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      Bruno Fernandes says Man Utd youngster deserves place in Erik ten Hag’s starting XI after ‘training hard’

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      MANCHESTER UNITED captain Bruno Fernandes insists youngster Facundo Pellistri deserves a place in the starting line-up.Pellistri, 21, made a rare start for United against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday and featured on the right wing.
      Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes insists Facundo Pellistri deserves a place in the starting XICredit: Rex
      Fernandes is impressed with the way Pellistri trains at Man UtdCredit: Getty
      The winger was tasked with taking on Bayern left-back Alphonso Davies during the Red Devils’ 4-3 loss at the Allianz Arena.
      And the Uruguay international impressed Fernandes in his first start of the season with other forwards like out-of-favour Jadon Sancho, Antony – who’s on leave – and the injured Amad Diallo unavailable.
      The Portugal international insists Pellistri deserves more opportunities after “always training hard” and showing commitment to the team.
      Fernandes said: “Pellistri is one of the players that deserves his chance and deserves a lot of credit for everything he has done for the team.
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      “He is someone who is always available, always training hard and someone who deserves his chance.
      “He did well today, he did the job the manager asked him to do and we are all happy for him because he really deserves to get his chances.”
      United manager Erik ten Hag insisted he didn’t start Pellistri due to a lack of options in the wings.
      Instead, the Uruguayan earned his spot and the unenviable task of going up against Davies.
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      Ten Hag said before the match: “It’s not that we’ve given it to him [the chance]. He deserves it.
      “I thought it was not the right time as he came back from a tough journey in South America.
      “We already had two players in Casemiro and Licha Martinez, coming from that journey but I think he’s ready for it.
      “Now he has to prove it. It’s a great game and also he actually fits tactically very good as they have a tough player there in Davies with a lot of speed. He is the one who can match that speed.
      “That’s why we play him [to go up against Davies]. He can match him defence wise and he’s also capable to be a threat.
      “He is a very good dribbler, Pellistri, and Davies is not a great defender so we expect something from him.” More

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      Ex-BT Sport host Jake Humphrey makes classy gesture to Laura Woods after she makes Champions League debut on TNT Sports

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      JAKE HUMPHREY is holding no grudges about Laura Woods taking over his role as host of TNT Sports and even made a classy gesture towards his replacement. Woods made her Champions League debut on the popular sports channel this week for Manchester City’s 3-1 victory over Red Star Belgrade.
      Jake Humphrey has sent a classy gesture to Laura Woods on InstagramCredit: Getty
      Woods made her Champions League debut on TNT Sport this week after replacing Humphrey for the coverageCredit: Getty
      The former radio host came in for Humphrey earlier this year after BT Sport made some personnel changes when they shook things up with their big rebrand to TNT Sport.
      But despite Humphrey seeing an end to his ten year spell with the broadcaster, he obviously holds no qualms with his replacement.
      Woods took to Instagram to commemorate her Champions League debut with a few different highlights from the night.
      She posted it alongside a caption that read: “Champions League Debut. Well that was fun!
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      “Sprinklers, nutmegs & a Super Ally cuddle will do just fine for me. Doing it again tonight, see you in Munich.”
      And Humphrey was quick to jump into the comments section to praise his broadcasting peer with the “praising hands” emoji.
      He simply commented “🙌🙌🙌” as he offered support to Woods on what was a momentous night for her.
      She was left embarrassed at one point during the show as Rio Ferdinand managed to nutmeg her live on air.
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      Rio Ferdiand nutmegged Woods during the showCredit: Twitter @footballontnt
      But she was still at her usual best as she left Ally McCoist in fits of laughter with a crude joke following the game too.
      Humphrey is busy away with his own ventures as the former Bamzooki host now has his own podcast.
      The High Performance Podcast sees guests talk about what it takes to succeed at an elite level and has inspired its listeners with Humphrey recently sharing the story of a fan he met on the train going for a job because of the show.
      Humphrey shared a wholesome post about how someone he met on the train had been inspired by his podcastCredit: Twitter @mrjakehumphrey More

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      Arsenal fans joke William Saliba is ‘dangerous but good’ after chaotic, brilliant sequence in PSV Champions League win

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      ARSENAL FANS were left in awe after a brief moment of panic when William Saliba worked himself out of trouble during their 4-0 thrashing of PSV. The Frenchman has already established himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League and he showed his skills on the Champions League stage last night.
      William Saliba left Arsenal fans impressed after some calm dribbling to evade pressure last nightCredit: Getty

