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United must stick to this key principle to destroy in-form Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford

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    Manchester United entertain Nottingham Forest this afternoon (Saturday) as they look to get back to winning ways after the midweek defeat at Arsenal.

    Ruben Amorim’s unbeaten start come to a head at the Emirates and he now faces a tricky run of games starting with the surprise package of this season so far at Old Trafford.

    United’s new head coach named a few surprises to his XI on Wednesday and is expected to ring the changes once more against Forest.

    However, the 3-4-3 formation is here to stay and the players will have another chance to show they are getting used to the system the evening Premier League’s evening kick-off.

    Both sides will have to adapt to the adverse weather conditions in Manchester which could play a part in the outcome.

    Forest will look to get from back-to-front quickly with in-form striker Chris Wood providing a physical threat as well as an eye-for-goal this season.

    Either one of, or both, Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire will feature and no doubt be tasked with looking after the Englishman and winning the crucial tussles.

    United will, as ever, look to play out through the thirds and create overloads in-and-around Forest’s backline with Bruno Fernandes the main man for creativity.

    Despite Bruno being United’s obvious threat, stopping him is another thing as the captain continues to provide chance after chance for his teammates.

    Getting Fernandes on the ball in the half spaces should prove fruitful for United with Bruno capable of the slide rule passes that will free the front men in Amroim’s system.

    Marcus Rashford has a good record against Forest and is expected to return today after starting on the bench v Arsenal.

    Forest’s physicality at the back is their biggest strength so keeping the ball on the floor and playing in behind the back line, on the deck, should utilize the pace of Rashford and whoever else starts up top with the 27-year-old.
    Johsua Zirkzee could be one for today’s game given his ability to drop into the half spaces and link the play away from the opposition’s centre backs.

    Not directly engaging Forest’s back two will give United an advantage and clever play in and around them should leave them bamboozled and in for a long afternoon at Old Trafford.

    Despite Forest’s strong start, United will be favoured for the victory and should see off their visitors if they stay away from the obvious traps Nuno Espirito Santo will lay out.

    Quick, slick, front foot football is the order of the day and if United ensure the game is played on the floor, they should secure a much needed three points that will put them level on points with Forest who currently occupy seventh place in the Premier League table.

    Featured image Gareth Copley via Getty Images

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    Conner Botterill has been with The Peoples Person for two years. A keen match-going red with degrees in Sport and Journalism and Philosophy and Psychology, Conner still believes he has a chance of making United’s first team through his 5-a-side career.

    “A significant rift”: The true anger of United fans towards Ineos revealed in eye-opening survey – report

      “a-significant-rift”:-the-true-anger-of-united-fans-towards-ineos-revealed-in-eye-opening-survey-–-report

      A significant majority of Manchester United fans are currently unhappy with the new owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

      Since taking control of the club earlier in the year, there has been a sea of change at the club with new players, a different manager and coaching team and a sporting department all put in place under the instructions of Ineos.

      Nonetheless, despite the numerous positive changes, a recent survey has also highlighted that United fans are far from happy with certain ways Ratcliffe has been running the club.

      According to The Telegraph, “almost two-thirds of Manchester United supporters are ‘unhappy’ with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers’ running of the club as the co-owners come under renewed pressure to abandon their controversial mid-season ticket-price hikes.”

      The Peoples Person has already covered the potential danger of this decision and there have already been protests against rising ticket prices last Sunday.

      The Daily Mail report that these negative consequences may already be coming to light for United as they could only sell out the stadium for tonight’s match against Forest after taking the “extraordinary step of putting tickets on open sale.”

      “While it’s common for tickets returned by season-ticket holders to be sold to members by United, the club website on Wednesday had availability for the general public on all four sides of Old Trafford.” This shows how angry fans are as usually getting a ticket for a home Premier League game is like “gold dust”.

      Some fans however have already secured a small victory with the decision “to charge members a flat price of £66 for remaining matches this season, with the club confirming branch allocations of members that tickets would not be subjected to the huge cost increases.”

      Nonetheless, a new survey by Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) reveals the true extent of anger felt towards Ratcliffe.

