Home Blog Page 1759

Man Utd transfer: Amorim makes January ‘priority clear’ as he ‘specifically requests’ Spaniard

    man-utd-transfer:-amorim-makes-january-‘priority-clear’-as-he-‘specifically-requests’-spaniard

    Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim has requested that the Red Devils board find the money to sign Porto forward Samu Omorodion in January, according to reports.

    The Red Devils were beaten for the fifth time in 14 Premier League matches at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night as Arsenal won 2-0 to move to seven points behind Liverpool, who drew 3-3 at Newcastle.

    It was Man Utd’s first loss under Amorim after the Portuguese boss had led them to two wins against Everton and Bodo/Glimt and a draw against Ipswich in his first three matches in charge.

    There are worries that Amorim will struggle to move towards the European places without some investment in players who will suit his formation, playing style and philosophy.

    Man Utd have been linked to a number of players as Dan Ashworth looks to give Amorim the tools to do his job with speculation that the Portuguese coach could look at players from Sporting CP.

    And now reports in Spain claim that Man Utd boss Amorim ‘has made his priority clear for the upcoming transfer window’ with Porto forward Omorodion his top target.

    The Spain international has scored 13 goals in 15 matches in all competitions this season and Amorim ‘has closely observed Omorodion’s development since his beginnings in Spain and his subsequent explosion in Portugal’.

    MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
    👉 Mailbox: ‘Tony Pulis would be proud’ – Arsenal ‘agricultural’ v Man Utd
    👉 Amorim ‘furious’ at ‘brain-dead’ Man Utd star as the Red Devils lost to Arsenal
    👉 Amorim reveals four Man Utd players have a ‘time limit’ as he pinpoints Arsenal ‘shame’

    Amorim has ‘specifically requested’ the 20-year-old and the deal ‘is also supported by Manchester United’s board of directors, who are willing to make a significant financial effort to close the deal’.

    The report adds that there is ‘talk of a possible offer of around 60 million euros, a figure that could convince Porto to let their star player leave’ and Omorodion is ‘said to be keen on the idea of ​​making the jump to the Premier League and joining one of the biggest clubs in the world’.

    Former Man Utd defender Paul Parker thinks Rasmus Hojlund fits better in the current system under Amorim than summer signing Joshua Zirkzee.

    Parker told bettingexpert.com: “Hojlund fits much better to this system than Zirkzee does, in my opinion. Amorim needs a work horse up front, which Hojlund is.

    “None of them are top class, but Hojlund has the potential to become one, and he is very similar to Gyokeres, so I think this is Hojlund´s chance now.

    “I think Amorim will rotate a lot because his way of playing is demanding a lot from the players, but in the important moments and games, I expect Hojlund to be the man.”

    Ruben Amorim ‘verbally exploded’ in ‘vicious’ attack on one Man Utd man

      ruben-amorim-‘verbally-exploded’-in-‘vicious’-attack-on-one-man-utd-man

      Ruben Amorim ‘bellowed’ in a ‘vicious verbal explosion’ on Wednesday night at the Emirates. It obviously speaks volumes.

      But first, who’s ignoring Arsenal and talking Amorim because it suits their narrative?

      It’s all about Amorim
      ‘Since his arrival in Manchester last month, the new Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has been greeted with the kind of uncritical fervour usually reserved for prophets and demagogues,’ writes Oliver Holt in the opening line of a Daily Mail match report after some team or other beat United.

      Has he? Holt’s own colleague Ian Ladyman wrote after the draw at Ipswich that ‘United did look a little bit better than the rancid rabble left behind by Erik ten Hag’ but admitted that Andre Onana was United’s best player in that game. We’re not sure that counts as being greeted like a prophet or demagogue.

      And after a nervy win over average Europa League opposition, Amorim’s tactics were described as ‘bonkers’. And United were described as “very average” by one pundit after a 4-0 win over Everton.

      What you’ve done there, Mr Holt, is construct a straw man that you are very happy to set on fire after *checks notes* the team in 11th lost 2-0 to the team in third away from home.

      Charisma and charm will get you so far but, as Amorim knows, they will not get a team with United’s glaring issues beyond an accomplished side like Arsenal who have got over a blip caused by an injury to Martin Odegaard and are racing back into the title race again.

      Well no. None of us thought that Manchester United were good enough to go away to Arsenal and win. We’re not entirely sure why this is an Amorim story at all. Most people watched that match and wrote about Arsenal’s prowess from set-pieces.

      And here’s Holt, tasked with writing a match report, not actually mentioning the name of either Arsenal scorer – in a game that takes them within seven points of Liverpool – until the 20th paragraph. Not important, you see.

      It’s more important that he proved right about Amorim after he wrote last month ‘why Man United fans should not expect a quick fix when Ruben Amorim arrives at a club addicted to making mistakes’.

      It’s clearly more important that Manchester United are cut down to size.

      United were improved from the Ten Hag days but there is a lot, lot further to go before they can think about titles again.

      Well yes. They have finished sixth, third and eighth in the last three seasons. Of course they cannot ‘think about titles’ any time soon. Any more than Tottenham can ‘think about titles’ any time soon. Amorim will not be judged in the short term on winning the Premier League title.

      But then Holt appears to have a short memory, writing: ‘It was Arsenal’s 500th game at The Emirates since their move from Highbury and this season may represent their best chance of winning the title since that ground move.’

      They were literally five points ahead of Manchester City at this stage two years ago, having picked up more points and scored more goals, but whatever. And that’s before we talk about the Leicester season.

