..::Football IV::..

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    :cool:Manchester United’s Eric Bailly returns for Huddersfield Town’s tie



    Eric Bailly will make his return for Manchester United against Huddersfield Town in Saturday’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at the John Smith’s Stadium.The Cote d'Ivoire international suffered a knee injury on November 18 and subsequently underwent a surgery in December.The defender will be a huge addition to Jose Mourinho’s side as they continue to struggle for consistency in their backline in his absence.

    Prior to his injury, the former Villarreal player helped the Red Devils keep eight clean sheets in all 10 games he has played this term.The Portuguese tactician confirmed the availability of the 23-year-old while speaking with MUTV ahead of the game.“Eric Bailly is fit and ready for Saturday's Emirates FA Cup tie with Huddersfield,” he said.

    Besides putting up impressive defensive performances in the games he has played for the Old Trafford outfit this season, he has also registered his name once on the scoresheet – against Swansea City in August 2017.
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    'Mourinho more of a winner than any of us' – Montella admires Man Utd boss


    Vincenzo Montella saluted the winning mentality of Jose Mourinho ahead of Sevilla and Manchester United's meeting in the Champions League, calling the Portuguese coach "more of a winner".

    The Italian will take charge of his first Champions League game with the Spanish club when United visit the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Wednesday, having taken over from the sacked Eduardo Berizzo in December.Sevilla have been erratic under Montella's guidance, picking up two commendable victories over Atletico Madrid, while also conceding five goals in defeats to Eibar and bitter rivals Real Betis.

    Up next in La Liga is a trip to Las Palmas on Saturday and, when asked about the difference in challenge between the Canary Islands club and United, Montella highlighted Mourinho."Mourinho is more of a winner than any of us," Montella told reporters on Friday. "He's coaching in a way that gets in the mind of the player to get the best out of them.

    "I like [Las Palmas coach] Paco Jemez because his team has identity. They always look to play and are organised without the ball."They're two different philosophies, but if I wanted to be like either of them it would be for Mourinho's capacity to win, respecting Paco of course, who has a career trajectory more similar to mine."

    Montella's side are currently sixth in the Spanish top flight, a point behind fifth-placed Villarreal and a total of 23 adrift of leaders Barcelona after 23 matches.
     

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    Aguero wins player of the month award amid hot streak

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    Sergio Aguero has won his fifth Premier League player of the month award, claiming the prize after scoring five goals in four Manchester City league appearances in January.Aguero has thrived in the injury-enforced absence of fellow forward Gabriel Jesus, helping City remain on track to romp to the Premier League title.

    The 29-year-old began 2018 with a goal in a 3-1 defeat of Watford, following up with a double against Burnley in the FA Cup and a late headed winner in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final against Bristol City.

    Aguero was not on target in City's 4-3 loss at Liverpool - their first domestic defeat of the season - but he scored a perfect hat-trick in a 3-1 home win against Newcastle United.With five Premier League player of the month awards to his name, Aguero is just one behind the joint-record holders, Spurs striker Harry Kane - the December winner - and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.

    Aguero, currently two short of 200 goals for City, has continued his blistering form into February, scoring four times in Saturday's rout of Leicester City. The Argentina international was also on target in City's last match, a 4-0 demolition of Swiss side Basel in the Champions League last-16 on Tuesday.

    January's managerial prize went to Eddie Howe after Bournemouth climbed out of the Premier League's relegation zone and into the top half during the month, ending Pep Guardiola's run of four successive victories.Willian claimed the goal of the month award for Chelsea's superb team effort in a Premier League win at Brighton and Hove Albion.
     

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    Gabriel Jesus closing on Man City return as Guardiola turns attention to FA Cup


    Pep Guardiola has suggested he is ready to name a strong Manchester City team against League One Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup after scheduling landed favourably for the Premier League leaders.City cruised to a 4-0 victory over Basel in the Champions League on Tuesday and their fifth-round tie against League One Wigan does not come around until Monday, having been moved for television coverage.

    Guardiola has used domestic cup competitions to field experimental line-ups from time to time during his City tenure but, with four routes to silverware still open for the Carabao Cup finalists, he insists the trip to the DW Stadium will be strictly business and preceded by three full training sessions."It depends [on the time] between the games," Guardiola told a pre-match news conference.

    "The Basel game was a winning game, we have six days or so and until next Sunday [the EFL Cup final against Arsenal] we have five or six days too."They can recover. When the distance is two or three days after we have to take a look at the condition of the team. "The players are feeling well. We will see what our decisions are after the training sessions."

