What the papers say

Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

What the papers say - 4 hours 46 min ago

Højlund has chance to impress Amorim, Villa look to end miserable month and will Forest trouble Arsenal?

After masterminding Leicester’s return to the Premier League, Enzo Maresca jumped ship to Chelsea. The Italian had given little confidence he would stay at the King Power, despite his success amid problems in the background and the lure of London. Maresca did, however, ensure he took one thing with him in the form of the central midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, a leading light in the Foxes’ promotion charge. While Maresca has impressed at Stamford Bridge, Dewsbury-Hall is yet to find his feet and has been limited to a cup-player role. Of his 10 appearances for Chelsea, only three have been in the league and none from the start. It might be time to show some faith in him and there is no better place to do so than his old home. Dewsbury-Hall rose through the ranks at Leicester and his £30m transfer fee this summer was highly beneficial to their accounts after financial problems. Leicester fans will welcome back Maresca and Dewsbury-Hall with open arms, the embrace the latter might need to kickstart his Chelsea career. Will Unwin

Leicester v Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)

Bournemouth v Brighton, Saturday 3pm

Arsenal v Nottingham Forest, Saturday 3pm

Aston Villa v Crystal Palace, Saturday 3pm

Everton v Brentford, Saturday 3pm

Fulham v Wolves, Saturday 3pm

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Amorim arrives as Guardiola extends stay in Manchester – Football Weekly Extra podcast

What the papers say - Thu, 11/21/2024 - 12:50

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Wilson and Jonathan Liew to preview the Premier League action this weekend

Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.

On the podcast today; Pep Guardiola will stay at Manchester City beyond this season. The panel debate whether it is good for the Premier League and how it will affect the players before their game against Spurs on Saturday.

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‘He’s ready’: Rúben Amorim’s rapid rise from obscurity to Premier League

What the papers say - Thu, 11/21/2024 - 10:15

Before Portuguese’s first Manchester United game, the people who know him well explain how he got this far

The road from the Portuguese third tier to Portman Road is a unique journey and one that will take Rúben Amorim from relative obscurity to one of the most-scrutinised coaching roles in the world. Amorim felt forced to quit his first coaching job at Casa Pia after being sanctioned for not possessing the necessary coaching qualifications less than six years ago, but has rapidly risen to become one of the most sought-after coaches in Europe.

The Estádio Pina Manique is on the outskirts of Lisbon, Amorim’s home town and where he has spent most of his playing and managerial career. The venue holds about 2,500 spectators, a long way from the 30,000 or so expected to be in attendance for Amorim’s first match as Manchester United manager at Ipswich on Sunday.

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Golden Goal: Brian McClair for Manchester United v Sheffield Wednesday (1991)

What the papers say - Tue, 11/19/2024 - 13:00

It may have been an absolute mess, but McClair’s two-yard wonder strike was a window into the human soul

The reality of corporeality is a hard thing to process; just look at what we look like! But somehow, the agglomeration of weird shapes and freaky textures that comprises us responds to instructions from the quivering lump of jelly that really comprises us, and thus does football eventuate. Jesse Armstrong once said that if a joke isn’t working, one thing to try is sticking it an enclosed space so “the characters are up in each other’s physicality” and such is our beautiful game: a chaotic, hilarious gumbo of bodies controlled by brains that are fickle, stressed and distractible, having been socialised into the fanatical pursuit of an arbitrary aim to which has been ascribed inherent moral value.

Many of the most preposterous events I’ve seen in my life have been football-related: consider John Terry arranging for himself to take a Champions League-winning penalty and adjusting his captain’s armband en route, then slipping and crying, or Steven Gerrard coming on for his last appearance against Manchester United after spending the entirety of the first half being wound up by the away end, then getting himself sent off 38 seconds later. For balance, I was also at the Stadium of Light on the last day of 2011-12, but we all have our own favourites: those moments when players, asked to process footballing obsession multiplied by the human condition, simply cannot.

