Kroos: No regrets over Real Madrid move

• Sep 07, 2014 10:54
• By David Lynch
• 0 Comments

The midfielder was strongly linked with a move to United over the summer, but believes he made the right decision in moving to Spain.

Germany midfielder Toni Kroos has no regrets about joining Real Madrid from Bayern Munich this summer.

The 24-year-old left Bayern after rejecting their offer of a new contract beyond next summer,

and he believes he made the right move.

"I've done everything right - I'm 100 per cent satisfied," he told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

"In a worldwide standing, Real Madrid are a small step ahead of Bayern Munich.

"If I just think about my presentation at the Bernabeu, there were 20,000 fans there even though I had never played a single second for Real.

"Something like that is inconceivable in Germany. In Spain, the football fans are more emotional about the game."

Kroos hopes to win even more silverware in Spain, having already won all there was to win for Bayern.

He also has his sights set on winning Euro 2016, having triumphed with Germany at the World Cup in Brazil.

"If I look at all my list of honours, then a European Championship is all that I'm lacking," Kroos added. "That should give me all the motivation I need."

Kroos and Germany begin their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign in Dortmund on Sunday night against Scotland.

Read More

Angel Di Maria has £4m clause at Manchester United

ANGEL DI MARIA'S £59.7million transfer fee could rise an extra £4million if he wins the Ballon d'Or.

By: Joe Short

Published: Sun, September 7, 2014

Digsby

IM, Email, and Social Networks in one easy to use application!

http://digsby.com

Manchester United's record signing agreed a long-term contract at Old Trafford last week as part of United's £150m summer spending spree.

He joins Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and Radamel Falcao (loan) as big-money arrivals at Old Trafford, but Lois van Gaal's camp is evidently happy to part with even more cash should Di Maria prove a success.

According to the Sunday Telegraph, were the 26-year-old World Cup star to win the Ballon d'Or - world football's most prestigious individual award - United would have to pay former club Real Madrid an additional £4m.

Di Maria has already started a game for United, during their 0-0 draw at Burnley last weekend.

The Argentina international provided three assists and scored during his country's 4-2 friendly win over Germany in midweek.

Read More

Wayne Rooney has peaked, says Jamie Carragher

By Sam Jordan

Posted on September 7, 2014

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has suggested that Wayne Rooney may have peaked and is now on the decline, at 28-years-old.

Rooney was recently named captain for both Manchester United and England, but has failed to step up and lead by example for either in his opening games with the armband.

The striker has experienced a dip in form and does not look like the player he once was, with some pundits suggesting he has lost the pace and power that made him such a formidable opponent at the top level of domestic and international football.

“During the next three years he will be in the period commonly regarded as being the peak for a footballer.,” Carragher wrote in his Daily Mail column.

“For the vast majority, it is the spell when they produce form of higher quality and greater consistency than ever.

“Yet Wayne is different. Making his debut in the Barclays Premier League at 16 confirmed him as exceptional but it also meant there was potential for him to peak early.”

Rooney has scored once for Manchester United this season, in a dismal 2-1 defeat on the opening day of the season at Old Trafford – his first game as Red Devils’ captain.

Is Paul Parker right? Should Manchester United drop Wayne Rooney

Since then, he has not done much for his side as they have ground out two dull draws against Sunderland and Burnley, to give them two points from three games.

For England, he scored in the 1-0 win over Norway at Wembley, but his penalty was his only shot on target and the record-low attendance at the Three Lions’ home were left uninspired by their new skipper.

He was nothing special during England’s ill-fated World Cup campaign last summer, adding weight to the argument that he may have seen his best days and has burnt out his talent that saw him dubbed one of the best strikers in the world.

“Having made 615 appearances for club and country, he has stats that you would expect of a player in his mid-30s,” wrote Carragher.

“Think about it. Cars are not valued by their licence plate but on how many miles they have done.”

Read More

Arsenal or Chelsea in for PSG starlet

Paris Saint Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot will be leaving the French champions for a move to Premier League giants Chelsea or Arsenal in January, according to the Daily Express.

The 19-year-old has been linked with a move from the French capital but failed to agree terms with Serie A sides Roma and Juventus.

It had been suggested that Rabiot would leave the Parc des Princes at the end of his contract which expires in the summer however being omitted from PSG’s Champions League squad has left the France U-21 international wanting a transfer in January.

Potential

Rabiot is seen as an important player for the future in Paris making 25 Ligue 1 appearances last season helping Laurent Blanc’s side to the double.

The midfielder also made six appearances in the Champions League last season before losing to Chelsea in the quarter-finals.

Rabiot’s impressive performances have seen him linked with a move to big European teams and is struggling to agree a new contract with the Parisians who are reluctant to meet the 19-year-old’s wage demands of £60,000 per week.

Competition

Competition for a place in PSG’s team is fierce, Rabiot is capable of playing in centre back too but remains behind the club’s big name signings.

The side are well catered for in midfield with Yohan Cabaye, Thiago Motta, Marco Verratti and Blaise Matuidi all higher up on the pecking order in Laurent Blanc’s team.

Meanwhile the £50 million purchase of David Luiz from Chelsea has added competition to the centre back pairing of Thiago Silva and Marquinhos.

