The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Man Utd

  • Man Utd fights back to draw with Arsenal

    Manchester United and Arsenal have played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in Wednesday’s Premier League clash at Old Trafford.

    Arsenal twice led through goals from Shkodran Mustafi and Alexandre Lacazette, but Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard earned a share of the spoils for the home side.

    Jose Mourinho’s side have now gone four games without a win and remain in eighth place in the standings, while Arsenal are down to fifth despite having extended their unbeaten run in the top flight to 13 matches.

    United started brightly in the North-West rain with Marcus Rashford forcing Bernd Leno into an early save from distance, but the home side failed to build on what had been an encouraging opening.

    Arsenal were not getting shots away at the other end but the Gunners were having plenty of joy down the left flank as Sead Kolasinac and Alex Iwobi overpowered youngster Diogo Dalot.

    The Gunners had slowly began to get on top and it came as little surprise when they took the lead, but their goal came as a result of a glaring error from David de Gea.

    Mustafi got away from his marker to sent a weak header towards goal and although De Gea got both hands to the German’s effort, the defender’s attempt found its way over the line after De Gea managed to fumble the ball behind him.

    However, it took United just four minutes to find an equaliser. Leno made a solid save to keep out Marcos Rojo’s free kick but Ander Herrera retrieved the ball to cross for Anthony Martial, who lashed a shot into the net from six yards out.

    Shots were few and far between for the remainder of the first half and after Rob Holding was forced off injured, five players picked up yellow cards in the space of 310 seconds for separate fouls.

  • Man Utd to honour electrocuted Nigerians against Swansea

    Man Utd to honour electrocuted Nigerians against Swansea

    Manchester United have confirmed that the electrocuted Nigerian fans will be remembered at the Old Trafford when they host Swansea in a league fixture on Sunday.

    Tragedy struck during the Red Devils’ Europa League encounter with Anderlecht as the football fans were electrocuted at Nyagasang, Calabar.

    They had gathered at the popular viewing centre when a transformer nearby exploded twice – with a high tension wire dropping on the structure built with zinc.

    However, the club has announced that against the Swans, Jose Mourinho’s men will wear black armbands to pay tribute to the victims of the tragedy.

    The #MUFC players will wear black armbands on Sunday in memory of the seven fans who lost their lives recently in Calabar, Nigeria.

    ”The #MUFC players will wear black armbands on Sunday in memory of the seven fans who lost their lives recently in Calabar, Nigeria,” the club tweeted.

    United who played a 0-0 draw against Manchester City on Wednesday need a win against Paul Clement’s men to boost their chances of qualifying for next season’s Uefa Champions League.

    They are fifth on the log with 64 points after 33 games. Swansea are in the relegation zone with 31 points after 34 outings.

  • Man Utd draw Rostov in Europa League last 16

    Man Utd draw Rostov in Europa League last 16

    Manchester United have been drawn against Russian club Rostov in the last 16 of the Europa League.

    Jose Mourinho’s men reached the knockout stage with a 4-0 aggregate victory over Saint-Etienne, having finished runners up in their group, and they are the only Premier League club remaining in the competition after Tottenham were eliminated on Thursday.

    Elsewhere, Serie A outfit Roma have been drawn against Ligue 1 side Lyon, while there is an all-Bundesliga clash as Schalke take on Borussia Monchengladbach.

    Belgian rivals Gent and Genk will face off in a last-16 local affair, but their fellow First Division side Anderlecht must travel to Cyprus to take on APOEL. La Liga side Celta Vigo have been tasked with a trip to Russia to take on Krasnodar.

    Dutch giants Ajax will have to make a short trip north to Denmark after being drawn against Kobenhavn, while Greece and Turkey meet when Olympiacos take on Besiktas.

    Europa League last 16 draw in full

    Celta Vigo vs Krasnodar

    APOEL vs Anderlecht

    Schalke vs Gladbach

    Lyon vs Roma

    Rostov vs Man Utd

    Olympiacos vs Besiktas

    Gent vs Genk

    Kobenhavn vs Ajax

  • Van Gaal quits football

    Van Gaal quits football

     

    Ex-Manchester United and Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal says he has retired from coaching

    after a 26-year career.

    The 65-year-old van Gaal has been out of work since being sacked by United hours after winning

    the FA Cup in May 2016.

    “I thought maybe I would stop, then I thought it would be a sabbatical, but now I do not think I

    will return to coaching,” Van Gaal was quoted as saying by a Dutch newspaper .

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that van Gaal also had spells in charge of Ajax, FC

    Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AZ.

    He made the announcement on Monday after receiving a lifetime achievement award from the Dutch

    government for his contribution to football.

    He cited family issues for his decision, with the newspaper saying it was partly motivated by

    the sudden death of his daughter’s husband last month.

    “So much has happened in my family. You become a human being again with your nose pressed to the

    facts,” he added.

    The Dutchman also revealed he turned down lucrative offers to continue his coaching career in

    the Far East.

    Van Gaal played as a midfielder for Ajax, Royal Antwerp, Telstar, Sparta Rotterdam and AZ

    between 1972 and 1987.

    He then moved into coaching, first as an assistant at AZ and followed by the same role at Ajax.

    He replaced Leo Beenhakker as Ajax head coach in 1991 and went on to preside over a period of

    sustained success.

    Van Gaal won the Dutch league title on three occasions as well as the 1992 UEFA Cup and the 1995

    Champions League title.

    Van Gaal was asked to emulate that success at Spanish giants FC Barcelona.

    He inherited Bobby Robson’s side in 1997 and led them to two successive La Liga titles and the

    Copa del Rey.

    His country came calling in 2000, but his first stint in charge lasted less than two years when

    The Netherlands failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup.

    It was the first time they had missed the competition since 1986.

    The Dutchman’s second spell at FC Barcelona was even shorter —- eight months —- as he left

    midway through the season with the club hovering just above the relegation zone.

    He then guided AZ Alkmaar to the 2005/2006 Eredivisie title before moving to the Bundesliga,

    where he helped Bayern Munich to the 2009/2010 Bundesliga title.

    The Dutch national side approached Van Gaal again in 2012 and this time The Netherlands became

    one of the first two European countries, along with Italy, to qualify for Brazil 2014.

    There, they went on to finish in third place.

    After much speculation, he joined Manchester United in May 2014, signing a three-year contract

    to succeed David Moyes.

    However, United replaced him with Jose Mourinho after just two years following a fifth-placed

    Premier League finish in the 2015/2016 season.

    NAN reports that the club’s first FA Cup triumph since 2004 was even not sufficient to save him

  • Rooney inspires Man Utd to fifth place

    Rooney inspires Man Utd to fifth place

    Manchester United rounded off the 2015-16 Premier League season with a routine 3-1 victory over Bournemouth at Old Trafford to take fifth place.

    The Red Devils, needing only a point to seal an automatic berth into the Europa League, got the job done on home soil thanks to goals from Wayne Rooney, Marcus Rashford and Ashley Young.

    There will be no Champions League football for United, however, for just a second season in the last 25, as they failed to score the 18 goals required to usurp rivals Manchester City into fourth place.

    It was a positive way to end of their league campaign, at least, with Rooney in particular proving a real through by playing a part in all three of his side’s goals in the rearranged fixture.

    The closest the home side came to making a breakthrough prior to Rooney’s opener came 31 minutes in, when the skipper’s free kick landed awkwardly in front of Adam Federici.

    Bournemouth’s stand-in stopper made a routine enough stop in the end, but Michael Carrick so nearly got a telling touch to the ball following a very bland opening half-hour at the Theatre of Dreams.

    United’s lowest home league crowd for some time watched on as their side battled to make something happen, although it was proving to be an extremely frustrating evening in the final third of the field.

    It could have been even worse for those in attendance had Marc Pugh made the most of his half-chance 38 minutes in, only to send his shot straight into Antonio Valencia in front of goal after some positive play by Matt Ritchie down the right.

  • Pellegrini insists beating Man Utd will be motivating factor

    Pellegrini insists beating Man Utd will be motivating factor

    Manchester United host Manchester City in a huge derby game at Old Trafford on Sunday. With just a point separating the sides, small margins could decide this one and that means winning personal battles…

    Can Wayne Rooney get the better of Manchester City defenders? Could Sergio Aguero have too much for Marcos Rojo? And will it be Michael Carrick or David Silva pulling the strings in midfield?

    Sky Sports pick out three key battles that could decide the Manchester derby…

    The respective captains have enjoyed and endured a long-running battle for supremacy in this fixture that dates back years. It’s not always been friendly either with Rooney criticised for brandishing an imaginary card when angling for Kompany’s dismissal in 2012.

    Rooney has certainly had his moments of glory too. Kompany could do nothing to prevent the Manchester United forward’s stunning overhead winner in 2011 and Rooney also scored braces away to Manchester City in each of the following two seasons – games in which the defender was sent off after 12 minutes in the first then substituted due to injury after 21 minutes in the second.

    Kompany has had his highs as well. Plenty of them, in fact. He scored the only goal of the game in what turned out to be a decisive win in the title race in April 2012 and has played every single minute of City’s victories at Old Trafford in each of the past three seasons. The concern, however, is that the Belgian’s form is not what it was.

