..::Football III::..

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Capello: Ronaldo has at least three years at the top

Cristiano Ronaldo has at least three years left at the top of the game, according to former Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello.

Ronaldo has scored 19 goals in 23 La Liga games thus far this season, a tally that is well below the Portuguese's ratio of more than a goal a game since arriving in the Spanish capital from Manchester United in 2009.

The 31-year-old struggled in Madrid's narrow 2-1 win over Granada at the weekend, leading to criticism in some quarters, and recently admitted that he will assess his options after another two years at Santiago Bernabeu.

Capello, though, insists that the club's record goalscorer is far from finished.

"Cristiano Ronaldo has three more years of football, easily. He will have more experience," the Italian told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope.

"He takes care a lot of him and he can play until 34 easily. It is not easy to find a scorer like him."

And while Capello managed another Ronaldo - the Brazilian great - during one of his two stints at Madrid, the Italian admits replacing Rafael Benitez, who was sacked by the club after just six months in January, and coaching the Portugal international was never on the cards, with Zinedine Zidane instead appointed.

"I do not know what happened in the locker room [before Benitez's departure]," he said.

"I never talked with Real Madrid to replace Rafa Benitez. Zidane has charisma, international experience and can succeed."

Zidane has made a solid start to life as Madrid coach, having led the capital club to four wins in five games.

 

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'What if I knocked myself out?' - Valdes opens up on loneliness at Man Utd

Victor Valdes has opened up on his time as an outcast at Manchester United, stating that even if he'd knocked himself unconscious people would have failed to notice him.

The former Barcelona goalkeeper ended his Old Trafford nightmare in January, signing a six-month loan deal with Standard Liege, but the 34-year-old is still bitter about how he was treated in Manchester.

Speaking to El Pais, he recalls a conversation with goalkeeping coach Alan Fettis: "What if I hit my head off the post and lost consciousness and swallowed my tongue?"

Fettis replied: "I've got my phone in my pocket, I'd make a call and someone would come to help."Valdes concluded: "I feel very alone."

The Spain international was brought in on an 18-month contract by Louis van Gaal in January 2015, and while Valdes is still struggling to understand why he was left out in the cold, he remains grateful to the Dutchman for giving him his first break.

"He gave me my first start at Barca then he picked me up when no other side would have me and gave me time to recover from my knee injury."I'll always be thankful. Deep down, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here."

 

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Only Guardiola could take me away from Barcelona - Busquets

Sergio Busquets has added fuel to the fire regarding rumours that Pep Guardiola could sign the Barcelona anchorman for Manchester City.

The defensive midfielder has been a regular fixture in the starting XI at Camp Nou since his promotion to the first team under Guardiola, but says his former Barca boss could convince him to leave Spain.

"I always said that there are only two people who can change my decision to play for Barcelona," Busquets told ESPN."One is my wife and the other is Guardiola. It’s clear that I have a big debt with him and it would be an honour to work with him again.

"But he knows that my club is Barcelona, I don't think he'll ask me to work for him."

Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United, which would reignite the bitter rivalry between the Portuguese and soon-to-be City coach Guardiola.

But while the prospect of a renewal of an old rivaly is exciting for some, Busquets does not remember Mourinho's spell with Real Madrid fondly.


"My memories of Mourinho are negative," he added. "Those Real Madrid - Barcelona [fights] were bad for football, for us and for Spanish national team."

 

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Neymar will be at dream club Barcelona for years, claims director

Barcelona director Carles Vilarrubi is confident Neymar will remain at the club for years to come despite not yet agreeing a new contract.

The Brazil captain sees his current deal at Camp Nou expire in 2018 and he has been linked with what would be a sensational switch to rivals Real Madrid as well as Manchester United.

Neymar's father and agent claimed the 24-year-old was the subject of a €190 million bid from United in the close-season, but while contract discussions continue, Barca's vice-president of institutional and international relations Vilarrubi says the club are relaxed over the player's future.

"Everybody dreams of Neymar, but the club is very calm," he told TV3."The player is in the team of his dreams and is delighted, so everybody is happy, he will not go. Neymar will be here for many years.

"We are convinced that this issue will be resolved smoothly. Neymar wanted to play for the club, and Sandro Rosell achieved this, which you must recognise."

 

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Robson: Giggs can be Manchester United's Guardiola

Manchester United legend Bryan Robson believes Ryan Giggs can be the club's answer to Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola was Barcelona's B team coach before being appointed the club's first team manager in 2008 and went on to enjoy four success-laden years in charge at Camp Nou.

He then moved on to Bayern Munich a year later but will leave the Allianz Arena for Manchester City this summer.

United, meanwhile, have been linked with a move for Jose Mourinho after a disappointing season under Louis van Gaal, but Robson believes Giggs is the man for the job.

"Ryan really can be the Guardiola of United, I am sure of it," Robson was quoted as saying by The Sun. "Yes, he's a quiet lad but that should make no difference. He has always been a deep thinker of the game. He's worked hard to get to this point.

"They talk about Guardiola being intelligent and having a great football brain. Ryan is no different. He just needs the chance to prove what he can do once Van Gaal goes.

"There should be no knee-jerk reaction, no panic. Guardiola has a great record but United should not be reacting to what happens at City. United should carry on what was started when Van Gaal arrived.

"It was always said that during Van Gaal's time as manager Ryan would learn under him, get his pro-licence and be ready for the job. That should still be the case.

"People say Ryan hasn't got the experience. But he watched how Sir Alex Ferguson worked for 26 years and he's watching Van Gaal go about things now. He represents United's soul. He has been at the club since he was 13 and knows what is expected."

Ex-England skipper Robson added: "The owners will make their decision and, in terms of Mourinho, I know there have been rumours flying around. But there is no stand-out person who could do the job any better than Ryan.

"Remember, Guardiola was untried as a top-line coach before Barcelona decided to give him his chance. The only way we are going to know if Giggsy can do the job is for him to be given it."

 

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Ozil: Leicester will be incredibly difficult to stop

Mesut Ozil has warned it will be "incredibly difficult" for Arsenal to beat Leicester City when the two sides meet on Sunday.

Leicester beat Manchester City 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium last Saturday and moved five points clear of the Gunners and second-placed Tottenham at the top of the Premier League table over the weekend.

Ozil, who scored in the 2-0 victory over Bournemouth last Sunday, has called on his side to stop Leicester's "unbelievable wave of euphoria".

"It'll be incredibly difficult to stop them," Ozil told SID. "They were up 3-0 at Manchester City after 60 minutes. It's brilliant what they accomplish with their team.

"You have to have the greatest respect for that. Our job is to at least for now get Leicester off this unbelievable wave of euphoria.

"That Leicester lead the Premier League by this margin in February is one of the biggest surprises in the European top flights in the past few years."

Arsenal sit third in the Premier League, level on points with Spurs but with an inferior goal difference, and can close the gap on Leicester to two points on Sunday.

 

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Guardiola hails Lewandowski professionalism amid Real Madrid and PSG rumours


Bayerrn Munich coach Pep Guardiola has hailed Robert Lewandowski's professional attitude amid speculation linking him with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

The Poland international has a contract with Bayern until June 2019, but rumours of a switch away from the Allianz Arena have persisted since the club's chief executive officer Karl-Heinz Rummenigge declared his interest in Napoli's Gonzalo Higuain.

Rummenigge's comments triggered an angry response from one of Lewandowski's agents, Maik Barthel, and both Madrid and PSG are believed to be keeping a close eye on the 27-year-old's situation at the Bundesliga champions.

However, Lewandowski's other agent, Cezary Kucharski, says he is in negotiations with Bayern over a new contract, and Guardiola has stressed the ongoing speculation about his future is not distracting the striker."He is the most professional player I have ever met," said Guardiola.

"In his head, he thinks about the right food, sleep and training - 24 hours a day.

"He is always there, never injured, because he focuses on these things. He always knows what is important to be in the best condition."

Lewandowski has scored 19 goals in 19 Bundesliga appearances this term, with a further seven coming in six Champions League matches.

 

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Man United shares drop to three-year low after 27% slide

Manchester United’s share price has fallen to its lowest value in over three years as a dramatic decline in the club’s Wall Street stock continues.

