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Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
How Tottenham will try to stop Tijjani Reijnders and rampant Man City using Super Cup tactic
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EZE come, Eze go! Thomas Frank's Spurs may have missed out on Eberechi Eze — but there's no time to rest as they go to Manchester City on Saturday lunchtime. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Thomas Frank will be mulling over how to pick up three points against Man City Credit: Getty 6 The key to that is likely to be stopping new boy Tijjani Reijnders Credit: Getty 6 While Pep Guardiola has also made his own tweaks to the system to get the best out of his new toys Credit: Getty And while there will be questions asked in the boardroom over transfer activity, Frank will be scratching his head over how to stop City's new superstar, Tijjani Reijnders. The 26-year-old arrived from AC Milan before the Club World Cup in a £46million move as the successor to the creative void being left behind by the legendary Kevin De Bruyne. And the Dutchman enjoyed one of the best debuts you are likely to see in the Premier League, scoring, assisting and becoming the heartbeat of City's play throughout their opener against Wolves. And SunSport's tactics man DEAN SCOGGINS — in our hit show Tactics Exposed — is asked how Tottenham will put the shackles on him? READ MORE IN FOOTBALL SPURRED ON Spurs 'decide to make club record bid for new target after Eze deal hijacked' WILL FRANK PARK THE BUS? Well, I'm not sure you can call it parking the bus, as they WILL attack. But if the question is if they will play a back five, like against Paris Saint-Germain in the Super Cup, the answer is YES. Frank favours the back five against high-class opposition. It, obviously, gives an extra defender but more importantly, it allows a defender to 'jump' into midfield and press midfielders like Reijnders. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK City, who we'll come onto in more detail later, will look to flood the opposition half with numbers. But one way Spurs will try to stop him is by making the spaces that Reijnders likes to operate in as tight as possible by crowding them out. How Arsenal survived Man Utd's attacks with 'forcefield defence' Expect Micky van de Ven to do this role at times, with Spurs packing central areas to stifle space for City. Although they will need to be on top form, with Reijnders proving himself to be a two-footed player capable of creating danger out of thin air. What Wolves got wrong in their defensive plan was attempting to dive in on Reijnders too soon, with the midfielder able to skip past his marker before lifting a cross in for Erling Haaland. Even when he was boxed out, runners around him will be able to provide him with solutions to get around the press. 6 Man City's new creator had a superb debut against Wolves 6 He was all over the pitch and ran the show WHAT'S NEW WITH CITY? Pep Guardiola has been tinkering all summer, and we got sneak previews in the Club World Cup. In the 4-0 win at Wolves on Saturday, City were electric and tactically, it was very interesting. There is a new flexibility as they form a 2-3-5 attacking shape. From goal-kicks, their wingers can often start narrow, close to striker Haaland, with the full-backs providing the width to keep the game open. But as they get higher on the pitch, the wingers go from in to out, with full-backs inverting to give the three-man midfield, either side of Nico Gonzalez. This allows Reijnders and Bernardo Silva to bomb forward and join the front five. And while a lot of the talk around the country is about third-man runs, City might be about to pioneer a new sixth-man run. Spurs will sit deep in numbers against the City front five, but the inverted full-back will then bomb on to make a line-breaking run beyond the defensive line. We saw the likes of Rico Lewis, Matheus Nunes and Rayan Ait-Nouri do this a lot in the Club World Cup. And whatever side the ball is on, there will be an option for that sixth-man run. It is risky, but if Spurs play with five, it will give City one less player to worry about on the counter, meaning they can be that bit braver by committing an extra body forward. One other change of note is how wingers will be positioned on a goal kick. Last season, they were seen hugging the touchline, but in the Club World Cup, we saw the eights drop deeper and the wingers tuck inside closer to Haaland. The extra man is designed to lure a pressing rival into a trap and leave space behind them for City to then go directly into the likes of Haaland for a rapid attack, ironically, a very un-City-like move. 6 TRANSFER NEWS LIVE - KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST FROM A BUSY SUMMER WINDOW
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd reject FIVE offers for Harry Maguire as he admits plans for next career step
