Manchester United are simultaneously the world’s fourth-richest club while taking away free cereal bars for stewards

Bad news for Marcus Rashford, who was described by Ruben Amorim last week as being so poor in training that he would rather play his goalkeeping coach. Great news, on the other hand, for new 63-year-old wide forward Jorge Vital, now weighing up a number of offers from Serie A and Saudi Pro League clubs, and whom Manchester United are hopeful of shifting from the wage bill before the end of the transfer window.

For this cash-strapped theatre of ghosts, trying to build its new cast of dreams on the bones of the old, perhaps every pound helps. Corporate box guests at Old Trafford no longer get a free match programme each and are instead invited to download the dictated thoughts of Amorim via a QR code. Free cereal bars for matchday stewards were cut at the beginning of the season. The annual £100 staff Christmas bonus was replaced by a £40 M&S voucher. Concessionary tickets for children and the senior citizens were temporarily withdrawn.

Today’s fluff have a hint of deja vu

At the start of the 2023 summer transfer window, few predicted the twists Jordan Henderson’s career would take. The 34-year-old, recently linked with a move to Monaco, is in the spotlight again after a turbulent 18 months.

The former Liverpool captain’s reputation took a hit after a brief and controversial stint in the Saudi Pro League that ended when his Al-Ettifaq contract was mutually terminated, but his move to Ajax seemed like a fresh start. Quickly, he reclaimed leadership, even captaining the Dutch side.

• Rashford has rejected teams including Tottenham
• Manchester United keen on Mathys Tel as replacement

Marcus Rashford has his heart set on a loan move to Barcelona before Monday’s transfer deadline but a deal will go through only if the Catalan club can offload up to two players.

Rashford has rejected offers from several other clubs including Tottenham because of his determination to join Barcelona. Under La Liga’s squad cost limit rules Barcelona will have to generate funds to be able to spend the money required to sign Rashford from Manchester United. They are prepared in principle to cover most or all of Rashford’s £375,000-a-week salary.

There’s a huge game at Bournemouth, a huge game at Arsenal and … er, a huge game at Portman Road

• Premier League top scorers: latest Golden Boot race

Nuno Espírito Santo said that at Bournemouth last weekend, where they were humbled 5-0, his Nottingham Forest side had been “not accurate and missed a lot of passes”. It is interesting that four of Forest’s last five – and five of their last eight – Premier League games rank in their bottom eight of the season on pass completion. “We have to perform much better,” he said. “We have to be more solid and play better football. We have so many things to improve.” Though results in that period, at least until last week, continued to be good they have relied on statistically unlikely displays of finishing prowess. Before their trip to Bournemouth, Forest had scored with nine of their previous 12 shots on target in all competitions and the last time a Chris Wood shot on target failed to go in was before Christmas. Both Nuno and Fabian Hürzeler were sent off for misconduct during a rancorous conclusion to the fixture between these sides at the Amex Stadium last September. Simon Burnton

Nottingham Forest v Brighton, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)

Bournemouth v Liverpool, Saturday 3pm

Everton v Leicester, Saturday 3pm

Ipswich v Southampton, Saturday 3pm

On 68 minutes Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho combined for the Manchester United second that sealed passage into the last 16: over went a delivery from the No 17 and there was Mainoo to finish coolly.

For two young talents who are on the market for the right price here was a satisfying moment that showed Ruben Amorim what can be harnessed if each are retained beyond Monday’s deadline.

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• Live scoreboard | How they stand | Email Michael

That’s very nearly a first choice XI for Manchester United. The build-up to this match obviously charted the storied history of this competition and the key outcomes for this potentially decisive clash the future of Marcus Rashford.

Steaua: Tarnovanu, Mihai Popescu, Ngezana, Dawa, Cretu, Edjouma, Sut, Radunovic, Tanase, Birligea, Miculescu.
Subs: Udrea, Stefanescu, Daniel Popa, Chiriches, Toma, Baluta, Pantea, Musi, Alhassan.

• Amorim: ‘We have to set some standards, that’s all’
• Manager and player are not on speaking terms

Ruben Amorim has said that if Marcus Rashford wants to play for Manchester United again he has to show he “wants it really bad” and change his standards.

Amorim last selected the forward for United’s 2-1 win at Viktoria Plzen on 12 December, citing “training reasons”. Two days later Rashford said he wanted a “new challenge” and since then he has been in only one match-day squad, for the 2-0 defeat against Newcastle at Old Trafford on 30 December.