    “Vincent Kompany has turned into Mr Rash,” said Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville last month. “I don’t know what’s happened to him. He needs to settle his game down.” Rooney does not appear in the mood to let his opponent off the hook either. He’s scored six goals in his last eight appearances for United and is revelling in his forward role.

    “He’s proving now that he is Manchester United’s best striker, enjoying the role and scoring goals,” said Neville on Monday Night Football. Although Robin van Persie has confirmed his fitness ahead of the derby, it seems unlikely that United boss Louis van Gaal will want to change too much with Rooney in this form. How this battle shapes up could go a long way to deciding the outcome.

     

    Rojo v Aguero

    At the other end of the field, an Argentine duel could be critical for both teams and it seems that there might be a little animosity between these international team-mates. The pair reportedly fell out during last summer’s World Cup and when Aguero pulled out of a community event in the build-up to the November derby between the teams, Rojo jokingly suggested that the City striker might be scared of him.

    Events at the Etihad Stadium proved that to be nonsense. Aguero had the better of it even before Rojo went off with a shoulder injury in the early stages of the second half, having run away from his marker once only to be hacked down and eluded him a second time before being denied by David de Gea. Aguero scored the winner – and only goal of the game – just seven minutes after Rojo departed.

    United are better organised now and Rojo knows he’ll need to be vigilant. “In the penalty area he is a very quick mover and gets into position very quickly,” said the United defender. “He can be controlled, but it is up to us to keep an eye on where he at all times and get into him with a degree of firmness. You have to stick close to him, that’s for sure. Be very attentive.” Easier said than done.

     

    Carrick v Silva

    Silva excelled in the No.10 role the last time that City played at Old Trafford. Operating behind Edin Dzeko, the Spaniard had a role to play in the striker’s first-minute goal when he burst through the centre and might have doubled the lead inside 10 minutes when he found vast space between Rio Ferdinand and Phil Jones. The little magician controlled the play for much of the first half with Marouane Fellaini summing up United’s frustration in a 3-0 defeat when taking a sly kick at him.

    The question on Sunday will be whether Manuel Pellegrini keeps that performance in mind and opts to utilise Silva in the same position. City’s penchant for playing with two forwards has meant Silva has had to drift in from the flanks and the playmaker was out with a knee injury when the teams met in November so Pellegrini’s thinking on the matter is unclear. Given that City were not entirely convincing that day, even once United were down to 10 men, it could see Silva return as a No.10.

    Not least because the make-up of the Manchester United midfield will be ostensibly similar to how it looked a little over 12 months ago. Van Gaal has made fundamental changes to the team since replacing David Moyes, but the Scot’s midfield that day featured a trio of Carrick, Fellaini and Tom Cleverley. Two of those seem certain to feature in a midfield trio with Ander Herrera asked to knit the play instead of Cleverley.

    Of course, Van Gaal has worked hard to bring more cohesion to United than Moyes ever achieved and he’s unlikely to spend too much time thinking about a game that happened before he’d even arrived at the club. But Carrick struggled to get to grips with Silva that afternoon and the job of tracking the City star when he moves into those pockets of space will be a crucial one. Indeed, it’s just one of a host of battles that could decide which team finishes on top in Manchester this season.

  • Man Utd, Arsenal battle for FA Cup ticket

    Man Utd, Arsenal battle for FA Cup ticket

    WHAT will be perceived as a successful season for Louis van Gaal and Arsène Wenger  is a top-four place alone enough to satisfy frustrated boards and fans? Perhaps not, which is why both are striving to add the FA Cup, something Arsenal managed to do last season. Wenger has not overseen a win at Old Trafford since 2006, however, and no win over United at all in seven attempts.

    In a Friday press conference, Wenger stressed that Arsenal care about winning the FA Cup, and doesn’t see any type of advantage of separating the Gunners from their rivals in the Premier League table.

    “It’s a different competition,” Wenger said. “For us, we won the FA Cup last year, and we are the holders of the Cup, and we want of course to keep it. This competition is important to us. We want to go up there and produce the result. I don’t think it’s linked at all with the Premiership.”

    He also dismissed Arsenal’s past struggles at Old Trafford.

    “I don’t believe too much in history. I believe just in performance of the day.

    “At the moment we are doing very well away from home. The size of the pitch is exactly the same everywhere. It’s just down to how much we turn up and how much effort we put in to win the game.”

    As usual, Wenger is dealing with a litany of injuries, and he can add center back Gabriel to the list. The Brazilian injured his hamstring this week in a match against Queens Park Rangers, and will be sidelined for two-to-three weeks. Midfielders Jack Wilshere (ankle), Mikel Arteta (ankle), Abou Diaby (calf) and right back Mathieu Debuchy (shoulder) are also out. Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who was absent against QPR due to illness, may not be fit by Monday. Left back Nacho Monreal (back) and defensive midfielder Mathieu Flamini (hamstring) are also questionable for the match.

