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      Karren Brady: Gareth Southgate couldn’t wish for better Christmas gift than seeing Kane and Bellingham tearing up Europe

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      THERE isn’t a team in the world who wouldn’t tear open Santa’s sack if they thought Harry Kane or Jude Bellingham was the gift inside it.That they are now worth even more than the £200million-plus Bayern Munich and Real Madrid paid for them is of great credit to the quality of coaching in English football.
      Harry Kane has had a sensational start to his spell with Bayern MunichCredit: Reuters
      Jude Bellingham’s switch to Real Madrid has been just as incredibleCredit: AP
      It also underlines how standards here have soared since the introduction of the Premier League.
      Those are all pluses. The minus is both are scoring floods of goals on foreign fields, not ours. Yes, we’re more likely to see a sleigh in the sky than either in the Premier League this season.
      Kane left his much-loved Spurs primarily as he grew frustrated at a failure to win major trophies.
      But also because his club were adamant about the size of his transfer fee having practically shut the door on an English rival.
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      So off to Bayern it was and 21 goals in 15 games in the Bundesliga is the kind of return offered only by Erling Haaland of current strikers.
      It is no accident Bellingham’s behaviour on and off the field is similar to Kane’s — civilised and appreciative of fans.
      He joined Borussia Dortmund in 2017 as a 17-year-old, leaving last summer for a fee that could reach £115m with add-ons.
      He has offered a fountain of goals for Real and is on his way to earning the idol status enjoyed by Bernabeu titans Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and Alfredo Di Stefano.
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      After 15 games he shared the club’s record of 13 goals with Portuguese great Ronaldo — who played as a forward. Bellingham isn’t.
      He is “the complete midfielder,” according to former Bayern and Germany captain Philipp Lahm.
      At 20, he already has 27 England caps and two goals. Expect those figures to change dramatically.
      And boss Gareth Southgate hopes that will be in time for next summer’s Euros.
      Bellingham has many similarities with Kane. Both are tall and exceptional in the air.
      Maybe the younger man has slightly better ball control, while Kane possesses all the hunger of a top striker.
      His partnership with Son Heung-min led to numerous Spurs goals for the speedy South Korean.
      He is an accurate and sometimes penetrative passer of the ball, willing to run forever and quick to take up devastating attacking positions.
      Kane and Bellingham should be England’s main hopes for Euro 2024 joyCredit: Getty
      For different reasons, these outstanding talents have left these shores.
      There must be a chance that at least Bellingham, already of Birmingham, Dortmund and now Real, will return at some stage.
      When exactly, no one can forecast although the lad from Stourbridge and his father Mark — a retired police sergeant and once a useful striker — might well have a plan for his entire career.
      One thing we do know is that Jude is already rich and will become a great deal richer, possibly even in the Ronaldo-Lionel Messi bracket.
      Logically, only two or three clubs here will be able to afford his transfer fee, never mind his wages, his agent’s costs and his accountants.
      Again, like Kane, Jude is straightforward and happy to chat to whoever asks questions.
      This was not true of many star players pre-Southgate, who encouraged his team to open up in public.
      Read more on The Sun
      As England’s greatest goalscorer, Kane has lots of awards but no trophies. He is also humble and a credit to his country.
      Accidents and injuries apart, I fancy his cups are not far away. Bellingham has time to win hatfuls. More

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      in Soccer

      Troy Deeney: Tonight is my first game as a manager in the Football League… and I’m playing myself up front

