Man Utd: It’s time for everyone to appreciate captain Harry Maguire

Manchester United are currently in second place in the Premier League and a foot into the Europa League finals, and it would not be possible without the monumental presence and leadership of Harry Maguire in the heart of defence, who is starting to gain the appreciation of supporters and pundits.

Having played in every single minute of English football so far this season, the 28-year-old is yet to miss a game through injury or suspension, showing how reliable the defender has proven to be since joining Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side in August 2019. Not only that, but his individual contribution has ironed out the team’s defensive issues, as he plays a vital factor in the side finishing within the top four in back-to-back seasons for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson last managed the football club.

More importantly and recently, Maguire was one of the main players to lead a serious confrontation against the club’s owners and executive vice-chairman, as they entered the European Super League without making the manager and the players aware of the situation before it was announced to the public. Due to the backlash, it led Ed Woodward with no option but to resign from his position at the club, who has been under huge criticism with how he dealt with his transfer dealings over the years.

Over the last couple of months, the English international has hardly put a foot wrong on the pitch as he continues to build a strong relationship with the likes of Dean Henderson, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof in the backline. Since the start of 2021, the Red Devils have kept nine clean sheets and conceded only 12 goals in 18 league games, with the defensive improvement shown in numbers.

When looking at the side’s defensive record in recent seasons, United conceded 54 league goals and finished in sixth-place during the 2018/19 campaign. The following season, in Solskjaer’s first full season at the club and with the much needed arrival of Maguire, the side conceded 34 league goals and finished the campaign in third-place. And at the moment, the team are sat in second place and have conceded 35 goals in 33 league games. On that basis, Maguire’s impact and influence on the team and the backline is second to none, even if he isn’t everyone’s type of standard centre-back.

The former Leicester City centre-back is a great example of a player who has become a victim of his price tag, as it took the Red Devils an amount of £80million to attain the defender from the Foxes, who was actually linked with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City before his move to Old Trafford had become official. His price tag is instantly raised if he produces an error or a mistake, and if he goes on to complete a dominant and strong performance, then he does not get the full credit and praise he deserves, as most people are typically expecting this of an £80million player.

For sure, his weaknesses are clear and it is something that cannot be hidden, from being caught out of position, inability to defend in one-on-one situations and lack of pace to cover his tracks independently. Though, his strengths are much superior when compare to his weaknesses, and once he is playing alongside a better partner in defence and with a natural defensive-midfielder in front of him, he could potentially be regarded as one of the best centre-backs in the whole of Europe.

Overall, Harry Maguire is an important player for Manchester United on and off the pitch, and he will truly be appreciated the day he is unavailable for a couple of matches due to suspension or injury. When you are one of the first players to be mentioned in the line-up, and you receive credit and respect from your team-mates and manager, then it does not really matter what is said by the supporters or the pundits, as their opinions on players and managers tend to change on a daily basis. Without his proactive defending, aggressive approach of nature and leadership ability, the side would be struggling to make the top four positions and would fail to progress in cup competition.

Iheanacho and Maddison have become the main players at Leicester City this season

Leicester City are the club that are simply here to stay and try and improve themselves by each passing season. Forget the incredible 2016 league title that no one saw coming. As amazing as it was the Foxes have always had a longer agenda which is not only to climb to the top of the mountain but to try and stay there too. This season is proving that Brendan Rodgers side have no plans of a descent.

Leicester are 3rd in the Premier League and hoping to qualify for the Champions League but they have also reached the final of the FA Cup. Now this is significant given that they are 90 minutes away from winning a trophy. The Foxes will face Chelsea one of the best in form sides in Europe but still there is a chance if they are able to click on the day. Leicester have never won the FA Cup and this will be their first final since 1969.

But there are a few players that have really driven the side this season. Jamie Vardy as ever will always get mentioned first, he is a bona fide Leicester legend and will certainly leave his mark on Premier League history when he retires. Vardy started the season in brilliant form but it has to be said that the striker has faded in the second half of the season. He is all about scoring goals and he hasn’t scored since February 13th when Leicester beat Liverpool 3-1. Indeed that has been his only league goal for the club this year so far.

Is club legend Vardy starting to struggle? it seems so but then again it would be wrong to write him off. Because of his fantastic start he is still ranked as the best fantasy player to have for the Foxes and has 65 points- that’s 9 more than the second best player and let’s remember that Vardy has still scored 13 goals and made 7 assists, far from a poor season, but certainly a poor run at this time.

So if Vardy is the captain of the ship who has been steering Leicester into elite waters? This seems mostly to have fallen upon two players. The first is James Maddison who has scored some very important goals this season and has played with total dedication in midfield. Maddison has earned 56 points and has probably scored the goals that Vardy should have been cleaning up with in previous seasons. He has assisted in 8 goals and been involved in 14 in total.

The real revelation though has been Kelechi Iheanacho. Here is a player that has promised much in the past but hasn’t always consistency delivered. The striker though seems to have picked up fantastic form the moment Vardy lost his and has been key to Leicester’s successes this season and still holding a top 4 position as we come to the end of April.

Iheanacho has scored 8 goals, though because it was one game after another it seems that he has scored double that. He has been a saving grace in many ways for the Foxes and one has to wonder if Leicester would have stayed the course without these two players performing to the level they have done so with Vardy’s drop of form?

Challenge the best EPL Fantasy Managers at www.fantasy-premier.com

Premier League trio priced as leading favorites to win Europa League

Premier League trio Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal are the bookmakers’ favorites to win the Europa League following Monday’s last-32 draw in Switzerland.

Spurs have enjoyed a superb start to the new campaign and remain firmly in the Premier League title hunt despite narrowly losing 2-1 to leaders and defending champions Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday night. Roberto Firmino’s late header won it for Liverpool but Tottenham’s resolute performance enhanced their title credentials.  Continue reading

EPL Predictions Gameweek 4

Leicester City, Liverpool and Everton head into gameweek four of the 2020-21 Premier League season as the last remaining teams with a 100% winning start.

The Toffees host Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, whilst Leicester kickoff Sunday’s action at lunchtime by welcoming West Ham United to the King Power Stadium. Liverpool conclude the weekend, away to Aston Villa.

Here’s a look ahead to the weekend’s games:

Chelsea vs Crystal Palace
The Premier League weekend starts with a London derby as Chelsea look to improve on their 3-3 draw at West Bromwich Albion, whilst Crystal Palace are looking to bounce back from their first defeat of the season. A home win isn’t a foregone conclusion by any means but you’d have to favour the hosts. Mason Mount got among the goals last weekend and is always a good choice for your fantasy team.

Everton vs Brighton & Hove Albion
Carlo Ancelotti’s side have made an excellent start to the new campaign as they look to make it four wins from four when they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Goodison Park on Saturday. Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored a hat-trick last weekend and then again in the EFL Cup midweek. The striker can’t be left out of your fantasy team with the form he’s in.

Leeds United vs Manchester City
Patrick Bamford scored a late winner at Sheffield United on Sunday whilst Manchester City were humiliated 2-5 at home by Leicester City. Pep Guardiola’s side have added a new centre-back in Ruben Dias since but face a tough test to get back to winning ways in this one. Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling should be safe additions to your team though.

Newcastle United vs Burnley
Saturday’s action concludes at St James’ Park as Newcastle United welcome Burnley. Neither side have been impressive nor prolific in front of goal this season. As a result I can see this being a tight one and maybe even our first 0-0 of the new season. With that in mind, a Burnley defender like Kevin Long would be a cheap addition to your fantasy team.

Leicester City vs West Ham United
Leicester City are widely-expected to continue their winning start to the season when they face West Ham United this weekend. Jamie Vardy is fresh off a hat-trick at the Etihad Stadium that he cannot be overlooked from your team.

