Man Utd: Donny van de Beek’s time has come to make a name for himself

Since joining Manchester United in the summer from AFC Ajax for a fee of £40million, Donny van de Beek has not had the perfect of starts to his new adventure at Old Trafford. So far this season, he has only made six league appearances, which have all been from the bench, where he has completed only 88 minutes of English football in his first months under manager Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer.

However, with the recent knocks to Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay, he was given his first Premier League start against Southampton, where he was able to show his intelligence on the ball, impressive movement and ability to help the team tick from midfield to attack. The Dutchman played the full game, completing 38 successful passes in 64 touches of the ball, winning seven out of 12 ground duels as well as achieving four tackles, proving to show how complete he is as a player.

Van de Beek is more than capable of playing in different tactical roles in midfield, from being a ball progressor in a double pivot to a box to box midfielder in the number eight position, and also as the advanced midfielder in the number ten role, which he thrived within at Ajax. In his final season in Eredivise, he produced eight goals and five assists in 23 league appearances, as he excelled as the attacking player in a three-man midfield, through his unique way of thinking outside of the box.

With a huge number of fixtures coming up for Manchester United in the month of December, including matches against Paris Saint-Germain, Leipzig, Manchester City, Leeds United, Leicester City and Wolves, Solskjaer will have to ensure the midfield department is rotated effectively to avoid any problems with fatigue or issues with injuries. On that note, van de Beek is surely expected to receive enough game time and appearances, in order to prove himself to the manager and to his critics.

Following his impressive performances recently at home to Istanbul Basaksehir and now away at Southampton, the Old Trafford faithful will be hoping that the central midfield can build on from this and continue to establish a strong combination with his midfield team-mates in Bruno Fernandes and Fred. And if he is able to help the team on both sides of the pitch, it would not be a surprise to see Pogba leaving in the January window, who has been linked with both Juventus and Real Madrid.

Given that both Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have had major problems in breaking down the opposition’s low blocks in the past, they finally have a midfielder other than Bruno Fernandes available to them, in van de Beek, who is capable of overcoming pressure on and off the ball and is adaptable to making the necessary interception or tackle.

Overall, it is too early for the critics and for the English media to write off a player like Donny van de Beek, who has been slowly eased into the club and into the line-up as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had some difficulties in finding the right balance and consistency in midfield. Once the 23-year-old hits the ground running and is a regular starter for the side, the only way is up for all parties involved.

Serie A Best Fantasy XI – Round Nine

Marco Silvestri (7 points): few goalies are in the running in this round as five sides managed to blank the adversaries. Gianluigi Donnarumma is a worthy candidate with his multiple saves against Fiorentina, Bologna’s Lukas Skorupski had a great one-handed one late, but the Verona bulwark was more deciding and pulled it off against a mightier foe.

Alessio Romagnoli (9 points): the Milan centre-back paved the way to another victory by punching it home from close range on a corner kick in the early going, solving what could have been an issue for Milan in this one. The back-line gave up few chances but all in all was fairly stout. Continue reading

Roma’s hot start comes crashing down against Napoli

Roma kicked off the season in sensational form after their bizarre forfeit against Hellas Verona, propelling themselves into an unlikely title race. The Giallorossi’s hot start came to an abrupt end, suffering a comprehensive defeat against Napoli. Paulo Fonseca’s side failed to get into the game, eventually losing 4-0 to the Partenopei.

While it is the side’s only defeat on the field this season, the manner in which they lost was slightly concerning. Roma was completely played off the pitch by Gennaro Gattuso’s men and will need to turn it around ahead of the holiday stretch. Bryan Cristante, a midfielder by trade, has had to deputize at the back due to an injury crisis at the club, and did a solid job – that was until Sunday.

Summer arrival Marash Kumbulla is expected to return to the lineup, after battling with COVID-19 for the better part of the last two weeks. The defender’s return will offer Roma some much-needed stability at the back, allowing Cristante to return to a more familiar position.

Beyond their defensive woes on Sunday, Napoli completely overran Fonseca’s side in the middle of the park. Jordan Veretout and Lorenzo Pellegrini struggled to get a grip of things in the midfield and regularly turned over possession. Roma’s 3-4-2-1 setup has worked in recent weeks, but in big games, their midfield duo needs support.

Whether it is a winger tracking back centrally, or one of their wingbacks coming into the middle, Fonseca would be wise to make a tactical adjustment. Otherwise, Roma risks getting outnumbered in the midfield in every big game. Gattuso took full advantage of this opportunity, deploying a midfield three of Diego Demme, Fabian Ruiz, and Piotr Zielinski.

The Polish international was a constant menace in the final third and often drifted between the lines, without being marked. Fabian Ruiz, on the other hand, was offered more freedom by Gattuso and regularly popped up in and around the area. As Demme shielded the back four, Fabian Ruiz and Zielinski’s runs opened up Roma’s rearguard and overloaded the middle of the park. If Roma wants to continue its fine run of form, Fonseca should take note of this and make the appropriate tactical changes.

As a result of their midfield struggles, Roma’s front three of Pedro, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Edin Dzeko were largely stranded up top. Mkhitaryan often dropped deep to collect possession but was unable to find outlets in the final third. Roma’s wingbacks tried to get forward in support, but Napoli did well to double up on their markers out wide and nullify their threat.

Roma had been flying high before matchday nine, but have since been rocked back to earth following their heavy defeat. Fonseca would be wise to learn from his side’s mistakes and retool his setup ahead of the upcoming stretch. Roma has made some significant progress under the Portuguese tactician and is arguably a few tweaks away from hitting their best form. It may have taken a 4-0 defeat, but it might just help them in the long run.

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More questions than answers under Andrea Pirlo

The Andrea Pirlo era hasn’t exactly gotten off the ground in the early goings of the season, with the Italian champions drawing five of their first nine games in league play. Most recently, Juventus was forced to share the spoils with Benevento, playing out to a 1-1 draw against the newly-promoted outfit.

While there have been some signs of progress under the rookie tactician, there are currently more questions than answers in Turin. The Bianconeri currently sit six points off Milan in first place, and have shown no signs of consistency. As Juventus are on the hunt for their 10th consecutive Scudetto, Pirlo will need to figure out his best eleven and start making up some crucial ground ahead of the next stretch.

Much like it was the case against Ferencvaros, Juventus struggled to create chances against Benevento. Paulo Dybala’s recent woes continued on Saturday, with the Argentine maestro struggling to make an impact on the proceedings. When he did create space for himself, Dybala was wasteful, spurning a high-quality opportunity in the first half. The former Palermo man has been an awkward fit in Pirlo’s setup until now and has since been usurped in the lineup by Alvaro Morata.

The World Cup winner has typically deployed him in a front two but Dybala has regularly left a lot to be desired up top. It may be the ongoing contract negotiations, but Dybala will need to get his season back on track sooner rather than later. If he can’t turn it around, Pirlo may be forced to reduce his minutes and use him as a supersub.

Beyond Dybala’s continued struggles, Juve’s wingers have disappointed and regularly fail to offer much, outside of flashes of brilliance. Pirlo’s hybrid setup means Juve defends in a 4-4-2 and attacks in a 3-5-2 of sorts, yet, this formation has held back the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and Federico Chiesa. The former has thrived when played centrally, either up top, or as the side’s trequartista, and fails to make an impact from a retreated wingback position. In many ways, Kulusevski’s talent is wasted out wide and is another one of Pirlo’s experiments that should be abandoned.

Chiesa has impressed at wingback at times, most recently providing an inch-perfect assist to Morata, but it is clear he is at his best when playing in a front three. The former Fiorentina man can do a job at wingback, but like Kulusevski, is being shackled by defensive responsibilities. If Juve’s creative struggles persist, Pirlo would be wise to consider shaking up his setup and move into a more traditional, winger-friendly 4-3-3.

Pirlo’s current setup fails to get the best of his front men and shoehorns them into unfamiliar positions. While the lack of a pre-season has not helped the rookie tactician, he needs to demonstrate flexibility moving forward.  The likes of Chiesa, Dybala, Ronaldo, Kulusevski, and Morata represent one of the league’s deepest attacks and could benefit from a formation change.

As Juventus enters a crucial part of the season, they simply cannot afford to drop any more points. The Bianconeri have already drawn against Crotone, Benevento, and Hellas Verona, games they should frankly be winning. Juve’s continued dependence on Ronaldo is a worrying trend but could be remedied by the emergence of their summer arrivals. Chiesa and Kulusevski have demonstrated they have the ability to contribute, but they need to play in their preferred positions.