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      FRIDAY night will be my first match as a manager in the Football League.Ask me what kind of boss I’ll be and the only answer I can honestly give at this early stage is “a bald one with bags under his eyes”.
      Troy Deeney has ‘mixed emotions’ after stepping up from player-coach to replace sacked friend Dave Horseman, left, as Forest Green managerCredit: Rex
      Deeney reckons he’ll be fine if he takes the best bits of the managers he played under – because there were so many of themCredit: Getty
      From my first few hours in charge of Forest Green Rovers, I know this is going to be a new level of busy.
      I’ve just had the physio, the analyst and the set-piece coach on the phone to me in the last hour.
      And I am still a player, too. Because we have two strikers out injured, I will be naming myself on the bench for Friday’s home game against Gillingham.
      Oh and, by the way, the fact that we’ve got a specialist set-piece coach in League Two shows our owner Dale Vince has a very decent level of investment and ambition.
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      We may be 91st out of 92 league clubs in English football at present but we have two games in hand to get us out of the relegation places and I am determined to make an immediate impact.
      When a player goes into management, he will often say he wants to take the best bits from all the bosses he played under.
      Well, the plus point for me is that I spent more than a decade at Watford so I have a lot of managers to choose from!
      I would like to have the organisational ability of Sean Dyche, the attacking mentality of Gianfranco Zola, the tactical nous of Marco Silva, the likeability of Quique Sanchez Flores and Javi Gracia’s ability to ‘manage up’ and deal with owners and directors.
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      Those are all men I worked under at Vicarage Road and if I can take all of their best attributes, I’ll be a success in this role.
      I’ve been doing my coaching badges and have a Uefa A licence.
      While those courses were beneficial in some ways, they are also idealistic.
      What you learn would be great if you had Manchester City’s players and Paris Saint-Germain’s budget.
      In League Two, you’re more likely to find a player turning up for training having slept on his mate’s sofa because he’s been up playing Fifa computer games until 2am.
      After a run of bad results, I want to remind my players that being a professional footballer is the best job in the world. I want them to rediscover that joy.
      They don’t throw that sort of thing at you when you’ve got your  L plates on.
      I’ve had mixed emotions since getting the job because, for the past few months, I’ve been a player-coach under the management of my friend Dave Horseman.
      Dave is an excellent coach, a wonderful bloke and a good mate.
      He’d had a long career coaching at youth level — at Watford among other clubs — before getting his first job in senior management at Forest Green this summer.
      Zola’s attacking instincts as Watford boss impressed DeeneyCredit: Alan Walter
      Marco Silva is rated by Deeney as a great tactical brainCredit: Reuters
      But football is ruthless and this situation is business. Dave was sacked on Wednesday and, one day, either at Forest Green or elsewhere, I’ll be the one getting sacked.
      Forest Green is a lovely, friendly family club in rural Gloucestershire.
      The one thing everyone knows about us is that it’s a vegan club — and while it might have been funny the first time an opposition fan asked me if I wanted a steak bake or thrust a sausage roll at me, it soon wears off.
      I’m not vegan but for Dale it is all about educating people about vegan lifestyles and wider environmental issues. I have huge respect for that.
      But when Gillingham visit, our ground won’t be a bear pit.
      It won’t be like turning up at Millwall or West Ham’s old Upton Park.
      We need to find a bit more nastiness. Without wanting to turn us into 80s Wimbledon, I want us to become horrible to play against.
      I’m going to keep playing until January, when Dale hopes to invest more in the squad and then I hope to gradually fade into the background as a player, rather than retiring altogether.
      In League Two, you’re more likely to find a player turning up for training having slept on his mate’s sofa because he’s been up playing Fifa computer games until 2am.Troy Deeney
      Everyone has told me it will  be extremely tough to be a player-manager but, for the time being, it’s ‘needs must’.
      Some people have asked why I wanted to take over a club next to bottom in League Two for my first job in management — but I have never been one to turn down a challenge.
      I remember Paul Ince and Sol Campbell taking over at Macclesfield in similar circumstances and leading them to safety.
      It’s also true that there aren’t enough black and ethnic minority managers in English football.
      We’re still under-represented and we are less likely to get opportunities — even though I’m not sure how many black guys are applying for jobs at League Two level.
      But I’ll be giving my first team talk as a manager before kick-off on Friday evening and I hope I won’t be giving too many of them too often.
      I want our dressing room to become more self-sustaining, where players will give their own speeches before matches.
      Read more on The Sun
      But after a run of bad results, I just want to remind my players that being a professional footballer is the best job in the world. I want them to rediscover that joy.
      And I want to be in that dugout with a big toothy grin just like ­Jurgen Klopp’s.
      After managing Deeney at Vicarage Road, Sean Dyche has gone on to boss Burnley for 10 years and Everton since January 2023Credit: Rex More

