Anders Lindegaard appears to be on his way out of United this summer with West Ham still leading the chase for his signature.
The Danish goalkeeper was not in the matchday squad for last night’s 2-2 Premier League draw at Upton Park, sparking fresh rumours that he could be lining up for the Hammers next season.
West Ham were linked to Lindegaard back in March when it was reported in Denmark that they had enquired after him and his absence from the bench, when he was fit enough to sit there on Sunday, could be more than just coincidence.
David de Gea’s growing presence in goal has reduced the 29-year-old’s chances while reports that keeper coach Eric Steele is watching Brentford’s Simon Moore may indicate that his time at Old Trafford is up.
Lindegaard has not made a first-team appearance for United since December, when he was not at his best in a 4-3 win over Reading, and recently admitted that his situation is not ideal.
He said on his Betfair blog: “I’m not idiot – I am aware that my situation is not the ultimate dream scenario. But I do my very best every day to keep me as sharp as possible both for myself and for the team. When one day I do play again, it would be inexcusable not to have prepared myself in the best way as possible.”
Lindegaard has not played for Denmark in over two years and has lost his place in the squad to Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel.
According to reports in Spain (via SportWitness), Everton are lining up a summer swoop for Espanyol left back Aaron Martin.
What’s the story?
The Catalan press reported in January that Everton were interested in a €20million (£17.6m) move for Martin, but Espanyol wanted more for a January move.
According to Friday’s report though, the club is now considering letting the flying full back go this summer, and his agent is working hard to get a deal done.
The 21 year-old has a €40m release clause, but with his form fading in recent months and the club in financial trouble, he could be available for the original €20m offer.
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Martin to Merseyside?
Everton fans may be dubious of a move for a left back, as Leighton Baines has once again proved his importance to the team with some impressive form since returning from injury.
However, Baines will turn 34 this year, so bringing in a supremely talented 21 year-old would certainly be a wise move.
Martin was superb in the first half of the season for Espanyol, and is averaging 1.1 successful dribbles per game, one key pass and 1.1 successful crosses, impressive numbers for a team struggling towards the bottom of La Liga.
The young left back is great going forward and has great technical ability, but he will definitely need to iron out a few creases on the defensive side of things.
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Baines could be just the man to help him there, and there aren’t many who are better suited to teach the youngster how to be a Premier League full back.
Martin isn’t perfect, and for around €20m fans would expect production quickly, but he has a big future ahead of him and could easily be Baines’ long term successor.
Everton fans, would you back a summer swoop for Martin? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
This time last year Raheem Sterling was a young star who was bringing a fresh talent to the England side ahead of the World Cup in Brazil.
Fast forward 12 months and Sterling has once again been hitting the papers, but this time the stories all seem to be negative. The Liverpool winger has been making headlines because of his excessive contract negotiations at Anfield, as well as pictures showing him inhaling both nitrous oxide and smoking a shisha pipe.
Sadly, these negative stories have completely overshadowed the fact that the 20-year-old has been Liverpool’s standout player on the pitch.
Former England and Arsenal star, Sol Campbell has spoken out saying that Sterling has been too badly treated by sections of the media and it could destroy his career. He said: “He’s one of the most talented English players coming out of this country – Do not destroy him. Wake up. PFA, wake up, press wake up and protect this boy.”
All too often we hear stories of young stars, whether they be actors, singers or footballers, who found fame at a young age and have struggled to cope with the pressure. In 2007, Britney Spears suffered from a nervous breakdown and started shaving her head, Canadian pop-singer Justin Bieber has been arrested for numerous offences and now it seems Raheem Sterling has become the latest youngster who cannot handle the pressure of fame.
Savio Nsereko was once one Italy’s brightest prospects. At the age of 19 he made a big money move to East London to join West Ham United and everything went wrong from there. He was shipped back to Italy after only 10 games where he went AWOL. He hasn’t scored since he was a teenager and spent a stint in a Thai prison for faking a kidnapping in order to extort money from his family.
Whilst this is an extreme example of a young footballer who could not handle the pressures of fame, it is good as a warning. Every time we come round to the European Championships or the World Cup we complain that we do not give English talent enough support and Raheem Sterling is a clear example.
Many young footballers go through a spell of bad media attention – Wayne Rooney had it when he left Everton but it isn’t the way forward.
While he hasn’t been acting perfectly off the pitch, his performances on it haven’t changed. He is still showing the skill he possesses, having a better goal to match ratio than he did last season. This year he has scored 11 goals in the Premier League with seven assists and hasn’t been sent off all season. With a pass success rate of 80.5% it shows that amongst all the media hype about the 20-year-old his football has actually improved rather than got worse.
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Raheem Sterling is one of England’s brightest talents and he has become the latest media scapegoat. It is time to take a step back from the pitchforks and start giving him the support any youngster needs at that time in their life.
Swansea defender Angel Rangel has warned his teammates against complacency ahead of Sunday’s game with Chelsea.
Michael Laudrup’s side dispatched of Sunday’s opponents over two legs in the semi-final of the cup, which they eventually went on to win with a comfortable 5-0 victory against Bradford at Wembley.
Rangel admits that the 2-0 victory last time they travelled to Stamford Bridge will be hard to forget, but it’s important they do not dwell on the past and look to finish the season strongly.
The 30-year-old insists that Chelsea have transformed into a much stronger side over the last few months and expects a much tougher test this time round.
Rangel said: “We did beat them in the Capital One Cup semi-final and people may say they are looking for revenge, but we are just thinking about ourselves.
“It does give us confidence knowing that we can go to a stadium like that and win, but this is a different story this weekend.
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“They are fighting for the top four, but we have not won for a while and it’s important for us to get something there.”
Sports Interactive and SEGA Europe have announced the immediate release of Football Manager Touch 2018 on the Nintendo Switch as a digital download from the Nintendo eShop.
Football Manager is the most realistic, in-depth and immersive football management simulation in the world. Putting you in the hot seat of any club in more than 50 countries across the world, Football Manager allows you to take on the role of a real-life gaffer: you decide who plays and who sits on the bench, and you’re in total control of tactics, team talks, substitutions and pitch-side instructions.
FM Touch has been fully optimised for the Switch with a bespoke user interface and a customised control system that takes full advantage of the system’s various controller input options, including support for both the touchscreen and Joy-Con controllers. This gives fans a unique Football Manager experience that can be played on the move or docked at home and enjoyed on the big screen.
In addition, FM Touch on Switch will offer a fully-fledged single-player experience including the series’ acclaimed 3D Match Engine – the first time that the 3D engine has been playable on a home console.
“This is a milestone release for Football Manager,” said Sports Interactive’s Studio Director, Miles Jacobson. “This is our first console release in a number of years but it is also our most innovative release of Football Manager Touch to date thanks to the various control methods we’ve included that gives everyone a way of playing Football Manager that suits them.”
“It’s been a huge technical achievement to bring Football Manager to the Switch but, as a studio, we’ve embraced the unique design opportunities that the console offers,” Jacobson added.
FM Touch on Switch includes the same feature set as the tablet version of the game. Some of the highlights include:
MANY WAYS TO PLAY
Start your managerial career at one of the world’s top teams, create your own club or tackle one of several management scenarios in Challenge Mode.
3D MATCH ENGINE
Football Manager’s acclaimed match engine and modernised match presentation help to bring your fixtures to life.
REAL WORLD SCOUTING
Play the transfer market like never before with a realistic and immersive approach to scouting.
TACTICAL INNOVATION
Developing your footballing philosophy is easy with tactical analysis steering you towards your strengths by highlighting your weaknesses.
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BARGAINING POWER
A wealth of clauses and transfer options arm you with more ways than ever to finalise that blockbuster deal.
Football Manager Touch 2018 for Nintendo Switch™ is published by SEGA and is available as a digital download from the Nintendo Switch eShop.
