Premier League
AFTER CONCEDING 11 GOALS IN THREE EPL GAMES, MAN UTD’S OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER FACES SACK!
Manchester United have reportedly made contact with former Tottenham Hotspur coach, Mauricio Pochettino as a possible replacement for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Under Solskjaer, United are experiencing their worst Premiership opener in many years.
The Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side has conceded 11 times in three Premier League games so far this term, and pressure is mounting on the Manchester United boss after their 6-1 humiliation by Tottenham
According to London’s Daily Mirror, Mauricio Pochettino is back on Manchester United’s radar – thanks to former club Tottenham
Spurs 6-1 thrashing of United, and the shambolic nature of the Red Devils’ performance, has led to fresh questions over the future of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Norwegian’s men sank to the embarrassing defeat at Old Trafford, and could have conceded more as Jose Mourinho saw his side run riot on his former stomping ground.
Solskjaer, who led United to third in the Premier League and the Europa League semi-final last term, has seen his side concede 11 goals in their opening three Premier League outings this term.
That equals the top-flight record for goals conceded after three matches.
Now executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is making contingency plans. He is not prepared to sack the Norwegian in the current international break.
But he is a big fan of Pochettino and senior club chiefs, as reported by the Daily Star, have made contact with the Argentine’s camp.
Pochettino, who led Spurs to the Champions League Final in 2019, before being sacked last November, has made no secret of his desire to get back into management.
The 48-year-old has turned down a number of offers since, notably from Portuguese side Benfica, and has been linked with Barcelona.
But he has held off jumping in, preferring to wait for the right opportunity.
Manchester United are looking to plot their path back to the top. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already brought in Donny van de Beek but Jadon Sancho remains Manchester United’s number one target.
Thomas Partey, who formerly played for English Premier League soccer club Arsenal, has been charged with rape and sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday.
Partey, a Ghana international, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with the charges relating to three women and the offences reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, the statement said.
Partey’s management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Aug. 5.
Partey, 32, was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59 million) in October 2020 and became a key member of Arsenal’s first team.
He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing.
-Reuters
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Five players including England forward Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho have informed Manchester United that they wish to explore a future away from the Premier League side, a club source said on Friday.
Brazilian midfielder Antony, Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia and England international Jadon Sancho are also looking to leave the club, the source added.
Rashford, who has made more than 400 senior appearances for United, has fallen out of favour with manager Ruben Amorim, played for Aston Villa on loan while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.
Amorim had called Rashford’s work rate into question, saying he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.
Rashford said he was feeling fitter and better since joining Villa, where he scored two goals in 10 league appearances.
United also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho, who was a late substitute in the final, voiced his displeasure on social media after the loss.
“Up until the final, I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” he wrote in a post . “The final will influence (my decision), but the whole season, the situation of the club.”
Sancho was on loan at Chelsea, where he made 31 league appearances last season. Antony, who joined United from Ajax Amsterdam in 2022 for a reported initial transfer fee of more than $100 million, scored five goals in 17 LaLiga appearances on loan at Real Betis.
Malacia joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on loan in February.
-Reuters
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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down the opportunity to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in order to keep playing “at the highest level”, he said on Tuesday.
The Portuguese midfielder admitted that he had considered the move, which media reports said was worth four times his current salary, after being contacted by Al-Hilal’s president.
“There was that possibility, the president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it,” Fernandes, who is preparing to face Germany with Portugal, told reporters on Tuesday.
“It was a big offer, very ambitious. There was a waiting period for me to think about the future.”
Fernandes ultimately decided to stay at United and said he was motivated by his desire to continue playing at the top level and encouraged by his family and the club’s coach Ruben Amorim.
“I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so,” Fernandes added. “I spoke to the coach Ruben Amorim who really tried to talk me out of it. The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.
“I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career.
“It would have been easy to move there but I want to keep myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions and I feel capable of it. I am happy with my decision.”
The 30-year-old Fernandes scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions for United last season, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for the fourth time.
However, it was a season to forget for the team, as they finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league finish in half a century, and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
-Reuters
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