Posts Tagged ‘Jose Mourinho’

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If we look at the top clubs, the happiness of the individual managers is easy to gauge. The teams who are signing players have happy coaches and the ones who are struggling to get deals over the line don’t, yes it’s that simple!

Here’s how it breaks down.

CHELSEA

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The only player through the door so far has been Willy Caballero. Brought in on a free transfer as a number two to Thibault Courtois, he was previously number two, (before becoming number one), to “Butterfingers” Bravo at Manchester City. This signing has not yet seen an increase in the sale of season tickets. (more…)

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Here, admittedly before many transfers have been completed, we take a look at who will be among the favourites for the Champion’s League next season.

From Real Madrid through to Manchester United, managers at the top European clubs will be under pressure to deliver silverware at the highest level. They will be expected to mount a domestic title challenge and the elite few will also be expected to mount a challenge for Europe’s top prize.

They could be viewed as a European top six and we fully expect the following clubs to at least reach the quarter finals of the competition: (more…)

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The short answer to the above question is: anybody can win it. You only have to look at the achievements of Claudio Ranieri and Leicester City the season before last for proof of that particular pudding.

The more reasonable and logical answer is that the winners will, more than likely, come from one of the current big six with dark horses for a top six finish being West Ham United, Everton or even Newcastle United, rather than a lower ranked team pulling off a major shock.

The main contenders are shaping up as follows:- (more…)

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If Manchester United were to sell the seven players we have suggested they sell, the benefits would be immediate. (If you are wondering which seven we are going on about then read here, and here)

Space would be freed up in the squad to allow for three or four additions to fit seamlessly into the club.

Money would be freed up in the form of salaries saved to be able to pay more to better players.

Whilst we accept that money isn’t usually the deciding factor when a top player makes a move, it doesn’t do any harm to offer him more than any of the other suitors! (more…)

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A couple of days ago we looked at three strikers who may, or may not, be of interest to José Mourinho. Now we will look at four more players who would operate in defence or behind the strikers, either in the full back position or in a defensive or an attacking midfield role. In our modest opinion any of the four would be a sound purchase for United. If they could get more than one, then better still.

So to the first one, which has a reasonable chance of happening: (more…)

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In the dim and distant past Manchester United had relatively few problems in enticing players to sign for them.

Pre-Fergie it was the lure of the name. It also helped that, in 1968, they had become the first English club to win the European Cup, although Sir Matt Busby made relatively few signings after that famous night at Wembley, a fact which was a constant source of annoyance to George Best.

Best expected the team to grow and prosper from that night on. Instead, Busby stuck with the older players and United won nothing of note again until the FA Cup defeat of Liverpool in 1977. (more…)

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We mere mortals can only speculate on what it must be like to have several million pounds available to spend. There is, however, a limit on how much of these several millions can actually be spent due to something called Financial Fair Play.

This was all the rage just a few short years ago and was tested out on Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. Both of these clubs benefitted through being purchased by Middle-Eastern billionaires who immediately went about spending some of their wealth on improving the teams. (more…)

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Following our recent article suggesting four players who would benefit from being sold and the interest it created, we are moved to follow up with another three who should join them on the transfer list.

As JosĂ© Mourinho reads this, in between scanning the transfer rumours and trying to remember whether he paid his tax in Spain or not, he will no doubt be thinking how much sense it would make to rid his club of the following, if at all possible: (more…)

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(Guess which four of this lot should be sold by United)

Whilst the rest of the footballing world watches with almost child-like, wide-eyed wonder at the movement of players through a metaphorical window, we here at WSA have reached the stage where we trust José Mourinho and are, therefore, happy with whoever he chooses to bring to the club.

That is not to say we won’t be watching, reading and listening for every player linked with United as well as the few who will actually arrive, it’s just that we have decided to look at who should be going in the opposite direction. In other words, who needs to leave Old Trafford? Who has overstayed his welcome, who isn’t good enough, who should never have been bought in the first place? That kind of thing. (more…)

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Well, it’s that time of year again! The football season is over and now we look forward to some World Cup qualifiers.

At least we won’t be whingeing and whining quite as much as we do when the “real” football is interrupted by these international fixtures. No, now we tend to grab at them, as a drowning man would grab at a lifebelt. We even watch the occasional friendly without so much as a murmur of complaint. (more…)