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Miyazawa wins 2025 SheBelieves Cup with Japan

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Miyazawa wins 2025 SheBelieves Cup with Japan

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Miyazawa wins 2025 SheBelieves Cup with Japan

Thursday 27 February 2025 13:03

Manchester United midfielder Hinata Miyazawa continued her strong start to 2025 by helping Japan to win this year’s edition of the SheBelieves Cup overnight.

Our no.20 was introduced as a half-time substitute as her nation upset the odds by beating tournament hosts and favourites USA 2-1 at the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, to win the invitational round-robin competition for the first time in their history.

A second-minute opener from Yuka Momiki – who could face us with Leicester on Sunday – gave Japan the perfect start, and after Ally Sentnor quickly got the United States back on level terms, Feyenoord’s Toko Koga notched the decisive goal five minutes into the second half.

Hini played in all of Japan’s matches at the tournament, on the back of a standout spell of form for United.

Japan’s free-scoring form in wins over Australia (4-0) and Colombia (4-1) meant they went into the top-of-the-table clash level on points with ex-Chelsea boss Emma Hayes’s USA but only needing a draw to lift the silverware, due to their superior goal difference.

With the latter playing at home, unbeaten in 17 outings since Hayes’s summer arrival and having won seven of the previous nine iterations of the SheBelieves Cup, they were undoubtedly favourites, but it was Miyazawa and co celebrating success at full-time of the encounter played in front of 17,188 supporters in California.

It sees them join USA – plus the France side of 2017 and Phil Neville’s 2019 England team – on the list of champions since the tournament started nine years ago. Congratulations, Hini!

Miyazawa is not the only member of Marc Skinner’s squad returning to Manchester with a medal from international duty, either.

Simi Awujo and Jayde Riviere have been celebrating success at the Pinatar Cup with former United head coach Casey Stoney’s Canada, since Tuesday’s 7-0 win over Chinese Taipei.

That result was enough for our duo and their compatriots to win the annual invitational tournament in Spain, on the back of a draw with China and a 2-0 triumph against Mexico earlier in this international window. We love to see it!

Not a bad way to start 2025🏆❤️‍🔥 pic.twitter.com/tM2u9ohtr9

— Jayde Riviere (@jayderiviere) February 26, 2025

WHO ELSE HAS PLAYED THIS WEEK?

On Wednesday evening, United midfielders Grace Clinton and Ella Toone started for England in their narrow 1-0 victory over Spain at Wembley Stadium, in the UEFA Nations League.

Their club team-mates Maya Le Tissier and Millie Turner were unused substitutes for the Lionesses in the 2023 World Cup final rematch, at which Reds forward Rachel Williams was also presented with a special legacy cap honouring her 15 senior appearances for the national team.

Twenty-four hours earlier, Celin Bizet set up Elisabeth Terland for Norway’s opening goal of a 2-1 triumph over Switzerland in the same competition, while Dominique Janssen played the entirety of the Netherlands’ come-from-behind victory away to Scotland, who had Emma Watson as an unused substitute. 

Elsewhere, Nations League duty also called for the Republic of Ireland’s Aoife Mannion, who played the full 90 minutes as the Girls in Green were beaten 4-0 away to Slovenia.

Melvine Malard, meanwhile, was not called upon from the bench as France beat Iceland 3-2, with the services of young Reds Mared Griffiths, Scarlett Hill and Safia Middleton-Patel also not required for Wales in their 1-1 draw at home to Sweden.

Clinton celebrates with England’s goalscorer against Spain, Manchester City’s Jess Park.

Speaking of Sweden, Anna Sandberg featured for the country’s Under-23s for the second time this month on Monday, in a 4-1 win against Czech Republic.

At the same youth level, United goalkeeper Kayla Rendell kept a clean sheet as England scored the only goal against France in Stevenage on Tuesday, with Jess Simpson an unused sub for the Young Lionesses.

That was before England’s Under-19s beat the Netherlands on penalties, after a 1-1 draw in Wednesday’s meeting at the Albir Garden Tournament in Spain, where young Reds defender Lucy Newell was involved in the former’s matchday squad but didn’t make it onto the pitch.

