Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand launched a passionate defence of Alejandro Garnacho after the winger was accused of consistently making poor decisions on the pitch.
The Argentina international started as one of the two most advanced midfielders in Ruben Amorim’s preferred 3-4-3 formation.
Garnacho’s faulty execution was on full display, especially in one or two crucial counter-attacks that broke down because he failed to release the ball to Marcus Rashford early enough.
Ex-United star Lee Sharpe pinpointed this as something Garnacho needs to work on, as he labelled the forward “a little bit greedy.”
Ipswich defender Axel Tuanzebe was also very comfortable against Garnacho and hardly needed to break a sweat.
The United n.o 17 has since come under some criticism from a section of fans, who have highlighted his weaknesses. In the latest episode of Rio Ferdinand Presents, co-host Stephen Howson provided a scathing critique of Garnacho, claiming the Carrington academy graduate “has the decision-making of a cat. It’s awful.”
Howson added that he would drop Garnacho from the starting XI, in favour of an attacking trio of Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund.
Ferdinand wasn’t having any of it and responded, “Don’t talk about Garnacho like that. You can’t be perfect, he’s a kid man!”
“[Without Garnacho] no one’s running back, no one’s running in behind the opposition. I’d play Garnacho on the left.”
“This is a process we can’t expect them to look like the Sporting team now. It’s impossible, you can’t expect that to be the case.”
Garnacho will certainly be hoping for far better fortunes when United host Eliteserien outfit FK Bodø/Glimt at Old Trafford on Thursday.
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!
Christian Eriksen made his 100th Manchester United appearance during Tuesday’s Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest.
Eriksen is in his third year with the club having joined on a free transfer in the summer of 2022.
The Denmark international, who previously enjoyed spells with Ajax, Tottenham Hotspur, Internazionale and Brentford, has scored a total of seven goals for United.
Christian made his debut for the club in August 2022 against Brighton.
The 33-year-old made his first appearance for the club back in August 2022, as we were beaten 2-1 on the opening day of the season at Old Trafford by Brighton and Hove Albion.
Eriksen has lifted two trophies during his time with the Reds, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and also playing a part in last year’s Emirates FA Cup triumph.
He has played under three managers, beginning with Erik ten Hag and finds himself currently as an experienced member of Amorim’s squad.
Some of his best displays in a red shirt have come this season, notably during our 7-0 win over Barnsley in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
The former Ajax man scored twice in our thrashing of the League One outfit and also registered an assist for Alejandro Garnacho after 49 minutes.
Eriksen’s super strike against FC Twente was additionally named our Goal of the Month for September, as he caressed an effort in the top corner in the 1-1 draw.
Christian has enjoyed a solid season for United, as documented here.
Christian becomes the 226th Red and the third Dane to have chalked up 100 outings for United.
Goalkeeping icon Peter Schmeichel leads the way on 398 appearances, with Jesper Olsen behind him with a tally of 176 games.
Manchester United travelled to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest, looking for their first back-to-back Premier League wins of the season.
Andre Onana started in goal while Patrick Dorgu returned to the starting eleven after serving the final game of his suspension.
Diogo Dalot returned at right wing back, while Matthijs De Ligt, Leny Yoro and Noussair Mazraoui made up the back three.
Casemiro’s improved form saw him get a start alongside Manuel Ugarte while Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes started in the number ten positions.
Joshua Zirkzee was selected ahead of Rasmus Hojlund in the number nine slot.
Here are five things we learnt from the match.
United continue to be naive
The Peoples Person highlighted before the game that United would need to be careful on the counter against a dangerous Forest team.
It surely would have been something that Ruben Amorim and his coaching staff would have discussed at length in their preparation for the match.
It took only four minutes for United to overcommit themselves from a corner and the ball broke to their former player, Anthony Elanga, who charged through a terrified United backline to put the Tricky Trees ahead.
The Red Devils seem to be making gradual improvements under Amorim but just when there seems to be real progress, the players take a step back with a basic error or poor organization in key moments that stunt any growth as a functioning team.
United lack goalscoring threat
Amorim’s side kept the ball well and had 69% of the ball and 10 shots to Forest’s three in the first half.
They also clipped the bar with a Dalot header but no matter how much of the ball they had, they rarely looked like scoring in the first 45 minutes.
The sad truth is having Zirkzee, Garnacho, Casemiro and Dorgu in attacking areas is just not going to result in many goals at this moment in time.
A lack of goalscoring threat has been a huge problem all season as they have only scored 37 goals in the league before tonight’s match.
It is most definitely the most glaring issue that the club needs to solve this summer if they are to make the sort of progress everyone connected to the Red Devils yearns for.
United carried some threat from corners
The Red Devils have steadily improved this season from set pieces.
Bruno Fernandes has produced some free kick goals and assists from corners in the last few weeks and it looked one of the most likely avenues to score in a frustrating night for United.
Dalot hit the crossbar and Casemiro had a couple of free headers that he should probably have done better with. Garnacho also almost smashed in an equaliser in the second half when the ball was fired in across the box from another Fernandes corner kick.
Supporters of the club will hope that the team can continue to pose a bigger threat from set pieces than they have in previous years.
Garnacho’s wastefulness is a huge issue
On the one hand, it is difficult to judge a 20 year old who has very little in the way of a supporting cast of goalscorers.
In addition, the young Argentine doesn’t back down and never goes into hiding, as he always demands the ball in United’s attack.
Nonetheless, the wastefulness of the academy product is becoming a big issue.
He has only scored one goal since November and tonight he continued to blaze the ball high and wide when in good goalscoring positions.
If United are to take the next step as a team, they need more reliable goalscorers than Garnacho. Whether he can turn himself into one over the coming years, or will be given the opportunity to do so at Old Trafford, is another question.
Leny Yoro will be a star
The young Frenchman left the game after 88 minutes but put in an outstanding display.
He largely dealt with what was asked of him but really came to life in the second half.
Yoro chased down the electric Elanga and made an incredible last-ditch tackle to stop a certain goal.
The 19 year old also made a fantastic block moments later to prove that alongside Ayden Heaven, United have two very exciting young centre back talents on their books.
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.
Manchester United fell to a 1-0 defeat away at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night.
While the visitors largely dominated proceedings from beginning to end, one dreadful lapse in concentration led to their downfall.
Four minutes in, Man United made their intention known when Bruno Fernandes let rip a thunderous shot from far range to force a save.
Just moments after the subsequent corner, disaster struck. United alumn Anthony Elanga picked the ball up inside his own half, sprinting through the defence and slotting the ball past Andre Onana into the back of the net. 1-0 to the hosts after just five minutes of play.
In the 13th minute, United were back on the attack, refusing to lose hope following Forest’s early opening goal. Casemiro got his head on the end of a corner kick, only for his effort the breeze wide.
The hosts almost caught United off guard yet again with a rapid counter, however, that time, Elanga was closed down by the defence.
Yet again, United appeared dangerous from a corner when Matthijs de Ligt hammered a close-range shot at the goal, forcing Matz Sels to parry.
Half an hour in, Casemiro threaded the ball to Alejandro Garnacho on the right, who laid it off to Bruno Fernandes on the edge of the box, whose effort was blocked by the goalkeeper yet again.
Minutes before the break, Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo decided to make a double tactical change. Alex Moreno and Morato replaced Ola Aina and Danilo, signalling that the hosts had switched to a back five. Clearly, defence had become a priority for Forest.
As six minutes of stoppage time were announced, Morgan Gibbs-White swung in a threatening free-kick. Murillo thumped a looping header goalward, but Onana was well-placed to catch the shot.
On the stroke of half-time, United created an excellent build-up with Fernandes laying the ball off to Casemiro on the edge of the box. Despite having plenty of time and space on the ball, the Brazilian completely scuppered his chance by firing wide of the target.
Despite trailing, United actually produced a fine display apart from some poor shooting. In order to improve the team’s fortunes, manager Ruben Amorim simply needed to communicate to his team how they could improve their performance upon entering the final third.
Straight after the restart, United earned a corner, with Casemiro’s header forcing a save from an overworked Forest keeper.
Meanwhile, Amorim decided to take off Manuel Ugarte for Rasmus Hojlund, thus giving Fernandes the chance to drop into central midfield as Joshua Zirkzee shifted to the wing.
On the other end of the pitch, Ryan Yates sent a dangerous header goalwards to force an impressive save from Onana.
