(^50) DAILY MIRROR TUESDAY 27.08.2019
DM1ST
MAT’S
YOUR
LOT
MANCHESTER UNITED
City’s Gun fired
up by Kop flyers
BY ALEX CROOK
ILKAY GUNDOGAN admits Liverpool’s
flying start to the season has cranked
up the pressure on Manchester City.
The champions sit second in the
Premier League after taking seven
points from their first three games. But
Liverpool boast a 100 per cent record.
City midfielder Gundogan (above)
said: “The fact Liverpool have done so
well shows there is a team with a lot of
quality that will be a big contender.
“That is good for the league, for us
and for Liverpool that we will be there.
It is going to be a fight so we have to be
there and have to win.”
Now Spanish eye
move for Monreal
BY JOHN CROSS
UNAI EMERY is holding talks with
Nacho Monreal about his Arsenal
future with Real Sociedad believing
they are close to a deal.
The La Liga side have offered
Monreal (below) a two-year
deal plus a one-year
extension to tempt him
from London back to
his native Spain.
Gunners boss Emery
is well-stocked with left
backs after signing Kieran
Tierney and Sead Kolasinac is also
available, so the final decision will be
left to Monreal.
Tierney is still some weeks away
from being fit after surgery, but if
Monreal wants to go they are unlikely
to stand in his way.
Monreal, 33, has a year left on his
current deal and indicated earlier that
he wanted to stay. But Tierney’s arrival
has clearly changed his mind.
SO KANED
ALREADY
has left Mauricio Pochettino (above)
and his men five points behind
leaders Liverpool.
Spurs striker Kane admits they
cannot afford many more slip-ups
otherwise champions City and
Liverpool will be out of sight.
Kane, whose side suffered a shock
1-0 defeat to Newcastle on Sunday,
said: “As you’re seeing from
Manchester City and Liverpool there
is no letting up from them.
“I said before the start of the
season if we could put a run together,
maybe winning for two-three months
on the spin, that’s what it’s going to
take. It’s a disappointing start.”
Kane also warned Tottenham must
get a result from Sunday’s derby at
Arsenal, adding: “You never want to
go into an international break having
lost or drawn.”
KLOPP: I CAN’T DO THINGS BY HALF SO I MAY QUIT
BY DAVID MADDOCK
JURGEN KLOPP believes
his heavy-metal philosophy
means he could eventually
take a year out of football.
The Liverpool manager
(left) said he has an all-or-
nothing approach to the
job that could lead to
burn-out. The German,
who has three years left
on his Anfield contract,
says that he can’t predict
at the moment if he will
walk away from the Reds
when that is up.
He did, though, suggest
the idea of a sabbatical
makes some appeal.
“I have absolute energy
but I have one problem – I
can’t do ‘a little bit.’ With
me it’s all or nothing,” he
said. “If I decide for myself
that I can’t go on any
more, I’ll take a break and
in that year I’d have to
make a definite decision
(whether to continue). But
the chances are very high
that my energy levels will
go up again (after a break)
and that I can then do the
job the way I want to.”
His words have
increased speculation he
will quit Liverpool when his
deal expires in 2022. That
would take him to seven
years at Anfield – and he
served seven years at his
two previous clubs as
manager, Borussia
Dortmund and Mainz.
Solskjaer is ready to show his
out-of-favour Serb the exit door
EXCLUSIVE BY JEREMY CROSS
NEMANJA MATIC wants
showdown talks with Ole Gunnar
Solskjaer to discuss his
Manchester United future.
The Serbian midfielder has
become an outcast at Old Trafford
this season after losing his place in
Solskjaer’s starting XI to Scott
McTominay. It is understood Matic
is less than impressed with his treat-
ment and wants clear-the-air talks
to discover if he is still part of his
manager’s plans.
Matic joined United from Chelsea
in a £40million deal in the summer
of 2017 when Jose Mourinho was
boss.
He became an instant hit and ce-
mented his place in the United mid-
field. But following Mourinho’s
sacking last December, the 31-year-
old has become less and less influen-
tial in Solskjaer’s new regime.
He was a close ally of Mourinho at
United and one of the few players to
support him as the Portuguese faced
a dressing-room revolt during the
final weeks of his troubled reign at
Old Trafford.
Since Mourinho left, however, the
former Benfica star has felt more and
more isolated and, at 31, fears he
could need a new challenge.
Matic has not started a game
under Solskjaer (above) since
the first week in May, when
United were held to a draw by
relegated Huddersfield.
To make matters worse, he
still can’t force his way into
the side despite the fact
United have sold both Ander
Herrera and Marouane Fel-
laini in the last seven
months without re-
placing them.
The Serb has
found himself stuck
on the bench for the
first three games of
the new campaign and is
worried Solskjaer will use him only
for Europa League and domestic cup
games this season.
Solskjaer is a huge fan of
McTominay and believes the Scot-
land international is more mobile
than Matic in one of the defensive
midfield positions.
But Matic, who spent three years
at Chelsea from 2014, believes his
greater experience is being ig-
nored and is now set to meet
Solskjaer to find out where he
stands.
Several European clubs
are keeping tabs on the situ-
ation and would consider
signing him on loan should
he decide to leave before the
European transfer window
closes next Monday.
FORMER United striker
Romelu Lukaku (left)
celebrates his first goal for Inter
Milan in their 4-0 Serie A win
over Lecce last night.
EXCLUSIVEBYJEREMYCROSS
LUKE OUT OF
LUCK AGAIN
HAMSTRING trouble is likely
to sideline Luke Shaw for up
to a month.
The Manchester United
defender picked up the
injury in Saturday’s 2-1
defeat by Crystal Palace.
The news is a blow to both
United and England, with
Shaw possibly sitting out up
to six Premier League
games, including showdowns
with Arsenal and Liverpool.
The left-back (above) will
also miss England’s Euro
2020 qualifiers against
Bulgaria on September 7
and Kosovo three days later.
Shaw has suffered a string
of injuries since joining from
Southampton in 2016.
FROM BACK PAGE
OUTCAST Matic
is demanding
clear-the-air
talks with boss
Solskjaer (below)
grace
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