquire the services of De Gea could well have materialised in the goalkeeper moving over to Madrid had it not been for Alvarez’s insistence that he stays put.

Alvarez’s first involvement with De Gea was when the young goalkeeper was fourth-choice in the pecking order of goalkeepers. It was being mooted that De Gea was to be sent on loan but after the first training session, Alvarez said to Flores, the then-Atletico manager, that De Gea had to be kept and played. He was just 17, really skinny but had talent.

Diogo Dalot buys a bus Many football players buy themselves a car with their first pay packet but Dalot bought a bus. Dalot left Fintas Football School when he was nine to join FC Porto and Fintas did not receive compensation at the time.

Dalot felt he owed his youth side and Luis Travassos, coordinator of the institution for his upbringing. This is how he came about doing it and kept his doings under cover until the secret was unveiled.

Travassos was speaking about the matter to the Portuguese newspaper A Bola. “We were speaking to Diogo on Skype while he was on the Manchester United coach on his way to a match. He told us to go outside, where we found a bus for the club. It was certainly a shock to us. He had prepared everything secretly, and

When he moved over to the Premier League, the physicality of the League caused De Gea considerable difficulty. He was very shaky.

However, it was testament to De Gea’s resilience that he went on to become one of the best goalkeepers in the world with his working relationship with Alvarez which was resumed two and a half years ago. One has to bring to mind that the transition from the Spanish league to the Premier League was a difficult one. The Premier League has a different style of play from the Spanish league, with its fast transitions and apparently different refereeing criteria. Another factor is the climate which will affect a goalkeeper when he has little to do on a cold day and especially when he is soaked.

It affects their ability to concentrate which will show itself in the performance.

Vidic and Evra recall their horror first game for Manchester United The duo was brought to United in January of 2006. Their first game for United saw them being hauled off the pitch at half time.

They were preparing to play in the Premier League and were with Rene Meulensteen, who was coach of the Under-21 at that time.

Ferguson had told them to play with the Under-21 just to have a match and to feel their way around. So they said OK as they needed to get some form but weren’t that happy to be playing with the Under-21s.

After 45 minutes, Rene told them to go have a shower. They did not play well and Rene was really shocked.

Vidic had arrived from Spartak Moscow for £7million (David Gill went to Moscow on Christmas Day to get his signature) via winning the Serbian league with Red Star Belgrade and Evra came from Monaco for £5.5million after making 200 appearances in French football.

Paul Scholes had said that the dressing room was concerned by Vidic’s and Evra’s initial performances at the club but the duo would go on to start in United’s three Champion League finals in four seasons and become the club’s captain and vice-captain.

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RISING FROM THE WRECKAGE SEASON 1958‑59

by Iain McCartney Part 4

Matt Busby had resumed his part-time managerial duties with the Scot tish international side, as he “enjoyed a challenge”, but following a draw against Northern Ireland, coming on the back of an emphatic 3-0 victory over Wales in Cardiff, there were calls, not for his sacking, but for his appointment on a full time basis, in order to boost the credentials of Scotland as footballing power.

Busby was quick to extinguish any such hopes of the hugely nationalistic Scottish supporters, stressing that he was duty bound to put United first in his loyalties, bringing a huge sigh of relief to all United supporters who had feared that the manager would perhaps, following the events in Munich, enjoy a more relaxing and stress free managerial environment. “As the main parties concerned are happy with the present arrangements. That should end all speculation on any change in the set-up which would involve me leaving Old Trafford.”

Thankfully the Scotland job was not a time consuming one and unlike that of a present day international manager, did not entail travelling around the country watching numerous players who may or may not be worth including in the national side. If it had been, the voices of discontent that were slowly beginning to be heard around Old Trafford would have been considerably louder.

In all honesty, they certainly did have something to be vocal about, as by midNovember and the 6-3 defeat at Bolton, where it was perhaps a blessing in disguise for the travelling United support, that even with the floodlights on, fog made it nigh impossible in the second half to follow the ball or players, United had won only five of their eighteen League fixtures. If the League results of the previous campaign, since Munich, were taken into consideration, then the picture was considerably worse, with six victories out of thirty-two fixtures nothing short of relegation form.