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      Terry Venables is the man who put a smile on the face of the nation… I’ll never stop singing his praises

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      IF they did a league table of football’s larger-than-life  personalities, Terry Venables would be the odds-on favourite for the title.I have come across plenty of characters in my career — but Terry was head and shoulders above all of them.
      Terry Venables passed away aged 80 last weekCredit: Getty
      El Tel was an all-round entertainerCredit: Paul Edwards – The Sun
      And he even roped Harry Redknapp into singing in The Sun’s choir before the 2010 World CupCredit: Jon Bond -The Sun
      And there’s no doubt the world won’t be quite as bright after his passing last week.
      As a real Dagenham boy, our paths crossed a lot over the years, going back to when we were  still kids looking for our big break in the 1960s.
      Chelsea had a magnificent youth team at the time, so it was no surprise that he went there when  so many clubs wanted him.
      We met plenty of times on the pitch, but just as much off it.
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      And if it involved Terry, there was one thing you could guarantee — there would be lots of fun and laughter.
      Although back in the day I’d never have guessed that it would end up with me joining a choir and singing to the whole country.
      Among his many talents, Terry was always a decent singer and loved nothing better than  belting out a few numbers at his club.
      What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For was a favourite of his, and it always went down well. Bobby Moore loved him.
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      Venables enjoyed an illustrious managerial careerCredit: PA: Press Association
      So before the 2010 World Cup, The Sun’s television advert centred on Terry performing the old Elvis classic If I Can Dream.
      Obviously he was centre stage, but he was backed by a full choir… which included two extra members just for the ad, in me and Ian Wright.
      Great fun, but we didn’t get asked back! It always made me chuckle that when England went out to Hong Kong before Euro 96, he delegated Bryan Robson to look after them.
      Robbo might have been a coach by then, but he was captain of  the drinking team.
      That was when everyone kicked off about the dentist’s chair incident.
      And if it involved Terry, there was one thing you could guarantee — there would be lots of fun and laughter. Although back in the day I’d never have guessed that it would end up with me joining a choir and singing to the whole country.Harry Redknapp
      But Terry knew how to handle it, like he knew how to  handle most things, and England had a great tournament.
      People look at his personality — which was probably too big for the FA to cope with — and miss the real point… which is that he had a brilliant football brain.
      Players loved playing for him, he knew exactly how to get the best out of them.
      Read More on The Sun
      Gazza, Alan Shearer, Teddy  Sheringham, Gary Neville… you just won’t find anyone with a bad word to say.
      Anyone who looks back to the summer of ’96 and It’s Coming Home does so with a smile… well, Terry Venables is the man who put it on the face of the nation.
      The beloved manager guided England to the semi-finals of Euro 96Credit: Getty More

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      Harry Redknapp: Even Pep Guardiola is going back to the old ways – expect to see more of his ‘back to the future’ tactic

