Manager facing headaches over the form of Harry Maguire and David de Gea, Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence and the De Jong transfer sagaA fortnight watching United’s new manager, Erik ten Hag, leading training has revealed an intelligent man whose priority is to coach. The Dutchman’s emerging side play in free-flowing style and he has a sharp manner with the media. These are the absolute base materials for any manager to succeed at a club that remain the country’s record title holders but became a laughing stock last season. United’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa in Perth on Saturday night was the first failure to win in four tour matches in Thailand and Australia, fixtures in which United plundered 13 goals while...
Forward’s future is a key early test for Manchester United’s new manager, who must not repeat the 2013 Wayne Rooney sagaCristiano Ronaldo in July 2022. Wayne Rooney in July 2013. Two star forwards whose discontent at Manchester United before pre-season tours starting in Thailand must prove bookends to a miserable nine years for the club.This is Erik ten Hag’s mission as he prepares to send out a first XI – against Liverpool in Bangkok on Tuesday – as United’s manager: end a near-decade of mediocrity that began when Sir Alex Ferguson retired after winning the club’s most recent title. Continue reading...
Signing the Manchester United forward will prevent any side playing like a tactically and physically complete modern teamIn Tudor times there were few things more disastrous for a British noble than the honour of a home visit from the monarch. Oh no. He’s here again. The man with the week-long pheasant-gorging mass drunken banquet in his eyes.Attempts were sometimes made to shutter up the windows and simply hide on these occasions. Otherwise the sight of the royal train looming across the horizon, with its legions of cooks, soldiers, jesters, fancy-boys and pantalooned hangers-on was a harbinger of bankruptcy, slaughtered livestock, ruined fields and general devastation of anything within grabbable range. Continue reading...
We select a few contenders for the Premier League’s flop of the season – and invite you to have your sayIt is difficult writing lists that point out individual failings, so it is quite pleasing how bad Manchester United have been across the board. On the player front Fred, Cristiano Ronaldo and David de Gea escape with their reputations relatively intact. The summer recruits Jadon Sancho and Raphaël Varane have struggled to fit in, which is quite difficult in such a poor team. Ole Gunnar Solskjær could not get much of a tune out of the squad and Ralf Rangnick has arguably been worse. England’s Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford have endured a miserable time. Maguire has looked off the...
Will City or Liverpool be champions? Burnley or Leeds to go down? And surely Spurs won’t lose at Norwich … will they?This season’s final-day title battle will have an air of familiarity as Manchester City look to pip Liverpool to the post for the third time in the last decade. Steven Gerrard will be in the opposition dugout at the stadium where the greatest finale of all played out 10 years ago. Folklore is in the air, but Pep Guardiola might feel frustrated that it has come to this. City could have few complaints with their draw at West Ham, digging in to rescue a vital point after a disastrous first half – but had Riyad Mahrez scored his late...