Speaking in the aftermath of the borderline farcical defeat to FC Copenhagen, the Danish striker revealed: “I think everyone in the dressing room is behind him, so I think it’s only a matter of time (before things go our way).”

Though United ultimately lost last night, their defeat came largely at the incompetent hands of the officiating team, rather than anything the opposition did with their feet.

The opening twenty minutes of the match saw Ten Hag’s side take a two-goal lead, courtesy of two predatory finishes by Højlund.

United were in full control at this point with the Dane describing it as “some of the best football we have played this season.”

A series of bizarre VAR interventions then promptly turned the game on its head, with United losing a man, conceding a penalty and being subject to a series of further inexplicable decisions as they eventually ran out 4-3 losers.

A full report on the match can be found here, as well as a breakdown of the individual performances by the United team. Højlund’s efforts were sufficient enough for him to win The Peoples Person’s Man of the Match award.

The defeat left United bottom of their Champions League group, with qualification to the next round looking increasingly unlikely.

This would, in normal circumstances, be sufficient cause for an analysis of how a potential exit from a European competition at the hands of a Danish team may affect a manager’s position.

The decisions in the game were so overwhelmingly poor, however, that no inquest into Ten Hag’s tactics were launched. Indeed, even after his side were reduced to ten men and the Dutchman was able to recalibrate at the half-time interval, United were largely the better side in the second half, despite the numerical disadvantage.

Højlund was quick to praise his manager after the game, underscoring his quality as a coach and how much he has helped the Dane to develop in a short space of time.

“[Ten Hag] is a very good coach who thinks about the smallest details. He helps me a lot and gives me a lot of faith in things and supports me,” the Dane revealed.

Though it has been an undoubtedly disappointing start to the season for Ten Hag and his players, the fact that the Dutchman retains the support of the dressing room will be a key factor in the team turning things around.

A match against Luton at Old Trafford on Saturday appears the perfect place to start.

The post “Everyone is behind him”: Rasmus Højlund backs Erik ten Hag appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Sport Witness relays a report by Italian outlet, Inter Live, who suggest United are set to rival Inter Milan for the Iranian international’s signature.

Inter are thought to be “looking for a new striker” with the experienced Porto star top of their list. Taremi had previously been linked with United in the summer, suggesting he’s a player Old Trafford officials have had on their radar for some time now. 

With good reason.

Taremi scored twenty-two goals in Portugal last season, with a further five in seven Champions League games. The season prior, he scored twenty league goals. Across these two years Taremi also provided nineteen assists, indicating he’s a forward as capable of creating, as well as finishing, chances.

This season has seen a slight downturn in productivity, with the Iranian only returning three goals and three assists in fourteen games. This would still be more goals than all of United’s forwards (bar Højlund) combined, however.

And it’s the Danish striker who appears to be primary consideration of Old Trafford officials’ interest in Taremi.

Erik ten Hag is reported to want an “experienced centre-forward” in the January window, to help “lighten the load of responsibility” on his young striker.

Højlund has started virtually every game since his delayed introduction, working tirelessly in and out of possession.

Five goals in four Champions League games indicates his ruthlessness in front of goal, but he is yet to score domestically. The complete absence of creativity amongst his team-mates is the root cause of this drought, however.

When Højlund left the pitch last night against FC Copenhagen, the game proceeded to very quickly swing in the opposition’s favour. The Dane’s physicality offered a consistent outlet for his teammates, and he was constantly harassing the Copenhagen defenders.

Mason Mount, brought on in his stead, could not offer remotely the same threat, though it’s unfair to ask a diminutive attacking midfielder to lead the line for a team with ten men. The natural replacement for Højlund – Anthony Martial – continues to be an irrelevant member of the squad, with the club though to be open to his departure in January.

As such, the reported interest of United in Taremi makes sense. A figure of €10m is suggested as the fee required to secure the 31-year old’s services.

