PEP: I’M A MANC FOR LIFE
was easy, and there was a time when I could not stay with him any more, but he was fair.” n how he almost reneged on his agreement to become Bayern Munich boss... “I arrived and stayed the first month and then signed a contract to go to Bayern Munich. I started to study German.
“It’s so complicated to learn. Three or four hours a day with the grammar, after two months I thought: I’m going to call and break the contract.
“It’s so complicated even for German kids to learn. Can you imagine for a 41-year-old? But I am stubborn.” n why Elton John’s ‘Your Song’ is one of his favourite tracks...“One of my dreams is to have a concert from Elton John, especially this song.
“I first heard it when I was 18 or 19 and started to play in Barcelona.
“I met him when we played Watford at the end of last season and it was a huge pleasure. If he has organised a concert here, please, I will be there.” n David Silva’s son Mateo’s fight for life after he was born premature in December.. “Mateo fought for his life many months and to David we said if you have to stay there and come back, you can decide. We are here for everything you need.
“It is going well. David is strong – I think he is more mature. I have a feeling he laughs and talks more.
“It was nice to see this amazing, happy end. I think Mateo will be strong – he survived for his life.”
OOOPaul Ince was speaking exclusively to Paddy Power News. To read more visit news.paddypower.com ROMELU LUKAKU alone is not to blame for Manchester United’s form being patchier than a dalmatian’s spots. But as Old Trafford legend Paul Ince branded his former club “completely scared” to play, and as disoriented as “deer in headlights”, Lukaku’s struggle has become a focal point for United’s nightmare start to the season.
Ince warned the Theatre of Dreams had lost its aura as a fortress, and Juventus “walked all over United” in midweek, because of manager Jose Mourinho’s failure to make £400million worth of signings play like the sum of its parts.
Lukaku – four goals in 13 appearances this season – has gone eight games without scoring, and Ince says the £75m striker simply is not capable of becoming the No.9 Mourinho wants. Didier Drogba and Diego Costa fired Mourinho to three Premier League titles at Chelsea, but Lukaku did not even manage a single shot in the Champions League defeat by Juve on Tuesday. Ince warned: “It looked like Lukaku was trying to do something against Juventus – the only issue is, no matter how hard he tried, he just wasn’t capable.
“When you are at United, you must perform at seven or eight out of 10 every week. I’m not sure he has the ability to do that.
“He should be the focal point of the team. He’s 25 years old now, he’s not going to change. The Lukaku you have now is the one you’re always going to have, that’s what you’ve got to work with. “It’s obvious he needs help. There’s no doubt he can score goals – you can see it from his record. But playing for United is about more than that. “He constantly loses the ball throughout every game. But as an ex-player, if my control and retention of the ball wasn’t great, I’d be out there every afternoon, getting it right. “It makes you wonder what he’s working on in training because we’ve never seen an improvement. “You can’t always blame the manager – sometimes you need to take responsibility for your own performances.”
Mirror Sport revealed last week that current United players are angry at the stream of criticism from the club’s old boys, notably the Class of ’92 including Paul Scholes and Gary Neville.
But Ince will not be gagged, and he gave Mourinho both barrels for becoming the biggest-spending manager in United’s history – but failing dismally to fit the jigsaw pieces together coherently.
The Guvnor blasted: “He bought Fred, who can’t get a game, and the same goes for Alexis Sanchez. He’s disappeared – his career has gone backwards.
“I can see why there has been criticisms of the board. But in their defence, you can’t go and spend £50m on Fred just