      But you can forgive him for forgetting the details, because this altogether expected result was entirely about shooting down the ‘bluebirds (who) have been spotted fluttering overhead, spewing heart emojis’ behind Amorim. Maybe leave your agenda at the door next time, Oliver.

      Hid Vicious
      It’s particularly odd to read this narrative that Ruben Amorim is being treated like a prophet when you see the coverage elsewhere, with the Mirror spotting a moment of ‘deliberately cruel or violent’ act from the Portuguese manager that literally nobody else did.

      Ruben Amorim’s vicious ‘hairdryer’ moment speaks volumes about future at Man Utd

      ‘Vicious’ is a call. And of course it’s a ‘hairdryer’ moment despite nobody – not even the writer – describing it as such.

      Mediawatch has searched high and low for any footage or even any mention of this ‘vicious’ outburst. Not in any minute-by-minute, not in any ‘things we noticed’, not in any social media clip.

      We’re not saying it didn’t happen, but we suspect that a moment spotted only by one man did not ‘speak volumes about future at Man Utd’. And we suspect that ‘vicious’ may be a slight exaggeration.

      After introducing Amad as a makeshift wing-back at the half-time interval, Amorim verbally exploded on the touchline when the Ivorian failed to satisfy his demands.

      He ‘verbally exploded’? He must have done it very quietly so that nobody else noticed. It’s quite the trick.

      As he lagged behind play on the near touchline, Amorim began shouting venomously towards his player, thrusting and waving his arms towards Arsenal’s box.

      Amorim was so passionate and animated, he even leaned towards Amad, who was only a few metres from his clutches, to bellow his instructions – it was as if to say, next time, you will make the final third and not be languishing so far behind play.

      It’s ‘venomous’ as well as ‘vicious’ now. And he’s ‘bellowing’. That sounds like quite the outburst; how bizarre that it was noticed by literally nobody else but Mirror man Ryan Taylor.

      MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
      👉 Mailbox: ‘Tony Pulis would be proud’ – Arsenal ‘agricultural’ v Man Utd
      👉 Andre Onana is Premier League goalkeeper of the season so far
      👉 Amorim reveals four Man Utd players have a ‘time limit’ as he pinpoints Arsenal ‘shame’

      “Sources have stated…”: Amorim plotting positional change for in-form United star to unlock his true potential – report

        “sources-have-stated…”:-amorim-plotting-positional-change-for-in-form-united-star-to-unlock-his-true-potential-–-report

        Ruben Amorim faced his first defeat as Manchester United boss, losing 0-2 against Arsenal away at the Emirates Stadium in London on Wednesday.

        The Portuguese once again opted to rotate his squad as his team tried to control the tempo instead of going on the offensive, a ploy that worked in the first half.

        But the home side eventually scored twice through their set-piece supremacy with the Gunners winning 13 corners to United’s zero.

        Looking back, Amorim could have instructed his players to go for the jugular from the word go as the team had done in the three previous games under the new head coach.

        Amorim should have started more strongly

        He should have started his strongest team at North London with in-form Amad Diallo only emerging as a second-half substitute at right wing-back.

        He was too hot to handle for bumbling Arsenal full-back Oleksandr Zinchenko and the Ivorian would have been a safer bet to start than the non-existent threat of Mason Mount.

        But Amorim has take heed and as per Givemesport, he plans to utilise Amad in a far more attacking position moving forwards.

        The Ivory Coast international shone as the No 10 during his loan spell at Sunderland, and he will get his chance to play alongside the striker in games to come instead of his current wingback role.

        This will likely happen when either Tyrell Malacia regains full fitness or when the club sign a left wingback to free up Diogo Dalot to play on the right.

        “Sources have stated that Diallo is also admired as an attacking midfield player, and he could also be deployed in one of the central roles alongside Bruno Fernandes that support the striking contingency.

        Dalot to play higher up

        “Therefore, it would not be a surprise to see the Portuguese tactician implement his big idea for the ex-Atalanta youngster once more of his playing squad have fully acclimatised to the understanding of his system.

        “Diogo Dalot will be the prime candidate to play where Diallo is currently performing now, should the Ivorian move central – and that will become even more viable once United’s left-back duo Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are fit, though United could also look to sign someone for that role in January.”

        Judging from Amad’s explosive attacking qualities, his pressing ability and his creativity, it is imperative that United play him as high up as possible once the players come to grips with the coach’s demands.

        While he has impressed as a wingback, the 22-year-old can offer so much more when deployed in the right attacking role. Hopefully, Amorim can unlock his true potential soon.

        Feature image Naomi Baker via Getty Images

        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

        Van Nistelrooy above Solskjaer as Arteta pipped to top spot in ranking of all 54 players turned managers

          van-nistelrooy-above-solskjaer-as-arteta-pipped-to-top-spot-in-ranking-of-all-54-players-turned-managers

          There have been a helluva lot of Premier League players who have returned to the top flight as managers; will Ruud van Nistelrooy – the latest to swap his boots for a notepad – join the majority in underwhelming? He’s currently in the top ten.

          We’ve included their Points Per Game ratios as Premier League managers, but the ranking is entirely opinion based. Our views are correct and final. 

          54) Remi Garde

          Played for: Arsenal
          Managed: Aston Villa
          PPG: 0.60

          He once told off a young upstart by the name of Jack Grealish to stop smiling and ran the club “like an army base”, according to Gabby Agbonlahor. He won just two of his 20 games in charge.

