Lamine Yamal is poised to make more history at Barcelona, with the teenage wonderkid set to smash a record currently held by Ansu Fati.
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Whether Erik ten Hag remains as Manchester United boss next season remains unclear after a disappointing second season in charge.
The Red Devils finished eighth in the Premier League with a goal difference of -1, their worst league record in over 30 years.
It could very well be that even an FA Cup victory over Manchester City this weekend won’t be enough to save the Dutchman, although a victory would enhance his chances.
With that in mind, there is a potential replacement for Ten Hag, and one who could truly get the very best out of Bruno Fernandes too.
Man Utd’s search for a new boss
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Man United could be set to move for Mauricio Pochettino if INEOS and Co decide to part ways with Ten Hag.
The Argentine shockingly left Chelsea on Tuesday after a mutual agreement, yet he could bounce back to management right away.
It seems that the relationship between the club and the manager was one of the main reasons for his departure, as he was reportedly “hugely popular among the players.”
United have previously been interested in making the former Tottenham Hotspur boss their manager, but what sort of impact would he have on the side if he were to join?
Pochettino’s potential impact on Bruno Fernandes
It’s fair to say that both Chelsea and United have underperformed this season on every front, but one thing that’s clear is that the Blues ended the campaign on a much stronger note.
Pochettino’s side finished in sixth place, three points above the Red Devils in eighth, with 15 points from their last five games helping them leapfrog the Manchester club.
Chelsea vs Man Utd 23/24 PL Stats
Stats
Chelsea
Man Utd
Position
6th
8th
Goals scored
77
57
Goals conceded
63
58
Shots (per game)
14.4
14.5
Possession
58.9%
50.5%
Big chances created (per game)
3.2
2.1
Via Sofascore
As you can see by the table, Chelsea were a much more complete team this season than United, scoring far more often and playing a much more attacking style of play.
This is the type of football that the United faithful have missed this season: a possession-based approach that enables more control and dominance, which will massively benefit Fernandes in particular.
The Portuguese magnifico is the catalyst for anything positive in an attacking sense for United, creating 14 more big chances than the second most in the squad, and with Pochettino proving to have the ability to take attacking players in particular to the next level, the attacking midfielder must be licking his lips at the prospect of playing under him.
Just take Cole Palmer’s performance this season as an example. The number 20 has been absolutely immense under the instruction of the Argentine, scoring 22 goals and providing 11 assists in 29 starts.
In all honesty, that’s a level of output that the United captain can certainly reach, having scored ten goals and registered eight assists this season in the league.
What Pochettino is best at is allowing his players to express themselves, particularly the creative outlets in his 4-2-3-1. Just think of the heights Dele Alli reached under Pochettino. Whether it be by giving midfielders more positional freedom in possession or enabling them to take risks on the ball, in that sense he is certainly the "genius" that journalist Alex Keble called him.
Bruno's 23/24 PL Stats
Stat
Bruno (Squad rank)
Goals
10 (1st)
Assists
8 (1st)
Shots on target (per game)
1.2 (1st)
Big chances created
21 (1st)
Key passes (per game)
3.3 (1st)
Tackles (per game)
1.9 (4th)
Via Sofascore
For the next few years, the Old Trafford rebuild has to be based around the number eight, as he’s the heartbeat of the team and by far United’s best player, as shown by the fact he ranks first in the squad for so many statistics, including key passes, goals, assists, and shots on target.
As displayed since his arrival, Fernandes is the definition of a player who could win a game on his own, an individual who can turn nothing into something, and Pochettino’s guidance will without doubt help him flourish even more than he already does.
Man Utd want to sign £70m star who could help turn Hojlund into a monster
The United target could be their own version of Phil Foden.
ByTom Lever May 21, 2024
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has quite the task on his hands when it comes to transforming Manchester United, starting with this summer's transfer window and potentially finding the perfect partner for rising star Kobbie Mainoo.
Man Utd transfer news
The Red Devils have gone from top four qualification and a Carabao Cup victory under Erik ten Hag to capitulating in a disappointing second season to leave the Dutchman's future in doubt, even despite another chance to win domestic silverware. That said, it's an important summer for the manager at Old Trafford, who could see several improvements made to his side.
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Among those may well be Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, with the Red Devils reportedy willing to offer the centre-back a salary increase in order to lure him into an Old Trafford switch in the coming months. When it comes to solving United's defensive problems, welcoming Araujo would go a long way for Ten Hag.
It's not just the backline that could see summer improvements, either. Recent reports have also linked Frenkie de Jong with a move to the Premier League giants, as United look to finally land a long-term target in a deal for another Barcelona star. De Jong would provide an ideal balance between Mainoo and the future partner Ratcliffe may have lined up.
According to Fussball News, Manchester United sent scouts to watch Assan Ouedraogo ahead of a potential summer move to sign the 17-year-old Schalke midfielder. It remains to be seen just how much the Red Devils would have to splash out, but the prospect of 19-year-old Mainoo sitting alongside another teenage gem in Ouedraogo is certainly enticing enough to meet whatever Schalke's price-tag may be this summer.
They're not alone in their interest, however, with Newcastle United, Manchester City and teams in Germany and Italy also sending scouts to watch the young German in the 2.Bundesliga this season.
"Exciting" Ouedraogo can match Mainoo rise
It's a sign of the positive transformation that Ratcliffe is attempting at United that Ouedraogo is among the names being eyed this summer instead of players who are arguably past their prime in the middle of the park. Thinking about the future rather than players who may hand Ten Hag short-term improvements should be the focus, in planning that will go a long way in helping the Red Devils return to the top of English football for good.
Ouedraogo, at 17 years old, has earned links with teams of such calibre and, in-turn, the praise of Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, who described the midfielder as "exciting". Largely used as a box to box midfielder or in the number ten role this season, the teenager has scored twice and assisted twice in 15 league matches, and standing at 6 foot 2 should already have the physicality to complement Mainoo's guile.
Mainoo is a similarly exciting player and getting the best out of the England international should be one of the priorities at Old Trafford, which welcoming fellow young gem Ouedraogo would accelerate significantly, rather than falling back on the likes of Scott McTominay and Casemiro.
West Ham United have now reportedly made a final decision on the future of manager David Moyes, according to one journalist this week.
West Ham boss David Moyes' contract situation explained
The Scotsman is out of contract on June 30, and if he is indeed to leave, it will mark the end of one of West Ham's most successful eras in recent history.
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The east Londoners are moving very early.
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Moyes has guided West Ham to their first piece of major silverware since the 1980s, winning the UEFA Europa Conference League in Prague last year, as well as achieving European qualification in each of his full campaigns since 2020/2021.
The Scotsman arrived for his second stint when West Ham were right in the thick of a relegation dogfight, and their transformation with limited resources has been nothing short of remarkable.
Mohammed Kudus
7.19
Lucas Paqueta
7.16
Jarrod Bowen
7.09
James Ward-Prowse
7.05
Alphonse Areola
6.91
However, there have been some complaints by sections of the fan base over Moyes' dogged style of play, and West Ham appear to be finishing 23/24 on a whimper as things stand. They face crashing out of the Europa League with Bayer Leverkusen holding a 2-0 first-leg advantage in their quarter-final tie, and they've won just once in their last five league games.
Moyes actually claimed earlier this season that a new deal offer was on the table.
"I've had really good conversations with the owners, with David Sullivan and Karren Brady," said Moyes on his contract situation.
"There's a contract there for me and I'm the one deciding I want to wait until the end of the season. There are plenty of reasons [to wait]. I've got to make sure it's the right thing for the club, for me and my family. I've spoken to the board. I've had a fabulous four years. We'll sort it out but I'm happy to wait."
However, this has since been refuted by credible media sources like insider ExWHUemployee.
“There have been provisional talks over a new deal for David Moyes,” stated Ex.
"However, I’ve been advised that at no point it’s been put forward for signing. The manager possibly was referring to an agreement but that’s provisional, but not in front of him to sign."
Now, as per journalist Pete O'Rourke, it appears West Ham have made a decision over whether or not to move forward with Moyes.
West Ham "set to part amicably" with Moyes
According to his information, in a report for Football Insider, West Ham and Moyes are "set to part amicably" at the end of this season.
Chiefs are keen to go down a different avenue to Moyes' defensive brand of football, while the manager himself is also eyeing up a fresh challenge after his memorable second stint in charge at the London Stadium.
As such, West Ham are believed to be kickstarting their contingency plans to find a replacement.
“As of now, I’ve not been informed [of] anything… if the team requires me to bat wherever, I am ready to bat,” he says
Karthik Krishnaswamy in Hamilton14-Feb-2020
Hanuma Vihari punches on the off side•Getty Images
With Rohit Sharma out of the New Zealand tour with a calf injury, a place has opened up at the top of India’s Test-match batting line-up. The warm-up game in Hamilton was supposed to help them resolve the question of who would open alongside Mayank Agarwal in the first Test in Wellington, but their first innings only complicated the issue. Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill were both out for ducks, to balls that bounced disconcertingly from short of a length, and Agarwal extended a run of lean form by edging behind for 1.It’s still unlikely, but a different, left-field option may have presented itself to India’s team management. Hanuma Vihari has opened before, at the MCG, and while he only made 8 and 13, he spent 80 minutes at the crease in the first innings, and nearly an hour in the second, helping see off the new ball and earning the praise of his captain Virat Kohli.Batting at No. 6, Vihari made 101 at Seddon Park on Friday, and while he didn’t face the new ball, there was still seam and extra bounce for the fast bowlers when he came in, and his unhurried, close-to-the-body technique was just what the Indians needed at 38 for 4.It would be harsh to judge the three regular openers for their failures in one innings, in difficult conditions, but with Agarwal struggling for form and with Shaw (two Tests) and the uncapped Gill low on experience, Vihari could be an option for India to consider. This, of course, leaves the question of who bats at No. 6.ALSO READ: Shubman Gill wary of Neil Wagner’s short-ball threatAll this is speculation, of course, and India might not even pause to consider the idea of Vihari opening. He certainly hasn’t heard any such talk just yet.”As a player, I am prepared to bat anywhere,” Vihari said at the end of the day’s play. “As of now, I’ve not been informed [of] anything. As I’ve said before as well, if the team requires me to bat wherever, I am ready to bat.”Whenever he bats, there’s a sense of calmness about Vihari, a sense that he has a plan and won’t be swayed from it too easily. Here, he found the extra bounce surprising, but along with Cheteshwar Pujara – with whom he would eventually put on 195 – formulated a plan to deal with it.”The talk was to bat time and to see off the new ball,” he said. “Obviously they were bowling in great areas and the wicket had good bounce, extra bounce, more than what I’ve experienced in New Zealand before. So I took some time to adjust and once I knew what shots I had to avoid early on this wicket, maybe horizontal [-bat] shots, I tried to avoid that.”Vihari said he was pleased to have worked out a way to adjust to testing conditions.”At the international level, you have to be thinking on your feet,” he said. “And I was quick enough to adjust my game according to the conditions, so whenever I bat next, New Zealand or Australia, wherever it is, it is up to me what I want to do with my game and how quickly I adjust and I’m happy that I could do it.”Once Pujara and Vihari settled in, the New Zealand XI briefly attempted to bounce both batsmen out, with Scott Kuggeleijn, who took the first three wickets, going around the wicket and peppering them with short balls. Neither batsman was unduly troubled with this tactic, but Vihari knows he might have to face more of it in the upcoming Test series, particularly from Neil Wagner.”We experienced that [in India A’s unofficial Test series] against New Zealand A as well,” Vihari said. “When the wicket flattens out, they try to experiment with the short balls and I’m sure even Neil Wagner will come up with the same ploy.”We’ve seen it before in the Australian series and the home series for them. We are prepared for it. We’ve got that good experience in India A as well. They did come up with short balls when we played against New Zealand A. Today as well they bowled quite a number of short balls. It’s good exposure for us.”The bounce at Seddon Park may have been a surprise, but the grass cover was fairly typical of New Zealand pitches in red-ball cricket. Vihari expects more of the same in the Test series.”Maybe we’ll get pitches like these,” he said. “Because their [New Zealand’s] strength is fast bowling, so maybe they’ll give this much grass or a little less. They have a very experienced bowling attack but it’s good that we got some time in the middle and we experienced these conditions. They were tough and it’s good to experience tough conditions before the series and we’re happy with the way the day went.”
Celtic are currently sat at the top of the Scottish Premiership table during the international break after their 3-1 win over St. Johnstone last weekend.
Goals from Kyogo Furuhashi, Nicolas Kuhn, and James Forrest put the Hoops 3-0 up before a late consolation strike from Connor Smith for the away side finished off the scoring.
They are now one point clear of rivals Rangers, whose game at Dundee was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, having played one more match.
After the international break, Celtic should be hoping for a strong end to the season in order to win the SFA Cup and Premiership title, rather than enduring a trophyless campaign.
The national team matches may have come at the perfect time for Brendan Rodgers, who could have a couple of key players back fit by next week.
Latest Celtic injury news
Captain Callum McGregor has been absent in recent weeks with an Achilles injury but could be back in action after the break, with the manager hopeful that he will be available to face Livingston.
There is no guarantee that the Scotland international, who was not in contention to feature for his country this month, will be ready to return for that match but the ex-Liverpool tactician will assess the midfielder's fitness ahead of that game.
Central defender Maik Nawrocki suffered a hamstring injury last month and there has been no timescale given on his return to first-team involvement, which means that it remains to be seen whether or not he will be available to face Livi.
Appearances
8
Starts
5
Pass accuracy
86%
Ground duel success rate
70%
Aerial duel success rate
46%
One player who looks set to be in contention to feature against Livingston, however, is central midfielder Reo Hatate after he made his return in a friendly earlier this week.
The Japan international played 45 minutes in a bounce game against St Mirren on Wednesday, a match in which Gustaf Lagerbielke and Hyeon-gyu Oh also took part.
Hatate has been out of action since the winter break after he suffered injuries to both of his calves whilst playing for his country back in January.
His appearance in the friendly clash earlier this week suggests that the terrific midfielder could have a chance of being in the squad to face Livingston when the Hoops return to Premiership action next Sunday.
With this in mind, Rodgers could brutally ditch Tomoki Iwata, who has emerged as a regular this year, from the starting XI to make way for Hatate, whether that is in the next game, or whenever the Japanese star is ready to be selected from the start.
Tomoki Iwata's Celtic emergence
The 26-year-old battler has worked his way into the starting line-up for the Hoops during the second half of the campaign, after a difficult start to the season.
Nine of his 11 appearances in the Premiership have come since the start of November, and all six of his starts in the division have come since the start of December.
The Japan international has provided a calm presence on the ball at the base of the midfield set-up for Rodgers, with a pass completion rate of 92% across those 11 top-flight clashes.
However, Iwata has left a little bit to be desired with his lack of quality out of possession for the Scottish giants. He has lost 56% of his duels, including 62% of his battles on the ground, and only made 1.1 tackles and interceptions combined per match in the Premiership.
This suggests that opposition players have found it too easy to outmuscle and get the better of him in the middle of the park at times, whilst the midfielder has also struggled to make multiple defensive interventions per game.
