Premier League

PEP GUARDIOLA admits Manchester City are facing an “emergency” situation amid the club’s injury crisis.Forward Savinho, 20, became the latest casualty on Wednesday as he was stretchered off in tears during Man City’s Carabao Cup defeat to Tottenham.Pep Guardiola has admitted his side are ‘in an emergency’ with their injury listCredit: RexSavinho was stretchered off in tears during Manchester City’s defeat to TottenhamCredit: AlamyThe Brazilian is set to be out for two weeks with an ankle sprain.Manuel Akanji has also experienced a fitness issue after he felt a tweak in the warm-up ahead of the Spurs clash as he joins a host of star players on the sideline.They include Rodri, Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku, Kevin de Bruyne, Manuel Akanji, Oscar Bobb and Josko Gvardiol.The absentees leave Man City desperately short in terms of squad depth.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnd Guardiola has revealed he may have to rely on his academy players in the coming weeks.He said: “It happens in many clubs and we’re not the only club in the world to be going through it. There are a lot [of injuries] in certain departments and positions but it is what it is.”We are using them [the academy players] because we are in an emergency in certain positions but some of them, we trust them, like in the past.”They help us, that’s why the academy is there… We don’t have other options, sometimes.”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSManuel Akanji pulled up in the warm-up ahead of the Tottenham gameCredit: GettyYoungsters Nico O’Reilly, James McAtee and Jacob Wright all featured in midweek and could play a part against Bournemouth on Saturday.Guardiola is hopeful a number of his side’s injury problems will be resolved by the turn of the year.Man City star Savinho talks about his rise to football stardom He added: “Maybe in January we will have all the players back, except Rodri.”When we are all together, the squad is enough, when completely focused and fit.”For now we just have to try to recover players as quick as possible and then we will see.”Following the trip to Bournemouth, Man City travel to Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League as they test themselves against incoming Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim.Their final game before the international break then comes away at Brighton on November 9. More

FORMER Tottenham striker Peter Crouch has recalled the time he tried following Gareth Bale’s pre-match diet.Crouch spent two years with Spurs before joining Stoke City in 2011.Peter Crouch has revealed he once copied Gareth Bale’s pre-match dietCredit: PACrouch and Bale played together at Tottenham for two yearsCredit: AP:Associated PressDuring that time he managed 45 goal contributions in 93 games and played alongside the likes of Luka Modric and Jermain Defoe.But he claims Bale stunned him more than anyone else.In a recent episode of his podcast – That Peter Crouch Podcast – the ex-striker revealed that he even started copying Bale’s pre-match meal in a bid to match his performance levels.Crouch explained: “You know, what changed for me was watching Gareth Bale.Read More on Man Utd”I’ve talked about this before, watching Gareth be the most intense runs, the most distance covered, it was ridiculous.”He was one of the most fittest players I’ve ever seen.”He’d just literally have baked beans on toast every time. And I thought, ‘what is in those beans?'”So I started doing it. I started doing baked beans on toast.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS”I thought it must be the difference. It didn’t quite work for me!”But you know when you see other people doing different things and, certainly later on in your career, you see definitely the chefs and stuff at the training ground has changed.”I played with Frank Lampard at Chelsea and we never lost.. but I’d still rather line up alongside Steven Gerrard’Crouch was discussing pre-match meals with co-host Steve Sidwell when the topic of Bale came up.The former England star also revealed that he would usually eat chicken, pasta and boiled potatoes before a match – sometimes at 9am if he was preparing for an early kick-off.After leaving Tottenham, Crouch went on to spend eight years at Stoke before retiring at Burnley. More