The club was floated on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in August 2012 with shares offered at $14 each in a move which gave United an overall market value of over $2 billion.But after peaking at $18.99 in November 2015, the share price has sunk to an unprecedented low, which has mirrored the club’s form on the field.

On Monday afternoon, the value of one United share dropped below the original flotation price for the first time since December 2012 when dipping to $13.86. At the close of trading on Monday, the price had recovered slightly to $14.10, but showed a 42 cent loss on the day.

The 27 per cent loss of value over the last three months comes as a big blow to shareholders, who on Thursday will be presented with the First Quarter 2016 Earnings report from the club.

In November, United announced a 39% year-on-year increase in revenues over the first quarter of the season. That followed financial boosts from the return to the Champions League, the new Adidas kit sponsorship deal and a number of other off-field ventures.

But the club’s form has since nosedived, with Louis van Gaal’s side being eliminated from the Champions League and recording only three league victories in 12 attempts on the way down to fifth spot in the Premier League.Shareholders are set to question executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward in a conference call shortly after the report is submitted on Thursday.

 

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Luis Enrique urges Neymar to cope with off-field distractions


Barcelona coach Luis Enrique says that Neymar must handle off-field issues properly if he is to become a club legend.

The Brazil captain has been in the headlines recently with he and his father fighting allegations of tax evasion and fraud in respective Spanish and Brazilian cases.

Neymar Snr was also involved in a heated exchange with journalists at a nightclub where his son celebrated his 24th birthday on Friday two days prior to Barca's 2-0 win over Levante, but Luis Enrique insists that all Barca players must be able to brush off such distractions.

"Being a player for a big team like Barca you have to be very strong," he told a media conference on Tuesday.

"You have to be prepared for situations on and off the field, and everything that happens within the world of football.

"It's difficult for players at big clubs to deal with these things. But any player who has been here for a long time has the capacity to deal with it.
"Sometimes it can be more important than being able to kick the ball."

Barca face Valencia in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Wednesday, boasting a seven-goal aggregate advantage after a comprehensive victory at Camp Nou.

While Luis Enrique has urged his side not to coast through Wednesday's encounter, he acknowledged: "In order to motivate players for such a big game, it's a challenge, it's a test for coaches to keep players competitive.

"But we've demonstrated it in the year-and-a-half that we've been here that the players can compete in any situation.

"I don't expect tomorrow to be any different. We'll try get the victory from the first minute. The objective will be the same as always, to try and be better than them. It's a strange game because of the first leg but there isn't such a huge difference between two teams as there was in the first leg.

"That is what happened and we'll try forget that result and approach the game in the best way to pass into the final."

 

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Messi's kidney procedure explained as Barcelona star continues his recovery

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is out of hospital and recovering after a non-surgical procedure to cure his kidney problems, Goal has learned.

The 28-year-old first suffered a renal complication back in December during the Club World Cup and missed Barca's semi-final win over Chinese champions Guangzhou Evergrande.

The five-times Ballon d'Or winner was in hospital in Barcelona on Tuesday for a lithotripsy, an extra-corporeal treatment that typically uses ultrasound shock waves to break kidney stones into small particles that can then be passed out by the body.

The procedure does not require incision but is usually carried out under a local anaesthetic because the shock waves can be painful.

Sources close to the player have confirmed to Goal that the procedure was planned after Barca announced further tests on Monday.

The Argentine was treated on Tuesday for just under an hour and was accompanied by Barca doctors Ricard Pruna and Pepe Costa, along with his partner Antonella.

Messi is now resting at home and will play no part in Wednesday night's Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Valencia, although Barca are already 7-0 up from the first match last week.

The player's kidney complications have continued since December, but this treatment is expected to be a success and he should be back in training with his team-mates on Wednesday.

If the problems persist, the player could undergo the treatment again in future in order to avoid surgery.

 

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Get well soon Messi!​

 

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Real Madrid confirm Marcelo shoulder dislocation

Real Madrid have confirmed that defender Marcelo has dislocated his shoulder.

The Brazilian left-back reportedly left the stadium with his shoulder in a sling following Madrid's 2-1 win at Granada on Sunday.