With Højlund being the lone bright spot in the United attacking unit this season, any efforts that can be made to help preserve his brightness should be made.

The post Manchester United linked with January move for Mehdi Taremi appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Alan Nixon, a journalist for The Sun, revealed on his podcast that the INEOS owner “hopes to be running” the club by next Monday.

Nixon also indicates Sir Jim Brailsford will be a significant figure in Ratcliffe’s new sporting structure. This is not thought to be the only personnel change in the works, however.

Paul Mitchell has been strongly linked as a potential director of football in this new-look executive branch at Old Trafford. Ratcliffe is thought to have been a long-term admirer of Mitchell, who has worked previously at Monaco, RB Leipzig, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton.

A proposed change at the chief executive position has also been vaunted. Jean-Claude Blanc, previously of Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, has been suggested as a potential option for this role, having recently joined INEOS to oversee their sporting portfolio.

As such, the two figures who occupy these spaces at present at Old Trafford – John Murtough and Richard Arnold – are thought to be in a potentially perilous position. Reports suggest the pair face a fight to “convince” their new boss of their place at the club.

Ratcliffe’s bid for a minority stake of United (25%) is thought to be worth in the region of £1.25 billion; a figure considered a “premium” by sources close to the deal.

As a result, the price only makes sense when the inclusion of full sporting control at Old Trafford is factored in, as well as a potential pathway to full ownership.

The proposal is also reported to include an infrastructure investment pledge with it, worth £245 million. This money will be exclusively utilised to improve the facilities at the club, and will be entirely financed by Ratcliffe – it will, crucially, not add to United’s existing debt.

This means Ratcliffe’s intial investment into the club could reach a total of around £1.5 billion.

These reports constitute positive steps towards the comprehensive overhaul desperately required at Old Trafford, both on and off the pitch.

With Nixon suggesting the first of these steps is set to be made next week, it will represent something of an early Christmas present for the fanbase after what has been an absymal start to the season.

The post Sir Jim Ratcliffe set to take control at Manchester United by next week appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Scott Saunders and Graham Bailey (90min) contend United see the Frenchman as the perfect player to improve the midfield unit at Old Trafford, possessing a strong blend of physical and technical attributes.

A report by The Peoples Person covered the link between Casemiro and Saudi Arabia, with the Brazilian thought to be one of the Pro League’s “primary” transfer targets in January.

A number of United players – including Bruno Fernandes, Raphael Varane, Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho – have also been rumoured to be on the Saudi wishlist, as they seek to continue the rapid expansion of their league.

If Casemiro was to depart in January, a replacement would be immediately needed to fill the void in midfield. Fofana appears to fit the bill, capable of playing as both a central and defensive midfielder.

A statistical analysis of the Monaco man reveals a well-rounded player who is able to affect the game in both directions.

Fofana ranks in the 91st percentile for progressive passes and 85th for progressive carries. This is then matched off-the-ball, where he ranks in the 93rd percentile for interceptions and 85th for blocks.

3 assists in Monaco’s opening eleven league games suggest it is not merely his own half that Fofana can produce as well.

United were linked with the Frenchman at the end of the summer window, with a reported loan offer rejected by Monaco. The club ended up signing Sofyan Amrabat instead – a long-term target of Erik ten Hag, though the Moroccan has yet to settle fully to the rigours of English football.

Should Casemiro’s blockbuster transfer to Saudi Arabia come to fruition, however, United may need to revisit the French principality with a better offer for Fofana’s services.

The French midfielder’s contract expires at the end of the season, though Monaco reserve the right to extend this by a season should they wish. The expectation is the club will exercise this option, yet may still be open to a departure, at the right price.

What is absolutely certain is United’s midfield is struggling at present; a new option, either internally or externally, is required to improve it.

The post Youssouf Fofana lined up as potential Casemiro replacement appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Erik ten Hag’s side squandered a two goal lead to end up losing 4-3 in the final few minutes of a game once again overshadowed by VAR.

