Paul Merson believes “only one” Manchester United player is “safe” as Ruben Amorim takes over at Old Trafford.

Amorim will become Erik ten Hag’s permanent successor after the international break and although it won’t be possible to make widespread changes quickly because of PSR concerns, heightened significantly thanks to the change of manager, reports suggest the Portuguese boss will be looking to put his own stamp on the squad.

The Red Devils players will be desperate to give a good account of themselves once Amorim takes over, but Merson doesn’t think any of them are assured of a place in Amorim’s ideal starting XI other than captain Bruno Fernandes.

“I honestly can’t because you could say seven or eight,” Merson told Sky Sports when asked how many players Amorim could look to move on.

“They haven’t got wing-backs and I look at Rashford and Garnacho and I think where are you two going to play.

“The two centre forwards they’ve got are not really the centre forward that he wants that’s going to be hectic up front, hold the ball up and let everyone join in.

“I only see Fernandes as the one for me who is a safe one. He’ll play in behind as No.10 and can play his football. He’s Portuguese he’ll know him.

“There’s so much hard work to be done there, it’s such a hard job. This is a different league, that league where they play is a different world. You come to Old Trafford you have to win every game.”

Despite his scathing assessment of United’s playing staff, Merson is confident Amorim is right for the job.

He added: “I’ve talked to people in Portugal when I’ve been in cabs and Sporting fans and two years ago they were telling me how good he was.

“They were talking rough English like me. He will get it right but it will take time because the fair play rules now don’t let you go bang, wallop, crash.

“These players at Manchester United aren’t going anywhere.”

MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Scholes picks four Man Utd stars who ‘aren’t right’ for Amorim’s side as he identifies a ‘problem’
👉 The incredible true cost of Man Utd sacking Erik ten hag and hiring Ruben Amorim revealed
👉 Man Utd slammed for ‘really appalling performance’ vs PAOK with Brazil flops backed to play for Amorim

Viktor Gyokeres has been inevitably linked with following Amorim to United, but the manager insisted he wouldn’t be making a move for the goal machine in January.

Italian website Juve Live have linked Man Utd to a defender and more realistic low-cost January addition in the form of Juventus right-back Danilo, who used to play for the Red Devils’ arch-rivals Man City.

Danilo – who captains both Juventus and Brazil – is apparently ‘on the verge of leaving’ Turin and Amorim ‘wants him’ at Man Utd in the winter transfer window.

Former Man Utd chief scout Mick Brown, who remains well-connected at Old Trafford, has confirmed that there will be little money to spend in January.

Brown told Football Insider: “The club would have made him aware of what he’ll be able to spend. They spent a lot of money getting the manager in and getting Ten Hag out.

“From what I’ve heard, there’s not a lot of money left to spend on players. The board will expect that they’ve appointed a top-line coach who can coach the players that are already available to him.

“That includes helping the younger lads to develop and helping some of the experienced ones turn in more consistent performances. On top of that, there’s the profit and sustainability situation which we know United have struggled with.

“They spent big in the summer and they left them with not much money at the end of the window. It’ll be interesting to see how Amorim approaches things and works with the players he’s got.

“He’ll be given time to assess the squad, then in the summer funds will become available and he can make the changes he feels need to be made.”

Thomas Tuchel passed on the opportunity to join Man Utd as manager with “everything prepared” for him to succeed Erik ten Hag, according to super agent Pini Zahavi.

The Red Devils were reportedly interested in Tuchel over the summer with INEOS speaking to other managers before extending Ten Hag’s contract for one year.

Speculation over Tuchel to Man Utd continued early on this season as the Red Devils started the season poorly under Ten Hag.

However, that all ended last month with the Football Association appointing former Chelsea boss Tuchel as new England head coach.

Man Utd have since sacked Ten Hag and appointed Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim with the Portuguese coach starting on November 11 after his final match in charge of the Lions over the weekend.

And now super agent Zahavi has revealed that Tuchel had the “opportunity” to join Man Utd and “everything was prepared” for the new England manager to arrive at Old Trafford as their new boss.

Zahavi said in an interview with Welt am Sonntag: “If I were Thomas, I would have gone to Manchester United. He had the opportunity. Everything was prepared, the deal was basically dry.

