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glitterscale · 6 years ago

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FABIANO FANFICTION (17)

Fabio’s POV

5 years later

Wow, a few things have passed since the last time you’ve heard of me. Let me briefly summarize them for you:

- First and foremost, Cristiano and I have found each other. Well, we kind of did. Even though you might have heard from the media that Cristiano has made three new children and won over a new girlfriend, we have confessed our love for one another. I tell you that it was an emotional and overwhelming moment for me which I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. Yet, I’m still with Andreia and he with his new girl Georgina, who is famously known as ‘big love’, but we’re all living in Madrid next door to each other in order for me to still be able to steal his apples (and more of course…). However, since the incident with Maria it had become clear to us that it was better to love each other in secret. Not even Andreia knows about us.

- Apropos Maria, he is still at Real but his skills got worse. He barely makes the squad anymore which may also be a result of our new coach.

- Yes, you’ve heard right. We have a new coach. Or rather a new old one: The one and only Zinedine Zidane. He used to be our coach one season ago resulting in us winning the Champions League three times in a row, however, he quit after the last season. Now, he’s back and stronger than ever.

- If you almost stopped reading because you were scared that Mou was gone – don’t be! He is now our assistant coach. Whether or not he likes his new role is up to debate but more about that in the following chapters.

- The new coaching duo Zizou and Mou have turned the whole squad upside down. The only remaining players you may still recognize are Di Maria, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, Varane and the German guy Khedira.

- We have got another German import called Groteska (or is it Goretzka? … No, I don’t think so…) whose playing in the defensive midfield – be aware of his curls!

- It’s not only Germans who made the team but we’re a very international Real Madrid in fact.

- We have three Brits: our new goalkeeper Jamie Dornan (San Iker has retired ... or is he still playing? I’m not sure) who keeps saying that he has a very special taste. I think he doesn’t like fish. The other British guy played for a Real Madrid more than a decade ago. You may remember him as David Beckham. He is now working in our marketing department as he is too old to play football. He has reformed a lot already. On matchdays, he sells strawberry banana smoothies and after I requested it the menu also lists fish bone smoothies now. The last British guy is Ruben Loftus Cheek who has not only nice cheeks but also long legs and brown skin. He will also be a huge part of the upcoming chapters… Stay tuned!!

- Loftus moved over from Chelsea London alongside Eden Hazard who hopefully every one of you know. He’s Belgian. He is short – but not shorter than me and quite handsome. I think, he and Ruben would make such a great couple. Unfortunately, their communication seems to be a bit complicated … Cristiano and I had better luck with this…

- Zizou has pulled his strings and made the signing of a very promising talent possible: Kylian Mbappe who is French and young but very skilled.

- The last two signings are the defender David Luiz and our new media spokesman Ingo Zamperoni.

- Last but not least, it was the legendary number 7 Juanito who has watched our Club’s every move and still is!!

So, now back to business. It was a rainy day in Huesca when I woke up early in the hotel room. (Yes, Huesca – I don’t know where that is but Cristiano told me that it was somewhere in Spain which kind of makes sense considering we’re playing in a Spanish League.) I heard the rain falling when I turned around in my bed to face Cristiano. There he was – the Portuguese hero, legend, and sex symbol lying 10 centimetres away from me. I was about to touch his face when someone knocked at the door.

“Cristiano, Fabio! Hallooooooo! Cristianoooooooo, open the door!”

I got up but before I opened the door I asked nervously “Hello? Who is there?”

“Fabio, you idiot. You not know my voice? It’s Sami”

“Who?” I asked. I didn’t know a Sami. “Khedira. Boy from Germany!”, the man said. “Ah okay!”

I opened the door and let the German in. Before I could stop him, he stormed into the room and stopped almost as fast in front of the bed looking at a very naked Cristiano whose blanket had fallen to the floor. There we were. Standing around the bed, both unable to move staring at Cristiano’s manhood.

Moments later, someone entered the room. It must have been Zizou because he said with a French accent: “Cristiano, I hope you don’t mind getting dressed and coming to the conference room? Now?!” He continued in a calm voice: “Fabio, Sami, please just don’t make a scene and go, too. I think Cristiano is able to dress himself!”

I was sitting in the conference room with the good-looking British / Irish guy next to me. “Hi, my name is Fabio!”, I said. “Man, I know. We have been playing together in one team for a little over a year now.” Oh really? Instead of apologizing and fixing the situation (something that would have been impossible anyway because of my bad English), I pointed at my ear and said: “We must hear Zizou!”, to underline my statement, I also pointed at Zizou. Hopefully, the British / Irish guy had understood that.

Zizou started talking about tactics and about our opponent Huesca. I was unable to concentrate because I missed the breakfast and was lusting for fish already. It was when Zizou began to talk about the starting eleven that Cristiano entered. He looked around and targeted the seat next to me. However, it wasn’t the seat on the right taken by the Irish / British guy but the one on the left where Real Madrid’s new signing and promising English talent Ruben Loftus-Cheek was sitting. “Move!”, Cristiano said kind of rude. Instead of replying something, Loftus just smiled at him. “I said move!”, Cristiano said again. Loftus got up as slowly as he probably could and placed himself in front of Cristiano. The whole conference room gasped. Loftus was one head taller than Cristiano and therefore made him look like a child. “Oh god, just sit down. I need a seat close to the mirror, anyway!”, Cristiano said and went into the opposite corner.

That’s how the 2019 / 2020 season started. When we set foot on the pitch in Huesca the sun was shining again, and I was sure that this was Juanito’s doing. The appearance of his spirit promised a very exciting season ahead, of that I was sure. Yet at that time, I didn’t know about all the drama that was awaiting us in the upcoming months…

#cristiano ronaldo #fabio coentrao #Real Madrid #bromance #huesca #fabiano17 #cr7 #zinedine zidane

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tkmedia · 3 years ago

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Big Weekend: Liverpool v Chelsea, Bruce, Arsenal, Old Firm derby

We really are being buttered up before the international break. Two huge Premier League games, a couple of derbies…. and Nemanja Matic. Game to watch – Liverpool v Chelsea Only two matchdays in, we have already had a few fixtures that have triggered the senses. Especially with full stadiums being a thing once more. But Chelsea’s trip to Liverpool is the first Premier League match of the season to really grab your balls and give them a big, vice-like squeeze. Both clubs have had serene starts to the season, with each scoring five goals in two wins and neither defence having been breached. For Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel, the confidence must be flowing and we can only hope each manager buzzes off it ahead of kick-off at Anfield. There are intriguing match-ups all over the pitch, but the headline-grabber must be Romelu Lukaku, readjusting to the Premier League, against Virgil van Dijk, acclimatising to playing football again. Lukaku was given a comfortable reintroduction on his Chelsea debut last week, being allowed by a patchwork Arsenal defence to take eight shots on Bernd Leno’s goal. Van Dijk won’t afford the Belgian the same privilege. Watching Lukaku attempt to pin Van Dijk around the box will be one of the highlights of the bank holiday weekend. Elsewhere, will Reece James be granted the freedom to make Andrew Robertson’s head spin like he did with the Liverpool defender’s Scotland team-mate Kieran Tierney last week? Can Liverpool’s front three highlight the need for Tuchel to recruit another centre-back before Tuesday? Both Klopp and Tuchel could justify a pragmatic approach with the intention of taking a point to maintain some momentum going into the two-week hiatus. But if both choose to be bold – and each has good reason to be – we could have an early-season classic to ease us into the worst international break of them all. Cheeky tips Son and Sterling to score but Man Utd to draw Team to watch – Arsenal Before the main event on Saturday night, the matinee holds plenty of intrigue. And perhaps a little less fear for Mikel Arteta than he might have been feeling before Wednesday night. The Gunners went to West Brom in the Carabao Cup after a couple of miserable league defeats to face the buoyant Baggies. But Valerien Ismael did Arteta a huge favour by making 11 changes and fielding six full debutants, all of whom handed Arsenal safer passage than they must have been expecting. Can they take that morale boost and turn it into something tangible at Manchester City on Saturday lunchtime? Not likely. Certainly not if you give any credence to the odds – the Gunners are currently 12/1 to win on Saturday lunchtime. You can see why. Arsenal’s defending has been wretched and their biggest summer signing, Ben White, is again set to miss out at the Emirates. They could have a young goalkeeper minding their net on his Premier League debut for the club and a right-back dealing with Jack Grealish all the while knowing he might be replaced before deadline on Tuesday. Up front, though, Arteta tinkered against West Brom and Arsenal fans can only hope he resists the temptation to revert back. With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang through the middle and Martin Odegaard in a central role off the front man, both looked far more comfortable – Aubameyang especially. Will Arteta hold his nerve against his former club? Top ten weird moments of the Premier League season so far Manager to watch – Steve Bruce For almost any other other manager, Newcastle’s home clash with Southampton would be must-win. The supporters were already calling for Bruce’s head in pre-season and since the Premier League kicked off, the Magpies are pointless from two matches having also being bundled out of the Carabao Cup by Burnley. “We haven’t lost on the night,” said Bruce, but his faux optimism is fooling no-one. The Newcastle boss cut a lonely figure before and during the shoot-out and another defeat to Saints will leave Bruce even more isolated, even if Mike Ashley will do all he can to avoid cutting him adrift. It won’t help that Saints are buoyant. After taking a point from Manchester United last week, they smashed eight past Newport on Wednesday night. That was without Adam Armstrong, their big summer signing who returns to Newcastle desperate to show his former club what they are missing after they sold him to Blackburn in 2018 for £2million. Armstrong also banked the Toon another £6million courtesy of a sell-on clause activated when Rovers sold him to Saints in the summer. Money they could use to pay off Bruce if Newcastle go into the international break on the back of another disheartening defeat in front of a dissenting St James’ Park. Player to watch – Nemanja Matic Manchester United badly need a midfielder. But Manchester United almost certainly won’t sign a midfielder. So with Scott McTominay on the sidelines after a groin operation, now is Matic’s time to shine. It has been a very good window so far for United with the signings of Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho. But the seemingly inevitable refusal to strengthen their midfield will leave half the job undone by the time 11pm Tuesday comes around. So between a solid defence and a scary-looking attack, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will likely have to make do with a plodding midfield. One capable of neither screening nor creating. Matic will do most of the protection job and one man he will have to stop is Ruben Neves, who looks tailor-made to add some dynamism to United’s engine room. Of course, Solskjaer could give Donny van de Beek a game. Crazy talk, we know… Man Utd way down ranking of Premier League double pivots EFL game to watch – Derby v Nottingham Forest Forest may be unbeaten in their last eight East Midlands derbies but they go to Pride Park on Saturday lunchtime in utterly wretched form. Chris Hughton’s side are rock bottom of the table and pointless after four defeats in their opening four games of the Championship season. The Carabao Cup brought no respite – they were humped 4-0 at Wolves. The rot started at the end of last season. Not since April 5 have Forest won in the Championship – a run that stretches to ten matches. An 11th in El Cloughico could spell the end for Hughton. Wayne Rooney’s Rams are in a rather better frame of mind after a win and a couple of draws to start their league season. But Derby are better than most when it comes to shooting themselves in the foot. It might not be pretty…

European game to watch – Rangers v Celtic There aren’t many games on the continent that set the pulse racing in anticipation before the weekend. Sure, settle in for Reims v PSG on Sunday evening when Lionel Messi could make his debut in perhaps the only game we could see him, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe play together in the same attack. The first Old Firm derby of the season, though, seems the most intriguing match this weekend beyond these borders. Not since December 2019 have Rangers and Celtic gone into battle in a packed arena and both have grounds for optimism. Rangers have won five of the last six meetings while Celtic go to Ibrox on the back of consecutive 6-0 victories while Ange Postecoglou gets his feet under the table at Parkhead. Even if the game is sh*te – which it almost certainly won’t be – the sight and sound of a bouncing Ibrox alone will be worth tuning in for. Read the full article

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footballerimaginess · 4 years ago

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A Huge Prompt List

Basically we all know I can’t resist a good prompt list, so when I saw @emwritesfootball doing this. I had to stop myself from doing it, I crumbled lol. So I am only blaming myself here and only me. This is a huge prompt list I know, so I will take my time getting through it. But I thought it was a bit of fun and I loved all the prompts. Credit to the very talented page @creativepromptsforwriting who created these lists. Request with the number as well as which list you are choosing from. I will write beside it who got which prompt. If you do any ideas for the prompt, let me know. Also if a prompt has been taken, I will see if I can do multiple players on that request for you. Enjoy reading through the huge list. x

Touching

touching foreheads Declan Rice

running fingers through hair Harry Winks/ Mason Mount

hiding face in neck Eric Dier

caressing the other’s hand Dominic Calvert Lewin

feeling their pulse Kepa

patting the other’s head Marco Asensio

holding hands

shielding the other one with their body Ben Godfrey/Dominic Calvert Lewin

listening to the other’s heartbeat Trent Alexander Arnold

spooning at night Kieran Tierney

laying their hand on the other’s neck Marco Asensio

pushing a strand of hair behind their ear Martin Odegaard

nudging the other one Mason Mount

putting an arm around the other’s waist Sergio Ramos

hugging each other Christian Pulisic

massaging them

holding the other’s chin up Dominic Calvert Lewin

squishing the other’s cheek Reiss Nelson

high fiving

bandaging/stitching up an injury Jordan Henderson

kissing the other’s brow Reece James

falling asleep on the other’s shoulder Martin Odegaard

carrying the other one in their arms Roman Burki

whispering in their ear, lips touching the skin Sergio Ramos

stroking the other’s arm soothingly Jadon Sancho

kissing the top of their head Mason Mount

pulling the other one towards them Dominic Calvert Lewin

feeling for each other in the dark James Maddison

tickling the other one

grabbing onto their arm

doing a pinky swear Reece James

caressing the other’s back Ben Chilwell

tasting their smile Ben Chilwell

washing the other’s body Roman Burki

kissing their bruises and scars Trent Alexander Arnold

lifting the other one up

putting their head on the other’s chest Dominic Calvert Lewin

stroking their leg Calum Chambers

leaning into the other’s side Jadon Sancho

patting them on the back

sitting close and knees touching Eric Dier

braiding the other’s hair Jadon Sancho

giving them a piggy-back ride Pierre Emilie Hojbjerg

sitting on the other’s lap Scott McTominay

feeling their temperature Ben Chilwell

linking arms with each other

touching their elbow to get their attention Ruben Loftus Cheek

dancing with each other

holding onto the other’s shoulders for support Jack Grealish

putting a hand over the other’s mouth to shut them up

Kisses

goodnight kisses Harry Winks

hand kisses Jack Grealish/ Pau Torres

smiling while kissing Ben Chilwell

lips barely touching Federico Bernardeschi

morning kisses Declan Rice

slow kisses Patrick Bamford

passionate kisses Mason Mount

kisses on the cheek Leighton Baines

first kisses Jadon Sancho

goodbye kisses Reiss Nelson

welcome home kisses Ousmane Dembele

kisses on the corner of their mouth James Maddison

frustrated kisses Virgil Van Dijk/ Joe Rodon

kissing each other breathless Dominic Calvert Lewin/Son Heung Min

soothing kisses Mason Mount

nose kisses Declan Rice/ John Stones

kisses as a promise Jesse Lingard

short pecks Ben Chilwell

forehead kisses Ollie Watkins

kisses on head Sergio Ramos

“we’ll face this together” kisses Marcus Rashford

kisses in the rain Son Heung Min/Leon Goretzka

life-or-death kisses

kisses for a cover Eric Dier

hard kisses

giggling while kissing Martin Odegaard

desperate kisses

neck kisses Mason Mount

hushed conversation in-between kisses Dominic Calvert Lewin

eyelid kisses

gentle stroking of cheeks Eric Dier

small kisses Martin Odegaard

kissing it better Roman Burki

jaw kisses Pierre Emile Hojbjerg

wake-up kisses Emile Smith Rowe

kissing away tears Japhet Tanganga

public kisses Ben Chilwell

relieved kisses Callum Hudson Odoi

kisses for comfort Martin Odegaard

tummy kisses Jadon Sancho

kisses to shut them up Eric Dier

slowly kissing down the body John Stones

“we’ll see each other again” kisses

kissing each finger John Stones

sleepy kisses Virgil Van Dijk

angry kisses Pedro Neto

feather-light kisses Christian Pulisic

kisses with trembling lips

secret kisses Mason Mount/Dominic Calvert Lewin

kisses with their last dying breath

Hugs

friendly hugs James Maddison

hug around the waist Ansu Fati

hugging while twirling around

comforting hugs Jack Grealish

side hugs Kai Havertz

hugging and gently holding the other’s head James Maddison

pulling someone into a hug Matty Cash

hugging while walking

eye-to-eye hugs

hiding their face in the other’s neck Callum Hudson Odoi

clinging to each other Marco Asensio

hugging while lying down together Jadon Sancho

group hugs Mason Mount

hugging with head on shoulder Sergio Ramos

tender embrace

‘not wanting to let go’ hugs Declan Rice

hugging from behind Mason Mount

bear hugs Harry Winks

hugging with hands in each other’s pockets Marco Asensio

cuddling Reiss Nelson

hugs and kisses Martin Odegaard

hugging and jumping up and down together

familiar hugs

hugging with height-difference Tammy Abraham

gentle hugs

hugging with patting on back

piggy back hugs

quick hugs Ben Godfrey

hugging while slow dancing Harry Winks

one-sided hugs

hugging while straddling the partner Mason Mount

long-lasting hugs Martin Odegaard

‘picking them up’ hugs Kylian Mbappe

hugging while grabbing butt Roman Burki/Ben Chilwell

cuddle pile

Hand Holding

tiny hands in big hands Eric Dier

calloused hands in soft hands

cold hands in warm hands Kieran Tierney

hands with the perfect ratio to each other for hand-holding Eric Dier

platonic hand-holding Tyrone Mings

running their thumb over the other’s hand Jadon Sancho

dancing with their hands holding onto each other

squeezing hand for comfort and encouragement Callum Hudson Odoi

holding hands across the table Ruben Loftus Cheek

happily doing everything with just one hand, if it means they don’t have to let go Martin Odegaard

not wanting to lose each other in a big crowd Matty Cash

possessive hand-holding Billy Gilmour

linking hands together during sex Jadon Sancho

grabbing hand to show them something Joe Rodon

loosely holding onto each other’s hands, laying in one’s lap John Stones

only linking the pinkies together, not ready to let go completely

holding hands while skating

excitedly grabbing each other’s hands during a concert, jumping up and down together

playing with each other’s fingers Ben Chilwell

pressing the other’s hand against their cheek Dominic Calvert Lewin

holding hands while one is balancing on a small wall

grabbing the other’s hand to pull them back from something Tyrone Mings

holding hands under the table Ben Godfrey

only realizing it when they have to let go

standing in front of each other, holding both their hands Tammy Abraham

holding their hands above their head, fingers linked together

passionate hand-holding Harry Winks

grabbing the other’s hand so they don’t fall

holding hands while running through the rain

brushing against each other, linking fingers together for a second

grabbing their hand to grab their attention Reece James

not really paying attention, both doing something else, but still holding hands

bandaging the other’s hand and not quite letting go James Maddison

holding hands while driving Leon Goretzka

grabbing the other’s hand to pull them back to them Sergio Ramos

unconsciously searching out each other’s hand while sleeping Dominic Calvert Lewin

not realizing they’re holding hands till someone points it out Eric Dier

swinging hands back and forth, skipping like children

holding hands in a museum to pull them to the next exhibition Tom Davies

letting go when there is an obstacle in their way and immediately grabbing each other’s hand again when they pass it Emile Smith Rowe

loosely holding onto each other’s hand

dragging the other with them, holding their hand

raising the other’s hand to their lips to kiss it softly Mason Mount

holding hands while jumping down from somewhere together

comparing hand sizes, then linking fingers together Tyrone Mings/ Martin Odegaard

