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      Richard Keys demands Aston Villa give fans their money back after ‘worst game in Premier League history’ against Man Utd

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      ASTON VILLA should give their fans a refund after making them watch the “worst game in Premier League history”.That’s according to Richard Keys who was far from happy after sitting through the goalless draw with Manchester United.Richard Keys claims Aston Villa should return the fans’ money after a goalless draw with Manchester UnitedCredit: X / beINSPORTS_ENKeys claims Villa’s match with Man Utd was the worst he ever watchedCredit: AFPControversial former Sky presenter Keys was hosting coverage of the Villa Park snoozefest for Qatar-based beIN SPORTS.Villa had earned a sensational Champions League win over German heavyweights Bayern Munich in midweek.But Unai Emery’s side looked leggy a United team desperate to avoid defeat, with boss Erik ten Hag on the brink of the sack.After watching the 0-0 draw almost totally devoid of goalmouth action, Keys was far from impressed.Read More on FootballAnd he suggested fans should even be compensated for being subjected to the bore draw.Immediately after full-time, Keys told his viewers: “I’ve watched every Premier League game one for or another since 1992… and that is the worst I’ve ever seen.”Villa should give those fans their money back.”Keys, who has enjoyed a 48-year career as a sports broadcaster, then doubled down on his assertion on X.Most read in FootballKeys tweeted: “I have watched every PL game since 1992 in one form or another – this one might just be the worst I’ve ever seen.”United came close to snatching a victory when Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick rattled Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez’s crossbar.Manchester United vs Aston Villa: Player Ratings BreakdownMan Utd almost left with a victory against Aston VillaThe Villans, though, were left fuming when Marcus Rashford escaped a red card following a rough challenge on Leon Bailey.This result extended the Red Devils’ winless streak to five games across all competitions.It also marked the Manchester giants’ worst start to a Premier League season with only eight points in the first seven matches.Man Utd player ratings vs Villa: Evans rolls back the years with Garnacho let downMANCHESTER UNITED eased the pressure slightly on boss Erik ten Hag with a hard-grafted stalemate at in-form Aston Villa.United looked much more solid defensively after Ten Hag rung the changes – though the Red Devils still have just eight points from seven Prem games.Here’s how SunSport’s Graeme Bryce rated 14th-placed United rated at Villa Park on Sunday.ANDRE ONANA – 7Guilty of sloppy distribution once or twice but his hands were safe enough and he did well to beat away a piledriver from Youri Tielemans to keep United on level terms.NOUSSAIR MAZRAOUI – 6Managed to contain Jaden Philogene comfortably enough in the first 45 minutes but failed to appear for the second half and was replaced by Victor Lindelof.HARRY MAGUIRE – 6Booked for a high forearm challenge on Ollie Watkins but his afternoon ended at half-time after he appeared to jar his knee defending a corner.JONNY EVANS – 9Handled Ollie Watkins well in the first 45 and showed all his experience to deal with the twin threat of Watkins and Jhon Duran for the final half hour. Rolled back the years with a five-star display to earn his Man of the Match rating.DIOGO DALOT – 7Sat in and rarely got forward but snuffed out the threat of Leon Bailey and was tidy enough. Crucial block to deny Philogene a stoppage time winner.CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN – 7Used all his experience to plug any gaps in United’s carefully constructed midfield. Dealt with the threat from Morgan Rogers well.KOBBIE MAINOO – 7Nothing flashy from the England midfielder who had his work cut out preventing Youri Tielemans carrying out his magic.ALEJANDRO GARNACHO – 6Fired in a first-half shot which Emi Martinez dealt with comfortably but shot hopelessly wide a couple of times after the break. Sloppy finishing let him down. BRUNO FERNANDES – 8United’s skipper only played after his red card against Spurs was overturned on appeal.Kept his cool here to avoid a third red card in three games – came closest for United with a free kick which crashed off the Villa crossbar.MARCUS RASHFORD – 7Taken off at half-time in Oporto and taken off after 64 minutes to save himself a second yellow card here! Looked United’s likeliest match-winner after forcing an early save from Martinez before bringing the best out in the Argentine World Cup winner with a sizzling effort which the ‘keeper tipped over. Booked for a foul on Cash.RASMUS HOJLUND – 6Put himself about and was involved in the clash which led to Ezri Konsa limping off. But lacked service and was replaced by Zirkzee just beyond the hour mark. Below par.SUBSMATTHIJS DE LIGT for Maguire (46 minutes) – 5 – Conceded a few fouls in dangerous areas. Still finding his feet.VICTOR LINDELOF for Mazraoui (46 mins) – 6 – First appearance since March but fitted in well as a stand-in right-back. Booked for a foul on Morgan Rogers.JOSHUA ZIRKZEE for Hojlund (64 mins) – 5 – Miles off the pace, failed to make any impact.ANTONY for Rashford (64 mins) – 6 – Brought out the best in Emi Martinez with a curler which was heading for the top bin until the keeper plucked it out of mid-air.CASEMIRO for Mainoo (85 mins) – 6 – Helped see out the match for United. More

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      Aston Villa 0 Man Utd 0: Erik ten Hag’s fate out of his own hands as Red Devils endure WORST start to Prem season

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      IT was about time Erik Ten Hag had some luck.And so for a few more weeks at least, the beleaguered Dutchman clings on to his job as manager of Manchester United despite only amassing eight points after seven games, which poses as the club’s worst ever start in a Premier League season.Manchester United played out a goalless draw against Aston VillaCredit: PAMan Utd boss Erik ten Hag has overseen the club’s worst ever start to a Premier League seasonCredit: RexMan Utd’s winless record extended to five games in front of club chief Sir Jim RatcliffeCredit: EPAMan Utd star Marcus Rashford avoided a second yellow card against Aston VillaCredit: AFPAston Villa appeared tired after their Champions League in over Bayern MunichCredit: PAWith United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe watching from the stands, United seemed primed for a proper thrashing at Villa Park which would surely have resulted in Ten Hag getting the boot.But United ran into a Villa side which, four days after their latest famous win over Bayern Munich, looked absolutely knackered.Ten Hag was also thankful that halfway through the second half, Marcus Rashford avoided what should have been a second yellow card for a challenge on Leon Bailey.Ten Hag, knowing the player had been fortunate, replaced him just two minutes later.Read More on Man UtdAnd in stoppage time, Villa’s Jaden Philogene was handed a sitter but somehow, he shot straight at defender Diogo Dalot.United skipper Bruno Fernandes – who actually avoided a red card for once – delivered United’s best chance, although it struck the woodwork.But ultimately, neither side deserved to win and neither Unai Emery or Ten Hag will not be too unhappy.While United also lacked a spark in the final third, at least they did hold firm and were more organised defensively than they were in the games against Spurs and Porto.Most read in FootballYet the main talking point was concerning Rashford, who was United’s only attacking threat.He received a yellow card for fouling Matty Cash in the 59th minute and should have been handed another caution soon after for his tackle on Bailey three minutes later but ref Rob Jones avoided making what should have been a straightforward decision.Erik ten Hag bemoans defensive lapses as Man Utd waste flying start in Porto Unsurprisingly, Ten Hag replaced Rashford with Antony in the 64th minute. At the same time, Joshua Zirkzee replaced Rasmus Hojlund who was isolated up front for most of the game.And on this occasion, Jhon Duran, the hero of Villa’s 1-0 midweek win over Bayern Munich, was unable to make a difference when replacing Bailey.So basically, none of the subs from either side made a blind bit of difference.Ten Hag made five summer signings but only one of them, Noussair Mazraoui, started the game although even he was replaced at half-time.And Matthijs De Ligt, dropped along with fellow defender Lisadro Martinez after some awful performances, only featured at the start of the second half due to an injury to Harry Maguire.The Maguire injury makes no difference to interim England manager Lee Carsley as he missed out on the squad for the games with Greece and Finland.Injury blowYet Carsley now has an issue as centre-back Ezri Konsa looks a huge doubt as he came off with a hamstring injury just 12 minutes into the game.United’s only chance of a dire first half came through Rashford although his power-packed strike was met by a strong pair of hands by Emi Martinez.Villa’s Morgan Rogers and Philogene both fired shots wide before the break while Ollie Watkins and Youri Tielemans – unmarked following a short corner – forced a decent stop from Andre OnanaFernandes came the closest to scoring although his dipped free-kick smacked against the bar while Alejandro Garnacho should have done better from the rebound.READ MORE SUN STORIESVilla keeper Martinez once again displayed his class by making a difficult shot from Antony look relatively easy.Yet right at the end, the ball fell perfectly for Philogene but he belted the effort straight at Dalot. And Ten Hag breathed a huge sigh of relief.Man Utd’s worst starts to a seasonErik ten Hag has recorded Manchester United’s worst ever start to a Premier League season after just seven games:2024-25: Erik ten Hag (8 points)2023-24: Erik ten Hag (9 points)2019-20: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (9 points)Man Utd almost left with a victory against Aston VillaAston Villa ace Youri Tielemans impressed in midfield against Man Utd More

