Sportswriter: @Guardian_Sport, @BBCSport, @WorldSoccerMag, @F365. Books: They Always Score; Arsene Who?; The Dream Factory; The Next Big Thing
Worcester, England
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OTD 1999: Manchester United clinch the Treble by beating Bayern Munich 2-1 at the Camp Nou
Here are 8 stories from that game you might not have heard
Taken from my book ‘They Always Score: The Unforgettable, Improbable, Iconic Story or Manchester United’s Treble Winners’
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Again: you hire an Ajax-bred coach, given him a Sam Allardyce squad and ask for good football, then sack him after four games? Unbelievable
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I think Dave Jones is excellent at his job and I’m sure he was being told to say that at the end. But he undermined Gary Neville’s reasoned and right-thinking argument. This kind of faux journalistic balance is part of the reason why we are where we are
Football Daily
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Between 1996 and 1999, Ronaldo was an alien. Nothing like him before or since. Might have been the best ever if not for injuries. He was still magnificent when he came back, but human. nitter.app/Pena_Cartel/status/112…
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The year is 2047: The Super League has been an overwhelming financial success, but its eight most successful clubs are tired of sharing the pot with the perennial stragglers. They band together to announce the formation of a new breakaway division, The Super-Duper League
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Rashford completed 43 (89.6%) of his 48 attempted passes. Only two of his incomplete passes were in the middle third. None in the defensive third. He also completed four of six take-ons and set up the game-winning goal
I think he’s doing just fine. Amazing, actually
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Brozovic with the Iniesta moves nitter.app/cl_vids/status/1191818…
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Saw the fawning over this ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold before I saw the pass. Expected it to have been overhyped. If anything, it’s been undersold. Phenomenal pick-out nitter.app/S8R_HD20025/status/120…
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Goran Pandev has been balding longer than Jude Bellingham has been alive. I respect that longevity
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Shaqiri for £13.75m is a very tidy piece of business for Liverpool. He picked up eight goals and seven assists in the worst team in the league last season and will look twice the player surround by higher quality. Versatile, experienced and somehow still only 26
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John McGinn: take a bow. This is incredible nitter.app/WittonRoad/status/1043…
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Messi has scored 614 goals for Barcelona. Feel like he’s scored this one at least 150 times before nitter.app/djdyvah/status/1201256…
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Ronaldo, the PSV years. 54 goals in 57 games. A kid on the brink of becoming a superstar. Nothing like him before or since
Daniela F@rello
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While Bale and Ronaldo dropped hints about leaving, Zidane just quietly packed his bags and rode off into the sunset
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I think Alderweireld, even at £60m, is a good signing for Man United. Signing another 29-year-old attacker for big money would be a bad move given the young talent in that department. But an experienced, Premier League-adjusted, top-class CB is what they need
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Only De Bruyne (9), David Silva (8) and Leroy Sané (8) have more Premier League assists than Pogba (7) this season — all three have played at least 250 minutes more than the Frenchman
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If Harry Maguire is your second-best defender, I think you’re in great shape. If he’s your best, I think you have a ceiling
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Players whose contracts expire at the end of 2017/18:
Lionel Messi
Alexis Sánchez
Mesut Özil
Ander Herrera
Juan Mata
José Giménez
Stefan De Vrij
Ross Barkley
Leon Goretzka
Emre Can
Daley Blind
Faouzi Ghoulam
Luke Shaw
Fernandinho
Jack Wilshere
Marouane Fellaini
Mario Balotelli
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It’s a headline-grabbing piece of business and Van Dijk (or any competent CB) fills a big hole for Liverpool. But don’t get it twisted, Naby Keïta is their game-changing signing
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Alderweireld for £60m would make it £120m spent on centre-backs in the last three years for United. Should be no excuse for seeing Smalling and Jones start a meaningful game together anymore
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Lukaku’s ability to drive in from out wide has always been underrated. Brilliant goal nitter.app/InterYaSoul/status/118…
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Think it’s safe to assume Liverpool gave Michael Edwards such a prominent role in their transfer decisions based on his degree in bussiness management and informatics, experience and record of success. Their criteria wasn’t simply: “Did you play here?”
Manchester United 'to create transfer committee of three ex-players to make sure they avoid signing flops' as club look to copy Liverpool-style model trib.al/yUC92gX
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With Serie A moving from Eleven Sports to Premier Sports in February, the yearly cost to UK viewers who want to watch the Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga and Serie A is now around £1,015, spread across four subscriptions
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OoOoOoooOoOoOo
Mohamed Salah had never scored 20 goals in a season before he joined Liverpool. He’s now scored 20+ four years in a row. We might be in danger of becoming a bit numb to his consistent brilliance
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Van Dijk has had an amazing year. He’s the best CB in the world by a mile and worthy of the recognition he’s getting. Like so many before him — Robben, Ribery, Xavi, Iniesta, Sneijder — he’s unfortunate to be around at the same time as Messi when it comes to the Ballon d’Or
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If Raiola uses unscrupulous methods to bring a player to your club, you can't be surprised when he uses the same methods against you
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What a statement of intent Liverpool’s signing of Fabinho was last year. Deal completed just two days after the Champions League final. His performance tonight is a huge reason why they’re back there again, and as favourites
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Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan reuniting at Arsenal has the potential to be something special. If they click with Özil too, that’s a scary front three
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.@GNev2 on Sky now saying it’s a “disgrace” that, if true, United have leaked that Mourinho is to be sacked. “Furious” with how the club have operated over the last four years.
He’s right
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Lukaku's record in big games would be so much better if he received the kind of service Azpilicueta just provided for Morata
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Whatever your feelings on the last Manchester United manager, to have two talents like Pogba and Martial and not build the team around them is just negligent
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Michael Laudrup had every type of pass in his locker. And he could see round corners
Patrice Bernier
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If United aren’t sold on Jardim or Zidane as their next manager, perhaps a stop-gap appointment (like Hiddink at Chelsea or Heynckes at Bayern) is the best way forward. End the Mourinho malaise, make a push for top four and work on wooing Pochettino for the next six months
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FFS. Why do we need to hear from this moron? The players have told you what it means to them. They’ve told you why they do it. You don’t get to tell them “yeah but actually...”
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It’s an underrated skill of certain elite players to be able to coax bad decisions out of opponents. People panic around Ronaldo and do stupid things too often for it to be written off as coincidence. There’s a real value to that
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I still maintain that Martial is an Mbappé/Dembélé-level talent. He’s got the potential to be one of the very best in the world if properly nurtured
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Julien Müller
Apologies to anyone who’s messaged me on here over the last few days and not had a response. I’ve been a little busy welcoming this little man to the world
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Thread on why Cristiano Ronaldo is actually a better comparison for Mo Salah than Lionel Messi
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Leeds fans, if you’re wondering what to expect from Marcelo Bielsa, here’s a piece I wrote a couple of years ago about ‘El Loco’, detailing his tactical philosophy and how he has influenced many of the game’s best coaches
outsideoftheboot.com/2016/11…
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The narrative being built around Man United’s players after Mourinho’s sacking is weird, isn’t it? If they start playing well now they’re snakes who stopped playing for José; but there are “no excuses” to not perform or else they’re not fit to wear the shirt. Can’t win there
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Or, you know, continue under the terms of a mutually agreed and legally binding contract
🚨🚨| A final meeting in the coming days with Frenkie De Jong & he must decide: Either reduce his salary or leave.
@gerardromero [🎖️]
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FIFA Best Award – It's not an award for the best player in the world if Messi doesn't win it, much less even make the top three
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I’m sure people will use Pogba’s performances at this World Cup as proof he can play in a two, and question why he’s not as effective there for Man United. The difference: N’Golo Kanté
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So, looks like Man United are about to sign the best player from a top-six rival, who was also a top target for their cross-city rivals, while also tying their own best player down to a new contract. That makes for a pretty impressive January
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As he did last year, Andreas Pereira looks great at DM for United. His movement to always give the centre-backs a passing option is really smart and his use of the ball is great. Always positive and doesn’t hold on to the ball too long
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Been so long, forgot how to pub nitter.app/HopkinsBRFC/status/138…
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Ladies and gentlemen, your goal of the tournament nitter.app/Brazen_1/status/140960…
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This >>>>> Alisson’s vs Napoli last season nitter.app/LewisTh0mpson/status/1…
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It’s one thing to see the pass, but then to execute it so perfectly? Incredible assist by Jorginho for Tammy Abraham nitter.app/D9INE_WORLD/status/119…
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If Klopp could build a midfielder from scratch to be perfect for his system . . . well, he wouldn’t have to because he’s bought Naby Keïta
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Messi in the kind of mood tonight whereby you owe it to yourself to be watching if you aren’t already. Regardless of allegiances and rivalries, we love football and he does it better, more beautifully than anyone I’ve ever seen. He won’t be around forever
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Nice to see that Romario, at age 56, is still doing absolutely ridiculous things on a football pitch
Marcos Coelho
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Nine years younger and about €20m cheaper, Malcom makes a lot more sense than Willian for Barcelona. Can play anywhere across the second line of attack and will help ease the creative burden on Messi
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5ft 9ins Sadio Mané’s eight headed goals since the start of last season is more than any other Premier League player except Chris Wood (9)
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Still struggling to understand how the world’s best clubs have seemingly decided Willian — who’s ~good, not great, and turns 30 next week — is worth £65m. Chelsea would be crazy to not sell him
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Sergej Milinković-Savić’s season by numbers:
24 Serie A games
9 goals
2 assists
30 dribbles
36 key passes
46 tackles
21 interceptions
59 aerial duels won
As a midfielder, he can do it all. Just turned 23 and set to be this summer’s hottest property
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Jadon Sancho has got 50 goals and 64 assists in 137 games for one of Europe’s top clubs. Got a chance or unlocking a tight game, I’d say
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Setien-ball. Sign me up nitter.app/Futebol_2020/status/12…
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Thomas Lemar wants to join #MUFC and Monaco willing to sell if £60m valuation met, according to @DuncanCastles in his latest podcast.
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“The person who made me want to play football was Cristiano Ronaldo”
For any Chelsea fans wanting to know more about Noni Madueke, I interviewed him just over a year ago for @BBCSport
bbc.com/sport/football/59037…
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Yep. Best striker at the World Cup so far nitter.app/tomeurosport/status/10…
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Frenkie de Jong justified the hype, the fee and the comparisons tonight. Dominant in the biggest game of his career, outplaying Kroos and Modric at the Bernabéu while never seeming at all rushed or uncertain. Some player
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Would be nice if at some point the ITV coverage gives us a bit of analysis on one of the most entertaining second halves at the World Cup, instead of insinuating a nonsense conspiracy about a ball that looks quite a lot like it didn’t cross the line
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Struggling to think of a better goalkeeping performance over the last few years than David de Gea’s today. Best in the world
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It’s been a while since I’ve seen a 17-year-old with a skillset as broad and complete as Mason Greenwood. Effortless technique and a deep bag of tricks
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Marcus Rashford is national hero and inspiration, and there’s nothing a right-wing shit rag and its hypocritical hit pieces could do to change that. He is the best of us
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White sweater guy just knew the fact he's seen the Matrix 38 times would come in handy one day
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My take on the Lucas Moura to United rumours: he’s not good enough
If it’s a loan until the end of the season purely to add numbers and a different option, fair enough
He hasn’t progressed nearly as much as expected though. Like a Brazilian Walcott in many respects
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Messi with an absolutely outrageous dummy nitter.app/hgmbyggstfi1114/status…
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The difference in United’s defence with and without Bailly is night and day. As an outstanding one-v-one defender with bags of recovery pace, he was always going to be United’s best hope of keeping this Liverpool attack at bay
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The talent gap between Messi and Barcelona’s next best player is wider than ever (Neymar gone, Suárez off form, Iniesta ageing). If Barça win the title this year it’ll be among Messi’s greatest achievements. Carrying this team. 🐐
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I’ve come to the realisation Messi is actually one of the most underrated players in the world; no matter how good you think he is, he’s better
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follow @psychoclownblog
Tahith Chong is ready to be one of the breakout stars of Man United’s pre-season tour
A piece breaking down what makes the wild-haired teenager such an exciting prospect
#MUFC #MUTour @FB_WHISPERS
footballwhispers.com/blog/ha…
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Fully prepared to take pelters for this but... I think Vardy actually suits this England system better than Kane
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Martial has transformed this game. When he's got a point to prove he's unplayable. Needs to maintain this level of motivation.
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I think this might be the most beautiful finish I’ve ever seen. Messi ... bloody hell
ELEVEN Football
MESSI SCORES HIS BEST GOAL YET
Watch LaLiga on Eleven Sports
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Inside the mind of Rhian Brewster - in conversation with family, friends and coaches to understand why he’s determined to become a Liverpool legend
A long read but I think this is the most comprehensive profile of Brewster to date | @LivEchoLFC #LFC
liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/fo…
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Nicky Butt on Sir Alex throwing a projective at his head when the midfielder unexpectedly got a question right in a pre-match quiz at the team hotel
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The boy who would be king: a 19-year-old Ronaldo at the 1996 Olympics nitter.app/olympicchannel/status/…
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