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Premier League: From big game player to Manchester United outcast

The midfielder used to be Manchester United’s lucky charm, but as they face Liverpool this weekend Jesse Lingard would be lucky to score against anyone at all

The last time Manchester United visited Anfield, Jesse Lingard scored. Of course, he did. It was Jose Mourinho’s last stand and he picked a bizarre team including Matteo Darmian as a center-back and excluding Paul Pogba. Liverpool racked up 36 shots.

But Lingard scored and it scarcely ranked as a surprise. Back then, he was Manchester United’s big-game Jesse a player who scored a disproportionate proportion of goals on the major stages. Football fans can purchase Premier League Football Tickets online to enjoy its stunning performances.

A couple of weeks earlier he had scored against Arsenal. A month later he did again in the FA Cup.

Jesse Lingard past performance

In three years he scored four times against Arsenal, twice against Chelsea, once each against Liverpool, Holland, and Croatia as well as finding the net in the FA Cup final the League Cup final and the Community Shield.

He was more likely to score at Wembley than Burnley. It was a distinctly useful habit to have for a Manchester United or England player. If Romelu Lukaku was accused of being a flat-track bully, Lingard prospered on altogether rougher terrain.

Not anymore. As Manchester United return to Anfield on Sunday, the chances are that they would settle for a goal against anyone. Lingard’s sole strike this season came against Astana, in a team including Dylan Levitt, Ethan Laird, and Di’Shon Bernard who may be destined to be the answer to future quiz questions.

He ended 2019 with fewer assists and as many goals in Manchester United’s league games than Huddersfield’s Jonas Lossl: he was not even the most potent man with his initials when another one was a goalkeeper.

His last taste of the sort of occasion that used to define him was curtailed after 45 minutes. Lingard was substituted with Manchester City 3-0 up in the derby; his camp was suspiciously quick to claim he was still suffering from illness.  

His previous such outing came against his usual victims, Arsenal. This time, however, Lingard was wretched and removed. Ryan Giggs suggested he lacked footballing intelligence and compared him unfavorably with Mesut Özil.

Euro 2020 Ineluctability

The decline of Lingard has been a theme of the last year. He was one of England’s breakout stars of the 2018 World Cup. As it stands, he is unelectable for Euro 2020.

He was one of the emblematic players of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s early surge; the Norwegian gave Lingard his debut in the reserves and the Englishman scored twice to give the caretaker a flying start in his managerial bow with the first team.

Then Solskjaer’s rhetoric was laced with references to Jesse and ‘Rashy’; Marcus Rashford remains as symbolic but Lingard has been displaced by Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams among the homegrown personifications of homegrown Untidiness.

There are mitigating circumstances, injuries, and illness of being a new father and having to care for his younger brother and sister when his mother was unwell.

Yet Lingard has fallen out of favor with the fanbase the obscene video he posted on social media in the summer scarcely helped and a talisman has become a target.

His persona may not help. His JLingz closing brand made a £200,000 loss in a year, who knew other people didn’t want to dress like Lingard? Although, like most things, it may be forgiven and forgotten if Manchester United were profiting on the pitch.

That stunning lack of end product feels ridiculous in an attacking midfielder winger or a No. 10 for United and if Juan Mata and Andreas Pereira fall far short of the numbers United should require, they are still outdoing Lingard.

Pereira has perhaps leapfrogged him as the hard-running, pressing No. 10. Lingard was never a creative one anyway.

Those limitations have become more glaringly apparent as Manchester United has struggled to find a way of playing beyond counter-attacking.

Pogba Importance for Manchester United

Lingard has contrived to make the missing Pogba more important. Minus the Frenchman, Manchester United’s midfield has been all too barren. 

Lingard’s answer appears to be Mino Raiola, the super-agent he has hired. Yet Raiola’s clients tend to be upwardly-mobile not downwardly so, which looks Lingard’s likeliest trajectory.

There were suggestions he would be offered as a makeweight in a deal to take James Maddison to Leicester.

Another of the division’s ambitious middle class could be interested, but Lingard’s wages, of at least £100,000 a week, would be a deterrent.

Meanwhile, Manchester United eye Bruno Fernandes as a possible upgrade. The Portuguese has 28 goals for club and country in a time when Lingard has one.

If Lingard was never as prolific it used to be the case he illustrated his worth by the quality of the opponents when he scored, not the number of goals.  