One thing that those supporters who peered through the Burnden Park fog were indeed aware of was that the 6-3 defeat cast more gloom over Old Trafford than at any time in the past few years, from a playing perspective at least. Confidence was now approaching an all-time low, as the team found themselves fifteenth in the table with fifteen points from their eighteen games. Four away from bottom club Aston Villa and eight adrift of leaders Arsenal.

Suddenly though, instead of a mere flicker of light at the end of the tunnel, there was a full on glare of countless headlights.

For the visit of Luton Town to Old Trafford on November 22nd , Busby dropped Alex Dawson and handed Dennis Viollet, returning after injury, the number nine shirt, having previously deployed the Munich survivor at outside right. Joe Carolan, making his United debut, took over at left back in place of Ian Greaves, while Warren Bradley, who had recently signed professional forms and had made his League debut the previous Saturday, retained his place at outside-right.

Twenty-one year old Carolan was surprised at his inclusion, as he had been by-passed previously when Greaves was injured, but following impressive displays in the reserves, the former Home Farm and Irish schoolboy and youth international was considered worthy of his promotion The 2-1 defeat of Luton was considered by Eric Todd of the ‘Guardian’ as only a victory due to the sense that United had scored more goals than their visitors, but it was a victory that

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Joe Carolan

Matt Busby team had waited a considerable time for and one that would mark the turning point of this particular season.

Seven days later, United travelled to St Andrews to face Birmingham City, where a Bobby Charlton inspired performance gave United both points in a 4-0 win and suddenly they were on a roll. Leicester City also conceded four at Old Trafford, while the short trip up the A6 to Preston made it twelve goals in three games. Although having conceded three at Deepdale could still be considered as something of a worry.

Indeed, not only was it twelve goals in three games, it suddenly became twelve League games without defeat, taking United from twelfth with seventeen points, to second and level on points (thirty-eight) with Wolves, although they had played a game more. The only blip, was the shock 3-0 FA Cup defeat at the hands of Third Division Norwich City.

On the other hand, it may well have been a blessing in disguise, as it kept the focus on the First Division programme, allowing Matt Busby and Jimmy Murphy to work on re-establishing Manchester United as a force to be reckoned with.

There were, however, distractions along the way and it was only loyalty that kept the

Although Wood failed to gain an England re-call, he made 223 appearances for Huddersfield Town before spells with Bradford City and Barnsley which were followed by a successful world-wide coaching career.

Rather ironically, Tony Hawksworth also left the club shortly after Ray Wood, but had he stayed, the Munich survivor would still have struggled to obtain the first team football that he felt he was still more than capable of playing.

Ian Greaves United management pairing together, as once again overtures were made towards Jimmy Murphy, on this occasion from Aston Villa.

Who, having sacked Eric Houghton wanted Busby’s number two to take over the reins.

Italy, Juventus, Leyton Orient and Arsenal and now Villa, who would be next to try and tempt Murphy away?

Rebuilding was still very much a priority despite no further signings being made and as Busby, having seemingly settled on the side that had now struck that rich vein of form, he found himself with one or two players who were now discontent with Central League football.

Goalkeeper Ray Wood had failed to return to the first team following Munich and with Harry Gregg now well established as the number one choice, the £5,000 signing from Darlington in December 1949 decided that after finding himself left out of the Central League side, he would have to leave, as there were now five goalkeepers on the books – himself, Gregg, Gaskell, Clayton and Hawksworth, and only four teams. “I do not want to leave” he was quick to add, “but obviously someone will have to go.”

The beginning of December saw the former England ‘keeper courted by Third Division Southend United, with a fee of £3,500 agreed between the two clubs and Wood and his wife travelling to the south coast to look at houses.

Three were offered to the couple, but Betty Wood was far from impressed, with none of them up to her expectations and the proposed transfer was off.

News of the collapse of Woods move to Southend soon spread and three days later Bill Shankly, manager of Second Division Huddersfield Town stepped in and offered a more suitable and attractive option and a £3,500 deal was soon struck. “I think he can soon be challenging for an England cap” enthused the Scot, “but he won’t play until he is match-fit.”