• Head coach only talks to forward when addressing squad
• Trafford council back plans for Old Trafford regeneration

Ruben Amorim’s relationship with Marcus Rashford has broken down to the extent that Manchester United’s head coach only speaks to the player when addressing the squad generally.

While Rashford last played for United in mid-December and has been selected by Amorim in only one matchday squad, when he was an unused replacement, the 27-year-old is training with the first team. However, Amorim does not have individual discussions with Rashford.

Today’s fluff is resigned to the three-peat

Deadline day is a week away, and Marcus Rashford is still at Manchester United, and not even kicking his heels on the subs’ bench – with Ruben Amorim claiming that he would rather put his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach, Jorge Vital, in the matchday squad than Rashford at his current level of application. Which makes us wonder – could Vital really be as ineffectual up front as Rasmus Højlund or Joshua Zirkzee? Perhaps he’s worth a shot. As for Rashford, his latest possible destination is Barcelona, and he is reportedly willing to take a pay cut to get a move done. Given that Barça have struggled to register players they already own, it looks unlikely – but Andreas Christensen or Ansu Fati, who is on José Mourinho’s radar at Fenerbahce, could be moved on to free up a squad place.

With Chelsea still very much interested in Alejandro Garnacho, ESPN report that United “have asked to be kept informed of developments regarding Christopher Nkunku’s future”, which is an odd turn of phrase. Sky Sports think the future is now, and Nkunku could join on loan this very week. United are also keen on Wolves striker Matheus Cunha, but then again, so are Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest. Meanwhile, former £86m signing Antony has left Old Trafford and joined Real Betis on loan, as this David Lynch-inspired video clip confirms.

Sandro Tonali sets the tone, Manchester City debutants have mixed fortunes and Brighton must find their edge

As a cure for the Sunday fear, the self-identifying worst Manchester United team in history’s trip to Craven Cottage was pot-boiling viewing. It will be some time until Ruben Amorim can stage high-end entertainment of a Wolf Hall standard but at least relegation is now unlikely to be the series conclusion. United fans were singing the manager’s name once Lisandro Martínez’s fortuitous winner span in. A fragile belief is growing. Such are the lenses on United any result is seen as a signifier, but beating Fulham is not a return of the glory days. The last United manager to lose at Craven Cottage was Sir Alex Ferguson himself. Amorim should take heart from a more solid defensive performance, Harry Maguire the organising heart of the trio, Martínez aggressive and provocative alongside him, looking closer to be the player he promised to be two seasons ago. Toby Collyer’s late clearance off the line completed a much more positive week than last. John Brewin

Ruben Amorim said he would rather name his 63-year-old goalkeeper coach as a substitute than Marcus Rashford or any other Manchester United player who did not give their 'maximum' in training. When asked about Rashford's absence from the squad that beat Fulham 1-0, Amorim said 'the reason is the training'.

• Ruben Amorim: I would put 63-year-old on bench instead of Marcus Rashford

• Lisandro Martínez’s lucky winner gives Manchester United victory at Fulham

• Manchester United’s head coach has frozen out forward
• Amorim says veteran goalkeeping coach a bench option

Ruben Amorim said he would rather name his 63-year-old goalkeeper coach as a substitute than Marcus Rashford or any Manchester United player who was not prepared to give “the maximum”.

The manager watched his starting centre-forward, Rasmus Højlund, endure a torrid time in the club’s 1-0 win at Fulham on Sunday night; he was forced to replace him with Joshua Zirkzee, who made little impact.

It may have been an ugly win on a cold, damp night but this performance had a level of control that’s been much needed

Maybe Eminem was right. You do only get one shot. Manchester United only had one of them at Craven Cottage, or at least only one on target, 78 minutes into this exercise in minimalism.

They also had no corners. Nobody really knows what key passes are, but they only made one of those. Even the game’s only goal had no assist, the ball given to Lisandro Martínez after a scuffle, prelude to Martínez spanking a powerful, deflected shot that veered into the net over the palm of Bernd Leno.

Lisandro Martínez has form for putting his laces through the ball to help Ruben Amorim and Manchester United on the road. Remember his roof-of-the-net banger in the 2-2 Premier League draw at Liverpool? The central defender was at it again here and if there was a slice of luck about his late winner, one to blow open a previously dismal spectacle, it did nothing to dampen the celebrations.