Casual Affections

smiling at each other from across the room Dominic Calvert Lewin

randomly texting a gif or emoji

laying their hand on the other’s leg Ben Godfrey

kiss to the side of the head Mason Mount

squeezing the other’s shoulder

fixing the other’s clothes

guiding them with a hand on the small of their back Ben Godfrey/Mason Mount

embracing them from behind Memphis Depay

ruffling their hair

placing their chin on the other’s shoulder Dominic Calvert Lewin

calling them nicknames Jadon Sancho

winking at them Dominic Calvert Lewin

teasing each other good-naturedly Billy Gilmour

putting an arm around the other’s shoulder

washing the other's hair Jack Grealish

taking a photo of the smiling or in their element Tyrone Mings

looking in each other's eyes Dominic Calvert Lewin

putting a blanket on them Dominic Calvert Lewin

tugging at the other's clothes to keep them close

making them food they like Eric Dier

laughing at their jokes Tyrone Mings

placing a hand on the back of the other’s neck Mason Mount

brushing strands of hair away Loris Karius

patting their head Jadon Sancho

sharing an umbrella

bumping shoulders into each other John Stones

randomly face-timing just to hear their voice/see their face Jadon Sancho

pressing their foreheads together

nudging them to show they are right beside them

laying their head on the other’s shoulder Trent Alexander Arnold/ Dominic Calvert Lewin

#prompts

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eurotickets20 · 5 years ago

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Rankings of some Favourite teams to win Euro 2020

Euro 2020 and international football spread right across the continent is fast oncoming. Most of the qualifiers are now known excluding the 4 playoff winners next March. Euro 2020 fans can book England Vs Czech Republic Tickets on our website on exclusively discounted prices.

5. Netherlands

The Netherlands is back at an international tournament for the first time since 2014, and it is a new-look squad that features many of Europe’s current top players, including Virgil van Dijk, Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt.

The Dutch have enjoyed some big results in the past year or so, specifically against Germany and France in the UEFA Nations League, and again against Germany in Euro 2020 qualifying. Euro 2020 fans can book Netherlands Vs Austria Tickets on our website on exclusively discounted prices.

4. England

England is showing plenty of potentials ahead of Euro 2020 and will be boosted by playing all but two of their games on home soil at Wembley if they are to go all the way to the final. It provides a perfect opportunity to build on a fourth-place finish at the 2018 World Cup.

This England squad seems much at ease than the Golden Generation of 10-15 years ago and is free of the problems that prevented success back then. That is evident in the way the Three Lions have routinely thrashed opposing teams in qualifying when it was once hard work. Euro 2020 fans can book England Vs Play-Off Winner Tickets on our website on exclusively discounted prices.

3. Portugal

Write Portugal off at your peril is the warning from coach Fernando Santos. He isn’t wrong because nobody expected his side to win Euro 2016 last time out. They have improved all over the pitch since then, with the likes of Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Neves, Joao Felix and more now part of a golden generation.

Add to that, the inaugural UEFA Nations League title and, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo and you have a very strong team. Euro 2020 fans can book Portugal Vs France Tickets on our website on exclusively discounted prices.

2. France

France’s chances of completing a World Cup and European Championship double for the second time in 20 years are likely to hinge on the fitness of key players. Notably, both Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante have struggled with injury in the first half of the club season.

In Kylian Mbappe, Les Bleus have one of the best forwards in the world, a player who won’t celebrate his 21st birthday until December and is reminiscent of the Brazilian Ronaldo. Euro 2020 fans can book France Vs Germany Tickets on our website on exclusively discounted prices.

1. Belgium

Belgium will finally be hoping that 2020 is the year their Golden Generation delivers on its enormous potential, having finished third at the last World Cup and returned to the top of the FIFA rankings. They qualified with a perfect 100% record and scored 40 goals in 10 games.

Most of these Belgian players, like Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, should be at their peak. A handful of others, including Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, Axel Witsel, and Dries Mertens might not get another chance. Euro 2020 fans can book Finland Vs Belgium Tickets on our website on exclusively discounted prices.

We are offering Euro Cup Tickets so Football fans can get Euro 2020 Tickets through our trusted online ticketing market place. EuroTickets2020.com is the most reliable source to book Euro Cup 2020 tickets.

#EnglandVsCzechRepublicTickets #NetherlandsVsAustriaTickets #PortugalVsFranceTickets #EnglandVsPlay-OffWinnerTickets #FranceVsGermanyTickets #FinlandVsBelgiumTickets #Euro2020Tickets

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gadgetsrevv · 5 years ago

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Neymar returning to Spain would be an ego trip by Barca or Real. PLUS: Chelsea exposed at Man United

It’s back! After a summer of international soccer, Gab Marcotti returns with his weekly column reflecting on the big talking points. It’s the first edition of Monday Musings for the 2019-20 season.

The latest on Neymar’s transfer saga

So now it’s apparently just a question of making the numbers work. PSG sporting director Leonardo confirmed that the club are in talks to sell Neymar, with Real Madrid and (possibly) Barcelona the likeliest destinations. But when you put a $210m Euro price tag on a guy, it’s far from straightforward. Particularly since whoever signs Neymar will also be on the hook for some $300m+ in wages over the next five years.

The depressing thing here is that this seems to be driven more by ego than footballing logic on all sides. Sure, Neymar is a hugely talented player and, possibly, still one of the heirs apparent to the Cristiano Ronaldo/Messi duopoly. But Barcelona have just added Antoine Griezmann to a front line that includes Messi and Luis Suarez (not to mention Ousmane Dembele). Real Madrid have just spent $110m on Eden Hazard and have big plans for Vinicius and Rodrygo, plus Marco Asensio won’t be injured in perpetuity. (And that’s before we get into Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez).

Where does he fit at either club, except as a an ego-trip and commercial roll of the dice?

The answer is he doesn’t. Signing Neymar would require a dismantling of the team that has been built (and, presumably, planned, though with Real Madrid you’re never quite sure how much planning is involved). And is his contribution, especially at that price, big enough to justify tearing up the blueprint?

I’d suggest the answer is a resounding “no,” not to mention the numbers. I know some treat Financial Fair Play as a joke but hey, it’s real and it’s still around. Barcelona can’t find a few extra million to land Matthijs De Ligt but they can commit half a billion to bring back Neymar, the guy who left so he could write his own story away from Messi’s shadow? Really?

Real Madrid, already stuck with two guys (Bale and James) whom they’re struggling to sell because of the absurdly onerous contracts they gave them, happily go and lavish another mega-deal on a guy who started less than half of his league games at PSG in the past two years? You sure?

Neymar’s time at PSG has failed to live up to expectations but it’s not stopped Spain’s two biggest clubs from trying to get him back in La Liga. Why?

It’s a sign of the modern game, and the way big clubs are straitjacketed by massive contracts, that if this deal happens, it won’t be a cash deal. The only way it works is by throwing in makeweights, which is why you’re likely to hear plenty of talk of Philippe Coutinho or Nelson Semedo, or James or Isco going the other way. Sticking a player in as part exchange not only saves you cash, but it allows for some neat accounting slight of hand because you can put almost whatever valuation you like on him and then let the magic of amortisation do the rest.

Stay tuned.

There’s also the distinct possibility that he doesn’t move at all, which would mean that sanity prevailed. Thomas Tuchel hinted at it after Sunday’s Ligue 1 opener for PSG. Of course, if he stays it will be curious to see what the reaction of the PSG fans will be. On Sunday night, during the 3-0 win over Nimes (Neymar was nowhere to be seen), he was invited — via banners and chanting — to get the hell out of the club.

Will it be the sort of thing that gets forgotten after a few good performances and some winning runs? You hope not, but you fear yes, just as you hope that if Florentino Perez or Josep Bartomeu break the bank one more time for this guy, they will be held to account.

There’s nothing wrong with spending big if you think you have the right guy: Kylian Mbappe is Exhibit A, B and C here. But to do it out of ego, in the waning weeks of the transfer window, while ripping up the script, smacks of irresponsibility. This is a good time as any to remind Florentino and Bartomeu that they don’t own their clubs. They are presidents with a responsibility for stewardship.

Breaking down Man United vs. Chelsea

Frank Lampard is playing with house money this season. As one of the more analytical and reflective football men out there, you could picture him in the summer playing the scenario game.

Best (realistic) case?

The combination of youngsters, loan diaspora and holdovers coalesce around his brand of football (which, lest we forget, is far closer to his predecessor’s than any Chelsea manager since Andre Villas Boas), Chelsea break into the top three, go deep in the Champions League and he gets a big, fat transfer budget next summer.

– Ogden: Pulisic must hit ground running at Chelsea

Worst (realistic) case? The kids’ inexperience costs Chelsea dear, the likes of Mason Mount, Reece James and Tammy Abraham offer further evidence of the gulf between the Premier League and the Football League, there’s a massive Eden Hazard-shaped hole that Christian Pulisic can’t come close to filling and they slip down the table, missing out on the Europa League.

But guess what? Between the transfer ban, the Hazard departure and the fact that he finally tapped into Chelsea’s vaunted Academy, there are enough mitigating circumstances there that he gets a pass. And he has another go in 2020-21, except with a full year of Premier League experience under his belt and a chance to actually acquire players next summer.

Frank Lampard, left, and Chelsea have a lot of work to do following Sunday’s heavy defeat at Man United. That said, it’s not all smooth sailing for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, right, either.

It’s worth bearing all of this in mind when evaluating Chelsea this season, in particular the opening 4-0 smackdown at Old Trafford. Despite leaving N’Golo Kante (who was unfit) on the bench and being without Antonio Rudiger, not to mention the long-term injuries to Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Callum Hudson-Odoi, they hit the woodwork twice and looked bright and sharp on the ball for most of the first half. But Kurt Zouma‘s sloppy tackle gave United a penalty, which Marcus Rashford converted, and as the saying goes, goals change games.

United were able to play on the counter and they did it very well, though, again the second and third goals were the result of individual errors by Cesar Azpilicueta (not something you can chalk up to youthful inexperience) and the fourth was a deflected effort to crown a fast break that began with Zouma on his back and Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire asking the referee to stop the game for what they thought was a head injury.

In other words, a healthy dose of misfortune, individual errors and happenstance, though that doesn’t gloss over the fact that there is plenty of work for Lampard and Chelsea to do. The individual blunders loomed large but there was also a serious lack of balance in the side, which isn’t surprising when it’s the first game of the season and more than half your starting XI were either elsewhere or on the bench last season.

As for United, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire hit the ground running and gave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the perfect platform upon which to counter-attack. For all the venom he gets from some quarters, Paul Pogba popped up with two assists (one of them, as delightful as you’re likely to see this weekend). And yes: when it comes to flat-out pace, United have plenty.

The test, of course, will come later, as Jose Mourinho (not that he has an axe to grind or anything) pointed out on TV: what happens when they face teams who park the bus? Speedy strikers are great if they have space in which to run but when the opposition sit deep, you need either creativity (that’s on you, Paul) or the physicality to punch it in (and both big Belgians are gone).

That’s where Solskjaer will earn his bacon and in that sense, he faces a far more daunting task — at least as far as 2019-20 is concerned — than Lampard.

Can Juve resolve squad issues before it’s too late?

It’s rare that you get a manager speaking with the sort of honesty we heard from Maurizio Sarri over the weekend, when he admitted Juventus need to shift six players between now and the end of the transfer window or risk having to cut them from their Champions League squad. A lot of the focus has been driven by the transfer window, with speculation about the likes of Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Higuain and/or Mario Mandzukic moving or, in midfield, Sami Khedira or Blaise Matuidi. But there ought to be a bigger concern: how did we get here?

Juventus can count and they knew that because they have just one homegrown player in the squad, perpetual third keeper Marco Pinsoglio, they can only register 22 players. So what kind of planning is it to find yourself in mid-August being forced to give guys away?

This situation is aggravated by the fact that most of the players they want to shift are older and with hefty contracts. What’s more, with the Premier League window closed, there are only so many potential destinations and there won’t be any late-August panic buys from mid-table English sides.

It’s pretty basic stuff. You hope that sporting director Fabio Paratici has some sort of plan up his sleeve, one that won’t cost the club too much money. Otherwise, for all his success in landing the likes of Matthijs de Ligt, Adrien Rabbit and Aaron Ramsey, he will have dropped the ball big time.

Enough complaining about VAR already!

There were no VAR screw-ups in its first weekend of Premier League life. Of course, this doesn’t mean there was no controversy, mainly because — despite the fact that it has been around for nearly three seasons and fans, players and media would have seen it in the World Cup, Champions League knockouts and FA Cup — some observers seemed to act as if they were seeing it for the first time (witness the Raheem Sterling offside) and others seemed unaware of the changes to the Laws of the Game that came into effect on June 1 (Philippe Dendoncker’s disallowed goal in Wolves’ win over Leicester).

– VAR in the Premier League: Big decisions explained

My colleague Dale Johnson has written about this at length if you want to go granular but put in its simplest form: offside is offside and it doesn’t matter how close it is. It’s frustrating to have to repeat this. And while, I’ll grant you, offside VAR is more of a by-product of why video replay was brought in to begin with (which was to correct major, aka clear and obvious, errors), the fact that we have the technology to apply it to offside calls more accurately than human assistants means there’s no reason not to use it.

Whatever you think of the margin of error that exists at the junction of frame velocity, human velocity and the brains of VAR operators, it surely is more accurate than a sprinting linesman asked to look in two directions at once while determining the exact moment boot strikes ball.

I’ve heard some suggestions that it would be better to only use VAR on blatant offside errors. OK, fine. So how do you judge what is blatant? And, while we’re at it, when it’s that close, even the very best human assistant referees are left to guess. With no VAR, Sterling might have been flagged offside or he might not. It would have been a coin flip.

Does that really sound more reasonable?

The Wolves incident actually has nothing to do with VAR but simply with a rule change that came into effect on June 1. If you handle the ball, even accidentally, and then gain an advantage from it that allows you to score a goal, that goal gets disallowed. Why? Because IFAB figured it’s against the spirit of the game to score with the help of an arm or hand and they want to standardize officiating, with more consistency. Making refs decide on the spot what is accidental and what is not when a goal is scored is, according to them, unnecessary. Which sounds reasonable enough, though it was somewhat jarring for Wolves fans on Sunday.

In the Dendoncker goal, the Belgian midfielder struck a ball that hit his teammate, Willie Boly on the arm. It was clearly accidental and had it just rolled away, everything would have been fine. But the ball sat up for Dendoncker to hit cleanly into the back of the net, and that’s why it was disallowed.

Would the goal have stood if there had been no VAR? Not unless the referee didn’t see the ball hit Boly’s arm. In which case, it’s a good thing there is VAR.

There will undoubtedly be mistakes and blunders, either with the VAR protocol or technology or implementation this season. But Week One went smoothly and whatever “controversy” arose feels mostly down to folks needing something to talk about.

Once the VAR novelty wears off, hopefully by the start of September, we can all move on.

Is Man City’s squad deep enough?

Manchester City raced out to a resounding 5-0 victory at West Ham in week one of the Premier League season and most have them as favourites to three-peat as champions. Rightly so, perhaps, but you wonder if they aren’t a little bit thinner than you’d like them to be in central defence.

In central defence, Vincent Kompany is gone and, effectively, City’s fourth central defender is Eliaquim Mangala, who hasn’t actually played at all in 18 months (and was nothing to write home about before that) and won’t be stopped from leaving should the right offer appear. Nicolas Otamendi is a year older and coming off a Copa America. John Stones had a poor season last year. He may bounce back, he may not.

The next option, presumably, is dropping Fernandinho into defense, but he’s 34 and has had injuries. Plus, if he’s at the back, he’s not in defensive midfield, which leaves only Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan (whose injury record isn’t great) in the middle of the park.

You can only assume Guardiola has a ton of faith in some of the teenagers populating the development squad, like Eric Garcia and Joel Latibeaudiere. Otherwise, a rough patch of injuries and suspensions could cost them dear.

Bayern get their man (and it’s not Sane)

Having missed out on Leroy Sane, Bayern seem set for a band-aid solution to the wing by bringing in Ivan Perisic from Inter on loan. If the reported numbers are correct — $5m loan fee, plus a $25m option to buy — it’s a cheap-and-cheerful way of adding some experience and quality in a guy who already knows the Bundesliga well.

It may be one of those rare moves that helps all those concerned.

Perisic wasn’t part of Antonio Conte’s plans at Inter and from their perspective, getting his wages off the bill and a little bit of money back makes sense. He’s been frighteningly inconsistent but has his moments and perhaps Bayern, a far more stable club than Inter, can ensure he gets some continuity to his performances. He ought to his seize this opportunity with both hands, because this is what you call landing on your feet after falling off a skyscraper.

As for Bayern, if he performs the way he did most of last season, no biggie: they can just send him back in the summer.

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#Uncategorized #Neymar returning to Spain would be an ego trip by Barca or Real. PLUS: Chelsea expose

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torentialtribute · 5 years ago

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LIGUE 1 REVIEW: The lowdown on every team ahead of the action

From the manager of Nantes who just a few days before the season begins to stop physically removing Kylian Mbappe Neymar from Celebrations of the Coupe des Champions of Paris Saint-Germain French football has announced its return in a certain style.

Strasbourg is already back in the groove after a fleeting 40-day break between their last day victory over Nantes and their first friendly match against Zurich, while – according to their manager at least – Nimes can't even take a team. Oh, and Patrick Vieira saw his Nice side banging both 8-1 and 6-1 in the kickabouts for the season.

It has been far from silent, and it will only become more chaotic, with the transfer window only closing on 2 September and many teams still closing gaps created by the temptation of the Premier League.

Prior to the Ligue 1 season that starts Friday night, when Monaco takes on Lyon, here is an in-depth look at how each of the 20 sides of the top flight is set up and all you need to know for the new campaign.

Ligue 1 returns on Friday – Will Paris Saint-Germain be able to maintain its dominance?

AMIENS

Head coach: Luka Elsner

Transfers in: Serhou Guirassy (FC Koln, £ 5,4 m), Eddy Gnahore (Palermo, £ 2.25 m), Emil Krafth (Bologna £ 1.8) m), Alexis Blin (Toulouse, £ 1.5 million), Chadrac Akolo (Stuttgart, loan), Ulrick Eneme Ella (FC Liefering, £ 250k), Christophe Jallet (Nice, free), Jayson Papeau (Genevieve, free), Haitam Aleesami (Palermo, free)

Transfers from: Brighton Labeau (Rapid Bucharest, free), Khaled Adenon (Al-Whada, free), Reda Rabei (Fremad Amager, free), Gauthier Banaziak (AC Amiens, free)

Last season: 15th

Amiens is part of their third season in the top flight and thanks to the transfer market is one of a number of teams that is still in limbo. ]

Such s from Emil Krafth, a left back who only completed his final move this summer after making an impression on the loan but has just signed with Newcastle, striker Moussa Konate and Colombian Steven Mendoza are still expected to leave.

That gives Slovak coach Luka Elsner – the youngest in the competition – a real challenge when it comes to preparing his team for the opening weeks of the season, with probably four or five new faces needed before the French window closes on 2 September.

Keyman: Bongani Zungu

Missed most of last season with a torn ACL in his right knee, the midfielder showed what he had missed during the Africa Cup of Nations while he played for South Africa and Amiens are desperate to hold him, warding off interest from Besiktas.

Bongani Zungu showed Amiens what they missed when he played in Africa Cup of Nations

ANGERS

Head coach: Stephane Moulin

Transfers In: Sada Thioub (Nimes, 3,1 m), Mathias Pereira Lage (Clermont Foot, £ 1.3 million), Rachid Alioui (Nimes, free), Danijel Petkovic (Lorient, not disclosed)

Transfers from: Flavien Tait (Rennes, 8.1 m), Alexandre Letellier (Sarpsborg, loan), Harisson Manzala (loan from Le Mans), Thomas Toure (loan from Sochaux), Pape Djibril Diaw (loan from Caen) , Baptiste Guillaume (loan from Valenciennes), Dorian Bertrand (Nancy und undclosed) Loic Puyo (released)

Last season: 13th

Angers head coach Stephane Moulin enters his ninth season for leadership

As happened when last year Karl Toko Ekambi lost to Villarreal, Angers got a job again to rebuild after losing one of their best players this summer.