Manchester United turned away several approaches for Harry Maguire this summer as Ruben Amorim felt his squad was 'starved of leaders" - and the defender plans to go into coaching once his playing career is over Harry Maguire insists it would be 'silly' to quit Manchester United - and is eyeing a long-term role at Old Trafford. England defender Maguire, 32, is a deep thinker on the game and has ambitions to move into coaching as his next career move. United had FIVE cast iron approaches to sign Maguire this summer but they were all knocked back and the centre-half was determined to stay at Old Trafford. Maguire is highly thought of by the United hierarchy and Ruben Amorim triggered a one-year contract extension option because his squad was 'starved of leaders.' Maguire is determined to carry on playing, ideally wants another two years at Old Trafford and United blocked approaches this summer because they wanted to keep the loyal defender. Ex-Leicester defender Maguire hinted at his long-term ambitions to stay in the game and also believes United are on the right path this season under Amorim. Maguire said: 'I'm sure over the next few months we'll have to have a conversation about where we want to go and if they want to extend. 'Obviously, I have something in my mind about what I want to do and where I want to be. I don't want to put it out there to everybody but it's an amazing club to play for and you'd be silly if you wanted to jump out of it as soon as you could. 'The hierarchy has come in, with [technical director] Jason [Wilcox] and the manager, and I feel like they're taking it in the right direction. "Since I started six years ago to now, it's in a completely different place in terms of the structure behind the management staff. We're in a good place. A lot better place.' Maguire joined United in 2019, has been a loyal servant and won trophies as well as establishing himself as a leader at the club with real potential to stay in the game. He is intelligent, a mentor for young players and that is why he is being identified as having coaching potential. That must be a reason why Maguire - who signed a one-year extension last season - revealed that United dismissed any enquiries for him this summer. Maguire added: 'Last year, the clause was in their hands. There was no option for me there. There was no talking. It was just they activated it and it got extended. "I'm pretty sure the club made it clear this summer that I can't leave on any terms. A a couple of clubs enquired and I think they got a quick response.'
Metro
8 hours ago
- Metro
Michael Owen suggests Man Utd's new £62.5m signing has an 'attitude' problem
Michael Owen has raised concerns over the 'attitude' of Manchester United's new £62.5m summer signing Matheus Cunha. United recruited Cunha from Wolves in June and the 26-year-old made his Premier League debut for the Red Devils in Sunday's defeat to Arsenal. Cunha shined in the top-flight for Wolves last term, conjuring up 15 goals and six assists across 33 games for the West Midlands club. But former United striker Owen feels there is a 'question mark' over the Brazilian who 'caused fights on numerous occasions' at Wolves. Metro's weekly football newsletter: In The Mixer. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every Friday – sign up, it's an open goal. 'My only question mark is his attitude,' Owen told AskGamblers. 'He gets sent off a lot, he waves his arms a lot, and you've already got someone like that alongside him in Bruno Fernandes. 'From a talent point of view, he's absolutely there. And maybe being at Manchester United, being at a huge club like that, might put some manners on him. 'You can't go around grabbing people's glasses off them after a game, getting sent off, arguing with referees, and causing fights on numerous occasions like he did at Wolves. 'But when you're the outstanding player and when you've been carrying the club, when all that pressure's on you and all those different things, then you can understand it a bit. 'When you go to Manchester United, you're in the public glare even more, and you need to behave that way. 'If he irons that out, I think he could be a brilliant signing and as I say, going to Manchester United might put manners on him because there are lots of big stars there, and there have been the greatest stars of all time there in the past. 'He's not going to come in and feel like a one-man band like he might've at Wolves. So, I think it's a brilliant signing. But that's my only question mark.' Owen believes Bryan Mbeumo, who joined United in a £71m deal from Brentford this summer, is 'probably the total opposite' to Cunha. More Trending 'Mbeumo is probably the total opposite,' Owen added. 'Again, you're probably going to get what you've seen over time: direct, quick, and can score with both feet. 'Possibly something Manchester United have been lacking is directness in play and pace, really. 'So that's quite a signing, you're not really questioning too much. You'd expect it to go okay. 'But I'd be really excited by Cunha. I think he could be exceptional, with the provisos I just mentioned.' MORE: Tottenham make contact to sign £80m Chelsea target as Eberechi Eze alternative MORE: Theo Walcott makes worrying Viktor Gyokeres claim after Arsenal's defeat of Man Utd MORE: Borussia Dortmund in advanced talks for £40m Chelsea star after Juventus attempted transfer hijack Your guide to the week in football. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk – sign up, it's an open goal.
