Home Blog Page 1847

The story so far: Man-of-the-match Martial gets up and running in Greece

    the-story-so-far:-man-of-the-match-martial-gets-up-and-running-in-greece

    Anthony Martial may not quite have been £50m down the drain for Manchester United in 2015 but he is gradually outgrowing his price tag at AEK Athens, who picked him up on a free transfer in the summer.

    The Frenchman exploded onto the scene at Old Trafford, scoring a memorable debut goal against Liverpool, but is more of a slow burn for his new employers in Greece with one goal in four matches so far.

    After sitting out the first three games of the season, he was eased into the team from the bench against United’s Thursday night opponents PAOK then Panserraikos, his minutes slowly increasing.

    He marked his first start with a goal and a man of the match award, securing AEK a 1-0 win over Aris in the Greek Cup.

    It’s his first goal in 339 days, his last coming while still a United player in a 3-0 triumph over Everton.

    Less than a month later he played his last match in a United shirt as his Old Trafford career fizzled out through illness, injury and, ultimately, omission from Erik ten Hag’s plans.

    AEK have played once more since their cup win, a 1-0 win at Atromitos in which Martial played the full 90 minutes for the first time.

    As he has all season he operated from the left wing, but failed to make much of an impact either creatively or as a goal threat.

    He has averaged 1.3 shots per game and is causing defenders problems on the ball, averaging 2 successful dribbles per game (stats taken from sofascore).

    Overall, Martial is making a solid if unremarkable start to life in Greece, where he ended up after a summer of links with the likes of Atalanta, LOSC Lille and Flamengo.

    Eventually he moved to the OPAP Arena, where he reportedly signed the biggest contract the Athens-based side have offered anyone in their history.

    He lines up alongside fellow Premier League alumnus Erik Lamela, who used to play for Tottenham Hotspur.

    Martial departed United as a free agent after nine years, during which he racked up 90 goals and 47 assists in 317 matches.

    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.

    Arsenal told to consider Man Utd transfer hijack for ‘better version of Erling Haaland’

      arsenal-told-to-consider-man-utd-transfer-hijack-for-‘better-version-of-erling-haaland’

      Arsenal have been told to beat Man Utd to the signing of Viktor Gyokeres after the Sporting Lisbon striker is called a “better version of Erling Haaland”.

      Gyokeres scored a hat-trick as Sporting beat Man City 4-1 in a humbling defeat for the Premier League champions in Portugal on Tuesday night.

      New Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim masterminded the victory over Man City with the Portuguese coach not joining the Red Devils until November 11.

      And there have already been links that Amorim could take a number of his Sporting players with him to Old Trafford, including Gyokeres.

      The Sweden international has attracted a lot of interest from various Premier League clubs after scoring 43 goals in 50 matches in all competitions last term.

      And Gyokeres’ hat-trick against Man City on Tuesday night took his tally for the season to 23 in just 17 matches in all competitions.

      Former Tottenham star Rafael van der Vaart heaped praise on Gyokeres after the match and described him as a “better version of Erling Haaland”.

      And former Arsenal striker Alan Smith reckons the Gunners should compete against Man Utd and any other club who attempts to buy Gyokereres in January or the summer.

      Smith told Instant Casino: “I think having a more orthodox centre-forward than Kai Havertz would add to the Arsenal squad. I’m sure Arsenal looked at trying to sign one in the summer, but there aren’t many about, and if they are about then they’re going to cost a lot of money. A centre-forward of quality in January would be brilliant for the club if they want to challenge for the title.

      MORE ARSENAL COVERAGE ON F365…
      👉 Arsenal legend ‘knows’ Arteta ‘dreamt’ of signing £50m star over ‘panic buy living a nightmare’
      👉 F36Skive: Name the Thierry Henry-inspired Arsenal XI that tore Inter apart…
      👉 Five Premier League sporting directors Arsenal could steal in search for Edu replacement

      “Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting is hot property, isn’t he? Ruben Amorim might have eyes on him for Manchester United, but he’s young, he’s of that profile that Arsenal need and he’s been knocking in goals for fun so far this season. At the moment, you’d say he’s the one making all the waves, so I’d like to see Arsenal make a move for him.