Pirlo’s Juve is clearly a side in transition, but even then, these are games they should be winning. If the Italian champions will defend their crown and march to a historic 10th title, something needs to change in Turin. Whether Pirlo is aware or not, will likely determine if he is successful in his managerial debut.

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La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 11

Finally Real Sociedad dropped points, this is what all the other chasing teams will be thinking of the best in form side in the league. Sociedad could only draw at home to Villarreal which opened up the league.

Real Madrid lost their 3rd game of the season to go seven points behind the leaders and Barcelona played perhaps their best game so far by crushing Osasuna 4-0. All eyes should be on Atletico Madrid in 2nd place who kept yet another clean sheet at the weekend, are 1 point behind Sociedad and have 2 games in hand.

Let’s take a look at the players who made the biggest impact at the weekend.

Goalkeeper: Marc ter Stegen- Barcelona 7pts

A few goalkeepers reached 7 points for their clean sheets but Marc ter Stegen probably played one of his best games in goal for Barcelona this season. True Barcelona cruised to a 4-0 win over Osasuna, but surprisngly the away side had many chances in front of goal and it would have been a personal achievement for ter Stegen looking at how this season has started for the club to help keep a clean sheet.

Defender: Jordi Alba- Barcelona 5pts

Jordi Alba was solid in defence and remains one of Barcelona’s most important defenders. He helped keep a clean sheet and Alba now has 16 points for the season and is the highest ranked defender in fantasy points in the team.

Defender: Gimenez- Atletico Madrid 5pts

What can be said about Atletico Madrid who have conceded just 2 goals all season so far? Very strong at the back and Gimenez  has only started four games but kept 3 clean sheets and he had a very good match.

Defender: Sergino Dest- Barcelona 5pts

Sergino Dest isn’t always a regular for Barcelona but he has been brought in at the weekend and played with great confidence as Barcelona overcame Osasuna 4-0 and he helped keep a clean sheet. Dest was minus points these 5 points mean he has +2 now.

Defender: Kieran Trippier- Atletico Madrid 5pts

Kieran Trippier is proving himself to be one of the best defenders in La Liga this season. In Spain he is top of the fantasy rankings with 37 points. His side Atletico Madrid are in 2nd place now as they got a very important win beating Valencia away from home 1-0.

Midfielder: Philippe Coutinho- Barcelona 6pts

Philippe Coutinho has already looked better in these first two months of the season than his debut one for Barcelona. Coutinho is getting forward more and helped Barcelona seal their 4-0 win over Osasuna by scoring the third goal.

Midfielder: Jose Campana-Levante 4pts

Jose Campana’s penalty was enough for Levante to earn a point over Real Valladolid. Campana earned 4 points in the process and that was the midfielder’s first goal of the season.

Midfielder: Casemiro- Real Madrid 3pts

Real Madrid lost at home at the weekend to Alaves in a shock result but Casemiro did pull a goal back to earn some points as they went down 2-1. Casemiro didn’t earn more as he was also booked in the early stages of the game.

Midfielder: Thomas Lemar- Atletico Madrid 2pts

Such was an overall poor performance from midfielders this past weekend that Thomas Lemar’s 2 points for Atletico earned in midfield after they beat Valencia 1-0 was enough for the former Monaco player to make the team of the weekend.

Striker: Antoine Griezmann- Barcelona 6pts

Antoine Griezmann has had a few good weeks at Barcelona and the French international will be hoping that his fortunes can turn around at the club. Not only did Greizmann get on the score sheet but he also assisted in another goal. That is the players third goal so far this season.

Striker: Joselu- Alaves 4pts

Joselu had a memorable game for Alaves as he grabbed the winner to defeat Real Madrid away from home. He now has 8 points for the season and is valued at 6.5m. That was the strikers 2nd goal of the campaign and he will be hoping that the goal could be a catalyst for more to come.

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Premier League: Best 11 Players from Week 10

The three top clubs, Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea all drew and there is just 2 points between them. Wolves are back in the mix with  a terrific 2-1 win away to Arsenal and the Gunners have fallen to 14th.

Manchester City who have had a slow start to the campaign by their standards thumped Burnley 5-0 and they are now 10th. Manchester United also recorded a brilliant comeback against Southampton and are now in the top 8.