50 minutes in, Casemiro was booked for a sliding tackle on Yates. It was a poor lack of judgement from the midfielder who appeared to be losing his cool.
Eight minutes later, Garnacho fired wide in what was his latest in a series of poor shots. Meanwhile, Casemiro made way for Christian Eriksen.
The match then sparked to life with end-to-end action. Garnacho for on the end of a blistering attack, forcing a corner with his well-struck shot. The Argentine got on the end of the subsequent corner, only to blast his effort wide of the near post.
Neco Williams brought down Garnacho near the box, handing United a threatening free-kick. Fernandes whipped in a cross that found Hojlund’s head, but his shot bounced into the ground before being scooped up by Selz.
Hojlund did a good job of dribbling past two defenders in the box before passing back to Garnacho, whose shot was blocked soon after leaving his boot.
With little over 13 minutes to play, Eriksen was shown a yellow card for a mistimed challenge.
Mason Mount came on for Zirkzee, marking his return from injury. Soon after his arrival, he came close to equalising for United as his shot breezed inches past the far post.
With minutes to play, Amorim made a fascinating substitution. He brought on Harry Maguire in place of Leny Yoro, yet rather than dropping into his natural position at centre-back, he pushed up alongside Hojlund. Perhaps Amorim decided to use Maguire as a secondary striker given his aerial ability.
After six added minutes were confirmed, Patrick Dorgu set up Maguire with the exact opportunity he was brought on for. Dorgu sent a threatening cross into the box, only for Maguire to header the ball well wide.
At the death, Maguire took a shot that was cleared off the goal line, summing up what had been a frustrating night for United.
Despite a valiant performance from United, it just wasn’t to be as Forest held on for a narrow victory. Still, there were plenty of positives that Amorim could draw from the performance as he seeks to improve their fortunes as the season heads to its conclusion.
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.
Manchester United suffered a 1-0 loss at the hands of Nottingham Forest. Here are our player ratings from the game.
(A score of 6 is around average)
Andre Onana 5 – Well and truly beaten for Forest’s goal. Appeared to be easily wrong-footed.
Leny Yoro 7 – Seamlessly slotted back into the team after a short injury spell. Solid both on the right and left of the three-man defence. Confident on the ball.
Matthijs de Ligt 6 – Decent performance.
Noussair Mazraoui 3 – Very poor for Anthony Elanga’s goal. Had multiple opportunities to engage the Swede but failed to, allowing him to find the back of the net. Poor again moments later during yet another Forest fast-break when he opted against making a challenge, but luckily, it didn’t prove to be too costly. A game to forget for Mazraoui.
Diogo Dalot 7 – One of his better performances as a wing-back. Solid on the right and involved in some nice attacking plays. Delivered a number of dangerous crosses that were begging to be finished.
Manuel Ugarte 5 – A few poor touches and passes. Hooked at half-time.
Casemiro 7.5 – Made a number of brilliant line-breaking passes that helped United get past Forest’s blocks. Got his head one two or three corner-kicks but couldn’t quite find the back of the net.
Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu 4 – Unable to keep up with Elanga for the goal. Got into some promising positions forward but couldn’t make it count. Some sloppy moments.
Bruno Fernandes 6 – Tested Sels early with a powerful strike and later connected with a well-delivered cross from Dalot, but Sels comfortably gathered the header. Aside from that, not as influential as he usually is, although he pinged a brilliant over-the-top ball into the path of Garnacho in the second half.
Alejandro Garnacho 2 – Shambolic during the opening 45 minutes. Killed most of United’s attacks, overran the ball when dribbling and struggled to control his touches. Slight improvement in the second half when he switched to the left but he was wasteful once again and got booked for kicking the ball away.
Joshua Zirkzee 5 – A few good passes and hold-up play, including a brilliant flick that set Garnacho on his way. But didn’t offer nearly enough presence in the striker role.
Substitutes
Rasmus Hojlund 4 – No impact really. Fired a shot into the side netting during the opening stages of the second half.
Christian Eriksen 4 – Same as Hojlund. Didn’t make a difference.
Mason Mount 6 – Lively when he came on and came close to hitting the target with his first touch. Nice to see him back on the pitch.
Harry Maguire 5 – Went up top for the dying embers of the match and had a chance to score but couldn’t find the right connection with his head.
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!
In a reversal of years gone by, strugglers Man United are clear underdogs as they visit a Forest side expected to secure Champions League football.
They’ll be relying on vibes, momentum and a raucous Bridgford Stand to drag their tired legs through 90 minutes against United, having played 120-plus minutes on the back of an international break.
United were on broken legs before the break, never mind tired ones, but should be much fresher ahead of their midweek jaunt down the River Trent.
The opportunity to win three games on the spin for the second time this season isn’t to be sniffed at, and we think the visitors may be able to exploit the circumstances.
Nottingham Forest vs Man United prediction:
Forest were mocked for their previously fruitless spending spree upon promotion, yet this famous old club is on the verge of a romantic return to European football.
Unbeaten in 10 at the City Ground and in good form before the international break, it’s brave to suggest Forest could lose to a struggling Manchester United side on Tuesday night.
On the other hand, United have gone to Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal this season and come away with a positive result, and we think they can do the same here.
Forest played 120+ minutes of an emotionally charged FA Cup clash on the weekend, which is bound to have taken a toll physically. It would also be typical for a team to suffer a hangover on the back of such an achievement.
In addition to backing United, we think there will be goals. Tired legs are a factor, as is United’s leaky defence. Both teams to score feels nailed on and the game should open up late on.
Nottingham Forest team news
Chris Wood missed Saturday’s penalty shootout win against Brighton, which saw Morgan Gibbs-White suffer a heavy collision with the goalpost.
Both will be assessed ahead of Tuesday night, with the former expected to miss out and the latter on course to play some part.
Nuno may also have to consider the fact that a handful of international players had already played two games before the 120 minutes at the AMEX Stadium.
Despite that, it looks as if he has a fully fit squad. Mats Sels was a standout performer yet again, so he’ll continue in goal with Ola Aina, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo and Neco Williams in front of him.
Taiwo Awoniyi is the obvious choice to fill Chris Wood’s spot in attack, with Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga behind him.
Nottingham Forest expected line-up
Sels – Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, N Williams – Dominguez, Anderson – Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi – Awoniyi
Man United team news
United aren’t out of the woods just yet, but they did welcome Altay Bayindir, Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw and Tom Heaton back to training.
Patrick Dorgu will also return, having served a domestic suspension, so he’ll slot in on the left with Diogo Dalot on the right.
However, Ayden Heaven, Amad Diallo, Jonny Evans, Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez are still unavailable.
Bruno Fernandes will continue his starring role in the United midfield and will no doubt need to be the catalyst for a good performance once again.
Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee will retain their supporting roles, with Rasmus Hojlund, who finally scored against Leicester, starting up front.
Nottingham Forest vs Man United: How to watch and listen
You can watch Nottingham Forest vs Man United on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate. There’s also live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live Sport.
Nottingham Forest vs Man United stats:
– Forest are chasing their third consecutive home win against Man United and a first league double since 1992 when Brian Clough was in charge.
– Forest are unbeaten in 10 home matches across all competitions, winning seven of those.
– Forest have failed to win there eight times this season, and have failed to win 34 of 55 Premier League home matches since promotion.
– Man Utd are chasing three consecutive wins across all competitions for the second time this season.
– But, the Red Devils have yet to win back-to-back Premier League fixtures.
– Man Utd have avoided defeat in seven of 10 and four of their last five away matches.
Nuno Espirito Santo (Forest) quotes
On Man Utd threat:
“You can see the quality of the players and quality of the squad. They have quality all over the pitch. They have good options and solutions.”
On recovery from Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final:
“It’s very difficult on the players but we see them and they are recovering well. They are always being positive so we are confident we can perform again against a good team. In this short turnaround, it is all about recovering. We’re going to be OK.”
On league position:
“We are delighted. We are delighted that we’re going to play more matches and to have chances to perform, to improve and to grow as a club and a squad.”
On Callum Hudson-Odoi’s form:
“He’s improving. He has had some outstanding performances this season and is getting better and better. You have to have pleasure and enjoy who you work with and Callum is a happy boy playing and working with his team-mates.”