Within a fortnight, two other players had disappeared off the Manchester United pay role with the transfers of Ernie Taylor and Stan Crowther, to Sunderland and Chelsea respectively. Selling the two post Munich heroes did not go down too well with some United supporters, as it was felt that both individuals, who had come into the side in the wake of the disaster and carried out such a monumental task, had been given something of a raw deal. Some also felt that Matt Busby had not exactly been enamoured by their style of play, particularly the more robust former Villa man. An orphan and someone who had endured a tough upbringing, his uncompromising style was perhaps taken by many in the wrong context.

Both individuals had been brought to Old Trafford by Jimmy Murphy to do a specific job, which they had carried out admirably in a difficult environment, but as season 1958-59 progressed, the parting of the ways became more of possibility, especially for Ernie Taylor.

Sadly, the diminutive inside forward could no longer be relied upon to deliver the goods at a level and pace required in the First Division, hence the foresight in the signing of Albert Quixall, but there was still little need for him to leave and he would have been ideal in something of a coaching capacity, playing mainly in the reserves, unless injury or loss of form to others dictated otherwise.

“I am happy at Old Trafford” Taylor declared, “and can see that Mr Busby had to buy Quixall, as he looks to the future. I’d play at right back in the reserves if he wanted.”

Sunderland, his home town club, had been in talks with United for a few weeks as regards to his availability and what would be required in way of a transfer fee and when a firm offer was eventually made, Busby left the final decision up to the player himself.

to adjust his game to a more defensive role, something he actually struggled to do and eventually lost his place to Wilf McGuinness.

He was also ignored by Matt Busby when Freddie Goodwin was going through a loss of form and had the United manager made the change, it could easily have made a difference to the team and results.

Crowther also came with some baggage, with talk of not seeing eye to eye with team-mates, to unprovoked fits of temper. One team mate of the time who, whilst not wanting to name names, said that Matt Busby, although having a team considered to be capable of rough play if the occasion arose, would often call individuals into his office if he felt that a particular player was provoking trouble and that those who showed such a tendency did not last long at Old Trafford.

The club, as they had done in the case of Taylor, had not made any attempts to sell the player, but when the approach by Chelsea materialised, with of course the promise of first team football, Crowther grasped the challenge, as he had done with United, with both hands. “This was too good a chance to turn down” said Crowther. “Back in the first team and with a top club. My wife comes from down south as well.”

Interestingly, United approached the Football League, seeking approval to pay the departing player £300 from the £10,000 transfer fee, as he had not asked for a transfer.

It was also a little ironic, that Crowther’s first outing in the blue of Chelsea was against his former team mates at Stamford Bridge, but he could do little to stop United from recording their fifth successive victory with a 3-2 win.

Determined to prove that he still had much to offer and that United had been somewhat hasty in getting rid of him, he showed little in the way of friendliness towards his former team mates as he charged around the pitch with a vengeance, catching Bobby Charlton with one crunching challenge which saw the United forward fail to re-appear for the second half.

Ernie Taylor

The pull of the heart strings were to prove too strong, the player’s father still lived there, coupled with his sights still focused on regular first team football and possibility of the assistant managers job once he retired and he returned to the north-east for £7,000 (only £1,000 less than United had paid for him), taking with him “a golden trail of memories”.

Stan Crowther on the other hand, was perhaps a little more unfortunate. As more of an attacking half back, he had been expected

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football. I’ve been at Old Trafford since I was a boy. The club have been very good to me of course.” This was despite having been told that he would have to vacate the club house – on February 6th, a year to the day of that fateful afternoon in Munich.

“I’d like to get some sort of businesss.”

Blanchflower continued, his right arm still in a sling, “At one time I thought about butchering.

But I don’t know anything about it. And it’s so easy to go wrong in business isn’t it.

“How do I spend my time? Just mooch around the house. I’m a baby-sitter you know. Then the dog takes me for walk. Sure I can walk a distance. It’s just that it takes time to get there.

Stan Crowther The end of a traumatic year for many also brought an end to Jackie Blanchflower’s association with Manchester United. Having announced his retirement from the game back in September, Blanchflower told the club that he no longer wanted to accept his weekly wage, something he was entitled to, until his contract was up at the end of the season.