Flavien Tait was their founder because they finished a respectable 13th, but he joined colleague Call 1 outfit Rennes at Stephane Moulin with another repair shop.

You would have thought he would be used to it now and start his ninth season as head coach, but things could get worse. Top scorer Stephane Bahoken and former Arsenal star Jeff Reine-Adelaide were still able to follow Tait.

The three were involved in 33 goals while Angers set a club record 44 in the top flight last season. Replacing those resources will be a huge task if they lose any of them.

Key man: Baptiste Santamaria

A change in approach from head coach Stephane Moulin means that the ball-midfielder can be asked

MONACO

Head coach: Leonardo Jardim

Transfers in: Gelson Martins (Atletico Madrid, £ 27 m), Benjamin Lecomte (Montpellier, £ 12.1 m), Ruben Aguilar (Montpellier, £ 7.2 m)

Transfers from: Youri Tielemans (Leicester £ 40.5m), Ronael Pierre-Gabriel (Mainz, £ 5m), Ibrahima Diallo (Brest, £ 1.8m), Paul Nardi (Lorient, £ 1.4 m), Kephren Thuram (Nice, free), Loic Badiashile, Jordi Mboula, Julien Serrano, Giulian Biancone (all Cercle Bruges, loan), Jean-Eudes Aholou (Saint-Etienne, loan) , Kevin N & Doram (Metz, loan), Samuel Grandsir (Brest, loan), Pele (reading, loan), Antonio Barreca (Genoa, loan), Andrea Raggi (released)

n: 17th

In theory it should be impossible for Monaco not to improve their last campaign, in which the club took place, only to secure their top status at the end of the day.

After seeing their owner fleeing the principality for corruption, club legend Thierry Henry did not see them free from danger in his very first leadership role and then the season with the same manager they started with, the 2017 champions hope for a somewhat quieter season.

To repair the damage, they have changed their tact on the transfer market, with the return of Leonardo Jardim as boss coinciding with a move away from signing unproven, young players for the purpose of nurturing them.

Gelson Martins & # 39; (L) goals may be crucial with the expected departure of Radamel Falcao (R)

Instead, the focus was on people with competence, with Montpellier duo Benjamin Lecomte and Ruben Aguilar had already settled in the top flight of France.

Gelson Martins completed a permanent transfer from Atletico Madrid after a successful loan period, but Radamel Falcao Ron Lopes – the highly regarded Portuguese international – could follow.

Both must be replaced before the window closes, they must leave, but you would expect that September 2 will not end the drama on the south coast.

Keyman: Gelson Martins

His goals helped to keep going the last season, and with the departure of Falcao still possible, this time could be even more important.

SAINT-ETIENNE

Head coach: Ghislain Printant

Transfers in: Denis Bouanga (Nimes, £ 4,1 m), Ryad Boudebouz (Real Betis £ 3.2 m), Zaydou Youssouf (Bordeaux £ 1.8 m), Sergi Palencia (Barcelona £ 1.8 m), Miguel Trauco (Flemish £ 900 k), Harold Moukoudi (Le Havre, free), Jean-Eudes Aholou (Monaco, loan), Alpha Sissoko (Caen, free), William Saliba (Arsenal, loan)

Transfers from: William Saliba (Arsenal, £ 27), Remy Cabella (Krasnodar, £ 10.8 m), Habib Maiga (Metz, £ 900k), Jorginho (Ludogorets, £ 750k), Pierre-Yves Polomat (Genclerbirligi, free), Oussama Tannane (Vitesse, loan), Makhtar Gueye (Nancy , loan), Mickael Panos (Paphos, free), Neven Subotic (Union Berlin, free)

Last season: 4th

A club in the right direction, The income of Saint-Etienne has this year for the first time in his sc has reached the € 100 million limit.

With this they have started renewing their training center and building a squadron that can compete on four fronts seasonally.

Assisted by the £ 28m received from Arsenal for teenager William Saliba and £ 11m from the sale of former Newcastle winger Remy Cabella to Krasnodar, head coach Ghislain Printant has seen his team strengthened by eight newcomers.

It is just as good, as Vice President Roland Romeyer admits. "I expect a complicated season of the Europa League – it's tiring," he told L&E Equipe.

Keyman: William Saliba

Back on loan for a previous season after his Arsenal shift, all involved hope for a new strong season from the middle of the field.

After completing of his £ 28 million move to Arsenal, William Saliba returned to Saint-Etienne on loan

DIJON

Head coach: Stephane Jobard

Transfers in : Bruno Ecuele Manga (Cardiff, £ 1.8m), Bryan Soumare (Saint-Quentin, free), Mama Bucket (Sporting Lisbon, free) Didier Ndong (Guingamp, not disclosed)

Transfers Out: Valentin Rosier (Sporting, £ 7.2 m), Wesley Said (Toulouse, £ 7.2 m), Chang-hu n Kwon (Freiburg, £ 2.7 m), Sory Kaba (Midtjylland, £ 2.7 m), Mehdi Abeid (Nantes, free), Eden Massouema (Troyes, free), Bobby Allain (Olympiacos free), Oussama Haddadi ( Al-Ettifaq, free), Cedric Yambere (Al-Ettifaq, not disclosed), Arnold Bouka Moutou (released)

Last season: 18th

Still in the top flight through the skin of their teeth, Dijon pinched Lens over two legs in last May's relegation playoffs to secure their status.

One reason for their fight was at the back, with the club allowing 191 goals in their previous three seasons. In the top five in Europe, only Bournemouth and Chievo have let Verona in during the same period.

Storing at the back is the most important task for new boss Stephane Jobard. The 48-year-old – who started teaching PE briefly after playing his career – is back in the club he had spent 20 years as a player and youth coach.

Keyman: Bruno Ecuele Manga

Arriving from Cardiff, the defender will be one of the tasks to help solve the leaking defense that nearly dropped their Ligue 1 status last season.

Ex-Cardiff center back Bruno Ecuele Manga will be charged with helping to repair the leaking defense

METZ

Head coach: Vincent Hognon

Transfers In: Victorien Angban (Chelsea, £ 5,4) m), Fabien Fifteen (Lens, £ 2.7 m), Habib Maiga (Saint-Etienne, £ 900 k), Pope Ndiaga Yade (Generation Foot, free), Manuel Cabit (Ajaccio, free), Kevin N & # 39; Doram (Monaco, loan), Thierry Ambrose (Manchester City, loan)

Transfers from: Cafu (Legia Warsaw, £ 700k), Gauthier Hein (Valenciennes, loan), Vincent Thill (Orleans, loan), Jonathan Rivierez (Caen, free), Oumar Gonzalez (Chambly, free), Laurent Jans (Paderborn, loan) , Ivan Balliu, Emmanuel Riviere (both released)

Last season: 2nd (Ligue 2)

] Marvin Gakpa was one of the biggest revelations in Ligue 2 last season

Promoted as champion of Ligue 2, Metz have chosen continuity in their team as they prepare for their return to the top flight.

So far, only five new faces have emerged at the Stade Sym Symphorien, including 22-year-old striker Thierry Ambrose who is joining an initial loan from Manchester City.

Most of the intrigues this season, however, will surround the cu rrent leadership structure in the club, where there are effectively two in charge. Head coach Vincent Hognon was brought in last December after Frederic Antonetti stepped back after his wife became ill.

Given the title & # 39; general manager & # 39; the latter is still very involved in team affairs, & # 39; ship from far & # 39; as the owner suggested. The power of understanding between the couple could be the key to a successful campaign.

Key Man: Marvin Gakpa

One of the biggest revelations in Ligue 2 last season, the attacking midfielder hopes to quickly adapt to the quality increase.

NANTES

Head coach: Patrick Collot (caretaker)

Transfers in: Marcus Coco (Guingamp, £ 2.7 m), Molla Wague ( Udinese, £ 1.4 m, Abou Ba (Nancy, £ 900 k), Dennis Appiah (Anderlecht, £ 650 k), Bridge Ndilu (Stade Laval (free), Mehdi Abied (Dijon, free)), Alban Lafont ( Fiorentina, loan)

Transfers from: Diego Carlos (Sevilla, £ 13.5 m), Koffi Djidji (Torino, £ 4.1 m), Anthony Limbombe (Standard Liège, loan ), Ciprian Tatarusanu (Lyon, free), Maxime Dupe (Clermont Foot, loan), Quentin Braat (Niort, free)

Last season: 12th

A catastrophic summer will see the club st art the season without a head coach after the resignation of Vahid Halilhodzic a few days before the start of the season

Irreconcilable differences in recruitment means that they travel to Lille with assistant Patrick Col fate and fitness coach Cyril Moine, and without the & # 39; eight or nine players & # 39; Halilhodzic insisted that they needed it.

Jan Patrick Collot takes temporary charge "class =" blkBorder img-share "/>

Patrick Collot (R) replaces Vahid Halilhodzic who retired earlier this week as boss

Instead, there have been six signing sessions so far, for less than £ 6 million. It is the kind of austerity that Hlilhodzic feels over the edge, yet can predict a tough season for Les Canaris.

Key man: Kalifa Coulibaly

Last season on a hot streak, scored six in his last nine appearances and hopes to continue where he left off.

BORDEAUX

Head coach: Paulo Sousa

Transfers in: Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal, £ 4.6 m), Ui-jo Hwang (Gamba Osaka, £ 1.8 m, Rudders (Rennes, free), Enock Kwateng (Nantes, free), Loris Benito (Young Boys, free)

Transfers from: Jules Kounde ( Seville, £ 22.5 m, Lukas Lerager (Genoa, 5.4 m), Zaydou Youssouf (Saint-Etienne £ 1.8 m), Jerome Prior (Valenciennes), free), Igor Lewczuk (Legia Warsaw, free) , Aaron Boupendza (Feirense, loan), Jaroslav Plasil (retired)

Last season: 14th

Apart from disturbing every Arsenal fan on the planet, Bordeaux & # 39; s transfer window wasn't much to laugh about.

