Manchester United are all set to start yet another new era with a deal for Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim inching closer following Erik ten Hag’s sacking on Monday.
INEOS had dilly-dallied for a long time over the decision but Sunday’s disappointing defeat to West Ham proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back and the new co-owners were left with no choice but to end the Dutchman’s tenure with the club languishing in 14th place in the Premier League.
While two trophies were won during the former Ajax coach’s tenure, the two-and-a-half years were characterised by player tussles, puzzling selection calls and thelack of a clear identity.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s new-look team had spent big in the summer to help Ten Hag but his reluctance to use Manuel Ugarte in midfield alongside Kobbie Mainoo did not impress the hierarchy.
ETH out, Amorim in
With Amorim expected to take charge, young players are expected to earn more minutes while plenty of underperforming stars will be playing to save their United careers.
One among them is Antony with the big-money signing failing his former mentor since his arrival at Old Trafford. The Brazilian is currently injured.
As per Talksport, United have decided to cut loose the former Ajax winger as early as January with Ajax, Flamengo among the teams interested.
United are expected to take a huge hit on their initial £86 million outlay with Ten Hag’s favouritism regarding the Brazil international causing issues within the dressing room, something INEOS are keen to fix.
“talkSPORT understands Antony has already been told he can leave Old Trafford when the transfer window reopens in January after failing to justify becoming the second-most expensive player in United’s history.
“This notebook can also reveal Ten Hag’s loyalty to the under-performing 24-year-old over their players was a bone of contention inside the United dressing room.”
Antony out, Chelsea keen
Interestingly, Spanish outlet Fichajes have claimed that Chelsea, who took Jadon Sancho on loan in the summer, could be ready to rid United of another of their problem stars.
The Blues feel Antony can add dynamism to their final third with Mykhailo Mudryk among the players who look to be on their way out of the club.
“Chelsea, managed by Enzo Maresca, have set their sights on a Manchester United reject, Antony, with the Brazilian winger of the Red Devils reportedly on the way out.
“At Stamford Bridge, the directors see Antony as a signing who could give them greater dynamism in the final third of the pitch, one of the areas in which the team has shown deficiencies.”
The 24-year-old’s current market value stands at €20 million as per Transfermarkt with his United deal valid until 2027.
Vinicius controversially finished second in Ballon d’Or running
Award won by Man City & Spain star Rodri
Pau Cubarsi not surprised by decision
Many had expected Real Madrid star Vinicius to pick up the prize earlier this week before news broke confirming he had not won, at which point everyone associated with the Spanish side decided to boycott the ceremony.
While many Madrid stars took to social media in support of Vinicius, Barcelona’s Cubarsi confessed he felt Rodri was a deserving winner.
“I was not surprised that Vinicius did not win, he was very even with Rodri,” Cubarsi told RAC1.
Cubarsi also voiced his disappointment towards Madrid’s decision not to attend the ceremony, insisting those nominated for awards should be present.
Cubarsi was nominated for the Kopa Trophy /GettyImages
“Being among the top 10 or top 20 of the Ballon d’Or is already a good prize and it is important for a footballer to be there,” Cubarsi continued. “Dani Olmo and I were there and we didn’t win.”
La Liga president Javier Tebas accused Madrid of acting childish in the face of defeat and condemned the La Liga giants’ decision not to turn up.
“I believe Real Madrid has lacked the gentlemanly conduct that has always been one of its hallmarks, which is also part of their anthem, to shake hands when they lose,” he explained. “A lack of gentlemanly conduct that has been missing for some time. I wasn’t surprised. It was a childish attitude, an exaltation, call it what you want.
“We already saw it in the attitude of Real Madrid TV with the videos. We see a supremacist behavior that everything has to revolve around them.”
Man United and Chelsea face each other this Sunday at Old Trafford, and it id widely expected that the clash will be cinema of the highest order. Let’s look at Chelsea, and specifically at manager Enzo Maresca, who so far has done a remarkable job on and off the pitch.
Fans of the game judge success by what they see on the field, but what happens in those 90 minutes is a result of the work on the training ground. The top managers implement scenarios in training that translate to success in the games. It doesn’t always go as planned, but more frequently than not, a victory or solid performance draws from the lessons applied in good training. As the legendary, Hall of Fame NFL coach Vince Lombardi once said, “practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.”