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      I’VE always said football is a simple game — now it seems even Pep Guardiola agrees that you can’t beat winging it.But don’t think I’m having a pop at a bloke who’s rightfully got a reputation as one of modern football’s trailblazers. Nothing could be further from the truth.
      Pep Guardiola does something and often the rest followCredit: Getty
      I’m not suggesting all the success he’s had at Manchester City is down to playing it off the cuff. It’s the result of hard graft, preparation and obviously having the best players.
      If you’re talking trends, it’s usually a case of what Pep does today, the rest do tomorrow, from goalkeepers who must be as good with their feet as their hands, to playing out from the back.
      But sometimes the best ways can be the old ways — and that’s what I mean by Pep winging it at City this season.
      Or, to put it another way, the way he has turned back time with Jeremy Doku, the man who, for me, is the most exciting player in the Premier League.
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      Back in the day every club in the league would play with at least one winger — most had them on both sides.
      Blokes whose first thought and main objective was to be positive, to run at their full-back, to take him on and whip in a cross.
      Division One, as it was back then, was full of them. Mike Summerbee, Steve Heighway, Eddie Gray, Dave Thomas, Stevie Coppell — the list was endless. And that’s only from the 1970s and ’80s.
      Sir Alex Ferguson turned Manchester United into the best team in the country with Ryan Giggs or Lee Sharpe on one side, Andrei Kanchelskis on the other.
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      When I was at Tottenham I had two of the best, with Gareth Bale flying down the left and Aaron Lennon on the right.
      All of them players who excited fans and put the fear of God in full-backs. And who would get the crowd buzzing every time they got the ball.
      Lots of managers would no doubt argue they play with wingers now as well. But not in the old sense. Not in the way I view them.
      These days, the ball goes wide and the first thought is not to try to beat the defender and get to the byline or fire in a shot.
      Most of the time it’s about finding a square ball or — and this frustrates me even more — passing it back the way it’s just come.
      Wolves had one in Adama Traore, who was an absolute flyer and would tear at people, although in his case there was rarely an end product.
      But in Doku, City have an  old-school winger who is absolute dynamite. A man whose first thought isn’t to play it safe but to turn and take on the full-back, to attack and create.
      If I had to choose one man who’s lit up the Premier League this season, it’s Doku. At a time when there is such a stink over VAR, he has been a breath of fresh air.
      But sometimes the best ways can be the old ways — and that’s what I mean by Pep winging it at City this season.Harry Redknapp
      Not so much a guy who puts bums on seats, as gets backsides out of them — because he makes things happen.
      There aren’t many games now when the full-back gets put under any serious, sustained pressure.
      Players are more intent on a safe pass and keeping possession than running at their opponent and trying to be positive.
      But in Doku, Pep has a player who thinks the opposite. Someone who is killing defenders, in a football sense, every time he gets the ball.
      I feel sorry for Pedro Porro, who will be the one in his firing line today when Tottenham are at the Etihad.
      Porro’s done alright in his first season in England but he will have his hands full this afternoon.
      To be honest, it looks a pretty thankless task all round for Spurs.
      They have a better record than most against City and I’m sure Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou will send them out to have a go. Rightly so, too, because if you sit back, there’s only one winner.
      It’s tough enough at the best of times and now not only is Harry Kane gone, but they also hardly have any fit first-choice defenders.
      Read More on The Sun
      Ange is doing a great job and the recent blip is more down to injuries and suspensions.
      But I can’t see them getting anything at City — especially with Doku in this form.
      Jeremy Doku has lit up the Premier League with his pace and trickery More

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      in Motorsport

      Ben Hunt: Mercedes already have work cut out for 2024 season after disastrous 2023 with Hamilton’s assessment damning

