Manchester United

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Former Premier League defender Stephen Warnock says Sporting Lisbon's thrashing of Manchester City will have given Manchester United fans "belief and optimism" as they prepare to welcome Ruben Amorim to the club.

In what was to be the Portuguese manager's final home game at Sporting they inflicted City’s heaviest defeat since September 2020.

"Amorim will be the first manager to be adored before he even walks through the Old Trafford door," joked Warnock on the BBC Radio 5 Live Football Daily podcast. "Fans will be excited after seeing that and rightly so.

"A lot will have watched it to see how they are likely to play and what their new manager is like because they want some belief and optimism around their club. I am sure he will bring that.

"There will be a real belief that Amorim can come in and change things around now. But he has got to do it on a week-to-week basis in the Premier League.

"You could also argue that his Sporting squad is better than what he has got at United."

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Manchester United are planning a fresh move for 22-year-old Everton and England centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite in the summer. (Talksport), external

Meanwhile, incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim wants a trio of Sporting players - Portugal centre-back Goncalo Inacio, Ivory Coast defender Ousmane Diomande and Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres - to join him at Old Trafford. (Sacha Tavolieri, via Teamtalk), external

England centre-back Harry Maguire will refuse to consider leaving Manchester United in January, as he believes he can earn a new contract at the club. (TBR Football), external

Manchester United will wait to assess developments from the UK government's Budget before deciding whether to demolish Old Trafford and build a new stadium, or redevelop their current home. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Premier League clubs have reserved the right to seek compensation for lost earnings if Manchester City are found guilty of breaching the league's financial rules. (Times - subscription required), external

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

Henry Brownsey
BBC Sport journalist

There were bits of wizardry.

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From magical players.

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There were rockets.

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And bangers.

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Landmarks.

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And clangers.

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While some Guy's like Ruud are always remembered.

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Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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Are Manchester United, united? Hammering Leicester then drawing at home to Chelsea might be seen as some improvement on Erik ten Hag's time, but it tells us very little. The club hasn’t taken off yet, indeed this is nothing more than a holding pattern until Ruben Amorim lands.

‌They haven’t even tried to play in Amorim’s style yet. Ruud van Nistelrooy kept to the tried-and-tested back four instead of the back three which will be the new normal at Old Trafford. I thought the new Ineos regime had finally started for real when Ten Hag left, but in reality it hasn’t.

‌So what has to be done differently to get the club back to where the fans think it should be? Obviously getting the best out of the players already there is high on the agenda. The employment of tactics that suit the available players will help.

‌Clearly a better hit rate from the acquisitions department is essential, there have been too many players bought for too much money who have had limited effect.

‌There are lots of big jobs but maybe the toughest will be giving the new coach the time to change things. He changed Sporting quickly, but the Primeira Liga isn’t the Premier League and this is a much bigger task.

‌Patience and time will be promised but will they be given? That more than anything else is what is important now.

‌Improving from their current league position will not be too difficult in the short term. Becoming top four challengers may take an entire season, at the very least, even for the highest-rated young coach in the business.

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BBC Radio Manchester's Gaz Drinkwater thinks it is time for Bruno Fernandes "to right some of those wrongs," after the midfielder revealed he apologised and felt responsible for Erik ten Hag's sacking.

Speaking about Fernandes' comments on the latest episode of BBC Radio Manchester's The Devils' Advocate podcast, Drinkwater said: "There's a part of me that is like 'fair enough' but there's also another part that says 'why's this taken a few days to do this?' I'm surprised it's not just come out instantly on social media.

"I don't know what to make of it. We were calling on Erik ten Hag to take more ownership after some performances and Bruno Fernandes has taken ownership - he does feel responsible.

"But, now with a new man coming in, who he is going to know very well because he watches Sporting week in, week out because they're his team - maybe it's a chance to right some of those wrongs.

"A lot of people would say do you're talking on the pitch rather than these pointless statements and apologies.

"He has not been doing it this season. I don't doubt him, I think he's United's best player - but we need more from him."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Alex Turk
Fan writer

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Erik ten Hag's recruitment record won't be among the things for which he will be remembered fondly at Manchester United.

The Dutchman's tendency to disregard alternative targets in favour of reunions from his time in the Netherlands worked to his detriment at Old Trafford.

But among his final acts as the club's manager, Ten Hag sanctioned one of the signings of the summer. United's capture of Noussair Mazraoui in a deal worth up to £17m looks like a masterstroke.

Mazraoui wasn't considered the central focus when he arrived in Manchester, but a shrewd add-on in the agreement that brought Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich.

Yet the 26-year-old has been one of the few shining lights in a dismal start to the season. In the wake of Ten Hag's coup de grâce, Mazraoui shone brightest against Chelsea.

United have plucked out a bargain defender who possesses pace, is progressive on the ball and can pocket pesky wingers.

On Sunday, his five completed take-on tally was the highest in a single game among defenders in the Premier League this season.

