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Paul Scholes Urges Jose Mourinho To Drop Alexis Sanchez For Future Games

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes believes Jose Mourinho should take the decision to axe Alexis Sanchez from the starting line-up after the Chilean put in a poor showing against Sevilla in the Champions League on Tuesday night. The 29-year-old struggled to find a consistency to his play through the game, and he ultimately cut a frustrated figure as the Red Devils bowed of the elite competition by a 2-1 aggregate scoreline.


Sanchez has come under scrutiny from the pundits in recent weeks, and Scholes did not hold on from his criticism on Tuesday after the attacker dropped another average performance in the United shirt. Scholes also appeared to hint that the likes of Anthony Martial and Juan Mata should earn equal opportunities in the starting line-up and Sanchez should be the one to make way owing to his average form.

Hector Bellerin explains why Alexis Sanchez fell out with Arsenal players

Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin has revealed that Alexis Sanchez’s demanding mentality did not infuse well with some of his teammates. The Chile international was alleged to have had a confrontation with Laurent Koscielny during the backend of last season, and he had a similar case with other players prior to his winter exit.


Speaking for the Oxford Union, Bellerin admitted that the qualities of Sanchez can never be doubted, but his demands from the players on the playing field often created the difference, he said: “Alexis is an amazing player. One of the best in the Premier League for sure but he is a player who always wants to win. He demands from everyone, sometimes it can be too much. The great thing is he wants to win, to give 100 per cent. This season maybe things weren’t going as well for him but I truly believe he was giving 100 per cent.”

Lukaku Needs Rest, but Highly Unlikely to Get Some – Says Jose

Romelu Lukaku made headlines when he signed for Manchester United for a fee of around £ 70 million, which could rise to up to £ 90 million. He also had an excellent start to his career at Old Trafford after managing several goals in his first few matches. Of late, however, the Belgian international has struggled for goals and has only come up with four in the last 19 matches. He was also criticised for his performances in the games against Manchester City. Jose Mourinho has completely defended his player during this course of form, and his latest explanation is that the striker is tired after having been involved in a lot of matches.

Lukaku has played 1800 minutes of action so far in the Premier league. This is in line with most of the goalkeepers in the league, and it tops the list for most of the outfield players in the lineup. While acknowledging the fact that Lukaku has already played in a lot of games, Mourinho has admitted that he cannot afford to rest of the 24-year-old due to the list of important games coming up for the team. United are already finding themselves 15 points adrift of Manchester City and cannot afford to drop any more points if they are to at least think about winning the league title. Further, there is the pressure from the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool behind them.

Romelu Lukaku insists he is not the finished article

Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku has responded to criticism over his recent goalscoring in all competitions. The Belgium international joined the Red Devils from Everton last summer, and he has since cemented a regular spot in the starting line-up.

Lukaku started the campaign in fine fashion with 11 goals in just 10 matches, but the month of October brought no joy as he failed to score in six appearances. Despite his lean streak, Jose Mourinho has recently insisted that the Belgian’s position is ‘untouchable’ and Lukaku has now come forward to answer his critics.

Manchester United could offload Juan Mata to sign Mesut Ozil

Manchester United could reportedly replace Juan Mata with Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil next summer, James Robson has claimed.


The Red Devils have made a strong start to the 2017/18 season, and they are currently tied on points with Manchester City at the top of the table.

Ozil, 28, has less than nine months on his current Arsenal deal, and recent reports have suggested that he could prefer a move to the Red Devils at the end of the campaign. In response to this, Manchester Evening News reporter Robson has suggested that Jose Mourinho could sacrifice Mata in order to reunite with the Germany international.

He said: “I can’t believe Mourinho actually ever got on with him at Real Madrid, but he was highly thought of. He’s also been very good, but as seasons have gone by, it’s become a thing he’s gone missing. For the majority of his time, he’s been one of the few genuinely world-class players around the Premier League. If he’s free that changes everything. Maybe you could sell Juan Mata. I don’t see how you could have Mata, Mkhitaryan and Ozil in the same team. He’s sold Mata once before so maybe if he got Ozil, he’d sell him again.”

Danny Higginbotham: Manchester United made a mistake to sell Michael Keane and Jonny Evans

Former Manchester United graduate Danny Higginbotham feels Manchester United made a mistake selling the likes of Michael Keane and Jonny Evans during Louis van Gaal’s reign at Old Trafford.


The Dutchman was responsible for overseeing a transition at the Mancunian giants, and this saw the likes of Keane, Evans, Robin van Persie, Angel di Maria, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck shown the exit door.

Whilst United are currently in a good stead under Jose Mourinho, Higginbotham believes United were wrong to offload Keane and Evans as they could have evolved into instrumental players for the club. Keane never got his chance to impress under Van Gaal, and he was loaned out to Burnley in September 2014, before sealing his permanent move a couple of months later.

The England international has since moved on to Everton for around £30m, and he looks set to play a pivotal role in their progress under Ronald Koeman. Meanwhile, Evans was offloaded to Tony Pulis’ West Bromwich Albion back in the summer of 2015, and he has since been identified as one of the most consistent centre-backs in the division.

Jose Mourinho dismisses Marouane Fellaini exit talk

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has dismissed suggestions that Galatasaray are close to signing Marouane Fellaini this summer.


The Special One insists that the Belgium international is ‘too important’ for his squad after the 29-year-old found the scoresheet in the 3-0 friendly win over Valerenga on Sunday.

Galatasaray sporting director CenkUrgun recently told the press that the club would be pushing through a deal for Fellaini with the midfield enforcer heading through the Old Trafford exit door, he said: “There will be surprises, we are in talks with Fellaini. We have made an approach, we are close and if we get Fellaini we will end our pursuit of N’Diaye. We need a player like Fellaini who can shuttle around in midfield.”

However, following the Valerenga game, Mourinho has maintained his stance that Fellaini is not for sale while insisting the Turkish giants have a better chance of signing him than the Belgian in terms of probability, he said: “It’s easier for Galatasaray to get me than Marouane. If they need a manager, they have a chance, but Marouane? Forget it. He is too important to me.”

Man Utd Boss Delivers Injury Update of Trio

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed that defensive trio Luke Shaw, Ashley Young and Marcus Rojo will miss the start of the new campaign.


In spite of their respective injuries, Mourinho has allowed the players board the plane to the United States, where they have been cheering for their teammates in pre-season games.

The Red Devils have won all three of their pre-season games in convincing fashion including the 2-0 victory over rivals Manchester City on Wednesday, but Mourinho is still eager to add at least one signing to his ranks with the midfield, in particular, in need of strengthening ahead of the 2017/18 season.

Prior to United’s pre-season game against Real Madrid, Mourinho delivered an injury update on his players, where he clarified that Shaw, Young and Rojo would all miss the start of the Premier League season next month. Out of the three, however, Shaw could be the earliest to return to first-team action while Rojo could be the lengthier absentee as he continues to recover from a serious knee injury.

Ed Woodward was in-charge of signing Romelu Lukaku – Jose Mourinho

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has insisted that he was not directly involved in a deal which saw Romelu Lukaku arrive at Old Trafford this summer.


The Belgium footballer was officially signed earlier in the week after United paid up an initial £75m to pursue his services from Everton.

Lukaku bagged 25 goals in the English top-flight last season, and he would have been named the Golden Boot winner, had Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane not come with a flurry of goals in the final weeks of the campaign.

A reunion between Lukaku and Mourinho had looked far-fetched for the past couple of months, but the Red Devils managed to find a breakthrough in negotiations after executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward sealed the deal with the Merseyside outfit.

“The reason why he was so important and difficult to get is what he did in the Premier League because obviously there are other good strikers in football but the Premier League is a very specific habitat, a different habitat, normally they need some time to adapt and Lukaku plays in Premier League for the last four or five seasons,” Mourinho told reporters.

Manchester United could be setback by £50m to sign Eric Dier

Manchester United will have to cough up a sum of around £50m if they are to pursue the signature of Tottenham Hotspur ace Eric Dier this summer.


The England international has integrated well into the Spurs’ squad, which has come close to lifting the Premier League title in recent seasons. Despite the progress, Dier is not entirely satisfied with his stay in north London as he has been often deployed in the backline rather than his preferred central midfield position.

As a result, speculation over his future has intensified in recent weeks with Manchester United emerging as potential contenders to secure his signature this summer, The Telegraph reports. Jose Mourinho is eyeing a long-term successor to Michael Carrick, and the England international has been earmarked at the perfect fit for the role owing to his age and experience. Carrick, 35, is likely to be limited with his first-team opportunities next season, and his successor will get the chance to cement himself as a regular at the centre of the park.