Skip to main content

Month: September 2016

The Manchester Derby: United Player Ratings

Written by Magnus Henderson on . Posted in Sport.

The hype around big football matches can often be nauseating. Never before has a Manchester Derby been talked up so much, but, to be fair, people had good reason to this time. The clash of Mourinho and Guardiola is always a tasty one, especially given their less than friendly encounters in the El Classicos.

The purchases of Ibrahimović, Pogba and Mkhitaryan add real class to United whereas City’s acquisition of Stones and Bravo added depth to their already immensely talented squad. The players made up the most expensive football match of all time. This, combined with the fact that both teams had won all three of their opening games, was the reason why this Manchester Derby was bigger than most.

These types of games often do not live up to the hype around them, normally due to the in-depth pragmatic tactics adopted by both managers. Fortunately, this was not the case. Both managers went for the win, leading to the most exciting Premier League game of the season so far.

City sprinted out of the blocks while United were still putting their shoes on. The Reds were lucky to only be 2-0 down in the first 35. De Bruyne got on the end of a Guardiola-esque long ball and tucked away the opening goal coolly while an unfortunate rebound allowed Iheanacho to tap in for a second. A handling error from debutant Bravo let United back into the match which led to the second half being ridiculously tense affair. United chased the game while City tried to contain the threat and hit United on the counter. No one was sleeping through this one.

United, unfortunately, failed to break through City’s sturdy defence and the game finished 2-1. Mourinho blamed the referee for not awarding two penalties to United, but that was classic Mourinho deflecting the blame. His comments only masked the fact that his side had been tactically outplayed by the Sky Blues from across town. His team selection was wrong, but his in-game management gave United a chance. Unfortunately, they did not take it.

 

Player Ratings

 

De Gea: 6

Faultless for both goals he conceded. Was left stranded by his defence for De Bruyne’s opener and was unlucky for the second goal. Was good at anticipating City’s low crosses into the box and claimed many of them with confidence, not something that could have been said about City’s number 1. Made a solid double save in the 70th minute after a succession of City corners.

Valencia: 5

Was under a lot of pressure in the first half as the majority of City’s attacks came down his side. Did not look like a natural right back when forced to deal with Nolito, who ran him in circles during the first 35. Was not helped by Mkhitaryan’s lack of defensive nous. Managed to get involved more in the second half, but his crosses did not threaten City enough.

Bailly: 6

If a striker tests Bailly for speed or strength, the Ivorian will, more often than not, be comfortable dealing with the threat. Today, Bailly was left dangerously unprotected by Fellaini and Pogba and was dazzled by the movement of De Bruyne, Nolito and Iheanacho. Failed to react quickly enough to De Bruyne’s rebounded shot, which Iheanacho poked home to double the scoring for the visitors. Made a couple of rash challenges, one of them which led to his first yellow card of the league season. All in all, Bailly kept his head and made some fine last ditch tackles in the final moments when he was consistently left in one-on-one situations.

Blind: 5

Left hopelessly flat-footed when he misjudged Iheanacho’s through ball to De Bruyne for the opening goal in the 14th minute. Was left dawdling and ball-watching as De Bruyne’s shot rebounded off the post for Iheanacho to tap in. If he was more awake, he could have stepped up and played the young Nigerian offside. Made some good recovering tackles in the second half but looked shaken by the scale of the match. Distribution not as effective as normal, partly due to the pressure he was put under by City’s attackers.

Shaw: 6

Did his job of nullifying Sterling so effectively that the rejuvenated Englishman was taken off for Leroy Sané on the 60th minute. The ‘German Messi’ did not have much more luck than Sterling did at getting past Shaw. Failed to help Lingard or Rashford in an attacking sense, which is so often his forte.

Fellaini: 5

It has been coming. The ginger Fellaini being a world class holding midfielder was never going to last. His screening of the United defence was nowhere near as effective as City’s Fernandinho. Won plenty of headers (seven), however the direction of his headers was consistently to the feet of the onrushing Silva and De Bruyne. Really struggled to pick up the two attacking midfielders, which is more Mourinho’s mistake than the Belgian’s as the Portuguese manager should have known that Fellaini was no match for two of the best midfielders in the league. Picked up a yellow card for (you guessed it) a high elbow in the 51st minute.