A 92 per cent pass accuracy, 13 of 16 duels won, six tackles, six final third entries, two interceptions, two clearances and two fouls won defined a stand-out showing.

Mazraoui is made all the more valuable by his ability to do a job on either side of United's defence, especially since the detrimental lack of a left-back has become the norm.

As Ruben Amorim prepares to take the reins in M16, Mazraoui is among the players who should be stimulated by the prospect of featuring in the 39-year-old's 3-4-3 system.

Even when Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia overcome their continued injury agony, it is difficult to imagine a reality where the Moroccan loses his starting status.

Find more from Alex Turk at Stretford Paddock, external

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The majority of Manchester United fans involved in a wide-reaching survey would prefer the club to build a new stadium rather than redevelop Old Trafford.

The club has announced that findings from an initial stage of fan consultation show 90% are positive about the ambition to deliver a world class stadium within a regeneration project across a wider area.

However, 52% of respondents from the survey - which over 50,000 fans took part in - would prefer the club to move to a new-build stadium.

Around 31% wanted the redevelopment of the club's current ground to be pursued instead, while 17% were unsure.

Manchester United are keen on 17-year-old Sporting winger Geovany Quenda, with the Portugal Under-21 international also interesting Manchester City, Liverpool and Juventus. (Teamtalk), external

United will give new head coach Ruben Amorim a say before making contract decisions on players approaching the end of their deals. (ESPN), external

Sacked United manager Erik ten Hag did not want to buy Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna in the summer and was furious when the £36.5m forward arrived for training a stone overweight. (Sun), external

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

After a turbulent week ended in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea, the latest episode of BBC Radio Manchester's The Devils' Advocate has landed to dissect it all.

In this week's show, Gaz Drinkwater and Joe McGrath discuss the Old Trafford draw with the Blues, caretaker boss Ruud van Nistelrooy and captain Bruno Fernandes' comments about former manager Erik ten Hag.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Sporting boss Ruben Amorim says Manchester United fans may think "the new Alex Ferguson has arrived" if his team beat Manchester City on Tuesday.

The 39-year-old has two more games as Sporting boss before taking over at Old Trafford - including the Champions League match against his new team's city rivals.

"If the result is very negative, expectations will drop and I don't think that's a bad starting point, when you begin at Manchester United," he said in his pre-match news conference.

"If we win, they'll think the new Sir Alex Ferguson has arrived, which is very difficult to maintain.

"I'm fully aware that I'm going to be judged as a manager on this game, and only on this game, and I realise what people can take from this depending on the result."

Ferguson won 38 trophies during 26 years as Manchester United boss before retiring in 2013. He is leaving his role as club ambassador at the end of the season.

Sporting have won 14 of their past 15 games in all competitions, only losing the Portuguese Super Cup this season.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter in Lisbon

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With a delayed flight and queues to get through security at Lisbon airport, I was in a rush and a bit flustered when I arrived at the press conference room for Sporting's pre-match media for their Champions League game against Manchester City.

I didn't realise until I had sat down that I was only one - empty - seat away from Ruben Amorim, who was watching one of his players answering questions.

I said hello and shook Amorim's hand. He said hello back and seemed perfectly civil.

Then, after answering 20 minutes of questions in his native Portuguese, Amorim was asked another five or six by the English media.

Again, the answers were in Portuguese. Asked by an English TV journalist if he could offer an answer in English, he declined. His press officer said English journalists would get a lot of answers in their native tongue when he starts officially at Manchester United on 11 November.

For now, it is Portuguese only.

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Full-back Noussair Mazraoui believes Manchester United "have too much" quality to be where they are in the table.

In a week that saw Erik ten Hag sacked as manager and assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy stepping up to take caretaker charge, United ended it with a 1-1 draw against rivals Chelsea at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils sit 13th in the Premier League table with just three victories and 12 points, recording their worst points haul after 10 matches since 1986-87.

However, Mazaroui feels the team deserved more at the weekend and their current position does not reflect where they should be.

"We fought really hard, but I think eventually if you look at the game and the chances we created, we deserve to win," he told MUTV.

"I think if you look at the table where we are now, you cannot say that's where we belong. Everybody knows that. We know that.

"We have to step up and get away from there really, really fast because, yeah, that's just not us.

"You see that [against Chelsea]. We have too much of a quality to be there in this position."

Van Nistelrooy shared a similar view to the Morocco international, saying the Chelsea draw and Carabao Cup win against Leicester showed a foundation of "spirit and fight" that means "football qualities will come out" at United.

But Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca believes the Dutchman's side overstepped the mark late on in the game, when he felt Lisandro Martinez should have been sent off for a challenge on Cole Palmer.

Asked if the match was at times too physical, Mazraoui said: "I don't agree. No, no, not too physical. I think it was really passionate from both sides.

"I think for the supporters a great game to watch, even though there were just two goals in there. I think an amazing game to watch from everybody."

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We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Manchester United and Chelsea.

Here are some of your comments:

Man Utd fans:

Ray: Poor team performance. Thought there would be a bounce from the players with Ten Hag gone but more of the same - no cohesion between defence, midfield and forwards.

Andrew: I pity our new manager - we are a complete shambles. Clueless. Playing for fouls and appealing to the ref is all we are good at. Worst I have ever witnessed in 58 years.

Adam: It was a solid performance, but the lack of goals is becoming a concern now. United are six points off the top four but, in reality, we are nowhere near the teams above us in terms of an identity and style of play.

Christine: It was a little better but still a team with no identity as such. It is going to take Amorim some time to sort out this mess. The defence is too leaky and the press is not fast enough. These players are not good enough and it's going to take time to change this team.

Chelsea fans:

John: It's a pity that we sent Petrovic out on loan. He is a good goalkeeper, and unfortunately Sanchez is going to prove very costly for us this season. Hopefully we can accumulate enough points to get top four without a quality keeper. Caicedo is immense for us at the minute - he's quality.

Alan: Largely dull and boring. If the manager is happy with this performance then I would be surprised. We just do not know how to get the ball in the net. When pushed, our defence falls to bits. From previous games, we seemed to go backwards with our progress. At times, it was hard to believe we are in the top six playing against a team in the lower half.

Nick: A decent performance without being exciting. We didn't seem to offer much of a threat in the final third. Satisfied with a point after going a goal down. Feeling positive about the remainder of the season. I think fourth place is achievable.

Stu: I thought we were off it. Considering these players haven't played in a week they just didn't convince. Sanchez is the worst goalkeeper we've ever had. He's costing us goals almost every game and yet Maresca won't replace him. Says it all really.

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On Sunday's episode of Match of the Day 2, former England internationals Phil Jones and Danny Murphy looked at captain Bruno Fernandes' importance to Manchester United and where he fits in when new head coach Ruben Amorim takes charge later this month.

Fernandes' former United team-mate Jones said: "I get the impression he's almost misinterpreted at times, I can only go from my own experience in the dressing room that I spent with him.

"He's a leader in the dressing room and he's brilliant with the younger lads. We've all got different captains and he's a leader who leads by example, in terms of the qualities he brings. He's a player that you build the team around.

"He wants to win. Being at Manchester United is a heavy shirt to wear and I feel with him being the captain, he can certainly wear that shirt."

Assessing his performance in Sunday's 1-1 draw against Chelsea, Murphy said: "No United player has really been outstanding this season, that's fair enough to say, and Bruno included - he's admitted it himself more or less.

"But when they need somebody to be brave and creative, he stands up to be counted and again he did [against Chelsea].

"Nearly all of the moments when United open up teams, he's involved somewhere. It doesn't matter what the score is, how big the crowd is, whether they're moaning or happy, he's always trying little things.

"When the new man comes in, irrelevant of system or how he wants to play, he'll have to find a place for Fernandes because he is United's best creative spark."

Watch Match of the Day 2

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Former Manchester United manager David Moyes and ex-Premier League midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker have spoken to the BBC's Football Daily podcast about United's two performances under interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy since the exit of Erik ten Hag.

Reo-Coker: "Even though it's only been two games, I see a vast improvement from what we saw from the players' performances under Ten Hag. They are running more, they're showing a greater desire to win.

"Even just the body language, the way Ruud embraces the players after the game and the players with him, that tells you a bigger, deeper story than just a feelgood factor right now."

Moyes: "I come from another side of it - I think it would be wrong of the players if they just suddenly put in a couple of good performances for the new manager. It would tell you more about the players than the manager they've just lost.

"United have had some of the best managers in the world recently, like Van Gaal and Mourinho, Ten Hag had a great record as well. I think United were very loyal to Erik and gave him every opportunity to get it right. But I'd hate the thought that the players are suddenly starting to perform better because somebody else has taken over.

"At United, the scrutiny is incredible and the manager takes the brunt of it, which they do at all football clubs, but at a club like United the players are an important part of it. I hope that the players have just stepped it up in the past week or two but it was nothing to do with the manager."

Reo-Coker: "Ruud hasn't really changed anything tremendously, which is why you'd say it probably is on the players. He's still started in the same formation Ten Hag was playing, but it's just a different appetite that the players are showing.

"It's unfortunate because United were very loyal to Ten Hag, but since the change has happened, you can see a different kind of energy in the players. Nothing has changed much in terms of formation and tactics."

Listen to more analysis on BBC Sounds

Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres does not plan to follow Sporting manager Ruben Amorim in leaving the Lisbon club to join Manchester United. Amorim will become the new manager at Old Trafford on 11 November. (Record - in Portuguese), external

Manchester United and Chelsea have joined Tottenham in the race to sign 20-year-old Denmark left-back Patrick Dorgu from Lecce. (Football Insider), external

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

Highlights and analysis from Sunday's two Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from the rest of the weekend.

If you missed Match of the Day 2, catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

And you can watch Saturday's Match of the Day here.

Listen back to the weekend's full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 Aston Villa

• Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea