Tag: Manchester United

Portugal have finally found the right balance with Cristiano Ronaldo under Jorge Jesus
27Sep By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Portugal have finally found the right balance with Cristiano Ronaldo under Jorge Jesus

Cristiano Ronaldo almost seems bigger than Portugal to the detriment of both himself and the team. He becomes the magnet for criticism, pinpointed as THE problem, seemingly absolving the others of accountability, whenever Portugal lose, but he also becomes disproportionately the conversation to the point where he looms over everyone else no matter what happens. Portugal have to prepare for life after Cristiano at some point, even as it is abundantly clear that, at 41 and in the Saudi Pro League, he is still the best option they have at striker despite, you know, never really being an out and out striker in his career. But as Goncalo Ramos continues to flop for club and country in terms of taking that next step towards being a top striker, Ronaldo becomes harder and harder to leave on th...
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Which club should Antonio Conte manage next?
26Sep By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Which club should Antonio Conte manage next?

Antonio Conte is one of the most volatile but entertaining managers in world football. He is the heartthrob clubs know will ultimately turn on them and hurt them, but for those chasing that one fleeting season of glory - or, more foolishly, thinking they can change his ways - Conte is the Siren's Song of managers. He's undoubtedly one of the best managers in the world, and although he blew things up in smoke at Napoli, pretty much everyone expected that. I mean, Aurelio De Laurentiis is so difficult to work with that even Carlo Ancelotti said he couldn't deal with him anymore and escaped to Everton, of all places. As far as Conte goes, his reputation is actually even higher than it was before, because I still don't know how he turned Scott McTominay into a Serie A MVP and Napoli into Sc...
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Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2021/22 season for Manchester United deserved so much better
26Sep By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2021/22 season for Manchester United deserved so much better

In my estimation, one of the saddest stories in world football during the 2020s was Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United. I think for a lot of people who didn't watch Ronaldo's time at Man United when it actually happened, they don't understand how special his rise was. Everyone knew from the moment he stepped foot at Old Trafford that he could be something unique, but it wasn't easy for him at first because he wanted to play so freely and so differently than what people were used to seeing in English football. It honestly rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, including some of his teammates. But it wasn't only Sir Alex Ferguson who took Ronaldo in and backed him to the fullest, believing in his talent. As a collective, the Manchester United fan base rallied around him in a w...
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2026/27 Premier League Power Rankings after Tottenham, Man United, and Aston Villa implode
25Aug By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Rankings

2026/27 Premier League Power Rankings after Tottenham, Man United, and Aston Villa implode

Here are the first Premier League power rankings of the 2026/27 Premier League season after Tottenham Hotspur's shock defeat to Brentford, Chelsea's huge win over Fulham, and Manchester United getting embarrassed by newly promoted Hull. 20. Coventry 19. Nottingham Forest 18. Crystal Palace Coventry looked completely overmatched on Friday night, and while that was nothing less than expected against reigning champions Arsenal, it was still pretty jarring to see. Nottingham Forest have quite a bit of talent, but they did not look up for it, while Crystal Palace, on the other hand, may have lost too much talent to be able to truly compete in the Premier League this season. 17. Sunderland 16. Ipswich 15. Hull 14. Leeds 13. Aston Villa 12. Tottenham Hotspur 11. Manchester United I...
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The 25 Best Premier League Players Right Now, Ranked
20Aug By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Rankings

The 25 Best Premier League Players Right Now, Ranked

The Premier League has no shortage of world-class talent, but ranking the division's very best players is about more than simply looking at reputation, trophies or what a player accomplished several years ago. This ranking focuses on who the best Premier League players are right now. Current form matters, but so do consistency, individual quality, importance to a team's success and the ability to influence matches at the highest level. Players are also judged on the standard they have established over the current period, rather than being ranked solely on a brief hot streak. From elite defenders and midfielders to some of the most devastating attackers in world football, these are the players setting the standard in England's top flight. Here are the 25 best Premier League players right...
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Predicting every Premier League team’s goal scoring leader in 2026/27
15Aug By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Predicting every Premier League team’s goal scoring leader in 2026/27