      “A total of 65 per cent of fans are said to be ‘unhappy with the ownership and management of the club’ and 97 per cent believe the changes will ‘alienate the next generation of fans’.”

      In addition, “more than two-thirds of fans – 68 per cent – said they ‘will attend fewer games, one way or another’, and only three per cent were said to be ‘understanding’ of the decision. Ninety-nine per cent of fans said it was ‘important’ the club consult properly with supporters before making any future changes to ticketing.

      More than 4,000 fans participated in the survey, with MUST revealing that the most common words people associated with the decision were ‘disappointed’, ‘angry’ and ‘exploited’.”

      A particularly unpopular decision is to increase kids’ and pensioners’ tickets as they now must pay £66. Therefore a child and adult ticket will cost £132, roughly double what it did before.

      Commenting on the results of the survey MUST stated, “the recent hike in member ticket prices, particularly for children, is by far the most unpopular decision the club has made since the partial ownership change earlier this year.”

      “It has created a significant rift with the fanbase and the club must act urgently to repair the damage.”

      The significant rise in price is extra galling to fans considering the cost of living crisis the world is currently experiencing in all facets of life.

      Numerous fans will be sympathetic to United having to walk a tightrope for PSR, at the same time, Ineos continue to pick a fight with the easiest option.

      Fans were already disgruntled by the decision to lay off 250 staff members in the summer and also make staff members pay for their own way to the FA Cup final last year.

      Whilst nobody can deny that Ineos have certainly spearheaded significant positive change, most obviously progress for a new stadium, they run the risk of alienating the very people who are the real lifeblood of the club, the fans.

      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.

      United star hopes to keep benefitting from home comforts ahead of vital clash

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        Manchester United will take on Nottingham Forest this evening at Old Trafford, looking to extend their fine record against the Tricky Trees.

        The Red Devils have won 54 of their previous encounters with Forest. The side from Nottingham have come out on top on 34 occasions.

        There have been 24 draws in the history of the fixture.

        United won the home match last season 3-2 but lost 2-1 at the City Ground. However, a late Casemiro goal saw them knock Forest out of the FA Cup at the fifth round stage last February by a 1-0 margin.

        Here are three storylines to look forward to.

        The return of Anthony Elanga

        The young Swede broke through into the United first team under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and gained some regular game time under Ralf Rangnick.

        He played 54 times for the Old Trafford side before being sold in the summer of 2023 as he struggled to find a regular starting role for Erik ten Hag.

        Elanga has found gametime significantly easier to come by since and in less than a season and a half, he has already completed 54 games for the side from the City Ground.

        The 22 year old is yet to score this season but he has grabbed two assists, one coming in Forest’s famous win over Liverpool at Anfield earlier in the campaign.

        Elanga will hope he can put in a performance to remind the Old Trafford crowd of his talent.

        United’s fine record against Forest

        The Red Devils may have lost their last Premier League game against this evening’s opponents but the history of this fixture in the Premier League has largely been one way traffic.

        According to the BBC, “Nottingham Forest have lost 12 of their past 13 matches against Manchester United in all competitions.”

        This domination means that they have won 7 consecutive home matches against Nottingham Forest, including the 3-2 victory last year.

        What’s more, United have scored in all 14 Premier League games they have played against the Midlands team and they will hope this rich vein of form continues as they desperately need the three points after losing to Arsenal midweek.

        Bruno Fernandes hopes to rely on home comforts

        United’s captain Bruno Fernandes has really excelled at Old Trafford as of late and put numerous teams to the sword.

        In his last 10 appearances at the Theatre of Dreams, he has scored four goals and provided seven assists.

        He set up the first two goals last Sunday against Everton at Old Trafford and in total he has scored four goals and created nine goals this season.

        In last season’s game at Old Trafford between these two sides, he scored a penalty and provided an assist for Casemiro as United fought back from 0-2 down to win the match 3-2.

        United will aim to return to winning ways when they take on Forest tonight at 17.30 UK time.

        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.

        Postecoglou’s not a good bloke as Klopp doubts emerge: Ten PL managers we misjudged last season

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          Turns out we’re terrible judges of character and coaching quality having flip-flopped over these ten managers from last season to now.