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Thursday 27 February 2025 13:03

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From Italy: United launch “sensational swap deal” for Osimhen using Ten Hag flop to drive down price – report

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From Italy: United launch “sensational swap deal” for Osimhen using Ten Hag flop to drive down price – report

Manchester United have tabled an offer to Napoli of €40 million plus Rasmus Hojlund in a part-exchange deal for Victor Osimhen, according to a report from Italy.

Daniel Longo (Calciomercato) reveals the Red Devils have made a “first offer” for the Nigerian striker which would see the club’s current number nine head in the opposite direction.

The report describes Hojlund as a “disappointment” with United head coach Ruben Amorim “not satisfied” with a number of his players, including the Danish striker. Longo contends the 22-year-old has “not convinced” Amorim with Old Trafford officials searching for a new striker in the summer to improve the team’s misfiring attack.

United are currently languished in 14th in the Premier League with a negative goal difference and twelve losses already this season. Only five sides have scored fewer times than the Reds, with Hojlund and fellow striker Joshua Zirkzee combining for just five league goals.

Osimhen, by contrast, has 14 goals in 19 games in the Super Lig for Galatasaray after joining the Turkish champions on loan in the summer. The Nigerian international will return to Naples at the end of the season, however, and the 26-year-old has a release clause worth in the region of £65 million which becomes active in the summer.

This has put a number of clubs across Europe on red-alert given the paucity of reliable goal-scorers on the market at present, including Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and, of course, United. But the precarious financial situation at Old Trafford will limit the Reds’ ability to spend heavily in the transfer market this summer.

Furthermore, there are a number of position in Amorim’s side which require upgrades for the 40-year-old coach to successfully implement his 3-4-2-1 system, including right wing-back, central midfield, and a centre-forward.

As such, it makes sense for United to target Osimhen while using Hojlund as a makeweight to drive down the price, enabling the club’s budget to stretch to these other areas of the pitch.

Napoli hold a long-standing interest in Hojlund after the Dane established himself at Serie A rival Atalanta and the 22-year-old retains many admirers in Italy, despite his dismal form in England this season.

Longo reveals United will look to utilise this interest in Naples with an exchange offer of €40 million plus Hojlund for Osimhen. This price – £33 million – would be around half that of the Nigerian’s reported release clause, constituting a significant saving for the Mancunian club.

Whether this offer will be accepted at the Diego Armanda Maradona Stadium remains to be seen, however.

A report relayed by The Peoples Person – revealing Napoli would only consider an approach for Hojlund at a “fraction” of the £72 million price United originally paid for the 22-year-old – would suggest not.

Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

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

Which manager has spent the most on transfers this decade? Arteta? Guardiola? Ten Hag?

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Which manager has spent the most on transfers this decade? Arteta? Guardiola? Ten Hag?

Pep Guardiola is the only manager who has spent more than Mikel Arteta this decade. One has 11 trophies to show for it, while the other has one FA Cup.

Here are the top 10 highest-spending football managers since the 2020 summer transfer window. Figures are from Transfermarkt.

10) Graham Potter (£413.6m)
A single January transfer window at Chelsea is doing an outrageous amount of heavy lifting for current West Ham head coach Potter.

Potter’s Chelsea signings includes Enzo Fernandez for over £100million and Mykhaylo Mudryk for around £62m; he got two months out of them before being sacked.

9) Eddie Howe (£415.7m)
Head coach of the richest club in football, Howe has spent a little more than Potter on seven fewer players. His record signing is Alexander Isak for £60m and what a player he has been for Newcastle.

8) Ange Postecoglou (£420.7m)
Levy out, yeah?

After bringing a flurry of Japanese players to Celtic, Postecoglou has been backed with some big-money signings at Tottenham Hotspur.

Although Spurs have been very hit and miss during Big Ange’s tenure, a lot of his signings – from Dominic Solanke to Wilson Odobert – have impressed when fit.

7) Luis Enrique (£496.8m)
The first manager here to spend over 600 million euros, Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain spent a whopping £80m on flop Randal Kolo Muani and recently splashed out £60m on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Other signings include Joao Neves, Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola, who have all been outstanding in 2024/25 as PSG chase an unbeaten title-winning season in Ligue Un.

MORE F365 FEATURES…
👉 Premier League net spend table: Arsenal £200m more than Liverpool
👉 Mikel Arteta has been backed like Jose at Chelsea and won almost nothing
👉 Every Man Utd signing post-Sir Alex ranked: Alexis, Antony in bottom two, Solskjaer buy top

6) Mauricio Pochettino (£532.9m)
Having managed PSG and Chelsea in the last five years, it is no surprise to see Pochettino’s name high here.

The current United States boss had two windows at Stamford Bridge, signing the likes of Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer. Between January 2021 and July 2022 in Paris, Pochettino’s most expensive signing was Achraf Hakimi and he was the manager in charge of that potentially legendary window when Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Georginio Wijnaldum all joined on free transfers.

5) Jorge Jesus (£533.4m)
Jesus has made the most signings of these managers but is behind four managers in total, including former Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper, which should surprise nobody.

The 70-year-old has been at Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia since July 2023 and has been backed with signings like Neymar for £80m, Malcom for £50m and Ruben Neves for £45m.

4) Thomas Tuchel (£553.3m)
Tuchel will not be conducting any transfer business for a while as he prepares for his first England game, but he has managed Chelsea, Bayern Munich and PSG in the 2020s, making his inclusion inevitable.

Tuchel only had one Chelsea window under Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali but it was an expensive one and while working for Roman Abramovich, the German spent a fair whack.

Romelu Lukaku and Harry Kane are his two most expensive signings of the last five years, while Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella and Mauro Icardi also cost a pretty penny.

For all of his spending, Tuchel backed it up with a Champions League at Chelsea and Bundesliga title at Bayern.

3) Erik ten Hag (£613.9m)
Like Tuchel, former Manchester United manager Ten Hag has some silverware to show for his hefty spending, and boy will he not let you forget it.

With 23 signings at Ajax and United, the Dutchman wasted an unholy amount of money at Old Trafford. You might remember him for signing flops such as Antony, Rasmus Hojlund, Casemiro and Mason Mount.

He has actually signed Antony twice this decade so the odds are that he will rescue him from United when he lands another job.

2) Mikel Arteta (£647.8m)
Arsenal manager Arteta has found himself second on this list, which will raise some more uncomfortable conversations about him and the Gunners’ lack of silverware under his management.

To be fair to Arteta, the majority of his big-money signings have been successful. The jury is still out on Kai Havertz and other players like Riccardo Calafiori, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Thomas Partey, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus have been far too injury-prone since joining the Gunners.

With Liverpool running away with the Premier League title, the pressure is on Arteta to deliver the Champions League this term or a meaningful trophy in 2025/26, or be replaced by a manager capable of getting Arsenal over the line.

👉 READ MORE: Two 2024/25 signings in bottom four, Declan Rice third – Mikel Arteta’s 30 Arsenal signings ranked

1) Pep Guardiola (£804.7m)
It will probably not surprise anyone that Guardiola has landed in top spot here. The Spaniard has always been backed in the transfer market wherever he has been and Manchester City’s filthy-rich owners have been more than happy for him to get the players top of his wish list.

His most expensive signing is Jack Grealish, who has not lived up to the £100m transfer fee, but Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias and Erling Haaland have very much lived up to theirs.

👉 MORE: Bespoke Premier League tables | Premier League prize money table | Most expensive January 2025 transfers

Sam Allardyce warns United star against repeating “worst mistake ever” made by ex-teammate, it could “finish his career”

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Sam Allardyce warns United star against repeating “worst mistake ever” made by ex-teammate, it could “finish his career”

Former Premier League manager Sam Allardyce has urged Manchester United star Marcus Rashford not to make the same costly mistake that Jesse Lingard made a few years ago.

Rashford left United in the January transfer window to join Aston Villa on loan, having fallen out of favour under Ruben Amorim.

The forward had not looked the same since a prolific 2023/24 season, in which he plundered a career-high 30 goals across all competitions. Last term, he managed just eight in 43 appearances across all competitions – a return that came off the back of a new bumper contract worth in excess of £325,000 per week.

His inconsistencies spilled over into the current campaign and Amorim eventually elected to sanction his loan exit after exiling him from the team for a few weeks.

Rashford has enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance at Villa, with his best performance being last weekend’s electric 45-minute cameo against Chelsea. He registered two assists to propel Villa to a 2-1 comeback win over Chelsea.

Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Allardyce insisted we might see the best version of Rashford under Unai Emery.

Allardyce also urged the 27-year-old not to make the same mistake Lingard committed, when the midfielder elected to remain at United following a brilliant spell at West Ham. The Hammers were interested in signing Lingard permanently but he stayed at Old Trafford. This decision proved to be a poor one, as he failed to break into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans.

