RUBEN AMORIM HAS THE WORST WIN PERCENTAGE OF ANY PERMANENT MAN UTD MANAGER SINCE THE SECO

 

PREVIOUS MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGERS HAVE BEEN SACKED THE PAST WEEK 😲

 

JOSÉ MOURINHO: I COULD STILL WIN THE PL WITH MAN UNITED

Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho speaks to the media after Fenerbahce's draw with Samsunspor(Image: Veysel Altun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Jose Mourinho said mischievously that he's still hopeful he could become a Premier League Champion with Manchester United if Manchester City are retroactively docked points due to Financial Fair Play breaches.

City are facing 115 charges of breaking Premier League financial regulations and face the possibility of being stripped of their titles or docked points if found guilty.

Mourinho led United to second place in the 2017-18 season -- finishing 19 points behind champions City

"We finished second in the Premier League," Mourinho said at a news conference Wednesday. "I think we still have a chance to win that league because maybe they punish Man City with points and maybe we win that league and they have to pay me the bonus and give me the medal."

Fenerbahce head coach Mourinho was speaking ahead of his team's Europa League showdown against United on Thursday

He said he expects his former club to soon be successful, despite the ongoing turbulence at the Premier League club. Erik ten Hag's team are 12th in the standings after winning just three of their opening eight league games and are winless in the Europa League.

"Having analysed them with my team, there is work there and they will succeed sooner or later," he said. "I want them to be successful. I wish the best for the coach and players.

"I want the best for them. If things are not going amazingly well for them, it's not something that makes me happy."

Mourinho said he understands United fans' frustration after a run of just one win in nine European matches.

Ten Hag's side ended a five-match winless run in Saturday's 2-1 league win over Brentford.

"They have a better team than the results are showing," Mourinho said.

Despite their struggles this season, Mourinho said United can lift the Europa League.

"If I have to say now who are the two biggest candidates to win the Europa League, I think it's easy, I would say Manchester United and Tottenham," he said. "The Premier League is a different level of quality, a different level of intensity, of pace, of tactical culture, of everything. Tomorrow we are going to play against one of the two strongest teams."

United coach Ten Hag took over in April 2022 and has led United to two trophies -- the Carabao Cup in 2023 and last season's FA Cup.

"They keep faith in the coach," Mourinho said of United's backing of Ten Hag. "They support the coach, the coach is staying season after season and that means stability, it means trust."

Mourinho, who coached United from 2016 to 2018, winning a Europa League and Carabao Cup, was sacked with his team 11 points adrift of the Champions League places in December 2018.

"They are giving him [Ten Hag] conditions to keep developing his job," Mourinho said. "That was a difference in relation to me."

- Adriana Garcia

TEN HAG WANTS MAN UNITED STAY OVER BAYERN MÜNCHEN - SOURCES

Erik ten Hag would prefer to stay at Manchester United next season. Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images

 Erik ten Hag's preference is to continue at Manchester United next season despite Bayern Munich making contact with him about their vacant manager's position, sources have told ESPN.

Bayern are looking for a new manager after announcing in February they will part company with Thomas Tuchel at the end of the season.

Attempts to lure Xabi Alonso, Julian Nagelsmann and Ralf Rangnick have come to nothing, forcing the German side to assess other candidates.

A source has told ESPN that there has been contact between Bayern and Ten Hag's representatives in an effort to understand the Dutchman's position.

There is an acceptance that Ten Hag's job at United is under threat after a disappointing season, but Bayern have been told that his preference is to remain at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag has a contract at the club until 2025, although he has been given no formal guarantees by new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe that he will still be manager at the start of next season.

Ratcliffe and his management team of Sir Dave Brailsford, interim CEO Jean-Claude Blanc and new technical director are considering other candidates for the role, including Tuchel.

Tuchel, according to a source, is keen to return to the Premier League this summer after a spell in charge of Chelsea and would like to talk to United if the manager's job became available.

Ten Hag is well known to Bayern after a spell in charge of Bayern Munich II between 2013 and 2015.

The 54-year-old followed it up with successful spells in charge of Utrecht and Ajax before arriving at United in 2022.

United are set to delay a decision on Ten Hag's future until after the FA Cup final against Manchester City on May 25.

- Rob Dawson, Correspondent

MANCHESTER UNITED PLAY DOWN ANTHOMY, TEN HAG RIFT - SOURCE

 Manchester United have dismissed suggestions that Antony was left out of the squad for the game against Bournemouth because of a disagreement with manager Erik ten Hag, a source has told ESPN.

Antony was absent at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday as United drew 2-2 to further dent their hopes of Champions League qualification.

A source has told ESPN that the club is unhappy with speculation that the Brazil winger was left out because of a row with Ten Hag over his playing time.

United sources insisted he wasn't able to participate against Bournemouth because of an injury picked up in training on Friday, which meant he could not finish the session.

Sources close to Antony have told ESPN that the issue is not serious and that the 24-year-old could recover in time to face Coventry in the FA Cup semifinal on Sunday.

Meanwhile, defender Diogo Dalot has hinted that United's defensive problems are because they are "taking too many risks."

Ten Hag's team have conceded 12 goals in their last five games and faced 20 shots against Bournemouth. Liverpool had 28 shots in their 2-2 draw at Old Trafford and Chelsea also had 28 shots in their 4-3 win over United at Stamford Bridge.

