Manchester United (Red Devils) | Special Thread

Manchester United (Red Devils) | Special Thread

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wakuu naomba hii ni kweli au rumors tu.... Namsubir kwa hamu sana..
#naskiaharufuyacommunityshield
 
FOOTBALL NEWS
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05/08/2016 13:58, Report by Mark Froggatt

Boss: Smalling and Fosu-Mensah in training
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed Chris Smalling and Tim Fosu-Mensah have returned to training ahead of Sunday's Community Shield match at Wembley.

The two defenders were both pictured at the Aon Training Complex on Friday morning after missing the recent pre-season matches against Everton and Galatasaray, and Mourinho gave a positive update on the pair during an exclusive pre-match interview with MUTV.

“They are fine now,” the manager reported. “They have recovered and they are training with the group as normal, so they are fine. Everybody needs minutes - that is the reality. We had so little time to play and Smalling is a player who has not even played one minute, but it is a little bit the same for everyone.”

Expanding on the players’ attitude to training, Mourinho continued: “The reality is that they are working magnificently well, they are working really hard and I am really confident for the season because of the attitude they have. Of course we need time but in training they use every minute they have on the pitch to try to improve and adapt to new ideas. I couldn’t be more pleased.”

Although Mourinho does not have any injuries to worry about, the manager is still trying to improve the fitness of the players who reported late to training following their participation at various international tournaments this summer. For example Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Matteo Darmian, Marouane Fellaini, Morgan Schneiderlin and Anthony Martial only joined the group last week.

“One thing is to start five weeks ago like some of them and another thing is to start one week ago, it is completely different,” Mourinho told MUTV on Friday. “But with the way we work we try to bring them on as fast as we can. I won’t say to top form but to a level where they are ready to compete.

“That is the reality of modern football, especially when you are a team with a lot of players that go to the Euros and the Copa America. They come later, they don’t have enough holiday and we have to make them ready for the competition in a short period of time.

“It is hard but this is what we have and complaining or crying is not the way to do it. The way to do is to work hard, like they are doing all the time.”

MUTV will show the full, exclusive interview with Mourinho in 'Countdown to Kick-off' from 18:30 BST on Friday and in 'Matchday Live' from 15:00 BST on Sunday.

Smalling and Fosu-Mensah back in training - Official Manchester United Website
 
FOUNDATION NEWS
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04/08/2016 11:57, Report by Joshua Kerr

Match Preview: Community Shield

Match details: The Community Shield kicks off at 16:00 BST on Sunday, with the match being broadcast live on BT Sport. Subscribers of MUTV will be able to watch the game in full from 12:00 BST (midday) on Monday. You can also keep up with all the action as it happens via ManUtd.com's live match blog and by following our official Twitter account @ManUtd.

Setting the scene: The visit to Wembley pits FA Cup holders United against Premier League champions Leicester City in the traditional start-of-season showpiece. The Reds' 2-1 triumph against Crystal Palace back in May will still be fresh in the minds of the players as the trip to the capital provides them with their first competitive fixture of the 2016/17 season. The Community Shield is also a first opportunity for Jose Mourinho to get his hands on some silverware as United manager.

Strong opposition: Jose Mourinho will be expecting a tough test against the Foxes on Sunday and Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri promised “I will choose my best XI" after a pre-season defeat to Barcelona in the International Champions Cup.

Last meeting: Both encounters with Leicester ended in a 1-1 draw last season, including an exciting end-to-end game in front of a full Old Trafford in early May, as the visitors looked to wrap up the league title. The Foxes came from behind in that game, captain Wes Morgan’s headed goal cancelling out a strike from Anthony Martial. One point rather than three means the Foxes had to postpone their title celebrations, although they joined United in the history books as Premier League winners just a day later, after rivals Spurs also drew, with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Story of their season: 2015/16 could not have been a bigger contrast to Leicester’s previous campaign. Having executed a miraculous escape from relegation in 2014/15, they parted ways with boss Nigel Person and were tipped as one of the favourites for the drop. Instead, the incoming manager Claudio Ranieri and the fans at the King Power instead began a journey to dreamland and the rest is history.

Opposition manager: Claudio Ranieri is one of the most experienced coaches in the league, having been in management for 30 years, including a stint in charge of Chelsea before Mourinho succeeded him and a spell as an international boss with Greece. The charismatic Italian is a man of great passion, something which was evident during his entertaining press conferences and also his emotional response during the club’s title-winning celebrations.

Who’s their star man? With such a display of team unity, there were many choices for Leicester’s star man, but it’s impossible to ignore the talent of Jamie Vardy. Last season the England international broke the record held by former Reds striker Ruud van Nistelrooy for scoring in consecutive Premier League matches, a run spanning a staggering 11 games. In all Vardy netted 24 times last season, with only fellow England striker Harry Kane scoring more.

Did you know? United have won the Community Shield 20 times, five more than any other team (Liverpool having the next best tally with 15).

Match Preview: 2016 FA Community Shield - Official Manchester United Website
 
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