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      I didn’t like Sir Alex Ferguson – but what legendary Man Utd boss did after I quit football will never leave me

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      PAUL MCGRATH has lifted the lid on his relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson.McGrath, 64, starred at Manchester United from 1982 to 1989, with Ferguson replacing Ron Atkinson at Old Trafford in November 1986.Paul McGrath has opened up on his relationship with Sir Alex FergusonCredit: X formerly Twitter / @SkySportsPLMcGrath starred at Man Utd for seven years and played under Ferguson from 1986 to 1989Credit: GettyHe admitted he did not really like FergusonCredit: X formerly Twitter / @SkySportsPLBut he also praised ‘brilliant’ Ferguson for bringing him back after hanging up his bootsCredit: GettyHe initially remained a mainstay in United’s team under the Scot, but saw his time in the team reduced due to a combination of increased struggles with knee issues and new signings such as Steve Bruce.In his autobiography, Back from the Brink, he detailed his injury struggles and the alcohol abuse that dogged his career.Speaking to Sky Sports, McGrath admitted he was never the biggest fan of Ferguson, but held the utmost respect for him for what he did for him after his retirement in 1998.He said: “Obviously Sir Alex didn’t like the way we were living our lives and stuff like that…READ MORE IN FOOTBALL”How is our relationship? I think it’s great now, to be honest, he brought me back there to do work after I’d quit football and stuff like that.”I didn’t particularly like Sir Alex to be honest but he was man enough to bring me back down to Manchester United when I finished my career and stuff like that.”He was brilliant to me, and he’d always stop to say hello and shake my hands and stuff.”And he didn’t want someone like me just dragging the whole team back.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS”I have to say we did overdo it and I think we deserved the exits we got.”McGrath made more than 200 appearances for United, scoring 18 goals and landing the 1985 FA Cup.How would Southgate and Tuchel transform Man Utd flops and who is best for job?He also starred for St Patrick’s Athletic, Aston Villa, Derby County and Sheffield United.The defender was named the Player of the Season at the Villans four years running and was given the nickname “God” by the Villa Park faithful.McGrath earned 83 caps for the Republic of Ireland national team, scoring eight goals. More

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      Sir Jim Ratcliffe arrives at Villa Park ahead of must-win game for Ten Hag and crunch meeting with Man Utd co-owners

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      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

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      Erik ten Hag’s pay-off if he’s sacked by Man Utd would take club’s total on firing managers since Ferguson to over £70m

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      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

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      England star admits ‘it’d be difficult to say no’ to Man Utd transfer as he has a ‘sentimental spot’ for the Red Devils

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      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

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      Van Nistelrooy ‘will be offered interim job as Man Utd manager’ if Ten Hag is sacked but ex-striker ‘has reservations’

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      RUUD VAN NISTELROOY is set to be offered the Manchester United job if Erik ten Hag is sacked, but reportedly has reservations about replacing him.Ten Hag is teetering on the precipice of losing his job after a poor start to the season which has seen his side win just three games from their first nine games in all competitions.Ruud van Nistelrooy has been touted as a potential successor to Erik ten HagCredit: ReutersBut the former United ace is said to be having reservations over taking the jobCredit: RexIt was reported at the start of the week that Ten Hag, 54, had two games to save his job.The first of those was a 3-3 draw at Porto, with today’s clash against Aston Villa potentially the last dance for the former Ajax manager, with club chiefs also scheduled to meet in London on Tuesday.Consequently, talk over his replacement has been rampant, with one potential successor in the hot seat being assistant manager and United legend Van Nistelrooy on an interim basis.However, according to the Mirror, Van Nistelrooy is having doubts over his potential succession to the manager’s hot seat.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLIt comes after his own experience of being betrayed while a manager at PSV Eindhoven – to date his only senior managerial experience.Van Nistelrooy shockingly ended his association with PSV towards the end of his first season with the club which saw him win the Johan Cruyff Shield and qualify for the Champions League.He accused his assistant Fred Rutten and several senior players of conspiring with the club’s directors in the Spring of 2023, before he quit the Dutch outfit prior to the final game of the season.And he is said to be conscious of a similar scenario developing at Old Trafford.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSA source in Holland said: “Van Nistelrooy is a principled guy. “He felt betrayed at Eindhoven – and he will not want to be viewed as the man who went behind Erik ten Hag’s back.”Porto vs Man Utd player ratings Van Nistelrooy, 48, was brought in as a coach over the summer after Ten Hag was handed a contract extension by new club chiefs brought in by Ineos.Last week Arsenal icon Martin Keown suggested Van Nistelrooy might not be giving everything to help Ten Hag.He told talkSPORT: “I’m looking at Van Nistelrooy. Is he giving everything to this manager? This manager looks very lonely on the sideline.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.”Is Van Nistelrooy waiting to take over? Because it looks as if there’s going to be change taking place there.”Keown added: “Is everyone adding to the group? I’m not seeing that from Van Nistelrooy. “Ten Hag is just sitting there, nothing going on, no conversation. Pep [Guardiola] goes back and speaks to the gurus next to him.READ MORE SUN STORIES”Is everybody looking in the mirror at themselves giving their best?”It doesn’t look like the players are committed, it doesn’t look like the staff are particularly committed. It’s a lone man in the dugout.”Man Utd ratings vs PortoMAN UTD ended up with a 3-3 draw after throwing away a 2-0 lead away to Porto.Here’s how SunSport’s Dylan Terry rated the Red Devils’ stars performances in PortugalAndre Onana – 6/10Reacted brilliantly the first time he was called into action with a flying save, only for Porto to score the rebound.Porto then scored with their next shot on target too – Omorodion’s header – and Onana could do little about the excellent finish for Porto’s third.Made two great stops to keep Man Utd in the game.Noussair Mazraoui – 4Looked fairly stable in the first 45 minutes but waned as the game went on.All at sea at the start of the second half as Porto cut through the right-hand side of Man Utd’s defence with ease.Matthijs de Ligt – 4Looked imposing in the air as he dealt with Porto’s crosses from both sides, but then failed to get in front of Omorodion for the hosts’ second goal.Like most of the Man Utd side, his performance dropped as the game went on and he was bullied by Porto’s No9.Lisandro Martinez – 4Should have reacted quicker for the first Porto goal as Pepe got ahead of him to nod into an empty net – with Martinez static on the six-yard box.There is clearly not much of a partnership with De Ligt as Porto pulled them apart all evening.Diogo Dalot – 4Porto enjoyed a lot of success down Man Utd’s left-hand side and Dalot looked all at sea on several occasions.Had little help from Martinez but still looked exposed.Casemiro – 3Anonymous yet again in Man Utd’s midfield – the ball just passes him by.Could not even manage one of his customary fouls.Christian Eriksen – 5Looked leggy out of possession but produced an impressive run before laying it off to Hojlund for Man Utd’s second goal.Then failed to make much more of an impact and his delivery from wide areas left a lot to be desired.Bruno Fernandes – 4A damning indictment of Man Utd’s current predicament as Fernandes was shown a red card for a second successive game.Two high boots, two yellow cards, and another early bath for the Portuguese playmaker – who had worked tirelessly prior to his dismissal.Amad Diallo – 5Very quiet aside from one burst through the middle as Rashford received all of the ball over the other side.Replaced by Antony who arguably created even less.Rasmus Hojlund – 7Made his case for starting ahead of Joshua Zirkzee with a goal, firing beyond Costa at the near post.Held it up and then showed his strength and pace to run at Porto before the break – showing little rustiness in his first start of the season.Marcus Rashford – 8Rashford showed his directness for the opening goal, driving at the Porto back line and forcing the error from Costa.A constant threat in the first half as he assisted Hojlund’s strike.But he was then surprisingly hooked at the break, a decision that will need an explanation from Ten Hag.See how the Man Utd subs rated here More