Lingard eventually left for Nottingham Forest but his time there was hampered by injuries and they released him after just one year. He is now on loan at South Korea outfit FC Seoul, where he is slowly but surely getting back to his best.

Allardyce said, “He [Rashford] doesn’t fit into that type of system. He’s got to prove himself for the first time in a long time.”

“As a kid, he had to prove himself by being good enough to break into United’s first team, now he has to prove himself to the Aston Villa players.”

“He’s going out there with a new manager and new teammates and that’s got to inspire him, rather than languishing at Man United.”

“It reminds me of Jesse Lingard, he was languishing at Man United and then Moyes rescued him.”

“Lingard made the worst mistake ever not going with Moyes to West Ham. He went to Forest and just petered out again and now he’s somewhere obscure in South Korea.”

Allardyce added, “This was an England international player in his early 20s. Players moving is the biggest thing you can do. If you’re stagnating at your football club, pack your bag and move on, because your football career will soon be finished before you know it.”

Meanwhile, United are back in action on Sunday when they welcome Fulham to Old Trafford in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Featured image Gareth Copley via Getty Images

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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!

“They said no”: Disagreements between Amorim, INEOS led to United failing to sign Martinez’s replacement in January – report

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“They said no”: Disagreements between Amorim, INEOS led to United failing to sign Martinez’s replacement in January – report

Manchester United suffered a major blow when Lisandro Martinez picked up a season-ending knee injury during the Premier League game against Crystal Palace earlier this month.

The injury came at the worst possible time for both the player and the club with United languishing perilously close to the relegation spots.

The Argentine was slowly regaining the form he had shown during his first season at the club, regularly stepping into midfield from the back and utilising his incredible passing range to break lines consistently.

And now, as relayed by Sport Witness, the Red Devils were offered the chance to sign a replacement for the World Cup winner on deadline day.

Licha’s replacement

Vélez Sarsfield president Fabián Berlanga revealed in a recent interview that he had offered United the chance to sign their 21-year-old highly-rated centre-back Valentín Gómez.

The Argentine is left-footed and has established himself as “one of the best and most promising young defenders in Argentine football”.

He had made 43 appearances last season, keeping 18 clean sheets during that time while also scoring once. Despite his relatively young age, he has already made 110 appearances for Vélez.

He was reportedly being eyed by the City Football Group (CFG) while Udinese had failed to sign him in the winter as well. As per Berlanga, the defender is also in the sights of the Argentina senior national team, which shows how talented he is.

And with the Argentine club in need of money after the Udinese move fell through, the president had offered the defender to the 20-time English league champions who ultimately turned them down after disagreements between Omar Berrada and Ruben Amorim.

United turned down the offer

“We gave him a very good contract for what Argentine football is. I have no doubt that he was going to be in the national team’s sights.

“Through someone I know, I asked Manchester United to find out if they wanted him because of Licha Martínez’s injury. It was divided between the CEO and the coach, and they said no. Velez are interested in selling him.”

Gómez reportedly has a £6.7 million release clause and it will be interesting to see if United return for him in the future given the timeline of Martinez’s return.

United have started scouring the South American market for hidden gems and Gómez certainly fits the bill. With CFG also sniffing around, INEOS could potentially do likewise by recruiting for one of their umbrella clubs — OGC Nice or FC Lausanne-Sport.

Feature image Rodrigo Valle via Getty Images

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Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25

Man Utd fan favourite is ‘an accident waiting to happen’ as more ‘dismal business’ is slammed

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Man Utd fan favourite is ‘an accident waiting to happen’ as more ‘dismal business’ is slammed

Man Utd have been told that Diogo Dalot is “an accident waiting to happen” with their sale of Aaron Wan-Bissaka to West Ham “more dismal business”, according to one journalist.

The Red Devils are going through one of the worst periods in the club’s history with Man Utd currently 14th in the Premier League after their narrow 3-2 win over Ipswich Town.

Man Utd managed to beat the Tractor Boys thanks to an own goal from Sam Morsy, a close-range finish from Matthijs de Ligt and a header from Harry Maguire.

A number of players have come in for criticism this season with the attacking players in particular facing a backlash over the lack of Premier League goals this term.