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      IT is just 95 days until the Bahrain Grand Prix, the opening race for the 2024 season, and boy do Mercedes have their work cut out.This season has been a total disaster from start to finish.
      It’s been a season to forget for MercedesCredit: Rex
      From the opening qualifying session in Bahrain, where boss Toto Wolff ordered their car design to be scrapped, to the final race in Abu Dhabi, where Lewis Hamilton delivered the bleak assessment that his only highlight from the season was the fact he “survived it”.
      Each time the team appeared to make progress, they took two steps back the next weekend.
      Hamilton and his teammate George Russell were despondent as Mercedes went without a single win for the first time in 12 years.
      This is now a hugely important time for Wolff as he tries to steer his ship back on course to challenge for wins again.
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      In the past, it would have been easier to buy their way out of trouble, committing funds to the development of their car until finding something that worked.
      F1’s cost cap means his spending is limited to that of his rivals — a figure of just $135million (£107m) for the whole season, a third of what the big teams would spend before it was introduced in 2021.
      It was encouraging at least to see no back-slapping at finishing second in the championship, having narrowly pipped perennial under-achievers Ferrari by three points.
      Somewhat worryingly, in his post-race media session in Abu Dhabi, Wolff said he could draw some optimism from McLaren, Aston Martin and Alpha Tauri, who had all made a strong finish to the season.
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      Wolff needs to find answers quickCredit: PA
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      Only, this is not a customer team like those listed above, this is Mercedes, who won eight constructors’ titles in a row.
      Wolff spoke with a frown which now appears etched across his brow and the general mood raises more fears for next season.
      For the development of their challenger in 2024 is now well under way at their Brackley HQ.
      But there seems to be nothing to brighten their spirits, no optimism, only the painful realisation of another season of woe ahead.
      This campaign has only just finished but time is already running out to be able to challenge Red Bull next season.
      I received a great deal of feedback from people working in the F1 paddock after last week’s column, where I revealed the human cost of six races in seven weeks, criss-crossing the world.
      Staff sickness was a big issue in Abu Dhabi, with Red Bull boss Christian Horner saying: “I sincerely hope that subscriptions to Lemsip are not within the budget cap. It’s been a pretty brutal regime.”
      Horner said there had been sickness in his campCredit: Splash
      LEAVING HIS DIRTY MARQ
      MARCO BEZZECCHI has blasted MotoGP rival Marc Marquez, calling him “the dirtiest rider”.
      The two collided on the opening lap of the Valencia GP, which was won by Ducati’s 26-year-old Francesco Bagnaia, who retained his title.
      Bezzecchi, 25, fumed: “Marquez decided to end my race on the third corner. He did the same as he did in Thailand with me in corners five and six.
      “So, he hit me right here in my back. It was very, very dirty.
      “I think from the view from the TV you can see very well, but it’s Marquez so they don’t do anything to him.
      “Most of the time, when the other rider doesn’t crash it’s OK. But when you make the other rider crash, at least it’s a f***ing penalty.
      “They never do anything to him — because it’s Marquez and he’s the dirtiest rider.”
      Bezzecchi raged at rival Marc MarquezCredit: Getty
      MUSICAL CHAIRES
      FRENCH driver Theo Pourchaire won the Formula Two title in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
      A fifth-place finish at Yas Island was enough to beat Danish racer Frederik Vesti by 11 points in the overall standings.
      Rules in the competition state that champions must retire from Formula Two — but with no seat in F1 available, Pourchaire faces a spell on the sidelines.
      The 20-year-old is currently a member of the Sauber Academy and serves as a test and reserve driver for Alfa Romeo Racing.
      Pourchaire earned Formula 2 victoryCredit: Getty More

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      Troy Deeney: Ramsdale’s dad has absolutely KILLED him with Arsenal comments – it could backfire badly

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      UP until this week, I thought Aaron Ramsdale would be OK against Brentford.I was confident he would have a strong game and put himself in contention again.
      Aaron Ramsdale is set to start for Arsenal against Brentford on SaturdayCredit: PA
      It will be the goalkeeper’s first Premier League start since SeptemberCredit: Reuters
      But that was before I heard his dad speak. 
      It has made the situation ten times worse.
      This was going to be a free hit for Aaron, and as a father, if you want to then speak after that game when your son has played well, that’s fine by me. 
      Apply the pressure to Mikel Arteta.
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      Yet he has now put his lad under the microscope even further with his comments criticising Mikel for his decision making.
      Now Ramsdale is starting for Arsenal against Brentford as David Raya is ineligible to play against his parent club.
      And Aaron will have to have the perfect game, be good with his feet, take crosses and make two or three good saves.
      If I am Brentford, I am putting the first couple of crosses right under the bar and saying to Aaron: ‘Let’s have a go’.
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      Those comments from his dad have absolutely killed him.
      I hope it doesn’t backfire badly. More

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      Karren Brady: VAR has been bad enough, but the government’s new do-gooder regulator will really hamper elite football