      “Havertz has had a really good season so far – he’s picked up goals and led the line well – but having that more forthright presence through the middle would certainly be a great option for Mikel Arteta to have. It clearly wasn’t to be for Arsenal in the summer regards signing a striker so let’s see what they can do in January.”

      It was announced earlier this week that Edu will be leaving his director of football position at Arsenal but Smith doesn’t think it will derail the club.

      Smith added: “I don’t think Edu leaving as sporting director will interfere with the results on the pitch for Arsenal. The dressing room won’t be overly concerned, I’m sure the wheels are already in motion preparing for both the January transfer window and the one in the summer.

      “They’ve got to get the right person in who’s of a certain quality, though. Arteta is so single-minded so I think he’ll only be focusing on the team and how they can improve throughout the season. It won’t affect them on the pitch.”

      READ NEXT: The ridiculous stats of Erling Haaland: More Champions League goals than Neymar

      Man Utd warned over ‘risky PSR situation’ as Amorim faces ‘pressure from day one’

        man-utd-warned-over-‘risky-psr-situation’-as-amorim-faces-‘pressure-from-day-one’

        Man Utd face a “risky situation” around the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) if they don’t qualify for the Champions League, according to former Everton chairman Keith Wyness.

        The Red Devils have made a terrible start to the new Premier League season with Man Utd currently 13th in the Premier League table and looking miles off the pace of their rivals.

        Man Utd have won just three of their first ten Premier League matches with only Crystal Palace and Southampton scoring fewer goals than the Red Devils this term.

        They are already 13 points adrift of Premier League leaders and arch-rivals Liverpool, while they are six points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, who occupy the final Champions League qualification place.

        And, with their big spending in the summer transfer window, former Everton chairman Wyness reckons Man Utd will be close to breaching PSR rules if they fail to qualify for the Champions League two seasons in a row.

        It cost Man Utd a lot of money to sack Erik ten Hag and appoint Ruben Amorim over the last week and Wyness insists the Portuguese coach needs to hit the ground running at Old Trafford.

        Wyness told Football Insider: “Yes, they are now right on that line for PSR.

        “The interesting thing is that we know they are on the New York Stock Exchange. If there is a material risk of them breaching PSR, that will have to be declared to the market.

        “I’m very intrigued by that situation. They’ve had a very poor start to the season.

        “If they’re not going to make Champions League next year, unless Amorim can bring a big resurrection in the second half of this season, then that will also add PSR pressure.

        “They’re in a risky situation, so Amorim needs to deliver the goods. There’s pressure on him from day one.”

        MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
        👉 Ferdinand claims Amorim ‘will scare’ Guardiola as he’ll ‘bring’ four ‘elements’ Man Utd are ‘lacking’
        👉 Owen names Man Utd star who won’t play under Amorim as he predicts starting XI
        👉 Wright claims summer signing ‘won’t make it’ at Man Utd as Amorim responds to Gyokeres link

        Ruud van Nistelrooy has been guiding Man Utd through their last couple of matches as interim boss and Gary Pallister reckons Amorim should keep the Dutchman on.

        The former Man Utd defender told luckyblock.com: “My advice to Rúben Amorim would be to keep Ruud van Nistelrooy in the setup as it could be beneficial to him.

        “He understands the club and knows the ins and outs of it really well, so he’ll have the knowledge that other coaches coming in from the outside won’t. The fans love him too – you can tell that by the way they reacted to him becoming interim manager.

        “Ultimately, it’s down to Amorim though. If he feels that he needs a clean cut and that it should just be his staff, then that’s his decision. Having said that, I think it would be a good thing to have somebody who really understands Manchester United and Old Trafford.”

        Pallister added on Ten Hag’s sacking: “The question about who should replace Erik ten Hag had been going around for months before he was sacked.