The 2026/27 Premier League season is starting up again soon, and before the new campaign begins, let's take a look at who every team's best scorer will be Manchester City: Erling Haaland Arsenal: Bukayo Saka In theory, the leading goal scorer for Arsenal should be Viktor Gyokeres at the No. 9, but he is so hard to rely on. And while nobody will confuse Bukayo Saka for being the most killer goal scoring winger in the world, he has better technical ability and feel for the game than Gyokeres. He is bound for a bounce back season in 2026/27. Chelsea: Cole Palmer Like with Arsenal, it's hard to pick against the striker, but Joao Pedro brings a lot more than goals to the table for the Blues. And, in fact, what makes him such an asset to Chelsea is the fact that he is more than a scoring st...
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Ranking the top 5 Premier League Player of the Season candidates before 2026/27 begins
15Aug By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Rankings

Ranking the top 5 Premier League Player of the Season candidates before 2026/27 begins

It's time to rank the most likely Premier League Player of the Season winners for the 2026/27 campaign before the new season officially begins in a week's time. 5. Leeds DM Anton Stach It might seem crazy to have Anton Stach anywhere near Premier League Player of the Season contention, but he played a massive role in carrying Leeds United to safety last season and is genuinely one of the best all around No. 6's in European football. He was a top player for multiple Bundesliga clubs before an insane inaugural season in England, blowing away expectations with 8 goal contributions, 2.2 key passes per game, and 2.2 tackles per game. Stach is a monster who is only going to get better and deserves a lot more attention. 4. Liverpool ST Hugo Ekitike Hugo Ekitike was the one saving grace in ...
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15Aug By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Rankings

Ranking the top 5 defenses in the Premier League before the 2026/27 season begins

With the 2026/27 Premier League season set to get under way in roughly one week, it's time to take stock of the best defenses in the top flight. Because, as we all know, defense wins championships. 5. Chelsea It may seem weird to rank Chelsea in the top five of the best defenses in the Premier League, but there is more that goes into ranking a defense than the center backs, which were a huge problem for the Blues last season - and even led to Enzo Maresca's premature departure. But Chelsea got better at center back by signing one of the league's top ball winners in Maxence Lacroix, who will form a great duo when the latter is fully healthy. Losing Marc Cucurella is a huge blow, but Chelsea have young standouts to replace him - and Reece James, should the star right back get injured. ...
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Updated Premier League Power Rankings before the 2026/27 season starts
15Aug By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Rankings

Updated Premier League Power Rankings before the 2026/27 season starts

With just a week left until the 2026/27 Premier League season starts, it's time to power rank every team in the English top flight from worst to first. 20. Ipswich Town 19. Hull 18. Coventry Just like 2024/25, all the new Premier League clubs look set to go straight back down. Until they prove otherwise, they just don't have the talent on paper to cut it in the top flight, and unlike Sunderland and Leeds last season, they didn't make sweeping - and smart - upgrades to their squad. 17. Crystal Palace 16. Leeds 15. Nottingham Forest 14. Everton 13. Newcastle 12. Brentford 11. Sunderland 10. Bournemouth 9. Brighton The hodge podge of the Premier League table is incredibly difficult to predict, but it's quite alarming to see how little progress Newcastle United have made since Sa...
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Ranking Premier League strikers by skills: Best finishing, dribbling, heading, work rate, passing
14Aug By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Rankings

Ranking Premier League strikers by skills: Best finishing, dribbling, heading, work rate, passing

The 2026/27 Premier League season is rapidly approaching, and it's time to take a page out of ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky's book with NFL quarterbacks by ranking the top 10 strikers in the league in five different major traits. Finishing Erling Haaland, Manchester City Alexander Isak, Liverpool Eli Junior Kroupi, Bournemouth Igor Thiago, Brentford Benjamin Sesko, Manchester United Hugo Ekitike, Liverpool Jean-Philippe Mateta, Crystal Palace Ollie Watkins, Aston Villa Joao Pedro, Chelsea Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Leeds Erling Haaland stands in a tier of his own, but let's not forget that before Alexander Isak's move to Liverpool and the injuries that ensued, some people wer wondering if he could be the best striker in the Premier League Meanwhile, Eli Junio...
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