Read More

Chelsea starlet: ‘I will watch and learn’

Chelsea‘s 19-year-old centre back Kurt Zouma has announced that he is willing to be patient and work hard at Chelsea so that he can get first team experience, reported Sky Sports.

Zouma signed for Chelsea from Saint-Etienne in January, but, as he was not in Jose Mourinho’s immediate first team plans, he stayed at his old club on a loan spell before joining up with Chelsea this summer.

However, due to the amount of experienced defenders at the club already, has found himself outside Mourinho’s starting eleven.

Zouma recently said he is hoping to play at international level in the coming years, but is remaining calm about his lack of first team football at Stamford Bridge.

Learning

Speaking to L’Equipe, Zuoma said, “When I was at Saint-Etienne and I didn’t play, I immediately got upset. But I learnt.

“Now there are senior players, stars in my position, and they are doing a great job. I take my time. I am learning besides those defenders. I know my time will come.

“Jose Mourinho told me: ‘Rafael Varane, I made him start against Manchester City. You have to be ready to play at any moment’.

“I am using Varane and (Eliaquim) Mangala as role models. Nowadays they are in the French team and I hope to join them.

“Euro 2016 is an objective I set to myself. Even if it will be very difficult to get a position, the door is not so far away.”

Zouma also said he was enjoying life at Chelsea and had was joking around with teamates a lot.

“Diego Costa is very, very crazy. Ivanovic makes a lot of jokes too.

“Afterwards the group laugh a little about my age because, well, I’m a big man for 19-years-old.

“Even the coach when we were going for the blood test jokingly said, ‘Here, now we’ll see if you lied about your age’.

“But really they’re cool, easy.”

Read More

Man Utd star SLAMS Real Madrid for shocking World Cup demands

ANGEL DI MARIA has taking another swipe at former side Real Madrid after claiming the Spanish side pressured him not to play him in the World Cup final.

By: Jamie Anderson

Published: Sat, September 6, 2014

Angel Di Maria claims Real Madrid put pressure on him not to play in the World Cup final[GETTY]

The Argentinian's bitter Bernabeu exit was exacerbated after club president Florentino Perez slammed the winger's steep wage demands and request for a new contract.

Di Maria stoked the fire on an Argentine radio station yesterday, by revealing the club did not want him to aggravate a leg injury.

He said: "There was a letter from Madrid that arrived at 11 in the morning of the match day, we were due to play at 4 in the afternoon...was putting ice on my leg to be in the final.

"I tore up the letter as soon as it was given to me and didn't take any notice of it, I didn't care what might happen, but it was (coach) Alejandro's (Sabella) decision.

"I didn't want to make any demands of him but I also didn't want to leave the team a man short five minutes from a very important match."

"I suffered a lot that morning, it was the worst thing that's happened to me in my life in footballing (terms) because reaching another final is very difficult, not to say impossible.

Read More

England look brilliant in training as Jack Wilshere and Wayne Rooney show off their skills in behind the scenes video... so bring on Switzerland!

Jack Wilshere was seen lobbing balls into bags at St George's Park

• Captain Wayne Rooney scored a brilliant chip past Joe Hart in the session
• Hart even pulled off a volleyed backheel in goal as he showed off
• England face Switzerland in their opening European Championship qualifier in Basel on Monday night 

By OLIVER TODD FOR MAILONLINE 

PUBLISHED: 10:48 GMT, 6 September 2014 | UPDATED: 10:57 GMT, 6 September 2014

England's stars might have left the sparse Wembley crowd unconvinced against Norway - but the Three Lions stepped it up a notch in training in a video that will give fans travelling to Switzerland confidence.

The behind closed doors clip shows Jack Wilshere and Wayne Rooney showing some of the sublime skill fans want to see as England open up their European Championships qualifying campaign on Monday in Basel.

Wilshere is seen chipping balls into a bag as the players clear up after the session at St George's Park, while Rooney fools Joe Hart with a sublime chip. Hart is also seen volleying balls with his heel - although it's probably for the best he doesn't try that in a game England will want to take three points from.

+6

Skillful: Jack Wilshere flicks the balls up from the goalmouth before knocking them into a bag

+6

Clear up: Wilshere made the job easier for those who had to clean up after England's training session

+6

Don't try that on Monday! Joe Hart backheels a goal-bound ball away as he shows off in training

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2745973/England-look-brilliant-training-Jack-Wilshere-Wayne-Rooney-skills.html#ixzz3CX6xayXh
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

With Raheem Sterling out, the pressure will be on Wilshere and Sterling to provide flare through the middle in Basel, and judging by this video it shoudn't be a problem.

Roy Hodgson was annoyed by criticism of his players at Wembley, calling talk that they only managed two shots on goal 'f****** b*******' but on this showing there should be no need for criticism in Tuesday morning's papers.

And new skipper Rooney even took time out after the session to have his photo taken with former England striker Michael Owen - having just overtaken his international goalscoring tally this week. 

+6

Chipper: Wayne Rooney has an ambitious attempt at goal as Phil Jones tries to block his path

Uh oh: Hart and Jones can only watch on as Rooney's impressive effort drifts over both of them in the area

+6

Goal! The shot lands in the back of the net - England will hope to see more of that in Switzerland

+6

Read More