Portuguese media launches angry tirade at bungling Solskjaer - report

Manchester United fans and the media are still reeling from the loss to Aston Villa this past weekend and the finger of blame has been pointed in a number of directions.

Bruno Fernandes had the opportunity in the final stages of the game to level things up, but his miscued penalty flew over the bar.

Questions were asked as to why Fernandes took the penalty and not Ronaldo.

The two Portuguese internationals have a good record from the spot, with Fernandes previously scoring 93% of his penalties and Ronaldo scoring 83%.

The Portuguese news outlet, Record, today points the finger of blame at neither of those two players for the defeat.

Instead they lay it all on the shoulders of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Alexandre Pais suggests Solskjaer should have instructed Ronaldo to take the penalty, ‘the greatest specialist’.

He further added that Fernandes was distracted by Martinez and that Solskjaer should have handled the situation better.

However Fernandes has been a trusted penalty taker for United over the last season, missing just one of his previous 14 penalties.

This is not the first time Pais has questioned Solskjaer’s managerial capabilities.

After United signed Raphael Varane, Jason Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo in summer, Pais suggested Solskjaer did not have the level of experience to handle such a squad.

Whether Solskjaer will rethink his chosen penalty taker or not remains to be seen, but United look ahead to Wednesday night where they will hope to put aside their recent losses and win their Champions League group stage clash against Villarreal.

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Massive boost: Man United target wants Premier League move on free transfer

Manchester United target and AC Milan star Franck Kessie reportedly hopes to play in England as his contract heads for expiration.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s need for a defensive midfielder is no secret and rumours claim that West Ham’s Declan Rice is too expensive.

This means United will have to consider cheaper alternatives and Kessie’s current contract with Milan is meant to expire next summer.

Solskjaer could approach to sign him on a pre-contract as early as January in a bid to strengthen his engine room for the next campaign.

The Red Devils managed to sign Jadon Sancho, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Raphael Varane in recent months but many feel not signing a midfielder was a mistake.

According to 90min, Kessie has turned down Milan’s latest contract offer and although many clubs out of England have enquired over his signature, the player prefers a move to the Premier League.

It’s understood the talented midfielder’s preference is due to his belief that his style would suit the league and given how Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Arsenal, Everton, and Leicester City are all keeping tabs, it’s safe to say he’s got options.

Milan are said to have not given up hope just yet on extending his current deal but for now, they have no plans to offer a better deal, with talks at a standstill.

Manchester United’s current midfield options involve Paul Pogba, Donny van de Beek, Fred, Scott McTominay, and Nemanja Matic.

It’s believed the experienced Serbian probably will depart in the next summer transfer window, leaving room for someone to come in.

Matic is arguably United’s only natural defensive midfielder and fans hoped a younger option would be signed in the summer.

Instead, supporters will have to wait a year to sign a capable midfielder and time will tell whether that’s a major mistake or not.

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Solskjaer confirms nightmare injury news for Villareal clash

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Harry Maguire is definitely out of tomorrow night’s champions League Group F tie against Villareal at Old Trafford, but Luke Shaw has a chance of being fit.

Speaking at today’s pre-match press conference ahead of the game, the manager said:

‘Luke has been in today, so I’ll give him a chance to be involved tomorrow, he didn’t train with the team.

‘Harry is more or less definitely out, it doesn’t look good.

‘It’s his calf, and that might take a few weeks, so let’s see how quickly he recovers.

‘Of course he was hoping to play against Villareal. He missed the last game we played against them, but then again that’s football for you, and with Aaron suspended we’ll have to make a few changes.’

Solskjaer was also asked why he plays Scott McTominay and Fred together so often despite widespread criticism of the pair.

‘First of all, the stats for them two together, we’ve had many many good results, the energy they give us, the way they broke up play against Villa, I think they’re very very instrumental together in that respect.

‘Energy and desire and I really like to have the two of them.

‘There’s two I can trust they will always, always give you what they’ve got.

‘Fans will always have an opinion on any team selection, when you’ve got good players like me it’s always hard to leave players out.’

Asked if he was likely to change his system for tomorrow’s game to counteract Villareal’s likely 3-5-2 formation, he replied:

‘Well, you always look at the opposition and sometimes you have to make adjustments because of them. Sometimes bigger adjustments, sometimes you just tweak it.

‘For us, we always look at ourselves mostly and concentrate on playing better. But of course the more injuries you get in defence, you might have to do tactical changes, formations.

‘I’ve got Eric, I’ve got Raphael, Victor, three very good centre backs to choose from, still Alex and Diogo are 1005 fit, hopefully Luke can be involved, we’re not sure yet.’

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Former United legend sacked from latest management role after disastrous run

Former Manchester United favourite Jaap Stam has been sacked by FC Cincinnati of the MLS.

Stam only took charge in May 2020 but a poor run of just one win in his last 16 games has given the club no choice.

Sitting second bottom of the Eastern Conference, Stam’s last game in charge saw his side lose 4-2 to playoff hopefuls D.C. United.

Overall, the former Dutch international’s record does not make for good reading, with just eight wins from his 47 games in charge giving him a measly 17%-win ratio.

Following the decision, the club released the following statement:

“During our nearly two-month process to identify the next general manager for FC Cincinnati, it was apparent that a head coach change was necessary.”

“Therefore, after a great deal of deliberation, the club has made the decision to now move to the future with Jaap no longer serving as head coach.”

“We thank Jaap for everything he has done for FC Cincinnati during his time here, and we wish him the best as he can now head home to be with his family.”

After roles with PEC Zwolle and Jong Ajax in his native Netherlands, Stam took his first significant coaching role in the Championship with Reading in 2016.

His first season was a huge success as the former treble winner took ‘The Royals’ to the Championship playoffs, narrowly losing to Huddersfield on penalties at Wembley.

Things quickly went downhill from there however, as he left the club in March 2018 following a run of one win from 18 games.

Short spells with PEC Zwolle and Feyenoord back in the Eredivisie followed, neither lasting more than 18 games, before his US adventure also ended in tears.

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Man United fans will be stunned by new defensive midfield target: report

Manchester United are reportedly keen on bringing in Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips as they look to add quality to their engine room.

Much has been made of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s options in midfield, with fans constantly debating over who should or should not start.

Although a boost in quality won’t do United’s midfield any harm, the true issue lies in getting the balance right, rather than whether or not there’s depth.

Scott McTominay, Fred, Paul Pogba, Donny van de Beek, and Nemanja Matic are all decent options on paper so the question is how to extract the most out of them.

However, many fans recognise the need for a natural defensive midfielder in the squad and it appears so does Solskjaer.

According to the Daily Star, the Red Devils have turned to Phillips as a potential signing after deciding to end their pursuit of Declan Rice.

Solskjaer is understood to have prioritised a defensive midfielder for next summer’s investment and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is not all too pleased with West Ham’s £90m asking price.

Given the London club’s price tag and Jude Bellingham’s potential destination being Liverpool, Phillips is seen as the realistic alternative to Rice.

It’s believed the Leeds United star is valued at around £60m and the club will feel they have the upper hand in negotiations as he’s tied to the club until 2024.

Phillips’ future is said to be tied to Marcelo Bielsa’s however, and should the iconic manager depart at the end of the season then that could swing it all in Manchester United’s favour.

The talented Englishman impressed many during the Euros but no one truly expected he’d be linked with a move to Old Trafford.

After all, Phillips has been likened more to a destroyer in midfield rather than a holding midfielder.

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Sir Alex Ferguson opens up on two sensational potential transfers

Sir Alex Ferguson has set the record straight on two playmaking midfielders Manchester United were heavily linked with during his near 27 years at the helm.

Sir Alex claims the club were never interested in Dutchman Wesley Sneijder despite years of speculation, but does state he regrets not signing Paul Gascoigne.

Sneijder was one of the most talented attacking midfielders of his generation, playing for the likes of Ajax, Real Madrid and Inter Milan before winding down his career with spells at Galatasaray, Nice and Al-Gharafa.

