Category Uncategorized

One week ago it came to light Arsenal were determined to activate the £4million buy-back clause over Carlos Vela. Some embraced the news with the scepticism that bringing back a four-time loaned player naturally can produce, while others saw the move as the right decision taken by the Premier League club, as the player finally looks to of matured into just the type of player they need. What not many could see coming was the Mexican turning around and saying ‘no, thanks’.

The fact that Vela has publicly declined Arsenal’s interest in him without even discussing what kind of future was awaiting him at The Emirates should, at least, make the Gunners’ chiefs stop for a minute and think. Is the 24-year-old really having a brilliant spell at Real Sociedad? The answer is an obvious yes, but, is it better than the prospects of a return to Arsenal can bring? If that is the case, Vela’s intentions to stay in San Sebastian should cause alarm in the north London club.

[cat_link cat=”arsenal” type=”list”]

First of all, we should discard the possibility of Arsenal not being the right club for Vela. As a young, quick and skilful winger, it is hard to think of a better place for him to be than by Arsene Wenger’s side. His style of play matches to perfection what the Frenchman has tried to display on the pitch in the last few years, so it seems daring to explain the youngster’s failure at his first stage at Arsenal due to tactical reasons. He was simply too young and needed a bit more experience before being ready to impress at the top level.

His game has matured now and with 12 goals and 10 assists so far this season, Vela is one of the main assets of this superb Real Sociedad side, clearly the 2012/13 La Liga’s surprise package. Manager Philippe Montanier has formed a superb team based on a solid defence and the talent and experience of Xabi Prieto in the midfield that finds the spark in both wings with the skills of Vela and Griezmann. At this stage of the season they lie fourth in the table and dreams of the Champions League are starting to form in San Sebastian.

With the European hopes flying over Anoeta, one would think Vela has let himself go with the flow and expects more glory days to come with Real Sociedad, unaware of the humble nature of the team he plies his trade for. Far from that, the Mexican is perfectly conscious of the moment his current squad lives in and, as much faith he has in his team mates, he remains with the idea of staying with the Spaniards even if they fail to squeeze into Europe.

“I’m very happy here and, if we can’t make it into Europe this year, I’d like to stay to try the next one,” he said earlier this week.

That kind of statement comes to prove the presence, or lack of, that Arsenal have as a European power in football nowadays. The Gunners might not be seen any longer as a step up to the top level. Even though Wenger has kept qualifying for the Champions League season on season, Arsenal have struggled to look competitive in the European arena, and that could be having devastating side effects on the willingness players show to join the club.

We could add other reasons for Vela to snub Arsenal’s intentions of bringing him back, such as the competition for a place in the start XI. But if someone knocks on your door and offers you the possibility to lift trophies, you don’t think about that. The problem is that all Arsenal offer now is a short spell in Europe and a fight for the top-four in the league. What for? For another short spell in Europe the year after.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Looking at it that way, it seems more reasonable that players think twice before taking up the call to join the Gunners. After all, Santi Cazorla and Nacho Monreal might be asking themselves why they left a team that is among the best eight in Europe, to take up that call.

[opinion-widget op width=”full”]

Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez has hinted that fringe goalkeeper Karl Darlow, rated at £4.05m by Transfermarkt, still has a big role to play at the club having been impressed with the improvements he has made following the arrival of Martin Dubravka on loan from Sparta Prague during the January transfer window.

The former Nottingham Forest stopper had been in and out of the starting XI having been in competition with Rob Elliot in the first-half of this season, but he had started six successive Premier League matches from the end of December until the start of February.

However, Benitez wanted to bring in a new number one last summer and he finally sealed a temporary deal for Dubravka in January, with the Slovakia international keeping a clean sheet on his debut in the 1-0 win against Manchester United at St James’ Park last month.

The 29-year-old has been an ever-present between the sticks since then and says he wants to stay for the long-term, and even though Darlow isn’t playing his Spanish boss thinks the arrival of further competition on Tyneside has helped him get better.

Benitez told the Chronicle Live: “Darlow has improved a lot in terms of the little things that he can see Martin doing.

“Every player can learn from another one – especially keeps because they are there together all the time.

“So I think it has been positive for him. It is about improving everyone and that is what has been happening so far.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Newcastle can edge a step closer to retaining their Premier League status when they host fellow strugglers Huddersfield Town at St James’ Park on Saturday, knowing that a victory would take them on to 35 points with seven matches still left to play.

