Premier League

CASEMIRO has had a slow start to the season for Manchester United.And one stat particularly illustrates his struggles.
Casemiro has had a difficult start to the seasonCredit: Getty
Sofyan Amrabat arrived at Man United on deadline dayCredit: PA
The Brazilian arrived at Old Trafford as a star £70million acquisition from Real Madrid last year.
He helped to solidify the Red Devils’ midfield as Erik ten Hag’s side came third and won the League Cup.
So far this season, however, the Brazil captain hasn’t quite lived up to his previous performances.
According to the Mail, Casemiro is being dribbled past more than double the amount that he was during his final season at Real Madrid.
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The 31-year-old has been beaten 2.8 times per match so far this term, compared to 1.3 times at Real Madrid in 2021-22.
Last season he was beaten 2.1 times per game, also an increase on his final tally in Madrid.
Casemiro’s number of tackles is also down from last season at 2.8 per match, compared to a previous 3.7.
He is set to be joined in midfield by new signing Sofyan Amrabat.
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The Moroccan arrived at United on loan from Fiorentina on deadline day last month.
Erik ten Hag will hope that Amrabat’s arrival can help improve Casemiro’s fortunes.
The United new-boy covered more ground than any other player at last year’s World Cup.
And his mobility could potentially help Casemiro get back to what he’s best at.
Last season in Serie A, Amrabat’s passing ability was also a key asset.
He boasted an 88.8 per cent pass completion rate and made 7.21 progressive passes per match – among the best in the Italian top flight in both categories.
Defensively he made 1.92 tackles per game, 0.9 interceptions and 0.85 clearances.
Casemiro has played every minute of the season so far, and was partnered by Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay against Brighton on Saturday.
After the 3-1 defeat, the latter was furiously confronted in the dressing room by captain Bruno Fernandes.
The loss saw United slip to 13th in the early Premier League table, having only collected six points.
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Tonight they face a tough Champions League assignment, facing Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena.
They return to Premier League action on Saturday night with a trip to Burnley.
Amrabat, 27, was among the most efficient passers in Serie A last seasonCredit: Getty More

EX-PREMIER LEAGUE star Craig Cathcart has reportedly called it quits on his playing career – just two weeks after moving clubs.The former Man Utd defender is set to retire aged 34 just weeks after joining Belgium Pro League side K.V. Kortrijk.
Craig Cathcart is set to retire after moving to Kortrijk just two weeks agoCredit: Getty
The Blackpool Gazette report Cathcart has made the decision to retire, despite signing a one-year contract with Kortrijk.
According to RMC journalist Sacha Tavolieri, the Northern Ireland centre-back has been unable to motivate himself to be a professional player since making the move.
Cathcart came through the Man Utd youth academy and started his senior career with the club.
But he didn’t make a single appearance for the club during his three-year spell with the first team.
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Throughout his time at Old Trafford, he was loaned out to Royal Antwerp, Plymouth Argyle and Watford.
In 2010, he signed for Blackpool, where he made 117 appearances before his departure in 2014, during which time he scored three goals.
After leaving Bloomfield Road, he returned to Vicarage Road on a free transfer.
During his nine-year spell, he made 262 appearances and scored eight goals.
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Cathcart remained with the Hornets until the beginning of this summer.
He was yet to make an appearance for the Belgian side who are currently just shy of the bottom of the Belgian First Division A table with just two points.
They are yet to win a game this term having drawn five and lost two of their seven matches.
Cathcart’s retirement from football is still to be officially confirmed. More

OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has revealed the rival player who gave him the biggest headaches as Manchester United manager.The former Red Devils boss has lifted the lid on his time in the Old Trafford dugout, almost two years on from his sacking.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed Roberto Firmino gave him the most problemsCredit: PA
Speaking to The Athletic, Solskjaer admitted that former Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino caused his side the most problems during his tenure.
“In my last season, we played Liverpool at home,” Solskjaer explained.
“I felt the players were ready for it, just like I’d felt they were ready when we’d gone to City and won.
“We could have sat back and countered but my decision was to go for it. We lost 5-0. It was 50/50, more or less, in possession and chances at half-time, yet we were 4-0 down.
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“I made the wrong decision and that was my lowest point as United manager by a mile.
“Roberto Firmino was probably the opposition player who caused me the most problems as a manager.
“The 6-1 defeat at home to Spurs was different and affected by a sending-off.”
Firmino scored two goals and provided two assists across seven matches against Solskjaer’s United.
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Those appearances included the 5-0 Liverpool win at Old Trafford just weeks before Solskjaer was sacked.
United parted company with their former striker in November 2021 following a 4-1 loss at Watford.
Almost two years on, the Norwegian has now opened up on his time as United boss.
Firmino scored twice and provided two assists against Solskaer’s Manchester UnitedCredit: PA
Solskjaer revealed that he pleaded the club to make more signings, as well as defending his acquisitions of Harry Maguire and Jadon Sancho.
The 50-year-old has also confirmed he wants to return to management, having not been in the dugout full-time since leaving United.
He has instead been coaching his youngest son Elijah’s youth team in Norway after rejecting two offers from Saudi Arabia. More

OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER told his Manchester United players he was going to be sacked at half-time of his final game.The Norwegian manager was dismissed by the Red Devils in November 2021 following a 4-1 loss at Watford.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told his players he would be sacked at half-time of his final gameCredit: AFP
Solskjaer was dismissed after a 4-1 loss to Watford in November 2021Credit: Reuters
Solskjaer’s sacking brought to an end his almost three-year spell in the United dugout.
However, he has now revealed he knew the writing was on the wall before the end of the trip to Vicarage Road.
United found themselves 3-0 down at the interval, before going on to lose 4-1.
Speaking to The Athletic, Solskjaer was asked if he felt he was going to lose his job before he was sacked.
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He recalled: “Nobody told me, but I knew at half-time against Watford.
“We didn’t look like a Man United team; the players weren’t running for each other.
“At half-time, I told the players it was probably going to be the last time we worked together and to play with pride. We almost turned it around, until Harry Maguire got sent off.”
Solskjaer had guided United to the final of the Europa League the previous season, but made a slow start to the 2021/22 campaign.
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When asked if he felt supported by the fans during his tenure, he added: “Apart from Watford away, I can’t remember any negativity at games, bar the odd comment.
“At Watford, I went to the away end after and remember thinking, ‘I really don’t have the backing of all of them’. Bruno was there too, but I knew I was finished.
“The 4-1 looked awful, but it was 2-1 after 90 minutes. We conceded two more. I understand how fans felt — 4-1 is 4-1.”
Solskjaer has been out of management since his United exit, instead coaching his youngest son Elijah’s youth team in his native Norway.
Solskjaer knew he was done when he lost the support of the Manchester United fansCredit: AFP
The 50-year-old is now ready to return to the dugout, though, after rejecting two offers from Saudi Arabia since leaving Old Trafford.
He has also revealed that he pleaded with the club to sign five key players before he was let go, including Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.
Solskjaer was in charge when the club signed both Jadon Sancho and Harry Maguire.
The ex-United boss has defended both players, though, going as far as to label the abuse Maguire has received a “disgrace”. More

FORMER Chelsea hero William Gallas has ripped into owner Todd Boehly and the Blues’ current crop.The Frenchman won two Premier League titles during his time at Stamford Bridge.
William Gallas won two Premier League titles with ChelseaCredit: Getty
Things have not yet gone to plan for Todd Boehly and CoCredit: Reuters
Gallas, 46, believes that the Chelsea squad has become too young to achieve big things this season.
And he scathingly added that the board have “failed” to put the right team together – despite having spent £1bn since buying the club last year.
Speaking to Genting Casino, Gallas said: “There are a handful of experienced players at Chelsea.
“The club has decided to invest heavily in young talent – they have spent so much money.
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“When you spend the kind of money that Chelsea have on players, you’re expecting to sign players that have achieved something.
“I really think that Chelsea have failed. The board have failed again. They will not achieve their targets this season.
“It’s going to be very difficult for Thiago Silva this year. He seems to feel alone because he knows that the players are young and that they won’t be ready to fight for the title this season.
“They’ll be ready in the next two years. This is a team for the future, not for now.”
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Chelsea have endured a tough start to the seasonCredit: Reuters
Gallas believes that Boehly has made a mistake in thinking that Chelsea can afford to let young players develop in their first team before they are fully ready.
He continued: “Chelsea is not a club like Southampton or Brighton where you give an opportunity to young players to give them experience.
“This is Chelsea Football Club. They need players who are ready to make the difference every single week.
“The people who are in charge of Chelsea before the new ownership knew what they had to do.
“They knew that the best way to build a squad was to add one or two inexperienced players into the team and to let them learn and grow under the guidance of the experienced players.
“Right now, Chelsea has a handful of experienced players, so how can these younger players grow? Which players in the squad can they learn from?”
The former defender recently played in a legends’ charity match at Stamford Bridge among a group of his former team-mates.
And one of his old pals even claimed they’d be better than the current crop.
‘THEY WILL FAIL’
Gallas revealed: “This season, with all the money that the club has spent, when you consider the stature and size of the club, they will fail. It is that simple.
“It is a failure for a Chelsea team to not be challenging for the Champions League and the Premier League title.
“I played in a Chelsea legends game last weekend, and I’ll repeat what I heard. (John) Obi Mikel spoke to the press after the game, he laughed and said: ‘I think that some of these players are still good enough to play for Chelsea this season.’
“That shows you that Chelsea are in trouble at the moment. That shows you that some of these players are not ready to play for a club like Chelsea, and some of them do not have the quality to play for a club like Chelsea.”
The Blues have won just one of five Premier League games under Mauricio Pochettino.
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Having finished 12th last season, they are currently languishing in 14th.
Their only Prem win so far this term came against strugglers Luton at Stamford Bridge – while they have lost to West Ham and Nottingham Forest and drawn with Liverpool and Bournemouth.
Gallas, 46, recently played in a legends’ match for ChelseaCredit: Reuters More

CHELSEA are charging £1,780 for one of their matchday packages at Stamford Bridge.Fans have reportedly been sent emails offering them tickets for this Sunday’s home clash with Aston Villa.
Tickets for The Dugout Club at Chelsea vs Aston Villa are priced at £1,780Credit: Getty
Amongst the hospitality packages available is a ticket for The Dugout Club, priced at £1,780.
New for this season, The Dugout Club is billed as the “ultimate sporting experience” by the club.
By purchasing a ticket, fans will be able to sit in luxury padded seats behind the dugout as well as enjoying Club Chelsea hospitality before and after the match.
Whilst it is on sale to both home and away supporters, Blues fans are also give access to the player arrivals, pitchside access for the warmups and a signed Chelsea shirt.
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Tickets in The Diamond Suite and Champions Club Box are also still on offer for £960 and £900, respectively.
Reacting to the prices, one fan tweeted: “Have to pay for those $100million backup wingers somehow.”
Another added: “Pays for one hair on the head of one of their recent signings.”
A third supporter also commented: “Won’t have much success selling those tickets if they can’t start performing on the pitch.”
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Meanwhile, one more joked: “Bargain if you pay over eight years…”
Chelsea made 12 signings during the transfer window, spending just under £400million.
Their summer spree took the club’s transfer outlay under Todd Boehly to over £1billion.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have made a slow start to the season, though, winning just one of their first five Premier League matches.
Last weekend’s goalless draw at Bournemouth leaves Chelsea 14th in the table, already eight points adrift of the top four. More

FULHAM’S Craven Cottage could have looked very different if initial plans for the redevelopment had taken place.Construction on the ground took place in 2004 – three years after being given the green light by the relevant authorities.
Craven Cottage could have looked similar to the Stadium of LightCredit: FULHAM
Blueprint for the original redevelopment plansCredit: Fulham FC
The iconic cottage would have been demolishedCredit: Alamy
More reconstruction took place in 2019 with work beginning on the Riverside StandCredit: Getty
That period allowed for enough time to re-consider initial plans, with the original blueprint for the redevelopment a stark contrast to what was actually built.
The initial design was for all four stands to become connected in a two-tier bowl, much like Sunderland’s Stadium of Light which was built not longer before in 1997.
Those plans would have erased the Johnny Haynes Stand, which is a grade II listed building along with the cottage, which remains in the corner of the ground to this day.
It houses the home and away team dressing room as well as offices including the head coach’s matchday office, a private dining experience, a players’ lounge, and a balcony from where guests can watch matches.
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While the Jonny Haynes Stand seats 5,832 spectators and is home to the club reception, ticket office, club store and press room.
It is the oldest stand in English football having been originally constructed in 1905.
Craven Cottage was again redeveloped in 2019 with construction work on the Riverside Stand still ongoing.
Fulham chairman Shahid Khan announced that the new development will be known as Fulham Pier.
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The stand is expected to add around 3,900 seats, bumping up the stadium’s capacity to 29,600.
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The Riverside Stand was scheduled to be finished in 2021 but the company overseeing the rebuild went into administration.
Fulham now expect the construction will not be finished until the start of the 2024-25 season. More