Southampton vs West Bromwich Albion
Danny Ings scored as Southampton recorded their first win of the season last time out. The England international can be expected to score again this weekend too as the Premier League’s leakiest defence visit St Mary’s.

Arsenal vs Sheffield United
Arsenal were well beaten at Liverpool on Monday night and will be looking to get back to winning ways when they host Sheffield United on Sunday. The Blades are yet to score a single goal this season. If you’re confident of a Gunners clean sheet, you can always add Bernd Leno or David Luiz to your fantasy team, whilst Hector Bellerin is the most likely to get an assist among the defenders.

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Fulham
Nuno’s Wolverhampton Wanderers were hammered 0-4 at West Ham last Sunday as they continued their slow start to the new season. Fulham offer them a good chance to get back to winning ways this weekend. The Cottagers haven’r protected their goal very well in their return to the top flight so Daniel Podence could be worth inclusion.

Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur
Two sides who have already made an unpredictable and inconsistent start to the new season. Jose Mourinho’s side have been handed a blow with the loss of Son Heung-min to injury whilst Harry Kane hasn’t been too prolific so far this season. A difficult one to predict but expect goals.

Aston Villa vs Liverpool
Aston Villa have yet to concede a goal this season in beating the bottom two. Dean Smith’s side welcome the defending champions to Villa Park on Sunday night. Sadio Mane has a great record versus the Villans so makes our recommended team for the weekend.

Challenge the best EPL Fantasy Managers at www.fantasy-premier.com

Premier League’s Game of the Week: Manchester City 2-5 Leicester City

If any of Manchester City and Leicester were going to win 5-2 then 99% of the chance it would be Manchester City, at the weekend we saw the rule to that exception.

In a stunning result Leicester who have started the season in style put 5 goals past Pep Guardiola’s City side, champions in two out of the last 3 seasons as they sailed to a stunning 5-2 victory at the Etihad.

And no one could have seen it coming. In City’s first game of the season they made light work of Wolves beating them 3-1. Whilst Leicester had started well they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in midweek against Arsenal, though Brendan Rodgers was able to leave a few regulars out.

As for the game it looked over almost as soon as it had started as Riyad Mahrez the former Leicester player, who else? gave City the lead. This was now going to go to script surely and City were supposed to wipe the floor with the unbeaten Leicester, but that didn’t happen.

Leicester made their presence felt and James Maddison was all over the pitch, there was a sense that this game wasn’t all going to be about City. Then before half time Leicester were awarded a penalty and Jamie Vardy scored his 3rd goal of the season. The half ended 1-1, and still even with 45 minutes gone nobody could have predicted the outcome.

It was early in the second half that the change happened. Vardy scored again a brilliant flick that put the Foxes in the lead, and then just five minutes later it was another penalty, again for Leicester and in the space of 21 minutes Vardy- the top goalscorer last season had completed his hat trick.

At 3-1 the game wasn’t over and yet it felt it like the home side despite their quality had been winded. The game rolled on and City tried but the minutes ticked away and then the brilliant James Maddison smashed a long range shot right into the back of the net, it was 4-1, the game was over for City, but the game wasn’t over.

New signing for Guardiola’s team Nathan Ake got a goal back to make it 4-2 near the end, could there have possibly been a crazy comeback? In the Premier League you can really never say never but that wasn’t happening today.

A third penalty confirmed that when Youri Tielemans converted, the score was now 5-2. It was an incredible result and even though there were 3 penalties there was nothing controversial about the decisions, no one complained everyone accepted even Guardiola had to, his team had been well and truly beaten and he was right to be annoyed with his defenders after the game, basic errors at this level left viewers stunned.

With the win Leicester the 2016 champions are top of the league once more, they have scored an incredible 12 goals. For City this feels like deja vue in that they started slow last season and dropped too many points as their rivals Liverpool started strongly, the gap is already six points between City and the champions.

Challenge the best EPL Fantasy Managers at www.fantasy-premier.com

 

 

 

Premier League Best 11 Players of the Weekend: Matchday 2

Heung-min Son scored four as Tottenham Hotspur thrashed Southampton 5-2 and Dominic Calvert-Lewin grabbed a hat-trick as Everton beat 10 man West Bromwich Albion by the same score.

Clean sheets were hard to come by in the Premier League last weekend, with only Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea and Aston Villa keeping one.

Here’s a look at the players who made a real difference in the fantasy football last weekend:

Goalkeeper: Emi Martinez (Aston Villa) – 7pts
Aston Villa’s new signing introduced himself to the fans by saving a penalty and keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Sheffield United on his debut. Emi Martinez was one of only three goalkeepers to keep a clean sheet on matchday 2.

Continue reading

After his first season with Manchester United is Harry Maguire really worth £80m?

There was heaps of pressure put on England international Harry Maguire when he joined Manchester United at the beginning of last season for £80m. For one that figure broke the world transfer record for a defender. For two you could have been forgiven for thinking that the star defenders over Europe were looking at the transfer and thinking Harry who?

Of course Maguire by the transfer had put in some brilliant performances for both Leicester City and England where he had broken into the national team. But Maguire had not been seen in Europe due to not playing in either the Champions League or Europa League, so the transfer seemed like a scratch your head moment.

However those in the Premier League knew of Maguire’s strengths, and sometimes it’s not the overall quality that you have that counts in the league but the experience you have. Imagine for example taking a world class defender from Serie A and pitting them in the Premier League- they may get to grips with the pace of the league after a while, but already having that experience you hit the ground running. This is what United were buying and then of course there is always going to be a premium price when your new signing is an England international.

One of the other negative points about breaking transfer records was that Maguire hadn’t justified his price tag, no matter if he had put in some reliable and solid games with club and country. How does one justify spending £80m on a player who has won zero trophies? The problem lies in the fact that the player has no winning experience, still age is on his side. At 27 and in his position he could well have 10 years at the top of the game where he will be hoping to become a legend at Old Trafford.

How has his debut season fared then with the red devils? Maguire started decent enough but did make a few errors as the winter months kicked in. However at the turn of the year he really started to find his rhythm on the pitch and formed an excellent partnership with Victor Lindelof.

Do you have Maguire in your fantasy team? If so you will be interested to note that he came out on top of all the defenders in the side gaining 52 points. He only scored 1 league goal this season but that isn’t so important, it’s not his job to bang in the goals, though he would have liked to have created some and he didn’t. However he did help the club to 13 clean sheets when he played.

Ultimately then after a shaky start Maguire looks to have had a solid season with the club and that isn’t easy with such a step up to a club like United and what it means. He has helped them into a 3rd place finish and that will mean Champions League football for next season which should further enhance his reputation.

Challenge the best EPL Fantasy Managers at www.fantasy-premier.com

Leicester City 0-2 Manchester United: Solskjaer and his men pull through on the final day to achieve Champions League football

On the final day of the 2019/20 Premier League season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United had to avoid a defeat at all costs in order to receive Champions League football for next season, as they took on a Leicester City side that were missing a number of key players from the starting XI.

With the likes of Ben Chilwell, Caglar Soyuncu, James Maddison and Ricardo Pereira unavailable for the Foxes, Brendan Rodger’s men had a huge task ahead of themselves on Sunday afternoon, as they left themselves in a difficult position since the season restarted, winning just two games out of eight.

Looking into the game as a whole, the visitors had the edge when it came to dominating possession of the ball and making full use of it, achieving 55% possession, creating two big chances during the match and completing 95 passes in the attacking third. On the other hand, the hosts managed 68 successful passes in the final third, given that it took them till the hour mark to gain momentum.

