Former West Ham United midfielder Paul Ince has claimed that reaching a European quarter-final would represent a successful season for the Irons. The East London outfit have built on an impressive 2020-21 campaign by topping their Europa League group and currently sit fourth in the Premier League. Under the leadership of David Moyes, the Hammers have not lost a game by more than one goal in their last 40 matches — the longest run of any side in Europe’s top five leagues. They are searching for their first major piece of silverware since 1980, but Ince believes that reaching the final eight in the Europa League would be a huge success this term.

PLAY ONLINE CASINO HERE      

Massive Achievement

Speaking exclusively to Genting, he said: “If they could get into the quarter-finals of the Europa League I think that would be a massive achievement for the team. 

“It’s great that they’re in Europe, West Ham always should be in Europe, and it’s an amazing job Moyes has done. 

“He’s always said that he didn’t have enough time at Old Trafford, which I don’t think he did, he didn’t have the time to implement what he wanted – we’re now seeing that at West Ham. 

“We’re now seeing them competing with the best; even against Manchester City, they’re competing against the best teams and they’re playing well. 

“He’s got a great spirit there, there are no big egos, no big stars, just a team who know how to defend and how to attack.”

Impressed By Moyes

A product of the famous ‘Academy of Football’, Ince graduated from the Hammers youth system to make his professional debut in 1986.

And the former England international has hailed Moyes’ management, to get his side competing for a Champions League spot.

“The style of football he plays is a bit like when he was at Everton, I think West Ham suits him,” he explained.

“He believes that he can challenge the top four, I wouldn’t disagree at all. 

“Obviously the top three are out of his reach, but then you have Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham, Man United, there are four teams there who could easily finish in the top four. 

“He will believe that he can get that fourth spot, and I don’t see any reason why he couldn’t. 

“I think playing in Europe is going to be tough because they haven’t got a massive squad. 

“He’s relying on probably six or seven players, who play every week and then who play on Thursday night.”

Overcoming A Demanding Schedule

It is those demands on the players that Ince believes will be the biggest hurdle for Moyes to overcome — but he is nonetheless delighted to see how the mood in East London has improved under the Scottish tactician.

“That (the frequency of fixtures) is going to take its toll, (but) it’s just great to see them up there and playing the way they are,” he said.

“It’s great to see the atmosphere at the new stadium, we had so much negativity around it two years ago, with all the fans on the pitch – it’s changed now. 

“Moyes has got the atmosphere back and the fans are happy. 

“It’s great to see, and Moyes – not just Moyes, his staff, Stuart Pearce, Kevin Nolan, all the ones he’s brought back in – they’ve done a fabulous job for the club and fingers crossed it will continue.”

PLAY ONLINE CASINO HERE

18+BeGambleAware

GENTING CASINO ONLY OFFERS SPORTS ARTICLES AND NOT SPORTS BETTING

Genting Casino is a leading global casino brand. We provide a premium online casino experience with our huge selection of online slots and live casino games. Genting has been recognized many times for its work in creating fun, safe gaming experiences winning multiple industry awards during its 50 years in business. 

Plenty to play for in the final round of the Europa League group stages with Leicester and Rangers both looking to join West Ham in the next round. Rangers come into their final game knowing a draw against Lyon will be enough to send them through, while Leicester will need the win away to Napoli if they are going to finish top of Group C. Check out our preview and predictions below, and if playing online casino is your choice of entertainment, head over to Genting Casino and enjoy our premium experience with over 3000 of your favourite online slots and live casino table games available on any device.

PLAY ONLINE CASINO HERE     

Lyon v Rangers

This is a dead rubber game for both sides. Lyon have won all five games to run away with the group, while Rangers are assured of second place owing to their superior head-to-head record with Sparta Prague.  A 2-0 win over the latter was Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s first game in charge of the Gers, and they’ve gone from strength to strength under the Dutchman as they’ve won all four games so far and conceded just a single goal.

Lyon come into this fixture of the back of a couple of disappointing results against bottom-half teams domestically, first losing at home to Reims and then drawing on the road at Bordeaux. However, although they’ve only registered two clean sheets in their last nine appearances, they’ve had little problems finding the net and haven’t failed to score in 19 outings.

Peter Bosz will also likely be without first-choice duo Jason Denayer and Jerome Boateng at the back. Denayer came off before half time at the weekend and shouldn’t be risked in this fixture, while Boateng is a booking away from suspension. Back up goalkeeper Julian Pollersbeck is also set to feature, so the hosts may not be at their absolute best defensively.

PREDICTION:

BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE

Napoli v Leicester

Group C is finely poised and all four teams can still qualify heading into the final group game, with all four sides recording two wins from their five appearances. Both teams in this encounter are stuck in a bit of a rut at present, but the Foxes will eye this fixture as a potential turning point owing to their hosts’ crippling injury worries.

