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Leicester City vs. Manchester United: 5 players who will decide Sunday’s game

15Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

Leicester City vs. Manchester United: 5 players who will decide Sunday’s game

After grinding out a hard-fought point against second-placed Arsenal last weekend and a huge 4-1 win to eliminate Real Sociedad in the Europa League at mid-week, Manchester United are hitting the road to take on the seemingly Championship-bound Leicester City Foxes on Sunday. Here are five players on both sides will decide the outcome of this Premier League fixture. Manchester United DM Manuel Ugarte Manuel Ugarte's had an uneven first season at Old Trafford, but the talent is clearly there within the Uruguayan. Ruben Amorim's task is to get the former Sporting CP standout to play at the world-class level he flashed while at PSG in his lone season in Paris. On Sunday, Ugarte needs to be the backbone of the Manchester United midfield, control the game, and help drive the ball forwar...

How Ruben Amorim views Mason Mount tactically in Manchester United formation

14Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

How Ruben Amorim views Mason Mount tactically in Manchester United formation

Manchester United midfielder Mason Mount has been an unmitigated disaster at the club since joining in the summer 2023 transfer window for a whopping 60 million pounds, as he's come nowhere near to giving the Red Devils a return on their inflated initial investment. The shame is on Manchester United for signing a player Chelsea clearly wanted to jettison due to, ahem, mounting injury concerns and a knowledge that he cannot play as a starting 8 for a top team in the Premier League and is, instead, solely a glorified No. 10. Well, Manchester United already had a significantly better No. 10 in Bruno Fernandes, who has only distinguished himself further in the face of his critics since the Mount transfer, whereas the England international has only added new critics. However, with Moun...

Liverpool’s unsung 2024/25 Premier League Player of the Season candidate

13Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

Liverpool’s unsung 2024/25 Premier League Player of the Season candidate

There is no question that Liverpool right winger Mohamed Salah is the favorite to win the Premier League Player of the Season for the 2024/25 campaign, and, at this point, it's a foregone conclusion that both the Reds will win the Premiership and Salah will be crowned as the league's best players. His statistics are a wonder to behold. Salah has scored 27 goals with 17 assists this season already, producing numbers at the age of 32 that are unlike anything we have seen in Premier League history and wouldn't look out of place next to prime Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi numbers. But beyond Salah, Liverpool have another player who, in literally any other season, would have a compelling case to win the Premier League Player of the Season honors. That is none other than center bac...

Three summer 2025 transfers to take Manchester United to the next level

10Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

Three summer 2025 transfers to take Manchester United to the next level

Manchester United have made a ton of high-profile transfers over the years that haven't paid out, but here are three stars who could be worth their time in the summer 2025 window. Sporting CP ST Viktor Gyokeres Obviously, a proven goal-scorer has to be at the top of the Manchester United transfer wishlist, as Joshua Zirkzee has flamed out so badly in his first season at Old Trafford that there are already rumblings that the club are ready to move on from the Dutch international. Even if Manchester United keep Zirkzee next to fellow former Serie A standout Rasmus Hojlund, neither are known as top finishers. The Red Devils need someone ruthless in front of goal, and there is nobody in more demand than Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, who was recently coached by new Man United manage...

3 Manchester City stars who are clearly finished at the top level

3Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

3 Manchester City stars who are clearly finished at the top level

Although Manchester City have picked things up domestically after a busy January transfer window with clean sheet wins over Newcastle and Tottenham - and an FA Cup victory over pesky underdogs Plymouth - their recent resounding defeats to Real Madrid and Liverpool are a sobering reminder that the squad still needs an overall in order to return to the very summit it reached in 2023 as treble winners. There are some big names in the Manchester City squad who were once among the world's best but are now struggling to prove that they can still be key players for a team that aims to win the Premier League and Champions League. Here are three of them. Kevin De Bruyne It is sad to see how Kevin De Bruyne has fallen in 2024/25, as injuries have accelerated an inevitable decline that may not e...

