It may be international break, and yes that’s boring, very boring, but we still have plenty of Manchester United news items to discuss today. So let’s dive right in, starting with the CIES Football Observatory, their squad valuations and closing with the latest update on Marcus Rashford.
Now take these rankings and numbers with a grain of salt, as it’s anything but an exact science, but it does go to show the quality and value of the players on the United roster, and it makes you wonder why they aren’t winning trophies, with all that quality!
From @ManCity to @NorwichCityFC: estimated squad transfer values for @premierleague teams as per @CIES_Football ? algorithm ? Data for all big-5? league teams in the 350th Weekly Post ? ?? https://t.co/SSBSbHxDUC pic.twitter.com/osBxgcqBFY
— CIES Football Obs (@CIES_Football) October 6, 2021
Top estimated squad transfer values for teams in the big-5? as per @CIES_Football ?? algorithm ? @ManCity ahead of @ManUtd & @ChelseaFC ? Full data in last Weekly Post ? ?? https://t.co/SSBSbHxDUC pic.twitter.com/41qsVNK2ZF
— CIES Football Obs (@CIES_Football) October 4, 2021
I think you know the answer to that question- the manager. After Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made the head-scratching decision to drop a trio of star players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, in a match that was right before an international break, we’ve felt that it’s time for him to go.
We’ve stated that in several posts, but our opinion is just one of many out there.
Sir Alex Ferguson, the club patriarch of all patriarchs, was caught on tape saying that Ronaldo should not have been dropped for that match, and you know what that means- the seat is warming for OGS.
Seriously, his seat has to be scorching hot right now.
Finally, we close with an item that is much more upbeat and positive in nature- the return of Marcus Rashford, MBE. It appears his rehabilitation is now complete, as he played in a behind closed doors friendly today, a 3-0 win over Blackburn Rovers. And he didn’t just play, he scored!
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.
He co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.