The Return of THE PRODIGAL SON - PAUL POGBA - to Manchester United

photo courtesy of Paul Labile Pogba -Instagram

From the day Jose Mourinho was first announced as Manchester United's new manager, the rumors started to fluctuate.  There has been one ominous sign after another ever since.  Zlatan, Pogba and their families having dinner together in Los Angeles while on holiday.  The kit display at the ESPY's.  Pogba unfollowing Juventus on his social media accounts, and Juventus not featuring Pogba in any of their marketing material for the upcoming Serie A season.  The day that United's offical squad numbers were unveiled for the 2016-17 season, and #6 was left vacant.  Pogba's agent, Mino Raiola, spouting near verbatim the same language to the media regarding Pogba's possible transfer to United as he did just 1 month prior with another of his high profile clients, Ibrahimovic.  However, what may have been the most ominous sign may have been purely by accident, or purely on purpose.  After all Jose Mourinho is a football genius in every sense of the word, and I'm not one foolish enough to believe that he didn't know that Pogba's name would be seen clear as day written on the dry-erase board (in midfield nonetheless) inside the locker room at Old Trafford, when the photo wsa posted to Instagram and to Manchester United's other official social media accounts. From that day forward, it seemed one rumor after another made it's way across all forms of social media. United fans desperately wanted to believe every last one of them, but as we all know with "silly season", nothing is official unitl it's OFFICIAL!
Well thankfully on Sunday morning, the day of the Community Shield in which United was participating vs. Leicester City, the OFFICIAL news finally broke. The deal was DONE! Paul Labile Pogba was leaving Juventus and returning to Manchester United, for a world record transfer fee no less! But after months of speculation, rumors and he-said she-said, it was finally OFFICIAL! The prodigal son was coming home! Jose Mourinho made good on his promise to bring in 4 new players during the transfer window, and make good did he ever! Eric Bailly and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were fantastic signings.  Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a world-class signing! But Paul Pogba was absolutely sensational! In Pogba, United were making up for their biggest blunder.  At 23 years of age, he is still years away from his prime, yet already world-class and quite simply one of the top XI footballers on the planet! United fans could not have asked for a better summer transfer window, and to top it all off, Jose Mourinho will be managing this outstanding group of talented players! Pinch me because I feel like I'm dreaming.....until I opened up my Twitter and Instagram and saw these pictures:

"I'm Back!"

FIREPOWER = POGBA/ZLATAN/WAZZA/MKHI/RASHFORD

HEY Real Madrid "How U Doin?" -POGBA/DeGea

To say that the past week at Manchester United has been crazy would be the understatement of the century! Even when word came down today that Pogba would be suspended for Sunday's match at Bournemouth due to yellow card accumulation from last years Coppa Italia (the Italian equivalent of the FA Cup) it did nothing to dampen the excitement and spirit surrounding the club. In fact, it actually might have just made it that much more exciting.  Instead of the tiny Vitality Stadium on Sunday, Paul Pogba will now make his re-debut for Manchester United at the Theatre of Dreams next Friday when Southampton come to Old Trafford for this season's first edition of Friday Night Football. The Premier League couldn't have dreamt it up any better when they changed this new scheduling format starting this season. Their 1st Friday night game will not only feature Paul Pogba's return to Old Trafford but Zlatan's first Premier League match there as well! Talk about a ratings bonanza! The Premier League can thank Ed Woodward, Jose Mourinho and Manchester United as a whole for making this unbelievable night possible! They call it the Theatre of Dreams for a reason, and I guarantee you there isn't a single Manchester United fan in the entire world who would miss this match for ANYTHING!!! As for the rest of the Premier League and your fans, I hope you enjoyed kicking us while we were down, because guess whose GOT THEIR SWAGGER BACK! Or to put it another way, more simply for some of you Scousers and what not! "DADDY'S HOME AND WE ARE COMING FOR #21" BELIEVE THAT! #FactsOnly #MUFC

JOSE MOURINHO - "THE RIGHT ONE"

Jose Mourinho introduced as Manager of Manchester United

The rumors started as far back as November, 2015.  It seemed as though every week Louis Van Gaal was managing for his job with each match upcoming on United's schedule.  In December, it seemed all but assured that he wouldn't survive past Christmas, though defiantly he pressed forward assuring the media and fans alike that not only would he see out the season, but the duration of his 3-year contract that he signed with the club's board of directors.  Much to the chagrin of many fans, yours truly included, it seemd like every time the axe was about to fall, he magically escaped impending doom.  And right at the very end, when it seem assured that he was managing his final games in the Old Trafford dugout,  Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard came to his rescue and secured Manchester United's first trophy since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.  With that FA Cup victory, there were many who felt that LVG just may have been able to see out 1 final year as manager.  Thankfully, the United board of directors had already made up their mind quite a while before that amazing day at Wembley in May.  As great as it was to see Manchester United finally hoist a trophy again, Paul Scholes as he so often does put it so eloquent when he said "contending for 4th place and winning the FA Cup, that's what Arsenal do!" And he was 100% right!

When the news finally broke that Louis Van Gaal had been sacked, attention immediately turned to who his replacement would be.  Many were assured that it would be the man who should have replaced Sir Alex 3 years ago, the man who should have been given the job in December, and indeed that man, JOSE MOURINHO, was appointed manager of Manchester United not long after.  It was a brazen move, welcomed by many but still questioned by some.  Would Jose be able to adapt to the Manchester United tradition and legacy?  Could he truly conform to being a United man? Personally that is what excites me so much about his appointment as manager.  I feel he, though he won't admit this, is out to prove that this is not about him, that this is about the opportunity to manage the biggest football club on the planet, and a job that he was put on this earth to do!  He wasted no time in getting right down to business.  Almost immediately United were linked with just about every superstar and high profile player from England, Spain, France, Germany and everywhere in between!  The anticipation for the 2016-17 season was like nothing we had seen in recent years and even the current players on the squad could not wait to return to Carrington and get the chance to work with him.  After all, if Jose Mourinho has proven one thing in his career, ALL HE DOES IS WIN! No matter where he has been, he was won! He has managed some of the biggest clubs in the world and has won at every single one of them.  There was not another manager alive that was more suited for this job and I personally think that deep down, Sir Alex Ferguson would even agree with that as well.

His first signing of the summer was CB Eric Bailly, an Ivory Coast international from Villareal. A young, raw talent yes, but a positive step in the right direction.  It was then that the big names started circulating.  And when I say big names, I mean the creme de la creme! Zlatan Ibrahimovic had already announced that he would be leaving PSG at the end of the 2015-16 season and would be moving on to a new club.  Joining up with his former boss at Inter, his mentor, a man he said he would run full steam through a brick wall for, Jose Mourinho, made Manchester United seem like the perfect destination.  After Zlatan had a month or so of competing at EURO 2016 with his native Sweden, and frankly a month of being Zlatan, he announced himself on Instagram, ahead of the club I might add, that his next club would be Manchester United.  He did it simply by posting a picture of the United badge and that was it!  Now Jose really had world football's attention.  Not a week later,  he was able to pry Borussia Dortmund's best player last season, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, to come and join the Mourinho Revolution in Manchester.  Jose said from the outset that he had a goal of signing 4 new players this off-season, and with 3 already in the fold, many were left to guess just who that last signing might be....

It became no secret of his affinity for a former United youngster who had left the club in 2012 on a free transfer to Juventus where he became a superstar and one of the best midfielders in the world.  Yes, if Manchester United were going to lure Paul Labile Pogba back to Manchester, not only were they going to have to pay a very hefty price, but they were also going to have to convince him to leave the 4-time defending Serie A Champions, and the promise of 1 season of Champions League football.  The one advantage they had though was that to this day, Paul Pogba still considers Manchester United his First Football Family, no matter how his departure went and his initial time with the club ended.  Now, as I have been saying both on my Twitter and Facebook pages for the past 2 weeks, I'm not going to start counting chickens during silly season because that only leads to heartbreak.  But it has become no secret that Paul Labile Pogba is the 4th and final piece to Jose Mourinho's puzzle.  No matter where you look on social media there are rumors of meetings in Italy, agents in Miami, meetings in Manchester, sightings here and there.  Nothing is offical until the Manchester United Twitter account says it's official so I am not going to start doing backflips until then.  However, if Jose Mourinho is able to pull off this signing, it will be the biggest transfer in the HISTORY of world football!  United will absolutely smash the previous record set by that arrogant Welshman who now plays for the Whites in Madrid.  There have been whispers that nothing is done yet, talks are on-going, and United have backup plans should things fall through.  The thing is, Jose Mourinho has given me no reason to doubt him thus far, and I have all the faith in him that he and the Manchester United board will deliver the one who got away!  I truly believe Paul Pogba is coming home to United!!! The Jose Mourinho Revolution has begun at Manchester United, and thank God for NBC Sports Network, every single match WILL BE TELEVISED!  GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED!!!

King Louis Van Gaal's Reign Over Manchester United

King Louis I

  In the beginning, Sir Alex Ferguson created a dynasty in the Red Kingdom of Manchester that was feared by many and revered by most!  For 27 years he reigned over a glorious empire filled with epic battles, superstar athletes, an untouchable record and most importantly 38 trophies delivered back to the Red Kingdom of Manchester!  Sir Alex Ferguson was the King of Manchester, with his accomplishments so great that they earned him knighthood from the Queen of England.  Manchester United are the Kings of English Football, and there is simply no disputing that!  As with any person in a position of such power, there inevitably comes the time when they decide that they have accomplished all that they had set forth to, and thus retire to the life of luxury afforded such a legend!

  Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to retire was not completely unexpected, though the timing of it was still quite a bit surprising.  What was actually shocking in the whole matter was that he personally hand picked his successor.  The Board of Directors felt he had earned the right to do so, and undoubtedly he had, so there was no disputing who would be making this monumental decision.  As it turned out, what did end up being disputed, for 11 months or so to be quite exact, was whom he chose as his successor.  Everybody knows the story of the supposed “Chosen One” so I will not even mention him nor go into any detail other than to say he was sacked with 4 games remaining in the 2013-14 season and 5 years left on his contract!  Louis Van Gaal, who was at the time managing the Dutch National Team in preparation for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, almost immediately emerged as the prime candidate to take over a club as big as Manchester United.  His prior success at European Super Powers Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Ajax only furthered his credentials and made him the likely choice.  He was announced as the new manager in June, and wasted no time once he lead the Netherlands to a 3^rd place finish in Brazil.  He arrived in Carrington no more than 3 days later to begin work as the new manager at Manchester United.  They were due to embark on their U.S. Summer Tour in a matter of days and many transfer deals were yet to be completed.  His first decision that may have ruffled some feathers was naming Wayne Rooney as his Captain over Robin van Persie who had been his Captain for the Netherlands in the World Cup.  
  Van Gaal knew he was starting behind the eight ball, and it definitely showed in the first month or two of the season but as he said, after 3 months you can judge my squad.  And just like he had said, by the Holiday season United started to turn a corner.  They then went on an unbeaten streak that saw them rise up the Premier League table quickly.  The United Board had made it clear that Champions League football was the main priority in his first season, and anything else would be cherry on the sundae.  Chelsea were so far out in front by February that the title seemed out of reach but after consecutive dominating wins over Tottenham and rivals Manchester City & Liverpool, Manchester United started to resemble the team fans were so used to seeing for those 27 years under Sir Alex.  Although we had a brief stumble and 3 game losing streak, we were able to finish the season with a win and a draw to clinch 4^th in the Premier League and a spot in the Qualifying stage of the UEFA Champions League next season.  Mission accomplished as far as the 2014-15 season was concerned but two consecutive seasons without silverware is not a common occurrence at Manchester United.  The goals for this coming season are obviously much higher, contending for trophies both in Europe and the Premier League, with King Louis having the entire summer to shape the squad around his philosophy and style of play.  He was adamant with Ed Woodward that all transfer dealings be completed before United depart for the United States again in July, which is just over 30 days away.  He wants nearly the entire squad on the plane so that they can prepare together and not have players arriving in-season like last season i.e. Falcao, DiMaria & Marcos Rojo.  Summer Tour and training leading up to the Premier League opener on August 8^th is the time for the players to build the camaraderie needed to make a run at the trophies they are expected to contend for.  There will not be any excuses this season.  King Louis will be given as much money as he needs to bring in just about any player he wants to fit the Manchester United philosophy and style of play so many around the world have come to know.  It’s going to be a crazy summer, but exciting nonetheless.  Hard to believe that the Premier League season starts on August 8^th, as King Louis’ 2^nd year reign will be here before we know it!!!  

"The Laughable, The Preposterous & The Wacky"

“Silly Season”

     With the 2015 Summer Transfer Window now upon us, it wasn’t until the past few days that I had actually heard this term silly season used to describe the window.  Quite honestly it did cause me to pause, re-read and then ultimately re-tweet the post that had me in hysterics.  It is such a brilliant description of what the transfer windows have become nowadays that I can only wish I had thought of it myself and thrown on a copyright just as quickly while I was at it.  As I was running some test recordings for my new blog that I’m starting last night, my rant lead me off into the direction of the transfer window and 99% of the garbage and bullshit that is associated with it on a daily basis.  In some ways I suppose it is flattering, knowing that we have a club that is so massive in size and popularity that these newspapers/tabloids/websites know that they can print just about anything during silly season and it will end up spreading like wildfire throughout not only England and Europe, but across the world without one shred of evidence to support any single piece of transfer gossip mentioned therein.  Part of my problem with the happenings of silly season are partially due to my own self proclaimed ignorance to exactly how things work in the media across the pond both in England and throughout Europe.  I am not going to give credence or credit to any one website in particular because for one: there are just too many to name, and 2: they exist not only in England but Spain, Germany, France etc.  Now I do understand the way that the Internet works and how valuable the advertising dollar can be, so website clicks and page views are really what any website is looking for in the end.  Sure they would love for you to come across that one teaser of an article that is so tantalizing absurd yet interesting nonetheless, that you suddenly add that particular site to your Bookmarks and make a point to check back on a daily basis just to see what other unbelievable transfer rumor may have been concocted overnight.  At this point they have you, “hook line and sinker!”

    The point I’m trying to make is that I was born and have been raised my entire life in the United States.  Journalistic integrity is still something looked upon with a great source of pride for the many phenomenal journalists that grace our websites and newspapers throughout the U.S.  With all 4 major sports in the States, each major outlet, whether it’s ESPN, Fox Sports, Sports Illustrated, etc., all have a stable of fantastic journalists and writers with unbelievable sources and contacts.  When Adam Schefter goes live on an episode of SportsCenter, or sends a Tweet out via his Twitter account with breaking news of a possible trade or free-agent signing, you can rest assured knowing that he has the inside sources that know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this particular deal is done!

    So what does all of this have to do with Manchester United and the Barclays Premier League you ask?  Well as I said up above, I’m not going to give these sites even a mention due to the ludicrous rumors that they spread on a daily basis.  In fact, I probably would have never considered sitting down and writing my blog post on this particular topic if not for the most unbelievably outlandish “rumor” that Ed Woodward and Louis Van Gaal were preparing this unbelievable bid in upwards of $180+ million to lure not only Gareth Bale away from the Santiago Bernabeau but also bring United’s long lost son and legend, Cristiano Ronaldo, along with him!  Then as any die-hard Manchester United supporter would do, I clicked the link so that I could see just what kind of crazy article this would actually prove to be.  Now let’s get one thing straight here right off the bat.  Ronaldo has been, still is, and forever will be a LEGEND at Manchester United.  It was where he turned from a young boy into the superstar you see terrorizing La Liga opponent’s week in week out.  Cristiano will be the first person to thank Sir Alex Ferguson for being like a father to him and along with many of the clubs legends at the time, teaching him how the beautiful game is supposed to be played.  That is why every summer, once domestic leagues have ended and the transfer season begins, the inevitable “Will this finally be the year that Ronaldo comes home to Manchester United?”  Simply placing Ronaldo and Manchester United in the same sentence will garner your website millions upon millions of clicks and page views.  And 99% of us United supporters know not to believe any single bit of it.  Do you think Van Gaal and Ed Woodward would love to add Gareth Bale to their starting XI for next season?  The answer is obvious! And as far as Ronaldo is concerned, fans here in the United States have witness first hand what LeBron James has done since he left the Miami Heat to return to his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers.  LeBron will be appearing in his 5^th straight NBA Finals come tip-off this coming Thursday evening.  In essence, if Ronaldo were to make a similar decision to return to Manchester, it would be met with so much fanfare that it would probably quadruple that of what LeBron did in returning to Ohio.  With football being the world’s biggest and most watched sport and Cristiano Ronaldo being the #1 or #1A player in the world, depending on where your allegiance lies between himself and Messi, CR7 deciding to return to Old Trafford would grace the cover of every newspaper and website worldwide! But enough about hopes, pipe dreams and wishing upon a lucky star, let’s finish with just why silly season has become just that: Silly!

    There is one English newspaper that I have downloaded on my iPhone and whose sports section I browse on a daily basis.  That would be the Daily Mail.  That’s not to say I don’t occasionally read something interesting from the Guardian or the Telegraph but the Daily Mail seems to catch my attention most of the time for one reason or another.  Many of you local fans in England would probably have a laugh at me for sounding so “touristy” like that with my choice of newspaper but it’s not for a lack of trying that I make that choice.  I just can’t stand that Manchester United seem to be linked with a different player ever other day and it gets to the point where it sounds so ridiculous that I just say to hell with it all, and simply wait for the official Twitter accounts to give me the information I need.  I’ve become so annoyed by the whole mess of nonsense that I finally decided that Mark Ogden and Jaime Jackson would be the only two credible journalists in England who I would follow and give any credence to.  If something during silly season is tweeted from either of the two, then it’s legitimate as far as I’m concerned.  Between those two and the official Twitter/Facebook accounts of the players and the clubs, that’s all of the truthful information I’ll need.  Never again will I read a ridiculous post of how United are going to sign Pele and Maradona is returning to Serie A.  I know that grand bit of sarcasm isn’t necessary but you get my point!  And to the rest of you whores of the page view and site click realm, I bid you adieu and good riddance!  Go find another sport’s street corner to turn your tricks!  

     

What Does The Future Hold for Angel Di Maria?

The Curious Case of Angel Di Maria

Angel Di Maria's wonder chip goal @ Leicester

Let me be frank and get straight to the point.  I will be both shocked and appalled if Manchester United even entertains the notion of selling Angel Di Maria this summer. Yes Di Maria, the same Angel Di Maria who United broke the British record to lure away from Real Madrid for $70+ million.  The same Di Maria who not only was the UEFA Man of the Match in the 2014 Champions League Final in which Real won La Decima, but the same Di Maria who also starred alongside Lionel Messi for Argentina in helping lead the Albicelestes to the 2014 World Cup Final in Brazil.  Now keep in mind, this is also the same Di Maria who started out his career at Manchester United on fire!  He scored his first goal off a freekick on his home debut, formed an immediate kinship with the Captain, Wayne Rooney, on the pitch, and scored what turned out to be the #3 ranked goal of the season by the Match of the Day pundits.  His wonder goal, a cheeky chip at Leicester in September & shown above, proved just what type of talent, ability and skill the Argentine was capable of and just how much promise and value he showed for the future.  The signing of Radamel Falcao was exciting but the day United lured Di Maria away from Real Madrid almost broke Twitter and the Internet altogether. 

You have to understand something first of all.  Transfers like this never seem to happen in United’s favor! In years past, it has always been United selling our best player to the Madrid giants for some exurbanite transfer fee, almost as though we were just a feeder club for the Spanish giants.  The fact that Ed Woodward was able to convince Di Maria to leave everything he had accomplished in Madrid behind, to join a club in Manchester United who would not even be competing in Europe that upcoming season, was seen by many as a miracle!  The one person who United fans had to thank for this was none other than Cristiano Ronaldo.  The United legend, and still fan favorite to this day, was approached by Di Maria for advice regarding Manchester and what to expect.  Simply put, Ronaldo said that if you are going to leave Real Madrid, the only other club in the world that you should go to is Manchester United!  That was all Di Maria needed to hear and with that, the deal was done.  To make the deal even that much sweeter, Di Maria was given the famed #7 shirt, worn by club legends like Robson, Cantona, Beckham and of course Ronaldo.  This wasn’t meant to put added pressure on the young star but to show him that United felt he was of the highest quality and should be mentioned in the same breath as all of those Manchester United legends who came before him. 

As I said above, he started the season off with a bang, dazzling fans with his wide array of assists and goal scoring abilities.  Unfortunately, as with most new signings, he eventually hit a lull.  A few minor injuries here and there kept him out of Louis Van Gaal’s side for a few matches and it was difficult for him to fully regain that amazing form we had seen at the start of the season. 

Without a doubt though, one terrifying event in his personal life would go on to affect him both on and off the pitch for the remainder of the season.  On January 31^st, around 7:30 pm, just hours after Di Maria had starred in United’s 3-1 defeat of Leicester at Old Trafford, he sat down for dinner at home with his wife and young daughter.  It was not soon after that three armed burglars attempted to break into his home using scaffolding poles and trying to smash through the patio doors.  Fortunately for Angel and his family, they always kept the alarm set even when inside the home so once the alarm sounded, the would-be burglars immediately fled.  Manchester United immediately deployed a full detail of bodyguards and security to the player’s home and whisked them away to the Lowry Hotel for safety.  It was their that his family would remain for some time as his wife no longer felt safe at the residence and preferred not to return to their Cheshire mansion under any circumstances.  United have continued the security detail for as long as Di Maria and his wife have deemed necessary, for their own safety and comfort.  It goes without saying, but you don’t want your most prized asset to have anything to worry about off the pitch that in turn would affect his performance on the pitch.  Unfortunately for club, a situation like this requires a special set of circumstances and must be handled with the utmost care and respect for the family.  It was obvious that the attempted break-in affected Di Maria dramatically and his demeanor and performance on the pitch in the weeks that followed served as proof.  You can’t blame him one bit, when I know if I was faced with a similar situation, where my job required frequent traveling and time spent away from my family, their safety and well being would be of my utmost concern. 

     After the events that transpired at the end of January, there was a noticeable decrease in Di Maria’s performance on the pitch.  He often found himself on the bench with Louis Van Gaal preferring to start Ashley Young in Di Maria’s regular left wing position.  It goes without saying that when you are on the bench, no matter what the reason, there is going to be some disappointment and angst, especially when you are a player the caliber of Angel Di Maria.  Couple that with the nagging hamstring injuries that would seem to creep up at the most inopportune times, and it just seemed as though he couldn’t catch a break for the majority of the 2^nd half of the season.  The fact that Ashley Young was playing phenomenally in his place certainly didn’t help matters for him and the only way he was going to regain his place in the starting XI was through his effort and hard work put in on the training pitch.  Di Maria was in the lineup last weekend for the season finale away at Hull, a meaningless game for United who had already secured 4^th place and Champions League football for next season, but a monumental game for Hull who faced the guarantee of relegation to the Championship with a loss to United.  In what seemed to be Di Maria’s season in a nutshell, he felt a twinge in his hamstring 20 minutes into the first half, and was substituted for Adnan Januzaj.  After the game, Van Gaal said he felt it was smart of Angel to not try and risk anything with his hamstring that had already given him so much trouble, but that he thought the injury was minor and nothing too heavy.  Obviously he will now have some time off for Holiday and be able to rest and re-cooperate before heading off to the Copa America with Argentina in June.   

Side Note: due to their Copa America commitments with Argentina, neither Marcos Rojo nor Angel Di Maria will be apart of Manchester United’s Summer Tour of the United States in July.

Now we get to the curious case of Angel Di Maria and what has most likely caused many United fans so much worry over the past few weeks.  Rumors have swirled all season that Di Maria supposedly preferred Paris St. Germain to United last summer when he chose to leave Real Madrid but due to Financial Fair Play, PSG simply was not an option.  Di Maria has personally said all of the right things, and that he loves the club and is really enjoying his new life in Manchester.  However there are all sorts of conflicting rumors coming out this week about Di Maria putting in a transfer request, Di Maria wanted to leave United for PSG, LVG saying that they would only allow Di Maria to leave if he personally asked to leave, etc etc.  Then there are reports to the contrary quoting Marcos Rojo, who is Di Maria’s closest friend on the team, saying that they both are still taking English classes together in an attempt to try and adapt better to their lives in England, and Rojo has no doubts that his friend will be back with Manchester United next season.  This is where the confusion comes in on my part, and so I often take to Twitter or Facebook to try and get answers from some fellow United supporters/friends who live in England and understand the ways of the newspapers and tabloids across the pond.  Here in the United States, tabloids do not publish anything regarding sports unless it is something involving an athlete and some type of scandal.  Here in the States, we look to websites like ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, etc for our news and updates on trade/transfer and free-agent speculation.  It seems to me that in Europe, and not just England, any type of rumor or speculation is published no matter how outlandish that particular rumor may be.  I know much of this is probably just done to drive traffic to their particular site and increase clicks and page views, but it absolutely baffles me that almost everyday there is some new outlandish rumor of who Manchester United are going to sign this summer or who they are going to sell.  No wonder so many people I interact with on Twitter call the Transfer Window “Silly Season.”  I can’t think of a better way to put it because 99% of the rumors I read are just that: silly!  What this had to Di Maria is simple, as I’m sure Paris St. Germain are interested, and would love to add a player of his caliber to their club.  Trouble is there's a whole host of clubs throughout Europe who would love to add Angel Di Maria to their club as well.  That doesn’t mean any of this is going to happen. 

What I hope and frankly what I expect to happen this summer is for Angel Di Maria to go on holiday, enjoy time off with his family, play well for Argentina in the Copa America, enjoy some more time off, and then join up with his Manchester United teammates at some point in late July or early August to prepare for both the Premier League season, and the huge Champions League qualifying round that will take place at the end of August.  Unless I hear from Mark Ogden or Jaime Jackson otherwise, I fully expect Angel Di Maria to be in Louis Van Gaal’s starting XI for the opening weekend of the Barclays Premier League in August as well as the qualifying round of Champions League.  As I stated from the beginning, I just don’t see any situation in which Manchester United sell their biggest transfer ever, after just one season with the club.  Angel Di Maria is a world-class player, as evidenced by not only his MOTM in last years Champions League Final but also his inclusion in the FIFA 2014 XI World Team Of The Year at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich.  Clubs don’t just let players like that leave, for any reason.  Thus a huge club like Manchester United definitely will not let that happen!           

Nike vs. Adidas - The End Of An Era

           Nike & Manchester United

     For the past 13 years the only thing that has been more synonymous with Manchester United winning Premier League titles has been the Swoosh adorned Nike kits they have worn while doing so.  In a move that surprised many, Nike decided not to renew their contract with the club, which is due to expire on July 31^st of this year.  According to a spokesperson for Nike, the American sportswear giant, the deal just didn’t make financial sense on their end thus an agreement that both parties were satisfied with was unable to be reached.  This in turn set the wheels in motion for every other brand name company in the sports apparel industry to jump on board to try and lure Manchester United their way.  After all, United is one of the 3 wealthiest clubs in the entire world according to Forbes magazine, with an estimated value of around $3.2 billion.  In the end though, there was really only one company who ever had a shot at landing the 20 Time Champions of England, and that company was Adidas.  The German based sportswear behemoth has long been the standard by which excellence is measured in world football not only with supplying apparel and merchandise but boots as well.  Adidas already represents the wealthiest club on the planet, Real Madrid, so bringing the 3^rd biggest club in to the fold was simply a no-brainer.  The deal works out well for both sides, with Adidas agreeing to a record breaking $800+ million kit deal that will see Manchester United back wearing the Three Stripes/Adidas logo on their kits for the next decade!