Key passes per game
0.6
16th
Dribbles per game
0.0
Joint-27th
Shots per game
0.8
21st
Assists
1
Joint-12th
Goals
1
Joint-15th
Whilst his pass accuracy speaks to his reliability and composure on the ball, the statistics in the table above show that Iwata has not made a big impact in possession at the top end of the pitch.
Why Reo Hatate should replace Tomoki Iwata
If Hatate is back fit and available, Rodgers must brutally ditch Iwata to unleash the "outrageous" – as described by Scotland international John McGinn – whiz in his place.
The £16k-per-week dynamo has scored two goals and provided two assists – twice as many of each compared to his compatriot – in just eight league appearances in an injury-disrupted campaign so far.
Last season, the 26-year-old magician was a regular starter under Ange Postecoglou and caught the eye with both his contributions in and out of possession for the Bhoys.
Hatate averaged 1.5 tackles and interceptions per match, which was marginally more than Iwata has managed this term, but his strength in his duels stood out. The impressive gem won 56% of his battles on the ground and 59% of his aerial contests across 32 league matches.
This suggests that he could offer more than the current starter in terms of his strength off the ball, as he can dominate opposition players in duels – rather than being dominated.
Appearances
32
11
Goals
6
1
Assists
8
1
Big chances created
10
1
Key passes per game
1.3
0.6
Dribbles completed per game
0.8
0.0
As you can see in the table above, the recently injured Celtic star also has the edge over Iwata when it comes to making things happen at the top end of the pitch.
He has the quality to score and create goals at an impressive rate – with more Premiership goals than any other central midfielder in the squad last season – and could provide the team with another threat in possession over the coming weeks and months.
Therefore, Rodgers should brutally ditch Iwata from the starting line-up as soon as Hatate is fit enough to start, due to his superior qualities on and off the ball in the middle of the park.
Despite a solid platform of 93 for 2 in the 16th over, Hong Kong suffered a middle-order collapse at the back-end of their first innings to finish with only 116 for 7 in their 20 overs against United Arab Emirates. In response, UAE made swift work of the target, chasing it down with 29 balls to spare and eight wickets in hand. The margin of victory lifted UAE to the top of Group B, although that may just be temporary.UAE’s chase was spearheaded by the 93-run second-wicket stand between opener Chirag Suri and No. 3 Rameez Shahzad. After their captain Rohan Mustafa fell in the fourth over, the duo combined to strike nine fours and four sixes in their 67-ball stand to sniff out any hope of victory that Hong Kong may have had. Shahzad’s 37-ball 54 was his highest T20I score, while Suri’s 43-ball 44 brought the opener back into form, something UAE were missing from him at the start of the tournament. Hong Kong pacer Kyle Christie took both UAE wickets, but his dismissal of Shahzad in the 15th over was a mere formality. Three deliveries after the dismissal, Suri found the boundary to seal their second win in three games.That UAE had to chase only 117 was thanks to their varied bowling attack. Junaid Siddique set the tone with the new ball in the first innings, conceding only nine runs in his two overs. With the run-rate hovering below six, openers Ahmad Abbasi and Nizakat Khan perished to left-arm spinner Ahmed Raza and medium-pacer Waheed Ahmed respectively inside 11 overs. A brief recovery then followed, with Kinchit Shah (30) and the captain Aizaz Khan (19) upping the scoring rate, but with both set batsmen falling in the death overs, their new batsmen failed to generate the momentum needed to put up a challenging total. Mustafa’s spell of 2 for 17, including two wickets for only two runs in the 20th over, made him the game’s second most economical bowler.The result meant that Hong Kong’s chances of qualifying for the semi-finals took a big blow while UAE’s win has only strengthened their shout for a final-four spot.
علّق تشابي ألونسو، المدير الفني لفريق باير ليفركوزن، على فوزهم الصعب في مباراة اليوم ضد آينتراخت فرانكفورت في بطولة الدوري الألماني.
