Tuesday 9 August 2016

PogbaReUnited; Becomes the world's most expensive player

France mid fielder Paul Pogba has signed for Manchester United, four years after he was allowed to leave for free by Sir Alex Ferguson. He has definitely worked hard since then, becoming a player that every club wanted. This initial £89.5 million deal makes him the most expensive player in the world, crossing the fee paid by Real Madrid for Gareth Bale

Pogba is reported to earn an astonishing £104 million pre tax salary over five years, a figure that put off Real Madrid, who were also running for his signature, with Cristiano Ronaldo the only Los Blancos star to earn more than that amount.

The Frenchman made just seven appearances for United during his initial stint with the club, and failed to complete ninety minutes in the Premier League under the management of Sir Alex.

The transfer represents the latest arrival under Mourinho, with United having embarked on a major recruitment drive this summer having already acquired the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Eric Bailly.

It has also been confirmed that Paul will be wearing the number 6 jersey for the club, which has previously been worn by players like Garry Pallister, Rio Ferdinand, and many more.

It'll be intriguing to see whether Pogba lives up to his price tag, or will this turn out to be a financial disaster for the club. Many would be rooting for the former case I'm certain.



Sunday 7 August 2016

First match silverware for Jose; Zlatan wins it for United

Manchester United beat Leicester City 2-1 to lift the FA Community Shield for a record twenty first time. Jose Mourinho was managing his first official game with Man United, and new superstar signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the winner for the club, heading the ball into the right corner of the net in the 83rd minute.
French mid fielder Jesse Lingard scored a marvellous solo goal in the first half to give the Reds the lead, but Leicester striker Jamie Vardy equalised early on in the second half, after an extremely poor back pass by Marouane Fellaini.
The match seemed to be heading to penalty kicks, (Community shield matches do not have extra time) but Zlatan had something else in his mind. To the delight of the United fans, it was the Swedish striker who scored the late winner in the match and won a title for his new club in his first match for them.
Centre back Eric Bailly received his official debut too, and barring some unnecessary tackles, he had an appreciable game, his pace and strength is something to watch. Another new signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan made an appearance late in the 90th minute.
The result was in the favour of the Reds, but there is certainly a huge scope for improvement for Jose Mourinho and Co, as the Premier League kicks off the next week.


Saturday 30 July 2016

Zlatan debuts, impresses. United dominate Galatasaray

Manchester United ended their pre season on a high, after they beat Galatasaray 5-2, despite trailing 1-2 at half time.
Zlatan made his unofficial debut with the club, and scored an audacious overhead kick just four minutes after kick off, displaying the class other Premier League clubs will have to face.
Eighteen minutes later, Galatasaray drew level through Sinan Gumus, who headed the ball past David De Gea after a well threaded cross from Wesley Sneijder and some dreadful marking from Zlatan.
The Turkish side marched ahead in the 40th minute, when the impressive Bruma curled the ball around De Gea, into the right corner.
In the second half, it rained magnificent goals from the Reds, who were wearing white in the match. Valencia, who was the provider of Zlatan's goal, crossed again to find Wayne Rooney, who opened his pre season goal account. Three minutes later, Rooney again scored from the penalty spot to make the score 3-2, after Marcus Rashford was brought down after a glorious run.
A fourth goal followed soon when Fellaini hit a well placed header over Muslera's head, and the provider of the cross was Valencia yet again, who acquired his third assist of the match.
Juan Mata ended the rampage by scoring United's fifth and last goal, after spinning through the defenders, passing it to Michael Carrick, who struck a low cross which was slided in the goal by Mata.
The score line displayed a complete Manchester United domination and Zlatan showed what he was worth, but the defence still remains a concern for Jose Mourinho as United kick off their season with a match for the FA Community Shield against Leicester City.


Zlatan Ibrahimovic hits an overbead kick to score his first goal for United







Friday 22 July 2016

Bitter taste of defeat for Mourinho and Co.

The opening match of Tour 2016 in Shanghai, China, ended in a loss for Manchester United, as they were thrashed 4-1 by German club Borussia Dortmund.
Dortmund marched to a two goal lead in the first half, and the goals came from a free kick and a penalty kick. United failed to have much of an impact and they further fell behind 3-0 after half time, from a commendable solo goal from youngster Ousmane Dembele.
New signing and ex Dortmund player Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored his first unofficial goal for the club, but that only proved to be a consolation after the Reds further fell behind 4-1 after a superb Castro goal.
Man United next face city rivals Manchester City, and Jose Mourinho would be hoping to make the players demonstrate his preferred playing style on the pitch.



Saturday 16 July 2016

Jose Mourinho's campaign kicks off with a victory

The Jose Mourinho era at Manchester United had a pleasant start, as the club comfortably beat Wigan Athletic 2-0 in their first pre season friendly.
Both the goals were bagged by half time substitutes Will Keane and Andreas Pereira, and it took the players only three minutes after half time to net their first goal.
Eric Bailly and Henrikh Mkhitaryan received their Man United debuts, and both of them impressed, especially Mkhitaryan, whose instinctive passes and vision were something to praise. Luke Shaw returned to the squad too, ten months after his terrible double fracture against PSV Eidenhoven.
The fans were enthusiastic as expected, and they had a lot of Mourinho songs to sing. The zeal amongst the fans is back, let's see if Jose Mourinho and his team give them a reason to extend it througout the season.


Andres Pereira celebrates his goal

Wednesday 6 July 2016

Jose Mourinho makes third United signing

Manchester United have completed the signing of  27 year old Armenian right winger Henrikh Mkhitaryan, from the German club Borussia Dortmund. Henrikh has signed a contract for four years with an option to extend for a year.
Mkhitaryan joined Dortmund in 2013 and has scored 41 goals for them. He was voted the Bundesliga player of the season for 2015/16 in a poll of his fellow professionals.


Mkhitaryan says a move to Old Trafford is a "dream come true".
"I am excited to play for a club with such an illustrious history and hope to be part of it for a long time. I thank the trust the club and Jose Mourinho have put in me. Finally, I believe playing for such a great club honours my father’s memory, and the inspiration and drive he gave to me when I was young."
Jose Mourinho adds: "Henrikh is a very talented footballer who has been in such prolific form for both his club and his country. He is a real team player with great skill, vision and also has a good eye for goal. I am delighted he has chosen to sign for United. I believe he will make an impact on the team very quickly as his style of play is suited to the Premier League. We are all looking forward to working with him."

Monday 4 July 2016

Ryan Giggs bids farewell after 29 not so long years

Man United legend Ryan Giggs has announced his departure from the club after a splendid career as a player and in the managerial staff.
Giggs holds the record for the most United appearances and has won every major honour with the club. An evident reason behind him leaving is that he was not guaranteed a role as the Manchester United manager after Jose Mourinho's tenure ended.


In a statement issued on the United website he said: "After 29 seasons at Manchester United as a player and assistant manager, I know winning is in the DNA of this club - giving youth a chance, and playing attacking and exciting football. It’s healthy to have high expectations, it’s right to expect to win. Manchester United expects, deserves, nothing less.
"This is why it is a huge decision for me to step away from the club that has been my life since the age of 14. It has not been a decision that I have made lightly. I'll take away so many special memories as well as a lifetime of experiences that will, I hope, serve me well in the future.
However, the time feels right and, although I have no immediate plans to step into management, it is where I want to be."

I hope that Giggs is able to acquire some managerial experience so that he is capable of taking over as Man United manager in the near future.