[ad_pod ]

It only seemed like a matter of time before Aston Villa parted company with Paul Lambert. Despite steady success with Norwich City, Lambert simply never got going at Villa Park and struggled to win over the support of the fans in his time as manager of the Midlands club.

Names such as Neil Lennon and Jurgen Klinsmann were linked with the managerial post but Tim Sherwood was always the stand out favourite to succeed Lambert. Sherwood had been linked with almost every managerial vacancy this season and it was only a matter of time before the promising young manager returned to England’s top flight.

The 46-year-old will be looking to hit the ground running and the first issue that needs to be resolved is Villa’s rather gloomy league position. They are currently languishing in 18th place, firmly in a relegation battle. The concern for Sherwood will be the fact that Villa have the worst goal difference in the league with -22. This is hardly a surprise considering the problems the team has had with finding the back of the net and it is something Sherwood will be desperate to sort out if his team are to avoid the drop this season.

[ad_pod id=’ffc-video-small’ align=’left’]

The former Tottenham Head Coach divided opinion when he took charge of Tottenham’s first team affairs last season. The 46-year-old was not shy in expressing his own views after matches. Sherwood would often be brutally honest if his team played poorly but he always gave off the impression that he was confident in his own managerial ability.

The Villa players need a figurehead like Sherwood to lead them out of trouble. At too many points this season, Lambert appeared to look dejected when talking to the media after the game. He was saying the right things but there was a lack of conviction to how he said it. Obviously, a change of personality is not going to be the sole reason behind Villa surviving this season. However, when a manager like Sherwood is given his chance to implement his authority, Aston Villa fans should expect a reaction from the players on the pitch.

Another encouraging aspect to Sherwood’s managerial approach is his willingness to play young, up-and-coming stars from the youth team. It would be unfair to dismiss Lambert in this particular instance as one of the main things he encouraged during his time at Aston Villa was the development of younger players. Sherwood will look to continue that trend as the club do have some talented young players that can play regularly for the first team. Names such as Jack Grealish and Graham Burke will be looking to impress the new manager as Sherwood will be looking to encourage the growth of youth prospects at the club.

The job at Villa Park is going to be a difficult one but it is well suited to a man like Tim Sherwood. His bullish attitude will hopefully get a reaction out of his players and his appointment is a fresh start for players at the club that have been struggling under Lambert this season.

It will be interesting to see how the likes of Chrsitian Benteke, Fabian Delph and Charles N’Zogbia develop under Sherwood as Villa have some talented players at their disposal if they play to their strengths.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

All in all, the new Villa boss is an excellent candidate to lead the club away from a relegation dogfight. He may not have heaps of experience but the job is a good opportunity for the former Spurs man to prove that he has what it takes to be a good Premier league manager.

[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]

Mega rich French club Paris St Germain are set to make a summer bid for Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri according to the Daily Mail.

Nasri has fallen out of favour at the Etihad this season and boss Roberto Mancini publically slammed the Frenchman for his work ethic in training.

The former Arsenal midfielder was a key player in City’s title winning team last season but the harmony amongst the City side has not followed through for more success in this campaign.

PSG are looking to add more French players to their Champions elect squad in the summer as their mega rich owners want to dominate European football within three years.

David Beckham has already stated that he wants to stay on in the French capital next season and more big names will no doubt be joining him in the summer with Nasri amongst the names if they can agree a fee with City.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[cat_link cat=”manchester-city” type=”grid”]

Ben Pearson has been in impressive form for Preston North End this season, with his performances key to the club pressing for an unlikely top-six finish in the Championship.

The 23-year-old actually came through the youth system at Manchester United, but never made a first-team appearance for the English giants before leaving for Preston in January 2016.

The midfielder is fast closing on 100 appearances for his current club, and there is no question that he has developed into a very strong Championship midfielder.

[ad_pod ]

It would not be a surprise if a number of clubs were having a look at the former England Under-20 international when considering that Preston would surely be vulnerable to any bid that arrived in this summer’s transfer window.

Leeds United fans are always extremely vocal on social media, and a selection have taken to Twitter to call on their club to move for Pearson this summer.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Some of the reaction from the Leeds supporters can be seen below:

According to the Express, Manchester United have slapped a £50m price tag on their exceptional goalkeeper David de Gea. Real Madrid have been heavily linked with United’s young star, but Louis van Gaal will hope to fend off any interest with the huge asking price.

De Gea has been in outstanding form for Manchester United this term – the shot-stopper has played a vital role in the clubs big improvement under van Gaal, and he is developing into an even better keeper week after week. The Red Devils’ number one has kept seven Premier League clean sheets so far, and has performed heroics in United’s goal, which has culminated in numerous Man of the Match awards.