        “I always thought Mauricio Pochettino was the right man for the Manchester United job. He’s obviously working in the US as their national team coach, but he was free earlier in the summer when the club was still weighing up their options.

        “I didn’t really know much about Rúben Amorim before his name came up and he doesn’t appear to have that much experience of managing at the top level, but there seems to have been a good reaction to his style of management in Portugal. He’s won a couple of league titles over there and is a young manager. I like the cut of his cloth and the way he talks – it looks like he’s got some intelligence behind him.

        “The fact he has a style if play that he favours will work well too, because nobody really knows what Man United’s style of play on the pitch is at the moment, so that will hopefully be a refreshing change.”

        “Left a lot to be desired”: Sir Alex’s right-hand man blasts Ineos for “confusing” actions

          “left-a-lot-to-be-desired”:-sir-alex’s-right-hand-man-blasts-ineos-for-“confusing”-actions

          Manchester United are in the dawn of a new era with INEOS taking control of the sporting structure at Old Trafford and the new minority owners are already making their presence felt.

          Erik ten Hag has been replaced by an exciting young coach in Ruben Amorim with Ruud van Nistelrooy taking charge in the interim period.

          However, this came after the new board granted Ten Hag a one-year extension to his contract in the summer, even after registering United’s lowest ever Premier League finish.

          Former coach Mike Phelan, who has seen his role chopped in recent years, albeit before INEOS’ arrival, has spoken out on the process which eventually led to the club making a change in the dug-out.

          Speaking to Laurie Whitwell from The Athletic, Phelan believes INOES have fumbled their first major decision with regards to sacking Ten Hag and the drawn-out public saga that saw him be granted a stay of execution in the summer.

          “The decision-making has probably left a lot to be desired. It’s a strange one that they go so far, look for new managers, then win the FA Cup (last season), back him to the hilt, bring in new staff, spend a lot on players, then change their minds. It’s quite confusing,” he said.

          The 62-year-old continued to question the route INEOS are going down with regard to staff cuts at the club and wonders whether the right people are being left in situ.

          “It’s a completely changed environment (at United) now. They’ve got rid of a lot of people — some good people.

          It needs streamlining in the right areas but has it still got that unity it had when it was successful? There is more exposure now to open up those cracks,” he added.

          Phelan admitted the “the proof of the pudding will come further down the line”, but with “a lot going on”, he clearly feels INEOS have a lot of work to do.

          With Amorim taking charge of first fixture after the international break, United need to navigate two further home games before the new head coach officially starts his reign as the sixth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

          Van Nisterlooy’s side face POAK in the Europa League on Thursday night before the visit of Leicester City in the Premier League on Sunday.

          Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

          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.

          United forward sparks injury concerns but two other stars return ahead of European clash

            united-forward-sparks-injury-concerns-but-two-other-stars-return-ahead-of-european-clash

            Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has been spotted in individual training at Carrington, sparking fears that he may have picked up an injury and is not fully fit.

            Rashford has so far made 15 appearances across all competitions, registering seven goals and three assists in that period.

            Interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy started him in both of United’s last two matches against Leicester City and Chelsea in the Carabao Cup and Premier League respectively, but took him off before the final whistle.

            Ahead of the Red Devils’ Europa League clash vs. PAOK FC, Rashford was spotted by journalists undertaking an individual session with a fitness coach at the club’s training complex.

            Hopefully, it’s nothing too serious and the England international is available to Van Nistelrooy for selection against PAOK.

            However, there is some good news for United fans, with Leny Yoro and Antony back in training.

            This is the first time Yoro has trained with his teammates since sustaining a fractured metatarsal in pre-season, following his move from Ligue 1 outfit Lille.

            He has yet to make his competitive debut for United but a recent report covered by The Peoples Person relayed that he could be available to feature immediately after the international break, when the Reds travel to Portman Road to take on Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town on November 24. The match is set to be Ruben Amorim’s first as head coach.

            Chris Wheeler posted a video of Yoro being welcomed back by his teammates.

            According to Fabrizio Romano, Amorim is eager to work with Yoro.

            Antony was carried off with an ankle injury during United’s meeting with Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce on October 24.

            He was seen leaving the stadium on crutches while also wearing a protective boot but it seems the issue was not too serious.

            United vs. PAOK kicks off at 20:00 BST.

            Feature image Michael Regan via Getty Images

            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!

            Ruben Amorim and the three-letter word that should excite Man Utd fans

              ruben-amorim-and-the-three-letter-word-that-should-excite-man-utd-fans

              As exhilarating as it was to watch Sporting hammer Manchester City, knowing that certain elements of the UK media would get incredibly giddy (Maybe Ruben really IS the new Sir Alex’, says the back page of The Sun), we were at pains to note that this told us absolutely nothing about how Manchester United would look under Ruben Amorim.

              This is not a scenario that will ever be repeated at United. There will be no over-emotional send-off that results in such a slow start that City are allowed 80% possession to create chance after chance for an oddly misfiring Erling Haaland. United would never play so deep at Old Trafford; there would be boos raining down from the stands if they lined up with anything akin to a back seven.

              And perhaps, most tellingly, Manchester United do not have a striker who has scored 48 goals in 2024; Bruno Fernandes is Man Utd’s top scorer over the same period with 13. It’s not comparing like with like, or even fish with birds, or chalk with cheese puffs.

              We know the formation and instinctively know which players are going to prove too square for round holes but we can only guess at its efficacy with this squad. We know there is something rotten in the state of Manchester United, but we don’t really know if it can be fixed.

              But what we did learn on Tuesday night was that Amorim absolutely knows all this. He was at pains to point out that this was a “one-off” and that “at Manchester United you cannot play exactly like this. You cannot play so defensively and so there we will have to adapt”.

              This is so rare for any manager to admit, never mind one who has just engineered a 4-1 win over probably the best team in Europe. He admitted they were “lucky” and warned against extrapolating any information from that game to the Premier League.

              Yes, he has a system that has proved incredibly successful in the Portuguese league, but he is taking over a team in the doldrums of 13th in the Premier League. They have no momentum. They have no learned processes. They have very little except a famous name and a rich history which has been largely untouched by anybody currently at the club.

              MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
              👉 Owen names Man Utd star who won’t play under Amorim as he predicts starting XI
              👉 Man Utd insider reveals player Ruben Amorim will ‘definitely’ attempt to buy
              👉 Ferdinand claims Amorim ‘will scare’ Guardiola as he’ll ‘bring’ four ‘elements’ Man Utd are ‘lacking’

              And Amorim knows all this. He won’t be tricked into saying he can make Manchester United great again or that he is anything approaching special. We cannot imagine him imploring fans to ‘trust the process’. He pulled off a momentous win and immediately said ‘nope, that doesn’t tell us anything, we were lucky’. Can you imagine Erik ten Hag saying that? Mikel Arteta?

              But the most important word he used on Tuesday night was ‘fun’. He is leaving a massive pair of loving arms in the midst of incredible, almost unprecedented success to move to a club in crisis with players that do not match his system and have been worn down by poor decisions made at every level, and he is talking about ‘fun’. And even ‘very fun’.

              It’s been a long time since anybody saw Manchester United as potential ‘fun’. A project, yes. A challenge, yes. A Sisyphus-style utterly thankless task, yes. But fun? That gets us far more excited than a smash-and-grab victory on a night when City officially entered CRISIS mode.

              “It all depends on…”: Sir Alex’s right-hand man reveals huge concern over Ruben Amorim

                “it-all-depends-on…”:-sir-alex’s-right-hand-man-reveals-huge-concern-over-ruben-amorim

                Mike Phelan has expressed concern over the club’s decision to appoint Ruben Amorim as manager given the his relative lack of experience and questions whether the 39-year-old will be able to implement his tactical set-up at Old Trafford.

                Phelan, the right-hand man to Sir Alex Ferguson during one of the most successful periods in Manchester United’s history, believes there are striking parallels between the hiring of Amorim and the club’s previous incumbent, Erik ten Hag.

                “Everything leading up to it with Amorim and Ten Hag seems like the same talk. Same qualifications, Sporting being one, Ajax the other,” the 62-year-old states. “Amorim is certainly not an unknown, he’s got experience in Europe, but it seems to be the same sort of remit. You wonder whether Manchester United need a seriously experienced manager.”

                And it’s a lack of experience at the top level which Ralf Rangnick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – the two previous managers before Ten Hag – both lacked as well, suggesting Phelan’s view holds some weight.

                However, both Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal possessed glittering CVs with success at a host of Europe’s biggest clubs, and they too fell foul of the same fate as their less experienced successors.

                Rather, it appears United need a “seriously experienced” executive structure which puts in place the correct conditions for a manager (or head coach) to succeed. And that is exactly what INEOS – who gained full control over the football operation at Old Trafford in February – have focused on in the first year of their tenure.

                Omar Berrada and Dan Ashworth, the club’s Chief Executive and Sporting Director respectively, are considered two ‘best-in-class’ appointments but were only able to begin work at United in July. By this point, INEOS had already decided to stick with Ten Hag following an end-of-season review.

                This choice, however, appears one borne out of a lack of viable alternatives than any meaningful belief in the Dutch manager. But it was a decision made without the Chief Executive or Sporting Director being in the building.

                And following United’s dismal start to the new campaign, with the team demonstrating many of the same issues which plagued last season, Berrada and Ashworth appear to have made up for lost time by moving quickly to replace Ten Hag with a candidate who is clearly their choice.

                The hope will be that the structure above Amorim at Old Trafford will provide the 39-year-old coach with everything he needs to be able to coach his new side to the best of his ability; which was on clear display in last night’s thrilling 4-1 dismantling of Manchester City in the Champions League.

                Phelan believes the 3-4-3 system favoured by the Portuguese coach is “great if you can get it going”, as Sporting were able to do yesterday, but he questions whether the United squad will be able to adapt to it: “It all depends on what he has got at his disposal.”

                Berrada and Ashworth, and by extension INEOS, will hope their new man will have whatever he requires at his disposal in order to succeed where so many others have failed in the post-Ferguson malaise at Old Trafford.

                Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

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

                Wright claims summer signing ‘won’t make it’ at Man Utd as Amorim responds to Gyokeres link

                  wright-claims-summer-signing-‘won’t-make-it’-at-man-utd-as-amorim-responds-to-gyokeres-link

                  Arsenal legend Ian Wright doubts Man Utd summer signing Joshua Zirkzee will “make it” in any formation that Ruben Amorim deploys at Old Trafford.

                  The Red Devils appointed Amorim on Friday but the Portuguese coach will not move to Man Utd until November 11 ahead of the next international break.

                  Man Utd are currently 13th in the Premier League table having won just three of their ten matches, while only Crystal Palace and Southampton have scored fewer goals than them.

                  Increasing the Red Devils’ goalscoring output could be Amorim’s biggest challenge initially at Old Trafford with Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund unlikely to be prolific this season.

                  And Wright doubts Zirkzee – who signed from Bologna for £36.5m in the summer –  will ever succeed at Man Utd from what he’s seen from the Netherlands international so far.

                  The Arsenal legend said on his Wrighty’s House podcast: “Do you know something? When I look at the strikers at Manchester United, I look at [Rasmus] Hojlund and Zirkzee.

                  “Going forward, as a United player to take the club to the level they need to be – top-four, Champions League, title challengers – I can’t see in any formation Zirkzee making it from what I’ve seen so far.

                  “I can see it with Hojlund, he looks like a future player with better players around him. He gives me the impression that if he gets in and around the box and he gets chances, he can go hot.

                  “I don’t see the same with Zirkzee. I look at him and his movement, I don’t see anything in his game that makes me think, “okay, there he is, I see what he can do”.

                  “I see that in Hojlund and some of the others. I can see them easily levelling up but I feel for Zirkzee.