      Saliba was running back to his goal with Noa Lang chasing him downCredit: TNT SPORTS
      He turned away from the winger with easeCredit: TNT SPORTS
      Saliba put himself in trouble though with Ismael Saibari now coming at him head-on and had to push the ball to one side to keep possessionCredit: TNT SPORTS
      He skipped away with the ball at his feet after staying calm under heaps of pressureCredit: TNT SPORTS
      Saliba was running back to his own goal with the ball at his feet in the second half at the Emirates Stadium when he realised PSV’s Noa Lang was hot on his tail.
      The 22-year-old remained calm and turned away from trouble with ease, but he found himself in a compromising situation with Ismael Saibari now charging at him.
      But in a wonderfully sharp and silky move the centre-back evaded the oncoming pressure with a quick two touch that saw him drag the ball away from Saibari with his right foot and then take a touch past him with his left.
      Saliba then turned and charged into midfield bringing the ball away from trouble and maintaining possession for Arsenal.
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      And although it all turned out well for him and the Gunners, some Arsenal fans still had their hearts in their mouths watching the sequence of play.
      Many took to social media to react to the incredible passage of play.
      One joked: “He’s so good. Dangerous, but good!”
      Whilst another added: “He’s nicknamed Rolls Royce for a reason.”
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      Saliba is often referred to as a “Rolls Royce” by Arsenal fansCredit: Alamy
      A third said: “He’s not just a defender, but a beast too.”
      And one fan even made a huge claim after seeing Saliba’s skills, they said: “William Saliba is the best defender in the Premier League.”
      Arsenal looked just as confident as their towering centre-back on their return to Champions League football.
      They breezed past PSV with goals from Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard.
      Mikel Arteta will be hoping his side replicate their superb performance on Sunday when they play host to their fierce rivals Tottenham in the Premier League.
      Arsenal comfortably brushed past PSV with a 4-0 home winCredit: Alamy
      Bukayo Saka scored their first goal on the club’s return to the Champions LeagueCredit: Getty More

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      Man Utd told to ‘be like Brighton’ as club legends Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes slam Erik ten Hag’s transfer business

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      MANCHESTER UNITED legends Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes have criticised Erik ten Hag’s transfer business.The Dutchman spent over £180million this summer in a bid to improve his squad.
      Rio Ferdinand (L) and Paul Scholes (R) criticised Erik ten Hag’s (C) recruitmentCredit: Getty
      Man Utd have now lost three consecutive gamesCredit: Getty
      Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount, Andre Onana, Altay Bayindir and Jonny Evans all signed permanent deals before deadline day, while Sergio Reguilon and Sofyan Amrabat joined on loan.
      However, Ferdinand and Scholes are not convinced that United’s seven new additions have made the squad better.
      Speaking on TNT Sports ahead of Man Utd’s Champions League opener against Bayern Munich on Wednesday, Scholes, 48, said: “I think they are on a very similar path to last season. They had a really bad start (last term) and a poor start this season.
      “I thought after last year they were going in a different direction and were starting to take this club somewhere.
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      “He (Ten Hag) sorted the discipline and then I thought in the summer, he was going to spend £200million to take this club to the next level.
      “I don’t think the signings have done that. I think he has made his squad stronger, but I don’t think he has made it better.
      “I don’t think he has made a team that can challenge for the Premier League title or for the competition they are in tonight.”
      Ferdinand, 44, then urged the Red Devils to be smarter when recruiting players – much like Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton.
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      The ex-United defender added: “When you look at Brighton, they are a team over the last three or four years that have been building in terms of a structure and foundation at a football club, and you can see the way it’s playing out with their recruitment, and even their manager.
      “We talk about rotation and changing of players. I think they changed five or six players against them, the player that scored a hat-trick the week before (Evan Ferguson) was on the bench.
      “So, they are getting the best out of every single player in their squad, whereas at Manchester United, that’s not happening.”
      Ten Hag’s side suffered a 3-1 defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford on Saturday.
      Speaking after the match, the Man Utd manager bizarrely suggested that the Seagulls had spent just as much money as any other top team in the Premier League.
      However, De Zerbi’s starting line-up cost just £16m – a small fraction of United’s squad value. More

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      Man Utd legend Rio Ferdinand worries about Andre Onana ‘nightmare scenario’ after Bayern Munich howler

