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      Man Utd lining up Everton transfer supremo Marcel Brands as director of football with contract up at end of season

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      EVERTON supremo Marcel Brands is a leading candidate to become Manchester United’s first director of football.
      Brands’ stock is high after masterminding a summer of recruitment in which they signed James Rodriguez, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure.

      ⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

      Marcel Brands helped Everton revamp their approach in the transfer marketCredit: Getty – Contributor
      The Dutchman’s deal expires at the end of the season and Italian club Roma are interested.
      But now Brands is being strongly linked with a summer move as part of United’s restructuring.
      And friends believe he would find a formal approach hard to refuse.

      Brands, 58, an ex-player, built his reputation over 20 years in Holland where he had roles at RKC Waalwijk, AZ Alkmaar and PSV Eindhoven.
      He joined Everton in 2018 and revamped the club’s recruitment policy and methods after some hit-and-miss years in the transfer market.
      In what can be a cut-throat and sometimes corrupt area of the game, Brands is highly regarded for his honesty and straightforwardness, as well as his knowledge.

      He looks like the ideal man to help United — if they at last commit to a new structure.

      Old Trafford chiefs have spent time weighing up how to make the club that once signed Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo as teenagers back into world leaders in recruitment again.
      They want to minimise the kind of mistakes that have dogged the club’s transfers since Sir Alex Ferguson and chief executive David Gill left in 2013.

      Marcel Brands (right) helped Carlo Ancelotti seal summer deals for James Rodriguez, Allan and Abdoulaye DoucoureCredit: PA:Press Association

      Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants more new recruits to turn the team into contenders.
      And the word is United are finally ready to take the plunge and appoint a director of football.
      It could be connected to rumours executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, may leave as well.

      Man Utd set to offload four outcasts in January transfer window including Jones and Fosu-Mensah to lower wage bill More

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      Dean Henderson wants loan transfer away from Man Utd in January to boost Euro 2020 dream with Leeds and Brighton keen

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      DEAN HENDERSON is keen to grab a loan move out of Manchester United in a bid to keep his place in England’s squad for the Euro 2020 finals.
      Henderson would jump at the chance of first-team football after picking up his first cap from Gareth Southgate in the international break.

      Leeds and Brighton are interested in a loan move for Dean HendersonCredit: EPA

      The former England under-21 star will need games at Old Trafford to be sure of staying in the frame when the Euros come around next summer.
      Aaron Ramsdale, Sam Johnstone and Alex McCarthy have all been in the international set-up before and are currently playing in the Premier League. 
      Henderson, 23, has yet to start for United at that level and even his cup exposure only extends to a bad night in the Champions League and a few appearances in the Carabao Cup. 
      United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has stuck with David De Gea despite Henderson signing a lucrative new extension to his deal in August.

      Henderson took the money and that closed the door to a return to Sheffield United on loan for a third straight season.
      But he has been left kicking his heels and the impatient shot-stopper is itching for action sooner rather than later.
      United have a major problem looming as Argentine keeper Sergio Romero is looking to move, leaving Henderson as Solskjaer’s only cover.

      Dean Henderson made his England debut against Ireland during the international breakCredit: AFP or licensors

      Championship high-fliers Bournemouth are already exploring a loan move for Henderson but he would prefer Premier League game time.

      Leeds and Brighton may look at a loan deal in January but United will have the final say.
      And that could see awkward conversations between Solskjaer and the Henderson camp over the next few weeks.

      Man Utd set to offload four outcasts in January transfer window including Jones and Fosu-Mensah to lower wage bill More

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      Man Utd lining up Everton transfer supremo Marcel Brands as first director of football with contract up at end of season

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      EVERTON supremo Marcel Brands is a leading candidate to become Manchester United’s first director of football.
      Brands’ stock is high after masterminding a summer of recruitment in which they signed James Rodriguez, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure.

      Marcel Brands helped Everton revamp their approach in the transfer marketCredit: Getty – Contributor

      The Dutchman’s deal expires at the end of the season and Italian club Roma are interested.
      But now Brands is being strongly linked with a summer move as part of United’s restructuring.
      And friends believe he would find a formal approach hard to refuse.
      ⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

      Brands, 58, an ex-player, built his reputation over 20 years in Holland where he had roles at RKC Waalwijk, AZ Alkmaar and PSV Eindhoven.
      He joined Everton in 2018 and revamped the club’s recruitment policy and methods after some hit-and-miss years in the transfer market.
      In what can be a cut-throat and sometimes corrupt area of the game, Brands is highly regarded for his honesty and straightforwardness, as well as his knowledge.