Pogba: 5

Looked really confident in the opening stages of the game, dribbling past his opponents with ease and lashing a powerful shot just over the bar. Unfortunately, that was one of very few highlights for the record signing. Mourinho made a big mistake in allowing Pogba to have a free roam as it left Fellaini as the only midfielder covering the centre backs, which he failed to do. If Pogba is going to be given the freedom of the pitch then he needs to work his magic to make up for his lack of defending. No magic show was on at the Theatre of Dreams this weekend from the Frenchman.

Mkhitaryan: 4

A really disappointing first start for the Armenian winger. Left Valencia to deal with City’s attacks and did not add enough creativity to United’s attacks. Was found numerous times in good positions on the right wing, but every single one of his crosses did not make it past the first man. When Ibrahimović is floating at the back post, aerial balls are key. Mkhitaryan, counterintuitively decided to try and fire the ball across the ground, which, unsurprisingly did not threaten City in any way. Was substituted at half time for Herrera.

Rooney: 6

Not one of the really poor performers. Looked like the most experienced United player on the pitch, geeing up his teammates and charging into tackles like the 2012 Rooney would have. Yet, like so many of his performances over the last three years, showed that his technical ability is waning. Failed to control some of the simplest passes and failed to pass to teammates when it seemed harder to find opponents. Should have probably won a penalty when fouled by Bravo, however Mark Clattenburg waved play on. Earned a silly yellow for a reckless challenge on Bravo later in the game.

Lingard: 3

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Really, really bad. Looked frightened by the occasion from the start, which is unusual as he was so audacious in his debut Manchester Derby last year when his chip in the dying moments came off the crossbar. Had less possession than anyone else on the pitch, mostly because every ball was miscontrolled and every pass was too conservative. Was subbed off at half time and Mourinho hinted that he would have taken both Lingard and Mkhitaryan off earlier if it had not been for wanting to protect their confidence.

Ibrahimović: 5

Took his goal well with the kind of impressive technique you would only expect from Zlatan. Apart from that, was very isolated and did not get into the game enough. In Ibra’s autobiography he states that he hated playing under Guardiola at Barcelona because the Spaniard made him quiet and follow orders. The Ibrahimović at United is uncharacteristically quiet in most of the games he has played so far, bar the odd outrageous back heel, which may be concerning. Was subdued again today for much of the match. That being said, the big Swede had more shots than anyone else on the pitch. Unfortunately they were erratic, often in areas where the better options may have been to pass rather than shoot. Missed a glorious opportunity to bring the game back level just before the half time whistle when Bravo, again, failed to intercept a cross.

 

Subs

Rashford: 6

Made an instant impact when he came on for Lingard at half time, running directly at Sagna, who did not know how to deal with the youngster. Despite looking positive, he failed when it came to end product and became more and more isolated when United started pumping the ball into the box from deep.

Herrera: 7

Came on for Mkhitaryan and was moved to an anchor midfield role. Not his speciality, but the Spaniard solidified midfield commendably and put United on the front foot in the second half, starting many of their attacks from deep. Should motivate Mourinho to play a three-man midfield in the future.

Martial: 5

Came on for the final ten minutes but failed to make any real impact. As soon as the clock ticked past the 80th minute, the Reds decided to launch long balls into the box which did not fit Martial or Rashford’s style of play.

Album: Angel Olsen – My Woman

Written by Cassie Hyde on . Posted in Music.

2nd September 2016 via Jagjaguwar

9/10

Angel Olsen is someone who you would not have expected to be a chameleon. With her already producing two albums of introspective indie folk, any other artist would be pigeon-holed into making the same album over and over. So for Olsen to return with synth track, ‘Intern’, wearing a silver tinsel wig, you would be right to expect something different. Something extraordinary!

Olsen’s third album, MY WOMAN, is made up of two distinct halves. Side A is full of three-minute rock n’ roll singles—the 1960s pour out of these songs. ‘Never Be Mine’ has elements of Roy Orbison, as well as a Velvet Underground-style guitar solo thrown in for good measure. ‘Heart Shaped Face’ has the feel of a subtly sexy soul track. ‘Not Gonna Kill You’ has a guitar solo directly ripped from ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’.  The list goes on and on.

The highlight of MY WOMAN, ‘Shut Up Kiss Me’, exemplifies the sound and the style of the album. Whilst there is the classic 60s guitar sound throughout, the lyrics are emotional yet strident, giving the song enough detail to offer a different take with every listen. Sometimes it is hysterically funny, while it also makes you want to dance with a tear in your eye. Song of the year?

The other side, side B, is full of deeper cuts, replacing the single length tracks with seven-minute odysseys, ‘Sister’ and ‘Woman’. ‘Sister’ swiftly works it ways through light breezy guitar work, building to a climactic roar. ‘Woman’ starts of as another great 60s track, but quickly settles into a sad groove in the style of trip hop artists Portishead and Massive Attack. The album closer ‘Pops’ takes the sad piano of the previous track, ‘Woman’ and gives a throwback to Olsen’s older material— just her piano, vocals and feelings, all drenched in lo-fi. Beautiful!

Overall, the main thing about MY WOMAN is how ‘classic’ it feels, in every sense. Many of these songs feel like they have always existed. Aside from all the 60s aesthetics of this album, whilst ‘Pops’ may be a commanding song by Olsen, it also has the feel of a Judy Garland number. Yet, when this sound is combined with Olsen’s confident, almost cocky style, it elevates every song to new highs. To call this a masterpiece seems cliché, but what else is it? An instant classic.

Album: Frank Ocean – Blonde

Written by Rosie Francesca Gill on . Posted in Music.

20th August 2016 via Boys Don’t Cry

8/10

The unanticipated break of a four year silence gave rise to a confounded, yet sensational, masterpiece. Sombre and atmospheric in mood, yet intrepid in its narrative, Ocean’s Blonde serves to caress the heartstrings of a tranced and empathetic audience as they engage with the cries of uninhibited emotion. Subdued and delicate instrumentals fraternize with eccentric vocals, displaying a complex depiction of drug use, unrequited love, and burdensome dispirit.

The personality of the introverted eccentric is near-flawlessly mirrored throughout the album as Ocean finds intricacy in minimalism. The lyrics of ‘Ivy’ reflect on love and regret, displaying a complicated blend of sincerity, innocence, and acceptance, accompanied by a simple instrumental: tranquil guitar melodies and an absorbing underlying bass. ‘Godspeed’ powerfully recalls the heart-wrenching departure of a loved one, chaperoned by a simple, elegant organ and Burell’s alluring gospel vocals.

Although few and far between, stimulating digressions are present throughout the album. ‘Be Yourself’ features an influential voice-message warning Ocean about the perils of drug abuse and the value found in self-authenticity. ‘Facebook Story’, subtly restating the instrumental of ‘Be Yourself’, realizes how the once rigid dichotomy between social media and real life become lost, leading to false accusations of adultery over Facebook. These skits neatly tie together the album’s prevalent themes.

In parts, the album can be thematically disjointed: songs are occasionally coated in empty vocals, haphazardly jumping from topic-to-topic, slumped against indolent instrumentals. The needlessly shrill vocals in ‘Nikes’ awkwardly clamber between flippant references to drug-use, “Must be on that white like Othello”; critiques of material dependence, “All you want is Nikes”; to explicit sexual desire, “If you need dick I got you”. Although creating a steady ambiance, the instrumental consists of a tiresome loop that never quite erupts into the artistry Blonde is later characterized by.

However, such pessimism may be misplaced. These thematically disjointed segments of Blonde may represent the temperament of the album: Ocean’s emotionally-charged expression of a past riddled with misfortune and blunder. It would be obtuse to expect such an expression to be systematic or structured, as emotion and memory rarely manifest in such a way.

Simultaneously complicated and simple, open and reserved, thematic and slipshod, Blonde is a sincere reflection of its protagonist. Four years after his critically acclaimed debut, Ocean delivers a beautifully composed album on terms none other than his own.

Highest ever ranking for the University of Manchester

Written by Jennifer Sterne on . Posted in News.

