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Who was Man of the Match v Leicester?

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Wednesday 30 October 2024 22:45

Manchester United advanced to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup with a entertaining victory over Leicester City at Old Trafford.

Our prize for the 5-2 triumph in M16 is a last-eight tie against Tottenham Hotspur away from home in December, which will be played on a date to be confirmed in the capital, when we’ll compete for a place in the semi-finals of the competition.

Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes largely stole the headlines on Wednesday, as the midfield pair grabbed a brace apiece, rivalling one another not only for our Man of the Match award, but goal of the night too.

Our no.18 opened the scoring with a sumptuous long-range strike after 16 minutes, while Fernandes rounded it off in the second half, effortlessly going past goalkeeper Danny Ward to smash home in front of the Stretford End.

And, although there were a number of other impressive performers on the night for the Reds, under the interim charge of Ruud van Nistelrooy, it was, indeed, Casemiro and Fernandes who dominated the voting in our Man of the Match poll.

Keep reading to find out who fans selected as their stand-out performer from a successful night at the Theatre of Dreams…

Which Red was Man of the Match against Leicester?

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Which Red was Man of the Match against Leicester?

Casemiro proved to be the runaway winner of our poll with a 69 per cent share of the vote among fans casting their selection in the United App and on ManUtd.com.

It was perhaps no surprise given the Brazilian’s particular penchant for the spectacular this evening – evidenced with his wonderful 16th-minute strike, which kissed the underside of the crossbar on its way in to get the Old Trafford crowd on its feet.

The Brazilian was unfortunate to hit the post later in the half, when he headed against the woodwork, but responded in perfect fashion, immediately pouncing on a loose ball in the box to slam in his second and our fourth of the night.

He could have a third before the half-time break too, when he again nodded dangerously towards goal, but this time saw his header agonisingly inch past the post.

Our no.18 was stylish with his passing after the break as he dropped deeper, notably playing in Fernandes for one opportunity, when the Portuguese watched his team-mate’s pass over his shoulder, and shot just over with a well-struck volley.

The Brazilian has now scored an impressive seven goals for United in domestic cup competitions, bettering his tally of six in Premier League outings.

Also the goalscorer of a brace, Fernandes was second in the voting – earning the recognition of 21 per cent of fans participating in our poll.

Having cleverly dummied the ball for Casemiro’s opener in the first half, Fernandes perhaps caught the eye more in the second – albeit, having found the net for the first time this season in the opening 45 minutes, when his free-kick from 20 yards was helped in by a deflection.

His second goal of the night – the only one from either side in the second half – oozed class, when he took the ball around the goalkeeper with a quick turn on the ball to ensure he had the goal at his mercy, making no mistake with the finish.

The orchestrator for much of our positive play, Bruno looked at his best against the Foxes, with the Reds unfortunate not to extend our lead further as the half wore on.

While our fine attacking play came as a result of an impressive unit at the core of our frontline, it was to be expected that Casemiro and Fernandes were at the forefront of fans voting in our poll.

Congratulations to Casemiro on winning our award, and of course to the Reds, as our Carabao Cup campaign is set to run on for at least another round longer.

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U21s match summary: United 1 PSV Eindhoven 1

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U21s match summary: United 1 PSV Eindhoven 1

Wednesday 30 October 2024 22:00

Manchester United’s Under-21s earned a point thanks to a late Gabriele Biancheri penalty after going a goal behind to PSV Eindhoven in the Premier League International Cup.

The Reds started the game off well, enjoying more possession than the visitors, and having the first shot with Chido Obi-Martin linking up well with Ethan Ennis, whose shot was just wide.

Travis Binnion’s side were pressing well but the visitors grew into this game. With under 10 minutes gone, keeper Dermot Mee was tested for the first time but he got down well and managed to hold onto the ball when the shot came in. Moments later, he was alert to the danger of another PSV attack and raced out of his area to clear, booting the ball up the field.

However, United were coming under increasing pressure and, just under a quarter of an hour into the tie, it paid off for PSV. Mee tried to make a clearance but could only find Isaac Babadi. He took the shot first time, and expertly found the inviting target.

