Idman.biz
The recent successes of Manchester United in the English Premier League (EPL) have also impressed Rauf Mammadov, one of the leading Azerbaijani grandmasters who has been a loyal and active fan of the "Red Devils" for many years.
According to Idman.Biz, in the last two rounds of the EPL, Manchester United defeated the championship leaders Manchester City (2:0) and Arsenal (3:2). Thanks to these results, under the leadership of the new head coach Michael Carrick, the "Red Devils" rose to fourth place in the tournament table and even got a chance to join the championship fight.
According to Azerbaijani grandmaster Rauf Mammadov, a Manchester United fan, the club's new head coach played a major role in these victories.
"Manchester United's last two victories made me very happy. It is also nice that the coach is one of us. I think Solskjaer was also one of us. They wanted both results and play in the club, and now they have them. That's why I'm glad Carrick is in charge of Manchester United. As for whether the team will fight for the championship, I think the main goal this season is still to qualify for the Champions League," Mammadov said.
It should be noted that earlier the media reported on the possible return of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to Manchester United. However, the club's management preferred Carrick in its choice.
Talking about his plans for this year, the grandmaster said that he is currently focusing all his attention on preparing for the Azerbaijan Championship to be held in February. It should be reminded that Rauf Mammadov will perform in this tournament as the current champion.
"I am currently preparing for the Azerbaijan Championship and will try to repeat last year's success. The tournament will, of course, be different from last year, because Teymur Rajabov, Vasif Durarbeyli and Vugar Asadli will not participate. Nevertheless, the championship will be very strong and competitive," the chess player noted.
Rauf Mammadov also commented on the game of Azerbaijani grandmaster Aydin Suleymanli, who is currently participating in the traditional Tata Steel Challengers tournament in Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands. Currently, Aydin is in third place, half a point behind the leading pair.
"Aydin is great, he has been fighting for first place for the second year already. I wish him success and I believe that he will eventually win," R.Mammadov added.
It should be reminded that last year Aydin Suleymanli shared 1-2 places in the Wijk aan Zee tournament, but was limited to the second place according to additional indicators.