Ruben Amorim (Man United) quotes
On Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo:
“First of all, I am not surprised [by Forest’s strong season]. Because I know the work he did in Portugal, in Spain, I know he did really well here with Wolves. He went to Tottenham, started really well and things happen.
“I know he is a top manager, and you feel it in the team – the environment they have, when you see his team play, you can see the energy. They are so happy, they have mobility. I am not surprised.”
On busy schedule:
“I think it is also really exciting because they are really tough matches, but we already have that kind of schedule in recent weeks with less players.
“So it is really important for us to have all the players to fight and rotate during the matches. Different characteristics give us different opportunities to win matches.
“I know we have at least three matches in Premier League now that are really tough but the team are ready to face those games and the Europa League is also a key focus for us at this stage.”
On targets this season:
“You can say I am really confident. I feel the players are more confident, the energy is different. But I also know that can change with results.
“We are focused on maintaining the energy and we are working on some things we can improve a lot. Even winning the games, we can acknowledge that we have a lot to improve. But we are in a different moment, more confident and we are ready for the final two months of the season.
“I don’t know which place we are going to finish but we are looking up and we want to win games.”
On Rashford form with Aston Villa:
“We have a lot of games to play and I am focused on my team and my players and Rashford is not my player at the moment.
“But every player that performs well on loan is good news for my club so we are happy with that.”
Nottingham Forest vs Man United referee stats:
Jarred Gillett is the man in the middle for Forest’s clash with Man Utd as he takes charge of his 11th Premier League contest this season.
Gillett, who is thought to be a Liverpool fan, has been in charge of VAR for a number of Arsenal fixtures this season.
That’s a little unusual given the PGMOL policy of keeping referees with a conflicting interest away from certain teams or fixtures, though it’s fair to say Gillett is one of the better top-flight referees.
He’s dished out just 44 yellow cards and refrained from using his red card in the Premier League this campaign, which is no surprise given that he’s seen as an excellent communicator.
The Australian native took charge of Man United’s 1-1 draw with Man City in the Community Shield in August while recently watching over Forest’s 4-3 defeat at Newcastle, a game in which he awarded his third penalty kick of the season.
Bruno Fernandes would ideally like to leave Man Utd as a club legend, but while that’s unlikely, glory (and no Roy Keane) awaits him at Real Madrid.
Since Roy Keane insisted “talent is not enough” in one of his – and therefore anyone’s – angriest punditry outbursts, the Manchester United captain scored the only goal in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal, got a hat-trick in the 4-1 win over Real Sociedad and contributed to every goal in the 3-0 win over Leicester.
Keane was biting back at the suggestion that United would be in a relegation battle without their talisman after Fernandes had played key roles in the draw with Everton and the comeback win over Ipswich ahead of his war of words with Ian Wright on The Overlap.
His suggestion that all Fernandes has is “talent” in the middle of a run of seven games in all competitions in which the Portugal international has either scored or assisted 11 of United’s 15 goals was both ill-timed and clearly a load of b*llocks spouted as a result of his aversion to a footballer he would have handed both barrels on a weekly basis had they shared a dressing room. “What was all that arm-flailing sh*te?” etc. etc.
Fernandes has shown, not only in this recent sparkling run, but time and again for United that he is A Clutch Footballer, a man for the big occasion, a guy who has regularly overcome the challenge of collective mediocrity to drag his side through games and to win trophies. Has Keane forgotten the FA Cup final? Fernandes was the best player on a pitch featuring multiple Premier League and reigning Champions League winners by some distance.
Yes, he’s “talented”, but he’s also A Winner, who may sulk more than he shouts and show (entirely understandable) signs of frustration, but also routinely leads by example by scoring and assisting goals when his side needs him most. It’s that combination of quality and character that draws the interest of Big Clubs like Real Madrid.
Fernandes being ‘eyed as a potential successor to Luka Modric’ makes sense. Real Madrid spending £90m on a 30-year-old does not. If the 15-time Champions League winners do put that on the table, United would be mad not to thank the playmaker for his time and send him packing.
Even much smaller bids – which are likely this summer either from Madrid or other top European sides preying on Fernandes’ presumed desire to play at the top table and win major trophies – will be tempting for United given their well-documented financial woes.
