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Manchester United may move for a new name to replace Erik ten Hag should they decide to part ways with the Dutchman in the coming weeks, according to one fresh report.
After a dismal 3-0 defeat home Premier League to Tottenham, it was expected that another loss against either Aston Villa or Porto in the following week could have seen the Manchester United hierarchy part ways with Ten Hag, a little over two years and £650m after they appointed him.
However, United snatched a point against Porto late on, after throwing away a 2-0 lead. Then, with all of the Red Devils hierarchy in attendance at Villa Park, they were able to hold onto a 0-0 draw with Unai Emery’s high-flying side in a game that did little but underline the importance of veteran defender Jonny Evans to the Manchester United backline.
The result meant that Ten Hag broke records as Manchester United boss, beating the worst-ever start for the Red Devils in a Premier League season that he himself set just 12 months ago.
However, it persuaded the hierarchy to hold fire on his departure, with the Dutchman seemingly on borrowed time and perhaps a third international break looming enough to convince onlookers that he deserves another month to try to turn things around at Old Trafford just months after being handed a new contract in the wake of winning the FA Cup.
United have seven games before that international break, including two Europa League ties and an EFL cup clash, and a relatively favourable run of fixtures will need to produce results for Ten Hag to stay in a job, with United currently languishing in 14th place.
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Ten Hag’s fixtures to save his job? |
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|
Opponent (home/away) |
Competition |
|
Brentford (home) |
Premier League |
|
Fenerbahce (away) |
Europa League |
|
West Ham United (away) |
Premier League |
|
Leicester City (home) |
EFL Cup |
|
Chelsea (home) |
Premier League |
|
PAOK (home) |
Europa League |
|
Leicester City (home) |
Premier League |
Should he fail to produce results, it seems that the Red Devils have already identified a potential successor.
That is according to GiveMeSport, who report that the Red Devils are ready to consider Newcastle boss Eddie Howe as a potential replacement for Ten Hag.
Howe has done an impressive job at Newcastle in roughly the same timeframe as Ten Hag, backed by relatively meagre means by comparison to the Dutchman, and the United hierarchy are said to be “huge admirers” of the English manager.
His success has been noted by England as well as reportedly the Red Devils, but Newcastle Chief Executive Darren Eales has issued a hands-off warning to any potential suitors.
“Eddie’s been an amazing manager and we’re committed to him”, he explained in July.
“I’m not going to talk about the specifics of Eddie’s contract but he’s on a multi-year deal which was extended last summer.
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“He’s our employee and we’re not looking to release Eddie. He’s a top coach, he’s the right coach for Newcastle United at the right moment. This is the coach we want to lead the club for the [foreseeable] future.”
Of course, Howe already knows new Red Devils chief Dan Ashworth well from their time working together with the Magpies, though whether or not that would be enough to convince him to swap Tyneside for Trafford is another matter, with Newcastle unlikely to let their most successful boss of the last two decades leave without a fight.
Indeed, the report claims that a “substantial compensation package” would be required to lure him away from St James’ Park, something that Manchester United may ultimately baulk at when the likes of Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino could all be landed without a fee.
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Manchester United players have organised a team-bonding meal in the city in order to halt their dreadful run of form.
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Chelsea’s seven-match unbeaten run in all competitions came crashing to an end on Sunday as they lost 2-1 to Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League.
The Blues had not lost a game since their 2-1 defeat to Servette in a Europa Conference League play-off clash in August, and had not lost in the league since they were beaten by Manchester City on the opening day of the 2024/25 campaign.
Mo Salah gave Liverpool the lead from the penalty spot after 29 minutes. Levi Colwill clumsily caught Curtis Jones inside the box and gave the referee no choice but to award the spot-kick.
Enzo Maresca’s side rallied well, however, after the half-time break and equalised in the 48th minute. Nicolas Jackson bent his run brilliantly to stay onside and finished superbly under pressure from Moises Caicedo’s through ball.
The Blues let themselves down just three minutes later, though, as their entire defence switched off and allowed Curtis Jones to run in-behind, from Mo Salah’s pass, and slot the ball past Robert Sanchez.
Chelsea were unable to get themselves back into the game over the next 40 minutes or so and the manager must now make some ruthless changes to his team, starting between the sticks.
The Spanish goalkeeper must be ruthlessly ditched from the starting XI in the upcoming Europa Conference League game, and for the club’s next Premier League match.
Chelsea host Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge in the league next weekend and their clash with Panathinaikos on Thursday is a good opportunity to hand players an audition to start in that game.
Filip Jorgensen could secure a place in the starting line-up for the clash with the Magpies with a strong performance against the Greek side, given Sanchez’s disappointing form this term.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion flop made several sloppy passes out from the back, completing 81% of his attempted passes, and was far too hesitant in coming out to challenge Jones, making it easy for the midfielder to score the winner.
It is far from his first questionable performance in a Chelsea shirt this season, either, as the 26-year-old dud has made two errors that have directly led to goals and given away a penalty in eight Premier League appearances.
The underperforming Spaniard has also lost 50% of his ground duels in the division, which shows that he has not been convincing when coming out to claim the ball – as shown in the controversial incident with Jones in the first half on Sunday.
As you can see in the clip above, the goalkeeper appeared to bring the midfielder down at first glance and a penalty was awarded, but the replays showed that he did get the slightest touch on the ball and the penalty was overturned.
Maresca must now drop him from the starting XI for Jorgensen, provided the goalkeeper puts in a solid display on Thursday night, against Newcastle next weekend.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Alongside Sanchez, Tosin Adarabioyo is another underwhelming performer who should be ditched from the line-up against the Magpies – and in Europe.
The towering central defender was brought into the starting line-up against the Reds and failed to justify the manager’s decision to place his faith in him.
Brought in from Fulham on a free transfer in the summer, Adarabioyo had a huge opportunity to show the head coach, and the fanbase, that he has what it takes to emerge as a key player for the Premier League giants moving forward.
Unfortunately, he switched off at a key moment as the ex-Cottagers star, who was handed a 5/10 player rating by GOAL, allowed Jones to run off the back of him to get in behind the defence for the winning goal.
As you can see in the graphic above, Adarabioyo was incredibly passive throughout the match at Anfield, with zero tackles, interceptions, and duels won.
He lost 100% of his duels and was substituted by Maresca in the 53rd minute, shortly after his mistake allowed Jones to score the winner, and the Italian boss must now take the centre-back out of the starting XI for the next two games.
His struggles against Liverpool were not a one-off. The former Fulham colossus’ performances in the Premier League have been less than convincing since he made the switch to Stamford Bridge in the summer.
Adarabioyo has made four appearances in the division for the Blues so far and, despite standing at a towering 6 foot 5, is yet to win a single aerial duel. He has lost 100% of his aerial contests and that is, simply, not good enough for a centre-back in a team that wants to be challenging for trophies.
The 27-year-old flop has also averaged just 0.8 tackles and interceptions combined per match, which further illustrates his passive approach to defending.
His lack of involvement defensively, and his frailty in individual duels, means that he is not making a positive impact for Chelsea from a defensive perspective, which is why he should be dropped from the team.
Wesley Fofana served a one-match ban, having picked up five yellow cards in the Premier League ahead of the clash with Liverpool, and should be brought straight back into the starting XI ahead of Adarabioyo.
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24/25 Premier League |
Tosin Adarabioyo |
Wesley Fofana |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
4 |
7 |
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Tackles + interceptions per game |
0.8 |
2.3 |
|
Ball recoveries per game |
1.8 |
4.1 |
|
Clearances per game |
2.0 |
3.9 |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
0% |
69% |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
||
As you can see in the table above, the Frenchman has significantly outperformed his teammate as a right-sided centre-back in the league this term.
He has been far more active defensively, which means that the former Leicester star is more likely to cut out attacks and prevent his goalkeeper from being worked, and more dominant in aerial duels – winning 69% of his battles.
Therefore, Maresca must instantly ditch Adarabioyo from the starting XI and immediately bring Fofana straight back into the line-up against Newcastle.
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In a welcome boost after the international break, a top Derby County summer signing is now one of a number of players in line to make their return from the sidelines against Millwall this weekend.
The Rams continued their excellent start last time out, defeating Queens Park Rangers 2-0 before the international break thanks to goals Curtis Nelson and Marcus Harness to leave their side sitting comfortable in mid-table. Paul Warne’s side will now be tasked with continuing their form up against Millwall, who could leapfrog the newly-promoted Rams with victory.
In pursuit of back-to-back victories, Derby have at least been handed plenty of positive injury news during the international break. Tom Barkhuizen, Liam Thompson and David Ozoh are all set to make their return from the sidelines after the international break and could feature again soon.
As reported by the Derby Telegraph, Ben Osborn is now in line to return against Millwall after his hamstring injury against Sunderland ruled him out of his side’s victory over QPR last time out. Despite initial fears, however, the injury was not severe enough to leave the summer signing sidelined for a prolonged period of time.
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Since arriving as a free agent in the summer, the former Sheffield United midfielder has started five of Derby’s nine Championship games in a run that he will hope to see become more consistent now that he’s swiftly avoided any injury concern. Whether Warne grants his returning midfielder an instant start in his side’s trip to Millwall this weekend remains to be seen, however.
Back from injury with the fixtures only set to come thick and fast as the season approaches the festive period, Osborn must take advantage of his return to secure a consistent starting spot in Warne’s side. It’s a place that the Rams would have signed him to claim in the summer and one that he must convince Warne that he deserves over others.
Of course, if the praise of former Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom is anything to go by, then over time Osborn will make it his place to lose at the heart of Derby’s midfield. Heckingbottom told Sky Sports via Derby County News when Osborn arrived at Pride Park in the summer: “[He’s a] terrific character. He is a down-to-earth lad, very motivated, very determined.
“He probably kept his affiliation with Derby quiet coming through at Forest. I actually spoke to him when he was in the middle of the medical here, and he was talking about how pleased he was to get this move. I think it’s good for Ben, I think it’s good for Warny, and I think it’s good for Derby.”