It was another exciting weekend of football where we witnessed 19 goals from 8 games, but did any of your players make the team of the week, let’s have a look.

Goalkeeper: Illan Meslier- Leeds United 7pts

Illan Mesier kept a clean sheet even though Everton had seven good shots on target as Leeds beat Everton away from home 1-0. It was a tough afternoon for the goalkeeper who had to keep 100% alert. It was Meslier’s 4th clean sheet of the season so far.

Defender: Kyle Walker- Manchester City 7pts

Manchester City romped home to a 5-0 win over Burnley and that means that on top of getting a great win Kyle Walker in defence kept his 3rd clean sheet of the season. Walker also assisted in the clubs 2nd goal to wrap up a brilliant match for him.

Defender: Benjamin Mendy- Manchester City 9pts

Benjamin Mendy was the stand out performer in defence for the 2019 champions, keeping a clean sheet as City thrashed Burnley 5-0 and scoring the clubs third goal effectively killing the game off at that point.

Defender: Robin Koch- Leeds United 5pts

Robin Koch put in a stellar performance at the back to give Leeds a rare away win and a good one as it was against Everton. Koch had to make some brilliant interventions and decisions during a tense victory for Leeds and kept a clean sheet in the process.

Defender: Thiago Silva- Chelsea 5pts

Thiago Silva played one of his most assured games for Chelsea in the back four since his move from PSG in the summer. His quality and experience held his defence line firm as Chelsea drew 0-0 against Tottenham the current league leaders.

Midfielder: Kevin De Bruyne- Manchester City 6pts

Kevin De Bruyne has had better seasons but when everything clicks he is still one of the best midfielders in the world. At the weekend it wasn’t about goals for De Bruyne but about assists and he set up 2 of Citys five goals.

Midfielder: Riyad Mahrez- Manchester City 16pts

Riyad Mahrez always seems to do well against Burnley but he did exceptionally well at the weekend as City ran out 5-0 winners and Mahrez grabbed an incredible 16 fantasy points to boot. Mahrez scored a hat trick and now has four goals for this season overall.

Midfielder: James Ward-Prowse- Southampton 5pts

Though his team Southampton let a 2 goal lead slip against Manchester United to lose the game James Ward-Prowse had another eventual weekend. He assisted in the clubs first goal and scored the second, though he did some points as he was also booked during the match.

Midfielder: Daniel Podence- Wolves 4pts

And step up Daniel Podencenewcast who has really come to light for Wolves this season when they have neeed a goal. Podence scored what would turn out to be the winner as Wolves stunned Arsenal at the Emirates to win the game 2-1.

Striker: Edinson Cavani- Manchester United 10pts

Edinson Cavani had scored for Manchester United before of course but perhaps this was the weekend when the player truly arrived. Cavani scored 2 goals and also assisted in United’s opener as they came back from 2-0 down to beat Southampton 3-2.

Striker: Callum Wilson- Newcastle United 6pts

On Friday Callum Wilson was the hero for Newcastle as they pulled off an excellent away win beating Crystal Palace 2-0. Wilson assisted in one goal and scored the other and the striker now has seven goals overall.

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Man Utd: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men complete a vintage comeback away at Southampton

Ahead of gameweek ten, one of the key fixtures of the weekend was between Ralph Hassenhuttl’s Southampton and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United, with the former being on top notch form so far this season whilst the latter have been inconsistent on both sides of the pitch.

Going into the game, both teams were missing some key players as the Saints were without the goal-scoring machine in Danny Ings and Nathan Redmond, meanwhile, the Red Devils were missing the presence of Anthony Martial, Luke Shaw and Paul Pogba. Putting the list of injuries to aside, the two sides were still able to play to the best of their ability and managed to create a number of chances.

Looking at the fixture as a whole, the Red Devils edged it out in possession and completed just under 100 passes in the final third of the pitch, proving to be quick and effective on the ball and especially on the counter-attack. Though, for Southampton, they were unable to produce a single big chance throughout the whole game and were only able to achieve 41 passes in the attacking third.

Overall, the three points for the visitors, allow Manchester United to move into the top half of the league table and into eight place. On the other hand, Southampton remain in fifth place, but could drop down a spot, should either Aston Villa or West Ham win their fixture on Monday night.