He won 20 trophies during his 17-year career, perhaps most notably being a key component in Inter Milan’s treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League in 2009/10.

But Fergie, while speaking to the UTD Podcast, says he was never on his radar at Old Trafford:

“Well, you mention the boy Sneijder, that’s come up a lot of times, but we were never interested in Sneijder.”

“I don’t know where that came from, but you get a lot of them. Every Sunday, in The People, when I first came, they were throwing names in all the time, you know.”

While the Sneijder rumours may have been generated by the papers one player he was definitely interested in was Gascoigne.

Famously, United had agreed a deal with Newcastle for him in the summer of 1988, only for the Geordie livewire to change his mind at the last minute after Tottenham offered him a house, a car and a sunbed for his sister.

“I’m not saying he didn’t have a good career, but he would have had a better career with us.” Fergie said of ‘Gazza’.

“We had Geordies in our squad like [Bryan] Robson, [Steve] Bruce plus Bobby Charlton.”

“Sir Bobby would have been a fantastic mentor to him because he’s such a fantastic man and even Gary Pallister, although he was from Middlesbrough and I know they don’t count that as a Geordie, as someone who understands the culture like Gary would.”

If any man could’ve got a hold of Gazza and turned his troubled off-field life around you’d back Sir Alex to be that man. Oh, what could have been.

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4-3-3: Solskjaer will make massive statement with this exciting line-up vs Villareal

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could be forced to make three changes across his back line for tomorrow’s Champions League group F home tie against Spanish side Villareal.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka is suspended for the game following his red card against Young Boys and both Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw sustained injuries against Aston Villa on Saturday which make them doubtful for the game.

If both miss out, Victor Lindelof is almost certain to partner Rafa Varane in central defence, with Diogo Dalot at right back and Alex Telles coming in for Shaw at left back. The manager is expected to confirm the status of the doubtful stars at today’s 1.30pm press conference.

What Solskjaer decides to do higher up the pitch will be fascinating. His stubborn determination to stick with his 4-2-3-1 formation with ‘McFred’ – Scott McTominay and Fred – as the defensive midfield duo must finally give way after three defeats out of four games recently.

In fact, only one of those defeats featured the McFred partnership and it was used in United’s only win in that sequence, but with Paul Pogba adrift on the left wing and Jadon Sancho unused, the balance of the team is clearly not right.

It is expected that Solskjaer will finally put his new 4-3-3 into practice for the game, with one half of McFred – probably Fred, being sacrificed.

This formation would see McTominay as the sole holding midfielder, with Paul Pogba just in front of him and Bruno Fernandes dropping more into the number eight role that made his career at Sporting Lisbon and which, despite Solskjaer’s insistence at playing him as a number 10, is the one tattooed on his arm.

The in-form Mason Greenwood should continue on the right wing, with Sancho being given an opportunity on the left and Cristiano Ronaldo leading the line.

Donny van de Beek is another option if the manager doesn’t fancy Sancho for the game. He would play in central midfield, leaving Pogba wide left.

Edinson Cavani, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard are also options.

Despite days of intense criticism from the media and social media, Solskjaer’s job is probably safe for the time being and so it is time for him to show his mettle and take risks.

Whilst he tends to dig in with his trusted lieutenants when his back is against the wall, and will be concerned to drop a defensive midfielder when he is fielding a makeshift back line, he must surely see that change is necessary.

This, then, is our predicted XI for tomorrow’s game:

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'One tactic. No variation': Journalist tears Solskjaer apart after latest dismal defeat

After a positive start to the season, three defeats in four games have dampened optimism and piled the pressure on Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The Reds latest loss, a 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa, saw Solskjaer’s side comprehensively out-thought, outfought, and outplayed by Dean Smith’s impressive visitors.

Immediately after the game, the United manager followed up his recent criticisms about refereeing decisions to question the validity of the winning goal.

And the Norwegian’s habit of deflecting the thorny issue of his side’s displays to instead talk about officials has been strongly criticised by The Telegraph’s James Ducker.

