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Manchester United’s season has been nothing short of a mess, which can be highlighted by the fact that Erik ten Hag’s future is now uncertain.

However, that’s also the case for plenty of the Red Devils players, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe now looking to recruit young, value-for-money talents.

A new midfielder is at the top of the new owner's priority list, with that particular position being highlighted as a problem in recent weeks.

That's notably been the case when former Real Madrid star Casemiro has taken to the field.

Casemiro’s 23/24 campaign

Last season, Casemiro filled the defensive midfield void that had been holding Man United back for years, playing 51 matches across all competitions.

But the £70m fee spent on the Brazilian is now looking like a rather huge blunder, with the veteran's performances ringing alarm bells this season, especially since he’s returned from injury in January.

The midfielder has two major flaws to his game that simply can’t be looked past, with the first being the lack of control he brings to the side, as shown by his pass accuracy of 82% in the league this season.

Yet the biggest problem is his pure lack of athleticism and the fact he can’t cover ground, with pundit Jamie Redknapp even stating that “Casemiro looks like he’s playing in Soccer Aid.”

Man Utd line up £60m transfer who's an "enormous" upgrade on Antony

The Manchester United target has six more goals than Antony in the league this season.

ByTom Lever Apr 17, 2024 Angel Gomes could’ve fixed Man Utd’s midfield

In 2020, Man United academy graduate Angel Gomes left his boyhood club in search of minutes, which has certainly worked out for the player but not the club.

The Englishman joined French side Lille having left Ole Gunnar Solskjaer behind, signing on a free transfer after rejecting a new contract offer at Old Trafford. He was then loaned out to Boavista in Portugal.

Fast forward to today, and the former United “wonderkid,” as dubbed by football scout Jacek Kulig, is a key player at the heart of the Ligue 1 team's midfield, performing to an extremely high standard.

The 23-year-old is a versatile player who can play as an attacking midfielder, a box-to-box player, or even a defensive-minded midfielder in a double pivot, which is the exact profile that United need right now.

Assists

0.26

Top 1%

Key passes

1.49

Top 18%

Progressive passes

7.19

Top 17%

Shot-creating actions

3.73

Top 12%

Passes completed

53.86

Top 17%

Touches

67.11

Top 32%

However, as you can see by the table above, he’s the type of player to bring security to the side in terms of possession retention rather than defensive actions, unlike Casemiro, whose style of play is the complete opposite.

Despite being just 5 foot 6, Gomes uses his small stature to his advantage, wriggling out of tight spaces and resisting the press with ease, which allows his side to be strong in the buildup phase.

That said, the number 8’s biggest strength is his ability to use his excellent vision to showcase his vast passing range, which also enables him to flourish creatively.

Gomes ranks in the top 1% for assists compared to midfielders in Ligue 1, registering six assists across 25 matches, but that tally could’ve been higher considering he’s created ten big chances.

Today, Gomes is estimated to be worth £26m by CIES Football Observatory, which just further highlights the massive mistake United made by not giving Gomes an opportunity to thrive.

Funnily enough, the Lille star ticks every single box that Ratcliffe would look for in a new midfield signing, in terms of cost, age, and potential.

What the Man Utd team could look like once Shea Lacey becomes a regular

A look at how the Red Devils could line up once teen sensation Shea Lacey breaks into the side…

ByRobbie Walls Apr 16, 2024

Gary Neville admitted that Erik ten Hag will be under "massive pressure" to deliver results at Manchester United after a major squad revamp.

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Man Utd finished eighth last seasonHave made key signings this summerNeville "quietly optimistic" about clubWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils succumbed to an eighth-place finish in the Premier League table last term but an FA Cup triumph over derby rivals Manchester City saved Ten Hag's skin at Old Trafford. But the manager is well aware that he must get his troops to a strong start in the English top flight to win the trust of the fans and more importantly of the INEOS sporting hierarchy.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co. have backed the Dutch tactician with his preferred signings, with the likes of Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui arriving to strengthen a leaky defence, while Joshua Zirkzee is expected to add more firepower in attack to complement Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund. And now the onus is on Ten Hag to bring out the best from his resources and re-establish United as one of the title contenders alongside City, Arsenal and Liverpool.