          54) Alan Shearer

          Played for: Blackburn, Newcastle
          Managed: Newcastle
          PPG: 0.63

          “‘That’s a good f****** start!’ I thought,” Shearer said, using the players’ training tardiness as evidence of their poor attitude. One win and four goals in eight games when you have Mark Viduka, Michael Owen, Obafemi Martins and Shola Ameobi suggests the coaching wasn’t all that great either, Alan.

          53) Slavisa Jokanovic

          Played for: Chelsea
          Managed: Fulham
          PPG: 0.42

          Jokanovic saved Fulham from Championship relegation before getting them promoted the next season. The club then spent £100m in a Football Manager summer of transfers, before sacking him four months into his debut Premier League campaign.

          52) Tony Adams

          Played for: Arsenal
          Managed: Portsmouth
          PPG: 0.67

          One of the great Premier League players managed just two wins from his 16 games in charge of Portsmouth. And this is inexplicable…

          Just WHAT was Tony Adams doing in that training session?! He explains all!

          What a legend 😆😆 pic.twitter.com/0tYWKe3L66

          — Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) May 4, 2019

          Why on earth would you go on Soccer AM?

          51) Brian Laws

          Played for: Nottingham Forest
          Managed: Burnley
          PPG: 0.56

          14 defeats in 18 Premier League games isn’t great. Neither is conceding 42 goals.

          50) Mike Phelan

          Played for: Manchester United
          Managed: Hull City
          PPG: 0.65

          Having crawled out of the shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson to win three of 20 games as the main man at Hull, Phelan joined Ole Gunnar Solskjaer back under Sir Alex Ferguson’s shadow.

          49) Russell Martin

          Played for: Norwich
          Managed: Southampton:
          PPG: 0.36

          The 5-1 defeat to Chelsea evidenced their psychotic commitment to the gifting goals bit which will presumably lead Martin to Borussia Dortmund.

          48) Mauricio Pellegrino

          Played for: Liverpool
          Managed: Southampton
          PPG: 0.93

          Six months as a Premier League player and just two months longer as a manager.

          47) Iain Dowie

          Played for: Southampton, Crystal Palace, West Ham
          Managed: Crystal Palace, Charlton, Hull
          PPG: 0.81

          Brought Palace up to the Premier League, but even 21 goals from love child Andy Johnson couldn’t prevent immediate relegation. Sacked by Charlton in the relegation zone and failed to keep up Hull in his brief spell in charge.

          46) Attilio Lombardo

          Played for: Crystal Palace
          Managed: Crystal Palace
          PPG: 0.86

          Lombardo was handed the reins as player-manager for Palace’s final seven games of the 1997-98 season after Steve Coppell decided to swap the dugout for the office of director of football. Unsurprisingly, seeing as Lombardo had no managerial experience whatsoever, Palace lost five of those seven games and were relegated.

          45) Lawrie Sanchez

          Played for: Wimbledon, Swindon
          Managed: Fulham
          PPG: 0.77

          Sanchez left his post as Northern Ireland boss to take over at Fulham, keeping them in the Premier League with a massive win over Liverpool before being shown the door in December in the relegation zone.

          44) Malky Mackay

          Played for: Watford
          Managed: Cardiff
          PPG: 0.94

          Took Cardiff to the League Cup final and the Premier League, but was sacked midway through his one and only top-flight season.

          43) Paul Ince

          Played for: Manchester United, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Wolves
          Managed: Blackburn
          PPG: 0.76

          Lasted just six months in charge of Blackburn in 2008, winning three of his 17 games.

          42) Micky Adams

          Played for: Southampton
          Managed: Leicester
          PPG: 0.91

          Led the Foxes to the promised land in 2003 before taking them straight back down.

          41) Scott Parker

          Played for: Charlton, Chelsea, Newcastle, West Ham, Tottenham, Fulham
          Managed: Fulham, Bournemouth
          PPG: 0.77

          His Fulham side played some decent stuff but found the net far too rarely and were relegated. Having taken Bournemouth up, he aired his dirty laundry in public and was sacked following a 9-0 defeat to Liverpool.

          The south coast side have gone from strength to strength first under Gary O’Neil and now Andoni Iraola, while Parker’s back in the Championship with Burnley having failed spectacularly at Club Brugge.

          40) Nigel Worthington

          Played for: Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds
          Managed: Norwich
          PPG: 0.87

          Has there ever been a boss whose look encapsulates the club they manage more than Nigel Worthington? The guy screams East Anglia. Norwich were relegated in his only Premier League season.

          39) Gary Megson

          Played for: Norwich
          Managed: West Brom, Bolton
          PPG: 0.94

          He’ll be forever loved at the Hawthorns for boinging the Baggies to the Premier League in 2002 and ushering in the yoyoing. The Premier League proved too much for him and them. Not for the first or last time.

          38) Owen Coyle

          Played for: Bolton
          Managed: Burnley, Bolton
          PPG: 1.06

          Led Burnley to the top flight for the first time in 33 years and took Bolton down for the first time in 12 years.

          37) Frank Lampard

          Played for: West Ham, Chelsea, Man City
          Managed: Chelsea, Everton, Chelsea
          PPG: 1.30

          Should have called this management lark a day after his first Chelsea spell, after which he had a PPG of 1.76, was 12th on this list and still held in reasonably high regard. Coventry are his current patsies after they offered Lampard a chance of rejuvenation following five points from nine games on his return to Stamford Bridge left his reputation in tatters on the back of a pretty dire time at Everton.

          36) Gareth Southgate

          Played for: Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough
          Managed: Middlesbrough
          PPG: 1.05

          12th in his first season and relegated the next, England’s most successful manager since Sir Alf Ramsey has plenty to prove in club management and we are very excited to see him at West Ham after Graham Potter.

          35) Roy Keane

          Played for: Nottingham Forest, Manchester United
          Managed: Sunderland
          PPG: 1.02

          Niall Quinn, chairman of Sunderland in Keane’s time at the helm, claimed the Manchester United legend resigned as he couldn’t handle the intensity of the job. We’re all much better off hearing his spiky and downcast opinions on the Red Devils from the studio.

          34) Ian Holloway

          Played for: QPR
          Managed: Blackpool, Crystal Palace
          PPG: 0.91

          Led both Blackpool and Palace to the Premier League. But whatever, here are his thoughts on Cristiano Ronaldo…

          “He’s six foot something, fit as a flea, good looking – he’s got to have something wrong with him. Hopefully he’s hung like a hamster – that would make us all feel better. Having said that, my missus has got a pet hamster at home, and his cock’s massive.”

          33) Vincent Kompany

          Played for: Manchester City
          Managed: Burnley
          PPG: 0.63

          Fools that we are, when we last did this ranking in January, we said: ‘Top teams may not be interested if they don’t like his style, but they definitely won’t be interested if his team isn’t winning’.

          Turns out Bayern Munich didn’t give a damn that Burnley were relegated having won just five games last season and offered a failing manager one of the biggest jobs in world football. Going a bit better in the Bundesliga, where he’s got a PPG of 2.50.

          32) Steven Gerrard

          Played for: Liverpool
          Managed: Aston Villa
          PPG: 1.16

          Really not a great look when you leave a club when they’re in 17th place and your successor takes them immediately into Europe and then into the Champions League. He now faces the sack in Saudi Arabia with his Al-Ettifaq side going nine games without a win.

          31) Gianfranco Zola

          Played for: Chelsea
          Managed: West Ham
          PPG: 1.10

          Zola led the Hammers to a top-half finish in his first top-flight season, before leaving at the end of the second campaign after they narrowly avoided relegation.

          30) Paolo Di Canio

          Played for: Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham, Charlton
          Managed: Sunderland
          PPG: 0.75

          His passion is such that his heart regularly slips from his sleeve and lies beating in his hand, until he throws it at someone. The referee-pusher turned touchline maniac beat rivals Newcastle in his second game in charge and kept the Black Cats up, before being sacked five games into the following season.

          29) Nigel Pearson

          Played for: Sheffield Wednesday, Middlesbrough
          Managed: Leicester, Watford
          PPG: 1.12

          His assertion that he is flexible enough to get his head in the sand while the ostrich of a journalist is not is undoubtedly his Premier League legacy. Made way at Leicester for a certain Claudio Ranieri.

          28) Gus Poyet

          Played for: Chelsea, Spurs
          Managed: Sunderland
          PPG: 1.05

          Sunderland looked dead and buried before a remarkable 13 points from a possible 15 under Poyet’s watch saved them in 2014.

          27) Rob Edwards

          Played for: Aston Villa, Blackpool
          Managed: Luton
          PPG: 0.68

          Just ten Premier League appearances as a player totalling 613 minutes and he made a better fist of being a top-flight manager, keeping Luton in the running to avoid relegation for much of last season despite their market value being nearly half as much as the second lowest. Not going all that well in the Championship this term though.

          26) Danny Wilson

          Played for: Sheffield Wednesday
          Managed: Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday
          PPG: 0.97

          Player-assistant manager turned player-manager at Barnsley, Wilson earned Barnsley promotion before they went straight back down. But he was handed the Wednesday job where he secured mid-table security before being sacked with the side on the up.

          25) Stuart Pearce

          Played for: Nottingham Forest, Newcastle, West Ham
          Managed: Manchester City
          PPG: 1.18

          Pearce was in charge when the first wave of money came into Man City, but before the real bunce turned up. The club narrowly missed out on European qualification and avoided relegation in his time at the helm.

          24) Tim Sherwood

          Played for: Blackburn, Spurs, Portsmouth
          Managed: Spurs, Aston Villa
          PPG: 1.38

          “They love homegrown players at Liverpool. Tottenham fans like signings,” said Sherwood as Harry Kane watched from the bench ahead of scoring 31 goals in his next season. He led Spurs to sixth and Villa to the FA Cup final, but it’s impossible to shake the feeling he was blagging his way throughout.

          23) Gary O’Neil

          Played for: Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, West Ham, Norwich
          Managed: Bournemouth, Wolves
          PPG: 1.06

          Many felt he was cruelly sacked by Bournemouth, though Andoni Iraola has since showed that was a smart call. No one will feel he’s being hard done by if Wolves show him the door after being humped 4-0 by Everton.

          22) Steve Bruce

          Played for: Manchester United
          Managed: Birmingham, Wigan, Sunderland, Hull, Newcastle
          PPG: 1.11

          Has managed exactly 1000 games of football because the Newcastle owners wanted to roll him out for one last afternoon of abuse at St James’ Park.

          21) Mark Hughes

          Played for: Manchester United, Chelsea, Southampton, Everton, Blackburn
          Managed: Blackburn, Manchester City, Fulham, QPR, Stoke, Southampton
          PPG: 1.29

          Ball striker extraordinaire turned managerial journeyman.

          20) Ryan Mason

          Played for: Tottenham, Hull City
          Managed: Tottenham
          PPG: 2.00

          Hard to place but did a more than serviceable job in very difficult circumstances for Spurs, where he remains as assistant.

          19) Glenn Hoddle

          Played for: Chelsea
          Managed: Chelsea, Southampton, Spurs
          PPG: 1.31

          An exciting, effective footballer, he left most of the effectiveness behind in management, trading it for all that karma bullsh*t.

          18) Peter Reid

          Played for: Manchester City, Southampton
          Managed: Manchester City, Sunderland, Leeds
          PPG: 1.24

          With the help of 30 goals from Kevin Phillips, Reid led Sunderland to seventh in 2001, before joining Leeds, whom he managed to keep up in pretty dire financial circumstances.

          17) Roberto Di Matteo

          Played for: Chelsea
          Managed: West Brom, Chelsea
          PPG: 1.42

          Not a great Premier League record for the Blues, but he did win the Champions League and FA Cup. Every cloud.

          16) Ray Wilkins

          Played for: QPR, Crystal Palace
          Managed: QPR
          PPG: 1.21

          The late, great Wilkins led QPR to eighth after he took over as player-manager before they were relegated in his first full season. A fantastic footballer, an excellent coach and a wonderful human being…

          Today would have been Ray Wilkins’ 64th birthday.

          This incredible call always reminds us of what a true gent Ray was.

          We miss you, Butch. pic.twitter.com/YOJAeOlXKW

          — talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) September 14, 2020

          15) Chris Coleman

          Played for: Crystal Palace, Blackburn
          Managed: Fulham
          PPG: 1.24

          Became the youngest Premier League manager when he took the Fulham gig in the summer of 2003 and led them to a surprise ninth-placed finish in his debut campaign.

          14) Slaven Bilic

          Played for: West Ham, Everton
          Managed: West Ham, West Brom
          PPG: 1.23

          Achieved West Ham’s record Premier League points tally in 2015/16 before David Moyes broke it. Brought West Brom up before being sacked and replaced by relegation specialist Sam Allardyce, whose attempt to avoid relegation may have brought a sweet, sweet end to the obsession with relegation specialists.

          13) Patrick Vieira

          Played for: Arsenal, Manchester City
          Managed: Crystal Palace
          PPG: 1.15

          Shown the door after a 12-game winless run, which sounds fair but also felt a tad harsh at the time given the calibre of their opponents in that stretch. Left Strasbourg by mutual consent at the end of last season and has just been appointed by Genoa.

          12) Bryan Robson

          Played for: Manchester United, Middlesbrough
          Managed: Middlesbrough, West Brom
          PPG: 1.11

          “This is the best of the lot,” Robson said after West Brom pulled off the Great Escape, becoming the exception to the Bottom At Christmas rule of relegation. Better than the United titles as a player and the two domestic cup finals as Middlesbrough boss.

          11) Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

          Played for: Manchester United
          Managed: Cardiff, Manchester United
          PPG: 1.65

          Did a decent job as a returning club legend before reaching the limit of his capabilities and being replaced by a supposedly better equipped and more tactically astute manager, who ended his tenure with an inferior PPG record at Old Trafford. 1.72 for Erik ten Hag; 1.81 for Solskjaer.

          10) Steve Clarke

          Played for: Chelsea
          Managed: West Brom
          PPG: 1.16

          Led the Baggies to their record Premier League points tally of 49 in the 2012/13 season as they finished eighth. Romelu Lukaku also did a fair bit of the leading with 17 goals and seven assists.

          9) Ruud van Nistelrooy

          Played for: Manchester United
          Managed: Manchester United, Leicester
          PPG: 2.33

          The cynics will claim a knee-jerk reaction after three Premier League games in charge, but we’ve seen nothing other than West Ham’s 31 shots in his only game in charge of Leicester to suggest Van Nistelrooy won’t retain his PPG thus far and lead the Foxes into the Champions League.

          READ MORE: Slot teaches Van Nistelrooy and Guardiola must ‘learn to accept defeat’ like Klopp and Ferguson

          8) Ruud Gullit

          Played for: Chelsea
          Managed: Chelsea, Newcastle
          PPG: 1.43

          Won the FA Cup as player-manager of Chelsea in 1998 and led them to their highest Premier League finish of fourth. Then moved to Alan Shearer’s Newcastle and decided to bench the club’s favourite son.

          7) Garry Monk

          Played for: Southampton, Swansea
          Managed: Swansea
          PPG: 1.31

          ‘Aren’t you putting your boots on Gaz?’ ‘It’s Gaffer to you now, son.’ We assume it went something like that, as Monk hung those boots up and grasped the managerial reins. He dragged Swansea to safety in his first season and led them to eighth in the following campaign. He was sacked the next year after one win in 11.

          6) Gordon Strachan

          Played for: Leeds, Coventry
          Managed: Coventry, Southampton
          PPG: 1.20

          Strachan survived the drop with Coventry for four successive seasons before eventually taking them down and took Southampton to the FA Cup final. The quintessential late 90s Prem boss.

          5) Graham Potter

          Played for: Southampton
          Managed: Brighton, Chelsea
          PPG: 1.23

          Success at Brighton has since been put into context by the successes of his successors Roberto De Zerbi and Fabian Hurzeler, and Potter was sacked from Chelsea after less than seven months at the helm. Still got enough Something About Him credit to be handed a mid-table job this side of Christmas.

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

          4) David O’Leary

          Played for: Arsenal, Leeds
          Managed: Leeds, Aston Villa
          PPG: 1.56

          Between 1998 and 2002, O’Leary took Leeds to the semi-finals of the Champions League and UEFA Cup. They finished fourth, third, fourth and fifth in the Premier League. His young and exciting side were title contenders before he was sacked by the spendthrift Peter Ridsdale.

