The Japanese playmaker has not been selected for a Premier League match since January 11th, but Andrew Cole believes he still has a big future at the club.

Manchester United legend Andy Cole says Shinji Kagawa still has a big future at the club.

Kagawa came on for half an hour in United’s Champions League defeat by Olympiacos – his first action for more than a month. Meanwhile, the Japanese playmaker’s last Premier League outing was in the 2-0 win over Swansea on January 11th.

But Cole argued: “He is a quality player and not the only one who is finding it hard to get regular football. There are many top players in the squad and there is plenty of competition.

“Having seen Shinji play at Dortmund, I know for sure how good he is. He was the best player in Germany for two years. I believe he’ll come back with some good displays.”

And Cole believes United should still target a Champions League spot, even though they are 12 points off fourth place.

“We need to win as many games as possible and a top-four finish is still a realistic target,” said the former forward, who won the Treble with United in 1999.

“For whatever reason, it has been a tough season. But all the top teams will try to get better and we need to stay with them next year.”

According to Mirror

Stoke midfielder Charlie Adam has been charged by the Football Association with violent conduct following an incident involving Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud.

Adam appeared to stand on Giroud in the second half of the Potters’ 1-0 Barclays Premier League victory over the Gunners at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday, something not seen at the time by referee Mike Jones and his fellow match officials.
Adam has until 6pm on Tuesday to respond to the charge.
The FA statement read: “The incident, which was not seen by the match officials but caught on video, occurred during the fixture between the two sides at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday 1 March 2014.
“Under a new pilot project in Premier League matches this season, if an incident has not been seen by the match officials, a three-man panel of former elite referees will be asked by The FA to review it and advise what, if any action, they believe the match referee should have taken had it been witnessed at the time.
“For an FA charge to follow, all three panel members must agree it is a sending-off offence.
“In this instance, the panel were of the unanimous decision that it was an act of violent conduct.”
Stoke reacted to the FA’s announcement by issuing a statement stressing Adam’s intention to “appeal vigorously”.
It said: “The club have learnt within the last hour that the FA has chosen to charge Charlie Adam.
“Charlie and the club are surprised and disappointed to learn of this and will appeal vigorously against the decision.”

According to Foxsports

Neymar just hasn’t got going yet in 2014. The Brazilian, who ended 2013 on a clear upward trajectory, hasn’t made the start to the year that he would have hoped, having been hampered by an ankle injury and the controversy surrounding his move to Barcelona.

You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who would dispute that the 22-year-old is enduring a rough patch on and off the pitch. Strikers are judged on goals and Neymar has only hit the back of the net once in 2014 – an inconsequential effort to round off the scoring in the 6-0 home win over Rayo Vallecano.

The Brazilian is struggling to recapture the form he displayed at the end of last year and is misfiring in front of goal. After putting in one of his worst performances in a Barça shirt last week against Real Sociedad, he followed that up this past Sunday by missing a clear-cut chance to extend Barcelona’s lead against Almería and secure a confidence booster in the process.

A combination of injuries and unwelcome distractions can partly explain the forward’s on-pitch woes. Having been sidelined for a month after spraining his ankle in the cup last-16 second leg against Getafe on 17th January, the former Santos man found himself caught up in the political and legal turmoil surrounding the investigation into the deal that took him to the Catalan capital.

According to Marca

Footballing legends will take part in a exhibition encounter in Switzerland on Tuesday to raise funds for the Typhoon Haiyan disaster in the Philippines

Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and Paolo Maldini are among the legends who will take part in an all-star footballing exhibition in Switzerland.

The game, billed as Ronaldo, Zidane and Friends vs BSC Young Boys and Friends, is the 11th Annual Match Against Poverty, with the proceeds of the game going to help support the recovery efforts after Typhoon Haiyan – one of the most devastating storms in history – hit the Philippines.

World Cup Legends | Former Real Madrid stars Zidane and Ronaldo share a joke

It will take place on Tuesday, March 4 at the national stadium in Bern, Switzerland – the Stade de Suisse – and tickets are still available.

Former AC Milan defender Maldini, who will be playing on Ronaldo and Zidane’s side, said: “I was very pleased with the invitation I received. I played as a defender throughout all my career and now I’m ready to defend the people of the Philippines in the fight against poverty.”

Other familar faces include: Fernando Hierro, Fabio Cannavaro, Robert Pires, Patrick Vieira, Gennaro Gattuso, Pavel Nedved, Christian Vieri and Giovane Elber.

Masters of Football | The trio were involved in December 2012’s Match Against Poverty

Former Chelsea coach Ruud Gullit, who will be in charge of the all-star side, said: “It is a privilege and a challenge to steer a team with such great world football names.

“We would like to count on a massive public presence to see us playing and help us support the people of the Philippines.”

The Young Boys team will be led by former Swiss international players Stephane Chapuisat and Hakan Yakin, while Pierluigi Collina will be the referee.

Both Ronaldo and Zidane played in the last iteration of the Match Against Poverty along with Brazilian superstar Neymar prior to his move from Santos to Barcelona.

The confirmed players in the Ronaldo, Zidane & Friends’ team are:

According to Goal