Ducker writes: “Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been getting plenty (of excuses) in of late. Yet no number of diversion tactics were going to mask that…Manchester United were witless and deservedly beaten…

“Set against the rich cohesion of Dean Smith’s 3-5-2, this was another of those games that left you wondering what Solskjaer’s vision for this scratchy, disjointed United is meant to be.”

The United correspondent echoes fan concerns by observing the stark contrast between the well-drilled Villa and the Reds’ disconnected group of individuals.

“It is close to three years now since he took charge and the fault lines really feel embossed when so many individual talents fall flat and there is no single moment of brilliance to puncture those periods of mediocrity.”

The home side’s tactics come in for similar scrutiny, with Ducker noting: “United had one tactic – a ball in behind for their best player on the day, Mason Greenwood but, beyond that there was little to no variation…”

And Solskjaer’s contentious opinion about the validity of the late winner is described simply as “more excuses”.

One thing is for sure, with a huge game against recent nemesis Villareal on the horizon, United’s coach desperately needs a convincing victory to dispel the current gloom.

Fans are keen to see a marked improvement from the laborious displays of late and a rematch against their Europa League conquerors represents the perfect chance to gauge what, if any progress, has been made since May.

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Romano provides encouraging contract update on two vital United stars

Manchester United are currently discussing new contract terms with midfielders Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba.

It has been reported by numerous sources over the past couple of months that United will be entering discussions with the players and have already started talks with both of them.

Pogba’s deal is a little bit more serious in terms of urgency as his current contract will expire at the end of the season and the club as well as the fans will not want to lose him after an impressive start to the campaign.

The Portuguese magnifico’s contract will expire in 2025 so there is no rush right now to get a new deal underway but United may want to strengthen their position in case other clubs attempt to unsettle the player.

Fabrizio Romano discussed the two players’ contract situations in his column in Benchwarmers.

Romano explains that fresh new terms have been on the table for a couple of months for the French midfielder and the club is awaiting his final decision.

The Italian journalist says Pogba wants to make a personal decision rather than one solely based on the economic side of his contract, which is handled by his agent Mino Raiola.

The 29-year-old has loved the reignited atmosphere at Old Trafford in recent weeks after an entire year without the fans.

Romano notes that ‘the club will insist and hope to be able to extend the agreement soon’.

He concludes his discussion about United with an update on the contract situation with Fernandes.

‘Of course, optimism is much more on the Bruno Fernandes front,’ he said.

‘Talks with his agent began in the first week of July and Manchester United know that renewing his contract is essential: Bruno is more than just a leader, on and off the pitch.

‘That’s why the club is negotiating a new long-term deal to reward him, knowing that the Portuguese is very happy at Old Trafford.’

United fans will be pleased to hear that there is optimism about both renewals as the club must keep its best players in order to return to the glory days of the past.

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Man Utd receive massive blow in pursuit of priority signing next season

Manchester United target Erling Haaland is reportedly not certain to leave Borussia Dortmund next summer.

In an interview with Sport 1, Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke dismissed recent claims that the Bundesliga giants’ financial situation might force them to cash in on their star striker.

He stated: “It has not yet been decided whether he will really leave in the summer.”

“We’ll just have a look. I heard someone say: ‘They have to sell Haaland because they are listed on the stock exchange.’ This is all bulls***.”

Haaland is said to have a £77m release clause which comes into effect from next summer.

He has reportedly gathered interest from a host of clubs, including Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus.

Watzke added that he trusts the striker’s agent Mino Raiola to advise his client on his future.

The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo at Man United means that a striker may no longer be considered a priority in the transfer window for the club.

The Portuguese is as fit as ever and has the discipline and physicality to play for another two seasons in the English top flight.

Moreover, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is slowly trying to develop Mason Greenwood into his natural position.

The 19-year-old has already shown glimpses of his brilliant finishing this season and has the potential to be one of the best strikers in Europe.

It will be fascinating to see whether United still enter the race to sign Haaland after their first failed attempt back in January 2020.

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United legend tells Solskjaer which player he should sign at all costs

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has spoken of his preference for the club to sign England ace Jude Bellingham.

The former captain has given his verdict on who he would prefer to see at the club next year between two of England’s biggest potentials.

The first being Bellingham who is only 18 years old and has already earned his spot in the England squad whereas the other is fellow countryman Declan Rice who has been rumoured to be on United’s radar during the summer transfer window.

The Manchester Evening News reports that the club are trying to prioritise a move for the West Ham star next summer and are putting a strategy in place.

Rice is seen as a top target for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and a target that United fans would like to see at the club especially after his impressive European Championship campaign.

However, Neville recently tweeted that he’d like to see Bellingham at the club instead.

Bellingham https://t.co/wESIYkebGv

— Gary Neville (@GNev2) September 27, 2021

The teenager has enjoyed a successful spell in Germany for Borussia Dortmund and has been a glowing star in the Champions League for the club, scoring two goals in 11 appearances in the competition.

Rice doesn’t have any Champions League experience, however, he is attracting interest from Chelsea who are seen as strong candidates to secure the signature of the midfielder next summer.

He is also regularly appearing in the England squad much like Bellingham and is making regular appearances for his club who are also competing in the Europa League.

The current roster of midfielders at the club has yet to find the right balance with Solskjaer changing his midfield every so often to try and facilitate Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes.

The manager certainly wants to fix this issue but is yet to find the right answer after his summer transfer window didn’t include a midfielder.

United fans want to see the issue fixed in the upcoming transfer windows but with plenty of players that suit Solskjaer’s project, many options will be revealed as time goes on.

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Gary Neville causes huge controversy with his strongest Manchester United Starting XI

Manchester United great Gary Neville has left out some interesting names from his preferred starting eleven after he fielded some Q&A questions on Twitter.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is often criticised for his team selections with fans often debating who should have and should not have started whatever match was being played at the time.

One heated area of debate in particular is the midfield, with some feeling Donny van de Beek deserves to get more minutes whereas others are more understanding of the Scott McTominay and Fred partnership.

Some supporters argue Nemanja Matic has to play as he is the only natural defensive midfielder in the squad while others believe Paul Pogba brings a sense of control to United’s engine room.

However, Neville’s big omissions are on the wings instead, where he opted to leave out Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho in order to make room for some interesting names.

De G

AWB
SHAW
MAGUIRE
VARANE

MCT
POGBA

BRUNO

GREENWOOD
CAVANI
RONALDO https://t.co/LrKRyliZJ8

— Gary Neville (@GNev2) September 27, 2021

Neville seems to have made up his mind on the David de Gea and Dean Henderson debate, though the former has enjoyed a good start to the season while the latter has suffered from injury.

The back four the former defender chose is one area of the pitch not many fans would argue with but there are a minority who prefer Diogo Dalot’s attacking qualities to Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

McTominay and Pogba in midfield may raise questions of balance in the team but there are plenty who feel it’s the strongest pairing.

Bruno Fernandes in attacking midfield is a no-brainer that no one would really argue with and is one of the players whose spot in the starting XI is almost guaranteed.

Mason Greenwood and Edinson Cavani being selected over the aforementioned Rashford and Sancho is certainly an interesting decision.

Neville seems to indicate he prefers Cristiano Ronaldo on the wings while he’s gone for Cavani’s instinctive goalscoring and Greenwood’s explosive youth over Rashford and Sancho, with the latter currently still adapting.

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Man United star looks to leave in January as first cracks appear for Solskjaer: report

Manchester United star Juan Mata is reportedly on the lookout for a way out of Old Trafford as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s problems continue to grow.

The experienced Spaniard is meant to be one of the legendary Norwegian’s reliable leaders off the pitch but it seems the player’s had enough.

Mata didn’t feature all too often last season but it was understood he was contributing in the dressing room and is one of the more senior players in an otherwise young squad.

United fans appeared confused by the decision to extend his stay by a further year but they got on board as he was said to still have a role in the team.

However, that doesn’t seem to be enough anymore and Solskjaer has another problem to sort out in his ever-growing list.

According to Manchester Evening News, Mata has doubts over his future in the club due to a lack of minutes this season and so is open to a January move unless his situation improves.

