Callejon credits 'Maradona effect' as Napoli down Milan

The forward suggested that a meeting with the Argentina legend helped the Partenopei secure victory in the key Serie A encounter on Saturday

Jose Callejon credited Diego Maradona for inspiring Napoli to a valuable 2-1 Serie A victory over Milan at San Siro.

The Partenopei and Argentina great visited the club's training base in Castel Volturno this week to meet the players and head coach Maurizio Sarri ahead of a run of key matches, with a Coppa Italia quarter-final against Fiorentina and a Champions League last-16 meeting with Real Madrid to come in the next month.

Maradona's influence certainly seemed to have helped as Lorenzo Insigne and Callejon struck inside the opening nine minutes of Saturday's game, with Napoli ultimately holding out for all three points despite Juraj Kucka halving the deficit.

And the 29-year-old paid tribute to the former star's impact following what he believed was a performance that proved Napoli's potential to challenge for the Scudetto.

"We deserved it. It's always difficult to play at San Siro but we showed we are a great team," he told Mediaset Premium. "Yes, there was a little of the 'Maradona effect'!

"Milan are a great side, we were superb for the first 30 minutes but then they came back at us. 

"We always want to improve, and coming here to win is proof of that.

"We are trying to stay there [at the top] and to keep playing for it. We're working well, with the right mentality. We want to keep going."

Milan CEO Adriano Galliani felt the match was a superb advert for Serie A, despite admitting that he had feared the very worst when Napoli raced into a 2-0 lead.

"I am sad at the defeat, but it was a wonderful match," he told Milan TV. "The fans had fun; there weren't many jeers at the final whistle because they saw we gave our all against a great opponent.

"We had chances but you have to accept the defeat if you don't take them. I went into the Napoli dressing room to compliment Maurizio Sarri, because he makes his team play really good football, just as Vincenzo Montella does.

"We were fighting back again and I think the gap from us to the top teams has really whittled down now. If you'd have interviewed me after 10 minutes, I'd have thought it a nuclear disaster... You never know what will happen."

Zidane urges Madrid fans to stick with Ronaldo and Benzema

The duo were out of sorts in the win over Malaga but the Frenchman says he has no worries over their current lack of goals

Zinedine Zidane has encouraged Real Madrid fans to have patience and support Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema after their indifferent showings in a 2-1 La Liga win over Malaga.

After delivering an uncharacteristically poor performance against Celta Vigo in midweek, Ronaldo missed a number of chances on Saturday as Benzema was also jeered by his own supporters.

While recognising his forwards' disappointing form, Zidane urged the Madrid fans to stand by the duo, while insisting the club's injury crisis is of greater concern at this stage.

"We are finding it hard to score and opponents are doing us damage," the Madrid coach said. "We need to be relaxed and rest, we are generally happy with the scoreline.

"We must also have patience with the forwards. Karim and Cristiano have scored goals, maybe not in the last games, but I am not concerned.

"We had chances to score more, but we got two and it is a fair result. We must continue working as we have been. [It] is a good result in general.

"When you have difficulties, you need [the supporters] to be calm and support the team. I can only ask for everyone to remain calm.

"The fans will always demand more. We know that, but sometimes the players and the coaches need more affection from their fans. Our fans are very demanding.

"I understand the sentiments of the people. It is an audience that always want more from their team, but, sometimes, over the season, with many games, many injuries, the players need some affection, and the coach too.

"It is not the form of the attackers which worries me at the moment, it is more the injuries."

With Luka Modric and Marcelo the club's latest injury victims, Madrid ended the game with Lucas Vasquez at right-back - a source of frustration for Zidane.

"Lucas did perfect, but I do not like playing him there," he added. "He is not a full-back. As always, he did phenomenal - even out of position."

Pogba risks becoming like Memphis at Manchester United, says Gullit

The France international has been warned he must up his game if he is to avoid the same fate as the recently departed Dutchman

Paul Pogba risks becoming a Manchester United flop like Memphis Depay if he does not concentrate on his football, according to Ruud Gullit.

Depay has recently departed Old Trafford for Ligue 1 side Lyon after failing to make an impact since his high-profile transfer from PSV in 2015.

Pogba, signed for a world record fee from Juventus, is yet to consistently replicate his best form at Old Trafford and has been frequently criticised for his displays this season.

The midfielder’s performances have been overshadowed by his own official Twitter emoji and eye-catching haircuts this week and Gullit says he has to prove his worth on the pitch.

“Paul Pogba is going through the same thing at United as Memphis Depay,” he said according to the Mirror.

“He may be the most expensive player in the world, but that does not count if he is spending more time on his dress style, the colours in his hair and his social media.

“Paul should ask Memphis – and he will realise that being successful and reaching top level in England is only possible if you perform every week and if you dedicate everything to your career.