Forced to find an additional £ 30 million to pay the club's debts, Paulo Sousa was asked & # 39; creative & # 39; to be to build his team for the coming campaign.

Doing what comes as second nature to all Football Manager enthusiasts, the Portuguese boss has searched the market for non-contracted players and landed three of his goals for free.

That will help balance the books, alongside the sale of defender Jules Kounde to Seville and the impending arrival of Youssouf Sabaly in the Premier League. Whether it helps their Ligue 1 performance this upcoming campaign is another matter.

Key man: Laurent Koscielny

A selection frame arrives in a test window for Bordeaux, the former Arsenal man will add an invaluable experience at the back and in the dressing room.

Laurent Koscielny (right) got his wish after he was moved to Bordeaux

LILLE

Head coach: Christophe Galtier

Transfers in: Yusuf Yazici (Trabzonspor, 14.9m), Victor Osimhen, £ 10.8 million ), Timothy Weah (PSG, £ 9 million), Benjamin Andre (Rennes, £ 6.3 million), Domagoj Bradaric (Hadjuk Split, £ 5.9 million), Leo Jardim (River Ave, £ 5.4 million), Tiago Djalo (Milan, £ 4.5 million), Reinildo Mandava (Belenenses, £ 2.7 million), Concert (August 1, £ 1.8 million), Saad Agouzoul (Kawkab Marrakech, £ 500,000), Virgiliu Postolachi (PSG, free)

Transfers from: Nicolas Pepe (Arsenal, £ 72 m), Rafael Leao (Milan, £ 27 m), Thiago Mendes (Lyon, £ 19.8) m) Anwar El Ghazi (Aston Villa, £ 8.1 m), Edger le (Tranzonspor, free), Herve Koffi (Belenenses, loan), Kouadio-Yves Dabila, Rominique Kouame (both Cercle Bruges, loan)

Last season: 2nd

What should be an excitement after a 2018-19 season because the upcoming campaign is tinged with doubts after a tough summer.

The main cause of concern was the loss of two important stars that helped them to take second place and the Champions League place: Nicolas Pepe and Thiago Mendes

Lille lost talisman Nicolas Pepe to Arsenal this summer but managed to get £ 72m for him

Losing their top striker to Arsenal was made easier to swallow by the £ 72m fee, but losing their pivot in midfield to a Ligue 1 rival will have stung.

The money has been deposited, with no fewer than 10 new faces through the door to strengthen the first team, but Christophe Galtier has done his job to maintain the stunning domestic form of last season while he juggles the small matter of a European campaign.

Key man: Yusuf Yazici

Given the unenviable task of filling the void left behind by Pepe, the 22-year-old Turkey International has the potential to get fans out of their seats at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

MONTPELLIER

Head coach: Michel Der Zakarian

Transfers in: Teji Savanier (Nimes, £ 8.6m), Andy Delort (Toulouse, £ 4.1 m, Arnaud Souquet (Ghent, £ 2.5 m), Jordan Ferri (Lyon, £ 1.8 m), Matis Carvalho (Toulouse, free)

Transfers from: Benjamin Lecomte (Monaco, £ 12.1 m), Isaac Mbenza (Huddersfield, £ 11.25 m), Ruben Aguilar (Monaco, £ 7.2 m)), Ellyes Skhiri (Koln, £ 5.4 million) ), Bryan Passi (Niort, free), Morgan Poaty (Guingamp, not public), Giovanni Sio (Genclerbirligi, not public), Jonathan Ligali, Jeremei Porsan-Clemente (both released)

Last season: 6th

Jordan Ferri hopes to guide Montpellier back to Europe this season

After their best performance in Ligue 1 since lifting the title in 2012, Michel Der Zakarian will be looking for a little more consistency.

Since that success, the club has never managed to finish back – back seasons in the upper half, something that the club wants to change.

They have a solid foundation. Despite the loss of both Benjamin Lecmonte and Ruben Aguilar to Monaco, Montpellier has taken a magazine from their rival's book and raided a club among them.

Teji Savanier and Jordan Ferri, who recently formed a strong partnership in Nimes season, have joined together and the rest of the team remains intact.

The next goal is a return to Europe, and the continuity of this summer may just provide them with the platform to achieve this.

] Key man: Jordan Ferri

Former France among the 21 international sparkled last season in Nimes, and reconnecting with Savanier should help him put his stamp that little bit faster.

NIMES

Head coach: Bernard Blaquart

Transfers in: Sidy Sarr (Chateauroux, £ 1.8 m), Haris Duljevic (Dynamo Dresden, £ 900k), Romain Philippoteaux (Auxerre, £ 270k), Pablo Martinez (Strasbourg, free), Zinedine Ferhat (Le Havre, free)

Transfers from: Teji Savanier (Montpellier, £ 8.6 m), Denis Bouanga (Saint-Etienne, £ 4.1 m), Sada Thioub (Angers, £ 3.1 m), Umut Bozok (Lorient, £ 1.4) m), Baptiste Valette (Nancy, free), Abdel Malik Hsissane (Le Puy Foot, free), Rachid Alioui (Angers, free), Herve Lybohy (Nancy, free), Martin Sourzac (Nancy, free) Fethi Harek (retired), Panagiotis Vlachodimos (released)

Last season: 9th

Another party that is involved in a disastrous summer has abandoned Nimes by the departure of their sports director Laurent Boissier. ] While recruitment came to a halt, head coach Bernard Blaquart told owner Rani Assaf that he & # 39; has no team & # 39; for the coming campaign.

He has a point. The heart of his team was torn out and lost his entire midfield in the form of Sada Thioub, Teji Savanier, borrower Jordan Ferri and Denis Bounaga, as well as attackers Rachid Aliouli and Umut Bozok.

Blaquart has to replace a group that made 181 games in the league last season. Avoiding the relegation dogfight can be seen as an achievement, let alone finishing ninth.

Keyman: Antonin Bobichon

One of the few that still stands, Blaquart will likely build his team around the 23-year-old central midfielder. In full forward, he scored eight and put two more on last season.

Antonin Bobichon scored eight goals for Nimes and set two more seasons

NICE

Head coach: Patrick Vieira

Transfers in: Khephren Thuram (Monaco, free)

Transfers from: Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle, £ 20 m), Olivier Boscaglie (PSV, £ 1.8 m), Romain Perraud (Brest, £ 1.8 m), Christophe Jallet Amiens, free), Jean-Victor Makengo ( Toulouse, loan), Mouez Hassen (released)

Last season: 7th

A summer that made a declaration of intent with me t had to come along, instead he crawled at the same pace as he & # 39; s long-term sale.

Jim Ratcliffe, president of Ineos, will hand over the keys to the Allianz Riviera in the coming week or so, at which time Patrick Vieira will finally be able to build his side for next season.

In all likelihood, it will be too little, too late.

There has just been an arrival in the form of Khephren Thuram – an 18-year-old who joined a free from Monaco – and that has to change after some notable divisions.

Nice manager Patrick Vieira has had a nightmare during his preparations for the season

Allan Saint-Maximin, the club's most powerful attacking threat, has joined Newcastle, meaning work needs to be done to get Le Gym back to the same level.

Whatever changes they make, they cannot eat fast enough. The slump has invaded the team that has defeated tools in some pre-season games – including 8-1 and 6-1 defeats of Wolfsburg and Burnley respectively.

Key man: Dante

is elke kans dat het belangrijkste lid van dit team nog steeds door de deur komt, maar het is van vitaal belang dat de Braziliaanse kapitein het goede voorbeeld geeft om de ploeg bij elkaar te houden na een ruw voorseizoen.

MARSEILLE

Hoofdcoach: Andre Villas-Boas

Transfers in: Dario Benedetto (Boca Juniors, £ 12,6 m) Alvaro Gonzalez (Villarreal, lening)

] Transfers Out: Lucas Ocampos (Sevilla, £ 13,5 m), Clinton N'Jie (Dinamo Moskou, £ 5,4 m), Yusuf Sari (Trabzonspor, £ 250k), Romain Cagnon, Mario Balotelli, Rloando, Tomas Hubocan ( uitgebracht)

Vorig seizoen: 5e

De weigering van Mario Balotelli om zijn verblijf in Marseille te verlengen was teleurstellend voor alle Franse f ootballfans als de verloren competitie, een van zijn ware excentriekelingen na drie seizoenen in Ligue 1.

Echter, wanneer een deur sluit, opent een andere, en Marseille verwelkomt Andre Villas-Boas hun nieuwe baas voegt een ander karakter toe aan de topvlucht.

Andres Villas-Boas keert terug naar Europees voetbal na management in China

Om de Italiaan te vervangen, is Dario Benedetto ingebracht – een 29-jarige international in Argentinië die 45 doelpunten maakte in 68 wedstrijden voor Boca Juniors.

Als zijn komst kan overeenkomen met het behouden van Florian Thauvin, dan het doel is een terugkeer naar Champions League-voetbal voor het eerst sinds 2013, en een eerste poging in Europa's grootste competitie onder Amerikaanse eigenaar Frank McCourt.

Key man: Florient Thauvin

Consequent verbonden met een verhuizing in de afgelopen paar seizoenen, de World Cup-wi ninger vleugelspeler toont nog steeds weinig interesse in het verlaten van de club waar hij van houdt. The 16 goals in 33 league appearances last term demonstrates why he's so important.

LYON

Head Coach: Sylvinho

Transfers In: Joachim Andersen (Sampdoria, £21.6m), Thiago Mendes (Lille, £19.8m), Youssouf Jones (Lille, £8.1m), Jean Lucas (Flamengo, £7.2m), Ciprian Tatarusanu (Nantes, free), Boubacar Fofana (G.Ajaccio, free)

Transfers Out: Tanguy Ndombele (Tottenham, £65m), Ferland Mendy (Real Madrid, £49m), Nabil Fekir (Real Betis, £18m), Jordan Ferri (£1.8m), Christopher Martins Pereira (Young Boys £1.9m), Elisha Owusu (Gent, £900k), Timothe Cognat (Servette, nominal fee), Mathieu Gorgelin (Le Havre, free), Jeremy Morel (Rennes, free), Olivier Kemen (Niort, free)

Last Season: 3rd

There have been some big changes at the Groupama Stadium this summer, but Lyon still look well placed to challenge on all fronts this season.

