Jose Mourinho Blames Former Manchester United Boss for His Team Losing Streak

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho reportedly blames Louis van Gaal for the current three-game losing streak. Mourinho believes he is still dealing with the fall-out of Van Gaal’s regime and the Mirror claim he is still in the midst of retraining his players after two years under the Dutchman.

United have lost three games in a row, something that has not happened to Mourinho for 14 years, and the Portuguese has reportedly told friends his predecessor is still causing issues at the club

Mourinho thinks his current crop of players have been damaged by the stifling nature of Van Gaal’s playing style and he needs more time to teach his team to think for themselves and express themselves on the pitch.

Chelsea Tried to Sign Me in Record Transfer Bid - Alvaro Morata

Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata has revealed that Chelsea failed in their summer move that would have made him the most expensive Spanish player of all time. The 23-year-old was re-signed by Madrid from Juventus this summer after the Spanish club activated his £24 million buyback clause.

But Chelsea remained keen on Morata and, according to Sport Bild, were ready to pay £60 million in order to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

‘Chelsea showed the most interest,’ the striker told Sport Bild.

Lucas Perez Uses His Left Foot Too Much for My Liking - Arsene Wenger Laments

Arsene Wenger admits new Arsenal signing Lucas Perez is too reliant on his left foot. The 28-year-old joined the Gunners in a £17 million deal from Deportivo La Coruna this summer and opened his account for the club by scoring twice in Tuesday’s 4-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.

But the Arsenal manager admits the Spaniard’s reluctance to use his right foot during games needs addressing.

He did well. He’s quick, he’s determined,’ said Wenger.

For 14 Years Chelsea DO Something They Hadn't Done in any Match

Chelsea’s remarkable comeback against Leicester City in the EFL Cup last night marked their first win from two goals down for 14 years. Incredibly, the Blues have not managed to claim victory from a two-goal deficit since a 3-2 win over Charlton Athletic in 2002, when current Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri was still their manager.

In fairness to Chelsea, they didn’t lose or concede that many goals too often in the early Jose Mourinho era, and have generally had one of the most reliable back-lines in the country for the best part of a decade.

Still, Antonio Conte won’t mind shipping two on this occasion, with his side showing tremendous spirit after the setback of losing at home to Liverpool last Friday.

Belgium and Chelsea Goal Keeper Thibaut Coutrois Admits He’s Going Back to Spain

Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has again aired his desire to return to Spain and hinted he could do so as early as 2018. The 24-year-old spent three highly successful years on loan at Atletico Madrid from Chelsea before returning to the west London club, where he quickly established himself as the club’s undisputed No.1.

Despite having successfully ousted Petr Cech, who moved to Arsenal in the summer of 2015, Courtois has regularly spoken of his desire to return to Spain and has previously sent out a number of conflicting messages about his Chelsea future.

Speaking to Marca, the Belgium international revealed he would assess his options when his current contract expires in 2018, and the fact he considers himself half Spanish could ultimately influence his next move.

 

‘When I said goodbye [to Atletico] I had a bad time. I had cold blood, it was not easy. I cried,’ he admitted.

Is Paul Pogba Manchester United’s Messiah or Another Waste of Money Like Juan Sebastian Veron?

We’re only five games into the new Premier League campaign but for some that’s more than enough time to ascertain that the Premier League title race is destined to involve one solitary horse and that the most expensive signing in the history of the game was a total waste of money.
 

Can anything that costs €100 million ever be considered value for money? Paul Pogba was always going to be up against it from the moment Ed Woodward and Jose Mourinho sanctioned the purchase of the France international for a world record fee.

True, Pogba’s early performances have hinted that United might have another Juan Sebastian Veron scenario on their hands – class player, wrong league, wrong system – but it is far too early to be writing the 23-year-old off.

Costa is a Passionate Footballer Though People Think He's Arrogant - Chelsea Manager Defends Costa

The Blues travel to Vicarage Road looking to maintain the feel-good factor brought about by Monday’s win over West Ham United, when Diego Costa’s 89th-minute goal proved decisive. Conte is pleased with the striker and, in particular, his desire to win every time he steps on to the pitch.

Speaking to the media at Cobham ahead of the game, Conte said he anticipates a tough test. Diego Costa who scored the winner on Monday, Diego Costa was heavily involved throughout and enjoyed a fine game and his manager was full of praise for the villain costa's passions for victory

We must Play Dangerous Watford with the Right Intensity, Right Concentration and be very Focused - Said Chelsea Manager, Antonio Conte

Antonio Conte believes our first away game of the season, away at Watford tomorrow, provides his players with the perfect opportunity to build our confidence early on in the campaign. The Blues travel to Vicarage Road looking to maintain the feel-good factor brought about by Monday’s win over West Ham United, when Diego Costa’s 89th-minute goal proved decisive.

Speaking to the media at Cobham ahead of the game, Conte said he anticipates a tough test.

£40 Million on a Defender! - Could Arsene Wenger Make a £40 Million Signing Despite His Defence Injury Woes?

If as a Premier League manager of growing desperation you are searching for a central defender, perhaps there are worse places to look than Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone’s club had a defensive record to rival any club in Europe last season, with Diego Godin a rock alongside Jose Gimenez in an all-Uruguayan partnership. So in a way, it is no surprise that according to the Daily Mail, Wenger is pursuing Gimenez, the 21-year-old Uruguay international.

New-look Juventus Face Tricky First Test in Title Defence

After a busy close season in the transfer market, Juventus kick off their bid for a record sixth consecutive Serie A title on Saturday by entertaining Fiorentina. The visit of Paulo Sousa's squad, fifth last season, will provide a tricky first examination for a Juve side that has seen change aplenty in the close season.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri let talismanic midfielder Paul Pogba depart for Manchester United in a record 105m euros ($118m) to fund a broader strengthening of a squad seeking to conquer Europe after five years of domestic domination.

New faces include striker Gonzalo Higuain, prised away from Napoli after his 36-goal 2015-16 campaign, former Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic, Brazilian wing-back Dani Alves and Mehdi Benatia, the Morocco defender who has joined on loan from Bayern Munich.

Liverpool, Crystal Palace Finally Agree Transfer Fee for Benteke

Christian Benteke is finally headed for the exit door at Anfield after his current employers agreed a $35-million transfer fee with Crystal Palace on Thursday, according to every operational news outlet in the UK. Despite being ill-fitting to Klopp’s system for the majority of the season, Benteke still managed to score 9 goals in 29 league appearances in his only season at Anfield (for $50 million last August). 

Champions League Rule Changes could See Automatic Qualification for Four Premier League Clubs Every Season

The Champions League is reportedly set to be reformed from the 2018/19 season onwards, with changes to qualification rules for the top four leagues in Europe. Under a proposed new qualification format, the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga could all be guaranteed four clubs qualifying automatically every season. 

However, one new feature of the rule is that while the top three teams in each domestic league would earn a place in the group stage, the fourth would be decided on something described as ‘historical merit’, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

It’s not yet clear what the specifics of this will mean, but the aim is to keep in giants of the game such as Manchester United, Liverpool and AC Milan, all of whom have been in and out of the competition in recent years due to poor showings in the league.

Swansea Complete Record £15.5m Transfer of Striker Borja Baston from Atletico Madrid

Swansea City have broken their transfer record signing Spanish striker Borja Baston on a four-year-deal in a £15m move from Atletico Madrid. The 23-year-old, who scored 18 La Liga goals on loan at Eibar last season, could play in Swansea's Premier League opener at Burnley on Saturday. Borja, who will wear Swansea's number 10 shirt, breaks the £12m fee the Swans paid for Wilfried Bony in 2013.

Video: Watch Barcelona’s Lionel Messi Provideing Glorious Assist for Luis Suarez Goal

Lionel Messi just keeps on finding new ways to be brilliant, and he’s now setting up goals for his team-mates with overhead kicks. That’s right, the Barcelona superstar will stop at nothing to provide a route to goal, and somehow managed to pick out Luis Suarez without even looking at him.

Just watch above as Messi floats into space before providing this impossible-looking pass, which he executes to perfection despite flinging himself backwards.

Chelsea Drop Major Hint They’re Set to Sign Another Striker by Sending Bertrand Traore on Loan

Chelsea have dropped the biggest hint yet that they expect to sign another striker this summer by allowing highly-rated Bertrand Traore to join Ajax on a season-long loan. Michy Batshuayi completed a £33.1million move to Stamford Bridge in July but doubts remain over the futures of Loic Remy and Diego Costa.

Traore, 20, was expected to stay in west London this season to stake his claim for a first-team spot. The youngster scored four goals in 20 appearances last season and is well thought of within the club.