West Ham’s Aaron Cresswell is enjoying a successful season. His side got off to a strong start in the league, and Cresswell himself has been a strong addition to the Hammers. He has 29 league appearances under his belt, but is rarely mentioned by the media.
Cresswell also missed out on an opportunity to play for his country under Roy Hodgson.
Aaron Cresswell signed for West Ham from Ipswich in July 2014. He scored his first goal at Upton Park back in November. This goal was the difference between the home side and visiting Newcastle, with Cresswell being named Man of the Match for his winning performance.
Following this clash, West Ham boss Sam Allardyce referred to Aaron Cresswell as ‘Mr Dependable’. He has been a constant in his side despite the fact he had no experience in the Premier League before August. Yet as he is not one of the higher profile debutants, he has been overlooked over the last season.
When Roy Hodgson released his selections for the Euro 2016 qualifiers, Harry Kane getting his call up was big news – unsurprising, given his season – but Aaron Cresswell was omitted from the squad selection.
Talk had began of an England call up for the West Ham player earlier in the season but it amounted to nothing. Is this down to the side he plays for? Leighton Baines and Luke Shaw were included in the selection, despite the injury woes they have faced this season. But both play for clubs who are further up in the Premier League table.
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Hodgon’s side has come under scrutiny for potentially being chosen on their team’s merit, rather than individual performance.
Cresswell’s debut season has not gone completely unnoticed though. It is being speculated that Manchester City are monitoring the 25-year-old, with intentions to bring him to the Etihad in the summer transfer window.
Manchester City are looking to bring English talent to their side and Aaron Cresswell would be a great addition if he can maintain his momentum from this season. Or could he just be another Scott Sinclair, signed off the back of a good season yet ends up rotting on the substitutes bench?
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He may not be the biggest name in the league, but Cresswell has put in some great performances for a Premier League newbie. His exclusion from the England squad can be considered more of a reflection of the manager rather than the individual.
He has established himself in his club squad and received some great praise from his own boss. He is even tipped to be awarded Player of the Year for the Hammers. He may be underrated for now, but he won’t be for long.
Fiorentina hitman Stevan Jovetic has revealed he would be interested in a move to Arsenal if the Gunners came calling.
The Montenegro international looks set to be at the centre of a tug of war for his services this summer, with the Gunners, Inter Milan, Juventus and Manchester City all said to be chasing him.
The 23-year-old has previously admitted he would rather ply his trade in the Premier League if he were to leave the Stadio Artemio Franchi and has now revealed a move to north London could appeal.
“I’ve heard about Arsenal’s interest,” Jovetic told The Sun.
“It’s a big pleasure for me to be on the radar of such a big club. I am happy about that.
“I’ve always had an affinity with Arsenal. It’s a major club with a big tradition, one of the biggest in Europe.
“They are still very strong. I often watch Premier League games on TV. It’s one of the best leagues in the world and looks tempting for me.”
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Fiorentina are unlikely to let Jovetic go on the cheap after 12 goals in 24 appearances for the Viola this season, with the Tuscan club reportedly looking at offers of £20m and above.
For the fourth time this season, Liverpool forward and Premier League top scorer Mohamed Salah has won the PFA Fans’ Player of the Month award, this time for March after clinching an incredible six goals and two assists in four Premier League appearances.
Four of those goals and one of those assists were claimed in a sensational display against Watford at Anfield. And when combined with the rest of the Egyptian international’s performances throughout March, it was enough to see him claim a huge 80% of the vote in a poll run by fan engagement experts Snack Media, with his five rivals for last month’s award – Heung-min Son, Dele Alli and Jan Vertonghen of Tottenham alongside Manchester City duo David Silva and Leroy Sane – all failing to reach double figures.
In the first of four divisional votes carried out over seven days via Snack Media’s digital and social networks, Salah recorded yet another landslide victory as Premier League fans recognised his devastating form during the last month. The final shortlist of March nominees polled as follows:
– Mohamed Salah (80%)
– Dele Alli (5%)
– Leroy Sane (4%)
– Heung-min Son (4%)
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Nurturing young players is about balance. They need to be allowed to work hard and play hard. But the most important balance to strike, especially for particularly talented youngsters whose clubs rely on them, is between experience and rest.
If anyone knows this, it is Mauricio Pochettino. Just look at all of the young players he has brought through the ranks during his time at Southampton and Tottenham. And now Pochettino fears that Harry Kane will face fatigue and a loss of form if he is to go to the U21 European Championships with Gareth Southgate’s England squad this summer.
It is physically taxing for any player to play a full season of league games, cup competitions (both domestic and European), and international games, let alone having to do all of this in a World Cup or European Championships year.
Yet this must all be balanced with the experience that young players get from playing as many games as possible. Especially if they are crucial to their club team, as responsibility at such a young age, coupled with lots of playing time, generally makes young players better when they are in their prime.
This is why lots of the current crop of England youngsters, including Harry Kane, need to go and represent their country this summer in order to progress as far as possible. This isn’t about winning the Euros. Far from it. It is just a very important chance to gain good experience.
Winning it might be a good thing for the country and for English football, but if it is, the goodness doesn’t come from the glory of winning. It would come from the taste of blood in the mouths of the young lions who will represent England in the future. As we are told time after time, winning is a habit.
So how should England balance this?
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After Raheem Sterling told Roy Hodgson he was tired, the youngster was left out of the England squad for the qualifier against Estonia in Tallinn in October. Brendan Rodgers later gave him a rest from Liverpool duty in January too.
Sterling has been criticised for this in some quarters, with some saying he should front-up and play for his country when asked, while others have been sympathetic and said that he should be given a break if tired. This shows how much we’re torn, and how no one knows the right answer.
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has also tried to take the pressure of mounting appearances off the shoulders of one of his England starlets, Ross Barkley, as Martinez has stated his desire to see Barkley left off the plane to the Czech Republic this summer.
Both merseyside managers, like Pochettino, were worried about burnout. And on balance, it does look like Barkley (injuries aside) and Sterling have played enough football over the last year to merit a break this summer. Even to the detriment, perhaps, of the Under-21 team.
Kane, however, is in a different position, even if Pochettino is worried about tiredness. This is actually about more than just tiredness. This is also about his progress at international level.
England’s chances in major tournaments over the next few years depend on players like Kane. Barkley, Sterling and Kane will likely all be playing a big part in the national side in just over a year’s time in the build up to Euro 2016 in France.
These youngsters need to find out what it’s like to be cooped up with 22 other young lads in a hotel room for 3 weeks, unable to do anything ‘fun’ lest the media jump on it. As though living in fear of a media backlash wasn’t conducive in itself to poor preparation.
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There is a difference in the developmental stages of Harry Kane and players like Sterling, Barkley and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, for example. These players have all played at a World Cup, and have all experienced the pressures and peculiarities of tournament football.
In this case, England can prioritise rest for these players. But for Harry Kane, Eric Dier, Jordon Ibe and many others, even though it’s only an Under-21 tournament, they still need to go in order to further their development.
A balance must be struck for the good of every party involved. But this doesn’t simply mean resting young players. It sometimes means giving them experience over and above club football.
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Sir Alex Ferguson is a man who has ever been aware that a football club must constantly move forward and improve in order to stay on top of their game. Over the years he has reinvented and reconfigured his Manchester United side to fit the needs of the modern game and maintain their supremacy in the Premier League.
But in the name of progress, some must fall by the wayside – it is the underlying law of the theory of evolution. So whom at Old Trafford needs to be moved on, for the sake of the club?
The summer transfer window is the perfect opportunity to bring in some fresh players, but also to get rid of the deadwood.
But who from the Manchester united roster should be sold for scrap in at the end of the season?
Click on Rio Ferdinand to see our five Old Trafford candidates for the transfer list
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