Look at the top four managers in the Premier League right now: Pep Guardiola, Arne Slot, Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery. All of them are obsessed with preparation and detail, and it’s their all-consuming hunt for perfection that separates them from everyone else. Maresca is cut from the same cloth. He is a hungry student of the game.
We know him most recently as a former assistant to Guardiola at Man City who then led Leicester City to a Championship title and promotion last season, but his managerial training began way before that. He was a former multipurpose, traveled midfielder once coached by Carlo Ancelotti, Marcello Lippi and Manuel Pellegrini, who told him he could one day become a great coach.
He wrote a thesis comparing football to chess, as he was enamored with positional play and strategy. And that’s how his philosophy has quickly succeeded at Chelsea, the club with a million chess pieces. In his first season, he is giving structure and strategy to a squad that’s been dysfunctional recently. He has several players who are not just delivering but becoming stars, and one of them in particular — Cole Palmer — is in my opinion the best player in the league. Palmer is their most prized player.
Maresca’s tactics prioritize complete ball domination, but not just for the sake of possession. He wants wave after wave of attacking transition to overwhelm the opponents. There might be some risk as the team can be left exposed, but just like with a Queen’s Gambit in chess (where one side sacrifices a pawn to gain control of the center of the board), the risk can result in reward.
Given the midweek loss to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup, it’s also worth remembering that Chelsea has a young and bloated squad while Maresca continues to rotate players amid a hectic schedule. Overall, though, especially with his current run in the Premier League, the Italian is managing a great season and the risks are paying off.
Manchester United have officially confirmed Ruben Amorim as Erik ten Hag’s successor
Amorim has faced off against three Premier League clubs in career
Former club Sporting beat both Arsenal and Tottenham in same seaso
Ruben Amorim has been officially confirmed as Erik ten Hag’s successor in Manchester, but the Sporting CP boss will not assume the role until the November international break.
Amorim’s Premier League ascent arrives following some excellent work in the Portuguese capital which saw him inherit a situation of considerable dysfunction and quickly evolve Sporting into the best team in the land. He’s highly regarded and already well-decorated, but he’s been handed a poisoned chalice at Old Trafford which has seen some of the sport’s brightest minds succumb.
Excluding a forgettable loan spell in Qatar at the end of his playing days, 39-year-old Amorim has spent the entirety of his football career in Portugal. However, thanks to Sporting’s continental ventures under his reign, the Premier League is a division he’s previously come into contact with.
Amorim faced three Premier League clubs during his time with Sporting, here’s a rundown of his record against each ahead of his arrival on English shores.
Ruben Amorim’s record vs Man City
Amorim did not enjoy of his duels with Pep Guardiola /GettyImages
Sporting were Primeira Liga holders entering the 2021/22 campaign and gunning for an improvement in the Champions League having last progressed into the knockout stages of the competition in 2009.
Amorim’s side advanced from a hotly-contested Group B in second place at Borussia Dortmund’s expense, but were dealt the short straw in the round of 16 as they were paired against a Manchester City side still hunting their first Champions League crown.
City beat Paris Saint-Germain and all their superstars to the top spot in Group A before ending their last 16 duel with Sporting 58 minutes into the two-legged affair. The Cityzens completely overwhelmed Amorim’s side in Lisbon, with goals from Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling, and a Bernardo Silva brace thrusting City into a 5-0 lead before the hour mark.
Sterling’s strike proved to be the last of the tie as the two sides played out a pretty dull 0-0 stalemate in Manchester three weeks later.
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
+/-
2
0
1
1
0:5
Ruben Amorim’s record vs Tottenham
Amorim has already visited Tottenham’s swanky new stadium /GettyImages
2022/23 was undoubtedly the most disappointing season of Amorim’s Sporting tenure. His side fell to fourth in the Primeira Liga amid a trophy-less campaign.
However, they did have some success in Europe. Sporting were placed into an even-looking Group D alongside Marseille, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Antonio Conte’s Tottenham. Their group stage started with a 3-0 win over Frankfurt in which they dominated the Bundesliga team in transition before they faced Spurs on Matchday 2.
A tactical affair between a pair of coaches who rely on build-up patterns and stringent work without the ball meant few chances arrived at either end before Sporting nicked it at the death thanks to a flicked Paulinho header from a corner. Arthur Gomes put more gloss on the Portuguese side’s triumph with a fine solo effort in stoppage time.
Sporting’s campaign peaked after two games, though, and both sides were in need of points when they met on Matchday 5 in north London. In the end, the spoils were shared after a controversial finale which saw VAR rule out Harry Kane’s likely winner for offside. Rodrigo Bentancur had headed home a second-half equaliser after former Spurs star Marcus Edwards had given Sporting the lead with a pinpoint effort from distance.
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
+/-
2
1
1
0
3:1
Ruben Amorim’s record vs Arsenal
Amorim’s Sporting knocked Arsenal out of 2022/23 Europa League /GettyImages
A defeat to Frankfurt in their final group game saw Sporting, thanks to Spurs’ 2-1 win over Marseille, finish third in Group D and drop into the Europa League knockout round play-offs.
Danish side Midtjylland were cast aside after an emphatic 4-0 second leg win away from home which set up a meeting with an up-and-coming Arsenal side that were then atop the 2022/23 Premier League table.
Due to their success in the league, the Gunners’ priorities lay elsewhere when they faced off with Amorim’s side, but this was a belting two-legged affair nonetheless. A back-and-forth first leg in Lisbon ended two apiece before Pedro Goncalves cancelled out Granit Xhaka’s early opener in the return leg with an outrageous effort from the halfway line.
Manuel Ugarte was particularly brilliant in midfield for Sporting as the game went to penalties, and the Portuguese side were perfect from the spot. Gabriel Martinelli’s miss allowed Nuno Santos to score the winning spot-kick for the visitors, who were then beaten by Juventus in the last eight.
Jadon Sancho made a shock loan move to Chelsea in the summer window after a miserable spell at Manchester United.
Manchester United signed Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund for over £70 million in the summer of 2021. It was a long-awaited transfer which excited the majority of United fans.
But things just didn’t work out the way people expected. Sancho couldn’t settle into the team under Ole Gunnar Solskjær before his dismissal and had a fractured relationship with Erik ten Hag.
The winger accused Ten Hag of making him a scapegoat after he explained that Sancho’s training performances were the reason why he was left out of a matchday squad at the start of the 2023/24 campaign.
Sancho was then exiled from the first-team squad, forced to play in the Academy until he apologised. That did not happen.
He was re-introduced into the first-team setup for the 2024 pre-season after he appeared to work things out with Ten Hag, but a summer move looked nailed on.
Despite the initial interest coming from abroad, it was a last-minute move from Chelsea which ended up being Sancho’s destination. He is on an initial loan at Stamford Bridge with the London-based club having an obligation to buy the player.
Sancho started the season well for Chelsea, assisting three goals in his first three games, but has since missed three consecutive games for the Blues. The latest was down to illness, while the prior two were ‘tactical’, according to Enzo Maresca.
Now, ahead of the game between United and Chelsea this weekend, some are unsure on whether Sancho will be eligible to play.
Can Jadon Sancho play vs Man United?
Photo: Getty
According to Premier League regulations, Sancho will not be eligible to play against United in either of the league fixtures this season, despite the obligation-to-buy clause in his loan contract.
United face Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday 3 November, while they travel to Stamford Bridge later in the season, currently scheduled for 18 May 2025.
However, rules state that the winger may be able to face United in domestic competition. Since he has only played in the Community Shield for the Reds this season, he is not cup tied for the other domestic cups.
Chelsea were knocked out in the Carabao Cup fourth-round against Newcastle, so the only remaining competition where he may be able to face his parent club is in the FA Cup.
United and Chelsea are also in separate European tournaments, with the new UEFA format stopping clubs from dropping down competitions. Maresca’s side are in the Conference League while the Reds are competing in the Europa League.
AC Milan are back in Serie A action on Saturday night as they make the short trip to face Monza, looking to right the wrongs from earlier in the week.
The defeat against Napoli on Tuesday night has once again thrust Milan into a state of crisis, at least in the eyes of the media. They have now lost five of their 12 games under Paulo Fonseca across all competitions, and are 11 points behind the leaders in the league.
Paulo Fonseca did not do a pre-match press conference for reasons that remain unknown, but even without being asked any difficult questions he must know the pressure he is under to deliver results quickly.
AC Milan Team News
There was reportedly a meeting between Fonseca and his superiors after the defeat against Napoli. As Calciomercato.com reported, what emerged is that the coach will be evaluated at the next international break, so may potentially have a few games to save his job.
In terms of injury news, there are some long-term absentees that are still not available for selection in Alessandro Florenzi, Ismael Bennacer and Marco Sportiello, each of whom are still recovering from surgery.
Matteo Gabbia, on the other hand, is still on the sidelines with a calf problem. It was expected that he would miss the Monza game, and now all attention is on whether he can return against Real Madrid or if he might be done until the next international break.
Now we move on to the good news. First of all, Luka Jovic and Davide Calabria did the full training session with the rest of the squad which means they will almost certainly be available at the weekend.
In addition to that, Tammy Abraham ‘s recovery continues after the shoulder problem (presumably a dislocation) he suffered in the 1-0 victory against Udinese. The Englishman is also getting closer to returning to the field, but will not be available for this game.
Most importantly, Theo Hernandez and Tijjani Reijnders have served their suspensions and will be available again, while Christian Pulisic has fully recovered from the flu that made him sit on the bench from minute on of the Napoli loss.
Looking to the squad, there are no surprises in the fact that Mike Maignan will start from the first minute. However, a surprise arrives in the form of Filippo Terracciano at right-back, instead of Calabria or Emerson Royal. Malick Thiaw should keep his position in central defence, and the returning duo of Fikayo Tomori and Theo Hernandez make up the defensive line.
In midfield, Fonseca reverts to a more familiar partnership, which sees Youssouf Fofana being partnered by the returning Reijnders, which is the favoured midfield duo for the Portuguese head coach.
Photo by Getty Images
The front line also sees some change, as Samuel Chukwueze and Noah Okafor will flank the returning Pulisic. Rafael Leao had been heavily reported to be returning to the starting line-up but, there appears to have been a U-turn. There are no shocks provided by Alvaro Morata’s starting spot, though.
Monza Team News
It would be fair to say that Monza built on their first campaign in Serie A last season as they finished 12th, thus comfortably avoiding relegation and asserting themselves as a mid-table side after coming 11th in 2022-23.
However, the Biancorossi were caught up in the coaching merry-go-round that occurred over the summer. Thiago Motta left Bologna for Juventus, Vincenzo Italiano replaced him, and then Raffaele Palladino left Monza for La Viola.
Adriano Galliani turned to someone he knows very well from his days with Milan in Alessandro Nesta, who thus got his first Serie A coaching gig after spells with Perugia, Frosinone and Reggiana.
Monza spent just €3m in the summer, and that was on Georgios Kyriakopoulos from relegated Sassuolo. The other additions were Daniel Maldini, Stefano Sensi and Omari Fosun on frees, plus Stefano Turati, Alessandro Bianco and Samuel Pizzignacco on loans.
In terms of sales, it was also a quiet window. Carlos Augusto’s loan to Inter was made permanent for €13.25m, while Juventus signed goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio for a €4.5m loan fee and Andrea Colpani went to Fiorentina for a €4m loan fee. Both deals are expected to become permanent.
The rather underwhelming mercato seems to have seeped into their start to the season. It took the Brianzoli until matchday eight to win their first game (3-0 away at Verona), and it is their only victory to date.
Draws against Fiorentina and Inter in the first four games boosted spirits, however, they have lost to Genoa, Bologna, Napoli and Atalanta, leaving them hovering above the relegation zone and with talk of Nesta being on shaky ground.
After the loss to La Dea, Nesta is considering wholesale changes of his own and these will start in defence with Armando Izzo and Andrea Carboni set to replace Danilo D’Amborsio and Luca Caldirola – Pablo Mari will remain at the heart of the defence.
In midfield, there is only one change expected which will see Warren Bando return after serving his suspension in midweek, and he will partner the captain Matteo Pessina. On the wings, Pedro Pereira and Georgios Kyriakopoulos will be named once again.
Photo: Getty Images
Nesta is considering changing his front three as well, with Dany Mota set to be partnered by the returning Daniel Maldini after the former Rossonero addressed his condition during in his press conference. Milan Duric will start ahead of them.
Match Prediction
When Fonseca has been under the height of pressure and Milan have needed a result with their backs against the wall they have so far delivered, and we expect that trend to continue against a team also struggling for confidence. This will lure us into a false sense of hope, naturally, before a heavy defeat in Madrid.
Arsenal travel to Newcastle in Saturday’s early kick-off
Gunners controversially beaten at St. James’ Park last season
Newcastle have endured poor start to 2024/25 Premier League campaign
A tough away trip is next on Arsenal’s radar as they take on Newcastle in the first outing of the Premier League weekend on Saturday lunchtime.
The Gunners enjoyed a serene night on Wednesday as they eased past Preston in the Carabao Cup fourth round, while Newcastle downed Chelsea 2-0 having lost to the Blues in the league on Sunday.
Eddie Howe’s side controversially beat Mikel Arteta’s men in this fixture last season by virtue of an Anthony Gordon strike, but Arsenal were dominant in the previous meeting, winning 4-1 in north London. Arsenal enter Saturday’s game third in the division and five points adrift of leaders Manchester City, but they’re much better off than their upcoming opponents.
Their midweek win was a rare bright spot in what’s been a tough campaign for Newcastle thus far. The Magpies currently sit 12th in the Premier League having picked up just 12 points from their opening nine games. They will always be a tough out at St. James’ Park, however, and have already taken points off Man City and Tottenham on home soil.
Arsenal were controversially beaten at St. James’ Park last season/GettyImages
Newcastle team news
Newcastle’s defensive issues this season can be put down to their current absences, with Howe having to deal with the long-term injuries sustained by Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles. Kieran Trippier is also a doubt for Saturday’s game.
Anthony Gordon had been dealing with a muscle injury but was in the starting XI on Wednesday and should be okay for Arsenal’s visit.
Callum Wilson remains sidelined with a back injury, but Alexander Isak is fit and firing.
Photo: Getty
Arsenal team news
Jurrien Timber was fit to play 45 minutes on Wednesday and should keep his place in the team on Sunday. However, Ben White’s likely return and Riccardo Calafiori’s injury absence means the Dutchman will likely start at left-back.
Arteta can also call upon William Saliba after the Frenchman served his one-game Premier League suspension in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool.
Gabriel’s knee injury shouldn’t see him miss Saturday’s game, and there’s even an outside chance Martin Odegaard makes the matchday squad after six weeks out. Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney are sidelined.
Photo:Getty
Newcastle vs Arsenal score prediction
Trips to St. James’ are always tough, but I think Arsenal will benefit from this game being an early kick-off. While the atmosphere is still bound to be fervent, St. James’ under the lights is a different beast.
Arsenal are facing up against a physical Newcastle team that will aim to disrupt and bullt their visitors through their work without the ball – as they did against Chelsea on Wednesday. However, Newcastle’s pressing success in midweek was rare, with the Magpies struggling to offer much resistance out of possession at the start of 2024/25. There are holes within their structure which Arsenal should exploit, and the return of a strong back four will help the Gunners tame any momentum the hosts build during the match.
Newcastle will have their moments and spells, but Arsenal will edge a physical encounter.
Even if Erling Haaland is expected to miss out on the Ballon d’Or next week, his campaign to win the bauble in 2025 is well underway.
Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior is the favourite to take soccer’s most prestigious individual prize on Monday in Paris, but Haaland has been in near-unstoppable form this season in England.
The Norwegian goal machine scored for the 14th time in 13 games for Manchester City to send the Premier League champions to the top of the standings after beating Southampton 1-0 on Saturday.
He needed just five minutes to score the decisive goal at Etihad Stadium, following on from his double against Sparta Prague in the Champions League on Wednesday, which included a spectacular mid-air, heeled volley.
His close-range effort against Southampton was more routine, but it was enough to send City two points clear of second-placed Liverpool, who play Arsenal on Sunday.
City manager Pep Guardiola described Haaland as a “guarantee for us” after the forward sealed three points against a Southampton team yet to win in the league since promotion last season.
Getty Images.
Haaland, the EPL’s top scorer for the past two seasons, leads the way again with 11 goals. Bryan Mbeumo is second with eight for Brentford, while Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood has seven.
On a day of late drama in the Premier League, third-placed Aston Villa dropped home points after Evanilson scored in the sixth minute of added time to earn Bournemouth a 1-1 draw.
Villa were moments away from moving within a point of Liverpool after Ross Barkley’s goal in the 76th looked like being enough before Brazilian Evanilson’s last-ditch equaliser.
“At the last moment we didn’t control the match,” Villa manager Unai Emery said. “It’s painful but we have to accept it.”
Brentford have been known for their fast starts this season after becoming the first Premier League team to score in the opening minute in three consecutive games.
Against Ipswich, though, Thomas Frank’s team had to rely on a last-gasp goal from Mbeumo to seal a comeback 4-3 win.
His second goal of the match came in the sixth minute of added time and settled a thriller, in which Brentford went 2-0 down early and blew a 3-2 lead.
“Let’s put it this way, when we play, it is exciting,” Frank said.
Wolves also staged a dramatic fightback by scoring in the 88th minute and then in stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 draw at Brighton.
After experiencing the agony of going down to John Stones’ late winner for Man City last week, Wolves responded impressively.
Gary O’Neil’s team went behind to goals from Danny Welbeck in the 45th and Evan Ferguson in the 85th, but staged an improbable comeback through Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Cunha.
Wolves are second from bottom on two points, one ahead of last-placed Southampton.
Continuing the late goals theme in the day’s late match, substitute Beto’s stoppage-time header earned Everton a point as they drew 1-1 with Fulham at Goodison Park.
The striker nodded home in the fourth minute of added time to cancel out former Everton winger Alex Iwobi’s 61st-minute strike and extend the hosts’ unbeaten run to five matches.
Erik ten Hag faced plenty of criticism over his signings and recruitment before Manchester United sacked him as manager on Monday.
Antony and Casemiro are often mentioned as two of Ten Hag’s worst buys, with one pundit claiming the former would struggle in the second-tier Championship.
The Red Devils have finally decided to get rid of Ten Hag, though, with Sunday’s defeat to West Ham the final straw after a horrific start to the 2024-25 season.
As United begin the search for a new permanent boss, let’s take a look at Ten Hag’s worst signings across his two-year spell and how much money he spent…
Antony is considered as one of Erik ten Hag’s worst signings (Picture: Getty)
How much money did Erik ten Hag spend in total as Man Utd manager?
Manchester United have spent a total of £617,000,000 on 21 players across five transfer windows since Ten Hag took charge ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.
They are the second biggest spenders in the Premier League across that period, with only Chelsea (£1,300,000,000) having splashed out more.
Erik ten Hag signed Casemiro from Real Madrid for £70m (Picture: PA)
Who were Erik ten Hag’s worst signings as Manchester United manager?
Antony is considered by many to be among the very worst players United signed under Ten Hag.
Ten Hag worked with Antony at former club Ajax and paid the Dutch club £85m to bring the Brazilian winger to Old Trafford in 2022.
He hasn’t come close to justifying that transfer fee, though, producing just 12 goals and five assists across 87 games to date.
Every player Man Utd signed under Erik ten Hag
Antony – £85m
Rasmus Hojlund – £72m
Casemiro – £70m
Mason Mount – £60m
Lisandro Martinez – £57m
Leny Yoro – £52m
Manuel Ugarte – £50.8m
Andre Onana – £47.2m
Matthijs de Ligt – £43m
Joshua Zirkzee – £36m
Noussair Mazraoui – £17m
Tyrell Malacia – £14.6m
Altay Bayindir – £4.3m
Christian Eriksen – Free
Jonny Evans – Free
Sofyan Amrabat – Loan (£8.5m)
Sergio Reguilon – Loan (no fee)
Marcel Sabitzer – Loan (undisclosed or no fee)
Wout Weghorst – Loan (£2.5m compensation to cancel Besiktas loan, £2.6m fee to Burnley)
Martin Dubravka – Loan (£2m)
Jack Butland – Loan (undisclosed or no fee)
Casemiro is also widely thought to be one of Ten Hag’s worst signings with the club paying out a eyebrow-raising £70m to recruit him from Real Madrid.
United’s decision to make Casemiro the fourth-most expensive midfielder of all time at the time of his move – and one of the highest-paid players in the Premier League – was questionable, given that Casemiro was already 30 years of age.
Pundit Jamie Carragher said in May that Casemiro was no longer good enough for the Premier League and should move to Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States or the Saudi Pro League.
Mason Mount arrived at Old Trafford under Ten Hag’s management too and he is another player who has failed to justify his hefty transfer fee thus far.
Mount, who has struggled with various injury problems, has only managed 25 appearances since he joined the club in July 2023 in a deal worth £60m.
Even when he is fit, the England international hasn’t looked at his best and has struggled to get into the United XI ahead of captain Bruno Fernandes.
The biggest game of the young season sees Thiago Motta’s side trying to turn the tide after a couple of disappointing performances.
Photo: Getty Images
We knew that Juventus’ post-October international break slate of games was not going to be very simple. That’s not just because it’s a whole lot of fixtures within a 22-day period that doesn’t allow for much rest at all for a squad that is already shorthanded due to injuries. But when you’ve got a tough Champions League fixture — one that, as we now know, did not go very well at all — sandwiched in between two very important league matchups, the second of which being the biggest of them all.
Through the first two of those games, there hasn’t been a whole lot to write home about for Thiago Motta’s squad. Well, technically there has, but it’s not like it’s been all that positive.
So, as the Serie A schedule proves to be the gift that keeps on giving, here comes Juventus’ most-hated rival on the fixture list. And one that, with Motta now in charge in Turin, adds another layer onto a rivalry that is like a never-ending Russian nesting doll of storylines.
Sure, the 42-year-old Motta has managed against Inter Milan before, but he’s never managed this game against the club he won the Champions League with during his playing days as the head man at Juventus. Sunday night at the San Siro will be Motta’s first Derby d’Italia on the Juventus side of the equation, with quite some heated moments from his playing days in Milan will certainly come to the forefront of a lot of the talk surrounding these two teams that enter the weekend as the top two teams trailing league-leading Napoli. (Who just so happens to have his own recent past with Juventus and Inter, so there’s also that to consider, I guess.)
But this will be a night in which storylines are plentiful going into the defending champions (barf) hosting their biggest rival — the simple fact that it’s Juve vs. Inter, Motta’s first time at the San Siro as Juve manager, the first Thuram Derby between Khephren and Marcus in Serie A. And the biggest one, at least from Juventus’ point of view, could very well be how the Bianconeri can snap out of their funk ever since their wild comeback win over RB Leipzig 3 1⁄2 weeks ago.
Ever since that win in Leipzig on Oct. 2, Juve have drawn against Cagliari, barely beaten 10-man Lazio and then looked not very good in suffering their first loss of the season — on their home field, no less — when Stuttgart finally found a breakthrough in second-half stoppage time this past Tuesday night. Things have not been great, and now Juve has to go into a 76,000-seat cauldron that will be more than just a little fired up to try help in extending their hated rival’s recent struggles.
Both Juve and Inter are dealing with their own injury situations. You can probably say that Juve’s injury situation is worse knowing that they’re without their best defender, their top summer signing as well as one of their best options out wide amongst others. Inter will also be without a couple of important pieces, most notably midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu, who left Inter’s win over Roma with an injury and has yet to recover.
Those injury issues for Juventus aren’t new outside of the absence of Douglas Luiz. They’ve been present during these first two games out of the international break. And in those two games, it’s not like Juve has looked all that great whether playing against 11 men or 10. So now, against an Inter team that hasn’t been as good defensively as they were a season ago but are still a quality defensive side, Juve will have to try and do so with an attack that is still trying to click on on a much more consistent basis.
At least Juve’s been strong defensively, right?
That Juve defense, too, will be tested considering the form that Marcus Thuram is in and the fact that Lautaro Martinez is always a huge threat to score even if he hasn’t started this season all that well as compared to 12 months ago.