“Thomas has a spark of genius in him. But in today’s football you have to be wise and a diplomat. He’ll have to learn that.”

MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Scholes picks four Man Utd stars who ‘aren’t right’ for Amorim’s side as he identifies a ‘problem’
👉 The incredible true cost of Man Utd sacking Erik ten hag and hiring Ruben Amorim revealed
👉 Man Utd slammed for ‘really appalling performance’ vs PAOK with Brazil flops backed to play for Amorim

Glen Johnson reckons Man Utd made a mistake by not making their move for Tuchel earlier with the ex-Liverpool defender “over the moon” at the German succeeding Gareth Southgate as England boss.

Johnson told Betfred: “I’m over the moon that he’s the manager of England. We have a fantastic squad and now we have a fantastic manager. The boys are going to love working for him and I’d be surprised if he doesn’t get the best out of this squad.

“I do believe Manchester United have missed the boat by not appointing him sooner and I feel bad saying that when there’s a manager already in the job, but these top managers don’t come around often and the Manchester United job is a tricky one that requires a certain character that can turn that around.”

On the slow start under INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Johnson added: “I’m surprised by how slow things are going at Manchester United. It’s a fantastic club with fantastic players, but it’s a very strange job at the moment for a manager. If they sack Ten Hag, then what would they do?

“People will still want the job, but it’s a very difficult one to do. With that being said, I’m not surprised that Erik ten Hag is still there. I think they should stick with him, give him more time and see what happens with the team over the next few months. If things don’t turn around soon, then I doubt he will be there next season.”

New Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim is lining up a move for ex-Man City defender Danilo from Juventus, according to reports in Italy.

The Red Devils made the decision to sack Erik ten Hag last week after a terrible start to the season has seen them pick up just three wins from their opening ten Premier League matches.

Amorim has been appointed as his replacement and will take over officially on November 11 once he’s managed his final Sporting Lisbon match against Braga this weekend.

The Portuguese coach has a tough job on his hands with Man Utd currently 13th in the Premier League table, while just Southampton and Crystal Palace have scored fewer goals than the Red Devils.

There have already been links to numerous players as Amorim thinks about how he can improve his squad over the next couple of transfer windows.

Sporting Lisbon striker Vicktor Gyokeres has been one of the main rumours as Man Utd look to solve their lack of goals but the cost of the Swede will definitely rule out a move in January.

And now Italian website Juve Live have linked Man Utd to a defender and more realistic low-cost January addition in the form of Juventus right-back Danilo, who used to play for the Red Devils’ arch-rivals Man City.

Danilo – who captains both Juventus and Brazil – is apparently ‘on the verge of leaving’ Turin and Amorim ‘wants him’ at Man Utd in the winter transfer window.

MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Scholes picks four Man Utd stars who ‘aren’t right’ for Amorim’s side as he identifies a ‘problem’
👉 The incredible true cost of Man Utd sacking Erik ten hag and hiring Ruben Amorim revealed
👉 Man Utd slammed for ‘really appalling performance’ vs PAOK with Brazil flops backed to play for Amorim

And former Man Utd chief scout Mick Brown, who remains well-connected at Old Trafford, has confirmed that there will be little money to spend in January.

Brown told Football Insider: “The club would have made him aware of what he’ll be able to spend. They spent a lot of money getting the manager in and getting Ten Hag out.

“From what I’ve heard, there’s not a lot of money left to spend on players. The board will expect that they’ve appointed a top-line coach who can coach the players that are already available to him.

“That includes helping the younger lads to develop and helping some of the experienced ones turn in more consistent performances. On top of that, there’s the profit and sustainability situation which we know United have struggled with.

“They spent big in the summer and they left them with not much money at the end of the window. It’ll be interesting to see how Amorim approaches things and works with the players he’s got.

“He’ll be given time to assess the squad, then in the summer funds will become available and he can make the changes he feels need to be made.”

One Liverpool fan doesn’t want Man City stripped of Premier League titles or relegated if found guilty of breaching the Premier League financial fair play rules. Plus, Rasmus Hojlund versus Viktor Gyokeres, Bruno Fernandes, Arne Slot > Jurgen Klopp and lots more in the Saturday Mailbox…

Send your thoughts to theeditor@football365.com…

Man City FFP
This is not a mail intended to stir up any debate regarding whether Man City are in fact guilty on the core of the 115 charges (although by hitting send I have likely just poured a load of water on that chip-fat fire !).

This is purely a Liverpool fans view of what may be an acceptable, palatable outcome if they were in fact found to have strayed off the correct path.

(please don’t interpret the following in any way that I am saying they should be found guilty .. leaving that to others to debate)

If found guilty, I believe there is broad consensus that any financial penalty applied would in effect be more symbolic than meaningful to the club.

Also, as a Liverpool fan, I would not support the stripping of titles and realigning to those that were second in any given year – although we were involved in some incredibly tight and exhilarating battles with Man City under the Klopp era, it does not sit right with me that we would be defaulted perhaps a couple of titles.

There is talk of relegation. Some may be enthused by this, but I don’t sit in that camp as in effect it would create just a 1 year problem for Man City (if moved to the Championship) and would also serve to distort an incredibly competitive championship for that season, with the massive financial prize of promotion being trimmed from 3 up and coming clubs to 2.

So what may be more appropriate ?

To me there should be some recognition of the period of time against which offences were deemed to have transpired, so I am drawn more towards imposing a points penalty over a number of seasons – for example, -15 points each season for the next 5 seasons. That would allow Man City to stay in the premiership and maintain their revenue streams from the TV money etc (removing the damaging need for a fire sale of players), whilst still having realistic options of getting into Europe, but with the handicap that it becomes far more challenging to win the overall premiership title ….but not impossible.

We’ll only be able to healthily move on from this protracted legal sh*t-show if we can be reassured that the eventual outcome was fair (be that guilty or not guilty).

Healing can only start effectively once the wound has been cleaned, but it looks like Mr Tangerine man will be president before that can start.

Sparky, LFC
(ps – saw a headline a couple of weeks back on another site for “Amorim Job Offer” – one of my cats was partially blocking the screen at the time of viewing, cutting off the first 3 letters of the title .. not ideal)

Shite comparison
Let’s talk about Rasmus and Gyokeres. Firstly the latter is in great form and has had a great few seasons. The last two in particular he’s really kicked on in. In that same time frame, Rasmus has been hit and miss. There are some really key points of difference though.

Firstly Gyokeres plays in a team that is set up to deliver service to him, and him only. The second goal scorer for Sporting last season was the man who largely played as his understudy – Paulinho – who plundered 15 league goals from 11 starts (but 20 sub appearances!) That team is setup to create chances for the forwards. United’s top scorers in the league were Rasmus and Bruno with 10. United were bobbins going forwards last season and especially bad at getting the ball to Hojlund. And we still are. If Haaland played for us, he probably wouldn’t fare much better.

But Rasmus still has scored a goal every three games for United and for a 21 year old that’s decent, especially when he’s not getting the ball in areas he can do damage.

And that’s the other big difference that’s worth talking about – Gyokeres is 26. He’s hitting his prime in a team that’s made for him. Rasmus is a young player, struggling to develop in a struggling team. Gyokeres is entering his prime in a team that’s made for him. Talk of Rasmus having six months to prove himself is frankly ridiculous and pretty much Will Ford on the wind up as always.

Where was Gyokeres 5 years ago I hear you say? On loan at St Pauli scoring seven goals in the Zweite Bundesliga. In fact, Gyokeres didn’t score a single top flight goal in any country until he moved to Sporting. Just 3 and seasons ago (by which time he would have been more than a year older than Rasmus is now, he just 3 goals in 30 championship appearances. Rasmus has 29 top flight goals 105 top flight appearances across four different countries in teams and leagues of differing styles.

Maybe United should sign Gyokeres. Maybe Amorim will make Hojlund as good as Gyokeres is now. Maybe both are true. But comparisons between a 26 year old playing for the best team in Portugal with two years of top flight experience and a 21 year old playing the most expensive league in the world are bogus. Come back in five years.
Ash Metcalfe

What changed?
I haven’t sent a message for a while and logged in to see Garey (are you sure you’re spelling your name right? ) Vance has managed to trigger everyone.

It’s honestly not as complicated as people are making it seem and it’s also not really tactical either.

