We are on the final international break of 2018. Although it’s a break period, there is still plenty of news circulating on this Thursday. Let’s take a look at some of the relevant news and notes making the rounds within the Manchester United community online right now.
We start with team captain Antonio Valencia, who contradicts the claims made by manager Jose Mourinho. The Ecuador international says that Mourinho isn’t resting him. The right back revealed that he’s actually been dropped.
He still maintains that his relationship with his manager is good though.
He told Area Deportiva: “Right now I haven’t been playing, but it’s more of a tactical decision.
“The player who has been in my place [Ashley Young] has been playing well. You have to respect the decision.
“The only thing I can do is prepare and be ready for when he [Mourinho] needs me and be in the right condition to compete. I’m calm right now and I know I’ll get an opportunity to play again.
“The relationship with Mourinho has always been a good one.”
-Speaking of Mourinho, he was spotted last night at Belgium’s 2-0 win over Iceland. He was most likely there on a scouting mission of January transfer targets (read: Toby Alderweireld), but gave a great response when asked why he was in the building. Watch below:
“José, what brings you to misty Belgium?”
– “The weather.” ?
65 minuten. Langer keek #Mourinho niet naar #BELIJS. @VTMNIEUWS pic.twitter.com/DLXFHNBsMO
— Jarno Bertho (@JarnoBertho) November 15, 2018
The coy response and then the sinister laugh to boot? LOL! Classic Mourinho.
Finally, Brexit is a globe-shifting event that will have ramifications and ripple effects in ways that we can’t even imagine right now. Great Britain’s exit from the European Union is not going smooth to say the least.
If somehow it doesn’t happen, and Britain gets to stay in the EU, then as an American I simply have to say: hey, if the mother country gets out of the stupid, awful, horrible thing that the xenophobic, low information portion of the electorate voted for in 2016, then us Yanks should as well! (yeah, that’s a joke. relax…..but seriously….please can we escape this national nightmare that is the Trump presidency…please!).
According to a report in the Manchester Evening News, Brexit is already having an effect on Manchester United. However, club CEO Ed Woodward assured investors during a conference call that his club would be ready. Read more on that at the link to M.E.N.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Lineups.com and Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.