Tag: Manchester United

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United Slip up in race for Top four

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says his players “will put it right” after they missed a chance to climb into the Premier League’s top four by conceding an injury-time equaliser against Southampton.

United led 2-1 for 73 minutes before substitute Michael Obafemi scored in the 96th minute, bundling in a set-piece at the back post after it had been flicked on by Jan Bednarek.

Stuart Armstrong had given Southampton a 12th-minute lead, but Anthony Martial set up Marcus Rashford to equalise before firing a superb second goal for United.

Solskjaer’s side were on course to leapfrog top-four rivals Chelsea and Leicester – who both suffered defeats over the weekend – and move up to third but they remain fifth with three games left in the chase for Champions League qualification.

“The mentality has been brilliant. We have had a few setbacks this season. This is another challenge for us,” said Solskjaer.

“I am very confident in [the players’] mentality. I’m disappointed of course, but you have to take the disappointments as well as the positives. We have learned a hard lesson. We will put it right. I trust the boys in that respect.”

Armstrong had opened the scoring for Southampton, following Paul Pogba’s mistake, and after fighting back to draw, the visitors now sit five points outside of the top 10 and level on points with Everton.

Despite United’s setback, they will still qualify for the Champions League if they win their last three games, as they travel to the King Power Stadium to face Leicester on the final day of the season.

Solskjaer was unhappy with what he called a “nasty” first-half challenge by Oriol Romeu on Mason Greenwood, for which the Southampton midfielder went unpunished after a video assistant referee review.

“I know my ankle wouldn’t take that challenge,” Solskjaer said. “It was a nasty one but we have said enough about VAR.”

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WE AREN’T DONE YET: DE GEA OPTIMISTIC UNITED WILL DO MORE AFTER BREAKING NEW RECORD

David de Gea has warned Manchester United have achieved nothing yet.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side kept the pressure on the Premier League’s top four following Thursday’s 3-0 win at Aston Villa.

Fifth-placed United are a point behind Leicester – who they face on the final day of the season – and two adrift of Chelsea as they bid to return to the Champions League.

However, with four games remaining De Gea insisted the job needs to be completed.

“Of course we are very confident now but we haven’t done anything yet. We have some important games coming now so we need to be very, very focused and keep the level that we showed today and in the last four games,” the goalkeeper said.

“We’re in a good mood, a good way, so yes, we keep looking forward to the next game.

“We’re really happy with three massive points and we’re really close to fourth and third positions. We are showing a lot of good things, like we did in the last three or four games. It’s great to see the team performing like this.”

De Gea kept a clean sheet on his 399th appearance for United at Villa Park, the most games of any overseas player for the club, surpassing Peter Schmeichel’s record.

“Sorry to Schmeichel,” he told mufc.com. “It’s great. That means I’ve been here a long time and I’ve been playing really, really well to the top level so I’m really, really proud. I’m happy to play for this club for that many games.

“Hopefully I have another 400 games coming. So I’m really, really happy.”

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UEFA CONFIRM VENUE FOR UNITED VS LASK EUROPA RETURN LEG GAME

Manchester United will play the second leg of their last-16 Europa League tie with LASK Linz at Old Trafford, UEFA have confirmed.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side won 5-0 in Austria the day before UEFA halted the competition as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak across Europe.

Plans have since been unveiled to finish the Europa League in a final eight tournament in Germany in August, with quarter-finals, semi-final and final all played over one leg.

But United will keep home advantage for the second leg of their tie with the side who finished second in the Austrian Bundesliga and they will be near certainties to complete the job and ensure they make the last eight of the Europa League, with the draw for the competition to be staged tomorrow.

UEFA have confirmed the remaining ties in the Europa League and the Champions League will be played at home venues, as long as that league is back up and running and there are no travel restrictions in place.

A UEFA statement said: “Consistent with the principle of sporting fairness and considering that current conditions – all clubs due to play at home the return leg of the Round of 16 are currently playing the remaining matches of their domestic leagues in their own stadiums and that travelling is possible without restrictions for the visiting clubs – the UEFA Executive Committee decided that the remaining UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League Round of 16 second-leg matches will be played at the home teams’ stadiums.

“As already communicated in June, the ties FC Internazionale Milano v Getafe CF and Sevilla FC v AS Roma, whose first leg was also postponed, will be played as a single leg in Germany.

“UEFA will continue to monitor the situation and reserves the right to reassign any such matches to the venues of the final tournament of the relevant competition should new events occur that would make it impossible to play one or more matches at the original venues.

“The respective fixture lists will be communicated after tomorrow’s draws at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon.”

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ANOTHER VAR CONTROVERSY AT VILLA PARK AS MANCHESTER UNITED MAKE SPOT KICK RECORD

VAR took centre stage once more on Thursday night when a controversial first-half penalty was awarded to Manchester United during their encounter at Aston Villa.

Bruno Fernandes was involved in the major talking point at Villa Park, with the Portuguese winning a soft spot-kick which he then converted after treading on Ezri Konsa’s foot on the edge of the area before hitting the deck.

In winning the penalty United made it 13 spot-kicks for the 2019/20 Premier League season, equaling the record held by Leicester in 2015-16 and Crystal Palace in 2004-05.

It was a decision which left many bewildered, especially as it looked as though Fernandes had committed a foul on Konsa, as opposed to the other way round.

Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel expressed his disbelief at the decision on Twitter writing: “I am sorry, but that was not a penalty. VAR continues to be a joke..

“What is the point of VAR when it doesn’t correct a clear and obvious refereeing mistake like that?”

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Jamie Vardy reaches 100 PL goals,Mason Greenwood matches Wayne Rooney’s 2004 record

Mason Greenwood became the first teenager to score 15 goals in a single season for Manchester United since Wayne Rooney (17) in 2004/05.

Mason Greenwood, 18, put away two emphatic finishes in Manchester United’s demolition of Bournemouth on Saturday, becoming the first teenager to score 15 goals in a single season for United since Wayne Rooney (17) in 2004/05.

Greenwood’s goals, one scored with the right foot and the other with the left, were scored in the 29th and 54th minutes. Marcus Rashford scored from a penalty in the first half, while Anthony Martial added to the lead at the half-time mark. Bruno Fernandes scored from a free kick in the second half to put United 5-2 up.

Greenwood is the only teenager in Europe’s top five leagues to have contributed to 15 goals this season.

This was the first time United scored five goals in a home match since December 2011.

United now have three players with 15+ goals in all competitions (Greenwood, Martial, Rashford) for the first time since the 2012/13 season.

With their win, they extended their unbeaten run to 16 matches. They provisionally enter the top four in the Premier League points table, though Chelsea have a game in hand.

In the earlier match on Saturday, Brighton moved to the brink of safety in the Premier League and left last-place Norwich closer to relegation after winning 1-0 at Carrow Road.

In the third match, Jamie Vardy passed 100 career goals in the Premier League by scoring twice as Leicester beat Crystal Palace 3-0 on Saturday to ignite its ambitions to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

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Manchester City, Manchester United and Wolves facing no summer break

Manchester City, Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly all facing the possibility of missing the start of next season and having no summer break due to their delayed European campaigns.

Premier League clubs will meet next week via a video conference to discuss when the 2020-21 season will begin and confirm dates for the new campaign.

The Sun reports that there are three realistic options that the Premier League are considering, with the weekends of August 22 and 29 as well as September 12 being discussed.

Several Premier League clubs are understood to prefer the September date, which would give them more time to prepare for the new campaign after a congested post-lockdown fixture list, and it would also make it more likely that fans will be allowed back into stadiums, giving clubs a greater income boost.

However, Premier League referees have been alerted to the likelihood that the new season would begin on the first provisional date in August, which could lead to City, United and Wolves not being able to restart their domestic campaigns along with every other club, if their respective Champions League and Europa League runs go all the way.

UEFA plan to host the Europa League final in Cologne on August 21 and the Champions League final in Lisbon two days later.

This would mean the Premier League trio having to play catch-up from the very beginning of next season, with no possibility of their players having any rest period between seasons, which could lead to significant injury repercussions as the new campaign progresses.

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Paul Pogba to sign new contract at Manchester United

Midfielder Paul Pogba is reportedly happy to extend his contract at Manchester United.

Since revealing in June 2019 that he wanted to take on a new challenge, the World Cup winner has been continually linked with an exit from Old Trafford.

Although United are in a position where they can extend the 27-year-old’s contract until 2022, it has been suggested that club officials are yet to decide whether there is value in keeping the France international at the club.

However, according to ESPN, Pogba is increasingly content with life in the North-West after recently returning from a long-term absence.

In his most recent outings in the Premier League, the playmaker has linked up well with January arrival Bruno Fernandes, adding a different dimension to United’s play.

That appears to have swayed Pogba into looking to commit his future to United, rather than pursuing a switch to either Real Madrid or Juventus.

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United should Target Sane

Undoubtedly, Jadon Sancho is at the top of Manchester United’s wishlist with the summer transfer window on the horizon. But with the financial situations of many clubs still very much uncertain, a fellow United legend thinks that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should try to keep his options open.

