Paul Merson: Jose Mourinho needs to make this Man Utd signing to finish in top four

The Arsenal legend offers Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho some transfer advice ahead of the January window.

Paul Merson says Jose Mourinho needs to sign a midfielder to secure a place in the Premier League’s top four this season.

The Manchester United manager has endured a tough start to his Red Devils career after he was appointed as Louis van Gaal’s replacement.

Mourinho’s side ended a four-game winless run in the English top flight with a 3-1 victory over Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium.

The 20-time English champions signed Paul Pogba in a world-record £89m deal from Serie A giants Juventus in the summer transfer window.

And the France midfielder scored Manchester United’s opener at Swansea before his fellow summer signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic netted two first-half goals in South Wales.

However, former Arsenal midfielder Merson believes Mourinho needs to open the cheque book and sign a midfielder in the January transfer window despite spending over £150m in the summer.

“Jose Mourinho has got to buy some players in January or Manchester United will not finish in the top four,” Merson wrote in his Daily Star column.

“That team is not good enough and they seem to have a lot of problems. I understand what he’s saying about how players should play even if they’re not 100 per cent.

“But there’s a way of doing it. If you do it in public you start losing players and that’s dangerous.

“United need a central midfielder who can dominate matches because they still don’t have one. Paul Pogba has yet to dominate a single game.

“Their best midfielder at the moment is Michael Carrick, and he’s 35! How can that be at a big club like United?”

Mourinho also signed Villarreal defender Eric Bailly and Borussia Dortmund playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan in deals totalling £60m in the summer.

More games: friv

Michael Carrick: Jose Mourinho knows what I can do and I am not going to change my game now

Carrick has not featured for Manchester United in the Premier League this season.

Manchester United star Michael Carrick has admitted he will not change his game at this stage of his career after suggesting his manager Jose Mourinho is aware of what he is capable of doing on the pitch.

The 35-year-old was handed a one-year deal when the former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager took charge at the club. So far, he has made only two starts: in the Community Shield and in the 3-1 League Cup victory over Northampton Town on 21 September.

Carrick has not featured in the Premier League for the 20-time English champions in the 2016/17 season. The former Tottenham Hotspur man has also spoken about Mourinho's team selection and wanted everyone to "calm down."

"I think he knows what I can do and I am not going to change my game now," Carrick told Sky Sports, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

"He knows exactly what I can do, my strengths, just like every other player here. You play some games and you miss some games."

"I think everyone has got to calm down a little bit in terms of how they react to all the changes in the team and who is not playing. We are a squad, we are a team, we lose together and we win together. We played tonight and had a good result."

Carrick was impressive for the Red Devils as he opened the scoring for Mourinho's side. United have progressed to the fourth round of the competition and will face Manchester City in the next round in October.

The victory over Northampton saw United end their three-match losing streak. The English midfielder believes United can use their latest win in order to get their season back on track as he wants the Red Devils to challenge for the title this term.

"We had a setback last week. but it's not going to finish off our season. It's about how we react to it. We had a good start with the first three or four games of the season and we want to get back to winning. We did that tonight," he told United's official website.

"It's a big game on Saturday and we want to get our season back on the right road. Come the end of the season we want to be challenging."

A Manchester United Fan Favourite Has Confirmed He Is Staying With The Club

A Manchester United fan favourite has confirmed he is staying at the club.

Daley Blind had been tipped with a move away after Jose Mourinho’s arrival at the club despite being a constant in United’s team last season.

Blind eventually formed a solid partnership with Chris Smalling, and the 26-year-old has spoken out against rumours of his departure from Old Traff0rd in Express.

“People were making that mistake very quickly [that Blind would leave],” he said.

“But nothing was said and just like all the other guys I want to work very hard and get my spot in the team.

“I think in football, you never really have assurances but I believe if you are confident and work hard that you will get chances.

 

“What I’m saying is not only for me but everyone in the squad. That’s what I do, work hard and I want to be part of the team.

“I think every manager has his own ideas. Mourinho is a great manager with his own plans and as a team we are learning a lot.

Jose Mourinho has added Eric Bailly to his defence and is looking to strengthen further with rumoured moves for Leonardo Bonucci and Jose Fonte linked.

Blind can also play in midfield, but Morgan Schneiderlin, Maraoune Fellaini and Michael Carrick all look to stay.

It’s safe to say Mourinho is not desperate with regards to competition for places..

Toggle inks deal with Eleven Sports Network to bring best of live sports to fans

SINGAPORE: Toggle, Mediacorp's over-the-top service, and Eleven Sports Network have inked a multi-year partnership to offer viewers a selection of Premier League matches, a wide range of international football games, and other sports content.

Eleven's coverage of the Premier League on Toggle will be curated. As such, three live matches and three delayed matches will be made available to football fans each match week, Toggle and Eleven said in a media release on Saturday (Jun 25). 

This will include eight clashes between clubs like Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea. 

- Liverpool vs Manchester United
- Manchester United vs Arsenal
- Chelsea vs Manchester United 
- Manchester United vs Manchester City 
- Liverpool vs Arsenal 
- Chelsea v Liverpool 
- Manchester City vs Arsenal
- Chelsea vs Manchester City

Eleven's coverage on Toggle will include live studio shows hosted by Richard Lenton, as well as match previews, reviews and highlights. 

Football fans can also look forward to the best of English football and other live competitions, including: 

- Italian Serie A TIM
- Emirates FA Cup
- English Football League Cup (EFL Cup)
- English Football League (EFL)
- England international home friendlies
- Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL)
- CONMEBOL 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers 

Viewers will be able to access the live Premier League matches on the Eleven Plus channel on Toggle from August. Two channels, Eleven and Eleven Sports, will feature the other football content, as well as live sports such as ATP250 tennis events, the ITTF World Tour and the Badminton Asia Championships, from Jul 1.

Those interested in subscribing only to sports content will not need to subscribe to other content packages first - they can simply subscribe to Toggle's Sports Mania Pass. As an added bonus, viewers who sign up for the new channels on a one-year contract during the current UEFA Euro 2016 period (until Jul 11, 2016) will receive a free subscription to all remaining matches in the knock-out stages, and a one-month subscription waiver of the three new channels.

Toggle Sports is available in HD quality without the need for a set-top box, giving viewers the flexibility to access the matches anywhere, and on multiple screens. Supported devises currently include mobile devices (both iOS and Android smartphones and tablets), laptops and desktops, Android TV's Google Cast, as well as TVs connected via Chromecast devices. 

Additional devices such as Apple TV will soon be introduced. 

“We hope to make Toggle Sports a huge win for sports fans,” said Mr Anil Nihalani, Head of Connected Media at Mediacorp. “Our goal is to become the home of compulsory viewing for fans of international football and other exciting sports.”

Report: Stoke City and Bournemouth enter the race for Michael Carrick

Bournemouth, Stoke City, Arsenal and Everton are all reportedly interested in signing Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick.

According to a report in the Daily Mirror, Bournemouth and Stoke City have entered the race to sign Michael Carrick from Manchester United.

Arsenal and Everton have already registered an interest in signing the experienced England international, with his contract at Old Trafford due to expire this summer.

Carrick has not been offered a deal to stay with United yet, and it seems likely that he will leave the Red Devils in the coming months.

The 34-year-old is reaching the twilight of his career, but plenty of Premier League teams believe he still has a future at the top level.

Stoke and Bournemouth are both eager to sign Carrick as they believe that he would enhance their midfield options.

Stoke have looked to promote a style of football which encourages a more patient approach since Mark Hughes took charge, and Carrick’s passing ability could make him a key component in their midfield ranks.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, managed to stay in the top flight last season and Carrick’s arrival would be a signal of their intent.

Carrick made 43 appearances for United in all competitions this past season, but he is said to be willing to leave.

Carrick is reportedly planning to speak to some potential new clubs, as he weighs up his options for the future.

Would Carrick be a good signing for a Premier League club?

Jose Mourinho looks set to decide this Man United star's Old Trafford future

MICHAEL CARRICK'S future will depend on who's in the Manchester United hot-seat next season, according to reports.

The Sun claim the Red Devils want to offer the veteran playmaker a new deal.

But the Premier League giants cannot sign him up until the managerial situation is formally sorted.

It's widely expected former Chelsea chief Jose Mourinho will replace Louis van Gaal at the end of the season.

And if he's appointed, the charismatic chief will decide the England midfielder's fate.

Carrick, 35, has been linked with a big-money move to China but would reportedly prefer to stay at United.

The influential ace is also being monitored by Newcastle and former club West Ham.

Carrick moved to Old Trafford from Tottenham in 2006 and has won five Premier League titles and the Champions League.

Despite United's underwhelming season, he has consistently impressed in the deep lying defensive midfielder role.

Manchester United Transfer News: Toni Kroos Fee, Latest Michael Carrick Rumours

Manchester United are reportedly set to offer Real Madrid €50 million (£39 million) for Toni Kroos to beat Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain to the player this summer.

That’s according to RMC (h/t Tom Coast of Sport Witness), who state that while the three juggernauts of European football are interested in the former Bayern Munich man, it’s United who are considering putting a package together. Coast also writes that, according to the RMC piece, Real would want a minimum of €45 million to consider cashing in.

