All posts by h79snht.top

Newcastle United have now suffered a catalogue of away defeats across all competitions this season, and Eddie Howe needs to stop the rot if this is to be a successful season.

A Carabao Cup charge is on once more, and the Magpies are making progress on their return to the Champions League, but defeat at Manchester United on Boxing Day condemned the Tyneside club to more misery in the Premier League, further widening the gap to the European places.

When will the manager find the right formula? It’s anyone’s guess at the moment, with key personnel like Anthony Gordon unable to produce the goods and thus limiting the club’s attacking fluency.

Wasteful. That was how Newcastle performed at Old Trafford. Gordon simply hasn’t been good enough in front of goal this season, and something needs to give.

Anthony Gordon's Newcastle form

Gordon attracted Liverpool’s attention in 2024, and figures totalling £100m started floating around transfer narratives. However, the Three Lions man is a world away from that old valuation, having struggled for form for some time now.

Gordon might fancy himself a slippery customer for opponents, but his energy and pace fall flat when he is unable to produce the goods in the danger area. Indeed, only two of his seven goals in all competitions this season have been from open play.

One scout has even noted that he is entering “Gabriel Obertan territory”, naturally talented but without the end product to match.

Frustratingly, this spell does not sit as an outlier. Gordon has ebbed and flowed his way through his Tyneside chapter, and he’s struggled for sharpness in the final third since being crowned Newcastle’s Player of the Year at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Anthony Gordon’s Premier League Career

Season

Apps

Goals + Assists

25/26 (NUFC)

13

2 + 1

24/25 (NUFC)

34

6 + 5

23/24 (NUFC)

35

11 + 10

22/23 (NUFC)

16

1 + 0

22/23 (EFC)

16

3 + 0

21/22 (EFC)

35

4 + 2

20/21 (EFC)

3

0 + 0

19/20 (EFC)

11

0 + 1

Data via Sofascore

While he’ll remain an important part of Howe’s brood for the foreseeable, prudence might be needed, finding an eventual successor in 2026.

Well, technical director Ross Wilson might have just the up-and-comer in his sights.

Why Newcastle must upgrade on Gordon

Newcastle may struggle to sign a ready-made Gordon upgrade in the current climate, especially with an emphasis set to be placed on reinforcing the defensive flanks and signing a top centre-midfielder too.

Before Christmas, TEAMtalk revealed that Newcastle are part of a pack of suitors who have identified Leicester City’s Jeremy Monga as one to sign, and as he continues to go from strength to strength in the Championship, Newcastle might want to strike while they can.

Hailed as a “generational talent” by journalist Graeme Bailey, Monga is only 16 years old but he has already established himself as a permanent matchday member, scoring once and assisting one more across 15 league fixtures this season, starting five times.

Fast and furious, Monga will cost upwards of £15m, potentially much more. He is a versatile and unpredictable winger, and he has already developed something of a keen eye for goal.

Given his youth, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that Gordon could end up being replaced by this rising star, who has already shown that he could play a part in Howe’s senior side.

Subscribe to the newsletter for Newcastle transfer insight Unlock deeper analysis by subscribing to our newsletter for focused coverage of Anthony Gordon, Newcastle’s attacking issues and potential transfer targets like Jeremy Monga – informed reporting and tactical context for engaged fans. Subscribe Subscribe to the newsletter for Newcastle transfer insight Unlock deeper analysis by subscribing to our newsletter for focused coverage of Anthony Gordon, Newcastle’s attacking issues and potential transfer targets like Jeremy Monga – informed reporting and tactical context for engaged fans.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Could this be the man to take Gordon’s No. 10 shirt from him? Monga ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Championship this season for progressive carries and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

There is so much to like. He is more robust in his usage of his pace and physicality, and he is only going to improve over the coming years.

Monga is a top talent, someone worth challenging the big guns for. He is already establishing himself on the senior stage and he might just have what it takes to swipe Gordon’s shirt from him down the line – perhaps not just for club but for country too.

Related Lost the ball 23x: Howe must never start Newcastle duo together again

Newcastle have fallen by the wayside at the end of 2025.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair

Dejan Kulusevski delivered a big statement to Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte with something of a dream display at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.

A 95th-minute strike from Harry Kane sealed a dramatic and late victory over table-topping Manchester City.

The home outfit thought they had snagged a point just moments earlier when Riyad Mahrez converted a spot-kick after Cristian Romero was adjudged to have handled inside the area by VAR.