A night under the lights at Leigh Sports Village.

The hosts tried to respond with Ethan Williams making a good run but he was muscled off the ball and the attack fizzled out. On the stroke of half-time, PSV had an opportunity to double their lead but Mee made a great save from close range to keep the Reds in it.

United started the second half brightly, again dominating possession in the opening stages. However, when PSV got the ball their attacking force looked threatening and captain Tyler Fredricson was required to make a goalline clearance to keep the deficit at one.

As PSV came forward again, Mee tipped over a shot that looked to be dipping under the crossbar to make another vital intervention.

Binnion introduced a host of changes that injected energy into his team and the Reds had a few chances. As we entered the last 10 minutes, James Scanlon found space on the edge of the area but his tame shot was safely caught by the keeper.

Zach Baumann also had a chance as he received the ball and turned inside the area but his shot took a deflection into the side-netting.

PSV had defended well but, when Biancheri was brought down in the box in the dying stages of the game, the referee awarded a penalty. It was Biancheri who stepped up to take it, smashing it into the roof of the net to make it 1-1. It had been coming and was only what the Reds deserved – making it two draws out of two games in the competition this term.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Mee, Ogunneye, Fredricson, Kingdon (Biancheri 46), Rowe (Kamason 72), McAllister (Scanlon 69), Devaney, Ennis (Sharpe 69), Moorhouse (Baumann 57), Williams, Obi-Martin.

Substitutes not used: Graczyk, Missin.

Goal: Biancheri 90 (pen).

Booked: McAllister, Devaney.

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Exclusive: Gary Pallister explains key reason why Amorim’s tactical revolution at United will succeed

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Gary Pallister claims Manchester United’s defence should be “able to adapt” to the three-man defensive system favoured by new Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim as it can be “easier for the defenders” to play in.

In an exclusive interview with The Peoples Person, hosted by Lucky Block, the former United star believes there will be a “change” in defence as “Amorim likes to play five at the back” which will be “interesting to watch”. He is adamant there are “good centre-backs” at Old Trafford who the Portuguese coach will be able to work with, however.

Pallister describes Leny Yoro as “highly-regarded” and a “talent” following the 18-year-old’s blockbuster transfer in the summer from LOSC Lille. Yoro’s return from injury is expected to come in early December with Amorim’s first match as United manager on November 24 against Ipswich Town.

There is widespread expectation the French starlet will be a key player in Amorim’s system moving forward, given its reliance upon the technical ability and physical dominance of the centre-backs in the back three – two areas Yoro thrives in.

United’s other centre-halves – Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans – will likely be fighting for selection alongside Yoro, with De Ligt and Martinez the two strongest candidates, though Maguire has extensive history in a three-man defence for the England national team.

Pallister believes this cohort are “good players” who “should be able to adapt” to a back three if they’re “playing at the level” of Manchester United as the system “does make it kind of easier I think for the defenders”.

Pallister also identifies the injury crisis which has besieged the Old Trafford dressing room, with the backline hit particularly hard, as a reason why United have struggled defensively in the last fifteen months given Erik ten Hag was unable to “get them playing together regularly”.

“Unfortunately last season, Martinez had injuries, Harry [Maguire] had injuries and loss of form [and] Lindelof has been in and out,” the 59-year-old recounts. Similarly, De Ligt has “come in as a new signing and now there is a little bit of pressure on him”.

But consistency in selection will prove key to Amorim acclimating his new squad to his system. “It’s about getting a settled back four, or a back five with Amorim coming in, and getting them used to playing with each other because the more and more you’re having different players [in defence] the tougher it gets,” Pallister contends.

One key attribute for a centre-back in Amorim’s system is mobility, particularly for the two outside defenders. The Sporting coach likes his side to push high up the pitch to suffocate the opposition with an aggressive press.

Naturally, this leaves considerable spaces in behind the defence, without traditional fullbacks to cover the wider areas. This requires the three-man defence to defend both aggressively and proactively, and be able to control large gaps on the pitch in transition.