There is a case to be made as Amorim feels his way into the Impossible Job at Old Trafford, encountering so many problems, that his team is shaping up OK away from home. United’s best performances under him have been at the grounds of their biggest rivals: Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City.

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Rob Draper on Ruben Amorim’s first coaching crisis

“He is a magician,” says Carlos Pires, the sporting director at Casa Pia who, at some risk to himself, appointed a man with no coaching experience to his first job in 2018. “Everything he touches turns to gold. I told him: ‘In 10 years’ time, whether you are at Manchester United or coaching in the Lisbon leagues, you can tell people I’m the crazy guy who gave you the opportunity.’ And yes, I did use Manchester United as the example, even back then.”

• Plan to regenerate the area championed by chancellor
• United CEO hails ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’

Manchester United have welcomed the announcement of government support for the project to regenerate the area around Old Trafford, with the chief executive, Omar Berrada, describing it as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.

A Treasury statement on Saturday evening said the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, was championing the Old Trafford project as “a shining example” of the government’s plans to promote economic growth. A new venue – either redeveloping the current stadium to increase the capacity to 87,000 or building a new ground which could hold 100,000 fans – is at the heart of the regeneration project.

Manchester United’s attack needs revitalising but with signings looking unlikely manager’s troubles may well go on

If wags would characterise Manchester United’s visit to Fulham on Sunday as the circus coming to west London, a more sober billing still casts Ruben Amorim as the ringmaster of a club in perpetual chaos, a manager charged with navigating a slew of problems rocking the stability required to revitalise England’s record 20-time champions.

In midweek the head coach was asked if the storm engulfing United may soon hit worse with “thunder and lightning”. The question followed last Sunday’s morale-sapping 3-1 reverse to Brighton, a seventh defeat of Amorim’s 16 games that had him branding his team as, possibly, United’s poorest ever vintage.

• Former goalkeeper is still club’s youngest-ever debutant
• Gaskell was 16 years, 19 days old in his first outing

Manchester United’s record-breaking former goalkeeper David Gaskell, has died aged 84. Gaskell was just 16 years and 19 days old when he came on for United at Manchester City’s former stadium Maine Road, following an injury to first-choice keeper Ray Wood, in October 1956. He still holds the record for the youngest player to make their debut for the club.

The youngster went on to keep a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory as United won the Charity Shield.

The Manchester United manager began his coaching career with a club in turmoil whose players cried when he left

Ruben Amorim’s players were in tears and, no, it wasn’t because he had labelled them the worst team in the club’s history, nor had he smashed any televisions, as he is reported to have done last weekend following Manchester United’s defeat by Brighton. And yet Amorim’s current troubles are simply a magnified version of his first steps into coaching at Casa Pia, the Portuguese third-tier team he took charge of aged 33.

Amorim’s future was in doubt, his tactics were questioned, he was losing games: it all seems familiar. And yet he survived, which is not to say this is how it will end at United. In this chapter of his career, a portrait of a remarkable young coach with unusual empathy does emerge. Marcus Rashford might raise an arched eyebrow at that but perhaps he should stick around to discover the real Ruben. Amorim is likely to be a force in European coaching as long as the horror show of United’s chaotic ownership doesn’t drag him into a vortex of failure.

Readers recall their encounters with the late footballing legend

In Richard Williams’ superb retrospective on the late, great Denis Law, he mentions that Denis was an idol of Rod Stewart’s (Denis Law: the balletic superstar who scored with an extrovert’s flourish, 17 January). I remember being a steward at a hugely chaotic Rod Stewart concert in 1972 in Manchester. Halfway through, the music stopped, Denis was brought on stage, and Mr Stewart went down on his knees and bowed before his hero. Denis, in keeping with his quieter off‑field demeanour, looked slightly overcome by the gesture. Having met him myself, I can attest that he was, in private, a warm, friendly and considerate man.
Des Browning
Manchester

• Denis Law was known for his robust use of the English language. Years ago I heard an anecdote from Prof Peter Worsley, then head of the sociology department at Manchester University. He was a big Man United fan and great admirer of Denis. Peter was standing in the urinals at Euston station before returning to Manchester when, to his surprise and delight, Denis arrived to use the adjacent stall. He looked across and said: “And how is Professor Peter Worsley today?” Peter stuttered something appropriate and then asked: “But how do you know me?” Denis replied: “You are still wearing your fucking name badge.”
Diana Woodward
Marsworth, Buckinghamshire