The losses of captain Nabil Fekir to Real Betis, midfield engine Tanguy Ndombele to Tottenham and left back Ferland Mendy to Real Madrid have left some sizable holes in the squad, but recruitment has been strong.

Thiago Mendes, key to Lille's heroics last season, has filled the gap in midfield, while Youssouf Kone has arrived from the same source to replace Mendy.

Newly installed head coach Sylvinho, the former Arsenal full back, is entering his first full-time managerial role and has brought with him some new practices.

For starters, as Unai Emery has implemented at his former club, there will be a leadership group selected, with no player singled out for captaincy.

However, it may take some time for him to make his mark, if pre-season results are anything to go by. Despite impressing in a 2-1 against Arsenal to lift the Emirates Cup last month, Lyon have lost all of their other four friendlies, including defeats by both Liverpool and Bournemouth.

Key man: Moussa Dembele

Finally hitting his stride following his move from Celtic last summer, the forward looks ready to step up and gave Arsenal a taste of his capabilities in their pre-season clash.

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN

Head Coach: Thomas Tuchel

Transfers In: Abdou Diallo (Borussia Dortmund, £29m), Idrissa Gueye (Everton, £27m), Pablo Sarabia (Sevilla, £16.3m), Marcin Bulka (Chelsea, free), Ander Herrera (Manchester United, free), Mitchel Bakker (Ajax, free)

Transfers Out: Giovani Lo Celso (Real Beti, £19.8m), Moussa Diaby (Bayer Leverkusen (!3.5m), Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig, £11.7m), Grzegorz Krychowiak (Lokomotiv Moscow, £10.8m), Timoth y Weah (Lille, £9m), Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt, £6.3m), Dani Alves (Sao Paulo, free), Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus, free), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus, free)

Last Season: Champions

A summer overshadowed by one man and one man alone, Thomas Tuchel and the rest of his side will be grateful when matters on the pitch finally take centre stage.

The Neymar saga still doesn't seem to be close to a conclusion, with the situation even taking centre stage following their Trophee des Champions victory over Rennes, when Kylian Mbappe forcibly removed the Brazilian from the celebration pictures.

Neymar's (centre) future hangs in the balance while Kylian Mbappe will continue to shine

PSG manager Thomas Tuchel will be hoping to maintain his side's dominance in Ligue 1 again

It has distracted from what on the face of it has been a relatively promising summer for Tuchel, who appears to have solved his biggest problem by recruiting Ander Herrera, Idrissa Gueye and Pablo Sarabia to strengthen his creaking midfield.

Their success, though, is likely to depend on the atmosphere inside the club. If Neymar does stick around, he may find himself in a squad finally capable of troubling the latter stages of the Champions League. If he doesn't, well that may improve their chances further.

Key man: Kylian Mbappe

Arguably the most gifted footballer on the planet right now, his presence ensures that the loss of Neymar will barely be felt should the Brazilian get his way.

STRASBOURG

Head Coach: Thierry Laurey

Transfers In: Alexander Dijku (Caen, £4.1m), Jean-Ricner Bellegarde (Lens, £1.8m), Lamine Kone (Sunderland, £1.35m), Diogo Branco (Montijo, free)

Transfers Out: Yoann Salmier (Troyes, £450k), Anthony Goncalves (Caen, free), Duplexe Tchamba (Stromsgodset, Loan), Pablo Martinez (Nimes, free), Idriss Saadi (Cercle Brugge, loan), Diogo Branco (Montijo, loan)

Last Season: 11th

The Coupe de la Ligue winners are already into the swing of things with their European campaign getting underway last month.

Courtesy of their penalty shoot-out win over Guingamp, Thierry Laurey's men began their pre-season schedule on July 3 with a friendly against FC Zurich – just the 40 days after leaving the pitch on the final day of last term.

Since then, they've reached the third qualifying round of the Europa League thanks to a 4-3 aggregate win over Maccabi Haifa and face Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the next round.

Strasbourg finished last season on a high as the Coupe de la Ligue champions

The early start has helped to settle the side, with the only main departure being that of centre back Pablo Martinez, who has moved to Nimes.

Alexander Dijku has been brought in from Caen to replace him, while central midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde is the only other new face, joining from Ligue 2 side Lens.

Key man: Lebo Mothiba

Yet to return to the squad after his exploits in the Africa Cup of Nations with South Africa, the striker, along with Ludovic Ajourque, could create a potent partnership.

BREST

Head Coach: Olivier Dall'Oglio

Transfers In: Romain Perraud (Nice, £1.8m), Ibrahima Diallo (Monaco, £1.8m), Denys Bain (Le Havre, free), Samuel Grandsir (Monaco, loan), Ludovic Baal (Rennes, free)

Transfers Out: Anthony Weber (Caen, £450k), Corentin Jacob, Valentin Henry (both Rodez, free), Quentin Bernard (Auxerre, free), Guillaume Buon (Avranches, loan), Pierre Magnon (Avranches, free), Thomas Ayasse, Edouard Butin (released)

Last Season: Champions (Ligue 2)

Ending a six-year absence from the top flight, Brest are putting their faith in youngsters to keep them there.

Already boasting France Under 21 international goalkeeper Gautier Larsonneur as their No 1, the newly-promoted side have added 21-year-old Romain Perraud from Nice as their first-choice left back, as well as securing 20-year-old Ibrahima Diallo, a midf ield er from Monaco.

One area they haven't bolstered is up top, where head coach Olivier Dall'Oglio can call upon last season's Ligue 2 top scorer Gaetan Charbonnier to lead the line.

His fortunes in front of goal are likely to correlate with Brest's chances of beating the drop.

Key man: Gaetan Charbonnier

Ligue 2's top goalscorer last season with 27 strikes, the 30-year-old will be aiming to produce the goods once more to give his side a chance of staying up.

Brest ended their six-year absence from the top-flight by winning Ligue 2 last season

STADE REIMS

Head Coach: David Guion

Transfers In: Predrag Rajkovic (Maccabi Tel Aviv, £4.5m), Yehvann Diouf (Troyes, free), Marshall Munetsi (Orlando Pirates, undisclosed), Dialy Kobaly Ndiaye (Cayor Foot, undisclosed)

Transfers Out: Bjorn Engels (Aston Villa, £7.2m), Edouard Mendy (Rennes, £3.6m), Yohan Roche (Rodez, free), Pablo Chavarria (Real Mallorca, free), Thomas Fontaine (Lorient, undisclosed), Virgile Piechocki (G.Ajaccio, undisclosed), A ly Ndom (Auxerre, undisclosed), Marvin Martin, Johann Carrasco (released)

Last Season: 8th

The sale of centre back Bjorn Engels to Aston Villa has weakened Stade Reims

Fresh from an incredible return to the top flight last season, Reims know they will do extremely well to get near their eighth-place finish this time around.

That's largely in part thanks to a pre-season that has seen them lose a number of key figures from last season's success, including goalkeeper Edouard Mendy who played every minute of the campaign.

The sale of centre back Bjorn Engels to Aston Villa ha s also weakened the side, and if 22-year-old winger Remi Oudin cannot be kept then the responsibility for goals will fall on an attack that currently contains just two options – Hyun-jun Suk and Boulaye Dia.

Those gaps haven't been apparent in pre-season though, with David Guion's men unbeaten in all friendlies – including a convincing 3-1 win over Sheffield United last Saturday.

Key man: Mathieu Cafaro

Out for six weeks and missing the start of the season, the return of the 22-year-old attacking midfielder to the line-up cannot come soon enough, especially if Oudin should leave for Spain.

RENNES

Head Coach: Julien Stephan

Transfers In: M'Baye Niang (Torino, £13.5m), Flavien Tait (Angers, £8.1m), Edouard Mendy (Reims £3.6m), Romain Salin (Sporting, free), Jeremy Morel (Lyon, free)

Transfers Out:[1 9459020] Tomas Koubek (Augsburg, £6.75m), Benjamin Andre (Lille £6.3m), Brandon (Osasuna, £1.8m), Abdoulaye Diallo (Genclerbirlgi, free), Mexer (Bordeaux, free), Ludovic Baal (Brest, free), Romain Danze (retired), Nicolas Janvier, Edvinas Gertomonas, Hatem Ben Arfa, Mehdi Zeffane (released)

Last Season: 10th

After a season beyond all expectations, Rennes are dealing with something of a comedown following a memorable European run, topped with lifting the Coupe de France.

Already, a number of those that contributed to one of the best campaigns in the club's history have left the scene, with the irreplaceable Hatem Ben Arfa not renewing his contract and midfielder Benjamin Andre quitting for Lille.

Hatem Ben Arfa decided not to renew his contract with Rennes after a fine season

However, with another European adventure ahead of Julien Stephan's men, they have the advantage of already experiencing a season battling it out on four fronts.

That, along with some creative new additions such as Flavien Tait and the permanent signing of M'Baye Niang, means the cup holders are in a decent position to produce some more unforgettable moments.

Key man: M'Baye Niang

Losing his way after a couple of high-profile moves, the former Milan striker should benefit from the continuity of remaining in a team he thrived in last season.

TOULOUSE

Head Coach: Alain Casanova

Transfers In: Wesley Said (Dijon, £7.2m), Efthimis Koulouris (PAOK, £3.2m), Agustin Rogel (KS Samara, £2.25m), Jean-Victor Makengo (Nice, loan), William Vainqueuer (Antalyaspor, loan)

Transfers Out: Christopher Jullien (Celtic, £7.2m), Andy Delort (Montpellier, £4.1m), Alexis Blin (Amiens, £1.5m), Steven Fortes (Lens, £900k), Yannick Cahuzac (Lens, free), Yann Bodiger (Cadiz, free) Clement Michelin (Lens, free), Francois Moubandje (Dinamo Zagreb, free), Hakim El Mokeddem (Stade Laval, free), Jimmy Durmaz (Galatasaray, free), Jessy Pi (Caen, undisclosed), Firmin Mubele (Astana, loan) Marc Vidal (released)

Last Season: 16th

After a season to forget, Toulouse are hoping that their dedication to blooding some of their academy stars may begin to b ear fruit.[1 9459007]

Only cementing their top-flight status on the penultimate day last campaign has called for a major overhaul, with 12 players leaving the club either permanently or on loan.

