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Vardy ´substantially fined´ by Leicester for alleged racist insult
13 August 2015 19:30
Leicester City have "substantially fined" striker Jamie Vardy after he was alleged to have aimed a racial slur at another man.
A video obtained by The Sun on Sunday shows the 28-year-old repeatedly abusing a fellow punter in a casino in the early hours of July 26.
England international Vardy subsequently apologised for what he called "a regrettable error in judgement".
Claudio Ranieri revealed on Thursday that Vardy would not be fined and Leicester later released a statement confirming the striker's punishment.
"Leicester City Football Club has concluded its investigation into claims made against Jamie Vardy in the national media last weekend," it read.
"Having established a full account of the incident in question and taken into consideration Jamie's prompt apology, the club has issued the player with a substantial fine and prescribed a programme of diversity awareness training.
"Jamie has been reminded of his responsibilities to the club, his profession and the Leicester community. The fine will be donated to local charities.
"The club will make no further comment on the matter, which it now deems to be closed."
Aguero: I won't take risks to be fit for Chelsea game
By Peter Thompson
Aug 13, 2015 15:55:18
The Manchester City striker is unwilling to jeopardise his long-term fitness by pushing to face the Premier League champions before he is ready, with their encounter due for Sunday
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero is unwilling to take any risks in his race to be fit to face Chelsea on Sunday.
The prolific Argentine came on as a second-half substitute in a 3-0 victory against West Brom on Monday, his side's first game of the new Premier League season, having returned late to pre-season training as a result of his participation in the Copa America over the summer.
Still needing time to recapture full match fitness, Aguero says that he may continue to play only as an impact substitute against Jose Mourinho's reigning champions.
"Whether I start or not remains to be seen," the former Atletico Madrid forward told City's official website.
"I'm trying to get there and be in top condition but arriving for pre-season later, having taken part in the Copa America with Argentina, means I need some additional time.
"With the whole season in mind, what matters the most is that I get in top form and don't take any risks."
Chelsea finished eight points clear of second-placed City last season but Aguero expects a more dramatic title race this time around.
"One thing you can say about the Premier League is that, every year, it gets better," he added. "Once again, many teams have made very important additions and that means there's no single rival for us this season.
"It'd be very naive to think that Chelsea will be the only team competing for the top position - there will be many of us and each one will challenge in their own style.
"We'll stay hungry for glory, we'll do our jobs, we'll win all we possibly can and see where that takes us."
Swansea performance 'overshadowed' by Chelsea doctor saga - Monk
By Jack Davies
Aug 13, 2015 16:50:23
The Swans boss is disappointed that Jose Mourinho's row with his medical staff has shifted the focus away from his side's positive performance to draw with the reigning champions
Swansea City manager Garry Monk believes that his side's performance in a 2-2 draw at Chelsea on Saturday has been "overshadowed" by the furore surrounding the Premier League champions' medical staff.
The Welsh club battled to a well-deserved point at Stamford Bridge, with Bafetimbi Gomis clinching the draw from the penalty spot after being brought down in the box by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who was sent off.
However, headlines have since been dominated by Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho's reaction to the actions of his medical staff, with team doctor Eva Carneiro set for a reduced role at the club after rushing to the aid of Eden Hazard on the referee's instruction, against the wishes of the Portuguese.
"For any club, what they do internally is up them," Monk told reproters. "It's not my concern. It's a manager's prerogative who he has on the bench.
"How it's handled is for others to judge. The disappointing part of it is it's what the national press have decided to focus on and not the performance my players put on. It's been overshadowed.
"The focus has been on the wrong thing. It's natural the top teams are expected to win and, when it doesn't happen, people tend to focus on the wrong thing rather than why the opposition did well.
"It's my job to stick up for my players to get the credit they deserve as much as when they deserve criticism. It's one game and we're not getting carried away but when credit's due we should get it."
Van Gaal unmoved on Pedro future, confirms De Gea omission
13 August 2015 16:20
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal refuses to be drawn on speculation surrounding Pedro's future, while he has also confirmed David de Gea's continued omission.
Barcelona forward Pedro looks set to depart Camp Nou after sporting director Robert Fernandez confirmed this week that the 27-year-old wanted to leave.
United have been heavily linked with his signature over the close-season, but Van Gaal remained unmoved at Thursday's news conference.