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Forging new Manchester United identity is my key task, claims Rúben Amorim

What the papers say - Fri, 11/15/2024 - 19:00
  • Manager makes his bow at Ipswich next Sunday
  • Amorim: ‘We need time, but we have to win that time’

Rúben Amorim has said Manchester United cannot rely on their history and that his most important task is to create a new identity for the club. The head coach admitted he had taken on a long-term project but that there was an immediate need for improved results.

Amorim’s first game will be next Sunday in the Premier League at Ipswich. He is yet to receive his work permit but United anticipate the paperwork will be completed soon. The Portuguese, who replaces Erik ten Hag, has signed a contract until June 2027 at United, who sit 13th in the Premier League.

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Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes helps unwell passenger during flight

What the papers say - Tue, 11/12/2024 - 23:18
  • Midfielder catches passenger after he passes out
  • Fernandes was on plane from Manchester to Portugal

The Manchester United captain, Bruno Fernandes, has been praised for helping an unwell passenger on a plane.

Susanna Lawson from Manchester was sitting on the row just behind Fernandes on their easyJet flight to Lisbon and witnessed the moment the midfielder caught a man who appeared to have collapsed. She said Fernandes called for help and stayed with the man for a few minutes before air stewards attended to the passenger.

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‘A proud father’: Gil Gomes on his son Angel and a remarkable family story

What the papers say - Tue, 11/12/2024 - 08:00

An Under-20 World Cup winner with Portugal, Angel Gomes’s father recalls his unique journey in football

Where do you begin with the extraordinary football heritage of Angel Gomes? Perhaps in Lille, where he is thriving in the Champions League, having left Manchester United in 2020. Alternatively you could go back to Lisbon, where his father, Gil, arrived as a 15-year-old to make his way in the world with Benfica, trained with Eusébio and won an Under-20 World Cup with Portugal.

Or, you could return to Luanda, Angola, where Gil was born and raised and learned the game playing barefoot on dirt pitches. However you tell the tale, the rich cast of characters that feature along the way, from Eusébio to Ron Atkinson, Sven-Göran Eriksson to Luís Figo, is astonishing.

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Ruud van Nistelrooy leaves Manchester United as Rúben Amorim checks in

What the papers say - Mon, 11/11/2024 - 17:14
  • Van Nistelrooy was No 2 to Ten Hag then interim manager
  • Amorim meets United executives at training ground

Ruud van Nistelrooy has left his role as assistant coach after the arrival of Rúben Amorim at Manchester United. The Dutchman oversaw three wins and a draw in interim charge after the sacking of Erik ten Hag but will not be part of the new era at Old Trafford.

Van Nistelrooy, a former United striker, returned to the club in the summer to work under Ten Hag, having left Old Trafford 18 years ago. He had suggested a willingness to stay under Amorim and see out the 18 months on his deal. United also confirmed the exit of his fellow coaches René Hake, Jelle ten Rouwelaar and Pieter Morel.

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Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

What the papers say - Mon, 11/11/2024 - 08:00

Ipswich’s young English duo catch the eye, Liverpool march on and the brilliance of Brighton’s Carlos Baleba

It took them an hour of huffing and puffing, but Arsenal did something at Stamford Bridge they hadn’t managed since September – they scored an away goal in the Premier League. After toothless performances at Newcastle and Inter in the past week – and last month at Bournemouth – Gabriel Martinelli’s cute finish was itself a moment of relief, but Mikel Arteta was frustrated that his team didn’t find a winner. Their expected goals figure was lower than Chelsea’s (1.27 to 1.69) but that does not account for Leandro Trossard’s costly miskick at the death nor Kai Havertz’s would-be opener, which was just offside. The Gunners will almost always control games, especially now Martin Ødegaard is fit and firing again, but that age-old itch has not been scratched. They are not ruthless enough and they still lack a penalty box killer. Dominic Booth