Leicester are just W2-D3-L3 record since late October, as the two victories were picked up over the group’s bottom side Legia Warsaw and a Watford side sitting just outside the relegation zone in the Premier League. The only clashes they’ve had with top-half sides over this period ended in defeats to Arsenal, Chelsea and most recently Aston Villa. Brendan Rodgers has a couple of concerns with Kasper Schmeichel and Youri Tielemans both doubts, but his selection problems pale in comparison to those faced by Luciano Spalletti.

Napoli are just W1-D2-L3 over their past six fixtures, most recently going down to Atalanta at the weekend. It’s unsurprising that the loss of star striker Victor Osimhen has coincided with this downturn in form, but he’s by no means the only regular or key player unavailable. Kalidou Koulibaly is a big loss at the back, especially with Kostas Manolas still a major doubt, while central midfield has been decimated. Stanislav Lobotka is the latest to be ruled out, with Andre Zambo Anguissa and Fabian Ruiz also missing at present, while captain Lorenzo Insigne is also a doubt.

PREDICTION:

LEICESTER DOUBLE CHANCE

Celtic v Real Betis

These two played out a seven-goal thriller in their group opener and there’s good reason to suppose there could be more action this time around. Although Celtic lost that ding-dong 4-3 in Spain, they are in much better form now and are W11-D1-L1 since the start of October, as they scored at least twice in 10 of these games.

Ange Postecoglou need not have any concerns over his side’s attacking output, even if exciting winger Jota is expected to miss out. However, Celtic have conceded the most goals in this season’s group stages, shipping at least two goals in four of their five games, while Cameron Carter-Vickers is suspended here.

Real Betis kept things tight at the weekend as they triumphed 1-0 away at Barcelona, with that their fifth win on the bounce. However, they’re unlikely to be so conservative when taking on Celtic and seven of their previous nine games had featured at least three goals, while five of these saw a minimum of four. In Europe alone, three of their five matches have seen at least four goals.

PREDICTION:

OVER 2.5 GOALS

Paul Ince Exclusive: European Quarter-Final A Massive Achievement

Read More

West Ham v Dinamo Zagreb

West Ham secured a massive victory at the weekend as they overcame Chelsea, maintaining their top-four position domestically. It’s been plain sailing for them in Europe where they’ve won four of five games to top the group, and although second-placed Dinamo Zagreb need a point to guarantee qualification to the knockouts, the hosts should have too much for them here. Indeed, the visitors come into this fixture with a W1-D2-L3 record over their recent fixtures, including back-to-back losses to Rijeka and Hajduk Split in their last two outings.

David Moyes will undoubtedly rest players with the group sewn up, though his second string had little difficulty in disposing of Rapid Vienna in their last European outing. His defence may be a bit threadbare with Ben Johnson, Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma injured, while Aaron Cresswell is a doubt and won’t be risked here. That could mean opportunities for one or two youngsters, though the hosts should be on the front foot for most of the game given the talent available further forwards.

PREDICTION:

WEST HAM TO WIN

PLAY ONLINE CASINO HERE

18+BeGambleAware

GENTING CASINO ONLY OFFERS SPORTS ARTICLES AND NOT SPORTS BETTING

Genting Casino is a leading global casino brand. We provide a premium online casino experience with our huge selection of online slots and live casino games. Genting has been recognized many times for its work in creating fun, safe gaming experiences winning multiple industry awards during its 50 years in business. 

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince believes that Ralf Rangnick should already have one eye on his future consultancy role – despite being appointed interim manager until the end of the season. The German tactician, who took charge of his first game at Old Trafford on Sunday, will move upstairs when the 2021-22 campaign wraps up in May. The former Schalke boss held a Director of Football role for Red Bull’s two European teams, – Leipzig and Salzburg – from 2012 until 2020, before signing a three-year deal this summer to become manager of sports and development for Lokomotiv Moscow. That contract was ended prematurely, so that Rangnick could move to Manchester – and Ince believes he has plenty to be getting on with.

PLAY ONLINE CASINO HERE     

Structural Changes Needed

Speaking exclusively to Genting, he said: “He (Rangnick) has got to be looking more at the consultancy elements of his role; what he does after – look at the structure, look at the academy. 

“We’ve not really had any kind of ‘wow’ player come through the academy since the Class of ‘92. 

“(Scott) McTominay is a good player, but when you look at the likes of (Phil) Foden at Manchester City and (Trent) Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool, we’ve not had any of those. 

“He’ll look at the structure, training, philosophy and will want every team in the club playing the same way, so when players graduate into the first team, they will know the system. 

“The club has to allow him to have complete control to take this club where it needs to get to, none of this ‘play the Man United way’ that we hear all the time. 

“The Man United way from the ‘90s was years back and we haven’t got the players to do that.”

Paul Ince Exclusive: On Ronaldo Pressing Demands

Read More

Rangnick Could Appoint Successor

Rangnick may ultimately play the role of king-maker, as he could be the man to appoint his successor at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have won just three major honours since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, and former England international Ince feels the club’s board are to blame for the lack of trophies.