United went two-nil up courtesy of two classic poacher goals by Højlund, who takes his Champions League goal record for the club to five goals in four games.

While the Danish striker has struggled for goals domestically, he has consistently run riot on the continent. And tonight was no different.

Inspired by a return to his former side, Højlund was a constant menace for the Copenhagen defenders in the first half. Two goals doesn’t quite capture how much of a threat he was with a powerful volley almost clinching a well-deserved hat-trick.

The cruel hand of inept officiating then intervened to ruin what had been a textbook start by Ten Hag’s men.

Marcus Rashford was sent off for a coming together which created a bad contact with a Copenhagen player, but was completely unintentional.

The referee chose initially to not give a red, but was instructed by the VAR team to reconsider. This then led to the inexplicable act of reversing his decision.

No way is that a red card for Rashford!
Hate these slow motion replays & still images that make everything look 10 times worse. #Champions_League #COPMUN

— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) November 8, 2023

(When even Jamie Carragher is in United’s corner, you know it was a bad decision)

United were reduced to ten men and the entire complexion of the game changed. A more in-depth recap of exactly how this farcical game then unfolded can be found here.

Højlund did not allow his head to drop in the face of adversity, however. The dynamic Dane worked relentlessly for his team, constantly harassing the opposition defence and offering an outlet for his team to progress up the pitch.

United’s positive performance, despite the numerical disadvantage, turned sour when Højlund was substituted. His teammates sorely lacked his potent pairing of physicality and pace up front, and Copenhagen were able to really take a footing in the game as a result.

The result, with Højlund’s performance and goals, mirrored the previous Champions League fixture against Galatasaray. Two goals by the striker were forgotten amidst a cacophony of mistakes by his teammates (and officials), concluding with a disappointing United loss.

Højlund, once again, deserved far more on a night where he looked worth every penny of the £72 million United paid for him in the summer.

The post Rasmus Højlund impresses again in the Champions League for Manchester United appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Corriere dello Sport, a news outlet in Rome, have indicated Juventus will prioritise the midfield in the upcoming transfer window as their “main objective.”

Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli have both been ruled out through bans; Pogba for alleged doping violations and Fagioli for being embroiled in the same betting scandal which led to Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali being banned.

As such, Cristiano Giuntoli (Juventus’ Sporting Director) is on the hunt for a midfielder to bolster the club’s depleted ranks. The Italian director was spotted at the Tottenham Stadium on Monday, thought to be paying close attention to Højbjerg.

The Danish international has fallen down the pecking order under Ange Postecoglou and was available for a transfer in the summer.

This was nearly an option reportedly exercised by United, who were keen to buttress their midfield with a defensive-minded player. Though Erik ten Hag ultimately ended up with his favoured target – Sofyan Amrabat – the club were strongly linked with the Tottenham midfielder, seemingly as an alternative to the Fiorentina man.

Corriere dello Sport’s report indicates this interest has not wavered, however.

The Italian outlet reveal Juventus will have to battle United for Højbjerg, with a suggested fee of €30 million thought to be required.

There will also be “fierce competition” from another European giant, Atletico Madrid, who almost agreed a deal for Højbjerg in the summer.

One sticking point for these potential suitors, however, will be the midfield absences Tottenham will endure in January, courtsey of the African Cup of Nations.

The London club are braced to lose both Yves Bissouma and Papa Sarr – two influential members of the team this season – who will represent Mali and Senegal respectively.

Their unavailability at a crucial point in the season may make it impossible for a club to agree a deal with Tottenham for Højbjerg, regardless of how bad a midfield crisis there is in Turin or Manchester.

The post Manchester United will face “fierce competition” for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Speaking on the Rob Burrow Podcast, the Rooney gave a refreshingly candid interview in which he touched on a number of emotive topics, as covered here. 

On the topic of teammates, however, the former Manchester United striker gave the nod to Darren Fletcher as his favourite to play alongside, though the Scottish international was run close by a few others in the Old Trafford dressing room.