The former Atletico Madrid stopper was up to his old tricks yet again last Saturday, as United earned a hard-fought victory against Queens Park Rangers – de Gea denied the in-form Charlie Austin twice in the first-half with two stunning saves, and then smartly kept out a shot by Mauricio Isla in the dying seconds to claim yet another clean sheet.

So it’s no surprise that Manchester United are hoping to tie him down to a new contract at Old Trafford – speaking to Sky Sports recently, Louis van Gaal said;” I think there is no problem for (de Gea) to sign.

“When you are a regular player, then probably you are the best, and then the manager is very happy that a player that is fixed in the line-up will stay.”

Van Gaal has brought in the ex-Barcelona stopper Victor Valdes, but has assured he will not be de Gea’s replacement, and has urged the 33-year-old to challenge de Gea for the No. 1 spot.

“Nobody is happy to be No. 2 and he has to have ambition to beat David de Gea – but it shall be very hard for him,” van Gaal added.

Due to the Spaniard’s standout performances this season, the world’s elite clubs have shown real interest in obtaining his signature. Real Madrid have reportedly been tracking the 24-year-old for quite some time, with Madrid’s long-serving keeper Iker Casillas, who is de Gea’s main rival for Spain’s no. 1 jersey, knocking on at 33-years-old, Carlo Ancelotti would see United’s keeper as the best possible replacement for Casillas at the Bernabeu.

But if the Red Devils want to keep pushing in the right direction then keeping hold of their stalwart goalkeeper must be a priority for Louis van Gaal’s side. De Gea was also a bright spark in Manchester United’s disappointing season last term but, this season, the Spanish international has taken his game to another level, and has certainly developed into one of the world’s best goalkeepers.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

After a slow start, United have settled into life under their new Dutch boss, and are starting to look like their normal, formidable selves. The Red Devils sit fourth in the Premier League table and, despite a recent setback against the ever-impressive Southampton, Old Trafford is beginning to become somewhat of a fortress once more.

[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]

[ad_pod id=’ffc-video’ align=’center’]

There is a stability at Arsenal that Jose Mourinho claims he is envious of. Clubs around Europe perhaps should look at Arsenal with equal levels of envy because of their apparent financial safety. But as has always been the case, football is won on the pitch, not on how attractive the bank balance looks.

Arsene Wenger spoke out about a topic that most were already well aware of. This is his club and the board wouldn’t make a strong move against his position. The manager offers the guidelines for wages, as well as advocating a socialist structure that looks to keep everyone well within reach of each other.

Like most of Wenger’s ideals, it’s a romantic approach to the game. Unfortunately, it’s also one that doesn’t really work in the modern climate of football. I’ve always maintained that being smart in one field doesn’t always mean it can be a success when transferring it to sport. This socialist structure may have worked elsewhere or at various points in history, but it simply won’t work in sports.

And that’s not to say the Arsenal manager isn’t free to go about the running of the club in a manner which he sees as ideal, it just means it won’t always be the best for both him and the club. His star players don’t want to be within touching distance of players who accumulate barely a handful of games over a season. Why should a top scorer or a captain be on almost similar pay to a veteran whose job is simply to fill a gap and come in when the situation calls for it?

[post_link url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/premiership/arsenal/wenger-keen-on-15m-move-for-david-villa, https://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/the-10-transfers-that-should-be-on-wengers-january-wishlist,https://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/player-trades-rather-than-buying-could-help-to-keep-it-competitive” target=”_blank” type=”tower”]

There’s being smart with a wage budget and living within your means, but this approach is something completely different. I struggle to see a way which the manager can defend his socialist ideal, and looking to the need for a stringent wage structure as a way to defend it is wrong. Quite plainly, they are two separate issues which don’t need to be married.

It almost certainly falls in line with the manager’s desire to create a young squad and have them grow up together and form a title-winning side. In that case again, Wenger would have wanted very little between each of his players, no matter their status.

But where is the problem in paying established players like Lukas Podolski, Santi Cazorla and Thomas Vermaelen the highest wages in the squad, all the while keeping the Johan Djourous, Aaron Ramseys, Carl Jenkinsons at the other end of the scale and with obvious daylight between both groups of players?

The manager seems to live by the idea that if he pays one player a high salary then everyone else will subsequently ask for a pay rise. Well why are a big club like Arsenal unable to say no? Why is a manager who holds so much power at the club unable to say no? Moreover, I doubt these players are stupid. How likely is it that a poor performer will ask to be paid in equal to that of one of the club’s star players?