We’ve seen a lot of big tests for this Juventus side during Motta’s first 2 1⁄2 months in charge. While Napoli are currently top of the table, this very much could be the biggest of those tests considering who it is and where it’s being played. Motta, unsurprisingly, isn’t backing down despite the players who aren’t making the trip to Milan, saying that Juve “will have to be good at implementing our style of play in the game” against Inter Sunday night.
To do that will be a big ask, but a win can go a long way in hopefully turning the tide after some very obvious October struggles.
TEAM NEWS
Motta said at his pre-match press conference that the injury list for the trip to the San Siro is the same as what there was against Stuttgart midweek. That means Juve will be without: Gleison Bremer, Teun Koopmeiners, Nico Gonzalez, Arek Milik and Douglas Luiz, who pulled out of pre-game warmups on Tuesday due to a muscle injury.
Also not part of the matchday squad: Juve third-choice goalkeeper Carlo Pinsoglio, who welcomed baby boy Isac into the world on Saturday. He is, however, set to meet up with the squad in Milan on Sunday.
With Juventus only calling up four midfielders for the trip to Milan, Nicolo Fagioli is being tipped to start in the No. 10 spot behind Dusan Vlahovic if Motta rolls with a 4-2-3-1.
Although, when asked about Kenan Yildiz potentially playing in the hole rather than out wide where he’s been much of the season, Motta quipped ““He could play there, why not?”
Regarding how he’s approaching things after Juve suffered their first defeat of the season on Tuesday, Motta said “Stuttgart is in the past, and we go to play against Inter.”
The key for Motta against Inter? “We must face Inter with courage and determination,” he said.
Even though Michele Di Gregorio is expected to come back into the starting lineup after being suspended midweek, Motta said that Mattia Perin “could play” after his standout performance against Stuttgart.
We don’t usually mention who the referee is in previews around here, but it deserves mention this time around. Marco Guida will be in charge of the proceedings. That’s the same Marco Guida who officiated Lille’s 3-1 win over Atlético Madrid in the Champions League and handed the French side a quite controversial penalty that had Diego Simeone saying the 43-year-old Italian was “hallucinating” at the time of the decision.
JUVENTUS PLAYER TO WATCH
Kenan Yildiz announced his arrival at the Champions League level with one of the best goals that any Juventus player will score this season.
Since then, though, things have not exactly gone very well. And with the current state of Juve’s attack being what it is due to injuries and ineffectiveness, breaking out of the slump would certainly be nice, wouldn’t it?
Photo: Getty Images
In his last six games for Juventus in all competitions, YIldiz has not recorded a goal or an assist. At times he has looked dangerous, while other times he has looked a little out of sorts and potentially pressing a little too much to try and get things going again. Ever since his wonderstrike against PSV Eindhoven to recored Juve’s first goal of the season in Europe, things just haven’t been all that great for one of Motta’s most important players.
Is he tired?
Is he pressing?
Is it a little bit of both?
According to Motta, things are all good with Yildiz no matter how things look from the outside.
“Yildiz is feeling good, he needs to improve in every aspect of the game, like everyone else,” Motta said during Saturday’s pre-match press conference. “He has to be connected to the team in every moment, starting from the defensive phase. He’s a youngster but already a great player that we must use in the best way, both as a winger and as a midfielder.”
Despite still being months away from leaving his teens, Yildiz is very much aware of the fact of what wearing his new kit number means. And it was that goal against PSV that showed what kind of talent he is and that he can be a big part of this club’s future.
But there’s also a simple fact that Juve are asking a lot of him despite his inexperience. He’s played the third-most amount of minutes this season, behind just Dusan Vlahovic and Andrea Cambiaso. As much as he likes to drift out wide to the left, it’s still not totally certain that the left wing is the best position for him to be at full time going forward.
It’s obvious, though, that no matter if Yildiz is played out wide on the left or in the hole, his contributions are going to go a long way in Juventus having a good day or a bad day against their most-hated rival. He’s spoken about wanting to score a goal against Inter at the San Siro like his idol Alessandro Del Piero has done, so now seems like a pretty good time to break out of his slump and make that happen.
It certainly would go a long way in easing some of the heat that has (fairly or unfairly) come his way in recent games.
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73680470/1985915049.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25695426/2179537260.jpg)