          Some are still in their jobs while others have moved on; we misjudged them all.

          Ange Postecoglou: Being a great bloke
          Tottenham’s descent into perhaps the purest form of Spursiness we’ve ever seen has gone hand in hand with the Aren’t We All Having A Bloody Good Time? mask slipping from their manager’s face to reveal an easily irritated man whose sentence-ending forms of address are becoming more menacing by the day. You’re a bit of a d*ck, mate.

          As he approached the away fans after the defeat to Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Thursday, we suspect better-placed audio equipment may have picked up on a Roy Keane-esque request to meet them all in the car park outside.

          READ MORE: Former Chelsea boss inevitably favourite to be next Spurs boss after inevitable Postecoglou sack

          Mauricio Pochettino: Doing The Impossible Job well
          We were Pochettino apologists last season. What was he supposed to do with so many players? If only the Chelsea players could finish chances. Just imagine how much better they would be with a proper goalscorer. Look what he’s done with Cole Palmer. Etc. etc.

          Enzo Maresca has exposed him, making The Impossible Job look incredibly easy.

          He’s been helped by European football to keep the majority of the players happy, and winning games also means there can be few complaints from those not in the Premier League XI, but clearly defining the positions the players would play in at the start of the season was a simple stroke of genius.

          He’s also clearly coached them to finish in training, which sounds obvious now we think of it but didn’t seem possible under Poch. That’s done wonders for Nicolas Jackson, who now looks to be well on his way to being the £100m striker Chelsea apparently needed. And let’s face it, it makes f*** all difference who Palmer is playing for; he will be brilliant in any circumstance.

          Mikel Arteta: Next in line
          How very annoying it must be to finish second to possibly the greatest Premier League side ever twice in a row only to fail to take advantage when they slip up. We don’t know that for sure of course. Arsenal look a helluva lot better now Martin Odegaard’s back and it’s only a seven-point gap to Liverpool.

          But we were all pretty convinced, particularly with Jurgen Klopp leaving, that Arteta was nailed on to be the next manager to win the Premier League, possibly even the next era-defining stalwart, after Guardiola, whether that dominance started this season or – more likely – after the Manchester City boss yielded his crown by leaving the club. No one saw Arne Slot’s Liverpool coming.

          Jurgen Klopp: Getting the best out of Liverpool
          We don’t want to entirely pooh-pooh the work Jurgen Klopp did at Liverpool last season. Other legendary legacy managers of similarly giant football clubs in England have left with their squads in a decrepit mess, while the German undoubtedly left Liverpool in a far better state than when he arrived. Arne Slot is reaping the rewards of his excellent rebuilding job.

          But Klopp could have reaped those rewards too. 78 minutes from one of the most pointless signings in Premier League history aside, Slot has used exactly the same players as Klopp and has got a better tune out of them. How did he not use Ryan Gravenberch as the No.6?

          READ MORE: Liverpool are the Goldilocks club – Jurgen Klopp has brought exactly the right amount of success

          Pep Guardiola: An indomitable force 
          Now they’ve fallen apart we can’t believe we didn’t see it coming. All it takes is a long-term injury to the best footballer on the planet to expose their lack of prime-age footballers and turn them into a bog-standard football team short of any of the fingerprints of their world-class manager, who apparently doesn’t have an answer for everything.

          Rodri got injured and we half expected Phil Foden to become a pace-setting fixer at the base of Manchester City’s midfield or for Guardiola to win games without a midfield at all in a bid to further assert himself as an otherworldly genius whose tactics the brains of us mere mortals aren’t equipped to comprehend.

          Turns out he’s just a bit f***ed without Rodri.

          READ MORE: Premier League winners and losers: Liverpool, Guardiola, Kluivert, Newcastle, Amorim, Martinez, Saka…

          Nuno Espirito Santo: A dying brand
          Just about kept Nottingham Forest in the Premier League but it felt as though a lot had changed since he had last been in the English top flight. And although we’re all for a team that does something apart from passing the ball out from the back, we couldn’t see how launching it forward to a target man and winning second balls would reap enough reward to keep the Forest fans off his back.

          What do we know? Four points off Manchester City and the Champions League spots.

          Oliver Glasner: Destined for bigger things
          19 points from the final seven games of last season including wins over Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester United and the 5-0 battering of Aston Villa on the final day, the only Glasner concern for Palace fans over the summer will have been that a bigger club may come in for their quiet genius.

          Jean-Philippe had turned into a prime Nicolas Anelka, Adam Wharton got himself on the England plane along with the similarly brilliant Eberechi Eze and – in what retrospectively looks to have been the key to everything – Michael Olise was on fire.

          Palace are too good to go down this season, but having been the Premier League’s great entertainers, everyone’s second team at the end of last season, even having to point out that they’re too good to go down suggests quite the shrinking back into the shadows after their brief period in the sun.

          David Moyes: Holding West Ham back
          There were plenty of times last season when we all looked at the front three of Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus and thought it would be lovely to see what a less cautious manager might be able to do with them and the Careful What You Wish For brigade were eventually drowned out by those searching for the long lost West Ham Way.

          The board believing Julen Lopetegui should be their pioneer in that search was baffling and West Ham have lost all of the pragmatism and efficiency they had under Moyes while predictably gaining none of the attacking fluency they had hilariously misplaced hope in adding to their game under the Spaniard.

          Erik ten Hag: Had a plan
          We weren’t among the surprising number of people duped into thinking Ten Hag still had A Plan worth backing on the basis of one good performance at the end of last season, but we were all convinced he was the right man for the job at the start of the campaign.

          While there perhaps wasn’t a clearly defined style there was a general footballing ethos that we all thought could be built upon and develop into The Ten Hag Way at Old Trafford, before he played Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes with Casemiro in front of a back four and we questioned whether he had lost his mind or at least all of his tactical acumen.

          It got no better from there, with the lack A Plan frequently the sizeable stick to beat him with ahead of an FA Cup final win which briefly and expensively delayed the inevitable.

          Eddie Howe: Struggles thanks to Champions League
          An often over-used excuse, but in Newcastle’s case – in the PSR era – blaming Premier League form on Champions League commitments felt perfectly valid. They surprised everyone including themselves in qualifying for the European showcase, didn’t have the squad depth to cope and weren’t able to spend anywhere near as lavishly as they would have liked to remedy that problem.

          It was something of a free-hit season for Eddie Howe, who had earned a huge amount of leeway through what he had achieved in the previous campaign, and it didn’t go well. They failed to qualify from a very difficult Champions League group and never really got going in the Premier League, finishing the season level on points with Manchester United, God forbid.

          But the uplift that we didn’t particularly expect but should have arrived this season if European football was the strong excuse Howe’s allies claimed it was hasn’t happened, with a good performance typically followed by at least one abject one.

          “He believes he is the best”: former coach offers insight into mentality of United’s record-breaking starlet

            “he-believes-he-is-the-best”:-former-coach-offers-insight-into-mentality-of-united’s-record-breaking-starlet

            Manchester United spent some £200m on transfers in the summer, but the quiet addition of a 16-year-old free agent to the academy had those in the know jumping for joy.

            Chido Obi – his middle name is Martin – turned 17 a week ago and celebrated by signing his first professional contract. The following day he opened the scoring for United U18s in a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest – it was his 37th in the competition and puts him top of the all-time U18 Premier League scorers list.

            It’s an impressive feat at the best of times, but becomes even more so in the context of games and minutes played. That’s 37 goals in a staggering 23 games, putting him ahead of Ellis Simms who managed 36 in 38, and averages a jaw-dropping goal every 45 minutes.

            Paul Aladejare, the man who first brought Obi onto an English pitch after his arrival from Denmark, told The Athletic that he immediately saw that the “leggy”, swaggering striker was something else.

            Arsenal’s then-head of recruitment from under-12 to under-14 immediately picked up his phone. He told his boss: “You have to get here right now and man-mark this kid’s mum. There are scouts from every club in London asking who he is and where he has come from.”

            Since then, until his schoolboy deal expired this summer, Hale End was abuzz with the prodigious talent they had on their hands. During his tenure in London, Obi scored 32 of his record-breaking 37 goals and made himself a legend to United fans before there was any suggestion of him pulling on the shirt when he bagged ten in one game against Liverpool at U16 level.

            Aladejare was key to his development: “I did one-on-one technical sessions with him even when he was at Arsenal.

            “He was like a sponge. He could take ten shots, bag nine and if he missed one he wanted to start again. He goes again until he gets it right. He used to be a good finisher and now he’s a great finisher. He can still be better in his striking but he’s got quite an unconventional technique. But if it is still ending up in the corner of the net then who cares?”

            There is deep frustration at Arsenal that they’ve lost such a promising asset. The Athletic report that the club made Obi “what they felt was a good offer within the boundaries of their wage structure.”

            But it doesn’t sound like a simple case of money talking, with the report citing an anonymous source close to the situation as feeling that “Obi believed strongly in the path to the first team at Manchester United given their reputation for promoting youth products.”

            Now that United have secured him there’s little chance they’ll be letting him go, and the teenager seems to have taken to life in Manchester like a duck to water – a 14-minute hat-trick on his U18s debut and an assist on his U21s debut is good going by anyone’s standards.

            Obi has the starry-eyed amongst United fans dreaming of a repeat of the last centre-forward snatched from Arsenal – one Robin van Persie – but patience will be key. The Athletic explain: “when Obi joined United, before the appointment of Ruben Amorim, the plan was for him to have at least a year of academy football, primarily with the under-18s, and not to rush him.

            “United’s academy are conscious not to overhype young players, especially in their early stages of development.”

            It’s incredibly dangerous to believe the hype, especially when it’s your own, but according to Aladejare Obi oozes confidence, not arrogance: “He believes he is the best player at his age group in the world. That is his mentality.”

            Obi’s senior debut will surely be one of the most hotly-anticipated for a young United player for some time.

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            Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.

            3-4-3: Amorim’s United will crush Forest today with this inspiring rotated line-up

              3-4-3:-amorim’s-united-will-crush-forest-today-with-this-inspiring-rotated-line-up

              Ruben Amorim dropped some hints yesterday as to who would be starting for his Manchester United side against Nottingham Forest this evening.

              At yesterday’s press conference, the boss spoke about managing playing time, suggesting he had to be more careful with some players than others.

              He mentioned Manuel Ugarte as one whose time he has to ration more than someone like Bruno Fernandes. We take from that comment that the latter will play today while the former will be rested.

              He had also mentioned previously the need to rest Diogo Dalot, who has not had many opportunities to sit out so far this season, so he has been omitted from our predicted lineup.

              Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo’s returns from suspension should mean that both Dalot and Ugarte can be rotated, with Noussair Mazraoui moving to left wing back in place of the Portuguese and Harry Maguire keeping his place in the back three.

              Amorim also mentioned Maguire as being nursed back to fitness, but moreso Leny Yoro, so the plan is probably to play Maguire for an hour again and then to give Yoro 30 minutes in his place.

              Victor Lindelof is back in training but not ready for the game. Jonny Evans is still injured and Luke Shaw is also out.

              Tyrell Malacia started against Arsenal so will probably also be rested as he continues his rehabilitation following a long layoff.

              Three players benched against Arsenal – Marcus Rashford, Amad and Josh Zirkzee, will probably return to the starting XI, with Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund joining Malacia on the bench.

              Casemiro will come into midfield, with Fernandes pushing up to inside forward and Mason Mount rotated out.

              Christian Eriksen and Antony are also options who are likely to see some minutes at some point as Amorim tries to get the whole squad match fit.

              Andre Onana will of course be in goal.

              This makes it a very similar XI to the one that beat Everton last weekend, with just one change (Maguire replacing Dalot).

              With all that in mind, here is our predicted XI for today’s 5.30pm kick off:

              Featured image Alex Livesey via Getty Images

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              Red Billy is the managing editor of The Peoples Person, author of three books and totally obsessed with football’s transfer market. Billy still insists Matteo Darmian and Alex Telles could have made it at United given half a chance.

              Bundesliga winning striker “not a hot topic” at United owing to “major flaw” – report

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                Manchester United’s struggled to create any openings against Arsenal on Wednesday, another reminder that Ruben Amorim needs attacking additions up front.

