The Adina Apartment Hotel Perth offers luxury self contained serviced apartments centrally located in the heart of the Perth CBD, next to the Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Ideal for singles, couples, families, groups of friends holidaying together, corporate business travellers or convention delegates looking for either short or long term accommodation in a great Perth location, the 4.5-star Adina Apartment Hotel Perth is surrounded by great restaurants, cafes, gyms and the shopping of the Perth CBD (Central Business District). Many of Perth's must-see attractions, entertainment venues, and landmarks are just minutes away by foot or car, including the Swan Bells, many museums, art galleries, and parks, Perth's myriad of restaurants, exciting shopping, and interesting markets. The Barrack Street Ferry Terminal and Kings Park are each less than 10 minutes walk away. The Perth International Airport is 20 minutes by car from the hotel.
The Adina Apartment Hotel Perth features a heated outdoor swimming pool, Spa/ Jacuzzi, fully equipped 24-hour fitness centre, massage services and sauna. Guests enjoy international cuisine and cocktails at the on site Metro Bistro & Bar.
Further guest facilities and services include 24-hour front desk, BBQ facilities, landscaped garden, room service, on site car rental, tour/ticket assistance, fee pay car parking, bicycle rental, coffee shop on site, concierge, daily housekeeping, grocery deliveries, luggage storage, dry cleaning/ laundry service, wake-up service, 100MB of FREE WIFI per 24 hours, daily newspapers, laundry facilities, luggage storage, non-smoking apartments and throughout, facilities for disabled guests, computer station on site, a designated smoking area, taxi service, porter/bellhop, lift/ elevator, interconnected apartments, in-room breakfast packs (fees apply), restaurant delivery service (fees apply), kids pack, airport shuttle (fees apply), mail services, doctor on call, babysitting service and cot hire. Children under 4 years STAY FREE OF CHARGE when using existing beds.
Business facilities include 100MB of FREE WIFI per 24 hours, computer station on site, a business center, faxing facilities, photocopying services and conference/ meeting/banquet facilities.
With its great location, convenient dining, and well-appointed studios and one or two bedroom apartments, the Adina Apartment Hotel Perth is the ideal home away from home whether you're visiting for business or pleasure.
Business facilities: 100MB of FREE WIFI per 24 hours, computer station on site, a business center, faxing facilities, photocopying services and conference/ meeting/banquet facilities.


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CD REVIEW: The Tonewelders - Five Sticks
By Ben Ohmart - 05/21/2007 - 10:34 AM EDT
Artist: The Tonewelders
Website: http://www.tonewelders.com/
Genre: Alternative Pop
An alt-pop band with some clever lyrics and fun tunes. But I think what I like best about the band already is their choice of different song subjects. Even if they aren't Not love songs, at least you don't Think they're love songs. Confused? Okay, let's quote from the 1st song 'I'll Take A Little' - 'but i'll take a little / a little of the way it used to be / when I had you and you put up with me / now all I need is hope and sympathy / and something I can't have / I must say / I do play / a mean second fiddle / I may need a lot / but i'll take a little.'
I wish more bands would do different things like what The Tonewelders are doing. 'if I could take my own advice / I would be on a plane to memphis / if I could only do what's right / I would be gone / I would be gone and that would be fine'. The tune is, incredibly, called 'If I Could Take My Own Advice', which reminds me of a cross between REM and country.
The Latin feel of 'What The I Ching Says''s beginning threw me for a minute, but then the vocals and guitars start and I know we're back into pop. 'when should I plant my seeds / should I finish my degree / should I set my mind on higher things / will I get a raise or a rare disease / will instant karma break both my knees.' Yeah, let's see what the I Ching says.
You know, this guy's voice reminds me of the lead singer of Men At Work. A little. It's a good band. Personally I'd favor more up-uptempo songs, but what you've got here is good stuff, esp. in terms of alt-messages and twisty lyrics. G-good job.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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DICE's Johan Andersson Talks BF4, Frostbite, Mantle, The Future
By Chris Angelini 03 December 2013
Tom's Hardware's Editorial Director, Chris Angelini, sits down with DICE's Johan Andersson to talk about Battlefield 4, the Frostbite 3 engine, features he wants to see in next-gen hardware, developing for the Xbox One and PS4, and AMD's Mantle API.
Preparing For A World Of VR And HMDs
Page 1: Chris Angelini And Johan Andersson Talk Battlefield 4 And Frostbite 3
Page 2: The Future Of Hardware And Game Realism
Page 3: Preparing For A World Of VR And HMDs
Page 4: The Future Of Frostbite: More Streamlined Development
Page 5: Parallelism And Graphics On Next-Gen Consoles
Page 6: Fully Utilizing Next-Gen Console Hardware
Page 7: What Does A World With Many Low-Level APIs Look Like?
Page 8: What Are The Chances That AMD Shares Mantle With Anyone?
Chris: Right, very cool. In that same forward-looking thread, is there any work that you've had to do to prepare or enable Frostbite games for this world that we're coming up on that's eager to explore head-mounted displays and virtual reality.
Johan: We're sort of only started getting our feet wet there a little bit and trying out various types of scenarios within our games. There's a lot of people in our multiple game teams here at EA that are excited with VR and HMD type of devices. Also, a little bit, it's difficult to say exactly how our games would be playable with them. Some games fit very well and some you may have a very different type of game play experiences, but usually the experience overall of just exploring a battlefield world with a VR device is actually really quite compelling.
Chris: Yeah.
Johan: We have found a lot of parallelism on the CPU side, which helps a lot because you need to render two views and you need to render the absolute highest frame rate, but most importantly, at very, very low latency. We haven't done too much work on the latency side, but we've done a lot of work on the performance side. Both in general in the engine, so it's not specific for VR, but it still tremendously benefits VR. I think that's sort of the main area we've been focusing on and we've been running tests with the various APIs and systems out there, just to sort of enable our content creators our game teams to be able to play with it and not be bottlenecked by, okay the engine does not support this so we can't try it, but now we actually have more components working with it. The game creators can try things out and think of the problems from there. There's a lot of difficult challenges, like what do you do with your first-person animation and things like that. We haven't really thought about it too much yet. That's a lot of work just with your ordinary rendering, but VR it can be from any perspective.
Chris: Right.
Johan: We've been focusing on the engine side mostly just to enable the rest of the game teams to use these things and for focusing on optimization.
Chris: And so knowing the dependencies of those types of environments do you anticipate other developers that don't have access to as scalable of an engine might encounter difficulty or compatibility issues with them?
Johan: Yeah, I think it will be difficult to just take a standard game that you have and then just bring it over. If you don't have the performance sure you may be able to prove out like some of the core animation things, but perhaps not the full gameplay. There could be a little bit of a challenge there.
On the other hand, it can actually be a benefit if you're like a small indie developer and you're just starting from scratch and building something and targeting VR...I'm not sure if there are any games like that, there probably are. Just not having the sort of legacy of this big established ways of making games can probably be really quite refreshing there. Sure you could do things like that with Frostbite also, having just a big engine and then you do a very different type of game. We'll see what we do in the future there. I think it will be quite exciting regardless.
Current page: Preparing For A World Of VR And HMDs
Prev Page The Future Of Hardware And Game Realism Next Page The Future Of Frostbite: More Streamlined Development
anbello262 03 December 2013 06:09
On Page 1, the soldier, is that Joey Tribbianni? :D
DanglingPointer 03 December 2013 06:49
I can't wait till this game is on Linux with proper fully baked FGLRX drivers and Mantle on Linux!
Come on AMD! Bring it already!!!! SteamMachines are around the corner!
vaughn2k 03 December 2013 06:52
Yeah, it seems like him... but I am skeptic, if he could do a bad ass soldier though.. ;)
cats_Paw 03 December 2013 08:58
Very low quality Interview. All questions are made in a way so that Johan Andersson can promote their company and their games. There is not a single question about something meaningfull to the comunity. Its all like:
-Your game is good in this?
-Yes our game is good in this becouse .
Just the phrasing and the form changes.
At least the users in tomshardware can still offer some solid information. And later people dont understand why 80% of the readers automaticly jump to user comments before reading the full article.
shaydogs 03 December 2013 10:18
Arrgghh, Give us more details on Mantle implementations in BF4 already!!!
bemused_fred 03 December 2013 10:50
"Sure we did still have to do a little bit of a compromise on the solution. We're not running at the full native 1080p; we're running a little bit lower resolution than that."
Good lord! The PS4 can't even run Battlefield 4, a launch title, at 1080p? Where will these consoles be in 5 years time?!?!
tomfreak 03 December 2013 10:57
12087857 said:
Gulf town or Any 6 core Intel CPU will be the next QX9650, after 5-8years and will still be kicking ass.
May be spending $500-600 on a CPU + a 5years warranty reliable Asus Sabertooth X79 isnt a bad investment. lol
ikefu 03 December 2013 12:11
Its still early in the console cycle and devs will need time to fully unlock them. With the semi heterogeneous architectures of the new consoles its going to be a steep learning curve to figure out the best ways to utilize GPU compute power. They talk about having the CPU at 95% utilization but just because its busy doesn't mean its efficient. Busy is easy to achieve, efficiency is not. There's a lot of room to grow yet.
That plus I don't think most exclusive console gamers are really worried about 1080p (other than a random number in a vacuum that seems bigger than other random numbers). If they were truly worried about resolution they'd be on a PC. The games are still prettier than a 360/PS3 so they'll be happy in the end.
cypeq 03 December 2013 12:24
Frostbite is probably most demanding engine out there... check if your PC can run BF4 at min. 60 FPS in high details @ 1080p. There are many that can't.
Next gen consoles are speced like mediocre gaming PC of today. WTH you expect.
In near future programmers will be able to squeeze bit more juice of them because of more unified and exposed hardware but that's all.
Performance and Quality is on PC.
deejaybos 03 December 2013 13:33
Yeah, the game looks amazing, then it crashes randomly. Then you play it a little, then it crashes. Then in single player it crashes, then during a map change it crashes, then when someone blows something up somewhere else on the map, it crashes. Guess they forgot to mention the terrible release they've had and the lack of support or acknowledgement. Unless of course you count double XP and a pistol attachment, "acknowledgement".