The Dutchman also said goalkeeper Sergio Romero will keep his place for Friday's Premier League match against Aston Villa ahead of De Gea, with the latter seemingly on his way to Real Madrid.
Van Gaal stated prior to United's opener against Tottenham that the Spain international was not in the right frame of mind to play.
"It is the same situation," Van Gaal said of De Gea's absence, before turning to the Pedro speculation.
"The striker is [Wayne] Rooney and the second striker is Chicharito [Javier Hernandez] and he knows that.
"That is always our aim, to improve [the squad], and when it is possile we will.
"I have said more than once that we will only buy when we think it is a contribution to the selection."
Former Barca boss Van Gaal was heavily critcised by the club's former striker Hristo Stoichkov in the Spanish media this week.
The outspoken Bulgarian described Van Gaal as "mediocre" and accused him of destroying squads, having fallen out with the 64-year-old during their time at Camp Nou.
"I always want to consider who is saying such things, then I know already why they say it," Van Gaal added.
"It is not bothering me because I have, as a manager, to decide a lot of things and Stoichkov is one of those I sent away, thats why he's doing that.
"They can comment but it is not always the truth they have commented and that's always [the case] in this world – especially in football.
"I am used to that because when you hear [former Bayern Munich striker Luca] Toni from Italy, he says the same things.
"There are more players who speak highly of me than players who are saying things like Stoichkov or Toni."
Roberto Soldado is nearing his departure from Tottenham and a return to Spain, according to the club's head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
On Thursday, photos emerged on Twitter of Soldado at Gatwick Airport, reportedly telling fans he was flying out to agree terms with Villarreal.
Soldado's team-mate Erik Lamela then took to Twitter to say farewell, before swiftly deleting the posts.
And in a press conference on Thursday, Pochettino said no deal had yet been finalised, but confirmed the striker had been allowed to go and further his negotiations.
"He has been given permission to travel to Spain and the club will announce whether anything will happen or not," Pochettino said.
Since arriving from Valencia, Soldado has struggled at White Hart Lane, scoring just seven Premier League goals in 52 appearances - four of which came from the penalty spot.
Watford v West Brom: Flores backs new signings to flourish
13 August 2015 19:17
An opening-day draw at Everton has given Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores plenty of cause for optimism ahead of Saturday's Premier League visit of West Brom.
Last season's Championship winners marked their return to the top flight with a creditable draw at Goodison Park – Odion Ighalo continuing his impressive goalscoring from the previous campaign.
Ighalo has scored 17 league goals in 2015 – more than any other player in the top four tiers of English football – ahead of Watford's return to Vicarage Road.
Like their visitors, Watford are seeking to remain active in the transfer market before the window shuts and are set to bring in experienced Italian Alessandro Diamanti.
The Guangzhou Evergrande forward would be the club's 11th close-season signing and offer further competition for the likes of Matej Vydra.
The striker endured a disappointing spell on loan at West Brom in 2013-14 and spoke this week of his desire to prove a point, but Flores warned he may have to wait for a starting berth.
"If a player does not start the season in the team, that does not mean he cannot recover a role within the squad," he said.
"We have to decide on each player's role during the week – sometimes certain players connect a little bit later with the staff and the team. Vydra may have to wait a little bit more.
"I like the players to be happy in the week and then we have to decide on their role depending on their feelings and performance in training.
"But I am very happy with the squad. We have 10 new players, but they have adapted very, very quickly, they try to understand the philosophy of the team and we have the tools to do something good."
West Brom were comfortably beaten by a slick Manchester City side on Monday – the title hopefuls proving a class apart in their 3-0 success.
Manager Tony Pulis accepted responsibility for the loss, admitting he had been too adventurous in his formation.
A lack of match fitness could rule out club-record signing Jose Salomon Rondon, while Gareth McAuley remains a doubt after picking up a calf injury in pre-season.
Pulis is likely to keep faith with the forward pairing of Rickie Lambert and Saido Berahino ahead of the sides' first top-flight meeting since 1985.
The former Liverpool man has scored five goals in his last two appearances against Watford, including a hat-trick for Southampton in the Championship back in February 2012.
Tottenham v Stoke City: Shaqiri set to take centre stage
13 August 2015 19:47
Stoke City head into Saturday's Premier League meeting with Tottenham buoyed by the arrival of record £12million signing Xherdan Shaqiri.