And hugely intriguing for us punters, who would love to see whether United will indeed, as the majority of us suspect, be entirely f***ed without him, or if – as Keane would surely contend – his departure would be the catalyst for a culture change at the club which may prompt short-term pain for long-term gain.
Barring a very big offer, United should be rejecting bids for their captain. His departure is far more likely to be catastrophic than beneficial. The question is whether Fernandes still believes United can match the ambitions he made clear last summer, or if interest from a European giant may test his loyalty.
“I said to them [Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS]: ‘I don’t need you to promise me that we’re going to win the league,’ because no one can promise that. But at least that we will have a team to compete and be competitive throughout the season, to try to achieve silverware and to compete at the highest levels.”
They’ve failed him. This is the most uncompetitive Manchester United team in Premier League history. And beyond the lure of Champions League football and major trophies, Fernandes – much like Trent Alexander-Arnold – may also be attracted by the prospect of life away from the prying eyes of Keane and other English pundits, who are quick to criticise and whose praise has become increasingly begrudging.
Fernandes could stay at United and leave the club a hero having led them through the tough times and back to the top, but after six largely under-appreciated seasons which have seen him put up the sort of numbers that would ordinarily have seen a footballer already achieve hero status, he should be wary that his continued efforts will more than likely fail to reap the rewards and the acclaim he deserves.
A Manchester United player without a Premier League or Champions League trophy to their name won’t be remembered as a club hero or legend no matter their contribution to the lesser successes they’ve achieved in their time at Old Trafford.
And with Fernandes still considered by some to be A Problem who’s holding the club back despite him so clearly being streets ahead of his teammates, why wouldn’t he want the near-guarantee of glory that moving to Real Madrid brings? He owes Manchester United nothing; he’s probably given them too much already.
The resurgence of Marcus Rashford is excellent if embarrassing news for Manchester United, with Arsenal and Spurs loanees far less likely to join permanently.
The following players were the 10 most valuable Premier League loanees according to Transfermarkt at the time of their move; which should expect the arrangements to be made permanent and who will be back on the market?
10) Jesper Lindstrom David Moyes has his faults but there is a proud succession of forwards who have thrived under his coaching to suggest he might have some idea what he is doing. It extends to wingers and runs through David Eyres and Iain Anderson at Preston, to Steven Pienaar, Kevin Mirallas, Adnan Januzaj, Carlos Vela, Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen.
“You won’t have longevity if you’re not going to get me assists and goals. They both need to improve greatly on that,” he told current Everton incumbents Lindstrom and Jack Harrison early last month; Lindstrom promptly assisted a Harrison goal two days later.
But it will take far more to convince Everton to make the move permanent for what would be a sizeable portion of their budget. The Dane could hardly argue if it is decided that £19m could be better spent elsewhere.
9) Kalvin Phillips There is a fundamental sadness about the fall of Phillips, not least in that he is still yet to really establish where he now exists in the football food chain.
He might have cursed his luck at the cruelty of Rodri finally properly breaking down and a space in the Manchester City midfield opening up when he was halfway across the country, but Phillips was at least spared the ignominy of Pep Guardiola coming up with increasingly absurd ways of playing literally anyone else there instead of a £42m signing still depressingly contracted to the Etihad for three more years.
And even in the vanishingly unlikely event Ipswich stay in the Premier League, they will have neither the option nor inclination to make the deal permanent. Phillips might be best served reading up on how to play at right-back while crossing every phalange that Leeds don’t make a complete Leeds of another promotion bid.
8) Lesley Ugochukwu An incompatibility with Russell Martin did nothing to harm the reputation of Ugochukwu, but before the Frenchman’s rise to a more prominent role under Ivan Juric it would have been no surprise if Chelsea had recalled their asset early; the shock might have been them remembering he was theirs to begin with.
It has been a useful if chastening experience as a semi-regular Premier League starter for Ugochukwu, and the 21-year-old will be able to wash off the stench of a potentially historic relegation easily enough.
But he will not accompany Saints on their drop down a division. It also seems improbable that Chelsea will pretend Ugochukwu has a part to play next season before eventually banishing him to train with the youth team. He might even be promoted to an admin of the loanee WhatsApp group this summer. Strasbourg is meant to be lovely.