     Many fans were happy to see the change, especially long time fans that remember some of the iconic United kits that Adidas produced back in the 80’s and early 90’s.  Others, like myself, have always loved Nike and would have preferred that United stayed the course and kept the Swoosh on their kits forever!  I personally am a Nike guy, always have been and always will be.  Now that doesn’t mean I won’t be purchasing the new Adidas kits, because at the end of the day Manchester United will always be my club and I will always support them and purchase the new kit every single year no matter what companies logo adorns it.  Quite honestly, I’m more surprised with Nike than anybody else in this situation.  From Manchester United’s point of view, the offer was simply too great to pass up.  However Nike in the span of this summer, has lost not only Manchester United, but Juventus FC also chose Adidas while Celtic FC decided to have their new kits produced by New Balance.  That is 3 of the biggest clubs in world football that Nike has seen walk away from them in the past year!  After the huge grudge match at last summer’s World Cup in Brazil between Nike and Adidas to try and prove who was the elite apparel power in world football, I am still amazed that Nike would let 3 clubs with that much power and marketing and fandom worldwide, to just walk away.  And the two biggest, United and Juventus, to their chief rival!  The way it looks now, Nike has Barcelona, and then who?  I guess Manchester City and Paris St. Germain still will don the swoosh but Nike will be the first to admit, neither of those clubs sell anywhere near the amount of kits, nor have anywhere near the amount of fans globally that both Manchester United and Juventus do.  Not only did Nike lose their kit sponsorship with United, they lost the Megastore at Old Trafford, which Nike owned and operated, and licensing for all apparel other than that made specifically by the club itself.  I always felt that because of the lackluster campaign under David Moyes and not having European football this past season at Old Trafford was one of the main reasons why Nike made the decision they did.  But what a difference a year makes, and with Louis Van Gaal at the helm, United is back in Champions League and prepared to splash that Adidas cash this summer in order to contend for silverware next season. 

     I think Nike realize this and realize they may have made a mistake with this decision, and that’s probably what lead to them demanding United take and wear their Nike kits on their Summer Tour of the United States in July.  Technically the contract with Nike doesn’t end until July 31^st, so every match on the summer tour will feature the same Nike kits that the club wore last season.  Adidas won’t fret though, because when the clock strikes midnight on August 1^st, a massive revamp is going to take place at Old Trafford and Carrington.  By the time the players return from the United States, there won’t be any semblance of Nike anywhere to be found other than in pictures from past championships won and celebrations that came before.  Every Nike Swoosh at Old Trafford will be replaced with an Adidas logo and that huge Swoosh in the stands opposite the Stretford End will be the first thing to be removed.  United have a team in place to work around the clock to remove any and all memories of the brand that adorned their kits since 2002.  Crazy to think how different Old Trafford might look, or how the new kits will go over with the fans.  One thing is for sure though, when Manchester United win the Barclays Premier League and UEFA ChampionsLeague in the next couple of years, you better believe that Nike will be wishing they hadn’t given up on the club that had made them so much money over the past 13 years!  With that being said, it’s time for United to bid Nike adieu, moving onwards and upwards while Adidas gets the chance to revel in Manchester United’s newfound glory!

The Saga of David DeGea (Will He Stay Or Will He Go?)

DeGea's match winning save vs. Everton - 2014

David DeGea

     I’m sure many United fans remember that skinny kid from Madrid that Sir Alex Ferguson brought in from Atletico in 2011, and claimed could be the next world class Manchester United goalkeeper.  I was just as skeptical as everybody else and that first season was a rough introduction for DeGea to life, not only in the Premier League, but also to life in England in general.  Hailing from his hometown of Madrid, the rainy days in Manchester had to make home feel like a million miles away.  It’s funny saying that because the one thing Cristiano Ronaldo says he doesn’t miss when he compares life in Manchester to that in Madrid, and that being the consistently rainy days.  But lets get back to that skinny kid who Sir Alex was looking to turn to between the sticks at Old Trafford.  It seems like folklore now but then he was known for his steady diet of tacos daily and for not having the biggest affinity for the weight room.  What he did have to his advantage was the advantage of Eric Steele, one of the best goalkeeping coaches in the world, to work with him every single day, along with the guidance and mentorship of Sir Alex who continued to show faith in the young man that he believed could succeed and ultimately take Manchester United to the next level as a goalkeeper. 

     To say that David DeGea ultimately repaid that faith Sir Alex shown in him would not be a massive understatement.  Even after the retirement of United’s legendary boss, DeGea flourished even further under David Moyes and goalkeeping coach Chris Woods.  In 2013-14 he was voted by his teammates as Manchester United’s Player of the Year for his outstanding play week in week out.  Although it was a very disappointing season for the club overall, there is no doubt that United wouldn’t have been anywhere near 7^th place if not for their outstanding young goalkeeper.  It was midway through that 13-14 season that the Real Madrid rumors began to creep up.  Slowly but surely, when a player begins to shine, no matter what club they play for; they are immediately on Real’s radar.  DeGea continually said that he loves Manchester and was fully committed to the club.

     Due to that disastrous season and 7^th place finish in the Premier League, David Moyes was sacked with 4 games remaining in the season, coincidentally the day after United were beaten away at Goodison Park, where Moyes had managed for the previous 11 seasons.  Out went Moyes, and in came Louis Van Gaal.  Due to the knee injury suffered by Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes, who was in line to back Iker Casillas for Spain at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, DeGea was chosen to replace him on the roster.  His inclusion was definitely well deserved and only raised his profile that much more in Spain. 

     Once the 2014-15 season got under way, it was obvious from the beginning that David DeGea was taking his game to the next level.  His performance at Old Trafford vs. Everton where he made 3 incredible saves in the last 10 minutes to secure all 3 points for United was just the beginning.  The moniker #DaveSaves became infamous on Twitter for United fans across the globe every time DeGea put on another outstanding performance.  However with every outstanding performance, it seemed Iker Casillas would have the exact opposite in Madrid, which only further fueled speculation that Real would make a hard play for DeGea’s services this summer no matter what the transfer fee United was asking.  After all, Manchester United, by dollar amount is the 3^rd wealthiest club but of course Real Madrid is #1 on that same list.  In short, either club can basically afford to buy any player in world football that they want, at any time.  All it takes is an agreement on transfer fees and ultimately the final decision lies with the player.

     The second half of the 2014-15 season saw DeGea have remarkable showing after incredible showing.  Many newspapers in Spain already started reporting that DeGea had agreed on personal terms with Real Madrid months ago and would ultimately make the move back home this coming summer! To his credit, DeGea has remained silent on the matter and has only supported United at every turn.  His enthusiasm after key victories especially once we clinched Champions League next season, which lead many to believe that he would stay.  He was once again voted by his teammates as the 2014-15 Player of the Year, and rightfully so.  Manchester United would not have finished 4^th and qualified for UEFA Champions League next season if not for David DeGea.  In United’s final home match last week against Arsenal, DeGea was subbed off in the second half with an apparent hamstring injury.  He received a rousing ovation and clapped the United fans as he made his way to the tunnel and back to the locker room.  Victor Valdes replaced him for the final half hour of the match with Arsenal, and deputized for DeGea in the season finale away @ Hull City.  DeGea did return from the locker room with the rest of the squad for the traditional lap of honor the players give the fans after every final home game at Old Trafford each season, and yet many United fans were worried that this very well may be the last time we see him in a United shirt. 

     Louis Van Gaal has been very upfront and honest with every question regarding David DeGea and his future.  He has stated that the keeper has been offered a lot of money, (rumors say upwards of $200k per week) but that the decision ultimately lies with DeGea.  Van Gaal has said that United do have a plan in place should DeGea decide he wants to return home and play for Real Madrid.  LVG has also said that DeGea will need to make a decision soon so that United can proceed with their plans for the summer and the immediate future in goal.  Personally, I have no problem with Victor Valdes being our #1 keeper next season but obviously I’d love to see DeGea buck the trend and show his loyalty to Manchester United who took a chance on him back in 2011.  I can understand the allure and draw of having the opportunity to return home to play for the biggest football club in the world in Real Madrid.  However, it is well known how Madridistas treat their players if they aren’t playing up to their expectations, and Gareth Bale and Iker Casillas are perfect examples of that this season.  Should he choose to stay, he will become a legend at Manchester United, and for the rest of his life his name will be sung with gusto by fans everywhere.  However should he make the other decision to leave, many if not most United fans will understand the decision and will thank him for his time and service to the club.  It obviously won’t be on par with that of Ronaldo, who still has his chant sang to this very day, but Manchester United fans will always remember what he did for our club!

     I personally am up in the air right now about what I think he may do.  He has kept everything so close to the vest that he hasn’t really given any indication either way which way he is leaning.  With 1 year left on his deal, I believe Ed Woodward and Louis Van Gaal will set a date by which he must sign an extension or they will begin negotiations with Real Madrid regarding transfer fees.  There is no way that United will allow their most prized asset to walk on a free transfer next summer.  That simply won’t happen.  Recently in the past few weeks as the Barclays Premier League was winding down, I began using the #PrayDaveStays as well as #DaveSaves.  I personally feel like locking in DeGea to a long-term deal would be the best piece of transfer business they could do this summer.  I’ve also grown a bit tired of us being a feeder club to Real Madrid (Van Nistelrooy, Beckham, Ronaldo, etc) and United only receiving one player, Angel DiMaria in return!  Obviously we know it’s going to be a very busy summer in the transfer market and Van Gaal has again been given unlimited funds to go out and make his squad better!  However the key component of every great United squad we have had, the Champions League winning squads, always started from the back, with outstanding goalkeepers (Schmeichel/VanDerSar, and a solid defensive back line.  If Manchester United wants to return to both English and European championship glory, then we need David DeGea in goal to lead the way!  It doesn’t get much more simple than that.  Just like I’ve been saying for the past couple months, #PrayDaveStays!