                Rasmus Hojlund struggled to hold up play against the Gunners while both Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee hardly had an impact after coming on in the second half.

                Viktor Gyokeres is Amorim’s first choice but plenty of others are also on the club’s radar with Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface recently linked with a move to Old Trafford in the summer.

                The Nigerian had netted 21 times in the previous double-winning campaign while he has found the back of the net eight goals this season. His displays have attracted interest from all across Europe including that of the Red Devils.

                Poor Injury record

                But Leverkusen are desperate to keep hold of the 23-year-old with both parties locked in talks over a contract extension. And that is not the only reason why the 20-time English league champions might miss out.

                As per Fussball News, the Nigeria international is “not a hot topic” along the corridors of power at United owing to his poor injury record which is considered a “major flaw”.

                “However, according to exclusive fussball.news information , Boniface is not at the top of the radar of the traditional English club.

                “Boniface has already suffered two cruciate ligament tears in his career. Last season he was out for months due to a serious adductor injury, this time he returned from the international trip with a thigh injury.”

                He has missed 20 games in the last one-and-half season, and given the club’s difficulties with injury-prone stars like Luke Shaw and formerly, Anthony Martial, the club should steer clear of a potential deal.

                Boniface set to stay

                This will be music to Leverkusen’s ears with Boniface set to earn a one-year extension, which will also see him increase his wages which will please the striker.

                “Regardless, Bayer wants to continue working with Boniface in the long term . The contract, which runs until 2028, is to be extended by another year.

                “The 23-year-old currently earns around three million euros. Leverkusen would increase this amount significantly and make him one of the top earners. And the German champions’ plan is likely to be well received.”

                There are plenty of other strikers still available and United should ideally keep a list of backups ready in case of complications with a potential deal for Gyokeres.

                Feature image Dean Mouhtaropoulos via Getty Images

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                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

                England could swoop as national team chief admits big worry over registering “fierce” United starlet with “a wild physique”

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                  Danish Football Association’s talent manager, Kenneth Heiner-Møller, has admitted to being worried over the international allegiance of Manchester United youngster Chido Obi-Martin.

                  United warded off significant competition from both England and abroad to secure the services of Obi-Martin from bitter rivals Arsenal.

                  The Gunners made several attempts to try and keep the teenager in North London but he opted to ditch them in favour of sealing a transfer to United.

                  Unsurprisingly, Obi-Martin has been prolific for United’s under-18s. On Tuesday, the striker made his debut for the club’s under-21s, when he came on from the bench and registered an assist for Amir Ibragimov within a mere two minutes.

                  Obi-Martin is considered to be among the best and brightest prospects in the country and as such, this has also elicited debate about which nation he’ll choose to represent.

                  Obi-Martin was born in Denmark and has already represented them from under-16 to under-21 levels so far.

                  However, he is also eligible to play for Nigeria and England.

                  Speaking to BT, Heiner-Møller conceded that losing the United starlet would be a terrible blow for Denmark.

                  Heiner-Møller said, “We absolutely believe that he can become a top player. He has some finishing skills that are pretty fierce. And then he has a wild physique.”

                  “That [losing him] would be very sad. If we were a club, we could offer him a bigger contract, better terms, a bigger car and a villa. But we are not a club, so we can only offer him to play in a Danish national team shirt.”

                  “There is not much we can do.”

                  Heiner-Møller added that Obi-Martin will not be called up to Denmark’s senior set-up simply because they’re keen on convincing him to look past England and Nigeria.

                  “I hope that Chido will play for the Danish national team. But I can guarantee you that he will never, ever be selected for the senior team only with the aim of tying him to Denmark.”

                  “I’m well aware there are some other countries that look at this sort of thing differently. And there will probably be some who think that it is unambitious and frivolous of us.”

                  “But there are just other things that count more for us. We are not going to bind anyone to a national team that they do not want to represent in the long term.”

                  Meanwhile, Ruben Amorim and his United stars are back in action on Saturday when they take on Nottingham Forest.