7) Jadon Sancho While most Chelsea loopholes essentially amount to selling an asset to themselves in some convoluted PSR scheme, the emergence that their obligation to buy loanee Sancho for £25m could be overwritten by a £5m charge was a welcome surprise.
It was long assumed the Blues would solve a considerable Manchester United problem when it became clear they would finish higher than 14th and thus meet the conditions to make the arrangement permanent. It was also understood that Chelsea would be happy with their side of the deal after Sancho scored two goals and assisted three in his first 10 appearances.
But a single assist in 18 games since early December has planted a seed of doubt in the minds of a team generally desperate to sign anyone just to feel alive.
6) Axel Disasi Chelsea received £5m in exchange for the temporary services of Disasi, but Aston Villa will start any race to sign the French centre-half in the same summer starting blocks as everyone else.
The Unai Emery effect helped Villa beat Spurs to the front of the queue of clubs wanting to borrow Disasi in January but no option, obligation or even right of first refusal could be negotiated with the Blues, who were reluctant to help a rival for Champions League qualification in the first place.
The outcome of that race will be crucial in determining Disasi’s future. If Villa can make the finances work while still offering elite European football, some mightily persuasive groundwork has already been laid.
That has understandably distracted from his other role on the pitch, with a solitary goal to show for his efforts in north London across 487 minutes in four competitions.
Spurs have an option to sign Tel permanently for around £45m at the end of the season but it doesn’t seem like an outcome the club or the player really wants, the experiment having worked for neither party.
4) Jean-Clair Todibo West Ham should ordinarily want to distance themselves from the era of Tim Steidten as much as possible but littered among the deposed technical director’s many expensive mistakes were a couple of potential gems.
The capture of Todibo from under the noses of Juventus was among them. The defender was not alone in finding things difficult under Julen Lopetegui and an ‘intense spat’ with the manager combined with injuries to limit his early opportunities.
But his renaissance since the appointment of Graham Potter has been clear and West Ham will happily hand over the £35m necessary to make Todibo theirs for good this summer.
3) Raheem Sterling It was ostensibly a mutually perfect transfer. Arsenal identified a cost-effective and ludicrously experienced option to provide cover in attack, while Sterling was granted a more stable environment in which to work under a familiar coach with whom he had previously enjoyed immense success.
The undoubted anticipation of being able to prove Chelsea wrong was a powerful motivator for both.
Yet it hasn’t quite worked. Even when Sterling produced his finest performance in recent memory against PSV before the international break, it was tinged with a booking which ruled him out of the Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid; the 30-year-old has as many yellow cards as combined goals and assists for the Gunners.
An attacking injury crisis should have been Sterling’s cue to step up but the lack of trust has been stark and he can hardly argue that such chances should have been made more readily available. Mikel Arteta’s faith is yet to be rewarded and an awkward return to Stamford Bridge awaits.
2) Evan Ferguson “From our perspective that is unfair to be honest,” Graham Potter said of criticism surrounding the slow curve on this Ferguson revival arc. “You have to see the context of where he was in terms of the minutes he’s played previously and how he was on his return from injury.”
Perhaps it was a case of absurdly unfortunate timing for West Ham but supporters who have endured their essentially strikerless recent performances might have been asking questions when Ferguson played 143 minutes over the international break, having managed just over 90 in five substitute appearances for the Hammers.
A well-taken goal for Ireland against Finland must be the catalyst for Ferguson to at least start upon his return to east London. From there, the pressure is on to rebuild what was once a £100m reputation, even if West Ham know the better he does over the next few weeks, the less chance there is they will be the long-term beneficiaries.
1) Marcus Rashford Fair play to Ruben Amorim, who since January has fielded basically the exact same questions at each increasingly laborious Manchester United press conference. Why is Sir Jim Ratcliffe like this? Why do you appear to have made things considerably worse for little discernible reason? Is Bruno Fernandes actually quite good? And how inherently embarrassing is it that apparently hopeless players improve immediately after leaving?
The bridges back to Old Trafford have been burned and that is fine. Amorim had his reasons for ostracising the club’s grossly under-performing highest-paid player and the foundations he hopes to lay are contingent on that sort of brick being painstakingly removed first. A proper judgement should be reserved for how Amorim properly replaces Rashford when the opportunity arises this summer.