“Memphis was heavily criticised because he found it more important to pimp his image than improve his football. He should have known that stuff on the pitch goes before anything.”

Gullit also feels that the Old Trafford faithful could turn on Pogba if he fails to justify his huge price tag on the pitch and that his priority must always be to his club.

“Pogba will also get the wrath of the fans. People will start to moan and have a go at him,” he added.

“Even for the biggest football stars in the world there is a big rule: Playing well for your club comes first, don’t let all the other stuff catch the limelight. That is my advice.”

Pogba was again unable to inspire United to victory on Saturday as they slumped to a 1-1 draw against Stoke on Saturday, thanks to a 94th minute Wayne Rooney equaliser.

source:goal.com

The Red Devils bid the Frenchman Griezmann for 100 Million?

How do you spend €689m? Manchester United must make Griezmann their next Pogba-esque signing

You can tell when Paul Pogba has turned in an underwhelming performance because everybody suddenly starts reminding you of his world-record price tag. One poor display is all it takes for people to mention his £89.5 million transfer fee and start doubting once more whether Manchester United got their money’s worth

.

But the revelation this week that United drew the highest annual revenue in history in 2015-16 at €689m means not only that the outlay on Pogba was more than accounted for but also that big spending is likely to continue next summer and beyond at Old Trafford.

As such, talk of United potentially outdoing even themselves to sign Antoine Griezmann at the end of the season is far from fantasy. Having reacted to three years of inadequacy by going all out, splashing the cash on Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Eric Bailly and high-earning freebie Zlatan Ibrahimovic, United are now wedded to the strategy of going big.

And in Griezmann the ultimate in big-name, big-money signings is available. The Frenchman has developed an enormous reputation in La Liga with Real Sociedad and latterly Atletico Madrid, leading him to become one of the most talked about players in the debate about who can take the place of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at the top of the modern game.

Jose Mourinho has acknowledged that his forward line is over-flowing, and even after Friday’s departure of Memphis Depay to Lyon the manager was clear that he remains fully-stocked in that department.

“He is a player from the only position where we have over-booking,” the Portuguese explained ahead of Saturday’s Premier League trip to Stoke City. But Mourinho was largely relating to his raft of available wide players, and in truth United have often been left missing a vital edge in the final third this season.

Wayne Rooney has delivered the best results in terms playing to Ibrahimovic’s strengths, Juan Mata has done a better job of causing serious problems when in possession, while Pogba has been the biggest threat carrying the ball at pace. Yet there has not been one single solution, and that has arguably been the great difference between United converting the countless chances they have made this season and the reality of them sitting in sixth place after failing to turn quality possession into goals.

Griezmann’s profile certainly fits the bill for United, and they are also in the privileged position of not finding his value restrictive. Just as Real Madrid balked at Juventus’ asking price for Pogba, they are unlikely to be able to outbid United on Griezmann. Barcelona, too, are in no better a frame of mind to add a big-time France international to their squad than they were last summer, and the make-up of their side arguably wouldn’t suit Griezmann in any case.

Approaching the age of 26, Griezmann is about to reach his peak and must surely be considering spreading his wings away from Atletico. To truly test his potential, he deserves a far bigger platform than the one on which he currently performs, and there is no bigger than Old Trafford.

United’s earnings for 2016-17 will obviously be hit by their lack of Champions League football, but the increased Premier League TV deal should offset that blow, leaving them in no weaker a position of power in the coming summer’s transfer market than they were when they snapped up Pogba.

Knowing better than anyone that it is high time they challenged for a Premier League title once more, United will stop at nothing to make it happen. Just as they threw all of their chips on the table for Pogba, they will do the same if necessary for Griezmann.

United have a Griezmann-shaped hole in their team, and the Frenchman could well be up for grabs this summer. And if there is one thing for sure, it is that United have the money needed and the will to spend it. Go big or go home? There’s only one answer to that if you’re Manchester United.

sources:http://www.goal.com/en-my/news/3956/transfer-zone/2017/01/21/31780592/how-do-you-spend-689m-manchester-united-must-make-griezmann?ICID=OP

RUMOURS: Southampton winning race for Gabbiadini but fall short of €25m asking price

Claude Puel's side lead a host of Premier League clubs in the race for the Napoli striker, but their offer remains far from the €25 million price tag

Southampton's offer for striker Manolo Gabbiadini continues to fall short of Napoli's asking price, reports Tuttosport.

The Saints lead West Ham, West Brom and Stoke City in the race to sign the 25-year-old, who is surplus to requirements at the Partenopei.

However, Southampton's maximum offer stands at €16 million, whereas Napoli are demanding €25m.

sources: http://www.goal.com/en-my/news/3956/transfer-zone/2017/01/21/31787212/rumours-southampton-winning-race-for-gabbiadini-but-fall