Film or digital x-ray – classic or modern?
To attract as many clients as possible, it is important to choose the right used dental equipment for your clinic. Along with qualified dentists, it will guarantee your success in patient treatment and provide a steady client base. Satisfied patients will not only return to your clinic but will also tell others about it.
ergonomics and all necessary instruments availability.
Where Dental Equipment are Used?
To choose and buy a dental treatment unit, keep in mind services provided by your dental office. For instance, if you plan to provide complex services, it is worth buying a versatile unit. We do not recommend purchasing equipment by parts in different online stores.
only for a dentist or for a dentist and an assistant (a separate unit is available).
Used Dental machines : devices and instruments to manufacture prostheses and implants.
Sterilization kit: devices for reusable instruments disinfection.
Endodontic systems: machines to conduct painless procedures on the teeth like physio-dispensers, laser devices, apex locators, endodontic motors, and obturation equipment.
Reliable. Failure or breakdown will cause expenditure (repairs and losses due to idle time).
Compatible to renewal and upgrade. All blocks should be easily replaced or extended.
Come at an acceptable price. Medical equipment must correspond to the general dental clinic level and its financial possibilities.
Outclass the current staff qualifications. This will allow dentists to develop, mastering new techniques and methods.
How Much Does Dental Lab Equipment Cost?
The prices of some systems can be as low as 50 USD or less, while the newest, high-tier systems may cost as much as 150.000 USD.
The manufacturer plays a crucial role in making up the price. The more famous the brand the more expensive the machine, as the brand name itself says a lot about the quality and longevity. TAKARA BELMONT,SWIDENT,KAVO,CASTELLINI , SLOVADENT,PLANMECA,CHIRANA are considered to be the most well-known. Besides, one should understand that new and demo machines will cost more than refurbished or used ones. What is the difference? New machines have never been used. They have the manufacturer's warranty. Demo machines are, as a rule, exhibition models. They have not been used in clinical practice but they have been often presented at exhibitions. As a result, the price is lower. Refurbished machines are used machines that have undergone improvements (refurbishment can be done at the manufacturer's facilities or in private repair shops). Please note that buying expensive high-tech models, you will need to conduct their expensive subsequent maintenance. You can also incur extra expenses for staff training to work with this equipment. At the same time, it is not worth buying very cheap dental units for sale, as they often break down. Most parts in such units are single-use equipment items, so it is extremely difficult to repair them.
BiMedis offers optimal dental equipment purchase conditions. On our service, current medical equipment sale and purchase offers from all over the world are presented. You can find announcements about new or second hand dental equipment.
Our online resource offers you to place an unlimited number of ads. To contact sellers, all you have to do is to conduct personal correspondence with them and learn more about the transaction terms and product supply.


Spitfire Audio has launched Spitfire Symphonic Woodwinds, a definitive collection of orchestral woods recorded and 'deep sampled' at Air Studios, London.
Often neglected by modern media composers, the Woods are your secret weapon to add real power to your productions.
Spitfire Audio has taken its decade of experience making woodwind instruments and has spent the last five years recording the best of the best at one of the most sought-after locations in the world: The Hall at Air Studios, London for this, a definitive compendium of orchestral woodwinds.
A broad band covering both solo, and a2 sections. Combine both and create your a3 sections.
Traditional piccolos, flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons across to modern 'zeitgeist' selection of instruments from alto, bass flutes, bass clarinets, contrabass clarinets and a thunderous contrabassoon.
Super deep sampled, many articulations, dynamic layers and round robins.
Most comprehensive selection of articulations, and additional techniques available today.
Entry level core pack has full functionality of BML offering.
Core pack shipped with 3 distinct mic positions C(lose), T(ree), A(mbient).
New add on pack coming soon with additional mics and mixes.
In addition to all articulations in BML, new 'Volume 2' articulations.
Kontakt Player included, access files via the library pane.
New, more intuitive interface design.
New rationalised file architecture will allow for improvements and enhancements in the future.
Many tweaks, and performance / musical improvements.
Spitfire Symphonic Woodwinds is available for the introductory price of £374 GBP until 8:00 GMT on December 31st, 2016 (regular £499 GBP). Prices inc. VAT. Past purchasers of BML MURAL libraries are all entitled to a discounted upgrade path to Spitfire Symphonic Woodwinds.


text:
Q: Calculate variable value inside integral I'm trying to calculate the blackbody spectral radiance using planck function:
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from scipy import interpolate, integrate

# Physical constants:
h = 6.6260693e-34
c = 299792485.0
k = 1.380658e-23
T = 6500

wl_min = 0.1
wl_max = 8.0
wl = np.linspace(wl_min, wl_max, 1000)

f = ((((2.0*h*c**2)/(wl*1e-6)**5)*(1.0/(np.exp(((h*c)/(k*T*wl*1e-6)))-1)))*1e-6)

plt.figure()
plt.plot(wl, f)
plt.show()

plot
Then I integrated the wavelength range (from 0.1 to 8.0) and I got a power of 3.22e7 [W]
Power = integrate.trapz(f,wl)

Now, my problem!
I would like to do the opposite: knowing the power value, find the temperature value.
I can do it in Matlab but I don't know how to do it in python:
matlab code
Could you help me?

A: Here is an solution, if it is useful to someone else:
from scipy.optimize import newton_krylov

fun = lambda T2: - Power + integrate.trapz(((((2.0*h*c**2)/(wl*1e-6)**5)*(1.0/(np.exp(((h*c)/(k*T2*wl*1e-6)))-1)))*1e-6),wl)

res = scipy.optimize.newton_krylov(fun, 6000)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


IEDR, the Irish Domain Registry says that 91% of Irish websites cannot do sales, to which we say…PHEW! The knowledge and understanding of the practical realities in eCommerce are barely understood by business owners and their recruiters of talent, so it's good that few are active in this space.
This said, around €10 million is spent per day in Ireland through eCommerce and that's too attractive. The additional fact that it is enjoying double digit growth means that very many companies are entering the space with enthusiasm and energy, just look at the jobs pages.
eCommerce is a huge opportunity, one that disrupts retail in profound ways and as someone with physical and digital retail expertise, I am glad for its existence.
However, having designed, built, introduced and managed eCommerce platforms, I am alarmed at the lack of knowledge and naivety business owners and managers have in how eCommerce really works.
First of all, I totally support and encourage eCommerce. It is a vital and dynamic opportunity for B2B and B2C, whilst the development of tools and skills is producing new ways of engaging customers and achieving sales. I especially like the flexibility of certain platforms that facilitate creativity and engagement, whilst performing the solid work required to manage business processes. EI + EC = Incomes as I would say.
This said, like all emergent technologies, eCommerce has a fair few pitfalls, not only in supply chain, but also logistics and fraud.
No matter the means of effecting a sale, every product offering has to make sense to the customer…no, you can't start a pop-up selling 100,000 products and wade in..well you can if you have done a lot of work employing skilled workers to create brand presence, to manage orders, deliveries and returns.
Some believe that the cycle can be totally automated in a mechanical way…nope, not going to work that well. eCommerce is complex and you need a lemniscate strategy, with the business at the centre to do well – if you don't know what lemniscate is, Google the infinity symbol. The two cycles are really important.
Building a site with a Wasato, Icecat or other plug in to databases is the easy bit. Getting products online linked to your supplier isn't particularly hard if they are big enough and are well managed.
Nope, adoption, understanding and management is the difficult bit.
Adoption is about the company learning and using the eCommerce mindset. Its a different management speak, different KPI's and the roles are different. Even call centre staff don't immediately get it. The timelines, service delivery and communications are not the same. eCommerce informs and facilitates eBusiness. It's different!
Understanding dashboards and the data they collect is equally challenging. Some staff have a real fear of online communications, dashboard data and eCommerce. I don't know why, but significant numbers blank at the opening of a dashboard and simply can't decipher what the data means. They need reassurance, training and support. Most importantly, they need to know that the data makes a difference. Data has to shape the operations and conduct of a business. If it's not informing finance, procurement, logistics and marketing then the company is unsighted and getting things badly wrong.
Delivery is an in-house managed function. Yes, the physical transfer can be outsourced, but it can't be fully outsourced, not safely. Non delivery, damaged or lost in transit product, faulty goods, returned goods…they all need in-house expertise, not just a call centre.
The management of returned goods is a vital component of eCommerce …companies can find themselves with returned product with no viable secondary sales channel. Ebay, Amazon etc work in some circumstances, but not all. It is shocking how little businesses put into getting this right.
and Finally! Charge-backs and Fraud…the road to ruin is as bleak as one can imagine. If ever there was a clear and present danger to eCommerce growth it is the massive rise in incidents of charge-backs and fraud, two very different faces of the non-payment environment.
Absolutely, 3D Secure and other similar schemes help, but not with charge-backs, which can be just as financially painful to the retailer, who often gets left to take the pain.
So, to summarise….adopt eCommerce by all means, but use good advisors, make organisational changes and manage it tightly.
Brendan Murphy can be found at abrightbusiness.com. Brendan and his team works internationally.
This entry was tagged Business Development, eCommerce, Website. Bookmark the permalink.
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Dear Harry Reid, this spells trouble for you.
A lot happened on Tuesday's elections. Before anyone can heave a sigh of relief at how the negative ads and all those pesky phone calls are finally going to come to an end, it's important to remember that, although this sure felt like the election to end all elections, it isn't. In fact, rankings are already out for the most vulnerable senators going into the 2016 elections (spoiler alert: Ron Johnson is at the top of the list).
However, I think it would be fun to look at what happened in Harry Reid's home state on Election Day, because it didn't get nearly enough attention as it should have gotten.
To begin with, I don't think Reid is going to be in the senate after the 2016 elections (but more on that later).
The easiest way to examine what happened in Nevada is to start at the top of the ticket and go down the ballot.
Governor: Brian Sandoval won reelection. By a lot. By 70%. That's about 3 times the amount that his Democratic opponent got. Wow. Not only did that happen, Sandoval carried every single county.
This is bad (read: terrible) news for Reid. Why? Well, first off, Sandoval beat Reid's own son for governor 4 years ago (where he also won every single county).
It's also bad for Reid because Sandoval is one of the best candidates to take on Reid in the senate election, given his sky-high popularity and the fact that, unlike Reid's last opponent, he doesn't have a tendency to say stupid things.
However, this might not have mattered if things had turned out differently. However, they didn't.
Lieutenant Governor: Republican Mark Hutchinson was elected to this position. Why does this matter? To put it simply, if the Democrat had won, it would have been a lot harder for Sandoval to run for senate because, if he were to win, he would be succeeded in office by a Democrat (Governor and Lieutenant Governor are elected separately in Nevada), which is probably something he doesn't want to happen. This is exactly what Reid would have wanted, which is why he was pushing so hard for Democrat Lucy Flores to win the race, however she was crushed, 59.5%-33.6%.
Attorney General: this was a fascinating race because Republican Adam Laxalt is the grandson of Senator Paul Laxalt…and also the illegitimate son of Senator Pete Domenici, which was only revealed recently.
Crazily, Laxalt's family caused him a lot of headaches. Several of them actually endorsed his Democratic opponent Ross Miller, which definitely has to make for some awkward family dinners.
For most of the campaign, Laxalt was regarded as the underdog, but given how terrible the Democratic turnout was statewide, he managed to pull off an upset win, winning 46%-45%.
Congress: for most of the cycle, nothing too interesting was happening here, but a few weeks before the election, there was a growing sense that dismal turnout on the Democratic side was putting freshman Democratic Congressman Steven Horsford in jeopardy. On Election Day, Republican Cresent Hardy (what a great name) won by just under 3 points in a district that Horsford had won by 8 points just two years ago. If Democrats had turned out, this probably never would have happened, but their complete lack of a credible candidate for governor demoralized their base. As Jon Ralston, one of the best reporters in Nevada observed, Democrats were in "big, big trouble" with their turnout, and got swept out of office in a race that was never on anyone's radar until the very end.
As if all of this wasn't enough, Republicans took control of the State Senate, which they now hold by a one seat margin.
Harry Reid was so busy trying to keep the majority (that didn't turn out too well) for national Democrats that he forgot to pay attention to his own state, and two years from now, he's going to regret that decision.