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      FOOTBALL is falling foul of so much over-regulation it reminds you of the old workers’ axiom, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.As if VAR hasn’t been controversial enough, the imminent government-appointed football regulator looks set to be another busybody do-gooder that will end up hampering the sport at its highest level.
      King Charles announced plans for a new football regulatorCredit: AP
      VAR has angered fans, players, managers and pundits alikeCredit: PA
      Let’s start with VAR, the sport’s unpredictable instrument of judgment.
      Mikel Arteta’s outburst last week was aimed at the VAR operators who agreed with the referee that Anthony Gordon’s winning goal for Arsenal after an aerial scramble should stand.
      Even though the human microscopes in the VAR hub eventually voted against Arsenal, the length of the delay was an indication of doubt rather than certainty.
      Which says two things to me. First, in many cases, intent is near-impossible to ascertain.
      READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
      Second, VAR operators are regularly asking for an interruption themselves rather than accepting that the ref’s decision should be final.
      Little wonder VAR is now so disliked.
      It is also impersonal — based somewhere in West London — while fans, players, managers, and TV pundits all know their equipment is fairly basic… a generation or two short of AI.
      Two-dimensional TV is Putin-esque — sometimes we can’t believe what we think we see.
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      Because of this, no verdict can ever be relied on as unimpeachable.
      Whatever the angry Arteta thought last Saturday at St James’ Park, had the decisions gone the other way Newcastle manager Eddie Howe would have complained — albeit not so noisily.
      Simply, it was impossible in the few minutes available for VAR to undo the tangle of limbs that made up the full incident.
      The truth is that ref Stuart Attwell had a better view of the incident than a whole crew of spotters checking angles on flat screens.
      Overall it was the half-blind with pictures half-leading the half-blind with a whistle. Yes, half-equipped.
      This technical interference didn’t impress Wolves who have claimed at least four incorrect referee-VAR decisions so far this season — two of them so poor that the refs were dropped to the Championship for a match.
      Wolves manager Gary O’Neil calculates those errors have cost his team SIX points.
      I’m sure the decision to have a regulator will end up as one we regret.Karren Brady
      A more excitable man would have reacted with some colourful vocabulary.
      Ange Postecoglou, too, is measured in his post-match assessments.
      Many people will wonder whether his Spurs team’s 4-1 home defeat by Chelsea was a sign of things to come with NINE incidents having been checked by VAR.
      Postecoglou said: “That utopia where there are no wrong decisions in the game will never exist. It’s our own fault as we complain about decisions every week.”
      Just as referees’ authority is being undermined, the introduction of a football regulator begs the question as to what has happened to the alleged authority of the FA?
      Football’s governing body is being stripped to lesser duties by our politicians and we know what happens when ministers appoint an overseer-cum-bureaucrat-cum-pal to such responsibility.
      The power, success and wealth of the Premier League is envied by our lesser leagues and — more to the point — around the world.
      Stuart Attwell was the referee for Newcastle’s controversial win over ArsenalCredit: Getty
      Gary O’Neil and Wolves have been screwed over by major refereeing clangersCredit: AFP
      While it is right that we should spread some of our money to the EFL and deeper, the Prem is a success story.
      The big question for the EFL is a pretty straightforward one.
      If the regulator — as read out by the King last week — is said to “safeguard the future of football clubs for the benefit of communities and fans” why are there no restrictions on what the EFL clubs can do with the money that flows down to ensure it benefits communities and fans?
      The implication of the need for a regulator is that football and the FA are in a mess, when in fact the opposite is true.
      They say, no pain is unbearable — except that of regret.
      Read More on The Sun
      I’m sure the decision to have a regulator will end up as one we regret.
      It is such a short word and yet it stretches forever. More

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      Dave Kidd: From nightclubs to nightmares… Marcus Rashford’s Copenhagen red card sums up Man Utd star’s horror season

