Premier League

MANCHESTER UNITED have sacked manager Erik ten Hag.The Dutchman leaves Old Trafford with United 14th in the Premier League.Erik ten Hag has been sackedCredit: AlamyUnited suffered a 2-1 defeat to West Ham on SundayCredit: AlamyHis assistant, Ruud van Nistelrooy, will take over as interim manager while the recruitment process takes place.A statement from the club read: “Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager.”Erik was appointed in April 2022 and led the club to two domestic trophies, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.”We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future.Read More in Football”Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of the team as interim head coach, supported by the current coaching team, whilst a permanent head coach is recruited.”Man Utd suffered a 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Sunday, leaving them in the bottom half of the Prem table.The Red Devils have won just three out of nine league games so far this season, with four defeats and two draws.United representatives felt there was a lack of progression and momentum under the Dutchman, SunSport understands.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSWhy 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.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 also have been a popular and gettable option – but England got in there first.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.They also believe results and performances have not been good enough over the last year.Doubts began to emerge over Ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford earlier this year.Gary Neville predicts exact date Erik ten Hag will be sacked as he rants Man Utd ‘can’t be 14th after nine games’ But the 54-year-old was handed a one-year contract extension in July after leading United to FA Cup glory at Wembley Stadium.He subsequently spent almost £200million in the transfer market to strengthen his squad – only to endure the club’s worst start to a Premier League campaign.The Red Devils have also struggled in Europe this season.They currently sit 21st in the Europa League group stage table with three points from three games.Former England manager Gareth Southgate has been heavily linked with the job.Ten Hag won the FA Cup with Man Utd in MayCredit: ReutersBut he recently claimed he will not coach or manage another team in the next year.Ex-Barcelona boss Xavi has also been tipped to replace Ten Hag.Reports last week claimed Man Utd contacted him about the job.United chiefs initially made former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel their No1 target.But he was snapped up by the FA this month and appointed the next England boss.READ MORE SUN STORIESMan Utd next face Leicester City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.The Red Devils are then due to face Chelsea in a huge Prem clash at the weekend.Who will replace Ten Hag?ERIK TEN HAG has finally been put out of his Manchester United misery – but who will be the manager to lead them into the future?Ruud van NistelrooyThe Red Devils legend, 48, is no stranger to the pressures of Old Trafford.Van Nistelrooy scored 150 goals in 219 games for Man Utd and helped them to the 2002-03 Premier League title.The striker also starred for another monster club, Real Madrid, as a player before going into coaching.The 70-cap ex-Holland international managed PSV’s youth team before landing the senior job for the 2022-23 season.Van Nistelrooy landed a coaching job under Ten Hag earlier this year and is said to have done a superb job working with the clubs strikers behind the scenes.And now he will have the chance to show what he can do in a live ‘interview’ of sorts.How long the club will give him is another matter.Gareth SouthgateThe former England boss, 54, has long been linked with the Man Utd job.The former Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough defender has gone on to enjoy great success as a manager – albeit without getting his hands on a major trophy.Southgate managed Middlesbrough between 2006 and 2009 before taking on the England Under-21s job between 2013 and 2016.The 57-cap former Three Lions international then took the senior national job, replacing Roy Hodgson.Southgate brought the nation together as he led England to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, as well as the final of Euro 2020 and Euro 2024.However, he left his role in the summer following the defeat to Spain and was replaced by Lee Carsley on an interim basis.Thomas Tuchel – another boss long linked with the Old Trafford job – will take over the reins in 2025.Southgate has been out of club management for 15 years and a portion of England fans were frustrated by what they deemed a defensive style.However, his ability to largely galvanise the fan-base and deal with the pressure of one of the biggest jobs in sport with real class would be a huge asset for United.Edin TerzicEarlier this month, SunSport revealed Edin Terzic is the shock name on United’s list to replace Ten Hag.German Terzic took Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final last season before surprisingly quitting.He has many admirers at Old Trafford and it would he a smart