Match report: Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal

Match report: Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa

Match report: Brighton 2-1 Manchester City

Match report: Manchester United 3-0 Leicester

Match report: Nottingham Forest 1-3 Newcastle

Match report: Tottenham 1-2 Ipswich

Match report: Brentford 3-2 Bournemouth

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Rúben Amorim yet to be granted visa despite starting Manchester United job on Monday

What the papers say - Sun, 11/10/2024 - 21:05
  • Coach will not be able to take opening training session
  • United expect Portuguese to be granted a visa soon

Rúben Amorim is yet to be granted a visa despite starting his first official day as Manchester United’s head coach on Monday and will not be able to take an opening training session.

The 39-year-old Portuguese will travel to the club on Monday to begin his tenure but, while United expect the visa to be granted soon, it is unclear what duties Amorim can undertake until this occurs.

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Bruno Fernandes sparks Manchester United to easy victory over Leicester

What the papers say - Sun, 11/10/2024 - 16:11

Eleven days after Manchester United routed Leicester under Ruud van Nistelrooy in the Carabao Cup here, the interim manager signed off with another easy-street win over the Foxes and so ends his four-game term unbeaten.

In all the Dutchman has three victories, and for this one he could thank Bruno Fernandes, who graced a 250th United appearance by scoring the first goal and causing enough trouble for the hapless Victor Kristiansen to bundle past his goalkeeper, Mads Hermansen, for the second.

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Will Amorim change Manchester United or will his style alter due to the squad? | Jamie Jackson

What the papers say - Sat, 11/09/2024 - 11:00

Incoming manager likes a 3-4-3 formation but the players he will have available do not look obviously suited to it

Rúben Amorim has already flagged his greatest challenge when taking over Manchester United on Monday: to make the club of Billy Meredith, George Best, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo play again in the tradition of these irresistible attacking forces.

The “wow” factor has been missing from those donning United colours for most of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s off-the-cuff counterattack play apart, the teams of David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho and Erik ten Hag lacked the dizzying fizz of United’s finest vintages.

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Van Nistelrooy keen to stay at Manchester United under Amorim – video

What the papers say - Fri, 11/08/2024 - 18:48

Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of Manchester United as interim manager for the last time when they play Leicester in the Premier League on Sunday. The Dutchman, who has led Manchester United out four times since Erik ten Hag's sacking, said: 'It was a special period, it is still ... I think we've done very well so far.'

Rúben Amorim will subsequently take over as permanent United manager but Van Nistelrooy is keen to stay at the club and work under the new head coach. He added: 'I made a deliberate decision to step into this role for two seasons and take it from there. Four games haven't changed that sentiment.'

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Ruud van Nistelrooy admits future desire to manage Manchester United

What the papers say - Fri, 11/08/2024 - 15:02
  • Dutchman keen to stay on at club with Amorim arriving
  • Lack of goals remains key area for United to address

Ruud van Nistelrooy has said he would like to take charge of Manchester United on a permanent basis in the future but is committed to stay as an assistant to incoming head coach, Rúben Amorim, after a four-game spell in caretaker charge.

Van Nistelrooy heads into his final match as interim head coach unbeaten after two wins and a draw and will be optimistic of adding three more points to his tally when Leicester visit Old Trafford on Sunday having already beaten them there 5-2 in the Carabao Cup.

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'I'll focus on Leicester and we'll see after that': Ruud van Nistelrooy on his future – video

What the papers say - Fri, 11/08/2024 - 10:37

Ruud van Nistelrooy led Manchester United to a 2-0 victory over Greek champions PAOK in the Europa League. Van Nistelrooy, who is standing in as interim manager before the arrival of Rúben Amorim, will manage his last game for Manchester United on Sunday against Leicester. He said: 'For me, it's important now to carry on and build on results of Leicester, of Chelsea and of PAOK.'

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Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

What the papers say - Fri, 11/08/2024 - 00:01

Lucas Paquetá is struggling, Ruud van Nistelrooy nears Old Trafford farewell and will Luis Díaz play as a striker again?

