Soccer

SIR JIM RATCLIFFE has arrived at Villa Park ahead of Manchester United’s clash with Aston Villa.His attendance comes amid mounting pressure regarding the future of United boss Erik ten Hag, who could be managing his final game as manager today.Erik ten Hag is under pressure to get a result for Man Utd against Aston VillaCredit: GettySir Jim Ratcliffe has arrived at Villa Park ahead of the gameCredit: RexIt comes ahead of a club chief’s meeting on TuesdayCredit: RexHe was also joined by Ineos head of sport Dave Brailsford and Man Utd CEO Omar BerradaCredit: RexTen Hag was handed a contract extension in July before being backed with a new set of coaches and recruitment that included former players.However, with results currently failing to justify that decision, Ten Hag’s position may be in some peril without immediate improvement.The Red Devils have won just three of their opening nine games in all competitions, with two of those coming in the Premier League to leave them down in 14th place before the match.A win today will see United go level on 10 points with Tottenham and Brentford, while defeat will leave them just four points above the relegation zone and 11 points behind league leaders Liverpool.READ MORE ON MAN UTDRatcliffe – who owns 27.7 per cent of Man Utd after paying £1.3billion – will be attending a meeting with club chiefs, including co-chairman Joel Glazer, in London on Tuesday.It is not currently clear whether the future of the manager is on the agenda for that meeting.However, it could well be depending on the result of today’s clash.The 71-year-old Ineos chief was driven to the entrance of Villa Park in a black Mercedes – a company Ineos have a one-third share in.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSThe executive committee that will be attending the meeting will be comprised of decision makers including; Omar Berrarda, Dan Ashworth, Jason Wilcox and Ineos chief of sport Sir Dave Brailsford.Ratcliffe failed to publicly back Ten Hag earlier this week, and said the decision on his future was “not my call”, and rather that of the management team at the club including Ashworth and Berrada.Porto vs Man Utd player ratings Managers linked with replacing Ten Hag – who will reportedly cost £17.5million to sack – include Gareth Southgate, Thomas Tuchel and Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi.Assistant manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has also been linked with the job on an interim basis. However, it’s understood he has reservations about taking the job after his own experience of feeling betrayed at PSV Eindhoven.Man Utd face Brentford in the league next, regardless of who is in the managerial hot seat at Old Trafford.Why NOBODY is the right man to replace Erik ten Hag at Man UtdSunSport’s DAVE KIDD says Erik ten Hag’s time at Man Utd is up… and explains what’s wrong with all the potential candidates to replace him.THIS is a mid-table squad at an underachieving club, with a lot of unwanted players on big money.And Ratcliffe is an instinctive cost-cutter who may not pay top dollar to the next manager.If this club wasn’t called ‘Manchester United’, it wouldn’t be an especially desirable job.The good news for United is that their new sporting director, Dan Ashworth, is a very decent judge of a manager.He has been instrumental in three previous managerial appointments — Gareth Southgate for England, Graham Potter for Brighton and Eddie Howe for Newcastle.None were wildly popular at the time, all were conspicuous successes.Interestingly, Ashworth’s No 1 choice for the Newcastle job was Unai Emery, who turned him down to stay at Villarreal but has since proved that judgment right by excelling at Aston Villa.Emery may well deliver the coup de grace to Ten Hag on Sunday — especially with Bruno Fernandes suspended and Kobbie Mainoo an injury doubt.And the Spaniard would be an excellent fit for United — yet there is next to no chance that he would abandon Villa’s Champions League campaign to take the Old Trafford job, not least because he isn’t a stark raving madman.Howe would be another good candidate to succeed Ten Hag but, although he has become frustrated on Tyneside, the Saudis would surely not allow Ratcliffe to poach Howe, as they reluctantly did with Ashworth.Potter is available but his Chelsea experience and lack of charisma would make him a tough sell.Which brings us to Southgate, who remains close with Ashworth and is an excellent man-manager who was seriously considered by United last spring.Yet, despite having led England to two of their three major finals, Southgate’s reputation for over-caution was only enhanced during the Euros.Mauricio Pochettino, passed over twice by United, is out of the equation having taken the United States job.Thomas Tuchel would be a popular and gettable option but, despite being a fine coach and a very engaging man, he is considered something of a loose cannon.Likewise, Roberto De Zerbi, now at Marseille after his brief Brighton stint sparkled then fizzled out.Kieran McKenna — a gifted former United coach who has won back-to-back promotions with Ipswich Town — is an intriguing candidate but the imminent vacancy may come a year or so too soon.Marco Silva, the extremely under-rated Fulham boss, has been on United’s radar and should not be discounted.Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim, last season’s ‘next big thing’, was passed over by West Ham as well as Liverpool this summer and is not an easy man to pin down.Zinedine Zidane, who has taken over from Alan Curbishley as a 20-1 shot for every Premier League job, is a ‘figurehead’ manager and not an Ashworth type.Ruud van Nistelrooy, the former United goal machine who joined Ten Hag’s coaching team in the summer is the bookies’ favourite. Simply because he’s in the building and he’s Dutch.So, yes, getting rid of Ten Hag is the easy part. More

ERIK TEN HAG is set for the second-biggest compensation payout of any Manchester United manager in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.Ten Hag, 54, could be managing his final game as United boss after the trip to Aston Villa today.Erik ten Hag could be sacked after Man Utd’s game at Aston VillaCredit: GettyIf he is sacked he is set for a sizeable compensation payoutCredit: RexJose Mourinho received the biggest payout of any United boss post-FergusonCredit: PA:Press AssociationAfter the 3-0 drubbing against Tottenham last week, it was widely reported that Ten Hag was given two games to save his job.The first of those games ended in a 3-3 draw with Porto, with today’s test at Villa Park potentially do-or-die.Club chiefs, including co-chairman Joel Glazer and Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe, are set to hold a meeting in London on Tuesday.And while it is not clear whether the managerial situation is on the agenda, a decision could well be made over the international break.READ MORE ON MAN UTDHowever, after handing the Dutchman a one-year extension to take his contract to 2025/26, it has now been revealed how much he could earn as a compensation package.According to Goal, the former Ajax boss is in line to pocket £17.5million if United give him the boot – around half the figure saved by the after making 250 members of staff redundant. That is understood to be £7.5m more than the £10m it would have cost the club to terminate his contract in the summer before he was handed an extension.It is also a figure which is the second-highest among Red Devils bosses in the post-Fergie era.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSThat title instead goes to Jose Mourinho, who was reportedly awarded £19.6m when he was sacked in December 2018.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the manager who replaced Mourinho and the longest-serving manager at Old Trafford since Ferguson, was paid £7.5m.Porto vs Man Utd player ratings Ralf Rangnick – who warned the club needed “open-heart surgery” back in 2022 – made the most money for his time at United, raking in £15m after his six months in interim charge of the team.Louis van Gaal was paid £8.4m after leaving United, while David Moyes was paid £5m.These figures take the total sum of payouts the club has made in the last decade for managerial compensation packages to a staggering £73m.In terms of potential replacements for Ten Hag, assistant manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has been linked with the job on an interim basis.However, he is said to have reservations about taking the job after a similar situation transpired during his time at PSV Eindhoven when he accused his assistant and senior players of conspiring with club directors in the Spring of 2023.Other linked bosses include Gareth Southgate, Thomas Tuchel and Simeone Inzaghi.But reports suggest the latter has rejected an offer, while SunSport exclusively reported how Tuchel turned down the job in the summer.Why NOBODY is the right man to replace Erik ten Hag at Man UtdSunSport’s DAVE KIDD says Erik ten Hag’s time at Man Utd is up… and explains what’s wrong with all the potential candidates to replace him.THIS is a mid-table squad at an underachieving club, with a lot of unwanted players on big money.And Ratcliffe is an instinctive cost-cutter who may not pay top dollar to the next manager.If this club wasn’t called ‘Manchester United’, it wouldn’t be an especially desirable job.The good news for United is that their new sporting director, Dan Ashworth, is a very decent judge of a manager.He has been instrumental in three previous managerial appointments — Gareth Southgate for England, Graham Potter for Brighton and Eddie Howe for Newcastle.None were wildly popular at the time, all were