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      MANCHESTER UNITED legend Rio Ferdinand has described Andre Onana’s Bayern Munich blunder as a “nightmare scenario”.The Red Devils suffered a 4-3 defeat to the Bundesliga giants in their Champions League opener on Wednesday.
      Andre Onana conceded a ‘nightmare’ goal during the first half against Bayern MunichCredit: AFP
      The goalkeeper took responsibility for the defeatCredit: Getty
      Bayern broke the deadlock in the 28th minute when Leroy Sane’s shot slipped through the hands of Onana and into the net.
      United found themselves two goals down just a few minutes later when Serge Gnabry fired his shot into the bottom-right corner following an excellent run from Jamal Musiala.
      With the score 2-0 to Thomas Tuchel’s side at half time, ex-United defender Ferdinand branded Onana’s error as a “nightmare”.
      He told TNT Sports: “This is a nightmare scenario for Onana.
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      “He is as confident as you like with his feet but as a goalkeeper you are expected to come in and makes saves.
      “It is a great bit of skill from Sane to set it up well but he doesn’t hit it with any real purpose. It is not wide of him, it is not in the corners.
      “He should save this, he should be picking this up and looking for his next pass. It is a very, very bad mistake and one he needs to recover from.”
      Man Utd icon Paul Scholes added: “He knows he has made a big mistake.
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      “United played well for the first half but big lapses in concentration and they are two goals down. He needs to get over that quickly and concentrate.”
      The Red Devils pulled one back just four minutes into the second half through Rasmus Hojlund, but Harry Kane restored Bayern Munich’s two-goal lead in the 53rd minute.
      Despite a late push from Erik ten Hag’s side, Bayern went on to win the match 4-3.
      Onana took full responsibility for the defeat at full-time and offered an apology to his team-mates.
      He told TNT Sports: “It’s difficult to lose this way because, in the beginning, we started very good.
      “After my mistake, we lost control of the game.
      “It’s a difficult situation for us, for me especially because I’m the one who let the team down. We didn’t win today because of me.”
      Onana, who joined Man Utd in a £47million transfer this summer, has now conceded 14 goals in six games – more than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League.
      Man Utd lost the match 4-3Credit: Getty More

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      Man City boss Pep Guardiola labels shock star as best in the world as he hails transformation since joining club

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      RODRI has been hailed as the best midfielder in Europe by Pep Guardiola.The 27-year-old Spaniard produced a man of the match display for Manchester City on Wednesday in the Champions League.
      Rodri was in sensational form as Man City beat Red Star BelgradeCredit: Getty
      Man City boss Pep Guardiola called his midfielder the best in EuropeCredit: Getty
      The Etihad was silenced early on when Red Star Belgrade took the lead against the European champs.
      However, Rodri stepped it up a gear after half time along with his team-mates to launch a comeback and defeat Red Star 3-1 in their opening group match.
      The star, who joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2019, curled home his team’s third to seal victory.
      And afterwards his manager was quick to heap the praise on Rodri – especially amid the injury crisis he is currently having to manage in his midfield.
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      Guardiola said: “Right now, yeah. He’s the best. Hopefully he can be better, he has a good mentality and things to improve but he’s an extraordinary holding midfielder.
      “We were lucky the club signed this player and when he arrived he wasn’t this type of player.
      “Of course he played a large amount of games and now he’s one of the captains of the team.
      “He’s a fantastic holding midfielder. He’s a top class player, not just that, defensively, offensively, the composure, he reads the spaces, knows exactly when the men are free.”
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      Guardiola added: “Close to the box he is so dangerous. He loves to arrive in the final third and dribble and shoot.
      “He is playing really, really well. We have five important players injured. Sustaining that for a long time will be difficult but it is what it is.”
      Guardiola was not the only one to hail Rodri.
      Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand told TNT Sports that he was the “conductor” and the heartbeat of City’s team.
      He said: “He was in complete control – he is the conductor of this team. I think everything good that happens in this team he is heavily involved everywhere, and his composure in all phases of the game is super impressive.
      “Even today, the goal goes quickly around him and he caresses it into the bottom corner – it’s a majestic finish.
      “He reminds me of that big kid in the playground who you just can’t get the ball off.

      “That is what it must feel like when you are playing against him – it’s like in slow motion for him. It’s like watching a secondary school kid playing against primary school kids at times.”
      Rodri himself discussed how Guardiola has played a huge role in his development over recent years.
      He said: “The role is a difficult role. You have to learn by the years. I’m really happy with how I’ve grown in this position.
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      “You grow and understand more every year. It’s about not moving, always being the safety pass, being trusted by the teammate with a pass.
      “The most important part is knowing the role. You have to grow in the position and understand the team you are playing in, but I think it speaks volumes of the staff and Pep, whoever comes here does well and adapts easy.” More

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      Erik ten Hag matches unwanted Solskjaer record as Man Utd slump to Bayern Munich defeat

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      ERIK TEN HAG has matched an unwanted record set by one his predecessors as Manchester United manger – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Red Devils slumped to a 4-3 defeat away to Bayern Munich in the Champions League last night.
      Erik ten Hag has now lost three games in a rowCredit: Getty
      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was the last United manager to match this recordCredit: Getty
      Ten Hag’s men very much second best at Allianz Arena – despite Bayern not being on their best form..
      Man Utd’s defeat was compounded by a goalkeeping howler by £47m summer signing Andre Onana in Munich.
      The Red Devils came into the match on the back of an embarrassing 3-1 drubbing at home to Brighton.
      This came just two weeks on from another crippling 3-1 loss to Arsenal.
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      The last time the Red Devils lost three games in a row was four years ago, under Solsjkaer.
      It was April 2019 when United lost three in a row – heavy defeats away to Barcelona and Everton and a humiliating Manchester derby loss at Old Trafford.
      That was near the end of the Norwegian’s first six months in charge – and was only made the permanent boss a few weeks before.
      Ten Hag however has been in the managerial position for well over a year now and finds himself under alot more pressure.
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      United have conceded more than 14 goals in their last five games – one of which they have won.
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      Another unwanted record is that United have conceded three or more goals in three straight games for the first time since Dave Sexton was manager in 1978.
      Last night’s result leaves the team bottom of their Champions League group after matchday one – as Galatasary drew 2-2 with Copenhagen.
      The Dutch boss is determined to bounce back in this weekend’s Premier League clash against Burnley at Turf Moor. More

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      Man Utd fans slate Scott McTominay after damning footage emerges of sub refusing to ‘fight for the badge’ in Bayern loss

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      MANCHESTER UNITED’S Scott McTominay has been blasted by fans for refusing to “fight for the badge” last night against Bayern Munich.The Red Devils slumped to another defeat by losing 4-3 against the Bundesliga giants in their Champions League opener.
      Man Utd fans have slammed Scott McTominay on his performance last nightCredit: Getty
      If Scott McTominay cannot be bothered to sprint to redeem the error he made maybe he should have went to Fulham, cannot believe we still have him, fight for the badge! pic.twitter.com/xlBotiHsMx— Stretford Post (@StretfordPost) September 21, 2023

      United fans were furious with one player in particular after yesterday’s Champions League clash.
      Scotland international McTominay was slammed for not trying to win the ball back from Bayern after he had been on the pitch for just 10 minutes.
      Erik ten Hag decided to sub on the midfielder in the 69th minute as his side were trailing two goals behind the Bundesliga champs.
      However, just shortly into his cameo the 26-year-old lost the ball on the edge of Bayern’s area and showed little urgency to win the ball back.
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      Damning footage of the incident sent Red Devils fans into rage as they labelled the midfielder not wanting to “fight” for his club’s badge.
      One fan tweeted: “If Scott McTominay cannot be bothered to sprint to redeem the error he made maybe he should have went to Fulham, cannot believe we still have him, fight for the badge!”

      Other United fans agreed with the criticism as one said: “Pure personal pride should have motivated him to chase back. Absolutely horrendous.”
      A second fan said: “He should leave the club in January transfer window… He doesn’t want to be part of the team anymore.”
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      Scott McTominay loses the ball in the Bayern half
      Scott McTominay jogs back into defence
      A third added: “Very very poor.”
      McTominay has tumbled down the pecking order under Ten Hag last season and was up for the sale in the summer.
      He received interest from Premier League rivals Fulham but the two clubs could not agree a deal.
      The Dutch boss’s side rejected the offer for McTominay and now the Scottish international must stay until January at least.
      Meanwhile, United’s defeat means the struggling Red Devils have now lost four of their first six games of the season..
      They next face Burnley this Saturday at Turf Moor where Ten Hag’s side hopes to redeem themselves. More