Klopps footballing superpower was motivating people, generating that massive rush of positive emotions which make people try just that little bit harder. Make the crowd cheer just a little bit louder. It’s what enabled him to repair the broken character of the team and it’s fans. I remember the attitude at the time we were very much heading down the self loathing permafury man united fan route. Klopp saved us from that.

However , klopp wasn’t too great at managing emotions. Calming people down and instilling measured responses was something he didnt have in his locker. So while we were down and needing picking up he was great, but when we were up and running wild in need of someone dropping a gear he couldn’t do that. Which is why many klopp games were back and forwards basketball games, and why individual errors were so rife. You can’t live on that edge permanently without making errors.

Slot doesn’t do that. He is the beta blocker where klopp was adrenaline. Not having wild emotions in the team every two or three minutes reduces the amount of errors people will make. Which is why you see us defending much better. Everyone isn’t doing a mad dash to every square of grass, they’re choosing when and we’re to run and measuring the intensity.

We will always love klopp and be grateful for both saving and restoring the club but the Michael bay non stop adrenaline approach should never have been the long term plan and it’s not surprising it broke klopp as well. I said before slot got here that we would probably be much more boring with him in charge but also probably more successful. Seems that’s the case. They were two men for very different jobs.
Lee

New beau
I’ve been married for a long time but I still remember that feeling of a new relationship. The tummy butterflies, the giddy excitement, that part where you’re in rapture with them and can’t help but explain to everyone how great they are, basically love sick and stupid. Well despite the stringent claims of some there is definitely one Liverpool fan who’s head over heels smitten with their new beau.

Mr McDevitt talks a good game, one of patience and respect, but between the lines its looks like he’s found a new messiah. It started fairly innocuously, Paul was quick to explain how taking a great and successful team and keep them winning is far harder and more laudable than taking a bad team and making them great. Ok, you could make that argument but it does feel a bit ‘My new boyfriend got a big promotion at work, and like people were saying like its because his Dad is the boss but like that makes it so much harder because he has to prove himself, and like I’m just so proud of him…”

Then we got a football equivalent of ‘he’s just so dreamy’ when Paul felt the need to state how Slot, an elite football manager, is special because he’d rather win trophies with his team than receive a Premier League manager of the month award. Really, what a guy he must be. I think its safe to say this would apply to pretty much everyone.

The we get the classic comparison with ‘the ex’, the one who stole his heart and left with it. Klopp was great but Slot is more structured, more controlled, more fluid, and more flexible, he’s more synchronised too. Paul’s moved on, he’s taken down the pictures of Jurgen on his wall, they’ll be stored away just in case the new guy doesn’t work out, but for now he’s love sick and stupid for the new man in his life.
Dave, Manchester

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Slot > Klopp?
Paul McDevitt’s analysis of Arne Slot’s Liverpool is concise and detailed, it outlines changes introduced by him and the effects of those.  However it does come across as if Slot is an improvement on Jurgen (doesn’t go as far as “The Messiah” which some people would like him to do), I personally think it’s more of the system suiting the players we have and Slot embracing this.

We all know what Jurgen’s geggenpress won for us and how close to so much more. The basis of this was the Holy Trinity of Salah, Mane and Firmino, arguably the best front 3 ever seen in the Premier League (don’t write in about Rooney, Tevez etc, I said arguably), backed by 3 midfielders whose job was to get the ball to these 3 asap. Unfortunately trying to replace 2 of these 3 was nigh on impossible and I believe Jurgen belatedly recognised this and undertook the process of changing the way we play.  The signings of McAllister and Szboszlai support this as well as his “I should have played Harvey more” comment, more skilful, creative midfielders who will contribute more goals.  Let’s not forget that for most of last season, Liverpool competed very well on 4 fronts so a good start to this season is no surprise, should Slot go on to deliver more silverware then I’m sure he (as he has done) will acknowledge the quality of the squad he inherited and the foundations built by Jurgen. Hopefully his face will one day adorn a banner in his honor but as yet, he ain’t no Jurgen.
Howard (can imagine a shirt with “7 Slot” on) Jones

