WHY SAY ANYTHING?

What is the hold-up regarding a new contract for Marouane Fellaini? Either he wants to stay with United or he doesn’t, it’s very simple.

He is not a world class player and so any pay rise he gets on his previous deal is a bonus and he should be grabbing it with both hands.

The fact that the negotiations have become so protracted appears to be because Fellaini now considers himself a better player than he actually is.

Yes, he is a Belgian international, but they are just as good when he is not playing. Yes, he can be an asset in certain games for United but they are, generally, a better team when he is not playing.

Rumours that he had agreed a deal with an unnamed Turkish club appear to be wide of the mark and what United supporters want to know is; just what is going on?

There is obviously no fall-out between player and manager because Mourinho still occasionally selects him and Fellaini still seems to enjoy being a United player.

Unless, of course, Mourinho is just refusing to let him sit back and collect his money every week and insisting that he does something for it!

Anyway, the simple solution would be to make him a “take-it-or-leave-it” offer and wait for his reaction. If he refuses it then sell him, no problem.

What is all the fuss about…..?

Romelu Lukaku has an unknown injury. That’s according to his manager who was, admittedly, answering questions about his striker immediately after the Arsenal game.

It is also unknown whether the Belgian will miss the FA Cup final but our educated guess is that he will be back well within the next three weeks.

What appears to be concerning Mourinho is that Lukaku usually wants to play all the time. He is “never tired or injured” and this is why there is a little more concern than usual as he asked to be taken off.

Now it may be that he was just displaying a little common sense, unusual in itself for a footballer, in realising that staying on the pitch with the possibility of aggravating a minor injury could have turned it into one which did keep him out of the final.

He may also be worried that United have another big, daft Belgian just itching to take on a striker’s role at United, given the opportunity.

City not perfect…..

Over at The Etihad and Pep Guardiola thinks City could become the best side in English Premier League history. He is right considering that they are on course to break both the total goals scored and the total points won records by the end of the season.

In fact, they are probably already the best side of the Premier League era even if records aren’t taken into account. They are certainly the most attractive team we have seen since 1992, when it all began.

But, like all great teams, City need something to motivate themselves between now and the end of the season having already wrapped up the title and it is records that will provide that motivation.

Guardiola is also looking for improvement for next season because, as he says, if the team were perfect there would be no requirement for his services and he still managed to find faults during the 1-4 win at West Ham on Sunday.

Klopp’s men…..

Liverpool suffered the “in-between” hangover which dictates that teams must, when playing a league game between two important semi-final legs of the Champion’s League, put in a lacklustre performance which makes the fans wonder if they are watching the same team. They were watching almost the same team in the 0-0 draw with Stoke City which will have done more for the confidence of Roma than it did for Jürgen Klopp’s men.

Talking of Klopp’s men and the one usually sitting on his right hand, metaphorically speaking of course, Zeljko Buvac, is clearing off for the rest of the season at least, with that old chestnut “personal reasons” being cited as the cause of his disappearance.

It would appear a strange decision with only two Premier League games and a probable Champion’s League final left to play so there is definitely more to it than meets the eye.

After seventeen years together maybe they have just decided to call it a day, who knows? It will be interesting, however, as we may now find out if it really is Klopp who is the main man behind Liverpool!

And finally…..

Stubborn Old Man was given a vase by Sir Alex Ferguson before the game between Manchester United and Arsenal on Sunday. Many people think it was a commemorative symbol of his time at Arsenal and his many visits to Old Trafford.

However, we have been reliably informed that it was, in fact, a replica of the Europa League vase as Fergie knows how much Wenger has wanted a European trophy throughout his career and has always failed, as he will do again this season, to win one.

Nice one Sir Alex and very thoughtful too!