Premier League

MANCHESTER UNITED have been slammed by Danny Murphy for their “stupid” warm-up for the second half aginst Crystal Palace.The Red Devils were humiliated in South London as Oliver Glasner’s side ran rampant, winning 4-0.Danny Murphy slammed Manchester United’s second-half ‘warm-up’Credit: The SunUnited suffered a humiliating defeat to Crystal PalaceCredit: ReutersMichael Olise ran up the pitch unchecked to open the scoring before Jean-Philippe Mateta continued his rich vein of form to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead at half-time.United already appeared dead and buried by that stage but a member of the coaching staff tried to pep them up for the second half with a quick fitness drill.But pundit Danny Murphy was left dismayed by what he was watching, as the United players sprinted over a few cones before standing around while they waited for their opponents to come out.He blasted the ‘warm-up’ on talkSPORT, saying: “There’s a member of [Erik] ten Hag’s staff that’s run from the dugout to the corner flag where they come out here at Palace. READ MORE ON MAN UTD”He’s put three yellow cones down and three red about a yard apart.”As the players come out, he insisted that each one of them did a little short, fast burst of little short steps in between the three cones and then sprint off into the middle of the pitch.”Like that’s going to make any difference, look at them now standing around chatting because they’re out early. “Those little six cones, I don’t know what his role is, maybe he’s a cone man rather than a set-play man but the reality is, this is how stupid football’s gone.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS”That they think those little six cones and those little short steps for a millisecond are going to make a difference to the mindset of those players.”The drill had no effect as United conceded twice more, with Erik ten Hag receiving damning criticism for the performance.Jamie Carragher claims the Red Devils are the worst coached side in the division, with Murphy also left baffled by the team’s preparation.He continued: “The reason you come out early is to get yourself ready and that means run around, do some sprints, get yourself angry, do whatever you need to do.Michael Owen demands Man Utd sack Ten Hag and put Steve McClaren in charge as Scholes calls him ‘best coach I ever had'”Not stand around and chat sixty seconds after doing three little steps, the sports science coach or the fitness coach thinks, ‘I tell you what I’ll do, I’ll get them going, I’ll put three little cones down for when they come out, that’ll do it’.”It’s fine doing it to get yourself going but they went and stood around chatting for a minute after.”Pundits’ verdict on Ten Hag’s futureWhere do the pundits stand on Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United future?
Michael Owen – He has to go
“He cannot, simply cannot, manage this team next season. He’s not good enough.”
Teddy Sheringham – Might stay if he wins Cup but should go
“If United win the FA Cup, he could stay. But, for me, changes are needed and United need to get it done sooner than later.”
Jamie Carragher – Sacked
“I don’t see how Erik ten Hag stays. It’s just performance after performance.”
Gary Neville – Stay if he wins the FA Cup
“To sack a manager who’s won two trophies in his first two seasons at the club I think would be extreme.”
Louis Saha – On the fence
“I don’t see it as clearly but they need changes from the players but they need changes from him as well.”