In Wales, National Grid has an energy storage system and electric generating facility set into a national park. It has two lakes, one near the top of a mountain and one nearer the bottom. The lakes have typical Welsh names. The lower one is called Llyn Peris. Its neighbor up the mountain is named Marchlyn Mawr. What goes on here is the stuff 8th grade science projects are made of — the relationship between potential and kinetic energy.
Electricity is ephemeral. It has to be used immediately or it is lost. At Electric Mountain in Wales, excess electrical energy is used to pump water uphill from Llyn Peris to Mrachlyn Mawr. When the grid needs an increase in available electrical power, that water is allowed to flow downhill through a network of giant tubes that feed 6 enormous hydroelectric generators.
The English have a thing for tea. That passion was largely responsible for much of the British Empire. In the 19th century, British fighting forces were dispatched to the far flung corners of the earth to protect the nation's access to its tea supply. Today, we do something similar with regard to oil. In the future, nations may use their military might to preserve access to lithium deposits.
In the evenings in Jollye Olde Englande, the denizens have a habit of viewing television programs from the BBC on the telly, what civilized people call a television. A curious thing happens several times during each show. As soon as a commercial comes on, Britishers rush to switch on their electric tea pots to brew up a nice cup of Darjeeling or Earl Grey. More adventurous types may partake of some Red Zinger if they are feeling particularly feisty.
All those heating devices being activated at the same time causes a spike in the demand for electricity. In most parts of the world, meeting the surge in demand would mean bringing an auxiliary generating plant online, but that can take hours. At Electric Mountain, the flow of current can begin in just 12 seconds.
Engineers at National Grid are provided with programming schedules by the BBC. Shortly before each commercial break, they begin the flow of water downhill and into the turbines at Electric Mountain. That way, there is enough electricity to make tea for millions of Brits so they can watch the rest of their television shows in quiet contentment.
Electric Mountain was built between 1976 and 1982 by the Central Electricity Generating Board. Its construction required the removal of 3 million tons of rock. Some of its internal passageways are 10 miles long. During a typical day, the water level in the lower lake, Llyn Peris, can rise or fall up to 121 feet. The entire system is 72% efficient, which is pretty good for 20th century technology.
We think of battery storage as the way to go when it comes to storing electricity today, but pumped hydro has been around much longer and still works pretty well. Small electric generating facilities– called peaker plants — that are used to meet spikes in demand can take a long time to get up and running. They also generate maximum carbon emissions during the start-up phase. Any system that keeps them from being called into service helps limit the amount of carbon emissions from making electricity. That's a good thing, even if it means moving 3 million tons of rock to make it happen.
Tune in tomorrow for more about rocks and energy storage.


text:
Bankelele
Nairobi writer on Banking, Finance, Technology, and Investments
Category Archives: Bank of Africa
Banks Close Branches as they go Digital
Branches are the customer face of most commercial banks, But yesterday Bank of Africa Kenya announced the closure of its 12 branches. This is almost 1/3 of its total branches in Kenya, with those targeted located in Nairobi (Githurai, Gikomba, Monrovia, Gateway, South B, Outer Ring Road, Likoni Road, Thika Road), Nanyuki, Embu, Kitale and (Mombasa (Digo Road branch)
This comes after Ecobank Kenya also announced earlier the closure on nine branches in Nairobi (Chambers, Ongata Rongai, Gikomba, Embakasi, Thika Road), Meru, Kitale, Busia, and Malindi.
Both banks attributed the closing of branches moves to reducing costs as they invest and offer more digital services to customers. This may bring back bad memories of the 1990's and early 2000 when large banks closed small or unprofitable branches, many of which were in rural Kenya. But unlike that time, banks are not completely abandoning their customers but leaving customers with a taste of their services through digital platforms, mainly by mobile phones as well as electronic and agency ones.
This comes at a time when banks like Equity have frozen new branches and other like Coop Bank celebrate that only 25% transactions are done at branches, as customers have the choice to use other channels like mobile phones.
Still, it leaves many traditional customers wondering how they can connect with their bank without nearby branches. Many banks also have agents in rural and densely populated urban areas to handle cash deposits and withdrawals, but will their customers lose touch without physical branches that they can visit?
This entry was posted in Bank of Africa, bank service, Ecobank on January 21, 2017 by bankelele.
Banks that Serve Blackberry Apps
I am a Blackberry (BB) user. It's been a struggle to keep up with the world as not many new apps are being created or updated for Blackberry. While the number of BB users has flat-lined, many remain loyal and tied to their devices.
They also appreciate the platform and new apps that improve the phone experience. The app world today is considered to be either Android (Google) or iPhone (apple) – and developers and institutions are primarily making apps in these two formats only. So it's nice to see a few banks still coming up working apps for with Blackberry, and the BB10 (platform). Here are a few:
Chase Bank (Mfukoni): Chase customers always rave about Mfukoni online. But starting the BB10 app starts with a somewhat sinister request for loads of data, even to open and run the app. This includes a request to connect with, and invite other BBM users, location data, shared files, calendar contacts, camera, SMS, email & PIN messages etc. If you decline, you can't do things like search for branches or ATM's without enabling location settings. Once connected, It seems you can open accounts, view products (youth current, women accounts, etc), request insurance, and ATM cards. But it has a few dead menus too.
Co-Op (MCo-Op Cash): From the start, you can log in or do self-registration. You really can't browse the products, or see how rich the app experience is for customers until you first register. But this is an easy process, that does not require much information – just your name, telephone number, national ID number, birth date, and your existing account number (if you're already a Co-op customer).
Family Bank (Pesapap): The app also starts with a request for lots of information like the Mfukoni one. So, once again, it wants to access your camera, device information, location data, microphone, text. email & PIN messages, calendar, and contacts. Later, you can log-in, request for cards, get locations of branches & ATM's, but while it only took a few MB to install, it sometimes kicks you out, with a warning that your phone needs more memory.
Sidian (Vibe): It's nimble, light, and not intrusive, with good navigation and responses. It has a menu that you can jump back to, sending you back to the main menu if you cancel (e.g if you're checking out a service that requires you be registered / or you don't have an account).
Self-registration, and signing in is simple, and you only have to enter you user name (usually your mobile phone number) and a PIN. Even from the outside, you get to see a lot of what account holders can do – merchants, ticket sasa, you can search for branches and ATM's , and they show up on a map, after which you can enter a starting point (in lieu of it pulling your phone location data) and it will give you driving directions, and even traffic information enroute, (Google has activated for Nairobi). It has the crucial m-pesa link (bank account to m-pesa, and m-pesa to bank account) and if you click to contact the bank, one click starts a call to the bank, or creates an email message to the bank.
Bank of Africa (BMobile): Also asks for the voluminous info as some of the other apps, but you can bypass that request. Once you get to the products, the navigation is not very good as the menus are limited, but if you get stuck there's a home button which takes you right back to the start. It also has a few dead menus like the debit and credit card types.
This entry was posted in Bank of Africa, Chase Bank, Co-op, Family Finance, Sidian, SME solutions on May 7, 2016 by bankelele.
From Huawei to Makmende
Last Tuesday was a roundabout day that began with the Equity Bank half year results announcement at and ended with Safaricom launch of a U8220 Android phone made by Huawei.
In between I shook hands with James Mwangi, Churchill dodged my paparazzi snap attempt, a friend of mine missed out on a free giveaway of the Huawei phone, and I missed out on buying some shares in Equity Bank as my stockbroker (temporarily) misplaced my funds.
At the Huawei launch, I had interesting chats with one pal on Kenol and another who found out an interesting tale about mobile spectrums – basically Kenyans should ignore mobile phone company promises and forget about 4G as it is reserved for the Kenya military until further notice.
Huawei and Safaricom were jointly launching an android phone to the Kenyan market and since the Safaricom COO was late in traffic as per his boss, Michael Joseph the CEO stepped up and launched the phone on his behalf. The CEO seemed underwhelmed by the occasion, maybe because his retirement was about to be officially announced or maybe because it was because the Smartphone being unveiled would cost about Kshs 30,000 and was nowhere near the $100 (~Kshs 8,000) price for a smartphone which he has commented as being a key target for future data growth.
This ambivalence perhaps cascaded down because when Safaricom ran adverts for the new phone in the next day's paper, they were advertising a VF845 costing Kshs 16,500 ($206) and not the U8220, which had just been launched. The 'correct' ad for the U8220 then ran the following day pricing the phone at 27,200 (~$340)
Two days later, Bank of Africa formally opened their Ngong Road branch at Bishop Magua Center. This is their second branch opening this month after Nakuru and they have set out to go after the not for profit customers. They have launched a Goodwill Current Account with goodies for NGO's including waiver of monthly ledger fees, cheque book costs, (Kshs) withdrawal/deposits, internal transfers, incoming wires, banker's cheques, interim statements and a minimum operating balance.
And finally on Friday, in the same building, the iHUb hosted a launch by Kuweni Serious (Get Serious) of a series of clips aimed at getting young Kenyans to participate in the constitutional referendum and in public life and starred Makmende.
Here's one clip
This entry was posted in Bank of Africa, Donor AID, Google, iHub, kenya communications, Safaricom on July 28, 2010 by bankelele.
Bank Review '07 Part II
Small banks, range from $40 to $100 million
Showed an inability to grow as faster as the bigger bank, with few exceptions. Yet they are still profitable and reluctant to merge
The banks got a temporary reprieve when parliament shot down the government's proposal that banks should have a minimum capital of 1 billion ($15 million) 3 years from the current 250 million shilling minimum' but that proposal is likely to be revisited by future finance ministers.
35. (38) Fidelity Bank: Estimated assets 3.2 billion ($45.7M), profit of 45 million ($0.7 million) shillings for this quiet bank with little marketing activity but which was able to grow 40% during 2007.
34. (36) Credit Bank: Estimated assets of 3,300 million and profit of 120 million, for another quiet bank which grew about 15% in 2007.
33. (33) Middle East: Estimated 3.2 billion assets and profit of 80 million in 2007. However deposits and loans are down 6% from a year ago.
32. (35) Habib Bank: Estimated 3.5 billion assets and profit of 90 million, with growth of 12% from a year ago. Participated in the first Diamond trust rights first issue as a possible merger step.
31. (29) Victoria: Estimated 4.2 billion assets 140m in profit. Flat growth expect in loans and deposits (1%), but great in profitability which is improved by over 40% in 2007.
30. (32) Consolidated Bank: Estimated 4.5 billion assets, 20 million profit with the 30% growth from a year ago. There was public fallout between the MD and the board resulting in the board being fired by the Finance Minister. The Deposit protection fund (DPF) of the Central Bank plans to sell its 51% stake to private sector, and is likely to be found next year by private sale. A loss in 2005 makes the bank ineligible for an NSE listing and the owners the collapsed banks that form Consolidated Bank are likely to figure in as potential buyers.
30. (31) Equatorial: 4.7 billion assets and 90m in profit. The Sameer group bank Out-performed corporate big sister CBA growing by about 15% in 2007.
29. (34) Development Bank of Kenya: Estimated 4.8 billion and 200m in profit. Remarkable growth fro a development finance institution to record 45% growth in loans & deposits. Part of ICDC's (Government) 90% stake in the bank is up for sale in 2008.
28. (28) Southern Credit: Estimated 4.9 billion assets, 80m in profit. 10% growth in loans and deposits, with about 40% growth in profits in 2007. Bank with a lady MD focus on cards
27. (30) Chase Bank: Estimated assets of 5.0 billion, and profit of 130 million. The winner of small bank awards, will open new branches next year and has set about achieveing a recapitalization target of 1 billion, through retained earnings.
26. (26) Giro: Estimated 5.3 billion assets, 70m in profit. With 7% growth in the year, It was supposed to be sold to state bank of India, but the deal is yet to be approved by regulators.
25. (27) Guardian: Estimated 5.8 billion assets, 45 million profit. Growth of about 15%
24. (23) ABC: Estimated 5.8 billion assets, 170 million in profits. With 12% growth from a year ago, ABC was one of the few 'small' banks that had a marketing push to target new customers in 2007 in addition to a recapitalization drive. Launched 'kisima' a flat fee account and has new branches.
23. (24) Habib AG Zurich: Estimated 6.1 billion assets, 200 million profit for another quiet bank which grew about 15% in 2007.
22. (25) K-Rep: Estimated 7.2 billion assets, 200 million profit . With international shareholding and micro-finance expertise is an natural candidate for a merger Was 29th two years ago and recorded about 60% growth in 2007.
21. (21) Bank of Africa 7.2 billion ($103 million) assets 160 million shillings ($2.3 million) profit in 2007. What is hopefully the first of many West African banks spreading eastwards has opened new branches and targeted growth of new business like asset finance.
ddia
This entry was posted in ABC, Bank of Africa, Bank rankings, Chase Bank, Consolidated Bank, Credit Bank, DBK, Equatorial, Fidelity, Giro, Guardian Bank, Habib, Habib Zurich, K-Rep, Middle East, Southern Credit, Victoria on December 20, 2007 by bankelele.
New Player on the Banking Scene
Equity Building Society, which has experienced rapid growth over the last two years has filed a notice to convert from a building society into a banking institution.
This is an interesting development considering that there has been a moratorium on Banking licenses at the CBK over the last few years – although earlier this year, Credit Agricole Indosuez quietly became Bank of Africa (or something like that)
Back to Equity, they have called for two meetings on Saturday 11th December at the Grand Regency – one at 10 a.m. that is a special general meeting for members and the second at 11 a.m. will be for depositors and creditors. Both will be asked to (i) approve conversion from a building society to a banking institution (ii) approve the transfer of assets & liabilities of the society to those of a company.
This entry was posted in AGM, Bank of Africa, bank shares, CBK, Equity Bank on November 28, 2004 by bankelele.
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Kenya's Money in the Past: IMF Transparency Evaluation
Ghosn Press Conference
Absa AFM Index shows African countries improve in investor readiness
Kenya Tax Changes in 2020
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Observations on banking, finance, investments, and life in Kenya by a Nairobi ex-banker
Email: bankelele_at_hotmail_dot_com
Twitter: @bankelele


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In: Tech
Why did the former U.S President Donald Trump shut down his website barely 29 days after it was launched?
CNBC reported that the former President Donald Trump's blog has been permanently shut down. The page "From the Desk of Donald J. Trump" has been scrubbed from Trump's website and "will not be returning," his senior aide Jason Miller told CNBC
businessdonald trumplifestylesocial mediatech
What is Deplatforming law? Florida has just signed deplatforming law
There are now androids whose AI is so advanced, they're sentient, thinking, feeling, learning beings on the same level as ...
What is former president Trump's new social media website
2021-06-04T14:54:37+00:00Added an answer on June 4, 2021 at 2:54 pm
He probably wasn't getting much traffic
If it's not Twitter, it can't be Twitter
Obyno
Maybe he wants to join another Social Media network
He's probably thinking about joining another platform
Yes, actually, it is. Stay tuned! https://t.co/USKGvVXe2f
— Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) June 2, 2021
Shut down after 29 days? It's really weird
It can be tough to build a site and get followers. Lol
There are now androids whose AI is so advanced, they're ...


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Home » news » Archangels: Salvation
NetEnt is back with a new slot release and it's not like anything you've seen from the world leading game provider before – this is their first game to feature mega reels with 100 paylines. Let the archangels help you reach heavenly wins in this unique and stylish video slot!
Introduction and info
At first glance, Archangels: Salvation might look a bit confusing. With 6 reels that have 12 rows of symbols, two archangels and highlighted areas, there's a lot going on in the latest NetEnt slot. But once you've given it a few spins, you'll quickly discover how the game works and what you should look out for as you play.
The most important feature of the slot are the two highlighted areas on the reels: one at the top, representing the light angel, and one at the bottom, representing the dark angel. If a wild symbol lands in one of these two areas, the angel of that area will create more wilds and scatter them across the reel. Combined with the stacked symbols, this can create massive winning combinations.
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Slot design and features
Archangels: Salvation looks more like a modern video game than a slot machine, as it has awesome 3D graphics and cool animations. The angels that are standing on each side of the slot are constantly moving, always ready to spread the wilds when they land on the highlighted reels. We don't expect any less with new NetEnt games, as the company always brings some of the best looking games to the casino world. The epic music and sounds also help create a thrilling atmosphere to further enhance the excitement of the slot.
The game has a high RTP and its volatility seems to be quite low. This doesn't mean that you can't win big on it but don't expect wild lines to pay many hundred times your bet stake. On the other hand, the hit frequency is pretty high, so you can hit the wild features and scatters quite often. All the symbols are stacked as well, which means that you can hit full reels of the premium Archangel symbols and that's where the biggest winning potential of the slot is.
Archangels: Salvation bonus game
The game also has a bonus game that is activated when enough scatter symbols land on the reels. The amount of spins you get depends on how many scatters you land and the maximum amount of 6 scatters will award you with 25 bonus spins. In the bonus game, both of the highlighted areas will expand slightly, which means that it's easier to land wild symbols in them. You will therefore hit more wilds which in turn will create more wilds across the reels while in the bonus game.
Archangels: Salvation is a NetEnt slot that is definitely worth checking out. The graphics are some of the best we've seen in a while and the wild features are fun and unique. The low volatility of the slot might be off-putting for some players but the game has a high RTP and a bonus game where you definitely can win really big. Archangels: Salvation is available at most online casinos now, on both desktop and mobile.


The Level 3 CCLD is an NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) for people who are continuing their professional development from Level 2 awards and acts as a stepping-stone in your career.
This work has been reviewed and commented on as excellent.
The Level 3 CCLD is an up-to-date qualification that employers value. You can complete it while you are working without needing to attend classes, sit exams or study for written tests. The beauty of the award is that there is no extra workload, as all of the analysing and the logging is the assessor's job! If you are planning to go to university or move into a more managerial position, then the Level 3 ICT is a great certificate to achieve.


It\'s the wild card for J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. : How much more might it have to spend to settle its thicket of legal and regulatory headaches?
That\'s impossible to predict, of course, but one thing is certain: The bank is aware that the cost is almost certainly mounting.
As pointed out by Charles Peabody of Portales Partners, J.P. Morgan said in a regulatory filing this summer that it believes it could suffer as much as $6.8 billion worth of lawsuit-related losses over and above the reserves it has set aside for such costs.
Costs have only grown since that August filing. Just last month, J.P. Morgan agreed to pay $920 million to tie up some investigations related to the London Whale trading loss. It also agreed to pay the equivalent of $389 million to settle accusations that it charged credit card customers for card services they never received. And that\'s not to mention the far bigger kahuna: J.P. Morgan is reportedly in talks with the Justice Department to settle accusations over how it sold mortgage-backed securities to investors, and other issues, in an atonement that could mount to $11 billion or more.
Peabody points out that J.P. Morgan\'s rising estimates for over-and-above legal costs contrast to what\'s happening at Bank of America Corp. , which is the country\'s second-biggest bank behind No. 1 J.P. Morgan.
In the post-crisis world, Bank of America has chosen to settle lawsuits and investigations early and often, even though that has many times meant sacrificing quarterly profits. Bank of America said this summer that it believes it could suffer up to $2.8 billion in over-and-above legal costs — a big number, sure, but down from $3.1 billion at the end of 2012 and $3.6 billion at the end of 2011.
J.P. Morgan releases third-quarter results on Oct. 11 and should update that number – the "range of reasonably possible losses," as it's often called in bank jargon — when it releases its 10-Q a few weeks later. Don't be surprised if J.P. Morgan goes ahead and tips its hand on earnings day, though — it\'s a question that analysts and investors are eager to have answered.
Analysts have been trimming their expectations for J.P. Morgan\'s third-quarter earnings. They now expect the bank to earn $4.8 billion in the third quarter, according to a poll by FactSet. That's down from $5.4 billion at the end of August.
That's not entirely the fault of the legal settlements or potential legal settlements. Analysts have also trimmed their estimates for Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. But the fact that analysts believe this quarter also yielded lower mortgage revenue and less fixed-income trading can hardly be a comfort.


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Mark Spencer Brewer (October 22, 1837 – March 18, 1901) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.

Early life and education
Brewer was born in Addison Township, Michigan and attended the rural schools and Romeo and Oxford Academies. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1864 and commenced practice in Pontiac. He was city attorney of Pontiac in 1866 and 1867 and circuit court commissioner for Oakland County 1866-1869. He was a member of the Michigan State Senate from the 20th District 1873-1874.

Political career
Brewer was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives from Michigan's 6th District for the 45th and 46th Congresses, serving from March 4, 1877 to March 3, 1881.

He was appointed consul general to Berlin on June 30, 1881, by U.S. President James A. Garfield and served from August 29, 1881, until June 7, 1885. He was again elected to the U.S. House for the 50th and 51st Congresses, serving from March 4, 1887 to March 3, 1891. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1890 and resumed the practice of law in Pontiac.

He was a delegate to the 1896 Republican National Convention and was appointed a member of the United States Civil Service Commission by President William McKinley January 18, 1898, and served until his death in Washington, D.C.

He is interred in Oak Hill Cemetery, in Pontiac, Michigan.

References

The Political Graveyard

1837 births
1901 deaths
Burials in Michigan
Republican Party Michigan state senators
Politicians from Pontiac, Michigan
Michigan lawyers
American consuls
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan
19th-century American politicians
19th-century American diplomats
19th-century American lawyers

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Scott McTominay – an unlikely hero?
11 September 2021 by John Walker
There were no midfield additions that arrived in the summer transfer window and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be limited with his options, but Scott McTominay could emerge as an unlikely hero to solve this problem.
The Scottish international has been at the club since 2012 and made his Manchester United debut in 2017. Since then, he's gradually made his way up through the first team before becoming a consistent regular for United. He plays most of his football in the centre of midfield occasionally dropping deeper and sometimes even at centre half for Scotland. Being 6'4" he's an ariel presence and can run games from the midfield. His strongest attribute is his driving runs and finishing when given the chance.
Despite being a midfielder, McTominay is remarkably accurate when shooting but rarely gets the opportunity to show this. His best performances have come when he's been given license to move forward making bombing runs into the box either to be a decoy runner or to be a passing lane who's slipped in with a shot on goal. However, due to the lack of security in United's midfield he's often not given as much freedom to roam like this and can be stuck with a more stationary role in the midfield.
McTominay's time at the club so far has been mixed. He's made huge progress becoming a regular first team player, but the midfield is currently the most debated and controversial spots in the team. However, since his injury, more and more people are becoming aware of McTominay's importance to this United team as when someone plays alongside Fred the midfield becomes far more imbalanced but when McTominay is there it's much more stable.
This season McTominay must make that central midfield spot his own as otherwise Solskjaer will likely bring in re-enforcements in the midfield areas next season. When he's at his best often against Leeds United, he causes the opposition lots of problems as he's tall and strong so becomes press resistant and when driving forward he's a pain to mark as he can strike a ball and can make room for others.
McTominay is highly rated amongst some current and ex United representatives as Darren Fletcher, Jose Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson and even Roy Keane have spoken positively about the Scot. In the 2017/18 season, Mourinho created the 'Manager's Player of the Year award' at United and new boy McTominay was awarded it and pleasing Mourinho is no easy task so that is a big accomplishment. Then when a manager as prestigious as Ferguson speaks fondly of you that is also a big deal.
Last season McTominay and Fred created a consistent partnership in the midfield that Solskjaer trusted despite its issues. Twelve months later and this partnership is still Solskjaer's go to as it's his securest option. However, this pairing won't last forever as there's clear problems with it that eventually will be upgraded. To ensure his survival in this squad, McTominay has to make a huge claim this season presenting why he is of United standard.
This has been a big debate recently, as some believe he's very underrated and is a good midfielder whereas others feel he isn't even top six level. Often the downfall of the Fred and McTominay partnership is the simple things. At times, they can both struggle with the progression of the ball and accurate passing. Inaccurate passing at this level is unforgivable and he must ensure that he's a reliable passer and someone who can pick the ball of the defence and transition it forward.
Despite this, he's relatively press resistant and although Paul Pogba is a world class midfielder, he can be caught on the ball a lot whereas McTominay tends not to do this. If McTominay can perfect the simple things, mixed with improving his best attributes like his arial presence and bombing runs he could become an efficient midfielder for United.
In terms of effect McTominay's presence varies. In some games he's a pivotal man in the midfield whereas in other games it can pass him by. McTominay must ensure that this doesn't happen often as Solskjaer can't afford to have inconsistency in the midfield if he's to take this team to titles. This season with Solskjaer's clear distrust of Donny van de Beek and Pogba excelling off the left, McTominay's role in the team has never been more important.
Overall, McTominay could be United's unlikely hero as he becomes the glue the holds the United midfield together. Then if he wants to become a United great, he must learn to do the basics well and keep progressing from there. Ultimately, if McTominay can keep progressing he could become a crucial figure in United's team hoping to bring silverware back to Old Trafford.
Written by Ethan Bents
Filed Under: First Team, Managers, News, Opinion Tagged With: Manchester United, Old Trafford, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Scott McTominay
Opinion: Manchester United's Midfield Dilemma
The 2021/22 Premier League season has started and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a big decision to make with regards to who he picks as his first-choice midfield. Since his arrival at the club, Solskjaer has tried to stick to partnerships remaining loyal to his primary midfielders. Due to Bruno Fernandes' remarkable impact, his spot in the team has always been guaranteed thus leaving Solskjaer only two spots to figure out. In Solskjaer's preferred 4-2-3-1, he's often used Scott McTominay and Fred as his midfield pivot to ensure stability at the back.
This can be viewed as quite defensive, but it does provide that cover for the back four especially when he sees the partnership of Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire as unreliable. With the addition of Raphael Varane, this may change the dynamic at United as Solskjaer will feel that his new centre half partnership is assured and thus he can adapt to a more offensive approach rather than two more defensive minded players. Therefore, Solskjaer has a big decision to make on whether to play more freely but leaving the defence more vulnerable or sticking to a more stable but offensively hindered duo. The four midfield partnerships he could choose are:
Scott McTominay and Fred
Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba
Donny van de Beek and Nemanja Matic
Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay/Fred
Firstly, McTominay and Fred. This is the pivot we've seen the most of as a pairing and thus know what to expect. They bring high work rate always willing to run for the badge and won't give in when it gets tough. Defensively, they are solid and can cover the back four well seen especially in games against Manchester City where United had to defend for much of the game due to City's expert ball retention ability but held them out before swiftly hitting them on the counter-attack. McTominay's height and aggression brings a real ariel presence and can help to win the midfield battle due to his tough tackling and determination to win the ball.
Fred carries a phenomenal engine throughout and never stops pressing and hassling the opposition. However, what this duo lack is technical ability, especially offensively. As a duo they are two separate players doing one mans job; neither player is a specialist defensive midfielder, but Solskjaer has often felt to get the job done you need both. Furthermore, a major weakness of their game is ball progression. A key role in the defensive midfield position is the transition of the ball; they must be able to pick the ball up off the centre half's and then move it forward with speed.
McTominay and Fred struggle to do this due to their weak first touch, passing and progressive dribbling. Thus, when paired together, the ball is often held around the midfield for far too long taking multiple touches to find a simple pass. This completely slows United's attacking flow as by the time the ball reaches the final third the opposition's defence is well organised. Furthermore, because of their weak passing, it can limit how well the ball is progressed often resulting in the forwards dropping deeper and deeper to receive the ball which destroys all attacking shape and make it easier for the oppositions defence.
Therefore, as a duo they bring stability, but due to their weakness on the ball can give possession away which makes it easier for the opposition to dictate the games.
The next partnership is Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba. This partnership was most used post lockdown last year and was highly effective at the time. Its biggest strength is balance, Unlike McTominay and Fred there is balance between a natural defensive midfielder in Matic and then a more creative player in Pogba. This means despite not having two players to cover, the defence is stable as due to Matic's elite positioning, awareness and ability to intercept he can shield the back four on his own. This then leaves Pogba more license to get forward and with his passing range and strong ball progression abilities, transitioning the ball becomes far easier and more effective.
Matic picks the ball up off the defenders, quickly passing it to Pogba who in turn, can find a 40-yard pass if necessary or make a defence splitting pass through the midfield into the final third for the attackers. This creates a smooth flow and speed to United's game which is much harder for the opposition to defend. However, one major weakness is energy. Unlike McTominay and Fred in which you're guaranteed tenacity and energy, with Pogba and Matic this isn't the case. With Matic's lack of speed he makes up for it with defensive positioning, but if the opposition team attempt to swamp the midfield it can leave Matic slightly vulnerable.
In addition, Pogba isn't renowned for his defensive abilities and can be susceptible to not tracking back which would expose Matic even more. Furthermore, as a player Pogba can be clumsy when defending, and has a knack for giving penalties away. This as a trait for a player who is expected to track back and provide cover in the box is a weakness. Therefore, in high energy games this duo can be slightly vulnerable and become a liability but their high quality on the ball means often even against imposing midfields they can retain the ball well keeping a real control on the game and thus not being put into these issues.
Thirdly, there's the partnership of Matic and Donny van de Beek. This is a relatively untested duo which has emerged in pre-season due to the lack of internationals fit after the Euros. This duo is highly intelligent and would always be one step ahead of the oppositional team. With Van de Beek's awareness he can play himself out of trouble and prevent United from losing the ball. He like Matic has a good passing range on him, with a real ability to play cute one-twos with teammates making space for others. This will help United's transition of the ball because both midfielders can pass well and are very comfortable with the ball at feet and can transition it smoothly.
Defensively, although not particularly tall, Van de Beek has good tenacity and can put a tackle in to turnover possession for his side. Furthermore, with Matic next to him it provides the necessary freedom to let him roam forward. Also, Van de Beek is a more energetic player than Pogba and so won't let himself get ran out of the game. However, he's not got such a brilliant passing range so can't create a chance out of nothing like Pogba. Finally, the midfield with Pogba and Fred or McTominay. On paper if you mix Pogba's attacking output and combine it with Fred's or McTominay's defensive work it would create a strong midfield but in reality, it's the opposite.
Individually, Fred and Mctominay don't have a strong enough footballing brain especially defensively to properly shield the back four. They can't read the game like Matic and so United would miss that player who can put in a crucial interception to save a goal scoring opportunity. Furthermore, as Pogba isn't the strongest defensively, a natural defensive midfielder is necessary and neither Fred nor McTominay provide this. However, as a midfield, due to Mctominay or Fred's athleticism and stamina, the midfield wouldn't get outworked and there would be enough speed in there which can be lacking with Matic.
Overall, I feel that despite issues with each pivot, he should use them all. Although previously he's liked to have one partnership he sticks to, I feel different players will be more effective against different opponents. Against Leeds United due to the impeccable fitness standards Marcelo Bielsa inflicts on his men, Solskjaer used a more energetic duo like McTominay and Fred. But, in the future, against more defensive teams, Solskjaer should look to utilise players like Donny van de Beek and his intricate and clever play style to break down deep blocks.
However, if Solskjaer is to stick to one midfield I think he should, when possible, pick Matic and then either Pogba or Van de Beek as his partner. Last season Pogba played multiple games off the left due to Solskjaer insistence on using Mctominay and Fred and so with Rashford's injury he may look to move Pogba back to the left and use Van de Beek and Matic as the midfield pivot to maximise creativity.
In Conclusion, I hope that although McTominay and Fred have their qualities, they are used more sparingly, and he goes with a more offensive approach this season as United with the signings of Varane and Jadon Sancho have the quality to dictate games, dominating oppositions and ultimately bring trophies back to Old Trafford.
Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, News, Opinion Tagged With: Donny van de Beek, Fred, Manchester United, Nemanja Matic, Old Trafford, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay
Defensive Midfielder: The Key to Bringing Success Back to Old Trafford?
The most important position on a football pitch is highly debatable, some say goalkeeper, others will say in the modern game its fullbacks, whereas I feel the most important position in the team is defensive midfielder. A defensive midfielder acts as a shield to the defence, intercepting counter attacks and trying to provide stability to the midfield. Without a defensive midfielder, often midfields can be imbalanced leaving their defences exposed or on the contrary too heavily covered and thus restricting the creativity in the team.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been heavily criticised for his preference of Scott McTominay and Fred in a double pivot in the midfield. This is seen by many as too defensive, which hinders the teams attacking output. This is as a result of the movement of the passing. The key to a good midfield is the ability to pick the ball off the defence and transition it quickly into the final third for the forwards to attack.