Dalot, who has become a fan favourite at Old Trafford, has largely avoided criticism this season but, after his performance against Ipswich, Daily Mirror journalist Ryan Taylor slammed the Portugal international as “an accident waiting to happen” and bemoaned the sale of Wan-Bissaka.

Taylor wrote on X: “Must be missing something with Diogo Dalot. He’s an accident waiting to happen. Can’t help but feel Aaron Wan-Bissaka would have been a great fit for Ruben Amorim’s system. Moving him on for £15m (& not extending his deal) was another piece of dismal business from Man United.”

Dalot lined up as right wing-back on Wednesday night against Ipswich, while January signing from Lecce, Patrick Dorgu, played in the same position but on the left.

MORE MAN UTD ON COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Man Utd insider claims Amorim is ‘destroying the morale in the dressing room’ after Ipswich win
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👉 Fernandes gives bleak assessment of Amorim system at Man Utd: ‘It’s not working’

And Dorgu had a game to forget for Man Utd with a mix-up between him and goalkeeper Andre Onana leading to Jaden Philogene’s first goal for Ipswich, before the Denmark international was later sent off.

Denmark manager Brian Riemer felt sorry for Dorgu as he analysed the 20-year-old’s mistake for Ipswich’s opening goal of the game.

Riemer said on Viaplay: “I feel for the boy. Everyone knows it’s not nice to be in a situation like that.

“But from the coaching side of the table, it’s worse if tactical decisions and individual skills are not good enough.

“From a coaching perspective, I can reassure him by saying it’s a real misunderstanding. It’s a communication error at some level, and of course it shouldn’t happen, but I think all defenders have experienced that.”

After the match, Man Utd boss Amorim defended Dorgu following the Dane’s sending off for a nasty challenge on Ipswich’s Omari Hutchinson.

Amorim said: “I know Dorgu well. He doesn’t want to harm anybody. Sometimes you overdo it. Players can make a mistake like Patrick today. The sending off, he wants to play the ball.

“He is ready for the Premier League. Last week he had a good performance against Everton. Now they (the critics) will say he is not experienced enough for the Premier League, but I don’t feel that way.”

Video: Roy Keane launches explosive x-rated rant on Bruno Fernandes and his teammates

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Video: Roy Keane launches explosive x-rated rant on Bruno Fernandes and his teammates

Manchester United are in the middle of one of their worst seasons in recent history with Ruben Amorim’s side stumped in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

The quality across Amorim’s first team squad is arguably the weakest it’s been since the inception of the Premier League and United are desperate to get to the end of the campaign to reassess in the summer.

Former United captain Roy Keane has been less than impressed with what he’s seen from United this season and launched an x-rated attacked on the players, with captain Bruno Fernandes coming in for particular criticism.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Keane was involved in a heated discussion with Arsenal legend Ian Wright on the current state of the United squad and didn’t hold back in his assessment.

“Talent’s not enough to play for a big club!” 😡

Roy and Wrighty clash over Bruno Fernandes’ impact as Man Utd captain! 😳

Is this the most explosive moment in Stick to Football history? 👀 pic.twitter.com/vzSQNcRIWV

— The Overlap (@WeAreTheOverlap) February 27, 2025

Keane cited United’s recent draw at Everton and the late FA Cup success against Leicester City as examples of the lack of desire in the side and picked out Fernandes, despite his individual moments saving both games.

“They draw at Everton, it’s like they won the cup. It’s f-cking bizarre. I see fans at matches and they’re singing for Bruno and I see these boys and I’m thinking ‘you’re f-cking imposters.’

We watched them in the FA Cup a few weeks ago. I watched them at Everton on Saturday. People pretend to be closing people down,” he said.

Wright replied that if it wasn’t for Fernandes United would be in a much worse position than they are now and claims Bruno is the last player Keane should be singling out.

However, the former United captain was not for turning and continued his critique the 30-year-old, who he feels needs to be doing more on the field.

“Save us, they’re 15th in the league, and he’s saving them? Praise the lord. Bruno is a talented player but talent is not enough. What’s he saving? 2-2 at Everton,” said Keane.

The Irishman also had strong words for Harry Maguire who he claimed “couldn’t even jump” in one of United’s recent games and said the squad as a whole must take responsibility for the poor performances this year.

“Forget the board and all that for a second. The players will walk on the pitch, so who do you start pointing fingers at? At some stage, players have to look at themselves in the mirror. Listen you’re 15th, 16th in the league,” he added.