“My best team-mate, I’d say Darren Fletcher,” Rooney reveals to Burrow. “There were a few – John O’Shea, Wes Brown, Michael Carrick – we were all really close. But Fletch was probably the one. We sat next to each other in the dressing room and shared really good moments on and off the pitch together.”

Burrow then asked for Rooney’s assessment on the opposite end of the spectrum – his least favourite teammate.

Rooney, who is currently the manager of Birmingham City, potentially surprised United fans by picking Nani, the enigmatic Portuguese winger who so often combined with his English teammate to such great effect.

Rooney describes Nani as “frustrating” and his “toughest” player to play alongside. The Portuguese’s tendency to overcomplicate and showboat often ran antithetical to the bullish and direct style of Rooney.

Rooney has also previously recounted the different treatment himself and Nani received from Sir Alex Ferguson.

The former United manager would often mollycoddle Nani as he knew being too harsh or confrontational with the winger would cause his performance level to drop, not improve.

Rooney, by contrast, thrived on being challenged or pushed. The former forward even suggested that Ferguson used to scream at him in order to send a message to other players, such as Nani.

“So many times at half-time I had played well and others in the dressing room hadn’t but he’d come for me. He knew there’d be a shouting match but it’d get a reaction from me. If he did it to another player – for example Nani – he knew he’d lose the player but he just knew the right thing to do. He’d tell me to stop dribbling, aiming it at Nani!

The Birmingham City manager revealed Nani was not alone in frustrating him, however, suggesting there were a “lot more than you’d probably think!” in terms of potential candidates for worst teammate.

Perhaps the effects of Sir Alex’s infamous hairdryer treatment are still fresh in Rooney’s mind, more than a decade on, and it’s these memories which drove his choice of Nani for least favourite teammate.

The post Wayne Rooney names his best and worst teammates appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

The prospect of a new takeover bid for Manchester United by Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani has been ruled out by Sky Sports, though he wishes the club well and wants them to be as “successful as possible.”

Speaking on the Sky Sports news channel, Kaveh Solhekol (video below) revealed Sheikh Jassim “remains a Man Utd supporter” despite his efforts to gain control of the club ultimately failing.

Sheikh Jassim remains a Man Utd supporter and wants them to be as successful as possible despite failing to agree a deal to buy the club from the Glazers pic.twitter.com/AmtquE9CFz

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 7, 2023

The Qatari banker’s bid, which was directed through the 92 Foundation, was for one hundred percent ownership at Old Trafford, worth in the region of £5 billion.

Solhekol reports that the Glazers were asking for £6 billion to secure such a deal.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe rivalled Sheikh Jassim with the INEOS owner the only other credible contender in the takeover race, which was sparked last November when the Glazers announced they were considering a “strategic review” of the club, which would include a potential sale.

Ratcliffe’s flexibility ultimately saw him outmanoeuver his competitor, agreeing a minority stake deal for 25% ownership, worth a fee around £1.25 billion.

The bid has a reported infrastructure investment pledge attached to it – worth £245 million – meaning Ractliffe’s propsal totals an investment of roughly £1.5 billion, subject to ratification.

There had been rumours, mostly on social media, that Sheikh Jassim could perform a stunning u-turn and return to the process with a new bid. Solhekol refutes this idea, however.

The Sky Sports news reporter reveals the Qatari banker is no longer “in the picture” for a takeover bid, with “no indication” that will change.

The team responsible for Sheikh Jassim’s bids has been “disbanded” with the unsuccessful process costing the businessman “millions of pounds”; losses he has been forced to absorb with no return.

As such, there is considered zero possibility he will reverse his decision to withdraw from negotiations, originally citing an “unrealistic and fanciful” evaluation by the Glazers for the price of their club as the reason.

Solhekol contends Sheikh Jassim’s support of the club has not wavered, however.