The University of Manchester has come 29th in this year’s QS World University Rankings, four places higher than 2015. The University is now ranked 7th in the UK. This is the highest the university has ever achieved in the leasing university league table.

QS world rankings are based on over 100,000 survey responses from employers and academics. The university is ranked 15th by employers and comes 31st in international reputation.

This news follows the universities success in the ‘Academic Ranking of World Universities’, or the ‘Shanghai Jiao Tong’ league table,  where Manchester also reached a new high, coming 35th in the world and 5th in the UK.

President and Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell said: “This ranking, alongside the recent Shanghai rankings, shows that Manchester is on an upward trajectory. Our placing demonstrates the high esteem in which the University is held by academics all around the world and our high ranking among employers is testament to the calibre of our graduates.”

The universities rise in the rankings was not following the trend seen across the UK. The UK on the whole saw a fall in rankings this year, with 38 of the UK’s 48 top 400 universities dropping down. The surveys were conducted in the run up to the EU referendum, many linking the uncertainty that this created being a factor in the decline.

The University of Cambridge dropped out of the top three universities in the world to its lowest place since the rankings were launched in 2004. Cambridge remains as the highest ranked in the UK, but has fallen to fourth place.

Ben Sowter, head of research at QS, argued that uncertainty over immigration and long-term funding issues could have been the cause of this drop in the UK’s performance.

He argues that “the ability to hire and retain the top young talent from around the world seems to be damaging the reputation of the UK’s higher education sector”.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been ranked the best in the world for the fifth consecutive year, followed by Stanford University and then Harvard.

QS World University Rankings: Britain’s top ten

University of Cambridge – 4 (-1)
University of Oxford – 6
University College London – 7
Imperial College London – 9 (-1)
University of Edinburgh – 19 (+2)
King’s College London – 21 (-2)
University of Manchester – 29 (+4)
London School of Economics and Political Science – 37 (-2)
University of Bristol – 41 (-4)
University of Warwick – 51 (-3)

 

Why Daley Blind can be United’s next Michael Carrick

Written by Magnus Henderson on . Posted in Sport.

When Jose Mourinho was appointed as Manchester United manager after the FA Cup final victory over Crystal Palace, a few of the first team members were awaiting an uncertain few months as to whether they would be included in José’s plans. These players were typically associated with the failing managers that had come before; Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata as David Moyes’ men, Daley Blind and Antonio Valencia as Louis Van Gaal’s. None were given much hope of retaining their starting positions by the English media, especially with the purchases of Paul Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Eric Bailly who all typically play in the positions occupied by the United scapegoats.

Mourinho has proved us all wrong. Valencia and Fellaini have started all three competitive games this season, despite competition from other players, and have looked like transformed men. The Ecuadorian winger-turned-defender has rediscovered his attacking intent and creativity while the Belgian looks composed in possession yet aggressive in a tackle, in huge contrast with the elbow swinging maniac who graced Old Trafford’s turf over the previous two seasons. Mata has also been retained in the first two Premier League games of the season, despite his history with Mourinho.

Now that Chris Smalling is back fit after missing the opening two games of the season through injury, it is likely that he will return to the starting eleven at the cost of Blind, after Bailly’s very impressive start to his United career. This, however, is not the end of the Dutchman at United. Blind holds a particular set of skills that can allow him to excel in a defensive midfield role for United.

You may be thinking, “hold on… United do not have many centre backs already, and loads of midfielders,(see Schweinsteiger’s exile), why would you push Blind into midfield?”

Firstly, José stereotypically likes strong and aggressive defenders. At Real Madrid, Mourinho used Pepe and Ramos; at Chelsea, Terry (twice) and Cahill/Carvalho; and at Inter Milan, Lúcio and Samuel. Blind is not like any of these players in that he is noticeably small for a centre back and not exceptionally strong either. Blind fitted into Van Gaal’s system so easily because in a possession based style-of-play it is essential for your centre backs to be able to play the ball out of defence. Mourinho is much less conservative with possession than Van Gaal was, meaning that the tall and strong partnership of Smalling and Bailly is likely to push Blind away from the centre of defence.

Secondly, United have got two very promising young centre backs knocking on the first team door in Axel Tuanzebe and Timothy Fosu-Mensah, the former already praised by Mourinho after his cameo against Wigan. After only just recently rectifying the very expensive mistake of letting promising players like “You Know Who” go, United will look to blend the talent into the first team sooner rather than later. With Phil Jones also waiting in the wings, United have enough cover at centre back without Blind.

Thirdly, the theory that United already have too many central midfielders is true, to an extent. Herrera, Fellaini, Schneiderlin and Pogba are all capable of playing in the deep midfield role, however, they are all more natural ‘box-to-box’ players than anchors. The most natural fit for the holding role out of the four is Schneiderlin, who was played there for the majority of last season with not a huge amount of success. Maybe that is Van Gaal, maybe that is the player himself. What is true, however, is that at Southampton, Schneiderlin excelled in a box-to-box role. Pogba was used as a holding midfielder during the Euros by Deschamps to poor effect. His talents come to the fore when he is given a free roam, allowing the Frenchman to maraud up and down the pitch like he did against Southampton last Friday. Fellaini has been used in the two opening games of the Premier League season as a holding midfielder to good effect, however, as United fans know from the last three years, Fellaini does not have the technical ability, range of passing or speed of thought to truly excel in that position against testing opposition. With Carrick’s legs going, United do not possess a true midfield ‘anchor’.

Photo: @Wikimedia Commons

“Well, what kind of traits do a midfield anchor need to be successful?”

I’m glad you asked. If you look at the best midfield anchors in the world e.g. Busquets, Xabi Alonso, and (for arguments’ sake) Carrick, all three have similar play styles. All three are calm and composed in possession, have a fine range of passing and, most importantly, have a brilliant reading of the game. Busquets, probably the most effective anchor midfielder for the past decade, is so good at this that people often overlook how important he has been for Barcelona during their recent glory years. His understanding of the game allows him to make interceptions and recycle possession quickly to put Barcelona on the front foot.

While Blind, admittedly, is not Busquets, he has shown over the last two seasons that he is composed in possession and can spread the play effectively from the back. His most important attribute, the reading of the game and defensive positioning because of it, is Blind’s best argument for filling Carrick’s boots. Flash back 12 months, Blind was paired with Smalling at the centre of defence and United fans up and down the country were pulling their hair out at Van Gaal’s stupidity to start a short and weak player against the Premier League’s monster men. Ten months later, Blind and Smalling helped United achieve the joint best defensive record in the Premier League. How did Blind do so well? His reading of the game means that he rarely got caught out of position and Smalling provided the brawn to compliment Blind’s style.

Another argument for Blind to take up Carrick’s role in midfield is the players around him. With the evolution of full backs over the last few years, it has become the norm for the midfielders to squeeze the centre of the pitch and allow the full backs to become wingers. United have got two of the most attacking full backs in the Premier League in Shaw and Valencia. The drawback of these defenders bombing up the pitch is that the centre backs can be left exposed to counter attacks. Step up Daley Blind. If the Dutchman was playing in midfield, it would allow the centre backs to split and cover the wide areas while Blind took up a position centrally in front of the defence. Blind’s interceptions and passing range would be vital to United recycling the ball without dragging their midfield back to help defend.

Blind’s defensive mind-set would also give Pogba much more freedom. Fellaini does not have the defensive capabilities to give Pogba a free role in midfield currently, but if Blind played as a central anchor, flanked by Pogba and Herrera, United would have a midfield capable of defending and launching attacks effectively. Having a three-man midfield would also edge Rooney away from the starting eleven. Make of that what you will.

The huge flaw in all of this is Mourinho. The Portuguese manager is unlikely to revert to a 4-3-3 when the 4-2-3-1 has brought him so much success over the years. Furthermore, the 4-2-3-1 fits Mourinho’s counterattacking style of play, whereas the 4-3-3 with an anchor is more stereotypically associated with possession based teams. Mourinho also loves physical players, not just in the centre of defence, but all the way up the spine of the pitch which explains his decision to play Fellaini and Pogba together against Southampton.

The point still stands, however, that Blind can feasibly take up a Carrick-esque mantle. Whether Mourinho will use that is another question all together, meaning the Dutchman, if he wishes to take up the role, may have to move to another club to do so.