Monday, September 22, 2014

MU Kalah Lagi, Bagaimana Van Gaal?.

Pelatih Louis van Gaal.
Foto : Reuters

LEICESTER -- Manchester United baru saja mengalami kekalahan menyakitkan pada pekan kelima Liga Primer Inggris. Menyakitkan karena MU takluk 3-5 di tangan tim promosi, Leicester City.
Dalam laga yang berlangsung di King Power Stadium, Ahad (21/9) malam WIB, MU sempat unggul 3-1 hingga awal babak kedua. Pelatih MU, Louis van Gaal, pun mengaku sempat tersenyum lebar ketika anak asuhnya unggul 3-1
“Saya telah merasa bahwa kami bermain fantastis saat unggul 3-1. Seharusnya bisa main lebih mendominasi, tapi malah banyak kesalahan yang menghukum kami,” ujar Van Gaal, seperti dikutip Sports Mole, Senin (22/9).
Van Gaal saat itu sempat semakin percaya diri ketika melihat gol kedua MU yang dicetak Angel Di Maria itu tercipta dengan indah. Di Maria menchip bola melewati kepala kiper Leicester, Kasper Schmeichel.
Namun, gara-gara lengahnya barisan pertahanan, keunggulan tersebut tak bertahan. MU diberondong empat gol.
Gol pertama Leicester pada babak kedua terjadi gara-gara kesalahan Rafael yang melanggar Jamie Vardy di kotak terlarang sehingga membuahkan penalti. David Nugent yang menjadi algojo titik putih sukses menaklukkan David De Gea.
Dua menit berselang, giliran Esteban Cambiasso yang menghukum barisan pertahanan MU lewat tendangan jarak jauhnya yang tidak mampu dibendung De Gea. 

Mental para pemain MU langsung runtuh setelah kebobolan dua gol dalam dua menit. Leicester tampil menggila dan berbalik unggul 4-3 melalui gol Jamie Vardy pada menit ke-79.
Berawal dari akselerasi Ritchi De Laet di sisi kanan pertahanan MU, ia kemudian melepaskan umpan tarik kepada Vardy yang sudah menunggu di depan gawang. Vardy pun dengan mudah menjebol gawang  MU. 

MU yang berada dalam kondisi tertinggal, lagi-lagi terhukum oleh kesalahan barisan pertahanan. Bek Tyler Blackett melanggar Vardy dengan keras di dalam kotak penalti yang membuatnya mendapat kartu merah.
Para pendukung Leicester pun semakin bersorak gembira karena Ulloa yang menjadi eksekutor penalti berhasil membawa tim kesayangannya unggul 5-3. 
Kedudukan tidak berubah hingga akhir pertandingan. MU pun harus pulang dengan kepala tertunduk dari King Power Stadium.
Republika.co.id
Reporter : Satria K Yudha
Redaktur : Erik Purnama Putra

Friday, September 19, 2014

Wenger defends under-fire Ozil

Wenger defends under-fire Ozil
Foto : AFP

Mesut Ozil must not be used as a "scapegoat" for Arsenal's shortcomings, manager Arsene Wenger has insisted.
The German World Cup winner, who is Arsenal's record £42million signing, has come under fire following a couple of uninspiring displays, culminating in the 2-0 Champions League defeat away to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night. Wenger, though, rejected constant criticism of the 25-year-old, who remains an integral part of his plans.
"Why should he be a scapegoat? For what? We've lost one game since April 1. Let's be realistic," said Wenger, whose side travel to Aston Villa on Saturday. "We have come out of a very difficult preparation period with decisive games. We had very difficult games against Besiktas. I don't know - a scapegoat for what?"
Wenger continued: "What is difficult to manage today is that everybody knows absolutely everything and everybody judges people definitely on one game. You have to accept that football is played by human beings who have ups and downs like you have in your life.
"You have plenty of tacticians in the world who have managed zero games. You have to accept their opinion - they might be right, they might be wrong as well. They have to accept that.
"We live in a world where everybody has an opinion and we have to live with that. At the end of the day, somebody always has to make a decision and that's the guy who is responsible."
I understand that you want your best players always to make the difference in every single game but we all go through periods where we are a bit less good.
Arsene Wenger
Wenger called for Arsenal fans to get behind the German, who was signed from Real Madrid on deadline day in September 2013.
"They should not be concerned and just support him. I understand that you want your best players always to make the difference in every single game but we all go through periods where we are a bit less good," he said. "You help. A club is a union between players, supporters and directors. You have to be united and sometimes go through periods together where it goes a bit less well."
Arsenal expect to have defender Calum Chambers and midfielder Mathieu Flamini available after missing the Dortmund game. Jack Wilshere's ankle knock is not serious, but the club are still waiting on news of the injury to full-back Mathieu Debuchy, who was carried off against Manchester City on a stretcher.
"He has an exploration of his ankle on Friday night and they go in and look how the ligament is damaged, and after that we know if he does need surgery," said Wenger, who indicated Arsenal may yet move for a free agent defender as cover, having been linked with Nigeria international Joseph Yobo. "If he doesn't, it'll be six weeks, if he does need surgery it'll be three months. At the moment we don't know."
Arsenal are unbeaten in the Premier League, but have now drawn three matches. Wenger said: "We want to respond (at Villa). We had a disappointing performance more than a defeat.
"I think what was important is that we came out of Saturday's game feeling that we had a very good performance and on Tuesday night we didn't, so it's important we come back. We have confidence in our strengths and we want to show that we can perform in the game that is important on Saturday."