But it was the Sweden international who kept composure to serve the ball on a plate to the 28-year-old to head home a stunning winner. And earlier in the match, Kuluseveski had found the net himself, opening the scoring in the fourth minute.

Heung-min Son beat the offside trap to square the ball to the deadline day signing to slot home with aplomb.

He’d go on to have a major influence throughout the whole game to help Spurs end their run of three successive league defeats with an impressive victory over the defending champions.

‘Worked very hard up and down the pitch and showed what a talent he can be. His cross for Kane’s winner at the end was perfect,’ described football.london reporter Alasdair Gold in his post-match ratings column.

Indeed, the 23-year-old dynamo was a force at either end of the pitch – as per SofaScore, he also registered two tackles, two clearances and one interception, on top of his two direct goal contributions.

It was a display that Conte would have absolutely loved to witness as it was the ideal mix of hunger, desire and quality he demands from his players, and it poses a question over whether or not he should replace Lucas Moura in the starting XI for the long run.

‘Son and Kane were the match-winners but Spurs’ were more fluid with the Swede in the side than they have been with Lucas,’ claimed the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who also waxed lyrical about the calmness of his play in high-pressure situations.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Moura’s form over the last few games has been disappointing, so it could be an easy switch for the Italian head coach to make. It’ll certainly be a hard task in dropping the £27m-rated attacker after such an outstanding outing – his first start for the club, too.

Kulusevski, dubbed “explosive” by ex-Sweden and Villa star Marcus Allback, should definitely be in the starting XI going forward.

AND in other news, Conte could sign his new Vidal at Spurs with “exceptional” £25m monster, Guardiola loves him…

At this World Cup so far it’s been easy to see the impact that one attacking fullback can have: Philipp Lahm in Germany’s 4-0 group win against Australia, Maicon against North Korea and Chile, and Sergio Ramos in last night’s match against Portugal. The advent of attacking fullbacks goes back to the 40s and 50s but, for the younger generation, it is Cafu and Roberto Carlos who best represent the type and their memory certainly lives on in the game today.

In 2006 it was Grosso and Zambrotta, in 2002 it was Cafu and Roberto Carlos, in 1998 it was Lizarazu and Thuram, and in 1994 it was Jorginho and Branco. The team winning the World Cup has boasted the two fullbacks in the finest form – albeit a circular argument. It was Brazil who first shocked the world football consciousness by outmoding the W-M following their 1950 World Cup final defeat to Uruguay and shifting to a four-man defence. A natural progression of having four defenders resulted in at least one of the full backs being responsible for complimenting attacking play.

What’s interesting to note is how opposing formations of the era facilitated the attacking forays of fullbacks i.e. when a flat four-man defence lined up against a 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 it was the fullbacks who had the space to run forward, relatively unopposed. But now less and less teams field a 4-4-2 (especially a flat one) and it has led to a diminished capacity for both fullbacks to advance. So what we’re seeing, again, is something similar to the 1970 Brazil outfit; the advent of one attacking full back and another more disciplined one, tucking in when the former is out of position to provide balance is precisely how Brazil operated in 1970 (Carlos Alberto moved forward and Everaldo tucked in). Lahm/Badstuber, Ramos/Capdevilla, Maicon/Bastos and (to a lesser extent) Van der Wiel/Van Bronckhorst all work in a similar mode.

Players like Roberto Carlos needed to be addressed, tactically, and the natural choice was to deploy an attacking winger in a bid to pen the fullback to defensive duties. But as we can see from Manchester United’s 2003 encounter with Madrid at the Bernabeu, the danger is for the fullback to continue his attack regardless. Madrid played supremely well, beating United 3-1. When it works it is devastating but the dangers are very clear: Walcott dismantled Croatia’s attacking left back Pranjic in Zagreb two years ago by pushing up very high and utilising his frightening pace. The prominence of attacking fullbacks has led to a second method of dampening their threat; the deployment of defensive forwards. Park Ji Sung and Dirk Kuyt have grown in stature over the past three or four years because they are specialists, to a degree, and are prepared to track the forward inclinations of a Maicon, Alves, Lahm, Cole or Evra.

What is intriguing, from a defensive point of view for the fullback, will be how a team wishes to address the issue of Robinho in the current Brazil setup. Instead of being a left sided winger he operates as an auxiliary forward out wide with zero defensive responsibility. The danger for a team will be if they try to call Dunga’s bluff on that flank and push their right back forward to gain the numerical advantage in attack because it plays into Brazil’s counter attacking strengths. Or the fullback may be instructed to sit defensively, leaving others to contribute in attack. There is also the option of a three man midfield shifting laterally to address the lopsided shape, creating very interesting choices for Van Marwijk; Kuyt will probably be used on Maicon’s wing and Robben on Robinho’s side, leaving Bastos and Van der Wiel to marshal the most important areas on the pitch.

The fullbacks’ ability to maraud has lessened since the 2002 Brazil World Cup victory but Roberto Carlos and Cafu are still very much in the memory of every team that utilise the tactic.

If you enjoyed this, you can follow me on Twitter

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

James Milner held 'amicable' talks with Aston Villa on Monday and will travel with the Midlands club on their pre-season trip to Portugal.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill revealed last week that the England midfielder wanted to join long-time suitors Manchester City.

The big-spending Eastlands club had an initial £20million rejected before the World Cup.

Milner was reported to be upset that O'Neill had made public his desire to leave Villa Park.

However, the pair and several representatives held face-to-face talks on Monday before the club released a statement.

"James Milner trained with the rest of the Villa squad today at Bodymoor Heath," it read.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

"He and the manager, along with chief executive Paul Faulkner and the player's representative, Matthew Buck, had an amicable conversation and, while James will not play in tomorrow's game at Walsall, he will fly with the squad to Portugal on Wednesday ahead of the Guadiana Cup in which Villa will compete with Benfica and Feyenoord this weekend."

Milner, who still has two years remaining on his existing contract, has made 90 appearances for Villa since arriving in a £13million deal from Newcastle United in July 2008.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish is hopeful of sealing a new contract in the near future.

The Scot is currently in the Far East with his squad as their pre-season preparations continue ahead of the new Premier League campaign and he is expected to put pen to paper next week after discussions with owner Carson Yeung and his assistant Peter Pannu.

Speaking to the Birmingham Mail, he said:"Peter was in touch with my lawyer and sent some figures to him.

"He has seen them, he's going to come down to me first thing next week when we're back and we're going to move it forward. The logistics at the moment, as we're here in China, means we can't get it done straight away.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

"But I know the parameters and we're going to try and get it nailed next week. We're due back to St Andrews on the Thursday and I will be meeting my lawyer that day and hopefully he will see Peter on Friday, if Peter's back in England by that time."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

After facing the side his team beat to a fourth place finish last season, the Tottenham Hotspur boss, Harry Redknapp’s comments were particularly forthright. A 0-0 home draw with Manchester City at the weekend was followed by this friendly concern for his opposite number, Roberto Mancini: “Can he keep the players happy? It’s difficult. He’s not going to do it.” He may have felt emboldened to make such a claim after his side largely dominated their opponents whose bench included Shay Given, Joleon Lescott and Emmanuel Adebayor. Redknapp went further by saying, “I wouldn’t tip them from what I’ve seen. I wouldn’t say they’ll win the championship. They have a long way to go.” The Tottenham boss has a vested interest in seeing their lavish football project fail but do his words speak an uncomfortable truth for Manchester City?

Having spent over £100 million this summer there is immense pressure on City to qualify for the Champions League at the very least this season. It is little wonder that Mancini can be depicted as having simultaneously the best and worst job in the division. Based on their performance against Spurs they may struggle to reach their ambitions targets. Tottenham were collectively strong and had outstanding individual contributions from Gareth Bale and Luka Modric whilst City were kept level by the outstanding performance of Joe Hart. Mancini proffered this explanation: “We are going to need time to learn how to play together. That is normal when you have new players.” The Italian will have the enviable task of assimilating Mario Balotelli and James Milner into the squad in the coming weeks.

It is to be expected that a revamped squad will require time to gel and bond. Redknapp contrasted City’s team unity with that of current title holders Chelsea. Yet the core of that squad has been stable for many years making it a slightly perfunctory analysis. It is surely too soon to speculate on the chances of a squad still in flux, especially since Redknapp only recently said they had a chance of winning the league. Nonetheless his comments struck a chord with pundits and commentators who similarly questioned the ability of Mancini to mould a coherent side. After using three defensive midfielders on Saturday the manger’s tactics were derided as being negative and typically Italian. Using Gareth Barry, Nigel de Jong and Yaya Toure certainly ostracised Carlos Tevez as their lone striker. Strangely they were in desperate need of a Stephen Ireland figure to bridge that creative divide. Mancini, however, should be applauded for the defensive discipline he has installed in his players. Judging by his record at Internazionale and the attacking players he has there will be room for flair in his team. Yet there is a balance which needs to be found which was missing under previous manager, Mark Hughes.