      He looks like the ideal man to help United — if they at last commit to a new structure.

      Old Trafford chiefs have spent time weighing up how to make the club that once signed Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo as teenagers back into world leaders in recruitment again.
      They want to minimise the kind of mistakes that have dogged the club’s transfers since Sir Alex Ferguson and chief executive David Gill left in 2013.

      Marcel Brands (right) helped Carlo Ancelotti seal summer deals for James Rodriguez, Allan and Abdoulaye DoucoureCredit: PA:Press Association

      Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants more new recruits to turn the team into contenders.
      And the word is United are finally ready to take the plunge and appoint a director of football.
      It could be connected to rumours executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, may leave as well.

      Man Utd set to offload four outcasts in January transfer window including Jones and Fosu-Mensah to lower wage bill More

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      Mikel Arteta reveals he has a secret mole close to Marcelo Bielsa as Arsenal boss turns tables on ‘Spygate’ Leeds chief

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      MIKEL ARTETA has the inside track on spymaster Marcelo Bielsa from a secret source.
      Bielsa famously sent a member of his Leeds staff to snoop at Derby’s training ground two seasons ago, much to the displeasure of then Rams chief Frank Lampard.

      Arteta has revealed he has a pal who worked with Bielsa and knows his secretsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      But Arteta is turning the tables on the Leeds boss with his own informer — and it is NOT Bielsa disciple Pep Guardiola.
      The Arsenal head coach said: “One of my best friends spent many, many years with him.
      “Who is it? I prefer not to say, but they worked as a player and then next to him.
      “So I know a lot about his methods, who he is as a person, who he is as a manager as well and I’ve admired him for many, many years.”

      Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino, another good mate of Arteta’s, have made no secret of their appreciation of Bielsa.
      The information the Arsenal chief has gleaned from his friend — and what he has seen Bielsa achieve at Elland Road himself — have had an effect on him.
      Arteta said: “I have followed his work, his ways of playing, the way he is able to change a football club immediately with his mentality and the messages he sends, with his personality and charisma.
      “I’ve been very impressed with what he has done in England since he joined Leeds.

      Argentine legend Marcelo Bielsa has plenty of admirers in the gameCredit: PA:Press Association
      “He has transformed the club. He has transformed the belief of everyone around the club, the fans, that they could come back and be the club they were a few years back.”
      Arteta acknowledged that there is no mystery over how Leeds will play against Arsenal today.
      Bielsa is staying true to the high-pressing, high-energy style of play that earned the club its long-awaited return to the top flight.
      But Leeds were beaten 4-1 in their last two Premier League games by Leicester and Crystal Palace, who ruthlessly exploited the space left by their opponents.
      Arsenal, under Arteta, are set up to be solid at the back and hit teams on the counter-attack, so Leeds look like ideal opponents.
      Arteta said: “We have players that are really good at running in behind and using spaces when they are open. You create the situations with advantages for the player on the ball to generate and exploit those spaces.
      “We have scored a lot of goals as well in very tight spaces, getting out of tight situations and generating overloads in different ways.
      “You can have the space but it’s how we use it and what type of balls you need to exploit that and who is going to receive those balls and make that pass.

      Arteta will be looking to out-tactic maestro Bielsa in Sunday’s encounter at Elland RoadCredit: Getty – Pool
      “It’s not just about knocking the ball from the back-four, it doesn’t make any sense. It’s finding ways to break those pressing moments.”
      Guardiola’s City were unable to win at Elland Road earlier this season, playing out a thrilling 1-1 draw but missing some good chances.
      If Arteta is to do better than his former boss, he will need Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to be at his ruthless best.
      But some Arsenal fans are concerned about the form of their captain, who has scored only two goals in eight Premier League games.
      Statistics show he is struggling to create and score goals after spending much of the campaign out wide rather than through the middle.
      Arteta said: “I’m open to many options, as I’m open to use different formations and to change the team with different names. We have to accommodate our players.
      “Data is very important. It’s also very important how you adjust the offensive and defensive to get that cohesion as a team. These things evolve. There are moments when you need him in one position, moments in another position.”
      Aubameyang signed a big contract extension after scoring in Arsenal’s 3-0 win at Fulham on the opening weekend of the season. But his penalty against Manchester United is his only Prem strike since.