But it would be exceptionally funny if Aston Villa are inspired to a Champions League and FA Cup double by a player a historically poor Manchester United felt compelled to force out, and most importantly fundamentally embarrassing even if it earns them £40m.
Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu and Leny Yoro return to the Manchester United starting XI tonight as they prepare to face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
There are three changes in total to the team that beat Leicester City 3-0 last time out.
Andre Onana is in goal.
The back three are Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.
Diogo Dalot and Dorgu are the wing backs.
Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro will start as the midfield duo.
Joshua Zirkzee, Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes are the front three.
Altay Bayindir also returns from injury and is on the bench. He is joined by Harry Amass, Victor Lindelof, Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Sekou Kone, Toby Collyer, Hojlund and Maguire.
Tom Heaton is also back from injury and travelled with the squad but does not make the bench.
Luke Shaw is back in training but is not yet ready to take part. Lisandro Martinez, Jonny Evans, Kobbie Mainoo, Ayden Heaven and Amad are all still injured.
Red Billy is the managing editor of The Peoples Person, author of three books and totally obsessed with football’s transfer market. Billy still insists Matteo Darmian and Alex Telles could have made it at United given half a chance.
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has made four changes for Tuesday’s game at Nottingham Forest.
It’s been some 16 days since the Reds last played Premier League football and United return after the March international break on a glorious evening at The City Ground.
Ayden Heaven, who is injured, and Victor Lindelof – on the bench – drop out, with Leny Yoro and Casemiro coming into the side.
Elsewhere, Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Hojlund are also among the substitutes as the Danes are replaced by Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu and Joshua Zirkzee.
On the bench it’s great to see England duo Harry Maguire and Mason Mount in our matchday squad too, after injury.
There is also an inclusion for 19-year-old Sekou Kone, who has featured regularly for our Under-21s this term and was also in the squad at Tottenham Hotspur in February.
Altay Bayindir’s place on the bench is also a welcome sight, while Harry Amass is also with the group, having made his professional debut against the Foxes last time out.
Man Utd are likely ‘to go a shade younger’ than Viktor Gyokeres in their search for a new striker in the summer transfer window, according to reports.
The Red Devils are having a nightmare season in the Premier League with Ruben Amorim’s side 13th in the Premier League as they enter the final nine matches of the season.
It looks unlikely that Man Utd will be competing in Europe next year, although they still have a chance of competing in the Champions League if they can win the Europa League this campaign.
One of the club’s main issues this campaign has been scoring goals with Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund coming in for plenty of criticism.
The Man Utd duo have only scored three goals each in the Premier League this season with only six clubs scoring fewer league goals than the Red Devils.
And now they are looking for a top centre-forward to come in and make an impact next season with Sporting CP star Gyokeres heavily linked to Old Trafford.
Gyokeres worked with Amorim at Sporting before the Portuguese head coach left to manage Man Utd but The Athletic journalist Laurie Whitwell has claimed that talk of a reunion between the pair has ‘been tepid’ at Old Trafford.
Whitwell reports:
‘The link between Gyokeres and United is clear given Ruben Amorim’s position as head coach at Old Trafford. Amorim got Gyokeres firing in Portugal with a system that suits him.
‘But talk of a reunion has been tepid at United because of the cost it would take to get him from Sporting CP and then pay commensurate wages. Gyokeres is 27 in June, and United might look to go a shade younger. Other options, such as Liam Delap, are already being explored.’
On who Man Utd might go for instead of Gyokeres, Whitwell adds:
‘As mentioned, Delap, who turned 22 in February, holds an appeal for United because of his age and the prospect of recruiting him from Ipswich Town in the event of their relegation. Technical director Jason Wilcox is a fan, having worked with Delap at Manchester City’s academy, and Delap’s record of 10 goals and two assists in the Premier League this season has strengthened his profile.
‘Sesko fits their profile and United have tracked him since 2018. They held talks for him in 2022, but did not feel he was ready for a starring role at Old Trafford, and then tried again last year only for him to sign a new contract.
‘United’s tight budget is a major factor in any options, including Victor Osimhen, whose wages would be an obstacle. Some kind of swap deal might make that deal more financially palatable, with Napoli holding an interest in Alejandro Garnacho.’