It’s difficult to envision the former Chelsea man will get more minutes anytime soon as the Red Devils were recently knocked out of the Carabao Cup.

Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo are expected to return to the first team soon as well, with Edinson Cavani recently making an appearance too.

The addition of all this firepower likely means Mata is the player to miss out on being in the squad at all, let alone the starting XI.

After all, Solskjaer also has other options to consider such as Donny van de Beek and Jesse Lingard– both of whom arguably add more on the pitch.

Mata is still 33 years old and could potentially contribute at a lower level or with another team so it’s no surprise if he’s considering departing.

It has been quite some time since the attacking midfielder has been relied upon as a starting XI star and he may benefit from regular minutes.

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Inspiring: the solution to United’s midfield woes may already be in the ranks

Having started the season well on his loan at Dundee United, Dylan Levitt has had his most impressive performance yet against Scottish giants Celtic.

Playing in a more advanced role, Levitt had the freedom to get on the ball while also dropping in to provide solidity to Dundee’s midfield as they picked up a point in a 1-1 draw away to Celtic.

Standing toe to toe against strong opposition, the confidence was flowing for the Welsh international as at one point he attempted an audacious 60 yard strike, looking to catch Joe Hart off his line.

Unfortunately, despite getting the accuracy straight in the middle of the goal, the power wasn’t there and Hart was able to catch comfortably in the end.

With 75 touches and 60 passes, both the most of any Dundee United player by some distance, Levitt was the focal point for The Tangerines’ play and constantly demanded the ball.

The skilful midfielder didn’t just impress on the ball though, his hard work contributed defensively with three tackles, two interceptions, and five clearances.

In a stand out performance, Levitt’s efforts were noticed by fans and media with FootballScotland writing “the Welsh kid was excellent in the middle of the park for Tam Courts’ Tangerines.”

Their match rating for the youngster was “the Manchester United loanee was just a cut above in the middle of the park – United have got a gem on their hands in the Welsh cap. 8”

The Dundee United supporters also took to Twitter to express their praise for Levitt.

“Great performance from DUFC. Fair enough the stick for the ref over the penalty decision, but he did allow Dylan Levitt to play 90 minutes while holding a cigar.” – @mrneilforsyth

Great performance from DUFC. Fair enough the stick for the ref over the penalty decision, but he did allow Dylan Levitt to play 90 minutes while holding a cigar.

— Neil Forsyth (@mrneilforsyth) September 26, 2021

“Dylan Levitt will win a Champions League with Man United” – @MikeeWalkerrr

With Levitt’s continuing growth into senior football, and Manchester United’s dearth of quality on the ball in midfield, the Welshman’s talents may be just what is missing from Old Trafford.

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Cristiano Ronaldo makes interesting decision on future that will excite United fans

Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo intends to stay at the club much longer than the two years he initially signed up for.

The 36-year-old resigned for the club on a two-year deal with an option of a third from Juventus this summer and has hit the ground running on his homecoming.

Four goals in as many games have dispelled any rumours that the Portuguese legend is finished at the top level, making a mockery of so-called pundits who claimed he’d make United worse.

While he has no plans to retire just yet, a report in The Sun claims he wants to finish his career at the club, before going on to coach his son in the youth teams.

A source told the newspaper:

“Ronaldo has made it clear to everyone he has come back to United to help them win trophies.”

“But in his mind he is going to play for them for more than a couple of years.”

“He is still at the peak of his physical fitness and loves showing that nothing is impossible.”

“He is obsessed with football and knows everything about the game.”

“Lots of players have started their coaching career at United so he thinks it could be a good way of starting off the next chapter of his career.”

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes his former teammate can play on into his forties, such is his dedication and superhuman fitness levels.

Solskjaer has the benefit of a strong forward line that means he can afford to rest the five-time Ballon d’Or winner in less important games.

The prospect of perhaps the greatest player of all time ending his playing career at Old Trafford is certainly a romantic one, and generally wherever Cristiano goes, major honours are not far behind.