Alan Shearer – Sacked
“I believe the future of the Man Utd manager is already determined. Even if they win the FA Cup I think he’s gone.” More

MANCHESTER UNITED were battered and humiliated by Crystal Palace as things somehow continued to get worse for Erik ten Hag.The South Londoners smashed the Red Devils 4-0 to leave the under-fire boss on the brink of the sack.Man Utd were hammered 4-0 by Crystal PalaceCredit: GettyErik ten Hag is in danger of losing his jobCredit: AlamyAfter the game, Jamie Carragher claimed they are the “most poorly coached team in the league” and Ashley Young labelled the performance “shambolic”.The loss means United are eighth in the table on 54 points and are at risk of finishing below their lowest ever total of 58.Asked if this is the lowest point of his Old Trafford reign, Ten Hag admitted: “Yes. Our worst defeat.“We should have kept fighting like the fans did.READ MORE ON MAN UTD“It’s clear, this is underperforming. It’s by far not good enough. We are very disappointed. It’s a deserved defeat.”But is this really Ten Hag’s all-time low? Let’s see how the Palace horror show compares to some other disastrous results… and you can decide which is the most embarrassing.7-0 loss to Liverpool, March 2003Man Utd were embarrassed at the hands of their bitter rivals as they crumbled at Anfield.The Reds were only 1-0 up at half-time but ran riot after the break as Ten Hag’s team were taught a brutal lesson.Most read in FootballIt was the club’s worst defeat in 92 years and the players were punished by being called into training early the next day.Gary Neville called captain Bruno Fernandes a “disgrace” after he lost his rag and pleaded to be substituted.BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSMan Utd were smashed 7-0 at AnfieldCredit: Getty4-0 loss to Brentford, August 2022Ten Hag’s second game in charge of the club was a nightmare.A lacklustre opening saw United ship four goals inside 35 minutes.Believing his players were unfit, Ten Hag ordered them into Carrington the next day for an extra training session where they were made to run 13.8 kilometres – the distance Brentford outran them by – on their day off.A poor first-half saw United concede four times to BrentfordCredit: ReutersCrystal Palace 4 Man Utd 0: Ten Hag one step closer to axe after ’embarrassing’ total capitulation against Eagles3-0 loss to Sevilla, April 2023Man Utd were cruising at 2-0 in the quarter-final of the Europa League.Set to take the advantage to Spain for the second leg, disaster struck as Tyrell Malacia and Harry Maguire both netted own goals in the last ten minutes to make it 2-2.With work to do in Sevilla, the Red Devils slumped to a shockingly bad 3-0 defeat as David De Gea and Maguire had calamitous evenings.Several blunders over two legs saw United lose to SevillaCredit: Getty3-0 loss to Bournemouth, December 2023Old Trafford has been far from a fortress, losing at home seven times in all competitions so far this season.Perhaps the worst was against Bournemouth as Andoni Iraola outdone Ten Hag with a brilliantly clinical performance from his side.United fans booed off their players.Bournemouth got the better of Man Utd at Old Trafford in a shock winCredit: AFP4-3 loss to Chelsea, April 2024The collapse at Chelsea set an unwanted record for the latest a side has ever led in a Premier League match before going on to lose.They were ahead at 99 minutes and 17 seconds before a Cole Palmer double sunk United.It was also the second time in a matter of days that they lost a lead beyond the 97th minute after Brentford score a late equaliser in the previous fixture. United broke unwanted records as Palmer scored in the 100th and 101st minuteCredit: Reuters4-3 loss to Copenhagen, November 2023The damaging defeat in the Danish capital saw United effectively dumped out the Champions League.READ MORE SUN STORIESIn a thriller, Marcus Rashford was sent off as two goals in the final ten minutes saw Copenhagen take all three points.The loss led to Ten Hag’s men finishing bottom of their group.Man Utd were effectively out the Champions League after losing to CopenhagenCredit: GettyPundits’ verdict on Ten Hag’s futureWhere do the pundits stand on Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United future?
Michael Owen – He has to go
“He cannot, simply cannot, manage this team next season. He’s not good enough.”
Teddy Sheringham – Might stay if he wins Cup but should go
“If United win the FA Cup, he could stay. But, for me, changes are needed and United need to get it done sooner than later.”
Jamie Carragher – Sacked
“I don’t see how Erik ten Hag stays. It’s just performance after performance.”
Gary Neville – Stay if he wins the FA Cup
“To sack a manager who’s won two trophies in his first two seasons at the club I think would be extreme.”
Louis Saha – On the fence
“I don’t see it as clearly but they need changes from the players but they need changes from him as well.”
Alan Shearer – Sacked
“I believe the future of the Man Utd manager is already determined. Even if they win the FA Cup I think he’s gone.” More

NOTTINGHAM Forest were accused of effectively making a pointless appeal as their four point Prem deduction was confirmed.Forest had their appeal hearing in front of three senior lawyers last month after admitting breaching Prem Profitability and Sustainability Rules.Forest’s appeal has been unsuccessfulCredit: PAThey remain in the relegation battle as their points deduction is still in placeCredit: AFPThe City Ground club claimed that there had been insufficient “mitigation” over their arguments that selling Brennan Johnson to Spurs on deadline day for £47.5m meant the breach last season was a “near miss”Forest, who had been allowed permitted losses of £61m over three seasons after spending the first two of them in the Championship, instead posted a deficit of £95.5m.And in rejecting the club’s case, the appeal commission – headed by Lord Dyson, who was the country’s second most senior law officer when he was Master of the Rolls from 2012-2016 – utterly dismissed Forest’s claim.In addition, the commission questioned the nature of the arguments Forest made.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLIt ruled: “The Commission decision was commendably clear and comprehensive.“The club confined its grounds of appeal to what it described as “two distinct and fundamental points of principle”.“In our view, neither of the points was one of principle.”Forest’s lawyers were also accused of attempting a “microscopic forensic examination” of the wording of the original verdict and sentence – costing the Prem unnecessary time and money.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSThey also sought to compare the punishment imposed to the PSR case that saw Everton eventually deducted six points and the halving of the initial 12 point punishment imposed by the EFL on Sheffield Wednesday in 2020.But in what was a stark warning to other clubs seeking to challenge commission decisions in future, the panel added: “Allegations of infelicities of language or errors which are not material to the ultimate decision add to the complexity and costs of proceedings and are rarely likely to lead to a successful challenge of a decision. Premier League release full audio of Everton vs Nottingham Forest VAR decisions as Howard Webb admits mistake“It is understandable that clubs wishing to appeal against sanction will search for other cases to compare the seriousness of the breach in the instant case with that in other cases.“There will be a growing temptation to examine them in detail and burden Commissions and Appeal Boards with minute examination of the similarities with and differences from the instant case.“Such an approach will rarely be helpful. Reference to individual cases on particular facts is generally unhelpful and should be avoided.”Forest had urged a full rehearing of the case and that there should have been an extra discount – the panel gave a two point mitigation after ruling the offence was worthy of a loss of six points – over the timing of the Johnson sale.They also suggested it had been wrong for the Premier League to indicate that selling Johnson in the January 2023 transfer window – when the club added to the squad – would have potentially prevented a breach.But the appeal body determined: “Player A (Johnson) played throughout the second half of the 2022/23 season and continued to play for the club for the first three games of the subsequent season until his transfer was effected.“In our view, it is important to state that the so-called “near miss” or “golden mitigation” principles are not principles of law.“The critical question in each of these cases is how serious a breach of the PSR Rules has been committed.“One obvious relevant circumstance is the extent of the breach in monetary terms and another is how long the breach continued beyond the end of the financial year.“The Commission was entitled to conclude that the sale of Player A did not reduce the seriousness of the breach and did not constitute a mitigating factor.”The decision to uphold the ruling means Forest stay in a fight for survival – 17th in the table on 29 points.The club remain three points above Luton in 18th and five clear of Burnley in 19th, with just two games to go this season.Since Forest were handed the points deduction for overspending, they have found themselves embroiled in a relegation battle.But a huge win over Sheffield United on Saturday – as Luton were held to a draw by Everton – puts the Tricky Trees within touching distance of Prem safety.The club’s goal difference is also 11 better off than the Hatters’. Despite the end to the points deduction saga, Forest remain at war with the Premier League.Chiefs are set to take action on the club after a bombshell statement slammed the standard of refereeing.Forest criticised the appointment of Luton fan Stuart Attwell on VAR as they were denied three penalties in a clash against Everton last month. The club are not the only team to have been found guilty of breaching PSR rules this season.Everton have been docked a total of eight points for two separate charges.READ MORE SUN STORIESTheir initial ten-point deduction was reduced to six upon appeal, before an extra two were tagged on for a separate breach.Sean Dyche’s side have since clambered away from relegation worries.THE PSR STATE OF PLAYWhere clubs in danger stand…
Everton
Initial 10 point deduction for 2021-22 breaches reduced to six points on appeal. Now deducted a further two points.
Manchester City
Etihad club emphatically denies the 115 allegations laid against them in February 2023. The lengthy Commission case has been scheduled to start in October or November but a final decision is not expected until March or April 2025.
Chelsea
Blues chiefs flagged up illicit payments made to agents and others during the Roman Abramovich era. Fined £8.6m by Uefa but still to be formally charged by the Prem despite an ongoing investigation.
Leicester
Foxes breached Prem PSR loss limits last season but did not have to report their 2022-23 accounts until this month because of their relegation. That puts the timetable back and means that they will probably face a Prem points deduction next term. More