Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has revealed that this could well be club captain Michael Carrick’s last season at Old Trafford and has called on a new generation of leaders to step up to the plate.
The former Chelsea boss has been speaking about the changing leadership roles in his squad since the departure of Wayne Rooney to Everton and noted that this could be the last year for Carrick.
“Now it is time for other people to come up,” Mourinho told the Press Association’s Simon Peach during their pre-season tour of America.
“Knowing that probably it is Michael Carrick’s last year,
“The people that are behind [Carrick] they have to prepare themselves.”
Carrick, who played his testimonial at the end of last season also penned a new one-year deal last term and was named skipper after Rooney rejoined his former club.
The 35-year-old, who has five Premier League titles to his name at the club, is showing no signs of slowing up however, having made his target for the new season abundantly clear, a sixth winner’s medal.
Everton midfielder Ross Barkley posted a photo of himself back in training on his official Instagram account on Thursday, and Toffees fans are starting to believe that he could yet stay at the club.
The contract rebel has been absent because of a groin injury in recent weeks, while speculation has continued over his future after his refusal to sign the new contract that he has been offered by the club.
Manager Ronald Koeman has said that the 24-year-old is almost certain to leave this summer as the Merseyside outfit don’t want to risk losing him for nothing in 2018, but his latest photo – with the caption “Good to be back out there on the training pitch today” – has left the fans wondering whether he could still be a Blue for the upcoming campaign.
Everton supporters were quick to have their say on the post via social media, with some speculating that the England international might be having second thoughts with no club yet to meet the valuation on his head.
According to reports in the Lancashire Telegraph, Leeds United striker Marcus Antonsson is a loan target for League One outfit Blackburn Rovers, but a move isn’t imminent.The Lancashire Telegraph says that Rovers boss Tony Mowbray is keen to add to his attacking options before the transfer window slams shut, but the report adds that the 26-year-old is wanted by Swedish clubs AIK, IFK Norrkoping, Kalmar FF and Hammarby after falling out of favour with the Yorkshire outfit.The Swede – who moved to Elland Road in a £2m deal last summer – made just 21 appearances in all competitions for the Whites last season, scoring three goals, and he failed to make the matchday squad for the club’s opening day Championship clash against Bolton Wanderers on Sunday.Leeds supporters were quick to have their say on the rumour via social media, and while many believe that a move to Blackburn would be good for all parties, others don’t want to see him go permanently as they don’t feel that he has been given enough opportunities to prove himself.Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
England’s 2-1 win over Slovakia on Monday evening may have been a tense encounter for the many watching at home after the visitors went a goal up at Wembley on the three-minute mark.
But the Three Lions’ comeback highlighted how they can make up in character for what they often lack in quality, Gareth Southgate’s side digging deep and shaking off the Iceland-induced nightmares of last summer to seal a win that has all-but mathematically secured a place at the World Cup in Russia.
Crucial to that end were Eric Dier and Marcus Rashford, who ranked second and first respectively in FootballFanCast’s Man of the Match poll.
The Tottenham midfielder has developed a knack of scoring vital goals for England – the winner against Germany and the first goal at Euro 2016 – and his equaliser against Slovakia just before half-time was another, completely changing the complexion of the match.
Coming at the end of an incredibly poor opening 45 minutes, that was all about resilience – as were Dier’s five tackles and five fouls as he asserted his dominance in the engine room.
Rashford’s night too, had mental toughness at its heart. Many an England youngster have wilted after making big mistakes before but after naively squandering possession for Slovakia’s early opener, the Manchester United youngster dusted himself off and supplied Dier’s equaliser before eventually nabbing the winner.
Considering how spectacularly the Three Lions imploded at Euro 2016 and the 2014 World Cup, that resilience, toughness and bravery from Dier and Rashford will be vital to Southgate’s side arresting the tide of under-performing at major tournaments.
Swansea City will look to bounce back from their disappointing defeat against Newcastle United at the Liberty Stadium last weekend when they face Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Sunday.
Jamaal Lascelles’ second-half header condemned the Welsh outfit to successive home losses in the Premier League, after they were beaten 4-0 by Manchester United last month.
It certainly won’t be an easy task to pick up a positive result against Spurs, who have challenged for the Premier League title in the last two seasons and also beat Everton 3-0 at Goodison Park last time out.
That said, Paul Clement’s men have qualities of their own and they have picked up their fair share of impressive results ever since they were promoted to the top flight in 2011.
Even though they lost key men Gylfi Sigurdsson and Fernando Llorente during the summer, the club has brought in replacements like Renato Sanches, Tammy Abraham and Wilfried Bony and the big-name departures don’t seem to have fazed the squad.
Here are three reasons Swansea will beat Tottenham on Sunday…
Defensive organisation on the road
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While Swansea have perhaps been a little disappointing at the Liberty Stadium this season, they have certainly made a marked improvement away from home.
It is probably something that Paul Clement concentrated on throughout the summer after the club lost 13 of their 19 matches on the road last term, and he would have wanted to improve their defensive organisation.
