Diogo Dalot set to feature for Manchester United against Watford

Luke Shaw has got concussion after the game for England against Spain. That means, notwithstanding Jose Mourinho’s approach to injuries with his players, he is unlikely to feature for United against Watford on Saturday. However, Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young are expected to start. That means that there’s a chance Diogo Dalot is going to play for the first time. He says he is, ‘getting ready,’ for Saturday. There could be a place on the bench for the weekend. Dalot is six foot tall, so while he might be a better full back than most people his age, he is probably already a more suitable option at central defence than Phil Jones and Chris Smalling, who have proved they are unable to perform at any reasonable level for the club.

There’s discussion here about how David de Gea is perceived in Spain and how he has performed for the national side. It’s fair to say that De Gea is not known for his performances at international level, nor is he especially liked in his home country. While, for him, it would doubtless be more pleasant if he was able to play better for Spain and if he was also more popular, it is nevertheless potentially a factor in keeping De Gea at United. Real Madrid now have Thibaut Courtois, so there is no obvious move back to Spain for him anymore. Paris Saint-Germain might be able to use him, but they appear to be grooming Alphonse Areola as the full time replacement for Gianluigi Buffon.

Manchester United have posted a job advert for a performance analyst. Looking at the job specification, it appears to be a scouting role, used to identify the best talent and bring it to the attention of the man with the money. Far be it from me to suggest that Ed Woodward’s ego would not allow him to appoint a proper director of football, and this is a way of him keeping hold of the credit for any future transfers.

This rumpus in the Ireland side shows just why it would be so much fun to have Roy Keane back in the dugout at United, and it also shows why it would probably be an unmitigated disaster. You simply can no longer threaten to break the legs of your players, nor can you threaten to burn down their house with all of their possessions in it. It’s this kind of political correctness gone mad farce which has ruined society. I’m sorry, that bumbling clown Jordan Peterson appears to have been writing that last paragraph.

Zinedine Zidane has said that he is ready to return to football management, ‘soon.’ Zidane left Real Madrid as a palpably superior manager to Pep Guardiola after winning three consecutive Champions League trophy, and walked away from Florentino Perez on his own terms, and maintaining his self-respect. Surely there is room for a Marseille-born talisman with a history of appropriate violence, at Old Trafford? Zidane remains favourite to take over from Jose Mourinho, who is on his way out.

We all are. Act accordingly.