“It’s the greatest job in the world if you can get it right, but it can also be a poisoned chalice,” he explained. 

“After Fergie, we’ve had four managers in eight years. Whatever manager they get in the future, Ralf has to lay the foundations, he has to make all the decisions. 

“The Man United executive team don’t know anything about football, the Glazers bought the club just for profit, it had nothing to do with football.

“There isn’t a model at United, Ralf needs to create a model that’s going to make them successful. 

“That’s a tough job in itself and it’s going to take a long time.”

Paul Ince Exclusive: Can Rangnick Convince Pogba To Stay

Read More

Patience Required

And Ince – who netted 28 goals across his six-year spell with the club – has called for patience from the Red Devils’ supporters.

“We have to be patient,” he said. 

“It’s hard to be patient when you’re a Man United fan because you expect to be competing all the time, even when you’re going through transitions, you still have to be winning trophies. 

“You can’t afford to be eighth in the table when you’re Manchester United – they’ve not been built on that.”

PLAY ONLINE CASINO HERE

18+BeGambleAware

GENTING CASINO ONLY OFFERS SPORTS ARTICLES AND NOT SPORTS BETTING

Genting Casino is a leading global casino brand. We provide a premium online casino experience with our huge selection of online slots and live casino games. Genting has been recognized many times for its work in creating fun, safe gaming experiences winning multiple industry awards during its 50 years in business.

Former Manchester United star Paul Ince has dismissed claims that Cristiano Ronaldo will struggle with the high-intensity approach of new Red Devils’ boss Ralf Rangnick. Questions have been asked about whether the veteran frontman will be able to cope with the former RB Leipzig manager’s relentless pressing game. But Ince believes that talk of Ronaldo having to adapt to the German tactician’s system is wide of the mark.

PLAY ONLINE CASINO HERE     

Ronaldo Focus Remains On Goals

Speaking exclusively to Genting, he said: “We’re not talking about Ronaldo from 12 or 13 years ago, we’re talking about Ronaldo who’s 36 years of age and has this amazing ability to score important goals when the team needs it. 

“There are not many people at 36 who are going to start pressing the ball and he’s never done that. 

“I played for United with Eric Cantona – Eric never used to press, but the idea was that the other players around him would do the pressing to win the ball back and then get it to him. 

“You look at Man City’s game against PSG. Mbappe, Neymar, Messi didn’t press one bit, they lost the ball and they just stood still. 

“If you’re asking a 36-year-old person like Ronaldo to press, and press, and press, when he eventually gets the ball he’s going to be absolutely knackered and he won’t be able to do anything. 

“You can’t have it both ways – I don’t understand why people keep talking about this pressing game because we’ve never played that way under Ole in the last three years.”

Paul Ince Exclusive: Rangnick Must Change United's Mindset

Read More

Time Will Be Needed

Ince – who won two Premier League titles during his six-year spell at Old Trafford – also feels that the intricacies of Rangnick’s pressing style could be difficult for United’s players to master straight away.

“Pressing it is an art, it’s not just about people running towards the ball at pace; you have to go in fours and fives and at angles,” he explained. 

“You’ve got to understand it’s not all about pressing the ball, you’ve got to press space and press different players who are not on the ball. 

“There’s a lot of technical stuff that goes into pressing to make it work, (Jurgen) Klopp’s got that down to a T, and so has (Thomas) Tuchel. But at United, we’re absolutely miles away from it.”

Paul Ince Exclusive: Can Rangnick Convince Pogba To Stay

Read More

Ronaldo Should Start

Ronaldo was benched for United’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea under caretaker manager Michael Carrick last month, before starting in Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace – Rangnick’s first game in the dugout.

And Ince is hoping the iconic frontman remains a regular in the starting line-up, despite the Red Devils’ getting a positive result at Stamford Bridge.

“Let’s not get carried away with, ‘we got a great result against Chelsea because we pressed from the top’, we got a great result against Chelsea because Chelsea missed chances,” he said.

“David de Gea was outstanding. I think Rangnick might want to come and play that way, but it’s not like we’ve got a seasoned striker sitting on the bench – we haven’t got a (Erling) Haaland or someone like that. 

“Maybe they thought they’d go the way that Man City have gone without a striker this season, but Ronaldo has to play, Ronaldo’s one of the greatest players in the world. 

“He scores goals, from day one he has scored goals, he’s a goal machine. 

“We haven’t got someone to replace him, it’s not even up to debate. 

“People get carried away because of the two results (under Carrick), thinking that’s the way forward – United need a goalscorer and we haven’t got one unless Ronaldo’s on the pitch, so for me he has to play.”

PLAY ONLINE CASINO HERE

18+BeGambleAware

GENTING CASINO ONLY OFFERS SPORTS ARTICLES AND NOT SPORTS BETTING

Genting Casino is a leading global casino brand. We provide a premium online casino experience with our huge selection of online slots and live casino games. Genting has been recognized many times for its work in creating fun, safe gaming experiences winning multiple industry awards during its 50 years in business.