          3) Gianluca Vialli

          Played for: Chelsea
          Managed: Chelsea
          PPG: 1.77

          Chelsea achieved success with one player-manager in Gullit, so immediately turned to another. And it proved to be a masterstroke with Vialli winning the League Cup, Cup Winners’ Cup and FA Cup. The Italian can certainly claim some of the groundwork that paved the way for Roman Abramovich’s millions.

          2) Mikel Arteta

          Played for: Everton, Arsenal
          Managed: Arsenal
          PPG: 1.96

          He’s not yet the Messiah, but he’s more than Pep Guardiola’s naughty boy. Arteta went toe-to-toe with his mentor last season, for much of the season before and must currently be thoroughly f***ed off at being two points clear of Guardiola’s side and yet seven points off the pace in the race for the title.

          A question has arisen this season over who’s more important to Arsenal – Arteta or Martin Odegaard? – but he and the Arsenal fans currently reading this with clenched fists will insist Odegaard is good because of Arteta. And fair enough, he’s a well-coached footballer in a well-coached team.

          1) Roberto Mancini

          Played for: Leicester City
          Managed: Manchester City
          PPG: 2.05

          The most stylish manager in Premier League history was in charge of Man City for the greatest moment in Premier League history. Tried to style out the celebration with hands in pockets, but succumbed to the losing of the sh*t with everyone else.

          On this day 8 years ago, Sergio Aguero scored the most iconic goal of Premier League history.

          As Martin Tyler said: “AGUEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”pic.twitter.com/P5duCUuHpk

          — Transfer HQ (@Transfer__HQ) May 13, 2020

          “A dream”: Electric Bundesliga star in key position issues come-and-get-me plea to United – report

            “a-dream”:-electric-bundesliga-star-in-key-position-issues-come-and-get-me-plea-to-united-–-report

            Manchester United target David Raum has described a move to Premier League as a “dream” fuelling fire over a transfer as the Red Devils continue to assess potential reinforcements in the wingback position.

            New head coach Ruben Amorim’s trademark 3-4-3 system is reliant upon players who combine athleticism and attacking ability with defensive nous in the wide areas.

            The 39-year-old has converted Amad Diallo from a more traditional right-wing position into an effective right wing-back in the first few weeks of his tenure at Old Trafford, while existing fullbacks Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot have also played, or are capable of playing, in this position.

            However, the left-hand side of the team is far less stocked with players able to fulfil Amorim’s needs.

            Both senior left-backs – Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia – have experienced long-standing injury problems in recent years while the club’s selection of left wingers are not defensively sound enough to be pushed back.

            Shaw, 29, would be an excellent option in the wingback position, given his technical quality on the ball, but the England international simply cannot stay fit; and this issue would only be exacerbated by the physical demands of the LWB role.

            Conversely, while Malacia has successfully returned from a debilitating knee injury, the 25-year-old Dutchman is not good enough with the ball to offer the type of attacking outlet on the left Amorim’s system requires.

            And players like Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford would be lost defensively if played further back as they lack the in-game intelligence of a winger such as Amad.

            A new left wingback is, therefore, a pressing priority at Old Trafford in the coming transfer windows.

            And, as relayed by The Peoples Person here, club officials consider Raum – a 26-year-old RB Leipzig left wing-back – a “very good fit” in Amorim’s system, after United came close to signing the German international over the summer.

            Bild, a German national newspaper, reveals Raum considers a move to England a “dream” which “opens the door” for a potential transfer.

            “I also, for example, that the Premier League might be a dream and a big goal at some point,” the 26-year-old is quoted as saying; and it could be a dream which is realised this summer if Old Trafford’s recruitment department decide Raum is the player Amorim needs to implement his philosophy.

            Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

            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.

            Video: “I think he’s ready”: Amorim tips academy sensation who has “impressed” him to make his debut this season

              video:-“i-think-he’s-ready”:-amorim-tips-academy-sensation-who-has-“impressed”-him-to-make-his-debut-this-season

              Manchester United succumbed to their first defeat under Ruben Amorim, losing 0-2 to Arsenal away at the Emirates Stadium in London on Wednesday.

              The visitors were content to try and control the tempo rather than going on the attack against a Gunners side who rarely threatened from open play.

              It was their set-piece mastery that ultimately proved to be the difference, something the Red Devils should have been more careful about as they conceded corners galore.

              Owing to the suspension of Lisandro Martinez and the injury to Luke Shaw, Amorim had to reshuffle at the back with Noussair Mazraoui starting as the left-sided centre-back.

              Kukonki has impressed Amorim

              The Portuguese needs a powerful presence in that position moving forwards with the backline lacking physicality and height at times.

              Academy sensation Godwill Kukonki has certainly caught the boss’ eye, regularly taking part in first team training sessions since the former Sporting Lisbon manager came to the club.

              💬 “He is ready to cope with the demands of the Premier League.”

              A vote of confidence for Godwill Kukonki from the boss 👊#MUFC || #ARSMUN

              — Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 4, 2024

              The 16-year-old travelled to Portman Road with the team but was not named in the matchday squad. He was on the bench against the North London giants on Wednesday.

              Speaking to MUTV ahead of the game, Amorim was full of praise for Kukonki and he even claimed that the towering 6ft 5ins defender is ready for the demands of the Premier League.

              Debut this season?