But perhaps Lingard’s decline is such that a dreadful year will leave him without a role as well as without goals.

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Can Tammy Abraham replace Harry Kane for England at Euro 2020?

As you read this, Tottenham Hotspur is in a serious mess. They’re 30 points away from the Premier League summit and nine points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea. With a title dream gone with Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs’ ambition of finishing among the top four took a serious hit when it was revealed Harry Kane might not feature again this season due to injury. You can buy England vs Croatia Tickets from our website, around the world to enjoy its terrific performances.

Spurs’ problems might soon become England’s when the campaign concludes. The Three Lions are due to challenge for a European title this year. But they risk doing that without their skipper and talisman. The English goal-machine is likely to still be recovering when the Euro 2020 commences in June.

Towards 2019’s end, Abraham had to make a major decision regarding his international career. The Chelsea striker was sought after by Nigeria [his fatherland], but he opted to represent England instead.

So far, Abraham had carried Chelsea’s scoring responsibilities with grace and efficiency. The 22-year-old has plundered 15 goals in all competitions to help Frank Lampard’s young side remain in contention for a top-four finish.

Without a doubt, Abraham has done well for himself and for his club. Importantly, Chelsea is reaping the fruits of their academy graduate. Compared to Alvaro Morata, on whom the West London club spent upwards of £60 million to sign from Real Madrid, Abraham has done brilliantly. The Spaniard managed 15 goals in 48 appearances in his first season [2017/18], Abraham has scored that many in 29 games.

Odds against

Bringing that form to the England squad is another matter; Southgate would be well wary of that. Experience has taught everyone that club form is usually scarcely reproduced with the national team. Someone like Lionel Messi will concur.

Abraham can also be considered a newbie in the English senior team. The Three Lions are blessed with a handful of truly impressive center-forwards. Surprisingly, Kane isn’t even the most prolific English striker in the league this season; Jamie Vardy is, with 17 goals. The Leicester hero simply can no longer be ignored by Southgate.

Marcus Rashford

Marcus Rashford has found some consistency in front of goal for Manchester United – the 22-year-old is already on 14 for the campaign. An outsider who’s pushing for inclusion in the England squad is Southampton’s Danny Ings. The former Liverpool man has as many League goals as Rashford.

On paper Abraham can be placed third on the strikers pecking order for England, considering Kane’s absence. Rashford and Vardy will battle for first and second.

It must be clearly stated that Kane isn’t completely ruled out for Euro 2020 just yet. If he eventually gets fit enough to compete it raises the question on which strikers can get on the plane to the Euros.

If Vardy, Rashford, and Ings, continue their rich vein of form the table would seriously shake if Kane returns to full fitness in April like is widely being anticipated. In that case, some of these strikers may not even get an invite to Euro 2020. Abraham would be related to getting an invite. Someone like Callum Wilson is out to of reckoning whether or not Kane makes it back on time.

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Boubakary Soumare's best abilities and why Chelsea must beat Manchester United and Spurs to sign him

The Lille midfielder has been the talk of the January transfer window as a potential signing for Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur after impressing in Ligue 1 and even earning comparisons to Manchester United’s Paul Pogba. Manchester United transfer target Boubakary Soumare has been one of the breaks out talents in Ligue 1 this season. Football fans around the world can buy online Premier League Tickets to enjoy its stunning performances.

As a result, the Lille midfielder has been linked to most of the top clubs in Europe, including the Red Devils’ Premier League rivals Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

He has played 18 games in the French topflight this campaign, with six appearances in the Champions League to boot, and at the age of 20 is already being tipped to follow in the footsteps of Paul Pogba and Tanguy Ndombele to become a future star of the Premier League.

There are legitimate similarities between Soumare and the Manchester United playmaker, but also stark differences that mark him out as a player with his own qualities.

Both midfielders are gifted with excellent technical abilities and imposing physiques. Pogba stands at six-foot-three and can be a nightmare for opponents to challenge for the ball given the reach of his long legs and strength in possession. Soumare is only an inch shorter than his World Cup-winning compatriot.

Rather than being awkward or rigid as can often be the case with tall and broad players, he too is a footballer at his best when he can show off his graceful control of the ball at his feet.

Soumare is also similar to Pogba in his relative lack of defensive contributions in midfield, with the pair often relying on others to make more of an impact when possession is lost, but while the United midfielder is known for the threat he can offer to his team in the final third, Lille’s box-to-box prodigy does not have the same impact when on the attack.

He is not the player to find solutions to break down a stubborn defence. Instead, his influence is in deeper positions as the midfielder who can get the ball into the final third for others to then create chances based on his hard work in the centre of the pitch.

How to get the best out of Boubakary Soumare

The Frenchman is a very modern midfielder in that sense. He combines an impressive athletic capacity with a distinct technique to play a rather specialist role.

His first touch is excellent and allows him to be positive with the ball once he receives it, and he tends to see a lot of it too with plenty of his passes made forwards rather than opting to play it safe.

Given his age, he still has plenty to develop in his game, and his potential ceiling is clearly very high. It is his defensive work which must improve.

Of the 44 central midfielders to have amassed over 1,000 minutes in Ligue 1 this season, Soumare placed 43rd for defensive duels per 90, which indicates that he is not particularly inclined to engage in taking on opposing players for the ball, compared to his contemporaries.

It’s worth noting that his success rate when he does go in to challenge opponents places him as the seventh-best performer from the group, though.

For those reasons, he’s best paired alongside an industrious partner so that his flaws are masked. Having been an important first-team regular at Lille, he would likely be expected to do more work to win the ball for others at a top Premier League club.

Soumare has mostly played alongside 29-year-old Benjamin Andre at the Ligue 1 club in a midfield two, with his experienced partner more defensively-minded than the youngster.

From the same group of 44 central midfielders in Ligue 1, Andre is fifth on the list for defensive duels per 90, and he’s first for interceptions per 90.

Andre is clearly the mould for the sort of assistance Soumare would require next to him in midfield if he were to try and directly translate his form in France to another club in another league.

Without that support, he could benefit from being deployed in a compact system where every player is expected to contribute to winning back possession whenever the ball is lost.

How Boubakary Soumare could fit in at Arsenal

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal has already sort to take a more compact approach since the Spaniard was appointed as head coach at the Emirates Stadium in December 2019, and the Gunners could be in the market for a midfielder to get up and down the pitch to finally replace Aaron Ramsey.

Soumare is mobile and energetic enough to perform in sucgh a box-to-box role but he’s not the type to put away or create direct goalscoring opportunities for others, meaning that he’d likely interpret the role differently to the Welshman.

However, that may not be an issue depending on who he is surrounded by. Jordan Henderson, for example, often performs a similar role under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool despite lacking the offensive qualities of a true attacking midfielder.

Nonetheless, he is able to use his aggression and assertiveness to be effective in this area of the pitch, and Soumare could take on a similar job for Arsenal, albeit with a greater degree of skill on the ball. This is also how Joe Willock has been used by the Gunners of late, especially under the former head coach Unai Emery Overall though Soumare is probably best used as a more controlling deeper presence in midfield than the player required to attack the box.

How Boubakary Soumare could fit in at Tottenham

Could Soumare be the right option for Tottenham under Jose Mourinho?

With Moussa Sissoko out injured, and Tanguy Ndombele struggling to stay fit, the north London has gaps to fill in their own midfield.

Although he may be a player with apparent similarities to the duo, it is unlikely that he could be able to single-handily fix the problems Spurs face.

He’d probably perform reasonably well as a Sissoko replacement and would be an upgrade with regards to his quality on the ball in some areas, particularly with his passing.

The Tottenham player favours driving forward with the ball at his feet whereas Soumare tends to try and feed others instead, and that is why a pairing with Ndombele could be an exciting proposition for Tottenham, although one that would need to be carefully balanced.

Paired together they would bring together skill, power and an ability to get their team up the pitch through carrying or delivering the ball but it could be argued that they are almost too similar.

Ndombele is a stronger player defensively when it comes to closing opponents down and winning the ball but is still at his best when in possession, and with Soumare also hungry for the ball they would probably need a third midfielder to sit in front of the back four and focus on doing the dirty work for them.

With Tottenham fans calling for their club to go out and sign a holding midfielder, the Lille youngster may end up needing another signing to come good for Spurs. Mourinho didn’t take too kindly to a similar situation at United when he welcomed Pogba to the club, with the powers that be at Old Trafford still waiting to find the right foil for their all-action Frenchman.

How Boubakary Soumare could fit in at Chelsea

Chelsea is the other London club linked with Soumare, and Frank Lampard’s team can also boast the strongest midfield in the capital on paper at present.

The French youngster wouldn’t necessarily offer a new element to the mix at Stamford Bridge but he would possess a blend of qualities others at the club do not.