Keane’s passionate rant will no doubt resonate with United fans but the truth is, without Fernandes, Amorim’s start to life at Old Trafford could have been a lot worse.

It was only Fernandes’ quality from dead balls that saved United from another horror show last night as lowly Ipswich Town could very easily have left Theatre of Dreams with something after another turbulent 90 minutes in front of home support.

Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images

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

“Future hangs in the balance”: Ruthless Amorim set to upgrade £50m star after another unforgivable error – report

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“Future hangs in the balance”: Ruthless Amorim set to upgrade £50m star after another unforgivable error – report

The future of Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana is “hanging in the balance” as sources at the club reveal the Red Devils may target a new number one in the summer, according to a report.

Give Me Sport reveals Old Trafford officials have been considering moves for “potential back-up goalkeepers” with the prospect of Altay Bayindir – the club’s current number two – leaving for more first-team opportunities elsewhere.

However, the report contends, Onana’s erratic displays, with the Cameroonian international playing a significant role in both of Ipswich Town’s goals in yesterday’s chaotic 3-2 win, may lead to “the No.1 shirt at Old Trafford being up for grabs.”

An Erratic Goalkeeper

Onana is a goalkeeping oddity in the sense the 28-year-old is an unorthodox shot stopper who relies on unusual techniques.

There are serious concerns over his fundamentals in goal with a series of high-profile mistakes since arriving at Old Trafford from Inter Milan in a £47.3 million move to replace long-term stalwart David De Gea.

And while Onana is capable of outstanding saves with incredible athleticism and reaction times, the former Ajax man is equally likely to produce moments such as the inexplicable mix-up with Patrick Dorgu for Ipswich’s first, or the bizarre reaction to the Tractor Boys’ second.

Goalkeepers are supposed to be the bedrock of a team. A calming influence on the defence who inspires confidence and is a source of strength and organisation. Edwin van der Sar, the Reds’ Champions League winning goalkeeper, was the epitome of this profile.

Onana, by comparison, is capable of saves Van der Sar could only dream of. Similarly, the Cameroonian is able to make long-range passes off either foot in a way his Dutch compatriot could rarely. But Onana also commits basic errors constantly which Van der Sar would make once in a blue moon, if that.

The United defence, and fanbase by extension, must be in a permanent state of anxiety when the ball goes near their goalkeeper. It’s this reason which undoubtedly played a role in Dorgu’s mistake last night.

The young Dane would have cleared the ball easily under strict instructions from Van der Sar if the Dutchman had been in goal. Instead, Onana rushes out to complicate matters and forces the inexperienced defender to make a bad decision, rather than guide him towards a good one.

Potential Replacements

Give Me Sport reveals James Trafford has been on United’s “radar since last summer” with the 22-year-old producing an impressive season in the Championship for Burnley.

Newcastle have been hotly linked with a move but the report reveals “Ruben Amorim could yet look to reignite negotiations and potentially offer [Trafford] the opportunity to challenge for the No.1 spot.”

“While a Trafford deal seems to be progressing with Newcastle, Manchester United still have a window of opportunity to make a move if they now decide to look more intensely at their options,” Give Me Sport concludes.

Similarly, Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa and Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel are long-term targets at Old Trafford with the report listing both as potential options to replace Onana if the club decides an upgrade is needed this summer.

Give Me Sport also reveals United’s interest in Atletico Madrid number two Juan Musso, but this would fall into the category of ‘back-up’ options rather than a direct replacement for Onana.

“Atletico Madrid’s Juan Musso has been mentioned in connection with the Red Devils, sources suggest that there is little interest in him becoming the club’s primary shot-stopper, given his current back-up role in Spain.”

It’s clear the pressure Onana is under is growing by the week at Old Trafford. And the fact the 28-year-old’s goalkeeping fundamentals are only likely to exacerbate this pressure, rather than alleviate it, does not bode well for his long-term future in Amorim’s side.

Featured image Clive Rose via Getty Images

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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.

Man Utd star ‘arguing with Amorim tactics’ is ‘on thin ice’ after latest show of disrespect vs Ipswich

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Man Utd star ‘arguing with Amorim tactics’ is ‘on thin ice’ after latest show of disrespect vs Ipswich

Alejandro is “ruining his career” after his latest show of contempt for Ruben Amorim and his decisions against Ipswich, reportedly “arguing with the tactics” of the Manchester United boss.

