Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘Grealish will really test Foxes’
United boss Ole gets green light to sign the best players in world this summer
JULIAN JOACHIM enjoys legendary status at both Leicester and Aston Villa – but he’s tipping Brendan Rodgers’ men to emerge victorious in today’s Midlands showdown.
The 46-year-old former frontman (below) burst onto the scene with the Foxes as a teenager and made 119 appearances between 1992 and 1996, scoring 31 goals.
Villa also remain close to his heart but Joachim said: “I’m a Leicester supporter and was so proud when they won the Premier League in 2016.
“I’m extremely pleased to see both clubs doing so well. I thought Villa had a hard season last year but they have got to grips with the division and are going from strength to strength.
“For today’s game, I’m going to go for a 3-1 Leicester win with Jamie Vardy getting a brace.
“But I’m a big admirer of Jack Grealish’s talent and he will cause problems. This is a great game for the neutral because they are evenly matched and play attacking football.”
Joachim came through Leicester’s youth system and recalled: “I went on to score some great goals, including one at Barnsley in the FA Cup which I still see shared regularly on social media 28 years on!
“And I will never forget scoring the club’s first-ever Premier League goal.”
He was reunited with ex-Leicester boss Brian Little at Villa after the Foxes were relegated, and made 174 Villans appearances scoring 45 goals.
He added: “I loved my time at Villa and played with great players. We had some great achievements including going top of the Premier League, for the first time in my career.”
These days Joachim is still playing non-league football to keep fit, and is co-founder of two football social-media platforms which will be launching this year, PlayerTrader.com and TrueFans.app.
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER insists he has the backing of Manchester United’s owners to bring stellar targets like Erling Haaland to Old Trafford.
United failed in a bid to sign Haaland a year ago when the brilliant Norwegian striker decided to join Borussia Dortmund from Molde over concerns that Solskjaer’s future in Manchester was less than secure.
When the Reds then refused to pay £120million for Haaland’s Dortmund team-mate Jadon Sancho in the summer, the Florida-based Glazer family were hammered for running the club on the cheap.
But Solskjaer is buoyant about his chances of landing a contract extension. And he also feels that after a top-four finish last season, United will be in pole position to land the kind of world-class talent the fans crave if he can once again qualify for the Champions League.
Solskjaer said: “We’ve got a plan to become a very successful Man United team – and a team that top players want to play for.
“It’s down to us to keep improving and getting closer to the trophies.
“The owners keep backing the club and myself and hopefully we can improve the team.”
He will have just one year left on his contract in the summer – but the 47-year-old has no doubts that executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward will give him the time and resources to finish the job.
Solskjaer said: “I talk to Ed all the time and I know we will keep on discussing the progress of the team.”
Dortmund will cash in on either Haaland or
Sancho in the summer after taking a financial hit during the pandemic.
With United’s interest in
Sancho cooling after paying Atalanta £37m for teenager Amad Diallo last month, they are likely to once again target Haaland.
It would make sense for Dortmund to sell after it was revealed that the striker (right) has a contract clause which will be triggered in 2022 limiting any fee to £65m.
United face Newcastle at Old Trafford today looking to consolidate their position behind leaders Manchester City after thumping Real Sociedad in Turin on Thursday night to take a huge step towards the last 16 of the Europa League. Edinson
Cavani (below) is likely to return to lead Solskjaer’s attack.
And the United boss has been so delighted with the Colombian since his arrival for free in the summer that only the Manchester weather could prevent the 34-year-old from signing a contract extension.
Solskjaer said: “I will sit down with Edinson at the end of the season, but so far, so good. I just hope the weather in Manchester will improve for him!
“I haven’t been surprised by Edinson, just impressed. I spoke to Ander Herrera, Diego Forlan and other players who knew Edinson and every one of them sang his praises for his attitude and his personality.
“When you’re a footballer, there is a spell early on in your career when you’re young and you’re eager.
“Then you enter a stage halfway through when you come to think you’re invincible. But then you get towards the end – and that’s when you really make the most of it.
“Edinson isn’t going to let his career be cut short through any lack of desire or determination or lack of work.”