      Arsenal will need Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to be firing on all cylinders against Leeds on SundayCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Arteta added: “We need to help him more. He knows himself as well the things he needs to improve in his game to be more decisive.
      “It will come. I haven’t known any striker in the world that for ten years has never had a period when he’s not scoring as much. It’s how you navigate that period.”
      Perhaps Arteta can ask his pal how Bielsa helped turn Patrick Bamford — with seven goals in eight Prem games this season — into a goal machine.

      Arsenal boss Arteta insists Willian’s international break trip to Dubai has been resolved More

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      Pep Guardiola hits back at ‘Doctor’ Jose Mourinho after Spurs boss’ jibes over Raheem Sterling’s England injury

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      PEP GUARDIOLA and Jose Mourinho spiced up their Saturday night showdown — with a row over Raheem Sterling’s England withdrawal.
      Tottenham boss Mourinho lit the fuse yesterday by claiming Manchester City pressured Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate to let Sterling miss this month’s internationals.

      Man City chief Pep Guardiola has suggested Spurs chief Jose Mourinho was behaving like he thinks he’s a doctor in his comments over Raheem Sterling

      Pep Guardiola will pick Raheem Sterling against Spurs despite the frontman missing England duty,, Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho claimsCredit: Reuters

      City said Sterling had a calf injury but he trained yesterday and Mourinho expects the forward to line up against his Spurs team.
      But Guardiola hit back: “Maybe Mourinho is a doctor, I don’t know.
      “He has to speak to the England national team doctor and the doctor for  Manchester City.”

      Guardiola was then asked about Spurs boss Mourinho’s comments earlier in the year that City players tend to go to ground easily.

      He replied: “Listen, I’m not going to answer anything about Jose.
      “I spoke about the doctor because he accused us of something that is not true.
      “You have to speak to the doctors about these other things, don’t ask me. I’m almost 50.  I’m old enough to understand.”
      Sterling also missed the October internationals with a hamstring issue — then scored the winner against Arsenal in the first game back.

      Mourinho wants Southgate to name and shame the top-flight bosses who have tried to stop their players representing their country.
      He said: “Of course we all know Sterling is going to play for City against us.
      “When Eric Dier left the national team injured in the past month, he didn’t play two matches for Tottenham.

      Pep Guardiola refused to respond to rival manager Jose Mourinho’s comments that Man City players go down too easilyCredit: EPA
      “He didn’t play the Premier League match and the Europa League match.
      “He needed a couple of weeks to recover. And Raheem is going to play.
      “These are the little details that I think Gareth should explain to us all.
      “Gareth, I read, supposedly told that some club managers put pressure on the players not to play for the national team.
      “And because of that he feels sometimes the need to call club managers to cool down the emotions and control a difficult situation for him.
      “I’d like him to say who. I’d like him to say which are the coaches who put pressure on the players not to play.

      A national team match should never be a dead rubber. The only problem for me is it should be the same for everybody, not just for some.
      Jose Mourinho

      “And I would like him to say which are the coaches that he calls and speaks on the phone with them. He has the right, the power to call the players he wants.
      “He wants to win matches, especially after a defeat the next match — even being a dead  rubber — is an important match. I sympathise totally with that.”
      Mourinho was asked if he would be particularly frustrated if Sterling got the winner when he has spent the last two weeks not playing.
      He said: “I think that question is not for me. I think you have to wait until March and ask that question to the person you have to ask.”

      While Sterling was back at City, Tottenham striker Harry Kane played all of England’s 2-0 defeat in Belgium and 76 minutes of the 4-0 win over Iceland.
      Mourinho said: “I’m OK with that. A national team match should never be a dead rubber.
      “The only problem for me is it should be the same for everybody, not just for some.”

      Tottenham vs Man City free live stream, TV Channel and kick off time More

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      Harry Kane is a unique threat in new false nine role and Guardiola must figure out how to stop him

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      IF Manchester City believe simply nullifying Harry Kane will stop Tottenham, they could be left red-faced in north London.
      Right now, trying to predict where and how Kane will play is like predicting the weather – and it is a completely different matter actually trying to execute your plan.