but unexpected move to go for him if they sack under-fire Ten Hag.Terzic, 41, did his coaching badges in England, where he was friends with fellow United target Graham Potter, and then worked as Slaven Bilic’s No 2 at West Ham.He rose to the top in Germany during two spells at Dortmund before he walked away in June.Graham PotterThe English boss, 49, has been out of work since being axed by Chelsea in April 2023.Potter excited fans with his attacking approach at Brighton before he was poached by the Blues.However, he failed to lift Chelsea out of their funk and was given his marching orders.Potter’s fans include Manchester City mastermind Pep Guardiola.And there’s no doubt the ex-OstersundS FK and Swansea boss would get United playing on the front foot, something Old Trafford fans have long craved.Kieran McKennaCruelly denied a playing career due to injury, the former Tottenham youth prospect has excelled as a coach.McKenna, 38, worked as Under-18s coach at both Spurs and Man Utd before landing the top job at Ipswich Town.The young boss incredibly guided the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions, guiding them from League One back to the Premier League, ending the club’s 22-year absence.McKenna was quickly added to a host of clubs’ wish-lists, including Man Utd, according to reports.But Ipswich reacted swiftly to offer him a new, long-term contract.However, his side are yet to win any of their opening nine Premier League games, with four wins and five defeats.McKenna has Ipswich playing exciting, expansive football – something Man Utd fans crave.The big question now is whether McKenna opts to jump ship or stay loyal.Ruben Amorim, Xavi and Thomas Frank are also three names very much believed to be in the running. 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COLE PALMER left fans in disbelief after openly admitting that he only knew of Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola through a video game.The 22-year-old put on a fantastic display as Chelsea earned a 2-1 win over Newcastle at the weekend.Cole Palmer left fans shocked with his admission about Gianfranco ZolaCredit: Sky SportsPalmer was compared to Zola following his impressive performanceCredit: GettyHe drew comparisons to Blues icon Zola – who was at Stamford Bridge for the match – as a result.But asked about the Italian at full-time, Palmer was forced to admit that he’d never actually seen him play.He told Sky Sports: “I know he’s an icon on FIFA so he must have been good.”I didn’t really watch him play but everyone says he was a great player.”Read More in FootballFans were shocked by the midfielder’s admission, with one person taking to social media to write: “Jesus wept. He actually said those words out loud?”Another commented: “‘Icon on FIFA’ cringed just reading that.”A third said: “Respect the honesty tbh.”While another quipped: “I feel old.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSZola heaped praise on Palmer before the match at Stamford Bridge.He said: “When he receives the ball he already knows what he wants to do next.Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca lauds Cole Palmer as the type of player supporters ‘pay to see’ “It’s a quality only a few players have.”Palmer played a crucial role in the build-up to Chelsea’s first goal, sending a stunning pass through to Pedro Neto on the left, who squared the ball across the box to goalscorer Nicolas Jackson.He then scored the winner just after half-time.Chelsea player ratings vs NewcastleCOLE PALMER was once again the star of the show.His perfect pass for Neto set up Nicolas Jackson’s opening goal and then he scored the second in a 2-1 win over Newcastle.He was class – but not all the Chelsea players were.Here’s how SunSport’s Lloyd Canfield rated the players at Stamford Bridge…Robert Sanchez – 3/10Pretty poor in all honesty.A liability in terms of distribution, and while a decent shot-stopper, he consistently seems to be a big question mark in this Chelsea eleven.Malo Gusto – 3It looks as though Chelsea may have to choose between Gusto and Reece James to start on the right with themFailed to impact the game much attacking-wise, and was bettered by Lewis Hall who crossed for Alexander Isak’s equaliser.Wesley Fofana – 6Picked up a knock early on and played the rest of the game with a strapped-up knee.Nonetheless, gave as good as he got against the powerful Alexander Isak for large parts of the game, and made some crucial blocks and tackles throughout.Levi Colwill – 6Was fortunate to get away with a clumsy tackle on Bruno Guimaraes early in the first half, but was still fairly solid.For a man with such an impressive passing range, it felt like he couldn’t quite put it to use today.Seemingly prevented Alexander Isak from levelling with his aura alone…Reece James – 2Playing as a left-centre back it’s hard to see how Chelsea will get the best out of what could be one of the finest attacking wing backs in the world.He didn’t look comfortable in that position, and let Alexander Isak run away from him for Newcastle’s equaliser.He came up with two crucial blocks in the second half to deny Isak from making it two or three, before giving him a golden chance to do so which was not taken.Romeo Lavia – 7Followed up a