                  “United still need a striker. Whether they turn Marcus [Rashford] into that or they get a top striker in, they need one, to go alongside Hojlund and maybe for Hojlund to be the back-up.

                  MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
                  👉 Owen names Man Utd star who won’t play under Amorim as he predicts starting XI
                  👉 Man Utd insider reveals player Ruben Amorim will ‘definitely’ attempt to buy
                  👉 Ferdinand claims Amorim ‘will scare’ Guardiola as he’ll ‘bring’ four ‘elements’ Man Utd are ‘lacking’

                  “I’m trying to think of Ruben Amorim coming in and who he’s going to play. Zirkzee will need to go through some massive transformation to play in the team ahead of other players.

                  “He’s definitely not a natural goalscorer. I’m still waiting to see it from him.”

                  Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres, who scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Man City on Tuesday night, is one striker who is being linked with a move to Man Utd, with rumours ramping up after Amorim’s appointment.

                  When asked if he is interested in bringing Gyokeres to Man Utd, Amorim replied: “I’ve just made peace with the Sporting fans, I’m not even going to make a joke about it.

                  “Gyokeres is a Sporting player, which is a great club, he did a lot for it, he was in the second division, he just has to stay and finish the season at Marques.”

                  When asked the same question in a different interview, Amorim said: “No, no, no. I cannot be funny with that in this moment.

                  “It was tough for me to leave, if I start joking about that with Gyokeres, I’ll have problems. This is my city, this is my country, I will respect.

                  “Viktor has to stay until the end of the season and then his life is going, maybe, somewhere else.”

                  United to welcome back former academy gem in must-win European encounter at Old Trafford

                    united-to-welcome-back-former-academy-gem-in-must-win-european-encounter-at-old-trafford

                    Manchester United take on PAOK Salonika FC tomorrow night in their fourth match in their Europa League campaign.

                    The Red Devils have drawn the opening three matches of the competition and are desperate to record their first win of the league stage, as they sit in 21st position in the table.

                    United have never played the Greek side before, in what will be an historic meeting between the two clubs.

                    With former players Facundo Pellistri playing for Panathinaikos and Anthony Martial for AEK Athens, United have more connections with Greek football than they usually do.

                    Here are three storylines to get fans buzzing for a crucial match and Ruud van Nistelrooy’s only European tie in charge as interim head coach.

                    Shola Shoretire return

                    The 20 year old joined the United academy in 2013 but eventually left this summer after the expiration of his contract.

                    Shoretire played five times for the senior side, making his debut off the bench in 2021 as a 17 year old against Newcastle United.

                    He was unable to get many chances in the first team and decided to sign for the Greek side in the summer, where he has played in eight matches and scored one goal.

                    He has had to make do with limited action in the Europa League so far, only playing seven minutes off the bench but he might expect to get more action at his former side and where he made his professional debut.

                    If he is to play any minute of the match tonight, he will likely receive a strong welcome from the Old Trafford crowd.

                    United’s wonderful home record against Greek opposition

                    As is to be expected, United have a very strong record against sides from Greece, especially at home.

                    According to The BBC, “Manchester United have won all six of their home games against Greek sides by an aggregate score of 20-1.”

                    In addition, the Red Devils have scored three or more goals in their last five UEFA competition matches at home against Greek teams, so will be hoping for a morale boosting victory tonight.

                    Previous results have included a 3-0 win over Olympiacos FC in 2014, when a Robin van Persie hat trick overcame a 2-0 defeat in Greece in the last-16 of the Champions League during the David Moyes season.

                    United also beat Panathinaikos at home 5-0 in 2003.

                    PAOK have lost five of their last six away matches in the UEFA Europa League competition proper, as they sit 30th in the league standings with one point from three matches.

                    United aiming to break poor European streak

                    The match against PAOK tomorrow night starts a run of objectively easier European fixtures after away days in Porto and Istanbul, and United certainly need it after their latest run in Europe.

                    They are without a win in over a year since unconvincingly beating FC Copenhagen 1-0 at Old Trafford last October, with only a last-gasp penalty save from Andre Onana preserving the three points.