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Rashford thrills United fans with news of his much awaited comeback

Marcus Rashford is hoping to rejoin contact training next week, in what would be the final stage of his comeback from shoulder surgery.

Rashford played through much of last season and Euro 2020 with the injury but finally decided to go under the knife in the summer in order to resolve it completely.

This has seen him miss the start of United’s season, but he now appears to be closing in on an early return.

The England man tweeted this morning:

‘Happy Monday. I see the doctor on Friday for a consultation. All being well, I will get the green to join in with contact training again.’

Happy Monday. I see the doctor on Friday for a consultation. All being well, I will get the green to join in with contact training again.

— Marcus Rashford MBE (@MarcusRashford) September 27, 2021

With an international break coming up in two weeks, if the 23-year-old starts full training next week he is likely to be ready for United’s next away game against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

That tough tie marks the start of a difficult run of games for the Red Devils, including Atalanta (twice), Liverpool, Spurs, Manchester City, Villareal, Watford, Chelsea and Arsenal.

With Paul Pogba, Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Mason Greenwood all fighting it out for places on the wing, Rashford will have to hit the ground running to win back his automatic place in the starting XI.

Rashford was clearly struggling toward the end of last season and the idea of having him back at full fitness, playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time, is certainly an exciting prospect.

He also had other niggling injuries which will hopefully also be now behind him after this extended rehabilitation period.

Edinson Cavani also got his first minutes of the season on Saturday and once both are fully fit and Jadon Sancho finds his feet, United’s forward line will arguably be the envy of the world.

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'Group of individuals': Man Utd legend slams team tactics after embarrassing loss

Manchester United legend Gary Neville has criticised the side’s performance after the 1-0 loss against Aston Villa on Saturday.

Speaking on his latest podcast (Sky Sports), Neville says Man Utd must learn to play like a team to challenge for the title.

He states: “I said it even when they were winning, even when Ronaldo scored, they don’t play well enough as a team to win this league in my view. They don’t play well enough as a team.”

“I think you have to be a unit in and out of possession, and when you only deliver in moments, those moments won’t go for you in certain games.”

“You need patterns of play, you need a way of playing, and at this moment in time, I still see a group of individuals playing in moments, with some patterns and combinations at times, but still a team where some are pretty new together.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side put in yet another poor display in Saturday’s game. Despite registering 28 shots, United only managed four on target.

The team lacked cohesion and were pretty disjointed in the final third.

The Red Devils had a chance to salvage a point right at the end, but Bruno Fernandes’ penalty miss ensured all three points for Villa.

“The way they are at the moment, they’ll always have days like Saturday against Villa,” said Neville.

“They’ll have patches of four or five games where they only win two, but then they’ll go and win 15 on the bounce and be unbeaten away from home for a while.”

“I know what’s going to happen when I see Man City building up from the back. I know what’s going to happen at Liverpool.”

“When Man Utd are building from the back or through midfield, I don’t know what’s coming next sometimes.”

Neville previously stated that the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo was a make or break one for Solskjaer, as the Portuguese would demand the highest standard of performances from the team.

United cannot afford to dwell on their mistakes for too long and must be at their best against a determined Villarreal side next in an all-important UEFA Champions League game on Wednesday.

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How crippled United's makeshift defence will look in crucial match on Wednesday

Manchester United’s shock 2-1 defeat to Swiss minnows Young Boys means that nothing less than three points against Villareal at Old Trafford on Wednesday will be enough as they struggle to qualify from the UEFA Champions League Group F.

Villareal have the psychological upper hand over United having beaten them on May 26th in the Europa League final.

The situation is likely to be made harder by a potential crisis that is set to decimate the Red Devils’ first choice back four.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka received a red card against the Bern side so he will be suspended from the game, while both Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw piucked up injuries in yesterday’s defeat to Aston Villa that leave them also doubtful for the tie.

Solskjaer admitted after the Villa game that:

‘We will use tomorrow and Monday and we will get the scans done and see how they are. At the moment they don’t look okay for Wednesday, but we will see.’

