Never done anything like this before, and never really imagined myself doing it, but my motivation for FM, dies so slowly over the past few years. Perhaps something like this will give me some extra motivation to stick lengthy saves out.
MANCHESTER UNITED HIRE LAUTARO MENDOZA TO REPLACE JOSE. SO, WHO IS HE?
Lautaro Mendoza is the new manager of Manchester United. Mendoza is a retired Argentine professional footballer, who had a relatively brief playing career, ending prematurely to injury just three days before his 25th birthday whilst on international duty. He played his entire club playing career with River Plate, joining their academy at the age of just 12. Mendoza made his senior debut for River Plate in April 1991, a substitute appearance in a 1-1 draw against Newell's Old Boys. He scored his first goal for the club three months later, when netting in a 3-1 away win against Chaco For Ever. He went on to make 193 appearances for River Plate, scoring 34 goals, also gaining 39 caps for Argentina, with 5 goals for his country. Mendoza was nicknamed "El más listo" for his sheer footballing brain by Marcelo Biesla, his national manager at the time, before also being dubbed "A Praga" (the pest) by his international rival in Brazilian midfielder, Emerson, for his relentless pressing and harrying at such a high intensity, being renowned for his fantastic midfield engine. On July 4th, 1999, in a Copa America match against Columbia, a late challenge on Mendoza saw him have his left leg shattered in two places, which was revealed almost a year later as a career ending injury - confirming his retirement from the game in 2000. Many had expected Mendoza to one day go on to play for a European giant, with AC Milan and Barcelona both reportedly interested in a summer move at the time, but it wasn't to be.
However, that was not the end of him. Mendoza pursued his badges, and in 2004, he took up a coaching role at the club he knew so well; River Plate. He stayed employed in this role right up until 2008, before parting ways with the club due to a reported fallout with newly appointed manager, Diego Simeone. It was later revealed from Mendoza himself that the reason he left was because he didn't agree with the steps Simeone had planned to take the club in, going on to state that Diego Simeone was trying to "delete our [River Plate's] identity". Following Simeone's resignation at the end of that season, Lautaro Mendoza was appointed the permanent manager of River Plate, and had been there right up until he joined Manchester United earlier this week. In his tenure as a manager of River Plate, he won the Primera B Nacional, Primera División, Copa Sudamericana, Copa Libertadores, Recopa Sudamericana (x2) and the Suruga Bank Championship.
What Mendonza has got most plaudits for, was the style in which he gained his success in. He seems to strike the perfect balance between a high intensity pressing game, with some of the most beautiful attacking football you'd wish to see, alongside having physical solidarity and positional discipline throughout heart the spine of the team. Many have touted it as a mixture of Marcelo Biesla's and Daniel Passarella's methods, previous coaches at international and club level respectively. The appointment still splits opinion among the United faithful, with many people still scratching their head over what wouldn't be argued by too many as the biggest shock in Premier League history when Mourinho resigned from his post just shy of two months into his new job. Reasons still remain unclear, with both the club and Mourinho still refusing to comment anything more than "in time, all will be revealed". What we can confirm though, is that 42 year old Lautaro Mendoza, is now the new manager of Manchester United, aided by some superb summer transfer work from Jose Mourinho, with all the pressure along with it.
MANCHESTER UNITED HIRE LAUTARO MENDOZA TO REPLACE JOSE. SO, WHO IS HE?
Lautaro Mendoza is the new manager of Manchester United. Mendoza is a retired Argentine professional footballer, who had a relatively brief playing career, ending prematurely to injury just three days before his 25th birthday whilst on international duty. He played his entire club playing career with River Plate, joining their academy at the age of just 12. Mendoza made his senior debut for River Plate in April 1991, a substitute appearance in a 1-1 draw against Newell's Old Boys. He scored his first goal for the club three months later, when netting in a 3-1 away win against Chaco For Ever. He went on to make 193 appearances for River Plate, scoring 34 goals, also gaining 39 caps for Argentina, with 5 goals for his country. Mendoza was nicknamed "El más listo" for his sheer footballing brain by Marcelo Biesla, his national manager at the time, before also being dubbed "A Praga" (the pest) by his international rival in Brazilian midfielder, Emerson, for his relentless pressing and harrying at such a high intensity, being renowned for his fantastic midfield engine. On July 4th, 1999, in a Copa America match against Columbia, a late challenge on Mendoza saw him have his left leg shattered in two places, which was revealed almost a year later as a career ending injury - confirming his retirement from the game in 2000. Many had expected Mendoza to one day go on to play for a European giant, with AC Milan and Barcelona both reportedly interested in a summer move at the time, but it wasn't to be.
However, that was not the end of him. Mendoza pursued his badges, and in 2004, he took up a coaching role at the club he knew so well; River Plate. He stayed employed in this role right up until 2008, before parting ways with the club due to a reported fallout with newly appointed manager, Diego Simeone. It was later revealed from Mendoza himself that the reason he left was because he didn't agree with the steps Simeone had planned to take the club in, going on to state that Diego Simeone was trying to "delete our [River Plate's] identity". Following Simeone's resignation at the end of that season, Lautaro Mendoza was appointed the permanent manager of River Plate, and had been there right up until he joined Manchester United earlier this week. In his tenure as a manager of River Plate, he won the Primera B Nacional, Primera División, Copa Sudamericana, Copa Libertadores, Recopa Sudamericana (x2) and the Suruga Bank Championship.
What Mendonza has got most plaudits for, was the style in which he gained his success in. He seems to strike the perfect balance between a high intensity pressing game, with some of the most beautiful attacking football you'd wish to see, alongside having physical solidarity and positional discipline throughout heart the spine of the team. Many have touted it as a mixture of Marcelo Biesla's and Daniel Passarella's methods, previous coaches at international and club level respectively. The appointment still splits opinion among the United faithful, with many people still scratching their head over what wouldn't be argued by too many as the biggest shock in Premier League history when Mourinho resigned from his post just shy of two months into his new job. Reasons still remain unclear, with both the club and Mourinho still refusing to comment anything more than "in time, all will be revealed". What we can confirm though, is that 42 year old Lautaro Mendoza, is now the new manager of Manchester United, aided by some superb summer transfer work from Jose Mourinho, with all the pressure along with it.