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

It has always seemed that Wenger looks at the value of players on the pitch and what the effects are in the dressing room when offering contracts or even looking to new recruits. Do factors such as the morale of supporters ever come into play? What about the image the club creates for itself that is then spread around Europe? How many clubs are genuinely fearful of playing Arsenal anymore? It stems from the idea that the club are happy to let go of their best players for one reason or another. It stems from the idea that the club are unable to go after the finest players in the transfer market because they refuse to shell out on wages that befit the player’s quality.

The manager admits that the club are vulnerable to outsiders because of their wage structure. But as I’ve said, it’s not something that needs to be adhered to. There’s being smart and playing it safe with wages, breaking away from the norm for one or two outstanding individuals, but then there’s believing that something works when it clearly doesn’t and refusing to alter it’s makeup.

It’s very difficult to defend clubs who hand out contracts which reach close to £200,00 a week: not everyone can be or is Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. But it’s also difficult to defend a club who don’t want to properly stand by their most valuable assets by offering them increased wages and a contract that sets them well apart from the rest. It’s not that there are rules in football or sports as a whole on how to spend your wage budget, but there are quite obvious lines of thinking that stretches to all clubs and franchises. There isn’t a cloud protecting Arsenal’s players from what goes on elsewhere.

Newcastle fans are berating Tim Sherwood after the former Tottenham manager questioned Jonjo Shelvey’s discipline.

Tim Sherwood is the latest pundit to weigh in on Jonjo Shelvey’s omission from Gareth Southgate’s England squad, questioning if the Newcastle midfielder has the discipline to play in Southgate’s system.

Newcastle fans were infuriated by the announcement of Gareth Southgate’s England squad, which included the likes of Lewis Cook and Jake Livermore but not Jonjo Shelvey.

Shelvey has gone from strength to strength this season, and has finally started to add consistency to the bags of ability he’s always shown.

Southgate set England up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in their friendly against the Netherlands, but Sherwood doesn’t think Shelvey would perform the role Jordan Henderson did in the match, sitting deep and allowing the likes of Kyle Walker to roam out from the back.

“Jonjo has different qualities and the opportunity to be able to play (at Newcastle),” Sherwood said.

“The position for him in that side would be where Henderson played today. The question is going to be discipline. Is he going to step in to centre-back when Kyle Walker bombs on and is overlapping on the right-hand side.

“Henderson automatically does that – he sees it, smells it. Eric Dier does the same.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ debate show, Sherwood did go on to say Shelvey is “different class” when he’s on the ball. Still, it is hard to comprehend criticising the discipline of a player who is so integral to the plans of one of the world’s most disciplined and meticulous coaches in Rafael Benitez.

Newcastle fans have been reacting to the comments on Twitter, and some of the best reactions can be found below…

Presence, power, composure, audacity, arrogance. They’ve all got it in abundance and possess an inexplicable, unarticulated quality that can transform any team, at any time, in any game.

But first, the characteristics that define an out and out striker should be clarified. Lionel Messi is not a striker. He started his career out wide, and has made his career by operating as a false nine, dropping deep into midfield. Cristiano Ronaldo is not a striker. He’s always played out wide (typically in a devastating manner), and has never spearheaded an attack. Nor Alexis Sanchez, for the same reason. Thomas Muller is many things, but he too, is not a conventional number nine.

A conventional number nine primarily plays off the shoulder of the last man, centrally, and is typically the focal point of a team’s attacking strategy. A much heard tactical cliche is to refer to the ‘death of the poacher’ in the 2000s, which is apt. Without being contradictory, conventional number nines still have to base a lot of their game around link up play and intelligent lateral movement. But their end product is ultimately the same: goals.

Here are the world’s best five…

Karim Benzema

Not too long ago Karim Benzema was a not so popular figure at Madrid, and even went 1222 minutes without scoring for France in 2013. But this year has been his biggest and best, playing an integral role to both simultaneously help accommodate the vast quality so prevalent around the entire Madrid squad and also score frequently, too.

Easing off Gonzalo Higuain was no mean feat, an appreciation to the fact that his team-contribution gets the best out of Ronaldo – not many world class strikers would be as compatible with Ronaldo wide to their left. This season’s he’s already bettering last term’s goal-every-game-ratio and has scored seven in twelve for France.

With Madrid looking interminable, Benzema looks as if he’s finally performing at the peak his club have been waiting for.

Diego Costa

‘He’s literally got everything’ is how John Terry summarised the brutish Brazilian-Spaniard. Robust, aggressive and ruthless. He embodies that dangerous street-venom combined with the perverse interconnection of a sophisticated poacher.