The bigger concern for Mancini’s City is instilling that togetherness which cannot be bought. He has already taken proactive action to remove divisive characters like Craig Bellamy from the dressing room with others set to depart the club. In an attempt to forge some unity and make room for new stars, Mancini should be cautious of not removing elements of the team which progressed five league places last season. Cardiff City’s latest signing left Eastlands saying, “I came here at a great period of the club’s history. I was brought to bring that club on to the next level and I believe I played a big part in doing that.” Bellamy who was popular at City was not engaging in self-promotion and his on-field effort neatly contrasts with Tevez’s statement that he is lacking motivation. If City’s highly paid stars are in need of extra motivation and spirit Mancini should remind them that the whole league is waiting for them to fail.

Follow me on twitter or subscribe to my RSS feed

Click on image below to see the gallery of Mario Balotelli’s stunning girlfriend

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard will miss England's Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland following a hernia operation.

Lampard limped out of Saturday's 2-0 victory over Stoke City – in which he missed an early penalty – and afterwards manager Carlo Ancelotti revealed the need for surgery.

The 32-year-old midfielder is likely to be sidelined for two weeks so will miss the two forthcoming international games in a blow to manager Fabio Capello.

"It is a very easy surgery but he has started to feel pain and he needs to have the operation," revealed Ancelotti.

"We have already spoken with the national team to explain the situation."

Chelsea maintained their 100 per cent start to the season following victory over the Potters which came via goals from Florent Malouda and a late Didier Drogba penalty.

Afterwards a content Ancelotti explained:"I was happy because we won but we didn't have a good, high tempo. It was not our best performance.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

"The tempo was not continuous but we didn't concede. We kept another clean sheet and stayed top of the table.

"We worked very hard this week. The players had a very strong week and so they were not so sharp."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Being a goalkeeper is a difficult job. You are the first person to blame if a goal goes in but if you manage to pull off an amazing save, your name will forever be written in footballing folklore. Here’s our list of ten of those goalkeepers whose efforts have earned them a spot on our list.

10. Jim Montgomery vs. Leeds United

The Sunderland goalkeeper produced this incredible double save to prevent Leeds United from equalising in the 1973 FA Cup final. Montgomery managed to beat away Trevor Cherry’s header and react instinctively to Peter Lorimer’s rebound onto the crossbar, all in a split second. He displayed incredibly quick reflexes and agility to keep out both of Leeds’ efforts and secure the victory for the Black Cats.

9. Łukasz Fabiański vs Wigan

Speaking of double saves, Arsenal’s Polish goalkeeper Arsenal’s Łukasz Fabiański does a good job impersonating Jim Montgomery with this double stop against Wigan.

The Pole has come in for some harsh criticism of late with some Arsenal fans deriding the error-prone goalie with the nickname ‘Łukasz Flappyhandski’. Those fans maybe would think twice after seeing Fabiański’s double save against Wigan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiC7LqcizW8

8. Artur Boruc vs Hibernian

Fabiański’s fellow countryman Artur Boruc continues Poland’s fine goalkeeping tradition with this outstanding stop against Hibernian. Hibs midfielder David Wotherspoon lets fly a ferocious half volley which is arrowing towards the top corner only for Celtic keeper Boruc to meet the ball at full stretch and divert it onto the post.

Continue to PAGE 2 for some more great saves…

7. Luis Suarez vs Ghana

While not a goalkeeper, Uruguay striker David Suarez displays remarkable reflexes to deny Ghana a certain winner deep into extra time at this summer’s World Cup quarter-final in South Africa. Suarez hailed his handball as “the best save of the tournament” and that the “Hand of God now belongs to me”. Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas walked away with the Golden Gloves for best goalkeeper in the tournament. On this evidence, Suarez can feel hard done by.

6. Jerzy Dudek vs AC Milan

There is definitely a theme emerging here with another Pole making the list. This time it’s the turn of Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek who pulled off arguably the most memorable save in Champions League final history. Not only did Dudek save Andriy Shevchenko’s first header, he somehow managed to keep out the rebound through an instinctive flick of his left hand. Was it luck or was it skill? Whatever it was, Dudek’s heroics in extra time and in the penalty shoot out ensured that Liverpool won the Champions League on a thrilling night in Istanbul.