Garnacho was taken off at the end of the first half in the Red Devils’s 3-2 win over Ipswich after Patrick Dorgu was shown a red card for a horror challenge on Omari Hutchinson, and the winger was not best pleased.

He was clearly angry as he marched straight down the tunnel to the dressing room rather than sitting on the bench, before posting a picture of himself leaving the pitch on his Instagram story.

READ MORE: Man Utd pit of despair has fresh meat but Red Devils show welcome grit to beat Ipswich

Amorim offered a lame excuse for Garnacho’s reaction to being subbed and referred to the falling-out with Rashford which led to his loan to Aston Villa in January, before confirming he would “talk to” the winger about the incident.

Garnacho and Rashford were dropped from the squad for the win over Manchester City in December over a lack of effort in training, before Garnacho was restored for the following trip to Tottenham.

Former Liverpool and Aston Villa star Dean Saunders believes Garnacho is “ruining his career” having heard he’s also been “arguing with the tactics” behind the scenes.

“He’s walking on thin ice, Garnacho, he is,” he told talkSPORT.

“If you look at the league table, there’s not a player at Man United who can complain to the manager for not playing or getting brought off, look where they are in the league.

“And if he’s, from what I’ve heard, he’s arguing with the manager, he’s arguing with the tactics and he’s throwing his toys out the pram when he gets brought off.

“He’s going to ruin his career if he carries on.”

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Saunders, who previously managed Wolves, reflected on his coaching experience to explain how he would deal with Garnacho’s misconduct if he was in Amorim’s position.

“I used to say to the group, ‘Listen, your job is to go out and do your job in your role, whether it’s a striker, getting goals, making goals.

“My job is to pick the right team, give you some tactics with and without the ball, and then the only way I can affect the game is by making substitutions in the last half an hour.

“So if I bring you off, don’t take it personal, and don’t… There’s people stood behind me, directors and owners of the club.

“When you’re shaking your head walking off, how do you think I look standing in the technical area?

“‘Come and see me Monday morning, knock on my door and I’ll explain to you why I took you off. Don’t show it out there in front of everyone.’”

“I feel for the boy”: National team boss sympathises with United star who endured nightmare game vs. Ipswich

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“I feel for the boy”: National team boss sympathises with United star who endured nightmare game vs. Ipswich

Denmark national team head coach Brian Riemer offered support to Manchester United defender Patrick Dorgu after a night to forget in Wednesday’s 3-2 win over Ipswich Town.

Ipswich took the lead in the fourth minute through Jaden Philogene after a calamitous mix-up between Andre Onana and Dorgu.

However, United hit back and took the lead courtesy of a Sam Morsy own goal and a close-range strike from Matthijs de Ligt. The hosts were then reduced to 10 men when Dorgu was dismissed for a wild lunge at Omari Hutchinson’s shins with the scoreline 2-1.

Moments later, Philogene made it 2-2 as his cross crept past Onana. Ipswich appeared to be in the ascendency but Harry Maguire’s headed effort moments after the break restored United’s advantage. From there, Kieran McKenna’s side barely laid a glove on United despite having the numerical advantage.

After the match, Ruben Amorim launched a passionate defence of Dorgu, insisting that his challenge on Hutchinson was purely a mistake. Amorim also slammed any suggestions that the 20-year-old is not ready for Premier League football.

Denmark boss Brian Riemer was a pundit for Viaplay yesterday and gave his verdict on Dorgu’s performance.

Riemer said [as quoted by Campo.dk], “I feel for the boy. Everyone knows it’s not nice to be in a situation like that.”

“But from the coaching side of the table, it’s worse if tactical decisions and individual skills are not good enough.”

He added, “From a coaching perspective, I can reassure him by saying it’s a real misunderstanding. It’s a communication error at some level, and of course it shouldn’t happen, but I think all defenders have experienced that.”

Dorgu has made three top-flight appearances since joining United from Lecce in the January transfer window.

The match vs. the Tractor Boys was his home league debut and while it didn’t go according to plan, he will certainly learn from it and become a much better player from the experience.

The København-born man will now serve a three-match ban. He will miss the FA Cup tie with Fulham this weekend and the two Premier League matches against Arsenal and Leicester City next month.

Featured image Alex Livesey via Getty Images

Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

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

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