conspicuous successes.Interestingly, Ashworth’s No 1 choice for the Newcastle job was Unai Emery, who turned him down to stay at Villarreal but has since proved that judgment right by excelling at Aston Villa.Emery may well deliver the coup de grace to Ten Hag on Sunday — especially with Bruno Fernandes suspended and Kobbie Mainoo an injury doubt.And the Spaniard would be an excellent fit for United — yet there is next to no chance that he would abandon Villa’s Champions League campaign to take the Old Trafford job, not least because he isn’t a stark raving madman.Howe would be another good candidate to succeed Ten Hag but, although he has become frustrated on Tyneside, the Saudis would surely not allow Ratcliffe to poach Howe, as they reluctantly did with Ashworth.Potter is available but his Chelsea experience and lack of charisma would make him a tough sell.Which brings us to Southgate, who remains close with Ashworth and is an excellent man-manager who was seriously considered by United last spring.Yet, despite having led England to two of their three major finals, Southgate’s reputation for over-caution was only enhanced during the Euros.Mauricio Pochettino, passed over twice by United, is out of the equation having taken the United States job.Thomas Tuchel would be a popular and gettable option but, despite being a fine coach and a very engaging man, he is considered something of a loose cannon.Likewise, Roberto De Zerbi, now at Marseille after his brief Brighton stint sparkled then fizzled out.Kieran McKenna — a gifted former United coach who has won back-to-back promotions with Ipswich Town — is an intriguing candidate but the imminent vacancy may come a year or so too soon.Marco Silva, the extremely under-rated Fulham boss, has been on United’s radar and should not be discounted.Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim, last season’s ‘next big thing’, was passed over by West Ham as well as Liverpool this summer and is not an easy man to pin down.Zinedine Zidane, who has taken over from Alan Curbishley as a 20-1 shot for every Premier League job, is a ‘figurehead’ manager and not an Ashworth type.Ruud van Nistelrooy, the former United goal machine who joined Ten Hag’s coaching team in the summer is the bookies’ favourite. Simply because he’s in the building and he’s Dutch.So, yes, getting rid of Ten Hag is the easy part. More

ANGEL GOMES has refused to rule out a return to Manchester United after claiming it would “be difficult to say no” to the Red Devils.The twice-capped England star made his first senior United appearance at 16 but left Old Trafford for French side Lille in 2020.Former United academy star Angel Gomes has refused to rule out a return to Old TraffordCredit: GettyGomes told The Times that United will always hold a ‘sentimental soft spot’ in his heartCredit: GettyGomes was called up to England’s senior squad in SeptemberCredit: GettyUnited had reportedly wanted Gomes to stay, but the midfielder left as a free agent in a bid to play regular first-team minutes.His performances for Lille and England’s U21s impressed enough for Gomes to be called up to Lee Carsley’s first team in September.And it has left a sour taste in the mouths of many United fans, who have questioned why the Red Devils let him go in the first place.But Gomes has admitted it would be hard to rule out a return to Old Trafford, with his current Lille deal expiring next summer.read more football newsWhen quizzed on a possible return, Gomes told The Times: “There’ll always be that sentimental soft spot, so of course it’d be difficult to say no.”Before adding: “As amazing as it would be, after finding happiness abroad I know playing in the Premier League is not the be-all and end-all.”After coming through United’s academy, he made just 10 senior appearances for the club before leaving in 2020.Gomes shared a room with Marcus Rashford in United’s youth digs, after joining their academy at the age of six.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSHis Lille contract expires in nine months time, the French side keen to cash in on him in January if suitable offers come their way.Now with Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte struggling in midfield, United will likely re-enter the market for reinforcements. Ten Hag gives clear reason why he won’t bench Man Utd star despite fan moansSeveral Prem and European clubs are said to be interested in Gomes and Lille could push for a move in January so they can recoup a fee.He played in a deep-lying playmaker role in England’s victories over Ireland and Finland in the Nations League last month.The 24-year-old has been called up again to the upcoming fixtures against Finland and Greece.Gomes, who has an estimated transfer value of £21million, has played four Ligue 1 games this season and chipped in with one assist. More