                  Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

                  Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

                  “Significant setback”: CL giants have overtaken United in the race for in-demand soon-to-be free agent – report

                    “significant-setback”:-cl-giants-have-overtaken-united-in-the-race-for-in-demand-soon-to-be-free-agent-–-report

                    Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim is eyeing defensive reinforcements with another mini-revamp expected at the end of the season.

                    Victor Lindelof, who has returned to training after he suffered an injury during international duty, is expected to leave once his contract ends. Multiple Italian clubs are chasing his signature.

                    Harry Maguire’s deal also ends at the same time with the England international hopeful of impressing the new head coach in order to land a new deal. Jonny Evans is expected to retire and join the coaching staff.

                    One defender that the club was reportedly eyeing was Jonathan Tah of Bayer Leverkusen with the German set to become a free agent at the end of the season.

                    Tah will not leave in Jan

                    The Bundesliga-winning centre-back has already announced that he will not be signing a new deal at the reigning champions. But that has not stopped Xabi Alonso from placing his faith in him, with Tah starting 20 out of 21 games.

                    In fact the Red Devils were trying to check the waters to see if the 28-year-old was keen on leaving in January with Leverkusen open to the idea of earning a small fee from the sale.

                    However, Givemesport have claimed that the former Hamburger SV star has no intention of leaving mid-season and when he does eventually leave, Bayern Munich are favourites to sign him up.

                    Apart from the Old Trafford side, Premier League rivals Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle were also interested in a potential Bosman move.

                    Bayern lead summer race

                    “Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim is set to face a significant setback ahead of the fast-approaching January transfer window as Bayer Leverkusen star Jonathan Tah is not on course to complete a switch to Old Trafford midway through the campaign, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.

                    “GMS sources have been told by intermediaries that Manchester United succeeding in a January move for Tah is out of the question at this stage, and they are in serious danger of missing out on his services as Bayern Munich appear to be leading the charge to sign him as a free agent in the summer.”

                    The centre-back was a target for both the Bavarian giants and United in the summer with INEOS eventually signing Matthijs de Ligt from the Allianz Arena while Bayern failed to land their man.

                    Tah’s consistency and winning mentality coupled with his free agent status would have been a great fit given reports of INEOS reducing their transfer budget.  Now the club will have to keep their eyes peeled for another high-quality alternative.

                    Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

                    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

                    “In the summer, we’ll talk about it”: Club chief rules out January move to United for star who “runs for three men”

                      “in-the-summer,-we’ll-talk-about-it”:-club-chief-rules-out-january-move-to-united-for-star-who-“runs-for-three-men”

                      Lecce’s technical director Panteleo Corvino has ruled out the possibility of Patrick Dorgu being sold in January, even as he continues to be strongly linked with a move to Manchester United.

                      The left-back position is a position United are eager to strengthen either during the winter transfer window or in the summer and Dorgu has emerged as one of the club’s top targets.

                      Dorgu has quickly made his mark in Serie A over the past two seasons. After joining Lecce from Nordsjaelland’s youth academy in 2022, he has amassed 43 top-flight appearances, showcasing his talent and consistency.

                      He also recently earned his first competitive appearances for the senior Denmark national team.

                      Perhaps Dorgu’s greatest strength is his versatility. In addition to plying his trade at left-back, the 20-year-old can also be deployed in both wing-back positions and as part of the front three.

                      This season especially, he has primarily been used in the right-wing role and has excelled. He has so far made 13 Serie A appearances, notching three goals in that period.

                      A recent report covered by The Peoples Person relayed that United are expected to lodge a €35m January bid for Dorgu.

                      However, Lecce chief Panteleo Corvino has insisted that the player will not be allowed to leave in January but it could be a different story in the summer.

                      Corvino told Gazzetta dello Sport this week, “Dorgu is a potential champion. Correction; he is [already] a champion.”

                      “He runs for three [men] and sees the goal. He has a motor that no one else [can match].”

                      “A player like that has admirers, of course. And, for him, there are certainly many, even abroad. But Dorgu will stay here and then, in the summer, we’ll talk about it because his destiny is set.”

                      Corvino added, “The future belongs to him.”

                      Other clubs thought to be interested in Dorgu are Napoli, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan.

                      Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

                      Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

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