José Mourinho paired £75m Romelu Lukaku with Marcus Rashford and it paid dividends with goals and a sense the forwards already understand each otherThis was a Romelu Lukaku-Marcus Rashford show that José Mourinho and Manchester United will hope can run and run. The Belgian’s double put United in pole position – before late strikes from Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba – and Rashford again proved he can be the X-factor the manager desperately requires if he is to lead United to a 21st championship. By the hour here Mourinho’s side were stroking the ball around and through West Ham in an impressive fashion witnessed only sporadically last season.Rashford played a key part in one sequence that closed with an offside...
Introduction of the Belgian almost rescued the Super Cup for Manchester United and showed why José Mourinho rates him so highlyFor a footballer who suffers a near-constant dose of over-the-top criticism, look no further than Marouane Fellaini. For a man who handles this with dignity and a disarming sense of self-deprecation, again take note of the Belgium midfielder.Yet he is also, despite the naysayers, a very effective player. When José Mourinho wanted to wrest control of the Uefa Super Cup final away from Real Madrid at Skopje’s Philip II Stadium on Tuesday night, it was to Fellaini whom the manager turned. Related: Zlatan Ibrahimovic working hard to secure Manchester United return Thank you to everyone who posted & sent me...
José Mourinho has spent lavishly again this summer to create a big, powerful side equipped for the title race – yet Manchester United must buy againGuardian writers’ predicted position 3rd (NB: this is not necessarily Jamie Jackson’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)Last season’s position 6th Related: José Mourinho says Manchester United’s Nemanja Matic is a ‘genius’ after debut Related: Lindelof’s struggles, Pogba’s leadership: Manchester United tour talking points Continue reading...
United and City expect far better for Manchester than last season while Premier League champions Chelsea hoped Morata’s goals could retain their crownAfter Antonio Conte led Chelsea to their fifth Premier League crown in his first campaign, Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho embark on a defining 2017-18 season. Defining because the pair were granted a free pass last term. However, Conte’s feat casts a harsh light on how poorly Guardiola and Mourinho performed. Guardiola guided City to an unconvincing third and Mourinho took United to a lowly sixth. As the positions suggest, neither manager was able to mount a serious tilt at the title and thus their respective employers have to find excuses for them and succour from elsewhere. Related:...
American fans flock to the International Champions Cup but there is concern that while enriching top European clubs it may not be helping the US domestic gameOn Saturday night a sellout crowd of 66,014 spectators footed between $240 (£183) and $3,500 (£2,665) to watch a pre-season friendly between Real Madrid and Barcelona at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, the pièce de résistance of the two-week summer exhibition tour featuring high-profile European clubs known as the International Champions Cup. The rights holder ESPN delivered the type of blanket coverage more typical of a Super Bowl or World Cup final, committing no fewer than 25 on-air personalities to south Florida and broadcasting live on location throughout the week.This is to say nothing of...