The criticism of McTominay and Fred is both of them are not naturally gifted at passing nor ball control thus when they transition the ball its often too slow as they take many touches and pass side to side as they aren't comfortable passing forward with great intent. This was seen in the Liverpool vs United game in the backend of last season in May when United lost to their bitter rivals 4-2. Liverpool traditionally under Klopp play with a high press attempting to put the oppositional team under pressure and win back possession high up the field leaving the defence vulnerable and open to chances.
Liverpool used this gameplan and to great effect as they pressed United high and in the title of the Manchester Evening News article for the player ratings, stated; "Fred and Scott McTominay Terrible." The pair in midfield gave the ball away countless times which inevitably led to Liverpool's goals. Often, their weak passing can be hidden due to teams sitting off, but when United are pressed their weaknesses become very evident. Furthermore, this although not as prominent an issue but still a weakness is a concern for United when playing teams like Burnley who try sit in and make it difficult.
The lack of creativity in the midfield when using Fred and McTominay means breaking down these resilient teams can be a nightmare. Therefore, the use of Fred and McTominay when playing the weaker teams has become a major criticism of Solskjaer's from the fans. As a result of Solskjaer's preference for Mctominay and Fred, this has forced Paul Pogba onto the left wing where he arguably isn't as effective. This debate is of the essence right now due to Pogba's phenomenal performances for France in Euro 2020.
Despite being knocked out, Pogba was one of the best players at the tournament playing as a midfielder for France rather then out on the wing. His defence splitting passes, strong tackling and boisterous power in the midfield has led fans to demand Solskjaer moves Pogba back into his 'best position' for the start of the 2021/22 season. With the arrival of Jadon Sancho from Dortmund as an exciting winger, this could force Solskjaer to play Pogba in midfield as he's likely to start Rashford on the left, Sancho on the right and Martial through the middle.
The effect of a Defensive Midfielder for Manchester United
As seen with France, Pogba looks far more comfortable with a natural defensive midfielder next to him and so with Solskjaer potentially looking at a midfielder in the summer transfer window, the freeing up of Pogba could finally happen. Pogba's best form recently came when he played next to a natural defensive midfielder in Matic. Matic covered the defence giving Pogba license to go forward. Matic is now 32 turning 33 in August and so is no longer fit enough to play two to three games a week leaving United without a first-choice defensive midfielder.
The emergence of James Garner could solve this in the future but for now United need a world class defensive midfielder to dictate games. For the summer transfer window, I feel this should be our biggest priority as with a good defensive midfielder we will be able to transition the ball far better giving the ball to our more attacking players like Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani quicker so they have more space to attack and exploit the defence.
As mentioned, it will mean Pogba can go forward with more freedom and most importantly if possession is lost there will be a player who can read the play and anticipate and intercept the oncoming attack, and therefore avoid any counterattacks going right through the midfield leaving the defence exposed. Therefore, this would let United dictate and control more games which United have struggled with in recent years letting winnable games slip by to late equalisers like against Everton last season and Southampton post-lockdown.
In addition, all the best teams in the world have a world class defensive midfielder; Manchester City have Fernandinho, Liverpool have Fabinho, Bayern have Joshua Kimmich and Real Madrid have Casemiro. In the last couple months, we've seen Fabinho be moved to centre half to deal with their injury issues. Immediately, Liverpool's defence looked so much weaker as they didn't have a defensive midfielder Infront of them to shield leaving them incredibly vulnerable.
Furthermore, in the Champions League final, Guardiola tried a midfield without a defensive midfielder. Chelsea used this to their advantage and carved right through City's defence, and their 'world class' defensive partnership of Rúben Dias and John Stones looked completely lost and weak. Therefore, this shows that when these great teams no matter how good they are play without a defensive midfielder they look that much worse. So, if United had a proper defensive midfielder I feel United would improve astronomically and could be the difference between getting to finals and winning titles.
The main name many fans want is Declan Rice, but some other options include Wilfred Ndidi and Manuel Locatelli. Declan Rice has been an impressive midfielder in West Hams resurgence in the 2020/21 season which has led his value to being of an absurd £80 million due to him being an English midfielder playing in the Premier League. This has led to many feeling that United should avoid Rice as paying £80 million is overpriced. Ndidi is a Nigerian midfielder playing for Leicester. He has good strength and brilliant tackling. These attributes could create great stability in the United midfield but the main issue is price.
Leicester City has an incredibly efficient transfer system meaning they buy for cheap and sell for very high. In the 2019 summer transfer market, United were forced to pay a huge upfront fee of £80 million for Maguire from Leicester. Therefore, Ndidi would cost around a similar fee which in a covid market isn't realistic. Locatelli who has shone for Italy in the Euros is 23 years old playing for Sassuolo in Serie A. He's got an eye for goal, as well as great passing ability and tackling which would enable him to progress the ball very well and put some crucial tackles in. His price would be around the region of £30-40 million.
However, Locatelli looks likely to go to Juventus so therefore, United should make a move for Eduardo Camavinga who is an 18-year-old French midfielder playing in the French league for Rennes. He's highly rated with a special future and would probably cost around £50 million. This may seem extensive for someone so young, but his high ability at 18 means he could be moulded into a world class defensive midfielder in future creating a good relationship with Paul Pogba.
In Conclusion, I feel United must go all out to get a defensive midfielder this summer as a proper defensive midfielder could take United to the next level and bring trophies back to Old Trafford with Camavinga being my first choice if Locatelli goes to Juventus.
Filed Under: First Team, Managers, News, Opinion, Transfer Rumours Tagged With: Declan Rice, Eduardo Camavinga, Fred, Manchester United, Manuel Locatelli, Old Trafford, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Scott McTominay, Wilfred Ndidi
Scott McTominay set for new role at Manchester United?
8 September 2020 by John Walker
Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay, 23, could be set for a new role at the Old Trafford club following the arrival of both Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek this year. The two attacking midfielders will most likely see the 23-year-old find his feet in a new midfield role which is likely to be a defensive midfield role. United recently rewarded Nemanja Matic, 32, with a new contract at the club, which will probably be his last at United before retirement. The Serbian has already retired from international football this summer.
The Athletic has reported that United have a hole in the defensive area of the midfield with just Matic as the defensive minded midfielder also citing that the clubs failed pursuit of Jude Bellingham is also reason for McTominay being put into his new role at the club. The 23-year-old has played a defensive role at the club in his breakthrough season under Jose Mourinho but will probably need some assistance to find his feet in the position, which is where Matic could come in.
Matic, 32, is not going to be an option for every match but could offer something coming off the bench, or starting in the bigger matches with McTominay playing other matches with him more able to recover between matches with United set to play out the full 2020/21 season in a shorter period of time, playing in the Premier League, Carabao Cup, UEFA Champions League and the Emirates FA Cup. It is something that could work well for United, if McTominay finds his feet in the new position.
Matic would be seen as the ideal mentor for McTominay which could see him thrive in the position. He is a physical player and during the 2019/20 season, especially when Paul Pogba was injured before the end of 2019, showed what he could do for his club and got stuck into various midfield roles, playing alongside Matic and Fred in the centre of midfield. Since Fernandes has arrived though, McTominay has more often been a substitute, playing in the advanced areas but not doing all that well.
Throughout the course of the 2019/20 season, McTominay made a total of 37 appearances for United, scoring five goals and one assist. His best goal came against Manchester City, scoring a late long-distance goal to secure the three points for United in what was the last match to be played at the Theatre of Dreams with supporters present in the stadium. It was a great goal that secured Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side the Premier League double over City, which shows the direction the club has been heading in under the Norwegian manager, despite the negativity from Twitter fans.
McTominay signed a new contract at United this summer, which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2025, with the option of a further year to be added. This shows that United have a future for the player and he will be an asset in the years to come once he finds his feet in his new position. The 23-year-old has played 23 times in the 2019/20 season in the central midfield position, playing 11 times in the defensive midfield position – the other appearances playing in advanced areas on the pitch. This shows that he could be moulded into the heir to Matic with the Serbian helping him find his feet, which would be good for him.
Filed Under: First Team, Managers, News, Opinion Tagged With: Manchester United, Nemanja Matic, Old Trafford, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Scott McTominay
Dimitar Berbatov feels this midfielder needs to put in extra effort moving forward
Former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has stated that midfielder Scott McTominay needs to put in the extra effort if he is to force his way back into the clubs starting XI. At times this season, McTominay has been a true professional and in a period that saw Paul Pogba out of action for much of the season, was playing a lot of football. However, since the restart, the form McTominay had has gone. Criticism is something that will always be part of the game and can be warranted.
At the end of December 2019, McTominay suffered from a knee injury which kept him out of 12 matches, returning almost two months later, just before the coronavirus pandemic suspended world football. Of course, when he returned, Pogba was still not playing and Bruno Fernandes has been signed and United were playing a better brand of football. McTominay scored that goal at Old Trafford against Manchester City, seeing the Red Devils beat their rivals 2-0 in the league, doing the double over them.
The arrival of Fernandes, the return from injury of Pogba and the form of Nemanja Matic has left McTominay on the bench more often than not and since the restart, has not had the same thing about him after he had before the coronavirus pandemic. Whilst the player will be able to force his way back into contention with hard work on the training ground, it will need to be something that happens sooner rather than later with United linked with many midfielders this summer.
McTominay has a good career ahead of him but he will not be happy to remain on the bench most of the time. With better players coming to the club, it will always be tough for others but that is raising the bar and allowing the players the time and grace to grow, fighting for their places in the team, which in turn will raise the game and be good for the club. McTominay is not a player that will accept defeat, he has fought on the pitch and will do so to get back into the team. Speaking to Betfair and reported by The Mirror, Berbatov said:
"It's interesting to see Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] rely on this 11, and it shows these are the main guys, with some exceptional talent.
"Other players are getting chances, but there is a clear hierarchy now between starters and subs. This isn't permanent and shouldn't be.
"Take Scott McTominay, he is on the bench now, so he needs to work very hard to get into the starting XI.
"He needs to stay after training, show he's willing to put in the extra effort. Ole will see and appreciate this. Scott can do it because he is a very talented boy."
This season, McTominay has made a total of 37 appearances for United, scoring five goals and one assist which is an improvement from his 22 appearances, scoring two goals and no assists during the 2018/19 season. At 23, the player still has time to grow but seems to be a bit more talented than Andreas Pereira, who has been afforded a lot of time at United, not actually proving anything. McTominay is a player that will fight for a result and has done so this season. He is capable of a lot and will regain his form and challenge the likes of Pogba, Matic and possibly Fernandes.
Filed Under: First Team, Managers, News, Opinion Tagged With: Dimitar Berbatov, Manchester United, Old Trafford, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Scott McTominay
Di'Shon Bernard, Largie Ramazani and James Garner tipped to be the next big thing at Manchester United
Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has named some of the players within the Old Trafford club's academy that he considers to be the ones to keep a look out for in the coming years. Over the years, United has been excited about many prospects from the academy of the club from Duncan Edwards, George Best, and Ryan Giggs and beyond.
McTominay himself made the rise from the academy to become a regular first team player today. It is great to see first team players take an interest in the younger players at the club, which gives them the necessary attention, also showing the players themselves that they are appreciated from those already in the first team, a boost if you will.
McTominay feels that United supporters have a lot to be excited about in the future with many good players coming through the youth ranks in various positions. However, the 23-year-old highlighted three players for us all to look out for and all three of them have been noticed by the club and the supporters, especially this season.
Earlier this week, McTominay did a Q&A session with the official Manchester United website and on there he was asked about the youth players that he feels are showing good signs at the club. It was here where he mentioned three names; Di'Shon Bernard, Largie Ramazani, and James Garner. McTominay said:
"For the younger boys? There's a lot.
"You see Di'Shon [Bernard], Largie [Ramazani], Jimmy [Garner], you see Mason [Greenwood], obviously, coming in and Mason's on his way to being established.
"He's not quite at that level of being a regular first-teamer, and that's what Mason has to strive to become.
"He's one of the most talented players that I've seen for a long time – his left-foot, right-foot shooting is ridiculous."
The three players, all of them 19, have been playing well this season, until the coronavirus pandemic suspended world football, which also cancelled the remainder of the season for youth football. Garner has already played for the first team this season, making 19 appearances at U23 and first team level, scoring nine goals and three assists.
Ramazani has made his first team debut earlier this season and in total, at U23 and first team level, he has made a total of 17 appearances, scoring 10 goals and two assists. Bernard also made his debut for the first team this season, making a total of 17 appearances at U23 and first team level, scoring no goals but getting one assist.
All three players have been exciting at times this season. Garner seems to be a player in the mould of Paul Scholes and seems to be able to score some stunning goals. Ramazani is a quick and tricky winger, who can also play through the middle, showing his ability on the pitch this season and Bernard is a central defender, his composure is second to none.
It is always great to see academy players rise to the challenge and that challenge will be tough on the road to them finding their feet in the first team at the Old Trafford club, playing at the Theatre of Dreams well into the future. It is not something that happens for all, but does happen for some. If they all keep their heads down and continue their development, there could be no stopping them.
Filed Under: Academy, First Team, Managers, News, Opinion Tagged With: Di'Shon Bernard, James Garner, Largie Ramazani, Manchester United, Old Trafford, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Scott McTominay
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told he could be at risk of losing Scott McTominay, says Brian McClair
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been warned by a familiar face at the Old Trafford club that he could lose midfielder Scott McTominay in the near future. When Jose Mourinho was sacked in December 2018 and Solskjaer came in, McTominay could have been heading to Celtic on loan, which would have been a shame for United.
Instead though, the academy graduate remained at United and with injuries to Paul Pogba for much of the current season, the Lancaster-born Scottish international has earned his stripes and played some beautiful football at the club, scoring a stunning goal in Old Trafford's last game against Manchester City with United coming out on top.
Former United forward, Brian McClair, who was also the head of United's academy until 2015, when Nicky Butt took over, has praised the Scotland international, albeit with a warning that would need attention paid to it. McTominay has been a standout player for the club this season, some supporters don't seem to rate him though, for whatever reason.
McClair spoke to Superstar Speakers about McTominay, who this season, despite suffering from injury himself, has made a total of 27 appearances, playing in the Premier League, Carabao Cup, UEFA Europa League and the Emirates FA Cup, scoring five goals and one assist, spending a total of 2,063 minutes on the football pitch. McClair said:
"I think Scott McTominay, if he stays at Manchester United, will be a great player for Manchester United.
"It's a similar thing to Darren Fletcher. He's come through the youth system, he wants it, he's a Manchester United fan, he's determined.
"He's overcome several situations with regards to growth spurts, injury and illness.
"I think he can be a Manchester United great.
"I hope that he remains at Manchester United for long enough for that to occur but it would not surprise me if there were other clubs looking to recruit him in the not too distant future."
McTominay has risen through the ranks since he was given his debut by Mourinho, finding his feet and actually offering what United needed from time to time. Granted, he's not going to be a household name in world football but he will be a name that is recognised for what he has done for his club. Solskjaer will need to keep this in mind.
I don't for one minute think that Solskjaer would sell McTominay right now as there are players who are needing to go through the Old Trafford exits before anyone else does. However, if he's not getting regular football, which might happen if Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes form a special partnership, depending on what formation is used.
If Solskjaer opts for a three-man midfield, whether a 4-3-3 formation or a 4-4-2 diamond, there could be space for McTominay in the squad. Fred has been a breath of fresh air this season, showing that he just needed regular football in order to find his form at the club, despite the fact Mourinho had already called time at United for him.
McTominay can bring something to the team. Pogba, if he stays at the club, and Fernandes are not going to play every game in the centre of the pitch together, so there will be rotation options. Having McTominay in the midfield with the duo could be something special based on the work rate of the player and his ability on and off the ball.
Filed Under: First Team, Managers, News, Opinion Tagged With: Brian McClair, Manchester United, Old Trafford, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Scotland, Scott McTominay
Manchester United may not have replaced Michael Carrick but there is a gem from within who could fill the void
Manchester United have a problem in midfield this summer which requires strengthening, according to Danny Murphy on talkSPORT. The former Liverpool and England midfielder has suggested that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has work to do in replacing Michael Carrick, who retired at the end of the 2017/18 season, becoming a coach at the club.
Carrick signed for United from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2006 for a fee of £14 million, which could have risen to £18.6 million. The combative midfielder played for the club for 12 seasons before hanging up his boots and becoming a coach under Jose Mourinho and continuing under Solskjaer. Carrick was the reason United's midfield has depth.
During his career at the club, as a player, Carrick won five Premier League titles, one FA Cup, two League Cups, six FA Community Shields, one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Europa League and one FIFA Club World Cup – only the UEFA Super Cup is missing from his list of honours. A great career for a great midfielder.
During the summer, United were linked with many midfielders, failing to sign a single one. Having sold Marouane Fellaini in January and with Ander Herrera leaving as a free agent in the summer, it was expected that at least two central midfielders would be signed. However, that did not happen. Solskjaer's side may have wanted to make signing though.
For the duration of the summer, Solskjaer was linked to Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff, a connection that was mocked by supposed supporters of the club on Twitter. It would seem that supporters think United should be signing experienced world class players, ignoring the fact that Longstaff has the skills to be a great player.
Former Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez one stated that Longstaff was like Carrick but with more mobility and more in the tank. If only some supposed United supporters looked forwards instead of always looking back, they might understand the game a bit more. There is little point buying ready-made players, helping to develop younger players works.
Carrick was a deep-lying midfielder, one that did not rely on pace, stamina, physical attributes, box-to-box play or tackling like a typical midfielder. Instead, Carrick relied on his reading of the game, helping him to anticipate attacking threats from the opposition. This helped him and all the teams he played for. Carrick has been praised by legends of the game, including Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Xavi and Xabi Alonso.
Longstaff is a born leader, he has perfect his passing to the best of his abilities, he gets stuck into the game and has his entire career ahead of him. You should be able to see why Longstaff was linked to United and why Newcastle seemed to put a huge price tag on the player this summer, seemingly wanting to keep him. Speaking about United's midfield, Murphy told talkSPORT:
"And then of course in the middle of the park I'm still not sure that it's the right balance.
"I think they need another, I keep saying it, Michael Carrick, but where do you find a Michael Carrick?
"But that type, someone who can sit in there, [Paul] Pogba likes to go forward and do his bit, someone who can sit in there.
"[Scott] McTominay's a good player but he's not someone that can dictate tempo like Carrick did. They've never replaced him as far as I'm concerned."
United though, have a player of their own who could help strengthen the midfield and add something Carrick-esque in the centre of the pitch. His name is James Garner. The 18-year-old has made his first team debut for United but has yet to play a considerable amount of minutes at a competitive level. He was involved in the clubs summer pre-season tour.
Garner has started to establish himself in the U23 squad this season, under Neil Wood and Quinton Fortune, playing all 360 minutes of action with United beating Rotherham United 2-0, West Bromwich Albion 5-0, Reading 2-0, and Newcastle United 4-0, showing his ability and more importantly his development at a higher level than U18 football.
Garner has four goals and one assist at this level this season, scoring a brace against West Brom, once against Reading and Newcastle, getting his assist against Rotherham in the EFL Trophy. Garner may not be ready to be considered for the first team right now but during the course of the season, if he continues on this trajectory, the world could be his oyster.
Filed Under: Academy, First Team, Managers, News, Opinion Tagged With: Danny Murphy, Manchester United, Michael Carrick, Old Trafford, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Scott McTominay
Looking at Manchester United's midfield depth for the 2019/20 season
Manchester United's midfield is somewhat depleted following the departure of Marouane Fellaini in January and Ander Herrera leaving the club as a free agent in the summer. At least that is what the moaning relates to as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should have strengthened the midfield during the summer transfer window.
However, the Norwegian opted to sign a winger instead, in Daniel James, who arrived for £15 million from Swansea City. It was a summer that saw Paul Pogba state to the media that he wanted a new challenge and one which saw United linked to a number of different midfielders. Bruno Fernandes was linked to the club for the entire summer window.
Some will suggest that United's midfield is weak and there are no positives should Pogba actually leave before the European window closes, or if he suffers from an injury. However, as an optimist, I see options, not great options but options for players to grow and learn a place in the midfield. However, some will not be happy with this fix.
Defensive midfield depth; a player on the decline or players lacking experience.
Nemanja Matic is the player with experience in the defensive midfield position. But as last season and during pre-season has clearly shown, the Serbian has lost his pace, is slow and on the decline. Based on this, he will not be expected to play a big role at the club this season. There are players under him with less experience.
At this moment in time, Scott McTominay will start ahead of Matic as he has been offering more to the team than Matic can at the minute, possibly for the future too. In rotation, McTominay could be challenged by Andreas Pereira and Tim Fosu-Mensah, once he has recovered from knee surgery. Another option is James Garner.
It might not be something that you would consider great depth but it is still depth nonetheless. McTominay has developed into a decent midfielder and that has not finished for him. Having the likes of Pereira, Fosu-Mensah and Garner, also Matic means there are options there if there needs to be. Solskjaer has a plan and he will follow that plan.
Central midfield depth; Pogba has little competition for a starting central midfield role.
In this position, Paul Pogba is the player that others will need to get past in order to play regularly, at least in the 4-2-3-1 formation with only two midfielders. In another formation, say 4-3-3, a third midfielder would be given the chance to earn their place in the team. However, the 4-2-3-1 formation has been used most often by Solskjaer.
If Pogba was to be injured or was rested keeping in mind bigger matches during the course of the season, the likes of Fred and Andreas Pereira could replace him in the team. Fred could also play as a defensive–minded midfielder but this being his second season, it would be best to see him play this role. Garner too, however, it may be too soon for him.
Pereira has done well, however, I am not sure the centre of midfield is where Pereira should be playing; he played on the right-wing for periods against Chelsea last weekend. The depth here is not the greatest but it will have to do, until January at least when Solskjaer may make a move to strengthen his squad. Failing that, it will be next summer.
The formation above shows the depth of the midfield. There are seven players competing for a central midfield role, of which in the current formation, two will start each match. If the formation changes, there could be a further place available in the team. There is some strengthening needed but that doesn't just mean buying players.
There are many players in the team that could be used in these positions if the need arises. I am sure Juan Mata could play a central role, as could Angel Gomes. It might not be ideal but it could work. However, with the seven names to fortify these positions, it would take a long injury list to ensure Solskjaer played other players out of their favoured positions.
The depth is there, although it is not as magnificent as it might be. But the way I look at things, the depth of the squad, at least in the striker role was not great in the 2015/16 season and after Anthony Martial injured himself in the warm-up ahead of the Midtjylland match, Marcus Rashford may not have had the impact in which he's had. Every cloud and all that!
Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Opinion Tagged With: Andreas Pereira, Fred, James Garner, Manchester United, Nemanja Matic, Old Trafford, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay, Tim Fosu-Mensah