Manchester United are now in California where they have commenced the USA portion of their 2018-19 preseason training activities. Manager Jose Mourinho certainly embodies the old Randy Newman song “I love L.A.” because he continues bringing United to the area every year for preseason training.
There is certainly no shortage of topics to discuss today, so let’s take a spin through the latest news and notes items making the rounds on the internet today.
Mourinho may be getting to spend some time in the warm southern California sunshine, one of his favorite places on Earth, but he’s still sounded cranky, as he keeps complaining during his press conferences (even more so than he typically does).
United traveled one state over, to Phoenix, Arizona where they played Club America to a 1-1 draw. After the club’s first preseason match, Mourinho said that he really must have Alexis Sanchez feature in the next one against the San Jose Earthquakes in Santa Clara. Alexis was left behind initially due to travel visa issues, but he’s resolved them now and is expected to join
“It is not about when he can, but when he has to,” Mourinho said in the post game press conference.
“We have no players and especially in attack we have no players, today was [Anthony] Martial and when Martial left the pitch was [Juan] Mata and when Mata went to the sides it was a kid that was a first time he trained with us in this preseason.”
“No [Romelu] Lukaku, no [Marcus] Rashford, not here and probably not the start of the Premier League, so is about when Alexis lands and when he lands he has to play because he trained with us five days before we depart to LA and we left one fitness coach behind with him. Of course it is individual training but when he arrives he has to play.”
“If he’s coming he has to play.”
Speaking of Rashford, he was named the second most valuable player in the world under the age of 21. SoccerEx uses data from Prime Time Sport’s Football Value Index, a metric that encompasses both on and off the pitch traits, and here’s what they came up with.
Top 5 most valuable Under-21 players in the world:
1) Kylian Mbappe €192 million
2) Marcus Rashford €89 million
3) Gabriel Jesus: €88 million
4) Ousmane Dembele: €84 million
5) Malcolm: €64 million.
-Finally Man United fan and reported transfer target, Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder Christian Pulisic is in Chicago right now set to take on United’s arch-rival, Manchester City, in a friendly at Soldier Field.
Pulisic responded to a question about the transfer rumors surrounding him, as he’s been linked to Liverpool and Tottenham, in addition to United.
“It’s not distracting at all to me. I don’t pay too much attention to it,” Pulisic told the media at a very noisy sponsored event Thursday (he was not made available during normal media opportunities).
“Right now I’m focused with Dortmund. I want to have a good preseason. That’s all I can focus on right now.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, is currently a regular contributor to SB Nation, WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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