Brentford have scored nine and conceded six in their past two Premier League home games. Their leaky defence did not cost them in victories over Wolves and Ipswich but they were shown up by Harry Wilson’s injury-time double on Monday night at Fulham to suggest things need to improve at the back. Wilson’s goals both came from crosses. Brentford allowed Fulham to cross the ball 43 times, although Thomas Frank was not too worried about it and was surprisingly relaxed that they led to two goals. With Ethan Pinnock and Nathan Collins, he does have centre-backs capable of dealing with the majority but it is a dangerous game to play. Bournemouth will have taken note and their fine wingers and full-backs will probably target the space afforded out wide. Will Unwin

Brentford v Bournemouth, Saturday 3pm (all times GMT)

Crystal Palace v Fulham, Saturday 3pm

West Ham v Everton, Saturday 3pm

Wolves v Southampton, Saturday 3pm

Brighton v Manchester City, Saturday 5.30pm

Liverpool v Aston Villa, Saturday 8pm

Manchester United v Leicester, Sunday 2pm

Nottingham Forest v Newcastle, Sunday 2pm

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Van Nistelrooy in dark over Manchester United future under Amorim

What the papers say - Thu, 11/07/2024 - 23:57
  • Interim boss says he hasn’t heard from new manager
  • ‘Let him focus on Braga’ says Van Nistelrooy

Ruud van Nistelrooy revealed he is yet to hear from Rúben Amorim regarding his future after Manchester United finally ended a wait of more than a year for a European win.

United’s victory over the Greek champions, Paok, at Old Trafford lifted them to 15th in the Europa League table with six points. Sunday’s visit of Leicester will be Van Nistelrooy’s fourth and final match as United’s interim manager. Whether he remains at the club under Amorim is yet to be determined, and after Thursday’s win the Dutchman said he had received no contact from the 39-year-old, who takes over on Monday after Sporting’s trip to Braga on Sunday.

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Manchester United v PAOK Salonika: Europa League – as it happened

What the papers say - Thu, 11/07/2024 - 22:18

Amad Diallo was the two-goal hero as United ended their 380-day wait for a win in Europe

2 min: … and so both teams begin their quest for a first win in this Europa League campaign. A quiet start on the pitch, but both sets of fans make their beautiful noise.

Manchester United get the ball rolling. They’re kicking towards the Stretford End during this first half.

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Amad Diallo ends Manchester United’s European drought by seeing off Paok

What the papers say - Thu, 11/07/2024 - 22:06

Hold on to your hat: Manchester United are victorious in Europe after three consecutive Europa League draws and three more games without winning in last season’s Champions League.

So a 380-day drought stretching to a 1-0 win over FC Copenhagen at Old Trafford ends courtesy of Amad Diallo, whose explosive wing play was crowned by his double. The first was a clever 50th-minute header. The second an exhibition of aggressiveness as he mugged Abdul Baba along the right, shrugged off the defender’s manhandling, then fired a shot into the left corner, via a deflection.

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Onana claims Manchester United will ‘step up’ for arrival of Rúben Amorim

What the papers say - Wed, 11/06/2024 - 14:53
  • Goalkeeper backs teammates to adapt to new tactics
  • Van Nistelrooy yet to speak with new coach about future

André Onana has backed his Manchester United teammates to “step up” and adapt to Rúben Amorim’s style after watching Sporting defeat Manchester City 4-1 in the Champions League. Amorim, who will arrive in England next week to replace Erik ten Hag, prefers a 3-4-3 formation and intense pressing, in contrast to United’s 4-2-3-1 under his predecessor.

“I did watch the game yesterday,” Onana said before United’s Europa League game at home to Paok. “Great victory from them [Sporting], by the way. Different system, but the ­players, my teammates, we are all pragmatic. I think everyone here is capable to play in each system, so I don’t think this will be any issue for us. We have big players, so they will step up.”

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