The X-Factor Barcelona need in order to win LaLiga

2Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

The X-Factor Barcelona need in order to win LaLiga

Barcelona must like their chances of winning LaLiga this season a lot more after watching Real Betis completely dominate a Real Madrid side bereft of the midfield trio of Dani Ceballos, Fede Valverde, and Jude Bellingham while Barca themselves thoroughly dispatched Real Sociedad 4-0; the same side Madrid only beat 1-0 at midweek in the Copa del Rey. Although Barcelona have been frustratingly inconsistent in periods this season, there is no question that the Blaugrana field the most exciting attack in world football with attacking trio Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal already breaking goal-scoring records this season. But the trio really could - and should - be a quartet, as Dani Olmo reminded world football fans on Sunday afternoon with a brace of assists against Real S...

The only Manchester United player left to believe in

2Mar

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

The only Manchester United player left to believe in

Manchester United truly and undeniably stink. The Red Devils turned in yet another putrid performance this weekend, falling on penalties in the FA Cup to Fulham, sealing their elimination in a tournament they somehow won last season amidst a sea of rotten displays domestically. Now, Manchester United don't even have the FA Cup to hang their hats on, as they remain inexplicably in the bottom half of the Premier League table despite a new ownership, an offseason filled with high-profile signings across all levels of the squad, and even a new manager appointed at midseason. With injuries continuing to derail the team's young talents, the result against Fulham was a reminder that there is only one player on this team capable of consistently delivering at the Manchester United level - a l...

Who is the best current center back in world football?

5Feb

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Analysis

Who is the best current center back in world football?

Defenders often don't get their due in world football, and it's a conundrum that has impacted the position, especially the center back position, for several decades; it's not a new phenomenon. Fabio Cannavaro, Franz Beckenbauer, and Mattias Sammer are the only defensive players to have won the Ballon d'Or. In addition to just being underrated in general, defenders are hurt by the fact that defensive output and impact are much more difficult to measure objectively and statistically than attacking impact. Even the new-age analytics often do a poor job of adequately evaluating or contextualizing the value of defensive performances. As Paolo Maldini liked to say, the best defenders often don't have to make an intervention at all. Virgil Van Dijk was worth the record transfer fee at cent...

4Feb

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Analysis

LaLiga is falling behind

We can all remember a time not long ago when LaLiga was THE league to watch in world football. Yeah, the Premier League had the viewership numbers, the gaudy TV rights deals, and the most hot-button punditry, but when the bright lights were on and Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi were playing, THOSE were the games you wanted to pay to see and THOSE were the games that got everyone at the water cooler talking. Even behind the beloved - or, in equal parts, despised - superstars of Real Madrid and Barcelona, there was so much captivating football around the Spanish top flight. Valencia, Sevilla, Villarreal, and Athletic Club were all worth a watch, producing players like Ever Banega and Dani Parejo that remain cult heroes to Spanish footballing loyalists to this day. And at some point ...

How Antony will fit Real Betis: Analyzing his best position in lineup, playing style, and expectations

20Jan

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

How Antony will fit Real Betis: Analyzing his best position in lineup, playing style, and expectations

Manchester United spent nearly 100 million euros to bring Antony from Ajax to Old Trafford at the behest of Erik ten Hag, who coached the Brazilian forward in the Dutch Eredivisie. Despite high expectations and no shortage of individual skill, Antony failed to make an impact at Manchester United since joining in 2022 and was phased entirely out of the starting lineup, even by Ten Hag, who had given his signing every chance to succeed. Now, Antony is out, as Manchester United have a new manager in Ruben Amorim and were able to find a landing spot for the 24-year-old, jettisoning him to LaLiga side Real Betis. According to Fabrizio Romano, all parties involved have reached a verbal agreement to a loan deal that does not contain a buy option, which means Antony will be back at Manche...