WHAT NEVILLE SAID

Neville believes United must start on the right note to keep the pressure on Ten Hag under check.

"I hope Erik ten Hag will still be the Manchester United manager come the end of the season," he said in an interview with

"There's no doubt that if United have a really poor start and the results are the same as last year that Ten Hag will come under massive pressure very quickly. But I am actually quietly optimistic about Manchester United. I just think the signings that they are bringing in are of a different profile from what they have bought in the past.

"The group of people they have now at the club, from owner down to sporting director, will not make the same mistakes the club have made in the last three or four seasons. They have wasted money and made signings that you knew would bring pressure to them at some point. The profile of the players they are bringing in now is right. They need a younger, quicker, athletic and more energetic football team, and I think that is what you are going to see from Manchester United this year."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Although Neville is still concerned with the injury to Luke Shaw and Hojlund's long-term fitness, he argues that United are still "better" off than last season with INEOS bringing in the right people to restructure the think tank at the club.

"There is still an imbalance in some parts of the team where they need to get better," he said. "There are worries about Luke Shaw, who is now injured again, at left-back. Who is going to play there now? There's also potentially issues up front if Rasmus Hojlund's injury issues continue. Manchester United are obviously short up there.

"But just generally, I do think they are in a better situation than they were last year, and hopefully the change at the very top of the club with INEOS, which everyone has wanted for years, can bring more sensible decision-making."

‘We have to get the cricketing world to respect West Indies cricket again,’ says veteran allrounder

Nagraj Gollapudi28-Mar-2020Andre Russell is one of the most valuable players in T20 cricket, and now his West Indies team-mate Dwayne Bravo has likened the Jamaican to “our Chris Gayle, our Brian Lara” in T20Is. Bravo’s praise came in the wake of Russell’s impactful return during the two-match T20I series in Sri Lanka, which was also the first series he played for West Indies since being ruled out of the 2019 World Cup due to an injury.West Indies won the series 2-0 with Russell playing a big hand, scoring 35 off 14 balls in the first T20I and 40 off 14 in the second. The latter was, in particular, a whirlwind knock as Russell packed six sixes to add to the four he hit in the first match, enough to fetch the Player-of-the-Series award.”He’s the best in the world,” Bravo, who was part of the West Indies side, said in praise of Russell in a chat with Trinidad-based radio station I955 FM on Friday. “It’s the same I used to say of Chris Gayle when Chris Gayle was in his prime – we are happy to have him representing us, we didn’t have to come up and bowl against him in an international match. It’s the same with Andre Russell. Andre Russell now is our Chris Gayle, is our Brian Lara, in the T20 format. He is the superstar.”The Sri Lanka T20I series was Bravo’s second in the West Indies dressing room after he came out of retirement this January for the home T20I series against Ireland. That series was Bravo’s first international assignment after 2016, the last time he had played for West Indies.ALSO READ: Who is the MVP across all T20 leagues over the last 12 months?Despite being the defending T20 World Cup champions, West Indies have been inconsistent in a format where most of their players have become household names. Last November they lost 2-1 to Afghanistan the T20I series played in India. Another 2-1 defeat followed immediately in the T20I series against India. In January this year, they bounced back in the final game of the three-match T20I series against Ireland to level the series 1-1 with one game washed out. Then they started the Sri Lanka tour losing the ODI series 3-0 before winning the T20I series.

