Mark Ogden – Page 5 – Football Scout

Premier League’s best of the rest: Will Man United struggle again to finish in top four?

Craig Burley feels Liverpool strengthened in all the right areas this summer after being critical of Arsenal’s David Luiz and Dani Ceballos.

Three games into the 2019-20 Premier League season and the top of the table already looks ominously familiar, with Liverpool and Manchester City having claimed the top two spots. Meanwhile, the chasing pack have all stumbled during the opening three weeks and done little to suggest that they can challenge European champions Liverpool or back-to-back Premier League winners City for the title.

So are the best of the rest simply fighting to finish third and fourth? Or is the battle now more about…

Bolton face Tuesday deadline to avoid liquidation

Bolton Wanderers have a deadline of 5 p.m. on Tuesday to resurrect a takeover deal, or their membership in the EFL will be revoked and the club will face liquidation by the end of the week.
Bolton Wanderers, relegated from the Premier League in 2012, face expulsion from the English Football League and liquidation by the end of this week, following the collapse of a proposed takeover of the League One club.
In a statement issued by the club’s administrator on Monday, it emerged that the EFL have given Bolton a deadline of 5 p.m. (12 p.m. ET) on Tuesday to resurrect a takeover deal, or their membership in the Football League will be revoked.
Talks between Bolton owner Ken Anderson and…

Sources: Man Utd face £12m Sanchez wages bill

Gab Marcotti rates the likelihood that Inter Milan and Man United are able to agree a deal on Alexis Sanchez before the end of the transfer window.

Paul Pogba missed a crucial penalty in the second half as Manchester United settled for a 1-1 draw on the road against Wolves.

The FC panel assess Manchester United’s start to the season and debate if there’s more to be optimistic or pessimistic about after two games.
Manchester United are facing a £12 million bill for Alexis Sanchez’s wages this season, sources have told ESPN FC, even if the forward completes a loan move to Inter Milan before next week’s European transfer deadline.
United and Inter remain in talks over a season-long loan deal for the 30-year-old, who has scored five goals in 45 appearances since completing a free transfer move from Arsenal to Old Trafford in January 2018.
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Christian Eriksen wants to leave Tottenham, but is he better off staying put?

Christian Eriksen was poor by his usually high standards during Tottenham’s 2-2 draw at Manchester City on Saturday. The Danish midfielder struggled to get into the game — though, in his defence, it is a challenge for even the very best to make an impact as a visiting player at the Etihad — and when he did have the opportunity to create or make a difference, he made a mess of it.
TRANSFERS

Transfer grades: Rating every major signing from Europe

Why did Prem teams spend less this window?

Why were Chelsea given a transfer ban?

There was one instance, late in the second half, when Harry Kane peeled off his marker to run into space on the right…

Man United’s penalty incident illustrates club’s lack of leadership on the pitch and in the dugout

Paul Pogba missed a crucial penalty in the second half as Manchester United settled for a 1-1 draw on the road against Wolves.

Following Paul Pogba’s penalty miss against Wolves, the FC crew share their thoughts on who should take the spot kicks for Manchester United.

The FC panel assess Manchester United’s start to the season and debate if there’s more to be optimistic or pessimistic about after two games.

WOLVERHAMPTON, England — Manchester United are making progress under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. They are fitter, younger and seemingly hungrier than in recent seasons, but it took only a missed penalty by Paul Pogba — another missed penalty by Paul Pogba — to highlight just how far this team must go before being anywhere close to being ready to challenge for honours again.

On the face of it, a 1-1 draw against Wolves at Molineux after losing 2-1 here in the Premier League and FA Cup last season…

Why a Man City win over Spurs could quash the Premier League title race before it starts

Peter Crouch addresses the dominance of Manchester City and Liverpool in the English Premier League title race.
The Premier League season is just 90 minutes old for each of the top flight’s 20 clubs. Hopes and dreams remain alive for all of them, regardless of any defeats on the opening weekend, but the cold, harsh reality is that Matchday 2 could turn out to be a defining moment of the campaign.
Quite simply, if Manchester City beat Tottenham at the Etihad on Saturday evening, the challenge facing the chasing pack in terms of catching Pep Guardiola’s champions will only become much more difficult.
— Transfers:…

UEFA Super Cup can serve as next step in Liverpool’s untraditional route to Premier League glory

The Exploding Heads simulate the UEFA Super Cup of Liverpool vs. Chelsea in FIFA 19 style.
ISTANBUL — Liverpool can win their sixth European trophy this century when they face Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup in Turkey on Wednesday, but another c…

Pulisic must impress quickly at Chelsea to shut down unfair Hazard comparisons

Christian Pulisic will have woken up on Monday morning knowing precisely what awaits him in the Premier League with Chelsea. After a bruising welcome to English football on Sunday as a substitute during Chelsea’s 4-0 defeat at Manchester United, the only positive spin for the United States forward is that the magnitude of his challenge is now crystal clear.

During a 32-minute debut for his new team following his summer arrival from Borussia Dortmund — having spent the last six months of last…

Solskjaer and Man United enjoy another good start, but Lampard’s Chelsea are chastened

Craig Burley likes what he saw from Marcus Rashford and Manchester United’s attack in their 4-0 win over Chelsea at Old Trafford.

Craig Burley’s superlatives for the opening round of the Premier League season include high praise for Man United and scorn for Chelsea and Watford.

Manchester United hit four unanswered goals to spoil Frank Lampard’s first Premier League game as Chelsea boss.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was renowned for finishing well during his playing days, but the Manchester United manager is beginning to develop a reputation for impressive starts.
Solskjaer won his first eight games as caretaker boss last season, following the sacking of Jose Mourinho, and despite supporters’ concerns that United had not done enough in the transfer window to challenge for a top-four finish, saw his team make a rampant start to the new Premier League campaign by inflicting a 4-0 hammering upon…

Premier League 2019-20: Best-case, worst-case scenarios for all 20 teams

The Premier League begins on Friday when Liverpool host Norwich City, the first of 380 matches between now and May 17 next year.
ESPN FC writer Mark Ogden takes a look at the best and worst outcomes each club can expect during their 2019-20 campaigns.

ARSENAL
Last season: fifth place, 70 points

BEST: Forget about a title challenge. Manager Unai Emery’s rebuild at the Emirates is still in its initial stages, but the pressure will be on the Spaniard to get the club back into the Champions League….

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