The Switzerland international joined from Inter earlier this week, having been pictured in the stands watching Stoke's 1-0 loss to Liverpool on the opening weekend of the season.
UEFA Champions League winner Shaqiri said on Thursday that he was feeling fully fit and ready to make his bow, while manager Mark Hughes is thrilled at the prospect of seeing the attacker in action.
"We hope that Xherdan can make a huge impact in the Premier League. He has outstanding ability that we will benefit from," said Hughes.
"He's a top player and we now have a host of top-quality players in our squad to change games and create something out of nothing. He certainly fits within that category.
"We are trying to progress and you can only do that by getting the right quality of players in to enhance what we already have. We are hopeful of a good year and to have someone here of Xherdan's undoubted ability is fantastic.
"We have strength in depth, shown last year where we had a really good season despite a number of injuries. I think that we will need that again this year and if that gives me a headache over team selection then that can only be a good thing."
Hughes is hoping for a repeat of Stoke's 2-1 victory at White Hart Lane last term, but feels Spurs were unlucky to go down 1-0 at Manchester United last Saturday.
"Tottenham are a good side and were unfortunate, like ourselves, to not get something out of their game last week," he added.
"We played exceptionally well there last year and deserved our win. If we can replicate that level then hopefully we will do that again."
Hughes continues to be without Bojan Krkic, who is still building up his fitness following a serious knee injury, and captain Ryan Shawcross (back). Peter Odemwingie is also unavailable due to a hamstring strain, while Marko Arnautovic (thigh) and Marc Wilson (knock) are doubts.
For the hosts, head coach Mauricio Pochettino has the luxury of a fully-fit squad to choose from, although Roberto Soldado appears unlikely to be involved after the striker flew to Spain on Thursday, reportedly to discuss a switch to Villarreal.
"I'm happy with Hugo Lloris [wrist] and Alex Pritchard [who had respective wrist and ankle problems]," Pochettino said. "Last week Danny Rose had a little injury, but this week all players are fit.
"This is important for us, a problem for me but a good problem. It's a shame I can only pick 18 players."
Aston Villa v Manchester United: Van Gaal banking on history
12 August 2015 18:59
Far from their fluent best in an opening-day victory over Tottenham, Manchester United will hope history holds enough to see them over the line in Friday's Premier League trip to Aston Villa.
United have an incredible record at Villa Park, where they have not lost to Villa in the league since 1995, winning 12 of their subsequent 19 meetings.
Louis van Gaal is still shaping his squad for the season to come and David de Gea is once again unlikely to feature, with the Dutchman doubting his number one's ability to perform as speculation over a move to Real Madrid rages on.
Sergio Romero performed capably against Spurs at the weekend and is set to continue in goal, while Bastian Schweinsteiger's declaration that he is returning to full fitness this week will give Van Gaal further cause for cheer.
Only the suspended Marouane Fellaini and Phil Jones, out due to a blood clot, are United's definite absentees.
Wayne Rooney will be another anticipating the fixture, having scored more goals -13 - against Villa than any other side in his career, while Pedro's seemingly imminent arrival at Old Trafford from Barcelona could soon lift the goalscoring burden from his shoulders.
Both United and Villa began their campaigns with 1-0 victories as Tim Sherwood spoiled Bournemouth's Premier League bow with a win at Dean Court thanks to a debut goal from Rudy Gestede.
Gestede was one of six Villa debutants in that game and another of them - Micah Richards - is relishing the chance to renew rivalries with United, after spending the best part of a decade at neighbours Manchester City before his pre-season switch to Villa Park.
Richards told Villa's official website: "Obviously playing at City for so long, games against United were the big ones for me.
"You relished facing them for bragging rights in the city. I'm sure it's the same when Villa play Birmingham City - you have to win these matches.
"Now I'm delighted to be at Villa but my affinity to this fixture is still strong. They'll always be special games to me, coming up against United.
"I can't wait for this first one at Villa. I wish the game was right now."
Richards has been on the winning team against United five times in his career - including City's jaw-dropping 6-1 win at Old Trafford in October 2011 - and will be a key player if Villa are to stifle Van Gaal's considerable attacking talents having been deployed at centre-half by Sherwood, who has also made the England man his captain.
Sherwood remains without the services of attacking duo Carles Gil and Jack Grealish, respectively struggling with hamstring and ankle injuries.
