• Potter is being given time by the new owners, who have been influenced by Mikel Arteta’s poor start at Arsenal and then turning things around to lead the Gunners into title contenders.
• Genuine buyers interested in taking over Manchester United have been instructed to hand in a one paragraph offer showing only the amount they can pay and how much equity they are looking to purchase plus proof that they have the money available to complete that purchase.
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There is a joke going round that Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has bought so many new players that there were not enough pegs and lockers in the dressing room for their belongings!
Not long ago, Chelsea were forced to resort to their academy youngsters to make up the first team and 18-year-old Lewis Hall and 19-year-old Bashir Humphries were drafted into the senior squad. At one stage this winter, 11 players were on the injured or sick list.
However, that problem has gone away for coach Graham Potter — to be replaced by intense pressure to produce results. New signings Malo Gusto, Enzo Fernandes, Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile, Noni Madueke, David Dadro Fofana and Joao Felix all expect to play, which gives Potter what is known as a “happy headache.”
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz also want answers in regard to Potter’s long-term plans for them. Reece James is back from injury and drafted immediately into the first team while Ben Chilwell is also available again after a long period in the medical department. Mateo Kovacic and Denis Zakaria are also back in training. Boehly is looking at Potter to see his team climb back up the table.
However, the coach said this week: “This is a difficult situation. We have got Joao, we have Kai and we have got David. But that’s not to say it is goodbye to Pierre-Emerick but I had to be honest with him and give him time. You have to understand that these guys are human beings, they have got families. There might be something that is better for him in the medium or short term, who knows. But while he is here, we will treat him with respect.”
Potter is being given time by the new owners, who have been influenced by Mikel Arteta’s poor start at Arsenal and then turning things around to lead the Gunners into title contenders. Billionaires can have pretty much anything they want in this world and the owners will not wait too long for the coach to produce that turnaround and success.
Casemiro missing is huge for United
Erik Ten Hag’s biggest problem is losing vital midfield general Casimiro and the clever play of injured Christian Eriksen. Ten Hag has plenty of players from which to choose in their positions.
However, Casemiro’s ability to control a game has thrown the midfield out of balance while he is missing. It is important for a team not to rely too heavily on one player. However, in Casemiro’s case, he is the vital lynch-pin who controls how the team performs in midfield.
Having performed well in central positions earlier in the season, Ten Hag is worried that despite Fred’s energy, he lacks control and Marcel Sabitzer is taking time to settle into the Premier League. Regrettably, the Reds central play is back to its old chaotic self and is Ten Hag’s priority.
Guardiola solves penalty chaos
Pep Guardiola talked to his players on Tuesday regarding penalties. There was much confusion around the awarding of a penalty against Aston Villa. Rodri took the ball and went straight to the penalty spot after Jack Grealish had been brought down in the penalty area.
Riyad Mahrez was already there and refused to move. Captain Ilkay Gundogan then joined in with Erling Haaland and Mahrez was given the ball and converted.
Guardiola spoke with the players and told them: “Normally Erling is the first penalty taker. I wanted that but Riyad always tries to do it, Rodri got involved and then I don’t honestly know what happened. There should always be the main one and that is Erling.” Okay, problem solved for next time then.
Buyers line up for United
Genuine buyers interested in taking over Manchester United have been instructed to hand in a one paragraph offer showing only the amount they can pay and how much equity they are looking to purchase plus proof that they have the money available to complete that purchase.
I am told only five contenders are serious. United’s New York bankers Raine will start the ball rolling this coming week. My understanding is that there are as many as 20 offers being forwarded but the bankers will cut this down to only two or three and the price is believed to be around £5billion.
Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Radcliffe, who owns petrochemical firm Ineos, is seeking backing from JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs. A group linked to the Qatari royal family is another interested party and there are other bidders believed to come from Singapore, China and Saudi Arabia.
