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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.

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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.

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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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– Jan Vertonghen (4%)

– David Silva (3%)

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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Jonjo Shelvey has added one more pundit to his fan club this weekend, after Danny Murphy backed the Newcastle midfielder for a World Cup spot.

Newcastle fans were outraged last month when the likes of Jake Livermore and Lewis Cook were picked in Gareth Southgate’s England squad over Jonjo Shelvey.

Shelvey has been in fabulous form this season, particularly since Christmas, and fans have often felt their players don’t get the respect they deserve from the mainstream media.

Murphy has praised Shelvey’s influence for the Magpies though, telling Match of the Day viewers Shelvey is “the best England have got” when it comes to breaking down packed defences.

“In terms of opening up a packed defence, Shelvey is the best England have got. I understand the issues with the other side of his game, discipline and defensive responsibility, but I would be taking him to the World Cup,” the 41 year-old said.

Murphy played nine times for England, but never at a major tournament.

Shelvey has gone from strength to strength in recent months, dominating Manchester United’s expensive midfield in the recent win at St. James’ and showcasing his quick thinking on Saturday with one incredible free kick pass to Dwight Gayle.

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If the 26 year-old continues his fine form, he could even be in with a shout of starting in England’s relatively weak midfield.

Newcastle fans, do you think Shelvey should start at the World Cup? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Jason McAteer lauded the work of Brendan Rodgers as Liverpool manager when speaking at the Ladbrokes #ForTheFans Transfer Deadline Day party.

Ladbrokes invited Ian Wright, Chris Kamara, Peter Reid, Jason McAteer and 50 fans to a North London pub to take part in the Ladbrokes #ForTheFans Transfer Deadline Day party. Fans were treated to free bets, the latest reaction to transfer moves and news by our panel of legends, a singing Kammy and a free bar to keep the night flowing.

The ex-Liverpool midfielder, naturally synonymous with the club through his broad scouse accent and over a century of appearances for the Reds, is excited for the future at Anfield.

“They’ve put themselves in a great position to finish fourth,  something we probably weren’t talking about twelve weeks ago,” McAteer said.

“It was a disappointing start, losing Suarez and Sturridge, when you lose 51 goals it’s going to be very difficult to replace them. Then he (Brendan Rodgers) started searching for a different formation, playing personnel in different roles, there was a lot of players brought in during the summer.”

Rodgers faced stern critics this autumn but has ridden the storm out, though McAteer suggests these voices of discontent did not emanate from supporters.

“You could say that (he has been a victim of his own success), but Liverpool fans are clever fans. They know when you start the season again last season’s gone you’re now looking back your looking towards the future,” he added.

“Suarez has gone, he (Rodgers) brought a lot of players in, it was always going to take time for them players to bed in, not only that but to learn the system.”

McAteer suggests that, faced with these difficult changes, Rodgers has shown his managerial qualities in re-building Liverpool after a challenging autumn.

“I think he has done a fantastic job. Brendan had to find the answers, Brendan had to find the system, that’s why I am a fan of Brendan,” continue McAteer.

“He has worked hard in finding a way of playing, finding a way of getting those players in team, enjoying themselves and playing good football.”

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As a wholehearted Liverpool fan, McAteer talks with the palpable enthusiasm about how Rodgers has improved the Reds across this season.

“Liverpool are back where they belong in playing the kind of football we expect to see they are creating chances, they are not conceding goals. Twelve weeks ago they were never contenders for fourth place now you’re looking at them as the real deal, they’re going to hopefully nick into the fourth position.”

McAteer also explained his belief that Tottenham signing Delle Ali was the most important signing of the recently shut January transfer window.

“I think it’s a great signing, probably one of the hottest prospects around – he could probably go straight into the Tottenham team and enhance them, make them better,” McAteer added.

“I think you look at the £5million now but that could be a lot more come five years’ time. The scouting system at all clubs is there to find that kind of talent and I think it’s a good bit of business by Tottenham when everyone else is looking at big players and big money.”

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One club doing that was Manchester City, though McAteer feels £28m signing Wilfred Bony will, unlike previous signings, not gain sufficient first-team opportunities.

“I think he’s more experienced than these players, obviously he has played plenty of international football, and I think he’s more of a finished article than them. He’s is proven and he has scored all types of goals for Swansea, his movement was very good, he is physically built for the Premier League and Manchester City need strengthening in that department – I think he is the ideal player for them.”

Jason McAteer was speaking to Football FanCast at the Ladbrokes #ForTheFans Transfer Deadline Day party.

What impact did the January transfer window have on your team’s odds for the title, relegation, or European qualification? Head to Ladbrokes.com* or download the app and bet NOW #TheLadbrokesLife

‘Download the app to back Liverpool at 9/10 or Tottenham at 3/1 at Anfield. New customers only, terms apply’

The Johnstone’s Paint Trophy has given Crewe a pleasant side-track to a promising return to League One football this season and on Tuesday night, the lower league competition saw Gresty Road stage the northern section semi-final with Bradford City. The Bantams sit just outside the play-off places in League Two and have beaten Wigan, Arsenal and Aston Villa of the Premier League in a remarkable League Cup journey that has them ninety minutes, and a 3-1 lead over the Villians, away from Wembley.

After last week’s heroics over Villa, Bradford were back in the more modest surroundings of a below-freezing night in Crewe but Phil Parkinson’s side travelled down with a cup pedigree that promised to make this a very tough tie even with the squad changes, eight in total, that is likely to land the Yorkshire club a FA fine. Parkinson has bigger occasions possibly awaiting on the horizon however, the chance to enter themselves in League Cup folklore likely to only be secondary to the quest to climb out of the fourth tier, something their long-suffering fans have waited five years to achieve. The JPT was arguably third on their list of priorities and Parkinson rang the changes logically despite an awaiting financial penalty.

Crewe manager Steve Davis also made changes from the side that drew 1-1 at Leyton Orient. In came Ajay Leitch-Smith and Harry Davis for Max Clayton and Mark Ellis, whilst in goal Alan Martin replaced Steve Phillips whose error contributed to Orient’s opener at Brisbane Road on Saturday. That Lee Cook strike was all the Londoners had to show for an opening 35 minutes of domination however and Crewe managed to draw level through Byron Moore just before half-time. The second period, in which the visitors could have stole victory as Ellis, Clayton and Bradden Inman all had chances, saw improvement though the overriding feeling was the Alex had been lucky to escape from the capital with a point when a second successive defeat, after the substandard display against Stevenage the week before, seemed likely in the opening stages.

Despite a steady run of results, it is still only two defeats in nine league games, the standard of performances has began to suffer and the JPT, with it being secondary to domestic form, gave Davis a chance to tweak the side in order to arrest the slide that had been creeping in. Bradford’s heavily rotated team started the game very well however, obviously instructed by their manager to press and unsettle Crewe’s habit of moving the ball on the ground. The match became tight and fragmented as a result, the home side were making mistakes on a frosty pitch and Kyel Reid sent a long range effort fizzing through goalkeeper Alan Martin to give the away side the lead. In a match where chances were sparse, it was a goal that predictably came from nothing.

It was hard to see, from a Crewe point of view, where an equaliser would come from. Leitch-Smith appeared rusty in making his first start since the start of October after a long injury absence, Mathias Pogba struggled alongside him and the midfield of Luke Murphy and Abdul Osman were failing to cope with Bradford’s close attention of the duo in order to prevent their regular passing game. The disjointed performance was worrying until Byron Moore was allowed to run at an isolated Ryan Dickson on the right to loop a strike over goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin via a Nathan Doyle deflection. Pogba and Inman went close immediately after as Crewe finished a poor first half strongly, but the interval was welcome with the scoreline level.

The break seemed to galvanise the home side as they emerged brightly. Inman, continuing to impress on loan from Newcastle, broke free on the left to hit a shot that McLaughlin tipped over before Doyle and Dickinson combined to deny first Matt Tootle and then Moore with two desperate blocks. Despite the Crewe pressure, Bradford always had a threat on the counter-attack with the constant running of Blair Turgott and goalscorer Reid. Parkinson brought on highly rated striker Nakhi Wells and winger Zavon Hines as he tried to relieve some of the pressure building on his team. Davis responded by withdrawing Leitch-Smith and Pogba for Max Clayton and Chuks Aneke.

Those substitutions proved to be the catalyst for Crewe’s eventual victory as Aneke and Clayton combined for a move that culminated in the latter meeting a cross from the superb Byron Moore to direct a diving header past the helpless McLaughlin. From then it was one-way traffic; Inman was denied again by Bradford’s busy ‘keeper, Clayton had another diving header disallowed for offside just after Aneke sent a shot narrowly wide. The impact of the Arsenal loanee, so often frustratingly lethargic and ineffective, was game-changing and he sent Inman racing away to finally mark his influential display with a cool finish. Aneke finished things off with an emphatic half volley after a neat lay-off by Clayton.

The late goal glut made the score more one-sided than the game itself however and there will be still some concern about the standard of Crewe performance before Davis turned to his bench. The impact made by Aneke and Clayton however, plus the decent contribution maid by Leitch-Smith as he continues his rehabilitation from injury, will give the manager a lot of options as he prepares for the visit of MK Dons on Saturday. Coventry lie in wait in the northern area final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy but that tie will wait until February as the league will reclaim the focus in the meantime, one hopes that Davis will take the momentum gained from the competition in order to get Crewe back on track in League One.

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You can follow me on Twitter @AdamGray1250

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is not renowned for his ability to develop youth and he hasn’t yet introduced a new youngster into the first team setup at Old Trafford on a full-time basis.

The Red Devils have been struggling slightly in recent weeks and the mood around the club is deflated after Jose Mourinho took swipes at his players and the club’s history.

Any of the club’s fans hoping that the former Real Madrid manager might turn to the youth ranks to lift the club looks set for a long wait.

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Not only does Mourinho typically prefer the experienced players, the club’s youngsters are now coming off the back of a poor result, against Brentford B. Are too many youngsters spending their time on www.esports.net?

The Bees have disbanded their academy, and now take their second string, made up of academy outcasts around the country for friendlies. It is clearly working but the 3-1 victory over United’s prospects didn’t go down well with the club’s fans.

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We’ve taken a closer look at the best of the angry reaction…