"Maybe we are taking too many risks," said Dalot following the draw with Bournemouth. "Sometimes the gap between the defence and midfield is a little bit too big, which is why we are sometimes getting the counter-attacks too many times and are conceding too many shots, but overall we are looking forward to take this as a learning process and trying to do better."

- Rob Dawson, Correspondent

COMEBACK WIN OFFERS HOPE FOR MAN UNITED'S NEW ERA

A brace from Alejandro Garnacho and a game-winning goal from Rasmus Højlund helped Manchester United achieve a 3-2 comeback win over Aston Villa. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

MANCHESTER, England -- Manchester United's new era began with a reminder that there are big problems at Old Trafford but ended with hope that the future might be bright after all.

In their first game since the announcement that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos have agreed a deal to buy a 25% stake in the club and assume control of all football matters, United went 2-0 down against Aston Villa before mounting a stunning comeback to win 3-2 thanks to two youngsters: Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Højlund.

Garnacho, 19, scored twice, and Hojlund, 20, got his first Premier League goal since his summer move from Atalanta to hand Erik ten Hag's team their first win in five games. It was a timely boost for the Dutch manager with Ratcliffe's sporting guru, Sir Dave Brailsford, sitting in the stands for the first time. Brailsford, director of sport at Ineos, will form part of the team tasked with transforming United's fortunes, and Ten Hag at least proved there's life in his managerial reign yet.

The first question in his postmatch news conference was what he thought Brailsford would have made of his night at Old Trafford. "I don't know," he said. "You will have to ask them. I don't think it has had an impact on the players. For me, I was kept informed in the whole process, so I knew what was going on.

TEN HAG PRESS CONFERENCE

SOLSKJAER HAS SYMPATHY UNDER-PRESSURE TEN HAG

Reuters 

Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he sympathises with current incumbent Erik ten Hag who is under pressure after a poor start to the season.

United have lost three of their opening five Premier League games and face Bayern Munich later on Wednesday in a daunting start to their Champions League campaign.

Solskjaer, who was sacked in November 2021 after a run of poor results, said managing the Old Trafford club is especially challenging given that comparisons are automatically made with Alex Ferguson's trophy-laden reign.

MAN UTD FANS TURN ON TEN HAG

 

Manchester United fans voiced their anger at manager Erik ten Hag in Saturday's Premier League defeat to Brighton, in the first sign the club's supporters could be turning on the Dutchman.

Hojlund, 20, was handed his full debut for United in the match at Old Trafford but things didn't go to plan for the Denmark international as Brighton claimed a 3-1 win away from home.

After a bright start from United, they fell behind to a familiar face - Danny Welbeck putting the visitors ahead with a well-taken finish.

Hojlund thought he had equalised for United later in the half but his goal was ruled out by VAR, who judged that the ball had narrowly gone out of play in the build-up.

TEN HAG UNSURE IF SANCHO WILL PLAY FOR MAN UTD AGAIN

Getty

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said he does not know whether Jadon Sancho will play for the club again amid the forward's exile from the first-team over a disciplinary issue.

Sancho, 23, is training away from United's first-team after saying in a now-deleted statement on social media that he had been made a "scapegoat" following his omission from the squad for the 3-1 defeat at Arsenal on Sept. 3.

Ten Hag stated at the time that Sancho had been left out because of his poor performance in training.

Speaking at a news conference on Friday before United host Brighton & Hove Albion, the Dutch coach did not confirm if Sancho remains a part of his long-term plans at the club.

HOJLUND READY FOR UNITED DEBUT AT ARSENAL, SAYS TEN HAG

Reuters 

Rasmus Hojlund is fit and available for Manchester United and could make his debut in their Premier League game against Arsenal this weekend, manager Erik ten Hag said on Friday.

The Danish striker joined the club from Atalanta for a reported fee of 72 million pounds ($91.22 million) before the season began, but has yet to feature for United due to a back injury.

"He had a good training week, tomorrow we have a final training, but he is doing well, he is responding well, so yeah he will be available for Sunday's game," Ten Hag told reporters before the game with Arsenal at Emirates Stadium.

Another player who could make his first appearance for the club is new signing Sergio Reguilon. The Spanish left back has arrived from Tottenham Hotspur.

WOLVES RUE PENALTY DECISION AS TEN HAG HAILS UNITED'S FIGHTING SPIRIT

Reuters 

Wolverhampton Wanderers were left aggrieved by a late penalty appeal that was turned down in their 1-0 loss at Manchester United on Monday, but new manager Gary O’Neil believes there were many positives in a contest his side largely dominated.

Raphael Varane scored the only goal in their Premier League opener but Wolves were convinced they should have had a spot kick deep in added time, which O’Neil insisted highlighted a grey area in how the Video Assistant Referee is used.

United goalkeeper Andre Onana, making his competitive debut for the club, clattered into Wolves substitute Sasa Kalajdzic as he arrived late to try and punch clear a cross but got nowhere near the ball and left the striker on the ground.

Referee Simon Hooper saw nothing wrong and with a clear directive for VAR to only intervene in clear and obvious errors, there was no call to look again at the incident.

ERIK TEN HAG ON THE FIRST HALF ON MANCHESTER UNITED'S WIN

 

ERIK TEN HAG | POST MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE

ERIK TEN HAG ON ALEJANDRO GARNACHO | MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS