The Sun Newspaper

SERGIO ROMERO is back in training at Manchester United and counting down the days to the next transfer window.
The Argentinian keeper did not return to work after his lengthy dispute over being snubbed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for the Europa League semi.

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Sergio Romero is training alone and hopes to leave Man Utd for free in JanuaryCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Romero is now staying fit on his own and hoping United will let him leave without a fee in January to end his misery as their unwanted extra keeper.
The crunch will come over whether Romero gets a pay off when he leaves. 
He is unlikely to pick up similar wages away from Old Trafford. 

Romero was desperate to join Everton over the summer following Dean Henderson’s return from Sheffield United.
But a move failed to go through before deadline day, leading to an angry outburst from his wife on social media.
Romero had also been eyeing a switch to the MLS, with David Beckham’s Inter Miami linked.
But that deal fell through last month due to his £100,000-a-week earnings.

SunSport understands Romero has since begged United to let him go.

And he could even give up his pay off to secure an exit, worth around £1.5million.
But with his contract expiring next summer, Romero can agree a pre-contract with a foreign side from January.
Romero joined United in 2015 on a free transfer from Sampdoria and has gone on to play 61 times.

Man Utd ace David De Gea doesn’t let a single ball get past him in practise More

BRUNO FERNANDES hailed Manchester United’s leaders as they bounced back from European disaster.
United’s character was questioned following Wed­nesday’s shock 2-1 defeat at Istanbul Basaksehir.

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Bruno Fernandes has hailed Man Utd’s leaders for stepping up against EvertonCredit: Reuters
But after scoring twice in the 3-1 win at Everton, Portuguese playmaker   Fernandes said: “We know inside the dressing room what we have to do.
“Everyone needs to be a leader. Some are the ‘mood’ leaders — they don’t talk too much but do the right things.
“Others need to speak a little more to feel more part of the game.

“It was difficult to recover after Basaksehir. This was the moment to do something and we did.”
Just like in Istanbul, United conceded a soft opening goal to Bernard.
But they recovered well, with Fernandes’ double before he teed up Edinson Cavani for a stoppage-time goal to seal victory.
United skipper Harry Maguire said: “I think we know the first goal in Istanbul can’t happen.

“It made it a frustrating night and the individuals held their hands up.

“We are a good group who work really hard and we’re all in this together.
“It’s early in the season but the points we have accumulated isn’t good enough for this club.
“We’ve been questioned and know we don’t answer them in 90 minutes.
“But the lads are working tirelessly for this club — everyone wants to improve and do better.”

Man Utd ace David De Gea doesn’t let a single ball get past him in practise More

OLE and the Beanstalk, a pantomime coming to an empty stadium near you.
The story of a baby-faced manager who was given money which he spent on seeds rather than a ready-made route to the top.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United reign could be at risk should his side suffer more defeats in the PremCredit: PA:Press Association

He would wait and see things grow to get to his pot of gold.
And while his critics might have started shouting ‘Fee Fi Fo Fum, I smell the blood of a Norwegian’, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer mounted a passionate defence of his work.
 He said: “We have planted a seed, the tree is growing.
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“Some clubs just rip up that tree and see if it is still growing and see if it is still getting water underneath.”
So while the spectre of Mauricio Pochettino might have some shouting ‘he’s behind you’, Solskjaer still has the belief in his long-term plan.
That plan was to build a young hungry team that would grow together and make big strides.
While there might be stumbles on the way he is convinced it is still going in the right direction.

Solskjaer said: “The culture and the mentality in the group has improved immensely.

Mauricio Pochettino is rumoured to be in line for the United job should Solskjaer face the chopCredit: Getty Images – Getty
“They do really have the mindset of improving all the time and winning.”
If they did that a bit more often, however, Solskjaer would not have to keep defending them.
Whatever you might think of his managerial credentials while at the wheel, Ole never throws anyone under the bus.
He remains constantly positive.
Yesterday, as his press conference started on Zoom due to Covid-19 restrictions, he began pressing  buttons on the screen and joking about recent technical headaches the club has endured doing these.
His message following that was straight and clear, after 101 games in charge, he remains the man to make Manchester United successful.