Jorginho is used to dictate games and control the tempo but he’s somewhat lightweight on the whole. N'Golo Kante offers industry, energy and defensive endeavour but he’s not physically built.

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Premier League: Man Utd Marcus Rashford injury update

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said his verdict to play Marcus Rashford miscarried after the striker went off with back damage.

Jurgen Klopp’s side welcome Man Utd to Anfield on Sunday looking to take another step closer to the Premier League title. Football fans can purchase Premier League Football Tickets online to enjoy its stunning performances.

Liverpool possesses a 14-point lead at the top of the table with a game in hand. Manchester United on the other side place in fifth and are five points exterior the top four which highlights the harbor in class between the two sides.

With that being the case the last thing Manchester United needed was an injury to a key player such as Rashford leading into the game.

Rashford sustained a back injury during his side’s FA Cup third-round replay against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday night.

However, The Daily Mirror has stated that Rashford is prepared to play through the pain against Liverpool.

Regardless of whether Rashford plays or not Liverpool is by far the better side. It is important to remember that the Reds have only dropped points in one Premier League fixture this season.

Yes, it was against Man Utd at Old Trafford back in October but the Reds did have a bit of an off game that particular day.

They should claim a victory come Sunday regardless of Rashford’s availability. The England international has counted 22 goals for club and state this season.

Solskjaer about Rashford

Solskjaer, whose side play away at Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday said Rashford could not run.

He will be tested in the next few days we have to see for Sunday, added the Norwegian.

I did not want to play him. I think he got a knock, a knee, or something, in his back, but he is been struggling for a little while.

That is why we have kept him away from starting against Wolves, but we needed the win.

Asked if the conclusion to play Rashford miscarried, Solskjaer replied: “He was involved in the objective, so that was an optimistic, but it miscarried.

"He is a rapid therapist and he will play through some pain, absolutely, if he is skilled and it is not immoral bad damage, but we have understood that he is thrashed lately.”

But that is been more when he is been tired. He was not on long enough to be tired so it might be something that just happened there and then.

He is been completely top this season so we will do whatever and everything we can to get him right for Sunday. If he is not, then we will perform devoid of him.

Rashford has featured in 13 matches starting 11 of them since the beginning of December, scoring nine goals in that period.

Man Utd will now play either Watford or League One side Tranmere away from home in the fourth round of the FA Cup on 26 January.

Solskjaer’s squad is also in fifth place in the Premier League, in the last 32 of the Europa League and trajectory Manchester City 3-1 after the inaugural leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

He is been like a one-man team

Previous Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher recommended an injury to Rashford would be an alarm because of how energetic he is to the team.

The statistic he has played 200 games previously at such an early age, he is so significant, Fletcher said.

They are mainly becoming dependent on him. Marcus Rashford carries a weight in terms of lashing team up the pitch, getting shots getting objectives, getting promotions. He has practically been like a one-man team.

The Times main football writer Henry Winter says clubs need to be cautious not to lash the players too much by playing them in too countless playoffs.

It is exciting snooping to ex-professionals saying he is not fairly running as easily as they would imagine and is holding somewhat back, winter said.

I understand why Man Utd has to play him and I understand his mentality; he loves this club, plays for the shirt.

He is Manchester United’s most important player but at some stage, we have to take a step back and say: Let’s not flog these players too much.

It is not an England thing; this is about making sure he is ready for Man Utd over the next few years and not burning him out too often.

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Premier League: Medical arranged for Manchester United Bruno Fernandes replacement two signings

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been told to start Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay alongside Bruno Fernandes once they are both fit and the Portuguese midfielder has signed. 

Manchester United is keen to close on a £60million deal before the end of the January transfer window, with negotiations between Sporting Lisbon and the Premier League giants ongoing.

It is thought Manchester United has offered £50m plus £10m in add-ons for the 25-year-old, who is keen on a switch to Old Trafford. Football fans can purchase Premier League Football Tickets online to enjoy its stunning performances.

Having produced 47 goals and 33 assists across the last 18 months, including 15 goals and 13 assists this term Fernandes is seen as the option to add extra attacking invention into the Red Devils’ ailing midfield.

It has been suggested in some quarters that the Sporting captain has even already agreed terms to become a Manchester United player and will play for his current employers in Portugal for the final time on Friday in their derby with Benfica.

And former Premier League striker Darren Bent has urged Solskjaer, once Fernandes is officially a Manchester United player to pair him with Pogba and McTominay in the middle.