                    “Manchester United are winless in six major European matches, drawing four and losing two, their worst run since 1980 to 1983. They have never previously gone seven without a win.”

                    In other words, should the Red Devils fail to win tomorrow night, they will not only make qualification an uphill task but they will also go down as the worst United team in European history.

                    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.

                    Owen names Man Utd star who won’t play under Amorim as he predicts starting XI

                      owen-names-man-utd-star-who-won’t-play-under-amorim-as-he-predicts-starting-xi

                      Michael Owen has predicted Ruben Amorim’s regular Man Utd starting XI when he begins work at Old Trafford later this month.

                      The Red Devils moved quickly on Friday to appoint Amorim as Erik ten Hag’s successor after the latter was sacked on the previous Monday.

                      Amorim’s appointment has already excited Man Utd fans who are hoping they can finally get back to challenging for Premier League titles again for the first time since 2013.

                      Man Utd are currently 13th in the Premier League after just three wins in ten matches, while only Crystal Palace and Southampton have scored fewer goals than the Red Devils.

                      And Owen predicts that Amorim will stick to the 3-4-3 formation that has been so good to him at Sporting Lisbon, moving Man Utd away from a back four.

                      Owen reckons Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez and Leny Yoro will make up their back three once the latter – who has yet to play a competitive match for the Premier League club – has recovered from injury.

                      Predicting Amorim’s side at Man Utd, Owen told Premier League Productions: “I think that’s an important position for Ruben Amorim.

                      “Amorim has a reputation of having that central defender come into the midfield a little bit so that player has got to be decent on the ball.

                      “De Ligt and Martinez either side are aggressive defenders, they like being up against strikers, so that middle player has got to be good on the ball and Yoro fits the bill.

                      “I think if everyone is fit that’s the back-three he would pick.”

                      Some favourites under Ten Hag could be left out with Owen claiming that the new Man Utd boss will probably go with Manuel Ugarte over Casemiro.

                      “He can only pick 11 players and we did debate Ugarte or Casemiro, it was a bit of a toss of a coin between the two.

                      “But we just felt he would go with Ugarte because he’s played under him before, that might just tip it in Ugarte’s favour.”

                      MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
                      👉 Man Utd ‘plot fresh bid’ for PL star who ‘would suit’ Amorim’s playing style after £12.6m ‘offer’
                      👉 Man Utd star ‘bang out of order’ over shock report about summer signing who ‘regrets’ transfer
                      👉 ‘Fear’ that Amorim ‘wants’ to re-sign ex-Man Utd man when he arrives at Old Trafford

                      Former Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey added: “They won the league together at Sporting, Ugarte clearly understands the manager and will know what he expects from him in that position and in the formation he likes to play.

                      “Casemiro has had a great career and is still a quality player, I’m sure there’s more to come from him, but I think Ugarte just pips him given the experience he’s had with him previously.”

                      Owen thinks Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford will be deployed as two number 10s behind the sole striker in Amorim’s team.

                      The former Man Utd striker continued: “It’s important to mention that these two players play almost inside in a lot of his formations.

                      “They are not necessarily wide players so they come in and play more like number 10s and that plays into Bruno’s favour.

                      “With those players coming inside, you could ask, can Rashford play inside? I think he can. I think he’s got decent vision.

                      “He’s not going to play otherwise unless he ends up playing him up front instead of Hojlund. I think Rashford will start but it will be in that more inside position.”

                      Ramsey also gave his opinion on Rashford, he said: “Rashford has loads of quality. Hopefully he gets a new lease of life under the new manager and he can reach the levels he has in the past and be a bit more consistency.

                      “He’s an unbelievable player on his day. In this system, I feel he can be suited in the little pockets and holes.”

                      Andre Onana, Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot, Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Hojlund make up the rest of Owen’s predicted line-up for when Amorim has a fully fit Man Utd squad.

                      1...1,8461,8471,848...1,861Page 1,847 of 1,861