Having picked up a goalless draw against Southampton on the opening day and then beaten Crystal Palace 2-0 at Selhurst Park, the Swans seem to be a tougher team to break down and beat on their travels.
If they can take that to Wembley on Sunday it will only boost their chances of returning to Wales with all three points.
Tottenham’s Wembley record
While Tottenham have won both of their Premier League matches away from home this season without conceding a goal, and beat Borussia Dortmund 3-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday night, their overall Wembley record will give Swansea hope of picking up a win on Sunday.
Spurs have won just three of their 13 matches at the famous stadium since it was rebuilt and they have taken just one point from home fixtures against Chelsea and Burnley so far this term.
While the win against Dortmund will undoubtedly give them a boost, their poor record at Wembley will still be back of the players’ minds and Paul Clement’s men will be looking to take advantage of that mental vulnerability on Sunday.
With the likes of Wilfried Bony, Tammy Abraham, Jordan Ayew and Renato Sanches in their ranks, they also have the players to hurt the hosts on the break.
Tiredness
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While Swansea will have had a week’s rest by the time the fixture between the two clubs kicks off on Sunday, it will be a different story for the Tottenham players.
They needed to be at the top of their game for the full 90 minutes against Dortmund to pick up the positive result that they did, and it may well have taken its toll on the team.
With five games in 14 days to come Mauricio Pochettino may decide to make changes to the starting XI from the win against Borussia Dortmund, but he is more likely to wait to do that until the League Cup clash against Barnsley on Wednesday night.
If he does stick with the same side or a similar one for the visit of the Swans, Paul Clement will be looking for his players to stretch the play and use their pace and extra energy to punish Spurs on the day.
According to reports in The Mirror, Aston Villa youngster Keinan Davis was scouted by Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton during his side’s 4-0 win against Burton Albion on Tuesday night.
What’s the word, then?
Well, The Mirror says that scouts from the three Premier League clubs were present at Burton’s Pirelli Stadium earlier this week to watch Davis, who appears to be on the radar of a number of top teams following his impressive performances for the Midlands outfit this term.
The Mirror says that because of the two starting line-ups on the night it is unlikely that the aforementioned trio would have been keeping tabs on anyone else but the 19-year-old, who played up top alongside Jonathan Kodjia for the visitors.
Would he have impressed the scouts?
He certainly would have done.
The 6ft 2in centre-forward’s all-round performance was particularly impressive, as he used his strength and pace to cause problems for the Brewers defence.
His standout showing was rounded off with the opening goal on the night, when he powered home a header from Ahmed Elmohamady’s cross to give Steve Bruce’s men the lead.
How has he done this season?
He has been brilliant.
Bruce decided to make major changes to his starting line-up following successive defeats to Cardiff City and Hull City at the beginning of the campaign, and Davis was one of the youngsters to get a chance.
The 19-year-old certainly hasn’t let his manager or the expectant Villa Park faithful down with two goals and two assists in seven Championship outings this term, and it is no surprise that he is starting to attract admiring glances from the top flight.
What’s the verdict, then?
Well, while the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton may be interested in the England Under-20 international, there is no doubt that he is better off developing with Aston Villa in the Championship at least until the end of the season.
It will certainly be interesting to see if he can maintain his spot in the team for the rest of the campaign and if the Midlands outfit are promoted at the end of it, what will happen then.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino confirmed on Monday that defender Danny Rose is likely to be in the squad for the huge Champions League clash against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on Tuesday, and Spurs fans are divided on whether he should start or not.
The 27-year-old has been on the sidelines since January with a knee injury, but having recently made his return to training he looks set to be involved against the holders with Ben Davies missing the tie through illness.
It remains to be seen whether the England international will be risked from the start in Davies’ absence or if he will have to settle for a spot on the substitute’’ bench, with the likes of Serge Aurier, Kieran Trippier and even Jan Vertonghen able to cover the left-back and left wing-back spots depending on which formation Pochettino is intending to play in Spain.
Tottenham supporters were quick to have their say on Rose via social media, and they were divided on his possible inclusion in the starting XI.
While some said that they ‘hope he plays’, others feel that he “does not deserve to play for Spurs in the Bernabeu” following a controversial interview he carried out with The Sun during the summer.
Neil Taylor has been one of Aston Villa’s most consistent performers in 2017 following a January transfer window deadline day move from Swansea City.
The left-back made the switch to Villa Park with Jordan Ayew going the other way, and he quickly established himself in the team under Steve Bruce with Jordan Amavi dropping to the substitutes’ bench.
While the Frenchman, who is on loan with Marseille with a view to making a permanent move next summer, was recently called into the France squad following an injury to Layvin Kurzuwa, he struggled to rediscover the early form he showed having signed for Aston Villa in the summer of 2015 last season.
The full-back suffered an ACL tear in his right leg while on international duty with the Under-21s in November 2015, and he looked a shadow of his former self having made his return to action in the Championship.