It's time to come together, and let them know everybody in the world is a fighter, we not giving up, we not giving up @DJBravo47's here to lift our spirits in these difficult times pic.twitter.com/rLZZbCa2Wz

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) March 27, 2020

According to Bravo, the team management, led by captain Kieron Pollard and head coach Phil Simmons, had acknowledged that there was a lot of work to be done with West Indies preparing to defend their title in the T20 World Cup, scheduled for October-November in Australia this year. Bravo said the team had set itself the bigger goal of making West Indies once again the “dominant” team in world cricket.”Prior to that [T20I series in Sri Lanka], we weren’t really consistent as a team over the years in T20 cricket,” Bravo said. “With the 3-0 loss in the ODI series, we T20 guys had a chat among ourselves along with the management and made a pledge that we want to start back winning series. We said we wanted to be back being the most dominant team in the T20 format.”We have produced some of the best players in the world and when we are together in the same team, we have to stamp our authority, and to get the cricketing world to respect West Indies cricket again and especially West Indies’ T20 team. We said, ‘All hands on deck, let’s start with this Sri Lanka series and make sure we send the message.’ Yeah, that’s what we did.”Bravo said the depth of talent in the West Indies T20 set-up could be gauged from the fact that he, despite being the most experienced player in the squad, had to bat at a position he had never batted at previously. “When the coach wrote the batting line-up, I was down to bat at number nine. I said to the guys, ‘This is the first time I’ve ever been in a T20 team and I’m down to bat at number nine.'”Putting all egos aside, I’m happy with that because at the end of the day, I accept the fact guys like Rovman Powell and Fabian Allen and [Shimron] Hetmyer, the talent and the ability they have to hit the ball, I’m just happy to be like that – father-figure, mentor, guide, to allow these young boys to go out there and showcase their talent to the world. All of us are on the same page, no egos in the dressing room, one common goal to just win cricket games and dominate.”

It's bleak that one of the prominent moments of Jurgen Klopp's last lap at Liverpool will be the frustrated, boiled-over confrontation with talisman Mohamed Salah as the struggling Reds ceded further ground in the Premier League title race away against West Ham United.

Having fallen to defeat against Everton at Goodison Park only days before, looking to build on last weekend's away win over Fulham after losing at home to Crystal Palace, Liverpool are surely resigned to the fact that they will not hand their imminently-departing the perfect, fairytale ending to a magnificent tenure.

That's life. That's football. Salah is one of the Premier League and Liverpool's greatest forwards, and Klopp is a manager of superlative degree, taking an outfit fallen by the wayside and lifting it to unimaginable heights in the days, weeks, and months preceding his appointment in 2015.

It's a narrative, yes, but the volatile nature of Liverpool's two greatest figures locking horns must not define a journey that has been something to behold, something special.

Klopp might be headed for pastures new but 'the Egyptian king' may yet continue his career with Liverpool, though the 31-year-old's contract expires at the end of the 2024/25 campaign and interest in his name will be high (once again) this summer.

Mohamed Salah's season in numbers

Salah's flare-up with his long-time manager has naturally created a sense of malaise to superimpose on the existing struggles that have risen from the slide in form that has yanked away multiple pathways toward silverware.

But with the suggestion from The Athletic's ever-reliable David Ornstein that Salah is expected to stay at the club, it's clear that he remains the linchpin of Liverpool's prospective success, having scored 24 goals and added 13 assists in all competitions this season.

As per FBref, Salah ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals and the top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area and assists per 90.

Returning to the Champions League next season, the £350k-per-week phenomenon will be crucial in ensuring Arne Slot's impending tenure starts with a bang – he is one of Liverpool's greatest and most influential players in Premier League history.

However, he's not the cream of the crop, believe it or not. That crown rests on Luis Suarez's head.

The fee Liverpool paid for Luis Suarez

Back in 2011, Liverpool completed the dual acquisitions of strikers Andy Carroll and Suarez, who completed a £23m transfer from Ajax aged 24.

It was a hefty sum for a player who had yet to dip his toes into a top-five European league but the Uruguayan had an inborn predatory sense that had seen him plunder 111 goals and 68 assists from just 159 matches in the Netherlands, underscoring his prowess as one of the game's most exciting rising goalscorers.

The fact that Liverpool forked out a staggering club-record £35m figure to secure Carroll's services that same window took the pressure off Suarez somewhat, with these respective deals remarkable to look back at with hindsight.

While nostalgia can often bloat and inflate in sporting spheres, there is no distorted prism from this vantage point – Suarez was one of the very best to do it in the Premier League, probably trumping Salah.

Luis Suarez's stats for Liverpool

Suarez, in total, scored 82 goals and supplied 41 assists across 132 appearances for Liverpool before heading to Spain, where he enjoyed the most illustrious days of his career.

Still, that's not to say that his time on Merseyside wasn't without its prosperity, producing one of the most breathtaking, single-handedly stupefying campaigns in the division's history, clinching 31 goals and 13 assists from just 33 matches – impetuously storming to the Golden Boot – as Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool narrowly missed out on a maiden Premier League title.

It wasn't just his extraordinary numbers, but it was the way he did it. Suarez made goalscoring a craft, made wreaking destruction in the final third an art form. As he swirled and savaged his way into the danger area – which, by the way, was wherever he declared it to be – Suarez truly proved to be a vortex of prolific brilliance unlike anything the Premier League had seen, performing with the hunger and the certainty of a lion closing down prey.

He's been described as a "legend" by talent scout Jacek Kulig and rightly so; while Liverpool came up short in their bid for gold during those pre-Klopp days, it was generally accepted that the Reds had overachieved to soar into contention. Suarez was the key cog – there bloomed a phenomenon's ascendancy.

Why Liverpool sold Luis Suarez

Liverpool, having failed to win the title, were resigned to selling their most valuable asset, who had been enticed by the allure of Barcelona and departed for a £75m fee – making him the third-most valuable player in the world at the time and handing Liverpool an incredible 226% profit on that one-time sizeable outlay to bring him in from Ajax.

For such a staggering sum of money, it's hardly surprising that Liverpool decided to accept, especially after he exhausted all of his effort in seeking success in the 2013/14 campaign.

1.

Philippe Coutinho

£142m

2.

Luis Suarez

£75m

3.

Fernando Torres

£50m

4.

Raheem Sterling

£49m

5.

Fabinho

£40m

While Salah is the standout of the Klopp era, one of the most effective strikers in Premier League history, he's not quite on the level of Suarez, who has even been described as "unplayable" by former Reds star Jose Enrique when earning his stripes at Liverpool.

Suarez's record of 103 goal contributions from 110 Premier League fixtures for Liverpool (0.94 per game) will take some beating, with Salah scoring a still extraordinary 226 direct contributions from 260 games in the English top-flight (a rate of 0.86 per game).

Ultimately, both stars will be looked back on with the greatest respect for years to come, having blessed Liverpool with two of the Premier League's all-time attacking sensations.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Graeme Souness has warned Raheem Sterling that he would find no buyer in the Premier League and Chelsea will be forced to sell him to Saudi Arabia.

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Sterling has been exiled by Enzo MarescaChelsea are looking for buyersSouness also hit out at the club's business modelWHAT HAPPENED?

The winger's situation at Chelsea has become precarious after new Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca excluded Sterling from the squad for their Premier League opener against Manchester City – which is a clear indication that he is not part of his plans for the season. The English forward has been granted permission to leave Cobham and his agents, along with the club, are looking for suitors before the transfer window comes to a close.

AdvertisementGOALWHAT SOUNESS SAID

Speaking in new podcast, Souness said: "Raheem Sterling’s future lies in Saudi Arabia. He’ll go there for two reasons, one of those being the kind of money he’ll get there. I don’t think any team in this country will match that. I also don’t think any of the big Premier League teams would want to sign him, he’d price himself out of the market."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Souness also criticised Chelsea's approach in the transfer market as he believes that the club are overpaying on most occasions which is affecting their balance sheet and the larger efforts that are being made to comply with Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules.

"The major problem for Chelsea with this business model is that when they want to get players out the door, they have to take a real hit on their value," he said. "They paid nearly £50 million for Sterling and they’ll get next to nothing for him. Then the buying team will ask Chelsea to contribute to his wages.”

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DID YOU KNOW?

Despite the bleak outlook painted by Souness, Sterling has attracted interest from a Premier League club. Aston Villa have emerged as a potential destination for the winger, with the Birmingham-based club reportedly offering the chance to sign him. Additionally, Juventus have been linked with Sterling as they look to strengthen their squad ahead of the new season with Federico Chiesa on the verge of leaving Turin.

On opportunities for young girls in the sport in Australia, Johnson said there was a need for more 50-over cricket

Andrew McGlashan30-Jun-2020Across the space of three days in 2011 playing for Queensland, Sammy-Jo Johnson dismissed Alyssa Healy twice.It wasn’t long after she had been told there wasn’t a place for her with New South Wales. Now, nine years later, the stars have aligned to bring her back to Sydney as she pushes her case for Australia selection.Her partner, Brian, found work in Sydney and after he had done so much to support Johnson’s career, it was a chance to repay the favour. And it just so happened that New South Wales had vacancies in the pace department following the retirements of Rene Farrell and Sarah Aley.”As a young teenager the dream was to play for the [NSW] Breakers,” she told ESPNcricinfo. “I don’t think I’ve really come to terms with it. I don’t regret playing for Queensland; I’ve loved the opportunity, I’ve had nine years and they’ve helped me become the person I am today. I wouldn’t be where I am without Queensland Cricket. But it is nice to come back – this was a dream, now I get to do it when I’m at the top of my game and hopefully, it might give me a chance to put on that green and gold shirt.”ALSO READ: All the Australian state squads for the 2020-21 seasonHowever, the journey has been far from easy. Her father died in 2012, there followed two years where she didn’t represent Queensland and jobs were lost, leaving the battle to scrape together a living and find somewhere to live. It appeared as though the cricket career could fade away.”You come across adversities – everyone goes through different things – and experiencing what I did at the ages I did has made it so much easier when you are in a professional environment, because you know when you have a bad day. I’ve always got the outlook that there is more to life than cricket, but you enjoy it while you can,” she said. “Every day I get to put on the kit of whatever team I’m playing for, I just enjoy it, have fun. I’m a pretty laid-back person. I’ve also said it’s not a right, it’s a privilege to put on a shirt and that’s what I live by.”Early doors I thought this is awesome – I want to play for my country – then life hits you smack bang in the face and you go, ‘hang on, am I good enough?’ You go through some ups and downs, start second-guessing your skill. I was driving three-and-half hours each way from Lismore to Brisbane three times a week to train, off the back of not a lot of money in women’s cricket. The love and passion for the game is what drives most of us, because anyone [of] my age realises it’s not about the money. We do it because we love the game and play with our mates.”Johnson has pushed hard for that international debut over the last two years, earning regular Australia A selection and performing impressively for the Brisbane Heat in the WBBL. Where she plays her Big Bash cricket next season still remains to be confirmed due to the contract embargo currently in place, but her last two summers have brought 38 WBBL wickets while in 2018-19, she also hit 260 runs at a strike-rate of 139.78.Sammy-Jo Johnson celebrates her half-century•Getty Images”My first [Australia A] tour was to India so that was very eye-opening,” she said. “I was actually very nervous because I’d never been to the subcontinent. You start second-guessing yourself a little – am I fit enough, am I strong enough? – but I played really well, and really enjoyed the experience. That set me up for WBBL 4. I just had self-belief and it’s funny what a bit of self-belief can do for you.”Last year, Johnson closed up the gardening business she co-owned so she could focus more on her cricket and that international ambition. She is currently employed part-time with Rebel Sport, a job that allows her the freedom to focus on training and playing when needed.”Trying to play cricket at this level, traveling, touring, it got too hard trying to run the behind the scenes stuff,” she said. “If I really want to give playing for Australia a red hot crack, I needed to commit those extra hours that I’m spending on paperwork and admin, into recovering and making sure I’m ready for my next session or game.”I think [Australia] is the hardest team in the world to get into at the moment because they are so successful and everyone plays their role. You don’t want people to get injured, but I feel like it’s your only foot in the door at the moment – which is good because you want that competition. If I can keep churning out consistent performances with the ball and bat I’m hoping going to give the selectors no reason not to pick me.”However, there is another challenge to moving to the next level: playing enough cricket. That is particularly relevant approaching a 50-over World Cup, which is due to take place next February and March in New Zealand, with the Women’s National Cricket League consisting of eight round-robin matches per team and a final. In May, when domestic cricket was briefly threatened with cuts amid Cricket Australia’s problems, Australia’s wicketkeeper Healy spoke out about the imbalance in the game, and Johnson believes the WNCL should be expanded to a full home-and-away season campaign of 12 matches.”We train for so many months of the year and we’ve only just got to eight WNCL games,” she said. “Myself and all the players in other states want to be playing more cricket. The WBBL is fantastic, I think we have the right number of games for that and it now has its own window. I hope off the back of the T20 World Cup final that women’s cricket will only get bigger, but for the young kids coming through it’s not just about 20-over cricket. There’s a one-day World Cup next year and we need more 50-over cricket so the girls can continue to show their skills to put pressure on for the Aussie team.”Come the new season, Johnson will be taking every chance she has to do just that.

Harry Kane and record-breaker Thomas Muller were on the scoresheet as Bayern Munich strolled to a 2-0 win

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Bayern make it two wins from two

Kane opens Bundesliga account

Muller sets Bayern appearance recordTELL ME MORE

Bayern Munich made it two wins from two in the Bundesliga with a 2-0 victory over Freiburg on Sunday afternoon on a day that was all about Thomas Muller.

The German came on in the second half for his record-breaking 710th appearance for the club and managed to get on the scoresheet on a day that he will never forget.

Harry Kane set the hosts on their way to three points with he converted a penalty in the 38th minute, but they didn't have it all their own way. Freiburg exerted some pressure during a 10-minute spell in the second half but Bayern saw it through thanks to some help from Manuel Neuer, who denied Lukas Kubler.

The visitors were made to rue their failure to equalise when Muller scored a wonderful goal to secure the victory. The midfielder controlled Serge Gnabry's pass before smashing the ball beyond Freiburg goalkeeper Florian Muller in the 78th minute.

Lucas Holer blazed over a last-minute penalty to compound Freiburg's woes.

Tougher tests await but with Kane off the mark in the league, Michael Olise and Serge Gnabry impressing and Muller scoring, the afternoon couldn't have gone much better for Vincent Kompany as his squad breaks up for international duty.

AdvertisementDID YOU KNOW?

Before kick-off, Kane was honoured with the Bundesliga top-scorer award after netting 36 times in his impressive debut season. However, fans couldn't help but have some fun after noticing the award bears a striking resemblance to the Arsenal badge.

GettyTHE MVP

This was a day to remember for Thomas Muller, who came on for Olise in the second half to set the record for most appearances for Bayern. Muller has now played 710 times for the club, surpassing Sepp Maier's previous record. The 34-year-old received a great reception from the home crowd when he came onto the pitch, and marked the occasion with a superb goal-scoring performance to wrap up a crucial three points.

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THE BIG LOSER

Bayern paid more than £40 million to sign Joao Palhinha from Fulham in the summer after a transfer pursuit that lasted more than a year, but the Portugal midfielder once again had to settle for a place on the bench. Aleksandar Pavlovic, used as a lone defensive midfielder, impressed once again and if Kompany continues to prefer just one shield in front of his defence in games that he expects Bayern to dominate, Palhinha might have to overcome his 20-year-old team-mate if he wants to play. Palhinha came on in the 74th minute to make his Bayern debut and he'll hope for more minutes after the international break.

Chelsea extended their winning run to three matches in the Premier League as they secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

The Blues came out on top in an entertaining clash at the City Ground to move level on points with Newcastle United in sixth place, behind them on goal difference, as it stands.

Mauricio Pochettino's side led through Mykhailo Mudryk before goals from Willy Boly and Callum Hudson-Odoi put the hosts in front. However, late strikes from substitute Raheem Sterling and centre-forward Nicolas Jackson ensured that the London giants came away with the win.

Despite the victory, there were some negatives to take from the match and one was the performance of Noni Madueke on the right flank, as the winger has just made himself droppable.

Noni Madueke's undroppable form

Earlier this month, FFC published an article explaining why the England U21 international was undroppable on the basis of his impressive form at the time.

In his six Premier League appearances heading into Saturday's clash with Forest, Madueke had scored three goals and provided two assists – almost one direct goal contribution every game on average.

Appearances

21

Starts

11

Goals

5

Assists

2

Big chances created

2

Dribbles completed

1.5

The left-footed wizard had created ten chances and completed 14 dribbles in his last three league outings prior to the trip to the City Ground, and these statistics speak to his goalscoring prowess, creativity, and dribbling skill.

His sensational form in the final third from a right wing position made it seem impossible for Pochettino to consider dropping him down to the bench.

Unfortunately, Madueke may have just made himself droppable after a notably dismal showing on Saturday, that may have erased the work he put in to make himself a mainstay in the starting XI.

Why Noni Madueke is now droppable

The former PSV star, who was handed a 4/10 player rating by GOAL reporter Stephen Darwin, endured a frustrating evening against Forest.

His match was summed up by the fact that Chelsea goalkeeper Dorde Petrovic had more touches of the ball (37) than the talented winger (27) as the forward failed to get involved in the game and often lost possession when he did.

The 22-year-old lightweight lost the ball 12 times from those 27 touches – almost once every other touch – as the opposition found it far too easy to dispossess the dynamo.

Madueke failed in all six of his attempted dribbles and did not create a single chance, as former Blues academy graduate Ola Aina kept him quiet, in 58 minutes on the pitch.

The English lightweight was also a liability off the ball for Pochettino as he lost 91% (10/11) of his duels throughout the game, which shows that the Forest defenders dominated him in physical contests all evening.

This disappointing showing from the forward, coupled with Sterling's goal off the bench and Christopher Nkunku's return from injury, may just have made him droppable.

That is not to say that the Argentine head coach should or will place him on the bench next time out but Madueke can have no complaints if he is dropped, on the basis of this disasterclass of a performance.

Manchester United are reportedly at the 'front of the queue' if Michael Olise decides to leave Bayern Munich.

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Bayern beat Man Utd to Olise signingRed Devils in pole position if he leavesSir Alex Ferguson transfer plot revealedWHAT HAPPENED?

Olise swapped Crystal Palace for Bayern this summer for £50.8 million ($67m), with the 22-year-old bagging an assist in three games for the German giants. Now, the Daily Mail reports that United were so intent on signing the France Under-21 international this summer that they were ready to enlist the help of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson to persuade Olise to join. Although they were pipped to the winger's signature, they are said to be in pole position to recruit him if he decides to move on in the future.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

United spent around £200m ($263.5m) this summer, taking their expenditure under manager Erik ten Hag to upwards of £600m ($790.7m), but the Dutchman and his players are under pressure already after two losses in their opening three games. Olise may not have solved their issues, but the outlook may have been a bit better if Olise was in the team.

DID YOU KNOW?

In an injury-hit campaign last season, where he was limited to just 19 Premier League matches, former Reading star Olise scored 10 goals and notched six assists for Palace, as they finished 10th in the division.

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Bayern MunichWHAT NEXT?

Olise's unbeaten Bayern are next in action on September 14 away to Holstein in the Bundesliga, whereas United – who are hoping to avoid a third defeat on the spin – travel to lowly Southampton earlier on that day in the Premier League.

The 2023/24 season has been a very frustrating time for Manchester United. Erik ten Hag’s side currently sit eighth in the Premier League, having lost a club-record 13 times since the competition began in 1992.

Not only that, the Champions League was a disaster for the Red Devils. They finished rock bottom of their group, which included Bayern Munich, Copenhagen and Galatasaray, conceding 15 goals in the process. As per Opta Joe, that is the most conceded by a Premier League side in the Champions League group stages.

Whilst they are in the FA Cup final, their day of destiny being a second consecutive meeting against Manchester City, their defence of the Carabao Cup went poorly, getting eliminated in the fourth round by Newcastle.

With such poor form, it is perhaps no surprise that reports are suggesting United’s new owners, INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, are considering sacking the Dutchman, with the Daily Telegraph’s Matt Law suggesting on Tuesday his future is “far from certain” after a dismal 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.

Man Utd's manager shortlist

In the event of Ten Hag’s sacking, United have been linked with several names, with managers including Thomas Tuchel, being banded about as a potential replacement. However, there may be one option in the Premier League who could provide the answer, especially considering the fact he could bring out the best in one of United’s most exciting squad members.

The manager in question here is Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, who has done a wonderful job at Villa Park this season. Former Red Devils winger Lee Sharpe suggested last month that Emery would be a “class manager for United”, provided he was “given the support and the full backing”, like he has received at Villa.

Former United striker Dwight Yorke has also backed Emery, explaining that, if he were to switch clubs this summer, the Spaniard would do “even better than Erik ten Hag, Mikel Arteta or Jurgen Klopp at their clubs”.

It has been a superb season for Villa, who have all but sealed their place in next season’s Champions League, currently sitting in fourth on 67 points, seven points clear of fifth place Tottenham Hotspur. He has performed so well, that football presenter Dougie Critchley believes Emery deserves to win manager of the season.

Indeed, Emery has turned Villa Park into a fortress this season. As per Understat, they have played 18 home games, winning 12, drawing three and losing three, all while scoring 45 goals and conceding just 25. They have been in imperious home form.

Emery has been famed for his 4-2-2-2 system at Villa this season, which sees his side play with little width. Two false wingers tuck inside and act as number 10s, whilst the centre-forwards make runs into the channels behind opposition defences.

How Emery would benefit Hojlund

The Spaniard’s track record with getting the best out of his centre-forwards is certainly a big advantage for United.

Five strikers whom Emery has coached so far have gone on to get 50 or more goals under his tutelage, including David Villa with 59 and Edinson Cavani with 89; Ollie Watkins is well on his way to 50, too.

Edinson Cavani

98

89

Kevin Gameiro

145

67

David Villa

88

59

Carlos Bacca

143

58

Roberto Soldado

95

52

Gerard Moreno

81

46

Ollie Watkins

76

41

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

67

41

The Red Devils have struggled in front of goal this season, and could certainly do with someone like Emery to get the best out of their forwards.

Since joining United in August for a fee of £72m, Rasmus Hojlund’s form has been rather patchy. He has scored 14 goals in 39 games for the Red Devils this season, which includes eight in the Premier League, five in the Champions League and one in the FA Cup.

However, despite his lack of goals, Hojlund clearly has the potential to become a top-level striker. Some of his strikes this term, such as the one away to Luton, in which he anticipated Alejandro Garmacho’s shot and deflected it in off his chest, are enough to prove that.

Not only that, he is an excellent channel-runner, something he showed at Atalanta, and it is one task that Emery desires from strikers at Villa. This is certainly something that Hojlund could excel at under the Spaniard, given his pace and power to run the channels all day.

He has been somewhat misused by Ten Hag so far, who has utilised the Dane as more of a target man, tasked to win second balls from long goal kicks by Andre Onana, which he has struggled with at times.

Indeed, Emery’s track record with strikers is impressive, and it does make you think that, if Hojlund was to play under him, we could see the Dane explode and show much more of the potential he clearly has.

He has helped Watkins unearth his full potential, and become one of the Premier League’s best strikers. There is nothing to say he could not do the same with Hojluind if he got the United job.

Next Man Utd manager: Who could replace Erik ten Hag?

Erik ten Hag has been sacked by Manchester United – so who could take over the reins at Old Trafford?

2 ByStephan Georgiou Oct 28, 2024