Amazingly, the world’s second richest man, Elon Musk, is also watching developments on the sale of United and might get involved. I am not convinced he will move into sports ownership, however. But with a personal fortune estimated at £145billion, he could certainly afford United and Old Trafford.
Tottenham suffer from midfield injuries
Tottenham Hotspur have a number of injured players which has reduced first team options for coach Antonio Conte. On Monday, we learned that Rodrigo Bentacur will miss the rest of this season with a serious knee injury.
His fellow midfielder, Yves Bissouma is also on the treatment table struggling with an ankle injury and Ryan Sessegnon has a hamstring problem. Club captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris picked up a knee injury and I am told he could miss the rest of the season. Conte commented: “Sometimes luck abandons you”.
He is not joking because at the moment, he has only two fit recognised first team midfielders, Oliver Skipp and Pape Matar Sarr and they have played together only twice this season. After the midweek match against AC Milan, Conte singled out both players for praise.
The club had planned to bring former England goalkeeper Ben Foster out of retirement but the transfer window has closed and league officials turned down a “special circumstances” request from Tottenham. Fraser Forster is Lloris’s natural deputy. However, he suffered a bad day last week when Spur’s lost 4-1 and Conte is undecided whether he can provide quality cover for Lloris.
Sancho, Shaw and “Rashy” praised
Manchester United coach Erik Ten Hag says he is “very happy” with Jadon Sancho’s return.
After three months on the sidelines due to injury, he returned to the first team against Nottingham Forest and then Leeds, where he scored in a 2-2 draw. At the same time, Ten Hag blamed his backline for not working hard enough and his midfield for their formation play which he said limited chances for the forwards. But he was pleased with Sancho’s performance.
David De Gea picked out Shaw and Marcus Rashford for praise after the Leeds match, saying: “Luke Shaw played very well and then there is Rashy, who is on fire at the moment! He is scoring lots of goals, helping the team, running, pressing and I think he’s playing at the top level and he scored a massive goal for us and then we controlled the game.”
Ten Hag has certainly pulled the United dressing room together and the players are all working for each other.
Rodgers turns Leicester around
Leicester City have been rewarded for their owner’s faith in coach Brendan Rodgers following a 4-1 victory against Tottenham over the weekend.
The club has also been recognised as having one of the best owners in Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, better known as Khun Top, who took over the club after his father’s tragic death in October 2018. He has written off a Leicester debt owed to his company, the King Power organisation, of £194million.
After a poor start to the season, Rodgers has repaid his owner’s faith by turning the club around and are making significant strides up the table. Goals are starting to fly in now that Harvey Barnes, James Maddison and Kelechi Iheanacho are linking up well, something Rodgers has worked on tirelessly in training.
Iheanacho, in particular, has been causing defenders all sorts of problems and Rodgers said of him: “He’s been a constant threat all season and he’s horrible to play against for defenders and especially if you are a centre-half since he’s so strong.”
The loser in all this is former top scorer, 36-year-old Jamie Vardy, who is no longer the regular first choice main striker. Vardy has started just a game in 11 and has just one this season. He is contracted until the end of next season and I understand he will leave and end a highly-successful career with the Foxes. Rodgers would only comment: “Time moves on.”
Greenwood still not clear to play at United
Despite having alleged attempted rape and assault charges against him dropped, Mason Greenwood’s future at Manchester United is far from certain. He was due to stand trial in November but prosecutors dropped the case after key witnesses withdrew and more evidence came to light.
However, United have not ended their concerns and are due to interview Greenwood to hear his account of what happened and they also intend to use specialists to assess his mental and physical condition. He has a £100k-a-week contract until June 2025 but United will delay a decision as to his future with club.
Inside the dressing room, players are divided on Greenwood’s return. Several are worried while others have no objections. However, United’s women’s team have raised concerns.
Sponsors are very important to each player and to the club and United are aware that their backers might not be in agreement about having him restored to the first team squad.