Sunderland v Norwich City: Advocaat calls for passionate response
13 August 2015 15:18
Sunderland head coach Dick Advocaat is expecting his players to bounce back strongly against Norwich City after they began their Premier League campaign with a disappointing 4-2 reverse at Leicester City.
Advocaat watched on as Sunderland fell 3-0 behind inside the opening 25 minutes at the King Power Stadium, before second-half goals for Jermain Defoe and Steven Fletcher softened the blow of defeat somewhat.
Nevertheless, the Dutchman was less than impressed with the display and has called on his squad to show the kind of fighting spirit that kept them in the top flight at the end of 2014-15.
"We did not expect that, you can lose but not the way we lost," Advocaat told Sunderland's official website.
"We have to realise that we are a team who has to fight and that was the strength of our team last season. We need the passion and the aggression and all of that was not there.
"They [the players] can see they can still do it and that's what we need. On Saturday we have to show that we want to win.
"We have a beautiful stadium and great fans. I felt sorry for them last Saturday. We have to show that we can do much better.
"Every game is important. First is Norwich and it's important we get a result. There's no reason to panic but as long as everyone realises what went wrong that's the most important thing."
Advocaat will be without Adam Johnson, the winger set to miss at least eight weeks with a shoulder injury, while Jordi Gomez's knee problem and Danny Graham's knock render them doubtful.
New signing Yann M'Vila is available, though, despite the midfielder being sent off while playing for Sunderland's Under-21 side against Norwich last Sunday.
Like Sunderland, Norwich come into Saturday's clash on the back of an opening-day defeat, after their return to the Premier League was soured by a 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace at Carrow Road.
Nathan Redmond came off the bench to halve the deficit in that game, and the England Under-21 international is more than ready for a starting berth should he be selected by boss Alex Neil.
"The gaffer has his reasons in what team he wants to play and essentially as a professional footballer you have to respect that," Redmond said.
"I didn't play 90 minutes in our pre-season because I played three 90s the previous month [for England U-21s]. My last 90 was on the 24th of June. So it's not really been about minutes for me. It's been about maintaining me and making sure I didn't blow up over pre-season.
"Whether I'm starting or on the bench I've got to give my support to the boys and when called upon I've got to be ready."
For the visitors, Kyle Lafferty (knee) and Martin Olsson (shoulder) are both doubts, while Youssouf Mulumbu (foot) is a longer-term absentee.
Swansea City v Newcastle United: We can get better, says Monk
13 August 2015 16:19
Swansea City manager Garry Monk believes his side can continue to improve following their 2-2 draw at champions Chelsea on the opening day of the Premier League season.
Newcastle United are the visitors at the Liberty Stadium this weekend and Monk is not content to sit back and soak up the plaudits following a job well done at Stamford Bridge.
The Welsh club - and winger Jefferson Montero in particular - caused Chelsea all sorts of problems last Saturday, with Bafetimbi Gomis' penalty earning a well-deserved share of the spoils as Jose Mourinho's team ended the match with 10 men.
And Monk is keen to see his players build on that promising performance when Swansea host a club against whom they have picked up more Premier League points than any other (17).
"That's what I wanted [at Chelsea], to go out and set a standard of performance to take into the rest of season and use the confidence in other games," he said.
"I think we achieved that. There's things to work on but there were also things we've worked on that we saw in that game.
"Each week is different and difficult but to reach those standards is what we're aiming for. We defended well against an excellent side but we could use the ball better defensively.
"My job is to be picky and see the small faults and try and improve on them, but also the positives - which outweighed the negatives - and make sure we repeat them."
Newcastle began life under Steve McClaren with a 2-2 draw of their own - at home to Southampton - but are without an away win since January.
That said, Monk is paying little attention to form or Swansea's stellar record against the St James' Park club.
"We just played well in those games [against Newcastle in the past]," he added. "There's no right to win any game and those statistics I don't look at.
"It's a different manager with a different approach and we have to be ready and focused and start well in our first game at home, where we want it to be a fortress."
Ki Sung-yueng faces a race against time to be fit after suffering tightness in his hamstring against Chelsea, while Jordi Amat (foot) is likely to be out for another week.
Newcastle, meanwhile, are missing Remy Cabella (thigh), Paul Dummett (hamstring), Emmanuel Riviere (knee) and Sylvain Marveaux (hernia).