He said: “Yeah, why shouldn’t I be? If I don’t trust my belief and values and staff’s quality and players’ quality, who else should?
“I don’t look at one or two results and fall like a house of cards. It’s a setback, definitely.
“But there’s been too much made of not scoring against Arsenal and Chelsea. There’s been nothing in those games and it’s not long ago we were the best thing since sliced bread against Leipzig and PSG.”
Indeed they were, beating those two in the Champions League to banish memories of the 6-1 drubbing by Tottenham before the last international break.
But all the bad memories resurfaced with a 1-0 defeat at home to Arsenal and 2-1 loss away to Istanbul Basaksehir in midweek.

Former Old Trafford boss David Moyes reckons his old job is the most pressurised in club footballCredit: EPA
The fact is  they travel to Goodison Park to face Everton this lunchtime 15th in the league, with the prospect of dropping to 16th if they lose.
David Moyes, who was sacked by United after losing at his former club Everton in 2014, yesterday said: “Manchester United probably has more pressure than any club in the world and it comes with the job.
“We all know exactly what happens if we don’t win enough games.”
As he heads to Merseyside, former Red Devils striker Solskjaer said: “I became a man at Manchester United and have learnt how to deal with good and bad times.
“The pressure of leading and managing United is a pressure that you have to have strong shoulders and a strong head to carry.
“I’ve never really been in too dark a place. When I’m not playing well or when the team is not doing well I don’t get too carried away.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team need to pick up maximum points against Everton Credit: Reuters
“You have to be mentally strong, there are demands on Manchester United players, coach and manager and also an expectation.
“We are at the best and biggest club in the world and you don’t expect anything but criticism.
“It’s how you deal with that setback — and from what I’ve seen from the boys they’ve been very focused.”
They did not really look it on Wednesday when they took a corner and failed to notice Demba Ba upfield on his own waiting for the ball to be cleared.
That led to Basaksehir’s opening goal and scathing assessment from the pundits.
So did Ole tear into his United players for it?

Every time you play for Manchester United, that passion and fight are things you expect to see.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

He said: “You will never get me to tell you what I say behind the scenes!
“But of course I will never ever shirk the fact I’m responsible.
“I’m responsible for decisions, team selections, strategy and plan — and sometimes it doesn’t work out the way you’ve planned.”
The worry in the defeats this season — and there have been three in six Premier League games — is the lack of fight shown.
Solskjaer added: “Every time you play for Manchester United, that  passion and fight are things you expect to see.
“To earn the right to win a game of football you need that.

“And definitely against Everton, with or without fans at Goodison Park, you still have to have that  fight and passion in you — that’s  a given.”
If not, that tree he is growing will start to list and may be heading for the chop.
Still Solskjaer remains ever positive as he looked out on a bright day at Carrington yesterday, commenting: “It’s sunny in Manchester, I don’t expect the wind to turn.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer backs Man Utd players to show fight and passion ahead of Everton clash More

AS SCOTT PARKER heads back to West Ham tonight, it feels like a good time to ask about the lack of leaders in modern football.
Because, a decade ago, the Fulham manager’s leadership qualities were so richly recognised he achieved the extraordinary feat of being voted Footballer of the Year while captaining a Hammers side which finished bottom of the Premier League.

Scott Parker’s memorable half-time speech inspired his former West Ham team-mates to rescue a draw at West Brom Credit: Rex Features

During that doomed campaign, Parker gave a rousing half-time team talk which inspired his side to earn a draw from 3-0 down at West Brom.
Former Hammers striker Carlton Cole said: “It was inspirational. If you were in there, you’d have had a tear in your eye.”
So now Fulham manager Parker is discussing the lost art of leadership. The lost art of communication. The lost art of dishing out a damned good b******ing.

Fulham boss Parker believes the style of team-talks he delivered in his playing days are dying out in the modern gameCredit: Rex Features
Parker, 40, said: “That West Brom game was one of those moments of adversity where you have two options.

“Either you just swallow this, you go out in the second half and you stink, or you stand up and do something about it.
“There is no denying the fact that dressing rooms have got quieter since then.
“Maybe that’s modern life — it’s very technology-based, with people on their phones, and the art of communication and speaking to people is nowhere as much part of life as when we were growing up.
“Those sort of team talks from players don’t happen so much now and I wouldn’t mind one bit if my players did the same as I did.