    Despite the injury setbacks, Arsenal have reason to feel confident. After losing to Tottenham on Feb. 7, Arsenal are riding a four-game Premier League winning streak. In FA Cup play, Wenger’s side outscored Hull City, Brighton, and Middlesbrough by a combined score of 7-2. The lone disappointment in recent weeks has been the painful first-leg home loss to AS Monaco, 3-1, on Feb. 25.

  • Fans plead with Alves to stay amid Man Utd talks

    BARCELONA fans are desperate for Dani Alves to stay at the Camp Nou, despite talk of a Premier League move for the Brazilian.

    Reports have abounded in recent days that Alves’ agent Dinorah Santana flew to Manchester to hold talks with United officials over a move.

    Alves is a free agent as of the end of the season, and The Sun on Sunday claimed this morning United are looking to offer a three-year deal worth £15.6m to beat Arsenal to his signature.

    And it seems the Barca fans have spoken insofar as Alves is concerned.

    Spanish paper Mundo Deportivo ran a poll and the vast majority (73 per cent) want to see Alves’ contract is renewed.

    Only 27 per cent of those polled, said they wouldn’t mind if he left the Camp Nou.

    Alves has made 15 starts for the La Liga giants this term, but should he sign for United, it would represent a massive coup for Van Gaal.

     

  • Chi Limited signs partnership with Man Utd

    Chi Limited signs partnership with Man Utd

    At a colourful ceremony, held at the prestigious Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester UK, the management of Chi Limited recently signed a multi year sponsorship deal with Manchester United at an event attended by leading players of the club like Angel Di Maria, Robin Van Persie, Valencia, Anders Lindegaard to name a few.

    The deal will allow Nigeria’s market leader in fruit juices, Chi Ltd to use the legendary Manchester United crest, club imagery, players and other intellectual property on a range of products throughout Nigeria. Founded over 30 years ago, Chi prides itself as being Nigeria’s premier producer of healthy, high quality, fruit and dairy based drinks which are enjoyed by millions of customers every year.

    With mega brands like Chivita 100%, Chivita Active, Chi Exotic, Chi Happy Hour, Chi Ice Tea, Capri-Sonne, Hollandia Yoghurt and Hollandia Evaporated Milk occupying leading positions in their respective segments, Chi Limited has successfully ensured market dominance in Nigeria over the years through its successful marketing and brand building strategies. Its great emphasis on innovation and community welfare has ensured investment in modern facilities across Africa, in-turn creating employment and giving skills to help improve lives.

    With this partnership Chi Ltd’s flagship brand, Chivita 100% fruit juice becomes the preferred soft drink of Manchester United in Nigeria. Manufactured from 100% pure fruits, Chivita 100% contains no added sugar, no preservative and no added colours. It is a rare blend of the best of Nigerian and imported fruit juices. Thus what the consumer gets is the same benefits of natural nutrients found in real fruit. In addition, 100% fruit juices are naturally  fortified with nutrients such as vitamin C, calcium and vitamin D. Chivita 100% is the first choice of consumers when they look for pure natural fruit juice with no added sugar or preservatives.

    While signing the agreement at Old Trafford, Chi Limited’s Head of Marketing, Probal Bhattacharya said: “As the flagship brand of Chi Ltd, Chivita 100% will feature as the fruit juice of choice for the Manchester United team”. Describing the partnership as between two of the most cherished brands in Nigeria, he said“as a company, we are proud to partner with such a reputed and successful club like Manchester United whose tradition of excellence is in tandem with ours.”

  • Obi missing in Inter’s loss to Man Utd

    Joel Obi’s regular run in Inter Milan’s pre-season games came to a halt on Tuesday when he was left on the bench for the entire duration of his team’s 5-3 loss to Manchester United on penalties with scores deadlocked at 0-0 after extra time.

    Obi prior to the game has played in all of Inter’s pre-season games, posting impressive showings that drew praises from manager Walter Mazzari and made the club stall on a deal for Chilean midfielder Gary Medel.

    However, in Tuesday’s game youngster Rhene Krhin was preferred ahead of the Nigerian as opposed to other games new signing Yann M’Villa usually Obi’s pair in midfield was brought on in place of Krhin.

    It is still unknown if the 23-year-old picked up a knock or if he is carrying any injury  prior to the game but he was listed among the team’s substitute.

    The match ended 0-0 needing penalties to separate the teams and Darren Fletcher sealed the win for Manchester United after Inter Milan defender Marco Andreolli struck the crossbar with his effort.