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      Man Utd cult hero Phil Jones reveals next career path after ‘stripping everything back’ and finding his purpose

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      PHIL JONES has revealed his next career path after he had to “strip everything back”.The former Manchester United star retired from football in August.Phil Jones has opened up his next step after ‘stripping everything back’ to find his purposeCredit: GettyJones retired from football in AugustCredit: GettyThe 32-year-old has struggled with injuries throughout the latter half of his career, which saw him not play at all for more than two years before he announced he was hanging up his boots.The ex-defender has since opened up on the mental health struggles he faced and has now lifted the lid on how he reflected on himself and what he wanted to do as his next step.Writing in an emotional column for BBC Sport, Jones explained how this saw him find a renewed purpose in his career and family life.He said: “I only announced my retirement in August but I knew for a while before then that I would be finishing. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL”To come to terms with that, I had to re-evaluate everything and unpick myself personally and professionally, with therapists and psychologists, to find myself.”I’ve talked quite a lot recently about how that worked for me and helped me deal with the issues I faced mentally, but it’s important for anyone reading this to know that the process is the same in every aspect of life, not just sport, if your circumstances change or things are not going well for you.”For me, that meant stripping everything back to understand who I was and where I wanted to get to next in life, and then thinking about the challenges I would face to get there.”Part of the purpose I have found is as a husband and a father, because I always wanted to be the best I could be at both for my family, but it applied to my future in football too.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS”It meant going away and trying to almost rediscover what had got me to that point in my career in the first place, and thinking about what I had actually achieved, before I was able to take the next step.”I have had some difficult times, but I am ready for anything now.”‘He’s done!’ | How woeful tactics & Dalot shocker saw Spurs smash Man Utd to spell end for Ten HagJones later explained in his column how he would hide his injuries from team-mates due to the shame he felt.He added: “Unfortunately there were times when I was at United when I did not look for help. “My coping mechanism when I had any problems was to stay silent, and that was probably my downfall.”I didn’t open up to anyone, and I would hide my injuries from other players and the staff. I put a shield up so no-one knew what was going on, apart from my close family.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.”I only spoke about this for the first time on a podcast last week, but one of my lowest moments was when I was trying to play through the pain of my knee injury, when it had got to a point where the doctor had to inject my knee before every game I played so I didn’t feel it.”I was on the bench for a game at Brighton but one of our centre-halves was struggling in the warm-up, so I thought I would be pro-active and get the injection before kick-off.”It was embarrassing for me because I didn’t want anyone to see that I was struggling, or in pain – I was meant to be a tough guy as a defender, remember – so I went into a cubicle in the changing room just as the manager started his pre-match talk, and got the doc to inject me in there.”He first tore his meniscus as an 18-year-old at Blackburn and, although Sir Alex Ferguson signed him for United, it was the beginning of his injury nightmare.READ MORE SUN STORIESAs the injury absences became longer, Jones became the subject of horrific abuse and ridicule both online and face-to-face in the street, which he opened up about in an interview with SunSport.But Jones is now excited for his future in management, having spent last season working with United’s Under-18s and going through his various coaching badges.Help for mental healthIf you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support.The following are free to contact and confidential:Mind, www.mind.org, provide information about types of mental health problems and where to get help for them. Email info@mind.org.uk or call the infoline on 0300 123 3393 (UK landline calls are charged at local rates, and charges from mobile phones will vary).YoungMinds run a free, confidential parents helpline on 0808 802 5544 for parents or carers worried about how a child or young person is feeling or behaving. The website has a chat option too.Rethink Mental Illness, www.rethink.org, gives advice and information service offers practical advice on a wide range of topics such as The Mental Health Act, social care, welfare benefits, and carers rights. Use its website or call 0300 5000 927 (calls are charged at your local rate).Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk, is the a mental health initiative spearheaded by The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales. More