And the club have now revealed the extent of the injury, with a statement on Tuesday reading: "After tests carried out today on the player Marcelo at the Sanitas La Moraleja University Hospital, he has been diagnosed with an acromioclavicular shoulder joint dislocation.

"His recovery will continue to be assessed."

Madrid have not indicated how much game time Marcelo will miss but the 27-year-old looks certain to be out for at least the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Roma as well as the derby against Atletico Madrid at the end of February.

The Brazil international has made 24 appearances for Madrid this season, scoring two goals.

 

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Godak denek meh tikema injured wenawa​

 

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Smalling reveals reason for his 'Pele' nickname at Manchester United

Thanks to Louis van Gaal, Chris Smalling has been lumbered with the nickname ‘Mike” since last summer.

But now the defender is now called something else by the Manchester United manager... Pele.

From the evidence we’ve seen, it’s difficult to see how Smalling can be mentioned in the same breath as Brazil’s legendary forward, but the 26-year-old has explained all.

“I’ve had so many different things, and even now I come to see the kids and it’s ‘shall I call you Mike?’, so I think that’s going to stick with me for a while now!” Smalling told Soccer AM.

When asked about Van Gaal also calling him Pele, Smalling replied: “Yeah, that’s a better one, I think.

“We played 11 v 11 [in training] and I got the ball and ended up dribbling and scoring a goal, and then I played a few passes that often a midfielder would usually play. So just after the end of that training session he said, ‘I think I’ll call you Pele now’.

“It’s a nicer name, albeit I think I have got to do a lot more to live up to that name than Mike!”

 

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Martial reveals Ronaldo & Ronaldinho as his inspirations

Anthony Martial revealed that his older brother, Johan, along with Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, are the three people who inspired him to become a professional footballer.

The 20-year-old has impressed during his first season at Manchester United following his £57.6 million arrival from Monaco last summer.

Martial’s brother, Johan, is a central defender who currently plays for Troyes in Ligue 1, while the United forward has also credited Willy Sagnol with aiding his development when he was trying to break into Monaco’s first team.

"My brother was the one who really gave me the desire to follow in his footsteps," Martial told Inside United.

"Also, it was really Ronaldinho and Ronaldo, the two Brazilian players, who also inspired me to a future in football.

"There was a particularly important coach for me. Willy Sagnol, the current Bordeaux manager, who was running the French Under-21 team at the time.
"I was at Monaco and wasn't playing in the first team then but turning out for the reserves - and he picked me for the French national team Under-21s.

"It was that which allowed me to keep playing at a decent level of form and to tell myself that I could still make it as a player in the professional game."

 

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Bayer Leverkusen 1-3 Werder Bremen: 10-man hosts dumped out of DFB-Pokal

Werder Bremen ran out surprise 3-1 winners over 10-man Bayer Leverkusen in Tuesday's DFB-Pokal quarter-final.

The visitors came into the meeting at BayArena in the relegation play-off spot in the Bundesilga, while Leverkusen are currently chasing Champions League qualification.

And the match seemed to be going to form when Javier Hernandez opened the scoring from the penalty spot, but the hosts were soon pegged back by Santiago Garcia.

It went from bad to worse for Leverkusen just before half-time as Wendell was sent off for a foul on Fin Bartels in the penalty area and Claudio Pizarro tucked away the resulting spot-kick.

A man light in the second period - and shorn of Hernandez, who limped off injured - Leverkusen struggled to force a way back into the game and their third consecutive quarter-final exit was sealed eight minutes from time by Florian Grillitsch - despite the star appearing to have moved into an offside position.

 

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Stuttgart 1-3 Borussia Dortmund: Aubameyang stars as BVB progress to last four

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted his 30th goal of the season as Borussia Dortmund progressed to the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal with a 3-1 win at Stuttgart on Tuesday.

The clash was set against a backdrop of fan discontent as Dortmund supporters staged a boycott for the opening 20 minutes of play at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in protest against ticket prices.

The travelling support also threw tennis balls onto the pitch but Dortmund made the sure the trip was worth the cost as they moved within one game of a return to the final.

Dortmund - beaten in the showpiece in each of the past two seasons - took the lead in the fifth minute as Marco Reus scored his second goal in three games, with Aubameyang involved in the build-up.

Stuttgart went into the game unbeaten in seven and on the back of five straight wins and levelled courtesy of a Lukas Rupp strike from just outside the 18-yard box in the 21st minute.

But 10 minutes later Aubameyang made it 30 goals in 31 games in 2015-16 with a fierce effort, before laying on a late third for Henrikh Mkhitaryan as Dortmund joined Werder Bremen in the last four by extending their unbeaten run against Stuttgart to 12 games in all competitions.

Reus opened the scoring with the first real chance of the game, the Germany international firing into the roof of the net at the far post after Mkhitaryan had failed to connect with Aubameyang's ball across goal.

Dortmund fans who had stayed away from their seats for the opening 20 minutes were soon disappointed as, shortly after the end of their boycott, Stuttgart levelled matters through Rupp.

The attacking midfielder found the net with a deflected strike from the edge of the area after Daniel Didavi's initial effort had been blocked by Mats Hummels.

Play was then briefly stopped as Dortmund fans threw a plethora of tennis balls on to the pitch, with the visiting players clearing them from the field while Hummels pleaded with the supporters to stop.
But Dortmund were soon celebrating again thanks to talisman Aubameyang, who latched on to a Reus pass and rifled a fierce low strike beyond the despairing dive of Mitchell Langerak.

Aubameyang would have made it 3-1 if not for former team-mate Langerak, the Australian doing well to turn the Gabon international's close-range effort over the bar following an excellent ball from Reus 11 minutes after the restart.

Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang and Reus all failed to take advantage of more sloppy Stuttgart defending in a chaotic scramble in the area in the 70th minute.

Georg Niedermeier then did brilliantly to prevent Mkhitaryan from converting an Aubameyang cross before Filip Kostic and Christian Gentner went close at the other end as Stuttgart pushed for an equaliser.

But the hosts were caught on the break late on, Aubameyang winning the ball in midfield and racing clear to square for Mkhitaryan to tap into an empty net and seal a safe passage for Dortmund.

 

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West Ham 2-1 Liverpool (aet): Ogbonna snatches win in extra time

Angelo Ogbonna was the unlikely hero as West Ham claimed a last-gasp 2-1 victory in extra time against Liverpool in their FA Cup fourth-round replay at Upton Park.

The former Juventus defender soared to head home his first West Ham goal in the 121st minute from a Dimitri Payet free-kick, after Lucas Leiva stained an otherwise exemplary performance at centre-back by fouling Enner Valencia.

The visitors' main villain was Christian Benteke, who undermined an industrious showing by wasting a string of chances.

Earlier, Joey O'Brien and Payet struck the post for West Ham either side of Philippe Coutinho doing likewise and Michail Antonio crowned an eventful opening 45 minutes by dispatching a fine opener for the hosts.

Coutinho, starting as one of 10 Liverpool changes after a month out with a hamstring injury, netted a deserved free-kick equaliser three minutes after the restart but West Ham – in their final season at Upton Park – were roared on to dramatically book a fifth-round trip to Blackburn Rovers.

Injury-ravaged striker Daniel Sturridge took his place on the Liverpool bench, with Benteke leading the attack and he twice troubled West Ham at the far post from corners as the quarter-hour approached.

Jurgen Klopp, back on the touchline following a bout of appendicitis, saw Lucas deflect a low strike from right-back O'Brien against the base of the near post in West Ham's first attack of note.

It was Coutinho's turn to hit the post five minutes later from Benteke's cut-back, the chance coming after Winston Reid coughed up possession, and the West Ham defender again lost the Belgium international from a corner following that attack, with Darren Randolph producing the save.

Payet then tested the upright from a 38th-minute free-kick that Simon Mignolet got a faint touch on before making a reaction save from Antonio's follow-up header.

But the former Nottingham Forest man got the better of Mignolet in the final minute of the half – expertly steering home a volley from Valencia's deflected cross.

Liverpool's players were sent out early for the second half by Klopp and they found a swift response, Coutinho cleverly clipping his 18-yard free-kick under the defensive wall after Benteke was bundled over by Pedro Obiang.