brilliant performance in the loss to Liverpool with another good showing in the middle of the park here.Starting to look like a bargain with performances like these if he can stay fit, as he claimed the assist for Cole Palmer’s fine finish.Moises Caicedo – 7Effective in breaking up play for the Blues, and it was a solid showing from a midfield player who has been so good this season.Steps into challenges nicely at just the right time, and is becoming a dependable figure in the same mould in which N’golo Kante and Claude Makelele were in their time here.Noni Madueke – 5Quiet in the first half, but better in the second as he looked to trouble Lewis Hall more.Was outshone by Pedro Neto on the opposite flank this time out, before being swapped out for Mykhailo Mudryk.Pedro Neto – 8So much pace down the left-hand side which was utilised perfectly to leave Livramento in the dust to set up Nicolas Jackson’s opening goal.Could have had a goal early in the second half as he rattled the post with a header after leaping like a salmon.Cole Palmer – 9Started the game well with a cracking finish which VAR ruled out, only to cook the Newcastle defence a matter of moments later with an incisive pass for Neto to set up the opener.Newcastle simply could not handle the midfield man, who lit up Stamford Bridge early in the second half to claim his sixth goal of the season.Nonchalance personified, cool Cole showed why he will attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony tomorrow night, and why he can win it in coming years.Nicolas Jackson – 8A superb first-time finish opened the scoring for the Blues, and the Senegalese forward did well with the little service he had in the first half – often needing to drop deep to pick up the ball and link up the play.14 goals in his last 14 Premier League games – leave the Didier Drogba comparisons at home, this is a superstar in his own right.SUBS:MYKHAILO MUDRYK (NONI MADUEKE, 67) – 5Had a big chance to add a third to Chelsea’s tally after replacing Madueke, but his left-footed strike was saved by Nick Pope, who didn’t have to move.ENZO FERNANDEZ (ROMEO LAVIA, 72) – 5Didn’t add anything which Lavia wasn’t already giving, but ultimately wasn’t given much time to really impact the game.MARC CUCURELLA (MALO GUSTO , 78) – 5Individually, didn’t have a lot of time to show what he’s made of, but Chelsea look like a better team with him in the side.He plays the inverted left-back role well, allowing Chelsea to get the most out of their right-side.CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU ( NICOLAS JACKSON, 78) – 6Had a half-chance late on, which wasn’t taken as he dilly-dallied on the ball on the edge of the box.Thought he had won a penalty on the stroke of the 90th minute after going down under pressure from Dan Burn, but it was ruled out by VAR.Click here to read more on Chelsea. 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GARY NEVILLE has predicted when Erik ten Hag will be sacked should Manchester United’s dire start to the season continue.The Red Devils lost 2-1 to West Ham yesterday to leave them 14th in the Premier League after nine games.Gary Neville reckons the manager could lose his job next weekendCredit: GettyErik ten Hag’s side sit 14th in the league and only two teams have scored fewerCredit: AlamyNeville shared his thoughts on the controversial penalty decisionCredit: RexMan Utd wasted several huge chances in the first-half before the Hammers won it with a controversial penalty.The defeat has left Neville “worried” and he claimed the boss’ position could become untenable if they lose to Chelsea next Sunday.He told his Sky Sports podcast: “Ten Hag is asking for trouble. 14th in the league nine games in – nine games is nearly 25 per cent of the season gone.”It will be a big worry for everybody at the club because of the performance levels. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL”United should have been up 2-0 but they lost. “They are 14th, they’ve spent a fortune. I was quite clear at the end of last season that if they are in that same position in the league after the first few months there will be a lot of questions being asked.”They’ve got a game in midweek (Leicester in the Carabao Cup) but it will all come down to next weekend’s game against Chelsea. “Anybody that is half decent, that can play and have quality can beat this United team and they are in danger.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS”I don’t think there can be another defeat next weekend at Old Trafford. “It’s getting to that point where there is a real worry, I’m worried. Erik ten Hag angry with VAR for ‘interfering’ as West Ham penalty wounds Man Utd “The results, the lack of goals and the lack of performances are stacking up week after week.”These are the players that have been recruited over the last couple of seasons mainly. “It’s a sobering time. It’s getting to the point whereby it will become unbearable the pressure in the next week or two around Ten Hag purely because of the position in the league. “They’re 14th. You can’t be 14th in the league after nine games.”Only Crystal Palace and Southampton have scored less goals than Man Utd’s eight goals in the Prem this season.Neville slammed United’s attackers, ranting: “It must be getting to a point now where the defensive players and the coaching staff must be saying to this is unacceptable. It’s unacceptable to miss chances like that. “Goalkeepers and defenders get killed for mistakes, but their comes a point you are missing chances like United did and it harms you, you invite trouble.”On the controversial penalty awarded to West Ham, Neville claimed on-field ref David Coote did not want to go against Michael Oliver on VAR.The pundit explained: “It’s not right that one, every team gets a bad decision, but that one is not right.”The interesting thing for me is that when Coote went over to the screen, he must have watched it, it felt like eight times.”He does not think it is a penalty, he is not having this.”I think the pressure of being sent over to the screen by a dominant referee, nobody likes to upset their superiors. READ MORE SUN STORIES”If you are young in the office and someone senior makes a call, you don’t really want to tell them that they are wrong.”I think it was a bit of that because I don’t think Coote was anywhere near thinking that was a penalty.”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.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 also have been a popular and gettable option – but England got in there first.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

ARSENAL twice squandered the lead against Liverpool as they dropped two crucial points in the title race.Bukayo Saka fired the Gunners into an early lead, tearing Andy Robertson apart before blasting past a helpless Caoimhin Kelleher.Arsenal twice led against Liverpool at the EmiratesCredit: EPAMo Salah rescued a point for the Reds with his late levellerCredit: EPAVirgil van Dijk headed the Reds level before Mikel Merino put his new side back in front with an emphatic bullet header of his own.But Mo Salah rescued a point for Arne Slot’s men on the counterattack with nine minutes left. And the stats prove the 2-2 draw was a very fair result.That is because both sides managed nine shots in the match – with Liverpool edging their attempts on target by four to three. READ MORE ON FOOTBALLLiverpool had 55 per cent of the ball with 16 tackles to Arsenal’s 17 and 14 fouls apiece.Arsenal, however, will regret only managing one corner in the match.Of course, Gunners players and fans alike were furious they did not get a second right at the end. Gabriel Jesus clearly knocked the ball off Kostas Tsimikas, who desperately tried to kick it again before it went out of play knowing he had made the last touch.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAnd given Arsenal’s propensity to score from set pieces, they were understandably apoplectic to see the controversial goal-kick decision.By that time, though, star man Saka had been taken off.Jamie Carragher and Theo Walcott have awkward ‘Thierry Henry moment’ live on Sky Sports after Arsenal vs LiverpoolThe England winger was an injury doubt but worked hard to get fit – and his return to the starting XI was a welcome bonus for Mikel Arteta.Saka managed 41 touches in his 85 minutes on the field and completed 15 of his 23 passes. His two shots – one less than Salah – resulted in the opening goal and he drew two fouls from the men in black. But Saka did his defensive work, too, succeeding with his one tackle and winning seven of his nine duels. Interestingly, his heat map showed a similar pattern to team-mate Kai Havertz with much of their action down the right channel. Saka produced a Thierry Henry-style celebrationCredit: APSaka – who celebrated with a cool shrug of his shoulders as he became the youngest Arsenal player to 50 Premier League goals – said: “I try to keep the keepers guessing. “I think it was a nice finish, I haven’t seen it back yet but it felt nice. “He has every record Thierry Henry so it’s nice but of course you wanna win the game but I have to be happy with this. “Everything is Thierry Henry-ish. If you score it’s Thierry Henry, if you assist it’s Thierry Henry. “I’m feeling good. I felt I could finish the game but the gaffer took me off.”Salah powered into the bottom corner for 2-2Credit: GettyThe average positions from both sides also made interesting reading.Saka was the most reserved of the Gunners attackers, with Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli operating further forward.Leandro Trossard and Merino virtually had the same spot in the left high No8 position alongside Declan Rice, who covered every blade of grass in a typically-industrial performance.Arsenal’s makeshift back four was made up of Thomas Partey, Ben White, Gabriel and Jurrien Timber – who kept it narrow as an organised unit.However, by the end of the game after two key injuries, the defence was even more unrecognisable as Partey and White were joined by Jakub Kiwior and youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly. READ MORE SUN STORIESFor Liverpool, though, Salah was the furthest forward – and made the most of the Timber going off to exploit the weakened left side of the Arsenal back line, exposing the space to score the final goal. Ryan Gravenberch was the deepest-lying midfielder, behind Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones, who completed 41 of his 42 passes in midfield. More