2025 predictions - what will happen in the next year of football?
Amorim - 'Relegation is a possibility' after fourth straight defeat
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Sam, Glastonbury: @11:05 Gerrard a disaster? He won Rangers their first title in years, and wasn't given long at Villa, so how can that be a litmus test for his managerial credentials?
Image source, Getty ImagesFootball Association chair Debbie Hewitt said that Gareth Southgate had "embodied the best of English football" following his knighthood in the New Year Honours.
"He brought our fans closer than ever to the team, stood up for what he believed in and inspired players to share his pride in representing England," she said.
"It has been a privilege to know the man and the manager. All of us who have experienced his thoughtfulness, dedication and leadership are delighted with this wonderful news."
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer England manager Gareth Southgate has been awarded a knighthood in the New Year Honours list.
Southgate, 54, stepped down from the role in July after leading England to the final of Euro 2024.
England were beaten by Spain in their second consecutive European final under Southgate, who also guided the side to the 2018 World Cup semi-final during his eight-year tenure.
Southgate is the fourth England manager to be knighted, following Sir Walter Winterbottom, Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson.
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What folk don't understand about Rooney and Lampard and former players going into management positions, is that they never give up. That's why they both had very successful football careers. Winners never give in. Even Carlo Ancelotti has been sacked on numerous occasions. Fergie had also experienced the sack. We keep going in life, resilience is success.
Yoda, Winchester
Bonus question - who sacked Sir Alex Ferguson?
We will bring you our 2024 football review, more on Wayne Rooney's departure and Manchester United's struggles, with a look also at the New Year Honours list.
Stay tuned.
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Just like Lampard, Rooney has been living off one very good season at Derby.
CK
For those of you who have just joined, click below to read what has been going on this morning.
The main news was Wayne Rooney's departure from Plymouth Argyle.
We also discussed Ruben Amorim's comments that relegation for Manchester United is a possibility.
Man Utd 0-2 Newcastle
Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter at Old Trafford
Four teams have been relegated in the Premier League era having been in United's current 14th position at the turn of the year. Leeds were the last two seasons ago.
Of course, it might not come to that but on the evidence of events at Old Trafford, it might need an injection of new players when the transfer window opens on 1 January.
Except, money is in short supply at a club that lost £113.2m in the financial year to June 2024.
"We don't have that possibility in January if we don't take some players [out]," said Amorim. "You know the situation better than me.
"It is not that I am arriving here and know I can spend money changing the team."
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When Amorim took over at Man Utd they were only four points off the Champions League places. Would have been better keeping Ruud in charge until the end of the season, then do a reset.
Jack, St Albans
Man Utd 0-2 Newcastle
Marcus Rashford returned to the matchday squad against Newcastle after a four-game absence but remained on the bench as United lost their fourth successive game in all competitions and their third in a row in the league, during which time they have not scored a goal.
The 27-year-old said he was "ready for a new challenge" in an interview after being dropped for the 2-1 win at Manchester City on 15 December.
Amorim said he was not making a point - but if Rashford can't get a place in this team, his coach really cannot have a high opinion of him.
"I think about the team, you think a lot about Marcus," he said afterwards. "I just want to win the game."
Technically given that the transfer window opens on January 1, Rashford could be out the door before Sunday's game with Liverpool - very unlikely, but a real possibility is that the England forward has at least sat on the bench for the final time as a Man United player.
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Rooney to Man United in July. You heard it here first.
Steve, Kent
Man Utd to sack Amorim and appoint Wayne Rooney for their smooth transition to the Championship. You heard it here first..
Dan
Man Utd 0-2 Newcastle
Jamie Carragher
Former Liverpool defender on Sky Sports
The issue with Casemiro and Christian Eriksen in midfield is on the manager. The spaces either side of them are wide open and that is not their fault, they cannot cover the whole area. It is on the manager for selecting them.
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On whether talented players can become good managers - aren't we forgetting a certain Pep Guardiola?
Alex, Limehouse
Kenny Dalglish wasn't that bad a player and did OK as a manager.
Steve, Italy
For those saying players don't make great managers, it's easy to make the counter argument: Zidane, Guardiola, Alonso, Trapattoni, Hitzfeld, etc. It's simply the fact that not all ex-players make great managers…
William
Man Utd 0-2 Newcastle
Man Utd 0-2 Newcastle
Gary Neville
Former Manchester United defender on Sky Sports
There are only three players that can probably say that they have done OK since Ruben Amorim arrived. Amad Diallo, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui. They have not been amazing don't get me wrong but they have taken the right approach.
Man Utd 0-2 Newcastle
Manchester United actually rank well among many defensive numbers. The most impressive is shots on target faced, with only Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool facing less shots on target in the Premier League.
Stats from Opta.
Lowest ranked (i.e. 20th) for this stat is a good thing!
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On the final live text/feed of the year, I would just like to thank everyone at the BBC Sport for the football weekday live texts and live text reporting on match days. As someone with no access to Sky or TNT, I feed my football addiction by a daily read of the live texts and watching Match of the Day. It's interesting to read the opinions of pundits, journalists and supporters and some of the comments are very humorous. This season is proving to be very eventful and entertaining. Happy New Year to everyone.
Lorraine
Happy New Year Lorraine, that is much appreciated!
Man Utd 0-2 Newcastle
Ruben Amorim is averaging 0.88 points per game as Man Utd manager, across the 27 games he'll have this season that would give them a points tally at the end of 39.
The average points to stay up in the Premier League since 1995-96 is 38, meaning they will in terms of current form stay up (just).
According to Opta predictions, they predict Manchester United will finish on 50.2 points and in 12th place.
So Opta reckon things will get better, do you?
Man Utd 0-2 Newcastle
Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter at Old Trafford
It is 50 years since Manchester United were relegated
Legend has it that the great Denis Law sent his old club down with a backheeled goal for Manchester City that he didn't celebrate.
The truth was slightly different as United were doomed in 1973-74 if Law had scored or not.
As time moved on and English top flight football came to be dominated by high finance - and United were able to generate more of it than anyone else - no-one remotely thought history might repeat itself.
We have long got used to United not being what they were but this season has been something else, and Monday's game - against a Newcastle side who ripped their hosts apart for half an hour - led to head coach Ruben Amorim uttering words it was scarcely believed imaginable.
Asked by BBC Sport if United were in a battle to avoid the drop, Amorim said: "I think that it is a possibility. We have to be clear with our fans."
Image source, Getty ImagesKeep the Wayne Rooney thoughts coming. But now we will turn our attention back to Manchester United.
Feel free to read more on Rooney's message to fans here.
We will now look at Ruben Amorim's comments that 'relegation is a possibility' after a fourth straight defeat for his side.