Ousmane Diomande and Gonacalo Inacio, defenders who have both been strongly linked with moves to United, have thrived under Amorim at the José Alvalade Stadium as the RCB and LCB in this three-at-the-back system.

Yoro is a strong fit for the RCB in Diomande’s place with the two young defensive starlets demonstrating similar profiles. Inacio, however, is more athletic than Martinez (the most likely candidate for the LCB role), clocking a top speed nearly 2km/h faster than the Argentine while standing 10cm taller.

Pallister does not believe speed is essential to be a top centre-back; instead, the former England international believes intelligence and awareness are king. “If you can read the game, you can save yourself split seconds in decision-making and understanding the ebbs and flows of a game.”

The 59-year-old does concede that pace “helps” but reaffirms “it is not pivotal”: “It’s nice to have in your armoury but it’s not a pre-requisite.” He references Bobby Moore, describing the World Cup winner as “one of the finest centre-backs in history” who could “read the game” to an elite level, despite not being the fastest.

Sir Alex Ferguson, who brought Pallister to United from Middlesbrough in 1989, once described the centre-back as the fastest player over 100m in the Scot’s time at the helm at Old Trafford. And while Pallister does believe you can “gamble a little bit” if you have speed to fall back on, ultimately the ability to read the game can compensate for this.

Given both De Ligt and Martinez are not blessed with pace, and neither are Maguire or Evans, United’s centre-backs will need to sharpen their abilities to read the game if they want to join Yoro on the pitch under Amorim moving forward. If not, the 39-year-old manager may be revisiting the Portuguese capital in the summer to to bring Diomande and Inacio back with him to Manchester.

Featured image Octavio Passos via Getty Images

Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.

“Could have trusted more”: Former United academy gem blasts club’s recent transfer strategy

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Former Manchester United academy gem Andreas Pereira has criticised the club’s transfer policy in recent years and believes he felt a lack of affection at the club.

The Brazil international joined United’s academy from PSV Eindhoven in 2011 and made his debut for the first team in 2014.

He would go on to make 75 appearances for the first team in all competitions, scoring four goals.

Pereira never really made a first team spot his own however, and moved to Fulham in 2022, where he has found a permanent starting position and made himself a Premier League regular.

The 28 year old has made 91 appearances for the Cottagers and has become a regular in the Brazil squad, earning eight caps in 2024.

Speaking to PL Brasil, Pereira bemoaned his lack of chances when he first broke through to the United first team due to the amount of options in his position.

“I arrived in the first team with (Louis) van Gaal. It was very difficult for me to play because, at the time, there were (in midfield) Rooney, Mata, Di Maria, Memphis had just arrived… I couldn’t play on the wing, or as a midfielder or as a defensive midfielder, because Schweinsteiger had just arrived too.”

The midfield man then commented on how difficult it is to come through the youth system to the first team of a big club like United as “you have to be patient and the (more experienced) players also want to stay there, they want to play, they want to enjoy themselves.”

Therefore he felt he had no choice but to go out on loan as he didn’t want “to wait four or five years.”

Interestingly the former United man criticised the role of his former side in his departure, claiming he felt “a bit of a lack of affection” from the club, especially in the context that he had spent such a long time at United, from the age of 16 to 26 years old.

As a result, he never felt that he really had an opportunity to show why he belonged on such a stage, despite spending a decade there.

Pereira then went on to lambast the club’s more recent transfer policy and believes they should have put more faith in their academy players.

“I think that, in certain signings, the club could have trusted more in the youth players. In me, Angel (Gomes), McTominay, Lingard, these players. They even play well, but then, at the first opportunity the club gets, they discard them.”

This point is hard to argue as the club spent £615 million since former coach Ten Hag arrived in 2022 and it is far from clear they are any better for it as they sit in 13th position in the league table.

With the arrival of Ruben Amorim in a week’s time, United fans will hope the club will finally find the balance of signing new players and putting faith in those who deserve to stay.

Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Proud owner of such niche shirts such as Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Gary Neville. Grew up pretending to be Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the back garden, with little success.