As chances arrived with regularity at either end, Klopp grasped the nettle and introduced Sturridge and Divock Origi to lend further weight to his attack, but their defence was looking increasingly flimsy and Mignolet unconvincingly clawed away Antonio's lofted centre.

West Ham's goalscorer skipped past Smith with a sumptuous piece of 66th-minute skill and Valencia was bundled over in the box by Tiago Ilori as he tried to connect with the cross, although referee Roger East was unmoved.

Home boss Slaven Bilic made a trio of enforced changes as Reid appeared to tweak a hamstring and Kouyate suffered a sickening clash of heads with Liverpool defender Jon Flanagan before O'Brien added to West Ham's injury woes.

Valencia blazed a free header over, Randolph parried Jordon Ibe's drilled effort and Andy Carroll – on for Kouyate – clipped a shot wide as eight-minutes of stoppage time could not produce a winner.

Benteke twice should have put Liverpool ahead in the first half of extra time but lashed a volley wide and came off second-best to Randolph in a one-on-one.

Sturridge looked to illuminate a quieter outing by sending a vicious, rising drive just over in the second period, before Benteke erred again and the beleaguered Belgian was left to rue his wastefulness when Ogbonna struck.

 

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Klopp rues Liverpool's wastefulness after FA Cup exit

Jurgen Klopp felt Liverpool exited the FA Cup due to making the “major mistake” of not killing off their fourth-round replay at West Ham.

The Hammers netted at the death in extra time through Angelo Ogbonna to secure a 2-1 victory and set up a tie away to Blackburn Rovers on February 21.

They had taken the lead at Upton Park through Michail Antonio’s goal just before half-time, but Philippe Coutinho’s intelligent free-kick levelled matters three minutes after the restart.With the encounter heading for a penalty shootout, Dimitri Payet’s delivery was headed in by Ogbonna to send Liverpool crashing out.

After watching his side waste countless opportunities to take the advantage in the game, Klopp said afterwards: "We created chances, but we didn’t score goals – that’s the major mistake you can make in football. But it’s better to create chances and to miss than to not create chances.

“If you want, we can see positives. We are Liverpool FC and in this moment it’s not the sunniest side – a 2-0 lead [lost against Sunderland], manager in hospital, out of the FA Cup, but tomorrow when we get up, the sun will shine.

“If we want at Liverpool, all together, then we can take a lot of positive things out of this game and make the next step. We can rest a lot of players now because we will have the first matchday – I don’t know when it is – when we are not involved.

“We have to use the time, we have to take the time, we have to make steps. That’s what we’ve done until now. We don’t like our results too much, to be honest, but it is the difficult way we have to go and in the end, it can be the right way.“I’m OK, I would have gone to the next round, it didn’t work, so let’s carry on.”

 

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Who does Sir Alex Ferguson rate as the best manager in the Premier League?

Sir Alex Ferguson has told a leading Member of Parliament (MP) that Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino is the best manager in the Premier League.

Pochettino has recently been linked with Louis van Gaal’s job at Manchester United, with many drawing comparisons between the Argentine’s style and the long-held philosophies of the Old Trafford club.And his qualities have not gone unnoticed by the legendary former United boss, according to MP for Tottenham, David Lammy.

The Labour politician told The Spurs Show podcast: “I’m going to let you into a secret. About six weeks ago I sat next to Sir Alex Ferguson at a dinner in support of grassroots football abroad.“He said to me ‘I think you guys have got the best manager in the Premier League.’”

Ferguson’s words will come as another blow to Van Gaal, who has been forced to field a number of difficult questions relating to his future in recent weeks amid speculation former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho may be about to take his job.
United have continued to back Van Gaal privately despite the club’s recent slide down to fifth spot in the Premier League, but Mourinho and Pochettino are both thought to be in the frame should the Dutchman fail to get his side back on track between now and the end of the season.

Pochettino has led Tottenham to second place in the Premier League with just three defeats to their name this season, and has nurtured a number of young players who have since made a significant impact in the first team.

The 43-year-old earned a similar reputation in his 18-month stint at Southampton before moving to White Hart Lane in the summer of 2014.