Новости за 18.12.2018

Christian Pulisic is the type of player that would thrive in the Premier League, but United States head coach Gregg Berhalter has backed him to earn more game time at Borussia Dortmund. The 20-year-old winger has started just 11 of his 18 appearances in all competitions for Lucien Favre's Bundesliga-leading Dortmund this season and has been linked with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. Berhalter has no doubt Pulisic, who finished second to Kylian Mbappe in the voting for the inaugural Kopa Trophy... Читать дальше...

Santiago Solari loves Isco as a player but acknowledged it is difficult to guarantee the Real Madrid star game time unless he is at his best. Isco is yet to start in LaLiga under Solari and has struggled for form this season following a lengthy lay-off due to acute appendicitis earlier in the campaign. The playmaker made headlines in last Wednesday's 3-0 Champions League defeat at home to CSKA Moscow, appearing to make an angry gesture at the fans after being whistled. Although Solari insists... Читать дальше...

Jose Mourinho's ultimately ill-fated tenure as Manchester United manager will likely be remembered more for his grumblings about transfers and under-performing players than the silverware. Mourinho was sacked on Tuesday, two days after a dire display in a 3-1 defeat to bitter rivals Liverpool, leaving the Reds 19 points ahead of United in the Premier League table. A common theme of Mourinho's time at Old Trafford was his incessant demands for greater backing in the transfer market, despite spending a small fortune. Читать дальше...

Jose Mourinho is gone but Manchester United still have pressing personnel problems to resolve over the coming months. The next full-time manager is likely to work in concert with a sporting director and together they will be forced to determine whether to retain players whose contracts are set to expire in June. Several more high-profile stars have been at the centre of persistent speculation and their futures are now up for debate as the Red Devils aim to exit the state of flux that has followed Alex Ferguson's retirement. Читать дальше...

Having players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic in MLS may prove damaging for United States in the short term, but head coach Gregg Berhalter thinks the potential gains for the national team are unprecedented. Ibrahimovic arrived at LA Galaxy last March and on Tuesday it was announced he would remain with the club for the 2019 season, signing a new contract that made him a designated player despite links with a return to AC Milan. The Swede took the league by storm with an incredible debut double against... Читать дальше...

FA Cup fifth round ties will not go to replays if they finish all square in this season's competition. The Football Association has brought forward the change to its flagship knockout competition a year earlier than planned. A statement from the FA read: "The move was agreed by the Professional Game Board and has been introduced to alleviate fixture congestion, with six Premier League clubs qualifying for the knockout stages of European competitions and UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League... Читать дальше...

Mauricio Pochettino has hinted he is ready to name a strong line-up when Tottenham take their bid for silverware to Arsenal in the EFL Cup quarter-finals. Pochettino's acclaimed job at Spurs has seen him identified as a frontrunner to replace Jose Mourinho at Manchester United next season, following the Portuguese's sacking earlier on Tuesday. The only significant mark against considering the 46-year-old for one of the most coveted jobs in world football is a lack of major trophies. Despite regularly... Читать дальше...

Paul PogbaThe outstanding candidate for this list, Pogba has struggled to express himself under Mourinho’s instruction and could be given a new lease of life under new management. Upon news of his manager's departure, the Frenchman took to Instagram with a mischievous smirkand the accompanying message of "caption this" (later said to have been pre-scheduled, but you're fooling no one, Paul).Much of it is on him, however. United fans have long been waiting for the 25-year-old to justify the £89m fee... Читать дальше...

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has signed a new contract with the LA Galaxy that ties him to the club for the 2019 MLS season.

Ranking the best footballers every year is a nigh-on impossible task to get 'right'– mainly because there is no way to do so without aggravating at least some impassioned fans who will tell you straight up that Pablo Hernandez is the greatest human being that ever lived and if anyone is above him they can absolutelydo one. OK, just Leeds fans then.But we atFourFourTwoTowers like to stick our necks on the chopping block each year, becausefrankly, you lot love it. This is the 12th consecutive edition of the #FFT100... Читать дальше...

Santiago Solari insists he is not suddenly worrying about his future as Real Madrid coach after Jose Mourinho was sacked by Manchester United having been linked with a return to the Santiago Bernabeu. United ended Mourinho's tenure on Tuesday following a dire start to the season, which has left them trailing Premier League leaders Liverpool by 19 points. Mourinho's final game in charge was Sunday's 3-1 defeat by United's bitter rivals, but his position had long since been the subject of speculation... Читать дальше...

If Jose Mourinho asked Ed Woodward, "Can I have another season?" on Tuesday morning, it is quite clear what the answer was. Manchester United are searching for an interim manager, a long-term successor and looking to overhaul their footballing operation. But there is another Manchester institution that has also been thrown into flux. Mourinho's decision to live at the five-star Lowry Hotel since joining United has been well-documented, with the enduring nature of his stay set to serve as a metaphor... Читать дальше...

Chamseddine Dhaouadi's decisive spot-kick in the shoot-out ensured ES Tunis won the fifth-placed play-off against Guadalajara 6-5 on penalties, despite having two men sent off in normal time. The contest had finished 1-1 in normal time and Guadalajara had brought on substitute goalkeeper Miguel Jimenez Ponce for the penalties, but he was sent the wrong by Dhaouadi after Isaac Brizuela had blazed the Mexican side's eight spot-kick over. Guadalajara had led through a penalty - Walter Sandoval converting... Читать дальше...

Lemons should be mandatory in every work place in Britain. If that sounds radical, consider that Mauricio Pochettino keeps a bowl of them in his office because he believes they absorb negative energy. Logic will tell you he’s wrong. A look at the table might change your mind.Other explanations are hard to come by, after all, when you realise the scale of Tottenham’s achievement this season. They sit third in the Premier League with 39 points, their best total after 17 games since 1960. They are through... Читать дальше...

Marcelo thanked Jose Mourinho for the impact he had on his career while at Real Madrid and saluted the "great coach" following his sacking by Manchester United. The Portuguese manager was dismissed by United on Tuesday following a dismal start to the 2018-19 season, which has seen the club fall 19 points behind Premier League pacesetters Liverpool. Mourinho's last game charge was the 3-1 defeat to the Reds at Anfield on Sunday, as United produced a dire performance and hardly offered any attacking threat. Читать дальше...

Unai Emery is confident Arsenal's youngsters can help them bounce back from their defeat to Southampton when they face north London rivals Tottenham in the EFL quarter-finals on Wednesday. Arsenal's 22-game unbeaten run came to an end at Southampton on Sunday as Ralph Hasenhuttl claimed his maiden victory in charge of Saints with a 3-2 success. The Gunners face Spurs on Wednesday in a repeat of a game they won 4-2 this month and, despite the need to get back on track, Emery is ready to entrust... Читать дальше...

Tottenham have triggered their option to extend defender Jan Vertonghen's contract until at least 2020, the club have confirmed. The Belgium international's deal was due to expire at the end of this season, but Spurs have moved to tie him down for a further 12 months. The development comes as no surprise with the 31-year-old last week revealing an announcement was was imminent. Vertonghen said talks over a longer-term agreement were yet to commence, but the temporary extension allows the Premier... Читать дальше...

Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac is excited to go up against Liverpool's "great coach" Jurgen Klopp after the two sides were drawn to face each other in the Champions League. The European heavyweights will contest two legs in one of the last-16's showpiece ties, with the first meeting at Anfield on February 19 before the return fixture takes place in Germany on March 13. Kovac, still under scrutiny following a poor start in the Bundesliga this season, gives his team an even chance of toppling the... Читать дальше...

Liverpool may be unbeaten in the Premier League this season but Jurgen Klopp is not getting too carried away with so many games still to play.   The Reds returned to the top of the table on Sunday with a 3-1 victory over Manchester United at Anfield, pushing them a point clear of defending champions Manchester City. Klopp's Liverpool are the only team in the top flight yet to taste defeat this season and look set to push City all the way for the title.   The German is keen to stop his players getting ahead of themselves... Читать дальше...

Ranking the best footballers every year is a nigh-on impossible task to get 'right'– mainly because there is no way to do so without aggravating at least some impassioned fans who will tell you straight up that Pablo Hernandez is the greatest human being that ever lived and if anyone is above him they can absolutelydo one. OK, just Leeds fans then.But we atFourFourTwoTowers like to stick our necks on the chopping block each year, becausefrankly, you lot love it. This is the 12th consecutive edition of the #FFT100... Читать дальше...

Lionel Messi never thought it was possible to be so successful in his Barcelona career after winning the European Golden Shoe for a record fifth time. Despite being overlooked for the 2018 Ballon d'Or, Messi has enjoyed another wonderful year, having helped Barca to another LaLiga crown in the 2017-18 campaign. He scored 34 times in 36 games on the way to inspiring that title triumph, a record not matched across Europe's top leagues as he secured yet another Golden Shoe. Messi, 31, was presented with the prize for a fifth time ... Читать дальше...

Jose Mourinho remains an "outstanding manager" despite being sacked by Manchester United, according to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. Klopp's Reds claimed a 3-1 victory over their rivals at Anfield on Sunday in what proved to be Mourinho's last game in charge of United, the Portuguese sacked less than 48 hours later. And while some have criticised the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss, Klopp remains full of respect for Mourinho and all he has achieved in the game. The Reds manager also believes... Читать дальше...

Steven Gerrard does not believe Jose Mourinho deserves some of the criticism being aimed at him following his Manchester United exit on Tuesday. United sacked Mourinho after two-and-a-half-years at Old Trafford, the club sitting sixth in the Premier League table, 19 points behind leaders Liverpool. The Portuguese was criticised for his tactics at United, with some suggesting he had gone away from the style of play that was established under Alex Ferguson. His abrasive style with the media and ongoing problems with his players ... Читать дальше...

Rio Ferdinand believes Jose Mourinho had taken Manchester United as far as he could prior to his departure from Old Trafford. Mourinho, who won the Premier League three times across two spells with Chelsea, left United 17 games into his third season with the club, United sitting 19 points behind leaders Liverpool. In his role as a television pundit, Ferdinand had been critical of Mourinho's treatment of the club's younger players in recent weeks after the Portuguese suggested Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial... Читать дальше...

Rewind to May 2016 and a misty-eyed Portuguese walked through the door at Old Trafford, declaring Manchester United to have a "mystique and a romance which no other club can match".  Given his emotional attachment to Chelsea, solidified by two spells at Stamford Bridge, and the fact he had already managed arguably the most glamorous football club on the planet in Real Madrid, this was the bullish Jose Mourinho we'd come to expect.  Strip back the hyperbole and the message was clear: this was his dream job. Читать дальше...