Southampton v Everton: Koeman sees room for improvement
13 August 2015 17:29
Ronald Koeman expects Southampton to cut out the mistakes as he prepares to return to the touchline for Saturday's Premier League encounter with Everton.
Koeman missed the south-coast club's 2-2 draw at Newcastle United last weekend after undergoing ankle surgery, but confirmed he will be at St Mary's Stadium on crutches this weekend.
Southampton needed a Shane Long header 11 minutes from time to salvage a point in their first top-flight game of the season and Koeman saw plenty of room for improvement in that performance and the 2-0 UEFA Europa League win at Vitesse last week.
He said: "I wasn't impressed because I was unhappy about the first half. I think already in the Vitesse match we had too many mistakes, the same in the first half [at Newcastle].
"All the dangers of Newcastle came from faults. The second half the reaction of the players and the physical state in the last 15 minutes was very good because we had the best chances to win the game.
"Starting the season with a draw away against Newcastle isn't a bad result but normally, if we play on our level, we have to win the game."
Southampton eased to a 3-0 home victory over Roberto Martinez's side last season, but were beaten 1-0 at Goodison Park in April and Koeman is expecting an entertaining clash.
"We know the qualities of Everton. We know how they like to play. I think it will be an attractive, open game because they like to play offensive football," he said.
"Maybe they did not have the best result last weekend [a 2-2 draw against Watford] at home to start the season, but they are strong with good individual qualities in the team and it's a difficult one."
Everton have won just once in their last 14 visits to Southampton and Martinez is determined to secure a rare three points on the south coast.
"I think the last two visits to Southampton, they've been really tough games for different reasons and I don't think they've been just football aspects," said the Spaniard
"You feel that things that could go wrong, go wrong. Two years ago we had two own goals very early and then you look into our history and I think in 22 years we've only had two wins.
"Historically, it's a very tough place for us and I think it becomes an extra challenge. We want to embrace that.
"We need to be conscious of the difficulty of the trip and make sure we change the stats that are so much against us."
Southampton could hand a debut to new signing Oriol Romeu following his move from Chelsea this week, but recent recruits Jordy Clasie (ankle) and Steven Caulker (sinus infection) will play no part.
Ryan Bertrand, Fraser Forster and Florin Gardos are also sidelined due to knee injuries.
Everton could welcome back Gerard Deulofeu, Muhamed Besic and Aiden McGeady, while Kevin Mirallas could also feature after suffering a knock against Watford.
England left-back Leighton Baines misses out due to an ankle injury which may require surgery.
West Ham v Leicester City: Bilic relishing ´special´ first home game
13 August 2015 20:04
Slaven Bilic knows "on fire" Leicester City are capable of bringing West Ham back down to earth in his first Premier League home game in charge of the London club.
Bilic could scarcely have hoped for a better start in the top flight as he masterminded a 2-0 derby victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last Sunday.
West Ham had not beaten Arsene Wenger's side for eight years, but goals from Cheikhou Kouyate and Mauro Zarate ended that dismal record on the opening weekend of the season.
Former West Ham defender Bilic had been criticised for fielding an under-strength side against Astra just three days earlier as his side crashed out of the UEFA Europa League at the third qualifying round stage.
Bilic stated that the Premier League is West Ham's priority and the ex-Croatia centre-back is eager to build on such an impressive start when they face a Leicester side that beat Sunderland 4-2 on the opening day.
When asked if it will be a special moment take charge at Upton Park, he said: "Yes, it is a bit special. It's the first home game against Leicester, who had a great first game last week."
He added: "They are on fire, they scored four goals, they just continue to play the way they finished the end of last season. They are very good at pressing, they react well when they win the ball.
"They have a good delivery from both sides and look dangerous from set pieces. You don't have to be sloppy for them to punish you, but if you are then you have absolutely no chance against them.
"We have to be prepared and stop them."
Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri knows he may need to come up with an alternative plan to make it two wins out of two.
The wily Italian said: "It's the first match away so I must think about every solution and then I'll choose the best XI.
"We play away so maybe we can play with three at the back. West Ham made a fantastic result at Arsenal – better than us because who believed that Arsenal could lose the match – nobody.
"They made a fantastic performance, scored twice and got a clean sheet. I watched the match – it was outstanding. I'll try to close the space and try to win the match."
