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

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

• United keen on 20-year-old Danish international
• Antony set to join Real Betis on loan for season

Manchester United are targeting ­Lecce’s Patrick Dorgu, with the ­Italian club’s asking price for the 20-year-old wing-back believed to be about €40m (£33.7m).

The fee is €10m more than United’s valuation for the player but Ruben Amorim is intent on the Danish ­international joining the club with negotiations regarding a transfer continuing.

Today’s fluff is just a shot away from you

Manchester City may have already spent in excess of £120m this month but they haven’t finished yet, with Andrea Cambiaso of Juventus a potential full-back recruit and Atalanta’s Éderson, rated at £70m, among the midfielders they have their eye on. The Mill knows what you’re thinking, but beyond the one at Atalanta and the one already at City there are no other Edersons playing top-flight football anywhere, so sadly the dream of a team full of them is destined never to be realised.

If City fail to land Éderson No2 they might sign their former player Douglas Luiz from Juventus, which is handy given that they already have the Italian side on speed dial, though like Chelsea they would ideally take him on loan and Juve are interested only in a sale. Talking of Juve and sales, the Italian side have valued defender Cambiaso, who turns 25 next month, at €80m and so will dismiss the €65m bid they are expecting to receive from Manchester.

• Manager called team ‘maybe the worst’ in club’s history
• Minority owner unconcerned by comments’ effect

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has no concern that Ruben Amorim describing his Manchester United team as maybe the worst in the club’s history will cause the players to lose faith in the head coach and adversely affect performance.

United are 13th in the Premier League with 26 points and a -5 goal difference before travelling to Fulham on Sunday for the late game. Ratcliffe’s view is that the squad understand Amorim has a fierce desire to win and can be passionate and that his outburst will soon be forgotten.

Harvey Elliott deserves a Liverpool start, Chelsea should go for the jugular at City and Mikey Moore would help Spurs

In a surprise to pre-season predictors, this match is as important as a fixture in January can be in the battle for Champions League football. Nottingham Forest head into the weekend level with second-placed Arsenal, while Bournemouth are three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and seven back from Forest. The scrutiny on both teams is growing but they keep answering the questions thrown at them. Despite having no out-and-out striker last weekend, Bournemouth put four past Newcastle, giving Nuno Espírito Santo a warning. Justin Kluivert scored a hat-trick, his second of the season, at St James’ Park as Andoni Iraola’s flexible front four excelled. Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo might feel more confident against a natural No 9 but Forest’s centre-back pairing will relish the challenge. Will Unwin

Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest, Saturday 3pm (all times GMT)

Brighton v Everton, Saturday 3pm

Liverpool v Ipswich, Saturday 3pm

Southampton v Newcastle, Saturday 3pm

• Fernandes stoppage-time strike sinks Rangers
• Manager tight-lipped over Garnacho’s future

Ruben Amorim admitted Manchester United’s stoppage-time 2-1 Europa League win over Rangers was “truly needed in this moment”.

It followed Sunday’s dismal 3-1 defeat by Brighton and was only a second victory at Old Trafford since mid-December. It also came after the head coach describing his team as possibly the poorest of the club’s history, though he subsequently said he regretted the comment.

Bruno Fernandes scored a dramatic added-time winner, just when it looked as though Cyriel Dessers had rescued a point for the visitors

3 min: Garnacho dribbles in from the left, in the old-fashioned jinking Scottish style, and has a whack. Straight at Butland. Meanwhile up in the stand, the one-time Rangers starlet Alex Ferguson watches on.

2 min: United are immediately on the front foot. Garnacho and Dalot probe down the left. Then a look for the one-time Rangers starlet Diallo on the right. Rangers yet to have a significant touch.

Winning is the only cast-iron way to control the message in football. So after Ruben Amorim’s various recent rhetorical wrong turns this added-time, sixth victory of a chequered 16-game Manchester United reign was needed.

On 88 minutes it seemed very far from on as Harry Maguire missed a header to enable Cyriel Dessers to steal in and equalise with aplomb. But, then, Bruno Fernandes’s late strike grabbed the points, his winner following Jack Butland’s odd, back-fisted punch for an own-goal opener that will haunt the No 1 for many a day.

• West Ham chasing Sunderland’s Dan Neil
• Ipswich sign Brighton’s Julio Enciso on loan

Napoli are pushing to reach an agreement with Manchester United over Alejandro Garnacho but their hopes of signing the winger could be derailed by Chelsea.

Garnacho’s agents attended Chelsea’s win over Wolves this week and the Argentinian’s future remains up in the air. Napoli have identified the 20-year-old as a replacement for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who has joined Paris Saint-Germain, but are yet to agree a fee. The Italian club have looked at Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi as an alternative.

• Transfer and loan deals have come to nothing
• Rashford has not played since 12 December

Marcus Rashford accepts he may have to stay at Manchester United for the rest of the season after failing to secure a move in the first three and a half weeks of the transfer window. Eleven full days of the window remain and the forward is intent on making himself available for as long as he is at the club.

Rashford has not played for United since 12 December and five days later said he was “ready for a new challenge” after Ruben Amorim left him out of the squad for the 2-1 win at Manchester City. Rashford has no issue with Amorim, who has said the England international was dropped for “training reasons”, and would be happy to play for United again.

Manchester United paid Ajax €100m for a player who has more bookings than goals or assists in the Premier League

By Ben McAleer for WhoScored

“We are the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United​,” said Ruben Amorim after Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at home to Brighton. The manager ​had paced up and down the touchline as his side managed just one shot on target in the match – and that was a Bruno Fernandes penalty.

United were always going to need time to adapt to the manager’s ideas but even he knows that a return of 11 points from 11 games is not good enough. “Imagine what this is for a fan of Manchester United, imagine what this is for me,” said Amorim. “We are getting a new coach who is losing more than the last coach.”

As Manchester United prepare to take on Rangers in the Europa League, we take a look at some of the ‘Battle of Britain’ European games over the years