“I like players to take ownership, to have the licence to really drive things.
“Players are technically better than ten years ago but something you’ve lost is the art of conversation or speaking out, which was more prevalent then than now.
“It is something I encourage. To build top teams you need real openness. To be honest without getting  personal, to express views without being ridiculed.”
Not that there is much glory in relegation — a fate Parker is desperate to avoid after his newly-promoted, much-changed Fulham side ended a six-match winless start to the season in Monday’s 2-0 victory over West Brom.
Parker believes his relegation season with West Ham was the perfect learning experience.
He said: “It was strange circumstances. We were relegated but it was probably the best season of my career individually. That and the year after at Spurs.
“That experience had a big impact on me as a manager.

Scott Parker believes talk of Fulham being relegated is fuelling their motivation on the pitchCredit: Getty Images – Getty
“If you let those bumps sink you, you become a shadow of yourself. I kept a real focus and kept fronting up.
“The hard times are when you grow and learn. When we lost at Brentford (last December) our fans were very vocal regarding myself. Very unhappy. Those are the moments when I grew.”
Fulham defeated rivals Brentford at Wembley in the play-off final in August but had just five weeks to prepare for the Premier League.

Regarding the idea that we’re definitely going to get relegated, that’s a big driver for me and for my players
Scott Parker

And Parker’s men were widely written off after just three games — when a 3-0 home defeat by Aston Villa caused director of football Tony Khan to apologise for the performance on Twitter.
Sky’s Jamie Carragher was particularly brutal, insisting he was “certain” Fulham would go down.
But Parker claims many pundits cannot see beyond the club’s last  promotion in 2018, when they spent £100million and flopped.

The Fulham coach wants his players to be honest in their assessments of their performancesCredit: Getty – Contributor
Parker, appointed at the end of that relegation season, said: “I played with Jamie for England and I understand what he said but I need to stay very level-headed.
If you mention last time Fulham were in the Premier League, people will say, ‘£100million, defence, goals (conceded)’.
“I get that. We spent, we failed and that perception has carried into this season.
“Regarding the idea that we’re definitely going to get relegated, that’s a big driver for me and for my players.

Jamie Carragher is among the pundits who talked of Fulham being destined for the dropCredit: CBS Sports
“It’s Jamie’s job to make these  comments and stand behind them. It’s down to us to use that as fuel. Not to prove him wrong, but for ourselves.
“It was clearly laid out to the team what our season will look like.
I didn’t want them to be shocked or disillusioned if we lose three in a row or don’t win in our first six games.
“I’ve been involved in relegations and often players get bogged down by results. You need to hold that off and not get down.
“We’re going to lose matches but we have to be very brutal with  ourselves and understand where we need to improve.”

Making those decisions (to drop promotion-winners) is tough on a number of levels but it is the challenge of elite sport.
Scott Parker

Parker has certainly been brutal with team selections. For the 3-0 opening-day defeat by Arsenal, he started with 11 of his promotion-winning squad. By the West Brom victory, only three remained.
Parker said: “I don’t have many players with vast experience in the Premier League.
“Things they have got away with at other levels of the game, they can no longer do.
“Making those decisions (to drop promotion-winners) is tough on a number of levels but it is the challenge of elite sport.

Scott Parker says Fulham have a ‘duty to entertain’ their fansCredit: Reuters
“Those players who were pivotal last year but not involved now must accept that challenge.
“Top players are fearful constantly. They think, ‘Who is the next player coming in?’ and they match that. Players who’ve not been in the Premier League before need to work that out.”
Parker has lived with frequent criticism of Fulham’s playing style.
He said: “I hear it constantly: we move it slowly, we’re a possession-based team, we haven’t got a lot of pace.
“But prior to West Brom, we were No 1 in the league for crosses, fifth for shots and sixth for final-third entries this season.
“We’re No 1 crossers and people say we don’t play to (centre-forward  Aleksandar) Mitrovic’s strengths!

“Maybe it’s easy punditry, to see a team play a few passes at the back and get caught out and you lose sight of the whole picture.
“I’m conscious of us having an  identity. I want us to be dynamic, entertaining and attractive. There is a duty to entertain our fans.”
 FULHAM (likely): Areola, Aina, Adarabioyo, Andersen, Robinson, Reed, Anguissa, Decordova-Reid, Cairney, Lookman, Mitrovic.