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      THERE was a wistful smile on Marcus Rashford’s face when ref Donatus Rumsas brandished the red card.It was the look of a man convinced that everything which can go wrong, is going wrong.
      Rashford had a wistful smile as the referee brandished a red cardCredit: Getty
      Back in Manchester United’s team after a “minor knock” and a visit to a nightclub described as “unacceptable” by boss Erik ten Hag, Rashford was sent off for the first time in five years and  for only the  second time in his professional career.
      And this as his United goal drought stretched to 11 appearances while Ten Hag’s side plunged to the bottom of their Champions League group, facing the ignominy of an early exit from Europe’s elite club competition.
      As United’s players slunk away from FC Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium — having twice  conceded two goals in quick succession and been defeated 4-3 by the Danish champions — news emerged that Rashford’s brother and agent, Dane, had been arrested in the United States on a domestic violence charge.
      Rashford, 26, looks like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders and his individual struggles are symbolic of a wider malaise at  Old Trafford.
      READ MORE ON MAN UTD
      He is a man of substance — a social justice crusader  and an MBE, as well as an outstanding footballer. And as the local hero of this side, Rashford carries extra responsibility, especially in a squad so short on leadership qualities.
      Last season, the England  forward netted 30 times for United — sharp, direct, confident and often unplayable.
      This term, he has lacked conviction and self-belief in a team bereft of attacking  identity.
      He will now be suspended for United’s Group A trip to Istanbul, where they face Galatasaray in 19 days’ time.
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      The England forward looks a far cry from the man that bagged 30 goals last seasonCredit: Getty
      Lose there and the Red  Devils will be eliminated from the Champions League.
      Draw and they will need to defeat Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich in their final group match on December 12 to stand any chance of advancing.
      After United’s episode of Nordic noir in Copenhagen, Ten Hag, in his trademark roll-neck sweater, resembled a lighthouse keeper battered by one too many storms, desperately clinging to the hope  of a change in the shipping forecast.
      The Dutchman bemoaned his team’s ill fortune, in having conceded four penalties in as many Champions League matches this season — three of them, he claimed, undeserved.
      He said: “We are in a season where we have to deal with many decisions against us but a season is long and at one point it will turn in our favour.”
      Yet while Ten Hag was  correct to complain that VAR’s slow-mo replays and freeze framing had made Rashford’s challenge on Elias Jelert look worse than it was, the tyranny of technology is the age in which he is operating.
      Rashford looks like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders and his individual struggles are symbolic of a wider malaise at  Old Trafford.Dave Kidd
      Under current interpretations of the laws, Rashford’s dismissal was almost certainly correct.
      And when Ten Hag  praised his team’s “spirit” and “resilience”, it felt as if he had   forgotten those two quickfire doubles at the end of either half which condemned United to defeat.
      Truly spirited and resilient teams do not concede in such a manner, even when reduced to ten men.
      And plenty of United’s  opponents — not least  Wolves, Nottingham Forest  and Brentford, all edged out at Old Trafford — will disagree with Ten Hag’s assessment  that the Red Devils have been bedevilled by extreme misfortune.
      You make your own luck and United — beaten nine times in 17 matches this season — are too often the manufacturers of their own downfall.
      Their forwards do not score in the Premier League and their defenders keep conceding poor goals in the Champions League.
      Rashford’s strike in September’s 3-1 defeat at Arsenal is the only league goal scored by a United forward this season.
      His best performance of the campaign came in England’s impressive 3-1 Euro 2024  qualifying win over champions Italy last month — where he netted with a thumping finish and played with far greater freedom in a confident side.
      There, Rashford looked like a man happy for some respite from his club’s miserable plight.
      At United, it is unlikely that there is a united front behind Ten Hag, with some players believed to be unhappy at the handling of the ostracised Jadon Sancho, as well as Harry Maguire, who had been largely frozen out until recently.
      Sancho still finds himself ostracised by Manchester UnitedCredit: Alamy
      Long-term injuries to Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Luke Shaw have hindered United, for sure, but Ten Hag’s is a lavishly expensive squad.
      Three of his own  major  signings — Antony, Mason Mount and Sofyan Amrabat — started on the bench in  Copenhagen.
      This is no skeleton staff.
      Too many of Ten Hag’s  players are underperforming, especially in that misfiring  forward line.
      That the Dutchman’s job is probably safe, even if United are dumped out in the group stage, owes much to the uncertainty at boardroom level and an impending regime change.
      Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe is expected to take control of football operations after  purchasing a 25 per cent stake in United.
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      Ratcliffe, like Rashford, is a local lad made good.
      If and when he takes over, he will need his fellow Mancunian to rediscover his mojo. More