              “Yeah, of course (I’m impressed). He’s 16 years old but he impressed me a lot, so it’s also a sign to the youth players that they can be here.

              “If something happened with the first-team squad, they have to step up, and I think he’s ready – he’s very adult – to handle the demands of the Premier League.”

              Kukonki is left-footed, a profile that is being desperately sought by the club as seen from their pursuit of Jarrad Branthwaite last summer.

              He has played at both left-back and centre-back for the United U18s and is technically sound, and he is in line to become the first academy star to receive his first team debut under the new head coach.

              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

              United “close” to signing world class 24-yo star, he could’ve made difference against Arsenal – report

                united-“close”-to-signing-world-class-24-yo-star,-he-could’ve-made-difference-against-arsenal-–-report

                Manchester United are reported to be in pole position to sign Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies.

                Davies is considered one of the best full-backs in Europe, having established himself as a key part of the Bayern Munich squad and winning several major trophies since 2019.

                However, Bayern may soon be forced to look for his alternative, owing to their failure to find an agreement over a new contract. Davies’ current deal is due to expire at the end of the season, intensifying interest of Europe’s top clubs in his services.

                In particular, both United and Real Madrid have been widely reported to be keen on signing the 24-year-old on a free transfer. Now, it is being suggested the Mancunians have left Los Blancos behind in the race.

                According to a report from journalist Javier Parra Pena, relayed by TEAMtalk, United are “close” to signing Davies after taking “firm step” towards finding an agreement with the player.

                They are understood to be on course to “steal the blockbuster signing”, potentially as early as the winter window.

                There is still time for Bayern to extend his stay, but at the same time, January presents the German giants their final opportunity to raise a fee for their superstar, who will walk away for free next summer if things remain unchanged.

                This has led to suggestions of a cut-price move to United during the upcoming window.

                Davies’s arrival has the potential to instantly fix a major issue for Amorim, who has had to deal with an injury crisis on the left flank.

                Wing-backs are very important in his 3-4-3 formation, but Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia’s fitness have forced him to rely on Diogo Dalot to play as the left wing-back.

                Malacia, who recently returned to first-team action after a lengthy lay-off, struggled against Bukayo Saka in United’s 2-0 defeat at Arsenal on Wednesday. Dalot, who started on the right-hand side, replaced him in the second half, and the Portuguese was arguably even worse and appeared sloppy in possession.

                A fully fit Shaw or an elite left-back like Davies, who is known for his pace and dribbling ability, could have helped the Red Devils get out of their half and test Arsenal’s backline more often.

                Featured image Alex Grimm via Getty Images

                Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

                Vishal has covered football for over five years. Currently a writer at The Peoples Person. Big fan of ball-playing center-backs!

                Man Utd legend Keane snaps back at ‘childish’ Wright during 2-0 defeat to Arsenal

                  man-utd-legend-keane-snaps-back-at-‘childish’-wright-during-2-0-defeat-to-arsenal

                  Man Utd legend Roy Keane called out Ian Wright for his “childish” comments as the Red Devils lost 2-0 to Arsenal on Wednesday night.

                  The Red Devils kept the Gunners at bay in the first half but struggled to keep a lid on Arsenal from set-pieces after the break as Jurrien Timber and William Saliba scored to inflict Ruben Amorim’s first defeat as the new Man Utd head coach.

                  It was a result that saw Man Utd drop back down into the bottom half of the Premier League table, while third-placed Arsenal gained two points on leaders Liverpool.

                  Wright and Keane were invited to a live watchalong on The Overlap with Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher on Wednesday evening to watch the Arsenal versus Man Utd clash and Liverpool’s 3-3 draw at Newcastle.

                  And, with the Red Devils losing 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium with around ten minutes to go, a heated exchange took place between Wright and Keane with the former poking fun at the two Man Utd legends over their side’s performance.

                  Trying to stop himself from laughing, Wright commented on The Overlap: “I think what we’ve done, we’ve been very patient with a mid-table team that’s come and been very frustrating. They’ve really frustrated us, and we just had to get it done.”

                  Before Keane snapped back: “Can I ask you what age are you? You’re a grandfather. Sitting there going ‘You’re a mid-table team’, being childish. Show some class.”

                  Wright hit back: “What’s that got to do with anything? I’m a fan. I’m watching my team win. It’s got nothing to do about class. Was Jamie showing class? (during the Liverpool game).”

                  Keane replied: “Absolutely not.”

                  Before Wright turned to the others and said: “You know what it is, you can only go to a certain amount with the United boys.”

                  Neville then had a little dig at Carragher, he said: “We weren’t expecting class from him to be honest with you. There’s no expectation of class at all.”

                  MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
                  👉 Mailbox: ‘Tony Pulis would be proud’ – Arsenal ‘agricultural’ v Man Utd
                  👉 Amorim ‘furious’ at ‘brain-dead’ Man Utd star as the Red Devils lost to Arsenal
                  👉 Amorim reveals four Man Utd players have a ‘time limit’ as he pinpoints Arsenal ‘shame’

                  Not many of the summer signings at Man Utd have impressed but former defender Paul Parker insists Noussair Mazraoui is his favourite player.

                  Parker mybettingsites.co.uk: “Mazraoui is a very special player. He is my favourite. He reminds me of myself, because he might not be the best player, but he always gives you a 7/10 as a minimum. Not always a 10, but never below 7, which is a crazy and rare quality to have.

                  “He is so consistent and has been for many years now, which is really impressive. The fact that he has managed to do so well in that position tells me a lot about him as well, and he just has to continue now. For me, if you asked me to put the strongest Man United lineup for, he would be in it every single time.”

