Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal insists he is not jealous of Manchester City’s squad as the first Manchester derby of the season edges closer on Sunday. Manuel Pellegrini’s men secured their second Premier League title in three years in May and have the likes of Vincent Kompany, Sergio Aguero, Jesus Navas and Yaya Toure in their current squad. However, when questioned by reporters if Van Gaal was jealous of the quality available to his opposite number, the Dutchman has insisted ‘no’. “I am not jealous of the squad of Manchester City,” Van Gaal told reporters. “I am proud of…
Author: Staff Writer
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has compared forward Alexis Sanchez with Barcelona’s Luis Suarez. The Chile international joined the Gunners from Barcelona this summer and has been in superb form this season so far, scoring eight goals. And, Wenger, who attempted to sign Suarez from Liverpool in 2013, believes the two players have many comparisons. “It is natural to him [Alexis],” he told reporters. “Every day he wants to go out, wants the ball. He doesn’t walk out, he runs out. “He has a natural level of energy that is unbelievable. You would love everyone to have it but it does not…
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has called for patience after an inconsistent start to the season. The Reds sit seventh in the Premier League table having failed to replicate the form that saw them push Manchester City for the Premier League title last season, seeing them finish as runners-up. Rodgers guided the Anfield club to a League Cup victory on Tuesday night, but the performance of his players was met with unhappiness by a number of supporters. But, the 41-year-old believes his team are still recovering from the sale of Luis Suarez to Barcelona and is waiting for his new signings…
Kevin Strootman has told Roma that he wants to leave and join Manchester United in January, according to Goal. The Netherlands international is close to a return to full fitness after suffering a serious knee injury that saw him miss his country’s World Cup campaign this summer. Roma have publicly insisted that Strootman will not be leaving the club in the near future, however Goal have reported that the midfielder has now informed the Serie A club that he wants to discuss terms with Louis van Gaal’s side. One sticking point could be Strootman’s desire to increase his current £25k…
Manchester United winger Angel Di Maria has said that he will put his friendships aside during the Manchester derby on Sunday. The former Real Madrid man will face Argentina team-mates Pablo Zabaleta, Martin Demichelis and Sergio Aguero at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday as he attempts to help his United side pick up their first away win of the season. Di Maria, who has played alongside the aforementioned three for his country has admitted that he will put friendships aside and focus solely on victory for his new club. “We’ve got good friendships over the years and no matter what the colour…
Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana has backed his side and their determination to see them through their current run of poor form. The Merseyside club have struggled to find consistent form this season, having missed the goals of Luis Suarez [now at Barcelona] and Daniel Sturridge [injured]. However, former Southampton man Lallana has discussed how he and his fellow team-mates are ready to grind out results and get back to their best. “We’ve been scoring late goals and that shows we keep going until the last minute,” the 26-year-old told the club’s official website. “We’ve got a fit group of lads…
Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has thanked Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal for being behind their recent success. The current United boss led the Bundesliga side for two years from 2009 and almost sealed a famous treble, narrowly missing out on the Champions League final. Sacked in 2011, Van Gaal since moved on to take over at Netherlands and now with United, but Rummenigge feels that his impact is still being felt at the Allianz Arena. “If you see our ball possession today, I would say the first steps were the benefits from Louis van Gaal,” Rummenigge told The…
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho says striker Diego Costa is available to face QPR on Saturday after recovering from his latest injury. The Spanish international has missed Chelsea’s four matches with a hamstring problem but is set to return against Harry Redknapp’s struggling side at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Costa’s return is met with open arms after the injury to French striker Loic Remy, whilst Brazilian midfielder Ramires is set to return also. “It is good for us,” he told reporters. “It’s difficult when you only have one striker available, but when you have two the situation improves.” “I think I…
Manchester City have confirmed that David Silva will miss three weeks of football through injury. With key matches coming up for City against rivals Man United and CSKA Moscow in the Champions League next week, Silva’s injury against Newcastle will now see the Spaniard miss those aforementioned games. The former Valencia midfielder was involved in a collision with Ryan Taylor which resulted in the former Valencia man hurting his left knee. Silva received initial treatment on the field for the injury, but was forced to leave after failing to recover and further scans have revealed the true extent of his injury.…
Manchester City have joined Manchester United and Chelsea with interest in Barcelona defender Gerard Pique. The Catalan defender has been strongly linked with an exit from Barcelona in recent times with many of the clubs fans and media men torn over his form and impact on the team. A return to Man United has been mentioned in both English and Spanish press and although Pique himself responded to the rumours with denial earlier this season; further links are being maintained, whilst Chelsea are also interested. The Blues are keen to push Cesc Fabregas to discuss the idea of moving to…