The post Sheikh Jassim affirms his support for club despite unsuccessful bid appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Speaking to the club’s in-house social media team, Onana revealed how he would always “be thankful” to Van der Sar for his advice and guidance during the pair’s shared time at Ajax.

Onana was the goalkeeper in Amsterdam during the same period Van der Sar was the club’s Chief Executive (2015-2022), before the former’s switch to Milan last summer, and then Manchester this year.

The Cameroonian international stated:

“[Van der Sar] had a great impact. I was with him in Ajax back in the days. We had a great, great time. We were training sometimes together and he advised me a lot. He was happy when I joined Manchester United.”

“He advised me a lot during the game, after the game, especially if I was making mistakes! He was coming through all the way to the dressing room or to the training session to speak with me and he helped me to build that personality, you know?” 

Onana possesses the quintessential skillset of a ‘modern’ goalkeeper; a shotstopper who is as comfortable with the ball at his feet, as in his hands, while being proactive and capable of dominating their box.

When Van der Sar was in his prime, approaching two decades ago, the demands on a goalkeeper were radically different to the ones placed on them today.

Onana contends:

“To be honest, now football is so different. You know, I think the position has changed in the last 20 years. Now the goalkeeper is like [having] another player more, you know? And when you look at the way most of the teams want to play, now they use the goalkeeper as a plus one. “

I consider myself as a modern goalkeeper, so I’m not afraid to make mistakes. I’m not afraid to take risks and I would take risks because the way I play is what brought me to Manchester United, one of the best clubs in the world, and I will not drop. I will never drop. I will only go forward. I can make mistakes and mistakes are a part of life.”

This confidence will be vital to Onana establishing himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the league and trying to emulate the level of performance his tutor, Van der Sar, was able to reach in a United shirt.

The post Andre Onana reveals the impact of Edwin van der Sar on his career appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

The 19-year-old winger took to Instagram to post a reaction picture following the crucial win in the Champions League at Old Trafford to keep United’s hopes in the competition alive.

Andre Onana saved a penalty in the last minute to secure the victory, after enduring a number of tough games between the posts for his new club. It was a significant moment for the goalkeeper; one which saw him earn plaudits from across the footballing world.

FA have been investigating into Garnacho’s social media post in which he used gorilla emojis over a picture of Andre Onana's penalty save.

Onana replies: “People can’t choose what I should be offended by. Garnacho meant power and strenght. This should go no further”. pic.twitter.com/k6kea9Iwgz

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 26, 2023

The use of the gorilla emoji by Garnacho, in reference to Onana, created understandable controversy, however.

The goalkeeper was quick to publicly defend his team-mate, stating he knew “exactly what [Garnacho] meant: power and strength” and implored that the matter “should go no further.”

Evidently, it was an unintentional decision by Garnacho who was simply attempting to praise his goalkeeper, but used a problematic emoji to do so.

The FA announced they were investigating the matter given the serious nature of the incident, rather than the reality of it. And it appears this discrepancy led to the footballing authority’s decision today to take no further action against Garnacho.

A spokesperson from the FA released this statement about the matter:

“We have concluded an investigation in relation to a recent post on Alejandro Garnacho’s social media. We sought the player’s observations as part of our investigation, and he explained that the use of two gorilla emojis was intended to highlight the strength and power of his teammates – specifically Andre Onana and Harry Maguire – following the pivotal roles they played in Manchester United’s win over FC Copenhagen. 

“We are satisfied with Alejandro Garnacho’s explanation and the context that it provides, so we will not be issuing disciplinary proceedings on this occassion. However, we have reminded the player of his responsibilities around social media posts and the use of emojis in particular, which can be interpreted in different ways. 

“We also intend to liaise with Kick It Out and the PFA to discuss other potential issues around the use of emojis and similar forms of messaging, and education that can be provided about them.”

The post Alejandro Garnacho will face no disciplinary action over emoji appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.