Scott Parker talks about the challenges of being head coach at Fulham More

EDERSON does not believe Jordan Pickford meant to injure Virgil van Dijk in last month’s Merseyside derby.
And the Manchester City goalkeeper knows better than most that these things can happen in the heat of battle.

Ederson (left) was on the receiving end of wild challenge from Sadio Mane in September 2017Credit: Getty Images – Getty

After all, it was only three years ago that he was on the wrong end of something equally reckless – ironically in a game against Liverpool.
At the Etihad in September 2017, a wild and high challenge from Sadio Mane connected with the  Brazilian’s head.
The Senegalese was given a straight red card and Ederson needed oxygen as he was taken off on a stretcher after eight minutes of treatment on the pitch.

Ederson sympathises with Jordan Pickford who has been criticised for his horror tackle on Virgil van DijkCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Back in the dressing room, he required eight stitches, with one of the wounds perilously close to his eye.

Yet he does not believe there was any intention to injure him on Mane’s part — and views Pickford’s challenge on Van Dijk the same way.
And that is why he feels the  condemnation of the England No 1 since has been unjust.
Ederson, 27, said: “I don’t think any player steps on the pitch with the  willingness to injure an opponent.
“Sometimes you have a fraction of a second to make a decision.

“Unfortunately, Jordan Pickford had that clash with Van Dijk and it ended up resulting in a serious injury. That’s part of football, sometimes it happens. It could happen to any of us.
“I don’t think it was Pickford’s intention to injure Van Dijk, the same way I don’t think it was Mane’s intention to do that when he clashed with me.
“You have such a short time to make a decision.”
That challenge from Mane was just one part of a rivalry between the two most recent champions which has been building for several years.
They meet again at the Etihad tomorrow with City needing the points to keep the Reds in their sights.

Sadio Mane was given a red card for his dangerous challenge on Ederson three years agoCredit: Getty Images – Getty
And Ederson has noticed that despite the outcry over the loss of Van Dijk with a cruciate knee injury, Liverpool have not been blown off course by it — having followed up the 2-2 Goodison draw with five straight wins.
He said: “Their best centre-back, Van Dijk, is out. Fabinho has been playing really well this season and he’s out, too.
“But we mustn’t forget that  Liverpool still have great players.
“Their absences aren’t going to be a big disadvantage for them and a big advantage for us.
“We don’t focus on the players that aren’t going to play, or a specific absence, we focus on Liverpool as a whole team.

Virgil van Dijk is out of action for the rest of the season with a ligament injury following Pickford’s tackleCredit: Reuters
“They are some points ahead of us but we have one game in hand and the direct confrontation on Sunday. I hope we can get a good result.”
City too have struggled with injuries and illness in the early part of the campaign, while a short pre-season has also affected them.
In recent weeks there have been signs they are starting to look more like their old selves, even if goals have been in short supply.
Ederson reckons this final game of a hectic three-week period will be a good test of where City currently are.
He said: “It wasn’t one of those good starts to the season in terms of results we usually have had.
“But I think the team is recovering very well.

Ederson says his Premier League rivalry with Alisson does not extend beyond the pitchCredit: EPA
“It was a difficult start because we had a few players testing positive for Covid-19 and a few injuries.
“Now, they are all returning to the team little by little, so we have seen the team more compact and playing good football lately. We couldn’t have that at the start.
“I think the team has got back to its level, we are focused and on Sunday we have a good chance to prove it.”

Our styles are very similar, perhaps I play more with my feet, but so does he
Ederson on Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson

Tomorrow gives Ederson the chance to go head-to-head with his fellow Brazilian Alisson, who will be in goal for the Reds.
The pair are rivals for the No 1 spot with their national team and have been vying for silverware with their clubs.
But they remain good pals off the pitch, with the City man adding: “I have a good friendship with Alisson. He’s an incredible guy and an incredible keeper.

“Our rivalry is only on the pitch, off the pitch it doesn’t exist as we are good friends. I hope we can both have a good game on Sunday.
“Our styles are very similar,  perhaps I play more with my feet, but so does he.
“Liverpool and us have more or less the same style of play.”

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