Speaking with Stadium Astro, former United striker Dwight Yorke expressed his admiration for Leroy Sane, another winger very familiar with the city of Manchester.

According to Pep Guardiola, Sane has already told the club that he wishes to move on in the summer instead of putting pen to paper on a new contract, and Yorke believes that United should at least attempt to try and pull Sane over to the red side.

“If I was to airdrop, the boy Sane at City I really do like,” Yorke told Stadium Astro. “United has got a real good attacking bunch of young players but we haven’t got a left-footed sort of winger. The boy Greenwood is coming to the fore recently, but I like Sane.”

It seems unlikely that Sane would swap Manchester’s blue for red, but that didn’t initially seem like too much of a possibility with Sancho either. And while Sancho will continue to top United’s shopping list in the coming months, Yorke feels that it would be good to express interest in someone like Sane, even just to ‘stir it up.’

“Sancho is obviously up there, but if you can’t get him, why not be brave and go for a player who’s played across next door and cause some stir?” Yorke said. “Just stir it up a little bit. That’s what I would do.

“I know he’s got some injuries but if I was brave, if I was Man United manager at this point in time, that’s the type of person I would go for. He’s had a couple of years in the Premier League, I’ve watched him very closely and I like him a lot. He is probably the quickest out of all of them and he’s really got a good attitude.”

The speculation linking United with Sancho has been very on and off lately. It changes almost daily. One day his head is already in Manchester, hence why he has been left on the bench for Borussia Dortmund’s final two league fixtures, and the next Dortmund aren’t quite willing to sell.

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OLE WANTS LEADERSHIP FROM POGBA

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to see some leadership on the pitch from Paul Pogba.

The club record signing, 27, has made just two appearances since September because of a fractured foot.

But despite speculation about his future, Pogba’s chances of staying at United have increased – with the transfer market expected to collapse because of Covid-19’s financial impact.

“Paul is one of the best midfielders in the world,” said Solskjaer.

“He is a World Cup winner and we want to have that leadership on the pitch.”

Pogba last played for United on 26 December as he attempted a comeback from his injury, but suffered a setback and required surgery on his foot in January.

With United set to resume their Premier League campaign at Tottenham on Friday – more than three months after the campaign was halted by the coronavirus pandemic – Solskjaer wants to see the France midfielder make a bigger impact.

“Now that he is fit and training and available, I can see from his mentality and focus, that he is ready to play again,” Solskjaer said.

“Whether that is for 45 minutes this time, or 60 I don’t know but gradually, over these next few months, we hope to work him back up to his best.”

BBC Sport understands United’s coaching staff were encouraged by the pairing of Pogba and January signing Bruno Fernandes in the same team during last week’s friendly defeat by West Brom at Old Trafford.

With Scotland international Scott McTominay one of United’s best performers of the season and both Fred and Nemanja Matic improving as the campaign went along, the midfield area – once a weakness – has become a strength.

“Any of them would be capable of playing a full season as a regular at Manchester United so it’s given me a nice challenge to pick the right ones against the right opponents,” said Solskjaer.

By the time they take to the field at Tottenham, 103 days will have elapsed since United beat Manchester City at Old Trafford in their last Premier League match.

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Marcus Rashford’s campaign forces government to provide summer food fund

Marcus Rashford’s campaign forces government to provide summer food fun

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will provide a summer food fund for struggling families in England, bowing to pressure from England forward Marcus Rashford and his campaign to prevent children from going hungry during the coronavirus pandemic.

British ministers originally said school food vouchers would not be available over the long summer holiday, prompting the 22-year-old Manchester United forward to take up the cause and reveal how he had relied on such support as a boy.

Before a debate in parliament, and as some lawmakers from the governing Conservative Party called for a change, Johnson’s spokesman said the government would be providing a COVID summer food fund costing around 120 million pounds ($150 million).

“Owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the prime minister fully understands that children and parents face an entirely unprecedented situation over the summer. To reflect this we will be providing a COVID summer food fund,” his spokesman said.

Rashford used a column in the Times newspaper on Tuesday to argue that while he may not have the education of a lawmaker in parliament, he did have a social education.

He has already helped to raise around 20 million pounds with charity Fareshare UK to supply meals to struggling families.

“I don’t even know what to say,” he said on Twitter of the change in policy. “Just look at what we can do when we come together, THIS is England in 2020.”

The move by the government was met with widespread praise for Rashford from fellow sports stars, politicians, and the mayor of London. “Well played, Marcus. Well played,” said former England captain and pundit Gary Lineker on Twitter.

“Good to see Marcus Rashford keeping up his record of scoring on debut in each new competition,” one comment said.