If neither recovers in time, it will leave Raphael Varane as the only first choice defender available for the game.

Varane will have to play in a makeshift back line with players he has little or no experience of working with.

Diogo Dalot is expected to take the right back berth, with Victor Lindelof replacing Maguire as he did on Saturday and Alex Telles replacing Shaw.

Dalot and Telles played in the midweek Carabao Cup match against West Ham and performed quite well despite the defeat.

Some might argue that Maguire and Shaw’s performances against Aston Villa were shaky and that it might not do them any harm to be rested, but the problem could be the lack of practice that the replacement defence has as a unit.

Whilst there are still four more games to be played in Group F, there is little room for error.

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'It hurts my soul': Dortmund chief appalled at handling of Jadon Sancho

Borussia Dortmund’s CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has been stirring the pot today in regard to England and Manchester United’s handling of Jadon Sancho.

Sancho joined the Red Devils from the Bundesliga side in a transaction that at times became acrimonious and that took over a year of negotiation to complete.

But since his arrival at Old Trafford, Sancho has failed to find his rhythm and he was condemned to the bench yesterday for the ill-fated 1-0 home loss to Aston Villa.

Injuries to Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw meant that only one tactical substitution could be made, but Sancho was left on the sidelines as United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opted for Edinson Cavani instead to try to save the game.

England manager Gareth Southgate gave the 21-year-old few opportunities in Euro 2020 and brought him on as a substitute for the final penalty shoot-out in which his effort was saved by Gigio Donnarumma.

Since then, Sancho has not played a full 90 minutes in the Premier League or the Champions League and Watzke clearly believes he is not being given a fair chance to prove himself and regain his confidence.

‘I love Jadon [Sancho]. When you see him playing you get tears in your eyes,’ the CEO said.

‘It hurts my soul that he is given so little consideration. I think his problem is that he’s not set in the English national team.’

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke: "I love Jadon [Sancho]. When you see him playing you get tears in your eyes. It hurts my soul that he is given so little consideration. I think his problem is that he’s not set in the English national team." #mulive [@sport1]

— utdreport (@utdreport) September 26, 2021

Whether Watzke’s criticism is aimed at Solskjaer, Southgate or both is unclear, but the timing of it suggests it includes the former.

The Norweigian has already come under plenty of fire for his handling of last summer’s new signing, Donny van de Beek, who has also never been given a good run in the team to help him settle.

That situation has been rumbling on for over a season now and is arguably much clearer than that of Sancho, who is arguably rightly still being eased into the team.

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‘We have to learn’: Skinner suffers first crushing defeat in charge of United

Marc Skinner has suffered his first defeat as Manchester United Women’s boss after losing 6-1 at home against Chelsea.

Emma Hayes’ side came out fighting, forcing Mary Earps to pull off a fantastic save in the first minute.

However, the visitors opened the scoring in the second minute after a series of errors at the back led Fran Kirby to slot one past Earps.

After a good passage of play for the Reds, who failed to capitalise on any of their chances, Pernille Harder doubled the visitors’ lead in the 25th minute.

Sam Kerr then got her name on the score sheet just before half-time. United were perhaps hard done by as they felt they should have had a free kick in the build up.

Alessia Russo replaced Lucy Staniforth at half time and made an immediate impact as she got one back for the home side within three minutes of the restart after Ella Toone played her in.

Just moments later, Sam Kerr scored again for Chelsea and though it looked offside, the goal stood.

United then had a series of chances to get back into the game, their best coming from super sub Alessia Russo whose powerful strike rattled the crossbar.

Unfortunately it was the Blues that took their chances, with substitute Drew Spencer scoring their fifth, five minutes from the end.

Earps stood tall and made a fantastic save in injury time but unluckily for United it deflected off a defender and into the path of Fleming who tapped it him for Chelsea’s sixth.

https://mobile.twitter.com/ManUtdWomen/status/1442141157589282818

United team: Earps; Blundell, Mannion, Thorisdottir, Batlle; Zelem, Groenen (Ladd 65); Hanson, Staniforth (Russo 46), Galton (Jones, 80); Toone

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