5. Claudio Bravo vs C.F. Universidad de Chile

Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo produced this incredible penalty save in the league final against Colo Colo’s arch-rivals Univeridad de Chile. The player taking the penalty attempted a Paneka-esque chip. Bravo was initially fooled by this and dived to his right but as soon as he saw the ball in the air, he quickly adapted his body to reach up and swat the ball onto a post.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMjBPwUzcvg

4. Gregory Coupet vs Barcelona

They say football players aren’t a clever bunch but Lyon goalkeeper Gregory Coupet used his head to great effect to keep out an errant backpass. His defender came under pressure from Barcelona attacker Rivaldo and forced a high backpass which threatened to loop over Coupet and into the Lyon goal. Coupet spotted the danger and backpedalled to reach the ball. Realising that the ball was out of reach, Coupet threw his head at the ball and produced a moment of magic as he headed the ball off the crossbar to prevent a goal. Not only that, he got up and saved the rebound from Rivaldo.

However, Coupet’s valiant efforts were to be in vain as Lyon lost 2-0.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iieYg7Sm8FM

Continue to PAGE 3 for the top three…

3. Rene Higuita vs England

Colombian goalkeeper Rene Higuita was an eccentric character. He was a dab hand at set-pieces and penalties, scoring 38 times for club and country. But undoubtedly his greatest achievement was the invention of the scorpion kick. Higuita pulled off his audacious save in a friendly against England where he leaped forward and cleared Jamie Redknapp’s goalbound effort with his heels.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

2. David Seaman vs Sheffield United

David Seaman was approaching his 40th birthday when Arsenal took on Sheffield United in the 2003 FA Cup semi-final but he showed that age was no barrier to greatness as he made one of the best saves ever from a Paul Peschisolido header. Peschisolido headed the ball goalwards from only 6 yards out with Seaman heading in the opposite direction to the ball. He managed to shift his weight and change direction in a split-second and dive sideways towards the ball and claw it out from Arsenal’s goaline.

1. Gordon Banks vs Pele

At number one spot is Gordon Banks iconic save from Pele’s header in the 1970 Wold Cup in Mexico. Banks seemingly breaks the laws of physics as he dives backwards and across to divert Pele’s pinpoint downward header over the crossbar. After the match, Pele describes Banks’ save as the greatest he had ever seen. And who are we to argue with the greatest player of all time?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2gueytEK7E

Any other wonder saves that should have made the list?

Like my article? Follow me on Twitter

Subscribe to my RSS feed.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says that he has been surprised by the amount of coverage given to the Wayne Rooney-Manchester United contract story this week.

After seeming set to leave Old Trafford, the 24-year-old England forward has penned a new five-year contract with the Red Devils, a move which caught many off-guard, but which did not surprise Wenger unduly.

He said:"Once the club came out and said that they couldn't find an agreement, it was a message that they wanted to sell.

"Certainly Rooney has got the guarantees he wanted – you can translate that like you want, but that's it.

"It was just a story that for me, from the start to the end, was of no interest to me. When I saw the headlines I just turned the page.

"I was never really interested in that story because what happened with Wayne Rooney happens to every club, every year – plenty of times.

"Just because he has a different name it was certainly a story, but it is a super-classical story which happens in every club, every week, so I could never understand what was really special in this case."

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti said that he was not too surprised that Rooney had eventually opted to stay put, adding:"I'm not surprised. Manchester United are happy to keep a fantastic player.

"I think that Rooney did a fantastic job for Manchester United and in the future I think he will do the same."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Manchester United's goalkeeping coach Eric Steele believes that veteran Edwin van der Sar will retire at the end of the current campaign.

The 39-year-old Dutchman seems set to be offered a new 12-month contract by the Red Devils, but Steele thinks that the former Ajax, Juventus and Fulham ace will opt to bow out.

He told the Manchester Evening News:"I think Ed has made his mind up and said this is his last year.

"He is a good pro and a sensible and highly intelligent guy who will know when the time is right.

"I don't think he will need myself or the manager to tell him that time has come – he will know

"I think we need him because this team is in transition at the moment. If he gets to Christmas and he thinks it is right to go on and the manager thinks it is right, we will make a decision.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

"It is down to how he feels and performs. If he doesn't perform the manager will make the decision. Edwin will as well."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email