This was despite his current inability to do a full time job.

“I used to kid myself that I’d be able to play again,” Blanchflower told ‘Empire News’ reporter Ron Evans, in his club house where the roar of the crowd can be heard from the back garden, “but it’s just impossible.

“What can I do? I don’t know. All I know is

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“Saturday’s, of course, I go to Old Trafford. I sit on the side with Johnny Berry. We kid on that they aren’t so good as the old boys.

“It’s the sitting around that’s the worst. The filling in time, wondering what to do.”

The other recovering Munich survivor, Johnny Berry also confirmed that he would never play football again towards the end of January. The former Birmingham City winger said that he had prolonged the final decision, as “what had really convinced me that I had had it, was a kick around I had with my children on the beach at Blackpool during the summer.

“We were playing with an ordinary rubber ball and the things I couldn’t do with it!

“Now I have to settle down and think of my future. I am wonderfully well really and I am very thankful for that. But whatever job I do

for a while will have to be a light one. I have to be careful not to get too tired.”

The retirement of both individuals had not been entirely unexpected, but Busby could cer tainly have done with both players, as he continued his re-building plans.

Blanchflower, equally at home as a half back and an inside forward, not to mention as a stand in goalkeeper, was the type of player that all managers coveted, while Berry, having taken over the mantle of the evergreen Jimmy Delaney, had made the outside right position his own.

Retirement was also something that Busby had been forced to consider, but the rumours that were being bounded about that he has set to relinquish his post at United were totally unfounded, but, after much consideration, he decided that his managerial role with the Scottish national side would have to come to an end.

“It is because the dual task is too heavy a strain at the moment” Busby reluctantly admitted after consultation with medical advisors. “I have informed the Scottish FA that I should like to be relieved of my duties as manager of the Scottish team on medical advice, but have also expressed my willingness to help in any way I can.

“I pointed out that when my health further improves I should be willing to reconsider the whole position if they still required my services.”

Thankfully for United, the call from the Scottish Football Association never came.

End of Season Round‑up of the Major European Leagues…

No surprises as Man City, Juve, Barca, Bayern Munich & PSG confirm their domestic dominance.

by Antoine Dalli

City collected 98 points against Liverpool’s 97. Such a wide margin amply demonstrates the huge gulf in terms of quality between the top-two teams and the rest of the English Premier League teams. Man City wrapped up their memorable season by completing their first ever domestic treble after beating Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea after a penalty shoot-out in the Carabao (League) Cup and mauling mid-table Watford to the tune of 6-0 in the FA Cup. This was the biggest margin of victory in an FA Cup final since 1903.

L

ast month, the five major European Leagues came to an end with practically no surprises.

Juventus, Barcelona and Paris SG were crowned champions of Italy, Spain and France respectively well before the end of the season.

On the other hand, the title races in England and Germany went to the wire as defending champions Man City outsmarted Champions League finalists Liverpool by a single point, while Bayern Munich recovered from a very bad start to the season and edged Borussia Dortmund on the very last day of the campaign.

In the English Premier League, Man City and Liverpool were in a class of their own as they produced one of the most fiercely contested title races in the history of the English Premier League. It brought to mind the Man UnitedArsenal epic two-horse title race that saw Sir Alex’s men eventually dethrone Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal at the end of season 1998/99 by a single point. Back then, the Red Devils amassed 79 points in 38 games compared to Arsenal’s 78 points. For the record, thirdplaced Chelsea finished just three points behind Arsenal.

This time around, Chelsea again finished third with 72 points but eventual champions Man

Perhaps Liverpool, who will cross swords with Man City early in August in next season’s curtain-raiser, the Community Shield, have themselves to blame for not ending their 29year title drought after dropping vital points in a 1-1 home draw with 2015/16 champions Leicester on 30 January, followed by a 1-1 away draw with West Ham five days later.

In Italy, Juventus claimed their eighth straight Scudetto. The Bianconeri were dominant from the word go and their supremacy was never in discussion. This triumph brought the curtains down on Massimiliano Allegri’s five-year reign in charge of Juve, leading the Bianconeri to five league titles, four straight Coppa Italia successes and two Italian Super Cup victories

apart from twice finishing Champions League runners-up in 2015 and 2017.

Practically, the title race in Italy was over before the start of the second round as runners-up Napoli trailed Juve by no fewer than nine points. In the second part of the season, Carlo Ancelotti’s side was even more inconsistent.

The southerners not only threw the towel in the title race but were knocked out by Arsenal in the Europa League quarter-finals and earlier in the campaign by Milan in the same stages of the Coppa Italia.

Before the Christmas recess, Napoli was also eliminated from the Euro-laden Champions League after finishing third behind Paris SG and Liverpool in Group C. All in all, it was a season to forget for Ancelotti and Napoli. For ex-Parma, Juve and Milan trainer Ancelotti, this was his first season back in the Serie A after coaching Chelsea (2009-11), Paris SG (2011-13), Real Madrid (2013-15) and Bayern Munich (2016-17).

Inter had a season of ups and downs but eventually finished in fourth place, level on points with Atalanta, who were the surprise package of the 2018/19 Serie A. The Bergamaschi not only finished third to claim one of Italy’s four Champions League slots for next season but knocked out Juventus from the Coppa Italia quarter-finals and went all the way up to reaching their fourth Coppa Italia final – their first since season 1995/96 (vs. Fiorentina 0-3 on aggregate).

Besides Lazio, who claimed their seventh Coppa Italia – their first since season 2012/13, Milan and Roma will be Italy’s other representatives in next season’s Europa League. At the wrong side of the table, Chievo, Frosinone and Empoli found their way out of the Serie A.

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Barcelona were by far the better team in the 2018/19 La Liga season. The Catalans not only made sure of their 26th title – their fourth in the last five seasons – but they did it in style!

Barcelona led the standings for most of the season after a colourless start and eventual runners-up Atletico Madrid and third-placed Real Madrid were never really in contention for the title.

In the Copa del Rey, fourth-placed Valencia caused one of the biggest upsets of the Spanish domestic season as they beat Barcelona 2-1 to claim their eighth Spanish cup – their first since season 2007/08 (vs. Getafe 3-1) at a time when they were coached by current Dutch national team coach Ronald Koeman.

In Germany, Bayern Munich came from behind to outsmar t long-time leaders Borussia Dortmund by only two points to lift their seventh straight Bundesliga title, overall their 29th. At the end of the season, veterans Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery made public their decision to leave the German giants after many years and many triumphs with Bayern Munich.

Suffice to say that the Dutch winger had scored a last gasp winner for Bayern Munich in the so far only all German Champions League final against Jürgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund at Wembley in May 2013. In the DFB Cup, Bayern Munich were heads and shoulders better than third-placed RasenBallsport Leipzig as they triumphed to the tune of 3-0 at the Olympiastadion to claim their 19th German cup – their first since season 2015/16. Bayer Leverkusen will be Germany’s fourth representatives in next season’s Champions League whereas Borussia Mönchengladbach, Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt will be Germany’s representatives in next season’s Europa League.

In France, big-spenders Paris SG claimed their eighth Ligue 1 title – their sixth in their last seven seasons. Only Monaco two years ago managed to interrupt Paris SG’s defiant dominance in France. Runners-up Lille offered little, if any, resistance to Thomas Tuchel’s side.

Lyon, who finished third, will be France’s other representatives in next season’s Champions League. Surprisingly, mid-table Strasbourg claimed the French League Cup at the expense of bottom-of-the-class Guingamp after a penalty shoot-out. Even more surprising was the fact that unfancied Rennes edged Paris SG 6-5 after a penalty shoot-out to lift this season’s French Cup. Strasbourg, Rennes and fourth-placed SaintEtienne will represent France in next season’s Europa League.

Former champions Monaco had a turbulent season and flirted with relegation for most of the campaign. Eventually, Monaco, who replaced Por tuguese mentor Leonardo Jardim in October with former club idol Thierry Henry before reinstating the former Spor ting Lisbon coach late in Januar y, finished 16 th , just three points clear off third-from-bottom Caen.

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