Manchester United

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  1. Man Utd beaten in Europa League final - send us your thoughtspublished at 22:02 21 May

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    Manchester United have been beaten 1-0 by Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final in Bilbao.

    Brennan Johnson's first-half goal was the difference between the two sides.

    Have your say on United's loss here

  2. The Red Devils takeover in Bilbaopublished at 17:14 21 May

    A father poses for a picture with his two sons.
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    Nick: BBC man takes a day off with his boys.

    Two Manchester United fans pose for a picture with former Manchester United player Rafael
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    Josh: I've just met Rafael in Bilbao. He was such a nice guy. I managed to have a chat with him and asked him to fill in for us at right-back tonight!

    Three men in various Manchester United shirts pose for a picture
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    Stu: We are here in Bilbao via Lourdes in France. Can't wait for kick-off - and it's on Sir Matt's birthday!

    Two police officers pose for a picture
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    Sean: What a city to host a final! Everyone embraces this great sporting event - from the police to the bands bringing music to the streets - I'm a Uefa volunteer in the stadium tonight and the whole experience has been exceptional.

    A group of people sat in a local bar in Bilbao
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    Jim: Sampling the local delights in Bilbao.

  3. Do Spurs hold an edge?published at 16:30 21 May

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    Tottenham Hotspur are bidding for a fourth straight victory over Manchester United this season when they meet in the Europa League final. But does that record count for anything in a one-off game?

    Former Spurs midfielder Michael Brown believes it does but tells The Football News Show why United's record in big games counts in their favour too.

    Watch The Football News Show on iPlayer

  4. Three major selection dilemmas for Amorimpublished at 15:00 21 May

    Simon Stone
    Chief football news reporter

    Ruben Amorim with Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo DalotImage source, Getty Images

    The biggest issues for Ruben Amorim tonight centre around three areas in defence, midfield and attack.

    That sounds big but it is specifics. Noussair Mazraoui will start, the question is where?

    If Diogo Dalot is fit it will be in the back three. If not, it will be as wing-back, with two of Leny Yoro, Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw named alongside Harry Maguire.

    In midfield, does skipper Bruno Fernandes partner Casemiro or does Manuel Ugarte get the job, with Fernandes more advanced?

    If Fernandes is deeper, has Mason Mount got a chance of keeping out Amad Diallo or Alejandro Garnacho?

  5. 'So much at stake' for Man Utd in final - Schmeichelpublished at 14:56 21 May

    Manchester United players in trainingImage source, PA Media

    Manchester United legends Denis Irwin, Andrew Cole and Peter Schmeichel have been speaking to the BBC about Wednesday's Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur.

    Former Republic of Ireland full-back Irwin told BBC Radio Manchester: "The result won't cloud the fact it's been a poor season for us domestically, but we've got an opportunity to not just win a cup but get into the Champions League, and actually go into next season on a huge high on the back of this."

    Ex-England striker Cole said: "People need to understand to play for a club like Manchester United, you've got to be a special individual. You're going to have ups and downs, you're not going to win every game, but you've got to understand what it means to these fans.

    "They would give their right arm to play for Manchester United, so you wear the shirt with pride and give everything you've got."

    Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, former Denmark goalkeeper Schmeichel added: "They find themselves in this game with a chance to win a trophy and make the season look good, but it's also access to the Champions League.

    "In Ruben Amorim's words, a win will change the summer but it won't solve the problems - but it would be a lot easier to sign better players. For Manchester United, there's so much at stake.

    "I just can't call it, I honestly don't know. I'd say it's a 50-50 game, you could make an argument for either side."

  6. Europa League final: What's at stake for both clubs?published at 14:26 21 May

    Sami Mokbel
    Senior football correspondent

    2024-25 Europa League trophyImage source, Getty Images

    Manchester United need this trophy win to ensure they have financial stability going into the summer.

    They have a lot of big plans. They want to sign a lot of players, including attacking players which are expensive to obtain.

    Getting into the Champions League next season would certainly help that, and give them that financial firepower to go and execute the deals that they want to execute.

    The club are also in the process of a redundancy scheme. It is a shame because people are losing their jobs - and no one at Manchester United wants that to happen.

    To have this financial boost, an estimated £100m if they qualify for the Champions League, would be significant for them.

    In terms of Tottenham, we all know about their trophy drought - 2008 was the last time they lifted a trophy. They want this so badly. The fans want this so badly.

    The major issue is Ange Postecoglou's future. Whether Wednesday's outcome has any baring on his future remains to be seen. I think the direction of travel is that he will probably leave the club, regardless of the result.

    The euphoria of victory could change things - but that's the jeopardy we have got here.

    If Postecoglou does leave Tottenham this summer with that European trophy in his belt, that would help him get another top job in European football.

  7. 'A defining moment' and 'make or break' - Onuohapublished at 12:57 21 May

    Nedum Onuoha, BBC Sport columnist banner
    Europa League trophyImage source, Getty Images

    The previous head-to-heads between Manchester United and Tottenham no longer matter.

    Maybe, Spurs can take some confidence in the previous results but they have not played them in a cup final before.

    There is a trophy on the line this time so all of the previous history is neutralised and it becomes a one-off, showpiece, game.

    Both teams in the Premier League have struggled to manage games but in Europe it has been slightly different. We will see two domestic sides meet in a European setting, but what we can expect from that, I am not actually too sure.

    Neither side are in a position where you can see them controlling the game for long periods of time, so that may lead to some nervousness around making a mistake which could cost them the game.

    I expect it to be quite a tight game and come down to who can have the big moments and take them.

    We saw it at the weekend in the FA Cup final, Crystal Palace had that moment and Eberechi Eze took it, and then they made good blocks and had a penalty saved.

    That is probably what this Europa League final is going to come down to.

    You could talk yourself into backing either Tottenham or Manchester United but neither team have impressed enough for you to fully commit to knowing they will do well.

    It will come down to those gritty moments and taking those chances when you get them.

    This is not just an average game, it is a final and a defining moment in the season. It is not about style and formation. This is simply about winning.

    You don't remember how someone played in the final but you do remember who lifted the trophy.

    And given how this season has gone for both sides, it literally is make or break.

    Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

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  8. Will midfield issues cost Spurs?published at 12:49 21 May

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    Tottenham Hotspur will be without James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and Dejan Kulusevski for the Europa League final against Manchester United.

    Former Spurs midfielder Michael Brown tells The Football News Show why their absence will be so keenly felt and why United captain Bruno Fernandes holds the key to the midfield battle in Bilbao.

    Watch The Football News Show on iPlayer

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  9. 'The most important in that team' - Schmeichel on Man Utd's building blockspublished at 12:42 21 May

    Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire applaud fansImage source, Getty Images

    Captain Bruno Fernandes and defender Harry Maguire are the "most important" players in the Manchester United team, says former goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel.

    Both players will be hoping they can help lead the side to Europa League glory on Wednesday night when they face Tottenham in Bilbao.

    Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast, Schmeichel said: "You have got Harry Maguire and you have got Bruno Fernandes, and they are the two leaders of that team.

    "Bruno is probably the one player who can take some personal pride from his performance this year. He has been trying his very, very best. It has been really difficult for him, his brain works on a different frequency than most other players and he has not had a lot of players who have been on that wavelength with him.

    "He gets criticised for some of his body language and the way he reacts on the pitch, but for me it just shows you that he really, really cares. For a Manchester United fan and former player, that really means something. It is not just somebody sat there going through the motions, earning a wage and just being happy playing for Manchester United, he truly cares.

    "He wants to win and I'm so happy he is there because he is someone you can start building the new Manchester United around. The same goes for Harry. He has earned a new contract. Only a year ago he was told by the coach he was number five in line, but he has always been for me the absolute best defender in that squad.

    "He might not be the prettiest player on the planet, but he is clever, he defends, he does it in style. As a goalkeeper behind, you don't have to worry about him. He has always been a leader and those two players are the most important in that team."

    Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

  10. Fans soak up the Bilbao sun - send us your pics and storiespublished at 11:32 21 May

    Manchester United fans have officially taken over the streets of Bilbao before Wednesday's Europa League final against Tottenham at San Mames Stadium.

    The sun is shining, the supporters are gathering and the anticipation is building.

    We know plenty of you have had to get a bit inventive with your travel to the Spanish city - whether that be a 33-hour ferry, a 13-hour coach ride, flying via Dublin, Paris and Rome, or driving the whole distance - but it looks like most of you have reached your final destination now.

    So let's have a look at the current scenes in Bilbao...

    Three Manchester United fans posing for a pictureImage source, PA Media
    A large group of Manchester United fans gatherImage source, Getty Images
    A group of Manchester United fans, with one wearing a Bruno Fernandes maskImage source, PA Media
    A large crowd of Manchester United fans take over the plazaImage source, PA Media
    A group of four male Manchester United fans pose for a pictureImage source, Getty Images

    Have you spotted yourself in any of these pictures? If so, let us know.

    If you have any pictures from sunny Bilbao or you would like to share any stories from your trip, send in your messages and pictures here.

    Follow all the build-up and vote on who will win on our live page

  11. Who will win the Europa League and what will it mean if they don't?published at 09:59 21 May

    Split fan's voice graphic with Tottenham and Manchester United badges

    One game stands between Tottenham Hotspur or Manchester United salvaging a trophy and Champions League football from an otherwise disastrous season.

    There is a lot on the line for both clubs and it will be a nervous watch for fans in the stadium in Bilbao and elsewhere.

    With the countdown to kick-off underway, we asked our fan contributors from both clubs why their team will win the Europa League and what it will mean if they don't.

    This is what our Tottenham supporter Anna Howells from Spurs XY, external had to say...

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    And this the view of Dale O'Donnell from United In Focus, external...

    Media caption,

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  12. Tottenham edge? Or time for a change?published at 09:58 21 May

    Man Utd last six results against Tottenham

    Manchester United are winless in their last six meetings with Tottenham Hotspur in all competitions (D2 L4). United have never gone seven without a win against Spurs before, and have also never lost four successive matches against them.

  13. 'It has been a mess for a very, very long time'published at 08:53 21 May

    Ruben Amorim looks on while speaking to the media Image source, Getty Images

    Whether he wins the Europa League or not, Ruben Amorim will always have an "uphill battle" until wider issues at Manchester United are resolved, says former goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel.

    Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast, he said: "He [Amorim] has come into a really difficult place and situation.

    "The club is not in a great place. There is so much unrest, so many people being laid-off, so much negativity around the club, and he is not in a position – other than winning games and winning trophies – to change that narrative around the club. That has got nothing to do with him.

    "Unless he wins the Premier League, unless he gets into the Champions league winning this game against Tottenham, that would change a little bit, but that [changing the club] is completely beyond his control.

    "It has been a mess for a very, very long time and until that is not a mess anymore, regardless of who is in charge of Manchester United's football team, they will always have a really, really uphill battle and tough job."

    ESPN's Mark Ogden added: "He is really struggling, but he has got this amazing chance to save his season and save United's season by winning the Europa League, winning a trophy and getting back in the Champions League.

    "It is almost like snakes and ladders – you can go down a snake and then climb a ladder and end up in the Champions League, so that is what is at stake. He has found it really tough and the jury is still out.

    "The United fans think he's great because he is honest, he is talking about the problems that they have identified over a long period of time and this has been a free-hit this season because he inherited such a mess, but as soon as next season starts, when he has got his own players in, then football is football and he won't last long."

    Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

  14. 🎧 'They are just as bad if not worse than us'published at 08:30 21 May

    The Devils' Advocate podcast graphic

    The Devils' Advocate team have dropped a big episode for the significant event taking place on Wednesday.

    As Manchester United ready themselves for the Europa League final, presenter Gaz Drinkwater said: "I know how big the game is. I have been trying myself not to think about it. I've been able to park it at the back of my mind. I am getting nervous now and honestly, I feel like I cannot predict how it is going to go.

    "There is no score line that would surprise me in this. I said this before Bilbao away, it wouldn't surprise me if we win 3-0, if they win 3-0, if it's 0-0.

    "As bad as we are, they are just as bad if not worse than us. I did a combined XI on the BBC Sport website and only put four Man Utd players in the team. So on the face of it, that would suggest Tottenham have a better 11 but they have injuries and key players out.

    "Zirkzee being potentially fit I think is crucial. Having him on the bench, he is vital. If you bring him on in a game he links things up better. He helps Rasmus Hojlund. He can be that link from midfield to attack. I think that would be a massive boost for United. It wouldn't surprise me if Zirkzee did it. What a full-circle moment that would be if he won it after being booed off at Old Trafford."

    Co-presenter Joe McGrath is in Bilbao and said: "The person for me who wins it if they are on their game is Bruno Fernandes. He takes the pressure as captain on his shoulders but we have seen him time and time again perform. I really believe that gives us the slight edge going in."

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  15. Gossip: Man Utd front runners to sign Delappublished at 07:51 21 May

    Gossip graphic

    Manchester United lead the race to sign 22-year-old Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, but defeat in the Europa League final and consequential inability to offer him European football next season would hand Chelsea the advantage. (ESPN), external

    Manchester United are set to proceed with paying Wolves' 25-year-old Brazil forward Matheus Cunha's £62.5m release clause in instalments. (Fabrizio Romano), external

    The Red Devils are also hoping they can tempt 26-year-old Sporting and Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres to sign for them this summer. (L'Equipe - in French), external

    Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

    Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport