Man United fans react to Young's performance vs Watford

Manchester United fans were left shell-shocked by two beautiful Ashley Young goals that came inside of the first 25 minutes vs Watford, helping his team head into half-time with a comfortable lead.

The English full-back has been in stunning form for the Red Devils and looked fired up as he took on his former club.

Young’s top displays of late saw him recalled to the international senior team and the player does not look like he’ll be stopping anytime soon.

Previously a winger, Ashley’s took advantage of his experience further up the field, managing to score on the half volley and through an incredibly well placed free-kick.

United started slowly vs the London club but thanks to their veteran defender’s clinical finishing, found themselves 3-0 up at the break and fans were happy to give due praise.

https://twitter.com/SemperFiUtd/status/935606186975436800

Roberto Carlos has pictures of Ashley Young on his bedroom wall. Pass it on. http://pic.twitter.com/pR2zI2Zyk6

— Transfer Related (@TransferRelated) November 28, 2017

League Goals this season:

⚽️ Ashley Young – 2

⚽️ Cristiano Ronaldo – 2 http://pic.twitter.com/zvulyEF0zD

— SPORF (@Sporf) November 28, 2017

Ashley Young! GOAT! http://pic.twitter.com/AEjwOEuwor

— Maroof Syed (@SirMaroof) November 28, 2017

When you hear, Ashley Young scored 2 really good goals inside 25 minutes http://pic.twitter.com/pgEjRCxIyU

— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) November 28, 2017

How Young feels after scoring 2 goals in the space of 6 minutes http://pic.twitter.com/nqagbYfbfo

— Hassan (@MkhiOut) November 28, 2017

Young was once touted to leave Old Trafford but publicly stated his desire to stay and fight for his place.

Since that message the former Aston Villa man has showed the world that he’s not just all talk, quickly becoming Jose Mourinho’s most reliable left full-back.

Fans have grown to admire his crossing ability and work rate but Ashley has proven adept at defending as well since shifting positions.

The Englishman fought off competition from Marcos Rojo, Matteo Darmian, Daley Blind and Luke Shaw to become Mourinho’s first choice option in recent matches.

Although it’s a compliment and testament to Ashley Young, Jose must be worried that his best two full-backs are veteran former wingers of the club.

Conte claims Courtois could be the best goalkeeper in the world

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has hailed Thibaut Courtois as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

The Italian tactician spoke to the media ahead of his side’s clash against Swansea on Wednesday evening and, as quoted by West London Sport, lavished praise on Courtois.

Thibaut is one of the best goalkeepers in the world – maybe the best. I hope he finds an agreement with the club, but this is the club’s responsibility.

The Belgian international has been the subject of much controversy in recent times, with the a focus placed on his ongoing contractual situation.

Courtois and his representatives are yet to make any more progress in their discussions regarding a new deal at Stamford Bridge, raising fears that the goalkeeper could depart in the summer transfer window.

But I hope Thibaut and the club find an agreement. He’s a really important player for us.

The former Atletico Madrid man is sure to have plenty of potential suitors ahead of the summer and has already been linked with some of the world’s best teams, including Real Madrid.

Courtois remains focused on the task at hand with Chelsea, but there are sure to be fears over his long-term future at the club.

The post Conte: Courtois is one of the best in the world appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Watch: Jose Mourinho's hilarious reaction to Ashley Young's sumptuous free-kick against Watford

Jose Mourinho reacted in brilliant style to Ashley Young‘s stunning free-kick against Watford on Tuesday night.

Young put Manchester United in front against the run of play within the opening 20 minutes with a wonderful strike on the half-volley.

Minutes later, he insisted he take a free-kick from a central area ahead of star man Paul Pogba, and curled it into the top left corner for one of the best goals of the season.

Mourinho’s reaction said it all.

Mourinho’s reaction to Ashley Young’s free kick. Says it all http://pic.twitter.com/WtbcYdg8lQ

— United Peoples TV (@UnitedPeoplesTV) November 28, 2017

Real Madrid consider January move for David Luiz

Real Madrid are eyeing up a January move for Chelsea defender David Luiz after the Brazilian’s fall out with Antonio Conte, as per a report from Matt Law and Jason Burt of The Telegraph.

The defender originally fell out with Conte when he reacted poorly to being substituted against Roma at Stamford Bridge and things got worse when the Blues lost in Rome and there was a big falling out.

Since then, he’s trained alone, been left out of the squad for the home game against Manchester United and has been on the bench for the trips to West Brom and Liverpool.

Real Madrid are having a poor season by their high standards and Zinedine Zidane is looking to make some January reinforcements and Luiz is apparently one of the names on his shortlist.

Chelsea are unlikely to let the Brazilian leave unless they can find a replacement but if they can find an alternative to Luiz, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that he could leave to join the reigning European champions.

The post Real Madrid consider January move for David Luiz appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Predicted Chelsea XI - Swansea (H): Moses and Drinkwater to start as Conte makes several changes

Chelsea know that the title race is pretty much over for them unless Manchester City capitulate in the forthcoming weeks, and last weekend’s game with Liverpool presented a real opportunity to take points off a direct rival in the race for Champions League football.

Willian’s cross-come-shot beat Simon Mignolet late on to cancel out ex-Blue Mohamed Salah’s second-half opener as Chelsea shared the spoils with Liverpool, but both clubs lost ground on both City and their rivals Manchester United.

As the race for Champions League qualification continues to intensify and become increasingly harder to predict, Chelsea know they can’t afford many slip-ups.

Next up for the Blues is the visit of Swansea and former Blues coach Paul Clement. Antonio Conte’s side will be heavy favourites at home against the Swans who sit in the relegation zone. Here is our predicted XI.

The post Predicted Chelsea XI – Swansea (H) appeared first on Read Chelsea.

BREAKING: Arsenal Confirm Raul Sanllehi Will Join Club As New Head Of Football Relations

Arsenal have confirmed that Raul Sanllehi has joined the club from FC Barcelona as the new head of football relations (via Arsenal.com).

After weeks of speculation, Arsenal have finally confirmed that Raul Sanllehi will join the club as the new head of football relations.

We reported this morning that a deal was close to completion but the club has taken the move to announce it this afternoon.

Sanllehi has worked at FC Barcelona for the last 14 years and has operated as the club’s chief transfer negotiator for some of their biggest transfers in recent years.

He will join the Gunners in February and will “represent and support the club with international and domestic governing bodies.”

Arsenal chief executive, Ivan Gazidis is a long-term associate of the Spaniard and spoke about the addition of Sanllehi.

“Raul’s appointment is another important step in developing the infrastructure we need at the club to take everything we do to the next level.

“Raul has extensive contacts across the football world and has been directly involved in some of the biggest transfers in Europe in recent years. We look forward to him bringing that expertise to Arsenal.

“In the past three years we have supplemented our team with more top-class expertise across every aspect of our football operations.”

Raul Sanllehi could prove to be a crucial backroom addition for Arsenal. The Spaniard brings huge experience to an area in which Arsenal have struggled in recent years. Let’s hope it proves to be a smart signing.

Mesut Ozil to Manchester United looks likely, and it's a frightening prospect, Arsenal legend explains

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has admitted Mesut Ozil joining Manchester United looks likely and would be a frightening prospect.

The Gunners attacking midfielder has less than eight months left on his contract at the Emirates, and will be able to sign a deal with Man United, or any other club, in January.

However, there had been some suggestions the German could leave the club in the January transfer window for a small fee. Arsene Wenger has insisted neither Ozil nor Alexis Sanchez will be leaving his side in January, though.

“Mesut Ozil on a free to Manchester United on a free looks a shoo-in,” Wright said on the BBC.

“I’m sure Jose [Mourinho] would love to do that.”

“That would frighten me to death,” admitted Wright. “He is a great talent and having great players around him would lift him up as well.

“I’m sure him and his agent would not push it this far if they were going to sign [for Arsenal].”

Ozil doesn’t look like he’ll be staying at Arsenal beyond the end of this season. It’s not wrong to assume he would have signed a contract extension by now if that’s what he was looking to do at any point.

With Henrikh Mkhitaryan massively out of form and inconsistent ever since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund in 2016, United could benefit hugely from a player of Ozil’s quality.

He has his critics, there’s no doubt about that, but simultaneously he is a player that Mourinho trusts – the pair worked together well at Real Madrid before Ozil’s exit to Arsenal – and a player with the potential to be United’s main man behind Romelu Lukaku.

Nemanja Matic reveals he dreamt to play for Manchester United

Nemanja Matic has revealed he long dreamed of playing for Manchester United, having idolised the treble winning-side of 1999.

The Serbian signed for the club for nearly £40m from Premier League champions Chelsea in one of the surprise moves of the window, reuniting with his former-manager Jose Mourinho.

He’s now claimed that he’s living his dream, having grown up with Man United being one of the greatest sides in the world.

“To play for Manchester United has always been a dream of mine,” he said.

“I’m living my dream now, and of course I have a dream about winning the league with United.

“I still remember I watched the Champions League final in 1999 on the television. I know everything, or at least almost everything, about Manchester United.”

Matic is the second high-profile Serb in a United side, following in the footsteps of the man who shares his name, Nemanja Vidic. It is the centre-back, as well as club legend Ryan Giggs, who Matic admired.

“United was a big team back then. They had many fantastic players, but for me, Ryan Giggs was the greatest. When Nemanja Vidic came to United, I also admired him.”

It’s fantastic to hear a player come in who claims to know about the history of the club. Too many players who come in are unaware of the great past the club has, whether that be the importance of the Munich Air Disaster, the struggles of the club to stay afloat in both the early 1900s and in the 1930s, or the three European Cup wins in 1968, 1999 and 2008.

The club has a responsibility to educate the players on why representing United carries great weight, but the players themselves also have a responsibility to learn. Figures like Juan Mata and Ander Herrera from abroad, as well as Englishman like Ashley Young, appear to ‘get’ the club in the same way as Patrice Evra did to become a fan favourite at Old Trafford.

Fenerbahce eye loan move for Kenedy

Fenerbahce are interested in signing Kenedy on loan until the end of the season when the transfer window opens, according to a report in Turkish outlet Takvim.

The 21-year-old is yet to feature in the Premier League this season and it looks like he’s fallen out of favour with Antonio Conte after he was sent home from a pre-season tour of Asia earlier this year.

Kenedy’s has played twice this season in the Carabao Cup but he looks a long way away from featuring in the league and as such, a loan move would make sense for all parties.

Fenerbahce are also hoping to include an option to buy the Brazilian outright at the end of the season, but it’s unclear if Chelsea would be willing to allow that to happen.

Kenedy’s ability has never really been questioned but there have been a few reported issues regarding his off-field antics and activities so it would not be a huge shock if Conte allowed him to leave.

The post Fenerbahce eye loan move for Kenedy appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Agent denies claims that striker wanted by Man City and Arsenal is set to join Chelsea

Over the last few months, Chelsea have been repeatedly linked with a move for highly-rated Hamburg striker Jann-Fiete Arp after the teenager rose to prominence at youth level in German football.

After snubbing a move to Stamford Bridge in the summer, Arp broke into the Hamburg first-team this season and became the first Millennial to score in the Bundesliga which put him on the radar of a number of other top European clubs.

Talk has intensified in recent weeks that the young striker could be set for a move to Chelsea in the near future with the Blues continuing to track his progress, but those rumours seem to have been nipped in the bud.

Arp’s agent, Jurgen Milewski, has denied claims that his client is set for a move to Stamford Bridge, stating that “the story has nothing in it”amid claims of further interest from Arsenal and Manchester City.

Chelsea have always looked to add young talent to their books and 17-year-old is clearly someone on their radar.

The post Agent: No truth in Arp to Chelsea reports appeared first on Read Chelsea.

[Team News] Arsenal v Huddersfield - Wenger Gives Updates On Ozil, Iwobi & Cazorla

Arsene Wenger has given his team news ahead of Arsenal’s match with Huddersfield in the Premier League on Wednesday evening (via The Mirror).

—–
Matchday: Team News – Player Ratings – Match Highlights
Match: Arsenal v Huddersfield
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Kick-Off (GMT): Wed 29 Nov 19:45
—–

It’s the final match in November for Arsenal ahead of the busy festive period as the Gunners welcome Huddersfield to the Emirates Stadium.

The newly-promoted side have performed extremely well in the league and find themselves in a comfortable 11th in the table.

The Gunners will need to be on form in order to maintain this excellent run of results at the Emirates and Arsene Wenger has given his team news ahead of the tie.

“From Sunday’s game, we had no Ozil,” Wenger said in his pre-match press conference. “He is planned to train today and we will then make an assessment. There is no virus.

“Iwobi got a dead leg and we don’t think he will be available. Santi Cazorla is of course still out.”

So, we’ll have to wait to hear about Mesut Ozil but Alex Iwobi is out of the clash. That means there is a gap in Arsenal’s front three which will need to be filled for the match with Huddersfield. Could Jack Wilshere finally be given a start in the Premier League?

Report: Spaniard Has 'Left His Club' To Sign For Arsenal As New Football Director

Reports in Spain suggest that FC Barcelona’s Raül Sanllehi has left the club to sign for Arsenal as a football director (via Sport Witness).

Well, it seems that Arsenal’s run of staff appointments is set to continue in the coming days if reports in Spain are anything to be believed.

Last week, the Gunners announced the signing of new head scout, Sven Mislintat from Borussia Dortmund and it seems that the club is close to another addition.

Raül Sanllehi has been linked with a move to Arsenal in the past but it seems that things have been amped up this week.

Spanish publication, Mundo Deportivo claims that the Spaniard has left FC Barcelona in order to sign for Arsenal as the club’s new football director in the coming days.

This Barcelona board has attracted enormous amounts of criticism from the club’s own fans but as a transfer negotiator, Sanllehi has done his job.

On paper, this looks like a smart move. The club has brought in a hugely experienced negotiator to close the transfers which will be lined up by their new scout. Let’s hope this new duo can help bring some much-needed talent into this Arsenal squad.

Wenger Reveals What Will Be Needed For Ozil And Sanchez To Leave Arsenal In January

Arsene Wenger has claimed that only something “unbelievable” would allow Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez to leave the club in January (via The BBC).

With just eight months remaining on their contracts, the January transfer window is the last chance for Arsenal to cash in on Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.

For a while, it seemed like that would be the likeliest option. Clubs like Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain were interested in Sanchez and there was talk of Inter Milan making a move for Ozil.

However, now Arsene Wenger has claimed that the pair will be not be moving in January unless some “unbelievable” happens.

“As long as they are here, they give their best for the club,” Wenger said in his pre-match press conference.

“In my head, they stay until the end of the season. Unless something unbelievable happens I don’t see that changing.”

So, it seems that Arsenal will only let the pair leave if some quite unbelievable offers come in for them from rival teams. These words are not only a confirmation of Arsenal’s plans but also could act as something of a challenge to other clubs interested in signing the pair.

Wenger Responds To Talk Of Wilshere Leaving Arsenal

Arsene Wenger has hit back at reports that Jack Wilshere is set to leave Arsenal in January, claiming that he always has the midfielder’s best interests in mind (via Arsenal.com).

After years of disruption and injury problems, Jack Wilshere is finally back fully fit and playing well in an Arsenal shirt.

However, something isn’t quite right. The Englishman’s contract expires at the end of the season and he is still yet to start a Premier League match.

There was even some suggestion this week that Wilshere could leave the Emirates in January and Arsene Wenger was quizzed about the revelations in his pre-match press conference.

“At the moment, I just think about the interest of our next game,” Wenger told the press. “I don’t think long term. For him, I always considered his interest because for me he’s an Arsenal player and has been since he was a kid.

“He’s a football man and I will always decide what is best for him, that is my first priority no matter what kind of decision I make. I have to consider the interests of Jack Wilshere and Arsenal Football Club together.

“If I think his best interest is to stay here then I will absolutely fight 100 per cent for him to stay here because he’s a guy who is top-quality and is back fit now. For me, when you have a top-quality player, you want him to be at Arsenal Football Club.”

It would be baffling for Arsenal to let Jack Wilshere leave on a free transfer now. After years of waiting for the Englishman to get fit and start showcasing his considerable talent on the pitch, now that he actually is fit there seems to be some sort of resistance to him playing.

Chelsea line up €60m move for Spanish star

Chelsea are lining up  a €60m (£53.6m) offer for Atletico Madrid’s Koke, according to reports in Spain.

The 25-year-old has been linked with moves to Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the recent past although he only recently signed a massive seven-year contract with Atleti.

However, reports suggest that this could still be Koke’s last season at his club and that Chelsea are one of the sides ready to make a bid for him in the summer.

The Spaniard will feature in the World Cup this summer which could complicate things further, so if Chelsea are to sign him, they’ll likely have to act quickly as a shortened window added to a World Cup will mean time to get deals done is dramatically decreased compared to most summers.

Whether Atleti will allow one of their star men to leave remains to be seen and in truth, €60m seems a relatively low figure if they do decide to cash in and the likelihood is that Chelsea would need to pay a huge fee to get him.

The post Chelsea eye €60m summer move for Koke appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Chelsea to go head-to-head with Tottenham for the signature of £30m-rated star

Chelsea spent much of the summer looking to find a left-back who could provide cover and competition for Marcos Alonso but they fell short in their efforts and remain one injury away from somewhat of a crisis.

Antonio Conte will likely look to address this when the January transfer window opens and Football.London report that the Blues will provide competition to their London rivals Tottenham for the signature of highly-rated Fulham fullback Ryan Sessegnon.

Sessegnon burst onto the scene last season at Craven Cottage acting as a versatile left-back who could play in a more advanced position. The teenager was part of the impressive England U19 squad that won the U19 European Championships earlier this year.

Tottenham are eager to sign the defender as a replacement for Danny Rose who could be heading to Old Trafford in January, but Chelsea are also ready to go hard after his signature.

The 17-year-old scored his first career hat-trick on his 50th career appearance for Fulham earlier in the season, becoming the first teenager in the Football League or Premier League to do so since Dele Alli, so the sky really is the limit for the youngster.

The post Tottenham to rival Chelsea for £30m Ryan Sessegnon appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Picture gallery: Man United squad working hard ahead of Watford

Manchester United have been working hard in the freezing cold at Carrington ahead of Tuesday night’s visit to Watford in the Premier League.

Ashley Young‘s deflected strike returned Man United back to winning ways against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday as Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea all dropped points.

Jose Mourinho’s men will know that they cannot avoid any slip ups after Manchester City, who come to Old Trafford next month, maintained their eight point gap at the top of the Premier League table on Sunday with a narrow win over Huddersfield Town.

Here is a photo gallery of the squad putting in the hard yards in preparation for the clash at Vicarage Road.

Embed from Getty Images

Pundit explains why Jose Mourinho needs to drop Romelu Lukaku

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown believes that Jose Mourinho needs to drop Romelu Lukaku for Manchester United’s clash with Watford on Tuesday.

The Belgian enjoyed a scintillating start to life at Old Trafford, netting 11 goals in his opening ten games.

But he has encountered a lapse in form in recent times and only has one goal in all competitions to his name since September.

And Keown, writing in a column for the Daily Mail, has noted that Lukaku could benefit from sitting out of the encounter at Vicarage Road.

“If Jose Mourinho wants to get Romelu Lukaku firing again, he needs his £75million striker to reach boiling point,” he said.

“I am not talking about a petulant reaction to a penalty-box wrestle with an opponent, but rather his performance.

“It might be the right moment to leave him out against Watford on Tuesday. Lukaku has scored a single goal in his last 10 games in all competitions.

“Give him some space so that he comes back an angry man, with some fight and determination. I have described Lukaku as a pussycat, whereas Manchester United want a lion on display (and we all know which animal Zlatan Ibrahimovic likes to compare himself to).

“It is about how you get Lukaku to that stage. He was bought to lead the line and score the goals to win the title. That isn’t happening.”

For a manager, finding out how to return your main striker back to goalscoring form is one of the oldest and more delicate tasks they can face. Dropping them could prove salutary, yet it can very easily have the reverse effect.

And Mourinho’s strategy with Lukaku can definitely be questioned. He has labelled the striker as “untouchable”, just like Louis van Gaal did with Wayne Rooney, and that could prove to be a problem further down the line if he continues to draw blanks whilst simultaneously demonstrating the work rate the 54-year-old demands. We could end up in something of a rut.

The boss is right to say that Lukaku’s form should not be measured by goals alone, but any supporter will tell you that one strike in ten games just isn’t good enough at this level. A balance needs to be found.

Newcastle set to hand lifeline to this ostracised Man United player: report

Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez is keen to hand Luke Shaw a chance to reinvigorate his career with a loan move to Teeside in January, according to reports.

The Englishman drew public criticism from Jose Mourinho last season for his lack of commitment in training and has only made two substitute appearances this season.

But reports have claimed that, despite Shaw’s failure to breach the squad, the club wasn’t considering letting him leave in January and would make a decision on his future in the summer.

However, according to the Mirror‘s John Richardson, Newcastle will offer Shaw an opportunity to receive some much needed minutes in the Premier League in the January transfer window.

While no clear consensus can be discerned when it comes to Shaw’s situation, the general feeling is that he wants to fight and prove himself at Old Trafford. And you can see why: this is perhaps his only chance to impress at a truly big club, after all.

And yet, at the same time, somebody with only 32 Premier League appearances in three and a half years ought to place time on the pitch at the top of his priority list.

In this sense, Newcastle seems like a good option given that Javier Manquillo is currently their first choice left back.

Juan Mata explains why Michael Carrick is so important to Manchester United

Juan Mata has paid tribute to captain Michael Carrick following the Englishman’s recovery from a heart problem that has reduced him to just one game so far this season.

The 36-year-old was named captain ahead of the 2017/18 campaign and made his first appearance against Burton Albion back in September, but hasn’t played since.

He revealed last week that he had to undergo a cardiac ablation soon after the game, which essentially removes faulty pathways from the heart to areas that could, at worst, lead to cardiac arrest.

And Mata, writing in his weekly blog, has hailed the midfielder for making a full recovery ahead of a busy December period.

“I want to dedicate a few lines to Michael Carrick, a great teammate who has gone through a few complicated weeks and now he’s ready to help the team again from the pitch,” he said.

“We are very happy for that. He’s a great professional and his behaviour is an example to us. I’m sure that his elegant football will help us a lot during the rest of the season.”

The frenzy that stemmed from injuries to Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini, followed by the return of Marcos Rojo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, has somewhat backgrounded Carrick’s absence from the side, even though the lack of details given on his condition, in hindsight, ought to have told us something was up.

Either way, nobody could have imagined the personal battle Carrick would have gone through over the last couple of months.

A ankle, knee or groin can easily heal with time, but the heart is a far more serious, delicate, and potentially irreversible matter with the capacity to impact on other areas of life aside from football, and supporters can only be thankful to see him push through.

His return to United’s midfield promises to be salutary. Mourinho’s men will always benefit from having Carrick, their longest serving player, keeping everything ticking at the base of midfield – especially during a notoriously sapping, ferocious Christmas period.