                  Man Utd believe 166-goal Spurs star is a ‘viable target’ but they could be forced to sell academy stars

                    man-utd-believe-166-goal-spurs-star-is-a-‘viable-target’-but-they-could-be-forced-to-sell-academy-stars

                    Man Utd now see Tottenham star Son Heung-min as a ‘viable target’ but could be forced to sell academy stars to make major transfers, according to reports.

                    The Red Devils lost their first match in four under new head coach Ruben Amorim on Wednesday night with Man Utd defeated 2-0 by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

                    The match highlighted Amorim’s need for time and support in the transfer market as his Man Utd players get used to his 3-4-3 formation and philosophy.

                    Amorim still needs players who suit his high-energy style and formation better than some of his current squad and Tottenham star Son is one player who has now been linked.

                    Son’s contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is up in the summer of 2026 and GiveMeSport now claim that he is now considered a ‘viable target’ by Man Utd.

                    Man Utd have often been criticised for their attempts to bring older players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo to the club – but Red Devils fans would no doubt be pleased to see the South Korean – who has scored 166 goals for Tottenham in all competitions – sign at Old Trafford.

                    GiveMeSport report:

                    ‘But could United be about to revisit the practice?

                    ‘There’s plenty of chat around Old Trafford that Tottenham star Son Heung-min is a viable target with the 32-year-old South Korean attacker out of contract next summer.

                    ‘Son – described as being “world-class” by Ange Postecoglou – would certainly be welcomed by United fans who still regret losing out to Bayern Munich who signed Harry Kane – Son’s partner in crime at Spurs.’

                    MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
                    👉 Mailbox: ‘Tony Pulis would be proud’ – Arsenal ‘agricultural’ v Man Utd
                    👉 Amorim ‘furious’ at ‘brain-dead’ Man Utd star as the Red Devils lost to Arsenal
                    👉 Amorim reveals four Man Utd players have a ‘time limit’ as he pinpoints Arsenal ‘shame’

                    But Man Utd could have to sell more academy products over the next couple of transfer windows to allow them room to bring in big signings to improve Amorim’s side.

                    Former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson told Football Insider: “On the cost side, it’s quite materially worse when you look at the PSR test.

                    “United did have a decent buffer going into this year because of one of the historic years that they lost and because they have had various allowances over time.

                    “But I think a lot of that buffer has been eaten up now by the change of manager and the redundancy costs.

                    “We will have to see. I suspect they won’t be doing a lot in the January window, if anything.

                    “If they can get to the end of the year and sell again like they did last summer, where they sold youth players Greenwood and McTominay, they can put themselves in a better position from a PSR perspective if they can do that next summer.

                    “But they are quite close to the edge on PSR for the current season because of the roughly £30million they have spent so far on exceptional expenses that they wouldn’t have necessarily budgeted for.”

                    “You can feel it:” Ruben Amorim drooling over United star after impeccable performance vs Arsenal

                      “you-can-feel-it:”-ruben-amorim-drooling-over-united-star-after-impeccable-performance-vs-arsenal

                      Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has taken note of Leny Yoro’s talent following his return to action following an absence of several months.

                      Yoro fractured a metatarsal during Man United’s pre-season tour of the US. Recently, it was reported that Amorim was eager to work with the youngster once he recovered.

                      Last night, the report appeared to be validated as Amorim brought on Yoro as a substitute during United’s disappointing 2-0 loss to Arsenal.

                      Despite the frustrating match, Amorim was able to derive some upsides from what was a cagey affair with minimal moments of strength for his team.

                      Yoro impressed Amorim during his Premier League debut, with the United manager sharing his feelings with talkSPORT correspondent Alex Crook after the match.

                      “Ruben Amorim full of praise for #MUFC debutant Leny Yoro when I spoke to him for @talkSPORT: ‘You can feel it, the talent, the speed, the way he handled one against ones in a difficult stadium after a lot of time without playing,’” Crook posted on X.

                      Ruben Amorim full of praise for #MUFC debutant Leny Yoro when I spoke to him for @talkSPORT: “You can feel it, the talent, the speed, the way. he handled one against ones in a difficult stadium after a lot of time without playing.”

                      — Alex Crook ⚽️🎙 (@alex_crook) December 4, 2024

                      It appears as if Amorim agrees with his predecessor Erik ten Hag’s decision to sign Yoro from in the summer from LOSC Lille.

                      While the French youngster remains unproven at Old Trafford due to his lack of game time, he nonetheless exhibited his undoubted talent during his time at Lille.

                      Keeping 13 clean sheets in 30 Ligue 1 starts last season, Yoro averaged 3.9 ball recoveries and 3 clearances per game. He won 61% of his ground duels and 65% of his aerial battles while also proving competent with the ball at his feet, with 80% dribbling. (Sofascore)

                      Yoro also proved to be an expert passer, completing 92.1% of his passes, which landed him in the 95th percentile of all Ligue 1 centre-backs last season.

                      The youngster also impressed during his stint in last season’s UEFA Conference League, finding himself in the 87th percentile of pass completion and 87% of progressive passes.

                      With Jonny Evans edging closer to retirement due to his advanced age and Victor Lindelof’s future unclear, Yoro’s role at United is becoming increasingly important.

                      What’s more, he’s just 19 years of age, meaning that he could have a long and illustrious career at United should Amorim nurture him in the right way.

                      Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

                      A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.

                      1...1,7581,7591,760...1,870Page 1,759 of 1,870