Now, the former Blade must prove his former boss right and become one of Warne’s main men at Derby.
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As Rangers chase attacking reinforcements in 2025, Pete O’Rourke has issued an update on what he’s now heard from Romania on Rangers’ pursuit of FCSB’s Darius Olaru.
Following defeat against title rivals Aberdeen, Philippe Clement looked destined to lose his job at Ibrox before turning things around at the perfect time. Since that 2-1 defeat, Rangers have defeated Motherwell, earned a point against Olympiacos in the Europa League and defeated Hearts to ease at least some pressure on their manager.
What has far from helped the Belgian in a season of struggle is, of course, Rangers’ recent finances. The Gers reported a pre-tax loss of £17.2m to add to their woes and hand Clement the difficult task of turning things around without necessarily receiving financial backing in the transfer market.
It represents the ultimate frustration for those at Ibrox, who saw their side crowned Scottish champions and on the up just four years ago. Now left struggling on and off the pitch, O’Rourke has issued more bad news regarding the Gers’ pursuit of Olaru.
According to O’Rourke, Rangers have indeed been keeping tabs on Olaru in an attempt to add some goals to their midfield, but what he’s heard is that FCSB will demand a “decent fee”, and that will price the Scottish giants out of a move for the 26-year-old.
In fact, well-placed sources closer to home have reportedly told O’Rourke that ready-made funds aren’t available for Clement at this time, leaving the manager to come up with internal solutions if he wants to fix his side’s problems.
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Nine points adrift in the Scottish Premiership title race, sat third and unlikely to welcome reinforcements, to say that Rangers are running out of reasons to be positive would be an understatement. If things do change, however, then Olaru is certainly a player they’d be wise to welcome.
After a summer clear-out saw the likes of John Lundstram and Ryan Jack depart, Rangers opted to welcome younger players and those who were always unlikely to make an instant impact on Clement’s side. And as a result, they’ve paid the price ever since. Olaru wouldn’t come under that category, however.
26 years old and the captain of FCSB, the midfielder would go a long way towards steering Rangers back in the right direction. Not only would he add much-needed leadership at the heart of Clement’s side, but also goal contributions from the middle of the park. The Romanian has scored an impressive 10 goals and recorded a further five assists in 21 games in all competitions for FCSB so far this season in the type of record that would hand Rangers an instant boost.
For now, however, those at Ibrox can merely window shop rather than invest thanks to their current financial position. They must hope that, by the time they rediscover their balance off the pitch, they’re still in a strong enough position to welcome talents of Olaru’s calibre.
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With one eye on the Scottish Premiership and another on the transfer market, Celtic could reportedly move to sign a Premier League midfielder worth just £15m for Brendan Rodgers in 2025.
The Bhoys have barely missed a beat in the current campaign, despite losing star man Matt O’Riley to Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer. The Dane’s exit dealt the Scottish champions a major blow and forced them to bid farewell to yet another talent to the Premier League following the likes of Kieran Tierney a number of years ago.
Those at Celtic Park could yet fall victim to their own success once more in 2025 too, with Nicolas Kuhn recently linked to Premier League side Crystal Palace. A man in form, Kuhn would be following in O’Riley’s footsteps by starring at Celtic before swapping Scotland for England’s first tier.
It’s a trend that the Bhoys should be desperate to bring to an end and reverse by welcoming a Premier League talent of their own. According to Caught Offside, Celtic could now make a move to sign Wataru Endo from Liverpool in a deal worth €15-18m (£12-15m) next year. The Japan international reportedly wants out at Anfield amid his struggle for game time, potentially presenting Celtic with an ideal opportunity.
They’re not the only side reportedly interested, however. Fulham, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town are also eyeing a move for the Liverpool midfielder in a busy race for his signature, which looks destined to end in an Anfield departure.
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Now 31 years old, Endo has fulfilled his role at Liverpool better than most expected and is now playing a lesser role thanks to the emergence of Ryan Gravenberch. If Celtic is to be next for the midfielder, then the Bhoys could be getting a player who may ease into the Scottish Premiership.
Although struggling for game time at Liverpool, Endo could slot straight into Celtic’s midfield alongside fellow Japan star Reo Hatate to take the Bhoys up yet another level at the heart of Rodgers’ side. If Rodgers did welcome Endo, meanwhile, then he will be signing a player who Jurgen Klopp loved in his final season at Liverpool.
Speaking to reporters after a young Liverpool side defeated Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final last season, Klopp said via Sqawka: “I’m pretty sure in three [or] four years Wataru will sign another long-term contract at Liverpool just because he might be 30 or 31 on his passport but he’s not.
“He’s a machine. He is footballing-wise exceptional. His defensive brain is outstanding. He gives us a lot of freedom for a lot of things. Yeah, top development. Very helpful, very helpful.”
For the price of £15m, Celtic may need to act quickly to win the race for Endo ahead of Premier League sides and, in doing so, reverse the trend of top talents swapping Scotland for England.