Amorim will give superstar last shot at saving United career with INEOS open to sensational January sale – report

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Manchester United’s disappointing draw with Chelsea on Sunday meant they are languishing in 13th position in the Premier League table, six points off the top four.

And what has cost them dearly this season is their profligacy in front of goal with Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes guilty of spurning glorious chances against the Blues.

The Mancunian has four goals and three assists in 16 games, and while that is an improvement on last season’s dismal statistics, he is still nowhere close to his best.

And incoming manager Ruben Amorim is prepared to offer the forward a last shot at saving his United career with INEOS seemingly open to moving him on as early as January if Football Insider is to be believed.

Inconsistent Rashford facing a crossroad in his career

The new co-owners have been left disappointed with the 27-year-old’s inconsistent displays and his lack of numbers in front of goal.

Paris Saint-Germain have been consistent in their admiration for the England international while plenty of Premier League clubs will also be willing to spend big on him if indeed a separation is on the cards.

“Man United are considering selling Marcus Rashford amid concerns about his recent performances, sources have told Football Insider.

“Sources behind the scenes at Old Trafford say Ruben Amorim will assess the winger’s level before making a decision, but he will need to see a significant improvement for the player to stay.

“Should Rashford prove unable to display his best form under new management, there is a growing feeling that he will be moved on in what would be seen as a drastic move by many observers and supporters.”

The Englishman has been given a long rope by previous managers owing to his Mancunian status and the fact that he is from the academy but his declining levels have raised concerns.

Can Rashford shine under Amorim

And with Amorim’s January budget set to be restricted owing to the splurge on Erik Ten Hag’s compensation package and the Sporting Lisbon manager’s release clause, selling one of their big-name stars is a possibility.

His current market value stands at €60 million according to Transfermarkt and INEOS will likely demand for a lot more for a homegrown product.

Rashford’s attitude when things do not go his way is something that many coaches have failed to address and he often makes it clear that he is not willing to adapt to a new position or system, something he will be required to do under Amorim.

Plenty of fans still have faith that the boyhood United fan will recapture his best form soon with the forward often playing his best football under a new boss.

But time is running out and with Amorim eyeing plenty of his Sporting stars, Rashford’s future might lie away from old Trafford if he does not fix his game and fast.

Feature image Michael Regan via Getty Images

Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25

Team news for United v Chelsea

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Ruud van Nistelrooy

Saturday 02 November 2024 10:00

Manchester United are waiting on the fitness of Christian Eriksen ahead of Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Chelsea at Old Trafford.

The Dane has impressed in the Reds’ midfield this season, registering four goals and three assists in 11 appearances, but missed out on Ruud van Nistelrooy’s debut match as interim head coach – Wednesday’s 5-2 victory over Leicester City in the Carabao Cup fourth round – due to injury.

Eriksen played 79 minutes in our last top-flight fixture, at West Ham, but was substituted for Joshua Zirkzee after picking up a knock.

Academy pair Jack Fletcher and Jayce Fitzgerald filled in as midfield options on the bench in midweek, but van Nistelrooy is hopeful he can have our no.14 available for the visit of Enzo Maresca’s Blues.

“Not many changes,” Ruud replied when asked about possible alterations to the squad from the Foxes encounter.

“We’re still hoping and working hard to get Christian Eriksen part of the squad. He’s working hard to make it in the last moment.

“And other than that, there’s no news on players that will be available, any other than [Wednesday].”

That means United will still have at least seven players missing, with Antony the most recent addition to the list.

Harry Maguire, Kobbie Mainoo, Tyrell Malacia, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw and Leny Yoro are also out.

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CHELSEA TEAM NEWS

Enzo Maresca has been heavily rotating his starting XI for the cup competitions and he made 11 changes for Wednesday’s 2-0 Carabao Cup defeat at Newcastle.

Noni Madueke was the only one of the nine substitutes to be introduced, as Cole Palmer was unused, with Maresca explaining this was due to positive performances up front from Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku.

“Simply because I think Joao [Felix] and Christo [Nkunku] were doing very good,” he said. “The reason why [we brought him] was in case we needed Cole but Joao and Christo were doing well so there was no need to change.”

Jadon Sancho was not included, due to illness, and he is ineligible for Sunday’s game as Premier League rules dictate that players cannot face their parent club. Omari Kellyman has a hamstring strain and will have to wait to make his Blues debut.

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TeamViewer Trending: Fabulous Phallon

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Saturday 02 November 2024 07:00

The departure of goalkeeping superstar Mary Earps was headline news from United Women’s summer transfer window. Voted the best goalkeeper in the world for the past two seasons, Earps has been a trailblazer for the women’s game in this country, and hugely popular due to her heroics for the England national team.

So pressure was inevitably due to fall on her replacement, as Marc Skinner’s side set out on the 2024/25 season with a clear remit of reclaiming one of the Women’s Super League’s Champions League spots, following a fifth-placed finish last term.

Ahead of the season’s start, Skinner made it clear that American stopper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, signed from Seattle club OL Reign in 2023, would step into Earps’ shoes. And, put simply, it’s fair to say that the 28-year-old has made a near-flawless start to her first campaign as the Reds’ undisputed first-choice goalkeeper…

Don’t miss Phallon’s incredible efforts against Brighton in this highlights package.

Stand-out moment

The 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion was arguably the low point of United Women’s season so far; it marked the first game in which Skinner’s side had failed to claim victory. Tullis-Joyce could have been forgiven a few flashes of her own personal irritation, too. Nikita Parris’s equaliser was the first goal she had conceded.

But Phallon was arguably the Reds’ outstanding performer in Sussex, and made a particularly phenomenal save that will live long in the memory, diving quickly to her right to deny Madison Haley what seemed a certain goal. The American was required throughout to keep a peppy Brighton side at bay and, but for her solidity, our one point might well have withered to zero.

As for Parris’s header, there could be no blame attached to the goalkeeper. The former United forward was just yards out when she instinctively managed to connect a diving header to an already rocketing cross-cum-shot from Maisie Symonds. But another great save, from a Fran Kirby long-ranger in the final stages, further embellished Tullis-Joyce’s credentials as the game’s outstanding figure.

Performance insight

No goalkeepers in the Women’s Super League have conceded fewer than Phallon this season – that Parris bullet header is our only costly lapse from a defensive perspective so far. Chelsea are next best, having given up three.

It’s fair to say fans are delighted with what they’re seeing from our emerging hero between the sticks, with several commenting on the way in which Tullis-Joyce’s height and punching abilities are giving the Reds an advantage when it comes to dealing with crosses and set-pieces.

United have endured testing periods in all of our WSL games thus far (West Ham, Everton, Tottenham and Brighton), plus the League Cup victory against Liverpool, but Phallon has facilitated a calmness and resilience in defence. 

It’s helped give a new-look United squad a solid start to a season that will undoubtedly prove a challenging one, given the increasingly competitive field battling it out at the top of the WSL.

Tullis-Joyce goes scuba diving in Malta Video

Tullis-Joyce goes scuba diving in Malta

Phallon Tullis-Joyce loves two things – goalkeeping and scuba diving – so in Malta we just had to get in the water…

Phallon said

“I’ve been a little bit of a late bloomer for a goalkeeper,” reflected the Long Islander recently. “Maybe on paper my progress looks a little slower, but you can still have your time. I still believe that no matter what age you are, you can still grow. I’m still learning plenty of new things.

“I want to show my communication skills and just own it. I want to be a strong force at the back. No matter what happens, I want my team-mates to know I’m there for them.

“Everyone knows every goalkeeper has a sprinkling of craziness, so we all have our own sort. I just want my presence to be known. I want to show things that maybe people haven’t seen before.”

So far, our new stopper supreme is more than making good on those positive words.

The boss said

Ahead of the start of the new season, Marc Skinner spoke confidently about Phallon stepping into the role vacated by the popular Earps. “Phallon is the best shot-stopper I have ever worked with in my life,” he eulogised. “She is an incredible footballer, an incredibly intelligent human and I’m really looking forward to showing you what she can do for this team. She is a big-time goalkeeper. That’s why I brought her.” 