    Striker Gabriel Jesus will take part in a first session alongside his team-mates on Friday since he suffered medial knee ligament damage at Crystal Palace on New Year's Eve."It is good news," Guardiola said. "I don't know when he will be ready definitely but the first step is to make one week or two weeks training alone and today is his first training with team."

    Wigan famously beat City in the 2013 FA Cup final before knocking them out at the quarter-final stage a year later. The Latics now find themselves lower down the football league pyramid but their exploits in this season's competition alone give Guardiola cause for concern."Of course, I am concerned because I saw the game against Bournemouth," he said."Bournemouth for me are one of the teams I like to watch the most in the Premier League and they were able to beat them.

    "I think in the FA Cup every season there are a lot of surprises. Not just this season and last season but throughout history"It would be good if the players do not think too much about the final next Sunday; they think about the final next Monday [the Wigan game]. It is one game and a chance to go to the quarter-finals."We are going to prepare as good as possible for this game."
     

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    'Don't say bull****' - Angry Mourinho fires back at Pogba 'lies' amid Man Utd rift reports


    Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has hit back at the “lies” being spread regarding a breakdown in his relationship with Paul Pogba.Having been brought back to Old Trafford in a record-breaking £89 million deal, big things are expected of the France international.Mourinho’s decision to bench Pogba and haul him off in two of United’s last three fixtures has sparked talk of unrest, with it suggested that a divide in the camp has formed between star midfielder and manager.

    The Portuguese coach has, however, told reporters when quizzed on rumours of a rift: "When you say 'a lot of speculation' you should say a lot of lies. Because I accept and Paul accepts that he has not been playing well in the last few matches.But that's all.

    “It is my problem, it is the player's problem. A big lie that our relationship is not good, a big lie that we don't communicate, a big lie that we don't agree with his positions and his involvement in the dynamic of the team “So, be objective and say what we all know: in the last couple of matches he didn't play well. Period. End of story. Now, it's my problem and Paul's problem to deal with it and try to improve his performance level."It has been argued that part of the problem for Pogba at present is the confusion regarding his favoured position and how United can bring the best out of him.

    That debate is another to have irked Mourinho, with the angry Red Devils boss adding: “I would like you to tell me which position Pogba played in against Newcastle.“Anyone of you want to tell me? OK, midfield, but did we play with one number six and two number eights, or two sixes and one 10?“We played with one six and two eights. We played with [Nemanja] Matic as a six, [Jesse] Lingard on the right side of Matic and Pogba on the left side.

    “Do you know which is Pogba’s preferred system? Four-three-three. Do you know Pogba’s favourite position in a 4-3-3? Eight on the left, so it’s easy and honest and objective to say Paul didn’t play well against Newcastle, but don’t let people read things that are not true.“You are paid to read the game and explain the game. Don’t say bull****.”

    Amid the questioning of his form and apparent issues with Mourinho, it has also been suggested that Pogba could look to find a route out of Old Trafford in the summer – with Real Madrid rumoured to be keen on the 24-year-old once again.

    Mourinho added: “He had a big injury in the season, big injury, he almost went to surgery like [Ousmane] Dembele in Barcelona with a similar injury, the decision was not to do it and go to a conservative treatment, everyone [was] really happy.“He had a red card against Arsenal, probably in his best match and the team’s best moment.

    “He was out for a long, long time and in this moment he is not playing well, period. And the team needs him at a good level.“When he is not a good level, the team is not as good. It happens with every team when the most crucial players are not performing.“You don’t need to come with 'we want to sell him', you don’t need that.

    “Some people go in that direction, some of them I know for many, many years and their surname is liar, and that’s not nice.“He plays tomorrow [against Huddersfield].”United are set to face the Terriers in the FA Cup fifth round, with a testing schedule then seeing them take in meetings with Sevilla, Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Liverpool.
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    Neymar responds to PSG's reversal at Real Madrid with enigmatic Instagram post


    Neymar has responded to Paris Saint-Germain's 3-1 loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League with a typically enigmatic post on social media.

    The Brazilian had little impact in a crushing defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu, PSG falling to a Cristiano Ronaldo double and Marcelo's late strike after Adrien Rabiot put the Ligue 1 leaders in front.Neymar was perhaps fortunate not to be sent off, having appeared to dive after being shown a yellow card for a rash hack on Madrid defender Nacho, leading to criticism of the Brazilian from his homeland.

    Former Brazil international Walter Casagrande suggested fans are "creating a monster" by going overboard with their praise for the 26-year-old, who became the world's most expensive footballer when he joined PSG from Barcelona for €222 million in August.And Neymar appeared to respond to the criticism with a post on his Instagram page, which has 89.5 million followers.