وتلاقى الفريقان في خضم لقاءات الجولة السابعة من الدوري الألماني، حيث خسر آينتراخت فرانكفورت بهدفين لهدف.
تقدم آينتراخت فرانكفورت بهدف، سجله المحترف المصري عمر مرموش في الدقيقة 16 من عمر الشوط الأول، من ضربة جزاء.
جاءت ضربة جزاء مرموش بعد إهدار باير ليفركوزن لضربة جزاء، في الدقيقة التاسعة.
وقال ألونسو، في تصريحات نشرها الموقع الرسمي لنادي باير ليفركوزن: “لقد كانت مباراة رائعة بين فريقين جيدين، نحن سعداء للغاية بالنقاط الثلاث”.
اقرأ أيضًا.. إيكو: مرموش يوجه رسالة واضحة إلى ليفربول في مباراة فرانكفورت وباير ليفركوزن
وأضاف: “كنا ندرك جيدًا أن آينتراخت في مستوى جيد، كان من المهم بالنسبة لنا أن نظهر القوة مرة أخرى على أرضنا وقد نجحنا”.
وواصل: “لقد أظهرنا عقلية رائعة بالعودة بقوة بعد ركلة جزاء ضائعة من جانبنا، واسقبالنا هدف من ركلة جزاء ضدنا (هدف عمر مرموش)، لقد تماسكنا معًا بشكل جيد في النهاية، يمكننا البناء على ذلك”.
وأكد: “كان من المهم أن نظهر مدى قوتنا في ملعبنا، كنا بحاجة لهذا الشعور، لذلك يمكننا أن نكون راضين للغاية اليوم ونستغل الفوز في المهام المقبلة”.
Romelu Lukaku is reportedly open to a move to AC Milan from Chelsea with Antonio Conte's Napoli also being an option for the Belgian.
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Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard have been recalled to the West Indies T20I squad for the opening two matches against India, with uncapped wicketkeeper-batsman Anthony Bramble also earning a call-up.Allrounder Andre Russell has been included subject to passing a fitness test following the knee injury which forced him out of the World Cup. John Campbell, the opening batsman, takes the spot vacated by Chris Gayle who is unavailable due to playing in the Canada GT20.Narine, who last played T20Is nearly two years ago, is joined in the spin attack by left-armer Khary Pierre. Narine was in the frame to be part of the World Cup, but did not feel confident getting through 50-over cricket after a finger injury. The selectors are casting their eye forward to next year’s men’s T20 World Cup in Australia, where West Indies will defend their title, with the captaincy reverting to Carlos Brathwaite after Jason Holder took charge for the series against England earlier this year to try and bring some continuity ahead of the World Cup.”We felt that players like Narine and Pollard, who have played well in T20 leagues around the world, once they are fit and mentally ready to play, we must give them the opportunity to represent the West Indies again,” Robert Haynes, the intern chairman of selection, said.”It’s not just about the present – the India tour of the West Indies – but we are also looking at the T20 World Cup coming up next year and it is important that we find the right combination of players and the right formula for defending our title.”We have to make sure that we put certain things in place now, so that when it comes to picking the squad for the T20 World Cup, it becomes easier, so we are giving more players the opportunity to play and get the exposure.”Bramble, 28, will provide wicketkeeping back-up to Nicholas Pooran despite not having played an official T20 in close to three years. He did, however, captain West Indies B at last year’s Canada GLT20 and was picked up by Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL draft in May.”He is young and has a lot of ambition, and we saw his character come out in the way he batted whenever Guyana Jaguars were in problems in the West Indies Championship and Super50 Cup, so we know he is capable of getting the job done,” Haynes said.The selectors could make changes to the squad for third T20I in Guyana. India’s tour also includes three ODIs and two Tests.Squad Carlos Brathwaite (capt), Anthony Bramble (wk), John Campbell, Sheldon Cottrell, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine, Keemo Paul, Khary Pierre, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas