Manchester United must move quickly to appoint a new manager and give him maximum time to operate in what will be a critical transfer window for the club.
A season of abject failure under David Moyes brought a swift end to the former Everton manager’s reign at Old Trafford and United will have to act equally decisively to install the right man to try to revive their fortunes.
Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal is the favorite, and he has the necessary experience and record of success.
Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund’s Juergen Klopp have also been linked with the job, although the German appeared to rule himself out of contention on Tuesday.
However, bringing in at least four top-quality internationals and moving out several aging players and serial under-performers will not be an easy task.
The United defense needs a complete overhaul.
Centerbacks Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic were key players in United’s success under Sir Alex Ferguson, but Vidic is joining Italy’s Inter and Ferdinand, 35, is also long past his sell-by date.
French leftback Patrice Evra has given sterling service in eight years at the club, but he too should be allowed to leave, along with firebrand Brazilian rightback Rafael, a talented attacking player, but a defensive liability.
Then there is the midfield, for so long a major strength of United sides under Ferguson with the likes of Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs contributing so much in their contrasting styles.
Moyes had to rely on the experienced, but one-paced Michael Carrick as his central linchpin, while the acquisition of the skilful and creative Juan Mata failed to address United’s glaring issue in the center of the pitch — a lack of speed.
Darren Fletcher is a disciplined player and a solid shielder of the defense, but his lack of creativity will always be exposed at the highest level, while Tom Cleverley has failed to show the necessary quality.
The signing of Marouane Fellaini from Moyes’ former club Everton, a panic buy for £27 million (US$45 million) at the end of the pre-season transfer window, will go down in history as a microcosm of the manager’s doomed stay at the club.
The lanky long-haired midfielder has looked like a fish out of water at United, failing to score a goal and frequently lumbering ineffectively around the center of the pitch.
He must also be moved on along with Japanese playmaker Shinji Kagawa, who has had limited opportunities to prove his worth, but looks too similar to Mata to be accommodated in the same team.
Moyes rarely played with two wingers, a cornerstone of Ferguson’s success, but the emergence of 19-year-old Adnan Januzaj was a beacon of hope in a depressing season.
The highly inconsistent Ashley Young and Nani must also be moved on, though pacy and disciplined right winger Antonio Valencia may have a future at Old Trafford.
Perhaps Moyes’ best achievement at United was persuading England striker Wayne Rooney to stay and his form has been consistently good in a difficult season.
The same cannot be said of Robin van Persie, whose 26 league goals fired United to the title 12 months ago in Ferguson’s last season in charge.
The Dutch striker has been a peripheral figure under Moyes, plagued by the injuries which afflicted him at former club Arsenal and clearly unhappy at playing in a losing team.
England forward Danny Welbeck has shown flashes of his ability, but the Manchester-born 23-year-old hinted last week that he was unhappy at Old Trafford and he could also leave.
One plus has been the reliability of young Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea and he will stay at United, a player along with Rooney, Januzaj, Mata and young defenders Phil Jones and Jonny Evans for the new manager to build a team around.
United have been linked with some of the best players in the world.
Bayern Munich’s German midfielder Toni Kroos, Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani and young Southampton leftback Luke Shaw are reportedly on the club’s radar.
All fit the bill in terms of the quality United need, but the new manager will face fierce competition to secure their signatures and will not be able to offer them UEFA Champions League soccer next season.
There are tough times ahead for Manchester United. They must choose the right manager to negotiate them.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was