His dip in form meant that Bruce looked to bring in a new left-back at the start of 2017, and he would have been delighted to take the experienced Taylor from Swansea as part of the Ayew deal.
While the Wales international doesn’t often do the spectacular from an attacking sense, he is a solid and reliable performer and a good defender first and foremost.
The 28-year-old played the full 90 minutes in 12 of Aston Villa’s last 15 Championship fixtures last term – which included a run where they conceded one goal in eight matches – while he had also featured in every minute of their league campaign this term, until the remaining seconds of their fourth league win in a row against Bolton Wanderers last time out that is.
Taylor was shown a red card for a challenge on Trotters striker Adam Le Fondre, and after the club failed with an appeal to overturn the decision it means that the left-back will be absent for the trip to face second-place Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux this weekend.
With Amavi joining Marseille on loan during the summer and Bruce failing to bring in a cover and competition for Taylor during the same period, he must decide who will fill in for the Welshman on Saturday.
There are certainly plenty of candidates, with right-backs Alan Hutton and James Bree able to cover there if required and Ritchie De Laet, Birkir Bjarnason and Mitch Clark starting the club’s three EFL Cup fixtures this season in that position.
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Youngsters Oscar Borg and Jack Bedeau could be outside bets to start, although the calibre and danger of the player they are likely to come up against could see Bruce choose to go with a more experienced head.
Helder Costa showed the ability he has in his first season with Wolves when he scored 12 goals and provided a further 11 assists in 40 appearances in all competitions last term.
Not only did the speedy right winger show that he was a huge danger in the Championship, but he also put in a standout performance in the 2-0 win against Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup at Anfield in January, picking up two assists.
As well as netting nine goals in 34 league games, the Portuguese wide man showed that he can provide for his teammates too after creating 57 chances, while he also successfully completed 48 of the 80 take-ons he attempted.
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While he was in such good form last season, the 23-year-old has been hampered by an ankle injury this term and he only made his first appearance of the campaign as a late substitute in the 2-0 defeat to Sheffield United late last month.
The winger then made his first start against Burton Albion three days later but was taken off in the 51st minute, and he will have been working hard to boost his fitness over the international break to ensure that he is raring to go against Villa.
While the Midlands outfit will certainly be pleased that Costa doesn’t appear to be back to his best just yet, they must also be aware of the dangers that he will bring and Bruce must select a left-back to face up against him accordingly.
Villa supporters would probably prefer Alan Hutton to start at right-back unless Ahmed Elmohamady is going to having played the last two matches there, while playing a youngster like Mitch Clark would be a risk.
The Villa Park faithful certainly won’t fancy Bjarnason to start either considering he has struggled to make an impact following his January move to the club as well as the lack of pace that he has shown, meaning that Hutton, Bree and De Laet look to be best options for the job.
You would think that Bruce would select either the former or the latter because of the experience they have, as the former Hull City boss looks to ensure that Costa has an ineffectual evening at Molineux.
De Laet certainly has the speed to get the nod but considering he has made just four appearances this season following his return to action following a knee injury in July, it remains to be seen whether he will start.
Whoever Bruce does pick will know the job that they have to do throughout the 90 minutes, and that individual will be looking to fill the massive Taylor-sized hole that has been left ahead of this Championship clash between two in-form clubs.
West Ham United’s U21 team qualified for the next stage of the Checkatrade Trophy after beating Bristol Rovers 3-1 away on Tuesday, and Irons fans were quick to have their say after striker Toni Martinez scored twice.
Despite going behind at the Memorial Stadium after just 25 seconds, Martinez levelled things up from the penalty spot before his fine finish made it 3-1 in the second half.
The 20-year-old has now scored 11 goals for the U21 and U23 sides this term, but he is yet to be named in the first-team squad despite the fact that the Hammers are struggling in the Premier League.
Even against Brighton last month when Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho were both absent, the Spaniard still didn’t make Slaven Bilic’s matchday squad.
West Ham supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the centre-forward’s latest goals, and while some have urged Bilic to “pick him before he gets his coat and leaves”, others believe he “deserves at least to be in the squad”.
When a new manager takes over at a club, his preferred backroom team come with him.
At West Ham United, David Moyes, who was hired as Slaven Bilic’s successor last week, has brought in Stuart Pearce, Alan Irvine and Billy McKinlay.
Pearce spent two years as a Hammer during his playing career, and has had various coaching stints since retiring.
The 55-year-old has managed Manchester City and Nottingham Forest, as well as the England Under-21s, of which he coached for six years.
Irvine arrives at the London Stadium on the back of a spell at Norwich City, and is well aware of Moyes’s methods having worked with him at Preston North End and Everton.
McKinlay also joins the backroom team at West Ham having been a member of Moyes’s staff at Real Sociedad.
After the news was announced, the club’s supporters gave their verdicts of the appointments on Twitter.
Moyes’s first game in charge of the East London outfit will be away to Watford on Sunday.