In all honesty, there was hardly any action in the first half or much urgency from either side to go on to taking the lead, with both teams ensuring that there was no room for any mistakes. Following the half-time break, the game was taken up a notch by both Leicester City and Manchester United, as they had realised that Chelsea were beating Wolves and were not showing any signs of weaknesses.

From there onwards, Leicester were causing problems to the United defence but were not testing the goalkeeper at all. The visitors were able to make the breakthrough at 70th minute, as the host were caught out at playing from the back, which led to them giving a penalty away. Bruno Fernandes calmly stepped up to take it and sent Kasper Schmeichel the wrong way to give his team the lead.

The Foxes continued to pile on the pressure and go all out for a top four finish in the final 15 minutes of the game, however, the Red Devils’ managed to seal the victory late in added time, through substitute Jesse Lingard, who managed to caught Schmeichel off guard before kicking the ball into an empty net. In the end, United finished in third place on 66 points, just above Chelsea on goal difference, whilst Leicester City remain in fifth place and have to settle for Europa League football.

Here are the three things we learnt from United’s final league fixture of the campaign…

Champions League football is now officially confirmed for next season

After the side’s recent drop off in terms of results and performances, it did not look like the Red Devils had it in them to pull through on the final of the day season. With stalemates at Old Trafford to Southampton and West Ham as well as the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea, majority of the Manchester United supporters were expecting the team to typically crumble under pressure.

However, that was not the case today, as they were able to keep the likes of Jamie Vardy, Youri Tielemans and Ayoze Perez very quiet whilst having the capability to work on a few good phases themselves in midfield and attack. With Champions League football now confirmed for next season for Manchester United, the club will be able to make progressive moves financially and sportingly.

The only way is up for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his exciting long-term project

It’s been quite the first full season for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at United, who will be more than happy with a 3rd place finish as well as the opportunity to still compete in the Europa League competition next month. Given the ups and downs, the injury issues alongside the lack of squad depth, Solskjaer has done a good job in removing the deadwood and helping the football club to move into the right direction once again, something that Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho had actually failed to do.

Solskjaer has put the club and the players ahead of himself, and the immense work he has put in is now starting to pay off, as there is a cheerful and encouraging environment on and off the pitch, where the players are playing attractive and intelligent football whilst picking up the much needed results. The critics and the Ole haters have been totally silenced, as United’s unbeaten run since the end of January has allowed the team to do the unthinkable and push for a late top four finish.

Bruno Fernandes and Anthony Martial have played a crucial role since the restart

A lot of the focus has been on the likes of Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood since the Premier League has restarted, though, Anthony Martial and Bruno Fernandes have been the deadly duo that has allowed the team to finish in the top four with their chances. Despite Chelsea and Leicester City’s lack of consistency, Bruno and Martial have been the two key individuals to be the constant threat for Solskjaer’s side, as their movement and creativity has been second to none.

Bruno’s ability to score from the penalty spot has to be appreciated, especially when you have to remember the fact that both Rashford and Pogba had missed a couple of penalties at the start of the season, which could have helped the side to confidently finish in third place. Not only that, Martial’s playmaking quality and clinical instincts are now starting to be well-recognised, particularly by those who thought he was not good enough to lead the line and become United’s main number nine.

The four Premier League players to have in your Fantasy team for the rest of the season

With just three months of football remaining, every single Fantasy Premier League manager will be reviewing their teams and be aiming to make the most out of the outstanding features they have, whether that’s the wildcard option, the bench boost, the free hit or even the triple captain selection.

Unsurprisingly, the Premier League has been really unpredictable this season, as majority of the teams in the league and a lot of the well-known players from the top-six sides have been inconsistent. However, with 11 league fixtures left and the European Championship to take place this summer, a large number of individuals will be working their socks off to reach this grand stage.

Not only that, given the return of the prestigious Champions League as well as the Europa League football, all Fantasy Premier League managers will be doubting any important decision they make and they will not be totally sure of what results to expect or predict in the upcoming fixtures.

With no further ado, here are the four perfect Premier League players to have in your team…

Goalkeeper – Alisson

Having the best defensive record in the league, conceding 15 goals in 26 league games, there’s no doubts at all that Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are miles ahead of the rest of the teams in the country and are potentially on their way to ending the season undefeated. On that note, having Alisson Becker in your team is a no brainer, who is on 10 clean sheets along with Nick Pope, despite playing nine games fewer than the Burnley shot stopper due to the calf injury he picked up back in August.

The 27-year-old Brazilian international is now being recognised as the best goalkeeper in the league and one of the best in Europe, as he continues to put in the hard work between the goalposts along with helping the side through his ability to play as a ball-playing individual. With Liverpool’s fixtures looking straightforward, barring the games away to Arsenal and Manchester City, there should be no huge problems in seeing Alisson to carry on achieving the consistent clean sheets, who is only valued at £6.2m.

Defender – John Lundstram

A lot of FPL managers would have found out by now about the advantage and benefits of having John Lundstram in their team, someone who is a central-midfielder but is actually seen as a defender on the Fantasy Football app and website. The main positives are when Sheffield United keep a clean sheet or when Lundstram himself bags a goal, as he is able to go onto gaining a few extra bonus points, which is why he has accomplished over 100 points and is expected to gain more and more.

Although he has been benched by Chris Wilder over the last couple of weeks for the Blades’ record signing in Sander Berge, he is expected to be brought back into the line-up soon rather than later, as the side are continuing to push for a spot in next season’s Europa League and will want to finish the campaign on a high note. With the side having the second best defensive record in the league, along with Lundstram being the club’s third best player in terms of direct goal contributions, it would surely be an easy and simple decision of bringing him into your backline for a figure of just £5.0m.

Midfielder – James Maddison

For sure, his form over the last two months has not been brilliant, but with the likes of Norwich, Aston Villa and Watford coming up for Leicester City, it would be more than ideal to keep or bring James Maddison into your fantasy football team. The English playmaker has managed to produce 68 key passes so far this season, with only three other players in the league outdoing him in this area.

With the Euros coming up this summer, Maddison will hope that his performances throughout the season as well as what he produces in the final few months will be enough to persuade Gareth Southgate to select him in the squad, as he will have a number of players to choose from due to the rise of Jack Grealish, Jadon Sancho, Callum Hudson-Odoi and many other individuals. Back onto Maddison, for a value of £7.4m, he is bound to come in with the goals and assists for the Foxes, as they actually have an easy run of games before they face Spurs and Man Utd towards the end of the campaign.

Striker – Tammy Abraham

In his first full season as a regular starter for Chelsea, Tammy Abraham has shown up with the much needed goods, as he has notched 13 goals and three assists in 25 league appearances. Given the ongoing injury he has had from the start of this year, he has not been able to perform the same way as he was once doing and it has prevented him from playing at his best, but with the recent winter break and some further time off, he is now fully back at 100% and is ready to score the crucial goals once again.

It’s not easy to choose the ideal striker in your fantasy football team, but for a team that’s quite attacking-minded as Chelsea are and with Abraham always starting ahead of the likes of Michy Batshuayi and Olivier Giroud, he will always seem like the most suitable option as he aims to end the season on 20 league goals and over. Chelsea’s remaining fixtures from now till the end of the season does not seem difficult at all, barring Liverpool and Man City, the rest look like straightforward victories if they can be dominant and ruthless on both sides of the pitch.

Can Leicester City finish above Manchester City this season?

Just last month, all the focus seemed to be on whether Leicester and Manchester City could hang onto the coattails of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the title race.

Fast forward to the present day and it seems much has changed. Thanks to a Boxing Day defeat at home to Liverpool – and the manner of how The Reds dominated in that 4-0 thrashing – The Foxes’ focus now must be on keeping their place in the Premier League’s top four.

Continue reading