Premier League
Under-fire United boss Solskjaer hits out at ‘lies’, says players together in the trenches
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has backed midfielder Paul Pogba’s decision to publicly denounce a media report as “fake news” and vowed to fight back from the difficult position he has found himself in.
He came under intense criticism after United’s shocking 5-0 home defeat by Liverpool last Sunday (Oct 24) but ahead of Saturday’s (Oct 30) trip to Tottenham Hotspur, the Norwegian was in bullish mood.
Frenchman Pogba had posted a response to a tabloid media report that said he had “snubbed” Solskjaer and stopped talks over a possible new contract with the club, labelling it “fake news”and commenting: “Big lies to make headlines”.
“We expect to be criticised because, hands up, the performance wasn’t good enough, you expect to hear it from right, left and centre, but we don’t expect or can’t accept when lies are being made up,” said Solskjaer.
“Paul came to me and told me what he has put out on his social media account and … when it is blatant lies we have got to stand up and say so,” added the Norwegian.
“All the opinions and reports, fine but don’t make up lies about players or me,” he said.
The United boss has received a timely boost on the injury front, with French defender Raphael Varane fit again after missing the last two games due to a thigh injury picked up on international duty.
The only player who is not available for the trip to Spurs is Pogba, who is suspended after his red card against Liverpool.
Solskjaer confirmed he had met former manager Alex Ferguson during the week, after the 13-time Premier League champions attended a commercial event at the club’s training ground.
“I met him and spoke to him, just for a brief moment. I’ve been through some very bad moments here as a player and when I’ve been a coach and a manager as well,” he said.
“I’ve had to deal with setbacks, there’s probably been two or three crises at least since I became the manager here. One thing I can say is that I’ll always give it a good shot and fight back.”
-Reuters
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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