Categories
football Sports News

PLAYERS TAKE HUGE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOLSKJAER SACKING – HARRY MAGUIRE

Harry Maguire has admitted Manchester United’s players must accept responsibility for their role in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking as manager.

The United captain is among those whose performances have come in for the most scrutiny during the miserable run of Premier League form which led to Solskjaer’s exit on Sunday, with his sending off contributing to the 4-1 defeat at Watford on Saturday which proved the final straw.

“Of course the players need to take the responsibility for everything that happens on the football field,” Maguire said. “We’re the ones that cross over that white line. We were in it together as a group, the management and players.

“Ultimately the manager had paid the price so we’re all disappointed. We take huge responsibility. We haven’t been good enough individually or collectively as a team. We’ve spoken about that and now we’ve got to look forward to get the club back to where it was.

“The last few months have been nowhere near good enough and the players are responsible for that as well.”

Solskjaer’s exit was announced on Sunday morning, his status as one of the club’s most celebrated players no longer enough as they lost for the fifth time in eight league games, and the Norwegian came to United’s Carrington training ground to say his goodbyes.

“The manager came in and he spoke to us and it was an emotional day,” Maguire said. “Everyone’s got a huge amount of respect for Ole and what he’s done for the club.

“He’s a legend of the club and he will remain a legend for the club. I don’t want to go into too much depth about what he said but he wished us well.

“He said he’d be supporting us, he said we needed to get back on track, get focused for the game against Villarreal now and make sure we go into it with a positive mindset.

“One thing he did say was that he’d be supporting us and wanting us to win every game of football which shows the value of the man.”

As the search for a replacement, both interim and permanent, begins in the background, United’s players must quickly refocus for Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Villarreal, when victory over the side who beat them in last season’s Europa League final would be enough to put them in the knock-out stages.

But performances have not been particularly strong in Europe either. United have relied on stoppage-time goals from Cristiano Ronaldo to reach this point, securing come-from-behind wins over Villarreal and Atalanta at Old Trafford and a late draw away to Atalanta last month.

“In football you go through ups and downs and you go through tough times,” Maguire added. “If you look at the players now at this club, you’ll speak to a lot of them and I think they’ll probably say it’s their toughest time at club level.

“We know it’s not been good enough, the recent performances haven’t been good enough. We haven’t been delivering individually, but also collectively, and when you’re not doing it collectively, the results pay the price and it’s snowballed from one thing to another.

“We’ve got to take huge responsibility for that and we’ve got to find something within ourselves.

“We’ve got to look forward, we’ve got to move this club forward and find something within ourselves, within the group to find that focus and mentality to produce a good performance tomorrow and get the result we need for this club.”

Categories
football Slides Sports News

MAURICIO POCHETTINO WANTS TO QUIT PSG FOR UNITED JOB

Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly ready to quit his job as manager of Paris Saint-Germain in order to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Manchester United boss. Solskjaer was sacked by the Red Devils following an embarrassing defeat to relegation-threatened Watford, which left them 12 points adrift of Premier League leaders Chelsea.

United have stated that they hope to first appoint an interim manager until the end of the season, with first team coach Michael Carrick taking charge until that man is brought in.

They will then look to bring in Solskjaer’s long-term successor at the end of the season, with a range of options in the running.

Brendan Rodgers, Erik Ten Hag and Zinedine Zidane are all thought to be seen as potential managers by United.

Pochettino is also understood to be one of the frontrunners, with the Argentine having long drawn the eye of the Red Devils.

His first spell in the Premier League came with Southampton and Tottenham, with Pochettino successful at both clubs.

But he was sacked by Spurs at the end of 2019, after their form fell apart following an appearance in the Champions League final.

He was forced to wait more than a year before his next appointment as a manager, with PSG bringing him in as Thomas Tuchel’s successor.

It has not been an enjoyable stay at the Parc des Princes, with the French giants having been beaten to the Ligue 1 title by Lille last season.

Lionel Messi arrived in the summer after a remarkable transfer window that saw PSG seriously boost their squad.

Despite the super-squad he now has at his disposal, which includes Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Gianluigi Donnarumma, Pochettino is still struggling to stamp his authority in Paris.

The Argentine does remain an attractive option for United and the Daily Mail report he could be brought in much sooner than first thought.

It is stated that Pochettino is ‘ready to answer’ the call from United and is ‘prepared’ to leave PSG immediately.

Pochettino is said to be ‘unhappy’ at the Parc des Princes, with the former Spurs boss currently living in a hotel room with his family still in London.

Personal reasons are not the only thing making him ready to depart though, with the Mail also reporting he is ‘frustrated’ with managing big egos such as Messi.

He is thought to still be admired by United, having first been linked with the job when Jose Mourinho was sacked in 2018.

PSG travel to Manchester this week to face United’s fierce rivals Manchester City in the Champions League.

That provides United with the chance to confirm Pochettino’s interest in the job, though the Mail claim no contact has been made between the two parties as of yet.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

FOUR-STAR LIVERPOOL END ARSENAL’S UNBEATEN RUN IN EMPHATIC FASHION

Liverpool returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion as they put Arsenal to the sword with a 4-0 victory which halted the Gunners’ 10-match unbeaten run.

Having seen their unbeaten start to the season ended at West Ham before the international break, Jurgen Klopp’s side responded in style with a comprehensive dismantling of their opponents, who had arrived looking to leapfrog their hosts into the top four.

But for all Arsenal’s recent improvement Liverpool’s quality shone through as they eased back into second place, four points behind Chelsea, after a 15th consecutive game in which they scored more than twice – the longest run by an English top-flight club since Wolves’ 16 in 1939.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, remembered here for his time as an Everton player, discovered to his cost the dangers of rattling Anfield’s cage as a touchline bust-up with Klopp ignited the atmosphere and energised the home side.

It was that incident which saw the match catch fire as Liverpool’s players used the injection of emotion to press home their territorial advantage with goals from Sadio Mane, in the first half, Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah and substitute Takumi Minamino – with his first touch.

Arteta appeared to have done his homework and his side started compact and organised but looking to hit their hosts on the counter-attack.

Nevertheless, he still had to rely on Aaron Ramsdale to continue his good form Having parried a volley from Thiago Alcantara, in the side as Jordan Henderson was only deemed fit enough for the bench after an injury on England duty, Mane got the follow-up caught under his body, allowing the goalkeeper to save.

Later in the first half Ramsdale was also able to deny Salah from close range and Trent Alexander-Arnold from distance.

But before that came the turning point of the half, and it did not occur on the pitch.

Mane went up for a header with Takehiro Tomiyasu but, for some reason seemingly unapparent to the majority watching, Arteta was incensed. and had it not been for the England international Arsenal would have left with a much worse result than they did.

Klopp offered a word of disagreement, causing his opposite number to fly off the handle which led to both managers being separated by their respective coaching staff and then booked by referee Michael Oliver.

That raised the noise level at Anfield and when lone defender Fabinho’s last-ditch but perfectly-timed tackle to dispossess Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – earlier flagged offside as Alexandre Lacazette thrashed his square pass into the empty Kop net – as he threatened to race clear the roar was visceral.

It was matched only by the one which greeted Mane’s goal when he nodded home Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick having been left unmarked in the six-yard area.

Mane was then booked for hacking at Ben White as the ball trickled out of play as the atmosphere remained febrile.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was desperate to impress against his old side and when the influential Fabinho intercepted Bukayo Saka’s pass the former Gunners midfielder steered a shot wide of the post.

But seven minutes into the second half Liverpool doubled their lead as Arteta’s insistence his side play out from the back fell foul of Klopp’s pressing game.

Having won the ball off Alexander-Arnold, Nuno Tavares cut inside but blindly rolled a pass straight to Jota who could not believe his luck, showing real composure to side-step Ramsdale and score into an empty net.

Arsenal were being pinned back in their own half with any notion of counter-attacking merely a second thought as Liverpool went in for the kill, Ramsdale denying Mane and Jota twice.

The Arsenal goalkeeper could do nothing about the third 17 minutes from time when Mane burst down the left to cross for Salah to volley home his 16th of the campaign, before Minamino scored his first Anfield goal just 48 seconds after replacing Jota.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

Manchester United sack Solskjaer after heavy Watford defeat

Manchester United have sacked boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to promoted side Watford.

The Norwegian has been relieved of his duties after just shy of three years in the job, with Michael Carrick set to take charge of their forthcoming games.

The Red Devils say they will look to appoint an interim manager until the end of the season.

A club statement read: “Manchester United announces that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has left his role as manager. 

“Ole will always be a legend at Manchester United and it is with regret that we have reached this difficult decision. 

“While the past few weeks have been disappointing, they should not obscure all the work he has done over the past three years to rebuild the foundations for long-term success. 

“Ole leaves with our sincerest thanks for his tireless efforts as manager and our very best wishes for the future. 

“His place in the club’s history will always be secure, not just for his story as a player, but as a great man and a manager who gave us many great moments. 

“He will forever be welcome back at Old Trafford as part of the Manchester United family.”

He leaves United following a dismal run of five defeats in seven in the Premier League, which also included humbling defeats to rivals Liverpool and Manchester City.

United are down in seventh, already 12 points off Premier League leaders Chelsea.

After splashing the cash on Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane in the summer, results and performances have not been up to scratch.

Pressure on Solskjaer reached new levels after after a shambolic defeat at Vicarage Road.

Goals from Joshua King, Ismaila Sarr, Joao Pedro and Emmanuel Dennis put the Red Devils to the sword, while captain Harry Maguire was also sent off.

United’s next game is a Champions League group clash against Villarreal, before a trip to Chelsea on Sunday.

Since Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013, only Jose Mourinho (58.3%) has had a higher win percentage than Solskjaer’s 54.2%.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

Ronaldo set to sting Hornets after Portugal frustration

Spectacular has quickly become the norm for Cristiano Ronaldo back at Manchester United.

Despite being criticised in some quarters, the 36-year-old has taken to rescuing United with late heroics like a duck to water.

The superstar has nine goals already this season but his Old Trafford comeback has come with plenty of frustration and a mixed bag of results.

After a heartbreaking stoppage-time defeat to Serbia saw Portugal miss out on automatic World Cup qualification, we look at Ronaldo’s campaign so far and judge whether Watford should fear a backlash on Saturday.

It has not all been plain sailing for CR7 since returning to Manchester.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United have looked a side short of rhythm or an idea of how they want to play and certain critics have blamed Ronaldo’s signing.

Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said: “I wouldn’t say it was a mistake but certainly some emotional impact was in there because he has been a fantastic player. 

“I believe Ronaldo can still score you the goals you need. Can he repeat it every three games, very high-intensity games? 

“When you buy a player like that, the secret is the balance of the team. 

“To play Ronaldo, he can win you games, but you need to create the balance around him.”

Despite United’s struggles, Ronaldo has come to Solskjaer’s aid on more than occasion. 

He has produced a series of barely believable moments to keep them riding high in the Champions League.

A stoppage-time winner against Villarreal and a fantastic header to secure a 3-2 win over Atalanta have been among the highlights. 

But it was the perfectly executed volley in the last minute at Atalanta to secure a 2-2 draw that encapsulated his impact.

When the chips are down and everything appears lost, Ronaldo is still able to conjure up magic out of nothing.

It is little surprise he was a key figure in the 3-0 win at Tottenham last month, when he scored his first league goal since the comeback win over West Ham in September.

The Portuguese veteran has also hit back at criticism of his displays.

Speaking recently, he said: “I know when the team needs my help defensively.

“But my role in the club is to win, help the team to win and to score goals — [the defensive side] is part of my job.

“The people who don’t want to see that is because they don’t like me but to be honest I’m 36, I win everything so am I going to be worried about the people who say bad things about me? I sleep good at night.

“I go to my bed with my conscience very good. Keep going with that because I will still close mouths and win things.”

There is no doubt it will be a frustrated Ronaldo taking to the pitch at Watford on Saturday.

That victory over Spurs was sandwiched by home defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City prior to the international break.

And his trip away with Portugal was far from successful.

After a draw against the Republic of Ireland and the defeat to Serbia, Ronaldo and his countrymen must now reach next November’s World Cup in Qatar via the play-offs. 

Playing one of the Premier League’s worst defences could prove just the tonic the former Real Madrid and Juventus icon needs.

Watford have shipped 19 goals in 11 top-flight games, with Liverpool putting five past them at Vicarage Road.

Claudio Ranieri’s troops will be on red alert come 3pm on Saturday.

Categories
football Sports News

RASHFORD RECEIVES MBE HONOURS FOR FEEDING KIDS DURING THE LOCKDOWN

Marcus Rashford has received his MBE from Prince William in recognition of his campaign to support vulnerable children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Manchester United and England striker collected the award in a ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, where he was joined by his mother Melanie.

Rashford, 24, successfully campaigned for the United Kingdom government to provide free school meals to vulnerable children during lockdown. He forced the government into two U-turns to extend their support during the summer and winter holidays and his campaign resulted in policy change.

Rashford, who was awarded the MBE last October, received the honour from the Duke of Cambridge in the first in-person investiture event since the start of the pandemic.

His mother Melanie has supported his drive for social change with her own work in local foodbanks in Manchester.

Rashford has since continued his food poverty campaign by creating a taskforce which works with major supermarkets and foodbanks in the U.K.

“There’s a lot of work to be done,” Rashford told reporters outside of Windsor Palace.

“We’re nowhere near where we want to be, or where we feel the kids deserve to be. We’ve just got to stick at it and keep going.”

The Manchester United star also wrote on Twitter: “An honour to spend the morning with you [Prince William].

“Thank you for making the day so special for me and mum. Very proud.”

Categories
football Slides Sports News

DOMINANT MANCITY CLAIM DERBY VICTORY WITH WIN AT OLD TRAFFORD

Manchester City delivered a dominant performance as an Eric Bailly own goal and a Bernardo Silva strike earned the champions their first Manchester derby victory in five Premier League attempts over their local rivals at Old Trafford.

Pep Guardiola’s side went ahead on seven minutes when Bailly diverted Joao Cancelo’s cross into his own net.

United briefly rallied when Cristiano Ronaldo’s shot was saved by Ederson and Mason Greenwood scuffed the rebound wide.

David De Gea made five big saves in the first half to deny Gabriel Jesus, Kevin De Bruyne, Cancelo, twice, and a Victor Lindelof deflection before City beat the Spaniard’s resistance again on the stroke of half-time.

Cancelo set up the second goal when his cross was turned in at the far post by Bernardo, who sneaked in at the far post behind a hesitant Luke Shaw.

The hosts improved in the second half but also lost Shaw to a head injury.

City, who move second with 23 points, almost scored again late on as Phil Foden clipped a post.

A fourth consecutive home match without a win drops United down to sixth with 17 points

Categories
football Slides Sports News

Ronaldo rescues Red Devils again

Cristiano Ronaldo once again proved Manchester United’s Champions League hero by scoring late on to rescue a crucial 2-2 draw at Atalanta on Tuesday.

The Portugal international completed United’s 3-2 comeback win against the same opponents from two goals down two weeks ago and also struck late on in September’s 2-1 recovery win against Villarreal.

Ronaldo’s latest rescue act arrived in the 91st minute at Gewiss Stadium when volleying in a sublime equaliser, having earlier struck to cancel out Josip Ilicic’s opener before Duvan Zapata put Atalanta back in front.

The draw keeps Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side top of Group F, level on points with Villarreal and two better off than Atalanta with two group games remaining, meaning their last-16 fate remains in their own hands.

After United had hit the post through a deflected Scott McTominay drive, Atalanta took the lead when Zapata pulled the ball back for Ilicic, whose shot squirmed under David de Gea – the goal allowed to stand after a VAR check for a possible Mario Pasalic offside infringement.

United lost Raphael Varane to injury before half-time, but the introduction of Mason Greenwood paid immediate dividends as he linked up with Bruno Fernandes, who in turn flicked the ball into the path of Ronaldo to fire home his first of the game.

Atalanta restored their lead when Zapata got in behind down United’s right, evaded a sliding challenge from Harry Maguire and finished past De Gea. The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but VAR rightly overturned that decision after a two-minute check to determine Zapata was indeed onside.

That left United on the brink of a fourth successive away defeat in the European Cup for the first time ever, only for Ronaldo to once again bail out his side by firing a first-time shot into the bottom-left corner after a loose ball popped up into his path with time almost up.

With Villarreal on their way to a 2-0 win over Young Boys, United found themselves third in Group F with seconds remaining in Bergamo and yet more questions inevitably being asked of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

While Ronaldo’s brace does not entirely lift the pressure off Solskjaer’s shoulders, it does at least mean United remain top of their group with two games – away to Villarreal and at home to Young Boys – left to play.

Solskjaer could have had few complaints had his side fallen to just a second defeat in their past 12 games against Italian opposition in the Champions League – Atalanta had an expected goals value of 1.55 compared to United’s 1.04 – but with Ronaldo on the field anything is possible.

Ronaldo became the first player to score in four successive Champions League appearances for United since Ruud van Nistelrooy in April 2003 with his opener, which was a well-worked team goal involving Greenwood and Fernandes.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner added an even better second from range and in the process overtook manager Solskjaer’s tally of goals in all competitions for United with his 126th for the club, doing so in 63 fewer appearances.