Bilic revealed that striker Diafra Sakho will be in contention despite being arrested and bailed over an alleged domestic assault, but out-of-favour midfielder Morgan Amalfitano will not be considered.
Joey O'Brien (knock), Enner Valencia (knee), Pedro Obiang (muscular) and Andy Carroll (knee) are all ruled out.
Leicester have also had off-field issues to content with after Jamie Vardy apologised and was hit with "substantial fine" following allegations he racially insulted a man in a casino.
The striker, who scored against Sunderland last weekend, is available again, so midfielder Matty James (knee) is the visitors' only absentee.
Van Gaal: Januzaj gave the ball away unnecessarily… he needs to do more!
By Peter Thompson
Aug 14, 2015 23:25:59
The Red Devils boss says the winger must contribute to "all other aspects of football" if he is to add to his first start since February at Aston Villa
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal warned Adnan Januzaj he must offer more despite his match-winning contribution at Aston Villa on Friday.
Van Gaal this week stressed that Januzaj will not leave Old Trafford amid reported interest from Sunderland, before selecting him for his first start since February for the trip to Villa Park.
Januzaj insisted he wants to stay at the club after scoring his first league goal since April 2014, yet his manager says he will only feature for the first team on a regular basis if he contributes more.
"He scored a wonderful goal, but all the other aspects of football you have to show. I'm pleased because with this goal we have won, but there is more than scoring a goal," the former Netherlands coach told Sky Sports.
"There were a lot of unnecessary ball losses [from Januzaj]. Also from Memphis (Depay), a lot of ball losses and that's why there were not a lot of chances."
Van Gaal was delighted to follow up the win over Tottenham on the opening day by securing another three points, but knows his new-look United side are far from being the finished article.
He added: "The start to the season is better than last year, but that is not so difficult. We had one point at this stage and now we have six, so I am very happy.
"There is still a long way to go. You cannot expect it with only four weeks' preparation. You need more matches to come in the form I think we can show."
Januzaj: I want to stay at Man Utd & fight for my place
By Tom Davis
Aug 14, 2015 23:02:59
The 20-year-old, who scored against Aston Villa on his first start for the club since February, dismissed speculation he is set to leave the Red Devils
Manchester United winger Adnan Januzaj insists he wants to stay at Old Trafford and fight for his place in Loius van Gaal's side, despite reports linking him with a move away.
The 20-year-old repaid Van Gaal's faith in selecting him ahead of Ashley Young for their visit to Aston Villa on Friday, scoring the only goal of the game to continue their winning start to the season.
Van Gaal dismissed speculation the player is for sale in his pre-match press conference ahead of the visit to Villa Park, and Januzaj himself has now distanced himself from a move away.
He told Sky Sports News: "I hope to have more games in my legs and hopefully score more goals.
"It was only rumours [linking with a move away]. I'm happy here. I'm going to fight for my place."
Januzaj made only his first start for the club since February at Villa Park as he scored his first Premier League goal since April 2014.
Depay & Rooney falter but Man Utd get the job done... just
Aug 14, 2015 23:00:00
The attacking duo were far from their best, with the Red Devils skipper particularly disappointing, but albeit unconvincing, Louis van Gaal's side still made it two wins from two
By Kris Voakes at Villa Park Six months after he last started for Manchester United, Adnan Januzaj was the hero against Aston Villa on Friday night as a second consecutive 1-0 win took them momentarily to top of the Premier League.
But the nature of United’s football at the moment is nowhere near as convincing as their place at the summit might suggest. A return of just three shots on target in 180 minutes of football will rarely earn a side six points as it has United so far in 2015-16.
Besides Januzaj’s neatly-taken finish from an excellent Juan Mata through-ball there was little else to write home about when it came to United’s play in the final third. While they enjoyed plenty of possession, it rarely looked likely to provide a springboard to a huge win.
Louis van Gaal admitted afterwards that he wasn’t entirely happy, and it is clear to see why.
"When you score more than your opponent, it’s enough. But I think we had too many unnecessary ball losses. That wasn’t just Januzaj but also Depay and Rooney, so we have to improve that," admitted the manager.
There is a clear need for something different in the final third from what United have so far been able to provide in their two 1-0 successes.