After the impressive 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur earlier in October – which included some spells of severe pressure on United’s goal, despite the final scoreline – the boss also hinted that Tullis-Joyce is surging in confidence. “I said to her at the end that she took a massive step forward again today. She is incrementally getting better every week. We were incredibly lucky to have Mary Earps, but are lucky to have Tullis-Joyce.”

Did you know?

Tullis-Joyce (along with Andre Onana) was awarded the PFA’s Community Champion award last season, for her ongoing support of Manchester United Foundation. The American – who has a degree in marine biology – visited high schools in Levenshulme and Stretford, and gave passionate presentations on marine life, even helping students made cuttlefish from clay. 

“I’ve had a great time being with the community and helping out in any way I can,” she beamed. “I just love shedding any kind of light on how awesome our oceans are, and at the school the kids were incredible and loved learning too. I think it’s super important to be a part of our community, especially as professional athletes. So many people helped me along the way and this is my way of giving a little bit back and all that I’ve learned and that’s been passed and shared with me. Passing that on to future generations is what I’d like to do.”

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Saturday 02 November 2024 07:00

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United get dressed up

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Lisandro Martinez

Old Trafford.

Friday 01 November 2024 17:00

Paul Smith have been dressing the team and staff in their matchday tailoring for over a decade – providing classic, understated suits with an emphasis on comfort while travelling – but every now and then we work with them on a slightly more adventurous project.

Earlier this year, members of the team including Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw and Altay Bayindir, as well as returning club legend Andy Cole, modelled highlights from the brand’s spring collection.

This time, as we find ourselves on the cusp of party season, we sent six of the current squad’s star players to demonstrate the easy elegance of Paul Smith eveningwear.

Suits you, lads!

 Gallery

Six Reds demonstrate the easy elegance of Paul Smith eveningwear.

Alejandro Garnacho, Victor Lindelof, Lisandro Martinez, Diogo Dalot, Rasmus Hojlund and Jonny Evans got well and truly dressed up, selecting their own looks from Paul Smith’s range of dinner suits, shirts, shoes, and accessories like silk bow ties and cuff links.

We photographed the players at Old Trafford, inside one of the historic ground’s executive suites, and out in the stands.

As well as the suits they chose, the players were also dressed in this season’s velvet blazers, available in a variety of eye-catching colours, from teal to dusty pink.

These jackets are perfect for making an impression over the festive period, whether dressed up or down.

Find out more here.

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Friday 01 November 2024 17:00

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Man Utd place Ruben Amorim pair on transfer shortlist in blow to £86.5m Red Devils pair

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Manchester United have reportedly placed two Sporting players on their transfer shortlist following the appointment of Ruben Amorim.

Amorim has two more games in charge of the Portuguese side before taking the reins at Old Trafford and rumours of the club’s transfer targets in January and beyond have been rife as a result.

Star striker Viktor Gyokeres was thought to be off interest but a report claims he’s already rejected the move because United are ‘disorganised, unstable and permanently on fire’. A fair point.

Midfielder Morten Hjulmand and wingers Pedro Goncalves, Marcus Edwards and Geovany Quenda have also been linked, but Amorim preference to play with three centre-backs has led multiple outlets to point to a raid of Sporting’s talented defenders.

Football Insider claim ‘both Ousmane Diomande and Gonzalo Inacio will form part of the shortlist for United’.

It’s further claimed that ‘Amorim will assess the squad and the current crop of defensive options when he arrives in Manchester after completing his duties with Sporting’ but the report will concern current centre-back pairing Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt.

Amorim will have Harry Maguire, Johnny Evans and Victor Lindelof as backups, while Leny Yoro will presumably be pushing for a starting spot once fit.

Despite the inevitable links with Sporting players and an apparent desire of Amorim to bring them with him to Old Trafford, the Portuguese boss insisted in a press conference that he would not be raiding his current club in January.

“I will not take any of Sporting’s players in January. But that’s another story,” he said.

On Gyokeres he added: “Gyokeres costs £100m. It’s very complicated.”