Here are the three things we learnt from United’s latest league game…

Manchester United’s issues in defending set-pieces continue

Manchester United have conceded 16 goals in nine league games so far this season, with a large number of the goals being conceded very easily and softly by the side’s backline. Both of Southampton’s goals today could have been avoidable, especially the first one, where Harry Maguire and Nemanja Matic were marking the area/zone whilst Marcus Rashford was left to mark Jan Bednarek, who had rose above the attacker and headed the ball back into the net.

And with Southampton’s second goal of the afternoon, it was an unnecessary foul from Fred that led to a free-kick in a dangerous area, just outside of the penalty box. James Ward-Prowse went on to take the free-kick and place it into the corner of the net, as he always does, leaving David De Gea with no chance of preventing the goal. As United’s goal difference currently stands on zero, they will have to improve on it instantly, in order to increase their chances of finishing in the top four.

Edinson Cavani comes on from the bench with the perfect influence

The Red Devils felt hopeless and majority of the players’ heads had dropped totally by the half-time break, as they typically failed to take their chances whilst Southampton proved to be ruthless through the set-piece routine. However, on came Edinson Cavani just after the half-time break, who completely changed the game around with his defensive work rate, movement on and off the ball as well as his immaculate ability to linkup with teammates from time to time.

The Uruguayan international achieved two goals and one assist from the bench, which is more than incredible for a player that was written off early in the start of the season and was regarded as another Alexis Sancez or Radamel Falcao, who had previously flopped during their time at Old Trafford. With his valuable experience and hunger for goals and success, the 33-year-old will certainly be playing a crucial for the team in the Premier League and in the Champions League.

 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may have found the right balance in the midfield area

It’s been just under two months since the embarrassing 6-1 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur, and it seems like both Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have been able to turn a new page and resume normal service in the Premier League. Since then, the team have proceeded to defend aggressively, score more frequently and continue to grind out the victories.

For sure, the goals are still being conceded and the goal difference should be much better, but there is a huge feeling that the Red Devils are about to go on a good run and that is mainly down to the balance that has been found in the middle of the pitch. With the diamond formation which consists of Nemanja Matic as the holding midfielder, Donny Van de Beek and Fred as the number eights and Bruno Fernandes in the number ten role, both the club and manager have now found their mojo.

Serie A Fantasy Recap – Round Nine

Standings implications: Milan did have much troubles against the ever disappointing Fiorentina and pulled away from the chasers, bulding a five-point lead over the second-placed team. That is because Inter and Napoli shook off their recent woes with commanding wins over two of the most in-form outfits in the League, Sassuolo and Roma. Some clunkers for the teams that play in Europe as Juventus could not do better than a one-one tie in Benevento, Lazio got severely outplayed at home by Udinese and Atalanta was topped by Verona. Bologna’s surge continued thanks to a hard-fought victory over Crotone. Cagliari and Spezia shared the spoils in a thrilling game, likewise Sampdoria and Torino, while Parma nabbed a precious win in Genoa.

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AC Milan 2-0 Fiorentina: Three things we learned as Rossoneri comfortably secure three points

Milan continued their good run of form with an important win this afternoon, beating Fiorentina courtesy of goals from Alessio Romagnoli and Franck Kessie. Several big teams, such as Atalanta, Juventus and Lazio, all dropped points and therefore, it was important to further extend the lead at the top.

The Rossoneri are now five points ahead of Inter in second place and the extent of their lead will be decided this evening with Napoli-Roma. Not many would have predicted Stefano Pioli’s men to sit at the top of the standings at this stage of the season, but it’s not a big surprise either. Continue reading

Juventus Top Performers – Round Nine vs Benevento

As they are ones to do, the Bianconeri made it harder than it needed to be against Benevento, never really kicking it into high gear and being content with passing the ball around without much sense of urgency. After a decently-played first half, which ended with a random but deciding goal by the opponents, they fell for the time-wasting antics of the Sanniti in the second one and repeatedly crashed into a well-constructive defensive castle, once again throwing two points that were within reach.

Wojciech Szczesny: his contribution would be more noteworthy if Gaetano Letizia had not perforated him with an ultra-precise strike mere seconds after an outstanding save where he deflected the ball right out of the bottom corner. Continue reading