Memphis Depay was switched to his more natural left side at Villa Park, with Januzaj getting the nod in the centre as a result. But the Dutchman had a forgettable night, with a kamikaze free-kick attempt and a failure from a one-on-one after a wonderful Mata pass summing up his performance.
Wayne Rooney looked no more potent either. Despite starting as the lone striker, it was his work dropping behind the three attacking midfielders which did him most credit. At no point did he really turn around the Villa defenders and appear ready to cause them serious trouble.
To United’s credit they have so far belied the pre-season talk that they would struggle defensively. Two clean sheets have been fair reward for their work at the back, with Sergio Romero having the most comfortable of times so far in goal after being brought in to replace the unsettled David de Gea.
Daley Blind also excelled against what was expected to be a lively and troubling Villa attack. For a player supposedly playing out of position, he has looked right at home.
Yet the small successes at the back can only cover the attacking issues so much, and the arrival of Pedro Rodriguez can barely come soon enough. There should be pace, flair and guile in this United attack but little of any of those qualities have so far been on display. The Barcelona man should add a different dimension, while Van Gaal would do well to reassess the need for a traditional target man as well.
A win is a win though, and it is far less daunting to be looking to make such changes with six points on the board than with none. United have grown a knack for chiselling out victories despite not playing with the pace and energy that has become their way over a period of many decades.
It is not ‘The United Way’ but it is so far proving to be a winning way nonetheless.
Advocaat: Adam Johnson injury not as bad as first feared
By Peter Hanson
Aug 14, 2015 17:46:33
The Sunderland winger was initially ruled out for over two months with a shoulder injury but his manager is hopeful of having him back in action in "six or seven weeks"
Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat has been boosted by the news that Adam Johnson's shoulder injury is not as bad as first feared.
The England international winger sustained the injury in training earlier in the build-up to the Black Cats' game against Norwich City and Advocaat initially stated that he could miss up to two months of action.
However, the former Manchester City star does not require surgery on the problem and his manager is hopeful that he can return within six weeks.
"It is not as bad as we expected," the Dutchman told reporters. "He'll be out for at least six or seven weeks but, at first, [the medical staff] said at least eight and it could have been worse if he needed an operation.
"It is better than we expected."
Yann M'Vila, signed on a season-long loan from Rubin Kazan earlier in the transfer window, is in line to make his debut after Advocaat confirmed that the midfielder is in his squad to face the Canaries.
The Frenchman was sent off on his first appearance in a Sunderland shirt in an Under-21s game against Norwich earlier this week for headbutting opponent Jamar Loza but the suspension does not apply to the first team.
Pulis: Rondon and Gnabry could make debuts against Watford
By Alex Fisher
Aug 14, 2015 17:01:35
The West Brom manager is open to throwing in his new signings on Saturday, pleased with their work to regain despite a lack of first-team football over recent months
West Brom manager Tony Pulis will assess the fitness of new signings Salomon Rondon and Serge Gnabry on Saturday ahead of his side's Premier League match against Watford.
Rondon completed his switch from Zenit St Petersburg on Monday for a club-record fee but has not featured for Andre Villas Boas's side since mid-July, when he was brought on for eight minutes against Dinamo Moscow.
Gnabry has also had little preparation time at parent club Arsenal but the Baggies boss hopes to have both men available for their trip to Vicarage Road.
"[Rondon has] done very well," Pulis told reporters. "He and Gnabry have spent a lot of time working with the fitness coach.
"But Salomon has showed a great attitude. He's a great lad and we've been impressed with him.
"They have worked hard in the last week or so, the two of them, and I will assess it with the medical team to see if they're ready, if not to start then for the bench."
Riviere undergoes surgery as McClaren eyes new faces
By Peter Thompson
Aug 14, 2015 15:33:28
The Newcastle striker is faring worse in his recovery than team-mates Remy Cabella and Paul Dummett, while the Magpies boss is keen to add to his four summer signings
Emmanuel Riviere has undergone minor knee surgery as Newcastle manager Steve McClaren attempts to bring in more new faces before the transfer window closes at the end of August.
A damaged meniscus has forced the French striker under the knife but McClaren had more positive news of Remy Cabella and Paul Dummett's respective thigh and hamstring injuries.
"Riviere has had a small operation on cartilage. Cabella and Dummett should be back in training on Monday," the Magpies boss told reporters.