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Amorim may well want to sign some Sporting players but former Everton chairman Keith Wyness insists that United will be “very concerned” about that given the way in which they’ve been burnt by landing so many players that played under Erik ten Hag at Ajax.

Wyness said: “They’ll be very concerned about bringing Amorim’s favourites in.

“This is where Ashworth and Jason Wilcox have got to earn their money. They’ve got to put in place the cohesive style of Man United behind the scenes.

“It can’t be just based on the manager’s opinion. Amorim is obviously a talented manager, but he’s got to realise that he’s only one part of the bigger picture.

“They’ve got to try and avoid making the same mistakes they made with Ten Hag.

“If something goes wrong with Amorim, they can’t lose all the players he brings in.”

Vote open: Men’s October Player of the Month

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Friday 01 November 2024 15:00

Following six matches across three different competitions in October, the vote to crown our latest Men’s Player of the Month is now open.

As a result of their key contributions to our latest half-dozen of Premier League, Europa League and Carabao Cup fixtures, Casemiro, Alejandro Garnacho and Andre Onana are vying for your pick as the nominees for the prize, presented by the club’s new global partner Tiger Beer.

Below, you can make your selection in the poll and remind yourself of how they each pitched in across the month via our player-by-player breakdown. Voting will close at 15:00 GMT on Saturday.

ユナイテッド
Who should be our Men’s Player of the Month for October?

poll

Who should be our Men’s Player of the Month for October?

CASEMIRO
3 goals / 1 Man of the Match

While it’s not the primary facet of the Brazilian’s game, Casemiro has shown he has an eye for goal during his two-and-a-bit seasons as a Red, and he displayed that again in October.

The defensive midfielder, who impressed throughout the month, netted three times across our final two games: away to West Ham and at home to Leicester City.

After heading home a late equaliser in the eventual defeat to the Hammers, our no.18 was twice on target and voted Man of the Match in the cup thrashing of the Foxes, with the first of that scoring double – a spectacular long-range effort – likely to be a frontrunner for our men’s Goal of the Month prize, too. See the bottom of this article for more on that…

ALEJANDRO GARNACHO
2 goals / 1 assist / 1 Man of the Match

October 2024 will always be a landmark month for Garna, as he brought up his 100th United appearance during the trip to West Ham’s London Stadium.

A weekend earlier, the talented Academy graduate was voted by supporters as the star man in the 2-1 victory over Brentford, having brilliantly volleyed home our equaliser at Old Trafford.

Last time out, in the cup triumph over Leicester, Alejandro teed up Casemiro’s aforementioned worldie before getting on the scoresheet himself, sweeping home an inviting low cross from Diogo Dalot.

90 in 20: United v Leicester Video

90 in 20: United v Leicester

90 IN 20 | Watch extended highlights from Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first match as our interim head coach…

ANDRE ONANA
1 clean sheet / 1 Man of the Match

United’s Player of the Month for September continued to stand out in October, earning him a shot at retaining his award, as one of the three nominees for this month.

The Cameroonian goalkeeper rose to the top of the Premier League’s clean sheet rankings for 2024/25 by spearheading our shutout in the 0-0 draw at Aston Villa, but his best game of the month was arguably one in which our defence was breached.

Onana was unfortunate to concede after a commendable display in the 1-1 draw at Fenerbahce, which included a stunning show of agility in the first half to deny Youssef En-Nesyri twice in quick succession. Andre was subsequently chosen as our Man of the Match in Turkey.

90 in 20: United v Brentford Video

90 in 20: United v Brentford

A longer version of the highlights of our clash with Thomas Frank’s side is now available…

WHILE YOU’RE HERE…

We’ve also opened our Men’s Goal of the Month poll for October this afternoon, and we need your help in choosing between the seven nominated attempts.

It’s a strong shortlist, that includes contributions from Player of the Month nominees Casemiro and Garnacho. 

You can watch the efforts in contention for the prize and pick your favourite here…

ユナイテッド
Cast your vote in the men’s team Goal of the Month poll for October…

poll

Cast your vote in the men’s team Goal of the Month poll for October…

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Friday 01 November 2024 15:00

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