Big Weekend 
I was reading the Big Weekend piece this morning and specifically about the “team to watch-Liverpool” part. And do us fans embrace the fact we could win the league or do we play down our chances because we are afraid we might “bottle” it? (Despise that phrase BTW. It’s for the bottom feeders). The elephant in the room ( along with all their current baggage) is Manchester City. THEM. It’s almost as if my mindset is “Is there any point being 10 points (or whatever) ahead of them before Christmas?  They’ll go on a ridiculous run in the new year and that’ll be that”. Arsenal fans must thinking the same. Their team is currently experiencing what Liverpool had in the 2022-23 season-“post City fatigue” ie going toe to toe with City and the psychological gut punch that comes with the inevitability of just losing out. Only one team has bettered City in the last seven seasons. And that team were the best in Europe and got consecutive points total of 97 and 99 points. Insane. But back to Liverpool and this season. We are doing very well and could be good enough to win the league. But…THEM.
Derek LFC

Ruud awakening 
A new Ten Hag concept emerged this year and was repeated again last night, a bizarre rope a dope where Onana holds the ball outside his box for several minutes whilst nobody moves, then passes to casemiro who gives it back to him, and it starts again. The muggs are the most sterile immobile team in possession, they get life when they have half the pitch to run in.

Amorim has made it clear that players will dictate the system, Garnacho at wing back, no. I see complaints of martineau tackles, he needs to be careful, but they need him, Ugarte, Casemiro. mainly, Cazraoui to inflict pain so the rampant breakaway does not happen, no more nostalgia for mcfred.

Bruno must be dropped, for every chance, ten missed assignments. Rashford dropped, Amad plays, if Bruno can play within five yards of Hojland maybe, if not Casemiro for 60 mins, then eriksen. The press is a joke, they run around five yards from anyone then do not track anyone, that is why a static defence is always exposed. Even mount could get a go at 10, players who will not work kill the team, they are Bruno. Antony, Rashford. Blunderhof.

Also ruud must stay as a conduit, armorim knows none of the players not even ugarte, this is mid season and the only goal is respectability, a team that wastes even the marginal goal scoring opportunities it gets wins nothing, at present only saints, Ipswich, palace, Leicester, wolves. west ham have less upside, not even sure there, long winter ahead hope amorim has his physical and mental thermals, nothing sporting about this saga. Nothing further occurs.
Dominic

Typical F365 bias 
Yet once more, Big Weekend egregiously ignores the biggest game in world football at the spiritual home of football, London Road.

A disappointing start to the season sees Posh floundering somewhat; losing the entire first choice defence, most creative player and leading goal scorer doesn’t appear to have helped. Play offs look a bit of a stretch this season.

A win tomorrow would be a balm to a sore season and leave Cambridge (sorry for saying the C word) in no doubt as to who is the pride of East Anglia!
Dan

Mailbox fake contributors
Funnily enough when the topic of fake Mailbox contributors came up, the first one I thought of was Stewie obviously, then Eric Los Angeles.

Man (woman/bot?) claims to be a Liverpool fan but displays very little knowledge about their game but has an in depth knowledge about Man United. Seemingly watches enough United games to have nicknames for each player too. They are like a hybrid Stewie. Would have been too obvious to readers if Football365 made him a United fan.

Then they proclaim innocence in yesterdays mailbox which for me is the silver bullet. Eric (Will Ford?) you have been rumbled.
David, Ireland

Best XI
Best 11 from your team and the core rule is you must have 1 from each decade since 1940 (pre-war football is a reach and it’s my game) and no more than 2. For any spanning decades it’s the one during which they were at the club longest.

I have gone old school 4-4-2. Struggled with the 2010s and 2020s, for obv reasons.

GK
Schmeichel (90s)

Defence
Johnny Carey (40s)
Jonny Evans (10s – yikes)
Martin Buchan (70s)
Raphael Varane (20s – yikes)

MF
Duncan Edwards (50s)
Robbo (80s)
Sir Bobby (60s)
Beckham (90s)

Attack
Ronaldo (00s)
Best (60s)

Ps Paul McDevitt gave us a marvellous tactical mail. Bravo. Sure sounds like he has already put Slot on a pedestal above Klopp (“this makes Slot’s a little harder to defend against as not playing set patterns” – really? They don’t seem as potent but OK, pass me the kool-aid).
Garey Vance, MUFC

David de Gea really was phenomenal at Manchester United for a time. Aaron Ramsdale and Jordan Pickford have pulled off some belting saves before too.