    Having seen his father hit back at detractors considered to be "vultures", the Samba star offered his own take on the fallout from a heavyweight European encounter. "Thank you, my God, for all the moments I have in soccer, especially the hardest ones!" Neymar wrote. "I never told you that the walk would be easy, but it will be worth it."

    Neymar has been consistently linked with a move to Madrid, but after his side's defeat on Tuesday he said: "I have a contract with PSG. I am happy with my team-mates and I only think about my story here."
     

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    No return date for Neuer as Heynckes backs Bayern keeper for World Cup


    Bayern Munich head coach Jupp Heynckes is confident Manuel Neuer will feature for Germany at the World Cup but has refused to place a timescale on his return.

    Neuer is undertaking the latest stage of his injury rehabilitation in Thailand after Heynckes advised a change of scenery in his gruelling fitness slog.The Germany and Bayern captain has broken his foot three times in the past 12 months and the last of his three Bundesliga appearances this season preceded surgery in September.

    "We are not pressuring him. There is no timeframe, there is no deadline." Heynckes told a news conference ahead of Saturday's Bundesliga game against Wolfsburg."Personally, I am convinced that he will play for us and will play in the World Cup but in the end that is something he has to decide, together with the medical team, when he returns"He can't afford to take any risk and I don't think he will."

    Neuer was Heynckes' goalkeeper during his previous spell in charge, when Bayern stormed to a historic treble in 2012-13, and the veteran coach is full of admiration for the 31-year-old's commitment at a difficult time."Since I've been here I've been in touch with Manuel, of course," he said. "It's not only that we celebrated great success together – I appreciated him not only as the world's best goalkeeper but as a human being.

    "I gave him a couple of valuable tips that I'm pretty sure he followed and I told him to choose a change of scenery. That's what he's doing right now."The way I know Manuel, he's continuing to work on his fitness. I've seen him many times here with the physical therapists and it's really extraordinary the job he's doing.

    "Manuel is in good psychological shape, he's making good progress and I've always said I will not pressure him, there is no deadline. "One factor making Neuer's absence easier to bare for the runaway Bundesliga leaders is the solid form of deputy Sven Ulreich.

    The 29-year-old turned in some shaky displays earlier in the season and Heynckes felt it was prudent to take him aside and offer some assurances., "This is decision that I made a while back and the recommendation that I made to [Neuer] for a change of scenery was when Sven Ulriech did not do such a fantastic job," he explained."I told Sven Ulreich that he would be playing this week, next week and in three months; Manuel, I told that there is no pressure to come back in February or March."I totally trust Sven Ulreich and Manuel Neuer needs to keep working on his fitness but in peace and quiet.

    "I told Sven Ulreich that I trust him. I know how important it is for a goalkeeper who was never in the spotlight or received recognition."It's super important to tell him, 'You're my guy now, you're my man'."The team have noticed he's a really good goalkeeper and that it works with him."
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    Mourinho: Manchester United will sign a midfielder



    Manchester United are looking to sign a midfielder in the off-season as a replacement for Michael Carrick, manager Jose Mourinho revealed.Veteran Englishman Carrick, 36, will retire at the end of the season before taking up a role on United's coaching staff.

    Paul Pogba, whose performances have been scrutinised in recent weeks, arrived in Mourinho's first season in charge, while Nemanja Matic was lured away from Chelsea before the 2017-18 campaign.

    And Mourinho reiterated his desire to sign another midfielder to ease the pressure on Pogba amid links with the likes of Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Nice star Jean Michael Seri."We need to sign a midfield player because we are going to lose Michael Carrick," Mourinho said before Saturday's FA Cup clash at Huddersfield Town.

    "Of course, we need balance in the team. I told you that one or two months ago when we were speaking about the market. When some of you keep saying that we are going to buy that striker, that winger, that left winger, that right winger, I told you two months ago."You can accuse me of many, many things, but you cannot say that I lied to you. When I don't want to say things, I don't say. But I don't take you in other directions.

    "When I told you a couple of months ago that we don't want to sign any striker or any winger and, yes, we are looking and we are going to try to sign a midfield player, I told you that two months ago."
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    Huddersfield Vs Manchester United
    i


    Huddersfield Starting Line-up

    Lossl
    Kongolo
    Billing
    Van La Parra
    Williams
    Ince
    Quaner
    Mounie
    Zanka
    Schindler
    Hadergjonaj

    &

    Manchester United Starting Line-up

    Romero
    Young
    Lindelof
    Smalling
    Shaw
    Matic
    Carrick
    McTominay
    Mata
    Sanchez
    Lukaku