Newcastle have brought in Georginio Wijnaldum, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Chancel Mbemba and Ivan Toney during the transfer window but McClaren is eager to conduct more business.
"There's still a long way to go in terms of the squad but we are getting towards what we want to move forward with," he added.
The Tynesiders started their Premier League campaign with a 2-2 draw against Southampton and McClaren expects another stern test against Swansea City on Saturday.
He continued: "Swansea have been the perfect model for lower league clubs - coming up through to establish themselves in the Premier League.
"I'm a big admirer of Swansea's style. Garry Monk has done a fantastic job, coming straight from being a player."
The Manchester City manager has not always got on with his Chelsea counterpart and snubbed him in 2013 but plans to be civil on Sunday, while hoping to have Sergio Aguero fit
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini insists that he harbours no ill feeling towards Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and will shake his rival's hand when they meet on Sunday.
The Premier League champions travel to the Etihad Stadium for the first match between title rivals in the 2015-16 campaign.
Relationships between Pellegrini and Mourinho have been tense at times, with the Chilean refusing to shake his opponent's hand following Chelsea's 2-1 win in October 2013.
However, the City boss has no intention of repeating that, telling reporters: "I have my differences with him but I always shake hands with him."
City hope to have last season's top scorer, Sergio Aguero, available for the game, the Argentine having been limited to a substitute's role in the 3-0 win over West Brom on Monday.
Pellegrini added: "Sergio worked the whole week without any problems.
"Maybe he is not 100 per cent fit because it is better for the player to do a long pre-season but now we are ready in the Premier League and Sergio doesn't have any problems."
The Blues boss confirms that club doctor Eva Carneiro and physio Jon Fearn will not be on the bench against Manchester City but says that disagreements are healthy
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has played down criticism he has received for a row that developed between him and his medical staff in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Swansea City but confirmed that club doctor Eva Carneiro and physio Jon Fearn will not be on the bench for Sunday's Premier League encounter with Manchester City.
The Portuguese labelled the pair "impulsive and naive" and suggested that they did not "understand the game" after they ran onto the pitch in the closing stages of the Swansea game to treat Eden Hazard after a heavy tackle.
Hazard had to leave the field following treatment, forcing the Blues to play the ensuing seconds with just eight outfield players after the earlier dismissal of Thibaut Courtois.
Mourinho then reportedly reduced the first-team responsibilities of Carneiro and Fearn after the Gibraltar-born doctor posted on Facebook thanking the public for all their support in the days following the row.
At a scheduled pre-match press conference on Friday, Mourinho confirmed that Carneiro and Fearn would not be present at the Etihad Stadium but insisted that the disagreement had been healthy.
He told reporters: "I don't want to run away from [the incident]. I accept the question and understand.
"First of all, I want to say I have a fantastic medical department, with top doctors, more than a dozen professionals, a very good relationship with them and, as they tell me all the time, they were never praised so much as in last few years. I praise them lots of times. They don't forget that, I don't.
"We have disagreements during this period [but] we need disagreements to improve. We work together.
"Your question about the bench... for some people it's very important. For others, the most important thing is not what people think you do, it's what you do. The bench is my responsibility. It's my decision.
"Every week I face a decision about the bench. I have seven assistants, only four can go on the bench. We have four kitmen, only one goes on the bench. Medical, only two go to the bench.
"It's important to be on the bench for some; for others it's more important what they do behind the scenes for the good of the team.
"Jon Fearn and Dr Carneiro will not be on the bench but that doesn't mean that Sunday is the rest of our season or the rest of our careers.
"My decision [this weekend] does not mean they won't be on the bench in the future."
Mourinho declined to address accusations of sexism relating to his treatment of Carneiro but reiterated that he has a healthy relationship with Chelsea staff and does not see himself as ruthless.
"The relationships of the majority of those who work with me are open to disagreement, open to criticism," he added. "The game is a very emotional space for every one of us. Football is football and the match is the match. Everything in the match can be different.
"The meeting I had with the medical department told me that the way we are doing things together since two years ago allows us to have this kind of relationship.
"I speak about myself, not about other managers, and I am far from being ruthless. Far, far. I have a fantastic relationship with almost everyone who works with me.
"I am open to mistakes, open to communication, I am open to dialogue and criticism. I make mistakes and as people in my medical staff were saying to me yesterday, 'We work together, we improve together'."