      England skipper Harry Kane is offering Tottenham variety and menace up front, with his goals, assists and the way he brings others into playCredit: Reuters

      Son Heung-Min and on-loan Gareth Bale are benefiting from frontman Harry Kane’s ability to feed Tottenham’s’ raiders out wide Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      Kane is proving to be an all-round centre forward, unlike anyone else in the game right now, with the amount of goals he scores and creates from deep or in the box.
      Eight assists and seven goals in eight games is incredible, and he has recently been producing those sorts of numbers from a false nine position.
      From there he can release the likes of Son Heung-Min and Gareth Bale cutting in off their flanks with devastating accuracy.

      Harry Kane moved level with Michael Owen after scoring against West Brom
      In an ideal world, with City likely to opt for a 4-2-3-1 – like they did against Liverpool with Ilkay Gundogan and Rodri – one of the defensive midfielders will pick him up.

      But with the way Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham side play, they will then be left with a dilemma of marking one No.10 in Kane or another in Giovani Lo Celso.
      And if one of City’s central defenders decides to step up to deal with him, then there will be a gaping hole for the likes of Son and Bale to gallop into.
      A deep-lying Kane with his back to goal with the ball is hardly easy to deal with either, who can turn even the best of players before putting the ball on a pedestal for a teammate.
      But City’s problems do not stop there. It is highly likely they are going to dominate the ball in the middle of the park, and Mourinho will welcome it.

      None of this “parking the bus” nonsense; a label unfairly flung at Mourinho, but instead sitting deep and luring teams into a trap before unleashing their counter attacking weapon.
      With the likes of Kevin de Bruyne and Phil Foden covering ground centrally, Kane also has the ability to drop off and take up a higher position as a focal point.

      Man City chief Pep Guardiola will need to nullify a second-placed Spurs side with many attacking options through their 4-2-2-2 formationCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      So, when the transition does take place, and Toby Alderweireld or Eric Dier are given the chance to launch the ball to their skipper, City will suddenly find themselves scrambling back to stop the likes of Son and Bale linking up from the loose ball.
      Of course, Pep Guardiola’s City are the masters of the tactical foul, and they will most certainly use it to good effect.
      But it may not be enough against a Tottenham team that now have so many threats in what could be described as a 4-2-2-2.
      Within that is the box created by centre backs Alderweireld and Dier and defensive midfielders Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Moussa Sissoko – a solid foundation on which to build.
      Great credit should go to Mourinho for not only making this Tottenham team a more physical and gritty presence, but also one that is more balanced in both defence and attack.
      This will be a real test of their potential title credentials, but they are up against a City side who – for all their critics at the back – have one of the best defensive records in the league.

      But they also have one of the worst scoring records, with even West Ham putting more balls in the net so far this season.
      And with the likes of Sergio Aguero lacking sharpness and doubts over Raheem Sterling’s fitness, their attempts to become more of an attacking threat could see themselves land in Mourinho’s low-block trap.
      And when Tottenham win the ball back, the big question on the minds of the City players will be: Where is Harry Kane?

      Michael Owen says that Harry Kane will not leave Tottenham because of his huge transfer fee and age More

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      Solskjaer needs to admit defeat with Paul Pogba just like Man Utd mentor Fergie did with Veron

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      SIR ALEX FERGUSON had to admit defeat with Juan Sebastian Veron.
      Louis van Gaal had to do the same with Angel Di Maria. Now Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have to concede it is over with Paul Pogba.

      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must finally part ways with Paul Pogba after the midfielder disrespected Man Utd againCredit: PA:Press Association

      Sir Alex Ferguson gave Juan Sebastian Veron numerous chances but cut ties after just two yearsCredit: PA:Press Association

      The club record signing is not working out — and it is time to take a hit. Pogba has been disrespecting Manchester United again during this international break, talking about how much better it is being away with France.
      There are echoes of Veron, who was a British record £28.1million signing from Lazio in 2001.
      Two seasons later he was off to Chelsea for £15m. That did not work either. He just never got used to English football.
      ⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

      That extra second or two the Argentine was afforded on the ball in Serie A was denied him here and he could not cope.
      Every time he went away on international duty, cages would be rattled. Quotes would come back which suggested he was unhappy and wanted a return to Italy.
      Mis-translated claimed United. What? Every time? Who was this translator?
      Only in the slower more patient realms of the Champions League did Veron look more at home. But  flopped on the biggest of nights in the semi-final, second leg in 2002 away to Bayer Leverkusen.

      Despatched into the No 10 role Ryan Giggs had played in so well in the 2-2 first leg, Veron went missing in the second. It finished 1-1 and Ferguson’s dream final against Real Madrid at Hampden Park was gone.

