Red Devils 2016-2017

deleted, with apologies

Arse luck, not just with game called off due to lousy pitch con :pditions ("Birds Nest" Stadium) but also flood in Tianjin.
Now on to the Turks on sat

Manchester derby in China off after heavy rain leaves pitch unplayable

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36881494

Paul Pogba to Man Utd: Real Madrid refuse to rule out deal
ZINEDINE ZIDANE’S comments may upset Manchester United.
By Charles Perrin
PUBLISHED: 04:00, Wed, Jul 27, 2016 | UPDATED: 04:08, Wed, Jul 27, 2016

Recent reports have indicated United will close out a £110million deal for Paul Pogba.

The Juventus superstar is widely expected to move back to Old Trafford, having left the club four years ago.

Real Madrid have expressed a strong interest in the 23-year-old, with Zidane a fan.
Players who have returned to former clubs for higher fees
Thu, July 21, 2016
With Paul Pogba on the verge of returning to Manchester United for around £100m, Express Sport takes a look at other players who have returned to former clubs for inflated fees

And Los Blancos boss has refused to rule out a move for the midfielder.

“In this moment we are still working [on a move for Pogba], and I cannot say anything more," Zidane said.

"Until August 31 anything can happen, but today he is not a Real Madrid player and I cannot talk about what will happen.

"I always say how things are, but now is not the time to talk about this.

“A lot of clubs are interested in Pogba.

"Real Madrid always want the best players.

“But we owe Juventus respect, and I can't say anything more out of respect."

Jose Mourinho has already splashed the cash and made three signings as United boss this summer - Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

WTF...willing to pay 100m but diddle on 10m?

Mino Raiola cancels Paul Pogba's Manchester United medical after failing to agree payment

PAUL POGBA's Manchester United medical was cancelled today as Mino Raiola refused to go any further with the move until his payment was sorted, according to reports in Spain.

By Bruce Archer
PUBLISHED: 15:29, Tue, Jul 26, 2016 | UPDATED: 22:39, Tue, Jul 26, 2016

But Juventus are not playing ball meaning Manchester United could be forced to pay the whole fee.
Pogba had a medical booked in with Dr Italo Linfante of the Miami Cardic and Vascular Institute, according to Spanish newspaper AS.

surely, Mourniho is making a fatal mistake...letting Fosu-Mensah go is creating another Pogba episode.

NINE PLAYERS NOT IN JOSE'S PLANS FOR 2016-17:

Defenders: Tim Fosu-Mensah, Paddy McNair, Tyler Blackett, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson.

Midfielders: Bastian Schweinsteiger, Andreas Pereira, Adnan Januzaj

Strikers: Will Keane, James Wilson

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ld-leave-Old-Trafford-loan.html#ixzz4Fj66Qvws
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Culling of 9. But Fosu to remain (another tabloid source, Sun:p)

NO MORE USE. Jose Mourinho to brutally cull NINE players including Bastian Schweinsteiger
as he plans for Paul Pogba’s arrival

A host of stars have been warned they have no future at the club or will be loaned out as world record signing edges closer

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/foot...nsteiger-as-he-plans-for-paul-pogbas-arrival/

JOSE MOURINHO has told NINE players to leave as he plans for Paul Pogba’s arrival.
The biggest casualty of Manchester United’s brutal cull is midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger.

With Juventus superstar Pogba all set to join for a world-record £112million, Mourinho has warned a host of stars they have no future at the club.
German World Cup winner Schweinsteiger, 31, faces the axe and boss Mourinho is set to sell, or loan out, EIGHT youngsters.
Tyler Blackett, 22, and James Wilson, 20, will be allowed to leave, along with Will Keane, 23 with old boss David Moyes interested at Sunderland.

Brazilian kid Andreas Pereira, 20, is also being farmed out but he DOES have a United future.
However, home-grown pair Paddy McNair, 21, and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, 19, are under threat while Belgian Adnan Januzaj, 21, fears he could be axed, too. Guillermo Varela, 23, has already joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan.

Yet Dutch defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah, 18, is staying after being offered a new deal.
As revealed by SunSport on July 10, Mourinho wants to work with 22 core players next season.
And yesterday he held face-to-face meetings with those not in his plans.
United are on the brink of sealing a deal for France midfielder Pogba, 23.
According to sources in Italy, he will get £324,000 a week — making him the richest player in Premier history — and £5.9m in image rights.

Wilson,Keane, Januzaj and Blackett have been around the junior ranks for quite a while. They're either in the first team this season or they can take their skills elsewhere. Of the four methinks Wilson could potentially hit big and do well. Janu is still a long way but if he gets playtime he could improve dramatically.

It's make or break for Pereira this season as I dun think he'll be given another chance. As for Fosu, Mou has to be blind not to see the potential.If Mou axed Fosu, then there's no stopping him to rid of Martial if he under performs this season. If it ever reaches that stage, I think we are better off without Mourinho.

The immediate ones to remove should be Basti,Depay and Rojo. Rojo has been in and out of shape for the entire season and Basti was never at the starting block. Still haven't figure out why LVG bought Depay. This boy has a VERY POOR attitude.

I guess, Devils will be very strong this season

red amoeba said:

surely, Mourniho is making a fatal mistake...letting Fosu-Mensah go is creating another Pogba episode.

NINE PLAYERS NOT IN JOSE'S PLANS FOR 2016-17:

Defenders: Tim Fosu-Mensah, Paddy McNair, Tyler Blackett, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson.

Midfielders: Bastian Schweinsteiger, Andreas Pereira, Adnan Januzaj

Strikers: Will Keane, James Wilson

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ld-leave-Old-Trafford-loan.html#ixzz4Fj66Qvws
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Click to expand...

Pleased to see that Mata isn't in this bunch. Hopefully he can prove himself to Mourinho that he deserves a 1st team place.

For Adnan Januzaj, it's indeed a big fall from grace. The wonder kid from the Moyes era is now considered surplus to requirements.

THE_CHANSTER said:

Pleased to see that Mata isn't in this bunch. Hopefully he can prove himself to Mourinho that he deserves a 1st team place....

Click to expand...

I am not sure if Mata will be able to keep his place. A leopard doesn't change it's spot so they say and Mourinho is no different. The only reason why he's keeping Mata is because he's popular among fans and players alike. He knows all about fans reaction with his days at Chelsea when he sold Mata to United 3 seasons ago.

hikon said:

I guess, Devils will be very strong this season

Click to expand...

If they put the 100 million pounds and stack it at the goal mouth, methinks Utd stand a chance of not conceding this season.

Gallego99 said:

If they put the 100 million pounds and stack it at the goal mouth, methinks Utd stand a chance of not conceding this season.

Click to expand...

For one reason or the other, mata was involved in both goals scored by Man U, providing the assists. With this alone, how to justify axing him? At least not for now.

But I am sure, he will not start. He lack pace, lack height, lack strength. Not in the mould of fast flowing attack.

Gallego99 said:

Wilson,Keane, Januzaj and Blackett have been around the junior ranks for quite a while. They're either in the first team this season or they can take their skills elsewhere. Of the four methinks Wilson could potentially hit big and do well. Janu is still a long way but if he gets playtime he could improve dramatically.

It's make or break for Pereira this season as I dun think he'll be given another chance. As for Fosu, Mou has to be blind not to see the potential.If Mou axed Fosu, then there's no stopping him to rid of Martial if he under performs this season. If it ever reaches that stage, I think we are better off without Mourinho.

The immediate ones to remove should be Basti,Depay and Rojo. Rojo has been in and out of shape for the entire season and Basti was never at the starting block. Still haven't figure out why LVG bought Depay. This boy has a VERY POOR attitude.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, no teams in the top 4 (except Tottenham) is ready to give youngsters one / two season to properly develop and show what they can do. As such, some one bursting into first team and not sustaining it will be quickly forgotten and discarded - Pogba being a fine example. Ditched by Fergie and went on to explode and now, Man U has to eat the hat and pay back several times over to bring him back.

There are others - Macheda is another one. Crucial match winning goals, then disappear into oblivation and pack off. Wilson is in danger of becoming another one.

On Wilson, he has the pace, he has the height - but unfortunately he did not shine in those limited minutes provided to him - unlike Rashford who stole the limelight - call it luck ? Unless Ibrahimovic is injured, otherwise he will also fade into oblivation come end of season. Mourinho seems capable of getting aged starts to perform - think Drogba.

Bothwick Jackson -actually i am impressed by him, his crossing is one of the better one - can be a good understudy to Shaw. Much better than Blind. Mourinho is making a mistake to pass him for this.

Reading the tabloids, Fosu is staying, which is good, hope he goes out for loan to further develop and possibly be a mainstay for years to come. Sunderland ??

Jose Mourinho's youth policy in focus but United fans should back his calls


BY SCOTT PATTERSON

When Jose Mourinho was appointed Manchester United manager, he was very keen to stress the traditions of the club were safe in his hands. He attended a news conference with a list of 49 players he had given debuts to in the 15 years he'd been a manager.

Three years ago, when United were seeking a replacement for Sir Alex Ferguson, lots of fans were wary about Mourinho getting the job. While it is factually correct that he has given lots of young players their debut, that isn't necessarily the same thing as giving youth a chance. He might have played academy graduates for the odd minute or two but in terms of relying them, like Sir Matt Busby and Ferguson had done before him, Mourinho doesn't have a stellar record.

This time around, following the dismal David Moyes and Louis van Gaal years, most supporters couldn't care less about Mourinho's previous record with youth. Either he would have to change at United, or he wouldn't, but with just one FA Cup to show for the last three seasons, promoting academy players wasn't the No.1 priority for a lot of fans.

However, for all of Van Gaal's failings, he thrived when it came incorporating homegrown players, giving debuts to 14 youngsters during his tenure. How much success they had varied and how much credit Van Gaal deserves is questionable, although it is important to note he claimed at the start of 2015-16 that it was a deliberate move to have a small squad so youth players would get a chance in the first team....................

http://www.espnfc.com/club/manchest...otlight-but-united-fans-should-back-his-calls

Gallego99 said:

I am not sure if Mata will be able to keep his place. A leopard doesn't change it's spot so they say and Mourinho is no different. The only reason why he's keeping Mata is because he's popular among fans and players alike. He knows all about fans reaction with his days at Chelsea when he sold Mata to United 3 seasons ago.

Click to expand...

When Mourinho first joined United I was also sceptical that Mata would keep his place under the new regime but after listening to some Mourinho interviews and reviewing the circumstances at Chelsea, I believe he will give Mata a chance to prove himself as an attacking midfielder.

Unlike at Chelsea, he's starting everyone which an equal footing whereas at Chelsea, you always knew he preferred Oscar it that role.
Mourinho is not stupid tactically. I have every confidence that, given the right opportunity, Mata will stay at United if he continues in his previous performances.

THE_CHANSTER said:

When Mourinho first joined United I was also sceptical that Mata would keep his place under the new regime but after listening to some Mourinho interviews and reviewing the circumstances at Chelsea, I believe he will give Mata a chance to prove himself as an attacking midfielder.

Unlike at Chelsea, he's starting everyone which an equal footing whereas at Chelsea, you always knew he preferred Oscar it that role.
Mourinho is not stupid tactically. I have every confidence that, given the right opportunity, Mata will stay at United if he continues in his previous performances.

Click to expand...

Bro, dun read too much into interviews or what he says to the camera.In all fairness to Mourinho, he is really making the best of the opportunity to rebuild the squad with a checklist of the qualities he needs to ensure United have what it takes to win silverware.

Every player wants to be in the first eleven. If reports are true that Mata's been told has has a 33.3% chance of playing, that is certainly not encouraging. The way I read Mou is that Mata has a chance of playing albeit at only 33% but should Mata feel that is not good enough, he's free to look elsewhere. Well, we'll see what happens between now and at the end of the season.

Like Mata alot. He's easily one of the most hardworking and honest type that I've seen in recent memory.

red amoeba said:

Unfortunately, no teams in the top 4 (except Tottenham) is ready to give youngsters one / two season to properly develop and show what they can do. As such, some one bursting into first team and not sustaining it will be quickly forgotten and discarded - Pogba being a fine example. Ditched by Fergie and went on to explode and now, Man U has to eat the hat and pay back several times over to bring him back.

There are others - Macheda is another one. Crucial match winning goals, then disappear into oblivation and pack off. Wilson is in danger of becoming another one.

On Wilson, he has the pace, he has the height - but unfortunately he did not shine in those limited minutes provided to him - unlike Rashford who stole the limelight - call it luck ? Unless Ibrahimovic is injured, otherwise he will also fade into oblivation come end of season. Mourinho seems capable of getting aged starts to perform - think Drogba.

Bothwick Jackson -actually i am impressed by him, his crossing is one of the better one - can be a good understudy to Shaw. Much better than Blind. Mourinho is making a mistake to pass him for this.

Reading the tabloids, Fosu is staying, which is good, hope he goes out for loan to further develop and possibly be a mainstay for years to come. Sunderland ??

Click to expand...

Macheda for all his heroics has a drinking issue. He was loan to Sampdoria (I think). He came on as a sub in one of the games when Sampdoria was chasing the game and it was a nightmare for the lad,running aimlessly and didn't make an impression at all.

Wilson remains a mystery to this day. Maybe, he lacks the desire to scale the heights of greatness.

Bothwick Jackson should bulk up if he is to stand any chance of being selected by Mou.

Mou has already raised the bar and it is entirely up to the young players to respond. Out of this lot Fosu has the best chance and he's likely to improve with playtime.