RMC’s Mohamed Bouhafsi added further details to the reported interest in Kroos, suggesting he is already “in talks” with PSG:

Coast states that the initial source claims the German wants to leave the Spanish capital after a difficult time this season. Here is a look at the kind of quality he would bring to the teams mentioned:

The main attribute is an astounding range and accuracy of passing. Pinging the ball just looks so natural to Kroos, whether darting passes into the feet of forwards and attacking midfielders or nonchalantly switching the play out to Real’s rampaging full-backs. Despite the criticism that has come his way this campaign, the German remains a class act.

Although United are well stocked in central midfield, the chance to sign a player of this standard is not one they should let slip by without a battle. Alongside an orthodox holding player like Morgan Schneiderlin—a luxury Kroos often doesn’t enjoy at the Santiago Bernabeu—he would thrive, knowing he could concentrate on shuttling forward and dictating play.

As Spanish football expert Rafael Hernandez notes, the system that has been played at Real doesn’t seem to marry up well with the German’s talents:

The sums mentioned are steep, but for a world-class player, they aren’t too excessive and certainly not out of the price range of a club like United. According to Adam Crafton of the MailOnline, current manager Louis van Gaal pulled the plug on a deal for the player in 2014, although you suspect if the chance came around again, the Red Devils would love to snap Kroos up.

According to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, West Ham United are considering a move for their former player Michael Carrick, whose Manchester United contract is due to expire at the end of the campaign.

"The midfielder has also attracted interest from clubs in the US, including LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls, and could move to the MLS at the end of the season," adds the piece, also noting the man himself has revealed there has been no intention signalled by the club to offer him terms on a new deal.

Despite his advancing years and perennial injury problems, the 34-year-old remains a crucial influence when out on the field. As these figures from FourFourTwo’s Stats Zone illustrate, in Sunday’s Manchester derby triumph, the veteran was marvellous:

It’s a difficult scenario for the player, who will surely feel as though he’s capable of prolonging his career at the top level. United still look a better side with him at the base of their midfield, although he won’t be around forever, is often sidelined with injuries and perhaps, with links to players like Kroos, he may find minutes tougher to come by in 2016-17.

West Ham would be an intriguing option for Carrick, too. The club are clearly going places, with a vibrant team and a fine stadium to move into next season. That’s a project most players would love to be part of, so if United are indeed keen on keeping him at Old Trafford for next season or beyond, they may well have to act quickly.

Manchester United should give Michael Carrick a new contract

The Man Utd midfielder has been at Old Trafford for 10 years but could be set to leave at the end of the season.

Louis van Gaal is still convinced his first season at Manchester United would have gone differently had Michael Carrick had been available more often.

There were times when the Dutchman felt his team were on the verge of seriously challenging for the Premier League title. But each time he was robbed of Carrick at what seemed like the crucial time.

United lost once last season when Carrick started. His longest runs in the team – 10 games in a row between November and January and four games in March and April – coincided with United’s best form.

He started the wins over Tottenham, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester City in the second half of the season that ultimately secured a place in the top four. But after hobbling off in the derby at Old Trafford he didn’t play again and United won one of their final six matches.

As he approaches his 35th birthday, he’s had to be used more sparingly this season. United’s win percentage is still better with him in the team – 50 per cent with him and 43 per cent without – and he played a crucial role in Sunday’s derby at the Etihad Stadium.

But there’s still a chance he could leave Old Trafford this summer. It was around this time last year that United announced he had signed a one-year extension. He hasn’t yet had the call this time, but he should.

United have got a reputation for looking after their older players. Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes were allowed to decide when they wanted to go. So, too, was Gary Neville, although he made his decision in the toilets at West Brom.

Carrick didn’t come through the academy like Giggs, Scholes and Neville and was already 25 when he signed for United from Tottenham in 2006. Still, he deserves the same courtesy.

His arrival 10 years ago coincided with a period of success that may never be matched. Before his first contract was up he had won four Premier League titles, the Champions League and played in two more finals. Not even the treble winning team can match that.

His influence will be reduced to a sidenote by a history that will remember the super-human efforts of Cristano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney’s goals and Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic’s formidable centre-half pairing. Quietly, though, he was just as important.

Even at 34, his passing stats have been as good as any of his team-mates this season. More than that, he has been one of the few keen to pass the ball forward. Having grown into his role as a senior member of the squad, he’s also been the one to front up after disappointing defeats – particularly at Stoke and West Brom.

It’s results like those that have prompted many fans to demand changes this summer, both to the management and the squad. Carrick should be one safe from the axe.