The duo is currently both injured limiting Manchester United’s options in the center of the park and could be out until February as a result.

Yet once they are fully fit Bent believes the pair should be employed alongside Fernandes as the Red Devils look to supply the likes of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford with more ammunition.

“This might be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer proving his worth again, a good manager,” Bent speaking in an interview on Tuesday.

Bruno Fernandes Manchester United swap

Manchester United has offered another player in exchange for Sporting Lisbon’s Bruno Fernandes.

The Red Devils are believed to have already offered Joel Pereira, Angel Gomes, and Marcos Rojo as part of a swap deal. But the Portuguese side was not interested.

Now, Portuguese television channel tvi24 claim Manchester United have spoken about the prospect of Sporting signing Tahith Chong as part of the deal

Journalist Rui Pedro Braz does make clear that Chong moving to Sporting is unlikely because he has a host of offers from other clubs and is out of contract in the summer.

Real Madrid do not want Paul Pogba

Real Madrid has withdrawn their interest in Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba. And there are reportedly two reasons why Zinedine Zidane’s side is not planning a bid for the Frenchman.

Spanish newspaper Sport says Real Madrid head Florentino Perez is fed up with dealing with Pogba’s manager, Mino Raiola something Manchester United knows all too well.

Another reason is the appearance of Federico Valverde, who is set to be reliable with a bigger role at the Bernabeu.

Kalidou Koulibaly bid

Real Madrid is ready to spoil Manchester United’s pursuit of Kalidou Koulibaly.

Italian reporter Fabio Santini recently claimed that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side was going to sign Koulibaly for between £60 to £65million. But the Spanish newspaper Eldesmarque does not agree.

They are writing that Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has requested the Napoli star and Head Florentino Perez is ready to offer £60m and James Rodriguez to secure his signature.

Bruno Fernandes replacement medical

Manchester United is inching closer to signing of Bruno Fernandes with Sporting Lisbon primed to announce his replacement. Portuguese newspaper O Jogo claims Sporting Lisbon will complete a deal for Slovan Bratislava forward Andraz Sporar in the next two days.

It is said that the two parties have already exchanged documents and the player will arrive in Portugal for a medical ahead of signing a four-and-a-half-year contract.

The Slovenia international who has scored 20 goals in 26 appearances this season will sign for around £6million and O Jogo claims his arrival will be sorted before Fernandes is sold.

Kai Havertz blow

Manchester United has fallen behind Liverpool in the battle to sign Bayer Leverkusen star Kai Havertz.

That is according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, who claim Jurgen Klopp’s side are prepared to bet heavily on the forward.

The Reds are said to be willing to make an offer of £107million (€125m) as they look to further strengthen their squad. Havertz has been in superb form for the Bundesliga side in recent seasons and is regarded as one of the hottest prospects in Europe.

Two more signings!

Manchester United need to make another two signings after Bruno Fernandes, says former England winger Sue Smith. Sporting Lisbon midfielder Fernandes has reportedly agreed personal terms with United over a January move to Old Trafford.

“I do think he Bruno Fernandes will be a great addition, I think he is something that is exactly what Manchester United need,” Smith said on Sky Sports News.

“You would think Manchester United maybe needs another center-back, I think they probably do. I also think they probably need another center-forward, just something a bit different to what they have got at the moment.”

Marcos Llorente

Manchester United scouts have suggested Atletico Madrid’s Marcos Llorente as a probable January signing to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who wants to bring in at least one midfielder.

Bruno Fernandes rests the club’s primacy having held positive debates with Sporting officials.

Manchester United has lost both Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba to injury arguably their two first-choice midfielders and are therefore in need of reinforcements.

And the MEN claim that Llorente has been looked at for a possible loan, due to a lack of playing time at Atletico Madrid.

Inter Milan triple deal

Inter Milan Chief Piero Ausilio coasted to London on Wednesday with the confidence of closing three Premier League transfers.

The Daily Mail claim Ausilio will attempt to thrash out deals for Tottenham contract rebel Christian Eriksen, Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud, and Manchester United’s Ashley Young.

It is claimed Ausilio’s primary task is to secure Eriksen’s signature but believes the Red Devils and Frank Lampard’s side are ready to do business.

Young, 34, is eager to join Antonio Conte at the San Siro and will reportedly sign a pre-contract agreement should a January deal fail to materialize.

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