NEW Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has become the fourth highest paid manager in the Premier League.The Red Devils confirmed today that the 39-year-old will take over from Erik ten Hag from November 11.Ruben Amorim has become the fourth highest paid boss in the leagueCredit: ReutersThe new manager is on slightly less than Erik ten HagCredit: AlamyBut Unai Emery earns more than AmorimCredit: ReutersMan Utd have triggered the £8.3million release clause in his Sporting Lisbon contract and paid an extra £900,000 to stop a 30-day period where he would have to be unemployed.Amorim has penned a deal at Old Trafford that runs until 2027 and contains an option for a further year.The boss is reportedly set to pocket £6.5m per season at Man Utd.That is slightly less than Ten Hag, who was earning £6.75m-a-year.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe Dutchman was on £9m when he first joined, but Man Utd failed to qualify for the Champions League last season and it supposedly triggered a pay cut.Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola tops the of highest paid Prem boss charts, with the six-time title winner on £20m each year.Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta takes home £10m and Aston Villa gaffer Unai Emery is third on £8m.Amorim’s £6.5m contract sees him go narrowly above Liverpool’s Arne Slot on the richlist.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSBournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is the lowest paid in the Prem, getting £1m in his pocket every season.The salaries of Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler, Leicester’s Steve Cooper and Southampton’s Russell Martin are currently unknown. Watch Sporting Lisbon fan reveal how you’ve been pronouncing incoming Man Utd manger Ruben Amorim’s name all wrongRuben Amorim is ‘Mourinho 2.0’ who turned Sporting from ‘walking dead’ into Portuguese champs… he can revive Man UtdWHEN Ruben Amorim took charge of Sporting Lisbon in March 2020, one club official compared their situation to the “walking dead”, writes Jordan Davies.Optimism and hope was at an all-time low.But the Amorim-effect was almost instantaneous, guiding the Portuguese sleeping giants to their first league title for 19 years in 2020/21, losing just once and only conceding 20 goals.Since then, Sporting have lifted another league title in 2023/24 – as well as two League Cups – and currently sit top with nine wins from nine this term.He may be young, but Amorim already has an eye for rebuilding and revitalising fallen super powers with his infectious charisma and intense tactical philosophy that hardly ever wavers. The “walking dead” at Manchester United must be praying for a similar sort of revival.And they may just get it from one of the most talented young coaches on the continent – a man accustomed to breathing new life back into crumbling institutions such as Old Trafford.Amorim has spent the last decade dreaming of one day gracing England’s Premier League, such was his admiration for an ex-United boss in Jose Mourinho growing up.Often nicknamed ‘Mourinho 2.0’, Amorim spent a week with his coaching idol in an internship capacity at United’s Carrington training base in 2018, going on to cite him as his “reference point”.United should not be expecting a mini-Mourinho, as Amorim said himself: “Mourinho is one of a kind. There won’t be another Mourinho. Mourinho is unique.”And yet, you cannot help but compare the two.For all the mismanagement in the Old Trafford hot seats over the years, this would be a real get – finally a slap in the face United’s Prem rivals have no answer for. More

RUBEN AMORIM is the right man for the Manchester United job, says Gabby Agbonlahor.The former Aston Villa striker speaks from experience as he did his coaching badges alongside the new United boss.Ruben Amorim has been confirmed as Man Utd’s new head coachCredit: ReutersGabby Agbonlahor believes he is the right man for the jobCredit: TalksportAmorim is set for his third job in management after being confirmed as United’s first-ever head coach.And Agbonlahor believes he is the right man for the job, praising his record in Portugal.He was also left impressed by Amorim when he did his coaching badges alongside him.Agbonlahor told talkSPORT: “You could tell he was so into it in a way that he had to get his badges to start managing.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL”When you look at what he’s done since leaving Braga to Sporting Lisbon, breaking 19 years without winning a league title.”I think Manchester United have got the right man.”Amorim has been in charge of Sporting since 2020, winning two league titles and two Portuguese cups in that time.While he has put the club in a superb position this term, sitting top of the Primeira Liga table – winning every league game they’ve played and conceding just twice.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSRuben Amorim is ‘Mourinho 2.0’ who turned Sporting from ‘walking dead’ into Portuguese champs… he can revive Man UtdWHEN Ruben Amorim took charge of Sporting Lisbon in March 2020, one club official compared their situation to the “walking dead”, writes Jordan Davies.Optimism and hope was at an all-time low.But the Amorim-effect was almost instantaneous, guiding the Portuguese sleeping giants to their first league title for 19 years in 2020/21, losing just once and only conceding 20 goals.Since then, Sporting have lifted another league title in 2023/24 – as well as two League Cups – and currently sit top with nine wins from nine this term.He may be young, but Amorim already has an eye for rebuilding and revitalising fallen super powers with his infectious charisma and intense tactical philosophy that hardly ever wavers. The “walking dead” at Manchester United must be praying for a similar sort of revival.And they may just get it from one of the most talented young coaches on the continent – a man accustomed to breathing new life back into crumbling institutions such as Old Trafford.Amorim has spent the last decade dreaming of one day gracing England’s Premier League, such was his admiration for an ex-United boss in Jose Mourinho growing up.Often nicknamed ‘Mourinho 2.0’, Amorim spent a week with his coaching idol in an internship capacity at United’s Carrington training base in 2018, going on to cite him as his “reference point”.United should not be expecting a mini-Mourinho, as Amorim said himself: “Mourinho is one of a kind. There won’t be another Mourinho. Mourinho is unique.”And yet, you cannot help but compare the two.For all the mismanagement in the Old Trafford hot seats over the years, this would be a real get – finally a slap in the face United’s Prem rivals have no answer for.He has a different prospect on his hands in Manchester with United currently 11th in the league after losing more games than they have won in the league this season.However, interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy got the Red Devils firing once again in United’s first game of the post-Ten Hag era.Van Nistelrooy makes clear his hopes to remain at Man Utd United thrashed Leicester City 5-2 in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night to book their spot in the competition’s quarter-finals.Amorim is known for his high possession style and has always favoured a back three during his time as a manager.It can be expected that he will try and maintain that winning formula as boss of United. More

MANCHESTER UNITED have paid Sporting a fee to get Ruben Amorim early, SunSport can reveal.The Portuguese has been confirmed as Erik ten Hag’s successor.Man Utd have paid Sporting a fee to release Ruben Amorim from his 30-day notice periodCredit: PABut he is set to remain in charge of Sporting until November 11, when he will make the switch to Old Trafford.That means he will be in the dugout for Manchester City’s visit to the Jose Alvalade Stadium on November 5.United fans face a wait to see their new boss, whose first game will be the visit to Ipswich on November 24.That is despite the club paying Sporting a £900,000 fee to release Amorim early, rather than waiting another three weeks.READ MORE ON MAN UTDAmorim is understood to have a 30-day notice period in his Sporting contract, which United have negotiated him out of.Ruud van Nistelrooy will remain in interim charge until Amorim arrives so will oversee games against Chelsea, PAOK and Leicester.It is understood Amorim will bring three coaches with him to Old Trafford – Sporting’s assistant manager Adelio Candido, assistant coach Carlos Fernandes and goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital.SunSport can reveal he also wants to sign Sporting’s £70m-rated star Ousmane Diomande.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSRuben Amorim is ‘Mourinho 2.0’ who turned Sporting from ‘walking dead’ into Portuguese champs… he can revive Man UtdWHEN Ruben Amorim took charge of Sporting Lisbon in March 2020, one club official compared their situation to the “walking dead”, writes Jordan Davies.Optimism and hope was at an all-time low.But the Amorim-effect was almost instantaneous, guiding the Portuguese sleeping giants to their first league title for 19 years in 2020/21, losing just once and only conceding 20 goals.Since then, Sporting have lifted another league title in 2023/24 – as well as two League Cups – and currently sit top with nine wins from nine this term.He may be young, but Amorim already has an eye for rebuilding and revitalising fallen super powers with his infectious charisma and intense tactical philosophy that hardly ever wavers. The “walking dead” at Manchester United must be praying for a similar sort of revival.And they may just get it from one of the most talented young coaches on the continent – a man accustomed to breathing new life back into crumbling institutions such as Old Trafford.Amorim has spent the last decade dreaming of one day gracing England’s Premier League, such was his admiration for an ex-United boss in Jose Mourinho growing up.Often nicknamed ‘Mourinho 2.0’, Amorim spent a week with his coaching idol in an internship capacity at United’s Carrington training base in 2018, going on to cite him as his “reference point”.United should not be expecting a mini-Mourinho, as Amorim said himself: “Mourinho is one of a kind. There won’t be another Mourinho. Mourinho is unique.”And yet, you cannot help but compare the two.For all the mismanagement in the Old Trafford hot seats over the years, this would be a real get – finally a slap in the face United’s Prem rivals have no answer for.Amorim, 39, also becomes United’s very first head coach, rather than a manager.That marks a shift at United following the arrival of Ineos and the introduction of a true footballing structure, headed by Dan Ashworth as sporting director.Ruben Amorim responds to questions about Man Utd job after Sporting match More