Left behind, is a youthful squad, including the likes of 21-year-old Ibrahim Sangare and 20-year-old Kalidou Sidibe.

One of the areas they must improve on is up top, however. They mustered just 35 goals last season, less than one a game, with their most prolific striker – Aaron Leya Iseka – grabbing just four.

Relying on Max Gradel, the former Leeds and Bournemouth winger, is no longer something boss Alain Casanova wants to put up with, and the signing of Efthimis Koulouris from PAOK is a bid to ease the burden on the Ivorian.

Key man: Efthimis Koulouris

Enjoyed a productive season on loan at Atromitos from PAOK, scoring 25 goals in all competitions. Even half that total would be a marked improvement for Toulouse's frontline.

Manager Alain Casanova will be hoping to improve on his side's 16th-place finish last season

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#LIGUE 1 REVIEW: The lowdown on every team ahead of the action"

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tipsoctopus · 6 years ago

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"Could see Tahith Chong", "Hudson-Odoi to bump up his price-tag" - Fans predict Blues vs Man Utd

Chelsea welcome Manchester United to Stamford Bridge on Monday evening for an intriguing FA Cup 5th round tie. Both sides were in action in Europe this week in starkly contrasting ties, Chelsea overcoming Malmo in Sweden with a 2-1 victory in the Europa League and United outclassed by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

The dynamic of the upcoming tie is compelling. On the one hand the FA Cup represents a huge opportunity to win silverware, but at the same time the distraction of a cup run could potentially have detrimental consequences on the pivotal battle for a place in the top four.

Here to discuss the fixture in more detail this week are TT assistant editor, George Blake, who will be praying for a Chelsea win when he takes his usual spot on the armchair on Monday evening, and TT newbie, Alex Rigby, a rare breed of Mancunian Manchester United supporter, who is still revelling in Jose Mourinho’s dismissal almost two months later…

With both managers fighting for their jobs for contrasting reasons, could winning the FA Cup be enough to keep them in charge beyond the summer or is the sole priority to finish inside the top four?

George: “I’m not sure it will necessarily be enough for either manager, but if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer manages to win the FA Cup, you’ve got to think that it will help his case. Given that he joined when United were in such disarray, winning any sort of silverware deserves credit – and you’d expect Ed Woodward to consider that. In the case of Chelsea, we’ve already seen in the past that winning a cup isn’t enough at Stamford Bridge, and given that we missed out on Champions League football last season, we can’t afford to do so again. That said, if Chelsea lose on Monday and then again in the Carabao Cup, I think that will probably be it for Maurizio Sarri.”

Alex: “You’ve got to say Solskjaer is the more comfortable of the two managers given his lead on Manchester United’s meteoric climb up the table, and Chelsea’s utter demise. Winning the FA Cup would be nice, of course, but having lost some of its potency over the years, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if we lost it. We’re always going to prioritise the Champions League over any other domestic success, and our new man knows that. Sarri, on the other hand, definitely needs some silverware to keep himself in the job. We all know how that club is run and how cutthroat Roman Abramovich can be if he doesn’t see a return on his investment.”

The footballing purists of this world will grimace with disgust at the sight of this discussion. Surely winning the FA Cup counts for something, right? Well, it only takes a quick look at the transfer market to realise that football is dominated by money, and where is the money? That’s right, you guessed it, in the Champions League.

Finishing inside the top four is slowly becoming a trophy in itself, albeit without the gloat and tangible hunk of metal to show for it. But, even with that in mind, there are only four games left to win to lift arguably the world’s most prestigious domestic trophy. Considering the size and quality of the respective squads at Solskjaer’s and Sarri’s disposal, there is no excuse for not going all out to win the competition.

Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial have been ruled out for the game. How will this influence Solskjaer’s approach and who is most likely to come in to replace them?

Alex: “Well we’ve already seen what happens when we lose the energy of Lingard and the skill of Martial. Both have been important for our recent form and both fit our new philosophy well. We’ll likely see Lukaku start alongside either Alexis Sanchez or Mata. There’s obvious problems with Sanchez that don’t need expanding on, and with Mata he’s just too slow. Technically gifted, but takes all the sting out of our counter attacking movements when he plays on the wing and not his preferred central position.”

George: “It’s obviously going to come into play, as both players have been very important to his system over the last few weeks. Man Utd are pretty lucky, though, in that they do have players that can come in. Obviously, the immediate choices are players like Mata and Sanchez, though it must be said that neither of those two have been flawless in recent weeks. Solskjaer talked up the role of young players in his pre-match press conference, and so there’s certainly a chance that we could see Tahith Chong start instead having made it onto the bench at times this season.”

It’s certainly interesting that George mentions Chong as a potential starter. United have a strong tradition with promoting young players and Solskjaer has already installed a brand of football that aligns with the core principles of the club, but in a game of this magnitude he’s more likely to stick with the senior players at his disposal. Besides, Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku were on fire in the 4th round which preceded their clash on Monday, so it would represent a real kick in the teeth for those players if they were snubbed in favour of an unproven youth player. The absences of Martial and Lingard certainly represent a blow for United, but the visitors are well equipped to seal their place in the 6th round without them.

Does Sarri need to finally relax his stubborn philosophy and make some tactical tweaks to put an end to Chelsea’s abysmal form of late?

George: “I think it’s less about system and more about personnel. His isn’t isn’t the formation – we know that works – but it’s his stubbornness in his approach to games that has been problematic. He’s consistently banged on about his players lacking motivation, yet he’s continued to pick the same 8 or 9 individuals every single week. When you’ve got players like Ross Barkley, Jorginho, Marcos Alonso and Willian all looking poor, why do they keep getting chances? Especially given that players like Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are on the bench.”

Alex: “Probably. However, he doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who’s willing to compromise. It’s naivety on his part that Chelsea can simply adopt a new style of play in one of the toughest leagues in the world and expect it to work. He’s got a finite amount of time now to fine-tune his philosophy before the players revolt, as they have done in the past, and oust him from his position.”

His refusal to adapt his system could ultimately prove to be his downfall. The very best managers in the division have showcased a willingness to tweak formations, rotate players, to try something new when results aren’t flowing and the fact Sarri is yet to do that is a major concern for Chelsea fans. Perhaps, as George says, it is the players and not the system that are at the crux of the issue, but I’m not convinced. Something has to budge both within his selection policy and his tactical approach.

Do you regard Solskjaer as a serious contender for the long term position or do you expect United to appoint an experienced manager in the summer?

Alex: “Solskjaer has been quality since he’s arrived and the team are playing far, far better than before. We’ve probably just passed the point now where the players are performing because of ‘new manager syndrome’ so we’ll be able to make a far more comprehensive judgement in the near future. It’s hard to say but I’d still like to see Mauricio Pochettino at the club. He’s shown this season more than ever that he’s one of the best managers in the world, and we should go all out to secure his signature. If we don’t manage it then Solskjaer is definitely the man for the job.”

George: “I didn’t think he would be when he arrived, but he’s proven his merit pretty quickly, and nobody can say they haven’t been impressed by him. That said, speaking as a Chelsea fan, appointing interim managers on a permanent basis can be a muddy path to go down, and Roberto Di Matteo felt that first hand. I’m just not sure that Solskjaer has the tactical nous to take on the job long-term, because at present he seems to be simply running off the feel-good factor at Old Trafford.”

It would be intriguing to see the shortlist that United’s hierarchy have drawn up right now. As Alex has alluded to, you would expect Pochettino to be on it, but the Argentine has built something profound at Tottenham and it seems ridiculous to think that he’d consider walking away from his project just at the moment in which the various pieces of the jigsaw are beginning to fall into place.

Aside from Pochettino, there aren’t too many standout candidates and that could work in Solskjaer’s favour. At this moment in time he’s probably a dark horse contender, but if he can win the FA Cup and lead United to a top-four finish it would take a bold decision to send him packing.

Much to his obvious displeasure, Eden Hazard has often been deployed at centre-forward in fixtures of a similar magnitude but Gonzalo Higuain’s arrival should change that. How important could the Argentine be on Monday evening?

George: “I think he’ll be crucial. We couldn’t give him the ball against Man City, and as a result we just weren’t able to get out. Hopefully we’ll have a bit more possession against Man Utd, and that should hopefully lead to a bit more action in their third. People will claim that he’s unfit and that he’s old, but we’ve already seen his natural goal-scoring instinct, and if he can get as involved as he was against Huddersfield, we’ll be in a very good position to secure a win.”

Alex: “Higuain is a decent enough player, and he’ll probably cause a few problems, but he’ll be no way near as potent as Kylian Mbappe. Our defenders have definitely improved under Solskjaer and Lindelof looks three times the player now. The lack of pace should suit us down to the ground.”

Chelsea may have lost 6-0 against Man City but their ventures forward towards Ederson’s goal provided glimpses of what Higuain can do. He’s the type of player who can produce something in the blinking of an eye and his presence at centre-forward should certainly be giving United cause for concern.

Pertinently, the fact his presence should allow Hazard to operate in a preferred attacking midfield role will ensure the Belgian’s quality is maximised, and that could be even more important than Higuain’s contribution when leading from the front.

Finally, what are your score predictions?

Alex: “I can see a touch of nervousness creeping in from United after their last result and losing Martial and Lingard will hurt them going forward. Chelsea don’t have enough for the win, but they’ll throw on Giroud to grab a late one. I’m going for 1-1 in normal time and without replays in the competition from this round onward, anything can happen in extra time.”

George: “Chelsea really need this one and I’m hoping United will struggle for rhythm in the final-third. I’m going for 2-0 with Callum Hudson-Odoi to bump up his price-tag with a brace.”

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