Aaron Ramsdale v Liverpool
One of those I-can’t-believe-it saves where Darwin Nunez heads the ball from the six-yard box, wide of the keeper towards Ibrahima Konate to tap in, but somehow Ramsdale dives to the left and claws the goal-bound ball off the line, and in the process so earned his manager’s respect that he transferred him to Southampton, the club where dreams go to die.

David de Gea v Everton
De Gea pulled off many spectacular saves. This one was typical. A free-kick gets defended and the ball ricochets out to the edge of the box. It’s powerfully struck goalwards towards the top corner. The goalie somehow reaches up with his right hand and, at full stretch, deflects it over the bar. He did this all the time, with a seemingly telescopic arm. He does have a terrible haircut; perhaps that helped.

Asmir Begovic v West Brom
In a game for Stoke v West Brom, he pulls off an amazing trifecta of shot stops. First, a hard 30-yard drive is pushed out; he’s on the ground but gets up so quickly he’s in place to stop the striker scoring from the rebound and pushes it away. Yet the attack is not over and he has to deflect a third shot. It only takes a few seconds but West Brom can’t believe they’ve not scored. And to think, after 172 games for Stoke, a role as reserve keeper at Everton awaited 10 years later. Never think things can’t get worse.

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David de Gea v Chelsea
Another one of his telescopic-one-arm-outstretched saves. This time a Juan Mata free-kick is fired in from 30 yards and is going in the left-hand top bins. It’s right on the postage stamp and going at speed. It should have been a goal and had no right to be saved but the De Gea Stretch Armstrong elastic rubber right arm reached out over his head and deflected it around the post.

Manuel Neuer v Borussia Dortmund
This save is distinguished by both being athletic but also actually pouncing on the ball. A free-kick is hit low into the corner but Neuer is enormous and dives at full stretch to the right-hand post and with a massive paw places a hand on the ball and stops it on the line. It looks easy but you have to have quick reactions and to be able to elongate your massive body to get your hand over and on top of the ball and casually stop it.

Craig Gordon v Bolton
One out of the quick reactions play book. The ball is flying around the six-yard box, ricocheting wildly. Zat Knight – where did the 10 years since his retirement go? – stabs the ball at the goal from three yards and Gordon looks beaten but flings out his left arm with impressive speed and pushes it up and over the bar. To think, 14 years later he’s still Scotland’s best keeper, albeit at Hearts, one of the Premiership’s worst teams this season so far.

Joe Hart v West Ham
He might be one of today’s best pundits, and is certainly the one with the longest neck, but often he was decent in goal too. On this occasion, West Ham have a free-kick from 30 yards and it is struck hard to the top corner, only to see Joe crossing his area and reaching an arm out to deflect it away. Spectacular stuff and convinced enough people that he was England’s best.

Tim Howard v Wigan
Part of being a good goalkeeper is being lucky. Everton’s favourite American makes a fabulous point-blank save that you can hardly believe. The ball is crossed into the six-yard box and is headed from three yards out towards the goal. Powerfully too. Howard is crossing his goal with his left arm outstretched, exactly in the way of the ball and he deflects a certain goal away. Was it luck or skill? In September 2018, he became part-owner of Dagenham & Redbridge, y’know.

Jordan Pickford v Manchester City
He’s stopped Everton being relegated for years now, in his slightly-too-tight-across-the-backside shorts. Always good value for dramatic saves and for his histrionics to his dramatic saves. And he is a very good swearer. This save is a bit of a Jordan classic. The ball is driven in from the left to his left and he diverts it away into more players. A City player fires the rebound towards the left-hand side of the goal as Pickford is galloping across. It hits him hard in the head and bounces over the bar. This greatly amuses Jordan who laughs maniacally and punches the air in celebration.

Alisson Becker v Newcastle
Alisson is a fantastic keeper who routinely makes the sort of extraordinary save that would make Pickford burst into flames. Against Newcastle, he rushes out of his box to boot the ball off the toe of an attacking Newcastle player but it goes loose and Alisson scrambles back into his area in time to save a follow-up shot and deflect it away. A unique sort of double save.

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