      When the team touched down early the next morning at Manchester airport, Veron looked close to tears in the arrivals hall.
      Ferguson blamed it all on the media, claiming he was criticised just because he was Argentinian.
      The week after that European exit the Scot also stormed out of a highly-charged press  conference shouting ‘he’s a f****** great player . . .  youse are f****** idiots’.
      At the end of the following season during a US tour, Veron finally departed.
      That was just days after the club press officer had informed us that the manager was not speaking to us because we kept writing Veron was going to be sold.
      Di Maria looked like he would bring the wow factor back to United they had been missing since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure.

      Man Utd’s biggest transfers ever, both in and out, including Ronaldo
      Signed in August 2014 for a club-record £59.7m he was United’s player of the month in September and regarded as one of the worst buys in the club history by the following May.
      Not because he was Argentinian but for his flaky displays not helped by the restraints LVG put on his attacking instincts.
      So after one season he was off to Paris Saint-Germain for £44m.
      Good value claimed the club based on the fact that he had signed a five-year deal and they had him for a year — like a mortgage then, got it.
      Now we come to  Pogba. Nobody is picking on him or singling him out. It is just when a club plays a then world-record £89m for you and that club is United the spotlight is brighter.
      Like Veron he came from Serie A and wants more time and does not get it.  Unlike Veron he has had four-and-a-bit seasons to adjust and find his place in a United team and failed to do so.
      Pogba  would be cut more slack if his public pronouncements were not so insulting to United.

      His claim in the summer of 2019 that he wanted a new challenge was effectively a transfer request.
      But nobody would stump up the £180m United wanted for a player who had become a world champion in their charge. Now nobody will get close to offering what United paid, nearly everyone is skint.
      So instead Pogba sounds like he just wants to play for France, who do not have to come up with a transfer fee. As he said last week while with Les Bleus: “It’s like a window that opens up. It’s a breath of fresh air when you come here.”
      Sounds like an advert for Febreze. He went on: “We have a truly fantastic squad. When we come here, we’re all happy.
      “We really enjoy ourselves on the pitch. That doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy ourselves at club level but it’s not the same here. We’re a real family and we have so much fun when we come here.” Bless.
      The reaction from United fans on social media to his new-found utopia was sadly not of a similar vein. Like those record-breaking buys before him he has become a problem, an unwanted side-show.
      They just need to take another hit, any takers?

      Man Utd star Bruno Fernandes give in-depth secrets behind his unusually unique but successful penalty style More

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      Ryan Giggs rebailed until February 1 ‘pending further enquiries’ leaving Wales with managerial dilemma before Euros

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      RYAN GIGGS has been rebailed ‘pending further enquiries’ until February 1 to leave Wales with a managerial dilemma.
      The Dragons boss missed this month’s trio of internationals following his arrest on November 1 on suspicion of actual bodily harm and assault after an alleged bust-up with his on-off girlfriend.

      Manchester United legend Giggs leaves Wales with a managerial dilemmaCredit: PA:Press Association

      Giggs denies the allegations.
      He was initially bailed for 28 days from his release from custody on November 2.
      But now Giggs’ bosses at the Football Association of Wales could have a decision to make after Greater Manchester Police announced the 46-year-old’s bail has been extended into next year.
      Wales are scheduled to start their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign in March with the draw for the Qatar finals made remotely on December 7.

      Giggs’ side are also due to take part in the summer Euro 2020 finals – delayed by 12 months due to the pandemic – where they will face Switzerland, Turkey and Italy.
      A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “A 46-year-old man has been rebailed until 01/02/21 pending further enquiries.”
      The FAW declined to comment last night but they are now in a state of limbo following the extension.
      Giggs, whose future has been under scrutiny since the arrest, is now expected to hold talks with FAW chief executive Jonathan Ford.

      The FAW are also due to conduct their own investigation into the matter.

      Manchester United legend Giggs was placed on what the FAW described as ‘special leave’ for the November fixtures.
      In his absence, assistant manager Robert Page stepped in as caretaker boss for the friendly draw with USA and two Nations League qualifying victories against Ireland and Finland.
      Page led the Dragons impressively and recorded back-to-back home wins saw Wales clinched promotion to League A of the 2022 Nations League.

      Ryan Giggs’s ex spotted with bruised lip in first outing since his assault arrest More