United were once again shaky in defence and midfield, with the likes Maguire, De Gea and Paul Pogba in particular having off-days – the latter being replaced 20 minutes from time with his side chasing a goal.

The Red Devils have now failed to keep a clean sheet in 14 of their past 15 Champions League matches and have conceded in 13 of their 15 matches in all competitions this term.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

MAN UTD EASE PRESSURE ON MANAGER SOLSKJAER WITH WIN AT TOTTENHAM

Manchester United eased the pressure on under-fire Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with an easy 3-0 win at Tottenham which saw the heat turned up on Nuno Espirito Santo.

Solskjaer is battling for his job after last weekend’s 5-0 humiliation by Liverpool, but as has been the case so often during his reign at United, his team delivered a result when he needed it the most.

A brilliant goal by Cristiano Ronaldo – his 11th against Tottenham, the most of any English opponent – and second-half strikes from Edinson Cavani and Marcus Rashford saw United coast to the points in north London and gave the Norwegian a bit of breathing space.

He will not be out of the woods just yet, though, with a Champions League trip to Atalanta and the Manchester derby to come in the next week.

While Solskjaer will have enjoyed his evening, the same cannot be said for Nuno as the Tottenham fans turned on their boss Nuno, chanting ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’ and made their feelings clear at full-time with a loud chorus of boos.

The Portuguese seems like a man condemned and with his side toothless in attack and unable to muster a shot on target during the 90 minutes, patience in the fanbase is already running out.

Spurs could have gone into the top four with a win, but that never looked on the cards and with five wins and five defeats from their opening 10 games, a challenge for Champions League qualification looks beyond this team.

Both sides had chances to grab the upper hand in the opening 10 minutes as Son Heung-min had an effort deflected wide and at the other end Cavani’s shot was blocked by Eric Dier.

Tottenham began to grow into the game and should have taken the lead midway through the first half.

After United cleared a corner Lucas Moura’s clipped ball over the top found Son, but the South Korean poked over from close range having taken control of the ball well.

Five minutes later Spurs thought they had taken the lead as Cristian Romero turned in Dier’s header from a corner at the far post, but he was several yards offside.

It felt like it was the hosts who had the momentum, but United wrestled it away in the 39th minute with a moment of quality that was made and finished in Portugal.

Ronaldo cleverly peeled off Ben Davies’ shoulder and his compatriot Bruno Fernandes picked him out with a pinpoint cross.

There was plenty for the 36-year-old still to do, but his finish was superb, sending a low first-time volley across Hugo Lloris and into the far post as he continued his love affair of scoring against Spurs.

He was celebrating a second early in the second half after another emphatic finish, but he went slightly early with his run and it was ruled out for offside.

Tottenham fans were not happy with what they were witnessing and turned on Nuno when he substituted Moura in the 54th minute.

Boos rang loudly around the stadium followed by chants of ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’.

The mood soured even more in the 64th minute as United doubled their lead.

Oliver Skipp was robbed of possession in the centre circle, Fernandes passed to Ronaldo, who played in an onside Cavani and his clipped finish was stylish.

United killed the game four minutes from time as substitute Rashford coolly slotted home after being played in by Nemanja Matic.

That incensed Tottenham fans even further and they chanted for Nuno’s sacking and the removal of chairman Daniel Levy.

Categories
football Sports News

OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER TO REMAIN IN MAN UNITED AS UNITED STARS CONFUSED AND DIVIDED OVER HIS STAY

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is reportedly unlikely to be sacked by Manchester United this week – though the Red Devils players have been left confused by goings on at the club.

Solskjaer is is under severe pressure at Old Trafford having seen the Red Devils be thrashed 5-0 by rivals Liverpool at the weekend.

He is the bookies favourite to be the next Premier League manager sacked with rumours swirling on Monday that he may not have made the end of the day.

The Athletic report that Solskjaer will be given the opportunity to turn fortunes around, starting at Tottenham on Saturday.

Though they add that United’s players have been left confused over the style of the play they have been adopting.

It’s claimed Solskjaer gave his players an instruction to press high on Liverpool but The Athletic add players were confused by the exact coordination.

Plenty of names are being mentioned as potential replacements for Solskjaer, including ex-Chelsea boss Antonio Conte and current Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers.

Though Solskjaer is not going to give up his job easily, saying: “I have come too far to give up. I am not built that way.

“The feeling we have had is we were getting where we wanted to be but in the last few weeks results haven’t come and we have hit a brick wall. We have conceded too many easy goals and that is a concern.