His goals for Chelsea this season have mainly come from box play, which is a credit to his complete talent, because he in no uncertain terms built his Atlético reputation by being ruthless on the break. While Atlético have done well this season in his absence, they don’t quite have the attacking edge to compliment their stubborn defensive solidarity, a credit that he is (1) better than replacement Mario Mandzukic, and (2) doesn’t need many chances to score.

If his temperament is kept in check and his hamstring looked after, Chelsea could well dominate the English top flight for some time to come.

Luis Suarez

There’s nothing easier in a standard football conversation than to take the morale high ground when referring to Suarez. He may play dirty and he may talk dirty, but in strict footballing terms, he’s an exceptional talent.

Liverpool’s 102 Premier League goals last season and their subsequent decline in his absence reflects just how devastating he could be. He possesses that demonic quality that allows him to put absolutely everything he has into any situation – it is that desire that lands him in trouble. It’s rarely mentioned, but he’s deceptively quick – re-watch his halfway run goal against Everton last season (where, incidentally, he stayed ahead of Phil Jagielka, who is statistically the fasted player in the division) to see how he motors like a hyperactive cocker spaniel.

He provided 12 assists in his partnership with Daniel Sturridge last season, and had he not been suspended for biting Branislav Ivanovic and been allowed to take penalties, he may well have broken the most amount of goals scored in a Premier league season. How he’ll mould with Neymar and Messi remains to be seen, but if he plays to his potential, you’d be a fool to write off Barcelona to achieve anything this year.

Sergio Aguero

It’s a credit to his consistency that the Argentine, now in his eleventh professional year (he’s 26), has not gone more than two Premier League games without scoring for an entire calendar year.

His game winning hat-trick against Bayern Munich was a career-defining world class moment that pronounced him as Man City’s centre piece. Teams of City’s quality and financial power should never, ever, be reliant on one player, and it is a credit to Aguero that he’s single handedly carried them through Europe’s elite competition.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

See him in the flesh and you’ll be taken aback by his physical width – a strange assertion maybe – but he’s combative with the mobility and balance of an Olympic gymnast – a freakish physical persuasion. That also allows him to strike a football with a staggering amount of power (watch his meteoric finish versus Sunderland last week).

Perhaps the best out of these five, although that’s difficult to prove insurmountably when he’s condemned so frequently to the sidelines.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

‘The World Cup won’t be worth watching without me’. Yeah, it’s those Zlatan-isms that epitomise the arrogant and audacious package that completes the 6ft 5in Swede. It was tempting to give Robert Lewandoski this last slot, but Zlatan’s overall persona makes him unavoidable in this analysis.

On his day, he’s capable of some jaw-dropping moments that defy logic and rational description (his overhead kick versus England was almost offensive). But that should not take away from his unbelievable consistency – he’s netted 88 goals in 104 games for PSG. There’s been some decline this year, but not enough to think of him in any different terms.

He’s also the only real target man in this bracket – few who accept that role in the modern game are capable of scoring so many goals so consistently. While rumours continue to surface of his negligible influence in the divided PSG dressing room, his on field antics will always deafen any far-heard calls for something to change. Few individuals in history can carry that pressure with an assumed nonchalant ease, which makes it even more staggering that he’s 33. With no noticeable regression insight, he’ll likely stay at the top for a few more years.

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini celebrated three years in charge at the Etihad this week and he is proud of what he has achieved in a short space of time.

City have added numerous world class players to their squad and have gone on to win both the FA Cup and of course the Premier League to give Manchester the rivalry it has always craved.

The noisy neighbours will never forget what happened last season and the work that Mancini has done to build a squad capable of winning everything.

Despite reminiscing, Mancini also knows that being knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage and sitting six points behind United this season is worrying.

However, the Italian believes that he has changed football in England and in particular Manchester to dethrone Sir Alex Ferguson at the top. Winning the FA Cup and Premier League is all well and good but the best teams go on to win back-to-back trophies and consistently perform at the top, which is something Mancini is working on at the Etihad.

“I think that we worked really well because when I arrived here three years ago I didn’t think that maybe in two years we would win the Premier League and FA Cup,” Mancini told The Sun.

“I thought that maybe four or five years to win the Premier League because it isn’t easy.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“We changed things in England, and Manchester in particular, because for 20 or 30 years United won everything.

“We’ve also made mistakes, which is normal when we work and it can happen, and we need to continue to work hard to improve our game.”